Longzang

Chapter 452 Meeting
As noon approached, the warm sunlight shone on the Hanyang Pass tower, making the majestic pass appear exceptionally tall. However, the intense shadows also made it look mottled and ancient, with a touch of decay.

Xu Zhongxing sat on the terrace of the West Gate tower, a pot of wine warming beside him, his eyes slightly narrowed as he looked at the vast and endless Western Regions.

Fan Donghe sat down beside him, a pot of wine beside him, and slowly sipped it, saying, "It's the best that my elder brother is back."

Xu Zhongxing chuckled, pointed ahead, and said, “Look, three years ago, the view from here was lush and green. But now, in just over two years, it has turned into a pale green, and there’s even a hint of freshness under the clouds. Actually, I don’t care about official positions and ranks, but now, guarding this place has truly become a sinecure.”

Fan Donghe could only sigh deeply.

To the uninformed, Hanyang Pass remains the same majestic and formidable pass as it has always been.

However, Fan Donghe knew very well that Hanyang Pass, having lost eight giant crossbows and with its defensive array destroyed, was now merely a facade, nothing more than a tall stone city. In a real battle, the city walls would be of no use at all; cultivators at the Blood Fusion Realm could climb them by hand, and those at the Bone Forging Realm could even use a running start to scale them.

Now, both men have been stripped of their official positions and salaries, and exiled to Hanyang Pass to serve as the commander and deputy commander of the western gate. The new garrison commander is an elder who ranks at the bottom. Fortunately, this elder has no powerful background and his cultivation is weak. As fellow Dharma Aspect cultivators, Fan Donghe would probably be able to defeat him in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

So the elder was sensible enough not to interfere in Ximen's affairs, but instead lorded it over the area outside Ximen and plundered the land.

Xu Zhongxing took a sip of wine, gazed westward, and said slowly, "The pure energy of heaven and earth is gradually rising in the west. Although it is not a good thing for us, it is a great thing for the human race."

Fan Donghe sighed, "Who cares who's good or bad? I'm disheartened now and just want to get by."

Xu Zhongxing suddenly said, "Do you want to come with me to the north to fight the Liao people?"

Fan Donghe was taken aback and said, "Brother, I've spent my whole life dealing with the Wu tribe, and I'm not familiar with the Liao tribe! Besides, our territory has nothing to do with the Liao tribe. Are you suggesting I go and work for the Lü family?"

"No, we're not going to Western Jin, we're going to Northern Qi. The war there is intense right now, and they need manpower right now."

Fan Donghe was taken aback and said, "Brother, are you going to abandon the foundation you built in the clan?"

"After this incident, I feel that the so-called foundation and future prospects are really meaningless."

"What about my sisters-in-law and nephews and nieces? They can't possibly go to Northern Qi with me, can they?"

Xu Zhongxing remained silent for a moment, then sighed and said nothing more.

At this moment, Fan Donghe suddenly trembled, stood up, his whole body radiating murderous intent, and shouted in a deep voice: "Military spirit! Enemy is attacking!"

Xu Zhongxing remained lying there lazily, saying, "What enemies are there in the West now? Besides, judging from their military morale, Hanyang Pass is no match for us. If they really come to attack, we'll just open the gates and surrender."

Fan Donghe was completely bewildered, unsure whether Xu Zhongxing was telling the truth or being sarcastic. His cultivation was inferior to Xu Zhongxing's; at this moment, he could only see a military aura rising in the distance, rapidly approaching.

After a moment, Fan Donghe finally saw the full form of the military aura and was immediately alarmed. The military aura was square and solid, almost tangible, with a faint phantom image of a gigantic, unparalleled flying horse visible above it.

In terms of both military quality and quantity, at least ten elite border troops would be needed to match it. Currently, there are only 50,000 soldiers in Hanyang Pass, 45,000 of whom are new recruits and only 5,000 are veterans, and those are veterans in the literal sense.

If it were truly an enemy attack, this defense would crumble at the slightest touch. Fan Donghe instinctively shouted, "Activate the city's protective array!"

However, the officers in the city tower did not move, and each of them had a strange expression on their face.

Fan Donghe then remembered that during the last bandit raid, the defensive formation of Hanyang Pass had been almost completely dismantled, and most of the materials used in the formation had been stolen by the bandits. Subsequently, Wei Yuan's government troops entered the city again and ransacked the area, taking away the remaining scraps.

The Western Jin Dynasty's treasury was empty, and it had no money to repair the great formation or replace the giant crossbows. Therefore, the entire Hanyang Pass was now undefended, and no defensive formation could be activated.

Fan Donghe's expression changed again; the speed at which the military aura moved was unbelievable. It would be understandable if it were a squad of a hundred or so elite cavalry, but how could a border army of 100,000 be so fast? This speed was faster than the charging speed of many cavalry units!

Suddenly, several riders came flying by, shouting from afar, "Lord Wei Yuan, the military governor of Dingxi, is on his way to the capital to meet the emperor! Open the gates immediately to allow the escorting army to pass, otherwise you will be held responsible for delaying the governor's journey!"

Fan Donghe was furious upon hearing this, saying, "If you want to open the gates, you need a warrant from the Ministry of War! We're not under the jurisdiction of the Dingxi Military Governor Fan, so why should we obey his orders?!"

Xu Zhongxing suddenly said, "Open the door!"

Fan Dong swallowed back all his words, not understanding Xu Zhongxing's intentions. Although Xu Zhongxing had lost his official position, his influence remained, so the soldiers opened the gate as ordered.

In the blink of an eye, the military aura moved to the front of the pass, and the army beneath it revealed its true form. It was an iron cavalry force of over ten thousand men, with banners like a forest and armor shining brightly. They were all heavily armored knights wielding lances, rolling in like a steel torrent.

Just looking at the knights' equipment made Fan Donghe frown deeply. Only the most elite of the Xu family's private army, the Wufeng Cavalry, possessed this level of equipment, and the Wufeng Cavalry only numbered three thousand, which they hadn't even used during their two attacks on the border. But the Dingxi Cavalry under the military might numbered a full fifteen thousand!
When did Qingming acquire such strength?

The iron cavalry escorting Wei Yuan to the capital numbered 15,000. With such strength, they could probably conquer any city along the way, except for the capital.

The army charged straight towards the gate without stopping. At that moment, the newly appointed garrison commander, an elder of the Xu family, rushed over, shouting angrily, "Where did this army come from? Why haven't you closed the gate yet? Close it now!!"

His face was still flushed with wine, and his cheeks were stained with the rouge of many women. Although it was not yet noon, the newly appointed garrison commander was already living a rich and colorful life.

He hurriedly gave the order, but Xu Zhongxing said, "It's too late."

The Dingxi cavalry had automatically transformed into four riders per rank, surging into the city and heading straight for the east gate along the pass. The east gate's defenses were much weaker than the west gate's; the garrison commander, having heard that the west gate was wide open, had already opened his own gate wide, hoping these ancestral spirits would leave as soon as possible.

And so Wei Yuan's iron cavalry thundered through Hanyang Pass, heading eastward.

Only after the military might had faded into the distance in the east did the newly appointed garrison commander pat his chest, let out a long sigh, and then said, "How could you open the gates so readily? What if he turns on us after his army enters the city? How will we defend ourselves?"

Xu Zhongxing glanced at him, his disdain undisguised, and said, "If he wants to fight, what difference does it make whether the city gates are closed or not?" The elder, feeling somewhat embarrassed, coldly replied, "Hmph! As long as we close the gates, if he dares to fight, that would be treason! We're not under his jurisdiction, so what can he do if we don't let him into the city?"

Xu Zhongxing chuckled and said, "Elder, don't forget how this seat you're sitting in came to be vacant, and how your predecessor disappeared."

The elder instantly recalled the fate of his predecessor and turned ashen-faced. Hanyang Pass could neither stop Wei Yuan's government troops nor his bandits.

At this moment, Wei Yuan, riding on his blue steed, saw the light from the page above his head disappear, and the army's speed immediately slowed down.

Wei Yuan looked to his left and right, and saw that the vast land was covered in white snow. But in some fields, the snow had melted, revealing black soil, and some farmers were tilling the land.

This type of field is called the Fire Field. It uses a magic array to maintain the earth's temperature, allowing vegetables and fruits to be grown even in winter, so that high-ranking officials and nobles can also enjoy fresh produce during the winter.

Naturally, these fruits and vegetables were extremely expensive; even the most ordinary vegetable was beyond the reach of the farmers who cultivated it. The farmers in the fields were dressed in tattered clothes, their feet wading through melted snow, their exposed calves covered in large patches of frostbite. They shivered from the cold, yet they still had to work. Several monks in leather robes stood by the fields, supervising the farmers as they worked.

A typical scorched field is about ten acres in size, with nearly a hundred farmers working on it, all of them thin and bony.

Wei Yuan withdrew his gaze and looked again at the mountain village not far away. It was the coldest time of year after the snow had cleared, but only a few houses in the village had smoke rising from their chimneys, with fires burning inside. These few houses were detached and had their own courtyards, clearly belonging to wealthy families, while all the other houses were completely silent.

A moment later, the book was filled with spiritual energy again, and the army accelerated its eastward journey.

Several days later, Wei Yuan arrived in the capital. The magnificence of his army and the solemnity of his military spirit shocked the city! The Nine Gates Commander, Lü Zhongzhi, went up the city wall to observe, and then personally went out of the city to welcome Wei Yuan.

Wei Yuan brought a total of 5,000 Dragon Wing Heavy Cavalry and 10,000 Dragon Soaring Cavalry and Infantry, which filled all the military camps in Wengcheng.

As usual, Wei Yuan checked into the post station, but this time half of the post station was set aside specifically for his use. Wei Yuan didn't stand on ceremony and had Cui Yu, Xu Yi, and others move in, along with several dozen trusted officers.

Just as they settled in, before they even had a chance to unpack their luggage, a long, drawn-out announcement came from the post station: "Imperial edict has arrived!"

Wei Yuan could only receive the imperial edict in the courtyard. The one who came to deliver it was Liu Quangong. This most powerful eunuch in the palace unfolded the edict and announced in a long voice, "Announce: Wei Yuan, the military governor of Dingxi, will appear in court tomorrow. So be it!"

Wei Yuan had come prepared. After thanking the emperor and receiving the imperial edict, he took out a square box and handed it to Liu Quangong.

The box was about the size of a book, neither too big nor too small, and it felt very light. I wondered what was inside.

Liu Quangong neither refused nor put it away, but asked, "What kind of object is this?"

Wei Yuan lowered his voice and said, "Inside are ten Netherblood Youth Pills refined by Xue Yingluo. Each pill can extend one's life by three years. It does not conflict with other life-extending drugs, and its life-extending effect is not diminished. However, this pill uses Xue Yingluo as the main ingredient. Although it is not as potent as Xue Yingluo, it is still very harmful to the body and should not be taken in large quantities."

Liu Quangong immediately opened the lid of the box, glanced at it, and smelled the aroma of the elixir. He was immediately moved and said, "This treasure... I have no choice but to accept it! Lord Wei is very kind. If you ever need my help in the future, just let me know."

Wei Yuan smiled and said, "I will have to rely on the steward's help a lot in the future."

Liu Quangong's demeanor had become much more intimate at this point. He said, "This is our duty. By the way, the Imperial Concubine has summoned you to the palace for an audience immediately. Do not miss it. This time, you will ride in my carriage again. Let's go now!"

Chunhua Palace.

At this time, the Chunhua Palace had already activated its heat-preserving formation, with thick brocade screens and heated walls erected around the palace to block the cold wind. Charcoal braziers were burning in the four corners of the palace, making it somewhat warm and cozy.

Wei Yuan was led to the entrance of Chunhua Palace by a maid, who then withdrew, gesturing for Wei Yuan to enter on his own.

At this moment, Chunhua Palace was surrounded by high walls, each two zhang tall, and a screen wall stood at the entrance, obscuring the view inside. Wei Yuan felt somewhat uneasy as he walked around the screen wall and entered Chunhua Palace.

Upon entering the hall, he was immediately enveloped in warmth and a subtle fragrance, with wisps of smoke rising from two incense burners. The aroma seemed to veil Wei Yuan's consciousness, making him feel languid and his body increasingly sensitive.

His aura was declining steadily, his Dharma form was somewhat stagnant and difficult to operate, and his overall strength was suppressed to less than half.

Wei Yuan's heart skipped a beat. This was not just the effect of the fragrance. There was also an extremely powerful array set up in the hall, which could suppress Wei Yuan's strength by half. If an ordinary Dharma Aspect came, he would probably be directly knocked back to the early stage of Dao Foundation.

Consort Yuan sat regally on the throne in the hall, with a screen embroidered with colorful phoenixes behind her. On her left and right were the two familiar maids, who looked at Wei Yuan with enigmatic smiles.

It must be said that when Consort Yuan sat still, she was indeed dignified and holy, making it impossible for anyone to feel the slightest disrespect.

But in this respect, Wei Yuan felt that he was not human.

Consort Yuan's voice was clear and bright, like pearls falling onto a jade plate: "Come closer and speak."

When Wei Yuan arrived before Consort Yuan's phoenix throne, he had no choice but to kneel and pay his respects according to etiquette. Beneath Consort Yuan's phoenix throne was a sandalwood platform, and when Wei Yuan knelt, his head was just slightly higher than her feet.

At this moment, Consort Yuan suddenly lifted her skirt, revealing her feet standing on the wooden platform.

She wore extremely thin stockings, white on the left and black on the right. The stockings were made of a special material, so thin that it would take more than a dozen layers to equal the thickness of a single hair. Through the thin stockings, one could clearly see her pearly toes, her pale pink nail polish, and even the fine blue veins on the instep.

Her feet drew closer and closer to Wei Yuan. It turned out that two maids were carrying the base of the phoenix throne forward, until it was right in front of Wei Yuan. Consort Yuan stretched out her white-socked foot and gently lifted Wei Yuan's chin, making him raise his head.

Looking up, Wei Yuan saw that the hem of her skirt had risen above her knees, revealing that she was wearing long stockings that extended past her knees to the top of her thighs. Aside from that, only vague glimpses of something else were visible.

Consort Yuan's voice was like a mountain stream, tinkling and melodious, cold yet pleasant, as she said, "Lord Wei is indeed a clever man, knowing that only by coming to me and smoothing things over can he see the young Prince Chu."

(End of this chapter)