Chapter 110: Eating Fish

“Your Majesty, what’s the matter with the Empress?” Jiang Yuan noticed the unusual demeanor of Empress Jiang.

“It’s nothing, nothing at all. I was just feeling a bit sentimental. The last time the Great King dined with the two of us was several years ago,” Jiang Feng spoke candidly to Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan stepped forward and gently tucked a strand of Empress Jiang’s hair behind her ear, his eyes filled with tenderness. His voice was soft as he said, “You’ve endured much hardship all these years.”

That tyrant King Zhou was truly heartless. Empress Jiang, still full of charm and grace, had been treated as if she were invisible.

Jiang Yuan thought to himself that this young lady was no less enchanting than Daji.

In fact, Empress Jiang possessed a mature allure that Daji lacked, like a ripe fruit exuding an intoxicating fragrance.

Empress Jiang could no longer hold back her tears at Jiang Yuan’s kind words.

“My King, I…” She was at a loss for words.

“Have you ever considered having another child?” Jiang Yuan asked with a playful smile, eyes fixed on Empress Jiang.

For some reason, Jiang Yuan had recently become particularly fixated on children, perhaps it was this that gave him a sense of belonging in this world of deities.

Empress Jiang blushed deeply at his sudden question about children. It had been a long time since the King had shown her any favor, yet she still looked forward to it.

“I… am willing,” she stammered shyly.

“Ha ha ha, there’s no time like the present. Then tonight it shall be,” Jiang Yuan laughed heartily, putting his arm around her shoulders.

Being a refined lady of noble birth, Empress Jiang was somewhat flustered by Jiang Yuan’s cavalier words and quickly said, “I shall prepare the fish at once.”

“Go ahead, go ahead,” Jiang Yuan waved his hand dismissively.

Empress Jiang’s heart was full of joy; the King now was truly different from before.

Such a King made her heart even more joyful.

Jiang Yuan watched Empress Jiang’s retreating figure. In ancient times, marriage and childbirth came early; yet her figure remained flawless.

On the contrary, she was wonderfully plump. King Zhou was truly ungrateful, forsaking such a beauty as if she meant nothing.

Jiang Yuan idly waited in the courtyard, thinking of nothing in particular. The New Year was meant for celebration, after all; otherwise, what was the point if everyone was busy with their own affairs?

Zhang Kui was no longer in the capital city of Chaoge; Jiang Yuan had sent him back to Mianchi County.

This fellow was dominated by his wife and dared not return home during the New Year, fearing a confrontation with his wife.

Thus, Jiang Yuan ordered Zhang Kui to go home.

Zhang Kui was reluctant; having been away for so long, he expected to be scolded by his wife. Taking the excuse of protecting the King to lay low, he hadn’t expected Jiang Yuan to forcibly send him back.

This caused Zhang Kui to complain bitterly, but Jiang Yuan told him, “You’re a Golden Immortal now. How can you be afraid of your wife?”

Zhang Kui replied that his wife had ascended to Golden Immortal even before him.

The moment he said that, Jiang Yuan was even more eager to send him home.

He gave Zhang Kui a single task: bring your wife to Chaoge.

A Golden Immortal wife—why hadn’t he said so earlier? Jiang Yuan was in dire need of experts.

So Zhang Kui had no choice but to return home for the New Year with a sour expression.

Whether there were experts in Chaoge to protect the King was of no real concern.

In Chaoge, the King was nearly invincible.

Not because of his own strength, but because he was under the dual blessings of the Human Emperor’s fate and the Great Shang Kingdom’s fortune.

He was virtually impossible to kill; a sage would never act so overtly.

Moreover, the capital city still had the national advisor Shen Gongbao, a Grand Golden Immortal.

There was almost no chance Jiang Yuan would be assassinated.

After a long wait, Jiang Yuan finally saw Nezha and the others arrive.

He looked at Nezha with some reproach. “I only asked you to bring someone, why did it take so long? And you only just arrived?”

“Was there some demon or monster blocking your way?” Jiang Yuan inquired.

Nezha pursed his lips and whispered, “If only there really was some careless demon blocking the way.”

“Then why did it take so long to return?” Jiang Yuan pressed further.

Nezha was embarrassed and turned to look at Yin Jiao.

Yin Jiao lowered his head, avoiding the King’s gaze.

Jiang Yuan sighed; he wasn’t in the mood to lose his temper.

He then turned to Yang Jian. “General Yang, tell me what happened.”

Yang Jian shook his head blankly. “I don’t know either. I only just received the message from the King to come and eat fish.”

Jiang Yuan glared at Nezha; so after all this time, it was only now that Nezha had summoned Yang Jian.

He looked at Nezha and then at Yin Jiao, and immediately understood.

“You two were fighting, weren’t you?” Jiang Yuan sneered.

At these words, Nezha and Yin Jiao looked up simultaneously.

Nezha stared at Jiang Yuan in astonishment. “Old Jiang, you’re truly a genius.”

Jiang Yuan glanced at Nezha but said nothing.

Yin Jiao curiously asked Nezha, “Why did you call me ‘Father King Old Jiang’?”

Nezha suddenly realized he might have let something slip, so he feigned ignorance. “What ‘Old Jiang’?”

“You just called me ‘Father King’ something,” Yin Jiao pressed.

“Did I? I don’t remember,” Nezha replied with a smile.

He simply refused to admit it. What could they do to him?

Yin Jiao sighed helplessly. “You clearly did!”

“I say I didn’t, so I didn’t. If you don’t agree, fight me again!” Nezha said arrogantly.

“Fine, let’s fight!” Yin Jiao retorted fiercely.

“Can you two calm down?” Jiang Yuan said impatiently.

“What are you doing? I called you here to eat fish, not to start a fight!”

Yin Jiao, instinctively wary of his father, fell silent at Jiang Yuan’s words.

Nezha pouted for a moment but gave up arguing.

Jiang Yuan looked at the two finally quiet boys and sighed in relief. He wasn’t so much worried about Nezha calling him ‘Old Jiang,’ but these two wild children were just too unruly. Indeed, wild children should not be left to their own devices.

Yet some noise was good—it brought a sense of New Year’s liveliness.

But fighting was unacceptable; they must not damage the Fengyi Palace.

At that moment, Empress Jiang stepped out, a trace of happiness on her face.

After all, no woman could resist seeing such a scene.

Jiang Yuan smiled gently at her.

“My King, the fish is ready,” Empress Jiang said softly.

Jiang Yuan nodded with a smile and turned to Nezha and the others. “Come inside and eat.”

The two quarrelsome boys, Yin Jiao and Nezha, bounced happily into the room.

Yang Jian followed slowly behind, burdened with heavy thoughts.

Jiang Yuan looked at Yang Jian thoughtfully.

To him, Yang Jian was still just a young man. At such a tender age, his mother had been taken away for suppression. This was no experience a young man should endure.