The Bad Guys: Everyone, let’s revive the Tang Dynasty together!

Chapter 406: Wedding (Part )

The next morning, when it was still light in the sky, the first rooster crowed in the distance outside.

Bagu lay on the couch, sweating profusely as if she was seriously ill, her face was extremely pale, and she was gasping for breath. She slightly opened her lifeless eyes and saw two rows of shallow tooth marks on the sandalwood pillow, and the surroundings were in a mess. She felt as if her soul had been drained away.

Xiao Yan was already dressing himself, but he had just put on his inner lining, and his back looked particularly tall and straight.

Bago struggled to get up. Xiao Yan looked back at her and said casually, "Rest if you're tired." But Bago was hesitant. She used some of her internal energy to relieve her fatigue a little. Then she just wrapped her chest with a white tube top and walked over to help Xiao Yan change clothes a little clumsily. Thinking of Xiao Yan's usual habits, she tightened the belt a little.

"Do you have something to say?"

Xiao Yan saw Baguo hesitant to speak in the bronze mirror, and his gaze subconsciously lingered on her round and tight thighs, remembering that it was these legs that were particularly deadly last night.

Bago was actually a rebellious person, but he was inexplicably docile in front of Xiao Yan. At this time, his cold eyes slightly fluctuated, and he whispered in a hoarse voice: "My king, can you allow me to accompany you as a guard..."

"Hmm?" Xiao Yan couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.

"I always feel uncomfortable staying in the mansion..." Bago said sullenly, "I can feel that the lady doesn't like me very much. The king is in a high position and has great power now. Sometimes he needs to be on guard against people with ulterior motives outside. For example, if the emperor wants to fight to the death, they will certainly not pose any threat to the king, but they will eventually damage the king's reputation. I am a woman, so I can act in a way that makes people less repulsive..."

Xiao Yan thought about it for a moment and asked, "Did you come up with this idea?"

Bago hesitated for a moment, and actually wanted to take the blame on himself, but he still honestly admitted: "Zang He suggested it to me."

After she reminded him, Xiao Yan remembered that Baguo had an "uncle" in the city. After all, they were nominal relatives, and it was normal for the two sides to meet occasionally, just to put on a show for Li Keyong.

"Go talk to Xue'er."

Xiao Yan did not agree directly. Although there was some truth to this fact, it was indeed difficult for ordinary people to hurt him, but if something unpleasant happened, it would be a bit disgraceful.

Seeing that he did not explicitly refuse, Bago was actually very happy, and he helped him change his clothes carefully.

As it was summer, the sky soon brightened. After having breakfast at the palace, the carriage and ceremonial guard had been arranged outside the door. We entered the palace through the Imperial Street and Zuoye Gate.

Usually, Xiao Yan was used to riding lightly, but today was different. He still had to be polite and showy. After seeing Ba Ge in full armor, Xiao Yan turned around and glanced at Ji Ruxue.

Ji Ruxue saw him off at the gate of the mansion, and she smiled with narrowed eyes and whispered to him: "What she said seems to make some sense."

Xiao Yan ignored him and got into the carriage. Ba Ge took some women and set off in advance to check the palace. Although most of them were Xiao Yan's men, it was Li Mang who was responsible for guarding the palace. But the palace was the palace after all, and there were some places that Li Mang could not check, so it was more appropriate for women to do it.

One night, the accompanying mounted guards were not called in. Although the streets were not cleared deliberately, the people knew that the King of Song was attending court, so no one blocked the streets. However, they still gathered on both sides to watch, and some people even knelt on the side of the road to worship.

"What a grand ceremony..."

On the right side of the Imperial Street, an ordinary-looking man who seemed to be in his twenties or thirties was standing on tiptoe watching in the crowd. He saw four carriages guarded by nearly fifty or sixty riders wearing purple robes, iron armor, holding swords, and holding green umbrellas, green flags, and crimson banners. He knew that the man must be inside, so he covered his mouth and lowered his voice.

"Brother!" The shorter woman in her twenties beside him frowned and said anxiously, "Can you wait until we get back?"

"Don't worry, the people around us can't hear us." The man saw the guards holding long-handled weapons lined up on both sides of the four carriages. He was shocked again and scratched his forehead, "Why didn't they give me these when I was in Taiyuan?"

The woman rolled her eyes and said nothing more.

But at this moment, she saw a corner of the curtain on the right side of the carriage suddenly opened, and then a young face with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes looked over here. His face had sharp lines, and although he was clean-shaven and looked too young, his eyes were dark and angry. Anyone who came into contact with his eyes would probably feel scared and avoid his gaze.

The woman's heart was moved and she lowered her head hastily, while tugging hard at the sleeve of the man next to her.

The man stared blankly at the majestic eyes. Fortunately, the people around him immediately shouted happily: "That's King Song!" "Long live the king!" "Your Majesty, my family received silver money from Kaifeng this month. I kneel to thank you on behalf of my family's elders!"

Immediately, a knight came riding over, but the young man in the carriage just smiled at the people on the roadside and seemed to say something to the knight. The knight then immediately retreated, and the curtain was lowered.

The shaken mind of the man standing by the street seemed to suddenly return to his body. He looked a little dazed until the woman next to him pulled him hard. Then he reacted instantly and bowed down with the excited people around him. Otherwise, he might have stood alone in the crowd like a crane among chickens.

"Brother, you scared me to death!" The woman's face turned pale and she whispered, "That man looks so fierce, even scarier than Master. He's obviously not as serious as Master. It's really weird..."

The man had lost his previous liveliness and was thinking about something with his lips pursed. The face was naturally unfamiliar to him, but those eyes seemed to be somewhat similar to someone deep in his memory.

Who on earth could make me remember something instantly?

Even as the carriage and procession went away, the pedestrians on the street were still not quiet. Many of them were excitedly talking about the smile that King Song had just shown, especially some women. They did not find King Song's majesty terrifying, but instead thought that the king looked very gentle.

Several men dressed as servants squeezed into the crowd and took the man and the young woman into a simple carriage.

"Young Master, you almost missed something important." Shi Yao was silent for a while in the carriage, and couldn't help but say, "If I hadn't disguised you two, your identity would have been exposed with just one glance. That man has extraordinary martial arts skills and is particularly sensitive. He must have noticed something when he showed up just now..."

The young lady, that is, Lu Linxuan, felt her heart beat faster. She couldn't help but look back and said, "Brother, you insist on going to take a look... Do we need to leave the city temporarily to avoid it?"

Li Xingyun leaned against the carriage with his hands behind his head, not saying a word.

Shi Yao glanced at him and said thoughtfully, "For the sake of caution, leave the city. I will change your appearance. The place where Zhang Zifan is being held has been confirmed, so there is no need to rush."

She said, "After he is crowned the King of Qin, he will marry the Queen of Qi. At that time, the entire city of Dongdu will be under martial law. But this is also our opportunity. Please take it seriously and don't treat it as a joke."

"He's really lucky..." Li Xingyun muttered. He also knew about the existence of Yanzhiping and had naturally heard of the empress's reputation. However, after Lu Linxuan glared at him, he didn't talk much about the news. He just glanced at Shi Yao casually and said, "He has a good reputation and is supported by the people. Why are you against him?"

Shi Yao sat upright and said calmly, "There are some things that you may not understand at the moment..."

"Is there any need to connect rescuing Zhang Zifan with rescuing the master?" Lu Linxuan didn't care whether Xiao Yan was popular among the people.

"After Zhang Zifan is rescued, my wife will slowly learn the truth. This matter is not only related to your master, but also to the whole world. It is very important. I'm sorry that I can't tell you the whole story for now." "Okay." Lu Linxuan sighed, then turned to look at Li Xingyun, but saw that his senior brother had closed his eyes and seemed to be asleep.

------

"Your Majesty, the two men got on a carriage and stayed in the city for a while. It seems that there is nothing unusual. Now they are heading west, and it seems that they are going to leave the city through Wansheng Gate..."

After entering the palace, Ye Bushou caught up with Xiao Yan before he got off the carriage and said, "Captain Duan heard that they were the people the king was paying attention to, so he went to track them down himself. He wants me to ask the king whether he should search them directly."

Xiao Yan thought about it carefully and said, "That's fine, but let Duan Chengtian not make a big fuss about it. Find a legitimate reason and don't be too deliberate. Maybe I'm just overthinking it."

That night, he accepted the case without any objection and immediately left with a fist salute.

Xiao Yan didn't take this little thing to heart. There were many people in this world who wanted him dead, which was normal. Moreover, he didn't sense any murderous intent just now. He just followed his sixth sense and asked the people below to pay attention.

The court meeting started very early, and since Xiao Yan was also going to attend, it seemed that all the ministers came. When Xiao Yan finally arrived surrounded by a large group of officials, the noise in the Jiao Lan Hall, which had been noisy just now, immediately became quieter.

Xiao Yan has returned to Dongdu for many days. Except for welcoming the emperor at the city gate, he rarely appears in crowded occasions. The only people who can often see him are officials from Tiance Mansion.

When the officials finally saw him, many of them came forward to pay their respects. The casual conversations that had been heard in the hall not long ago suddenly subsided, and an inexplicably solemn atmosphere suddenly filled the hall.

There is no one who can still stay in a high position now who doesn't understand. Many people may have realized what the truth is. What Xiao Yan needs to do now is to minimize the impact. However, if he really wants to act recklessly, it doesn't matter. But for the officials, today's words and deeds may affect the lives of their entire family.

Emperor Zhu Youzhen soon followed to Jiaolan Palace. He was probably waiting for Xiao Yan alone. After all, without Xiao Yan, this court meeting would be meaningless.

Zhu Youzhen was now in a state of panic. He had long since stopped coveting the throne. The lives of thousands of imperial guards in Luoyang at that time really frightened him. Before Yang Shihou was defeated and captured, he and his father Zhu Wen begged to give the throne to Xiao Yan so that they could save their lives.

The reason why he can still stay in this position now is only because Xiao Yan recognizes that the Liang Dynasty regime has the legitimacy of power, and when he comes to power in the future, he will also be able to do so legitimately.

After the ceremony, no one said anything. The eunuch who came out with Zhu Youzhen did not say anything about reporting if there was anything else or dismissing the court if there was nothing else.

After a moment, Xiao Yan calmly bowed and declined, saying that everything he had done was for the revival of Daliang, and he had no other ambition. Now that he was granted a great country, nine gifts, and twenty-four fiefs, it was not an order that a minister could accept. He said that his virtue and prestige were not enough to convince the people, and asked the emperor to revoke the order.

If he had a choice, Zhu Youzhen would certainly want to take back his decision, but the key point is that he has no choice!

He didn't say anything. Actually, Xiao Yan's words were not meant for him but for the ministers. It would be useless if he didn't say anything.

The officials of Tian Ce Mansion who hold important positions in the court did not rush to come out to support, otherwise it would seem like they were deliberately creating momentum and being insincere.

Jing Xiang, the Privy Council official, stood up first, bowed to Xiao Yan, and persuaded him to ascend the throne. He first reviewed Xiao Yan's achievements over the years, especially the fact that the 800 cavalrymen went north to Youzhou and broke the stalemate that had lasted for many years, and he made great contributions.

In fact, when talking about how Xiao Yan used 800 cavalry to destroy Youyan, the ministers were a little agitated for a while.

Because people's hearts have been surgeing these days, they discovered one thing: eight hundred people seem to be a magical number.

Huo Qubing and his eight hundred men crossed the desert.

Zhang Liao, with 800 men, defeated Sun Wu.

Hou Jing, with eight hundred men, overthrew the Southern Dynasty.

Li Shimin, the Eight Hundred Men Xuanwu Rebellion...

Some things seem to be somewhat metaphysical. Some people scoff at them, while others particularly admire the so-called "destiny".

As soon as Jing Xiang finished speaking, the hall immediately became lively. Zhang Wenwei, Du Xiao, Xue Yiju and other court officials, both large and small, persuaded Xiao Yan to accept the title. Even Yang She, who had been demoted from the position of Minister of the Ministry of Personnel to the position of Zuo Pushe because he was unwilling to see the Tang Dynasty fall to Zhu Wen, spoke up. It was unknown whether he was taking the opportunity to take revenge, after all, it was Zhu Wen who forced him to abdicate on behalf of the Tang Dynasty to the Liang Dynasty.

For a moment, it seemed as if countless people were speaking, so much so that Xiao Yan could only occasionally hear a few words from the excited Tian Ce Mansion officials' persuasion amid the noise.

Zhu Youzhen sat alone on the throne, looking at the ministers below. It seemed that everyone seemed sincere, but his heart was dead.

It is the popular choice and well-deserved.

Xiao Yan's worries were unnecessary. He might have underestimated the degree of support from the ministers. There was not a single civil or military official in the court who was coy. However, Ge Congzhou was lying at home due to poor health, but he also wrote a letter of persuasion.

Soon, Xiao Yan accepted the Nine Gifts, the Nine-Peony Crown and other ceremonial objects. While he was accepting them, people from the Ministry of Rites began to sing the ceremony, and the ministers bowed and respectfully sent him to the throne.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!" "Greetings to His Majesty the King of Qin..."

As soon as the elegant music stopped for a while, the crowd became noisy again, and people were almost full of compliments and praises. This was a good time to flatter Xiao Yan.

There was no need to continue the court meeting at this moment. After the court was adjourned, people made way for him and Xiao Yan, surrounded by his ministers, headed towards the gate.

The sun had already risen in the east. Xiao Yan stood in front of the gate, holding his belt. He saw light shining in from several gates. Because of the angle, there were still dark corners in the hall. Between the light and the darkness, the sunlight seemed to be tangible and spectacular.

The ministers scattered on both sides behind him, and only Xiao Yan was bathed in the light of the morning sun. He walked out of the hall, stood in front of the steps, and looked north. The people who followed him also followed his gaze.

The sun was rising, the air was fresh, and the palaces, pavilions, and double-eaved imperial buildings were right in front of me. The scenery was uneven, but because of the terrain, the view was also very wide. In the distance, the Yellow River was rolling, and then there were the Taihang Mountains. Beyond the Taihang Mountains were even wider plains and vast territories.

Hundreds of high-ranking civil and military officials stood quietly behind him, following his gaze for a long time.

Suddenly, Xiao Yan said, "Have the court issue an edict to confer the title of Prince of Wei on Li Maozhen, with a fief of 10,000 households. Also confer the title of county lord on his descendants... and his nephew Li Jicong. Order Han Yanhui to be the envoy and take the marriage certificate to Fengxiang with the imperial seal."

"Here!"

(End of this chapter)