Yang Tiansheng stiffened his neck and didn’t back down, "Then you say, which of your friends has ever risked their life to save yours?"
Yang Yinghao furrowed his brows, "That’s because you were still young, ignorant of the hardships of the world, involuntarily..."
Yang Tiansheng waved his hand dismissively, "Fine, you make your friends, and I’ll make mine. I haven’t believed in your way, yet haven’t I made many good friends? Do you believe that if I sent a letter to Yang Ge right now telling him I’m about to die, he would immediately drop everything and come to Jiangzhe to save me?"
"No ivory comes out of a dog’s mouth!"
Yang Yinghao slapped him across the face, making his head turn, then hesitated before asking, "Do you really have that much confidence?"
Yang Tiansheng, "Why don’t we father and son make a bet?"
Yang Yinghao slapped his head back straight, "How can you bet on something like this?"
Yang Tiansheng held his head with both hands, complaining aggrievedly, "Isn’t it because you don’t believe me?"
"When did I ever say I didn’t believe you?"
Yang Yinghao glared at him, and finally added, "If you truly believe you are friends, once this matter here is resolved, gather some helpers and go save that lad!"
"Huh?"
Yang Tiansheng lowered his hands, "You just said that guy couldn’t be defeated by anyone below a Grandmaster, so why are you saying now that he needs rescuing?"
Yang Yinghao raised his hand.
Yang Tiansheng quickly held his head with both hands.
Yang Yinghao lowered his hand and said, "No matter how skilled he is, can he fight the entire Wei Imperial Court by himself? He killed so many officials in Yangzhou, how could the Wei Imperial Court let him go?"
Yang Tiansheng, "Uh, you make sense..."
Yang Yinghao, "If I’m not mistaken, the imperial decree to escort Yang Ge back to the capital must already be en route."
Yang Tiansheng clicked his tongue, "What a pity, he won’t get to see the excitement here in Hangzhou..."
Yang Yinghao couldn’t help himself and punched him twice, "All you care about is excitement, excitement; do you ever think about important matters?"
The punches were so painful that Yang Tiansheng almost cried.
He looked deeply at his father, then suddenly bolted, "All you do is hit me; you’ve beaten me stupid! Just you wait, I’m going home to tell on you..."
Yang Yinghao, furious, stood up rolling up his sleeves, "You scoundrel, I’m going to beat you to death today!"
Yang Tiansheng with a yelp, vanished into thin air
Yang Yinghao stopped in his tracks and let out a chuckle.
Sitting back down at the square table, he leisurely picked up the teapot to refill his cup, holding it in his palm, he murmured softly to himself, "As cubs surpass their mother, calves straighten their backs... He has his father’s ways!"
He didn’t tell his naïve son that although the court would definitely escort Yang Ge back to the capital, they wouldn’t really do anything to him.
That knife was too sharp...
...
A similar conversation.
Also occurred in Luoyang, the Divine Capital, deep within the Ziwei Palace.
Emperor Xiping, dressed in a round-necked white jade robe, sat in a dark and chilly palace.
Sitting opposite him was an old eunuch with white hair and beard, dressed in a bright red four-clawed python robe.
The old eunuch held a beast-headed brazier, squinting his eyes, his brows still showing signs of impatience.
Updat𝓮d from frёewebnoѵēl.com.
Emperor Xiping, seated across from him, bore no shade of displeasure on his face but instead harbored a gentle smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Catch it then."
The old eunuch replied indifferently.
As the smile on Emperor Xiping’s face was about to overflow, he heard the old eunuch across him say, "Catch it, and he dies; I’ll bury him myself."
"This..."
Emperor Xiping’s smile stiffened as his face took on a hesitant look.
The old eunuch gave him a sidelong glance and added, "Even if Your Majesty invites those old fellows, the result would hardly differ!"
Emperor Xiping slowly furrowed his brows, voicing his disbelief, "A youth in his prime, how did it come to this?"
The old eunuch replied impatiently, "An eight-year-old child can take a sharp blade and kill people in the market, what more a Quanzhen Grandmaster who integrates knowledge and action?"
Emperor Xiping pondered for a moment and then slowly shook his head, "This child is too sharp, it casts suspicions of undermining the ruler!"
The old eunuch clasped his hands and said indifferently, "Emperor Taizu and Taizong swiftly secured the world, fearing neither mountains nor rivers, nor shying away from arrows, nor all enemies. Surrounding nations bowed, civil and military officials were submissive, and the common people lived and worked in peace and contentment!"
"In contrast, observe previous emperors and Your Majesty, skilled in the art of kingship, perfecting separation and balance like refining fire, always cautious, treading on thin ice. Yet, neighboring regions spy on us, civil and military officials harbor differences, and the common people suffer unspeakably... Does Your Majesty really not know why?"
Implicit meaning: Be less clever, it’s useless!
Emperor Xiping narrowed his eyes at the old eunuch and, smiling, shook his head, "Precisely because neighboring regions spy and civil and military officials differ, we must always be cautious, treading on thin ice. Times change; one must be wary, one must control."
The old eunuch, with a stern face, spoke in a neither harsh nor mild manner, "Observing this youth’s actions, he is a minister of sturdy spine, a lonely minister of statecraft. Does Your Majesty intend to control his rebellion or guard against his regicide? Every able minister capable of turning the tide is guarded and restrained by Your Majesty. Once the heavens cease to favor Wei, does Your Majesty hope those weak and incompetent wretches can support and save Wei?"
Faced with the old eunuch’s direct rebuke, Emperor Xiping felt both indignant and helpless but finally had to bow and say, "The ancestral teachings are correct, I acknowledge my mistake."
The old eunuch sighed heavily and said earnestly, "I and those other old fellows, even if we save on lamp oil, will soon go to serve Emperor Taizu and Taizong. Your Majesty must prepare early, those youngsters in the Imperial Stables are too green, I fear they cannot hold up the situation!"
Emperor Xiping smiled ruefully and said, "It’s not that I am not diligent, rather these recent years, the martial arts in our divine country have waned, there is no fresh blood. Men of heaven-sent talent like Quanzhen Sword Immortal Li Qing, nearing extinction, make no progress at eight years, others even more so waste their years, unable to advance."
The old eunuch pursed his lips, "Isn’t there a promising young man right now?"
Emperor Xiping, "Yang Ge? He’s still far too lacking, too unpredictable, his future achievements uncertain, no one can tell."
The old eunuch, "But he’s young enough, isn’t he?"
Emperor Xiping, "That’s exactly the issue, he’s too young!"
"They are nothing but termites; if he finds them bothersome, just let him use them as nourishment for his martial path!"
The old eunuch straightened his sitting posture while holding the bronze beast-head furnace: "The path of martial arts, broadly speaking, is profound and complex, ever-changing. But in the end, it all boils down to ’victory.’ To triumph all the way, to beat all unbeatable opponents—whether Grandmaster or not, he becomes one!"
Emperor Xiping laughed offhand, "He’s barely reached the realm of Quanzhen, yet dared to send Jiangzhe’s more than three hundred forty officials to the execution ground. If we go by his nature, by the day he becomes the ultimate Grandmaster, wouldn’t he have a knife to my throat?"
"Love deeply, hate sharply!"
The old eunuch spoke unhurriedly, "His decisiveness in leaving no room for mercy ultimately stems from a compassionate heart wishing to save the world. As long as Your Majesty governs diligently, loves the people, and bestows kindness upon the realm, he will be Your Majesty’s sharpest sword. It’s said that a gentleman can be deceived by righteousness; such people are best to regulate."
Emperor Xiping was dismissive.
He had been dealing with these veterans from three dynasties for more than just a day or two; he knew very well that these old eunuchs had only Wei’s best interests at heart, not caring who sat on the throne as long as it was a Zhao Family member.
After hesitating for a moment, he spoke softly, "Allow me to ponder this some more!"
The old eunuch picked up the teacup in front of him and said indifferently, "If Your Majesty is resolute in eliminating this youth, you must strike decisively, leaving no room for survival, otherwise... he will surely become a major threat!"
Emperor Xiping, frowning, pondered for a long while before standing and stretching, finally said, "I understand, you may rest now!"
The old eunuch, unmoving, dryly said, "I bid Your Majesty farewell."