MCUS Chapter 192

Early in the morning, Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen arrived at Mingxia Mountain. They quickly focused their minds and entered a state of meditation. As the method from the Fengyun Immortal Records began to operate, the spiritual energy between heaven and earth seemed to respond to the call, rushing over in competition.

The Zhantian Vine that had been serving as a crown on Yan Ge’s head sensed something and wriggled its body, starting to absorb the spiritual energy.

The spiritual energy was refined into true qi, rapidly revolving in Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen’s dantians, and the vortex grew larger. Time passed, seasons flowed. The true qi gathered together, compressed bit by bit, ultimately condensing into a golden round pill the size of a chicken egg…

In the morning court, the civil and military ministers, as well as the six department heads, were discussing important matters.

“Grand Tutor You, Prime Minister Wen, and Prime Minister Wu, could you come up with a plan?” The Minister of Revenue, Chen Guowei, paced back and forth anxiously. “Prince Dai has sent an urgent report. Yongzhou urgently needs two million taels of silver for disaster relief. We’ve received the report for several days, and we can afford to delay, but the common people in Yongzhou can’t afford it!”

Grand Tutor You stroked his beard, “Without the Emperor here, we dare not make decisions hastily.”

“The Emperor has been away for over a month. Where did he go, does Grand Tutor You know?” Prime Minister Wu asked.

Grand Tutor You shook his head, “He travels with Yan Guiqing in disguise most of the time.”

“Yan Guiqing ?” Chen Guowei looked at Yan Xiaojing upon hearing this.

Yan Xiaojing replied helplessly, “I don’t know more than you do.”

Jiang Gan said, “Minister Chen’s concerns are not unfounded. If we can’t send the disaster relief silver as soon as possible, the people in Yongzhou will suffer.”

Prime Minister You thought of the consequences if the disaster relief silver couldn’t be sent in time and became anxious, “Although His Majesty instructed us to prioritize urgent matters, he didn’t mention the disaster relief silver. Two million taels is not a small sum, and if anything goes wrong…”

“That’s true.” All the ministers began to ponder.

Suddenly, a calm and majestic voice rang out in the air.

“What has happened?”

They turned around and saw that the Emperor and Yan Guiqing had appeared in the hall at some point. After not seeing them for days, their aura was even more intimidating. Just a casual glance made them feel a chill in their hearts.

“We pay our respects to Your Majesty. Long live, Your Majesty!” They all knelt down and greeted.

“Rise.” Huangfu Yuchen pulled Yan Ge to the seat above and sat down. “Why is everyone so anxious?”

When the Emperor appeared, the officials had a backbone.

Chen Guowei hurriedly explained the matter in its entirety.

“Two million taels?” Yan Ge was surprised. “Has it already been sent?” If Huangfu Yuhu was indeed Meng Xiaohun, he couldn’t be too careless. If the Centipede Organization dared to rob the disaster relief silver, he wouldn’t know where to find regret medicine.

“Not yet. We were just discussing the matter. Two million taels is not a small sum, so we need Your Majesty’s decision,” Chen Guowei said.

“Two million taels,” Huangfu Yuchen frowned. “The cold in Yongzhou is so severe that it requires two million taels of silver for disaster relief?” The treasury of Great Han was currently very abundant, but that money was all he and his baby had worked hard to save, especially his baby. He had put in a lot of effort. Therefore, every expenditure had to be carefully considered.

“Previously, when severe cold occurred in Yongzhou, they only spent five hundred thousand taels for disaster relief. It seems that this year’s situation is indeed more severe,” Grand Tutor You said.

Yan Ge listened carefully to see how Huangfu Yuchen planned to handle the situation, afraid he would be too generous and give away the silver.

After a moment of contemplation, Huangfu Yuchen said, “Send fifty thousand taels first to provide immediate relief. At the same time, wait for further reports. Prepare the remaining one hundred and fifty thousand taels, and if there is an urgent need, send it out immediately. This matter is of great importance, and the Ministry of War must arrange for proper protection during the transportation.”

The Minister of Revenue and Minister of War simultaneously responded, “Yes!”

Yan Ge also felt somewhat relieved. He had underestimated Yuchen. Yuchen was still relatively cautious when it came to dealing with the treasury. However, he couldn’t do nothing knowing that Huangfu Yuhu was suspicious.

“Yuchen, how many people did Prince Dai take when he left?”

The ministers pretended not to hear Yan Guiqing address the Emperor directly by name.

Huangfu Yuchen replied, “There were twenty generals and five hundred imperial guards.”

Yan Ge felt it was easy to handle and suggested, “As far as I know, there are thirteen cities and forty-six counties under Yongzhou, not to mention numerous villages and towns. I am afraid that Prince Dai alone might find it difficult to control the entire province. It would be better to send him more people with this disaster relief escort just in case.”

Huangfu Yuchen transmitted his thoughts with some discomfort, “Why do you care so much about him? You rarely bothered with Yuhu in the past.”

Yan Ge knew Huangfu Yuchen was jealous, and he didn’t you whether to laugh or cry.  “I care about the money!”

Huangfu Yuchen nodded seriously and said out loud, “Xiao Ge makes a valid point.”

The ministers agreed with approving nods.

Huangfu Yuchen thought about the Centipede organization that targeted officials and nobles, and his eyes darkened. He said, “Let’s send a thousand imperial guards to escort the disaster relief silver, with General Wei Hao leading the team. Xiao Ge, who do you think is suitable to assist Prince Dai?”

Yan Ge replied, “It would be best to trouble Prime Minister Wen to go there in person.” Jiang Gan was loyal only to Huangfu Yuchen and the most suitable candidate. Besides his father Yan Xiaojing, Jiang Gan was the first person unrelated to Huangfu Yuhu.

He continued, “As you all know, when disasters occur, refugees become restless and it’s easy for conflicts to arise, potentially leading to great calamities. Prime Minister Wen is eloquent and holds a high position; his presence will stabilize people’s minds. With him cooperating with Prince Dai, they will complement each other and achieve greater success.”

Huangfu Yuchen looked at him unexpectedly and then smiled, “I didn’t expect Xiao Ge to be so insightful. Prime Minister Wen, what do you think?”

Jiang Gan, also known as “Fox,” was surprised when Yan Ge called his name but he quickly responded, “This humble official is honored to be valued by His Majesty and Yan Guiqing. I will do my best to fulfill the mission.”

Huangfu Yuchen said, “Good. I will appoint you as the assisting envoy. After arriving in Yongzhou, report back as soon as possible. If needed, I will immediately send the second batch of disaster relief silver.”

“Yes!”

Huangfu Yuchen then said, “Quickly confirm the route for escorting the disaster relief silver. Only a few should be aware of it.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Jiang Gan replied solemnly.

“For this long journey to Yongzhou, I will send twenty shadow guards to accompany you.”

“Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty. I am grateful and humbled!”

“You may prepare to depart as soon as possible.”

“Yes!”

After everyone left, Huangfu Yuchen embraced Yan Ge and asked, “What are you thinking?”

“Just thinking about food,” Yan Ge replied after snapping back to reality.

Huangfu Yuchen chuckled, “Alright, let’s go to Liuxian Pavilion and have hotpot.”

They had Xiao Changzi prepare a carriage, and the two of them left the palace. Xiao Changzi would be serving Huangfu Yuchen since Deng Mande had gone into seclusion.

Yan Ge lay on Huangfu Yuchen’s lap pretending to doze off, but in reality, he was contemplating. If Huangfu Yuhu was not Meng Xiaohun, there wouldn’t be any problem sending Jiang Gan to Yongzhou.

If Huangfu Yuhu was indeed Meng Xiaohun, Jiang Gan’s appearance would surely raise suspicion, but Yan Ge wasn’t worried about Huangfu Yuhu creating trouble in front of Huangfu Yuchen.

He and Huangfu Yuhu were like two players in a game. He didn’t dare to tell Huangfu Yuchen about his suspicions of Huangfu Yuhu, and Huangfu Yuhu didn’t dare to easily frame him in front of Yuchen. They both understood that Yuchen cared for both of them, and any carelessness could lead to disaster. So, one could say that his( Yan Ge) move was both daring and clever. As for Jiang Gan, there was no need for specific instructions. After arriving in Yongzhou, he would personally investigate the disaster situation, not because he didn’t trust Huangfu Yuhu but because it was his usual way of doing things.

Huangfu Yuchen looked at Yan Ge’s head and gently stroked his hair. Although Yan Ge rarely interfered in political affairs, he didn’t mind his actions today and wasn’t surprised. However, he felt that something was wrong. But, out of trust in Yan Ge, he readily agreed to his suggestion without asking for the reasons. As long as his beloved was happy, he was happy too. If not for the unique position of the Duanmu family and their loyalty, he would have considered formally making Yan Ge his empress, allowing him to legitimately manage the affairs of the kingdom. However, he knew that Yan Ge probably wouldn’t want that.

*The Duanmu family is the current Empress’s family.

If Yan Ge knew what he was thinking, he would probably vomit blood from depression. Yan Ge wanted it, he really wanted it! Because only by becoming empress could he obtain the final level of the cultivation technique!

However, the matter of the final technique is for another time.

The cold wind lifted the curtains of the carriage, and Huangfu Yuchen reached out to pull them up when he saw snowflakes drifting down from the sky.

“Baby, look, it’s snowing.”

“Really?” Yan Ge immediately sat up and looked out of the window with a smile. “This snow is quite timely. Snowy days are perfect for hot pot. However, I hope it won’t be too heavy and affect the delivery of disaster relief silver.”

Huangfu Yuchen glanced at the sky. “It shouldn’t be heavy.”

“Boss, young master, we’ve arrived,” Xiao Changzi said from outside the carriage.

When Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen appeared at the entrance of Liuxian Pavilion, the customers inside the restaurant felt their imposing presence and looked towards them.

Manager Yuan had a sudden realization and immediately guessed their identities. He quickly stepped forward and said, “Two guests, please follow me to a private room.”

Huangfu Yuchen took a couple of steps forward, then suddenly stopped and looked sharply at a woman sitting alone at a table in a corner.

Su Qianqian was taken aback. She never expected Huangfu Yuchen’s perception to be so keen! Her master had given her countless instructions to be cautious in the capital and not reveal any clues. If she had known, she wouldn’t have been greedy for Liuxian Pavilion’s food.

With no time to think, she swiftly attempted to escape.

However, Huangfu Yuchen couldn’t let her go easily after finally grasping a lead on the Centipede organization. He immediately teleportated in front of her.

Si Qianqian was alarmed and hurriedly tried to escape backward, but Yan Ge had already appeared behind her. He raised his right foot and kicked her away, causing her to crash into a pillar and spit out a mouthful of blood.

The customers In the restaurant were both surprised and startled by the imposing aura of Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen, temporarily forgetting to flee.

Huangfu Yuchen caught Si Qianqian by her delicate neck, his voice cold as he said, “You’re not bad; I admire your courage.” He then used a body restraint technique to immobilize her.

“You..?” The customers were once again astonished. Given the current situation, it seemed that neither offering greetings nor leaving would be appropriate.

Huangfu Yuchen continued, “Manager Yuan, bring a cloth. Don’t let her ruin the appetites of our esteemed guests.”

“Yes.” Manager Yuan quickly brought a tablecloth and covered Si Qianqian with it.

Yan Ge smiled at the shocked customers and said, “No need to panic, everyone. This woman is a fugitive, and her acupoints have been sealed. Just treat her as if she doesn’t exist and continue with your meal. We’ll deal with her after finishing our meal.”

“Oh…” The customers nodded dazedly.

Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen went to the second floor, ordered a hot pot, and called for a table full of dishes. Both of them had reached the late stage of the Golden Core stage, so even if someone came to rescue Si Qianqian, they would immediately detect it.

Before long, four suspicious men walked into Liuxian Pavilion. They looked around until their gaze fell on the covered object. Recognizing the familiar dress, they were shocked and quickly approached to remove the tablecloth.

Two of them reached out to grab Si Qianqian.

Some customers at a nearby table were about to intervene, but the two men suddenly convulsed as if hit by an electric current. They screamed in agony, fell to the ground, and stopped moving. The remaining two men realized the situation wasn’t in their favor and immediately turned around, attempting to flee. However, they were struck by two hidden weapons from an unknown direction and fell unconscious.

The customers were relieved and resumed their meal.