Scumbag Chapter 169 The Reformed White-Eyed Wolf General (35)

After the Qingming Festival, the Eastern Sea pirates, who came as scheduled every year, did not cause any trouble this year, which puzzled t

After the Qingming Festival, the Eastern Sea pirates, who came as scheduled every year, did not cause any trouble this year, which puzzled the people along the coast of Yaozhou.

‘Could it be that the Eastern Sea pirates went to celebrate Qingming Festival too?’

When these words reached Qi Ming's ears, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

The Eastern Sea pirates weren’t staying away… they were being held back by the Mingting and simply didn’t have time to come.

Of course, some Eastern Sea pirates probably just had bad luck and ran straight into Mingting’s hands, catching this year’s Qingming Festival express ride straight to hell.

But jokes aside.

After laughing, Qi Ming grew even more worried about Mingting’s safety.

A spreading reputation brought great danger.

Once the ‘Red-Headed Ghost’ became a thorn in the Eastern Sea pirates’ eyes, they would temporarily abandon their raids and unite to deal with Mingting first.

Mingting was unaware of Qi Ming’s concerns. Otherwise, he would’ve said, ‘I’ve got good luck, so I won’t run into any encirclement.’

This time, he stayed out at sea until autumn.

Along the way, whenever he learned that Eastern Sea pirates were setting out to raid the mainland, Mingting sent his men back to deliver warnings.

As a result, when the Eastern Sea pirates disembarked, they were met by well-trained soldiers instead of easy plunder. They gained nothing and ended up losing their lives.

The pirates were utterly baffled, wondering how was the newly established Zheng State on land getting its information so quickly.

Could it be that there was a traitor among them? Had someone been bribed to leak their plans in advance? So, the leaders of the Eastern Sea pirates stared at their subordinates with suspicion every day.

The seas grew increasingly chaotic, and news of the Red Turban Pirates, founded by the remnants from the previous dynasty, stirring up trouble on the high seas was eventually reported to Emperor Chang during court.

The ministers argued endlessly over how to handle these remnants.

Some insisted that Count of Dingyuan should be sent to capture the ‘Red-Headed Ghost’ and eliminate these remnants of the previous dynasty.

Others claimed that this was a dangerous root of rebellion that needed to be eradicated, but since the Red-Headed Ghost was so fierce, perhaps a softer approach should be used to lure them ashore first.

There are also others who accused Count of Dingyuan of negligence, arguing that he had allowed the remnants to run rampant at sea and should be severely punished...

Watching them arguing non-stop, as one of only two people who knew the truth, Emperor Chang grew increasingly impatient.

Keeping a secret to himself was enjoyable, but it was also agonizing!

If not for the need to protect Mingting, Emperor Chang would’ve loved to share his amusement with someone.

But this time, he also identified a few ministers who were particularly vocal in their accusations against Mingting, blaming him of not fulfilling his responsibilities for the Red-Headed Ghost’s boldness.

Though their arguments seemed reasonable, Emperor Chang knew these men had ulterior motives.

The most aggressive critics were backed by the Prince of Han.

Emperor Chang hadn’t forgotten how the Prince of Han had once sent assassins after Mingting’s in-laws and pregnant wife.

‘Mingting never held a grudge against you, yet you’re fixated on tearing him down?’ This infuriated Emperor Chang!

‘Count of Dingyuan was diligent, dedicated, and risking his life under a false identity to protect Zheng State from pirates. It's okay if you don't try to help, but you also pull tried to drag him down and slander him!’

Emperor Chang had had enough.

He thought his earlier decision to send over a dozen ministers to Yaozhou for ‘field research’ had made his stance clear, but he didn't expect his sons still refused to learn their lesson.

So Emperor Chang lost his temper. Seizing on the slightest pretext, he exiled the most outspoken critics to remote postings.

‘You think Mingting isn’t doing his job? Fine. I won’t even send you to the dangerous coast… just to the borders. If you can perform half as well as Mingting, maybe I’ll recall you.’

After the court, Emperor Chang went to Kunde Palace to visit Empress Zhou and their children.

Empress Zhou had given birth to a pair of twins, a boy and a girl. Although they were born prematurely, fortunately, both the mother and children were safe, and the children were also healthy, much to Emperor Chang’s delight.

Now, the twins are already one month old, and they are plump and fair-skinned. Emperor Chang comes to see them every day.

Ever since Empress Zhou became pregnant with twins, Emperor Chang had frequented Kunde Palace often.

The birth of the twins, a boy and a girl, was seen as an auspicious sign of ‘dragon and phoenix bringing harmony’. Emperor Chang grew so accustomed to seeing them that he felt uneasy if a day passed without a visit.

With the Emperor and Empress spending more time together, their relationship took on the warmth of an ordinary married couple. This cozy domestic atmosphere brought Emperor Chang great comfort.

However, recalling the court debates and the scheming of his sons behind the scenes, Emperor Chang decided it was time to send the princes to their respective fiefdoms.

In the past, he had hoped to keep the family together, enjoying the sight of his children and grandchildren during festivals, which was a picture of harmony.

But now, keeping his grown sons in the capital only fueled their ambitions, threatening the stability of the court and the nation.

Moreover, the Crown Prince was outstanding, faultless, and benevolent. Emperor Chang felt he owed it to his heir to act decisively.

When Emperor Chang shared his thoughts with Empress Zhou, she urged him to be lenient, reminding him that all their children were equally dear to them.

Touched by her kindness, Emperor Chang felt even more compelled to act. Soon after, he issued an edict assigning fiefdoms to the princes, ordering them to leave after the New Year.

As for the unfilial Prince of Han, Emperor Chang deliberately gave him a remote and impoverished fief… He wanted to see how much trouble he could stir up there.

The news of going to the fiefdom after the New Year was a bolt from the blue for several princes.

What made them even more depressed was that within two days, the Crown Princess gave birth to a royal grandson.

With the Crown Prince now having a legitimate heir, Emperor Chang was overjoyed.

Not only did he personally attend the baby’s third-day bathing ceremony and bestow a formal name, but he also followed the folk belief that ‘humble names are easier to raise’ and gave the child a nickname… Tuntun. (T/N: It means little pig.)

Empress Zhou was both amused and exasperated by the name, but with the Crown Prince securing an heir, her worries eased. If her grandson had to be called ‘little pig’, so be it.