Chapter 2116: Brother Who Doesn't Play by the Rules

He Lingchuan had a delicate appearance as a child, and the older he got, the more he resembled He Chunhua, with his eyebrows and eyes bearing three or four parts resemblance to He Xiaoyao.

"I mentioned it. When we were drinking, he told me about your past adventures! Your brotherly bond is truly enviable." Fu Shanyue laughed heartily, "He also mentioned to me that in your old home in Heishuicheng, there is a particularly beautiful garden, and that green-framed treasure-vase gate is your father's masterpiece."

"Green-framed?" He Yue frowned, "The treasure-vase gate wasn't specially painted; the walls beside it were painted white, so the gate frame is also white, the paint made from grinding white stone from near Heishuicheng."

Fu Shanyue chuckled: "Oh, is that so? Then I must have misremembered."

He Yue returned the smile, knowing this was surely the other party testing him.

He simply added a couple more sentences: "The old plum trees in the garden protruded over the wall, as if inserted into the treasure vase, originally of extraordinary charm. Who knew the household would hire an ignorant gardener who, with two cuts, severed the old plum branches, angering my father so much he couldn't eat for days."

Fu Shanyue naturally had heard this before, but verbally echoed: "What a pity, what a pity. By the way, why are you called He Yue, while your brother is called He Lingchuan?"

"My brother's original name was He Xiaoyao, but according to Man Dadu Salisaman telling my father, he must change his name to 'Lingchuan' for his fortune to never cease in this lifetime." He Yue explained, "My father has always greatly respected Man Dadu Salisaman, so he changed my brother's name accordingly."

"I see." Fu Shanyue added casually, "Then where is this Man Dadu Salisaman now?"

"He left Heishuicheng years ago to wander the four directions, and his whereabouts have been unknown since. My father also sent people to search for him, but to no avail." He Yue shook his head, "Man Dadu Salisaman comes and goes unpredictably, elusive and hard to gauge; when I was young, I even thought he was an immortal."

Having gotten these obscure details correct that outsiders would hardly know, Fu Shanyue turned and raised his hand, "Come, please sit! Peach, bring the tea."

Then a delicately carved little girl came over holding a teacup, bringing He Yue a cup of hot tea.

Fu Shanyue looked at him with smiling eyes.

If this brat had a single question he couldn't answer, he couldn't leisurely sit here drinking tea.

"Thank you!" Seeing Fu Shanyue's gentle expression and his familiar, easygoing manner, He Yue also relaxed, "Your Highness, how did you come to know my brother?"

Fu Shanyue tapped the table, signaling Peach to pour him tea as well: "What did your brother do in Bekka? You don't know?"

"He never brought it up voluntarily." My brother's last return home, he didn't even mention having gone to Bekka!

"It's just a case of not fighting, not knowing each other. My brother's first appearance was when he came to snatch something from me."

"……" That sounds exactly like something the eldest brother would do.

"I failed to defeat him several times, so I simply shook hands and made peace with him."

"I see." Dragon befriends dragon, phoenix befriends phoenix, rats befriend those who dig burrows. This Crown Prince of Chiyan, it seems, is also no good person.

"Later, Chiyan State encountered a major case, I commissioned your brother to investigate thoroughly, and he traced it all the way to Lingxu City, where the mastermind behind it turned out to be the State Preceptor of Qingyang, tsk!"

Fu Shanyue lightly brushed over a few sentences, and He Yue listened with his heart pounding. Having accompanied He Chunhua in official circles, he could instantly sense the hidden swords and daggers in these words.

My brother's situation back then must have been very dangerous, right?

Besides, does the Crown Prince of Chiyan himself have no subordinates? Why would he commission an outsider like my brother to investigate the case?

That would mean this matter is no easy task, and the people of Chiyan State can't handle it.

"This process must have been very dangerous, right?"

"Of course. But even more danger lies ahead." Fu Shanyue propped his chin on his hand, looking at him, "What major deeds did your brother accomplish in the Heavenly Palace, do you know?"

He Yue's neck felt a bit stiff, but he could only shake his head.

"Then what about his affairs in Shanjin, do you know?"

"Shen State is too far from Shanjin, news travels slowly, I only know my brother calls himself the Nine Abysses Great Emperor, as if he just founded a state."

"That's right." Fu Shanyue laughed, said no more, merely changed the subject, "Is this trip of yours representing Shen State?"

"Yes, my father received my brother's message, overjoyed beyond himself, and thus ordered me to lead a delegation to visit." He Yue asked, "Your Highness, is my brother in the new capital?"

The Ying Shan Archipelago was taken by Chiyan, so he could only go to the Shanjin Plains to find my brother.

Fu Shanyue took a sip of tea: "He led troops out to wage war."

"……" He Yue exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't the Shanjin Plains already unified?"

My brother just founded a state, how long has this stability lasted, and already he's started fighting again?

"The major war within the plains is over, but what about beyond the plains?" Fu Shanyue rose, walked to the sand table, and swept his hand across it, whereupon the sand table began to display the western map of the Shanjin Plains, even including the Ying Shan Archipelago.

Fu Shanyue pointed at the Ying Shan Archipelago: "We are here."

Then his finger moved northeastward, all the way to the peninsula: "Your brother's army is currently attacking here."

"Ya State?!" He Yue was startled, "I recall this state has strong troops and sturdy horses, how could my brother…… Could it be they took advantage of a vacancy, invading the newly founded Cangyan State?"

Before setting out to sea, he had specially brushed up on his studies, roughly understanding the situation of Shanjin and its surroundings. Ya State is a regional power, famed for its skill in conquest and battle, it is said even Mu State dare not slight it.

Cangyan State was founded only a few months ago? Its foundation is unstable, the king ought to be striving to consolidate his rule, right? He finds it hard to imagine my brother would actively attack Ya State.

Fu Shanyue moved his finger upward, pointing at another area: "This place is called 'Bailie'. Ya State often plunders surrounding regions, this time they went to Bailie to loot, resulting in Ya State's third prince being shot and killed by Bailie people, Ya State's ruler flew into a rage, dispatched troops to fiercely attack Bailie. Thus, your brother led troops to support Bailie."

"His relationship with Bailie is that good?" Just after founding a state, he dispatched troops— is my brother truly not considering the difficulty?

"Good relationship?" Fu Shanyue laughed twice, "Those islands under your feet originally belonged to Bailie, at that time they were islands shrouded in killing intent, devoid of life, later the Bailie lord sold them to your brother for a small sum of several ten thousand taels, which gave rise to the later prosperous Ying Shan shipping route! However, the Bailie lord, seeing your brother develop this place into something great and strong, grew envious, and several times tried to tear up the contract and forcibly reclaim it."

"……" He Yue was puzzled, "Then does my brother still wish to help them fight?"

My elder brother is certainly not a fool; doing this must have a reasonable reason, right?

"I'm not entirely clear either. But I see, He Xiaoyao went to take revenge." Fu Shanyue didn't beat around the bush, "When he led his elite forces to encircle and annihilate Ya State, Ya State launched a large-scale invasion of the western front of Shanjin, local soldiers and civilians rose in resistance, suffering heavy casualties. Later, although Ya State withdrew troops, they spread everywhere the claim that the Dragon God Army was weak and bullyable, one Ya State soldier could beat seven Dragon God soldiers."