{"id":6817,"date":"2024-12-24T09:46:18","date_gmt":"2024-12-24T08:46:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/?p=6817"},"modified":"2024-12-24T09:46:18","modified_gmt":"2024-12-24T08:46:18","slug":"your-majesty-you-mustnt-chapter-32-the-great-grandson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/2024\/12\/24\/your-majesty-you-mustnt-chapter-32-the-great-grandson\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Majesty, you mustn&#8217;t! &#8211; Chapter 32 The Great Grandson"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rain hadn\u2019t stopped all night, and the plan to travel in the early morning naturally fell through.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Still, because of the rain, the soldiers and people who had been traveling for almost a month got to rest for a day. Previously, they had to wake up after just two or three hours of sleep, but now they could sleep soundly until dawn.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even Xiao Rong rarely had such a good sleep; he didn&#8217;t dream at all and felt as if he had returned to the carefree days of infancy, with every cell in his body relaxed.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie thought that Xiao Rong&#8217;s sudden illness was caused by his anger. Xiao Rong believed his sudden illness was due to Qu Yunmie being so stubborn and insistent on his own views, which could only lead to a big pitfall. Falling into such a pit would surely lower his luck, and that was why he had fallen ill again.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, this was a misunderstanding. His body&#8217;s warning had nothing to do with their argument. The real reason was that Huang Yanjiu, far away in Jianning, had finally received the letter from Qu Yunmie.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aside from Huang Yanjiu\u2019s cruelty, he was a competent leader. Upon receiving Qu Yunmie\u2019s letter, he neither flew into a rage nor made any rash decisions about going or not going. Instead, he quickly summoned his advisors to discuss what to do.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both he and his advisors thought this was a trap. Everyone knew that Qu Yunmie hated the Xianbei, but now Qu Yunmie was waving a banner of righteousness, praising Huang Yanjiu as a righteous person and stating that personal grudges should be set aside in the face of a devastated country. He hoped Huang Yanjiu would, for the sake of the Emperor and the people, go to Chenliu to discuss the campaign against the Xianbei.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Huang Yanjiu: \u201c&#8230;\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This scoundrel has ill intentions.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even so, he couldn\u2019t simply refuse. After all, Qu Yunmie had elevated him, and if he refused, Qu Yunmie could publicly claim he was timid and useless. Huang Yanjiu was still in the early stages of his career and couldn\u2019t afford such slander.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moreover, Qu Yunmie had already made his move. If Huang Yanjiu didn\u2019t respond and simply feigned ignorance, it would cause unrest among his own subordinates and damage his image with them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He expressed his concerns, and his advisor agreed, adding more.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhat the governor says is absolutely correct. However, there is one thing revealed in this letter that deeply concerns me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Huang Yanjiu asked, &#8220;What is it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The advisor sighed. &#8220;The governor and the Northern King haven\u2019t met for ten years. After driving out the Huhar people, the Northern King stayed at Yanmen Pass and never mentioned the governor. Now, having just moved his capital, the first person he chooses to contact is the governor. It\u2019s worth noting that the governor and he weren\u2019t on good terms. This person is also very stubborn. This contact is obviously not for reminiscing; he must have learned something about the governor\u2019s movements and knows you have provisions and troops here. He is testing you, and his intentions and purposes are inscrutable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Huang Yanjiu\u2019s eyes widened. \u201cYou mean he wants to seize my troops?!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The advisor shook his head. \u201cWhat he wants to do, I cannot guess at this moment. Jianning is far from Chenliu, with places like Jinling in between. The Northern King\u2019s reach isn\u2019t that long.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Huang Yanjiu\u2019s insides churned upon hearing that Qu Yunmie wanted to seize his things. Although he had prepared many resources, if Qu Yunmie really came to attack, he would have no choice but to abandon his gear and flee overnight.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After hearing his advisor\u2019s words, Huang Yanjiu was about to breathe a sigh of relief when the advisor\u2019s tone shifted. \u201cEven if his reach is limited now, it may not be so in the future. The Northern King has already set his sights on you. You can no longer remain hidden as you did before.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Huang Yanjiu: \u201c&#8230;\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He grew anxious again. \u201cWhat should I do?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The advisor smiled. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Governor. You have seen the Northern King before. Do you think he is capable of great things?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Huang Yanjiu fell silent.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In truth, he couldn\u2019t judge. He knew that Qu Yunmie had many shortcomings, but at the same time, he was exceptionally strong militarily and was very good at warfare. As a teenager, he had used his talent to deceive the army, never having a single soldier captured, which was crucial in chaotic times.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Huang Yanjiu had been very angry when his concubine was taken, but as time passed and his mindset changed, he no longer cared about that incident. What mattered more to him was that he had once been defeated by Qu Yunmie, and he was afraid of losing to him again.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People have a fear of those who have defeated them, and want to avenge themselves while, at the same time, fearing another defeat.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Huang Yanjiu, feeling troubled, asked directly, &#8220;If you have any suggestions, please speak. I will follow them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The advisor smiled. &#8220;Do you remember how the Northern King killed the Governor of Jinning?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Huang Yanjiu was stunned. He certainly remembered. After hearing about it, he had laughed heartily and eaten two extra bowls of rice that evening.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBecause he killed the Governor of Jinning, scholars across the world speak ill of the Northern King, and no one is willing to serve under him anymore. The governor can do the same. If the Northern King claims to act out of righteousness, you can turn that righteousness into unrighteousness. In this way, he will no longer be able to coerce you, and he will never be able to hold his head high in front of you again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Huang Yanjiu listened, and his first reaction to the example of the Governor of Jinning was to offer up his own wife.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He considered that if she were to be made to appear pitiable, perhaps Qu Yunmie would take her out of sympathy, as he had done before, which seemed likely to succeed. If this became known, Qu Yunmie\u2019s reputation would be ruined.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yet\u2026then, his own reputation would be in tatters too!<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being cuckolded twice by the same person, especially when the first time was his own doing\u2014was Huang Yanjiu really such a shameless person???<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Huang Yanjiu immediately rejected the idea, explaining his reasons to the advisor, who fell silent.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After a long while, the advisor hinted, &#8220;Governor, I wasn\u2019t suggesting your wife. How could personal matters be publicized? Moreover, this only affects private morals and cannot incite public outrage. Think about it, is there anything you can do to completely suppress him?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Huang Yanjiu looked at the advisor in confusion. He thought hard for a while and suddenly had a change of expression.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Looking at the advisor, Huang Yanjiu blurted out, &#8220;My elder brother!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seeing that he finally understood, the advisor smiled and said no more.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the 8th day of the 5th month of the 6th year of Shengde, Chenliu opened its city gates to welcome the Northern Army into the city.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, the ones opening the gates weren\u2019t the Chenliu people, but the Northern Army, who had arrived early to arrange things. The actual Chenliu residents stayed quietly at home, opening only a small window to observe the soldiers entering the city.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Xiao Rong\u2019s view, the Northern Army was lax and undisciplined. However, to the local people, the Northern Army was already a rare good army, as they neither harassed the people nor took their belongings.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Northern Army had once been called a bandit group by the court, mocked as a mob that might change its banner and become mountain bandits. To prevent ridicule, Qu Yunmie had strictly forbidden his men from bullying the common people. Some people couldn\u2019t tolerate this rule, but more complied obediently.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2026\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ten years ago, when Southern Yong was established, a large number of Chenliu&#8217;s people fled, leaving about one-third of the houses empty. After ten years of efforts by the local people, one-third of that one-third had regained some vitality.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, ten years later, upon learning that the Northern Army was to be stationed there, and fearing that Southern Yong might take notice and bring war, another group of people fled. This time, fewer people left compared to before, but Chenliu became significantly quieter.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As for the empty houses, Jian Qiao didn\u2019t concern himself with their previous owners. Mr. Xiao had instructed that they should be registered and redistributed to the new residents. If the original owners came later, they would be compensated according to the market price at that time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nowadays, many things were expensive, but houses were cheap. Thatched houses were rented for a few hundred to five hundred a month, and slightly better wooden houses cost double that; still affordable with small amounts of money. Real tile-roofed mansions required payment in gold and silver, ranging from one and a half silver ingots to one gold ingot, depending on size and location.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Houses with a monthly rent exceeding one gold ingot weren\u2019t available. Such high-priced houses were reserved for high-ranking officials, and ordinary people couldn\u2019t afford them. Those who could afford them wouldn\u2019t choose to rent.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These were approximate prices, the actual prices changed daily. Gold and silver were relatively stable, but the exchange rates for large and small denominations of money fluctuated wildly. Each day, people asked about the exchange rates for silver and copper coins when buying things. The more silver they could exchange, the happier they were, the less, the more they sighed.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Xiao Rong rented a house in Xinan, he had learned about the real estate situation and used Xinan&#8217;s house prices as a reference. However, he didn\u2019t know that Chenliu\u2019s prices were even lower.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After all, Xinan was a major city in Southern Yong, while Chenliu, though a large city north of the Huai River, was still not as prominent.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2026\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gongsun Yuan didn\u2019t enter the city with the army but arranged things outside. Jian Qiao went to organize the exhausted people who had traveled for a month. As for Qu Yunmie and the others, they settled into their lodgings first and planned to gather for a meeting in the evening.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The staff members were easy to arrange; they went directly to the Governor\u2019s residence, as they didn\u2019t dare to demand better treatment. Jian Qiao and Gongsun Yuan had already chosen where they would live. They both had families, which had also left separately.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So those who still had to choose were the bachelors.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong, Gao Xunzhi, the two brothers Yu Shaoxie and Yu Shaocheng, and, oh yes, Mijing.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2026\u2026<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Xunzhi didn\u2019t mind where he stayed, so he only asked Xiao Rong, &#8220;Ah Rong, your family should\u2019ve arrived by now, right?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong nodded. &#8220;General Jian said they arrived four days ago. My younger brother and the others are staying in a vacant house in the west of the city. We\u2019ll decide where to live once I arrive.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Xunzhi smiled. &#8220;It\u2019s good that they arrived safely. In that case, why don\u2019t we find two houses around the Governor\u2019s residence to be neighbors? That way, we can look out for each other.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yu Shaoxie immediately said, &#8220;Then my brother and I will make similar arrangements.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Xunzhi smiled at him. &#8220;Great, so you brothers will live together?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before Yu Shaoxie could speak, Yu Shaocheng next to him had already awkwardly made a sound of agreement.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Xunzhi: \u201c&#8230;\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just agree, no need to be shy about it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They discussed this matter at the entrance of the former Marquis&#8217;s residence. Mijing stood on the ground, feeling uncomfortable all over.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like a compulsive disorder, he stared at his feet, trying to see if any small bugs had passed by. Hearing this, he forced himself to focus and asked, &#8220;I wonder how many Buddhist temples there are in this city?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong answered him, &#8220;There are six temples in the city, as well as five Taoist temples, but none are in the city center. Three of the temples are built on the mountains. It would be better to have the Buddha\u2019s disciple stay at the Governor\u2019s residence for now, and later, when we build a new temple, we can invite you to move in.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mijing smiled. &#8220;There\u2019s no need. The Governor\u2019s residence is already very good. Wherever the heart resides is an ancient temple. I thank Young Master Xiao for his kind offer, but since I have entered the world, I no longer cling to such external things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong felt that he just wanted to observe the Northern King\u2019s small team closely, but he didn\u2019t reveal it. Instead, he smiled and agreed to his request.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong turned his head and discussed with the others where they should stay. Qu Yunmie&#8217;s team walked out from inside. Just as he crossed the threshold, he heard them discussing going to look for houses near the Governor\u2019s residence.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Governor\u2019s residence was two streets away from the former Marquis\u2019s residence. The area around the Governor\u2019s residence was lively, while the former Marquis\u2019s residence was quiet, with residents being either wealthy or noble.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie&#8217;s team was wiping the dust off their hands with a handkerchief. After listening for a while, he raised an eyebrow and then stepped in. &#8220;Why go look for houses? This Marquis\u2019s residence is very large. Can\u2019t it accommodate you all? Master Gao is old, and Xiao Rong\u2019s health is not good. How can I feel at ease if you are all scattered? It should be as before. Each of you should stay with me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Xunzh\u012b: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now you remember I\u2019m old? Last year, you sent me to fight in order to have some peace and quiet. Why didn\u2019t you mention my age then?<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have you forgotten that I also have a family to support now?<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yu Shaoxie: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clearly, it was a story about four people, but my brother and I don\u2019t have names.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yu Shaocheng: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It doesn\u2019t matter. As long as I can stay with my brother.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where to stay was originally a minor issue. Since Qu Yunmie&#8217;s team had spoken, the few of them looked at each other and had to comply with his wishes. Yu Shaocheng, being the Captain of the Guards, should stay beside Qu Yunmie. Yu Shaoxie saw that his friends and brother had been taken away by the king, so he had to bow and ask Qu Yunmie to make room for him as well.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yu Shaoxie hadn\u2019t had an argument with Qu Yunmie for a while. The latter almost forgot the previous times he had been infuriated. To him, it was just one more person. Qu Yunmie really didn\u2019t care. He waved his hand and gave his tacit approval.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seeing this, Mijing changed his mind. He performed a single-hand salute to Qu Yunmie and said that he also wanted to stay there.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He didn\u2019t want to agree.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He didn\u2019t know why, but he had agreed to let Yu Shaoxie, who had offended him, stay. However, looking at Mijing\u2019s smooth, round face, Qu Yunmie just wanted him to go as far away as possible.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before speaking, he subconsciously glanced at the expressions of the others. Everyone was waiting for him to speak, especially Xiao Rong, whose dark eyes were staring at him without blinking.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie replied, \u201c&#8230; Since the Buddha\u2019s disciple doesn\u2019t mind, then let him stay as well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong: Feels like it sounds lifeless.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In any case, everything was arranged. Gao Xunzh\u012b and the others went inside to find their accommodations. Xiao Rong didn\u2019t move. When Qu Yunmie turned around and saw he was still there, he felt a jolt of anxiety.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He almost had a mental breakdown. Every time Xiao Rong specifically let the crowd leave in order to be alone with him, it was to give him advice, but he had done nothing today. Could it be that Xiao Rong was dissatisfied just because he had answered slowly earlier?<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie was on the verge of breaking down and anxiously took the initiative, \u201cWhat did I do wrong now?!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong was stunned. \u201cDid the King make a mistake?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Realizing he might\u2019ve misunderstood, Qu Yunmie stiffened and, under Xiao Rong\u2019s increasingly enigmatic expression, asked again, &#8220;Why are you standing here? Why don\u2019t you go inside?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong smiled. \u201cIt seems the King really forgot.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A question mark appeared on Qu Yunmie\u2019s head. Xiao Rong smiled even more happily. \u201cI\u2019m waiting for the guards to bring the horses. My family arrived in Chenliu City four days ago. I need to find them first and then bring them inside to settle in.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie looked enlightened. Since entering the city, he had been so busy that he had indeed forgotten about this. As he spoke, the guards brought over the horses, two in total, one for Xiao Rong and one for the guard.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie directly took the guard\u2019s horse. Turning to Xiao Rong, he softened his expression. \u201cThis King will go with you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fine.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He didn\u2019t refuse because he also wanted Qu Yunmie to meet the old lady first to avoid any misunderstandings later. With Qu Yunmie\u2019s temper, Xiao Rong was genuinely afraid that the old lady might offend him and end up being dealt with harshly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The poor guard had no horse and could only walk along. Only he knew the way, so Xiao Rong and Qu Yunmie had to let the horses walk slowly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because of this, they had a good view of Chenliu City.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chenliu City had mountains, but they were all low hills, unlike the Taihang Mountains they had seen before. The city also had various rivers, with clear, green water, a color that wasn\u2019t polluted.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At this time, the people in the city didn\u2019t know Xiao Rong or the Northern King. Even if they saw these two, they were merely amazed by their appearance and couldn\u2019t imagine the significant changes these two would bring to Chenliu City and even the Central Plains.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Soon they arrived at their destination. Qu Yunmie dismounted first. He looked at Xiao Rong, expecting to help him, but Xiao Rong\u2019s movements were even smoother. He lifted his leg, jumped, and dismounted.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moreover, whether it was his eyes deceiving him or not, when Xiao Rong lifted his leg, it almost flew above his head, then drew a half-perfect circle before touching the ground.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie had never seen a compass. Otherwise, he would\u2019ve exclaimed, &#8220;A living compass!\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2026<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Qu Yunmie stared blankly at Xiao Rong. Xiao Rong took a few steps forward and then looked at him strangely. &#8220;King?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coming to his senses, Qu Yunmie responded with a grunt. Xiao Rong glanced at him again, saw that he was fine, and then walked inside.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie followed him, staring at Xiao Rong\u2019s back, and noticed something shocking.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong was three and a half inches shorter than him, but his legs were the same length as his own.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Which meant, his upper body was three and a half inches longer than Xiao Rong\u2019s.\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For some reason, once he figured this out, Qu Yunmie\u2019s face turned green.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He wasn\u2019t the kind of man who would use his looks to his advantage and despised such men, but now he suddenly felt embarrassed and didn\u2019t want anyone to find out.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qu Yunmie was lost in thought and didn\u2019t notice he had already entered the house. The house wasn\u2019t big, and knowing that the Northern Army had entered the city, Ah Shu had brought them downstairs early. When he saw Xiao Rong enter, Xiao Yi first stood up excitedly but didn\u2019t rush over immediately. Instead, he shook his grandmother\u2019s arm first.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cGrandmother, look, Elder Brother has returned. It\u2019s Elder Brother! Grandmother, you\u2019ve been mentioning him every day. Do you see, is it him?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Yi\u2019s real Elder Brother had left to study when he was ten. For eight years, he hadn\u2019t returned home even once, living frugally. Xiao Yi, when older, had gone to look for him once but only once.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As for the old lady, Chen Sheyu, she hadn\u2019t seen her eldest grandson for a full eight years.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Yi had pointed to Xiao Rong and had the old lady recognize him many times, telling her repeatedly that this was her eldest grandson. The old lady was puzzled, but eventually believed Xiao Yi\u2019s words.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, nine months later, she had forgotten again. Fortunately, Xiao Yi reinforced the impression every day, telling her that his Elder Brother was a handsome man, and his name was Xiao Rong, which meant melting ice and snow.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The nine months of effort weren\u2019t in vain. Chen Sheyu gradually remembered she had an eldest grandson. As she looked at the person in front of her, her eyes instantly reddened.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong stopped and looked at her nervously.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chen Sheyu shed tears and ran over quickly. &#8220;Rong\u2019er! My good Rong\u2019er!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As she cried out, she tightly embraced Qu Yunmie behind her.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Rong: \u201c&#8230;\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The others: \u201c&#8230;\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Well, seeing that the old lady didn&#8217;t recognize him, they felt right instead!<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>Edited by: Antiope<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Support translation:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/bePatron?u=25191841\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"217\" height=\"51\" class=\"wp-image-338 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/become_a_patron_button.png?resize=217%2C51\" alt=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 217px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 217\/51;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/lajnaa\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/kofi3-3.png?resize=185%2C47\" alt=\"This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is kofi3-3.png\" width=\"185\" height=\"47\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 185px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 185\/47;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<p><!--EndFragment--><\/p>\r\n<p><!--EndFragment--><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The rain hadn\u2019t stopped all night, and the plan to travel in the early morning naturally fell through. Still, because of the rain, the soldiers and people who had been traveling for almost a month got to rest for a day. Previously, they had to wake up after just two or three hours of sleep, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6644,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[107],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-your-majesty","entry","has-media"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/20240106180053_200_280-1.jpg?fit=199%2C280&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6817","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6817"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6817\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6818,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6817\/revisions\/6818"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6644"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}