The Vermilion Bird Gate.
As the first gate of the imperial city, the task of guarding it was of utmost importance.
And the ones responsible for guarding the first gate were the elite guards that guarded the palace inside and outside. There was no lack of cultivators among them.
And just to the north of the Vermilion Bird Gate, there were another twenty thousand soldiers that could be deployed at any time. Thus, the Vermilion Bird Gate was the most heavily guarded gate in the world.
Although the guards on duty were meticulous, there were only a few who were truly focused.
Because no one could imagine who would be so daring as to break into the forbidden area of the palace.
But tonight, there just had to be such a person who was not afraid of death, calmly strolling over.
The guards had long noticed him. From the corner of their eyes, they saw that he was not wearing an official robe and looked to be around eighteen years old. His clothes were broken in many places and there were even dried bloodstains. It was not a familiar face.
It looked like a youth who had caused a scene on the battlefield, walking straight over.
When he was about fifteen feet away, the guards did not even think and rushed up to surround him. One of the guards with a large beard shouted, "Who dares to trespass into the forbidden area of the palace!"
The young man raised his hand in greeting and revealed a big smile. "Aiya, the weather has turned cold. You've worked hard, Big Brother Guards. I've cooked some soup and would like to invite you to have a sip to warm up."
It was already autumn. Compared to the south, there were already signs of snow falling in the north. It was indeed unbearably cold at night, especially for the guards at the palace gate. They wore armor and stayed up for half the night.
However, to invite them to drink soup at this time, either there was something wrong with his head or he had some ulterior motive.
It was a very simple reasoning. But it was too simple. Instead, they looked at each other, not knowing what this person was doing.
The bearded guard did not waste time with him. He pointed his spear at the youth's throat and said coldly, "No matter who you are, leave immediately or leave your head behind!"
The youth said with a smile, "Actually, I did not want to come. It was His Majesty the Emperor who invited me so I had no choice but to come. Big brother guards, please make an exception and let me in."
"Nonsense!" The bearded guard shouted coldly, "Since you want to die, don't blame us for being ruthless!"
Like a military order, the moment he finished speaking, the guards all moved.
"Wait, wait!" The young man raised both of his hands. "My name is Yan Li. It's true that His Majesty invited me here. If you don't believe me, you can go in and report it. If it's fake, it won't be too late to execute me on the spot."
The guards stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the bearded guard.
"Watch him, I'll go report!" The bearded man frowned slightly. The fear in his heart was real, and this was not a joke.
Not long after he went in, he came out again and said coldly, "Follow me!"
The young man was naturally Yan Li. He grinned and said, "See, I didn't lie."
The palace gate had already been locked, so one could only enter and exit through the small door.
The guards looked at his back and couldn't help but look at each other in dismay. They all had the same thought in their hearts. The Emperor summoned this pretty boy in the middle of the night, could it be that his background was extraordinary? Or did His Majesty take a fancy to his' willow like appearance '? If that was true, wouldn't he be able to ascend to the heavens in a single step and become the Emperor's male pet in the harem? How enviable!
Who in the world didn't know that the Saint Emperor's beauty no longer belonged to the mortal world. For mortals to be able to see her once was already the fortune of three lifetimes, let alone being close to her.
Although the Saint Emperor was still young, she would have to choose a husband sooner or later. After all, the ruler of a country couldn't be without an heir. The previous Emperor only had one daughter, the Saint Emperor. If she wanted to maintain the orthodoxy, she still had to rely on the Saint Emperor.
All of the rich and powerful families in Yong Ling yearned for a position in the Saint Emperor's harem, and thought of ways to stuff their outstanding descendants into the palace. Among them, the easiest to get close to the Saint Emperor were, without a doubt, the guards.
The guards were responsible for the safety of the entire palace, so naturally, the selection criteria were extremely harsh.
The bearded guard led Yan Li to the Pill Phoenix Gate and sneered as he glanced at him. He said indifferently, "Wait here, someone will naturally come to pick you up. However, I advise you not to have any improper thoughts about His Majesty. Only our Young General Wang is worthy of His Majesty's husband! "
Yan Li bashfully rubbed his nose and said, "Could it be that I look like I have the potential to be chosen by the Saint Emperor? Life is already so difficult, there are some things that shouldn't be exposed. "
"Brother, are you Yan Li? Just based on your thick skin, if you put in a bit more effort, who knows, His Majesty might really take a fancy to you."
At this moment, two people walked out from the Pill Phoenix Gate. One of them was wearing a crimson robe, around twenty years of age, and looked extraordinarily handsome. Lang Xing's eyes were carefully sizing up Yan Li. His voice was as warm as jade, and his tone revealed a natural intimacy, making people feel like they were bathing in the spring breeze.
Without a doubt, this was a person who would give people a good impression of him just by meeting him once and talking to him once.
The other had a cold and gloomy expression. It was like this lonely and chilly night that was dark like water, and its depths revealed an overbearing dignified and oppressive aura. He was around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, wearing a well-tailored leather armor and a pair of black boots with a cold luster. In addition to his mighty physique, he looked very heroic.
With a condescending attitude, he examined Yan Li, his eyes filled with coldness and disdain.
Big Beard saw the two of them and was shocked. He didn't know what Yan Li's identity was for these two to welcome him, so he hurriedly bowed and said, "Greetings Young General Wang, Lord Li, this person is Yan Li. I have brought him here, this lowly officer will take his leave!"
From the attire of these two people, their identities could be inferred.
Civil officials and military generals, and their ranks weren't low.
Yan Li had studied the details of the garrison of Yongling City in detail. Putting aside the crimson-robed civil official, this arrogant person who was addressed as Young General Wang, from the embroidered pattern on his shoulder belt, should be one of the Tiger Colonels of the guards.
The Great Xia army was divided into military ranks and military ranks. Among them, General Hu Ben was a military rank, but it was just a kind of honor and didn't have any actual authority. On the other hand, the Tiger Colonels had the actual authority to command the troops and were the real rulers of the army.
The guards numbered no more than thirty thousand, while the Tiger Colonels commanded ten thousand.
In other words, this young man had ten thousand elite soldiers under him, while the Yanshan Robber had no more than three thousand.
Of course, during wartime, the military rank was higher than the military rank. The commander-in-chief would confer the commander's seal and hand it over after the war to prevent the soldiers from becoming self-important.
As Yan Li quickly sized up the two of them, he smiled and cupped his hands. "Thank you for your auspicious words. When I achieve meteoric success, I definitely won't forget you."
These two people were young and already held high positions, so their backgrounds were definitely extraordinary. At this moment, they came out together to welcome an unknown student from the outer courtyard. This matter was indeed strange.
"You are Yan Li?" Young General Wang sneered. "As a fugitive, you didn't obediently surrender and actually dared to break into the palace's forbidden area. You even dared to claim an imperial edict. You are the most courageous lowly commoner I have ever seen."
Yan Li sneered. "Young General Wang, as far as the outcome is concerned, His Majesty has no comment on it. Aren't you being too nosy? Also, why are you blocking my way and preventing me from meeting with His Majesty? What are your intentions? "
Young General Wang's eyes were cold. He shouted sternly, "How dare you. Just listen to me. How dare a lowly commoner like you offend your superior!"
His aura surged and he was about to attack. Judging from his aura, he was much more terrifying than Mu Dongfeng.
"Brother Wang, please calm down." The young man in the dark robe stopped him. "Brother Yan is indeed His Majesty's honored guest. If you are injured, I'm afraid it will be difficult to explain."
Young General Wang seemed to be rather wary of him. He frowned and turned around to enter.
The young man in the dark robe gestured with his hand and smiled. "Brother Yan, please don't be offended. Brother Wang has always been like this."
He then winked at Yan Li and whispered in his ear, "Don't be fooled by his ferocity now. When he was young, he couldn't even bear to step on an ant."
Yan Li had no interest in Young General Wang's childhood. He smiled and said, "Sir, you know me, but I don't know you. I haven't asked for your name."
The young man was not arrogant at all. He smiled and said, "I am Li Yixiu."
It was the first time that Yan Li had seen such a humble person, but he had no impression of this name. Yanshan Robber had only recently extended his influence into Yongling and knew little about many high officials and nobles.
This Li Yixiu wore a dark robe at such a young age and held a position by the Sage Emperor's side. Obviously, he was a trusted aide. It would be impossible if he did not have an illustrious background.
Yan Li was still very concerned about the purpose of these two people coming to greet him personally. He continued to probe, "Your Excellency personally coming to greet me, I am the one who is truly terrified. I wonder how I, Yan Li, am qualified to do so?"
Li Yixiu smiled. "Recently, I heard from His Majesty that the Academy has a third-rank real name. I often mention you, Brother Yan. I'm just curious."
Yan Li suddenly realized that they had regarded him as a rival in love.
It seemed that Ji Zhiyuan's attention to Yanshan Robber had attracted their attention. This was not a good thing.
Stepping into Zichen Palace, Yan Li adjusted his breathing and tried to relax himself for the upcoming negotiation.
Yes, he was here to negotiate with Ji Zhiyuan. This was his only way to survive.
Ever since he had been stranded in Bingzhou, he had experienced many negotiations, but they were not as dangerous as this one.
As soon as he stepped in, the faint aura around him pressed down on him, reminding him not to make any small movements. Otherwise, he would be doomed eternally.
The two leading the way silently bowed in front of the curtain. They knew that Ji Zhiyuan did not like complicated etiquette and unnecessary greetings, so they stepped to the side.
Yan Li bowed in the middle of the curtain and said, "I am Yan Li from the Outer Yard of the Academy. Greetings to His Majesty."
Young General Wang's eyes were sharp and he shouted, "How dare you not kneel in front of His Majesty. Who do you think you are?"
Yan Li smiled and said, "It is said that His Majesty dislikes unnecessary formalities. I am just imitating you two."
Silence. There was a long silence behind the curtain.
Young General Wang looked at him and sneered. It was one thing not to care about unnecessary formalities, but another thing not to bow. He was ready to tear Yan Li into pieces as long as the person behind the curtain gave the order.
Yan Li narrowed his eyes slightly. At this time, he certainly did not think that his dignity was more important than his life. He was just testing Ji Zhiyuan's reaction. If necessary, he would do it even if he had to kneel in front of the palace gate.
His dignity or life were too insignificant compared to what he carried.
In the suffocating silence, Ji Zhiyuan finally spoke.
Her voice was almost perfect, and she believed that there was no other voice in the world that could be more beautiful than hers.
"You still dare to come to see me?"
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
