Although the various rumors and gossip about the Phoenix Symbol incident were quickly suppressed and subsided under deliberate pressure, they still uncontrollably spread among the people.

However, after a few days, an imperial decree came down, appointing Shangguan Mingde as the Superintendent, to go to the Northern Frontier Camp to assist General Lin Bing in the war. To outsiders, this actually seemed like a big promotion, but those with discerning eyes could tell that going to that plague-ridden battlefield might mean never coming back. Moreover, sending a capital official to the frontier was not a sign of favor at all.

Given Shangguan Mingde's imperial favor, it wouldn't be difficult for him to rise from a consultant in the Ministry of War to the Vice Minister and then to the Minister. He was caught in bed in a brothel, yet the imperial decree not only did not demote him but even promoted him. The entire court, from top to bottom, knew that this eccentric and ill-tempered young official was especially favored by the Emperor.

But if he went to the Northern Frontier, everything would be different. Lord Shangguan, that sickly person who coughs twice even when he's not ill and makes a huge fuss when he is, once he goes to the battlefield, what are the chances of him coming back in one piece?

Everyone was watching and waiting. Even Prime Minister Xia couldn't help but send someone to convey a message: "If Young Lord Shangguan finds it difficult, just hand everything over to me for now. As for the Emperor, I will naturally persuade him on your behalf..."

The young servant waited for a long time without getting a response from the young lord in front of him. Recalling the rumors of Lord Shangguan's bad temper, he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat: "If the young lord is worried, my master said that Venerable Jia's words are not to be believed, and the Emperor may not really be willing to let the young lord leave the capital..."

Before he could finish, Mingde interrupted him indifferently: "The people in the Northern Frontier are plagued by epidemics, and the country's mountains and rivers are being invaded by foreign tribes. Resisting the Xiwan army is the responsibility of our dynasty's subjects. Could it be that Prime Minister Xia has forgotten this?"

Not only the servant, but even Minister Shangguan and Madam Zhang beside him couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat: "How dare you! How can you respond to Prime Minister Xia like this!"

Unfortunately, Shangguan Mingde's mood was obviously very bad today. He let out a cold laugh and raised his voice with his hands in his sleeves: "As an official predicted by Venerable Jia to be a general who will break the army, I should of course lead the troops and die for the country! How can I neglect the country's mountains and rivers for my own selfish reasons! Prime Minister Xia is so deluded, how can he face the triple favor from the emperors of three generations? It truly disappoints the ancestors and makes the people under heaven despise him!"

The poor servant almost couldn't stand anymore: "Young Lord Shangguan, you... you..."

Mingde saw that he was about to pounce over and kicked him: "Go back and tell your master that I said it. Tell him to keep an eye on his own daughter! The rest is none of his business!"

The servant was so scared that his soul flew away. He immediately rushed out of the Shangguan residence and ran back to the Xia family, tremblingly reporting Young Lord Shangguan's "decree" to Xia Zheng. If it were someone else, Prime Minister Xia might have slammed the table in shock and anger, but if the person was Shangguan Mingde, Xia Zheng could only mutter after being stunned for a while: "...This young lad has quite a temper today."

The servant angrily asked: "My lord, should we send a notice to the Shangguan family to teach them how to raise their son?"

Xia Zheng suddenly smashed the teacup in his hand, making a crisp sound: "Nonsense! You see how Ding Huang was scared into trembling by Shangguan Mingde, did he dare to talk back? My... my self-restraint can't be worse than that old man Ding Huang?!"

Shangguan Mingde's temper was really bad. Especially these past few days, it almost reached a level of tyranny.

Before he left, Madam Zhang sent someone again to lecture him. Her servants and maids were of a higher status. They entered Mingde's small courtyard with their heads held high, but before the servant could open his mouth, he heard Mingde shout: "Get lost!"

The servant had never seen this weak and easily bullied illegitimate son act like this before. He immediately exploded with anger and pointed at Mingde's nose, shouting: "Boy, are you rebelling—"

Before he could finish, he felt darkness in front of his eyes, then Mingde kicked him far away. The maid was already scared silly, sitting on the spot and about to cry loudly, but she saw Shangguan Mingde glance at her coldly. She immediately crawled out: "Call the Madam! Call the Madam to come! Rebelling! Rebelling!"

When Madam Zhang hurriedly brought her maids over, Mingde had already packed his things. Although the imperial decree said that Mingde could choose the day to set off, in fact, General Lin Bing of the Northern Garrison had specially sent two trusted subordinates to personally receive him, and even the carriages and sedan chairs were meticulously prepared, trying their best to ensure that Mingde would not suffer any grievances during the thousand-mile rush. All he had to do was prepare the personal items he would bring along.

As soon as Madam Zhang entered the door, she instructed the servants: "Tear down this courtyard for me! I want to see if this newly appointed imperial superintendent wants to kill his parents!"

The servants swarmed up, no longer needing orders, and directly started taking action.

Madam Zhang had long been depressed that her own eldest son had not passed the imperial examination. Seeing Mingde, how could she control herself anymore? She laughed coldly again and again: "What a great imperial superintendent! Don't think the Emperor likes you so much. If he likes you, can he send you to a place of no return? An illegitimate son born to a lowly concubine, you think you..."

Before she could finish, with a slap, Madam Zhang's body was even knocked to the ground due to the huge impact.

This noble lady who had been accustomed to a life of luxury and bossing others around for most of her life did not expect to be slapped. She froze on the ground for a moment, then immediately jumped up and slapped her thigh, wailing: "Someone come! Hurry and go invite the master! What kind of illegitimate son did he give birth to..."

Mingde squatted down and looked straight at the disheveled Madam Zhang on the ground, saying lightly: "My mother, although she was once disreputable, was after all the Empress; my father, although his entire clan was exterminated, at least left behind this bloodline."

He laughed softly: "I always wanted to slap Li Ji because of my parents, but I never thought that this dream would be fulfilled on you today."

Madam Zhang wanted to curse angrily and jump up, but Mingde raised his hand, and a flash of knife light gleamed from his sleeve. A small dagger slid out at an angle. "Madam, please be careful... Although Shangguan Han has married into Prince Dongyang's manor, Prince Dongyang Jinyuan is colluding with the army of Xiwan, intending to rebel. This matter, whether the Emperor deals with it today or tomorrow, he will eventually have to handle it. When the time comes..." Mingde stood up, whispering with a hint of sharpness in his exquisite brows, smiling, "...When the time comes, prepare a fine coffin for your daughter..."

Madam Zhang was so angry that she was about to burst a blood vessel. She wished she could use her nails to scratch Mingde's face, but just at this moment, a chaotic sound of the main gate being slammed open came from outside. A squad of imperial guards rushed in and stood in two rows. Zhang Kuo led a group of attendants, walking in with his head held high, shouting, "Shangguan Mingde, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War, receive the imperial decree—"

Mingde paused for a moment, stood up, and walked over with an elegant gait.

The entire clan knelt deeply on the ground. Zhang Kuo stood in front of the main gate, amidst the solemnly standing guards. Mingde made a gesture to kneel down, "Oh, Eunuch Zhang, how can I let you personally..."

Zhang Kuo felt a tingling sensation on his scalp. This young master's temper had been unusually bad these past few days, even the Emperor in the palace had heard about it. It seemed that he couldn't find an outlet, so he wanted to cause trouble for him.

"Young Master Mingde, there's no need to be polite, no need to be polite... This servant really can't accept Young Master's kneeling. Young Master, please be at ease, at ease!"

Mingde then naturally knelt down, "Eunuch Zhang is so bold..."

Zhang Kuo's knees softened, at this moment deeply experiencing the shared feelings of Prime Minister Xia and Minister Ding.

Mingde smiled gracefully, "Seeing the imperial decree is like seeing the Emperor himself, how can one not kneel? Eunuch Zhang's power is a bit too great, I wonder if Eunuch Zhang often grants officials the right not to kneel when conveying the Emperor's decrees?"

Zhang Kuo silently knelt down in front of Mingde, "This servant knows his mistake!"

Mingde raised his eyelids and glanced at him, smiling brightly before suddenly shouting sternly, "Knowing your mistake, why don't you hurry up and announce the decree!"

Zhang Kuo trembled, solemnly stood up, and said loudly, "Shangguan Mingde, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War, receive the decree - Since hearing that you will be sent on a mission, this Emperor has been worried. The northern frontier is bitterly cold, specially bestowing twenty thick garments, and a fire fox fur coat. Receive this!"

In fact, there was only one fire fox fur coat that could be found in the palace.

The Qianwan Emperor had worn it when he was the crown prince, but after all, the color was bright and the Qianwan Emperor did not particularly like it. This item was the lightest and most delicate. An emperor who had experienced the battlefield and had no special demands for life did not really need it.

The person who wore it the most was Mingde. When he was seriously injured, when he was sick and weak, the Qianwan Emperor especially liked to wrap him in the fire fox fur coat, holding him in his arms, watching a little pointed chin sticking out from the long, soft, fiery red fur. This secret pleasure accompanied the noble emperor for an entire winter. Afterwards, there was no opportunity for it to see the light of day again, and it disappeared along with the person who had once been carefully treasured in his palm.

Zhang Kuo thought that Mingde would refuse, but Mingde did not. The young man in front of him, with stunningly beautiful features, only froze for a moment, then lowered his head slightly, "This official receives the decree."

Zhang Kuo was stunned. After a long while, he laughed in a slightly embarrassed low voice, "Young Master, why bother defying the Emperor? In the end, if he really wants to summon you back to the capital, it's just a matter of one sentence... Why bother? He is, after all, the Emperor, the supreme ruler. How can you provoke him..."

He suddenly stopped talking, looking at Mingde's expression, and said with an embarrassed smile, "If you really want to go out for a trip, just act coquettishly, and everything will be resolved... In this servant's opinion, Young Master, why go to that man-eating northern frontier? Young Master's health doesn't seem to be very good either..."

"Eunuch Zhang," Mingde asked softly, "Do you think the thirty court floggings last time were not enough?"

Zhang Kuo abruptly shut his mouth. He only saw Mingde cough lightly a couple of times, raising his eyes to look at the fire fox fur coat held high by the eunuch behind him.

At that moment, there was no expression on the young master's face, but for some reason, Zhang Kuo just had a feeling. He could even be certain that as soon as he turned around, Mingde would immediately burn this fire fox fur coat.

_

On the day of leaving the capital, it was weather with the spring in full bloom. Apart from the city gate, there were two trusted deputy generals and an escort sent by General Lin Bing of the northern frontier, waiting respectfully in the dust-filled air.

Mingde turned his head back. Zhang Kuo, who had come to see him off, said in a low voice, "Young Master, look at the city wall."

Mingde closed his eyes.

On the city wall, a figure in bright yellow stood tall, alone and lonely. He could feel the heat of that gaze condensing on his face, just like a long, long time ago when he first met that man.

...When exactly did he feel that "that man loves me"?

Like a vengeful little beast, sensing the other party's softness, knowing that he would not be in danger of being hurt, he immediately indulged in using his sharp little claws to scratch the other's face.

Because he knew that he would be exempt, revenge and harm felt particularly effective. After repeated tests and retaliation, he slowly established a confidence: Mm, he does indeed love me.

This confidence was not easy to come by and was very precious. But Mingde was the kind of person who worried even when there was nothing to worry about. He not only had to be sure that "he loves me," but also had to be sure that "he will always love me." Even if he was sure of this "always," he still had to carefully protect himself, and then extend tentative reconciliation claws to the other party.

Mingde shook his head. Perhaps the warmth that man had given in the past was too profound. The wind outside the city blew past, and a sense of confusion and coldness about the future slowly invaded his bones.

Zhang Kuo said in a low voice, "...Young Master, it's still not too late to change your mind now..."

With a crack, Mingde raised his whip and struck. A single lash knocked Zhang Kuo to the ground.

"Men," he said lightly, "set off." The soldiers who came to greet them silently stepped forward to untie the horse's reins. The troops slowly turned their heads in the wind and sand, gradually disappearing into the billowing dust.

"...He didn't even spare me a glance..." On the city wall, the Qianwan Emperor smiled bitterly, "So bold..."

He felt a sharp pain in his heart, as if a part of him that had always been filled with something soft and tender had suddenly become empty, never to be filled again.

With what kind of feelings did that person leave him? Excitement? Exhilaration? Even sweetness?

The supreme ruler, high above all, lowered his head and pressed his hand tightly against his heart. The intricate pain there was like ropes, binding his entire being, unable to break free.

He recalled the blood and wounds of the past, the hoarse hatred and curses. Faced with those memories, he was like an ordinary man, too weak to even have the courage to kneel at the feet of that young man and kiss him.

...To long for and never forget, perhaps that counts as cherishing a moment...

The Qianwan Emperor smiled bitterly and slowly turned around, descending from the tall, silently standing city wall of Chang'an.