NCCnovel Chapter 11 The Situation of the World, Empress Li Yang!
Chapter 11 The Situation of the World, Empress Li Yang!
Although Xu Longxiang launched a surprise attack, he paid the price of three thousand cavalrymen and suffered serious injuries himself.
As for killing a Celestial Realm expert with a single spear thrust...
Tuoba Hong was indeed at the Celestial Phenomenon Realm, but he already had old injuries at the time, and his strength was less than 70% of his peak.
Xu Longxiang was able to win because of his surprise attack and the sharpness of his Po Jun spear.
But the storyteller naturally wouldn't mention these details.
What the people want to hear are heroic legends and exciting stories.
Qin Mu understood.
He just found it amusing.
Has Xu Longxiang's reputation among the people reached this level?
"This General Xu is truly remarkable," a middle-aged man who looked like a businessman remarked from a nearby table.
"More than remarkable!" the scholar opposite replied. "I've heard that General Xu is only twenty-five years old this year, yet he's already a Celestial Phenomenon Realm expert. Such talent is a once-in-a-century phenomenon across the entire Nine Provinces."
"Not only is he talented in martial arts, but his ability to command troops is also remarkable," another tea drinker interjected.
"Last year, during that battle, I had a cousin serving in the Northern Army. He came back and said that General Xu was a brilliant strategist; eight thousand cavalrymen in his hands were as effective as eighty thousand!"
"Having such a general guarding the northern border is a blessing for our Great Qin," the merchant exclaimed.
The scholar shook his head: "Good fortune is good fortune, but it's not necessarily all good things."
"Oh? What do you mean?" the merchant asked curiously.
The scholar looked around and lowered his voice: "Think about it, General Xu is so young, has such military achievements, and commands 300,000 troops in the northern border... If this were in the previous dynasty, he would have been too powerful and would have threatened the emperor long ago."
The merchant's expression changed: "Watch your words! Watch your words!"
The scholar, however, disagreed: "I am speaking the truth. His Majesty has been on the throne for six months; have you ever seen him hold court or attend to state affairs? Have you ever seen him concern himself with matters of state and military affairs?"
Although his voice was low, Qin Mu's hearing was so sharp that he heard it clearly.
"I've heard that His Majesty indulges in wine and women all day long, with the number of concubines in his harem increasing every month, and all memorials being handled by the Prime Minister. Such an emperor..." The scholar paused, not finishing his sentence, but his meaning was clear.
The merchant turned pale with fright: "You can't say things like that! It's a capital offense!"
"What's there to be afraid of?" the scholar sneered. "There are plenty of people discussing politics in this teahouse; the law doesn't punish everyone. Besides, I'm stating the facts; who in the capital doesn't know that?"
He took a sip of tea and continued, "Think about it, if General Xu harbors disloyal intentions, given his prestige and power, what will become of the Great Qin empire...?"
"Enough!" The businessman stood up abruptly. "I have other things to do, I'm leaving now."
Having said that, he tossed down a few copper coins and hurriedly left.
The scholar watched his retreating figure and scoffed, "Coward as a mouse."
He then turned to the other young man at the table who had remained silent: "Brother, what do you think?"
The young man was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with an ordinary face, but his eyes were bright and piercing.
He put down his teacup and said calmly, "Matters of national importance are not for us commoners to discuss. However..."
He paused, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "The world, after a long period of division, tends to unite; after a long period of unity, tends to divide. The Qin Dynasty has been established for hundreds of years; it's time for some changes."
The scholar's eyes lit up: "Brother, your insight is brilliant! May I ask your esteemed name?"
"My surname is Zhao, and my given name is Ce." The young man cupped his hands in greeting.
"So it's Brother Zhao." The scholar returned the greeting with a bow. "My name is Zhou Wen, a failed scholar."
The two looked at each other and smiled, feeling a sense of mutual appreciation.
Qin Mu overheard all of these conversations.
He remained expressionless and continued drinking his tea.
Yunluan had already gripped the sword hilt tightly, her eyes flashing with cold light.
"Young master, would you like to..." she gestured.
Qin Mu shook his head: "Just listen to it."
His gaze swept over the young man named Zhao Ce.
With a thought, the Emperor's Qi Observation Technique quietly activated.
Above Zhao Ce's head, a light blue pillar of fortune rose up, about two feet high, with the image of ink and scrolls faintly visible within it.
At the bottom of the pillar of fortune, there was a very faint red line, drifting almost imperceptibly towards the north.
Red represents disloyalty and hostility.
Although faint, it is definitely there.
A cold glint flashed in Qin Mu's eyes.
It seems that Xu Longxiang's infiltration has extended beyond the imperial court and the military, and he has even begun to make inroads among the common people.
This Zhao Ce is probably not as simple as an ordinary scholar.
Just as he was thinking this, Mr. Chen on the stage, having rested enough, struck the gavel again.
"Esteemed guests, we have just discussed the war in the north. Now let's change the subject and talk about the overall situation of the world."
The tea drinkers quieted down again.
Mr. Chen cleared his throat and said:
"As we all know, the Divine Continent where we live is vast and boundless, divided into nine provinces. Our Great Qin occupies the Central Province, which is the most prosperous."
"The Eastern Continent is home to the Li Yang Dynasty, the Western Continent to the Western Liang Khanate, the Northern Continent to the Northern Mang Dynasty, and the Southern Continent to the Miao tribes and numerous small kingdoms."
"These four powers, together with our Great Qin, are the five strongest nations in the world today."
He took a sip of tea and continued:
"Let's start with Li Yang. The Li Yang Dynasty has been established for two hundred years, boasting a flourishing literary tradition and formidable martial arts. Five years ago, the old emperor passed away without an heir, passing the throne to his eldest daughter, Zhao Qingxue, who became the Empress of Li Yang—the first female emperor in the Nine Provinces in a century!"
A murmur arose from the audience.
An empress is a rare thing in the male-dominated world of China.
Mr. Chen added:
"This empress is no ordinary woman. She ascended the throne at the young age of twenty, and there was much discontent in the court. However, she swiftly suppressed three princes who intended to rebel, and then won over the civil and military officials with a policy of appeasement. Now, after five years on the throne, the strength of Liyang has not declined but increased, which shows her skill."
"Under the Empress's command are the Three Pillars of Liyang: General Gu Jiantang, Prime Minister Zhang Julu, and Martial Arts Master Li Chunfeng. All three are experts at the Celestial Phenomenon Realm."
"Especially Li Chunfeng, known as the Sword God, reached the peak of the Celestial Phenomenon Realm thirty years ago. Now he has been in seclusion for many years and is said to be trying to break through to the Land Immortal Realm. As for the Empress herself... I heard that she is also very secretive. There are rumors that she is a disciple of a Taoist master and her cultivation is at least at the Profound Realm."
The tea drinkers in the audience marveled at the sight.
"A woman as empress, and she can even control the court—amazing!"
"Yes, on the other hand, our Great Qin..." someone hesitated before speaking.
Mr. Chen coughed lightly, changing the subject:
"The Western Liang Khanate is known for its fierce and warlike people, who have established their nation through military might. Its ruler, Liu Yuan, is a man of great talent and ambition, and he commands the Five Tigers of Western Liang, each of whom is at the Celestial Realm. In particular, Grand Marshal Liu Meng is a brilliant strategist who has repeatedly invaded the western border of our Great Qin in recent years, making him a formidable enemy."
"As we just mentioned, the Northern Mang Dynasty was severely weakened by General Xu. But even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. The Northern Mang still has three Celestial Phenomenon Realm experts in charge, especially the Grand Preceptor Murong Chui, who is said to have one foot in the Land Immortal Realm. He should not be underestimated."
"As for the Miao region of the Southern Continent, it is home to numerous tribes. Although there is no unified dynasty, their use of poison and witchcraft is extremely difficult to defend against. Moreover, the Southern Continent is full of miasma and swamps, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack, which has made it difficult for successive dynasties to conquer."
He paused, then slammed the gavel down:
"So here's the question! In this era of five major powers vying for supremacy, where should our Great Qin Dynasty go from here?"
The tea drinkers below the stage began to discuss it amongst themselves.
"Is that even a question? Of course, it's about unifying the world!"
"Yes! Our Great Qin has a strong and well-equipped army, and with a war god like General Xu, we should expand our territory!"
"But... His Majesty..." someone hesitated, unable to finish their sentence.
Mr. Chen sighed, "Yes, if the late emperor were still alive, perhaps there would be a chance. But His Majesty the present..."
He shook his head and didn't say anything more.
But the meaning is already quite clear.
Silence fell over the audience.
Zhao Ce, who had just spoken, suddenly asked, "Mr. Chen, in your opinion, to whom will this world ultimately fall?"
Mr. Chen glanced at him, pondered for a moment, and said:
"I am but a storyteller; how dare I presume to judge the course of events? However..."
He paused, then lowered his voice:
"I have heard that General Xu of the Northern Border is not only a master of martial arts and a brilliant strategist, but also a man of great respect for the virtuous and talented, and he has recruited many capable individuals. Under his rule, the people of the three northern states live in peace and the granaries are full, showing the qualities of a wise ruler."
"Empress Li Yang, though a woman, is highly capable and governs the country effectively. Liu Yuan of Western Liang is ambitious and his military power is at its peak. Although Northern Mang has been defeated, its foundation remains strong..."
The term "fierce tiger" refers to Xu Longxiang's ability to contend for supremacy.
The phoenix refers to the fact that although the empress was powerful, she was still a woman and limited by the constraints of etiquette, making it difficult for her to truly unify the nine provinces.
The audience stirred again.
Qin Mu sat in the corner, listening to the discussions, a faint smile still on his face.
But the smile didn't reach his eyes.
Yunluan was already barely able to contain herself.
"Young master, they..."
"Let them talk." Qin Mu put down his teacup and stood up.
"We've heard everything we needed to hear, let's go."
He dropped a silver ingot and turned to walk outside.
Yunluan quickly followed.
As the two walked out of Tingfeng Tower, the chatter of the tea drinkers could still be heard behind them.
"In my opinion, this world should belong to those with virtue!"
"Yes! General Xu has a distinguished military record and loves his people like his own children. He is far better than that emperor who only knows how to enjoy himself!"
"I've heard that Empress Li Yang is still unmarried. If General Xu could... hehe, then this world..."
"Shhh-keep it down!"