Jiangshan Dream - Chapter 43
Bei Chentian was still leisurely drinking, seemingly oblivious to the hostility between the two, or perhaps he noticed but chose not to take it seriously.
Chapter 44: Envoy
Luxury carriages and soft reclining chairs offered breathtaking views beyond the sheer curtains. The procession stretched for miles, with flag bearers alone seemingly endless. The grandeur of the entourage was truly awe-inspiring. Beichen was the largest country in the north, and it was understood that its diplomacy was not particularly frequent throughout the year. Lin Feng couldn't fathom the vastness of Yin Sang's territory, only hearing some of the servants' ramblings.
"The distance between countries can be more than a month when they ride horses, and there are so many small countries in Yinsang that no one has ever counted them."
Lin Feng made a mental note of it, but what he really wanted to do was draw a world map as soon as possible, which he guaranteed would be a bestseller in all the major palaces. However, the thought of riding thousands of miles to draw that map made him rub his temples with a headache and give up. This task was probably too tiring. In his heart, he was still hoping that someone like Marco Polo of this era had drawn a world map of Yin Sang. If he found one, he would definitely buy it for a fortune, just like he had his eye on a fine horse.
This was Lin Feng's second time riding in this imperial carriage, and again as an accompaniment to Princess Xilan. However, he found the carriage too swaying and uncomfortable. He thought to himself that if he spent all his time sleeping and eating, he would truly be living like a pig. Lin Feng was quite dissatisfied with this situation.
You bastard Bei Chentian! I was already being too lenient by going to Xilan as an envoy, yet you dared to try and raise me like a pig! You truly have malicious intentions! We must be on guard for a moment!
Poor Bei Chentian had put in a lot of effort, worried that this young lady would get tired from traveling, so he arranged this. Lin Feng not only didn't appreciate it, but also cursed him behind his back. If he knew, he would probably have to endure another round of bitter sighs.
Lin Feng changed his mind, sat up, lowered his voice, and said to the outside of the carriage, "Someone, prepare a horse for me."
Someone outside the carriage responded, "Yes."
She was quite proud; even before becoming a king in the same league, she had already developed a regal air. She addressed herself as "this king" so naturally that people dared not look directly at her or listen to her, for fear of showing the slightest disrespect. Lin Feng, who used to be a top-tier leader in the underworld, seemed to have this regal aura naturally and harmoniously integrated into his character here.
With a slight jolt, Lin Feng straightened his clothes, jumped out of the car, took a deep breath of fresh air, and his sleepiness vanished instantly.
He had water brought to wash his face, tied his hair up with a red string, and lightly shook his head, looking refreshed and instantly clear-headed. Several maids beside the carriage stared at him intently at his appearance. Lin Feng glanced in that direction, and his face immediately flushed red. They all lowered their heads. Lin Feng chuckled inwardly, looked at the water, and shook his head.
What a handsome and dashing Dark King! Lin Feng truly admired himself. Lan Feng's face could be incredibly alluring and devastating to a woman, and as a man, he was unparalleled, a true femme fatale. Coupled with his feigned coldness, only a fool could see through his act!
At this moment, a guard led over a black horse. Lin Feng leaped onto the horse, grabbed the reins, and rode it with great skill.
Lin Feng knew from the start that her identity was too special and that she would have to deal with many situations. Since arriving, she had learned a lot, some overt and some covert. She had learned horsemanship from Bei Chentian a few days ago. Bei Chentian didn't mind teaching her these skills, as there would be many big situations to come, and she would need them sooner or later.
What puzzled Lin Feng was that Bei Chentian could have easily found a military officer or ordered Nangong Chuixue or Ouyang Xiao to teach him, but instead he insisted on teaching him himself in his spare time, which shortened Lin Feng's learning time considerably. He then cursed Bei Chentian behind his back, saying that he was stingy.
The procession ahead was impressive, and one of the people at the head of the procession frowned upon hearing the intermittent exclamations of praise from behind. He glanced back, but was immediately shocked and turned away, unable to look any further.
No wonder the King favors that "An" so much. This person's demeanor is truly extraordinary. Bei Chenxiang admires An's charm, but his competitive spirit remains undiminished. He thinks it's hard to say whether this person is truly talented. If he is, great; if not, he may not be worthy of the title of being on par with the King.
Lin Feng knew that Bei Chenxiang held a grudge against her at this moment, so she didn't want to make a fool of herself. Instead, she rode her horse next to the carriage, much to the delight of the young maids.
Looking at the convoy behind, a large group of people were escorting sealed cars, all carrying gifts to Xilan. Lin Feng had asked her to prepare them, and Bei Chentian, knowing she had a plan, simply went along with it. As long as it wasn't betrayal, Bei Chentian seemed to be able to tolerate everything Lin Feng did at this moment—she wasn't a woman with big breasts but no brains; everything she did brought benefits to Bei Chen. Why waste such talent? Bei Chentian wouldn't lose out.
The group escorting the goods seemed much more lively than the other serious soldiers. Although they appeared somewhat carefree, their expressions were wary and alert, as if they had everything under control. The three leaders strolled around, seemingly idly but actually protecting the boxes from three sides. Lin Feng nodded inwardly; these lads had seen some real battles and were indeed becoming more and more mature.
Suddenly, a young maid called out, "Your Highness, the most beautiful woman insists on riding in the same carriage as the eldest princess. What do you think we should do?"
The title of "Number One Beauty of Beichen" is actually Lin Feng's title. The title of "Dark King" is listed after her name during this trip and is not on the official list. The title of "Number One Beauty of Beichen Saintess" is used to cover up the truth. At this time, the "Number One Beauty" is naturally her substitute, Xiao Cui.
After being veiled and disguised, no one could tell that the two women from the Jin family had come along. The only person who knew about this was Lin Feng.
Xiao Cui saw her get out of the car and was worried that something might happen inside. Jin Yi's body had been treated with a special agent to prevent it from decomposing, but not many people knew about it. She was afraid that if she wasn't there to watch over it, someone would see it, and if something went wrong, it would be a huge laughing stock for the whole trip. Even if Lin Feng was very capable, he couldn't control those big mouths. The only solution was to kill them to silence them.
But as the saying goes, public opinion is a fearsome thing. If it really gets out, how easy is it to stop it?
Since the battle with Tianlu, Xiaocui has been completely convinced of her abilities. Although she is afraid of her methods, she does not regret becoming her maid. Everyone has ambitions; it just depends on whether the situation will ignite them. Following a master like Lin Feng means either going to hell or enjoying worldly riches. If she doesn't want to be the former, she can only use every means to be the latter.
Lin Feng casually replied with a smile, "Let her be. How can we control the most beautiful woman in Beichen? Let her do whatever she wants, just don't forget to report to me."
The little girl was so captivated by her smile that she seemed to fly to the heavens. She responded three times but made no move.
Lin Feng frowned slightly, thinking to himself that the people of the Beichen Heavenly Palace were poorly disciplined, and said in a cold voice, "Go down."
The young girl realized she had lost her composure, quickly responded, and retreated somewhat embarrassedly.
The mission of the Northern Star Mandate to Chechi was actually orchestrated by Lin Feng. Everything was meticulously planned, from the inside out. For Lin Feng, everything was within his calculations; he was simply waiting for the right moment to let the script unfold as he pleased. Lin Feng smiled proudly, a hint of arrogant arrogance on his face, yet his dashing demeanor was captivating.
Bei Chenxiang turned around for the umpteenth time and saw this scene. He started to think to himself again, "This 'Dark' is really quite narcissistic..."
Lin Feng saw him turn back again and gave him a big, flirtatious wink. Bei Chenxiang's expression immediately turned as if he had choked on an egg, his neck stiff and speechless for a long time. He turned around and hurriedly spurred his horse to vent his anger, thinking to himself, "Has the world gone mad? How could such a person, who is so ignorant of etiquette and worldly customs, be born!"
Lin Feng didn't care at all. Those who saw it dared not say anything, and besides, most people were busy on their way, so who would see it?
However, this mission is of paramount importance; the slightest mistake could cost them their lives. They must understand that those cunning foxes of Chechi are still waiting for them. No one in the palace is simple; they mustn't underestimate their opponents. Lin Feng's experience tells him that this trip will inevitably provoke a war. But who fights whom will depend on their individual abilities.
Bei Chenxiang galloped for several miles when he suddenly heard someone calling from the side. He hurriedly stopped his horse and saw a man in blue riding a horse on his right. He was slightly surprised. His horse was a fine steed that could travel a thousand miles a day, and his horsemanship was rarely inferior to others. Who was this man? When did such a person appear in the army?
The man was dressed in blue, tall and slender, exuding an extraordinary aura, yet Bei Chenxiang had no recollection of him.
"Who are you……"
"My name is Qin Zheng, and I am a subordinate of the Dark King. I am here to protect Your Highness's safety." The man said with one side of his face stiff, and anyone could tell that he was not used to talking to others.
Dark King? Who is this Dark King again? Who exactly is he? Not only does he have a mysterious identity, but he also has a group of mysterious followers and subordinates. Bei Chenxiang is not an ungrateful person. He can see that Qin Zheng's martial arts are indeed quite good, which shows that the man is serious.
The anger in his heart subsided a little. In fact, Bei Chenxiang didn't know what was bothering him. He just felt like he was being played by someone in the dark, which made him extremely unhappy.
However, he couldn't refuse someone's concern. After all, they were in the same boat, working for Bei Chen Tian. How could things work out if they started to disagree? With this in mind, he immediately turned his horse around. At this moment, he used his real skills to test Qin Zheng's abilities. Qin Zheng remained by his side, not falling an inch. Bei Chen Xiang admired him even more, thinking to himself that although An was not a very good person, his subordinate was outstanding.
By the time they returned to the main force, it was already sunset. Lin Feng ordered his men to set up camp and rest, but he turned around and, for the first time in many days, crawled into Bei Chenxiang's tent.
Qin Zheng stayed close to Bei Chenxiang the whole time. Since Bei Chenxiang had noticed him, he took extra care of him. When Lin Feng came in, he saw the two of them drinking and couldn't help but click his tongue and laugh, "Well, you two are having fun without inviting me. Are you deliberately excluding me?"
Qin Zheng hurriedly stood up: "My lord, I absolutely did not mean that..."
Lin Feng raised his hand to stop him from bowing, shook his head and laughed, "You've been by my side for quite some time now, do you think I'm such a petty person? But, since there's wine, we should drink together. Prince Xiang, I know you don't like me, but we shouldn't be worrying about such petty things right now. We've traveled smoothly all this way, but the next two days will be the most difficult. If there's an ambush, it will be there then. I'm a little worried..."
The route they will take in the next two days is through Yuangang, a mountainous area suitable for ambushes. Lin Feng must be wary of Che Chi or Feng Yu suddenly appearing to rob them.