This sentence, carrying three parts complaint, three parts anger, and four parts concern, rang out, and everyone present turned to look at Kebina on the side. They finally understood! So this was the renowned Regent of the Heavenly Sun Kingdom, Kebit.
Seeing that his own father had come to apprehend him, Kebina no longer hid in the back. He walked directly in front of the Regent, then lifted his robes and knelt down. "Your son begs for your forgiveness, Father. I hope you will cease your wrath."
"Begging forgiveness from the Regent," Hak knelt on the ground, trembling. He was extremely terrified at this moment. The Regent wouldn't really do anything to the Crown Prince, but he, a servant who had followed along in the "mischief," couldn't be sure.
As expected! Kebit looked at Hak beside him, his gaze extremely sharp. "Not only did you not admonish your master for his willfulness, but you even dared to conspire with him to conceal this from me, leading to such a grave mistake. It is simply unforgivable! What use is such an incompetent servant? It would be better to drag him out and have him beheaded!"
"This servant knows his mistake. Your Highness, spare my life. This servant truly knows his error." Hak was truly terrified to death now. The Regent had always been a man of his word; it seemed he was in dire straits today.
Kebina also stepped forward to plead for Hak. They had grown up together, and besides, one person's actions should be borne by that person.
"Your Father sees clearly! This matter has nothing to do with Hak. The matter of taking the official ship was my own decision. He was also forced by me to do these things. All the way, he has been diligently taking care of me. When I was ambushed, if he hadn't stepped out to block, I'm afraid I wouldn't have returned safely."
Hearing his master say this, Hak shed tears of gratitude as he knelt on the ground. In truth, during the ambush, it was Miss Su and the others who acted in time; he hadn't helped at all. He knew his master said this to prevent the Regent from punishing him. His master was truly too good. If they could get through this smoothly, he would definitely…
"What ambush? You were ambushed?" Prince Kebit heard that his son had been ambushed and immediately asked loudly, his expression changing drastically. Then he seemed to remember something and quickly covered his mouth, but it was too late.
At this moment, the opulent carriage curtains were once again pulled open. An elder with white hair, supported by maids and wet nurses, alighted from the carriage. Su Muqing and the others looked up. The old lady was dressed luxuriously, and she held a dragon-headed cane. Before she even reached them, her thunderous, high-pitched crying had already spread across the dock.
"My precious grandchild, my precious grandchild... quickly let Imperial Grandmother see if you are injured, if you are injured! Who has such audacious gall to dare to assassinate my precious grandchild!" The old lady walked over, cursing all the way. Her expression and actions alike were filled with "I am very angry."
When she arrived and saw her son standing and her grandson kneeling, she swung her dragon-headed cane and struck Prince Kebit's leg. "You knew he had suffered such a fright on the road, so why are you making him kneel on the floor? Aren't you afraid the child will catch a chill? As a father, don't you feel any pity for your own son? My poor precious grandchild! How did you end up with such a heartless father like you~"
Kebit stumbled from the Empress Dowager's strike, almost falling to his knees before his son. However, since it was his own mother who struck him, the Prince felt very wronged but dared not say anything more.
In just this short while, two of the three most powerful and high-ranking individuals in the Heavenly Sun Kingdom had appeared.
Su Muqing and the others stood on the spot, looking at each other in bewilderment. This old lady's hearing was truly remarkable. Looking at the weather, which was close to 40 degrees Celsius, if one said they were afraid Kebina would get heatstroke, it would be more believable. But where did the matter of catching a chill come from?
Perhaps this was the kind of cold that made you feel cold because your grandmother thought you were cold! They say the youngest son and the eldest grandson are the apple of the grandmother's eye. The affection between generations, the affection between generations, it seemed that this 17-year-old Kebina was truly doted upon in the Heavenly Sun Kingdom.
At least with such an elder protecting him, as long as he wasn't a villain who committed all sorts of wicked deeds, there wouldn't be many people in the entire Heavenly Sun Kingdom who would dare to provoke him.
"Imperial Grandmother! Grandson misses you so much~" Seeing that his savior had arrived, Kebina immediately crawled forward on his knees, hugged the Empress Dowager's waist, and acted spoiled. This maneuver left others speechless.
The Empress Dowager looked at her most beloved grandson and also raised her dragon-headed cane, tapping him symbolically. "You little scamp! You only know how to say sweet words to please me. If you truly missed me, how could you have left so heartlessly for nearly four months, caused such a great disaster, and moved the official ship? Aren't you afraid that if you left like this, Imperial Grandmother might close her eyes, and you would never see me again..."
"Grandson forbids you from speaking such words~ Imperial Grandmother will surely live for a thousand years. Furthermore, although grandson made a mistake first this time, I have already thought of a good way to make amends. Wait, let me introduce a few people to you first. They are all benefactors I met on the road." As Kebina spoke, he stood up and helped the Empress Dowager to the side of the others.
A group of people stood under the scorching sun, all a bit wilted. But seeing the old lady approach, they still perked up, wearing smiles, and welcomed her in the best manner possible.
This was the most noble woman in the Heavenly Sun Kingdom!
"Imperial Grandmother, this is Su Muqing and Lu Yuzhi. The one in her arms is Miss Su's younger brother. These two are their guards, Leng Ren and Leng Feng. And this wicked... girl, is Wan Yan'er, the daughter of the Lord of Wetes City from the Wanfeng Kingdom."
"Greetings, Empress Dowager~" Several people knelt down simultaneously to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager. Only Su Muqing bowed slightly. Seeing everyone else kneeling on the ground, she quickly knelt down as well.
The Empress Dowager stared at Su Muqing, scrutinizing her carefully, feeling that she looked somewhat familiar. Before she could ask anything, Kebina introduced two more people to her with emphasis.
"Imperial Grandmother, when I was ambushed at the dock, it was Miss Su and Brother Lu who came to my rescue. If it weren't for them, I might never have returned."
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager was startled and could barely stand. The weather was already very hot, and seeing the child in Lu Yuzhi's arms getting restless from the heat, she worried something might happen to the child.
"Let's return to the Prince's mansion first. The weather is too hot. When we get back to the mansion, you can tell me properly what happened along the way. As for your friends, since there are saviors and a city lord's daughter, they should come with us!" After speaking, the Empress Dowager took Kebina's hand and prepared to return to the carriage, paying no mind to her son's displeased expression.
Kebina walked up to Hak and couldn't resist kicking him lightly. He gestured with his eyes for him to hurry up and follow, lest he be beheaded.
Hak was also a smart person. He scrambled to his feet and, at his master's signal, went to the nearby stables to rent horses.
Su Muqing called Feila and Heixiong down from the ship. The eagle was flying in the sky not too far away. The Prince and the other guards, seeing such large wild beasts suddenly appear, all drew their weapons and prepared for a serious confrontation.
Bringing them down from the ship was a last resort. Su Muqing and the others had to enter the city, and they couldn't keep these ferocious beasts on the ship indefinitely. Even though the boatmen had seen them, they still wouldn't dare to get too close to the beasts without Su Muqing present.
But Kebina had already seen these animals and liked them immensely. He insisted that Su Muqing bring them to the Prince's mansion, making it impossible for her to put them back into her space.
"Your Highness, please do not be alarmed. They are my pets and will not harm anyone," Su Muqing said as she saw the soldiers drawing their weapons.
A series of "swish, swish, swish..." sounds echoed around. Heixiong, being quite intelligent, knew that these people might not welcome it and took two steps back.
Lu Yuzhi handed the little bun to Su Muqing, then stepped forward to grab Heixiong's arm. Seeing that it was him, Heixiong spread its palm, and Lu Yuzhi stepped onto it, then was lifted by Heixiong onto its shoulder.
The Empress Dowager was also startled by such a colossal creature and squeezed her grandson's hand nervously. Kebina patted her hand comfortingly, broke free, and quickly ran to Heixiong's side, climbing onto its other shoulder along its arm.
"Na'er! Come down quickly, do you want to scare Imperial Grandmother to death?" The Empress Dowager was truly frightened by his actions this time. This was a ferocious beast!
Kebit's heart also clenched tightly when he saw his son climbing onto such a fierce beast. One of his hands was already on the curved saber at his waist, ready at any moment to draw his sword and charge forward if the beast went berserk.
Kebina not only bent down to pat Heixiong's chest but also reached out to hug its neck, his attitude extremely affectionate. "Imperial Grandmother, Father, you don't need to worry. We often play like this on the ship. Taishan is very gentle and especially intelligent. And Batian, we are already very familiar with them. Shall I show you?"
After all, he was a teenager. When encountering something he was proud of or interested in, he couldn't help but want to show it off to his family. He couldn't comprehend the elder's concern at all. If it weren't for worrying about the Empress Dowager's old age, he really wanted to let her sit on it and experience it.
Empress Dowager: I really thank you, my filial grandson!
"No need, you sit properly and don't move around anymore!" Seeing that he was not only going to sit on a fierce beast but also planned to ride a flying bird, his father, the Prince, quickly reached out to stop him.
This giant beast at least ran on the ground. If a fight broke out, they might still be able to catch up. If he were taken to the sky by this flying bird, they would probably be exhausted to death trying to chase him.
Kebina also noticed his father's opposition and, thinking that he had just angered him, decided to be obedient this time. Besides, Batian's temper was not as good as Taishan's. Every time he flew, he would carry him like picking up a chick, looking very un-majestic. With so many people watching, it would be too embarrassing, so he'd better forget it!
"Alright then! Imperial Grandmother, Miss Su and the wicked woman will ride in your carriage. Lu Ge and I will ride Taishan and follow behind you."
"Prepare to go," Lu Yuzhi patted Heixiong's arm. The moment he spoke, Heixiong raised its two large bear paws, steadied the two people on its shoulders, and then stood up.
"Wow!" The onlookers, both citizens and soldiers, couldn't help but swallow their saliva as they looked at the black, mountain-like, majestic beast.
"Okay, okay, you be careful yourself! You two girls, hurry and come over!" The Empress Dowager instructed Kebina, then turned and waved to Su Muqing and Wan Yan'er. Although frightened, her face was pale, she still tried her best to maintain a kind smile.
The two exchanged a glance, then quickly ran over and got into the carriage with the Empress Dowager. Both of them envied Kebina from the bottom of their hearts for having such a good grandmother.
Not to mention Su Muqing, from the first day she arrived in this world, she had felt the malice from the original owner's grandmother. Their attitudes towards each other were such that they wished the other would disappear from this world immediately.
Although Wan Yan'er's grandmother wasn't a rural woman and treated Wan Yan'er fairly well, she was still an old lady from a prominent family, and everything was based on her family's interests. Many times, she protected her only out of consideration for her maternal family's influence. As long as things appeared acceptable on the surface, it was enough.
Just like this time, when she gave the glazed mirror to her grandmother, the grandmother was very happy and always said that among all her granddaughters, she was the most filial. But when she wanted to travel far, the old lady's expression immediately changed. It was only after she said that this trip, if successful, would bring significant benefits to the family that the old lady smiled and agreed, constantly praising her for being capable.
At this time, Hak led a few horses over. Leng Ren and Leng Feng each took a horse, and he took one himself. The Empress Dowager's imperial carriage returned to the mansion, and everyone followed, heading towards the Regent's mansion.
Prince Kebit and his close attendants were left to bake under the scorching sun…
Kebit: Mother, have you forgotten something? Your son came with you in the carriage!
The dignified Regent was thus forgotten by his own mother on the street. Forget it! In the end, the Prince and his attendants had to find two horses and quickly catch up with the procession ahead.
In the carriage, the Empress Dowager looked at the little bun in Su Muqing's arms with a kind expression. Then she took a soft milk cake from the low table beside her and offered it to him. "Little gentleman, how old are you?"
Hearing the Empress Dowager's question, Su Muqing felt a bit nervous. In her opinion, this was a kind old lady, but she held an unreachable status here. She had no prior experience interacting with the imperial family.
No matter what, speaking politely would always be safe. "He should not be called 'little young master' by the Empress Dowager. His childhood name is Xiaoxuan'er. He celebrated his first birthday at sea a while ago."
"Xiaoxuan'er, the name is quite nice. The child looks very spirited. Look at these little arms, so plump like glutinous rice balls, it's so amusing. He even resembles Na'er when he was little." The Empress Dowager pinched the little bun's chubby arm and said with a smile to the wet nurse beside her, who also smiled and nodded in agreement.
Su Muqing was worried that the little bun would be shy, but Su Muxuan's behavior was unexpectedly good. Not only was he not shy, but he also took the milk cake with his little hands and chatted with the Empress Dowager, saying "Amo, amo..."
The Empress Dowager looked at the little bun in front of her with surprise. "Oh! Look at this little thing, he seems to be calling me A'ma. What a clever little rascal~"
In the Heavenly Sun Kingdom, A'ma meant grandmother, but this title was more commonly used by commoners. However, the Empress Dowager liked it when her grandson called her A'ma, finding it more intimate. So, even though she knew the little bun wasn't really calling her, it still felt very heartwarming to her ears.
The old wet nurse said with a smile the words the Empress Dowager liked to hear. "Yes, this servant also heard it. Perhaps this little gentleman also felt your Empress Dowager's kindness. This servant said before that the Empress Dowager, you are the most likable."
"You! You only know how to coax me into happiness!" The Empress Dowager playfully chided the old wet nurse and gave her a meaningful look.
Whenever the Empress Dowager went out, she would bring some small objects of varying value for her personal wet nurse to keep. These were specifically for rewarding juniors or officials' wives.
When it was time to reward someone, the old wet nurse needed to discern what grade of item to take out based on the Empress Dowager's expression and demeanor.
Seeing the genuine smile in the Empress Dowager's eyes, the old wet nurse directly took out three small, emerald-green jade pieces from the highest-grade small drawer behind her. She presented them to Su Muqing and the others.
"Take these to play with! The elder's gift cannot be refused; you can only accept it with gratitude, not decline it." The Empress Dowager smiled kindly and nodded at them.
Su Muqing was so surprised that she placed the little bun aside, knelt down to express her gratitude, and then received the jade pieces with her hands held above her head. "Su Muqing and my brother thank the Empress Dowager for the bestowal."
Wan Yan'er saw that Su Muqing had accepted, so she also received it and expressed her gratitude. "Wan Yan'er thanks the Empress Dowager for the bestowal."
Unexpectedly, the little bun also imitated them, kneeling towards the Empress Dowager. He also held his chubby little hands above his head. His action made the Empress Dowager burst into laughter, completely doting on him. The way she looked at the little bun showed a hint of the eagerness one would have for their own grandson.
The carriage traveled on the wide road. The people kneeling on the sides of the road, who had retreated to avoid them, all heard the bursts of hearty laughter from within the carriage. Judging by the sound, it must be the Empress Dowager out of the palace again.
The procession arrived at the Regent's mansion, with people following not too far behind. They were afraid but also curious, wanting to see what that colossal beast was and why it had captured their young prince.
Before they could even figure out what it was, a giant bird flew from the sky, circling above the procession. The terrified citizens quickly dodged. Those who were fortunate enough to see it would later brag about seeing a divine beast during their leisure time.
The carriage stopped at the main entrance of the Regent's mansion. A luxurious sedan chair had already been waiting at the entrance. A middle-aged woman, dressed in splendid attire, stood at the entrance, looking out expectantly. Upon finally seeing her son, she intended to run towards him. However, glimpsing the fierce beast he was riding, she took a few steps back in fear.
Kebina slid down from Heixiong's shoulder and rushed to the carriage to help the Empress Dowager out and into the sedan chair.
Then, he knelt and bowed to the middle-aged beauty. "Your son greets Mother Consort."
The woman wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and helped Kebina up. They didn't exchange many pleasantries. The woman arranged for the group to board the sedan chairs and proceed to the main hall.
First, they respectfully paid their respects to the Empress Dowager, and then Su Muqing and the others were invited to wait in a side hall for their summons. Kebina remained in the front hall to be questioned by the "three mountains" (father, grandmother, and mother).
Kebina first recounted, with great emotion, the incident of his assassination in Wetes City, which made the Empress Dowager and the Princess Consort feel even more distressed. Only Kebit frowned. He didn't think the perpetrators were from the Wanfeng Kingdom.
The attackers were not after money, but only to take Na'er's life. It seemed that because the Emperor had previously proposed establishing a Crown Prince, and favored Na'er, someone considered Na'er a threat and wanted to eliminate him beforehand.
Thinking of this, Kebit tightened his grip on the teacup, and with a "snap!" sound, the teacup shattered. The freshly brewed hot tea spilled all over him.
"Your Highness~ are you injured? Hak, quickly go and summon the mansion doctor." The Princess Consort, worried about the Prince being injured, anxiously wanted to summon the mansion doctor.
"No need! This King is not injured." Kebit recalled Hak, who had already retreated outside the door, and then patted the Princess Consort's hand, indicating that she need not worry.
Seeing that his father was not seriously harmed, Kebina continued to recount the subsequent events. How Su Muqing and the others suddenly appeared and saved him during the ambush, and how they later decided to travel together because of the matter of glazed glass.
The Regent found it hard to believe his son's words. The martial arts skills of the two people he mentioned were astonishing. Both their Qinggong and internal energy were rarely seen in the world. He also said that they possessed glazed glass craftsmanship techniques even more exquisite than those in the Heavenly Sun Kingdom.
As he spoke, the descriptions became more and more fantastical, such as being able to ride the wind and fly, and being able to contend with tornadoes and lightning. He even claimed to have encountered a multi-legged sea god at sea. With such a rich imagination, how could he not have known that his son also had the talent of a storyteller?
In Kebit's opinion, all the descriptions in Kebina's mouth were blatant exaggerations! Could such god-like people truly exist in the world, and be fortunate enough to meet him?
Seeing that his father didn't believe him, Kebina became angry. His teacup and the small ornaments Su Muqing gave him hadn't been moved yet. Suddenly, he ran like the wind to the side hall.
Kebina rushed directly to Su Muqing. "Miss Su, do you have any glazed glass items on you? Any exquisite item, as long as it's made of glazed glass. My father wants to see if it's truly as exquisite as I described."
"Would this do?" Su Muqing casually took out a finely crafted ancient-style glass doll from her satchel. It was even colored, looking beautiful and magnificent, like a miniature human.
"Wow! This doll is so beautiful!" Wan Yan'er was also attracted by the doll and couldn't help but reach out to take it.
"This one will do!" Kebina snatched the glass doll and then ran back to the front hall like the wind.
Upon entering, he cast a triumphant glance at his father, then walked to the Empress Dowager's side. He abruptly opened his palm, revealing the exquisite glass doll.
The Empress Dowager was startled at first glance by the doll's face. "Oh dear! You scared me. What is this? Why does it look so much like a real person?"
But when she looked clearly, she quickly took it and held it in her hands, examining it carefully. The more she examined it, the more astonished she became; this glazed glass doll was made exceptionally well.
"Imperial Grandmother, this is a glazed glass doll made by Miss Su. Isn't it beautiful?" Seeing that the Empress Dowager liked it very much, Kebina was about to ask his father to come and look when he saw Kebit already walking over with shining eyes.
After the Empress Dowager finished looking, the Regent eagerly took it. He examined the glazed glass doll from all angles and sides. This craftsmanship was indeed refined, and the resulting item was lifelike. It seemed that Kebina's claim of their superior glazed glass manufacturing technology was not an exaggeration.