Qu Shao bowed slightly. "Of course I know. The Prince Regent brought General Yuan up through the ranks himself."

Yuan Long's face was dark. "You know that, and you still dare badmouth the prince in front of this general? Are you tired of living?"

Qu Shao bowed. "Please calm yourself, General. How would I dare badmouth the prince? I only regret what I did back then.

When I served at court, I was devoted to my sovereign and my country, brimming with loyal courage... Looking back now, it's laughable. What right did I have to criticize the prince?

If not for the prince and you generals, the Great Xuan would have collapsed long ago and ceased to exist.

If I could do it all over again, I would never submit a memorial impeaching the prince."

Yuan Long and the others looked a little mollified.

Lei An snorted. "At least you know what's good for you... Now talk. What business brings you to General Yuan? You can't have come all this way just to repent of what you did."

Qu Shao looked at Yuan Long. "General Yuan, you followed the prince on campaigns north and south, east and west, and did the Great Xuan great service in the field.

But now the prince is gone, and you generals have been sent down to some bitter cold place.

I only want to ask one thing: are you generals content with that?"

Ning Chen's eyes narrowed slightly, and a meaningful smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Yuan Long and the others froze for a moment, then exchanged a look.

Ning Chen had told them to wait, and now the man they'd been waiting for had come.

They just didn't know yet whose man he was. Nanyue's, or the Gaoli Kingdom's?

Yuan Long and the other two looked grim.

Yuan Long went further. He snatched up the teacup in front of him, smashed it on the floor and glared at Qu Shao, livid. "Did you come here to mock this general?"

A flicker of delight showed in Qu Shao's eyes. So it…