Book 10: Chapter 73

Beussent suddenly knelt down, placed his hands flat on the ground and lowered his head between them in Emperor Yuansheng’s direction. Emperor Yuansheng could tell it was a salute but was oblivious to the fact that the salute was reserved for only when a vassal saluted his monarch.Without interpreting, despite Emperor Yuansheng’s exclamation, Beussent and A-Lan resumed their conversation.A-Lan was only six years old when she fled Nieyao City; asking her to illustrate Morcher or recognise her parents would be asking for the impossible. Therefore, the only way to confirm her Princess status was to ask her to present a heirloom from the royal family, a tattoo of the royal family or a reliable witness testimony.A-Lan didn’t have any token to prove her identity. She had to remove her tattoo long ago to hide from her hunters. The general who escorted her lost his life when she was fourteen. Frankly, she probably couldn’t identify herself if asked to. Thankfully, Beussent had a fourth alternative.“Do you… know what your father’s favourite phrase was?” Even Beussent wasn’t confident the real Princess would remember her father’s favourite phrase. Deep down, he was only anticipating…“… May Xiacang Anxi rise once again.”Perhaps it should be attributed to Morcher being closer to the Central Plain, but their accent was different to others. Heisina Tribe, in particular, could identify their accent unlike other tribes because it was the first state they could call home – as well as Morcher endeavouring to protect Beussent’s accent.The silhouette of the King Beussent served flitted across his foggy vision. Notwithstanding his straight face, his admiration and yearning for his King was distinctly visible. “I never thought I would hear someone say that phrase in that accent for the rest of my life.” As twenty years of emotions coursed down his face, Beussent sincerely saluted A-Lan, quavering, “This one is honoured… and glad to see you again.”“Are you… Uncle Chigen’s nephew, Chiyu?”“This one is Heisina Chigen’s nephew, Heisina Chiyu, indeed.”Baimu, still on the roof, was as confused as Emperor Yuansheng was. Whatever the case, he had finishing charging his energy, and Beussent’s mind wasn’t fit for fighting at the moment. There was no better time to execute the rebel than now.“Long live, Your Highness, Princess of our glorious ancestral nation! Please lead us back to the sky!”Baimu didn’t lower his raised hand: Princess? What Princess? She’s a Princess?“Ever since His Majesty passed away, this one has prayed daily to find you.”“You… believe I’m Ah Lan?”Beussent smiled for the first time in two decades: “Perhaps you are not privy, but you delivered that line exactly as His Majesty did.”Because accepting a salute from your subordinate was considered a reward to the subordinate in Xiacang Anxi culture, A-Lan didn’t stop Beussent from saluting her. Once he was done, she gently helped him up.“I barely knew anything when I left home. Uncle Chigen often mentioned his nephew, Chiyu, whom he praised as an astute and competent man. I’m surprised to learn his nephew is the current chief of Heisina Tribe.”“I heard… Uncle has passed away.”“Sadly so. He may have given his life to protect me; however, he never forgot about any of you. Even when he slept, he slept facing the south. Every scar and bruise on him is a medal of his bravery. He died the death of a true hero.”Beussent exhaled slowly and then nodded: “He has always been our tribe’s hero.”“Beussent. I should be addressing you as Beussent, right?”“Yes, please address this one as Beussent.”Baimu: Even the god of the Central Plain must have descended. Two for the price of one! Today is my lucky day!Unsurprisingly, all eleven royal families were still hung up over the existence of Princess Ah Lan. Firstly, they all concurred that Morcher had the most formidable military among their time. While most of the kingdom was history, their remnants were still alive in the Central Plain’s lands, and their loyalty to Morcher’s royal family was steadfast. Should Princess Ah Lan announce her desire to resurrect Morcher, the state’s remnants would unquestionably heed her call.Once the Central Plain occupied Morcher’s territory, the eleven states realised that driving off Princess Ah Lan was a mistake. After all, controlling her was the only means of righteously repossessing Morcher’s territories. By then, though, they were unable to find any trace of her.Baimu decided to dial up his output to 70% of his full power, planning to kill Beussent with his first strike and the other two “weak side characters” with a second attack. Finally, he would make off with two trophies: Beussent’s head and Princess Ah Lan.“Subsequent to His Majesty’s passing, this one sent his tribesmen to the Central Plain annually to search for clues on your whereabouts. His younger sister is currently in the Central Plain to find you. Could Heavenly Swordsman have been the one to escort you here?”A-Lan furrowed her brows: “I thought you’d know Luo Ming. He went to Nieyao ten years ago, didn’t he?”GlossaryA-Lan and Ah Lan – For the sake of distinction, I translated A-Lan as Ah Lan in part of this chapter. Remember chapters back how it was mentioned that “Ah” instead of “A-“ is used in Nanjiang? Well, if we don’t use this distinction, then A-Lan would be putting a bull’s eye on her back after she fled from Nanjiang to both her hunters and people not from Nanjiang. When she says, “You… believe I’m Ah Lan,” I feel it needs to be emphasised that she is referring to herself as the Princess of Morcher, especially since the topic of accents was mentioned.