Edict of Peace 111
Chapter 111: Po Jun, Yao Guang; A Private Conversation with Elder Xue
Hearing the sounds of the palace guards outside, a sharp glint flashed in Po Jun’s eyes. He said, “Time is short, let’s get straight to the point. After the Grand Sacrifice, you must leave Chen Kingdom immediately. The Chen Emperor outwardly shows benevolence but inwardly is narrow-minded and suspicious.”
“Many powerful factions are present at this Grand Sacrifice. He wants to maintain his image as a benevolent emperor, so he won’t pursue many matters. Once the event is over, he will inevitably remember these things, and you will be in danger.”
Li Guanyi said, “I intended to leave this place anyway.”
“I’m going to the eighteenth prefecture of Jiangnan.”
Po Jun said, “Good. I’m afraid I won’t be able to go with you then.”
Po Jun took a fire stick and burned the silk map. The firelight reflected in his eyes, the young man’s gaze burning: “You’re going to Jiangnan, but you can’t stay there long. Although the Jiangnan families are safe,慕容龙图 (Murong Longtu) is powerful and domineering throughout the land, and he’ll only treat you as a member of a prestigious family to be protected.”
“The borderlands of the Western Regions are where heroes spread their wings.”
Li Guanyi asked, “Where will you go, sir?”
“Me?”
Po Jun grinned, saying, “As I just said, every country has its flaws.”
“Ying Country has a strong military, a renowned monarch, and three Divine Generals. Among them, countless names are ranked among the top hundred on the Divine General list. The Central Plains martial arts world is strong, the court is frugal, and lives in harmony with the people; it has a vigorous spirit. The only problem is that the emperor is very old.”
“Even the greatest hero cannot overcome the passage of time.”
“Even debauchery and excess cannot consume the heroic spirit within a person’s chest as quickly as time. What’s more regrettable is that he has two equally outstanding sons: one is a benevolent monarch, taught to rule with kindness and compassion; the other is a proud and unruly hero, prepared for a world not yet pacified.”
“And the best part is, excluding the number one Divine General, the current Grand Tutor of Ying Country,”
“The remaining two top-five Divine Generals have each chosen a prince.”
“Yu Wen Lie is under the Crown Prince, while another, He Ruochin Hu, is with the Second Prince.”
“This is Ying Country’s weakness. I, for the sake of the Emperor, will—”
Po Jun bowed, softly saying:
“After the Grand Sacrifice, I will follow the Turkic Seventh Khan into Ying Country. This time, I will cause the grasslands to split into eastern and western factions, and instigate the succession struggle in Ying Country. In this way, the Western Regions will collapse, the Turks will be divided, and Ying Country will be thrown into turmoil.”
“This act will prove that the Po Jun faction remains the strongest among the strategists and masterminds in this world.”
He looked up, his gaze still burning like fire.
This was the true strategy of the Po Jun faction: entering the fray alone, the first blade to tear apart this chaotic world.
Eight hundred years ago, the Po Jun of that generation, with only eight men, entered the city of the overlord alone.
Ten men, one hour, they killed the city lord and conquered the city.
Then the overlord had his first foothold.
Li Guanyi said, “…Be careful.”
Po Jun said, “When the world is in upheaval, that’s when heroes rise. In times of chaos, adhering to rules will only lead to ruin, just like the Regent and your father, who were harmed by villains using rules against them. When the world is in turmoil and chaos reigns,”
“That’s when you, my lord, will rise and conquer the world.”
“The wind follows the tiger, the clouds follow the dragon.”
“You once said, ‘to add flowers to a brocade, to send charcoal in the snow.'”
The handsome young man smiled; his eyes were narrow and sharp, like unsheathed blades: “I wonder if this counts as adding flowers to a brocade, or sending charcoal in the snow?”
He brushed his sleeves, sniffing the scent of blood and fire in the air, and turned to leave.
He said to Li Guanyi, his back turned: “A tiger needs the wind to tear through the fog ahead, and the wind hopes to witness a wider future with the tiger.”
“Let me personally lift a corner of this chaotic world!”
“And then let you conquer the world.”
“I just wonder how future generations will remember me?”
“A treacherous minister who instigated chaos, or a ruthless mastermind?” He looked up at the sky and sneered, “Who cares?”
Po Jun strode out, then immediately displayed a slightly tense yet composed expression. He hurried inside, saying, “Seventh Khan.” The Seventh Khan was at that moment drinking and feasting with the Crown Prince of Ying Country.
Although Yu Wen Lie had just fought a fierce battle with the Turks,
The five Khans defeated by Yu Wen Lie also wanted to seize the lands occupied by the Seventh Khan.
At this moment, both were honored guests of Chen Country, drinking and enjoying themselves. Although there was strong liquor on the grasslands, it differed from the liquor of the Central Plains. The fine wine of the Central Plains was smooth on the palate, initially tasting sweet. By the time one realized something was amiss and wished to take a breather, one would already be completely intoxicated and unconscious.
Even the wind would be unable to knock them down.
The banquet ended. Body odor from alcohol wasn’t suitable for guests, and the Crown Prince of Ying had gone to change clothes.
The Seventh Khan was heavily drunk, but when he saw Po Jun rushing over, he was puzzled and raised his wine cup, laughing loudly, “Sir, weren’t you going for a stroll? How did you return so quickly? Haha, perhaps you wish to have a few more drinks!”
“Come, come, let me fill your cup.”
“Drink this cup to the bottom.”
Po Jun bowed, “Seventh Khan, did you hear the commotion just now?”
The Seventh Khan, drunk, said, “Commotion? It seemed… like a dragon’s roar. This is the Chen imperial family’s palace; with our presence, the Chen Emperor is probably unable to cope. What did you find out, sir?”
Even in his drunken stupor, the Seventh Khan remained sharp.
Po Jun said, “Someone just broke into the palace.”
A sharp glint flashed in the Seventh Khan’s eyes; his inner energy surged, instantly dissipating the effects of the alcohol. His right hand rested on his scimitar. “Who?”
Po Jun said, “Yu Qianfeng.”
The Seventh Khan said, “Chen Country’s top foot soldier.”
He said, “Was it because of Yue Pengwu?”
“Did you encounter that villain? Were you injured?”
Po Jun recounted the events, saying:
“The Imperial Guards were chasing him, but it was without much danger. Conveniently, I was driving your carriage at the time. Yu Qianfeng probably couldn’t tell if there were masters inside the carriage who could hold him back, so he didn’t want any trouble. He just threw the Jinwu Guards at me to delay me, and then left.”
The Seventh Khan said, “You specifically came to tell me this. Could it be that the status of these Jinwu Guards is extraordinary?”
“However, speaking of it, Chen Country’s Jinwu Guards are positions only high-ranking officials can hold. Whose noble son is it?”
Po Jun replied, “The Xue family, Li Guanyi.”
The Seventh Khan’s eyes lit up. He put down his cup, saying, “The one we met earlier, one of the three great merchants of the world, the most outstanding of the Xue family’s offspring?” He wasn’t a fool; after Po Jun finished speaking, he didn’t say anything more.
Too many words lead to mistakes, but the Seventh Khan immediately realized this was an opportunity.
“An opportunity to build a good relationship with the Xue family.”
“We need to establish our own tents on the grasslands. Father will definitely not agree; they will block our trade routes, not allowing the grassland merchants and tribes to trade furs with us. If we can cultivate a good relationship with a major merchant from the Central Plains, there will be another way.”
“Father won’t be able to stop us.”
“Hahaha, sir, you are truly my lucky star!”
The Seventh Khan stretched out his arm and hugged the young man beside him, laughing heartily.
Po Jun said, “Therefore, Seventh Khan, you…”
The Seventh Khan drank several cups of wine, his brows raised, saying:
“I don’t care about any consequences, or what the Chen Emperor will do after the Grand Sacrifice. This favor from the Xue family must be secured. A brave Jinwu Guard was saved by our Turkic warriors and brought back for protection.”
“This will highlight our contributions and make it easier to negotiate with the Xue family.”
Po Jun smiled inwardly and followed suit:
“If that’s the case, we must open a trade route in the Western Regions.”
The Turkic Seventh Khan said, “That’s only right!”
Po Jun smoothly accomplished this step, further disrupting the Western Regions. Once the Seventh Khan and the Xue family’s trade route opened, it meant that even if Li Guanyi fell into the Western Regions, he could openly receive support and supplies from the Xue family’s merchant association.
In all this, the Seventh Khan also gained, and willingly pushed it forward.
The Seventh Khan strode out, lifted the curtain of his carriage, and smelled the strong scent of blood. Li Guanyi had already disrupted his own energy meridians, making his meridians appear to be in a faint, actually like a light sleep, able to wake up immediately in case of emergency.
The Seventh Khan, hardened in battle, saw the young man’s broken armor and the blood on it, and his expression became solemn. “These marks indicate he’s been through a bloody battle.”
“I originally thought that the offspring of such a great family as the Xue family wouldn’t have this kind of bravery. It seems I was wrong.”
“The waters and grasses of Jiangnan can also nurture such heroes.”
He respected brave warriors. He put down his scimitar and personally carried the young man out, taking him inside. He then summoned a Turkic grassland physician to treat him, and dispatched his guards to communicate with the Chen palace guards.
He ensured that the story of “the Turkic Seventh Khan scaring off Yu Qianfeng and saving Li Guanyi of the Xue family” had evidence from all sides and could withstand scrutiny.
Yu Qianfeng was extremely strong. If he broke into the palace and ventured into those forbidden areas,
Or if he didn’t know how to adapt and fought to the death, he would die in the palace.
However, it’s difficult for ordinary guards to stop such a powerful expert from leaving; only top-tier experts can pursue him. What’s more critical is that there were too many noble guests from various countries near the Chen palace at this time. Those high-ranking officials would never be far from the palace at this moment.
If this was a feint, and the real target was the important figures from various countries, such as the Ying prince and the Turkic Seventh Khan, then even if they killed Yu Qianfeng, it would be hard to make up for their mistake upon their return.
“This sneaky bastard is truly cunning!”
Chen Chengbi, a high-ranking official of the Chen royal family, could only watch angrily as Yu Qianfeng laughed and fled again, then suppressed his anger. Upon returning to the palace and hearing the news, he went to find Li Guanyi and hurried over.
Arriving there and seeing the Turkic Seventh Khan sitting there majestically, both grassland physicians and Chen’s imperial physicians had arrived, and the Jinwu Guard general had also arrived, questioning Li Guanyi’s condition. Li Guanyi did not reveal everything, only saying that he had discovered an unusual phenomenon in the Qilin Palace.
The Jinwu Guard general asked, “Did you enter the Qilin Palace?”
The White Tiger Law Physique was activated.
Li Guanyi sensed a hidden killing intent and replied, “No.”
“My strength was insufficient. I planned to report to my superiors to resolve the matter, but I ran into this traitor Yu Qianfeng attacking his comrades. Ye Buy can testify to this matter.”
Upon hearing this, the Jinwu Guard general breathed a sigh of relief and continued to comfort the young man.
Seeing Chen Chengbi arrive, he saluted, “I greet Third Royal Uncle.”
This Jinwu Guard general was of royal blood and, in terms of seniority, was the current emperor’s uncle. Chen Chengbi waved his hand and replied, “Let’s not be too formal here.”
“I’m here to see how this youngster is doing.”
This elder appeared beside Li Guanyi and reached out to feel his wrist.
An overwhelming aura poured into Li Guanyi’s body, then Chen Chengbi’s face changed. He felt a fiery aura lurking within Li Guanyi’s internal organs, shattering the energy he had input and attempting to counterattack.
Chen Chengbi said, “Crimson Dragon Fire Energy.”
He sighed, “Yu Qianfeng had no good intentions.”
“He probably deeply hates you. This Crimson Dragon Fire Energy has entered your body, and it’s unknown when it will erupt, damaging your lungs and burning your blood.”
The elder’s expression was complex. He was a pure martial artist, born into the royal family but due to distant bloodline, only practiced martial arts. He felt sorry for the young man’s future and muttered, “Burning blood and blood depletion are minor matters.”
“This Crimson Dragon Energy will probably greatly hinder your cultivation.”
“It’s possible that you will be stuck at the second level for life until the Crimson Dragon Energy erupts and your blood dries up. A pity, a pity.”
Li Guanyi replied:
“To be loyal to the country, that’s what we should do!”
“There’s nothing to pity.”
These words were spoken with righteous indignation.
Chen Chengbi sighed, the Seventh Khan looked sideways, and the Jinwu Guard general nodded slightly, his expression much gentler. He did not expect such a loyal talent among the outer relatives.
Only Po Jun used his fingers to pinch his thigh.
Using pain to suppress his laughter.
A seasoned strategist, he had thought about the most painful and difficult things of the past twenty years to restrain himself from laughing freely.
Others did not know, they all thought the young man was loyal and commendable. Chen Chengbi thought for a moment, took something from his waist and handed it over, saying, “This is a Heavenly King Life-Saving Pill. It can protect your heart from the Crimson Dragon Energy. You’re a good child.”
“I’ll think of a way to see if I can remove this Crimson Dragon Energy from your heart.”
Li Guanyi, upon hearing the name of the pill, knew it was very expensive.
But the elder was looking at him expectantly, so Li Guanyi had to lift his neck and swallow the pill. He felt relieved, thinking that he had just swallowed a treasure worth a thousand taels of silver; though he wasn’t poor, he wasn’t extravagant.
His face still showed sincere distress.
A thousand taels of silver! One thousand two hundred guan.
The hundred years’ salary of Huichuntang was gone.
Others only thought that the young man was calm on the surface,
But was still suffering from his nearly ruined martial arts, and couldn’t help but feel sympathy and pity.
Po Jun was admiring.
This generation’s White Tiger Grand Master was truly a great actor.
However, such an outstanding White Tiger Grand Master was finally found by himself.
He was the one who signed the contract first.
Old things, old wastes!
Watch me wash away the shame of these one hundred and eighty years!
After much comforting, the Jinwu Guard general directly issued a document, allowing Li Guanyi a paid leave, and someone drove him back. Only when Li Guanyi returned to his own courtyard in the Xue family’s residence did he finally relax.
Lying in bed, Li Guanyi closed his eyes and breathed. Suddenly sensing something, he opened his eyes and saw silver hair peeking from the corner of the wall. He smiled slightly, and his expression softened.
It was Yao Guang.
The girl, with her hands against the corner of the wall, slowly emerged.
At that moment, he saw Yao Guang pause.
The slowly emerging silver hair stopped.
Then it quickly retracted.
The girl lay quietly there, motionless.
Even her breathing stopped.
Li Guanyi froze, then heard hurried footsteps, and saw the door being kicked open. Xue Daoyong strode in, his hair standing on end, cursing Yu Qianfeng. Anyone who saw it would know that the old man was extremely angry.
He closed the door.
When he turned around, his expression was calm.
Seeing the young man still lying in bed,
The old man angrily kicked the young man’s butt, scolding with a laugh, “Alright, don’t act in front of me, tell me, what did you and Yu Qianfeng get up to?”
“You caused such a big commotion, even forcing me to act furious in front of others.”
The old man poured tea and sat on the armchair, drinking tea calmly.
Li Guanyi sat up, still glancing at the corner of the wall.
Seeing a strand of silver hair being blown away.
The girl quietly reached out to smooth down the silver hair.
She must have looked expressionless.
Li Guanyi almost laughed, but replied, “I really couldn’t hide it from you, Elder Xue.”
He collected his attention and paused, unsure where to begin.
Finally, he thought of the Xue Imperial Concubine, the Crown Prince, and the illegitimate child. Li Guanyi sat there, looking at the old man, saying:
“Elder Xue.”
“Do you want your sister’s son to become the Crown Prince?”
One sentence revealed the situation in Chen Country.
The old man paused his tea-drinking, his gaze sharp.
(End of Chapter)
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