"His Highness, Shen Yue, bowed before the 15th Emperor of Jailing. The Emperor looked cold, calculating every expression shown by the general before him. As the Son of Heaven, the Emperor was the most powerful and wealthiest man, as people said. However, people like the Emperor also had no peace, constantly wary of every minister and everybody else. 'You may rise,' the Emperor said coldly.
"The Emperor kept looking at Shen Yue, thinking about whether he was an enemy or an ally. Suddenly, the Emperor stood up and threw the memorial on the golden table at Shen Yue. 'Audacious!' he exclaimed. 'Wu Tiang is seemingly building up alliances with other ministers, and now they're petitioning me to release more funds for the army,' the Emperor added in a calm voice, but upon closer listening, one could feel the anger beneath those words. 'Mmmmh,' the Emperor angrily shook his long sleeves, making the air feel stiff. However, Shen Yue's expression didn't change. He bowed his head slightly to show respect to the Emperor and looked at the floor coldly.
"'The treasury is running dry, and with things being as they are, this is a big opportunity for Wu Tiang to usurp power in the court. Do you know what that means?' The Emperor needed to worry. 'I've stationed guards around the Wu mansion and keep a very close watch on him,' Shen Yue answered calmly, unimpressed by the Emperor's demeanor. He knew the Emperor was growing crazier by the day. He knew that beneath that calm exterior lay a cruel and power-hungry Emperor who could get desperate when it came to the throne, especially after his father had taken the lives of the Wei family, the rightful royals of the throne.
"Suddenly, the Emperor turned, and this time, his calm facial expression was all gone, replaced by an expression that could only belong to a crazy person. Then came a throaty laugh, as if he was mocking the whole situation, until he suddenly stopped. 'I want you to go into the Wu mansion under the pretense of catching a bandit and report everything that goes on in that mansion to me,' the king paused to see Shen Yue's reaction, which seemed cold as usual. 'You really are something, General Shen Yue. I can never fully read you,' the king said, his calm expression returning. 'You seem not interested in politics, but I also cannot determine if you are a foe or not.'
"The general looked up coldly, knowing that if he kept quiet any longer, the Emperor's suspicion might become stronger. He looked calm. 'This general dare not venture into politics, Your Majesty. I am always fighting on the battlefield, and it does me no benefit, Your Highness.' The Emperor seemed satisfied, not noticing the general's subtle change in expression. 'I hope to get good results from you. You may leave.' Immediately, the general turned around, his expression changing to a small smirk that even the guards didn't notice."