Chapter 33 World 2 (9)
Before Yuwen Xuan even returned to the palace, an imperial decree had been issued. The person responsible for conveying the decree was a top-ranking eunuch at the emperor's side. He informed the palace's gatekeeper of his purpose, and the gatekeeper asked the eunuch to wait while he hurried off to find the housekeeper.
The butler personally came to the gate of the palace, followed by two servants, carrying a round stool in their hands.
"The prince hasn't returned yet, so you'll have to wait for a while."
The steward's words were respectful but not flattering, fulfilling all the formalities, but he didn't even mention letting the eunuchs into the palace. This palace belonged to Yuwen Xuan, and unless Yuwen Xuan personally requested it, the servants wouldn't dare welcome anyone in, even if the person came from the palace. While they couldn't let anyone in, the steward wouldn't leave them standing outside the door, and he even provided a stool for the leading eunuch to rest.
As for the other young eunuchs, they just had to wait obediently.
While the Grand Eunuch wasn't the closest to the Emperor, he was still a well-known figure, and he was responsible for delivering imperial decrees to various palaces. Even the most powerful of the highest rank, such as the princes and nobles, had to be greeted respectfully, served tea and snacks, and never received such treatment as today. The Grand Eunuch had, however, heard of Yuwen Xuan's reputation: a ruthless man who could draw his sword and execute anyone in full view of the court.
Now Yuwen Xuan's tendons and veins were broken and he could no longer lift the sword. But the chief eunuch was still afraid of him. He did not have the courage to test Yuwen Xuan's ability to lift the sword with his own life.
So, the head eunuch smiled and said "you're welcome". With a wink, the young eunuch behind him pulled the round stool to him, wiped it clean with his wide sleeves, and warmed it with his breath before placing it under the head eunuch's buttocks.
Several eunuchs were waiting outside the palace gate. After waiting for a long time, they did not dare to show any impatience. They stared into the distance with their eyes, looking eagerly.
Yuwen Xuan was dressed in black. Before he approached the palace, he saw a man standing up from a round stool.
This man has a fair complexion and no beard, and one can tell his identity at a glance.
Yuwen Xuan stepped over the threshold, but without looking at the eunuchs, he said in a cold and hard voice, "What's the matter?"
The housekeeper hurriedly replied.
"It was the Emperor's order to invite His Majesty to the palace. I don't know the specific details."
Seeing that the butler had made the order clear in just a few words and the eunuch couldn't even get a word in, he didn't feel depressed but felt fortunate.
Yuwen Xuan just glanced at him lightly, and his legs went weak and he almost fell to the ground.
As expected of a veteran on the battlefield, the bloody murderous aura on his body is so frightening.
Seeing Yuwen Xuan remained silent, the chief eunuch worried that he might not go. He then recalled the emperor's repeated instructions before arriving at the palace. The chief eunuch mustered his courage and said, "I'm afraid the emperor must have missed you after not seeing you for so long, so he invited you to the palace to see him."
Hearing this, Yuwen Xuan scoffed. Missing him? The person on the dragon throne must be extremely disgusted with him and would only applaud if he could never see him again.
Yuwen Xuan's eyes were like a deep pool, and his voice was like a ghost: "If that's the case, then go."
The chief eunuch suppressed his fear. In a split second, Yuwen Xuan had already mounted his horse. He looked panicked and said quickly, "Not only does His Majesty want to see the prince, but the Empress is also concerned about Miss Deng and wants to take this opportunity..."
Since Yuwen Xuan and Miss Deng are both going to enter the palace, they might as well go together.
Yuwen Xuan was tall, and his heroic appearance was even more apparent when he was sitting on the horse. He glanced down at the eunuch, and the look in his eyes made people feel uneasy.
Seeing this, the head eunuch changed the subject and said, "Your Highness has important business to attend to in the palace, so he must go ahead. I will escort Miss Deng to the palace and bring her there safely. Your Highness, please do not worry."
The only response he got was the dust kicked up by the horse's hooves and a word thrown by Yuwen Xuan.
The housekeeper, who was as calm as a mountain, heard Yuwen Xuan's promise, and then sent someone to call Miss Deng out.
When Miss Deng heard that the Queen had summoned her, and also heard from the servant that the prince was also going to the palace, she thought that the two of them were going to go together, and hurriedly asked the maid to help her wash and dress up.
"This one won't work, and that one won't work either..."
Miss Deng's face was full of dissatisfaction. These dresses were too ordinary and tacky. There was no novelty at all, let alone being eye-catching.
She held a pair of crabapple hairpins in her hand and asked the maid, "Where is the precious fan?"
Even though she hadn't seen the precious fan for several days, Miss Deng had not completely forgotten it.
Such a beautiful appearance, such a touching look that makes me feel pity for her. Even though she came from another world and had seen countless flowers and beauties, none of them could compare to the precious fan.
Such a beauty, just a glance will be remembered in your heart and you will never forget her.
Miss Deng had seen Baoshan in the past and saw that she was a maid and did not have much money, so the hairpins and rings on her head were all made of brass.
The bright colors of the thorn cloth skirt can also be seen. Even the plain skirt can attract people's attention and shake their hearts.
Miss Deng felt that if Baoshan were here, he would definitely be able to dress her up well.
Hua Qing lowered her eyelids and said in a deep voice, "She's not feeling well—you'd better clean up as soon as possible, my dear. The prince is not a slow person."
Miss Deng suddenly remembered that Baoshan had taken leave due to illness, and she couldn't help but sigh - how could such a beautiful woman be so weak?
But if you really want to call Baoshan over, that's fine.
It’s just that the journey takes time, and once they arrive, it takes some time to choose clothes and jewelry.
Miss Deng thought of Yuwen Xuan's cold face and put the idea of calling for the treasure fan out of her mind. She handed the wooden comb to Hua Qing and asked her to do her makeup.
By the time Miss Deng was ready, the setting sun, which had just been slowly setting, now only had a faint warm orange glow left.
Seeing that no one was urging them, Hua Qing took every opportunity to flatter Miss Deng.
"The prince has always been a person who doesn't wait for anyone, but now he can wait outside the mansion even after spending so much time dressing up. It shows that he has special feelings for the girl."
Miss Deng's face flushed, and she glared at Hua Qing lightly, but she didn't say any words of blame.
When Miss Deng walked out of the palace, she looked left and right, but could not see Yuwen Xuan. There were only a few eunuchs waiting outside the door.
The chief eunuch rubbed his cold palms and stepped forward: "Miss Deng, are you ready? Come with me to the palace."
Miss Deng looked anxious and quickly stopped the eunuch: "Wait, where is the prince? Isn't he going to enter the palace with us?"
Seeing her fully made-up and elaborately dressed, the head eunuch assumed she was being polite in front of the Empress. But hearing her words, he couldn't help but look peculiar. "Your Highness? He left an hour ago, so he should be at the palace by now."
Miss Deng turned pale instantly, and even the finest makeup could not hide the panic in her eyes. Hua Qing, who was standing behind her, also suddenly opened her eyes wide and subconsciously took a few steps back, moving away from Miss Deng, fearing that Miss Deng would remember her flattery and become angry and take her anger out on her.
At the eunuch's urging, Miss Deng got into the carriage in a trance.
When the carriage stopped, the eunuch lifted the curtain and Miss Deng got off the carriage. When she looked up, she saw the night was as dark as ink.
In the main hall of the imperial palace, a scene of joy and rejoicing filled the air. The emperor and his ministers drank and chatted, enjoying themselves in a joyful atmosphere. But there was a single seat, seemingly cut off from the outside world. If elsewhere it was the vibrant warmth of spring, here it was the bitter cold of winter.
Others seemed to be deliberately avoiding Yu Wenxuan's position and toasted and greeted him everywhere.
Yu Wenxuan's eyes were indifferent, and his facial expression had not changed since he sat down.
The wine on the table is good wine. Just by taking a quick sip, you can tell that it is a mellow and fine wine that has been buried under a tree for many years and has just been unsealed.
Such good wine can best arouse the bloodiness in people's bones.
Yuwen Xuan thought of the Changming Sword. If it had come with him today, he would also be able to enjoy such good wine.
I don't know when the topic shifted to Yuwen Xuan.
"Your Majesty's achievements will endure for generations to come, and he deserves the respect of millions. However, the current territory is not vast enough. If the court had loyal ministers willing to expand the territory for Your Majesty, wouldn't that be a wonderful thing?"
Having said that, who would be willing to leave their homeland and go to that bitter and cold place where they have to eat raw meat and drink blood?
Everyone's eyes were focused on Yuwen Xuan.
Receiving the emperor's affirmative look, the minister who had just spoken held his head high. His gaze met Yuwen Xuan's dark and gloomy eyes, and he couldn't help but feel timid. He just remembered that Yuwen Xuan had been ripped apart, a cripple, like a toothless tiger, at the mercy of others.
He stood up and spoke passionately to Yuwen Xuan, "Your Highness is a minister of the emperor's wealth and should know the way of serving as a minister. Now that the emperor is troubled by the small territory, as a minister, it is my duty to help him solve his problems."
His eyes were as bright as torches, as if to say: Why don't you quickly agree to lead the troops into battle and serve me until your death?
...The whole room was silent, no one spoke.
Yuwen Xuan, who was being instructed by him, threw a few empty wine bottles beside him and didn't even look at the minister who was making an impassioned speech.
Being ignored by Yuwen Xuan, the minister's face flushed. He turned to look at other ministers, but found that the ministers sitting at the table all avoided his gaze and hurriedly turned away, pretending to do other things.
The minister was furious, but when he saw the emperor nod, he felt a surge of courage in his heart: "Your Highness, do you have any other suggestions?"
A light laugh fell.
Yuwen Xuan finally looked up and glanced at the minister.
"Since you want to lead the troops, just ask for permission. What do you think of me?"
Yuwen Xuan raised his eyes slightly. Seeing this, the guards who followed him into the palace immediately stepped forward and pressed him to the ground amid the minister's panic.
By the time the guards released the minister, he was already wearing armor and had a sword at his belt.
The two guards stood on either side, clasping their hands together and saying, "Lord Xu is willing to lead the troops into battle. We are far behind."
He said it three times, each time louder than the last.
Lord Xu's body stiffened, and he was about to kneel down when he saw the gloomy face of the emperor.
If he is not capable, how can he lead the troops?
But the emperor opened his mouth and blocked all his escape routes.
"Lord Xu is loyal to the emperor and patriotic, I approve it!"
The emperor felt bitter: if he did not go along with it, wouldn't it prove that in such a huge court, only Yuwen Xuan, whom he hated the most, was available.
Lord Xu was not stupid. He knew that there was no turning back in this matter. Saying more would be pointless and would only anger the emperor, so he knelt down tremblingly and accepted the order.
Seeing Lord Xu's defeat, everyone had different expressions. Although Yuwen Xuan no longer had the strength to chop people, his methods were just not as bloody as before, but still as terrifying.
Leading troops to war is very dangerous. If you are not careful, you will become a prisoner of another country and be tied up and tortured.
But not everyone is Yuwen Xuan, who has the courage to escape death.
By then, you will be like a fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of others, losing both your face and your life.
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