"You didn’t die!" The Emperor exclaimed, rising from the dragon throne, his face taking on an exceedingly ghastly hue.
With a glance, Mu Houchu answered him, "The Emperor thought I was dead? As the saying goes, ’see the living for certain and the dead for sure’, how could the Emperor simply believe someone else’s word that I am dead, particularly when it’s just coming from Old Man Chen? I remember, I have told you before, the most imperative thing one should not do in this court is to easily trust others. Have you not been disadvantaged too often in the past and learned better by now?"
The Emperor’s visage turned even more terrible, he was just about to yell, "Guards!"
But Mu Houchu stopped him, "Don’t you want to know how I escaped death? Aren’t you curious, if I am really alive, what is my purpose here today?"
The Emperor paused for a moment. How could he not want to know?
"Why didn’t you die?" Frustration boiling inside him, the Emperor asked in a cold voice.
Mu Houchu replied, "Old Man Chen didn’t want me dead, so naturally, I am not."
The Emperor was stunned, his face conveyed his disbelief," H-How can this be possible?"
"Old Man Chen was indeed ordered to arrest me, and he even wanted to use the Mind-Losing Powder to harm me. He had a planted a marker in my body years ago with this herbal medicine. For any bystander, that powder has little effect, but for me, even a slight touch could be lethal. Even so, why do you think I am still alive?" Mu Houchu asked and gave a sardonic smile.
"Why?"
"Because Old Man Chen has no intention of killing me. The Emperor must be well aware of my past – I was once a tool trained by him to kill. He would often say that I was his best creation. He wants to keep me, to use me for something grand." Mu Houchu spoke, his voice as cold as ever. Even when speaking such cruel words, he spoke as if talking about another person’s matter.
"But if he had killed you, I would have given him everything you had! Total control, being next only to the Emperor himself! Why would he deceive me by keeping you alive?"
Mu Houchu stared at him, a smirk playing on his lips, "Really? Does the Emperor think that the position of the Prime Minister is the only thing he eyes? Does he not covet the throne, the position above all? He keeps me alive simply because he wishes to turn me back into his tool of murder, to help him eliminate the most crucial person one day, to help fulfill his grand ambition."
"No one can control you now! How you could possibly be willing to become his weapon for murder?"
"My woman is now in his hands. Naturally, he can make me willingly become his tool again."
The Emperor felt a chill pass through his heart, his face turned pale in an instant.
At this moment, he didn’t know who to believe. The series of betrayals had left him floundering.
Earlier, Old Man Chen claimed that Mu Houchu betrayed him. But now, Mu Houchu was arguing that Old Man Chen too had betrayed him.
Who then... Who then would remain truly loyal to him?
"How can I believe you?!" The Emperor roared in a momentary loss of control.
"Believe it because I am standing here without a scratch," Mu Houchu replied calmly. "Didn’t Old Man Chen assure the Emperor that he killed me? But here I am, safe and sound. Isn’t this the best evidence?"
Mu Houchu paused before continuing, "The Emperor probably doesn’t know something even more important."
"What is it?" The Emperor’s heart was already wavering.
"When Gongsun Yi rose in rebellion, the reason he was able to easily enter the Imperial City was because of the leaked defense layout map. Does the Emperor know who is the one who leaked it?" Mu Houchu asked, his voice chilly.
"It was the commander of the imperial guard..."
Mu Houchu casually tossed a document towards him, "The commander of the imperial guards was just a scapegoat. The real culprit who conspired with Gongsun Yi is none other than Old Man Chen. I have even gathered all the evidence."
The Emperor looked at the document, his face ashen. He gripped the document so hard that he almost wanted to tear it to shreds!
Being one of his most trusted ministers, he would have never expected him to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing!
"When I originally asked you to thoroughly investigate this matter, you concluded that it was the commander of the Imperial Guards who colluded with Gongsun Yi! And now, you are telling me that it was Old Man Chen who betrayed me?!" The Emperor said angrily.
"It was Old Man Chen who requested my silence. He once saved my life, and took care of me when I was young. I wanted to repay him this one time, to spare him. So, I stripped him of his power, allowing him to retire and spend his remaining years in the comfort of his home. In doing so, I considered it as my repayment to him and also fulfilled the Emperor’s orders. Yet you chose to let a wolf into your residence, freezing everyone’s hearts." Mu Houchu scoffed.
The Emperor stumbled, his face as white as a sheet, "So, why have you come here? Are you here to kill me?"
"What if I say I’m here to help you, would you believe me?"
The Emperor snorted, "No, I won’t."
"Why don’t you believe me?"
The Emperor glared at him, his eyes bloodshot, "Ever since you refused the second prince, the third prince, even the crown prince’s invitations, and instead pledged your support to me, I have lost faith in you! I know why you have selected me, the weakest one regarding both background and ability!"
Mu Houchu answered calmly, "I have been sincere in serving the Emperor. If you are going to misconstrue my intentions, then there’s nothing I can say."
"Have nothing to say?" The Emperor scoffed, "After I ascended to the throne, you slowly removed powerful ministers from my court, gathering all the power into your hands. In this country, my words carry less weight than yours. Are you still going to say that I am prejudiced against you? Are you really going to say that you have no ambition?!"
Mu Houchu looked at him, his eyes were calm, revealing no emotions, no schemes, "If the Emperor minds this, he can take back all the power."
In shock, the Emperor stared at him, "What?"
Mu Houchu rhadly took out his prime minister seal from his pocket, "If the Emperor feels that I wield too much power, he can take it all back and choose someone capable to lead. I’m already tired of all the bloody drama of the governance. I would like to request the Emperor to grant me permission to return to my hometown."
Standing there, the Emperor froze, rendered immobile. The person he had spent so much effort to scheme against was so quickly willing to give up his power; while the person he trusted was the real wolf in sheep’s clothing.
——
Outside the palace gates, upon exiting, Mu Houchu found Ling Feng already waiting for him.
"Master, giving up your power like this isn’t in your favor!"
Mu Houchu replied calmly, "I know what you are trying to say. When did I ever mention giving up all my power?"
"But you have already handed over the Prime Minister’s seal..."
Mu Houchu coldly snorted, "Without giving him the seal, how could the Emperor believe me? After giving him the power, the Emperor won’t be able to handle it all by himself, he doesn’t have the ability to deal with all of it. In the end, he would have to delegate the power to someone. And this time, he must have learned his lesson; he would distribute the power among different people."
The gleam in Ling Feng’s eyes brightened as though he remembered something important, "Master, now is the time to use those competent people that we have secretly nurtured in the Imperial Court!"
Mu Houchu gave a cold laugh, "Whoever he decides to delegate power to, in the end, wouldn’t it fall into my hands? The officials in this court are all my people. Whether he realizes it or not, the blood of this court has long been replaced by me. Everyone here overtly or covertly works for me. Whoever he chooses to bestow power upon, in the end, I will remain the real master."
In the Daqian Dynasty, the power of Prime Minister Mu Houchu is unrivaled. This isn’t just an empty phrase but the result of many years of careful planning. The people in the court have been replaced by him secretly. Most of them are his people, either openly or in disguise. No matter who the Emperor appoints, they will always be his people.
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