Yizhou, Changming Prefecture.
When Lu Bei climbed over the wall and entered the courtyard, it was still light. There was a hustle and bustle of carriages and horses in front of Changming Mansion. Young talents from Yizhou and even other states lined up to give them money.
During this time, the Zhu family of Wu Zhou suppressed the Qingqian Rebellion, and had talks with Qi and Yan in the western border. In addition, they had previously defeated the Huangji Sect in Yuezhou and conquered the Tianjian Sect for their own use. The royal family's prestige reached its peak and firmly overwhelmed the Huangji Sect.
The royal power was stable, and Emperor Zhu Qiyou's voice was much louder than before when he gave instructions on state affairs in the court.
As a result, the eldest princess Zhu Qilan's status and position also rose rapidly.
There were many princesses in the Wu Zhou Dynasty. In the early years, due to the strength of the Huangji Sect, many branches of the Zhu family were given the title of princesses, which led to an overabundance of princesses in the Zhu family and their trading value continued to decline.
But the eldest princess Zhu Qilan is different. She has only one elder sister, the emperor Zhu Qiyou. Whoever can win her favor and successfully marry into the Changming Mansion, so that Zhu Qiyou can be promoted to uncle, will be able to rise rapidly in his official career and bring honor to the entire family.
Therefore, for the sake of the family and to win the favor of the eldest princess, this money cannot be saved.
Not only do you have to spend money, you have to do it in different ways. You can't fall into the cliché and be outdone by others.
Don’t feel ashamed, it’s just like this, many people want to kneel but they can’t!
…
Lu Bei arrived a little early today. Zhu Qilan was still in the camp. The well-behaved and sensible housekeeper Yu helped the master bathe and change clothes. Before he knew it, he also went into the water.
Now that I’m here, I won’t go up.
"Master, this is the wine sent from the palace. They say it's produced in Xuanlong. Does it taste good?" Butler Yu drank the wine with his mouth. After a few glasses, he claimed that he couldn't handle the alcohol and lay in Lu Bei's arms as limp as a boneless person.
Unlike the timid Zhan Hongqu and the like, Housekeeper Yu was a proactive player. After Zhu Qilan decided on Lu Bei, she no longer considered herself an outsider in front of Lu Bei. If Zhu Qilan had not repeatedly warned her not to cheat, she would have killed Lu Bei long ago.
"It's ok, but I don't think it tastes good. How about two more cups?"
"Master is so bad!"
“Hehehe…”
Generally speaking, Lu Bei doesn't drink. As a real man, he can't take back his words once they've been spoken. He is sworn enemies of gambling, drugs and alcohol, so how can he go back on his word
But someone said that a white horse is not a horse.
He thought it made sense. By analogy, imported wine is not wine, so there is no harm in tasting it and it does not count as breaking one's promise.
The two of them had a few drinks, and the atmosphere became more and more exciting. Just as they were about to get together, the couple was hugging each other, but suddenly a cold snort interrupted them, and the surface of the pool froze, making the ice crystal clear and chilling.
"Your Highness is back."
Butler Yu bit Lu Bei's ear, dragged him out of the swimming pool, wiped off the water stains with his ten fingers, and changed him into clean clothes.
"Come back if you want to. Why is she humming? Is her throat uncomfortable?"
Lu Bei chattered loudly, then raised his eyebrows: "This guy is just pretending to be noble. We were together last time, but this time he's putting on airs."
Butler Yu covered his mouth and laughed secretly. After putting on his clothes, he took Lu Bei to the study and whispered, "Her Highness has been unhappy these days. Someone has offended her. Master, remember to comfort her later and say a few more nice words."
"Who is so bold as to offend her? Tell me, and I will teach that person a lesson."
"It's far away, yet it's right before your eyes."
"I see. I've been practicing hard recently and haven't come to see my cousin for a few days. She's mad at me."
“More than that!”
Butler Yu chuckled secretly, and while talking he came to the study, stood behind Zhu Qilan, and gently massaged his shoulders.
Zhu Qilan had a very grim look on his face and lowered his head to correct the files. After Lu Bei entered the room, he didn't even look at him.
"Go, you rough hands and feet, you hurt His Highness, let me take over."
Lu Bei pushed Butler Yu aside with his butt, pressed his ten fingers on Zhu Qilan's shoulders, and pinched them a few times: "Don't be angry, I've been too busy lately and can't spare time. Look, I'm back!"
Zhu Qilan snorted coldly and turned her head to look aside. Lu Bei suddenly realized and kissed her on the face. She lost her defense and immediately blushed.
Zhu Qilan didn't want to look through the files anymore. He put down the red pen and said sarcastically, "So it's Master Lu from the Heavenly Sword Sect. You weren't in Xuanlong to defend against the monsters, so why did you return to Wuzhou?"
"I miss you!"
Lu Bei spoke without saying anything, picked up Zhu Qilan and put him on his lap, then sat down on the seat of the head of the family and asked the rough-handed butler Yu to massage his shoulders.
Butler Yu stood obediently behind Lu Bei, with a smile on his face, watching the pair of enemies flirting with each other.
Zhu Qilan sat across Lu Bei's legs. Her posture was too weak, making her look like a little woman. She was not used to it for a moment, but she did not refuse. She struggled a few times to show her displeasure, and only gave in to Lu Bei when she was forced, and that was the end of it.
"My cousin already knows about my trip to Xuanlong. Tsk, news spreads fast. Did the capital tell you?" Lu Bei said a few sweet words and started teasing.
"Speaking of this, I get angry. You were flirting with other girls outside, and Xuanlong sent her to..."
Zhu Qilan was so angry that he started to talk about his unhappiness amid the snickering of housekeeper Yu.
Wu Zhou and Qi Yan had a brief confrontation, in which Qi Yan killed two Tribulation Crossing cultivators, Ji Xin and Ji Chen. The influence of the royal family plummeted, and they seemed unable to suppress the Xiantian Mansion, and the situation in the country became turbulent.
It just so happened that at this time, Wu Zhou was making moves on the front line again, and was determined to fight Qi Yan to the death. Even if the envoys of the human holy land tried to mediate, they insisted that Qi Yan pay the price in blood.
The atmosphere became so tense that Qi Yan was eager to stabilize internal conflicts and had no choice but to compromise with Wu Zhou.
The word compromise, rather than surrender, is used here for a reason.
As a major country, Qi and Yan surrendered without losing an inch of territory, which was a disgrace to the people and lost their reputation. It also became an international joke and seriously damaged national interests.
Therefore, surrender is impossible. He would rather spend more money and sign a few agreements with Wu Zhou in private than announce surrender openly.
Simply put, Wu Zhou took the benefits, Qi Yan retained their face, the two sides shook hands and made peace, and they remained good plastic brothers in the future.
You call me brother and I call you cousin.
Wu Zhou thought it was feasible and made a huge request. Zhu Qilan did not know the specific negotiation process, how much compensation was demanded, and whether any land was ceded.
She only knew that her brother, the emperor in the capital, had written her a letter in which he pointed out that Qi Yan had actively admitted his mistakes at the negotiation table, and that the current emperor Ji had long heard of the name of the Immortal Sword Master and had admired him for a long time. He wanted to get close to the Heavenly Sword Sect's Master Lu, and it would be best if they could visit each other more often in the future.
To show his sincerity, he brought a beautiful princess with him and waited for the negotiations to be over before sending her to Yuezhou Zangqianshan through official channels.
The emperor was very pleased.
No, it was the Emperor who was furious.
Zhu Qiyou wanted to agree, but his clan members disagreed, especially his father, the retired emperor Zhu Bangchun, and the former retired emperor Zhu Jingli and others, who overturned the table on the spot and refused the compensation.
It's so funny. Who is Ji from Qi Yan? How dare she eat from the bowl of Zhu's family? Go to hell!
Just like that, the beautiful Princess Ji was sent back, and she went straight back home before her carriage even crossed the border.
Let’s not talk about the negotiations for now. Before the Zhu family could feel proud for long, a team of envoys from Xuanlong arrived in the capital, and their leader, Baimao, handed over a handwritten letter from Zhao Fangce, the Emperor of Xuanlong.
The content of the letter was simple. It first thanked the Tianjian Sect's Sect Master Lu for his contribution to Xuanlong, and then explained that the situation in the northern border was critical and asked Wu Zhou for money and resources.
If you don't give it to them, the Zhao family of Xuanlong will be very unhappy, and they will get angry.
What if some unruly cultivators from the Chiyun Palace sneaked into Wu Zhou to cause sabotage, such as the Three Evils, and caused a diplomatic dispute, and everyone would lose face.
Normally, when Xuanlong got angry, it was just for fun and people would just listen to it and not take it seriously.
The battle front in the north was long, and Xuanlong had no time to show off its military power to Wu Zhou. But now it is different, because Sect Master Lu of the Tianjian Sect has stepped forward, two of the four demon kings have died and one has been injured. Xuanlong can completely draw out a group of elite soldiers and generals to expand the territory to the south.
All the emperors of the Zhu family, retired and active, were furious.
Then the retired ones became even angrier, while the active ones were overjoyed.
Because Zhao Fangce changed the subject in the letter, he and Lu Bei slept side by side, regarded him as a close friend, and almost became sworn brothers.
Although it didn't work out, it didn't affect the close relationship between the two. Zhao Fangce invited Lu Bei to move the Tianjian Sect to Xuanlong and was willing to offer him the position of General Zhenbei, whose status was only second to the Grand Marshal of the Army. After being politely declined, the two sides reached a friendly cooperative relationship, and the Tianjian Sect would establish a branch in Xuanlong.
In order to enable friendly exchanges of views between the two sides, special diplomat Zhao Wuyou was stationed in Yuezhou all year round, hoping that Wu Zhou would quickly approve a piece of land, preferably just opposite Zangqian Mountain.
If Wu Zhou agrees to this request, Xuan Long will help put pressure on her and help Wu Zhou gain more benefits at the negotiation table between Qi and Yan.
Just after driving away the shameless Ji family, the Zhao family came to grab food. How could the retired emperors of the old Zhu family not be angry? Intimidated by the powerful national strength of Xuanlong, they dared not speak out and gritted their teeth to agree to the white-haired diplomats to enter Yuezhou.
According to the process, the land will be approved next year, the official residence will be built the year after, and it should collapse the year after that.
Zhu Qiyou didn't say much in the letter. Every time he finished his letter, he talked about how powerful Lu Bei was. It was more painful than killing him.
They only boasted about how beautiful the white-haired diplomat was, how she was one of the most beautiful women in the world, how well-educated she was, and how she came from a famous family. If it weren't for the national conditions of Xuanlong, she would at least be a princess.
Let Zhu Qilan take good care of him and don't let Xuanlong get what he wants.
Zhu Qiyou wanted to change the way he wrote it, asking his sister to focus on state affairs and not be obsessed with personal relationships. If that didn't work, he should just let that guy go to avoid ruining her relationship with Xuanlong.
Unfortunately, the people around him were either fathers, grandfathers, or great-grandfathers, and he was the only grandson. If he dared to write like this, he would be beaten on the spot.
This is why Zhu Qilan was sulking. She believed that Lu Bei would not be tempted by beauty. No matter how beautiful Xuan Long's white hair was, Lu Bei would not even look at him. She was just angry that Xuan Long had blatantly snatched her beloved and sent the beauty to Lu Bei's doorstep. He was really arrogant and hateful.
By the way, there’s Qi Yan, she’s not a good person either!
After listening to this, Lu Bei fell into a long silence.
Zhu Qilan waited angrily for Lu Bei to swear that even if Baimao was stunningly beautiful, he would not fall in love with someone else. After a long while, he saw that Lu Bei seemed to be thinking about something, as if he was quite moved. He got furious and pinched a piece of soft flesh on his waist and twisted it hard a few times.
You dead man, say something!
Lu Bei hissed and leaned his head against Butler Yu's chest, then bounced back to his original position. Facing Zhu Qilan's fierce eyes, he raised his eyebrows and said:
"Well, is the beautiful princess of Qi Yan really that beautiful?"
"…" x2