Sword Roaring in the Sky

Chapter 241 The Eldest Brother's Wedding (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Sun Yanwan and her master Zhang Yuanqiao descended Songyang Mountain. This time, the two did not ride horses but instead used a carriage. They also brought more than ten members of the Tianma Gang so that they could be served along the way.

Sun Yanwan sat in the carriage, unfolding a sheet of Xuan paper, about to write a letter, when Zhang Yuanqiao asked leisurely, "Are you going to write a letter to Shi Si?"

Sun Yanwan hurriedly replied, "When my eldest brother gets married, I plan to invite Shi Si, Sun Lingdie, and Nan Menggong to the wedding."

The Seven Friends of Songyang went to Shaochan Temple to propose marriage and received the consent of Zen Master Daku and Monk Kongchan. He and Shisi were already a formally engaged couple. Shisi was obliged to attend the wedding of their eldest brother, Zhang Qingxi.

As for Sun Lingdie and Nan Menggong, they've been with him for quite some time, so they should come to Luojing.

Zhang Yuanqiao smiled slightly and said, "That won't be necessary."

"The three of them are already on their way, and they will probably come with us to Donghaiguan."

Sun Yanwan was surprised, delighted, and then worried. Although he had a draft in mind, he was still unsure whether it would pass the test, and his mood suddenly became uneasy.

Seeing his second apprentice like an ant on a hot pan, Zhang Yuanqiao did not try to comfort him. Instead, he thought with great interest, "Whether the eldest apprentice's wedding will be lively or not is still unknown, but the second apprentice's wedding is bound to be a lively affair."

After a moment of trepidation, Sun Yanwan finally remembered to ask, "Did Senior Brother send them?"

Zhang Yuanqiao laughed and said, "That's not it!"

"The great victory at Black Dragon City resulted in the capture of the fleets of Bo Shi Kingdom and Wu Ying Hou, and the capture of more than 20,000 people. All three of them have been granted imperial titles by the court."

"They came to Luojing this time partly to attend your senior brother's wedding and partly to receive the imperial decree."

Sun Yanwan suddenly remembered that not long ago the imperial court had issued a document ordering him to hand over the fleet and sending people to Black Dragon City to escort back the prisoners.

He immediately wrote back, saying that those warships were dangerous weapons, unsuitable for the land of Da Lang, which was known for its etiquette and music. There were too many prisoners, and Black Dragon City was short of food and could not support them. Since ancient times, killing prisoners has been considered an ominous sign, so he had already released the ships along with them.

It's still unclear whether the imperial court believed his nonsense or was going to issue an edict to reprimand him.

In any case, Sun Yanwan had no intention of handing over the ships and people. Why should such a large fleet be given to the imperial court for nothing? Wouldn't it be better to keep it for himself? Those prisoners were all skilled in boat handling and were rare talents, so it was even more impossible to hand them over to Da Lang!
When he was really pushed to the limit, he decided to write a letter to Zhang Hai, the Prince of Chongtian. After all, this guy was a professional rebel and was probably very good at intercepting and killing imperial envoys.

Sun Yanwan was not worried that the imperial court would make things difficult for her, after all, individual martial prowess was too high in this world, and the imperial court could not do whatever it wanted.

Amidst trepidation, the master and apprentice arrived at Donghai Pass. Just as Sun Yanwan's convoy was about to cross the border, a very magnificent convoy came in a long procession. The emblem of the convoy was none other than the emblem of the Tianma Gang!
Sun Yanwan was overjoyed and jumped off the carriage. Before he could get there, he saw Shi Si lift the curtain, revealing a beautiful face that seemed to be both happy and angry, and she waved to him.

Sun Yanwan hadn't seen Shi Si for more than half a year since leaving Black Dragon City with Xiximuli. He immediately used his lightness skill to pounce on her, hugged her, and said, "Aunt Shi, your nephew missed you so much."

He glanced back and saw Sun Lingdie and Nan Menggong, and quickly added, "I miss you both terribly too!"

Shi Si said with a half-smile, "You're quite clever; you went to Shao Chan Temple to propose marriage first."

Sun Yanwan felt somewhat embarrassed. Shi Si was clearly in a public place and it wasn't convenient for her to settle accounts with him, so she only gave him a brief reminder. Sun Lingdie and Nan Menggong were overjoyed to see Sun Yanwan, and both of them had tears in their eyes. They followed Sun Yanwan to pay their respects to Zhang Yuanqiao, and the two caravans merged, crossed the Donghai Pass, and headed straight for Luojing.

Sun Yanwan has been to Luojing many times and is quite familiar with the place.

Two or three days later, upon arriving in Luojing, he first sent Zhang Yuanqiao to the residence of his senior brother, the Fourth Prince. Zhang Yuanqiao was Zhang Qingxi's master and one of the guests of honor, so he could rightfully stay at the Fourth Prince's residence. He himself had a place to stay in Luojing, and after settling in, he went to the Hanlin Academy to report for duty, visited various friends, and was busy for several days before finally having some free time.

Ding Feng had already visited Sun Yanwan and told her everything that had happened in Luojing recently.

Although Ding Feng sent away a large number of wandering knights to follow Sun Yanwan to Black Dragon City, his power did not become vacant. On the contrary, because he had this way out, more wandering knights from Luojing came to join him, and his power grew. He also became more and more informed about news from all over Luojing.

The struggle among the princes is now becoming increasingly fierce.

After Zhang Qingxi was promoted to Grandmaster, there were always rumors that he might take over the Imperial Clan Court in the future, in charge of matters related to the imperial relatives and nobles, which made things a little quieter.

The royal family of Da Lang is currently facing a generational gap. Apart from the ancestor, there has never been a second Grandmaster. Zhang Qingxi is the only direct descendant of the Zhang family, the only family of the Emperor, and his status is naturally extraordinary.

The Second Prince and others spread this rumor because they genuinely wanted to place Zhang Qingxi in the position of Imperial Clan Minister and eliminate this powerful rival.

After being advised by dozens of officials, the emperor seemed to be considering the matter, but had not yet reached a decision.

Many sources even suggest that after Zhang Qingxi's wedding, the emperor will appoint a crown prince. Although the second prince is still the most popular choice, the other princes are not without a chance.

Besides these messages, there was another piece of news that also surprised Sun Yanwan.

The Emperor of Dalang invited back the Grand Tutor, one of the four great masters of the dynasty.

This Grand Tutor of the State was a veteran master with unparalleled martial arts skills and was recognized as the best military strategist in the world. He had fought many fierce battles with troops from the Southern Xia and Northern Yan, winning countless victories. He was almost invincible on the battlefield, but due to his advanced age, he had long since retired.

The fact that this old man reappeared in the court indicates that the Great Lang Dynasty was already in turmoil, and even the emperor was panicked and had no choice but to ask him to come out of retirement.

At this time, the martial arts world was thriving in the Great Lang Dynasty. Whether it was Shaochan Temple, Songyang Sect, or the Five Great Families and Ten Great Sword Sects, they were all powerful. However, the imperial court was weak, especially the Zhang family royal family. Apart from their ancestor, there was almost no one who could hold the fort, and they could only rely on civil and military officials.

In stark contrast to Da Lang, the Northern Yan royal court was strong, but it had always relied heavily on Longzang Temple and was somewhat weakened. The previous generation's top expert died, the previous generation's grandmaster died, and the new generation's leader, the Jade Buddha Hasgerile, who was known as the number one below the grandmaster, also died.

Furthermore, the Bo Shi Kingdom launched a large-scale attack, and in the recent battle for supremacy with Da Lang, they were also at a slight disadvantage and were in a state of great distress.

If either the Great Lang or the Northern Yan could catch their breath, they would spare no effort to attack the other, as this was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Unfortunately, both sides were currently facing difficulties.

Not long after Sun Yanwan returned to Luojing, Zhang Qingxi's wedding began.

(End of this chapter)