410: Chapter 410 Imperial Crisis

Outside the Vermilion Bird Palace.

Yin Wenzheng hadn't left; seeing Xiao Weiqing come out, his face lit up with joy.

"Come on, let's go celebrate your arrival."

Xiao Weiqing nodded and did not refuse.

The two got into a luxurious limited-edition sedan with a very retro appearance.

Soon.

The car stopped at Yin Family Private Cuisine.

Yin Wenzheng was the first to get out of the car.

Xiao Weiqing raised an eyebrow when he saw the name of the restaurant.

Yin Wenzheng explained, "It's run by the Family and not open to the public. It's usually used to host friends from official or business circles."

"Forming cliques for private gain?"

"Holy crap!"

"Can you watch your mouth?"

Yin Wenzheng was startled and instinctively looked left and right, looking a bit like a thief with a guilty conscience.

"Then why do you have a guilty conscience?"

Xiao Weiqing laughed.

"Big brother, I'm colluding with you behind everyone's back to harm the Empire's interests. How can I not feel guilty?"

Xiao Weiqing patted Yin Wenzheng on the shoulder. "Don't feel burdened. Even if you didn't cooperate with me, the Vermilion Bird Empire couldn't have gotten that many nirvana stones anyway. This is the best outcome."

"You didn't really think I would give you eighty percent of the nirvana stones, did you?"

Yin Wenzheng said irritably, "Couldn't you be a bit more tactful?"

"Since it's done, don't be afraid. If you don't tell and I don't tell, who will know?" Xiao Weiqing said indifferently.

"Nonsense. With your strength, of course you don't have to be afraid, but I'm not like you."

"From Great Xia's perspective, you've performed a service. But me? From the Vermilion Bird Empire's perspective, I'm lining my own pockets."

Yin Wenzheng sighed, and the two of them stepped into the restaurant one after the other.

"Brother Zheng, what brings you here today?"

"Are you treating a friend to a meal?"

A man in his thirties stepped forward, clearly very familiar with Yin Wenzheng.

Yin Wenzheng smiled and said, "What else would I come here for if not to eat? Are there any private rooms left on the third floor?"

"Yes, all four private rooms are empty."

"Good, go prepare a few signature dishes."

The man replied, "Coming right up!"

"Wait, Zhenghong."

"Brother Zheng, any other instructions?"

"Cook them yourself."

The man was clearly a bit surprised. He rarely cooked personally nowadays, only doing so occasionally when the elders brought people over.

He instinctively glanced at Xiao Weiqing but quickly looked away.

"Alright, don't you worry."

"Mhm, go on. I'll head up myself."

The man nodded, not daring to delay, and hurried toward the kitchen.

Yin Wenzheng led Xiao Weiqing to the third floor.

"That was Yin Zhenghong, Old Master Yin's youngest son. He has no talent for cultivation, but the talent he awakened is Rank 5 Culinary Arts. In the Vermilion Bird Empire, no one's skills can surpass his. You can try it in a bit."

The Old Master Yin that Yin Wenzheng mentioned was Yin Zong, since Xiao Weiqing only knew Yin Zong.

What surprised Xiao Weiqing was seeing Rank 5 Culinary Arts for the first time; this talent Rank was already very high.

The two entered a private room with a somewhat traditional style.

They hadn't been sitting for even fifteen minutes.

Ten beautiful waitresses walked in one after another, carrying exquisite dishes.

Instantly.

A mouth-watering aroma filled the private room.

Even Xiao Weiqing couldn't help but feel a surge in appetite. Although he basically no longer needed common food for energy, no matter how strong he was, the instinct to eat remained.

"Let's dig in."

"We can talk while we eat."

Xiao Weiqing didn't stand on ceremony either. He picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. His eyes immediately lit up; it was indeed delicious, better than any food he had ever eaten before.

"How is it?"

"Not bad. It's amazing."

After taking a few bites, Xiao Weiqing was truly enjoying the food, whereas Yin Wenzheng seemed a bit distracted.

"What's wrong?"

"Is something on your mind?"

Xiao Weiqing asked.

"You're not still thinking about the nirvana stones, are you?"

Yin Wenzheng put down his chopsticks and shook his head. "No."

"Then why are you frowning?"

Yin Wenzheng looked up, looked at Xiao Weiqing seriously, and said something shocking:

"Xiao Weiqing, can you stay in the Vermilion Bird Empire?"

"What?"

Xiao Weiqing was stunned. He never expected Yin Wenzheng to say something like that.

Instead of rushing to answer Yin Wenzheng, he asked:

"Can I ask why?"

"I need you."

"Get lost!"

Xiao Weiqing's face darkened.

"No, no, I misspoke. The Vermilion Bird Empire needs you."

"Don't talk nonsense. I came to the Vermilion Bird Empire just to enter the No. 9 Civilization Ruins and construct a divine body. Before this, we weren't even acquainted, and I had no connection with your Vermilion Bird Empire."

Yin Wenzheng explained, "What I mean is, we need your combat power."

"Be more specific."

"Because of some historical factors, many large families in the Vermilion Bird Empire are currently acting independently, essentially acting like kings of their own hills. The Empire's control over the Prefecture Cities below is becoming increasingly insufficient."

Xiao Weiqing listened quietly as Yin Wenzheng introduced the current state of the Vermilion Bird Empire.

Simply put.

The Vermilion Bird Empire was a bit like a modern version of the late Eastern Han Dynasty.

The imperial Family's power had waned, and their control over the Empire was insufficient. Of the fifty prefectures in the country, more than half were somewhat uncontrollable, paying lip service to the Empire's policies while secretly defying them.

"Is it a problem with Palace Mistress Palace Master Yun Shu?"

"No, the Palace Mistress is actually quite helpless. Back then, the Third Generation Empress died mysteriously, making the already chaotic situation even more turbulent. The Palace Mistress was forced to inherit the Divine Fire and use her powerful martial force as a deterrent."

"Although she barely stabilized the situation, her own divine body developed problems. Now that the various prefectures have noticed, all sorts of troublemakers are emerging again."

"You know that Palace Mistress Palace Master Yun Shu inherited the Divine Fire?"

Yin Wenzheng nodded. "My second uncle told me a few days ago. Originally, only a few people knew about this."

"So, you're saying someone in your Empire is going to rebel?"

"Rebellion on the surface isn't likely because there's no support for it. The Yun Clan is irreplaceable in the hearts of the common people."

"So they just want to be warlords?" Xiao Weiqing teased.

Yin Wenzheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "That's roughly what it means."

"Just have the Vermilion Bird Army suppress them with force."

"It can't be done. If the Third Generation Empress were still on the throne, it might be possible, but now..." Yin Wenzheng shook his head. "It's almost impossible."

Xiao Weiqing thought about it and agreed. If it really was like the end of an ancient Dynasty, the Vermilion Bird Empire was likely willing but unable. Taking forceful action would only trigger a chain reaction and accelerate the Empire's disintegration.

"Then there's nothing I can do. I'm from Great Xia; I can't help you."

Xiao Weiqing shrugged.

"No, you can become a person of the Vermilion Bird Empire."

Yin Wenzheng said quickly, "As long as you marry the Palace Mistress, you can help the Vermilion Bird Empire legitimately."

"Hey, don't talk nonsense."

"I'm serious. A hundred years ago, with the recovery of Spiritual Qi and the transition between the old and new eras, Great Xia only became what it is today because of the Dongfang Family. The Tianlang Empire took a different path, which we won't discuss for now, but we've already seen the fate of the Xuanwu Empire."

"Fighting their own battles, numerous factions, a complete mess."

"The Vermilion Bird Empire cannot become the next Xuanwu Kingdom."

"Mhm, mhm, right. You're absolutely right."

Xiao Weiqing nodded in agreement from time to time but didn't take the bait.

Yin Wenzheng: "..."

"Thanks for the hospitality. The food was good. Let's leave it at that."

With a wave of Xiao Weiqing's hand, over a dozen portions of nirvana stones appeared.

"Keep the nirvana stones safe."

Yin Wenzheng sighed, took the nirvana stones, and watched Xiao Weiqing leave, his heart filled with melancholy.