Chapter 154

Since Li Sining had already broken through, the people around dispersed, and everyone went about their own business.

Wu Nanzhi and Mu Qingrou had just entered the palace and certainly still had to decorate their own sleeping quarters.

Chu Ruoyan went back to continue cultivating, while Ji Lianyu followed Li Chen into the room, looking like she had something to say.

And at this time, Xia Qing, who was watching from the side, walked to Li Sining's side and begged Li Sining to let her touch the Dragon Blood Essence-Condensing Pill.

As a professional alchemist with wind and fire attributes, being able to refine top-grade elixirs had always been her goal.

She had refined for so many years and could refine a few, but the quality of the top-grade elixirs she refined was far inferior to this one.

In Xia Qing's view, this elixir had no impurities and was simply top-tier.

Placed in an alchemy sect, it would be something that could be taken out for exhibition.

This made Li Sining feel more and more that her brother Li Chen must still have many unknown secrets.

Actually, Li Sining had a lot of this stuff; she hadn't finished eating them.

There was always some left over every time she cultivated.

Because she felt the taste was not good, and the system gave her too many.

If Xia Qing needed it, Li Sining could even give her one.

But she was not Li Chen's imperial consort, and Li Sining also knew that her brother would definitely not let Xia Qing go, so she planned to use the elixir as an excuse to provide an assist to Li Chen.

This way, her brother would feel she was very sensible and would definitely continue to spoil her.

Thinking of this, Li Sining whispered some things in Xia Qing's ear, which made Xia Qing blush.

And at this time, in Li Chen's room.

Ji Lianyu did have something to find Li Chen for; she first skillfully served Li Chen, and then told Li Chen that the Prince of Zhennan's envoy group had arrived in the Imperial Capital tonight, and some people from the Ji family among them wanted to request an audience with Li Chen.

However, their status made it difficult to enter the palace, so they hoped Li Chen could visit the old site of the Ji family.

Ji Lianyu certainly hoped that Li Chen could defeat the Prince of Zhennan, as this would have huge benefits for both Li Chen and her.

So she had been trying to find ways to help Li Chen.

As long as Li Chen could visit the old site of the Ji family, he could make the people of the Ji family grateful.

Because only if Li Chen went would the people of the Ji family be sure that Ji Lianyu had a certain status in the May Tian Ce Dynasty.

In the letters exchanged with the Ji family, Ji Lianyu did not mention her relationship with Li Chen, only saying that she was taken care of by the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.

These were all said unilaterally by her; if the Ji family were to believe it, Li Chen would have to show up in person.

To put it bluntly, Ji Lianyu just wanted Li Chen to prove for her that she indeed had a relationship with the Imperial Palace.

Li Chen agreed; anyway, he still had to check on Lin Yue'e's cultivation progress later, so visiting the Ji family on the way was no problem.

Ji Lianyu was very good at serving people; the more she did so, the more grateful she felt.

Moreover, what she did had no harm to Li Chen, so Li Chen had no need to refuse.

In the afternoon, before dinner, Li Chen followed Ji Lianyu to the old site of the Ji family.

This was a relatively old courtyard, but one could still see the former glory of the Ji family.

The courtyard was large; Ji Lianyu did not live here often, but there were servants responsible for cleaning, and it looked very clean.

Originally, Ji Lianyu wanted Li Chen to come later, because at this time, the Prince of Zhennan's envoy group was estimated not to have arrived yet, or had just arrived and was arranging accommodation, so the people of the Ji family would not come over so quickly.

But Li Chen wanted to try a different place to feel the experience, just like the last time at the Prince of Zhennan's mansion, which had a different experience.

Ji Lianyu certainly would not refuse Li Chen's request.

Now that the two of them had arrived at the Ji family, it was also mealtime, so Ji Lianyu went to the back kitchen to prepare; today she wanted to personally make something delicious for Li Chen.

At the same time, a person quietly left the Prince of Zhennan's envoy group and was arriving at the old site of the Ji family.

She was the Princess of Zhennan, Ji Lianxiang.

She was also Ji Lianyu's biological sister and Xu Zifeng's mother.

Ji Lianxiang had secretly followed this time, so she naturally did not want to stay in the envoy group.

Leaving the envoy group, she came to the familiar Imperial Capital streets; everything here was so nostalgic.

Ji Lianxiang grew up in the Imperial Capital since she was a child and was very familiar with it.

"It's been a long time since I've been home." Ji Lianxiang sighed.

Because if a person is uncomfortable in a new environment, they are particularly nostalgic.

She couldn't wait to go home and take a look.

Following the route in her memory, Ji Lianxiang arrived at the gate of the Ji family.

Because she looked very similar to Ji Lianyu, she didn't even have to say anything; the servants at the door took her for Ji Lianyu, greeted her, and let her in.

This made Ji Lianxiang want to laugh, and her thoughts immediately returned to the past, when the two of them were studying in the academy, and the teacher often called their names wrong.

And that teacher was very rigid; every time he called the wrong name, he would apologize and then hit his own palm with a ruler.

Thinking of this, Ji Lianxiang felt very fulfilled inside; it was still better in the Imperial Capital.

She wondered if her secret visit this time would give her sister a surprise.

Thinking as she went, she arrived in the courtyard and saw a handsome and refined young man.

Even Ji Lianxiang, who was already a married woman, couldn't help but have her eyes light up.

Ji Lianxiang was still thinking at this time, could this man in front of her be a man her sister was keeping?

However, she quickly felt this idea was impossible; her sister paid great attention to her reputation, how could she keep a man?

Even if she did, it couldn't be so open and aboveboard.

But next, when this man saw her, he actually called her sister's name, and called it very affectionately, and was even asking if she had finished cooking or something.

Ji Lianxiang felt, did her sister invite this man to eat at home today, and even specifically went to cook?

It looked like this man was also very unfamiliar with this place.

Ji Lianxiang judged that her sister had been a widow for many years and basically would not have contact with men.

This man being able to appear in the Ji family proved that her sister was not very repulsed by him, and he also mentioned her sister cooking.

Since that was the case, why don't I test this man's character; if he is really okay, I will find a way to match them up.

Her sister had been living in the Imperial Capital, so she really should find a man to take care of her.

Anyway, when Ji Lianyu came over, she would just explain it clearly.

If this man's character was not good, she would also have to make her sister stay away from him.

Thinking of this, Ji Lianxiang responded to Li Chen's greeting.

This left Li Chen dumbfounded.

Li Chen was sitting in the courtyard resting, and hearing footsteps coming beside him, he took a look.

This woman was nine-tenths similar to Ji Lianyu; Li Chen didn't react at the first glance, so he shouted.

After shouting, he clearly found something wrong, because the woman opposite him clearly froze for a moment.

If it were Ji Lianyu, she would definitely walk directly to his side and not be like this.

Then there were some detailed observations; this woman was clearly fuller than Ji Lianyu, even if only by a little, but Li Chen often grasped it and knew it very well.

Furthermore, there were differences in clothing and hairstyle, but this did not exclude Ji Lianyu going to change clothes.

Li Chen roughly judged that he had called the wrong person and was preparing to change his words, but who knew she would agree.

Li Chen didn't know what kind of game she was playing; did she not notice that I had seen through it?

At this time, Li Chen was thinking, he remembered that Ji Lianyu once mentioned that she had a biological sister who was Xu Zifeng's mother.

And the Prince of Zhennan's envoy group had already arrived in the Imperial Capital; from this information, Li Chen could judge that this woman was likely the Princess of Zhennan.

Guessing her true identity, Li Chen felt more and more that she was very alluring.

Perhaps it was because she had been pampered for many years and no one had touched her.

Li Chen could see the same kind of charm in the Princess of Zhennan as in the Empress Dowager.

Both had that particularly elegant and dignified temperament, and their figures were extremely seductive.

Especially the collar of her chest, there was always a feeling that it was about to be burst open.

Li Chen thought, I called Ji Lianyu, but you were the one who agreed, so don't blame me later.

Just like that, Ji Lianxiang felt that Li Chen did not know her identity and started talking to Li Chen.

Li Chen was single-mindedly thinking about tricking her into his hands.

The two chatted in the courtyard for a while; Li Chen was afraid that if they chatted too much, Ji Lianxiang would not be able to keep up and reveal the truth, and then there would be nothing to play with.

Li Chen took the initiative to say: "Didn't you just say that you wanted to give me a gift in the room before eating? Can you take me to see it now?"

This sentence was not said by Ji Lianyu, but Ji Lianxiang certainly didn't know.

She thought there really was such a thing, and in order to make Li Chen believe she was Ji Lianyu, and also curious about what her sister had prepared for Li Chen, Ji Lianxiang simply took Li Chen to Ji Lianyu's room.

Even though she hadn't been here for a long time, the structure here was the same as when she left, and she wouldn't forget it.

Li Chen followed behind the Princess of Zhennan; just looking at this graceful, plump, and perky back, he couldn't stand it.

Especially when Ji Lianxiang walked, she swayed and twisted unconsciously, which was even more seductive.

When Ji Lianxiang opened her sister's room door and was looking for the gift her sister had for Li Chen, she heard the sound of Li Chen closing the door.

Ji Lianxiang panicked a little; she asked Li Chen why he was closing the door.

Li Chen laughed: "The gift you mentioned, isn't it yourself?"

Only then did Ji Lianxiang know that her sister and he had this kind of relationship.

Ji Lianxiang was preparing to explain, but Li Chen knew she was not Ji Lianyu, so how could he let her explain. When it was mealtime, Ji Lianyu, who had just finished her work, did not find Li Chen in the courtyard.

After shouting around for a while, she saw Li Chen walking over with a woman who looked similar to her; it was her own sister, and even if she hadn't seen her for a long time, she wouldn't recognize her wrong.

Ji Lianyu walked over happily, but found that the atmosphere was not quite right.

How come the two of them looked like they had just finished?

Could it be?

Ji Lianyu had a bad premonition.

She didn't think Li Chen was the type who wouldn't dare.

At this time, Ji Lianxiang came to apologize and explain, saying that she was just pretending to be her sister, who knew that her sister and Li Chen had this kind of relationship.

In the process of their deep communication in the room just now, Ji Lianxiang had learned Li Chen's identity.

She also understood why Xu Zifeng was so safe in the Imperial Capital, and could even become the vanguard general of the Northern Army.

Later, she did find an opportunity to explain that she was not Ji Lianyu, but it was useless; Li Chen couldn't stop at all, and didn't intend to stop.

!

Actually, if Ji Lianyu hadn't been shouting for people, it might not have been able to end.

When coming out of the room, Ji Lianxiang intended to detour first, for fear that her sister would misunderstand something.

Li Chen felt that there was no misunderstanding here, and he planned to have the two of you together later, so it would be troublesome if you ran away, so he simply pulled her over.

Their development was too fast, leaving Ji Lianyu unable to react.

But when she thought about it carefully, it seemed there was no problem.

Li Chen had a relationship with her sister, so he would take better care of Xu Zifeng.

Moreover, her sister had a high status in the Ji family, and her relationship with the Prince of Zhennan was cold; as long as her sister came to Li Chen's side, her plan would go a step further.

"Your Majesty must be hungry, and since my sister came from far away, she should also be hungry; let's eat first."

Ji Lianyu began to smooth things over very appropriately.

While eating, the Princess of Zhennan was actually avoiding the topic that had just happened.

But her sister seemed not to understand, and the more she avoided it, the more her sister talked about it.

Only Li Chen was eating seriously; after all, one had to be full to have the strength to work.

After eating and drinking, a veteran figure of the Ji family appeared, intending to pay respects to Li Chen.

He wanted to admire whether this Emperor was as divine and martial as the legends said.

Ji Lianxiang had come secretly, so she intended to avoid it.

Li Chen was afraid she would run away, so he let Ji Lianyu keep an eye on her.

Ji Lianyu told Li Chen to rest assured; her sister would definitely not escape from her palm.

This sentence surprised Ji Lianxiang; you two really don't hide it from people?

How come I feel like I fell into a thief's den this time.

In Ji Lianyu's view, her own sister was simply delivering herself from a thousand miles away.

The two sisters returned to the room; Ji Lianxiang indeed wanted to take the opportunity to run away. She was the Princess of Zhennan; if she did such a thing, how could she face people in the future.

If Ji Lianxiang really wanted to run, her sister might not be able to stop her.

Because the Prince of Zhennan that Ji Lianxiang married had practiced a little, while Ji Lianyu had never cultivated.

Ji Lianxiang quickly broke free from her sister's hand and prepared to leave the room.

At this time, Ji Lianyu's mouth curled slightly, and she said: "Sister, if you leave like this, if His Majesty blames you, he will take his anger out on Xu Zifeng."

One sentence fixed Ji Lianxiang there.

It was even better than a body-fixing spell.

This was Ji Lianxiang's fatal weakness, and Ji Lianyu knew it very well.

As long as it was for Xu Zifeng, Ji Lianxiang could do anything.

Sure enough, after Ji Lianyu said this, her sister obediently returned to the room.

Because Ji Lianyu was right; Xu Zifeng was still in Li Chen's hands, in the Northern Army.

Life and death were just a matter of one word from Li Chen.

Seeing her sister's resigned look, Ji Lianyu actually felt a little proud inside.

I have paid a lot for Xu Zifeng, so it is only right for my sister to pay a little.

Since she could no longer resist, Ji Lianxiang wanted to find some psychological comfort, so she said: "Sister, I did this for Zifeng too."

Ji Lianyu looked at her sister with disdain and said: "You look so unsatisfied, and you still say such things?"

Ji Lianxiang: "."

I wanted you to give me a step down so I could accept it in my heart; who told you to say it directly!

Just as the two of them were chatting about some recent situations, Li Chen pushed the door and entered.

Seeing Li Chen at this time, Ji Lianxiang trembled all over; it was almost becoming an instinctive reaction.

Li Chen had just chatted with the Ji family veteran for a while; the Ji family veteran first kowtowed and paid respects normally, but after Li Chen showed a little bit of his skill, his face was full of sycophantic expressions.

According to the Ji family veteran, Li Chen was an Emperor through the ages, and the Prince of Zhennan was a frog in a well, not knowing the height of the sky and the depth of the earth.

As he spoke, he even compared the Prince of Zhennan to a rebel.

Flattering words were spoken, showing his loyalty.

The words sounded very good, but Li Chen didn't take them to heart; who knows if this guy is scolding me like this in front of the Prince of Zhennan.

The essence of the Ji family is to be a fence-sitter; whichever side is strong, they follow.

This is also the way of survival for small families.

There were two stunning sisters in the backyard waiting for Li Chen; who would want to talk to an old man here for a long time.

Seeing that it was about time, Li Chen hinted that he was ready to go back to rest; the Ji family veteran was certainly able to read the situation, so he bid farewell and left the Ji family.

The Ji family veteran left the Ji family courtyard and suddenly realized one thing.

"Eh, isn't that our Ji family's place? How come I still came out."

But he really had to go back; he couldn't let those people of the Prince of Zhennan notice anything unusual.

In the room, the Princess of Zhennan originally had many things she planned to ask Li Chen about, but Li Chen was in no mood to talk about these things; business was more important.

That night, Li Chen did not return to the Imperial Palace.

The next day, the court was unusually lively.

Hearing that Li Chen was going to declare war on the Sassanid Dynasty, the court officials exploded.

Court officials led by the Minister of Revenue, Liu Minghan, stated that the north had already started fighting and was about to enter a stage of protracted war; if the west also started fighting, the military expenditure would be too great.

They suggested waiting until the north finished fighting before talking about it.

The Minister of War did not know if it was to please Li Chen or if he knew the truth, but he stated that this was not a question of whether the May Tian Ce Dynasty wanted to fight or not; the other side already had preparations to attack, and His Majesty was just doing mobilization.

The debaters on both sides argued endlessly, and the court was filled with noise.

But these debaters had extremely high quality and were just arguing based on classics and reason.

Li Chen yawned on the throne and didn't bother with them.

These were all daily routines, and he was already used to them.

After arguing for a while, when they had argued enough, their eyes were all fixed on Li Chen, wanting Li Chen to make a summary.

At such times, Li Chen naturally used the buck-passing method, asking the Prime Minister Zhao Wenyuan: "Prime Minister Zhao, what do you think?"

Zhao Wenyuan sighed inwardly, knowing that Li Chen would pass the buck to him.

This kind of thing had happened more than once or twice.

There was no way; his position was that of a scapegoat.

Just now, Zhao Wenyuan was analyzing that if His Majesty proposed to fight, then His Majesty must want to fight.

The Ministry of Revenue and many civil officials didn't want to fight because there would be no money left if they continued to fight.

Then they had to find a way to get money; as long as they got money, they could fight.

Anyway, the May Tian Ce Dynasty's army was not very tight, and the garrison in the west had never moved.

It was simple to defend, but the consumption of going out to fight was too great.

Zhao Wenyuan stood out and stated that they must fight, but at least they had to have some gains in the north before they could fight.

Our May Tian Ce Dynasty's fight in the north this time, to put it bluntly, isn't it just to go and rob them?

Because Li Chen was already robbing them openly, but the reason was that the other side provoked first.

And the Northern Royal Court often went south for no reason in the past, so the May Tian Ce Dynasty really didn't need too many reasons to fight them.

Zhao Wenyuan saying this would not offend Li Chen; as Prime Minister, he also felt they should wait until supplies were more abundant.

At this time, Pang Jin, who had been silent in the court, had an idea in his heart.

In his view, the Sassanid Dynasty's intentions were obvious, so a battle was inevitable.

Now they were short of money; although the national treasury hadn't hit bottom, they at least needed to have reserves.

As the Minister of Justice, his occupational disease was: raiding homes!

He had been staring at the Wang family; if the Wang family really harbored remnants of the previous dynasty and made a move against the Crown Prince, then they would definitely be raided and executed, with their nine generations wiped out.

As long as the Wang family was raided, wouldn't there be military funds?

The Wang family was a major clan of hereditary merit, and over so many years, they had accumulated countless wealth, enough to take one large-scale military action.

Then Pang Jin thought: Could it be that His Majesty wants to fight, and this is what he means?

(End of chapter)