Chapter 368 Warrior
King Chu nodded in satisfaction as he watched Lin Changning respectfully accept his request. The group of people following behind him also turned their heads to look at Lin Changning, who had made a great splash today.
Many people were also curious to see what kind of person could be so highly regarded by the two princes, kneeling down to beg the King of Chu to find someone to teach him swordsmanship; he must be no ordinary person.
Under the scrutinizing gazes of the crowd, Lin Changning calmly and respectfully reached out to help the two princes to their feet.
With so many people around, how could she dare to make the two princes kneel for so long?
Seeing Lin Changning tactfully help his son and nephew up, the King of Chu smiled, looking at Lin Changning with considerable satisfaction.
"In that case, Changning will come to the Prince's Mansion every morning to teach the two young masters swordsmanship. However, we can't let Changning suffer any losses. Since it's a family secret technique, someone go to the storeroom and fetch my precious sword!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than one of the men behind the King of Chu hurriedly took his leave and headed toward the storeroom.
The King of Chu smiled and looked at Lin Changning, saying, "Several years ago, when I was fighting on the frontier, I happened to meet a reclusive swordsmith. I had four fine swords made from him. One pair is with Rong'er, and the other is with the King of Qin."
The sword in the storeroom is the one I used before, used to slay countless enemies. A fine sword is a hero's gift. Changning, though young, has repeatedly rendered meritorious service to me; truly, heroes emerge from among the young. This sword is sharp enough to pierce even the strongest armor. I now give it to Changning, hoping you will wield it on the battlefield to slay generals and capture flags, achieving unparalleled feats.
Lin Changning clasped his hands in a fist salute, lifted his robe, and knelt on one knee: "Your Highness has bestowed this sword upon me; I will cherish it as my life. As long as I wield this sword, I will fulfill my duty, protecting Your Highness above and ensuring the peace and tranquility of the army and the people below. I will never allow this renowned sword to be tarnished!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the servant came running over carrying a long, rectangular wooden box.
The King of Chu opened the wooden box, took out a long sword, and with a look of nostalgia and reluctance in his eyes, placed the sword directly into Lin Changning's hand.
Lin Changning knelt on the ground, holding the precious sword in his hands, and expressed his loyalty to the King of Chu in a firm tone.
The King of Chu smiled kindly and gently, and reached out to hold Lin Changning's arm to help her up: "Changning, there's no need for formalities, please get up."
Seeing that the King of Chu valued this young general highly, a group of civil officials and wealthy gentry behind him quickly followed their superior and began to praise Lin Changning.
"Truly, heroes emerge from among the young; to become a local official at such a young age."
"The prince's men are truly a hidden force of geniuses."
"I've heard of this man; he's extremely capable. My good-for-nothing son of mine is a lowly soldier under him."
After the King of Chu finished speaking, he prepared to lead his people to the mourning hall to pay their respects. Lin Changning, Qi Rong, Li Mingde, and Li Mingxiu stood to the side, watching the group of people head towards the mourning hall.
Qi Rong tugged at Lin Changning and said, "It'll be a while here. Come with us to the front yard and take your seats first."
Li Mingxiu nodded and looked at Lin Changning: "You should go to the front yard first. I'll stay here with my brother for a while."
Lin Changning responded, bowed to the two of them, and then followed Qi Rong toward the front yard.
Qi Rong watched as Lin Changning happily held the precious sword and played with it repeatedly, and then tapped Lin Changning on the head in annoyance.
"You, Xiao Liu, do you know what a huge pit Li Mingde just dug for you? All you did was go out to meet him, so why did you suddenly want to become his disciple?"
Lin Changning shook his head, a hint of suspicion on his face: "I don't know. He suddenly knelt down and asked to become my disciple. I'm not sure what kind of person he is."
Qi Rong sighed, "Fortunately, your elder brother just got you out of that predicament, otherwise you would be tied to him today."
Although Li Mingde has now pledged allegiance to the King of Chu, who can predict what will happen in the future? Changning's future is already bright, and if it gets entangled with this person, it will likely cause a lot of trouble in the future.
He had dealt with this person a few times before, and he wasn't someone to be trifled with, so he didn't want Lin Changning to get involved with him.
The two talked as they walked to the front yard.
After taking their seats, they waited quietly for the King of Chu to arrive with his entourage. Not long after, the King of Chu arrived with a group of people.
Listening to a group of people singing funeral couplets, after the King of Chu announced the start of the banquet, Lin Changning sat down next to his commander and quietly began to eat.
Old Ma and Old Zhou were on the other side. Lin Changning sat at a table with most of the people he had met before; they were almost all generals and officials from Taiyuan.
Although they weren't particularly familiar with each other, they all looked quite familiar. After exchanging pleasantries, they sat down together and chatted casually.
"I heard the Wu family didn't come today?"
"It seems so. I haven't seen anyone come to deliver funeral couplets or pay their respects."
A man with a small mustache, who looked like a civil official, quietly leaned over and whispered, "This is Taiyuan, our prince's territory. The Wu family isn't here today, does that mean they don't want to stay in Taiyuan?"
The other one lowered his voice as well: "Who knows? But they haven't come yet, so it's hard to say."
Lin Changning has sharp ears, and the whispered conversation between the two involuntarily reached her ears.
If it doesn't concern me, I'll stay out of it.
Lin Changning shook his head indifferently and continued to eat. He figured the Wu family wouldn't come over there; they could just wait for the reckoning later. He didn't understand the situation yet; he didn't know if they were stupid or just plain dumb.
While they were eating, a man in official robes suddenly appeared at the entrance of the Prince's Mansion, tearing at the gatekeepers who were blocking his way.
He muttered some foul language as he walked towards the front yard.
Lin Changning glanced at the man, who looked somewhat unfamiliar to her; she didn't recognize him.
However, today is a funeral, and this person is running to the Prince's mansion dressed in bright red official robes. It's really too unruly.
Just then, a civil official next to him suddenly said, "Speak of the devil! Why is Wu Zhidong here wearing such a bright red official robe? Has he gone mad?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Wu Zhidong, dressed in a bright red official robe, came and blocked the Prince's residence with a kick, causing the gatekeeper to fall to the ground.
"You servants dare to stop me? Get out of my way!"
After shoving aside the person blocking his way, Wu Zhidong suddenly attacked the group of people eating at the banquet in front of him, overturning the table closest to him.
The sound of plates and bowls slamming to the ground was exceptionally crisp. Wu Zhidong angrily cursed:
"The three princes of the rebellious vassal state have plotted treason and are traitors designated by the court. They should be condemned by the whole nation! His Majesty has ordered that the bodies not be collected, yet you personally presided over the funeral, even indulging in loud noise and treating it like a child's game. Your Highness! May I ask, who are you trying to establish your authority for? Are you demonstrating your power to the court?"
There is a distinction between ruler and subject, and between rebellion and obedience. The corpse of a traitorous prince should be buried hastily with the rites due to a commoner. How can we allow a prince to make such a fuss and confuse loyalty with treachery?
"Are you trying to tell the world that you sympathize with traitors and rebels? Are you trying to make the court and the public suspect that you are loyal to the rebels?"
As he spoke, he clenched his fist and cupped his hands in a certain direction.
"If Your Highness has even a shred of the duty of a member of the imperial family and the conscience of a subject, you should immediately halt the funeral rites and submit a memorial to plead guilty! If you dare to defy the established order again, not only will the people of the world not tolerate you, but even His Majesty will not let you off lightly!"
Lin Changning silently put down his chopsticks and sighed: "Truly a brave warrior."
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