Zhou Fu led two young eunuchs in carrying the stretcher out of Qianyuan Hall.
Lu Cheng lay on top, wailing at the top of his lungs the entire way. His cries carried far beyond the entrance of the hall and only faded after they passed behind the screen wall.
The doors closed.
Only three people remained in the enormous Qianyuan Hall.
Lu Cangqiong returned to the dragon throne and picked up his vermilion brush, seemingly intending to continue reviewing memorials. However, despite holding the brush for quite some time, he didn’t write a single word. Instead, his gaze rose past the tip of the brush and settled on Lu Yuan.
“Speak.”
Lu Yuan didn’t immediately begin.
First, he turned around to make sure the doors were firmly shut. Then he glanced at Zhou Fu.
Lu Cangqiong understood what he meant and tilted his head toward Zhou Fu. “You should wait outside as well.”
Zhou Fu was just about to leave when Lu Yuan waved his hand.
“No need. Eunuch Zhou isn’t an outsider.”
Lu Yuan cleared his throat. The playful expression on his face disappeared, replaced by an air of profound mystery.
“Father Emperor, before your son tells you anything, you have to promise me one thing.”
“You dare bargain with me?”
“This isn’t a bargain.” Lu Yuan became serious. “What your son is about to say may sound somewhat unbelievable, but I swear on my life that every word is true.”
“If Father Emperor refuses to believe me afterward, your son will willingly accept punishment.”
“Forget thirty strokes. You can give me sixty. Beat me half to death if you want.”
Lu Cangqiong’s brows knitted tightly.
This brat normally tried to blame even the most trivial matters on someone else, yet today he was voluntarily asking for his punishment to be doubled?
“If you dare spout nonsense, your punishment will be doubled.”
“Deal.”
Lu Yuan agreed immediately. He stepped closer and lowered his voice.
“Father Emperor, this matter begins one month ago. One night, your son fell asleep at my residence and had a dream.”
“A dream?”
“Not an ordinary dream.”
Lu Yuan raised his hand and gestured as he explained, “An old man with a white beard appeared in my dream. He called himself the Immortal Elder Nanhua and said he had teachings to pass down to your son.”
Lu Cangqiong placed the vermilion brush onto its holder, leaned back in his chair, and stared at Lu Yuan for several seconds.
“Lu Yuan.”
“What is it?”
“Do you know the punishment for deceiving the emperor?”
“I do. I lose my head.”
Lu Yuan nodded without the slightest change in expression. “But your son isn’t deceiving you. That old immortal said the Great Yong Empire is an Empire blessed by Heaven’s Mandate and destined to endure for countless generations without decline.”
Lu Cangqiong’s expression, which had been on the verge of erupting, suddenly froze.
An Empire blessed by Heaven’s Mandate, destined to endure for countless generations.
What emperor could possibly remain unmoved after hearing such words?
“The old immortal also said that the royal family’s fortune is closely tied to the continuation of its bloodline.”
Lu Yuan straightened himself and spoke with exceptional seriousness. “Whenever a member of the royal family continues the bloodline and consummates a relationship with a woman for the first time, an immortal will bestow a reward.”
Hearing this, the corner of Lu Cangqiong’s mouth twitched.
He stared intently at Lu Yuan’s face, trying to find even the slightest hint of guilt.
There was none.
Lu Yuan stood there with an open gaze and solemn expression, almost as if he had become an entirely different person.
“Do you take me for a three-year-old child?” Lu Cangqiong asked coldly.
“How would your son dare?”
Lu Yuan spread his hands. “If Father Emperor doesn’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do. That’s what the old immortal told me. Whether you believe it is entirely up to you.”
Seeing Lu Yuan shamelessly refuse to budge, Lu Cangqiong sneered.
“According to you, as long as you consummate a relationship with a woman for the first time, you’ll receive a reward from an immortal.”
“Then after what happened between you and Su Yuling, the immortal should have given you a reward as well, correct?”
Lu Yuan froze for a moment before solemnly nodding.
“The old immortal did indeed give your son something.”
Lu Cangqiong said nothing.
However, he neither erupted in anger nor ordered anyone to drag Lu Yuan away.
That alone proved his resolve was beginning to waver.
After a moment, Lu Cangqiong asked in an exceptionally grave tone, “What did he give you?”
Hearing this, Lu Yuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
‘In my previous life, I was a top student at a prestigious science and engineering university. After transmigrating to this miserable place, my head was full of knowledge and technology with nowhere to put any of it to use.’
‘Before, all I wanted was an easy life, so I couldn’t be bothered to make trouble for myself.’
‘But now that they’ve forced me onto the playing field, I can casually pull out a few things and completely astonish these ancient people.’
‘Still, I need to choose something suitable.’
‘Salt? No. Salt and iron are government monopolies. Touching those would practically amount to rebellion.’
‘Sugar? The method for refining white sugar isn’t difficult, but the results would take too long and wouldn’t be shocking enough.’
‘Paper? Improving papermaking techniques would work, but the project would be too large to accomplish quickly.’
‘Alcohol? Distilled liquor would be simple enough, but in an emperor’s eyes, alcohol is ultimately just something for enjoyment. For now, it isn’t enough to support a grand claim like an Empire blessed by Heaven’s Mandate.’
Suddenly, inspiration flashed through Lu Yuan’s mind.
‘Got it!’
“It’s called a horseshoe,” Lu Yuan said. “And there’s also a design for an improved saddle.”
“A what?”
“A horseshoe.”
Lu Yuan repeated himself. “It’s an iron plate nailed to a horse’s hoof. Combined with an improved saddle, it can multiply the combat effectiveness of cavalry several times over.”
Lu Cangqiong frowned, clearly unable to understand what he meant.
“Father Emperor, move aside for a moment.”
Lu Cangqiong froze.
“You’re telling me to move?”
“Your son has to draw it before you’ll understand.”
Lu Yuan took two steps toward the royal desk. “It’s difficult to draw while standing. Let me sit there and sketch it for you. Once you see the drawing, you’ll understand.”
The moment those words left his mouth, Zhou Fu sucked in a sharp breath.
“Your Highness the Ninth Prince, that’s the dragon throne. You cannot sit there…”
Lu Cangqiong’s face darkened as well.
He stared at Lu Yuan, fury almost blazing from his eyes.
That was the dragon throne.
Only the supreme ruler of the Empire was permitted to sit upon it.
Was this rebellious son trying to commit treason?
However, after thinking about it again, Lu Cangqiong hesitated.
‘If this brat truly received teachings from an immortal, and those teachings can ensure that the Great Yong Empire endures for countless generations, then what harm is there in letting him sit on the dragon throne for a moment?’
“Hmph.”
Lu Cangqiong snorted coldly before standing up and reluctantly moving aside.
Lu Yuan casually walked around the royal desk and dropped himself onto the dragon throne.
The chair was harder than he had expected. The backrest pressed awkwardly against his waist, and the cushion wasn’t particularly thick either.
“What a lousy chair. Doesn’t sitting on this thing hurt your ass?”
“You…”
Lu Cangqiong immediately lost his temper and reached out to teach Lu Yuan a lesson.
Zhou Fu hurriedly stopped him.
He whispered, “Your Majesty, the treasure is more important. The treasure is more important!”
Lu Cangqiong drew a deep breath and forcibly swallowed his anger.
‘Endure.’
‘I’ll keep enduring!’
Lu Yuan had no time to pay attention to him. He casually took a brush from the holder, pulled over a blank sheet of paper, dipped the brush in ink, and began drawing.
“Your Majesty, look at how seriously His Highness the Ninth Prince is drawing. It doesn’t look like he’s making this up.”
Lu Cangqiong said nothing, but doubts began stirring in his heart.
‘Could this rebellious son truly have received an immortal’s favor?’
‘If everything he said is true, then the Great Yong Empire really could endure for countless generations!’
Less than fifteen minutes later, Lu Yuan rose from the dragon throne.
“It’s finished. Father Emperor, please take a look.”
Lu Cangqiong walked over and picked up the sheet of paper.
He stared at it for several seconds.
Then his face turned green.
“You spent all that time drawing this?”
“One piece of iron and one broken-looking frame.”
Lu Cangqiong slapped the paper onto the desk, his voice turning ice-cold.
“And you call this a treasure bestowed by an immortal? Lu Yuan, you rebellious brat. I think you’re tired of living.”