Chapter 135 How dare he? The way to maximize benefits, I will be behind you

"Is the news true?"

Inside Chengming Palace, Emperor Xia, who was reading a letter, suddenly stood up. Her bright yellow robe was embroidered with a pattern of a soaring dragon over the sea. Her sudden action caused the corners of her robe to raise surging golden waves.

Her brows were furrowed and her face showed great emotional fluctuations.

Chunlan stood aside respectfully, with her head and hands hanging down. Upon hearing this, she simply whispered, "According to the information sent back by the spies from the Naxian League, it should not be wrong."

"Master Jiang has changed his appearance, but for some reason, he seems to be trying to contact the Blood Immortal Sect's base..."

After all, the Naxian League was founded by Emperor Xia himself, and he had privately allocated a lot of resources and magical tools to it.

In order to investigate some secrets and information more accurately, some core members of the Naxian League were given magical instruments with the power of Jianxuanmingxin, which can help them understand some strange techniques and disguises of feng shui.

In order to investigate the secrets of Jiang Lan, Emperor Xia had previously ordered members of the Naxian League to keep an eye on him.

However, she didn't expect that the Naxian League would not be able to find out anything, and when she was secretly paying attention to the Blood Immortal Sect's stronghold, she unexpectedly saw Jiang Lan lurking away quietly.

Last night, when Xia Zhu was sent to investigate the Blood Immortal Cult's stronghold, in addition to accidentally learning about the Blood Immortal Cult's plan, he also learned about several corresponding strongholds.

However, now that the Southern Hunting Exercise was imminent, Emperor Xia did not send anyone to clear it out in order not to alert the enemy. Instead, he instructed the people from the Naxian League and the Anhua Pavilion to keep an eye on it at all times.

"Is he the only one here?" Emperor Xia sat back on the dragon throne, his brows still furrowed.

Chunlan replied, "According to the spies of the Naxian League, there is only Young Master Jiang."

Emperor Xia said expressionlessly, "How dare he?"

"You really are not afraid of death..."

Chunlan remained silent.

Emperor Xia looked at the letter in front of him, was silent for a moment, and then said, "Tell the people of the Naxian League to keep an eye on the situation at all times. If Jiang Lan is in danger, try to protect his safety without exposing him."

"He is so brave to lurk alone in the Blood Immortal Sect's stronghold... If he dies at this time, it will only cause trouble for me."

"but……"

She thought of Jiang Ruxian. If she had known that Jiang Lan was taking the risk, she would have followed him secretly.

"Yes, I'll go and give the order right away." Chunlan replied.

She almost thought that His Majesty was going to go in person... His Majesty has been a little abnormal during this period, and seems to be paying too much attention to Young Master Jiang.

After Chunlan left, the hall returned to silence.

Queen Xia rubbed her brows, feeling that she had never been at peace since she met Jiang Lan. Why did she pay so much attention to his affairs during this period? Just now, she heard the report that he had gone to the Blood Fairy Sect's base to take risks. She was worried for the first time... It was probably because he had absorbed too many spiritual objects from heaven and earth in the Dragon Transformation Pond. If something happened, wouldn't the cost she invested be sunk and wasted? By then, Prime Minister Jiang Lintian would probably turn Daxia over.

Emperor Xia really couldn't understand why Jiang Lan, who was perfectly fine, would take such a huge risk. Did he really have something to rely on or have the confidence?

He is only at the third realm of cultivation, how dare he do that?

After leaving Chengming Palace and returning to his bedroom, he began to meditate and practice as usual. The vast and surging dragon energy filled the palace, but Emperor Xia could not calm down for a long time.

It was only after the morning court session the next day that she learned from her maid Chunlan what had happened the previous night.

Fortunately, no major war broke out. Perhaps Jiang Lan was carrying a magical weapon that could conceal his aura. He hid in the Blood Immortal Sect's stronghold for a whole night and left safely before dawn.

This also made Emperor Xia breathe a sigh of relief.

After finishing a day's work, at the hour of Xu, the lights come on.

As expected, she saw Jiang Lan again in Yuxianfang.

Surrounded by beautiful girls, fat and thin, and the air filled with the scent of cosmetics, Emperor Xia had an undisguised look of disgust.

Jiang Lan seemed very surprised by her arrival and waved his hand to let the singers go down.

Outside the pleasure boat, a thin mist was rising on the river surface, carrying with it some water vapor. Jiang Lan was leaning on the soft couch near the window. When Emperor Xia arrived, she did not perform any formalities. She just casually greeted him and asked about her purpose of coming.

He deliberately let the people of the Naxian League reveal his whereabouts to Emperor Xia, anticipating that she would come looking for him after learning the news.

Otherwise, Jiang Lan really had no suitable reason or means to contact her actively.

After all, it was impossible for him to go to the palace in person to meet Emperor Xia. If he did so, wouldn't that tear the invisible paper between the two of them? Besides, doing so would easily attract the attention of other forces and cause them to make continuous associations.

At least before this, Jiang Lan didn't want anyone to know that he had private contact with Emperor Xia.

After all, the Imperial Master Ge Qixing has many spies in the imperial palace.

"Does one have to have something important to ask before looking for Master Jiang?" Emperor Xia said expressionlessly.

"Not really. After all, you are very busy and probably don't have that much free time."

"It can't be that you want to see me?" Jiang Lan smiled.

Emperor Xia snorted coldly and said, "You are really self-indulgent."

"Actually, I've been thinking about how to meet you these past two days." Jiang Lan changed the subject and took the initiative to speak.

Emperor Xia was slightly startled, then asked, "Is there something wrong?"

She didn't think Jiang Lan wanted to see her.

"There is indeed something going on. I don't know if you know it or not. If you do, that's great. If not, I still intend to remind you."

"To avoid heavy losses later." Jiang Lan said casually.

There seemed to be a gleam of brilliance in Emperor Xia's eyes. He looked at him and asked, "Why did you think of reminding me?"

"I'm just returning a favor. Otherwise, I've been feeling uneasy these past two days. Maybe someone is secretly cursing me, thinking that I've taken advantage of her."

Jiang Lan spoke slowly, and threw a letter with a series of spiritual objects from heaven and earth in front of her.

Emperor Xia narrowed his beautiful eyes, then glanced at the letter, then calmly looked away, pretending not to have seen it.

"After all, not everyone is as rich as Mr. Jiang, who is as wealthy as a country..."

The four words "rich enough to rival a country" sounded like gnashing of teeth when they came out of her mouth.

Jiang Lan smiled upon hearing this, sat up straight on the couch, and said, "Indeed, after all, I am not as stingy as some people who would haggle over even the smallest spiritual objects of heaven and earth..."

Emperor Xia looked at him, with a dangerous look in his eyes.

"Why do you want to see me?" She quickly regained her composure and looked at him coldly.

"The matter of the Blood Immortal Cult." Jiang Lan said bluntly.

Emperor Xia was stunned for a moment, then he vaguely guessed something and felt a little surprised and unbelievable.

Seeing that Emperor Xia fell silent, Jiang Lan continued, "I don't know whether you believe it or not, but the Blood Fairy Sect will conspire to seize the Dragon Seal during this Southern Hunting Exercise."

Queen Xia actually knew the news last night, which is why she was so furious at the time.

But she did not expect that Jiang Lan would actually take the initiative to tell her about this.

At this moment, looking at the lazy and casual Jiang Lan, she inexplicably felt an indescribable emotion and feeling in her heart.

Was it also for this matter that he risked his life to sneak into the Blood Immortal Cult's stronghold last night?

"You don't believe it?"

"But it's up to you. I'm just giving you a kind reminder."

"Whether you believe it or not, that's your business." Jiang Lan looked calm and continued in a leisurely tone.

Emperor Xia regained his composure and snorted coldly, "Minding my own business? How could I not know about this kind of thing?"

Jiang Lan laughed, shrugged casually, and said, "I see. I'm just being sentimental."

"I will stay out of this kind of business from now on."

"No, I don't care."

"You..." When Emperor Xia heard him say this, he was obviously stunned, but he didn't know how to respond.

She also knew that her tone just now was a little wrong. After all, Jiang Lan was kind-hearted no matter what.

But she has always been like this.

Jiang Lan glanced at her, as if he knew what she was thinking, and said calmly, "Why do you have to look like you have thorns all the time? The tougher you act, the more fragile you will appear inside."

"I won't tolerate your stinky face."

Emperor Xia's chest heaved at what he said, and he clenched his hands tightly. He felt a dull, stabbing pain in his heart, as if every word pierced his heart.

"Sorry, my tone was wrong just now..."

But after thinking about it, she gritted her teeth, spoke calmly, and chose to give in.

She has always been a flexible person, but in front of Jiang Lan, who is not as strong as her in cultivation and status, she always feels that she is being controlled and led by the nose by Jiang Lan, so she is not very friendly to him.

But this does not mean that she cannot distinguish the situation or whether someone has good intentions or not.

Jiang Lan didn't seem to have any intention of holding on to her. His expression lightened up a little and he asked, "Do you have any countermeasures?"

Queen Xia was startled for a moment, then realized that Jiang Lan was asking her how to deal with the Blood Immortal Cult's plot.

To be honest, she was indeed thinking about how to crack the countermeasures. The Blood Immortal Cult actually dared to plot against the national weapon, so they must have something to rely on and have the confidence.

She had been thinking about this matter all day today, but there were not many people around her whom she could truly trust, and time was too tight.

For a moment, she couldn't make up her mind.

"No."

Emperor Xia answered honestly. Looking at Jiang Lan at this moment, he actually felt an inexplicable sense of reliability.

He seems...really reliable?

Hearing this, Jiang Lan stood up from the couch, glanced at Emperor Xia, and shook his head slightly, as if to say, "As expected."

Although he didn't say anything, the meaning was clear.

Emperor Xia was immediately annoyed. He gritted his teeth and clenched his jade hands. What kind of expression was that? If he had enough time and manpower, how could he not have a plan? However, the fact that the Blood Fairy Cult dared to covet the national treasure was enough to show that the palace and the ministers' families had already planted the corresponding people.

What is troubling her right now is... she doesn't know about the existence of those traitors and spies. Unless she purges all the people in the palace in a short period of time, or focuses on protecting national treasures.

But the Southern Hunting Exercise is related to the reputation of Daxia, so how can it be done casually? The focus can only be on one side.

Unless... the Prime Minister's Mansion puts aside its hatred for the royal family and lends a helping hand?

Thinking of this, Emperor Xia stared at Jiang Lan with a pair of eyes that seemed to have some kind of brilliance.

"What's on my face?" Jiang Lan reached out and touched his face, as if he didn't know what she was thinking.

"You have a solution, right?" asked Queen Xia, with a hint of expectation in her tone that she herself didn't even notice.

Jiang Lan sighed slightly, "If you can't do anything, what can I do?"

"I thought you had a solution that might give people some peace of mind."

"Jiang Lan..."

Emperor Xia felt that he was completely playing tricks on him, and suddenly a strong and vast aura emerged from his body. He wanted to take action and teach him a lesson personally.

"Don't be angry, I'm trying to find a solution for you." Jiang Lan seemed helpless.

Emperor Xia folded his arms and sat down on a jade stool beside him, staring at him with his phoenix eyes, as if waiting for his next words.

Jiang Lan paced slowly in the room with a thoughtful expression.

"The Dragon Seal is the national treasure of Daxia. Generally speaking, it should be guarded by an old man from the royal family. With their cultivation and strength, how can ordinary people get close to it?"

"But the Blood Immortal Cult must have thought of how to deal with this matter. Perhaps they can try to mobilize more powerful members of the royal family to go there..."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Xia interrupted him and said, "That's impossible. Those old guys are eager to find a suitable excuse to impeach me. Not to mention that there are countless old guys in the clan house who are eyeing that position."

"The royal family is the best at pretending to obey but secretly disobeying. Who knows if they are colluding with the Blood Immortal Cult?"

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When she said this, the coldness in her eyes grew even stronger.

Jiang Lan sat down opposite her, looked sympathetic, and said, "Calm down, let's try another approach."

When Emperor Xia heard this, he almost laughed out of anger, feeling that the emperor was treating him like a child.

However, despite feeling a little irritable and depressed, I suddenly felt a lot more cheerful and bright.

"I'm not angry, I just don't like those old guys, just like Jiang..."

Emperor Xia quickly stopped talking and almost scolded his father in front of Jiang Lan.

"Apart from being enshrined in the imperial palace, can the Dragon Seal be taken outside?" Jiang Lan asked, seemingly indifferent.

Emperor Xia shook his head and said, "No, the national weapon is the foundation of the country. Unless Daxia is in danger, it cannot be used lightly. Even with my status, I cannot carry it with me."

Jiang Lan naturally knew all these things very well.

Emperor Xia was indeed a very aggrieved king. Even to use the national treasures, he needed the consent of the elders of the royal family.

The former emperor was so powerful that even the royal family members dared not even fart in front of him.

It would be better for him to refine and possess this national weapon in secret.

Otherwise, should he find a way to help the Blood Fairy Cult succeed? Anyway, he had a backup plan, and in the end, he took the Dragon Seal for himself, but in this case, he would have to go out in person, and there was a risk of being exposed.

However, openly helping Emperor Xia to deal with the Blood Immortal Cult would be somewhat troublesome, and the benefits did not seem to be that great.

As Jiang Lan pondered, he looked at the long eyelashes of Emperor Xia, and at this moment, she seemed to really regard him as someone who could help her...

As long as she follows her advice and plans, there is a high probability that the Dragon-Suppressing Seal will fall into her hands.

Moreover, after losing the Dragon-Suppressing Seal, no matter how successful Emperor Xia’s southern hunting exercises were, his prestige would be destroyed, which was exactly what he wanted.

The scenario in which benefits are maximized is to help her deal with the Blood Immortal Cult openly, but to step in secretly and try to seize the national weapon.

"Once the Blood Immortal Cult takes away the national treasure, the national destiny will be in chaos. Unrest will break out in Daxia, and countless people will be displaced. Dongyuanzhou and Nanhuangzhou will definitely take advantage of the situation to loot..."

Queen Xia frowned and was thinking about countermeasures at this moment. One move could affect the entire body, so she needed to deal with it seriously.

"In that case, let's use the Dragon Suppression Seal as bait, and when the Blood Immortal Sect's people arrive, we can capture them all in one fell swoop."

"I know you're worried that the Blood Fairy Cult has made arrangements in advance and bribed some of your trusted people, including some maids and eunuchs in the palace. Even those close servants and ministers may not be trustworthy..."

"But isn't this also an opportunity for you to purge the people around you? After something happens, you can also find out which people have problems." Jiang Lan said seriously.

Emperor Xia looked at him, his eyes sparkling, and said, "But this is very risky. If we are short of manpower or strength, and the Dragon Suppression Seal is lost, the consequences will be..."

She had actually thought of this method, which was to inform other ministers and princes of the Blood Immortal Cult's plot as soon as possible and ask them to send people to protect and guard the place.

Jiang Lan interrupted her and asked, "Do you believe me?"

Emperor Xia felt that at this moment, he was no longer as lazy and casual as before, and there was a convincing and reassuring calmness in his eyes.

She nodded gently, her mind suddenly a little confused.

Jiang Lan smiled and said, "Then just do what you want. I'll be behind you."

After saying this, he turned around and said goodbye without saying much, walking out of the room.

Emperor Xia stared at Jiang Lan's back in a daze.

The night wind blew in from the window, accompanied by the fishy smell of river water vapor, which brought back a lot of her thoughts.

She reached out and touched her chest, and felt as if her heart was beating inexplicably faster at that moment.

…

A few days passed in a flash.

Emperor Xia decided to use the Dragon Suppression Seal as bait to lure the Blood Immortal Sect over according to the discussion with Jiang Lan that day, and at the same time set up a corresponding large net.

During this period, she summoned a number of trusted ministers and princes one by one, informed them of the Blood Immortal Cult's plan to seize the Dragon Seal, and arranged for them to send personnel to protect and guard it in secret.

Among these ministers and princes, there were Zhenbei Prince Xiao He, Zhongguo Duke, and Chong'an County Prince...

Among them, Prince Chong'an is her uncle and one of the people she trusts the most.

She was actually unwilling to accept the possibility that someone among these people would betray her, but just in case, she followed the plan she had discussed with Jiang Lan in advance and informed them of the matter of the Dragon Seal.

However, in order to achieve a decoy effect that was indistinguishable from the real thing, she sent people to find similar objects, placed them in various places deep inside the palace, and dispatched heavy troops to guard them.

She also informed her trusted subordinates about this matter and asked them to send people to guard different places.

In this way, any problems that arise later can be traced back immediately to find out who the traitors and spies are.

After the dispute over Qianyuan Prefecture ended, the imperial capital was far from peaceful.

As the Southern Hunting Exercise approached, some vassal kings and princes in more remote areas far from the imperial capital also sent people to the area in the past few days. Immortal sects that had not arrived before also appeared in the past few days.

In addition, hundreds of countries that were dependent on Daxia, overseas countries, and various ethnic groups also sent people to come.

The rosy glow faded, colorful mist filled the air, and cloud boats, jade boats, painted boats, and flying swords fell from the sky.

Every day one could see chariots rumbling in, covered in traces of weather and war.

Among them were many barbarians who were sent from the border of Southern Wilderness State to serve as death row prisoners and prey in this Southern Hunting Exercise.

The Southern Hunting Exercise is different from the dispute over Qianyuan Prefecture.

If you don't come, it would be disrespectful to the royal family, and to some extent, you might even be regarded as a traitor with rebellious intentions.

Even those vassal kings and princes of different surnames who dominate a certain area and have their own military forces have to be careful during this period of time.

Armies with great momentum and murderous intent have rushed back from all over the country and are waiting outside the imperial capital. There are air cavalry riding on fierce wind tigers and heavy cavalry wearing armor and carrying spears...

Deep in the sky, there are war bunkers and war tools built by the Tiangong Creation Institute one after another rising and falling. The majestic and vast aura of terror hangs there like an ancient demon mountain.

In the distant sky, there are war flying boats with space inside hovering. There are countless runes engraved on the surface, and deep inside is a small world that can accommodate hundreds of thousands of terrifying armies.

In the past few days, deep in the imperial capital, one can see one dazzling light gate after another emerging, and groups of knights covered in blood and full of murderous aura rushed out as if they had gone through countless battles.

Just riding the ferocious beast and galloping across the sky made a terrifying sound like thousands of troops galloping, like a raging wave, which was terrifying.

And these are just the tip of the iceberg of Da Xia's heritage.

The many immortal sects and ancient noble families who were watching the ceremony were all shocked and horrified.

Any one of these forces could easily sweep away an immortal sect. Even though Da Xia is already in decline, it is still so terrifying.

It is really fascinating to think of the founding emperor of Daxia who dominated the world, wiped out both the immortals and the demons, as well as hundreds of countries, shocking the world and dominating the universe.

"Although Daxia is about to end, its strength should not be underestimated. These armies are terrifyingly powerful."

"Among the nine states, only Zhongtian State can see such a grand occasion. The other states are still in chaos and turmoil until now. There are many sects and aristocratic families, each dominating one side. Even the grandeur of the Ao Yue Dynasty and the Gou Chen Dynasty is not even one percent of that of the Da Xia Dynasty."

"Although it is called an imperial dynasty, this Great Xia should have the potential to be an immortal dynasty..."

On a barren mountain outside the imperial capital, several figures stood there, gazing at the magnificent imperial capital with dragon luck rising into the sky, and everyone's face was filled with amazement.

The clothes they wore were different from the clothes in Daxia. Even though they had learned Daxia's official language through secret methods, they still had some accents from other states when they spoke.

The person who was speaking at this moment was a young man of medium build with regular features.

He was wearing a long dark grey brocade robe. His hands were a bit broad, but his skin had a jade-like luster. There were totemic patterns on his face. He had many pendants on his body, most commonly silver, and some bracelets made of teeth and bones.

"The reason why Daxia can have such a grand occasion is just because of its geographical advantage. If our ancestors had not been driven to the desolate land of Xilingzhou, we would have a place in Zhongtianzhou, where the dragon veins and luck converge..."

Next to the young man, a petite purple-haired woman spoke in a clear voice.

She had some silver hair accessories on her head, a gourd and a flute hanging around her waist, a scimitar less than half a foot long hanging behind her back, crimson lines at the corners of her eyes, and a palm-sized, colorful spider lying on her shoulder.

"Anyway, we are here to watch the ceremony just to join in the fun. When we enter the capital of Daxia, don't talk nonsense."

A middle-aged man with long hair and a dark face spoke up, and he was obviously the leader of this group of people.

"Uncle Ya, I would like to know why those Taoist holy places in Dongyuanzhou have retreated there since they failed in their bid for supremacy and have been coveting Zhongtianzhou for so long, but there has been no movement."

"Do you think the forces in Dongyuan Prefecture will take action during Daxia's southern hunting exercise? The king of Daxia has mobilized so many troops, so there won't be anyone guarding the border areas, right?"

The purple-haired girl curled her lips and did not have much respect for the middle-aged man in the lead. Instead, he asked about the topic that interested her.

The middle-aged man glanced at her, and seemed a little helpless. He just said, "The barbarians in Nanhuangzhou haven't started a war with Daxia yet. How can the Taoist forces in Dongyuanzhou be anxious?"

"The clan leader told me to keep a good eye on you after I came to Daxia. Miss, please don't say such things again. Otherwise, I don't know what those people in Daxia will think after hearing it..."

As they were talking, these people were also heading towards the capital of Daxia.

Xiling Prefecture is famous for its high mountains and hills, various lakes and mountains, and is filled with miasma and many insects and animals.

Most of the cities were built on relatively open and flat plains. They were generally divided by families, tribes, and cities, and extended radially to the surrounding areas.

The family behind them is one of the top-ranked clans in Xilingzhou, otherwise they would not have been invited to participate in the ceremony.

Except for Xiling Province, the other provinces in the Jiuzhou land currently have relatively peaceful relations with the Daxia Dynasty and no conflicting forces have broken out, and they have also received corresponding invitations.

However, they are not like the major aristocratic families and sects in Zhongtian Province, which must be treated with caution.

After receiving the invitation, there were actually quite a few forces that turned a blind eye. However, those forces that had not offended the Great Xia Dynasty not only had to come to watch the ceremony, but also had to prepare a decent gift.

(End of this chapter)