The Flower Of War

Chapter 60: The God of Strategies? Who Him?

The small army was walking at medium speed towards the city gate of Qiu Wang.

Many memories flashed through Yiu's mind, making him re-nostalgic after almost a year of not moving his feet in this forest path with this happy feeling.

Before long, some of the cavalrymen came carrying some driverless horses, they brought the horse to Yiu and the two princes and the soldiers in the small army in order to get to the palace faster.

Not to forget they also prepared a horse carriage with a sturdy iron bars cart behind them.

The city gate was already visible before the eyes. Every second of it was thrilling for the two brothers, many bitter and sweet memories mixed in the memories of the two.

The views of the two meet. Xiao Ce looked at Yiu deeply while Yiu himself was controlling the tears in his eyes so as not to fall while smiling sweetly.

The city gate was already wide open displaying a view of the buildings within the high walls surrounding the city. Along the way, they were greeted by the soldiers and residents of Qiu Wang with great enthusiasm when they heard that the original successor of their kingdom had returned.

The cheers of the welcome sounded very loud, though, residents who were near the gate immediately crowded just to welcome the group and threw some flowers that they could as a form of happiness even though the buildings around them had been destroyed.

As their cavalry neared the palace, a giant drum drum was filled with excitement to welcome their returning native king-to-be.

Their entourage set foot on the gate and entered the palace grounds, near the gate was a line of Qiu Wang warriors who seemed to be Hai Ran's subordinates squatting with their hands behind their nape while occasionally receiving lashes.

Yiu and Xiao Ce went down first followed by Wu Xiao. The three straightened their heads and walked unhesitatingly up the stairs to the huge imperial hall in front of them.

On each side of the staircase were soldiers in the same military uniform as the royal army of Qiu Wang, the difference was that they wore a red cloth tied to the right arm.

On the threshold of the big red door was already standing General Rong with the higher-ups of the alliance who were mostly city duke envoys, not to forget the two Xu brothers also kneeled down with their hands caught in front of the chest welcoming the arrival of Xiao Ce and Yiu.

"Welcome Your Majesty the God-blessed Emperor Qiu Wang. May Your Majesty live another thousand years."

Xiao Ce who was the crown prince and was not yet a legitimate emperor lowered his eyebrows and told them to get up immediately.

"What are you guys doing? It's inappropriate, I'm not the emperor! Wake up!"

"But you are the young emperor and soon you will officially rule. Please come in, Your Majesty, the royal elders are already waiting inside."

Xiao Ce who did not know what to answer decided to slowly drag his feet across the giant red carpet that stretched to the top of the royal leader's seat.

Yiu and Wu Xiao and the ducal legates followed the pure heir to the throne behind him.

The entire crowd who were in the hall immediately stood up and welcomed Xiao Ce's presence. The royal elders in the second tier who had just been released from prison for refusing to submit to Hai Ran's rule revealed a very bright smile.

In the hall were three levels sorted by their status in the palace. The basic level for the officials and ministers of the state, then for the families and elders of the kingdom, and the highest level is very clear is the property of the ruler of the country with a golden seat that is so large and magnificent.

Xiao Ce sat at the highest level with little hesitation as this was the first for him to sit on the chair that his late father used to sit in.

One of the white-bearded elders and looked dignified immediately opened the ceremony.

"Welcome back to the heavenly descendants, the Buddha blessed Qiu Wang by sending back his heavenly knights to lead this blessed land. However, this kingdom does not yet have its rightful ruler. I have testified since the reign of Emperor Wang Sui Ran who was the grandfather of our young king, for the continuity and prosperity of the kingdom then the sacred ceremony will be carried out on this blessed day."

"Congratulations to the heavens!"

A series of ceremonies for the appointment of Xiao Ce as emperor were simple. However, still impressed magnificent. Although done in a hurry because of the urgency of state affairs and concerns about the risk of a headless country, this ceremony was carried out solemnly and sacred.

The sacred ceremony was finally completed after placing a golden crown with tassels of gleaming gold in front and behind the crown.

The entire audience who watched then gave three kneeling and nine prostrating moves to their new emperor, Yiu was no exception, as the highest level of prostration symbol.

The sky is now beginning to be creative with its dazzling light, orange and purple tinge adorning the canvas that stretches as far as the eye can see, the birds fly in formation towards their nests after a full day of searching for food.

Yiu was now inside the Dahlia Pavilion which he had left for too long. However, for some reason the place was still very well maintained despite being in Liu Yu's power.

This place holds so many memories as well as being a silent witness to the growth of Princess Ying and a silent witness to her death which is now replaced by an unfortunate spirit from the future.

His memory was thrown away when his first day was trapped in a new body, creating a riot and a major change in the views of the people around Princess Ying.

How cruel the father who found his daughter realized and raved and accused him of crazy.

How tender and warm the affection of a mother that Yiu had never felt in her life, and how it felt to be a hot topic of conversation across the land about a woman who was adept at swordplay.

His memory also began to rotate at his first meeting with Wu Xiao who was then both in disguise, and how mischievous and naive he was a year ago that he often told his best friend to take his place in the manners class just to be able to walk around the market.

Ahh ... How is Chichi now? I sincerely hope he is fine, I regret leaving him alone in Bai Qing. Please hold on and wait for me to pick you up there, my friend.

Tok tok ....

Yiu's daydream broke out immediately after hearing a light knock on his door, the soft voice of the servant saluting from outside the door.

"Daughter, Prince Huang came and asked permission to see you."

"Please let him in."

Prince Huang shifted the door with a sumringah face. One of his hands was hiding behind the back that was grasping something.

"What does Gege need to do here?" he said while standing up and approaching his brother.

"none. I just wanted to give you something. Close your eyes, A-Ying."

Yiu frowned, Huang tried to convince him to close his eyes for a while. It made Yiu sigh and start to close the brown bead.

Huang moved the object behind his back to be in front of Yiu. "Open your eyes."

Yiu opened his lazy eye before being fixated for a few seconds. The item in Huang's grasp was a dark red-gloved sword with a black river-like carving that flowed branching out looking very charming and bold.

Yiu still had not blinked his eyes a flash, to better make sure he swiftly pulled out the sword from its sheath, he said, the sword looks shiny with ancient Chinese lettering engraving on the iron and the tip of the sword is very sharp.

This is the sword his father gave him! Yiu had deliberately left the sword given by his father so that the mother could let go of the longing while on Yiu through his beloved sword.

"My Blood River Sword?!" Huang nods the bosquee mantab.

Yiu smiled with excitement, without any cue he jumped up and clenched his neck tightly, very tightly.

"Thank you, Gege! Love you!!"

Huang who was feeling suffocated only smiled wryly while patting Yiu on the back.

"Well, don't act like a child. You're heavy!"

Yiu who was still excited did not take the dizzy Huang said, he let go of his embrace and his attention turned to the sword in his hand.

♣♦♣

Sunlight rushed in through the cracks of the beautifully carved wooden windows in Yiu's room.

The cold air became a second blanket for Yiu which made her move in search of warmth inside her thin blanket.

Last night he trained the flexibility and dexterity of his hands on the sword of his late father until he was tired and ended with a bad luck.

A maid woke him up and said she should get ready as her two brothers were waiting for her to visit Ming Zijing.

Yiu sat limply accompanied by a frustrated growl from not getting enough sleep all night. However, he still dragged his limp body towards the palace bath and got ready.

Yiu's set of clothes this time was different, she appeared much more graceful and feminine compared to her style since she had run away from Bai Qing.

He wears a hanfu set and a white belt patterned with white lotus combined with a blue outer layer of the winter-themed sky makes a perfect blend on his small body.

Her hair was left completely uncoiled only the front part of her hair was pulled and tied modestly back and left some hair as bangs along her stomach. As a sweetener, one side of her hair is given a sparkling blue foliage pinch.

Yiu himself who saw his appearance through a yellow mirror in front of him had felt he was cosplying to be a Chinese-style Snow White.

He felt this was too much just to wear inside the palace. However, her servant continued to say that it was already the standard of dressing a princess.

Yiu walked into the room where his two older brothers, Wu Xiao, and of course Ming Zijing looked better than before.

As his footwear stepped up, the attention of the four men in the room stared straight at Yiu who was made nervous instantly.

Wu Xiao and Ming Zijing did not even blink their beads and continued to petrify at one point.

"Is something wrong?" Yiu looked at Huang first then circulated his gaze to ask for an answer.

Huang stuttered and then lowered his head along with the others. Yiu muttered uncomfortably in heart.

It's strange!

Yiu chose not to bother about this and asked Ming Zijing who was sitting leaning against the bed rest, "How are you?"

"Good." Cold and untouched as usual. Yiu again asked as he sat himself on the edge of the bed, "You sure? Your face looks red, do you have a fever? Fever is not the effect of an explosion .... Did the explosion hurt you? Did you experience any trauma or feelings of shock?"

"I'm fine, thank you."

A waiter carrying a tray of soup and medicine made Huang suddenly interrupt, "A-Ying, it seems like it's time for Zijing to eat and take medicine."

Yiu stood beside Xiao Ce and pulled his arm, preparing to hold him out. "Oh, then I won't interrupt her mealtime."

Huang offered Ming Zijing soup as he asked, "Can you eat by yourself?"

Ming Zijing nodded, he scooped the soup with trembling hands. Huang, who saw him, put on a strange smile as he whispered to Yiu, "A-Ying, you have to take responsibility, because of you he has to be hit by an explosion."

The real Yiu who was holding the guilt back sat himself down and snatched the porcelain bowl from Ming Zijing's hands.

"Let me. Think of this as my apology for making you like this. Agreed?" he said as he put a spoon in front of Ming Zijing's mouth.

Huang smiled brightly while Emperor Qiu Wang frowned dislikely and stared at Huang's horror, which showed his sinless mainstay, glancing at Wu Xiao silently.

On the other hand Ming Zijing's face grew redder in shock, he pegged for a while before hesitantly accepting Yiu's bribe after obtaining the approval of Emperor Qiu Wang.

Wu Xiao who saw him clenched his hands behind his dark blue clothes, his lips formed a very thin line and his teeth were cracking.

Wu Xiao tried to hold back, his focus still fixed on Yiu's face that he had just adored a moment ago and turned to the hand that was scooping warm soup for Ming Zijing. However, he could not take it anymore!

Right at the fifth bribe Wu Xiao walked out with wide strides, a sudden movement he made Yiu bengentang and Huang whose smile became even more terrifying.

Huang just wanted to make sure whether Wu Xiao actually stored the taste in his sister or not while simultaneously making it hotter so that he deliberately poured oil in a fiercely turbulent fire, without him realizing there were two people who blushed because of his piercing.

Yiu requested permission to catch up with Wu Xiao and leave everything to Huang.

"Wu Xiao, wait! Where are you going? Hey what's wrong with you?"

"The underground prison! My hands are itching to hit people!"

"What exactly are you?!"

Wu Xiao chose to continue walking and did not care about Yiu. Approaching Hai Ran's prison cell they heard the sound of a whip that continued to whip violently.

"Tell me where the rest of your troops are!"

The conflict of the two was diverted and chose to approach the guard who was interrogating Hai Ran who was covered in blood.

Yiu himself moved to snatch the whip in the officer's hand and started whipping Hai Ran, making him moan stifled.

"Still not wanting to answer? Guards bring me salt!"

Hai Ran's face was losing color faster. Yiu again whipped and let out harsh words making Hai Ran chuckle.

"Why laugh? Nothing funny!"

"It's not so .. I just feel like you guys don't have brains!"

Yiu again whipping made Hai Ran's laughter even more jarring. "Daughter, you should have guessed it yourself."

Yiu lowered his whip that was already preparing to slash through the air. "What do you mean?!"

"At that time I failed to enter Liyui Feng and you clearly know our troops retreated and hid for three weeks, then ...who do you think the kingdom is best suited to be the next prey?"

Now Wu Xiao who reacted first, he presented a raw bogem on his face to make fresh blood flow again at the corner of his lips. Wu Xiao's chest went up and down quickly.

"What did you do to my kingdom?!"

Hai Ran looked at Wu Xiao who was looking at him sharply casually before turning to Yiu. "Daughter, I acknowledge your ingenuity but .. to declare yourself to be God of Strategies? Hmm. I think you're too proud and naive."

Bad news!

TB