Chapter 35 – Why Do You Want Him to Remember You?

Outside the city gates of the capital, the Minister of Rites led the entire Ministry of Rites, accompanied by palace guards and the Jinyiwei, to welcome the arriving envoys.

Mu Nanjin and Deng Xingchao were, as usual, fashionably late.

When the officials from the Ministry of Rites saw that Mu Nanjin had shown up too, they all turned their accusing gazes toward Deng Xingchao, clearly annoyed that he had brought her along.

Surely he was not planning to have everyone hear her expose someone’s private secrets again, only to greet the foreign envoys with black faces afterward.

Deng Xingchao ignored their looks. He dismounted and strode toward the Jinyiwei formation.

As Mu Nanjin passed by the Ministry of Rites, she deliberately greeted the Right Vice Minister.

“Lord Zhou.”

Whoosh, all eyes instantly swung toward the Right Vice Minister.

The man pressed a hand to his forehead, wishing the ground would just swallow him whole.

The Minister of Rites raised a brow in curiosity. “Lord Zhou, since when have you become so familiar with Guard Mu?”

The Right Vice Minister hurried to clarify before rumors could spiral. “This humble official is not familiar with Guard Mu in the slightest. This is the first time she has ever spoken to me.”

He really could not bring himself to explain that Mu Nanjin had once cozied up to him just to get him to go drinking at Xiaoqing Tower with her.

No one looked convinced.

This was, after all, the first time anyone had ever seen Mu Nanjin, ever since she joined the Jinyiwei, take the initiative to greet a court official. There was no way she would do that with someone she was not close to.

Just then, Mu Nanjin’s inner voice drifted into everyone’s minds.

【I greet the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. He should remember me now, right?】

The Minister of Rites lowered his voice. “Why would he need to remember you?”

The Right Vice Minister’s face went dark. “This humble official truly has no idea.”

【Even if he doesn’t remember me now, that’s fine. I’ll just keep showing up until he does. Once we’ve gotten a bit closer… hehehe…】

The Minister of Rites’ expression twisted oddly. “You two…”

The Right Vice Minister looked utterly despairing, staring up at the heavens as though praying for rescue.

Mu Nanjin, please, stop saying things that make people misunderstand.

“Ahem.” Deng Xingchao cleared his throat lightly. “Mu Nanjin, are you and the Right Vice Minister very close?”

Mu Nanjin replied honestly, “Not at all.”

Deng Xingchao: “…”

Before he could respond, the sound of thunder filled the air.

“Rumble, rumble, rumble.”

From the distance came the clamor of countless hooves and rolling carriage wheels, the ground trembling beneath their feet.

Everyone turned to look.

A yellow haze of dust rose along the far horizon. After a long while, a formation of soldiers on horseback finally came into view.

Mu Nanjin suddenly thought of something. “Lord Deng, has the Fourth Prince entered the capital yet?”

“No,” Deng Xingchao replied, glancing her way. “Why do you ask?”

Mu Nanjin shook her head. “Nothing.”

【No wonder Captain Liu hasn’t come looking for me.】

At that, Deng Xingchao immediately pieced it together. The Left Court must be investigating the Fourth Prince.

After all, the Left Court’s responsibilities included monitoring corruption, collecting intelligence, capturing and interrogating imperial suspects, and keeping watch on the princes. If they could not find solid evidence, they might very well try to use Mu Nanjin as an entry point.

【The Fourth…】

Before she could say more, Deng Xingchao quickly cut her off. “The Fourth Prince didn’t come. His sons did.”

“Oh.”

Mu Nanjin dropped the subject, her attention soon drawn to the approaching procession.

At the front were two commanding generals, one clad in silver heavy armor, the other in black. Behind them followed over a thousand elite soldiers. Only after them came the ornate carriages carrying the envoys sent by the emperors of the Great Chen Kingdom and the Great Wei Kingdom.

A troop of bodyguards in light armor followed the carriages, each man tall, broad-shouldered, and radiating power. Every one of them was at least a Fifth-Rank martial artist.

When they were still about a hundred meters from the city gates, the procession halted.

The soldiers in front divided into two ranks, forming an aisle for the carriages to move forward.

The Minister of Rites quickly stepped up with his officials to greet them. “Welcome, Fourth Prince of the Great Chen Kingdom, and Fifth Prince of the Great Wei Kingdom, to our Great Qian. We have already prepared a banquet at the State Residence to honor your arrival.”

As his words fell, all the Great Qian officials suddenly heard Mu Nanjin’s voice again.

【Huh?】