Chapter 69 Chapter 68 Support
Originally, only a few people knew that the three princes of Beirong and his entourage would submit the letter of credence only when they were about to arrive in the capital. However, Mu Congmo's words undoubtedly laid it all out in the open, and Wu Guangxi's face looked a little ugly.
He originally wanted to use this to satirize the Daliang Emperor as a man with an empty reputation but no ability, but he never expected that Mu Congmo would turn the tables on him. Not only did he reveal the fact that the Northern Rong were defeated and wanted to ask for peace, he even brought up the matter of the letter from the country.
But they were ultimately in the wrong in this matter, so no matter how grim Wu Guangxi's expression, he couldn't say anything. Seeing that Mu Congmo had no intention of drinking the wine, he drank it all in one gulp and sat down angrily. He had lost this round, but there was still a lot of time to go.
Apart from this little incident, the banquet was quite harmonious, with only some minor frictions during the period.
As the dancers in the hall bowed and left, the banquet was coming to an end. Wu Guangxi secretly exchanged glances with someone sitting below, then stood up. The previous setback had given him a lot of experience, so this time his tone was much more respectful.
He naturally had a purpose for coming to Daliang this time. The internal struggle for the throne was intensifying, and the war with Daliang had dragged on for years. He and his so-called good brothers all coveted the opportunity to be an envoy to Daliang. His arrival in Daliang had required considerable effort. If he could successfully persuade Mu Congmo to relent and conclude peace talks between the two countries sooner, he would have a better chance of winning the battle for the throne.
He attached great importance to this matter and even spent a huge amount of money to invite the imperial teacher to accompany him.
"Your Majesty, the Northern Rong and Daliang have enjoyed friendship for generations, trading with each other. The people of our two countries are as close as family. Yet, three years ago, Your Majesty suddenly sent troops to attack our Northern Rong, causing untold suffering to the people along the border of both countries. I have come today, firstly, to see Your Majesty, and secondly, to discuss a ceasefire between our two countries."
Wu Guangxi said this without a trace of dignity. Three years ago, it was the Northern Rong who first attacked the Daliang border, with such force and fanfare, yet now he was accusing Daliang of initiating the attack. The generals seated at the banquet were filled with righteous indignation, and they wanted to stand up and curse him.
However, since they saw that the emperor on the throne did not move, they did not speak without authorization.
The atmosphere in the hall was silent for a moment, until the emperor chuckled. "I had no idea that the Northern Rong people were so capable of twisting right and wrong." Then, a sarcastic voice changed the subject, "After all, it's a request for peace. Why bother with such high-sounding words? Judging from the Third Prince's behavior, I'm sure the Northern Rong royal family isn't one to hold back."
Wu Guangxi didn't give him the slightest bit of face. He froze in his tracks, as if he hadn't expected the Daliang Emperor to be so unwilling to even put in such superficial efforts. It seemed the lesson he'd learned wasn't profound enough. If Mu Congmo was willing to put in such superficial efforts, he wouldn't have spoken so directly in public.
After all, the young man couldn't hide his temper. His face was a little distorted and he glanced viciously at Huan Zai below.
The latter cursed him inwardly, calling him an idiot, then reluctantly stood up. Wu Guangxi had put in a lot of effort in helping him stand out from the crowd of Saint Son candidates. Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered with this idiot. He usually showed off his power in Beirong, but now he was still like this in Daliang, even daring to challenge Mu Congmo.
Did they really think that by forming ties with the aristocratic families of Daliang, they could ignore Emperor Mu Congmo? If the aristocratic families were as powerful as they claimed, how could they be suppressed by Mu Congmo to such an extent that they had to seek external assistance? Moreover, with Wu Guangxi's intelligence, how could he outsmart those old foxes from the aristocratic families?
Huan Zai actually did not think highly of Wu Guangxi being in charge of this diplomatic mission to Daliang, nor did he think highly of his cooperation with the aristocratic families. It was just that this matter was harmless to him. Even if this mission failed, he would still be the national teacher respected by everyone in Beirong, so he just watched coldly.
Seeing that Wu Guangxi had completely lost control of the situation, he stood up. He didn't say a word, but the internal force unique to a strong man in the Free and Easy Realm burst out from his body, as if he was making a silent threat.
He stood there, looking straight at Mu Congmo, his lips curled up slightly, his eyes flashing with coldness. The officials around him were shocked by this aura, some looked at Huan Zai with dissatisfaction, but most of them were helpless. After all, the other party was a powerful person in the Free and Easy Realm.
Mu Congmo, on the other hand, appeared fearless, not even blinking in the face of the incoming internal energy. As expected, just as the internal energy was about to reach him, a figure in black tights suddenly appeared and blocked the internal energy.
He held a dark wooden box with a hint of gold paint in his hands and looked at Huan Zai with a wary look on his face. He glanced at Mu Congmo, and when the latter nodded, he prepared to open the wooden box.
Huan Zai, standing below, felt a wave of panic, as if the contents of the wooden box were enough to threaten him. He didn't like this feeling. Before he was discovered to have a talent for martial arts and was chosen to join the Hall of Worship, he was just a beggar who could be bullied and trampled upon by anyone. Even after entering the Hall of Worship, he killed those who bullied him, but he still hated this feeling.
A cold light flashed in his eyes. At this moment, Mu Congmo was no longer his target. Anything that could threaten him should not exist in this world. He wanted to destroy the wooden box in the other party's hand and the things inside.
With a bang, the door of the palace was suddenly knocked open by something unknown. Everyone's attention was attracted by the sound, and Mo Yu's hand, which was about to open the wooden box, froze in place.
Everyone had only one thought in their mind: who on earth dared to be so arrogant? This person was much more domineering than Huan Zai.
Then a young man walked in from the dark night. He was surrounded by many soldiers holding weapons, but they were all quite far away from the man and just looked at him vigilantly.
Beside him, a long sword hovered in the air, occasionally emitting a clanging sound, as if warning those around him. The man walked straight towards the hall, and as his footsteps drew closer, the tension on the soldiers' faces grew more and more intense.
The young man scratched his head sheepishly, his tone apologetic, "I'm sorry to have scared you all. This is my first time using this sword, and I'm still a little unaccustomed to it."
No one paid him any attention. Everyone's faces were filled with amusement, eager to see how this man would end. Some were secretly observing the emperor's expression, wondering if he would be angry at being offended.
Mu Congmo gave way the moment he saw the other person. It was the child following A Yan, whose name seemed to be Hong Ting. The emperor's face did not show any displeasure. In a corner that no one noticed, Mu Congmo's palms were sweating, as if he was nervous about something, or even looking forward to something.
Hong Ting walked to the center of the hall and saluted Mu Congmo, "My young master asked me to pay his respects to His Majesty on his behalf. He originally wanted to come in person, but unfortunately, my young master really doesn't like such a crowded place, so he sent me here."
A feeling of disappointment flashed through Mu Congmo's mind, and he was about to blurt out, "Let them all go." Fortunately, he controlled himself, and his tone was unusually gentle: "I haven't seen Yue Zun for a long time. I wonder how Yue Zun has been these days."
Hong Ting smiled innocently, looking harmless. "My young master is doing well, but he's just a little bored on weekdays. I heard that the Northern Rong State Master was here, so I sent me to invite him."
Everyone's faces were filled with shock. It turned out that Yue Zun was not dead, and their Majesty seemed to know this. Then they began to question from the bottom of their hearts. Wasn't it Yue Zun who saved Majesty's life in Jiangnan? When did the two of them become so familiar with each other?
Someone followed up on this and pointed at the long sword floating beside Hong Ting. "Look, the sword next to him is the legendary sword I, Yue Zun, carry, the Broken Rainbow. This sword is as powerful as the White Feather of Yunliang Qianchi."
Huan Zai, standing by, was a bit nervous. How could he still be alive? Even a formation that required a Free and Unrestrained Realm expert to sacrifice both body and soul couldn't kill him? Shock was followed by panic. He knew the strength of that formation. He was no match for the previous Beirong State Master. Even the other one was no match for Yue Zun, so how could he possibly defeat him?
He pretended to be calm on his face, "I have never met Yue Zun before, so I'm afraid there's nothing to see."
"What you said is not right. My young master heard that the Northern Rong State Master has a high level of cultivation, so he came here specially just to exchange some skills with you. You don't even want to exchange skills with me, do you?" Hong Ting looked honest.
Huan Zai was so angry that he wanted to vomit blood. It was called a sparring match, but any discerning person could see that Yue Zun was standing on the side of the Emperor of Daliang. He was afraid that he would be in great danger if he went there.
Mu Congmo watched all this coldly. He naturally knew that Gu Shiyan was doing this to help him establish his authority, but he still felt a little aggrieved in his heart. The first person A Yan saw when he came back was not him. He looked at Huan Zai with a little disgust.
Huan Zai was already a bit confused, and noticing Mu Congmo's look, he was even more puzzled. He cursed inwardly, thinking that he would not have accompanied Wu Guangxi, the idiot, to Daliang. He naturally did not want to fight Gu Shiyan, and was just looking for the right opportunity to slip away.
But Hong Ting looked at him with scorching eyes, like a long-starved beast encountering fresh flesh and blood. He made up his mind and decided to ignore it. He would gather all his internal energy and escape while no one around him was paying attention.
A powerful inner force mixed with the youth's domineering voice came, "Don't think about playing tricks, I don't have time to play with you. Speaking of which, you should thank me very much. If I hadn't killed Zhu Zhe, you wouldn't be able to become a powerful person in the Free and Easy Realm now, right?"
His voice, enhanced by his inner strength, was still crystal clear even from a distance, and everyone present could hear it clearly. However, Gu Shiyan seemed to have concealed the tone of his voice, so even those who had come into contact with him could not recognize it as his voice.
The moment Mu Congmo heard the voice, he sat up straight, his eyes as gentle as autumn water, yet somewhat eager, as if he wanted to pass through these layers of barriers and see the owner of the voice.
On the other hand, Huan Zai had a serious expression on his face. He clearly realized that he could not escape this disaster.
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