Protect Our Chief

Chapter 1114 - 80: Great Emperor VS Shouzhe! Narrow Escape from Collapse

...Inside the Imperial Palace, West Garden Lake.

The entire shape of this lake is close to circular, with a broad surface averaging a diameter of a hundred miles, giving it an expansive look from afar, like an endless misty expanse.

It is like a bright pearl embedded within Gui Long City, yet enclosed by the giant palace walls, becoming Emperor Longchang’s private "pond".

Inside the palace, there are both lakes and mountains, showcasing its immense scale.

Within the West Garden Lake area, the Water Spiritual Qi is extremely abundant. Under the gathering of Spiritual Qi, it forms visible spiritual mist; when a breeze blows, it creates floating clouds of mist on the lake surface, like a celestial lake fallen to earth.

By the lake, there are rows of waterfront pavilions, grand and majestic, fully displaying the imperial family’s style.

Such a huge complex is named "Lakefront Pavilion", indicating Emperor Longchang’s taste isn’t too remarkable.

In front of the waterfront pavilions.

In casual attire, Emperor Longchang was at the moment fiddling with a refined lure rod.

The long fishing line was cast out a mile away. With skilled ease, he jerked and pulled, making the lure twist and turn, its swimming posture teasing, as if saying to the carnivorous Spirit Fish in the lake, "Come eat me~ come eat me."

It was full of tempting appeal.

Suddenly.

The tip of the rod sank down.

"Got it!"

Emperor Longchang felt a rush of delight and abruptly pulled the rod, indeed catching a big fish.

He immediately began reeling in the line happily.

"Your Majesty." At this moment, Old Yao walked over with small steps and quietly reported, "Wang Shouzhe has been brought and is waiting outside the pavilion. Shall we summon him..."

"Let him wait." Emperor Longchang didn’t even raise his head, "I am busy fishing."

Old Yao secretly rolled his eyes.

Your Majesty, you’ve been longing to see Wang Shouzhe, even dropping various hints and then issuing a direct imperial decree to summon him "immediately". Now that he’s here, you’re deliberately keeping him waiting... that’s not very appropriate.

"What? As a grand emperor, can’t I let him sweat it out for a while when I’m annoyed?" Emperor Longchang snorted coldly, "Aren’t you aware of the messes he’s caused? He even appointed an Emperor’s Son for us. I honestly have to thank him!"

"Now that he’s entered the palace, he’s like a fat fish that’s bitten the bait, it’s my dish, can’t fly to the sky anymore."

"Considering all he’s done towards me, not setting up hundreds of saber and axe hands against him is already giving him face."

The more he talked, the more enraged Emperor Longchang became, suddenly jerking the fishing rod, only to apply too much force. "Crack," the rod made of Purple Spirit Bamboo shattered.

The big fish regained its freedom, immediately leaping out of the water and swam dozens of yards away, then dragging the rod to the lake bottom.

"This..." Old Yao’s mouth twitched, exclaiming, "Has Your Majesty’s cultivation reached the ’Words and Deeds Follow’ level?"

"Uh..." Emperor Longchang’s mouth twitched, instead glaring fiercely at Old Yao, "Old Yao, don’t think that because you’ve served me for hundreds of years, I’m too benevolent to slap you, that you can be so reckless. Do you really think I can’t tell you’re mocking me?"

With just a slight movement of his Divine Thought, he locked onto that Spirit Fish several hundred miles away.

Following that, with a sweep and a motion of the Great Emperor’s Divine Thought, that hundreds of pounds heavy Spirit Fish was lifted by an invisible force and landed on the waterfront platform.

The fish still had the fishing line in its mouth, flapping its tail, showing a look of "Who am I, where am I, what am I doing?" like a dazed fish.

Seeing this, the Emperor felt angry.

With a slight movement of his Divine Thought, he removed the hook from the fish’s mouth, and then kicked it back into the lake in irritation.

As a seasoned angler, naturally he’d rather starve than eat a fish not personally caught.

"Old Yao, bring Wang Shouzhe in." Emperor Longchang said, face full of resentment, "I want to ask him why the lure rod from his family is of such poor quality, causing me to lose the fish."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Old Yao nodded, secretly amused as he went to summon Wang Shouzhe.

Shortly afterward, he returned with Wang Shouzhe and accompanied Prince Anjun.

Seeing the Emperor standing by the lakeside with his hands behind his back, displaying an air of "I didn’t see you," he smirked internally and quietly winked at Wang Shouzhe: "Wang Shouzhe, hurry and pay your respects to Your Majesty."

"Minister, Changning Sixth-Grade Wang Family Head Shouzhe, pays respects to Your Majesty." Wang Shouzhe folded his hands and bowed gracefully and properly.

Beside him, Prince Anjun naturally paid his respects as well.

Only then did Emperor Longchang leisurely turn around and glance at Wang Shouzhe.

Wang Shouzhe donned a white robe, graceful and refined, his aura as gentle as a spring breeze, standing there like a striking feature in the landscape.

In comparison, not only the royal offspring but even those young individuals of the Daqian Wang Family renowned in Upper Capital City for their appearance and demeanor paled in comparison.

"Hmm, looks decent, and the aura is so-so. It’s a rarity these days, no wonder he could have excellent children like Liyao and Zong’an." Emperor Longchang said against his heart, "Almost a few notches below my youthful self."

"Thank Your Majesty for the compliments, Minister is overwhelmed." Wang Shouzhe remained calm and natural.