I Have A Qi Fortune Altar.
Chapter 655: 433 What, Chen Yuan dares to talk back to his mother concubine!_3

Chapter 655: Chapter 433 What, Chen Yuan dares to talk back to his mother concubine!_3

Even though Princess possessed an innate talent, it was inevitable she would have to be married off in the future.

“Imperial sister….” Sima Ke’s eyes narrowed slightly with admiration for this sister, a woman who always had deep strategic plans.

Regrettably, their mother held a grudge against her for past incidents, creating a persistent barrier between them. Nonetheless, being her biological brother,

it seemed not entirely inappropriate for him to seek her strategic advice. After all, this could also be seen as venting his mother’s anger. He took a deep breath, about to send someone to notify her of his visit,

when suddenly a guard at the door entered with a reverent tone:

“Your Highness, there are Japan Martial Artists outside seeking an audience.”

“Japan knaves?” Sima Ke frowned and waved his hand:

“Do not see them.”

The people of the Central Plains looked down on those from the Western Regions, Japan, and the Northern Barbarians alike, considering only the Central Plains as the true center of the universe.

The other regions were deemed uncivilized barbarians.

As a Prince, Sima Ke naturally held himself in even higher regard.

The guard continued:

“Those Japan Martial Artists mentioned they also have a grudge against Chen Yuan and hope to meet Your Highness.”

The guard looked up, and seeing Sima Ke not responding and his expression still grim, assumed that the answer was still to refuse them. He quickly bowed and withdrew,

to tell the Japan Martial Artists.

“Wait….”

Sima Ke called back the guard.

“Does Your Highness have any other instructions?”

“Let them in,”

Sima Ke said with a grim expression.

The enemy of an enemy is a friend, though Sima Ke had no intention of befriending Japan knaves. Now that they had approached him, it was worth meeting them.

If they could deal with Chen Yuan, that was for the best.

If they only wished to forge ties with him, then he would meet them this time and ignore them later.

“Yes.”

The guard withdrew, and Sima Ke calmly sat back down, his gaze fixed ahead.

Shortly after, the guard who had left returned, leading a few warriors dressed in Central Plains attire into the hall; the leader was a young warrior carrying a long sword on his back.

Hanging from his forehead was a strand of long hair, his demeanor cool, with a slight tracery of a beard around his lips.

Several attendants followed him.

Sima Ke did not rise to greet them but surveyed them with a detached gaze, his eyes flickering slightly.

The young man in the lead took one look at Fourth Prince Sima Ke, mimicing the etiquette of the Central Plains, and with a clasp of hands bowed:

“Ito Ikeda of the Ito family from Japan, pays his respects to Your Highness the Fourth Prince.”

Sima Ke looked somewhat dubious. Being a prince of the current dynasty, he was not ignorant, especially of the three major families of Japan.

The strongest among them was the Yagyu family, reputedly possessing a True Monarch level patriarch.

The Ito family followed in strength.

Their power was unquestionably top-notch in Japan, and as the activities of Japan Martial Artists in the Central Plains became increasingly frequent in recent years, the names of the three families had also spread far and wide.

“Ito family has long resided overseas, why have you now come to the Capital City?”

Sima Ke gazed bafflingly.

“Japan is but a minor nation, holding the culture of the Central Plains in awe. The Capital City is a gathering place of the essence of the Central Plains lands, naturally revered also by us, Japan Martial Artists, therefore, we especially visited the Capital City.”

Ito Ikeda bowed.

“If you wish to see the Capital City, there are officials from the Ministry of Rites for that. Why… would Your Highness want to show us around?”

Sima Ke’s fingers tapped on the table, his eyes narrowing.

Meetings with these foreign barbarians were usually handled by officials from the Ministry of Rites, as the Heavenly Dynasty upheld etiquette above all.

The real motive for them seeking him out was probably not so simple.

“Not so. Ikeda has come to pay respects because he admires Your Highness’s reputation as the prime candidate for the next Emperor, and hopes to represent the three major families of Japan in forming a good relationship with Your Highness,”

Ito whispered.

“Silence!” Sima Ke’s gaze suddenly hardened, stopping the other’s words.

The Emperor was not yet dead. If such words were to reach the Emperor’s ears, what would he think?

He felt that these Japan Martial Artists had come to cause trouble for him.

“I am a son of the Emperor, and naturally hope for the Emperor to live a long life. Do not mention such pleasing words again, lest you force me to punish you,”

“It was a slip of the tongue by Ikeda, Your Highness please forgive.”

Seeing such a reaction from him, Ito Ikeda quickly added.

“Please, have a seat,”

Sima Ke indicated to the chairs nearby.

“Thank you.”

“Just speak plainly about your intentions, my time is limited.”

“Ikeda has already mentioned – merely hoping to form a friendship. Although we are a foreign power, we wholeheartedly aspire to be part of the Central Plains,

and seeing Your Highness gives us hope.”

“Hmph….” Sima Ke snorted softly, then shifted the topic, asking:

“Earlier you had the guard announce that you bear a grudge against Chen Yuan. What enmity is this, considering Chen Yuan hails from Qingzhou, which lies far across the East Sea from Japan? How could it be related to Japan?”

Ito Ikeda spoke solemnly:

“The three major families of Japan are branches of the same origin. Yagyu Shinichi and Yagyu No Yi were killed by Chen Yuan, that’s one; our family’s Longevity Altar in Qingzhou was destroyed by him, that’s two.

This individual has always harbored dissatisfaction towards us, Japan Martial Artists, specifically wanting to kill them, as stated by Tangshan, who forbade our speech, speaking with insult, which adds up as the third grievance.”

“With all these together, how can we not consider it a grudge?”

“What do you plan to do?”

“Defeat him. Only by shattering his Dao Heart can we rid ourselves of this disgrace of Japan.”

“Oh?”

Sima Ke’s interest piqued, ready to listen closely.

Once more, a guard came in, bowing as he said:

“Your Highness, the Princess has sent a letter.”

“Let me see it,”

Sima Ke said, squinting his eyes as the guard reverently presented the letter.

Opening the letter gradually, Sima Ke’s gaze instantly tightened, a mix of darkness and anger crossing his face, for the letter contained only a few words:

“Chen Yuan is not to be antagonized, it is best to cease any hostilities for now.”

Casually crumpling the letter, Sima Ke focused on Ito Ikeda and spoke tersely:

“What do you plan to do?”