Chapter 79

Shangjing.

An Ruhai held a piece of intelligence in his hand and ran swiftly through the layers of palace rooms, heading straight for the emperor's bedroom. A rare, bright smile appeared on his face. Since he was ordered by the emperor to investigate the leak of military intelligence in the western border, his face had almost never shown a smile, and he always looked preoccupied. But today, a great piece of good news had lifted his spirits.

Just now, a pigeon had brought intelligence about Princess Zhaohua. After the battle in the Luoying Mountains, where she had been missing, Princess Zhaohua had crossed the entire mountain range and appeared in Luoying County of the Qi State. This news, relayed by a spy named Peng Wu in Luoying County, made him overjoyed.

An Ruhai naturally knew the importance of Princess Zhaohua to the emperor. The royal family had few offspring, with only two sons and one daughter. Now it seemed that they might lose one more. The only daughter was not only the emperor's precious gem but also the object of affection for the two princes. The emperor's illness had worsened not only because of the destruction of the western border army but also because of the uncertainty about his daughter's whereabouts, a father's worry.

"Your Majesty, great news!" Seeing An Ruhai running towards him, the chief eunuch Qin Yi quickly opened the door to the bedroom. As the head of the inner guard, An Ruhai was the only person who could enter the emperor's presence without reporting, a privilege not even the two princes enjoyed. Of course, there was one other person, Princess Zhaohua.

The emperor was leaning on the bed, speaking to someone. Prince Min Ruo Ying was sitting by the bed, gently massaging the emperor's legs and nodding from time to time.

Seeing this scene of filial piety, An Ruhai's smile gradually faded. His thoughts suddenly drifted to another place, where it was now surely heavily guarded and dark.

"Commander An, what good news has made you so happy? Could it be that there is news about the Third Princess?" Min Ruo Ying stood up and asked with a smile.

"Your Highness!" An Ruhai bowed to Min Ruo Ying. For the person who would surely ascend to the throne in the near future, An Ruhai now felt a deep fear from the bottom of his heart, especially when he saw Min Ruo Ying's bright smile, which made him feel a chill down his back.

"Your Highness, you are truly insightful. It is news about Princess Zhaohua." An Ruhai kept his bowed posture.

"Xier, where is Xier?" Behind Min Ruo Ying, the old emperor's voice was urgent.

Min Ruo Ying stepped aside, and An Ruhai straightened up, took a few quick steps forward, and presented the intelligence from Luoying County with both hands. "Your Majesty, the inner guard's spy in Luoying County has sent a message via pigeon. The princess is now in Luoying County. He has already gathered his men to protect the princess, and she is safe. The Qi State has also dispatched an army to escort the princess back to Shangjing."

The emperor leaned forward, snatched the thin piece of paper from An Ruhai's hand, and quickly read it. The wrinkles on his face instantly smoothed out, and he laughed heartily. "Good, good, finally, I can rest easy. Xier is safe. Ruo Ying, after this, you will meet with the officials of the Qi State in Shangjing and thank them for their escort."

"Yes, Father, I will also reward them heavily." Min Ruo Ying was also overjoyed. "The Third Princess is safe and sound, and my heart is finally at ease."

An Ruhai lowered his head.

"Ruhai, Peng Wu must also be heavily rewarded. He is one of your inner guards, so you decide how to reward him!" The emperor looked very well and smiled warmly.

"Yes, Your Majesty, but this person has already been exposed in the Qi State. When he returns, he can only work in public institutions. I will make the necessary arrangements."

"Right, Ruhai, send people to welcome the princess immediately. Send the best men. The princess has no one to command around her now. Also, bring the things she is used to. This battle must have left her with nothing but her escape. She must have suffered a lot. Bring a few imperial physicians as well, the ones who usually treat Xier. They know her well."

"Ruo Ying, is there anything else you haven't thought of?" The emperor looked at Min Ruo Ying and asked.

"Father, we should also bring the imperial chef. I remember my sister loves the pastries made by Chef Huang in the imperial kitchen." Min Ruo Ying smiled.

"Right, right, bring him. Qin Yi, go and tell Old Huang to pack his things and find An Ruhai. An Ruhai will arrange for him to go together." The emperor shouted loudly.

"Your servant will do it immediately!" Qin Yi's sharp voice came from outside.

"Your Majesty, I will go and arrange these matters." An Ruhai said.

"Right, go quickly, go quickly." The emperor waved his hand repeatedly.

The door was gently closed, and the emperor's smile had not yet faded when a sudden fit of coughing began. Min Ruo Ying quickly sat behind the emperor and gently patted his back.

"Father, please take care of your health. Don't be too excited. The Third Princess's safe return is a great piece of good news, but if she sees you in such poor health, she will surely be heartbroken." Min Ruo Ying advised.

The emperor took a few rapid breaths, glanced at Min Ruo Ying, and did not respond. Instead, he closed his eyes and, after a moment, slowly said, "An Ruhai is very afraid of you. Did you feel it?"

Min Ruo Ying was taken aback, secretly glanced at the emperor, and found that the emperor's eagle-like eyes were staring at him. He could not help but lower his eyes in unease. "Commander An is a key minister of the state and a close friend of Father. I have always treated him with the respect due to an elder. Why would he be afraid of me?"

"He is afraid of you, and you felt it." The emperor ignored Min Ruo Ying's defense. "I know him too well. Even with me, he has never been this afraid. Do you know why?"

Min Ruo Ying lowered his head and said nothing.

"You are too ruthless and too cruel, so he is afraid." The emperor sighed. Looking at Min Ruo Ying's uncertain face, he coldly laughed, "When you felt An Ruhai's fear, did you not also feel a desire to kill?"

Min Ruo Ying's face changed.

"Ruo Ying, you have excellent martial talent. Everyone outside thinks that in our Min family, the one most likely to reach the level of a grandmaster is your sister Xier. But I know that you are just hiding your abilities. You are stronger than Xier, after all, she is a woman. Even if you have already reached the ninth level, do you think you can hide it from me or from Ruhai? That desire to kill, no matter how deeply hidden, is as bright as the sun to us."

"Ruhai, limited by his talent, may not be able to reach the level of a grandmaster without special circumstances. But through his diligence, he has firmly stood at the peak of the ninth level. He has served the Min family loyally all his life, a loyalty that is hard to match. So in the future, do not kill him. Even if you do not like him, he is still a key minister we can rely on."

"I have erred, Father. I will personally go to Commander An's residence to apologize." Min Ruo Ying knelt down.

The emperor sighed. "He is afraid of you, and the desire to kill you just showed him more clearly who you are. Apologizing is one aspect, but after you ascend the throne, the position of head of the inner guard cannot be given to him."

"Father?" Min Ruo Ying raised his head in surprise. Just a moment ago, he was saying that An Ruhai would be a key minister, but now he was saying he was not suitable for the position of head of the inner guard?

"To be the head of the inner guard, it is not just about ability and loyalty, but also about trust. Among all the requirements, fear is not one of them." The emperor said coolly. "You can make him fear you, but you cannot make him respect you. Can you trust him to be by your side? Even if you trust him, can he be at ease?"

"Please enlighten me, Father."

"The art of using people, you still have much to learn." The emperor said coldly. "Now the west is in chaos, and a key minister is needed to stabilize the situation. After I die, you will appoint An Ruhai to go to the west. Zuo Lixing is gone, and the west needs someone like An Ruhai. With him there, the Western Qin will not dare to overstep, and you will have time to consolidate your position."

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