Chapter Seventeen: The Old Friend Arrives from the South

  "The Yan family's iron cavalry is like a guest of Gongsun, the Liao family's naval forces are as treacherous as those of Huangfu." These two sentences describe the actual strength of the four major families.

  Yan Nan is hot-tempered and violent by nature, known as the number one brave general of Sheng Long. He currently commands the most elite cavalry of Sheng Long, Tiger Troop of You Yan.

  Gongsun's rank is the highest, and he usually lives in seclusion, not indulging in luxury. Only a few trusted people can get close to him, and it can be said that he is the most mysterious figure among the four major families. His door has many guests, and strange and talented people emerge one after another. The power of Qi and Lu is deeply rooted, and they have always strongly supported the research of the Five Elements technique.

  Linghu Chao then occupied Jiangnan, with deep and profound strategies, his city was quite deep, and his old friends were all over the court. His naval forces bore the responsibility of maintaining peace in the Holy Dragon Sea Domain, and the wealth of Jiangzuo was even more so for the crown of the Holy Dragon.

  Huangfu Song occupies the land of Bashu, taking advantage of its geographical advantages and enriching himself through salt and iron. This person has never had any remarkable words or deeds, but what is worth noting is that the Huangfu family, which was originally in a weak position among the four major forces, has greatly increased its power over the past decade due to his adopted son Mei Wenjun's sudden rise to prominence. He has extraordinary martial arts skills, uses troops like a god, and is deeply supported by both the military and civilians, earning him the reputation as one of the "Dual Geniuses of Literature and Martial Arts" alongside Fu Zhongshu.

  Feng Yu looked at the report about the four major families compiled by Wei Liao and quickly thought about what to do next.

  Zhī qǔ lùn yù guān, bī tuì gē shū xíng wén, yī liàn chuàn de shì qíng shǐ dé "guǐ hú fēng yǔ" de shēng míng chuán biàn shén zhōu. Sì dà jiā zú de shuō kè jìn rì lái luò yì bù jué de lái dào le lún yù guān, qǐ tú lā bō zhè ge jìn rì lái fēng qǐ yún yǒng de shí lì pài rén wù; lìng yī fāng miàn jiàn yú mù qián gè dà shì lì jiāng zài shèng jīng huì jí, chóng xīn huà fēn shì lì fàn wéi de xíng shì, yě bī dé fēng yǔ bì xū suì sù zuò chū jué duàn.

  "Your Excellency, the four major families have now gathered their troops in the Imperial City. Among them, Yan Nan Tian and Huang Fu Su support the eldest prince, while Ling Hu Chao and Gong Sun Wu Yong support the third prince. The matter of who will inherit the throne is currently at a stalemate." Wei Liao said slowly.

  "Eldest prince? Third prince? Then there's a second prince too?"

  "The second prince was born weak and sickly, spending his days writing and painting, without regard for state affairs, so no one came to support him. The eldest prince, Xiao Ziqiu, was the son-in-law of Huangfu Song and had once studied under Yan Nan Tian, and as the eldest son, he had a high reputation in court. However, during this national crisis, he fled alone to his father-in-law's place, without regard for the fate of the Central Plains, which also sparked much criticism. The third prince, Xiao Jianqiu, at the time of crisis, followed the will of the late emperor, stationed in Ezhou, and directed the overall situation, earning the respect of the army. At the same time, his mother was the younger sister of Linghu Chao and the granddaughter of Gongsun Wu, so he naturally received the support of the two powerful families."

  Third Prince? The wind and rain did not think of Chu Tianci. This group arrived at Lunyu Pass two days ago, dusty and tired, to persuade Xiao Jianqiu.

  Marquess of Zhenbei, Military Governor of the Western Route, and Grand Marshal of Luyuanyuan Pass, with jurisdiction over Liang and Xia prefectures, was permitted to establish his own administrative office and appoint officials below the third rank.

  This price is not low, and it can make the famous Fu Zhongshu and Sheng Long's most prestigious book fragrance door Chu family follow closely, unexpectedly making Feng Yu curious about this third prince who has a reputation for being a wise king.

  It seems like I should have a good talk with Chu Tianci after all.

  These days, Feng Yu has been balancing the relationships between various forces, so each side's spokesperson is represented by Wei Liao, who treats them with courtesy, while he himself does not appear in person, to avoid taking a stance prematurely.

  But others are nothing, the Chu family has been very kind to me after all. Before going to Shengjing, if I don't see him once, it won't be easy to explain later. Moreover, I also want to hear this good friend's thoughts.

  "You are wrong, Chu certain this time came is not for a family and a party's private interests, but for the sake of the world's people and my Holy Dragon's thousand-year foundation."

  Only saw Chu Tian's expression unchanged from his years as a bookish youth, solemnly and seriously expressing his stance to Feng Yu.

  He saw the wind and rain, and hurriedly continued: "Brother Feng Yu repelled Hu Lan, his merit is in the country's foundation. It can be said that he is a hero of his generation, how can he ignore the fate of the world now? Now, the two great powers of Hu Lan in the north and the newly rising Mai Jian overseas are responding to each other, eyeing each other covetously; while An Yu has repeatedly invaded our coastal borders, harassing our people. For the time being, we must have a wise king to govern the world, in order to protect the foundation of our sacred dragon.

  The eldest prince fled in the face of national crisis, without regard for the country's danger; while the third prince respected and employed talented scholars, and at a critical moment accepted the late emperor's appointment as regent, stemmed the tide on the brink of collapse, led the nation's military and civilians to resist the Hulan invasion, who was superior or inferior is self-evident with the wisdom of Feng Yueran.

  For the sake of the world and the people's livelihoods, I implore you, Brother Fengyu, to make a clear decision!

  The storm is brewing in his heart, but to be honest, he doesn't care that much about who becomes the emperor, unlike Chu Tianci.

  In this era where family background is more important than anything, just by looking at how the Third Prince made a decisive decision to bestow such a heavy reward on Feng Yu, a child from a humble background, it can be known that Xiao Jianqiu is certainly more capable than Xiao Ziqiu.

  Moreover, the support of Da Huangzi's Yan Nan Tian and Huang Fu Xuan from their geographical location is more conducive to controlling the Central Plains than Lian Huo Shi Jia and Gong Sun Shi Jia; relatively speaking, Lian Huo Shi Jia and Gong Sun Shi Jia in the southeast even if they want to compete with Feng Yu for territory, have to consider Yan Nan Tian and Huang Fu Xuan.

  Considering the strategy of allying with distant states and attacking nearby ones, forming an alliance with the Second Prince is undoubtedly beneficial.

  But on the other hand, for someone like Feng Yu who relies on his own abilities to stand out, the more incompetent the emperor is, the more beneficial it is for him to muddle through, he doesn't have any loyalty or patriotism.

  Moreover, the eldest son of the emperor is always the legitimate heir to the throne, with absolute advantages in politics. For example, the central faction led by Gao Zhan, the maternal grandfather of Zhuo Jingwen, tends to support the eldest son's succession. At the same time, allying with him can also avoid being attacked on both sides by Yan Nan Tian and the Huangfu family from the northeast and southwest.

  Although he was worried, he didn't show it on his face. Feng Yu laughed and said: "Brother Chu is right, don't worry, tomorrow I will lead the army south to Shengjing, hoping to contribute my humble efforts for the peace of the world."

  After making such a smooth statement, Feng Yu hurriedly changed the subject and pulled Chu Tianci to watch the singing and dancing. In Lianyuan, there were many women who had been robbed by the Hulan people, and some of them were beautiful and moving. Although most of them had been settled, there were still many who had no home to return to. Under Wei Liao's arrangement, they were trained and prepared to become intelligence personnel in the future, infiltrating major cities. Now, using them to entertain envoys from various factions was also a good use of resources, with quite an effect. - Although Ou Jing strongly opposed it.

  After a while, four beautiful women finally came in, carrying a large round tray together. They had their black hair styled in high buns, adorned with pearls and jewels, and wore only a small crimson cape that barely covered the upper half of their full breasts, revealing their snowy white skin under the lamp light.

  Her jade-like plump arm was wrapped with a black armband, and on her smooth belly, there was an inlaid crystal gemstone at the navel, looking very sexy.

  The most eye-catching part is still their lower body, made of countless strings of bright pearls that hang down to the knees, forming a shiny pearl skirt. When walking, it's impossible to cover up the tempting spring light inside, and when taking strides, the enchanting spot between the legs appears and disappears, extremely eye-catching.

  I didn't expect to be dressed like this, and Feng Yu suddenly felt enlightened. Chu Tian Ci beside him also had a pair of colorful eyes shining brightly, staring at the beautiful figure in front of him, after all, he was also seeing such a charming and seductive outfit for the first time.

  Four beautiful maidservants walked up to Feng Yu and Chu Tianci, a wave of delicate fragrance wafting over, making one feel drunk. They placed the covered platter on the table in front of them, and the four simultaneously bowed their heads and greeted: "The little maidservants have seen the master!"

  Chu Tian nodded slightly and said, "Hurry up and open the canopy!"

  The four women replied in unison: "Yes!"

  As the four women joined forces to open the lid, a dizzying fragrance suddenly filled the entire small flower hall.

  "What is this?" Feng Yu stared in shock, and when he looked at Chu Tian Ci beside him, he also felt a jolt, staring straight ahead.

  On the plate, eight pure white jade carvings were arranged in a circle, each one shaped like an open flower. The carving was extremely delicate, with even the fine stamens carved out, quivering slightly in mid-air. In the center of the circle formed by the eight exquisite white jade flowers stood a petite and slender girl, but it would be more accurate to say she was no longer a girl, as her body had fully developed. Her naked figure was curvaceous and elegant, with all the characteristics of a mature woman, only smaller in scale.

  What shocked Feng Yu was the decorations on this little beauty's body. On the slightly bulging small buds, there were two bright red tips with a jade bell hanging from each one. The small navel also had a fiery red ruby inlaid, which contrasted with her pale skin that was almost translucent, showing an unusual beauty. On her slender waist that could be grasped by one hand, six identical jade bells were hung. Further down, the mysterious triangular area was adorned with a dazzling pearl flower, cleverly covering up the most enchanting part of her body. If observed carefully, it could be seen that this pearl flower was inserted from above.

  The four beauties parted to either side and chimed in unison: "Please, sir, enjoy the 'Dance of the Flowers and Butterflies'!"

  The little beauty on the plate began to slowly twist her small waist, and the small buds in front of her chest also swayed slightly, and the crisp sound of jade bells slowly rang out. The dance was indeed beautiful, but the sound of the jade bells was even more astonishing, for it formed a very beautiful piece of music.

  The dance gradually speeds up, and a layer of strange pink also floats on the delicate and snowy body of the little beauty, looking so touching.

  In the midst of rapid music, this little beauty suddenly jumped up and landed on the jade flowers all around her. Her two snow-white feet lightly stepped on the white jade-made flower petals, advancing and retreating with poise, leaping and jumping with agility, raising high and lowering low, that scene was as beautiful as could be!

  The stormy weather and the Chu Tian Ci's dance made me feel as if I was in a trance, this kind of dance is something that I have never thought of before, it's so enchanting, charming, light and graceful, it's really hard to describe!

  To dance on the extremely brittle white jade, being light as a swallow is not enough, but also requires an extremely high level of lightness skill, because after the white jade is carved into thin petals, it can't withstand pressure at all, if slightly heavier, it will immediately become a scene of shattered jade and fallen people.

  But the little beauty in front of me was dancing so freely, without thinking that her feet were stepping on the fragile jade flowers. Her extremely beautiful body language was fully extended, and she was completely immersed in the joyful dance. Under the accompaniment of simple but very beautiful jade bell sounds, she looked like a beautiful butterfly fluttering and dancing among the flowers, spreading out an irresistible sense of beauty.

  The little beauty suddenly shook her body violently, the sound of jade bells ringing out in rapid succession, making the men in front of her almost unable to breathe. Chu Tian Ci's eyes were about to pop out as he stared at the constantly changing beautiful scenery in front of him.

  A soft, ethereal sigh escaped from the cherry lips of the petite beauty in the dish, and she sprang up into the air, leaping back to the center of the eight white jade flowers. She sat down with an extremely elegant posture, her small pink face glistening with fine sweat, her breathing delicate, and the only sound in the entire flower hall was the soft tinkling of the jade pendants on her chest caused by her breath.

  Half a day later, Feng Yu and Rain returned to their senses, repeatedly praising each other.

  At some point, a beautifully dressed woman appeared in the small flower hall. She was the one Wei Liao used to train those girls. Seeing her give a glance to the four beauties, they understood and went forward to lift up the large round tray again, carrying it all the way to Chu Tian Ci and Feng Yu's faces.

  Chu Tian Ci and Feng Yu looked at the woman with an unrelenting gaze, only to see her mysterious smile as she walked up to the small beauty in front of them, stretching out a hand towards the small beauty's **.

  Another enchanting moan that captivated the hearts of men, at this moment the two men couldn't help but exchange a knowing glance and smile, they had heard this kind of sound too many times before. It turned out that the little beauty in the dish earlier was making this kind of sound, only they hadn't noticed it at the time.

  When the beautiful woman's hand reappeared, there was something more in her hand, a crystal-like gemstone pearl flower.

  The stem of the pearl flower below is actually a slender jade tube, with a texture like ink jade, and fine floral patterns are carved on the tube. This gemstone pearl flower is obviously extremely valuable, but what surprised the two men was the strange phenomenon presented by the body of the ink jade tube at this time. Under the illumination of the wall lamps on all four sides, the tube emitted a sparkling water light, crystal clear and very enticing, and there was also a faintly elegant fragrance emanating from it.

  Two men couldn't help but feel a thrill, it was clear that this gemstone pearl flower was attached to her body with a jade tube, although not very heavy, but wearing such a thing on the white jade petal and dancing, how much endurance and skill is required.

  Chu Tian Ci was born into a family of scholars, and his father had always been very strict with him. He had never seen such romantic scenes before, and for a moment, his heart beat faster, and he didn't know how to continue speaking about the wind and rain.

  It was Feng Yu who first came back to his senses and said, "Brother Chu, if you like this pearl flower, why don't you take it?"

  "How dare you!" Chu Tianci exclaimed with surprise and delight, although his words still held a hint of hesitation, but his expression had already betrayed his eagerness.

  The storm was actually also secretly heartbroken, and couldn't bear to part with her. But with Ou Jingzhi's calm presence at the Lianyu Pass, and the righteous Zhuo Xiaojie by his side, Feng Yu didn't dare to be too presumptuous. Moreover, he had always been a hero who loved beauty but loved the country even more, and didn't place much importance on women. Otherwise, he wouldn't have only just now realized that his own family's beauty was so exceptional. So it wasn't something he put too much thought into, and soon his mind turned to the matters of opening a brothel and building an intelligence network that had been put on hold for some time. Later generations would call him a shameless schemer, but this wouldn't be entirely unjustified.

  In the seventh month of the 753rd year of the Holy King's calendar, the Wind and Rain Legion, which had undergone the trial of the Lianyu Pass Great War, began to march south as a whole, advancing on the Sacred Capital.

  The Qinglong Army was led by Bai Qi, and together with Ou Jing, they were in charge of the defense and governance of Linyu Pass.

  Due to Luo Xin's serious injury, Bai Li Xi took over the command of the Red Lion Army, responsible for rebuilding and reorganizing, while assisting the Blue Dragon Army in capturing nearby cities.

  After reorganization, the Imperial Guard, Autumn Wind Corps and White Tiger Corps were known as the 1.7 million strong army, following the wind and rain to march towards Shengjing. Along with them were Wei Liao, who was preparing to establish an intelligence network, Gao Fengyang, who was preparing to invest, General Zhuo's daughter, Zhuo Jingyan, and a large number of merchant teams that wanted to follow and make a profit.

  The main drama of the struggle for power under heaven will also be staged in that ancient famous capital.