Chapter 435: Chen Yan, Growing More Apprehensive the More He Thinks

Yuwen Yong, standing to one side, first nodded vigorously in sincere agreement, then flashed a brilliant smile, causing the Jade Hairpin at his temple to sway lightly with the motion.

He stepped forward half a pace, raised his hand to gesture steadying the rising murmur below the stage, and loudly echoed, "Grand Preceptor is absolutely right!"

"They should be properly bestowed titles and rewards, as meritorious officials who fought bloodily for Great Zhou!"

"Set out, return to Chang'an!"

Beside them, Chen Yan's gaze burned like a torch; from the moment Yuwen Yong spoke, he fixed his eyes firmly on the other's expression, his peripheral vision missing no subtle movement, yet his eyes held only mirth and certainty, not a trace of forcedness.

His brows, almost imperceptibly, knit toward the center, his lip line tightened into a straight line, a tide of astonishment rose in his heart, and he muttered to himself, "Being so directed by Grand Tomb Steward father, how can he be so compliant?"

"Not a single hint of unwillingness?"

One must know that an emperor, when a minister oversteps to arrange his affairs, will be at least somewhat displeased; the previously handled young emperor Yuwen Yan was exactly like that…

Yet the one before him not only showed no trace at all, but even cheerfully accepted it?!

If he were not as dimwitted as Li Xian, it would show his extraordinary forbearance…

Moreover, the name of this new Son of Heaven is far too similar to that of the historic Emperor Wu…

Thinking of this, Chen Yan grew increasingly uneasy, a chill flashing in his eyes!

Truly, the more one ponders, the more terrifying!

He must find a chance to remind Grand Tomb Steward father that reading the wine edict requires a helmet…

When Yuwen Yong turned, his back to the crowd, the smile in his eyes suddenly faded, and a fleeting, shallow calculation flashed through.

Like shards of light skimming the bottom of a cold pool, swift beyond capture.

A faint afterglow brushed past Yuwen Hu at his side, his fingertips subtly curled and released.

His face, however, remained composed and unhurried, not even the curve of his lips altered.

The voice within him was calm, incongruous with his age, bearing a measured patience: "Step by step, I have all the time…"

Hou Mochen Yi stared at Chen Yan, a barely perceptible gleam flashing in his eyes, silently calculating: "When there's a lull, I must go to Lord Chen's residence and sit properly…"

For this campaign, everyone brought this lord, but his son was left behind.

He must prepare generous gifts and properly nurture the relationship…

Two inner attendants hurried forward, cleared their throats, suddenly raised their voices; their sharp tones pierced the noisy crowd, clearly echoing across the military platform: "Your Majesty commands: Set out and return to Chang'an—!"

Before the words finished, the already lined‑up Imperial Guard troops stepped forward in unison.

The front‑line soldier wielding a long halberd led the way, the spear tip angled toward the ground, the orderly footfalls went "dong—dong", drumming louder than the voices.

Yuwen Yong and Yuwen Hu walked down the steps side by side, dragon‑patterned banners and ceremonial guards followed closely, proceeding along the road cleared by the Imperial Guard toward Chang'an.

Seven thousand cavalry rode at the rear, backs straight as spears, faces carved with resolve.

Their eyes held the refined light forged on battlefields, long swords hanging at their waists swayed gently with each movement, exuding a chilling killing aura.

The common folk on both sides of the road tiptoed to catch a glimpse.

An elderly man with white hair stroked his beard and sighed, "The soldiers of Great Zhou truly are majestic!"

The young men beside him nodded repeatedly, echoing, "That look, that aura—clearly forged from real swords and guns in battle!"

In the crowd, a stout man in short brown attire, stirred by the words, thrust his head up, his booming voice drowning the surrounding chatter: "Can't you see who brought all this out?"

Every line exuded undeniable pride, even causing chests to puff out a bit.

Can commanders be alike to each other?

That's their Lord Chen Yan!

"Exactly!"

A woman beside them immediately laughed in agreement, gently patting the child in her arms: "A hundred‑victory army that follows Lord Chen Yan into battle can't be any less?"

A middle‑aged man balancing a peddler's basket tiptoed, his gaze passing over the crowd ahead, landing directly on Chen Yan riding a White Horse within the formation.

His armor made his figure even more upright, a sword slung diagonally at his waist.

Even while merely seated on the horse's back, a fierce battlefield aura radiated.

The man couldn't help but exclaim to those beside him, "Lord Chen Yan remains as heroic as ever!"

Just as the words ended, a sudden voice from the crowd, low yet strikingly clear, said, "But it seems a bit darker than before!"

The speaker was a scholar in a blue‑woven long robe.

Last year, when the Duke of Wei acted for the people, cutting down treachery and evil, he had seen from afar…

"Could it not be dark?"

A woman beside him, with a cloth tied around her head, immediately replied, her tone mixing reproach and pride: "Lord Chen Yan's campaign to the northwest first pacified the Hezhou Liuren rebels, then eradicated the Tongtian Society, and even counter‑attacked Tu Gu Hun, under constant wind and sun!"

Such continuous campaigning, especially on the Gobi, being not dark would be the real problem, right?

"Indeed!"

An elderly man beside them immediately nodded, tapping his cane lightly on the ground, sighing, "It's certainly no ordinary toil!"

"On the Gobi, the day‑night temperature swing is huge; summer heat can scorch stones to the point of burning feet, winter winds can pierce armor. Lord Chen, leading his troops through such hardship, being dark is nothing—he probably hasn't had a few peaceful sleeps!"

Within the words lay an unspeakable concern.

The surrounding townsfolk nodded in agreement, even the scholar earlier couldn't help but nod, his eyes deepening with admiration.

In the crowd, a young woman in a water‑green ru‑skirt tiptoed, idly twisting an embroidered handkerchief, her gaze glued to Chen Yan's silhouette.

She lifted the corner of her brow, the ends of her eyes tinged with a soft red, even her breathing softened; when Chen Yan's figure receded with the column, she coquettishly whispered to her companion, her voice as sweet as honey, "I think the sun‑tanned Lord Chen Yan looks even more manly…"

Finishing, she lifted her hand to smooth the stray strands at her temple, cheeks flushing pink, eyes shining astonishingly, with a hint of youthful infatuation: "If I could serve by Lord Chen Yan's side and bear him a few plump little boys, that would be wonderful!"

Before the words finished, the young woman couldn't help but laugh, covering her mouth with the embroidered handkerchief.

Her eyes brimmed with longing, even her gaze toward the departing column added a touch of sweetness.

This handsome, upright, youthful, talented, and battle‑glorious Poet Immortal had always been her dream lover…

After all, Chen, on the road of Great Zhou's succubus evolution, has already gone far, cutting down both men and women alike…

A burst of hearty laughter rose from the crowd; a stout, dark‑skinned man in a brown short jacket squeezed forward, his round belly swaying, a half‑string of gleaming candied hawthorn in hand, his voice booming like a gong: "Little girl, stop indulging in such unrealistic daydreams…"

Having said that, he smugly patted his belly, his eyes full of confidence, and said, "Can Lord Chen Yan even look down on you?"

"To enter the mansion, it must be my daughter, as beautiful as a flower and jade!"

As soon as the words fell, a man in a gray cloth shirt beside him laughed, slapping his thigh, deliberately stretching his tone to tease: "Wang Tuhuo, with your daughter whose waist is as thick as a water bucket, how can you dare call her as beautiful as a flower and jade?"

The people around immediately joined in laughter, and a needle‑and‑thread seller, an old woman, laughed and added: "Exactly! Last time you bragged that your daughter could eat three meat buns in one sitting. With that figure, I'm afraid even the threshold of Weiguo Gongfu would be hard for her to cross!"

Wang Tuhuo's face flushed, but he stuck out his neck and retorted with conviction: "You just don't understand, do you?"

"A thick waist and big hips can bear a son!"

Just as the argument grew lively, an elderly man shaking a palm fan sauntered forward, laughing as he interrupted: "Stop arguing!"

"If you want to enter Weiguo Gongfu, you'll probably have to ask Grand Duke's Furen for her opinion, right?"

A scholar beside them, carrying a cloth bag, leaned in, deliberately clearing his throat to continue, his tone full of teasing: "Moreover, if you wish to become a concubine of Lord Chen Yan, you must come from a distinguished family, right? There's no way your daughter could make the cut!"

Those words fell like a stone into water, and the surrounding crowd instantly erupted in uproarious "hahaha" laughter.

Some laughed while rubbing their bellies, and others patted Wang Tuhuo's shoulder in jest.

West Gate.

On the second floor of Wangyun Tower, by a window, sat a man in a blue robe.

He held a white jade wine cup between his fingertips; his finger joints were long and defined, his dark hair loosely tied with a Jade Hairpin, and the profile of his side face was so handsome it bordered on sharp.

His gaze, however, was fixed on the street below, watching a figure in armor ride by on a horse; the corners of his eyes lifted slightly, his lips curled into a mischievous, devilish arc, with a hint of amusement.

When Chen Yan's figure had completely vanished around the corner, he slowly turned his head back, drained the wine in his cup, and spoke in a low voice tinged with a light flippancy, as if to himself or to the air: "Is he truly the renowned Chen Yan of Zhou State, who dominates the winds and clouds?"

"Now that's somewhat interesting..."

The man's appearance was even more beautiful than a woman's, truly radiant and crystal clear.