Chapter 676: Chapter 676: Threat

Ye Chutang called out, "Yan."

Ye Jingyan immediately stepped forward, presenting two White Jade Medicine Bottles and a thin prescription.

"This is a medicine I recently developed for leg ailments. Take it and start using it. As for the prescription, have Long Jiu go to a pharmacy and get a month’s supply of the ingredients. Brew one dose every day. After a month, we’ll see how you’re recovering and make adjustments."

Ye Chutang lifted her chin slightly.

"Consider this a thank-you gift for your help."

Xun Cheng didn’t stand on ceremony. He took them with a smile. "Well, if you insist, I’ll accept. But I heard you haven’t reopened your clinic since returning to the Capital City. You must have gone to a lot of trouble to specially prepare this medicine, haven’t you?"

He knew better than anyone how laid-back Ye Chutang was. If she could find a moment of peace, she would never go looking for trouble.

These two bottles of medicine were obviously a recent creation.

Ye Chutang shook her head nonchalantly.

"Don’t worry about it. It was nothing."

Xun Cheng was taken aback. "...What, have you been treating other people with leg injuries lately?"

Ye Chutang thought for a moment, then sighed.

"I have, actually. I don’t know how I keep running into this kind of trouble."

As if worried he might get the wrong idea, she added, "Fortunately, your leg injury is the mildest of the lot. As long as you use the medicine properly and exercise diligently, you’ll definitely be able to recover."

’As for Uncle Di, his case is certainly hopeless.’

’And Xiao Chenglin...’

Ye Chutang’s eyes narrowed slightly.

’His case, I’m really not sure about...’

Xun Cheng let out a laugh. "...So from the sound of it, I’m the lucky one?"

Ye Chutang looked at him and nodded earnestly.

...

「Qiyuan Hall.」

The great doors were shut tight. The hall was silent, its atmosphere solemn and severe.

Emperor Muwu looked down from his high seat at the filthy prisoner kneeling below and spoke in a heavy voice.

"Tuoba Yu, did you carry out this act under orders from your brother?"

Tuoba Yu kept his head bowed, remaining silent.

If not for the faint sound of his breathing, one might have thought he was already dead.

Emperor Muwu snorted coldly.

"Do you think this will all just go away if you say nothing?"

That was a full five thousand soldiers!

"Are you aware that once your identity is announced to the world, it will confirm that Nanhu was the aggressor? At that point, we will officially be at war! Do you really think your piddling nation of Nanhu, with its old, weak, and infirm, could last more than a few days?!"

When Emperor Muwu had first received the battle report, he knew something was amiss. It was only today, upon seeing Tuoba Yu and hearing King Yan Nan lay out the whole truth, that he finally understood what had really happened.

Of course, the part where Xun Cheng had sent a message to Ye Yunfeng for reinforcements was, whether intentionally or not, omitted.

The explanation King Yan Nan provided was this: after being trapped in Long City, one of his personal guards had desperately fought his way out and managed to deliver a call for help to Feng Zhang, who was stationed at Xia City. Feng Zhang had immediately dispatched troops, and under the meticulous planning of Ye Yunfeng and others, they coordinated an attack from both inside and out, capturing Tuoba Yu and all his men in one fell swoop.

In reality, that guard had delivered the message to Princess Qingyang, and he had been killed shortly after.

But none of that mattered. At least, not to Emperor Muwu.

As an emperor, victory or defeat in war was the only thing that truly mattered!

As for how that victory was achieved... there were a thousand ways to spin the tale.

Now that Tuoba Yu was captured, everything else would be easy to handle.

Seeing that Tuoba Yu still refused to respond, Emperor Muwu showed no signs of impatience. He simply leaned back in his throne and began to speak slowly.

"Do you believe that We have no way of dealing with you if you say nothing? We recall that you and your brother are exceptionally close. If he were to see you in your current state, what do you suppose his reaction would be?"

Tuoba Yu finally stirred. He snapped his head up, his eyes filled with deep fury and hatred.

"You! Kill me or torture me, do what you will! I did this alone! It has nothing to do with my brother!"

"Oh?"

Emperor Muwu reacted as if he had just heard a joke.

"Your brother truly knew nothing? He didn’t know you mobilized five thousand troops to Long City, he didn’t know you plotted to trap King Yan Nan, and he didn’t even know you planned to use King Yan Nan to take three border cities without lifting a finger?"

So many major undertakings, and Tuoba Yu had the gall to claim his brother knew nothing?

Tuoba Yu grew anxious. "He truly did not know! It was all my fault! I alone will bear the responsibility!"

In his agitation, a coppery taste of blood surged in his throat.

He forced it down, each word seemingly squeezed from between his clenched teeth.

"You wouldn’t dare reveal my identity, would you? To do so would mean you’re truly ready for war! Even if we Nanhu have to fight to the death, we’ll still be able to take a pound of flesh from you! Your lives won’t be easy, either!"

Emperor Muwu’s expression turned frigid as he let out a cold laugh.

"All talk! A pity you’re a complete fool! Tuoba Shan is truly unlucky to have a brother like you dragging him down!"

Looking at the emperor’s expression, Tuoba Yu’s heart began to pound with uncertainty.

’What’s going on?’

’Weren’t the rumors that Emperor Muwu’s health was failing? Why does he look perfectly fine now?’

’If he died, this country would surely fall into chaos, and they wouldn’t be able to spare any resources to deal with foreign enemies in the short term.’

’That would be the perfect opportunity for Nanhu!’

Tuoba Yu had been waiting for this day. He had even laid the groundwork long ago, planning to secretly occupy several border cities and quietly move his own soldiers in. The moment Emperor Muwu died, he would strike!

’Strike while they’re in chaos, and take them down!’

Tuoba Yu’s plan had been flawless. He had even successfully captured King Yan Nan. He had felt victory was at hand!

But he never expected Ye Yunfeng to appear out of nowhere and ruin everything.

Even now, he still had no idea how he had lost!

Now that he had fallen into such a state, he could think of no better end for himself than death.

’If these people use me as a bargaining chip to threaten my brother, then...’

The mere thought of that scenario was unbearable to Tuoba Yu. He would rather die!

In fact, he had tried to kill himself countless times on the journey here, but his captors watched him too closely. He never had a chance.

It was only at this moment that he suddenly realized—once a man becomes a captive, even death is no longer his to command.

Emperor Muwu could no longer be bothered to waste his breath on Tuoba Yu. He turned directly to King Yan Nan and asked:

"Has there been any movement from the Nanhu Royal Family?"

Tuoba Yu was struck with horror and immediately began to struggle!

However, the moment he moved, the wound on his shoulder tore open again, and fresh blood gushed out.

Tuoba Yu’s face went deathly pale, and he collapsed limply to the floor.

—Ye Yunfeng’s arrow had pierced his shoulder with such force that it had shattered half of his shoulder blade.

In all the time that had passed, no one had set the bone or treated the wound. The fractured bone still dug into his flesh with every movement, bringing ever deeper waves of agony.

King Yan Nan glanced at him, his face impassive, before stepping forward and cupping his fist.

"Your Majesty, we only dispatched the message to Nanhu five days after our departure. By my calculations, their reply should be arriving in the Capital City soon."

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