Chapter 3: Accidentally Saving the Emperor
These days, without the ministers' memorials urging him to establish a queen, Mu Congmo felt much more relaxed. Although he remained as expressionless as usual, the pressure around him was no longer as low as it used to be. Even Hu Xian, the chief eunuch, had a few good days.
It was not until the Shadow Dragon Guards from Jiangnan handed over a secret message that Mu Congmo's expression turned cold after reading it, and the eunuchs and palace maids serving around him knelt on the ground in a hurry.
"My good brother has given me a great surprise. Mr. Hu, go to the Prime Minister, the Grand Tutor, and the six ministers and convey an oral order stating that I have caught a cold and will suspend court for ten days. The affairs of state will be handled by you gentlemen."
"Yes, I obey your order." Hu Xian didn't dare to look up at the furious emperor. He lowered his head and walked out, taking the serving palace maids and eunuchs with him.
"Get ready. You stay in Kyoto and report any situation every day. Let the two deputy commanders accompany me to Xingding County in Jiangnan." Mu Congmo said to Mo Yu in the dark.
Mo Yu replied yes and disappeared here.
A day's gallop between Jiangnan and Kyoto was all it took. Mu Congmo and his companions rode on fine horses, and by dusk they had reached Jiangnan.
The capital still resembles the north, but the south of the Yangtze River is already filled with the breath of spring. Music on boats plays, the river surface is green, and the city is filled with flying catkins and light dust.
To conceal their identities, Mu Congmo and his two deputy commanders advanced into Xingding County. Xingding County, the capital of Jiangnan, was incredibly prosperous, with "markets lined with pearls and jade, households overflowing with silk and satin, competing in extravagance." Yet, the late emperor had designated it as a fiefdom for the Ninth Prince.
The Ninth Prince's mother was of humble birth, yet the late Emperor doted on her, doting on her and his youngest son. The late Emperor, sensing his limited time, was determined not to allow a young prince to ascend the throne, and so, at the age of five, he was crowned king, his fiefdom encompassing the three fertile counties of Jiangnan. Fearing that Mu Congmo would harm the Ninth Prince upon his ascension, the late Emperor left a decree stating, "Unless he has committed a serious crime of treason, he shall not be removed from his post, nor shall his life be taken."
"'Parents who love their children will plan for their future.' Oh, my good father is really partial. But so what? Now I am the king and he is the minister." Mu Congmo said coldly as he looked at the prosperous Xingding County.
Daliang implemented a curfew from the third drum to the fifth watch. It was already the hour of Xu, so Mu Congmo and the others found a restaurant.
The restaurant is a place where all kinds of people come and go, making it the best place to get news. The restaurant is noisy and bustling, people clinking glasses, and the light and shadow intertwined, creating a prosperous scene.
As Mu Congmo and the other two entered the restaurant, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at them. Even though Mu Congmo was only wearing a black casual suit, the cold aura around him was still hard to ignore.
Mu Congmo ignored everyone's stares, found a place where no one was, walked straight over, and sat down with his legs and sword extended.
"Waiter, serve all your signature dishes and three quality guest rooms." Mu Congmo took out two silver ingots and placed them on the table, then instructed the waiter.
A trace of greed flashed across the waiter's face, but it quickly disappeared. Mu Congmo saw it all, and his disgust grew stronger. He had liked quietness since he was a child and avoided such a noisy atmosphere, but now he had to endure it in order to conceal his identity.
"Sir, you've arrived at an unfortunate time. The superior rooms are no longer available. They've been reserved by the two guests above. As for our signature dishes, please wait. I'll have the kitchen prepare them right away."
Mu Congmo followed the waiter's gesture and looked over. Two wuxia figures sat by the second-floor window. The leader, dressed in white and wearing a silver mask, used chopsticks to pick up noodles from a bowl. It was clearly just an ordinary bowl of beef noodles, but in his hands, it was like a rare delicacy. His sleeves slowly fell, revealing his fair skin, a cool and noble presence that stood out from the surrounding atmosphere.
The other man was dressed in black. Even when he was having a meal, one hand was still on his sword. He also had a long wooden box on his back and was always alert to his surroundings.
These two people are Gu Shiyan and Hong Ting who came to look for the Demon Lord.
The two deputy commanders who came with Mu Congmo were codenamed Chang Ye and Yong Zhou. Both were masters of the Ninth Layer of the Sea Realm. Chang Ye leaned close to Mu Congmo's ear and said, "That man in white doesn't appear to possess any internal energy, but I believe he's quite capable. As for the man in black, he's also at the Ninth Layer of the Sea Realm, just like us."
Chang Ye and Yong Zhou stood beside Mu Congxiao. Mu Congxiao said, "You two should sit down together. We are not in the palace now, so there is no need to follow these etiquette."
The two said yes, then pulled out the benches on the left and right sides of Mu Congmo and sat down.
The three of them discussed the matter in the room, mainly the two of them arguing, and Mu Congmo listened on the side.
"We can stay in any room, but the master is precious, how can he stay in the inferior guest room? I will talk to them and see if they can allocate a superior room for us." Yong Zhou said.
After traveling all the way today, Mu Congmo was already tired and naturally wanted a comfortable accommodation, so he agreed to Yongzhou's proposal.
After receiving Mu Congmo's permission, Yong Zhou got up and went upstairs, heading towards the window. As a secret guard, his hands were naturally stained with blood, and he carried a murderous aura.
Seeing him approach, Hong Ting feared his aura would taint his young master. In a split second, he placed his sword against Yong Zhou's chest, his killing intent evident even before the sword was unsheathed.
"A gentleman uses words, not fists. Brother, let's discuss this." Because he needed help, even if he was offended, Yong Zhou smiled and slowly pushed away the long sword against his chest. He smiled at Gu Shiyan and said, "Sir, is that right?"
Gu Shiyan ignored him and said lazily, "Sir, if you have something to say, just say it."
"The waiter said the only two remaining superior rooms have been booked by two young masters. I wonder if you could give one to me."
Before Gu Shiyan could speak, Hong Ting anxiously shouted, "Master, don't give it to him."
Gu Shiyan chuckled and said, "Then let's give one room to this young master as an apology for Hongting's offense to him." Then he stood up and looked at Hongting, "Let's go. I'm tired today. I want to go back and take a shower."
Hongting wanted to continue persuading him, but when he heard his master said he was tired, he followed him happily, and ordered the waiter to bring hot water to help his master take a bath.
After returning to his room, Gu Shiyan half-leaned on the bed and said nonchalantly, "The man just now was practicing the skills of the Royal Secret Guard. I just don't know if he is the emperor's man or the Huai Wang's man."
In his spare time, Gu Shiyan read all the books in the Yunliang Qianchi Library, and had a clear understanding of various martial arts, elixirs, martial arts forces, and family structures.
Even though the current martial arts master has secluded himself from the world, Yunliang Qianchi is still a major sect that has been passed down for hundreds of years, and the books in its library are extremely rich.
"Sir, do you mean to make friends with them?" Hong Ting was puzzled.
Gu Shiyan paused, then tapped his head in frustration. "I told you to read more books on a daily basis," he explained. "There's no need to deliberately befriend them. I don't believe they came to Xingding County this time and said they had nothing to do with the Demon Lord. These two rooms are right next door. Be alert at night. If you hear any noise, wake me up."
Hearing Gu Shiyan's order, Hong Ting's face was full of despair. Under the pressure of his young master, he responded with a "yes".
Gu Shiyan fell asleep after taking a bath. Hong Ting stood beside him, looking at his sleeping face, praying silently in his heart, hoping that tonight would be peaceful.
Elsewhere, Mu Congmo and the other two sat at the table as the waiter brought out the restaurant's signature dishes one by one. Yong Zhou was the first to take his chopsticks and taste each dish. Seeing that he was not abnormal, Chang Ye stood up and served Mu Congmo.
Although the dishes in the restaurant are not as exquisite as those in the palace, they have their own unique flavor.
Mu Congmo simply washed up and fell asleep. During the long night, Yongri took turns to keep watch.
Tick, tick. The raindrops hitting the windowpane sounded like a beautiful piece of music. Suddenly, the downpour intensified, and the bluestones on the road became exceptionally smooth under the rain. Rainwater could wash away the dust on the road, and naturally it could wash away other things as well.
The dark, windy, rainy night injected a new dimension into the already tense atmosphere. Along with the sound of rain came the clash of weapons. Chang Ye and Yong Zhou immediately tensed. No matter what the situation outside, they could not leave this place. The safety of the emperor was paramount.
On the other side, Hong Ting was awakened by the sound of fighting. He glanced at the sleeping Gu Shiyan and decided to wait until the assassin entered the next room before waking up the young master.
But things did not go as planned. The next second, there was a noise from next door and someone broke in through the window.
Chang Ye and Yong Zhou were instantly aware of something and looked up to see three assassins in black robes and conical hats burst in. All three were at the Seaside Realm, one at the Ninth Heaven, and another at the Eighth Heaven. Chang Ye and Yong Zhou drew their swords and met them, secretly sighing inwardly that something was amiss.
Although the assassins from the Eighth Heaven couldn't defeat them, they could hold one of them back. The two of them engaged in a fight with the two stronger assassins, leaving the remaining one without anyone to counter them.
The assassin drew his sword and lunged at Mu Congmo. The emperor was a light sleeper, and he had woken up when he heard the sounds of fighting outside. Seeing that the man was targeting him, he took the sword beside the bed and blocked the attack.
Even though the young emperor often practiced martial arts, he lacked internal strength and was quickly at a disadvantage. Yet, he remained expressionless, showing no awareness of the danger he was in. This was the pride of his emperor.
The assassin saw that his companions would soon be unable to stop the two guards, so he made up his mind to give it a try. He put all his internal strength into the sword, and this sword would be a fatal blow.
Before the longsword fell, the assassin's grip was lost. A closer look revealed a long, thin wound on his neck. Simultaneously, the other two assassins also developed similar wounds on their necks. In an instant, three Seaside Realm warriors perished.
Mu Congmo looked up and saw Gu Shiyan standing by the door with an angry look on his face, and Pohong was back in his hand.
He threw Pohong to Hongting, who was standing beside him with a sympathetic look on his face, and walked straight back to his room.
Hong Ting smiled. These assassins really deserved it. At the same time, he felt a little relieved that he had escaped the disaster after all and did not have to wake up the young master himself. Anyone in this world who dared to disturb his young master's sleep was dead.
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