As an official, what's wrong with raising a few monsters?

Chapter 318 If you want war, then let's fight.

At the boundary between life and death, time stands still in that instant.

Through the cat, Mingchen seemed to enter another mysterious realm.

For some reason, he felt that this place was somewhat familiar.

Come on~ come on~ come on~

It seemed as if distant sounds were ringing in my ears.

It flows gently, like a breeze brushing against the heart, making one unconsciously want to immerse oneself in it, unconsciously want to move forward, want to follow.

Confused and infatuated, unable to control myself.

However, the next moment, Mingchen was jolted.

Time seems to flow before our eyes, and space shifts.

In the blink of an eye, the sun was shining brightly, and the scene before my eyes had changed to the familiar rooftops.

The cat's heterochromatic eyes looked at him, reflecting his features.

Where was that just now?

Is it the underworld of the dead?

Does a person's soul really return to the underworld after death?

This is a question that can never be proven.

Because those who go to the underworld can never return, and cannot answer.

However, based on what Mingchen had seen and heard, he believed that the Netherworld, the land of death, existed beyond the myriad mountains.

Whether it was created by nature or a man-made resting place for souls, he couldn't say for sure.

He gently stroked the lazy cat and asked tentatively.

However, the cat ignored him, simply lying lazily in his arms, yawning with its eyes half-closed.

Hmm... Cats are always like that with their owners.

Mingchen didn't play much, just scratched the cat's chin, and the two of them enjoyed a peaceful afternoon.

"Son~"

After a while, a flash of blue light appeared.

Even the little snake that stayed at home cultivating, instead of being curious when it arrived in Yueyang, came over.

With a shift in form, in the blink of an eye, the little snake transformed into a beautiful woman with a cool and aloof demeanor, and sat down beside Mingchen.

She didn't say much, just enjoyed the quiet with him.

Mingchen smiled and asked, "Long Lian, are you settling into Yueyang?"

"Hmm...it's alright."

Having left home and followed Mingchen, Long Lian has seen many sights and grown a lot.

"Is the young master heading north?"

"Not necessarily, we'll have to see how things go on the northern front."

Send Mingchen and Lingyu north together to test the waters and start a war with Bei Lie.

Mingchen had no reason to refuse.

Bei Lie holds special significance for Dai Jiejie, and also possesses some supernatural and ghostly power, so Mingchen doesn't feel comfortable letting her go alone.

However, we still need to wait and see how the lost territory is recovered.

The northern border is in chaos. We need to wait for General Song to sort everything out before the plan can be implemented and Mingchen and Lingyu can set off.

Of course, barring any unforeseen circumstances, there shouldn't be any problem.

The little snake paused for a moment, then asked, "If you are heading north, young master, may you take me with you?"

Mingchen was taken aback and kept turning his head to look at her: "Oh?"

That's quite rare; the reclusive little snake wants to travel with him.

Meeting Mingchen's gaze, Long Lian pursed her lips: "Young Master, you may encounter obstacles on this journey, but I can help you."

The little snake has a thousand years of cultivation and is also well-behaved, unlike the little fox cat who is disobedient. It is considered a reliable top-tier combatant in Mingchen's group.

It can indeed solve many problems.

“I have walked this road with you before, and I would like to walk it with you again.”

"I feel like I'm about to transform into a dragon."

It's hard to say for sure about these kinds of things.

She had a feeling, a sense that it was about time.

Her master said she needed to absorb the power of wind and thunder to transform into a dragon; a thousand years of cultivation had been for this moment.

This was a life-or-death ordeal.

If you succeed, you will soar freely between heaven and earth; if you fail, you will die and your spirit will perish, the wind and thunder will vanish, and you will become a handful of yellow earth.

She felt that at this moment, she should be with Mingchen.

"Transform into a dragon?"

Mingchen shuddered, his voice rising slightly: "Really? Long Lian, is there anything we need to prepare?"

He wasn't really interested in the long-cherished missions of these monsters.

He was more concerned about the safety of those who had survived these calamities.

When Fuyao transformed into a phoenix, it thrilled him.

Upon hearing this, Long Lian shook her head: "Young master, there is no need to be nervous. What is destined will eventually come to pass. When fate brings you to your goal, even grass, trees, and dust can be of assistance. There is no need to prepare anything."

She has the confidence to unleash her potential after years of hard work.

"Of course we need to prepare!"

"Don't learn those boastful and arrogant things from that old man."

"I'll go back urgently tomorrow to ask him."

While Mingchen was giving her advice, he was also thinking to himself whether he needed to make some preparations.

"Good~"

Long Lian couldn't help but smile as she watched Ming Chen nagging, and obediently agreed.

……

"How can this not make sense? How can it not make sense!"

In the imperial court of Yueyang Palace.

The officials stood solemnly, not uttering a single word; the hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The empress blushed and flew into a rage.

"boom!"

She smashed the wooden table beneath her with a single slap.

Emperor Qianlong was renowned for his virtue and was known for his gentle and refined manner, as warm as a spring breeze.

However, at this moment, the golden scales crossed the Heavenly Gate, transformed into a swimming dragon, and bared their fangs and claws at the enemy.

Her eyebrows furrowed, her face flashing with a fierce light, and her imposing aura, as imposing as a mountain, swept over the envoy below. Her gaze was intense as she spoke in a low, deep voice: "Envoy, may I consider your words a provocation against my dynasty?!"

"This humble subject dares not."

Is this year a year of Mercury retrograde?

He encountered strange monarchs on each of his missions.

Hong Ling Shuang, who was like a bandit, is now the furious Emperor Qian Xiao Xin Yue.

Liu Zhonggu felt that he was getting old.

Facing Xiao Xinyue's fury, he couldn't help but grit his teeth.

This feeling seems to only exist when facing one's own furious emperor.

Xiao Xinyue raised her eyebrows: "You don't dare?"

"I think you Northern Lie are quite daring!"

"Right now, in the Tiger Might Hall, in front of all the civil and military officials, you're demanding people from me. How arrogant you Northern Emperors are!"

"When the Duke of Anguo of our dynasty gave you advice, why didn't you say it was exhausting your country? Didn't your Northern Emperor know how much manpower and resources it would take to build the canal? So why did you still build it? Why didn't you say so when you were building the canal? After the canal was completed, you stationed troops on the border and occupied three of my passes, and now you're telling me that the Duke of Anguo of our dynasty had ulterior motives?"

"What, do you think I'm a fool, unaware of what you're all thinking?!"

Xiao Xinyue is acting half the time, and she's genuinely angry the other half.

There was nothing I could do; I had been disgusted by Bei Lie like that once when I was a princess.

Even emperors are human; they cannot completely control their true feelings.

But it doesn't matter.

"Your Majesty, your humble servant has come with sincere intentions."

Facing the furious Xiao Xinyue, Liu Zhonggu lowered his head, not daring to look at her, and said only: "Our Emperor still has the intention to make peace with Qian Yuan. As long as Your Majesty is willing to send Mingchen, our dynasty is willing to offer up the three passes of Qian Yuan's northern border with both hands, withdraw our troops, and form an eternal alliance with Qian Yuan, as close as family."

That piece of trash is actually worth a lot of money!
The three passes of the North have all been put on the card table!

That Northern Emperor of the ditch is truly still harboring wicked intentions; he still has his eyes on her!

Mingchen is now her Duke!
He will still be her husband in the future.

What higher position could you possibly offer, Northern Emperor?
Listening to Liu Zhonggu's speech, Xiao Xinyue couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Why don't we just cancel the show and send Mingchen to Beilie instead?

First, get the three passes in the North back, then he can figure out a way to come back on his own.

Anyway, that unlucky guy is incredibly powerful, and even the Northern Emperor can't trap him.

Of course, this idea is just that—an idea.

Bei Lie's mission this time was purely to annoy people.

Everyone knows that sending Mingchen away won't change anything; Bei Lie will always stay and refuse to leave.

On the contrary, it will cause a huge blow to Xiao Xinyue's personal reputation.

If Xiao Xinyue disagrees, then that will be an excuse for the two countries to go to war.

It's just a formality; everyone knows the real purpose.

Xiao Xinyue raised her eyebrows and looked down at the person in front of her: "What if I simply refuse to give it to you?"

Liu Zhonggu bowed, striving to keep his voice steady: "Your Majesty, our Emperor has already garrisoned 100,000 elite cavalry on the north bank of the Liehe River, with General Tian Hong in command of the entire army. If..."

"Ah!"

Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Xinyue scoffed and interrupted him, "You just want to start a war, don't you?!"

"Do you think we, the Qian Yuan Emperor and his subjects, will allow your bullying?!"

"You Northern Lie are wolfish and ambitious, breaking your alliance and plotting against our country. There's no need for such useless words!"

"Isn't it just about fighting?! Isn't your Northern Emperor supposed to be a decisive and fierce tiger king? Why are you being so indecisive!"

"Fine, then!"

"Zhi!"

Xiao Xinyue suddenly stood up and drew her sword from her waist.

A chilling, piercing light, terrifying to the soul. "Whoosh!"

With a sudden flick of his hand, a flash of light appeared, and the arrow precisely struck Liu Zhonggu, who was bowing in greeting.

The sword was inserted into the bluestone floor, trembling slightly and emitting a series of teeth-grinding buzzing sounds.

Liu Zhonggu never expected that it would end like this.

The Emperor Qianlong showed absolutely no regard for decorum, directly exposing everything and even standing up to draw his sword.

Xiao Xinyue stared intently at him. Though clearly a woman, she exuded an overwhelming aura of authority, her voice like thunder, uttering each word clearly: "If you want war, then let's fight!!!"

The enemy's attitude must not be changed.

They had ulterior motives from the start, and came with malicious intent.

Continuing to fawn over them and be subservient to them will only embolden them.

The most important thing now is to boost our own morale.

Inspire the spirit of your own soldiers and ministers; no one wants to be oppressed or provoked.

The enemy's attitude doesn't matter; our own attitude is what matters most.

Xiao Xinyue abandoned her pretense of being a virtuous and gentle ruler, and adopted a completely different persona.

He was arrogant and furious, brave and fierce.

As the angry shouts rang out, the court officials were momentarily stunned.

Feng Xiaozhong was a veteran official who served three emperors.

He remembered how the old emperor had acted, how he had tried to smooth things over, and how he had backed down when the Northern Lie had used the death of the envoy as a pretext to aggressively confront the Qian Yuan and intend to start a war.

After three years of war, the northern border was in chaos, the dynasty collapsed, and the princess was humiliatingly sent to beg for mercy.

Now we see Xiao Xinyue grown up, so full of vigor and so full of grandeur.

The contrast is exceptionally obvious.

I unconsciously shook my head, and my nose started to sting.

Their monarch was a woman, but she possessed a spirit no less than that of a great ruler.

Qian Yuan really does have a future.

The late emperor's choice was correct.

His body trembled, he clenched his fists, and shouted, "If you want war, then let's fight!"

Feng Xiaozhong started.

One by one, the military officers stepped forward, their faces flushed, their eyes wide, and shouted sternly, "If you want to fight, then fight!"

"If you want war, then let's fight!"

"If you want war, then let's fight!"

Even intellectuals who considered themselves dignified and sophisticated couldn't help but speak out: "If you want war, then let's fight."

"..."

You northerners are brave and upright, and you always say that we southerners are cowardly and cunning.

The arrogant Bei Lie, does he still consider the Qian Yuan of today to be the same as the Qian Yuan of the past?

They came to our door demanding our important ministers, they came to provoke us?

Then let's settle this on the battlefield!
They have experienced countless setbacks, witnessed the restoration of the dynasty from peril, and the collapse of the country.

Those treacherous, cowardly, cunning, and pleasure-seeking individuals have long been crushed by the tides of history.

The surviving officials and civil servants are all tigers and wolves.

They wanted to shatter the image of Qian Yuan as a weak and cowardly entity that had been built up over the years.

With such capable ministers, the army's morale is high.

She has worked diligently for so many years, and it hasn't been for nothing.

The most important thing for a monarch to do is to govern his subjects.

She personally examined and assessed every person in the court.

While it cannot be guaranteed that everyone is honest and incorruptible, they can stand tall on matters of principle and in the face of the nation, and they all possess talent in their respective positions, capable of shining brightly.

Listening to the endless shouts of the military officials in the court, and feeling their raging anger.

Xiao Xinyue unconsciously revealed a smile.

She was half furious, and half feigning it.

Expressing one's own emotions also influences the emotions of the courtiers.

War is inevitable.

Bei Lie resorted to his old tricks again, wanting a reason for war.

Then let's end the war. I'll accept all your so-called reasons.

Look at my ministers, look at my people, have you swayed them?
"If you want war, then let's fight!"

Its momentum was like the roar of a tiger and the cry of a dragon, its grandeur astonishing.

Liu Zhonggu, the only outsider in the court, trembled and buried his head in his eyes, staring at the bluestone floor beneath his feet and at the trembling sword.

He felt his whole body and mind tremble, as if countless evil spirits were staring at him, as if they wanted to crush his bones and devour him.

Such unity between the ruler and his subjects, such morale and spirit, is rarely seen even in the court of Bei Lie.

Is this the new Qian Yuan era?

Is this the new Qian Yuan era?
He never expected it to end like this.

He never imagined that the new empress, who had worked diligently and kept a low profile all these years, was actually such a person.

The pressure was immense for him, the only outsider in the room.

The malice emanating from all directions shook him to his core, causing him to break out in a cold sweat, feel dizzy, and have blurred vision.

The immense pressure on his shoulders made it hard for him to breathe.

He raised his head, meeting the sharp gaze of the throne, and swayed, almost unable to stand.

"His Majesty……"

Qian Yuan is truly extraordinary...

He opened his mouth to speak, but a trace of weakness showed as he suddenly felt dizzy and fell backward onto the court.

His last thoughts lingered in his mind. In his final moments, he thought that once he returned to Qingcang, he would write to His Majesty requesting to resign from his official post and retire.

He may really be getting old and no longer want to go on diplomatic missions.

"Oh? What's wrong, envoy? You're sleeping in my main hall? Didn't you get a good night's rest last night?"

"My ministers must bear witness for me: I did not touch him; he fainted on his own."

Xiao Xinyue looked at the scene and couldn't help but chuckle.

There was absolutely no sense of tension.

She was no longer the princess who had arrived at the post station with a knife, witnessed the Northern Lie envoy's suicide, and whose mind went blank.

You, Bei Lie, still dare to underestimate me? Just wait and see what happens.

"Hahaha~"

The court officials burst into laughter.

The news will likely spread further in the future.

The envoy from the Northern Lie was so shocked in our Qian Yuan court that he fainted.

At least within the territory of Qian Yuan, it must be a wonderful story.

……

"what?"

"The Northern Emperor wants to exchange three passes for me?"

"Then why not change it, Your Majesty!"

"What a huge loss! What a huge loss!"

That night, the Duke once again secretly slipped into the new emperor's palace.

The two embraced affectionately as they gazed at the stars and moon overhead.

Upon hearing this, Mingchen reacted dramatically, as if he had lost a gold mine, and said with a regretful expression.

"You better be!"

"Then I'll let you go now. You can go with that messenger!"

Xiao Xinyue waved her hand and said irritably, "Go away, go away, so you don't get in my way!"

"Hahaha~"

Mingchen laughed for a while, then lowered his head, looking wounded: "Sigh~ It seems His Majesty is tired, fed up. He never truly cherishes what he has."

"Chen, Chen is leaving now..."

Xiao Xinyue: ...

Looking at this person's smug, self-satisfied expression, I really want to punch them!
Has she never fulfilled her responsibilities as emperor since becoming empress?
They really should find an opportunity to give him a good beating.

"They're leaving soon, aren't they?"

After laughing and joking for a while, Xiao Xinyue lowered her eyes and spoke in a lower voice.

They were the closest of couples, holding high positions, yet their relationship was not as close as that of ordinary couples.

We always experience separation.

A month has passed since the last plan was devised. Song Mingzhe led 8,000 troops north to recover lost territory, and everything went smoothly. There were no major forces in the north, only some bandits and thieves. Most of the people had died, and the land was just a wasteland.

On the plains battlefield, large armies have an absolute advantage due to their overwhelming numbers; wherever Qian Yuan's army pointed, all the territory was reclaimed.

The battlefront will soon advance to the target city of Xingyue.

The groundwork has already been laid in the first step.

Mingchen and Lingyu should be setting off soon.

Xiao Xinyue ultimately did not force him to stay.

Mingchen is a restless person, imaginative and unrestrained.

The complicated daily affairs of the imperial court were not suitable for him. Staying in the capital, he would just laze around all day, playing with cats and walking dogs.

A vast sky, a chaotic situation... this is his stage.

Mingchen smiled and nodded: "Yes."

He gently traced the outline of Her Majesty's eyebrows with his palm, looking into her eyes.

They have known each other for a long time.

Mingchen clearly saw how those eyes transformed from self-mourning, self-pity, and self-suppression into their current spirited, unrestrained, and radiant state.

There's a strange sense of satisfaction in nurturing someone.

Will His Majesty miss me?

"meeting."

The full moon shines brightly; for lovers, tonight is still a long night.

(End of this chapter)