Chapter 243
Chapter 243
The delegation from the Bai Region arrived, accompanied by an imposing force of over 500 cavalry soldiers. These soldiers guarded the representatives vigilantly, wearing full suits of black iron armor that exuded a sense of formidable strength.
Even the horses they rode were clad in protective armor. If infantry troops tried to attack, it would be difficult. Unlike typical attacks where the joints or the belly of the horse are targeted as weak points, swords or spears could not penetrate these iron armors.
This delegation had already shown the strength of the Hu Region. With the Region of Hu controlling vast mining territories rich in ore, they excelled in iron smelting and mineral extraction, leading to highly effective goods.
No matter whom they faced in battle, a well-armed group like this had a significant advantage. Not to mention their reputation as the Black Iron Cavalry, wherever they went, submission was inevitable. Resistance was futile, as any opposition would be met with certain death.
Despite this, compared to other large Regions controlled by emperors, the Hu Region was merely a pitiable Region. Despite their mining prowess and combat strength, other resources were scarce.
It could be seen from the surrounding Regions of the Hu Region, such as the Bai Region. It had many mountainous areas unsuitable for agriculture, except for the red grass that turned into lucrative herbs. The difficult terrain made governance and maintenance challenging.
Even many tribes could not unite due to the harsh and unchangeable geography. There was also the Du Region that had relatively good cultivation.
However, its other strengths were significantly inferior. They had a small population and faced many epidemics. In modern terms, their medical field was still very weak, with limited and poorly utilized herbs. Their governance was underdeveloped, and every aspect of it was a hindrance to the others.
While other empires continued to grow stronger and develop, many had coastal territories allowing for trade and exchange.
In the end, the Hu Region had become merely a small empire scorned by the great powers. Even if they fought over territories, they would never expend their forces on the Hu Region and its vassals. This allowed the Hu Region to remain safe and become a powerful Region, serving as the motherland to the surrounding Regions.
The arrival of their diplomatic mission was grand. Yueqian didn’t pay much attention to their display, merely glancing around. Her beautiful eyes met someone who immediately irritated her. Of course, Mu Heng felt the same way.
Well, who would have thought that after fleeing to the Bai Region, she would encounter this psychotic man again?!
Fortunately, he was here as a supplicant, one of the representatives from the Du Region seeking aid in the form of medicine. Although he was a great general in the Du Region, as an envoy here, he had to show respect to the people of the Bai Region.
General Deng’s eyes twinkled slightly. In truth, when he volunteered to be the representative to negotiate for medicine, many thought he was a truly selfless man. However, no one knew that Young General had decided to come here solely to meet the woman who had disappeared from his life months ago.
He had expected it would take a long time to find her. Unexpectedly, he saw her in the welcoming delegation from the Bai Region.
The young man from the Du Region looked from his former fiancée’s shiny hair down to her feet. For a brief moment, his eyes showed concern and longing.
But this vanished when he met her eyes, which clearly expressed indifference towards him without any attempt to hide it. His lips curled into a slight sneer. It was surprising that after a year of not seeing each other, she still treated him the same way.
Previously, he had hated her fake smile, but now he despised her genuine eyes even more, as they made him feel hurt and worthless in her eyes.
If he could do it all over again, he wouldn’t play games with her. He would quickly marry her, agree to her malicious plans, and refine those plans to perfection, letting her plot her way into becoming his wife.
He hadn’t expected that his desire to teach her a small lesson for deceiving him since childhood would push them so far apart.
Originally, while she was in the Du Region, no matter how far away she was, he knew he could still find her. But when she fled to the Bai Region, it became truly difficult to get any news of her. This woman of his was incredibly resolute.
After severing ties with her father, her mother and brother cut ties with the Qin family, and she never sent letters to the manor again. Previously, when she had time, she would secretly send letters to her mother.
During that time, he would intercept those letters and read her thoughts through them. However, now, there were no letters. He knew nothing, and this made him miss her more and want to possess her even more.
His gaze lingered on her slender figure for a long time, filled with confusion. However, this change did not go unnoticed by many.
The Young General from the Deng family was a prominent figure, quite famous in the Hu Region. Many admired him. During the journey, people witnessed his combat skills. Thus, the representatives of the Hu Region paid attention to him.
When they saw his eyes locked on a woman from the Du Region, a woman who was clearly married based on her attire and hairstyle, it still surprised people.
Normally, such staring would be considered impolite, but for the people of the Hu Region, did they still need to adhere to manners? The others were just people from the Bai Region and the Du Region. These Regions were small Regions that wouldn’t dare offend them. So, they were less cautious with their words.
“General Deng, what has happened to you?” An elderly man with gleaming gold earrings asked.
He was quite robust and strong, though he had indulged in good living a bit too much, making him somewhat overweight. However, he was not weak; otherwise, how could he have ridden a horse for months?
As soon as this question was asked, many people noticed. They looked at the handsome young man on horseback, his majestic bearing garnering admiration. Yet the Young General did not avert his gaze at all.
His behavior was highly unusual. Normally, when caught in such a situation, one would pretend to be looking elsewhere or act as if they had done nothing wrong. However, this Young General was not the type to be embarrassed or to feign innocence. Not only did he not avert his gaze, but he also replied to the inquiry in a calm voice.
“Representative Jin, I was merely checking to see if my former fiancée is well,” the Young General responded.
His tone was polite, yet devoid of any weakness. Such a bold and forthright answer only endeared him more to the diplomatic envoy.
Everyone followed the Young General’s gaze to the slender, beautiful figure. They looked past the various princes and princesses, even beyond the high-ranking nobles of the Bai Region, to focus on the same person the Young General was observing. A beautiful woman came into view, impossible to overlook.
“Exquisite as a painting. Is this woman your former fiancée, Young General Deng?” Representative Jin asked again.
He waved a fan made from rare feathers found only in the Hu Region, its vibrant colors envied by many.
Representative Jin had met countless people and seen many individuals, but encountering such natural beauty made him openly admire her. It was no wonder why the Young General from the Du Region still harbored feelings for his former fiancée, even though she was now married. Her beauty was enough to topple Regions; one could gaze upon her all day without growing bored.
“Yes, Representative Jin. She was once the eldest young miss of the Qin family. Due to a minor misunderstanding, the engagement was called off. However, because of our close relationship, having known each other since childhood, I still care for her as in the past,” the Young General said.
He showed no fear of being misunderstood, openly discussing their “close” relationship that did not truly exist. He even straightforwardly declared his ongoing concern for her, expressing feelings as if nothing had changed. Such shameless words...
If they were in the Du Region, such remarks would surely spark criticism. Unfortunately, this was the Bai Region. Any negative rumors that arose wouldn’t harm the Young General; instead, Yueqian would be the one to bear the brunt of the resulting scandal!
A woman who was once someone else’s fiancée and has been close to him since childhood, still harboring feelings for him even when they meet in a different city—if one does not call her a cunning fox villainess who lures others into infatuation, what else can she be called?
“Haha, it’s truly a pity. Such is fate,” Representative Jin laughed.
He enjoyed such words immensely. Upon hearing the Young General’s tale, he didn’t concern himself with others’ customs, only finding the story amusing and interesting. It seemed the Young General knew this well; otherwise, how would he have dared to share it?
Yueqian sighed softly in weariness. She felt this way because she didn’t value his words, nor did she care about others’ opinions. Whatever anyone said held no significance for her.
However, Mu Heng was the one who became furious on her behalf. He existed to protect Yueqian, born to safeguard her. But now, he could only watch her be humiliated. His strong fists clenched tightly, and he vowed to settle this grudge one day.
“Let’s go. We have many more days in the Bai Region,” Representative Jin said.
He even playfully elbowed the Young General like boys do when teasing each other. The Young General smiled and nodded at him. After that, the entire procession continued onward. They had to proceed to the reception area, where the emperor was already waiting.
Today’s schedule was light due to the long journey. They were allowed to rest until evening when a welcoming banquet would be held. Therefore, only the emperor and his entourage were needed to prepare the accommodations, with no need for a large assembly of nobles.
However, the recent incident had already dropped a significant bombshell. Because of the Young General from the Hu Region’s words, all eyes turned to Furen Mu.
A woman labeled as a former fiancée with a close relationship to a general from the rival Du Region—many looked at her with curiosity, some with disdain, and others with a sense of schadenfreude over the unfolding situation.