Chapter 96: As If the Emperor Were Here in Person (2)

“Not afraid. Since Dad has agreed as well, it means he must have his own difficulties. As his children, it is only right to do something for him.” Ye Lang shook his head and gave the other reason that mattered most to him.

“That is true. It is only sending a few people to their deaths anyway; that is a very ordinary thing.” Ye Lan Yu and the Seventh Princess shared the same thought. In this world where the strong prey on the weak, killing and being killed happened almost every moment, and people had long since grown numb to it.

At that moment, however, they seemed to realize that Ye Lang’s ability to survive was not as fragile as they had imagined. He was willing to do this, and there was not the slightest ripple in his emotions.

Perhaps he had seen through all of this. Or perhaps he simply had not reacted yet...

“Even so, don’t follow me. After all, this is not exactly a pleasant task.” Ye Lang waved a hand and set off in one direction.

“No, I’m going with you!” Ye Lan Yu and the Seventh Princess made their stance clear. Just as they were about to chase after him, someone who had come out behind them stopped them.

And the one who held them back was no one else but their father.

“Dad, humph. You’re not good people. You’re making him go kill people.” Ye Lan Yu and the Seventh Princess both vented their resentment on their respective fathers.

“This doesn’t really count as killing people. He is only going to put on a little performance; the rest will be handled by us. Besides, he is a member of the Ye family. Sooner or later he will have to deal with these things. You should not make him too fragile, or how will he survive in the future?” Ye Chengtian looked into the distance and spoke in a grave tone.

Ye Lan Yu and the Seventh Princess finally understood. So this was not merely because Ye Lang was the most suitable choice; there was another purpose behind it as well. It was not only trust, but also concern, and training.

Still, did Ye Lang really need such things to temper his survival instincts?

Perhaps.

“After talking for so long, what exactly are you asking him to do?” the Seventh Princess asked. Up to now, they still did not know what the matter actually was.

“You should know that our three empires may appear very peaceful on the surface, as though there were no wars or conflicts, but that is only an illusion. In truth, there has always been military friction between us. Small-scale battles break out at the borders all the time, and the spies and scouts of each nation are constantly active.” The Emperor began to explain, briefly describing the background of the matter.

Ye Lan Yu and the others nodded.

“And the matter of spies and scouts has always been an open secret among the nations. Some people even know where certain spies and scouts are hiding, yet still allow them to operate,” the Emperor continued.

“That is to feed them false information,” the Seventh Princess guessed.

“Exactly. If used properly, even the worst thing can be turned into a good thing.” The Emperor nodded, clearly pleased with her answer. “Originally, everything had been like this for a long time. But recently, something unusual has happened. Spy and scout activity has become increasingly frequent, as though something is underway.”

The Seventh Princess did not ask what it was. She did not want to know such things. From beginning to end, she had never taken part in these struggles.

“Even now, we still cannot figure out their purpose, because those spies and scouts only know what they are supposed to do, not why they are doing it. But one thing is certain: they are acting with a common purpose.” The Emperor went on. “Though we do not know what their goal is, or what has brought them together against us, we can use this chance to break apart their cooperation.”

“Or perhaps...” he said slowly, “we can make them show their hand.”

Kill a portion of the spies and scouts, imprison another portion, and let some walk away untouched. Even if they knew this might be a scheme by the Sky Soaring Empire to sow division, it would still make those people begin to distrust one another and grow suspicious of each other.

That was the Emperor’s aim. They had not told Ye Lang exactly whom to kill, whom to imprison, or whom to release, because all of it would be decided at random, completely at random.

“So that’s how it is. Then are we just going to wait like this?” the Seventh Princess asked with some concern. She did not trust Ye Lang and feared that he might cause trouble again.

“Of course not. We are going along to see for ourselves and find out just how your Ye Lang plans to handle it.” The Emperor shook his head. Although they believed Ye Lang was the most suitable person, that did not mean they would feel at ease letting him do it alone.

After all, Ye Lang often did things no one could possibly imagine, causing events to twist in wildly unexpected ways. And such changes, while occasionally beneficial, were usually far more harmful than good.

They soon arrived at a palace within the imperial grounds. From the outside it looked solemn and dignified, but inside it was a far more dreadful place: this was where the imperial court dealt with secret prisoners, and all manner of torture devices for extracting confessions were present in abundance.

When Ye Lang entered, he found that the outer hall was still rather presentable, much like the other palaces in the imperial city: clean, tidy, and orderly.

Apart from a table and the chairs beside it, there was nothing else in the outer hall, almost like an old magistrate’s office.

Ye Lang did not hesitate at all. He strode straight to the only chair, sat down comfortably, then somehow produced a small block-like object and slammed it hard against the tabletop.

“Bring the prisoner to the court!”

This brat really did treat the place like a magistrate’s office. But no one in this world knew what he was trying to imply, and they all stared at him dumbly, secretly wondering whether the Ye family’s Thirteenth Young Master had gone daft again.

Still, everyone could more or less understand what Ye Lang meant, so they prepared to bring the prisoner out.

Wait, no.

“Thirteenth Young Master, which prisoner are you going to question? Why have you come here for fun today?” The person on duty reacted quickly. This Thirteenth Young Master was not his superior, and this place was not under his control.

Naturally, these people knew nothing of the Emperor’s arrangement. If they knew, then all of this would be for nothing.

At that moment, the people watching from a hidden chamber were silently praying that Ye Lang would not forget the item he had just been given. Because of the earlier remark he had made, they had been so startled that they forgot to tell him how to begin.

“Fun? Do I look like I’m here to have fun? I’m busy. I don’t have time to play around with you. Hurry up and bring the people up here! This is the Emperor’s handwritten order, and I have full authority over this matter!”

Ye Lang unfolded a decree.

“Hey, hey, when did I give him a handwritten order?” The Emperor found this odd. What he had just handed over was only a token, yet what happened next left everyone speechless.

“Thirteenth Young Master, there is no writing on your decree...” The person on duty said, sweating profusely. It was the first time he had ever seen a blank decree, and yet the seal stamped upon it clearly showed that it was genuine.

Indeed, a decree is a decree. Even if it were written on scrap paper, once the imperial seal is affixed to it, it becomes authentic.

But could there really be a decree that was sealed first and written afterward?

That seemed impossible.

Could it be that the Emperor trusted him so completely that he believed Ye Lang would never do anything to go against him?

It seemed this Thirteenth Young Master of the Ye family was indeed much favored by the Emperor. Better offend him as little as possible in the future.

No, that was not it at all. Who knew where he had gotten that decree from?

If the Emperor could hear the thoughts in these people’s heads, he would surely cry out in outrage...

“Oh, there isn’t? Then I’ll write it now and be on my way. Just wait!”

Ye Lang started to write on it, but then realized he could not remember what to write.

“How should I phrase this?”

He had never written such a thing before.

Forget it. I’ll just write this:

Ye Lang’s words are imperial decree. Treat him as if the Emperor himself were present.

Damn it, this brat is outrageous. He even dares to write a decree like that.

The Emperor was utterly speechless. Right now, he very much wanted to know exactly where Ye Lang had gotten that decree.

Still, that was even better. Wasn’t this a clearer way of proving that whatever this brat did had nothing to do with them?

“All right then. Bring the prisoners up. And get this young master a pot of tea, with some refreshments too.”

Ye Lang propped his feet on the desk, leaned back in the chair, and let it tilt slightly as he settled in with obvious contentment.

“This—”

“What are you standing there for? Someone, drag this disobedient thing out of here!” Ye Lang called directly for the guards. The guards outside immediately rushed in and hauled away the person who had been hesitating a moment ago.

These guards were different from the ones inside. Since there was a decree, and since it came from Ye Lang, they naturally obeyed him and chose to trust him completely.

“How should we punish him?” they asked.

“Make him sing outside. He is not allowed to stop unless I say so!”

After another round of fussing and shuffling, Ye Lang finally got down to real business.

“There are thirteen of you in all. None of you recognize me?” Ye Lang looked at the people below him, who had already been beaten beyond recognition. They must have been tortured before being brought here.

“We have been wronged! Thirteenth Young Master, we are all honest people. We are innocent!” Seeing Ye Lang, those people seemed to see hope and grew very agitated.

“You all know me?” Ye Lang asked.

What nonsense. In the imperial city, who did not know him? Even ordinary citizens knew who he was, let alone these spies and scouts.

Perhaps that was why they thought Ye Lang might let them go. After all, he was the very embodiment of foolishness and reckless improvisation. No matter which of those he was, they still had a chance.

“Yes, yes! You are the Thirteenth Young Master we like best. We all know you are kindhearted and benevolent, a truly good man.”

Their praise came in a ceaseless flood.

You think I’d be fooled by such obviously fake words? Do you take me for a fool?

Ye Lang cast a disdainful glance at them, then said, “Good. Very good. Keep going. Keep praising me...”

After a short silence, those people immediately began competing with one another to extol Ye Lang’s virtues, turning every flaw into a merit. Even Ye Lang himself started to wonder whether they were still talking about him.