I Only Stomp on Weaklings

Chen Ming finally showed interest and asked, "What is the identity of that noble person? How dare they meddle in such matters?"

Outside the door, Gu Yuyin did not answer directly but said, "May I come in, elder brother?"

"You may."

The door opened, and Gu Yuyin, elegantly dressed, walked in, smiling gracefully, "Elder brother can just follow me to find out, no?"

This kind of enigmatic person is the most annoying.

Chen Ming thought to himself but said aloud, "Since a noble person is calling, how can I make things difficult for my sister?"

"Consider it that I owe elder brother a favor."

Gu Yuyin breathed a sigh of relief; she had eagerly volunteered to invite this elder brother. It would indeed be difficult to explain if she failed to bring him.

"Let’s go."

...

In a garden within the Duke’s mansion, a banquet was taking place, attended by several noble women, all friends of the Duchess.

This banquet was organized to entertain a noble from the palace.

After entering the garden, Chen Ming saw a group of ladies in the pavilion, which gave him a slight headache.

He could immediately spot who the noble was that Gu Yuyin referred to—the young woman around seventeen or eighteen, wearing a bright yellow gown, appearing elegant and charming, with a dignified and beautiful aura.

She stood out among the other women, who surrounded her as if they were just supporting characters.

"Elder brother, come quickly and pay respects to the Eldest Princess."

Beside the woman stood another beauty in a lake-green dress, equally lovely, but still overshadowed by the lady in yellow.

This was the Duke’s legitimate daughter, Gu Yurong.

So, it’s the Eldest Princess!

Chen Ming realized as he stepped forward to greet, "Gu Xianyu pays respects to the Eldest Princess!"

"No need for formalities."

The Eldest Princess surveyed him, praising, "Indeed, as rumored, Young Master Gu is handsome and possesses an extraordinary temperament. No wonder one could..."

"Cough, cough."

Beside her, Gu Yurong suddenly coughed twice, reminding her not to mention that name.

The Eldest Princess smiled slightly, understanding the reservation, and refrained from mentioning it, saying, "It’s not early; this palace should return to the palace."

The others naturally rushed to bid farewell to the Eldest Princess.

Chen Ming followed suit, confused, being called over merely for this?

What’s the meaning of this.

At that moment, Gu Yuyin tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to follow.

Chen Ming followed her out of the garden through a side door of the Duke’s mansion, arriving at an alley, and waited.

After a while, a luxurious carriage indeed approached and stopped by the roadside.

A charming maid opened the carriage door and respectfully said, "Young Master Gu, please board the carriage."

Chen Ming then boarded the carriage, leaving Gu Yuyin behind.

It seemed the Eldest Princess had important matters for a private conference with him.

Inside the carriage, there was only the Eldest Princess, who scrutinized him and solemnly said, "Gu Xianyu, do you know why this palace summoned you here?"

He lowered his head and replied, "I do not know."

The Eldest Princess suddenly chuckled, "She says you are an outstanding hero, an extraordinary talent scarcely seen in the world. Yet, this palace sees nothing of the sort."

Chen Ming replied indifferently, "In this world, it’s about power. With my identity and strength, I can do nothing. Dare to mention her matter, my father can send me to the border, never to return for a lifetime."

The Eldest Princess laughed dismissively, "So, you plan to gather strength, waiting until the Duke Jingguo’s mansion cannot suppress you anymore, then go and reclaim her? Isn’t that being foolish?"

He lifted his head, angrily saying, "If the Eldest Princess called me here just to mock me, then I’ll take my leave."

He turned, ready to leave.

"This palace isn’t that idle. Do you want to know how you can reclaim your beloved?"

He turned around abruptly, "Isn’t the order to summon her into the palace already issued?"

The Eldest Princess asked, "Do you know why the Emperor must marry your beloved?"

"I do not know."

"Actually, the Emperor is not one fond of beauty. Since his ascension, he has been extremely diligent. Despite having thousands of beautiful consorts, he only has one Empress and two concubines."

The Eldest Princess sighed slightly, "This time, the Emperor intends to make Xia Mudan a concubine, indeed for the sake of King Yan."

"King Yan?"

Chen Ming was puzzled. In Great Jin, there are not many princely vassals, as by the second generation, the rank gradually lowers, and instances like the Sea Suppression King’s hereditary title are special.

The status of ordinary princely titles largely depends on how close their relationship with the Emperor is.

Could this King Yan be an exception?

The Eldest Princess explained, "King Yan is from the Emperor’s grandfather’s generation. One year, the northeast four countries invaded, and the border army suffered a massive defeat. It was King Yan who rallied the scattered troops and contended with the enemy, triumphing over them with his might. After that battle, the Emperor’s grandfather granted King Yan the special privilege to command the army."

So, there’s such a story.

Chen Ming understood; this King Yan not only had high prestige and formidable strength but also held command rights over troops. He was a local powerhouse!

The Emperor aimed to draw King Yan closer by making his granddaughter a concubine.

The current Emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty finds himself in a somewhat awkward predicament.

The Empress Dowager of the time is particularly assertive, and crucially, the Emperor is not her biological son.

There are rumors that although the Emperor has been in charge for over a decade, the Empress Dowager claims she no longer interferes with governance, but the court still remains under her shadow.

Chen Ming had previously not paid much attention to politics and merely listened to such rumors without taking them to heart.

Now it seems that this rumor might not be without reason.

That said, last year’s great defeat in Northern Frontier might indeed have been related to the power struggle between these two.

It’s understandable that the Emperor would seek to consolidate his power by courting influential figures like King Yan from the imperial family.

Chen Ming said, "Since the Emperor is trying to win over King Yan, he is even less likely to give up."

The Eldest Princess smiled faintly, "Normally, that’s true. But it’s not without chance. The Middle Autumn Night banquet in twenty days is your only opportunity."

"I humbly seek your guidance, Your Highness."

"The Middle Autumn Night banquet will broadly invite the imperial family and noble descendents, and anyone under thirty can perform on stage. The banquet has a longstanding rule that the champion can request a reward from the Emperor."

"..."

Chen Ming never imagined she would propose such a method.

To tell the Emperor in front of all the civil and military officials and nobles that ’I want your concubine,’ he would probably be taken away and executed by dismemberment on the spot.

He looked at the Eldest Princess with suspicion, "I heard that Your Highness and the Emperor are siblings born of the same mother..."

Then why suggest such a damaging idea?

If he actually did it, would the Emperor agree or refuse?

If he agreed, the Emperor would indeed become a laughingstock.

If he refused, he would still be criticized.

No matter what he did, he ultimately wouldn’t win.

Is she holding a grudge against the Emperor?

The Eldest Princess said, "Don’t worry, my intention is for the good of my Imperial Brother."

She offered no further explanation, only said, "This is your only chance; if you truly wish to win back your beloved, seize the top honors at the Middle Autumn Night banquet."

Chen Ming seized the opportunity, "With my strength, it might be a bit difficult to win the top honors. Since Your Highness is inclined to advise, why not help me all the way?"

The Eldest Princess furrowed her brow slightly, seemingly displeased with his audacity, and asked, "What help do you need?"

Chen Ming said, "These days, I’ve been at the prisons, sparring with Second Grade cultivation prisoners, and I feel I’ve made significant progress. Yet, unfortunately, my Token’s authority is inadequate to summon prisoners with First Grade cultivation."

The Eldest Princess stared at him for a while, then said, "You may leave now."

"Yes."

Chen Ming wasn’t disappointed; her lack of immediate refusal indicated there was still a chance.

...

Chen Ming got off the carriage, realized it was already dark, and the streets here were quite unfamiliar; he had no idea where he was.

Not a single pedestrian was in sight on the street.

The inner city of the Capital City had a curfew, forbidding any outdoor activity once it was dark. He couldn’t even find someone to ask for directions.

He was contemplating whether to ask his Six Gates colleagues patrolling the city for directions when he saw Gu Yuyin at the street corner, waving to him.

"This young sister is rather considerate."

Chen Ming walked over and followed her back to the Duke Jingguo’s mansion.

On the way, they encountered several patrol constables from Six Gates. After confirming their names and origins, they let them go without causing any trouble.

After all, they were people from the Duke Jingguo’s mansion.

Gu Yuyin didn’t ask what he discussed with the Eldest Princess. It wasn’t until they entered through the back door at home that they parted ways.

Chen Ming returned to his courtyard, meeting Gu Zhengshan’s sharp gaze, "Where has Seventh Brother been?"

He said gloomily, "I was forcibly taken by Yuyin to see an important person, but we didn’t exchange a single word before leaving. I didn’t know the way and wandered around for a long time until I finally found a servant to ask for directions to get back."

Gu Zhengshan still seemed suspicious, saying, "Next time I should accompany you."

"I wish I had taken Fifth Brother along; it’s late. I’ll go back to my room to practice."

After saying this, Chen Ming returned to his chamber and took out the visualization map to cultivate.

...

The next morning, as always, Chen Ming took the special carriage out.

Upon arriving at the prison, he found himself being received by a First Grade Purple Robe.

The First Grade Purple Robe scrutinized him, asking, "Are you Gu Xianyu from Duke Jingguo’s mansion?"

Chen Ming replied respectfully, "Indeed, Your Honor, I wonder what orders you have?"

The man laughed heartily, "Since you’re one of us, no need for formalities. From now on, use this Token. You can interrogate any prisoners you want. Entering the third layer is no problem. This is on instructions from Your Highness."

The Eldest Princess!

Chen Ming felt a surge of joy, "Thank you, Your Honor."

The man continued, "Your Highness specifically instructed as well, concerned for your safety, hence me standing by for protection. Though these prisoners with First Grade cultivation are held in the prison, who knows what hidden means they might possess. Caution is a must."

"Indeed, Your Highness is very thoughtful. In that case, I’ll be relying on you."

"We’re all serving Your Highness."