Transmigrated as the Emperor, but Slacking Off - Chapter 8

Ever since taking over the national treasury, Ning Wujie’s work auditing accounts and counting inventory had become exceptionally hectic, consuming nearly all of his time.

For a long while, Wen Xing had been unable to hear the cool, aloof voice of his “God-tier” narrator reading storybooks to him. Life had suddenly become quite dull.

Watching his Emperor lazing on the couch, staring out the window and sighing repeatedly, Li Dequan thought with concern: The beauty is too busy to come; what is our Majesty to do?

If you miss him that much, then don’t give him so much work!

Furthermore, their Emperor was truly good to Ning Wujie. Knowing how busy the youth was, he had rarely summoned him recently.

He had no way of knowing that Wen Xing’s leadership experience from his previous life taught him one thing: if you give someone work, you must also give them freedom. A boss who constantly hovers just to show they exist is the most annoying thing of all.

As the old eunuch shook his head and sighed, he suddenly heard their Emperor call out, “Xinghe.”

A shadow guard dropped down in response.

“Master!” A crisp, somewhat youthful boyish voice rang out.

Wen Xing turned his head. The young shadow guard before him was only thirteen or fourteen years old. His hair was tied in double buns, his stature had not yet fully filled out, and his cheeks still held a trace of lingering baby fat. He was currently holding a bright red candied apple, licking it contentedly.

Seeing the apple, Wen Xing arched an eyebrow and hooked a finger. “Give it here.”

Xinghe alertly hid the candied apple behind his back. “No.”

Wen Xing narrowed his eyes. “Defying an imperial decree? I’ll fine you your salary; let’s see what you’ll use to buy fruit then.”

Xinghe curled his lip. “Master, I’ve already licked this one.” As he spoke, he hid the apple even more securely.

Wen Xing laughed. “Then I’ll punish you by making you tell me: what’s fun out there lately?”

Wen Xing had met Xinghe during an incognito trip shortly after he transmigrated. At the time, he had been visiting Mount Nanquan. Outside a manor at the foot of the mountain, he saw this child sitting on the doorstep clutching a sword, covered in blood, with countless fallen corpses behind him. To avenge his sect, the child had wiped out an entire manor alone with a single blade.

Wen Xing felt then that if he didn’t take the boy in, the child would surely perish. It had taken several months of care to wash away the murderous aura clinging to Xinghe, only to discover that underneath was just an ordinary child who loved snacks and running out of the palace to play.

Except, of course, for his astonishing martial arts.

Xinghe tilted his head in thought. “Lately, the entertainment district has a new play, and there are ‘illusion shows’ from the Western Regions.”

“Illusion shows? What are those?”

Xinghe licked his apple. “They’re very pretty to watch.”

Wen Xing feigned dissatisfaction. “No wonder you’ve been sneaking out of the palace for so long without coming back. You’ve been enjoying so many new things behind my back! Quick, confess everything!”

Xinghe’s eyes sparkled. “I’ll take Master there!”

Li Dequan bowed his head and sighed, knowing their Majesty was about to run off with Xinghe again. He whispered to a young eunuch nearby, “Have the guards arrange a squad to follow the Emperor. Do not let him go too far.”

Xinghe unceremoniously rummaged through the Emperor’s wardrobe, pulling out an azure robe with embroidered cloud patterns and a jade belt hook shaped like a dragon’s head.

Seeing Xinghe flip through the imperial wardrobe like it was his own closet, Li Dequan felt quite helpless. Their Majesty never restricted Xinghe, which had spoiled the child into being utterly unrestrained.

Wen Xing enthusiastically put on the clothes Xinghe recommended and ran off with the boy.

“No using lightfoot skills this time. You’ll walk through the palace gates properly; I can’t keep up with you.”

The boy’s voice sounded disappointed. “Oh.”

The Silver Vault of the Ministry of Revenue.

Several investigators from the Inspectorate, dressed in black Ye-sa robes, were weaving through the storage rooms. Massive silver chests were thrown open, revealing stacks of silver ingots piled high like small mountains.

Accounting officials were counting the quantities, pens in hand, recording everything in ledgers.

An official from the Ministry of Revenue bowed low, holding an account book with an almost fawning tone. “This is the master ledger for the silver vault. Please have a look, Master Ning.”

“Rest assured, the vault silver is audited every quarter. There are absolutely no discrepancies.”

Ning Wujie took the ledger, scanned it briefly, and handed it to a subordinate. He said coldly, “Since you have the ability to manage the silver vault of an entire nation, the accounts are naturally impeccable. I won’t bother looking.”

The official chuckled awkwardly. “You flatter me, Master Ning.”

At that moment, an investigator bowed to Ning Wujie. “The count is finished. It is indeed 13.51 million taels of silver.”

Ning Wujie narrowed his eyes. He noticed the corner of the official’s mouth twitch upward slightly before quickly flattening back into a look of calm.

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. He let out a cold laugh. “You truly are diligent, keeping the vault silver accurate to the last decimal.”

The official smiled easily. “Commander Ning is the one with both virtue and talent, the Emperor’s right-hand man.”

However, Ning Wujie casually picked up a silver ingot from the mountain of silver beside him and held it before his eyes. Using the torchlight, he inspected it while sneering, “But I have heard that skilled silversmiths can pour molten lead into hollowed-out silver ingots. Not only is it invisible on the surface, but even the weight is controlled perfectly.”

“Tell me, have you ever heard of such a thing?”

Despite his best efforts to maintain his composure, the tension in the official’s eyes did not escape Ning Wujie. He gave a forced smile. “I am poorly informed.”

“Is that so? How about we give it a try?”

The official’s face froze.

Ning Wujie placed the silver ingot on the stone steps beside the official and suddenly drew his blade. “My Frost Blade cuts through iron like it’s mud. I wonder how it will fare against this official silver?”

The official was struck with terror. Before he could react, the silver-white blade swept past him. The wind from the sword was so sharp it felt physical; half of his body went stiff instantly, as if that single strike could have carved away half his life.

Clang—!

The ear-piercing sound of metal hitting stone echoed, leaving a ringing in everyone’s ears.

The official turned his head in a panic. He saw that the ten-tael silver ingot on the stone steps had been sliced clean down the middle like rotten wood. The outer layer of silver was twisted and curled, revealing a dull lead core inside.

Knowing the game was up, his legs gave way, and he thudded to his knees, crying out, “Commander, have mercy!”

The surrounding investigators were secretly shocked. They had originally thought this superior of theirs had only risen to power due to the Emperor’s favor, but after following him in this investigation for several days, they had witnessed his methods. He was meticulous, bold, and decisive possessing a temperament far beyond his years.

Ning Wujie ignored the trembling official. He turned and walked out of the vault, his pace as swift as the wind. He commanded his subordinates, “Slice open every single ingot for inspection. Take all vault officials into custody!”

The moment he stepped out of the storage room, an investigator arrived to report. “There is news from the Tower of Illusion Seas the place we’ve been watching. It’s happening today.”

Ning Wujie nodded and turned to call his men. “Squad One and Squad Three, follow me.”

He then led a group of blade-wielding investigators swiftly out of the palace gates.

The Tower of Illusion Seas.

The tower stood five stories high, with glazed tile eaves and gilded bronze hooks. Even in the brightly lit night of the capital, it stood like a dazzling lighthouse where ten thousand lamps converged. A massive crowd surged outside.

Li Dequan, dressed in plain clothes, sat in a roadside tavern. He stared anxiously at the activity inside the tower, asking the guard beside him, “Are our people watching closely? We mustn’t have any blunders.”

The guard nodded. “They’ve all slipped inside in disguise. And with Xinghe there, there shouldn’t be any major issues.”

The old eunuch nodded and sighed. “This master of ours is truly a handful.”

As an Emperor, he was the center of attention wherever he went, followed by a swarm of people. Yet, their Majesty loved to shake them off and run toward these noisy, common places. It was enough to worry a eunuch to death.

Just then, the guard alertly drew his blade three inches from its scabbard, his eyes fixed on a group of men rushing toward the Tower of Illusion Seas.

The old eunuch followed his gaze and let out a surprised “Eh?”

“Isn’t that the little beau ahem, General Ning?”

He was about to call out when Ning Wujie seemed to sense something. He stopped in his tracks and turned to look over.

Ning Wujie’s brow furrowed. “Eunuch Li?”

Since Li Dequan was here, it meant the Emperor was also.

Sensing something was amiss, Ning Wujie turned to his subordinates. “You slip in first. Stay hidden and wait for my signal.” After that, he walked toward Li Dequan.

“Eunuch Li.” He looked around. “Is His Majesty nearby?”

Li Dequan glanced at the tower and said helplessly, “He’s inside.”

Ning Wujie was puzzled. “What is His Majesty doing here?”

But then, he realized. What could a faint-hearted tyrant be doing at a brothel?

Hah.

At that thought, his face turned cold, and his voice lost all warmth. “I have a case to handle today. I fear I might disturb His Majesty. You should have someone bring him out.”

Li Dequan noticed the change in Ning Wujie’s expression and his mind raced. He realized his mistake. How could I be so stupid as to admit to the little beauty that the Emperor went into a brothel?!

Hiss, If the little beauty got angry and stopped helping him coax the Emperor in the future, what would he do?

Li Dequan felt like he had shot himself in the foot. He had to fix this, and fast.

The old eunuch’s brain whirled. Hearing Ning Wujie mention a “case,” he had a sudden stroke of inspiration. He said solemnly, “His Majesty is also here for a case.”

Ning Wujie: “?”

Since when does a faint-hearted tyrant investigate cases?

Seeing his doubt, the old eunuch began to make things up on the fly to cover his tracks. “I heard a lost treasure of the palace has surfaced here. His Majesty wanted to come and confirm it personally.”

Ning Wujie was suspicious. “Why wouldn’t he send someone else? Why must the Emperor go himself?”

However, he himself had come because he found a lead the underground bank here was planning to auction a batch of treasures leaked from the palace, all originating from the inner treasury. He was here to seize the goods and shut down the Tower of Illusion Seas. Could the treasure the Emperor was looking for be among them?

Li Dequan didn’t realize his lie perfectly aligned with Ning Wujie’s case. He only felt that this person was too smart to be easily fooled. He wracked his brain before saying, “That treasure, it’s a personal item of His Majesty. Others aren’t familiar with it and wouldn’t recognize it.”

“I see.” It was unclear if Ning Wujie actually believed him.

Li Dequan wiped the sweat from his forehead. “How about I go in and try to persuade His Majesty to leave?”

Please go away. If the little beauty finds out the Emperor isn’t investigating a case but is actually just visiting a brothel, that scene. The old eunuch didn’t dare imagine it.

He was about to stand up when Ning Wujie stopped him. “No need.”

Before the eunuch could react, Ning Wujie had already flickered away and entered the tower.

Li Dequan: “…”

Your Majesty, you’re on your own. This old servant has done all he can.