This situation was a bit strange.

Qu Yunmie had written that letter under Xiao Rong’s supervision. He had been very reluctant, wasting three sheets of paper in the process. The letter clearly stated that Huang Yanjiong was invited to discuss a plan to attack the Xianbei, a matter that would require Huang Yanjiong to provide both troops and supplies. Naturally, Huang Yanjiong would be unwilling, but since the letter invoked the word “righteousness,” he had no choice but to come, so as not to appear as an unrighteous person.

Given the circumstances, Xiao Rong had even prepared for the possibility that Huang Yanjiong wouldn’t arrive until July. Yet, he arrived so quickly that, by counting the days, he must have set out the day after receiving the letter.

Xiao Rong instinctively felt something was amiss, but he wasn’t omniscient and couldn’t determine Huang Yanjiong’s intentions based on such limited clues.

It was already very late, around 9 PM, and the city gates had long since closed. The curfew was in effect, and the common people had already extinguished their lamps and were preparing for bed.

The usual protocol would be to find the main army outside the city, present one’s credentials, and spend the night with the troops, reporting to the city the following day. After all, Huang Yanjiong had come for a meeting, not an urgent matter, and as a prefect, he naturally shouldn’t disturb the King’s rest.

While Xiao Rong was pondering this, Qu Yunmie’s face darkened slightly. Hearing Huang Yanjiong’s name already displeased him. However, since a guest had traveled from afar, Qu Yunmie wasn’t so petty as to leave him outside the city for the night. Since Huang Yanjiong had arrived and there was no urgent matter, he decided to let him in.

As Xiao Rong was deep in thought, Qu Yunmie had already told the guards to bring Huang Yanjiong in. With the guest arriving, Mijing was the first to excuse himself, followed by Yu Shaoxie, who felt it wasn’t appropriate for him to greet the guest alongside the King of the Northern Army. Gao Xunzhi then turned to Xiao Rong and asked, “A Rong, do you want to see him?”

Xiao Rong nodded. “I should see what he’s up to. Chancellor, you should retire for the night. It’s too late to discuss anything important today. We’ll probably just meet briefly and then let them rest.”

Gao Xunzhi agreed. It was indeed unusual for someone to visit so late.

Soon, everyone had left except for Qu Yunmie and Xiao Rong.

Qu Yunmie looked at Xiao Rong, about to find something to say, when Xiao Rong, without lifting his head, spoke up. “The King should remember to treat his guests well.”

Qu Yunmie: “…”

He snorted and turned his head away.

＊

Although the guard had reported that only Huang Yanjiong requested an audience, it was impossible for a governor to travel alone. There were about a dozen people in his party, and when Huang Yanjiong approached Qu Yunmie, two individuals followed closely behind him.

One was a scholar, around thirty or forty years old, with a suitable smile on his face. The other, a warrior, was silent and held something wrapped in blue silk, which appeared to be a sword.

Xiao Rong glanced at them briefly before focusing on Huang Yanjiong.

Huang Yanjiong was of medium height, with a trimmed beard typical of the Central Plains. At thirty-four, while some men his age were already grandfathers, Huang Yanjiong seemed to be in his prime. He looked vigorous, with a sturdy build, the kind of man who was clearly robust despite his average height.

Perhaps due to a preconceived notion, Xiao Rong found Huang Yanjiong’s face untrustworthy—a facade of generosity masking a truly sinister nature.

While Xiao Rong scrutinized him, Huang Yanjiong sized up Xiao Rong and Qu Yunmie as well. He first looked at Qu Yunmie, who had changed significantly over the past ten years, unlike Huang Yanjiong, who hadn’t changed much. Huang Yanjiong paused in surprise before quickly regaining his composure and giving Qu Yunmie a slightly provocative look.

Qu Yunmie, seated in the center of the room, narrowed his eyes at Huang Yanjiong’s gaze.

Huang Yanjiong, satisfied with his provocation, reluctantly looked away and turned his attention to the second person in the room.

As soon as he did, he froze in place.

Qu Yunmie wasn’t about to stand up to greet Huang Yanjiong, and Xiao Rong, now the Prefect of Chenliu, outranked Huang Yanjiong. Naturally, he remained seated, meeting Huang Yanjiong’s gaze.

Ever since Huang Yanjiong had arrived, Xiao Rong had felt something was off. Despite having no discomfort around him, Xiao Rong couldn’t figure out what Huang Yanjiong was up to. He thought someone as shrewd as Huang Yanjiong shouldn’t be so visibly shocked by a mere glance at him.

While Xiao Rong was puzzling over this, Huang Yanjiong walked in, laughing loudly three times instead of bowing.

“Long time no see, King of the Northern Army, I hope you’re well?”

Qu Yunmie wanted to kick him but restrained himself, giving a sinister smile instead. “Quite well. Governor Huang, please sit.”

Huang Yanjiong didn’t sit, instead, he smiled strangely at Xiao Rong. “And who might this be?”

Qu Yunmie replied, “This is Mr. Xiao, my advisor and the newly appointed Prefect of Chenliu.”

The title of “Prefect” had only recently come into use, and while it was typically reserved for officials in the capital, the constant rebellions had loosened the rules. Calling a capital city a “Prefecture” was borderline but still within reason.

Since the Prefect and Governor were of the same rank, Huang Yanjiong should have greeted Xiao Rong. However, since he hadn’t even greeted Qu Yunmie, it was unlikely he would greet Xiao Rong. As expected, Huang Yanjiong gave another odd laugh and said, “I must have misunderstood. It’s no wonder, as the King of the Northern Army is known to despise such things, how could it be?”

His words were vague, but anyone with intelligence could understand what he was implying. Xiao Rong was taken aback, thinking, ‘What is wrong with this guy? Did he come all this way just to seek trouble?’

At this moment, Qu Yunmie suddenly stood up, his face darkening completely.

All thoughts of hospitality vanished. He directly confronted Huang Yanjiong, “Did you travel day and night to Chenliu just to seek death?”

Xiao Rong: “…”

That was supposed to be my line.

However, Huang Yanjiong quickly changed his tone, offering a conciliatory smile. “Just a joke, King of the Northern Army, don’t take it seriously. I came here, of course, to discuss the important matters you mentioned, and also because I missed our old acquaintance. Although we didn’t get along well in Jinling, I trust you have the magnanimity not to hold it against me. Still, I felt guilty, so I hurried here to Chenliu to present a sword as a token of apology.”

After saying this, he bowed slightly to Qu Yunmie and signaled to the person behind him.

The man holding the blue silk frowned, sensing something was wrong. Huang Yanjiong wasn’t usually this provocative, but like Xiao Rong, he couldn’t figure out what Huang Yanjiong was up to and didn’t realize the trap he was being led into.

He obediently stepped forward, knelt, and presented the gift.

Qu Yunmie glanced at Huang Yanjiong, then unwrapped the blue silk.

It was indeed a fine sword, with an exquisitely crafted scabbard. Qu Yunmie, who never had too many good weapons, picked up the sword and examined it.

Xiao Rong watched from the side, seeing nothing amiss. After Qu Yunmie had finished admiring it, he gripped the hilt to draw the sword.

Huang Yanjiong’s eyes flickered, and he held his breath.

Xiao Rong, already watching him out of the corner of his eye, immediately sensed something was wrong. Before he could speak, Qu Yunmie had already drawn the sword. The moment he pulled it out, he realized something was off. His expression changed as he fully unsheathed the sword, revealing that it was broken.

This brought back an old memory. Back in the Jinling Palace, Qu Yunmie, known for his youthful talent and good looks, had been selected by the officials to perform a sword dance. Unwilling to see him outshine others, Huang Yanjiong had secretly snapped Qu Yunmie’s sword. Qu Yunmie, unaware of this, had drawn the broken sword in front of everyone, earning the scorn of the officials and a punishment. The others not only failed to help him but also laughed openly at his humiliation.

This was one of the most humiliating moments of Qu Yunmie’s life, one that would still make him furious when mentioned.

And now, the very culprit behind that incident had presented him with another broken sword, as if stomping on Qu Yunmie’s pride all over again.

Qu Yunmie’s face darkened to the extreme upon seeing the broken sword. Xiao Rong, unaware of his past, instinctively sensed danger. He jumped to his feet and shouted, “Your Majesty!”

Qu Yunmie, furious, gripped the sword tightly. The humiliation of that past incident flooded his mind. He hadn’t yet decided what to do when, hearing Xiao Rong’s shout, he instinctively turned around.

Seeing Xiao Rong’s worried and tense expression, Qu Yunmie was momentarily stunned, and the veins that had bulged on his hand relaxed.

The scholar behind Huang Yanjiong, who had been smiling confidently, suddenly froze upon noticing this detail.

This is bad.

The next second, Qu Yunmie, no longer looking at Xiao Rong, first threw the scabbard in his hand. His aim was precise, and it struck Huang Yanjiong’s knee, causing him to lose his balance and kneel down in pain.

“What do you mean by this? Sending a broken sword—are you asking me to cut off your head?”

Huang Yanjiong was in so much pain that cold sweat started to drip from his forehead. Realizing that things hadn’t gone as he had anticipated, he knew something was wrong and quickly put on a shocked expression. “H-how could it be broken? My lord, please calm down. Even if I were foolish, I would never do such a thing! That would be akin to seeking my own death!”

Qu Yunmie was furious, but he understood that Huang Yanjiong had a point. After all, Qu Yunmie now held the power of life and death, and Huang Yanjiong had come to his territory. He could kill him at will.

However, Qu Yunmie wouldn’t kill Huang Yanjiong because he owed a debt to Huang Yanjiong’s family. Unless Huang Yanjiong tried to kill him, Qu Yunmie would never lay a hand on him.

Huang Yanjiong, still dripping with cold sweat, continued, “I checked the sword before setting out—it was perfectly intact. I don’t know why it would—”

He paused and then looked at the person who had brought the sword. That person was kneeling, his face as pale as a sheet, clearly aware that he might be involved.

Xiao Rong narrowed his eyes slightly, seemingly understanding the situation. He pursed his lips and walked behind Qu Yunmie, whispering, “Your Majesty, it’s already late. Since there’s a problem with Governor Huang’s gift, let him present another one tomorrow.”

Then he looked at Huang Yanjiong on the ground. ” Governor Huang, you truly intended to present a gift, didn’t you?”

Huang Yanjiong hurriedly responded, “Of course, I did!”

Xiao Rong smiled. “I believe you, Governor Huang. But with such a mistake in the gift, you’ve been quite careless. Giving a broken sword—what a bad impression that leaves! If word gets out, people might think Governor Huang had ill intentions.”

Huang Yanjiong was left speechless, feeling like he had bitten off more than he could chew. His plan had failed, and now he bore a heavy burden of blame. Unable to defend himself, he could only bow his head and agree.

Xiao Rong coldly laughed to himself. He knew that the provocations earlier were all an act, intended to provoke Qu Yunmie’s anger.

He sighed. “Enough, my Lord, let’s call it a day. Tomorrow morning, we’ll discuss both the matter of the gift and the campaign against the Xianbei with Governor Huang.”

Huang Yanjiong felt utterly defeated. If there was ever a case of trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead, this was it! Not only had his plan failed, but now he was at the mercy of others.

Huang Yanjiong even considered fleeing as soon as he got back.

Xiao Rong’s advice was directed at Qu Yunmie, but Qu Yunmie just stared at Huang Yanjiong in silence, his narrow eyes filled with venomous intensity, making Huang Yanjiong too scared to breathe.

After glaring at him for a long time, Qu Yunmie suddenly raised his hand and hurled the broken sword in his other hand towards Huang Yanjiong. The sword landed right next to Huang Yanjiong, pinning his robe to the ground.

Huang Yanjiong stared at the sword, still trembling slightly in the ground, his mind going blank. At such a close distance, if Qu Yunmie had wanted to kill him, the sword could have easily struck his head.

After that, Qu Yunmie stormed out, his sleeves billowing. Xiao Rong quickly instructed the guards to arrange accommodations for the group before following after Qu Yunmie.

The scholar had kept his head down the whole time, and it wasn’t until Xiao Rong left that he furrowed his brows and looked after Xiao Rong’s retreating figure.

＊

Seeing Qu Yunmie and Xiao Rong rushing out one after the other, Yu Shaocheng thought something serious had happened and quickly followed. Yet when Qu Yunmie returned to his residence, he paced back and forth like a trapped beast, filled with a destructive urge that he needed to release.

Xiao Rong stepped in just in time to see him kick over a large ornamental stone in the center of the hall. The stone, taller than Qu Yunmie himself, likely weighed at least 800 pounds.

Xiao Rong sighed. “So much strength to spare every day.”

With no Taihu stone around, this rock was just a solid, somewhat attractive piece of stone. Because it wasn’t worth much and was so large and heavy, it had been left behind by the previous Governor of Chenliu.

After Qu Yunmie’s powerful kick, the stone naturally got damaged, making Xiao Rong sigh again.

He said, “Your Majesty, let me make you a tumbler doll someday. Then when you’re angry, you can vent on it instead of damaging your residence.”

Qu Yunmie turned around. His expression twisted, and he glared at Xiao Rong as if he wanted to eat him alive. Xiao Rong, unfazed by the look, turned to Yu Shaocheng, who was hesitating at the entrance. “Commander Yu, please find out the names of the two people Governor Huang brought today, especially the one who presented the sword. Investigate thoroughly.”

Yu Shaocheng glanced at Qu Yunmie, and seeing no objection, he acknowledged the order and left.

Qu Yunmie, still fuming, asked, “Why do you want to investigate them?”

Xiao Rong replied, “Doesn’t this whole situation seem strange? First, they rushed here without stopping, then they insisted on meeting you at night, without worrying about disturbing your rest. When they finally saw you, they acted provocatively. I think Huang Yanjiong was hoping you’d kill one of them.”

Qu Yunmie’s anger momentarily paused, and he asked in confusion, “Why would he do that?”

Xiao Rong smiled. “That will depend on what Commander Yu finds out, but if I’m not mistaken, the man who presented the sword is likely named Huang.”

Qu Yunmie wasn’t completely clueless. After thinking it over for a while and recalling certain details, he suddenly blurted out a name in shock: “Huang Keji?!”

Xiao Rong was briefly taken aback. “What kind of name is that?”

He poured himself a cup of tea and sat down across from Qu Yunmie, listening to him explain who Huang Keji was.

Huang Keji was the only son of Huang Yanjiong’s elder brother, Huang Yanqin. Huang Yanqin had everything in life, except that his son came late. He had married many wives, but only one concubine bore him a son, while the others only had daughters.

Qu Yunmie didn’t know much beyond that. He only knew that during the year he spent there, Huang Yanqin had this one precious son. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he was. Even though the boy had changed a bit, Qu Yunmie remembered seeing him before, and his features matched those of the young man who had just presented the sword.

Ten years ago, Huang Keji was only six years old, so now he would be sixteen, just two years older than Xiao Yi.

Qu Yunmie wasn’t the type to care about other people’s family affairs, so that’s all he knew. Xiao Rong nodded, able to piece together the rest. “Huang Yanqin was the head of the Huang family. If he hadn’t died early, the family’s wealth should have belonged to Huang Keji. However, he did die early, and at that time, Huang Keji was only nine, too young to carry on the family. Huang Yanjiong inherited his brother’s wealth and took care of his nephew. People wouldn’t criticize him for it, they’d praise him for his brotherly devotion. Still, it’s an awkward situation. Whether Huang Keji harbors any resentment or not, his existence is a thorn in Huang Yanjiong’s side. Once Huang Keji grows up, those who were loyal to Huang Yanqin will start pressuring Huang Yanjiong to return everything to Huang Keji.”

Qu Yunmie muttered, “Just like Li Xiuheng and my brother.”

Xiao Rong paused, surprised by the connection. After a moment, he nodded. “Exactly the same situation. However, the Huang family isn’t like the Northern Defending Army. Li Xiuheng is useless, while Huang Yanjiong is quite capable. Huang Keji’s growing up must have been tough, being constantly overshadowed by his powerful uncle.”

Already seeing his nephew as an eyesore, Huang Yanjiong saw this as an excellent opportunity to kill two birds with one stone: to get rid of his nephew using Qu Yunmie’s hand, eliminating a future threat, and to tarnish Qu Yunmie’s reputation. After all, killing his benefactor’s only bloodline, no matter the reason, would make him a villain in the eyes of the world. Finally, Huang Yanjiong would have a justified reason to seek revenge against Qu Yunmie, and no one would stand in his way.

It was truly ruthless.

Xiao Rong felt a deep sense of unease, but he didn’t forget to reinforce the point for Qu Yunmie, “Fortunately, Your Majesty didn’t act impulsively today. Otherwise, this infamy would have stuck with you for life. If Huang Keji had died at your hands, it wouldn’t have just been a matter of scholars condemning you—it would have made the entire world look down on you.”

Qu Yunmie also realized the seriousness of the situation and nodded heavily. It wasn’t just others who would despise him; he would regret it himself.

However, he wasn’t someone who liked to turn his frustration inward—he preferred to direct it outward.

So, after a brief moment of regret, Qu Yunmie shifted his focus to the treacherous Huang Yanjing. He slammed the table and swore. “If I don’t kill Huang Yanjing, I swear I’m not human!”

Xiao Rong sighed. “Again, again, and again! Has your brain undergone a facelift? It seems so smooth that you can’t think of anything other than killing!”

Xiao Rong sighed again. “That won’t do! We have uncovered his plot, but without proof of his sinister intentions, if Your Majesty kills him rashly, people outside will think he is innocent. Are you going to help him gain fame and make the whole world sympathize with him?”

Qu Yunmie paused. “Of course not.”

Seeing that he had listened, Xiao Rong hesitated for a moment before adding, “Moreover, if he dies, who will we work with to attack the Xianbei? Among all the armies in this land, only Huang Yanjing’s troops are worth mentioning. Besides, since he fell short today, he will undoubtedly have to compensate Your Majesty in some way. We should make sure to get our share. The capital was just built, and we’re lacking in everything. Why not take what is freely given?”

After saying this, Xiao Rong smiled and added, “And then there’s Huang Keji.”

Qu Yunmie, thinking the topic had passed, looked at Xiao Rong in confusion. “What about Huang Keji?”

Xiao Rong smiled. “Your Majesty has owed this favor for a long time—don’t you want to repay it now?”

 

 

Edited by: Antiope

 

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