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nAs Long expected, a truce agreement was drawn accompanied by the Northern Barbarians handing over the letter of surrender!

nLate at night, Long smiled while looking at the report in his sleeping chamber.

nDuring those 20 days, Shi didn’t write to Long. Likewise.

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nSince the unlucky Shadow Guardian returned, Long never re-wrote a letter.

nAt present, when the Northern Barbarians submitted the letter of surrender, Shi as the empress was the perfect person at the border to take the emissary back.

nShi was going to come back!

nYes, Shi would really come back with 3,000 soldiers and the emissary delegation of the Northern Barbarians.

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nShi Qingshan would stay at the border. It meant that if the peace talks went south (to be exact, the peace talks didn’t meet Long’s satisfaction), the war would continue!

nHaving been defeated so badly, the Northern Barbarians had to pay a big price since they wanted to carry on the peace talks.

nBut, it depended on Long, too.

nAt night, Shi Qingshan met Shi Qingzhou in his tent.

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nShi Qingshan sighed in his heart after glancing at his son.

nHe had noticed his son’s silence and knew that his son was very upset.

nHe guessed that it was linked to His Majesty.

nBut, he didn’t know how to talk to his son about feelings.

nAs a result, he enjoined his son on something concerning going back.

nShi Qingzhou silently heard him out. After some thought, he said, “Qingzhou, you try to get along with His Majesty after going back.”

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nAs a father, he couldn’t say anything else.

nHaving silenced for a while, Shi Qingzhou said with a nod, “Father, I know that.”

nShi Qingzhou also cared about his son, but…

nHe just patted his son on his shoulder and said, “You’ll leave tomorrow. Be careful on the road.”

nShi Qingzhou nodded again. “Father, don’t be worried. I know that.”

nAfterward, Shi Qingzhou left there for his tent. Lying on the bed, he closed his eyes after a long time.

nExcept for himself, no one knew what he thought of.

nShi Qingzhou left the border the next day.

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nFive days later, Long received the news and knew that Shi was only 25,000 meters away from the imperial city.

nIt could be said that Shi went back at top speed.

nFor the sake of simplicity, Shi only took 3,000 soldiers back, so he could come back so quickly.

nAlmost getting here? Long found that he felt nervous a bit.

nRight on the time, one eunuch reported that Master Xu wanted to meet him.

nHe immediately invited Xu inside.

nXu stepped inside in a furious mood.

nLong instantly asked with his brows arched, “What’s the matter? Are you bullied?”

nXu asked with his lips pursed, “Elder brother, you haven’t known?”

n“Hmm? About what?” Long was in a trance.

nXu took a deep breath and said, “Rumor has it, I’m your toyboy! I didn’t take it seriously, for I only thought a small part of people mistook it. Well, I find almost everyone thinks so!”

nLong was stunned. “What? Really?”

nXu nodded with gloom. “You heard me right! I don’t know how this rumor started. There is something more serious. Damn it! It’s said you’ve had sex with me. Shit, why don’t I know this?”

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n“Er…” Long twitched his lips and instinctively found that something was wrong.

nAfter some thoughts, he ordered a Shadow Guardian over. Actually, he called Ying Qiu, who was loyal to Shi, inside.

nMost importantly, though he wasn’t over-worried, he still felt that Ying Qiu might have advised Shi of what happened at this end, didn’t he?

nThinking of this, he involuntarily recalled the rumor Xu said…

nThen, his heart did a flip, for he seemed to forget something…

nFor example, Shi didn’t write to him, probably because Shi had a falling out with him. Was it possible that Shi also knew the rumor?

nRight, if Xu hadn’t come to him furiously, he wouldn’t have found out that there was such a rumor.

nHe turned worried.

nSubsequently, Ying Qiu walked inside.

nWithout any further ado, he asked Ying Qiu whether the latter knew the rumor while pointing at Xu.

nRumor? Hearing such a word, Ying Qiu was stunned.

nIt was a fact, not a rumor, wasn’t it?

nIn addition, Master Xu acted like he was insulted…Ying Qiu then felt that things were not quite right.

nSeeing this, Long knew that his speculation was proven.

nInstantly, he wailed invisibly but then asked with a livid face, “So you all know it? But why don’t I know it?”

nLong’s undertone tone clearly showed his anger. Ying Qiu kowtowed right away.

nTaking a deep breath, Long really wanted Ying Qiu punished.

nHowever, **, what reason could he use?

nIt was true that he and Xu slept together after getting drunk!

nAlthough the goddamn truth was that they only shared a bed, nobody else knew it!

nLong almost couldn’t hold back his moans.

nShit! Things were definitely wrong!

nThen, he remembered that Shi was arriving at the imperial city soon…but…

nHe fixed his eyes on Ying Qiu who felt frightened and shivered.

nHe asked while looking at Ying Qiu, “Has His Grace known the rumor?”

nYing Qiu abruptly fell into silence.

nHe then totally got it.

nHe pursed his lips and said lightly, “Go to receive your punishment.”

nYing Qiu felt surprised and but relaxed with relief after knowing that he wasn’t sentenced to death. Afterward, Ying Qiu withdrew himself.

nLong sighed and said to Xu, “Xu You, your brother is going down, too.”

n“Er…” Now, the anger on Xu’s face was gone. Instead, Xu felt a little awkward and odd.

n“Ah…hmm, has His Grace misunderstood you?”

n“En, apparently he has,” Long replied faintly.

nXu winked and asked, “Elder brother, is it the Shadow Guardian who told His Grace?”

n“You don’t need to address him as His Grace. He is a man and won’t probably like it.”

n“Oh, I won’t call him like that. Could I call him Elder Brother Shi?”

n“En, you could.” Long sighed again. “What do you think I should do?”

nXu said shaking his head, “Elder Brother Shi must have misunderstood you…elder brother, you promised him the monogamy, so he must be very disappointed now.”

n“Yes, he must very disappointed and angry!” said Long with certainty. “He hasn’t written to me since he left.”

n“How about you?” asked Xu in a hurry. “Have you written to him?”

nLong shook his head. “No.”

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