Repairing the Past

Chapter 26

It was already evening when Chu Yao stepped out of the room. With his pretty thick casual clothes, he enjoyed a gust of transitional wind. Autumn seems to be coming soon.

"You've taken your medicine?" Chu Yao asked with a slightly curved corner of her lips when she realized Mo Yan's silhouette had been behind her.

"It." Mo Yan replied briefly. The man knew exactly that bowl of pitch-black liquid next to the empty bowl must have been deliberately reserved for him.

Yes, the medicine in the other bowl had already been swallowed by the woman. Before he left his room.

"Where have you been? Didn't I tell you to rest and just meet me tomorrow morning." Chu Yao turned around and again questioned the flat-faced man.

Mo Yan lowered his body in a respectful manner, "I am worthy of the law."

Chu Yao was speechless. Mo Yan was truly the stiffest man he had ever met in two lives. He doesn't want to argue. His body was already quite tired of the effects of the trip which was quite great a few days ago. Plus the burden of new thoughts he had gained from Uncle Tong and aunt Hui.

It was as if the blackness of the medicine he had swallowed was directly proportional to the feeling he was feeling right now.

Chu Yao paid no heed to the gaze within the bodyguard. He was busy thinking until he was unconscious to have been sitting in a garden chair located not far from his private room.

Without saying anything Mo Yan continued to follow the master. His eagle eyes did not blink looking at the beautiful figure of the painting. The long hair that had been broken gently touched Mo Yan's hand as a result of the blowing wind.

Faintly, Chu Yao's distinctive fragrance filled her respiratory cavity. Enough to make his instincts as a man lulled.

"The Empress sent her spies to the Chu residence. Two of them were already in this pavilion. But I haven't allowed them to meet me. What do you think? Have you seen them?" Chu Yao opened the conversation by scattering the strands of her hair that were still blown away by the wind. Her white neck that was level instantly seemed to fill Mo Yan's vision at that moment.

"Although at a glance, I had already seen two women with an age range of twenty-five more when entering the cold pavilion today. Looking at their body language, they were like trained servants. At least in terms of spying on others." Mo Yan replied with an expressionless face.

Chu Yao remained silent. He tried to re-connect the common thread of all the information he received. But his brain still stuck.

"I feel like the problem I'm dealing with is like an irregular lump of thread. " Chu Yao complained as she let out a long sigh.

"When girls my age are generally busy looking for a companion candidate, but I'm stuck with this weird problem." He remembered his half-brother who was often misbehaved when he met young master Zhao and that even made him chuckle.

Mo Yan did not budge. He only listened to Chu Yao's random chatter. It was as if understanding that the girl was in a tired phase of thinking.

"Oh yeah, can I ask you something a little personal?"

Mo Yan reflexively nodded his head as the girl flicked her hair hemisphere aside. Chu Yao did not intend to tease but her graceful gestures actually made Mo Yan speechless. The young man was stunned. That beautiful silhouette had taken control of her subconscious.

"The hairpin you kept belonged to your girlfriend?" Chu Yao asked curiously.

"No.." Mo Yan looked a little confused, "that thing I will give to the woman I love."

The ambiguous answer Mo Yan gave actually made the two pause. Chu Yao suddenly awkwardly even scratched her cheek which was not itchy at all. He was quite sorry to have asked that stupid question to Mo Yan.

He is quite surprised if the stiff man can also have feelings of love like a man in general. He's even chuckling. On one hand he was happy to know that Mo Yan was also a normal man. On the one hand he felt a little upset because the lucky woman was not him.

I don't know! Chu Yao herself did not understand him.

"Miss, wait a minute. I have something to introduce." Mo Yan stopped Chu Yao's footsteps. The man called a name. In an instant a figure with an age range almost the same as Chu Yao had stood before them.

"He is my junior. He'll take my place to look after the lady if I'm not on her side. Miss can order the same to her as she did to me." Clearly Mo Yan.

"Miss can call me, A-Wei." A-Wei introduced herself briefly.

Chu Yao smiled and greeted the new young man kindly. Although it was only a glance, Mo Yan saw there was a trace of admiration in A-Wei's eyes.

A glance! Only glimpses! But it had already made Mo Yan's jaw harden.

A-Wei reached into her underwear and pulled something out there. He handed the thing over to Mo Yan. Without extending the time, A-Wei saluted and disappeared again in just the blink of an eye.

" this?" Chu Yao flashed a questioning gaze when a silver-colored dagger was in her hand.

"This is a new dagger that I specifically designed to replace the missing lady's dagger. This dagger had above average sharpness as it was made of pure steel ore forged as thin as possible to adjust the body motion of its owner."

"Look, at the bottom of the hilt was a gap, there was a knife of a very small size but had the killing ability equivalent to five times the puncture in the vital area."

Mo Yan explained in such detail. He even directly opened the dagger's scabbard and showed the dagger's sharpness by throwing it at a fairly large tree branch. Instantly the twig broke off and fell smoothly to the ground.

Mo Yan immediately took back the dagger and handed it to Chu Yao. The beautiful woman accepted with a happy feeling.

"Thank you, Mo Yan. I'll keep it carefully." Said Chu Yao who unhesitatingly held the young man's hand.

A red tinge ran over Mo Yan's stern face. And again locked himself in a sparkle of charm. The woman hypnotized herself.

***

It did not feel that the army of general Chu had already entered the capital. The valiant team was greeted with applause and pride of the surrounding community.

That long enough journey finally came to a halt right in front of the Imperial palace's defensive fortifications. All the soldiers stood in positions ready to wait for the command of the general.

Generals Chu and Chu Zhan represented the troops to face the emperor. They walked so authoritatively in fully worn armor on a red carpet that stretched from the end of the gate to the meeting hall.

The two men knelt down and saluted the number one man in the Airland country. Witnessed by the ranks of the ministers and the crown prince, the Emperor raised his hand and congratulated them.

"Thanks to His Majesty's kindness we can be in the capital again. The servant and the whole army thanked me." Respond humbly to General Chu.

"You praise me too much." Emperor Long Jin Mao's smile, "get close! I want to hear how you're guarding the border. I want everyone in the palace to hear your heroic struggle to defend the land of this great Airland Empire."

General Chu obeyed the order. He walked forward a few steps with a still respectful attitude. The crown prince who was at the very front of the ministers involuntarily glanced at the cynics. And unlucky that gaze had been seen by Chu Zhan. The calm face that Chu's only general's son had became unreadable.

"Tell me, did you guys have a hard time in that remote place?" Asked the emperor with an intonation of conversation that was so friendly that it caused quite a bit of envy from some of the officials present there.

"The servant did not dare to complain. Everything went well as noble expected. Alorra's army had already withdrawn from that place. Peace will always be in both countries as long as the noble leads. It seems that God gave His blessing because our country has such a wise leader, such as a noble one. May your Majesty always be successful and live a long life. "

The emperor laughed crisply at the praise the general had given him, but not with the crown prince and some of his ministers and allied officials.

"It seems that sending a bordering general this time is really a fortune for Airland. How not, all problems that have almost no solution are suddenly solved so easily and also briefly." Said the trade minister who was in fact a supporter of the hardline crown prince.

"True, before I had felt anxious about the occurrence of war with neighboring countries. Plus rumors about the youngest prince who is still alive and all this time in Airland. Isn't that enough to make Alorra think we've kidnapped their successor." The crown prince chimed.

The crown prince smiled cynically and again added, "What was it some time ago that I heard that some Imperial soldiers had killed the Alorra intruders blindly on the outskirts of Nian city. With such circumstances, if I were in the position of Alorra, I would not want to make peace easily. Unless indeed anyone can provide a guarantee of compensation in accordance with the wishes... "

"The crown prince need not worry, we will not betray. We also do not know about the attack of the intruders what else about the rumors of the successor of the kingdom of Alorra. For those of us tasked with guarding the defense of the country, we have no spare time to interfere in matters that are not our capacity." Denied general Chu with patience even though he understood the words of the crown prince who was corrupting him.

The crown prince and his minions put on an unhappy look. They knew that general Chu was retaliating against their accusations. As if they were the ones who like to interfere in matters that are not their responsibility.

"So you're accusing me of meddling in other people's business?" Said the crown prince with quite high emphasis.

"Hamba is not brave. His highness the crown prince will be the successor to the Emperor, it should have contributed to think about the security of the country. " Disput general Chu politely and calmly.

"Only, the peaceful decision this time on the basis of careful consideration of the Emperor. Servants think that we as faithful people do not deserve to question the actions taken by His Majesty. Shouldn't we just support the decree he has issued for the safety and success of the Airland community?" Added general Chu while bowing respectfully towards the Emperor.

Hustle and bustle inside the meeting hall began to sound. General Chu's reply made all those who were there think that indirectly the crown prince did not support his own father's move.

The crown prince and some of the people behind him do not seem to want peace in both countries.

Though it's good enough if Alorra agrees to a peace deal. This good opportunity they can even use later to invite the Alorra to cooperate in various aspects. Especially in enlarging the scope of trade. Is not the action of His Majesty this time actually helps to prosper the people of Alorra.

Although the original purpose of the Emperor was unreadable by the neutral officials there, the Chu general and the crown prince understood it very well. The Cold War between the two camps was inevitable.

Especially when the crown prince felt the Emperor's favoritism towards the Chu general's stronghold instead of him. He raised the flag of hostility to those in front of him.

The emperor returned to the temple. Muffle the warming atmosphere by disbanding the meeting early.

General Chu and his son returned to meet the troops who had been waiting for them. With a firm and authoritative stance and on the orders of the Chu general, Chu Zhan disbanded the army ranks in an orderly manner.

Shortly after the dissolution of the army, the figure of the eighth prince appeared along with his two personal guards and intercepted the two men right outside the palace gates.

"Greetings to the eighth prince." Said general Chu together with Chu Zhan.

Ye Zuan raised his fan, "no need to hesitate, I will accompany your return this time. "

General Chu did not refuse. He even replied to Ye Zuan's courteous treatment with a warm smile. Without saying much they knew that His Majesty the emperor had ordered the prince to escort them.

Prince Ye Zuan who often moved behind the scenes appeared with them in public, not having indirectly expressed his support for the Chu general's camp.

"Is it alright to express resistance directly like this, prince?" Chu Zhan finally ventured to ask. Curiosity has defeated his condolence towards the prince's noble status. Instead of being offended, Ye Zuan was instead relaxed.

Ye Zuan laughed with a fan flick, "No! Of course it's okay! I waited long enough for this moment."

Ye Zuan did not lie. He had indeed planned a fight against the crown prince for a long time, only to have not found the right time. And general Chu had helped him realize his delayed plan when he had an argument with the crown prince in the meeting hall just now.

Ye Zuan chuckled considering the look on her brother's face back then. Perhaps the crown prince never expected that his provocative attitude would backfire on him. He was teledor for taking Chu's generals for granted.

***

Chu's residence has finally appeared better after preparing various preparations to welcome the return of the general and Chu Zhan. All sides look cleaner and tidier. Various plants are re-arranged in such a way, ornaments and knick-knacks of luck are in almost every place.

Chu Yao simply sat watching her mother and half-sister from a distance. The two women seemed busy in all aspects. Whether it was the preparations inside the mansion even their personal appearance.

As usual, Chu Ling was wearing her best dress with a contemporary hairdo. Chu Yao could not tell that her half-sister indeed had a pretty face. It's just that her beauty sank due to the spoiled and arrogant nature that was ingrained in her.

While madam Xun is no less stunning. The tosca green dress she wore was in stark contrast to the character she had. Like it to dislike, Chu Yao still had to praise this woman of her father's choice and that was enough to create a tingling sensation within her stomach.

A guard walked quickly towards Madam Xun. The man reported that the group of generals had approached the mansion.

Chu Yao remained leisurely walking while the others appeared to be in a hurry. He even stood a little away from his mother and half-sister.

"Are you thinking the general's return this time is a little suspicious?" Asked Mo Yan who had been by her side since.

Chu Yao laughed softly. He could not hide anything from his bodyguards. Mo Yan seemed to know what he had been thinking since.

"You're right. I may be over-impressed but try to think deeply. I feel the previous empress' attitude is closely related to the decision of the Emperor's majesty to repatriate troops from the border." Chu Yao replied in an almost hissing voice.

Mo Yan agreed. He also smelled the scent of conspiracy from the return of general Chu this time. It seemed that Chu Yao and Mo Yan were eager to peel and describe the matter that was dancing in their brains. But suddenly the two men were forced to silence a thousand languages when they realized one of the maids consort was watching their movements.