Chapter 168: Sudden Encounter

  Gu Yan entered with a wet body, and said in a low voice "Your letter has been delivered to Gongzi Ji, Gongzi replied that he will return to Qin tonight. Elegant words are the first to be sent."

  "Hmm." Song Chuyi responded with a murmur, rubbing his messy hair.

  "Yesterday's affair has humiliated the great Qin's face." Although Guhan had already realized that he must unconditionally obey Song Chuyi's orders, it was on the basis of sacrificing for the Qin state. Today, the King of Shu received the Qin envoy in such a setting with such a dissolute attitude, which is indeed a considerable insult.

  Just as Song Chu was about to speak, footsteps were suddenly heard from outside. The words that had reached the tip of her tongue turned into a yawn, and she lazily said, "I only agreed to come and discuss trade with you, but I never promised to uphold Qin Guo's dignity."

  "Sir..." Gǔ Hàn clearly felt her sudden change, his hearing was more sensitive than Sòng Chūyī's, and he immediately understood that this was just an act, so he cooperated with a cold hum "You're overestimating yourself! It turns out you're just a petty person!"

  Having said that, he stood up in anger and left. In the instant he turned around, he clearly saw Song Chuyi grinning at him with a big smile, and a feeling of powerlessness suddenly arose in his heart.

  Gu Han went out the door and met with Shu Guo's powerful minister Zhu Heng and the welcoming envoy Yu Cheng. He cupped his hands together and said, "Sir has just gotten up from his bed, his attire is not proper, I fear being slow in receiving the two nobles, please wait for a moment in the main hall."

  Yu Cheng didn't dare mention himself in the same breath as Zhu Heng, and upon hearing Gu Han's words, he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat, trying his best to minimize his presence.

  Zhu Heng's attention was not on the greeting, he had also heard the conversation inside the house just now. When Gu Han said this, he always felt that there was an implied meaning: You Shu country does not follow etiquette, but our Qin country cannot not follow etiquette. But since the other party did not make it clear, he could only respond vaguely and enter the main hall with Yu Cheng together.

  Zhu Heng sat down cross-legged.

  Yu Chengdao stood behind him and bowed his head in gratitude before sitting down cross-legged on the spot.

  Wait for a moment. Song Chu Yi walked in with an apologetic expression on his face, cupped his hands and said "Lord Heng, I'm sorry to keep you waiting."

  Gu Yan didn't know Zhu Heng's identity, so he called them "two adults". Song Chuyi knew that Yu Cheng was just a receptionist and couldn't be compared to Zhu Heng.

  Zhu Heng was the younger half-brother of the King of Shu. Originally, according to convention, he could have been enfeoffed as a marquis or king. However, since the fifth generation of the Kaoming clan had split off into a separate state of Zuo, the subsequent generations of Kings of Shu became more cautious about this matter. Especially after the tenth generation. As the state of Zuo gradually slipped out of control, the issue of enfeoffment required even more careful consideration, and so Zhu Heng remained in the palace as a high-ranking official without actual power for over thirty years.

  "No problem. Seeing the ambassador's radiant face, I'm at ease." Zhu Heng smiled and returned the courtesy.

  After sitting down, Song Chu asked, "Lord Heng will arrive before dusk. I wonder what he wants?"

  "His Majesty has summoned you, sir. I've been ordered to escort you into the palace." Zhu Heng couldn't help but reevaluate Song Chuyi. He was always the first to share interesting stories with the King of Shu. Yesterday, it was just a joke, and he knew the king only had a passing interest in hearing gossip, but who would have thought that this unassuming young man would actually be quite talented, winning over the king's favor so quickly.

  What made Zhu Heng even more displeased was that in the past, whenever the King of Shu found a beautiful woman, he would always ask him to go and admire her together. But this time, he only mysteriously said that the Qin envoy had sent him an absolute beauty fairy, but did not reveal any further information.

  This is very unusual.

  "Since it's an imperial summons, we shouldn't delay, let's go." Song Chuyi said as he stood up.

  Zhu Heng and she yielded to each other as they walked out of the main hall, and immediately maids came over to hold umbrellas for the three of them.

  The rain was slightly heavier than yesterday, and when it hit the umbrella, there was a faint slapping sound. After walking for a few steps, Zhu Heng couldn't help but ask, "I heard that Mr. gave King Wang a beautiful fairy maiden?"

  "That's right." Song Chu smiled politely and nodded in agreement, without saying another word.

  Zhu Heng saw the situation and did not continue to ask questions.

  They got on their respective vehicles and headed towards the palace.

  It was still the same grand hall as yesterday, but more solemn than when receiving Song Chuyi. At least, there were no groups of naked women entwined together like snakes.

  At the beginning of the Song Dynasty, as soon as he barely stepped into the palace, he heard the joyful voice of the King of Shu saying "Hua Jin, come quickly."

  Last night, after a conversation, Song Chuyi and the King of Shu suddenly became much closer due to their "shared interests", and when they put aside official business, the King of Shu would affectionately call her "Huaijin".

  At the beginning of the Song Dynasty, a smiling face turned towards the main seat. In the soft light, apart from the King of Shu, there was also a middle-aged man approaching forty. A robe made of blue-gray cloth washed to a pale white, his slender figure did not appear weak at all, with a hint of frost on his temples, a clear and lean face, shallow eyes like clouds at the edge of the sky, carrying an air of freedom, leisure, and unknown silence.

  The smile on Song's face couldn't be controlled and faded away, but his eyes were shining brightly.

  The middle-aged man also looked at Song Chuyi, with a friendly smile on his face, and nodded slightly.

  "The Marquis of Zong, this is the very Song Huaiyin that I mentioned to you." said the King of Shu.

  Never thought that this day would come so suddenly, without giving her any mental preparation.

  Song Chu's eyes drooped, covering up the moist intention in his eyes, he swung open his large sleeves and made a dignified bow to Zhuangzi.

  "I'm not interested in discussing the Tao right now, I'll come back after I've finished my official duties." The King of Shu patted Song Chu Yi's shoulder and truly abandoned the two, leaving by himself.

  In the vast hall, only the motionless maidservants standing like pillars and two people who were "meeting for the first time" remained.

  "'Holding jade and grasping pearls', what a wonderful phrase." Zhuangzi broke the silence first, then asked "What does 'Chu Yi' mean?"

  "It's for commemorating my late father." Song Chu's throat slightly choked up.

  "Great goodness. Filial piety and brotherly love are the roots of human relationships, to be followed." Zhuangzi indeed indulged in exploring the cycles of heaven and earth, but never forgot the fundamentals.

  "I once had a dream, but now I can no longer distinguish reality from dreams. I've always wanted to ask you to enlighten me," said Song Chu.

  Zhuangzi nodded slightly and said "Good."

  He also had a dream that he turned into a butterfly, so real that after waking up, he always felt that he was just a butterfly's dream. For a long time, he wandered between dreams and reality.

  "This dream is a lifetime." Song Chu looked at Zhuangzi "A dying father, entrusting his young son to a man named Zhuangzi."

  As soon as Song Chuanyi saw the expression on Zhuangzi's face, he had a subtle change. However, his reaction was not normal astonishment, doubt, or curiosity, but rather becoming serious. Such a change was just as Song Chuanyi had anticipated.

  "Zhuangzi raised him and gave him a new name, Huaijin Guyu. After growing up, Song Huaijin traveled to various countries but couldn't find any opportunities, so he ended up taking refuge in a small country..."

  At the beginning of the Song Dynasty, a general summarized his past life and told it in detail.

  ……

  "After I woke up, I always felt that I was one of his dreams on the day the city was broken, because everything there was real to the extreme." Song Chu looked at Zhuangzi with a determined gaze.

  Zhuangzi listened intently, his face turned solemn, and after a moment of contemplation, he sighed, "The Tao is naturally so!"