Chapter 188: Gu Changxiao Picks Up Suisui
The official was startled, but upon seeing it was a Han woman, he immediately became disdainful:
“How dare you! This is the Northern Frontier, not your Great Xia. You dare to use force against me, an official? You must not want to live!”
Miss Yan was furious and was about to charge with her dagger, but Yan Jiu stopped her: “Calm down.”
Miss Yan roared at the official, “If anything happens to Suisui, even if I die, I will kill you, you dog official!”
The official feared the Han woman might impulsively harm him, but he remembered Batel’s instructions not to escalate the situation or alert those powerful people.
He could only retreat while signaling his guards to block them: “His Majesty has ordered the Xia Envoy to leave the Royal Court immediately. If you do not leave before dark, troops will be dispatched to expel you!”
Gu Changxiao was certain that Suisui had been taken by Batel. Suisui’s lack of resistance meant she was tricked into going.
What he was sure of was that Batel would not harm Suisui. However, he wanted to leave Suisui alone in the Northern Frontier!
How could Gu Changxiao tolerate this! He snatched Miss Yan’s dagger and rushed into the felt tent: “Batel, hand over Suisui!”
Yan Jiu stopped him again: “Calm down! Speak properly. This is the Northern Frontier; anger is useless.”
Gu Changxiao said fiercely, “Batel is hiding and refusing to come out. How can I speak properly?”
He pointed his sword at the official: “Tell Batel that if he doesn’t come out, this King will burn down your Royal Court!”
At this moment, one must not show weakness! Showing weakness makes them think you are afraid. Being in an enemy country requires a spirit of courage to intimidate.
Yan Jiu quickly asked, “Do you know where His Majesty went?”
The official shook his head: “I don’t know! His Majesty only ordered that you be sent out of the Royal Court before dark.”
Fortunately, Princess Tuoya arrived in time and prevented the situation from escalating.
“What’s going on?”
“Lord Li, please put away your sword first. I, this Princess, guarantee that Miss Ji will be safe and sound.”
She then reprimanded the official and guards: “Where did His Majesty take Miss Ji?”
No one knew. Gu Changxiao observed Princess Tuoya’s reaction and saw that she wasn’t faking it. It seemed Batel had acted alone.
He tricked Suisui into leaving and then imprisoned her.
Gu Changxiao sheathed his sword and looked sharply at Tuoya: “I, as the Li King of Great Xia, negotiate with you. If my Military Strategist, Ji Sui, does not return safely.
I will consider the Northern Frontier to be declaring war!”
At this moment, Gu Changxiao exuded a murderous aura, his noble bearing fully displayed, like a god of war bathed in blood.
This greatly shocked Miss Yan. His demeanor changed so much; if he had been like this before, how could she have called him a vixen!
Yan Jiu was equally shocked. He thought that even if Ji Sui went missing, Gu Changxiao would consider the overall situation and not break ties with the Northern Frontier, opting for a discreet search and negotiation with Tuoya.
He never expected him to directly declare war! This was not just for a military strategist; even the disappearance of a princess marrying into another kingdom would hardly warrant a declaration of war.
However, both Yan Jiu and Tuoya saw a resolute determination in Gu Changxiao’s eyes and attitude.
Perhaps his current power and military strength were insufficient to contend with the Northern Frontier, making his declaration of war seem like a joke.
But everyone could feel that if Ji Sui truly met with misfortune, and if they couldn’t kill Gu Changxiao, he would pursue them relentlessly for the rest of his life!
Tuoya, under his direct gaze, felt a hint of fear. Batel had just ascended the throne, and she needed external helpers like Gu Changxiao and Yan Jiu to help Batel consolidate his power.
And yet, this incident occurred.
Tuoya was not foolish; she knew the truth without any investigation. Batel had even kept it from her, intending to detain Miss Ji.
Of course, if Batel had told her, she would absolutely not have agreed.
“Lord Li, I will immediately send people to search. Please remain calm.”
The official whispered from the side, “But His Majesty ordered that they must leave the Royal Court before dawn.”
Tuoya shot him a look, and the official flinched, no longer daring to say anything. He had interacted most with the Xia Envoy, Eunuch Zhou, these past two days, which gave him a misconception.
All the Xia Envoys were subservient, acting meekly even within the Northern Frontier Royal Court, which was why he readily accepted Batel’s orders without seeking help.
The result was that among the entire Xia Envoy team, only Eunuch Zhou was truly subservient. Not to mention the Li King, even that Han woman was incredibly bold!
Soon, a clue emerged: “Someone saw His Majesty take Miss Ji to the Divine Palace.”
Tuoya was shocked: “What?”
She quickly ordered: “Under no circumstances should this matter be spread!”
Her face was filled with anger, feeling that if Batel were present, she would definitely strike him.
Miss Yan quickly asked, “Where is the Divine Palace? Why can’t it be spread?”
Tuoya led them towards the Divine Palace while explaining, “The Royal Court’s Divine Palace is for royal sacrifices. Apart from royal descendants, outsiders are not allowed to enter.”
“If the powerful people find out that Batel brought a Han woman into the Divine Palace, things will be dire!”
Gu Changxiao sneered, “It seems your King doesn’t revere the gods much either!”
Tuoya was speechless. Indeed, Batel’s actions were practically blasphemy!
With this, Gu Changxiao was certain that Batel had taken Suisui to obtain the fish oil firearms.
A king who did not revere gods naturally revered the strongest weapons.
When everyone arrived at the Divine Palace, Batel was just coming out. Seeing the crowd, he didn’t seem surprised but instead smiled. Amidst Tuoya’s angry shouts, he closed the stone gate.
Batel glanced at the official, a useless person, for not driving these people out of the Royal Court!
Gu Changxiao dismounted and looked at the Divine Palace on the mountainside. It was already dark, and a faint light emanated from the Divine Palace, dim like stars.
He left Suisui alone in that desolate place!
“Batel! Release Suisui, and this King can pretend this never happened.”
Batel sneered, “What if this King doesn’t release her?”
Gu Changxiao repeated his earlier statement: “If the Xia Envoy disappears mysteriously from the Northern Frontier Royal Court, then you are declaring war on Great Xia!”
Batel remained calm: “What if Miss Ji herself wishes to stay?”
This made several people pause. Miss Yan reacted the fastest: “You’re talking nonsense! Suisui would never want to stay!”
Suisui had too many things to do: make money from the Northern Frontier, build a navy, revitalize the border city, fight Japan, and be filial to her grandfather and raise her younger brother.
How could she possibly stay in the Northern Frontier?
“In Great Xia, Ji Sui doesn’t even have a Taoist temple of her own. This King promises that if she stays, she will be made the Saintess of the Northern Frontier, and in the future, a Taoist temple larger than the Divine Palace will be built for her.”
She agreed.
Tuoya said with frustration, “What nonsense are you spouting? Miss Ji is Han Chinese, how could she be a Saintess!
Batel, don’t be so stubborn and willful! Bring Miss Ji out before things escalate.”
Gu Changxiao suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter filled with mockery. Then Miss Yan also started laughing. Even Yan Jiu couldn’t help but chuckle.
Their laughter greatly annoyed Batel, as if they were laughing at him for doing something foolish.
“What are you laughing at? Don’t you believe my words?”
Gu Changxiao laughed heartily, “Do you believe it yourself? The dignified King of the Northern Frontier, weaving such a clumsy lie!
I’m telling you, Suisui would never stay in the Northern Frontier for any Divine Palace or Saintess!”
Because the Taoist nun Suisui is also fake!
It’s also her good acting; she can play any role convincingly. She played the Li King flawlessly, even winning more hearts than the real Li King.
Playing a Taoist nun, she actually made a king believe that with promises of Taoist temples and immortal masters, she could be kept here.
Batel became enraged: “This King made a bet with Miss Ji that you would abandon her and leave tonight.”
“As long as you get out of the Royal Court tonight, Miss Ji must stay in the Northern Frontier!”
“So, get out!”
Batel drew the scimitar from his waist and pointed it at Gu Changxiao.
Gu Changxiao did the same, drawing his dagger to confront him.
Tuoya quickly ran between them to mediate; a fight would surely cause chaos in the Royal Court.
Unfortunately, Batel, this middle schooler, was in the most stubborn phase of his life. His determination to obtain the fish oil firearms made him deaf to his sister’s pleas.
He stood with his sword before the stone gate: “After tonight, Miss Ji will be this King’s!”
Miss Yan asked Tuoya, “Can you open that door? I’ll go up and snatch Suisui back.”
Tuoya shook her head: “Only past Kings know the mechanism to open the door.”
She stepped forward again to persuade Batel: “You are too willful! Miss Ji doesn’t want to stay. Forcing her to stay like this will only make her dislike you.”
Batel was unconcerned. What if she disliked him temporarily? As time passed, Miss Ji would naturally realize his sincere admiration for her.
“What’s so good about Miss Ji returning to Great Xia with them? That Yan Clan Head treats her like a maidservant…”
Yan Jiu quickly interjected, “No, Miss Ji is a distinguished guest of the Yan Clan, and I, Yan Jiu, am her intimate friend.”
Batel continued loudly, “The Li King is also just using her. Speaking of which, you want to snatch Miss Ji away, what’s the difference between you and me?
You also want her fish oil firearms and those miraculous spiritual medicines! You don’t respect Miss Ji at all!
If she stays in the Northern Frontier, this King will regard her as a divine being walking the earth, and she will become the supreme Immortal Master!”
Miss Yan spat heavily, “Bah! You’re talking nonsense!
We would never lock Suisui up! Suisui is our friend, our family! Completely unlike you, a tyrant!”
Yan Jiu sighed softly. After returning to Yanzhou, he would need to find a capable matron. After this trip to the Northern Frontier, Miss Yan had learned to speak crudely.
Gu Changxiao looked up at the Divine Palace again. Located on the mountainside, the stone wall was not very smooth, making it barely climbable.
He decided to use another method to make Batel yield: “You said you bet with Suisui that we would abandon her and leave before dawn, right?”
Batel guarded the stone gate and smiled confidently, “That’s right! As long as you get out of the Royal Court tonight, Miss Ji will voluntarily stay.”
He looked at Tuoya reproachfully: “Since you, sister, are unwilling to help me, I will invite the general to come and drive them out!”
Gu Changxiao quickly said, “Then if this King takes Suisui tonight, you will let us leave?”
Batel raised an eyebrow and said mockingly, “Of course! If you have the ability to call Miss Ji down now, I will let you go.”
Even if he shouted himself hoarse, no one in the Divine Palace would hear him!
Batel suddenly thought of something and said urgently, “If you dare to use thunder fire here, it will be disrespect to our Northern Frontier Divine Palace. If I kill you, the Emperor of Great Xia will not avenge you!”
Tuoya anxiously said, “Don’t be reckless!”
Gu Changxiao sheathed his dagger and said loudly, “Then this King will show you how I will bring Suisui out!”
Gu Changxiao took a bow and arrow, took out his telescope, carefully found a crevice in the stone wall, drew his bow, and shot dozens of arrows in rapid succession.
He then said to Batel, “I want you, as the King of the Northern Frontier, to make an oath that as soon as this King retrieves Suisui, you will let us leave!”
Batel felt a sudden jolt of unease, perhaps due to Gu Changxiao’s extreme confidence.
But he was even more confident that besides this heavenly ladder, there was no other way up to the Divine Palace!
With the arrows he shot, trying to climb using them was simply wishful thinking! Even the most skilled Northern Frontier warriors couldn’t climb it!
“Fine! This King swears that as soon as you retrieve Miss Ji, this King will immediately let you go.”
Gu Changxiao looked at Yan Jiu, and Yan Jiu nodded at him.
Miss Yan didn’t understand what they were signaling, only anxiously looked behind them. Fortunately, Han Xing had arrived.
Without Gu Changxiao needing to say anything, Han Xing understood that if this attempt to retrieve Leader Ji failed, they would signal Hei Hu.
We will fight to the death to snatch Leader Ji back!
I never expected Batel to be so shameless! To actually imprison Leader Ji!
Gu Changxiao tore off a piece of his cotton-padded jacket, wrapped it around his palms, and Han Xing stepped forward: “Your Highness, let your subordinate go!”
Gu Changxiao shook his head: “My agreement with Batel is that I will personally bring Suisui back!”
Having said that, he turned to Yan Jiu: “It’s up to you.”
Yan Jiu said coldly, “Don’t worry, if you die here, I will ensure the border city remains safe.”
Miss Yan was startled: “His Highness and Suisui will be safe!”
Gu Changxiao smiled gallantly, “Brothers of the Black Feather Army, this King will now go and bring your Leader Ji home!”
With that, he began to climb the stone wall. At first, his speed was extremely fast, not using the arrows at all, using the slight protrusions on the stone wall for leverage, he climbed agilely upwards.
Everyone below watched him with excitement, as did Tuoya. Only Batel sneered, “He will fall to his death!”
Apart from monkeys and antelopes, humans simply cannot climb it!
With no handholds in the wall crevices, Gu Changxiao began to use the arrows for leverage. Miss Yan saw through the telescope that his hands were bleeding.
Han Xing nocked an arrow, ready to shoot, and if the Prince needed it, he would immediately provide assistance with an arrow.
He regretted that Hei Hu wasn’t here; his arm strength was astonishing, and the arrows he shot would surely embed firmly in the stone crevices.
As the sky began to turn a fish-belly white, everyone realized that the long night was about to end.
Batel’s expression became grim because Gu Changxiao had not fallen to his death yet! He was getting closer and closer to the Divine Palace.
Was he even human?
Inside the Divine Palace, Jin Sui had spent the night making a glider in the space, and it was finally ready.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t test its effectiveness. She didn’t know if it could fly out of the Royal Court! She wasn’t worried about falling to her death; she could guarantee the glider’s safety.
She wanted to sleep, but seeing the sky turning white, she stretched her limbs and decided to have a cup of coffee before taking action.
She had to leave before Batel arrived. She wondered how Gu Changxiao and Yan Jiu were doing.
They must have left the Royal Court by now! They surely wouldn’t want to confront Batel head-on.
Jin Sui didn’t have the thought of them abandoning her and feeling sorry for herself.
Because if it were herself, she would also choose to rescue people secretly rather than confront them directly. After all, they had just reached a cooperation, and in an enemy country, one must prioritize the overall situation.
Besides, she wasn’t important enough to make Gu Changxiao or Yan Jiu become enemies with Batel!
Jin Sui comforted herself with a smile, “Then I’ll save myself! Don’t be too surprised when I fly to your side!”
