Long Xiaoyuan raised an eyebrow when Shi Qingshan came out with a gloomy face.
“What’s wrong?”
When Shi Qingshan saw Long Xiaoyuan, he softened his face and smiled bitterly. “Your Majesty, I’m sorry.”
“Is he being difficult?” Long Xiaoyuan raised an eyebrow.
Shi Qingshan sighed. “He’s stubborn with a narrow mind. He for some reason holds grudges against the imperial court.”
Long Xiaoyuan blinked. “I see…”
Shi Qingshan smiled bitterly. “Your Majesty, I’m at my wit’s end. To be honest, he’s offensive.”
Long Xiaoyuan got intrigued.
Just as he was about to say something, Shi Qingzhou came over from the other side.
“Qingzhou,” Long Xiaoyuan hurriedly greeted him.
Shi Qingzhou nodded and approached Shi Qingshan. “Father.”
Shi Qingshan nodded. Normally, he should bow to Shi Qingzhou, who was the Empress with a noble status.
However, Long Xiaoyuan and Shi Qingzhou disagreed. Shi Qingshan saw that the two of them were sincere, so he didn’t insist on the unnecessary etiquette. Shi Qingshan said, “That old man is inside, but he…” Shi Qingshan suddenly paused, his eyes fixing on his son’s lips and neck.
Long Xiaoyuan had been gentle and restrained last night.
But he left love bites on Shi Qingzhou’s neck and lips.
Shi Qingshan saw them on his son’s lips and neck.
He was embarrassed at sight of them.
‘It’s none of my business. Why do I look at that?’
Shi Qingzhou was not an idiot, and he noticed Shi Qingshan’s embarrassment.
He thought for a while and realized that his neck was not covered well. He felt embarrassed as well.
Long Xiaoyuan saw the father and son exchange glances in silence, and he didn’t understand what was going on.
“What’s wrong?”
Shi Qingshan immediately shook his head. “Nothing.”
Long Xiaoyuan raised an eyebrow. Nothing?
Shi Qingzhou glared at Long Xiaoyuan.
Long Xiaoyuan felt he was innocent because he didn’t know what he had done wrong again.
Shi Qingshan found an excuse and hurried away.
Long Xiaoyuan looked at Shi Qingzhou pitifully, not caring if someone else might hear him.
“Qingzhou, what have I done?”
Shi Qingzhou sneered without answering.
Long Xiaoyuan felt that he might be in big trouble, so he called out pitifully. “Qingzhou.”
Shi Qingzhou rolled his eyes. “Come on. Cut the crap. Is the man inside difficult to handle? Do you have any ideas?”
“I haven’t seen him yet.” Long Xiaoyuan blinked. “Besides, he is not as important as you.”
Shi Qingzhou glared at him.
Long Xiaoyuan said flatteringly, “Qingzhou, tell me why you are angry just now?”
Shi Qingzhou pointed at his neck angrily. “My father saw it.”
Long Xiaoyuan saw the red marks on Shi Qingzhou’s neck. He blinked, feeling awkward and proud.
Shi Qingzhou kicked him directly.
“Ouch, don’t kick. I’m wrong!” Long Xiaoyuan immediately said.
Shi Qingzhou sneered, “You always make the same mistakes.”
Long Xiaoyuan said he was wronged.
The two of them bickered for a while, and Long Xiaoyuan said, “Qingzhou, I will go inside and meet him.”
Shi Qingzhou raised his eyebrows. “Will you?”
“Yeah. You don’t go in for the moment.”
“Why?” Shi Qingzhou was confused.
“Doesn’t he have a strange temper? You go after I fail.”
Shi Qingzhou paused and nodded slowly. “Alright. But you have to go with Shadow Guardians.”
“No problem. I’ll ask Ying Qiu to go with me.”
Shi Qingzhou nodded.
Long Xiaoyuan went inside the tent.
When he entered the tent, he saw an old man, an untidy old man.
His hair was disheveled, which was not from maltreatment but his untidy habit.
He had a high forehead, which reminded Long Xiaoyuan of a word.
Shriveled.
That was how old men were.
However, this old man had bright eyes, which made Long Xiaoyuan think he had high martial arts.
Of course, it was just a feeling.
“Who are you? Can’t you stop pestering me? Is the court so powerful that it can force us commoners? Can the court do as it likes? I already said that I am an old man, an old man who knows nothing. What else do you want?”
Before Long Xiaoyuan uttered anything, the old man bombarded him with a series of questions.
Long Xiaoyuan raised his eyebrows and slowly sat down in front of the old man.
As the old man had high martial arts, he was tied up now.
Otherwise, he would have rushed out long ago.
“What’s wrong with you, little brat? I’m talking to you. Are you deaf? How does your mother teach you? Oh, I forgot that you don’t listen to your mother. Does the god damn emperor ask you to come? How much does he pay you? You guys take turns to bother me.”
God damn emperor?
Long Xiaoyuan found it… interesting.
Because it was a rare word for him.
After the old man flung abuses, he saw that Long Xiaoyuan looked amused instead of angry, and he thought Long Xiaoyuan was crazy. “Are you out of your mind? What are you laughing at?”
Long Xiaoyuan shrugged and said casually, “Did I laugh?”
The old man was speechless.
Long Xiaoyuan smiled again. “If I smile, that’s because your words are funny.”
The old man sneered. “Really? If you find it funny, just laugh. Let me tell you, you’d better set me free quickly. Otherwise…”
Long Xiaoyuan looked at the old man with feigned surprise. “Do you mean that you are waiting for your accomplice to save you? That would be great!”
“What accomplice?” The old man exploded. “I’ve done nothing wrong. Why do I need an accomplice? Let me tell you, even if I have an accomplice, he will only spread the news that the god damn emperor forces innocent people to die for him. And he even harasses the people! He catches the people without any reason!”
“Oh, I see…” Long Xiaoyuan shrugged. “Every man is responsible for the rise and fall of his country. You are evidently an expert in formation, but you claim to be the opposite. Because of your reluctance to help, many soldiers of Tianlong Dynasty will die. These soldiers have families. Even if you say that the god damn emperor is bad, but the families who lose their sons and husbands will not think you are good.”
“You… you…” The old man widened his eyes in anger. “You are shameless! This is a threat!”
“I’m reasoning with you,” Long Xiaoyuan said innocently, “I tell the truth.”
“Are the lives of commoners less important than the soldiers of the god damn emperor? Who would be responsible for my safety?”
“Of course the men who go with you are responsible. Don’t worry. Even if there is only one of our men left, he will take you out of the valley.”
The old man was even angrier. “What if all of them die?”
Long Xiaoyuan spread out his hands. “Then you have to sacrifice your life for the country.”
The old man’s mouth trembled with anger.
Long Xiaoyuan continued, “Don’t be so pessimistic. You know the formation, and we have the best doctor and Shadow Guardians with high martial arts. You won’t die in the valley.”
The old man narrowed his eyes. “The best doctor? The young man who has been popular in recent years?”
“Yeah. Do you know about him?”
“He only strives for fame.” the old man snorted coldly.
“Yes, you’re right.” Long Xiaoyuan nodded in agreement. “So I don’t require much from him. He just needs to make poison and knockout drugs. A large amount. There are five thousand people in the valley.”
The old man widened his eyes in shock.
“Five thousand people? So many! How many of you are going? It’s inhuman of you to send a few people to fight against several thousand.”