Chapter Twenty-Five: The Ravenous Wolf Strikes!

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” E Chongyu replied respectfully.

“Chonghu has already told you everything, hasn’t he?” Jiang Yuan asked, raising an eyebrow.

“The Northern Marquis informed me of all the details in his message,” E Chongyu responded.

“How many soldiers have you prepared?” Jiang Yuan asked casually.

“Your Majesty, within the city of E, one hundred and fifty thousand troops are ready,” E Chongyu answered, cupping his fists in salute.

“Oh?” Jiang Yuan looked at E Chongyu with some surprise. “Did Chonghu tell you that I wanted you to prepare one hundred thousand soldiers?”

E Chongyu shook his head. “The Northern Marquis said one hundred thousand.”

“Then why have you prepared one hundred and fifty thousand?” Jiang Yuan asked with a faint smile.

“To ensure Your Majesty can swiftly quell the unrest in the South Sea,” E Chongyu replied.

Hearing this, Jiang Yuan, who should have been satisfied, suddenly erupted with an overwhelming aura, a wave of pressure surging toward E Chongyu.

Jiang Yuan’s eyes widened with anger as he spoke in displeasure, “What is this? Does the Southern Marquis believe that one hundred thousand soldiers are not enough for me to pacify the South Sea? Has my capability declined to such a degree? Should I be thanking you for your consideration?”

E Chongyu, who had expected to be commended, turned pale at these rebukes and questions. Fear surged within him—had he made a mistake? Was the king seizing this opportunity to warn him?

A mechanical voice echoed in Jiang Yuan’s mind, “Ding! Host has nitpicked without reason, matching the behavior of a tyrant. Tyrant value +15, current tyrant value: 190!”

Jiang Yuan felt much more at ease upon hearing the system’s notice. E Chongyu had misjudged him; Jiang Yuan had picked faults only for the sake of that meager tyrant value. He found it bitterly amusing—he truly did not want to be such a pedant! In his previous life, he had despised internet trolls most of all!

“Do not be angry, Your Majesty. I harbored no such intention. I only prepared more soldiers hoping Your Majesty might quell the South Sea unrest sooner and return to Chaoge to oversee the realm. Your Majesty manages countless affairs—every moment counts,” E Chongyu hurriedly explained.

Jiang Yuan nodded calmly. “Your heart is in the right place, Southern Marquis, but you need not worry about such matters. I do not plan to return to Chaoge for some time—there will naturally be someone to take charge in my stead.”

“I understand,” E Chongyu replied, his gaze complicated—not because his plan had failed, but because, according to Jiang Yuan’s words, the king did not intend to return to Chaoge, but rather continue suppressing unrest elsewhere. The troops for these campaigns would, of course, be drawn from the hands of the marquises.

This inevitably meant the king would be drawn into dealings with the local lords—perhaps he was testing their loyalty. At this thought, E Chongyu’s heart pounded with alarm. He would have to be especially careful to demonstrate his loyalty.

The king’s commanding presence was truly terrifying—how could he dare reveal even a hint of rebellion?

Jiang Yuan, seeing E Chongyu’s deferential demeanor, knew he had already yielded to his tyrannical authority. He thought to himself, This forcefulness is quite effective!

“It seems I misjudged you; your loyalty to the Shang is deeper than I realized,” Jiang Yuan said, first scolding and then praising—an emperor’s most common tactic.

E Chongyu hastened to bow deeply. “Your Majesty flatters me; it is only my duty.”

“Take me into the city,” Jiang Yuan ordered as he sat tall upon his purple jade qilin.

“At once,” E Chongyu said, leading the way, and Jiang Yuan’s entourage entered the city in grand procession.

After settling the several thousand soldiers who had accompanied Jiang Yuan to E, the group made their way to E Chongyu’s residence.

The E residence was vast, with numerous wings and courtyards, luxuriously appointed, though still inferior to Jiang Yuan’s own Star-plucking Tower by a considerable margin.

It seemed E Chongyu harbored no rebellious intentions for now—his residence, in both scale and organization, matched the rites of the Shang: slightly below the royal palace as required.

“Have you recently suppressed the South Sea tribes?” Jiang Yuan asked idly.

“Your Majesty, though I have had many dealings with them, even clashing with them at times, there have been no large-scale wars,” E Chongyu replied respectfully.

“Why is that?” Jiang Yuan asked in puzzlement.

“Because I fear offending the South Sea tribes completely,” E Chongyu answered honestly.

“And why is that?”

E Chongyu drew a deep breath and explained, “The situation outside the city, as Your Majesty must have seen, is dire. The land is parched, harvests are nearly nonexistent—all due to the South Sea tribe’s refusal to bring rain for years.”

“I can only negotiate with them and dare not provoke outright conflict. All the rainfall around E city is under their control. If we anger them too much, the common people will suffer, and the loss would outweigh the gain.”

Jiang Yuan snorted coldly at this. “The South Sea tribes dare to harm the people of the Shang? I will show them who truly rules this world!”

“Your Majesty is wise and mighty—victory is assured. If I may ask, when do you plan to march against the South Sea tribes?” E Chongyu asked after his flattery.

Jiang Yuan glanced at the darkening sky and replied, “Not today. The soldiers are weary from travel—let them rest and recover. Tomorrow, we shall march.”

“Your Majesty is right,” E Chongyu agreed.

“Where is the room prepared for me?” Jiang Yuan inquired.

“I will escort Your Majesty there at once,” E Chongyu replied, leading Jiang Yuan to his quarters.

When Jiang Yuan, accompanied by Daji, arrived at his room, he found Huang Feihu and Zhang Kui standing guard outside.

Curious, Jiang Yuan asked, “Why are you two stationed here? Why not rest in your own rooms?”

“Your Majesty, we are here for your protection. E city is not like Chaoge—should anyone attempt mischief, we can respond immediately,” Zhang Kui answered solemnly, oblivious to the faint annoyance on Jiang Yuan’s face.

Jiang Yuan looked at the earnest Zhang Kui with mixed feelings. He was about to enter his chambers with Daji—did they not understand what that implied? Why guard the door?

After all, wasn’t bringing Daji along for this very reason?

“No need; the Southern Marquis’s residence is no less secure than the palace. You may rest at ease,” Jiang Yuan said kindly.

“But Your Majesty, this is not Chaoge. If—” Zhang Kui hesitated.

“There’s no need to worry. I am not so helpless; should an assassin appear, I can hold out until you arrive. Off you go,” Jiang Yuan said, his patience waning.

“Understood,” the two replied, bowing and withdrawing.

Once they had gone, Jiang Yuan turned to Daji, whose cheeks were flushed.

“Your Majesty is truly different from before,” Daji said shyly.

“Oh? In what way?” Jiang Yuan raised an eyebrow.

“In the past, Your Majesty’s eyes upon me were always... that way. Now, though there is still desire, your gaze is clear,” Daji explained.

“What do you mean, ‘that way’? Soon you’ll know what real greatness is,” Jiang Yuan grinned.

He strode over and, with practiced ease, slipped her robes from her shoulders. Her skin was creamy as congealed fat, her body as flawless as white jade. No matter how he looked, he could not get enough. Soon he lost himself completely, pouncing like a ravenous wolf.

Another night of passion passed, the depths of which words cannot describe...