Nine out of ten gamblers lose; I've run into a jerk!

Chapter 165 Zhuge Xuan

The capital of the Di Kingdom was Yongcheng, the former capital of the Great Qian Dynasty. Although it had suffered from war, its centuries-old heritage was far superior to that of other capitals. After two generations of rulers worked diligently to restore some of its former prosperity.

On the main road, which could accommodate ten carriages abreast, pedestrians automatically lowered their heads and made way for a sedan chair, simply because the youngest prime minister in the history of the Di Kingdom was sitting in the sedan chair—Zhuge Xuan.

Zhuge Xuan, the second son of the Zhuge family, is a man of great talent and is a household name in the Di Kingdom. At the age of seventeen, he wisely pacified the remnants of the grassland tribes. At nineteen, he was sent as an envoy to the northern desert and reclaimed three cities without bloodshed. Now, at the age of twenty, he has already reached the highest position of the court, second only to the emperor.

A figure in a teahouse on the street turned away from the window of a second-floor private room, returned to the table, and picked up a brush to write:

The internal strife in Di has been quelled. The third prince, Bei Yue Lingguang, has ascended the throne. The eldest prince has been executed, the second prince is under house arrest, the Situ family has been destroyed, and the remnants of the Nangong faction have fled abroad...

"Someone, send a message back to the Xuanji Three Departments."

……

Unlike the bustling city, Yongcheng's prison was dark and damp. A prisoner, tortured beyond recognition, lay on the ground, writing tremblingly with his only intact hand.

"Hurry up and write. The adults have specially spared you one hand so that you can write, and they've also provided you with precious paper. Don't be ungrateful."

Pei Ming wanted to spit blood at him, but he had no choice but to bow his head when he was under someone else's roof. He cursed in his heart, "When I get back on my feet, I'll twist your head off!"

The heavy prison door creaked open, and Pei Ming instinctively looked up at the person who entered.

"Have you finished writing?"

Pei Ming was extremely annoyed by that condescending gaze, as if looking down at ants. "Lord Zhuge, please take a look first. If you are interested, I will continue writing after I leave."

Zhuge Xuan didn't need to bend over; his servants would pick up the scrolls, wipe off the dust, and present them to him.

Even the usually composed and shrewd Zhuge Xuan, who never showed his emotions, had a slight ripple in his eyes as he casually flipped through a few pages.

Pei Ming caught the subtle change in his expression and smirked triumphantly, but hissed as the wound was aggravated.

"So, is that enough to exchange for my freedom?"

Unexpectedly, Zhuge Xuan simply ordered, "Kill them."

The guard immediately drew his sword, much to Pei Ming's surprise; this was not what he had expected.

"Wait a minute!" Pei Ming struggled to say, "What you have is just a small part of my knowledge. I have at least three ways to improve that tattered paper that you all covet!"

Zhuge Xuan glanced at him and said, "In that case, I am even less able to let someone as talented as you go."

Pei Ming understood. Zhuge Xuan was afraid that talent would leave or that he would retaliate when he rose to power. He immediately said, "I don't have any great ambitions. I just want to make some money, marry a few beautiful concubines, and be a leisurely rich man. That would be enough for me."

"Oh~ You're a disciple of the First Prince, don't you really harbor any resentment?"

"Sigh~ I'm just a working man. It doesn't matter who I work for. As long as the money is right, I'm willing to do my best for you!"

Pei Ming tried his best to express his feelings, but he was actually furious inside. He thought to himself, "I'm just having bad luck for now. When I get out of here, I'm not afraid of losing to you old fogey."

Zhuge Xuan remained unmoved and ordered, "Kill."

"Zhuge Xuan! The world must be blind to praise your unparalleled wisdom, yet you've done something so short-sighted!"

"呲-"

The blade pierced through flesh and blood, and Pei Ming coughed up blood, saying unwillingly, "I...I possess wisdom two thousand years ahead of its time..."

“Killing the goose that lays the golden eggs is better than losing everything,” Zhuge Xuan said, turning to walk out. As he left the prison, he glanced at Pei Ming, who was panting heavily.

“Your era certainly has something special, but the Northern Barbarians are my home turf, and I cannot tolerate such an unpredictable change as you.”

Pei Ming was barely breathing, his eyes wide open. It turned out that life really does have a revolving lantern at the end.

He was originally an archaeologist from another world, but one day he transmigrated into the body of a fallen nobleman of the Di Kingdom. Isn't this the perfect template for a protagonist in a wish-fulfillment novel? His destiny is to overcome all obstacles, slap faces, and rise to the pinnacle of life. According to the usual tropes, he first needs to find a powerful figure to use as a stepping stone. In order to get in touch with the eldest prince, he designed a stunning brocade horse-face skirt for the prince's consort...

·

Zhuge Xuan walked to the prison gate and was surprised to see a young man wearing a fox fur cloak standing at the door.

"Your Majesty..."

Bei Yue Lin Guang supported Zhuge Xuan's arm as he bowed, "Traveling incognito, traveling incognito~"

Zhuge Xuan straightened up and said helplessly, "Why have you come?"

"I heard that my elder brother has a very interesting advisor, so I've come to see him."

"died."

"...Why don't you consider using it?"

"Such people have no respect for their ruler or father, and are not to be used."

"Since Zhongqing says so, then so be it. Are you planning to return to the manor?"

Zhuge Xuan nodded.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve visited your residence. Let’s go together.” With that, he climbed into Zhuge Xuan’s sedan chair without any hesitation, patting the empty space beside him. “It’s very spacious. Come on in.”

"..."

The sedan chair set off, traveling along the bustling streets. Bei Yuelin looked at the noisy marketplace and suddenly sighed.

"What troubles Your Majesty?"

"I'm sorry, because of me, you had to rush back to the capital from Jiayong Pass, which caused you to miss the battle."

"It's alright. This battle was originally a ruse created to lure the allied forces of the three kingdoms into attacking the southern border of Xuan Kingdom. It was somewhat unexpected that the plan to launch a surprise attack on Pingshan Pass was exposed. Indeed, one should not underestimate the heroes of the world."

"However, we didn't suffer any losses. The grain was provided by Jingguo, and the marshal who was beheaded was from Anguo. We just took a trip to sea to train our troops."

"As for the Battle of Jiayong Pass, it wasn't entirely without gains. Firstly, we recouped our losses after capturing the city, and secondly, we depleted the military strength of the Situ family and the Xuan Kingdom."

"Now that the tiger lying beside us has lost its teeth, and the internal strife has subsided, it is the perfect time to strengthen ourselves!"

"What do you want?"

"minister……"

"Clang—"

The sedan chair swayed, and Zhuge Xuan's expression hardened. Could there be an assassin?

Bei Yuelin's eyes lit up, and he also made the same guess, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. What a pleasant surprise!

Hey~ Don't you guys have eyes?!

Instead, a clear female voice rang out. Zhuge Xuan lifted the gauze curtain and saw that a child had fallen in the middle of the road and was crying loudly in fright. A young girl was standing in front of him with her arms outstretched.

"Insolence! Why do you not kneel before the Prime Minister!"

The girl stood ramrod straight. "All men are created equal. Why should I kneel?"

"Interesting~" Zhuge Xuan smiled slightly and said to the girl, "You can go now."

After lowering the gauze curtain, Bei Yue Lingguang asked in surprise, "Has the fairy finally fallen for mortals?"

Zhuge Xuan, unhappy about being questioned about his taste, explained, "I'm afraid it's another 'extraordinary person'."

"how do you know?"

"I learned a term from them called 'ideological imprint,' and aren't they also carrying 'ideological imprints'?"

The smell is too strong!

·

In a secluded spot, the girl curled her lips into a smile—she'd taken the bait!

[Host, you've indeed caught his attention!]