Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

After Ji Yu acknowledged her orders, Meng Fuyao added, “From now until the coronation ceremony, this part of Xuanji belongs to me, even if it isn't mine before it's mine now, you guys had better guard it well. Even if the Emperor of Xuanji wants to enter, if I didn't give permission, you still kill!”

“Yes, ma'am!”

Meng Fuyao smiled humorlessly and entered the hall to continue drinking tea with the Second Prince and the officials from the Ministry of Rites. However, the tea that they drank was a strong tea, and the Xuanji representatives who had not had anything the whole day could feel the fiery tea burn their eyes and emit blue light. Only when night fell did a messenger finally arrive to say, “We've set up four tables at the West Wind Parlour, may the honored guests head over.”

All of the Xuanji officials rejoiced, their faces filled with relief as they invited King Meng. However, Meng Fuyao said, “Let me change first.”

After spending almost half a period to change, Meng Fuyao finally emerged and sauntered towards the West Wind Parlour.

Behind the West Wind Parlour was a little building meant for the eunuchs serving the royal family to use. From t

Except… Every table was not laden with beautiful delicacies, but instead a huge black pot.

Within the pot were pancakes, the top steamed and the bottom fried. Hot steam emerged from the mouth of the pot, and the aroma was enticing, but to see such a dish at such a n.o.ble event was rather unfitting. The servants wanted to laugh but couldn't laugh, the officials looking extremely awkward, unsure what to do or say.

However, someone stood up, giggling, as she raised a hand in invitation. “Please excuse our simple dishes and inferior wines, Crown Prince please, King Meng please.”

The girl was elegant and slender, dressed in a pale green palace robe decorated with jade green embroidery and emerald pearls. Her eyes shone with courtesy, and under the chandelier, they sparkled like a fountain.

Her features were not impressive, far inferior to Meng Fuyao, but her expression was kind and honest, her eyes straightforward. Meng Fuyao looked at her, feeling that her demeanor was rather likable.

Based on her words, she was probably one of the princesses of Xuanji as well? That was rare, although she didn't inherit any of the good looks characteristic of the princesses of Xuanji, she did have the good character that those shallow princes and princesses lacked, and she felt her hatred for the Xuanji royal family diminish slightly.

“Ninth Sister, why have you come?” the Second Prince suddenly asked.

“I heard that Tenth Sister was not feeling well and left earlier,” The girl smiled, “I just thought that as a fellow woman, King Meng should have some female accompaniment, or else it would be seen as a lack of respect on Xuanji's part. Hence, I decided to come here, uninvited.” Flas.h.i.+ng another smile, she raised a cup at Zhangsun Wuji and Meng Fuyao, then downed it. “Given everything that's happened, may Your Highness and King Meng forgive us, let me down these three cups as punishment.”

Indeed, she downed three cups in succession, her expression unchanged as she put down the wine cup. Clearly, she was a drinker and adding on to her frank behavior, the earlier awkwardness was washed away as she reacted so naturally, casually, carefully, not embarra.s.sing Xuanji nor losing an ounce of respect towards Zhangsun Wuji and Meng Fuyao.

Upon looking at this turn of events, Meng Fuyao began to respect this princess, digging into her memory for any information on the other party. Xuanji's Ninth Princess, Feng Danning, the youngest daughter of Consort Rong. She was a learned and courteous individual, known as the Number One Female Prodigy in Dan City.

The t.i.tle of Female Prodigy had always been a prestigious t.i.tle referring to those who spent their whole lives either studying or with their noses pointed up reciting poems… Meng Fuyao did not feel averse to Female Prodigies… Using her way of speaking, they were: Nerds!

Hence, she had not taken the Ninth Princess' information seriously, but since she was a perceptive individual, her interest in the princess began to grow. ‘Does she have a claim to the throne as well? Based on talent, she is definitely suited.'

With the Ninth Princess joining the banquet, the entire atmosphere warmed considerably. This royal princess was courteous and smart, learned in all cultures and histories, and the entire banquet soon fell into her rhythm. The Xuanji officials, who had been terrified by Meng Fuyao, were also rescued from their nightmare.

After three rounds of wine, Feng Danning smiled and pulled out a pale golden scroll. “The Crown Prince and King Meng have come from afar, Xuanji does not dare to neglect you and has specially prepared an itinerary for the two of you during your stay here. Rest a.s.sured that we will spare no expense on service during your journey.”

Meng Fuyao glanced at the scroll; the next day, they would visit Dan City's Fenglai Mountain, the day after they would visit Yuchi Lake, then Taiyou View the day after, and the thousand-year-old Wanxian Temple… The entire half month was filled with traveling, all the way until the fifth day of the fourth month.

Upon looking at the itinerary's locations, tsk tsk, they seemed to be all remote areas?

Upon looking at the accompanying staff, tsk tsk, how did it look like sightseeing excursion? It sounded more like an a.s.sa.s.sination in the works.

A clearly absurd arrangement, since when were there high-ranking representatives who visited a country without paying a visit to the Emperor?

Upon looking at the stamp at the bottom of the list, Meng Fuyao's eyes flashed; Xuanji's symbol was the Phoenix. Hence, there should be a phoenix on the stamp, yet this was a picture of a mountain scenery with the words “Master of Ming Pavilion.” It was obvious that it was a personal stamp.

“Your Highness' personal stamp is rather unique,” Meng Fuyao pointed at the stamp and smiled, “Master of Ming Pavilion, is that your t.i.tle?”

Feng Danning's eyes flashed, and there was a fleeting moment of unease in her eyes before she replied, “No, it's not.”

Meng Fuyao raised an eyebrow as Feng Danning continued, “It was sent out by the inner court, we've never seen this stamp before, but it contains His Majesty's personal handwriting.”

She moved closer and proceeded to point at “His Majesty's personal handwriting” for Meng Fuyao, her jade-like finger traveling over the pale golden scroll, not landing at the bottom of the list, but instead pointing at the word between “Fenglai Mountain”, “Yuchi Lake”, “Taiyou View” and “Wanxian Mountain”.

Meng Fuyao squinted her eyes, Zhangsun Wuji tilted his head, and the two of them chuckled unanimously, “Oh, I see.”

Feng Danning curtsied and retreated.

They carried on eating the gyoza, the sound of merriment filling the air as the officials began to appreciate the flavor of the gyozas, which tasted even better with wine, and the more they ate, the more they laughed.

Meng Fuyao drank her wine lazily, a slight smile gracing her lips.

“Lai, Chi, You, Xian.”

“Lai ci you xian.” (The second word of the names of the locations mentioned earlier form a similar p.r.o.nunciation to the Chinese phrase for “Coming here is dangerous.”)

Feng Danning actually thought of using a.s.sonance to warn her discreetly.

However, she wasn't a pig, how would she not be aware that coming here was dangerous? Feng Danning naturally knew that they were aware as well. Hence, the warning was fake; it was merely the Ninth Princess's attempt at hinting her alliance.

Seems like there were quite a few factions within the Xuanji Royal Court.

Meng Fuyao smiled and tapped her fingers on the table. “Your Highnesses, food must be eaten, places must be visited, and official matters must be discussed as well. I have yet to receive a response on how Xuanji intends to answer for the Crown Prince and I being trapped and ambushed in the North. Who is the culprit? How many are there? Have they been caught? How do you intend to deal with the criminals?”

After being bombarded with these questions in rapid succession, all of the officials quickly put down their chopsticks, and the room quickly fell quiet. The Second Prince looked slightly stunned, his gaze falling upon the easily manipulated Prime Minister. He knew that the Prime Minister had gone to meet the Emperor about this matter previously, but he didn't know what had been discussed.

The Prime Minister's fingers tightened around his chopsticks as he frantically thought of what to say. He would never tell Meng Fuyao directly what His Majesty had said, yet he didn't know what else to say, and after a long time, he mumbled, “… We're currently investigating the situation. The entire of Xuanji will definitely give the Crown Prince and King Meng a good answer.”

Meng Fuyao nibbled on her chopstick and smiled. “How efficient, how efficient.”

The other Xuanji officials remained silent, acting dumb.

“Actually, there's no need to do much, there're so many people in the world, finding those few murderers is like finding needles in a haystack, I don't want to trouble you guys,” Meng Fuyao said to the delight of the officials. However, she continued, “As the saying goes, a head for a head, if you beat someone then pay them, the Crown Prince and I could be counted as being beaten by Xuanji. Since our statuses are different, you don't have to compensate us with silver, just cut a few cities for us.”

The tone in which she spoke was casual and light, yet when the officials heard her, they almost fainted, and after several moments, the Prime Minister stuttered, “… Cut… cut a few cities?”

“I don't need much,” Meng Fuyao chewed on gyoza and raised a hand, “Just this is enough, the Crown Prince will take the larger ones, I'll take the smaller ones.”

“Five… five cities…”

“That's right,” Meng Fuyao smiled, “Just a few days ago, wasn't Dahan just discussing with you guys about erasing a few cities on the Xuanji map? The discussion should probably be finished by now? If it's not finished, then my troop of 30,000 men from Chang County and Wuji's troop of 30,000 stationed at Mianzhou is precisely located on both sides of Dan City, so…” She formed a scissor-shape with her fingers and mimed cutting the air, smiling sinisterly.

“Just like that… Snip!”

All of the officials jumped in fright as if they had really been cut by her.

“This is no small matter, no small matter,” the Prime Minister wiped his sweat, “We don't have the power to make this decision, no power…”

“This is the most pressing issue that I want to settle right now,” Meng Fuyao said solemnly. “Before it's settled, I have no intention to travel around.”

“Uh… Uh…” The Prime Minister was stumped; he naturally knew that the traveling arrangement was absurd, but what wasn't absurd at that moment? The Imperial Court was in a mess, and all the officials were uncertain as to who the new leader was going to be. His Majesty had locked himself in the harem and refused to come out, only releasing orders, yet occasionally the orders had been contradictory as well. Under such circ.u.mstances, although the Prime Minister had been trying hard to hold things up, he was already at his wit's end. Now that the opposing party was on the offense, what could a mere official like him offer? His head?

One look at the itinerary was all it took to understand His Majesty's intent not to let the Crown Prince and King Meng remain in Dan City to witness the civil unrest. But since he had been so unwilling, why had he invited them in the first place, creating such a situation now?

The Prime Minister's mind was in a jumble, yet unable to understand what was going on in the secretive Xuanji Palace. He broke out in a cold sweat as he tried to s.h.i.+ft the topic.

However, Meng Fuyao didn't have the patience and retrieved a box from beside her. “I have a present from Dahan to personally offer the Emperor of Xuanji, yes… personally! But with the itinerary that you planned for me, it seems like I won't be able to meet His Majesty, this is…”