The Emperor Doesn't Despise Me? Why Is He Still Using Force! - Chapter 9

After finishing his sentence, Pei Yan narrowed his vibrant eyes slightly, smiling insincerely as he added another sentence.

“But if this secret turns out to be true, it will definitely be of great use to you!”

Xiao Jing’an gazed at his completely absorbed acting performance.

Complying with him, he said, “Feel free to speak, whether it is true or false, I will not blame you.”

Pei Yan slightly bowed in a salute: “Thank you for the amnesty, Your Highness.”

Xiao Jing’an thought that Pei Yan’s next sentence would be to reveal the secret he knew, but he did not do so at all.

“I have an unrequited request, and I hope you can grant it.”

The pace at which Xiao Jing’an was walking toward the hunting ground gate abruptly stopped. A moment later, he turned around and said to Pei Yan with a cold, gloomy expression, “Are you bargaining with me?”

“This commoner wouldn’t dare.”

Looking terrified, Pei Yan hurriedly lifted his robe hem, intending to kneel.

“Don’t go kneeling all the time, I haven’t pursued any accountability.”

“Thank you, Prince Eighth, for your magnanimity.”

Pei Yan’s just-bent knees straightened up again.

“This commoner was a bit thoughtless just now, and blurted it out when it suddenly came to mind.”

“Why are you addressing yourself as a commoner again?”

Xiao Jing’an’s tone was flat, yet his expression carried displeasure.

Following that, he softly chewed on the words as if talking to himself, “Prince Eighth?”

Pei Yan stood opposite him, lowering his eyes and looking submissive.

“In the heat of the moment just now, I temporarily forgot myself, and I definitely will not commit this again.”

After saying this, Pei Yan lifted his eyelids and cast a quick glance at him.

[Why do I have a misconception that he wants me to call him ‘Your Majesty’?]

Hearing this inner thought from Pei Yan, a trace of imperceptible ambition flashed across Xiao Jing’an’s eyes.

Then, with a bland tone of voice, he said to Pei Yan, “As for your request just now, as long as it is within my capability, I will naturally handle it for you.” Pausing briefly, he continued, “Let’s consider it a deal between us; I will handle things for you, and you will impart the secret you mentioned to me.”

[This guy is quite smooth, this was what I meant, let’s make a deal.]

[And this matter is merely a flick of the wrist for you.]

“How would I dare to not know what is good for me and make a deal with you.”

Through this exchange of words, Pei Yan had already determined that Xiao Jing’an would help him with this request.

The person before him was decisive in killing and ruthless in methods; fearing that he might offend him, Pei Yan did not waste any more time.

However, in front of him, Pei Yan still put on the nervous appearance of someone about to share a secret.

He gently exhaled a breath.

Then, adopting a cautious and walking-on-thin-ice attitude, he spoke: “The maternal family of the Third Prince is involved in corruption within the Ministry of Revenue.”

His words were phrased very subtly; the Third Prince’s maternal uncle was the Minister of Revenue, who was responsible for managing the national treasury, which meant he was a thief acting as a watchdog, treating the royal treasury like he was putting a rat inside a rice jar.

It was just that this rat was exceptionally cautious and had yet to be detected.

Although he spoke subtly, how could Xiao Jing’an fail to associate it with the Third Prince’s maternal uncle, the Minister of Revenue?

Pei Yan continued, “Furthermore, the Ministry of Revenue has two sets of ledgers; needless to say, the fake ones are meant to deceive the public, while the real one is located in a subterranean secret room inside the rockery of the Ministry of Rites.”

When Pei Yan’s voice trailed off, it remained quiet for quite a while before Xiao Jing’an finally spoke.

“If this matter proves to be true, I will definitely reward you generously.”

After speaking, Xiao Jing’an lifted his steps and continued walking toward the gate of the hunting ground.

Pei Yan followed behind him and tactfully said, “This is what I ought to do, a share of responsibility I owe to the country and the people.”

[As for this matter, you should generously reward yourself; roughly a month from now, you will be able to thoroughly investigate the corruption of the Minister of Revenue, gather conclusive evidence, and report it to the old Emperor, dealing a heavy blow to the Third Prince.]

[Hehe, I am just telling you the merit in advance, and you are also doing what you should do in advance. As for me, I am merely profiting from the middle.]

Xiao Jing’an suddenly stumbled in his stride.

Pei Yan showed concern and asked, “What is wrong with your foot?”

[Don’t tell me it was injured by the assassins.]

Pei Yan made a move to step forward and support him.

“No need.”

Pei Yan: [I know, I’m just being hypocritical.]

Xiao Jing’an lowered his head, his gaze carrying a dark and heavy expression as he cast it toward Pei Yan.

Yet it was only for a fleeting second before he withdrew his gaze.

However, this brief instant was caught by Chu Liancheng, who was following him.

His sword-like brows furrowed slightly: “Why did the master look at him with such full-blown resentment?”

Lang Zhen had already changed out of his assassin’s clothing and back into a set of black Embroidered Uniform Guard fish-scale garments. Following within the procession, upon hearing the confusion of Chu Liancheng beside him, he said, “Ever since the master met that Pei Yan, his emotions often fluctuate inexplicably and dramatically. Liancheng, you will get used to it.”

Chu Liancheng lowered his eyes and dusted off the bright red Embroidered Uniform Guard fish-scale garment on his body.

“I am not close to you, do not call me by my given name, address me according to our military rank.”

Among the Embroidered Uniform Guards, the red fish-scale garment was worn by the highest-ranking Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, followed by the black of the thousand-household officers, and then the cyan of the guard escorts.

Both Lang Zhen and Chu Liancheng were trained under the same martial arts master.

They were only a year apart in age, both in their early twenties, which was why Lang Zhen was accustomed to calling him by his given name.

Yet Chu Liancheng disliked this and always kept a distance from him.

Because of this, the two frequently quarreled.

Aside, Sheng Dong looked at the two of them and said helplessly, “Can the two of you not be a bit more harmonious, and learn from me and Sheng Nan.”

Finishing that, Sheng Dong followed up on Chu Liancheng’s topic and said, “That look just now, I felt it wasn’t just anger, but also pent-up frustration. I even felt that for a fleeting moment, the master was about to spit a mouthful of blood from anger.”

Hearing Sheng Dong say this, Chu Liancheng and Lang Zhen both directed their gazes onto Xiao Jing’an.

Xiao Jing’an remained silent, quietly continuing his march.

And he accelerated his pace.

Pei Yan found it somewhat difficult to keep up, and could only lift his robe hem and trot along after him.

At the same time, his gaze fell upon Xiao Jing’an’s profile, asking with a bit of cautiousness, “Are you in a bad mood?”

“No.”

Xiao Jing’an glanced at Pei Yan, who was trotting alongside him, and slightly slowed his pace.

Pei Yan made a gesture of exhaling gently and smiled, saying, “I thought that some word or action of mine had displeased you.”

“I am not that narrow-minded.”

Xiao Jing’an walked slowly forward: “There is yet no one in this world who can stir up such vexation and anger within me.”

Pei Yan belittled himself: “I am merely judging a gentleman with the heart of a villain.” Changing the subject, he asked, “I wonder if I may now voice that unrequited request?”

Clearly, Pei Yan’s previous words were all meant to serve as a preliminary setup.

Another small calculation of his.

Xiao Jing’an closed his phoenix eyes, enduring it as he said, “Speak.”