I Transmigrated as Cannon Fodder, Only to be Desired by the Dragon King - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Targeted by the Dragon King — Shen Youqing was still sprawling on his soft bed…

Inside the Dragon King Temple, it was so quiet that one could hear the slight sound of Feng Xiuyan’s fingertips sliding over the paper pages. He had already flipped through the candidate register three or four times, and his peaceful expression had curdled into a deep, dark frown.

The expressions of the people below had shifted from initial confusion to a creeping, suffocating tension. The aquatic ministers were utterly bewildered. General Mo Ang, his shoulder scales glinting coldly, shot a questioning glance at Gu Li. Gu Li didn’t understand what was happening either; he simply kept his eyes fixed on Feng Xiuyan.

The one suffering the most was Minister Li of the Rites. Sweat trickled down his sideburns, soaking the collar of his crimson official robes. He mentally reviewed the preparation of this list over and over—there could not be a mistake! Yet the Dragon King’s demeanor clearly signaled deep dissatisfaction.

Minister Li bit the bullet and stepped forward, his knees trembling. “Great Dragon King… is there something… improper about this list?”

“Mm.” Feng Xiuyan looked up, his fingers casually pushing the register to the edge of the jade table. His voice was calm but carried an indisputable weight. “Why is there one person missing?”

This statement was like a thunderclap in the hall. Everyone froze instantly. The aquatic ministers reacted first, their faces darkening.

Schwing! General Mo Ang’s hand snapped to the hilt of his saber, the friction of his scales making a harsh, grating sound. Rage seethed in his eyes. “What is the meaning of this, you humans?! You dare fool His Majesty with an incomplete list? Do you think our Sea Tribe is easy to bully?!”

Other aquatic ministers chimed in, their tones sharp with indignation: “It was your human race that shamelessly begged His Majesty for this alliance in the first place! What do you mean by being so perfunctory now?!”

“Exactly! Since you humans are so insincere, then this marriage alliance is better off cancelled!”

Feng Xiuyan was indeed angry, but when he heard his ministers suggesting the cancellation of the alliance, he immediately balked. He had already set his sights on that noisy brat to be his Queen. How could they cancel it? They might agree, but he certainly didn’t.

He cast an icy gaze at the ministers who had spoken and said flatly, “Shut up.”

The indignant ministers immediately fell silent, though they continued to glare at the humans with resentment. The air in the hall turned taut; even the moisture in the air seemed laced with hostility.

Minister Li and his retinue were completely stunned, their faces ashen. He wiped cold sweat from his forehead, his voice stuttering, “Impossible, Great Dragon King! I cross-checked this list three times! There are no omissions! How… how could one be missing?”

He was terrified, fearing he had actually overlooked someone and provoked the Dragon King’s wrath. However, the expressions of the group standing in the corner were entirely different from the rest.

Yuan Yajun, who had been looking down, felt her eyelashes tremble at Feng Xiuyan’s words. She stole a quick glance at the others, who were equally shocked. Wen Shubai’s eyes held no surprise, but rather a hidden sense of realization and complexity. They exchanged looks; they finally understood everything.

Back at the manor, the Dragon King’s treatment of Shen Youqing was uniquely different. Looking at it now, the Dragon King really did think Shen Youqing was a candidate!

Minister Li was still explaining: “This list was verified multiple times and personally sealed by the Emperor. Every candidate is present; no one is absent. Please confirm, Great Dragon King.”

Feng Xiuyan’s frown deepened. His misty blue pupils seemed to freeze into ice, and his voice was cold enough to frost the hall. “Where is Shen Youqing?”

As those four words left his lips, the spines of Li Beicheng, Wen Shubai, Su Yao, and Yuan Yajun went stiff. Their fingertips turned icy. The Dragon King really was looking for Shen Youqing!

The invisible pressure emanating from the high seat made it nearly impossible to breathe. Even Yuan Yajun, the most composed of them, felt her knees go weak. She knew she couldn’t hide it. She gritted her teeth, met Feng Xiuyan’s gaze, and spoke with a trembling but clear voice: “Re-replying to the Great Dragon King… Little Youqing… he is not a candidate.”

“Heh.” Feng Xiuyan let out a low chuckle, but it contained no warmth—only a bone-chilling cold. “A fine ‘he is not a candidate’!”

Before his voice even faded, the invisible pressure suddenly intensified like a giant deep-sea wave. Li Beicheng and the others felt their knees buckle, hitting the bluestone floor with a heavy thud. It felt as if a boulder was pressing on their chests; they didn’t even have the strength to lift their heads.

Minister Li finally understood the situation. The Dragon King had mistaken the Shen family’s precious grandson for a candidate! More fatally, judging by this reaction, the Dragon King had clearly fallen for the boy!

Seeing the pressure around Feng Xiuyan growing heavier—enough to make even the ministers’ legs shake—Minister Li feared for the Third Prince. If anything happened to the Prince today, he wouldn’t have enough heads to pay for it. He led the officials in a chorus of “thuds” as they all knelt.

“Dragon King, stay your anger! Stay your anger!” he cried out. “The marriage alliance concerns the peace of our two races. Everything can be discussed; please do not be angry!”

Feng Xiuyan didn’t look at them. The yellow duck feather in his hand was nearly crushed. Amidst the surging rage, he suddenly remembered everything at the manor. From beginning to end, Shen Youqing had never mentioned anything related to the assessment. He was truly oblivious to the Dragon King’s identity; he had simply treated “Feng Ling” as a normal person.

It turned out that from the start, he was the one overthinking it.

A wave of inexplicable loss washed over him, drowning out his anger and causing his grip to loosen. But the loss didn’t linger long before it was suppressed by a more stubborn thought.

So what? The person he wanted was Shen Youqing. Whether he was a candidate or not—what did it matter?

Feng Xiuyan looked up, his gaze sweeping across the room. His voice was hard and brook no argument: “I want Shen Youqing. No one else is under consideration.”

This was another thunderbolt. Everyone gasped, their faces turning deathly pale. Li Beicheng, kneeling on the floor, nearly ground his teeth to dust. Wen Shubai, Su Yao, and Yuan Yajun, despite their suspicions, couldn’t help but show shock. Gu Li stood to the side, his pupils shrinking and his jaw tightening.

He finally realized it. The Shen Youqing that Feng Xiuyan spoke of was the same human youth the King had been pining for since his return—the one whose duck feather he carried in his sleeve! He clenched his fists so hard his nails bit into his palms.

Minister Li was paralyzed with fear. “This… this is against the rules, Great Dragon King! Young Master Shen was never on the list; the Emperor never intended for this…”

“Against the rules?” Feng Xiuyan arched an eyebrow, his tone mocking. “But he appeared at the manor and stayed with your candidates for a month. More importantly, from beginning to end, you never informed me that he was not a candidate.”

“This… I…” Minister Li opened his mouth but couldn’t find a single word.

It was true. At first, they only wanted someone at the manor to handle the Dragon King’s daily needs. They chose the Shen family because the King happened to pick that specific estate. Since the King had made it clear he didn’t want to see the candidates early on, they thought letting the Shen grandson stay there to look after him was a good idea. They figured since he was the same age as the Prince, they’d get along, and he could secretly tip the Prince off about the King’s likes and dislikes later.

They hadn’t thought it through. They never expected the Dragon King to fall for him. And they had indeed forgotten to mention the boy’s identity, which had now become a handle for the Dragon King to use.

Seeing him speechless, Feng Xiuyan’s voice grew even colder: “If the person for the alliance is not him, then there is no need for this ridiculous marriage to happen at all.”

The human officials were now in a total panic. If this peace treaty failed because of Shen Youqing, the Emperor would have their heads. Minister Li crawled forward and kowtowed. “Great Dragon King! Please be patient! We will return to report to the Emperor immediately! We will relay your meaning exactly! Tomorrow—by tomorrow morning, we will give you a satisfactory answer!”

Feng Xiuyan’s expression softened slightly. “Fine,” he replied flatly. “I will wait for your answer tomorrow. If the answer does not satisfy me…” He didn’t finish, but the unspoken threat was absolute.

…

Shen Manor, Gumo Street.

Shen Youqing had no idea he had been targeted by a certain dragon. Right now, he was sprawling on his soft bed, reading a storybook. His life was the definition of comfortable and happy.

At first, he had been sitting properly with his legs crossed, leaning against a soft pillow. But as he reached the exciting parts, he started rolling around on the bed with laughter. Eventually, he just flipped onto his stomach, kicking his white-socked feet in the air. Every now and then, a series of “goose-like” giggles or the “thud-thud-thud” of him hitting the mattress would drift from the room, startling the passing servants.

Meanwhile, in the reception hall of the Shen Manor, the atmosphere was as heavy as lead. Rain-pre-Qingming Longjing tea sat on the rosewood table, but the leaves had long since sunk to the bottom; no one was in the mood to taste it.

Minister Li sat at the head of the table, his official hat cast aside, his brow knotted in a mess of helplessness.

Slam!

Old Master Shen slapped the table so hard tea splashed onto his green silk robe. He didn’t even notice. The old man’s face was deathly pale, his fingers shaking, his chest heaving with regret and anger.

“It’s my fault! It’s all my fault! I shouldn’t have listened when you said the manor was quiet and sent Qing’er there! Now he’s been spotted by the Dragon King… what… what kind of mess is this?!”

Before he could finish, the old man swayed and nearly collapsed. Fortunately, Shen’s father was quick enough to support him. “Father! Don’t panic! Let’s talk slowly!”

Shen’s mother already had red eyes, her voice trembling: “Quick! Call the doctor! Nanny Zhang, go get Doctor Wang!”

The room was in chaos, leaving only Minister Li sitting frozen in his chair. He sighed. “Old Master Shen, I am not intentionally making things difficult. The Dragon King’s attitude is firm… This concerns the stability of the court. The Emperor is also anxious beyond measure. I am truly helpless.”

In the depths of the mansion, Shen Youqing was still on his bed, clutching his book and laughing until he doubled over.