Chapter 371: Taba Yu'er's Heart Knot

After the scout and the innkeeper nodded at each other, the scout immediately ran toward the Han Imperial Palace.

The person Zhang Lie had him tail was no pushover; he had to inform Zhang Lie at once so that Zhang Lie could prepare.

Meanwhile, Duan Fengyun sat in the guest room with a smile on his face, looking at the wine cup spinning in his hand as he chuckled:

"The feeling of eating for free is truly wonderful; this is the first time I've realized that eating for free could be such a happy thing.

I must find more opportunities like this in the future.

It really is a case of 'might as well eat it for free,' and after eating, I want to eat more.

Hahahaha!"

Duan Fengyun downed the Hundred Year Bamboo Leaf Green in his cup in one gulp.

Although they were both called Hundred Year Bamboo Leaf Green, Duan Fengyun felt that this Hundred Year Bamboo Leaf Green was a far cry from the one he had shared with Men Laotou.

The Hundred Year Bamboo Leaf Green back at Shuiyue Dongtian had a fragrant aroma, full of the scent of bamboo.

Although this Hundred Year Bamboo Leaf Green was also very fragrant, it lacked even a hint of bamboo scent.

The aroma of the wine was not actually the point; it was just that as Duan Fengyun drank it, he thought of Yueya and the others again.

He seemed to always be like this, never having properly accompanied his family.

Back then, Xiao Wuyou and Xiao Ruoruo were still young when he sent them to Linggui Island, and it was only after several years of struggle and defeating Di Shitian that the family was able to reunite.

Yet, because he left the Fengyun World, he never had the chance to see Xiao Wuyou and Xiao Ruoruo again.

And it was the same with Xiao Duantian; he had only lived with him for a few years, and now he had left Xiao Duantian and Yueya behind to resurrect Youruo and the others.

However, Duan Fengyun's expression remained resolute; this was his own choice, and he would not regret it.

If he were to live a peaceful life with Yueya and Xiao Duantian, he would never be happy and would forever be trapped in self-reproach and guilt.

That was just how Duan Fengyun was; even knowing the path ahead was bleak, he would still walk forward with determination.

He feared not the obstruction of ten million people, but only his own surrender.

Duan Fengyun was just such a stubborn man who insisted on going his own way.

Duan Fengyun downed the rest of the wine in one gulp; the burning sensation in his throat, however, allowed his cold heart to slowly feel a trace of warmth.

At this moment, the scout who had rushed in a panic to the Han Imperial Palace finally returned to the Han Imperial Mansion.

Jianchi, Chen Jingchou, and Yu Xiaoxue were currently sitting in the main hall of the Han Imperial Palace, chatting with Zhang Lie and Taba Yu'er.

Seeing the scout running in, flustered, Taba Yu'er asked:

"Well, is there any news?"

The scout looked up at Zhang Lie; he had to obtain Zhang Lie's consent before he could speak.

After all, the scout was Zhang Lie's man, and without Zhang Lie's nod, he certainly dared not speak out, especially since Jianchi, Chen Jingchou, and others were present in addition to Zhang Lie and Taba Yu'er.

Zhang Lie nodded and said:

"Speak quickly, Yu'er has already given the word."

Zhang Lie had never intended to hide the matter of Duan Fengyun.

Chen Jingchou, Jianchi, and the others already knew Duan Fengyun, and besides, this was Taba, his territory; what was wrong with him having someone keep an eye on a person he didn't trust?

Having received Zhang Lie's consent, the scout began to speak:

"Khan Emperor, Second Princess!

I just followed the person you told me to follow to the inn; after he ate and drank his fill there, he went upstairs.

And when I was asking the innkeeper, the innkeeper told me that the man said I would be the one to pay his bill.

He had already discovered me while I was following him.

I consider my own skills to be not bad, and for this person to be able to discover me, it means his strength is above mine."

Zhang Lie was shocked upon hearing this:

"What, you were discovered by him?

Was there something you didn't pay attention to that he noticed?"

Zhang Lie found it hard to believe, as this scout was considered the one with the best skills and fastest reactions among his men.

Sometimes even Zhang Lie couldn't detect this person, so he hadn't expected him to be discovered by someone today.

The scout shook his head and said:

"No, Khan Emperor, do you still not trust my skills?

I was cautious the whole way, the kind that guaranteed he wouldn't notice.

Yet I didn't expect to be discovered by him anyway."

Chen Jingchou and Jianchi were left confused, wondering who could make Zhang Lie so concerned that he had to send someone to tail them.

Chen Jingchou, whose curiosity was too great, could not hold back and asked:

"Zhang Lie, who are you having this young man tail?

Who else in Taba would make you so cautious that you have to send someone to follow them?"

Taba Yu'er and Zhang Lie exchanged a glance, and Taba Yu'er said:

"It is that Qin Shuang; we just saw him on the city wall, and I told Zhang Lie that this person is not simple.

He must have ulterior motives for coming to Taba, so Zhang Lie sent someone to tail him just in case.

I didn't expect him to be seen through by this Qin Shuang; according to the news just now, this Qin Shuang's skills must be extraordinary.

I just don't know what his intentions are for suddenly coming to Taba, and whether he will be detrimental to us in Taba."

Taba Yu'er turned to look at Chen Jingchou and Jianchi, only to find that the two of them were not the least bit confused by Qin Shuang's arrival.

Taba Yu'er said:

"What is going on?

Why do I feel like you aren't the least bit surprised by Qin Shuang's arrival?"

Chen Jingchou spoke up:

"We just saw Qin Shuang earlier.

Just now, because Xiaoxue got separated from us and had no money to pay the bill, it was Qin Shuang who stepped in to help her out of the predicament."

Taba Yu'er said in shock:

"You have already seen Qin Shuang!

Do you think he might have come to Taba specifically to get close to Xiaoxue?

Could his target be Xiaoxue, and the Nuwa Stone on Xiaoxue's person?"

Chen Jingchou did not look favorably upon Duan Fengyun, and seeing Taba Yu'er bring it up, he also chimed in:

"I also feel that this Qin Shuang has ill intentions. It is highly likely he is plotting against Xiaoxue and the Nuwa Stone; we must be on our guard."

Upon hearing this, Yu Xiaoxue shook her head and said:

"I don't think so.

I didn't feel a shred of malice from him; I believe he harbors no ill will toward me.

Perhaps you have all misunderstood Brother Qin Shuang; I feel that he seems like a very good person."

Seeing Chen Jingchou and Taba Yu'er attacking Duan Fengyun, Jianchi also hurriedly stood up to defend Duan Fengyun:

"I think Xiaoxue is absolutely right.

Brother Qin Shuang is definitely not the person you imagine him to be; you must have some misunderstanding about him.

You know of Xiaoxue's abilities; since she says there is no problem with Brother Qin Shuang, then there certainly is no problem."

Chen Jingchou and Taba Yu'er smeared Duan Fengyun, while Jianchi and Yu Xiaoxue defended him desperately.

Watching the four of them arguing with each other, Zhang Lie shook his head with a wry smile.

He was usually alone here in the Han Imperial Palace, lonely and quiet, but he hadn't expected today's Han Imperial Palace to be as lively as a struggle session.

Zhang Lie did not speak; he just watched the four of them arguing there in silence.

Especially Taba Yu'er and Chen Jingchou, that pair of bickering enemies; the two were like they shared a single mind, one saying something and the other responding, their coordination incredibly fluid.

And it was only then that Zhang Lie noticed the informant had not yet left.

Zhang Lie asked suspiciously:

"There is nothing left for you to do here, why haven't you gone back yet?"

The informant said with an embarrassed look:

"Khan Emperor, the meal bill from earlier has not been settled yet.

That person ate and drank to his heart's content, and even took a bottle of Hundred Year Bamboo Leaf Green.

The shopkeeper said it cost one hundred taels of silver; how could I have that much money?

It was only after I took out the token of the Han Imperial Palace that the shopkeeper let me leave.

I told the shopkeeper that I would go settle the bill after returning to report to the Khan Emperor."

After the informant finished speaking, Taba Yu'er and the others, who had been arguing, all stopped.

Taba Yu'er said irritably:

"That Qin Shuang knew you were tailing him and still dug such a big pit.

He isn't just trapping you; he is trapping us Taba.

Zhang Lie, let's take people immediately to go catch that Qin Shuang.

No matter what his motives are, I don't believe he can escape from my Taba's grasp."

Zhang Lie took a one-hundred-tael silver note from his pouch and handed it to the informant, saying:

"This is a one-hundred-tael silver note; go quickly and settle the debt at the inn.

This concerns the credibility of our Han Imperial Palace; we cannot let our subjects suffer losses, and even more so, we cannot let them lose trust in us."

After the informant took the silver note, he left. He knew that he shouldn't be present for the matters Zhang Lie and the others were discussing, so leaving early was the right thing to do.

Seeing the informant leave, Zhang Lie shook his head at Taba Yu'er and said:

"Yu'er, although this Qin Shuang trapped us, it was we who sent someone to tail him first; we are not in the right to begin with.

Now that we have no evidence to prove he has ulterior motives, how can we just go and arrest him?

As long as Qin Shuang does not commit any wrongdoing in Taba, we should not restrict his movements."

Jianchi looked at Zhang Lie and nodded in appreciation.

There was a reason Zhang Lie was able to sit in the position of Khan Emperor; based on these words alone, Zhang Lie had already surpassed many monarchs.

Taba Yu'er looked at Zhang Lie with a puzzled expression; the Zhang Lie of the past was not like this.

In the past, as long as she proposed an idea, Zhang Lie would help her achieve it, but now Zhang Lie would not pay any heed to her opinions at all.

Taba Yu'er looked at Zhang Lie, unconvinced.

Zhang Lie naturally knew what Taba Yu'er was thinking, but today is no longer like the past.

Taba Yu'er could still act on impulse, but he could no longer do so.

He was now the Khan Emperor of Taba; his every move concerned the survival of Taba, and he could not continue to be willful along with Taba Yu'er.

Zhang Lie still voiced his feelings:

"Yu'er, I know you must be extremely resentful of me.

But today is not like the past; I now carry the Destiny of Taba on my back, and I cannot be as willful as you.

I must consider Taba first in everything, so I hope you can understand me."

This was the first time Taba Yu'er had heard Zhang Lie express his inner thoughts; only then did Taba Yu'er notice that the Zhang Lie before her had matured and weathered quite a bit compared to a few years ago.

Indeed, Taba Yu'er's father, the Khan, had given such a great responsibility to Zhang Lie; in order to shoulder this responsibility, Zhang Lie had to learn to grow.

Seeing Zhang Lie in this state, Taba Yu'er finally understood him, and the resentment in her heart toward Zhang Lie faded away.