Chapter 737: Chapter 738: Rong Ke

Despite the lengthy preamble, his words still betrayed a sense of urgency.

It was no wonder. This was, after all, the most important task of their visit to the Capital City.

Emperor Muwu leisurely finished reading Tuoba Shan’s letter before setting the silk brocade down.

"Oh? Does Lord Si Kou wish to see him?"

He was obviously feigning ignorance.

Si Kouji cursed inwardly, but he had no choice but to maintain a polite expression.

"Well..." He hesitated, looking somewhat awkward as he chose his words carefully. "To be frank, our Monarch places great importance on this matter. Before our departure, he repeatedly instructed us that we must bring the leader of the bandits back to Nanhu for him to personally pass judgment."

He paused.

"I just wonder... if Your Majesty would grant this request?"

This was a blatant demand for the prisoner.

Many in the hall secretly exchanged glances.

Although their sincerity was apparent, the nature of this incident was extremely serious. How could they be let off so easily?

Tuoba Yu had claimed he acted alone, in secret, but who knew if his own brother had a hand in it?

Taken to its logical extreme... it meant Nanhu was plotting something sinister, attempting to provoke a conflict between the two nations!

Si Kouji was clearly aware of this, and as he spoke, he subtly observed the reactions of everyone in the hall.

Emperor Muwu narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I see. Speaking of that man... I haven’t seen him in a while. With so many recent matters, I haven’t paid him much mind."

He turned his head slightly and asked Eunuch Li,

"Where is he? Since Lord Si Kou has made his request, go and bring him here."

"Yes," Eunuch Li answered respectfully.

Soon, two guards escorted a prisoner into the hall.

Si Kouji turned, and when he saw the prisoner’s face clearly, he almost cried out in shock.

But he remembered where he was. More importantly, he remembered that at this moment, Tuoba Yu was not Tuoba Yu, but the "bandit leader"!

So he forced himself to swallow the words caught in his throat.

But his eyes remained glued to Tuoba Yu.

’How long has it been? How could Prince Su have gotten so thin!’

He was dressed in a white prisoner’s uniform, his once-tall frame now seeming to sway. Though his face and hair appeared clean, his cheeks were sunken, dark circles bruised the skin beneath his eyes, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Even a fool could see he had probably just been given a quick wash before being brought here!

’From Long City to the Capital City, just how much has he suffered on this journey?’

Si Kouji had previously been responsible for tutoring Tuoba Shan and would often run into the playful Tuoba Yu.

’In his heart, he had always regarded the two brothers as his own children.’

Seeing Tuoba Yu looking so haggard and wretched, how could he possibly remain calm?

It took a great deal of effort for him to restrain the urge to rush forward.

"You are before the Holy Emperor! Kneel!"

A guard barked, pressing down on Tuoba Yu’s shoulders and forcing him to his knees.

THUD—!

Tuoba Yu was completely drained and extremely weak. How could he be a match for these guards?

His mind was a muddled mess.

It wasn’t until his knees slammed hard onto the floor, sending a sharp, stabbing pain through him, that he regained a sliver of clarity.

He slowly, belatedly raised his head and finally took in the scene in the hall.

Si Kouji’s lips trembled as he met Tuoba Yu’s vacant, dazed eyes. A sharp pain lanced through his heart, and a surge of fury rose within him, only to be forcibly suppressed.

’Right now... I must endure!’

However, the first person Tuoba Yu noticed wasn’t Si Kouji, but the man standing beside him...

Meeting those cold, sharp eyes, Tuoba Yu instantly shivered!

Almost instinctively, he lowered his head.

Shen Yanchuan raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly, his gaze turning intrigued.

’It seems Tuoba Yu is even more afraid of this one...’

’But given his status as Prince Su, there can’t be many people in all of Nanhu who could inspire such fear and awe in him.’

’And comparing the two of them, Tuoba Yu is clearly the older one.’

’Interesting...’

But this fleeting play of emotions passed in an instant and went unnoticed by most.

Si Kouji withdrew his gaze, turned, and clasped his hands in a salute again, forcing out each word through gritted teeth.

"...I wonder if Your Majesty will permit us to take this man away?"

Emperor Muwu mulled it over for a moment, then looked to the side.

"King Yan Nan, you were the one who captured this man, after all. What is your opinion?"

King Yan Nan’s expression was cold and stern, radiating an intimidating aura without any sign of anger.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, this man is cunning and his motives are impure. He dared to invade our territory. His crime is worthy of death!"

Si Kouji grew anxious instantly. "King Yan Nan!?"

He had dealt with King Yan Nan several times before and knew the man was rigidly righteous and difficult to reason with. That was why, from the very beginning, Si Kouji had never intended to negotiate with him, instead pinning his hopes on Emperor Muwu.

Who would have thought Emperor Muwu would just pass the buck right back to him!

King Yan Nan shot him a sidelong glance. "What? Does Lord Si Kou find this inappropriate? The crimes this man has committed would warrant capital punishment in Nanhu as well, would they not? What difference does it make if he dies here or in Nanhu?"

"I—"

Si Kouji was at a loss for words, forcing himself to hold his tongue.

"I have already stated that this is the Monarch’s will. This man is brazenly audacious, and our Monarch is determined to punish him personally as an example to others. If we cannot bring him back this time, I fear we will be unable to report back. I hope King Yan Nan can show some understanding—"

"That’s easily solved," King Yan Nan scoffed. "Don’t you just want to take him back? Once he’s dead, we have no intention of keeping the corpse. You can take it then."

"You!"

Si Kouji was furious.

’Anyone else would be one thing, but King Yan Nan clearly knows Prince Su’s identity! To say such things... he’s clearly doing this on purpose!’

Just then, the young man standing behind him finally spoke.

"Do you all feel that our sincerity is still insufficient?"

His voice was as clear and cold as a spring.

Though young, he was perfectly composed, showing no sign of awkwardness or nervousness in such a setting.

King Yan Nan narrowed his eyes, sizing him up. Instead of answering his question, he retorted, "And who are you? Is it your place to interrupt while I am speaking with Lord Si Kou?"

King Yan Nan had spent years on the battlefield. He was decisive and ruthless, and his presence was overwhelmingly powerful.

A common person, faced with such an oppressive line of questioning, would have likely been scared weak in the knees.

But the young man didn’t flinch. He simply offered a salute, neither obsequious nor arrogant.

"I am Rong Ke. If I have caused any offense, I ask for King Yan Nan’s forgiveness. However, I do not believe my previous words were out of line. We have come on our Monarch’s orders, sincerely hoping to resolve this matter. If what we have offered is not enough for you, then we shall add more. But no matter what, we carry the Monarch’s mandate and dare not be remiss. Therefore, this man—"

He spoke word by word, his tone resolute.

"—we must take him back alive to be dealt with by our Monarch."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.