roccoschili Chapter 131 Xu Longxiang's Confidence
Chapter 131 Xu Longxiang's Confidence
The Northern Frontier, the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, the Zhenyue Hall.
It was past midnight, but the hall was still brightly lit.
Nine bronze tallow candlesticks surrounded the main hall, their flames flickering in the night breeze, reflecting the cold metallic luster of the black armor as if it were flowing dark blood.
Xu Longxiang sat in the tiger-skin armchair in the center, his back straight as a spear.
He had just bathed and changed his clothes, replacing the military uniform he wore during the day's battles. Now he was only wearing a black casual outfit, with a jade belt loosely tied around his waist.
Her long hair was loose and wet, draped over her shoulders, with a few stray strands sticking to her forehead, and water droplets sliding down her neck and into her collar.
Even in such a casual manner, his deep brown eyes were sharp as knives, gleaming with undeniable majesty in the candlelight.
He was holding a secret letter that he had just opened.
The letter paper was made of specially made thin silk, and the handwriting was as fine as a mosquito's gnat, requiring a specially made glass lens to see clearly.
At this moment, he was reading intently with his head down, his brows slightly furrowed and his thin lips tightly pressed together.
After a while, he put down the letter and looked up at the staff members standing below.
"We've received a response from Liyang," Xu Longxiang said, his voice low and steady.
Five people were standing below the hall.
Leading the group was Sikong Xuan, whose hair and beard were both white. He wore a gray robe, held a whisk in his hand, and had deep-set eyes that shone brightly.
He is a veteran of three dynasties of the Xu family, has followed Xu Xiao for thirty years, and is now Xu Longxiang's most trusted strategist.
Standing on the left was Fan Li, a man in his thirties with a handsome face, dressed in a blue robe, toying with a white jade chess piece in his hand.
He is a disciple of Guiguzi and is skilled in the art of diplomacy. Half a year ago, Xu Longxiang invited him to come out of seclusion with a large sum of money.
On the right is "Blood Butcher" Tie Tu, who is eight feet tall, broad-shouldered and burly, with a full beard and fierce eyes like a tiger.
He was the most valiant general in the Northern Army, having fought alongside Xu Longxiang for many years and taking the lives of no less than a thousand men.
Behind Tie Tu, there were two other people.
A man with a sinister face and a thin, bamboo-like figure, dressed in all black, seemed ready to disappear into the shadows at any moment.
He is Mo Ya, in charge of assassinations and intelligence gathering in the Northern Territory.
The other was a young man who looked like a scholar, about twenty years old, with a fair complexion, but his eyes revealed a maturity beyond his years.
His name is Lu Wenyuan. He is a young strategist recently promoted by Xu Longxiang and is known for his photographic memory and calculation skills.
"Has Her Majesty the Empress of Liyang agreed?" Sikong Xuan spoke first, his voice aged yet steady.
"I agree." Xu Longxiang nodded, handing the letter to the guard beside him, indicating that it should be circulated among the others. "However, there are three conditions."
He held up three fingers and counted them one by one:
"First, Li Yang will only deploy troops on the east bank of the Lancang River for a feigned attack. The specific timing is up to them, and we must not interfere."
"Second, the alliance must be signed in the most secure manner and important hostages must be exchanged. In addition, the first half of the Nine Dragons Heavenly Scripture must be handed over for inspection when the alliance is signed."
"Third," Xu Longxiang paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, "before we officially launch our uprising, we must prove to Li Yang that we are capable of dealing with that mysterious terrestrial immortal powerhouse beside Qin Mu."
The hall was completely silent.
The candlelight flickered, casting dappled shadows on everyone's faces.
"The first two conditions are reasonable."
Fan Li spoke slowly, gently turning the chess piece in his hand, "But this third condition... prove you can deal with a terrestrial immortal? That's asking too much."
"Indeed," Sikong Xuan frowned. "Land Immortals are legendary figures, appearing only once every hundred years. Even if Qin Mu truly has such a powerful figure by his side, how can we prove we can deal with him? Unless…"
He looked at Mo Ya.
Mo Ya understood, his voice hoarse as if grinding sand:
"I have already sent more people to investigate further, but the mysterious expert by Qin Mu's side is elusive and his identity has not yet been identified. On Qinglan Mountain, he remotely controlled the Sword Sect disciples to defeat Li Wuhen. Such methods have exceeded the scope of the Celestial Phenomenon Realm, and it is highly likely that he is actually a terrestrial immortal."
The atmosphere in the hall became even more solemn upon hearing the words "land immortals".
That person is capable of taking on an entire nation single-handedly.
"So Empress Li Yang is testing us."
Lu Wenyuan suddenly spoke, his voice clear and bright, "She wants to know if we have any trump cards that can rival the terrestrial immortals. If not, she probably won't truly ally with us."
Xu Longxiang listened quietly, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.
After a long silence, he finally spoke slowly: "We certainly have our trump cards."
He paused, then added, "But it's not time to reveal it yet. Let's stall Li Yang for now. Tell them we'll find a way to prove it, but it will take time."
"Yes." Sikong Xuan bowed and accepted the order.
"In addition," Xu Longxiang took out another gold-embossed invitation from his pocket, "there is one more thing."
He placed the invitation on the table, and everyone looked at the cover.
That was a bright yellow brocade used exclusively by the imperial palace, embroidered with auspicious dragon and phoenix patterns.
"Qin Mu sent someone to deliver it."
Xu Longxiang's voice was calm, yet it carried a suppressed chill. "Three days later, the palace will hold a grand ceremony for the selection of a concubine, inviting all the regional princes and important officials of the court to attend."
"Taking a concubine?" Tie Tu raised an eyebrow. "That tyrant has taken another concubine? Who is it this time?"
Xu Longxiang opened the invitation, his gaze falling on that name, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
"Xu Fenghua".
The three words, like three icicles, pierced the hearts of everyone in the hall.
"Miss?! That tyrant still wants to hold a grand wedding for you?!"
Sikong Xuan gasped in shock, his old face turning deathly pale!
The chess piece in Fan Li's hand fell to the ground with a "thud," rolled a few times, and came to rest next to the candlestick.
Tie Tu's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.
Mo Ya's pupils suddenly contracted, and his aura instantly turned icy cold.
Although Lu Wenyuan had never met Xu Fenghua, he understood what she meant to the heir apparent from everyone's reactions.
Dead silence.
The hall was deathly silent, save for the faint crackling of the candlelight and the heavy, suppressed breathing of the crowd.
Xu Longxiang slowly closed his eyes.
When he opened his eyes again, they were cold and lifeless, with only a flame burning deep within his pupils, a flame powerful enough to incinerate everything.
"Yes."
His voice was terribly hoarse. "My sister, Xu Fenghua, was forcibly taken as a concubine by Qin Mu. The wedding ceremony will be held in three days."
"Bang!"
Tie Tu slammed his fist into the sandalwood pillar next to him!
The pillar trembled violently, and wood chips fell in a flurry.
"You dog of an emperor! You've gone too far!"
His eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was like that of a wounded beast, "He's trying to drive the Xu family to their doom!"
Xu Longxiang's fingers gripped the armrest tighter and tighter, his knuckles turning white.
He could imagine his sister's situation at the time.
Forced to kneel before that tyrannical emperor in front of everyone, she agreed to enter the palace as a concubine.
That humiliation, that despair...
"Your Highness," Sikong Xuan's voice trembled, "what...what should we do?"
Xu Longxiang remained silent for a long time.
The candlelight flickered on his face, casting his resolute features in shifting light and shadow.
After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice as cold as iron:
"go."
A single word carries immense weight.
"The Crown Prince?!" everyone exclaimed in unison.
I said, go.
Xu Longxiang stood up, his dark casual clothes gleaming dimly in the candlelight. "Since Qin Mu has invited me, why shouldn't I go?"
He walked into the hall, his gaze sweeping over the crowd:
"I want to see with my own eyes how he marries my sister."
His voice was calm, yet every word carried a deep-seated hatred:
"I will remember that moment. Remember that humiliation, remember that hatred. And then..."
He paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes:
"A hundredfold return."
Silence fell over the hall once again.
Everyone felt the overwhelming killing intent in Xu Longxiang's words.
That wasn't impulsive anger, but a deep-seated, icy hatred, capable of destroying everything.
"But Your Highness," Lu Wenyuan hesitated, "the journey to the capital is fraught with danger. Since Qin Mu dared to act this way, he must have made preparations. What if he..."
"What if he tries to take this opportunity to get rid of me?" Xu Longxiang laughed, a cold and cruel laugh. "Then let him try."
He turned around, walked back to his seat, and sat down, his demeanor regaining its usual composure.
"Moreover, since Li Yang has already agreed to the alliance, if Qin Mu dares to attack me at this time, Li Yang will have an excuse to send troops. He knows how to calculate this."
Upon hearing this, everyone felt somewhat relieved.
Indeed, although the Northern Territory and Liyang have not yet formally formed an alliance, they have already expressed their intention to do so.
If Qin Mu dares to attack Xu Longxiang at this time, it would be giving Li Yang an excellent excuse to send troops.
"So... how many people should we bring?" Tie Tu asked.
"Three thousand iron cavalry," Xu Longxiang said calmly.
"Change into civilian clothes and infiltrate the area around the capital in batches. I will only take Mr. Sikong and Fan Li with me, plus twenty personal guards."
"Three thousand iron cavalry... I'm afraid that won't be enough," Mo Ya said in a deep voice. "The Imperial Guards number one hundred thousand. If a real battle breaks out..."
"We're not going to fight," Xu Longxiang interrupted him. "We're going to observe the ceremony. Bringing too many people will only arouse suspicion."
He paused, then added:
"Besides, we are not unprepared in the capital."
That's a very meaningful statement.
Everyone immediately understood that the young master was referring to Meng Fang, the commander of the Imperial Guards.
For the past six months, Fan Li has been secretly in contact with Meng Fang and has now gained his initial trust. If anything happens, Meng Fang might be a useful tool in the dark.
"Understood, Your Majesty," Tie Tu said, clasping his hands in a fist salute. "I will go and select men immediately, and they will arrive near the capital within three days to await orders."
"Hmm." Xu Longxiang nodded, then looked at Mo Ya, "Mr. Mo, has there been any progress on the matter I asked you to investigate?"
Mo Ya was taken aback: "Your Highness means...?"
"Ink Mirage".
Xu Longxiang slowly uttered two words, "He went to assassinate Chen Feng and his wife, and it has been several days since then. According to his style, regardless of success or failure, there should have been news sent back by now. But now... there is no news at all."
The atmosphere in the hall became heavy again when the ink mirage was mentioned.