As an official, what's wrong with raising a few monsters?

Chapter 256 Fox
Mingchen rose to prominence solely through his eloquence.

Time flew by, and Mingchen and Qinlou drank and chatted happily in the spacious Tiger Hall.

Every now and then, bursts of hearty laughter could be heard.

Mingchen was a very special person. He was arrogant and unrestrained, and he would not bow his head even when facing the emperor. He had no sense of respect for others.

However, he was also exceptionally talented and intelligent, making him someone that could not be underestimated.

These two elements combined constitute his unique charm, which enhances his value and makes people want to get close to him.

It's practically a king trap.

His Majesty, high above all others, is often lonely, constantly surrounded by obsequious people and rife with intrigue and suspicion...

Few people can walk in the right gaps like Mingchen. He is a friend, joking without restraint, yet he is not arrogant because of his favor, he doesn't want anything in return, and he has no ulterior motives.

Such a person is very rare for a monarch.

Even for a monarch, friends are a luxury.

It is unknown how much time passed, but the sun set in the west, the sky turned dusky, and the main hall gradually darkened.

The waiters were all driven out by Qin Lou, and no one from Xixin Si could come; there wasn't even anyone to light the lamps.

A thousand cups of wine are less than a confidant.

After another cup of wine, the effects of the alcohol began to rise, and Qin Lou seemed to be slightly tipsy. He looked up at the dimly lit Tiger Palace and then turned to Ming Chen, saying, "It's getting a bit dark here. Let's go outside."

He doesn't want to let Mingchen go yet.

Mingchen cupped his hands in greeting and left the main hall with him.

The Tiger Hall has a very special structure. Unlike the Yangxin Hall of the Qian Yuan Dynasty, the area outside the hall is not a normal palace courtyard, nor is it covered with greenery. Instead, it is a martial arts training ground.

Legend has it that the Northern Emperor was skilled in both literature and martial arts. After handling state affairs, he would often go out to practice boxing and hone his martial arts skills.

The people of Beilie are martial, and in every new army recruitment competition, the final winner has the opportunity to meet His Majesty and compete on the same stage. This is one of the greatest honors pursued by the people of Beilie.

“Mingchen, the Northerners are different from you Southerners. We Northerners don’t like poetry and elegance. Instead, we like to fight and compete, and we make friends through martial arts.”

As dusk fell, the weather was no longer as hot as during the day.

A cool breeze brushed against my face, dispelling some of the effects of the alcohol.

Qin Lou raised an eyebrow, looking at Ming Chen with interest: "Since you are my friend, would you dare to have a discussion with me here in this martial arts arena?"

I originally thought Mingchen was just a scholar who played with words in the court, and that killing a civil official in the court back then didn't prove anything.

However, it was simply because the opponent was weak to begin with, plus the surprise attack.

However, later, when Qian Yuan led his army westward to attack the Xiongnu, the Marquis of Jing'an's eight hundred cavalrymen cut through the grasslands, killing 100,000 enemies. The Marquis of Jing'an became famous throughout the world, and his fame was well-deserved.

Qin Lou then realized that he had misjudged the situation.

True skill isn't learned through practice, but through fighting.

He'd had some drinks today, and his hands were itching to get physical.

He was the top fighter in the Northern Lie, but he himself didn't know whether those old, cunning generals had held back when they fought him.

Fighting with those people is pointless; you can't experience the true joy of making friends through martial arts in the martial arts world.

Mingchen: ...

His Majesty's muscles are so muscular they're practically in his brain. He's tall and strong, looks like a bear. I remember seeing him smash that recruit into the wall in the arena.

Hit him?

Don't break his back with one punch.

"Your Majesty, Chen is nothing but a scholar who can't even kill a chicken!"

Mingchen pointed to the burly Qin Lou, then to himself: "Isn't what you're saying a little impolite?"

Mingchen was also very tall and had a well-proportioned figure; he wasn't the thin type.

However, compared to the burly and imposing Qin Lou, it is clearly not in the same league.

"Hey, you can't even kill a chicken?"

Qin Lou looked up at him as if he had heard a joke: "A dashing young man in fine clothes and riding a spirited horse, the barbarians have never seen the Nine Great Passes. How did you get here as a marquis? Do you think I don't know what you did on the grasslands? Go and tell the Xiongnu these things, and see if they listen to you?"

To the north of Beilie are countless mountain ranges.

The southwest is also grassland, the domain of nomads, and the Xiongnu would occasionally harass the border, only they were not the same ethnic group as those on the Qian Yuan border.

Previously, Tian Hong was the General Who Guards the West and fought many battles against the Xiongnu.

Therefore, Qin Lou was aware of the Xiongnu people's fighting strength and the value of Ming Chen's reputation.

Mingchen simply waved his hand: "It's just luck, nothing more than luck."

"Stop being so wishy-washy. If you defeat me, I'll give you my daughter in marriage! I'll make you the Prince Consort of Beilie, how about that? She'll follow you wherever you go, whether you're a chicken or a dog. National affairs are none of her concern. Even if she goes with you to Jiqu, it won't matter!"

Mingchen: ...

Brother, look at yourself!

The fact that the Empress gave birth to such a refined and gentlemanly child as Qin Qi is already a blessing from her genes.

I can't even imagine what your daughter looks like.

Mingchen has never denied that he is a member of the "appearance association".

"What's that look in your eyes?!"

Mingchen didn't say a word, but his expression seemed to say something.

Qin Lou's eyes widened, and he said angrily, "Let me tell you, General Tian has proposed to me several times, but I haven't accepted!"

General Tian has really wronged his own child.

Qin Lou stood on the training ground and beckoned to Ming Chen: "Come on, fight me! I'm going to teach you a lesson today!"

Now that things had come to this point, Mingchen couldn't refuse any longer.

Although Mingchen wasn't interested in fighting, he figured he might as well do what the locals said and have a fight.

He cupped his hands in a gesture of respect towards Qin Lou: "I hope Your Majesty will show mercy."

"bring it on!"

His response was a fist carrying a strong wind.

Qin Lou let out a low shout, and a fist the size of a clay pot came flying straight at him.

Mingchen's eyes sharpened, and he nimbly dodged Qin Lou's fierce punch.

"What's wrong? Have you had too much to drink?"

I drank quite a bit of alcohol today, but it didn't affect Qin Lou much.

His steps were steady, and his punches were powerful.

However, Mingchen was perfectly fine, his face wasn't red, and he spoke clearly, but when he stepped onto the training ground, his steps were unsteady and he couldn't stand steadily, as if he were drunk.

However, it was extremely dangerous; he narrowly escaped Qin Lou's punch.

"It's alright, let's fight."

Mingchen got into position, his eyes glazed with drunkenness, and said with a smile.

He is no longer the naive scholar he once was; with the passage of time and the battles on the battlefield, his martial arts skills have become increasingly refined.

This is actually better than the arduous training that Ling Yu mentioned, which took ten years to hone a single skill.

"Hmph! I won't hold back!"

Qin Lou snorted and unleashed a powerful punch, smashing down right in front of him.

However, although Mingchen looked drunk, his body was as slippery as an eel, and he once again narrowly turned to the side, missing the force of the punch.

Once could be a coincidence, but twice is clearly not.

Before Qin Lou could react, Ming Chen grabbed his wrist as he turned to the side, and with a sudden twist of his waist and hips, his shoulder pressed against Qin Lou's chest.

"cough……"

Qin Lou's eyes narrowed instantly, he coughed repeatedly, and took two or three steps back.

Mingchen's dodge and leaning clearly proved his worth.

Qin Lou patted his chest, looked at Ming Chen, who was swaying in front of him, and, seeing an opportunity, asked excitedly, "What kind of fist technique is this?"

How do assassins fight tanks?

Mingchen had used all his strength in that punch, but it didn't seem to put any pressure on the burly man.

But with his small frame, one punch from Qin Lou would be enough to make him suffer.

Sure enough, even a dog wouldn't learn martial arts.

Magic is still the most effective.

Mingchen rubbed his eyes, his body riddled with openings: "Your Majesty is not going to fight anymore?"

"Hahaha, let's fight, let's fight, let's try again!"

Qin Lou laughed heartily, like a charging rhinoceros, and threw another punch.

Qin Lou didn't use any profound or exquisite boxing techniques; it was just the fighting style of the Northern Fierce Army, which followed a domineering and unparalleled path of forceful and powerful attacks.

There doesn't seem to be any particularly sophisticated martial arts in this world; everything simply relies on the martial artist's own quick reflexes, strength, and physique.

Each punch and kick carried a powerful gust of wind, exuding fierce power.

Mingchen, on the other hand, was strangely agile and nimble, seemingly full of flaws, like a drunkard who slipped and fell without a care.

But he always managed to narrowly avoid Qin Lou's fierce punches.

Instead, he would occasionally seize an opportunity to attack Qin Lou a couple of times.

but……

Whether it was Mingchen's imagination or not, as Qin Lou became more and more excited in the battle, the wind direction in the entire courtyard seemed to have changed.

The air seemed to stand still, an invisible pressure weighed on my shoulders, making it increasingly difficult to breathe, my body felt suppressed, and my movements became increasingly difficult.

Faintly, it seemed, the shape of a tiger could be seen behind this excited monarch.

Each punch and kick was accompanied by a roar of power.

The two exchanged blows, their fists and feet striking each other, their sleeves whistling through the air.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, His Majesty is meeting with important guests inside. Please don't come over!"

"Get out of the way! Where's my Yingxue? My Yingxue is coming right here!"

"Your Highness... Ah! Your Highness, please slow down..."

"Your Highness, no!"

Just as the two were locked in fierce combat, a commotion suddenly erupted from outside the arena.

A red figure darted in from outside the door, followed by several other figures tangled together in a chaotic mess. "Father, I'm here!"

A spoiled female voice rang out, and a slender figure ran over, finally catching up with the little thing in front of her, grabbing it, and holding it in her arms.

Behind her were several trembling palace servants, and the scene became somewhat chaotic.

Mingchen is someone who never puts his whole heart into anything he does; he is easily distracted.

I unconsciously glanced to the side.

She was a beautiful young woman, dressed in luxurious clothes, with her eyebrows slightly raised, seemingly possessing a natural air of arrogance.

She's not bad looking.

However, Mingchen has seen many beauties, and he had just seen the mermaid's stunning beauty not long ago!
It won't be that easy to be amazed.

His gaze swept briefly over the woman before finally settling on the object in her arms.

But he was unconsciously stunned for a moment.

It was a small fox, not very big, and it looked well taken care of. Its fur was a bright, translucent red.

At that moment, it was being held in the woman's arms, its little eyes darting around as it observed everything that was happening before its eyes.

"Humph!"

They're fighting, how dare you daydream?!
In battle, every moment can determine the final outcome.

When Qin Lou was fighting, he didn't care about anything or who came.

He was focused only on the present moment and noticed that Mingchen was distracted and revealed a flaw.

He threw a vicious punch at Mingchen's face.

There is no second place in martial arts.

He was extremely competitive and naturally wanted to win.

The incredibly fast fist arrived in front of Mingchen's face in an instant, like a tiger opening its bloody maw, about to swallow him whole.

However, while seizing the enemy's weaknesses and launching a full-scale attack, it also means that one's own weaknesses will be exposed.

The wind from the fist hit my face.

Mingchen's eyes flashed, and his figure moved like the wind, turning sideways and circling behind Qin Lou.

The next moment, the fierce battle came to a halt.

The sunset glow of yesteryear once shone on the training ground, dust swirling, exuding an air of desolation.

Under the astonished gazes of the woman and the waiters.

He curled his fingers into claws and gripped Qin Lou's throat.

No matter how strong a person is, they are still human, and they will die if their throat is crushed.

At this very moment, if the owner of this grip exerted even a little force, he could cause the most exalted monarch of the Northern Fierce Kingdom to bleed on the spot, plunging the world into chaos.

This guy is so big that Mingchen has to stand on tiptoe to reach him.

"Big...bold..."

"There's an assassin... There's an assassin!"

The woman's eyes widened, her face filled with panic, and she could barely speak.

She never imagined that her most powerful father would one day be captured by someone.

The little fox in her arms also had bright eyes, watching the two people fighting in the training ground.

However, before the situation could escalate into greater chaos, Mingchen released his grip on his own.

"Hahaha, good good!"

Kings hate risk the most.

In that very instant, Qin Lou risked losing his life.

However, he didn't care at all. Instead, he laughed even more heartily and said to Mingchen, "Mingchen, you're amazing! Don't hold back your skills in the future!"

If you didn't win, you didn't win.

He has always been able to accept defeat and enjoys the exhilarating feeling of fighting.

Fighting those generals who are too restrained is no fun.

It's still more fun playing against Mingchen.

This person's technique was so slippery that you couldn't land a hit, and you didn't get the thrill of a direct, impactful blow. Instead, you ended up getting hit quite a bit yourself.

These days, it's quite difficult to find a perfect opponent.

Mingchen simply cupped his hands in greeting: "Your Majesty has shown me more than one step of leniency. I am well aware of my own limitations, so let's not dwell on this."

Mingchen was well aware of his own abilities.

Qin Lou was too strong and powerful. His punch was clearly restrained, for fear of hurting Ming Chen if he couldn't control it.

If it really came down to a fight to the death, in terms of martial arts alone, Mingchen couldn't beat him.

Mingchen gave Qin Lou face, and Qin Lou appreciated it.

He smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Martial arts, martial arts, it's just about teaching martial arts."

As the sun sets and a gentle breeze caresses my face, I feel refreshed after working up a sweat during the fight.

He then turned around and looked in the direction of the chaos.

The elegantly dressed woman and several waiters fell silent, standing to one side with their heads bowed, their faces showing some fear.

What are you doing here?!

This girl seems to have been spoiled rotten by him.

Holding the little fox, the woman met her father's gaze and couldn't help but shiver: "Father, I... I couldn't keep an eye on my Yingxue and she ran over. I was afraid of disturbing your peace, so I came to catch her and take her away."

She held the little fox and peered towards Qin Lou, reporting in a low voice.

They shifted all the blame onto the pet.

If it were just Qin Lou alone, that would be fine.

Her father treated her well, so it was nothing for her to trespass into the Tiger Palace a few times; he probably wouldn't blame her.

But if there are other people around, and they aren't acquaintances like Uncle Tian, ​​then it will be troublesome.

"Aren't you disturbing my peace now?"

Qin Lou raised an eyebrow, his face stern, showing no trace of the cheerful demeanor he had displayed during his battle with Ming Chen.

The woman trembled and knelt down on the ground: "Your child... Your child dares not, please forgive me, Father."

"Humph!"

Qin Lou glanced at her sideways: "All you do every day is play and run around without any morals. What kind of behavior is this?!"

Huh huh~
The woman simply lowered her eyes, tears welling in her eyes, and looked at him pleadingly like a fawn.

Qin Lou glared at her, pointed at her, and said sternly, "Get out of here. I'll deal with you later!"

"Your son obeys!"

The woman lowered her head in fear, her face hidden in the shadows, but she couldn't help but smile.

Father Emperor spared her this time.

"Get out of here!"

The group left in a sorry state.

……

"Who is that person?"

"Is it the Northern Martyrs?"

After leaving the Tiger Palace courtyard, Princess Beilie composed herself, no longer displaying the fear she had shown in front of the Emperor.

Holding the little fox, he recalled everything that had just happened in the training ground.

He kept asking the servant beside him.

The families of the powerful and wealthy often held gatherings and events, introducing each other for marriage.

Whose young lady or young master...

She recognized most of the high-ranking officials and nobles, but searching her memory, she couldn't recall any handsome young man who could be associated with Mingchen.

To challenge the Emperor to a duel, and even dare to... commit such an overstepping act.

To put it bluntly, that was an attempted assassination!

"This humble servant is unaware..."

His Majesty values ​​this young man so highly, even if they knew, these palace servants wouldn't dare to speak recklessly.

"Hmm... could it be..."

The princess pondered, a hint of worry in her eyes, her thoughts unreadable.

The little fox in my arms had bright, lively eyes.

The group gradually walked away.

……

What was supposed to be a thrilling battle ended rather anticlimactically.

After everyone left, Qin Lou turned around and said to Ming Chen, "Ming Chen, she is my first child, and I've spoiled her a bit. I hope you'll forgive me."

"Your Highness is innocent, carefree, and unrestrained; you are like an elf."

Qin Lou waved his hand, unsure whether Ming Chen's words were a compliment.

The Tiger King was unparalleled in his domineering and unrestrained rule over the country.

But when facing his children, he was nothing more than a slightly more noble father. He raised an eyebrow, a hint of smugness in his eyes, as if to prove something: "How about it? My daughter isn't ugly, is she?!"

Although the child is a bit spoiled, he has a good temperament and is not ugly.

She was considered one of the most beautiful women in Beilie.

The poor guy's expression before the fight was absolutely infuriating!

Although the girl's arrival was somewhat impolite, she had at least shown her face in front of Mingchen and proved herself.

To prevent this guy from overthinking.

Mingchen smiled and praised, "Your Highness is a beauty of unparalleled grace and charm, truly exquisite."

The Empress's genes are truly powerful; she played a significant role in this.

(End of this chapter)