Chapter 360: Chapter 360

This was a kowtow that Zhao Jiulang, the Prime Minister, performed wholeheartedly.

Ji Runhao ascended the steps. After Zhao Jiulang straightened up, he followed, two steps behind.

When Ji Runhao reached the top and stood before the old man in the black robe, the old man knelt and prostrated himself, performing a grand obeisance.

"Xue Yi pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Ji Runhao didn’t reach out to help him up. Instead, he smiled and said, "Uncle Xue, my father once decreed that in Yan, you need not kowtow to anyone."

Xue Yi raised his head. "It is only right."

There was something else Xue Yi hadn’t said, but the Yan Emperor understood: this might be the last time he would perform such an obeisance.

"Uncle Xue, are the rice cakes ready?"

"Your Majesty, you sent word this morning. They’ve just been steamed and are perfectly sticky."

The Yan Emperor rubbed his hands together and said, "Well then, I truly can’t wait."

The furnishings of Qiming Hall were extremely simple. Though called a palace, it contained a bed, a table, and a kitchen. Ordinarily, Xue Yi would not casually leave the confines of Qiming Hall.

Steam still rose from the steamer on the stove. The Yan Emperor found a cushion to sit on and gestured for Zhao Jiulang to sit as well.

Soon, Xue Yi brought over two rice cakes. He tore off two pieces, giving one to the Emperor and handing the other to Zhao Jiulang. Orıginal content can be found at novel⚑fire.net

"Prime Minister, please try some as well."

Zhao Jiulang quickly expressed his thanks and accepted it. In the presence of this old man, he dared not put on any airs.

The Yan Emperor tore off a piece, placed it in his mouth, and began to chew. The cake was fragrant and sweet; in truth, nothing extra had been added to it, yet it was simply delicious. Zhao Jiulang also began to eat. The more he chewed, the more flavorful it became. It was indeed delicious.

"Uncle Xue’s cakes... I’ll never forget them as long as I live. I find myself craving a few bites from time to time. They’re best for breakfast. Steamed and served with congee, it’s incredibly comforting."

Xue Yi said, "I have already taught the method for steaming these cakes to a clever young lad under my charge."

In the future, he would be the one to make them for His Majesty.

Zhao Jiulang looked at Xue Yi, then at the Yan Emperor. He sensed something, but he asked nothing, merely focusing on eating his cake.

"Have some sweet tea."

Xue Yi then brewed and brought over two cups of brown sugar tea. The lumps of sugar weren’t very pure and contained many impurities, but a bite of cake washed down with a sip of the sweet tea was indeed a delightful taste.

The Yan Emperor ate most of a cake by himself, licking his fingers as he said, "I still remember when I was a child. What Liang Ting and I loved most was pestering Uncle Xue to make cakes for us."

Upon hearing this, a kindly smile appeared on Xue Yi’s face, and he said, "When the Earl of North Border was a child, he rarely got to eat anything good, which is why he’d pester your subject to make cakes for him."

The Yan Emperor said, "Later, I must take two cakes out and have someone send them for him to try."

It was winter now, so the cakes could be stored for a long time. Even if they froze solid, they could just be steamed on the stove when preparing a meal and then eaten. The people of Yan State especially enjoyed steamed cakes in winter, and they were also a fine gift to give during festivals.

"Yes, yes, I steamed plenty this time. It’s enough, more than enough. Let the several Princes try some too."

The "several Princes," of course, referred to the Yan Emperor’s sons.

The Yan Emperor shook his head and chuckled, "Those rascals wouldn’t appreciate this sort of food. Alas, they’ve never known hardship."

"Your Majesty, didn’t our predecessors endure hardship precisely so that later generations could enjoy prosperity?"

The Yan Emperor nodded. "Uncle Xue, you’re absolutely right. Our predecessors endured hardship precisely so that later generations could enjoy prosperity."

RATTLING... RATTLING... RATTLING...

From outside came a series of sounds.

Zhao Jiulang looked out of the hall and said to the Yan Emperor, "Your Majesty, it’s hailing."

The Yan Emperor rose and walked to the entrance of the hall. Above the imperial palace, a dark, oppressive mass had gathered. Fine, small hailstones were falling in sheets.

Xue Yi walked to the Yan Emperor’s side, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty."

The Yan Emperor’s expression was as tranquil as an old well. He said slowly, "What’s bound to come, will come."

A low roar echoed from beneath Qiming Hall.

Legend had it that within the Yan Imperial Palace lived a ’Grand Eunuch,’ the patriarch of all eunuchs. Legend also told of a Pixiu of the purest bloodline residing within the Yan Imperial Palace.

"Your Majesty, your subject has been nurtured by the Yan Cauldron for decades and is now prepared. Your subject was always worried about dying of old age before this day could come. The ancestors have blessed us! Your Majesty, you have not made your subject wait any longer."

Suddenly, more than ten high-ranking eunuchs in red robes appeared in the small square before Qiming Hall. These chief eunuchs were all heads of various palace government offices, influential figures both within and outside the palace.

At this moment, the dozen or so red-robed eunuchs knelt in unison: "Your slave pays respects to Your Majesty! Your slave offers greetings to the Grand Patriarch!"

On the palace walls, units of Imperial Guards began to deploy.

Ji Runhao waved his hand and said, "Such a grand display. We’re certainly giving them a lot of face."

Xue Yi, however, spoke up, "Your Majesty, what harm is there in granting them this bit of face?"

Saying this, Xue Yi strode out of the hall entrance. A layer of black qi began to swirl around him, and the hailstones pelting down from the sky vaporized into mist just before they could touch his body.

The Yan Emperor stood with his hands clasped behind his back and declared, "Xue Yi, hear the Imperial Decree!"

"ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO!"

The old man sneezed several times in a row. Then, he pinched his nose with two fingers.

He flicked his hand and then wiped it on his sleeve.

The downcast swordsman chuckled. "Tell me, what kind of expressions do you think those disciples and grand-disciples back in our country would have if they knew their old ancestor ran off to Yan State and nearly died from a common cold?"