As the scout carrying the letter galloped away from Luoyang, a carriage also came to a stop there.
Pei Xiu gazed through the carriage window at Luoyang not far away, an inscrutable light flickering in his eyes.
After leaving Yongliang, Pei Xiu had made another trip to Bing Province to inspect matters there before returning to Luoyang.
The emperor had sent Cheng Ji to receive him.
When he saw this ferocious-looking man waiting for him with a host of elite troops, Pei Xiu realized he was probably in for trouble.
Cheng Ji strode up to Pei Xiu with a swagger that acknowledged neither kith nor kin. "Duke Pei, His Majesty is waiting for you."
Pei Xiu nodded. Then the men escorted his carriage toward the Imperial Palace.
Pei Xiu quickly began thinking of a way to respond.
But before he could work one out, Cheng Ji roughly seized his hand and dragged him all the way before Cao Mao.
Pei Xiu rubbed his aching hand and silently cursed a few times.
That mad dog Cheng Ji. If His Majesty ordered him to cut down his own father and mother, would he actually do it too?
Pei Xiu hurriedly bowed to greet the emperor.
Cao Mao sat in the seat of honor, unmistakable anger in his eyes.
"Lord Pei, you did a fine job in Yongliang. Civilizing the Hu people, until they were all civilized right into the service of the great aristocratic clans... splendid work indeed."
As Cao Mao spoke, Pei Xiu's expression turned exceedingly bitter.
Those damned bastards!
Pei Xiu had long known those great clans would cause trouble, but he had not expected it to happen so soon.
Yet as Cao Mao looked at Pei Xiu before him, he felt particularly disappointed.
Pei Xiu's ability was beyond question.