Ning Yao replied quickly, her hands moving swiftly. "Yes." After placing the diffuser and incense, Ning Yao, being a well-educated young master from a prominent family, was adept at lighting incense.

Because of the empire's power, many people around the world take pride in learning about its culture, and many wealthy and powerful families from other countries send their children to the empire to learn about its culture and customs.

Some even hired the emperor's tutors to their homes as private tutors at exorbitant prices.

The incense was not the more expensive kind that Shen Bei'an usually used; it should be a locally made fragrance. Shen Bei'an had been dealing with fragrances for many years and could smell the aromas of Asarum, Styrax, and Nardostachys, which were also quite good fragrances.

A faint fragrance quickly filled the room, and with the help of the air purifier, the stench of blood quickly dissipated.

Shen Bei'an's mood improved slightly. "Sachet." He raised his chin.

Ning Yao looked in the direction of the object and saw a lotus-colored Shu brocade pouch with a subtle floral pattern lying on the ground. Both the material and the embroidery technique were top-notch.

Ning Yao then realized that she had smelled a faint fragrance of tea and osmanthus when she walked by, and had assumed that someone inside was drinking tea.

Now that I think about it, it was probably this person's sachet.

However, this person's extravagance seems to be genuine; that sachet alone, not counting the spices inside, costs at least six figures.

It's the kind of imperial coin.

Just as Ning Yao was about to pick it up for Master Shen, Shen Juanqing, who was standing to the side, suddenly produced a retractable cane and stopped her.

Ning Yao was somewhat confused about the meaning of this Lord of Yi Shui Han.

The next second, the arrogant young master in her memory, holding Shen Xiaozuojing in one arm, bent down to pick up the sachet, sat back down in the chair, brushed off the non-existent dust from the sachet, took the sachet from his own waist and hung it on Shen Bei'an's waist, while placing the sachet he had just picked up on the table.

While coaxing her, she said, "When we get back to Wushang Loulan, I will wash this sachet properly and change the fragrance inside with your favorite gardenia-scented essential oil."

Shen Bei'an's expression improved somewhat, and he looked at the pastries on the plate.

Gu Nanyan took out a large handkerchief from the side and covered Shen Bei'an's clothes, then took a lotus flower pastry and fed it to Shen Bei'an.

In her other hand, she had also poured a cup of jasmine tea.

This wasn't the first time Shen Juanqing and Xie Yunyu had seen Gu Nanyan coaxing Shen Bei'an; they were already used to such scenes.

But this was the first time Ning Yao had ever seen it!

My jaw dropped!

The eldest son, whom she considered exceptionally talented and arrogant, was actually...!

Now I finally understand why everyone says that Master Shen is largely spoiled by his eldest son; it's true.

The atmosphere in this private room finally improved a bit, but the other side wasn't so pleasant.

"Didn't you hear the orders from above? The entire Matsui family bloodline is to participate in this hunt. Does the Matsui family head disregard your orders?"

"Still unaware that Fuyun Island is under lockdown, yet you dare to attempt to return to Japan?" Zou Ke's lips curled into a cold smile as several people were forced to kneel on the ground in front of him.

The most conspicuous among them was a middle-aged man with a huge belly, whose fat was trembling.

"Commander Zou... I don't know... I don't know how Ishigen offended you. The Matsui family has been stationed on Fuyun Island for many years. How could this happen?!" Matsui Ishigen was completely devoid of his former smugness on Fuyun Island.

Do you think these families stationed on Fuyun Island don't know what kind of thing this summer seedling is?!

There are too many powerful families on Fuyun Island, and the Matsui family is an inconspicuous one. However, just because they are stationed on Fuyun Island, they are seen by outsiders as the object of many people's flattery.

No matter how glamorous they are outside the island, here, the Matsui family is a tiny family!

Let alone if Lord Jones of the Medical Alliance personally issued the order, even if it were just a minor commander of the Enforcement Division, the Matsui family would not dare to disobey.

But this time, they're being sent to their deaths!

Zou Ke twirled a short blade in his hand, his gaze toward Matsui Iwane filled with disdain. "Head of the Matsui family, every family that comes to Fuyun Island should know that they must assist the Enforcement Division in its actions."

He used the short blade in his hand to lift Matsui Iwane's chin, tilted his head slightly, and curled his lips, "But the way the Matsui family head is acting makes things very difficult for our Enforcement Division."

Matsui Iwane was restrained by the short blade, afraid to move, his eyes fixed on the slightly reflective blade, fearing that the junior in front of him would end his life.

"Head of the Matsui family, you should cooperate well. Maybe you can keep a few of the good-looking juniors in your clan."

"But if you do this, and your whole family ends up on the death list, how do you think they'll treat you?"

Zou Ke has this right.

The Enforcement Division is naturally qualified to participate in the hunting grounds of Fuyun Island.

Zou Ke was ordered to bring the Matsui family to the hunting grounds, but when he arrived at the Matsui family's location, he discovered that the entire Matsui Iwane lineage had already boarded a plane and were preparing to escape Fuyun Island.

Without thinking it through, Fuyun Island is supposed to be sealed off, but there's a barrier around it. How could a plane possibly fly out?

They've been on Fuyun Island for so many years, how can they still be so foolish?

Zou Ke patted Matsui Iwane's trembling face with the short blade in his hand. "Isn't that Matsui Hisahito, the second son of the Matsui family head, kneeling over there?"

“A typical Japanese boy’s appearance. I suppose many of the guests here are fans of Matsui Yujin.” Zou Ke glanced at the handsome boy who was being forced to kneel on the ground by a burly man.

Matsui Iwane's eyes narrowed. "No! Commander Zou! Hisahito! Our Hisahito is only sixteen years old this year! In the Empire, twenty is the age of adulthood, but our Hisahito is still a minor!" He tried to reach out and grab Zou Ke's sleeve.

The Japanese pretty boy kneeling on the ground also had tears streaming down his face.

"Sixteen years old, the age of blossoming youth, is indeed quite good, and many people like him. For example, Ishihara Kanji, the current young master of the Ishihara family in Japan, if I remember correctly, he is most fond of teenagers."

"As it happens, the Ishihara family is the only Japanese family invited this time, so they will surely not miss Xia Miao today."

Kanji Ishihara!

How could Matsui Iwane not know about the Ishihara family?

Back then, as one of the two most likely families in Japan to be stationed on Fuyun Island, Matsui Iwane's father was the one who plotted to kill Ishihara Kanji's grandfather!

This led to the decline of the Ishihara family at the time, and the opportunity was seized by the Matsui family. After that, the Matsui family supported the Okamura family in Japan. However, the Okamura family was not up to par with the next generation. Even though a grandson named Okamura Neiji was produced, he was far inferior to Ishihara Kanji!

——

Japan orchestrated the Mukden Incident (September 18 Incident), forcibly occupying the three northeastern provinces and establishing the puppet state of "Manchukuo." The main planner of this incident was the Japanese military genius, Kanji Ishihara.

Okamura Yasuji was the highest-ranking Japanese commander in the invasion of China during World War II.

P.S.: The author admits there were some personal grudges involved.