Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

Actually… accepting him might not be impossible.

The old emperor reacted swiftly, and his mind quickly turned to the idea of splitting up Huihu.

Although the current Huihu king (the son of his younger brother) had shown no signs of rebellion or independence—having come to the capital with his ministers to pledge loyalty immediately upon ascending the throne two years ago—the old emperor trusted his own means of weakening Huihu far more than relying on loyalty, which depends on the whims of the heart.

For instance, he could allow this wild Huihu king to return to his homeland, but without granting him the right to reclaim the throne. If he still wanted to be a king, he could establish a new Huihu tribe elsewhere.

Oh, and the current Huihu king wouldn’t be allowed to kill him either.

—If the Turks could have East and West Turkic states, why couldn’t Huihu have East and West Huihu tribes?

Of course, someone would need to keep an eye on him.

But who?

The old emperor pondered and pondered.

The Marquis of Yongchang… he couldn’t part with him either.

Then his gaze fell on Li Shihu.

He was perfect.

He had been to the Western Regions and had even interacted with the Huihu king.

It’s better to send someone familiar!

Li Shihu, for some reason, suddenly felt a chill rise up his spine.

Three or four days later, the group leaving the mountains now included the wild Huihu king.

—The delay in their departure was to avoid running into any barbarians.

“Your Majesty—!”

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites was the first to spot the emperor, who had been missing for so long. His voice cracked as he cried out, nearly losing his composure as he ran over. “Where has Your Majesty been all this time? Were you injured?”

He quickly reported the situation: “Your Majesty, please rest assured. On the very first day of your disappearance, the Crown Prince sealed off the news, informing only a few ministers accompanying you. Even the Prime Minister was not told. Currently, state affairs are being handled by the Crown Prince and the ministers, and the public merely believes that Your Majesty lingered a while longer at Shanhaiguan.”

Pausing for breath, he continued: “After Your Majesty’s prolonged absence, the Crown Prince ordered the Jinyiwei to search everywhere and even mobilized troops from nearby prefectures a few days ago.”

The old emperor finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Over the past few days in the mountains, he had been deeply worried about the situation outside. But now it seemed…@@novelbin@@

The old emperor nodded slightly. “The Crown Prince handled things well.”

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites cupped his hands respectfully, but his gaze soon shifted to Li Shihu, who was winking at him. His face instantly showed shock: “How are you—”

The old emperor was even more startled, nearly interrupting him on the spot.

Recognized, Li Shihu couldn’t hold back his grin. “Long time no see, Top Graduate! Ah, you’ve been reinstated and returned to court? That’s great! What position are you holding now?”

Hearing this, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites immediately realized—Li Shihu and his men didn’t know about the change in dynasties!

Looking at the number of wild soldiers from the previous dynasty and then considering the distance of the local troops, the Vice Minister’s smile grew forced. “Y-Yes. Thanks to His Majesty’s grace, I’ve become the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.”

Li Shihu was overjoyed. “You’ve made it to Vice Minister of Rites! Third rank! Fantastic! Congratulations! Too bad I haven’t had the chance to give you a gift to celebrate your promotion.”

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites forced a smile that remained stiff. “Seeing you alive is enough for me. Whether there’s a gift or not doesn’t matter.”

His words were sincere, but if they could have been said in a different setting, they might have sounded even more heartfelt.

The emperor’s return was a pleasant surprise. The emperor bringing back the soldiers of the previous dynasty was a terrifying shock.

The group made their way toward the magistrate’s office.

Li Shihu, full of emotion, said, “I’ve been to Shanhaiguan, but I haven’t been out of the mountains in so long. Even Shanhaiguan looks completely different—before, there was practically an opera stage on every street. Now there isn’t a single one.”

The Minister of Revenue chuckled dryly. “Indeed…”