Chapter 1: The Rise of King Liao

  Luoyang is situated on the south bank of the Yellow River, with Mangshan Mountain to its north, and connected to Luoshui River in the south. To its east lies Huiluo, and to its west, it faces the Hangu Pass. The city is surrounded by mountains on all sides, with the Luoyang Plain at its center. Four rivers - Yi, Luo, Chan, and Jian - flow through the area. Its terrain is both strategically important and aesthetically pleasing, with fertile soil, a moderate climate, and convenient water transportation.

  Since ancient times, there have been eight dynasties that built their capitals here, including Xia, Shang, Eastern Zhou, Eastern Han, Cao Wei, Western Jin, Northern Wei, and Sui. This is what is meant by "the place where the tripod was settled", situated in the Central Plains and responding to all directions, Luoyang is the throat of the world's transportation and the key to military defense. After Emperor Wu of Liu Song took the throne, he chose another capital site in Luoyang and established a new capital.

  The new imperial city is located between the Zhou Wang City and the Han Wei old city, east of the Chanhe River, south of the Luo River, west of the Jianhe River, and north of the Mangshan Mountain. The city wall exceeds 50 miles in circumference, majestic and magnificent. Emperor Wu also took Luoyang as the center and excavated a large canal from south to Hangzhou, north to Zhuo County, connecting the five major water systems of Haihe, Yellow River, Huaihe, Yangtze River, and Qiantangjiang, making Luoyang the transportation and commercial hub of the world. The scale of Luoyang is indeed not comparable to that of ordinary cities. Only the south city gate has three gates, with the middle gate named Jianguo Gate, the left gate called White Tiger Gate, and the right gate called Changxia Gate. The magnificent Tianjie Street, which is at least 7 or 8 miles long, stretches out in front of you, connecting the north and south gates.

  The street is lined with various trees such as cherry blossoms, pomegranates, elms and willows. In the middle is the imperial road for the emperor's outing. At this time of spring and summer, the peach blossoms are red and the willows are green, the scenery is like a painting, and it is breathtakingly beautiful.

  On both sides of the main road are rows of shops, and between the neighborhoods, there are separate roads that intersect with the ten north-south and east-west streets that run through each major city gate, in an orderly manner.

  The 15th year of the Xuanhe era of the Great Qin, June 3rd, at the hour of 3 o'clock, Luoyang, Liao Wang Fu.

  A young man of about twenty years old quietly stood by the pond in the garden of the Liao Wang Fu, watching the fish swim in the pond. His expression was still somewhat childish and his face was pale, seemingly due to a lack of sunlight and poor nutrition. He was none other than Yang Chengfeng, the fourth prince of the Da Qin Empire, known as the weakest and most incompetent of all.

  The current Emperor of the Great Qin Empire, Yang Quan, has four sons: Yang Zun, Yang Yu, Yang Chengyun, and Yang Chengfeng. Among them, the eldest son Yang Zun is a man of few words, experienced in handling affairs, and has the support of many literary families behind him, making him one of the most promising candidates to become the crown prince. The second son Yang Yu is brave and skilled in battle, with the support of many military generals, also making him a candidate for the position of crown prince. The third son Yang Chengyun, although not as powerful as Yang Zun and Yang Yu, has exceptional martial arts skills and a unique charm, gathering around him a group of ambitious scholars, quietly waiting between Yang Zun and Yang Yu.

  As the fourth prince of the Great Qin Empire, Yang Chengfeng was different from his other three brothers. He was timid and weak, and his mother was only a palace maid, with no power or influence behind her. To the Great Qin Empire, Yang Chengfeng was dispensable.

  However, this is only a superficial phenomenon. As a traverser familiar with history, Yang Chengfeng naturally knew that ruthlessness was always the royal family's way. So since he came to this world twenty years ago and learned that he was born into the royal family, Yang Chengfeng began to hide himself. The timid and weak character he showed in the past twenty years was also a disguise.

  For years, Yang Chengfeng's secretly operated intelligence network has covered the whole country. At this time, within the Great Qin Empire, there are literati in power, military generals with their own troops, aristocratic families occupying territories, and outside, the Mongol Empire and four other empires are eyeing them covetously, which can be described as internal worries and external threats.

  A few days ago, Yang Chengfeng received the news that hundreds of thousands of Mongolian cavalry divided into two routes to attack Lanzhou and Yumen Pass. Yang Chengfeng knew that his peaceful days were about to end, a new era of war was about to begin, and he should change his previous weak character to plan a foothold before the mainland fell into chaos.

  The sudden footsteps broke the tranquility of the garden, and Yang Chengfeng's eyebrows furrowed as he asked the hastily arriving maid, "What is it?"

  "His Highness the Fourth Prince, just now Gong Gongzi came and wants you to go to Yanxiang Building tomorrow." The maid walked over to Liao Wang Yang Chengfeng's side and replied with her head bowed.

  Yang Cheng furrowed his brow and asked in a low voice, "Do you know if there are any other people going tomorrow?"

  "It seems that Miss Zhou Xinyuan will also go there tomorrow, as well as the Eldest Prince, Third Prince, Second Young Master of the Right Prime Minister Wang Zhiyuan, the Eldest Son of General Wei Wu Da Jiangjun Zhou Haibo, and the Third Young Lady of the Ministry of Rites Yu Ziting." The maid said.

  "It seems they want to make a fool of me again, but this time they will be disappointed." Yang Chengfeng gazed into the distance with profound meaning.

  ……

  "Miss, are you really going tomorrow?" said Yinger Xiaoling to her mistress who was sitting on a soft couch reading a book. The miss in Yinger Xiaoling's mouth was a stunning beauty, she was Zhou Xinyuan, one of the two great beauties of the Great Qin Empire.

  A fitted silk dress with pink flower petals embroidered on it, softly clinging to Zhou Xinyi's body, highlighting her plump twin peaks, giving off a vibrant and seductive feeling. Her slender waist subtly accentuated her full and round buttocks, forming a devilish figure. Paired with a pair of almond-shaped eyes that sparkled with emotions, her glances were accompanied by a hint of a smile, making her look like a ravishing beauty.

  She leaned elegantly against the soft couch, holding a book in her hand, reading with relish. Upon hearing her maid's words, the beauty softly responded with a gentle "en", without saying anything else.

  "But tomorrow, the Fourth Prince is also going there." said Yinger, a little worried.

  "Oh." The beauty still didn't react.

  "Miss, won't you say something?" Seeing that Miss still didn't respond, the maid's little face turned slightly red, and her expression also appeared somewhat anxious.

  "What's the point? Everything is fate." Zhou Xīnwén said, gazing into the distance.

  ……

  The Luoyang Qin Palace has been renovated for generations, covering an area of tens of miles. The Yellow River water flows in from the northeast and takes half a day to flow out of the palace walls. Inside the palace, earth is dug to form ponds, and stones are piled up to form mountains. Among the green trees and red walls, the green-tiled buildings and pavilions rise high, with flying eaves and corners, majestic and magnificent, with an atmosphere that is awe-inspiring. There are tens of thousands of palace maids and eunuchs inside.

  Yu De Palace was the rear palace of Qin, with one general manager and one deputy general manager, 24 eunuchs and 24 palace maids. The little eunuch Ruan An seemed to have matured a lot, his former smile disappeared without a trace. He is usually silent and rarely speaks, but he is quick-witted and smart, so he has good relationships with others.

  The Great Qin has stood for hundreds of years, the once mighty emperor who resided in the north is now buried deep within the dark palace. The current Qin Emperor indulges in sensual pleasures, with countless beauties in his harem, and over a hundred consorts with titles. The Qin Emperor especially favors Rong Fei, often staying overnight at her residence, the Yi Lan Pavilion, and rarely sets foot in the Yu De Palace.

  Queen Wang Huirong was the daughter of General Wang Fei, and she was only in her forties. She was the birth mother of the eldest prince, but because Emperor Qin especially favored Consort Rong, she often wore a worried expression on her face. She hated Consort Rong even more for competing with her for the emperor's favor. Consort Rong relied on her pampered status, and her brother Wei Zhan was also a general, so she looked down on Queen Wang as well. The other consorts were caught in between the queen and the favored consort, all of them being extremely cautious.

  Ruan An sweeps the courtyard of Yu De Palace during the day and takes care of the incense and candles at night. He is meticulous and hardworking, never shirking his duties. Empress Wang also can't help but glance at this agile and nimble little eunuch multiple times.

  That day, Ruan An was in the courtyard splashing water to cool off when suddenly he received a summons from the Empress.

  The queen leaned against the table and said lightly: "Send this plate of pastries to the Yilan Pavilion, watch Rong Niangniang finish eating, and come back to report."

  Ruan An responded with a sound, picked up the plate, and carefully backed out.

  The cake was a light yellow color, like honey, and looked sweet and delicious. Ruan An couldn't help but feel puzzled - the Empress and Consort Rong didn't get along, almost everyone in the palace knew that, so why would she go to such trouble on a hot day? Suddenly remembering something, her heart sank.

  ……

  Yilan Hall was built by the side of Dai Water, exquisite and elegant. The surrounding green trees shaded, the cool breeze blew, and when entering the hall, the eunuch Ruan An, who had been running under the scorching sun for a while, suddenly felt his sweat disappear.

  He stealthily entered the Western Hall. The hall was lavishly decorated, with all sorts of rare and precious treasures placed around it. Especially in the corner of the hall, a branch of red coral, resembling a small hill, stood nearly ten feet high, its entire body a deep crimson color. The branches were adorned with various colored precious stones that sparkled brightly. In the center of the great hall was a bed made entirely of jade, smooth and lustrous like fat, covered with delicate ivory mats. Four palace maidens held fans and gently fanned the air around it. Inside the green gauze canopy, a segment of snowy white jade body lay reclined, shrouded in a layer of red gauze, making it impossible to discern its features.

  "What's your name?" A soft and gentle voice came from within the account, with an indescribable charm that was pleasing to the ear.

  Ruan An hastily kowtowed, "I am Ruan An, a eunuch of the Yu De Palace, here to deliver some items to Your Ladyship on behalf of Her Majesty the Empress."

  A delicate hand as soft as jade lifted the green gauze, with slender and clean fingers, fairer than the white jade bed in the tent. The person inside the tent laughed lightly, "What is it?"

  Ruan An hastily raised the plate in his hand to the top of his head.

  ……

  Luoyang has three treasures: Luoyang Water Mattress, Luoyang Peony and Longmen Grottoes.

  "Luoyang's pulse is most suitable for peonies, and peonies are especially the wonder of the world." Peony is a traditional famous flower in China, known as the "king of flowers", and it is not an exaggeration to describe it as "national color and heavenly fragrance". Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi's "The flower blooms for twenty days, and the whole city is like crazy" and Liu Yuxi's "Only peony is the true national color, when the flower blooms, the capital city is moved" and other famous poems vividly describe the grand scene of Luoyang people watching flowers at that time.

  The Longmen Grottoes were built during the Northern Wei Dynasty when Emperor Xiaowen moved the capital to Luoyang, and now there are more than 100,000 Buddha statues, and over 2,300 caves. Along with the Mogao Caves in Gansu Province and the Yungang Grottoes in Shanxi Province, they are known as the Three Great Buddhist Grottoes of China.

  The bright moon has just risen, the summer breeze is cool and refreshing. The lamp lights in the Yanxiang Building are shining brightly at this moment, with people's voices rising and falling, wine overflowing and fragrance wafting, guests coming and going, soft jade-like warm embraces, gentle and enchanting singing voices, filling the entire Yanxiang Building, with a few degrees of intoxicating and dreamy scenery.

  Yang Chengfeng walked into the bustling first floor hall with his maid Qiufeng, and a quick-witted waiter immediately came up to greet them, speaking warmly with a smile on his face. "Sir, are you here to book a table or attend a banquet?"

  Yang Chengfeng handed the invitation to the waiter, his eyes casually scanning the hall. The decorations here were clearly more upscale than those of Baiyue Hotel. On the stairs, he could occasionally see some beautiful women in bright clothes.

  "Ah, it's Mr. Kong's guest, please go upstairs quickly, Mr. Kong is already waiting in the Fragrant Drunken Pavilion." The little servant's attitude became even more respectful and he said loudly, obviously to inform the people upstairs to receive the guest.

  Yang Chengfeng smiled slightly and led the way upstairs. The upstairs was even more luxurious, with several charming and beautiful women standing in the open area, all of whom were seventeen or eighteen years old, wearing thin, light gauze shirts that revealed infinite spring scenery as they moved, evoking distant thoughts.

  One of the women led Yang Chengfeng through a corridor, outside which was a small and delicate suspension bridge connected to a small building. The bridge was not long, under the moonlight, the waves were rippling below, and the small building was surrounded by emerald green water, creating an extremely elegant and peaceful environment.

  Beautiful women accompanied, fragrant winds blowing, small bridges and green waters, quiet and elegant, water pavilions, even more evoking endless reveries. Every detail is uniquely crafted, a wine tower that has reached an otherworldly realm, it seems the owner of this building is not an ordinary person. Yang Chengfeng couldn't help but feel a little curious about this business genius.

  Entering the small building, one can see that it is elegantly decorated with a sense of nobility and refinement, yet at the same time, it also evokes a hint of sensuality. The floor is covered with intricately embroidered carpets, and in the center of the room stands a large table, surrounded by several armchairs. On the table are placed an array of sumptuous delicacies and exquisite wine vessels.

  At this time, several men and women in brocade clothes were already seated behind the northern and western taishi chairs, laughing and drinking.

  Among them, a young man with an extraordinary temperament, wearing a brocade robe, of medium height, with delicate and refined features, under a pair of jet-black eyebrows like ink, his deep and profound eyes shone brightly in the moonlight, with a straight nose bridge, full and sensual lips slightly raised, revealing a hint of arrogance, his dignified appearance hid the elegance and refinement unique to scholars, yet amidst this elegance, there was a hint of evil charm, this person was none other than Yang Chengfeng's older brother, De Wang Yang Zun.

  Next was a robust and dark-skinned young man with an icy expression like a ferocious wolf, his entire body exuding a frightening aura. He was Yang Chengfeng's third brother, Ning Wang Yang Chengyun.

  Then there were three men dressed as scholars, namely Kong Xing, Wang Zhiyuan and Zhou Haibo.

  And beside them were two women, one of whom was a beautiful woman in a white gauze long dress sitting on the ground, with a long light silk ribbon tied around her waist, which had an ethereal feeling under the gentle breeze. A white teardrop necklace hung from her neck, and the white jade earrings that hung from her delicate earlobes were reflected in each other. Her raven-black hair flowed with an invisible luster, and the double buns on her head complemented her pure white skin like jade. Her eyebrows and eyes were painted, her face was extremely beautiful, it was a kind of inconceivable delicacy, the cherry mouth that tempted people to taste its unique flavor, had a faint red color, her bright cheeks were not yet rouged, but already showed a white and rosy complexion, looking at which made one feel even more delicate and lovely. Only the skin on her neck was as white as snow outside, shining brightly, almost transparent, and her flowing eyes showed her gentle tenderness, like a spring lotus flower, a lotus flower reflected in the green water, she was Yang Chengfeng's fiancée Zhou Xinyu.

  Another beauty wore a pale yellow cloud dress, with an absolutely flawless complexion that was as white as snow and had a faint red glow on her cheeks. Her nose and lips were finely chiseled, making her look perfect. The black pearl on the jade hairpin shone brightly against her raven-black hair, which cascaded down her shoulders like willow silk. The pale yellow cloud dress accentuated her slender figure, exuding a thousand charms that made one want to untie the sash around her waist and uncover the secrets hidden beneath. Such a beauty should only exist in heaven, not on earth, where she could be seen but rarely found. She was none other than Yu Ziting, the third daughter of the Minister of Rites.

  "Yang Chengfeng has met Big Brother and Third Brother," Yang Chengfeng smiled slightly, adjusting his clothes as he bowed slightly to Yang Zun and Yang Chengyun.