When Tang Mu and Dai Tingyu came over, they saw Liu Zhenqing sitting in the corridor outside the treatment room, facing toward the window. Holding a teapot in one hand and using a small fan with the other, he was murmuring continuously. Huo Fenglie’s periodic roars of pain could be heard, and the sound made Dai Tingyu tremble. He didn’t know what kind of pain could make the man who was half-dead on the battlefield without making a sound shout out.

But Liu Zhenqing’s soft voice was like a cool summer breeze drifting through the window, not stopping for any sound.

When they drew closer, they could hear a slight hoarseness in Liu Zhenqing’s voice: “So, ah, the Little Mermaid just…..huh? Why are you two here? Did you come to visit?”

The two of them were a bit confused by what Liu Zhenqing was saying before. Han Ye suddenly opened the window and stuck his head out, saying: “Why did you stop? How did she choose?”

Liu Zhenqing averted his eyes. “I’m not telling this story to you.”

“Master is also listening.”

“Can you focus on the treatment? If anything goes wrong with Er-gou, I’ll trash your business’s reputation!” Liu Zhenqing shot him a glare. “To be continued. Please look forward to next time.”

“Ai! What kind of storyteller are you!”

Tang Mu and Dai Tingyu looked on curiously. Depending on the angle where they stood, they could see inside a bit through the gap in the window. Red threads everywhere seemed to be tied to something, and the room smelled of blood and medicine.

Ignoring Han Ye, Liu Zhenqing called playfully to the voice that had just screamed inside: “Er-gou, I’ll be right back! Wait for me!” Having said this, he took Tang Mu and Dai Tingyu away to talk. He knew there must be a problem for these two to appear, and feared that problem would disturb Huo Fenglie.

Thus, the three of them went to the courtyard and sat down before starting to talk.

“Just now…..” Dai Tingyu said inquisitively.

“I was telling Fenglie a story to divert his attention. That way, the pain will be reduced.”

In fact, Dai Tingyu was even more curious about if the call of “Er-gou” just now was meant for Huo Fenglie.

When Liu Zhenqing finished speaking, he coughed slightly.

It seemed he had worn out his throat after talking for who knew how long.

“How is General Huo?”

“Everything is going well. It’s just that…..it’s painful.” Liu Zhenqing’s eyes were full of distress. 

In fact, Huo Fenglie had been silent at first, and Han Ye would come out occasionally to apprise Liu Zhenqing of the situation. Liu Zhenqing was worried that something had happened.

It wasn’t until Han Ye explained the reason for his silence that Liu Zhenqing understood why there was no noise.

Huo Fenglie was indeed in a lot of pain, but he would rather let his veins bulge and grind his teeth bloody than make any noise for Liu Zhenqing outside to hear.

Even when they lied to Huo Fenglie and said that Liu Zhenqing wasn’t outside, it was useless.

Because even though so many of Huo Fenglie’s senses were vanishing now and it was impossible for him to tell whether or not Liu Zhenqing was outside, he still seemed to know that he would be there.

So Liu Zhenqing simply came to the window and made it clear to Huo Fenglie that he was outside and would always be by his side, that he knew how painful this was for him, so he shouldn’t hold back. He had promised to tell him a story before, and took this opportunity to do so. 

Later, Liu Zhenqing continued to speak outside the window, rested when he got tired, and slept there when he was sleepy. In any case, the summer night weren’t cold, and with his master’s herbal ointments, the mosquitos didn’t swoop in and his throat didn’t wear out too quickly either. It had been going on like this for three days. And Huo Fenglie obediently didn’t hold back too much.

“As long as everything goes well,” Tang Mu said.

“What happened?” Liu Zhenqing asked directly.

Dai Tingyu’s expression brightened at once, and he said: “Something unexpected happened!”

Curious about Dai Tingyu’s expression, Liu Zhenqing glanced at Tang Mu.

Tang Mu said: “An Imperial edict came today, and General Huo and I were asked to receive it. We used the excuse that General Huo was out of the city for a private matter and we didn’t know how many days it would take for him to come back. I received the edict on his behalf for the time being, and the person who delivered the edict didn’t make things difficult for us.” With that, he handed the Imperial edict over for Liu Zhenqing to read. It was obvious that he had confidence in him.

Liu Zhenqing took it and opened it to take a look. His eyes eventually flashed in surprise.

“The King of Western Shu is a fake?” Liu Zhenqing was astonished.

The Imperial edict stated that the identity of the King of Western Shu was taken up before the real one discovered his heritage. Qiao An, the true heir to the Western Shu Kingdom, fled from persecution and traveled to the capital for help. 

After Huo Fenglie defeated the three southwest kingdoms, those kingdoms surrendered to Great Zhou and were one step away from becoming vassal states. To put it bluntly, if there were many princes back then, whoever gained the support of Great Zhou was most likely to be able to secure the throne. But there was one prince at the time, and he was deferential to Great Zhou, so the current King of Western Shu ascended to the throne.

It was just that the current King of Western Shu was restless and was involved with the rebels, which aroused Yuan Jue’s suspicion and dissatisfaction. Just at this time, someone sent the so-called “real” prince Qiao An to seek help from Great Zhou. He also vowed that as long as Great Zhou would help him regain the throne, Western Shu would sign a vassal state agreement. From then on, Great Zhou would be the master and Western Shu would be completely allegiant to it.

Yuan Jue had probably verified this prince’s words several times over and determined that he had the bloodline of the Western Shu royal family. Under the guise of helping Western Shu’s royal family return to legitimacy, he wanted to send Qiao An home in a mighty display. It was very likely that war could not be avoided, and the Imperial edict instructed Huo Fenglie to be ready to lead troops into the country.

In fact, the Great Zhou Dynasty generally didn’t interfere in the affairs of other nations. The pros and cons were almost equal, and whether they took action or not depended on the situation. However, Western Shu was first complicit with the rebels, and then pretended to be confused when Yuan Jue held them accountable. As the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, he could not tolerate this. Sending the prince home was just an excuse to teach them a lesson. It also served as a warning to the surrounding nations.

But all of these coincidences made Liu Zhenqing uneasy.

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t put his finger on what was wrong, but he kept feeling like they were being led somewhere. 

The existence of this battle was somewhat deliberate.

But Liu Zhenqing didn’t know much about the battlefield. Perhaps it was something only those who fought could understand.

Who wouldn’t feel uneasy in the face of impending war? Even Dai Tingyu cursed.

Tang Mu said: “The edict says for General Huo to lead the troops escorting Qiao An, but…..”

“Even if he’s cured in two days, he still needs to rest. It’s too soon,” Liu Zhenqing said.

“I said I would go!” said Dai Tingyu.

Liu Zhenqing considered for a moment before saying: ““If we don’t take action, or have you go on Fenglie’s behalf, he’ll be suspected of violating the Imperial edict, so the current plan can only be delayed.

Tang Mu said with a nod: “I think so too. We just received that prince Qiao An on an emergency basis and have not yet met him formally. I wanted to invite you to accompany us to see him.

Liu Zhenqing saw no problem with this, so he accompanied them to the guest house where the prince was currently being entertained.

As a result, they heard the sound of something being smashed just as they arrived at the door.

“Are you looking down on me, giving me such poor things? I was given the very best in Great Zhou’s Imperial Palace. Don’t you know who I am? I’m the legitimate king of Western Shu. If you hold me in contempt like this, I will notify your City Lord to turn you all into the lowest of slaves.”

The three of them paused. Dai Tingyu pointed inside with a dark face and asked them: “Do we really have to help this piece of work? If this guy takes over the throne, he’ll be a tyrant.”

“From a certain perspective, he’s indeed just like a member of the Western Shu royal family,” Tang Mu scoffed.

“It’s not difficult to see what kind of prince he is when he sold his entire country for the throne,” Liu Zhenqing said with a smile.

The servants of the City Lord’s Manor were treated well by Tang Mu, and had never suffered such humiliation. They were out to handle their work, not to be humiliated and scolded by an outsider. When they were reprimanded like this, their eyes reddened in anger as they stood stiffly aside. 

The result was that Qiao An cursed them even more viciously. Just at this moment, the three people stepped inside.

Qiao An shifted his expression the moment he saw them. He donned a noble air and said: “Tang-chengzhu, is this the way your Zhou Dynasty treats its guests? These servants are useless, I suggest you kill them all.”

Standing at the rear, Liu Zhenqing looked around. Young in age, Qiao An looked pretty and harmless, with delicate features. But when he became fierce, those features distorted to reveal what he actually was deep down. 

“Since the service is poor, you can all leave. There is no need to come and serve him.” When Tang Mu finished speaking, gestured for everyone to go away. 

Qiao An was somewhat mollified for a moment, but then he heard Tang Mu say: “The group just now are the best servants in my residence. Since His Highness the Crown Prince is not satisfied, I will trouble the prince to take care of himself during this period. Please tell us if you need anything, and we will provide it.”

When these words came out, Liu Zhenqing almost couldn’t stop himself from laughing.

“You!” Qiao Jin instantly leaped up in anger and pointed a finger at Tang Mu. “You are presumptuous!”

Although Tang Mu looked gentle, he was actually not easy to control. “His Royal Highness is truly making things difficult for me. You didn’t want those people, so I drove them away, but it is impossible for me to conjure up more palatable servants in Nanfeng City. No matter who I find, you will be angry and dissatisfied. I really don’t know how to entertain the prince. Asking the prince to give me advice.”

Qiao An, who had wanted to show off in front of Tang Mu, was hit back hard.

In fact, there was a blood feud between Nanfeng City and the Western Shu Kingdom, especially when it came to the Tang family. How could they bow and scrape to serve him?

Qiao An was at a disadvantage and immediately looked around for a helping hand. It was as if he changed faces. Looking toward Dai Tingyu, who was watching the show, the little guy leaned toward Dai Tingyu like a weak willow facing the wind and said: “Commander Dai, what kind of City Lord is this, ah? He’s clearly trying to make things difficult for me. You must take responsibility!”

This shocked the three of them. Was this the prince’s love routine?

Dai Tingyu was not a participant in male homosexuality, and was so frightened that he took three steps back, wishing that he could seek shelter behind Tang Mu.

“The prince need not ask me. I listen to Chengzhu. Chengzhu is my god. His word is law and I can’t be responsible for anyone.”

When Qiao An saw that nobody was protecting him, his face immediately reddened and he directed a fierce look at Dai Tingyu, who didn’t know how to favor him.

At this time, the person who could smooth things over appeared.

Liu Zhenqing stepped forward and said: “I think Chengzhu might have misunderstood. Perhaps it is due to the two countries having different degrees of service, and that is why the prince grew angry. He’s not being unreasonable. After all, doesn’t he belong to a royal family?”

“Really?” Tang Mu looked at Qiao An and said, “You’re really not trying to embarrass me?”

Qiao An was stifled by these words. The stalemate just now was not in his favor, and there was nobody on his side. Now someone had offered him a way to step down, and he could only follow it: “Yes. Yes, ah, how could I deliberately seek trouble?”

Liu Zhenqing raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: “So, Chengzhu, you’ll give the prince time to follow the local people’s customs, won’t you? When another batch comes over, the prince will understand that this is how we do things in Great Zhou, which is different from the customs of Western Shu. Although the prince wishes for the services of Western Shu, there’s really no way. I believe a noble person like the prince will understand.”

Qiao An suddenly felt as if he was being put in a difficult situation, and for a moment, he didn’t know how to refute.

Tang Mu nodded and smiled, then commenced apologizing to Qiao An.

After this series of attacks fell, Qiao An could only constrain his temper and cooperate in a well-behaved manner.

After calming down, Qiao An gave Liu Zhenqing a suspicious look and asked, “Who are you?”

Liu Zhenqing cupped his hands in a salute: “This one is…..General Huo’s military advisor.”

“General Huo. General Huo Fenglie? Is he back?” Qiao An’s eyes lit up. “Then why hasn’t he come to see me?”

Liu Zhenqing said: “The general has already heard about the Imperial edict, and has gone to inspect the area near the Western Shu Kingdom.”

Qiao An said ruthlessly: “What is there to investigate? By virtue of General Huo’s ability, he should escort me back! General Huo should strike that counterfeit down and kill anyone who dares to oppose me!” 

Liu Zhenqing’s expression remained unchanged, but there was a chill in his eyes. Did he think his Er-gou was a weapon he could use however he wanted?

“Hurry up and tell him to come back and organize the troops,” Qiao An said anxiously.

Dai Tingyu could only say: “It’s not that easy.”

“Why not? The fact that you can’t do it doesn’t mean Genera Huo can’t!” Qiao An retorted at once.

Dai Tingyu’s liver ached from Qiao An’s abrupt changes in attitude. He found it difficult to say another word, so he simply shut up.

Liu Zhenqing and Tang Mu exchanged glances, and Tang Mu said: “That’s right. According to regulations, we should first explain the situation to Western Shu and negotiate for the two of you to confront each other face to face, so that the other party can return your identity to you through peaceful means.”

“How can that be done?!” Qiao An asked anxiously.

Tang Mu raised his hands to appease him and said: “This is the regulation. It is impossible to fight immediately. When the other party responds, or if there is no response or a direct counterattack, we will see how to fight based on the specific situation at that time.”

“Could it be that you’re being perfunctory with me?!” Qiao An clearly didn’t have the patience.

Liu Zhenqing said: “Your Highness, if we don’t take peaceful measures before using force, a direct attack may cause the entire country of Western Shu to fight against us. By the time you seize the throne, the country will be no more. You should know that General Huo is capable of conquering the Western Shu Kingdom.”

As soon as these words were spoken, Qiao An’s expression froze as if there was lingering fear in his heart.

Liu Zhenqing said with a smile: “Since we’ve received an Imperial edict, we will definitely complete the task. Your Highness, please be patient.”

After Qiao An finished his tantrum, he had no choice but to go along with their arrangements.

Taking advantage of this, Liu Zhenqing asked Qiao An about his previous experiences. 

What Qiao An said was pretty much the same as the Imperial edict. His eyes even reddened in front of them, and he said with an attitude of misery that lacked any royal bearing at all: “At that time, I was almost killed. Fortunately, I got lucky and escaped along the river. But I knew that I didn’t have the ability to take the throne by myself, so I had to seek help. I suffered a lot along the way until I finally found the emperor of Great Zhou. His Majesty was willing to help me, and I am truly grateful. As long as I can take back everything that belongs to me, I am willing to pay any amount. I cannot let my ancestors’ inheritance fall into the hands of an outsider.”

“Who helped you meet the emperor?” Liu Zhenqing asked curiously.

“I beat the drum in front of the government office, then met many officials and was sent to the palace,” Qiao An said. “His Majesty saw that I was carrying treasures Great Zhou had given to the Western Shu Kingdom, as well as the mark on my body that is imprinted on every child of royal birth. Only then did he believe my words.”

As Qiao An spoke, he revealed a lotus mark on his wrist.

Liu Zhenqing had indeed heard of it, but had never seen it. It was likely that Yuan Jue had a way to verify its authenticity.

“Then the fake king also has this mark?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

“He made it himself.” Qiao An said with resentment: “But there was a difference between old and new, so he deliberately injured his wrist to remove half of the mark and cover up the truth.”

The three of them finally understood something.

When the three people went out, Dai Tingyu couldn’t help but complain, “What’s going on with this prince? I get goosebumps just looking at him. It’s so hard to bear.”

Tang Mu said awkwardly: “He seems to like men.”

Dai Tingyu trembled.

“But he’s easy to control and won’t cause us any trouble. Then it’s up to us to go at our own pace.” Tang Mu breathed a sigh of relief.

Dai Tingu clasped his fist and said with a smile: “Yes, this way we can use the strategy of negotiation before violence so that Brother Huo can heal up well. It can also be regarded as giving the Western Shu Kingdom the opportunity for civil strife. Perhaps people with their own agendas will overthrow the false king’s regime before we take action and save us the trouble.”

The two of them chatted enthusiastically, but felt that Liu Zhenqing had been quiet the whole time.

Tang Mu asked curiously: “What is it? Brother Liu?”

Liu Zhenqing frowned slightly. “How strange, ah.”

“What’s strange?” said Tang Mu.

“The prince is very strange.” Liu Zhenqing raised his eyes and said: “Did you two notice? His hands, his exposed skin, his whole appearance, and his attitude toward people……”

The two of them couldn’t think of anything strange aside from the prince’s preference for men.

Liu Zhenqing’s face darkened as he said: “How could a person who was persecuted and unaccounted for since childhood, who was exiled to our country, have such tender flesh? There are no scars at all. He said that he just met the emperor with difficulty not long ago, but he doesn’t look at all like he had a hard time. Even if he recovered in Great Zhou’s Imperial Palace, he should not have recovered so quickly. And going by his attitude toward servants and some of his mannerisms, although he is arrogant and unreasonable, he is obviously used to a life of pampering and privilege. It isn’t that he suddenly gained power and wants to show it off. And some habits only appear in those who have been cultivated by the customs of Western Shu.”

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Chapter One Hundred Seven << Table of Contents >> Chapter One Hundred Nine