Madam, please listen to my explanation.

Chapter 116 Only He Is Worthy of the Princess (6K words, two chapters combined)

In the far west of Qin, there is a vast expanse of green.

This most fertile grassland on the entire continent has nurtured countless fine horses for the Great Zhou Kingdom for thousands of years.

Even though Yan has the largest territory and Mo has unparalleled mechanical skills, when it comes to elite cavalry, no one can rival Zhou.

A thousand years ago, Lu Yuan supported the Zhao family as king in what is now Yanjing, then retired from public life and wandered the world, thinking he could live a carefree life from then on.

But the good times didn't last long.

After a brief period of prosperity, the Qi and Zhou clans, who had previously followed Lu Yuan, harbored resentment towards the Zhao clan and secretly harbored grudges. They launched several internal conflicts among the human race, and for a time, the entire land was filled with wailing and rivers of blood.

When the Sword Saint learned of this, he tried to mediate several times, but the leaders of the three clans were all loyal followers and subordinates who had followed him to drive away the demons. He was torn between them.

Left with no other choice, he eventually had to retire completely, withdrawing from worldly affairs and focusing on teaching his apprentices.
Without the checks and balances of the mountain pressing down on them, the three families completely broke apart, and after several major battles, each became a king of their own territory.

The Qin-Lu regime, which had briefly been unified, fell apart.
The Zhou ancestors ultimately chose this vast grassland as their base, established their capital, and named it 'Qin Que'.

On the city wall, the two characters "Qin Que" are written in a vigorous and elegant style, and were personally written by the Zhou family ancestor.

This implies that this place should be the gateway to Qin and Lu, and subtly suggests that "the Zhou dynasty should become the ruler of the world."

At this moment, dozens of miles outside Qinque City, handsome men and beautiful women were riding side by side on two horses, heading towards the depths of the vast grassland.

As dusk fell, the 'River of Tears' beside them was dyed a dark golden silk, and the woman on horseback wore a moon-white, narrow-sleeved robe that fluttered in the wind.

Unlike the rugged appearance of the local herders, she, though also raised on horseback, was quite delicate in appearance.

Her eyebrows were like distant mountains shrouded in mist, her eyes were light-colored like amber washed by water, and her nose was high and straight. However, the natural slight upturn of her lips made her less aloof and more lively.

Her long hair was not tied up, only a few stray strands were loosely held back with a plain silver hairpin, and the rest of her black hair fluttered in the wind, intertwining with the shimmering light on the river surface.

Beside him stood a young man in blue robes with deep-set features, a thick-backed, wide-bladed longsword at his waist, its scabbard worn and bound with a frayed leather rope.

He would always glance at women when they weren't looking.

He saw her tousled hair sticking to the corner of her lips, her shoulders rising and falling slightly from the bumpy ride, and the occasional glistening beads of sweat rolling down her fair neck.

"Look again, be careful not to step into the shepherd's trap." The girl suddenly turned her head, her amber eyes curving into thin lines, captivating the young man.

He whirled around, his ears burning. Feigning composure, he adjusted the scabbard behind him. "If you misunderstand, I was merely looking... at the fish in the river!"

"drive!"

The woman called Junruo suddenly bent down and cracked her whip, causing the chestnut horse to accelerate abruptly and leap over the shallows with a neigh.

As the boy recited his sins, he greedily inhaled the woman's fragrance carried by the strong wind, and the woman's silvery laughter also reached his ears.

"Xiao Han, I want to eat fish!"

"Go and catch a few of them in the river, and I, the princess, will agree to marry you!"

"Ah! Really?!"

Xiao Han's face lit up with ecstasy, and he was about to turn around.

Turning to look at the River of Divine Tears beside him, his eyes twitched immediately, and he wished he could slap himself twice!
'Xiao Han, you're incredibly stupid!'

Li Junruo couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at the towering altar not far ahead.

At the foot of the snow-capped sacred mountain, atop a nine-tiered staircase made of obsidian, two figures, one old and one young, one tall and one short, are already faintly visible.

'Fool! A toad trying to eat swan meat!'

'The woman I'm to marry will surely be the most outstanding man in the entire Qin Continent!'
-
"General Chu, something terrible has happened. Your wife just said she's going to marry someone else."

The person who spoke had a face full of wrinkles, like old tree bark that had been dried for a long time.

His voice was hoarse, and his hair and beard were gray. Only his eyes were clear and bright, and upon closer inspection, they seemed to reflect the entire starry sky.

This person was none other than Xuanweizi, the Grand Preceptor of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

"It's been years, and Xiao Junruo has grown even more beautiful. She's practically a carbon copy of her mother. General Chu, you've struck gold!"

Chu Yunlu tucked his hands into his sleeves, curled the corners of his mouth, and said dismissively:

"Grand Preceptor, please don't tease me. Such a beautiful woman is far beyond the reach of this general."

"Hahaha," the old man chuckled, stroking his beard. "You can't say that. How can a real man be judged by his appearance?"
"Speaking of which, if there really are fish in this River of Divine Tears, not only the princess, but even this old man would like to try them."

Chu Yunlu inwardly grumbled.

As everyone knows, an ancient restriction is buried at the bottom of the River of Divine Tears, which is frozen year-round.

The days when the earth awakens in a year are less than one-third; where would the fish come from?
It's a pity that the Great Zhou Martial God 'Heavenly Blade Lin Que', with his lifelong reputation, actually took such a blockhead as his disciple.

He didn't want to continue the conversation and said solemnly:
"The Imperial Advisor specifically summoned His Majesty to bring me here; surely it wasn't just to watch some young lovers flirting?"

Although the Great Zhou had the most elite cavalry in the world, its national strength was ultimately far inferior to that of the Great Yan.

The Grand Preceptor beside him had cultivated diligently for over a hundred years, but was ultimately trapped at the sixth rank and could no longer advance.

Chu Yunlu vaguely remembered that the last time he saw this old man, although he was also old, he did not look as old as he does today.

Could it be that he knows his lifespan is coming to an end and he doesn't have much time left, and he wants to tell me what he will do after he dies?
Xuanweizi seemed to have guessed what the fat man beside him was thinking, and said with a wry smile:
"General Chu, please don't curse me. The reason I am so badly injured is that last night, while observing the stars, I suddenly had a premonition and divined something extraordinary."

A glint flashed in Chu Yunlu's eyes.

What could cause such a severe blow to this unparalleled sorcerer must have been no small matter.

"tell me the story."

"General Chu must already know about the Empress of Great Yan's ascension to the throne and the establishment of a new dynasty, so I won't say any more."
Logically speaking, my Great Zhou Dynasty has done similar things before, so it's not surprising.

According to custom, the Yan Kingdom should have recovered from its decline and its national fortunes should have improved. But last night, a sudden gale howled, and even the astrolabe that I have been refining for half my life trembled violently.

I looked up abruptly and discovered that the eastern sky was unusual! Around the once calm 'Rahu Star', seven small, gray stars were gathered, faintly arranged in the shape of an ouroboros, with the snake's head pointing directly towards the direction of Yandu!

This is an auspicious sign: a black rainbow piercing the sun, and crows gathering in a nest!

"I can't understand what you're saying," Chu Yunlu said awkwardly, picking his nose.

The gloom on Xuanweizi's body seemed to have completely dissipated at this moment, and even his hunched back straightened up a little!
He turned around, looked at the young general who had just rendered great service to the Great Zhou Kingdom, and said with great passion:

"General Chu's astrological chart indicates that a certain important figure in the Yan Kingdom has run into trouble!"

However, the Yan-Zhao royal family is almost entirely wiped out, and the Purple Star, symbolizing the Empress, is shining exceptionally brightly. I dare to speculate that the person who has encountered this problem is very likely another key figure within the Great Yan territory—the Great Yan State Preceptor!

The Grand Preceptor of the Great Yan Kingdom!

Chu Yunlu narrowed his eyes.

That old man really does have some tricks up his sleeve.

I just received a secret report last night that the Grand Preceptor of the Great Yan Kingdom fought fiercely against the Holy Maiden of the Southern Frontier in the capital and seemed to have been injured.
However, the other party was a supreme saint, and their vitality was frighteningly strong! So much so that I didn't take them seriously at first.

Now, listening to what the other party is saying, it seems that the injuries of that supreme warrior of Great Yan are much more serious than I imagined?
"That woman is dead?"

"I don't know." Xuanweizi shook his head. "But even if he doesn't die, he's probably not far off!"
If General Chu can seize this opportunity and secretly give it a push, he might very well achieve great things!

"I understand. What is Your Majesty's opinion?"

Xuanweizi bowed and cupped his hands to the general who was even younger than his grandson, and said with a smile, "His Majesty said that he wants me to tell you everything, and as for how to do it, it is entirely up to you to decide."

His Majesty fully supports it!

"good very good!"

Chu Yunlu pinched his chin, his eyes flashing with a cold, eerie light, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows.

If that Tuoba general who died tragically outside Qu County had seen this face earlier, he might not have died young.

National Preceptor of the Great Yan
Lu Yuan's fourth disciple.
Wait a minute, Lu Yuan!

A sudden inspiration struck Chu Yunlu.

If I remember correctly, the spies hiding in Yanjing reported that the Imperial Advisor fell from a great height and was caught in the arms of a man.
In his desperation, that fellow publicly berated the Sword Saint for refusing to save someone in distress, causing a storm to rise in the sky above Yanjing and nearly bringing down heavenly lightning.
His name is Xu Jinhuan.

Um.
Outside of Qu County, there's Xu Jinhuan, who's all lovey-dovey with the Empress, embracing and kissing her!

Interesting
As he watched the young men and women getting closer and closer to the altar, a series of sinister thoughts flashed through his mind.

"Grand Preceptor, this matter is known only to you, me, and His Majesty. It must not be easily revealed to outsiders."

"Nature. Nature."

As soon as he finished speaking, the chestnut-colored horse stopped below the altar.

Li Jun nimbly dismounted and respectfully bowed to the old man above him.
"If you have seen the Imperial Advisor, you will find that despite the many years that have passed, his charm remains unchanged!"

Xuanweizi nodded with a smile, "Good, good, little Junruo has grown up."

Immediately afterwards, she put her hands behind her back, smiled brightly at the unassuming Fatty Chu, revealing two attractive dimples:
"My husband~~~!"

"Uu——"

Xiao Han followed closely behind, dismounting as well. Upon hearing these words, he turned pale with anger.

"Greetings, Imperial Preceptor, General Chu."

"Princess, please stop joking. I, Old Chu, am not fortunate enough to have that kind of luck."

Chu Yunlu chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head with one hand, completely different from how he had been just moments before.

Xiao Han glared at the other man, inwardly cursing, "Hypocrite!"

Still pretending to be stupid here
Throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty, after what happened in Qi, now everyone in the entire Qin Continent knows that you, Fatty Chu, are a ruthless character who eats people without spitting out the bones!
Li Junruo wasn't angry. Instead, she skipped and hopped lightly to the top of the altar. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Fatty Chu chuckle and prepare to run away: "Princess and Young Master Xiao are here to see the Imperial Advisor, right? I suddenly remembered I forgot to feed the horses this morning, so I'll be going now."

"General Chu!"

Seeing his beloved's discomfiture, Xiao Han stepped forward and said coldly, "Jun Ruo and I were entrusted by our master to come and visit you. Why are you turning us away?"

He deliberately invoked his master's name, attempting to use it to put the fat man in a superior position.

If the other party dares to speak rudely again, he will use the treasured sword on his back to test the skill of this General Chu!
Let Junruo see who the real man is on this grassland!
Chu Yunlu raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What instructions does Lord Tiandao have? I am all ears."

If I remember correctly, the deployment of border troops is solely decided by His Majesty; it seems no one else has the right to criticize it.

"You dare, Chu Yunlu!"

Xiao Han was furious and placed one hand on the knife.

"Hey, you surnamed Xiao, why are you being so fierce! Don't be rude to the general!"

Li Junruo stood next to Chu Yunlu, hands on her hips, and said angrily.

Xiao Han: "Me!!!"

"What do you mean, 'what ...get out of here'!"

After scolding the silly boy, Li Junruo instantly changed her expression and said with a smile, "It's not an order, I just want to ask my husband for a small favor."

My lord, do you know of that 'Sword Immortal' who suddenly appeared in the State of Yan?

Chu Yunlu got goosebumps from being called that.

She calls him "husband" so sweetly!

Having control of the Great Zhou intelligence agency, he naturally knew what the other party was referring to.

"The princess is talking nonsense again. Just call me General."

As for the 'Sword Immortal,' the princess must be referring to that young master 'Shen Ye,' who committed some heinous act in the Southern Frontier, provoking three seventh-rank demons to chase him all the way from the Hundred Thousand Mountains, and single-handedly stopping him outside the border of the Yan Kingdom?

“Not bad,” Li Junruo nodded.

“Master said that now that the vital energy is exhausted and the Supreme Saints are not appearing, such a battle between extraordinary experts is not something that can be seen in ordinary times! If the two of us can watch from afar and not be affected, we will definitely benefit greatly from it in our martial arts journey!”

Because of his status, the old man couldn't go himself, lest the demons become desperate and send out even more powerful demons. Therefore, he wanted to ask the general to send some men to escort the two of us to take a look.

Chu Yunlu, feigning sudden realization, waved his hand with a smile:
"So that's how it is. It's a small matter. I'll arrange it right away."

"That's wonderful! Mr. Xiao, you should thank General Chu!" Li Junruo beamed with joy. It was just a pity that General Chu could personally escort them, which would have been even better!
Xiao Han suddenly felt a churning in his stomach, and almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

In the end, having no other choice, he could only solemnly bow to the fat man with the cunning look on his face and say, "Thank you, General Chu!"

Seeing that the silly boy had finally lowered his head, Li Junruo suddenly raised her hand gently, trying to tug at Chu Yunlu's sleeve, and said in a pitiful voice:
"Humph! General Chu, what a cruel heart you have! I am known as the most beautiful woman in the Zhou Kingdom for a thousand years. The men who pursue me stretch from the Qin capital all the way to the grasslands! What is it about me that makes me unworthy of you?"

Chu Yunlu calmly dodged the outstretched hand and took a step back, saying, "Your Highness is too kind to me. I am aware that I am ugly, talentless, and unworthy of Your Highness!"

"Nonsense! General Chu is unparalleled in wisdom and his military strategy is the best in the world! If our Great Zhou Kingdom had more men like the general, the mere Yan Kingdom would be easily defeated!"

Her words were so sincere that even Xuanweizi, who had been watching the show from the sidelines, couldn't help but glance at the princess a few more times.

It seems that this princess wasn't entirely joking all along.

Chu Yunlu remained unmoved, still smiling as he said:

"Your Highness is mistaken."

"For thousands of years, the State of Yan has produced many heroes. It has always been able to suppress our Great Zhou because of its real national strength!"
Leaving aside distant examples, as far as I know, there is a young hero in the Yan Kingdom who possesses exceptional talent and strategic acumen. Whenever I think of him, I feel deeply ashamed of my own inferiority.

Upon hearing this, Li Junruo gave a wry smile: "Junruo knows, the general is talking about the young master Shen Ye, who is known as the 'Azure Cloud Sword Immortal', right?"

To ascend to the highest level of sainthood in an environment where vital energy is almost completely depleted is truly something no ordinary person could achieve.

"Not so!" Chu Yunlu shook his head meaningfully. "Shen Ye may be strong, but in the end he can only be a sharp sword, a mere commoner!"
What I truly fear is the person wielding the sword behind the scenes.

"The one who wields the sword?" Li Junruo looked bewildered.

As far as she knew, Shen Ye, though not particularly handsome, was indeed a young hero.

At such a young age, he already possessed such cultivation. She couldn't imagine that anyone in the entire Yan Kingdom could surpass him.
“That’s right! Princess, do you know that Empress Zhao Ruoxi of Great Yan rose from obscurity to where she is today? Behind her success, there is no one else who can help her.”

Chu Yunlu narrowed his eyes and said with certainty, "As the head of the 'Night Owl Division,' I naturally know more secrets than ordinary people."

By meticulously examining certain details, it is proven that it was this person who devised the plan and formed alliances behind the scenes, which enabled the Empress to achieve her path of revenge and rise to power!
This young man anticipates his enemy's moves and possesses unpredictable methods. Although his martial prowess is not strong, he has already been listed as the Night Owl Division's number one kill target!

"Who is he?" Judging from Chu Pangzi's expression, he didn't seem to be faking it. This most dazzling young person in Zhou Kingdom would actually attach so much importance to someone.
Ironically, I, who have always had lofty ambitions since childhood, know nothing about such a formidable enemy!
His name is Xu Jinhuan.

Seeing that the other party had taken the bait, Chu Yunlu smiled meaningfully: "In my heart, only a man like him is worthy of the princess."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people present all changed!
Li Junruo felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave, and for a moment, even breathing became difficult.

Are they trying to pull the same old trick again?
Chu Yunlu, how could you be so cruel!

"If you understand."

After only a brief moment of distraction, Li Junruo had completely calmed down.

"This young master Xu is so meticulous in his planning, he must have a close relationship with the Empress of Great Yan. General Chu's plan is indeed ruthless."

"The princess is intelligent and perceptive, and she understands things very quickly."

"What if Great Yan refuses to accept it?"

"The states of Yan and Zhou have always been on friendly terms, and there is precedent for marriage alliances. If the state of Yan thinks too highly of itself and dares to refuse, wouldn't that be going too far and treating our Great Zhou as nothing?!"

Chu Yunlu's expression turned cold, and the venomous fangs hidden in the shadows finally revealed themselves slightly:
"If that's the case, I, Chu, will risk the lives of all the border soldiers to take a big bite out of Great Yan!"

Xiao Han was completely confused.

What are they talking about?
Weren't we here to ask Fatty Chu to send troops to escort us to the southern border to observe the battle? How did it suddenly turn into a marriage alliance?

Who should be sent for a marriage alliance?

Li Junruo?!

"No, it's not you."

Li Junruo took a deep breath, completely ignoring Xiao Han, that idiot.

"It seems that General Chu has already made up his mind."

On that stunningly beautiful face, the pretense of grievance and fragility, like that of a little girl, all vanished, replaced by a calmness and solemnity far beyond her years.

Only now did Xiao Han realize that he seemed to have never truly known this woman.

"It is an honor for Junruo to be able to contribute to the great plan to conquer Yan. I will go back and report to my mother now."

"After all, she's quite experienced in this kind of thing!"

Having said that, she mounted her horse, flicked her whip, and rode away!

The horses neighed, raising plumes of dust.

Li Junruo on horseback did not turn around, and it was unclear to whom he was speaking:
"May all the women of my Great Zhou Kingdom in the future be able to marry the men they love, instead of becoming tools in the struggle between the two countries generation after generation."

General Chu, do not disappoint this princess!

drive!!!"

"Junruo!!!"

Xiao Han glared coldly at the fat man, as if he wished he could tear him to pieces!

They had no time to linger and hurriedly spurred their horses to catch up.

"Take care, Princess, be careful on your journey!"

Chu Yunlu waved at the two figures with a carefree expression.

Xuanweizi beside him looked dejected.

"How can you still laugh! Back then, what happened to her mother, wasn't it you who instigated that behind the scenes?"

Chu Yunlu stumbled, his anger rising as he glared and his beard bristled: "Old man... are you senile? The year her mother married that Zhao Jingyu, I was just a child!"

"Hmph! He's been a bad seed since he was a child!"

No wonder everyone says, "You, Fatty Chu, not only have a black face, but your heart is black too!"

Chu Yunlu looked embarrassed; the two riders in his field of vision had become two tiny black dots.

"The Imperial Advisor is mistaken."

"Although I may not be entirely clean, the heart of our princess is far blacker than mine."
I don't have time for idle chatter, I need to go to the palace to see His Majesty!

"It's time for our spies hidden in Yanjing to make their move!"
-
"Ah sneeze!!!"

In the eastern part of Yanjing, Xu Jinhuan weaved back and forth through the bustling market.

He sneezed so hard he almost threw the little girl off his shoulder!
Gu Xiaoxiao's cheeks were bulging, one hand was tightly gripping Xu Jinhuan's hair, and the other hand was still stuffing various pastries into her mouth, just like a hamster planning to stock up on food for winter.

"Xu Jihua, you scoundrel, you're trying to harm me!"

"Why don't you swallow what's in your mouth before you speak?"

Xu Jinhuan was speechless.

Something seems amiss.
How could a dignified fifth-rank expert, tempered by dragon energy, still sneeze?
(End of this chapter)