I really became a king.

Chapter 35

As the sun rises, the capital of Dali regains its former prosperity. Crowds of people are busy and bustling in the streets and alleys.

People in restaurants, teahouses, and even street vendors were all talking about one thing: Longmen Tournament!

Since yesterday morning, news has been circulating from the palace that a Longmen Arena will be set up in a month, with the target being Prince Duan's Mansion.

When they heard the news, almost no one believed it. They all looked down on it, thinking it was impossible. Who was Prince Duan Jiang Lie? The fourth prince of the Dali Dynasty, the legitimate son of the current queen.

Moreover, he had been guarding the northern border for more than ten years. Not only did he have tremendous power, but he also truly incorporated the northern border, which had been outside the Dali Dynasty since the early days of the founding of the dynasty, into the Dali frontier. This was an enormous achievement.

How could he possibly be the target of the Longmen Challenge?

But just last night, all those who disdained the news shut up because the palace issued an imperial decree that shocked the world!

Prince Duan's Mansion once again became the center of the storm. This time, the storm was different from the previous one. It directly pushed Prince Duan's Mansion into the abyss of death. Prince Duan's Mansion also became the focus of everyone's discussion.

In a small roadside teahouse, five or six peddlers were resting here, all talking loudly.

"Hey, what did I say? It's come true now, right?"

"That's a lie. Didn't you say it was impossible yesterday?"

"Alas, Longmen Lei, it has not appeared in our dynasty for thousands of years. It is truly a disaster sent from heaven. I'm afraid that Prince Duan's lineage will not be able to escape this time." An old trader sighed.

"Prince Duan's Mansion won't necessarily lose, right?" someone questioned.

The old vendor wiped his mouth and became interested: "That's because you don't understand the power of Longmen Arena. Today I will explain it to you..."

But before he could finish his words, a voice rang out from inside the teahouse:
"Sichuan Nong, we're closed. The teahouse is closed today!"

The sound was so loud that it instantly drowned out the original noisy sounds. Everyone looked in astonishment at the old man with a long beard standing at the door of the inner hall.

"My fellow villagers, I'm sorry. I have something to do at home today. I'd like to trouble you to rest somewhere else. I'm sorry for the poor hospitality. Please don't pay for the tea." A man in his forties or fifties smiled and bowed. He was Dong Chuannong, the owner of this small teahouse.

It is natural that people would feel unhappy to see someone opening a business but chasing away customers. Some people wanted to ask for an explanation, but were stopped by the old merchant.

"Old shopkeeper, since we have something to do at home today, let's leave." He smiled at the old man with a long beard and pulled a few people out of the teahouse.

It’s not that they are afraid of the old shopkeeper. Although he holds the position of "Si Xue" in the court, his status is not as good as those peddlers and hawkers.

But he is the only literate craftsman in this alley after all, and he has to rely on him for daily festivals, weddings and funerals, and even for writing letters home.

Dong Chengyang looked at his son who was standing there motionless and shouted, "What are you doing? Why don't you close the shop? You ungrateful thing." After saying that, he went back to the inner hall.

Dong Chuannong felt aggrieved. When had he ever been ungrateful? This small teahouse was opened with the funding of the young prince of Prince Duan's Mansion, and he always kept it in mind.

"How could this happen? This is the Dragon Gate Challenge, the most brutal kind of Dragon Gate Challenge at that. It's the equivalent of confiscation of property and extermination of the entire clan!"

Dong Chengyang sat in the inner hall in a daze, the image of the "student" who had studied with him for more than a year emerged in his mind. He could never bear to hear this word coming out of the other person's mouth.

That year or so was the most comfortable and dignified time in his life. Rather than being a student, he was more like a teacher and friend as the other party said.

It was during this more than one year of getting along that he gained a lot. In the past few months since returning home, he has been thinking about and sorting out what he has gained during that period. He always feels that there is something in his heart that is about to erupt, but he just can't find a clue.

"Do you want to go to Prince Duan's Mansion?"

"But how can I help if I go?" Dong Chengyang paced back and forth in the inner hall for a while, unable to make up his mind.

At the same time, in a dirty alley in the imperial capital of Dali, peddlers and passers-by were all discussing this matter.

"Tuo San, isn't the young prince the biological son of the current queen? How could he be so cruel?"

A young woman whose clothes were worn but neatly dressed asked in a low voice, shrinking her neck and looking around as if she was afraid of being heard.

"Who can tell clearly about royal affairs?" A slightly hunchbacked man next to her shook his head.

"Then do you think the young prince will win?" the young woman asked again.

The hunchbacked man glanced at the other man and said, "Tuo Xiaoliu, are you deaf? Have you heard that the entire Dali Emperor is optimistic about him? If he wins, I'm afraid he won't be able to save his life!"

The young woman opened her mouth, her charming face was a little pale, and she said anxiously: "What should I do?"

Tuo San glanced at his sister and said, "Why are you so anxious? This is none of your business."

"We have already received a deposit. Now that Prince Duan's Mansion is gone, what shall we do with those four little hooves? And the five taels of silver..."

"The Prince Duan's Mansion is gone, who cares about five taels of silver? You have a rusty head, don't you?"

The young woman's eyes lit up, and she patted her chest and said, "Yes, I made five taels of silver for nothing!"

"But it's a pity. I could have entered the palace, but I could only be a maid supervisor..."

The Tuo San next to her looked at her with squinted eyes, snorted with disdain, and picked up a cucumber and put it into his mouth.

"Tu San, what's with that expression on your face?"

The young woman grabbed the cucumber and said with her hands on her hips:
"You only know how to eat and eat. How can you set up a stall if you eat everything? If you don't set up a stall to make money, how can you marry a wife and remain single for the rest of your life?"

After saying that, he packed up the vegetable stall and walked home, twisting his body and muttering in a low voice: "You made me unable to eat delicious food and drink spicy drinks, damn poison..."

Before she finished speaking, she suddenly remembered something, quickly covered her mouth, looked around, lowered her head and walked home.

Qiongyulou is the most famous restaurant in the imperial capital of Dali. Only high-ranking officials and dignitaries can come here.

Cao Yude from the Bingmasi was sitting at a table by the window on the second floor, drinking wine with a sad face, and the two people opposite him also looked gloomy.

"General, do you think we will be in trouble?" one of the men on the opposite side asked in a low voice.

"How would I know?" Cao Yude replied without any reply, picking up the cup and drinking it all.

"General, he's still in class and was caught drinking..." another person advised.

But as soon as he opened his mouth, Cao Yude glared at him: "You don't even know if this seat can be taken, and you still care about this!"

"You said that gentleman was also stubborn. A real man should be able to bend and stretch. He should have listened to Prince Zhong's words at the beginning... Why did he end up like this!"

Cao Yude didn't say anything, but sneered in his heart, that's because you don't know what kind of person Prince Zhong is. Even if you submit to him, the ending of Prince Duan's Mansion will not be much better.

He was also thinking secretly in his heart, what would he choose if it were him, surrender? He shuddered as if he had thought of some terrible scene, thinking that it would be better to fight and die.

(End of this chapter)