Chapter 69 Fueled by Lust

The Second Prince, Chai Huo, who was traveling farther and farther away from the royal capital of Greater Xu, also received the pigeon message sent by Xiang Shouyue regarding the "martial arts competition for the hand of Princess Chiran."

"A martial arts competition for marriage? What kind of trick is this now?"

"Doesn't Consort Yunshu only have that good-for-nothing idiot of a ninth son? Where on earth did this Princess Chiran pop up from?"

"Come here! Invite the Black and White Elders once again!"

The Black and White Elders arrived shortly after, secretly corroborating the message previously conveyed by Zhu Que with the one just sent by Xiang Shouyue.

Chai Huo's expression flickered with uncertainty.

"So, Consort Yunshu has recognized the guard Zhu Que as her adoptive daughter, naming her 'Princess Chiran,' and is holding this martial arts competition for her hand. What on earth are they trying to pull?"

The Black and White Elders replied, "They must have been driven to their wits' end and are racking their brains to scrape together money. To put it bluntly, they've sold everything around them that could be sold, and now they've resorted to selling people!"

Chai Huo nodded. "Since that's the case, how should we respond? Are we just going to sit back and watch the spectacle?"

The Black and White Elders paused briefly before proposing a countermeasure. "If Your Highness were to send someone to participate in the competition, it would surely become quite interesting!"

Chai Huo immediately grew interested. "Interesting?"

The Black and White Elders nodded.

Chai Huo seemed to understand in a flash, a seductive and sinister smile appearing on his face.

"Logically speaking, breaching the Ying River to flood the royal capital of Greater Xu should have left the old ninth scrambling, unable to attend to everything at once, resulting in at least several hundred deaths."

"Even if he somehow escaped death and managed to barely keep things afloat with the help of Su Zhongjing, holding this martial arts competition is nothing more than quenching one's thirst with poisoned wine—a mere expedient measure."

"Since that's the case, let's play along!"

"However, Zhu Que's martial arts skills are at least in the top three among the imperial guards. Winning against her won't be easy."

"Fortunately, I am currently traveling as an imperial commissioner and have the Imperial Forest Dragon Guards with me. If one person can't beat her, I'll send several. We can exhaust her to death!"

The Black and White Elders remarkably fell silent.

To take a student is to raise a daughter.

Both Zhu Que and their adopted daughter, Lü Wanyin, were the apples of their eyes.

Had the Second Prince not been utterly ruthless and used coercion against their daughters, they would never have come out of seclusion, nor would they have dragged Zhu Que into this murky water.

Through carrier pigeons, they had established a "gentleman's agreement" with Zhu Que never to interfere with her original intentions or cause her to turn traitor.

When she sent a message asking whether she should agree to Consort Yunshu's recognition of her as an "adoptive daughter" for the marriage competition, they had told her to accept it for two reasons: first, for her own safety, and second, out of human decency.

As the head of the closest personal guards to Consort Yunshu and the Ninth Prince, her position seemed safe, yet it was actually the most perilous. Sometimes, going with the flow was safer than resisting.

For the royal mother and son of Greater Xu to recognize a female guard as an adopted family member certainly carried the intention of quickly raising funds, but at the very least, it showed they acknowledged and accepted her.

Comparing the two, their true natures were instantly revealed.

The Second Prince had once taken a fancy to the Ninth Prince's two personal maids and had even paid a hundred silver coins for each of them.

Had the Ninth Prince been a ruthless individual, he would have handed the two maids over without a second thought, especially since he had already accepted the silver.

Instead, he sent back "beauty pillows," risking the Second Prince's explosive fury.

Therefore, their decision to recognize Zhu Que as an adopted family member this time, rather than pushing one of the maids forward, showed that they still possessed a shred of human warmth and sentiment toward Zhu Que.

Conversely, if the Second Prince were the one in that situation, he would have handed the two maids over without a moment's hesitation.

To him, people and objects were no different; they were merely tools and pawns.

Furthermore, he would never recognize any "adopted family member."

He had always prided himself on his pure bloodline, believing everyone else to be mere pigs and dogs, while he alone was the pinnacle of purity and the chosen one.

Recognizing an adopted daughter? Wouldn't that dilute his pure bloodline? He would never do such a thing!

From this, it was clear that to deal with someone as venomous and ruthless as the Second Prince, one had to be "benevolent and sentimental" like the Ninth Prince.

Since that was the case, they should do the exact opposite of what the Second Prince expected.

Learning that the Ninth Prince was using Zhu Que in a martial arts competition for marriage, if they simply sat back and did nothing, the Second Prince's suspicious nature would never allow it.

Rather than letting him send no one, it was better to let him send people—and the more, the better. They believed this was also the underlying intention of the Ninth Prince over there.

Besides, in this world, the number of martial artists capable of surpassing Zhu Que could be counted on one hand, and the only one or two were currently right here in the capital.

Moreover, they, the Black and White Elders, had bestowed upon this precious disciple three life-saving techniques, any single one of which was enough to make her peerless across the Nine Provinces.

The Elder surnamed Black cupped his hands and said, "In this old man's view, Your Highness should not only send more men, but also bring plenty of silver!"

Chai Huo's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

The Elder surnamed White smiled and replied, "Aside from raising funds, the Ninth Prince's move is also aimed at restoring his prestige."

"During the sacrificial ceremony to the heavens, he claimed to be favored by destiny, only to be mocked by the heavens instead. The entire city shouted that he was an immoral ruler who harmed the people and ruined the foundation."

"Thus, by using the royal marriage competition, he hopes to salvage some of his lost dignity."

"If Your Highness sends masters to participate at this time, brings ample silver, gallops all the way there, and openly raises the banner of the Second Prince..."

"Participating in the marriage competition is not only a way to strongly support the event, but it also provides an opportunity to comfort the injured, win over the hearts of the common people, and fully display Your Highness's orthodox bearing."

"When that time comes, the people of Greater Xu will all praise Your Highness's benevolence. The Eight-Pearl Prince ascending to become the Nine-Pearl Crown Prince will truly be the desire of the people's hearts!"

The Elder surnamed Black added, "The Ninth Prince would never imagine that the stage he painstakingly set up would end up being entirely commandeered by Your Highness for a stellar performance!"

Chai Huo's mood improved drastically, and he burst into a triumphant laugh. "Ha! This is wonderful! Simply marvelous!"

After laughing, he summoned Huang Zhongyong, the Gentleman of the Palace Gate who was waiting on the side.

"Order Xiao Huo, the deputy commander of the accompanying Imperial Forest Dragon Guards, to meticulously select ten men and gallop back to the royal capital of Greater Xu to participate in the princess's marriage competition."

"Let each of them carry two hundred taels in silver notes. Once they arrive at the destination, exchange them for loose silver, and whenever they encounter those suffering from hunger, cold, or severe injuries, bestow some upon them!"

"In a word, they represent me going to show support, but more importantly, they represent me going to offer condolences, all to win the hearts of the people!"

Having said that, he leaned closer and whispered a few instructions into Huang Zhongyong's ear.

Huang Zhongyong cupped his fists and accepted the command.

The expressions of the Black and White Elders remained as cold as water, but their hearts were shaken to the core.

In truth, the few whispered instructions the Second Prince gave to Huang Zhongyong at the end—which he assumed the two elderly men were too hard of hearing to catch—were heard crystal clear by them, thanks to the rigorous physical training they had undergone since youth, which gave them extraordinary hearing.

"Tell Huo Xiao not to think about defeating Zhu Que right away. He must use his brain, employ a strategy of attrition, and exhaust her internal energy first."

"When he finally wins and presents the betrothal gifts, there's no need to use anyone else's name; use mine—Chai Huo, the Eight-Pearl Prince."

"When the time comes, I will take Zhu Que into my manor as my secondary consort! I've never tasted what a female military general is like in bed; it must feel amazing!"

Deep inside, the two elders cursed him vehemently, feeling a sudden wave of regret for their earlier countermeasure.

It was often said that the Second Prince was as venomous as a viper and fiercer than a tiger; even a fierce tiger would not eat its own cubs, yet there was nothing this man would not devour.

Furthermore, he was extremely lustful, and once he set his sights on someone, he would stop at nothing!

Hearing about him a hundred times was not as shocking as seeing him once!

They had anticipated that he was eccentric and absurd, but they had never imagined he would be so utterly devoid of conscience and deranged!

However, it was already too late to turn back and advise him against sending men!

For Zhu Que to be targeted by such a man meant her prospects were truly grim.

During their last communication via carrier pigeon, she had mentioned that her messages were already drawing the attention of the Ninth Prince, which was why she had replied with "do not reply anymore," severing their pigeon correspondence.

Now it seemed they had to find a way to warn her, even if it meant taking a risk; it would be worth it!

Elder Bai stepped forward. "Your Highness, if you truly want to win the hearts of the people, you must prepare a formal declaration and, if necessary, display it to the soldiers and civilians of Greater Xu. If Your Highness does not mind, I am willing to draft it."

Chai Huo was startled, then overjoyed. "For you to draft it personally—that would be wonderful!"

Elder Bai stood on ceremony, ordering someone to bring brush and paper, and began to write without a moment's hesitation.

"Now the winds and clouds change abruptly, and calamities descend. As if dwelling in the endless night without a glimpse of dawn, the Second Prince, Chai Huo, cherishing all under heaven, acting as an imperial commissioner..."

After writing it down, Chai Huo clapped in applause and reached out to retrieve his seal to stamp it.

However, Elder Bai stopped him. "Your Highness, having the men and having the declaration is enough. If you were to affix the seal as well, it would instead appear deliberate and contrived."

Chai Huo was utterly perplexed and immediately retorted, "Deliberate and contrived? Writing this declaration without stamping it—wouldn't that be equivalent to a forged document, completely devoid of persuasive authority?"