Chapter 152

【Night slowly descended, stars appeared, and the hour of the Rat quietly approached.】

【In Yuezhou, while all was silent, one could only see a continuous line of torches like a long dragon, tightly surrounding Gaoque Tower.】

【Tuoba Hongyan also had no sleepiness, staring at the brilliant long dragon formed by torches outside.】

【This matter was of great importance and directly related to the rise and fall of Northern Wind.】

【Gao Wenxiao, though usually arrogant, was serious at this moment.】

【He understood the power struggle between the four states well; any rash move could trigger a chain reaction and bring about immeasurable consequences.】

【This Yan King now possessed a pivotal power.】

【Chongyuan City was covered by a heavy haze tonight.】

【Hard to fall asleep!】

【The soldiers in the city were the same; if a consensus could not be reached tonight, what would greet them tomorrow would be the surging arrival of 300,000 Yanbei iron cavalry, which would be enough to shake the mountains and rivers.】

【Although the smoke and fire of the war from fifteen years ago had faded, its traces were deeply engraved in the hearts of every soldier who had experienced that great battle.】

【They tossed and turned, unable to sleep, their dreams filled with the tragic scenes of iron horses, golden spears, and piles of war bones.】

【No one wanted to go through it again!】

【In the first-floor lobby, candlelight flickered, reflecting on Tuoba Hongyan's face.】

【He sat there, his eyes occasionally sweeping over the second floor, his heart intertwined with expectation and nervousness.】

【Gao Wenxiao also simply sat down, hiding his face in the darkness of the lamplight.】

【At this moment, in the second-floor private room, the atmosphere was tense and solemn.】

【Everyone's gaze converged on you in unison.】

【You smiled and said:】

【"I, Lu Chen, agree on behalf of the North!"】

【Once these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the entire room was stirred.】

【Under the ghost mask covering Wu Ying's face, her eyes flashed with a smile.】

【Upon hearing this, Gu Yi immediately stood up and bowed deeply to Lu Chen, saying sincerely, "Gu Yi, many thanks to the Yan King! Such breadth of mind is truly admired by the world."】

【Lady Gongsun Pingxi also restrained his previous expression, stood up, and praised, "The Yan King's action is admirable!"】

【Yuwen Yan regained the demeanor of a noble young master.】

【Lady Gongsun Zhongshu's furrowed brows also relaxed.】

【With your words, everything was settled.】

【The prelude to the banquet, with Gu Yi's light clap, slowly began.】

【The side doors that were tightly closed all around slid open quietly, as if time were gently torn apart at this moment, the boundaries of the private room disappeared without a trace, turning into a spacious, bright, and unobstructed hall.】

【Music suddenly rose, melodious and light!】

【Sweeping away the solemnity from just a moment ago.】

【A group of dancers in gorgeous clothes stepped in lightly, their figures graceful, their voices like orioles and swallows.】

【Tuoba Shuyi held a cup of wine, smiling broadly, and said loudly, "This wine is poured specifically for the Yan King!"】

【Before the words had faded, Yuwen Yan also echoed, "It is only right to toast the Yan King!"】

【Above the second floor, a burst of crisp and pleasant music suddenly sounded.】

【Upon hearing this, Tuoba Hongyan's face immediately bloomed with joy; he knew that the music represented the Yan King's consent and the establishment of the alliance of the four states in Yanbei.】

【Gao Wenxiao, on the side, also lowered his head and smiled.】

【The music of Gaoque Tower!】

【The news spread like wildfire; Chongyuan City, which had been silent in the middle of the night, was pitch black.】

【Suddenly!】

【In the darkness, lights began to turn on.】

【Before long, every household in Chongyuan City hung up red lanterns.】

【Fast horses from the Brave Cavalry Battalion passed through the city, shouting:】

【"His Majesty has an edict: there shall be no curfew tonight."】

【In an instant, the scene in the city changed drastically!】

【Except for the heavily guarded Gaoque Tower, several restaurants in the city also lit up one after another, welcoming an endless stream of guests.】

【Tonight, the flowing banquet was all free.】

【Just past the hour of the Rat!】

【The night market boiled over and became lively.】

【Tuoba Hongyan walked out of Gaoque Tower and stood in the midst of this lively scene, a wave of emotion surging in his heart.】

【He recalled the time when the Lu Family Army retreated; the Huang Long Prefecture of Northern Wind was also like this, with the people cheering in the streets.】

【The prosperity of the world is never truly for the people, yet it is the people who feel it most deeply.】

【The world has longed for peace for a long time.】

【The prosperous age that the people yearn for is about to arrive.】

【Tuoba Hongyan also picked up a pot of wine and said to the night sky and the ten thousand lights of Chongyuan City:】

【"This wine should be a toast to the Junior Guardian!"】

【Although the title of Yan King was noble, it was far less familiar than the two words "Junior Guardian."】

【Above the second floor, the lights were dim, and there was singing and dancing.】

【The dance of the Northern Wind women was unique and full of charm; they spun and jumped lightly, every movement revealing the unique beauty of the North that combined hardness and softness, which was vastly different from the customs of other countries, adding a different kind of charm to the banquet.】

【Yuwen Yan was even more tireless when he saw this; he was a refined scholar by nature and had an indescribable love for singing and dancing.】

【At this moment, while appreciating the graceful figures of the dancers, he lightly plucked the Hu Qin, the music melodious, intertwining with the dancers' singing.】

【Lady Gongsun Pingxi did not care about his image and began to tear apart the roast duck on the table, eating until his mouth was full of oil.】

【Seeing this, Lady Gongsun Zhongshu's expression, which had eased, became ugly again.】

【Singing, dancing, and drinking continued, but none were drinking heavily, and everyone had a different expression.】

【Tuoba Shuyi leaned back slightly on his chair, feeling relaxed.】

【Gu Yi and the others began to use their chopsticks!】

【Yuwen Yan began to drink and play the zither; his demeanor made a group of dancers fall for him, and although they did not know the true identity of this noble young master, the romantic and suave air emanating from his bones was enough to make their hearts sway.】

【However!】

【Among this group of dancers, the lead dancer appeared exceptionally sober.】

【She knew well that the guests tonight were all extraordinary people, each of whom could be a hero who determined the trend of the world.】

【The lead dancer, as the best among the dancers, naturally had the most outstanding dance.】

【What she was most curious about was the Empress Wu Ying; ascending the throne as a woman was something revered by women all over the world.】

【Besides that, it was this Lu Chen.】

【In this dim light and singing and dancing, the lead dancer's gaze could not help but cross the noise of the crowd and fall on a middle-aged man at the table.】

【This Lu Family Army "Junior Guardian" who was rumored by the outside world to be able to make even the Northern Wind land tremble with fear.】

【At this moment, he raised his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over the dancers softly, without the slightest majesty or sense of oppression.】

【The lead dancer could not help but feel a trace of doubt in her heart, or even shock.】

【After all, in the mouths of the common people in the North, Lu Chen was depicted as a demon in the world, a cold, ruthless existence that made people tremble with fear.】

【But seeing it with her own eyes at this moment, it was completely different from what she had heard.】

【She had seen countless people, and her speculation of the human heart was already well-practiced.】

【Whether it was the arrogance of the imperial palace nobles or the cunning of the three religions and nine schools, she could see through them at a glance.】

【However, Lu Chen's eyes made her feel an unprecedented sense of being unfathomable.】

【Those eyes were bright and deep, as if they could see through the human heart.】

【He looked at everyone equally, whether they were noble guests or humble dancers.】

【No difference!】

(End of chapter)