Chapter 568 - 277: A Marriage of Two Nations

Chapter 568: Chapter 277: A Marriage of Two Nations

A loud "Fuck!" echoed from the study of the Red King Mansion.

The few people with their ears pressed against the door, listening to the commotion inside, broke out in a cold sweat.

Zizi stared blankly at her sisters, connected to her through the Orchid bond, and mouthed, "What is the master... going to do?"

Pingping, bewildered, said uncertainly, "...Fuck?"

Lily tilted her head. "Who?"

Jing Xuemei pressed her lips together, wanting to laugh but unable to. "...Stop fooling around. I’m afraid something’s happened."

When Zheng Xiu, his face dark, suddenly threw open the study door, the four women stood outside at a loss, their heads bowed like children who had done something wrong.

"Quickly, help me bathe and change."

Zheng Xiu didn’t blame them for eavesdropping. His face was terrifyingly grim, so dark it looked like you could squeeze ink from it.

A sharp whistle pierced the air.

Qing Shisan, who was squatting on the roof trimming his toenails, froze mid-action.

"Ready the horses at once! The master is entering the palace to see the Holy Emperor!"

「A while later.」

The carriage from the Red King Mansion sped through the streets. Inside, Zheng Xiu sat without a word, silently rolling the Jade Ring on his thumb.

The Holy Decree had been imbued with a Miracle Technique. After the true "content" was delivered as an illusion, the scroll had self-combusted, burning away until only a pile of ash remained.

Zheng Xiu closed his eyes, carefully recalling every word the Great Emperor had spoken in the Holy Decree, pondering their deeper meaning.

He turned Venerable Wei Yang’s brief words over and over in his mind. After the initial shock and disbelief, Zheng Xiu had now calmed down, left with only a heart full of puzzlement and confusion.

When he arrived before the gates of the Imperial Palace, they were heavily manned by the Imperial Guard.

On the snowy ground, Yi Gao waited quietly, the tips of his ears red from the cold.

It had taken Zheng Xiu nearly an hour to read the Holy Decree, bathe, change into his fine robes, and set out. Yi Gao had been waiting for that entire hour.

Qing Shisan helped Zheng Xiu out of the carriage, and Yi Gao came forward to pay his respects.

Zheng Xiu nodded, his face wooden. Yi Gao asked in a low voice, "The Holy Emperor left a message, ordering this humble servant to ask Your Highness a question here at the Imperial Palace gates: Is the one who has come today Prince Zheng, or Zheng Xiu?"

Before Zheng Xiu could answer, Yi Gao smiled faintly. "The Holy Emperor said that if the Prince answers ’Red King,’ he may enter the palace for an audience. If he answers ’Zheng Xiu,’ then he is to return the way he came, with no need to attend Court."

A piercingly cold wind filled his nose and mouth. Zheng Xiu took a deep breath and cupped his hands toward Yi Gao. "I know what to do. Thank you for the reminder, Lord Yi."

"I wouldn’t dare! This way, Red King."

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The sound of drums, like falling rain, passed from one to the next, echoing through the deep palace.

"Announce!"

"Announce the Red King!"

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—

"Announce the Red King!"

"Announce the Red King!"

A hidden message was contained within the drumming rain. In the main hall, Venerable Wei Yang waved a hand and smiled faintly. "Announce—the Red King!"

Zheng Xiu ascended the thousand-step Celestial Ascension Ladder as if it were flat ground, treading on the thick snow and leaving a lone trail of footprints as he entered the great hall.

The civil and military officials stood in several columns, sharply divided.

Jiang Gaoyi, as one of the Six Ministers, stood at the head of one of the columns. He lowered his head, turned his face, and tried to catch Zheng Xiu’s attention with a blink and a pout as he approached from behind. Zheng Xiu lacked Jiang Gaoyi’s talent for Reading the Room and naturally couldn’t decipher what his expression was trying to say. Still, as he walked, he could sense the strange atmosphere in the hall.

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The Great Emperor, a smile on his face, sat upon the Dragon Throne, his eyes fixed on Zheng Xiu with every step he took.

"I pay my respects to the Holy Emperor."

Zheng Xiu cupped his hands in a salute. Venerable Wei Yang waved a hand and gestured to the side. "A seat for him."

A small chair was brought out. Zheng Xiu gave his thanks in a low voice, then, with a stern expression, he flicked his cape and sat down. Looking out over the court, his gaze was like lightning, sweeping across every face.

Jiang Gaoyi, who was currently peeking at the situation from under his lowered head, was secretly shocked. It had only been a few days, but now that Zheng Xiu had returned to the morning court as the "Red King," his bearing held a faint yet majestic aura that was no less imposing than the Great Emperor’s.

’Of course,’ he thought, ’I would never dare say such a comparison out loud. That’s the kind of talk that gets your head chopped off.’ Studying Zheng Xiu’s face, Jiang Gaoyi saw that two words were written all over it: Not pleased. He thought about the heated debate that had erupted during court that morning, the maneuvering between several factions, and now, the sudden summons for the Red King, who never attended the morning session. Even an idiot could see whose idea it was for Zheng Xiu to be here.

Just as Zheng Xiu sat down, the Great Emperor began with a lighthearted compliment, bringing up the Red King’s generous and selfless contributions to disaster relief during the summer floods and droughts.

The ministers all chimed in with their agreement.

Zheng Xiu’s expression darkened. He was not pleased.

He had now recovered from the shock of the "secret Holy Decree." He raised his head and met the Great Emperor’s gaze.

At that moment, Venerable Wei Yang’s eyes were bright and full of unspoken words. As he praised the Red King in front of all the civil and military officials, he seized the chance to meet his gaze. In an instant, the two men—one old, one young, the two most powerful and highest-ranking figures in the Daqian Dynasty—were locked in a silent stare.

"The only one who can solve my worries is the Zheng Clan’s Red King."

The Great Emperor smiled. From his seat, Zheng Xiu cupped his hands. "I am unworthy of such praise."

"There is no need for such modesty. You are worthy of it."

The Great Emperor’s tone left no room for doubt.

At the end of the Holy Decree, he had only spoken of one thing.

A matter concerning two nations!

This was why Zheng Xiu couldn’t help but shout "Fuck!" after hearing Venerable Wei Yang’s words in the illusion from the Holy Decree.

Since ancient times, the relationship between nations has been one of either war or peace.

The Northern Barbarians and Daqian had fought for hundreds of years, with friction spanning several dynasties.

For several dynasties, ambitious emperors had dreamed of incorporating the states of the Northern Barbarians into their own territory, becoming an emperor for the ages, their fame echoing for a hundred generations.

The Northern Barbarian Wilderness, however, was a barren land with scarce resources, its people traditionally relying on animal husbandry. If the various Northern Barbarian states were weak, that would have been fine. They could have obediently submitted to Daqian, engaged in mutual trade, and benefited from Daqian’s vast territory and abundant resources, leading peaceful, prosperous, and happy lives.