Chapter 42: When Did You Find Out?

"Actually, here’s the thing!"

Si Nan isn’t so weak for no reason.

All his time is spent digging up intel and gossiping—there’s no way he’d have time to sit down and seriously cultivate!

After listening to Si Nan’s explanation, Ye Liuyun more or less got the gist of it.

In their Great Qian Dynasty, there’s only one Grandmaster martial artist on the surface—and that’s the current Prime Minister.

But in truth, the previous old emperor, Yan Shuzhu’s father, was also a Grandmaster martial artist.

A few years back, the old emperor suddenly entered seclusion, supposedly trying to break through the legendary realm of Land Immortal, so he needed to temporarily appoint an emperor to govern the dynasty.

But everyone knows, once the old emperor comes out of seclusion, the throne will go right back to him.

The current emperor is destined to be nothing but a puppet.

So, of course, you couldn’t pick any capable prince. The old emperor basically chose Yan Shuzhu as a public message: I’m coming back sooner or later, so anyone with a mind to snatch power, better just behave themselves.

Otherwise, wait until I finish my breakthrough and we’ll settle accounts.

That’s also why Yan Shuzhu has the title of emperor but none of the actual power.

Everyone knows Yan Shuzhu’s a puppet; they keep up the superficial respect, but all they’re really doing is waiting for the old emperor’s return.

"Although this is all just what I’ve heard from others. I can’t guarantee any of it’s one hundred percent true."

Si Nan didn’t dare vouch for everything he’d said.

Ye Liuyun just waved it off, not too bothered. Even if it’s not all true, it’s probably pretty close.

After all, if the emperor really had power—

Guan Bao wouldn’t dare yap so much crap right now.

"Your Majesty, this man is someone the Ninth Thousand Years commanded me to apprehend."

Guan Bao was still unwilling to let Ye Liuyun go so easily and tried to bring out his backer, the Ninth Thousand Years, hoping Yan Shuzhu would back off.

Just too bad for him.

"Then what if I insist on keeping him safe?"

Yan Shuzhu said it dead seriously.

Guan Bao hesitated for quite a while, but could only spit out:

"I will absolutely report all of this to the Ninth Thousand Years!"

Knowing he couldn’t do anything more, Guan Bao stopped arguing, turned around, and left with his people.

Just before leaving, though, he fixed Ye Liuyun with a fierce glare—as if to say, "I won’t forget you."

But Ye Liuyun had the balls to kill Lu Quan already, so he definitely wasn’t going to be scared by one look from Guan Bao.

As Guan Bao left, Yan Shuzhu relaxed a bit. Glancing at Ye Liuyun, who stayed perfectly calm at the side, he couldn’t help but say:

"I knew you were gutsy, but I didn’t think you’d have the nerve to piss off the Ninth Thousand Years!"

Never mind the Ninth Thousand Years’s faction is deeply rooted in the palace—even he himself is a Grandmaster Realm expert. Now that the old emperor is in seclusion in this Great Qian Dynasty,

Other than the sitting Prime Minister, nobody in the court can rein him in.

"If I have to bow my head every time someone brings up their rank and title, what’s the point of being an Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Ye Liuyun said it like it was just common sense.

He was also pretty confident—maybe right now he couldn’t beat the Ninth Thousand Years, but who knows about the future.

Such a forthright reply actually made Yan Shuzhu laugh out loud.

"Don’t worry, I think the Ninth Thousand Years will at least let me save face on this."

Even if he’s just a puppet emperor, Yan Shuzhu was still the emperor; as long as Ye Liuyun didn’t go too far, the Ninth Thousand Years couldn’t keep targeting him.

Then Yan Shuzhu suddenly seemed a bit embarrassed as he spoke:

"The reason I hid my identity from you wasn’t on purpose. I just worried—if you knew who I was, would you still talk to me the same way as before?"

Ye Liuyun honestly didn’t care much about that.

Instead, he started thinking that now that he knew the emperor personally, maybe he could swagger all over the Imperial City without fear.

A puppet emperor’s still an emperor.

With Yan Shuzhu mentioning it, something suddenly popped into his head and he teased:

"You mean that time I pointed at your forehead and called you stupid?"

That got Yan Shuzhu remembering the time in the Imperial Music Bureau when he’d kept chasing Ye Liuyun with questions, and Ye Liuyun—fed up—flat out pointed at Yan Shuzhu’s forehead.

Saying, are you dumb? Why do you have so many questions?

"Relax, I still dare!"

"Screw you!"

Yan Shuzhu shot Ye Liuyun a glare, half annoyed, half amused.

But right after, Yan Shuzhu couldn’t help laughing again.

After the joking, though, Yan Shuzhu’s face got serious. Since his identity was out anyway, there was no need to stay secretive.

"I hope you will help me. In this dynasty, there aren’t many people I can truly trust."

Funny thing is, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is supposed to be the emperor’s personal brute squad,

But Yan Shuzhu as emperor barely had any real control over them, and even most of his orders got openly ignored.

Yan Shuzhu looked sincerely at Ye Liuyun.

Still, Ye Liuyun thought it over and decided to refuse.

History had taught him one thing: friends of emperors never end up well.

"I—"

Before Ye Liuyun could finish, Yan Shuzhu pressed on:

"I can help you get your footing in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, too."

Again, a puppet emperor is still an emperor.

"As Ye Liuyun!"

Hearing his own name from the emperor’s mouth, Ye Liuyun froze, whatever he was about to say stuck in his throat.

He looked at Yan Shuzhu, surprise flashing in his eyes—then realization.

Come to think of it, he was the emperor. Surely he’d have ways to dig up the truth.

Hearing Ye Liuyun’s name, Shi Sheng looked confused, but Si Nan, after a moment of shock, quickly came to terms with it.

No wonder lately his lord seemed so different—not changed, just swapped out!

But wait—wasn’t Ye Liuyun a notorious scoundrel?

Si Nan couldn’t quite figure it out, but this clearly wasn’t the moment to ask such things.

"When did you figure it out?"

Ye Liuyun wasn’t flustered—just curious.

"I only suspected before, but now I’m sure."

Yan Shuzhu couldn’t help but laugh—speaking with a bit of a gambling spirit.

Because in Yan Shuzhu’s eyes, no matter how much someone changes, even if a prodigal son turns over a new leaf, it shouldn’t be such an overnight transformation—like they truly became another person.

Unless—

They really did become a different person.

So Yan Shuzhu had people gather more intel on Ye Liuyun.

"The reports just say that Ye Liufeng’s biological younger brother, Ye Liuyun, never studies, and is always harassing respectable women, but really, nobody can say for sure that Ye Liuyun is truly some powerless good-for-nothing."

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