Chapter 94: Its Heart, Its Tea

The crescent moon pierced the clouds, and a painted boat sailed into the dark night of Ranxiang Lake. The lights on the mast appeared and disappeared as they traveled through the thin mist, which was quite mysterious.

Ye Xuanshang appeared on a small building built by the lake. Seeing the painted boat about to sail into the center of the lake, he suddenly pulled himself up. His clothes fluttered in the wind in mid-air, and he crossed the ten-foot space of the lake like a big bird, landing on the bow of the boat with ease.

Entering the cabin, Yan Ling had arrived a step ahead of him. At this time, he was lying comfortably opposite the charming Bai Shu'er, drinking fine wine. Seeing him come in, he smiled: "Good news! Ji Cang's backyard is on fire. The remnants of the Five Kings' rebellion from ten years ago have made a comeback, inciting the rebellion of the Yun and Pi cities that guard the northwest fortress of the Xuan State overnight. The momentum is fierce, and Ji Cang has to return to the country to deal with this matter. I'm afraid he can't even take care of the Liefeng Cavalry that has reached the border."

Bai Shu'er was extremely good at observing people's expressions. Just by Ye Xuanshang letting Yan Ling know of her existence, she knew that his relationship with this number one well-informed person in the world was extraordinary. She leaned half-way on the agarwood couch with one hand supporting her chin, stared at Yan Ling and smiled: "Ji Cang's departure can save you from hiding. I was thinking of dressing you up as a pretty maid and hiding you in the Ban Yue Pavilion, ensuring that the Xuan King, who is not close to women, would not find this place."

Yan Ling almost choked on his wine. He couldn't handle her charming and soul-stirring appearance, raised his hands to surrender, "This move can be avoided. Otherwise, if the Hall Master smiles at people like this every day, I will forget that friends' wives should not be bullied, and that would be a big disaster." Suddenly remembering something, he leaned forward and said, "Huang Fei has searched the Ranxiang Lake inside and out, and you actually dare to arrange manpower here as a contact point. It's really amazing."

Bai Shu'er laughed, first gave Ye Xuanshang a look with her charming eyes, and then said to Yan Ling: "The more they don't expect me to dare to return to this place, the safer it is. As long as it's not the Shao Yuan Jun himself, what can Zhao Yu do to me?"

Yan Ling stretched, "It's a pity that Huang Fei is busy welcoming the Nine Princess and has no time to pursue Ji Cang. Otherwise, this time the Xuan State is in internal and external trouble, and it will be a disaster."

Bai Shu'er wiped her hair lightly, turned to Ye Xuanshang, who was silent, and said: "What is Third Young Master thinking about?"

Ye Xuanshang had been playing with the Canglong jade pendant on his sword, full of thoughts. At this time, he raised his hand and supported his eyebrows, leaning lazily into the comfortable couch, and closed his eyes: "It's really a coincidence!"

Bai Shu'er didn't understand, exchanged glances with Yan Ling, and then turned her beautiful eyes and asked: "Is Young Master feeling that the rebellion in the Xuan State came too coincidentally?"

Ye Xuanshang couldn't help but look at her, obviously not expecting her to guess his implication so quickly, and then kicked Yan Ling unceremoniously, "Hey, the situation in the Xuan State was what you said, do you still remember?"

Yan Ling was forced to sit up straight from the seat, gave him a white look, and then showed a look of recollection, "The truth of that rebellion in the Xuan State has been blocked, and not many people in the rivers and lakes know about it. But of course, it can't hide from me, Golden Matchmaker Yan Ling. Since I know, you naturally know. The one who helped the Xuan King quell the rebellion at that time was, um... Mingyi Tower!"

"If you didn't know the relationship between Mingyi Tower and the Imperial Capital, I'm afraid no one would have guessed it. Ten years ago, Mingyi Tower intervened in the internal affairs of the Xuan State, and ten years later, it made Ji Cang's tens of thousands of troops unable to act rashly for half a step. No wonder he set a seven-day deadline. This step of chess can indeed contain Ji Cang for seven days, but there are only seven days at most."

Jade pavilion and crystal railing, flowers and moon on the stage, Huang Fei wiped the Zhuri precious sword casually. Under the cold light of the day, his eyes revealed an intoxicated satisfaction.

Opposite the lake light and moon, Qie Lan wore a goose-yellow silk dress, soft silk wrapped in gold, like waves floating, her hair slanted and loose, flowing on her fragrant shoulders, setting off her painting-like eyebrows and snow-white skin, with a unique and free-spirited charming state. Reaching out to pluck the ice strings, she couldn't help but look up at Huang Fei, "Ten years... Does Senior Brother mean that the Eastern Emperor calculated this step of chess ten years ago and did it deliberately?"

Huang Fei smiled: "If it weren't for many years of layout, just relying on the remnants of the Five Kings, two mere cities, how could Ji Cang be forced to return to the country in a hurry? Tomorrow, you might as well look at the military report. The Xuan State must have had other things happen."

Qie Lan said: "But ten years ago, the Eastern Emperor was just a child of ten years old, and had not even ascended the throne."

Huang Fei laughed heartily, a sharp glint flashing in his handsome eyes, "At thirteen, I had already joined the army to kill the enemy; at fourteen, I was appointed a general to lead troops; at fifteen, my father was defeated at Fuchuan, and Helian Yiren forced my mother to commit suicide in public and forcibly detained my sister in the palace. I defied the imperial decree before the army, led three thousand soldiers to lure the enemy into a trap, launched a surprise attack on the Xuan army, wiped out over twenty thousand of the enemy, and beheaded or captured eight thousand. That was the first great battle of my Liefeng Cavalry!"

Qie Lan had never heard him tell this past event in person, but everything that happened after that was well known.

The Liefeng Cavalry's first battle shook the world. At the age of fifteen, Huang Fei returned in triumph. Under the heavy pressure of the Helian Marquis Mansion, he set up a military order, sent troops to the southern border of the Chu State alone, suppressed the rebellion of the vassal states, challenged the enemy camp alone with one sword, beheaded the rebel king, and returned in complete victory.

Afterwards, the Liefeng Cavalry continuously captured neighboring countries, repelled the invasion of the Mu and Xuan armies several times, and the territory of the Chu State expanded by a thousand miles within three years. Huang Fei made great military achievements, used distant friendship and close attack to deter the four seas, and held great power in the court and army. He was only eighteen when he was appointed as a minister, becoming the youngest Monarch of the Chu State.

This super-excellent man who rose like a comet in the Nine Domains, ten years of iron-blooded legend, ten years of achieving a myth.

Qie Lan raised her head slightly, and the bright moon in the sky shone with ice, illuminating the pavilion and jade lake brightly.

Jade wall, fairy terrace, crystal curtain, jade steps and jade railings reflecting the night light. The most beautiful jade in the world, the brightest pearl in the four seas, the most precious spice in the Nine Domains, the most moving woman in the world, the owner of this Jun mansion water pavilion, possesses all the treasures and beautiful things in the world that make people envious.

Drunk on the beauty's lap, awake to hold the power of the world.

The fastest horse, the sharpest sword, the most moving words, the most handsome face...

The wind filled the lake, the stars filled the sky, the white-clothed man with peerless style looked over with a smile, and his gentle voice was like a dark fragrance, intoxicating people's hearts, "Qie Lan, I remember the first time I saw you, you were as beautiful as tonight. At that time, you were just a weak little girl."

Qie Lan knelt on the mat and turned around, holding a small plate in her plain hands, filled with a small cup of clear tea, looking back at Huang Fei with low eyes, "Senior Brother."

A faint bitterness drifted with the moonlight, like light clouds emerging from the cave, the beauty of the empty valley and clear orchid. Huang Fei took the small cup and sent it under his nose to sniff deeply, closing his eyes in intoxication, "Does Qie Lan know that it was a cup of fragrant tea on that light boat that day that made me accept your request."

Qie Lan sat opposite him, and poured tea again, smiling: "Qie Lan wants to thank Senior Brother, because only Senior Brother loves the taste of this wild tea in the mountains."

Huang Fei said: "Its tea, its heart. Three years, Qie Lan has cooked tea for me for three years, and it seems that her state of mind remains the same."

"Its tea, its heart." Qie Lan whispered, and smiled again, "Senior Brother said it well, from now on this will be called 'Its Heart Tea'. For three full years, hasn't Senior Brother's state of mind in tasting tea remained unchanged?"

Huang Fei sighed, "Qie Lan, you are too smart."

Qie Lan smiled calmly, the bitter tea fragrance dotted the sky with crystal light and waves, floating in the pupils of her beautiful eyes, "Senior Brother, Qie Lan wants to go home. After Senior Brother's wedding ceremony with the Nine Princess, I want to lead my tribe back to the country. There is nothing in this world that makes people feel more peaceful than the land of the Nine Yi tribe."

Huang Fei put down the tea cup, his gaze swept across Qie Lan's beautiful face, and his lips picked up a leisurely shallow arc, "It's okay for Qie Lan to want to return to the country, but you might as well stay for a few more days, otherwise you will miss another happy event."

Qie Lan raised her eyes to ask.

Huang Fei smiled: "The Eastern Emperor has decided to make Han Xi the Left Madam of the Yuyang Palace, and there will be an imperial edict issued soon."

Qie Lan's eyes trembled slightly, waves surged, and a few drops of hot tea splashed into her heart.

Ye Xuanshang held the wine cup in his hand, sipping it slowly, but still looked leisurely, "Although there are rumors in the rivers and lakes that Mingyi Tower helped the Xuan King quell the rebellion, if you think about it carefully, no one knows half of the key details. It seems that the Eastern Emperor left a back move early, even Ji Cang was deceived. This game of chess is probably not just a Xuan State."

Yan Ling exchanged glances with him, naturally thinking of the Nine Yi Queen beside Huang Fei. Both the Xuan and Chu states were in the game, what about the Mu State?

Bai Shu'er said: "I can investigate the situation in the Mu State for Young Master. The eyes and ears that Zizai Hall has placed in various countries are no worse than Golden Matchmaker Yan Ling."

A sentence showed that although Zizai Hall had suffered heavy losses, it still had considerable forces lurking in the Mu State. Yan Ling looked at the opposite side. Ye Xuanshang stood up slowly, picked up the wine pot, turned his eyes and smiled at her, "No need, Shu'er might as well preserve her strength, and it's okay to play some small games with Tai Zi Yu, but don't act rashly. I will handle this matter myself. Do you understand?"

Bai Shu'er's beautiful eyes flashed, her heart beat faster because of his slightly domineering tone, and she secretly thought that she still couldn't figure out his depth. If it weren't for a better way to grasp the situation in the Mu State, how could he be so confident?

At first it was a last resort, but now the more they got along, the more she felt that this Third Young Master was not simple. Tai Zi Yu had been chasing and killing him for so many years, it seemed that it was not without reason. She couldn't help but think of the leak of Ye Xuanjian's entry into Chu. Who was the one who secretly did it? This involved how many secrets of the Mu State royal family, even she, a key figure who was once Tai Zi Yu's right-hand man, didn't know very well.

Just as she was thinking, Ye Xuanshang's gaze suddenly shot out of the window, "Shu'er, what are you doing?"

Bai Shu'er laughed charmingly and moved to the window. Several ships appeared in the night, approaching the painted boat in a fan shape. The wind lamps on the ships lit up, hitting the unique contact signal of Zizai Hall. The lights on the painted boat flashed, suddenly accelerated, entered the encirclement of the ships, and several figures appeared on the bow, leaped and jumped toward the front deck of the painted boat. At this time, more than ten ships appeared on the lake, echoing the previous ships, forming a specific formation and guarding the painted boat.

The moon entered the clouds, and the fog became thicker. A row of bright lights lit up on the painted boat, and three men and two women appeared on the bow, bowing at the same time, and said in unison: "The five-door dark envoys of Zizai Hall—Soul-Snatcher, Multi-Eye, Little Gold, Dark Color, and Secret Fragrance—see the Hall Master!"

Bai Shu'er stepped onto the deck, still with that romantic and charming appearance, her beautiful eyes raised slightly, "Why don't you come forward to see Third Young Master."

The five people in the cabin raised their heads and looked. Soul-Snatcher, Little Gold, and Secret Fragrance only paused, then lowered their heads and said: "See Third Young Master!" Multi-Eye and Dark Color looked at Ye Xuanshang more, then lowered their heads and saluted with the others.

Ye Xuanshang still leaned in the seat lazily, with a leisurely and calm appearance, his dark eyes motionless. Bai Shu'er sent a look to him, turned around gracefully, and bowed with Lv Yi who was standing by, "These are the elite subordinates in Zizai Hall who are loyal to Shu'er. From now on, they are at Young Master's disposal, through fire and water, even if they die, they will not regret it."

Ye Xuanshang accepted the great gift of this group of people without avoiding it. After a while, he stood up and paced slowly to her.

He didn't even look at this group of elites who were qualified to rank among the experts of the rivers and lakes and were enough to make any force like a tiger with wings added. He looked at the lake and smiled faintly: "Shu'er made such a big move tonight, not just to introduce them to me, right?"

Bai Shu'er raised her head and laughed charmingly, "Nothing can hide from Young Master. You haven't seen that girl Zhao Yu yet, and the other three dark envoys who rebelled with her. Young Master is now the real owner of Zizai Hall. How can you not be there when I deal with traitors tonight? But Young Master only needs to drink and enjoy music on the boat, no need to show up in person. Shu'er will let Young Master watch a good show."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 95 =====