Chapter 785: Road Pass

Yuanyoushang returned home and waited a full six hours before heading to Qiao Yi's residence. He did this to avoid the messenger who had delivered a letter to Qiao Yi.

The messenger was carrying news about the Great Totem. The ghost servants had only seen fragments of the message. If the Great Totem was indeed 70% restored, this development would hold immeasurable significance for the entire Shang Kingdom, potentially altering the political landscape of its eleven states and three thousand nations. The letter cylinder had been opened, and Qiao Yi would likely investigate this thoroughly. However, the messenger did not know Yuanyoushang, so as long as they didn't meet, Yuanyoushang wouldn't be implicated.

Six hours later, Yuanyoushang arrived at Qiao Yi's residence, where Nian Shangyou was also present. Yuanyoushang kept his gaze lowered, trying to avoid eye contact with Nian Shangyou.

The atmosphere was somewhat awkward. Qiao Yi, smiling, said, "Shangyou, Youshuang, all past grievances are behind us. Please drink these two cups of wine and let go of this personal animosity for now. With danger currently upon us, you two are invaluable ministers. You must work together with one heart to stem the tide of disaster and support the falling edifice."

Qiao Yi poured a cup of wine for each of them. Nian Shangyou drank his, but Yuanyoushang held his cup, his head bowed in silence.

"Youshuang," Qiao Yi approached and urged, "Regarding the past incident, Shangyou has explained the full story to me. In the Battle of Dao Devil Ridge, you were not at fault. He Jiaqing and Cui Tike joined forces, and it was only natural that you were outnumbered. As for the matter of Xiaoyao Dock, you diligently monitored Ma Junyang. Lu Xiaolan acted rashly, not only failing to achieve her goal but also implicating you. Logically, Lu Xiaolan should have been severely punished. However, she has now died by Ma Junyang's hand, so this matter can no longer be pursued."

Yuanyoushang held his wine cup, but still did not drink. Qiao Yi was essentially trying to smooth things over by shifting the blame to Lu Xiaolan. In essence, he was giving Yuanyoushang a declaration of innocence. This was clearly not the outcome Yuanyoushang desired. Nian Shangyou had wanted to kill Yuanyoushang, a fact Qiao Yi did not mention at all.

Nian Shangyou's beard twitched, and his face darkened. He felt Yuanyoushang was being ungrateful. Qiao Yi understood Yuanyoushang's thoughts. He took out a document and handed it to Yuanyoushang, saying, "It's just been drafted and not yet sealed. Take a look first, and see if there are any issues."

Yuanyoushang took it and saw it was a document conferring upon him the title of Viscount. It not only granted him a noble title but also bestowed upon him control of a moving city. Qiao Yi had finally offered something substantial.

Yuanyoushang quickly expressed his gratitude, raised his wine cup, and drained it in one gulp.

Qiao Yi, with a look of pleasure, then let out a long sigh: "Dingye has just been attacked, and Chaoge is suffering from a plague. In these difficult times, many important responsibilities require your attention. If you dwell on the past and miss the opportunity to achieve great deeds, I fear you will regret it deeply later."

Yuanyoushang bowed again, saying, "My lord, rest assured. No matter the difficulties or dangers, your subordinate will not utter a single complaint."

Seeing this situation, Nian Shangyou couldn't neglect proper etiquette. He also poured a cup of wine for Yuanyoushang, saying, "Brother Yuan, there have been many misunderstandings before. It's all my fault for being too hasty in my actions. Please don't take it to heart."

Yuanyoushang quickly drank the wine, and then toasted Nian Shangyou in return: "Lord Nian, your humble subordinate is straightforward and dull-witted. Please forgive any offenses I may have caused."

The atmosphere finally eased. Everyone sat in the study, discussing official matters. Qiao Yi had originally intended to send Yuanyoushang to Puluozhou again to investigate Li Qi's movements. Just then, a messenger requested an audience, stating he had a secret letter to deliver. Normally, Qiao Yi would have Nian Shangyou receive such secret letters alone, without others present. However, upon seeing the messenger's identification plaque, Qiao Yi did not have Nian Shangyou handle it. Instead, he allowed the messenger into the study to present the secret letter in person.

As soon as the messenger entered, Yuanyoushang's heart skipped a beat. This was the very messenger he had saved on the road. Yuanyoushang had waited a full six hours precisely to avoid encountering this messenger at Qiao Yi's residence. He had thought the messenger would have already left, but unexpectedly, the messenger arrived even later than he did.

It turned out the messenger had fallen ill halfway and collapsed, falling into a daze by the roadside. Chaoge was in the midst of a plague, and someone, seeing his common attire, thought he had died from the illness. They carried him to a pile of corpses awaiting burial. The messenger's cultivation level was not low, and his physique was excellent. Thanks to the pill Yuanyoushang had given him, he slept for a few hours, then crawled out of the pile of corpses and rushed to deliver the letter to Qiao Yi.

As he presented the letter, the messenger subtly glanced at Yuanyoushang, then handed the letter cylinder to Qiao Yi. Qiao Yi took the letter cylinder but did not open it immediately. He first dismissed the messenger, then discussed some official matters with the two of them. Soon after, he sent Yuanyoushang away, saying, "Youshuang, you've had a tiring journey. Please go back and rest for a while."

Yuanyoushang breathed a sigh of relief, stood up to take his leave, and departed from Qiao's residence.

Nian Shangyou approached Qiao Yi and asked, "My lord, where did that secret letter come from?"

Qiao Yi shook his head. "It's nothing important. Shangyou, you've also worked hard these past few days. Go back and rest as well. Take good care of yourself."

Nian Shangyou left the study, a chill in his heart. What could be so important that Qiao Yi didn't even trust him? For this matter, Qiao Yi trusted no one.

The Shang Kingdom had many means of communication, but only for matters concerning the Great Totem did Qiao Yi use no communication devices, relying solely on his trusted confidants to deliver messages. Today's situation was particularly unusual. The moment he received the letter cylinder, Qiao Yi noticed its lid had been opened.

He summoned the messenger and calmly asked, "Has anyone tampered with this secret letter?"

The messenger dared not conceal anything: "Your humble servant fell ill just as I arrived in Chaoge, and fainted twice along the way. The first time I collapsed, the letter cylinder accidentally fell to the ground. The lid came off, and someone helped me pick it up."

There was no trace of blame or impatience in Qiao Yi's voice: "Who was that person?"

The messenger, head bowed, replied, "Your humble servant does not know him." This was the truth; the messenger truly did not know Yuanyoushang.

"When you entered the study, why did you look at Yuan Youshuang?" Qiao Yi pointed to the spot where Yuanyoushang had been sitting.

The messenger pursed his lips and said, "Because the person who helped your humble servant up bore some resemblance to him."

Qiao Yi nodded slightly, then dismissed the messenger. After a moment, Qiao Yi sent someone to find Nian Shangyou.

Nian Shangyou had just returned home and was still pondering why Qiao Yi had lost trust in him. Could it be because of Yuanyoushang? Had Nian Shangyou's handling of Yuanyoushang incurred Qiao Yi's displeasure? As he felt uneasy, Qiao Yi summoned him.

Nian Shangyou arrived at the study apprehensively. He heard Qiao Yi ask, "Shangyou, what do you think about Yuan Youshuang's matter?" This was an accusation to his face!

Nian Shangyou quickly admitted his fault: "Your subordinate acted without enough consideration and harbored too much suspicion towards Yuan Youshuang. However, from beginning to end, my actions were for your sake, my lord. There was