Ji Xuan's words left the four of them silent for a long time.
After arriving in the capital, they realized that the cruelty they had witnessed before was nothing compared to what they were experiencing now.
"I want to enlist," Huang Lao Er declared decisively, "to the Northwest!"
"Second brother, don't be so impulsive!" Boss Huang strongly disagreed.
“I’ll join too,” Jiang Chao shrugged. “Anyway, I’d just be eating for free at home.”
He disliked the infighting in the capital and was subjected to all sorts of servitude at home, so he preferred to venture out into the world.
"Jiang Chao, don't get in the way!" Old Huang was at his wit's end.
"There's no rush," Ji Xuan chuckled. "You should first learn some troop deployment from the veteran generals, but..."
He then changed the subject, saying, "Jiang Chao, I think the capital is more suitable for you."
Everyone says that his nephew is Xiao Gu, and the rumors are indeed somewhat true. Huang Chuan and his brothers did not inherit the wisdom of the Lady Protector of the Nation, but this nephew vaguely has some of her charm.
With more experience and time, he may very well become a pillar of the state.
“No,” Jiang Chao refused decisively. “I’m no match for a mortal like me. I could easily turn into dust in a place where gods fight.”
“That’s an interesting statement,” Ji Xuan chuckled. “It’s not as scary as you think. As long as you’re not hopelessly stupid, you won’t be in any danger to your life.”
Stupid beyond redemption?
Old Huang felt a pang of sadness, as if he had been inexplicably mocked.
"Everyone wears a mask, saying things that are true or false, even when they're sleeping they're thinking about the pros and cons. This kind of life is very depressing, and I really don't like it!"
“That’s just one-sided,” Ji Xuan shook his head. “They do have their minor flaws, but they fulfilled their duties as subjects and did their jobs well. As for the infighting…”
After a pause, Ji Xuan's tone became distant, "As long as you have the ambition to climb up, you will never be satisfied with the present, whether actively or passively, it is all unavoidable."
Ultimately, it's just a way of doing things; you get used to it. It's just that occasionally, you feel tired, very, very tired.
Ji Xuan suddenly realized that she had made a mistake.
He showed people darkness and cruelty, but not the splendor and glory of wealth.
He waved his hand and said weakly, "That's how things are in this world. If you want to gain something, you have to give something in return. The infinite glory in front of others requires countless tears and blood behind the scenes. Even the three Grand Secretaries are no exception."
His heartfelt words were a wake-up call.
Everyone fell into deep thought.
Suddenly a shrill voice rang out, and Eunuch Yuan spoke in a high-pitched voice, "Your Majesty, the time has come, it's time to go to the front hall."
"It's already so late?" Ji Xuan was a little surprised, then nodded slightly and continued, "Let's go together!"
The four appeared behind Ji Xuan, and those who saw them quickly lowered their heads to hide their shock.
Such favor was unprecedented, even for a veteran official like An, who served three dynasties.
The atmosphere suddenly became awkward.
"This banquet is for the enjoyment of both the emperor and his subjects. My dear minister, there is no need for restraint. Let the feast begin."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Eunuch Yuan's shrill voice echoed throughout the entire hall, "Dance! Play the music!"
As soon as the words were spoken, dish after dish of delicacies arrived, dancers swayed their hips, and the sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air. Before a cup of tea was even finished, the atmosphere became lively.
"Is this what wealth and status are?"
The brightly lit hall, the graceful dancers, and the wealthy and powerful coming and going suddenly gave one the illusion of being on a cloud.
Old Huang's eyes were somewhat glazed over.
"It's so boring," Huang Lao Er complained, "It's so noisy it hurts my ears. It's not as quiet as home."
Upon hearing this, Old Huang's face turned green. "Second brother, are you a wooden stake?"
In this situation, to actually feel bored, is that really a man?
"Don't you think so? Your dancing is so weak and limp, not even as good as my wife's boxing. The food isn't as good as what we make at home, and the wine isn't as good as what we make at home."
"These are completely different!"
Huang Chuan was both amused and exasperated.
No matter how nice their home is, it's still just their family. This place is where the most important people in the Great Zhou Dynasty gather.
"I'm too lazy to talk to you," Huang Lao Er said listlessly. "Jiang Chao, hold them off for me. I'm going to take a nap on the table."
"Okay, you go to sleep. I'll wake you if I need anything."
Jiang Chao didn't particularly like these kinds of occasions either; although they were glamorous and extravagant, they felt greasy to others.
“You guys,” Old Huang said, both amused and exasperated, “you really don’t know how lucky you are.”
Many people want to step into this place but don't have the chance, yet these two don't seem to care.
Turning to the side, he asked, "What do you think, mistress?"
"I love so much."
Finally, there was someone as normal as himself. Boss Huang breathed a slight sigh of relief. "Luckily, you're not like them." What a weirdo!
Upon hearing this, Huang Xiaosan smiled but remained silent, a fierce fighting spirit rising in his eyes.
What he liked was not fine clothes or lavish banquets, but the back-and-forth fighting and duels.
A single word, a glass of wine, or even a glance can become a battlefield.
What appeared to be amicable conversation was actually a silent battleground.
Ji Xuan had been observing the group. Looking at Jiang Chao, who remained completely unmoved, she felt a pang of regret. "It seems he really doesn't want to stay in the capital."
"Your Majesty," Xiao Yuanzi said softly, "Grand Secretary Liu has arrived."
"Announce!"
"Yes, ma'am."
After Liu An entered the hall, the entire hall came to a standstill.
"This old minister pays his respects to Your Majesty."
"My dear minister, you must be tired from your journey. Please take a seat of honor."
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty." Nodding, Ji Xuan calmly ordered, "Continue the banquet."
After the sound of string and bamboo instruments began, the main hall finally gained a bit of vitality.
From the moment Zhong Ge Lao saw Liu An, his eyes never left him.
Once Liu An was seated, he couldn't hold back any longer and rushed over, asking, "Liu An, what methods did you use to alter your face and hair?"
"Guess?" Liu An revealed a sweet smile.
"Is it really possible to return to one's prime?"
After he finished speaking, Grand Secretary Zhong stared nervously at Liu An, afraid that he would deny it.
"no."
"How could that be? You clearly..."
"Returning to one's prime is a feat even immortals might not possess, let alone the Lady Protector of the Nation, who is merely a banished immortal. She can only help recuperate the body and extend lifespan by three to five years. The reason this pavilion has undergone such a transformation is because the hidden injuries in the body have been healed."
These words slightly disappointed Grand Secretary Zhong, but he also understood that he had been forcing the issue, and that no one in history had ever used such methods.
“To extend one’s lifespan by three to five years is already an extraordinary feat,” Elder An’s slightly hurried voice rang out. “Liu An, does the Lady Protector of the Nation truly possess such abilities?”
"Believe it or not," Liu An said, his back straight, a sense of superiority in his voice. "Your thoughts will not affect Madam."
In the past, An and Zhong would have already started arguing.
But at this moment, all we can do is remain silent.
Just then, palace servants came up carrying wine jugs.
Eunuch Yuan's voice rang out once more, "This wine is a divine wine personally brewed by the Lady Protector of the Nation. It is a gift from His Majesty, and the emperor and his subjects shall drink it together!"
The impact of Liu An was too great, and the court officials also had high hopes for the immortal wine.
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