Inside the Chu royal palace, a solemn and dignified atmosphere prevailed.
Xiong Yuan was already somewhat uneasy, and the noise coming from the city only made him more agitated. It felt as if his heart had been struck three times by a heavy hammer.
"Go and investigate why there's such a commotion in the city," he said, his voice tinged with anxiety.
"But...that wicked man...he attacked?"
These words were like a sharp sword, instantly piercing the tense atmosphere and making everyone's expressions turn serious.
The guards rushed to the palace walls like arrows released from a bow, wanting to find out if the wicked husband was committing violence and attacking within the city.
However, before the guards could reach the palace walls, the royal guards came rushing towards them like a whirlwind. The two collided head-on, both stunned for a moment, as if time had frozen.
"Why are you running around in such a panic?" The palace guard spoke first, his voice booming like thunder in the air.
The guards, feeling somewhat aggrieved, hurriedly explained, "His Majesty ordered me to investigate the cause of the commotion!"
The garrison commander paused for a moment, then smiled, like a flower blooming in spring, and said, "There's no need to go. I came here for this very matter. Come, follow me back to see the King."
The guards dared not disobey; they followed closely behind the commander like docile sheep, heading straight for the main hall.
A short while later, the group arrived at the main hall like shooting stars.
Before the garrison commander could even speak, Xiong Yuan's face suddenly turned extremely gloomy, like a chameleon.
The palace guards usually stayed at the palace gates, but now that they had come to the main hall, he had a bad feeling, as if a storm was about to break.
"You wicked bastard, that damned Qin state... they actually dared to make a move?" Xiong Yuan's face was gloomy as he muttered curses under his breath.
This left the garrison commander somewhat bewildered, and he quickly called out, "Your Majesty, the Grand Commandant of Qin has entered the city and is on his way to the palace. Along the way, he is distributing something that has caused a great commotion among the people."
"Um?"
Xiong Yuan was stunned, and it took him a long time to react. "They weren't committing the crime inside the city?"
"A violent crime?" The garrison commander was dumbfounded. "Your Majesty, today is a joyous day. Why would they commit a violent crime within the city?"
Looking at the old and frail king, the garrison commander suddenly had a thought: Could it be that the king is really senile?
Xiong Yuan frowned and waved his hand. "Quickly send people to investigate what the distributed items are and why the people are looting them."
Before the garrison commander could speak, he added, "Never mind, we'll be entering the palace soon, we'll find out then."
Judging by their pace, they will soon arrive at the palace, and the mystery will be solved in time. If someone is sent to inquire, the wicked man will inevitably have some doubts.
As long as it doesn't involve actual killing, I don't care.
"You may now leave and return to the palace gate; you will need to guide them later," Xiong Yuan said, waving his hand to dismiss the guards.
The garrison commander accepted the order and left, and the hall returned to silence for a moment.
Xiong Yuan sat alone on the throne, his mind filled with thoughts. "Could it be a misunderstanding, and they really have come sincerely to fetch the bride?"
Suddenly, Xiong Yuan sighed heavily, secretly lamenting that he was getting old and timid. As the ruler of a country, he was frightened by a little noise.
At this moment, the noise grew louder and louder, indicating that the wedding procession was about to enter the palace.
At the palace gate.
The wicked man straightened his clothes and said in a deep voice, "I am the wicked man, the Grand Commandant of Qin. I have come with betrothal gifts to welcome Mi Ji, the daughter of the King of Chu, and to establish a marriage alliance between Qin and Chu."
The palace gate guard stepped forward and solemnly announced, "The Qin envoy has arrived. Open the main palace gate and welcome the Qin envoy into the palace."
The State of Chu gave the wicked man ample face by opening the main gate of the royal palace, which was usually reserved for the king, to demonstrate their respect for him.
Otherwise, even if they were coming to fetch a bride, other Qin officials would still have to enter through the side gate.
This is what is meant by "propriety should not be transgressed".
"Squeak..."
The heavy main gate was slowly pushed open, and the palace guards at the gate shouted in unison, "We pay our respects to the Grand Commandant of Qin!"
Without the slightest hesitation, the wicked man strode directly into the palace, accompanied only by Zhang Erhe and a few dozen others, while the rest of the Black Dragon Armored Army stood at the palace gate.
"The betrothal gifts are inside the carriage. Should we check them?" Zhang Erhe whispered to the palace gate guard.
Upon seeing this, the latter quickly shook his head, saying there was no need for such a fuss. Even if the carriage contained some kind of deadly weapon, a mere few dozen people entering the palace would not cause any trouble.
Although Chu is not as powerful as Qin, it has not lost its dignity. There are about 10,000 guards in the palace. If they are afraid of these few dozen people, they might as well just surrender to Qin.
"Here, take this, it's wedding candy, share it with the brothers!" Zhang Erhe laughed and grabbed a handful of candy, stuffing it into the guard's hands, before hurrying to catch up with the wicked husband.
The garrison commander looked down at the candy in his hand. "Huh, the person is quite nice~" He was already very curious about what the people were scrambling for. He immediately tore off a piece and put it in his mouth in front of the other guards.
In an instant, the boy was also lost in the wonderful taste of fructose and couldn't extricate himself, making the surrounding guards impatient and swallowing hard.
"Commander, we...we want some too!"
The garrison commander, having regained his senses, openly distributed a piece to everyone, and stuffed the rest into his clothes, intending to bring it home to his wife, children, and parents to try after his leave.
"Embezzlement...shameless!"
The guards weren't blind, so they naturally saw his little trick, but they didn't dare to say anything. They quickly removed the red cloth, took out the candy, and stuffed it into their mouths.
"Awesome...I want more..."
The guards' greedy eyes fell on the commander, looking eager to pounce.
The guard immediately clutched his chest, shouting warily, "What are you doing? What are you doing? Everyone, stay at your posts and guard the palace gates. If you're disrespectful, you'll lose your heads!"
After saying that, he pretended to be calm and turned to leave, leaving a group of guards standing there gritting their teeth.
The square was solemn and dignified, with flags fluttering in the wind.
The wicked man walked at the front, crossed the square, and stopped in front of the steps to the palace. His expression instantly became solemn. He took a deep breath and slowly stepped onto the steps.
"The Grand Commandant of Qin has arrived!"
"Please invite the Grand Commandant of Qin into the palace!"
The high-pitched, shrill voice of the eunuch rang out one after another, and the civil and military officials in the hall stood on both sides, all facing the center of the hall.
The wicked man stepped into the hall, his eyes fixed straight ahead. Under the watchful eyes of the Chu officials and Xiong Yuan, he stood in the center of the hall.
"What a calm and resolute young man!"
As Xiong Yuan's gaze fell upon the wicked man, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly. His previous assumptions about the wicked man vanished in an instant. He knew the wicked man was young, but he had never expected him to be so young and valiant.
"I am Efu, the Grand Commandant and General of Qin, representing the King of Qin, and have come to Chu to offer betrothal gifts and welcome a bride." Efu clasped his hands in a respectful bow, showing little respect but not being impolite.
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