Chapter 0034 Another Visit

Chapter 0034 Another Visit

This was a bit strange.

Qu Yunmie wrote the letter under Xiao Rong's supervision. When Qu Yunmie was writing it, he was very reluctant and even wasted three pieces of paper.

The letter clearly stated that Huang Yanjiong was invited to discuss fighting the Xianbei. Such a matter requiring Huang Yanjiong to provide troops and supplies would naturally make him unwilling, but because the letter used the word "righteousness," Huang Yanjiong had no choice but to come, despite his reluctance.

Under these circumstances, Xiao Rong had even prepared for Huang Yanjiong to arrive only in July. However, he came so quickly that it seemed he must have set out the day after receiving the letter.

Xiao Rong had a hunch something was amiss, but he wasn't a god and couldn't deduce what Huang Yanjiong was up to with just this little information.

It was already quite late, well into the second hour of the Dog, when the city gates were closed and curfew had begun. The citizens had all extinguished their lamps and were preparing to sleep.

Normally, one should find the army outside the city, present their documents, and spend the night there, waiting until the next day to enter and report.

After all, Huang Yanjiong was here for a meeting, not an urgent matter. As a governor, it was inappropriate to disturb the Prince's rest.

While Xiao Rong was pondering this, Qu Yunmie's face fell slightly at the mention of Huang Yanjiong's name.

But since guests had come from afar, Qu Yunmie wasn't petty enough to keep Huang Yanjiong outside the city overnight. Since he had arrived and there was nothing pressing, he decided to let Huang Yanjiong in.

As Xiao Rong was deep in thought, Qu Yunmie had already instructed the guards to bring Huang Yanjiong in. With the guest arriving, Mi Jing excused himself first. Yu Shaoxie looked around, feeling he wasn't yet at a level where he could join the Northern Pacification King in receiving guests, so he also rose to leave.

Gao Xunzhi looked at Xiao Rong: "Ah Rong, are you going to see him?"

Xiao Rong nodded: "We need to see what he's up to. Chancellor, you should go rest. It's too late tonight for anything important. We'll just meet and then let them rest."

Gao Xunzhi agreed; it made sense. Who visits this late?

Soon, everyone left, leaving only Qu Yunmie and Xiao Rong sitting there.

Qu Yunmie glanced at Xiao Rong, about to say something, when Xiao Rong, without looking up, said: "The King should remember the etiquette of hosting guests."

Qu Yunmie: "…………"

He huffed coldly and turned his head away.

Although the guard reported only that Huang Yanjiong had come to visit, as a governor, he wouldn't come alone. They had brought a group of over ten people. When Huang Yanjiong approached Qu Yunmie, two others followed behind him.

One was a scholar, appearing to be in his thirties or forties, dressed appropriately and wearing a polite smile. The other was a warrior whose age was indeterminate, possibly in his teens or twenties, silently following Huang Yanjiong with a blue silk-wrapped object, which appeared to be a sword.

Xiao Rong gave a cursory glance before focusing on Huang Yanjiong.

Of medium height, despite having a beard, he had shaved it down to a small patch, typical of the Central Plains. At thirty-four, some men might be grandfathers, but Huang Yanjiong was still in his prime.

He looked energetic. Although his height wasn't impressive, he appeared robust. Perhaps due to preconceived notions, Xiao Rong felt Huang Yanjiong had a bad appearance, seeming generous and open but actually fierce.

While Xiao Rong observed him, Huang Yanjiong was also studying Xiao Rong and Qu Yunmie. He first looked at Qu Yunmie, whom he hadn't seen in ten years. While Huang Yanjiong hadn't changed much, Qu Yunmie seemed like a different person.

Huang Yanjiong paused, clearly surprised, then recomposed himself and looked at him provocatively.

Qu Yunmie, seated in the center of the room, narrowed his eyes upon seeing Huang Yanjiong's gaze.

Feeling he had provoked enough, Huang Yanjiong reluctantly shifted his gaze to the second person in the room.

This time, he stopped in surprise.

Qu Yunmie couldn't stand up to greet Huang Yanjiong, and now Xiao Rong, as the new Prefect of Chenliu, outranked Huang Yanjiong by a level. So, he naturally remained seated to receive Huang Yanjiong's gaze.

Ever since Huang Yanjiong arrived, Xiao Rong had felt a strange sensation, but he couldn't pinpoint why. He couldn't understand what Huang Yanjiong was up to.

Xiao Rong felt that someone who had reached Huang Yanjiong's position shouldn't show such surprise merely at his appearance.

As he pondered, Huang Yanjiong stepped forward, laughing loudly, bypassing any formal greeting.

"Many years have passed, how is the Northern Pacification King?"

Qu Yunmie wanted to kick him but held back, instead giving a sinister smile: "Very well, Governor Huang, please sit."

Huang Yanjiong didn't sit but instead slowly turned his gaze toward Xiao Rong, smiling oddly: "And who might this be?"

Qu Yunmie: "This is Mr. Xiao, my advisor and the new Prefect of Chenliu."

The title "Prefect" had only recently been adopted, typically reserved for officials in the Capital. However, due to constant rebellions, the title had become less strict, allowing the capital of vassal states to use it, though it was still somewhat controversial.

Since the Prefect and the Inspector were of the same rank, Huang Yanjiong should formally greet Xiao Rong.

But if he didn't even greet Qu Yunmie, he certainly wouldn't greet Xiao Rong. Indeed, he laughed oddly again: "I must have misunderstood. No wonder, the Northern Pacification King detests such formalities."

His words were vague, but anyone with average intelligence could understand his implication. Xiao Rong was taken aback, wondering what was wrong with this man. Had he traveled so far just to provoke them?

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

What etiquette? He couldn't care less now. He directly questioned Huang Yanjiong: "Did you rush here day and night just to court death?"

Xiao Rong: "That was my line."

However, Huang Yanjiong changed his tone, smiling apologetically: "Just a joke, don't take it seriously, Your Highness. I hurried here to discuss the matters you mentioned and because I've missed you. Our past in Jinling wasn't pleasant, but thankfully, Your Highness has a magnanimous heart and doesn't hold grudges. Feeling guilty, I've come to Chenliu to offer a precious sword as a token of apology."

He then bowed to Qu Yunmie and gave a nod to the man behind him.

The man holding the blue silk frowned, sensing something was off, as Huang Yanjiong wasn't usually so provocative. Like Xiao Rong, he couldn't figure out Huang Yanjiong's intentions and was unaware of the trap he had set.

Following the instruction, he walked forward, knelt halfway, and presented the gift with both hands.

Qu Yunmie glanced at Huang Yanjiong and then lifted the blue silk.

Indeed, it was a fine sword. The scabbard was exquisitely crafted, and good weapons were always welcome. Picking up the sword, Qu Yunmie examined it.

Xiao Rong watched from the side, not noticing anything amiss. When Qu Yunmie had seen enough, he gripped the sword hilt and pulled it out.

Huang Yanjiong's eyes flickered as he held his breath.

Xiao Rong had been keeping an eye on him with his peripheral vision. Seeing this, he immediately sensed something was wrong. Before he could speak, Qu Yunmie had already drawn the sword. The moment he started pulling it out, he knew something was off. His face darkened as he fully drew the sword, revealing that it was broken.

This brings us back to an incident in the past. Back in the Jinling Imperial Palace, Qu Yunmie, being young and talented, and also handsome, was chosen by the officials to perform a sword dance. Huang Yanjiong, unwilling to let him shine, secretly broke his sword when he wasn't looking. Unaware of this, Qu Yunmie drew the broken sword during the performance and was loudly reprimanded by the officials who had organized the banquet. They even punished him, while the others laughed openly, mocking him without restraint.

This was undoubtedly one of the most humiliating experiences of Qu Yunmie's life, something that would ignite his fury at the mere mention.

Now, Huang Yanjiong, the culprit, had presented another broken sword, essentially trampling on Qu Yunmie's dignity once again.

When Qu Yunmie saw the broken sword, his face twisted with rage. Xiao Rong, unaware of his past, instinctively realized something was terribly wrong and jumped up, exclaiming, "The King!"

Enraged, Qu Yunmie tightened his grip on the sword. Memories of his humiliation flooded his mind. Without thinking clearly about what to do next, he reflexively turned at the sound of the cry.

Seeing Xiao Rong's worried and tense expression, Qu Yunmie paused, and the veins bulging on his hand relaxed slightly.

The scholar behind Huang Yanjiong, who had been smiling confidently, froze when he noticed this detail. This was bad.

In the next moment, Qu Yunmie ignored Xiao Rong and threw the scabbard with deadly accuracy, striking Huang Yanjiong's knee. The impact forced him to kneel in pain.

"What is the meaning of this!"

"Sending a broken sword—do you want me to cut off your head!"

Huang Yanjiong, sweating profusely from the pain, realized things were not going as planned. He quickly feigned shock and exclaimed, "How could it be broken? Please calm down, Your Majesty! I would never do such a thing—it's like asking for death!"

Qu Yunmie was furious but acknowledged Huang Yanjiong's point. He now held the power of life and death over him. Huang Yanjiong had come to his territory, where he could dispose of him as he pleased.

But he wouldn't kill Huang Yanjiong. He owed Huang Yanqin a favor and wouldn't harm him unless provoked.

Still dripping with cold sweat, Huang Yanjiong continued, "I checked the sword before leaving, and it was perfectly fine. I don't know how it came to be—"

He paused, then looked at the man who had brought the sword. The man, pale-faced, knelt, realizing he might be implicated.

Xiao Rong narrowed his eyes, suspecting the truth. He walked to Qu Yunmie and whispered, "The King, it's late. Since there's a problem with Huang Taishou's gift, we can ask him to present another one tomorrow."

Turning to look at Huang Yanjiong, he added, "Huang Taishou, you truly meant to offer a gift, right?"

Huang Yanjiong: "..."

He hastily replied, "Of course, it was genuine!"

Xiao Rong smiled, "I believe Huang Taishou's intentions were sincere, but this mistake is serious. Sending a broken sword is not a good sign. If this gets out, people might think Huang Taishou has ill intentions."

Huang Yanjiong: "........"

He felt helpless, his plan having failed and now bearing the blame. Unable to defend himself, he could only bow his head in agreement.

Xiao Rong sneered inwardly. It was clear that the initial provocation was just to enrage Qu Yunmie.

He sighed, "Enough, The King. Let's end it here today. We'll discuss the gift and the attack on Xianbei with Huang Taishou tomorrow morning."

Huang Yanjiong's heart sank. This was a classic case of failing to gain and losing more! Not only did his plan fail, but now he was at their mercy!

Huang Yanjiong thought about fleeing as soon as he returned.

Xiao Rong was trying to calm Qu Yunmie, but Qu Yunmie remained silent, his gaze fixed on Huang Yanjiong. His eyes, sharp and venomous, pierced through Huang Yanjiong, making him hold his breath.

After staring at him for a long time, Qu Yunmie suddenly raised his hand and threw the broken sword towards Huang Yanjiong. The sword landed near his robe, pinning it to the ground.

Huang Yanjiong, seeing the sword wobble three times after landing, was stunned.

At such close range, Qu Yunmie could have easily killed him.

With that action, Qu Yunmie turned and left. Xiao Rong quickly instructed the guards to arrange lodgings for the group and then followed Qu Yunmie.

The scholar kept his head down until Xiao Rong left, then frowned and looked at Xiao Rong's back. *

Seeing Qu Yunmie and Xiao Rong rush out, Yu Shaocheng thought something was wrong and hurried to follow. Once back at his residence, Qu Yunmie paced like a caged beast, consumed by a destructive urge that needed release.

Xiao Rong entered just as Qu Yunmie kicked over a large stone ornament in the main hall. The stone, taller than Qu Yunmie, weighed around eight hundred pounds.

Xiao Rong: "..."

Always using brute strength.

Without any valuable stones like those from Taihu, this rock was simply a solid, somewhat attractive boulder. Because it was worthless and too heavy, the Chenliu Taishou had kept it.

Kicked by Qu Yunmie, the stone chipped, causing Xiao Rong to sigh.

He said, "The King, someday I'll make you a bobblehead doll. You can vent your anger on it instead of destroying your residence."

Qu Yunmie: "........"

He turned with a twisted expression, glaring at Xiao Rong as if he wanted to devour him. Xiao Rong remained unperturbed and turned to Yu Shaocheng, who was hesitating outside. "Commander Yu, please find out the names of the two men Huang Yanjiong brought today, especially the one who presented the sword to the King. Be thorough."

Yu Shaocheng glanced at Qu Yunmie, saw no objection, and left.

Qu Yunmie asked angrily, "Why do you need to know?"

Xiao Rong smiled, "Doesn't the King find it strange? First, they rushed here day and night, then sought an audience at night, unafraid of disturbing your sleep. Then, they openly challenged you. It seems Huang Yanjiong wants the King to kill him."

Qu Yunmie paused, confused. "Why would he do that?"

Xiao Rong chuckled, "We'll see what Commander Yu finds out. If I'm right, the one who presented the sword should be surnamed Huang."

Qu Yunmie wasn't stupid. With Xiao Rong's hint, he thought for a moment and realized the connection. Recalling everything, he exclaimed, "Huang Keji?!"

Xiao Rong: "…………"

What were his parents thinking, giving him such a name.

Xiao Rong poured himself a cup of tea and sat down across from Qu Yunmie, listening to him talk about Huang Keji.

Huang Keji was the only son of Huang Yanqin, who had everything in life except for a late son. He married many wives, but only one concubine gave him a son, while the others bore him daughters.

Qu Yunmie didn't know what happened after that, but during the year he spent there, Huang Yanqin only had this one precious child. The more Qu Yunmie recalled, the more certain he became that although the boy had changed, he had seen him before, and he matched the young man he just met.

Ten years ago, Huang Keji was only six, making him sixteen now, just two years older than Xiao Yi.

Clearly, Qu Yunmie wasn't the type to care about other people's families, but this was all he knew. Xiao Rong nodded, able to infer the rest: "The head of the Huang family is Huang Yanqin. If he hadn't died early, all the family wealth should have belonged to Huang Keji. But he did die early, leaving Huang Keji only nine years old and too young to manage the family affairs. Huang Yanjiong inherited his brother's wealth and took care of his nephew. No one would blame him; instead, they would praise him for being a good uncle. However, this situation is awkward. Regardless of whether Huang Keji has any intentions, his existence is a thorn in Huang Yanjiong's side. As Huang Keji grows up, those loyal to Huang Yanqin will start urging him to return everything to Huang Keji."

Qu Yunmie murmured, "Just like Li Xiuheng and my elder brother."

Xiao Rong was taken aback; he hadn't thought of that.

After a moment, Xiao Rong agreed, "Exactly, it's the same situation. But the Huang family is different from the Northern Pacification Army. Li Xiuheng is useless, but Huang Yanjiong has some skills. Huang Keji's growth must not have been pleasant, with such a powerful uncle always suppressing him."

Already finding this nephew troublesome, now with such an opportunity, Huang Yanjiong thought of killing two birds with one stone. By using Qu Yunmie's hand to send his nephew to the afterlife, he could eliminate future trouble and tarnish Qu Yunmie's reputation. No matter the reason, killing the only descendant of his benefactor would bring him endless scorn. Finally, he would gain a righteous reason to attack Qu Yunmie, and no one would stop him. ... How ruthless.

Xiao Rong felt a deep sense of unease, yet he continued to emphasize the point to Qu Yunmie: "Fortunately, The King didn't act impulsively today. Otherwise, this stigma would never be erased. If Huang Keji had died by The King's hand, it wouldn't just be the scholars criticizing him; everyone in the world would look down on The King."

Qu Yunmie realized the gravity of the situation and nodded heavily. Not only would others despise him, but he would also regret it deeply.

But he wasn't one to dwell on regrets. Instead, he focused on the cunning Huang Yanjiong, slamming the table and swearing, "I swear, I won't be human if I don't kill Huang Yanjiong!"

Xiao Rong: "……"

Again, again, again!

Have you had a facelift? Your mind is so smooth that you can only think of killing as a solution!

Xiao Rong sighed, "No, we can't! We uncovered his plot, but we have no evidence to prove how treacherous he is. If The King kills him rashly, outsiders might see him as innocent. Are you trying to make him famous and gain sympathy from the whole world?"

Qu Yunmie: "……" Of course not.

Seeing that he was listening, Xiao Rong paused and then said, "Moreover, who else can we ally with against the Xianbei? Among the forces in this world, only Huang Yanjiong's troops are worth considering. Besides, since he lost today, he must compensate The King. We need to get that compensation. The capital is just established, and we lack everything. Why not take what's offered?"

At this, Xiao Rong smiled, "And there's Huang Keji."

Thinking the topic was over, Qu Yunmie looked at Xiao Rong in confusion, "What about Huang Keji?"

Xiao Rong smiled, "The King owes him a favor. Don't you want to repay it?"