Chapter 293 – Request

Shangdu, Changming Hall.

Wei Lan knelt in front of Emperor Xingwu’s sickbed.

“Wei Lan,” Emperor Xingwu, assisted by Long Xuan, motioned for Wei Lan to approach.

Wei Lan knelt down and walked to the bed.

“Yuxuan has reported all your achievements to me,” Emperor Xingwu patted Wei Lan’s shoulder and said, “Heroes should not be asked where they come from. You are a talented general, and I was right to use you.”

“Your humble servant is afraid,” Wei Lan bowed his head and said to Emperor Xingwu, “Your servant’s merits are insignificant, and I dare not accept Your Majesty’s praise.”

“Being modest is also a good thing,” Emperor Xingwu said with satisfaction.

Wei Lan asked, “May I inquire what instructions Your Majesty has for summoning me?”

“You previously mentioned that you wanted to escort the barbarians to Wushuang City,” Emperor Xingwu said, “I have approved it.”

“Your servant will obey,” Wei Lan hurriedly said, “Your servant will surely deliver these barbarians safely to Wushuang City.”

“General Wei, to the barbarians, you are a fierce god,” Emperor Xingwu coughed and chuckled, “With you escorting them, I’m not afraid that these barbarians will rebel again.”

“Your servant only wants to serve Your Majesty,” Wei Lan said respectfully.

“Good,” Emperor Xingwu said a few words and seemed to weaken again, “You will leave tomorrow. Be careful on the way. These barbarians should die a worthy death at Tian Shui Yuan.”

“Yes,” Wei Lan kowtowed.

“You may withdraw,” Emperor Xingwu waved his hand and let Wei Lan leave.

Wei Lan kowtowed three times before rising and exiting.

“Father wants Wei Lan to go to Wushuang City?” Long Xuan assisted Emperor Xingwu to lie down again and asked.

“The barbarians fear him, and it’s fitting for him to go,” Emperor Xingwu said, “Do you disagree?”

“Your child dares not,” Long Xuan hastily said, “Your child listens to Father.”

“Hmm,” Emperor Xingwu said, “I haven’t reached the point where my brain is failing.”

Long Xuan covered Emperor Xingwu with the blanket and also left the hall.

Wei Lan walked on the road outside the palace. He didn’t walk fast, knowing that Long Xuan would find him. As expected, not long after he walked, he heard Long Xuan’s voice behind him.

“You volunteered to go to Wushuang City,” Long Xuan walked up to Wei Lan and stopped, saying, “Are you really just going to escort the barbarians?”

“Yes,” Wei Lan said.

“I don’t believe it,” Long Xuan looked at Wei Lan coldly.

Wei Lan’s gaze towards Long Xuan was also devoid of warmth. “Your Highness is afraid that this subordinate will go to Northern Yan to find Luo Wei?” he asked Long Xuan.

“Don’t you have such plans?”

“A traitor who forgets his ancestors, why should I go find him?”

Hearing this from Wei Lan made Long Xuan somewhat uncomfortable. The Wei Lan standing in front of him was no longer the Qilin Shadow Guard, nor the bodyguard under Luo Wei’s wings. Instead, he was the general who slaughtered hundreds of barbarian in the southeast, staining his hands with countless barbarian blood. Today southeastern barbarians would change color at the mention of this fearsome general. “You are different now,” Long Xuan carefully addressed Wei Lan, “Before you act, think carefully about whether it’s worth it. Your position as a general was earned by stepping on the corpses of tens of thousands of barbarians. Don’t let those people die in vain. Moreover, I don’t believe you can enter a heavily guarded imperial city.”

“Alright,” Wei Lan bowed to Long Xuan, saying, “Wei Lan will always keep in mind your Highness’s teachings.”

“As long as you remember,” Long Xuan said coldly.

Wei Lan lifted his head, his gaze sweeping past Fu Yun behind Long Xuan. He was startled and then became indifferent again. He said to Long Xuan, “I will take my leave.”

The look Wei Lan just gave Fu Yun made him shrink his neck. No one could miss the fact that this Wei Lan was a killer. That look seemed to want to tear him apart. “Your Highness,” watching Wei Lan walk away, Fu Yun asked Long Xuan, “Should we send someone to follow him?”

“Does he have the ability?” Long Xuan asked.

“What?” Fu Yun didn’t understand what Long Xuan meant.

“To take Luo Wei away from Sima Qingsha’s hands?” Long Xuan clarified.

“Well,” Fu Yun’s eyes darted around, “that’s impossible. No matter how powerful he is, he wouldn’t be able to do it alone. He doesn’t even know what the palace in Northern Yan looks like.”

“In that case, let’s not bother with him,” Long Xuan turned and walked towards Changming Hall. “It is better if this person is dead.”

Fu Yun followed closely behind Long Xuan. With Emperor Xingwu critically ill and the Crown Prince confined to the Eastern Palace, his master was practically wielding imperial authority day and night. Fu Yun felt that his master was about to own this world.

Wei Lan was stopped by a steward from the Senior Chancellor’s Mansion as soon as he left the palace gate. “General, the Senior Chancellor wants you to come to the mansion for a visit.”

Wei Lan rode to the Luo Mansion of the Senior Chancellor, without any interest in what changes might have occurred after his year-long absence. Upon entering the mansion, he headed straight for Luo Zhiqiu’s study.

“Lan,” Xie Yu happened to come out of the study courtyard and saw Wei Lan hurrying over, so he called out to him.

“Young Master Xie,” Wei Lan saw Xie Yu and quickly bowed.

“Go in quickly,” Xie Yu said to Wei Lan with a forced smile, “Master has been waiting for you for a long time.”

“Alright,” Wei Lan agreed and was about to go in.

“He hasn’t been feeling well recently,” Xie Yu reminded Wei Lan again, “Don’t argue with him.”

Wei Lan understood the implication of Xie Yu’s words, not to quarrel with Luo Zhiqui over Luo Wei, so he nodded.

Xie Yu watched Wei Lan walk into Luo Zhiqiu’s study, wanting to leave but still feeling uneasy. In the end, he waited in the courtyard outside the study.

“The Emperor approved your mission to Wushuang City?” Inside the study, after receiving Wei Lan’s greeting, Luo Zhiqiu asked.

“Yes,” Wei Lan replied, “I will leave early tomorrow morning.”

“Actually, staying in the capital is better for you,” Luo Zhiqiu said, “Achievements are hard-won. Don’t you care at all?”

Wei Lan lowered his head and said, “I don’t quite understand what the Senior Chancellor means.”

Luo Zhiqiu sighed and took out a gray cloth package from under the table, placing it on the desk in front of Wei Lan. “Take this package with you,” he said to Wei Lan.

Wei Lan approached and opened the package to find several packets of neatly wrapped paper inside.

“These are Lingzhi mushrooms that are several years old,” Luo Zhiqiu said to Wei Lan, “I had someone find them. They are said to have similar effects to Snow Mountain Ginseng. I had them ground into powder for easier consumption.”

“Senior Chancellor?” Wei Lan furrowed his brows deeply as he looked at Luo Zhiqiu.

“It’s for Xiao Wei,” Luo Zhiqiu patted the back of Wei Lan’s hand resting on the package. “I understand your thoughts. As long as you don’t regret it, I don’t want to stop you.”

“Senior Chancellor, regarding Young Master…?”

“His elder brother didn’t die,” Luo Zhiqiu gestured for Wei Lan to sit down and whispered, “Xiao Wei absolutely did not betray the country.”

Wei Lan had just sat down and he almost jumped up again after hearing Luo Zhiqiu’s words. He turned to Luo Zhiqiu and said, “Then what about that imperial decree? Everyone now believes that Young Master is a traitor who has betrayed his ancestors and forgotten his lineage! This…”

“Lan,” Luo Zhiqiu pushed a cup of tea towards Wei Lan, saying, “Have some water and be quiet. Calm your mind.”

Wei Lan couldn’t calm down at all. He said to Luo Zhiqiu, “How can Young Master bear that imperial decree? If his eldest brother didn’t die, why was it announced that he did? If Young Master hears news of his eldest brother’s death, he will…” Wei Lan didn’t dare to think about what Luo Wei would do if he learned of Luo Qi’s death.