The Demon Lords

The banquet is held in Chunfang Hall.

The scale of the banquet is not large, with the only outsider in attendance being Zhao Jiulang, the Prime Minister. The rest are all from the Ji Family, making it essentially a family gathering.

Of course, this does not mean it is not valued. In fact, those who truly matter are invited to dine at home.

Xiong Liqing was called to the harem. She is the newly appointed princess by His Majesty, and the concubines in the harem must present her with a meeting gift, share some intimate words, and then send some gifts. This is the rule.

Lord Zheng was led into Chunfang Hall by Eunuch Wei. On the way, Eunuch Wei would occasionally turn back to look at Lord Zheng,

in his gaze,

there was regret,

there was melancholy,

there was remorse,

there was sorrow,

making Lord Zheng feel apprehensive.

"Eunuch Wei, you..."

Lord Zheng couldn’t help but ask.

Wei Zhonghe smiled faintly and said, "High, truly high. To be honest with you, my Lord, in all the years I’ve served His Majesty, you’re the first one to make His Majesty laugh heartily in such a way."

Ordinary people, in front of His Majesty, naturally act very properly, not daring to step out of line even a little, but this Lord Pingye, however, dares to joke in this way.

"Eunuch is joking, I was just speaking from the heart."

"I just like your shamelessness, my Lord."

"..." Zheng Fan.

"Ah, what a pity. Don’t be angry, my Lord. I once thought how great it would be to have someone as talented as you in the palace when I first met you."

"Um..."

"Of course, you’re now the imperial son-in-law, and you can’t enter the palace anymore."

"Eunuch Wei, please don’t mock me any further."

"This is not mockery. I speak sincerely; the Ministry of Rites lacks talents like you, my Lord."

"Thank you for your kindness, Eunuch, thank you."

"My Lord, this is Chunfang Hall. Today, you’re the main guest, seated in the second spot on the left, right below the Prime Minister."

"Alright, I understand."

"Please take your seat first, the other princes will be here shortly. I’ll go and have a look around."

"Eunuch, please carry on."

Lord Zheng did not rush to sit down but stood to the side, looking at the flowers and plants in front of him.

"Feeling a bit restrained?"

Ji Chengjue’s voice came from behind Lord Zheng.

Lord Zheng did not turn around, he just nodded.

"You’ve worked hard these years," Ji Chengjue said.

"Pretentious."

"I just wanted to start the topic, then lead into the fact that I’m the one who’s truly had it hard."

"I know, so I do not want to cooperate."

"Do you know how difficult it was for me eating cornmeal two years ago?"

Lord Zheng shook his head and said:

"Being able to eat cornmeal until full is already a happiness many in this world do not have."

"Bastard."

Lord Zheng turned around, looked at Ji Chengjue, and said:

"A beast eating cornmeal."

"..." Ji Chengjue.

"Sixth Prince."

At this moment,

The Fourth Prince and Fifth Prince approached together.

Lord Zheng proactively saluted, no need to kneel, but the gesture should be made, cupping his hands and said:

"Greetings Fourth Prince, greetings Fifth Prince. Today, the Fifth Prince has worked hard."

"Lord Pingye, today should be our first meeting, right?" The Fifth Prince said warmly.

"Which makes me feel even more apologetic."

He is currently with the Ministry of Works surveying the wind, and in a few days, he will leave the capital to the Jin land with Lord Zheng. Hence, he is naturally more cordial towards Lord Zheng.

In the capital, he is a prince, but outside the capital, especially in Jin land, to be frank, his title is not as useful.

The officialdom of Yan is not like the Qian State, where scholar-bureaucrats inherently despise the feudal princes, but regarding princes without power or influence, everyone tries their best to distance themselves.

Because the direction is clear,

The future successor will either be the prominent Sixth Prince or the Crown Prince who still holds the orthodox position. It has little to do with other princes.

Getting close to a prince now could become a crime once the new emperor ascends.

The merit of supporting the right dragon is hard to compete for, but there’s no need to bring enmity from the new emperor upon oneself, right?

"No, no, it’s what I should do." The Fifth Prince is still very amiable, with a simple and unadulterated charm.

"I’ve heard the Fifth Prince is fond of crafts?"

"Yes, I have no other passion; I just enjoy studying this. I was often reprimanded by Father for not focusing on serious business."

"This time, you have an opportunity to showcase your skills, don’t you?"

"You can’t say that, you can’t say that. Governing the Wang River isn’t that simple. I’m just there to observe and watch; I wouldn’t intervene carelessly, especially with so many lives at stake.

Maybe Father hopes I can achieve something there, but I don’t even have such intentions."

It’s fair to say that the Fifth Prince’s words have been straightforward and honest.

"Your Highness, have you heard of the Tianji Pavilion in Jin land?" Zheng Fan asked.

"Tianji Pavilion? I had someone inquire about it, and they said it vanished in the flames of war."

"I have taken in one or two craftsmen from the Tianji Pavilion and some blueprints. Once we return to Jin land, I can give them to you."

"Haha, that’s wonderful, that’s wonderful."

The Fifth Prince rubbed his hands eagerly.

It was impossible for Zheng Fan to send out real core members of the Tianji Pavilion. Currently, Xue Three’s return from the Liang State was uncertain, and within Snow Sea Pass, they still had to rely on the disciples of the Tianji Pavilion to forge siege equipment for him.

After all, having married someone’s sister,

Lord Zheng is a man who cherishes his wife,

so he must seize the time to clear the path for his wife to visit her family earlier, right?

The Fourth Prince spoke; "Lord Pingye, how fierce are the winds and snow of the Snow Plains?"

"Fierce. It was only after visiting the Snow Plains that I understood why the wild people have always longed to cross the pass."

"So, does this mean the calamity of the wild people can be rekindled?"

Zheng Fan nodded, stating, "It is inevitable. After returning to Snow Sea Pass this time, I will organize troops to once more march against the Snow Plains. Yan absolutely cannot take the wild people lightly; otherwise, they might become the second barbarian tribe."

If not for the sudden imperial edict calling him to the capital, he might have already deployed troops by now.

The Fourth Prince sighed, saying, "With Lord Pingye at Snow Sea Pass, the northeast of Yan is assuredly secure. I too yearn for that."

Lord Zheng clearly discerned a subtle implication,

what,

does this Fourth Prince have some thoughts?

Lord Zheng knew that the Eldest Prince had been paired with Hui Wenzu in Nanwang City through political maneuvers.

So, was the Fourth Prince seeking an alternative path because he couldn’t secure a position in Nanwang City?

Of course, from Lord Zheng’s own perspective, he did not desire a prince dispatched to his domain, as dealing with him would be cumbersome.

But Lord Zheng wasn’t overly concerned about this, because if the Fourth Prince dared to come over, Zheng Fan would have no qualms about petitioning Lord Jingnan to issue a military order, reassigning the Fourth Prince to become a cook at the Lord’s side.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

The arrival of His Majesty signified the official start of the banquet.

Chunfang Hall was divided into two sections, one primary and one secondary, the latter being where the concubines were seated.

Lord Zheng also noticed the princess seated there; after exchanging a glance, they continued to deal with those around them.

After taking his seat,

Lord Zheng found himself seated very close to Zhao Jiulang.

"Greetings, Prime Minister."

"Lord Pingye, a pleasure to meet you."

The two exchanged a simple greeting.

In fact, there was still a bit of history between them, as the Prime Minister’s "alma mater" had been razed by Lord Zheng, who at the time was a Commander of Green Willow Fortress.

But Lord Zheng believed Zhao Jiulang wouldn’t care about such trivial matters, as their mild exchange was more routine, though amidst others’ enthusiasm, it appeared somewhat indifferent.

Indeed,

princes can engage in minor schemes, as chicks need to learn to spread their wings as they grow.

However, should the current Prime Minister harbor too much ambition regarding military power, it would truly be overstepping the boundary.

While the Yan Emperor might not personally mind, for the sake of his descendants, he couldn’t allow a Prime Minister with excessive authority and reach to stay behind advising his successor; it would be like digging a hole for his lineage.

Though Xiong Liqing observed that compared to the Chu State palace, the Yan palace seemed a bit "impoverished."

Still, at the banquet,

there was music and dance.

The Yan Emperor frequently raised his cup, and everyone graciously accompanied him, maintaining a harmonious and lively banquet atmosphere.

Halfway through the banquet,

the dancing girls and singers retreated, and from the secondary section, the concubines, including the princess, all departed.

Chunfang Hall suddenly felt much emptier.

At this moment,

the Yan Emperor slowly set down his wine cup.

By then,

Lord Zheng noticed that sitting across from him, Ji Chengjue, the Fourth Prince, and the Fifth Prince, began swiftly shoveling food into their mouths, chewing and swallowing rapidly.

"Every time I see Zheng, my dear subject’s name on military reports, I can’t help but exclaim that the heavens have not been unkind to Yan and to me, granting me such a young talent. It is indeed Yan’s fortune."

"Your Majesty overpraises me; I am hardly worthy."

"No, you are worthy and must be; alas, it’s my sons who, though of your generation, fail to measure up.

In my youth, Ji Family sons would lead the charge in every battle, courageous at the front lines, as the foundation of our state. However, now, they can’t keep up."

Upon these words,

the Crown Prince rose from his seat,

as did the Sixth Prince, the Fourth Prince, the Fifth Prince, and, seeing his brothers move, Ji Chengsu joined them, falling to their knees before the Yan Emperor,

in unison saying,

"This son has erred."

"This son has erred."

The princes initially thought their imperial father was once again engaging in a familiar routine,

so they simply accompanied him through the motions.

After all, they were born of the same egg laid by a bastard,

how could they not be familiar with some of the bastard’s habits?

However,

to their surprise,

the Yan Emperor’s next words,

shocked the princes kneeling below,

so much so that even Zhao Jiulang, sitting beside Lord Zheng, spilled quite a bit of wine from his cup.

Even Lord Zheng didn’t anticipate that the previously serene situation would be so abruptly disrupted by a giant stone, unexpectedly cast by the Yan Emperor himself.

"Crown Prince, speak of your failings."

————

This Chapter’s word count is a bit small, hmm, so tomorrow’s Chapter will compensate;

Don’t worry, hug tight everyone!