"Who is this man?"
"Looks like an envoy sent by Great Qi."
The citizens of Great Yue began to gather around Yu Fan's location. When they heard his wailing, their expressions turned incredulous.
Had their Great Yue mistreated the imperial grandson of Great Qi?
Emperor Mingde had only recently ascended the throne, and the other princes of the royal family had either died or been injured. The common people of Great Yue already harbored discontent toward him.
With natural disasters striking, fear of Emperor Mingde outweighed reverence among the populace.
"Our imperial grandson lived in luxury in Great Qi, surrounded by countless servants," Yu Fan cried even more dramatically. "He came to Great Yue as a guest to honor Prince Min, yet he’s treated worse than an ordinary commoner. How am I supposed to explain this to His Majesty when I return?"
A quarter of an hour later, Yu Fan swayed on his feet before collapsing in a feigned faint.
"We’re willing to share our own rations to ensure the imperial grandson of Great Qi is well-fed!"
As officials hurried over, the surrounding citizens spoke up.
This concerned Great Yue’s dignity. If the emperor wouldn’t provide, they would!
"Scatter now! Get back to your duties, or you’ll regret lingering any longer," an official snapped harshly before ordering guards to carry Yu Fan away.
Hidden from view, Yu Fan smirked.
Would his performance satisfy the princess?
Yu Fan pretended to be "bedridden with rage," delaying his scheduled swift return to Great Qi. At every stop along the way, he claimed to need days to recover.
Those days were more than enough for him to connect with local spies and map out the military deployments.
Secret missives were discreetly sent back to Great Qi.
......
Qin Prince's Mansion.
“Princess, you don’t seem pleased.”
Shen Qingping paused, glancing at the stack of letters in Song Shihuan’s hands, his gaze darkening.
Logically, obtaining so much intelligence about Great Yue should have delighted her.
"Teacher, the longer Yu Fan stays in Great Yue, the greater the danger."
Song Shihuan’s expression was grave. Yu Fan’s public mourning of Song Yanzheng was akin to spitting in Emperor Mingde’s face.
She had explicitly instructed Yu Fan to gather intelligence as swiftly as possible, passing only through key regions.
Yet Yu Fan... lingered in every location...
“Princess, Yu Fan is a soldier. Given the chance to uncover Great Yue’s entire military layout, do you think he’d prioritize anything else?”
Shen Qingping lowered his head. Young soldiers thirsted for glory, especially those like Yu Fan—who hailed from the northern frontiers.
"Great Yue is a territory we must conquer."
Song Shihuan’s voice carried a reassuring firmness. "Opportunities to gather military intelligence will come again. But if Yu Fan dies for this, Great Qi will suffer a tremendous loss."
She abruptly stood.
"Yingchun, I must visit the palace."
"I, Song Shihuan, never make losing deals."
Shen Qingping watched her retreating figure until she vanished from sight, only snapping out of his thoughts when a low chuckle sounded behind him.
"Shen Qingping, if Ahuan were older, she’d be a better commander than me, don’t you think?"
“Heaven has blessed Your Highness by sending the princess.” Shen Qingping spoke sincerely.
Song Yu laughed. "Even if I had a child of my own, I doubt they’d surpass Ahuan."
With such a gem before him, he only wished to cherish it.
Understanding his meaning, Shen Qingping showed no surprise. "Your Highness, the princess has a tender heart. In the past half-month, she’s visited the Gu residence three times."
So they must all treat her well.
......
Purple Dawn Palace.
"Ahuan, you’re suggesting... mobilizing troops and sending young General Gu to Yongping?"
Yongping County lay on the border between Great Qi and Great Yue.
"If Yu Fan is unharmed, this can serve as a routine inspection of border defenses. But if he’s endangered... we apply direct military pressure." Song Shihuan pursed her lips.
"Would Emperor Mingde of Great Yue really be that petty?" Emperor Yuanyou still doubted her concerns.
After all, Yu Fan held no official rank—and he hadn’t lied!
Song Yanzheng had been mistreated. Why shouldn’t Yu Fan speak out?
Song Shihuan said nothing, only blinking her almond-shaped eyes insistently at the emperor.
"Fine, fine. I’ll issue the decree at once."
Emperor Yuanyou rubbed his nose subconsciously. What if Great Yue’s emperor was as petty as a needle’s eye?
He shouldn’t assume others shared his magnanimity!
Once the decree was granted, Song Shihuan finally smiled, darting behind Emperor Yuanyou to massage his shoulders. "Imperial Grandfather, an emperor as broad-minded as you is a rare treasure!"
Throughout history, most emperors were suspicious by nature—making Emperor Yuanyou’s trust in Qin Prince's Mansion all the more precious.
The emperor’s grin stretched ear to ear at her praise.
Meanwhile, in Great Yue’s palace, Emperor Mingde was fuming.
"That Yu Fan still hasn’t left?"
His furious voice made the assembled ministers tremble.
"I ordered you to investigate Yu Fan’s background. After all this time, you’ve found nothing?"
The officials inwardly groaned.
Between blizzards and food shortages, their hands were full with domestic crises. How could they spare men to infiltrate Great Qi in such weather?
And Great Qi’s officials were tighter-lipped than hounds!
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger," they pleaded, dropping to their knees.
"He’s just a commoner. Send soldiers disguised as bandits to ambush and kill him in the mountains," Emperor Mingde hissed. "If Great Qi investigates, burn the mountain and execute a few real bandits to cover it up."
"Your Majesty, though Yu Fan holds no rank, his selection as envoy suggests other affiliations," one official ventured cautiously.
"That man has humiliated me before all of Great Yue!"
Emperor Mingde ignored their protests, consumed by the insult to his dignity.
"With Yu Fan already weak and ill, it’s only natural if he perishes after being kidnapped."
A shadow crossed his eyes. Had Yu Fan left promptly, he might have spared him. But this prolonged stay was intolerable.
How dare a mere subject disgrace the Son of Heaven?
"Get it done!"
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty..."
Days later, far in the northern deserts, Gu Mingning received Emperor Yuanyou’s decree.
"General, has His Majesty issued new orders?"
Gu Mingning’s beard was crusted with ice, his brow etched with battle-hardened intensity. His armor accentuated his razor-sharp presence.
"Assemble the troops. We march for Yongping at once."
They’d bullied his brother-in-law—while his sister was pregnant?
They had a death wish.
