Chapter 137: No Need to Take Every Word to Heart

"What is that, what kind of weapon?"

"How could there be something so powerful!"

Shang Xiaomin gradually lost his strength, his body toppling stiffly to the side, falling from his horse and crashing heavily to the ground.

He stared with wide eyes, looking at Cheng Qiuluo in the distance with unwillingness.

What kind of weapon was she holding?

"No, I can't!"

Shang Xiaomin turned his head to look toward Ducheng, his neck stretching forward, his hand reaching out and grabbing desperately ahead.

He had only just managed to defeat the second one after so much difficulty, scheming and plotting all the way to today, just a little bit more…

Just a little bit more, and he could ascend to the position of National Lord.

Just one step away, and he would be the National Lord of Muyuan Kingdom!

He hadn't yet sat on that Dragon Throne, he hadn't yet become National Lord, he couldn't die yet…

But the next moment, his hand dropped heavily, his head lolled to one side, and his breath was gone.

But his eyes remained open the whole time, looking toward Ducheng.

A tall figure rode a Horse from afar, drawing closer.

Shang Gu looked at Shang Xiaomin on the ground and sighed softly, then dismounted, half-squatted beside him, and reached out to close his eyes.

And over at the Thatched Hut, the guards of the Fifth Prince's Residence had all been restrained as well.

The Cheng Family's women had just stepped down from the Horse Carriage.

Suddenly, they heard a burst of bold, rough laughter.

"Hahahaha!"

Situ Kuo came riding up on Horseback.

He stopped in front of the Cheng Family's women.

"Oh? Little friend Yu'an is here too?"

Dismounting, Situ Kuo took two steps closer, rubbed his hands together, wanting to take Yu'an and give him a hug.

With the scent of a milk-baby on him, those tigers should treat him a little better, right?

Maybe they would even let him ride another round!

Just imagine—if he rode a majestic Tiger, parading around the Border Camp once, how impressive, how glorious would that be?

Those old cronies in the camp, and that bunch of brats, wouldn't they be dying of envy?

Thinking and thinking, Situ Kuo seemed to already see it—the way those people would look at him with envious little eyes practically drooling.

"Hehe, hehe…"

Lost in his own thoughts and unable to come out, Situ Kuo just stood there alone, giggling foolishly to himself nonstop.

Seeing that expression on his face, Yu'an turned his head and buried it in his own mother's neck, the back of his head facing him.

Yikes—

Help!

This old man's expression is so scary!

After Shang Gu had finished dealing with the battlefield and just walked over, he saw his own uncle laughing with a strangely rippling expression on his face.

"Ahem!"

He loosely cupped his fist by his mouth and gave a light cough.

Suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed—what's going on?

"Uncle."

"Uncle?"

Still no reaction?

He had no choice but to reach out and tug at his own uncle's sleeve.

"Uncle!"

"Huh?"

Situ Kuo snapped back to himself with a start.

"What's wrong?"

Shang Gu pressed his lips together.

I'm the one who wants to ask you what's wrong?

Helplessly, he gave his own uncle a look, hinting that the Cheng Family people were still here, so at least watch his image a little in front of their partners.

"Oh right."

Can't forget the important business.

Situ Kuo looked at Yu'an.

"I didn't expect that in just a few days, little friend has gotten rounder by a few circles again, your figure is really getting more and more adorably plump."

What?!

If you're going to say cute, just say cute, but you actually called me fat?!

Yu'an clenched his little fists, widened his big eyes, and turned his head to glare at him huffily.

"Eldest Young Master Situ, it's been a few days, how come you've gotten darker again? You look even more weathered!"

Yu'an's little mouth kept blabbering on, his milky little voice landing another hit.

"Seems like you've aged several years."

That soft, milky little voice, that gentle, glutinous little tone, entering Situ Kuo's ears, left only:

"Puff puff puff..."

What was that sound?

Oh, so it was the sound of sharp arrows piercing the heart.

Situ Kuo: "..."

His face showed no particular expression, but inwardly the little figure within was pounding the ground and weeping.

This child, just say what you want to say, a casual remark would have been fine—no need to stab every single word straight into my heart.

Tian Qin said with a reproachful tone.

"Yu'an, you can't be so rude."

The little one pouted his small lips and gave an unhappy "oh."

Situ Kuo hurriedly waved his hands.

"No harm, no harm. Children say whatever comes to mind, children say whatever comes to mind."

Seeing the little baby still looking unhappy, Situ Kuo shot his own nephew a pleading look for help.

Hurry up and help your uncle out—if I can't coax this little one into a good mood, how am I supposed to ride back into the Military Camp in style on my tiger?

Gu Shang gave him a rather speechless look.

Now you remember I exist, do you?

When you were forming a friendship between generations with him, why didn't you think about the nephew who got dragged down several whole generations by it?

"Alright, Uncle, we still have more important matters to attend to."

"Right, right, right, business comes first."

Situ Kuo nodded repeatedly.

How could his own face possibly compare to the importance of helping his nephew get revenge?

He looked toward Cheng Old Madam and Chen Ying, and cupped his hands in a salute toward them.

"Then we'll take our leave first."

With that, uncle and nephew swung themselves up onto their horses and led the soldiers away.

"Pomo, then shall we?"

Meng Shi supported Cheng Old Madam and asked softly.

"Let's head back first."

After speaking, Cheng Old Madam took Yu'an from Tian Qin's arms and was the first to board the Horse Carriage.

The Cheng Family's crisis was temporarily resolved, but Muyuan was about to face a storm of blood and violence.

In Lucheng, a dozen or so li away, the Lucheng County Magistrate was pacing in frantic circles at the sight of the tens of thousands of troops camped outside the city.

The Hecheng County Magistrate raged nonstop.

"That madman Situ Kuo—what is he trying to do?!"

"Moving troops away from the border without authorization is one thing, but now he's trying to attack a city? Is he trying to start a Rebellion?!"

The Lucheng County Magistrate raised his hand and pressed downward, signaling everyone not to panic, and said righteously to the other three.

"My lords, please do not panic. I have already written a Memorial reporting this matter exactly as it happened, and sent it at full gallop to Ducheng. The National Lord will surely take our side and severely punish Situ Kuo!"

"As for the Fifth Prince's side..."

The more he spoke, the less confident he felt.

"There were reasons behind this. The Imperial Prince has always been magnanimous—he shouldn't hold it against us."

He shouldn't, right?

Hearing his words, the Hecheng County Magistrate and the Yuancheng County Magistrate both rolled their eyes in unison.

The National Lord is gravely ill, and all court affairs are handled by the Fifth Prince on his behalf—and right now the Fifth Prince is at the Thatched Hut a dozen or so li away!

Who exactly is your Memorial supposed to be delivered to?!

The three of them glanced at the Gucheng County Magistrate, who seemed perfectly composed.

The Lucheng County Magistrate gave a cold snort.

"County Magistrate Qin certainly knows how to keep his composure!"

The other two county magistrates said in cutting, sarcastic tones.

"Magistrate Lu may not know this, but if the Fifth Prince hadn't sent people to invite him again and again, County Magistrate Qin wouldn't have deigned to associate with the likes of us!"

"You two shouldn't speak like that. County Magistrate Qin was once a first-rank official, a court minister of great importance—mind your tone when you speak to him!"

County Magistrate Qin paid no heed to the three men's cold mockery.

In truth, what they said wasn't wrong—if the Fifth Prince hadn't pressured him, he wouldn't have come either.

He only wanted to protect the common folk and families of one city.

Just then, the soldiers who had been tightly encircling the base of the city suddenly split apart to both sides, leaving a gap of over ten meters in the middle.

The Lucheng County Magistrate pointed down and shouted.

"Look! They're moving!"

The other three hurriedly looked down, and saw:

Another troop of horsemen was approaching from afar. Of the two men at the very front, one was the very Situ Kuo they had just been cursing.

The Lucheng County Magistrate muttered quietly.

"How strange—who is that young general in the golden armor? Situ Kuo actually allowed that person to ride ahead of him."

And County Magistrate Qin, the eldest of the four county magistrates, first widened his eyes, then rubbed them vigorously several times, and upon looking again, his face filled with astonishment—and even more so with excitement.

He murmured unconsciously.

"The Crown Prince!"

"It's the Crown Prince!"

"What Crown Prince? Where did a Crown Prince come from? When did the National Lord ever appoint a Crown Prince?"

The Magistrate of Lucheng asked in bewilderment.

But neither of the other two answered him; their expressions were both very ugly.

Magistrate Qin hurriedly ran down the steps.

"Open the gate, open it quickly!"