Xue Rui had thought of a way to cover up the fire at night in the camp outside the city. It did not cause much of a stir, and no one knew that the Eldest Princess had visited the camp at night.
Jiang Xiaosheng felt that he had lost face this time. He had almost lost his life instead of killing someone, so he kept his mouth shut. She was rude and unreasonable, but her words still counted. When Yu Shu had handed the sword to her, she had not attacked. After this, she would not yell at Yu Shu to kill her. Even if she still had resentment in her heart, she would only vent it elsewhere.
The next morning, Xue Rui arranged for a grand carriage to personally escort Yu Shu back to the capital. He first rested for a while in the Dingbo Hall, then accompanied her to the palace to meet the Emperor. The Yan Emperor summoned them alone in the Hall of Calm Peace.
"Your Majesty, I have not failed in my mission and have persuaded Lady Yu to submit to the court. I have come to pay my respects."
The Yan Emperor nodded, and he silently sized up the tall woman that followed behind Xue Rui. He noticed that she wore a plain green robe, her jet black hair was tied up neatly behind her head, and she didn't wear any makeup or hairpins. Her complexion was too white, and she seemed sickly and weak, causing it to be difficult to discern her age. The most special thing wasn't the line of cinnabar between her brows, but the gaze she looked at him with. It was so calm and composed that it exceeded his expectations.
"Lady Yu, do you know that by submitting to the Yan, you will have to be loyal to me? As my subject, you will have to abandon the previous court. Are you willing?" He had heard of this girl's name when he was far away in Liaodong. Seeing her today, just based on her bearing, she lived up to her reputation.
Yu Shu had not knelt since she entered. Hearing this, she raised her head, straightened her back, and looked at the Yan Emperor without fear. She said in a tone that was neither servile nor overbearing, "I have a condition. I hope Your Majesty will personally agree to it."
"Shu, don't be presumptuous," Xue Rui shouted.
"No problem." The Yan Emperor waved his hand at him and looked with interest at Yu Shu. "What conditions do you want me to agree to? Speak." She called herself a sinful official and addressed him as His Majesty. It was clear that she was speaking to him with the status of an official of the previous imperial court. She was really bold.
"Your Majesty, please promise not to harm my Da An Emperor's life at any time. I will ensure that he dies of old age and lives in peace for the rest of his life."
Yu Shu's actions were not superfluous. The Yan Emperor had ordered Emperor Chong Zhen to be imprisoned and had not killed him. But the reason he had not killed him now was mostly to appease the people and show his benevolence. It did not mean that he would not kill him in secret in the future. Leaving the previous Emperor alive would always be a disaster. How could he allow someone else to sleep beside his bed? The day Emperor Chong Zhen lost his usefulness would be the day he died.
She wanted this promise to give Emperor Chong Zhen a life-saving talisman. As long as she was alive, he would never have to worry about his life.
After all, they were a monarch and an official. This was the last thing she could do for Da An as the Celestial Commissioner of the An Dynasty. Otherwise, she would have a guilty conscience. Moreover, she had promised Empress Xia Jiang that she would give them a chance to reunite in her lifetime.
"This condition of yours really puts me in a difficult position," the Yan Emperor shook his head and laughed. He was not angry because Yu Shu's request showed her loyalty and proved that she was not a greedy person. But he did not promise her immediately because he knew very well what her condition represented. He was considering whether she was worthy of his promise.
Yu Shu saw his hesitation and decisively threw out a temptation, "If Your Majesty agrees, I will not only swear loyalty to the Yan Kingdom, but I am also willing to offer a rare treasure."
The Yan Emperor raised his eyebrows and was interested in the second half of her sentence. He asked, "What is a rare treasure?"
"One of the Six Founding Weapons of Da An, the Chun Jun Sword."
The Yan Emperor was stunned and then widened his eyes. He turned to look at Xue Rui and asked with his eyes: Isn't it said that the Six Founding Weapons of Da An were lost long ago?
Xue Rui's eyes were very innocent: I don't know.
"Ahem," the Yan Emperor cleared his throat and put on a dignified face, "As far as I know, the Six Founding Weapons of the previous dynasty disappeared many years ago. How could they appear in your hands? Tell me the truth. Don't hide anything."
Yu Shu lowered her head and answered. She told a story, "This is what happened. About three hundred years ago, Empress Ning Zhen passed away. Emperor Anwu had a secret decree to bury the Six Founding Weapons with her and bury them in the depths of the Imperial Mausoleum. Who would have thought that after two hundred years, a rebellious prince would appear in the court. He eloped with a female general and broke into the Imperial Mausoleum. They mistakenly entered Empress Ning Zhen's tomb and destroyed half of the Six Founding Weapons and stole the other half. Among them was the noble and unparalleled Chun Jun Sword. Later, after several changes, the Chun Jun Sword ended up in the Dragon Tiger Mountain Sect. After many twists and turns, it finally returned to the Celestial Commissioner a few years ago. When I took over the Celestial Commissioner, the former Great Supervisor handed this unparalleled sword to me for safekeeping. "
The Emperor of Yan and Xue Rui glanced at each other. They were doubtful of her words. The only thing that was worth affirming was that she dared to take out the Chun Jun Sword as a bargaining chip to convince him. It was enough to show that she definitely knew the secret of the Six Founding Weapons.
The Yan Emperor was quite moved. He couldn't hide his curiosity and asked her, "What is the use of this Chun Jun Sword? It can be called a national weapon?"
Yu Shu smiled indifferently and said in a proud tone, "Among the people of Da An, there are few people who have not heard of the epic legend of Emperor Shengzu opening up the mountains and rivers. But there is also a secret rumor that Emperor Shengzu could seize the world in one fell swoop because of the power of the Six Founding Weapons. Of these six weapons, one is a book, one is a sword, one is a ruler, one is a tripod, one is a ruyi, and one is a compass. All of them are powerful and omnipotent. "
With the death of Empress Ning Zhen, the Six Founding Weapons became a cloud of fog. After three hundred years, there were not many people left in this world who could even call out their full names. The descendants of Emperor Anwu disobeyed the ancestral teachings and took out the Book of Mystery Fairy Liu Ren from the imperial mausoleum. They tampered with its content and added an article on the back of it called "The Essentials of Governing a State" and another strange art called "The Divine Lesson of Tai Gu".
The Book of Mystery Fairy Liu Ren was the one that could destroy everything. The Seven Star Ruler was the one that moved the stars. The Tai Qing Cauldron was the one that integrated wisdom. The stone ruyi was the one that turned calamities into blessings. The Fuxi Compass was the one that guarded the mountains and rivers.
This was the content of the Book of Mystery Fairy Liu Ren that Yu Shu had seen with her own eyes. There were only a few sentences, but they covered the power of the Six Founding Weapons. It was shocking.
"The reason why the Chunjun Sword is known as the founding weapon of a nation is that, apart from being a godly weapon itself, it also has an unknown use." Yu Shu paused and looked up at the Emperor again.
The Yan Emperor pricked up his ears and listened attentively. She was at the crucial point, but she refused to continue. He urged, "Go on."
Yu Shu shook her head lightly. There was a smile in her eyes. She reminded him calmly, "Your Majesty, this concerns the secret of the An Dynasty's three hundred years of peace and prosperity. If I divulge it to you, wouldn't I be a traitor for glory?"
Hearing her soft words, the Yan Emperor was so angry that he laughed. He stretched out a finger and pointed at her head. He turned around and said to Xue Rui who was pretending to be deaf and dumb, "Listen, listen. She is forcing me to agree to her condition first. You tell me, should I do as she wishes?"
Xue Rui turned his head to look at Yu Shu and shook his head helplessly at the Yan Emperor. He said, "Her temper has always been unruly. She does whatever she wants. Don't blame her. If you want me to say it, why don't you agree to her first and listen to what she has to say. If she has substance in her words, then it's fine. If she is deceiving you, you don't have to keep your promise. At that time, I will share the crime with her."
How could the Yan Emperor not hear the protectiveness in his words? He snorted and said, "There is no reason to go back on what I have promised." As he said this, he raised his chin at Yu Shu and said in a strong voice, "I promise you that I will spare Liu Tan's life."
There was a strange light in Yu Shu's eyes. She immediately put away her arrogant attitude. She took a deep breath and knelt down. Her hands were above her head as she bowed deeply to the ground. She exclaimed, "My Emperor is wise. I, Yu Shu, swear my loyalty to you. If I go against this, I will be struck by lightning and die without a complete corpse."
The Yan Emperor smiled in satisfaction. To be able to subdue such a rare talent for his own use, he had to say that he felt a sense of accomplishment. This was because Yu Shu had not been subservient to him at the start. Her previous aloofness and conceit made her submission at this moment seem much more valuable.
"Very good, stand up and speak."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Yu Shu stood up slowly. She smoothed her clothes with one hand and tidied up her demeanor briefly. Then, she lowered her head and said respectfully, "Just now, when we talked about the other use of the Chun Jun Sword, we had to mention another weapon that founded the nation — the Book of Mystic Nyu Liu Ren."
The greatest secret of the Six Weapons for founding a nation was hidden in the Book of Fairy Six Rens. But she would not really tell it to the Yan Emperor. Her identity as the person who broke her life should become a thing of the past with the fall of the An Dynasty and disappear in the long river of history.
"The Book of Fairy Six is the head of the Six Weapons. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is a heavenly book. Back then, Empress Ningzhen grasped the Book of Fairy Six and knew everything in the world. Nothing could hide from her eyes. Using the Book of Fairy Six, she could predict the future and look back at the past. That was a true celestial ability, a miracle that should not exist in the human world. "
She was the best at weaving lies. It was not the first time that she had deceived the Emperor.
"However, when things reach an extreme, they will go in the opposite direction. Empress Ningzhen repeatedly peeped into the secrets of heaven and finally incurred the wrath of heaven. Although she was the mother of the world and was deeply loved by Emperor Anwu, her children died prematurely one after another. She had no descendants and died prematurely in her youth." It was indeed recorded in the history books that Empress Ningzhen had given birth to two sons and a daughter. But none of the children lived past the age of five. In the end, the one who succeeded to the throne of Emperor Anwu was a prince born by an unknown concubine.
"So after Empress Ningzhen died, Emperor Anwu was heartbroken and buried the Six Weapons with her. It was to avoid thinking of her and also to prevent future generations from misusing the country's weapons and incurring misfortune. But in order to stabilize the country, every time a new emperor ascended the throne, there would be a Great Teacher who would enter the depths of the Imperial Mausoleum to open an altar and worship the ancestors. He would use the Book of Fairy Six Rens to divine the fate of the country and thus continue the peace and prosperity. "
Truth and falsehood, truth and falsehood. Even she did not know why Emperor Anwu had agreed to bury the Six Weapons with Empress Ningzhen. Was it guilt or fear? He probably did not expect that future generations would go against his will and take the Book of Fairy Six Rens without permission.
"The Book of Mystic Fairy's Six Rens," the Emperor of Yan muttered silently. These few words seemed to have a magic power that tempted the desire in his heart, causing him to blurt out without thinking, "Where is this thing now? Was it stolen by that prince back then, or was it destroyed?"
Of course, he hoped that such a treasure had not been destroyed. If he could borrow its power, he would not have to worry about his country not being able to be passed down from generation to generation.
"Unfortunately, it was lost. But it was not stolen by that prince, but for another reason." Yu Shu shook her head and sighed. There was a trace of imperceptible bitterness in her voice. "Because of its loss, the Celestial Commissioner was unable to fulfill her duty and was unable to predict that a hundred years later, an earth-shattering supreme like you would appear."
This sentence did not seem like a compliment, but it amused the Yan Emperor. He looked at her more and more pleasing to the eye. Xue Rui's gaze moved around Yu Shu's body as well, and he felt both happy and sad in his heart. His Shu had already transformed from a girl who was loyal to her emotions into a woman who was wise and persevering. He could imagine what she had gone through all these years, and he hated himself for not being able to protect her as she grew up.
"The Chunjun Sword was lost a hundred years ago, and the Book of Fairy Women was stolen about thirty years ago, during the Baotai period." Yu Shu stated, "According to Zhu Da, the thief who stole the Book of Fairy Women must have something to do with the prince who defected a hundred years ago. But the other party appeared and disappeared mysteriously. After he succeeded, he seemed to have disappeared from the world, so there was no way to catch him. Over the years, the Celestial Commissioner has been secretly searching for the whereabouts of the Book of Fairy Women. But it was not until five years ago that there was a new clue. "
The Yan Emperor pondered for a moment, and suddenly continued her words, "The clue you mentioned, is it the Chunjun Sword?"
Yu Shu looked up at the Emperor with a complicated expression and smiled bitterly, "Your Majesty guessed it. Yes, if you want to know the whereabouts of the Book of Fairy Women, you have to find clues from the Chunjun Sword."
Only then did the Yan Emperor realize what it meant that Yu Shu was willing to offer the Chunjun Sword. Thinking of this, he could not help but breathe a little faster, and his heart beat faster and faster. So, he closed his eyes slightly, leaned back in the chair behind him, relaxed his hands and feet, slowed down his breathing, and calmly considered for a while, so as not to be controlled by his emotions.
When he opened his eyes again, he had made up his mind. He looked at Yu Shu and said, "I want to re-appoint you as the Celestial Commissioner and promise you a high position and a generous salary. Are you willing to track down and find the Book of Fairy Women for me?" For the stability of his kingdom, he was determined to get this thing.
Without changing her expression, Yu Shu said, "I am not 100% sure that I can find the Book of Fairy Women."
The Yan Emperor heard the intention in her words and laughed loudly, "As long as you try your best, if you can't find it in three to five years, then you can find it in eight to ten years."
With this sentence, the deadline was relaxed. It was equivalent to saying that even if she could not find it, she would not be punished. In other words, as long as she did not find the Book of Fairy Women, the Yan Emperor would not abandon her for another day.
Yu Shu had finally achieved her goal, so without further ado, she immediately agreed, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty."
The Yan Emperor was in a good mood. After seeing Yu Shu today, not only did he know the secret of the Six Implements of the An Dynasty, but he also gained something else. So before they left, he called the eunuch in and drafted a decree on the spot, reinstating the Celestial Commissioner and appointing Yu Shu as the Great Commissioner. She was given back her power according to the old system of the previous dynasty and was temporarily made a first-rank official.
While he was drafting the edict, the Emperor of Yan asked Yu Shu curiously, "I heard from Official Yu that you are a disciple of an immortal and can summon the wind and rain. Is that true?"
Yu Shu laughed involuntarily. "Most of the rumors among the people are exaggerated. However, I have indeed been apprenticed to an old immortal as my master. Thanks to his enlightenment, I am slightly more intelligent than ordinary people."
"Oh? Then what skills do you have? "
Yu Shu smiled and the cinnabar between her brows suddenly appeared. She only said six words, "Know fortune and misfortune, judge life and death."
The Yan Emperor was not an expert in the study of Yi, so he did not know the prowess of these six words. His expression was still perplexed. Xue Rui took a step forward and explained, "Ever since the founding of the An Dynasty, the study of Yi has been prevalent. In the past three hundred years, it is unknown how many outstanding people have appeared. However, there are not more than three people in the imperial court who are able to truly achieve the six words' know fortune and misfortune, judge life and death '. It can be said to be a rare occurrence in a hundred years. For example, Empress Ning Zhen, or Qingyang Yi Zi who appeared for a brief moment sixty years ago."
When he finished, he turned to look at Yu Shu with surprise in his eyes. He asked in disbelief, "When did you reach this stage?" He actually did not know.
Yu Shu also turned her head to look at him, and said to him with a smile that was not a smile, "What was your identity before, and what was my identity? Why should I tell you?" What she meant was that before today, they were not on the same path.
Xue Rui was rendered speechless by her words.
"Hahaha," the Yan Emperor heard them and thought that they were both interesting. He paid more attention to Yu Shu, the new minister. He immediately thought of another person and changed the topic, "I don't know much about the Study of Yi, but the Yan Kingdom has a National Advisor who can predict things like a god. Do you know who he is?"
Yu Shu nodded and said, "He should be King Ping's father."
"Then you should also know of his other identity. To tell you the truth, we originally intended for him to be in charge of the Imperial Astronomer." He paused, looked at her expression, and then said with a smile, "But since we have promised you, we cannot go back on our word."
Yu Shu bowed her head and thanked him. She did not say anything to be modest. Xue Rui had already told her that now that the An Dynasty had been destroyed, Yun Hua's wish had been fulfilled, and he had the intention to live in seclusion in the mountains. Moreover, he had a deep prejudice against the Imperial Astronomer. Even if she offered him the position of Great Supervisor, he would definitely not accept it.
.....
At dusk, Yu Shu and Xue Rui walked out of the Imperial Palace under the cover of dusk, and their footsteps were unprecedentedly relaxed, and they'd never been so steady. In just half a day, it felt like a lifetime had passed. They had worked together to put on a good show in front of the Emperor. They had successfully deceived the sky above their heads.
Xue Rui helped her into the carriage with one hand and followed them in. The curtain was lowered, covering their smiles and hands that were holding each other's hands.
"Shu, where are you going?"
"Home."
"What about me?"
"I'll go with you."
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