News of the comprehensive victory in Tivoli was spread out across the capital, the region was buzzing with a sense of superiority over their long time rivals from Sasko.
More shocking news was to come as sketchy details of the operation pointed to the new lord of the western hills being an integral part of the success to retain the gemstone mines.
People in certain circles had expected big things from the youth based on the fact that he had earned the young prince's trust, but definitely not this soon. The person most surprised was in his office alone at at his massive desk, natural light crawled across the room as the man with streaks of white running through his hair carefully read through a plethora of parchments.
The top secret reports sitting scattered across his desk were astounding, he had read and re-read certain documents just to make sure that he was seeing the right thing. From the operation they had captured a captain and a commander from Sasko, this was unheard of before in skirmishes happening in an affiliate country.
If one faction was losing they would just retreat while erasing the evidence of them ever being there then deny all involvement.
Apparently Hartley had personally captured the two high level captives and slaughtered countless infantry, even more daunting was a top secret parchment marked "for the prince's eyes only" written in bold red letters.
When Prince Jian read this document his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Hartley had single-handedly killed an expert in the 9th layer of the xiantian realm, a top prospect from Sasko touted to be their next saint.
When he had brought the youth into his circle, honestly he was just doing it because of Commander Genk's enthusiasm but now it seems he had hit the jackpot. To think that blasted poof Sir Lingwei had almost made an enemy of the youth. The prince felt as if he had dodged a knife to the heart.
"The youngest powerhouse ever to walk the continent." Prince Jian said to himself lost in his thoughts. He certainly didn't see this coming. Commander Genk really had an eye for talent, even if the brute of a man was lacking in diplomacy he thought to himself....
The following days at the manor Hartley saw countless nobles come to visit and acquaint themselves with the new lord of the western hills trying to leave a good impression. Hartley was now seen as someone of the younger generation with massive potential to make it to the top in the aristocratic circles.
Some brought with them expensive gifts for the upcoming wedding or just to curry favor.
Though Hartley didn't put these people in his eyes and had no intention of fostering any relations with them, he greedily accepted their valuable gifts shamelessly.
It was a contemptible piece of shamelessness on his part but if a shameful thing was to be done in relieving these wanna-be hangers-on of their wealth, Hartley might as well be the one to do it. In this new cut-throat world he had found himself in, there was no advantages for the honorable or overly righteous.....
A week later, while Hartley and commander Genk traveled towards the prince's castle there was an altercation back at the manor of the western hills....
"Return to your duties now you plebs! Capture them all all and tie them up." A fat noble man screamed with irritation as he barked orders at his contingent of fur clad guards while pointing out some of the former bandits who now worked for Hartley for immediate capture.
The fat man's guards drew their weapons and advanced towards the former bandits who in turn drew their own weapons and stood their ground with scowls of derision. "Come if you have no more use for your lives," one of the former bandits shouted at the incoming soldiers.
This caused a frantic scene at the front of the manor with both groups shouting at each other while locked in a stand-off. The fat man's guards were taken aback for a bit when they saw that the former bandits weapons and armor were no worse than their own. These were people who used to grovel at the feet of the fat nobleman and had to do any unreasonable tasks the man could think of.
Now they were brandishing quality weapons and dared to talk back?
Women doing their duties dressed in thick furs scooped up their children and retreated from the fracas in panic, not sure what to do in such a situation.
This was the first time since the young lord had taken over the western hills that anyone had dared to come and cause trouble.
"I demand to see Sir Hartley this instant." The fat man dressed all in white shouted at the people on guard duty sending them scurrying away.
This man was Hong Zang and his territory was a hundred miles south of the western hills on the flat farm lands. In the winter no crops could be planted, and when the crops were reaped very little would go to the common people on his lands, these people would barely survive the winter only to endure back-breaking work in the springtime.
This led to a number of the commoners on his land running away but because there was a unwritten rule that nobles wouldn't hire runaway commoners from another noble's lands, he had thought it a matter of time before he would round up these commoners again.
This man was shocked to see familiar faces wearing furs and looking healthy during the winter. He had come to deliver his gift to the lord of the western hills but now he was furious...
A couple of the serving staff sprinted into the manor to report the disturbance.....
Moments later Zhi Ruo appeared at the front door of the manor, her red hair knotted in a bun with a few loose strands dancing down the left side of her face.
She glided across the snow-covered ground with lithe and elegant steps as her regal blue dress fluttered in the cold wind, the swirling snow flecks fluttered around her body without touching her. This natural beauty and grace made everyone look on in awe.
The red hair beauty took up a position between the former bandits and their assailants and with a simple gesture from her both groups calmed and quietened down.
"What is the meaning of this, who dares to come here and cause a scene?" Zhi Ruo's voice rang out with authority.
The fat man standing behind his guards ran his eyes up and down over Zhi Ruo's body before answering.
"These common plebs are supposed to be working on my estate, they all shirked their duties to House Zang. I demand they be returned to uphold their duties and proper compensation be paid to us by House Hartley."
Zhi Ruo turned and looked at the former bandits then asked
"Do any of you know this man?" They all shook their heads indicating they didn't.
Zhi Ruo turned back to the fat man with a wave of her slender jade-like hand saying,
"Leave now if you have no further business here and do not come back causing a disturbance." She snorted with her nose pointed at the sky and hands akimbo in a sign of dismissal
The fat noble's jaw almost fell to the floor.
"You whore!" he blurted out, his face red and swollen with anger. "Get Sir Hartley out here this instant, I have no time for a bed warmer."
Zhi Ruo's face immediately scrunched with seriousness and her eyes squinted to needle points, through gritted teeth she barely managed to ask, "what did you just say?".....
On a snow covered road, sat beside Commander Genk in a comfortable carriage Hartley arrived at the grand castle in the center of the capital. The castle walls looked dated but in a good way, it portrayed a certain classical history and mystique.
This was one of the oldest standing castles in the capital that had stood through the test of time and many conflicts. It used to belong to King Yulan but was handed to Prince Jian when the King went into closed door practice over a decade ago.
Snows clung to the roof of the carriage as it was led towards the gatehouse in front of the massive walls, the gatehouse itself resembled a mini-castle in its own right, manned by fully armored guards armed to the teeth.
This was the stronghold of the young prince and had two battalions of the first imperial legion army posted in barracks located on the south-side of the premises. The shouts of masculine voices rang out from the south, it seemed like the soldiers were going through their training routine, but it was hard to tell exactly what they were doing in the snow.
After passing through the gatehouse with a few strict checks the carriage was escorted down the long white frozen road leading to castle by the guard captain and four of his subordinates. The soldiers rode their horses which made long strides across the frozen road while the guard captain joined Hartley and Commander Genk on board the carriage.
Only three pairs of footsteps were audible as both men were led in silence to the receiving hall and out of the swirling snow flakes.
Hartley immediately picked up the fluctuations of several hidden experts. Not one of them was weaker than the 9th layer of the xiantian realm.
"Your majesty will be with you in a minute, refreshments are available in the mean time." said the guard captain in a flat tone devoid of any emotion.
He then signaled one of the beautiful girls at the far end of the room who came scurrying over with a jug of wine and a couple tall glasses made of clear crystal.
"Please make yourselves comfortable," he said as he bowed low and backed out of the hall without turning to face the door and disappeared from sight.
Inside the receiving hall was modernized, it was obvious that the young prince had done some renovations to make it a little more comfortable. Hartley passed the most disciplined guards he had ever seen, they stood like statues dressed in full armor not making any movement or sound.
"At least the refreshments are always good here," said Commander Genk as he poured himself a glass of the fragrant wine.
Hartley sat down in a cushioned seat watching the lights and reflections dance across the tiled floor as commander Genk passed him a glass full of wine.
Foot steps were heard soon after and the prince with two experts trailing behind him entered the receiving hall.
The prince looked to be about 50 and had white running through his hair.
Hartley had heard a lot about the prince and now meeting him was nothing like he had expected.
The scholarly looking man looked more like someone who calculated the wage bill in a government building, nothing like the cut-throat politician Hartley had heard so much about.