Chapter 76 Taking Advantage of the Fire
When the news reached Yu's study, the emperor was discussing private matters with Imperial Master Xuanhong. As soon as the conversation started, Eunuch She walked in from outside with a bitter face and called out hesitantly, "Your Majesty..."
Eunuch She was the former chief steward of the emperor. He had always been by the emperor's side. Even the prince had to give him some respect. It was rare to see him change his face like this. The emperor inexplicably felt that his constipated expression was somewhat familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.
Where have you seen it before?
The last time Prince Fengling kicked Prince Nanxun in the balls, Eunuch She seemed to have the same expression.
When the emperor thought about this, his hand holding the teacup trembled slightly for a moment. He thought, could that bastard Lu Yan kick the boss again? No, that's not right. The boss had already kicked him last time. Could it be the second one?
The second child is not as strong as the eldest. If he gets kicked unexpectedly, he might really die without any descendants.
＃What a unique way to seize the throne＃
The emperor's expression changed several times, and finally he put the teacup on the table: "What happened? Come over and tell me."
The implication is that if it is something embarrassing, just speak softly.
Lord She declared his guilt and whispered a few words to the Emperor. His voice was too soft for Master Xuan to hear clearly. He could only hear a few intermittent words: "... the imperial physician has been summoned... and he is resting in Qiyuan Palace..."
When the Emperor heard that the one who was kicked was not his own son, he breathed a sigh of relief for some reason, and said in a neutral tone: "Prince Yuxi is a man from outside the palace after all, so it is inconvenient for him to stay in the palace. Find someone to carry him back to the inn to recuperate... Also, let that idiot come to the palace to pay his respects tomorrow morning. I still have something to discuss with Master Xuan, so I don't have time to deal with him today, so you can leave now."
Eunuch She responded, then hesitantly asked, "Does Crown Prince Yuxi need an explanation for being kicked for no reason?"
Since the Emperor discovered that Lu Yan's Kung Fu was not bad, his mood was obviously much better. He didn't even raise his eyelids when he heard this. Although his tone was calm, it shocked people's hearts: "Explanation? What explanation? I have been in charge of the fairy world for several years, and I have never given an explanation to anyone."
Eunuch She knew he had made a mistake and said, "Okay, I'll take my leave."
When Xuan Hong saw Eunuch She leave, he lifted his robe and knelt down to salute: "Your Majesty, I cannot hide the truth. Our monarch has been ill for a long time and is eager to have the crown prince return to stabilize the government. If the foreign relatives interfere in politics and someone with ulterior motives ascends the throne, it will be detrimental to the immortals. I beg Your Majesty to show mercy and allow the crown prince to return to the country."
The Emperor knew what he was going to say. In the candlelight, his eyes were dim and uncertain: "If I let Crown Prince Wuyou go back, and if Wu Yun and Dong Li also petition to send a hostage back to the country, how should I respond?"
It was actually no big deal to release Gongsun Wuyou. Tianshui was nothing to be afraid of. What the Emperor feared was the chain reaction. When he asked the kings of various countries to be held as hostages by the immortals, it was to intimidate them. If he released them just because they asked for help, it would be like playing a joke.
Imperial Master Xuan Hong lowered his eyes and said, "Others will only praise your majesty for his kindness."
The Emperor closed his eyes calmly: "This thing is useless."
Kindness is just the icing on the cake for an emperor. He can be kind, but not only kind, otherwise he would have been pulled down from this position long ago. If Xuan Hong wants to change the prince to return to the country, he must come up with something useful.
Xuan Hong clenched his teeth silently upon hearing this, and finally kowtowed heavily: "I am willing to exchange the Tianshui sword technique for you, please have mercy on me, Your Majesty!"
The emperor on the high throne finally opened his eyes after hearing this, and a hint of satisfaction flashed across his face.
Lu Yan took a carriage back to the palace. The difference was that there was one more person in the carriage this time. Zhao Yuzhang had been laughing all the way from the time he left the palace until now, with tears coming out. He sat opposite and hammered his leg vigorously: "Junnian, did you see that? Zhao Yuxi is so angry that his teeth are about to break. If he is kicked to death without any descendants, I wonder if that old guy would dare to let him be the crown prince. Hahahaha!"
Shang Junnian, who was sitting opposite him, did not quite understand Zhao Yuzhang's joy: "He got kicked. Is it worth it for you to be so happy?"
Zhao Yuzhang wiped his tears, his face sour from smiling: "It's worth it! It's worth it! I just can't stand his sinister look!"
He stopped talking and thought of something. He looked at Lu Yan who was resting his eyes and said with a mixture of amazement and admiration: "Prince Fengling, I never realized that you are so good at martial arts before. Others pretend to be pigs to eat tigers in order to save their lives. The Emperor loves you, so why do you pretend to be such a fool?"
He was obviously overthinking it, thinking that Lu Yan had kept a low profile in the past in order to cover up himself. After all, the palace was treacherous and he had no choice but to do so.
Lu Yan opened his eyes upon hearing this. The dim light in the carriage fell on his handsome face, but it did not make him look gloomy. He smiled and asked with interest, "How do you know that I am pretending to be a fool, and not really a fool?"
Zhao Yuzhang gave him a strange look and said, "Although you do things in an unorthodox way, you have your own rules. Sword skills are difficult to practice. You must have suffered a lot to develop your skills to the level you have today. Which idiot can develop his skills to your level?"
He paused and said, "No matter what, for the kick you gave Zhao Yuxi, I, Zhao Yuzhang, will surrender to you!"
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. After what happened in Wannian Palace just now, Zhao Yuzhang was much more favorable to Lu Yan.
As they were talking, they had already arrived at Fengling Palace. Lu Yan jumped off the carriage swiftly and happened to see Gongsun Wuyou and Liu Quedan getting off another carriage. However, for some reason, Gongsun Wuyou's eyes were red, as if he was wiping away tears.
"Hey, why are you crying?"
If it wasn't winter, Lu Yan would definitely hold a folding fan in his hand and wave it to look more like a rogue. He walked up to Gongsun Wuyou and asked with a deliberate smile, "Are you feeling sorry for your cousin who was knocked unconscious?"
People with abilities are always respected. Gongsun Wuyou looked at Lu Yan with red eyes. His attitude was much better than before. He answered every question: "Just now during the banquet, I heard someone talking about my father being seriously ill and not getting better for many days. I missed home so I cried."
Lu Yan suddenly realized: "So it's because of this matter. I don't know how to persuade you."
Gongsun Wuyou wiped away his tears and said, "Master Xuan said he would find a way to bring me back, but I don't know if the Emperor will agree."
Lu Yan thought that it was hard to say. Anyway, this matter was not so easy to accomplish. Even if the emperor agreed openly, who would know what he was doing in secret?
"What if?"
That was all Lu Yan could say.
Liu Quedan stood aside and suddenly raised his eyes to look at Lu Yan. This kind of look was particularly rare. You have to know that he had never looked directly at the man in front of him before. He only had disgust and contempt for him. He suddenly asked, "Your Highness, are you willing to help find out what the emperor has to say?"
Just as Lu Yan was about to say something, Shang Junnian suddenly stepped forward and stood in front of him. His cold and world-weary fox eyes stared at Liu Quedan. His deep eyes seemed to contain a needle that could easily pierce through his thoughts. He asked in a deep voice, "It is a great sin to spy on the emperor's mind. Don't you know that?"
They used to help each other in the Hostage House, but now, because of Lu Yan, there are signs that their relationship is breaking down.
Liu Quedan curled his lips slightly: "It may be a serious crime for us, but not necessarily for him, right?"
Lu Yan was so spoiled that even they looked up to him. At one point they felt that the emperor was not like an emperor, but more like an ordinary father from an ordinary family, who only wanted to give the best things to this son. Even when Lu Yan burned the "Ascension Sutra" in front of the palace, the emperor did not punish him in the slightest.
Liu Quedan was certain that if Lu Yan went to ask, nothing would happen.
Shang Junnian asked back: "The emperor's mind is unpredictable. Why would he gamble on a word from you?"
Shang Junnian and Liu Quedan are very similar in a sense, both are cold and inhuman, but they are not quite alike. If one must describe them, Liu Quedan is like a basin of water soaked with ice cubes. Although it is cold, you can see the bottom at a glance. Shang Junnian's basin is filled with blood. At a glance, it is nothing but scarlet.
There are only two princes in Dongli, and only Gongsun Wuyou in Tianshui. However, Wuyun has 16 princes. The fighting and bloodshed can be imagined.
Shang Junnian had seen too many princes fall in and out of favor, so he would not let Lu Yan take risks easily, especially since he had just offended Crown Prince Yuxi. This matter could be a big deal or a small one, depending on whether the emperor was willing to pursue it. How could he let it get to him at this time?
The warmth in Liu Quedan's eyes faded a bit: "You really think about him."
A lazy voice sounded:
"He is my man. If you don't consider me, who will you consider?"
Lu Yan seemed not to notice the stalemate. He stretched out his long arm and directly picked up Shang Junnian into his arms, carrying him into the mansion. Liu Quedan could still vaguely hear his whispers gradually fading away: "Why do you have such a cold face, Prime Minister? Whatever you say is what it is. I will not disobey you..."
Zhao Yuzhang stood there, looked at Shang Junnian's back, then looked at Liu Quedan's cold face, his heart was in turmoil, and finally he decided to choose his good friend, and hurriedly ran after him:
"Hey! Why are you walking so fast? Wait for me!"
Liu Quedan stood there without saying a word. The cold wind blew up his blue robe, making his whole body cold.
Gongsun Wuyou timidly tugged at his sleeve: "Quedan, are you okay?"
Liu Quedan didn't know what he was thinking, and suddenly frowned and asked, "Do you think King Fengling looks familiar, like someone?"
The other person's lazy smile just now made him think that he looked like someone, but this answer was so absurd that he himself felt it was impossible.
Gongsun Wuyou was puzzled: "He is just himself. Who can he look like? I have never seen anyone as good-looking as him."
Liu Quedan came back to his senses: "Forget it, maybe I'm thinking too much, let's go back to the house."
Now is the sensitive period when envoys from various countries come to pay tribute. They are followed by several guards and are on high alert. They are not allowed to say a word to the envoys from their home countries at the banquet. It is harder than climbing to the sky to escape from the cage of the immortal spirit.
That night, the gong sounded three times. The brightly lit streets had long since dispersed. After the bustle, the place always became quiet. Only the posthouse where the envoys were staying was heavily guarded and surrounded by experts.
Lu Yan was wearing a black nightgown, lying on the rooftop not far away to hide himself. He pulled down his mask and frowned, saying, "The posthouse is heavily guarded, and I can't use my Golden Crow Guards, otherwise it will alarm my father. It won't be easy to rescue Zhao Yuxi."
Shang Junnian lay beside him, staring at the window on the second floor where the candles were still on, and narrowed his eyes sharply: "The people from Tianji Palace have already made secret preparations and can attract most of the troops. It will take about an incense stick of time for the people from the Patrol Army to rush over. We must solve this problem within an incense stick of time."
"I have a question—"
A weak voice suddenly sounded in the darkness. It turned out that there was a person lying on the roof. Zhao Yuzhang was dragged onto the pirate ship in a daze and still didn't understand the situation: "Why did you rob Zhao Yuxi?"
Of course, it was to interrogate the Goddess Sword Secret Technique.
Lu Yan glanced at him in the dark, thinking that if Zhao Yuzhang's identity as the former crown prince of Wuyun Kingdom was not still useful, he would not have brought him here. He had too many questions: "I don't like him and want to deal with him. Are you willing to help?"
Zhao Yuzhang's eyes lit up: "Help! Of course I will help!"
He didn't have the energy to say anything else, but when he heard about dealing with Zhao Yuxi, he instantly became energetic.
Because there were too many envoys from various countries, they stayed in separate accommodations: Dongli stayed in the west of the city, Tianshui stayed in the south, and Wuyun stayed in the north, so they did not interfere with each other.
The guards outside the posthouse changed shifts and saw a group of people coming from a distance. The leader was a eunuch, and there was a carriage behind him. He stepped forward to stop them and asked, "Who are you?"
He saw the eunuch and was worried that he had come out of the palace, so he spoke politely.
Eunuch He dismounted, raised his chin slightly, and said proudly: "We are from Fengling Palace. Your Highness knows that Prince Yuxi is staying here, so he specially prepared some gifts."
The guards were extremely alert and only accepted the gift, but did not let anyone in. "It's getting late and the dew is heavy. Your Highness has already gone to bed. I'm afraid it's inconvenient for you to see guests. I hope the eunuch can thank King Fengling for his kindness on your behalf."
These soldiers were carefully selected, and among them lived the heir apparent of a country, so they were naturally extremely cautious.
Eunuch He smiled, waved the whisk in his hand, and said meaningfully: "It's okay for us not to go in, but there are two old friends who want to reminisce with Prince Yuxi, so I hope you can help us."
Two men got off the carriage, one was Zhao Yuzhang and the other was Shang Junnian. The guards outside had served in the army, so they naturally knew them. Seeing this, they were startled and knelt down in greeting:
"I have met His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister!"
Zhao Yuzhang stood with his hands behind his back, looking a bit like a prince: "Stand up, I have no choice but to come here at this late hour. I miss my homeland and want to reminisce with my brother. Otherwise, if we say goodbye today, I don't know when we will meet again."
Shang Junnian nodded slightly, and it was obvious that he was an old friend of the young goalkeeper: "General Jin, how are you?"
"I cannot bear the words of the Prime Minister, and I feel ashamed to accept them."
When General Jin saw them, he obviously relaxed his guard: "Prince Yuxi... The Crown Prince was accidentally injured in the palace today and is still resting in the house. Please allow me to inform him."
As he turned around and was about to go upstairs, he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. Shang Junnian stopped him from reporting: "No problem, I'll go up with you to save you the trouble of going back and forth."
Even though Shang Junnian had already turned into an immortal spirit, his power was still there. The Jin general had once served under him, so he had no intention of resisting. He could only watch the two of them go upstairs, and then quickly followed them.
At that time, Zhao Yuxi was lying on the bed resting. Lu Yan's kick hit him hard. He took the painkillers prescribed by the imperial physician and felt better. However, he was still sweating profusely and could not move easily. He secretly vowed in his heart to tear Lu Yan into pieces.
Led by the Jin general, Shang Junnian walked to the guest room where Zhao Yuxi was resting. However, there was no notification as expected. Instead, he pushed the door open and walked in as if no one was there.
General Jin was about to speak, but Zhao Yuzhang held his shoulders and said in a low voice, "I have something to say to my brother, so please go downstairs and wait. I'm afraid it's not convenient for you to listen to the important military secrets."
Yu Ji closed the door directly.
Zhao Yuxi was lying on the bed. Hearing the sound of the door opening and closing, he thought it was the maid coming up to serve him. He raised his body slightly and said, "Go and boil another bowl of painkillers..."
Before he could finish his words, he saw two familiar figures in the shadows, and his voice stopped abruptly.
Shang Junnian lifted his robe and sat down beside the bed, unhurriedly, as if he was just meeting an old friend: "Prince Yuxi, I haven't seen you for many years. Do you still recognize me, an old friend?"
Zhao Yuxi's eyes widened in horror, obviously he had not expected Shang Junnian to be let in. He opened his mouth to call for help, but the next second a cold dagger appeared in his throat, the tip of which pierced his flesh with an undisguised murderous intent.
Zhao Yuxi was startled and instantly became mute.
Shang Junnian stared at him expressionlessly. After a moment, his lips slowly curved into an icy arc, which was strange and charming. His deep voice was like a poisonous snake around the neck, which made Zhao Yuxi unable to breathe for a while: "The prince doesn't miss me, but I miss the prince. The kindness of your 'care' in Wuyun in the past, Junnian will never forget it."
Zhao Yuxi coughed twice before speaking. He recalled the humiliation he had once inflicted on Shang Junnian, and became extremely nervous: "What on earth do you want to do?"
Shang Junnian just laughed. He was not a person who liked to laugh, so when he laughed, it made people feel cold for no reason: "I ask, you answer, do you understand?"
The knife was already at his neck, Zhao Yuxi could only nod.
Shang Junnian: "When you came here this time, did the Emperor ask you to get rid of me?"
Zhao Yuxi hesitated for a moment and said, "Yes, my father was afraid that you would reveal Wu Yun's secrets, so he asked me to kill you before returning to the country."
As expected, there was nothing to be sad about. Shang Junnian asked again, "Did I ask you to take the jade zhang back with you?"
Zhao Yuxi: "No, my father never mentioned him."
I don’t know if Zhao Yuzhang felt chilled, but he turned around in the shadows and faced away from them.
Shang Junnian asked calmly, "Have you ever been asked to unite with the other two countries to spy on the true and false of the immortals?"
Zhao Yuzhang's forehead was covered with sweat. "No."
As soon as he finished speaking, someone covered his mouth and a sharp dagger stabbed into his right leg. The pain was so severe that his heart was torn apart and blood spurted out: "Ugh!!!"
Shang Junnian's pale face was stained with blood, making him look even more ghostly and sinister. He stared at Zhao Yuxi's miserable condition and said in a deep voice, "If you don't tell the truth, I will cut off both of your hands. Do I need to remind you of the fate of a useless prince in Wuyun?"
Zhao Yuxi's pupils shrank, and he obviously remembered something terrible. He trembled under Shang Junnian's gaze, and sweat dripped down his face. This madman had been away from Wuyun for so long, but it seemed that nothing could be hidden from his eyes: "Yes... yes, my father said that the immortals have already rebelled, and asked me to find out the truth. If it is true, I will unite with Tianshui to rebel, but Tianshui has not agreed yet."
Shang Junnian: "Let me ask you one last question. How did you become the crown prince?"
Zhao Yuxi trembled and said, "Since Yuzhang left the country, the seventh and ninth brothers have been fighting for the position of crown prince, killing each other, some dead and some injured. Now I am the only adult prince left in Wuyun, and the twelfth and thirteenth brothers, but they are only children, so my father made me the crown prince."
Zhao Yuzhang was shocked when he heard this and rushed forward: "You are too vicious! Don't think I don't know, it must be you who beat them to death!"
Zhao Yuxi covered his wound with his hands, his face pale as he sneered, "Zhao Yuzhang, why are you pretending to be a saint? Wasn't it you who killed the deposed Crown Prince Yutuo?"
The candles in the house burned out and the light gradually dimmed. Zhao Yuxi saw Shang Junnian suddenly look at him with a dark gaze and said with a half-smile, "He was killed by fighting?"
He smelled a strange fragrance and his eyelids suddenly felt heavy. Zhao Yuxi tried his best to open his eyes, but he was unable to do so. Before he lost consciousness, he could only hear Shang Junnian's deep and vague voice: "You guessed wrong..."
“Pah.”
There was a slight sound and the candle went out.
That night, a group of unknown black-clad assassins suddenly attacked the post station at night. Although they were not many in number, they were very agile and each of them was equipped with a hidden weapon with extremely high lethality. There were needles hidden inside the weapons, and when several of them were fired at the same time, it was like a rainstorm, causing countless casualties.
By the time the patrol troops arrived in a hurry, the crown prince of Wuyun, Zhao Yuxi, had already been kidnapped, and Zhao Yuzhang and Shang Junnian, who had gone to visit him, had also disappeared.
There was only one old eunuch sitting in front of the inn, beating her chest and stamping her feet, crying as if her father had died: "Oh my Lord, it's bad, the person is gone! How can we explain this to our family and His Highness Prince Fengling! These damn assassins could have robbed anyone else, but they took away His Highness's beauty!"
Wang Sima recognized Eunuch He and quickly dismounted and ran over, asking hastily, "What did you just say? Your Highness's beauty was taken away?!"
Eunuch He slapped his thigh vigorously. He had never cried so sadly in his life: "They were kidnapped, right? Both of them are gone! Two! Those damn assassins, why didn't they just kidnap our family as well!"
Wang Sima: “…”
Three important figures disappeared overnight. This incident caused a huge stir in the capital. When the news reached the palace, the emperor immediately sent the Yulin Army to search the whole city. They would find the people even if they had to turn the fairyland upside down. However, they didn't know that the people they were looking for were imprisoned in the dungeon of Fengling Palace.
"As long as Prince Yuxi can memorize the Divine Sword Skills completely, we will naturally send you back to Zhao intact."
Zhao Yuxi was chained to a chair, with a wooden table in front of him and a candle burning on the corner. It was dark all around him, and there stood a group of men in black wearing masks with ghost faces and fangs. Behind the masks were pairs of empty, dark eyes that made his hair stand on end.
He didn't know why this group of people wanted to kidnap him, nor did he know why they wanted the Goddess Sword Technique, but the pain in his body reminded Zhao Yuxi all the time that his life was in the hands of the other party.
Zhao Yuxi had already endured a round of torture. He picked up the brush tremblingly, thinking that if the Goddess Sword Secret Method was leaked out, his father would definitely guess the reason and kill him. But if he didn't write it down, he would probably lose his life here. It would be better to fool people casually anyway. These people had never seen the real Secret Method.
Zhao Yuxi wiped the sweat off his forehead, wrote and made up stories at the same time, and finally filled up a thick stack of papers. He said in a terrified voice: "I... I'm done, when can you let me go?"
One of the men in black stepped forward and took away the mental method, but without even looking at it, he placed a new piece of rice paper in front of him and ordered coldly:
"Write another one exactly like it."
Zhao Yuxi: “…”
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