Mu Yuchengs Abkommen

Kapitel 66

I stood in the corner watching her stand high on the carriage, ready to emerge. Her elegant hair was adorned with exquisite gold and silver hairpins, her makeup was flawless, and her face was still stunningly beautiful, but now it exuded an air of authority and nobility. Her expression was calm and composed. She wore a purple brocade robe with cloud patterns, a dark red light fur cloak, and a gold bracelet with inlaid red gemstones and exquisite carvings on her wrist. She was noble, elegant, graceful, and breathtakingly beautiful.

As expected of the eldest princess of Yan, she is the true ruler.

Princess Murong Danyi was someone even the emperor had to give her some deference to.

I looked at her, and her eyes were still as shimmering as water, as alluring and captivating as peach blossoms. She was still the same woman who made my mouth water with her beauty. She was still her.

As if noticing my intense gaze, she looked in my direction with a hint of something. Her beautiful face furrowed slightly, and I quickly looked away. She glanced at me indifferently and then looked away, but when she saw Lian in her gray robe, she seemed slightly stunned.

Lian saw her and walked over.

I followed behind Lian with my head down, while Yijun's big, bright eyes darted around as she looked at me, then at the beautiful Danyi sister, and she seemed quite interested in speculating about our past.

This little girl has been very curious since she was little, and I'm really worried that one day she'll get herself into trouble because of her excessive curiosity.

I followed him into a place that looked like a makeshift tent. As soon as I entered, I saw a familiar yet unrecognizable person with a somewhat childish and immature face and phoenix eyes that were as alluring as Sister Danyi's. I couldn't remember who he was for a moment.

It feels so familiar, as if I've seen it briefly before.

My mind kept replaying fragments that had been flashing through my mind over the past few years, one by one.

It wasn't until I saw the two burly men behind him that I finally remembered.

A burly man with golden hair, and a man with chestnut hair and a thick beard! Two tall and muscular men.

On that night when fireworks burst forth, my birthday, the entire night sky of Jin was illuminated by the ever-burning fireworks, a dazzling display of splendor followed by desolation. In Changmo Tower, the largest restaurant in the capital, he appeared impersonating Jin Shao, but I exposed him, and he harbored resentment. That self-proclaimed younger brother of Sister Danyi, the current King of Yan, Murong Huang, I remember, he had a pair of sapphire blue eyes similar to lotus flowers.

The girl who loved her older sister ran away to the State of Jin to find the foreign boy who was supposedly indignant about the young master Jin.

As I was staring at him absentmindedly, he glanced at me casually, and I quickly lowered my head, standing respectfully and humbly.

Yi Jun was just a child, so she didn't care and slyly looked around the room.

"Mom, do you recognize all these uncles and aunts? Are they old acquaintances?" she asked softly, guessing to herself.

I nodded, my face remaining calm and expressionless.

"Brother, are you still unwilling to acknowledge us?" Suddenly, as we were distracted, a helpless, melodious, and steady voice rang out from inside the tent.

It is Sister Danyi.

Lian smiled slightly, "Princess, there is no longer a member of the Murong family in this world. I am here on behalf of the young master as a priest of the Mayan people. I have forgotten those past events."

Upon hearing this, Murong Danyi's expression hardened, he gave a bitter smile, and said nothing more.

"Brother, you are the Emperor!" Murong Huang was obviously unaware of this beforehand and was somewhat surprised. He excitedly tried to run over, but when he saw that his older sister and brother both had indifferent expressions, he seemed to sense something was amiss and strange, and stood there stunned for a moment.

I suspect that with Dan Yi's intelligence, she must have known long ago that Murong Han was not really dead, but had faked his death, and that she must have also discovered the true significance of the Murong family's existence.

With a pure smile, Lian said to Murong Danyi, "You must have already understood the whole truth, so you should also know the purpose of my visit."

Murong Danyi composed himself, then suddenly knelt down and respectfully said, "The Murong family is willing to follow the young master forever."

She had known all along that the Maya people had awakened, and the Jin Kingdom, which had spread across the entire continent, had quietly risen to power, causing panic throughout the continent in just a few years. Her brother, who had been appointed as the next priest, had also appeared there.

She understood perfectly well.

The master of Feng Fei, whom the Murong family had been protecting, appeared. The master whom the Murong family had followed for their entire lives also appeared.

The dream that has lasted for hundreds of years is about to come true.

Unify the continent.

To build a strong and prosperous nation where the people are united.

In her heart, the young master would naturally be a gentleman with the world in his heart and a noble character.

It must be someone who looks up at the vast sky, looks down at the magnificent rivers and mountains, and sees all living beings bowing their heads; whose heart is as vast as the ocean, capable of embracing all things in the world; whose gaze is as broad and expansive as the sky; and whose thoughts are as numerous as the mountain peaks, encompassing the entire earth.

I stood in the shadows of the corner, watching their devout gazes and their truly submissive kneeling in worship. Suddenly, a strange emotion welled up inside me. I suddenly realized that my arrival did not represent just me, but the miracle that so many people, so many families, and even so many countries had been hoping for for hundreds of years.

I carry the hopes and trust of so many people on my shoulders.

I have never been alone.

Yi Jun has been sensible since she was little, and at this moment, a hint of emotion appeared on her small face. She understands that I have already told her all about my identity without reservation. She is my daughter, An Jin's daughter, and in the future, everything I have is for her to continue. That is why I brought her here, without deliberately trying to keep her from doing many things. She will surely grow up and understand one day, so why bother hiding anything? Therefore, I will let her participate in everything and see everything, as her future subject.

Yi Jun's expression hardened slightly. She must have understood what I carried and what I represented, what those things were closely related to her. We were blood relatives, inseparable.

——————————————————————————————

139. Agarwood Coolness (Part 1)

The Later Qin dynasty had its capital at Xianyang.

The weather was fine and sunny, and the flowers were in full bloom.

It wasn't until I arrived here that I realized how prosperous Xianyang was. There were many merchants and travelers, and the city was bustling with vendors. The streets were full of people going to the market, creating a lively and prosperous scene. It was very different from what I had imagined. People say that the north is a bit barbaric, but it is indeed the birthplace of Chinese civilization. It has a long history, a superior geographical location, rich local customs, a broad vision, and a thriving economy.

No wonder their King Yuwen wanted to unify all countries. This ambition and aspiration is something every man who reaches the top has. It's just that some succeed, some fail, or some don't even try.

Only those with a broad mind that can embrace all things can ascend to the highest point and overlook this continent, its magnificent rivers and mountains.

I leaned against the carriage and dozed off for a while. I had vomited so much bile along the way that I could only close my eyes and rest. Meanwhile, Xiaobai just stayed in my arms and slept all day.

Yi Jun, on the other hand, was lively and energetic, like a monkey. She couldn't stand being alone along the way and kept pestering Lian Ti to tell her about the places he had been. After leaving Yan Kingdom, Lian Ti had been traveling around, making the world his home, and had learned a lot about the customs and cultures of different countries. He had been to almost all the Southeast Asian countries, so he had a lot of novel experiences that made Yi Jun very curious.

When the word "Tianzhu" was mentioned, my ears paused for a moment. Tianzhu, isn't that ancient India?

When Lian mentioned that Indians don't eat beef according to their customs, Yijun asked curiously, "Uncle Lian, why don't they eat beef? I really like it."

Lian laughed and said, "Because the people of India respect cows very much. In their eyes, cows are sacred creatures and cannot be desecrated."

"Why do they respect cows so much?" Yi Jun's curiosity kicked in again, and she was ready to ask a million questions. This girl often asks questions that leave people speechless.

Lian was clearly surprised that a four-year-old child was so interested in these things, and paused for a moment.

Seeing his somewhat troubled expression, and feeling a pang of pity for him being teased by the little girl, I leaned lazily against a corner and said softly, "Let me tell you, Yijun, don't bother Uncle Lian anymore." I paused, then continued, "In India, there's a prevalent religion where the cow is the mount of their god Shiva, sacred and inviolable. Disrespecting a cow is disrespecting God. Therefore, in India, the cow's status is even higher than that of people. More than half the population of India are followers of this religion, revering cows as if they were gods. They believe that every cow rides Shiva, surveying the land of India. They have a sacred religious feeling towards cows that transcends ordinary people, which is difficult for us to understand. But, Yijun, we must learn to respect anything new, or other people's habits and customs. Only when you learn to respect others will others respect you. Do you understand, Yijun?"

I opened my eyes and stared intently at her seemingly understanding gaze. I said earnestly, "Yijun, you must understand that a person's life can be trampled on, but their dignity must never be trampled on."

Yi Jun nodded, her eyes flickering uncertainly. I knew she understood.

But then, she reflexively asked, "But what is religious sentiment?"

I explained succinctly, "It's a kind of faith. In life, everyone has a kind of faith, a place where you place your ideals and dreams." I said too much, but she still couldn't understand; she was too young.

Yi Jun nodded.

I didn't turn my head, but I could see the shock in Lian's eyes.

"Young Master has traveled far?" Lian asked softly. Why did he feel that the young master was omniscient, even knowing such things? Logically speaking, it was already a miracle that a woman like her had achieved so much. Why was he still so knowledgeable about the world outside of the Chinese mainland? Was he really a god?

Little White, who had been nestled in my arms, suddenly sent a silent message into my mind.

"You scared him again. He thought you were a god." Ever since they found out that Xiaobai could read people's minds, and then discovered that it could use the sound waves from playing, it really is a divine beast. Just by looking into other people's eyes, it can know what they are thinking.

I smiled to myself, thinking, "You know my secrets, all those places, I know them like the back of my hand."

I glanced at the surprised Lian and said calmly, "I wasn't favored when I was young, so I traveled around and went to many places, even more than you, you know?" I suddenly became excited and said, "Across the sea from this continent, there are many places and continents where different people live. Because of the different geographical locations, people's lifestyles and skin colors are also different. There are people with yellow skin like us, black people with black skin like charcoal, and white people with white skin like snow. Their appearance, hair color, and overall appearance are also different from ours..." Once I started, I almost couldn't stop.

Lian was stunned.

Yi Jun, however, looked delighted, seemingly very interested in the place I was talking about.

"The place we live in is a flattened sphere like an egg. If you keep walking in one direction, you can return to where you started. But that's just a hypothetical scenario. In reality, we might not be able to walk the whole way in our lifetime. And a person can't step into the same river twice in their lifetime, so how could we possibly get back to where we started?" I continued with a faint smile.

Suddenly, I felt a moment of nostalgia, a longing for the days of modern times, but now when I think about it, it feels like several lifetimes ago.

I stopped laughing, startled by a strange feeling in my heart.

Just as I was panicking, the carriage, which had been bumping along the main road of Xianyang, suddenly stopped. A servant in gray lifted the curtain and said respectfully, "Young master, we have arrived at the post station. Please alight and come with us."

Lian, who had been in a daze, came back to her senses and quickly transformed into the aloof and taciturn Lian she once was.

He nodded slightly and said to the gray-clad servant, "Understood. Go and report to your master."

Suddenly, he turned his head and looked at me intently, as if trying to see through my heart and soul. He said in a deep voice, "When you talked about those things, Young Master, your expression was joyful and your eyes shone brightly. I have never seen you so happy. I hope that one day you can go to those places and see that new world."

When I heard the phrase "travel the world," I paused for a moment, then became serious and fell silent.

He spoke to my deepest desire at that moment, which is what I want to do most in this life: to travel the world, to go about freely, and to see a wider and freer world.

——————————————————————————————

140. The Coolness of Agarwood (Part 2)

"who is she?"

“An old friend.”

Where are my old friends?

"Between heaven and earth, all the four seas belong to him." Gu Kaizhi smiled and said nothing more.

For some reason, Yuwen Ruojian often thought of this conversation. In the past few days, he dreamed of that figure in white, gracefully departing every night. The scent of wild hibiscus flowers in his dreams became stronger and more alluring. He always woke up from such a fragrant and tranquil dream.

The desire to obtain something is becoming increasingly strong.

In this life, he only wants two people: the young master of Junjin Manor and the unknown woman in white.

He said that if he caught Jin Shao in this life, he would make him his prisoner for life. As for that woman, he fell in love with her, as if he were poisoned by her. So, he would find her too and keep her by his side.

Suddenly, a gray-robed boy, so quiet he seemed to breathe, entered. The boy shook his robes and bowed to him, remaining silent the entire time. The empty palace was eerily quiet, deep, dark, and menacing.

The dim light in the hall gently enveloped the two of them.

If anyone were present, they would see a horrifying scar on the neck of the gray-clad boy—a mark left from ancient times for mute slaves. In the palace, to protect certain palace secrets, there were sometimes two types of muteness: one was tongue-cutting, and the other was throat muting. With the tongue cut off, one could still utter indistinct shouts, but with throat muting, the throat was cut open and the meridians removed, leaving the person completely mute.

No wonder there was an almost deathly aura about this palace and this boy.

Yuwen Ruojian took a letter from the mute servant, read its contents, and suddenly chuckled evilly in the empty palace, “Everything is ready, that’s good. Young Master Jin, the young master of Jin Kingdom, is the same person. The four kings are also the four most powerful prime ministers of Jin Kingdom. Those foolish people think that the Later Qin’s convening of the punitive conference is really to discuss how the countries should unite to deal with Jin Kingdom. In fact, it’s just a trap to lure them into a trap.”

The purpose of holding the censure meeting was a pretense; the real intention was to capture Jin Shao.

If he catches him, he won't let him die so easily. He'll imprison him for life, humiliate him for life, and make him wish he were dead.

He believed that Jin Shao would definitely appear at the conference to attack Jin Kingdom, and in an extremely secretive way that no one would know about.

However, according to their investigation, Jin Shao has a four-year-old daughter. The rumor is that Jin Shao had a romantic affair with a courtesan when he was young. Later, the courtesan died of an illness and had no choice but to give her child to Jin Shao. It is said that the courtesan secretly loved Jin Shao and originally wanted to live a life of anonymity and no longer be a prostitute, only asking to live a peaceful life with her daughter. However, she did not expect that she would fall ill soon after giving birth to the child and die in hunger and cold. Before she died, she sent the child to Jin Shao's business and later, after many twists and turns, the child was finally handed over to Jin Shao.

Jin Shao was moved by the courtesan's deep affection and doted on his daughter, keeping her by his side almost every moment. He had heard about the four-year-old girl from the people of Jin Kingdom. Although she was only four, she was incredibly intelligent and particularly skilled in business. Even the Vermilion Bird King Mai Qi, known as the number one businessman on the continent, was inferior to her. Moreover, she had been personally taught by Jin Shao since she was a child and had her own set of methods. She was very sensitive to numbers. Despite being so young, she had already negotiated several sizable deals for Jun Jin.

Moreover, Jin Shao's unique educational approach also gave her the same status as adults. She could choose to do what she liked, and at a young age, she already knew how to love her subjects and everyone, regardless of their wealth or status.