Chapter 1886: 169: Shouzhe! Sooner or Later, Debts Must Be Repaid

Chapter 1886: Chapter 169: Shouzhe! Sooner or Later, Debts Must Be Repaid

As she spoke, she pulled out a dozen top-grade Spirit Stones.

This immediately moved Wang Zongteng to tears.

He wrapped his tendrils tightly around the Spirit Stones, extending a few more tendrils to touch Wang Liyue, expressing delight and joy as if saying: Second Sister, you’re the best~~

“Zongkun mentioned you to me, saying you’re quite skilled, able to devour and transform various energies. Such traits are rare.” Wang Liyue said, pulling out a pair of scissors, casually snipping off a small tendril that touched her.

After she snipped it, she looked at Wang Zongteng and asked, “Fourth Brother, you shouldn’t mind if Second Sister cuts off a piece of tendril, right?”

Wang Zongteng, holding the top-grade Spirit Stones: “…”

His entire tendril went still, seemingly petrified, questioning the meaning of his vine existence.

Wang Shouzhe slapped his forehead, speechless: “Liyue, can you refrain from using your siblings’ body parts for experiments? Zongkun has already complained to me countless times, he’s now traumatized whenever he sees you.”

It was obvious that Zongkun had been targeted by Liyue earlier, and in an attempt to escape, he sold out Wang Zongteng.

“Father, don’t worry, I’ll be careful.” Wang Liyue gleefully pocketed the small active tendril, her heart ecstatic, practically floating into the laboratory, “If we merely talk about psychological trauma brought to Zongkun, Third Sister is actually worse.”

Indeed, as the head of the Wang Family educational institution, Wang Lizhu could hardly let off her underperforming brother Wang Zongkun off the hook. Naturally, he was quite submissive when he saw Third Sister Wang Lizhu.

While the father and daughter were having this rare conversation.

The family head reported that “Emperor Zi’an” has once again visited the Wang family, and he has already moved himself into the “Secluded Dragon Cottage”, asking the Family Head to go for a small meeting.

“That brat Wu Mingyuan, having just borrowed a huge loan from our Wang family, and now he returns so quickly, is definitely up to no good like a weasel offering New Year greetings to a chicken.” Wang Shouzhe was somewhat helpless.

Couldn’t he let him have a moment of peace, having just arrived home?

“I’ve heard Third Sister talk about this matter.” Wang Liyue recalled some things, “Recently, the court is reforming local administrative structures, planning to establish a new administrative level above the ward, called ‘County’, directly governed by the Prefecture Mansion. Thus, the court urgently needs a large number of talents to reorganize the leadership team and implement the reform plan. Regarding this matter, Emperor Zi’an has already mentioned several times to recruit some outstanding talents from the graduates of the High Clan School into the Government Office.”

“However, Third Sister has been using the excuse of Father being away on a business trip to avoid it. Emperor Zi’an’s visit should still be about this matter.”

“Heh heh~” Wang Shouzhe sneered twice, “He can’t train talents on his own? Our Wang family still lacks talents, with Ningxi even going to the Immortal Dynasty to pluck recruits. Yet he wishes to pick up ready-made benefits, trying to pluck our Wang family’s wool.”

“Alright, I’ll go meet Emperor Zi’an and shoo him away promptly. He hardly stays in Dragon City, running to the Wang family all day isn’t good.”

Having said this.

Wang Shouzhe handed the Rubber Spirit Tree to Wang Liyue, while he headed straight for the Secluded Dragon Cottage.

Unexpectedly.

He had just stepped into the Secluded Dragon Cottage when he heard Wang Shizhao anxiously persuading.

“Your Highness, Your Highness, please don’t do this! Everything can be discussed! My grandfather has returned from his business trip and will surely work out a solution for you.”

Immediately following was Emperor Zi’an’s resentful voice.

“Shizhao, there’s no need to persuade me! It’s my incompetence; I have disappointed everyone’s expectations. I don’t want to be the future Da Qian Great Emperor; whoever wants it can have it.”

Wang Shouzhe looked over in astonishment, seeing Emperor Zi’an disheveled, sitting in the flower bed of the cottage, surrounded by empty bottles of wine, still grasping one and pouring it down his throat.

His face was full of grief and pain, tears flying uncontrollably.

Wang Shouzhe paused, then restrained his laughter, walked over, patted Emperor Zi’an’s shoulder, and asked, “What matter upset Your Highness? Would you like me to play a game of chess to cheer you up?”

“Shouzhe, Shouzhe, you came just in time.” Emperor Zi’an grabbed Wang Shouzhe, crying and sniffling as he complained, “Being the ruler of this nation is no fun; working tirelessly with no gratitude. Why don’t we swap roles, and you take the Great Emperor position?”

“Your Highness, why do you speak this way?” Wang Shouzhe helped him sit down, comforting him gently, “Don’t get excited; speak slowly. What troubles have you encountered? Let’s resolve problems as they arise, don’t cry.”

“Ah~ Some words I can’t say.” Emperor Zi’an sighed, wiping tears, “Shizhao, you talk to your grandfather, speak honestly, don’t hide.”

“Um…” Wang Shizhao awkwardly looked at Wang Shouzhe, “Grandfather, here’s the situation. Haven’t you always desired to implement local government reforms, adding a county level, gradually achieving Qi Refinement among all? His Highness and I have been striving for this yet faced many obstacles.”

“Never mind the financial issues; the major concern is the acute shortage of talent in local government. Any exceptional ones come out only occasionally and are of varying quality. The idea was to recruit some elites from our High Clan School, but our Third Aunt firmly opposed.”

Emperor Zi’an interrupted, “Shizhao, don’t just say what’s pleasant.”

“Uh…” Wang Shizhao laughed dryly and cleared his throat before continuing, “His Highness means, your life is too leisurely, Grandfather. The plans for Qi Refinement among all, national waterway navigation, railway installations across various prefectures, establishment of county-level government institutions, major reforms in the Sacred Land Academic Palace, tax reforms, clean governance plans, support funds for outstanding commoners…”

“Exactly!”

Wang Shizhao hadn’t finished speaking when Emperor Zi’an, feeling aggrieved, began sobbing: “You, Wang Shouzhe, stay at home all day, come up with an idea here and there, with various plans and development directions emerging endlessly. Shizhao and I, meanwhile, have to strain every effort, exhausting ourselves to fulfill those plans, and now the nation is both financially and talent-wise lacking.”

“But in the end, merely recruiting a few elite talents from your Wang Family School, I get despised by the juniors! Am I not the dignified Emperor’s son, dignified Emperor’s son… I quit, let someone else handle it!”

“Shouzhe, don’t you remember the oath we made together? We promised to build the country together… Boohoo~”

Emperor Zi’an grew increasingly aggrieved as he spoke, sobbing more intensely, eventually turning incoherent, evidently feeling very wronged.

“Alright, alright~ Stop crying. I’ll sternly criticize Lizhu later.”

Listening to him, Wang Shouzhe felt he might indeed have been a bit excessive, and Emperor Zi’an had undeniably worked hard to build the nation over the years.

He sighed, patted Emperor Zi’an’s shoulder to comfort him: “Alright. I agree to the recruiting talents matter, and in the future, we’ll cultivate more ourselves if needed.”

“Shouzhe, you said it!” Emperor Zi’an became energized, grabbing Wang Shouzhe’s arm excitedly, “Shizhao, you are the witness; your grandfather has agreed!”

Wang Shouzhe was simultaneously amused and exasperated by his antics, disdainfully pushing him away: “Your Highness, you’ve changed. You’re addicted to plucking my wool, huh? I see you’re becoming more and more like Emperor Longchang, more and more shameless.”

Actually playing along with him.

“Face? What is that? Shizhao, tell His Highness whether His Highness has a face?” Emperor Zi’an appeared utterly “unashamed,” “Wang Shouzhe, believe it or not, if you were in my position for ten years, no, just five years, you’d end up just like me.”

“Ultimately, without achieving a well-structured state, what use is a face for His Highness?!”

Years ago, he once felt disgraced by His Majesty Old Ancestor’s shamelessness, even had disdain for it. However, once he sat in that position, experiencing its challenges firsthand, he realized that compared to genuinely important matters, face was indeed trivial.

So what if he resembled His Majesty Old Ancestor? He should diligently learn from His Majesty Old Ancestor, absorbing all his essence!

…