Chapter 451: Audience

Near midday, the warm sunlight fell upon the ramparts of Hanyang Pass, making the mighty fortress appear especially grand, yet the heavy shadows also gave it a weathered, dilapidated look.

Xu Xu Zhongxing sat on the terrace of the Ximen tower, a flask of wine warming beside him, his eyes half-closed as he gazed at the endless western frontier.

Fan Fan Donghe sat beside him, also with a flask of wine, sipping slowly, and said, "It's best of all that you've returned."

Xu Xu Zhongxing let out a dry laugh, pointing ahead: "Look—three years ago, what you saw from here was deep green. Now, in barely two years, it's turned pale green, and even beneath the clouds, there's a hint of clear qi. I don't care about official rank or title, but this posting here has truly become an idle post."

Fan Fan Donghe could only let out a long sigh.

To those unaware, Hanyang Pass still appeared as it always had—a towering, majestic fortress of the world.

But Fan Fan Donghe knew well: Hanyang Pass, stripped of its eight giant crossbows and with its defensive array shattered, was now merely an empty shell—a high stone city. In actual combat, the walls alone were useless; even a Blood-Melting cultivator could climb them bare-handed, and a Bone-Forging cultivator could sprint up them.

Now both men had been stripped of their ranks and salaries, exiled to Hanyang Pass as deputy and chief commanders of the Ximen. The new Garrison Commander was an Elder ranked at the very bottom. Fortunately, this Elder had no influence and weak cultivation. As both were Phase Form cultivators, Fan Fan Donghe could probably defeat him in less than a stick of incense.

So the Elder, being sensible, never interfered with Ximen affairs, instead indulging in extortion and abuse of power beyond the gate.

Xu Xu Zhongxing took a sip of wine, gazing westward, and said slowly: "Clear qi is gradually rising in the west. Though not good for us, it's a great boon for humanity."

Fan Fan Donghe sighed: "Who cares who benefits? I've lost all heart—I just want to drift through life."

Xu Xu Zhongxing suddenly said: "Would you come with me to fight the Liao tribe up north?"

Fan Fan Donghe froze. "Brother, I've spent my whole life dealing with the Witch Tribes—I know nothing of the Liao! Besides, our territory doesn't border them. Are we going to serve the Lü family?"

"No. We're not in Western Jin. We're going to Northern Qi. The war there is dire—they need men now."

Fan Fan Donghe was startled. "Brother, are you abandoning your family's legacy?"

"After what happened, I see that legacy and future mean nothing."

"What about your wives and nephews and nieces? They can't all follow you to Northern Qi, can they?"

Xu Xu Zhongxing fell silent for a moment, then sighed, saying nothing.

At that moment, Fan Fan Donghe suddenly trembled, leapt to his feet, his aura brimming with killing intent, and barked: "Military aura! Enemy approaching!"

Xu Xu Zhongxing still lay lazily, saying: "Where would enemies come from out west? Besides, judging by this military aura, Hanyang Pass can't hold even a single assault. If they truly attack, we just open the gates and surrender."

Fan Fan Donghe was baffled—he couldn't tell if Xu Xu Zhongxing was serious or sarcastic. His cultivation was inferior, and all he could see was a distant military aura rapidly approaching.

Moments later, he finally made out the full shape of the aura—and his heart tightened. The aura was perfectly square, dense as solid matter, with a faint, colossal phantom of a flying horse hovering above it.

By the quality and quantity of the aura, at least ten elite border armies could match it. Yet Hanyang Pass held only fifty thousand troops—forty-five thousand were raw recruits, and five thousand were veterans, literally old men.

If this truly was an enemy force, the defense would collapse at the first touch. Fan Fan Donghe instinctively shouted: "Activate the city defense array!"

But the officers in the tower didn't move—they all wore strange expressions.

Fan Fan Donghe then remembered: during the last bandit raid, Hanyang Pass's city array had been dismantled almost entirely; most of the array materials had been looted by bandits. Then Wei Yuan's imperial troops had come in and stripped away whatever remained.

Western Jin's treasury was empty—no funds to repair the array or replace the giant crossbows. Now Hanyang Pass was completely undefended, with not a single array functional.

Fan Fan Donghe's face darkened further—the military aura was moving at an unbelievable speed. A hundred elite cavalry could explain it, but how could a hundred-thousand-strong border army move this fast? This pace surpassed even the fastest cavalry charges!

Suddenly, several riders galloped toward them, shouting from afar: "Governor of Dingxi, Commander Wei Yuan, is entering the capital to pay homage to His Majesty! Open the gate immediately to let his escort pass! Delaying the Governor's journey will be your undoing!"

Fan Fan Donghe flew into a rage: "To open the gate, you need a decree from the Ministry of War! We don't answer to Governor Fan of Dingxi—why should we obey him?!"

Xu Xu Zhongxing suddenly said: "Open the gate."

Fan Fan Donghe's words died in his throat—he didn't understand Xu Xu Zhongxing's intent. Though Xu Xu Zhongxing had lost his rank, his authority still lingered; the soldiers obeyed and opened the gate.

In an instant, the military aura reached the gate, and the army beneath it revealed itself: a force of ten thousand iron cavalry, banners like a forest, armor gleaming, all heavy-armored lancers, rolling forward like a river of steel.

Just by their equipment, Fan Fan Donghe's brows knitted tightly. Only the elite Wu Feng Iron Cavalry of the Xu family possessed such gear—and there were only three thousand of them, never deployed even in two border offensives. Yet the Dingxi Iron Cavalry before him numbered fifteen thousand!

When had Qingming gained such strength?

Just the escort for Wei Yuan's journey to the capital numbered fifteen thousand—this force could storm any city along the way, save the capital itself.

The army surged forward without pause, charging straight for the gate. The new Garrison Commander, an Elder of the Xu family, rushed in, breathless and furious: "Where did this army come from? Why isn't the gate closed? Close it immediately!!"

His face was flushed with wine, streaked with women's rouge. Though it was still before noon, the new Garrison Commander's life was already richly indulged.

He frantically gave orders, but Xu Xu Zhongxing said: "It's too late."

The Dingxi Iron Cavalry had already formed into four-rank columns, rolling into the city and racing straight for the Dongmen. The Dongmen's defenses were far weaker; the commander, hearing the Ximen had opened, had already opened his own, praying these lords would leave as soon as possible.

Thus Wei Yuan's iron cavalry thundered through Hanyang Pass, heading east.

Only when the military aura vanished in the east did the new Garrison Commander pat his chest, exhale deeply, and say: "How could you open the gate? What if he turned on us after entering? What would we use to resist?"

Xu Xu Zhongxing glanced at him, his disdain unhidden: "If he wanted to fight, would closing the gate help?" The Elder's face flushed. "Hmph! If we shut the gate, and he dares to force entry, that's rebellion! We don't answer to him—we won't let him in. What can he do?"

Xu Xu Zhongxing chuckled: "Elder, don't forget how your position became vacant—or how your predecessor disappeared."

The Elder instantly recalled his predecessor's fate—his face turned ashen. Hanyang Pass couldn't stop Wei Yuan's imperial troops, nor his bandits.

At that moment, Wei Yuan rode his green steed, the scroll above his head dimming, and the army slowed.

Wei Yuan looked left and right—the thousand-li rivers and mountains were blanketed in snow. Yet in some fields, the snow had melted, revealing black earth, where farmers tilled the soil.

These fields were called Fire Fields—maintained by arrays to preserve subterranean warmth, allowing vegetable and fruit cultivation even in winter, so nobles could eat fresh produce year-round.

Naturally, these crops were exorbitantly priced—even the humblest vegetable was beyond the reach of the farmers who grew them. The farmers wore tattered clothes, their feet sinking into melting snow, their calves covered in frostbites. They shivered violently yet kept working, while several armored cultivators in leather coats watched them from the field's edge.

Each Fire Field spanned roughly ten mu, housing nearly a hundred gaunt, skeletal farmers.

Wei Yuan turned his gaze to a nearby village. In the cold after the snow cleared, only a few houses emitted smoke—each a separate courtyard, clearly belonging to wealthy families. All other homes showed no trace of fire or warmth.

Moments later, the scroll regained spiritual energy, and the army accelerated eastward.

Several days later, Wei Yuan reached the capital. The grandeur of his army and the weight of its military aura stunned the capital. Commander Lü Lu Zhongzhi, head of the Nine Gates, climbed the walls to observe, then personally rode out to welcome Wei Yuan.

!.

This time, Wei Yuan brought five thousand Long Yi Heavy Cavalry and ten thousand Long Xiang infantry and cavalry, filling every barracks in Weng City.

As usual, Wei Yuan took lodging at the imperial guesthouse—but this time, half the guesthouse was reserved exclusively for him. He made no pretense, ordering Cui Yu, Xu Yi, and others to move in, and settling dozens of trusted officers.

No sooner had they settled than the guesthouse rang out a long cry: "Imperial decree arrives!"

Wei Yuan stepped into the courtyard to receive it. The imperial edict was delivered by Liu Quangong. This most powerful eunuch unrolled the decree and proclaimed loudly: "By imperial decree: Governor of Dingxi, Wei Yuan, shall appear at court tomorrow. So ordered!"

Wei Yuan had prepared for this. He bowed in thanks, accepted the decree, then produced a small square box and slipped it into Liu Quangong's hand.

The box was book-sized, neither large nor small, and felt unnaturally light—no one could guess its contents.

Liu Quangong neither refused nor tucked it away. He asked: "What is this object?"

Wei Yuan lowered his voice: "Inside are ten Mingxue Xiao Nian Pills, refined from Blood Blood Yingluo. One pill extends life by three years, with no conflict with other longevity elixirs, and no loss of efficacy. But since Blood Blood Yingluo is the main ingredient, though less violent than raw Blood Blood Yingluo, it still damages the body—do not take more than a few."

Liu Quangong immediately cracked open the lid, glanced inside, sniffed the pill's aura, and his expression changed instantly. "This treasure… I must accept it! Commander Wei, you're thoughtful. Should you ever need me, just say the word."

Wei Yuan smiled: "I'll rely on your continued favor."

Liu Quangong's demeanor had grown warm. "It's my duty. By the way, Imperial Consort Yuan has summoned you—immediately. Ride in my carriage. Let's go now!"

Chunhua Palace.

The palace had long activated its warmth array; thick brocade screens lined the walls, blocking the cold. Four charcoal braziers burned in the corners, making the interior uncomfortably hot.

A maid led Wei Yuan to the entrance of Chunhua Palace, then withdrew, gesturing for him to enter alone.

Around the palace stood two-zhang-high warm walls, and a screen-wall blocked the view of the interior. Wei Yuan felt uneasy, circled the screen, and stepped inside.

As he entered, warmth enveloped him, and a faint, sweet fragrance surged. The incense from two censers curled upward. Inhaling it, Wei Yuan felt his mind veil itself in a pink gauze—he grew languid, his body increasingly sensitive.

His qi sank steadily; his Phase Form stagnated, hard to activate. His overall strength dropped below half.

Wei Yuan's heart tightened—this wasn't just the incense. The palace concealed an extremely potent array, capable of suppressing his power by half. A normal Phase Form cultivator here would be reduced to Foundation Establishment.

Imperial Consort Yuan sat upon the throne, a screen behind her embroidered with a colorful phoenix. The two old maids stood to either side, now watching Wei Yuan with ambiguous smiles.

One had to admit—when seated motionless, she was dignified and sacred, inspiring not a trace of disrespect.

But in this regard, Wei Yuan felt he was no longer human.

Imperial Consort Yuan's voice was clear and bright, like pearls falling on jade: "Come closer."

Wei Yuan stepped before her phoenix throne and knelt in proper etiquette. Beneath the throne stood a purple sandalwood platform; when he knelt, his head was just slightly higher than her feet.

Suddenly, Imperial Consort Yuan lifted her robe, revealing her feet resting on the platform.

She wore extremely thin stockings—white on the left, black on the right. The material was peculiar, so thin that dozens of layers equaled the thickness of a single hair. Through the sheer fabric, every pearl-like toe, the pale red polish on her nails, even the fine veins on her instep, were clearly visible.

Her feet drew nearer—two maids had pushed the throne platform forward until it rested before Wei Yuan. She extended the foot in the white stocking and gently lifted his chin, forcing his head up.

As he raised his head, her hem rose above her knees. Now he could see she wore long stockings, extending past her knees to the very top of her thighs. Beyond that, only vague shadows remained.

Imperial Consort Yuan's voice, like mountain streams, cold yet melodious, said: "Commander Wei, you're truly clever—you know only by coming to me can you find the path to Little Prince Chu."

(End of Chapter)