After Transmigration, I Snag a Stunning Bigwig as My Husband-Chapter 609 Discussion
Duke Chong’s Mansion.
Yesterday, Beimo Cheng King held Duke Chong hostage, leaving harsh words that if he didn’t see the Beimo Cheng King today, he would wage war against the court.
During the morning assembly, the Emperor decided to let the Beimo Cheng King meet the King Beimo.
In fact, the Emperor had never intended to stop it.
It was Marquis Dongxiang and Prince Zhenbei who decided together to leave Beimo hanging for a few days.
The Emperor considered that Beimo had instigated the conflict first, and even after King Beimo was captured, he was still restless, borrowing troops from Nanliang to pressure the court.
The Beimo Princess, who came to Daqi for a marriage alliance, even arrogantly wanted to snatch the Heir of Prince Zhenbei.
Leaving them hanging for a few days to dampen Beimo’s arrogance was deserved, so he agreed to Marquis Dongxiang and the prince’s proposal.
Leaving it for so many days should suffice.
After the court session, Duke Chong went to where King Beimo was imprisoned, respectfully bringing the man out of the iron cell.
Having been kept inside for a long time, King Beimo was not quite accustomed to the sunlight outside.
There were ice basins inside, so it wasn’t stiflingly hot.
But outside was different.
He wore a human-skin mask, and as the heat rushed at him, and the sun shone on him, his face grew fiercely itchy.
He forcibly endured not scratching.
But—
He couldn’t hold back.
Scratching through a layer of human skin, not getting to the main point, was no different from scratching an itch through a shoe, and the more he scratched, the itchier it got.
Duke Chong panicked, "What’s the matter?"
King Beimo gave a hard scratch.
The human, skin, mask, tore, apart!
To be precise, it rotted.
The mask had been worn on his face all along without any maintenance, so the human skin was already very brittle.
After it was scratched apart, Duke Chong’s guards were all startled.
The "King Beimo" saw that he could no longer hide it and tore off the human skin.
Underneath the mask, his face was covered in red spots, and he shouted, "Where’s there water?!"
As everyone stood dumbfounded, the fake King Beimo ran towards the distant well and scooped up water to splash on his face.
Duke Chong was stunned.
He looked at the two guards, seeing them calm, he realized they were in on it.
"What’s going on?!" Duke Chong gritted his teeth.
The person was held in his Duke’s mansion.
Yet he didn’t know the person was a fake.
The guards looked at Duke Chong and said, "The one held in the Duke’s mansion is the fake King Beimo. We were merely ordered to ensure he wasn’t exposed, but we don’t know anything else."
They had managed to keep it hidden for so many days, without incident.
But unexpectedly, as soon as they stepped out, it was revealed.
Let’s hope this doesn’t ruin Marquis Dongxiang and Prince Zhenbei’s plans.
Duke Chong nearly ground his silver teeth into dust.
Because these two guards were sent by the Emperor, they stayed close by, keeping watch over King Beimo, even in conversations between Duke Chong and King Beimo. Duke Chong adhered to protocol, dared not intimidate, much less tempt, for fear of being reported by the guards to the Emperor.
He followed the rules properly, never expecting Marquis Dongxiang to not play by the book with him.
He was set up by Marquis Dongxiang again!
"Where’s the real King Beimo?!" asked Duke Chong.
The guards shook their heads, "We were only ordered to watch him, on other matters, we know nothing."
"The real King Beimo could be in the Ministry of Justice Prison, or perhaps somewhere else."
"Marquis Dongxiang always said the most dangerous place is the safest."
Duke Chong, "...!!!"
Truly.
Duke Chong nearly spat blood.
He was spun around in circles by Marquis Dongxiang.
He only thought Marquis Dongxiang handed him this hot potato.
Never realizing this hot potato might be a fake!
The fake King Beimo, after removing the human-skin mask and washing his face, felt more comfortable.
Though he still couldn’t resist wanting to scratch.
He couldn’t help but dunk his face in the basin to find relief.
The minister who came to greet was even more perplexed.
"If King Beimo is fake, where on earth should we pick the real one up from?" asked the Left Minister.
This question was like hitting Duke Chong on a sore spot.
"Are you asking me?"
"Who else should I ask?!" demanded Duke Chong.
Duke Chong flung his sleeves and stepped out.
With Marquis Dongxiang and Prince Zhenbei guarding against him, why should he bother with this matter anymore?!
Duke Chong returned to his study, just in time for a snow-white pigeon to land on the window.
Dark Guard Li Zhong reached over and caught the pigeon.
He removed the bamboo tube from the pigeon’s leg.
After a glance, his face changed.
"My Lord, I know where King Beimo is now," Li Zhong said.
"Where is he?" asked Duke Chong.
"In Beimo."
"...."
Duke Chong suddenly stood.
"Say it again, where’s King Beimo?!" Duke Chong pressed a hand against the table.
In his urgency, he forgot his arm was still injured, and as he pressed too hard, veins on his forehead bulged from pain.
Li Zhong handed the letter to Duke Chong.
The letter clearly stated that King Beimo had already returned to Beimo.
King Beimo claimed he had been poisoned, thus physically weakened and captured by Prince Zhenbei.
Beimo’s soldiers continued to support him.
King Beimo sent back the 100,000 troops that Nanliang loaned to Beimo Cheng King.
After all, Beimo Cheng King borrowed troops merely to threaten Daqi into releasing King Beimo.
Now that King Beimo had returned, there was no reason for the 100,000 strong Nanliang army to remain in Beimo.
"What a Marquis Dongxiang!"
"Dare to release King Beimo on his own accord!"
"This is a grave crime of deceiving the Emperor!"
Duke Chong stood and left the study.
Meanwhile, within the palace, Marquis Dongxiang was negotiating the release of King Beimo with the Beimo Cheng King.
After all, capturing someone isn’t easy.
One mustn’t release them lightly.
Beimo Cheng King agreed to a marriage alliance with Beimo Princess Jing Shan, but the choice of the spouse was up to Princess Jing Shan herself.
His demeanor strong, as Dongxiang saw no hint of Beimo’s defeat on Beimo Cheng King’s face.
Marquis Dongxiang wasn’t the least bit afraid of others being forceful.
Because he was tougher than anyone else.
"Daqi doesn’t demand much, the Beimo Princess for a marriage alliance, with a dowry of two cities, as for whom she marries, our Emperor of Daqi will grant the marriage," said Marquis Dongxiang.
Daqi had just this one condition.
This condition was the bottom line.
No room for negotiation.
Having stated the condition, Marquis Dongxiang sat there sipping tea.
"Discuss among yourselves, whenever you agree, that’s when you’ll be allowed to see King Beimo," Marquis Dongxiang said.
This negotiation was enough to drive someone mad.
Even the ministers of Daqi felt slightly astounded.
Negotiations were a haggling process.
What Marquis Dongxiang offered Beimo was only the choice of agreeing on time, how can this be called negotiation?
This was clearly domination.
Yet, it was a satisfying kind of dominance.
In dealing with Beimo, why be courteous?
No matter how angry Beimo Cheng King was, Marquis Dongxiang remained unmoved.
Hmm.
Also couldn’t say he stayed completely still.
Too much tea did necessitate a restroom break.
Upon his return from the restroom, Duke Chong barged in, "Marquis Dongxiang!"
"You borrowed courage from the heavens to release King Beimo without permission?!"
His words caused a stir.
Everyone in the hall was stunned.
The most surprised was Beimo Cheng King.
He abruptly stood up from his chair, his face turning a frightening shade of blue.
Marquis Dongxiang approached Duke Chong, pinching his injured arm, "Duke Chong, your elbow is skewing outward fiercely."
"I’m here negotiating a marriage alliance with Beimo, yet here you are, informing Beimo that King Beimo has returned to Beimo."
Duke Chong, with a cold expression, said, "A marriage alliance?!"
"You’d better think about how to escape the death penalty for deceiving the Emperor!"
Marquis Dongxiang chuckled, "Since when did relieving the Emperor’s worries become a capital offence?"
"Duke Chong, your news is so well-informed. Haven’t the 100,000 troops from Nanliang who are on the verge of attacking the city withdrawn?"
Duke Chong’s face turned green.
Marquis Dongxiang turned back saying, "The rest of the matters are up to you now."
The ministers, "...."
What "rest of the matters" is there left?
