Chapter 736: Chapter 737: Top Priority

CREAK.

The main gate closed.

Long Jiu looked back, his brow furrowed slightly with a hint of worry in his eyes.

"Mr. Xun, this..."

Xun Cheng shook his head.

"Whatever she thinks is up to her."

Long Jiu started to speak but then stopped. "But—"

Xun Cheng looked down at his legs.

They had indeed improved quite a bit recently. Before, he could only perceive faint twinges of pain, but now he would feel a tingling numbness after sitting for too long.

’Walk around more...’

He murmured softly, then suddenly smiled.

"Since the doctor said so, I suppose I should listen."

...

On the way home, Ye Chutang was lost in thought and didn’t say much.

Xiao Wu could tell something was on her mind. Unable to hold back, she moved to sit beside her and gave Ye Chutang’s arm a gentle shake.

Ye Chutang came back to her senses and patted the little girl’s head.

"Don’t worry. Big Sis is just thinking about a few things."

Xiao Wu gestured with her hands.

’Is Big Sis disappointed because she feels like this trip wasn’t fruitful?’

Ye Chutang couldn’t help but laugh.

"You could tell?"

Her sudden decision to visit Xun Cheng was indeed to verify a certain suspicion.

Unfortunately, she hadn’t received a clear answer.

Xiao Wu nodded, then shook her head, looking a little confused.

’But isn’t that Mr. Xun a friend of Big Sis? And he helped Fourth Brother before, too!’

’Big Sis must trust him a lot to have asked for his help back then.’

’And Big Sis is even willing to let him keep drinking for free!’

Ye Chutang nodded. "He is indeed reliable and trustworthy. And..."

She paused.

"Everyone in this world has their own secrets. There’s no rule saying those secrets must be shared."

That was why she had never pried into Xun Cheng’s past before.

As for today...

"Since he doesn’t want to talk about it, there’s no need to ask again. It doesn’t affect our relationship," Ye Chutang said. "After all, the world has never been black and white."

Xiao Wu nodded, though she only seemed to half-understand.

Ye Chutang composed herself, pushing those thoughts aside, and pinched Xiao Wu’s soft, tender cheek.

"You didn’t get to eat any pastries just now. You must be craving some, right?"

Xiao Wu shook her head with a stern and solemn expression.

’Of course not! I’m a big kid now! Why would I be thinking about food all day?’

Ye Chutang said, "I heard Lan Yue Building has a new Rose Petal Crisp that’s delicious."

Xiao Wu: "!!!"

She looked at Ye Chutang with pleading eyes.

Ye Chutang suppressed a laugh and instructed the coachman.

"To Lan Yue Building."

...

「Taiji Palace.」

Emperor Muwu sat high on his throne, with the civil and military officials arranged on either side.

The atmosphere was solemn and majestic.

"Announcing—the Southern Hu Mission to the hall!"

Eunuch Li flicked his horsetail whisk and announced in a loud, clear voice.

As his voice faded, the Southern Hu Mission, which had been waiting outside for a long time, was finally allowed to enter.

The crowd of officials turned to look, their gazes a mixture of curiosity, indignation, and anticipation for the drama to come.

On the surface, Nanhu bandits had recklessly invaded Long City, and the Southern Hu Mission was here to resolve the matter.

But in truth, many of the court officials present today knew their real purpose: to ransom a prisoner of war.

—The Southern Hu King’s own younger brother, Tuoba Yu!

It was obvious that a fierce confrontation was about to unfold!

Tang Zhongli turned slightly and whispered,

"Princely Heir, look. Is that man at the front Nanhu’s Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Si Kouji?"

Shen Yanchuan followed his gaze and gave a slight nod.

Tang Zhongli then gestured toward the back.

"And what about the one following behind him to his right? The one with the particularly striking looks... I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this person before. Judging by his clothes, his rank isn’t high, and he’s extremely young. Why is he part of the mission?"

Shen Yanchuan, of course, had already noticed that person’s presence.

His sharp eyes narrowed slightly before his eyebrows raised.

"To be entrusted with such an important task at such a young age... I imagine he has his own extraordinary qualities."

Tang Zhongli gave Shen Yanchuan a skeptical look. "You really don’t know who he is? That’s impossible, isn’t it?"

Shen Yanchuan’s thin lips curved slightly. "Does the Lord Sacrificial Officer think I am omnipotent and omniscient? They came from Nanhu, so it’s perfectly normal for me not to be familiar with them, is it not?"

He had always been stationed at the Northern Border and had indeed never set foot in Nanhu.

But while others might have believed him, Tang Zhongli was not convinced.

"You rascal, trying to hide things even from me..."

Now that the mission had arrived in the Capital City, there were no secrets that could be kept from Shen Yanchuan’s Black Cavalry Guard.

Shen Yanchuan’s reaction only made Tang Zhongli more certain of his guess—that man’s origins were definitely not simple!

’But... just who could he be?’

"Si Kouji holds significant power and influence in Nanhu. Furthermore, because he once served as the Imperial Tutor to the current Monarch, Tuoba Shan, his status there is extremely high. To think he would be the one to lead the mission this time... It’s clear how much importance Tuoba Shan places on this matter."

Tang Zhongli snorted.

"If it were just about some common bandits, I doubt they would have even sent someone from their Foreign Affairs Department."

Si Kouji led his retinue to the center of the hall, where they stopped, bowed their heads, and saluted.

"I, Si Kouji of Nanhu, convey the greetings of my Monarch to Emperor Muwu. May Your Majesty enjoy good health and be blessed for ten thousand years."

Emperor Muwu raised a hand, a smile that was polite yet majestic appearing on his face.

It was the effortless aloofness unique to a sovereign.

"Lord Si Kou, you have had an arduous journey. This Emperor has been in good health recently. Thank your Monarch for his well wishes."

Si Kouji presented a silk scroll with both hands.

"This was personally written by my Monarch. I implore Your Majesty to open it."

Eunuch Li scurried over with small steps, received the scroll with both hands, and presented it on Emperor Muwu’s imperial desk.

The silk brocade was exquisitely crafted. It shimmered as it was moved, catching the light with an exceptionally luxurious gleam.

Emperor Muwu slowly unrolled it.

Si Kouji exchanged a few polite pleasantries before quickly getting to the main point.

"...Regarding the incident in Long City, it was truly a moment of our negligence that allowed this group of bandits to rebel and commit such acts. Our Monarch was furious when he heard the news and has already ordered the eleven cities along the border to cleanse their ranks and execute all remaining bandits. Our Monarch deeply regrets the harm caused to the officials and people of Long City and its surrounding areas. Therefore, he has dispatched us to present the situation to Your Majesty, resolve any misunderstandings, and offer our sincerest apologies."

Si Kouji’s words were spoken with heartfelt sincerity and sounded entirely genuine.

"Our Monarch’s desire for friendly relations remains unchanged. As long as Your Majesty is willing to negotiate and put this matter behind us, we will do everything in our power."

As he spoke, he produced a booklet.

"This contains a list of the compensation we are offering to demonstrate our remorse. I invite Your Majesty and all the ministers to review it."

Many of the officials exchanged glances.

You had to admit, they were taking a very humble stance and their attitude was quite sincere.

It seemed they genuinely wanted to reconcile!

Tang Zhongli stroked his beard. "No wonder he could become an Imperial Tutor. The man certainly has his methods..."

Shen Yanchuan’s expression remained impassive, showing no surprise. He merely smiled.

"It seems the rumors were true. The Southern Hu King is indeed extremely fond of his younger brother."

’He’s really sparing no expense.’

Sure enough, in the next moment, Si Kouji asked the question he most wanted to ask.

"I wonder... where might the bandit leader who was escorted back to the Capital City be now?"

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