The Human Emperor

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

In another world, Wang Chong had heard all sorts of rumors about what went on in the palace. As an outside official, it was not his place to interfere in the palace’s affairs, but he couldn’t just ignore what was going on right in front of him.

“Heheh, that’s exactly your style. Relax; the Great Tang’s King of Foreign Lands has spoken, so they naturally won’t have bad lots in life. Just leave everything to me.”

The two of them soon entered Shuhua Palace.

The main hall was mostly empty, with many objects having already been moved out. Upon entering, the two immediately spotted the golden coffin in the center of the hall. The coffin was made from Phoebe Zhennan wood and was covered in carvings of vermillion birds that indicated the esteemed status of its occupant.

Maids and eunuchs were kneeling in front of the coffin, dressed in white mourning clothes as they bitterly wept.

Wang Chong could only sigh as he looked at the coffin.

In every dynasty, the War of the Princes was always the cruelest of affairs, and in this struggle, Jade Consort Xiao had ended up as an innocent sacrifice.

Wang Chong walked over, lit two sticks of incense, bowed, and then placed the incense sticks in the burner in front of the coffin.

After doing all this, Wang Chong questioned some maids about the events of that day, but these maids basically knew nothing.

Wang Chong then looked through Shuhua Palace, which had a simple elegance that set it apart from the other palaces. And there was a faint scent of incense in the air that came from burning incense for so long that the smell seeped into the surroundings. It was calming.

On the bookshelves were Buddhist texts like the ‘Diamond Sutra’ and the ‘Ksitigarbhasutra’.

Other than that, Wang Chong also found an incense burner and a shrine consecrated to the Buddha. The sight of these things made Wang Chong even more certain that Jade Consort Xiao was that person who had become detached from life, abstaining from meat and chanting sutras. Someone of her personality was even more unlikely to have an affair with the Fifth Prince.

A maid recognized Yang Zhao and immediately began to tearfully plead Jade Consort Xiao’s case. “Her Highness never argued with anyone in the palace. She spent every day chanting sutras and abstaining from meat, regarding relationships between men and women with extreme indifference. How could she have a secret love affair with the Fifth Prince? There must be some misunderstanding!”

The two couldn’t help but feel grief upon seeing this display.

“Let’s go!”

Wang Chong raised his head and mentally sighed, and then he left Shuhua Palace with Yang Zhao.

“What do we do now?”

In the carriage, Yang Zhao turned to Wang Chong.

They couldn’t get into the Imperial Clan Court, and Jade Consort Xiao’s palace had turned up nothing. Their investigation was at a standstill and Yang Zhao didn’t know what to do.

“There’s no need to worry. While heaven’s net has a wide mesh, nothing can escape it! There must be clues within the inner palace!”

Wang Chong had an unprecedented resolve in his eyes. After visiting Shuhua Palace and seeing what sort of person Jade Consort Xiao was, he had become even more determined to investigate this matter, not just for the Fifth Prince, but for Jade Consort Xiao as well.

The two fell silent as the carriage rolled forward, but suddenly, a voice came from up ahead.

“Is this the King of Foreign Lands?”

It was a hoarse and elderly voice, like two zither strings being rubbed together. Neeeigh! The two horses drawing the carriage cried out in fright and came to a sudden halt.

“Hmph!”

Wang Chong coldly laughed as if he had sensed something. He exited the carriage, followed by a confused Yang Zhao.

But after a momentary daze, Yang Zhao realized who had stopped the carriage and instantly paled, his pupils constricting into pinpricks.

Eunuch Yin!

Yang Zhao was a prolific socializer and had gotten to know almost everyone in the palace. He had instantly recognized this eunuch who followed the First Prince like his shadow.

Yang Zhao had met him several times and had always known him to be an extremely taciturn man. Like ice that had been frozen for ten thousand years, he was always hidden in the darkness.

If there was one eunuch in the palace that Yang Zhao didn’t want to offend, it was unquestionably Eunuch Yin. To Yang Zhao, this man was a poisonous snake. While his mouth was closed, he made no sound, but when he opened it and bit down, one only had death to look forward to.

More importantly, Eunuch Yin was the First Prince’s chief eunuch. For him to appear while the two were running around the palace and investigating the case made the First Prince’s intentions all too obvious.

Gulp!

Yang Zhao swallowed and subconsciously looked to Wang Chong.

If there was one person who could deal with Eunuch Yin, it was Wang Chong.

Wang Chong held his hands behind his back and kept his back straight as he coldly asked, “For what reason has Sir Eunuch stopped this king’s carriage?”

This wasn’t his first time meeting Eunuch Yin, and his impression had not improved one bit.

“Heheh, Your Highness, there has been an incident in the palace, and His Highness has already decreed that all outside officials are forbidden from entry. And this matter involves a consort of the harem. Is it not better for an outside official to remain uninvolved? If this matter gets back to the Imperial Court, it could harm Your Highness’s reputation, no?”

Eunuch Yin spoke neither too quickly nor too slowly, and while his tone seemed polite, the words themselves carried a warning.

“Heheh, a man with a straight back doesn’t care about a crooked shadow. This one is a king, not some ordinary outside official. If there is a problem in the imperial household, is it not this king’s duty to help find out the truth? Moreover, this king came on the invitation of Consort Taizhen. The First Prince rules the country in place of the Sage Emperor, but when was the First Prince allowed to control who Consort Taizhen is allowed to see?”

Wang Chong met Eunuch Yin’s gaze and sneered, not backing down in the slightest.

Buzz!

Eunuch Yin’s expression dimmed, and his narrow eyes gleamed with cold and dangerous light.

“Heheh, in other words, King of Foreign Lands is a guest of the Chamberlain of Palace Revenues.”

Surprisingly, Eunuch Yin turned his gaze to Yang Zhao.

“I heard that Consort Taizhen does not concern herself with secular affairs, and so the First Prince has always respected Consort Taizhen, but hasn’t Consort Taizhen’s scope gotten a little too broad?

“This old slave worries that the First Prince might not be happy with a Consort Taizhen who begins to meddle with the harem!”

Yang Zhao instantly paled. Again, Eunuch Yin had been polite, but his words were clearly a threat.

Although the Sage Emperor’s eldest son and his favored consort both resided in the inner palace, their interactions were few and far between. But Eunuch Yin was now implying that their relationship was about to turn from intentional avoidance to outright conflict.

“Are these words yours or the First Prince’s?” Wang Chong suddenly asked, his eyes cold.

“Heh, this old slave has already said that the First Prince might not be happy. Is there any need for the King of Foreign Lands to press further?” Eunuch Yin casually replied.

“Heh, then, Sir Eunuch, please inform His Highness the First Prince that if the Sage Emperor hears of this, the Sage Emperor also might not be happy,” Wang Chong coldly retorted, throwing Eunuch Yin’s threat right back at him. As expected, Eunuch Yin paled.

“And the heavens over the Great Tang have yet to change, the Sage Emperor’s mind yet to settle!” Wang Chong coldly said.

“King of Foreign Lands, what do you mean by this? Are you saying that the First Prince does not have the right to inherit the throne?”

Eunuch Yin’s face darkened and his entire body began to exude a cold aura.

The First Prince was first in line to the throne, something that could not be denied even if he weren’t the current regent. No one within the empire dared to doubt the First Prince like Wang Chong had, and with these words, Wang Chong had clearly placed himself as the First Prince’s enemy.

“Hmph, was this king wrong? The Sage Emperor has yet to officially register a Crown Prince, no? Since there is no official announcement, all the Princes still have a chance. Is a mere eunuch like you doubting this king’s words?” Wang Chong replied without a trace of politeness.

Others might have feared Eunuch Yin because of the First Prince, but not Wang Chong. He was the War God of the empire, the first King of this dynasty with a different surname, and the Son of Heaven’s disciple favored by the Sage Emperor. There was truly nothing he needed to fear.

In the end, no matter how unfathomable Eunuch Yin’s cultivation was or how unique his status, he was still a eunuch. As a King of the Great Tang, Wang Chong far outranked him.

Eunuch Yin said nothing, merely stared with his cold and emotionless eyes. These words had removed any room for negotiation between Wang Chong and the First Prince.

“I hope that Your Highness will remember these words. This old slave will relay them word for word to the First Prince.”

Eunuch Yin had clearly been enraged by Wang Chong’s words, but unexpectedly, after taking in a deep breath, Eunuch Yin calmed down. His rage vanished, and he appeared just as he normally did.

Wang Chong slightly frowned. Even now, he was not able to determine the depth of Eunuch Yin’s strength. Putting aside his martial arts, his shrewdness and mental maturity alone made him a thorny foe.

“Since this is the case, this old slave will take his leave. But I must warn that it is easy to get into trouble within the inner palace, and there is good reason for Your Highness to avoid it. This old slave worries that if the King of Foreign Lands gets too close to Consort Taizhen, some unseemly rumors might begin to circulate.”

Eunuch Yin spoke in a flat tone and just loud enough to be heard. Wang Chong and Yang Zhao instantly grimaced.