PNB Chapter 258 Young Man on a White Horse Drunk in the Spring Breeze 32
Chapter 258 Young Man on a White Horse Drunk in the Spring Breeze 32
Back in Tianqi City, Xiao Ruojin's strength had already left a deep impression on Ye Dingzhi.
This strength does not refer to cultivation level, but rather to temperament, vision, wisdom, and methods.
They can do what others cannot, and endure what others cannot endure.
Even without any cultivation, such a person can still achieve great things in this world.
Furthermore, Xiao Ruojin's breakthrough to the Divine Realm has added another layer of brilliance to the already powerful Xiao Ruojin.
If Ye Dingzhi's initial submission was out of helplessness, his mindset has now changed.
Since one cannot become a strong person for the time being, choosing to follow a strong person is not a bad option.
When he thought of Xiao Ruojin's promise to help the Ye family overturn their case and avenge them, and even to help him and Yi Wenjun get together, Ye Dingzhi's heart burned with passion.
As for the veracity of Xiao Ruojin's words, Ye Dingzhi had no doubts.
Although he had only met Xiao Ruojin twice, he could clearly feel Xiao Ruojin's strength and confidence; such a person would not stoop to lying.
Besides, Xiao Ruojin wanted to recruit him, and she scolded him so badly. If she really didn't want to use him, he would probably be in even worse shape.
Thinking about it this way, Ye Dingzhi felt a surge of gratitude.
After all, Xiao Ruojin had already driven him to madness and made him vomit blood by simply cursing him. If she had used other methods, how could he have fared well?
Jing, Yu, Wang.
Xiao, Ruo, Jin.
Ye Dingzhi kept repeating this name in his mind and couldn't help but think about the future: if he could really solve the problem of Tianwaitian, how would King Jingyu treat him?
Is it to grant him and Wenjun their wish, so that they can live a normal life from now on?
Or... continue to entrust him with important responsibilities, so that he can fight on the battlefield like his father?
Ye Dingzhi even thought that if his father had served Emperor Xiao Ruojin, the Ye family would never have fallen to such a state.
Now that his father has passed away, he is the only one left in the Ye family. After the Ye family is exonerated, can he really live an ordinary life with the halo of being the son of the military god Ye Yu?
Ye Dingzhi shook his head, clearing these distracting thoughts from his mind. The most important thing now was how to complete the task assigned to him by King Jingyu.
Only by eliminating the outer heavens can he have a future; otherwise, all his current thoughts will be in vain.
Ye Dingzhi didn't know much about the Outer Heaven, so he thought he would sneak into the Outer Heaven to find out what was going on inside.
Little did he know that ever since he left Tianqi City, he had been targeted by Wufa Wutian, one of the four envoys of Tianwaitian.
Cultivating the Void Thought Technique is no simple task; it requires immense patience and perseverance to manipulate one's mind and emotions. The Unruly Ones hope to use Yi Wenjun to provoke Ye Dingzhi, thereby controlling his emotions and hatred to motivate him to work harder in his cultivation and help him quickly improve his level, ultimately achieving their goals.
But no matter how much they tried to provoke him, Ye Dingzhi remained unmoved.
Even as they intensified their movements, Ye Dingzhi noticed the unusual activity around him.
Ye Dingzhi no longer harbors the deep-seated hatred he once had, as these emotions have been dissolved by Xiao Ruojin's promise. Therefore, his greatest wish now is to destroy Tianwaitian.
After several back-and-forths, Ye Dingzhi finally learned about Tianwaitian's purpose. He simply went along with it, pretending to be confused, but in reality, he was using Tianwaitian's help to improve his cultivation.
With the 'help' of Tianwaitian, Ye Dingzhi, who possesses a natural martial vein, has made rapid progress in his cultivation, constantly raising his realm. At the same time, he has been secretly sending messages to Tianqi City to prove to Xiao Ruojin that he is doing his job well.
Xiao Ruojin was quite surprised to receive Ye Dingzhi's message. She hadn't expected Ye Dingzhi to be so reliable. He had promised to eliminate Tianwaitian, and he had indeed worked diligently, even mastering the skill of reporting without being taught.
It seems that Ye Dingzhi is indeed quite good. Apart from being a bit love-obsessed, he doesn't have any other obvious flaws.
Mentioning Ye Dingzhi, Xiao Ruojin couldn't help but think of Yi Wenjun again; that woman was still lying in the backyard 'recuperating.' She needed to think of a way to change her identity.
Considering the recent petty actions of Emperor Tai'an, King Luoyu, and King Qing, it would be a good opportunity to show off our strength and intimidate them a little.
Two weeks later.
Consort Yi, a concubine of King Jingyu, fell seriously ill and died. King Jingyu was deeply grieved and held a grand funeral for her. Nearly three-fifths of the people in the court came to the palace to pay their respects.
Among these people who came were those who were originally attached to King Jingyu, some who were neutral in the past, and a few who were loyal to King Qing and King Luoyu. Now they planned to abandon the darkness and come to the light to serve a wise ruler.
At this stage, those who could come automatically belonged to King Jing's faction.
Seeing this situation, Emperor Tai'an became even more anxious. He was the emperor, but now three-fifths of the officials in the court had become Xiao Ruojin's people. Wasn't he, the emperor, already being sidelined?
Therefore, Emperor Tai'an kept urging Prince Qing to take action quickly.
The Azure King was also very anxious about this. After discussing it repeatedly with the Fallen Feather King, they finally decided to take action.
Based on the original false accusation against Zhenxi Marquis Baili Luochen, many details were added. Emperor Tai'an took note of their actions and secretly added some more details.
……
The news of King Gyeong-ok's concubine's death was like a bolt from the blue for Ib. He was still hoping his daughter would have a child with King Gyeong-ok; how could she suddenly be dead?
He knew his daughter very well. Although she looked frail, she was actually very strong and had a resilient character. How could she have died so suddenly?
Yi Bu couldn't believe it. The loss of his daughter saddened him, but what made him even more desperate was that with his daughter dead, the bond of interest between Yingzong and Jingyu Royal Palace had disappeared. The current Jingyu King was no longer a prince who needed the support of Yingzong. Could the current Jingyu King still maintain an alliance with Yingzong?
Yi Bu arrived at the Jingyu Royal Palace with a heavy heart. Seeing the Jingyu Queen with her brows furrowed and her face full of melancholy, he felt even more uneasy.
Previously, King Jingyu allied with him in order to seize the throne with the help of the Shadow Sect, so he had a certain say in that cooperation between the two parties.
But now the situation has reversed. King Jingyu no longer needs the Shadow Sect's help to secure victory. The Shadow Sect is now dispensable to King Jingyu.
If he still wants to achieve the goal of Yingzong stepping into the limelight, he needs to redefine his and Yingzong's position in front of King Jingyu and clarify the superior-subordinate relationship between them. Only in this way can he ensure that Yingzong can still occupy a place after King Jingyu ascends the throne.
Even though it was Yi Bu who lost his daughter, he acted very respectfully and spoke very politely after meeting Xiao Ruojin, unlike his previous confident demeanor.
Yi Bu's voice was tinged with sorrow, his tone filled with both grief and helplessness: "Your Highness, please accept my condolences! Although my daughter passed away tragically at a young age, her wish was for Your Highness to be well. Please take good care of yourself and do not grieve excessively."
(Your Highness, can the cooperation between the Shadow Sect and the Jingyu Prince's Mansion continue?)
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ruojin's expression shifted slightly, and he nodded: "I understand, but I can't help feeling some regret. Although Wenjun and I didn't spend much time together, she was intelligent, kind, virtuous, and gentle. Now that she has unfortunately passed away, how can I not be heartbroken?"
(The alliance between me and your Shadow Sect has not been long, but the cooperation has been very pleasant. Now that Yi Wenjun, the key figure in our cooperation, is dead, although I am somewhat regretful, it is time for our cooperation to end.)
Upon hearing this, Yi Bu's eyes filled with tears, and he immediately declared, "Your Highness is kind and benevolent. If my daughter could know this in the afterlife, she would surely be gratified. If there is any need in the future, Yingzong will do its utmost to assist you."
(Your Highness, although my daughter is dead, it doesn't matter. From now on, the entire Shadow Sect will still follow your lead.)
Xiao Ruojin nodded slightly and sighed softly, "Thank you for your comfort, Sect Leader Yi."
(Okay!)
They were both intelligent people, and they understood each other's positions and needs. Without saying much, they reached a new consensus.
Xiao Ruofeng slowly walked out from the back hall, watching Yi Bu's departing figure, then turned to Xiao Ruojin and asked, "Brother, aren't you going to tell Yi Bu that Yi Wenjun faked his death?"
Xiao Ruojin gently shook her head: "Some people must know about Yi Wenjun's faked death, such as Ye Dingzhi and Luo Qingyang; but people as greedy as Yi Bu must be excluded."
Yi Bu was insatiably greedy. Once he learned that Yi Wenjun was still alive, he would surely make a big fuss about it and try to profit from it.
Although it may not cause any real harm to Xiao Ruojin in the end, it is still best to minimize the number of people who know about this to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Xiao Ruofeng nodded, indicating that he understood. Then, as if he had thought of something, a smile appeared on his face, and he said, "Brother, Ye Dingzhi recently sent another message. His business is going very smoothly, and he has now successfully infiltrated the lair of Tianwaitian."
After saying that, Xiao Ruofeng handed Xiao Ruojin a slip of paper with two lines of small characters written on it. It was a message sent by Ye Dingzhi via carrier pigeon.
"Really?"
Xiao Ruojin became interested, took the note and read it over. She shook her head with a smile: "Ye Dingzhi is indeed a talent. He has only been here for a short time, but he has already infiltrated the inner circle of Tianwaitian. It seems that the day when Tianwaitian is destroyed is not far away."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ruofeng's heart stirred: "Brother, the strength of the Outer Heavens should not be underestimated. Ye Dingzhi is only one person after all. Should we send some people to help him?"
"Did he ask you for help?" Xiao Ruojin asked.
Xiao Ruofeng was taken aback, then shook his head: "No!"
“Since they haven’t asked for help, why are you rushing to help?” Xiao Ruojin patted his shoulder: “Ye Dingzhi probably has his own plans, so don’t worry!”
After careful consideration, Xiao Ruofeng realized that this made sense, so he changed the subject: "Brother, what do you plan to do with Yi Wenjun? She is now considered dead by the world. To avoid unnecessary trouble, it would be best to send her out of Tianqi City first."
Xiao Ruojin smiled and said, "Of course we have to send her away, but there are some things to do before that."
"what's up?"
Xiao Ruojin smiled without saying a word, her eyes as deep and unfathomable as a deep pool: Of course, it's to brainwash Yi Wenjun!
……
The grand scale of the funeral for the concubine of Prince Jingyu's mansion completely threw Prince Qing and Prince Luoyu into a panic. So many officials in the court had sided with Xiao Ruojin, and even some of their own subordinates had defected to support her. How could the two princes not feel terrified in this situation?
Finally, one day, as the afternoon sun slanted in, King Luoyu and King Qing, along with several princes, entered the palace in a grand procession in carriages, and did not leave until the sun had set.
His expression changed from anxiety upon entering the palace to relief, with a relaxed smile on his lips, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
And all these details were delivered to Prince Jingyu's residence in no time.
At that time, Xiao Ruojin and Xiao Ruofeng were leisurely enjoying tea in the waterside pavilion.
The pavilion is surrounded by artificial hills and flowing water, with a hundred flowers blooming in competition, making it the most scenic spot in the entire Jingyu Prince's Mansion.
Since arriving here, Xiao Ruojin has loved spending time here. Whether she's quietly enjoying the aroma of tea, watching the fish play in the water, or doing nothing at all but watching the clouds drift by, she feels completely at ease.
"Brother, they finally couldn't hold back any longer."
Xiao Ruofeng skillfully added the medicinal tea prepared by Xiao Ruojin to the pot and said to Xiao Ruojin with a smile.
He drinks this medicinal tea all the time now. Perhaps because he has been drinking it so often lately, his tea-brewing skills have improved day by day. Whenever he comes to Xiao Ruojin's place, the first thing he does is find the tea set and brew the tea.
Xiao Ruojin stared at the bubbling bubbles in the tea and scoffed, "If you don't make a move when you're pushed to this point, you'll really become a turtle in the river."
These words made Xiao Ruofeng unable to suppress his laughter, which echoed in the waterside pavilion.
Since Yi Wenjun's funeral, in order to strengthen their own power, the Fallen Feather King and the Green King have gone to great lengths to unite with several princes, intending to use this to counter Xiao Ruojin.
Before they could even celebrate, Xiao Ruojin launched a swift and decisive attack.
Almost before King Luoyu and King Qing could react, their maternal families had already been nearly killed by Xiao Ruojin. This was even with Emperor Tai'an secretly taking sides. Otherwise, their maternal families would probably be gone.
In addition, the officials under their command were not spared either, and were impeached, demoted and exiled, or had their homes confiscated and were executed.
Xiao Ruojin's methods were so swift and ruthless that they were terrifying.
Under these circumstances, the fact that the two kings have only taken action today is already a testament to their remarkable patience.
"I just wonder what they said to His Majesty?" A hint of worry appeared between Xiao Ruofeng's brows.
Although the brothers are powerful now, they are only two princes, and their status and power are limited; while Emperor Tai'an, although weak, is still the emperor of Beili. If Emperor Tai'an is really determined to eliminate them, it is undoubtedly a sword hanging over their heads, a considerable trouble.
However, Xiao Ruofeng did not voice these concerns.
Even if he voiced his worries, all he would get in return was his brother's sneer.
As their brotherly bond deepened, he suddenly realized that his elder brother was actually an extremely confident person.