Chapter 478: Forced to Yield

“This person must be Lou Wanshan, the owner of Wanxian Tower, right?”
Emperor Qianwei had no choice but to turn his attention to Lou Wanshan, feeling extremely resentful. He couldn’t understand how Lin Dong, who had offended the Ninth Prince not long ago, could have angered the Prince of Qingliu in less than a month.
This man was no ordinary person—unlike the worthless Ninth Prince, even Emperor Qianwei felt uneasy in his presence. If it weren’t for the Colorful Bed in Lin’s Inn that he felt compelled to help, he would never have gotten involved in this mess.
“To answer Your Majesty, this humble one is indeed Lou Wanshan,” he said hurriedly, anxious as he realized someone already knew his name—clearly indicating great interest in Lin’s Inn. If the Prince of Qingliu refused to back down and Emperor Qianwei also persisted, she was even willing to die to atone.
“I’ve heard Wanxian Tower is full of beautiful women. I’d like to take a look. Does Master Lou agree to host me?” the Emperor asked with a smile.
Lou Wanshan was used to handling high-profile situations, having received and sent off high-ranking officials. But facing Emperor Qianwei, who controlled the lives of millions, he still trembled inwardly. Hearing this, he was at a loss for words.
Emperors visiting brothels wasn’t unheard of, but it was an undignified act—rumors about it weren’t unfounded. However, going there openly was different. A single mistake could lead to Emperor Qianwei being labeled as a dissolute ruler. If his reputation was already poor, such a label might even turn into “profligate.”
Though nervous, Lou Wanshan realized Emperor Qianwei was yielding to the Prince of Qingliu, offering him a great advantage. The concession was too generous, and he dared not accept it.
“If Your Majesty is interested, Xiaoshunzi can arrange a time—I’ll cover the expenses,” said the Prince of Qingliu, turning to Yang Shun.
“Your servant obeys!” Yang Shun stepped forward quickly and knelt to agree.
Lou Wanshan felt relieved, a little calmer now. If the Prince of Qingliu paid, the bad reputation wouldn’t tie to Emperor Qianwei.
“Manager Lin, I wonder what about your inn caught Master Lou’s attention?” The Emperor’s move surprised many, as he turned his attention to Lin Dong instead.
Lin Dong was stunned. Just moments ago, he had pressured Lou Wanshan, and now it seemed the pressure had shifted to him.
Asking him first instead of Lou Wanshan made it clear the Emperor intended to side with Lou Wanshan.

The way this play was performed… Lin Dong really wondered if there was something wrong with his intelligence, as he couldn’t understand how the Prince of Clear Streams managed to get the Emperor of Qianwei to do as he wanted.
Actually, it wasn’t Lin Dong’s fault for not figuring it out—he knew about the dangers in the court but was unaware of the various complex interests at play. To avoid arousing the Emperor of Qianwei’s suspicion, the Prince of Clear Streams would never interfere in politics unless necessary, not even expressing his personal opinions. Yet, the Prince of Clear Streams enjoyed extremely high prestige both in and outside the court, which gave him a special status there.
When the Prince of Clear Streams appeared in an unusual setting, it meant he had accepted some astonishing mission from the Emperor of Qianwei. Normally, his appearance at the Wanxian Tower wouldn’t be a big deal, but with the Emperor of Qianwei there, it became something entirely different. As the struggle for the throne intensified, this incident was enough to send panic through the entire capital, with people suspecting that the mission the Prince of Clear Streams had accepted was related to the throne.
With another key factor in the throne struggle emerging, the factions backing each prince would undoubtedly become highly agitated once again.
One reason the Emperor of Qianwei decided to go to the Wanxian Tower and give it great honor was to persuade the tower to stop troubling the Lin Family Inn. Another reason was to use the strange news about the brothel run by the Prince of Clear Streams’ mistress to stir up wild suspicions among the princes and create chaos, so the Emperor could see more clearly. Although who would become the heir apparent was determined by whose contributions were greatest, a rule set by the founding emperor that no subsequent emperor dared to override, ultimately, it was up to the emperor to decide who had better abilities and greater contributions—provided the difference wasn’t too significant.
Of course, the factions of the princes also played an extremely important role in the struggle for the throne. Otherwise, choosing a prince with a weaker faction as the new emperor could easily lead to rebellions. But these factions ultimately came from the emperor. It could be said that while the Emperor of Qianwei didn’t have 100% autonomy in choosing the next emperor, he did have enough power to select an heir from among those already titled princes.
The heir, of course, had to be someone the emperor liked and was satisfied with. To this day, the Emperor of Qianwei still couldn’t decide between three princes. Only with chaos could he more easily find the one who satisfied him the most.

To Emperor Qianwei’s surprise, King Qingliu sensed his intentions and took the opportunity to return a even greater gift. Previously, Emperor Qianwei had only wanted to create an illusion among the princes, but King Qingliu appearing in person with him in a brothel, claiming it had nothing to do with the current fierce struggle for the throne, left no one convinced. The situation had gone far beyond being chaotic—it was truly earth-shattering.

It was for this reason that Emperor Qianwei had no choice but to turn his attention to troubling Lin Dong as well, otherwise it would seem too unfair. Of course, he had come to help, but the spirit array turned against him, making him an accomplice—this was certainly not fair either. Yet Emperor Qianwei felt that he could not be unfair to King Qingliu at all costs. Whether this idea was right or wrong, no one could say for sure.

King Qingliu and Emperor Qianwei both watched Lin Dong quietly, their expressions and attitudes indescribably calm yet filled with an overwhelming pressure.

Even Lou Wanshan felt some sympathy for Lin Dong’s distress. Ma Chun clenched his fists tightly, biting his teeth several times to refrain from speaking.

“Dareful rebel! How dare you be insolent when the emperor speaks? This is a crime of defying the emperor!” Yang Shun’s sharp voice rang out, his expression showing he was eager to take action himself to subdue Lin Dong.

King Qingliu’s frown deepened slightly as he glanced at Yang Shun before relaxing again. Why say such things now, at the most tense moment? Anyone else would undoubtedly suspect it was a hint to Lin Dong. But Yang Shun was an exception. King Qingliu believed Lin Dong recognized Emperor Qianwei and even became friends with him, but he could never imagine they might have any connection.

A innkeeper who valued his reputation so much and an eunuch infamous enough to be cursed by thousands in history could hardly have any friendship. The only explanation was coincidence.

Clearly, even the old fox could make mistakes. Yang Shun was simply reminding Lin Dong not to act impulsively.

Lin Dong smiled bitterly inwardly. Before Yang Shun warned him, he had indeed been tempted to lash out in anger. An emperor and a prince teaming up to suppress an ordinary person—what kind of thing was that? Even a rabbit will bite when cornered, let alone this so-called ordinary person.

If things really escalated, he could just close the inn. With his sevenfold cultivation boost, he could easily break an arm to vent his anger and then go enjoy himself at the inn in the valley. With Old Ding and Feng Yue as backups, plus the ninth-level spirit array set up by Yun Lan, even Tianwei Pavilion wouldn’t be able to do anything to Lin’s Inn.

Reminded by Yang Shun, Lin Dong calmed down. The current situation was far from reaching the point where he needed to clash with Emperor Qianwei.
Though frustrated and at a disadvantage in strength, it was only deserved if he died of resentment.
Lin Dong glanced sideways at Yang Shun, then turned his gaze to Emperor Qianwei and spoke in a respectful yet firm tone: “What Boss Lou means is that Wanxianlou will cooperate with our Linji Inn. Linji Inn will supply Wanxianlou with its Spirit Stone Fans, Perfume Additives, Perfume-Infused Beverages, nail clippers, thermometers, and other small items at cost price. In return, Wanxianlou must not disclose this arrangement to outsiders and will pay Linji Inn one thousand taels of silver per month as transportation fees.”
Upon hearing this, Lou Wanshen opened his mouth but quickly chose silence. Although Lin Dong’s distorted terms clearly favored Wanxianlou, they were far less favorable than he had expected. Yet, on the surface, Linji Inn didn’t seem to lose much—after all, it would earn one thousand taels of silver per month. But in reality, whether it was the Spirit Stone Fans, Perfume-Infused Beverages, or those small items, except for the Perfume Additives, each item Wanxianlou sent meant Linji Inn would lose one potential customer per table. One thousand taels of silver per month was a pittance compared to such losses.
If they insisted on raising the price further, there was a possibility of pushing them to the brink. If things escalated out of control, regardless of Lin Dong’s strength at the Seventh Level of the Strongest Realm or his relationship with Emperor Qianwei, it might drag King Qingliu into it as well—a situation Lou Wanshen absolutely did not want to see.
If it weren’t for the involvement of King Qingliu and Emperor Qianwei’s relationship in today’s matter, Lou Wanshen feared that making his own decision might disrupt King Qingliu’s plans, so he might have agreed right away.
Emperor Qianwei also remained silent, staring straight ahead. He, too, couldn’t make a decision on this matter. To be honest, he wasn’t sure which side to take if a conflict arose. No matter which side he chose, it would affect his plans for the remaining years.
The only one who could make a decision, King Qingliu, watched Lin Dong with interest. He was curious about how Lin Dong had made Emperor Qianwei so conflicted.
To find out, he just needed to push Lin Dong to reveal his bottom line. King Qingliu already had an idea of where that bottom line lay. However, he couldn’t predict what would happen if he really forced it out.
Taking a copper coin from his storage spirit ring and ignoring all the puzzled looks, King Qingliu used slight pressure from his thumb and index finger to make the coin spin rapidly on the table. After a moment, the shiny side stopped.
“All the dishes are ready, Your Majesty. Your humble servant offers you a drink,” said King Qingliu as he picked up his wine cup.

The solemn atmosphere collapsed in an instant, and everyone, including Emperor Qianwei except for King Qingliu himself, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
“Your Royal Highness, please!” Emperor Qianwei also raised his cup to greet him.
King Qingliu smiled and took a sip of the wine in his cup, then looked at Lin Dong. “I guess you still have some good things on hand, right?”
Lin Dong’s gaze paused for a moment before he nodded with a wry smile. “I’ll definitely bring some to Wanxian Tower for Your Highness to enjoy.”
King Qingliu smiled and didn’t look at Lin Dong any further, focusing instead on chatting with Emperor Qianwei about the livelihoods in various regions. Lin Dong and Lou Wanshen were instantly reduced to mere companions—there to provide smiles, drinks, and food.
As the sky gradually darkened, Ma Chun, who had been watching nearby, saw that things had settled amicably among everyone and started to prepare to close up.
Before long, the chefs from the kitchen came out one after another, ending their day’s work. At the back, the six top chefs from Lin’s Inn also emerged from the third kitchen.
“Wait!”
Suddenly, King Qingliu stood up abruptly.