Chapter 147: Persuasion to Return, The Imperial Procession Returns to the Capital

Inside the flower hall of the Governor's Mansion, Lu Zhu led a few young maids in diligently serving tea. Yun Yi sat comfortably in the seat on the left, a faint, polite smile perpetually gracing his handsome face. However, the expressions of the three people sitting opposite him grew increasingly grim.

Ever since Meng Tianxu ascended to the throne, Meng Tianyan had been elevated from the Seventh Prince to the Seventh Prince of the Realm, yet Meng Tianxu had never granted him an official title, leaving him to remain an idle prince. Thus, everyone could only address him as "the Seventh Prince." Fortunately, Meng Tianyan had always been accustomed to a life of leisure, so being an idle prince suited him well. Consequently, regardless of how the political tides of the world shifted, his life in the capital remained as relaxed and carefree as ever.

Unexpectedly, when it came time to send someone to the Northwest to probe Meng Yuanheng, Meng Tianxu suddenly seemed to have a stroke of inspiration and remembered he had this younger brother. The Northwest was a desolate, bitterly cold place; the journey was filled with dust, yellow sand, and the exhaustion of relentless travel. Having trekked thousands of miles to Jingzhou, Meng Tianyan had already cursed his treacherous and cunning third imperial brother a thousand times over in his heart.

The relationship between the Prince Xuan Mansion and the Great Sheng court had been tense, bordering on open confrontation, ever since Meng Yuanheng ordered the massacre of tens of thousands of imperial troops. Judging by the current state of the Northwest, it was clear that Meng Yuanheng governed this region with impressive order. The vitriol labeling Meng Yuanheng as a cruel, bloodthirsty butcher was perhaps only rampant in the capital; at the very least, from what he had seen and heard throughout his journey in the Northwest, the local populace held the Prince Xuan Mansion in high esteem and praise.

His third brother was ruthless and deeply suspicious. He could not help but wonder if Meng Tianxu’s purpose in sending him to Jingzhou was to use Meng Yuanheng’s hand to eliminate him, while simultaneously blackening the reputation of the Prince Xuan Mansion even further.

Yet, this Meng Yuanheng was far too arrogant. It was one thing that he only sent a few obscure local officials to greet them upon their arrival in the city, but what was this? They had been waiting in this Governor’s Mansion for nearly two hours, and aside from a few expressionless guards and maids, there was only this smiling man in white sitting here, keeping them company with nothing but tea.

It was rumored that this man in white was merely a figure from the pugilistic world! For Meng Yuanheng to act this way was a clear sign that he held no regard for the imperial court. Though Meng Tianyan felt a surge of anger, he had to suppress it due to the circumstances.

As for Feng Ze, he had kept his face taut and remained silent ever since entering Jingzhou city. However, his skin was naturally dark, and his features were cold, hard, and deeply etched. Years of campaigning had made his stern, rigid expression habitual, so others did not notice anything obviously amiss. Perhaps only Yun Yi could read the profound pain in the depths of this tall, formidable General of Martial Might’s eyes.

Yun Yi offered a knowing smile, signaled for Lu Zhu to refill the tea, and said apologetically, "My deepest apologies. The Princess Consort has only just returned from a great trial and is currently pregnant, leaving her body quite weak. The Prince is deeply concerned for her health, so he has been unable to come out to greet you guests. I ask for your patience."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yun Yi saw, as expected, the hand holding Feng Ze’s teacup tremble slightly. The freshly poured tea spilled over, flowing onto his hand. Yet, Feng Ze seemed completely unaware that the hot tea was scalding him; he only tightened his grip until his knuckles turned white, as if struggling to suppress the urge to crush the cup in his hand.

Hearing Yun Yi’s words, Meng Tianyan’s expression turned even uglier. Yun Yi had spoken tactfully, but the subtext was painfully obvious: the Prince was too busy attending to his Princess Consort to see them.

He let out a cold harrumph, but due to his status, he could only force himself to endure it. This was clearly Meng Yuanheng’s territory now; no matter how angry he was, what could he do? Should he act like a shrew and shout in the streets?

However, it was clear that Liu Wensheng, the Minister of Personnel, did not share Meng Tianyan’s self-control. With his explosive temper, he could no longer sit still. He leaped up, shouting loudly, "Insolence! Prince Xuan is simply too insolent! The Seventh Prince has been waiting here for a long time, and he still refuses to come out to pay his respects. It seems the Emperor was right to call him treacherous! Does he have any regard for the Emperor or the rules at all?"

"Treacherous? Why do I recall the Emperor labeling it as 'rebellion and treason'? Yun Yi, is that correct?" A low, cold voice drifted in from outside the door, the tone laced with clear disdain.

Liu Wensheng froze. Following the sound, he saw a pair of figures walking in together.

The man wore a moon-white silk robe, his tall, slender frame standing upright. His black hair was simply tied up, left to fall loosely behind his shoulders. His face was cold, his features handsome. The woman, held gently by his long arm, wore a pale cyan gown. Though the style was simple, it was exceptionally elegant. The white fox fur at the collar perfectly complemented her fair, delicate skin and gentle, beautiful face. She was a sight that brought a sense of comfort and peace, and the calm, confident poise in her eyes made any other beauty in the world seem insignificant by comparison.

The woman’s expression was mild, her gaze gentle, while the man beside her exuded a sharp, piercing aura. His keen eyes, filled with a cold, mocking glint, fixed upon Liu Wensheng, sending a chill down the minister's spine.

The guards and maids in the hall bowed as they saw Meng Yuanheng and Shen Qianmo enter.

"Greetings, Your Highness. Greetings, Princess Consort."

"Rise," Meng Yuanheng replied briskly this time.

Meng Tianyan and the others were momentarily stunned to see Meng Yuanheng after so long. Had they not heard that Prince Xuan’s hair had turned white overnight for the sake of his Princess Consort? Yet, was his hair not clearly as black as it had ever been?

Upon seeing Meng Yuanheng like this, Yun Yi nearly spat out the tea he had just taken into his mouth.

*How did this guy think to dye his hair black?*

His gaze drifted to Feng Ze, who sat opposite them, staring unblinkingly at Shen Qianmo. Yun Yi couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.

Indeed, when meeting a romantic rival, one naturally had to groom oneself well to appear in the most perfect state. No wonder the two of them had taken so long to appear, leaving them waiting for so long.

Receiving a warning glare from Meng Yuanheng, Yun Yi hurriedly hid his amusement and, with perfect tacit understanding, continued his previous thought, laughing, "To answer Your Highness, the Emperor’s imperial decree did indeed say exactly that."

Stung by their mockery, Liu Wensheng grew indignant and raised his voice, shouting, "Audacious Meng Yuanheng! The Emperor has already stripped you of your title and authority. How dare you not pay your respects to the Seventh Prince?"

Meng Yuanheng looked at the posturing Liu Wensheng with a playful expression, as if he had heard a joke.

Pay his respects? Did he want him to pay respects to Meng Tianyan?

In the eyes of a traditional, dogmatic civil official like Liu Wensheng, since Meng Yuanheng had been stripped of his title, he was now a commoner and, by rights, should bow to them.

But it was clear he had chosen the wrong person to lecture. Meng Yuanheng’s lips curled, though he didn't even deem it worthy of mockery. He simply wrapped his arm around the woman beside him and sat in the head seat of the hall. He then raised his eyes, sweeping a frigid glance over Liu Wensheng, and said coldly, "Minister Liu, keep your voice down. If you frighten my beloved Princess Consort and the young heir... the consequences are not something you can bear."

Swept by Meng Yuanheng’s icy gaze, Liu Wensheng was suddenly struck by the memory of the tens of thousands of soldiers this man had ordered to be executed. He shuddered again, the fire he had just felt instantly extinguished without a trace. His face turned from green to white in a colorful display of varying emotions.

Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Meng Tianyan silently cursed Liu Wensheng for being more of a hindrance than a help. If he provoked Meng Yuanheng and the man decided to cast all caution to the wind in a fit of rage, none of them would make it out alive.

However, since he had come to Jingzhou under imperial order, there were things he had to convey to Meng Yuanheng, whether he wanted to or not. With a stiff, forced laugh, Meng Tianyan dismissed Liu Wensheng and said to the two sitting at the head of the table, "Prince Xuan has been on campaign for a long time. Now that Li City has been recovered and the crisis at Jinyang Pass has been resolved, the Northwest is, after all, a harsh and desolate place with poor soil and a difficult climate. Why does the Prince not return to the capital soon, so as to spare the Princess Consort and the young heir from suffering here?"

"Return to the capital?" Meng Yuanheng looked at Meng Tianyan as if he had heard something amusing, raising an eyebrow and chuckling. Yun Yi, standing to the side, also let out a few light laughs.

Meng Tianxu had already issued a decree stripping him of his title and military power, and had announced to the entire world that he was a traitor and a rebel—yet now he was being asked to return to the capital?

Was it Meng Tianyan’s brain that was broken, or Meng Tianxu’s? Or did they truly think it was Meng Yuanheng’s brain that was broken?

Meng Tianyan naturally knew what Meng Yuanheng was thinking. He struggled to maintain a relaxed, carefree smile, even as he cursed Meng Tianxu a thousand times over in his heart.

Illness could be treated with medicine, but stupidity was truly incurable. He really had to hand it to his third imperial brother for coming up with the excuse of "returning to the capital" and then, cursedly, sending him to deliver it. Was this not clearly setting him up to be humiliated?

Intimidated by Meng Yuanheng’s threat, Liu Wensheng no longer dared to speak. Feng Ze remained silent as he always was, not having uttered a single word throughout the ordeal. Although Meng Tianyan was inwardly furious, he didn't know how to respond, and the atmosphere in the hall grew heavy.

Shen Qianmo remained calm, her steady gaze sweeping across everyone in the hall before she slowly spoke: "Seventh Prince, Minister Liu, General Feng—the journey to Jingzhou is long, and you must be exhausted from your travels. Why not go and rest first? A welcoming banquet has been prepared; perhaps we can discuss matters tonight?"

Meng Tianyan, caught in a dilemma, was more than happy to take the out. He hurriedly seized the opportunity and smiled, "The Princess Consort is right."

Since Shen Qianmo had spoken, Meng Yuanheng did not press the issue further. He only looked at Shen Qianmo with concern and asked, "Are you tired, Mo’er? Let us head back then." With that, ignoring the guests in the hall, he helped Shen Qianmo up and walked away with his arm around her.

Shen Qianmo looked at him helplessly as he guided her by the shoulder and squeezed his hand quietly. Meng Yuanheng understood her meaning; though he was loath to do so, he could only let out a soft huff. He did not slow his pace as he headed out, though he did toss out an instruction for Yun Yi to properly entertain the guests.