402. They’ve Got Tougher (I)

Translator: Storm in a Teacup

On the second night after Liu Suifeng and Ouyang Chuan set off, Long Xiaoyuan received news that Emperor Zhou flew into a rage. It was said that several generals of the Eastern Darkness were demoted and punished.

On the other hand, General Song remained the highest-rank general there.

In addition, Zhou Suye and Fang Shuoyang were summoned back to the Imperial City together.

It was said that Emperor Zhou criticized Zhou Suye’s recklessness in the decree.

As a result, many ministers started to favor Fang Shuoyang.

This was good news for Long Xiaoyuan and s.h.i.+ Qingzhou.

Therefore, on the fourth day after Liu Suifeng and Ouyang Chuan left, they planned to set off openly with the army.

Anyway, it was an open secret that the emperor was not in the Imperial City.

Even if they left with the army now, it didn’t matter considering the safety of the Emperor.

Therefore, Long Xiaoyuan and s.h.i.+ Qingzhou set off, protected by the army.

However, they didn’t rush on the journey back.

They were accompanied by three carriages, each of which was tightly sealed, as if there was something secret inside.

For example… Huhe Huangcheng?

Of course, this was a cover.

On the way, Long Xiaoyuan and s.h.i.+ Qingzhou had a carriage to their own.

However, Long Xiaoyuan was in high spirit, and he didn’t spend much time in the carriage.

Most of the time, he rode with s.h.i.+ Qingzhou on the same horse.

Therefore, almost the whole army knew that their emperor and empress were intimate.

Long Xiaoyuan was very satisfied with this, and he showed more affection for s.h.i.+ Qingzhou.

s.h.i.+ Qingzhou didn’t object. He responded naturally to Long Xiaoyuan’s affection, not caring that they were in public.

On the second night after they set off, Long Xiaoyuan and s.h.i.+ Qingzhou received a letter from s.h.i.+ Qingshan.

There was an unusual action from the army of Northern Barbarians, which deployed quite a number of soldiers at the border, but there was no provocation.

It looked like they appeared just to gather.

s.h.i.+ Qingshan, who was at the border, actually knew about Huhe Huangcheng, for the news had long spread everywhere.

However, s.h.i.+ Qingshan only sent a message to inform Long Xiaoyuan of the movement of Northern Barbarians Army.

It was up to Long Xiaoyuan to decide what to do.

Long Xiaoyuan showed s.h.i.+ Qingzhou the note from s.h.i.+ Qingshan.

s.h.i.+ Qingzhou destroyed the note after reading it. “What do you think?”

Long Xiaoyuan pouted. “They are trying to find a favorable position in the negotiation.”

s.h.i.+ Qingzhou paused, and then squinted slightly. “What are you going to do?”

“It’s simple. Just ignore them.” Long Xiaoyuan smiled.

s.h.i.+ Qingzhou looked at him. “You’re confident. Aren’t you afraid they’ll give up on Huhe Huangcheng?”

“It doesn’t matter. Huhe Huangcheng has committed crimes in Tianlong Dynasty. Whether they give him up or not, it is impossible for them to get out of this without paying for the price.”

s.h.i.+ Qingzhou nodded and looked at him. “That’s right. We do not need to worry about that. Even though I don’t think they would go crazy, but if they really go insane…” Long Xiaoyuan’s eyes turned cold. “If they go insane, we will give them h.e.l.l!”

s.h.i.+ Qingzhou looked at him and suddenly smiled, “Why do I feel that you seem to have changed?”

“What has changed?” Long Xiaoyuan blinked in confusion.

s.h.i.+ Qingzhou thought for a moment and said. “The way you think.”

Long Xiaoyuan paused, and then smiled too. “you’re right. I have changed.”

s.h.i.+ Qingzhou’s eyes deepened, “Why?”

Long Xiaoyuan smiled, “Probably because… I’ve figured out something.”

“Can you tell me what you’ve figured out?”

Long Xiaoyuan kissed s.h.i.+ Qingzhou’s mouth. “No, this is a secret. I plan to tell you the day I turn seventy.”

s.h.i.+ Qingzhou paused slightly, and then smiled. “So are you telling me in a different way that we will live together for an entire lifetime?”

Long Xiaoyuan smiled at s.h.i.+ Qingzhou. “That’s right. Qingzhou, you are so smart. You found me out.”

s.h.i.+ Qingzhou rolled his eyes in frustration.

Long Xiaoyuan smiled and kissed s.h.i.+ Qingzhou again.

So intimate and natural.

Actually, Long Xiaoyuan meant it. He planned to tell Qingzhou the truth when he grew old and was about to die.

He and his Qingzhou could live together for a lifetime in this way, right?

Long Xiaoyuan was sometimes romantic.

Long Xiaoyuan sent his reply, using the code between them.

But the reply was simple, ‘Ignore them!’

That night, Long Xiaoyuan and s.h.i.+ Qingzhou stayed in the carriage.

The carriages behind them were some distance away from them.

Although they brought with them a few carriages to kick up a cloud of dust, Long Xiaoyuan and s.h.i.+ Qingzhou did not want to be affected when the a.s.sa.s.sins came!

Liu Suifeng and the others had been away for six days, and there had been no bad news. They were probably not far from the Imperial City at their speed!

Therefore, Long Xiaoyuan was not worried at all!

However, that did not mean that s.h.i.+ Qingzhou was not worried. He was very concerned about the news on Liu Suifeng’s side.

After all, Huhe Huangcheng was now a key figure.

On the ninth day of the journey, the army finally arrived at Songxiang Town, one hundred miles away from the Imperial City.

It was a small town, but it had two local specialties.

One was the plum flower cake.

The other was the bamboo leaf wine.

They were food and drink. Especially the wine, it was really famous far and near.

Long Xiaoyuan didn’t fancy alcohol, but he wanted to have a taste when he heard that there was good wine in the town.

Therefore, Long Xiaoyuan asked a Shadow Guardian to buy some.

At night, in the inn of Songxiang Town, Long Xiaoyuan drank the good wine he bought with Qingzhou.

Qingzhou could drink a lot.

When Long Xiaoyuan felt that he had drunk too much, Qingzhou was sober!

Long Xiaoyuan didn’t know how much they had drunk in the end.

Anyway, he got drunk.

When he fell asleep, he vaguely heard s.h.i.+ Qingzhou say something, but he did not catch it…