Phoenix lanterns were a specialty of the Yun Country. The structure was complicated, and the size was relatively large. The petals were like the feathers of a phoenix. When it was lit, the figure of a phoenix would fly on the wall of the lantern, hence the name.
Every year on New Year's Eve, the lantern festival in Yun City would attract a lot of people, not only the locals of the Yun Country, but also people from other countries.
The lantern festival not only had beautiful scenery, but also the trade of treasures. The scale of the trade was not as big as the Yunhe Trade Fair, but there were still many things that could not be seen on ordinary days. Whether it was cultivators or ordinary people in the Yun Country, they were used to buying some treasures for themselves on this day to welcome the New Year.
When the Yunhe Trade Fair began on the 16th of December, they were still in Chi Yun Mountain. Ye Qingyu said that they could not miss the lantern festival.
The round-faced Senior Sister Xiaowang was a master of weaving phoenix lanterns. In the entire Ling Xiao Secret Land, her phoenix lanterns were the most beautiful. On this day, Jiang Anan had been pestering her.
On the cloud platform in the center of the Ling Xiao Secret Land, dozens of phoenix lanterns had been placed. Once they were lit, they would fly into the sky.
Senior Sister Xiaowang was in front of a semi-finished lantern. Her ten fingers were flying, manipulating the translucent silk thread. Her movements were dexterous. Jiang Anan moved a small wooden stool and sat next to her. She opened her big sparkling eyes and was entranced.
"Senior Sister Xiaowang, the phoenix flowers you weave are really beautiful," Jiang Anan said enviously.
Senior Sister Xiaowang smiled proudly. "Of course, I have liked phoenix lanterns since I was a child."
As she spoke, she pulled out her hand and gently pressed Jiang Anan's small face.
She turned her gaze slightly and met Jiang Wang's clear and calm eyes.
Her heart suddenly stopped.
"Big Brother Jiang is looking at me, Big Brother Jiang is looking at me!" She shouted in her heart.
"His eyes are so serious …"
"He is smiling at me!"
Her heart was surging, but her face was very reserved. She only nodded her slightly round chin, showing some careless gentleness. Then she turned back and forced herself to calmly weave the phoenix flowers. But her ears were already red in an instant.
At that time, under the tall cloud platform, a group of disciples of the Ling Xiao Pavilion came and went, preparing for the lantern festival at night. Jiang Wang stood in the crowd, quietly looking over here.
Meeting Senior Sister Xiaowang's gaze, Jiang Wang politely smiled as a greeting.
Of course, he was looking at An 'an.
Little An 'an looked at the phoenix flowers for a while, then turned to look for her brother. When she saw Jiang Wang, she smiled sweetly and turned back to look at the phoenix flower lanterns.
She was very curious as to why the shadow of the Phoenix flower lantern could transform into a phoenix. Senior Sister Xiaowang said that she was going to release 999 Phoenix Lanterns tonight. They would be more beautiful than the stars in the night sky.
She liked to look at the stars very much. She didn't know what could be more beautiful than the stars. Therefore, she was looking forward to it.
It was easy for children to indulge in the things they liked. She was so focused that she did not notice that her brother's figure had already disappeared into the crowd.
…
…
On New Year's Eve of the 3918th year of the Taoist calendar, the Western Region was not peaceful.
This was especially true for the Yong people who had been invaded by foreign enemies.
In the entire Yong Kingdom, from the ruler and officials to the common people, no one had ever imagined that the weak Zhuang Kingdom would one day come knocking on their door.
Many Yong citizens firmly believed that the Zhuang Kingdom was only a small branch of their country that would be taken back sooner or later. When it would be taken back depended on when the Yong Kingdom made up its mind. Even though the Zhuang Kingdom had been established for more than three hundred years, many Yong citizens still did not recognize the Zhuang Kingdom as an independent country.
Therefore, when the Zhuang Kingdom brazenly declared war, many people did not believe it was true and thought it was a rumor.
However, in reality, in the early morning of the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, the Zhuang Kingdom's vanguard had already broken through the Yong Kingdom's border troops stationed at the Qichang Mountain Range and entered the Lingbei Prefecture.
That night, on New Year's Eve of the 3918th year of the Taoist calendar, the Zhuang Kingdom had already broken through the entire Lingbei Prefecture's defenses and marched into the Yiyang Prefecture. It could be said to be an irresistible force.
Duke Ying of the Yong Kingdom, Beigong Yu, led the troops to attack the Zhuang Kingdom's army head-on and drive them back to the south of the Qichang Mountain Range. However, halfway through, the troops changed direction.
Because the Luo Kingdom's army came from the west and joined forces with the Qing River Manor of the Zhuang Kingdom, the Lanhe Manor was in imminent danger.
The Zhuang Kingdom had secretly reached an agreement with the Luo Kingdom and even persuaded the Qingjiang Manor to ally with the notorious Luo Kingdom's navy.
What was even more frightening was that the Kingdom of the Northern Region, which the Yong Kingdom had always been most vigilant against, also made a move. The Crimson Horse Guard, ranked seventh among the ten great cavalry armies of the world, had already come north!
The Zhuang army had broken through the strategic town of Lingbei in the south of the Yong Kingdom. It was as if they were announcing some sort of signal. In an instant, the entire front erupted into war. Jing and Luo both dispatched their troops.
Just a day ago, the State of Yong was still an established power in the western border and had once contended for supremacy with the State of Jing. Although they couldn't be compared to countries like Qin and Jing, it was still common for them to surpass small countries like Zhuang and Chen.
However, in the short span of a day, the situation suddenly changed, and the country was in danger of being overthrown!
At this time, the Retired Emperor of the Yong Kingdom, Han Yin, had broken out of seclusion. Donning his armor, he left Tianming Manor alone. He wanted to meet the Emperor as a king, and the Zhuang Zhuang was envious of the Yiyang Manor.
Everyone knew that the current King of Yong, Han Yan, was only a figurehead. The highest authority in all of Yong had always been in the hands of Retired Emperor Han Yin.
As for the Yong Kingdom's Prime Minister, Qi Maoxian, he personally oversaw the Jingan Prefecture to welcome the possible arrival of the Jing Kingdom's army.
Jingan Prefecture was a strategic military stronghold in the northern part of the Yong Kingdom. It had always been a defensive line with the Kingdom of Jing as the imaginary enemy. The Crimson Horse Guards were famous throughout the world. Qi Maoxian relied on Jingan Prefecture's massive military forces and majestic city walls and was absolutely capable of battle.
The Yong Kingdom had deep foundations. Prime Minister Qi Maoxian went north to resist the Crimson Horse Guard, Duke Beigong Yu went north to reinforce the Lanhe Prefecture, and the Luo and Qingjiang Prefectures combined naval forces.
Regardless of whether it was the Kingdom of Jing or the Kingdom of Luo, they only dispatched one army. Only the Zhuang Kingdom fought with all its might.
For a time, the key to victory or defeat in this war rested on the Yiyang Prefecture.
The Retired Emperor of the Yong Kingdom, Han Yin, was a figure of the same generation as Zhuang Chengqian.
Over three hundred years ago, the mighty ruler of the Yong Kingdom, Han Zhou, died on the battlefield. The crown prince mysteriously died in the Eastern Palace, and soon after, the Three Princes fought for the throne. The war between the Three Princes caused the already weakened Yong Kingdom to become even more chaotic. However, the one who ultimately ascended to the throne wasn't any of the Three Princes.
It was said that the subjects of the Yong Kingdom felt that the Three Princes were attacking each other, disregarding the people's livelihood and causing chaos in the Yong Kingdom. They believed that the Three Princes weren't wise rulers, so they supported Han Zhou's younger brother, Han Yin, to succeed the throne.
Han Yin sat on the dragon throne in the Destiny Prefecture and personally led the troops. In the short span of a year, he defeated the Three Princes one by one, completely controlling the military and political power of the Yong Kingdom and stabilizing the precarious situation of the Yong Kingdom.
He even repelled the invasion of the Kingdom of Jing!
He was viewed as a wise ruler who turned the tide, and his reputation was comparable to that of the mighty ruler of his generation, Han Zhou.
Then, with the momentum of the world, he came south to quell the "rebellion" of the Zhuang Kingdom.
In that war, Zhuang Chengqian personally guarded the Qichang Mountain Range and didn't yield an inch, stubbornly resisting the Yong Kingdom's attack. Under the leadership of Song Hengjiang, the Qingjiang Prefecture, which had formed an alliance with Zhuang Chengqian, fought with all its might, killing until the Lanhe River was dyed red, opening a path for the Zhuang Kingdom.
Later on, the Zhuang Kingdom joined the Daoist vassal states and received a certain degree of protection, becoming a nail that the Kingdom of Jing planted in the Western Realm.
The failure to "pacify" the Zhuang Kingdom and allow the Zhuang Kingdom to continue was an important reason why Han Yin didn't surpass Han Zhou in many people's hearts. After all, Zhuang Chengqian was only a general under Han Zhou's command. When Han Zhou was alive, he was honest and obedient, working hard without complaint. However, Han Yin wasn't able to defeat Zhuang Chengqian.
It could be said that the Zhuang Kingdom was the nail that was nailed into Han Yin's heart the deepest.
This time, it was Han Yin who pulled out the nail in his eye, or Zhuang Gaoxian who inherited the will of Taizu and defeated Qiang Yong.
It was all in the battle of Yiyang Prefecture.
… …
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PS: Zhuang Yong's War of the Kingdom begins. In order to make it easier for everyone to understand the plot. I specially posted a hand-drawn map of the situation of the Western Realm and a general map of the Yong Kingdom on the public account What Is So Serious (rjqs000). Readers can go and have a look.
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