Chapter 671: Both sides are once again at each other's throats!

After the Orchid Sea Great Army and DaLiang's 300,000-strong army were integrated, both sides also spent some time adjusting to each other.

But fortunately, marching and fighting is inherently hard, and everyone was going to the Western Regions, a place none had been before, so during the campaign both sides let go of past grudges and estrangements, not only supporting each other but also shielding each other and killing enemies.

The vast majority even thought they would never return, but unexpectedly this time they not only triumphantly returned, the two armies also forged a bond of life-and-death friendship.

So when they first returned together to Mandara City, the two armies still drank together and chatted happily, imagining a future of peace and friendship between the two nations.

However, happy days are always brief.

Things were just as Pei Lao Furen had said.

Not even a few days of peace had passed when Great Chu and DaLiang started arguing.

Not only were they arguing, they were arguing to the point of being irreconcilable.

The reason for this was a dispute over people.

Great Chu wanted to welcome His Majesty back to the Nan'an Imperial City.

And DaLiang also wanted to welcome Prince Su Your Highness to the Jinling Imperial City.

Originally, after Great Chu and DaLiang jointly resisted the expedition to the Western Regions, they had already considered themselves reconciled.

Now that this has happened, the two sides are once again at each other's throats.

Wei Zhaolie and Pei Qianhong have come together again today to see Duan Rongshi.

Because someone in the army has started fighting again…

Moreover, the civil officials are all arguing until their faces are red and ears flushed.

When Wei Zhaolie and Pei Qianhong went together to the front hall of the City Lord's Mansion, they heard the DaLiang civil officials shouting loudly: "Matters also need to be handled in order of arrival!"

"Prince Su Your Highness bears the surname Duan; he ought to return to our Jinling now! Even if he inherits your Great Chu, that would only be due to your emperor's coercion and favor, leaving him no choice but to take over your Great Chu's mess."

"Now you've even helped us recover our cities."

"The Western Regions people also helped us drive them away."

"Shouldn't you also return Your Highness to us?!"

The Great Chu civil officials were not polite either, pointing at the DaLiang civil officials and jumping up in anger.

"Have you no shame?!"

"His Majesty is now our Great Chu's emperor—how could he not do his job as emperor and instead go become your Prince Su?"

"Back then, you DaLiang couldn't tolerate His Majesty, and even forced him to fake his death and flee to our Great Chu."

"You cannot see His Majesty's brilliance, but we can!"

"The His Majesty you don't cherish, we cherish!"

"You are unwilling to give His Majesty authority and honor, but our Great Chu is willing to give it all!"

"Now, with all the reverence and love of our Great Chu's people for His Majesty, you just want to seize him back. Why don't you go seize the Jade Emperor in heaven instead?"

"Besides, what's the point of going back to your DaLiang? To continue being an unloved Prince Su?"

"I have heard that, since our Majesty served as Minister of Justice in your DaLiang court years ago, he has already achieved countless merits, yet apart from attending court, he was not even allowed to enter the palace on ordinary days. The common people even avoided him like snakes and scorpions."

"How so, still go back to your DaLiang to suffer your petty annoyances?"

The DaLiang civil officials were so angry their faces turned crimson, yet everything the Great Chu civil officials said were facts from the past, leaving the DaLiang civil officials utterly unable to refute even a word.

The Great Chu civil officials were even more smug.

Wei Zhaolie and Pei Qianhong saw that Duan Rongshi's expression, seated in the place of honor, remained as usual, inscrutable.

The two hurried forward and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

Wei Zhaolie said, "Your Majesty, the persons causing trouble in the army have both been punished by your subordinates."

Moreover, a letter from South Peace says that Prince Ying and Minister Zhang have both set out from South Peace, leading the civil and military officials, intending to personally come to Mandara City to welcome His Majesty back to court.

Upon hearing this, all the DaLiang people present changed their expressions.

With such a huge commotion from the entire Great Chu court, how can DaLiang still hope to seize back Prince Su?

Pei Qianhong let out a low curse: "You're also quite shameless."

"Can't Great Chu find an outstanding prince of its own?"

Wei Zhaolie said without changing expression: "You do have outstanding princes, but weren't they killed by your own hands, forced to flee abroad?"

Pei Qianhong: "Does Great Chu still want to fight, to decide a winner against DaLiang?"

Wei Zhaolie: "If we fight, we fight! Whoever wins, His Majesty belongs to them!"

Seeing them also brandish their swords arrogantly, Duan Rongshi finally spoke: "Enough."

He rested his chin, glanced lazily at everyone in the hall who were fiercely arguing over him, and said calmly: "Wei Zhaolie, let Prince Ying and his party return first to the imperial city."

Led by Wei Zhaolie, the Great Chu contingent instantly felt as if the sky had collapsed.

"Your Majesty!!"

They knelt on the ground, anxiously gazing at Duan Rongshi.

Could it be that His Majesty truly no longer wants them?

The DaLiang people, meanwhile, all showed looks of wild joy.

However, before they could even rejoice, they again heard Duan Rongshi say: "I indeed need to make a trip back to Jinling."

"Because there are still some grudges left unsettled."

Wei Zhaolie: "Then when will Your Majesty return to court? Let this subordinate escort Your Majesty to Jinling together!"

Duan Rongshi did not refuse, and under the expectant gazes of Pei Qianhong and the others, he nodded.

"Except for those who must remain in Mandara City, the rest of the Great Chu officials may accompany us."

Upon hearing this, the Great Chu people were all so excited they nearly jumped up on the spot.

His Majesty allowing them to accompany him shows that His Majesty is still the emperor of Great Chu!!

Your Highness isn't returning to Jinling to abandon the State of Chu, but to return to Jinling to settle old grudges!

As long as they don't abandon their State of Chu, it's fine; whatever Your Highness does, they'll follow—could Your Highness really throw them all away?

All the officials of the State of Chu were chuckling to themselves.

The people of Liang could only comfort themselves in their hearts: as long as they can return to Jinling, that's fine. When the time comes, if they are on Liang territory, will Your Highness be allowed to stay? That's not for the Liang people to decide.

As for these accompanying officials, when they get to Jinling, whether they'll be detained or assassinated isn't just a matter of a few words.

Everyone harbored their own ulterior motives, and thus the itinerary was set.

Duan Rongshi observed everything in silence; later, when he returned to the main courtyard and told Li Qingluo about it, she found the mental image amusing.

"These officials arguing—just like kids playing house."

Duan Rongshi changed into loungewear and had no plans to go out today.

When he was already sitting on the low couch by the window, playing with the Luban lock together with Fangfang, Li Qingluo came over swaying a book.

"Ah Shi, I have something I want to ask you."

Duan Rongshi glanced at his daughter sitting beside him, happily playing with the small lock, then reached out and pulled Li Qingluo onto his lap.

"Ask."

Li Qingluo: "That witch doctor in the imperial palace… is he yours?"

Duan Rongshi knew which one she meant.

Xiyue, brought back from the Western Regions, was the witch doctor who had forcibly prolonged Emperor Yan's lingering life for another two years.

Duan Rongshi neither denied nor nodded.

"It wasn't at first."

"But now it is."

Li Qingluo's eyes lit up with interest: "How so?"

Duan Rongshi: "Originally, when I left Jinling in haste, I didn't have time to arrange everything."

Li Qingluo knew his hurried departure was also because of her.

At that time she was unconscious and had lost her soul.

Duan Rongshi resolutely abandoned everything easily obtainable in Jinling and followed his grandmother and them to MiaoJiang.

He stayed in MiaoJiang for several months.

The situation in Jinling changed day by day.

Xiyue found a witch doctor from the Western Regions who pulled back half of Emperor Yan's life, even though he had already suffered from hemiplegia.

After Emperor Yan recovered considerably, he appointed his fourth son, Duan Rongjie—who had always been unassuming yet exceptionally filial and obedient—as crown prince.

But he feared that once a crown prince was established, all those factions would immediately wish for this emperor to really die.

So, after seeing Xiyue's ambition, he then used her filial piety as an excuse to completely inflate her appetite.

He deliberately let them, brother and sister, contend for power.

He deliberately let them oppose each other, so as to preserve his own grip on power and retain the ability to decide their ultimate fate!

Thus, they dared not easily kill him.

However, they still overlooked Duan Rongshi, the one who could truly stir up the whole of Liang.

"That witch doctor was someone the eldest sister met back when she was in the northwest."

"She must have been plotting for many years as well. Finally she found a chance to make a move, but… Father Emperor merely treated her as a pawn."

Mentioning the Eldest Princess Li Qingluo brings to mind South Screen.

Back then, she and her mother were extraordinarily favored in all of Jinling, extraordinarily glorious and splendid.

However… times have changed, and the three prince-consorts—father and son—all died at Duan Rongjie's sword.

The Eldest Princess's whereabouts are unknown.

South Screen… had become a foolish, witless figure, having lost her reason and memory, not even like an ordinary maiden.

"If the Eldest Princess succeeds in seizing power… will you still return to Jinling?"

After all, their sibling bond is the closest among all the princes and princesses.

Duan Rongshi replied firmly: "No."

"But the elder sister has changed."

"If she hadn't given up South Screen, I wouldn't have taken that final step."

"That final step is to make that witch doctor my own."

After Xiyue gave up South Screen, Duan Rongshi knew she had been corrupted by power into someone who would stop at nothing.

Originally, if she had intended to fight Duan Rongjie to the bitter end—even publicly flaunting the leverage she held over his words—rather than so easily abandoning South Screen, she wouldn't have come to this day.

It was Xiyue's attitude that made Duan Rongshi realize that even if she won, she would certainly not give him what he wanted.

Because she would no longer allow anyone to challenge the imperial power she could obtain.

All Duan Rongshi wanted was to personally end Emperor Yan's life and personally settle the grudge from his mother's tragic death years ago.

When the news that the Emperor of Chu would return to Jinling was announced, the entire Mantuo City bustled into life.

Some people of Chu worried about this.

Some people of Liang were excited about this.

On the streets, inevitably some people quarreled and caused trouble, but the city lord's men quickly stepped in and harshly dealt with them, so nobody dared to cause trouble again.

But the Chu and Liang peoples were indeed not very happy about it, and even harbored a latent mutual animosity.

However, after Duan Rongshi had finalized his itinerary, he first summoned his three personal guards.

Po Feng, Zhui Yu, and Leng Dian.

Today, in the front courtyard of the lord's manor, everyone else was dismissed.

Only Li Qingluo brought Fangfang, and Duan Rongshi's family of three also saw the three of them.

The courtyard was already set with fine wine and dishes.

Zhui Yu ran around the whole courtyard with Fangfang perched on his shoulder.

Po Feng and Leng Dian stood aside, both tightly watching Zhui Yu, even reaching out their hands, afraid that if Zhui Yu slipped, they would drop their little highness.

"Be careful."

"Go easy on the jostling, don't make the little highness dizzy!"

"Zhui Yu, watch your step!"

However, Fangfang was made to giggle 'keke' by Zhui Yu, happily tugging at Zhui Yu's hair, laughing until drool poured out.

"Oh dear, how did it start raining?"

Zhui Yu wiped his forehead, pretending not to know.

He also didn't mind at all, grinning as he lifted Fangfang up and held her in his arms.

Po Feng and Leng Dian hurried forward to reach out.