Chapter 244 A Happy and Prosperous Father-in-Law...
Qi Chengming clapped twice.
The heavy doors were pushed open, their luxurious wood and meticulous care preventing them from making a sound. A figure emerged from outside, standing respectfully with hands at his sides, and entered the hall. The candlelight illuminated his familiar face, but it took everyone present by surprise.
Standing there was Zhao Fuman, the foremost eunuch of the imperial court, with a fair complexion, no beard, and a kind smile as gentle as a white steamed bun.
Prince Ning moved his lips slightly, glanced at his elder brother, the Crown Prince, with a look of slight awe, and then lowered his gaze deeply.
Emperor Hongren's pupils trembled violently, his face turned purple, and he was so choked up that he could barely speak, only his chest heaving violently: "...You!"
This wasn't even a prelude to Emperor Hongren's usual outburst of anger.
Seeing this, Qi Chengming kindly questioned on behalf of Emperor Hongren: "Why you? Why did you betray us?"
"Little Fuzi! Don't forget how you accompanied me to this day! What good things did that bastard promise you?!" Emperor Hongren was finally brought back to his senses by these two sentences, and blurted out through gritted teeth.
Just by the fact that he called out the old nickname "Little Fuzi," you could tell how caught off guard he was this time.
Qi Chengming spread his hands to defend himself: "I didn't promise anything. It was Eunuch Fuman who approached me first."
Even after he and other ministers, including Grand Secretary Mu, made some plans, they still could not guarantee Qi Chengming's life.
Therefore, they discussed the matter repeatedly and even prepared for a final coup.
First, have Qi Chengming's private soldiers conceal their movements and hide on the estate. Once cornered, they will storm the palace. The commander of the guards at the city gates is related to Wang Chuandao by marriage. The Xue family has connections with the eunuchs at the palace gates and can provide support.
Before that, weren't all the officials of the Six Ministries in the palace? Even if it sounds absurd, they could still hear the commotion and, if necessary, hold off the approaching Imperial Guards for Qi Chengming. At the time, Qi Chengming thought Grand Secretary Mu was talking nonsense. How could everyone be so loyal to him? Even if many were truly loyal, who would use officials as human shields?
If Emperor Hongren manages to contact the palace guards, how could their physical bodies possibly withstand the army's armor and weapons?
Qi Chengming immediately called Mr. He aside and gave him instructions. Even armored soldiers were difficult to bring into the palace, but Qi Chengming still had a hundred sets of chainmail in his system space. Wasn't he supposed to go to the Six Ministries to hand over his duties before entering the palace? These would be placed in an empty duty room. If there was a real need, it would be up to Mr. He to find these armored soldiers and bring people to use them.
He is very capable and reliable in this regard.
All sorts of arrangements were laid out, whether absurd or not, everything was meticulously planned. Even Qi Chengming secretly carried various pills, daggers, and explosives. If force truly became necessary… he could demonstrate superhuman strength, taking on a hundred enemies single-handedly, and teach Old Deng a lesson.
The ministers were still uneasy and worried, but Qi Chengming was not afraid at all.
Now that the struggle for the throne has reached a point where everyone is fighting tooth and nail, to put it bluntly, even if he were attacked, as long as he has a health bar, he can remain unscathed unless he is killed in one hit. But he also has a health lock, and in that time, he has stockpiled plenty of pills to save his life.
He's very difficult to kill.
With everything prepared to this extent, Li Banhui, who had come to the palace to pay his respects and assist, reported an important development:
Zhao Fuman suddenly made contact with them.
Qi Chengming snapped out of his daze and glanced at the old eunuch.
He dared not alert the enemy, so he had completely overlooked Zhao Fuman's actions and hadn't even considered the man. That's why he was so shocked when Zhao Fuman subtly conveyed his surrender. It was Song Gu who stepped forward to recall:
“I had dealings with him in my early years. Eunuch Fuman was very strange. Everyone thought he loved to eat or loved money, but he probably didn’t love any of those things. Instead, there was something that bothered me a lot… Eunuch Fuman would laugh at inappropriate times, but the Emperor never punished him. He seemed to be… cold-hearted and enjoyed watching others suffer.”
Qi Chengming also recalled it.
On several occasions, when Emperor Hongren was furious while reviewing memorials, he could see Zhao Fuman secretly enjoying the scene through the surveillance cameras, looking quite pleased with himself.
Did Emperor Hongren know about this?
Qi Chengming kept it in mind at the time, only guessing that Eunuch Fuman might not be wholeheartedly devoted to the emperor, without considering whether it was a problem with his character.
“Perhaps it’s because I have some connection with Eunuch Fuman,” Song Gu said with a guilty expression. “We talked a few days ago, and that’s why he wanted to come and seek refuge with me. After all…”
With an emperor about to be forced to abdicate and suffer punishment, such a major upheaval would likely be difficult for Eunuch Fuman to resist.
Qi Chengming neither agreed nor disagreed.
Song Gu took all the blame upon himself, but Qi Chengming still had many questions in his mind. What did Eunuch Fu Man mean...? Wasn't he just a gambler? Would a gambler really give up his existing wealth and status to gamble on something so uncertain just for entertainment? Wasn't he afraid of losing his life?
Regardless of how much Qi Chengming disbelieved it, the information provided by Zhao Fuman was verified and correct.
Upon entering the palace today, Zhao Fuman stood quietly outside the hall as if invisible, calming the patrolling imperial guards away. When he heard Emperor Hongren's furious shouts, he remained completely unmoved, as if deaf.
Now...
It's time for him to enjoy the sweet fruits of his labor.
Zhao Fuman's face showed not a trace of fear or timidity. He stood smiling and bowing, gazing at Emperor Hongren on the throne. His face remained amiable, but his eyes shone with a gleam of unbridled joy. It was like the satisfaction of finally collapsing into a deep sleep after three days and three nights of exhaustion; like the miraculous rain after a long and arduous search for a question, finally finding the answer; like the sudden enlightenment of a seeker on the verge of death—
Even if he were to die the next second, he would have no regrets.
"Your Majesty." Zhao Fuman's smile grew even brighter at this moment. He seemed to know nothing of fear, but rather was extremely satisfied. "Since ascending the throne, this servant has not seen you so panicked and humiliated in a long time."
Seeing Zhao Fuman in this state, Emperor Hongren understood everything. He gripped the armrest tightly in frustration, his voice almost bursting from his chest, roaring with shame, anger, and murderous intent: "Zhao Fuman! I am the emperor—not one of those people in the harem for your amusement!"
Qi Chengming briefly recalled the occasions he had witnessed in the past, and suddenly became displeased: "So you've known all along??"
So, the old emperor actually knew about his personal eunuch's little hobby, and when those things happened in the harem, he sent Zhao Fuman to deal with them one by one... Was he just making a fool of everyone for Zhao Fuman to see?
Emperor Hongren had no time to answer Qi Chengming's question. He stared intently at Zhao Fuman, turning his attention to Zhao Fuman with a murderous glint in his eyes that was far greater than when he had looked at Qi Chengming.
"From childhood... I have only ever felt special affection for you, Zhao Fuman, you deserve to die!" Emperor Hongren said through gritted teeth.
He had several chief eunuchs serving the emperor, and over the years he had dealt with some of them, but the one he valued most now was Zhao Fuman, whom he had known since childhood. This old fox was as shrewd as a worm in his stomach, and when he was stupid, it was just right, yet Emperor Hongren never felt too wary or suspicious of him. This was because Zhao Fuman's heart wasn't in the emperor's hands; his greatest hobby was nothing more than digging holes and gathering information like a rat.
The more terrible the news, the happier he became.
Emperor Hongren had never considered this a problem in the past. He thought it normal for eunuchs to be cold-hearted, as long as they were loyal to him. Before his ascension to the throne, much of the information Zhao Fuman had gathered was quite useful… Emperor Hongren had never been so lenient with others. He considered his actions to be quite lenient. Without his tacit approval, why would Zhao Fuman be able to listen with such relish when wrongdoings occurred?
Raising tigers has become a problem...
Zhao Fuman was so bold as to want to come and cause him trouble!
Emperor Hongren glared at that hateful, fat old face, wishing he could tear it to pieces: "What good do you think you'll get by siding with this bastard? You betrayed me now for your own amusement, and you'll betray him in the future! You won't have a good end!"
“That is none of Your Majesty’s concern.” Zhao Fuman said calmly, bowing slightly to Qi Chengming. “How Your Highness decides to deal with this old servant is Your Highness’s business, and it is not for this old servant to dictate the terms.”
Qi Chengming: "..."
Emperor Hongren's words were clearly directed at him. But Zhao Fuman was fearless... or rather, he didn't care at all whether he would survive or have a good ending. The excitement right before his eyes was what he desperately wanted.
Prince Ning swayed slightly, his mind racing and he even felt a little dizzy.
He just couldn't understand how all these twists and turns had come about, and why Fu Man had betrayed him. Could anyone explain it to him clearly?
Prince Ning dared not ask.
"You filthy old dog!" Emperor Hongren broke down, standing up and roaring, "You're loyal to the Crown Prince now? I bet when you were castrated in the palace back then, your heart and liver were ripped out too! You'll never see that filthy thing again in this lifetime!"
What eunuchs value most is their incomplete bodies.
The "treasures" of Zhao Fuman's personal eunuchs all belonged to Emperor Hongren, but after being insulted like this, Zhao Fuman's expression did not change at all. He did not care at all, and his tone was full of indifference, but the dimples on his lips still lingered with the afterglow of the satisfied smile from earlier: "Your Majesty may do as you please. This servant has already gotten what I wanted most."
Emperor Hongren: "..."
Even if Emperor Hongren broke through his defenses, it would be of no use. Faced with the stubborn and unyielding Zhao Fuman, he was completely powerless.
Qi Chengming: "..."
He listened to the two bickering and observed them coldly for a long time, and a previously vague idea gradually became clear to him—
Grandpa Fuman.
Could he be... an antisocial personality?
He was so pleased to be able to personally participate in the backstabbing and dragon-slaying process, to witness the old emperor's incredulous breakdown and his furious outburst of insults and curses.
Even from Qi Chengming's silent observation, the newly arrived eunuch Fuman was far less happy than he was now after being scolded for so long.
This is the epitome of a comedian, a true role model for comedians.
Now Qi Chengming was beginning to believe it... that in order to betray the emperor, Eunuch Fuman, a high-ranking eunuch, was willing to turn his ship around and surrender to him.
Regardless, with Zhao Fuman around, he drew away most of Emperor Hongren's killing intent. Qi Chengming glanced at the built-in time on the infrastructure system and silently calculated it in his mind.
That's about it... The others should have finished dealing with things by now, right?
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The author's note: My poor gaming laptop, which had been with me for nine years, just died like that. A few days ago, when I was writing this, I was still hoping it wouldn't work out, as long as I could type. But it still just slept and never woke up.
I bought a new used work computer, it arrived last night. Everything is going slowly, but the retro design makes me a little nostalgic, haha.
Just use it as a temporary solution; as long as it can write, that's fine. We'll buy a desktop computer later.
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