I am a soldier in the border army

Chapter 441: Attend the banquet! Seal the country but do not split the land!
The arrival of the angel caused quite a stir.

Everyone in the city already knew about it, not to mention the four side courtyards that were nearby.

They even knew that the Supreme Being who was supposed to be in the Divine Capital, at this moment, had a split soul descended into this palace thousands of miles away from the Divine Capital.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to sit at the dinner table with you tonight."

Chen Wenjun complained.

Tushan Feixuan, who lived next door to him, surprisingly did not ridicule her disciple, and also expressed regret.

"That's how it should be."

Hey, she was planning to take advantage of this New Year’s Eve dinner to perform well.

No more now.

Speaking of which, Tushan Feixuan was feeling a little uneasy at the moment.

The second imperial edict just now gave her a great shock.

Han Shao was granted the title of Duke of Yan, and his status became even more prominent.

In this way, it will be enough to provide greater protection for the Tushan clan in Qingqiu.

But the problem is that she is not favored!
The higher Han Shao's status, the stronger her sense of crisis became.

If one day in the future, Han Shao kicked her out, how would she face the disappointed looks of her clansmen?

Thinking of this, Tushan Feixuan couldn't help feeling a little anxious.

Compared with this pair of master and disciple, the two side courtyards next door were much quieter.

There is no need to mention Shangguan Zhi, the daughter of the prime minister.

She just wanted to live her life in peace and stability. If the man named Han was willing to come to her yard, she would just lie down and let him do whatever he wanted.

She would be content to live one more day at a time.

So the dinner was cancelled, and Shangguan Zhi was relieved.

After all, every time she faced the women next door, she felt an indescribable pressure.

I was afraid that I would not be able to maintain the fake indifference on my face, thus exposing my cowardly nature and being bullied by them.

Just when Shangguan Zhi was secretly rejoicing, she suddenly heard a call.

"Get ready and come to the banquet."

Shangguan Zhi's face turned bitter, as if she had lost her parents.

"I couldn't escape after all—"

She only hoped that the two future mistresses who had already received the imperial decree to marry would treat her as a transparent person.

Never take it personally.

Shangguan Zhi thought humbly, but her face showed her habitual indifference.

"Let's go to the banquet."

The maid who served Shangguan Zhi personally was frightened when she saw her expression.

Madam is worthy of being the Prime Minister’s daughter!
What a strong aura!
When I attend this banquet, I will definitely be able to outshine the ladies next door in front of you, my lord!

"What are you muttering about?"

Shangguan Zhi had a cold face and looked indifferent.

It makes people feel scared when they see it.

The waitresses did not dare to hide anything and spoke directly what was in their hearts.

Shangguan Zhi, who was about to go out, trembled and then stepped back with an expressionless face.

"Go and get me the plainest dress."

The waitresses looked at each other.

If they remembered correctly, weren't the clothes that the lady always had in her wardrobe always these dull black dresses?
What is the most simple?
But even though they complained in their hearts, they dared not disobey Shangguan Zhi.

He could only hesitate and pick one at random and let Shangguan Zhi change into it.

"Is this one still conspicuous?"

The waitresses saw no difference between the two.

The uniqueness of my wife lies not in her clothes, but in the cold expression on her face and the aura that keeps strangers away from her.

If these two things remain unchanged, it actually makes no difference what kind of clothes you change into.

Still like a firefly in the dark night, so bright and dazzling...

Shangguan Zhi understood the answer from the expressions of the waitresses.

But she still didn't believe it and changed a few more clothes.

The waitresses just kept changing and wasting time, but their expressions didn't change at all.

Wait until a waitress outside the house reminded him.

"Madam, Madam Yu next door has already left. If we don't go now, it might be too late."

Shangguan Zhi panicked and a hint of flaw appeared on her face, which she hurriedly covered up.

"I'm going."

The wind is whistling and the Yishui River is cold.

Shangguan Zhi had a stiff face. She refused the maid's request to follow her and walked away.

She has experience attending banquets.

The earlier you go, the less stress there is.

So she had to take a seat at the table before everyone else so that she wouldn't have to deal with the inquiring looks from those who arrived early.

Shangguan Zhi was anxious and walked quickly.

Yu Xuanji, whose figure was passed over, felt a little strange.

"Sister, where are you going?"

But what I got in return was the other party's cold look and back.

In response to this, Yu Xuanji was calm and indifferent, and didn't say anything.

Bai Zhenzhen, who was nestling in her arms, was furious.

This one one by one!
This is simply unreasonable!
"A mortal woman from the lower realm, how rude of you!"

Yu Xuanji smiled helplessly and didn't take it to heart.

"We are all sisters in the family, so we shouldn't talk nonsense."

Hearing this, Bai Zhenzhen's attention was immediately diverted, and her pair of long ears suddenly stood up.

sisters?

Can I finally be on equal footing with my master, the Moon God?
Bai Zhenzhen's gem-like red eyes rolled around, and she looked very proud.

……

"That was a close call! I almost got dragged down by the guy named Yu next door!"

When Shangguan Zhi appeared not far from the banquet hall, Tushan Feixuan's figure appeared at the end of the opposite corridor.

Without giving the other party a chance to greet her, Shangguan Zhi didn't care about the manners of a noble lady, and stood outside the hall.

But when she raised her eyes, Shangguan Zhi felt panicked.

She didn't expect that Chen Wenjun would arrive faster than her!

And just as she walked in reluctantly, that cold expression seemed extremely arrogant to Chen Wenjun.

"Humph! You act so noble all day long!"

"I'm more anxious than anyone else to have this chance to show my face in front of my husband!"

Chen Wenjun sneered.

It seemed like he was talking to himself, but he was not hiding anything.

This caused the waitress behind him to cover her mouth and laugh.

Shangguan Zhi cried out in her heart that she was wronged, but her tense expression did not allow her to explain anything.

Haha, she is indeed the Prime Minister’s daughter!
Chen Wenjun curled his lips.

Following Shangguan Zhi's footsteps, he entered the hall.

In the next moment, everyone stopped walking.

As soon as she looked around, she saw that the person sitting on the main seat in the hall was not her husband.

Chen Wenjun was so sharp-minded that he reacted almost instantly.

"I am Chen, your majesty!"

Concubines are not entitled to take their husband's surname.

Therefore, she could only call herself Chen.

Emperor Taikang lowered his eyes, his gaze fell on her for just a moment, and then he looked away.

The Chen family of Zhuo County is a small clan in the border area.

It's not worth his time and effort.

Shangguan Zhi on the side was different.

Even though she was just a concubine's daughter, she was born in the Prime Minister's Mansion.

The gaze of a Ninth Realm Taiyi is extremely heavy, not to mention that Emperor Taikang shoulders the weight of the country, which is far beyond the ordinary Ninth Realm Taiyi.

In an instant, Shangguan Zhi, whose mind was already blank due to the sudden encounter with Emperor Taikang, felt as if she had fallen into an abyss.

"Azhi, you haven't met His Majesty yet?"

These words did not come from Han Shao, but from Gongsun Xinyi who was standing beside him.

Shangguan Zhi woke up as if from a dream and knelt down.

"Your Majesty, I am Shangguan."

In fact, Emperor Taikang was not so shameless that he could not do anything to Shangguan Ding and finally took his anger out on him, a concubine's daughter.

He was just a little curious about the quality of the woman that Shangguan Ding gave to Han Shao.

Of course, the most important thing is to test Han Shao's reaction to this Shangguan woman.

It’s a pity that I saw her, and her appearance is indeed extraordinary.

However, Han Shao's test was interrupted by Gongsun Xinyi's rescue.

Emperor Taikang withdrew his gaze with some regret.

"Get up, everyone, take your seats."

After saying this, after seeing Shangguan Zhi thank him, he quietly prepared to sit in the corner.

Emperor Taikang frowned with some dissatisfaction and looked at Han Shaodao.

"This girl was born in the Prime Minister's Mansion. How can Shaoqing be so negligent?"

Han Shao smiled indifferently.

"Your Majesty, it is not that I have neglected his Prime Minister's Office."

"It's because the Prime Minister's Mansion is too self-deprecating."

As he spoke, he recounted to Emperor Taikang what happened that day when the Prime Minister's Mansion simply threw Shangguan Zhi in front of the Marquis' Mansion and left.

Emperor Taikang seemed to be thinking about something, and then said in surprise.

"Sure?"

Han Shao nodded.

Emperor Taikang said angrily.

"Shangguan Ding is so ignorant! He is wasting the books of the sages!"

"Although a concubine's daughter is not as noble as a legitimate daughter, she is also my own bloodline. How can you treat her like this?"

Han Shao heard this and said immediately.

"Your Majesty, please issue an order to correct the trend in the court and the public!"

There is no doubt that Han Shao's sitting position was so straight that Emperor Taikang was extremely satisfied.

He looked at Han Shao with interest and said.

"Shao Qing, is this considered killing one's relatives for the sake of justice?"

Han Shao said seriously.

"The Prime Minister is high up in the clouds, and is a hundred thousand miles away from Shao, a country bumpkin. How can we talk about closeness?"

"On the contrary, Your Majesty is the subject, the king and the father. Even though we are thousands of miles apart, we are still the closest relatives!"

This flattery was too blatant, and Han Shao felt sick. There was nothing he could do, as Emperor Taikang's temptation was too obvious.

You can't avoid it by playing dumb.

So we have to be clear-cut.

Han Shao has been sober all along.

He was not fooled by Emperor Taikang's closeness today, and ignored the wise saying that serving the emperor is like serving a tiger.

When you are around tigers and wolves, you should be trembling with fear!

Even if Emperor Taikang appears to be harmless, it is undeniable that he is the strongest and most dangerous tiger and wolf in the world!
Han Shao was alert.

When he saw a glimmer of joy in Emperor Taikang's eyes, he secretly relaxed.

At this moment, Emperor Taikang, who had seen through Shangguan Zhi's disguised indifference, showed a hint of gentleness.

"Come sit down closer."

"Why is the daughter of the prime minister so timid?"

Shangguan Zhi, whose true identity was exposed by Emperor Taikang, was at a loss.

The tense and indifferent expression could not hide the panic.

Wait until I heard Han Shao's somewhat dissatisfied scolding.

"It's right here!"

"Your Majesty is kind and benevolent, and is the elder of the world! Could he really eat you?"

Shangguan Zhi then sat down in the seat below Han Shao with her body stiff.

As for Gongsun Xinyi and Jiang Wan, they sat on Han Shao's left and right.

A wife is equal to her husband.

At this moment, it is the most obvious embodiment.

……

This dinner, which seemed to be just a spontaneous event, was obviously a pleasant one for Emperor Taikang.

Because he was sure.

The old man Shangguan Ding sent his daughter as a concubine probably just to plant a thorn in his heart.

The purpose is to alienate the king and his ministers.

And Han Shao did not disappoint him.

After all, even if he could act, the Shangguan woman's alienation and fear of him could not be faked.

If he really loved Shangguan Ding, he would not dare to treat Shangguan Ding's daughter like this.

However, while Emperor Taikang was completely relieved about Han Shao, he couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

Because there were two women left at today's dinner, one of whom was from the Tushan clan of Qingqiu.

As for the other one, even he, the Emperor of Dayong, could not figure out his origin.

The most important thing is that the two women’s cultivation is not weak, and they are both in the eighth realm of celestial beings.

You should know that although in this world spiritual practice is not differentiated by gender, in reality women will give birth to red dragons when they reach the age of red dragon, and their qi and blood will be depleted every month, so it is naturally difficult for them to achieve success in spiritual practice.

Therefore, most of the rare female masters in this world have arrogant temperaments.

It was very reluctant to marry as a wife, let alone humiliating oneself and being willing to be a concubine.

However, Emperor Taikang was curious, but after seeing Han Shao's face, he did not ask.

There are many outrageous things in this world. If you really dig deep into them, the truth is often shocking.

Emperor Taikang laughed and said.

"Shao Qing is so lucky! With the looks of your concubines, I'm afraid even my three palaces and six courtyards can't compare to them."

Emperor Taikang said this just out of inspiration.

Especially Yu Xuanji and Tushan Feixuan, the former has an ethereal aura, like a fairy concubine banished to the mortal world.

The latter was so charming and alluring that she almost resembled the legendary evil concubine who brought disaster to the country.

Even Chen Wenjun and Shangguan Zhi are no different.

One of them seems quiet and virtuous, but in fact she has a charming inner self.

One has skin as white as snow, and pretends to be cold and arrogant.

All have their own characteristics.

Especially Shangguan Zhi, Emperor Taikang suddenly remembered that there was a woman who was famous in the capital, named Xue Ji.

Even he, the emperor of the current dynasty, had heard of it.

Now it seems that it should be his mother.

As for Gongsun Xinyi and Jiang Wan, Emperor Taikang did not comment on them in his mind.

After all, wives and concubines are different.

If a concubine is praised and commented on, all men in the world will only feel complacent.

But if his wife does this, the only response will be sword drawing.

Emperor Taikang thought he had struck a good balance between the two.

It’s a pity that he didn’t know that Han Shao has always been an anomaly in this world.

There was a barely perceptible sinister gleam in his eyes, and Han Shao smiled faintly.

"Your Majesty has given you too much praise."

"I have nothing else to love in my life except beauty, so I am a little greedy."

Emperor Taikang savored Han Shao's words and was immediately at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

"What are you talking about, kid!"

"Do you think I want to snatch a woman from you?"

Emperor Taikang couldn't help but feel a little annoyed when he said this.

He was the supreme ruler of the time. Not to mention at his current age, even when he was young, he never coveted the most beautiful women in the world.

Don't forget, Ji Jiu's mother was killed by him personally!

But even as he was angry, Emperor Taikang suddenly smiled.

Love beauty, that’s good!

Everyone has desires.

If Han Shao really acted like he had no desires or demands, that would really give him a headache.

"That's enough! Look at how stingy you are!"

"If you really like it, I'll pick some from the palace and send them to you later."

"It would be a waste if I kept it anyway."

But after he finished saying this, Han Shao's expression seemed to be distorted.

"Your Majesty... You can discuss this with me in private..."

Seeing Han Shao's painful expression and the unfriendly looks of the two women beside him, Emperor Taikang laughed.

"It's my fault."

"It seems that you don't have this blessing!"

From Shao Qing to 'you kid', the address is one step closer.

It can be seen that Han Shao's efforts today were very effective.

Han Shao smiled brightly and laughed along.

Then, seeing Emperor Taikang put down the jade chopsticks in his hand, Han Shao pretended to ask Emperor Taikang whether he was satisfied with the dinner.

Only after Emperor Taikang praised him endlessly did Han Shao look relieved.

"My humble abode is simple, and I am a rough soldier in the army. I am sorry for neglecting Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty to forgive me."

After saying this, with just a glance, Gongsun Xinyi and Jiang Wan understood and took the other girls to take their leave from Emperor Taikang.

There were only the king and his minister left, and the process of politeness and probing had been completed.

The next topic to talk about is to get straight to the point.

That was the second imperial edict.

"Tell me, why don't you obey the order?"

Emperor Taikang restrained his previous gentleness and ease.

At this moment, we are only discussing the monarch and his subjects.

Han Shao stepped forward and personally poured a cup of tea for Emperor Taikang.

Then he smiled faintly.

"Your Majesty, don't you think that I am deliberately retreating in order to advance?"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Taikang shook his head and laughed.

"You are not that kind of person. Moreover, if you really want it, just ask me. As long as it's not too much, why would I be stingy?"

The first half of Emperor Taikang's words was firm, indicating his trust.

The second half is extremely soothing to listen to.

If Han Shao was really the original 'Shao Ge'er', he would probably be unwilling to die for him.

Unfortunately he is not.

Emperor Taikang was too lazy to listen to his repeated thanks and just spoke directly.

"I trust you, and I believe you will not let me down."

"Tell me, what do you think?"

Han Shao hesitated for a moment, then spoke.

"I think that sealing off the country is feasible, but dividing the land is not."

"If a state is named, it can buy horse bones for thousands of gold coins."

"But if the land is divided and divided, the consequences will be far-reaching!"

Emperor Taikang narrowed his eyes slightly when he heard Han Shao's words.

If someone else had said this, Emperor Taikang would not be surprised.

But it was only when Han Shao said this that he couldn't help but be shocked.

"Do you know what you mean by that?"

Han Shao nodded and grinned indifferently.

"There is only the name of the country, but no broken land."

"I cannot offer sacrifices to the ancestral temple, and I cannot display my power as the ruler of this country. That's all."

That's all?

Do you know that this is a dream that many people cannot achieve in their entire lives?
Emperor Taikang was really amused.

It has been sixty years since he ascended the throne, and almost all of the officials in the court are traitors.

At this moment, a boy who was not even twenty years old suddenly came up to him and said something.

"I do not want to be granted a fiefdom, I do not want to offer sacrifices to the ancestral temple, and I do not want to be the ruler of a country where life and death are at the mercy of all powers."

Just because this is detrimental to the country and will cause far-reaching harm!
For some unknown reason, Emperor Taikang suddenly felt his mind trembling uncontrollably.

"Foolish boy! Foolish boy... I have never seen a subject as foolish as you!"

"How can there be such a foolish and loyal person like you in this world?"

Emperor Taikang cursed, but his hands suddenly grabbed Han Shao's arm.

Then his tone was as if he was swearing.

"From now on, you will not let me down, and I will not let you down!"

The emperor's words are as binding as the will of heaven.

Han Shao smiled innocently.

"Your Majesty, I trust your Majesty!"

Haha!

Before killing the enemy, cut yourself first!

Who dares to be as cruel as me?
From now on, people can call me Han anything they want, except calling me a traitor!
As for that Laozi Yan State, I don’t want it!
I want the world!
……

(End of this chapter)