Chapter 2115: You Look Quite Alike

“An envoy from Shen, last name He, is here by invitation?” Fushan Yue sat up straight. “By He Xiao’s invitation, I presume?”

“But you are the one...” Peach also realized. “Oh, they don’t know that Yangshan has changed hands yet.”

“Fine, bring him here.” Fushan Yue stretched, then stood up. “I’ll receive him in He Xiao’s stead.”

After visiting a fish market reeking of seafood, He Yue sniffed his clothes and hurried back to the inn to wash up and change. Having been at sea for over a month, his whole body was already permeated with the salty scent of the sea, every step he took emitting a briny odor.

After showering, he went downstairs and ordered a bowl of cuttlefish noodles and two plates of fried cakes. The fried cakes were fragrant, crunchy with every bite, and delicious! The cuttlefish noodles were also refreshing and springy, and remarkably, the broth was rich. He Yue slurped down several mouthfuls of noodles before remembering to ask: “Where’s the cuttlefish?” This was just a bowl of scallion noodles; there was no cuttlefish.

“The noodles themselves are made from cuttlefish!” the waiter explained, coming over to clarify. He continued that locals would catch cuttlefish, clean them, remove the membranes, mash them into a paste, then mix them with flour and starch to form noodles.

So that’s how it was.

As He Yue ate heartily, he overheard customers at a nearby table complaining while drinking: “That’s not right. They said Yangshan Islands are tax-exempt for goods from Shanjin, but my subordinate just went to declare customs, and they still had to pay a large sum of money!”

Another customer, clearly an old hand, responded, “Navigation fees must be paid; if you rent storage on the island, you also pay storage fees. Plus, you need to show an official cargo manifest issued by Julu Port to prove your goods came from Shanjin.”

He Yue knew that Julu Port was the westernmost port of Shanjin Plain and also Shanjin’s largest port.

The first customer continued, “Before, regulations were loose. If you transported Yangshan specialties, the port would exempt you from taxes. But since the Yangshan Islands were occupied by Chiyan, the procedural requirements have become very strict...”

He Yue’s mind buzzed, and he couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation. Disregarding etiquette, he interrupted the two men, “Excuse me, excuse me, did you just say that Yangshan is now—is owned by Chiyan?!”

“Yes,” both customers nodded. “It’s been several months now.”

Sea voyages typically last from three to five months, sometimes even half a year or a full year, and it was common not to receive news from shore during that time. So, the two seafarers didn’t mock He Yue for being out of the loop; they simply asked him, “How long have you been away?”

“Several months...” He Yue quickly composed himself. “The Yangshan Islands were doing so well; how could they suddenly change hands? I remember the previous island master’s last name was He; how is he?”

“He?” The two seafarers exchanged glances. “The previous island master of Yangshan, wasn’t he the Great Emperor Jiuyou?”

“Huh? The Great Emperor?”

“You should call him Great Emperor Jiuyou now,” the seafarer chuckled. “You don’t know about the great changes in Shanjin. You’ve really been away for a long time.”

He Yue was profoundly shocked and speechless. He instinctively repeated, his voice trembling slightly, “Great Emperor Jiuyou? You mean, he became emperor?” *Big Brother succeeded!*

“That’s right, Great Emperor Jiuyou unified Shanjin Plain and established the nation of ‘Cangyan’.”

He Yue’s breath hitched, but he immediately asked, “And how did the Yangshan Islands change hands? Was it captured in battle?”

“We haven’t heard anything about that.”

The waiter, who happened to be bringing side dishes to the seafarers, chimed in, “No war, no trouble at all. The island master and ownership changed overnight. We woke up, and Yangshan was suddenly part of Chiyan. We were bewildered too. For the first two days, the port still operated as usual, just with slightly stricter patrols and Chiyan soldiers. But the government office still had the same staff; when we went to conduct business, we saw the same familiar faces, and the procedures hadn’t changed.” The government office still retained the original Yangshan staff, only the signage had changed.

The seafarer lowered his voice and said, “I heard that the Yangshan island master deliberately gave this place to Chiyan.”

He Yue blurted out, “Why?” *Big Brother burned down the Stargazing Tower in the Heavenly Palace; wasn’t he deeply at odds with Beijia?*

“At that time, Beijia had issued a ban on the Yangshan Islands, which drastically reduced maritime trade on this route. I don’t know how Great Emperor Jiuyou negotiated with Beijia, but he gave this place to them,” the seafarer said, spitting out a chicken bone and waving his hand. “This is just what I heard, though; it might not be accurate.”

Just then, two patrol officers entered, heading directly to the counter. One of them immediately addressed the innkeeper: “We’re looking for an envoy from Shen, surname He.”

He Yue’s scalp tingled. When he submitted his meeting request at the Political Affairs Office, he had no idea the island master had changed and this was now Chiyan territory! The innkeeper had already pointed in his direction, so He Yue had no choice but to say, “I am here.”

The patrol officer turned around and stated flatly, “The island master wants to see you!”

A quarter of an hour ago, He Yue would have been thrilled; a quarter of an hour later, he desperately wanted to avoid it. But there was no escaping now. “Excuse me, who is the current island master?”

“His Royal Highness Prince Yue.”

He Yue scratched his head. In Shen, he was also known as Prince Yue.

The deeper he walked into Sotting Island, the more picturesque the scenery became. The prosperity and liveliness of the Yangshan Islands were ten times that of Baisha Bay, filling He Yue with envy. The island master’s office was situated by a small lake, a peaceful retreat amidst the bustling island. The commotion from other parts of the island didn’t reach here at all.

He Yue, however, had no mind for sightseeing. He was preoccupied with why the Chiyan Prince wanted to see him. He had only submitted his application half an hour ago; the efficiency on this island was surprisingly high. And was the Chiyan Prince really so idle that he would grant an audience to anyone who requested it? By the lake, several rock goats were grazing, the leader wearing a delicate small tag around its neck. It gazed at him while mercilessly chewing tender blades of grass. Its spiraling horns were sharp enough to kill.

Upon entering the office, a man in blue, with his hands clasped behind his back, approached. He was tall, robust, and handsome, but his eyes held a cold, fierce gaze. As soon as he saw He Yue, he scrutinized him from head to toe.

He Yue ignored the arrogant rudeness of his gaze, cupped his hands in a respectful salute, and said, “Greetings, Your Royal Highness Prince.” The man before him was the Crown Prince of Chiyan, one of Beijia’s thirteen vassal demon nations!

Fushan Yue’s next words stunned him: “You are He Yue?”

“...” He Yue paused for two breaths. “You know me?” What was going on? How could the Chiyan Prince know his name? Had he heard it from his brother?

Fushan Yue maintained his scrutinizing gaze: “You two brothers bear some resemblance, but you appear to be kinder.”

He Yue forced himself to remain calm: “My brother mentioned me in passing?”