The fourteenth prince, Chau Ng?c Yên (Jade Yên), was fortunately rescued by loyal soldiers. In a short time, he was enthroned as the new King, establishing a new court in a large city in the East, far from the Western Wolf Kingdom (Tay Lang Qu?c) and the old capital.
Jade Yên was a benevolent king, but being young, he was also prone to playfulness and loved to sleep, often leading to laziness. Because the new court was severely short on manpower, most of the work fell squarely onto the young king's shoulders.
Initially, the King tried his best to read carefully and discuss matters with his officials, including the Imperial Preceptor (Qu?c S?), H?u Thành Danh. However, the sheer volume of official documents quickly led to exhaustion and boredom. Eventually, the King started to approve documents rapidly just to get the work over with. This disappointed the officials, as their reports and proposed solutions took days of effort to prepare. Moreover, making decisions without thorough review inadvertently granted excessive power to the officials, increasing the risk of corruption and abuse of authority.
Imperial Preceptor H?u Thành Danh immediately recognized the problem. However, his student was now the King with supreme power, so the Preceptor could not publicly criticize or reprimand him. Even in private meetings, his gentle reminders were not enough to make the young King change.
The Imperial Preceptor resorted to seeking help from Doanh Th??ng Quan. Doanh Th??ng Quan was also the King's tutor but was appointed as a Military General (V? t??ng) instead of a civil official. Every day, the King diligently practiced martial arts with him, never skipping a session. Whenever the King made a mistake, the General would use a rod to strike him on the backside during training.
The young King’s temperament was erratic. Occasionally, he would sneak up onto a rooftop and sit alone, choosing a different spot each time, forcing everyone to search for him. The Dark Guard (ám B? Quan) always followed closely but remained hidden, respecting the King's privacy. Only Doanh Th??ng Quan was the one who could find him the fastest.
He asked, "Is my student feeling weary again?"
In front of his teacher, the King did not conceal his emotions as he usually did and burst into tears like a child: "It's so miserable, Teacher! All day long, people tell me what I must do—responsibility, duty, obligation. They won't even let me play a little. This suffering is too much!"
Doanh Th??ng Quan remained silent, just watching his student. He recalled how Master Noe treated him. Their method was starkly different from the harsh education in this kingdom—where one must be strong, resilient, hide tears, and never admit fault.
He let the King cry until he was relieved, believing that tears would lessen the pain in his heart. After a moment, Doanh Th??ng Quan finally spoke:
"I apologize, I have no solution either. This kingdom is too vast, with too many problems, and you are the last hope. If you do not resolve them, no one else has the authority to. You have seen many people suffering. The officials and generals constantly seek to increase their personal gain. If you, as King, do not protect the people, their suffering will only increase. I know you cherish freedom and wish to embark on adventures like the Immortals (Tiên Nhan), exploring new lands. I truly understand this."
The young King lamented, "Then is there any solution? Is there a way to help me escape the shackles of responsibility, this heavy burden? I'm about to break. Or, why don't you become the King instead of me?"
The moment this was said, a few members of the Dark Guard flashed into view momentarily before disappearing again. The King didn't notice, but Doanh Th??ng Quan understood immediately that they were protesting the idea of changing the King.
Doanh Th??ng Quan calmly rebuked, "Absolutely not! Do you think this is a way to shirk your responsibility? Do you want to harm me and my entire family?"
The King innocently replied, "Ah, ah, but I am in so much pain, so much pain! I just want to throw this pile of responsibility away! Living in the royal palace is like a prison. Being a King is supposed to be enjoyable—enjoyable? It’s utterly miserable! I don't have a moment of privacy!"
Doanh Th??ng Quan said, "Very well, I will stop beating around the bush. I will give you a solution. The reason your workload is so heavy is the lack of supporting officials. Once suitable personnel are recruited, everything will be settled.
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Organize a Talent Selection Examination held by the Court itself, without regard for social status—everyone is allowed to participate.
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Request Phong Tr?n, the Commander-in-Chief of the Dark Guard, to gather information and personally invite suitable individuals to serve.
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Restore relations with the Immortal Sects (Tiên Gia), and personally invite the Great Imperial Preceptor, an elder of the Profound Ice Sect (Huy?n B?ng Giáo), to assist. He has sworn an oath of loyalty to the previous Kings of the Pearl Kingdom."
The King asked, "What are the pros and cons of these solutions?"
Doanh Th??ng Quan replied, "All three share the advantage of creating forces loyal to you. As long as you give the command, they will surely obey. The disadvantage is that all three will subtly oppose one another.
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The Court Officials fear the Dark Guard because they hold secrets and can arrest or assassinate officials at any time (the Black-White contrast).
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The Dark Guard (who belong to the Demonic and Ghost Cultivation paths) are heavily opposed to the Immortal Sects.
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The Immortal Sects fear the Court Officials because they greatly value the people's reputation and beliefs.
Currently, the forces are relatively balanced, but if you favor one, that side will grow stronger."
The King looked intrigued: "So, the Court is currently unbalanced, and the officials are working in fear and under pressure from the Dark Guard. So, if I just invite the Immortal Sects, they will teach me Immortal Arts, and I can fly like a bird, right?"
Doanh Th??ng Quan sighed, "No! If you favor the Immortal Sects too much, the balance will be immediately broken. It is best to utilize all three. They will compete with each other and work for you. Ultimately, the entire populace benefits, and they will praise you. You won't have to do much; just keeping these three forces in balance is enough."
This conversation was overheard by Liên Tr?n, a Dark Guard commander, who reported everything to Phong Tr?n, the Commander-in-Chief, along with a thick dossier on Doanh Th??ng Quan.
At first, Phong Tr?n was not too concerned, but after reading the entire contents, he arranged a private meeting with Doanh Th??ng Quan:
"This is your file. Take a look. After you've read it, you must leave this place. You are an intelligent person; don't make me elaborate."
Doanh Th??ng Quan replied before reading the report, "You came here because I requested the King to invite the Immortal Sects, didn't you? I..."
Phong Tr?n interrupted, "No. The reason I am asking you to leave is because of your father's identity, Doanh Th??ng Nhan. His former name was Chau Ng?c Tú (Jade Tú), the same surname as the King. This means you and the King are cousins. The King trusts you excessively and was ready to surrender the throne to you, even if it was just a childish joke. Such a potential danger is too great. Leave immediately. I must prevent all potential dangers to the King before they even take shape."
Doanh Th??ng Quan opened the file in surprise and confirmed much of the information was true. His father's vague, meaningless comments gradually became clearer. He was stunned for a long time, thinking, “So what is this? My father is not merely a vagrant but a descendant of the Royal Family? Was his laziness and reluctance to act not just to live a simple life but to avoid public curiosity? Was this the reason he repeatedly stopped me from joining the court?” A hundred questions suddenly swirled in his mind.
But he recalled why he was here; it was Noe, the prophet, his teacher, who had pulled him into this mess. He regained his composure and said, "I was unaware of this. I agree with you; I will leave, but I need time to go and ask my Master first."
Phong Tr?n said, "Good. I don't want to blow this matter up. I want you to leave voluntarily and comfortably. Don't do anything rash. I don't want to have to order the assassination of both you and your Master. Both of you were excellent comrades of mine."
Doanh Th??ng Quan immediately went to Ghost Valley Village (Qu? C?c Th?n) to find Master Noe, and the two later returned together. Doanh Th??ng Quan asked the King for permission to return home to visit his father, Doanh Th??ng Nhan, and requested the responsibility of being the Grand General of the Western Expedition (Chinh Tay ??i T??ng Quan) to punish the Western Wolf Kingdom.
The King was very sad that his beloved teacher had to leave. Conversely, the officials enthusiastically supported the idea, as it meant one less competitor in court. They wanted to push Doanh Th??ng Quan to the borderlands to serve as a scapegoat or a human shield against the Western Wolf Kingdom. The military generals and the Dark Guard were also in fervent agreement, making it impossible for the King to refuse.
Before his teacher left, the King walked a long way to see him off, and the two discussed many things. Upon returning, the young King immediately organized a grand examination, attracting talents regardless of social status, and at the same time, tasked the Dark Guard with supervising and recruiting talented people. The King personally went to invite the Great Imperial Preceptor from a branch of the Profound Ice Immortal Sect, refusing to leave until the elder agreed to return. He showed maximum sincerity with gifts, praise, and determination, giving the Immortal Sects an opportunity to flourish once more.
The King granted Doanh Th??ng Quan the authority to take over five large cities near the border with the Western Wolf Kingdom, recognizing them as a new small kingdom. The King also promised that if he succeeded in washing away the nation's shame, he would grant him three more large cities, equivalent to a major province of the Pearl Kingdom.
Despite holding the very high position of Grand General, the court was in disarray and could only provide Doanh Th??ng Quan with 7,000 troops. As for Phong Tr?n, he sent the three long-armed brothers with superhuman strength (Str > 300) but simple minds (A Nh?t, A Nh?, A Tam) to assist. Additionally, there were 100 rat-men (1-2m tall) accompanying them as supervisors. These creatures were inherently servile and incorruptible, loyal only to the Dark Guard, along with a dossier detailing the capabilities of the Lords of the five large cities.