Chapter 158: Leaving the City to Welcome the Sovereign Home (I)

The twelfth year of Marquis Wei (the eighth year of King Zhao of Zhou), August 18th, outside Wu'an City.

With the impending return of the Marquis of Wei, the entire city of Wu'an was stirred into a commotion, and none showed this more prominently than the officials within the city.

Early on, they had dispatched men to lay down yellow sand and thoroughly spruce up the entire route starting thirty li east of Wu'an City.

Even the large trees on both sides of the road were entwined with colorful ribbons made of silk produced in the State of Wei.

A sovereign returning in victory naturally called for a joyous and bustling atmosphere; this was done both to pander to the Marquis of Wei and to serve political necessities.

A triumph of this magnitude, one touching upon the very fortunes of the state, demanded to be recorded with grand flourishes.

This was not merely for the common people to see so they might swell with confidence in their country, but more importantly for the feudal lords to witness, impressing upon them the formidable might of the State of Wei.

From Wei Wuji's perspective, however, the roadside preparations were far too extravagant—extravagant to the point of wastefulness.

It was still morning, the sun having risen only a short while ago, and the weather was not yet very hot.

Standing on this small hillock, Wei Wuji had already been waiting for nearly two hours.

As a prince of Wei, he too had been summoned here to welcome his sovereign father's return.

Having stood for so long, Wei Wuji's legs were already beginning to ache, but upon seeing Wei Jingrong next to him wearing an equally miserable expression, his mood improved considerably.

"Who knows when Father will arrive!" Wei Jingrong sighed heavily. He had never stood like this in ordinary times; nearly two hours of it was more than most could endure.

While younger men like Wei Wuji managed, the aged officials nearby now required gentle support from attendants.

Yet Wei Wuji felt not an ounce of sympathy for these people, for the ones who had brought this upon them were none other than these very old fogies.

They could easily have arrived somewhat later, but instead, they had insisted on coming at the crack of dawn, only to stand here doing nothing.

Cursing them inwardly, Wei Wuji turned to Wei Jingrong and said, "Fourth Brother, don't be impatient. Father might arrive at any moment!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Jingrong nearly fainted. With a resentful tone, he retorted, "Fifth Brother, you've said that three times already, yet Father still hasn't appeared."

Wei Wuji was left speechless. Why was this fellow taking him so seriously? He had merely spoken casually to comfort him.

"Fourth Brother, what else do you want me to say?" Wei Wuji spread his hands with a helpless expression.

Wei Jingrong was taken aback as well. He too had just been speaking off the cuff—why was this fellow suddenly treating it like a serious debate?

"Alas! Do you think Father has been detained by that commandery governor again, causing another long delay?" Wei Jingrong sighed dejectedly. His legs were aching terribly, yet he wasn't even permitted to sit down for a moment.

"How could that be? All the ministers of the court are waiting right here. Such a thing shouldn't happen, surely!" Wei Wuji said in a low voice.

At that moment, his gaze drifted toward the center of the procession, where senior officials such as the Chancellor and the Commandant of Justice were stationed, along with high-ranking military officers left behind to guard the rear, such as Xu Anhong.

Wei Wuji and the others were currently standing within the ranks of the royal clan, positioned alongside the court ministers.

"You two, shut your mouths!"

Just as Wei Jingrong was about to speak again, another young man standing with them rebuked them sharply.

"Third Brother, we two brothers are just talking. What business is it of yours?" Wei Jingrong snapped back, his face full of displeasure as he cursed the man beside him.

Being rebuked by his younger brother, the young man instantly felt a surge of anger, and the look he cast them grew cold.

Wei Wuji shook his head slightly. Good grief, it seemed impossible to find peace anywhere.

Standing next to Wei Wuji and Wei Jingrong was Wei Jianlin, the Third Prince of Wei and their older brother.

Among all the members of the royal clan present, the three brothers Wei Wuji held the highest status, and among those three, Wei Jianlin took precedence.

To be contradicted in such a manner, one could easily imagine the fury burning in Wei Jianlin's heart.

"Fourth Brother, don't be too arrogant. Don't think I can't deal with you!" Wei Jianlin threatened in a cold, low voice.

Witnessing this scene, Wei Wuji couldn't help but chuckle. Truly, this was standard palace intrigue!

Seeing Wei Wuji laugh, Wei Jianlin's anger flared even higher. It was no wonder he was enraged; continually ignored by two younger brothers, no one's mood would be pleasant.

"Fifth Brother, what are you laughing at again? Do you think that because you've achieved a few merits, you no longer need to show respect to your older brother?" Wei Jianlin said coldly, determined to uphold his dignity as the elder brother.

"Third Brother, what are you talking about? How could younger brother ever dare to show disrespect to you?" Wei Wuji replied in an even tone.

This Third Brother possessed an extraordinarily prominent background; his mother was a daughter of a great clan within Wu'an, and her lineage was hardly inferior to that of Lady Wei herself—differing only in being a secondary wife rather than the principal one.

Therefore, Wei Wuji had no wish to offend him excessively, as there was truly no need. However, he was certainly not afraid of him; after all, he didn't even cower before Wei Chengze.

"Hmph!" Wei Jianlin let out a cold snort and fell silent. His anger was directed purposefully: his scolding of Wei Jingrong was genuine, but his provocation toward Wei Wuji was a test.

Wei Wuji, previously obscure and unknown, had recently acquired immense fame in Wu'an City. From princes and nobles down to peddlers and common foot soldiers, it seemed everyone suddenly knew of him.

Especially those few classic battles, which were eagerly discussed by the commonfolk in the marketplace.

Meanwhile, among the upper echelons of Wu'an City, Wei Wuji's notoriously volatile temper was even better known; his habit of drawing his sword at the slightest disagreement only caused them to shake their heads.

Yet, based on Wei Jianlin's current observations, this younger brother of his was truly no simple character. He could be unyielding when necessary and flexible when appropriate—by no means a reckless brute.

This realization alarmed Wei Jianlin, causing him to increase the weight he assigned to Wei Wuji's threat in his mind.

Previously, for Wei Jianlin, his sole rival had been Wei Chengze.

As for the others, the eldest brother was far away in the State of Qi, and it was uncertain whether he would even return alive, while the fourth brother was wholly infatuated with luxury and pleasure, making him unworthy of fear.

Yet now, Wei Wuji had suddenly burst onto the scene, stirring a sense of crisis within him.

At the same time, however, Wei Jianlin also regarded this as an opportunity—an opportunity to thoroughly crush Wei Chengze, with Wei Wuji serving as his blade.

While the three of them harbored vastly different thoughts, a commotion broke out among the welcoming officials, and simultaneously, rolling clouds of dust rose from the highway in the distance.

"The Sovereign has returned!" someone shouted out of nowhere, drawing the sideways glances of the crowd.

Unable to contain himself any longer, Wei Jingrong, who had just managed to quiet down, piped up again, shouting, "We've finally waited for him!"

Wei Wuji looked out into the distance and saw the vanguard procession resembling a long dragon, winding its way toward the welcoming assembly.

As everyone stretched their necks in eager anticipation, the Marquis of Wei's procession drew closer and closer. Wei Wuji could already make out the Marquis's war chariot, as well as the majestic figure standing upon it.

"Sound the music!"

An official of rites roared at the top of his lungs, and instantly, bells and drums chimed in unison, striking up a majestic and grandiose melody.

The Marquis of Wei's procession slowly approached, flanked by a cavalry vanguard numbering nearly a thousand men.

Their armor was exquisite and splendid, and every single man possessed a fierce and heroic bearing, akin to heavenly soldiers descending from the divine realm.

That was the Sovereign's Guard—the most elite protective force within the inner palace, and one of the sharpest swords in the hands of the Marquis of Wei.

Back then, it had been Wei Hu leading a small detachment of the Sovereign's Guard who had dragged Wei Wuji and his brother away.

Gazing at this fabulously wealthy troop, Wei Wuji clicked his tongue inwardly. Maintaining such a force—good grief, just how much money must that burn through!

Soon, however, Wei Wuji's attention was drawn to another contingent.

Their numbers were vastly greater; Wei Wuji made a rough estimate and figured there must be tens of thousands of them.

Clad in pitch-black armor, their outward appearance was markedly less flashy than the Sovereign's Guard.

Moreover, as they moved, they maintained far less fanfare than the troops preceding them. Aside from the sound of their synchronized footsteps, they uttered not a single word.

By their unique insignia, Wei Wuji easily deduced their identity.

They were the Wu'an Iron Troops!