Chapter 266: Conference

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“Your lunch, your majesty.”

Liu Jin pinches the bridge of his nose.

“I told you not to call me that.”

His words are delivered in a quiet, almost defeated, voice. However, the servant reacts as if he shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Forgive me, your majesty!” the poor woman says as she frantically bows her head, barely remembering to place his food on the nightstand first. “I mean… I didn’t mean…I…I…”

Lu Mei laughs.

“Oh, pay it no mind, woman. His majesty is not a man quick to anger. Leave and see to your duties. That is surely what his majesty would say if he were not so tired. Is that not so, your majesty?”

Liu Jin glares at her but stops when he notices the look in his eyes is frightening the servant. He takes pity on the poor woman and waves her away, only speaking once she has left the room.

“You are having entirely too much fun with this.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about, your majesty. I am your ever humble servant, your majesty.”

Liu Jin has a reply at the tip of his tongue but lets it die. What point is there in arguing about this? News of his bloodline–though not of his father–has been spread throughout the Empire. He arrived with two of three Heavenly Generals to the palace, defeated the third, and is now staying in the Emperor’s room. There has been no formal announcement yet, but as far as everyone is concerned, Liu Jin is the Emperor, and General Nie Dan is his regent.

“I do not wish to rule.”

“A most eloquently put point, your majesty,” Lu Mei says. “However, if you would allow this lady a simple question, and if his majesty answers it, this lady promises she will never call his majesty his majesty again.”

Liu Jin glowers at her in silence for five full seconds.

“… ask your question.”

“Are you planning on letting things be?”

“What?”

“The Storm Dragon Empire has been freed,” Lu Mei points out. “Murong Bang is dead. General Nie Dan is an able ruler. The Eternal Flame Clan might gain greater control of this country from now on, but they will never abuse the people as Murong Bang did. There is no monster for you to slay anymore. Surely, it would be fine if you step away and let those overwhelmingly more capable than you handle things from here?”

Liu Jin opens his mouth.

He closes it.

Murong Bang is dead. He Bin is dead. The Death Fashioning Scripture has lost its agent here. Some people might still have flesh buds, but that issue can be resolved in time. All his objectives have been completed. General Nie Dan and the high-ranking members of the Eternal Flame Clan can handle what follows. It is not as if Liu Jin can claim to know more about ruling than the Heavenly General.

This country… It is not his concern now.

And yet…

Liu Jin groans and grabs onto his hair. “I really dislike you right now.”

Lu Mei chuckles. “There is no need to make yourself twice a liar.”

Liu Jin decides to increase the potency of her poison training for Ceaselessly Refining Breath. Her venomous tongue clearly means she is more than ready for it.

It is certainly not because of something as petty as revenge. Not at all.

“I need to talk to General Nie Dan about my uncle. The one from my mother’s side, not the one who can barely look at me without flinching. It will be good for him to know there are people in Murong Bang’s former territories that he can trust,” Liu Jin says. “The same goes for the Lei Clan, albeit with several caveats. I should also try to ingratiate myself a little more to City Lord Chu. As General Nie Dan’s main civilian advisor, the man is about to become much more important soon enough… You sent a letter to his daughter while I was unconscious, didn’t you?”

Lu Mei says nothing. She does not need to. The look on her face is enough of an answer.

Lu Jin sighs.

“Is there anything I am missing?” He asks, putting a hand over his forehead.

“You are forgetting about your other side of the family,” Lu Mei says, reaching for the tray with his food and bringing it to him. Liu Jin is still too tired to walk. “I agree that your uncle is probably a lost cause, but you should try befriending your cousin. Things will go a lot easier if he trusts you.”

“As he kindly pointed out when we met, I came here with Murong Bang,” Liu Jin says. “I do not think trust is an option.”

“Please, that was days ago,” Lu Mei says, waving the matter off as unimportant. “You’re the hero of the empire and the man who saved his beloved father from the clutches of the treacherous He Bin. You didn’t even try to have him executed. That automatically makes you better than most tend to be in cases like this.”

“The fact that cases like this exist at all is the problem,” Liu Jin says, sighing. “I still need to present myself before the Eternal Flame Clan. It is for the best if I don’t delay that.”

If Liu Jin puts off returning to the Eternal Flame Clan for too long, the Eternal Flame Clan won’t take it kindly. While he is technically untouchable so long as he is inside the Storm Dragon Palace, he doesn’t like the idea of spending the rest of his life hiding within these walls.

Besides, Liu Jin is fairly sure Patriarch Feng would find a way to make him regret it if he tried it.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about that,” Lu Mei says. “Remember, you’re the legitimate heir. That’s more than just a title. The Storm Dragon obeys you above everyone else. There’s power in that. The Eternal Flame Clan understands it needs to keep you satisfied, or someone else will put you inside their sphere of influence. For example, General Nie Dan or the Divine Frozen Palace.”

Liu Jin narrows his eyes.

“You want me to make them compete for me.”

“I am warning you they are definitely going to compete for you,” Lu Mei says. “What I want is for you to take advantage of it.”

Liu Jin’s brow creases as he considers the idea.

“No,” he says at last. “I know you are advising me to do what you believe is best, but I don’t think that will inspire people to trust me in any significant way. I have had enough of people suspecting me. I want to make sure the people won’t be abused, and I will be transparent about it.”

Lu Mei sighs.

“I imagined you would be, but do you really think people will hear you say that and actually believe you?” Lu Mei points out. “They are obviously going to suspect you are up to something.”

“I don’t know,” Liu Jin says. “At the very least, I seem to have gotten through to Feng Zhi somewhat.”

Lu Mei gives him a long look.

“You’re entirely too hopeful sometimes.”

“Hope is sweetness, and sweetness is a necessity. The world would be too bitter otherwise,” Liu Jin replies, taking a slice of fruit and popping it into his mouth. “Honestly, I am somewhat glad I am too tired to leave this bed. Otherwise, I’d have to start involving myself in all of this right away.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure,” Lu Mei says. “You’d be surprised by how many people you have never met suddenly want to visit you.”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

~~~

Lu Mei’s words prove unfortunately prophetic. Several people are soon requesting permission to visit Liu Jin. At first, they are people he knows. For example, Huang Shing and Fan Bingbing visit together.

“I wanted to come earlier,” Huang Shing says while eating his sweets, “but Sister Fan told me we should give you space.”

Shooting Fan Bingbing a very grateful look, Liu Jin snatches his sweets from Huang Shing’s hands but thanks them both for coming. What follows is one of the most relaxing afternoons Liu Jin has had in a long while.

Not all days are so peaceful.

The first noble walks into his room a few days later. He talks in pompous tones and rains praise on Liu Jin at every turn, thanking him for saving them all from General He Bin while making sure to cast himself as an innocent victim who had no idea about the depths of the man’s treachery. People like him soon become a common sight as are the many gifts they send to his room.

However, some people are more honest than others.

“Thank you for saving us from ourselves,” a gaunt-faced noble says. He makes no attempts at justifying himself. He presents his gift, an ornate knife, and leaves.

Liu Jin wishes more of his visitors were like him. Unfortunately, they are not. The nobles are a tiresome lot. He vastly prefers the visits from the people he actually likes.

“You have changed.”

“I think I could say the same, Senior Brother,” Liu Jin replies with a tired smile. The corners of Mud’s mouth twitch upward.