Chapter 118: Chapter 74: I’ve noted this grudge! (Thanks to the generous reward from Deep and Endless, additional chapter!)_4
And behind him was a group of chirping princes and princesses.
Younger than Wu Ming, they found Wu Ming’s escort of several princes and princesses somehow gave him the air of a family patriarch.
Wu Ming was all smiles, greeting Cheng Guang.
Cheng Guang didn’t put on airs, returning the greeting right away.
The two exchanged friendly salutations and after some small talk, Wu Ming asked curiously, “Princely Heir, what brings you here today?”
Cheng Guang replied with a smile, “I’m on assignment from the Bureau of the Lamp.”
Using a Bureau of the Lamp assignment as a shield was indeed helpful, sparing him a lot of explanations.
Wu Ming didn’t ask further. He knew Cheng Guang had already started to get involved with the affairs of the Bureau of the Lamp and maybe soon, the Princely Heir would be able to control the entire Bureau.
The thought that he was a prince, the legitimate eldest son no less, and yet the treatment and attention he received were nowhere near comparable to Cheng Guang’s, made him feel a bit bitter.
“What about you, bringing all these young ladies and princes here for what?” In the midst of conversation, Cheng Guang glanced at the noisy group of princes and princesses behind Wu Ming.
One good thing about the Great Zhou Imperial Family was their relaxed teaching of etiquette to princes and princesses.
They didn’t rigidly require maintaining imperial dignity at all times outside the palace.
As long as one acted decently, demeanor and such were not a big concern.
This might be related to Emperor Wu Shang’s own experiences when he was younger. At least these princes and princesses still had some childlike nature left in them; although they could be mischievous, none were truly prodigal.
If there were any real prodigals who caused serious trouble, Emperor Zhou, with his personality, would not hesitate to execute them, even if they were his own sons.
On hearing this, Wu Ming sighed, “Ah, it’s just that Father learned that Empress Wei has come, and he didn’t want to meet with the empress himself. But since she is, after all, the current ruler of Great Wei, it wouldn’t be appropriate for the imperial family not to show any gesture of welcome on such an occasion, so he sent me over.”
“It should actually be Wu Ling’s task, since she is the Crown Prince now.”
“However, she is preoccupied with cultivating and couldn’t make time, so here I am,” he said, spreading his hands with a look of helplessness.
His tone even carried a hint of complaint.
After all, not being the Crown Prince and yet having to do the Crown Prince’s work was more than anyone could bear.
Cheng Guang laughed heartily, recognizing that this matter also involved him. If it weren’t for his firm support of Wu Ling back then, the position of Crown Prince might not have ended up with her.
The likely candidate would have been Wu Ming.
Cheng Guang said with a smile, “Your Highness need not pay too much attention to these details. In the end, it’s all good news.”
“With this visit, you’ll also get to meet Empress Wei. It’s said that not many have seen the face of Empress Wei. You can feast your eyes, which is not bad at all.”
Upon hearing Cheng Guang say this, the corners of Wu Ming’s mouth twitched slightly, and his mood lifted a bit.
“Hmm, Princely Heir, then I’ll be heading over there. After all, Empress Wei is just a woman. I should be able to handle her quite easily,” he said.
“While showcasing the magnanimity of the Great Zhou Imperial Family, I’ll also suppress their momentum.”
“Having lost three tournaments in a row already, if we lose this martial arts contest again, it won’t just be Father who’s disgraced, but the entire face of Great Zhou will be tarnished.”
Cheng Guang nodded, kindly reminding him, “Just don’t stare at her too long, or you might end up crying out of being moved.”
Wu Ming paused at these words, then nodded his head and departed.
He walked with a relaxed pace, obviously not taking Cheng Guang’s words to heart.
After all, in his opinion, Empress Wei was much younger than he was, and at best, her Cultivation Realm was on par with his.
While invisible to ordinary people, it was nothing to him.
Wu Ming left.
The chattering princes and princesses stayed behind him.
These princes and princesses probably just followed Wu Ming to have some fun and join the excitement.
If they were to meet Empress Wei in person, chances are they wouldn’t even get close before being shut down.
They were simply too noisy.
Cheng Guang didn’t bother with these princes and princesses. After casually sending them off, he strolled around the banquet hall with Qiao Songshan.
His gaze swept across the faces of each martial artist at the banquet tables.
As he recognized a person’s face, Cheng Guang’s mind would match it with the information he had read.
“Great Wei… Li Shibu… skip…”
“Great Wei… Geng Xijian… skip…”
“Great Wei… Zhongsun Fenglin… skip…”
When his gaze stopped on one person, Cheng Guang’s eyes narrowed slightly.
The man had a pale, bloodless complexion, as if he lived in a place where sunlight never shone.
Tall and broad-shouldered, his body had stark, cold lines like ice.
His eyes were deep and pitch-black, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, and his lips were always downturned, as if he was perpetually displeased or annoyed with everything.
A deep scar ran down his face, from the corner of his right eye to the corner of his mouth.
This scar left an ugly mark on his face.
With just a glance, his name emerged in Cheng Guang’s mind.
“Qiu Xiaomo, a fourth-year student at the Great Wei Martial Academy, unknown martial arts style, fifth-rank Prime God Realm.”
Qiu Xiaomo kept a distance from the other students of Great Wei Martial Academy.
Even as the students from both Great Wei and Great Zhou Martial Academies were warmly greeting each other’s parents, he rarely spoke and never smiled.
Quiet and reserved, he sat to one side.
Silently polishing the knife in his hands.
