Oh. My. Fate?! (BL, Volume 12, Part 2)

322 Grand but Boring

Before it was time for this next speech of his, he received another message though and this time, it came from the Nine Heavens: As the Son of Heaven had been found and brought back home, the Heavenly Emperor invited him for a celebration.

The fact that he was actually included in this was ... odd, to say the least. But this was probably due to the fact that he was the one who had personally brought the crown prince back. Even the Heavenly Emperor who was famous for being hot-tempered probably felt that politeness demanded he at least extend this invitation, no matter whether he wanted to see him or not.

Ye Yang stared at the paper and then looked up at the god who had delivered it. Even wasn't wearing armor but he looked very much like he should be from the Palace of War. Well, it figured. They didn't trust him. This person had probably been chosen because they could defend themselves and also so they could discreetly check the situation in the demon realm. It made sense, considering that he had only recently acceded to the throne and caused a few changes immediately after. The Heavenly Emperor should be worried about that.

Lowering the invitation, Ye Yang finally inclined his head. "Please extend my thanks to Tianjun for thinking of me. Naturally, I will come to celebrate such a grand occasion. I presume it is alright to bring two of my ... advisers?" He hesitated a little about what to call them but no matter what, Lin Shi and Xia Wei had to be taken along to show their faces. He'd be working with them a lot in the near future and needed them to be recognized in both the Nine Heavens and the dragon realm.

Of course, it was also a convenient opportunity to start giving the gods and dragons a different image of their people. He'd have to make sure that those two behaved just as well as the dragon king's advisers if not better. This would impact not just their personal reputation in the future but also that of their whole race so it couldn't be neglected.

The other person who was indeed part of the Palace of War hesitated but finally inclined their head. "Yes, that is naturally possible." Even though the God of War hadn't said anything, this newly minted demon king had brought back their Son of Heaven so ... it seemed they kind of owed him? Also, the dragon king had always brought an adviser or two in the past so why shouldn't the demon king be allowed to do the same? With just two or three people, they likely couldn't do anything outrageous right under everyone's eyes either even if they tried.

Ye Yang gave a hum. "That is good. We will definitely be there."

The heavenly guard nodded and then bid their farewell, not wanting to stay in the demon realm any longer.

Ye Yang continued to sit motionless on the throne, staring at the gate that closed behind the other person. Going to the Nine Heavens ... it seemed that against all odds, he'd be seeing An Bai again very soon. Not that that was the important part. He sighed, raised his brows, and got to his feet, making his way to the treasury.

Whether it was the Heavenly Emperor or the dragon king, they both cherished the Son of Heaven immensely. The occasion should be grand and most people would bring gifts along with their congratulatory words. While he might have been the one to deliver the person back home and thus should generally be exempted from this, it couldn't hurt to show his attitude by joining in.

As for what to give ... considering the person's status and the length of his disappearance, plus the fact that he had reappeared in the demon realm so that they may or may not have to make up for something, it was better to go bigger. Seeing as the Son of Heaven was a person with a lover though, the more neutral, the better. It absolutely couldn't be jewelry, clothes, or anything that could be made into either of those. It shouldn't be delicacies or alcohol either. No, what he needed was a grand but boring gift that wouldn't draw irritation from either side.

He actually didn't know much about the Son of Heaven. This person seldom appeared and had no political power to speak of. If he were to show up anywhere, then — speaking impolitely — it was usually as a pretty display piece next to the Heavenly Emperor. Still, his temperament was said to be as gentle as his appearance, much better than that of his father. Judging by that ... just think of him as a scholarly person and get something fit for such a person.

Ye Yang walked by the shelves that neatly displayed the wealth the realm had accumulated during Jin Ling's reign. What had been there previously had mostly been squandered by those short-lived people before and after Huo Yan so this was likely worse than what the Nine Heavens or the dragon realm had to offer. Still, he should be able to find some stationery, a book, or maybe a painting he'd like.

Speaking of the latter ... He thought of the ones that had been created for the competition and couldn't help but wonder if it would be appropriate to ask for one of those from the respective painter. Even though neither of them had won, they were still the most talented artists recognized in their realm and he had also seen that their skill level wasn't necessarily low.

Guan Chen likely wouldn't mind if he did this either. After all, that person had received what he had been promised and would be shown around more thoroughly soon enough. He should be happy with that so there was no need not to make use of the others.

Making up his mind, Ye Yang indeed picked a set of stationery that looked decent and then left the treasury again to return to the throne room, calling Lin Shi and Xia Wei over for his next instructions.