30 Imperial Envoy
◎Miss, why should I feel embarrassed for missing my uncle?◎
Time flew by, and more than half a month had passed. After galloping along, traveling day and night, Yan Qizheng and Yu Sugong and his party finally arrived at the county seat of Beijiang County in Liangzhou.
This trip was secretly instructed by the prince and was not announced to the public. Only when he was about to reach the local county government office did he send someone to announce it.
Thunder roared and heavy rain fell. The local magistrate rushed out in the rain to greet them and cordially invited the two important officials from the capital to come in.
"The yamen is simple, I will immediately arrange a separate courtyard for you two gentlemen."
"No need," the Minister of Justice said with a faint smile, "It's fine to live in the inner courtyard of the county government office. It will make it easier for me to work with the Imperial Envoy."
The magistrate's surname was Luo. He was fat, with big ears and small eyes. He nodded hurriedly and ordered his men to take the carriage and entourage to the backyard.
The two gentlemen came to visit suddenly, and County Magistrate Luo didn't know what they were talking about. He felt uneasy and thought it would be better to ask them first so that he would have a clearer idea.
"I am deeply troubled. I wonder what you two gentlemen are here for?"
"Don't worry, magistrate. It's not a big deal," Yu Sugong said in a relaxed tone. "It's just looking for someone. It's a small matter."
Magistrate Luo had been in the officialdom for twenty years, so he naturally knew the difference between the important and the unimportant. For the Minister of Justice and the Crown Prince's envoy to travel so far, it must be a major event! The person they were looking for must also be someone very important!
"I wonder who the two gentlemen are looking for?"
Yu Sugong asked someone to take out a portrait from the box and handed it to County Magistrate Luo, his eyes fixed on the other person's face.
Under his wet veil, his brows were furrowed, as if he was carefully identifying something.
"I have no impression of this person. What crime did he commit?"
"That's all right," Yu Sugong said, ignoring the magistrate's question. "Lord Luo, just allow us to bother you for a few days. We'll find the person ourselves."
Hearing this, Magistrate Luo's expression stiffened slightly, and he forced a smile: "Of course, you two gentlemen are welcome to stay. If you need anything, I will tell you."
Liangzhou experienced heavy rains in summer and autumn, and mudslides and rockfalls frequently blocked the roads. Having been delayed on the way, after settling in the backyard of the county government office, Yan Qizheng and Yu Sugong went their separate ways. He went to the military camp to present a gift to the King of Liao, while Yu stayed behind to investigate the assassin.
June 17th was the birthday of the Liao King, the fourth son of Emperor Jingren and the newly-named "Marquis of Guangping". The military camp 500 miles away from the county seat in Beijiang was particularly lively.
Sheep and cattle were cooked, and barrels of fine wine piled up like half a city wall.
The prince has decreed that anyone who fails to finish their meat or drink will be punished with fifty blows of the military stick! The soldiers, with open hearts, engaged in a feast of eating and drinking.
A young prince sat not far away, drinking and eating while watching the soldiers frolicking. He was the fourth prince, Li Youxu. His mother, Concubine Meng, had died young and was posthumously named Concubine Jin.
The emperor said, Meng has been self-disciplined and respectful throughout his life, and has been careful in his words and actions.
The word "Jing" is a commendation bestowed by the king, and it is also the emperor's expectation for the fourth prince.
Li Youxu kept this in mind and stayed away from the court, neither plotting nor seizing. He quietly guarded the remote place, fulfilling his duty as a prince to serve the country and the people, from the age of eleven to twenty-one.
A full ten years.
"Did you overeat three bowls?"
"Cheating! Cheating!"
"Tell the prince about it and make him clean the toilet!"
"good--"
The soldiers were in a commotion when a soldier quietly approached the Prince of Liao and said, "Your Highness, the envoy appointed by the Crown Prince is outside the barracks. He said he has been ordered to come and congratulate you on your birthday."
An imperial envoy appointed by the prince?
Li Youxu raised his thick eyebrows, and his originally relaxed face immediately showed displeasure.
After a moment's hesitation and wiping his hands and face, Li Youxu moved to the tent and ordered his men to bring the person in. He sat upright behind the upper table, his eyes solemnly looking forward.
Not long after, a young man eight feet tall walked into the tent. He was wearing a white robe, had a tall figure and handsome features.
Li Youxu searched his mind but seemed to have no impression of this person until Military Advisor He, who was standing beside him, whispered in his ear. Li Youxu smiled indifferently.
I thought he was someone else, but it turned out to be just a guard beside the prince.
"Your Highness the Prince of Liao wishes you the best of luck." Yan Qizheng walked forward proudly, lifted his robe, and knelt down to pay homage to the Fourth Prince.
"No need to be polite."
Yan Qi was just getting up when he heard Li Youxu ask, "The Imperial Envoy has traveled thousands of miles to this remote place. I wonder what orders you have received?"
He bowed slightly to show his respect.
"I, at the request of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, have come to present a birthday gift to the Fourth Prince. I wish him a long and prosperous life."
After he finished speaking, he clapped his hands, and the three guards waiting outside the tent immediately filed in, holding exquisite gift boxes.
The three of them stopped in front of the King of Liao, lined up and waited for instructions. Li Youxu was in no hurry to have the box opened, but tilted his head to look at Yan Qizheng with interest.
"My Royal Highness, you are so thoughtful. You made the Imperial Envoy travel all this way. Is it just to give him a gift?"
Yan Qizheng said bluntly: "I have other important matters to attend to in Beijiang County."
"Oh," Li Youxu raised his voice, "Brother Emperor has important business in the Northern Frontier? The county town isn't far from here. Do you need to send some people for the Imperial Envoy to dispatch?"
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness," Yan Qizheng declined politely, "I have more than enough men with me."
After a moment's hesitation, Li Youxu nodded and smiled, "In that case, Your Excellency, please stay and have a couple of drinks before leaving."
His tone of voice was decisive, not asking for opinions.
Yan Qizheng clasped his fists knowingly and said, "Obedience is worse than respect."
After the soldiers led the imperial envoys out of the tent, Military Advisor He leaned over and whispered a few words to the King of Liao.
"Is it him?" Li Youxu raised his eyebrows.
"That's right. It's said that he's not only incredibly skilled, but also smarter than the average warrior. No wonder he was sent here by the Crown Prince right after getting married. His marriage is also quite interesting. I heard that he married..."
"I'm not interested in his marriage." Li Youxu raised his hand to stop the military advisor, his eyes suddenly cold. "The prince's men have arrived in the northern border. Is Magistrate Luo dead?"
"I will immediately send someone to investigate."
Li Youxu then stood up in frustration and walked out of the tent to the bustling area. After taking two steps, he turned around and ordered his adjutant, "Let Lu Wufeng test the Imperial Envoy's skills."
When they heard that Vice Marshal Lu was going to compete in martial arts with the Imperial Envoy, who was also the most powerful guard of the Crown Prince, the military camp was in an uproar, and the soldiers excitedly joined the crowd to watch the fun.
Lu Wufeng was a valiant warrior, naturally skilled in martial arts. His opponent, a mere guard from the capital, was no match for his years of battlefield experience. Driven by this pride, Lu Wufeng handed the decision-making power over to him.
Yan Qizheng, the imperial envoy, was also unceremonious: "Today is the Fourth Prince's birthday. I'm afraid I'll feel uncomfortable with the sight of blood and swords. How about a competition of horseback riding and archery?"
"Okay." Lu Wufeng agreed immediately.
Everyone moved to the training grounds, and soon someone brought four strong horses and bows and arrows. Lu Wufeng asked him to choose first, and Yan Qizheng chose a tall black horse, put the quiver on its back, held the longbow in hand, and swiftly climbed onto the horse.
The soldiers who had come to watch the excitement had already followed, forming a huge crowd that surrounded most of the area. In the crowd, Yan Qizheng spotted the Fourth Prince standing with his arms folded.
He stood tall and strong, with an aura of royalty, but he was much more heroic and domineering than the other princes who grew up in the palace walls.
"Can we begin, Your Excellency?"
Lu Wufeng's voice brought his thoughts back. Yan Qizheng clasped his fists and smiled slightly: "Please."
The war drums beat and the soldiers cheered.
Two soldiers, one on the left and one on the right, held high small yellow flags. Yan Qizheng and Lu Wufeng were standing side by side at the starting line. As the small yellow flags were waved, the two horses rushed out like arrows from a bow.
The rules of horse archery are not complicated. The one who hits the bull's eye faster and more often wins.
However, each rider has six targets, distributed across various locations, some high, some low, some large, some small. To hit each target, the rider must adjust their stance while on horseback. This also requires a quick return to the starting point, making the competition quite challenging.
The first target was on the left, about the size of a plate. As his horse galloped, Yan Qizheng pulled a long arrow from behind him, placed it on the bow, hooked his foot into the stirrup, leaned left, and aimed at the red bull's eye.
With a flick of his finger, the long arrow flew like lightning, straight to the bull's eye. Cheers erupted, indicating both of them had hit the bull's eye. Without time to lose focus, the second target followed.
On the right, there was still a plate. Yan Qi had just leaned back from the left side when he fell back to the right. He drew his bow, aimed, and released the arrow decisively.
After passing the left and right, it is the next turn.
This time it was a chain target, with three plates hanging horizontally on the top of the flagpole.
If one wants to hit the target one by one, the archer on horseback must release three arrows in quick succession from far to near.
Lu Wufeng had already drawn a long arrow and suddenly shot it at one of the targets. As he drew his second arrow with his backhand, Yan Qizheng drew three arrows at once, tilted his longbow horizontally, and placed the three arrows on it, and flew towards the three targets at the same time.
Three arrows were shot at the same time, and Yan Qizheng continued to gallop forward on his horse, and was visibly in the lead.
The soldiers who had just been cheering for General Lu suddenly couldn't close their mouths anymore. They stared in astonishment at the changes on the field.
The last target, no bigger than a bowl, was mounted at the base of the flagpole. Even if one were standing on the ground, one would have to bend one's knees to aim, demonstrating the difficulty of hitting the target from horseback.
The rules of the competition did not prohibit dismounting, so just when the soldiers thought that the imperial envoy would take the most conservative approach to maintain his lead, he unexpectedly stayed on the horse.
An idea suddenly came to Yan Qizhen's mind. He pulled off the quiver on his back, wrapped the reins around his right calf, hooked his left foot firmly on the stirrup, and slid his whole body to the left and rear, with his back pressed against the horse's belly and his head hanging in the air.
As the horse turned, Yan Qi drew his bow and shot the last arrow backwards in an upside-down position.
The training ground was boiling!
Even though they had originally expected their deputy commander to win, the soldiers still cheered sincerely for the imperial envoy's wonderful performance.
Both of them hit the bull's eye of all six targets. The imperial envoy returned to the starting point one body length faster than the deputy commander. There was no doubt that the former won.
Lu Wufeng was not very happy after losing the match, but he had to admit that his opponent was superior. He had never expected that there were many talented people among the prince's guards. He had underestimated his opponent.
"The Imperial Envoy is very skilled. It is not unfair for me to lose."
Lu Wufeng clasped his fists towards him, and Yan Qizheng also clasped his fists in response: "General Lu is brave, and this is a lucky victory for me."
The last move, the overhead kick, was something I hadn't practiced much in my daily life, so it was indeed a bit risky.
At that moment, the scene at the horse farm suddenly flashed through his mind. She said that she hadn't been thrown from the horse, but that she had used the reins to tie her hands and hold her body up to the horse. So he thought of tying her feet with ropes and hanging from the horse.
"The Imperial Envoy's last arrow was so ingenious and eye-opening." Li Youxu walked up to Yan Qizhen and praised him in a low voice.
Unexpectedly, after trying it, this person's skills were indeed amazing.
"Your Highness is overly flattering. I am merely inspired by others."
Li Youxu's smile faded slightly. Could it be that the Crown Prince now had more than one or two experts around him? He twitched his lips slightly and asked tentatively, "Perhaps he's also a master horse driver?"
The other party just smiled faintly and did not comment.
For some reason, Li Youxu didn't like his smile at that moment. It looked like acknowledgment, but in reality it was unfathomable, hiding a secret he didn't want to reveal. So, Li Youxu turned around and shouted loudly, "The Imperial Envoy wins, and I'll give you ten jars of wine!"
Let's see if I can get anything out of him after I knock him down.
The prince had already issued an order that anyone who did not finish his wine would be beaten with a military stick. Since the imperial envoy was also in the camp, he would probably have to abide by this rule.
Ten jars of wine! Not to mention getting drunk, even if you were stuffed to death! A dozen soldiers brought ten jars and placed them in front of the imperial envoy. Everyone felt that another good show was about to begin.
Several people came forward with bowls of wine, wanting to congratulate the Imperial Envoy on his victory. Yan Qizheng accepted all the offers and drank heartily with them one by one. Seeing the Imperial Envoy's good alcohol tolerance, the onlookers rushed forward to join him.
Seeing that the jar of wine was half empty, Yan Qizheng wiped his mouth and suggested loudly: "Drinking alone is boring, how about playing games to liven up the atmosphere?"
How could it be bad to have games to liven things up? Everyone immediately chimed in with applause.
"Play finger-guessing games or guess the melon to see who wins. The winner gets to eat meat, and the loser gets to drink."
As soon as Yan Qizheng finished speaking, a soldier immediately raised his hand and wanted to play finger-guessing first. Yan Qizheng played finger-guessing with him, and after a few rounds, the winner was determined.
Without waiting for the soldier to turn around and get the wine bowl, Yan Qizheng pushed his own wine bowl in front of the soldier. In the military camp, there was no formality, so the soldier simply took it and drank it all.
The other soldiers rushed to join in the game of finger-guessing. Three of them were defeated one after another and drank up all the wine in Yan Qizhen's hand.
Seeing things were going badly, the fifth soldier switched to guessing the melon. Yan Qizheng then found a sheep skull and placed two empty bowls upside down on the table, asking the soldiers to guess where the bones were.
The soldier pointed to the bowl on the right. Yan Qi opened it and found it was empty. The soldier admitted defeat and drank the wine with regret.
At the beginning, the crowd was calm. But after watching for a few times, the imperial envoy never failed in either game, and the soldiers, who did not believe in superstition, were inspired to become competitive.
The enthusiasm of onlookers and participants began to rise and the atmosphere became more and more intense.
"Left, left, left."
"Right, right, right."
Not only the participants, but also the onlookers were pointing and gesturing, which was quite similar to the betting size in a casino.
Some people stared at the imperial envoy's hands without blinking, determined to see which bowl he had hidden the bone in. However, strangely enough, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, no one could guess the answer correctly.
But the more they can't win, the more people will continue to fight.
The desire to defeat the myth is like a bait that is gradually raised higher, attracting countless fish to rush in.
Seeing that most of the ten jars of wine beside the imperial envoy were empty, the soldiers who were beaten began to lose their spirits. Yan Qizhen's men deliberately slowed down for a moment, and the soldier who was guessing the melon luckily guessed it right!
"I won! I won!!" He jumped up excitedly, holding his head in ecstasy.
The people around him were also overjoyed and threw him into the air. Those who didn't know what was going on thought they were cheering for a hero.
Having seen the myth shattered, others also wanted to experience the thrill of being a hero. The enthusiasm of the participants was rekindled, but the luck was short-lived, and no one won again.
After the ten jars of wine he had "rewarded" were gone, Yan Qizheng finished his mythological performance and stood up to bid farewell to the King of Liao: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. I have had my fill, and I will not delay your enjoyment with the soldiers."
Under the attention of the surrounding soldiers, Yan Qizhen spoke in a loud and clear voice and was very conscientious.
Li Youxu had long observed his escape tricks. He was brave and intelligent, a man of talent. It was a pity that he was the prince's man.
Li Youxu was calculating in his mind, his eyes dark. "I am deeply grateful for your kindness, my brother. Please, sir, please convey this to me on your return journey."
"I'll keep it in mind." Yan Qi smiled positively and responded to the Liao King's instructions, but his heart was as clear as a mirror.
Did the King of Liao ever open or even take a look at the gift boxes brought?
"Your Highness, how about sending someone?" After the imperial envoy and his entourage left, the military advisor made a gesture of wiping his neck. His intention was obvious: to ambush the convoy on the road.
"That's the 'Crown Prince's Envoy', not the 'Crown Prince's Guard'!" Li Youxu snorted in dissatisfaction. "You killed the Envoy at your own doorstep. Do you think Li Chengtai can't find any evidence against you?"
"Your Highness, please forgive me. I was confused."
Li Youxu's eyes were gloomy.
He had a feeling that Li Chengtai must have suspected him. He had sent the imperial envoy to the northern border specifically to search for evidence and not let him return to the capital easily.
"Hurry and find Magistrate Luo and tell him to keep a close eye on the man," Li Youxu ordered coldly. "If necessary, follow the old rules."
"ah--"
Wei Ziyan was surprised to wake up from the nightmare, and her back was wet with sweat.
As June approaches, the weather gets hotter and hotter. Taking a nap on the chaise longue, I wake up shivering, with a thin layer of sweat on the tip of my nose.
Wei Ziyan sat up, stroking her rapidly heaving chest, still visibly shaken. It was broad daylight, and after a brief nap, she'd dreamt of falling off a horse.
"Girl, remember the skills I taught you. Don't forget them completely when I come back."
Because of this sentence, she kept practicing the risky dismounting action, but she fell off the horse every time.
The last time, she fell to the ground, and the furious horse suddenly rushed towards her, about to step on her face. Yan Qizheng rushed out from nowhere to block her, and was trampled by the horse's hooves...
Wei Ziyan knelt and huddled together, trying to drive the dream out of her mind. Qiu Luo came in with a washbasin to serve her. She unconsciously asked, "How long has he been gone?"
"Who?" Qiu Luo opened his eyes wide, "Miss, are you asking about your husband?"
Wei Ziyan suddenly realized, why did she ask about him?
"I didn't ask him."
"My uncle has been gone for more than half a month," Qiu Luo said, half worried and half happy. "Why should I feel bad for missing my uncle?"
"I didn't think about him!" Wei Ziyan glared.
Qiu Luo pursed her lips, an expression that showed she knew everything but kept silent. Wei Ziyan was about to have a proper talk with her when Leng Xiang came in and handed her a note, saying it was sent by the second daughter of the Wu family.
Wei Ziyan opened the invitation suspiciously and saw that it was an invitation for her to go to a teahouse to listen to an opera the next day.
What a coincidence, it was the place where she spoke the truth after getting drunk last time.
The Wu siblings had only been in the capital for two years, and she had never met Miss Wu Er alone, so her relationship was not as close as that with her brother.
There have been rumors recently that the second son of the Minister of Justice and the second daughter of the Qi family are about to get married. Could Miss Wu's invitation to the wedding be related to this?
The next afternoon, Wei Ziyan and Qiu Luo arrived at the teahouse as planned, filled with curiosity. But once they entered the private room, they saw no sign of Second Miss Wu. The only person waiting for her was Wu Guanyi.
"Why don't you see your sister?"
"It's not my sister, it's my sister-in-law who I asked to come out. I want her to do me a favor." Wu Guanyi had already stood up and bowed to her thoughtfully.
It turned out that it was inconvenient for him, a man from outside the family, to ask her out alone, so he used the name of his sister. However, Wei Ziyan was very puzzled: "How can I help Master Wu Er?"
Wu Guanyi glanced at Qiu Luo who was standing next to him. Wei Ziyan understood and turned around to tell Qiu Luo to wait for her outside the door for a while.
"Sister-in-law, you must have heard about my marriage to the second daughter of the Qi family, right?" The door of the box was closed again. Wu Guanyi asked her to sit down, poured her tea, and then spoke.
"To be honest, this marriage was not my wish, nor was it what my father wanted..." Wu Guanyi lowered his voice, "It was the Crown Prince who, considering the current situation, forced the Wu family to marry into the Qi family."
Wei Ziyan was slightly startled, and only then did she digest this sentence, and listened to Wu Guanyi continue speaking.
"But I already have someone I love, and I don't want to marry someone else and miss out on my chance with her. After much thought, I couldn't think of a way out, so I took the liberty of making an appointment. Sister-in-law is smart and has many ideas, and she's also Miss Liu's good sister, so I beg you to give me some advice..."
"Wait—" Wei Ziyan became more and more confused the more she listened. "I'm smart and have a lot of ideas?"
"Sister-in-law, didn't you think of many ideas in order to avoid marrying Yuwen?"
“…”
Wei Ziyan's eyes widened in disbelief: "If I use my ideas on the Crown Prince, it would be a crime of deceiving the emperor!"
"Sister-in-law, you misunderstood. I didn't mean to deceive the prince—"
"Also, I am Sister Liu's good sister, what does this marriage have to do with you..." Wei Ziyan interrupted him again, but when he was halfway through his words, just as the word "related" came to his throat, his eyes suddenly widened.
"Who is your crush?"
Wu Guanyi nodded slightly and admitted: "It is Miss Liu."
“…”
Seeing the other person's serious expression, Wei Ziyan grabbed the teacup in front of her and took two sips to calm herself down.
"When did you..."
"When Miss Liu came to Lantingfang to fight for her sister-in-law."
"Love at first sight?"
Wu Guanyi nodded again.
I still remember clearly that moment when a girl I had never met before suddenly rushed in with such domineering attitude.
It turned out she was the girl who had attended the play with Miss Wei, and had come to speak up for her. Tsk, her demeanor and bearing, both valiant and unassuming, left him with a lasting impression. Later, after witnessing her intelligence and beauty, he couldn't help but like her even more.
He carefully concealed his thoughts, hoping to slowly win favor, but now he had no time to do so.
"To be honest, sister-in-law, I've gone to the Liu residence three times, but Miss Liu always turned me away. She's trying to avoid me, so I've had no choice but to come to you for help."
Wu Guanyi bowed again and said, "I beg you, sister-in-law, to help me meet Miss Liu."
【Author’s words】
A short absence makes a new marriage better
A little goodbye, I'll be back soon [cat head]
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