449: Chapter 449 Meeting the King

The three-day celebration at the Twelfth Prince's estate finally drew to a close, yet beneath the surface of this apparent tranquility lay a thrilling struggle for power.

During these three days, Di Pingjian, the mysterious strategist behind the Twelfth Prince, remained secluded, venturing out only a few times to personally cook delicacies for him.

However, her low profile did not obscure her brilliance; the spies of the other princes and the King soon caught wind of her existence.

The Twelfth Prince's sudden rise, along with his overnight celebration after securing the position of Crown Prince, had alerted the other shrewd princes and the King.

They realized that there must be a master advisor guiding the Twelfth Prince from behind the scenes; otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to distinguish himself so rapidly.

The King's strength went without saying, and his investigative abilities were unparalleled; Di Pingjian's identity was soon thoroughly uncovered by him.

The information networks of the other princes were equally vast, and with a bit of inquiry, they too learned of Di Pingjian's existence.

The King even issued a summons, demanding an audience with Di Pingjian.

Faced with this situation, the Twelfth Prince naturally did not want Di Pingjian to meet his father.

After all, Di Pingjian was his strategist, and there were many untold secrets between them.

However, his attempts to stop it were somewhat futile, as he was currently only the Crown Prince and did not yet have enough power to defy the King's decree.

Although there had never been a deposed Crown Prince in the history of the Chaotian Dynasty, this did not mean the position was absolutely secure.

If the Twelfth Prince committed a major error or allowed the other princes to seize a weakness, his status would likely become precarious.

Since the King had summoned Di Pingjian alone, it meant the Twelfth Prince could not accompany her.

Under the Twelfth Prince's worried gaze, Di Pingjian resolutely boarded the royal luxury carriage bound for Chaotian Hall.

This carriage was the epitome of luxury; it was more than just a means of transportation—it was like a exquisite piece of art.

The carriage body was crafted from the finest Materials, inlaid with countless sparkling gemstones and gold decorations, emitting a dazzling light.

The wheels were made of the strongest metal, capable of easily handling various complex road conditions.

However, carriages were not the only form of transportation on this planet.

In fact, automobiles existed here as well, but they were vastly different from the cars in Di Pingjian's memories of her previous life.

While these automobiles also possessed the ability to move quickly, their design and construction were more unique, filled with a sense of the extraordinary.

However, only the wealthy would ride in automobiles, while members of the royal family preferred these luxurious carriages.

Such a carriage was not only thousands of times more expensive than an ordinary automobile, but it also held a special significance—it was a symbol of the royal family's noble status and supreme ruling position.

Even more special was the fact that the horses pulling this carriage were no ordinary steeds, but magical creatures known as Flying Horses.

They possessed a pair of massive wings and could soar freely through the air.

The value of these Flying Horses alone was dozens of times that of an ordinary automobile, and combined with their unique flight capabilities, the royal luxury carriage was one of the most expensive and rare means of transport on the planet.

Inside Chaotian Hall, the atmosphere was solemn and dignified.

The throne sat high above, with only the King seated upon it. His majesty was like a powerful aura, as if it could envelop the entire hall.

To everyone's surprise, however, this formidable royal aura had absolutely no effect on the pretty girl standing below the throne.

The girl had a graceful figure and a beautiful face; she looked composed and confident, not at all intimidated by the King's majesty.

Her eyes were clear and bright, like the still waters of a deep pool, possessing an unfathomable depth.

The King's gaze was piercing, falling directly upon the girl as if he wanted to see through her exterior to her deepest thoughts.

He couldn't help but say, "So you are the strategist behind Waner? You are indeed extraordinary!"

The girl nodded slightly and responded softly:

"Replying to Your Highness, this humble woman is named Di Pingjian. I dare not accept the title of strategist to the Twelfth Prince. That His Highness was able to win the position of Crown Prince is entirely due to his own wisdom and strategy; I have merely contributed a meager effort."

Having spoken, Di Pingjian gave a respectful bow, her movements elegant and poised, neither servile nor overbearing.

Her voice was crisp and pleasant, yet carried a hint of firmness, making one even more curious about her identity and abilities.

"What do you think of Waner? If Waner becomes the King in the future, can our Chaotian City maintain its independence among the many royal cities, or even expand its territory and enlarge the city?" the King asked suddenly, his expression turning serious.

Di Pingjian's heart tightened; she knew this question was crucial, and the slightest misstep could provoke the King's dissatisfaction.

She steadied herself, thought carefully, and then replied solemnly: "He can. His Highness the Crown Prince has a heart as vast as the sea and wisdom like the stars. In the future, he will surely lead Chaotian City to even greater heights!"

Di Pingjian's answer was unhesitating and filled with confidence.

She was well aware of the Twelfth Prince's talent and ability, believing that if he ascended the throne, he would surely achieve great things.

Upon hearing this, the King nodded slightly in approval.

He said thoughtfully, "Hmm, I didn't expect you to hold Waner in such high regard. It seems I haven't paid enough attention to Waner lately!"

Di Pingjian quickly explained, "Your Highness is occupied with a myriad of affairs every day, so naturally you cannot attend to everything. However, the Crown Prince is indeed a rare talent with boundless potential."

The King nodded, seemingly satisfied with Di Pingjian's explanation.

He waved his hand, signaling that Di Pingjian could leave, and said, "Very well, you may return!"

Feeling as if she had been granted a great reprieve, Di Pingjian bowed to the King and then turned to leave.

Her steps felt somewhat heavy, for she knew that her performance before the King directly affected the Twelfth Prince's future.

And now, she could only support the Twelfth Prince with all her heart, hoping he would soon ascend the throne and realize her own ambitions.

Di Pingjian left Chaotian Hall and returned to the Twelfth Prince's estate. She recounted the King's inquiry to the Twelfth Prince exactly as it happened. After listening, a satisfied smile appeared on the Twelfth Prince's face.

The Twelfth Prince thought to himself, "Di Pingjian's performance this time was indeed good. It seems my previous worries about her might have been unnecessary."

He secretly made up his mind that from now on, he could no longer spend his days only on food and pleasure as before. Instead, he had to pay more attention to the major affairs of the Chaotian Dynasty and improve his own abilities and insight.

The Twelfth Prince knew well that although his father had announced him as the Crown Prince, it did not mean he could rest easy.

In his father's heart, his eldest brother had always been the most favored and the one most recognized by his father.

Therefore, he had to work doubly hard to change his father's past negative impressions of him and let his father truly see his progress and potential.

The Twelfth Prince decided that starting from now, he would wake up early and go to bed late every day, earnestly studying various political knowledge and management skills, and actively participating in the affairs of the Chaotian Dynasty.

He believed that as long as he persevered, he would surely pass his father's observation period, eventually become a qualified Crown Prince, and successfully inherit the throne.

After the Twelfth Prince successfully ascended to the position of Crown Prince, the power in Di Pingjian's hands also rose accordingly.

She did not lose herself because of this; on the contrary, she decided to once again use her power to help the children living in the Shelter and the poor people in the Slum District.

As time flew by, Tian Min was now already white-haired.

Due to overworking in his youth, his health was deteriorating day by day, which was quite worrying.

In the Slum District, Di Pingjian's parents had also entered their twilight years.

Their hair had long since turned gray, and their faces were covered with deep wrinkles, as if the passage of time had left indelible marks upon them.

In comparison, her mother appeared even more aged, like a candle flickering in the wind, making one feel pity.

Surprisingly, however, although Di Pingjian's father had an aged face, his eyes were still bright and piercing, revealing a sense of fortitude and determination forged through hardships.

Although Di Pingjian had never formally acknowledged her parents, she had been silently caring for and supporting them from behind the scenes.

She used various means to provide them with material assistance, ensuring their lives were not too difficult.

Initially, Di Pingjian's heart was filled with resentment toward her father because he had once heartlessly abandoned her.

But with the passage of time and the increase in her age, she gradually understood that there were too many frustrations and necessities in life.

Now, she was able to look back at the past with peace, no longer troubled by hatred.

In that distant era, life for the people in the slums was exceptionally hard.

For many families, giving birth to a boy or a girl meant vastly different fates.

In this impoverished environment, girls were often seen as a burden to the family because they lacked the strength of boys to perform labor for the wealthy and bring in income.

In such a social background, not only her father but other families also faced similar dilemmas.

Once a girl was born into a family, most parents would choose to abandon them, hoping to reduce the family's economic pressure in this way.

Families unable to afford to raise a girl usually had two choices: either give the female infant to another equally poor family as a child bride or simply abandon her.

And her family belonged to the poorest category in the slums.

Even raising a boy required the two parents to give up one person's worth of rations for two meals.

For this family, the existence of a girl was undoubtedly adding insult to injury. If they chose to raise her, the entire family might not survive.

Perhaps because she was well aware of this cruel reality, her mother did not come looking for her after she was abandoned by her father.

Maybe her mother also believed that on that snowy night, her life had reached its end and it was impossible for her to survive.

Now that Di Pingjian was in her twenties, it was a natural law for Tian Min and her parents to have aged so much.

The Shelter had now taken on a completely new look, no longer the dilapidated state it once was.

All of this was thanks to Di Pingjian's long-term efforts and generous funding.

With her help, the living conditions at the Shelter had improved immensely; not only had the buildings been renovated, but the children's quality of life had also significantly increased, even surpassing that of the children in the Slum District outside.

However, the scale of the Shelter was not small.

Since the Slum District occupied one percent of Chaotian City's area, the Shelter had undergone a certain degree of expansion over the years. Although the number of abandoned infants was gradually decreasing, the total number of children adopted by the Shelter had not decreased by much.

When Di Pingjian stepped into the Shelter, she was surprised to find that there wasn't a large group of children happily rushing up to welcome her as usual.

This made her feel a bit disappointed and out of place, though it was normal considering she hadn't personally visited the children and Tian Min for several years.

It turned out that most of the children who used to know her had already reached the age of twelve and had left the Shelter according to the rules.

The children remaining here now were mostly unfamiliar with this Di Pingjian who had been silently helping them.

Di Pingjian stood at the entrance of the Shelter, her gaze scanning the children coming and going inside.

She couldn't help but feel surprised, as she remembered that when she used to come here, most of the children in the Shelter were girls, with only a few boys.

However, she now discovered that the number of boys here was actually on par with the girls, and even slightly exceeded them.

Not only that, Di Pingjian also noticed that the total number of children in the Shelter this time was clearly many times more than when she last visited.

This phenomenon made her feel suspicious, because in her impression, as the living conditions of the people in the Slum District outside gradually improved, there should be fewer and fewer abandoned infants.

Reasonably speaking, no matter what, the number of children in the Shelter should not have become so large.

Only after Di Pingjian met Tian Min did she learn about the current situation of the Shelter. Because the conditions of the Shelter had improved greatly in recent years, more and more children were being drawn there.

Although the number of abandoned infants in the Slum District had decreased, unexpectedly, many poor people facing difficulties actually sent their five or six-year-old children to the Shelter.

These children would live in the Shelter until they were twelve, and then be taken back by their families.

Initially, Tian Min had a dismissive attitude toward these poor people's requests.

However, when he personally went to the Slum District for a field investigation, he was shocked to find that many families indeed faced enormous life pressure; they often had four or five children but struggled to make ends meet, even having trouble with basic food and clothing.

Facing such a difficult reality, a sense of pity couldn't help but well up in Tian Min's heart.

He realized that these poor people were not being irresponsible, but were forced by life.

Thus, after some careful consideration, Tian Min finally relented and agreed to their requests.

The reason Tian Min was able to agree to these poor people was largely thanks to Di Pingjian's generous funding of the Shelter over the years.

It was precisely because of Di Pingjian's financial support that the Shelter had enough resources to take in these extra children.

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