Cao Shu’s words were calm, without the slightest ripple of emotion. Yet all three present stared at him in shock. His ideas were simply too startling—one could only say his ambition was even greater than they had imagined.
Ji Wuyi quickly began to weigh things in his mind. Cao Shu was a Marquis who had accompanied the Emperor on his imperial tour—someone of that status carried undeniable authority in his words.
If he were to raise troops in rebellion in the future or force Ji Wuxin to step down, Cao Shu could give him a legitimate justification. He would be the rightful successor, and the people of the realm would no longer curse him as a traitor.
Instead, it would be Ji Wuxin and Zhao Si who would be branded as conspirators usurping the throne, leaving behind an indelible stain.
Ji Wuyi even began to suspect that Zhao Si had truly tampered with the Royal Edict. Perhaps Cao Shu held the real one, only that Zhao Si had announced his version first.
However, one of Cao Shu’s conditions was his woman. Even if she was only his in name for now, handing her over—what kind of man would that make him?
Ji Wuyi fell into a painful dilemma.
Gongsun Ruoqian looked at him, knowing how great the temptation was. A faint mist gathered in her eyes as she said, “Ji Wuyi, if you dare to give me to Cao Shu, my grandfather will never let you go.”
Ji Wuyi was equally conflicted. If the Duke of Ning found out, he would surely kill him. Clinging to a shred of hope, he asked, “Marquis Cao, must it be the Princess Consort? If you want another woman, I can arrange as many as you like.”
Cao Shu shook his head. “Other women are not the same. Only if the Princess Consort is in my hands will I feel secure.”
At that moment, Ji Wuyi understood. Cao Shu did not trust him. If Gongsun Ruoqian was in Cao Shu’s control, Ji Wuyi would neither dare act rashly nor reveal the matter to the Duke of Ning.
But if she were handed over… would she truly be safe?
After all, Cao Shu’s reputation outside was not baseless.
Ji Wuyi looked at Gongsun Ruoqian. Her beauty was striking, her figure slender yet full where it should be, her curves graceful, and her youthful, lively aura made her a top-tier beauty. He had not even had the chance to enjoy her. Regret filled his eyes.
“Let me… let me think…”
Seeing his hesitation, Cao Shu said meaningfully, “Once you ascend to that position, what woman would you lack? If I remember correctly, those were Your Highness’s own words.”
“…”
Ji Wuyi did not refute it. He had indeed said that, and it reflected his true thoughts. If he gained that supreme position, women would be plentiful—Gongsun Ruoqian would at most become Empress. Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping.com.
But those words also reminded him—why cling to a single woman when the throne itself promised everything?
Moreover, after their earlier quarrel, if Gongsun Ruoqian returned to the Duke of Ning’s residence and made a scene, he would not only lose a powerful ally but also gain an unnecessary enemy. The loss would outweigh the gain.
In that case, it was better to hand her over to Cao Shu.
“Wang Wenzong, knock the Princess Consort unconscious…”
The Golden Core cultivator named Wang Wenzong gave Gongsun Ruoqian no chance to react. A strand of spiritual energy struck the back of her neck, and she collapsed instantly into unconsciousness.
Ji Wuyi consoled himself inwardly—so long as she had not lost her chastity, it did not count as being less of a man…
At the same time, his hatred toward Cao Shu surged uncontrollably. As a subordinate, how dare he force his lord like this? If he ever succeeded in ascending the throne, the first person he would kill would be Cao Shu!
And Gongsun Ruoqian…
“Marquis Cao, I agree to all your conditions. Can we cooperate now?”
Cao Shu looked at the unconscious Gongsun Ruoqian and sighed inwardly. Striking a woman so harshly was truly crude—what if it damaged her mind?
Still, a lost girl had now been “rescued” by him. Truly, he was such a benevolent man.
A faint smile appeared on his lips as he said, “We can. In fact, Your Highness need not worry. You are only a few months older than me, so calling the Princess Consort ‘sister-in-law’ would not be inappropriate. With sister-in-law in my care, I will certainly take good care of her.”
[Ding! Gained Ji Wuyi’s trust and established cooperation. Obtained 1,000 villain points.]
[Ding! Enraged Ji Wuyi. Obtained 1,000 villain points.]
[Ding! Completed a power-and-beauty transaction with Ji Wuyi. Obtained 3,000 villain points.]
[Ding! Gongsun Ruoqian is disappointed in Ji Wuyi. Obtained 5,000 villain points.]
The consecutive prompts made Cao Shu’s eyes light up. As expected, Ji Wuyi was an excellent source for farming villain points—such a large amount gained at once. Only that “power-and-beauty transaction” description made his teeth ache.
Was that really how it had to be phrased?
Then again, this system was hardly proper to begin with—no point taking it too seriously.
The important thing was the points. He realized that acting against Gongsun Ruoqian had yielded such a high amount.
It seemed that targeting key people around someone would result in greater rewards.
…
Take good care of her? Ji Wuyi sneered inwardly. How shameless.
“I feel reassured with Ruoqian in Marquis Cao’s care.”
Cao Shu smiled and nodded. “Since we have reached cooperation, I will offer Your Highness a suggestion. The most urgent matter now is to eliminate Zhao Si. Once he is dead, when Your Highness raises troops in the future, no one will be able to question my words.”
Zhao Si was powerful. There was no need to confront him head-on for now. Ji Wuxin was already wary of Zhao Si—it was time to draw more hatred onto him.
Better yet, if Zhao Si died, then only Cao Shu would know the secret of the altered Royal Edict.
[Ding! Sold out Zhao Si. Obtained 1,000 villain points.]
Ji Wuyi fell into thought. Indeed, once Zhao Si was dead, there would be no one left to refute anything. There would be no chaotic situation of mutual accusations. Even if people harbored suspicions, they had not accompanied the Emperor—such doubts would carry little weight.
“Indeed, Zhao Si must be eliminated.”
“If we are to eliminate Zhao Si, my 4th stage Golden Core Realm cultivation may not be enough. We will need Mr. Ye’s assistance,” Wang Wenzong said.
“Mr. Ye?” Cao Shu frowned slightly, searching through his memories. Ji Wuyi did not have such a person under him, and even across the Great Zhou Empire, there was no known Golden Core cultivator with the surname Ye.
Where did this person come from?
“May I ask who this is?”
Ji Wuyi replied frankly, “His name is Ye Sulong. I met him three months ago on his way back from the northern frontier. We got along well, and I treated him sincerely, so he is willing to assist me. Like Wang Wenzong, he is also at the 4th stage Golden Core Realm.”
Cao Shu suddenly understood. So he was an outsider cultivator. Ji Wuyi’s luck was quite good—he had two Golden Core cultivators under him, and behind him stood the Duke of Ning as deterrence.
If not for the Royal Edict’s announcement, Ji Wuxin would only have Zhao Si, a single Golden Core cultivator, completely outmatched.
“I see. Two 4th stage Golden Core Realm cultivators should indeed be enough to deal with a 6th stage Golden Core Realm opponent. May I meet him?”
“Of course.”