Chapter 136 Walking

"Go, ah,
Meeting a big sister, I get news,
Visiting Lan Ying in the Jiuli Sangyuan.
But all I see is a mulberry garden so lush..."

In the courtyard,
Lord Zheng Hou sat there, holding tea, listening to Liu Ruqing singing opera.

Liu Ruqing's voice was very good,
And she was beautiful and charming.
Anyway, Lord Zheng Hou didn't really understand what she was singing, because she deliberately mixed in the Chu dialect, but it sounded good, very enjoyable.

"The first bowl is white fish and red-braised paradise pork,
The second bowl is fragrant fried fish,
The third bowl..."

Listening to this, Lord Zheng Hou was still fascinated, even starting to imagine what kind of dishes they were;

It wasn't like before, when people recited the names of dishes: steamed lamb, steamed bear paws, steamed deer tail, roast duck, roast chicken, roast goose...

It was sickening, especially when the person reciting felt good about themselves and rattled it all off in one breath, and at the end, the audience gave sparse, relieved applause.

Frankly speaking,
Maybe the latter was just ugly.

Just then, the Blind Man walked in.

Liu Ruqing stopped and served tea.

Zheng Fan turned to look at the Blind Man and asked, "What's wrong?"

With the Blind Man's level of tact, he wouldn't disturb him at this time unless something really big had happened.

"My lord, the Kingdom of Chu has attacked Qian."

"Hmm, hmm?"

Lord Zheng Hou didn't react at first, but when he thought about it a second time, he truly realized what had happened.

"Heh heh."

Lord Zheng Hou laughed. Interesting, interesting. He'd actually guessed right.

General Nian of Chu was an admirer of Prince Jingnan; this was almost an open secret.

Unexpectedly, the Regent of Chu was actually a fan of the Yan Emperor.

This imitation was exactly the same.

"Lord, Mr. Bei, you talk. I'll go prepare some refreshments."

"Okay."

"Thank you for your hard work."

The Blind Man sat down and said, "My lord, Nian Yao is leading the Chu army to attack Qian."

"Of course. Chu cannot afford any mistakes in attacking Qian at this time. They'll definitely use their most capable general. This Nian Yao is a capable man."

Once, Lord Zheng Hou, the little barbarian prince, Zhong Tianlang of Qian, and Nian Yao of Chu were known as the four rising stars.

But in reality, the barbarian prince was still an unknown, and Zhong Tianlang was just a naive kid. After getting to know them, only Nian Yao had the qualifications to stand alongside him.

Zheng Fan asked, "What's the situation on the battlefield?"

"According to the current news, the Chu army is unstoppable."

"Hmm, that's not surprising. Qian's military preparedness has been in decline for years. Although there has been some improvement in recent years, it's not something that can be completely fixed overnight. In addition, Qian has been constantly transferring capable soldiers from all over to strengthen the border, and the southwest chieftains have rebelled again, diverting a lot of energy. As for the southeast, since war is unlikely, the defense and military preparedness are predictably poor."

Lord Zheng Hou took a sip of tea and continued:

"Didn't something similar happen in the history we're familiar with? The Jin Kingdom had just been ravaged by the Mongols, but when the Mongols withdrew to the west, the Jin Kingdom not only didn't choose to go north to take advantage of the situation to recover lost territory, but instead chose to attack the Southern Song to the south to try to recover losses.

In short,
There's no morality or ethics in this world, nor any friendship between countries. Over and over, it's just one sentence being explained:
If you're weak, you'll be beaten."

"My lord, how far do you think this war will go?"

Zheng Fan pondered for a moment and said:

"Chu has just been defeated and is severely weakened. Moreover, the abolition of noble fiefs within the country also requires a large army to suppress it, and the Chu court will inevitably be distracted by this.

I think Nian Yao's initial ambition in attacking Qian wasn't that great, but he couldn't help it because Qian was too weak, and he started winning too easily.

But when Qian reacts and begins to organize its forces, the situation should temporarily stall.

Nian Yao might even voluntarily spit out some of the territory he's taken and reach an agreement with Qian. Anyway, Chu will profit no matter what."

The Blind Man nodded and said, "The Qian Emperor has appointed Meng Gong, who was idle in the capital, to take charge of the southeast. This person has a connection with us. Back when you wanted to launch a second surprise attack on Mianzhou City, he was inside the city directing the defense.

Later, he was highly appreciated by Old Chancellor Zhong and was quickly promoted.

Before Old Chancellor Zhong died, he insisted on opposing the Northern Expedition, and he was a staunch supporter of Old Chancellor Zhong. Because of this, he was dismissed from his post by the court, which was determined to launch the Northern Expedition at the time, and sent back to the capital to retire.

In the current situation, the Qian Emperor should be hoping he can stabilize the situation in the southeast."

"I know this person. It is said that the new defense system for the three borders of Qian a few years ago was designed by him at Old Zhong's behest. He's a capable man."

"Yes."

"Our court will probably sit back and watch the tigers fight, or even add fuel to the fire. For example, by sending a few civil officials to Qian, or by having the Eldest Prince move the border garrison camps back a bit, and then discuss with Qian about increasing the annual tribute.

Give Qian some reassurance, tell them that we don't plan to attack you now, nor do we have the time to attack you. You can transfer some more troops from the three borders to fight the Chu."

The Blind Man smiled and said, "That should be about right."

The Yan Kingdom is currently facing serious internal problems and is unable to launch another major war. Therefore, the Yan court would be most pleased to see Chu and Qian fighting each other.

Lord Zheng Hou then ordered:

"As for our side, hasn't the first batch of warhorses not been traded yet? Increase the price, increase it by another 20%, to reassure my brother-in-law."

"Yes, my lord, I understand."

Temporarily increasing the price is a disgusting thing, but here, it is an attitude. That is, the extra 20% I am charging is the benefit fee I am collecting. During this period, I will not harass you or put pressure on you, so you can fight Qian in peace.

Liu Ruqing brought refreshments and quickly withdrew without saying a word.

The Blind Man picked up a piece of pastry, took a bite, and said, "It's interesting that Qian and Chu, who were originally united against Yan, are now fighting each other."

Zheng Fan shook his head and said:

"Didn't Eastern Wu play the same trick?

In fact, I'm more worried that if you're going to fight Qian, you have to cripple it, destroy it. If you just bite it once and then it bites you back, you might end up strengthening it.

Qian is, after all, a vast land with abundant resources. There's definitely no shortage of talent."

"That is indeed a possibility, but you don't need to worry too much. No matter what happens to this Great Yan now, at least Jindong will become stronger and stronger over time. What we need most now is time."

"That's true. We started from scratch, and everything was arranged well from the beginning, so there's no burden."

"My lord, I'll go down first. You continue to listen to the opera."

"No, I should go practice my saber."

"It was I who disturbed your lord's elegant pastime."

"Yes."

………

After practicing his saber, it was almost dusk. Lord Zheng Hou returned to his room and started to soak in the hot spring.

The temperature had been adjusted long ago, just right.

Closing his eyes,
He quietly felt the blood and Qi flowing slowly and rhythmically within his body. This feeling was quite good.

At this moment,
The door of the room was pushed open,
And the footsteps were firm.

In fact, the three women in the back house had different footsteps.

Because of her martial arts skills, Fourth Sister's footsteps were light;

Liu Ruqing's footsteps were a little timid,

And the princess, because she had lived in the palace since childhood, although it was necessary to observe people's expressions, she was still a princess, so her footsteps were steady.

Xiong Liqing walked behind Zheng Fan, squatted down, and began to scrub Zheng Fan's back.

Qu Peiluo had gone back, taking with him more than two thousand released Qingluan Army prisoners of war, passing through the Meng Mountain area, guided by the Fan family to return.

After returning,
He saw the scene of the ancestral hall being destroyed and his clan being slaughtered for treason.

According to the Fan family's later description in their reply, Qu Peiluo's eyes were wide open at the time, almost bleeding.

Lord Zheng Hou would ignore the exaggerated rhetoric for the time being, because he himself was an actor.

He was very interested in what Qu Peiluo would do next.

"My lord, I don't think Qu Peiluo will really start a rebellion."

"Oh? Why?"

The topic was actually picked up in perfect synchronization.

"Because his temperament is too soft, completely different from yours. You're very tough."

"That's for sure."

"Then what do you think he will do?"

"I think he will probably go into seclusion, find a place where no one knows him, and live on."

"Hmm, that's not up to him. After he finishes paying respects in front of the destroyed Qu clan ancestral hall, and after the news of his return is released by the Fan family and the people he brought back;

Someone in his team will immediately subdue him, imprison him there, and in his name, with the backing of the Fan family, recruit troops and fight against your imperial brother."

"His people, even with the support of the Fan family, can't resist a ban army sweep."

"There's no need to resist head-on. The Qu clan has been operating in the fief for hundreds of years, and their network of contacts will not be easily defeated. They can fight a guerrilla war. As long as that flag is still standing there, it will continue to give your brother trouble."

In any case, the arrangement for Qu Peiluo was just a spare move, and there was no expectation of what fruit it would bear. Lord Zheng Hou didn't care much.

Moreover, keeping Qu Peiluo by his side would make him, Lord Zheng Hou, uncomfortable.

Killing him?
He couldn't bear to,

After all, the man had been impeccable to him, simply too good.

Therefore,
He could only find an excuse to let him go and let him use his remaining energy.

"My lord, I heard that my Great Chu and Qian are at war."

"Yes, but don't worry, for your sake, I won't interfere too much. Let your brother fight in peace."

"Although I know you're lying to me, I'm still very happy to hear that."

"Heh heh."

At this time,
The princess took off her clothes and slowly entered the hot spring.

Her skin was very fair and tender, and it took on a pink color in the soaking hot spring.

"Sister said that I can do it."

Zheng Fan closed his eyes.

The princess bit her red lip,
In the misty hot spring,
And said sternly:

"Little Zhengzi, quickly serve this palace to bed!"

Lord Zheng Hou opened his eyes, a little surprised.

Xiong Liqing, who had just said these words face to face,
Was so nervous that she could barely breathe.

She was afraid of Zheng Fan, very afraid, but according to what her sister said, and what she herself had seen, it seemed that her husband liked this kind of atmosphere.

She was going all out,
And then,
She found that Zheng Fan was very calm.

The huge worldly pressure, the fear of Zheng Fan rooted in her heart, and the regret of her reckless impulse made the princess, who had always been strong, almost cry at this moment.

She had been clever for so long, but she had actually screwed up at such an important moment.

"Who taught you that?" Zheng Fan asked.

"I, I heard it," the princess said in a low voice, "My lord, I was wrong."

"No, you're not wrong. You're just a little too ahead of your time, and I haven't caught up yet."

Lord Zheng Hou stood up from the hot spring, picked up the princess, and slapped her on the butt.

"Pa!"

"Little Zhengzi? You've rebelled, haven't you? See how your husband punishes you!"

"I was wrong, my lord, I was wrong, my lord."

"Who was wrong?"

"I, I was wrong."

"Who was wrong?"

"I, I was wrong, I was wrong."

"Who are you?"

"I, this palace, this palace was wrong."

"No, you're not wrong."

The princess finally understood,

Being carried toward the bed, her expression suddenly froze,
And with a dignity that didn't need to be faked,
She said:

"Impudent, little Zhengzi, believe it or not, this palace will punish you, exterminate your… um um um"

After that,
There was a night of conquest and rain to punish the transgression.

………

On one side of the newly built city wall of Fengxin City,
A towering figure of a man was carrying a petite figure on his shoulders.

In the moonlight,
Fan Li and the Sword Servant were taking a walk.

"Big guy."

"Mm."

"I've grown up."

"Mm."

"But I still like sitting on your shoulders."

"Mm."

"Master said that I can practice swordsmanship in another half a year."

"Mm."

"When I've practiced my swordsmanship well, I'll avenge my first master."

"Mm."

"Will you stop me?"

"Mm."

"Okay."

The Sword Servant was a little sad. She looked up at the moon in the sky. She didn't even know what she was sad about.

"Big guy."

"Mm."

"I want the moon in the sky."

"Dream on."

"........." Sword Servant.

The Sword Servant jumped down from Fan Li's shoulders.

When he first saw her, she was just a small sword attendant, following behind Yuan Zhenxing, constantly complaining that her master was an idiot, making the two of them often go hungry.

Now, four years have passed, not yet a young woman, but she already had the look of a beauty.

"Big guy, I want to drink mutton soup."

"Mm."

Fan Li stepped forward, picked up the Sword Servant, and put her back on his shoulders.

He walked into the city and stopped in front of a meat soup restaurant.

Fengxin City did not have a curfew to facilitate commercial activities, so this soup restaurant was still open now.

However, there were not many customers. One customer was sitting alone in the corner on the first floor, drinking soup alone.

"Senior Brother!"

The Sword Servant shouted.

The lonely figure was none other than Hero Chen.

A bowl of soup, plus a pot of soup, was brought up.

The Sword Servant said to Hero Chen in a very experienced manner:

"Senior Brother, after drinking this bowl of soup, are you going to enjoy yourself in the red tents?"

As she spoke,
The Sword Servant blinked.

Hero Chen nodded and said:

"Mm."

"Mm?" The Sword Servant was stunned for a moment, then shouted loudly: "Well, I didn't expect you, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, to actually..."

"It was Master who told me to go."

"Eh... Master, told you, to go to the red tents?"

"Mm."

The Sword Servant didn't ask why Master told you to go, but instead asked:

"Has Master gone with you?"

Hero Chen shook his head, "Master hasn't."

The Sword Servant was relieved.

Her first master in this life was irreplaceable;

But this second master was actually someone she truly respected from the bottom of her heart. Perhaps in Lord Zheng Hou's eyes, the Sword Saint was just the Sword Saint, but in the eyes of the Sword Servant, a "child of the Jianghu (martial world)," the Sword Saint embodied the true demeanor that a Jianghu knight should have.

"What did Master tell you to do there?"

"Sweep the floor, wipe the tables, deliver water basins... oh, the night before yesterday, someone almost suffered a stroke, and I used my sword Qi to stimulate him, saving his life."

"Oh, I understand. Master is telling you to temper your heart in the mortal world."

"Mm, I can understand that too."

Just then,
A group of people on horseback roared past outside on the street. Although Fengxin City did not have a curfew, it would definitely be a serious crime to ride horses wantonly in the city.

Therefore,
Something must have happened. These were messengers.

"Something happened," said Hero Chen.

The Sword Servant turned to look at Fan Li and said, "Something happened."

Fan Li was still drinking mutton soup,

After a long time,
He put down the soup pot,
And said:

"Yes, something happened."

……

Something had indeed happened,
And,
It was a big deal.

But this news,
Did not disturb Lord Zheng Hou.

The next morning,
Lord Zheng Hou walked out of the bedroom refreshed, while the princess was too tired and needed to rest a little longer.

That's right,
That's the normal plot that should be happening.

While Lord Zheng Hou was eating breakfast,
Fourth Sister came over. Under normal circumstances, everyone wouldn't eat breakfast together, because Lord Zheng Hou's wake-up time wasn't fixed.

Seeing Fourth Sister sitting down, Zheng Fan was a little embarrassed, feeling like he'd been caught by his wife after spending 398.

"My lord, have another egg."

Fourth Sister personally peeled an egg and put it in Zheng Fan's porridge bowl.

"Okay, okay."

Fourth Sister didn't ask about what happened last night, although she had said that she wanted to take a look.

As for being jealous or not, she really didn't feel that way. After all, the princess was someone Fourth Sister had decided to bring into the harem.

Listening to the princess calling her sister and being submissive in front of her, Fourth Sister herself was happy.

Therefore, she not only signaled the princess to serve him last night, but also reminded her that she must wake up later than the lord the next morning, and when the lord got up, pretend to be startled and say that she was too tired and couldn't get out of bed.

"Next, it's Uncle's turn," said Fourth Sister.

"Mm, Uncle?"

Zheng Fan immediately understood,
"Oh, Uncle, hehe."

Fourth Sister took out a letter and placed it in front of Zheng Fan, saying:

"Sun Youdao sent an urgent letter from Yindu."

"Something happened?"

"Yes, the Fifth Prince was assassinated in Yindu."

————

Thanks to Yanzu Zu for becoming the 161st alliance leader of *The Descent of Magic*!

I'm starting to resume normal updates, good night!