Chapter 322: Hundred-Household Bright King

Chapter322: The Hundred-Household Ming King

Edo City, the Thousand-Household Office.

Before the building that usually saw no visitors, tonight it was a sea of bustling voices.

All manner of rare carriages, scarcely seen in the market on ordinary days, now gathered here in clusters.

At this moment, if a 'black carriage' were to pass by, one would hardly even be granted the privilege of lowering its window.

The annual New Year's deliberation assembly prompted every hundred-household office throughout the Wa region to pour out their saved fortunes, all for the sake of shining brightly on this special day.

Even to seize the top place!

The Embroidered Uniform's night travel — that is the hour of killing.

When the Embroidered Uniform does not travel by night, it is naturally a time of pride.

In stark contrast to this bustle, the entire long street lay empty and desolate.

All the shops along the street were shut, neon signs dim and dark, every advertising projection forbidden to rise.

Even the guards of the Pacification Commission, who usually handled city defense patrols, were driven out.

A large contingent of stern-faced Embroidered Uniform guards scattered throughout the streets, completely sealing off every entry and exit.

Before the meeting concluded, this street became the forbidden pool demarcated by the Embroidered Uniform.

Those who trespass shall die.

Seeing guests off and welcoming them in is a habit deeply engraved in the genes of the Ming people.

In past deliberation assemblies, this most conspicuous affair was always handled single-handedly by Lu Chengjiang.

After his death, this matter ought to have fallen to the one 'appointed to succeed' — the Demon King Da.

But now Demon King Da still slumbers in the Thousand-Household Office's medical dreamscape, so the task of greeting the hundred-household leaders of each city at the office gate fell to this place's 'landlord,' the Hundred-Household Ming King of Edo.

At this moment he wore a brand-new flying-fish robe, his moustache neatly trimmed, his topknot immaculate, hands clasped behind his back as he stood on the steps of the office building, his visage handsome, his bearing extraordinary.

Two vehicles of comparable luxury, both belonging to the 'Eight Steeds' series produced by the Imperial Divine Machine Military-Industrial Group, came to a stop side by side before the Thousand-Household Office.

The Hundred-Household 'Ye Lao' of Shiga and the Hundred-Household 'Jiao Mu Jiao' of Okayama stepped out of their cars simultaneously, side by side, mounting the steps before the office without precedence.

Behind them followed the banner commanders, long familiar with one another, exchanging cheerful greetings, the atmosphere wholly harmonious.

‘Ye Lao, Jiao Mu Jiao, why are you only arriving now? Didn’t I already notify you that Su Qianhu would convene the deliberation assembly today, asking you two to come early and gather?’

Ming Wang greeted them with a smile, his words full of the warmth of a host.

‘Hey, don’t mention it — I had planned to come early for a drink with you. But whenever a critical moment arrives, some clueless fool always pops up.’

The Shiga Hundred-Household known as Ye Lao spoke helplessly: ‘Yesterday a band of rebel samurai suddenly attacked a supply convoy; the merchant, who happens to be on decent terms with me, I had to first help him resolve his troubles before I could leave — fortunately it didn’t delay Su Qianhu’s meeting time.’

‘I see you, old slippery one, are trying to squeeze out a bit more performance at the last minute.’

Standing to one side, Jiao Mu Jiao glanced at him and bluntly laid bare his thoughts.

‘I’m not saying this about you, but Shiga City has held second place for years — can’t you give this old third a chance to overtake?’

Ye Lao laughed heartily, unbothered: ‘We’re all brothers; what’s the difference between second and third? Whenever your office needed a quota from the Works Bureau, haven’t I sold it to you?’

‘You know it’s a sale — and those are all paid for with my own hard cash!’

Jiao Mu Jiao waved a hand: ‘Forget it — over these years our three offices have risen and fallen together, making money side by side; there’s really nothing to fight over.’

‘You’re right to think that.’

Ye Lao reached out and hooked his arm around the other's shoulder: ‘As long as the top three spots remain ours, that’s enough, isn’t it?’

‘But just as you said, whenever a critical moment comes, some clueless individual always jumps out.’

Jiao Mu Jiao’s eyes darkened with resentment: ‘Originally, after this year’s assessment, Ming Wang’s achievements would have been enough for promotion to deputy thousand-household. Then, with just a bit of extra effort to grease the Northern Patrol Office, that deputy post would have been his for the taking. Who knew a Demon King Da would appear out of nowhere, snatching the deputy thousand-household seat for free — I feel it’s unfair on your behalf, Ming Wang.’

‘I think the same.’

Ye Lao nodded and continued: ‘In terms of rank, Demon King Da is merely an unremarkable sixth-grade tiger vassal, a full major rank below you, Ming Wang. In terms of merit, their Inuyama City is just an insignificant speck among the ten Wa cities, utterly incomparable to your Edo, which you oversee.’

‘As for those so‑called titles like “no more disturbances, region pacified,” they’re nothing but a joke.’

Ye Lao scoffed: ‘Everyone knows the main reason is that Inuyama City simply has no profit to be had, so bandits hardly linger there, let alone the great swans. He, Demon King Da, merely went with the flow — what’s there to boast about?’

‘Yeah, if we really wanted to kill, we could sweep the jurisdiction clean. But if we did that, what would our brothers below eat or drink? Only someone as obtuse as Demon King Da, a blockhead of wood, would carry things to such an extreme.’

Jiao Mu Jiao looked at the ever-smiling, silent Ming Wang and said in a low voice: ‘Ming Wang, rest assured — at this deliberation assembly, I and Ye Lao will certainly advise Su Qianhu to dismiss Demon King Da and appoint you as deputy thousand-household!’

‘Your intentions are clear to me, Ming Wang. Yet the Qianhu’s decision naturally has its reasons.’

Ming Wang smiled and said: ‘His lordship’s decision is not something that can be easily changed.’

‘Reason? What reason is there?’

The hot‑tempered Jiao Mu Jiao snapped: ‘I see the Qianhu merely pities Demon King Da for having suffered injustice and borne the punishment, thus granting him a deputy thousand-household post. To my mind, he just stumbled into dumb luck, bumping into that obstinate waste Lu Chengjiang, whose family lifted him up, his joy overpowering his senses, driving him to throw himself into death.’

‘Indeed, there’s no reason at all.’

Ye Lao, keenly sensing the growing delight in Ming Wang’s eyes, picked up Jiao Mu Jiao’s thread: ‘In past assemblies we watched Demon King Da bluster and wave his weapons, striving not to be listed last, his face flushed with effort — we merely treated him as a clown. Never did we expect that a pie would fall from the sky, landing squarely on his head.’

Ming Wang spoke softly: ‘The Qianhu does this also to keep the brothers below from feeling cold‑hearted. After all, Lu Chengjiang represents the face of the Thousand‑Household Office; if even the office produced a traitor, it would surely shake morale.’

‘Nor should Demon King Da be given the deputy thousand-household post — can he even hold it steady?’ Jiao Mu Jiao still wore a face of indignation.

‘Enough — we’ll talk about the deputy thousand-household matter later.’

Ming Wang’s tone grew grave: ‘The pressing task now is to lock in the schedule for this year’s assessment and keep the Works Bureau’s quota firmly in our grasp.’