Chapter 463 Fengshan

Chapter 463 Fengshan

Chapter 463 Fengshan (5k)

As the Son of Heaven, every word, every action, every move will send out all kinds of signals.

At this moment, the empress deliberately ignored the Shen family's actions, which was particularly glaring in the eyes of the guests in Jingyuan.

There is no need to explain the reasons, everyone knows it.

The Shen family's massive rivalry with Zhao Duan in recent days has long been an unspoken "secret", and at this moment, the empress came in person, apparently to restore the face of the "imperial husband".

Zhao Duan was well aware of this, but he did not deliberately target anyone. Instead, he tried hard to reduce his presence at the dinner.

As a minister, one should know how to restrain his edge when the king is present.

Under his gaze, Prince Jing took his seat and chatted with the empress with a smile, reminiscing about the past and talking about family matters, simply asking each other about their recent situation.

However, the uncle and nephew, who had not seen each other for several years, had limited common topics to talk about, especially when the coup initiated by "Xu Jianwen" was excluded.

Therefore, after talking for a while, the two sides ran out of topics to talk about. As for the verbal sparring and open and secret fighting between the Empress and Prince Jing that Zhao Duan had imagined, it did not happen.

The hostile relationship between the two sides is well known to everyone. As the saying goes, there is no point in talking if you don't agree. Moreover, there are many outsiders present tonight. Neither the Empress nor Prince Jing has the idea of ​​letting the royal family kill each other for fun.

Therefore, the entire banquet was unexpectedly dull, and no one tacitly mentioned today's attack outside the city.

When the prepared song and dance was over, the empress expressed her tiredness, and Prince Jing stood up to say goodbye and leave.

As if she just remembered something, she finally glanced at the Shen family members who were kneeling on the ground, almost prostrating themselves, and said lightly:
"The Shen family has been going a bit too far these days."

The old lady, crawling on the ground, lowered her eyebrows and said:
"I know I was wrong. The Shen family will fully cooperate with the court's new policy."

So obedient? Submissive?
No...it seems like all my previous efforts were wasted...Zhao Duan's heart was full of complaints.

Of course he knew that a big reason why the Shen family nodded in surrender at this moment was that the Shen family had already lost the war with them.

"In that case, then leave."

Xu Zhenguan said calmly with no joy or sadness in his tone.

He immediately stood up and walked towards the room prepared for the empress in Jingyuan, and Zhao Duan followed him like a lackey.

Wait for the empress and her entourage to leave.

The members of the Shen family, including "Hong Girl" and "Shen Wuji", who were waiting far away, rushed forward in a hurry to support the old lady and the middle-aged head of the family who had been kneeling on the ground for an hour or two.

The head of the family is fine. He is young and strong, and has some martial arts skills, so he can handle it.

But the silver-haired old lady was on the verge of exhaustion, and her legs were so painful that she could not stand up. The maid rubbed her legs for a long time before she was helped by her family and barely stood up.

He was carried on Shen Wuji's back and fled from Jingyuan like a lost dog amid many strange looks.

Under the night.

The Shen family's carriage was driving along the quiet street, and suddenly stopped at a corner. The old lady in the carriage opened her eyes and heard Shen Wuji, who was driving, say:
"Prince Jing's car is waiting in front."

Then, Xu Jinglong got off the carriage of Prince Jing's Mansion, walked straight to the old lady's carriage, and bowed, saying:
"Thank you for your hard work, old lady."

The silver-haired old woman stared at Prince Pianran through the opened carriage curtain and said:
"What does the prince have to say?"

Xu Jinglong said calmly: "Wait."

"Wait?" The old lady repeated the word.

Xu Jinglong nodded.

All human wisdom is contained in these five words - wait and hope.

……

……

Landscape garden.

The crowd dispersed and the bustling riverside gardens became quiet.

The room where the empress stayed was still the most honorable one in Jingyuan.

After Xu Zhenguan stepped through the threshold, he turned his head to look at Zhao who was following behind him, and raised his eyebrows: "What are you doing following me?"

Zhao Duan remained calm and composed:
"Your Majesty has come here alone, without anyone to serve you. I am thinking of anything Your Majesty needs, so please feel free to ask."

Xu Zhenguan curled his lips imperceptibly, stepped on the gorgeous carpet in the spacious and bright room with his lotus feet, pinched the beautifully trimmed branches in a vase on the round table with his delicate hands, and said suddenly:
"You stayed in this room last time you stayed overnight in Jingyuan? Did you encounter the assassination of that courtesan?"

? ?
Zhao Duan broke out in a cold sweat, his head buzzing, and he wondered who leaked the news?
Could it be Lao Hai?

Yes, it must be that guy Lao Hai...

He took a deep breath, raised his right hand, pointed his middle, index and ring fingers to the sky and swore:
"I was innocent that day. I definitely did not sleep with prostitutes. Eunuch Hai knows that."

"Pfft..."

Xu Zhenguan was actually amused and said playfully: "I didn't say anything about you, you just look nervous."

At this moment, the empress switched from being dignified and graceful in front of the foreign officials to being a little charming and lazy, and the process was extremely smooth.

As she let go of the emperor's demeanor that she had deliberately maintained in front of outsiders, the whole room seemed to brighten up.

Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, and suddenly said in an inexplicable way: "Your Majesty, this will look better now."

Xu Zhenguan pursed his lips, thinking it was just his old habit of sweet talk again, so he didn't pay much attention to it. He waved his sleeves and two pots of wine appeared on the table out of thin air: "Will you drink with me?"

Just drink some... Zhao Duan strode forward and picked up a pot. He had not forgotten the fact that the empress was a drunkard in private... and her habit of secretly hiding and drinking whenever she was happy...

However, ever since they drank together in the Yuanzu Temple in the imperial palace last year, the emperor and his ministers rarely drank together in private again.

"Your Majesty is very happy tonight? Is it because the Shen family surrendered?"

Zhao Duan was holding a silver wine jug with intricate and exquisite patterns and was looking for a wine cup when he saw the empress picking up another jug ​​and walking to the railing at the door in a casual manner.

The door was open, and the light from inside the room spread out along the threshold, illuminating a small area of ​​the doorway.

Outside the railings was a river. It was quiet and deserted, and all the waiters were deliberately driven away by eunuch Hai and other palace masters.

The empress pulled off the lid of the pot with a "pop" sound, raised her slender white goose neck, put the spout of the silver wine pot to her lips, and began to drink wantonly.

The clear wine flowed down her fair chin and the graceful jawline. She wiped it off with her sleeve. The empress looked at the river with misty eyes and said with a smell of alcohol:
"I am trying to build up my courage."

Zhao Duan, who followed out, was stunned.

Xu Zhenguan turned his head and smiled: "Don't people say that alcohol makes cowards brave?"

Zhao Duan held the silver wine jug in both hands, took a sip solemnly, and then said:

"Your Majesty is so brave that he dares to make all men bow their heads. Why do you need wine?"

Xu Zhenguan said self-deprecatingly: "When my ancestor was young and conquered the world, he would drink to boost his courage whenever he faced a life-and-death battle. My ancestor did this, so why should I not dare to say anything?"

Zhao Duan was silent for a moment, then asked, "Your Majesty is worried about the Fengshan ceremony?"

"kindness."

"How confident are you, Your Majesty?"

"Sixty...seventy percent."

"Not small anymore."

"But it's not enough," Xu Zhenguan leaned against the railing, looked at the river, and murmured:

"Believe it or not, countless people in the world are looking at this place at this moment, expecting the result of the Fengshan ceremony. If I succeed, although I dare not say that peace will come, the Eighth Prince may not dare to have any evil thoughts. But if I fail."

Zhao Duan took a sip of wine and said, "So what if it doesn't work? Isn't His Majesty still His Majesty?"

Xu Zhenguan said softly:

"If it fails, it will prove to the world that I have not been recognized by the destiny of the Yu Kingdom. Then, the Eighth Prince will probably take the opportunity to cause chaos."

Zhao Duan suddenly realized.

Zhen Bao is a woman after all, and the people of the world are suspicious of a woman becoming an emperor. The fate of the country is also related to the people's thoughts. If it fails, the Eight Kings will have the "legal basis" to cause chaos:
Since the Mandate of Heaven is no longer with the Empress, it is natural that the princes will inherit the throne.

This is a big gamble. If you win, you will be crowned with glory. If you lose, you will be in great trouble.

"Your Majesty is blessed with great fortune and will surely be able to win the battle. Even if you have to take a step back, you still have me as your insurance," Zhao Duan said seriously.

"Insurance?" Xu Zhen glanced at him.

Zhao Duan offered himself to be his bedmate: "Dual cultivation breakthrough."

"..." Xu Zhenguan rolled his eyes and said jokingly, "You are so concerned about this improper matter. Ha, let's talk about it after you step into the world."

There was a sense of disdain in the tone of her voice for the "childish little boy".

Zhao Duan was not convinced, but he was too lazy to argue. He just accompanied the empress to drink. After the two pots of wine were finished, the empress threw the silver wine pot into the river, turned around and stretched lazily:

"Okay, I'm going to sleep now. You should speed up the preparations for Fengshan in the next two days. When the dragon boat arrives in two days, you can rush to Luoshan to avoid any more trouble at night."

"His Majesty?"

Suddenly, a voice came from behind. The empress looked back in confusion and was stunned. Zhao Duan said seriously, "I will protect your majesty."

Xu Zhenguan was inexplicably touched, but he just smiled and turned to walk towards the room:
"Just take care of yourself."

The double wooden doors closed.

Zhao Duan pursed his lips, raised his hand, and the silver wine jug thrown into the water was lightly lifted up by a stream of water.

He put away the pair of small silver ear pots and turned to walk towards the room next door that was reserved for him.

After closing the door, Zhao Duan sat cross-legged and practiced as usual.

As he was visualizing, he was in a trance and once again came to the "Six Chapter Sutra", outside the ancient, dilapidated and ruined Buddhist temple.

Zhao Duan pushed open the door of the temple along the mountain road, but the "skull-lifting" attack from Pei Niannu that was supposed to occur did not come as expected.

"Senior Pei?"

Zhao Duan looked puzzledly towards the center of the dilapidated temple covered with weeds, where a female sorceress in armor and wedding dress was sitting alone on a collapsed alchemy furnace.

Pei Niannu, with a mysterious temperament and most of his face covered by a golden mask, stared blankly at the sky.

After hearing the shout, she looked at him and said:
"I...sense your...call...before."

Yes, I asked you to come out to deal with the "God of Law", but you were isolated and couldn't show up... Zhao Duan was not surprised at all, he nodded and gave a brief explanation.

Pei Niannu said: "I am familiar with that person's power... but I can't remember it..."

That person? The "God of Law"? Zhao Duan was stunned, surprised by the reaction of this old senior who was in a strange state and seemed to be in the state of a weapon spirit.

"Senior, do you know the origin of the 'God of Law'?" Zhao Duan asked curiously.

"I can't remember...it's been too long...I can't remember..."

Pei Niannu held her head and spoke, no longer paying attention to him, as if she was talking in a dream.

……

……

To the southeast of Jianning Prefecture, there is a mountain named "Luo".

The mountain is majestic and connects the three mountains, so it is known as the "root of the earth's veins".

There is a royal garden at the foot of the mountain. The area within a radius of five miles is usually covered by the royal family and ordinary people are not allowed to approach it.

Ever since the news spread that the empress was about to be enthroned, the foot of Luoshan Mountain had become bustling.

In order to please the merchants who were willing to offer money to the court, a large number of laborers were hired and the restoration of the area around Luoshan began two months in advance.

The restricted area was expanded to a radius of ten miles.

When the dragon boat team entered Jianning Prefecture and joined the empress, and a large number of troops arrived at the gardens under Mount Luo to settle down, preparations for the Fengshan Ceremony began in full swing.

Craftsmen and laborers from outside filled several large towns near Luoshan. At the same time, many people heard the news and gathered around, wanting to witness the emperor's Fengshan ceremony, which happened only once in a century.

One day, a group of people quietly came to a town near Luoshan and found a desolate hill in the wild.

The mountain wind howls.

On a remote mountaintop, the second prince "Xu Jianwen", who had died in a coup d'état three years ago, was wearing a black robe and stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the towering and majestic main peak of Luoshan in the distance, and said with a smile:

"This is a good place to watch the ceremony."

Behind him, three people followed.

They are:
Qi Yuchun was dressed like a gangster, with a spear wrapped in cloth on his back.

Ren Kun was wearing a khaki robe, with eyebrows the same color as his clothes, and he was crossing his arms with a frivolous look on his face.

There is also a so-called "national teacher" dressed as a Taoist priest, who is wearing patched clothes and has more three-dimensional facial features than the people of Yu State. He bewitches the immortal.

"Your Highness, although this place is far from the main peak of Luoshan, the pseudo-emperor is powerful, and on the day of Fengshan, a large number of troops will be on martial law all around. We just want to watch the excitement, and coming here is too risky." Qi Yuchun couldn't help but say.

Ren Kun, who had a personality opposite to his, rarely sang a different tune and nodded in agreement:
"It is indeed not very safe. Especially if the false emperor advances to the true heavenly realm, it will be even more dangerous."

Only the perverse, resurrected Guhuo Zhenren said "Hey" and laughed strangely:
"Perhaps Your Highness would like to contribute to the destruction of the false emperor."

Qi Yuchun glanced at him coldly without saying a word.

After Zhuang Xiaocheng's death, the Kuangfu Society almost fell apart. That day, he and Ren Kun found Xu Jianwen and were shocked. After confirming that His Highness Jianwen was not dead, they understood why Master Zhuang dared to sacrifice himself.

Afterwards, Qi Yuchun became the new leader of the Kuangfu Society on the surface, and ordered all branches to go into "hibernation" and lie dormant, waiting for an opportunity.

In fact, it was the resurrected Xu Jianwen who was giving the orders.

Not long after, the Guhuo Zhenren, who was killed by Zhao Duan and resurrected from the underworld with the help of the "Master of the Underworld Cult", appeared and reunited with Xu Jianwen.

This time, Xu Jianwen led three core generals of the Kuangfu Society to Luoshan alone.

"No," Xu Jianwen shook his head in the mountain breeze, denying Guhuo Zhenren's speculation. He looked calmly at the towering Luoshan Mountain and said:
"While the snipe and the clam quarrel, the fisherman benefits. We are here only to watch the ceremony. We don't need to show up. The Eight Kings will take action. We can just watch the fun from here."

Qi Yuchun couldn't help but say:
"If Your Highness wants to watch the fun, why risk your life?"

Xu Jianwen slowly turned around. Under the black hood was a slightly pale, wealthy face:
"My third sister is about to die. How can I, as her second brother, not see her off?"

……

……

The third year of Tianfeng, May 15th, Jiazi day.

It is auspicious to pray for blessings, fast and offer sacrifices to heaven and earth.

The day of the Fengshan Ceremony finally arrived. Zhao Duan followed the empress and arrived at the royal estate near Luoshan a few days ago.

Also living in the manor were palace maids from the fleet led by Mochou and Sun Lianying, and a group of civil servants led by the Minister of Rites.

And a group of palace guards led by Eunuch Hai.

In addition, local officials headed by Governor-General Ning and the prefect of Jianning, as well as three elite troops from Jiancheng Road, Huaishui Road, and Binhai Road, have also been stationed in advance.

In order to ensure the smooth conduct of the Fengshan Ceremony, on that day, no pedestrians were allowed to walk on the roads within a radius of 20 miles with Luoshan as the center, and residents were required to close their doors and not go out on the streets.

The army and officials checked Luoshan three times to ensure that no outsiders were staying there.

The planetary officer of the Imperial Observatory made divinations again and again and confirmed that this day was an auspicious day for Fengshan. At dawn in the morning, Zhao Duan saw that the sky was cloudless and the sun was shining brightly. It was excellent weather.

Zhao Duan changed into a brand new official robe and arrived at the foot of Luoshan Mountain in advance with Eunuch Hai and others, and was responsible for guarding and patrolling.

The main peak of Luoshan is towering and magnificent. Standing at the foot of the mountain and looking up, you can see the whole mountain is lush and green, with an extraordinary scenery. With the main peak as the center, from the mountainside, there are faint wisps of clouds like silk threads flowing and lingering.

"It's strange. There is clearly no cloud in the sky, so why is there fog on this mountain?" Zhao Duan stood in the crowd and asked curiously.

The old eunuch in a dragon robe stood beside him. Hai Chunlin was also dressed up today and said calmly:
"The Luo Mountain is hollow, and there is a spring underneath. Water vapor gushes out and forms clouds and mist."

This is fucking unscientific... Zhao Duan looked at the old man in surprise, not believing a word of it in his heart.

But when I thought about the incomprehensible strange natural phenomena that existed in some scenic spots in my previous life, I became skeptical again.

"Today is the day of Fengshan, but Prince Jing really didn't come?"

Zhao Duan looked around and saw a large group of officials from the Ministry of Rites and local officials gathered around the altar at the foot of the mountain, as well as a large number of elite soldiers who had blocked off the foot of the mountain.

There were flags with the word "Yu" on them, one every ten feet.

It was early morning, the sky was bright, but there was still a hint of coolness, and the empress's dragon chariot had not yet arrived.

Eunuch Hai gathered his sleeves and said calmly:

"The shadow guards have sent word that Prince Jing and his family are all in the palace at Jianning Mansion, claiming to be ill and not coming out."

Zhao Duan rubbed his chin:
"He must be up to something bad. Where are those magicians who escaped from the Magic God Sect? Have you found any trace of them?"

Eunuch Hai shook his head:
"No trace has been found, but with the magical power of the 'divine god', he will definitely show up today. Although the core of Fengshan is the five-color altar on the top of the mountain, the altar of the gods at the foot of the mountain is still closely related to Fengshan.

If some people, led by Prince Jing, want to disrupt the Fengshan ceremony, the most likely thing they will do is to send experts to attack the foot of the mountain and destroy the altar... Today, we have to protect the foot of the mountain."

So...the sorcerers from the Magic God Sect, Duan Shuiliu, Prince Jing's private soldiers, spies and a series of other masters, and even the strong men who might be secretly sent by the other princes, will lie in ambush and attack the altar today?

Zhao Duan swallowed his saliva and muttered, "Eunuch, can you bear it?"

Eunuch Hai glanced at him calmly and said, "What are you afraid of?"

Zhao Duan also laughed, showing his white teeth: "I am not afraid of those who come."

Suddenly, the sound of deep and mighty bells and drums came from afar, echoing in the ears of everyone at the foot of the mountain, and a sense of solemnity arose spontaneously.

The imperial priests who had been chatting easily before, and the strong men in the army, all fell silent and looked serious.

Amid the sounds of sacrificial ritual music played by the Ministry of Rites, a group of people left the Royal Villa and headed towards Luoshan.

The Empress has arrived.

(End of this chapter)