Chapter 496: The Foundation of Tiance, Qin Wang Enters the Game

Among the eighteen states of Jiangnan, after initial conflicts, fierce opposition, and condemnation, the officials of the Ministry of Rites gradually began preparing for the prince's coming-of-age ceremony as usual.

The money has been paid!

This coming-of-age ceremony must resound throughout the world.

It must be remembered for generations!

Even a thousand or a hundred thousand years from now, when their descendants have long forgotten their ancestors, their names shall still shine in the annals, so that future scholars and literati may know our names!

Qu Hanxiu and others, holding this mindset, devoted themselves entirely to preparing the ceremony's protocols and standards—yet Qin Wang had been absent for three days, driving the stubborn old Confucian Qu Hanxiu to furious despair.

But it was only anger.

At first, when Qin Wang disappeared for three days, they were deeply anxious.

Later, when they discovered the prince was galloping and hunting, Qu Hanxiu and the others exchanged glances and could only let it be—after all, he was a young monarch who had already earned great renown through his exploits; indulging in music, dance, and pleasure was only natural.

Yet it was that old reprobate Qu Hanxiu who stood outside Qin Wang's pavilion in howling winds and snow, neck stiffened, shouting loudly that the world was still unsettled, and that Qin Wang must not sink into hunting and revelry, but must practice frugality, restrain his desires, and uphold propriety.

This act startled the other Ministry of Rites officials.

What are you saying? Do you want to die?!

Qu Hanxiu furiously berated his colleagues: Qin Wang's disrespect for ritual was wrong, but his indulgence in desire was equally unbecoming of propriety—whether Qin Wang listened or not, the old man would speak his mind regardless.

He cursed and ranted.

As a result, the other Ministry of Rites officials gradually distanced themselves from the old man.

Yet what Qin Wang cared about during this time was not the grand tide of the world; in the wilderness, Li Guanyi whistled sharply, his internal Qi surging, then let out a long howl that pierced metal and split stone, echoing far into the distance.

From the clouds above came a piercing cry of a falcon in reply.

The clouds split open—a golden-winged divine eagle tore through them, swooping down, shrinking its form to that of an ordinary falcon, landing on Li Guanyi's outstretched arm.

It was the divine beast and auspicious omen of the vast grasslands, symbolizing freedom.

The eagle's direct combat power was merely equivalent to that of a human Grand Master, but its strengths lay in its extraordinary vision, speed far surpassing even Grand Master-level martial artists, and its ability for swift surprise attacks.

If one traveled the martial world accompanied by this divine eagle, one would be invincible.

Yet before the overwhelming might of an army formation, the swift but fragile eagle could not, like the ancient Crimson Dragon, withstand the army's momentum with brute force—its combat power seemed diminished, but as a scout, nothing was more suitable.

For Li Guanyi's future plans, the scouting capability of this divine eagle was crucial.

During this time, he waited for opportunity while refining his bond with the divine eagle.

This auspicious beast, after initially being peacefully communicated with by the Crimson Dragon through ancient, efficient, and wise auspicious-beast exchange methods, reluctantly agreed to various pacts with Li Guanyi.

At first, when the Crimson Dragon was present, the creature was quite obedient.

But once the Crimson Dragon left, it began reverting to its old ways.

Under these circumstances, Wang Ashi felt the eagle needed to be broken.

But Li Guanyi summoned the ever-resourceful Lei Laomeng, who, after research, devised a plan: he captured female exotic birds of prey from the Western Regions, the Southwest, the mountains and rivers, the Central Plains, and the Northern Frontier.

He confined these magnificent avian beasts together with the proud, free, nomadic eagle of the grasslands.

At first, the divine eagle sneered.

The proud son of the grasslands.

Freedom! Freedom!

How could it ever submit to…

"So now it has roughly seventeen offspring, and over thirty eggs incubating—yes, an entire family, all carrying varying degrees of the auspicious flying-eagle bloodline."

The ever-resourceful Lei Laomeng reported to Li Guanyi: "These falcons lack the immense power of the auspicious one, but when grown, they understand human intent and possess power equivalent to the Third Heaven Realm."

"Select brave warriors from the army to raise these avian beasts from youth, fostering bonds as close as brothers—when battle comes, they will share unspoken understanding, making them an elite scout unit capable of surpassing all others."

"But one must genuinely care for these avian beasts; do not treat them as mere tools. Only when they are seen as comrades, as fellow soldiers, will these beasts possibly accept the scouts among the troops."

Clearly, the divine eagle had submitted to the magnificent falcons Lei Laomeng had brought.

But the grassland auspicious beast did not consider this its fault.

These were beautiful falcons—exotic beasts from every corner of the world: the Western Regions, the Southwest, the Central Plains, Jiangnan—all different kinds, all of exotic beast rank.

The eagle, raised since birth on the grasslands where falcons had vanished for thousands of li around, could not possibly withstand Lei Laomeng's relentless tactics.

Dammit, Lei Laomeng, you're despicable!

The grassland auspicious beast slept nightly in different falcon nests, eating beef delivered to it, grumbling that Lei Laomeng was insulting it—while Lei Laomeng nodded, saying "Yes yes yes," and draped an arm over its shoulder, shoving a snow lotus from the Western Regions into its mouth.

The grassland auspicious beast stayed each night in a different category of eagle's nest, eating the beef delivered to it while indignantly declaring that Lei Laomeng was insulting it; Lei Laomeng, all the while agreeing "yes, yes, yes," threw an arm around its shoulder and stuffed a snow lotus from the Western Regions into the auspicious beast's mouth.

The great grassland auspicious beast declared: "You've done well, Lei Laomeng."

I'll share half with you.

Lei Laomeng laughed heartily: "How could I possibly accept? How could I?"

Brothers, brothers!

Prince A-shi-na: "…………"

Wait, Your Majesty.

What kind of people do you have serving you?!

Lei Laomeng was now forty-three, his temples streaked with gray, his martial arts forcibly boosted by pills barely reaching the Third Heaven Realm—he wielded a thick-backed golden-rimmed great cleaver, and at fourteen, Li Guanyi had already beaten him senseless.

Yet along this journey, during the wild growth of the Tiance Prefecture and the Fire Qilin Army, he had been forced to master countless skill manuals—even the ancestral founder of the Exotic Beasts Manor from two hundred years ago, if he rose from his grave, would cry out: "Ancestor above! What a cursed thing this is!"

Under the corrosion of wine, lust, wealth, and greed, the grassland auspicious beast shamefully submitted.

"Additionally, based on the dragon-blood soil, dragon-blood herb, and dragon-blood itself you provided, we've conducted some new experiments," Lei Laomeng said, presenting a thick stack of Juan Sect records to Li Guanyi.

"Among them, the exotic-beast-level dragon steeds showed the strongest reaction to Crimson Dragon blood."

"In ancient times, the term 'Dragon' was broadly defined."

"Beings that flew, walked, or swam—all powerful creatures were called 'Dragons'; these dragon steeds are descendants of terrestrial dragons, and most exotic-beast-level dragon steeds have ordinary horses among their siblings."

Creatures that fly, walk on land, or live in water, all powerful beings called 【Dragon】, these Dragon Ma Pi are descendants of the terrestrial dragons; most of the Beast-class Dragon Ma Pi have siblings who may be ordinary horses.

Only when the ancient bloodline latent within them is awakened to a certain level can they grow into Dragon Ma Pi; we discovered that raising these Dragon Ma Pi from birth on soil infused with Crimson Dragon blood further stimulates their bloodline.

It's as if the divine intent hidden within their bloodline sensed its ancient enemy and was forced into activity—like ordinary villagers in the mountains spotting a tiger.

I originally thought it was the suppression of exotic beast bloodlines over ordinary horses.

So we obtained the blood of the Nine-Colored Divine Deer, the blood of the Fire Qilin, and traded thirty carts of large basins of beast milk for one basin of the blood of the black-and-white rolling dumplings…

Li Guanyi stared blankly: "Wait, how much?"

Lei Laomeng said: "One basin, General."

As long as you provide enough large basins of beast milk, it won't care what you do—rest assured, given its physical strength, that one basin of blood has no effect on it.

Li Guanyi's lip twitched: "Fine, continue."

Lei Laomeng said: "But it's useless. Only the blood of the Ancient Crimson Dragon has this effect. Thus, according to our ancestral texts and our recent research, we reached a conclusion."

Lei Laomeng fell silent, staring at what he had written, his face twisted in disbelief, as if he'd seen a ghost—but after a pause, he still said: "I suspect these Dragon Ma Pi' ancestors must have encountered the Ancient Crimson Dragon of that era."

They were almost certainly beaten.

Very likely beaten terribly.

And beaten so badly that even their descendants' bloodlines still react to the Ancient Crimson Dragon. If possible, I wish to raise the Dragon Ma Pi where the Crimson Dragon dwells—absolutely, we could breed a full cavalry of Dragon Ma Pi.

Li Guanyi gasped: "All Dragon Ma Pi?!"

Divine steeds and exotic beasts with withers over eight feet tall are called Dragons.

Such Dragon Ma Pi can fully carry Iron Foutu-class heavy cavalry, strike swiftly like light cavalry, and even the world's three greatest heavy cavalry units have never been so extravagant as to mount all their riders on Dragon Ma Pi.

Lei Laomeng lifted his head.

He grinned—a man born of ordinary Jianghu stock, over thirty, still just a lowly dreamer of the Jianghu, who had clawed his way through this world, forced forward at every step, yet now, he did not laugh as he once would have.

He simply answered: "Yes."

"Eight thousand Dragon Ma Pi, withers eight feet tall, charging like lightning, able to go three days without food or water yet still cover three hundred li while retaining combat readiness; able to consume seven days' rations in one day, running fast enough to catch arrows mid-flight, their riders reaching out to snatch arrows from the air."

"Within three to five years, I guarantee it can be done."

Dragon Ma Pi charging like lightning, armor reforged from materials in the Bai Hu Da Zong armory, infused with the precision of Central Plains armor and the traits of Iron Foutu armor, combined with herbs from Chen Baxian's Mystical Realm—this force, nearly surpassing the three great cavalry units of this age, was about to emerge.

This was not achieved overnight.

It was the result of six or seven years of slow, incremental progress, accumulating bit by bit—until now, it suddenly erupted. Li Guanyi said: "Then I leave it to you, Lei Laomeng."

Lei Laomeng grinned.

Just as he had in those days of the wandering band, he said:

"By the order of His Majesty!"

He turned and strode away. Ashina watched, envious, and said: "Your Majesty, you have many outstanding ministers."

Li Guanyi smiled in reply: "Yes, so I am fortunate."

When Ashina later asked Lei Laomeng, Lei Laomeng exchanged glances with several junior brothers, then all burst into laughter. Ashina was confused—had he said something wrong?

Lei Laomeng said: "Before we followed His Majesty, we were merely lowly disciples in a Jianghu Sect in southern Chen, sweeping the courtyard each day for a pitiful amount of merit, fighting among outer disciples just for one Yangqi Pill per month."

Ashina fell silent and said: "The Yangqi Powder now given to every child under thirteen every seven days?"

Lei Laomeng rubbed his chin: "Strictly speaking, it's inferior."

"That's still Hou Zhongyu's formula. Our sect never had such a good recipe—ours were terrible. Ah, thinking about it now, I really envy these little brats—ha! We never had such opportunities!"

"Later, we met our lord in the Jianghu—and here we are."

Ashina sighed deeply: "Yet with your skills, you could rightly be called a Master of Beast Taming. Your lord's gaining you all is indeed fate."

Lei Laomeng smiled: "Is that so? Then according to you, Prince Qi, I am a Master of Beast Taming—but do you know how to win the loyalty of such a Master in this chaotic age?"

Ashina said: "I beg to hear it."

Lei Laomeng took a sip of wine, smiling with nostalgic drunkenness:

"In the summer of Tianqi Year Ten, in a small town near Zhenbei City, find three Jianghu rogues caught stealing chickens and dogs, release them, and welcome them into your ranks."

"Then entrust them with your logistics—even entrust the very life of your wandering band to them. Give them your utmost trust, stand with them through life and death—even if they were once lowly scoundrels who once struck at you."

"Fight alongside them to defeat General Yuwen's army at Zhenbei City, then cross ten thousand li through Chen's encirclement."

"Give gold, silver, time, and trust to that thirty-something, failed Jianghu vagabond—and let him chase his impossible, daydreaming dream, waste it, fail at it, yet never blame him."

"Then, seven years later."

"Here we are."

He clapped Ashina on the shoulder. Lei Laomeng's gaze was bright, his voice soft:

"I am willing to die for my lord, Prince Qi—we all are."

A scholar dies for one who understands him.

That phrase was never so cheap.

Lei Laomeng was advising Ashina: since you've come here, you may now give your heart.

Ashina fell silent for a long while, then sighed: "Truly… enviable."

Yet he did not know which side he meant to envy.

He could feel that beneath the surface calm of the entire Tiance Prefecture, some tension was coiled tight—as if something great was coming. But as a surrendered general, he had not yet truly entered Tiance Prefecture's core, and could not know this level of strategy.

During the New Year, he could come here; after the New Year, Ashina returned to the Western Regions.

His son, recently, seemed to dislike the Mohist Mo Juzi's style.

He chose instead to study under General Fan Qing, Qin Wang's trusted general.

Ashina saw no problem in this, and felt at ease.

The storm brewing in Xiyicheng grew fiercer. After gaining part of the territory, the Turkic steppes immediately withdrew to stabilize, unwilling to remain entangled in this great vortex. Now the conflict lies between Chen and Ying.

Li Zhaowen of Xiyicheng watched from the sidelines.

He perfectly implemented Lu Youxian's strategy.

Build the city, stack the armor, pass.

The winds and clouds of the world rise on all sides; something is about to happen.

But one does not know what this thing is, nor when it will erupt; the feeling is like a sword suspended above the head, pointing at the brow—one knows it will fall, but does not know when.

Ashina felt a pressure beyond words.

But being in these chaotic times, he had no choice of his own.

He could only gallop between heaven and earth, fighting hard upon his own path.

It was springtime, the third month of bright spring, the finest day of Jiangnan's scenery.

Qin Wang Li Guanyi took a pot of wine, a plate of osmanthus cake, a plate of drunken spring crab, to visit General Yue Pengwu; the two sparred, the Tiger Howling Heaven Battle Halberd and the Lique Spring Divine Spear roaring and shaking the four directions, before finally drinking together.

Yue Pengwu looked at the youth before him, approval in his eyes, and said:

"Your Highness's Wu Gong grows ever more refined; in this world, there are few left who can be your match."

"The first time I met Your Highness, it was the tenth year of Tianqi, wasn't it."

"Yes, the tenth year of Tianqi; in Chen, that would be the thirteenth year of Taihe."

Li Guanyi smiled slightly and said: "At that time I was thirteen, a very minor Jinwu Guard."

Yue Pengwu said: "Now you are already twenty, and I too have passed forty; time flies, it is always heartless." He took a sip of wine and said: "However, regarding the strategy against Chen after Your Highness, I have an idea."

Li Guanyi said: "General Yue, please speak."

Yue Pengwu's gaze was calm as he said: "May I also serve as the blade's edge?"

"A true man in this world must punish the foolish tyrant; how can a lifetime of Wu Gong sit at the rear while Your Highness takes the field to slay the enemy in person?!"

Li Guanyi said: "General Yue should hold the rear steady; besides, the feigned attack duty will also require the efforts of General Yue and Wenmian."

Yue Pengwu was somewhat at a loss for words—this great war to punish the realm and pacify the four directions.

This time, the lord's charge seemed even fiercer, even faster than his own.

What could one even say to that?

Before Yue Pengwu could say more, Qin Wang persuaded him to hurry and drink and eat.

Saying that as lord and king, how could he possibly go in person?

Qin Wang just said eat, eat, this dish is really quite good.

Saying that one of a thousand gold's worth must not sit beneath a hanging hall; how could he enter the game with his own body?

Qin Wang scratched his head with a laugh and said today's wine really is wine.

He interrupted twelve times in a row, refusing to let Yue Pengwu say he himself would charge as the main force; Yue Pengwu was helpless, and after the two finished a pot of wine, he said: "Your Highness, are you going to that Guan Yicheng?"

Most of the confidants who knew the strategy of this campaign did not quite understand why Qin Wang chose to make Guan Yicheng, the garrison city of Jiangzhou, the first target of attack; Yue Pengwu was one of the few who could guess the reason.

Li Guanyi leaned against the pavilion, his ink-colored sleeves rolling, and said: "Yes."

Yue Pengwu said: "Is it Miss Xue?"

Li Guanyi was silent for a long while, then said: "In this life of mine up to now, I owe her the most."

"When a true man speaks, a word once given cannot be overtaken even by four horses."

"But the promise made at thirteen can only be kept at twenty."

"It really is too late after all; once one enters the world, the years press on, seven years have nearly passed—truly fast, so fast, like a white colt flashing past a crack."

Yue Pengwu looked at the youth, thought of that young lady who had gone beyond the northern frontier pass several times, and finally sighed, choosing to give up his pursuit, saying: "If it is so, then indeed it should not be I who take charge of that route; then I wish Your Highness may still attain your heart's desire."

He raised his cup and said: "A promise made in youth, fulfilled at twenty—even in the histories, it will be written large; a thousand years hence, one may still look back."

Qin Wang simply smiled and nodded.

The wine cup in hand was lifted; the wind blew past, new blossoms on the tree, flowers falling with the wind, landing in the wine cup; and so amid that chaos, the edges of blades and swords, outside Xiyicheng, the bloodshed of the great war of the realm—all filled the cup.

"When I was young, I once sneaked out with the Young Lady to skip her gathering with those noble ladies; my temperament back then was even more high-spirited than now, and I dragged her running wild all over the city."

"We went to the market in the wards, and rain came down, so we took shelter in a teahouse."

"I remember I played the qin then, singing of raging waves rolling frost and snow; I still remember the Young Lady sliding down from a tree, and I carried her on my back; the scenery of Southern Chen was lovely, the trees on both sides ancient, and when they bloomed, the wind clinging to the passers-by's sleeves was fragrant."

"I do not know whether it was the fragrance of her sleeves, or the blossoms of Southern Chen."

"Now that I think of it."

"At this season."

"Along the great roads of Southern Chen, the flowers by the fields have already bloomed."

Li Guanyi tipped his head back and drained the wine in his cup, rose to discuss strategy with Yue Pengwu, took his leave, his sleeves sweeping past with composure like drifting clouds; in the official histories, every word a pearl, concise and to the point, this matter was still recorded.

The record says: "His Majesty remarked that the flowers by the fields of Southern Chen had bloomed."

"He would return slowly."

Concise and to the point, just a casually sketched sentence, seemingly ordinary.

But when combined with the chronology that followed, one can see that this so-called "return slowly" of this year was a thousand cavalry and ten thousand horses, galloping at Xu Xing's pace; one phrase of slow return, and the promise of youth lifted the curtain on the great drama of the realm.

Later historians argued whether this move was made for the strategy of the realm, or for the promise of youth; but argue as they might, they could not reach a definite answer.

They only knew that, in any case.

The bearing of a sovereign, the spirit of a youth—here reached their utmost.

All the renowned scholars mobilized were busy with Qin Wang's coming-of-age ceremony; this place became unlike Xiyicheng, yet equally a place that drew everyone's gaze, becoming the center of this era.

But precisely when it was drawing everyone's gaze here.

Precisely at the moment when problems were least likely to appear.

No one had noticed.

Qin Wang Li Guanyi vanished from Jiangnan.

Entering the game in person.

To keep the appointment, to fulfill the promise!

?? Scratches head, discovered an error—the current time is the spring of Tianqi Year 16, and earlier when on the grasslands it was Year 15. Wrote it wrong, already corrected (fist-palm salute).

? Begging for monthly tickets, friends~