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As soon as these words were spoken, Chunshen Jun was left blushing. Hearing the teasing from an old acquaintance, he felt no remorse at all. After all, the blatant protection he had just shown was indeed a bit much, especially since the person across from him was someone he truly respected. He thought to himself, this is my territory, I am in charge; so what if it is like this? He waved his hand to signal the guards to disperse and reached for a teacup on the table to pour himself a drink. After glancing at it and finding it too dirty, he casually tossed it aside. However, he noticed Luzi nonchalantly drinking from a similar cup, which left him quite astonished. He then continued the previous topic, saying, “Since we are both in the officialdom now, let’s not distinguish between us anymore.”
Upon hearing this, Luzi quickly put down his teacup and clarified, “You are the one in officialdom; I am just a junior!”
Chunshen Jun did not respond to this answer but merely smiled slightly. Suddenly surprised, he exclaimed, “Oh! I really didn’t expect to run into Mr. Lu here! It was just the children being foolish earlier; I apologize for the embarrassment. However, I can assure you that in our Chu State, there is only this batch of misfits.”
Luzi showed a curious expression and affirmed, “I also didn’t expect to meet Mr. Huang here! Is it true? Only this batch? I don’t feel that way at all!”
“Hmph! It must be true! There isn’t enough time today; I will dismiss this bunch tomorrow. We need to eliminate these troublemakers from our ranks to ensure the purity of our Chu State’s army!”
“Oh! I see now; I misunderstood!”
Chunshen Jun cupped his hands and waved goodbye to his left side, further affirming, “Since Kao Lie Wang took over, our nation has been prosperous with strong military forces. The relationship between the military and civilians is extremely harmonious, reaching levels unseen since ancient times!”
Luzi naturally didn’t want to waste more words with such an old bureaucrat. He picked up a bowl of rice wine as a gesture. Seeing that the other party did not intend to drink together, he turned back to remind the captain of the guards standing behind him to come sit down and eat together.
If there were no outsiders present, the captain would have acted more casually. After all, this had often been the case before, and Luzi had always requested it that way. However, today in front of many soldiers from Chu State, such rudeness would indeed be laughed at by others. But since it was what the host said, he couldn’t refuse! After thinking it over again, he decided to go along with it. Since the boss said so, that’s how it would be! Besides, he was already starving! Without further hesitation, he sat in the lower seat of his host and filled his bowl with rice before starting to eat heartily.
Was this a dismissal order?
Seeing that their conversation was not going well, Chunshen Jun could only reach for another teacup. His subordinates had not received any orders and thus stood far off on the sidelines watching silently. Seeing their leader pouring tea for himself only fueled their frustration even more. Yet without any gestures from him, they dared not approach and could only glare at the two diners with a desire to chop them into dumpling filling right then and there!
Luzi remained silent and showed no intention of leaving either; he could only put down his chopsticks and say, “I heard that the person just now is the grandson of Yang Youji from Chu State; I believe he is also General Yang Huaide’s son. Since we are all family here and descendants of meritorious officials, it seems reasonable to take care of him a bit.”
Chunshen Jun was carefully examining the tea bowl, hesitating whether to drink the murky tea. Suddenly, he heard the person across from him finally speak, and he set down the tea bowl in support, saying, "Luzi makes a valid point!"
Luzi did not want to embarrass the Prime Minister in front of the room full of people from Chu State, as that would surely incur the wrath of Black Stone. So he replied, "I still have to thank the State Minister. If it weren't for your subordinate knocking away that soldier's murderous sword just now, that woman would have been killed by the mob!"
Upon hearing this, Chunshen Jun was slightly taken aback. The sword had not been knocked away by his subordinate at all! He turned to look at the Folk Martial Artists sitting on the other side of the room, and just as he was about to ask a question, he heard a series of urgent hoofbeats breaking through the sound of rain from outside.
"Stop!!"
The command followed immediately, indicating that at least seventeen or eighteen people had arrived. The Chu State guards, concerned for their master's safety, quickly gathered around Chunshen Jun. Since the two were already sitting face to face, Luzi was naturally protected as well.
The Innkeeper had returned to the counter at some point and upon hearing the neighing of horses outside again, could not help but show a distressed expression. The war between Chu and Han had only recently ended, and business at his small establishment was dismal beyond description! He had thought there would be many customers today and hoped to recoup some losses. Unexpectedly, those who came were all non-paying guests, and even worse, they were not just one group! At this rate, he would be grateful if his establishment wasn't torn apart today!
However, at this moment, it was no longer a time when mere chants could dispel ill omens. As the sound of marching footsteps returned in unison, the dirty burlap door curtain was suddenly yanked down by someone entering. A group of men in black rushed into the hall, causing the indoor temperature to rise several degrees. These intruders clearly did not expect such a bustling business today with nearly a hundred people inside—both officials and civilians.
Since this was within their own country and the officials were their own people, the leading man in black displayed a bronze badge and shouted loudly, "Internal Guard Office is conducting an investigation! All irrelevant persons quickly step aside!"
“Can’t I even eat in peace? One group after another!” someone from the civilian crowd muttered.
If this had happened at another time, they would have certainly gotten to the bottom of it! The black-clad men had a clear target and did not wish to create unnecessary trouble for now. The leader among them cast a sharp glance at those standing up to leave their tables but chose not to engage further.
Taking advantage of being within a protective circle, Chunshen Jun said, "See! What did I tell you? If this happened in your country, it would have been dealt with on the spot. To dare speak so recklessly should at least warrant some punishment!"
Luzi knew very well who these black-clad men were targeting; he had mistakenly thought they were here specifically to pursue him earlier. It seemed he had misunderstood them before; besides, he had no intention of bickering at this moment. Nodding in agreement with Chunshen Jun's statement, he signaled his chief guard to remain calm and continue eating.
Chunshen Jun indeed came to find Luzi, but not for the purpose of capturing him; rather, it was to reminisce. Back in the days when he and Prince Xiong Wan were held as hostages in Qin State, they lived in dire straits, often going hungry. If it weren't for Luzi secretly sending people to support and care for them, not only would he have perished, but even the current King of Chu would have met his end far from home.
During their time in Qin, the news of King Qingxiang's serious illness was conveyed by Luzi. Had they not received the news promptly and reacted accordingly, the current King of Chu would likely be one of Prince Xiong Wan's two younger brothers.
The throne has always been singular, allowing only one person to sit upon it. Chunshen Jun and Huang Xie assessed the situation and personally approached Qin Zhao Gong to persuade him that the current circumstances in Chu warranted understanding. He mentioned King Qingxiang's illness, arguing that detaining Prince Xiong Wan would be of no benefit to Qin State. The purpose of keeping him as a hostage was to benefit the nation, especially since Yang Wengjun's two sons were already within Chu. Should anything happen to the King of Chu while the prince was absent, Yang Wengjun's sons would ascend to the throne. At that point, the current prince would lose his value.
King Qin was also wary of potential deceit and thus agreed only in principle to allow the prince's tutor to return home for verification. If that were indeed the case, they could discuss further once news arrived. Royal decrees are typically absolute, leaving Huang Xie with no choice but to consult Luzi, who was still in Qin State at that time. The outcome of their discussion was for the prince to feign illness and disguise himself as his tutor's servant to leave Qin and return to Chu.
Once the plan was set in motion, it officially began implementation the next day. After Prince Xiong Wan had been hidden away for several days, Huang Xie finally informed King Zhao of Qin about the truth. Furious, King Qin decided to execute Huang Xie. Upon receiving this news, Luzi used his connections to reach Chancellor Qin Fan Ju, who intervened just in time to save Huang Xie. This intervention ultimately led to the emergence of Chunshen Jun.
However, this was merely a surface-level account; the actual situation was far more complex. Great Qin had strict laws that not just anyone could flout. Moreover, given Prince Xiong Wan and Huang Xie's unique statuses, it was only natural that they were under careful scrutiny and protection. Even after living in Qin Capital for ten years, they remained strangers in a foreign land. Without Luzi's assistance in navigating various obstacles during this time, Prince Xiong Wan would not have returned home so smoothly to ascend the throne. In other words, without Luzi back then, there would be no current King Kao-Lie of Chu and consequently no Chunshen Jun today. Such immense gratitude is akin to being reborn; it cannot be adequately expressed in mere words.
Luzi arrived in Chu due to other matters and did not seek out his old friend in Wu Region for a reunion. However, as a renowned figure, he drew attention wherever he went. When Chunshen Jun reached the capital and learned that Luzi had quietly departed, he felt it was unacceptable not to pay his respects as a host. Passing by without greeting would leave him restless for life. Thus, he hastened his journey and finally encountered Luzi at an inn nestled among the mountains.
"Since you've come to Chu without a word of greeting, have I offended you somehow?" Chunshen Jun decided to adapt to local customs and ignored the sudden arrival of Internal Guard Office Constables; instead, he filled his cup with wine for himself. "We have shared a friendship for ten years; who knows when we might meet again after this parting? Allow me this cup of wine as a gesture of hospitality."
Luzi clearly cared little for the black-clad intruders; upon hearing this, he quickly raised his cup in apology. After all, their friendship transcended age differences; passing through without greeting an old friend was indeed disrespectful. Chunshen Jun’s effort to brave rain and travel just for a meeting spoke volumes about their bond. The earlier awkwardness dissipated as they seemed to regain their former camaraderie. If not for their separation into two nations—Qin and Chu—they could have spoken freely at this moment. Yet each bore their own burdens of status; such is the unavoidable reality of life.
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