Chapter 11631 — The Princely Palace

"Mutiny! Mutiny! This man has truly turned traitor! Without any summons from Us, he dares to force his way into the Son of Heaven's palace!"

Hou Chuang reminded him helplessly, "Your Majesty, he holds the post of Director of the Security Review Bureau. By regulation, he is entitled to enter the palace and report affairs at any time."

The Zhou Son of Heaven was momentarily at a loss for words; then his mind turned, and he said, "Then here's what you'll do—go and stop him. Tell him We are unwell today and it is inconvenient to receive him."

"…"

Hou Chuang could barely resist the urge to press a hand to his forehead.

Be that as it may, you are still the Zhou Son of Heaven, the nominal master of the Inner Royal Court—what does it mean to feign illness and hide from a mere outer official?

A puppet Son of Heaven commands no prestige to begin with; only through his many maneuvers had Hou Chuang barely scraped together a shred of presence for him.

Fleeing the field at the Night's End Palace had already been shameful enough. Another scene like today's, and every ounce of effort everyone had poured in on his behalf would be wasted—after this, no one would ever take this puppet Son of Heaven seriously again.

Hou Chuang could only counsel, "Do not panic, Your Majesty. Wei Zhao stands at the very eye of the storm now. Unless he is utterly devoid of sense, he will not do anything to Your Majesty at such a moment."

The Zhou Son of Heaven: "You trust his character that much?"

Hou Chuang smiled bitterly. "This old servant trusts his brains."

There was a sentence he was too embarrassed to voice: even if Wei Zhao truly wished to do something now, he would never choose to strike at a puppet Son of Heaven with a title but no substance.

After all, beyond drawing a stink upon himself, there was truly not half a benefit to be gained.

Sometimes, being weak was a good thing.

The Zhou Son of Heaven remained half-believing, yet under Hou Chuang's earnest and repeated counsel, he at last did not flee the field again.

Wei Zhao entered the door.

The Zhou Son of Heaven rose to his feet in instinctive nervousness; beside him Hou Chuang hurriedly coughed a signal, and only then did the Son of Heaven come to his senses and sit back down, chagrined.

Before Wei Zhao could cup his hands in salute, the Zhou Son of Heaven spoke first: "Minister Lin, what business brings you before Us?"

Wei Zhao glanced at him. "Does Your Majesty truly not know?"

The Zhou Son of Heaven's body went rigid at once, and he looked to Hou Chuang for help.

To his mind, Wei Zhao's manner was that of one come to demand an accounting for crimes—this was forcing him to kowtow and beg forgiveness!

Hou Chuang frowned. "This is a sovereign-minister audience. Director Lin, mind your bearing."

Wei Zhao turned his head toward him, his expression placid. "And who might you be? I have not seen you before."

One utterly ordinary sentence, and the oppression it radiated unseen was enough to make Hou Chuang's scalp prickle, raising a towering wave in his heart on the spot.

He too was a man who had seen great scenes; he had witnessed that spectacle at the Night's End Palace and had already reckoned Wei Zhao unfathomably deep—but he had truly never imagined that Wei Zhao was unfathomable to this degree!

An invisible pressure like this was on par with the renowned old monsters of the Inner Court.

Just what was this boy's background?

"Useless."

Seeing Hou Chuang keep silent, the Son of Heaven cursed inwardly. He had thought the man had some backbone, but it turned out he was a coward too.

Wei Zhao turned his gaze back to the Son of Heaven. "I hear Your Majesty has summoned my people into the palace, yet they have not been seen since. So I have come to look. Please, Your Majesty, bring them out."

The Son of Heaven was dumbfounded for a long moment, then asked blankly, "What people?"

Hou Chuang, however, had caught on, and whispered a reminder: "Yesterday the Queen summoned Cheng Shuang'er to the Phoenix Pavilion."

"Hah?"

The Son of Heaven's expression changed at once. "The Queen is mixed up in this too?"

Wei Zhao spoke bluntly: "There are still many matters in my Nightfall Palace waiting for Miss Cheng to return and oversee. If Your Majesty is willing, kindly bring her out. If Your Majesty is not willing, then I shall have to pay a visit to the Phoenix Pavilion."

"Insolence!"

The Son of Heaven stamped his feet. "The Phoenix Pavilion is the Queen's residence! No outside minister may come near it!"

Wei Zhao could not help but glance at him strangely.

Just moments ago he had been so cowed he nearly wet himself—why the sudden violent reaction now?

Beside him, Hou Chuang wore a peculiar expression. As the Son of Heaven's most trusted minister at present, he understood a thing or two about why the Son of Heaven would react this way.

Only, this was a matter that even he found somewhat awkward to speak of.

Wei Zhao frowned. "So long as Your Majesty brings my people out, I can refrain from going to the Phoenix Pavilion."

In his understanding, the Son of Heaven, though hardly outstanding, could not be called lecherous or lustful either. That Queen who dwelt deep in the Phoenix Pavilion had always had little presence—there was no need to bristle at the mere mention of her, was there?

"This…"

The Son of Heaven was instantly stymied.

He did not know why the Queen had summoned Cheng Shuang'er either, but as for going against the Queen's wishes—that he was absolutely unwilling to do.

Wei Zhao said, puzzled, "Does Your Majesty perhaps not have the final say over the Queen?"

The Son of Heaven's face was a portrait of difficulty.

Wei Zhao nodded. "Since that is so, I shall have to go fetch them myself."

Hearing this, the Son of Heaven stamped his feet again and rebuked him: "Wei Zhao, do not push your luck! Had it been any other matter, I would have swallowed it, but if you dare to defile the Queen, then do not blame me for staking everything—a fight to the death!"

The veins on his forehead bulged, his eyes went wide with fury, and the whites were shot through with bloodshot lines born of sheer agitation.

Wei Zhao was mildly taken aback. Judging by that display, the man was genuinely not bluffing after all?

Now he really was curious.

Just who was this queen, that she could make a coward like the Son of Heaven cast all caution to the wind?

"Men!"

At the Son of Heaven's furious shout, a host of elite imperial guards filed in at once and surrounded Wei Zhao on every side.

The corner of Wei Zhao's mouth curved upward. "Is Your Majesty preparing to take me down?"

Off to the side, Hou Chuang grew frantic at the sight.

These elite guards were among the few tangible trump cards left in the Son of Heaven's hand, and their strength was indeed formidable—but the problem was, it also depended on whom they were facing!

Against the Wei Zhao of a year ago, this band of elite guards might indeed have sufficed to take him down.

But against the Wei Zhao of today, it was no exaggeration to say that these men alone could not even serve as an appetizer.

Hou Chuang hastened to dissuade him. "Your Majesty, think thrice! Your Majesty, think thrice!"

By now the Son of Heaven had just about recovered a measure of composure from his earlier state, and at this sight he found himself caught in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat.

What he feared was not merely that these guards might be destroyed at Wei Zhao's hands; if this truly provoked Wei Zhao into flying into a rage and going all the way with it, then whether he, a puppet Son of Heaven, would even live to see the end of this day was now an open question.

He could not afford to gamble.

Yet where the queen was concerned, he truly did not wish to yield.