The Foolish Agent

Chapter 12

Only then did Qingfeng belatedly realize that he had once again shot himself in the foot. However, easily compromising was never in his nature; such a thing would only happen when facing the foolish empress who defied common sense. He knew the emperor's thoughts intimately. During the three years he had lived in the palace, the emperor had constantly been trying to drag him into his schemes. Qingfeng had agreed to stay in the palace with him for three years out of pity for his friend, and even more so out of sympathy for him, who clearly loathed the palace and hated the throne, yet had no choice but to carefully guard them.

However, the three-year term was up, and besides, a junior brother was waiting for him to take him out of the palace. He didn't want to let his sympathy get the better of him, or accidentally fall into the emperor's trap and be trapped again in this seemingly glamorous, magnificent, but actually incredibly boring and gloomy palace.

Qingfeng raised an eyebrow and replied in the same sharp tone:

"Xuanyuan Yunlu! Don't try to twist my words. How can my going to court for you compare to this? The situation was unavoidable; it was an emergency. If those old fogies in the court knew that their young emperor was seriously injured and unconscious outside the palace, and it was uncertain whether he would survive, do you think they would immediately install another emperor? Don't forget, your fickle mother's little brother is eagerly waiting for you to abdicate!" Without waiting for the emperor's reply, he switched to a lighthearted, teasing tone:

"However, now that you've given up even a woman to your brother, you might as well give him the throne you hate, along with the entire Jinghe Kingdom. He'll definitely thank you for being such a good brother."

The emperor's face suddenly turned grim and ruthless, his narrowed phoenix eyes radiating two cold, sharp beams of light. Eunuch Fu, who was only caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of his eye, immediately felt a bone-chilling cold, as if he had fallen into an ice cave. He involuntarily shivered. Despite this, Eunuch Fu wasn't worried about Qingfeng, who was completely shrouded in this cold light. Because he too felt that Young Master Qingfeng had gone too far this time, deliberately targeting the emperor's sore spot. If the emperor were to abdicate the throne, wouldn't it be tantamount to handing over his life as well?

The gentle breeze, seemingly immune to the cold snap, still smiled like springtime, its gleaming black eyes radiating a fiery light that clashed with the chilling glint. Suddenly, a violent clash of lightning and thunder erupted in the air, like the clanging of swords and the thunder of horses...

Finally, it was the emperor who broke down first, his cold glint replaced by helplessness. He spoke earnestly in a pleading tone:

"Please help me one more time, just the last time."

[Main Text: Chapter Thirty-Seven: Past Events Like the Wind]

Seeing that Qingfeng still showed no sign of agreeing, the emperor suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He thought that instead of trying to persuade the cunning Qingfeng, he should try persuading the young Wuming. Perhaps that would have unexpected results! He refused to believe that Qingfeng would have the heart to leave his simple-minded and defenseless junior brother, who was incapable of fighting, alone in a pack of wolves and tigers, while he himself went off to enjoy himself. Therefore, the emperor secretly decided to appease Qingfeng first, and then approach Wuming. In any case, he couldn't allow his fellow disciples to run off to a place of carefree living. He continued his persuasion:

"If you really want to go back to see your master, then leave your junior brother here to help me. I see that he is quite remarkable for his age. Anyway, he doesn't know any martial arts, and you and your master wouldn't feel at ease if he went off to roam the world like this!"

"Impossible! He dislikes the darkness of officialdom just like me, and he hates the palace even more than you or I do. So, he won't want to stay. Master sent him to me so I could discipline him and teach him martial arts at the same time. It's because Master spoils him too much that he's become so mischievous and irresponsible. I'm not as easy to talk to as Master. Yesterday, I even set some rules for him and told him to stay in Qingfeng Residence and memorize them." Qingfeng, feeling guilty, immediately refused without thinking.

Although the emperor felt Qingfeng's explanation was somewhat superfluous, he assumed Qingfeng was simply trying to protect his junior brother. Therefore, he didn't raise any questions. The emperor, a master of martial arts, naturally looked down on the Nameless Society's petty tricks, but he genuinely admired Nameless and Qingfeng's outspoken personalities and their unique and insightful political views.

However, the emperor, like Qingfeng, seemed to have forgotten that it was this seemingly defenseless young boy who had rescued them from the horde of assassins.

Qingfeng discerned from the Emperor's shifting gaze that he still harbored designs on Wuming. The thought that Wuming was also after the Dragon Gate Master filled him with apprehension. He absolutely could not allow the two of them to have too much contact. A strong voice clamored within him. Therefore, Qingfeng quickly changed his words:

"Alright! I promise to help you one last time. However, I will only be responsible for selecting concubines who can rival the Shui family. As for how to deal with them, that's your own business." Before the emperor could reply, he added, "This is my bottom line. If you have any other ideas, I will leave with Wuming immediately."

Qingfeng's sudden change of attitude surprised both the Emperor and Eunuch Fu. The Emperor knew that if Qingfeng insisted on leaving, even if the entire palace guards stood outside Qingfeng's residence and medicine hut, they wouldn't be able to stop him. Therefore, seeing that he had agreed, he naturally wouldn't make any other demands and hurriedly said with delight:

"That's what a brother should do! Don't worry, I said this is the last time, and I will never go back on my word."

Qingfeng rolled her eyes at him, as if to say, "I'd be a fool to believe you!" Then, she turned to Eunuch Fu and asked in a sarcastic tone:

"Chief Steward Fu, what are you still doing here? What, are you really planning to use your fat body as a test subject for my medicine?"

Fu Gonggong's chubby face, which had been grinning like Maitreya Buddha, immediately froze. He then bowed respectfully to the emperor on the bed and fled the medicine hut as if escaping. Qingfeng watched Fu Gonggong's staggering figure and felt much better, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Oh! Look how scared you've made Eunuch Fu act like he's being chased by a ghost. He's always spoken highly of you and taken good care of you. Is this how you repay him? He's getting on in years." The emperor suppressed a laugh and teased him on purpose.

"I granted his wish to remain loyal, giving him the opportunity to take the blame for his master. He should be thanking me!" Qingfeng replied jokingly. Then, he sat down by the bedside, examining the emperor's injuries as he earnestly asked:

"Xuanyuan, is there any news about the royal secret service you mentioned last time? I think you really need to hurry up and find that force and put it under your control. These past few days, I've noticed from those reports that many of Leng Xiang's former subordinates are leaning towards the Shui family. You think it's safe to rely solely on the Dragon Gate's forces to fight them? The Shui family's appetite is much bigger than the Leng family's."

Xuanyuan Yunlu knew that although Qingfeng was reluctant to be involved in the darkness of officialdom, he would still try his best to help when it came to matters concerning his own interests and those of the people of Jinghe. Xuanyuan looked at Qingfeng gratefully and said:

"You're right. Although Longmen has developed well, its foundation is still shallow. I really need the support of the Dark Guard right now. No, it should be said that every emperor of Jinghe needs the support of the Dark Guard to keep those officials firmly in their hands. That's why the Dark Guard's roster, codes, and distribution maps are stipulated to be passed down from the previous emperor to the next." The emperor paused here, his expression becoming unusually grave. Then, in a somewhat hoarse voice, he continued:

"When my father first suggested that I take over the secret service, I was afraid of the trouble. Also, because of what happened between him and my mother, I really wanted to leave the palace forever and never come back. So I made up an excuse that I had no experience in the martial arts world. I wanted to go out and explore for two or three years before going back to take over. Who knew that would be the last time my father and I saw each other?"

I was hunted down the moment I entered the martial world. If I hadn't met you, I would have been reincarnated long ago! You know what happened next. We finally fought our way out and returned to the palace. But we didn't even get to see Father Emperor before we received an imperial decree to lead troops to the border to fight the Tujue.

When we finally broke through the encirclement and returned, we found only my father's will bequeathing the throne to me. I had assumed that my father's decision to have me marry the simple-minded daughter of the Leng family was because he wanted the Leng family to pass on the secret service to me. Therefore, I obeyed my father's will and married the simple-minded empress. Yin'er was devastated by this and left me with our unborn child. However, the Leng family kept silent about the secret service. Later, I finally couldn't help but ask him, and he told me that my father had never mentioned the secret service to him at all.

I searched the entire Yangxin Hall and Imperial Study of my father, but found no clues. So, I began to suspect that the last person to see my father, the Cold Prime Minister, might have been tempted by the power of the Dark Guard. Moreover, I couldn't understand why my father would make me marry a fool as his empress, and why he hadn't left me any other clues. The more I thought about it, the stronger the Cold Prime Minister's suspicion became.

That's why I ignored your advice and allied with the Shui family, knowing full well that they hired assassins to kill me, to deal with Leng Xiang. I thought that once I brought down Leng Xiang, I could reclaim the Dark Guard and bring his forces under my control. Then…”

"Then we'll go back and deal with the Shui family! You know that, Qingfeng knows that, do you think the Shui family doesn't know?"

Interrupted by the sudden sound, the two simultaneously turned their astonished and angry gazes toward the source of the sound. There stood a pale, bloodless boy, leaning on a wooden stick under each arm, his legs weak and limp, struggling to stand in the doorway, meeting their gaze with disdain.

[Main Text: Chapter Thirty-Eight - Teasing the Emperor Again]

Interrupted by the sudden sound, the two simultaneously turned their astonished and angry gazes toward the source of the sound. There stood a pale, bloodless boy, leaning on a strange wooden stick under each arm, his legs weak and limp, struggling to stand in the doorway, meeting their gaze with disdain.

Upon seeing who it was, the two were simultaneously stunned, staring at him blankly for a long time, unable to recover their senses.

The emperor was surprised by his appearance; how could someone who was perfectly fine yesterday be dragging his legs today? Most strangely, his expression remained arrogant and disdainful. Had they said something wrong? Why was he looking at him like that?

Qingfeng was surprised by his sudden appearance. In particular, he hadn't heard when he arrived. He seriously doubted whether his skills had declined.

The newcomer dragged his heavy body, moving slowly into the medicine hut, and found a chair with a backrest to sit down. He then took the wooden stick from under his arm, put it together, and placed it on his right. Looking at the two men, who were still in a daze, he spoke first:

"Is my senior brother wondering why I'm here? Is the Emperor wondering why I've become a cripple?"

Indeed, the newcomer was none other than the Foolish Empress Leng Jie—no, it should be Flying Eagle Wuming. The two, still stunned, nodded in unison, awaiting Wuming's reply, their questions having been answered by Wuming's words.

"Senior Brother's question is easy to answer. Just now, when I came out of Qingfeng Residence, I saw Eunuch Fu rushing out of the medicine hut in a panic. I thought something had happened to the Emperor, so I came over out of curiosity. As for the Emperor's question, just ask my good senior brother. Why did I become hemiplegic after waking up from a nap? I'd like to know too," Wuming answered truthfully. Seeing that they still looked puzzled, he explained again:

"Senior brother, you're probably wondering why you didn't hear my footsteps, right? Look, can you hear anything?" He picked up two wooden sticks and jabbed them into the ground a few times. Sure enough, there was no sound at all.

Qingfeng then noticed that both ends of the two wooden sticks were bound with thick, cotton-like material. The emperor looked at Qingfeng with a puzzled expression, waiting for his answer: why had Wuming become a cripple?

Having cleared up his doubts, Qingfeng suddenly adopted the demeanor of a senior brother, glaring fiercely at Wuming and sternly reprimanding him:

"Have you forgotten what you promised me? Instead of staying in bed and resting, do you not want these legs anymore?"

"First, you only said I can't use force, not that I have to lie in bed! Second, I was poisoned in my abdomen, not my legs, so why are my legs weak? Don't tell me it's a sequela. Although my medical skills aren't as refined as yours or Master's, I still followed Master for a few years. Don't try to fool me with this basic common sense. You're clearly just bullying me because you're stronger in martial arts, better in medicine, started learning earlier, and are older than me." Wuming retorted without hesitation, perfectly portraying a mischievous, unruly, and spoiled young man.

He had kindly helped her expel the poison, yet he'd been branded a bully, a scoundrel? Qingfeng felt incredibly annoyed and wronged! For a moment, she couldn't find a better way to retort. What she said was true, and besides, although he hadn't directly administered the poison, it was still his doing. She could only helplessly say, "I'm doing this for your own good! With your restless nature, how could you possibly stay still without sealing the acupoints on your legs?" Saying this, she walked over and pressed several acupoints on Wuming's legs that had been sealed. Wuming's legs immediately regained their freedom of movement.

"It seems sealing his acupoints won't work!" Seeing Qingfeng get frustrated for the first time, especially since it was his junior brother, Xuan Yuan Yunli couldn't help but tease. He then asked Wuming:

"How did you get poisoned? You were perfectly fine yesterday. And why did you look at me with such disdain just now? Aren't you afraid I'll chop off your head? I am the emperor!"

The emperor asked a question, and Wuming exaggeratedly counted on one finger, waiting for the emperor to finish. Wuming then raised his hand and said, "Your Majesty, I've discovered you're a problem child just like me! You've asked five idiotic questions in a row! I usually only ask three at most before my master gives me a good beating."

"Junior brother, you must not be disrespectful to the Emperor!" Qingfeng said, stopping him.

Wuming made a face at Qingfeng, ignoring his warning, and continued speaking to the emperor, who was squinting his phoenix eyes and waiting with great interest for what was to come:

"First, my poison was administered by my senior brother because he couldn't find a suitable 'guinea pig.' Second, I was already poisoned when you saw me, but it hadn't taken effect yet. Third, it's precisely because you are the emperor, though a little confused, that you are still a wise ruler. Yet, you, based solely on guesswork, made the foolish decision to raise a tiger and persecute loyal officials—the actions of a tyrant. Do you think I shouldn't despise you, or admire you? Fourth, as for my head, if you want it, you can have it anytime. I can even throw in a pair of usable hands. How about it?"

Xuanyuan completely disregarded Wuming's accusations. He confided these thoughts that had plagued him for three years to Qingfeng precisely because Wuming's sharp rebuke the other day had been like a wake-up call, allowing him to awaken to his inner turmoil and recognize his mistakes. However, just as he was about to admit his errors, Wuming interrupted him again.

"Isn't this little scatterbrain a wise ruler? Taking your head and then offering it to me—does that mean you're willing to serve me?" Xuanyuan stared at the nameless boy, his phoenix eyes widening, the light within them growing brighter. He had just been thinking about how to keep him here, and now the boy had delivered himself to his doorstep. He hadn't encountered such a good thing in a long time. The more he looked at this mischievous yet genuine, righteous yet slightly wicked boy, the more he liked him. A faint smile unconsciously appeared on his lips. He parted his lips slightly and said:

"Fine! Your head and hands are mine now." Turning to Qingfeng, he said, "Qingfeng, you heard it too, this wasn't something I forced him to do. It was Wuming's own promise."

"Of course she doesn't need you to force her; she desperately needs this opportunity and is waiting for you to take the bait!" A sudden, inexplicable tightness gripped her chest. Qingfeng glared fiercely at the smug and triumphant emperor, then at the seemingly simple, straightforward, harmless, and innocent Wuming. She said bitterly:

"Hen! I can't interfere in your affairs, but I hope none of you will regret your decision today."

Unaware that Qingfeng was implying something, and seeing that he did not obstruct him, Xuanyuan immediately laughed heartily and replied, "I never do anything I will regret!"

"Your Majesty, have you misunderstood what I just said? I don't remember making any promises to you." Wuming, who never expected the emperor to be so nonchalant in the face of such accusations, suddenly asked.

The gentle breeze cannot bear the sight!

The emperor was utterly astonished!

"You didn't promise anything, but shouldn't your words be interpreted in this way?"

"You are the emperor, and I am your subject. You have the power to decide my life and death. Therefore, you can take my head at any time. Once my head is gone, my hands are useless anyway. Giving them to you together would show my generosity. However, Wuming doesn't understand what promise the emperor is referring to." Angry? Angry? Please, have some temper! Leng Jie prayed silently in her heart.

Naturally, and quite confidently, the explanation wasn't wrong in itself. It was, after all, a misunderstanding on his part. However, Xuanyuan still felt a sense of being mocked. But looking into Wuming's clear, innocent eyes, Xuanyuan suppressed his displeasure and patiently explained:

"What use are your head and hands if I cut them off? They can't be braised or stewed. I need your clever mind to share my burdens and your capable hands to serve me. Are you willing to do that?"

After circling the globe, we've finally gotten to the point. Leng Jie sighed inwardly. She hadn't expected this devilish emperor to not only have such a good temper, but also a good sense of humor, and most importantly, he was very perceptive. Thinking that she was one step closer to the life she longed for, Leng Jie unconsciously raised the corners of her mouth, revealing a sweet smile.

[Main Text: Chapter Thirty-Nine - Openly Repairing the Plank Road]

Leng Jie herself was unaware of how captivating and mesmerizing her unconsciously revealed innocent sweetness and sunny, hopeful smile was. It even caused the Emperor and Qingfeng to momentarily lose their composure.

This was the second time Qingfeng had seen her smile like that. The first time was in the Imperial Pharmacy, when she was the eunuch Xiaoqingzi. He had thought then that such a smile couldn't possibly appear on the face of a lowly eunuch. However, this smile seemed even more inappropriate, or rather, even more impossible, to appear on the face of the foolish empress. Qingfeng suddenly felt that perhaps suffering from selective amnesia was a blessing rather than a curse for her.

Having grown accustomed to obsequious, professional smiles, Xuan Yuan Yunli was inevitably captivated by such a pure and genuine smile for the first time. In his memory, Qingfeng's smile was the most sincere and cheerful, which was why he always enjoyed spending time with Qingfeng. He felt that it made him feel more authentic. Now, he felt that Wuming's smile contained something more than Qingfeng's. He wasn't sure exactly what it was. However, the feeling that the smile made one involuntarily want to be close to him was undeniable.

"Does His Majesty mean to have Wuming serve the court?" Leng Jie asked.

"Uh! Yes! Are you willing?" Pulled back to his senses by the question, Xuanyuan paused for a moment before asking again.

"Oh, I have no say in that. But this is not a matter for me to decide." He turned his gaze to Qingfeng and said, "You'll have to ask my senior brother. When Master sent me to find him, he instructed me to tell Wuming to follow his arrangements."

"If someone doesn't even listen to their master, how can they listen to their senior brother's arrangements?" Xuanyuan hadn't expected Wuming to throw this question at Qingfeng. He followed Wuming's gaze to Qingfeng, waiting for his answer.

Qingfeng was equally surprised by Wuming's words. However, based on his understanding of Wuming, he believed that her words were not as simple as they appeared. To avoid falling into her trap again, he turned his gaze aside and decided to remain silent.

Trying to hide? There's no way you can escape! When you set those ridiculous rules for your sister, you should have expected this scene, shouldn't you? Nameless walked to Qingfeng's side, grabbed his arm, and pulled him to the emperor's bedside. Only after making him face the emperor did he speak:

"Senior brother, tell me, which is more important, our sect rules or the Emperor's decree? Could I agree to the Emperor's request and stay to share his burdens?"

Qingfeng remained silent. Xuanyuan discerned something in Wuming's tone. Thus, he watched the two brothers fight with great interest.

Wuming turned to the Emperor, head drooping, hands raised, and sighed, "Alas! As the saying goes, loyalty and filial piety cannot coexist. Since Senior Brother doesn't agree, it means he wants Wuming to keep his brain and hands to go back and be filial to Master. As for loyalty to the Emperor, I suppose Senior Brother can handle that alone." He then turned to Qingfeng and asked, "Senior Brother, right?"

"Yes, I've already spoken with the Emperor. After I finish this favor, I'll take you back to fulfill your filial duty to your master." Qingfeng finally couldn't resist and agreed to Wuming's question.

"So that means our sect rules are greater than the Emperor's decree, right?" Wuming asked again out of the blue.

"What do the sect rules have to do with the imperial edict?" Qingfeng glared fiercely at Wuming. He was now certain that this girl was retaliating against him for the sake of the sect rules. He then looked at the emperor, who was craning his neck, his phoenix eyes narrowed, a smile on his face, and his ears perked up, waiting for his answer. Qingfeng replied angrily:

"Of course, the imperial edict is the greatest! What in this world is greater than imperial power?"

"Haha, truly, one thing subdues another!" Xuanyuan looked at Wuming with admiration, only to meet a fleeting glint of cunning in his clear eyes. "So, this is a little fox too!" he suddenly realized. "Fortunately, the little fox is eager to enter the court. If I offer him a high-ranking position and generous rewards, I believe he'll be easier to deal with than the stubborn big fox!" Xuanyuan said succinctly.

"In other words, if I issue an imperial edict to keep both of you here, even if you have objections, you will have no choice but to stay!"

Qingfeng's lips moved, as if he wanted to refute, but after glancing at Wuming, he ultimately held back and remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

The nameless one, however, unexpectedly replied:

"That's true! But there's a saying, 'You can keep people, but you can't keep their hearts!' What His Majesty wants are people who can solve your problems and get things done. It's not like adding a harem of pretty faces. Of course, keeping people's hearts is the most important thing! So, I advise His Majesty to think twice before issuing the decree."

A vase in the harem? Has she forgotten she's also a member of the harem? Qingfeng looked at her in astonishment. He really wanted to cut open her little head to see what extraordinary things were inside. Why were her thoughts always so unexpected and unpredictable?

You can keep someone physically present, but not their heart. Isn't that what I'm worried about? That's why I'm always at a loss with your senior brother. If I could use imperial power on him, I would have done it long ago, instead of waiting until now. You were the one who clearly suggested using an imperial edict to keep him. Now that Qingfeng has nodded in agreement, you say you need to think twice before acting. I really don't understand what this seemingly harmless little fox is really thinking. Xuanyuan, mimicking Wuming, threw the question back at him:

"So, in that case, I can't issue an imperial edict! Otherwise, keeping your people here won't do any good, right? Then how should this matter be handled?"

“It’s quite simple,” Leng Jie said. “My senior brother and I are deeply influenced by our master. Although we can’t reach his ideal of a life of leisure and freedom, we’re used to the unrestrained life of the martial world. Besides, with our straightforward nature, we’re no match for the treacherous rules of officialdom. Moreover, everyone in the court knows that you and my senior brother are like brothers. The moment we step into the court, we’ll become the target of everyone’s criticism. So, even if we wanted to help, we wouldn’t be able to do much!” Seeing the two nod in agreement, Leng Jie continued:

"Therefore, we should use the tactic of 'openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass' to deal with them, and we will definitely catch them off guard."

"What's the meaning?"