Chapter 72: Choose One
Lu Yan rarely saw Eunuch He's face look so miserable and gray. It was as if a living person had been possessed. He had lost all his energy and hope. He knelt in the darkness, looking even more hunched over:
"Your Highness, do you know why there is only half a copy of the Immortal Sword Sect's secret technique left?"
Lu Yan suddenly realized the seriousness of the situation, quietly slid down from the imperial concubine's couch, squatted down and approached Eunuch He, and asked in a low voice: "Why?"
Eunuch He closed his eyes, his lips trembling, and uttered a shocking secret: "The remaining half of the book was destroyed by His Majesty——"
Lu Yan's expression changed slightly: "What did you say?!"
Eunuch He suddenly looked much older, and said resignedly, "Your Highness, do you know why all the emperors of Xianling died young? The previous emperor died before he was forty, Emperor Yuanzheng died at fifty, and Emperor Yongxuan died at forty-seven. They barely lived past fifty. It was because the sword sect's mental method of Xianling was too overbearing. Although it worked quickly, it became more and more harmful as time went on. Your Majesty felt that it would cause endless harm, so he burned the last half of the book."
"Your Majesty is unwilling to pass on the secret method to you because he is afraid of hurting Shou Yuan. Otherwise, there would be no need to go to so much trouble to obtain the secret method of the sword sects of the other three countries."
Now that things have come to this, many things that have puzzled Lu Yan in the past have finally been explained. The emperor was obviously in good health, and had the royal physician taking good care of him, so why did he die so early? It turned out that it was because the sword skills passed down by his ancestors were too overbearing and hurt his heart.
“So that’s how it is… So that’s how it is…”
Lu Yan muttered to himself, still a little dazed: "Eunuch He, why didn't you tell me such an important matter earlier?"
Eunuch He choked and said, "It was my fault."
He couldn't say that he kept it a secret because Lu Yan was such a jerk in the past and was afraid that the other party would leak the news. I believe the emperor also thinks so. He has only three sons, two of whom are idiots, and the only one who is still smart is still under house arrest in the palace.
Eunuch He used to feel sad that he was a concubine and couldn't have any offspring. But now he thinks that his children are all debts. Can't you see that the Emperor is almost mad to death?
Lu Yan wiped his face and suddenly felt that the burden on his shoulders was extremely heavy. After the three hostages returned to the country, they would most likely kill him. He originally wanted to rely on the emperor to take advantage of the situation, but he didn't expect that his father might not live long.
Lu Yan didn't know whether to cry for himself or for the emperor. He held Eunuch He's hand tightly and managed to say, "Is my father... is he okay now?"
Eunuch He: “…”
It was originally fine, but ever since the last time I got mad at the three princes, it seems not to be so good anymore.
Eunuch He choked up with tears in his eyes and said, "As long as the prince can succeed, His Majesty will be very happy."
Lu Yan helped him up from the ground: "Eunuch He, don't worry, I will definitely find a way to heal father's injury. If I can't..."
If the disease cannot be cured, Lu Yan feels that he will be half cured.
Shang Junnian was in the study room, copying a thick stack of papers. However, the contents on the papers did not look like scriptures, but more like sword techniques. He stroked the handwriting on the papers, and his mind wandered for a moment, thinking back to the days when he learned martial arts from Wu Yun. The sharp sword energy seemed to break through the paper and cut him into pieces.
By then, Grandpa He had already left the house. Lu Yan was lying alone on his bed, wondering what he was thinking. He was the quietest only at night. Compared to the daytime, he was like a different person, with countless worries hidden in his eyes.
“Wow.”
A book suddenly flew in the air and landed right on Lu Yan. He subconsciously reached out to catch it and looked at Shang Junnian who came into the room in confusion: "Have you finished copying?"
But even if you finish copying it, there is no need to throw the scriptures to him, because Lu Yan cannot understand those profound Buddhist scriptures.
Shang Junnian said nothing. He walked to the bed and pushed Lu Yan inside to make some space. Then he blew out the candle and lay down on the bed to rest. They had been sleeping in the same bed for these days, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about.
The lights went out, and Lu Yan couldn't see the words clearly. He nudged Shang Junnian with his arm and asked again, "Is this a scripture?"
Shang Junnian closed his eyes in the darkness and uttered two words: "Sword Manual."
Lu Yan was startled: "Sword manual?"
Shang Junnian hummed without any emotion: "My sword manual."
All of Shang Junnian's martial arts experience is written on these pieces of paper, and all of his weaknesses are also written on these pieces of paper. Anyone who gets this sword manual can easily break his moves.
"I can't hold the sword, so it's useless to keep it. You can practice with it, but you are not allowed to show it to others."
After Shang Junnian came out of the dungeon, he finally realized one thing: he could no longer hold a sword. The injury on his shoulder made it painful for him to even lift heavy objects. It was useless to keep these sword moves to himself. Giving them to Lu Yan could help him break the bottleneck and have an extra layer of life-saving chips.
Lu Yan was stunned. He never expected that the other party would give him the sword moves that were more important than his life. He came to his senses and put the sword manual back into Shang Junnian's hands. The soft pages brushed against his palm in the dark, and the touch was clear: "You gave me the sword manual. Although I am happy, I cannot take it back. This thing is more important than life. If it is accidentally leaked, your sword moves will be studied thoroughly by others."
"I haven't read a word of it. You can burn it."
Shang Junnian opened his eyes in the darkness and seemed to smile: "I am just a useless person. Now others can easily kill me without studying my sword moves. Since it is given to you, take it. Otherwise, it is useless to keep it."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yan quietly hugged him from behind, resting his chin on Shang Junnian's shoulder, and whispered in his ear: "Junnian, do you hate my father very much?"
“…”
Shang Junnian hated him, of course, but the immortals and Wu Yun were mortal enemies, so it was normal for the other party to be wary of him. Although Shang Junnian hated the Emperor, he hated Wu Yun, the King who handed him over, even more. He whispered:
"I have hated too many people in my life. He is not the first and he will not be the last."
"If you're afraid that I'll kill him, don't worry. He is the ruler of a country after all, and I don't have that much power."
Shang Junnian didn't want to admit that he had softened his heart because of Lu Yan.
Hearing this, Lu Yan held Shang Junnian's cold fingertips and kissed him on the cheek. His eyes were particularly bright in the dark night, but they seemed to be covered with a layer of mist: "Although you can't kill him, you can kill his son. Prime Minister, my life is in your hands. You can take it anytime you want."
"Who wants your life?"
Shang Junnian frowned and pushed him, but Lu Yan was like a rogue and couldn't push him away. His originally cold body was steaming, and a faint red spot spread to his white neck and earlobes.
Shang Junnian inexplicably remembered the half pill he took last time, and asked hesitantly, "By the way...what was that half red pill you gave me last time?"
Lu Yan asked worriedly, "What's wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable after eating?"
It was not that he felt uncomfortable, but that the effect was too good. Shang Junnian's health was already almost broken, and his qi and blood were both deficient. He sometimes had palpitations and coughs. After taking the elixir, the symptoms were less likely to recur.
Shang Junnian frowned and said, "This medicine has miraculous effects. I'm afraid it must be something extraordinary. Where did you get it from?"
Lu Yan heaved a sigh of relief: "Since it has miraculous effects, just take it. Don't worry about it. The Immortal Spirit Treasury has countless rare treasures. How could it be that it is short of a pill from you?"
But Shang Junnian felt something was wrong. Lu Yan had always been generous and gave him all the top-quality medicines as if they were free. However, the last time he gave him only half a pill, which was unlike his previous style.
This certainly doesn't mean that Lu Yan is stingy, it only means that the elixir is indeed precious, even the dignified King Feng Ling could only get half of it.
Shang Junnian wanted to ask more, but Lu Yan had already fallen asleep due to sleepiness. His breathing was heavier than before, and he seemed really tired. Only the sword manual was tightly clenched in his fingertips, and he almost dropped it.
Upon seeing this, Shang Junnian gently took out the sword manual, stuffed it under the pillow, and pulled the quilt for Lu Yan. Then he closed his eyes and went to sleep with him.
Forget it. There will always be a chance to ask it later.
The day of congratulations from all nations arrived in the blink of an eye. The palace issued an order to lift the half-month curfew. The capital was noticeably busier, with foreign merchants coming and going everywhere. Even the King of Guxu was released from house arrest and was assigned by the Emperor to welcome envoys from various countries.
This is certainly not because the emperor has calmed down, but because his other two sons are too stupid, so one of them has to be used to save face.
Xianling is now worried about internal and external troubles. Any slight movement will cause other countries to be ready to take action. The assassination attempt of King Guxu has never been publicized. Only some important officials know the inside story. It can be seen how cautious the emperor is.
On the eve of the banquet, the three hostages were finally released from Zhifengyuan. They were wearing brand new royal robes, jade crowns in their hair, and dragon pendants around their waists. They looked completely different from their shabby appearance in the Hostage Palace before, and now they looked like people from noble families.
It's just obvious that they are all a little uncomfortable.
When Shang Junnian pushed the door open, he saw Zhao Yuzhang and his men standing outside the courtyard. They would occasionally reach out and tug at their sleeves, looking uncomfortable. He walked up to them and asked, "What's wrong? Do your clothes not fit you?"
Logically speaking, it shouldn't be.
When Zhao Yuzhang saw Shang Junnian, he couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. Perhaps because of the banquet, the other party was wearing gorgeous clothes today. The light purple robe was embroidered with cloud patterns in gold thread, and he had a green jade Pisces pendant on his waist. His eyebrows were slightly lowered, and he was extremely graceful.
In the past, in Wuyun City, Shang Jun was a noble prime minister. He seemed to be dressed like this and often walked in front of Yu, but things have changed.
Zhao Yuzhang came to his senses and said, "It's not that it doesn't fit. I've just been used to wearing coarse cloth clothes for a while, so I'm a little uncomfortable changing back to it."
He felt sad when he finished speaking, and couldn't help but sarcastically said, "It's really troublesome that King Fengling took so much trouble to make new clothes for us, for fear that people would see that we are not doing well at the banquet."
Shang Junnian was not used to him, and said calmly: "If you don't want to wear it, you can take it off."
Zhao Yuzhang stared at him in disbelief: "Shang Junnian! Do you really have to protect him like this?!"
Lu Yan, that vixen! Vixen!
Shang Junnian was not biased towards Lu Yan…although he was a little biased, he just didn’t like others to misunderstand Lu Yan: “You are not supposed to attend this state banquet, but His Highness is afraid that you miss your relatives in your homeland, so he asked the Emperor to take you with him. Anyone who doesn’t want to go can stay in the palace.”
Gongsun Wuyou didn't think it was a big deal. He would wear new clothes anyway. He became more and more excited when he thought about meeting the envoys from Tianshui later. Only Liu Quedan glanced at Shang Junnian, whose profile fell in the shadows of the swaying trees, making him look even more handsome and elegant:
"So, should we kowtow to King Fengling to thank him for his kindness?"
There is no doubt that this statement is ironic.
Shang Junnian raised his head and looked towards Liu Quedan, his gaze as calm as a cold pond. The night wind blew up his purple sleeves, revealing his bony fingertips. His right hand, hanging by his side, seemed to be matched with a sword that was unrivaled in the world. His voice was deep:
"If there is a day when I can return to my country, Prince Quedan will certainly express his gratitude."
In order to save the lives of the three of them, Lu Yan had been dealing with the Emperor for a long time, and he had put in a lot of effort, but all of this was hidden in the dark and no one knew about it.
Liu Quedan was startled when he heard this, and was unable to comprehend the hidden meaning in his words. Just as he was about to open his mouth to ask, he heard a slight "creak" and several maids suddenly pushed the door open and rushed out. In the middle was a man in a dark purple robe. He had an extremely handsome face and a naturally elegant and noble aura, which made everyone in the courtyard dazzled.
Lu Yan couldn't speak, because once he spoke he would lose his dignity:
"Hey, the beauties are here. Now that everyone is here, let's go. Today is the International Banquet, so don't miss the time."
Yuqi walked straight outside. When he passed by Shang Junnian, he took his hand and got into the carriage together.
The rest of the people sat in the carriage at the back and drove towards the palace under the cover of night.
The state banquet was held in the Wannian Hall, and there was still some time before the banquet was about to start. Other royal family members brought their wives and concubines, but only Lu Yan brought four men. Although there was singing and dancing, toasts were clinking, and everyone else was busy chatting, they still attracted a lot of attention as soon as they entered the hall.
If it were anyone else, they would be so embarrassed that they would die, but he was the only one who acted so arrogantly and looked like a piece of shit.
Prince Nanxun still held a grudge for the last time he kicked someone. He came forward with a wine glass in hand and sneered, "We were just chatting just now, saying that Uncle Jia recently married a stunning beauty, and we lamented how lucky he was. Now that I see you, my third brother, I realize that you are the one who has enjoyed the best of both worlds."
Lu Yan stood up, as if the rift that had occurred a few days ago did not exist: "Thank you for the reward, big brother. If you like, I will send a few beauties to your house someday."
King Nanxun smiled but his heart was not. "I am afraid that a forced melon will not be sweet. Using means to force such a thing is too shameless. This king cannot do it."
He was secretly criticizing Lu Yan for using his power to bully others and forcing the other three hostages to be his male favorites, oh, and Shang Junnian as well.
Lu Yan raised his eyebrows and asked back: "Brother, what you said is wrong. You are not a melon, so how do you know that the melon is not sweet?"
Prince Nanxun was startled when he heard this, and then he was furious. However, before he could do anything, a gentle and elegant voice suddenly came from behind him, interrupting the tense atmosphere: "I have heard of Prince Fengling's name for a long time. Seeing him today, I find that he is indeed very handsome. Even the beauties in his mansion are rare in the world. I just don't know if the prince is willing to give up one of them. I am willing to exchange a rare treasure for her."
Everyone was shocked when they heard the words, and subconsciously looked in the direction of the voice. They saw that the person who spoke was a young man wearing a white and gold dragon robe and a yellow belt around his waist. It was Zhao Yuxi, the fourth prince of Wuyun Kingdom and also the king's newly appointed crown prince.
Zhao Yuzhang was sitting in the back seat. Seeing this, his face instantly darkened. If he had to describe it, it would probably be as disgusting as if he had eaten a piece of cow dung.
"Change beauty?"
Lu Yan was surprised to hear these words. Although he had never met Zhao Yuxi, he had secretly investigated before the state banquet. Seeing that the other party's clothes were embroidered with the blue bird pattern that only the royal family of Wuyun Kingdom could use, he guessed something and said slowly:
"I wonder which beauty Prince Yuxi has taken a fancy to. Your Wuyun Kingdom has two beauties in my palace."
Lu Yan held Shang Junnian in his arms with his left hand, grabbed Zhao Yuzhang by the back of his collar with his right hand, and pulled him over. He asked with interest:
"Prince Yuxi, do you want the one in my left hand or the one in my right hand?"
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