Eternal Sword

Chapter 367: Sword from Dongshan
"The Shen Dun Rebellion had far-reaching consequences. Even Emperor Yuan was imprisoned by Shen Dun and eventually died of depression."

Mingyue Sanren said: "It's just that during this period, Master Chilong always stood on the side of the Xia Dynasty's royal family. He did not join Shen Dun in the rebellion just because he was from the same clan. Moreover, after Emperor Yuan died, he assisted the Second Emperor Ming to succeed to the throne."

"Later, the Shen Dun Rebellion was quelled. Thanks to Monk Chilong, the Shen family's position in Southern Xia was preserved. With Monk Chilong's death, the Shen family's influence was no longer as great as before. Most of their descendants served as officials in the court, and there was no strongman in the army who held military power."

"But even so, the Shen family of Langya Pavilion is still one of the largest families in Southern Xia."

Chen Tang suddenly realized and said, "The lineage of Shen Che on Tianhu Island is the descendant of Shen Dun?"

"good."

Mingyue Sanren said: "After Shen Dun's rebellion, Shen Dun's lineage, including many rebels, were liquidated and killed. Fortunately, Master Chilong had planned ahead and found a way out for Shen Dun's descendants. He sent them to the east across the sea and settle down in Tianhu Island."

"During this period, the two branches of the Shen family occasionally contacted each other. Later, in the battle of Xiajiang, I was seriously injured and fell into the river. Shen Han had just arrived in Nanxia not long ago, and by chance, he rescued me."

Chen Tang sighed.

There is such a hidden story behind this.

Mingyue Sanren said: "Emperor Ming reigned for three years and died at the age of 27. The third emperor Cheng succeeded to the throne, and his mother, Empress Dowager Yu, assisted in the administration. Due to the Shen Dun Rebellion, the Shen family was suppressed and suspected. Taking advantage of Empress Dowager Yu's assistance, the Yu family rose to power."

"During this period, there was a rebellion in Nanxia, ​​which was suppressed by Master Chilong and the Yu family. Then Master Chilong passed away. According to legend, before he died, Master Chilong was very optimistic about the two young men from Nanxia, ​​who might become Nanxia's most loyal subjects in the future."

"One of them is called Han Wen. It was under his leadership that the Han family, one of the four major clans in Southern Xia, rose to prominence and reached its peak. The Han family is still the most powerful force in Southern Xia and is based in Jingzhou."

"The other one is the current Nanxia Sword Sect, Ye Anshi!"

"what!"

Chen Tang exclaimed softly.

Mingyue Sanren said: "There are four major clans in Nanxia, ​​namely the Shen family, the Han family, the Yu family, and the Ye family. Over the past hundred years, they have experienced ups and downs, prosperity and decline. But when it comes to Nanxia, ​​the most famous and influential ones are the Nanxia Second Pavilion."

Chen Tang said: "One of them should be the Shen family of Langya Pavilion."

"good."

Mingyue Sanren said, "The other one is from Wuzhou Kuaiji County, Dongshan Sword Pavilion! Nanxia Sword Sect is the leader of Dongshan Sword Pavilion."

"Dongshan Sword Pavilion has a very special status in Nanxia. Unlike the other three major clans, Dongshan Sword Pavilion belongs to the underworld and rarely intervenes in the affairs of the court. The Ye family members of Sword Pavilion even deliberately avoid entering the court and stay away from court battles."

"This is also related to the character of Jian Zong. Jian Zong is known as a fairy, a romantic and famous person, indifferent to fame and fortune, and not competing with the world. His greatest pleasure is to be with friends and indulge in the mountains and rivers."

"For a hundred years, the court of Southern Xia has been in chaos and turmoil, with ten emperors. The people from the other three major clans have been fighting for power and fighting openly and secretly. The Jianghu forces represented by Dongshan Sword Pavilion have mostly stayed out of it."

Chen Tang was secretly shocked.

In just a hundred years, Southern Xia had ten emperors. One can imagine how turbulent and dangerous it was.

Mingyue Sanren continued, "In the past hundred years, the Sword Sect has only appeared twice. Each time it appeared, it completely changed the political situation in Southern Xia and even the world!"

"During the reign of the seventh emperor of the Xia Dynasty, Han Wen had accumulated a lot of experience over the years. He conquered the east and the west, pacified Yizhou, and took advantage of the momentum of three northern expeditions. He had a large army and his reputation was unmatched. There was no force in the court that could compete with him."

"Han Wen grew older and had long harbored ambitions. After three northern expeditions, he occupied Yuezhou and led his troops directly into the capital, falsely accusing the deposed emperor of being impotent and infertile. He then abolished Xia Yanling's throne and enthroned Emperor Jianwen, who was the eighth emperor of the Xia Dynasty."

Chen Tang was shocked and said, "Han Wen is so strong and overbearing that he dares to depose and enthrone the emperor without authorization. Isn't the next step to replace him?"

Mingyue Sanren smiled and said, "Han Wen's move has caused all officials in the Southern Xia court to tremble and feel uneasy."

"At the time, His Majesty did not take it seriously. He believed that he had been engaged in wars for years, including two major defeats, which had caused the people of Southern Xia to suffer. He did not apologize to the people and even deposed the monarch. He was not tolerated by the world and would not live long."

Chen Tang could tell that the "Your Majesty" Mingyuesan was referring to was the Emperor Wu at that time.

Mingyue Sanren said: "After Han Wen deposed the emperor, he began to suppress and eliminate dissidents in the court. Even some royal family members who were crowned as kings by the Xia family were forced by him to claim that they were traitors and were demoted to commoners."

"The Yu family, one of the four great clans, was originally very powerful, and many of its members were prominent officials in the court. During this period, it suffered a severe blow, and many of its members died and were injured. It has never recovered since then."

"Emperor Jianwen reigned for only six months. He was worried about being deposed by Han Wen and died of illness. Before he became critically ill, he invited Han Wen to the court to assist in the administration. He issued four edicts in one day and one night. Han Wen could not refuse and forced the court to confer the Nine Gifts on him."

"Without Han Wen coming, the ministers were terrified and did not even dare to support the crown prince. They all thought that Han Wen should make the decision."

Hearing this, Chen Tang sighed in his heart.

The Southern Xia imperial power declined and fell to this point.

Mingyue Sanren said: "Later, a descendant of the Shen family named Shen Wendu stood up and argued for the throne, supporting the new emperor, who was the ninth Emperor Xiaowu of Southern Xia."

"Han Wen was in Jingzhou and was greatly disappointed when he heard about this. He thought that Emperor Jianwen would follow the example of the ancient sages and abdicate the throne to him. Unexpectedly, the new emperor only asked him to assist in the administration after he ascended the throne."

"In the first year of the new emperor, Han Wen took advantage of the death of Emperor Jianwen and led his troops into the imperial court again to pay homage to the emperor's tomb."

Chen Tang said: "It seems that this person can no longer pretend. This time, not only will he depose Emperor Xiaowu, he may even replace him directly."

"good."

Mingyue Sanren said: "At that time, rumors were rife in the capital, saying that Han Wen came to the court this time to kill the Shen family members headed by Shen Wendu, to overthrow Nanxia and take his place."

At this point, Mingyue Sanren paused for a moment before slowly saying, "So, Ye Anshi went down the mountain."

Such a casual remark instantly made Chen Tang's heart tense.

Given the situation in Southern Xia at the time, Han Wen was very powerful, and there was no force in the court that could contend with him.

However, Dongshan Jiange represents the power of the underworld!
Mingyue Sanren said, "Ye Anshi probably hadn't yet cultivated to the level of a great master of the realm of transformation at that time. After Han Wen arrived in the capital, Emperor Xiaowu ordered all officials to go out of the city to welcome him and kowtow to him along the streets, including Shen Wendu and Ye Anshi."

"Han Wen deployed heavy troops to guard the place, received all the officials, and set up a banquet. All the people with high positions and prestige present were terrified. Shen Wendu was, after all, a civil official who supported the new emperor to succeed to the throne. Han Wen regarded him as a thorn in his side. When they really saw Han Wen, a master who had walked out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, how could they resist his bloody power? When they met him, they were already sweating profusely."

"Only Ye Anshi sat calmly and chatted and laughed with Han Wen."

Chen Tang listened attentively.

These two have a close relationship, as they were both favored by Master Chilong back then.

Mingyue Sanren said: "Afterwards, all the officials withdrew, leaving only Han Wen and Ye Anshi in the tent. No one knew what happened at that time. But after the banquet, Han Wen withdrew his troops and died of illness soon after."

"what!"

Chen Tang exclaimed.

Han Wen was a powerful master who had just passed the age of sixty and was still in peak condition. How could he die of illness so easily?

Chen Tang couldn't help but let his imagination run wild. He wished he could go back in time and see what happened at that time. Ye Anshi, the Sword Sect, was really good at it.

Alone, facing Han Wen and thousands of troops, after a lively banquet, he resolved the crisis of Nanxia!
What kind of style is this?
If Ye Anshi had not stepped forward, Nanxia would probably have ceased to exist.

When the power of martial arts reaches its peak, one can change the political situation single-handedly!

Chen Tang couldn't help but think of Bei Qian and Yuan Qingshan.

If he could reach the level of Ye Anshi of the Sword Sect, perhaps his senior brother would not have to die.

Mingyue Sanren said: "At that time, there was a saying that the fall of the leaves in the capital brought peace to the world. This saying was referring to the Southern Xia Sword Sect."

"And after that."

Chen Tang was fascinated by what he heard and couldn't help but ask.

Mingyue Sanren said: "Ye Anshi had the opportunity to be appointed as prime minister and hold the highest position among the officials because of his great achievements, but he retired under the pretext of illness and avoided the world."

"There were rumors at the time that the two had fought at a banquet, and both were injured in a fierce battle. Ye Anshi had to live in seclusion to recuperate. Some people also said that through this battle, Ye Anshi broke through the realm and entered the realm of transformation. No one knew the details at the time, until..."

After a brief pause, Mingyue Sanren took a deep breath and said, "Until His Majesty is ready to lead the army to the south!"

Chen Tang's heart moved.

We know that what will happen next is an epic battle that will affect both the north and south of China, the Battle of Xiajiang.

He only knew about the situation faced by Emperor Wu in the Battle of Xiajiang, but he had no idea about the situation in Southern Xia at that time.

Mingyue Sanren said: "Although Han Wen died of illness in Nanxia at that time, the Han family still firmly occupied Jingzhou, and with it as the center, they controlled Yizhou in the west and Jiangzhou in the middle."

"Your Majesty had conquered all the tribes of Northern Shenzhou at that time, and was known as the invincible one in the world. His reputation was so great that it was as high as the sun. Wherever his army went, everyone surrendered. However, the situation in the Southern Xia Dynasty was turbulent, the aristocratic families were in power, the imperial power was declining, and there was no one available in the court. This situation of internal and external troubles could not stop your Majesty's army at all."

"Emperor Xiaowu had no choice but to ask Jian Zong to come out of seclusion, but Jian Zong could not refuse. After many summons and visits, Jian Zong finally let one of his clansmen go down the mountain to gather the best players from the major gangs and sects in the martial arts world, heroes of the green forest, and good men from the grass roots, and in a short period of time, they formed a new army of 100,000 people, called the Northern Expedition Army."

"This man is called Ye Xuan. He is the nephew of Jian Zong and is also very famous in Nanxia. The Northern Expedition Army led by Ye Xuan was the main force that fought against your majesty's army in the Battle of Xiajiang."

"Of course, what really determines the direction of this war is the battle between the two Grandmasters of the Transformation Realm."

When Mingyue Sanren mentioned this past event, he felt no regret or unwillingness. Instead, his face was full of emotion and he sighed.

"That was the second time that the Sword Sect came out to fight with Your Majesty at the river blockade. It was also at that time that the world knew that Ye Anshi, who had lived in seclusion in the mountains and forests, had already become a great master!"

Mingyue Sanren said: "Later, all the people in Nanxia praised him highly, saying that the sword that came out of Dongshan could decide the fate of the world."

The falling leaves in the capital bring peace to the world, the sword coming out of the East Mountain decides the outcome of the world.

The Sword Sect of Southern Xia, Ye Anshi.

No wonder Mingyue Sanren, as someone close to Emperor Wu, did not hide his admiration for the sword master in his words.

The only two times he took action, one saved the collapsing building, and the other turned the tide and changed the world situation!

Chen Tang thought about it carefully.

Even when Emperor Wu mentioned the Southern Xia Sword Master, there was no hostility or resentment in his eyes.

Perhaps, people who have reached their level have already seen through the world and life and death.

No wonder Mingyue Sanren once said that the underworld forces in Nanxia could even compete with the imperial court.

Apart from the Nanxia Sword Sect, this mobilization capability alone is enough to make the imperial court wary.

In a short period of time, he gathered all the major gangs and sects in the martial arts world, the best players from various forces, and the heroes of the martial arts world, and formed a large army that was able to confront the army led by the Emperor head-on. What a great command power!

Chen Tang asked, "What happened after the battle of Xiajiang?"

Mingyue Sanren's eyes flashed with a hint of sarcasm, and he said, "After the Battle of Xiajiang, the Ye Clan of Jiange took advantage of this battle to reach the peak of their reputation in the court and in the martial arts world. Ye Xuan controls the most powerful Northern Expedition Army in the entire Southern Xia, and his power and reputation are even stronger than the Han Clan of Jingzhou."

"It is precisely because of this that the Ye family was suspected by Emperor Xia, who was afraid that the Ye family would be like the Shen family and the Han family and could depose and enthrone the emperor at will."

Chen Tang frowned slightly.

The imperial power of Southern Xia has declined, and for a hundred years it has always faced threats from the powerful families. It is understandable that Emperor Xia has such concerns.

But the Nanxia Sword Sect took action twice, which was equivalent to saving Nanxia and protecting the Nanxia royal family.

Even so, Dongshan Jiange is still met with suspicion, which is disheartening.

Mingyue Sanren said: "Before Emperor Xia made a move, the Sword Sect retired again, and Ye Xuan also handed over the military power of the Northern Expedition Army."

Chen Tang secretly admired him.

Whether it is the Nanxia Sword Sect or the Ye clan members of the Dongshan Sword Pavilion, they can retreat at the right time and not be greedy for power, which is indeed rare.

In other words, the Nanxia Sword Sect had never been interested in this.

I took action twice, but I was forced to do so.

Mingyue Sanren said: "Ye Xuan handed over the military power of the Northern Expedition Army, and it finally fell into the hands of the Southern Xia royal family. At this point, the Southern Xia royal family can be said to have truly mastered a force that can compete with the aristocratic families."

"Has there been no news about the Sword Sect in all these years?"

Chen Tang asked again.

Mingyue Sanren shook his head and said, "Some people say that after the battle of Xiajiang, Jian Zong was injured and never recovered."

"Another rumor like this?"

Chen Tang burst out laughing.

Mingyue Sanren said: "This rumor is not without basis. Your Majesty was the number one person in the world at that time. It would be difficult for the Sword Sect to escape unscathed in a fight with him."

"More importantly, a few years ago, when Shen Ningzhi, a son-in-law of the Sword Sect, was guarding Kuaiji County, he was attacked by the Xuantian Sect and the city fell. His son-in-law died, and his family fled by boat with heavy casualties. Their daughter Ye Taoyuan was captured, and their children are missing and their whereabouts are unknown."

"During this period, the Sword Sect never showed up."

(End of this chapter)