Jiang Xingyan didn’t avoid Tuoba Hongxue’s provocative gaze. Instead, she looked at him calmly.
There was neither hatred nor defiance in her eyes.
It was as if she was looking at someone who was about to die.
When she learned from Xinzhui in Qingzhou that the Northern Luo had a habit of massacring cities, she secretly made up her mind: as long as she remained in Huo Ci’s body, she would make the Northern Luo royal family pay with their lives.
Tuoba Hongxue’s eyes were piercing, and he couldn’t help but feel a silent admiration.
Huo Ci’s presence was still as impressive as ever. How could those fools on Kanhou Mountain ever be a match for him?
“Your Majesty of the Western Zhou, our king has already severely punished the criminal Tuoba Hongxue with one hundred lashes of the whip.
He ordered that no healer be allowed to tend to him, and he was brought to the Western Zhou without stopping the horses even once, all the way here.
All we wish is that we can once again be like close Ando brothers with the Western Zhou, drinking and eating meat together.”
The Northern Luo was a nation formed by the gathering of various ethnic minorities. Unlike the Western Zhou and the Great Xia, which were both split from the Han people of the Central Plains.
Meng Sier was not fluent in Chinese, but his bear-like, simple appearance was quite endearing and gave off an honest, straightforward vibe.
This made it hard for Xiao Ao to maintain his imperial aloofness.
“Since Prince Meng puts it that way, let the criminal Tuoba Hongxue be taken to the imperial dungeon and held under strict guard.
Tonight, at the welcome banquet, all three kingdoms will gather. We can first discuss a solution and then deal with him.”
Meng Sier said urgently, “Your Majesty of the Western Zhou, please don’t let General Tuoba die in the dungeon!”
Xiao Ao was so angry he laughed: “Prince Meng, I am the rightful emperor of the Western Zhou. I wouldn’t stoop to underhanded schemes to take the wretched life of a criminal.”
Meng Sier realized he had misspoken and quickly bowed to apologize:
“Meng Sier spoke out of turn. Your Majesty of the Western Zhou, your chest is as vast as the Hubei Grassland. Please forgive Meng Sier.”
Tuoba Hongxue closed his eyes.
Meng Sier had a good character, but he was too timid and afraid of death; he couldn’t be the king of Northern Luo.
But the current king was too aggressive, indulging in the dreams woven for him by that man, unable to see the road ahead.
“What are you saying, Prince Meng? Rise and be seated!”
Left and right guards stepped forward, dragged Tuoba Hongxue off the straw mat, and brushed the dirty hair away from his face.
A determined, bronze-complexioned face, completely devoid of color, appeared before the assembled civil and military officials.
The generals who had fought against him shuddered instinctively.
His eyes were still that terrifying!
This was the first time Jiang Xingyan had seen Tuoba Hongxue’s face clearly.
Even though it was covered in grime and his lips were pale from blood loss,
it did nothing to diminish his heroic aura.
With a straight nose and deep-set eyes in a shade of light brown, he stared intently at “Huo Ci” without blinking.
His gaze held an indomitable fighting spirit.
It seemed that defeating Huo Ci was his one and only goal in life.
After confirming that it was indeed Tuoba Hongxue, Xiao Ao’s doubts grew even stronger.
He gave a cold shout: “Drag him away!”
A mocking smile played on Tuoba Hongxue’s lips as his cold eyes swept over the entire court.
He was about to mock the Western Zhou, saying that apart from Huo Ci, there wasn’t a single real man among them, when his eyes fell on Yun Chunfeng, who was sitting next to Huo Ci.
Yun Chunfeng happened to meet his gaze as well.
He curled his lips slightly and looked at Tuoba Hongxue with indifference.
Immortal energy swirled around him, making his face appear and disappear intermittently.
The instincts of a war god made Tuoba Hongxue’s hair stand on end.
This man was unfathomably deep!
Before figuring out this man’s true nature, the king must never again be led by blind faith or one-sided advice.
He signaled to Zhebu, the Right Commander of the Myriad Prefectures who was following behind Meng Sier and looking back at him, to find an opportunity to test Yun Chunfeng.
Zhebu, having served under Tuoba Hongxue through countless battles, understood his meaning immediately.
He committed it to memory.
Watching the exchange between the two, Yun Chunfeng sneered silently.
There was no need for them to test him. He had already spoken: “Your Majesty is wise.
Northern Luo had already submitted. It was only Tuoba Hongxue’s instigation that led to the devastation and widespread suffering between the two nations.
Truly, his crime is beyond forgiveness.
I just performed a divination. The heavenly oracle warns that Northern Luo is not seeking peace in good faith; this is merely a temporary stalling tactic.
The real weapon of mass destruction likely concerns an otherworldly visitor.
Northern Luo is currently making a show of building a plank road in the open, but they may be secretly crossing Chencang in the dark.
Your Majesty must be on guard.”
As soon as he said this, Meng Sier shuddered in fear and fell back onto the ground.
Xiao Ao’s eyes sharpened: “Prince Meng, is this true?”
Meng Sier stammered and couldn’t utter a word.
Zhebu quickly suppressed the fear on his face, clasped his fists, bowed respectfully, and replied:
“To answer Your Majesty of the Western Zhou, there is absolutely no truth to this. It is slander!”
Before Yun Chunfeng could say anything, Jiang Xingyan stepped forward, speaking righteously and with compelling aura:
“Whether it is slander or not can be determined by verifying the facts.
Does Prince Meng dare to take Huo back to Northern Luo to investigate?”
Zhebu was dumbfounded and couldn’t utter another word.
Watching their reactions, how could Xiao Ao not understand?
An overwhelming mixture of fear and anger surged within him.
“How dare you!”
He slapped the arm of his dragon throne heavily.
“Your Majesty, please calm your anger.”
“Why is His Majesty of the Western Zhou so angry?”
Shangguan Luoyue walked in from outside the hall without waiting for an announcement.
Xiao Ao’s expression darkened even further.
“Please forgive Huaiwan’s discourtesy, Your Majesty.
But I heard the Northern Luo envoy has arrived. Matters of peace negotiation should be discussed by all three kingdoms together, should they not?”
Yun Chunfeng’s fingers twitched slightly, and he retorted with a hidden dagger behind his smile:
“Princess Huaiwan has received favors from Northern Luo, so of course she speaks in their favor, doesn’t she?”
Shangguan Luoyue’s eyes turned cold.
Only she and the Northern Luo envoy, besides heaven and earth, knew about their transaction. How did this man find out?
Could he truly have the ability to divine the will of heaven and know the past and future?
“The Imperial Preceptor is mistaken. Huaiwan is only concerned that the people should not be ravaged by war. I have no other intentions.
Furthermore, my Great Xia is a vast and mighty nation. Why would I need favors from Northern Luo?”
Yun Chunfeng smiled faintly: “If that’s what Princess Huaiwan says, then I will have no choice but to make public the matter that Prince Baori personally promised the princess.”
A sudden murderous intent shot straight toward Yun Chunfeng.
Jiang Xingyan stepped in front of him, countering with twice the force.
Xiao Ao’s heart turned completely cold.
This Princess Huaiwan wasn’t here to mediate at all. Clearly, she was here to force his hand and make him swallow this humiliation!
Seeing her brazen expression, no matter how unwilling Xiao Ao was, he could only suppress his towering rage.
“Beloved Minister Huo, do not be rude.
Since Princess Huaiwan wishes to discuss things, let us hold a banquet tonight – both to welcome our guests and to negotiate peace.”
“Yes.”
Jiang Xingyan understood Xiao Ao’s concerns. She would see what tricks Shangguan Luoyue had up her sleeve.
The morning court session ended on bad terms.
——-
Huo Ci woke up in the light of dawn.
When he opened his eyes, he was still in the alert posture from last night, the hairpin firmly gripped in his hand.
A wave of fear washed over him.
Thank goodness nothing had happened last night.
How had he suddenly fallen asleep? That was far too careless!
Rubbing his stiff back and shoulders, he lay on the bed and relaxed for a while before feeling a bit better.
Looking at the brightening sky outside the window, it dawned on him: Why hadn’t A-yan woken him to go to court!
He rushed outside in a few steps and spotted Chun Xue hanging out Little Ya’s clothes.
“A-yan, she—”
Chun Xue glanced back at him, continuing her work as she replied:
“General, the young lady and the Imperial Preceptor have gone to court.
The young lady said that with Shangguan Hanshan around, if Shangguan Luoyue can still have her killed, then she trusted the wrong person and can just give her life back to her father.”
Huo Ci felt a sense of desolation in his heart.
Thinking about what happened last night, it was probably Shangguan Hanshan who had protected him.
“I… I need to tell A-yan something.”
Chun Xue pointed her chin toward the gate: “Brother Wang Fu’s carriage is waiting at the door.
The young lady said that if you insist on going, you can wait for her in front of the Taihe Gate.”
Huo Ci was out the door like a gust of wind.
Chun Xue shook her head: “Running off so eagerly now, but where were you before?”
