Volume 9
Chapter 889 : “Banquet in the Palace (8)”
Jun Wu Xie narrowed her eyes slightly. Wen Yu’s strange and peculiar actions seemed to have only begun after he saw the ring on her hand.
One was the emperor, the other the Grand Adviser, both seemingly highly concerned with the ring she was wearing.
But one thing Jun Wu Xie could be certain about was that Wen Yu harboured no enmity against her.
“Why would the Grand Adviser say this?” Jun Wu Xie could feel that Wen Yu seemed to be hinting at something but at that moment, she couldn’t think of a reason why.
Wen Yu looked at Jun Wu Xie’s delicate little face. He had not wanted to get involved in the matter but as the kid was rather close to Lei Chen, and he found that he liked that pair of highly intelligent eyes, albeit a little cold and distant, but didn’t look like they belonged to one who would conceal malice against people.
“Why? Doesn’t Young Master Jun want to reunite with his family sooner?”
Jun Wu Xie’s eyes darkened at that moment.
[Reunite with family?]
[Why would she not wish for that? Everything that she was doing was towards being able to rid herself of remaining in that passive state, to return to the Qi Kingdom without worry, and back to the Lin Palace.]
Wen Yu detected the dimming in Jun Xie’s eyes and he realised that he might have said something wrong where he immediately said: “I apologise, I have said something that I shouldn’t have. But from what I heard, in the period that Young Master Jun had been here in the Imperial Capital for the Spirit Battle Tournament, you seemed to have attracted quite a bit of trouble onto yourself. It looks like the Imperial Capital is not a suitable place for Young Master Jun to remain in and to avoid having any more unpleasant things happening to you here, it might be better for you if Young Master Jun leaves here earlier.”
“More unpleasant things? What kind of things would they be?” Jun Wu Xie asked, looking straight at Wen Yu, trying to find more clues from the expression on his face, but Wen Yu was however not exhibiting anything peculiar on his face.
Wen Yu laughed lightly. “I wish for Young Master Jun to set off on his return journey soon and as it is getting really late. If we do not make our way back now the banquet would be ending soon. Would Young Master Jun like to return back to the banquet with me?”
Jun Wu Xie nodded and the two of them walked off to go back to the banquet.
Everything was as it should be back at the banquet. The music was playing and the dancers put up a splendid performance with their graceful moves and lithe nimble bodies.
Jun Wu Xie walked into the palace main hall together with Wen Yu and the Emperor who was looking like he was thinking hard with a deep frown on his face lifted his head when he saw the two figures coming into the hall and his heart nearly jumped out of him!
“Your Majesty.” Wen Yu greeted, bowing slightly.
The Emperor’s face suddenly stiffened but he quickly recomposed himself and put on his usual benign smile and said: “I was thinking where the Grand Adviser had gone to and here he is coming back here with Jun Xie. But where is Little Fan? Little Fan had left here with Jun Xie for a stroll in the Imperial Garden so why had Jun Xie come back here alone?”
Wen Yu replied: “Your loyal subject saw that the moon was really nice tonight and suddenly had the urge to go take a walk in the Imperial Garden. But when I got to the Imperial Garden, I happened to see the Fourth Prince feeling unwell and was lying on the ground, so I instructed the guards to send him back while I escorted Jun Xie back here to the banquet. Your loyal subject was worried that the boy might not know his way back and hence I came here together with him.”
Upon hearing that Lei Fan was not feeling well, the Emperor’s face was immediately tinged with worry as he asked: “Little Fan is unwell? What happened?”
“Your loyal subject does not know, but your loyal subject has ordered the guards to send the Fourth Prince back to the Empress’ Palace and as the Empress’ Palace has the Imperial Physicians who have cared for the Fourth Prince since he was young there, I believe there won’t be much of a problem with His Highness.” Wen Wu replied.
Even with Wen Yu’s assuring words, the Emperor who was highly concerned about Lei Fan’s health was seen to be rather fidgety.
“The night is getting rather late, and all our esteemed guests can go back earlier to get some rest.” The Emperor suddenly tensed up and he issued a gentle eviction order.
All the guests did not say anything and they all got up to leave.
Lei Chen escorted Jun Wu Xie and the others out of the Imperial Palace and as stood outside the palace gates, his eyes stared after the horse carriages of the Zephyr Academy.
Volume 9
Chapter 890 : “Ring of Imperial Fire (1)”
“Why did our Grand Adviser come back to the banquet together with little brother Jun?” Lei Chen’s gaze did not turn but his words were directed at the Grand Adviser who was just about to leave beside him.
Wen Yu then asked: “What is Your Highness so worried about?”
Lei Chen was frowning as he turned around, his eyes looking sharply at Wen Yu.
“What the Grand Adviser wants to do, I will not interfere. And as for what I do, I hope that the Grand Adviser does not stick his nose in as well. I am close to the guys from the Zephyr Academy and if the Grand Adviser is planning to do anything against that, I will not be too pleased with that.”
Seeing the obstinate glare that Lei Chen was giving him, Wen Yu could only sigh in resignation as he said: “In that case, I am afraid I will have to disappoint Your Highness. I have just told that Young Master Jun to depart from the Imperial Capital quickly.”
“What! ?” Lei Chen glared at the Grand Adviser in wide eyed disbelief, his hands within his sleeves tightly clenched into fists!
“You had distinctly promised me before that you will not get involved in the matter between me and Lei Fan! You must have known that I am intending to make use of the power the Zephyr Academy has and you had told them to leave here quickly! ? Lord Grand Adviser! What are you really playing at! ? Do you really want to help that Emperor of yours so much! ! ?”
Lei Chen berated him angrily. If he did not try so hard to hold himself back, he might have thrown a punch right towards Wen Yu’s face there and then.
Wen Yu looked at Lei Chen’s face that was filled with barely suppressed fury calmly and he was feeling highly torn in his heart at that moment. This child had been one that he had watched grow up with his own eyes. After Lei Fan was born, Lei Chen’s position became highly awkward and Wen Yu could not bear to see such a young child being subjected to all the endless scheming and insidious plotting within the palace intrigue and he asked the Emperor to allow Lei Chen to be his disciple, thinking to use his position as the Grand Adviser to protect the child. But when Lei Chen discovered the truth, the seemingly amicable front in the palace could not continue to be kept as it was.
“Do you know the reason why I appeared in the banquet together with Jun Xie today?” Wen Yu asked helplessly.
Lei Chen snorted derisively and said: “Didn’t you already say it? You wanted him to leave this place as soon as possible! To cut off a pillar of my support!”
Wen Yu shook his head.
“I was outside the palace doors of the banquet earlier awaiting the decree for me to enter, but not long after the request was just brought in, the Fourth Prince suddenly led Jun Xie out from the banquet and I still have yet to receive the decree at that moment. Don’t you think it to be rather strange?”
Lei Chen’s face creased up into a frown. He had also thought that that was a little strange. When the Emperor received the news of Wen Yu’s arrival earlier, instead of first allowing Wen Yu to enter the palace, the Emperor had asked for Lei Fan to bring Jun Xie out. The sequence of events was a little hard to accept as norm.
“I do not know if you get the same feeling, but I somehow feel that something is not
right. Yes, I do know that you are on rather good terms with that Jun Xie, and I am very much aware of the matter between you and Lei Fan. So, in order to prevent any unexpected situations to occur, I followed them and happened to see Lei Fan collapsed on the ground, and I ordered the guards to escort him back. I had initially just wanted to see what kind of personality that Jun Xie possessed and had no completely no intentions of interrupting any of your plans. But on that boy, I discovered something very incredible.” Wen Yu’s brows had creased up slightly. If he had not discovered that thing, he wouldn’t have taken the initiative to ask Jun Xie to leave.
“What is it?” Lei Chen was surprised and he immediately asked.
“Wen Yu replied: “The Ring of Imperial Fire.”
Lei Chen’s immediately widened involuntarily, as his eyes filled up with incredulous disbelief.
“Ring of Imperial Fire! ? You mean the same Ring of Imperial Flame possessed by the Fire Country’s Emperor who completely disappeared from before! ?” Lei Chen’s voice had changed. He would never have thought that what Wen Yu discovered would be the Ring of Imperial Fire!
Wen Yu nodded. “That’s right, that’s the one.”
Volume 9
Chapter 891 : “Ring of Imperial Fire (2)”
In his state of sudden shock, Lei Chen fell back several steps, his face greatly startled and astounded, unable to accept what he heard as fact.
“I had been highly curious why His Majesty had purposely drawn Jun Xie away from the place when I arrived. But now I understand it completely. Throughout the entire Fire Country, people who can recognise the Ring of Imperial Fire, beside His Majesty and the Empress Dowager, would only be me. He was afraid that I will recognise the Ring of Imperial Fire on Jun Xie’s hand and that was why he did that.” Wen Yu said.
“And….. you want Jun Xie to leave is because you are afraid…..” Lei Chen’s face suddenly looked highly torn, the colour draining out of his face quickly.
Wen Yu nodded.
“The late Emperor had said it before. The possessor of the Ring of Imperial Fire, is the true ruler of the Fire Country. No matter when and regardless which generation of his sons of grandsons were to meet the possessor of the Ring of the Imperial Fire, they will have to abdicate the throne and return it to the possessor of the ring.”
The Throne of the Fire Country, was not supposed to be handed down to the current sitting Emperor.
But it was because the Emperor who had led the Fire Country to become the mightiest country throughout the lands had in one of those years suddenly disappeared from the face of the Earth. At that time, the younger brother of the Emperor who was then a Prince, sent troops all across the lands to search for any sign of the missing Emperor. He searched for an entire decade without any results to show for it.
A country cannot do without a ruler and to prevent an uprising in the Fire Country, they needed to nominate a new ruler.
The Emperor who had gone missing did not leave behind any offspring and hence it was decided that the throne would be taken over by his younger brother.
The Prince had been very close to his Royal Brother, the missing Emperor, and they were born from the same mother. They had been very close since they were very young and after the younger brother ascended the throne, the very first decree he drew up was in regards to succession of the throne.
He deeply believed that his Royal Brother was not dead and he strongly believed his Royal Brother or his Royal Brother’s descendants would return one day. So he laid down a decree that once a person who holds the Ring of the Imperial Fire appears within the Fire Country, no matter how much time has passed, his own descendants who was sitting upon the throne at that time, must immediately relinquish the throne, and elect the possessor of the Ring of Imperial Fire to become the new Emperor of the Fire Country!
And that first decree, had been passed down for close to a century, and the current Emperor was a descendant of that Emperor, whereas the current Empress Dowager still living was that Emperor’s Empress…..
“But the matter had happened such a long time ago and I think Father wouldn’t really care about that.” Although Lei Chen had heard about it from the Empress Dowager ever since he was much younger, but as the period the incident happened had been ages ago and the Ring of Imperial Fire had never appeared before, he had slowly started to forget about it, until Wen Yu mentioned it today, which allowed him to recall everything he had once known
Wen Yu then said: “It’s true that a long time had passed. But Your Highness, do not forget. At this current moment, the Empress Dowager still holds sway in the internal running of the Back Palace! Although the Empress Dowager had not involved herself in the government and political affairs for a long time, but she was also very close to the late Emperor’s brother and they had shared a deep friendship, and towards the unfulfilled wishes of the late Emperor’s brother, the Empress Dowager would undoubtedly fight to complete with her life. The current Emperor would not dare to lay a hand on the Empress Dowager and so he will surely rid himself of Jun Xie to eradicate any potential trouble that might haunt him, to secure the Fire Country’s throne for himself!”
In this world, only three people able able to identify the Ring of Imperial Fire and the Empress Dowager would be one immovable lock that would force and coerce the current Emperor to adhere to the late Emperor’s decree.
As long as Jun Xie was still alive, the Emperor would not be able to be fully secure in his throne, hence, he was sure to make his move. Wen Yu had repeatedly hinted for Jun Xie to quickly leave was because he hoped that the lad could avoid the calamity altogether.
This time, it was no longer a case of the Emperor wanting to make use of Jun Xie to bring down the Crown Prince, but was a straightforward intent to kill Jun Xie directly!
Volume 9
Chapter 892 : “Ring of Imperial Fire (3)”
Although the Emperor does not really like Lei Chen, but he still thinks of Lei Chen as his own son and only wants to force him to step down from his position as the Crown Prince, and had never contemplated taking Lei Chen’s life. But it was different in Jun Xie case.
“With His Majesty’s temperament, he will definitely not spare Jun Xie’s life. Only when Jun Xie steps off the lands of the Fire Country, would he be safe.” Wen Yu’s words, had taken on a sudden grave tone.
Lei Chen was so shocked he had turned to stone. Never in his dreams would he have expected that the inconspicuous ring on Jun Xie’s finger would be the rumoured Ring of Imperial Fire of the Fire Country.
“Could it be….. Could it really be that Jun Xie is a descendant of the late Emperor’s elder brother?” Lei Chen asked with his eyes widened.
Wen Yu shook his head: “I am not able to ascertain that fact. I am only certain of the fact that that Ring of Imperial Fire is indeed the ring left behind by the Fire Country’s founding Emperor, that had been reforged and refined. Through successive generations of the ruling Emperors after they passed on, that one spirit ring that was no longer inhabited by a ring spirit was always given to the new generation ruler to have it reforged. And from that, it was named the Ring of the Imperial Fire. I am thinking even if Jun Xie is not a descendant of the late Emperor’s elder brother, he will still be linked to him in some way, or he will not be in possession of the Ring of Imperial Fire.”
Lei Chen looked at Wen Yu in dumbfounded silence for a while, when suddenly….. he laughed out loud.
“Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha! The Heavens are on my side! Heaven’s on my side!”
Wen Yu looked quizzically at Lei Chen laughing maniacally and an uncomfortable unease grew in his heart.
“Your Highness, you are…..”
Lei Chen’s laughter stopped just as abruptly as he turned to look at Wen Yu to say: “I do not have any blood of the Imperial Family running within me, and neither does Lei Fan. I, as the Crown Prince am a bastard and Lei Fan that Father is thinking endlessly about to install as his heir to the throne is one just as well! My Second Brother
is mediocre! My Third Brother timid as a mouse, all unsuitable to succeed the throne! I have never coveted ascending to the throne! What I am fighting for is just the injustice I have suffered! And the Heavens have now sent Jun Xie to appear right before me, aren’t they helping me to achieve my aim! ? Jun Xie possesses the Ring of Imperial Fire and that makes him the authentic and legitimate heir! Ha ha ha! I will help Jun Xie ascend to the throne of the Fire Country! I want to see the wretched and pathetic face of my Father when he finds himself hopelessly defeated when he thinks victory is just coming within his grasp!”
Lei Chen said those words through tightly clenched teeth. Why must he be a puppet to be subjected to the manipulation of others from the moment he was born? Why must he suffer all the injustice? He wanted revenge! Vengeance against his unfair and unjust fate!
Wen Yu looked at Lei Chen in shock. He wouldn’t never have thought that Lei Chen would come up with such a ludicrous idea.
“Lei Chen! Have you gone mad?” Wen Yu was aware that Lei Chen hated the Emperor deeply, hated the Empress, and hated Lei Fan. But nothing had prepared him for Lei Chen’s sudden decision to push Jun Xie up to ascend the Fire Country’s throne!
“Putting aside the fact just how difficult a task that will be to achieve, Jun Xie himself might not even agree to it. Your Highness, you even have difficulty taking care of yourself now, how…..” Wen Yu’s words trailed off, as he looked at Lei Chen enquiringly.
Lei Chen said instead: “Father wants to depose this Crown Prince here, just let him do it! I do not care! Ha ha, Lei Fan will not be able to warm the seat for long anyway!” Lei Chen finally thought the whole situation through. Since with just Jun Xie alone, he would be able to attain the goals he had set for his revenge, then this position of Crown Prince would become something he did not care for at all!
Genius Doctor: Black Belly Miss Volume 9 Page 24
