Chapter 10: Furious Rage

"Wait at the entrance. Without my command, no one is to enter!"

Walking eight or nine paces forward, Zhao Kuangyin suddenly remembered something. He turned his head and gave instructions to Wang Ji'en and the others. Wang Ji'en hurriedly acknowledged the order and, together with several guards, withdrew from the Imperial Garden to keep watch at the gate.

Though he appeared calm on the surface, he felt deeply disappointed inside. He had hoped to accompany the Emperor inside to see exactly what kind of person this young man was and what would happen when they met. To be barred from attending made him feel that the Emperor was truly heartless and ungrateful. After serving him for so many years, the Emperor still harbored such suspicion toward him! As resentment grew in his heart, his secret dealings with the Prince of Jin—accepting favors and occasionally leaking information—began to feel more justified and righteous. It was fortunate that he had prepared a contingency plan; otherwise, his heart would have been truly wounded by such a cold-blooded man.

Zhao Kuangyin, unaware of Wang Ji'en's thoughts, habitually rubbed his jade axe while treading through the snow, walking briskly toward the Flower Pavilion with Zhao Dezhao. He didn't spare a single glance for the breathtaking scenery of the snow-covered garden. His entire focus was on meeting Li Cheng to determine if he was a fraud or truly someone from a thousand years in the future. If he were indeed such a marvel, then he and his Great Song had struck gold. Without such a genius, the Great Song was destined to last three hundred and nineteen years; with him, could the dynasty not endure even longer, becoming an empire that surpassed the Han and Tang, creating a legacy without equal in history? The glory of being the founding emperor of such an era would be immense!

***

"You god-forsaken wretch! You maggot in a latrine! You dog-hearted cur! How dare you toy with me like this! You truly have the guts of a bear!"

Eunuch Qian, having endured for too long, finally erupted, greeting Li Cheng with a string of colorful insults. His face was twisted with malice, looking as if he wanted to tear Li Cheng apart.

"I'm timid, so please don't frighten me," Li Cheng said, calm and unyielding. "If you scare me and I lose my inspiration, forgetting how to write the next poem or how to craft this perfume, I suspect His Highness will be very displeased. I may only face death, but you won't have an easy time of it either. I'm just a lowly country boy with a worthless life, but if I can drag a person of your status in the palace down with me when I go, that wouldn't be so bad."

Eunuch Qian’s eyes were bloodshot as he stared at Li Cheng, looking as if he wanted to devour him. Li Cheng no longer retreated as he had before. Through the lattice window, he stared back calmly, a hint of madness in his eyes.

Eunuch Qian was furious, but he was the one boiling with rage! As a modern man, he had been unceremoniously dumped here, only to be bullied by the servants of Zhao Guangyi’s household. He was so desperate that he had even dared to reveal his identity as a transmigrator and threaten to topple Zhao Guangyi; a mere eunuch was nothing to him!

This silent confrontation lasted for dozens of breaths.

"Fine! Fine! It was my own poor judgment that let a maggot like you peck at my eyes!" Eunuch Qian looked away, feeling deeply humiliated. He sneered, "But don't be too happy yet. Her Highness the Princess may be kind-hearted, but she can protect you for a moment, not a lifetime! In this world, the Emperor is the one who holds the power!"

Li Cheng ignored him, walked back to his seat, and sat down with a calm expression, as if he hadn't heard a word. Seeing this, the furious Eunuch Qian felt as if he might cough up blood. He longed to rush in and bite the thief to death, to scream every vile insult he knew, but he dared not. Between anger and cowardice, he chose to swallow his rage. He took a few deep breaths, turned toward the gate, and looked out at the swirling snow with a sinister expression, already plotting how to do away with Li Cheng.

Before long, two figures appeared in the heavy snow. When he realized who they were, Eunuch Qian was overjoyed. Ignoring the deep snow, he bowed low and trotted forward to greet them.

"This servant greets the Emperor and the Prince." He bowed with utmost reverence to Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Dezhao.

"How is he?" Zhao Kuangyin waved for him to rise and stopped walking.

"Your Majesty, this servant has been guarding this place day and night, not letting him leave the room for even a moment. I have also followed your instructions; his food, bedding, and all necessities have been provided without shortage." He spoke as if the supplies he had actually extorted from Li Cheng using the perfume as bait were gifts provided out of the Emperor's own benevolence. "It is just... it is just..."

He hesitated, a look of difficulty on his face.

"Just what?"

Prompted by Zhao Kuangyin, Eunuch Qian seemed to harden his resolve. "It is just that... this man is arrogant and unruly, and he has spoken many words of resentment against Your Majesty..."

Zhao Kuangyin nodded without a word. After a moment of silence, he walked toward the Flower Pavilion. Eunuch Qian kept his eyes lowered and hurried ahead, taking the key from his waist to open the heavy lock on the door. He did not look at Zhao Dezhao once, seemingly failing to notice the Prince's displeased expression.

"You, go outside. Stay far away."

Zhao Kuangyin glanced around the room. Seeing that the facilities were in order and the bedding was decent, he nodded to himself. He felt even more satisfied with Eunuch Qian, finding him to be a reliable servant.

Eunuch Qian acknowledged the order, exited the room, and thoughtfully closed the door. He stepped through the snow to a spot about thirty paces away, waiting in the cold. The humble demeanor he had displayed earlier vanished, replaced by a vicious, venomous glint in his eyes. *That latrine maggot, ignorant of the heights of heaven and earth, dares to provoke me? Does he truly not fear death? I wanted his perfume—that was an honor, a supreme gift to him. And that maggot not only haggled and stalled, but he also backstabbed me at the most critical moment by giving the perfume directly to the Princess! Does he think that by clinging to the Princess, he can hold his head high? He’s thinking too far ahead, dreaming too much! As I said, in this palace, in this Great Song, the one who truly runs things is the Emperor! Now, the dog can just wait to die! No one can save him!*

***

Seeing Zhao Kuangyin and his son, who had not visited for days, arrive together, Li Cheng did not act overly familiar. He stood up from his chair. "Your Majesty... Your Highness, you have come?"

He felt excitement and anticipation; surely, the matter of the Southern Tang had reached a conclusion, and his words had been proven true! He hadn't decided on a proper title for Zhao Dezhao, so he settled for "Your Highness."

Zhao Kuangyin’s face was as dark as ever. Facing Li Cheng’s greeting, he flew into a rage!

"The war report from the twenty-seventh has arrived. The city of Jiangning has not fallen, and Li Yu is still putting up a desperate resistance! You fraud, prepare to die!"

He brandished the jade axe in his hand, his aura terrifying!

Li Cheng: ???!!!