His Spiritual Power reached sixty points. While it didn’t awaken a new Companion Talent, it did advance his Soul Capturing Technique to the Perfection Level.
With the aid of the Soul Capturing Technique at the Realm of Perfection, it would have unexpected effects whether used for support or against enemies.
He tested the power of the Perfect Soul Capturing Skill. Not to mention Martial Artists of the same rank, even those stronger than him would fall for it unwittingly, without ever knowing how it happened.
Even when facing Ghost Spirits and Anomalies skilled in Spiritual Attacks, it was uncertain who would emerge victorious among those of the same rank.
However, with sixty points of Spiritual Power as his trump card, Xia Wuyang would most likely be the one to win.
’I wonder if I’ll awaken a new Companion Talent when my Spiritual Power reaches seventy points, further elevating my Cultivation Realm.’
Filled with anticipation at the thought, Xia Wuyang continued to enjoy the songs and laughter of the Palace Maids, accumulating Spiritual Power bit by bit as he awaited the next small bottleneck.
’Unforgettable Memory, Mental Force Field, Language of the Heart... I’ve already awakened three Companion Talents. I wonder what the next one will be.’
Before he could awaken his next Companion Talent, something happened that brought him a bit of sorrow.
"Your Highness, this is the list of Palace Maids to be released from the palace this year. Please take a look."
Andrew cautiously presented a register. On it were the names of several dozen Palace Maids who would soon be leaving the Eastern Palace.
Xia Wuyang, paying no mind to the Qiuci Dancer he had been intimate with, took the list from Andrew. His fingertips brushed across the paper; the names on the register all belonged to people he knew well.
’Lv Ping, forty-six years old. Served the Eastern Palace for thirty years. Always loved to wear a green flower in her hair.’
’Qiu Guo, forty-seven years old. Served the Eastern Palace for thirty-one years. The Osmanthus Wine she brewed was the most fragrant and mellow.’
’Yueyue, forty-eight years old. Served the Eastern Palace for thirty-two years. She once took a sword for me from an assassin.’
...
As he went down the list name by name, he realized most of them had been intimate with him. The youngest of these women was already over forty, and some of their once-black hair had turned completely white.
They had left the best years of their lives behind in the Eastern Palace. Now that they were old and had lost their youthful luster, they could no longer serve him. According to palace rules, it was time for them to be released.
In his youth, he had shared sweet, intimate moments with these Palace Maids. He never imagined that several decades would pass so quickly. On the surface, he now appeared decrepit and old, and these stunning beauties who had entered the palace as young girls to serve him now had heads full of white hair.
"They are... they are all old retainers who have served me!"
The hedonistic, dream-like expression vanished from Xia Wuyang’s face. He could not help but let out a soft sigh, his voice quite hoarse.
He was a transmigrator who had been reborn into this world, so his past and present lives were his own. These Palace Maids had served him, and naturally, he had feelings for them.
"Do they have anywhere to go after leaving the palace?" Xia Wuyang asked.
Andrew thought for a moment, a bitter smile on his face. "The parents of these old Palace Maids passed away long ago. Very few are still alive, and even if they were, they might not take them in."
"Most have relatives and friends, but those people will be eyeing their meager retirement savings. I’m afraid that once they leave the palace gates, life will not be easy for many of them."
They had spent their youth sequestered in the Eastern Palace serving Xia Wuyang, missing the best years of their lives and never having children of their own.
Now that they were old, it was impossible for them to bear children. Many of the Palace Maids had even been sterilized. After leaving the palace, they would be all alone.
Xia Wuyang’s brow furrowed. It wasn’t that he hadn’t encountered this situation before, but back then, his temperament had been perverse and he couldn’t be bothered to care. He would usually just give them a sum of money and send them on their way.
As for whether that money was ultimately embezzled by Wei Xianren, Liu Jun, and others, or if it ever reached the hands of those old Palace Maids, he had no way of knowing. He would have to make inquiries later.
Now that he had recovered, he could no longer be so cold-blooded and ruthless, even if that was how most of the other Princes and Princesses in the palace treated those who were released from service.
But they had been intimate, and that created a bond he couldn’t just ignore.
"How many silver taels are left in the treasury?" Xia Wuyang asked.
Andrew hesitated. "Th-There isn’t much left. The Eastern Palace’s assets have all but withered away. What could be sold has been sold, and what could collapse has collapsed. I’m afraid we can’t afford much for severance pay."
Xia Wuyang understood. On the surface, his Eastern Palace was in a state of utter ruin, with no assets or resources to speak of. Even the treasury was empty.
Of course, he wasn’t about to take out the resources and treasures he had hidden away. Doing so would immediately expose his secret, so he had to resolve this matter while keeping his true situation concealed.
"Then sell three hundred of my Dragon and Tiger Elixirs," Xia Wuyang decided. "Find suitable residences for them in the Capital City and grant them a certain number of silver taels each month. If any wish to return to their hometowns, purchase farmland for them there."
Andrew was stunned. "But... but that’s too great an expense! Your Highness still needs those Dragon and Tiger Elixirs for yourself."
"Just do it. They’ve followed me for so many years, and it hasn’t been easy. I must provide for them in their old age." Xia Wuyang sighed. Once he no longer needed to hide his strength, and even ascended to that most noble position, he planned to give these old Palace Maids even better treatment.
This didn’t just apply to these old Palace Maids, but also to those who had served him in the past. He would have to investigate their current situations and provide them with appropriate care as well.
If his temperament hadn’t changed so drastically over the years, he probably would have done this long ago instead of casually dismissing the old Palace Maids with whom he had shared a bed.
Even if the severance pay from the Eastern Palace was already among the most generous of all the palaces, it was nothing compared to the lifetimes of youth these old Palace Maids had given.
His current situation was still quite dangerous, so it wasn’t the right time to act on this. However, Xia Wuyang firmly committed it to memory. He would deal with this matter as soon as he regained power.
Over the years, he had not only wronged the concubines still in the Eastern Palace but also the old Palace Maids he had favored and been intimate with.
Xia Wuyang specifically summoned Wei Xianren. After questioning him, he learned that Wei Xianren had withheld the silver coins from many of the old Palace Maids who had left the palace previously, and they had not received their full severance pay.
Furious, Xia Wuyang gave him another harsh lesson. If the time were right, he would have killed him without a second thought.
Xia Wuyang also had him tally everything up. When the time came, he would not only make up for the missing severance pay but would even double the compensation.
Over the past few decades, if not a thousand, then at least several hundred old Palace Maids had left the Eastern Palace. Most of them had been favored by Xia Wuyang, and the money required was no small sum.
Even if Xia Wuyang could produce the money now, he wouldn’t dare to act so ostentatiously. Otherwise, forget about compensating the old Palace Maids; he himself wouldn’t know a moment of peace and might even invite a fatal disaster.
’In any case, with my current Cultivation Speed, it will only be a few years at most. It won’t be too long.’