However, at this moment, she was more concerned about the visit the day after tomorrow. She had watched the first half of the Empress's story, which was all about the Empress's suffering, but she had hardly watched the second half, so she didn't know how the plot was developing. She also didn't know Huang Mang's fate, since he hadn't died in the first half of the story.
And then there's Lord Sibo, who is clearly very interested in the gifts given by Huang Mang and the First Prince.
Afterwards, Xie Lanzhi analyzed the situation further and asked, "Since Huang Mang is a rising star in Tianjing, what do you think is his purpose in visiting me?"
Xie Guang, with his proud and arrogant attitude, said, "Naturally, they want to submit to our Xie family and, moreover, use your prestige, Grand Marshal, to establish a foothold for him in the North and South Regions so that he can rightfully inherit Tianjing."
"In this way, neither the Grand Duke of Sibo nor the King of Jin would dare to take the opportunity to attack him!"
It seems they've come here seeking her as a powerful backer.
Xie Lanzhi felt that she had gathered enough information. She wanted to see what Huang Mang, who had killed the Empress's father, looked like the day after tomorrow.
Afterwards, she leaned on her sword and went back to her room.
Xie Guang didn't dare follow and left the courtyard directly. The Xie clan generals who were around him surrounded him, asking, "General, does the Marshal have any new instructions?"
"Are we going to the battlefield?"
"When will we be able to continue expanding our territory? Does the Grand Marshal really intend to stop here in the Southern Region?"
When Xie Guang heard that a general had spoken out of turn due to excessive emotion, he didn't hesitate to slap him hard across the face, causing the general's nose to bleed profusely: "Insolence!"
The general quickly prostrated himself on the ground and begged for mercy, saying, "Your subordinate deserves to die."
The commotion outside the courtyard was quite loud; Xie Lanzhi could hear it even from across the yard. But it quickly subsided.
It seems like things will be just as chaotic the day after tomorrow.
The Southern Regions are indeed a haven for warmongers.
The day after tomorrow arrived sooner than she expected. It felt like the day after tomorrow arrived in the blink of an eye. Xie Lanzhi was helped by a maid to put on her armor. Her armor was gilded, with a round breastplate in the middle. There was a thick layer of protective sheath on both sides of her shoulder blades.
The most outrageous part is the waist armor on the abdomen, which is actually made of a decent piece of light steel.
This made Xie Lanzhi a little curious about the steelmaking technology in the Southern Region, but before long, she had fastened her light armor, which weighed about fifty pounds.
Her body seemed to handle the fifty-odd pounds with ease. When she chose a sword again, she picked one with a white scabbard. She tucked it into her waistband, concealing it with her thick outer robe.
When she stepped out of the courtyard, she truly witnessed the grandeur of the welcoming procession. Right in front of her house was a sturdy stone-paved road, and all the high-ranking military officers stood on both sides with their swords at their sides. The eight-horse carriage, two meters high, was more like a bed than a seat.
Xie Lanzhi stepped onto the carriage and saw many fruits and vegetables and golden melon seeds on both sides of the seat. They were pure gold melon seeds. As soon as she sat down, the people below all knelt down and shouted, "Respectfully seeing off the Grand Marshal!"
Xie Lanzhi stared at the golden melon seeds in deep thought. She grabbed a handful and flung them out of the car, causing a scramble among the crowd.
It's as if getting the sunflower seeds is a source of pride.
Xie Lanzhi couldn't bear to look; this was truly a feudal country.
When she arrived at the military camp, it was only ten miles away.
The open-air military tents in the large military camp were arranged in rows, and Xie's personal guards surrounded her completely. Tens of thousands of soldiers stood densely packed on the hilltops five hundred paces away.
Sitting in the main seat, Xie Lanzhi looked over and felt a chill run down her spine.
After Xie Guang and the other white-armored generals took their seats, the conch shells were sounded.
Soon, Xie Lanzhi saw soldiers carrying box after box of goods into the military camp from outside. Occasionally, someone would announce the ceremony: "Lord Sibo, we present two hundred bolts of silk, three thousand taels of gold, and seven boxes of jewels."
Then came tributes from various princes and nobles she didn't know much about. When the song reached the Northern Regions...
"General Huang Mang of Tianjing presents the Grand Marshal with six Ferghana horses, one hundred court dancers, fifty court musicians, and twenty boxes each of gold and jewels."
"The Crown Prince of the Northern Region, Yelü Wen, presented seven thousand slaves, five thousand sheep, and tens of thousands of treasures from various grasslands."
After the master of ceremonies finished chanting, Xie Lanzhi saw two armored figures riding horses high above the others, unlike the others who walked.
One was a tall man with a potbelly, his face radiating undisguised arrogance; the other looked somewhat noble, with a well-proportioned build, but sported a goatee, his entire face covered in beard except for his features. His features were also quite deep-set, giving him the distinct appearance of a non-Han Chinese.
After dismounting, one bowed to her in a gesture of respect, while the other knelt on one knee, saying, "We have come from the capital to pay our respects to the Grand Marshal!"
"Yelü Wen from the Northern Region pays his respects to Marshal Xie!"
Is that the guy with the potbelly Huang Mang?
Xie Lanzhi glanced at him, noticing his full beard and a cunning glint in his eyes. He wouldn't kneel completely; those who held military power certainly had the confidence to back it up.
She said, "Get up!"
Huang Mang and Yelü Wenzheng stood up and sat down on either side of the head of the guest seats, which were right next to the armrests of her seat.
Everyone in the room was waiting for her to speak.
Xie Lanzhi couldn't back down, and she said, "This handsome man."
As soon as she opened her mouth, Xie Guang and the other generals all looked at her, even Huang Mang and Yelü Wen were looking at her.
Xie Lanzhi kept a straight face, feeling that she couldn't act or not act, since her acting skills were just too stiff.
She simply let go of herself, raised her wine cup and said, "We are neighbors from all over the world, and all who come are guests."
Everyone immediately raised their glasses in unison.
Yelü Wen and Huang Mang were puzzled, but they also picked up their wine cups and drank one each. Xie Lanzhi, who was in the main seat, poured another cup, and the people below followed suit.
After three cups.
Xie Lanzhi thought the rice wine was delicious and couldn't help but drink a few more cups. Unexpectedly, the people below followed her and drank as well.
This made her feel a little awkward.
Upon seeing this, Yelü Wen raised his wine cup and said, "Grand Marshal, the rice wine of the Southern Regions is indeed well-deserved of its reputation. It is warm and sweet, with a slight intoxication, much like the alluring beauty of a woman from the Northern Kingdom."
It seems this person is a pervert.
Xie Lanzhi raised her eyebrows slightly, feigning interest: "I have heard of the beauty from the North, but the North is the territory of the Hu people, and the atmosphere is open. She does have a certain heroic spirit."
Those below noticed that Xie Lanzhi was very interested in the topic of beautiful women.
They all started introducing the beauties from their respective regions, and the discussion became quite lively.
Even when Xie Guang mentioned his wife, his nostrils flared, making the party quite lively.
Until Huang Mang stood up with his wine cup in hand and said loudly, "Speaking of beauties, Tianjing is known for producing rare beauties. If we're talking about the most beautiful, the number one beauty in Xicheng is none other than Consort Shu, Mo Ailan."
Mo Ailan was the beauty who colluded with him.
Everyone present thought Huang Mang was boasting, but he had the right to boast; he had indeed slept with the most beautiful woman and killed the Emperor of Xicheng. The other eight Jin states, upon hearing this, dared not immediately attack him, because Huang Mang had 150,000 elite troops at his disposal, their morale high. The combined forces of the eight Jin states numbered only a little over 300,000, and they were not united, making it impossible for Huang Mang to act with impunity in Tianjing.
But isn't this person a bit arrogant, daring to show off his limited skills in front of Marshal Xie?
A rising star commanding 150,000 troops, and a Grand Marshal of the Southern Region with an army of 500,000.
Xie Lanzhi's eyes changed slightly, and Xie Guang and the generals below had already secretly placed their hands on the swords at their waists.
Upon seeing this, Yelü Wen broke out in a cold sweat and stepped forward, saying, "General Huang did not mean that."
After being reminded by him, Huang Mang immediately said to Xie Lanzhi, "Grand Marshal, I intend to present you with a rare treasure. This treasure is no less than the most beautiful woman, and it is even known as the royal pet in the Eight Jin Kingdom."
Royal Pet?
Xie Lanzhi's eyelids twitched slightly. Hearing the familiar stigma, she felt a bit irritated, even a bit disgusted.
Si Bogong had mentioned royal pets before, but she hadn't taken it seriously then. However, now that Huang Mang had mentioned it, she felt a chill run down her spine. When she became agitated, she felt a surge of blood rising in her chest for some reason, and her aura of hostility intensified.
Seeing that she remained silent, Huang Mang began to order the soldiers he had brought with him: "Why don't we let everyone here see what this famous royal pet of the Eight Jin is all about!"
"Bring him here!"
Immediately, Si Bogong's face turned ashen. He clenched his fists and stared intently as the crowd parted to make way for him. He suddenly looked as if he was speechless with extreme grief and indignation.
Xie Guang, who was standing next to him, was very puzzled. Why did the old man have that expression?
In the path cleared by the crowd, an iron cage wrapped in yellow cloth was pushed onto the open space of the party. Because it was wrapped tightly and airtight, no one could see what was inside.
Some people are even speculating: "Could it be a leopard?"
"tiger?"
"It must be a wolf, right?"
"The Grand Marshal has always loved horses, so it must be a spirited steed."
Just as everyone was speculating, Huang Mang threw the wine cup on the ground. He looked smug and smug, and strode toward the cage. Then he kicked it hard, and the cage shook violently. It seemed that something inside was struggling desperately.
This made everyone even more curious.
Under everyone's gaze, Huang Mang grabbed the yellow cloth covering the iron cage and yanked it open, finally revealing the four corners of the iron cage to the public.
All eyes were focused on one spot.
However, the cage did not contain any rare or exotic beasts, but rather a woman, drenched in sweat, with a lithe figure, curled up in a ball. She hugged her knees helplessly, her beautiful black hair cascading down to her waist. Her slender waist and the slightly disheveled, wrinkled phoenix palace robe of the Tianjing royal family clearly indicated her high status. Her graceful curves also hinted at her allure; she was a stunning beauty.
With just one glance, Xie Lanzhi felt her heart sink, as if a stone was pressing on her chest, making it hard for her to breathe, just like her previous heart condition.
Seeing how focused Marshal Xie was on the chicks in the cage, Huang Mang thought to himself, "Just as I thought, even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman."
He then proudly pointed at the woman in the cage: "This is Huang, a royal...pet presented to the Grand Marshal."
"This woman is the legitimate daughter of the Emperor of Xicheng, surnamed Si and named Qi..."
Xie Lanzhi couldn't listen to the rest of the sounds. She felt her mind suddenly go blank, and the suppressed blood in her chest suddenly seemed to burst forth.
Before she could react, she had already stepped down from the main seat. Xie Guang and the others stared at her in astonishment, while the other princes assumed that Marshal Xie wanted to observe her up close, so they also stood up to observe her closely.
In Huang Mang's eyes, even Marshal Xie was amazed by her beauty and wanted to see her in person. Although this woman was a bit dirty from her long journey, she was even more beautiful than Mo Ailan.
That kind of beauty was different. It's a pity he didn't have a chance to enjoy it.
"Thank you, Marshal Xie..." Huang Mang said in a boastful tone.
Xie Lanzhi walked faster and faster, her steps almost leaping, dust rising from her feet, her outer robe billowing in the wind, her bangs flying, and her eyes exuding... a murderous aura.
She walked a few steps to the cage, turned her back to the person inside, and stood in front of them, her voice trembling uncontrollably: "Who is this person?!"
"This woman is the legitimate daughter of the Emperor of the Western City..." Huang Mang began again, speaking in the tone of introducing an item.
The next moment, Xie Lanzhi glanced to the side; her right eye had lost all emotion, and only a suppressed, surging murderous aura remained in its emptiness.
This is the aura of someone who has killed countless people.
The shock caused Huang Mang to twitch slightly and take a step back.
What... Marshal Xie, what's going on?
Her right sleeve was slightly exposed, and beneath the outer robe, the white scabbard of a sword was revealed to Xie Guang and the others.
Xie Guang's expression immediately changed, and he said, "Today, I'm bringing Ebai!"