Feng Yu Jiu Tian volume 5-onwards

Feng Yu Jiu Tian vol 15 ch6-7

In a low voice, Lie Er ferociously stated, "You're right. I'm a spy from Xi Lei who snuck into Yong Yi's Imperial Palace in order to gather information on the royal family. But if you expect me to divulge any information on my King's affairs, then don't waste your time. Yu Lang, don't think that you can pry open my mouth and gain anything."
Yu Lang looked at his stubborn expression and broke into laughter. "Did you think that I brought you here in order to torture you for Rong Tian's whereabouts?"
Lie Er refused to answer him and chose to ignore him by closing his eyes and letting out a "humph" in disdain.
Yu Lang continued, "You were alone in Fen City and have been captured by me. Not many days have passed, but I doubt you have a clear idea on where your King is at this moment. Also, the person you are actually serving now is Xi Lei's Duke Ming..."
Lie Er's heart skipped a beat.
He knew Yu Lang was an expert when it came to provocation and reading people's minds. He continued to keep his eyes shut without speaking a word.
He did not want to be seen as a fool and Yu Lang also did not grow angered. He continued, "Almost everyone in the world knows his whereabouts. While surrounded by Xi Lei's elite guards and the swordsmen of the Xiao Family, he confidently deludes himself into thinking he is safe. Ah... it is truly ridiculous."
The words seemed to contain a deeper meaning. On the surface, Lie Er remained calm and collected, but internally, he began to fell anxious.
Could it be that his target is Duke Ming.
This man, he's deceitful and uses dirty means when aiming for someone. If the target is Duke Ming, he...
Yu Lang was confining Lie Er within his embrace, restricting his body movements. Lie Er lightly contracted his fingers. Despite being such a small action, it still did not escape Yu Lang's sight.
In their current position, Yu Lang leisurely savoured the sweet fragrance of his cheek in a disrespectful manner. The two were entangled together, however the scene did not appear obscene, but rather mildly romantic.
"Lie Er, do not think too much about that Duke Ming, I will tell you this clearly. There has never been a person who successfully escaped once I had grasped on to them. Otherwise, how could I still be living today?"
His fingertips caressed the beautiful lips and continued to travel up and down the smooth skin. They unhurriedly slid down towards the waistline. Yu Lang leaned closer to Lie Er and said ambiguously, "Lie Er, did you know... You are my biggest regret in life. Back then in Yong Yin, if not for my feelings, in order to not hinder my true purpose, I should have originally killed you off quietly, preventing any trouble from blooming. But when the time came to do so, I couldn't. The only thing I could do was torture and trample on your feelings in order to stop your illusions of me. It was all to drive you back to the King of Yong Yin's side where you could enjoy your high position and wealth. Who could have known that you were a spy from Xi Lei? I had truly made in error in my judgement."
From his throat came a subdued laugh.
"In order for the Kingdom of Li to unite the world, allowing thousands upon thousands of our people to live peacefully and with prosperity, I had sworn to the gods that during my lifetime, my heart would only be given to Li. I... Yu Lang, willingly became an instrument for the kingdom and absolutely would not allow my feelings to bring harm to it. But you..."
He stopped talking and lowered his head to look at Lie Er's familiar face. His face that had been calmly smiling suddenly distorted.
"Lie Er..." His mouth suddenly covered Lie Er's long and graceful neck.
He sucked at several areas before eventually forcing his sharp teeth into the flesh, little by little, they pierced into his nape.
"Aghh..." Lie Er let out a slight groan.
His body had been continuously fed drugs these past few days. His weak body could not endure the pain.
Yu Lang's teeth did not go in too deep, however the continuous biting pained him to the point where he was unable to keep his body from trembling.
The bites seemed to be done hatefully, but then he would use his tongue to lick the wounds he made afterwards. In a low voice, he spoke, "If I had just killed you back then, you wouldn't have escaped from the Li Kingdom and secretly established a connection between Rong Tian and Yong Yi. Xi Lei and Yong Yin would have had a hard time withstanding my King's attack on the Aman River. Instead, they were able to form a quick alliance and laid an ambush. During the battle on the river, Li lost the lives of countless soldiers. I never would have expected that, with one momentary slip in action, Li would suffer such serious damage. Merely because I was not willing to part with my selfish desire for you, the lives of many soldiers were lost."
Lie Er listened as his voice grew more and more remorseful. He was aware that his situation was not good.
Moreover, Yu Lang's words were not entirely false.
That day, during the battle on the Aman, if not for his secret relationship with Yong Yi, they would not have been able to attain Yong Yin's support. Xi Lei's soldiers secretly hid along Yong Yin's border, allowing Ruo Yan's men to arrive at the Aman. The reconnaissance team failed to obtain accurate information regarding Xi Lei's forces. This caused the illusion of Xi Lei's king remaining missing, allowing Yong Yi to successfully deceive Ruo Yan.
The result of winning or losing a war can occur within the blink of an eye, but the fruits of victory were formed from the tiny seeds that were planted in various situations and events prior to the war.
In the case of the Aman River battle, the key to success was of course Feng Ming's and Rong Tian's tacit understanding of the Chain Boat strategy.
But without Lie Er's gaining of Yong Yin's support, the outcome would have been difficult to determine.
Even though Lie Er knew he was in trouble, his courage had not diminished. Despite still being imprisoned in Yu Lang's arms, he ruthlessly replied, "Correct, all of it was my doing. My one regret was that the fire on the Aman River did not burn all of Li's soldiers and that bastard Ruo Yan."
Yu Lang merely laughed in response and gently said, "Lie Er, are you trying to annoy me so that I will kill you faster? How can it be that easy?"
Lie Er coldly replied in indignation. "I have already fallen into your hands. Anything you wish to do, you don't have to hesitate to accomplish. No need to be polite."
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On a bed filled with silk pillows inside a large carriage sat He Di, who looked at the scenic view that passed by with a pleasant mood. In a free and unrestrained manner, the carriage was headed for Tong's capital, Tong Ze.
His exceptionally good mood was not a product of the cup of fine liquor in his hand or the picturesque scenery made up of Tong's mountains and river.
Rather, the sole reason for his mood was because of Duke Ming's careless decision to sign the peace treaty.
Numerous twists and turns of fate had left the prideful smile on that quiet and cold face engraved in his mind.
The memory made him feel feverish and had already hooked him in completely.
But finally, thanks to politics, that man had been sent straight into the palms of his hands.
Compared to blackmail, this method of obtaining him made He Di more excited.
During the past few days, the number of times he laughed was more than he had the whole year combined.
At this moment, nothing could be more interesting than the matters with that bastard called Zi Yan. From the ship, he had arrogantly jumped without flinching despite the countless number of arrows that were shot at him. Never once did he turn his head while in danger. But it would not be long before he would be forced to comply with the treaty and follow him back to his territory.
"He he..." The corner of He Di's mouth turned into a sinister smile.
His hands itched to get a hold of that man.
There was not the slightest worry that Xi Lei would break the treaty. He Di never worried about his calculated moves.
Xi Lei's Rong Tian was a smart man, therefore breaking the treaty would be an impossible move for him. The profit that would come from the luminous sand as well as the opportunity to obtain high quality weapons was too good to let go.
What He Di offered was bait that no man or kingdom could refuse.
The only thing Dan Lin had to do was choose which kingdom had the highest potential as their ally.
"Kong Liu."
There was a difference between normal open carriages and the one He Di was riding. A golden pillar stood upright as support and there was roof that provided shade. It was convenient for He Di to move around and the rays of the sun were blocked, but he was still capable of seeing the scenery that passed by as they moved.
He turned around and languidly called his subordinate who was riding a horse by his side. "How much farther is it from here to Tong Ze?"
"Your Highness, it not much farther. In roughly about 3 to 4 li, we will reach the outskirts of Tong Ze." Kong Liu spoke in his usual deep voice, keenly sensing his master's concealed anxiety, he smiled respectfully.
"Subordinate has already sent someone to contact Tong's Prince Qing Li asking him to arrange a temporary residence. The emissary who will receive us is most likely already waiting outside the city gates."
"Qing Li? Heh, that useless bastard..." He Di laughed loudly.
On their journey, they had obtained an insignificant harvest.
Late at night on a certain day, his guards managed to capture a masked woman who tried to ride past their procession.
He moved his hand in a simple manner, commanding them. This time, the men He Di brought half consisted of Dan Lin's imperial guards and the other half, Dan Lin's pirates. Disregarding the guards, each and every one of the cold-blooded pirates were constantly wary of their surroundings.
An unmarried woman journeying alone with a veiled face and making an evasive maneuver was clearly a nervous one. How could they possibly not suspect that she was merely pretending to bypass them when in reality she might be a spy checking on them?
Unexpectedly, after searching her in front of He Di, they discovered an interesting sealed letter.
The letter, as it turned out, was from the very man who delivered Zi Yan into his hands, Duke Ming of Xi Lei. Not only that, the content of the letter was surprisingly appealing.
Qing Li — that extremely conceited and worthless trash — only bragged all day but accomplished nothing great. He never realized why He Di never visited Qin Zhang, but still chose to get close to him. His stupidity made it much easier to control him.
He failed to control even his own wife. Prince Qing Li's impressive fei unexpectedly colluded with Xi Lei's Duke Ming in secret, divulging her own husband's plot to assassinate him.
[TLN: Fei = wife of a prince.]
His stay in Tong Ze this time was providing him many lively events to witness.
The maid named Shi Min, after being captured and searched, almost committed suicide.
The secret could perhaps be of use in the future to increase his good and honest reputation. He Di rarely got the opportunity to act as a good guy so he took out the peace treaty he had signed with Feng Ming.
"Do not be afraid. I will help keep your princess' secret. After all, Xi Lei's Duke Ming and I are allies."
The treaty he took out was undeniably the best evidence for his claim.
This time, Luo Ning's careful attentiveness revealed how skilled he was. Although he never would have thought Shi Min would compare Feng Ming's signature, he still pretended to write as him, copying not only his signature but also his handwriting.
If he had nothing to do during their idle time on the ship, Feng Ming would be forced to practice writing as Rong Hu watched.
After completing his writing, even the good ones would be tossed into the water. Some of them would occasionally fall into Luo Ning's hands. Coincidentally, copying the handwriting of influential people was one of the Xiao Family's practices they were accustomed to.
Those days, Luo Ning used Feng Ming's handwriting only as a mere practice tool and nothing else. He really never considered that he would one day act as Feng Ming to write a letter and not only did he copy his signature, he copied his handwriting naturally.
As an assassin, it could be said that all forms of professional ethics had been successfully drilled into them, and their habit became to accomplish everything with perfection.
Of course Shi Min would not doubt the writing on the letter as fake, but rather, He Di's treaty would be suspected. After comparing the lettering for a while, she found that the sloppy signature seemed to be incredibly similar.
Regarding the difference in the seal of binding, He Di provided a reasonable explanation. At the time of the signing, Feng Ming had no time to look for his official seal, and due to pressing matters, could only use his finger as the seal.
"If that is the case..."
"I will release you now. About your running into me, there is no need to conceal it when you report to Princess Zhang Liu. You may report as you see fit."
After releasing Shi Min, who was moved to tears, He Di's mood grew lighter.
He finally succeeded in attaining Zi Yan, he, He Di, as the second prince of Dan Lin, would swear upon the name of the Sea God to keep that man by his side and absolutely allow him no leisure to help Duke Ming even if he was in a life and death situation.
In order to protect the luminous sand and Dan Lin's prosperity, the piece of fortune he just encountered, the chance to manipulate others to fight and make the situation messier, would benefit him greatly.
He Di was in a good mood and not long after, they reached the outskirts of Tong Ze. They found not only the emissary awaiting them, but also Qing Li himself.
Looking at Qing Li's smile as he welcomed them, He Di could tell he was scheming something even if he were thinking with his toes.
"It is so great to finally meet Prince He Di of Dan Lin."
Despite the paleness and the obvious signs of overindulgence on his face, Qing Li still retained some of the elegant demeanor of a prince.
After both sides exchanged the conventional greetings, Qing Li enthusiastically invited He Di to live temporarily in his courtyard. "An ordinary residence would lack a sufficient amount of elegance, only mine would be fitting enough. If your Highness does not mind, please honour me by staying."
"Alright."
He Di's carriage was too open, making it a location that was not suitable for important talks.
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The big procession marched with a ceremonious atmosphere as it arrived at the Tong An courtyard. He Di was immediately ushered in by Qing Li. With an exaggerated amount of generosity, Qing Li brought He Di into the inner courtyard and introduced his favourite woman, Shang Yi. "Shang Yi, this is the man I have always talked to you about, Prince He Di of Dan Lin. Come quickly and greet him."
"Shang Yi pays respect to your Highness, Prince He Di."
With only one glance, He Di understood the source of Qing Li's ghost-like face of immoderation.
Once the door was closed and all the formalities were completed, it was time for the performance to begin.
"Prince, you are a straightforward person. Your traveling of such a far distance was for the sake of the late king, my father. I, Qing Li, will also refrain from saying any useless words. I do not wish to conceal the enemy who had killed him. The culprit was Xi lei's Duke Ming and his men. He has already arrived at Tong Ze this morning, along with that loathsome uncle of mine."
Qing Li excitedly revealed his plot, "Your Highness and I have already been allied for a few years now, during these few years I have sent plenty of gold and beautiful women. This time I want to ask your Highness for a small favour. Dan Lin's sand is something I have been eyeing for a while. There are rumours that, using a special casting method, it can be used to create swords with a frightening sharpness that cannot be beaten by any other weapon in the world. Even an average royal family would not be able to afford it, but I have heard that all of Prince's imperial guards are equipped with these swords. Is this the truth?"
"It's true."
"Excellent!" Qing Li rubbed his hands together and made a serious expression. "I am willing to pay triple the gold to purchase 20 of those swords from your Highness. How about it?"
Inside, He Di coldly sneered, but outwardly he leisurely measured Qing Li up and down and formed a smile. "Your Highness Qing Li intends to use the swords to assassinate Duke Ming?"
"Exactly!" Qing Li excitedly envisioned the future, "I have already planned it all out properly, if the swords can be factored in, I can be more assured of its success."
He Di cautiously examined the expression on the prince's face, a hint of chaos could be seen.
His heart was clear on the prince's plans, but he continued to feign ignorance and incited the grand play further.
"I am in possession of the swords, however I cannot give them to you right now."
"Ah? What do you mean? Are we not allies? All that gold and women I sent you..."
"Hehe, your Highness, please do not misunderstand. Of course we are allies." In a careless way he explained, "Perhaps the assassin you send can hide his identity by committing suicide, subsequently preventing you from being dragged down. However, Dan Lin's swords are unique and can be used as evidence of my involvement. How about this, I can let you exchange your gold for our swords, however, as long as I am in Tong Ze, you will not show your hand yet? Otherwise, with Duke Ming's body as proof of an assassination plot, my Dan Lin would be implicated. How can I, on behalf of your Highness, take responsibility for the crime?"
His reasoning was very logical and caused Qing Li to feel a bit embarrassed as he nervously laughed. "Prince He Di has really considered this matter a lot, however..."
"Don't worry, I will not remain here for long. Before Duke Ming leaves, I will definitely depart in order to give you time to carry out your plan."
"Then the swords?"
"You can give me the gold first, wait until I am about to leave, and I will deliver the swords to you."
"Deal!" Qing Li laughed loudly and extended his pale hand towards He Di. "We will do it as you say. As expected, your Highness truly is straightforward."
In his heart, He Di couldn't help but curse the man's stupidity. However, on the outside, he only showed a smile and grasped Qing Li's outstretched hand. "Just now, your Highness mentioned that Duke Ming has already arrived at Tong Ze?"
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"It's true." Grinding his teeth, Qing Li nodded and continued, "Tong's greatest enemy, the bastard who killed my father, has unexpectedly dared to boldly enter the kingdom with my royal Uncle, who treats him as an honoured guest, by his side. It is truly repulsive! Humph, he even arranged for Duke Ming to reside in his own mansion. He is simply courting death! He's lucky that he is my blood related uncle, but wait until I ascend the throne. I will never forgive that unworthy person who betrayed my father's trust."
Because he had been fed medication over a long period of time, Qing Li had recently begun showing signs of muddle-headedness.
Shang Yi listened to his incoherent blabber and secretly regretted drugging him so often. If by chance her chess piece could no longer be used and had to be abandoned, how would she explain herself to the royal Uncle.
Standing on the side watching the spectacle with a slight smirk, with a body that emanated a dangerous atmosphere, was He Di. Shang Yi gently pulled Qing Li's arm and spoke in a pampered and lovable voice, "Your Highness, no need to say anymore. The time is getting late, and I still need to get ready for tonight's banquet. Furthermore, doesn't his Highness, Prince He Di, also need to change his clothes and freshen up?"
Qing Li's attitude towards Shang Yi was truly doting, even being interrupted by her did not cause him to be angered, but instead caused him to laugh and slap his own forehead in realization.
"Right, there is a banquet tonight. My love, be good and go get changed first, dress up a bit more nicely. Put on the most beautiful jewelry and do not allow that cheap Zhang Liu to feel more superior to you. Hehe, Prince He Di, our Imperial Palace is holding a grand banquet tonight, hopefully you will give me face and attend. Originally, I wanted to hold a welcome banquet for you here in the Tong An Courtyard, but it cannot be helped since your arrival collides with the royal banquet. Several guests have arrived at the same time. Each and every one of the guests' status cannot be ignored. Ai... there's nothing we can do but gather everyone together in one celebration."
He Di couldn't restrain his curiosity and directly asked, "Who are the important guests that arrived?"
"The first guest of course, is the representative sent by the king of Dan Lin, your Highness, Prince He Di." Qing Li wrinkled his face and laughed out loud, however his smile quickly disappeared as he said his next words. "The second guest is one my royal Uncle disregarded Tong's face to invite, Xi Lei's Duke Ming, who is also referred to as the Xiao Family's young Lord!"
"Oh." He Di continued, "And what about the third guest?"
"Of course, the third guest is the same as you, my ally." Qing Li looked at He Di mysteriously and in a self-satisfied manner, whispered in a scheming tone, "He is an emissary dispatched by Xi Lei's current king, Rong Tong, for official correspondence."
"I see." He Di responded casually.
An emissary from Xi Lei's current king? This is getting more interesting.
A wicked smile blossomed on his handsome face, giving off a mysterious atmosphere. "Oh right. About your Highness' plan to assassinate Duke Ming, in order to hide my involvement, on the surface, I will pretend to have a good relationship with him. We may temporarily create an alliance. Of course, regarding your plan, I will not leak any information."
"That is..."
"Your Highness does not trust me?"
"Of course that is not the case! I do trust you."
Deep inside his heart, He Di found the man detestable.
Even if you don't trust me, what could you do about it?
Wait until Zi Yan falls into the palm of my hand, I will take him back to Dan Lin. It's better if both sides fight until they perish. The best outcome would be an increase in the sand's value and the death of all those related to Zi Yan, with not even one remaining.
At times, He Di thought that he really should not have been born to the royal family. His instinct had always been to plunder anything he fancied, just like a pirate.
Tong Kingdom, Qing Mansion, royal Uncle Qing Zhang's residence
Pthu!
Feng Ming spit out the mouthful of water he just drank and coughed violently. He sent a surprised look in Rong Hu's direction after hearing the report. "Who... who will be there? There... at tonight's banquet, will be an ambassador from Xi Lei?"
Qiu Lan and Qiu Yue used their soft hands to calm Feng Ming's fit of anger.
"Didn't that official already die?" Feng Ming's eyebrows were furrowed as he turned and asked Rong Tian. "I remember something from when I first met you... cough, cough... I mean the first time I was forced to participate in the court assembly. I recall that, at the time, the discussion included the matter regarding the death of Xi Lei's ambassador in Li, right?"
Gazing at Feng Ming as he talked, Rong Tian coughed and motioned Qiu Lan and Qiu Yue to step aside. He personally gathered Feng Ming in his embrace and stroked his back in a soothing manner as he answered. "To clarify, the ambassador acts as an official representative of Xi Lei's king by going on diplomatic missions in other kingdoms. It is a valuable and dignified position. After the last one died, I appointed another person to take his place. However, I do not know if that bastard Tong Er has already removed him." His menacing gaze landed on Rong Hu.
Rong Hu immediately continued his report. "The official previously appointed by your Majesty has not been dismissed by that traitor, but has been demoted to a lower position with no power. The ambassador that has been sent over as a correspondent is Hao Yuan Jiang."
"It is unexpectedly him." Rong Tian chuckled and winked at Feng Ming. "You have met him, He is the one that sought guidance from you last time about the new tax system, the Minister of Finance, Hao Yuan Jiang. He is a timid and overcautious person, but his family's background is important in Xi Lei. That Tong Er is also not a fool, him promoting Hao Yuan Jiang is most likely for the sake of winning over his clan."
Oh, that old man who likes to nonsensically prattle on about the taxation issue.
So it turns out we are acquainted.
Reminded by Rong Tian, Feng Ming suddenly cried out with an "Oh" as he recalled the official.
Rong Tian found his face really adorable at that moment and, unable to bear himself, touched the sensitive nape.
Feng Ming glared at him indignantly. "Don't mess around. I am participating in an important banquet tonight. Don't hinder my preparation for it. Rong Hu, continue speaking."
"Yes, Duke Ming." Looking at the two, with one scolding and the other quiet, an indescribably sweet atmosphere developed. Even Rong Hu could not help feel himself cheer up even though he was still worried about his younger brother, Lie Er's disappearance. Having been through many storms and tribulations, Rong Hu suppressed his concern and showed a gentle smile as he continued reporting. "The assistant to the ambassador is Su Jin Chao."
"Ah?"
The name, he had not even the smallest recollection of it.
Don't tell me that while living in Xi Lei, I didn't study enough, causing all the names and faces I learned about to have been forgotten? Could I have forgotten such an official? An assistant to the ambassador should be an important figure as well. Even if has done nothing to be promoted, he should at least have been an ordinary official right?
Feng Ming was lost in thought while he scratched his head and occasionally snuck glances at Rong Hu. The look he sent contained the guilt and embarrassment he felt from being caught after not listening to previous lectures. Rong Tian gently smiled and showing him some pity, enlightened him of the name's identity. "You do not know this person. In terms of age, he is one year below us. Formerly, he was one of Tong Er's useless friends from the city. Because he was from an influential family, he provoked others and caused mischief daily as an overbearing bully. This King, because of the misdeeds he had committed against the common people, had once rewarded him with 10 whip lashings. To appoint this kind of person as an ambassador's assistant is really making my Xi Lei lose face."
"In this case, Tong Er would also lose face." Feng Ming casually comforted him and asked, "He's so awful. You as a king of course had to punish him. After he was whipped, did he change for the better?"
Rong Tian smiled bitterly. "What change? Do you think everyone is as obedient as you? He still did not change afterwards and kept oppressing others, after all, his family possesses an important minister in Xi Lei."
"Oh, which minister?"
"Duke Ming," Rong Hu explained, "Su Jin Chao's grandfather is Su Yi. This subordinate has once mentioned him as the official in charge of administering etiquette, do you still remember him?"
"Uh..."
Looking at the funny look on Feng Ming's face, it was obvious he had already forgotten.
Why are there so many official positions in ancient times?
Moreover, each of the twelve kingdoms have their own unique ones.
Qiu Lan saw that Feng Ming was struggling and quickly came to his rescue. She crouched next to Feng Ming while waiting for instructions. "The time is getting late, Duke Ming. It would be better to bathe and get ready now. After all, it will not be good if you arrived at the Tong Kingdom's banquet dressed sloppily."
Feng Ming automatically understood that Qiu Lan was trying to pull him away from the embarrassing situation and secretly praised her thoughtfulness. He immediately nodded and made a sound of confirmation in response. "We should get ready right away."
He poked at Rong Tian's chest a few times. "This Duke had some business to take care of and cannot accompany you tonight. Be good and don't run around. Wait for me to return and we will speak then."
So cool!
In the past, it had always been Rong Tian who told him not to run around. This time, it was Rong Tian who had to remain hidden. Feng Ming finally got the chance to blow off some steam by leaving the house and taking the role of a man.
Rong Tian hugged him intimately before saying, "When you come back, I will be gone."
"What?" Feng Ming cried out in surprise.
"Hao Yuan Jing, while timid, is in fact a considerably intelligent man. In terms of the bigger picture, he has a clearer view of it, and his family's influence in Xi Lei's court is also not small. Since it is rare for him to appear here, this King wishes to see him. If there is an opportunity tonight, I will secretly meet with him."
"Hmm, but Rong Tian..."
"Do not worry. I am not foolish enough to sneak into Tong's imperial palace. The residence the ambassador is staying at would be much easier to get into."
The signs of worry were still evident on Feng Ming's face. "If you want to go, I won't stop you, however you must bring along Rong Hu, Zi Yan, and Mian Ya."
"I will bring Mian Ya, however Rong Hu and Zi Yan cannot leave your side." Rong Tian issued a strict command and gazing at Feng Ming, seriously warned him. "Because of your sensitive identity and Qing Zhang's support, there will probably be no one in Tong's palace that would dare to hurt you. However, it is possible that someone will find something to fault you with and make it difficult for you at the banquet. You have to be careful."
"Make it difficult? Why would they purposely want to make things difficult for me?"
Rong Tian patted his soft cheeks and jokingly answered, "Of course it is because you are Xi Lei's Duke Ming, the world's most famous wise and far-sighted person."
To hell with being wise and far-sighted!
Fame only brings me bad luck these days.
Feng Ming led the maids away to get ready. Before leaving, Rong Tian instructed Rong Hu in a low voice. "Later, when inside the palace, keep our men inside and keep the Xiao Family's men outside."
"Understood, subordinate will discuss this matter with the Xiao Family's Luo Yun."
"The two officials from Xi Lei will not dare to give you any problems. Qing Li will also not dare to start a fight within his father's palace, however, Dan Lin's He Di..." In a serious tone, Rong Tian continued, "Do not look down on that person. Even though we are allies, do not let Feng Ming be in contact with him alone."
"Subordinate understands."
"One more thing, if possible, keep Duke Ming by Qing Zhang's side and find some men with keen eyes to follow Qing Zhang's every move." As he spoke, Rong Tian's lips formed a merciless smile. "If issues begin cropping up at the banquet, quickly take Qing Zhang hostage and use his position as Tong's royal Uncle to threaten Zhuang Pu for his cooperation. Then, protect Duke Ming to leave the palace."
"Understood."
Fated to be an incredibly eventful scene, the curtains to Tong Kingdom's Grand Banquet finally open.
Tong Kingdom's banquet officially began at you shi (5 – 7 pm).
The location was the spacious and grand main hall of the imperial palace.
The royal family and the nobles considered the banquet very important. This could be seen through the number of influential guests and the venue it was located.
Just now, a prominent figure in the Tong Kingdom, Royal Uncle Qing Zhang, had personally accompanied Feng Ming to the banquet. Their arrival sparked looks of excitement in the eyes of those present.
"So many people..." Feng Ming frowned and with a low voice whispered to Rong Hu. "Why is Tong so small, yet has so many officials?"
The bureaucracy was too overstaffed, in comparison to Xi Lei, it was much more rotten.
In a similar tone, Rong Hu replied, "Duke Ming, the people inside are either from the royal family, an official, or a noble from an influential family. However, they have also brought their favorite pets, be it girls or even boys, and guards." He also included his own analysis of the situation. "Duke Ming must remember, Tong is currently divided into 2 factions, Qing Zhang's and Qing Li's. That is why everyone has brought their own guards."
Oh? Feng Ming chuckled.
They only have their own system of bureaucracy to blame for their internal problems.
Nevertheless, having an internal conflict within the kingdom was not good for their image.
The imperial palace's main hall had been decorated beautifully with silver and gold in a rather extravagant manner. If it were compared to the palace in Dong Fan, then the ambiance of wealth was dominant, however the aura of nobility was lacking.
"Xiao Family's young Lord, please sit here on this seat of honour." An official responsible for guiding the guests brought Feng Ming to his designated seat.
The spacious hall had been arranged with seats paired with short, small tables. Each table had a pillow to sit on. All those who were qualified to attend the banquet knew of the kingdom's love for luxury. The seats would definitely be soft and comfortable.
Almost all those that were invited had arrived. A space in the middle of the hall had been prepared for the purpose of what appeared to be a performance. There was a large, round rug in the space, and the guests' tables had been arranged in a circular pattern with multiple rings around the space.
Personages like Qing Zhang, Qing Li, Xi Lei's ambassador, and Feng Ming were of course seated in the inner ring. This was the so-called, seat of honour.
In an elegant manner, Feng Ming thanked the guide and sat down. Rong Hu, Zi Yan, and Luo Yun, 3 people equipped with good looks and imposing mannerisms, served as Feng Ming's guards. With their hands on their swords, they kneeled down and sat behind him, virtually increasing their striking momentum.
"Zi Yan will be responsible for protecting Duke Ming from any surrounding dangers. The food and drink will be tested by me for poison." In a low voice, Rong Hu discussed the tasks with the other 2 guards.
Luo Yun calmly looked at the front as he said, "Let me test the food and drink first, then Rong Hu can test it again afterwards."
With Rong Tian, Feng Ming had participated in plenty of royal banquets, however this was his first time attending one with such a large number of participants. Feng Ming watched as the other guests took their seats. Those of lesser nobility began leading their own guards and favourite concubines to the seats that correspond with their ranks.
Everyone was whispering to one another and exchanging conventional greetings and smiles.
They flaunted their wealth with their clothing and all sorts of magnificent accessories on their shoulders (肩  饰  ) that would make others stare at in admiration.
Feng Ming observed everything with interested eyes. "Unexpectedly, Tong's imperial banquet is incredibly lively."
肩  饰  )- Shoulder's ornaments ...so pwetty isn't it!!