Back in the inn's main hall, Aurelian Dragon immediately went to find Lynette Quill and Obsidia Shade, who were sitting in his room, chatting and drinking tea while waiting for his return. They were having a very pleasant conversation.
As soon as Aurelian Dragon entered, Lynette Quill greeted him with a smile and said, "How was it? You must have had a great time without us women getting in the way!"
Before Aurelian Dragon could answer, Obsidia Shade interjected, "Of course, judging from the city lord's attitude towards you, young master, he had no choice but to show some appreciation. Young master, did you receive your favorite item?"
"You women!" Aurelian Dragon shook her head and smiled wryly. "Yes, he gave me a very generous greeting gift!"
Lynette Quill asked eagerly, "What is it?"
Aurelian Dragon said, "You'd never guess it, it's a sword!"
"What?!" Lynette Quill and Obsidia Shade asked at the same time.
Aurelian Dragon recounted the events of the banquet in detail, and then told them what Garrick Stonewall had said. The two women listened, their faces showing deep thought.
Finally, he said, "I really don't know why Qiu Xin would want to kill me? If something happens to me here, wouldn't he, as the city lord, be fine? This is his territory! Besides, this mission is a matter of national honor. If something happens to him, it won't benefit him at all."
Lynette Quill paused for a moment, then sighed, "You don't know, this city lord is an important figure in the Third Prince's faction. If he did this, it must have been at the Third Prince's behest. But he's being too subtle. He wouldn't make a move here. I think he's mainly testing the waters."
Aurelian Dragon paused for a moment before saying, "Third Prince? What does this have to do with him?"
"You should know that the Third Prince has long coveted the throne, and his open and covert struggles with Gilmans are all for this reason. Now that His Majesty has agreed to let Wu'an marry their Princess Xiu to the Second Prince, it seems that this matter has made him uneasy, probably because he is afraid of increasing his rivals."
Lynette Quill looked at Aurelian Dragon with a slightly worried expression and said, "Now I understand why my elder sister told us to be careful on the journey; she probably had a premonition!" Shortly after they set off, they received a message from Phoenix Vane, urging them to be extremely cautious, which they initially thought was just ordinary concern.
Aurelian Dragon scratched his head and said, "What exactly is the situation in Fast's court now? Even the Emperor's mission is being sabotaged. Why don't you give this dreamer some pointers now, so I won't be at a loss for what to do one day?" His distressed expression made Lynette Quill and Obsidia Shade burst into laughter.
"I can only tell you what I know. This is just a general overview. Your older sister knows the details best." After laughing, Lynette Quill organized her thoughts and began to explain in detail.
After listening to Lynette Quill's explanation, Aurelian Dragon breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't expected that such a seemingly powerful empire harbored such a deep crisis. This was partly due to Emperor Andre III's long reign; his eldest son, the destined heir to the throne, had died young due to poor health, leaving the position vacant and coveted by everyone. Adding to the tension, the emperor had decided not to designate an heir, leaving the princes, who believed themselves worthy of the throne, eager and ambitious to seize it.
The most successful among them is undoubtedly the Third Prince, who holds supreme power in the military. He is both a scholar and a warrior, possesses exceptional wisdom, and is deeply valued by Emperor Andre III. Most of the generals in the country are from his faction. Next is the quiet and thoughtful Sixth Prince, who enjoys the full support of the most powerful minister in the court, Gilemans, because Gilemans' daughter is married to him. The Princess Xiu of Wu'an Kingdom is to marry the Second Prince, a strong contender for the throne. He is refined and elegant, highly accomplished in poetry and prose, especially in music, where he is a master. He is very popular with the emperor, and some ministers secretly support him. Unfortunately, he has a major flaw: he is too weak-willed, and seems to lack confidence in his own ability to seize the throne.
Furthermore, with various self-serving individuals secretly fueling the flames in pursuit of greater personal gain, the Fast court is currently rife with fierce competition, with everyone employing their own schemes and relentlessly striving for their own interests.
For Aurelian Dragon, the only thing he understood now was that the mysterious and noble court, which was admired and longed for by outsiders, was actually like this. This shattered his infinite aspirations. The struggle in the Fast court was very similar to the struggle for territory among several factions when he was in West River. The only difference was that now they were fighting for the supreme throne.
Fortunately, he didn't have much ambition and didn't want to get involved in these matters. But now that things had come to this, he had to plan carefully. At this point, Aurelian Dragon realized that this task was not as easy as he had imagined, and he felt much less favorably toward the emperor who had assigned him this job.
As the three remained silent, Taihou, one of the Eight Guards, pushed open the door and said, "Message has come from Miss's side."
The three of them looked up at her together. They knew that the Eight Phoenixes had always called Phoenix Vane "Miss," and that the communication between Phoenix Vane and them was handled by the Great Phoenix. The messages between them were delivered by a kind of bluebird they kept. This was an extremely rare species of bluebird on the continent, which was light in size, flew swiftly, and was very good at recognizing its master.
Taihou handed a small scroll of paper to Aurelian Dragon. Aurelian Dragon opened it and his expression darkened slightly.
Lynette Quill, who was observing his expression, was startled and hurriedly asked, "What did you say, big sister?"
"Wu'an's delegation has arrived. The group is quite large, and there are many skilled fighters mixed in. Phoenix warned us to be careful, as they might be up to something," Aurelian Dragon said with considerable distress. "What exactly are Wu'an and his group up to?" He was truly at his wit's end.
Seeing them deep in thought and the atmosphere somewhat somber, Obsidia Shade turned her beautiful eyes and gracefully walked to Aurelian Dragon's side. She gently wrapped her jade-like arm around his neck and said sweetly, "My lord, we should just be prepared for whatever comes our way. The Wu'an delegation hasn't arrived yet, so there's no point in us sitting here pondering. How about this, I'll go to the city lord's mansion to spy out what they're planning to do. That's the most important thing."
Aurelian Dragon perked up at the suggestion, patted Obsidia Shade's ample buttocks, and exclaimed, "What a brilliant idea! How come I didn't think of that?"
Lynette Quill then chuckled and said, "How could you come up with such a brilliant idea?"
As Obsidia Shade, dressed in black for nighttime, was about to leave, Lynette Quill grabbed her hand and earnestly warned her, "Be very careful!"
Obsidia Shade nodded, but before she could speak, Aurelian Dragon chuckled and said, "I have the most confidence in your skills. Come to my room when you get back, and you'll be handsomely rewarded!" The two women rolled their eyes at him; it seemed getting this man to be serious for long was going to be a long shot.
※ ※ ※
After seeing Aurelian Dragon off, Qiu Xin and Li Qi immediately went to a secret room in the back hall.
Inside the sparsely furnished, secluded room, a burly man with a fierce expression sat cross-legged on the floor. Upon their arrival, his narrow eyes flashed with a sharp light. Qiu Xin and Li Qi approached him and chose a spot to sit down on the floor in front of him.
"You saw his performance just now, didn't you?" Li Qi asked, staring into the big man's eyes.
"Very interesting!" The big man's voice was slightly shrill, which was quite incongruous with his appearance.
"That's right. Most people would do one of two things: either avoid it or catch it with their superior skills," Qiu Xin said slowly. "There are only two kinds of people who would do what he did."
The big man smiled. He knew he had to accept the offer, otherwise it would mean that he was not as good as the two people in front of him and would not deserve to sit here.
"One type is a true expert who can see that the ribbon isn't long enough and doesn't need to dodge; the other type is an idiot who can't react at all, so they don't dodge!"
Li Qi smiled and said, "Then, Mr. Carl, which category do you think he belongs to?"
Carl gave a wry smile and said, "I'd rather believe he's the latter type, but unfortunately, the facts tell me that's impossible. Defeating Cliff is certainly not something an idiot could do."
Qiu Xin clapped his hands and said, "Alright, even Mr. Karl says so, then let's proceed according to His Highness's plan!"
"Indeed, Lord Qiu is right. It seems our judgment is inferior to His Highness's." Karl said, bowing slightly to the two men, and then stood up, saying, "In that case, I shall take my leave!" Qiu Xin and Li Qi also stood up.
Qiu Xin looked at Karl and said warmly, "It's very late. Why don't you rest here for the night and set off again tomorrow? I've already asked Xiao Taohong to wait for you in your room."
Karl's expression turned serious, and he said, "I am very grateful for Lord Qiu's kindness, but His Highness's instructions are more important. Lord Kobis is still waiting for news from here, so I should hurry back tonight!"
"Then after this matter is settled, I will send Xiao Taohong to your residence, sir." Qiu Xin patted Karl on the shoulder and said, "Xiao Taohong has been thinking of you constantly these past few days after serving you, sir!"
"Then thank you very much for your kindness, Lord Qiu!" Karl was overjoyed and quickly returned the favor. He had been extremely happy these past few days at the City Lord's Mansion with Xiao Taohong, who served him, and Qiu Xin's gift of this understanding beauty to him was truly a generous present. He gave a slight nod to Li Qi, who had opened the door, and walked out of the secret room with his head held high.
Back in the elegant pavilion, Qiu Xin and Li Qi each picked up the fragrant tea that the maids had prepared and sat comfortably on either side of the low table. To their right were rows of bright windows, and the midnight breeze rustled the bamboo outside, making a soft sound, creating a serene and peaceful atmosphere.
All the maids knew that the city lord was going to discuss important matters with their strategist, so they had all left early. Numerous guards were scattered around the pavilion, their positions carefully designed by skilled individuals to both prevent outsiders from entering and to ensure they could not hear the conversation inside.
Seeing Qiu Xin put down his tea, Li Qi said with a smile, "It seems we all underestimated the Aurelian Dragon!"
Qiu Xin nodded and said, "It's fortunate that you suggested testing him. Otherwise, if we acted rashly, we would not only ruin His Highness's plans, but we would also suffer considerable losses."
Li Qi said with a hint of regret, "His performance was indeed unexpected. No wonder he won Phoenix Vane's appreciation and won Lynette Quill's heart."
Qiu Xin chuckled and said, "Whether the Aurelian Dragon is high or low, it's not a problem for us right now. But when Karl goes back and tells His Highness, I'm sure he'll be very satisfied."
Li Qi also laughed and said, "Of course. We've been so proactive, and Karl has received so much benefit from us, so he'll have to say some good things about us. With such a trusted confidant of His Highness speaking up for him, our Third Prince should be very happy."
"By the way, what did the people from Parry's side say?" Qiu Xin asked in a low voice.
Li Qi put away his smile and replied respectfully, "They don't want this marriage alliance to succeed, so they want us to do our best to help them. After all, Fast is already powerful enough, and if they join forces with Wu'an, it will have too much of an impact on them."
"Interesting, very interesting!" Qiu Xin murmured. "Wu'an hopes we can help them complete their mission, Pari hopes we can prevent this marriage from succeeding, and the Third Prince wants Aurelian Dragon to go to hell…"
Li Qi continued, "And the other countries on the continent are also listening intently and watching this marriage alliance with wide eyes!"
Qiu Xin nodded, carefully considering the matter in his mind. In such a position, blind loyalty alone would not accomplish anything significant. There are no permanent enemies or permanent friends, so having secret dealings with other countries was not a big deal. This was what the city lord, who was never satisfied with power, thought, and this was what he did.
Li Qi looked at his lord and tentatively asked, "My lord, what should we do?"
"Let's proceed with the third plan we agreed on!" Qiu Xin made the decision. He was very satisfied with his decisiveness and his ability to assess the situation, which was the foundation of his success.
"Send someone to make the arrangements tomorrow, and remember to do it cleanly and efficiently."
"Yes, sir! I will arrange it myself."
Li Qi was very happy to have received the answer he had already chosen.
"In this way, Wu'an will have nothing to say, and Pali and the Third Prince will also be very satisfied."
"Not bad!" Qiu Xin suddenly remembered something and changed the subject, "Isn't the woman next to Aurelian Dragon quite nice?"
"You mean the beautiful woman who was with Lynette Quill, sir!" Li Qi knew that his lord meant that the important matters of the discussion were over and it was time to talk about something more pleasant.
"Yes, I've heard so much about Lynette Quill's beauty, but this woman is just as stunning. Her figure and looks are absolutely unparalleled! Of all the women in my household, none can compare to her!" Qiu Xin said with boundless longing.
Li Qi also sighed, "That bastard Aurelian Dragon is really lucky with women. He's already gotten his hands on such a beautiful woman as Lynette Quill, and now he even has women who are just as beautiful as Lynette Quill by his side. I really don't know what kind of luck he had."
Qiu Xin said, "If we do well this time, we might have a chance to try!" The two of them laughed at the same time.
Suddenly, Qiu Xin sensed an unusual fluctuation in the air. Startled, he stood up abruptly and looked around warily.
"My lord, what's wrong?" Li Qi asked in surprise.
"There's someone in the pavilion!" Qiu Xin said in a deep voice, "A spy!"
"Impossible!" Li Qi jumped up. With such tight security, and with both he and Qiu Xin being highly skilled, how could anyone have gotten in?
Qiu Xin had already summoned the guards to thoroughly search the elegant pavilion. However, even after turning the elegantly furnished pavilion upside down, they couldn't find anyone. Although the guards secretly mocked their lord's suspicion and sensitivity, they still asked whether they should search again.
Perhaps he was being paranoid, but Qiu Xin felt he had lost face and immediately waved them away in displeasure.
After this commotion, the two lost all interest in talking and each prepared to rest.
In fact, Qiu Xin's feeling was not wrong, but by the time the guards arrived, the beautiful and pretty intruder had already fled.
※ ※ ※
Obsidia Shade, naked, snuggled into the warm bed, and Aurelian Dragon wrapped his arms around her tightly.
Behind Aurelian Dragon's broad shoulders, Lynette Quill's disheveled hair peeked out, her stunningly beautiful face still flushed, making her even more captivating.
"What's wrong? You look unhappy. What happened?" Lynette Quill looked at Obsidia Shade, who was nestled in Aurelian Dragon's arms, with puzzled eyes that still seemed to hold the bliss of spring.
"I'm so angry! I didn't hear anything useful, just their gossip," Obsidia Shade said angrily.
Aurelian Dragon reached out and patted her pretty face, saying softly, "My little darling, tell me, what is it?"
Obsidia Shade, satisfied, embraced Aurelian Dragon's body and recounted everything she had overheard. When she arrived, she only heard the conversation inside the elegant pavilion, but after listening for a while, she felt she hadn't gleaned anything substantial. Just as she was getting annoyed, she overheard Qiu Xin and Li Qi changing the subject, talking about her and Aurelian Dragon. This only fueled her anger, and in her agitation, she inadvertently revealed herself. Fortunately, her stealth skills were superb; seeing Qiu Xin become suspicious and knowing that listening any further wouldn't yield any results, she immediately left the pavilion and returned.
After hearing this, Aurelian Dragon kissed her on the lips with satisfaction. "You did a great job! At least we now know three things: Qiu Xin is indeed disloyal, Prince Elnario is plotting against us, and Wu An genuinely wants this to succeed. So they are the ones we need to worry about the least."
Lynette Quill added, "Don't forget that Parry also needs to get involved. Qiu Xin's collusion with Parry's people is a real problem!"
Aurelian Dragon said, "That's nothing to worry about. As long as we keep a close eye on Li Qi, we'll get results. It's just that we don't know what Prince Elnario is up to, so we need to keep an eye on him."
Lynette Quill asked, puzzled, "Why do you say that?"
Aurelian Dragon explained, "It's simple. From Qiu Xin and Li Qi's words, we know that Li Qi was the one who facilitated his connection with Parry. Their involvement would ruin Prince Elnario's plans, which means that Prince Elnario didn't intend for them to be involved. Qiu Xin's role in that plan wasn't high; he was probably just an assistant."
Lynette Quill and Obsidia Shade, upon careful consideration, had to admit that Aurelian Dragon's words made some sense. They were somewhat surprised that this man could reach such a conclusion in such a short time.
Aurelian Dragon held Obsidia Shade's delicate body in a cheerful mood and whispered in her ear, "You've done a great job, I'm going to reward you properly!"
Obsidia Shade chuckled softly, twisting her delicate body along with Aurelian Dragon's restless large hand, and said in a sweet voice, "You'd better think of a solution!"
Aurelian Dragon stroked her beautiful breasts and laughed, "Of course, I'll have some fun first. Your sister Qin surrendered so quickly, and I've been itching to do this!"
Lynette Quill spat lightly from behind, reached out her slender hand and pinched his arm, saying, "It's all because you're so mischievous, and you still say that!"
Aurelian Dragon laughed heartily. When he looked at Obsidia Shade, her body was already burning with desire, her beautiful eyes blazing with fire, and her limbs were tightly wrapped around him. Needless to say, she was already overflowing with lust and unable to control herself.
Soon, the waves surged, and alluring moans and gasps filled the spring-like room like celestial music. Shortly afterward, Lynette Quill's voice joined the chorus, and the thrilling, trembling sounds subsided only after a long while.
After their blissful experience, Lynette Quill and Obsidia Shade fell into a deep sleep with satisfied smiles on their faces, but Aurelian Dragon, holding Obsidia Shade nestled in his arms, was lost in thought and couldn't fall asleep for a long time.
Reflecting on his experiences over the past few months, it all felt like a dream. He had risen from a lowly centurion to a titled commander of ten thousand cavalry, stepping into the vortex of power struggles. Knowing the dangers of this journey, he felt a surge of fighting spirit amidst his fear. This feeling was all too familiar to him; it was like a strange thrill that excited him.
"Alright, let's have a good fight!" he thought to himself.