When the Zhou Dynasty was in civil strife, barbarians invaded the country and a large number of troops were transferred to the border to quell the rebellion, leaving the capital city unguarded.
The Eighth Prince was ordered to supervise the state, and he was already busy and dizzy. However, to make matters worse, at this time, the State of Yan suddenly sent a letter, saying that it would lead troops into the pass to welcome Princess Yannian and her husband back to Yan.
Since the defeat in the Battle of Changling, Yan State has been dormant and patient, recuperating. In addition, it intends to recover lost territory and has secretly stored food and fodder for many years. Now it has a strong army. Zhou State is facing internal and external troubles, so it cannot go to war no matter what.
Although it was said that a married woman should obey her husband, it was reasonable for the princess to follow her husband to Yan State. However, Ji Fan had just ascended the throne and he sent a group of elite cavalry to Zhou State with great fanfare, just to welcome Princess Yannian and her husband. This was a bit unreasonable no matter how you looked at it.
Yan Fengchen is just a minor general. Is it necessary to mobilize such a large army
The eighth prince was so anxious that he summoned all his ministers to discuss the matter overnight. If he let the Yan people in, he was afraid that they had bad intentions. If he didn't let them in, it would cause a dispute and the two countries would go to war, and Zhou couldn't afford it now.
When the old officials heard the news, they naturally tried their best to stop them: "Absolutely not! Yan and Zhou have been at odds for a long time. The capital is now under garrison. If we let them lead their troops into the pass, wouldn't that be like inviting a wolf into the house?!"
The Eighth Prince paced back and forth anxiously: "Of course I know that we can't let them in, but the new emperor of Yan State is determined to welcome Princess Yannian and her husband in person. Tens of thousands of soldiers are stationed outside the pass. If they want to force their way in, we can't stop them."
Lord Wang of the Cabinet thought for a moment, and finally frowned and said, "Didn't they say they wanted to welcome the princess and her husband back to Yan? We should give them the money. Send someone to escort the princess and her husband to the border between the two countries, and then let them take them back personally. This will also save the Yan State from having to send troops into the country."
The Eighth Prince hesitated and said, "But... But I always feel that Ji Fan has other intentions. He sent a large group of elite soldiers all the way here. Is it just to welcome the princess? Is he holding a grudge and wanting revenge?"
He suspected that Ji Fan wanted to take the opportunity to attack the Zhou Kingdom.
Wang Ge Lao thought that the Eighth Prince was still inferior to Zhao Su, and said solemnly: "No matter what Ji Fan's purpose is, the Yan cavalry cannot enter Zhou. If they use the princess as a cover, we can use this as an excuse to block them back. We can delay it for a while. Even if we want to start a war, we should have a good reason."
She was just a foolish princess. The queen had passed away, Zhao Su had been deposed, and she had no support. If the evil wolf of Yan State could be stopped, it would be fine to give her up. Zhou State acted immediately, and immediately prepared the dowry and the wedding procession, and directly sent Zhao Yannian and Yan Fengchen outside the pass.
The Eighth Prince actually guessed correctly that Ji Fan was indeed motivated by something other than wine. However, it was not because of attacking the Zhou Kingdom, but because of another person.
On the way out of the customs, Rong Xuan and his family of three secretly mixed into the wedding procession. Rong's mother and the princess rode in the same carriage, Rong Zhengqing pretended to be an attendant, and Rong Xuan pretended to be the prince consort's guard.
The bride escort team of nearly a thousand people traveled all the way, day and night, and soon arrived at Qingyun Pass. Yan Fengchen, perhaps because he was eager to return home, did not stay in the carriage with the princess, but rode his horse directly to the front of the team and rode side by side with Rong Xuan.
Yan Fengchen rubbed his arms with both hands, and his tone could not hide his happiness: "It became cold as soon as I arrived in Yan State. It has been seven years. I don't know if I will be afraid of the cold when I go back."
Rong Xuan thought he was really stupid: "How can a martial artist be afraid of the cold? You should worry about the princess instead of yourself. She grew up in the south. It will be very inconvenient for her to go to the cold land of Northern Yan."
Yan Fengchen was a silly boy, he smiled and patted his shoulder when he heard it: "Don't be afraid, I'm warm, I just need to hold the princess."
When Rong Xuan heard this, he was choked by the wind and coughed twice. He didn't know what to say for a moment.
Yan Fengchen suddenly remembered something that puzzled him: "When I sent the princess to Northern Yan this time, I thought Zhao Su would stop her, but she didn't react at all. She just stood on the city wall and watched from afar when she was leaving the city."
Rong Xuan crossed his arms and rode lazily on his horse. Hearing this, he didn't even bat an eyelid. He only said meaningfully, "She knows that you have deep feelings for the princess, so she will naturally not stop you."
Yan Fengchen: "Just because of this memory?"
Rong Xuan thought, of course there are other things. The Zhou Kingdom is in chaos now, Zhao Su and Xuanyuan Qing will definitely take action, and a bloody storm is imminent. If Zhao Yannian stays in the capital, it will only become a handle for others to hold Zhao Su hostage, so it is better to send him to Beiyan to avoid the limelight.
However, there were many people around, so he did not tell Yan Fengchen.
Yan Fengchen nodded, as if he understood something, but also as if he didn't understand. Then he lowered his voice and said to Rong Xuan mysteriously, "In fact, welcoming the princess back to Yan this time is just a cover. The one His Highness really wants to welcome is you, but he doesn't want to say it openly, so he uses us as a pretext."
Rong Xuan glanced at Yan Fengchen when he heard this, thinking, I already knew it, why do I need a fool like you to explain it? He was too lazy to chat with Yan Fengchen, so he squeezed the horse's belly hard and rode in front.
Everyone says the road to Shu is difficult, the yellow crane wants to fly but cannot.
Who knows how difficult the road to Yan is, without seeing the thousands of miles of ice blocking the river.
Rong Xuan felt that no matter how difficult this road was, it was all over. The dangerous roads he had walked before, the frost and snow on his shoulders, all disappeared with the past. From now on, the moon is bright in all directions, and the mountains and rivers are in bloom, just waiting for everyone to see.
The person who led tens of thousands of cavalrymen to guard the outside of the pass was Han Xiaoyun. Unlike the last time when he was in a desperate situation, the dark mass of armored vehicles in the distance was in good order, like a huge beast that could easily tear apart the guards outside the pass at any time, and at this moment it was lying dormant in place, ready to strike.
A black flag with a red border and the character "Yan" fluttering in the wind exudes a murderous aura that makes people sigh in admiration.
Han Xiaoyun saw them from afar and immediately dismounted. His eyes passed over Yan Fengchen and Zhao Yannian in turn, and finally fixed on Rong Xuan, who was dressed in white. He bowed to him and said word by word: "I am following the order of your majesty to welcome you back to Yan!"
Rong Xuan suddenly heard the word "Your Majesty" and hadn't realized it was Ji Fan. Then he changed his mind and thought that the man had already ascended the throne and was now the new king of Yan State, so he should naturally be called Your Majesty.
Rong Xuan smiled but didn't say anything. He just nodded slightly to Han Xiaoyun, then rode his horse back to Yan Fengchen's side. After all, on the surface, they two were the protagonists.
After a handover of troops, Han Xiaoyun led his team into the territory of Yan State. Only Rong Xuan noticed that some people stayed outside Qingyun Pass and did not leave for some reason.
Han Xiaoyun saw Rong Xuan looking back frequently, as if he had noticed something. He could not help but secretly admire his sharpness in his heart and explained, "This is the order of His Majesty. The power of Zhou Kingdom is about to change, and this team of people may come in handy."
Rong Xuan thought for a moment: "Is it to repay Zhao Su's favor?"
Han Xiaoyun smiled: "Young Master is smart, but this is both to repay a favor and to make a deal."
As for what the deal was, it was not made clear.
The wedding procession traveled day and night to Beiming Terrace. When the news reached the capital of Yan, the ministers thought that a banquet would be enough to entertain them, but who would have thought that the new king who ascended the throne with blood would personally issue an order to let all civil and military officials go out of the city and welcome them ten miles away.
Some people disagreed, but they didn't dare to speak out. Ji Fan's current position was half filled with human lives. On the day of his enthronement, the bloodstains outside the Tianxi Palace had not been washed away for three days. Who would dare to offend at this time
Snow falls all year round in Yan State, but the day when the civil and military officials led by Ji Fan went out of the city to welcome them was a rare sunny day. From afar, they saw Han Xiaoyun and his men approaching. In addition to the consort Yan Fengchen and the beautiful Princess Zhou, there was also a man in white who attracted everyone's attention.
The north is a rough place, and except for women and nobles, most men are strong and heroic, and it is rare to see such a handsome man with outstanding appearance. Some well-informed officials have guessed that when your majesty was imprisoned in the Zhou Kingdom, he had a close friend, and this person is most likely the one.
Of course, this gossip was accidentally said by Prime Minister Yue Yuanting after he was drunk, and whether it is true or not remains to be discussed.
As the team moved forward, Rong Xuan's vision became clearer and clearer. He almost saw Ji Fan surrounded by officials at a glance. The other party seemed to be much thinner, but his eyebrows and eyes were more resolute, giving people a sense of decisiveness. The emperor's dragon robe with a black background and red edges was worn on his body, which brought a heavy sense of oppression. If he was a poisonous snake with evil spirits in the past, he has now turned into a dragon in the face of wind and clouds.
The air was chilly, and Ji Fan was wearing a dark cloak on his shoulders, but when he saw Rong Xuan dismounting and following Yan Fengchen and the others, his palms broke out in a layer of sticky sweat. He unconsciously took a step forward, wanting to say something but stopping himself, his eyes fell on Rong Xuan, as if they had taken root and could not be pulled out.
Yan Fengchen pulled the confused Zhao Yannian forward to pay his respects. He could not hide his joy, but he still bowed his head and said in accordance with etiquette: "I congratulate your majesty on your ascension to the throne. Long live your majesty!"
Ji Fan finally came back to his senses and helped them up personally: "You have come a long way, you must be tired from the journey, go back to the mansion and rest for a while, I will host a banquet in Tianxi Palace tonight to welcome you."
After he finished speaking, he patted Yan Fengchen's shoulder vigorously. His attitude remained the same as before, without changing over the years.
All the officials then went back to the city in the cold wind, but they did not notice that a man in white had appeared in the emperor's carriage. The curtain was lifted and lowered, and the figure was hidden in an instant.
Rong Xuan had just sat on the carriage, and before he could see the scenery inside clearly, his vision was spinning, and then there was another person in his arms. The other person hugged his waist tightly, and because of the force of the attack, he fell on the soft couch unexpectedly.
Fortunately, the imperial carriage was spacious enough, otherwise it would have been very uncomfortable.
Rong Xuan knew it was Ji Fan, and he laughed while tightening his arms, giving him a painful hug. He pressed his face against Ji Fan's, closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, feeling that it was a great blessing in life to regain what he had lost.
Ji Fan closed his eyes and buried himself in Rong Xuan's arms. After a long time, he finally said with red eyes and a trembling voice: "Rong Xuan, I miss you..."
I tossed and turned, unable to sleep due to worry. Time is like a blunt knife, cutting people to pieces.
Rong Xuan didn't say anything. He held up Ji Fan's face and carefully checked it. Seeing that there were no new wounds and the old ones were almost healed, he smiled hoarsely and said, "I miss you too, very much."
He was also happy, happy that Ji Fan finally got everything that he had not gotten in the original novel. The righteous brothers, the country and the people, were finally in his hands.
The two of them didn't say anything more, they lowered their heads and kissed each other deeply, their lips and tongues entangled, as if they wanted to plunder the last bit of air in their lungs, but they still felt it was not enough. They must tear each other's skin to the bone and swallow it into their stomachs along with the blood and flesh.
Ji Fan sat on Rong Xuan, and when she was infatuated, she would always whisper the name that she had hidden in her heart for a long time but rarely said: "Husband..."
His voice was hoarse, and his eyes were red as he whispered in Rong Xuan's ear over and over again: "Husband..."
Whether he is a prince or an emperor, these two words never change, and the heart towards him never changes either.
Every time this happened, Rong Xuan could only hold him tighter and tighter.
Tonight, a banquet was held in the Tianxi Palace, one to welcome Princess Yannian, and the other to reward General Yan for "bearing humiliation and bearing heavy burdens" for the country. However, the emperor claimed to be ill and did not come to such an important occasion, which made the ministers below speculate.
Is His Majesty ill? Or is he trying to intimidate the Princess of Zhou? After all, the situation between the two countries has always been tense, and it is thought-provoking no matter how you look at it.
Little did they know that the emperor they were worried about was at this moment in his bedroom, spending a night of tenderness and love with the legendary "blue-eyed confidant".
It was cold in Yan State, but the emperor's bedroom was heated by a stove, and it was as warm as spring. Layers of curtains fell down, covering the clothes scattered on the ground.
Ji Fan was so tired that he fell on Rong Xuan, closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep, breathing shallowly. Rong Xuan was a little sleepy after tossing and turning all night, but he woke up after a short rest.
He looked down at Ji Fan in his arms, and then looked at the unfamiliar bedroom environment around him, feeling that it was still a bit unreal. He smiled, leaned over and kissed the other person, then quietly lifted the quilt and stood up.
Last night, the last bit of Ji Fan's dark side was finally cleared, and it was time for the system to leave.
The servants in the hall had long been dismissed, and the hall was empty. Rong Xuan put on a wind cloak, pushed the door and walked out of the hall, only to see snow falling all over the sky outside and the towering palace walls covered in silver. Compared with the magnificent imperial city of Zhou, the hall had a different sense of grandeur and vastness.
The system quietly emerged. The bright light around it was not as dazzling as before in the white world. It flew around Rong Xuan and said: Host, it's time for me to go~
In fact, they should have left last night, but Xiao Jin Gang thought about it carefully and decided that he should stay and say goodbye to Rong.
Although Rong Xuan had guessed it a long time ago, he was still stunned for a moment after hearing it, and then smiled and said: "I have delayed you for so long, and finally completed the task. I came here to thank you."
The system remembered that Rong Xuan really wanted to return to the other world at first, and asked seriously: If I leave, I will never come back, won’t you go with me
Rong Xuan wanted to go back at first because he didn't want to give advantage to those extremely powerful relatives, but later he experienced too much here, life and death contests, court affairs, and world affairs. In comparison, those trivial matters in the past were nothing to worry about, and they were not painful or itchy.
I already know how vast the universe is, but I still feel pity for the green grass and trees.
Although it is not quite appropriate to use it here, the meaning is roughly the same. How could Rong Xuan give up Ji Fan for a group of insignificant people
He smiled and shook his head at the system: "I'll just stay here, it's fine."
In the troubled times, heroes competed for supremacy and divided the world. There were people like Ji Fan who were patient and decisive, Zhao Su who dared to break the dogma, Nalan Chun who was a dandy young man with a sincere heart, and martial arts heroes like Rong Zhengqing and Zhou Xiqiong who stirred up the situation in the world.
All the past is gone, and the heroes of today are still to be seen.
Ji Fan had already made a deal with Zhao Su in secret. He helped Zhao Su ascend the throne, and the latter returned the lost territory to Yan. It was a perfect deal, as it could not prevent war and return the favor.
Perhaps before long, a female emperor will ascend the throne in the distant southern border, and together with the new monarch in the northern border who proclaimed himself emperor as a nobleman, they will create a prosperous empire in this foreign world that will be unprecedented and will never be repeated.
Perhaps in a few years, women will be able to serve as officials in the imperial court, and nobles will be able to lead troops in battle. No longer will we have to be confined by status or this eternal dogma.
This ending is much better than the ending in the original novel of "Mountains and Rivers Forever".
Rong Xuan stood outside the palace, watching the snow and wind fill the sky, and the transparent and dazzling body of the system gradually disappearing, and he couldn't help but be a little absent-minded. It was not until Ji Fan woke up from the bed, walked out of the palace, and hugged him from behind that he woke up and came to his senses.
Ji Fan was only wearing a thin nightgown, so he was inevitably cold. He asked in a sleepy voice, "What are you thinking about?"
Rong Xuan took off his thick wind cloak, wrapped him in his arms, and hugged him tightly: "Nothing, I was just wondering whether Zhao Su can ascend the throne."
Ji Fan glanced at him and said with a little jealousy: "Whether Zhao Su ascends the throne or not is not your concern. You should worry about me. Emperor Zhou wanted to live forever and swallowed too many golden pills. He died on your way to Yan. Zhao Su is not a fool. He will naturally seize the opportunity."
Rong Xuan hugged him a little tighter, and sighed in a low voice, "Life is fleeting, only a hundred years, there is no such thing as immortality, don't learn from him."
His embrace was warm, and his wind cloak was also warm, so not a bit of wind or snow could get in.
Ji Fan snorted coldly: "I am not stupid, why should I imitate that old man?"
Rong Xuan: "Yes, you are the smartest."
But the smartest one is Yan Fengchen. At the banquet last night, Princess Yannian suddenly vomited continuously, and the imperial physician was sent to see that she was pregnant. I thought he was a stupid boy who didn't even know how to have sex, but I didn't expect him to be so smart and faster than anyone else.
Ji Fan reminded Rong Xuan openly and covertly, hinting that he still owed him a big wedding: "You claim to be smart, why don't you learn from Yan Fengchen?"
Rong Xuan pretended not to understand and said smugly: "Learn from him? Why would I learn from that stupid boy? Maybe I'm faster and you're already pregnant with my child."
Ji Fan saw that he was playing dumb, and dragged Rong Xuan in front of him: "You said you owed me a wedding before, so why don't you plan to make it up now?"
He lowered his voice and said with an ambiguous tone: "Rong Xuan, you are so bold that you dare to commit the crime of deceiving the emperor."
Rong Xuan hadn't memorized the "Law of Yan" yet, so he didn't want to fight him: "You said you wanted me to be the emperor's husband, why are you silent now? Your Majesty has the leisure to talk about these things, why don't you prepare for the wedding quickly? If you dare to marry, I dare to marry you."
Ji Jifan finally smiled when he heard this: "Are you serious?"
Rong Xuan thought he was really stupid. How could he be so happy over just one sentence? "Of course it's true. Why would I lie to you?"
A snowflake fell between Ji Fan's eyebrows and quickly melted away. Rong Xuan raised his sleeve to block the wind and snow for him, looked at the majestic and magnificent imperial city outside, and finally smiled.
No one in this world can live forever, and no one can sit in a high position forever. Rules are there to be broken, and the country is there to be ruled by a wise ruler.
There is no Chang'an for people, so the mountains and rivers will live forever...
Such an ending is very good...