Barking Up the Wrong Tree – Finding His Own Trap Hilarious Yet Again

"You're an outspoken one, hahaha," said the prime minister. "But don't put a green hat on this old one. This old one only provided an opinion. Shen Yiren was the one who sorted out all of the details. His Majesty is very astute, you know? As of present, only Grand Princess has successfully requested such a major imperial edict before; Green Prince and Brilliant Consort have yet to replicate her success. Not even Her Majesty has been able to ask for one. I have to give Yiren credit where it's due."

I concurred. I couldn't help feeling the prime minister cooperated excessively well on the matter. According to my knowledge, he was the one who inspired Boss Shen to ask for the right to partake in the Imperial Martial Arts Tournament. Given that he was willing to help, all of the components could be reasonably explained.

Sounding as though he was well informed, the prime minister added, "It's not a big deal even if it's revealed. Since you're already aware where the sword is aimed, the ace is obvious; there's no point in this old one hiding it from you on the surface. His Majesty likes the talent Young Su and Young Tang have to offer. Their performances at the tournament captivated him. The imperial court has never lacked talent similar to them. You might be unaware, but, after Yiren and His Majesty reached the deal, His Majesty sent a surveillance team out to monitor the two for the purpose of finding out their potential."

"You mean the few new blokes who joined Liu Shan Men, correct?"

"Oh? You recognised Luo Huaian?" asked the prime minister, sending me an eye signal as a compliment. "I'm impressed. They're elites among His Majesty's entourage, yet you saw through them?"

'Obviously. I even taught them a lesson. Luo Huaian started acting as though he ran the place and gloated as if there was no tomorrow as soon as he joined. How is it possible to not catch on?'

"What did His Majesty find out after the extended surveillance?"

The prime minister smiled: "Quite a good deal. Young Su is young and not very adept at martial arts. Nevertheless, he attracts company almost magically and is amazingly approachable. You should already be cognizant of the fact men and women - regardless of age, including those in the imperial palace - have fallen head over heels for him in mere months."

"Are you referring to the secretive Su Xiao Support Association? They are a menacing syndicate. I see maids in the palace using secret codes to exchange paintings of him every time I am in the palace. The procedure looks as complicated as military secrets trades; it freaks me out."

"That's it. That's it. That specialty of Young Su can put Liu Shan Men and the imperial court's image in a positive light. What are the chances you would ever find someone with such a quality? As for Tang Ye, he's a martial arts genius. This old one has never met another with his gift for martial arts, improvement rate and potential, and this old one is confident in his judgement of Tang Ye. Within ten years, he will stand out among the Seventeen Hidden Dragons. If he is lucky, he might even reach the pinnacle. Accordingly, His Majesty values him the most among you three. He wants to groom him into one of the Ultimate Three. Both His Majesty and I agree and value their young age, which is the most important factor. Tang Ye is eighteen. Su Xiao is only fifteen. There is no better time than now to cultivate their talent. They are almost bound to rise through the ranks."

"And that is why they have been recommended to different departments?"

"Why are you asking what you already know? Yiren has a good judgement of character and possesses a knack for cultivating talent. Having said that, she may not have enough time on her hands. That's not mention the two are Liu Shan Men's hope. If it isn't already obvious why His Majesty wants to personally train them, it's because they will be grateful to him in the future."

"Was that what His Majesty said?"

"It was a guess."

The prime minister and I looked at each other. The atmosphere reeked of cunningness. The two of us laughed together. I then said, "Their weaknesses are also obvious. That explains why His Majesty immediately sent them to the Ministry of Personnel and Ministry of Justice."

"Young Su is pure, kind and has a strong sense of justice. That's a positive; however, his motivations are predominately emotions and sympathy. Down the road, that will be to his detriment and possibly become his fatal weakness. Secretary Li judges others based on the law and is totally impartial. He might be the only one Young Su can learn how cruel the adult world is from.

Tang Ye is fond of martial arts; I heard his fondness had to do with his family background, but let's brush that aside for the meantime. I heard he was a well-known figure in the North. He possesses an affinity for martial arts and learns it remarkably fast. Needless to say, he is very adept. He's most renowned for looking for people to fight for three days straight, challenging martial arts schools in Nanjing. He may look stoic, but he's impulsive. If he keeps that up, he'll be