Breaking Army smiled faintly as he lowered the curtain,
"However, the Xue Family is among the top three rich merchants in the world, worth taking a look at."
"As for now, the Emperor of Chen’s banquet should have many beauties, how can I not go."
Gentlemen have long used the presence of beauties as a metaphor for a wise ruler, and he had found the true beauty.
Knowing where this youth was, his heart was greatly settled.
The Xue Family couldn’t run away.
Today there was no choice, he simply couldn’t escape from the Emperor of Chen’s banquet.
He had planned to find an opportunity in the next few days to seek out that youth and see.
To witness his intelligence, his courage.
He must do it before the Shaking Light Sect.
Oh teacher, oh teacher, those who had made a name for themselves from the White Tiger Sect were mostly from the Shaking Light Sect.
You are not good enough, this time, it’s all on me.
You are too slow, too dull.
Your actions are not swift enough!
Your search is not accurate enough!
The Emperor of Chen Country personally attended the banquet that day.
The feast was attended by distinguished guests from the Western Regions, Ying Country, and the grasslands above. The Duke Mansion of Ying Country was also present. Li Zhaowen originally planned to visit the Xue Family but ended up being furiously dragged back by the Duke. Still dressed as a man, he entered through the White Tiger Sect and now sat here, nonchalantly sipping tea.
He felt that the top forces of the world were performing a peaceful farce here.
They treated each other amicably, not much different from young ladies playing house.
Thinking how happy she would be if she weren’t in this tedious palace right now,
but at the Xue Family, pulling Li Guan Yi along to discuss the great trends of the world.
The young Dangxiang Prince was trembling, lacking the courage to face so many heroes directly; only the young Tiele Khan still managed to play the quaint instrument with a natural, carefree elegance.
When the drinks had been served three times, the Emperor of Chen asked the guests what they had seen in Great Chen.
The young Dangxiang Prince mentioned the good feng shui and abundant vegetation of Jiangnan.
The living Buddha stated that the lands of the Central Plains and the Eastern Land were filled with beings who all have a Buddha’s heart and Buddha Nature, akin to the ancient Buddha Country.
He expressed his wish to bring the teachings of the Buddha to the people of this land.
When it came to Yuwen Lie, he answered in front of all the civil and military officials, "Upon just entering the Vermilion Bird Gate, the guards of Chen showed fear towards us, yet there was one young man who still had the courage to grip a sword; that person was Li Guan Yi."
"All things such as flora, Buddha’s light, and treasures are not comparable to this person."
Li Zhaowen, who had been feeling bored, suddenly perked up, even her ears seemed to twitch.
She suddenly grew interested and looked over.
She thought that Yuwen Lie truly deserved his reputation as a renowned general, having quite an eye for talent.
What a pity that he was too old, already possessing great fame and prestige, much higher than even her father.
He couldn’t be enlisted under her command.
The Ritual Eunuch had already reported the recent events to the Emperor.
The Emperor, though angered by Yuwen Lie’s audacity, was somewhat appeased by Li Guan Yi’s performance, and regained a bit of face. With a smile, he said, "This person is a relative of my noble concubine, excelling in both literary and martial arts, previously acclaimed for a poem to a swordsman. General Yuwen, you must have heard of it."
Yuwen Lie’s expression softened as he replied, "If it’s that poem, I have indeed heard of it."
"It carries the magnanimous and mournful spirit of my Ying Country."
"May I inquire of Your Majesty, how old is Li Guan Yi?"
The Emperor glanced at the Ritual Eunuch, who answered according to the resume provided by Xue Daoyong:
Fifteen years old... That doesn’t match up.
Yuwen Lie finally let go of his suspicions about the ’son of the Taiping Duke.’
And quelled the killing intent he’d had to slay the youth on the street that very night.
If this person had been the offspring of Li Wanli, even if it meant offending the Crown Prince and Prince Jiang Guang, he would have charged his horse down the street and trampled the youth to death without hesitation. In the eyes of a renowned general, everything has its value and weight; a youth who qualified as an adversary wasn’t worth defying the orders of the Crown Prince for.
But even the Emperor of Ying’s command couldn’t compare to the five words "son of the Taiping Duke."
For the son of the Taiping Duke, he held only one attitude.
The greatest respect for a potential threat was to eradicate it without hesitation.
was to betray oneself and one’s nation.
Yuwen Lie lifted his cup, saying, "Such a young hero, in at most ten years, once the chaos of the world arises again, I suppose he and I shall meet on the battlefield."
Such words indirectly suggested that Chen, Ying, and the Turkic might all end up at war in the future, somewhat inappropriate for a banquet celebrating peace. The faces of the civil servants turned sour, while the generals present stared with fierce expressions, the newly risen General of Chen, Liu Zhong, glaring intensely at Yuwen Lie.
But a fierce general like Yuwen Lie didn’t care at all.
The Emperor of Chen’s complexion wasn’t very pleasant, but he didn’t let anger take over. The banquet was extremely lavish, with beauties presenting tea, four types of dried fruits, four types of candied fruits, four types of pastries, four types of cold appetizers, a box of assorted delicacies, four types of appetizers, a soup, four types of imperial dishes, followed by an interlude of four types of snacks.
Then there were four more imperial dishes in a repeating sequence, finally concluding with fruits, fragrant tea; each dish was exquisitely luxurious, more an artwork than a mere serving. The young Tiele Khan lifted a bowl of soup and drank heartily, exclaiming, "Truly delicate."
"It’s soup made with duck tongues, enjoy if you like it."
The Tiele Khan asked, "Duck tongues can also be made into dishes?"
The maid replied, "Yes, it takes the tongues of one hundred sixty-three ducks to make this one bowl."