The boss of a foreign organization called the police, claiming that he was defrauded by me

Karen responded and turned to go out to arrange the escort.

Before long, the escorts were ready. Meng Yin nodded slightly to Doka as a greeting, and then followed the escorts and quickly left the council hall of the Atlan Empire.

As soon as he stepped out of the palace gate, he eagerly boarded the boat that had been prepared and urged the boatman to set off as soon as possible.

The ship sped across the sea, and Mengyin stood at the bow, gazing at the distant horizon, his heart filled with anxiety.

He knew he had wasted a lot of time and had to get back to the Great Zhou Dynasty as soon as possible to convey Yang Xia's orders.

He barely closed his eyes the entire way, constantly monitoring the ship's progress, fearing any further accidents.

After several days and nights of travel, the ship finally arrived at the port of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

After disembarking in Mengyin, without taking a break, he immediately transferred to a fast horse and galloped towards the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Another day and night passed before he finally arrived in the capital and headed straight for Meng Yu's residence.

At this moment, Meng Yu was handling official business in his study when he heard a servant report that Meng Yin had returned. He was surprised and immediately stood up from his seat, quickly heading towards the door to greet him.

When he saw Meng Yin appear before him, looking travel-worn, his surprise deepened, and he quickly stepped forward to ask:

"Mengyin, why are you back? Wasn't King Yangxia by your side? Did something happen in the Atlan Empire? Tell me quickly, what exactly happened?"

Meng Yin was exhausted from his long journey. He leaned against the door frame and took a while to catch his breath before he could catch his breath.

He raised his hand and waved it to indicate that he was alright. Then he told Meng Yu everything that had happened in the Atlan Empire—from being detained by the Atlan Empire to negotiating with Doka, and then leaving smoothly after signing the agreement. He didn't miss a single detail.

After hearing Meng Yin's account, Meng Yu was so angry that his face turned ashen, and his hands clenched into fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

He paced back and forth in the study, angrily saying:
"Outrageous! This Doka is too presumptuous, daring to detain you! Doesn't he know you represent our Great Zhou Dynasty? He's deliberately making things difficult for you, clearly showing he doesn't respect our Great Zhou Dynasty and is deliberately making things difficult for us! You wait, I'll send someone to the Atlan Empire right now to make that Doka apologize to you. I will definitely get an explanation for you, and I absolutely cannot let him act so recklessly!"

Seeing Meng Yu so angry, Meng Yin quickly stepped forward to dissuade him:

"Lord Meng Yu, please don't be angry."

The matter is all in the past. I have now safely returned to the Great Zhou Dynasty, and we have even signed a cooperation agreement with the Atlan Empire, so we haven't really suffered a loss.

Besides, there are more important things to do now; let's put these little things aside for now.

Meng Yu stopped and looked at Meng Yin with a puzzled expression:

"More important things? What could be more important than you being wronged?"

Meng Yin's expression turned serious, and he said solemnly:
"It is the order of King Yang Xia."

I have returned specifically to convey the King's orders.

The King commands you to immediately lead fifty ships to anchor in the designated sea area and await his next instructions.

"I've already wasted too much time in the Atlan Empire. If we delay any longer, it might jeopardize His Majesty's important plans. Therefore, from now on, we must prepare as quickly as possible and avoid any delays."

Upon hearing that it was Yang Xia's order, Meng Yu's anger vanished instantly, replaced by a look of deep seriousness.

He nodded:
"Since it is the king's order, it is naturally of utmost importance."

I will make the arrangements immediately, gather manpower, and inventory the ships to ensure that all fifty ships are ready and on their way to the designated waters within three days.

Just as Mengyin and Mengyu were discussing the preparations for the boat, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the door, and then Shaoyao rushed in.

Her hair was somewhat disheveled, and her face was full of anxiety. As soon as she entered the door, she walked quickly towards Mengyin, her voice trembling slightly as she asked:
"Lord Mengyin, how is King Yangxia doing now? Has he encountered any trouble in Yan Kingdom? Have those Yan Kingdom people made things difficult for him? When will he be able to return? How is the situation over there?"

Seeing how anxious Shaoyao was, Mengyin couldn't help but feel a pang of pity.

He knew Shaoyao's feelings for Yang Xia, and that she must have been constantly worried about his safety these past few days. He sighed softly, a gentle smile appearing on his face, and slowly said:

"Miss Peony, don't worry, the King is doing well in Yan Kingdom. The people of Yan Kingdom respect him very much and have not made things difficult for him."

However…the King sometimes tells us that he feels uneasy without you by his side to take care of him, and he often thinks of you. It's clear that the King misses you very much.”

After hearing Mengyin's words, Shaoyao's cheeks instantly turned bright red, like a ripe apple.

She lowered her head, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her dress, her eyes filled with shyness, yet the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up.

After a long while, she finally raised her head, her eyes filled with a mixture of expectation and hesitation. She leaned closer to Mengyin, lowered her voice, and quietly asked:
“Lord Mengyin, since the King also misses me, then… then may I go with you to Yan Kingdom? I want to be by the King’s side and take good care of his daily life, so that he can focus on his work.”

When Mengyin heard Shaoyao's request, he was immediately startled, his eyes widening in surprise.

He quickly waved his hand and said urgently:
“Miss Peony, you absolutely mustn’t do that! As you know, the situation is complicated right now, the journey to Yan Kingdom is long and fraught with danger, and it’s really not suitable for a young lady like you to take such a risk.”

Moreover, the reason His Majesty sent me back this time to convey orders is because there is an important military deployment to be completed. This matter is of great importance, and I really cannot make this decision for His Majesty.

"You should wait a little longer. Once things stabilize on the King's side, he might send someone to fetch you personally."

He quickly looked at the peony and said:

He quickly looked at the peony and said, "Absolutely not, this matter is too important, I really can't make a decision."

As soon as he finished speaking, Meng Yin noticed the lingering determination in Shao Yao's eyes. Her hands, hanging by her sides, slightly gripped the hem of her dress, and her lips pursed, as if she wanted to plead for something more. Meng Yin sighed inwardly. How could he not see Shao Yao's concern for Yang Xia? But he was merely a subordinate relaying orders; what right did he have to make decisions on his own? If he agreed to Shao Yao's request because of a moment of weakness, and something went wrong later, it would not only disrupt Yang Xia's plans but could also put Shao Yao in danger. He couldn't bear that responsibility.

He softened his tone, trying to make his words sound gentler: "Miss Peony, I don't mean to contradict you. I understand your desire to return to King Yangxia's side. But this time I returned to the Great Zhou Dynasty with the King's urgent orders, and I have to rush back to report. There might be some unforeseen circumstances along the way, and it's really not something a young lady like you should be traveling with. Moreover, the King must have had his reasons for not taking you with him. Perhaps he was worried that you would suffer on the road, or perhaps he felt it would be safer for you to stay in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Please don't misunderstand his intentions."

Peony's bright eyes gradually dimmed, and her earlier eagerness diminished considerably. She nodded gently, her voice tinged with disappointment: "Lord Mengyin, I know you have your difficulties, and I understand that the King meant well for me. I was too hasty and didn't consider these things. Please don't take it to heart."

Seeing that Shaoyao was no longer insisting, Mengyin breathed a slight sigh of relief, but looking at her disappointed expression, he felt a pang of guilt. He frowned and pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered something and looked up at Shaoyao, saying, "Although I can't take you with me, if you have anything you'd like to give to the King, such as a letter or a small item, I can help you send it over. If you want to prepare, you can still pack now. Lord Mengyu and I still need to finalize some details about the ship schedule, and we'll probably depart in about half an hour."

These words were like a ray of light, instantly illuminating Peony's eyes. She abruptly raised her head, her disappointment vanishing in an instant, replaced by overwhelming joy, even her voice becoming lighter: "Really? Lord Mengyin, you're really willing to help me deliver something to the King?"

Meng Yin smiled and nodded: "Of course it's true, but you'd better hurry up and not delay our departure time."

Peony quickly agreed, blushing as she turned and ran towards her residence, her steps light as if she were walking on clouds. Watching her hurried figure, Meng Yin shook his head helplessly and turned to walk towards the council hall—Meng Yu had just said he wanted to check the ship's preparations with him again, and it was time to go.

As soon as he reached the entrance of the council hall, he saw Meng Yu standing on the steps waiting for him, his expression even more serious than before. Upon seeing Meng Yin approach, Meng Yu immediately stepped forward, lowering his voice slightly: "Meng Yin, tell me the truth, are Yan Kingdom and Xingyun Kingdom about to go to war? Otherwise, why would His Majesty suddenly order me to deploy fifty ships to a designated sea area to stand by? This is quite a commotion."

Meng Yin stopped and frowned slightly: "Lord Meng Yu, to be honest, I don't know the specifics either. Back in Yan Kingdom, the King only told me to return to the Great Zhou Dynasty as soon as possible and convey the order to you to mobilize ships. He instructed you to prepare the ships within three days and go to the designated sea area to await further instructions. He didn't say anything else."

He paused, then added, "I also wanted to ask for the reason, but judging from the king's expression, he seemed to have urgent business to attend to, and there were also officials from Yan Kingdom around, so I didn't press him too much. However, in my opinion, the king must have his reasons for making this arrangement, perhaps to deal with some unexpected situation. Let's just do as he says and not make wild guesses, lest we lose our composure."

Meng Yu's expression remained grim after hearing this. He raised his hand to rub his temples and said in a deep voice, "That's true, but fifty ships is no small number. Mobilizing them would cause too much of a stir. If nothing major happens afterward, it will inevitably cause discussion among other ministers in the court. Moreover, the seas are not peaceful right now. Ships from the Red Cake Kingdom and India often roam the area. If they notice such a large-scale mobilization of ships, it might cause other trouble."

“But His Majesty’s orders cannot be disobeyed.” Meng Yin continued, his tone firm. “Regardless of whether there will be further battles, what we should do now is to prepare the ships as soon as possible and depart on time. As for the rest, we will find out when we see His Majesty. If you are worried about the discussions in court, you might as well send someone to let a few trusted ministers know that this is to strengthen the defense of the sea area, and not to reveal that it is His Majesty’s order for the time being, so as not to cause any unforeseen complications.”

Meng Yu nodded, agreeing with Meng Yin's assessment: "That's the only way. I'll go and arrange for someone to notify the shipyard to bring over all the repaired ships, and then select some experienced sailors and soldiers to ensure that each ship is well-supplied with supplies. Wait here for me a moment, I'll be right back, and we'll finalize the departure route and time."

Meng Yin agreed and waited at the entrance of the council hall. About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Meng Yu hurriedly returned, holding a sea map marked in red with the departure port and the destination sea area. The two huddled together and carefully checked the route—starting from Qingfeng Port near the capital, sailing along the east coast, avoiding the patrol routes of the Red Cake Kingdom, and finally arriving at the shallow waters east of the Yan Kingdom, the entire journey would take approximately five days.

“The route is fine, it avoids most of the dangerous waters, and the ships in Qingfeng Port are well-supplied. We’ll set off tomorrow morning.” Meng Yu put away the sea map, his tone finally relaxed. “I’ve already sent someone to inform the sailors and soldiers to pack their things and meet at the port tonight. We can set sail on time first thing tomorrow morning.”

Just as Mengyin was about to nod in agreement, they heard a series of hurried footsteps in the distance, accompanied by slightly panicked panting. The two turned around and saw Shaoyao carrying a bulging bundle, running quickly toward them. Her forehead was covered in sweat, and her hair was somewhat disheveled, indicating that she had clearly run quite a distance.

"Miss Peony? What brings you here?" Meng Yin stepped forward in surprise. "We're about to head to the port. Why haven't you gone back yet? Put your bags down and take a break before we talk."

Peony, panting, handed the bundle to Mengyin with a shy smile on her face: "Lord Mengyin, this... this is what I prepared for the King. Please make sure to give it to the King personally. I was afraid of delaying your departure, so I quickly packed it and brought it over."

Looking at the bundle, which was larger than half of Shaoyao's body, Mengyin instantly understood—Shaoyao had actually taken his casual remark to heart and packed so many things. He reached out and took the bundle, finding it quite heavy. He couldn't help but smile and ask, "Miss Shaoyao, what's in here? Why is it so heavy? Did you pack all your everyday belongings?" (End of Chapter)