Chapter 25

It was no wonder the newcomers were furious.

This teahouse had been reserved by them three days prior.

However, the sharp-eyed manager, noticing that though the guests were dressed plainly, the coachman wore the Grand Tutor’s insignia at his waist, immediately understood—these were honored guests he could hardly curry favor with on ordinary days.

Greedy for the triple payment offered by the Grand Tutor, he agreed without hesitation, thinking he could simply refund the previous guest’s deposit with extra compensation later.

Who could have expected these men would be such troublemakers? Upon hearing their reserved room had been given to others, they refused to let it go and fought their way upstairs.

As for Xiu Tulie, after his initial daze at the sight of Nie Qinglin, he quickly regained his composure and cupped his hands in greeting.

“I did not realize there was a lady present. My rudeness was inexcusable—please forgive me, miss!”

The Emperor’s guards, already on high alert, couldn’t stand this.

One bellowed, “Are your eyes blind?! How dare you insult our young master!”

Xiu Tulie, however, paid no heed, assuming this was some noble family’s daughter who, fond of mischief, had disguised herself as a man to avoid recognition.

Not dwelling on the matter, he strode forward, intending to sit opposite Nie Qinglin.

The guards naturally wouldn’t allow this unidentified brute near His Majesty.

Immediately, they drew their blades and attacked.

Yet, to their shock, the burly man’s companions were no pushovers either—within moments, the remaining guards were subdued, bound tightly with thick ropes, and pinned underfoot.

Nie Qinglin’s heart raced with panic, but she had always been one to conceal her emotions.

Knowing these bandits meant trouble, she noted their leader’s relatively polite tone and decided to stall for time, hoping the teahouse manager had the sense to report this to the authorities.

With no further obstacles, Xiu Tulie’s towering frame settled across from the young Emperor.

He grinned at Nie Qinglin.

“May I ask which noble house the young lady belongs to? Are you betrothed?”

Nie Qinglin observed the man’s striking features—thick brows, deep-set eyes, a straight nose—handsome in a foreign way, if one ignored his brazen behavior.

Though his Great Wei language was fluent, it carried a stiffness that marked him as non-native.

Yet his blunt, direct manner was something she found hard to counter.

After a pause, she replied evenly, “How have I offended you, sir, that you would treat my servants so harshly?”

The children of the grasslands were bold and straightforward.

Xiu Tulie, seeing this delicate girl remain unruffled—so unlike the coy, affected noblewomen of the Central Plains—felt his admiration grow.

Right then, he made up his mind: Even if she’s already married, I’ll kill her husband and take her back to my tent to bear my children!

With that thought, he abruptly seized her delicate hand.

“If you answer me honestly, I’ll release them and treat you with courtesy, even propose properly at your family’s estate. But if you refuse… then I’ll have no choice but to take you away first and apologize to your parents later…”

The bound guards nearly vomited blood upon hearing this.

The Emperor of Great Wei—even if a puppet—was being flirted with like a woman! If their sovereign were truly abducted by these foreign barbarians, their entire families would be executed for the disgrace.

One guard, pinned against the table, bit his tongue hard, gathered his strength, and suddenly threw off his captor.

Sprinting to the window, he hurled himself through it, plummeting to the street below.

The bustling marketplace erupted in chaos as a man came crashing down from the sky.

The commotion quickly reached the gates of the Imperial Academy.

One of the Grand Tutor’s personal guards, stationed outside, noticed the disturbance from afar.

His face paled, and he rushed inside to alert Wei Lenghou.

The Grand Tutor’s expression darkened instantly.

Like an arrow loosed, he shot toward the teahouse.

His well-trained guards needed no orders—they immediately drew their iron whistles, each the size of a fist.

When blown, their piercing shrieks could be heard for miles, with different rhythms signaling locations across the capital.

Soon, answering whistles echoed in the distance, passing the message like beacon towers relaying a warning.

A large contingent of the Grand Tutor’s elite troops began converging toward the academy.

By the time reinforcements arrived, Wei Lenghou had already stormed into the teahouse.

He found the manager unconscious, his face bloodied, while a terrified waiter cowered beneath a table.

Two foreign men guarded the entrance.

As soon as Wei Lenghou stepped in, they moved to grab him.

The Grand Tutor, unwilling to waste time, struck with ruthless precision—two vicious kicks aimed squarely at their vulnerable spots.

The burly men crumpled, writhing in silent agony.

When Wei Lenghou reached the upper floor, the sight that greeted him was the little dragon pearl’s delicate hand being forcibly held by a stranger.

Storm clouds gathered in his eyes as his strikes grew even more vicious.

After dislocating the shoulders of two attackers in quick succession, the man gripping the Emperor’s hand finally released his audacious hold, turning instead to stare intently at the newcomer.

Xiu Tulie recognized this handsome man—and the memory was etched in his bones!

Years ago, a mere civilian official from Great Wei had led a small force deep into their territory, slain the Huns’ commanding general, and taken his head as easily as walking through unguarded land.

Xiu Tulie, then training in the army, had been furious yet curious.

Defying the old chieftain, he sneaked into a border town of Great Wei and glimpsed the infamous General Wei atop his horse.

That day, Xiu Tulie vowed to one day crush Great Wei, press that man beneath the crowd’s feet, and sever his head to erase the humiliation.

Never did he imagine that while teaching a dishonest teahouse manager a lesson, he would cross paths with the now all-powerful Grand Tutor Wei… Could this exquisite “woman” be…?

It seems the process of killing her husband just got a bit more complicated!

Remembering his mission in the capital, Xiu Tulie knew now wasn’t the time to clash openly with Wei Lenghou.

He raised his fists and said, “I am an envoy sent by Hulun Chanyu of the Huns for peace talks… I did not realize—”

Before he could finish, Wei Lenghou moved like lightning, striking with such ferocity that Xiu Tulie could barely defend himself.

No coward himself, Xiu Tulie dodged, but the force of the punch grazed his cheek, igniting his own fury.

He retaliated without holding back.

In the exchange, Xiu Tulie realized that despite Wei Lenghou’s refined appearance, his fighting style was unorthodox and brutal—every strike meant to cripple or kill.

This was the hallmark of a man who had survived bloody battlefields, honed in life-or-death struggles.

No technique, just one outcome: your death or mine.

After taking several brutal hits, Xiu Tulie’s temper flared, but he hadn’t forgotten his mission.

Holding back slightly, he found himself at a disadvantage.

Gritting his teeth against the onslaught, he pulled out his diplomatic credentials.

“I am a Hun envoy! Does the Grand Tutor wish to reignite war on the border?!”

Wei Lenghou acted as if he hadn’t heard.

Only after Xiu Tulie’s handsome face absorbed a few more punches did the Grand Tutor finally relent.

Glancing at the credentials, he clasped his hands slightly.

“So you know this humble official? You should have said so earlier! Since you’re an honored guest of the Huns, my rudeness was indeed a misunderstanding. I beg your pardon!”

Xiu Tulie cursed inwardly: What a master of playing the fool! When did I not say it earlier? He clearly pretended not to hear!

Just then, a clamor rose downstairs as Lu Wenba arrived with troops.

Seeing the bound guards, his heart nearly stopped.

He dropped to his knees.

“This subordinate failed to protect His Majesty in time! I beg for punishment!”

Nie Qinglin, who had retreated to a corner during the brawl, was shaken—especially by the Grand Tutor’s viciousness.

Each punch seemed to carry the sound of shattering bones.

Recalling those same hands frequently embracing her lately, she shuddered at their crushing strength.

Now that the battle had ended, she only wanted to return to the palace to recover from the fright.

Avoiding the demonic Grand Tutor, she hurried downstairs to her carriage.

Seeing the little one actually avoiding him, Wei Lenghou narrowed his eyes and let out a cold snort.

Xiu Tu Lie, however, was stunned: Emperor? Which one is the Emperor of Great Wei? Could it be…?

This realization hurt worse than the punches.

That exquisite beauty… is actually a man?

Noting his expression, Wei Lenghou said mildly, “Ignorance is no crime. Surely you didn’t know His Majesty’s identity, or you wouldn’t have acted so rashly. Our Emperor is magnanimous and won’t dwell on such trifles. Return quietly to the envoys’ quarters and avoid drawing attention. Otherwise, even if we both desire peace between our nations, the people of Great Wei, upon hearing their Emperor was insulted, may not let this rest so easily.”

Though phrased politely, the message was clear: Even if you declared your status, today’s beating is yours to swallow. We’ll proceed with talks, but if you press the issue, we’ll mobilize the entire nation for war.

Truly, this was “swallowing teeth and blood in silence.”

Wiping the blood from his lips, Xiu Tulie forced a smile.

“The Grand Tutor’s words are etched in my heart. There will be other days—I take my leave now.”

After the formalities of seeing off the Hun envoy, Wei Lenghou turned to his trussed-up subordinates.

“What did that Hun say to His Majesty earlier?”

The unlucky guards, though freed, wore ashen expressions.

Not daring to lie, they stammered, “That… that blind Hun dog… he said he wanted to marry the Emperor…”

Wei Lenghou’s phoenix eyes narrowed.

“Your failure to protect His Majesty warrants death, but considering your efforts, report to the Ministry of Justice for punishment. If you survive the flogging, you’ll be transferred to the frontier’s Swift Wind Battalion. Shed more blood and sweat there, so you’ll never again suffer such humiliation at barbarians’ hands.”

The guards, knowing they deserved execution, were profoundly grateful.

Ashamed of their incompetence, they kowtowed and withdrew.

Lu Wenba whispered, “These useless dogs failed their duty. Why such light punishment, Grand Tutor?”

Wei Lenghou accepted a towel to wipe the blood from his hands.

“Do you think their opponent was some ordinary Hun brute? That leader was Xiu Tulie—the youngest son of Hulun Chanyu.”

Lu Wenba, having fought alongside the Grand Tutor at the border, knew of the Huns’ affairs.

His expression shifted.

“Xiu Tulie? The Hun prince who single-handedly slew a hundred men and annihilated thirty thousand of our elite troops at Yaocheng?”

Wei Lenghou nodded.

Though he had gained the upper hand earlier, it hadn’t been easy.

Had Xiu Tulie not held back, the outcome would’ve been uncertain.

The Hun’s foremost warrior lives up to his reputation.

Without another word, the Grand Tutor headed downstairs, intending to check on the shaken dragon pearl.

This child has no remarkable skills, but when it comes to attracting trouble, he’s first-rate—drawing in a savage tiger from the depths of the forest!

Despite the satisfying fight, an unfamiliar frustration churned in Wei Lenghou’s chest—an emotion he had never felt before.

By the time she returned to the palace, Nie Qinglin was already in bed, trying to calm her nerves with sleep.

Just as drowsiness began to claim her, the announcement of the Grand Tutor’s arrival forced her eyes open.

Peering out from the blankets, she saw Wei Lenghou enter.

The sight that greeted him: the Emperor’s disheveled hair, drowsy eyes glimmering with unshed tears, and a small face peeking from the quilts…

No wonder that Hun prince mistook him at a glance. He truly does resemble a blushing maiden awaiting her lord’s favor…