Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Gu Shenwei threw his Five Peaks Saber into the ground and unfolded his arms, which made all the onlookers let out a sigh of relief. Fang Wenshi knew that the Dragon King was about to say something, so he swallowed his words.
Gu Shenwei spoke to General Zhesu, saying, “As a powerful country, the Norland can determine the life and death of the Western Regions with less than 10% of its full power. That’s why so many countries in the Western Regions have historically been willing to be vassals and have come one after another to seek alliances, including me, the Dragon King. But I’m very disappointed at what I’ve seen today. The schism in the Norland is already an indisputable fact. Various kings are struggling and fighting internally while powerful enemies are covetously peering in from the outside. The Naihang Tribe has tens of thousands of troops under their command, and whoever gains their support will rule the Norland. But look at what they have done. Instead of fulfilling their duties, they instead insulted the descendants of the Khan and bullied their weak allies. General Zhesu, did King Rizhu entrust the Naihang Tribe to you to show off or to bully the weak?”
Zhesu blushed. He couldn’t refute the Second Consort because she was a woman of his own tribe and had acted under the banner of the Khan. But now, the Dragon King, a foreigner who he disliked, also wanted to teach him a lesson? As he thought of this, he couldn’t help but become furious and snort. “I know the consequences of allying with the Dragon King. Where were you when King Rizhu was assassinated? Weren’t the Waning Moon Hall and Lotus brought into the Royal Court by you?”
After the Dragon King had started speaking, Fang Wenshi knew that they would need a helper. So he quietly squeezed through the crowd, found Mo Lin, and winked at him. After realizing that his wink didn’t work, Fang Wenshi gave Mo Lin a little push from behind.
With Mo Lin’s level of kung fu, Fang Wenshi wouldn’t be able to move him at all if he was unwilling to move. But Mo Lin allowed himself to be pushed two steps forward so that he could speak on behalf of the Dragon King. He had to do so because no one would believe these words unless they were said by him. “General Zhesu has it wrong. No one brought the Waning Moon Hall into the Royal Court, They recommended themselves and blended in with the long line of other Immortal Masters entering. The Dragon King, like everyone else, is a victim.”
The wing guard’s words carried a lot of weight. Although Mo Lin did not mention the Khan, everyone understood what he was saying. The Khan’s respect for and dependence on the Immortal Masters was a well-known secret in the Norland.
But Zhesu was still full of anger. Duoercha, who had suffered a lot and even lost his title, had sobered up by now. Feeling the intense enmity in the air, he quietly walked to the old general and said in a low voice, “If the Dragon King is unwilling to do so, then just forget about it. I do not have to marry this woman.”
Zhesu turned his head and shot a fierce glance at King Rizhu’s unworthy son, feeling very regretful. Duoercha’s personality mostly resembled the former King Rizhu’s, but at critical moments, he wasn’t like his father at all.
Fang Wenshi kept winking at the Dragon King, trying to signal him to take the chance to back out of the deadlock. However, the Dragon King seemed to be ignoring his hints. Instead, he took another step forward and exclaimed, “General Zhesu, the Waning Moon Hall is our mutual enemy. I’m more than happy to ally with you. But if you think that you can bully me with your numerical superiority while regarding me as an enemy, you can think again. Although the Dragon Army is weak and the Western Regions is a small place, there are still tens of thousands of troops and enough room for the Naihang tribe to gallop to their heart’s extent. You might as well set a date for a life-and-death fight.”
Fang Wenshi was taken aback, bewildered and wondering what was wrong with the Dragon King. Why would a man, who was usually cautious with his words and actions, suddenly become as violent-tempered as if he were possessed by the Second Consort? Then he glanced at Shangguan Ru, who was standing opposite him, and couldn’t help but sigh in understanding.
That woman looked impassive, but her eyes were fixed entirely on the Dragon King, as if the people around her did not exist.
“The most common modus operandi of the Waning Moon Hall is to create chaos so that they can fish in troubled waters. If General doesn’t care…” Fang Wenshi could only remind the other side up to this extent. Otherwise, others might think he was waving a white flag.
Zhesu glanced at the crowd as his mind ran wildly. Several ideas came to mind, but all of them required Duoercha’s cooperation, King Rizhu’s son who had obviously been scared out of his wits. With his blood-stained face, he didn’t have a kingly demeanor at all. So he waved his big hand and cried out, “Huh, the Second Consort has come all the way here to visit us, so what are we arguing about here? Let’s talk about forming an alliance another day. The banquet of the Naihang Tribe is not over yet, so go on! Duoercha and I will invite the Second Consort. If the Second Consort is still angry with us, we’ll kneel in front of her until she has cooled down.”
Zhesu deliberately avoided answering the Dragon King’s question and did not make his choice in front of the public.
The interruptions were finally over, but the semblance of balance had been completely destroyed. All of the relevant parties were anxious to analyze the pros and cons, so they all went back to their own tents.
Soon, a small group of people gathered in Gu Shenwei’s tent. Fang Wenshi had followed the Dragon King back. Mo Lin was invited in. After a while, Shulitu arrived, uninvited. The counselor thought that they needed more people, so he went to invite Shangguan Ru in person after receiving the Dragon King’s permission.
Shangguan Ru appeared much quieter than usual, as she stood guard at the door with her head lowered, not talking much.
Fang Wenshi, therefore, became the host of the counsel, and he threw out the first statement. “Duodun led Zhesu and Duoercha to the Second Consort’s tent. I don’t know what they are talking about right now. Originally, we wanted the Second Consort and the Naihang Tribe to rock the boat after their arrival. But now, it seems that the situation didn’t turn out as favorably as we expected.”
This idea had originally been put forward by Shulitu so he said, “Not really. Duodun is unwilling to share any power with others which probably won’t change anytime soon. If he wants to use the Second Consort to subdue the Naihang Tribe, it may backfire. It’s one thing to make Zhesu lose his face but it’s another to want him to hand over those 100,000 horsemen.”
Fang Wenshi neither refuted nor agreed. Instead, he asked, “Zhesu will go to you sooner or later. What will you do? Agree to his request of granting Duoercha the title of ‘King Rizhu’ and marrying a woman of the Naihang Tribe?”
Shulitu shrugged, the boyish face full of an adult’s composure. He glanced at the Dragon King briefly before saying, “There’s no other choice, I suppose.”
“The point is, are you going to accept it sincerely, or will it just be a trick to gain more time?”
Shulitu took another glance at the Dragon King. “I’m sincere of course. It would be better to not to have an ally with ulterior motives.”
Fang Wenshi revealed a smile and gave a rare nod. It had really been the correct decision for the Dragon King to keep this kid. The only thing they needed to be cognizant of was to have the Dragon King avoid making any more careless mistakes.
Mo Lin didn’t understand, so he coughed and said, “I know that it has nothing to do with me, but the Khan dreaded the power of the Naihang Tribe very much when he was alive. At one point, he had even wanted to destroy King Rizhu at any cost.”
Shulitu calmly replied, “The Khan was a man of vision. His idea was correct, but the one he feared was the former King Rizhu, not the present Duoercha. Duoercha will be a good ally. If Zhesu comes to me with an alliance, I will spare no effort in supporting Duoercha’s bid for the title of ‘King Rizhu.’”
Mo Lin suddenly came to his senses. Although he had followed the Khan for many years, the intricate plots and infighting among the nobles had still left him confused. So he bowed to Shulitu and apologized, “Sorry, I was babbling nonsense.”
Shulitu replied with a smile. “No, I really do need someone to remind me of the Khan’s thoughts at all times. It is a great help.”
Fang Wenshi cast a warning look at the Dragon King, reminding him that the internal struggle of wooing people had already begun.
Gu Shenwei did not care. He’d rather ally with a dangerous person who could act on his own than a useless puppet. Although the former had to be guarded against at all times, the latter was nothing but a gift to his enemies.
“Instructor Shangguan, what brings you here?” The Dragon King was the only one who could ask this question. Fang Wenshi also wanted to know the answer, but didn’t dare ask.
Shangguan Ru was stunned for a bit, as if her thoughts had been interrupted. “The Second Consort invited me here. She said… She said that she didn’t want to come alone, so… I can leave at any time if it’s inconvenient.”
“No need. I just want to know what the Second Consort is planning.”
“She just wants to marry Duodun. She doesn’t care about anything else.”
“Heh, and what if Duodun doesn’t inherit the title of Khan?” Fang Wenshi said disdainfully. He didn’t believe in their so-called ‘love’ at all.
“I don’t know.” Shangguan Ru smiled as she explained, “The Second Consort probably thinks that Duodun will definitely become the new Khan as long as she helps him.”
“This woman is not simple,” Fang Wenshi concluded. “She may destroy Duodun’s grand cause and also become our big enemy.”
Shulitu burst into laughter as if he had thought of something very interesting. “The Second Consort has put herself in a bind today. Everyone thinks that she’s faithful to the Khan, so it won’t be as easy for her to marry Duodun now.”
“The Second Consort doesn’t care,” Shangguan Ru refuted. She knew that woman. The Second Consort had once tried to persuade her to marry Duodun. After being refused, the Second Consort felt very regretful, but acted even closer to her afterward.
She would do anything for her lover.
“Duodun cares,” Fang Wenshi, Shulitu, and the Dragon King said in unison. Only Mo Lin remained silent, but it seemed that he shared the same view as the three who had spoken out.
Shangguan Ru saw the huge difference between herself and the men, and smilingly replied, “Maybe. I didn’t read too much into it.”
“But the Second Consort is still very important. If Duodun doesn’t act rationally towards her, he will lose a lot of support right away. Anyway, the Norland people don’t like a prince who would be controlled by a woman. Alas, it would be much better to know what the Second Consort is really thinking,” Fang Wenshi said carefully, hoping that Shangguan Ru was smart enough to pick up what he was insinuating.
But Shangguan Ru missed the main point again. She especially did not like the phrase ‘people don’t like a prince who would be controlled by a woman’ and was just about to argue back when she noticed that the other four pairs of eyes were fixed on her again. Stunned, she finally understood the hidden meaning in the counselor’s words, “You guys want me to find out the Second Consort’s true thoughts?”
Although she said ‘you guys,’ her eyes looked only at the Dragon King.
Fang Wenshi wanted to answer for the Dragon King, but felt that it would be meaningless for him to say anything. So he opened and closed his mouth several times without saying anything.
Gu Shenwei nodded. He didn’t know why, but he didn’t find it as hard to open his mouth anymore, even when he had asked her to send soldiers from the Land of Fragrance back then.
Shangguan Ru smiled again. “All right, I’ll give it a try.”
Fang Wenshi was the first to let out a sigh of relief. “Great. It’s easier for a woman to talk to another woman. Instructor Shangguan is really helpful. We… The Dragon King…”
The counselor found that he was talking too much, so he bowed and took his leave. Shulitu and Mo Lin also followed him out, but Shangguan Ru remained standing in the doorway.
“Anything else?” Gu Shenwei asked.
“It’s about Duoercha… Thanks for standing up for me. I really appreciate it.”
“It’s nothing. You won’t marry him anyways. It doesn’t matter whether I offend him earlier or later.”
“Are you sure that I’m not willing to marry him?” Shangguan Ru smiled as a hint of slyness shined in her eyes.
Gu Shenwei felt his heart race, but his voice was as calm as ever. “I just guessed so.”
“Well, you are really boring sometimes,” Shangguan Ru responded, but with no regret or disgust in her tone. “One more thing – you have arranged many people to hide in Jade City, haven’t you?”
“Hmm,” Gu Shenwei was on his guard at once. He had sent Old Man Mu, Dog Butcher, Shangguan Fei, and Chu Nanping to Jade City. As soon as Shulitu had arrived, Hu Shining and the young killers were also ordered to sneak into Jade City. When also considering the people that Xu Xiaoyi had planted and Han Wuxian, most of his killers had been sent out.
“Then be careful, I don’t know what… exactly the Unique King wants to do, but it’s definitely related to Jade City. Do not ask me about the details. This is just a feeling.”
Gu Shenwei knew that Shangguan Ru’s feelings wouldn’t be wrong.
