"I didn't expect that one day I would pretend to be old like Su Nan."
Monarch Ning Yuanxian sighed.
His hair was originally a little white, but now it was mostly white.
Not only that, he had been eating light food for the past month, and he had lost about five kilograms.
Coupled with some deliberate dressing, he looked like he had aged 20 years.
He was in his fifties. He used to look like he was in his thirties, but now he looked like he was in his seventies.
There was nothing he could do. People only believed what they wanted to believe.
Whether it was the people or the officials, they all believed that Ning Yuanxian had a stroke, and it was on a woman's belly. He probably did not have long to live.
It was easy for a stroke to recur, and once it did, he would definitely die.
At this time, even if Ning Yuanxian stood out and said that he was fine, it would not help.
Since that was the case, he might as well act to the extreme.
He pretended to be extremely weak.
For the past month, he did not attend the court. The Crown Prince was still in charge of the country.
Of course, Ning Yuanxian still had to handle the important matters himself.
"Sigh!" Ning Yuanxian put down the memorial in his hand.
He was no longer angry, or he would have died of anger.
People in this world were too realistic, whether it was the people or the officials.
A few months ago, because he had wiped out Su Nan's rebellion and won the battle of Wuyue, how glorious was Ning Yuanxian?
How glorious was his reputation?
But when did his reputation start to deteriorate?
It was because of Madman Lan and the ten beggars.
At that time, Ning Yuanxian allowed them to participate in the Enke's Civil and Military Examinations, which caused a huge uproar.
Every day, the censors and officials criticized him, saying that he treated the examinations as a child's play. On the surface, they were criticizing Shen Lang, but in fact, they were pointing their swords at him, the Monarch.
And the result?
Madman Lan was the top scorer.
The ten brothers of the Lan family were all in the imperial examinations.
It turned out that he, the Monarch, was not a fatuous ruler, but a wise man who recognized talents.
Ning Yuanxian felt so good that he slapped the whole world.
It was also at that time that his reputation became even worse.
The officials were obviously wrong, so they were slapped. Countless scholars were also wrong.
But they did not care about right or wrong.
It was because they were wrong that they hated Monarch Ning Yuanxian even more, and even viewed him as an enemy.
Of course, Ning Yuanxian was an emperor after all. Even if the scholars and some officials were hostile to him, they could do nothing about it.
But they can ruin your reputation.
Right at this moment, Ning Yuanxian fell ill.
Instantly, countless rumors and slanders broke out.
The Monarch was about to have a stroke. The Monarch was having sex with five women every day. That was why he had a stroke.
There were even some who said that the Monarch doted on Shen Lang entirely because he was handsome and had an unspeakable relationship.
The relationship between a ruler and his subjects was eternal.
This was an unchanging truth.
In this world, it was either the ministers manipulating the king, or the king manipulating the ministers. Of course, most of the time, it was mutual manipulation.
During the Ming Dynasty, there was an expert in manipulating his subjects, the Jiajing Emperor.
He completely manipulated his subjects until they wished they were dead. No one knew how many powerful officials were manipulated to death by him.
But when he got older and his lackey Yan Song was killed, it was his turn to be manipulated by the officials. He did not even get a good title after his death.
Suzong was probably better than Emperor Yang, but he was still below average. It meant that he was very mean and ungrateful, very bad.
The Monarch Ning Yuanxian was also an expert in manipulating his subjects. During his 20 years on the throne, countless officials were manipulated to death by him. He was definitely mean and ungrateful.
But there was one thing he was stronger than the Jiajing Emperor. He could basically do whatever he wanted to the important officials of the country.
No matter how big the trouble was, he would never touch the foundation.
The Secretariat and the several pillars of the court in the Privy Council were always stable. Of course, Su Nan was an exception. He had already rebelled.
But now, the foundation was a little loose.
The foundation of the civil officials was the Prime Minister Zhu Hongzhu. The foundation of the generals was the Commandant Zhong Yao.
Two months ago, on the surface, Prime Minister Zhu Hongzhu was completely on the side of the Monarch. He suppressed the trouble caused by the failed examinees and stopped the upheaval in the bud.
But this also sent out a signal. He, Zhu Hongzhu, had spoken. It was like a tiger roaring in the woods.
So, many civil officials followed him.
"Lunatic Lan, the ten brothers of the Lan family passed the exam. I am one of them. I have offended all the civil and military officials." The Monarch Ning Yuanxian sighed, "But the funny thing is that they are clearly in the wrong, but they want to blame me. Are they going to ignore the talent? Or do they want to monopolize the civil and military examinations? "
"That's what they mean," the eunuch Li Sun thought, but he did not say it out loud. Eunuchs were not allowed to interfere in politics.
"I am only sick. I haven't collapsed yet. Why can't these officials wait to find someone new to rely on?" The Monarch sneered, "Look at the neutral faction in the court. A third of them are now scattered like birds and beasts. They are all going to rely on their new masters."
"What have I done? Why do they hate me so much and curse me so much? "
The people who pained the Monarch the most were the Crown Prince and Third Prince Ning Qi.
Even if the two of them had fought before, it was completely in the dark. They fought but did not break, and it could be considered a healthy competition.
But now?
After Ning Yuanxian fell ill.
The fight between the two became intense.
It was unknown how many officials had been sent to prison and how many people had been exiled for the sake of the position of military governor of Western Heaven Administrative Province.
This was a dangerous signal.
Once the country entered a fight between factions, it would enter a vicious cycle.
All development and diplomacy would be affected or even put on hold.
The fierce fight between factions would be like a black hole, devouring everything.
By then, there would be no right or wrong. There would only be factions against factions.
Now that Ning Yuanxian had fallen ill, the fight between factions had begun.
Not only that, the fight between factions was also a form of contempt for the Monarch Ning Yuanxian.
The healthy competition between the Crown Prince and the Third Prince could be said to be a show of strength. They let Ning Yuanxian be the arbitrator to see who was better and more suitable to be the successor of the country.
But now, the two sides were fighting so fiercely that Ning Yuanxian, the arbitrator, was almost thrown aside.
The two of us will fight, and the winner will inherit the throne.
Does that mean that I, the Monarch, should also watch from the side?
Of course, it had not reached this point yet, but there were signs.
The two sides started the case of military grain scalping and embezzlement of military funds. It was not only the beginning of the fight between factions, but also a test for Ning Yuanxian.
They wanted to see if Ning Yuanxian would suppress them or not.
Once the Monarch chose to suppress them and put an end to the fight, he would need great prestige.
Otherwise, he would definitely become a pot of half-cooked rice and would be regarded as an incompetent mediator.
That was why Ning Yuanxian felt so miserable.
He had just fallen sick for a while, and now he was being slandered and neglected by others.
He had a stroke on a woman's belly. In order to please the King of Chu, he did not hesitate to sign a humiliating contract and cede the interests of the State of Yue in the name of a ridiculous hunting fair at the border.
What was he if not a fatuous king?
At this time, what could he use to suppress the two young and ambitious princes?
He lacked authority.
If he forcibly suppressed them, he would definitely become a peacemaker and be laughed at.
Thinking of the King of Wu in the north, the purge was in full swing.
Ning Yuanxian could not help but feel envious. It was good to be young.
But Ning Yuanxian was also a ruthless person.
Didn't you think that I was old? That I had fallen ill and weakened?
Then I will show you how old and weak I am.
When the Shenlang army soars in the border hunting fair, it will be the time when I return to my peak.
At that time, Ning Yuanxian will once again appear in front of the world in a heroic manner. He will be young and handsome, holding his sword and sharpening his blade.
At that time, all the doubts about Ning Yuanxian in the world would vanish.
Everyone would once again lie dormant under his tyrannical power.
In this world, either the east wind prevails over the west wind, or the west wind prevails over the east wind.
Ning Yuanxian sneered, "After King Qiang Arugang died, not only did no one investigate the cause of his death, no one even cared about his corpse. They just let it lie on the table and rot. I even laughed at them at that time. Now, it seems that my sons are not much better."
Li Sun still did not answer.
At this time, the Monarch could not help but think of a person.
His fifth son, Ning Zheng.
Wasn't it better for this son of his to be firm and kind?
This was the first time Ning Yuanxian had looked at Ning Zheng in his heart.
"Your Majesty, Lord Yan E is here."
Duke Li Benefactor's voice rang out from outside.
A moment later, the Governor of the Black Water Platform, Yan E, entered and knelt on one knee.
"Your Majesty, I … failed again."
What failed?
Of course it was to assassinate Prince Jin.
Monarch Ning Yuanxian had tried almost everything to stop Prince Jin from unifying the Sand Barbaric Tribe.
Sowing discord, bribing, assassination, and so on.
Every method was used.
But the Black Water Platform was still too weak in the Sand Barbaric Tribe. Who would go to that damned place to spy?
Therefore, these methods had little effect.
There had been at least eighty attempts to assassinate Prince Jin, if not a hundred.
All failed!
Even the Grandmaster Yan Nanfei personally took action.
They still failed.
Prince Jin's martial arts were very high, and he had countless experts from the Sand Barbaric Tribe and the Great Tribulation Temple by his side. Almost all the assassins sent by the Black Water Platform had died.
It was too difficult to change the situation through assassination.
Shen Lang had been assassinated many times.
He had even sent Sword King Li Qianqiu to assassinate Su Nan, but it had all failed.
The only time he had been close to success was when Bitter Joy tried to assassinate Jin Zhuo.
But now that Jin Zhuo had the protection of Old Demon Snow Mountain, it was almost impossible to assassinate him.
Old Demon Snow Mountain had decided to move the Snow Mountain Palace to Raging Tide City. Because life there was more comfortable. They didn't have to worry about food and clothing, and they could show off their strength.
Of course, what was the Snow Mountain Palace without Snow Mountain? Don't worry about these details. As long as I, Old Demon Snow Mountain, am here, even the Blazing Mountain can be called the Snow Mountain Palace.
The Governor of the Black Water Platform, Yan E, said, "Your Majesty, it's better to prepare for war. We won't be able to stop Prince Jin with unconventional methods."
Ning Yuanxian closed his eyes and began to recall Prince Jin.
Who would have thought that this adopted son of his would be so heaven-defying?
A few years ago, when he was in the capital, he was so docile, so refined.
Who would have thought that he would be so ambitious?
Let's prepare for war!
Two months ago, Zhang Chong had said that he needed to increase the number of troops in Nan 'ou, and that he needed to add a hundred and fifty thousand soldiers at once.
At the time, it sounded like an alarmist, but now it seemed like it wasn't an exaggeration at all.
But where could Ning Yuanxian find a hundred and fifty thousand soldiers?
Even if he used everything he had, he could only deploy another eighty thousand soldiers to the battlefield in Nan 'ou.
Moreover, with this eighty thousand soldiers, only Bian Xiao's army, Nangong Ao's army, and Third Prince Ning Qi's tens of thousands of soldiers were left on the northern front.
Not only would the northern front be empty, but the capital's defenses would also be weak.
At that time, Bian Xiao's one hundred thousand soldiers would have to face the Wu Kingdom's several hundred thousand soldiers.
Fortunately, Shen Lang had eliminated Su Nan long ago.
Otherwise, Su Nan's rebel army, the Qiang Kingdom's army, the Wu Kingdom's army, the Chu Kingdom's army, and Prince Jin's army would besiege the State of Yue.
Shen Lang and Zhang Chong had eliminated Su Nan and turned the Qiang Kingdom into an ally. Bian Xiao and Jin Zhuo had worked together to defeat the Wu Kingdom.
Now, the State of Yue was only left with two enemies: Prince Jin and the Chu Kingdom, and perhaps the Wu Kingdom.
Su Nan was really unlucky. He had wanted to wait until Prince Jin unified the Sand Barbaric Tribe, recaptured the Nan 'ou Kingdom, and took over the southern part of the State of Yue before he rebelled. However, Shen Lang had forced him to act earlier than planned. In the end, his entire army was annihilated.
"If I deploy all the troops at the northern front, will the Wu Kingdom's army come south?" Ning Yuanxian asked.
Yan E was silent for a moment, "Definitely not now. But once Prince Jin unifies the Sand Barbaric Tribe, recaptures the Nan 'ou Kingdom, and sends his army north, the Wu Kingdom won't miss this golden opportunity. He has rejected the Chu Kingdom's request for an alliance, but it's not because he wants to keep his word. It's just that the time is not right."
Ning Yuanxian said, "If I entrust the defense of the northern front to Duke Bian Xiao, will he be able to defend?"
Yan E was silent for a while, "I don't know, but Duke Bian Xiao is good at offense, not defense."
Ning Yuanxian was faced with a huge problem.
Once Nangong Ao's fifty thousand soldiers were deployed, who would guard the defense of the Tian Bei Province?
"Once Nangong Ao's army enters the Nan 'ou Kingdom, who will be in charge of the Northern General's Residence?" Ning Yuanxian asked, "Yan E, who do you think is suitable?"
The current Governor of the Tian Bei Province was a civil official and a member of the royal family. His name was Ning Gang.
He was also a legendary figure, one generation older than Ning Yuanxian. He had been guarding the Tian Bei Province for ten years.
If he was put in charge of logistics, he would definitely be the best in internal affairs.
But he was not good at defending the city.
As the Governor of the Black Water Platform, Yan E had no right to recommend the Northern General.
But Ning Yuanxian was like this, he was very casual when asking questions.
Ning Yuanxian asked again, "Zhong E, Xue Che, and Ning Qi, who do you think is more suitable?"
These three were all from the same faction.
Yan E still did not speak. No matter which one he recommended, it was more unsuitable.
Ning Yuanxian said, "Have you calculated the Privy Council, Ministry of War, and Ministry of Revenue? If we deploy eighty thousand soldiers into the Nan 'ou Kingdom, how much will it cost? "
Eunuch Li Sun immediately found the relevant memorials and handed them to Ning Yuanxian.
Ning Yuanxian opened it, and his hands suddenly trembled.
For an army of eighty thousand soldiers, the food, weapons, horses, and soldiers' pay would be converted into military expenses. Together with Zhu Lin's tens of thousands of soldiers, the total would be more than three and a half million gold coins.
It was almost more than the State of Yue's annual tax.
Of course, it was almost the end of the year, and the taxes from all over the country were about to be collected.
But this money had its uses.
He had to borrow from the Yin Yuan Association again.
But the old debt had not been repaid, and the new debt had been owed?
"Your Majesty, Princess Ning Jie requests an audience." Eunuch Xiao Li's voice came from outside.
The Monarch waved his hand, and Yan E retreated.
Ning Jie entered.
"How much is the Yin Yuan Association willing to borrow?" Ning Yuanxian asked straightforwardly.
Every time he borrowed money, he would first send his trusted aide to talk about it, and then the minister would sign the contract with the Ministry of Revenue.
This time, the person who was sent to talk to the Yin Yuan Association was Princess Ning Jie.
"The Yin Yuan Association is willing to borrow three and a half million gold coins." Princess Ning Jie said.
Ning Yuanxian couldn't believe it.
It can't be?
Would the Yin Yuan Association be so generous?
He had already owed an astronomical debt to the Yin Yuan Association. A few months ago, he had borrowed more than two million gold coins, and he still hadn't paid it back.
Not only that, in order for the State of Wu to seize the Fury Tide City, the Yin Yuan Association had paid more than a million military expenses for the State of Wu, and this money had been completely wasted.
Facing the aggressive Heavenly Law Society, the Yin Yuan Association had been having a hard time recently.
Princess Ning Jie continued, "But, the elder of the Yin Yuan Association, Shu Bodao, wants to talk to you personally."
Ning Yuanxian frowned, then nodded.
An hour later.
The big shot of the Yin Yuan Association in the State of Yue, Shu Bodao, entered the palace.
"Greetings, Your Majesty." Shu Bodao respectfully knelt down and bowed.
This person was in his seventies and had been in charge of the Yin Yuan Association's branch in the State of Yue for more than twenty years.
Back then, Jin Yu's Count had been tricked to death by him.
Monarch Ning Yuanxian raised his hand and said with a trembling voice, "Elder Shu, please rise. You are more than ten years older than me, I can't afford it."
When I need help from others, the Monarch will always say it to me.
Shu Bodao still knelt down meticulously. After bowing, he didn't want to sit down, but stood humbly.
Ning Yuanxian said, "I heard that the Yin Yuan Association is willing to lend us another three million and five hundred thousand gold coins. I am truly grateful."
Shu Bodao said, "Although I am not a citizen of the State of Yue, I have stayed in the State of Yue for too long and have completely regarded myself as a Yue minister. It is natural for me to be loyal to Your Majesty."
Ning Yuanxian said, "Then what are the specific conditions of the Yin Yuan Association for this loan?"
Shu Bodao said, "The formula for the glass mirror."
This person was very straightforward.
Hearing this, Ning Yuanxian's eyebrows twitched.
Shu Bodao said, "Your Majesty, Shen Lang is extremely loyal to you, and his fate is in your hands. If you ask, he will definitely give you the formula for the glass mirror. As long as you get the formula, the Yin Yuan Association is not only willing to lend three million and five hundred thousand gold coins without interest, but also willing to waive the previous debt of two million gold coins. "
What a generous offer.
Monarch Ning Yuanxian closed his eyes.
Shu Bodao said, "The State of Yue doesn't need to pay any price for this, and neither does Your Majesty. So why not?"
Monarch sneered inwardly.
On the surface, it seems that he doesn't need to pay any price, but free is the most expensive thing.
What he has to pay is the trust between me and Shen Lang.
In Monarch Ning Yuanxian's view, the trust between him and Shen Lang is far more than three million gold coins.
Monarch's face instantly turned cold. He said indifferently, "Then there is no need for that. Thank you, Elder Shu. See the guest out."
Shu Bodao didn't say much. He bowed and then left.
After he left, Monarch Ning Yuanxian sneered miserably, "Everyone thinks that I am old and weak, and that everyone wants to bully me. Go and tell Shen Lang to work hard, lest the two of us are looked down upon by others. "
Eunuch Xiao Li heard this and immediately left.
"Forget it. There is no need to tell him. He knows it very well."
Ning Yuanxian stopped him again.
"Li Sun, draft an order for Nangong Ao to gather fifty thousand troops and prepare to head south to the battlefield of Nan 'ou!"
"Yes!"
Shen Lang, Ning Zheng, I'm waiting for the two of you to amaze the world with a single brilliant feat.
When that time comes, I will once again roar in the forest.
… …
Beiyuan Hunting Ground.
This place consumed an astronomical amount of food and meat every day.
After these people with zero bloodlines had their bloodlines transformed, their appetite grew bigger and bigger.
There was no other way.
The daily training was too shocking, almost five times more than a normal army.
Each person had to eat two catties of food, three catties of meat, and five catties of fruits and vegetables every day.
Furthermore, they basically didn't grow fat in their stomachs.
They were very thin before, and they still looked very thin now.
But one touch and you would know that each person's muscles were as hard as iron.
Now, each person's long handle saber had already exceeded two hundred and sixty catties.
Most soldiers couldn't even lift it, let alone swing it. No one would be so sick as to use such a heavy saber.
And these people with transformed bloodlines had to swing it twenty thousand times a day.
Of course, now they finally had a different posture.
Originally, it had been a straight cut from top to bottom, but now there were diagonal cuts and upward slashes.
Now, not only did they have to train during the day, but they also had to train for six and a half hours at night.
The training at night was even simpler.
Carrying weights and climbing mountains.
Carrying weights of three hundred and fifty catties, marching back and forth for one hundred and fifty miles in six and a half hours.
On average, it was twelve kilometers per hour.
This was a training exercise.
This kind of training intensity was simply unprecedented.
It was simply not training for soldiers, but for demons.
Without absolute willpower, it was impossible to complete.
But …
None of these two thousand three hundred people fell behind.
They completed the weight-bearing training again and again in a way that was almost self-harming.
After that, Shen Lang didn't just consume food and meat. He also consumed countless medicinal herbs.
Every day after training, they had to soak in medicinal soup for an hour to recover their muscles and veins.
Therefore, this army was basically made of gold.
This group of people didn't need to be paid, but during these days of crazy training, Shen Lang spent more than two thousand gold coins on average every day.
After three months, it would cost nearly two hundred thousand gold coins just to train these two thousand people.
And the equipment on their bodies, whether it was the super mo sword or the super heavy armor, were all forged with the best steel, each of which required a high cost.
This was not only the most powerful army, but also the most expensive army.
Even with such wealth, Shen Lang could only afford to support a few thousand people at most.
… …
Wang Da, the person with transformed bloodlines.
He couldn't sleep every night.
It wasn't because he was too tired, but because he was too excited.
No matter what he did, he was extremely focused, and it was the same when he practiced the sword.
There were only three moves in total, and he had practiced them millions of times.
But it seemed that every time, he would have a new understanding.
A new understanding of strength, speed, and angle.
In his mind, he could even form the relevant trajectory of the sword light, as well as the strength and speed of the sword in each place.
Not only that!
He and all his brothers also learned the structure of the human body every day, the density and hardness of various metals, the structure of the warhorse, the hardness of the bones, and so on.
Everything they learned had only one goal.
How to use the fastest speed and the smallest strength to split the enemy in half.
How to split the enemy's warhorse in half.
Now, the training time every day was more than 18 hours.
Logically speaking, he should be exhausted.
But when he slept, he couldn't help but practice over and over again in his mind.
If it were anyone else, they would have long given up on such boring training, not to mention understanding the true meaning of battle from simple moves.
But this group of people with transformed bloodlines could.
Previously, they could watch the changes in the clouds in the sky for an entire day.
Not to mention practicing the sword!
Sigh!
If only people didn't need to sleep.
Then I can train all the time. I'm so stupid, my results are so bad.
… …
The results of this group of people were really too good.
They really improved by leaps and bounds.
Compared to when their bloodlines had just transformed, each of them had made great progress.
And it wasn't like the genius of the Lan brothers who improved by leaps and bounds, but very solid progress.
Step by step, full of blood and sweat.
The Lan brothers would only train with all their might under Bitter Joy's whip.
And these more than 2,300 people with transformed bloodlines were fighting with all their might, competing with themselves.
Bitter Joy needed to suppress them at all times.
Otherwise, this group of people would work so hard that they wouldn't sleep and keep training like this.
In the eyes of others, they were like idiots. They could practice such a diagonal slash hundreds of thousands of times without getting tired of it.
Even though it was only for three months.
But the amount of training they had was more than two years of training for an ordinary army.
Even after their bloodlines had transformed, they still weren't geniuses, but they were definitely the most hardworking group of people.
… …
Time flew. Years flew by.
The days of not being able to show off flew by.
Three months had passed.
There were only a few days left before the border hunting competition.
The training of these more than 2,000 people with transformed bloodlines in the Beiyuan hunting ground was about to end.
Today was the last day!
Everyone had to face the final assessment.
The content of the assessment was very simple!
Everyone used a 50-kilogram super mo sword to cut down trees.
A tree with a diameter of about a foot.
Cut down diagonally and cut it in half.
Everyone only had a chance of one slash.
"This time, we will only send 2,000 people to participate in the border hunting competition. More than 300 people will be eliminated and won't be able to win glory for the country."
"Each of you only has a chance of one slash. As long as you don't cut down a tree with a diameter of one foot, it will be considered a failure and you will be eliminated."
This assessment was considered to be very strict.
Wanting to cut down a tree with a diameter of one foot with one slash?
How difficult would it be?
This had the highest requirements for strength, speed, and angle.
And if one could cut down a tree with one slash.
Then no matter what enemy, no matter what kind of warhorse, they would definitely be cut in half with one slash.
In three months, this group of people wielded the 200-kilogram super big sword and cut more than a million times.
Now it was time to test the results.
Wang Da was the first to be assessed.
He raised the big sword and took a deep breath.
"Clang!"
He slashed down fiercely.
Like moving clouds and flowing water.
Cut in half with one slash!
This tree with a diameter of one foot was directly cut in half.
The second to go up was Li Gouzi.
"Clang!"
Cut in half with one slash!
The third, the fourth, the fifth …
A few hours later!
Shen Lang was completely stunned!
More than 2,300 people all succeeded. Cut in half with one slash.
My … my god!
This group of people was too nature-defying!
They really had to win this border hunting competition even with their eyes closed!
… …
Note: The first update has been delivered. I'm going to eat a bowl of noodles and then come back to write. Brothers, don't stop supporting me. The pastries are relying on this.
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