Bastard! "I am a dignified third-class official …" The Chamberlain of Dependencies cursed in his heart. He took a deep breath and said loudly,
"I am Liu Da, an official from the Office of the Grand Herald. I have come to welcome the Yunzhou diplomatic mission."
He shouted several times, but there was no response from the Wind Riding Boat.
The chancellor of the Office of the Chamberlain of Dependencies waited in the cold wind for another quarter of an hour. Under the curious gazes of the commoners on the official road, he left helplessly.
The people on the boat could afford to wait, but he couldn't. It was his dereliction of duty that he couldn't welcome the Yunzhou ambassadors into the capital. All the chancellors and the Emperor would blame him.
"Sir, please get in the car."
His subordinate lifted the curtain of the carriage for him.
"What carriage? Prepare a horse for me!"
The Chamberlain of Dependencies cursed angrily. From the capital to the inner city, and then to the Imperial City, how long would it take to arrive by carriage?
Clatter, clatter, clatter … The Chamberlain of Honglu rushed to the Ministry of Rites amidst the galloping horses.
The Office of the Grand Herald belonged to the Ministry of Rites. Since the Yunzhou brat thought that his official rank was not high enough, then he could only find someone with a higher official rank.
In the hall of the Ministry of Rites.
The Minister of the Ministry of Rites frowned.
"Bastard!
"This is a show of strength to the imperial court."
Despite cursing, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites said in a deep voice,
"Let … Forget it, I'll go with you."
He had originally wanted to ask the assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites to come forward, but considering that the assistant minister was only half a rank lower than the Chamberlain of Dependencies, Liu Da, he decided to come forward himself.
The Chamberlain of Dependencies heaved a sigh of relief. As he walked out with the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, he said,
"Thank you, Minister."
The Minister of the Ministry of Rites was too old to ride a horse. The two of them changed to a carriage and sped all the way to the city gate.
An hour later, the carriage passed through the city gate. The Minister of the Ministry of Rites lifted the curtain and saw a huge wooden boat by the side of the official road.
The carriage stopped beside the wooden boat. The Minister of the Ministry of Rites said loudly,
"I'm the Minister of the Ministry of Rites. I'm here to welcome the Yunzhou delegation."
A moment later, a guard appeared from the side of the ship with an arrogant expression.
"My Young Master said that your status is not high enough."
The Minister of the Ministry of Rites's face darkened. He suppressed his anger and said calmly,
"Go back and ask your young master what exactly it is that will make him agree to come to the capital."
The guard did not move. He snorted and raised his chin.
"Ninth Young Master said that he wants the Princes to welcome him and the Grand Secretary to accompany him. If you can't do it, you should tell him earlier so that he can go home and tell the one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers in Yunzhou that Daibun doesn't want to negotiate. "
"This is not appropriate. Ask your Ninth Young Master to come out and speak," the Minister of the Ministry of Rites said loudly.
The guard ignored him and retracted his head.
The veins on the forehead of the Minister of the Ministry of Rites twitched. He took a deep breath and regained his composure.
He then looked at the Chamberlain of Dependencies beside him.
"Send someone to ask His Majesty."
In a simple room on the Wind Riding Boat, Ji Yuan sat by the table. His slender and fair hands were peeling oranges, and a small silver fan was placed beside his hand.
"Is Ninth Brother trying to intimidate the Daibun Imperial Court?"
Xu Yuanhuai stood by the window and heard the conversation clearly.
"Smart!" Ji Yuan praised him and then shook his head.
"But he is not smart enough."
Xu Yuanhuai frowned.
Ji Yuan tilted his head and looked at Xu Yuanshuang, who was sitting on the chair and reading quietly.
He smiled and said, "Yuan Shuang, what do you think?"
Xu Yuanshuang did not even raise her head.
She said calmly, "He is just testing his bottom line."
"See, see …" Ji Yuan smiled and said, "Sister Yuan Shuang is smart.
Yuanhuai, the negotiation has already started since we landed outside the capital. We don't have to sit at the negotiating table. Do you understand? "
Seeing that Xu Yuanhuai was not convinced, Ji Yuan said while eating the oranges, "You have to know what the little Emperor's bottom line is.
"You have to know where the little Emperor's bottom line is. Tomorrow, when he enters the throne room, you will be able to grasp his bottom line."
Xu Yuanshuang frowned and said,
"The Yongxing Emperor might not fall for it."
Ji Yuan picked up the silver bone fan and opened it. He placed it flat on his chest and said with a smile,
"This is also a test to test the little Emperor's standard."
He was not as old as the Yongxing Emperor, but he spoke in a condescending tone.
After waiting for nearly an hour, they suddenly heard a loud voice from outside.
"Prince Yan and Grand Secretary Qian are here to welcome the Yun State's envoy."
Ji Yuan opened the silver bone fan and placed it flat on his chest. He shook his head and laughed.
"With such an Emperor, the Daibun will not be destroyed."
…
The luxurious "welcoming team" entered the city. Along the way, the surrounding people pointed at them.
"That's the flag of the Yun State. That means that the Qing State has really fallen. Is it true that the Imperial Court is going to negotiate for peace?"
The literate people recognized the flag of the Yun State in the envoy group. It had a yellow background with white clouds embroidered and a big "Yun" character made of red lines.
The rumors in the capital were well controlled. The people only dared to talk about it in private. They did not dare to talk about the fall of the Qing State, the death of the Supervisor, and the Imperial Court's decision to negotiate for peace in public places like tea houses and brothels.
At this time, seeing the Yun State's envoy group enter the capital, the suppressed emotions in their hearts immediately rebounded. They stood on the street and talked loudly.
"A mere rebel of the Yun State actually came to the capital to show off."
"Even Xu Yinluo can't defend the Qing State?"
In the carriage, Ji Yuan heard these words and lifted the curtains of the window.
"There are rumors everywhere that Xu Qi 'an fought against 8,000 rebel troops in the Yun State alone. At Yuyang Pass, he killed 200,000 troops of the Witchcraft Cult. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. "
Ji Yuan clicked his tongue. "At that time, we heard about Xu Qi 'an's deeds in the Central Plains one after another. We were indignant and thought that he just occupied the luck that originally belonged to us.
"Now the wheel of fortune has turned. How do you think the people will talk about the Imperial Court and their beloved Xu Yinluo after the peace talks spread?"
Xu Yuanshuang was silent for a moment and stared at him.
"No wonder you want to make such a big fuss."
Ji Yuan opened his folding fan and fanned it slightly. He smiled without saying anything.
…
In the Imperial Palace.
In the Imperial Study, Yongxing Emperor listened to the eunuch's report and learned that the Yun State's envoy group had settled in the station. He was relieved.
He stopped walking around and sat back on the gilded chair.
Soon, Cho Hyun-jin rushed in from outside and said loudly,
"Your Majesty, Xu Yinluo and Her Highness Lin An are asking for an audience."
What is he doing here … The Yongxing Emperor frowned and said,
"Invite him in."
Cho Hyun-jin retreated. A few minutes later, he led Xu Qi 'an in green and Lin An in a red dress across the threshold and into the Imperial Study.
A perfect couple.
Seeing the faint smile on Lin An's face, the Yongxing Emperor's heavy heart was slightly relieved.
He then looked at Xu Qi 'an and said with a smile,
"Xu Yinluo has finally returned to the capital. Come, give him a seat and tea."
Xu Qi 'an waved his hand.
"No need.
"Your Majesty, do you really want to negotiate? The rebel army of Yun State is full of momentum. Why do you choose to negotiate at this time?
"It's nothing more than taking the opportunity to squeeze the Imperial Court and exhaust the last breath of the Imperial Court. If we negotiate, we really have no chance of winning. "
The smile on the Yongxing Emperor's face slowly disappeared and he said lightly,
"Then what does Xu Yinluo think? Make you the Commander of Yongzhou Army and fight to the death with the rebel army of Yun State?
"Does Xu Yinluo have the confidence to win? I know that Xu Yinluo has a high cultivation level and is a Third Grade Warrior. But even the Supervisor died in their hands. What can you do? "
Xu Qi 'an said,
"If Your Majesty can trust me, I will go to the battlefield and die with the Yunzhou Army."
"But I don't want to!" The Yongxing Emperor seemed to have lost his patience. He suddenly raised his voice and said,
"Negotiating for peace is the only hope. As long as we can survive the harsh winter and wait for the Spring Sacrifice, Daibun will naturally improve. Why do we have to die with the rebel army of Yun State at this time? "
Xu Qi 'an said no more and turned to leave.
The Yongxing Emperor was now bent on seeking peace and stopping the war. Persuasion was useless, so there was no need to persuade him.
"Dog slave …"
Lin An chased after him for a few steps, then he stopped and strode back to the Yongxing Emperor.
He said loudly, "Brother Emperor, why can't you try to believe him?"
The Yongxing Emperor shook his head and sneered.
"Believe him? If I believe in Xu Qi 'an, Daibun will be saved?
"Even the Supervisor can't deal with the enemy. Can Xu Qi 'an turn the tide?"
Lin An said angrily,
"You are timid and afraid of death."
"You …" The Yongxing Emperor flew into a rage and raised his hand to hit him.
Lin An stared at him with red eyes.
"Get out! Get out of here!"
The Yongxing Emperor pointed at the door and shouted.
…
[One: The Yunzhou Emissary Group has entered the capital with great fanfare.]
In the Cryptology Chat Group, Huai Qing gave a detailed account of the process of the Yunzhou delegation entering the capital today.
[Four: He is testing the bottom line of the Yongxing Emperor. Alas, he has already found out the bottom line before they meet. He invited them into the city in such a hurry. Isn't it obvious that he wants to negotiate?]
Chu Yuanzhen had a sharp mind and guessed the motive of the Yunzhou Emissary Group.
[Two: The Yongxing Emperor is not even as good as Yuan Jing. Who is leading the team?]
Li Miaozhen was so angry that she gritted her teeth.
She was angry at the Yunzhou Emissary Group and the Yongxing Emperor for being cowardly.
[One: The ninth son of the Hidden Dragon City Governor is called Ji Yuan. He is currently living in the station in the inner city and is heavily protected. There are also two Jinluo guards.]
[Two: Are they afraid that Xu Qi 'an will kill people? He should have returned to the capital.]
[One: He is here with me.]
"Go to hell …" Li Miaozhen gritted her teeth.
In the Imperial City, Huaiqing's Mansion.
In the spacious and elegant inner hall, Princess Royal, who was wearing a plum-colored palace dress, put down the fragment of the Earth Book in her hand and smiled.
She looked at the man in front of her and said softly,
"The current situation is different from the call for donations. Even if you put a knife on Yongxing's neck, he probably won't give in.
"Everyone agrees as well. Currently, more than seventy percent of the officials in the capital are in favor of peace negotiations. This is the general trend."
Xu Qi 'an, who had just come out of the Imperial Palace, nodded slowly.
"Zhao Shou said that to save the current situation, the money and food problem of Daibun must be solved.
"In fact, what he really wanted to say was that if I want to fight with Xu Pingfeng and the rebel army of the Yunzhou, the imperial court must support me unconditionally and not hold me back."
Now, Yongxing was holding him back.
Huaiqing was silent for a while and said,
"He is indeed a little weak."
Xu Qi 'an waved his hand.
"Let's not talk about him. Why did you ask me to come here?"
As soon as he left the Imperial Palace, he was invited by Huaiqing's chief guard, who was standing guard outside the Imperial Palace.
Huaiqing pondered for a moment and said,
"Some time ago, you said that there are only three ways to save Daibun from its current decline. First, we have to equal the number of Extraordinary Ones. Second, we have to solve the money and food problem. Third, we have to resurrect Duke Wei."
Xu Qi 'an listened quietly and nodded.
Huaiqing took a deep breath.
"You are already working on the matter of resurrecting Duke Wei. The results will be revealed during the Spring Sacrifice.
"The money and food problem is difficult to solve, but as you said just now, what you need is a king who is willing to fight with you to the death, and an imperial court who is willing to bet the fate of the country."
Xu Qi 'an said slowly,
"So?"
Huai Qing's limpid eyes stared at him as he enunciated each word clearly.
"Force Yongxing to abdicate!"
Xu Qi 'an had expected it, so he was not surprised. He shook his head.
"This will only speed up the destruction of the imperial court. I know you want to help Prince Yan ascend the throne, but he is not qualified enough, nor is he powerful enough.
"In times of peace, it might be possible, but now everyone is in a state of panic. If I do this again, I will push people to Cloud State and force them to defect."
At this juncture, if he wanted to use force to suppress everything, he could, but people would also turn to Cloud State.
Never forget that the bloodline of the Cloud State is also a royal family of Great Feng.
Huaiqing said quietly,
"Fourth Brother has no qualifications or power, but I do."
Xu Qi 'an was stunned.
He carefully and repeatedly examined the beauty in front of him.
Huaiqing was not afraid. She looked him in the eye.
"The former Wei party is all my people. Apart from that, I have also won over many officials in the imperial court. If I were to combine them, they would be the largest party in the imperial court.
"As for the Royal Faction, I need Xu Yinluo's help."
Xu Qi 'an stared at her for a long time and sighed.
"Your Highness, I have long noticed that you are a woman, but I did not expect that you have unknowingly cultivated such a large force.
"Anything else?"
Since she had already said it out loud, Huaiqing did not hide it.
"I have people in the five battalions of the Imperial Guards and the twelve guards of the capital."
"No wonder she could send out experts and gather the refugees. Her force is far more terrifying than I thought …" Xu Qi 'an thought for a while and said,
"What other trump cards do you have?"
Huai Qing raised his teacup and took a sip.
"Your excellency Xu has collected five vital Dragon Breath. The rebels of Cloud State also have one. The remaining three Dragon Breath are with me."
"What?" Xu Qi 'an scratched his ears, suspecting that he had misheard.
"How did you do it?"
Huaiqing said frankly,
"Duke Wei's spies are all in my hands. Before he left for the battle, he personally handed over the spy organization to me. "
No wonder, no wonder the Left Imperial Censor Liu Hong said that he did not know that the spy left by Duke Wei had not been taken over, and the information about the spy had long disappeared from the records of the night watchman's yamen … It turned out that Duke Wei had handed it over to Huai Qing … Xu Qi 'an, who had solved an unsolved case, closed his eyes and sighed in his heart.
As expected, he is not his biological son.
No, as expected, the son picked up from the streets is no match for the daughter of his first love.
Huaiqing did not know about his inner thoughts and continued,
"Having Dragon Breath is naturally a blessing.
"With Dragon Breath, I can win over the ministers and experts in the imperial court with half the effort."
Xu Qi 'an revealed a complicated smile.
"Your Highness has been planning all this for a long time. After Yuan Jing's death, you saw hope, so you secretly made arrangements and advanced step by step. You waited for an opportunity to force Yongxing off the throne. "
Huaiqing nodded slightly.
"From the moment you explained your background in the Heaven & Earth Society and pointed out the existence of the rebels in Yun State, from the fall of the late emperor and the collapse of Dragon Breath, I knew that Yongxing would not be able to sit on the throne for long.
"With such a huge mess, with internal and external troubles, he must be bold if he wants to sit on the throne and reform.
"But Yongxing is too mediocre. In a peaceful world, he might be a good emperor, but in a chaotic world, he will bring disaster to the country and the people."
"You're the one who's developed in a wretched way. Compared to you, I'm just too unrestrained …" Xu Qi 'an muttered in his heart. He couldn't disagree with Huai Qing's words.
"Then how can you guarantee that Prince Yan will do better than Yongxing?"
"I naturally have a way."
"Alright … Tell me about your plan in detail."
It was not until dusk that Xu Qi 'an left Huaiqing's mansion.
…
After returning to the Celestial Commissioner and visiting Sun Xuanji who was recovering, Xu Qi 'an went to the guest room on the fourth floor and pushed the door open. In the warm room, Mu Nanzi was dressing in front of the mirror.
Shirohime was curled up on the bed, sleeping soundly.
She seemed to have just taken a bath. Her hair was wet, and there was a delicate fragrance on her body.
"I bought you some peach blossom pastries. I remember that you like them."
Xu Qi 'an put a bag of pastries wrapped in butter paper by the dressing table.
Mu Nanzi did not care. She curled her lips and asked,
"Where did you go?"
She quietly sniffed and smelled a subtle feminine fragrance on his body.
Did he think that a bag of pastries could send her away?
Xu Qi 'an sat by the bed, took off his boots, and said,
"Today, the peace delegation of Yunzhou entered the capital. I went to the palace to see the Yongxing Emperor, but he didn't listen to my advice. Then I went to Huaiqing's mansion to discuss matters with Princess Royal. "
He pinched his eyebrows and sighed,
"Once the peace talks are completed, Daibun may really be unable to turn the situation around."
And you, who have the fate of the country, will die … Mu Nanzi looked at the bag of pastries again.
She bit her lips.
For a man to not forget to bring you a bag of his favorite desserts when he was in a terrible fix, this kind gesture, which was worth more than ten copper coins, was much more affectionate than those sweet-talking vows of eternal love and extravagant smiles of Pomeranians.
After taking off his boots, Xu Qi 'an lay down on the bed and put his arms behind his head.
If the plan went smoothly, two of the four main points proposed by Zhao Shou would be fulfilled — resurrecting Wei Yuan and stabilizing the rear.
And becoming a chess player was just a suggestion, and there was no completion rate.
"As long as the Fourth Prince takes the throne, he can guarantee to support me and fight to the death with the Cloud State. Then, although the problem of money and grain has not been solved, we can still squeeze some of the national power of the Great Feng State.
"The only problem now is that my cultivation is too weak. Although I can compete with the second level, I will definitely die if I face the first level. And in front of me is the Magic Sealing Nail. "
The Magic Sealing Nail could not be broken by brute force, unless he knew the incantation and secret method like Azuro.
Then, if there was only one nail, he could still pull it out by himself.
"Xu Pingfeng, Xu Pingfeng, you are really scheming …" While thinking, he suddenly smelled a delicate fragrance approaching. He opened his eyes and looked sideways.
Mu Nanzi sat by the bed, giving him an infinitely beautiful view of her back and a half round buttocks that propped up the silk pants.
He did not know when she took off her clothes, only wearing a white undergarment.
That's why people say that a young girl is better than a young married woman's waist, and a young married woman is better than an auntie's buttocks.
"When I was thirteen, I was sent here by my parents in exchange for a great fortune. I thought I would spend the rest of my life in the palace, but in the end, I was given to Duke Huai by Yuan Jing. I felt sorry for myself, thinking that I was just a commodity to be sold here and there. "
Mu Nanzi's back was facing him, and she said softly:
"After that, I met that bitch, Luo Yuheng. She told me that I was the reincarnation of the Flower God, and that I was Duke Huai's cauldron, waiting for him to take away my spiritual essence one day."
"I was very scared, and I asked her what would happen if the spiritual essence was taken away. She told me, of course, I would die.
"So, I felt that I was not even a commodity, an animal kept in captivity in Duke Huai Palace, waiting to be taken out and slaughtered."
So she was so afraid of her identity being exposed, afraid of me knowing that she was the reincarnation of the Flower God. It was all because of the Imperial Advisor … Xu Qi 'an suddenly realized.
"So, I was always afraid that my identity would be exposed, and I was always cautious of everyone, including you."
Mu Nanzi didn't look back, but Xu Qi 'an could feel her smile:
"But these few days, I kept asking myself, if Xu Qi 'an wanted to take away my spiritual essence, would I agree? Would I be willing to die for you? Until the moment you entered the room, I still didn't have an answer. "
She paused, and her eyes couldn't help but look at the bag of pastries on the table:
"But just now, I suddenly knew the answer. I am willing."
After saying that, Mu Nanzi's body tensed up, and she sat stiffly, as if there was a scary monster behind her that would pounce on her at any time.
She waited for a long time, but Xu Qi 'an didn't pounce on her like a hungry tiger, so she couldn't help but look back.
Xu Qi 'an turned his body sideways, and looked at her with his hand supporting his head.
Shirohime also copied Xu Qi 'an's posture. She turned her body sideways, supported her head with one paw, and looked at her silently.
Mu Nanzi's face turned red, and there seemed to be illusory black smoke coming out of the top of her head.
"You …"
She flew into a rage, grabbed Shirohime, and threw it at Xu Qi 'an's face. Xu Qi' an was fine, but Shirohime squeaked in pain.
"I'm just kidding. Don't be angry, don't be angry."
Xu Qi 'an pushed Shirohime aside, and hurried to drag Mu Nanzi to the bed before she "slipped away".
This woman was so prideful that it made people's hair stand on end. She finally mustered up the courage to confess and help him advance to the second rank. If she missed this chance, she didn't know when she would have the next chance.
"You are the Immortal Tree, so I can't take away your spiritual essence. At most, I can absorb some, but I won't die. Besides, I have the Magic Sealing Nail in my body. Even if I sleep with you, I won't be able to advance to the second rank.
"I'll be your bootlicker for now. We can talk about absorbing spiritual essence later."
Xu Qi 'an conveniently buried his head in her soft bosom, and was about to "slurp". Suddenly, he felt someone hit his head with a stick.
This wasn't a normal letter, it was a private message request.
Normally, Xu Qi 'an would throw the Earth Tome fragment away and be a bootlicker to his heart's content.
However, this was a critical moment, and a member of the Heaven & Earth Society was sending him a private message.
Reluctantly, he lifted his head from Mu Nanzi's bosom, and glanced at her rosy cheeks …
"I was too careless. I should have taken off the bracelet first. Otherwise, looking at her face, it's easy to enter sage mode …" As he complained in his heart, he took out the Earth Tome fragment and accepted the private message.
[Eight: I am 15 miles away from the west gate of Capital City, can you come out to meet me?]
Eight?
Xu Qi 'an frowned. The Jinlian Taoist priest had mentioned a few days ago that the Eighth had come out of seclusion and might come to Capital City in the near future.
Why is he looking for me alone?
Among the members of the Heaven & Earth Society, the Eighth was the only one who had been AFK for tens of thousands of years. He and the other members had no interaction.
"I'll ask the Jinlian Taoist priest first and see if this Eighth is reliable …" Xu Qi 'an didn't reply and ended the private message. Instead, he sent a private message to the Jinlian Taoist priest.
[Nine: What's up?]
The Taoist priest quickly replied.
[Three: The Eighth is coming to Capital City, and wants to meet me.]
Xu Qi 'an told the Jinlian Taoist priest the situation without beating around the bush.
[Nine: I's suggestion is that you should meet him.]
Xu Qi 'an knew the rules of the Heaven & Earth Society. Without the permission of the person, the Jinlian Taoist priest would not reveal the identity of the holder of the shard.
After sending the message, he immediately contacted the Eighth and replied,
[Okay!]
He could only get up helplessly and stare at Mu Nanzhi's chest, which was lying flat on the ground, reluctantly. He said,
"I'm going out. Don't wait for me. Go to sleep first."
After that, his body blended into the shadows and disappeared from the room.
Mu Nanzi exhaled heavily. It was hard to tell if she was disappointed or relieved.
"Auntie, I want to be your bootlicker too."
Shirohime flew to Mu Nanzi's chest but was slapped away by the Flower God. She frowned and said,
"Have you become a lecher after spending too much time with him?"
As she spoke, she picked up one of Shirohime's hind legs and glanced at it. She sneered,
"You're a bitch."
…
Xu Qi 'an kept jumping in the shadows and arrived at the West City Gate after a few minutes.
At this time, the night was deep, and the surroundings were extremely quiet. The faint light from the torches on the city wall was like fireflies.
After leaving the city gate, he was like a black fish, diving into the dark night as if he was swimming in the ocean. He went straight forward along the official road.
The agreed place was fifteen miles outside the West City Gate. There was no additional description, which meant that it was on the official road.
Fifteen miles was not far, and he soon arrived at his destination. He saw a tall figure standing proudly in the night.
He was wearing a red and yellow kasaya and was nearly nine feet tall. Compared to ordinary people, he was like a giant.
He was ugly, and his eyebrows were slightly protruding. His eyes were as sharp as a knife, and he gave off a heroic and extraordinary feeling.
Ugly but handsome.
He was playing with a small jade mirror in his hand.
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