Why My Domineering Prince Regretted Filing for Divorce?

After leaving Xuanzheng Hall, Lv Qianfeng led his men out of the city for another search. This time, they went further, to the point where there wasn’t a trace of human habitation. The desolate grasslands and hills, after a winter of frost and snow, appeared desolate, as if that desolation had already placed itself before Lv Qianfeng.

Until he couldn’t find anything more, he finally led the crowd back to the city.

Upon returning, Lv Qianfeng dismissed the others to rest while he, with a dust-covered face, went to a tavern on the long street, sat by the window, and drank alone. As time slowly passed, he unknowingly drank two jars of wine.

The moon was at its zenith.

After pouring the last drop of wine from the jar into his bowl, Lv Qianfeng impatiently shouted, "Waiter, another jar!"

Upon hearing this, the waiter hurriedly ran in, but seeing the two empty jars on the table and Lv Qianfeng’s flushed face, he could only accompany his words with a smile, "Honored guest, maybe we should stop drinking."

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, Lv Qianfeng, consumed with anger, grabbed the waiter, "What do you mean? You dare not bring the wine when I ask for it?"

The waiter replied with a smile, "Honored guest, how would I dare? It’s just that for a lone guest, our establishment has a rule: no more than three jars. If you got drunk—"

Lv Qianfeng squinted at him, "Are you worried that I have no one to take care of me, or worried that I won’t pay?"

"Hehe."

"Stop the nonsense and bring me the wine!"

Lv Qianfeng shoved him away, but feeling the surge of alcohol, he almost stumbled. Just then, with a "thud," a jar of wine heavily landed on the table in front of him. Instantly sobering up, Lv Qianfeng looked up to see a somewhat familiar face drawing close, offering him a subtle smile, and then instructed, "Waiter, the dishes here are almost finished. How can we drink without more dishes? Bring up some good dishes!"

The waiter, seeing the newcomer, dared not be neglectful, promptly agreed and turned to run back down.

Lv Qianfeng took a deep breath, still somewhat muddled in his mind, though clearer. Seeing the person sit beside him, he adjusted his expression and smiled, "Brother Mu, what brings you here too?"

The visitor was none other than Mu Xian, whom he had met in the palace earlier that day.

Mu Xian smashed open the mud seal with one palm, poured a bowl of wine for him from the jar, and then smiled, "I and my brothers often come here for drinks. Unexpectedly, I meet Brother Lv today. I hope Brother Lv doesn’t mind—"

Lv Qianfeng sobered up a bit more.

Looking at the bowl Mu Xian handed over, he took it with a smile but didn’t drink immediately, instead saying, "What a coincidence."

Mu Xian laughed, "With nothing to do these days, I come here to drink to pass the time. It truly is a coincidence."

"Brother Mu, being a confidant of King Qin, always engages in major affairs. How come you have nothing to do?"

"Isn’t Brother Lv joking? Nowadays, even King Qin has nothing to do, let alone us subordinates. Aside from training soldiers, we handle daily necessities. There’s nothing else to do."

While speaking, Mu Xian poured a bowl of wine for himself, raising it to clink with Lv Qianfeng.

But Lv Qianfeng still didn’t drink.

He smiled, "Eating and drinking are major life affairs."

Mu Xian replied, "Indeed."

"..."

"It’s just that King Qin raises us soldiers, hoping we can go to the battlefield to kill enemies and serve the court, so we can earn some military merits and support our families. But now, we wear clothes in vain, eat grains in vain, yet can’t obtain even a bit of military merit. At this rate, I fear King Qin might also—"

Lv Qianfeng’s eyes flickered.

He vaguely sensed that Mu Xian’s words carried deeper meaning. However, having just consumed two jars of wine, his numbed brain couldn’t quite process it, only grasping a point he found concerning, muttering repeatedly, "Wearing clothes in vain, eating grains in vain..."

Mu Xian laughed, "Yes, who can raise soldiers without tailoring clothes or consuming grains?"

"..."

"Moreover, King Qin always shows great empathy. Our clothes are made by the largest tailoring shop in the city, and our grains are all premium. The silver spent flows like water. Unlike others, using fabrics that aren’t durable, tearing with just a move."

"..."

"I heard that some cloth shops in the south of the city only sell that kind. The people in the city don’t wear it, only sell it outside the city."

Lv Qianfeng’s expression gradually turned serious, casting another glance at Mu Xian’s smiling eyes, enlightenment dawned in his heart.

He remained silent for a while, finally lifting the bowl in his hand to gently clink against Mu Xian’s bowl held up in front of him, speaking with deep meaning, "Since Brother Mu follows a good master who shows empathy, do well to stay with him."

"..."

"A good master, with boundless prospects."

Mu Xian smiled, "Thanks for your kind words, brother."

After saying this, the two drank their bowls of wine in one go. Just after finishing, the waiter brought a platter with several small dishes. But before setting it down, Lv Qianfeng already stood up, "Brother Mu, consider this round of drinking on me. I’ve already had more than two jars, I can’t drink anymore."

Mu Xian smiled, "Brother Lv is destined to do big things, naturally can’t let drinking delay you."

"You are too kind."

"Well, after the big things are done, we’ll drink again."

After saying that, both rose and saluted each other, the waiter standing by, staring dumbfoundedly at their peculiar words and actions, unable to process it. Lv Qianfeng already walked out from his side, tossing a piece of silver to him.

In his panic, the waiter still managed to catch it immediately. Though not fully understanding what transpired, he hurriedly expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, honored guest!"

In the distance, the sound of galloping hooves was heard as Lv Qianfeng left the tavern and rode away.

That night, a manor outside the city was raided under the cover of darkness.

Based on the records of the cloth shop owner who delivers clothes and the grain store owner who delivers food within the city, Lv Qianfeng had estimated in advance that there were roughly a hundred people in the manor. So the Left Guard dispatched several hundred cavalry to surround the manor. Although the manor housed young and strong men skilled in martial arts, when Lv Qianfeng appeared and revealed the imperial edict, warning them that resistance would be treated as treason, these vigilant men, who had picked up their weapons as soon as being surrounded, ultimately dared not defy the imperial decree or bear the charge of treason, and thus obediently laid down their arms.

Lv Qianfeng easily identified from their clothing that they were of the same group as those assassins sent to intercept Pei Xingyuan, whose bodies were later sent to the mortuary after being killed by the guards.

He escorted this group back to the city, conducting overnight interrogation.

Before dawn, a clear, signed confession was sent into the Liangyi Hall of Yu Wenquan.