Chapter 67 Anger
The Fengling Palace was well-known for its luxury. After Zhao Yuzhang and his companions left the hostage palace, they were brought by guards into one of the exquisite courtyards, with rockery, strange rocks, and carved corridors. Even though it was winter and the ground was covered with snow, and no flowers were blooming, it still had a unique sense of splendor.
The guards brought them here and then retreated, standing guard outside a moon-shaped gate with strict security.
Seeing this, Gongsun Wuyou quietly pulled Liu Quedan's sleeve, a little surprised: "Brother Liu, King Fengling didn't lock us up in the dungeon this time. What does he want to do?"
Liu Quedan frowned: "What good intentions can he have? He is just thinking about the two taels of meat under his crotch. We must not let him succeed."
Zhao Yuzhang didn't care what they were saying. He pushed open the doors and searched for Shang Junnian one by one, but found nothing. Finally, he walked up to the guard at the door and asked angrily, "Excuse me, where is the man you took away from the hostage house the night before?"
The guards' expressions did not change at all when they heard this. The rules of their house were not to talk too much. Their tone was like that of a dead person: "I don't know."
Zhao Yuzhang recognized their black-and-golden-crow uniforms and clenched his fists in anger: "Don't know? You took the person away, how could you not know?! Where is King Fengling? I want to see him!"
As he finished speaking, he was about to force his way out. The guards drew their swords to stop him. Just as a conflict was about to break out, a cold and deep voice suddenly rang out:
"stop!"
The guards paused when they heard the words and subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound. They saw a figure walking towards the path at the corner of the garden. The man was wearing a thick cloak and had a dark and sharp gaze. He looked very sick and occasionally coughed. His pale face did not show any blood.
It was Shang Junnian.
The guard remembered Lu Yan's instructions, hesitated for a moment, put away the sword, clasped his fists and saluted him: "Prime Minister Shang."
If this scene happened before, Shang Junnian would probably be very happy, because it meant that Lu Yan trusted him, but now he didn't feel happy at all. There were three people imprisoned in a courtyard not far away, all of whom were the ones Lu Yan had once sought but failed to obtain.
The courtyard was empty, and at a glance one could see three people standing inside, but Lu Yan was the only one missing. Shang Junnian asked without being able to tell the emotion, "Where is King Fengling?"
Facing his question, the guards dared not not answer: "The prince ordered us to find a courtyard to house several hostages, and then left in a hurry. I don't know where the prince went."
Shang Junnian narrowed his eyes, said nothing more, and walked straight into the courtyard.
Zhao Yuzhang saw him coming over, looking somewhat doubtful, and subconsciously asked: "Junnian, you..."
He was originally worried that Shang Junnian would suffer inhuman torture in the mansion, but when he saw that Shang Junnian looked okay, just a little pale, and the guards outside were very respectful to him, an incredible guess came to his mind.
Shang Junnian's next words confirmed his guess:
"I have become a disciple of King Fengling."
Shang Junnian never beat around the bush when speaking and never liked to hide things. He stood in the snow and told Zhao Yuzhang such shocking news in an exceptionally calm tone, as if it was just a trivial matter.
Zhao Yuzhang's joy at seeing an old friend had barely faded when he heard this. His expression froze completely because of his words. His face looked grim. "What did you say?"
Shang Junnian pulled at his cloak to block the cold. His dark fox eyes were smiling, but he didn't look happy at all. "You heard it, why repeat it?"
Zhao Yuzhang clenched his fist subconsciously. The frostbite on his hand cracked due to excessive tension, but he didn't notice it at all. He was so angry that he trembled all over. "Did you join him because of the situation, or because you really wanted to?!"
He did not hate Shang Junnian for turning to the immortals, because Wu Yunju and his country had all blamed the man in front of him, and Zhao Yuzhang was the one who had the least qualifications to blame him. It was understandable that Shang Junnian was planning for the future, but why did he have to blame Lu Yan? !
Shang Junnian said calmly: "It's both."
His eyes were frank, showing that he was speaking from the heart.
Zhao Yuzhang's eyes turned red: "Why him?! Why must it be him?! Nanxun King Lu Mang, Guxu King Lu Sheng, which one is not better than Lu Yan, the shameless bastard?! Why do you have to follow him?!"
In Zhao Yuzhang's heart, Lu Yan was the same as dog shit. Dog shit could be used as medicine, but Lu Yan was not even considered to be used as medicine. Why did Shang Junnian invest such a precious pearl in secret?!
Shang Junnian smiled when he heard this, and said in that neutral tone: "Oh, maybe it's because I have always chosen wise leaders. They are too smart and know how to weigh the pros and cons. So in front of the country, I am always the one who is abandoned and destined to have a bad ending. I want to know if I choose a more chaotic one, will the ending be better?"
When he said this, he tilted his head slightly, and a trace of genuine doubt appeared in his eyes, so Zhao Yuzhang's resentment suddenly died down, his throat became dry, and he couldn't say anything.
Shang Junnian added: "Although I don't know why Your Highness brought you out of the hostage house, you should stay here for the next few days. I will definitely find a way to protect you."
Your Highness.
This title was both strange and familiar to Zhao Yuzhang, as Shang Junnian also called him that in the past. But now times have changed and the other party has to call another person "Your Highness".
Zhao Yuzhang no longer knew whether he felt more wronged or sad. He took a deep breath and managed to stay calm. He turned around and said, "Since you have joined King Fengling, you don't have to worry about me anymore. The world is unstable, so we should just take care of ourselves!"
Shang Junnian was about to say something when he heard footsteps behind him, followed by Lu Yan's familiar voice: "Junnian, why are you here?!"
Lu Yan had just been reminded by Eunuch He, so he rushed to Shang Junnian's residence as soon as he returned to the palace. Unexpectedly, he found nothing. The maid who was serving him said that the other party was here.
Among the three hostages, except Gongsun Wuyou, the other two were all very poisonous, especially Zhao Yuzhang. He would scold any dog passing by, and there was no guarantee that he had said something bad about himself in front of Shang Junnian.
Thinking this, Lu Yan hurried to Shang Junnian. He glanced at Zhao Yuzhang beside him, then held Shang Junnian's cold hand and asked him about his health, "It's so cold, why did you come out? Didn't the imperial physician tell you to rest in your room?"
Shang Junnian would not slap Lu Yan in front of outsiders, so he let him hold his hand. But his gloomy eyes fell on Lu Yan and still revealed some of his emotions. He said lightly: "Nothing, I just heard that His Highness brought three beauties into the mansion today, so I came to see them."
Lu Yan chuckled and said, "What beauty? No matter how beautiful she is, she is not as pretty as you. Have you heard the gossips of some servants? I am only following my father's order to bring them into the palace."
He tied Shang Junnian's cloak tightly and then whispered, "Let's go back to the house and talk. It's so cold standing in the snow."
The other three were shocked when they saw this scene. You know, Shang Junnian was the one who suffered the most in the dungeon. He had never bowed his head and surrendered in such a desperate situation. How could he have easily fallen into Lu Yanhuai's arms? !
And there was Lu Yan. He was so concerned about Shang Junnian, but since he entered the courtyard, he didn't even bother to give them a glance. He looked like a completely different person, with no trace of his former self left.
They were so shocked that they forgot what to say and could only watch the two men leave.
Since the assassin attacked the palace that day, Lu Yan's original residence was destroyed, but now it has been repaired. He took Shang Junnian into the house, waved away the maids in the house and said, "Because the main hall was destroyed in the past few days, I have wronged you to live in the side hall. The internal affairs office has now been repaired. You can move back tonight and live with me."
He said a lot of things but didn't get any response. He turned around and looked at Shang Junnian as if he had discovered something, but saw that the other person's aura was solemn.
Seeing this, Lu Yan bent slightly, smiled and approached the other party: "What's wrong with you, Lord Prime Minister? You don't look very happy. Who has offended you? Just tell me, I will help you..."
Before Lu Yan could finish his words, a dagger as thin as a cicada's wing was suddenly pressed against his throat. The cold and sharp blade pressed against his warm skin, making him shudder. Even the sound stopped abruptly.
Lu Yan's expression changed, but then he smiled again: "My beautiful lady, what are you doing?"
Shang Junnian moved the blade along Lu Yan's neck slowly, like a poisonous animal crawling over him, and answered the question irrelevantly: "Your Highness, do you know how many people I have killed in my life?"
No general who has fought on the battlefield can count how much blood is on his hands. If he does, it must be because he has not killed enough people. Shang Junnian put the blade against Lu Yan's neck, thinking that he must have forgotten to tell Lu Yan about his past "great achievements" that night, which led to the other party not having a clear understanding of the consequences of betraying him:
"Although I cannot remember those I have killed, I can still remember those who have hurt and betrayed me, including the King of Wuyun, the deposed Crown Prince Yutuo, and the Emperor of Xianling..."
When he counted to the third name, Lu Yan finally looked at him, like a ripple on the calm surface of a lake.
Shang Junnian asked with a half-smile, "Your Highness, do you want to be the fourth one?"
Although Lu Yan didn't know why Shang Junnian suddenly got angry, his life was in the hands of the other party at the moment, so he naturally bowed his head and admitted his mistake first. He stepped back and avoided the blade without leaving a trace: "My beautiful lady, how did I make you angry? You must tell me the reason, otherwise even if I die, it will be a waste of my life."
Damn it, I just sent Eunuch He to keep an eye on the Guxu Palace, why hasn’t he come back yet!
Seeing that he was still ignorant, Shang Junnian was furious. He suddenly turned his wrist and stabbed the blade into Lu Yan's heart.
The knife tip just scratched the fabric and stopped just touching the skin, but it still scared Lu Yan.
Shang Junnian narrowed his eyes dangerously and asked in a deep voice, word by word: "Your Highness, didn't you say that you were sincere to me? Why did you go to the hostage house to bring the three of them back? Do you really want me to dig out your heart to see whether it is red or black?!"
It turned out to be because of this incident.
Lu Yan wondered why he hadn't noticed Shang Junnian's jealousy before. He lowered his eyes and glanced at the blade against his chest. He subconsciously concealed the matter of the Blood Toad Pill, not wanting the other party to know. He made up a reason: "Junnian, this matter has nothing to do with me. It was the order of the Emperor. I only have you in my heart. Please don't wrongly accuse me."
The tip of the knife sank a little deeper, causing a barely perceptible stinging sensation.
Shang Junnian approached step by step, and sneered in anger: "Do you think I'm stupid? Why would the emperor want you to bring three hostages into the palace for no reason?"
Lu Yan hesitated: "This..."
Shang Junnian knew that he was lying, so he grabbed Lu Yan by the collar and said in a cold voice, "My life is worthless. I dug out your heart today, so even if I die, it won't be a loss. Your Highness, don't you agree?"
Lu Yan said in a hurry: "The Emperor asked me to take out the Sword Sect's mental skills from them!"
As soon as these words came out, the air suddenly fell into silence.
Lu Yan faced the blade in Shang Junnian's hand and said in a difficult manner, "My father asked me to take the three of them into the palace and extract the secret sword skills of the royal family. I am just following his orders."
Shang Junnian looked doubtful and uncertain: "Sword Sect's Heart Technique?"
Lu Yan nodded: "To be honest, the Immortal Spirits are now strong on the outside but weak on the inside. The battle of Mingyuedu consumed too much vitality, and even the Sword Sect can't support many. Father ordered the countries to offer hostages, not to show off his power, but to use this move to temporarily delay the rebellion of other countries, so as to gain a chance to breathe."
"The Xianling Sword Sect's mental method was lost for some reason in the early years, and only half of the book is left. It can only be practiced by the royal family and is not convenient to be passed on to outsiders. Among the various countries, only Tianshui, Dongli, and Wuyun are barely capable, so my father asked me to learn their sword sect mental methods. In this way, Xianling can also cultivate a few more famous sword sects, and have the strength to fight against the enemy in the future."
Lu Yan was not lying completely. When he entered the palace to ask for medicine, these were the exact words that Eunuch She brought back. Even now, he can still remember the other person's haggard and gloomy expression:
"Your Highness, you know that among the immortals, there are no more than four sword masters. The first is He Jianshuang, the second is this old slave, the third is Junior Brother He, and the fourth is Your Majesty."
"I am old, and Junior Brother He is also old. We both relied on self-cultivation to reach the threshold of the Sword Sect. To be disrespectful, Your Majesty was brave and good at fighting when he was young, and he overwhelmed the Three Kingdoms, but now he is also old."
"He Jianshuang is young and still has some fighting power, but such a vast territory and mountains and rivers cannot be carried by just one minister. Soon, in early spring, all nations will come to pay homage. If they find that the immortal spirits have been weakened to this extent, they will surely rise up in rebellion. By then, the country will be in danger of survival and there will be war again."
"The court officials always say that you are young and inexperienced, and cannot bear the majestic mountains and rivers and fierce west winds of this fairyland. Little do they know that His Majesty loves you the most. He hopes that you can carry on the foundation laid by your ancestors and not be bullied by others."
The emperor was slow to appoint a crown prince because he was worried that after his death, the new emperor would regard Lu Yan as a thorn in his side. However, if Lu Yan was appointed crown prince, the court officials would probably complain.
As long as Lu Yan can learn the sword skills of the other countries, it will be a great achievement, and the emperor will be able to naturally appoint him as the crown prince.
Lu Yan never thought about becoming an emperor, just as he never knew that the emperor was scheming for him and that the immortals were so disappointed.
Shang Junnian thought for a moment, and there was nothing he didn't understand. He turned his wrist and hid the blade directly, frowning: "You want to learn their sword sect's mental method, I'm afraid it's impossible."
The Sword Sect's Secret Method is a secret that is passed down among all nations. Once it is leaked, the sword moves will be broken and there will be no chance of survival on the battlefield in the future. If Liu Quedan and the others still have a sense of responsibility as the crown prince, they will never reveal the Sword Sect's Secret Method.
Seeing that he was so determined, Lu Yan asked, "Is it really impossible?"
Shang Junnian curled his lips coldly: "I'm afraid you have a greater chance of making them male pets."
Okay, I'm jealous again.
Lu Yan casually flicked his torn collar and deliberately stepped forward to say aggrievedly: "Prime Minister, this is your fault. You just wrongly accused me, but why don't you explain the reason clearly? You don't even say a word of apology?"
Shang Junnian couldn't bring himself to apologize, so he turned his back to him and wiped the dagger with his head down: "I'm afraid that the Emperor asked Your Highness to take the three of them into the palace, which is exactly what Your Highness wants. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be together every day?"
As soon as he finished speaking, his waist suddenly felt tighter and he fell into a familiar embrace. His fingertips trembled and he couldn't even hold the knife steadily.
Lu Yan hugged Shang Junnian from behind, resting his chin lazily on his neck. He tilted his head and smiled at Shang Junnian, with the corners of his eyes slightly raised, a pair of naturally romantic eyes: "They are not the ones I want to be with day and night."
Lu Yan's love words softened people's hearts, but the tenderness was also accompanied by restlessness and anxiety.
After all, Lu Yan had a reputation for being a playboy and a philanderer, and when such a man spoke love words, three-tenths of them were true, and seven-tenths were false. Shang Junnian could tell whether a man was being scheming and plotting, but he could not necessarily tell whether the other person's love words were sincere.
Shang Junnian thought about this and couldn't help but frowned: "Let go."
If Lu Yan really let go, he would be dead. Not only did he not let go, but he clung even tighter. His lips pressed against Shang Junnian's ear, rubbing against hers, his voice seductive and alluring: "Prime Minister, why don't you help me think of a good solution? If I don't teach my father the Sword Sect's moves, I will suffer from him."
Shang Junnian's ears were burning from his kiss, and he closed his eyes: "Your Highness should just give up, there's no way to get her to come out."
Lu Yan had just mentioned it casually, but he didn't expect Shang Junnian to be so serious. He smiled and said, "Your skills are so powerful that you can even pry open the mouths of the dead men in the dungeon. How come you can't force them to tell you their sword moves?"
Shang Junnian said in a low voice: "There are always some things in this world that are more important than one's own life. I can't ask, and Your Highness naturally can't ask either."
Lu Yan was not convinced: "What if I can find out?"
Shang Junnian curled his lips slightly: "Ask? I'm afraid Your Highness can't even say a word to them."
Lu Yan: “…”
#My lifelong determination to be strong and never give up#
Lu Yan just didn't believe it, and at night, he took a few servants to Zhifengyuan, under the pretext of delivering dinner. It is said that you should not hit a smiling person, and he didn't believe that these three hostages really dared to ignore him.
"You great masters are honored to be guests in my little palace. I really don't have much to offer you, so I have prepared some simple meals. I hope you will not refuse them."
Lu Yanyu clapped his hands, and servants immediately came forward to set out the dishes and chopsticks in the pavilion in the courtyard. Hot meals were served one after another. They were all rare delicacies in the world. They were kept warm on a stove underneath, so they would not get cold even in cold weather.
That was not all. After the servants had arranged the dishes, they also put up wind-proof curtains around the pavilion. The curtains were semi-transparent, so as not to interfere with the viewing of the snow, but could block the cold wind to a certain extent. The charcoal stove was one liter high, and it was warm inside, not much different from the room inside.
However, none of the three people standing in the courtyard spoke.
Liu Quedan was sitting on the steps reading a book, and never glanced at Lu Yan from beginning to end, as if the words on the yellowed pages could fill his stomach. However, a closer look at the contents revealed that they were not poems or state governance strategies, but family letters. It was only because there were too many pages that, when stacked together, they looked like a book.
Gongsun Wuyou was actually quite hungry due to the delicacies on the table, but he just held his stomach tightly with a bit of embarrassment, pursed his lips and said nothing. The brocade boots he wore from Tianshui that year already had a small hole on the edge, and he didn't know if it was because the fabric was too old or he had grown taller.
Zhao Yuzhang was the only one whose emotions fluctuated. He stared at Lu Yan with vicious, sad, cuckolded eyes, as if he had a thousand words to say.
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