Why do I have so many masters?

The Great Qin's Tai Chi Palace was located to the north of Heaven Capital City, "like the Beichen Star, situated with all other stars revolving around it." It was the dwelling place of the emperors of the Great Qin, and what people referred to as the Forbidden City within the Golden Throne Hall actually meant the vast expanse of palace complexes, including the Eastern Palace of the Tai Chi Palace.

Among them, the Tai Chi Palace had the most prestigious status, with a total of ten grand city gates. Directly facing the palace to the south were three gates, with Chengtian Gate in the center, symbolizing the reception of Heaven's mandate, Yong'an on the left, and Changle on the right.

Receiving Heaven's mandate, Yong'an and Changle.

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

A jet-black steed galloped from the southwest side of the city, coming to a halt outside the Imperial City, its rider a middle-aged man with a tall and slender figure, slightly graying at the temples, his eyes bright and clear.

He possessed the demeanor of a scholar and the solemnity of a battlefield, and one could imagine that, more than a decade ago, he must have been a first-class figure of peerless grace.

The captain of the Imperial Troops, standing guard in front of the palace gates, had a respectful expression. He took the initiative to clasp his fist in greeting and said,

"This commander has seen General Su."

With a smile, Su Zhengcheng said, "I haven't been on the battlefield for many years, and you are now a leading officer of the Imperial Troops. It is not proper to address me in this way."

"There is no such reason."

The Imperial Troops officer said softly,

"In this commander's heart, General Su will always be General Su."

With a laugh and a chiding comment about slick talking, Su Zhengcheng took a token from his chest and tossed it to the Imperial Troops, saying,

"Hurry and check. Today I have found a rare and exquisite treasure for His Majesty the Former Emperor in Danyang County and am on my way to deliver it to His Majesty. If there is any delay and the hours are wasted, be careful, or your salary will be docked."

The leading officer of the Imperial Troops smiled, took the token from Su Zhengcheng with both hands, and after a glance, instructed one of the troops to note down in a register, writing the date and the time Su Zhengcheng entered the palace.

After everything was noted down, he respectfully returned the token to Su Zhengcheng, saying, "Please keep this safe, General."

"The Supreme Former Emperor has invited several renowned pipa musicians from the city. He should still be in the pavilion on the mountain listening to music. General can go directly there."

After receiving the token, Su Zhengcheng laughed and said thanks, then lightly spurred his horse forward. The majestic horse, resembling a black Flood Dragon, stretched out its hooves and galloped toward the palace gates, its hoofbeats clear and crisp.

Normally, no one was permitted to ride horses in the Forbidden Palace, but Su Zhengcheng enjoyed great favor from the Supreme Former Emperor, who had allowed him to ride a horse into the Imperial Palace after a bout of drinking. The monarch's word being unbreakable, the present Emperor had also tacitly consented to this, speaking no objections to it.

Holding his spear and blade, the defending general stood tall next to the Chengtian Gate, watching Su Zhengcheng ride into the distance. He felt envy and also a sense of shared honor.

In the vast Great Qin Empire, aside from the royal kin and nobility, there were scarcely a handful of people at the imperial court granted such esteemed honors. They wondered, what kind of rare and extraordinary treasure had General Su brought back this time for the Supreme Former Emperor?

Su Zhengcheng entered the palace, heading straight for the mountain pavilion where the Supreme Former Emperor regularly spent his time.

Above the Tai Chi Palace, a red-eyed Flying Eagle spread its wings, nearly three meters across; it was supremely elegant. As it drew in its wings, it dove from the sky like an arrow, plunging into one of the palace buildings.

A tall man dressed in a dark python robe and ranking first among the eunuchs in the palace hurried out. Although a eunuch, there was not a hint of effeminacy about him; on the contrary, he was incredibly masculine and domineering.

With a large build and broad shoulders, he walked more like a battle-hardened general than the commonly perceived 'neither sounding nor looking quite human' eunuch. Only the constant smile tugging at the corner of his mouth faintly matched his status.

The Great Eunuch walked out of the palace and straight into a roughly three-hundred-meter-long straight road, where he met an old, decrepit eunuch.

The latter wore the same grade of python robe, no less splendid than his own, but it hung loose on his aged body, exuding an air of decay and the stench of old age.

Having served by the Emperor's side since childhood and even having roamed the battlefield, the favored and prosperous Li Sheng didn't dare to show the slightest negligence, as he took the initiative to salute the elderly eunuch. The old eunuch's eyes drooped as he glanced at him and chuckled,

"Isn't this little Sheng?"

"It's been a long time since I've seen you, yet you've become even more dignified."

"Not bad, not bad."

Li Sheng replied softly, "The Grand Elder's elegance also remains as in the past."

The old man laughed and pointed to his teeth, saying,

"Don't butter up an old man. My teeth are almost all gone; talking about elegance as in the past is just fine for flattering and lying in front of the masters, but there's no need for such talk between us."

Li Sheng said earnestly,

"The Grand Elder jests. As a subject, how could I deceive my sovereign?"

The elderly eunuch waved his hand and laughed,

"Crafty one. Seeing your demeanor, the Emperor must have given you an order, right?"

"You may go on your way. The Supreme Emperor has commanded me to fetch a guzheng, so I won't chat with you any longer here. If you have leisure time, you can look for me; there will always be a cup of tea available."

Li Sheng saluted and responded with an acknowledgment.

The Great Eunuch watched as Li Sheng went towards the depths of Tai Chi Palace again, then turned his gaze back from whence Li Sheng had come. He'd been in the palace for too long, becoming familiar with every plant and every palace building.

A calico cat tumbled out from the grass and flowers and landed at his feet, exposing its belly. The old eunuch used the tip of his shoe to gently flip the cat over, murmuring softly to himself, before going to fetch a guzheng.

Carrying the guzheng, he headed to the mountain pavilion, and from afar, he could hear the grand sound of musical instruments playing in unison. Only the collaboration of hundreds of musicians could produce such a magnificent sound, yet the Supreme Emperor indulged in such luxury every day, unwilling to rest for even a day.

If the reigning Emperor dared to do such things, he would likely receive a table full of remonstrances from officials the very next day.

As he drew closer, he saw an old man in a yellow robe standing amidst a group of beautiful women, barefoot, dancing with the lift of spirits from wine, clapping and singing. After finishing a song, he drank a pot of wine, laughed heartily, and upon seeing the old eunuch with the guzheng, picked up a wine pot, and approached barefoot, grabbing his arm and laughing aloud,

"Why have you come so late today?"

"Did you encounter something entertaining on the way? Feel free to share it…"

The elderly eunuch saluted and said with a light smile,

"This servant also wished for something entertaining to tell and amuse Your Majesty, but today there truly wasn't anything. I only saw a black and white calico cat; being old, I couldn't help but play with it for a moment, and I must ask for Your Majesty's forgiveness."

The old man in the yellow robe sighed:

"No harm done, no harm done... I just remember that you used to be so robust, always with inexhaustible strength. I never thought that you would also see an old day; you've grown old, and so have I. The love of a parent for their child is natural; how could I blame you?"

The old man's face showed a fleeting sorrow for the passing of spring and the coming of autumn. He then shook his head, regaining his unrestrained demeanor, and pointing at the ancient zither in the arms of the old eunuch, he laughed and said, "But in the end, you've brought the zither. Come, come, come, life is short, let us drink and sing loudly."

The old eunuch placed down the zither, raised his hand to stroke it, and the Former Emperor drank and sang loudly and laughed.

Within the Tai Chi Palace.

The valiant man stood with his hands behind his back, listening to the faint sound of strings and woodwinds outside. His expression was calm. Laughing Tiger Li Sheng bowed behind him and said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, a spy from the Black Water Flood Dragon Cavalry has sent back a message."

The valiant man spoke indifferently:

"Speak."

Li Sheng responded in a somber voice:

"The Former Emperor has already found the Great Marshal's legitimate son."

"'Mao' and 'Zi,' under orders to hide their cultivation, were lurking within the Black Water Flood Dragon, seeing the situation change, despite the dangers, they were still within their control. Thus, they were preparing in secret and did not act out directly."

"Among them, 'Mao' secretly used a secret technique to shatter the spirit of an old Fourth Rank woman, rendering her unable to draw her sword."

"Ultimately, the two of them had wanted to take advantage of the situation unawares, to injure General Su and take away the Great Marshal's heir, but the appearance of the wielder of the Heavenly Mountain Sword forced the Black Water Flood Dragon Cavalry to withdraw, resolving the crisis. Thus, the two continued to hide their identities and left."

The valiant man closed his eyes and asked faintly:

"Wang Anfeng is unharmed?"

Li Sheng replied, "With that Grandmaster there, he should be safe."

After hesitating, he spoke:

"Your Majesty, should we call back 'Mao' and 'Zi'?"

The man shook his head and said, "No need, let them keep lurking there. If Patriarch sends someone to target the Wang Family children, do whatever it takes to protect his life."

Li Sheng solemnly bowed and said:

"Understood."

He raised his eyes to see the silhouette of the man standing in front of the window.

Outside the window was Heaven and Earth, yet it seemed like the entire world was eclipsed by him alone, under his control. Ever since the Imperial Astronomical Bureau sensed that Wang Tiance had an heir, the Black Water Flood Dragon Cavalry scoured the world to find the whereabouts of Wang Tiance's offspring.

Under the leadership of Famous General Su Zhengcheng during the Seven Kingdoms' great war, every subordinate was an elite.

Yet, what the Former Emperor didn't know was that nearly a third of his trusted Black Water Flood Dragon Cavalry were, in fact, the Emperor's subordinates, willing to give their lives for him at a moment's notice. Despite using up all his strength to find Wang Tiance's heir, he would never manage to hurt him in the slightest.

The pleasant sound of strings and woodwinds came from outside the window.

The imposing man suddenly said:

"Li Sheng, prepare to take men into the Jianghu to find Wang Tiance's offspring. You have seen him, and you should not mistake another for him."

Li Sheng was startled and looked up at the emperor, saying:

"Your Majesty..."

The man said:

"Now that Patriarch has discovered the whereabouts of Tiance's child, there is no need for me to continue hiding. His identity is exposed, and too many in the world seek his life. For safety, if he does not wish to enter the Imperial Court, then his only option is to fully immerse himself in Jianghu."

"I promised Wang Tiance that if he had descendants in the future, I wouldn't coerce them. So, go and ask the child what he chooses, whether he wants to join the Imperial Court or Jianghu."

Li Sheng parted his lips, took a deep breath, and with loyalty forged through life-and-death experiences with the emperor, hesitated before speaking softly:

"If he agrees... Your Majesty, while the Civil Officials and Military Generals of the court can be directed by your hand, conflicts often arise between them. If the Great Marshal's heir were to suddenly join them, setting aside Divine Martial Mansion, the ministers in the court will likely become suspicious."

"Please reconsider, Your Majesty. The Great Marshal's heir is indeed important, but so is the Imperial Court. Your Majesty can surely find a middle ground."

After hearing his words, the Emperor said faintly:

"Well said, A'Sheng, you are considerate. But there's one oversight."

Li Sheng bowed his head.

The valiant man looked out at the Heaven and Earth calmly and said:

"My, my Great Qin,"

"Can accommodate a second Wang Tiance."

"If he truly lives up to his father, the position of the Great Qin Tiance's highest General, and the Tiger Talisman that commands the Eighteen Routes of Iron Cavalry, why not let him have it?!"

PS: Here's the first update for today...

Many thanks to 'Having friends from afar is a delight' for the generous reward, I'm very grateful...

A new volume begins, and this book has finally entered the latter half, or perhaps the final third? Well, please continue to support me (clasping hands)