In order to become a Heroic Spirit, I had no choice but to cause trouble in history.

"So, Han Guang, do you want to submit to me? Or form an alliance with me?" Xiang An sat in the head seat, frowning as he looked at the envoy from Liaodong.

The envoy was also a strategist named Jiang Ming.

Jiang Ming smiled wryly: "What are you saying, Your Majesty?"

"Beyond the Great Wall lies only barren land, and Your Majesty has already occupied the area west of Liaodong. Apart from Your Majesty's Northern Chu, Liaodong has no neighboring countries. Under these circumstances, is there any need for Lord Han to form an alliance with Your Majesty? Even if an alliance is formed, who will they fight against? The Xiongnu beyond the Great Wall will not plunder this area."

Good heavens, they're not calling him "King" anymore, they're calling him "Lord Han" directly.

Xiang An and Zi Juan, who was sitting to the side, exchanged a glance and both saw the confusion and joy in each other's eyes.

"The war between the two Yan states was instigated by Zang Tu. That fellow launched a war against Liaodong under the pretext of recovering Yan territory. Now it has been captured by Lord Han and Your Majesty. This is a fortunate thing. Here is a gift that Lord Han asked me to bring. Please take a look, Your Majesty." Jiang Ming bowed and handed Xiang An a piece of cloth, on which was written geographical and material intelligence about Liaodong.

Xiang An understood Han Guang's plan at a glance.

This is equivalent to lying down in front of you, exposing your soft neck, which is an absolute sign of weakness.

"It seems that the King of Liaodong truly intends to submit to my Northern Chu." Zijuan smiled kindly and nodded to Jiang Ming.

“The King of Liaodong is a pragmatic man. Since he has submitted to me, I will not treat him unfairly.” Xiang An smiled and placed the cloth filled with information aside. “In that case, we can discuss it at the Northern Chu Palace in Linzi in the future. Xiao Ye, pour wine for Envoy Jiang.”

"Yes!"

Liao Ye is becoming more and more skilled at this kind of thing, and he is always the first person to serve Xiang An.

After seeing off Jiang Ming, the envoy from Liaodong, Xiang An couldn't help but smile on his lips on his way back to Linzi.

As he had said before, from now on, Northern Chu will no longer need to gamble.

Having survived the miserable past year, Xiang An launched a full-scale attack on the Yan state this year, using war to sustain war. In the end, he ensured that Northern Chu was firmly established on the eastern land. Now, with the resources of the lands of Yan and Liaodong, Xiang An no longer had to worry about the people of the Three Qi regions going hungry or not surviving the cold winter.

"Second Brother, this is probably the first time you've smiled since we left Eldest Brother's place." Xiang An and Zi Juan had broken away from the main group, riding Da Lang Tuan Chi and Zao Ji, far ahead of the others. Since they were alone together, Zi Juan didn't need to use honorifics and asked Xiang An with a smile.

"Finally, I can breathe a sigh of relief..." Xiang An shook his head with a smile. "At least this winter, I don't have to empty the granaries of Linzi out of worry about starvation in the city."

"During that period, I felt that even rats would cry when they came to the granary in Linzi."

"We made it through, didn't we?" Zijuan said with a faint smile, taking off her helmet and looking at the clear river beside the official road.

The late summer breeze ruffled her long hair, and the crimson clouds obscured the dappled light, reflecting her gentle smile.

"Yes, no matter how difficult it was, we made it through..." Xiang An also looked at the river, his tone filled with deep weariness and relief. He couldn't help but raise his head, his voice carrying a barely perceptible sob.

Xiang An dismounted, walked to the water's edge, found an open space, sat down, lay on the soft grass, and closed his eyes.

“Counting the days, apart from the war, it seems like you haven’t left the palace for more than half a year.” Zijuan hung her helmet on Zaoji’s horse armor, sat down next to Xiang An, and said, counting on her fingers.

"As the King of Northern Chu, it is natural for me to eliminate any potential threats to Northern Chu," Xiang An said relaxedly without opening his eyes. "How long has it been since I've enjoyed this feeling of relaxation..."

The Fairy Tree Romance

"Go to sleep for a while. I'll keep an eye on you. Even if your older brother comes, he won't wake you up," Zijuan said with a smile, shaking her head helplessly.

But she didn't receive a reply from Xiang An. Looking around blankly, Zijuan realized that Xiang An had already fallen asleep on the grass by the river.

Zijuan leaned a little closer and patted Xiang An's forehead, but suddenly noticed that the tips of Xiang An's beard... seemed to have turned a little white?

In an instant, Zijuan seemed to be electrocuted, pulling her hand back and covering her mouth.

How old is Xiang An?

Xiang Yu and Xiang An publicly stated their ages as twenty-eight, but Zijuan knew Xiang An's past and therefore knew his true age. Xiang An was likely created around 227 BC, the twentieth year of King Zheng of Qin's reign. In other words, Xiang An's real age this year is...

Twenty-three years old.

Upon closer inspection, not only his beard but also the roots of Xiang An's hair were grayish-white.

Zijuan was somewhat lost in thought, so much so that she didn't even know what she was thinking about.

"...Thank you for your hard work, Second Brother..."

After a long while, Zijuan finally spoke, her eyes glistening with tears, and her hand gently stroking Xiang An's head.

Even if it's just for a little while, let's... take a short rest...

------------

Chapter 982 Not the ruler of the world, yet he performed the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai.

"Xiao Ye, is Mount Tai ahead?"

On the way back, Xiang An suddenly pointed ahead and asked Liao Ye beside him.

"Your Majesty, it is indeed Mount Tai ahead," Liao Ye replied, clasping his hands in greeting, and together with Xiang An, they looked towards the majestic mountain in the distance.

Xiang An glanced back and saw that the main force, led by Zi Juan, had already returned to Linzi. Three thousand troops remained to deal with any emergencies and to protect Xiang An's safety.

In reality, Xiang An didn't need to be protected, but as the King of Northern Chu, certain formalities still had to be observed.

After a moment's thought, Xiang An turned his head and said, "Xiao Ye, let's wait until we reach the front and let everyone rest for a bit. You and I will go up Mount Tai to take a look."

"Yes."

Xiang An stroked the mane on Tuan Chi's neck, and Tuan Chi instantly understood, quickening his pace.

Xiang An looked at the magnificent mountain range towering into the clouds in the distance and couldn't help but sigh softly.

Although it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, this mountain did indeed evoke some memories for Xiang An.

One of his two fathers, Qin Shi Huang Ying Zheng, once came here and performed the Fengshan ceremony. On his way down the mountain, he encountered a heavy rain, and the pine tree that sheltered the emperor from the wind and rain was granted the title of "Five Grand Masters".

Looking up, an idea came to Xiang An's mind.

Or perhaps I should also perform the Fengshan ceremony on Mount Tai?

It's not that Xiang An was arrogant, thinking that the world already belonged to him; what he cared more about was the true meaning that was often overlooked in the Fengshan ceremony.

They offered sacrifices to Heaven and prayed for favorable weather and abundant harvests in the coming year, hoping to ward off disasters and calamities for the country.

Having made up his mind, Xiang An turned around and said to Liao Ye, who had caught up with him, "Xiao Ye, go back now, find a fast horse, and take a message to Linzi for me."

"Huh? Oh yes, Your Majesty, please speak." Liao Ye was momentarily stunned, but quickly composed himself and listened to Xiang An's orders.

"Send the Commandant of the Guards and the Grand Master of Ceremonies, along with eight hundred soldiers of the Imperial Guard, to Mount Tai. Grand Commandant Zijuan shall also come. Grand Censor Xiang Lu and the Attendant shall temporarily take charge of palace affairs." Xiang An continued to look at Mount Tai, ignoring Xiao Ye's ghost-like expression.

"Your Majesty, are you serious?" Liao Ye stammered and asked hesitantly.

"Go quickly," Xiang An snapped without explanation.

"Yes!"

Liao Ye quickly took care of it, but he was a little worried.

Throughout history, the custom of performing the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai has existed since the time of Yao and Shun. Anyone with a little knowledge can understand the Fengshan ceremony.

However, looking back at Yao and Shun, and later at Qin Shi Huang, those who performed the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai were all, without exception, rulers of the world. Xiang An, on the other hand, is currently just the King of Northern Chu, occupying the lower reaches of the Yellow River and Huai River, as well as the land of the former Yan state. He is still quite a distance from being the ruler of the world, yet he is now conducting the Fengshan ceremony.

"Forget it, the King will become the ruler of the world sooner or later, so what's wrong with holding the Fengshan ceremony a little earlier?" Liao Ye pursed his lips, letting go of his worries and even thinking that Xiang An had done the right thing.

After Xiao Ye left, Xiang An dismounted, patted Tuan Chi's neck, and scratched Tuan Chi's soft, pink nose.

"You just wait here. Mount Tai is steep and I will go up alone."

"Neigh." Tuan Chi affectionately nuzzled Xiang An's hand and walked away on his own.

Xiang An walked alone into Mount Tai, following the mountain path trodden by his predecessors, and enjoying the scenery of Mount Tai.

"Mount Tai is magnificent!"

Xiang An strolled along the platform's straight path and remarked with a sigh.

"It feels like I've gone back to the time outside the Great Wall."

Xiang An smiled in relief.

It had rained a few days ago, and the air in Mount Tai was exceptionally fresh after the rain, but Xiang An's eyes drooped.

Xiang An walked on, climbing over rock walls whenever he encountered them. He walked for an unknown amount of time until it got dark, and then he came to a tree.

"So that's how it is. This is the Five-Doctor Tree."

Standing under the giant pine tree, Xiang An looked up at its gnarled branches, which were ancient and vigorous, and couldn't help but chuckle. He stepped through the wet mud and continued forward.

After a long while, the night had deepened, the moon was bright, and the stars were few, so Xiang An began to feel sleepy.

Although he was already the King of Northern Chu, Xiang An did not put on airs. He walked a few more steps, found a cave, went inside, and found a dry spot on the cave wall to spend the night.

After a night, at dawn, Xiang An stepped out of the cave, stretched, and continued his journey toward the mountaintop.

Five days later.

"No, where is the king?" Zijuan looked at the brigade commander who was left at the foot of Mount Tai with a questioning look.

The brigade commander looked like he was about to cry: "General, I don't know either!"

"When His Majesty sent Liao Taipu back to the capital a few days ago, he went into the mountains alone, leaving Tuanchi behind."

As he spoke, the brigade commander pointed to the distant Tuanchi, who was leisurely grazing on the grass.

Zijuan and Liao Ye exchanged a glance, both looking bewildered.

"Tsk." Zijuan had no choice but to run over to Tuanchi's side, first stroking his soft mane, then asking, "Tuanchi, do you know where Second Brother went?"

"Pfft, pfft, pfft"

Tuanchi let out a leisurely sigh, licked Zijuan, and then continued to nibble on the grass.

"..." Zijuan looked utterly dejected, feeling a burning pain on her forehead from being licked; a horse's tongue is very rough.

"So, General, how do we find the King?" Liao Ye's lips twitched.

"No need to look, I'm here."

A rustling sound came from the direction of the forest. Xiang An strode out of the woods, his body covered in mud, but his spirits were exceptionally high.

"Your Majesty, you've been staying in the mountains these past few days?" Liao Ye looked utterly distraught and quickly moved closer to Xiang An.

Then he quickly ran back to the group, probably to find Xiang An a change of clothes.

"Second brother, you..." Zijuan was both amused and exasperated, but seeing that Xiang An was in good spirits, she felt relieved.

"You know what I asked Xiaoye to do, right? Everything should be ready, right?" Xiang An smiled, not paying attention to anything else, and only asked about Feng Chan.

"Everything is ready. At first, the Commandant of the Guards had some objections. Is everything really alright, Second Brother?"

"It's alright, we're already here, let's get started." Xiang An took off his dirty armor, threw it aside, and walked towards the carriage.