Longevity by Picking up Attributes in the Battlefield

Chapter 358: Chapter 162: Returning Home, Reuniting with Mother! Xia Wuqie’s Joy!

Upon hearing Zhao Gao’s words, Ying Zheng did not even turn his head.

"Let Hu Hai attend and preside over the court," Ying Zheng said slowly.

At these words, a look of shock spread across Zhao Gao’s face. He looked up at Ying Zheng, filled with disbelief, as if he had misheard.

"Great King?"

"Are you saying the Eighteenth Prince is to preside over the court?" Zhao Gao asked again, incredulous.

"Go and issue the decree," Ying Zheng said with a glance at Zhao Gao.

He then picked up a petition, saying no more.

"This servant obeys the command."

Zhao Gao suppressed the wild ecstasy in his heart and walked with measured steps out of the great hall.

Fusu, I hope that with some competition, you will finally become more capable. Otherwise, you truly are a lost cause.

Watching Zhao Gao’s retreating figure, a look of deep contemplation surfaced in Ying Zheng’s eyes.

「Harem.」

In the palace of Mrs. Hu.

"The Central Carriage Commandant has arrived!" a temple official announced loudly from outside the hall.

Inside, Mrs. Hu immediately stood up.

After entering, Zhao Gao bowed at once to Mrs. Hu. "This servant greets you, Madam."

"Is there something urgent, Mister Zhao?" Mrs. Hu asked with a smile. "To think you would come without any prior announcement."

"Wonderful news, Madam! The most wonderful news imaginable," Zhao Gao said with excitement, a rare smile breaking across his effeminate face.

Mrs. Hu’s eyes widened as she looked at Zhao Gao, but she did not interrupt. Her maternal family did not wield as much power as Mrs. Mi’s, and her greatest asset in vying for the ultimate position was Zhao Gao. With him serving by the Great King’s side, she could often gain the upper hand.

"The Great King has just issued a decree," Zhao Gao said with a solemn expression, his voice buzzing with unconcealed joy. "He is allowing Prince Hu Hai to preside over the court from now on."

"What?" Upon hearing this, Mrs. Hu was completely stunned, seemingly unable to believe it.

"Is that true?" she asked, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

"It is true, Madam," Zhao Gao said with a smile. "At first, I also thought I had misheard, so I took the liberty of asking the Great King one more time. He confirmed it."

"That’s wonderful!" Mrs. Hu’s face lit up with an excited smile. "Presiding over the court is an opportunity only granted to princes favored by the Great King. It is the essential path to becoming the Crown Prince."

It was as if she could already see the day her son would claim that title.

"Precisely," Zhao Gao added with a matching smile. "It seems the Great King has grown disappointed with Fusu. That must be why he is allowing the Eighteenth Prince to preside over the court."

The two of them exchanged a look, both beaming. One was the mother of Hu Hai; the other was Zhao Gao, who sought to rely on Hu Hai for power, hoping to one day become a man who could hold his head high.

"Why would the Great King suddenly have such an idea?" Mrs. Hu asked with curiosity after regaining her composure. "Did Fusu do something wrong?"

"Fusu himself hasn’t done anything wrong, but the same cannot be said for Wang Wan and his faction," Zhao Gao sneered. "Madam, do you know why the Great King suddenly had this change of heart, allowing the Eighteenth Prince to preside over the court?"

"Why?" Mrs. Hu asked immediately.

A sneer remained on Zhao Gao’s face. "Although I am not certain of the exact reason that caused the Great King to change his mind, one thing is for sure: this matter is definitely related to Zhao Feng."

"Zhao Feng?" Mrs. Hu was puzzled. "Didn’t you say that Zhao Feng, like his father-in-law Wang Jian, is a sly fox? That he wouldn’t get involved in the struggle between the princes? Why would he help my son gain the right to preside over the court?"

Zhao Gao shook his head. "Madam, it is not that Zhao Feng helped. Rather, he targeted Fusu, along with Wang Wan and his followers, which prompted the Great King to consider cultivating the Eighteenth Prince."

"On the very day Zhao Feng returned to court, Bai Wu of the Bai Family impeached him. Furthermore, I discovered something else. Back when Zhao Feng was not yet a Main General and had just become engaged to a lady from the Wang Family, Fusu’s mentor, Chunyu Yue, sent men to threaten Zhao Feng into breaking off the engagement."

"Naturally, this enraged Zhao Feng. These incidents have undoubtedly made him dissatisfied with Fusu, and even more so with Wang Wan and his faction."

"When Zhao Feng returned, he and the Great King drank and talked all night. Although I did not hear what they discussed, I am certain Zhao Feng said something about Wang Wan and the others. The Great King did not say anything explicit, but I could sense his change in attitude towards Fusu and Wang Wan’s group. It is for that very reason the Great King has allowed the Eighteenth Prince to preside over the court," Zhao Gao explained with a smile.

"Does Zhao Feng truly hold that much sway with the Great King? Can he really influence him?" Mrs. Hu asked, slightly surprised.

Obviously, as a concubine of the King of Qin who came from a prominent family, she was naturally proud.

"I also fail to understand why the Great King shows Zhao Feng such favor," Zhao Gao admitted. "Perhaps it is because of his ability. He is so young, yet he has earned great merit in the destruction of two states. It must be the Great King’s appreciation for talent."

Mrs. Hu nodded, then scoffed coldly. "Fusu, oh Fusu. He may hold a high position as the eldest son, and he certainly has many ministers supporting him in court. But it is precisely because these ministers are of mixed integrity that he has unwittingly offended Zhao Feng."

This man... even if we cannot win him over, we must not offend him. Now that he is opposed to Fusu, who knows if he might aid my son in the future. When my son ascends the throne, he will need good ministers to assist him, and Zhao Feng would be an excellent choice.

Upon hearing the good news about her son presiding over the court, Mrs. Hu could not help but let her thoughts drift, already envisioning the day he would ascend to the throne.