When Fu Yunchen arrived at the city gate of the capital, he saw that the gate was wide open and officials from the Ministry of Rites were waiting at the gate.
After a moment's thought, he stepped forward and greeted him: "Minister Ma."
"Oh, it's Yun Tanhua. You've left the city?" Like the others, Minister Ma greatly admired this handsome new court official, thinking that as long as nothing went wrong, he would surely rise rapidly in rank. Befriending him now would be beneficial for the future.
Fu Yunchen replied, "I went to the estate to take a look. I was supposed to return yesterday, but the rain last night kept me there, so I rested at the estate for the night. What's going on, Minister Ma?"
"Prince Zhou is about to arrive in the capital, and I am here to welcome him on the Emperor's orders," Minister Ma replied, a hint of disdain barely concealed in his eyes.
Fu Yunchen knew that some officials in the court looked down on Prince Zhou, who had surrendered to the Wu army, and Vice Minister Ma was one of them.
"Such a grand occasion." Fu Yunchen glanced at the Imperial Guards behind Vice Minister Ma, who numbered at least a hundred.
Vice Minister Ma shook his head. "His Majesty truly favors Prince Zhou far too much. If it weren't for him, why would His Majesty have agreed?"
“Lord Ma, please be careful with your words,” Fu Yunchen interrupted him.
Minister Ma was startled and slapped his mouth. "Thank you for reminding me, Scholar Yun. But to speak ill of the imperial family is a crime of disrespect and disobedience."
"I didn't hear anything just now," Fu Yunchen said with a smile.
"Hahaha, I'll invite Yun Tanhua to a feast later, please don't refuse." Minister Ma bowed to Fu Yunchen.
Fu Yunchen returned the greeting, "Then, I'll head back now and wait for Lord Ma's wine."
"Does Yun Tanhua have something important to discuss? If not, why don't you come with me to wait for Prince Zhou? You'll have someone to talk to."
"If it won't disturb Lord Ma."
"Not at all. Someone, prepare tea, a hat, and a chair for Yun Tanhua."
The two men drank tea and chatted about trivial matters concerning the imperial court.
Having already drunk the tea brewed by Mu Run, Fu Yunchen found the tea served by the city gate guards as unpalatable, like drinking swill.
A mounted guard galloped over, finally dismounting when he was three meters away from Minister Ma.
"Reporting to the Vice Minister, Prince Zhou's entourage has reached within a mile."
"You've worked hard, you can step down now."
"Yes, sir."
Vice Minister Ma stood up, dusted off a few specks of dust from his clothes, and said to Fu Yunchen, "Shall we go and greet them?"
“I’ve been sitting for quite a while, it’s time to get up and walk around,” Fu Yunchen replied.
A carriage slowly approached from a distance, followed by a troop of Wu soldiers.
"To ensure his safe return, His Majesty has already sent two million taels of gold. In addition to escorting Prince Zhou, these Wu soldiers and envoys will also take away Princess Xiaoyu and the territory east of Chongyang Mountain." When he finished speaking, Minister Ma was truly heartbroken.
Fu Yunchen looked at the carriage carrying Prince Zhou, lowered his voice, and said, "Han Yu said that a gentleman who is meticulous in his manners never tires of loyalty and trustworthiness, and in battle, he never tires of deception. You should simply use deception."
Minister Ma's expression changed slightly. "What does Yun Tanhua mean?"
“Your Majesty may have other intentions.” Fu Yunchen took out a blood-red jade bone-fragmented fan from his sleeve and opened it with elegance and grace.
Looking at the dashing and elegant Fu Yunchen, Vice Minister Ma's admiration for him grew even stronger. "What Yunchen said has enlightened Shizhong." Shizhong was Vice Minister Ma's courtesy name.
The carriage stopped, and Fu Yunchen followed Ma Shizhong forward to greet Prince Zhou inside the carriage.
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