Transmigrating into Murong Fu, may you have many children and much happiness.

Chapter 167 War Begins, Qiao Feng Time Travels

The servant was an elderly man in his sixties who usually addressed Murong Fu as "Master," though most people on the estate called him "Young Master." Murong Fu corrected him several times, but the man couldn't remember, so he just let it be.

Upon hearing that Qiao Feng had come to visit, Murong Fu naturally said, "Please come in quickly, he is my brother."

But seeing that the old servant's legs were really weak, Murong Fu couldn't wait any longer and went outside himself, saying before he left:

"Never mind, I'll just go greet them."

After passing through the hall and corridors and over the threshold, Murong Fu saw Qiao Feng waiting quietly at the door.

He stepped forward and said, "Brother, why are you standing foolishly at the door? Just come in."

Qiao Feng was naturally happy to see Murong Fu. The two put their arms around each other's shoulders, and Qiao Feng said:

"The old man said to wait for his notification, no rush, haha."

Murong Fu quickly ushered Qiao Feng inside, saying as they walked, "I mentioned it before, a brother visiting should naturally be invited in directly, haha."

The two entered the hall and sat down opposite each other. The maids naturally served them pastries and tea.

Knowing that Qiao Feng wasn't fond of this, Murong Fu took out two jars from his personal space. These were Araki, a type of distilled liquor he had bought in the Condor Heroes world, with a high alcohol content.

He knew that Qiao Feng liked to drink strong liquor, and when he saw it, he figured it would suit Qiao Feng's taste, so he bought a few jars.

Qiao Feng had something he wanted to say, but seeing the wine and smelling its aroma, he knew it must taste good, so he took a sip and said:

"This wine has some strength! Good wine! Good wine!!"

Murong Fu said, "Brother Qiao, please drink more if you like. I have several jars here."

Qiao Feng waved his hand and said, "Brother, I've come this time because your warning to me last time has indeed come true—"

Emperor Yelü is truly planning a southern expedition.

When Murong Fu heard Qiao Feng explain the reason for his arrival, it was indeed because Emperor Yelü was going south. A glint flashed in his eyes, and he thought to himself, "Has this finally come to this?"

He then said, "Oh? What's the reason? Tell me in detail, brother."

Qiao Feng then said that at the time he was hunting in the northern suburbs with more than twenty guards when he suddenly heard that the Liao emperor was coming, so he rode his horse north to greet him.

The Liao emperor Yelü Hongji then ordered Qiao Feng to take him hunting in the south. At that time, Qiao Feng had already ordered that no one was allowed to go south and that hunting was strictly prohibited. This prevented any friction between the Liao and Song dynasties, which was a great achievement.

Unexpectedly, when the Liao king's guards failed to find the wild beast, more than ten Song people arrived.

Yelü Hongji laughed and shot them all dead. His personal guards were all shouting "Long live the Emperor!" but Qiao Feng was saddened.

At this point, Qiao Feng took a heavy gulp of wine, as if trying to bury the matter deep in his heart, and then continued his story:

Later, Yelü Hongji asked Qiao Feng what the difference was between the North and the South, and which place was better.

Qiao Feng naturally understood the implication in his words, but he could only pretend to be stupid and say that each has its own advantages. Southerners naturally think the south is better, while northerners are naturally suited to growing up in the north.

Yelü Hongji was not convinced by Qiao Feng's answer and said directly that the purpose of coming south to Qiao Feng's fiefdom was to grant him the title of "King of Song" and to command the three armies under the name of Grand Marshal of the Southern Pacification.

At this point, the thing Qiao Feng least wanted to happen finally happened. He also heard Yelü Hongji say that the target this time was not Nanjing, but Bianliang, and even joked that Qiao Feng's Song Prince's Mansion would be set up in the palace of Zhao Xu in Bianliang.

Qiao Feng tried his best to dissuade him, but Yelü Hongji said that it was not that he wanted to start a war, but that the Song Dynasty was not on good terms with him.

It turned out that Yelü Hongji had learned of the death of the Empress Dowager of the Southern Dynasty and that the young Emperor Zhao Xu had dismissed the prudent ministers, clearly intending to implement new policies. He also sent people to reorganize the northern defenses, train the three armies, recruit soldiers and raise horses, and prepare provisions, which was exactly what Yelü Hongji wanted.

Yelü Hongji spoke with great enthusiasm, but when Xiao Feng looked south, a vision seemed to appear before him: tens of thousands of Liao soldiers charged south, houses ablaze, flames soaring into the sky, countless men, women, and children writhing and groaning under the hooves of horses, arrows filling the air, Song and Liao soldiers killing each other, falling from their horses, blood flowing like rivers, bones strewn across the fields—

Qiao Feng immediately knelt down and begged the Liao Emperor to rescind his order. If the Emperor insisted on waging war, he should choose another capable person.

This action greatly offended Yelü Hongji, who reasoned that Xiao Feng, raised by southerners, was not loyal to his Liao dynasty.

If it weren't for his fear of Qiao Feng's martial arts skills, he would have executed this disloyal subject on the spot. Instead, he held back and ordered Qiao Feng to go back and think it over.

They also bestowed upon him a large number of fine swords, fine horses, and beautiful women.

But Qiao Feng knew that once His Majesty made a decision, he would not easily change it. He then remembered what Murong Fu had told him years ago, resigned his post, and went to Canhe Manor...

After listening to this, Murong Fu understood his brother's dilemma and helplessness. He had been taught by Xuan Ku and Wang Jiantong from a young age to be loyal to the emperor and love the country, but later he discovered that he was a Khitan.

Now that the Khitans are going to fight Song Kai, he is naturally extremely heartbroken.

Murong Fu said, "Brother, do you know why King Yelü wants to start a war?"

Qiao Feng said, "Naturally, it's for expanding our territory and making a name for ourselves in history."

Murong Fu then asked, "What are the thoughts of the princes and ministers in the court, the soldiers in the army, and the common people on this southern expedition?"

Qiao Feng frowned, pondered for a moment, and said, "Almost every nobleman, civil official, and military general wants to launch a southern expedition."

Only a few want to gain practical benefits.

There were both soldiers and commoners, since some joined the army to make a name for themselves, but others did not do so out of their own volition.

The common people... they benefited but had nothing to do with it, and had to pay more taxes, warhorses, and corvée labor... their cries of sorrow echoed.

Murong Fu nodded and said, "I remember there was a folk song in the Liao Kingdom, one line of which goes: 'The Khan frequently musters his troops, but there are no men in the tent.'"

It is known that most people in the world dislike war.

The main reason for this war is the great talent and ambition of your sworn brother, Emperor Yelü, and the support he received from the princes and nobles.

Qiao Feng nodded and said, "Yes, throat."

Now that I've resigned my post and fled south, I'm afraid he'll no longer acknowledge me as his sworn brother.

Murong Fu then said, "Then why doesn't my elder brother take his place?"

As far as I know, you, elder brother, received your title for helping Emperor Yelü quell the rebellion, and the one who rebelled was none other than the Southern King.

Since Yelü Hongji is going to start a war, he is making an enemy of the people of the world and the people of his Liao Kingdom. He can be said to be a sinner who stands on the opposite side of the people. If you kill him, you will be acting on behalf of Heaven.

Fortunately, no major mistake has yet been made, and there is still room for correction.

If you, elder brother, have the people of Song and Liao in your heart, you should put righteousness above family ties and emulate Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao—no, I mean Zhuge Liang—to uphold justice.

When Qiao Feng heard what Murong Fu said—that he had killed Yelü Hongji, acted on behalf of Heaven, and imitated Dong Zhuo—he realized that he had been taught the principles of Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher since childhood.

What Murong Fu said to him was so provocative that it made his blood rush to his head, his face turn red, and he said:

"No, brother...we can't do this..."

Murong Fu knew that Qiao Feng was a man of somewhat blind loyalty; otherwise, in the original storyline, he wouldn't have stood between the two armies.

However, they have a free-spirited and rebellious nature, otherwise they wouldn't have fought so fiercely at Juxianzhuang.

He just needs some guidance, but Murong Fu isn't in a hurry.

But Qiao Feng was anxious. He knew that since Emperor Yelü had told him about the southern expedition, he would surely begin preparations.

Perhaps within a few months, the two countries will go to war.

A few months may sound like a long time, but in reality, it passes in the blink of an eye. Once the war begins, countless civilians and soldiers will die, which fills Qiao Feng with immense fear.

Murong Fu said to Qiao Feng, "Brother, in two days, I will take you to a place, and you will know the answer when you get there."

Qiao Feng knew that Murong Fu wouldn't joke about such things. Perhaps his brother really had some good methods, but he would never agree to kill the Liao emperor and become a treacherous usurper.

Murong Fu instructed the kitchen to prepare an extra meal today and summoned his four retainers to drink with him.

In the afternoon, seeing that Qiao Feng was bored and restless, he refused to go fishing, so I told him to take care of the children while he was free.

This was the first time the three children had ever seen Qiao Feng since they could remember, so they were naturally very curious about this burly man.

Murong Lang, in particular, was extremely excited when he heard that Qiao Feng was one of the top martial arts masters in the world.

Qiao Feng was happy to tease the child and performed a set of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, which made Murong Lang's eyes sparkle.

Qiao Feng was repeatedly surprised by Murong Hai, never expecting that a boy who was not even four years old could actually cultivate true qi.

Murong Fu mentioned a martial art called Yi Jin Jing, but it requires a non-competitive personality to master.

Qiao Feng also knew that it was not meant for him.

After all, Qiao Feng considered himself a great man who stood tall and upright, so how could he not have the desire to win? Not only did he have it, but he had it very much.

Bao'er even became Qiao Feng's driver, and Qiao Feng and the three children enjoyed a happy time together.

Murong Fu was very pleased.

The next day, Murong Fu was about to do something important.

They brought over ten or so fine horses from the grasslands, all of which had been in good health for the past few days. They inspected them and confirmed that they were in good condition and free from any infectious diseases.

He selected the three best mares he considered to be the best.

He then took out his treasured "perfume" and sprayed it on the three mares.

Then, the groom brought over a few inferior horses and donkeys to the vicinity before releasing the large red horse from the spirit beast space.

He had previously asked Big Red Horse why he hadn't made friends with other mares over the years, and why he had kicked and bitten them.

Big Red Horse, however, said that none of them were worthy of him; they were all just a bunch of ordinary women.

So Murong Fu went all out and used the "perfume" that the system rewarded, which could enhance charm, to help the little red horse.

As expected, the little red horse, though said to be a spirit animal, was naturally tempted by the beautiful mare and the perfume. Moreover, these three mares seemed even more captivating compared to the other inferior horses and donkeys.

Murong Fu thought to himself, "After all this trouble, I hope there will be a result."

Two days later, Murong Fu led Qiao Feng through the portal to the world of The Return of the Condor Heroes.

Qiao Feng was greatly shocked to see Murong Fu suddenly create a strange door, and after stepping through it, he found himself in a room instead of in the garden of Canhe Manor. He asked:

"Brother, where is this?"

Murong Fu pushed open the door, stepped across the courtyard, and walked into the street.

Turning back to Qiao Feng, he said:

"This is Xiangyang more than a hundred years later."