Meanwhile, in the Dongning Imperial Palace, Mei Xiyuan, looking extremely angry, strode over to Mei Zhixuan's palace.
Where is the Regent?
The guard at the door said, "Your Highness, His Highness is currently teaching the young prince to write with the Empress. Please allow me to go in and report this to Your Highness!"
"No need!"
Upon hearing this, Mei Xiyuan raised her hand to stop him.
At this moment, she was so angry that her lungs felt like they were about to explode. She said, "The situation is so dire, and you still have the mind to indulge in these romantic feelings!"
With that, she lifted her skirt, stepped over the threshold, and went inside alone.
From afar, upon seeing Mei Zhixuan's family of three, enjoying each other's company and still immersed in laughter, Mei Xiyuan instantly felt a surge of anger.
He stepped forward and immediately questioned him, "Brother, what are you still hesitating about?"
Upon hearing this, Mei Zhixuan said to Xuan Yuan Yue, "You take Hai'er back first. I'll come to your place tonight and have dinner with you!"
"My child, come here!"
Xuanyuan Yue nodded and took her son from Mei Zhixuan's hands.
She then added, "By the way, for some reason, Yue'er has been feeling uneasy these past few days. I heard there's a temple in Longhu City that's very efficacious, granting whatever you ask for. Yue'er wants to take Hai'er there to offer incense and find some peace of mind!"
"Dragon Tiger City?" Mei Zhixuan was clearly uneasy upon hearing this.
Xuanyuan Yue then asked, "What? Does His Highness refuse?"
Mei Zhixuan glanced at Mei Xiyuan, who was equally surprised, and stammered, "I've heard that things seem a bit unsettled on the border of Longhu City lately..."
Xuanyuan Yue said, "It is common for the border to be unstable. Your Highness can send a few experts to escort you. Besides, Yue'er is only staying for one night to pray for Your Highness and the people of Dongning Kingdom with the ancient Buddha and the lamp. I will return to the palace early the next day and will not go anywhere else."
Mei Xiyuan, standing to the side, gave Mei Zhixuan a wink. Seeing that Mei Zhixuan hesitated to speak, she interrupted, saying, "A woman in the inner palace should know the rules and do what she is supposed to do. What kind of behavior is it to wander around aimlessly all day?"
Xuan Yuan Yue retorted, not to be outdone: "Oh? Is that so?"
She turned her head slowly with a smile, but the smile vanished in an instant. She said coldly to Mei Xiyuan, "Princess Yongle is also a woman of the inner palace. Why is she not allowed to report in front of the palace? Why does she so brazenly barge into the Regent's Palace alone and interrupt our conversation? What kind of rule is this?"
Mei Xiyuan's eyes widened in surprise, and her voice rose even louder: "Xuanyuan Yue, you..."
Seeing that the two were clearly arguing, Mei Zhixuan quickly spoke up: "Shut up and apologize!"
Upon hearing this, the two women simultaneously looked at Mei Zhixuan's face and said in unison.
"What? You want me to apologize to her?"
Mei Zhixuan raised his head, his gaze coldly fixed on Mei Xiyuan's face, and urged, "Hurry up and apologize to your sister-in-law!"
Mei Xiyuan could hardly believe her ears and continued to gasp in shock: "You're saying... that I should be with her... on what grounds?"
Mei Zhixuan stood up, raised his head slightly, and grasped Xuan Yuan Yue's hand tightly, saying, "Just because she is my only wife, your sister-in-law, you should respect her! This is the most basic courtesy that a princess, or even an ordinary woman, should have!"
Mei Xiyuan felt it was unbelievable: "Mei Zhixuan, are you crazy?"
Mei Zhixuan immediately turned his gaze to her with anger.
Mei Xiyuan thought for a moment, and finally, though still reluctant, she lowered her head and absentmindedly said, "I'm sorry..."
Unexpectedly, Mei Zhixuan insisted, "Louder!"
"I……"
Mei Xiyuan wanted to resist, but thinking about the deal between the two of them, she finally gritted her teeth and raised her voice again, saying, "Sister-in-law, I'm sorry!"
Knowing that her apology was reluctant, Xuan Yuan Yue still smiled at Mei Zhi Xuan and asked, "What about what Yue'er said earlier..."
Mei Zhixuan thought for a moment and said, "Alright, but we must go and return quickly, without any delays!"
Xuan Yuan Yue was overjoyed. In front of Mei Xi Yuan, she gently kissed Mei Zhi Xuan on the cheek and said, "Thank you, Your Highness. Yue'er promises that I will only go for one day and return the next day!"
This blatant disregard for her existence dealt an even heavier blow to Mei Xiyuan's heart than before.
Watching Xuan Yuan Yue leave with her son, completely satisfied, Mei Xi Yuan thought to herself, "You bitch, let's see how long you can keep up your smugness."
Only then did she speak again, questioning Mei Zhixuan: "Why haven't we started the war yet?"
Mei Zhixuan sat down again, poured tea, and said, "After Lu Yuan sent people to conduct a thorough investigation, they have not found any plans for the Western Qin to prepare for battle. King Xuanyuan Han of Qin is brave and skilled in battle and has excellent strategies. How could he be unprepared for such a big commotion as we have made? Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you win every battle. If we rashly start a war, I'm afraid it's a trap!"
However, Mei Xiyuan also had her own explanation: "Our army has sent such a strong force this time because we have long been determined to fight to the death. If we do not take advantage of this high morale to win a quick battle, we are afraid that our food and supplies will be exhausted soon. In that case, everything will be in vain."
Mei Zhixuan still seemed hesitant. Perhaps, deep down, what he feared even more was the existence of another person.
Mei Xiyuan continued to urge him anxiously in his ear: "War between two countries is no child's play. As the saying goes, once the arrow is released, there is no turning back. Now we are already on the bowstring and have no choice but to release it. If this war ends with a retreat without a fight, how will Your Majesty explain it to the entire court?"
Mei Zhixuan was still lost in thought: "Let me think about it some more, let me think about it some more..."
Helpless, Mei Xiyuan could only sigh heavily in the end, and turned away with a flick of her sleeve: "Sigh!"
The next day, before dawn.
A woman's portrait was then plastered all over the streets and alleys along the border of Longhu City.
Soon, as the sky grew brighter, the streets gradually became bustling with pedestrians.
A large crowd gathered, pointing and discussing the woman's portrait on the missing person poster.
Who is this girl?
"She's so beautiful!"
"Like a fairy from heaven."
Yes, yes!
...
Among the crowd, a literate, middle-aged, refined man stroked his beard with one hand behind his back and said, "Jiang Jinxuan, it seems the City Lord's Mansion is looking for someone..."
Upon hearing this, people started chattering again.
"Is the City Lord's Mansion searching for someone?"
"Is he/she someone very important?"
"So beautiful, could she be the young city lord's sweetheart?!"
"But speaking of which, our young city lord really should get married!"
"I heard that matchmakers are coming in droves every day to propose marriage to the young city lord, and in just a few days, the thresholds on every door of the city lord's mansion will have to be replaced!"
"But unfortunately, I haven't heard of any noble lady from a prominent family who has caught the eye of our young city lord."
"Hey, you know what, this girl actually looks quite good match for our young city lord!"
"so……"
"What exactly is her relationship with the City Lord's Mansion?"
"Why was this girl's portrait posted here?"
"Could it really be..."
So, people could only turn their attention back to the middle-aged man, seeking his explanation.
The man continued, "This time, you guys really guessed right! This girl is indeed our young city lord's soon-to-be fiancée."
Upon hearing this, and seeing the unanimous skeptical looks directed at him, the man pointed confidently at the notice in front of him and said, "Why are you all looking at me? It's written clearly in black and white in broad daylight, and you don't believe me?"
So he quickly explained, "The notice says that this young lady went missing in the vicinity not long ago. Has anyone seen her and can provide any useful clues about her whereabouts? The city lord's mansion has..."
Before he could finish speaking, the surrounding area erupted in chaos, completely drowning out the man's remaining two key words: "A...reward..."
"The young city lord has a fiancée?"
When did this happen?
"How come I've never heard anyone say that before?"
Is this really true?
Is what you're saying true?
"This is a top priority for our Dragon Tiger City!"
"The young city lord is finally getting married!"
"How could the bride have gotten lost?"
"Go find it! Go find it now!"
"We can't let such a beautiful young city lord's wife get lost and picked up by someone else!"
Upon hearing this, people quickly scattered in all directions.
As soon as someone sees even the slightest glimpse of the woman in the poster on the street, they will stop them and carefully compare her to the woman in the portrait.
In this situation, Lu Yuan and Cheng Liang, who was disguised, revealed themselves together.
Lu Yuan seemed quite pleased with himself, holding his sword in one hand and proudly crossing his arms, saying, "So? What do you think of my idea?"
Cheng Liang exclaimed in surprise, "I never expected that the young city lord's marriage would receive so much attention from the entire city!"
Lu Yuan raised his head and said confidently, "In that case, within three days, as long as the princess has really appeared in Dragon Tiger City, news will definitely come. Just wait with peace of mind!"
Cheng Liang pondered for a moment, then said, "But where would this Miss Jiang really be? She is clearly my Princess Consort. I'm afraid that when the time comes, how will the young city lord explain this to the people?"
Lu Yuan thought for a moment, then silently looked at the woman's portrait on the notice and said, "As long as the princess can be found safely, what is there that this young master cannot bear?!"
At this moment, Tuoba Ze, who had been secretly observing the two's every move from the corner, asked the guard beside him, "What happened?"
His subordinate reported, "Your Highness, is it Young Master Lu who is searching the entire city for his lost fiancée?"
Tuoba Ze scoffed, "I didn't expect this young master Lu to be such a sentimental fool. What kind of time is this to be still entangled in these matters of love and romance, where even heroes falter? It seems he's nothing special after all!"
After saying that, he instructed his subordinates: "Go and tell Princess Yongle that our people are fully prepared and that she must urge Mei Zhixuan to start this great battle within ten days at most! This prince cannot wait any longer!"
The subordinate acknowledged the order: "Yes!"
Tuoba Ze gripped his sword tightly, a cold voice echoing in his mind: "After waiting so long, this day has finally come. Prince Qin, Xuanyuan Han, you just wait! What I have lost, you will soon lose as well..."
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