Chapter 104: Ninety-Five Years of Reign

Lu Yang finished reading the records and raised his head.

His gaze landed on Song Fuyao, who was still glaring at him from inside the cell.

He considered the matter for a moment before asking casually.

"Why have you been interfering with the Imperial Court’s affairs for the past five years?"

Song Fuyao immediately narrowed her eyes.

"What does that have to do with you?"

"Nothing in particular. I’m just curious." Lu Yang replied without hesitation.

"Curious?" She let out a cold laugh, "Do you think I’ll tell you anything, you dog official?"

Lu Yang sensibly shut his mouth, but after a brief pause, he tried again.

"If you explain the circumstances, it will be easier for the authorities to handle your case."

"Handle my case?" Song Fuyao’s expression grew even more unpleasant.

"You people have already decided that I’m guilty! What difference does it make what I say?"

Lu Yang looked at her calmly, "That depends on what you say."

Song Fuyao’s voice grew louder as she shouted.

"Then listen carefully! You can take your ridiculous records, shove them up your—"

Lu Yang suddenly regretted asking her anything.

He was initially somewhat curious about the reason behind her actions.

After all, spending five years interfering with government affairs across several counties was not something an ordinary young woman would do.

There was probably a story behind it.

But since Song Fuyao didn’t want to tell him, then so be it. There was no need to force her.

He folded the records and turned around sharply.

"Take care of yourself, Miss Song."

"Where are you going now?!"

Her voice came from behind, but Lu Yang only waved his hand.

"To do my work."

Song Fuyao stared at his retreating figure in disbelief.

After a moment of silence, another round of curses erupted from behind him.

Lu Yang continued walking without looking back.

He had begun to suspect that the young woman possessed a special talent for turning every ordinary conversation into an argument.

Unfortunately, he had no interest in helping her develop that talent.

...

The following days passed peacefully.

At least, they did for Lu Yang.

Song Fuyao, on the other hand, seemed determined to make her displeasure known whenever their paths crossed.

Whenever Lu Yang passed her cell during an inspection, she would glare at him.

Sometimes she would call him a dog official, sometimes she would accuse him of deliberately making her suffer, and sometimes she would demand that he remove her chains and fight her fairly.

Lu Yang had no choice but to ignore her, secretly committing each curse into his memory.

Woman, just you wait and see how I deal with you after achieving major achievement in my divine skills!

Over time, he had grown accustomed to her behavior.

He would pass her cell, listen to a few curses, and continue with his work.

Occasionally, he would even argue back, verbally sparring with her to improve his vocabulary of curses.

Whenever Zhao Ming accompanied him during inspections, he would hear the young woman shouting from behind the bars.

The first time this happened, Zhao Ming looked at Lu Yang with a strange expression.

"Brother Lu, what did you do to offend her?"

Lu Yang had answered honestly, "Nothing."

Zhao Ming stared at him for a moment before nodding thoughtfully.

"Then you must have offended her very badly."

Lu Yang could not be bothered to respond.

...

Several months passed in this manner.

Yet, no further orders regarding Song Fuyao arrived.

There was no new information about her case, instructions to transfer her elsewhere, or official notice concerning her release.

She just remained in the Imperial Prison.

As time went on, Lu Yang gradually understood that her case had been postponed indefinitely.

This was not particularly unusual.

Great Qian was a vast dynasty, and the Imperial Court had countless matters to handle every single day.

A young woman who had caused trouble in several counties of a neighboring province was hardly the most pressing concern facing the officials in the capital.

Unless someone influential intervened on her behalf, her case would sit untouched for a long time.

And if no one came to bail her out, she might remain in the Imperial Prison until the next Emperor ascended the throne and a general amnesty was declared.

Thinking of this, Lu Yang could not help but glance towards Song Fuyao’s cell during one of his routine inspections.

The young woman was sitting inside, her expression dark as she stared at the wall.

She had become somewhat quieter in recent days. However, that did not mean her temper had improved.

Whenever she saw Lu Yang, she still found some way to express her displeasure, but she no longer spent quite as much time shouting at the guards as she had during her first few days.

Perhaps she had finally realized that cursing the walls would not make them disappear. Either that, or she was just tired.

Lu Yang did not know, but he was still quite curious about her.

The current Emperor of Great Qian had occupied the throne for more than ninety-five years.

This was an extraordinarily long reign, even by the standards of a world where cultivators possessed extended lifespans.

Ordinary people rarely lived beyond a hundred years, while cultivators could potentially live much longer depending on their cultivation realm.

An Emperor, however, did not necessarily have to remain on the throne for the entirety of their natural lifespan.

Some abdicated after decades of rule, while others continued governing until old age made it difficult to manage the affairs of the dynasty.

The current Emperor had been in power for nearly a century, probably one of the longest reigning Emperors in Great Qian’s history.

Considering his age and the length of his reign, Lu Yang believed that he might abdicate when he reached a hundred years old, assuming nothing unexpected happened.

That meant there would likely be several more years before the next Emperor ascended the throne.

Likewise, there was still time for a general amnesty to arrive following the succession, meaning that Song Fuyao might have to wait until then to leave the Imperial Prison.

Lu Yang sat down on a chair outside her cell, cracking melon seeds as he looked at her.

Today, it was his turn to watch over the various prisoners here.

The young woman seemed to sense his gaze and immediately turned her head.

"What are you looking at, dog official?"

Lu Yang instantly withdrew his gaze, turning to look at another prisoner.

I have to spend five more years at the very least with this foul mouthed woman...

He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly at the thought.

There was little he could do about it.

As long as she was within his assigned detention area, he would inevitably encounter her from time to time.

Fortunately, five years was not a particularly long time period for someone who had already lived through several lifetimes.

He could endure it, hopefully.