115 A Mechanical Contraption

"Zhen doesn't want to listen to you speaking politically correct words. Tell Zhen about the balance of power that was maintained by father-emperor while Zhen was away and what factions were formed and how strong they were. Who can be swayed by fame and riches? Who is a staunch follower of traditions and the Imperial Clan? Who leads each of the factions in the six ministries?"

Ning Fu felt nervous at all those questions because he realised that this was the emperor's oblique way of giving him a chance to rectify his mistakes.

He didn't know what the monarch would do with all this information but he could certainly guess that this was his chance to prove his mettle.

He began to speak, "The imperial officials who go along with the tides are...."

In the following days, he didn't realise but it was the first time Ning Fu worked himself and his subordinates to the bone to gather intellect about the various ministers and their families.

He would provide the monarch with whatever information was asked of him but he also took note of any weaknesses any of these people had so as to have another card up his sleeve if things went topsy-turvy somewhere down the road.

He also realised that gathering information and separating the truth from lies and organising it all was a mentally exhausting task – no different from what he and his subordinates had to go through on the battlefield.

When he had imagined being the monarch's informant, he certainly hadn't expected that it would involve so much work but still, this was better than being outright ignored.

The monarch wasn't happy with the general broad information but wanted to know everything there was to know about anyone famous or infamous in the capital, even the literary scholars.

It was around a month later that while he was talking to his father, he became cognizant of another fact.

"Rascal, did the emperor ask you to do something or keep an eye on a particular person?"

Ning Fu really wanted to retort that he wasn't a rascal but then thinking about all the beatings he had taken from his father at a young age, he kept those words to himself and answered, "No, the monarch simply wants me to collect information about who's who in the capital and that's that."

"And what did the emperor ask Zhou Sheng to do? Your mother was complaining that the child seems to have all the fat he had gained and returns past midnight most nights."

Ning Fu felt mildly irritated at being asked about Zhou Sheng.

"I don't know exactly. I think he was tasked to find something for the monarch."

Then before his father could pester him for more, he hastily continued, "I don't know what that is, whether its a person or something else. All I heard was the monarch asking him to be careful while on the mission and since then Zhou Sheng has been acting all mysterious."

His father gave a noncommittal grunt at his words and it was then he realised it.

The monarch always asked probing questions to him and the Head Commander and sent them to gather intellect and it seemed that he wasn't only preparing to gather all the fish in one single net.

No, not only was the other person playing for keeps, it looked like it he was also preparing for the worst outcome possible.

A few days later, Ning Fu watched with raised eyebrows as Zhou Sheng who had almost become akin to a ghost with his irregular appearance and disappearance enter the Imperial Study with a bounce in his steps and a visible smile.

This attitude was in stark difference to the other person's usual taciturn and affable nature, so he was curious about the reason behind the change but he kept his thoughts to himself.

Meanwhile, Zhou Sheng excitedly ran inside the Imperial Study, "Princ..."

When he noticed that there were others present in the room, he changed his form of address.

"Your Majesty, this time you have to praise this lowly one because I delivered on my promise and didn't disappoint you."

Su Li looked at him with a faint smile.

She had noticed early on that Zhou Sheng still had the habit to address her by his nickname for her – Princess.

She knew he did it because he was used to calling her that so she never found fault with him for that.Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

However, she sometimes worried that he would slip-up in front of others and that it would spell trouble for her.

It was a wonder that the other person had never completed his form of address in front of outsiders to date and everyone simply assumed that he was more used to calling her Prince.

She marvelled at the sheer misunderstanding going all around but couldn't be bothered to reprimand him.

However, that didn't mean she couldn't pull his proverbial leg.

"Zhou Sheng, you do know that the way you address Zhen can spell trouble for you, don't you?"

He seemed to be taken aback by her words and before he could ponder about her words seriously, she couldn't contain her mirth and laughed at his flabbergasted look.

"Ah! Zhou Sheng finally is turned speechless. Call the press Corps, this is one worthy news." She joked weekly.

However, he didn't seem to be in the mood to play along to her tune.

"First, praise me before making fun of me."

Looking at his earnest expression, she couldn't help but ease him some more.

"Your self-inflated ego is already enough to fill an entire room, Zhou Sheng. If I praise you even more, wouldn't you dare to ascend to the heavens?"

"No. No. Forget about my ego for a second and truly praise me because I delivered on my promise. See, I told you I won't disappoint you and I didn't."

Ning Fu silently watched the byplay of words between the two people.

He didn't know what his brother and the monarch were talking about but he saw the undercurrent of emotions in the monarch's eyes at his brother's words.

"Well, yes. You have never disappointed me to date, anyway. So, don't keep me in suspense and talk in circles. Tell me, what is it?"

At the monarch's words, Zhou Sheng removed something from the folds of his robes - where he had hidden it and with a flourish, presented a mechanical-looking contraption to the monarch.

Ning Fu didn't understand what it was since he hadn't been able to take a closer look or why it was worth his usual reticent brother acting in such an unusual way but when he shifted in his position to take another closer look, he realised that the metal contraption was a 'gun'.