Chapter 547: Chapter 178: Secrets! Fan Wu’s Origin, the Jade Pendant, and the Pawn Shop! (A 10,000-word Chapter asking for subscriptions)_5
"Ha-ha-ha! You are interesting! Very interesting!" After the old Emperor laughed heartily a few times, he suddenly narrowed his eyes and said, "What if one day you found out that your origins conflict with the Great Zhou Dynasty? For instance, what if you were a remnant of the former dynasty?"
"It wouldn’t matter." Fan Wu said calmly, "I only act according to my heart; there is no one in this world who can bind my thoughts."
The narrowed eyes of the old Emperor opened as he remarked with emotion, "A person like you truly lives freely and carelessly!"
Fan Wu replied, "Generally, to be the freest and most carefree, this level is still not quite enough."
"Ha-ha-ha! Young man, you are the strangest and also... the most formidable one I have ever met," the old Emperor said without hesitation, "I am very grateful to you for saving the life of my grandson and also for saving the life of my youngest son."
I have also heard..." the old Emperor looked at Fan Wu, "that this morning, you punched the Imperial City’s wall and caused a significant collapse. I remember, my father, the Emperor, made a promise that whoever could break the walls would receive ten thousand liang of silver awarded by the Imperial Court."
"Even though it was a rule established by my father’s generation, it is still recognized in my generation."
"You have saved two royal descendants, and you have achieved something that, until today, no one has ever accomplished. I am not a stingy man. I can grant you an official position, even a hereditary one, as well as award you ten thousand liang of silver," the old Emperor declared.
"How about it?!"
Hereditary... an official position?!
Upon hearing the old Emperor utter such words, almost everyone’s breathing involuntarily became heavy. Even the eunuchs, palace maids, and guards... all felt the same way.
Because they understood what it meant; once someone was granted a hereditary official position from the Imperial Court.
It meant that this person would break away from their original class.
Their descendants would benefit from their shelter!
They could even use such a hereditary official position to develop their descendants into a small family! With a bit of luck, this family could exist for hundreds of years.
This scenario was not impossible.
Moreover, this was a hereditary official position promised by the current Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty; how could such a position be insignificant? At the very least, it must be a fifth-ranked official position, right?
Higher was not impossible. If it went just one step above a fifth-ranked position, it would then belong to the Court Officials.
The old Emperor wielded immense power within the Dynasty; he had the ability and the credentials to override all objections and bestow a hereditary official position upon anyone!
The Emperor was actually offering such a grand promise to someone he had just met for the first time?
Hiss!!
Wouldn’t this mean that person could...
Skyrocket to the heavens?
"There is no need for an official position," Fan Wu declined, "I dislike being restrained by others and prefer not to get involved in matters filled with scheming. Unless... you, old man, would like to see, one day on the Great Zhou court, a river of blood suddenly flowing."
Fan Wu cracked a smile, "If you can accept such an event to occur, then I, struggling, might just accept it."
What... what is he talking about? Does he know what he is saying?
He actually refused!
And then he spoke those few utterly unfilial and disloyal lines that followed.
What is he thinking?
One by one, the eunuchs, palace maids, and guards looked at Fan Wu with a sense of incomprehension, as if the Fan Wu before them were not human, as if he were not of the same species as they.
"Oh? Then what reward do you want?" asked the old Emperor, unable to help himself.
"Just the ten thousand liang of silver," Fan Wu answered.
The old Emperor was taken aback, "Only ten thousand liang of silver? You could clearly receive much more."
"I’m not greedy in this regard," Fan Wu replied earnestly, "Even if you directly made me the Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, I wouldn’t have much interest in it."
"...Very well!" said the old Emperor, "Since that is the case, I will order someone to give you a silver note for ten thousand liang."
"Thank you," Fan Wu responded.
"Er, Father..." Just at this moment, a relatively childish voice rang out, "Father, may I follow Daoist Fan Wu to learn Taoist Magic?"
Everyone turned their heads and saw the Little Prince gazing pitifully at the old Emperor.
"I am truly very interested in cultivating the Tao..." the Little Prince said weakly, "Even if... even if I could only learn a little bit, it would be okay."
"No!" the old Emperor refused sternly, "How many times have I told you, you little rascal, no means no."
"Why?" The Little Prince grew stubborn, "Father, you always say no, but whenever I ask you why, you never want to say more. I wanted to ask Hu Banban, but Hu Banban says he doesn’t know either."
"Well, I know for sure Hu Banban knows, but he doesn’t dare to tell me the truth out of fear of the intimidation you bring upon him!"
"Even if... even if I can’t learn from Daoist Fan Wu, isn’t it the same if I learn from you, Father?"
"You know how to do it too, Father!!"
These few words from the Little Prince scared poor Hu Banban, who was kneeling on the ground.
"Why?" The old Emperor fixed his eyes on him; his face bore a trace of complicated emotions. After taking a deep breath, he leaned back in his chair and said, "It’s because I do not wish for the events of thirty years ago to happen again in the Imperial Palace."
