Chapter 161 - Prod the Prince

After the hot summer, it was getting cool in the capital city in July.

Everybody in the imperial palace were preparing for Mo Xiangbin’s 45th birthday party and the envoys from other countries.

The people in the East Palace took the lead. After being told to receive the envoys, the crown prince Mo Junyu started to be busy with work and didn’t have time to rest.

After he finally arranged everything, a servant ran in a hurry to report. “The envoy team from the Liang Country led by Prince Yelü has arrived at the capital city. They beat a civilian on the way as soon as they entered the city. Lord Fu from the Ministry of Rite went to mediate, but the people from the Liang Country refused to go to the embassy and insisted that civilian in the way apologize. They aroused the public’s resentment and made a fuss at the north gate of the city.

It’s quite serious. Lord Fu asked you to go there in person, since you might be able to comfort them, Your Highness.”

Hearing that, Mo Junyu was furious and thought, “The people from the Liang Country apparently make a fuss out of nothing. He asked me to go there. Wouldn’t he let me be a punching bag?”

But even if he complained in his heart, under the situation, he had to answer, “Tell Lord Fu to calm down the envoys from the Liang Country. I will be there soon.”

After thinking for a while, he sent Zhou Ji to King Rui’s mansion to ask Mo Junyang to come.

At the north gate of the city, more than ten carriages of the envoys from the Liang Country came in two rows and occupied most of the main street. Some vendors would set stands on both sides of the street at ordinary times, but they had no room to do business now.

However, the people from the Liang Country didn’t realize that they were disturbing the public but stopped in the middle of the road in a big way. They blocked the city gate and stopped a civilian who was about to go out of the city.

That man was more than thirty years old, with a tall and big figure and good-looking eyes, but the new blood stains on his face made him look embarrassed and ferocious. Especially the unyielding expression in his sharp eyes was terrifying.

One of the envoys from the Liang Country, Wu Yalei was arrogantly rebuking this man in the way for their prince, but he shrank his neck under the man’s stare, so he stuttered, “What are you looking at? You have offended our prince. Even if you have ten lives, you can’t afford to pay for it. Hurry up and apologize His Highness with a kowtow. Maybe he will feel better and spare you.”

The man was named Zhong Sheng.

Zhong Sheng leered with disdain at the lofty second prince Yelü Anchen. “I am just a peasant from a remote village, but I know the rule that first come, first served. I walked on this way first. Even if God comes here, he can’t tell me to make way.”

“How dare you!” Wu Yalei roared and told the guard to whip Zhong Sheng again. Zhong Sheng was badly bruised, but he was caught by other two guards and couldn’t move a bit.

He was really tough. Being beaten, he didn’t cry in pain, and nobody could hear him say anything to apologize or ask for mercy. He spat some blood to the ground. “Bastards from the Liang Country, you intruded our country and killed our people. You still want me to kneel to you? No way!”

Yelü Anchen was thirty years old and a brother of the King of the Liang Country, Yelü Beichen. As the second prince, he was conceited and looked down upon anybody else. He couldn’t endure anybody who spoke evil of him.

He ruthlessly grabbed the whip from the guard and hit Zhong Sheng with strength. Seeing that the master took action, the two guards had foresight and loosened their hands, letting Zhong Sheng fall on the ground after being whipped, with blood all over.

Wu Yalei flattered him. “Your Highness, you are so powerful. You beat him once but injured him more than the warriors. I admire you so much.”

Yelü Anchen laughed complacently and responded arrogantly, “Of course, I can take his life after whipping him once. Such a nobody tried to provoke me. He just courted death.”

While speaking, he whipped Zhong Sheng again and there was blood all over.

No matter how strong Zhong Sheng was, he was tortured and went unconscious.

The common people who passed by saw that and couldn’t bear it. They asked for mercy. “Even if this man shouldn’t be in the way, he can’t be beaten to death.”

“Right, we are just passing by. It will be okay if we make way for each other. Why did you do something ruthlessly?”

“You haven’t found it. Haven’t you seen the logo on the carriage? They are from the Liang Country. They are always overbearing and can do anything as they like. How would they care about our common people’s lives?”

“Gee, they are bastards from the Liang Country! Weren’t they defeated by our Shi Army not long ago? How could they have the face to act recklessly in our capital city?”

…

The passers-by argued in louder voices and spoke much. At last, they all disdained the envoys and the Liang Country.

Yelü Anchen was always arrogant and had never been insulted like this. He was furious and waved the whip randomly in the crowd, curing, “You foolish people. I am the second prince of the Liang Country. How can you comment on me? Shut up, all of you. Otherwise, I will beat you to death!”

He hit several innocent common people with the whip, but he didn’t plan to stop. Instead, he waved the whip again.

“Your Highness, please don’t be angry! Please!” The Assistant Minister of Rite, Fu Jian had sweat all over his head and called Yelü Anchen in a trembling voice. “His Majesty has arranged the embassy for you. Please go to have a rest.”

Wu Yalei raised his brows and snorted. “You insignificant official, haven’t you seen that our prince is humiliated by your foolish people? Are you going to stand by and do nothing as an official? Is this the way you treat your guests in your country?”

Fu Jian was rendered speechless by the three questions.

He wiped the sweat on his forehead with his wide sleeve and said something nice to please them. “Lord Wu, you are joking. You are our guests from far away. And our country is hospitable. How would we neglect our guests?”

“Oh? How do you plan to deal with the people in the way?” Wu Yalei was aggressive. It seemed that if they didn’t kill some people, it couldn’t show the importance of their honorable prince.

Fu Jian knew that the people from the Liang Country liked to find fault with others, but he didn’t expect that they were so difficult to handle.

He tried to stall them and felt annoyed in his heart. “Please don’t be mad, everybody. This time His Majesty told our crown prince to receive you envoys. Although you arrive at the capital city ahead of time, our crown prince will come to welcome you later. Please wait a moment.”

He could only hope Mo Junyu to save the situation.

When they were talking, Mo Junyu had come to the north of the city, but he didn’t show up.

It was because Mo Junyang he expected didn’t come, but Qu Yuebai appeared.

The crown prince got angry. “Didn’t Mo Junyang promise me to help me deal with the envoys who make trouble? I asked him to come, but he sent you here. What does he mean?”

“Your Highness, please calm down!” Qu Yuebai joked and tried to muddle through. “His Excellency is busy recently, and this is merely a defeated general. You don’t need to care so much about him. Just deal with him randomly.”

Mo Junyu showed a forced smile and gritted his teeth. “He is busy? I think he is busy making out with somebody.”

Qu Yuebai just smiled silently and sighed in secret. “Mo Junyang has fallen in love with Shi Qingxue for a long time. It is natural if he doesn’t come because of what she said. I have nothing to say.”

Mo Junyu was clear about the answer and didn’t waste his energy to ask more. He just snorted. “I want to see how you can deal with him randomly as you are sent here alone.”

Qu Yuebai smiled gently and pointed at his luxurious carriage, expressing in a soft voice, “His Excellency said you don’t need to talk with such an insignificant role. Just sit in the carriage and watch the play.”

“It’s so simple?” Mo Junyu raised his brows and didn’t believe that proud prince would easily let it pass.

“I will see what trick you can play.”

After Mo Junyu got in the carriage he drove here, Qu Yuebai walked to the crowd and asked Fu Jian, pretending he didn’t know what had happened. Then he frowned and stated disapprovingly, “Lord Fu, it’s your fault.”

With cold sweat on his head, Lord Fu was speechless and thought he was going to be in trouble. It seemed that the crown prince wanted to sacrifice him to please the people from the Liang Country, but he would try his best not to be a scapegoat. Especially the comer was a scholar that he had never seen.

Fu Jian wiped the sweat on his head and seemed not to understand Qu Yuebai’s words. “My Lord, what do you mean? I just came to welcome the respected guests under the crown prince’s order. Now the guests have arrived. Where is His Highness now?”

“Right! We have come to your city, but none of your masters is here. You just don’t take the envoys from our country seriously,” Wu Yalei complained and vented his anger on Qu Yuebai.

Qu Yuebai didn’t change his expression and smiled. “We warmly welcome the respected guests from afar. His Highness has prepared good wine and delicious food in the embassy. Please come to have a taste, everyone.”

Yelü Anchen didn’t listen to Qu Yuebai and snorted with his chin held high. “We haven’t dealt with the issue that I was offended. You want to let it pass after saying merely a few words? How can it be so easy?”

“Uh…” Qu Yuebai awkwardly looked at the carriage behind him and the person in it had no reaction. Then he turned to Yelü Anchen and said in a low voice, “Your Highness, you are honorable and never stay with the civilians on the street for a long time. As the saying goes, you won’t feel the stink if you are in a fish market all the time, and you won’t sense the fragrance if you are always in a room with flowers. I don’t know if you came here to…”

Yelü Anchen didn’t like reading, but he still knew what the saying meant.

Of course he understood that Qu Yuebai was mocking at him. If he often bothered about the vendors, he would lower himself to the same level as the vendors. Even though he was aware that Qu Yuebai was prodding him, the problem was…he was convinced.

Yelü Anchen bared his teeth and goggled. “What do you mean? Did you say that I am just qualified to bother about these vendors?”

Qu Yuebai certainly shook his head and expressed in fear that he didn’t mean that. “Our crown prince invited you to the embassy to enjoy flowers in the room.”

“Okay! I will go with you to have a look. How nice is the embassy?” Yelü Anchen waved his hand and made a decision.

But Wu Yalei got anxious and asked, “Shall we let go of those people who insulted our prince?”

He wouldn’t miss any chance to find fault.