Dragon's Origin

Chapter 554: Grand View Garden (Part 1)

The Empress's words immediately put Wang Sheng in an awkward position. He couldn't resist such a perceptive Empress who, instead of acting like royalty, showed the concern of an elder!

Wang Sheng could only look at Mei'er, wondering how the Empress knew so quickly. Mei'er, standing beside him, blushed crimson at the Empress's words, looking nothing like the strong woman who had bled the Xia family dry.

"Don't blame Mei'er," the Empress said, seeing Wang Sheng's gaze. She smiled and explained, "These past two days, the girl has been so happy she couldn't hide it from the world. A few questions, and it all came out."

Damn it! Wang Sheng glanced at Mei'er. She was too impatient for such a small matter, which was embarrassing.

Mei'er knew she had made a mistake and lowered her head like a quail, not daring to look at Wang Sheng. She and Qiangwei had received Wang Sheng's promise and were overjoyed, but there was no one to share their happiness with, which was incredibly frustrating!

The Empress, with her sharp eyes, saw through the two women's explosive joy. Mei'er was almost giddy with happiness when the Empress casually guided her with a few questions, extracting the specific details.

"What? Is this something you can't show people?" The Empress challenged, seeing Wang Sheng's silence. "Is Changsheng Gong planning to do everything secretly?"

"It's not that bad," Wang Sheng chuckled. "It's fine that you know! It's just that the date hasn't been set yet, so I didn't plan to tell you. It's good you know; it saves trouble!"

"That's more like it." The Empress smiled, adopting her royal demeanor and displaying the power of the harem. "Mei'er has been busy helping you for so many years."

Mei'er was even more mortified at those words. She would have run out if she wouldn't be laughed at even more.

"Congratulations, Lord, congratulations, Princess!" Steward Zhou chimed in, cupping his hands in congratulations to Wang Sheng and Mei'er.

"Same to you, Old Zhou. Come and have some wedding wine when the time comes!" Wang Sheng, with his thick skin, immediately accepted and invited Steward Zhou.

The atmosphere instantly became harmonious.

"Once the date is set, inform His Majesty and me," the Empress said with satisfaction. "Lingxu Old Ancestor and the Abbot are much better at picking dates than those officials in the Ministry of Rites. We won't compete for the date."

Both sides were happy, chatting about the wedding for a while. Seeing the Empress's happy face, even more delighted than Mei'er herself, Wang Sheng suspected that the Empress might also have a naturally charming nature and could be Mei'er's mother.

As far as Wang Sheng knew, the current Empress was a naturally charming woman who was brought into the palace after the late Emperor's favored concubine was ordered to commit suicide. Theoretically, she should not be Mei'er's biological mother. However, her happiness, even more so than Mei'er's, made Wang Sheng wonder if the Empress was Mei'er's real mother.

"His Majesty said that Changsheng Gong deserves the most credit for the Royal Academy of Arts' fame spreading throughout the world," the Empress finally spoke of official matters after finishing the private ones. "He specifically asked me to come and personally express his gratitude to Changsheng Gong."

"Just thanks?" Mei'er, who had been incredibly shy, instantly reverted to her shrewd and capable self. "Is there no reward?"

"Reward?" The Empress smiled wryly. "What reward do you want? Gold coins? Wealth? Official position? Or beauties? Tell me what you want, and I'll have it sent over immediately."

Mei'er was dumbfounded by the Empress's wry smile. What reward could there be? Gold and jewels? The Changsheng Gong's residence was richer than the palace. Official position? Would Changsheng Gong care about a small official position in the capital? Even if the Emperor was willing to give it, would Wang Sheng want it? Beauties were even less necessary; there were over six hundred waiting in line for his favor in the residence, and they didn't even have a chance.

As for formations and elixirs, Wang Sheng knew experts from the Exquisite Pavilion, which were much better than anything in the palace. The only thing the palace could offer was some cultivation methods, but Wang Sheng was now a secular disciple of the Old Lord's Temple. The cultivation methods of the Old Lord's Temple were several levels higher than those in the palace and were more suitable for Wang Sheng.

The cultivation methods in the palace were either for the Emperor, to prolong his life and improve his mind, or for the eunuchs, which Wang Sheng called the 'Sunflower Manual' series. Wang Sheng had no use for them.

So, what could the Emperor reward him with? Wang Sheng used things that were even better than what the Emperor used. What was there to reward?

"His Majesty said..." At this point, the Empress became unprecedentedly serious. She even looked around, scanning the area to make sure no one was nearby before speaking. "If, if there ever comes a day when Changsheng Gong is in trouble, His Majesty is willing to give Changsheng Gong a place to shelter from the storm. As long as Changsheng Gong goes to the palace, the title of Royal Guardian is guaranteed."

Wang Sheng raised an eyebrow. The Emperor's words showed that he was indeed leaving Wang Sheng a way out. The Emperor's willingness to make this promise meant that he was willing to bear the pressure for Wang Sheng. Unfortunately, the Emperor was indeed being considerate, but that was all. Like the Old Lord's Temple, as long as Wang Sheng didn't act out of line, the Emperor could protect Wang Sheng, but he couldn't stand on Wang Sheng's side and be an enemy to the whole world.

Mei'er was also surprised that the Emperor could give such a guarantee, which was indeed unexpected.

"Royal Guardian?" Wang Sheng couldn't help but ask the Empress, "Does that mean I have to be castrated like Old Zhou and the others?"

Qiangwei and Mei'er almost couldn't help but laugh. They finally understood that they didn't dare to do anything in front of the Empress, but they were still struggling to hold back.

The Empress's face changed. Wang Sheng's joke was too much, but in an instant, she laughed as well. After laughing for a while, she quickly nodded and said, "Of course, as long as Mei'er agrees, it's not impossible to make you the Chief Eunuch!"

After a burst of laughter, everyone had laughed enough, and they slowly started chatting again. The Empress's main purpose today was to pass on this message to Wang Sheng and reassure him. Everything else was just a side effect.

"Speaking of which, this abandoned royal residence has been around for a while, and it still doesn't have a name. Are you just going to call it the Wang Residence?" The Empress changed the topic during the conversation, turning to the residence itself. "Changsheng Gong, shouldn't you give it a fitting name? I think Qian Sheng Yuan and Run Zi Fang are pretty good, aren't they?"

"Give it a name?" Wang Sheng was taken aback, then smiled. "Easy, easy. From today onwards, this is no longer a Wang Residence; it's called Grand View Garden."