Chapter 247: The Past and the Reason
"My sister? What happened to my sister?" Liu Xia was very puzzled.
"I won't beat around the bush with you. I knew that you helped your sister escape her marriage last year. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to cause more trouble. Today I planned to let Xiaobai take your sister away, not to fulfill her wish, but to prevent the demons from using your Liu family to cause trouble." Lingxiang said with a rare serious look on her face.
Hearing this, Liu Xia was even more confused: "What could possibly happen to my family?"
"Of course it's the current imperial court."
The imperial court? What happened to the imperial court?
Liu Xia was even more confused.
His father now only holds the empty title of governor, so what threat can he pose to the imperial court?
Xinyi didn't quite understand what Lingxiang meant and just looked at her in confusion. Looking at the two people with puzzled faces, Lingxiang couldn't help but shake her head and sigh.
Even if you are a person outside the world, you can't be so indifferent to worldly affairs! You can be outside the world but you can't be outside of it!
"It's true that Governor Liu is only a nominal position now, but he was once a general with illustrious military achievements. The battle he fought in defending the city in his prime has long been known to everyone in the streets and alleys. Even in teahouses and taverns, there are often scholars talking about it."
When Lingxiang was a child, she often went down the mountain secretly with Maidong, and then stayed in the teahouse of Guyang City all day to listen to storytelling. She remembered that there was a period of time when the storyteller often talked about the story of General Liu Xian who guarded the border. The vivid narration made them both very excited.
"Although the tribes of Barbarian Continent are now divided, they are ultimately a common lineage. They have long coveted our Celestial Empire, and the borders are often unstable. If the tribes unite to invade, is there anyone in the court who can lead the troops to resist? Isn't it Governor Liu? Why do you think the Celestial Emperor placed him in Cangzhou?"
"But if that's the case, why did the emperor only give my father the honorary title of governor?" Liu Xia still couldn't understand.
Xinyi, however, understood a little. "I guess this is the way of a ruler. If the Governor is always given an important position, his repeated achievements will surely overshadow the ruler. Now, if he is given an idle position and stationed in Cangzhou City near the border, if the Barbarian Continent attacks, a single order will suffice and he will be ready to fight."
"That's right," Lingxiang nodded. "I think this secret order must be in the hands of an official in Cangzhou. He's just waiting for the enemy to attack, and he can issue an order directly to Governor Liu in a moment."
"It is difficult to win the emperor's heart!" Xinyi sighed.
"Even so, what does that have to do with the demons? And what does it have to do with my elder sister?"
"Senior Brother Chi Yanzi and Xiaobai previously inquired about the Barbarian Continent. According to them, there are demons lingering in the Barbarian Continent, and some of them even hold high positions in the tribes." Lingxiang asked the two, "Do you still remember Changpu from the Kunwu Sect?"
The two of them suddenly understood after hearing this.
Jiuhua was skilled in the art of seducing souls and spirits, and Changpu of the Kunwu Sect was under her control. If the demons instigated the tribes of the Barbarian Continent to unite and attack, she could then coordinate internal and external forces, and the border would be easily seized by the barbarian tribes.
Even if the emperor does not plan to re-employ Governor Liu, Liu Shang, the second brother of the Liu family, still holds an important position in the military!
Thinking of this, Liu Xia couldn't help but sweat soaked his heavy clothes.
Fortunately, Miss Lingxiang was thoughtful, otherwise it would have caused a disaster!
At this time, Lingxiang said again: "Now that the words have been spoken, there is no need to hide them. Previously, your elder sister asked Xiaobai to find someone. I think that person is the one next to Bai Wuchang whom I met before, right?" Lingxiang said, taking out a gamboge purse from her waist.
Looking at the word "桑" on the purse, Liu Xia was stunned at first, then frowned for a moment and spoke slowly.
Just as Lingxiang said, that man and the eldest daughter of the Liu family were childhood sweethearts. His name was Sang Mu, and he was the son of a general under the command of Liu Shishi when he was a general guarding the border.
At that time, the Khan of a tribe in Manzhou found a sorcerer from nowhere and, through some unknown means, planted spies in the city. Taking advantage of the weak defenses of the house, they broke into the house and abducted Liu Xia and her son. It was also around that time that General Sang's wife lost her life while trying to protect Liu's eldest daughter and third brother.
During the great battle, the sorcerer used strange magic to besiege the border town, preventing it from communicating with the outside world for several days. General Sang was ordered to break the siege, but he lost his life in the fog. The Sang family had only one child, Sang Mu, so Governor Liu later took him in his home, teaching him martial arts and military tactics like a real son.
In fact, the wife of the governor was grateful to the lady of the Sang family for protecting her son, and seeing that Sang Mu and her daughter were in love, she also intended to marry Miss Liu to him.
But Sang Mu refused.
It's not that he didn't want to, but he felt that he was just the son of a deceased general and of low status, and was not worthy of Liu Lan at all, so he asked to go to the frontier military camp for training, saying that he would come back to marry her in a grand ceremony after he won military merit.
When Governor Liu heard about this, he praised Sang Mu highly and agreed to his request. However, he did not expect that the Manzhou tribe would invade that year, and after a great battle, there was no news of Sang Mu anymore.
Hearing this, Lingxiang couldn't help but sigh: How many golden marriages in ancient times failed because of "waiting".
In fact, women do not have any extravagant demands for marriage. They do not covet wealth and luxury, but only wish for peace and happiness. Even if they live in poverty all their lives, all they need is a cup of tea. As long as they can stay together for a lifetime, that is enough.
But how many men in the world understand this...
"So, you are sure that the man is Sang Mu?" Lingxiang asked.
Liu Xia nodded. "At that time, my eldest sister made a purse for each of us brothers, embroidering our respective names on each. Only Brother Sang had his surname embroidered on it. When he left, he and my eldest sister exchanged purses as a token of love."
"That makes sense." Xinyi looked at Lingxiang, who also nodded.
"The demons control the barbarian tribes. I think that battle was also their doing, but..." Lingxiang frowned and pinched her chin, but did not say the rest.
"Just what?" Xinyi and Liu Xia were puzzled.
Lingxiang shook her head. "I can't quite understand. The Demon Realm is located outside Fengdu and above the Yellow Springs. It has maintained a strong presence for thousands of years. But why have the demons been wreaking havoc on the mortal world and constantly invading the Celestial Empire's territory? And yet, facing these actions, the God Realm remains completely indifferent."
What is the Demon Lord planning? Is he trying to take over the human world?
That's really overestimating your own abilities.
Although Emperor Xin was brutal and cruel, and exploited the people, the real reason the gods attacked him was because he disobeyed the will of heaven. If the demons took control of the human world, wouldn't they threaten the gods again?
However, Lingxiang suddenly realized: Although spiritual roots are scarce nowadays, there are still those who have achieved great success, but they are just hidden in the dust. If the demons really have this idea, these powerful ones will probably not agree.
The Demon Lord shouldn't be so brainless, especially since he has the cunning strategist Bai Wuchang by his side.
What is the demon clan's purpose? Is it just for the Heaven-Returning Pill?
Forget it, forget it. I can’t figure it out right now, so let’s focus on the present situation!
Lingxiang shook her head and said to the two of them, "Even though we've tricked Yinghuan away, if she becomes aware of the situation, she'll definitely come back for revenge. We must prepare early."
"But if she really wants to find it, I'm afraid we alone can't be her match." Xinyi frowned and said.
Hearing this, Lingxiang smiled:
"The mountain man has a plan!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
