Dragon Canon

Three Thrusts who?

Wei Yuan was a bit confused. The nickname must refer to him, but why were the maidservants giggling so strangely? Besides, the nickname wasn’t quite accurate; he only needed one strike to kill his enemies. Lightning Strikes Twice counted as one strike, and so was The Pear Blossom Tree That Overshadows The Begonia[1].

“Before we get down to business, I must first tie up some loose ends.” The First Consort turned her head slightly and asked, “How did King Fu enter the palace? Who is accompanying him now?”

The maidservant replied, “It is Eunuch Wang, Your Highness. He was just assigned the day before yesterday.”

“Bring him in.”

Moments later, an elderly eunuch entered the Spring Blossoms Hall. He knelt on the floor as soon as he stepped through the door. He appeared to be in his fifties with half-gray temples. He possessed the cultivation of a Dao Foundation stage cultivator. Judging by his robes, his official rank was quite high.

The First Consort picked up the soup bowl beside her, took a light sip, and said, “King Fu trespassed into the Spring Blossom Hall earlier—were you the one who instigated this?”

The elderly eunuch was taken aback. “This old servant wouldn’t dare?! Hasn’t King Fu always been allowed to enter the Spring Blossom Hall at any time? This old servant was merely—”

Before he could finish, a maidservant sealed his lips with her mystic energy and snapped, “Answer only what you’re asked. Are you so tired of living that you’d dare to show off your wit in front of Her Highness?”

The First Consort gently closed the lid on the bowl, causing a clear “ding” sound, and said, “King Fu is still young. In the past, His Majesty doted on him a little too much and caused him to become somewhat spoiled. But you and your lot are King Fu’s servants. To indulge in his whims without restraint—are you hoping to become favored courtiers by his side in the future, or are you deliberately guiding him to act recklessly, commit grave errors, and be removed from the war of succession prematurely?”

The elderly eunuch was utterly stunned at this accusation. He wanted to defend himself, but with his mouth sealed shut, he couldn’t utter a single word and could only kowtow repeatedly.

The First Consort set down the soup bowl and ordered indifferently, “Throw him into the pond.”

One of the maidservants appeared behind the elderly eunuch in a flash and hoisted him up like a little chick. She asked, “Which pond?”

“The water in Consort Dai’s palace is quite clear. It’ll suffice.”

The maidservant vanished into thin air. A few breaths later, she reappeared behind the First Consort. If Wei Yuan hadn’t witnessed all this with his own eyes, he would have found it hard to believe that an eunuch could perish just like that.

The First Consort said calmly, “The palace is really full of hidden dangers. Some people see this child as favored, and the Crown Prince has been repeatedly reprimanded by His Majesty and somewhat out of favor these past few years. So, they’re setting their sights on him. In fact, anyone who knows even a little about the inner workings of the palace should be placing their bets on Fifth Master instead. You studied the history of Jin as soon as you came to the capital. A naughty boy like you should be well aware of this.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about! This servant has been very well-behaved so far! Extremely so!” Wei Yuan hastily protested. There was no way he could allow the First Consort’s assessment of him to leak out.

King Wei was the fifth prince. Therefore, when the First Consort used the term “Fifth Master”, she was referring to him.

Technically speaking, prior to entering the capital, Wei Yuan had not carried any burden with him and could advance, retreat, or even run away as he pleased. Worst case scenario, he could simply fight another battle against Yue Jinshan’s Northern Frontier Iron Cavalry. But now that the national fortune of Jin rested on his shoulders, he was truly required to weather the storm alongside the state.

That was why he had become much more reserved than before. The responsibility was simply that heavy.

The First Consort paid no heed to Wei Yuan’s attempts to clear his name and continued, “If you really think about it, you’ll realize exactly the kind of people who would bet on Fu’er. Apart from these idlers around me, they’re all people who couldn’t even squeeze through Fifth Master’s front gate. Heh, his threshold is so much lower than the Crown Prince’s too.”

Wei Yuan detected a hint of bitterness beneath the First Consort’s calm voice. The Consort Kin Clique hadn’t even existed when he first arrived in the western regions.

It was only after Sun Chao’en acted as a go-between and Wei Yuan joined that they could barely be considered a clique, and even then, this was truly cemented only after he had annihilated 10,000 of Yue Jinshan’s iron cavalry.

Worse, after joining the Consort Kin Clique, Wei Yuan discovered that the only influential figures in this group were First Consort Yuan and himself. Sun Chao’en didn’t even count as a member of the Consort Kin Clique—he belonged to the Qingliu Clique. As a man of integrity with a bright future and a somewhat good reputation, he naturally would never stoop to associating with Wei Yuan.

The First Consort sighed softly and said, “This child seems to think that everything I have will naturally belong to him in the future. He’s only become increasingly difficult to discipline after he was overly pampered. Naturally, the best solution to this problem...”

Wei Yuan instantly sensed trouble and resolved not to respond no matter what.

“... is, of course, to have another child.”

Wei Yuan initially breathed a sigh of relief, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that something was off.

“All right, it’s time to get down to business.” The First Consort rose gracefully, walked over to Wei Yuan, and suddenly swept her skirt aside, revealing her shapely, snow-white legs. She then sent Wei Yuan tumbling to the ground with a single kick before stepping on him!

To his surprise, she wasn’t wearing shoes or socks. His very first thought after being stepped on was: How soft.

The First Consort’s legs were long, shapely, and so white they were practically glowing. He would’ve believed it if someone told him that they were carved from warm jade. When his gaze trailed upward, Wei Yuan suddenly realized that, if he were to disregard the robe she was wearing, then it would not be a mistake to say that she was wearing her birthday suit.

To say this was all too sudden would be an understatement. Wei Yuan froze as he recalled that there were still two maidservants in the hall, and countless palace maids and eunuchs outside the palace!

Wei Yuan had no choice but to lower his voice, gasping as he struggled to break free, “Your Highness! We are in broad daylight in full view of everyone. We cannot, cannot....”

It was at this moment the skirt’s hem unfurled, revealing a heavenly phoenix soaring through the sky. Its tail feathers and the tip of its wings sparkled with flecks of brilliance, while layer upon layer of immortal mountains spread out, transforming into shades of watery blue and heavenly azure. It looked as if the splendor of a lifetime was slowly descending to envelop Wei Yuan.

The sun set behind the western mountains.

The gates of the Spring Blossom Palace swung open, and Wei Yuan stepped out from behind it. When he descended the stairs, he actually missed a step, stumbled, and nearly fell. Fortunately, his eyes were quick and his hands swift. He grabbed hold of a column just in time to narrowly avoid a public embarrassment.

The icy-cold voice of the First Consort rang out from within the palace. “Support Lord Wei.”

As night fell, Wei Yuan returned to his quarters at the posthouse and slowly sat down. The lamp was within an arm’s reach, yet he did not even want to lift his hand right now.

Just then, an official in the posthouse reported that someone was seeking an audience. Wei Yuan just barely mustered a sliver of Dao energy, pointed his finger, and lighted the lamp in the room.

An elderly Confucianist strolled into the room. The moment Wei Yuan saw him, he felt a pang of guilt and anxiety. He hurriedly pulled himself together and respectfully invited the man inside.

The elderly Confucianist was none other than the eminent Confuciant scholar who had accompanied the Princess of Ning on her diplomatic mission that day. He had originally intended to test Wei Yuan, but in the end, it was he who was left with nothing but his underwear. Back then, posing as a horse bandit, he had naturally acted with impunity. Now, suddenly facing the very victim he had wronged, it was impossible not to feel guilty or anxious.

The elderly Confucianist scrutinized Wei Yuan from head to toe, stroked his beard, and chuckled, “The waves of the river drive on those before[2], and you are young, accomplished, and superbly skilled in horsemanship to boot—this old man truly admires you.”

Wei Yuan’s face flushed slightly. It was a veiled jab at his impersonation of a horse bandit.

Fortunately, the old gentleman dropped the matter after just a light-hearted jab and turned serious, saying, “I have come here at the request of the Princess of Ning. She wishes to invite you to her residence for a late-night conversation by candlelight[3]!”

1. This saying describes an age gap relationship, specifically between an older man and a younger woman. Wei Yuan is probably saying that an older man would blow his load in one thrust into a younger woman. Apologies for the very direct interpretation. And why would such a weird thought cross his mind? I guess not even immortals are immune to intrusive thoughts.... ☜

2. Meaning the new generation always surpasses the old. ☜

3. Looks like the younger sister grew anxious after her older sister got her fill. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ☜