Grand Princess Mansion
The sky was grey as snowflakes continued to fall from the sky.
Within the mansion, there was a stove burning brightly. The Canton Princess had just entered from outside, her face was red from the cold. A serving maid patted the snow off of her and complained, "Canton Princess, I've already told you that it's cold outside and it's snowing. You didn't believe me."
The Canton Princess had just entered when she heard this, "I only wanted to try out the scenery of the snow. Playing the zither, drinking tea and admiring the snow is a very elegant thing to do. I didn't expect that the moment I stepped out, my hands would freeze."
With a 'clang' sound, the Canton Princess placed the zither on the table. She then rubbed her hands together, which were red from the cold. She took a deep breath, and her hands warmed up. She then started playing again.
The guards patrolling the mansion walked through the snow. Beneath their iron armor were thick coats. However, when the cold wind blew, the guards shrank their necks and shivered.
"It's so cold." One of the guards cursed as he shivered.
Another guard tightened his neck, "Let's go. We'll finish our patrol today. When we get back, we'll dry our socks."
As he said this, he walked away against the cold wind.
At this point, the sound of the zither rang out. Strangely, as the patrolling guards heard the sound, they felt a wave of warmth wash over them. They looked at each other.
Hot Spring, Abode
The most special thing about the Grand Princess Mansion was the hot spring. It was located near the abode, and was specially used to entertain guests during the winter. The tiles on the roof were steaming, and when the snow fell, it melted immediately.
Inside the abode, there was a red carpet on the floor, and a lamp was hung. The couch was covered with a thin blanket. Pei Zi Yun was lying on the couch when he got up and stretched his body.
'Who was the first to wake up from a dream? I only know that when I sleep in the cottage, the sun rises outside the window! ' Pei Zi Yun moved the pillow away and retrieved a jade scepter. He then tossed it onto the coffee table beside the couch and said, "System!"
The Plum Blossom in front of him grew bigger, and became a translucent information interface. It floated in front of him and revealed a mission.
"Mission: Through the zither, open the gates of heaven for Qi Qianye (Incomplete)"
Pei Zi Yun then muttered to himself, "The last time I asked the official to collect Legacies related to music, it resulted in this task. It seems like the Canton Princess is most likely one of the Three Leaves."
"However, to enter the Dao with the zither, one must at least reach the Grandmaster level. This step is not easy!"
Zhang Xuan tapped on the screen, and the information popped up.
"Xiao Yi: Proficient (38.6%)"
Looking at this, he said solemnly, "Levitating Ball!"
Another floating ball appeared. This floating ball was light green in color, and there was white Qi flowing within it. However, at this point, it was separated into two streams, and did not mix with each other. Pei Zi Yun couldn't help but sigh, "Indeed, Dao Arts and music are not compatible."
Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan tapped his finger on it. Wisps of white Qi flowed into his body, and his inspiration was immediately roused. The inspiration in his mind became more and more connected.
"Xiao Yi: Proficient (93.2%)"
When he finished, he took a look and saw that he was just a step away from becoming a Grandmaster. He shook his head, "In order to guide the Canton Princess to become a Grandmaster, I have to become a Grandmaster myself. It's a pity that I'm still a step away."
"In ancient times, being a musician was not a lowly profession, nor was it a noble profession. Not many people were willing to learn it."
"This Legacy is very difficult to find. Up till now, I've only found one!"
He threw away this thought and continued reading, "Dao Arts Principles: Proficient (67.9%)"
He tapped on the screen again, and wisps of white Qi flowed into it. This depletion was even faster, and in the blink of an eye, it was gone. "Dao Arts Principles: Proficient (73.7%)"
"Now, every little bit of improvement requires ten times the effort of the past. This is to be expected. The higher the level, the harder it is to comprehend."
"Dao Arts: 43 Types, Proficient (36.7%)"
"Stars Transposition: Level 3 (26.5%)"
"Cloud Wind Form: Level 3 (12.8%)"
"With the improvement of the principles, all these have improved." Pei Zi Yun was a little melancholic. At this point, the sound of a zither could be heard. Pei Zi Yun sat up on the bed and listened intently.
After listening for a while, Pei Zi Yun paused, "It's winter now, but listening to it, I can feel the warmth of spring. The Canton Princess's zither skills have improved, and she even seems to be able to control nature."
"She's only one step away from becoming a Grandmaster."
"If I hadn't cheated, I wouldn't have been able to keep up."
Pei Zi Yun stood up and retrieved the purple bamboo flute that was hanging on the wall. He placed it gently on his lips, and the sound of the flute could be heard. Following the sound of the flute, the sound of the zither became even more joyous. It was as though a phoenix and a phoenix were playing together, and were attracting each other.
Because it was snowing heavily, there weren't many people walking along the stone path in the garden. A group of people walked along the walkway. The Grand Princess had a few serving maids by her side, and an old granny was holding an umbrella for her. Halfway through the journey, the Grand Princess suddenly stopped. Snow continued to fall on the umbrella, and yet could not cover the sound of the flute and the zither.
The Grand Princess listened and spoke to the person on her right, "Why do I feel that these two have improved so quickly? It's only been half a month, and they've been reborn."
The person on her right was the zither player, who was dressed in the robes of a female official. She had a pair of phoenix eyes, and looked extremely charming. She had a lonely look on her face as she spoke, "The Canton Princess and Dao Master Pei's skills are just a step away from perfection, and are already above mine. I have no way to teach the Canton Princess any further, and am ashamed. I have no choice but to bid you farewell."
The Grand Princess smiled, "You've devoted yourself to teaching the Canton Princess, and have done a great service. I shall reward you with fifty taels of silver."
Receiving a reward from the Grand Princess, the zither player was elated as well. She hurriedly thanked the Grand Princess and said, "It's just that the Canton Princess loves the zither too much, and her fingernails are all bruised and swollen. I hope the Grand Princess will advise her."
"Ai, how could I not know."
"But she doesn't love the zither. She loves …" Speaking up to this point, the Grand Princess sighed and looked towards the direction of the hot spring.
The wind blew past, and the snow was blinding. The sound of the zither stopped, and the entire world seemed to be silent for a moment.
"You may leave. Men, invite Dao Master Pei to the side hall for a discussion." The Grand Princess spoke plainly. The side hall wasn't too far away, and there was a furnace burning in the middle of the hall. The moment Pei Zi Yun walked in, he felt his entire body warm up, and the cold air around him was dispelled. There was also a glass window in the hall, which allowed him to see the snow falling outside.
The Grand Princess was leaning against the window as she looked at the beautiful scenery. In front of her was a flask of wine, which had been heated before, and was emitting steam.
"Sit." The Grand Princess pointed to the praying mat in front of her and said.
Pei Zi Yun didn't mind. He took off his boots and wore a pair of white socks. He then stepped onto the wooden floor and sat down. The Grand Princess's face was flushed red, and her eyes were glazed over.
Pei Zi Yun didn't act pretentiously as he downed the entire cup of wine. He felt a warm sensation spreading through his body, "Good wine!"
At this point, the Grand Princess retrieved a document and pushed it towards Pei Zi Yun, "It's just that the latest battle reports don't seem to be going well."
Pei Zi Yun had long heard about the battle between Ji Bei Hou and Pei Zi Yun through his Dao arts, but he wasn't clear about the exact details. At this point, his eyes gleamed as he picked up the document and read it carefully.
This was the cause and effect of the Imperial Court. The power of the Imperial Court was beyond anyone's imagination. In addition to the reports from the Dao Records Department, the entire stack of documents was extremely detailed.
The Grand Princess raised her head and looked at Pei Zi Yun. Pei Zi Yun's face was handsome, and his eyes were bright and piercing. He was reading the documents seriously. She then lowered her eyes and coughed lightly, "Ji Bei Hou is indeed a thief. Within a day and a night, he had taken control of the entire Ying Prefecture. He also controlled the armies of the three prefectures."
"He even officially opened a government office and established a Hou Mansion. This Ying Prefecture Governor and Prefectural Magistrate had led their men to die for the country. The Imperial Court naturally compensated them and rewarded them. However, there were many officials who had received the Emperor's favor, but chose to serve the Emperor instead."
"These officials, on normal days, would call themselves Heaven, Earth, Emperor, and Master. They would even submit petitions to the Emperor to kill the rebels. However, when faced with such a situation, they became spineless cowards!"
The Grand Princess spoke up to this point as she gritted her teeth in anger. She then calmed herself down and said, "After Ji Bei Hou seized control of the army, he immediately attacked two counties."
"One county wasn't able to defend and was taken down immediately. The other county took several days to conquer. However, with this period of time as a buffer, the other prefectures were prepared. Coupled with the fact that it was snowing during the winter, we were able to buy some time."
"Do you have any good ideas?" The Eldest Princess asked.
Pei Zi Yun's gaze was fixated on the battle report as he read through it. He didn't reply immediately. When he finished reading, he flipped to the original paragraph and read it once more. He then closed the report, "Soldiers use the strong to defeat the weak. The Imperial Court has the entire world, and will definitely win."
He then continued, "Ji Bei Hou's military power has been reduced multiple times. Now that he's reinstated his army, even if he were to take control of all the soldiers in the three prefectures, it would only amount to about ten thousand soldiers. This alone is not a huge problem."
"Isn't this a big problem? Then what is the big problem? "The Eldest Princess's beautiful eyes turned as she asked.
Pei Zi Yun picked up the jug of wine and poured himself a cup. He then raised it to his lips and said, "This is Zhang Fa."
"There are two reasons to gather troops in this world. One is to cause chaos in the world, and the other is to reorganize the people."
"When the world is in chaos, the people have no way of making a living. When a hero raises his arm and calls for help, people immediately gather. That's why it's like this. When the world is at peace, there are actually bandits, but usually no one responds."
"Furthermore, these people are just a motley crew. In the blink of an eye, they are wiped out to pave the way for the true king. In history, there's a saying that one can defeat ten, and ten can defeat a hundred."
"The dynasty has been ruling the world for ten years. The world is at peace, and the people yearn for peace. Nobody will respond. Originally, when Ji Bei Hou rebelled, there was no need for Zhang Fa. All he had to do was expend his resources. Ten thousand soldiers would die, and he would have one less.
"But look at this. He captured the officials and did not kill them. He was not magnanimous either. Those who disobeyed him were killed, and those who followed him showed their loyalty. Within a few days, he established an official government. This is reorganizing the people. Not only can he collect taxes, he can also recruit soldiers. Now that Ji Bei Hou controls more than a million people, he can recruit a hundred thousand people!"
"This Ji Bei Hou has a capable man. The only consolation is that even if Ji Bei Hou were to expand his army, he would need time to train them. If he can wipe them out in a month or two, that would be good. If he doesn't, then the world will not be at peace."
Hearing these words, the Grand Princess was taken aback. She frowned and looked at Pei Zi Yun, "This is a complicated situation. There are many discussions going on within the imperial court, and there are very few people who are able to point out what's going on. Yet this man managed to hit the nail on the head with just a few words. He's really unfathomable!"
Pei Zi Yun asked, "Who will the imperial court send to wipe them out?"
"Count Ping Yuan." The Grand Princess replied.
When Pei Zi Yun heard this, he replied, "I hope they win."
Count Ping Yuan knew that if it wasn't for the fact that he had military power, he wouldn't have been able to wipe them out.
The Grand Princess didn't know why, but she felt a tightness in her chest. She then turned her gaze to the window. The sky was dark, and snowflakes were falling continuously. When the wind blew, the snowflakes were stirred up into the air.
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