Chapter 62 The One-Month Term

These two believers arrived at just the right time; Chu Jiubian had originally intended to find them as well.

"Let them both enter the Divine Realm first, I'll go after I take a shower," Chu Jiu argued.

【Okay.】The system is usually very cooperative and obedient, which makes Chu Jiubian very satisfied.

"Just soaking in the water is boring," Chu Jiubian said, "Could you tell me what they're doing? Can I see the footage?"

[Successful, host. Voice transcription does not require points, but projecting images into the real world deducts three points each time. Confirm projection?]

Chu Jiubian: "..."

"From now on, just tell me the price after you've negotiated it down."

The system now seems to have truly "mastered" the rules of price negotiation, always taking the middle value.

This time it said "three points", which means it guessed that Chu Jiubian would bargain down to "one point", so that it could get the middle value of "two points".

Chu Jiubian was initially quite happy with his bargaining, feeling that he had gotten a good deal.

But ever since he learned that these random functions were priced arbitrarily by the system, he felt he would lose money no matter what, so he stopped bothering to explain.

The system paused for a moment before replying: [Okay, host. Two points have been deducted. The video has been projected.]

Chu Jiubian rested his arms on the edge of the bucket, his chin on his wrists.

The screen in front of me displays scenes from the divine realm.

Si Tu Zhaoling wore a light purple dress, which made the girl's already beautiful face even more charming.

The phoenix in the divine realm seemed to favor her. Before she could fall, it caught her and circled above the divine realm, chirping joyfully.

Si Tu Zhaoling did not come in empty-handed today.

She was holding a flowerpot in her left hand, in which a cotton flower that had already bloomed was planted.

On her other arm hung silk fabrics of various colors, so vibrant and colorful that, as the golden phoenix carried her through the air, it seemed to coat the phoenix with a layer of colorful halo.

Wang Qichen only brought a few pages of paper, so he entered the Divine Realm before her.

He was still standing at the table, not yet seated, looking up at the scene, momentarily dazed.

If Wang Qichen hadn't known that only the High Priest and His followers could enter this divine realm, he would have thought he was seeing a fairy.

Si Tu Zhaoling, even with her hands full, didn't forget to interact with Jin Feng.

She bent down and rubbed her cheek against the golden phoenix's fluffy feathers, laughing, "Good phoenix, quickly put me down."

Jin Feng then slowly landed on the ground, turning into a wisp of smoke and dissipating.

Si Tu Zhao Ling landed steadily, and the golden smoke condensed again in mid-air into a golden phoenix, which flew into the clouds and disappeared.

Only occasionally, a phoenix's cry mingled with a dragon's roar, letting people know that it was still in this realm.

After Si Tu Zhaoling landed, she saw someone standing not far away, but she still bowed to the high priest while carrying a bunch of things.

Knowing that the high priest sometimes arrived late, she stood up straight after bowing and, receiving no response, piled the things she was carrying on the table. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief and turn to look at the extra person.

She knew beforehand that the High Priest had other believers, but this was the first time she had seen them, so she couldn't help but look at Wang Qichen with curiosity.

The more she looked, the brighter her eyes became.

"Young master, you are so handsome!" The young girl didn't hold back her praise.

Moreover, compared to the reserved young ladies in the capital, she was more outgoing and preferred to express herself.

Wang Qichen rarely saw a woman express her admiration so directly, but he was only slightly surprised for a moment before smiling and bowing, saying, "Thank you for your praise, Miss. If it weren't for the fact that only high priests and believers can enter this realm, I would have almost thought I had seen a fairy."

He was telling the truth, and he was used to communicating with people this way, so even his somewhat glib words sounded exceptionally sincere coming from his mouth.

Si Tu Zhaoling immediately laughed and said, "Young master, you really know how to talk."

Then she took two steps toward him, performed a salute of the Southern Frontier tribe, and said, "Princess Si Tu Zhaoling of the Southern Frontier, may I ask your honorable name, young master?"

Wang Qichen was very surprised.

She was actually the princess of the Southern Frontier, and such a person was also a follower of the High Priest.

He found it unbelievable, yet it also seemed perfectly reasonable.

Despite his surprise, he maintained a smile and bowed respectfully, saying, "I am Wang Qichen, the young master of the Langya Wang Clan. You may call me by my name, Princess."

"So it's the famous Young Master Jiyue, no wonder he has such an otherworldly air." Si Tu Zhaoling's eyes lit up.

Although she was far away in the southern border, she had heard of a playboy named Wang Jiyue in the capital, who was known mostly for "saving prostitutes".

Regardless of whether they are male or female, male prostitutes or courtesans, as long as they are of decent character and ask him for help, he will try his best to save them.

Therefore, countless men and women in the martial arts world have mixed opinions about him, both loving and hating him.

He was praised for his loyalty, and criticized for his womanizing.

The love and hate for him stemmed from his face and his dissolute nature.

Si Tu Zhaoling had long wanted to see what kind of person he was, and today she finally got to see him. He was even more handsome than she had imagined!

“Young Master Wang looks a bit older than me, how about I call you Brother Wang from now on?” she said.

Wang Qichen also noticed that the girl was unpretentious, so he didn't stand on ceremony and said, "Then I'll take the liberty of calling you Xiaoling."

“Great!” Si Tu Zhaoling grinned from ear to ear. “I have a twin brother at home and have always wanted an older brother. Today, my wish has finally come true.”

The two villagers, after exchanging just a few words, were practically about to become sworn brothers.

After they became sworn brothers and sisters, Wang Qichen talked to her about the fabrics, and he was particularly fond of the light pink one. He touched it again and again, and even compared it to his face, asking Si Tu Zhaoling if it looked good.

Si Tu Zhaoling's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously, saying, "My brother looks good in anything."

Chu Jiubian was amused and kept laughing.

After the two had finished talking about what colors and styles of clothes to make, and how to open a shop and how to use the fabrics they had to compete with the silks of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, Chu Jiubian finally finished his bath and slowly entered the Divine Realm.

Upon noticing his arrival, the two immediately stopped talking and stood up to greet him.

Chu Jiubian then called for them to get up.

The two then reported on their recent achievements.

Silk could be mass-produced, cotton had been cultivated, and Wang Qichen's new paper could be sold.

Chu Jiubian was very satisfied with their efficiency.

Since the two of them had just discussed how to open a shop, Chu Jiubian didn't beat around the bush and directly stated his plans.

He instructed Si Tu Zhaoling to take a portion of the silk to the Divine Realm and hand it over to Wang Qichen.

Wang Qichen was in charge of opening a shop in the capital to help Si Tu Zhaoling sell these silk fabrics.

The two had just discussed these things, and now they had even more ideas and were eager to put them into practice.

As for the new paper, Wang Qichen needs to use it to weaken the power of the Wang family patriarch's lineage.

He had his own plan for this matter, and Chu Jiubian didn't interfere much. He only said that they could keep a portion of the profits from silk and papermaking, and hand over the rest to the Divine Realm.

The two did not want any benefits, but they could not refuse, so they had no choice but to agree.

After leaving the divine realm, they all went about their own business, and Wang Qichen only then remembered that he had originally intended to ask the High Priest about his relationship with Chu Jiubian. Never mind, he'd ask another time.

While these two events were in full swing, the team heading to the Northwest had been on the move for nearly half a month.

The army was stationed on a plain, and as far as the eye could see, the flames stretched out in a long line, like a sea of ​​fire.

Inside the commander's tent, there was only a makeshift bed; nothing else.

Qin Xiao lay on the quilt fully clothed. The days of travel had tanned him a bit, and he looked more muscular.

He rested his left hand behind his head and held his right hand in front of his eyes, his calloused fingertips gently stroking a silk handkerchief in his hand.

The corner of the handkerchief is embroidered with pure white jasmine.

"Who sent it?" A sudden male voice rang out in the tent.

Qin Xiao then stood up, slowly folded the handkerchief and put it into the hidden pocket in front of his chest, before raising his eyes to look at the source of the sound.

The young man, dressed in a black outfit, was tall and straight, carrying a bag on his back. He wore a half-mask, revealing deep and bright eyes.

Qin Xiao was not surprised by his arrival. He sat on the edge of the bed and said, "I thought you wouldn't show up."

"I'm not going to the Northwest with you." Qin Chuan walked over and sat down next to him.

Qin Xiao turned his head to look at him: "What's up?"

"Yes, I was asked to do this." Qin Chuan didn't waste any words and took the package from behind him and handed it to him. "I got this for you. Open it and take a look."

Qin Xiao smiled and opened the package.

Inside was the small repeating crossbow that the high priest had given to Qin Chuan.

Qin Xiao took it out with some surprise, and after examining it for a moment, he knew what it was.

How far is the range?

"Farr than an arrow, and more accurate than an arrow..." Qin Chuan got excited when talking about weapons, listing many things in one breath, before finally adding, "Most importantly, it can fire in rapid succession!"

He pointed to the quiver in the package and said, "There are fifty arrows in total, enough to catch you off guard."

Qin Xiao also felt that this crossbow was really to his liking, so he took out an arrow and shot it at the ground in a certain place in the camp.

With a "thud," the crossbow sank deep into the ground.

"It's really good." Qin Xiao walked over and put the arrow away. "Where did you get it? Make me some more another day."

"This is the only one available right now. Remember to return it to me after you've used it; I need to find a craftsman to study it," Qin Chuan said.

Qin Xiao nodded: "Okay."

"And this too." Qin Chuan walked to his side, took out a bottle of penicillin from his pocket and handed it to him. "This medicine can prevent wounds from festering, but you need to try it first. Take one now, and I'll leave if you're alright tonight."

The inside of the porcelain bottle was not visible from the outside, but when Qin Xiao opened the lid and poured out a pill, his heart skipped a beat.

"Who gave it to you?" He looked at Qin Chuan, his tone becoming increasingly urgent.

Qin Chuan raised his eyebrows and instantly understood why he reacted this way, so he said, "It's not Grand Tutor Chu."

Qin Xiao frowned: "Who is that?"

Qin Chuan had tried to bring up the matter of the High Priest with others before, but he couldn't say anything at all.

He tried again, still unwilling to give up, but still couldn't pronounce the title of "High Priest".

He could only say, "You don't need to worry about it. With Grand Tutor Chu around, that person probably won't harm you."

After obtaining the medicine from the High Priest, he sent Qin Chaoyang to test Chu Jiubian's attitude, and the other party replied that the medicine could be used without worry.

There was no doubt about the relationship between Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao. Since Chu Jiubian had said that the High Priest could be trusted and that the medicine could be given to Qin Xiao, Qin Chuan felt much more at ease.

That one?

Who is it?

Qin Xiao's eyes darkened slightly, but he didn't press the matter.

Qin Chuan had no reason to hide anything from him unless it was something he truly couldn't tell.

If that's the case, then he doesn't need to pressure the other party.

The only one who could produce the same pills as Chu Jiubian and be associated with him seemed to be a "deity" like him.

Is it the high priest who once appeared in the northern desert?

The other party was indeed related to Chu Jiubian.

Qin Xiao had previously wondered if these two gods might be the same person, but it seems that they are not.

But if they are not the same person, what is their relationship?

Seeing that he had taken the pill, Qin Chuan became less casual in his speech: "Do you know why I gave you this medicine?"

Qin Xiao looked up at him: "I will get hurt."

"yes."

“Then you won’t die,” Qin Xiao said.

Qin Chuan frowned, wanting to say something, but ultimately didn't.

Although they were brothers, they were separated at a young age and only reconnected when they were teenagers.

Even before meeting Qin Chuan, Qin Xiao didn't know he had a younger brother.

Having been separated for too long and lacking an emotional foundation, the relationship between the two brothers remained awkward.

In particular, neither of them is good at expressing their emotions and they are used to hiding their true feelings, so even after knowing each other for so many years, they still can't be straightforward with each other.

Qin Xiao put away the repeating crossbow and walked back to the bedside to sit down.

Qin Chuan then sat down and said, "You go to sleep, I'll keep an eye on things."

"Hmm." Qin Xiao nodded, then asked, "Is what you're going to do safe?"

"It's very safe."

Qin Xiao then fell silent.

The two brothers remained silent for a long time before Qin Xiao finally lay down.

But I couldn't fall asleep; all sorts of thoughts kept popping into my head.

One moment he was thinking about how to take some more guards with him when he arrived at the next county, the next he was thinking about the situation in the northwest, and then he wondered if Chu Jiubian and Baili Hong were still safe and sound in the capital.

Finally, he couldn't help but wonder, what exactly was the relationship between Chu Jiubian and that high priest?

Qin Chuan sat for a while, then turned his head and noticed that although Qin Xiao had his eyes closed, he was clearly not asleep.

He paused for a moment before asking, "Are there any adverse reactions?"

"No." Qin Xiao didn't open his eyes.

After a while, Qin Chuan asked again, "Who gave you that handkerchief?"

“It’s mine,” Qin Xiao said.

Qin Chuan: "Has anyone touched it?"

Qin Xiao opened his eyes and looked at him: "I'm going to sleep."

"Oh." Qin Chuan shut up.

Qin Xiao closed his eyes, and after a while, he finally fell asleep.

Qin Chuan sat by the bed all night and didn't see anything wrong with the person, so when it was almost dawn, he slipped away from the tent.

He didn't linger and followed the address the high priest gave him, heading towards Lu to find Lu Yao.

Qin Xiao set out from Beizhili with an army of 50,000.

Although he did not bring Qin Chaoyang with him, he did bring Cheng Shuo, the deputy commander of the Beijing suburban defense army.

Cheng Shuonian was thirty-eight years old, over two meters tall, with a strong physique. He was incredibly skilled with a long spear and had fought alongside General Qin and his wife on the battlefield, where they were invincible.

When Grand Commandant Qin led his troops back to the capital to assist Emperor Yingzong in ascending the throne, it was because of his presence that various forces dared not act rashly.

Qin Xiao took him along as his deputy general on his expedition, which clearly wasn't for the purpose of peace talks.

Naturally, everyone else knew that talking about "peace talks" was just an excuse. Neither Moba Zanpu of the Western Regions nor the various forces within Daning had any intention of letting Qin Xiao leave Gansu.

Therefore, Qin Xiao had prepared for the worst from the very beginning.

He traveled from Beizhili all the way to Shaanxi. Along the way, he used his military tally to recruit half of the local guards to join his westward march. As a result, when he arrived in Shaanxi, the 50,000 soldiers he brought from the capital had grown to 110,000!

However, because the line was so long, the pace of their journey slowed down.

So when they arrived in northwestern Shaanxi, it was already the last day of the one-month period.

Moba Zanpu's 130,000-strong army had set up camp near the Hexi Corridor a month ago. His letter requested that Qin Xiao come to the Hexi Corridor to "negotiate" with him before the one-month deadline.

Qin Xiao has now reached the border between central Shaanxi and Gansu, and is only a day's journey away from the location of the Sai army.

Instead of ordering a rest, he continued forward, intending to reach the agreed-upon location before taking a break.

That night, he did indeed arrive at the agreed location before midnight and sent someone on horseback to the Serbian camp dozens of kilometers away to inform Mobazanpu of his arrival and ask him to decide when to begin the peace talks the next day.

When Mobazanpu personally led the army on this expedition, he received the news before midnight and was holding a grand banquet in his main tent.

He sat in the main seat, wearing a tall, round hat and a dark short-sleeved outfit, with deep-set eyes and a fierce expression.

Even when he was just looking at people calmly, his eyes appeared wide with anger.

To his left sat a young man dressed in a dark red robe embroidered with gold pythons, his dark hair tied up high with a gold hair crown.

He was as upright as a cypress tree, and possessed an extraordinary bearing.

Further down the aisle, there are four seats facing each other on both the east and west sides.

Those seated at the table were clearly divided into two groups: on one side were generals and civil officials from the Western Regions, and on the other side were strategists and military officers under the command of Prince Dingbei, Baili Yu.

The two groups of people mingled and chatted, with graceful dancers and melodious music playing, looking as close as family.

It seemed that no one noticed the subordinate who rushed over to report, or the letter in Mobazanpu's hand.

“Your Highness, the Prince of Dingbei.” Moba Zanpu threw the letter at his feet and glanced at the young man below him. “You previously said that even with a forced march, it would be impossible to reach the capital from here within a month, but now the imperial army has already arrived.”

Baili Yu toyed with the wine cup between his fingers and said lazily, "Is that so? Perhaps Prince Ning left quickly."

Moba Zanpu stared intently at him, his eyes slightly narrowed: "Does the King of Dingbei think that only you Central Plains people have brains?"

"What does the king mean by this?" Baili Yu seemed somewhat surprised.

Moba Zanpu coldly curled his lips: "You calculated that Prince Ning would arrive on the last day, were you trying to mess with me?"

What do you mean?

"Stop pretending!" Mobazanpu suddenly slammed his hand on the table. The people below, who had been chatting and laughing as if they were completely drunk, fell silent at the same time, and their eyes instantly became clearer than ever.

The music and the dancers stopped simultaneously, falling silent as if shivering in fear.

Baili Yu, however, calmly poured himself a glass of wine before glancing at the King of Sai, who was seated in the main seat, and chuckled softly.

He did it on purpose.

His deal with Mobazanpu was very simple.

The other party helped him lure Qin Xiao to his aid, and then Baili Yu ceded Gansu to the Sai Kingdom.

Mobazanpu also planned to "generously" give Qin Xiao a deadline; if he failed to arrive within the deadline, the Serbian army would have a reason to massacre the city.

But when the time comes, Moba Zanpu will definitely pretend to be "benevolent" and not massacre the city. He will only spread rumors about the incompetence of the Da Ning court and then naturally win the hearts of the people of Gansu.

This is an excellent deal for Mobazanpu, and Baili Yu can also get rid of Qin Xiao.

However, the consequence of doing so would be that he, the Prince of Dingbei who had always kept a low profile, would be branded as "incompetent" or even "traitorous," which would greatly damage his future plans.

Therefore, Baili Yu intentionally set the time limit for Qin Xiao at "one month". Coming from the capital, there are hundreds of thousands of people. If they move quickly, they will definitely be able to arrive in time.

According to his understanding, Qin Xiao is someone who likes to maximize profits.

He will make the most of this month, recruiting troops along the way, and strive to reach the agreed location on the last day, without wasting a single day.

As expected, Qin Xiao arrived at the place on the last day, just as he had anticipated.

The people Baili Yu had previously arranged in Shaanxi and Gansu, as well as in nearby counties, began to move out this morning.

These people do nothing but spread a message so that everyone knows about it.

The message was: Prince Ning arrived on the appointed day, but Moba Zanpu went back on his word and wanted to massacre the city. It was only after Prince Dingbei was stabbed in the back that he stopped him from massacring the city, thus giving Prince Ning the opportunity to arrive on the last day.

In this way, Baili Yu's reputation would no longer be that of "incompetent and captured", nor would he be a traitor.

He was willing to take a knife from the enemy himself in order to protect the people.

Baili Yuhui was a benevolent ruler in the hearts of the people of Shaanxi and Gansu, and even the entire Daning region.

Even if he is captured after the city falls, he can gradually change the people's mind and become a prince without blemishes who is loved by the people.

His actions directly disrupted Mobazanpu's plans and even dealt him a blow.

Thus, in the eyes of the people of Gansu, he was already a cruel foreign ruler.

Even if this transaction were completed, Qin Xiao would be killed, Gansu would be given to Serbia, and Mobazanpu would still not win the hearts of the people.

After that, when Baili Yu and the imperial court wanted to take Gansu back, it was in line with the will of the people.

Mobazanpu wasn't stupid; he knew what was going on as soon as the rumors started spreading.

Tonight's banquet can also be described as a trap.

"Without my permission, you have spread rumors to make a name for yourself." Moba Zanpu's eyes flashed with murderous intent. "The Prince of Dingbei is truly cunning."

Baili Yu chuckled and said, "When the Zanpu ordered people to bring mandalas into my Great Ning territory before, he did not obtain my consent."

The datura flowed out of his fiefdom, and if it weren't for Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao's ruthless methods, it would have truly caused a great disaster.

Even if this matter has nothing to do with Baili Yu, the court will still hold him accountable, and the people will have a lot of resentment towards him.

Right now, he's just giving a simple rebuttal; what's the big deal?

Seeing that Moba Zanpu's face darkened, Baili Yu smiled again and softened his tone, saying, "You took one turn and I took one turn, so we're even. However, the deal still stands. As long as you don't have Prince Ning, Gansu will still be yours."

Moba Zanpu scoffed, "With 110,000 troops in Da Ning, how easy is it to eliminate Prince Ning?"

If it were the initial 50,000 troops he brought from the capital, he could have faced them head-on, and might even have been able to take over Shaanxi as well.

But right now, the enemy has an army of 110,000, while he only has 130,000. There is really no need for a head-on confrontation.

In any case, the Prince of Dingbei would also have to find other means to kill the Prince of Ning, and various forces in Da Ning would also want to get rid of him. So, as an "outsider," he could just sit back and watch the tigers fight.

Since he has already entered Gansu, even if Prince Ning does not die, Prince Dingbei will not be able to take Gansu back.

"I have my own arrangements; the Zanpu only needs to make a show of it," said Baili Yudao.

Mobazanpu stared intently at him.

After a long while, he turned his gaze back to the dancers inside the tent, tilted his head back, and downed a cup of wine.

The music continued, and the tense group instantly calmed down and raised their glasses to drink again.

==

The Imperial City.

Inside the Yaotai Residence.

The night was deep and dark, and after nearly a month of clear skies, a light rain began to fall again.

The rain was drizzling, and the weather suddenly turned cold.

Chu Jiubian had several hot water bottles in his bed, so it was quite warm.

But he wasn't sleepy at all.

Qin Xiao has been on his way for a month. He should have arrived by now. I wonder if things went smoothly.

But the other party was too far away, so even if the message was sent by fast horse, it would be outdated by the time it arrived.

But if Qin Xiao is his follower, Chu Jiubian will be able to see his condition at any time.

He wasn't worried that something might happen to the other party; he just wanted to know firsthand information so that he could prepare in advance should any unexpected situation arise in the Northwest.

Thinking of this, Chu Jiubian closed his eyes and entered the divine realm.