Hou Ye's palm heart is a black lotus

Chapter 737 Rong Ke (Third Update)
Despite the long build-up, his words at this moment still revealed a certain urgency.

This is understandable, since this was their most important mission in coming to Beijing.

Emperor Mu Wu slowly read through Tuoba Shan's letter before putting down the brocade.

"What? Does Lord Sikou wish to see you?"

That's a rhetorical question.

Si Kouji couldn't help but curse inwardly, but on the surface he could only put on a polite expression.

"This..." He hesitated, seemingly a little embarrassed, considering how to put it more appropriately, "To be honest, the king attaches great importance to this matter. Before coming here, he repeatedly instructed that the leader of the bandits must be brought back to Nanhu and dealt with personally."

He paused.

"I just don't know... if His Majesty will grant my request?"

This is a clear indication that they want someone.

Many people exchanged glances discreetly.

Although they were indeed very sincere, this matter is extremely serious, so how could we let them off so easily?
Tuoba Yu claimed that he acted on his own initiative and did it secretly, but who knows if his older brother had any involvement?
To put it more bluntly... it means that the Southern Hu are plotting something sinister, intending to provoke a conflict between the two countries!

Si Kouji was clearly aware of this as well, and while asking the question, he subtly observed the reactions of everyone in the hall.

Emperor Mu Wu narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I see. Speaking of that person... I haven't seen him for quite some time. I've been busy with many things lately, so I haven't paid much attention to him."

He tilted his head slightly and asked Eunuch Li,

"Where is he? Since Lord Sikou has said so, let's go and bring him here first."

Eunuch Li respectfully replied, "Yes."

Soon, two guards escorted a prisoner in.

When Si Kou turned around and saw the prisoner's face clearly, he almost cried out in surprise.

But he didn't forget where he was, and he didn't forget that Tuoba Yu at this moment was not Tuoba Yu, but a "bandit leader"!
So he swallowed the words that were on his throat.

But his eyes remained fixed on Tuoba Yu.

How long has it been? His Highness Prince Su has become so thin!
He was wearing a white prison uniform, and his once tall figure was now swaying. Although his face and head looked clean, his cheeks were deeply sunken, his eyes were dark and bloodshot.

Even a fool could see that he probably just washed up quickly before bringing him here!
How much hardship did he endure on his journey from Longcheng to the capital?
Sikou Ji used to be in charge of teaching Tuoba Shan his studies, and he often encountered the playful Tuoba Yu.

In his heart, he always regarded the two brothers as his own children.

Seeing Tuoba Yu in such a haggard and miserable state, how could he remain calm?

It took him a lot of effort to restrain his impulse to go forward.

"You've come to see the Emperor, why aren't you kneeling down!"

The guards sternly reprimanded him, pressing down on Tuoba Yu's shoulders and forcing him to kneel.

thump--!
Tuoba Yu was exhausted and extremely weak; how could he possibly be a match for these guards?
His mind was completely muddled.

It wasn't until he knelt on the ground and his knees slammed against the earth that the intense pain finally brought him back to his senses.

He belatedly looked up slowly, and only then did he see the scene in the hall.

Si Kouji's lips trembled as he met Tuoba Yu's blank and lost eyes. A sudden pain shot through his heart, and anger rose within him, but he forcibly suppressed it.

At this point... you have to endure it!
However, what Tuoba Yu noticed first was not Sikou Ji, but the person standing beside him...

Meeting those cold, sharp eyes, Tuoba Yu instantly shivered!

Almost instinctively, he lowered his head. Shen Yanchuan raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze becoming interested.

It seems that Tuoba Yu is more afraid of this person...

But given his status as the Prince of Su, there are probably very few people in the entire Southern Hu who inspire such awe and fear in him.

Moreover, comparing the two, it is clear that Tuoba Yu is older.

That's interesting...

However, these emotional shifts were fleeting and did not attract much attention.

Si Kouji withdrew his gaze, turned around and cupped his hands again, uttering each word through gritted teeth.

"...Would Your Majesty permit us to take this person away?"

Emperor Muwu pondered for a moment, then looked to the side.

"Prince Yannan, you were the one who captured this person after all. What do you think?"

The King of Yannan had a cold and stern expression, exuding an imposing aura even without anger.

"Your Majesty, this man is cunning and has impure motives. He dares to invade our territory and deserves to die!"

Si Kou Ji panicked instantly, "The Prince of Yannan!?"

He had dealt with the Prince of Yannan several times and knew that the other was upright and difficult to talk to. Therefore, from the beginning, Sikou Ji did not want to negotiate with him, but placed his hopes on Emperor Muwu.

But Emperor Muwu turned the tables on him!

The Prince of Yannan glanced at him. "What? Does the Minister of Justice think this is inappropriate? The crime this man committed should be punishable by death even in the Southern Barbarians, shouldn't it? What difference does it make whether he dies here or in the Southern Barbarians?"

"I--"

Si Kou was speechless, and held back his words.

“As I said before, this is the king’s will. This man is incredibly audacious, and the king is determined to punish him personally as a warning to others. If we cannot bring him back this time, we fear we will be unable to explain ourselves. We hope that the King of Yannan will understand.”

"That's easy." King Yannan chuckled. "You just want to take him back, don't you? Once he's dead, we don't plan to keep his body. You can just take it with you."

"you!"

The Minister of Justice was extremely angry.

It's one thing if it's someone else, but the Prince of Yannan clearly knows the Prince of Su's identity, yet he still said such things. He was clearly deliberately making things difficult for him!

Just then, the young man behind him finally spoke.

Do you all feel that our sincerity is insufficient?

His voice was clear and cold, like a spring.

Despite his youth, he was very composed, showing no signs of awkwardness or nervousness in such a setting.

The Prince of Yan narrowed his eyes and sized him up, but instead of answering his question, he asked, "And who are you? Do you think you're allowed to interrupt when I'm speaking with the Minister of Justice?"

The Prince of Yannan had fought on the battlefield for many years, and was decisive and ruthless, with an extremely strong aura.

If it were an ordinary person, being questioned by him in such an extremely oppressive manner would probably have made their legs go weak.

But the other party did not lose his composure; he simply bowed respectfully without being servile or arrogant.

"I, Rong Ke, apologize if I have offended you, King of Yannan. However, I believe that what I said earlier was not wrong. We have come here on orders, and we sincerely wish to resolve this matter. If you feel that what we said earlier was insufficient, then we may add more. But in any case, we dare not slacken our duties in carrying out the king's orders. Therefore, this person—"

He spoke each word with unwavering resolve.

"We must bring them back alive and hand them over to the king for disposal."