Chapter 322

Chapter 322 Fist FightLin Wanrong sighed. Ever since he came to this world, he had intended to stay away from the court and its disputes. However, life was unpredictable, and the plans of yesterday couldn't catch up with the changes of today. For Qingxuan, he had no choice but to enter the palace. Although his goal was simple - purely to help his wife - the court was a tumultuous place, with the Emperor's thoughts even more elusive. With this entrance into the palace, many things were bound to change. Perhaps it would be better to stay honestly in the Xiao household, living a carefree life as a humble servant.

Lin Wanrong was filled with melancholy. Seeing his silence, Xu Wei seemed to understand his thoughts and didn't disturb him, speaking very little along the way. The carriage raced forward, through streets and lanes, deepening their journey. Gradually, the security tightened and in no time, they arrived at the front gate of the palace.

As he looked at the high, firm palace walls, the bright weapons of the imperial guards, and their strict vigilance, Lin Wanrong's mind unconsciously drifted back to the day he first met Fairy Ning. Alone, he had wandered by the city moat. It was the Eldest Miss who had arranged for Sister Song to pave the way for him, enabling him to proceed undisturbed. Initially, he thought it would be difficult to break into the palace, but today, Xu Wei brought him here with an imperial decree. Compared to that day, it was a world of difference.

Lost in thought, they had already reached the edge of the palace wall. The carriage halted, and the two of them proceeded on foot. Two squads of neatly dressed soldiers, their eyes keen, stood imposingly on both sides. The palace's grandeur was indeed extraordinary. This was just the entrance to the outer courtyard, and it was already on such high alert. What would the inner courtyard of the palace look like?

Lin Wanrong chuckled and said to Xu Wei, "Mr. Xu, does the palace always assign so many guards every day? It must waste a lot of silver!"

Xu Wei shook his head, "Normally, the palace is well-guarded, but not to this extent. A decade or so ago, the Emperor encountered an assassin in the palace. At that time, there were guards at every three steps and a sentry post at every five. Even a cockroach would be interrogated eighteen times. Today's show is far less than back then. I guess it's because of the visiting envoys from the tributary states and foreign countries today. The Emperor has likely added more manpower to put on a show for these foreigners."

Upon reaching the guard post, the guards hurriedly bowed and saluted, "We greet Master Xu!"

Xu Wei waved his hand and said, "Thank you all. I bring the Emperor's verbal order to bring this Little brother Lin into the palace to see His Majesty. This is the imperial golden badge." Xu Wei flashed the badge in his hand, and everyone hastily knelt down.

Lin Wanrong took a careful look. The imperial golden badge in Xu Wei's hand was very different from his. This one was engraved with a five-clawed golden dragon on the front and four flamboyantly styled characters on the back that read "As if attended by the Emperor himself". The status of Xu Wei was indeed different. This high-grade token in his hand was an unbeatable sword, slaying anyone it met. No wonder he could forcefully rectify the officialdom when he was in Jinling.

Having this invincible golden token, the guards no longer dared to question them, bowing to let the two pass. Lin Wanrong and Xu Wei walked, crossing the moat, passing through layers of guards, through the Upright Gate, Meridian Gate, across the Goldfish Bridge, heading straight to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. On both sides of the path, red walls and yellow tiles, painted beams and carved pillars, magnificent halls and terraces, all splendidly arrayed in an imposing sight. The ground was covered with golden bricks, and the walls on both sides were carved from white jade, adorned with intricately carved balustrades, unrivaled in grandeur.

This palace indeed spared no expense on extravagance, Lin Wanrong looked around, secretly clicking his tongue, ‘Damn, this is a classic vanity project. The money spent on building this palace, if used for river defense, for national defense, why worry about floods or foreign invasions? No wonder outsiders could humiliate our great nation when all the national tax revenue was spent on building buildings.’

As he was fuming, they had already reached the stairs leading to the main hall. These stairs leading to the Golden Hall had a total of ninety-nine steps, symbolizing the supreme power of the Emperor.

A eunuch with a clean-shaven face and standing guard at the stairs saw Xu Wei approaching and hurriedly came over, bowing, "Greetings, Minister Xu."

Xu Wei returned the greeting with a smile, "You've been waiting here for a long time, Master Gao. This here is Lin San, the one His Majesty personally summoned. Little brother Lin, this is Master Gao, a favorite of His Majesty's. You may wish to get to know him well in the future."

‘No way, he wants me to get closer to the eunuchs? I don't have that kind of preference.’ Being a witty man, he chuckled and stuffed a silver note worth fifty taels into Master Gao's hand, offering his respect, "So this is Master Gao? I've heard so much about you, and today's meeting does not disappoint. Master, you look so kind and affable, surely because you are blessed by His Majesty's royal grace, imbued with celestial aura, so ethereal and detached from the mortal world. I am in utmost admiration and respect for you."

A few compliments wouldn't hurt. Since he had to find Qingxuan in the palace, it was inevitable that he would have to put some effort into dealing with these eunuchs. There's an old saying, "Better to offend a gentleman than a petty man", these eunuchs may seem insignificant but could create significant trouble.

Master Gao's face lit up, and without a change in his expression, he discreetly pocketed the silver note, giggled a few times in his effeminate voice, "Young Master Lin is too polite. His Majesty holds you in high esteem and has specifically instructed me to wait for you here. Your rise to prominence is just around the corner, and I hope to be carried along with your good fortune."

Xu Wei nodded with a smile, quite satisfied with Lin Wanrong's performance. Although Lin San was not in official circles, he was more knowledgeable about its workings than many seasoned politicians. He wondered how Lin San had managed to learn so much. He asked in a low voice, "Master Gao, is His Majesty still in the Royal Study?"

Master Gao shook his head, "His Majesty just moved to the Hall of Nurturing Harmony and is listening to a Taoist priest recite scriptures. I heard that the Taoist priest just completed a batch of elixir yesterday, and His Majesty wants to take it."

A monk? Elixir? What was all this about? What did the Emperor want with such a thing? It sounded so mysterious.

Xu Wei showed no surprise, as if accustomed to this situation. Seeing the surprise in Lin Wanrong's eyes but no trace of it on his face, he couldn't help but nod to himself. Lin San was indeed no ordinary man, being able to remain so composed upon his first entry into the palace.

"And the envoys from other countries? Has His Majesty not summoned them yet?" Xu Wei asked softly.

Eunuch Gao cast a glance in all directions, then drew closer to Master Xu, whispering, "The Emperor has left them waiting in the Hall of Literary Brilliance. It serves to take them down a notch. Our Emperor of Great Hua is the true dragon, the destined sovereign by Heaven's decree. These foreign barbarians can't simply expect an audience at their will. Recall when our late Emperor was in power, Great Hua's influence was pervasive. The foreign kings queued from the start of the year to the end, and yet they could not secure an audience with our Emperor. If they're granted an audience now, it's their good fortune. If not, they're simply not blessed enough."

Xu Wei nodded in agreement, the eunuch's words rang true. One mustn't show leniency or concession to these tributary states.

Eunuch Gao continued, "The Emperor recently gave an oral decree. Upon your arrival, both of you are to wait directly in the Hall of Literary Brilliance. The newly appointed Zhuangyuan, Mr. Su Mubai, is already there."

Su Mubai? Lin Wanrong blinked in surprise. This guy ran off as soon as the battle ended yesterday. He assumed he was simply a coward, but it turned out he hurried off to curry favor with the Emperor.

Master Xu thanked Eunuch Gao and proceeded toward the Hall of Literary Brilliance with Lin San. After a few steps, Lin Wanrong, unable to hold back his curiosity, asked, "Master Xu, there's something I don't understand..." Sᴇaʀᴄh the N0ᴠᴇFɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Xu Wei stopped and replied with a smile, "Feel free to ask, Little brother Lin. As long as I'm capable, I'll provide a satisfactory answer."

Lin Wanrong nodded and asked, "Master Xu, the eunuch mentioned earlier that the Emperor worships Taoist priests and practices alchemy. Could this be true?"

"Little brother Lin, do you think this is a lie?" Xu Wei asked, smiling.

"I wouldn't dare to say whether it's true or false," Lin Wanrong shook his head, "But this matter seems too abstract and elusive. Not many people can be certain about it. There have been instances in history where such superstitions have led to chaos."

Xu Wei quickly glanced around and lowered his voice, "Little brother Lin, don't talk recklessly about this, you could lose your head."

"I'm aware, but you're an upright person, candid and close to me, almost like a teacher and friend. It's because of our deep relationship that I'm speaking honestly. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't bother bringing it up," Lin Wanrong said, buttering up Xu Wei with a laugh.

"Little brother Lin, stop flattering me. I might not be able to handle it," Xu Wei laughed, then sighed with a touch of sadness in his expression, "The practice of worshipping Taoist priests and pursuing immortality is generally known to be a deception. But who dares to speak out? The Emperor showed little interest in these practices during his time in the manor. But since ascending the throne, his interest in magic and immortality has surged, and he's been indulging in it for over a decade now. Fortunately, our Emperor is naturally gifted and has not neglected his duties. Although there have been occasional remonstrations from the court, nothing has changed."

'Not neglected his duties?' Lin thought, 'The northern nomads are about to invade, and even Japan and Korea are threatening Great Hua. And you say he hasn't neglected his duties? By that logic, my nine-to-five at the Xiao's makes me a model worker.'

After bypassing several auxiliary halls, they saw a magnificent and grand hall, glittering and resplendent in the distance. Hanging high above the main gate was a signboard with the words "Hall of Literary Brilliance" shimmering brilliantly.

As they approached the "Hall of Literary Brilliance," they could hear a clamor from within. A harsh voice echoed, "Mr. Su, when will the Emperor of Great Hua grant us an audience? My time is precious and cannot be wasted here. If your Emperor refuses to agree to my terms, I shall inform my Great Khan. Once the order is given, my hundred thousand soldiers will march south, trample through the Central Plains. Then, the lands of Great Hua will be ours."

Mr. Su? Lin Wanrong pondered, not knowing what this was about. From the harsh voice, he deduced that the speaker must be the foreign envoy. Despite their imperfect pronunciation of the Great Hua language, they dared to act as diplomats. ‘When our ancestors were strategizing diplomatically,’ he thought, ‘Your ancestors were still in the stone age.’

No matter how fallen Great Hua was, it was still his home. He would not tolerate insults from outsiders. Lin Wanrong despised this foreign envoy.

A voice rang out from the hall, "Please calm down, Mr. Ashile. His Majesty, the Emperor of Great Hua, is busy handling important national affairs and will soon personally receive you all."

Ashile? His parents must have been creative, Lin Wanrong mused, to come up with such a name. The voice that responded must have been Su Mubai, since "Mr. Su" was how Ashile addressed him.

Another voice chimed in, "Yes, Mr. Su, I have journeyed across the ocean from Dongyin to meet the Emperor of Great Hua, and to personally present him with precious pearls from Hokkaido. But since yesterday, I have been kept waiting. Why has the Emperor not granted me an audience? Do I, Tsugumi Takeshita, a descendant of the oldest royal lineage in Dongyin and known worldwide for our Bushido, not merit a meeting?"

Su Mubai quickly replied, "Prince Takeshita, please quell your anger. The Emperor is currently occupied with state affairs and will meet you all later. Please enjoy some tea in the meantime. This is our renowned West Lake Dragon Well tea [Longjin, Xian’er’s hometown], it's rather sweet. Please do have a taste."

Prince Takeshita scoffed, "Tea? You people of Great Hua excel at indulgence, topping the world in that regard. But when it comes to martial prowess, you are a nation of weaklings. Our Dongyin warriors can fight ten of you, leaving you scrambling for your teeth!"

These final words infuriated Lin Wanrong. His anger flared, and he was about to barge in when Xu Wei quickly held him back, "Little brother Lin, you can't. This is the Hall of Literary Brilliance."

‘Hall of Literary Brilliance or not,’ Lin Wanrong thought, ‘I won't stand this disrespect from this Japanese.’ Grinning, he said, "Mr. Xu, don't worry. We're civilized people dealing with beasts. I have my ways."

Xu Wei knew his temperament well - Lin Wanrong was usually easy-going, but once his obstinacy kicked in, even the Emperor couldn't hold him back. As Lin Wanrong cheerfully entered, Xu Wei sighed in resignation. ‘Tsugumi Takeshita, you've brought this on yourself. Your nemesis is here.’ With a heavy heart, Xu Wei followed Lin San into the grand hall.

The Hall of Literary Brilliance was resplendently decorated. The beams and pillars were intricately carved with lifelike golden dragons, each brandishing five claws. Golden bricks lined the floor, their dazzling glimmer casting a soft glow around the room. Several sets of rosewood tables and chairs were arranged throughout the hall, emanating an air of antiquity and grandeur.

The hall was bustling with people, grouped into three clusters. In the center sat a strapping man, broad and strong, with a high nose, slightly curled hair, deep-set eyes, and a somber countenance. He clearly wasn't of the Great Hua race; this must be the foreign emissary Ashile. Two individuals who bore similar features to Ashile flanked him, their collective presence overwhelming as they loudly berated Su Mubai, exuding arrogance.

To the left was a group led by a man with fair skin and a small mustache, his eyes flashing a predatory gleam as he surveyed his surroundings, his face radiating greed. This had to be that man, Tsugumi Takeshita.

On the right was another group, led by a refined young man. A congenial smile graced his face, but his eyes flickered with a calculating cunning. Behind him stood an array of attendants, mostly women. Two women stood at the forefront, one older, dressed in a moss-green traditional Korean hanbok with a grey hem. The younger one, with a pretty face, wore a pink hanbok with a blue hem. Their classic Korean attire was a clear indication that these were the emissaries from Korea. Ashile and Tsugumi Takeshita had already expressed their discontent. The Korean delegation, however, had remained silent, their motives unknown.

Looking at the situation at hand, it seemed that Xu Wei was right; these people had seemingly come prepared to stir up trouble.

Su Mubai, alone, was struggling to manage the multitude of emissaries when he saw Xu Wei and Lin Wanrong enter. He first blinked in surprise, then smiled with relief. Hurrying over, he greeted, "Greetings to Master Xu. I am glad you're here. And Brother Lin, you're here too?"

Xu Wei nodded, "No need for formalities, Top Scholar Su. His Majesty asked me to bring Little brother Lin to the Hall of Literary Brilliance. Little brother Lin, Little brother..." Before he finished speaking, Lin Wanrong was already striding toward the insolent Tsugumi Takeshita.

Seeing a dark-skinned, handsome man approaching him, Tsugumi Takeshita was taken aback for a moment before bellowing, "Who are you, and what do you want?"

With a grin, Lin Wanrong replied, "I am a pig slaughter. Moshi, moshi. Are you the prince I've heard about, Mr. Leather?" Tsugumi Takeshita, unaware that "leather" [TL: Pronounced as ‘Pige’] was a play on the English word for pig, replied haughtily, "I am the second son of the Emperor of Japan, an invincible samurai of Yamato."

"How brave, indeed!" Lin Wanrong chuckled, "Your Highness, do you have a sister?"

Taken aback, Tsugumi Takeshita demanded, "Where did you get that information?"

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, "Not only do I know you have a sister, but I also know your father is called Old Tsugumi, and your mother is Kawa. You all seem very close."

"Our entire family, you know them?" Tsugumi Takeshita was astonished, "Have you been to Japan? However, my mother's name is not Kawa—"

"Not named Kawa, could it be Takahashi or Ozawa?" Lin Wanrong chuckled. "The East? I've been, I've been. That Edo (Tokyo), Chūkyō (Nagoya), Namba (Osaka), I've studied them all. The last time I was in Hokkaido, I even heard a legend about your bravery, Prince. Oh, what's your name?"

Prince Tsugumi Takeshita frowned, thinking this man was quite arrogant to not even know his name. Such disrespect. He huffed, "I am Tsugumi Takeshita of Dongyin!"

Lin Wanrong nodded and laughed, "So your surname is Tsugumi—"

"I am Tsugumi Takeshita from Dongyin!" Tsugumi Takeshita retorted angrily.

"Yeah, I'm calling you Tsugumi, that's not wrong! Why don't you respond?" Lin Wanrong said with a grin. It wasn't Lin Wanrong's fault for making a mistake. The Emperor of Dongyin was deemed the descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu by the people of Dongyin, who believed the Emperor was divine, not human, and thus was highly revered. Therefore, the Emperor didn't have a surname; instead, the royal family used palace names and given names to address the royal members. For example, this "Tsugumi Takeshita Oji", "Tsugumi" was the palace name [TL: Or more accurately royal title], "Takeshita" was the given name, and "Oji" (Prince) was the title. Lin Wanrong had made a hilarious blunder, treating Tsugumi as Takeshita's surname. But how could you blame him? Even in his past life, how many people would know about the naming system of the Japanese Emperor?

"I am the second son of the Emperor of Japan. Tsugumi is my palace name. Do you understand?" Tsugumi Takeshita asked, voice full of fury.

"I understand, I understand. Like an old rooster, young rooster. I have lots of those at home," Lin Wanrong laughed, "Ah, all these things you Dongyin people do are so complicated. If they were all like your AV, stripped bare and fighting with gusto, shouting 'Yamete'—'Yamete', that would be exciting! Oh, I've gone off on a tangent. What were we talking about—"

His erratic way of thinking left others struggling to keep up. Tsugumi Takeshita had no idea what he was talking about until he returned to the original topic. "We were talking about my unmatched bravery—"

"Right, we were talking about you," Lin Wanrong interjected mysteriously, "You, in the hearts of the common people of Dongyin, are a hero beyond the three realms, admired and respected by countless people."

"This is natural," Tsugumi Takeshita replied proudly, "I, Tsugumi Takeshita, am the true warrior of Yamato. Who wouldn't respect me? How do they speak of me?"

Lin Wanrong laughed, "This was something I heard from your sister. One night, you two were chatting. Your sister, panting, said, 'Oh, brother, you're fantastic, so much better than father!' Do you know what you said?"

Tsugumi Takeshita, not catching on immediately, asked, "What did I say?"

With a mischievous smile, Lin Wanrong mimicked his tone, "Yo, mom says the same thing!"

In the hall, Xu Wei and Su Mubai were among the first to catch the implication. This Lin San was too much. The two men had to hold back their laughter. The palace guards and eunuchs understood as well, with a few unable to restrain themselves, turning their heads to laugh.

Tsugumi Takeshita, understanding limited Mandarin, was slow to catch on. He spent an eternity in deep thought but remained completely lost, while everyone else was already on the verge of dying from laughter. One of his attendants, seeing the dire situation, quickly approached him and whispered in his ear.

Upon hearing the explanation, Takeshitai's expression underwent a dramatic shift. His eyes filled with a deadly glare, and his hands instinctively reached for the short sword at his waist. "Baka, you're...dead!" His fingers found nothing. In meeting with the Emperor, he had already relinquished his weapon, and now his attempt to draw his sword came up empty.

"Curse your own mother!" Lin Wanrong had already lost his patience. Verbal taunting was one thing, but nothing compared to the satisfaction of beating someone up physically. In the face of this type of person, he was a man of violence. He roared and landed a heavy punch on Tsugumi Takeshita's face.

His strength was equivalent to the amount of milk he'd consumed - in other words, it was formidable. With one powerful blow, Takeshita staggered backward, blood covering his face. His nose was bleeding, and for a moment, his face was a disgusting mixture of red and white.

Seeing Takeshita's pitiful state, Su Mubai turned pale and quickly cried out, "Brother Lin, no!"

But how could Lin Wanrong listen to him? As his fist landed on Takeshita, he felt as invigorated as one might feel eating ice cream on a sweltering June day. His sudden attack took everyone by surprise. Takeshita had brought only two attendants with him to the palace, and seeing their master being beaten, they rushed forward to counterattack Lin Wanrong.

Seizing the chaos, Lin Wanrong lashed out at them. He was a firm believer in the rule of taking advantage of an opponent's disorder to attack. His fists flew like arrows, pummeling Takeshita's face while his feet kicked at his body. He laughed sinisterly, "Didn't you call me a sick and cowardly man? Didn't you boast of your ability to fight ten men single-handedly? Now, it's just you and me. Why don't you stand up and fight, knock out my teeth? What about your 'Baka'? Baka your damn mother."

Seeing his wild behavior, Su Mubai shouted anxiously, "Help, someone, quickly pull Lin San back, quick, quick——" The palace guards, who had long been incensed by Takeshita's arrogance, found themselves delighted by Lin San's audacious retaliation. Although somewhat rowdy, it was a sweet taste of justice for them. Why would they stop him? They banged their weapons on the ground and shouted in unison, "Stop fighting, hey, stop——" But their calls were slow and ineffectual. No one stepped forward, and the rhythm of their cries was oddly in sync with Lin Wanrong's fists.

Su Mubai turned to Xu Wei and pleaded, "Master Xu, this man is a prince from Dongyin. We must not be disrespectful. The Emperor has entrusted me with the responsibility of hosting these diplomats. With this chaos now, I'm deeply guilty. I implore you to stop Lin San."

Xu Wei glanced at the battered Tsugumi Takeshita, who had already passed out from the beating, and finally, some guards pulled Lin Wanrong back. He shook his head and chuckled bitterly, "Stop him? How? Lin San has already dealt the blows, do you think this Dongyin prince will let it go if I intervene? Since it's come to this, let him be."

"But the Emperor's decree——" Su Mubai said in terror.

Xu Wei interrupted him, "Top Scholar Su, think about it. You were sent to host these ambassadors, that was the Emperor's decree. But isn't Lin San's presence here also under the Emperor's decree?"

Top Scholar Su cast a glance at Lin Wanrong, a hint of elusive sentiment flashing in his eyes, and nodded. "Since both are imperial commands, then we'll have to proceed as such. I will report the truth to His Majesty when the time comes."

Xu Wei took a look at him and said, "Top Scholar Su, you've been guided by renowned teachers since your youth and were personally chosen as the top scholar by the Emperor himself. His imperial grace is indeed magnificent. However, fortune and misfortune are hard to predict by the Emperor's side. The Emperor's majesty is unpredictable as well. As his servants, we only need to maintain loyalty to the Emperor. To harbor any other presumptions is indicative of harboring ulterior motives."

The words were somewhat cryptic, seemingly hinting at something. A glint of sharpness flashed in Top Scholar Su's eyes, and he bowed deeply, "I appreciate the sage advice from Grand Scholar Xu."

The two attendants of Tsugumi Takeshita frantically tried to resuscitate their master. After what seemed like a long while, Takeshita finally let out a weak groan. Xu Wei feigned astonishment, rushing forward and ordered, "What happened here? Hurry, bring the medicinal salve for Prince Takeshita."

The Korean envoy looked at Lin Wanrong, his eyes flashing with surprise. A brawl in the hall with the emissary, when had the Great Hua birthed such a ruffian, yet so valiant and fierce? The two women behind him also looked at Lin Wanrong with astonishment, their eyes flashing with curiosity as they whispered to each other.

The northern nomads' envoy, Ashile, was gaping at the scene, which was entirely different from the ceremonious nation of Great Hua he knew. Could it be that Great Hua had changed its style? He feared that if things continued this way, the absorption of his people by Great Hua would be imminent.

‘Damn it, I even broke a finger, that was tiring,’ Lin Wanrong thought. "Next time I bash someone, I should bring more minions." He made a cracking sound with his wrists and slowly walked over to the northern nomads' envoy. He flexed his fists and sighed, "This kid is too weak and can't take a beating, I didn't get enough of a fight today. Envoy, I see you're quite sturdy, I guess you could take a few hits from me. Ah, I guess I'll have to make do. These days, it's really hard to find someone who can withstand a few punches and kicks from me!"

"You, what are you going to do?" the northern nomads' envoy, Ashile, asked in horror, "During a war between two armies, the envoys are not to be killed. This is something you, the people of Great Hua, have said."

"Engage in war?" ‘Damn it, I'm not a part of that love tribe, I'm not interested,’ Lin Wanrong burst into laughter, patting Ashile on the shoulder, "Don't worry, brother A, I'm just joking with you. You're much more decent than him, how could I hit you? If I had to, I'd wait until after you've had your moment of arrogance!"

The crowd fell silent upon hearing Lin Wanrong's words. It was one thing to manhandle this small prince from Dongyin, but the nomadic people were not the same as the Dongyin people. They were a strong military force, and after years of conflict with Great Hua, their victories outnumbered their losses. Each year required territorial concessions and compensation. By treating the nomadic envoy in such a manner, didn't he fear triggering an extreme reaction? However, looking at it from another perspective, a man as fearsome as Lin San had not been seen in Great Hua for many years, and the sight left the crowd both anxious and thrilled.

Those who could enter the Hall of Literary Brilliance were not nameless individuals. Ashile noted Lin Wanrong's plain attire and decisive actions, his demeanor one of veiled amusement. It was difficult to gauge his true status. Ashile's mind raced, and he quickly reined in his arrogance. Looking at Lin Wanrong, he said, "Sir, please understand, the incident with Tsugumi Takeshita had nothing to do with me. My purpose here is to discuss bilateral issues in a friendly manner with your nation. The earlier incident was a mere misunderstanding."

Indeed, it took a villain to handle a villain. Seeing the northern nomads’ envoy surrender, Xu Wei had an epiphany. The Emperor's summoning of Lin San into the palace, placing him in the Hall of Literary Brilliance instead of seeing him directly—could this be intentional? It must be so. The more Xu Wei thought about it, the more enlightened he felt. It truly was a brilliant move!

As soon as Lin Wanrong appeared, he created chaos in the hall, yet he also achieved an unexpected effect. The three envoys in the hall—the beaten, the frightened, the silent—all fell quiet. It was a moment of extreme tranquility.

"His—Majesty—has—arrived," a shrill cry jolted everyone present back to reality.

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