As Long expected, a truce agreement was drawn accompanied by the Northern Barbarians handing over the letter of surrender!
Late at night, Long smiled while looking at the report in his sleeping chamber.
During those 20 days, Shi didn’t write to Long. Likewise.
Since the unlucky Shadow Guardian returned, Long never re-wrote a letter.
At present, when the Northern Barbarians submitted the letter of surrender, Shi as the empress was the perfect person at the border to take the emissary back.
Shi was going to come back!
Yes, Shi would really come back with 3,000 soldiers and the emissary delegation of the Northern Barbarians.
Shi Qingshan would stay at the border. It meant that if the peace talks went south (to be exact, the peace talks didn’t meet Long’s satisfaction), the war would continue!
Having been defeated so badly, the Northern Barbarians had to pay a big price since they wanted to carry on the peace talks.
But, it depended on Long, too.
At night, Shi Qingshan met Shi Qingzhou in his tent.
Shi Qingshan sighed in his heart after glancing at his son.
He had noticed his son’s silence and knew that his son was very upset.
He guessed that it was linked to His Majesty.
But, he didn’t know how to talk to his son about feelings.
As a result, he enjoined his son on something concerning going back.
Shi Qingzhou silently heard him out. After some thought, he said, “Qingzhou, you try to get along with His Majesty after going back.”
As a father, he couldn’t say anything else.
Having silenced for a while, Shi Qingzhou said with a nod, “Father, I know that.”
Shi Qingzhou also cared about his son, but…
He just patted his son on his shoulder and said, “You’ll leave tomorrow. Be careful on the road.”
Shi Qingzhou nodded again. “Father, don’t be worried. I know that.”
Afterward, Shi Qingzhou left there for his tent. Lying on the bed, he closed his eyes after a long time.
Except for himself, no one knew what he thought of.
Shi Qingzhou left the border the next day.
Five days later, Long received the news and knew that Shi was only 25,000 meters away from the imperial city.
It could be said that Shi went back at top speed.
For the sake of simplicity, Shi only took 3,000 soldiers back, so he could come back so quickly.
Almost getting here? Long found that he felt nervous a bit.
Right on the time, one eunuch reported that Master Xu wanted to meet him.
He immediately invited Xu inside.
Xu stepped inside in a furious mood.
Long instantly asked with his brows arched, “What’s the matter? Are you bullied?”
Xu asked with his lips pursed, “Elder brother, you haven’t known?”
“Hmm? About what?” Long was in a trance.
Xu took a deep breath and said, “Rumor has it, I’m your toyboy! I didn’t take it seriously, for I only thought a small part of people mistook it. Well, I find almost everyone thinks so!”
Long was stunned. “What? Really?”
Xu nodded with gloom. “You heard me right! I don’t know how this rumor started. There is something more serious. Damn it! It’s said you’ve had sex with me. Shit, why don’t I know this?”
“Er…” Long twitched his lips and instinctively found that something was wrong.
After some thoughts, he ordered a Shadow Guardian over. Actually, he called Ying Qiu, who was loyal to Shi, inside.
Most importantly, though he wasn’t over-worried, he still felt that Ying Qiu might have advised Shi of what happened at this end, didn’t he?
Thinking of this, he involuntarily recalled the rumor Xu said…
Then, his heart did a flip, for he seemed to forget something…
For example, Shi didn’t write to him, probably because Shi had a falling out with him. Was it possible that Shi also knew the rumor?
Right, if Xu hadn’t come to him furiously, he wouldn’t have found out that there was such a rumor.
He turned worried.
Subsequently, Ying Qiu walked inside.
Without any further ado, he asked Ying Qiu whether the latter knew the rumor while pointing at Xu.
Rumor? Hearing such a word, Ying Qiu was stunned.
It was a fact, not a rumor, wasn’t it?
In addition, Master Xu acted like he was insulted…Ying Qiu then felt that things were not quite right.
Seeing this, Long knew that his speculation was proven.
Instantly, he wailed invisibly but then asked with a livid face, “So you all know it? But why don’t I know it?”
Long’s undertone tone clearly showed his anger. Ying Qiu kowtowed right away.
Taking a deep breath, Long really wanted Ying Qiu punished.
However, shit, what reason could he use?
It was true that he and Xu slept together after getting drunk!
Although the goddamn truth was that they only shared a bed, nobody else knew it!
Long almost couldn’t hold back his moans.
Shit! Things were definitely wrong!
Then, he remembered that Shi was arriving at the imperial city soon…but…
He fixed his eyes on Ying Qiu who felt frightened and shivered.
He asked while looking at Ying Qiu, “Has His Grace known the rumor?”
Ying Qiu abruptly fell into silence.
He then totally got it.
He pursed his lips and said lightly, “Go to receive your punishment.”
Ying Qiu felt surprised and but relaxed with relief after knowing that he wasn’t sentenced to death. Afterward, Ying Qiu withdrew himself.
Long sighed and said to Xu, “Xu You, your brother is going down, too.”
“Er…” Now, the anger on Xu’s face was gone. Instead, Xu felt a little awkward and odd.
“Ah…hmm, has His Grace misunderstood you?”
“En, apparently he has,” Long replied faintly.
Xu winked and asked, “Elder brother, is it the Shadow Guardian who told His Grace?”
“You don’t need to address him as His Grace. He is a man and won’t probably like it.”
“Oh, I won’t call him like that. Could I call him Elder Brother Shi?”
“En, you could.” Long sighed again. “What do you think I should do?”
Xu said shaking his head, “Elder Brother Shi must have misunderstood you…elder brother, you promised him the monogamy, so he must be very disappointed now.”
“Yes, he must very disappointed and angry!” said Long with certainty. “He hasn’t written to me since he left.”
“How about you?” asked Xu in a hurry. “Have you written to him?”
Long shook his head. “No.”