Chapter 321

Time passed quickly, and now Xihao was one year old. Simultaneously, the Bai Region was preparing for a grand banquet, a farewell party for the Mu family envoy. Furen Mu Yueqian had finally received an official invitation from the Hu Region to travel there and exchange medical knowledge.

This official invitation came with a significant amount of resources, considered the best news for the Bai Region. The supplies included various herbs essential for the upcoming winter, as well as valuable minerals like iron and copper, which were treasures for the Bai Region.

Meanwhile, Noble Consort Wei had given birth to a son, attracting much attention from the nobles. Many saw this as the emergence of a new power in the future. Although the Wei family had now clearly stated that they were still on the Second Prince’s side, the future remained uncertain.

The Crown Prince was found not guilty of any severe offenses, but the Empress was punished with a year of house arrest and had her stipend reduced. She also had to perform charitable deeds at a temple for the entire year. Although she hadn’t directly committed the crime, her court lady had acted without authorization, a solution orchestrated by the Minister.

The situation unfolded exactly as Yueqian had predicted. As she mentioned earlier, it seemed to target the Empress, diminishing her significance. Now, it would be an equal competition between a powerless Empress and a fully equipped the Noble Consort.

Yueqian paid little attention to this matter, focusing instead on her travel preparations. Unlike the era she came from, which had technologies like cars and airplanes, this place only had horses and walking as means of transportation. Just like the travelling of the Hu Region envoy, they took over three months to arrive.

Of course, this was during normal times. There was a faster route, which was by water, but it involved dense forests and numerous wild animals. Sometimes, bandits also inhabited those areas. Unless necessary, such as during wartime, people usually avoided that route.

Moreover, this journey would be filled with food supplies and many wagons following behind, making it impossible to travel by water.

Although Yueqian wished for developments like expanding canals to allow larger boats, it was too difficult to achieve. Many opposed the idea, viewing it as excessively expensive. They argued that the common people were struggling to survive, so no one wants money spent on such projects.

Yueqian considered their perspective flawed, but of course, she could do nothing. Whether right or wrong, those in power made the decisions.

For this journey, Yueqian and Mu Heng would be accompanied by 600 soldiers, a considerable number, matching the previous envoy’s size. Given the difficult route and the potential threat of bandits, their escort comprised elite troops from the Mu family’s forces and the military.

Three skilled, relatively young doctors would accompany her. The Emperor had mentioned that they represented the future of the medical field. Once the older generation retired, these three would become the chief royal physicians. Their presence on this journey was also a test to prove their capabilities, and they were determined to perform their duties excellently.

Not trusting to leave her Xihao behind, Yueqian had to take him along. Additionally, Xihao himself chose to follow, intending to build good relations with the Hu Region. At the very least, when conflicts with the protagonist Prince of Noble Consort Wei’s lineage arose, he would have strong allies.

Prince Jing and Prince Tang also requested to join. They had positioned themselves as guards for their big brother Xihao. Despite their mischief and energy, they were skilled fighters. Mu Heng’s master, a former great general, even remarked on their natural talent, predicting they would significantly benefit the Mu family in the future.

Jing Ziyang favored using swords and spears in combat, whereas... the shy Tang An preferred long-range weapons like crossbows and bows. If forced into close combat, he liked to use short knives over larger weapons. Fortunately, his speed was quite high, so he would definitely not be at a disadvantage.

Because they grew up in different tribes, their skills were honed differently. However, when they encountered a skilled teacher, their innate abilities developed quickly.

"Big Brother Mu, where are you going?" Jing Ziyang’s voice rang out. Yueqian looked down and saw her little Xihao toddling toward the herb garden.

"Mother, herb, stop blood," the little Xihao told his companions. Although he couldn’t form complete sentences due to his small tongue often getting tangled, the older children understood his meaning.

Xihao looked at Yueqian, seeking confirmation if he was correct. Seeing him pointing at a particular herb she had planted, Yueqian nodded. The child clapped his hands in delight and carefully plucked the herb with his tiny hands.

"Collect," he turned and instructed Jing Ziyang and Tang An. The two exchanged glances before Tang An stepped in to help, while Jing Ziyang fetched a basket with a bored expression.

"Big Brother, are we really going to collect herbs like this? Aren’t we going to play hide and seek today?" He asked sadly.

Xihao sighed, looking at the playful Jing Ziyang. While playing with them was fun, this was a crucial time. When it was time to work, they had to work. This journey was bound to be filled with dangers.

Xihao had heard from the various spirits around them. Some had traveled to other Regions and shared that they would surely encounter bandits, dangerous wild animals, poisonous plants, and even numerous traps. This information made Xihao very scared.

When his mother asked if he wanted to come along or stay behind, Xihao immediately decided he wanted to accompany her. He worried about her, knowing that in this world, only his mother knew everything and was his source of support. Besides, she could cook delicious meals!

Even though the latter reason was irrelevant, he chose to face the dangers with his mother. He would protect her and, during the journey, ask the spirits about what lay ahead, at least to increase his mother’s safety.

"Collect," the little one used his chubby hand to point at the herbs that his mother had spent time teaching him about them as he grew. Though she didn’t delve into too much detail due to the vastness of the subject, he had learned about all the herbs in their manor.

If asked what is the most important thing for the journey, it has to be the herbs, without a doubt. So, while his mother is busy preparing all her belongings, he will take charge of this task himself.

"Sigh, okay, okay. But after we finish collecting, we have to play," Jing Ziyang conceded, but still insisted on helping collect the herbs properly.

Yueqian watched the three close friends working together and sighed. In truth, she wasn’t worried about the dangers they might encounter along the way. What concerned her more was the kind of reception they would receive upon arrival.

In such turbulent times, the sudden invitation from the Hu Region was sent to their Region. If Yueqian’s guess from the shadow’s information was correct, they didn’t really want her there to learn anything new. More likely, they simply wanted more skilled doctors.

It was heard that the Wang Region had declared war on the Hu Region because their princess, who was sent to strengthen alliances, was severely mistreated. They were very angry. Initially, the Wang and Hu Regions were good allies, and they had sent the current emperor’s princess to cement their relationship. Who would have thought that a small incident would escalate into a war between major regions?

However, this intelligence had not yet spread widely. The Hu Region was trying to mediate the conflict. So, they hadn’t formally declared war yet. If the mediation succeeded, it would be the end of it. But if it failed and war broke out, even the Bai Region wouldn’t be spared from sending troops to assist in the war.

It was also good news that they would be able to gather intelligence there first. But the bad news was... if war broke out while they were there, they would be exhausted for sure.

"The Bai Region will definitely face hardships in the future. Now that the Wang is not here, the Du Region is in turmoil, and the Hu Region is also facing problems. It seems that the various regions in the Hu Region are truly facing a storm," Mu Heng, who had just finished preparing the army, approached Yueqian. He looked at the woman he loved most with worried eyes.

Even he thought the same as she did. It seemed that traveling to the Hu Region at this time would not be ordinary. Problems were sure to arise. Moreover, the Hu Region sent so many gifts, it seemed like they were trying to say that they wanted to exchange those goods for her.

The Emperor likely had similar thoughts, which is why he decided to send Mu Heng along with the entire Mu family. Perhaps he foresaw that their journey would not be a short one.

"There are people who want the Hu Region. Initially, the Hu Region didn’t have anything significant to make others want to conquer it. However, now they might need a large number of troops, and unifying an insignificant region is necessary. If they can get more prisoners of war to work for them, it would be beneficial."

"Hmph! They want more troops but don’t realize that attacking others will cost them their own forces," Mu Heng scoffed.

"Do you think the ones who want the Hu Region are the Wang Region?"

"Isn’t it?" Mu Heng raised an eyebrow, but as he thought about it, his thick brows furrowed.

"Indeed, I think it’s another Region trying to instigate conflict among us. The Wang Region has always been an ally with the Hu Region. They have been close and supportive of each other like sibling Regions. If they can drive a wedge between the two, it would be advantageous. Moreover, it would reduce the Hu Region’s strength."

"And how would they know that our Hu Region would defeat the Wang Region?"

"Does it mean they have infiltrated both regions? From the way things look, they don’t want the Wang Region at all. These people are stirring up trouble specifically within the Hu Region and its subordinate Regions. Even the epidemic started in the Hu Region. It means they are targeting the Hu Region. If you look closely, it indicates that they know the Hu Region has substantial fighting capabilities, far superior to the Wang Region."

"But regardless of whether the Wang or Hu Region wins, they can still swoop in and claim the spoils," Mu Heng replied, and Yueqian agreed with his statement.

"I just hope this issue can be resolved. The person who came up with this plan is truly terrifying. Their mere thoughts have thrown multiple Regions into chaos," Thinking of this, Yueqian could not help but feel scared. Even she hadn’t anticipated someone capable of such grand strategy, treating people like mere pawns in a game, as if they were playing a game.

“You don’t need to be afraid. No matter what happens, I will protect you and our child,” Mu Heng said earnestly. Yueqian nodded in agreement, feeling the warmth of his reassurance.

She wasn’t worried about Chu’er because he was under the care of their master. If they encountered an enemy that even the master and senior disciples couldn’t handle, then she wouldn’t be able to do anything either. What she was concerned about was Xihao, who was in the open.

He held a terrifying secret—the ability to communicate with spirits and exchange with them. If others found out, he might be seen as a heretic or used as a tool!

She had heard that he was part of the new continuation of her story, becoming a villain who sought a relationship with his own sister, while the protagonist was the prince in Noble Consort Wei. This showed that the current events were just the background of that story.

The Hu Region might still be safe, but could it really be?

Since she entered the novel herself, nothing seemed to follow the original plot. And that was what scared her the most! The trust she had from reading the novel felt like a trap that could harm them if she relied on it too much. Yueqian didn’t want her son to only see the story progressing according to the plot.

If something went wrong, even slightly, she might lose him...