The Foolish Agent

Chapter 22

Until Xuanyuan's uniquely magnetic voice boomed in front of all the officials, saying, "The successful resolution of the plague in Qizhou this time is entirely due to the miraculous medicine concocted by Imperial Physician Hu Qingfeng and his junior brother Wuming's ingenious method in delivering the medicine to the plague-stricken area..."

What was bound to happen has finally happened! Xuanyuan must have calculated that under the current circumstances, even if she had immense courage, she wouldn't dare to challenge the emperor, which is why she didn't give prior notice! Knowing the outcome, Leng Jie's heart calmed down.

"Nameless, step forward to receive your appointment!"

She calmly walked from the left side of the dragon throne to the emperor's seat, and for the first time knelt down with composure, responding:

"Nameless, please grant me a title!"

When the court officials heard the Emperor mention the achievements of Physician Hu and his junior apprentice, they all turned to look at the palace gate. However, they didn't see Physician Hu or anyone else appear. Turning around, they saw the Emperor's favorite eunuch, Xiao Mingzi, kneeling in the hall, requesting an official title!

A sudden uproar erupted in the court! The ministers exchanged bewildered glances, then realized what was going on. No wonder he was the Emperor's favorite; he was the junior apprentice of the Jade-Faced Physician Hu Qingfeng. But even so, shouldn't the Emperor have bestowed an official title upon a eunuch in the imperial palace?

Under the watchful eyes of many questioning figures, Xuanyuan continued his sermon:

"He is a native of Wuyou Valley, from Tianmu Mountain, whose name is unknown. He is bestowed with the royal surname and granted residence in the west courtyard of Qingfeng Residence..."

Amidst the barrage of rewards, Leng Jie only heard about being granted the title of princess and remaining at Qingfeng Residence. She paid no heed to the subsequent gifts of gold and silver. Last time he'd only mentioned a third-rank official position, and now he'd gone straight to making her a princess. This was indeed a clever way to keep the Shui family in check. Later, if he were to bestow the daughters of two high-ranking officials upon her and Qingfeng, it would truly be a win-win situation!

"Hmph, you may have your clever plans, but I have my countermeasures. Let's see who laughs last!" A hint of mockery unconsciously crept onto Leng Jie's lips as she calmly replied, "I'll help you out."

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!"

Instantly, the court fell silent. The ministers stared, dumbfounded, at the nameless man kneeling on the ground, receiving the imperial decree and expressing his gratitude. Some even touched their ears in disbelief, thinking they had misheard. The Emperor had actually bestowed the title of a prince of a different surname upon a nameless, barely-grown-up boy!

It's important to know that the Jinghe Dynasty, since its founding, has had thirteen emperors and lasted for over a hundred years. To date, it has only ever bestowed the title of Prince upon one person of a different surname—Shi Ying, a founding hero who fought alongside Emperor Taizu to reclaim Jinghe from the Xiongnu and establish the Jinghe Dynasty. Emperor Taizu granted him the hereditary title of Prince Ying.

But what merit or ability did this nameless boy possess? Why should he be granted the title of king? Although the ministers harbored resentment, given the emperor's current overwhelming power and considering the more than one hundred colleagues who had been executed and had their homes confiscated yesterday, none dared to act rashly. Who knew if the emperor might suddenly unleash another bolt of evidence?

And so, the youngest prince of the opposite sex since the founding of Jinghe Kingdom was born in a strange atmosphere!

As soon as the morning court session ended, Leng Jie was immediately surrounded by ministers, each one scheming to establish a relationship with her. Forced to use her newly learned teleportation technique to escape, she left a large group of stunned ministers speechless with amazement.

"Ming Wang is truly a young hero!"

"King Ming's skills are truly unparalleled!"

"His Majesty has a discerning eye for talent! His Majesty is wise!"

...

Purple Shadow, observing the officials' actions from a tree, couldn't help but feel sorry for his teleportation technique. Such profound martial arts had been used by that nameless brat to get rid of this group of decadent old scholars—it was an insult to its divine power!

Leng Jie didn't go to the Imperial Study, but went straight back to Qingfeng Residence. But as soon as she arrived at Qingfeng Residence, she was dumbfounded by the scene before her.

A large group of palace servants, carrying various gifts, formed a mile-long procession outside Qingfeng Residence. The gates of Qingfeng Residence were wide open, but no one went in. In the past, people would push and shove their way to the front of the line wherever they went, but here it was the opposite; everyone was scrambling to retreat.

Just then, Qingfeng, dressed as a eunuch, swaggered past them and walked through the door. A commotion immediately arose behind them.

"Look, he's gone in!"

"Which palace is he from?"

"He wasn't carrying anything, so he definitely isn't from our Imperial Household Department!"

"Sigh, why doesn't the Emperor just bestow a princely residence upon him instead of a princely title?"

"Exactly! Do you think that prince, who's going to live in the same courtyard as Physician Hu, might also be used as a medicine subject by Physician Hu?"

"That's hard to say! Even the Empress Dowager and the Emperor treat Physician Hu with great respect! Let alone a newly appointed prince from another family."

"What nonsense are you talking about! I heard that the prince is Physician Hu's junior brother."

Upon hearing this, the chaotic scene immediately quieted down. It turned out to be Physician Hu's junior apprentice! Everyone was stunned! Would his gaze be as strange as his senior apprentice's? Everyone fell silent.

These eunuchs weren't afraid of the Emperor or the Prince, but they were terrified of Qingfeng. Leng Jie admired Qingfeng's methods in her heart.

As soon as Leng Jie stepped into the front yard, Qingfeng angrily came out to greet her. Without saying a word, he dragged Leng Jie towards his room. Reaching the door, he shoved Leng Jie inside, causing her to stumble and nearly fall. After finally regaining her balance, Qingfeng unleashed a torrent of furious roars and pounced on her.

"What are you doing? Have you forgotten you're a woman? You're actually acting like a prince! You're getting more and more outrageous!"

"Senior brother! Calm down, okay? I came back to discuss this with you! Besides, that cunning Xuanyuan Yunli didn't give me a choice!" Leng Jie explained helplessly in the face of Qingfeng's rage.

Seeing Wuming's relaxed expression, Qingfeng became even angrier. He roared without restraint.

Chapter Fifty-Nine: Preparing to Leave the Palace

Leng Jie came out of Qingfeng's room and went straight back to her guest room. From afar, she saw Qing'er pacing anxiously outside her door. "Qing'er, are you looking for me?"

Qing'er turned around abruptly, her eyes lighting up as she rushed to meet her. Her rosy little face showed worry, and her big, watery eyes blinked with a glimmer of light.

"Young master, you're finally back!" A clear, childlike voice panted anxiously.

"What happened? Don't worry, even if the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. At worst, I, this young master, will hold it up, won't I?" Leng Jie reassured her with a humorous tone.

But instead of being relieved, Qing'er seemed even more worried. Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to overflow, and her anxious voice turned into intermittent sobs.

"Young master, something terrible has happened! You, you're still joking."

Leng Jie remained silent, gazing intently at Qing'er with interest, patiently awaiting the important matter Qing'er would speak of.

"Just now, the Emperor sent a eunuch to announce that he has bestowed upon you the title of Prince Ming. Upon hearing this, Lord Hu immediately threw the eunuch out," Qing'er said anxiously.

No wonder the delivery people outside didn't dare to come in.

Seeing that the nameless young master remained unmoved and showed no sign of worry, Qing'er grew even more anxious. Thinking he was unfamiliar with palace etiquette, she quickly explained to him:

"Young master, did you hear what Qing'er said? The eunuch who came to deliver the imperial decree represents the emperor. Disrespecting him is disrespecting the emperor! If the emperor blames Lord Hu for hitting someone, he could be beheaded."

However, she seemed to have forgotten that her young master dared to disrespect her when he became emperor.

Seeing Qing'er's anxious expression, Leng Jie found it amusing, but she wasn't in the mood to tease her. So, she asked seriously:

"Qing'er, do you think the young master treats you well?"

Qing'er immediately nodded frantically like a chick pecking at rice, agreeing, "Okay! Young Master is the best person Qing'er has ever met." "Apart from the fact that he likes to tease her on purpose," Qing'er added in her mind.

Leng Jie continued solemnly, "..."

"If I asked you to leave the palace with me and live a hard life, would you be willing?"

Although she had been told many times that she wanted to send her out of the palace, she always said she wanted to repay their life-saving grace and didn't want to leave alone. Leng Jie thought that she was a helpless little girl and might be even more pitiful if she went out, so she never sent her away. Actually, she also had some selfish reasons; Qing'er was her only warmth in this strange world. Because whether it was after Leng Jie acted foolishly or when the nameless young master often teased her, Qing'er had always treated her sincerely.

No matter how strong a person is, there are times when they fear loneliness. Leng Jie is no exception. Although she is intelligent and decisive, she cannot escape human nature, unless she is truly not human.

"Shall we leave the palace with the young master?" Her watery eyes, which had just been filled with tears and shyness, immediately brightened, and her clear, innocent voice rang out again with eagerness.

"Yes, didn't you say you had no family? Are you willing to come with me? Although life might be much harder than in the palace, I will definitely protect you, at least I won't sell you like your father did." Leng Jie felt like she was kidnapping a child.

When Qing'er heard the young master say he would take her out of the palace, she was so happy she almost jumped for joy. But when she heard the last sentence, painful memories suddenly surfaced, making her shudder involuntarily.

He then answered hastily in a pleading tone:

"Qing'er is not afraid of hardship, Qing'er will be very obedient, please, young master, do not sell Qing'er."

Seeing Qing'er's sudden change in expression, Leng Jie realized she had touched on her painful memories. Seeing Qing'er's pitiful, pleading look, she felt a pang of guilt, as if she had been bullying a child. She quickly tried to soothe her:

"Don't worry, Qing'er, I would rather sell myself than sell you."

The original intention was to reassure Qing'er, but Qing'er interpreted it differently. She thought the young master was a good person; how could she let him suffer the same hardships she had endured? So, she mustered her courage and said with righteous indignation:

"No, young master, you should sell Qing'er! Qing'er can do many things now."

The implication is that I'm better than you, so it's better to sell me than to sell you.

Qing'er's righteous and awe-inspiring demeanor left Leng Jie both amused and exasperated. She realized her psychology studies were a waste; she could handle treacherous villains as well as seemingly virtuous gentlemen. Even those hypocrites with sanctimonious facades were easily dealt with. However, she seemed to have neglected child psychology. Leng Jie, not wanting to waste her energy, commanded in a commanding tone:

"Qing'er, go tell Steward Ma to ask the eunuchs at the gate to bring all the gifts the Emperor bestowed upon me to my guest room. Then go back to your room and pack your things. Stay in your room and don't go anywhere."

This time, Qing'er didn't ask any questions and immediately agreed, "Yes, Qing'er will go right away." Then she ran off in a flash.

Leng Jie suddenly realized that when talking to children, giving direct instructions was more effective than discussing things.

After Wuming left, Qingfeng kept reflecting on why he had gotten so angry with her. He believed that he did not mean to look down on women, at least not her.

She was so intelligent and cunning, both wise and brave, and he was always the one she teased. How could he possibly look down on her? What right did he have to look down on her?

But she really couldn't be that prince! He understood Xuanyuan's intentions perfectly well; there would definitely be another arranged marriage. How could a woman be allowed to marry? He didn't dare think about what would happen next. Therefore, he decided to negotiate with Xuanyuan to persuade him to retract his order.

In the imperial study, the usually aloof and cold-faced Emperor Xuanyuan was reviewing memorials with a knowing smile on his face.

Those who don't understand the situation would surely say, "Truly, people are in high spirits when they have a happy occasion! The Emperor must be so happy because he's looking forward to seeing so many beauties this afternoon!"

The smiling eunuch Fu, who was serving nearby, knew the reason for the Emperor's smile: he was thinking of the angry yet helpless expressions on the faces of the Nameless Young Master and the Gentleman of the Breeze. Not to mention the Emperor, who was always being teased by them, even he found the thought amusing. One couldn't blame him for his schadenfreude; after all, those two brothers were masters of pranks.

"Eunuch Fu, go and see if Qingfeng and Wuming have come over yet?" Xuanyuan couldn't wait to see the two brothers get their comeuppance. "Yes, this old servant will go and see right away."

Just as Eunuch Fu turned around, he heard a message from the guards outside:

"Your Majesty, Physician Hu requests an audience!"

Before Eunuch Fu could even utter the word "Xuan," a sudden gust of wind howled, and a white blur flashed before his eyes. Then, there stood Qingfeng Gongzi, his eyes wide with fury and his face ashen, before the Emperor. What followed was an enraged interrogation:

"How could you appoint someone of unknown surname as a king? Do you know how much trouble this will cause him? He's only sixteen years old, with no achievements or accomplishments. Who would truly respect him? Do you know that you're ruining him?"

Xuanyuan calmly put down the memorial and vermilion brush in his hand, slowly raising his smiling eyes to glance at Qingfeng behind him. He paused for a moment, then looked towards the door. He still didn't see the person he expected. Ignoring Qingfeng's question, he countered with:

"Why are you alone? Where's Wuming?"

"I'm happily receiving your reward!" Qingfeng replied inwardly, annoyed. He had just run into Qing'er relaying Wuming's message as he left, saying that someone was going to bring all those things from outside into her room. He was so angry he wanted to bury the messengers and the things themselves as fertilizer. He had barely managed to restrain himself here; he wasn't here to see Xuanyuan's smugness. So, Qingfeng replied irritably:

"They're smashing things and beating people at Qingfeng Residence!"

The implication is that they're smashing what you gave them and hitting the person who gave them to them.

Anyway, there's plenty of stuff. As long as he knows Wuming is angry, things will be easy. His only worry is that Wuming will be expressionless like he was at the morning court session; that would be truly concerning. Xuanyuan replied nonchalantly:

"Haha, is that so? Then I'll have another batch sent over later, so he can have his fill."

Eunuch Fu thought to himself, "This Worry-Free Valley truly produces eccentric individuals. The wealth and glory that others would fight tooth and nail for are seen as something to be avoided like the plague by these people. The Gentleman Qingfeng alone is already astonishing. And now this Nameless Gentleman is just as strange."

Unable to bear Xuanyuan's smugness, Qingfeng asked directly:

"Tell me! What do you want in exchange for stripping the nameless king of his title?"

"You want me to change my mind every day? That's impossible." Xuanyuan refused directly as well, then added excitedly:

"You didn't see the ministers' astonishment and dissatisfaction when I conferred titles upon Wuming during the morning court session, but they didn't dare to voice their opposition. Their faces were even more unpleasant than if they had swallowed a fly but dared not spit it out."

Qingfeng knew that Xuanyuan was alluding to his current expression, so he glared at him fiercely and asked with his eyes:

"You're enjoying watching this, aren't you?"

"Of course, it was a rare moment for me to finally have a moment of triumph."