Ming Dynasty: pacifying the rebellion and defending the border, dominating the world

Chapter 402 Uninvited Guests in the Capital

Night battle in the capital.

A celestial being appeared out of nowhere, a peerless sword immortal.

The news couldn't be kept secret, of course.

It quickly spread like wildfire.

Under normal circumstances, this would have caused a huge uproar in the capital and even the entire martial arts world of the Ming Dynasty.

On such a solemn and solemn day as the coronation ceremony, the appearance of the celestial being on the ground in the capital city, fighting fiercely against the secret guards, and the peerless sword immortal, who summoned swords throughout the city with a single shout, did not cause much of a stir.

On the contrary, it is said that Zuichunlou received a huge sum of compensation.

Those swordsmen, merchants, and blacksmiths who were sleeping soundly when their swords were suddenly "borrowed" were all overjoyed, reportedly receiving far more than the price of the swords they had borrowed.

Outside the Zuichun Pavilion, which was rebuilt overnight, there seemed to be an extra young servant with an extraordinary air about him.

And an old gatekeeper with a missing arm.

News of such a trivial matter caused quite a stir and attracted a lot of attention.

……

Inside the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Jinzhen awoke from his meditation.

"What time is it?"

"Your Majesty, it has just passed the hour of Chou (1-3 AM)."

"Let Yimei in."

"Yes."

Upon receiving Zhu Jinzhen's order, Feng'er, who was serving him, quietly withdrew to summon Yan Yimei, who had come to the palace that very night.

"This humble general greets Your Majesty."

Yan Yimei bowed to Zhu Jinzhen.

“It’s late, and it’s just the two of us here, so there’s no need for so many formalities. Let her rise.” Zhu Jinzhen waved his hand, indicating that she should rise.

"What happened that made you come to the palace in the middle of the night?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

After Yan Yimei stood up, she reported, "Your Majesty, it concerns the enthronement ceremony tomorrow."

"This matter is the responsibility of the Ministry of Rites..." Zhu Jinzhen began, but then realized what he was saying, "I asked you to be careful before, that some uninvited guests have arrived in the capital again?"

"Yes, in addition to Xu Fengnian, Wang Xianzhi and their group of four from Liyang, the Liyang royal family also sent people, and the Northern Mang national teacher, Qilin Zhenren, also quietly came to the capital."

Zhu Jinzhen showed no surprise at all upon hearing that the Li Yang royal family and the Northern Mang had also sent people.

The matter of the Heavenly Sword has caused such a stir, and coupled with the uproar over the affairs of Tian Ce and Cang Yun, it would be strange if other countries didn't send people to personally investigate after he ascended the throne.

"Beili also sent envoys, led by Langya King Xiao Ruofeng, and that old fellow from the Xiao family who faked his death."

"Emperor Tianwu Xiao Yi?" Zhu Jinzhen finally understood why Yan Yimei had entered the palace overnight. It wasn't enough that they had just captured Wang Xianzhi; now they had sent Emperor Tianwu to question the celestial beings on the land!

"Yes."

Yan Yimei said decisively, "Although he mingled among the envoys of Beili, his aura was as vast as the ocean and could not be completely concealed. He was detected by the secret guards and his identity has been confirmed."

Emperor Tianwu, Xiao Yi.

Someone who should have died.

Zhu Jinzhen hadn't paid any attention to him until he had a chance encounter with Li Changsheng in the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. He then sent someone through the Anywhere Door to the North to investigate and discovered that the situation there was vastly different from what he knew.

Emperor Taizu of the Northern Kingdom, Emperor Tianwu Xiao Yi, was surprisingly still alive.

and……

It brought something different to Beili.

"Time travel, rebirth?"

"Or is it a butterfly effect triggered by global changes?"

Zhu Jinzhen's eyes were playful. Normally, Xiao Yi's survival wouldn't be worth his attention. After all, in the world of martial arts, even the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Kuangyin, was still alive and well, so it wasn't surprising that Xiao Yi was still alive.

What truly drew Zhu Jinzhen's attention to Xiao Yi were several martial arts techniques circulating within the Northern Li royal family.

"Those things with a strong fantasy element, did you obtain them by chance, or... are they all martial arts that do not belong to this world?" Zhu Jinzhen's eyes flickered. It wasn't that he was being paranoid, but that Emperor Tianwu Xiao Yi did indeed possess something different.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have ordered his secret guards to pay special attention.

But now that you've come to the Ming Dynasty, no matter what your identity is or how many secrets you're hiding, you can't leave the Ming Dynasty until you've revealed everything.

"Besides him, who else?" "From the Northern Li side, besides him, two other people came."

"Who?"

Zhu Jinzhen became interested; someone who would warrant such a special report from Yan Yimei was no ordinary person.

"An old Taoist priest at the terrestrial celestial realm, and a strange female sword immortal."

"Oh? Why is it strange?" Zhu Jinzhen did not inquire about the old Taoist's situation. There are very few Taoist masters in Beili who have reached the terrestrial celestial realm. Apart from the Qingcheng Mountain lineage, there is Wudang, or perhaps Mo Yi's master.

"That person doesn't seem human."

"Doesn't look like a human?" Zhu Jinzhen was stunned and somewhat taken aback. If Yan Yimei's level of skill and insight could say that she didn't look like a human, then there was only one possibility: that female sword immortal was not human.

If the thoughts of a celestial being were to reach this point, it would be impossible to hide them from Yan Yimei's eyes.

"That's really interesting. What level is it?"

"But could this pose a hidden threat to tomorrow's coronation ceremony?"

"This……"

Yan Yimei pondered for a moment, then slowly shook her head: "Her situation is a bit strange, but judging from her aura, she should only be a regular terrestrial immortal."

Zhu Jinzhen didn't pay much attention to what he heard.

It's just a paradise on earth.

Not to mention him, even the secret guards could handle it easily.

At this moment, Zhu Jinzhen probably never imagined that the female swordswoman would bring him such a wonderful surprise.

"What about the other countries? Have any reclusive old figures come here?"

This is what Zhu Jinzhen cares about most.

The situation in the martial arts world left Zhu Jinzhen increasingly bewildered. He needed to find more reclusive old monsters to confirm some of his guesses.

His coronation ceremony was the perfect opportunity.

Several days earlier, Zhu Jinzhen had already ordered the secret guards to keep a close watch on everyone entering the capital, leaving no stone unturned.

Even ordinary farmers and woodcutters should not be underestimated.

"Your Majesty, no one from the Mongol Yuan dynasty has been sent."

"The secret guards have sent word that Zhao Min has returned with a few people."

Yan Yimei's expression turned slightly strange. She hesitated, unsure whether she should report it or not. She couldn't very well say that others had prepared many rare treasures as gifts, or that people like Xu Changhai, Xue Zhi, and Li Chengen were preparing to destroy a country as a gift.

Zhao Min, on the other hand, has gathered a large number of beauties in the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, intending to offer them to her own prince.

"anything else?"

Zhu Jinzhen naturally noticed the strangeness in Yan Yimei's expression, but since she didn't say anything, he didn't take it to heart and instead inquired about the movements of other countries.

"Your Majesty, the envoy sent by the Southern Song Dynasty checked into the state guesthouse yesterday."

"The envoy from the Northern Song Dynasty has arrived today."

Yan Yimei didn't mention any powerful figures or gang leaders in the martial arts world. Given the current strength of the Secret Guard, Tian Ce, and Cang Yun, let alone one or two Grandmasters of Celestial Phenomena, even if dozens of Earth Immortals came together, they wouldn't be able to stir up any trouble under their noses.

The martial arts cultivation furnace runs day and night.

Just how terrifying power did Cangyun, Tiance, and the Secret Guards accumulate at this moment?

Only tomorrow will the world know a thing or two.

"With Zhao Kuangyin captured, the Northern Song Dynasty was leaderless. Lin Lingsu, being a Taoist, was quite adept at avoiding danger and seeking good fortune. The secret guards had come up empty-handed several times, so it was to be expected that he wouldn't come."

As Zhu Jinzhen spoke, he seemed to think of something and asked, "Didn't a few bald monks come to the Shaolin ancestral temple of the Great Song Dynasty?"

"Your Majesty, the secret guards did not find anything."

"Heh, they've managed to hold back." Zhu Jinzhen chuckled and then stopped paying attention.

He hadn't expected that the Shaolin Temple of the Northern Song Dynasty could remain steadfast and not send anyone to its aid when the Ming Dynasty's Shaolin Temple was on the verge of collapse.

"What about the Sui and Liao dynasties?"

"Your Majesty, the Liao Dynasty has sent a delegation of envoys, who seem to be here only to offer congratulations and have no other intentions."

"The Sui Dynasty sent Yu Qingze, along with the Sui Tiger Guards."

"as well as……"

(End of this chapter)