Chapter 69: Horse's Foot
Chen Yingqi got a cold face for no reason, but he was not embarrassed, still smiling: "Prime Minister Shang, you and Prince Yuzhang are close friends, your friendship is worth a thousand gold, nothing is worth quarreling about, just tell me, maybe I can persuade them to reconcile a little bit?"
Say what?
That they quarrelled over a pile of cow dung?
No one can bring themselves to do this.
Shang Junnian stood up from the stone chair and said with an unpleasant expression: "I have something else to do. I will come back another day."
He left after he finished speaking, and it was obvious that he was very angry. Seeing this, Zhao Yuzhang's eyes flashed with regret and self-blame, but the words were spoken and spilled, and it was impossible to take them back.
Chen Yingqi spoke delicately: "You guys...?"
Zhao Yuzhang came back to his senses and forced a smile: "It's nothing, he and I quarreled frequently, it will be fine in a few days, are you hungry? Share these cakes while they are still hot."
Zhao Yuzhang and the other two had been through thick and thin together in the hostage house, and he would share any good things he got with them. However, Gongsun Wuyou was as simple-minded as a child, and Liu Quedan was always preoccupied, so it was difficult for the three of them to talk to each other.
Zhao Yuzhang divided up all the snacks, leaving only a pot of warm wine that Shang Junnian had brought, and sat on the steps drinking it. He was unhappy, and when he was drunk he liked to find someone to vent to, and Chen Yingqi unfortunately played the role of the listener.
Zhao Yuzhang drunkenly said: "Junnian and I... are... are friends in need... You don't know how powerful he was in the past... He is good at both civil and military affairs... Even you, the Immortal Emperor, are jealous of him..."
Chen Yingqi was still interested in hearing about Shang Junnian. He nodded in agreement and said, "Prime Minister Shang is truly an outstanding man."
Zhao Yuzhang's face suddenly changed when he heard this, and he gritted his teeth and cursed: "But why is he so stubborn and insists on sticking it in the pile of cow dung of King Fengling! I know he wants to find another way out, but which one of Nanxun King Lu Mang and Guxu King Lu Sheng is not stronger than Lu Yan?!"
Chen Yingqi's smile froze when he heard this: "Then the King of Fengling is quite handsome and talented. Is there any misunderstanding between you and the Crown Prince of Yuzhang?"
Good boy, you dare to call him cow dung? I won’t bring him meat buns next time!
Zhao Yuzhang thought of the torture he had endured in the dungeon and shook his head in self-mockery: "Misunderstanding? There is no misunderstanding. King Fengling is just a lustful and incompetent fool. How could Junnian have a good ending if he followed him?"
Chen Yingqi raised his eyebrows slightly: "You are not a fish, how do you know the joy of fish? The King of Nanxun is reckless by nature, the King of Guxu is too cunning, and the King of Fengling, although a little bit lustful, but he is honest, upright, kind, gentle and considerate, and is the most favored by the emperor. Shang Guoxiang will not suffer any loss if he follows him."
Zhao Yuzhang always felt that this sounded strange. He frowned and looked at Chen Yingqi: "You..."
Chen Yingqi realized that he had said something wrong and quickly changed the subject: "By the way, when I was practicing sword a few days ago, I asked you to teach me, but you always refused. Now that you have nothing to do, why don't you teach me a few moves?"
Zhao Yuzhang raised his head and drank the last bit of wine. Suddenly, he looked at Chen Yingqi with a sharp gaze. His eyes were no longer confused, but had a clear understanding of the world. For a moment, they were a little sharp: "Chen Yingqi, if I could teach you kung fu, would you have let Wan Pijiang slaughter you in the hostage house that day?"
Chen Yingqi paused when he heard this. Before he could think of how to respond, he saw Zhao Yuzhang suddenly throw away the wine altar. His serious expression just now disappeared, and he laughed so hard that he fell backwards, as innocent as a child playing a prank: "I lied to you. I have never learned any sword skills at all, and I don't even know a single move of the Goddess Sword."
"Why didn't you meet me when I was the crown prince? I had everything I wanted, including fine clothes and food. But now I can't even pay you a penny when I want to thank you for bringing me something."
The word "transparent" is earned through half a lifetime of hard work. During the time Zhao Yuzhang was in the hostage house, some of the sharp points in his body seemed to have been smoothed out, but he did not become gentle and peaceful because of this. He was only left with a lot of bloody wounds.
Chen Yingqi patted his shoulder and said, "If you were the prince, how would I know you? Life is unpredictable. Think more about what you have gained, not what you have lost. At least you still have a good friend like Shang Guoxiang who cares about you."
But he sighed quietly in his heart, Zhao Yuzhang didn't even know the Goddess Sword Technique. It was a waste of his time hiding for so long.
When Zhao Yuzhang heard him mention Shang Junnian, his expression became a little more complicated: "He is now following King Fengling. With his means, he should have no problem protecting himself. If he gets involved with me too much, it will hurt him, Brother Yingqi..."
Zhao Yuzhang paused and said, "Brother Yingqi, can I call you like this?"
Chen Yingqi was stunned when he heard this, then he came to his senses and said quickly, "Yes, of course."
It sounds better than cow dung.
Zhao Yuzhang held his hand tightly, closed his red eyes, and sighed with infinite emotion: "Although Junnian was deceived by that scoundrel, fortunately, God has not treated me badly and I still meet you. If I can return to Wuyun one day, I will definitely repay you a hundredfold for your kindness today!"
Chen Yingqi smiled awkwardly: "You're welcome, you're welcome."
If Zhao Yuzhang knew that he was the scoundrel, he would probably be so angry that he would die.
Chen Yingqi couldn't stay any longer, so he made up an excuse and hurried away. However, he had only taken two steps when a voice suddenly rang out from behind him: "Guard Chen!"
It’s Liu Quedan.
Among the three, he is the only one who calls Chen Yingqi like that.
Chen Yingqi paused and breathed a sigh of relief. Liu Quedan was a normal person. At least he wouldn't get drunk and hug him and cry. "Prince Quedan, do you have any instructions?"
Liu Quedan was still wearing plain clothes. The poor life in the hostage house did not wear away his bookish air. Instead, he looked even calmer. He had a smile on his face that he would never show in front of Lu Yan. "Just call me by my name. No need to be so polite."
He pulled out a crumpled envelope from his sleeve and handed it to Chen Yingqi with some hesitation: "It will be a day for all nations to come and pay tribute soon. Dongli will also send envoys to attend. When I left home, my mother was still ill. I am afraid that she will be worried. I wonder if it would be convenient for you to send a letter of safety to her for me."
He was always a neat and tidy person, but this envelope had frayed edges and tiny folds, and it was easy to tell that it had been hidden in many places. After all, the emperor had ordered that the hostages were not allowed to have correspondence with their homeland, and if this letter was found, it could be a big deal or a small one.
Seeing that Chen Yingqi was silent, Liu Quedan seemed to be afraid of embarrassing him, so he forced a smile and said, "It only contains some words to report safety. You can open it and read it. If it is convenient to deliver the letter, then you can deliver it. If it is not possible to deliver it, you can burn it or tear it up. But I can't give you anything to thank you right now."
Chen Yingqi took the envelope and put it into his sleeve, but his attention fell on another thing: "All nations will come to congratulate? When?"
Liu Quedan explained, "Since the immortals unified the twelve continents, the emperor has set this rule. In early spring, each country must send envoys to pay their respects with gifts and stay in inns. If you find an opportunity, just give it to the envoy from Dongli, and he will pass it on to my mother when he returns to his country."
Chen Yingqi thought for a moment and agreed: "Okay, it's not a difficult task. When the envoy comes, I will find a chance to help you pass it out."
He was about to leave when Liu Quedan suddenly called out to him, "Guard Chen—"
Chen Yingqi turned around, only to see Liu Quedan suddenly open his sleeves and bow to him solemnly: "Whether or not I can send this letter today, I thank you. Quedan will remember your many times of protection."
Chen Yingqi returned the greeting with a fist-clasping gesture. His smile was brighter than the sun in the sky and more dazzling than the sun in the sky. "It's just a small matter. Don't worry. I will definitely deliver the letter to you!"
He left Zhifengyuan after saying this, and disappeared without a trace in a flash.
Everyone in the palace knew that Prince Fengling had gone to the palace to visit the emperor today and would not be back until night, so Lu Yan's absence today did not arouse anyone's suspicion.
When Lu Yan took off the human skin mask, changed his clothes and returned to the mansion, he saw Shang Junnian looking at a map in the house. The candlelight flickered, and his profile was covered with a layer of warm orange, like a piece of warm jade. He looked serious, with his brows furrowed, thinking about something.
Seeing this, Lu Yan dismissed the maid and quietly walked to Shang Junnian's side: "What are you thinking about? Why are you so absorbed in it?"
Shang Junnian had known that he was coming, and was not surprised to hear this. He slowly rolled up half of the map and asked, "In half a month, it will be the day when all nations will come to pay tribute. Don't you plan to make preparations early?"
Lu Yan heard the words "all nations congratulate" again, and couldn't help but wonder: "All nations congratulate? Aren't the subordinate cities the ones that should be prepared for? What should I prepare for?"
Shang Junnian glanced at him, wondering how Lu Yan had managed to survive in the turbulent palace. "Of course you have to prepare. If you want to secure your position as the Immortal Emperor in the future, you will have to win over the rulers of small countries and small cities. If you can gain their support, coupled with the Emperor's favor for you, the position of Crown Prince will be as easy as taking something out of a bag."
"Prince Nanxun and Prince Guxu have been visiting the hostage palace frequently in recent days. I think they are planning to pull you back. However, the three most important trump cards are still in your palace."
Lu Yan thought for a moment and understood the meaning: "You mean Wuyun, Dongli, and Tianshui?"
Shang Junnian nodded: "Among the twelve continents, apart from the immortals, these three countries are the leaders. Unfortunately..."
Lu Yan burst into laughter upon hearing this, and before he could finish, he continued, "It's a pity that those three beauties hate me to the core. Let alone trying to kill me, it would be a blessing if they don't kill me!"
"Beautiful lady?"
Shang Junnian raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard this, chewing on these words repeatedly, and tasted several different meanings: "It is said that dying under the peony flowers is romantic even as a ghost. I am afraid that even if Your Highness really died in an assassination, he would be happy with it."
Lu Yanminrui smelled something sour: "Are you jealous?"
Shang Junnian never argued with him. When he heard that, a smile appeared on his lips: "Jealous? It's okay for me to be jealous, but if someone makes me jealous, I will definitely make that person drink arsenic."
He asked in an ambiguous tone, "Your Highness, do you want to drink arsenic?"
Lu Yan was still so frivolous: "Bring it here and I'll drink it."
He changed the subject and said, "Actually, if it wasn't for my father asking me to learn swordplay, I would never have accepted the three of them into my palace. Besides, you have a close relationship with the Crown Prince Yuzhang, so this will make it easier for you to meet, isn't it?"
When Shang Junnian heard him mention Zhao Yuzhang, he paused for a moment and asked, "Do you really want to use their sword moves?"
To put it nicely, it is a set of sword moves. To put it bluntly, it is stealing skills from hundreds of schools. If it gets out, people will look down on it. Shang Junnian naturally didn't want Lu Yan to do it.
Lu Yan suddenly became quiet after hearing this. He stood on the edge of the desk, casually picked up a pen and drew on the twelve continents map: "This sword move can be used as a trap or not. After all, my father will not do anything to me, but..."
Shang Junnian asked consciously, "Just what?"
Lu Yan smiled, making people feel that he was not as simple as he appeared: "You also said that among the twelve continents, besides the immortals, there are Tianshui, Dongli, and Wuyun. These three countries are the biggest concerns of father."
"If we can figure out the sword moves, Father will have found their weakness, and we can send the hostage back home without any worries. If we can't figure it out..."
A drop of thick ink suddenly fell from the tip of the pen, splashing all around, blurring the vast territory and the long journey home.
Lu Yan's voice suddenly became low:
"If we can't get them to reveal the truth, the three of them will be useless. Father will either torture them himself or imprison them forever."
"As long as the Three Kingdoms are peaceful, they will live. If there is any disturbance in the Three Kingdoms, their lives will be in danger."
Shang Junnian tightened his fingertips when he heard this, he never expected that the Immortal Emperor would be so ruthless. It was only because he was able to unify the twelve continents in the past that his character this time was far beyond the reach of others.
Shang Junnian frowned: "Then..."
He naturally knew that Zhao Yuzhang didn't know any Goddess Sword Technique at all, so wouldn't he be implicated in vain?
Lu Yan put down his pen and said, "Don't worry, no matter whether the sword moves can be used or not, I will find a way to protect the three of them and return home safely."
Shang Junnian was stunned when he heard this. He was really confused this time. He looked at Lu Yan subconsciously and said, "Why? Aren't you afraid that the three of them will pose a threat to the immortals after they return to their country?"
Lu Yan was overjoyed again when he heard this. He threw the brush in his hand and it landed right in the pen holder. His eyes, which were always smiling, were particularly bright, more eye-catching than a room full of pearls and jades:
"The vast land of Xianling was conquered by our ancestors on horseback and on the battlefield. When did it fall to the point where it needs to be maintained by the lives of three innocent people?"
"If the immortals really reach that point, it will be like a building about to collapse, and it will be difficult to support it. Whether they are there or not, the result cannot be changed. My father is old and incompetent, and he has finally got stuck in a dead end."
The soft moonlight outside the window shines through the diamond-shaped window. Lu Yan's raised eyebrows suddenly become introverted and gentle in the night. His eyes can contain both the breeze and the bright moon, as well as the sufferings of the world. They only remind people of the gentleman's uprightness, as beautiful as jade:
"The river is three thousand miles long, and the letter from home is fifteen lines long. There is nothing else to say in each line, just to say that you should return home soon."
"They are both hostages and wanderers. Although Zhao Yuzhang doesn't say it, I know they miss home. In a peaceful and prosperous era, the people should have a home to return to. If they are torn apart, it can only mean that the monarch is not virtuous and the world is in turmoil."
"Don't worry, no matter what the emperor decides, I will send them home safely."
When Lu Yan said this, he was no longer as frivolous as before, and he seemed serious and earnest. He raised his hand to pull up Shang Junnian's coat that had slipped off his shoulders, and whispered, "It's not just those protons. If you want to go back to Wuyun, I will also help you with all my strength."
In his previous life, Shang Junnian was abandoned by his country. In order to protect a rude and chaotic prince, he died in a foreign land that he was unwilling to set foot in. He had not even set eyes on the sacred mountain of his hometown for decades.
Lu Yan thought that the other party probably didn't like that kind of ending, and didn't necessarily want to stay in Xianling. After all, Shang Junnian grew up in Wuyun since he was a child, and they were connected by blood, so how could he give up so easily?
Shang Junnian raised his head and looked at Lu Yan. His eyes were red and malicious, like a beast baring its fangs after being abandoned. "Didn't you say that Xianling is my home? Why are you sending me back to Wuyun?!"
Lu Yan was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses and said: "I just said if you want, I didn't say you must go back."
Shang Junnian was not a man who liked to look back, and he had long since given up on Wu Yun. He was used to holding his things tightly in his hands, and he also hoped that the other party would hold him tightly.
Although Lu Yan had good intentions, Shang Junnian inexplicably felt that the other party didn't care about him, and could easily give up and send him away...
There was a sudden stinging sensation on his lips, and Lu Yan gasped in pain. However, what shocked him even more was that Shang Junnian took the initiative to kiss him. The other party grabbed the back of his head and bit his lips hard, leaving a kiss with a bloody taste.
The pain overwhelmed the tenderness; it was more like a brand than a kiss.
Lu Yan's hand accidentally touched the lampshade, causing it to tilt and extinguish the candlelight. The light suddenly dimmed, leaving only the soft moonlight outside the window.
Shang Junnian's cold face was immersed in the shadows, making it difficult to see clearly, but his gaze towards Lu Yan was particularly focused. He used to think that Lu Yan was just a prince who was ignorant of the sufferings of the world, but today he realized that it was all a pretense, and that the other person had his own thoughts and kindness in his heart.
It’s a pity that we don’t have enough military strength and might get hurt by others.
"Your Highness, if..."
If his martial arts skills were still intact and he could still hold a sword in his right hand, he would have cleared away all obstacles for the other side and become the monarch of the twelve continents...
Shang Junnian paused, and didn't finish his words. He just hugged Lu Yan's neck in the dark, leaned close to his cheek, and gave him slow and tearful kisses one after another, with the taste of blood spreading on his tongue: "Your Highness is lying..."
Lu Yan subconsciously hugged his waist and asked, "What did I lie to you about?"
Shang Junnian's warm breath sprayed in his ears. His voice was hoarse and he said dangerously word by word: "Your Highness said that he is sincere to me. If he is sincere, how could he be willing to send me back to Wuyun?"
Lu Yan thought that he was indeed wrong to talk too much, so he humbly asked, "What should I do then?"
Shang Junnian stared at him, his pupils like a ball of thick ink that could not be dissolved, but because of the embellishment of lust, they were extremely beautiful. He asked without being able to tell his emotions, "What do you think, Your Highness?"
Lu Yan understood immediately.
It only takes a moment for the guest to become the host.
In an instant, the pen holder, books, and the map of the twelve continents on the table were all swept to the ground, leaving only two people kissing each other desperately. Shang Junnian lay on the cold rosewood table, allowing Lu Yan to kiss him all over. His eyelashes trembled slightly, and his fingertips moved down along the other's noble robe, untied the belt with stumbling, and then...
Then Shang Junnian took out a crumpled letter from Lu Yan's left sleeve, and a blood-stained jade pendant with body temperature from his right sleeve. He looked at the two items with a slightly raised eyebrow:
"What is this?"
“…”
The air was dead silent.
Lu Yan said dryly, "I miss my mother, so I wrote a letter to express my longing for her, and I plan to burn it for her tomorrow."
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