Chapter 598: Unruly (I)

At the critical moment, Liu Xunyi was quick-witted and came up with a clever plan. Using "hand" instead of "head", he not only saved Qiu Han's life, but also showed Zhao Yuan's sincerity in front of Luo Tianjin. It can be said that he killed two birds with one stone, which is very clever.

What surprised Liu Xunyi the most was that he disobeyed Luo Tianjin's order without authorization, and not only was he not punished at all, he was not even scolded. Afterwards, Luo Tianjin and Xie Xuan seemed to have lost their memory and did not mention the matter at all.

Although he was full of confusion, it was a good thing for Liu Xunyi after all. He managed to resolve the situation safely.

According to Zhao Yuan and Liu Xunyi's speculation, Luo Tianjin's attitude towards Zhao Yuan would change drastically after receiving Qiu Han's severed hand. At least out of courtesy, he should send someone to Danfeng Garden to invite Zhao Yuan to his house for a chat.

However, the reality was not as expected. For several days, everything in the Xianwang Mansion was normal, and Luo Tianjin was as quiet as a dead water, as if he had completely forgotten about the court's offer of amnesty.

Even when Liu Xunyi "occasionally" reminded him, Luo Tianjin was vague in his responses, and his few words were all about other things, leaving Liu Xunyi speechless. He could only feel anxious but helpless.

After all, Liu Xunyi didn't dare to push too hard for fear of arousing suspicion.

Feeling the same torment as Liu Xunyi was Zhao Yuan, who was in Danfeng Garden, losing his appetite and worried every day.

Although Shen Dongshan treated him warmly and Danfeng Garden was beautiful, Zhao Yuan was carrying out the emperor's orders and had no leisure time for eating, drinking and having fun.

Until November 15th, Zhao Yuan, who had been waiting for seven or eight days, finally could not suppress his inner anxiety and decided not to sit back and wait any longer, but to take the initiative to visit Luo Tianjin for the second time.

Moreover, Zhao Yuan has secretly made up his mind to be frank and open with Luo Tianjin.

Today, the sky is clear and the breeze is gentle.

In the morning, Zhao Yuan and his party walked on the bustling streets of Luoyang City, looking around at the prosperous market and listening to the hawking of vendors. They could not help but recall the crisis of the imperial court and the suffering of the people. For a moment, they were filled with worry and depression.

"I wonder when the Song Dynasty will be able to recover its lost territory and bring glory to the country?" Zhao Yuan said with emotion. "If one day the Song Dynasty can be as prosperous and peaceful as Luoyang City today, I will die without regrets."

"Don't worry, my lord. I have known the Northern Sage King for many years. He is definitely not a heartless person who would not help someone in need." Shen Dongshan comforted him, "As the saying goes, 'where there is sincerity, even metal and stone can be moved.' As long as you persist, I believe the Northern Sage King will be moved by you and help the court overcome the difficulties."

"Oh! I hope so."

A sigh, filled with worry about the country and the people, cannot express the melancholy in my heart.

As they were talking, the group arrived at the gate of the magnificent Prince Xian's Palace.

Since Shen Dongshan had sent someone to pass the message in advance, Xie Xuan led people to welcome him outside the mansion at this time.

"Master Zhao, Master Shen, the Lord has been waiting for you for a long time, please come in!"

"Thank you for welcoming me, Master. Please!"

Both parties had already known each other's intentions, so without any extra greetings, Xie Xuan led them straight to the central hall.

Today, Luo Tianjin, Yan Bugui, Deng Changchuan, Huang Yulang, Murong Bai, Deng Quan, Su Tang, Luo Qi, Liu Xunyi and other core figures of the Xianwang Mansion were all present.

What's more, Yelu Qin and Xunzhen were also invited by Luo Tianjin and were among them.

Just looking at today's scene, it is not difficult to guess that Luo Tianjin has decided to make the matter of recruiting the amnesty public and make it clear.

In addition to Shen Dongshan and his entourage, Zhao Yuan was accompanied by Qin Wei and more than a dozen golden sword captains, who also had an impressive aura.

As Qiu Han's injuries have not healed, and Luo Tianjin is quite dissatisfied with him, he stayed in Danfeng Garden to recuperate today.

A moment later, Xie Xuan led Zhao Yuan, Shen Dongshan and his party into the central hall.

Seeing this, Luo Tianjin's face immediately blossomed with a warm smile, and he stood up to greet him, "The Imperial Envoy has arrived. I hope you will forgive me for not coming to greet you from afar!"

Luo Tianjin directly pointed out Zhao Yuan's identity, which surprised Yan Bugui and others who did not know the truth. They looked at Zhao Yuan with a hint of scrutiny.

"Lord Luo, you don't have to be polite. Zhao has the audacity to bother you, so I should be the one to apologize."

"Hey! Lord Zhao, you are too polite. Please take a seat!" After the greetings, both parties sat down as host and guest. The hall fell into silence again, and the atmosphere gradually became a little awkward.

"Cough cough..."

Seeing that both sides were silent, Shen Dongshan couldn't help but cough twice, breaking the deadlock first, and bowed to Luo Tianjin and said: "Master Luo, Lord Zhao is here today..."

"I know what Lord Zhao is here for." Luo Tianjin waved his hand and pointed at Yan Bugui and the others, and said with a smile, "They are all the pillars of the Xianwang Mansion. I summoned them all here today to open up the channels for discussion and pool their wisdom, so as to give Lord Zhao a clear answer."

"So good!"

Zhao Yuan's gaze swept over Yan Bugui and the others one by one. When he saw Liu Xunyi, his eyes changed slightly, but it was fleeting and no one else noticed anything unusual.

"Master Zhao!" Luo Tianjin flattered, "We are guests here, and I am afraid that I may say something wrong, so I would like to trouble you to personally explain the matter of the amnesty to them. What do you think?"

"Of course!" Zhao Yuan smiled confidently and said loudly, "In fact, I came to Luoyang City on the orders of the Emperor to convey His Majesty's grace to the leader of the martial arts world. I hope that Lord Luo can lead the heroes of the Central Plains martial arts world to submit to the great unity and serve the court. What do you think?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of everyone in Prince Xian's Mansion suddenly became interesting, with expressions of surprise, astonishment, caution, disdain... each with their own different thoughts.

For a moment, everyone looked at each other, and no one was in a hurry to answer.

"Of course, since the emperor has issued an edict, we will not let everyone work in vain." Zhao Yuan looked around at everyone and said confidently, "As long as Palace Master Luo nods, the court will give many rewards to every disciple of the Xianwang Palace. Only the disciples of the Xianwang Palace are eligible to enjoy these rewards, and the disciples of other sects will never have this opportunity."

"Oh?" Yan Bugui asked with interest, "I wonder what the reward is?"

"That depends on what you want," Zhao Yuan said with a smile. "If you want to embark on a career in officialdom and become an official, the emperor will grant you official titles and noble rank. If you do not want to be an official, the emperor will reward you with gold, silver, jewelry, mansions and land. Whether you want an official position or money, I can guarantee that at least three generations of you will be prosperous and well-fed."

"May I ask Lord Zhao..." Liu Xunyi took the opportunity to speak, "If we surrender to the court, I wonder how the emperor will reward my master? After all, a scoundrel like Yuwen Xiu was once a 'Wulin Hou'. My master can't be poorer than him."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone showed curiosity, even Luo Tianjin showed anticipation.

Zhao Yuan saw that things were turning around, and he couldn't help but show joy on his face, and hurriedly said: "Don't worry about this. With Lord Luo's talent and martial arts, if he can submit to the court, he will be valued by the emperor. To be honest, the Prime Minister has privately instructed that once Lord Luo enters the court, his position in the court will definitely not be lower than this official, and he may even become an important official under one person and above ten thousand people. As for the so-called 'Wulin Hou', it is just a nominal position without substance. In fact, Yuwen Xiu has no place in the court. His official position was not conferred by the emperor, but was arranged by the West Mansion without authorization. He can't be compared with Lord Luo at all."

"If you want money, I will give you money; if you want an official position, I will give you an official position." Murong Bai pondered, "Such generous conditions must not be for no reason. I wonder if Lord Zhao can tell us the truth. What is the purpose of the court's sudden offer of amnesty?"

"Who doesn't want to achieve success and fame and be remembered for eternity?" Zhao Yuan did not answer but asked, "May I ask everyone present, do you want to be in the martial arts world for the rest of your life? Don't you want to get a reputation? Even if not for yourself, you should think about your descendants. After all, people in the martial arts world are always rootless, drifting around, and they must eventually find a place to settle down and live a down-to-earth life."

"Will the imperial court be so kind?" Deng Quan raised his eyebrows and asked suspiciously, "Recruiting us just to give us a status?"

"Master Zhao, everyone here is a man of temperament and likes to speak quickly. I hope you won't beat around the bush." ​​Xie Xuan reminded, "If you don't make some things clear in advance, even if we accept the imperial court's offer of amnesty, I'm afraid it won't last long and will cause trouble sooner or later."

"That makes sense." Zhao Yuan nodded and said, "To be honest, the emperor suddenly issued an order to recruit the people because... the enemy is at hand and the court is in need of talents. The emperor is eager to find talents. The prime minister knows that the heroes of the martial arts world are all brave and knowledgeable heroes, so he risked his life to advise the emperor to recruit the people in order to expand the military strength of the Song Dynasty and protect the land of the Han people."

"Lord Zhao, when you say that we are facing a formidable enemy, are you referring to the Mongols?"

"That's right!" Zhao Yuan nodded heavily. "Now, half of the northern part of the country has been occupied by the Mongols. Once they march south, the Han people will face the danger of national extinction. We must be on guard!"

"The Song Dynasty boasts of its strong military power, but where are the imperial court's troops?" Yan Bugui asked, "Why don't they go north to fight the enemy?"

"This..." Zhao Yuan was speechless for a while. He knew that the Song Dynasty had long been strong on the outside but weak on the inside, but he couldn't tell it directly at this moment, so he answered tactfully, "The soldiers of the court are indeed brave, but the battlefield changes rapidly and anything can happen, so... the more people who are good at fighting, the better. Most of the heroes in the martial arts world are extraordinary in martial arts. If they can go into battle and kill the enemy, they will be able to defeat a hundred people alone and enhance the prestige of our army..."

"Ha!" Before Zhao Yuan finished speaking, Huang Yulang suddenly sneered, "After all, you want the Lord to encourage all heroes in the world to die for you! If you lose your life, all the promotions and wealth Lord Zhao just mentioned are just empty talk and worthless."

"This..." Faced with Huang Yulang's provocation, Zhao Yuan was secretly shocked and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

"This is a sure win." Deng Changchuan joked, "First you promised us wealth and glory, and then before we could get any benefit, you sent us to the battlefield to fight the Mongols. Who in the world doesn't know that the Mongolian cavalry is brave and invincible? Regardless of whether we can defeat them or not, even if we can resist them by chance, it will probably be three to five years later. By then, there will be very few of us who can survive. By then, the crisis of the court will be resolved, and we will no longer be of any use. You will definitely kill us and take advantage of our weakness to catch us all. In the end, the external enemies will be resolved, and the internal troubles will be eliminated, and the court can reap the benefits and enjoy peace."

At this point, Deng Changchuan's eyes suddenly flashed with a hint of murderous intent. He stared at Zhao Yuan, who was frowning, with an unfriendly look, and asked with a smile: "Back then, Emperor Taizu 'released military power with a cup of wine', and even spared no trusted meritorious officials who followed him to conquer the world. The current emperor will definitely continue the old tradition, and will not let go of us, the gangsters who were recruited halfway. Lord Zhao, I wonder... am I right?"

……

(End of this chapter)