Chapter 56: Extravagance and Greed

Wang Qizhao leaned lazily against a magnificently carved Grand Master’s chair. Crafted from precious sandalwood, the chair emitted a faint, elegant fragrance and had also been purchased from the Qianyu Chamber of Commerce.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, casting his gaze upon the returning Wang Yi. The corners of his mouth curled upward in a slight smirk as he twitched his sparse eyebrows, his tone carrying a trace of nonchalance.

"Has it been taken care of?"

His voice was harsh and shrill, as though the sheer expanse of his fat was putting pressure on his vocal cords.

"Master, everything has been handled properly."

A fawning smile spread across Wang Yi’s face, looking particularly distorted in the dim lighting. He bowed slightly, speaking with the utmost reverence.

"I let those two servants use it first, and then had the body sent over to the yamen. People down at the magistrate's office are only fit to use things discarded by the servants of the Wang family."

His eyes gleamed with a twisted sense of triumph—the kind of corruption born from long exposure to such a depraved environment. He acted as though this were a glorious feat worthy of boasting about, and gaining the master’s approval was his ultimate glory.

Hearing Wang Yi’s response, Wang Qizhao was briefly stunned before bursting into hearty laughter.

He laughed so hard he rocked back and forth, the layers of fat upon his face shaking violently like rolling ocean waves. Every tremor of his flesh caused his corpulent body to heave, eliciting a faint creaking sound from the sandalwood chair beneath him.

"Well said! Those dogs of the emperor aren't even worthy of licking our boots."

He cursed and laughed at the same time, his eyes filled with absolute disdain and contempt, as though he were looking down upon the most insignificant ants in existence.

"By the way, we're running low on spittoon maidens and flesh-wipes in the manor."

Wang Qizhao suddenly cut off his laughter, a flash of lustful malice crossing his eyes—a gleam that made them resemble those of a famished wolf in the dark.

"Spittoon maidens... truly, they are magnificent things."

"Who on earth could have ever invented such a brilliant concept?"

"You must select girls with pretty faces and bright red lips, train them to kneel on the ground, open their mouths wide, and serve as receptacles for my spit."

"Their oral cavities must remain clean and moist at all times, their tender tongues like soft silk, waiting to receive my phlegm."

"Every time I see the humiliation and terror in their eyes, I feel an incomparable sense of exhilaration."

He licked his lips, savoring the memory of that perverted gratification.

"And as for the flesh-wipes, they must be maidens whose skin is as delicate as mutton-fat jade."

"After I relieve myself, using their bodies to wipe myself clean—such soft skin is infinitely more comfortable than those coarse sheets of paper."

"Their bodies must be thoroughly broken to obedience, without a shred of resistance, so that every inch of their skin serves my pleasure."

Wang Qizhao described the scene with an expression of utter intoxication, his facial fat flushed slightly red with excitement.

"Tomorrow, go out and find me a better batch."

"Train them properly before sending them to me. Don't be like that clumsy wretch from just now!"

He waved his hand in utter disgust, as if the pathetic, disheveled image of the young girl was still lingering before his eyes, repulsive to his sight. Her terror and helplessness were, in his eyes, merely sources of amusement.

"Understood, Master. I'll go search for them tomorrow!"

Wang Yi replied respectfully, lowering his head even further, not daring to show the slightest defiance. He knew the master's bizarre preferences all too well and had long since grown numb to such cruelty. In his eyes, these young women were nothing more than instruments to satisfy the master's depraved desires.

"A beauty must truly be beautiful to be of any interest. Mediocre goods only lower the taste of the Wang family!"

Wang Qizhao smacked his lips, seemingly recalling the special pleasures those "beauties" had brought him.

"By the way, have there been any news from Chang'an recently?"

He suddenly seemed to recall something important, his gaze turning sharp as the lustful glint in his eyes was instantly replaced by a gloomy, calculating shadow.

It was already common knowledge that the reigning sovereign was at odds with the aristocratic clans. Within the current imperial court, one could hardly find a single official of noble lineage holding a high position. Li Qianqian’s series of measures had pushed him into direct opposition against virtually all the aristocratic families at once.

Every single clan was holding its breath, convinced that amid the shifting tides of this dynasty, the noble families were the true foundation. An emperor supported by the clans was a real emperor; an emperor without their backing was nothing more than a clown and a rebel.

"Reporting to Master, there is news from Chang'an, and it concerns our Wang family," Wang Yi quickly replied.

Hearing that it involved the Wang family, a flicker of curiosity crossed Wang Qizhao's eyes as he leaned forward slightly.

"Let's hear it."

"Didn't I go out the other day to select flesh-wipes and spittoon maidens for you, Master?"

Wang Yi began his tale.

"A little wretch of a girl actually dared to go all the way to Chang'an to appeal to the emperor directly against us!"

Hearing this, Wang Qizhao frowned, a trace of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes.

"And then?"

Wang Yi continued, "Master, that little girl had some luck; she made it to Chang'an alive and, with the help of a Jinyiwei agent, actually managed to see that muddled ruler."

"How did that muddled ruler deal with it?"

Wang Qizhao asked with a hint of curiosity.

Judging by that muddled ruler's temperament, he should be wanting to bare his knives against our Wang family by now, shouldn't he?

"Master, when I tell you this, I'm afraid you won't be able to hold back your laughter."

Wang Yi deliberately paused to build suspense, a smug smile on his face.

Hearing this, Wang Qizhao grew even more curious, waving his hand impatiently.

"Out with it, stop playing games with your master."

"That Jinyiwei agent who helped the little girl? He happened to be that muddled ruler's personal disciple in Xianyang!"

"Everyone thought the muddled ruler was going to use this pretext to deal with our Wang family. But who would have thought that the muddled ruler actually chopped off his own personal disciple's head, and the skull was paraded twice around the Western Market!"

"Master, do you think this might be a signal sent to us by the muddled ruler?"

"Does he know he was wrong and want to make amends with us aristocratic clans?"

Excitement and pride shone brightly in Wang Yi's eyes.

This was the power of the aristocratic clans—forcing the imperial authority to bow its head!

Upon hearing Wang Yi's analysis, Wang Qizhao wore a look of mild approval and nodded.

"I didn't expect you to be quite clever after all."

"It must be that the muddled ruler realized the court cannot function at all without us aristocratic families, and his military campaigns have run out of funds! He knows to be afraid now! What was he doing before?"

He spoke with an air of supreme arrogance, his haughty demeanor suggesting as though the entire world was under his control.

"What the master says is true. But is there still any need for our Wang family to reconcile with the imperial court?"

Wang Yi asked with some confusion, scratching his head with a bewildered look.

Wang Qizhao glared at Wang Yi, scolding him with a look of utter exasperation, "You fool, I just praised you for being smart, how can you play the fool again so quickly? Of course we must reconcile with the imperial court!"

"Only by leaning on imperial authority can our Wang family reap even greater benefits. Haven't you noticed how our family's business has dwindled these past few days?"

"However, it won't be so easy for the emperor to mend fences. Since the muddled ruler wants to play the role of a wise sovereign, let's observe him for a while. When the time comes, we can negotiate with this emperor regarding the price required for our reconciliation!"

His gaze deepened, as though he were already plotting in his mind how to extract massive profits from the imperial court.