Yuan Xiu immediately understood what Yuan Yun meant and said, "Elder sister, you're not concerned about whether the Right Chancellor will come or not, but about Zhao Cheng, aren't you?"

Yuan Yun glared at Yuan Xiu and said, "Don't forget what you promised me!"

"Alright, alright, my dear sister!" Yuan Xiu laughed. "This time, I not only want the Right Chancellor to come, but I also want to specifically invite Zhao Cheng!"

Yuan Yun asked doubtfully, "Wouldn't that be too obvious? Just have the Right Chancellor bring Zhao Cheng along. Many high-ranking officials and nobles who come to the capital for banquets bring their children to broaden their horizons."

"But the Right Chancellor has four sons. Wouldn't it be more obvious if he were specifically chosen to take Zhao Cheng under his wing?"

Yuan Xiu explained, "Your Majesty, you may not know this, but Zhao Cheng has once again rendered meritorious service in Qingdong City."

"What skills does he have, and how can he achieve merit?"

"He captured Chen Hai, a Southern Zhou spy who was lurking in Qingdong City, and through Chen Hai, he gained access to Southern Zhou's intelligence network in the thirteen cities of Jingdong. Compared to the last time when he wiped out all the Southern Zhou spies in Yanchuan City, this time it can truly be considered a great achievement!"

"Another Southern Zhou spy?"

Yuan Yun was taken aback for a moment, then asked in confusion, "What grudge does Zhao Cheng have against the Southern Zhou spies?"

"That's a good question!" Yuan Xiu laughed. "Wei You gave Zhao Cheng a nickname, saying he's the Southern Spy Killer, hahaha!"

"Pfft!" Yuan Yun covered her mouth and couldn't help but laugh.

As she laughed, Yuan Yun's expression turned cold. She said, "His merit is between you and me, and I can't interfere if you want to reward him. But you're not allowed to interfere in our affairs. He humiliated me like that last time, and I'm determined to get revenge!"

"Don't worry!" Yuan Xiu said with a wicked smile, "After I lure him here, I will personally deliver him to you!"

...

"Achoo! Achoo!! I've been sneezing all morning, who's thinking about me?!"

"Master, didn't you say you sneezed because someone was talking about you behind your back?"

"That's you guys! Someone's definitely going to notice me when I sneeze!!"

Zhao Wu pursed his lips and asked, "The imperial court specifically requested you to go. Are you going or not?"

"If even the old men aren't going, what am I supposed to do?"

"Alright, Yan Lan said that Miss Cai'e will be back the day after tomorrow, and she wants to take her on a spring outing to help her relax. If you're not going to Changsui, Master, then shall we go on a spring outing together?"

Zhao Cheng was stunned and asked, "Cai'e will be back the day after tomorrow?"

Zhao Wu nodded and said, "Yan Lan said that Miss Cai'e wrote to her, there can be no mistake."

Zhao Cheng's expression darkened. He closed his eyes and pondered for a while before saying to himself, "It's been almost five years since I last visited Changsui. I wonder what our capital looks like now... How about... we go take a look?"

"Do I absolutely have to go?"

"Nonsense! If you don't go, who will protect me?!"

Zhao Cheng pointed at Zhao Wu's nose and yelled, "A grown man like you who thinks about girls all day long, what kind of future do you have? Yan Lan isn't going to run away, what's the rush?!"

"Master has been troubled by the young lady's matter lately..."

"You've even learned to talk back! Try saying that again!"

Zhao Cheng tapped Zhao Wu's head with his finger and said, "Never seen the girls of Changsui before? Never seen the maids in the palace before? We'll show you all you want when we get there!"

"I just love watching Lanlan."

"Pah! Lanlan again? Disgusting!"

...

Zhao Huan was half-lying down by the lake at the Yasu Manor, fishing, while Zhou Chuan sat on a wooden stake nearby.

"I must say, Acheng's garden is quite nice. Although it's noisy at night, it's very quiet during the day."

Zhao Cheng isn't here. If he were, he would definitely scoff at Zhao Huan's carefree demeanor.

The old man's ability to usurp someone else's place is something he can't match!

"I heard the emperor summoned you and Zhou Nuo. Don't you want to go?"

Zhao Huan was also very casual when fishing, using his leg to hold down the fishing rod and gazing lazily at the lake.

Zhou Chuan said, "I am a commoner with only one younger sister and one sword. I have no desire for anything else."

"My heart is with the martial world, and my body is in the martial world; this is the state I yearn for. But since ancient times, when the court is strong, the martial world is weak, and when the court is weak, the martial world is strong. The imperial court and the martial world have never been separate."

"So who is stronger now?"

"As far as Da Jing is concerned, it's a 50/50 split," Zhao Huan said, stroking his drooping hair. "But you must remember, the place with the most experts in Da Jing is Chang Sui."

"Does the Right Chancellor mean... he wants me to go?"

"The Southern Zhou and the Great Jing are separated in the north and south, and there are many small independent states in the west. Under such circumstances, the martial arts world should be stronger than the imperial court. But why are the imperial courts of the Great Jing and the Southern Zhou so powerful? Because many masters in the martial arts world have joined the imperial court."

“I’m sending you to Changsui not to encourage you to join the court, but because I think it will broaden your horizons, let you see the emperor of Dajing, and the civil and military officials of the court. It won’t do you any harm.”

"The path of officialdom is also the path of humanity, and the path of humanity is also the path of the sword."

The greatest truths are the simplest.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chuan was startled, stood up from the wooden stake, and bowed deeply to Zhao Huan.

"Thank you for your guidance, Right Prime Minister."

Zhou Chuanbai was very sincere. From the moment Zhao Huan told him about the relationship between the martial arts world and the imperial court, he no longer treated him as an outsider.

In his eyes, Zhao Huan was his benefactor and the Right Chancellor, but even more so, he was a respected elder.

He hoped that Zhao Huan could also simply treat him as a junior.

"I also have my own selfish reasons." Zhao Huan waved his hand and said, "Taozhi has to stay and do some things for me. You and Zhou Nuo can go together and protect Acheng for me."

Zhou Chuan said, "Actually, I know that Brother Zhao Wu is also a master."

"Going to the Changsui Imperial Palace, right in front of the Emperor, there shouldn't be any major problems. Zhao Wu is indeed enough. But as a father, I always want to give my son an extra layer of insurance."

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