Chapter 264: Chapter 241 – Covering Luoyang with One Hand Chapter 264: Chapter 241 – Covering Luoyang with One Hand The official clarified his purpose, and before he could even ntion the rank, annual salary, leave, and other recruitnt terms, Huan Yuan imdiately refused, saying, “Please forgive as I cannot comply; you may leave now.”
Chu Yu was curiously waiting to hear what Tuoba Hong was willing to sacrifice to recruit Huan Yuan, but unexpectedly, Huan Yuan refused without a second thought. She couldn’t help but feel surprised, and the official was even more astonished, not expecting that Huan Yuan, a re civilian, would dare defy the Emperor’s decree.
But after recalling the attitude of Amman and Chu Yu just now, he roughly understood: there lived a group of difficult people in this residence.
The official hesitated for a mont, thinking that he had brought too few attendants with him this ti. If he persisted, it might not be favorable, especially since dealing with the Kunlun slave was enough of a challenge. He decided to leave temporarily and ask the local governnt to lend so military forces before coming back to settle the score with these troublemakers. With this plan in mind, he did not linger any longer or try to persuade Huan Yuan again but rely left with a cold laugh and his n.
Huan Yuan entered the house with a stern face, shut the door, and had not gone far when Chu Yu eagerly asked, “Don’t you want to take up an official position?” Although Huan Yuan had never expressed dissatisfaction with the idle life, Chu Yu felt the deepest guilt towards him compared to others.
Whether in politics or literature, Huan Yuan was capable of achieving great things, but since coming to Northern Wei, he had always kept a low profile. He hardly interacted with the local literati, let alone sought an official career. Except for occasionally speaking with Guan Canghai or going out to buy books or accompany her, he spent most of his ti at ho reading.
Chu Yu knew why he did this.
He did it to avoid drawing attention, to keep as few people as possible from noticing them so that their true identities wouldn’t be exposed. More specifically, to prevent her identity from being exposed—among all of them, she was the least capable of self-protection and the most likely to face danger.
Once her identity was revealed, without the protection of her previous status, her situation could beco difficult. Although this wasn’t the territory of the Southern Dynasty, Chu Yu’s forr identity didn’t have a good reputation, so acceptance by the Northern Dynasty was unlikely.
However, now that the Emperor’s decree had arrived, it ant that the Emperor was aware of their background. Whether they hid or not no longer mattered, and Chu Yu had thought Huan Yuan would want to take the official position, as it was an opportunity for him to demonstrate his capabilities.
Huan Yuan stopped and first instructed his attendant to fetch a package from his room’s bookshelf before he turned to Chu Yu, speaking deliberately, “I do not wish to be a subject of the Xianbei.”
Hearing Huan Yuan say this, Chu Yu suddenly rembered that Northern Wei was established by the Xianbei people, not the Han people. The Xianbei, colloquially known as barbarians, were originally a nomadic tribe from the north, but as they grew in power, they began to establish their own state. In Jin Yong’s novel “The Eight Trigrams,” Murong Fu’s ancestor from the Murong Family, a real tribe that had established several states during the chaotic period before the Southern and Northern Dynasties, but they soon perished. The ruling family of Northern Wei, the Tuoba, was another branch of the Xianbei Tribe.
Because most of the population around her was Han, and the Xianbei people had gradually beco sinicized over the years adopting many Han administrative practices, it often caused Chu Yu to forget that this was a region ruled by an alien clan.
Chu Yu did not see the distinction between barbarians and Han as strictly black and white. Although unaware of the specific historical details, she still knew that the Sui Dynasty would unify everything several years later, and the North and South Dynasties would be reunited. Given the limitations of her current ti and perspective, it was difficult for her to harbor any class resentnt towards the Xianbei people.
But Chu Yu also knew that getting Huan Yuan to understand her perspective was not easy. His stance was more aligned with that of traditional scholars, so she carefully avoided showing any dissenting expression and instead asked, “Then what do you plan to do? The Emperor has already sent soone to find us.” After a pause, she added, “Maybe we should just run away now.”
It was unlikely that the other party would simply drop the matter due to Huan Yuan’s refusal. To avoid trouble, leaving the area seed the best choice.
Huan Yuan slowly shook his head, a curious expression briefly flitting across his face before he gazed deeply at Chu Yu with an unfathomable look. After a long while, he slowly said, “No, it’s not us who should leave, but .”
By leaving alone, he could solve the problem.
Chu Yu felt sowhat uneasy and said, “Why?” What did he an by that?
Huan Yuan lowered his eyelids and said indifferently, “We have nowhere to go; we can’t stay in Northern Wei, and the Southern Dynasty is just as dangerous.”
Under the whole heavens, all is Royal Territory. Although there are two Emperors, it is still Royal Territory, and beyond the Royal Territory, the barbarians of Northern Mo represent a wild and untad land. He truly couldn’t bear to see her suffer the hardships of displacent because of him.
Huan Yuan raised his eyes; his handso eyes shimred slightly, seemingly distressed, “As long as I leave, even the Emperor of Northern Wei, having lost the reason to trouble you, will no longer co to disturb you.”
Chu Yu said with a chuckle, “How can you think that by just leaving, Tuoba Hong would really let it go? Perhaps he would vent his anger on ?” Both of them lacked any sense of monarchial allegiance, thus one rely addressed him by his title, while the other boldly called him by na.
Huan Yuan’s voice was low but just loud enough for Chu Yu to hear, “No, the Emperor of Northern Wei wants only . As for you, as long as I leave, he won’t blatantly confront the people behind you just to vent his frustration.”
As he spoke, a pain struck his heart, so he deliberately turned his head away from Chu Yu, “Perhaps you don’t know, but I have slowly detected that we have been protected all along. Since we arrived in Northern Wei up to now, we who have no background or foundation, have never encountered any trouble, never been defrauded by rchants, never oppressed by local leaders, never troubled by the powerful, nor attracted any attention from others, and even, the enemies from the Southern Dynasty have never sent anyone to pursue us… This is not due to my capability, but because soone has been deliberately protecting us from behind.”
It was a hand, untraceably and silently, covering the sky of Luoyang City, erasing everything unfavorable to them, keeping them safe and sound.
Exceptionally powerful and exceptionally stable, constantly protecting them. This strength and stability almost drove him to despair. The other party could protect Chu Yu without making a sound, yet he could do nothing to help.
That person might be Guan Canghai, but his thod of handling things seems more like another person.
Chu Yu stood stunned.
So, all this ti, over the past year, her peaceful life had been protected? Because soone was shielding her from all dangers and misfortunes, was she able to live so carefree and peacefully? Was she able to enjoy the clear, refreshing wind, and chat freely with people, all because soone had already erected an invisible barrier to shield her from the storms?
Seeing Chu Yu lost in thought, Huan Yuan gave a bitter smile and said softly, “Yes, your peace doesn’t need my protection at all. What benefit is there in my staying here?”
At this mont, an attendant had already fetched the package he ntioned, containing so valuable items and a set of clothes for changing. He had prepared these after realizing soone was secretly protecting Chu Yu, and had already harbored so thoughts of leaving. However, he had no sufficient reason to leave at that ti and didn’t really want to go, so he had been delaying until now. Now indeed was the ti for him to leave.
If Tuoba Hong could send soone, it indicated that the protective hand could no longer shield completely against the storm. His departure might reduce so of the burdens and troubles for Chu Yu.
He turned and took a step toward the door not far away, but saw a figure swiftly moving past him and then blocking the door.
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Faint, faint, a serious typo has appeared, please forgive the unintended romantic letter, which I didn’t notice during the review… Could it be that subconsciously I was thinking of having soone write a love letter? o(∩_∩)o…
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