For three days in a row, the entire Qianhe army was dispatched to pursue the retreating soldiers of the Sang Empire, annihilating more than 30,000 enemy troops and taking more than 50,000 war prisoners. There are also some soldiers whose whereabouts are unknown, their lives and deaths are unknown.
At this point, the Qianhe Dynasty won a great victory and Empress Qianhe became famous from one battle. The sound of striking thunder reverberated in the tens of thousands in the army and the oath Qianhe Liyou made in court that day was mentioned again by everyone. It could be regarded as having secured a name as a wise monarch and powerful overlord!
But, the retreat of the Sang Empire did not mean the end of the war. Under the leadership of Jiang Hanyang, the suicide soldiers and garrison guards approached the border gates of the Sang Empire. At the same time, the situation in the Gamma Grasslands bordering the Qianhe Empire and the Nan Empire also changed. The entire army of the Nan Empire retreated. Except for the countless traces left on the trampled grasslands, not a single person was found. Everyone in the Qianhe Empire was rejoicing, but after the initial joy, everyone found that the shadow of war had not passed. It seemed like an opening ceremony for war and the real war affecting the five major countries had begun!
The Yinjia Empire and Zhongli Empire went to war! Both sides sent hundreds of thousands of troops to gather on the border between the two countries. There had already been two small-scale fights, both sides had won and lost, no one had taken the advantage just yet.
And news of the old Empress of the Nan Empire broke out after the withdrawal of their armies. The old Empress was replaced by the successor and although they did not engage in war with other countries, civil war was imminent and there was no time to pay attention to other things.
When the Imperial court received the battle report, Luo Yu immediately wrote a letter, hoping that the Empress would return to the palace since her safety was top priority, But, when Qianhe Liyou received the letter, she just read it quietly, saying nothing about returning to the palace. She would return to the palace, but it would be a little later than expected.
That night, Liyou took Anhui and Feng Xue away from the Yuling Pass. The three of them each had their own mounts. Although Feng Xue’s and Anhui’s mounts were both top-quality horses, but they did not dare to approach Liyou at first. It was not until Liyou rubbed Mo Ling’s head and said, “How about you stay here, walking is the same.” Mo Ling shook his massive head and looked at the horses with immense dissatisfaction. One did not know what he had neighed afterwards, but the two horses began to obediently approach Liyou and the three of them were on their way.
With three people walking together, there is always a teacher among them. This statement was quite reasonable for the three of them. Anhui had always felt that he was an ordinary person with these two not ordinary “people”. Ah, Young Master Feng Xue was also unusually intelligent, but…..what was this situation?
“Anhui, you should have silver taels right?” Of course, Liyou knew that buying things cost money, but she never had the habit of taking money with her. This was true in the past and still true now.
Feng Xue also looked at Anhui, holding a strip of white silk ribbon, used to tie one’s hair. Feng Xue liked it very much, but when he picked it up, he suddenly realized he did not bring silver taels and then looked at Liyou, who seemed to understand what Feng Xue meant, so she asked Anhui.
Anhui suddenly felt that the two of them were actually just like ordinary people. Sometimes, they encountered difficulties and they would even be so confused that they went out without money.
“How much?” Anhui reluctantly forked over the silver taels and Feng Xue showed a happy smile. He nodded to Anhui and softly said, “Thank you”.
Anhui shook his head and said, “You’re welcome.” Although the two exchanged pleasantries, in Feng Xue’s perception, Anhui was Master’s man, which made him envious and jealous. But, this emotion was not malicious. Especially on the battlefield, when he saw Anhui jumping from the city walls with a mortal body, not caring about his life, he had already recognized the existence of this man in his heart.
In Anhui’s cognition, Feng Xue also belonged to the Empress. Although they had different identities, they belonged to the same person. He was neither envious or jealous, just hoping to peacefully get along with Feng Xue and not make Liyou unhappy.
It could be said that Anhui and Feng Xue both possess the good and beautiful qualities of men in this era, which was a blessing to Liyou.
Although the harem of 3000 was a story that captured the imagination and was spread far and wide, everyone who participated in such palace intrigue knew that this was not a life that could be led by normal people. In the past, the lives of those in the harem were not peaceful. The Enchanting Imperial concubine had been favored and messed with others in the harem. Now that the Enchanting Imperial concubine had been consigned to the Cold Palace, the rest of the niangniang were relatively peaceful people and the harem was considered to have finally calmed down.
“Anhui, your eyes are smiling.” Liyou felt like she was being laughed at, but she did not have the intention of getting angry. It was just that the wind must not rise and she could not let Anhui smile for nothing.
Anhui was dazed, had his eyes been smiling? And while Anhui was stunned, Liyou suddenly pulled Anhui’s face down and placed a kiss on Anhui’s lips!
Qianhe’s folk customs were not conservative, at the very least, men could walk on the road normally without having to cover their faces or have any other scruples. But, Liyou’s movements were still too shocking, and the eyes of the people around them widened. On the contrary, Anhui returned to his expression of concentration, his face slightly red, but it was because of affection, not because he was too shy.
“Master, this subordinate did not mean to laugh at you. It is just that you have such moments too, very cute.” Anhui knew that in regards to the Empress’ kiss, he naturally liked it. But, the Empress was not such a romantic person, so kissing him here was most likely a sort of punishment.He thought that maybe his expression just now revealed the smile in his heart, but it was not out of mockery, but a sudden feeling of warmth.
Cute? Liyou tried to ask herself if such a word could be used to describe herself. Why didn’t she feel that she had a cute side?
Anhui perceived Liyou’s doubts and the smile on his face grew more obvious. He had never expected that he could walk, eat together and discuss the joys and sorrows of life together with the woman he loved, like an ordinary couple because the woman he loved was the Empress. But at this time, as they shopped together, he felt like they were just ordinary people, which was a nice feeling.
“Don’t always laugh and say such silly things.” Liyou did not understand what Anhui was thinking but felt that Anhui suddenly was a little different. She looked back at Feng Xue, but Feng Xue also shook his head and said he did not know. She was a little helpless, but with a hint of a pampering tone, she said this back to Anhui.
“Let us go, I heard that there is a monastery in Wujun that is quite effective. I want to go there and see.”
The first stop for the three of them after leaving the Yuling Pass was this place called Wujun. When she first entered the city, she had heard from others that they were going to the monastery to offer incense. It was rumored to be very effective and she wanted to take a look. Since she had no purpose this time around, they could just walk around and have a look.
Naturally, Anhui and Feng Xue had no opinion, but Feng Xue was a little surprised. Ghosts, demons and evil spirits generally hated monasteries. Except for spiritually training in monasteries, they rarely went there, so he felt it was strange for Liyou to want to go to the monastery.
The three of them asked passers-by on the road for directions because they did not know the way. When the passers-by heard that the place they were asking about was the monastery, they enthusiastically said, “The monastery you mentioned is the Lingyin Monastery. You can see the gates of the monastery if you head south from here. You all are probably going to offer incense, it is very effective. Monk Fa Yin is truly a master of the Dao and is very accurate in his predictions.
Liyou nodded noncommittally and followed the directions given to them by passers-by.
The secluded ancient monastery had a thousand years of history, towering ancient trees, quiet roads, pleasant sounds of ringing bells, and the fragrance of incense seemed to calm people. However, the noisy crowd seemed to disturb the tranquility of the ancient monastery, causing Liyou to crinkle her brows.
Hermits that live in seclusion in the mountains is just another form of hiding, but to truly achieve the state of enlightenment, one would be able to get rid of the noisy interference in the most secular city to live in seclusion. The city is the real sublimation of the soul. Was there such a master who lived in the monastery? Peaceful people could hide among disturbances.
Liyou stood outside the gates, feeling the crowd of people flow around him. She halted, thinking about whether to go in or not when a burst of Buddhist incense assailed her nostrils.
“Amitabha, benefactors, this little monk pays respect!” The person in question bowed deeply, the spacious sleeves of his Buddhist kasaya even swept the floor. Dressed in such a manner, everyone recognized it as the presiding abbot, Fa Yin, the Zen master. Usually, he rarely greeted guests, but they did not expect him to pay such respects to someone. Everyone’s gaze fell on Liyou and her group because of Fa Yin’s appearance.
Liyou did not answer but Fa Yin got up on his own and continued, ‘Benefactors, my Master, invites you all into the monastery for tea.”
Everyone was in an uproar again. They had never heard that Zen Master Fa Yin had a master. Judging by his appearance, Zen Master Fa Yin was at least 80 years old, so his master naturally must be hundreds of years old, but why has no one ever heard of it?
“Lead the way, “As she walked over here, she could vaguely feel a thread of Buddhist power. Although he had yet to achieve Buddhahood, he could be considered to be a leader in the cultivation of Daoism in this world. In her calculations, Fa Yin’s master had practiced for at least a thousand years! And Fa Yin should be more than three hundred years old. If you consider the age of supernatural entities, three hundred years were nothing, but in regards to human cultivation, it could be said to be difficult to achieve.
“Yes,” Fa Yin bowed respectfully again and then led the three people in the front into the monastery.
Passing through a long corridor and a courtyard, Fa Yin led Liyou and the others for about half an hour before stopping. In front of them was a grass hut, simple yet it made onlookers feel serene.
“Amitabha, this poor monk pays respects, all of the benefactors, please come in. This poor monk is unable to greet due to being unable to move freely.” A deep and distant voice came from the thatched hut, and that Buddhist mantra was like a thousand-year sigh.
Liyou opened the grass door and bent her head down. It was truly the so-called one person per tale and a pot of tea was on the table, steam arising from it, as if it had been specially prepared for them.
“A cup of coarse tea, hoping these few benefactors will not dislike it!”
As thin as a match, dried and wizened up to the bone. The person speaking did not match with his voice, and he appeared somewhat frightening, as if he was just a little bit better than a human skeleton.
Feng Xue was surprised and frowned. Only Liyou did not seem to be surprised. She sat down quietly, poured a cup of tea and drank it. Anhui and Feng Xue followed suit and poured it for themselves. This hut was not big, it was just enough for the four of them to sit.
“This benefactor does not seem to be surprised by this poor monk’s appearance?”
“Bitterly cultivating for a millennium, but could not cultivate to Buddhahood. If you are human, there will be a day you will die. Why should I be surprised?” Although this person had cultivated the Buddha’s way and extended his life, he had not attained righteous enlightenment after all and human life is limited ….”
For three days in a row, the entire Qianhe army was dispatched to pursue the retreating soldiers of the Sang Empire, annihilating more than 30,000 enemy troops and taking more than 50,000 war prisoners. There are also some soldiers whose whereabouts are unknown, their lives and deaths are unknown.
At this point, the Qianhe Dynasty won a great victory and Empress Qianhe became famous from one battle. The sound of striking thunder reverberated in the tens of thousands in the army and the oath Qianhe Liyou made in court that day was mentioned again by everyone. It could be regarded as having secured a name as a wise monarch and powerful overlord!
But, the retreat of the Sang Empire did not mean the end of the war. Under the leadership of Jiang Hanyang, the suicide soldiers and garrison guards approached the border gates of the Sang Empire. At the same time, the situation in the Gamma Grasslands bordering the Qianhe Empire and the Nan Empire also changed. The entire army of the Nan Empire retreated. Except for the countless traces left on the trampled grasslands, not a single person was found. Everyone in the Qianhe Empire was rejoicing, but after the initial joy, everyone found that the shadow of war had not passed. It seemed like an opening ceremony for war and the real war affecting the five major countries had begun!
The Yinjia Empire and Zhongli Empire went to war! Both sides sent hundreds of thousands of troops to gather on the border between the two countries. There had already been two small-scale fights, both sides had won and lost, no one had taken the advantage just yet.
And news of the old Empress of the Nan Empire broke out after the withdrawal of their armies. The old Empress was replaced by the successor and although they did not engage in war with other countries, civil war was imminent and there was no time to pay attention to other things.
When the Imperial court received the battle report, Luo Yu immediately wrote a letter, hoping that the Empress would return to the palace since her safety was top priority, But, when Qianhe Liyou received the letter, she just read it quietly, saying nothing about returning to the palace. She would return to the palace, but it would be a little later than expected.
That night, Liyou took Anhui and Feng Xue away from the Yuling Pass. The three of them each had their own mounts. Although Feng Xue’s and Anhui’s mounts were both top-quality horses, but they did not dare to approach Liyou at first. It was not until Liyou rubbed Mo Ling’s head and said, “How about you stay here, walking is the same.” Mo Ling shook his massive head and looked at the horses with immense dissatisfaction. One did not know what he had neighed afterwards, but the two horses began to obediently approach Liyou and the three of them were on their way.
With three people walking together, there is always a teacher among them. This statement was quite reasonable for the three of them. Anhui had always felt that he was an ordinary person with these two not ordinary “people”. Ah, Young Master Feng Xue was also unusually intelligent, but…..what was this situation?
“Anhui, you should have silver taels right?” Of course, Liyou knew that buying things cost money, but she never had the habit of taking money with her. This was true in the past and still true now.
Feng Xue also looked at Anhui, holding a strip of white silk ribbon, used to tie one’s hair. Feng Xue liked it very much, but when he picked it up, he suddenly realized he did not bring silver taels and then looked at Liyou, who seemed to understand what Feng Xue meant, so she asked Anhui.
Anhui suddenly felt that the two of them were actually just like ordinary people. Sometimes, they encountered difficulties and they would even be so confused that they went out without money.
“How much?” Anhui reluctantly forked over the silver taels and Feng Xue showed a happy smile. He nodded to Anhui and softly said, “Thank you”.
Anhui shook his head and said, “You’re welcome.” Although the two exchanged pleasantries, in Feng Xue’s perception, Anhui was Master’s man, which made him envious and jealous. But, this emotion was not malicious. Especially on the battlefield, when he saw Anhui jumping from the city walls with a mortal body, not caring about his life, he had already recognized the existence of this man in his heart.
In Anhui’s cognition, Feng Xue also belonged to the Empress. Although they had different identities, they belonged to the same person. He was neither envious or jealous, just hoping to peacefully get along with Feng Xue and not make Liyou unhappy.
It could be said that Anhui and Feng Xue both possess the good and beautiful qualities of men in this era, which was a blessing to Liyou.
Although the harem of 3000 was a story that captured the imagination and was spread far and wide, everyone who participated in such palace intrigue knew that this was not a life that could be led by normal people. In the past, the lives of those in the harem were not peaceful. The Enchanting Imperial concubine had been favored and messed with others in the harem. Now that the Enchanting Imperial concubine had been consigned to the Cold Palace, the rest of the niangniang were relatively peaceful people and the harem was considered to have finally calmed down.
“Anhui, your eyes are smiling.” Liyou felt like she was being laughed at, but she did not have the intention of getting angry. It was just that the wind must not rise and she could not let Anhui smile for nothing.
Anhui was dazed, had his eyes been smiling? And while Anhui was stunned, Liyou suddenly pulled Anhui’s face down and placed a kiss on Anhui’s lips!
Qianhe’s folk customs were not conservative, at the very least, men could walk on the road normally without having to cover their faces or have any other scruples. But, Liyou’s movements were still too shocking, and the eyes of the people around them widened. On the contrary, Anhui returned to his expression of concentration, his face slightly red, but it was because of affection, not because he was too shy.
“Master, this subordinate did not mean to laugh at you. It is just that you have such moments too, very cute.” Anhui knew that in regards to the Empress’ kiss, he naturally liked it. But, the Empress was not such a romantic person, so kissing him here was most likely a sort of punishment.He thought that maybe his expression just now revealed the smile in his heart, but it was not out of mockery, but a sudden feeling of warmth.
Cute? Liyou tried to ask herself if such a word could be used to describe herself. Why didn’t she feel that she had a cute side?
Anhui perceived Liyou’s doubts and the smile on his face grew more obvious. He had never expected that he could walk, eat together and discuss the joys and sorrows of life together with the woman he loved, like an ordinary couple because the woman he loved was the Empress. But at this time, as they shopped together, he felt like they were just ordinary people, which was a nice feeling.
“Don’t always laugh and say such silly things.” Liyou did not understand what Anhui was thinking but felt that Anhui suddenly was a little different. She looked back at Feng Xue, but Feng Xue also shook his head and said he did not know. She was a little helpless, but with a hint of a pampering tone, she said this back to Anhui.
“Let us go, I heard that there is a monastery in Wujun that is quite effective. I want to go there and see.”
The first stop for the three of them after leaving the Yuling Pass was this place called Wujun. When she first entered the city, she had heard from others that they were going to the monastery to offer incense. It was rumored to be very effective and she wanted to take a look. Since she had no purpose this time around, they could just walk around and have a look.
Naturally, Anhui and Feng Xue had no opinion, but Feng Xue was a little surprised. Ghosts, demons and evil spirits generally hated monasteries. Except for spiritually training in monasteries, they rarely went there, so he felt it was strange for Liyou to want to go to the monastery.
The three of them asked passers-by on the road for directions because they did not know the way. When the passers-by heard that the place they were asking about was the monastery, they enthusiastically said, “The monastery you mentioned is the Lingyin Monastery. You can see the gates of the monastery if you head south from here. You all are probably going to offer incense, it is very effective. Monk Fa Yin is truly a master of the Dao and is very accurate in his predictions.
Liyou nodded noncommittally and followed the directions given to them by passers-by.
The secluded ancient monastery had a thousand years of history, towering ancient trees, quiet roads, pleasant sounds of ringing bells, and the fragrance of incense seemed to calm people. However, the noisy crowd seemed to disturb the tranquility of the ancient monastery, causing Liyou to crinkle her brows.
Hermits that live in seclusion in the mountains is just another form of hiding, but to truly achieve the state of enlightenment, one would be able to get rid of the noisy interference in the most secular city to live in seclusion. The city is the real sublimation of the soul. Was there such a master who lived in the monastery? Peaceful people could hide among disturbances.
Liyou stood outside the gates, feeling the crowd of people flow around him. She halted, thinking about whether to go in or not when a burst of Buddhist incense assailed her nostrils.
“Amitabha, benefactors, this little monk pays respect!” The person in question bowed deeply, the spacious sleeves of his Buddhist kasaya even swept the floor. Dressed in such a manner, everyone recognized it as the presiding abbot, Fa Yin, the Zen master. Usually, he rarely greeted guests, but they did not expect him to pay such respects to someone. Everyone’s gaze fell on Liyou and her group because of Fa Yin’s appearance.
Liyou did not answer but Fa Yin got up on his own and continued, ‘Benefactors, my Master, invites you all into the monastery for tea.”
Everyone was in an uproar again. They had never heard that Zen Master Fa Yin had a master. Judging by his appearance, Zen Master Fa Yin was at least 80 years old, so his master naturally must be hundreds of years old, but why has no one ever heard of it?
“Lead the way, “As she walked over here, she could vaguely feel a thread of Buddhist power. Although he had yet to achieve Buddhahood, he could be considered to be a leader in the cultivation of Daoism in this world. In her calculations, Fa Yin’s master had practiced for at least a thousand years! And Fa Yin should be more than three hundred years old. If you consider the age of supernatural entities, three hundred years were nothing, but in regards to human cultivation, it could be said to be difficult to achieve.
“Yes,” Fa Yin bowed respectfully again and then led the three people in the front into the monastery.
Passing through a long corridor and a courtyard, Fa Yin led Liyou and the others for about half an hour before stopping. In front of them was a grass hut, simple yet it made onlookers feel serene.
“Amitabha, this poor monk pays respects, all of the benefactors, please come in. This poor monk is unable to greet due to being unable to move freely.” A deep and distant voice came from the thatched hut, and that Buddhist mantra was like a thousand-year sigh.
Liyou opened the grass door and bent her head down. It was truly the so-called one person per tale and a pot of tea was on the table, steam arising from it, as if it had been specially prepared for them.
“A cup of coarse tea, hoping these few benefactors will not dislike it!”
As thin as a match, dried and wizened up to the bone. The person speaking did not match with his voice, and he appeared somewhat frightening, as if he was just a little bit better than a human skeleton.
Feng Xue was surprised and frowned. Only Liyou did not seem to be surprised. She sat down quietly, poured a cup of tea and drank it. Anhui and Feng Xue followed suit and poured it for themselves. This hut was not big, it was just enough for the four of them to sit.
“This benefactor does not seem to be surprised by this poor monk’s appearance?”
“Bitterly cultivating for a millennium, but could not cultivate to Buddhahood. If you are human, there will be a day you will die. Why should I be surprised?” Although this person had cultivated the Buddha’s way and extended his life, he had not attained righteous enlightenment after all and human life is limited ….”
