Chapter 87: Hidden Green Mountains
Liu Quedan didn't expect that seeing Lu Yan again would be like this.
The other party did not have the wolf-like appearance of a man whose country was destroyed, nor was he brought in with shackles on his hands like a prisoner. Instead, he was wearing a low-key and luxurious scarlet royal robe, and stood openly behind the Wu Yun envoy team. He smiled lightly, nodded, and performed a half-salute with Shang Junnian.
"Although our monarch has signed an alliance with Dongli, the water and grass supply is blocked, and Wuyun is suffering from severe drought and disasters. The officials of the Taiqing Division observed the stars at night and said that bloody disasters should not occur in recent years, otherwise it will be a punishment from heaven and the people will suffer. Therefore, we have temporarily suspended the dispatch of troops. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
Shang Junnian's explanation was very high-sounding, but anyone with a discerning eye knew it was just an excuse. Liu Quedan's eyes fell on Lu Yan, with a hint of surprise and astonishment in his eyes. He quietly tightened his hands in his sleeves and said, "I noticed that one of the envoys looks familiar. I'm afraid he's an old friend. Why don't you show up and meet me?"
This was a private banquet and there were not many people in the hall. Apart from Envoy Wu Yun, there were a few important officials from Dong Li.
Seeing their eyes all looking over at him, Lu Yan knew that he was the one being talked about. He took the initiative to step forward and saluted calmly: "Your Majesty, I have good eyesight. I haven't seen you for a year. Are you well?"
He was like a scumbag, he always greeted everyone with these words. Shang Junnian looked away indifferently, too lazy to stare at Lu Yan's face that was flirting with other girls.
Liu Quedan's eyes darkened: "Should I call you King Fengling, or Chen Yingqi?"
Fengling King Lu Yan who tortured him in every way, and Chen Yingqi who used tricks to trick him into learning sword skills, both of these identities made Liu Quedan feel extremely humiliated.
Lu Yan smiled and said, "They are both old friends. Your Majesty, you can call them whatever you like."
At this point, Liu Quedan had nothing to understand. Wu Yun had already secretly sided with the immortals, and this time he came to force him to withdraw. He never thought that Shang Junnian was so "broad-minded". After being humiliated and tortured by Lu Yan, he was willing to turn around and help him today.
Liu Quedan said coldly: "Give the envoy a seat."
Shang Junnian and Lu Yan sat down together. After three rounds of wine, he took the initiative to pick up the cup and said, "Although the country is big, it is not arrogant. Although the power is strong, it is not without reason. Now Tianshui and Wuyun have withdrawn from the alliance to attack the immortals for some reason. I wonder what your majesty plans to do?"
Liu Quedan did not raise his cup, but said with a hint of meaning: "Although the country is small, it will not be insulted by the villains. Although the words are light, you know that a promise is worth a thousand gold. Now the immortals are suppressing others with their power, how can Dongli not resist?"
Shang Junnian drank the wine in his cup without changing his expression: "From what your majesty said, do you want to continue attacking the immortals?"
Liu Quedan asked back: "Who are you asking for, Shang Xiang? Wu Yun or the immortals? Dong Li doesn't have such a good temper as you. He can laugh it off even if he is insulted."
Shang Junnian pretended not to hear the sharpness in his words, his eyes slightly lowered, and his slender fingertips played with the wine glass: "Of course I'm asking on behalf of Dong Li. War is laborious and costly. If we fail to attack and are instead swallowed up, that would be bad."
Lu Yan echoed the words beside him: "Why do you say that, Shang Xiang? When we were in Xianling in the past, Your Majesty also practiced swordsmanship with me. Your swordsmanship is absolutely superb, far superior to Xianling."
Now two of the three kingdoms have retreated, and Dongli can no longer hold on alone. Even if a fight really breaks out, the immortals have a 70% chance of winning, so those ministers are silent and dare not get involved in the war.
Liu Quedan looked down at Lu Yan from above, his eyes seemed to be condensed into two sharp swords to pierce him. It was hard to imagine that this usually gentle person would be so aggressive: "The past is the past. If we compete again today, I wonder who will win?"
Liu Quedan was filled with hatred for Lu Yan.
As for Chen Yingqi, Liu Quedan regarded him as a friend.
However, when the proton escaped and Lu Yan's identity was exposed, Liu Quedan realized something belatedly -
The other party pretended to be Chen Yingqi and approached him just to learn the Danqing sword technique. Even those caring greetings that came in times of need were covered with a thick shadow, inseparable from interests.
Liu Quedan once regarded the righteousness of a gentleman as more important than his own life. He also hated the most when someone would deceive one's true feelings for the sake of profit. This matter was stuck in his heart and became a knot as the years passed.
Lu Yan was startled when he heard this, then he smiled and said, "My skills are so limited that I dare not show off in front of Your Majesty."
What Lu Yan did back then was not fair. He did not regret it, but he admitted his mistake.
Upon hearing this, Liu Quedan stood up from his throne and suddenly pulled out a sword from the waist of a guard beside him, which surprised everyone. He walked down the steps with the sword in hand, pointing the tip of the sword at Lu Yan, and said word by word:
"King Fengling, didn't you and Shang Xiang come all the way here just to persuade me to withdraw my troops? Let's fight. If you win, I will withdraw my troops. If you lose, you can go back to Xianling. How about that?!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the tip of his sword was suddenly knocked off course by a delicate wine glass with such force that Liu Quedan looked in the direction he was headed, and saw Shang Junnian's slightly upturned fox eyes staring at him, with a hidden arrogance that was difficult to fathom:
"Your Majesty, you may have forgotten one thing. Now it is not the fairies who are begging you not to attack, but you should be begging the fairies not to form an alliance and send troops—"
Now that Tianshui and Wuyun are standing behind the fairy, what can Liu Quedan use to fight them?
Shang Junnian said calmly: "Your hands are more suitable for holding paintbrushes. They are not strong enough to hold a sword."
Liu Quedan's expression changed subtly for a moment, and the ministers behind him also stood up hurriedly to stop him, smiling and trying to smooth things over: "Your Majesty has long heard that King Fengling is good at swordsmanship, and wanted to learn from him. I just lost my composure for a moment, so please don't take it to heart, Prime Minister. It's just that the withdrawal of troops is a serious matter, and Dongli needs to discuss it before making a response."
Shang Jun Nian Lao was interested and asked back: "Discuss? How long do you want to discuss it?"
The minister who was speaking glanced at Liu Quedan's expression and asked tentatively, "Maybe half a month at the shortest, or a month at the longest?"
Shang Junnian closed his eyes calmly, and spat out two words: "Today."
The minister wiped his sweat quietly and said, "I'm afraid it's too hasty."
Shang Junnian stood up from his seat, his lips curved coldly: "Then let Dongli send troops directly!"
He turned around and was about to leave with the envoy, but his sleeves suddenly tightened and were grabbed by Lu Yan. He heard the other party's smiling voice in his ears: "If your majesty wants to compete, I will accompany you. How about asking you gentlemen to be witnesses?"
Once Shang Junnian has a trump card in hand, he will not give in easily. The worst that can happen is a fall out. Lu Yan feels that he owes Liu Quedan a little for what happened back then, so he selfishly wants to give the other party a step and doesn't want to make things too embarrassing.
Shang Junnian had no choice but to suppress his temper.
Liu Quedan stared at Lu Yan, gritted his teeth and spat out three words: "You have guts!"
It was noon, the sun was blazing, but the parade ground of the Yulin Army was surrounded by a crowd of people. Liu Quedan changed into casual clothes, stood on the stage, and drew out his sword with a clang. The sword shone coldly in the sun, blinding people:
"Lu Yan, show me your true abilities. Don't let others think you are just a thief!"
When Lu Yan heard this, he knew that Liu Quedan was still brooding over what happened in the past. His weapon was too sharp, and if he used "other world" to fight Liu Quedan, he would inevitably bully him. So he borrowed a handy Qingfeng sword from an envoy and made a sword flower neatly: "Your Majesty, please show mercy, let's stop here and don't hurt the harmony."
"Stop talking nonsense and just attack!"
Liu Que Danyu turned the tip of his sword and stabbed directly at Lu Yan, with a fierce momentum, as if he wanted to vent the anger in his heart for many years. Danqing Sword was known for its agility and agility. He could use such a force, which showed that he was not only good at calligraphy and painting as rumored, but also had good martial arts.
Lu Yan just dodged at first, but later he found that Liu Quedan's moves were aimed at vital points, so he gradually used some of his real skills. The two of them fought fiercely on the martial arts stage, and their weapons collided so quickly that only their shadows could be seen.
The sun was setting in the west, and the soldiers on guard around the area were already sweating profusely, but they stared at the stage without blinking. Not had the opportunity to watch the masters fighting each other. Each move was varied and exquisite. If they could comprehend a few moves from it, they everyone would benefit greatly.
After an unknown amount of time, the situation finally became clear.
Lu Yan leaped into the air and swung his sword downwards fiercely. Liu Quedan raised his sword to block, but was no match for the opponent's overwhelming strength. His weapon broke with a clang and flew everywhere. Lu Yan hit him in the chest with a palm strike. He staggered back half a step and nearly fell off the martial arts stage.
Lu Yan also stepped on tiptoe and lightly retreated to the edge of the platform. He lowered his eyes to look at the sword in his hand, which had already cracked. He secretly exerted strength on his wrist, and the sword broke in the middle with a "clang" sound, leaving only half a piece of broken iron.
Lu Yan smiled and looked at Liu Quedan: "Your Majesty, our weapons are both broken, how about we call it a draw?"
There is something else behind his words.
"If the immortals and Dongli fought, I'm afraid the outcome would be like these two broken swords, killing one thousand enemies but injuring eight hundred of their own. Why not turn hostility into friendship and establish an everlasting friendship?"
Liu Quedan had a hard time swallowing the sweet taste in his mouth. He looked up at Lu Yan, as if he saw his lifelong enemy. When he returned to the country and ascended the throne, he immediately united with the other two countries to attack Xianling. He thought he could avenge his past humiliation, but he didn't expect to be defeated by Lu Yan.
Just now, Lu Yan was willing to give in. How could he not see that the opponent's swordsmanship was now far superior to him, and it was not something he could catch up with just this year's hard training.
Liu Quedan hoarsely asked the question that he had not figured out for a long time: "Lu Yan, your martial arts skills are obviously not inferior to mine, why did you disguise yourself as Chen Yingqi to learn sword skills?"
Lu Yan said nothing, but made a sword flower with his backhand and said, "I forgot."
Liu Quedan frowned: "What did you forget?"
Lu Yan smiled and said, "Danqing Sword Technique, I have already forgotten it."
Liu Quedan closed his eyes, and finally fell to the ground. Lu Yan's words not only failed to answer his doubts, but made him more confused.
A shadow suddenly fell in front of him, and someone reached out to help him up. The force was gentle but firm. Liu Quedan was about to scold him, but he saw that the person who reached out to help him was Shang Junnian. He was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously stood up with the help of the other person.
Shang Junnian seemed to sigh, and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "If you had not handed over the traditional swordsmanship, the emperor would not have let you go back alive. Even if Lu Yan escorted you all the way, the pursuers would be able to catch you all at the ferry."
"In the past, you returned home safely without any pursuers. Have you ever wondered why?"
A trace of shock flashed across Liu Quedan's eyes: "What do you mean?"
Shang Junnian released his hand and said, "It doesn't mean anything. You just need to know that he saved your lives. Chen Yingqi is Lu Yan, and Lu Yan is Chen Yingqi. There is no difference between the two of them."
"Now that the duel has ended in a draw, the lives of millions of people in Dongli depend on you."
The sun was setting, and the originally scorching temperature finally eased. The sky was covered with red clouds like fire. Against the backdrop of such a vast sky, the imperial city looked even more majestic and lonely.
Liu Quedan looked up into the distance, feeling somewhat dazed, and muttered to himself, "Do I still have a choice..."
Not long after, a letter of truce with the national seal on it traveled thousands of miles and landed safely on the emperor's desk.
"Your Majesty, great joy! Great joy!! Now the three countries have withdrawn their troops and sent envoys to deliver letters of credence, expressing their willingness to form an everlasting friendship with my immortal spirit!!!"
Minister Liu ran into the hall in ecstasy, and fell down because he was too excited. He didn't even bother to adjust his hat, and rushed directly into the hall to announce the good news. However, after looking around, he didn't see any trace of the emperor.
"Hey, Minister Liu, look how anxious you are! I've been calling you for a long time, but you didn't listen to a word!"
Eunuch She came in from outside the palace holding a whisk, his steps neither fast nor slow, it seemed that he had known the news for a long time: "Your Majesty is not in Wannian Palace, he went to Taiyi Pavilion early this morning, you should come back tomorrow."
Minister Liu was so angry that he blew his beard and glared: "How can such an important matter wait until tomorrow? I will go to Taiyi Pavilion now..."
Before he could finish his words, Eunuch She stopped him with a dust whisk: "You should take a rest. Today is the death anniversary of the mistress. His Majesty has ordered that you are not to disturb her."
Upon hearing this, Minister Liu paused: "Female mistress? Could she be the mother of Prince Fengling?"
Eunuch She was an old acquaintance of his. He flicked his whisk in the air before saying, "It is said that you are the most well-informed. Why is it not working? Now you should stop calling me Prince Fengling and change your name to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
Minister Liu was shocked: "But I didn't hear your majesty's order?!"
Eunuch She said meaningfully, "It will be soon, soon."
He persuaded the three kingdoms to withdraw their troops and saved the fairies from dire straits. With such an unprecedented achievement, what's wrong with making him a crown prince?
The Taiyi Pavilion was filled with fragrant mist. The Emperor was rarely seen in plain clothes, sitting cross-legged in meditation in the quiet room. On the wall in front of him hung a portrait of a woman in military uniform, who was heroic and extremely beautiful. Her eyebrows and eyes were vaguely similar to Lu Yan.
The fate officer held up a scroll of scriptures and said, "Your Majesty, the prayer scriptures I copied for the lady are all here. Are we going to burn them like we did last year?"
The Emperor opened his eyes and said in a low voice: "Burn them, and burn those letters of peace as well. She should see how promising our children are."
The fate official responded and was about to leave when he heard the emperor ask, "I want to make Prince Fengling the crown prince. What do you think?"
The fate official paused when he heard this, then knelt down gently and said, "I dare not speak rashly about the foundation of the country, but the comment my master gave to King Fengling was that he was destined to be the Purple Star Emperor. However, he was covered by dark clouds and needed to stay in seclusion for 23 years and go through a great catastrophe before he could shine with the Purple Star and become the master of the country."
"Twenty-three years..."
The Emperor sighed, "He was assassinated in the suburbs last year. He was saved from the brink of death. I thought he would continue to be in a state of confusion, but now he has finally woken up."
The fate official knelt deeply on the ground and said: "This is a blessing for the world and the people."
The emperor waved his hands and said sternly: "Forget it. Order someone to draft an edict. Once Prince Fengling returns to the country, he will be immediately made the crown prince. If any of the ministers rebel, they will be executed!"
…
“Ahhhhhh! I must kill that bastard Lu Yan! It would have been fine if he just went back to the fairyland, but he actually took away my prime minister! Send someone to chase him immediately! Bring him back!”
Inside the Xiangyuan Palace, Zhao Yuzhang was grabbing the guard by the collar and was almost going crazy. He received news this morning that not only did Lu Yan take his guards back to Xianling yesterday, but Shang Junnian also disappeared with him.
His brain wasn't working well to begin with, and now that Lu Yan had snatched Shang Junnian away, what was he going to do? ! !
At that time, Lu Yan had already brought Shang Junnian to the border between the two countries. The two of them were riding fast horses and leading the way in the front, with a team marching at a steady pace behind them. Lu Yan's breathless laughter could be heard even from a distance of a hundred meters.
"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, Zhao Yuzhang must be so pissed now, he's throwing things all over the palace! He deserves it, who asked him to beat drums and gongs to submit a petition to my father, the emperor, asking me to marry Wuyun as a prince consort? This is called retribution in this life!"
Lu Yan lay on the horse's back without any image, laughing so hard that he fell down. If he hadn't been good at martial arts, he would have fallen off long ago. Shang Junnian rode beside him and felt it was too much to watch. He asked coldly, "Why are you so reluctant to marry His Highness Wu Yunlai?"
Lu Yan wiped his tears and said, "You are stupid. I can inherit the throne if I return to Xianling. What's the point of staying in Wuyun, unless Zhao Yuzhang can give the throne to me."
"You are one of our own now, you can't turn your elbow outward!"
Shang Junnian thought so too. Lu Yan had spent so much effort to persuade the three kingdoms to withdraw their troops. If he didn't confer the title of crown prince upon him while he had made great contributions, something bad would happen. "Then you should have left a letter for him. Why did you leave in such a hurry? He did you a favor when he withdrew his troops."
Lu Yan said: "If you let him fight, will Wu Yun have enough food and grass?"
Shang Junnian glanced at him meaningfully and said, "Do you think Benxiang is stupid, or is Zhao Yuzhang stupid? Wuyun started to stockpile food and grass last year. If a fight really breaks out, it is still unknown who will win."
Even if Zhao Yuzhang didn't think of this, Shang Junnian would have thought that Wu Yun had already started making preparations to attack the immortals a year ago, so he would never put all his hopes on Tianshui.
Lu Yan thought about it and figured it out. He sat up straight and sighed, "It seems that I owe him a huge favor. He is so stupid, how can he maintain his throne? Shouldn't I secretly elope with you?"
Shang Junnian was too lazy to correct the word "elopement". He looked at the undulating peaks in the distance. The mountain breeze blew towards him, making him feel that there was nothing in the world worth hating:
"This country should be ruled by people with integrity. If even they can't sit firmly on it, others will be even less likely to sit firmly on it."
Lu Yan smiled and said, "That's right."
He raised his hand in front of his eyes and saw a round moon-shaped lake not far away, shimmering in the sunlight. The surrounding plains were undulating, and cattle and sheep were everywhere, full of life. "What is the name of this place? It's quite interesting."
Shang Junnian looked in the direction he was looking at, smiling inexplicably: "This place is called Mingyue Ferry. During the war, more than 70% of the masters in the world died here. You immortals died the most here. It is a Feng Shui treasure land."
Lu Yan: "Are you harming my father?"
Shang Junnian: “Is there?”
Lu Yan: "That's good. You have to call him daddy from now on."
“Bang!”
Shang Junnian whipped Lu Yan's horse on the butt with his whip. The horse immediately started to run fast after receiving the command. Lu Yan was in a panic and finally managed to steady himself. He turned around and shouted from a distance: "Hey! If I die, you will be a widow!"
"You won't die. I'll follow you!"
Shang Junnian curled his lips slightly, smiling happily and wantonly, the corners of his light-colored clothes fluttering in the wind, and the green mountains and clear waters behind him seemed to be hidden between his slender sleeves.
The wind whistled, and a black heart quietly emerged in the air, slowly following Lu Yan. A cold mechanical voice sounded long-lost yet familiar: [Host, your mission was successful.]
Lu Yan looked at it in surprise and said, "So it's you. If you succeed, then you succeed. Now that I succeed, shouldn't you leave now?"
The system asked a strange question: [Do you want to stay here? ]
Lu Yan looked at it as if it were a fool: [Not only will I be getting married soon, but I will also inherit the throne soon. Where else can I go if not stay here?]
The system said "Oh" and didn't say anything else. It thought that this host would most likely make the same choice as in his previous life, so it was useless to ask.
The black heart fell on Lu Yan's head from the air, as light as a feather. After a system scan, a light pink, shiny, and soft thing like a silk thread was seen floating in his brain.
Love.
In his previous life, Lu Yan exchanged a thread of love with him in exchange for a hundred years of life. Logically, he should have no such thing anymore, but he didn't expect it to grow again.
The system was puzzled and said faintly: [I didn’t expect you to be…]
The last few words were too soft for Lu Yan to hear, so he asked curiously, "What is it?"
love brain.
The system was slow to respond and swallowed back these words: [It’s nothing. I’ll come back to pick you up when you die.]
Lu Yan: “Pooh, pooh, pooh!”
Lu Yan made a face at it: "I will definitely live a hundred years. You are the one who died. If you want to take me, you have to wait another hundred years!"
After he finished speaking, he whipped the horse vigorously, laughed loudly, and rode away. Shang Junnian followed quickly behind him. The two of them galloped on the mountain path, and the two figures gradually went away.
They met in the bitter cold of snow and wind, and in the future they would spend countless sunny days together in spring, with green mountains and flowing water. At that moment, even the wind was sending them home.
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