Chapter 162 - 191: Emperor Xia Severely Injured, the Prince Acts as Regent
’One hundred thousand Merit Points from a single rainfall?’
’When did Merit Points get so easy to earn?’
Su Bai was astonished.
Previously, in the mysterious cavern, he had bound Ao Yuan and that Inner Sect Elder from the Canghai Sect with black chains.
The black chains had also siphoned the Essence from their bodies, repairing the cracks on the replica Venerable Emperor Tower, but they had only brought Su Bai a little over one hundred Merit Points.
On the other hand, killing the Dragon Mansion Realm Great Power, Ao Gu, had netted Su Bai a whopping ten thousand Merit Points!
Yet even that was nothing compared to the reward from this rainfall.
’Why is that?’
Su Bai wondered.
After a moment of thought, he quickly understood. ’It was probably a matter of being in the right place at the right time.’
’The heavy rain I summoned nourished the land, replenished the underground water sources, and provided relief for many refugees.’
’With fertile soil and plentiful water, future crops will naturally yield bountiful harvests. As time goes on, who knows how many living beings this will benefit in the long run.’
’That’s why the Merit reward was so much higher.’
’Ordinary rainfall, even if frequent enough to nourish the fields, would never have yielded so much Merit.’
Looking down at the ground, he saw patch after patch of arid land transform into fertile fields. Streams of water welled up all around, shimmering brightly and wreathed in mist.
A smile touched Su Bai’s lips.
’This is a fine Divine Technique!’
A moment later, a long dragon’s roar echoed from the clouds.
Below, the refugees had been soaked to the bone by the rain, yet their hearts were filled with hope for a new life. Hearing the dragon’s roar, they all looked up toward the sky.
But they saw nothing.
All they saw was a cluster of scattered clouds and a fleeting golden shadow left behind.
...
「Xia Imperial City, Fuyuan Pavilion.」
This was one of the finest teahouses in the Great Xia Imperial City.
It was best known for its pastries.
Word was that the three master pastry chefs at Fuyuan Pavilion had all retired from the Imperial Kitchen of the Imperial Palace.
On the day Golden Dragon King Ao Jin had unleashed the monstrous waves, the main gate of Fuyuan Pavilion had been half-smashed by a panicked, runaway carriage.
The day after the flood ended, the gate was hastily repaired, and the pavilion reopened for business.
By the third day, business was as brisk as ever.
In a private room on the third floor.
A landscape screen stood before a light purple window frame, and from the main hall below, the faint, rhythmic voice of a storyteller could be heard.
Three plates of exquisitely crafted pastries sat on the table, their rich aroma filling the air.
Zhang Wei shoveled pastries into his mouth, then grabbed a large cup of steaming tea and, without a second thought, GULP, GULP, GULP, chugged it all down.
"Ahhh, now *this* is the life!"
"So good!"
He slammed his cup down with a BANG and laughed heartily, a look of pure bliss on his face.
"Alright, you! Watch yourself. Don’t go giving our Prison Suppression Bureau a bad name!"
Across from him, Su Bai chuckled as he watched Zhang Wei, whose face was a mess from eating.
Three days had passed since Su Bai had summoned the rain in the north.
In that time, Emperor Xia had been struggling to recover from his injuries while also managing the flood’s aftermath—opening the treasuries to distribute funds and grain.
On top of that, he had to purge the "pests" from within the court and arrange compensation for the families of fallen Martial Artists. The effort left him utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally.
Su Bai and his men were just as busy. Batch after batch of officials fell from grace and were thrown into prison—some to be locked away, others to be executed.
Some of the officials, fearing their crimes would be exposed, had fled, forcing Su Bai and his people to tire themselves out hunting them down.
To say they were exhausted would be an understatement.
Today, they finally had a chance to relax, so Su Bai decided to bring Zhang Wei to the famous Fuyuan Pavilion for a meal.
And he had to admit, the food really was excellent.
"Haha! I’m stuffed! Let’s go!"
Zhang Wei, who seemed to have an endless supply of cheerful energy, stood up with a grin.
...
「Xia Imperial City, Emperor’s Hall.」
On the golden Emperor’s Throne, Emperor Xia sat with a pale face and furrowed brow, flipping through one memorial after another.
Beside him, memorials were stacked as high as a small mountain, too numerous to count.
Few people were present in the Emperor’s Hall, and all of them were Emperor Xia’s trusted confidants.
"Your Majesty! Your health is paramount. You mustn’t overwork yourself!"
At that moment, Chancellor Chen bowed slightly, cupped his hands toward Emperor Xia, and pleaded earnestly.
Several other Great Xia officials at his side, their own faces haggard, also chimed in with pleas.
"It is nothing."
"I will rest after I have finished reviewing this memorial."
Emperor Xia shook his head slowly, his tone casual.
Hearing this, Chancellor Chen fell silent.
Emperor Xia had said the exact same thing an hour ago.
Ever since the day Emperor Xia had personally led the Xia Dynasty’s army into battle against the East Sea Dragon Palace, their final victory had been a pyrrhic one.
After all, the East Sea Dragon Palace was far from weak, and its Dragon Race guards were numerous, attacking in wave after relentless wave.
And in his battle against the Dragon Race Elder—the one wielding a black longsword and wearing a black Dragon Robe—
although Emperor Xia had relied on the immense power of the former Emperor’s Sword of Royal Authority to finally slay him,
—bathing in a torrent of Dragon Blood as he lopped off its thirty-foot head!—
he himself had suffered grievous wounds in the process.
Back in the Emperor’s Hall.
An unknown amount of time passed.
"PTUI!"
Suddenly, Emperor Xia spat out a mouthful of blackish blood. His face went deathly pale, his features twitched, and his aura grew faint.
"Your Majesty!!"
The officials were horrified!
"I... am fine!"
Emperor Xia raised a hand to stop them from approaching. He lowered his head and spoke slowly.
He remained silent for a moment.
Then, he took out a bottle of Elixirs and swallowed one. His aura clearly stabilized.
Seeing that he intended to return to his memorials, an idea struck Chancellor Chen, and he quickly interjected.
"Your Majesty! The Ninth Prince has made great strides in his studies recently and has been repeatedly praised by the Elder Imperial Tutor."
"Why not allow the Ninth Prince to assist Your Majesty by reviewing the memorials?"
"That way, Your Majesty can focus on your recovery in peace."
The moment Chancellor Chen finished speaking, the expressions of several officials beside him flickered.
The profound implications of the Chancellor’s words gave them pause.
Some officials, realizing the implication, were inwardly shaken.
The deeper meaning behind this suggestion was, of course...
To make the Crown Prince a regent!
From the high throne, Emperor Xia clapped his hands and smiled. "The Chancellor speaks sense!"
His dragon eyes swept over everyone present before he commanded in a deep voice.
"Very well."
"From this day forward, I am indisposed and require time to recuperate in peace!"
"All matters of the court, great and small, shall be handled by the Ninth Prince in my stead!"
With that declaration,
the high ministers of the court all understood Emperor Xia’s true intentions.
"We humbly obey Your Majesty’s decree!"
The Great Xia officials immediately bowed deeply, their heads lowered in assent.
At that very moment, in a cyan palace east of the Emperor’s Hall...
The Ninth Prince, Jiang Guanshui, was sitting ramrod straight, poring over classic texts on governance.
His once-clear eyes now held a trace of maturity, all his former childishness gone.
His Martial Arts Cultivation had also broken through to the Extraordinary Realm Third Level!
The speed of his breakthroughs was so astonishing that even the Elder Imperial Tutor praised him endlessly, declaring that he truly lived up to the potential of his royal Nine-tailed Celestial Fox lineage.
"Ninth Prince! Ninth Prince!"
A moment later, Chancellor Chen walked in, his face wreathed in smiles.
He approached the Ninth Prince, his expression one of pure delight.
"Chancellor!"
The two exchanged pleasantries for a moment.
Then, Chancellor Chen informed Jiang Guanshui of Emperor Xia’s decision.
"Father wants me to govern the court?"
Jiang Guanshui was surprised, and his heart filled with a mixture of panic and unease.
He had never reviewed a memorial before. All his knowledge was theoretical, gleaned from books; he had never put any of it into practice.
"Ninth Prince, do not worry. This old servant will remain by your side to help you shoulder the burden."
A new note of respect had entered Chancellor Chen’s voice.
Hearing this, Jiang Guanshui’s inner turmoil subsided. He steeled himself, stood up, and declared,
"Very well."
"My father’s health is failing; he absolutely must not manage the affairs of the court any longer!"
"This great responsibility has fallen to me. If I were to hesitate or refuse it time and again,"
"it would make me seem utterly spineless!"
"I understand my father’s difficult intentions now."
"This matter of the regency!"
"I shall shoulder it with all my might. What is there to fear?"