FID – Chapter 685

Chapter 685: The Master Is Doomed

“Make way! Make way! All idle people, stand back!”

“His Majesty is traveling! The city gates are under lockdown! Everyone, move back immediately!”

Armed soldiers swiftly formed a security line, blocking all commoners and merchants outside the restricted area. Their presence was imposing and full of menace.

The crowd pressed together, craning their necks to catch a glimpse, whispering among themselves.

Liu Yusheng was caught in the middle of the throng, but she also stood on tiptoe, straining her eyes to have a look.

There was still quite a distance between them and the city gate. The soldiers had completely cleared the entrance, leaving a large open space.

Moments later, the Imperial Guards appeared at the front of the procession. Behind them was a resplendent golden dragon carriage, followed by a line of horse-drawn carriages. 

Liu Yusheng guessed that those carriages likely carried court officials.

From afar, the entire procession looked like a long dragon emerging from the city gate, slowly moving toward the end of the main road.

The display was grand and imposing.

“The Emperor is traveling with civil and military officials? Such a large procession… could he be heading out for the autumn hunt? But it’s only the end of July—it’s too early for that, isn’t it?”

“You don’t get it, do you? The prey in the autumn hunting grounds are all captured in advance by the imperial soldiers and then released into the area. They can hunt whatever they want. Did you really think they go up the mountains to track wild animals?”

“I heard this trip is actually a celebration—Beicang and Nanling have finalized their negotiations, and this is to commemorate the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations!”

“So that means the royal marriage between our two countries is confirmed? The King of Nanling is now officially Beicang’s prince consort?”

Laughter rippled through the Beicang citizens as their discussions grew even livelier.

Standing beside Liu Yusheng, Wei Hong stole a glance at her expression, inwardly groaning.

Master is doomed!

“Nannan, should I follow them?” Wei Hong leaned in and whispered.

“Forget it. The security over there is too tight. If you try to follow, you’ll be mistaken for an assassin and turned into a pincushion in no time.”

When an emperor traveled, the guards were especially vigilant. Even the slightest disturbance could trigger uncontrollable consequences.

“We don’t even know if His Highness is in that procession. Even if he is, we don’t have the status to approach him. It’s better to enter the city first, settle down, and figure things out from there,” Qian Baihao added.

In Nanling, they had witnessed imperial processions many times. Even though Wei Hong was highly skilled, she wouldn’t be able to move freely in a palace guarded by elite warriors.

Not to mention, any reckless move could cause a major disturbance.

It was only after the emperor’s procession had been gone for half an hour that the soldiers finally removed the security barrier and allowed people through.

After entering the city, the group first found an inn to settle in. Then, Liu Yusheng and Wei Hong went to a nearby teahouse, picked a seat, and ordered tea while listening to the idle chatter of the guests around them.

If one wanted to gather information, a teahouse was the best place to do it.

“I heard that our Seventeenth Princess has already started preparing her dowry. She’s just waiting for the King of Nanling to return and formally submit the marriage proposal. I’ve seen the King of Nanling from a distance—he’s incredibly handsome! He and the Seventeenth Princess are a perfect match!”

“Handsome? The King of Nanling is far more than just good-looking! In Nanling, he practically holds the entire nation in his palm! Why else do you think the Seventeenth Princess would take a liking to him?”

“Hahaha, well said! Our Beicang Princess would never be interested in someone useless! … It’s just a shame about our Beicang Grand General. Since the assassination wasn’t done by Nanling, who exactly was behind it?”

“That’s hard to say. Nanling and Beicang are both strong nations. If the two of them join forces, it would certainly cause panic among neighboring countries. It’s not surprising that someone would want to stir up trouble and sabotage the alliance.”

The conversation among the tea customers in the teahouse mostly revolved around these topics.

The successful negotiations between the two countries, the establishment of diplomatic relations.

The royal marriage between the two countries, with the Seventeenth Princess set to be married as part of the union.

And finally, the mysterious force behind the assassination of General Luo Beichuan, which remained unknown.

Liu Yusheng slowly sipped her tea, smiling occasionally in tune with the mood of the other tea drinkers, seemingly unaffected by the discussions.

The more calm she appeared, the more nervous Wei Hong became.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that her master was heading toward an unfortunate outcome.

After finishing a pot of tea and hearing no new information, Liu Yusheng dropped a piece of broken silver and stood up. “Aunt Hong, let’s head back to the inn.”

As Wei Hong followed the young woman out of the teahouse, she quietly suggested, “Nannan, if you want to see Master, I can fire a signal flare at midnight. Once they see the signal, Wei Zi and the others will know we’ve arrived.”

She needed to create an opportunity for her master to explain himself. Otherwise, when it came time for Liu Yusheng to deal with him, Wei Hong wouldn’t know whose side to take.

“Aunt Hong, don’t act rashly for now. Our identities are sensitive in Beicang. If we make any move, those with ill intentions might seize the chance to place the blame on Feng Qingbai.”

The two countries were already in a delicate period. Even though the negotiations had been completed, Feng Qingbai would still be under close scrutiny, with many eyes watching him, making sure he didn’t do anything to harm Beicang during this time.

Even if he was innocent, it wouldn’t matter when people threw dirt on him to gain more leverage in the negotiations.

“Don’t be mad at Master.” It was the first time Wei Hong, at her age, ever pleaded like this. She couldn’t hide her discomfort, even with her cold expression.

Liu Yusheng laughed. “Why would I be mad at him?”

“Are you really not upset?” Wei Hong seemed a bit skeptical. 

Everywhere they went, the rumors were becoming more vivid, and it was almost as if her master had already become the Prince Consort of Beicang.

If Liu Yusheng wasn’t upset by this, then there could only be one possibility—she no longer cared about him!

Seeing the emotions change quickly in Wei Hong’s eyes, Liu Yusheng held back her smile and didn’t offer an explanation. She simply returned to the inn where they were staying to rest.

After the long journey and the long hours spent on the boat, Qian Baihao and the others had already finished bathing and were resting. They would take it easy and go meet the wealthy merchants of Beicang tomorrow to discuss cooperation and also take a look at the business landscape of Beicang.

With Wei Hong around, everyone wasn’t too worried about Liu Yusheng.

The royal procession from Beicang, accompanied by high-ranking officials and Nanling envoy, headed to the royal hunting grounds.

It was located on the outskirts of the capital, about thirty miles away.

The hunting grounds covered a vast area. The grass grew wildly in patches, with trees interspersed throughout. One end of the terrain was relatively flat, used for setting up camp, while the other side was a mountainous forest teeming with wild animals.

There were soldiers stationed at the boundaries to guard against any threats, so there was no need to worry about wild beasts straying into the camp.

After setting up camp, the Emperor invited Feng Qingbai into the royal tent, where they sat across from each other with clear wine and two cups on a low table.

“Now that our two nations have formed an alliance, I hope that in the future, Beicang and Nanling will advance together and explore new prospects,” the Emperor said.

Feng Qingbai raised his cup. “It will certainly be so.”

After they drank, the Emperor set down his cup and smiled at him. “I have heard many rumors about you in the past—your wisdom and military strategy are unparalleled. No wonder the Seventeenth Princess has been so entangled with the King; a man like him is truly rare in the world.”

“Your Majesty flatters me. One must govern when in power. Once the young emperor matures, it will be my time to step down.”

“Such a pity. If your heart were in the court and politics, few in this world could rival you.”

Feng Qingbai smiled. “Your Majesty’s sons are all talented and exceptional. Any one of them surpasses me by far.”