The last to arrive at Purple Mountain King's Mansion were Bei Hong and his son, Bei Qing. Lu Yin summoned them both.
"Your subordinate Bei Hong pays his respects to Your Highness."
"Bei Qing pays his respects to Your Highness."
Lu Yin raised a hand. "At ease. Please, sit."
Bei Hong bowed once more and sat nearby. Bei Qing stood behind him, glancing at Lu Yin from time to time as if he had seen him before.
Zhaoran poured a cup of tea and curiously glanced at Bei Hong. So many guests had come today. Fortunately, she had prepared plenty of tea; there would be enough even if several more groups arrived.
"Lord Bei, how long have you known King Mu?" Lu Yin asked casually.
Bei Hong replied respectfully, "Your subordinate has known King Mu since we were young. We even sat the palace examinations together once."
Lu Yin was surprised. "King Mu took the palace examinations?"
"Yes. King Mu was an exceptionally talented writer, and he was admirable. Unfortunately, he failed the examinations," Bei Hong said with a smile.
"It seems you and King Mu are quite close," Lu Yin said.
Bei Hong's expression turned solemn. "King Mu has kept a low profile all these years, and so have I. Neither openly nor in secret have I ever had any dealings with him, and I've never said a single word in his favor. Otherwise, I couldn't have survived until now."
"Looks like you played a major part in persuading the army to join King Mu," Lu Yin said.
Bei Hong lowered his head without answering. Naturally, he did not deny it either. He had no idea what Lu Yin meant by that remark. He was unsure what to make of this man. Whenever he and King Mu discussed him,