Chapter 135 - 134: Wreaking Havoc

Chapter 135: Chapter 134: Wreaking Havoc

To be honest, it wasn’t just these Jiangnan Beauties. The other young Palace Maids, Qiuci Dancers, and Demon Fox Girls... they all deeply resented Xia Wuyang.

How could these beautiful young women bear having to serve such a doddering, incompetent elder Crown Prince every single day?

Moreover, Xia Wuyang held no high position in the palace and was obviously on death’s door.

If Xia Wuyang hadn’t paid their overdue stipends and occasionally given them other rewards, some of them would have likely already done everything in their power to escape.

It was only because Xia Wuyang, despite being on the verge of death, treated them reasonably well that most of the young beauties remained to serve him, planning to see him through to the end.

This was Xia Wuyang’s way of compensating them. In the future, when he held true power, he would naturally not let them down.

Fortunately, while these Jiangnan Beauties were utterly unwilling in their hearts, they remained attentive and diligent on the surface. Even the most beautiful among them, Su Ling’Er, betrayed no sign of her true feelings.

This Su Ling’Er, however, had a great many thoughts of her own.

’How pitiful. I, Su Ling’Er, am blessed with both beauty and talent, skilled in scholarly and martial pursuits, yet now I’m stuck with this dying man. I had hoped to become one of His Majesty’s concubines, or at the very least, a concubine to a Prince or Princess who holds real power. How did it come to this?’

’Could it be that Father’s enemies in the Capital City are behind this? It’s all my brothers’ fault for always making enemies everywhere. Otherwise, how could I have been dragged into this?’

’Sigh... he’s already held me in his arms. I’m afraid there’s no escaping my fate now. I’m finished.’

...

Xia Wuyang sensed her Cultivation Power. It was quite decent. At only sixteen, she was already a Martial Artist at Seventh Grade Perfection, on the verge of stepping into the Middle Three Grades. For her age, that was quite impressive.

The fact that she’d been sent to him meant that, in addition to her father’s enemies, there were likely others who were eager for Xia Wuyang to die sooner rather than later.

It was the combination of these forces that had resulted in the six Jiangnan Beauties, led by Su Ling’Er, being delivered to his Wenhua Hall.

Normally, Jiangnan Beauties of this caliber should have been sent to a powerful Prince or Princess, or even to Emperor Xia’s Qianqing Palace.

It wasn’t just the Jiangnan Beauties; the Fox Girls, the Qiuci Dancers, and some of the newer Palace Maids... all were of surprisingly high quality. Clearly, there were quite a few Princes and Princesses who hoped he would die from his indulgences with women.

Although it made him look pathetic on the surface, to be honest, Xia Wuyang had certainly not been deprived when it came to beautiful women during this period.

Whether he sought them out or they were sent to him, in just a few short months, Xia Wuyang had enjoyed the company of at least a hundred first-rate beauties, including many of peerless allure.

Take these six Jiangnan Beauties, for instance. In the outside world, any one of them possessed a beauty that could topple nations. This was especially true for Su Ling’Er, whose face could bring ruin to a kingdom. And yet, here she was, being held in his arms as he took liberties with her as he pleased.

He had to admit, this whole situation was unfair to these beauties. Once he had enough power, he would be sure to handsomely compensate any of them who had remained loyal and not abandoned him.

Xia Wuyang sighed internally, but his outward performance only grew more committed.

He deliberately groped and caressed each of the beauties in turn, his actions growing ever more forward. Though they were unwilling, the women could only force smiles and let Xia Wuyang have his way.

"Come, come, all of you, serve me well," Xia Wuyang said, raising his cup and feigning a drunken stupor. "From now on, you are all my women. Later, you will all attend me in my bedchambers."

As he spoke, he surreptitiously activated his Soul Capturing Technique, quelling the beauties’ suspicions and making them believe wholeheartedly in the persona he projected, thus preventing any complications.

His performance was flawless. Even the exceptionally sharp Su Ling’Er failed to spot any holes in his act and continued to keep him company with a forced smile.

As his performance continued, Xia Wuyang delved deeper into the beauties’ backgrounds. At the same time, by reading their surface thoughts, he began to understand the situation with the people pulling the strings.

He also discovered that some Princes and Princesses had already made their move, forcing some of these beauties to become their informants.

’It seems that even though I, the Crown Prince, am "on my last legs" and clearly at death’s door, quite a few people are still keeping a close eye on me.’

After all, he still held the title of Crown Prince. As long as he drew breath, it was inevitable that some people would lose sleep over it.

If he weren’t in this position, perhaps there wouldn’t be so much political infighting.

This made Xia Wuyang wonder: Was Emperor Xia’s stubborn refusal to depose him as Crown Prince a kindness, or did he simply wish for him to die sooner and stop being an eyesore in the palace?

On the surface, it seemed like an act of magnanimity from Emperor Xia, but in reality, it was merely a way to paint a target on his back, hoping he would die sooner at the hands of the other Princes and Princesses. Only then could the Emperor truly rest easy.

If he had already been deposed and were just an ordinary Prince, he might have been spared a great deal of this turmoil and lived a few more years.

Instead, he was in his current situation, where people were constantly trying to scheme against him. This honey trap, for example—wasn’t its only purpose to make him indulge in these women and hasten his death at their hands?

All Xia Wuyang could do was play along with their scheme. For instance, he would overindulge with these beauties, then feign that his "body couldn’t take it" and retreat to his Practice Room to cultivate in peace.

Soon, the scene within the Sleeping Palace grew chaotic. Su Ling’Er and the other Jiangnan Beauties looked on helplessly as the doors to the Sleeping Palace were shut and Xia Wuyang dragged them onto the bed...

「When night fell」 Xia Wuyang had already returned to his Practice Room, looking utterly "exhausted." He appeared unable to withstand the draining demands of the beauties, but in truth, it was all just an excuse to cultivate.

By this time, streams of intelligence gathered via small animals, the Grand General of the Imperial Guard Tantai Zhan, and other sources... had been compiled and delivered to him, revealing the mastermind behind the plot.

It was none other than the Twenty-fourth Prince, Xia Baifeng. Among the many Princes and Princesses, he held considerable influence and Power, ranking solidly within the top ten.

Although he had yet to enter the Upper Three Grades, he was already a Martial Master at Fourth Grade Perfection, placing him just a hair’s breadth away from that goal.

The reason he targeted Xia Wuyang was, naturally, because he found him an eyesore. He wanted him gone so the position of Crown Prince would be vacated, allowing everyone to start competing for it sooner.

The Prince had happened to learn that the Jiangnan Beauties were being sent to the palace as tribute and conveniently hatched a plan. With other factions adding fuel to the fire, the six exquisite Jiangnan Beauties led by Su Ling’Er were assigned to him.

For Xia Baifeng, it was just a casual move, a simple attempt to harm him. Many of the other Princes and Princesses had done similar things.

Xia Baifeng didn’t give it much thought, but for Su Ling’Er and the other five women, this move had seemingly cast them into the depths of despair.

Now that he knew who the culprit was, Xia Wuyang would naturally have to pay him a visit and have a little "chat." But now wasn’t the time. He could wait a few more days and enjoy the diversion in the meantime.

Just because Xia Wuyang had been able to swallow his pride and suffer in silence before didn’t mean he would continue to do so. Now that he had recovered and possessed his current level of strength, he had no intention of enduring things as he had in the past.