Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 851 - 849_1

Chapter 851: Chapter 849_1

The soldiers didn’t interfere after hearing this, letting the foreigners do as they wished with their prisoner. It wasn’t their place to meddle, and they respectfully let them in.

One soldier, however, gave Gong Qinghua a look of disgust, openly showing his loathing for the kidnapping. It was revolting!

Gong Qinghua was so angry that he nearly burst his own acupoints! He wanted to chop the soldier into a thousand pieces!

It was already outrageous enough that he had not been recognized, but to be looked down upon was seeking death!

Gong Qinghua had retained a sliver of hope that he would be recognized by the city guards or generals during the city gate inspection, leading to his rescue!

But his hopes would be dashed. Earlier, he had been hit by a slew of objects thrown by the common folks, leaving him covered in blood and appearing ragged. Who could recognize him under these circumstances!

Even if someone thought he looked familiar, they would never dare to associate him with the prince! Who could think that a prince of their own country would be bullied to such an extent by a foreign envoy?

Once they entered the city, Yang Liu put a black mask on Gong Qinghua, covering his entire head except for a pair of eyes.

As it was the Nangong Emperor’s birthday celebration, naturally, there were envoys from various countries to offer their congratulations. Officials were on standby to welcome the guests and guide them to the post station.

Zhang Yifan from the Honglu Temple was the official responsible for greeting Shangguan Xuanyi. He glanced at the prisoner and thought the figure looked strangely familiar. However, his eyes were too frightening, and after locking eyes with him, Zhang was too terrified to look again!

He quickly led them to the inn.

After Shangguan Xuanyi and the others left, the city guards finally voiced the question nagging at their minds: "Why is the envoy from Minze Country acting so strangely, bringing along a prisoner to the birthday celebration?"

"Who knows? Anyway, it’s none of our business," one of the soldiers replied casually.

Then, more people entered the city, leaving them no time to discuss it further.

Zhang Yifan led the group to the post station and arranged for them to stay in the best courtyard. "Prince Rui, Princess Rui, please take a break here. We have already informed the Emperor, and I expect he will summon you soon."

Shangguan Xuanyi merely nodded in response, not saying a word.

Zhang Yifan instructed the maids in the post station to serve them well before taking his leave.

There were many envoys arriving to offer birthday wishes, and Zhang Yifan had many other matters to attend to.

From the moment Yang Liu had handed over his badge, there had been soldiers specifically assigned to inform the Nangong Emperor about the arrival of the Minze envoy!

Knowing that Shangguan Xuanyi had brought a prisoner to the birthday celebration, the Nangong Emperor was immediately displeased. Was this a birthday celebration or a cause of irritation?

However, Minze Country’s status had changed. He wanted more rice seeds, and he even wanted to buy more cement, so he swallowed his displeasure and summoned Shangguan Xuanyi quickly. He had Gong Zixuan personally invite him to enter the palace to meet the Emperor.

When Gong Zixuan arrived at the post station, he greeted them with a smile and a bow, "Prince Rui, Princess Rui, I apologize for not welcoming you personally, I hope you will not mind."

Shangguan Xuanyi and Xiao’er also returned the courtesy, "The Crown Prince is being too formal."

The three were quite familiar with each other, and Gong Zixuan spoke casually, "Why didn’t my father and brother-in-law come this time?"

In the past, when envoys were sent to Nangong Country to offer the Nangong Emperor birthday congratulations, it was always done by Prince An or the son of Prince An. After all, Prince An’s fief was relatively close to Nangong Country, and they had been living in the fief for many years, which was very convenient.

Shangguan Wanru and Gong Zixuan met and developed feelings for each other for the same reason.

"I was already traveling south, and it was closer to come here. I also took the opportunity to send my brother back," Shangguan Xuanyi gave a simple explanation.

Upon hearing this, Gong Zixuan wondered: why did Gong Qinghua have to be sent back by him? And where was he now? He had not received any news about Gong Qinghua’s return.

"Crown Prince, how has the Crown Princess been recently?" Xiao’er asked, concerned about Shangguan Wanru.

Gong Zixuan responded with a smile, "She had severe morning sickness at first, vomiting everything she ate, but she’s much better now. If she knew you were here, she would be delighted."

Xiao’er asked a few more questions about Shangguan Wanru’s condition and arranged to see Shangguan Wanru after the meeting with the Emperor.

The Nangong Imperial Palace was not as large as that of Minze Country, but every building glittered with gold, exuding opulence and wealth.

They entered the main hall and paid their respects to the Nangong Emperor on the dragon throne, presenting him with their birthday gifts.

Once the formalities were done, Shangguan Xuanyi started to settle accounts. "Your Majesty, Your Highness, I have a question. If someone kidnapped your prince’s wife, how would you deal with that person?"

"Of course, the offender’s entire family line would be executed! If someone dares to kidnap the princess, isn’t this openly rebellious?" The Nangong Emperor responded without hesitation.

"What if the kidnapper was a prince from another country?"

Gong Zixuan looked at Shangguan Xuanyi as if deep in thought.

The Nangong Emperor instantly answered without a second thought, "That matter definitely can’t be taken lightly! Even if you don’t want to start a war, they must surrender territory and pay reparations!"

Shangguan Xuanyi nodded, "I understand."

"What happened? Did a princess in your country get kidnapped?" Who did this? It couldn’t have been someone from the Eastern Jin Dynasty, could it? If it was, he hoped that they would start a war which would result in a mutual defeat. That way, he could benefit from it!

Thinking of this, the Nangong Emperor added, "The surrendered territory cannot be less than a state, and the reparations cannot be less than a hundred thousand taels of gold!"

Shangguan Xuanyi nodded, "That makes sense. Not to hide anything from you, but the reason for my visit this time is not only to celebrate your birthday but also to share some news. In our Zhenyang County..."

Shangguan Xuanyi detailed the events that occurred in Zhenyang County.

He talked about the strange occurrences when they first arrived in Zhenyang County, their subsequent arrest on trumped-up charges, their jailbreak and rescue mission, when Xiao’er was kidnapped, and when he went to rescue her.

The Nangong Emperor listened with great interest. It was really thrilling!

Listening to their account, Gong Zixuan made a bold guess.

"Who do you think I encountered on the ship when I was rescuing my princess?" Shangguan Xuanyi asked.

"Who?" The prince of the Eastern Jin Dynasty? The Nangong Emperor wondered.

"The second prince of your country, Gong Qinghua."

"That’s impossible! You can’t make groundless accusations!" The Nangong Emperor instinctively denied vigorously.

"I’ve brought the person back with me. Whether you choose to believe it or not does not matter!" Shangguan Xuanyi retorted coldly. At the same time, his aura grew formidable and intimidating.

The Nangong Emperor recalled a soldier reporting that the Minze envoy had a prisoner with them. If that prisoner was his son, it would be a disgrace! This was simply intolerable! This was a blatant disregard for his authority as the Emperor of Nangong Country!

"Where is he?" The Nangong Emperor’s aged voice still sounded dignified and imposing, exerting a strong oppressive presence. He was undoubtedly furious—these people had actually dared to treat his son like this! They clearly didn’t know what death meant!