Return to Beijing

Xie Ci also lowered his voice and replied:

"It doesn't matter. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to enter the city gate now."

Chen Kan chuckled and waved his hand, no longer chatting, and arranged for his subordinates to lead the way for Changhao's limousine. He then went forward to greet Yan Yue and Duanmu Yu, inviting them to the city for a detailed discussion.

The noisy voices gradually died down, and the well-trained patrol soldiers divided into teams and walked in front to lead the way. The heavy city gate slowly fell, raising a cloud of dust.

"It's General Xieci and the High Priest!"

"I told you, how could General Xie Ci commit treason? It's a good thing that we can negotiate peace with Chang Hao. We can fight fewer wars and live in peace in the future."

"It is said that it is the high priest who is stirring up trouble again. He dares to be so arrogant in front of the priest!"

When the people of Muzhou City heard that the priests had returned, they poured out of the streets and lined the avenues to welcome them, enthusiastically throwing flowers onto the priests' carriages.

Tong Zhenzhen looked out excitedly and found that although the street scenes on both sides were not as prosperous as those in Changhao Capital, they had changed from the dilapidated state when they were just recovered from Gulou. The houses repaired by the Linyuan Army and college students were intact, and the street vendors and restaurants were also in an endless stream. The faces of the people were all happy and peaceful, which made her mood unconsciously brighter. She took a red flower thrown by a citizen and smiled and leaned over to put it in Xie Ci's hair:

"How about thanking the little friend, do you still remember this little red flower?"

Xie Ci slapped away her rubbing paws in annoyance, took down the wild flower and threw it on the table. Tong Zhenzhen didn't care, she rested her chin in front of the window and sighed:

"Look outside the window. I helped repair the roof of that house!"

"Are you sure you did it? Stop flattering yourself. I remember someone was always slacking off—"

Tong Zhenzhen immediately raised her hand to cover his mouth:

"Stop! Stop it! We can still be friends if you don't tell anyone!!"

Xie Ci soon felt the girl's warm palm on his lips, and the flower fragrance on her fingertips entangled his thoughts. He froze for a moment, pulled her hand away somewhat unnaturally, and muttered softly:

"Who wants to be friends with you..."

The two were laughing and joking on the side. Yan Yue had been looking for an opportunity to interrupt and sit next to Tong Zhenzhen, but she found that she could not fit in naturally at all. She was originally angry, but when she saw Tong Zhenzhen's bright smile, she couldn't vent her anger for a moment. She leaned back dejectedly and continued to endure the nagging of the talkative foreigner.

Muzhou City Governor's Mansion

This house has been vacant ever since the previous governor was murdered by Gu Lou. Now that the new official has not arrived in Muzhou City, Chen Kan and the high priest are temporarily in charge. They settled here and also dealt with the peace talks with Changhao.

"I have checked the document disc and the jade pendant. They are genuine. The seal of Changhao State is also stamped on the document."

After checking the documents, Chen Kan's civil servants whispered a report in his ear, his words revealing his unconcealable joy. After all, if Lin Yuan could form an alliance with Chang Hao, they would be able to gain a firm foothold in these troubled times. The emperor would be very pleased, and they would also be able to share in the credit.

Chen Kan nodded, and his clenched fists revealed his excitement. He didn't expect Xie Ci to really seize the opportunity and let the other party send the Marquis to negotiate peace, which showed his sincerity. He did not choose the wrong person!

"In that case, High Priest, may I ask where did the news of General Xie colluding with foreign enemies come from?"

He pretended to be full of doubt and asked the high priest who was sitting in the main seat.

This damn Chen Kan is here to cause trouble again!

The high priest wanted to eat him alive, but he still responded peacefully:

"Haha, I was reckless this time. The incident was urgent and I didn't have time to check carefully before reporting it to His Majesty."

The implication of this statement is to push the blame back onto the emperor. If you want to ask, go ask the emperor why he gave the order without verifying the authenticity. But who dares to question the emperor's fault?

Chen Kan's face changed slightly, and he did not respond. The current emperor ascended the throne at a young age, and he acts impulsively based on his mood. Therefore, he particularly favors the high priest who can perform some charlatan tricks, and believes in his sweet words rather than the good advice of loyal ministers. Now that the great cause has not been accomplished, it is better not to have a head-on conflict with this favorite of the emperor.

"Oh? Then you have to check it carefully next time. Otherwise, a thousand-mile dam can be breached by a single ant. I believe the high priest will understand this principle."

Duanmu Yu smiled and spoke, his narrow eyes staring straight at the high priest, like a fox staring at its prey, which made him shudder. For a moment, he didn't know what the other party meant, so he could only lower his head and avoid his sight:

"General Duanmu is right. I will pay attention to this in the future."

He was already feeling a little uneasy, so he prepared to drink some tea to calm his nerves. Unexpectedly, the door was suddenly pushed open and hit the wall with a loud noise. The high priest lost his grip on the tea in his hand, and most of it spilled on the golden silk robe bestowed by the emperor. However, before he could feel sorry for it, he was grabbed by the collar and pulled up:

“You bastard! How could you let the evildoer into the city while I was unconscious?!” Taoist Master Yunshan was so angry that his beard was crooked. He pointed at the high priest’s nose and cursed, “I am just exhausted. I can still fight. You are such a coward. You are really embarrassing the master!”

The high priest's face was distorted by his scolding, and he could no longer hold back and grabbed his hair crown with one hand:

"How dare you say that! Even after learning the true teachings of that damn old man, he was defeated in just a few moves. Why are you barking like a dog here?!"

"What do you know? Master's main business is a theatre troupe. I have been struggling to make a living with those few tricks for so many years. What have you done? Today I will clean up the mess for Master!" Taoist Yunshan's face flushed slightly. He took out his whisk and hit the high priest in the face. The Taoist boy and the high priest's attendants hurried forward to stop him. The scene was extremely chaotic for a while. Tong Zhenzhen was enjoying it very much. He simply formed a small group for the people present and started to watch the show:

【The Only True God】:

Fight, fight!

【Acknowledgement】：

? You really have nothing to do. What's the point of watching two old quails fighting?

【Duanmuyu】：

Even though I have seen the power of the goddess, I still have to sigh that she can convey messages without even opening her mouth. It is truly magical.

【Acknowledgement】：

What are you flattering again (rolling eyes.jpg)

【Duanmuyu】：

What does this expression mean? (rolling eyes.jpg)

【Acknowledgement】：

...Why didn't you expose his guilt on the spot? Did you change your mind and want to keep the high priest?

【Duanmuyu】：

General Xie, you have wronged me. Am I a person who does not keep my word? We are not in the imperial capital now. Exposing our purpose too early will only alert the enemy. It is better to give the illusion that we want to keep him, let him relax his vigilance, and catch him in one fell swoop after returning to the capital to see the emperor (rolling eyes.jpg)

【Acknowledgement】：

Please stop using this emoticon!

In the end, it was Xue Yide who put an end to the farce. He threw a fishing line and the oil bottle he had found on the unconscious Taoist Master Yunshan onto the table:

"Okay, stop arguing. That Taoist priest is using these things to play tricks. You two are both disciples of the charlatan. What's there to pull each other down for?"

"You, you monster, what nonsense are you talking about!" Taoist Yunshan was shocked when he saw the objects on the table, and hurriedly tried to make excuses for himself, "I am the abbot of Yunshan Temple. Many people have begged for a ritual from me but couldn't get one. How can you talk nonsense?"

"So that's what's going on. Come on, quickly drag this charlatan away and don't let Changhao's distinguished guests laugh at him!" Chen Kan was also tired of this farce and raised his hand to call the guards.

The tall and strong guards easily dragged the angry old man out of the door. The high priest's clothes were torn into a mess and he looked very embarrassed. The servants beside him were trying not to laugh. Chen Kan did not make things difficult for him. He simply exchanged a few words with the envoy Chang Hao and sent him back early. He would set out for Beijing early the next morning.

Duanmu Yu intentionally walked at the end, politely declined the invitations of several familiar ceremonial officials to have a drink, slowed down his pace, and as expected, he waited for the person he expected:

"General Duanmu, please stay. I have something else I want to discuss with you. Please come this way."

The high priest lowered his voice and led Duanmu Yu into a secret room. He heaved a sigh of relief after confirming that no one was around, and handed Duanmu Yu tea respectfully:

"General, why did you let Xie Ci go? And you want to form an alliance with Lin Yuan? This is different from what we agreed on before..."

"How is it different? We agreed before that we would share the benefits of Changhao's various business paths with you as long as you work for Changhao." Duanmu Yu did not refuse his face. He took the tea and took a sip, and replied with something meaningful.

The high priest heard the hidden meaning in his words and said in surprise:

"You mean—"

"Hold on and continue to pass on information about Lin Yuan to us." Duanmu Yu put down the teacup and stood up neatly. "That's all I have to say. Don't let your imagination run wild and do anything impulsive."

“Yes, yes!”

The high priest nodded repeatedly and personally sent the man to the door. He was overjoyed. He knew that Chang Hao would never give up on him! As for Xie Ci, there would be plenty of opportunities to get rid of him in the future!

Little did he know that Duanmu Yu had just walked out the door when he sent a message to Xie Ci:

The plan went smoothly. He didn't get suspicious. He should be obedient and go back to Beijing with us. Then we can catch him in one fell swoop.

【Acknowledgement】：

Got it, thanks

Duanmu Yu curled his lips and smiled. What was there to thank him for? After all, it was all thanks to some people who were so stupid. He looked back at the high priest who was still flattering him, and left quickly.

next day

The convoy was a bit longer than when it came. The high priest unceremoniously requisitioned the carriages of the Linyuan Army, loaded all his private possessions onto them, occupied several carriages, and followed behind Changhao's ceremonial car in a mighty procession.

It was rare that Tong Zhen didn't start playing games as soon as he got on the bus. He came to Xie Ci with a smile on his face, and clenched his right hand into the shape of a microphone:

"Interview, General Xie, what do you think of your return to Beijing this time?"

"I don't have any feelings," Xie Ci skillfully slapped her hand away and leaned back, "I just hope you can be more at ease so that I can have a good sleep."

"Wrong, wrong, the line is wrong!" Tong Zhenzhen pouted in dissatisfaction and demonstrated to him, "You should say that the three-year period is up, and this time, I want to take back everything that belongs to me!"