Chapter 268: The Pact Is Sealed, Music and Dance Flourish!

Nightfall slowly descended, stars flickering in and out as the hour of Zi approached.

In Yuezhou, amid utter silence, endless torches formed a blazing dragon, encircling Gaoque Tower.

Tuoba Hongyan had no sleepiness; he gazed at the magnificent dragon of torches outside.

This matter is no trivial thing—it directly concerns the rise and fall of Beifeng.

Gao Wenxiao, though usually arrogant, was now solemn.

He deeply understood the power struggles among the four states; any rash move could trigger a chain reaction with incalculable consequences.

This Prince of Yan now holds decisive power.

Chongyuan City was shrouded tonight in a thick veil of gloom.

Impossible to sleep!

The soldiers within the city felt the same—if no consensus is reached tonight, tomorrow they will face the surging advance of thirty thousand iron cavalry from Yanbei, enough to shake mountains and rivers.

Though fifteen years of war's smoke and fire have long passed, their scars are deeply carved into the hearts of every soldier who lived through that great battle.

They tossed and turned, unable to sleep, their dreams filled with the brutal scenes of armored horses, metallic weapons, and piles of war bones.

No one wants to go through it again!

In the first-floor hall, candlelight flickered, illuminating Tuoba Hongyan's face.

He sat upright, his gaze occasionally sweeping toward the second floor, his heart tangled with anticipation and tension.

Gao Wenxiao also sat down, letting his face vanish into the shadows of the lamps.

Inside the second-floor chamber, the atmosphere was tense and heavy.

All eyes unconsciously converged upon you.

You smiled and spoke:

"I, Lu Chen, accept on behalf of the North!"

The moment these words left your lips, the atmosphere in the chamber shifted.

Beneath the ghost mask, Wu Ying's eyes sparkled with amusement.

Gu Yi immediately rose and bowed deeply to Lu Chen: "Gu Yi thanks the Prince of Yan! Such magnanimity is truly admired by all under heaven."

Gongsun Pingxi also shed his earlier expression and rose to praise: "The Prince of Yan's action is admirable!"

Yuwen Yan regained his noble gentlemanly bearing.

Gongsun Zhongshu's furrowed brow relaxed.

With your words, all was settled.

The banquet's opening began with Gu Yi's gentle clap.

The side doors, previously closed, slid open silently—as if time itself had been gently torn, dissolving the chamber's boundaries into a vast, bright, open hall.

Music suddenly rose, melodious and light!

Sweeping away the earlier solemnity.

A group of dancers in splendid robes glided in, their figures graceful, their voices like orioles and swallows.

Tuoba Shuyi raised a goblet, smiling broadly: "This wine is poured specially for the Prince of Yan!"

Before he finished speaking, Yuwen Yan echoed: "Indeed, we must toast the Prince of Yan!"

Above on the second floor, a crisp, pleasant melody suddenly sounded.

Tuoba Hongyan heard it, and his face lit up with joy—he knew the music meant the Prince of Yan had agreed, and the alliance among the four states in Yanbei was sealed.

Beside him, Gao Wenxiao also smiled faintly.

The music of Gaoque Tower!

The news spread like wind; Chongyuan City, once silent in the hour of Zi, had been pitch black.

Suddenly!

In the darkness, lanterns began to glow.

Soon, every household in Chongyuan hung red lanterns.

Fast horses from the Xiaoqi Camp rode through the city, shouting:

"His Majesty's decree: No curfew tonight!"

In an instant, the city's scene transformed!

Aside from the heavily guarded Gaoque Tower, several taverns in the city lit their lamps and welcomed a steady stream of guests.

Tonight's banquet tables are free for all.

Just past Zi!

The night market erupted into bustle and noise.

Tuoba Hongyan stepped out of Gaoque Tower into the lively scene, his heart swelling with emotion.

He recalled the day the Lu family army withdrew—Beifeng's Huanglong Mansion had looked just like this, with people cheering along the streets.

Those who benefit from peace in the world are never the common folk—but those who feel it most deeply are always the common folk.

The world has long yearned for peace.

The people's longed-for golden age is about to arrive.

Tuoba Hongyan picked up a jug of wine and raised it toward the night sky and the ten thousand lanterns of Chongyuan:

"This wine is for the Shaobao!"

Though the title "Prince of Yan" is noble, it is far less familiar than the two characters "Shaobao."

On the second floor, lanterns dimmed, music and dance flourished.

The dance of Beifeng women was unique and richly evocative—light, spinning, leaping, each movement revealing the North's distinctive blend of strength and grace, utterly unlike the styles of other states, adding a singular charm to the banquet.

Yuwen Yan, delighted, could not get enough—he was a cultured man who held an inexplicable love for music and dance.

Now, as he watched the dancers' graceful forms, he gently plucked his huqin; the melody soared, intertwining with the dancers' songs.

Gongsun Pingxi, unconcerned with decorum, began tearing into the roast duck on the table, grease dripping from his lips.

Gongsun Zhongshu, seeing this, his previously eased expression darkened again.

Dancing, drinking continued—but no one drank heavily; each face bore a different expression.

Tuoba Shuyi leaned back slightly in his chair, relaxed.

Gu Yi and the others picked up their chopsticks.

Yuwen Yan drank and played his huqin; his elegance captivated the dancers, though none knew his true identity—yet the effortless charm radiating from within was enough to stir their hearts.

Yet!

Among the dancers, the lead dancer stood out as unusually alert.

She knew tonight's guests were extraordinary—each one a potential sovereign shaping the fate of the world.

As the foremost dancer, her movements were naturally the most exquisite.

What intrigued her most was Empress Wu Ying—a woman who ascended the throne, an object of reverence for women everywhere.

Next was Lu Chen.

Amid the dim lanterns and flourishing music and dance, the lead dancer's gaze unconsciously pierced through the crowd's clamor and settled on a middle-aged man at the table.

The man rumored to make even the lands of Beifeng tremble—the Lu family army's "Shaobao."

Now, he lifted his head slightly, his gaze soft as it swept over the dancers—utterly without authority or pressure.

The lead dancer felt a pang of doubt—indeed, shock.

For among the common folk of the North, Lu Chen was painted as a demon of earth—a cold, heartless, terrifying figure.

Yet what she saw now was utterly unlike what she had heard.

She had seen countless people; her understanding of human nature was second nature.

Whether the arrogance of nobles or the cunning of commoners, she could see through them at a glance.

Yet Lu Chen's eyes left her utterly baffled.

His gaze was bright and deep, as if it could pierce the soul.

He looked equally at everyone—whether noble guests or lowly dancers.

No difference!

(End of Chapter)