Chapter 742: Chapter 743: Where To?

Lin Xueping felt like he had been played.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something. "Your Majesty..."

"Mr. Lin has been most considerate, and King Yan Nan is willing to compromise. This could not be better."

Emperor Muwu’s single sentence shut down everything Lin Xueping wanted to say.

’His Majesty has already made up his mind!’

King Yan Nan was naturally delighted. Turning to see Lin Xueping’s sour expression, he didn’t forget to ask with feigned concern, "Is Mr. Lin feeling unwell? His Majesty has accepted your suggestion, so why do you seem so unhappy?"

"How could I be!?"

Lin Xueping retorted instinctively. Only when he met the many scrutinizing gazes from those around him did he realize he had overreacted.

He took a sharp breath and forced a smile.

"His Majesty is wise and readily accepts counsel. It is a blessing for us subjects."

With that, he retreated again, the fiery determination he’d shown earlier to contend with King Yan Nan completely gone.

King Yan Nan couldn’t be bothered with him and waved at Ye Yunfeng.

"A Feng, what are you standing there for? Get down and thank His Majesty for his profound grace!"

Ye Yunfeng honestly hadn’t expected today’s events to unfold this way. He had long anticipated that the Southern Hu people wouldn’t let him off the hook and would inevitably find a way to make an example of him.

But in the end...

Not only was he completely unharmed, but he was also promoted?

Ye Yunfeng reacted in a flash, immediately kneeling to express his gratitude.

"This general, Ye Yunfeng, thanks Your Majesty for your sacred grace! In the future, I will do everything in my power to protect the peace of the border cities and will not shrink from death itself!"

The young man’s frame was lean, yet he stood tall and resilient. Every word, every sentence, though still tinged with youth, carried an unstoppable courage and resolve!

Sonorous and powerful!

His declaration sent a shockwave through the court officials in the grand hall, stirring their hearts.

Countless gazes, complex in their expression, fell upon Ye Yunfeng.

’No wonder... No wonder King Yan Nan protects him so fiercely. Such character, such an innate talent for command—how rare is that?’

’Just give him time... His future will be boundless!’

...

At this moment, the ones in the most awkward position were the members of the Southern Hu Mission.

They had come this time intending to bring Tuoba Yu back, and while they were at it, find the person who had wounded him with an arrow and exact their revenge.

Who would have known—

Si Kouji was regretting it so much his guts were turning green.

If he hadn’t been so impatient, proactively asking about Ye Yunfeng and deliberately offering those words of praise, he wouldn’t have given King Yan Nan the chance to turn the tables on him!

He thought he was sowing discord, but the other party didn’t care in the slightest! Instead, they used it as a ladder to climb even higher!

But it was too late for regrets now.

The situation was set in stone. Emperor Muwu had approved King Yan Nan’s request right in front of them, making his stance crystal clear.

Someone behind him couldn’t help but whisper, "Sir, what... what do we do now?"

Si Kouji wanted to ask the same thing. ’What do we do!?’

He held his breath, forcing himself to calm down.

’Forget it. We’re on their turf, after all. We can’t use force.’

’No matter what, we have to resolve the most important matter first!’

"Regarding today’s events, we will report everything truthfully to our Monarch upon our return."

Aside from this face-saving remark, Si Kouji didn’t know what else to say.

"But we are still taking this man with us."

Both sides were perfectly clear on the nature of this negotiation.

Since the other side was brazenly reinforcing their troops, there was no need for them to be overly polite either.

Si Kouji’s patience had reached its limit, and his tone hardened considerably as he spoke.

They all understood—this was an exchange!

As expected, Emperor Muwu readily agreed this time.

"Since you are so determined, then We have no objection. We trust your Monarch will handle this matter appropriately and provide a satisfactory outcome for all."

...

Tuoba Yu was finally taken away by the Southern Hu Mission.

By the time the group arrived at the residence where they were staying and settled in, dusk had already fallen.

Si Kouji dismissed everyone else, taking only Rong Ke into the room.

Inside, Tuoba Yu lay on the bed, his eyes shut tight, his face pale.

The moment he knew his life was spared, the tension had abruptly left him, and he fainted right there in the hall.

Everyone had been extremely worried on the way back, but with so many eyes and ears around, there was little they could do.

They could only wait until now, posting guards outside and ensuring their safety before finally daring to come see him.

Si Kouji’s brows were tightly knitted, his face etched with worry. "Prince Su’s condition looks very poor. Water Family Master, please, take a look at him!"

Before setting out, they had anticipated that Tuoba Yu would have been subjected to all sorts of torture. They had originally planned to bring an Imperial Physician, but they gave up on the idea, fearing it would be too conspicuous and arouse suspicion.

Right now, the only one they could count on was the man before them.

Rong Ke—oh, no, his real name was Shui Xingqiu.

He walked to Tuoba Yu’s bedside and apathetically took his wrist.

All the Southern Hu people knew that the new head of the Shui Family, Shui Xingqiu, was skilled in the Poisonous Gu Technique and naturally understood some principles of medicine.

Shui Xingqiu lowered his gaze slightly.

Si Kouji didn’t dare to disturb him, his hands clenching nervously.

After a moment, Shui Xingqiu released his hand. "He’s likely suffered from prolonged starvation and abuse. The arrow wound on his shoulder is quite severe—the bone was pierced through. It was never treated properly, so this shoulder will be useless from now on."

"What!?"

Despite having mentally prepared himself, Si Kouji’s heart still trembled violently.

"They... they actually dared—"

"What wouldn’t they dare to do?" Shui Xingqiu glanced up at him. "It’s precisely because they knew his identity that they were even harsher. Besides, given what he did before, anyone else would have been killed countless times over. It’s a miracle he’s even alive today."

If Tuoba Yu had truly been just a bandit leader, his head would have been hung on the city gate the very next morning for all to see. Why would they have waited until today?

Si Kouji opened his mouth, then closed it again, at a loss for words.

Shui Xingqiu flicked his fingers, a cold glint flashing beneath them.

The cold light flashed past, and the cloth on Tuoba Yu’s shoulder was silently sliced open, revealing the wound beneath.

Though it had been cleaned, the wound had festered for a long time and no longer resembled its original state.

Unable to bear the sight, Si Kouji turned his head away, overcome with grief. "If the Monarch were to see this, I can’t imagine how heartbroken he would be!"

"You should be thankful he was captured at this time of year. Although the weather is warming up, it’s still quite cold overall. If it were summer—"

Shui Xingqiu didn’t need to finish his sentence; Si Kouji understood perfectly.

With a chest full of pent-up indignation, Si Kouji felt utterly stifled!

Shui Xingqiu, however, seemed long accustomed to such scenes. He cleaned and treated Tuoba Yu’s wound with brisk efficiency, then reapplied medicine.

He left the final bandaging to Si Kouji.

"I have something to do, so I’m heading out." He walked to the side to wash his hands, then took a handkerchief from his robes and wiped them with deliberate slowness.

Si Kouji froze, his hands pausing mid-motion.

"Water Family Master, you’ve only just arrived. Where... are you going?"

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