Ch. 34 - Hot and hygienic Kongbao

Impressed by the delicacies described by the envoy, Kong Wuying decides to go with him.

As one of the great powers of the East, the Daqing Empire is extremely comparable.

The capital of Daqing is far away from Shengdu, but they board a high-level flying spirit beast and arrive in Qingdu within half a day. After arriving in Qingdu, Kong Wuying is immediately rushed into the palace by a minister who had been waiting at the landing pad anxiously.

The envoy, Feng Gong, is actually one of the main directors of the palace and he says this with a proud smirk. “If there’s anything you don’t like, tell me immediately.”

Kong Wuying is not very picky about these things. How can a luxurious palace be comparable to his palace? A thatched cottage and a thatched cottage, is there any difference?

It's just... he still asks the question; "Isn't the prince dead?"

Feng Gong's face twitches. "If you suspect that the dead are lingering then I will change your residence for you, but the palace has… changed recently. It is not easy to find a residence that has never experienced death within its walls. I could order someone to build a room outside the palace, but the security aspect..."

Kong Wuying asks, “Where was my previous place of residence?"

Feng Gong's face changes slightly, and he keeps silent.

Kong Wuying raises his eyebrows. "Huh?"

Feng Gong doesn’t know why he feels an invisible pressure settle over his shoulders. He grits his teeth and lowers his head to say, "His Highness the Emperor has changed it to a stable."

Ah, what kind of treatment did the original owner receive in this palace? But honestly, Kong Wuying is too lazy to pursue it.

"I'm hungry. What about the chef you said before? I want to eat the food of Yeying." The world is big, but food is the most important.

Feng Gong: "... What did you say? Where?"

"Yeying."

The expression on Feng Gong's face is a bit subtle, and he gives Kong Wuying a strange glance. "If you want to eat, I’ll have it prepared, but there is nothing really delicious."

Your mum isn’t delicious, Kong Wuying thinks spitefully.

Obviously, Kong Wuying has now replaced his father, and has become the center of the entire palace. He only says a command and within five minutes, the food from Yeying is freshly baked.

The imperial chef stands respectfully and introduces himself with a look of pride. "His Royal Highness, this is the most famous sweet soup in the Yeying continent, strawberry sweet soup."

Kong Wuying looks at the "Strawberry Sweet Soup" in front of him, and he’s a little embarrassed. "Is this special sugar water? You put a strawberry in the middle, is this strawberry sweet soup?"

The imperial chef replies respectfully, "It is indeed sugar water. The taste of Yeying people is like this. I really don't know how they eat such things."

Kong Wuying is silent. Just because you can’t make it properly, apparently we have no taste?

Kong Wuying has understood that this person is unreliable, but still asks a little unwillingly, "Can you do anything else?"

The imperial chef says, "There will be watermelon sweet soup, apple sweet soup and duck pear soup."

Kong Wuying shoos away the imperial chef and watches the envoy silently.

The special envoy understands. He kneels down to Kong Wuying. "Your Highness, you can’t go! If you like Yeying's food, I'll go to Yeying to grab a chef and cook it for you!"

This... it is possible.

The blankness of Kong Wuying’s face slowly eases and the envoy sighs in relief, when suddenly another eunuch comes to report.

"Your Highness, His Majesty the Emperor calls."

The envoy hurriedly says, "His Majesty will be thrilled to see you."

Kong Wuying still wants to deal with this matter concerning food but supposes it can wait for now.

He ends up finding his apparent father in a spacious and gorgeous dormitory. The old emperor is already old. Because of the excessive stress in earlier years, his eyes are cloudy, his face is cyan, and his brows are dark. He seems dazed and not quite all there.

Feng Gong leads Kong Wuying closer. “Your Majesty, the 22nd prince is here." The envoy turns his head again to urge Kong Wuying, "Your Royal Highness, talk to His Majesty."

"Hello," Kong Wuying says dryly.

Hearing the sound of Kong Wuying, the old emperor’s eyes snap open, the turbid eyes letting out a glorious light and he grabs Kong Wuying’s hand. “I… I want… want…!”

Kong Wuying startles.

The old emperor’s hand shakes and then goes limp. He stares up at the ceiling, sightless. Dead.

Feng Gong is shocked and quickly responds, yelling at the top of his lungs, “His Majesty is dying! His Majesty is dying!"

So a bunch of people swarm up, kneeling in front of the hospital bed and crying on the old emperor's body.

Kong Wuying desperately pulls at the hand still being held hostage. The old emperor’s grip is so tight, Kong Wuying can barely shake it off.

Everyone cries sadly for a while and Kong Wuying stands there, feeling horribly awkward.

Then suddenly someone asks, "His Majesty... what did he say to Your Highness?"

Feng Gong shouts, "His Majesty said he would pass on the empire to His Royal Highness!" He kneels quickly. "Please, Your Highness, ascend the throne!"

"His Royal Highness, please!"

"His Royal Highness!"

"Please ascend the throne!"

Kong Wuying blinks in confusion because he didn’t hear the old man say anything like that.

…

Only after the funeral of the old emperor, can Kong Wuying take the throne so it’ll take some time. Kong Wuying is completely idle in the meantime.

He wants to leave, but Feng Gong has sent guards to follow him 24 hours a day and forbid His Highness from running away.

Kong Wuying measures his current spirit level, laments at being so weak, and ends up having to play along.

One day, Feng Gong, who has been busy with the old emperor's funeral, comes in mysteriously and tells Kong Wuying to follow the envoy to a certain place.

Dressed in plain clothes, Kong Wuying follows him out of the imperial palace, to a remote and small courtyard at the foot of the imperial city.

"What is this?" Kong Wuying looks at the men in black lined up in front of him.

"They are the Shadow Guards." A middle-aged man in a yellow robe comes over and salutes Kong Wuying with a cupped fist. "Your Royal Highness, I am the head of the guards."

"The Shadow Guard Academy is a place for training Shadow Guards for the royal family." Gong Feng says, "Your Highness, you are about to ascend to the throne, security is paramount. It is when you need a Shadow Guard to protect you the most. Which Shadow Guard is the best, you recommend one!"

The head of the guard hums for a while before pointing at the three men in black in the crowd. "No. 3 is good at stalking, No. 5 is the strongest, No. 11 is the most loyal."

With the introduction, the three men in black can’t help but straighten their chests a bit and wait for His Royal Highness's choice.

Kong Wuying only glances and feels that his stomach hurts.

Shadow Guards live only in the dark, so these carefully selected guards have a passerby's face, which can be thrown into a crowd without a splash. If not for the names embroidered on the clothes on the chest, and it is impossible to tell who is who.

Kong Wuying has a stomach ache from how plain and boring these people are so he just points at a random person. "Just you."

The man is instantly overjoyed and thankful.

Feng Gong looks at the man and frowns. The man is too thin. Feng Gong wonders if this one could take on the responsibility of guarding the soon to be emperor. "How strong is this man?"

The head of the guard purses his lips. “This is not a Shadow Guard, he is in charge of hygiene."

Feng Gong smiles bitterly. "Your Highness, please pick another."

"No change, this one looks good." Kong Wuying is already a little impatient.

Seeing His Highness is frustrated, Feng Gong quickly lowers his head and does not dare to make another attempt.

Kong Wuying looks at the man he just picked. Those who enter his eyes must be the most beautiful. Although this person is not as good as Kongbao, he has a completely different beauty.

This elegant beauty is like a lotus flower out of the water, quietly showing an enchanting appearance that belongs to him alone. Although it is not as eye-catching and engaging as Kongbao, it feels comfortable and clean no matter the temperament.

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