"How can that be? You vanished for two years, it took great effort to get you back here, so how can you just leave? I haven't had a drink in a while, today, this Prince will accompany you to get drunk!" Xia Jing said, his face filled with joy.

At this moment, a person hurriedly came in from outside. Upon seeing Chu Mo, he was slightly taken aback and looked a bit awkward.

Xia Jing waved his hand: "Speak freely, Young Master Chu is not a stranger!"

The man, obviously a trusted guard of Xia Jing's, began to stammer, his face filled with difficulty.

Xia Jing's brows furrowed, just about to scold the man, Chu Mo interjected: "Never mind, don't trouble him, it must be about me, isn't it?"

The man immediately looked grateful and nodded his head.

Xia Jing was taken aback.

Chu Mo waved his hand: "That's fine, you can leave now. I will discuss these matters with the Prince. Moreover, they will not implicate your Lord, the Prince."

The guard's mouth twitched and he glanced at Xia Jing.

Xia Jing commanded: "If I tell you to leave, then leave!"

The guard looked relieved, as if he'd been granted amnesty, and immediately retreated.

Only then did Xia Jing glare at Chu Mo: "What are you saying? Who is implicating who? I have long stopped meddling in the affairs of the court. Regardless of the matter, it cannot be pinned on me!"

"Heh heh, are you satisfied living this way, my lord?" Chu Mo chuckled, looking at Xia Jing: "From what I know of you, you were once an ambitious man as well!"

"Ah, don't make fun of me. You know, that was the past," Xia Jing gave a bitter smile: "Back then, I was trusted by my Imperial Brother, so I was able to carry out reforms boldly. I offended many powers that be and all sorts of rumours blackened me. Even unrelated matters were pinned on me. Besides, power comes from the Emperor. When one day the Emperor no longer wishes to grant it, it will naturally be taken back."

Chu Mo laughed: "My lord seems to have been wronged."

Xia Jing gave a wry smile, looked at Chu Mo: "Some things aren't wrong, but many are indeed wrong. But… what happened today?"

"Nothing, I just killed a man at the Imperial Chamber who was in the Innate Realm." Chu Mo replied nonchalantly.

"What?" Xia Jing was greatly shocked, he sprang up, gawking at Chu Mo: "You killed Patriarch Yin Ming?"

Chu Mo nodded: "Yes. Also, I crippled Third Prince Xia Hao's legs."

"You...you...how could you..." Xia Jing's face changed, paling significantly. He slowly lowered his arms, fell heavily into his seat, and muttered: "You... after disappearing for two years, the moment you show your face again, you've caused such a tremendous disaster..."

"Are you scared, my lord?" Chu Mo asked with a smile.

"It has nothing to do with me!" Xia Jing rolled his eyes, patted his chest, and said: "I'm worried for you! This is akin to stirring up a terrible storm!"

"Heavenly Sword Sect?" Chu Mo asked.

Xia Jing nodded: "Heavenly Sword Sect... has deep roots. There's more than one Innate Realm expert like Yin Ming..." Upon saying that, he suddenly recalled something, and looked at Chu Mo: "Did you kill Patriarch Yin Ming yourself?"

"Yes." Chu Mo nodded.

"You can kill an expert of the Innate Realm? And you're not injured?" Xia Jing's face wore a look of disbelief.

"Yes." Chu Mo nodded again.

Hoo!

Xia Jing let out a long sigh, his eyes flashing, lost in thought.

Chu Mo, smiling, asked: "Do you think Yin Ming deserved to be killed?"

"For you, naturally, he deserved to be killed. Since you made a move on him, you must have known about the incidents last year." Xia Jing sighed, his expression somewhat complex as he looked at Chu Mo, "At that time... I did advise my imperial brother not to do it, but... you should know, whether it's me or Marshal Fang or Minister Xu, we're all getting on in years..."

Unable to resist, Chu Mo laughed and said, "You're in the prime of your life now, why are you talking so negatively?"

At this point, Xia Jing also laughed, "You little rascal, causing such a huge commotion and then coming here, you're really up to no good..."

"Are you afraid?" Chu Mo asked with a smile.

"That depends on what I intend to do." At this time, Xia Jing also completely calmed down, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Chu Mo.

"What is it that you intend to do?" The smile on Chu Mo's face deepened in significance.

Having come to the Prince's Mansion today, it was also because he wanted to discern Xia Jing's attitude, to see if this once-powerful prince had completely lost his former ambition.

It seems he had not!

Entertaining his child at home was simply an act of resignation by Xia Jing.

"Why haven't we seen Mr.Weichi?" Chu Mo abruptly changed the topic.

"Isn't it someone you should know? Mr.Weichi is now the deputy master of the Piaomiao Palace..." Xia Jing looked at Chu Mo with a smirk, "Your performance as the Palace Master... is really inadequate!"

"..." Chu Mo was speechless, "And where is the Mr. Tantai from the palace?"

"He's the same!" Xia Jing replied matter-of-factly.

"Did they all go to Chu Kingdom with you?" Chu Mo was genuinely surprised, now somewhat understanding why the Emperor was so apprehensive of the Chu Kingdom.

It turns out that during his two-year absence, people like Chu Yan had managed to run the Chu Kingdom so effectively that they even managed to poach the previous palace and prince's mansion's attendants.

"They... aren't coming back?" Chu Mo was still somewhat incredulous.

Xia Jing said, "Anyway, before Mr. Weichi left, he told me that they owed Young Master Chu a great favor, and they must help you. As for when they will return... that's hard to say."

Speaking of this, Xia Jing laughed, "By the way, even that nameless old eunuch by my imperial brother's side... is also in your Chu Kingdom! So sometimes I wonder, what charm do you, a young kid, possess to lure these experts into your camp and follow you faithfully."

"How would I know…" Chu Mo twitched the corner of his mouth.

"Also... He Xu, the second commander of the Miner Army, led more than three thousand men, along with your grandfather's former subordinates of over fifteen thousand, defected from Great Xia, took their families, and submitted to the Chu Kingdom."

"This too..." Chu Mo was completely speechless.

"Yes, and it seems they were well-prepared, secretly taking their families away long before. They were very secretive... and there were no leaks before they acted." Xia Jing laughed, "When my imperial brother found out... he was so angry that he vomited blood. Do you think he hates you?"

"..." Chu Mo was speechless, if such a thing happened to him, he would be infuriated to the point of collapse.

Xia Jing said, "But after all, my imperial brother was the one at fault first, so this matter was not announced and was treated as if it never happened. Therefore, the feelings from his side towards you have always been complicated. But Xia Hao has always been clamoring to attack Chu Kingdom, and this time, he probably won't have the chance."

At this moment, Chu Mo looked up at Xia Jing, "What would you do if you became the Emperor of Great Xia?"

Xia Jing's breath suddenly quickened, and then he shook his head repeatedly, "Don't drag me into this..."

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