Chapter 853 Not a Single Man Among Them!

The military conference ended quickly; in reality, its purpose was to further unify thinking from top to bottom.

With the army isolated in enemy territory, lacking a rear and logistics, and unlikely to receive reinforcements, morale could easily become fragile, requiring periodic integration and consolidation.

Ahead lay even longer marches, and predictably, a series of hard battles. While the Qian Kingdom might not be able to dispatch enough troops here to encircle them, preparations for interception were undoubtedly being made ahead of Shangjing.

Some things were already understood tacitly.

So, without adding fuel to the fire now, there would be no time for last-minute preparations when things truly went wrong.

Zheng Fan inherited the details of the Jingnan King's military tactics, favoring meticulousness, but Zheng Fan was not the Jingnan King, nor did he want to become him.

Therefore, when an army's commander inevitably became its symbol, the resulting aura was distinctly different.

There was no superior or inferior in this; whatever worked was good, as everything was considered for the sake of victory.

As the military conference concluded, the slogan quickly spread downwards.

"Breach Shangjing, capture the Qian Empress!"

"Breach Shangjing, capture the Qian Empress!"

Under other commanders, even if such a slogan were to be shouted, it would likely be: "Breach Shangjing, capture the Qian Emperor!"

But with Zheng Fan, it took on a completely different flavor.

Yet, when the soldiers shouted this slogan, they felt particularly energized.

When Zheng Fan was a Marquis by Military Merit, he was listed alongside the inflated First Prince, but after the two old kings, one had departed and the other had passed away, and Zheng Fan had also been ennobled as a king,

It could be said that,

As the only military merit king with a different surname in the Great Yan now, Prince Pingxi was practically the "Great General" in the entire Great Yan's legal system, the top seat in the military.

Regardless of whether they were direct descendants or not, whether they were from the Zhenbei or Jingnan armies, or even local county soldiers, as long as they wore the Black Dragon Flag, they could say that Prince Pingxi was their boss.

So,

A certain atmosphere was gradually igniting throughout the army.

The boss likes married women,

This was a recognized "secret."

Alright then,

Let's go to Shangjing and snatch the most honorable married woman of the Great Qian Kingdom for our boss!

The mountain bandit gangs were often regarded as a disorganized rabble, but in reality, such gangs, setting aside their shortcomings in combat and other aspects, at least had a strong sense of cohesion.

And this army, whose main force was Chen Yang's Sushan camp, with elites from other units personally selected by Chen Yang as reinforcements, had no problems with combat effectiveness and organization. Therefore, at this moment, cohesion was being tightened.

Many were already fantasizing about after the war,

When drinking and bragging with comrades or family,

They could slap their thighs and say,

'Prince Pingxi, you know?

His woman,

I helped snatch her!'

……

Meanwhile, Prince Pingxi himself, who had ignited this fire, was sitting in a bathtub.

The Consort of Fu was carefully helping him wash his body.

This time, she didn't deliberately say or do anything, appearing quiet instead.

In her every smile and frown, the previous allure was no longer found, replaced by an intellectual softness. She was meticulous in washing his body, giving off a feeling of being a virtuous wife and loving mother.

In this aspect, she clearly knew how to control herself with ease.

The Consort of Fu's given name was Wan.

After washing, he stood up, and the Prince opened his arms.

The Consort of Fu took a dry towel and wiped him down.

The two coordinated with remarkable understanding, without any sense of awkwardness.

Logically speaking, there should be a deep-seated hatred between them.

Zheng Fan had carried the head of the late Prince of Fu to claim credit.

But as Zheng Fan had said to Chen Daxia in Lanyang City, so many officials and dignitaries had not yet martyred themselves to uphold their principles, so what face did others have to demand that a woman remember hatred and observe chastity?

Everyone wanted to survive, everyone wanted to protect their lives, so why could you be at ease, yet unable to bear a woman doing the same?

After drying his body, the Consort of Fu brought over a piece of clothing for Zheng Fan to change into.

The clothes had been prepared long ago; she seemed to have foreseen that there would be a time when they would be needed.

It had to be said that a woman's sixth sense was truly strong.

"You've prepared everything very well."

The Prince said.

The Consort of Fu smiled and said, "When my child said you were coming, I started preparing; when my child said he wanted to try to deal with you, I knew that you would soon be sleeping in my bed."

"He's still just a child; don't say these things in front of him. Young people care about face."

Zheng Fan was older than Zhao Yuannian, but not old enough to be of a different generation. Yet, when he said these words, the woman beside him didn't find them inappropriate.

In the end, what people truly looked at in life was never the length of life, but its depth and breadth.

Generally speaking, people who liked to cling to seniority and age were those who truly had nothing else to offer.

Zheng Fan lay down on the bed; he would have to stay here for the night.

As for what to do, he really didn't plan to do anything. On the march, it was rare to have a comfortable bath and a good night's sleep on a soft couch in a fragrant room. That was already enjoyable enough.

Staying overnight was for the greater good, to stabilize the army's morale.

It was for Great Yan to sacrifice its reputation.

The Consort of Fu wanted to pour tea to serve him, but she noticed that Zheng Fan wouldn't touch the water and food in her room, so she didn't. Instead, she walked to the bedside, holding her hair with one hand and gently pinching Zheng Fan's arm with the other.

Zheng Fan opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Your Highness, you should sleep on the inside; how can I step over you?"

Zheng Fan rested his hands under his head and said:

"I like it this way."

Sleeping on the edge of the bed was a soldier's instinct. At the slightest disturbance, he could instantly draw the Wu Ya sword hanging by the bed, turn over, and get up.

Of course, generally, the old Wang next door also slept on the edge of the bed.

A look of shyness appeared on the Consort of Fu's face.

Zheng Fan thought she would step over him, even over his head, because she was wearing a dress.

But she still carefully came up from the end of the bed and tiptoed to the inside. Then, she lay on her side, looking at Zheng Fan.

Zheng Fan looked at her,

And said:

"Open your mouth."

The Consort of Fu opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue. On her tongue, there was a green, lozenge-like object.

Zheng Fan had noticed it earlier when she spoke.

Zheng Fan reached out and took it from her tongue, even sniffing it. It had a fresh mint scent.

"Your Highness, this is a breath-freshening lozenge."

As long as they were normal people, men or women, they would inevitably have bad breath after waking up. Holding this while sleeping, if His Highness wanted to do something after waking up, he wouldn't be repulsed by it.

Zheng Fan threw the thing off the bed,

And smiled:

"This evil feudal society."

"What is Your Highness saying?"

"It's nothing; I'm tired. Let's rest."

The Consort of Fu didn't know martial arts. Zheng Fan was at least a fifth-rank expert. Moreover, there was a red stone on the tea table. There wouldn't be any problems with safety in the room.

As for outside,

There couldn't possibly be any problems.

Accompanied by the faint sound of horse hooves and shouts coming from afar,

Zheng Fan fell asleep.

……

He woke up refreshed, and it was just morning.

This sleep had adjusted his somewhat chaotic schedule.

But there was no point in adjusting it, as his schedule would naturally fall apart again if he had to continue marching and fighting.

The Consort of Fu was already awake. She was just propping her head up with her hand, looking at Zheng Fan.

Perhaps her skin was truly too good, so at this moment, she really had a bit of a playful air.

Zheng Fan stretched his neck and sat up.

The Consort of Fu also got up and began to help him dress.

"Open the door."

"Yes."

The Consort of Fu went over and opened the door.

Soon,

Liu Dahu came in carrying a basin for washing, as well as a toothbrush and face towel.

Toothbrushes already existed in this era, but they were limited to the use of officials and nobles. The common people were already being particular if they could use willow branches to brush.

The Prince's toothbrush was specially made, as was the toothpaste.

However, today, there were two sets of washing cups, toothbrushes, and everything else.

After putting down and arranging things, Liu Dahu specifically saluted the Consort of Fu when he took his leave.

Zheng Fan began to wash up. Just as he finished, Zheng Man came in carrying breakfast.

When outside, Zheng Fan only ate the food presented by the three of them. Moreover, they had definitely tasted it beforehand; it wasn't that their lives weren't lives, but this was their duty.

If someone could poison the food he prepared himself, then he deserved to be poisoned to death first.

Zheng Fan sat down and began to eat breakfast.

The Consort of Fu also sat down, serving the Prince as he ate.

Outside in the courtyard,

Fu Wang Zhao Yuannian was walking towards here.

Chen Xianba's gaze fell on him. Zhao Yuannian smiled at Chen Xianba.

Chen Xianba hesitated for a moment and also cupped his fist in salute.

Zhao Yuannian wasn't stopped and walked in, just as his mother was serving Prince Pingxi breakfast.

"This son greets Father and Mother."

Zhao Yuannian knelt down properly, performing the morning greetings that the Qian officials and gentry emphasized.

The Consort of Fu looked at Zheng Fan but didn't say anything.

Zheng Fan was tearing apart a breakfast cake, dipping it in sugar, and said, "Should this one invite you to eat together?"

"To dine with Father is this child's honor."

"Heh heh."

Prince Pingxi smiled.

"Outside this one's Fengxin City, there is a temple called Calabash Temple. In the temple, there are two monks, one old and one young, both of whom have a connection to Buddha."

"This child will definitely visit them in the future to pray for Father and Mother."

"One day, the old monk suddenly went crazy and kept shouting at this one: 'Many sons are not necessarily a blessing.'"

"…" Zhao Yuannian.

Zheng Fan glanced at Zhao Yuannian, who was still kneeling there,

And shook his head,

Saying:

"Both of this king's consorts are currently pregnant, and this king has several adopted sons under his command. The two eldest are the Heir of Jingnan and the current Crown Prince.

Rest assured,

It won't fall on your head."

"Yes, yes, yes, this son is completely filial."

"That's truly hilarious."

Zheng Fan put the cake in his mouth, clapped his hands, and said:

"Alright, stop with the pretense. This king can forgive your previous actions because, in this king's eyes, you really are just a child."

His sending Xue San to Fu Wang's mansion to deliver a message was just a random move.

But the subsequent reactions of Zhao Yuannian and the Chuzhou City garrison were truly farcical.

It was like an old teacher standing in front, looking at the students below, thinking they were being meticulous and thorough, but in reality, everything was completely within his sight.

"But the past is the past. From now on, when you have such thoughts again, you have to think carefully. Either overthrow this king completely so that he can never recover, or keep it bottled up and hidden. You don't have a second mother."

Zhao Yuannian said:

"Father, my late father had many concubines. They are currently living in nunneries. If Father wants them, this son can bring them over for Father."

"Alright."

Zheng Fan raised his voice a little.

Zhao Yuannian was immediately startled and trembled.

"This king treats you as a useless person and has lightly let you go.

As for you,

If you want to continue acting like this, showing off your schemes and machinations, insisting on forcing this king to strongly believe that you are not to be kept and will be a threat in the future, forcing this king to kill you now,

You can do that too."

"…" Zhao Yuannian.

The Consort of Fu still didn't say anything, just silently adding congee for the King.

"This child… knows…"

"Alright, stop calling yourself 'this child.' Suddenly having an eldest son is truly unsettling for this king.

This king can take you with him, drop you in Yanjing, and you can maintain a life of wealth and honor, and you can also play chess and chat with His Majesty when you have nothing to do.

If you don't want to live like that, then think carefully about what you have that is worth this king paying attention to."

Zhao Yuannian silently raised his head and looked at his mother.

"Promising."

Zhao Yuannian took a deep breath, nodded, and said, "This… Yuannian only has the identity of the Prince of Fu left."

"Then use it well. You can act as this king's son in the eyes of outsiders, but there's no need to truly be this son. A tiger's skin is just to intimidate, what use is it to have a bunch of grandsons under your command if you truly become a son?"

"Yuannian understands."

"Focus your mind on doing things properly. Constantly thinking about these schemes, power plays, and the like, seems clever, but is actually extremely foolish."

"Yuannian is grateful for your teachings."

"Alright, get out."

"Yuannian has one more thing."

"Speak."

"Originally, today is the Chuzhou City temple fair. A theatrical troupe from Shangjing has been arranged to perform the Lin Opera.

Yuannian plans to have the troupe perform on stage as planned.

Distributing some money and food can attract many people to watch, and sending soldiers to knock on the doors of the Chuzhou City officials will definitely bring them over to sit with us.

Father… Your Highness can watch the opera with Mother.

That way, it will be very lively, and in the future, no one will be able to escape their involvement."

Hearing this, Zheng Fan nodded and said, "You still have some brains."

"Thank you for the Prince's praise."

"When is it?"

"The show will start at noon."

"I will go."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Zheng Fan waved his hand, and Zhao Yuannian bowed and took his leave.

The Consort of Fu took a handkerchief and gently wiped the corners of the King's mouth.

Zheng Fan said, "Your son isn't completely useless."

"Yuannian's father left early, and with the Qian Zhao royal family's consistent suspicion, it's actually difficult to be a Prince. In the future, you, as his father, must give him more guidance."

It was strange,

When Zhao Yuannian called himself "this child" earlier, the King felt disgusted in his heart.

But the same words, coming from the mouth of the Consort of Fu, instead made people feel a certain charm.

Zheng Fan put down his chopsticks,

And said:

"I will go to the military camp outside the city first, and then come back here to pick you up later.

However, what is this custom of you Qian people, starting the opera in the middle of the day?"

The Consort of Fu smiled and said, "The opera performance originally started with the temple fair. Going at noon is to ward off evil spirits and pray for blessings and good weather."

"Alright."

The King stood up and walked out.

At the courtyard gate,

Chen Xianba, Liu Dahu, and Zheng Man were also standing there eating breakfast. Their breakfast was much simpler. When the King had just come out, they originally wanted to go out with him, but the King had signaled them not to. He chose Ah Ming and the Sword Saint to accompany him as he left.

"Are we staying to protect this Queen Mother?"

Liu Dahu said while biting into a steamed bun.

"Probably," Zheng Man also thought so.

Chen Xianba was aloof and didn't participate in the discussion.

In fact,

The three brothers had different views on their King spending the night with the Consort of Fu, but they could only bury them in their hearts and couldn't openly discuss them.

As personal soldiers, if they didn't understand these rules, they would truly be stupid.

Zheng Man himself hadn't escaped the habits of a desert wolf cub. In his view, killing his man and taking his woman was a matter of course from the perspective of the barbarians.

Women, cattle, sheep, and pastures were originally only qualified to be possessed by those who were strong.

Although his grades were not good in the Study, he had at least read a lot of books. He found that the Xia people were very interesting. On the surface, they had a layer of skin, but in essence, there was no difference between them and the barbarians.

If a tyrant snatched a woman from the street and took her home to sleep with, that was called kidnapping a woman, and he would be despised.

But if he snatched a princess from an enemy country and brought her back to sleep with, that was called a hero, for example…

Liu Dahu was very calm. His biological father had left early. His current father had already brought him with him when he married his mother.

Therefore, he felt that it was normal for the King to take in this Queen Mother, along with Zhao Yuannian.

Chen Xianba believed that the King was completely considering this matter from a political and military perspective. When he went to get food for breakfast today, he felt the enthusiastic atmosphere in the military camp.

His King was great.

How could he just casually take a woman based on her appearance?

Alas,

His King had it tough.

……

After inspecting the military camp outside the city, the Prince Pingxi, who had it tough, returned to the city.

A carriage that had been waiting long ago slowly drove out of the mansion. Sitting inside was the Consort of Fu, dressed in magnificent attire.

Zhao Yuannian was standing next to the carriage.

The King didn't get off and get into the carriage, but instead, he rode the Pixiu to the side of the carriage, knocked on it, and said:

"It's stuffy inside."

"Okay."

The Consort of Fu came out of the carriage. Prince Pingxi grabbed her waist, lifted her up, hugged her, and made her sit sideways in front of him.

"Let's go watch the opera."

Armored soldiers cleared the way, and the procession advanced.

There were many onlookers on both sides of the road. When the King came over, they all knelt down.

If you didn't kneel, you could, but the Yan soldiers' bows and crossbows would immediately point at you.

Of course, there wasn't an atmosphere of obvious oppression. Some people even had smiles on their faces.

The Consort of Fu seemed a little excited and said, "I've really never gone out like this before. Your Highness, can we be this free when we return to the Prince's Mansion in Fengxin City?"

"I never said I would take you back to the Prince's Mansion."

The Consort of Fu pouted, a "big girl" showing an angry expression, which was also very beautiful.

She rested her head on Zheng Fan's chest and said aggrievedly:

"Your Highness, you can't just eat and wipe your mouth without taking responsibility."

"If anyone's eating, it's you who's eating."

"Wouldn't that mean that this concubine has taken great advantage of Your Highness? This concubine is truly amazing."

"Yeah, amazing. Since this king has led troops, the damage that the Qian army has caused to my command isn't even as much as you swallowing me in one gulp."

"Huh?"

"Heh heh."

The King laughed to himself without explaining.

The location of the opera stage was in the Chuzhou City drill ground.

The stage was large, with wooden steps built around the perimeter for the audience to sit on. This layout, similar to the ancient Roman gladiatorial arena, wasn't his original creation, as the technical difficulty wasn't that great.

There were already many people inside.

The common people were on the outermost ring, and many of them looked excited.

They knew that the Yan people were brutal.

But what did the Yan people's brutality have to do with Prince Pingxi?

Prince Pingxi had come to their Chuzhou City twice, and every time he came, he either gave money or food.

They really hoped that Prince Pingxi could come and visit often.

Great Qian was a country of culture, but whether it was civilization or culture, it actually had little to do with the common people. Those who enjoyed this level were actually the scholar-officials.

In essence, there was no fundamental difference from the nobles of the Chu Kingdom, just that the vested interests had changed their skin. Moreover, the Qian literati often liked to shout "pleading for the people," which was much more upscale than the Chu nobles' "servant" and "inferior people."

Qian's wealth was in Jiangnan.

And the common people of northern Qian should have much better climate and geographical conditions than Yan, after all, the Yinlang County in the southernmost part of Yan, known as the Little Jiangnan, was the northernmost part of Qian.

But firstly, Qian's taxes and corvée were always very heavy, and secondly, the three border defense towns system that made the Yan monarchs and ministers so headache were eating astronomical amounts of money and manpower every year.

And most of these actually had to be borne by the people of these counties in northern Qian.

At the same time, it was ridiculous that even the Yan people knew that Qian's Jiangnan was a truly prosperous land, but the Qian court had almost no difference in tax collection and labor conscription between the north and the south.

In other words, the extremely wealthy Jiangnan did not bring Qian the equivalent amount of blood transfusion. It wasn't that no official wanted to change this pattern, but as the various families of Jiangnan rose through the guise of the imperial examinations and gradually became "hereditary classes" like the Chu nobles, their spokesmen lined up in the court.

If anyone dared to propose a reform of the tax system, even if the monarch himself revealed this intention, a large group of officials who "sacrificed themselves for righteousness" would rush forward to stop and even stifle it, with very high-sounding reasons:

Your Majesty, do not compete with the people for profit!

Fortunately, in recent years, the Yan army went south and reached Shangjing City, tearing off Qian's mask in one fell swoop, and the monarch was able to take the opportunity to overthrow the old prime ministers.

The vacant positions on the military roster were squeezed out a lot of moisture, and the families in Qian's Jiangnan were afraid that the Yan army would continue to go south in the future, so they also loosened their grip a little, which allowed the Qian court to have the ability to train new troops and at the same time, allow Qian's northern defense system to be rebuilt, at least in the framework.

It could be said that the previous invasion of Yan was helping Qian to self-correct to a certain extent, and it was no wonder that the former Yan Emperor had worried that if Qian was given too much time, it would take more effort to take it down in the future.

Zheng Fan also had this kind of worry.

But after seeing Lanyang City,

And coupled with this scene in front of him,

His worries suddenly dissipated.

Many officials came, mostly wearing official uniforms, sitting there cautiously.

When Zheng Fan appeared, some stood up to salute him flatteringly, some were a little at a loss, and a few sitting on the outer circle didn't stand up, and deliberately showed a bit of disdain and resentment, these could be considered "full of blood and courage."

But as for letting them shout and curse, that was naturally impossible.

Fan Li was responsible for suppressing Chuzhou City, but unfortunately, this city, which had long experience, was very well-behaved, which made Fan Li's axe very lonely.

"Greetings, Prince Pingxi."

"Paying respects to Prince Pingxi."

Zheng Fan nodded slightly to them, as if facing a group of Yan officials.

After that,

Zheng Fan sat down on a chair specially prepared for him, with translucent screens set up on both sides, which was just a token gesture, after all, the Consort of Fu also had to sit next to Prince Pingxi.

For a time, many of the previously apprehensive Chuzhou officials showed disdain and contempt in their eyes when they looked at the screen on the side where the Consort of Fu was sitting.

Even more so,

With a long tone, clearing his throat,

He spat a mouthful of thick phlegm hard on the ground;

Tui,

Bitch,

You're really disgracing us Qian people!

Prince Pingxi was at least a master, although he usually didn't give himself a chance to risk his life, he was actually very sensitive in his perception.

And the Consort of Fu, because she was the "focus," actually felt the "malice" from all around after she sat down.

But the Consort of Fu still sat upright, seemingly unaffected.

Zheng Fan looked at her, and she turned her head to look at Zheng Fan and smiled slightly.

The King raised his hand and waved it gently.

Chen Xianba and the others understood and removed the screen.

In an instant,

The Chuzhou City officials sitting around all quieted down.

As the sacrificial ceremony of the temple fair began,

The big opera on the stage also began.

It was ridiculous that the sacrificial ceremony of this temple fair should have been praying for national peace and prosperity, but now, the Yan King was already sitting below watching the opera.

Lin Opera was a relatively popular opera in Qian, and its performance style was somewhat similar to the Beijing Opera that Zheng Fan was familiar with.

The Sword Saint stood beside Zheng Fan with his sword in his arms, and Ah Ming stood behind Zheng Fan.

Originally, there was a group of armored soldiers who wanted to come and surround the King, but Zheng Fan signaled them to stand further away.

Zhao Yuannian stood beside his mother and leaned over to introduce to Prince Pingxi:

"Your Highness, this play is called 'Escorting Jingniang,' which tells the story of my Qian's founding emperor escorting a woman thousands of miles to find her husband in the martial world before he ascended the throne."

Zheng Fan nodded and said:

"Your ancestors were really idle enough."

Zhao Yuannian smiled and said, "Yes."

Logically speaking, Zheng Fan shouldn't be able to appreciate these things, but in fact, if one was willing to savor them carefully, one could indeed taste some flavor from them.

The singing was melodious, the rhythm was tight, and coupled with the sound of drums and music, it was really unique.

Prince Pingxi clapped his hands;

Immediately,

Behind him and to his sides, a group of Chuzhou City officials also clapped their hands, and the applause gradually became enthusiastic.

Even,

When Prince Pingxi showed a smile, the officials sitting closer would shout "Good!"

Then,

Zheng Fan smiled again.

"Good!"

"Good!"

It was unclear whether the King was laughing at the wonderful performance on stage, or at the people who were simply shouting "Good" for the sake of it.

"Does Your Highness like it?" The Consort of Fu picked up a preserved fruit and wanted to put it to the King's mouth, but she put it to her own mouth instead.

Zheng Fan nodded: "It's alright."

But after listening for a while longer, there would inevitably be a sense of dryness mixed with the wonderfulness. After all, Zheng Fan really couldn't relate to the image of the Qian's founding emperor.

It was still Ru Qing's little tune with the Chu accent that was more comfortable to listen to, and he wouldn't get tired of listening to it.

In the middle and later stages,

Prince Pingxi had already begun to wander in his thoughts.

The officials present were watching very carefully. When Prince Pingxi no longer made other actions, the shouts of "Good" would occasionally sound.

Even,

Tears gradually began to well up in the eyes of many officials.

Liu Dahu whispered to Chen Xianba beside him, "Brother Ba, what do you think they're crying about?"

Chen Xianba directly gave the answer: "The emperor's founding ancestor is being played on stage. They are also crying for their founding ancestor. Maybe they are also thinking, if the founding ancestor was still here today, how could we be standing here listening to the opera?"

It had to be said that Chen Xianba's perspective was really accurate.

This was indeed the case. Looking at the more than 100 years of the Qian's society, the only one who could be called an emperor who came from the saddle was the Qian's founding ancestor.

The founding ancestor had opened up the Jiangshan of the Liang Dynasty together with Emperor Liang. After putting on the yellow robe and taking Liang to build Qian, he also quelled the other countries in the ancient Xia land and unified the current territory of Great Qian.

He was a truly capable emperor who was good at fighting.

And after him,

There was his younger brother, Emperor Taizong, who not only destroyed the elite troops of Qian's founding in one fell swoop, but also ended up with an arrow in his butt and returning in a cow cart in a panic.

The emperors of the Qian dynasties after that had no defeats, because they had never led troops out to fight again.

At this time,

The Yan soldiers were on the side,

The Yan King, with the Qian royal family's Queen Mother, was sitting here;

For them, it was really a humiliation;

How could they not miss the founding ancestor, and how could they not remember the founding ancestor?

Prince Pingxi was almost yawning, and his eyelids were beginning to droop;

He really had nothing to do. The army was resting, so he came here to walk through a dispensable political show;

But if he had known, he would have just stayed in the Fu Wang's mansion. Turning his head to look at the Consort of Fu beside him who was engrossed in watching the opera, maybe this Queen Mother could sing a few lines?

He would just stay in the mansion and listen to her sing, wouldn't that be better?

Alas,

Boring,

So boring.

Finally,

The stage entered its climax,

The martial artist who played the founding emperor, holding a dragon-subduing staff, violently beat the villain who was trying to covet the woman.

But at this moment,

The dragon-subduing staff in his hand suddenly burst open, revealing the tip of a spear!

At this time,

This martial artist was like the real Qian's founding emperor resurrected,

Turning his head to glare at Prince Pingxi, who was sitting directly below and close to the stage,

He shouted:

"Yan dog, is there no one to stop you in my Great Qian?

Prepare to die!"

The person and the voice almost arrived at the same time, and his figure flew over like a startled swan.

In an instant,

The Consort of Fu showed a look of panic, and many of the officials of the Qian Kingdom behind them subconsciously wanted to stand up;

They shouted in their hearts:

Thank God,

The founding emperor has manifested himself?

This sudden change seemed to plunge everything in the scene into an extremely brief silence.

The spear came out like a dragon,

Going straight for Zheng Fan's face!

Chen Xianba let out an angry roar and was about to draw his sword;

Ah Ming was very fast, like the wind, appearing in front of Zheng Fan ahead of time.

But there was one other person who was even faster.

That person had secretly remembered the assassination on the Wangjiang River, and if there was another assassination in the future, he would inevitably nip it in the bud with thunderous means!

"Buzz!"

The Longyuan was unsheathed, instantly severing the spear shaft in the martial artist's hand. Then, the sword energy swept away, directly slamming the martial artist, who was still in mid-air, to the ground.

"There's an assassin!"

"Protect His Highness!"

A group of armored soldiers finally had time to swarm over.

"Get back!"

Zheng Fan stood up and ordered.

The armored soldiers immediately retreated.

Seeing that the assassination had failed, the officials behind him immediately began to shout with extreme indignation:

"Bold, how dare you assassinate the Prince!"

"Outrageous!"

In reality, they were scared to death, fearing that this Yan Prince would implicate and attack them in anger.

The martial artist lay on the ground, spitting blood, having been injured by the sword energy.

The King looked at the Sword Saint and smiled, "It's rare to encounter an assassination with no pressure. You should have left me to show off."

Because this martial artist was just a beginner expert, or even could only be considered barely in the rank. Although he seemed to be fighting very fiercely on the stage earlier, it was mostly for show.

And Zheng Fan himself was a fifth-rank expert.

He could have just sat in his chair and tried to catch the spear with his bare hands;

Hmm, like the Eunuch.

The Sword Saint said, "Okay, I'll leave the next opportunity for you."

"Don't, I was joking, don't take it seriously, don't take it seriously."

Prince Pingxi walked to the martial artist,

And said with emotion:

"In this Chuzhou City, there is at least one man."

Compared to the officials sitting there, this actor with an extremely low social status was a real hero with blood and responsibility.

At this time,

Ah Ming reminded:

"Master, this is a kun dan."

Which meant that the male character was played by a woman.

Zheng Fan tilted his head and, sure enough, this "martial artist" had no Adam's apple.

Even now,

She was still glaring fiercely at Zheng Fan standing in front of her while blood was flowing from the corner of her mouth,

Gritting her teeth,

"Yan dog… you… will not… die well…"

The voice was no longer the deliberately affected singing voice, but revealed the tone of a woman.

Zheng Fan sighed,

Turned his head,

Then looked back at the officials sitting behind him. Chuzhou City was the capital of Chuzhou Prefecture, and the officials here were actually of a high rank;

When they saw Prince Pingxi's gaze sweeping over,

Many of the officials were so frightened that they knelt on the ground.

"Your Highness, it has nothing to do with us, it has nothing to do with us."

"Your Highness, we didn't know, we didn't know!"

"The assassin wasn't sent by us, it wasn't…"

The Consort of Fu was also grabbing Zheng Fan's arm at this time, leaning on Zheng Fan.

Zhao Yuannian also came over, wanting to stand in front of Zheng Fan to protect him, but he was worried that his actions would be too big.

Suddenly,

Prince Pingxi faced the sky,

Laughed twice,

"Heh heh…"

Then, he let out a sigh:

"How can this Great Qian have the face to continue standing here?"

——————

Ah, I forgot that today is the first day of the month……… So, please give your monthly tickets to *The Descent of Magic*, hold everyone tight!