After being demoted, my 300,000-strong army trampled the imperial city!

Chen Futu changed into his robes and went out to pay his respects to the old lady.

The old lady looked at her mature and steady son with a satisfied expression. "My son has grown up and can stand on his own. If your father were alive, he would be comforted."

At this moment, Long Yi was dressed in the royal robes of a non-royal prince and carried a sword. His demeanor and bearing already exuded the aura of a king. Even Liu Longyue couldn't help but take a few more glances, and her face turned slightly red.

She didn't know why, but seeing Chen Futu like this made her heart race.

"Mother, the delegation is arriving soon, and I have other matters to attend to."

"Go ahead, get along well with each other, and don't let others laugh at you."

As the two went out, the old lady suddenly said something that startled Chen Futu. The old lady was indeed the old lady; she saw things clearly and knew that Empress Dugu was up to something.

Once outside the inner palace, Chen Futu asked Liu Longyue seriously, "Are there any of your people in this delegation? You can contact them in advance and have them keep an eye on Empress Dugu's movements."

"I'll send someone to deliver the order right away. The delegation should arrive in the next day or two, but I don't know exactly who it is yet."

After Liu Longyue left, Chen Futu summoned Mao Xiang to arrange for the Imperial Guards to make preparations.

For the next two days, Chen Futu stayed in the royal court and didn't go anywhere. In the garden of Pingkangfang, the literati and scholars stopped making trouble. It seemed that someone had stabilized the situation. If I'm not mistaken, it should be the great Confucian scholar Zhou Qingzhi from Zhongshan. He was waiting for the arrival of the Northern Wu delegation.

The following morning, Zhang Liang, Zhuge Liang, and others arrived before Chen Futu, having just received news that the Northern Wu delegation had arrived.

According to etiquette, a minister should be sent to receive them.

Chen Futu asked the crowd, "Who is willing to serve as the welcoming envoy?"

Liu Bowen immediately looked up at the roof, pretending not to hear, while Zhuge Liang and Zhang Liang remained silent.

They seemed to look down on Beiwu, but in the end Yu Qian stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, let me go."

“Alright, settle them in houses near Pingkang, and there’s no need to prevent them from coming into contact with scholars and literati.”

Chen Futu was being secretly watched by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so he wasn't afraid of them causing trouble.

No sooner had Yu Qian left than Consort Ge arrived at the side to deliver a message: "Your Highness, the Princess requests your presence."

Chen Futu looked puzzled and told everyone to go about their business. Then he saw Liu Longyue dressed as a man.

"What are you doing?"

"Your Highness, I would like to meet with the delegation. Please come with me," Liu Longyue said, making her request.

Chen Futu still didn't quite understand. Since they were already here, they were bound to meet sooner or later, so there was no need to go through all this trouble.

"No, according to my subordinates, this delegation is unusual. There are two Xiantian (innate) escorts, and the leader is the Grand Tutor's son, Yemo. That man is stubborn, arrogant, and domineering. Based on my understanding of him, he will definitely cause trouble on this trip."

"Really? Then let's go take a look."

Just to be on the safe side, Chen Futu called An Jingsi to come over with him.

And so, the four of them changed into ordinary clothes, left the royal court, and headed straight for the north gate.

Many people gathered near the North Gate, pointing and whispering. Yu Qian had led a group of officials to greet them. The scene was grand, giving the Northern Martial Delegation a lot of face. Even Guan Yu was in the group, but he kept his eyes closed, his hand on his sword, looking like he hadn't woken up yet.

After a short wait, a large troop of people arrived in a grand procession. The luxurious carriages at the front were extremely eye-catching, and the procession carried the banner of the Northern Martial Army. With Northern Martial Army warriors guarding both sides, they were quite imposing.

An Jingsi whispered, "Brother, those two are both at the Innate Realm."

The middle-aged general leading the way had a sword at his waist, exuding a fierce yet restrained aura.

The other person, a young man in the middle of the group, was bald and wore a string of blood-red bodhi beads around his neck. He gave off a sinister and domineering vibe.

Liu Longyue muttered, "The man in front is the commander of the Royal Eagle Guard, named Fan Quan. He is my father's confidant. As for the bald man, he is called Xue Yunzi. He was not originally from the military, but was a wanderer from the martial arts world. Later, he was killed in a martial arts feud and became a eunuch, hiding in the palace. He should be one of Empress Dugu's men."

"A eunuch?"

Chen Futu carefully examined Xue Yunzi from behind the crowd. The man didn't look like a eunuch at all; on the contrary, he was ruthless and resembled a desperate criminal.

Liu Longyue sneered, "This man is vicious. Many palace maids in the harem have lost their lives because of him. It is said that he has an extremely twisted personality in private, but the things he has done have all been covered up by Empress Dugu."

"I see. So the one in the first carriage is the Grand Tutor's son, Yemo?"

"Yes, this man, Yemo, is extremely famous in the capital city of Gaojing. He loves to play with women from the Central Plains and often uses cruel methods. Over the years, he has tortured and killed countless girls, who were all thrown onto a hill, which is why the hill is named Crying Hill."

"why?"

"Some women were still alive when they were thrown over there, and they howled like vengeful ghosts every night."

"Fine, fine, fine. This beast doesn't know that I hate evil and kill women from the Central Plains. He still dares to come to Dragon City. Does he think my sword is useless?"

Chen Futu hated this kind of inhuman fellow the most.

With power and influence, what girl couldn't he get? Yet he resorts to these despicable and underhanded methods.

Besides, why would a girl from the Central Plains go to Gaojing?

Liu Longyue explained, "Because of the long-term trade relationship with Daqian, some merchants have businesses in Gaojing. Over time, the population of the Central Plains has also increased..."

As they were talking, Liu Longyue suddenly covered her mouth in horror, her eyes filled with disbelief. Chen Futu subconsciously followed her gaze and saw a special carriage following in the middle and back of the delegation.

The carriage was shaped like an altar, with gaudy patterns painted around it, and the curtains were dark red, revealing half of a hideous bronze demon face when the wind blew.

Inside was a strange person dressed in the clothes of an exotic wizard, with feathers stuck in his hat, giving off an indescribably eerie feeling.

An Jingsi also saw the other person and his heart tightened. He whispered, "Brother, he is a Grandmaster."

"Is that strange man a grandmaster?"

Chen Futu was shocked. The other party was the first Grandmaster-level expert he had seen outside Dragon City since he came to this world!

Liu Longyue moved slowly and timidly behind Chen Futu, as if afraid of being seen by him.

Chen Futu asked, puzzled, "Who exactly is he?"

“Great Wizard, Agu, all I know is that she is a woman from the ancestral temple of Beiwu.”

The Great Wizard...

Chen Futu had some knowledge of the culture of minority tribes. Beiwu did indeed have a mysterious ancestral temple. During major festivals, the Beiwu Emperor would lead his clan to hold grand sacrifices there. This high shaman should be the person in charge of the sacrifices, but why was she here? And it seemed that Liu Longyue was very afraid of her.

Liu Longyue muttered to herself, "The Great Wizard is very mysterious. Even I don't know her past. I only remember that one year, a rebellion broke out in a small town near the ancestral temple. She came out of the ancestral temple and single-handedly massacred the entire town, leaving a trail of heads and a sea of ​​blood. She slaughtered all the rebels in the city, from generals to soldiers. She is a demon who came out of hell. Everyone is afraid of her. Even my father is quite wary of her."