met free Chapter 385
Chapter 385
The group returned to Bei Yue's large tent together in tacit agreement, sitting in the exact same spots as the previous night. However, sitting there now, their moods were vastly different from before.They sat in relative silence, yet their hearts were filled with thousands of words they yearned to pour out.
Finally, after taking a small sip of water from her cup, Gan Tang spoke softly, "I wonder if you all have noticed, but it seems we are unable to speak of the Heavenly Voice to anyone other than the few of us here."
She had forgotten about it last night, and it was only this morning that she remembered to ask her most loyal maid about the Heavenly Voice.
It was then she realized that as long as she attempted to speak about the Heavenly Voice, even just a single word, it felt as if an invisible giant hand was strangling her neck.
If she hadn't stopped herself in time, she might have actually suffocated to death.
The others nodded silently. They had discovered this last night, and because of it, they hadn't slept well all night. They stayed awake until dawn, looking much more haggard.
Because of this, their doubts about the contents of the Heavenly Voice dropped from fifty percent to twenty percent.
Lan Xuan'er sighed, "I wonder if having this ability is a blessing or a curse for us?"
They lowered their eyes, hiding the complex emotions in their hearts and the schemes they could not share with outsiders.
The Heavenly Voice seemed unpredictable in its blessings and curses for the group, but a voice in Bei Yue's heart told him that this was his opportunity.
Since he was certain that his imperial father was using him as a target, he would jump off the chessboard. Whoever wanted to be this pawn could be it; he certainly wouldn't toil for the benefit of others anymore.
Thinking of this, he glanced out of the corner of his eye at the deep-in-thought Bei Ye. If this kid wanted a seat at the table, then he would let him have it.
He just didn't know how Wei Qingyi would choose between him and the Eighth Prince when the time came.
The Xi brothers exchanged a glance and silently turned their heads away. Now that they had a shared secret they couldn't reveal to outsiders, their relationship suddenly became delicate. They couldn't interact without any grudges immediately, but they wouldn't be at each other's throats like before either. After all, they all shared common enemies in their imperial father and siblings.
Hearing the system's report, Yue Fuguang had long anticipated their reactions. She said, "Ignore them for now. As long as they don't hinder our mission, let them be."
It would be even better if they could hurry back to their own countries to cause trouble!
Yue Fuguang felt the air getting increasingly dry. Because the Great Yan had stored water early on, the land had not yet shown obvious signs of drought, but experienced old farmers already felt a looming sense of crisis in their hearts.
It had barely rained for almost two months. In the past few days, she had heard Wei Ping complain more than once that in the subordinate states, counties, and villages, armed conflicts between villages over water for irrigation had increased significantly compared to previous years.
[Host, those people have arrived!]
So fast? The arsonist had been struck to death by her lightning, and seeing no signal to act, they had lost their patience so quickly!
"How many people came, and where are Wei Shouyi and Shen Jian?"
[Less than two thousand people, mixed with many from You Tan and the Heavenly Star Pavilion. It will take Wei Shouyi and the others at least thirty to forty minutes to get here at their fastest.]
Those people couldn't wait that long. The number of people on both sides was about the same, which was a disadvantage for their side.
[Master, someone has snuck over to the prison where Poison Young Master and the others are being held!]
The system's sudden warning was loud, and in just an instant, it reached the ears of Emperor Mingxi and the others hundreds of meters away.
Shen Kang immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I will go take a look!"
Emperor Mingxi waved his hand, "Take more people. If Poison Young Master tries to run, even if she is dead, she must stay!"
Now that the person was in his hands, if she escaped, not only would the diplomatic mission laugh at them, but given her status as someone from Panshan, she couldn't be let go!
"Yes!"
Emperor Mingxi then looked at Huo Ying, "Are all the men arranged?"
Huo Ying said with a solemn face, "Answering Your Majesty, everything is arranged. I will go over and personally command them now. Even if we have to fight to the death, we will hold out until Lord Shen and the others arrive."
Emperor Mingxi nodded, and soon all the people from the Ministry of War in the tent left with Huo Ying.
Finally, Emperor Mingxi looked at You Mingmin, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, and Wei Ping, saying, "You two dispatch more men to protect the people of the diplomatic mission. You absolutely must not let anyone exploit a loophole."
Both the sovereign and his ministers knew in their hearts that waiting for scholars and literati from various countries to come to Great Yan for academic exchange was a sham. The diplomatic mission delaying their return had only one purpose: the high-yield grain seeds.
Over the past month or so, the various countries had submitted memorials multiple times, all of which were rejected by Emperor Mingxi on the grounds that their country had no surplus seeds.
You Mingmin bowed and said, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty. I will gather those people together and personally protect them closely. Even if we subjects are injured, we will not let them suffer a single scratch."
Emperor Mingxi nodded and finally rested his gaze on the Yu family father and sons, "Beloved Subject Yu, please pay more attention to Fuguang's side."
Given the Junior Preceptor's current martial prowess, they weren't too worried about her safety, but there was always a "just in case."
And that "just in case" was something Great Yan could not afford.
Yu Chongshan said, "Rest assured, Your Majesty. My two sons and I will go over right now."
Yu Chongshan led his eldest and second sons toward Yue Fuguang's large tent. They knew very well in their hearts that they weren't going to protect Fuguang.
It was His Majesty sending them to Fuguang's place for their own safety, to hide from the impending danger.
As soon as the trio entered the door, they saw their granddaughter curled up on the chaise lounge looking outside, like a well-fed cat.
Seeing her grandfather and the others enter, Yue Fuguang stood up and asked, "Grandfather, has His Majesty arranged everything securely?"
Just as she asked this question, the faint sound of battle cries could be heard in the distance.
After the father and sons found places to sit, Yu Chongshan said, "Everything is arranged. We just need to hold out for the time it takes to drink three cups of tea, and rescue will arrive."
Not only would they be waiting for the over three thousand men that Shen Jian and Wei Shouyi had taken out, but also for the two thousand men of the Left Martial Guard who were rushing here after seeing the signal.
Yu Chongshan was right. At this moment, Song Xiang, who had gone to fetch reinforcements, was leading the two thousand men of the Left Martial Guard, riding whip and spur toward the hunting ground camp.
Along the way, he saw messy footprints of varying depths on the ground. The sweat on his face grew more profuse, whether from anxiety or the exhaustion of riding.
"Faster, a little faster!"
He turned back and shouted to the people behind him, "Everyone, saving His Majesty today is a great merit, and His Highness the Crown Prince will surely reward you heavily!"
He then said to a young general, "Cavalry go first, tell the people behind to run faster! Go and keep an eye on them personally!"
"Yes, I accept the order!"
While the reinforcements were rushing to the battlefield, over at the hunting ground, Yue Fuguang heard the increasingly clear battle cries outside and smelled the faint scent of blood drifting in the air.
Had both sides drawn blood right after engaging in close combat?
As the battle cries drew nearer, her sharp hearing could already faintly make out the sound of clashing swords and blades just a few hundred meters away from her tent.
"System, has someone broken in?"
[Host, do not worry. More than a dozen assassins took advantage of the chaos to sneak in, but they were discovered by the guards, and the two sides are now fighting.]
Feeling uneasy, Yue Fuguang stood up and walked outside. She was afraid that if the workhorses... ah, no, the lords, who were working for her had the bad luck of being injured by blind swords and spears, she would have to train newcomers all over again. How could novices be as useful as experienced hands?