Chapter 998 I’m Here to Pick You Up

A heavy rain slightly extinguished some of the "carnival" atmosphere among the people of Shangjing.

On the city tower of Xixuan Gate, the Emperor stood, gazing at the imperial city.

The council had already ended.

Zu Zhuming, as the Supreme Commander of the Three Borders, would continue to guard the Three Borders.

Zhong Tianlang, bearing the title of Grand General of Pacification, would lead troops north, entering Chu Prefecture to support the Three Borders.

Meng Gong, bearing the title of Grand General of Appeasement, would lead troops to the northeast, guarding the Lanyang City defense line.

In addition, Le Huan, Han Laowu, and others, bearing the title of Commander, would lead their respective units north to await orders.

Whenever the Yan invaded, the strategies that the Qian could come up with were basically the same, because the fact that the Yan were strong and the Qian were weak on the battlefield was a truth that had remained unchanged for a hundred years.

The Three Borders could not be abandoned, no matter what. It was hard to imagine that without the defense system of the Three Borders, which held the Yan's throat, the Yan-Qian battle line might have been fixed on the Bian River line ten years ago.

The capital, the Jing畿 (area surrounding the capital), would directly become the front line.

Correspondingly, because the Three Borders were consuming resources there, every military action had to rely on the Three Borders and be carried out by patching up the edges.

In this case, strategic initiative was out of the question.

It would be the same with any emperor, after all, a new emperor couldn't just conjure up soldiers out of thin air.

In contrast, the Yan,

after the previous emperor had defeated almost all the thorns around, as long as the Yan were willing, they could carry out long-distance war scheduling and effectively integrate the country's elite troops before the war began.

Therefore, in recent years, no matter who the Yan fought with, on the main battlefield, the Yan might not have outnumbered the opponent, but they could always deploy enough elite troops to prevent the opponent from actively seeking an open-field battle with them.

However, unlike before, Li Xundao was personally stationed in Shangjing, commanding and dispatching the Imperial Guards.

In any case, they could not allow the Yan to exploit another loophole.

"Your Majesty, the rain is getting heavier, let's go back."

Zhao Mugou ignored the suggestion of the eunuch beside him and continued to look at his capital city.

It had been many years since the last time the Yan had broken through the city. This once prosperous Shangjing had recovered its vitality. Although not as prosperous as before, it had regained seven or eight tenths of its former glory.

However, the terrifying memories that the Yan had left for the Qian people had not diminished with the passage of time.

On the contrary, when the news of the Yan Regent's great victory over the Chu army in the Chu kingdom came, the entire Shangjing, no, the entire Great Qian, seemed to be plunged into a suffocating atmosphere.

The Qian people were truly terrified of the Yan. After hearing the news that their ally had been defeated, the despair and sorrow were indescribable.

Therefore,

Zhao Mugou understood the carnival in Shangjing today.

Li Xundao said they were fools,

not in a gritting-teeth, resentful tone, but in a very subtle and mournful way.

That black dragon flag had cast too much gloom on the Qian people, from the emperor to the commoners.

In this situation, even the most rational person would inevitably abandon reason and indulge in inappropriate pleasures.

This was an escape from reality.

But… how could they possibly escape?

Over there, the Regent had just defeated the Chu, and news had already come from the Chu that the Chu Emperor, in order to save face, had already become a vassal of Jin, degrading his national status.

Perhaps, this was the most helpless choice for the Chu, and it also served as a warning.

But,

would the effect be so quick?

For more than a decade, everyone had been hoping for internal strife within the Yan.

First, they hoped that the Zhenbei Marquis's Mansion would rebel,

then they hoped that the Jingnan Prince would rebel,

then they hoped that the Pingxi Prince would rebel,

one hope after another, one disappointment after another.

This Yan kingdom, clearly walking a tightrope in terms of power from generation to generation, just wouldn't fall.

On the contrary, Jin, Chu, the Barbarians, and the various tribes, those neighbors who were hoping for its downfall, had all fallen one by one.

"Ji Chengjue is playing the Qian people for fools."

Zhao Mugou muttered to himself. The eunuch next to him didn't dare to respond.

"But many of my Qian people have already been so frightened by the Yan's sabers that they know how to play dumb."

Standing in the rain for a long time did not bring much peace and calmness to the Emperor of the Qian. He couldn't even feel the coldness of the wind and rain. Instead, his lips, teeth, hands, and feet were strangely hot.

Zhao Mugou turned around

and began to walk towards his palace.

After he ascended the throne, he conferred titles upon an Empress and an Imperial Concubine. One Empress and one Imperial Concubine were meant to mirror the Yan's arrangement.

Of course, there were also many women who hadn't been given official rank. To put it bluntly, this huge palace meant that even the coarse-handed palace maids responsible for emptying chamber pots and washing clothes were the Emperor's women if the Emperor drank too much and became beastly.

However, Zhao Mugou had no interest in women.

After ascending the throne, on many nights, he was used to sleeping alone. In his palace, he had removed the greenhouse built by the previous emperor, and it was no longer like spring all year round. Especially on rainy nights like this, there were many drafts.

Because when it was built, the issue of warmth was not considered at all. Instead, they were worried about it being too warm, so they paid special attention to the ventilation design.

Zhao Mugou walked through a curtain,

where there were memorials, maps, and various documents being sent in and out. As an Emperor, he could be considered very diligent.

But sometimes,

he would take a break on a certain day, doing nothing and thinking nothing,

just sitting there,

facing a painting.

He would sit there for half the night.

That painting was still hanging in front of Zhao Mugou, and two night-luminescent pearls emitted light, illuminating the painting.

In the painting,

was a young woman, standing with a sword in hand, with a hint of playfulness in her beauty, and a coldness that deterred strangers.

This was the woman in Zhao Mugou's dreams.

He had looked back and sought her traces in his dreams again and again.

"Where are you?"

Zhao Mugou's eyes were somewhat blurred.

"I have already become the Emperor of this Great Qian,

but where are you now?

My… Empress."

……

"Creak…"

The door was pushed open.

A towering figure like an iron pagoda appeared in the room.

He looked around the room, took the initiative to walk to the bedside, and saw a young woman lying on the bed, breathing evenly and sleeping soundly.

On her face, one could still see some bruises and scars.

Fan Li just stood by the bed,

standing,

standing,

standing,

until,

the girl lying on the bed widened her eyes in a huff,

and shouted:

"You big blockhead, can't you just kiss me yourself!"

The fact that a woman could take the initiative to shout these words showed how foolish this man was.

But precisely, Fan Li was best at scratching his head in awkward situations.

As long as he started scratching his head, any awkward thing could pass.

So,

he started scratching his head, looking simple and honest.

Jian Bi pouted, wrapped in the quilt, and sat up;

then,

she kicked Fan Li with her foot;

Fan Li didn't move.

Jian Bi didn't intend to kick him hard, after all, that wasn't realistic.

Anger is always short-lived.

When a girl really cares about you, really likes you, she won't be willing to hold a grudge for too long, deliberately waiting for you to coax her.

True love can make people let go of their restraint;

otherwise, it can only be said that she doesn't really have you in her heart.

Jian Bi turned her face to the side

and said:

"It's good that you still have some conscience, knowing to come and see me."

Fan Li blinked and then continued to scratch his head.

When a man has labels like "honest" and "blockhead," it often means… saving trouble, saving trouble, and saving trouble.

A true hunter can often look more like an honest person than a so-called truly honest person.

You just need to stand here, and she can fill in the blanks and make up the story for you.

The matter between Jian Bi and Chen Daxia was quickly sent to Zheng Fan, who was still preparing for the alliance ceremony with Chu at the time, via an urgent eight-hundred-li dispatch.

Upon learning that Jian Bi was injured, Zheng Fan, as the lord and commander-in-chief, unhesitatingly selected Fan Li as the rearguard general to support Liang Cheng, leading troops to Nanguan Pass to join Liang Cheng and Gou Moli.

After all, this girl had grown up under his watch. Zheng Fan didn't think she had eaten too much of his rice and grain or worn too many of his clothes.

After all, when the Sword Saint stayed behind, this girl's existence was a contribution.

In the end, no matter what, there was still some affection. Moreover, she had been injured defending his family from disaster.

Zheng Fan was very generous and considerate in sending her "Brother Fan Li" over.

"Big guy, did you miss me?"

"Yeah."

"Did you miss me or not?"

"Yeah."

"Stop with the 'yeahs'!"

"Oh."

"Chen Daxia is a Third Rank now, you know."

"Oh."

"He found a woman, lived with her for two years, and became a Third Rank. I'm a Fourth Rank now, I think I can try that too."

Fan Li asked, "Where's that woman?"

"……" Jian Bi.

……

"Are you going to war?"

In the courtyard, Chen Daxia looked at Liang Cheng and asked.

"You just realized that?" Liang Cheng asked in return.

Chen Daxia nodded, he had indeed just realized it.

"Are you going to fight…"

Chen Daxia wanted to ask who they were going to fight, but as he asked the question, he finally realized the answer.

"Are you going to fight the Qian again?"

"Yes."

"Where's he?" Chen Daxia asked, "Where's Zheng Fan?"

"He's in the back, he'll probably come with the logistics, supplies, and troops after a while. You can wait for him here."

"I won't wait. It's awkward to meet him during wartime."

"Where are you going?" Liang Cheng asked.

"Lanyang City."

"Go somewhere else. I'm about to lead troops to attack it."

"I'm going to report the news."

"Believe me, although a lot of the Silver Armor Guards within the Yan have been purged in recent years, with such a large-scale troop mobilization here and Nanguan Pass directly bordering Lanyang City, they must have already received the news."

If the Silver Armor Guards were all like Chen Daxia, there would be no need to purge them. The more the merrier.

"I'm going to Lanyang City," Chen Daxia said, "I'm going to help defend the city."

"There's no need for that. You can go to Shangjing. We'll fight there."

"Last time in Lanyang City, Zheng Fan let me go. The city wasn't really defended, it was directly broken. At the time, I thought it was normal, but later, I felt uneasy."

"Don't get stuck in a dead end. Go somewhere else, we probably won't attack there."

Chen Daxia shook his head,

"As a Qian person, I have to defend a city for the Qian country once, seriously, steadily, defend it once."

"We're not attacking the Qian this time," Liang Cheng explained, "Zhao Mugou rebelled as a prince and forced the Emperor to death. We're going to help the Qian quell the rebellion."

Chen Daxia looked at Liang Cheng,

looked,

looked…

Liang Cheng was a jiangshi (僵尸, zombie), controlling his facial expressions to remain unchanged was a basic ability.

Chen Daxia also kept looking seriously, he could look for a long, long time.

Finally,

Chen Daxia spoke:

"Zheng Fan said, the emperor is the emperor, the country is the country.

You're using the banner of quelling a rebellion, but in my eyes, it's an invasion of the Qian."

"Don't you want the ordinary people of Qian to live like the people of Jin, eating steamed buns with fillings?"

The Qian kingdom was rich, and the Jiangnan region was even richer, but… the number and scale of peasant rebellions in the Qian kingdom in the last sixty years were the most among the four great nations;

This meant that the wealth of the Qian kingdom didn't really have much to do with the ordinary people.

The scholar-officials could use their "flowery writing" to create a prosperous Qian, but perhaps it was precisely because of the excessive splendor of the rhetoric that it covered up the phosphorescence of the white bones at the bottom.

"If we break in, the Qian people will be the Yan people in the future, they will be our own people."

Chen Daxia asked in return:

"How many steamed buns have the Yan troops given in their several entries into the Qian?"

Liang Cheng replied, "That's because we didn't conquer it."

"How many Qian people have you killed, how much grain have you robbed, how many houses have you burned?"

"That's what has to be done to make it easier to conquer in the future."

Chen Daxia shook his head again,

and said:

"My master said, home is home, country is country, battlefield is battlefield, temple is temple, the martial world… is the martial world.

I recognize Zheng Fan as the greatest confidant in my life, Chen Daxia,

If his family is in trouble, if his family members are in trouble, if he is in trouble, I will help him, protect him, even if it means my sword breaks and I die;

But when he is not Zheng Fan, when he is the Regent of Yan, I am a Qian person.

I know I'm not smart, I'm not good at anything other than practicing swordsmanship in this life;

But I still think that you were just trying to argue with me just now.

If Zheng Fan were here, he wouldn't say these things to me, he's not like you to his friends, so you're his subordinate."

Liang Cheng raised his hand,

the next moment,

soldiers appeared on all sides of the courtyard wall, with bows and crossbows aimed at Chen Daxia.

Chen Daxia was not afraid, nor did he mock, he didn't even change his expression.

"As you said, I am not the lord, so I will try to confuse you.

And precisely because I am not the lord, letting you go to Lanyang City means that many of our sons will die under your sword when our army attacks the city.

I have to be responsible for them,

I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize." Chen Daxia silently drew his sword, and said very calmly: "For me, dying here and dying on the walls of Lanyang City is no different.

I'm just a jianghu (martial world) swordsman,

My master couldn't even save Jin, so how can I save this Qian?"

"Since you understand that the general trend cannot be stopped, why…"

"But a person lives a lifetime, they have to talk about reason, they have to be serious, they have to… insist on something."

Chen Daxia raised his sword,

looked at Liang Cheng,

then,

silently retreated ten steps, widening the distance between himself and Liang Cheng.

This meant that the archers around could shoot him more confidently without involving Liang Cheng.

In the room,

Jian Bi, watching the situation in the courtyard through the window, said anxiously:

"If Zheng Fan were here, he wouldn't kill Chen Daxia."

Jian Bi understood the reasoning.

She could actually understand the whole story and the respective choices of Chen Daxia and Liang Cheng;

Because it was so logical, it made irrelevant bystanders seem very puzzled, even a little inexplicable.

Because all eras like to tout themselves as eras that value reason, but none of them really follow this reason. Some alternative people are bound to be out of place.

Hearing Jian Bi's words,

Fan Li replied directly:

"The one who ordered the shooting of your master was the lord."

"But I've let it go, that was the battlefield," Jian Bi said.

"You've let it go?"

"Do you think I'll have a chance to kill that Zheng in this life?"

Fan Li shook his head;

"Go tell him, aren't you all teachers of the Prince's Mansion, go tell him, let him let Chen Daxia go."

"I'm just a bricklayer."

"Are you going or not!"

Fan Li remained unmoved.

Jian Bi waved her palm, and the sword hanging by the bedside was unsheathed, but Fan Li reached out and grabbed it midway.

Seeing this, Jian Bi pinched a sword incantation with her fingertips, releasing sword energy, horizontally under her neck:

"I hate this method, but I have to do it, after all, he is my junior brother, and he just saved my life recently."

Fan Li nodded,

pushed open the door,

and walked out.

"The lord has ordered, Chen Daxia must not be killed without authorization."

Liang Cheng waved his hand, and all the soldiers around the courtyard wall withdrew.

Fan Li walked up to Chen Daxia and said:

"The lord has a word for me to bring to you."

"What did Zheng Fan say?"

"The lord said, after the war, he will treat you to wine, whether you are standing, sitting, or… lying down."

"Good."

Chen Daxia sheathed his sword and walked out of the courtyard.

Liang Cheng glanced at Fan Li

and said:

"You could have come out a little later."

There was obviously dissatisfaction in these words.

Fan Li opened his mouth and said: "She said she won't kill the lord anymore."

Liang Cheng glanced at the room

and said:

"Otherwise, do you think the blind man would let her live until now?"

Liang Cheng turned and left, he still had a lot of military affairs to attend to, after all, the army was about to leave the pass.

Fan Li turned around

and saw Jian Bi had already walked out of the room and came behind him.

"Was the Prince's order real or fake?"

Fan Li replied, "Fake."

Jian Bi was a little disbelieving,

and said:

"You're not lying to me?"

"It's really fake, the lord didn't issue this order."

Jian Bi smiled.

Fan Li also smiled;

The lord didn't issue a separate order for Chen Daxia, because there was no need to issue it at all. None of the Devil Kings were so lacking in eyesight as to encircle and kill Chen Daxia in this situation.

So, the lord didn't issue an order, and Chen Daxia was free to come and go today.

The reason why Liang Cheng put on this show was to hope that Chen Daxia would firmly go to Lanyang City, because he, Liang Cheng, had no intention of attacking the city at all.

……

That day,

the rolling iron hooves awakened the entire Lanyang City.

The soldiers and civilians of Lanyang could see the almost endless Yan army in black armor from the city wall in the east;

At the same time,

a royal banner that was enough to make children in the Qian lands stop crying,

stood tall in the center of the army!

That day,

the golden crow dragon banner of the Great Yan Emperor,

for a hundred years,

appeared in front of the Three Border Passes for the first time.

The Emperor sat on the imperial chariot,

looking at the front, looking at the densely packed and well-ordered soldiers of the Great Yan;

Ruling the world,

the emperor who could turn his hands into clouds and his hands into rain, making decisions on his own in the court,

was actually sweating in his palms at this moment, becoming nervous.

The Eunuch Wei on the side very considerately released qi from his sleeve to cool down His Majesty.

The Emperor breathed a sigh of relief

and cursed:

"That Zheng sure did deceive me."

Eunuch Wei was a little puzzled. At this moment, if there was a misunderstanding between His Majesty and the Regent, how would this great war end?

But soon,

the Emperor said again:

"He actually told me that leading troops to fight is very simple, just put them here and sit down, and try to pretend to be calm and composed.

That Zheng is really treating me like a three-year-old child,

I don't believe it even if you beat me to death,

That Zheng has been winning battles by this method all along."

Also on this day,

the Regent of Great Yan, Zheng Fan, riding a Pixiu,

finally walked out of the valley.

The Prince looked into the distance

and let out a sigh,

"Jiangnan, I've finally arrived."

Xie Yu'an, who had been accompanying the marshal's tent, replied with a smile:

"It is said that this Jiangnan of the Qian kingdom is a land of unsurpassed beauty, full of romance. There is a poem that says, 'I wish I could be born here, grow up here, and be buried here, so that I would not waste a trip to the world.'

This little one knows that Your Highness is an accomplished writer, but I don't know if Your Highness has ever imagined that in this life, you would be a Jiangnan person?"

This was not just flattery, because everyone knew that the Regent of Great Yan had no shortage of famous masterpieces, even the Qian people, who were usually at odds with the Yan people, had to hold their noses and praise the timeless chapters.

Zheng Fan shook his head

and said:

"Don't mention it, I've really thought about that.

But,

it's easy to get tired of eating too much sweetness.

Thinking about it,

this golden horse and iron horse, thousands of miles of yellow sand, is more suitable for me.

Even if this Jiangnan has orioles and swallows, singing and dancing, and literary men and poets singing about the beautiful scenery,

it is far less than one ten-thousandth of the sound of 'Die for me'."

The next moment,

The Prince's eyes sank slightly,

And his expression became solemn:

"I,

am here to pick you up."