Chapter 690: Official Rank Promoted by Half a Level

Former Xijin Dingxi Military Governor, second-rank official, current Great Tang Qingyang Military Governor, Xijin Political Affairs Hall Participant, Wei Yuan, official rank promoted by half a level, has become a first-rank official of Xijin, concurrently Great Tang third-rank.

It was just that the edict of conferment hadn't had time to be mounted and delivered, and Wei Yuan had already left the post house and fled Yingdu in a hurry.

In the few days in Yingdu, Wei Yuan received more than 1,700 visiting cards, all kinds of people, and even several local gang leaders wanted to come and recognize him as their big brother. Naturally, the big brother couldn't be recognized for nothing, and they all prepared sisters-in-law.

These few days, Wei Yuan had to eat more than ten meals a night, changing every half an hour, eating from dusk to dawn.

Some meals had to be eaten, such as the Left Prime Minister, Right Prime Minister, Ministers of the Six Ministries, Grand Scholars, Lu Zhongzhi, all the cabinet elders, etc.

Princes and princesses had to wait behind.

Some meals were originally not wanted to be eaten, but later had to be eaten.

For example, Wei Yuan ate eight meals with the princesses, and Wei Yuan was eaten fat by a pound, this was eating those over seventeen. If the time was more abundant, the princesses over fourteen would probably have to eat a meal too.

Great Tang etiquette, men and women can marry at twelve.

Actually, eating with princesses had no practical significance, so Wei Yuan only ate for thirty minutes each, mainly to give face to the Great Jin royal family, and absolutely not because the princesses were actually good-looking in their own ways.

Besides, the princesses of X

As for the princes, Wei Yuan refuses to see any of them; his stance is clear: he will not participate in the struggle for the throne.

However, when the eight princesses were eating the sixth one, Imperial Concubine Yuan sent someone to summon Wei Yuan to Chunhua Palace.

Wei Yuan immediately declined on the grounds of being too busy with his clones. Chunhua Palace cannot be entered at this time; there are at least seven or eight Dharma Form cultivators from the Primordial Tai Tai Chu Gong stationed there, plus one Zhu Yuanjin.

If Wei Yuan does not go, Chunhua Palace will be filled with the smoke of battle. Imperial Concubine Yuan has fought with the various cultivators of the Primordial Tai Tai Chu Gong for several days, actually winning over Ji Liuli, Feng Tingyu, and Sun Yu to her side, while Bao Yun is gradually losing ground, occasionally denouncing the traitors for lacking loyalty to their sect.

If Wei Yuan were to go, everyone would immediately join forces to confront him, or even if they didn't chime in, they would just watch the fun with smiles. Patriarch Yuanjin, meanwhile, would sit and watch the living drama, even drinking a glass or two of wine.

After thinking it over, Wei Yuan feels he really cannot stay any longer.

At this time, the national defense of the Western Jin is empty; there is a two-million-strong army in the northern border, and nine hundred thousand in the south to resist Zhao Guo, while the one hundred thousand Imperial Guards in the capital are all royal relatives, and the two hundred thousand city defense troops mostly exist only on the rosters, serving as mere decorations when war breaks out.

Now, Wei Yuan's two hundred thousand-plus army has one foot in the city and one foot outside; clearing the monarch's side is nothing more than a thought away.

Therefore, the officials are all sitting on pins and needles, treating Wei Yuan like their own father when they see him. After all, one wrong move could mean throwing themselves into a cesspit.

Wei Yuan had enough of this life in just a few days and began to miss the carefree freedom of gathering chaotic Qi in the void. Thus, he could not wait for the imperial decree and led his army to leave the capital, returning to the Azure Void.

The return route was much more direct and the speed much faster. After all, the various commanderies along the way had already been "eaten" clean, there was no profit left on the land, and the gavel in the government offices had become very new.

On the return journey, Wei Yuan was not idle; instead, every time he traveled a distance, he would leave behind several thousand armed laborers, dispersing them to various places to gather refugees and lead them slowly toward the Azure Void.

At this time, with the Crown Prince fallen, the various merchant firms and chambers of commerce in the eight commanderies of Ningxi are silent as cicadas, never mentioning the matter of seeking revenge on Wei Yuan, even if their own fathers had died, they would just act as if it never happened.

These merchants finally understand now that they only have empty wealth, and the so-called high-rank cultivators they hired are not worth looking at during real major events, unable to even defeat horse bandits.

When the horse bandits raided the auction, they killed over a hundred Dao Foundation bodyguards in one breath, captured two Dharma Forms alive, and the remaining four hundred Dao Foundation bodyguards surrendered on the spot, while the horse bandits only lost a dozen or so. The bodyguards were all scattered sand; how could they be opponents of an army acting in formation?

Before Wei Yuan even reached Hanyang Pass, he received news that several lost merchant caravans had all been found by kind-hearted people and sent to the Azure Void. The kind-hearted people were of high moral character and refused to accept any reward.

The army moved slowly westward and arrived at Hanyang Pass in a few days.

Wei Yuan bypassed the city as usual; at this time, a messenger flew over, saying that an old friend was waiting at the west gate tower of Hanyang Pass and invited Wei Yuan to go over for a chat.

Wei Yuan then took to the air and flew alone toward Hanyang Pass.

The army below watched Wei Yuan's receding figure, all feeling admiration and pride, thinking their Domain Lord was peerless in bravery, doing everything alone and never knowing what fear was.

At this time, the red sun was slanting west, and the majestic gate tower of Hanyang Pass was bathed in the sunset, possessing a unique desolation. On the ancient gate tower, the passage of time could not hide the scars left by the flames of war.

There were no guards on the gate tower, only a table of wine, with two people sitting by the table.

Wei Yuan flew over and took a seat, discovering that they were indeed old friends. One was Xu Lanshan, the other was the Prince of England.

Wei Yuan then bowed to the Prince of England and said, "I did not know Your Highness was also here; I have been impolite. How is the war situation in the north?"

After not seeing him for many days, the Prince of England's face had gained much more weathering, his brows unconsciously locked tight; although he was still imposing, one could see he was burdened with heavy thoughts.

The Prince of England said, "I came to seek aid from the Xu family, and happened to hear you were passing through here, so I came to see you. Haha, looking at your army's spirit, although I have led troops for many years, I am ashamed to compare. The Crown Prince did not lose unjustly."

Xu Lanshan revealed a rare smile, but she had not smiled for a long time, so it looked somewhat unnatural, and she said, "There are eighty thousand refugees in the city; you can take them."

Wei Yuan was somewhat surprised; the Xu family's attitude in the past did not seem to be like this.

Xu Lanshan said, "You broke the Lu family's layout this time, making Lu Changhe flustered, and the Immortal Ancestor is very happy, preparing to go all out to the north, indicating that we can cooperate more here in the west."

Wei Yuan was stunned: "Is it that serious?"

He knew that the Crown Prince and the Prince of Wei both had the shadow of the Lu family behind them, but he did not expect that his one move to topple the Crown Prince would actually make Lu Changhe flustered?

Wei Yuan had no intention of targeting the Lu family, and even less did he want to offend an immortal for no reason. Originally, his plan was to unite with the Lu family to check the Xu family, and at the same time rely on the Ji, Zhao, and Cui families to check the Zhao family, then slowly develop in the cracks, waiting for the northern mountain gate of the Primordial Tai Tai Chu Gong to break the deadlock.

But now the situation seems to have completely reversed, turning into uniting with the Xu family to strike at the Lu family together.

Wei Yuan, in his astonishment, could only sigh that the moves of immortals are truly mysterious and unfathomable. Without reaching that realm, it is ultimately difficult to know the true relationship between them.

Wei Yuan would not give up and confirmed once more: "A Crown Prince, has such great value?"

Xu Lanshan took out an immortal sword, placed it on the table, and then unsheathed it three inches. In an instant, the space within three zhang became difficult to distinguish between real and illusionary, already isolated from this realm. As the sword blade left the sheath, a small white dragon jumped out from within, dancing in the air for a circle, then examining Wei Yuan as if it were a living thing.

This sword is a true immortal object, likely having accompanied an immortal for many years, already possessing spirit and being sharpened.

And Wei Yuan's Scarlet Night Immortal-Slaying Sword can only be called a sword embryo at this moment; the foundation is enough, but it still lacks polishing and needs an opportunity to give birth to a true sword spirit, just like the Demon Blade July, only then can it be called a true immortal weapon.

"With this sword unsheathed, some things can be said," Xu Lanshan said, then turned to look at the Prince of England.

The Prince of England sighed and said, "This matter is quite disgraceful to speak of, but it is of great importance, so it is better to let Little Friend Wei know."

Seeing the Prince of England so solemn, a thick sense of unease rose in Wei Yuan's heart.

(End of chapter)