Chapter 1 The Twilight

Dusk.

The restless setting sun was still trying to flirt with the clouds, which blushed shyly, a tempting rosy hue spreading across their cheeks.

The Princess dismounted and tossed the reins to the attendant beside her, seeing her Seventh Uncle waiting for her at the entrance.

Seventh Uncle stepped forward to help the Princess remove her cloak. Their relationship seemed like that of master and servant, but in reality, it was more like grandfather and granddaughter.

Although the Princess had just returned from outside, she showed no sign of the cold. Taking advantage of Seventh Uncle standing beside her, she complained directly:

"Seventh Uncle, look at my mother. When I take troops out, it's just foolishness, but when she takes troops out, isn't she even wilder than I am?"

She could only say these words to the old man who had watched her grow up. It wasn't just that it was inappropriate to say them to others, but they wouldn't dare listen either.

Seventh Uncle smiled slightly and said:

"The Princess now is exactly like the Madam when she was young."

"Heh, you must never let my mother hear that, otherwise she'll start talking about how she was a proper lady back then, how knowledgeable and reasonable she was, and how I'm so ignorant and crazy."

"The Madam is happy in her heart. No one doesn't like seeing their children the same as they were in their youth."

"Is that so? Then why don't you remarry, Seventh Uncle? Or find a successor."

"Oh, right, Princess, that boy is gone."

"Who?"

The Princess was slightly puzzled at first, then she understood and said:

"He really left?"

"Yes, he left this afternoon, taking the people he brought from Tiger Head City with him."

"That kid didn't come to see you?"

"No."

"How interesting. That kid used to kneel in front of you and call you 'Shifu' so loudly, but now, he's just left so quietly."

As she spoke,

The Princess's gaze narrowed slightly,

A cold smile appeared on the corner of her lips,

And she said:

"Could it be that that kid, like ordinary people, thinks that my Marquis's mansion won't last long?"

Seventh Uncle shook his head slightly and said, "No matter how turbulent the Marquis's mansion is, it's still a great backer for him."

"Then why?"

"He's been very close to the Sixth Prince these past few days."

"After all, he saved Little Sixth, so it's nothing for them to be close. But... Seventh Uncle, do you mean that that kid is with Little Sixth?"

"I don't know about that."

"Little Sixth couldn't have failed to see what kind of person that kid is. How strange, Little Sixth has been honest for so long, is he unable to keep pretending?"

"None of the sons and grandsons of the dragon are simple."

"Father once said that too. He said that of this generation's seven princes, except for Little Seventh, who is too young, none of the other six are ordinary."

"The Marquis has always been very accurate in judging people."

However, sometimes it's not necessarily a good thing when the princes are all too outstanding.

"Forget it, Seventh Uncle, that kid just doesn't have the fate. You wait, I'll find you a successor with even greater talent in the future."

"No need. That boy was able to enter the ranks in two months, proving that he is indeed a genius. Geniuses are not suitable for learning swordsmanship from me.

I've been an ordinary eighth-rank swordsman for most of my life, and I only have one chance to truly draw my sword in my entire life. Such loneliness, a youthful temperament, a genius, can't stand it."

"Seventh Uncle, you've suffered."

"It's not suffering. By the way, Princess, another imperial decree has arrived."

"What for? Is it urging Little Sixth to return to the capital?"

"Not exactly, it's just to inquire about the Madam's health."

The Princess shook her head and said, "It's not that simple."

"The eunuch who announced the decree also brought a word from His Majesty."

"What word?"

"He said, His Majesty asked about the Princess's birthday."

"Heh."

"The Marquis is also in the capital. The Marquis should have agreed to this matter."

"He can marry whoever he wants to marry. Is there really such a father who throws his daughter out as a bargaining chip?"

Seventh Uncle replied:

"There are plenty of parents in this world who sell their daughters as bargaining chips."

"Seventh Uncle, which side are you on?"

"This sword of Seventh Uncle's can only be drawn once in this lifetime."

"I know."

"Seventh Uncle said long ago that he would use it for you this time.

Do you want me to kill your husband with one sword when he treats you badly in the future;

Or,

Should Seventh Uncle leave for the capital today to see if he can kill His Majesty with one sword?

It's all up to you."

"Seventh Uncle, don't joke around."

Seventh Uncle shook his head and said seriously, "Seventh Uncle is serious."

After a pause, Seventh Uncle continued:

"However, Seventh Uncle's sword may not be able to kill His Majesty.

Your husband, if your husband ascends to that position in the future, Seventh Uncle's sword may not be able to kill him either.

It's Seventh Uncle who is useless, he has only practiced one sword in his entire life, but he has cultivated a useless sword."

The Princess pouted and said with a cheerful smile:

"Seventh Uncle, I know you're good to me. Father and Mother are always busy, and I've been raised by you since I was a child, but to be honest, I've never understood, I really don't understand..."

"Princess, that's because you haven't become a wife or a mother yet."

As Seventh Uncle spoke, he looked at the setting sun in the distance and continued slowly:

"After all, only a small minority of people in this world can live with high spirits all the time."

"Are they suggesting that I marry Second Brother?"

"It should be." Seventh Uncle nodded and said, "How could a Princess of the Zhenbei Marquis's Mansion be unworthy of a Crown Princess?"

In fact, this could be said another way:

Which prince marries the Princess of the Zhenbei Marquis's Mansion, he will be the Crown Prince!

If not the Crown Prince,

Then one must ask if the 300,000 Zhenbei Army would agree to their future son-in-law not being able to sit on the dragon throne!

"Second Brother is too honest."

"None of the princes are truly honest."

"Pretending to be honest is the most boring."

"Princess, it's getting cold. Go back to your room and rest. I've already told people to stew some porridge."

"Okay."

............

Night fell;

The setting sun had finished flirting with the Cloud Sister, slipped away after taking advantage of her, leaving only a bright moon stunned in the sky.

The team had already set up camp.

It was still the same team that had departed from Tiger Head City, now returning under Zheng Fan's leadership.

There was one less centurion in the team, but so many things had happened recently that no one, except for the centurion's own subordinates, would really care about him.

Zheng Fan sat in the tent, rubbing his hands together. Si Niang was cooking hot pot.

The seasonings had been replenished in the market outside the Marquis's mansion. The desert in winter was indeed a better match for hot pot.

Liang Cheng sat next to Zheng Fan, while that wolf cub squatted opposite Si Niang, staring unblinkingly at the rolling butter hot pot.

"So, Master plans to listen to that Sixth Prince's suggestion and go south?"

Zheng Fan nodded, put his hands in front of him, breathed on them, and rubbed them again, saying:

"The water has to be muddy, so we have a chance to fish in troubled waters. This pond of muddy water in Beifeng County is about to be cleaned up, so there's no space for us to continue jumping around as we please."

A grass-roots king in troubled times, that was the previous portrayal of Beifeng County.

Various warlords, various clans, various families, were like nails hammered into the land of Beifeng County, and the relationships between them were intricate;

Mergers and conquests were commonplace. This kind of environment was suitable for the development of emerging forces.

Zheng Fan didn't want to learn from Song Jiang, rebelling only to be recruited;

He didn't want to learn to be a loyal minister and general, willing to accept "thunder, rain, and dew" as imperial grace for the sake of a good name.

What Zheng Fan wanted was to build his own foundation with a knife and a spear. If he was prepared in the future, he could also learn from the King of Chu and ask about the weight of the Nine Tripod Cauldrons!

Having committed suicide and been reborn,

It would be too unfair to himself if he lived a wretched life.

"Whatever Master decides," Si Niang echoed. "The climate will be better in the south, the population will be denser, and life will be more comfortable."

"By the way, did Sha Tuoqueshi go to Meijiagwu?"

Zheng Fan was more concerned about this matter.

It wasn't until he reunited with Liang Cheng and Si Niang that he learned that Sha Tuoqueshi had actually been intercepted by them.

This was truly pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth, the risk was unimaginable, but the joy after successfully pulling it out was also unimaginable.

"Blind Man and Xue San should be in Meijiagwu by now, Master, there shouldn't be any problems," Si Niang replied.

"Mm."

With Blind Man there, Zheng Fan believed that any problem could be dealt with promptly and effectively.

"By the way, Liang Cheng, I have something to ask you."

"Master, please speak."

"Sha Tuoqueshi now..." Zheng Fan pointed to his head. "Does he still retain his own thinking?"

"If it were an ordinary person, becoming a zombie would almost be a new life. At most, they would have some special feelings for their living relatives."

This is also why, after reanimation, corpses attack their own relatives.

They actually want to be close to their relatives, they want to be close to that feeling, but it's like an elephant wanting to be close to you and play with you. It jumps on you, wanting to lift you up high...

"But he was a true powerhouse before he died, his will as firm as iron. In addition, he was summoned by a barbarian sacrifice after death. This subordinate believes that he should be able to retain some memories and his self."

"You're also amazing. Does every zombie in this world have to call you ancestor?"

Liang Cheng shook his head and said:

"Master, you're joking. This matter has little to do with this subordinate. This subordinate is only responsible for passing on a message. This subordinate believes that it is the relationship between you and Sha Tuoqueshi that led him to ultimately not choose to return to the royal court, but to go to Meijiagwu to wait for us."

"Don't try to flatter me."

"It is Master who is too modest."

"No, no, can we just talk and chat normally?"

"Okay."

"By the way, this little one, is he the... young master of that criminal tribe?"

"Yes."

"What about his family?"

At this moment, the boy seemed to understand that he was being mentioned, and immediately stood up, held a dagger in one hand, and knelt on one knee towards Zheng Fan,

"Jili gulu jili gulu and jili gulu..."

Zheng Fan looked at Liang Cheng,

And said:

"Translate?"

"He said that his father is old and sick and can no longer lead the tribe to survive, so he killed his father on his sickbed, took over his father's responsibilities, and sought a new future for the tribe."

"Hiss............"

Zheng Fan looked with interest at the boy who looked only five or six years old,

Then,

Shook his head,

And said with emotion:

"When we go to the south, we have to let Blind Man take a good look at the feng shui when choosing a house. There must be a problem with the feng shui, otherwise, how come I always end up taking in these filial sons."

As he spoke,

Zheng Fan couldn't help but take out the stone containing the Magic Pill from his pocket,

And said with a sigh:

"Fortunately, my Magic Pill isn't like this."