He regretted releasing such talented individuals...

"Let it be; these are just trivial matters. The royal family will always have some unsavory affairs. Prince Xinyi will arrive at Dousha Pass tomorrow, and we can discuss this in person there. This is not Dongjing; his influence won't reach me.

The sun is out today with no mist, a blessing to bask in the sun here. Don't let it go to waste."

Han Lin sighed and leaned back against a pile of hay, closing his eyes under a pair of straw hats, lazily saying, "I know you have noticed. Great people are like that; they don’t interfere in your affairs. I just hope you won’t make my death too painful."

Cloud Strife took off the thin blanket from his body and leaned against the hay bale, lazily saying, "You will eventually like how you die because I plan to become a pirate. During the process of robbing others, you’ll be killed by someone else’s blade. It’s an appropriate death—death for wealth or survival for food."

Han Lin chuckled and patted his head, "Brother, don't speak so much nonsense!"

Suddenly, rain started falling as if driven away from the mountain, and after a short while, the sky cleared up. However, it seemed that the rain was still falling on the mountains.

Dragon rides wind; tiger follows. This is an old saying, but Cloud Strife never believed in it. He was always praised as a fierce white tiger who needed constant fanning to create even a bit of wind. Yet, this massive figure had brought down a shower of rain.

The Prince Xinyi whom everyone thought would arrive three days later stood before him. There could be no mistake; he looked like a prince from the first glance.

He wore a red robe with white undershirt and tied a belt around his waist. He wore a rosy sash, jade ornaments, and bracelets, his feet covered in white socks and black leather shoes. On top of it all, he wore a crown without a veil, standing under the scorching sun.

Cloud Strife had worn his court attire only a handful of times, mostly for formal occasions. Even when attending court, he usually dressed casually. He didn't hate wearing court attire; it was just that he often tripped while wearing it.

Seeing someone in full court dress wasn’t common in the countryside. A prince who lowered himself to call a minister’s concubine “madam” required immense courage in the Song Dynasty.

The moment they met, Cloud Strife felt like he was at a disadvantage. He had originally planned to use his elite troops to make an impression on this prince two days later, but now he found himself here, dressed in court attire and speaking empty words that didn't even convince him. (To be continued)