pappabearbooks Chapter 66 Something Big Is About to Happen! Xu Longxiang's Shock!
Chapter 66 Something Big Is About to Happen! Xu Longxiang's Shock!
The northern border, the capital of Zhenbei.
This city is situated at a strategic pass between two mountains. Its walls are five zhang high and are built of huge bluestones. Despite a hundred years of wind, frost, rain and snow, they remain as sturdy as ever.
The city wall is covered with crenellations, and there is a watchtower every ten steps, which is guarded by soldiers all year round.
As the core of the three northern states, Zhenbei Royal City is not only a political center but also a military fortress.
The central command of the 300,000-strong Northern Army was located here, with 50,000 elite troops stationed in the city, all of whom were veterans of countless battles.
It was midday, the sunlight was thin, and the wind was biting cold.
The soldiers on duty on the city wall, wrapped in thick cotton armor and holding long spears, stood as straight as pine trees in the cold wind.
Suddenly, the sentry on the lookout tower narrowed his eyes sharply.
At the end of the official road in the distance, billowing smoke and dust rose.
Something's up!
The sentry shouted, and the atmosphere on the city wall instantly became tense.
All the soldiers turned around in unison, looking in the direction where the smoke and dust were rising.
The experienced veteran had already frowned.
The scale of that smoke and dust was... enormous.
It didn't look like a caravan, nor did it look like an ordinary army.
It's more like... a massive army pressing in!
"Enemy attack—!"
It's unclear who uttered those two words first.
In an instant, the alarm bells rang loudly!
"Clang—clang—clang—!"
The urgent tolling of the bells, like the urgent beat of a death knell, resounded throughout the entire city.
On the city wall, the soldiers quickly took their battle positions.
Archers drew their bows and nocked their arrows, logs and stones were pushed onto the ramparts, and boiling oil began to heat in the iron pots...
The entire Zhenbei Royal City, like a giant beast awakened, instantly entered a state of combat readiness.
Li Tieshan, the garrison commander, hurriedly climbed the city wall.
He was a middle-aged man in his early forties with a dark complexion and a hideous scar on his left cheek, left from a bloody battle with the Northern Barbarian cavalry ten years ago.
At that moment, he squinted, staring intently at the approaching plumes of smoke in the distance.
"Damn... this is incredible..."
Li Tieshan cursed under his breath, his voice filled with disbelief, "Judging from the dust, there are at least three or four thousand cavalry... When did the Northern Barbarians ever have so many cavalry that they could outflank us?!"
Lieutenant Wang Hu's face turned pale: "Captain, could it be... Xiliang?"
"Bullshit!" Li Tieshan spat. "Xiliang is separated from us by the entire Central Continent. Do you think they can fly over here?!"
As they spoke, the group drew ever closer.
Finally, the flag can be seen clearly.
Those were rows of large, dark banners, fluttering in the cold wind.
The flag is embroidered with golden dragon patterns!
"That is..." Li Tieshan's pupils suddenly contracted!
Dragon-patterned flag!
Under heaven, there is only one company that dares to use dragon patterns on its flags!
The Qin Dynasty Royal Family!
"stop--!"
A loud command came from the front of the ranks.
Thousands of armored cavalrymen reined in their horses in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized, as if they were one person.
Their training is frightening!
In the center of the procession, a gilded carriage slowly came to a stop.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and a general in silver armor rode out and arrived at the city gate.
He looked up at Li Tieshan on the city wall, his voice booming like a bell:
"His Majesty the Emperor of Qin has arrived! Open the city gates immediately to welcome him!"
The sound echoed through the empty city walls, like a thunderclap!
The city wall was deathly silent.
All the soldiers were stunned, their mouths agape, staring incredulously at the army below the city.
Emperor...Your Majesty?
That young emperor who had been on the throne for only half a year, indulged in wine and women, and never left the capital?
What...what is he doing in the North?!
Li Tieshan's mind went completely blank.
He defended the city for twenty years, experiencing the charges of the Northern Barbarian cavalry, the sneak attacks of the Western Liang soldiers, and even the chaos of the peasant uprising.
But he had never experienced...the emperor himself!
This is a million times more troublesome than the enemy coming to our door!
If the enemy comes, just fight them.
But then the emperor arrived...
Should the city gates be opened or not?
How do I open it?
What specifications should it be opened with?
What if... what if it's fake?
What if this is a trick by the Northern Barbarians, a scheme to impersonate the emperor and trick them into opening the city gates?
Cold sweat instantly broke out on Li Tieshan's forehead.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and asked loudly:
"Do you have any proof?!"
The silver-armored general below the city took out a token from his robes and held it high.
The token was entirely golden, gleaming in the dim sunlight. Even from a distance of several dozen feet, the coiled dragon pattern carved on it was clearly visible.
"The Imperial Dragon Emblem is here! Open the door at once!"
The moment Li Tieshan saw the token clearly, he trembled all over.
it is true!
Only the commander of the Imperial Guards is qualified to possess the Dragon Emblem Token!
The man standing below the city wall is Zhao Kuo, the commander of the Imperial Guards!
And the one who could command Zhao Kuo's personal protection...
Who else could it be but the emperor himself?!
Li Tieshan turned around abruptly and growled at his adjutant behind him:
"Quickly! Go to the Prince of Zhenbei's residence! Report to the Crown Prince—His Majesty is personally attending!"
His voice was trembling:
"Damn it... I'd rather it were actually the enemy!"
Lieutenant Wang Hu scrambled down the city wall, mounted his horse, and galloped towards the direction of the Prince of Zhenbei's residence.
The sound of horses' hooves was rapid and heavy, striking the bluestone road and also striking Li Tieshan's heart.
He turned back, looking at the imposing and awe-inspiring army below the city walls, at the luxurious gilded carriage, and at the figure in black faintly visible inside...
An unprecedented fear, like an icy tide, instantly overwhelmed him.
Your Majesty...why did you suddenly come to the Northern Border?
Why was there no prior notice?
Why... bring such a large Imperial Guard?
Li Tieshan dared not think about it.
All he knew was that something big was about to happen today.
......
The Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion, Zhenyue Hall.
Xu Longxiang sat in the tiger-skin armchair in the center, with a map of the northern border spread out on the long table in front of him.
He was discussing the next steps in military deployment with five advisors.
Although the setback at Qinglan Mountain disrupted his plan to win over the Sword Sect, it did not shake his fundamental principles.
The 300,000-strong army in the northern border remained under his control, and Fan Li's operations in the capital were progressing steadily. Although there were some setbacks in winning over officials in various regions, he was still in control overall.
He believed that given time, great things could be accomplished.
"Your Highness, news has come from the western front that small groups of cavalry from Northern Mang have recently been probing the border, suggesting some unusual activity."
Sikong Xuan pointed to a pass on the map, "This old minister suggests that we send an additional 5,000 cavalry to Eagle Beak Cliff to garrison it, in case of any unforeseen circumstances."
Xu Longxiang nodded slightly: "Granted. Send Xu Pojun; he's familiar with that terrain."
"Yes." Sikong Xuan noted it down.
Fan Li waved his feather fan and pondered, "Over in the capital, Meng Fang's attitude has softened. We have evidence regarding his son's matter, so he wouldn't dare disobey. It's just... it will take time."
"Time..." Xu Longxiang rubbed his temples. "What we lack most right now is time. Qin Mu's strength at Qinglan Mountain far exceeded our expectations. We must speed things up."
He paused, a flicker of pain crossing his eyes:
"Any news from Qingxue's side?"
The atmosphere in the hall froze at the mention of Jiang Qingxue.
Liu Hongyan said softly, "There's no news yet. But Your Highness needn't worry too much. Miss Jiang is intelligent and quick-witted, and she's also favored by the dog emperor... so she won't be in any danger for the time being."
She spoke the word "pamper" very softly, but it was like two knives, stabbing deeply into Xu Longxiang's heart.
He closed his eyes, and the image of Qin Mu embracing Jiang Qingxue and announcing the investiture reappeared in his mind that day on Qinglan Mountain.
The humiliation and helplessness drove him almost mad.
"Speed up the pace." Xu Longxiang reopened his eyes, his gaze now filled with a cold, resolute determination.
"Within three months, I want to see the Imperial Guard completely turn to us. Within six months, I want 300,000 troops from the North ready to march south at any time."
"Yes!" the five answered in unison.
Just then—
"Report—!!!"
Urgent shouts came from outside the hall, filled with unprecedented panic.
Immediately afterward, a guard scrambled in, fell to his knees with a thud, his face deathly pale, and his voice trembling:
"Your Highness! Outside the city... His Majesty... His Majesty has arrived!"
"What?!"
Xu Longxiang suddenly stood up, causing the tiger-skin chair behind him to slide back half a foot, its legs scraping against the bluestone slab with a harsh sound.
The five advisors all changed color and stood up instantly.
"Explain yourself!" Sikong Xuan shouted sternly, "What do you mean, 'His Majesty has arrived'? Which His Majesty?!"
"Yes, it is His Majesty the Emperor of Great Qin!"
The guard's voice was choked with sobs.
"They're right outside the city! With several thousand imperial guards! Commander Li sent his men to report this immediately, so the Crown Prince can make a decision!"
Dead silence.
Inside Zhenyue Hall, there was a deathly silence.
The only sounds were the crackling of charcoal burning in the copper basin and the heavy breathing of the crowd.
Xu Longxiang stood still, like a clay or wooden sculpture.
The color drained from his face in an instant, leaving only a deathly pale white.
Those eyes, once sharp as an eagle's, were now terrifyingly empty, as if all their brilliance had been drained away in an instant.
Qin Mu... has arrived in the Northern Border?
Instead of returning to the capital or going anywhere else, he... came directly to his headquarters?
Why?
What does he want to do?
A demonstration? An inspection? Or... something was discovered?
Countless questions slithered wildly through Xu Longxiang's mind like venomous snakes, each carrying a deadly chill.
Fan Li was the first to react. He turned sharply to look at Xu Longxiang, his voice urgent:
"Your Highness! His Majesty's arrival is no ordinary matter! We must respond immediately!"
"How to deal with it..." Xu Longxiang murmured repeatedly, his voice hoarse, "How to deal with it?"
He slowly raised his head and looked out of the hall.
Through the open palace gates, one can see the century-old locust tree in the courtyard of the Prince's Mansion, its branches and leaves shivering in the cold wind.
Just like his heart right now.
"Open the city gates." Xu Longxiang spoke slowly, each word seemingly uttered with all his might, "to welcome His Majesty with the highest honors."
"Your Highness!" Tie Tu exclaimed urgently, "What if His Majesty is after us..."
"It is precisely because they may be coming for us that we must open the city gates."
Xu Longxiang interrupted him, his eyes regaining their cold light.
"If we don't open it, it will be considered disobeying the imperial decree, and it will be seen as having a guilty conscience. At that time, without His Majesty's intervention, the morale of the Northern Army will fall into chaos."
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down:
"Send the order: the entire Prince's residence must mobilize and line up to welcome the Emperor. Hide everything that shouldn't be there. Hide everyone who shouldn't be there."
He paused, then looked at Fan Li:
"Go and make the arrangements so that those 'old acquaintances' are ready. Qingxue's 'background' cannot have any flaws."
Fan Li's expression was grave: "Time is too tight, His Majesty's arrival was too sudden, we..."
"There's no time," Xu Longxiang's voice was as cold as iron. "It must be done."
"Yes!" Fan Li gritted his teeth and agreed, then turned and strode away.
Xu Longxiang sat back down in his chair, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.
When he opened his eyes again, they had regained their usual coldness and sharpness.
But beneath that cold exterior lies a turbulent, raging sea.
Qin Mu...
You really did come...
It came so suddenly, so directly, so... mercilessly.
Is it a protest?
Is this a warning?
Or... do you already know something and want to tear away all the pretense yourself?
Xu Longxiang didn't know.
All he knew was that an unprecedented storm had arrived.
He, however, had to stand in the eye of the storm and face it.
"Let's go."
He stood up, his dark python robe gleaming coldly in the candlelight.
"Go and greet our...His Majesty."
The voice was calm, yet carried an almost tragic resolve.
Four aides followed behind him, each with an extremely solemn expression.
They knew that the real test was just beginning.
The outcome of this trial will determine the life or death of everyone involved.
Outside the Prince's Mansion, the cold wind howled.
The sky had darkened at some point, with leaden-gray clouds hanging low as if they might collapse at any moment.
In the distance, the faint sounds of horses' hooves, footsteps, and the clashing of armor could be heard...
That was the sound of the entire city awakening in chaos.
Xu Longxiang stood in front of the main gate of the Prince's Mansion, gazing at the direction of the city gate in the distance, at the approaching black-armored troops, and at the luxurious gilded carriage...
His fist slowly clenched inside his sleeve.
His fingernails dug deep into his palm, and blood seeped out, staining the lining of his cuffs red.
But he couldn't feel any pain.
The pain in my heart is a thousand times, ten thousand times more intense than this.
Because there was another person in that carriage besides Qin Mu.
A person he longed for day and night, yet dared not see again.
Clear snow...
You're... back too?
In what capacity?
With what kind of mood?
Xu Longxiang closed his eyes, as if he could see that water-green figure, her pale face, and the despair hidden in her eyes.
Then, he opened his eyes, and all that remained in them was a cold, resolute determination, like that of ten thousand years of ice.
No matter the cost.
No matter what humiliation one endures.
He had to live.
We all need to... win.
For the sake of 300,000 soldiers in the North.
For the sake of the Xu family's century-old legacy.
And also for... the woman he personally sent into the abyss, yet still deeply loved.
The cold wind whipped up dust, sweeping across his cold, stiff body.
In the distance, the team was already clearly visible.
At the very front was Zhao Kuo, the commander of the Imperial Guards.
Behind him stood three thousand Xuanjia Imperial Guards, their military bearing imposing and their aura overwhelming.
In the center of the procession, the curtain of the gilded carriage was slowly lifted by a slender hand.
Xu Longxiang's pupils suddenly contracted.
coming.
It's really here...