MCUS Chapter 176

Zeng Shouli attached great importance to Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen. Not only did he send someone to pick them up, but it was also his eldest son, Zeng Xuyang.

Zeng Zhenzhen also came along and ran over to Yan Jin to give him a hug as soon as she saw him.

Yan Jin seemed to be trying the aloof route today. With a straight face, he nodded faintly, “Miss Zeng is polite.”

After a moment’s surprise, Zeng Zhenzhen burst into laughter.

Yan Jin glanced at her helplessly and continued to walk with his hands behind his back, maintaining an expressionless face.

Zeng Zhenzhen saw that he was playing around and intentionally tried to make him laugh. Yan Jin had no choice but to quicken his pace, and Zeng Zhenzhen chased after him. The two of them walked faster and faster.

Zeng Xuyang shook his head helplessly, “Master Luo, Madam Luo, my younger sister has always been playful. Please don’t be offended.”

“No worries,” Yan Ge said, “I can tell that Little Jiacheng really likes your younger sister.”

Yinshan Hall was situated halfway up the mountain, surrounded by trees, with a soothing greenery. The cool breeze on the mountain was indeed very pleasant.

Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen walked side by side, chatting and admiring the scenery along the way.

Having received instructions from his father, Zeng Xuyang gave up on introducing them to Yinshan Hall. Instead, he led the way in front without interfering.

A servant walked at the back, carrying gifts.

As they stepped onto the final flight of steps, Zeng Shouli personally welcomed them.

“Ourhonored guests have arrived, and Yinshan Hall shines brightly,” he said.

Huangfu Yuchen only nodded casually. Zeng Shouli had long understood his character and didn’t mind.

Yan Ge smiled and said, “Master Zeng is overestimating us. We know very little about the martial world. Today, we have the opportunity to visit Yinshan Hall, which is our great honor.”

“Madam Luo is being too polite. Both of you, please come in,” Zeng Shouli said.

After they sat down in the reception hall, they chatted casually. Zeng Shouli had no airs of seniority and treated Huangfu Yuchen and Yan Ge with equal respect, just as the rumors suggested – he was warm and amiable.

Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen agreed to come to Yinshan Hall for another reason.

Huangfu Yuchen asked, “Master Zeng, do you know if there are any martial practitioners in the martial world willing to be hired as instructors?”

Zeng Shouli replied, “Naturally, there are. Some local wealthy families have hired several members of my sect to be instructors, teaching their children martial arts for self-defense.”

Huangfu Yuchen said, “I suppose such cases are rare in the martial world.”

Zeng Shouli thought for a moment and said, “Upon careful consideration, it does seem to be relatively rare. Most martial practitioners in the martial world prefer to roam freely rather than be tied down to one place.”

Huangfu Yuchen nodded and didn’t say more.

Seeing that they didn’t want to discuss it further, Zeng Shouli tactfully refrained from asking more questions.

They shifted to other topics.

After having lunch at Yinshan Hall, Yan Ge and the others took their leave.

The next day, Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen set off on their journey back to the capital. Unlike the hurried trip when leaving, this time they strolled leisurely. Huangfu Yuchen had arranged a different route, allowing Yan Ge to enjoy sightseeing along the way.

When they went back to the capital, Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen once again immersed themselves in their busy schedules.

The Little Crown Prince was also not idle. As he grew older, Huangfu Yuchen’s demands on him became stricter, assigning him practical tasks on a regular basis. The Little Crown Prince understood that he was the sole heir to the throne, and he was very hardworking. Although his father was strict with him, the Second Master and Yan Jin treated him kindly, and he was content.

Time flew, and another month passed.

During the early morning court session, the ministers argued heatedly over state affairs. Huangfu Yuchen calmly read a memorial, waiting for them to finish their quarrel. Today was Yan Ge’s rest day, and he planned to take Yan Ge on a tour of the entire capital, so he needed to finish reviewing the memorials for the day as quickly as possible.

After arguing for a while, the ministers didn’t hear the emperor intervene, so they looked up and saw the emperor rapidly marking comments in red on the memorials. They understood that the emperor must be eager to “meet” with Yan Guiqing.

“Your Majesty,” Deng Mande reminded.

Huangfu Yuchen didn’t raise his head, “Are you finished arguing? Just state your conclusions.”

Prime Minister Wen said, “Currently, our Great Han is developing rapidly, and it’s a time when we need unity between the monarch and county kings. But King Jun Wang is abusing his authority, oppressing the common people, knowingly violating the emperor’s will, and acting against him. Considering his past merits to the kingdom, he can be spared from capital punishment, but he can’t escape punishment for his actions. We believe he should be stripped of his title, demoted to a commoner, and have his wealth confiscated as a deterrent.”

“Understood. Do as Prime Minister Wen suggested,” Huangfu Yuchen said.

“Report—”

The voice of a eunuch announcing a report came from outside the hall.

Everyone in the hall straightened up. Normally, when memorials were submitted directly to the emperor, they were either urgent military reports or diplomatic letters from foreign kingdoms.

A eunuch came in with both hands holding a memorial and hurriedly entered the hall.

“Report to Your Majesty, a letter from the Wei kingdom court.”

“Present it.”

Deng Mande took the memorial and handed it to Huangfu Yuchen.

After reading it, Huangfu Yuchen snorted.

The ministers were curious. It wasn’t often to see the emperor displaying such rich emotions while reading a memorial.

“Deng Mande, let all the esteemed ministers have a look,” Huangfu Yuchen said.

“Yes.” Deng Mande passed the memorial to the other ministers one by one.

“Demon Fortress? Your Majesty, do you know where this Demon Fortress is located?” After reading the memorial, Huangfu Yuhu handed it to Jiang Gan.

The ministers who hadn’t seen it yet perked up their ears at the unfamiliar term. Their emperor was known for his wide knowledge and extensive learning.

Huangfu Yuchen glanced at Grand Tutor You calmly and said, “Grand Tutor must know.”

You Tai held his tablet and said, “Reporting to Your Majesty, this old minister indeed knows a bit.”

“Then, Grand Tutor, please enlighten the esteemed ministers,” Huangfu Yuchen said.

You Tai said, “This old minister obeys the order. Demon Fortress is located in the Mai Kingdom and is said to be the residence of demons. To enter the Demon Fortress, one must first traverse an uninhabited desert, then cross a turbulent river, and finally pass through an endless jungle. The desert, river, and jungle are filled with poisonous insects and monsters, and danger lurks at every turn. For hundreds of years, a legend has circulated that the Demon Fortress houses numerous rare treasures, but because of the demons guarding them, anyone who ventured into the Demon Fortress never returned. Before the rise of the Hu Maichu nobles in the Mai Kingdom, almost every dynasty had dispatched armies to the Demon Fortress, attempting to find treasures for expanding their military funds, but none were successful.”

Prime Minister Wei said, “The state letter mentions that each kingdom is to send a thousand elite troops to explore the Demon Fortress together. One, it’s to display their military strength and learn from each other, and two, it’s to search for treasures. Whichever kingdom’s troops arrive at the Demon Fortress first will be considered the victors, and the troops of other kingdoms will help them search for treasures. Once treasures are found, two-thirds of the treasures will belong to the victorious troops. The invitation to our Great Han comes from His Majesty Wei Lie. What is his intention?”

Jiang Gan said, “It’s obvious that the Wei Kingdom and Mai Kingdom are colluding. The reason they had the Wei Kingdom extend the invitation is merely to deceive and cover up their true intentions.”

The ministers whispered in discussion.

“I wonder what Your Majesty plans to do?” Jiang Gan asked.

Huangfu Yuchen said, “If we refuse, they’ll think we’re afraid of them.”

Jiang Gan nodded in agreement, “However, if what Grand Tutor said is true, there are various unheard-of poisonous insects and monsters in the jungle and desert. Sending a thousand soldiers might lead to casualties without any returns.”

After contemplating for a while, Huangfu Yuchen spoke again, “Rumors might not always be baseless. I once read an anonymous anecdote in an ancient record many years ago, which mentioned that a thousand years ago, the Demon Fortress was once the imperial palace of a small kingdom. Coincidentally, in another book called ‘Ancient Legends,’ I read about the same place, referred to as the Twin Moon Palace, it fell due to a battle between unknown forces. Therefore, I believe that the existence of treasures in the Demon Fortress might be true.”

Grand Tutor You nodded, “I’ve also read ‘Ancient Legends’ mentioned by His Majesty. It is an extremely ancient book written by someone with the surname ‘Gu.’ The book didn’t originally have a title, as it was customary at that time not to sign one’s name in writings. The author identified himself as ‘Gu,’ and later generations named the book ‘Ancient Legends.’”

“That’s right,” Huangfu Yuchen affirmed.

The ministers were greatly impressed by the extensive knowledge of their emperor and the Grand Tutor.

Prime Minister Wei wasn’t entirely in favor, “Your Majesty’s intention is to accept the invitation?”

Huangfu Yuchen replied, “The assembly time mentioned in the state letter is still two months away. I will think it over first and discuss this matter tomorrow.”

“Yes!”

Deng Mande announced, “Presenting a report, and adjourn if there are no other matters—”

“Long live, our Emperor!”

“Adjourn—”

Back in Tenglong Palace, Huangfu Yuchen went directly to Yang Ge’s laboratory.

Yan Ge was busy studying the spiral bottle stopper on the experimental platform. The container’s opening was made with threads to provide a higher level of sealing, which was good for preservation.

Seeing him occupied, Huangfu Yuchen didn’t disturb him. He signaled to Deng Mande and quietly sat down at a nearby table.

Deng Mande handed him the memorials, then stood quietly beside him.

After verifying a set of data, Yan Ge turned around to record it on the table. Unexpectedly, he saw Huangfu Yuchen and was startled.

“When did you arrive?”

“Just now,” Huangfu Yuchen picked up a cup of cooled tea and warmed it using true qi. “Baby, have some water and take a break.”

“Mhm.” Yan Ge had something in his hands so he just took a big sip.

Huangfu Yuchen realized that Yan Ge had been busy for a while, and because the palace maids and eunuchs didn’t dare to disturb him, they hadn’t brought him water, leaving him thirsty until now. He felt distressed and fed him another sip.

“I’ve told you countless times to take care of yourself. If you don’t listen, I’ll have your laboratory closed.”

“I promise to pay attention next time. I want to drink more,” Yan Ge smiled at him.

Seeing his beloved’s smile, Huangfu Yuchen lost all his anger and continued to feed him the tea.

Having quenched his thirst, Yan Ge smiled contentedly, then went back to the table to finish recording the previous data.

Deng Mande thought ahead and asked a maid to prepare water for him to wash his hands after.

“Aren’t you still busy? Why did you come over?” Yan Ge asked as he washed his hands. He saw the open memorial on the table.

Huangfu Yuchen motioned for him to sit down, then personally fanned him with a folding fan, while telling him about the matter of the Demon Fortress.

“Hu Mailong is really dishonest!” Yan Ge said, “Since you think there might be treasures in the Demon Fortress, we should go and have a look. If possible, we’ll take all the treasures and let him suffer. Maybe the next ruler of the Mai Kingdom won’t be as ambitious as him, and it will save us a lot of trouble.”

Huangfu Yuchen chuckled; his beloved always looked at the bright side.

“That’s what I’m thinking too. However, there are many dangers on the way to the Demon Fortress, and having a thousand people might not be advantageous. On the other hand, there are also the so-called poisonous insects and ants. Baby, can you treat someone bitten by an unknown poisonous insect?”

“Of course!” Yan Ge was brimming with confidence. “The ‘Medicinal Pharmacopoeia” contains information about various poisonous insects and plants, as well as treatment methods after injuries. If I have time, I can prescribe appropriate remedies.”

Huangfu Yuchen loved seeing him so confident and couldn’t help but lean down and kiss him deeply. “Since that’s the case, let’s personally go and take a look. We’ll only take a hundred elite soldiers and travel lightly.”

Yan Ge nodded, he was also looking forward to the new adventure.

“I’ll start preparing some antidotes.”

Huangfu Yuchen stopped him, “There’s no need to rush. It will take some time for the large group to arrive. We won’t go with them. Instead, we’ll wait until the last few days of the deadline and fly there directly on our swords.”

“That works too,” Yan Ge agreed without objection.

Huangfu Yuchen said, “You rest obediently for now. Once I finish handling the last few memorials, I’ll take you out for a walk. I feel sorry for you being stuck in the palace all this time.”

“That sounds good.” Yan Ge stood up and hooked his arm around Huangfu Yuchen’s neck, giving him a deep kiss on the lips. “Hurry and finish your work. I’m going to take a bath.”

“Go ahead.” Huangfu Yuchen quickly reviewed the remaining memorials, hoping to join his beloved in the bath soon.