92: Chapter 92 Marquis of Beiliang, Shen Yuanshan!

Great Xia Dynasty, Imperial Palace, Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Emperor Shen Qi sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, his spiritual power circulating slowly throughout his body.

His cultivation level was not high—Late Stage of the Divine Light Realm. In the cultivation world, he could only be considered average, but in the Great Xia Dynasty, he was the most capable cultivator among all the past emperors.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

The voice of Chief Eunuch Wei An came from outside the door.

Emperor Shen Qi frowned, and his circulating spiritual power faltered.

"What is the cause for such panic?"

Chief Eunuch Wei An pushed the hall door open with a "bang" and fell to his knees with a thud.

"The... the Sect Leader of the Qingyun Sword Sect, Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang, Master Chen, has personally arrived at the Imperial Palace!"

Emperor Shen Qi opened his eyes abruptly.

"Who did you say?"

"The Sect Leader of the Qingyun Sword Sect! Master Chen of the Celestial Phenomenon Realm! He is right outside the Meridian Gate!"

Emperor Shen Qi propped his hands on the prayer mat and sprang to his feet.

The Sect Leader of the Qingyun Sword Sect had come in person?

That was the sky above the Great Xia Dynasty.

The Qingyun Sword Sect controlled the territory of tens of thousands of miles around the Great Xia Dynasty; every year, the tribute of Spirit Stones and the allocation of mineral resources were all decided by a single word from the Qingyun Sword Sect.

If the Sect Leader was unhappy, replacing the emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty would be no different than replacing a dog.

Emperor Shen Qi didn't even have time to adjust his dragon robe; he lifted the hem of his robe and ran outside.

"Quick! Prepare the carriage... No, I will go to welcome him myself!"

Outside the Meridian Gate.

Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang stood with his hands behind his back on the white marble steps, while the imperial guards on both sides knelt on the ground.

Emperor Shen Qi saw that figure from afar and ran over, almost tripping over the threshold.

"Great Xia Emperor Shen Qi respectfully welcomes the arrival of Master Chen!"

Emperor Shen Qi bowed deeply, showing no airs of an emperor at all.

Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang glanced at him and nodded.

"Let's go inside to talk."

With those two words, he turned and walked inside.

Emperor Shen Qi hurriedly followed, his waist bent, never daring to straighten up.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, tea was served.

Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang sat in the main seat, lifted the lid of the teacup, but did not drink.

Emperor Shen Qi stood below, his hands clasped in front of his abdomen, not daring to breathe loudly.

"Sit."

"I dare not, I dare not. In the presence of Master Chen, how could I possibly have a seat?"

Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang set the teacup down and looked at him.

"Sit if I tell you to. I'm afraid your legs will go weak if you listen to what I have to say while standing."

Emperor Shen Qi's knees trembled, and he gingerly sat on the edge of the chair.

Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang did not beat around the bush.

"In your jurisdiction, at the Beiliang Marquis Manor, there is a daughter of a concubine named Shen Jingzhe. You know her, right?"

Emperor Shen Qi was stunned for a moment, his mind racing.

"Your subject... has heard of her. Heavenly Spiritual Root, reached the Dan Bian Realm in five years; she is considered an outstanding talent in the Northern Territory."

"More than just outstanding."

Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang stretched out a finger and pointed upwards.

"The Saint of the Daoxuan Immortal Sect has taken a liking to this girl."

Emperor Shen Qi's buttocks lifted off the chair.

"Who? ...The Daoxuan Immortal Sect?"

"The Saint?"

Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang crossed his legs.

"The Saint wants to take Shen Jingzhe as a concubine. This matter is left to me to handle."

Emperor Shen Qi's mind buzzed.

The Saint of the Daoxuan Immortal Sect.

What kind of concept was that?

The Qingyun Sword Sect couldn't even be considered a dog in front of the Daoxuan Immortal Sect, and the Great Xia Dynasty couldn't even be considered a dog in front of the Qingyun Sword Sect.

A concubine of the Saint!

A daughter of a concubine from a third-rank Marquis's house in the Great Xia Dynasty was going to fly onto a branch and become a Phoenix?

Emperor Shen Qi slid off the chair and fell to his knees with a thud.

"This is the glory of the Great Xia Dynasty! The Shen family's ancestral graves are emitting blue smoke!"

"Get up, get up." Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang waved his hand.

"All this kneeling is delaying the real business."

Emperor Shen Qi scrambled up and sat back on the edge of the chair, his buttocks barely touching it.

"Master Chen, please feel free to give your orders. Whatever you need me to do, even if it involves a mountain of blades or a sea of fire..."

"Cut the nonsense." Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang interrupted him.

"There is a difficulty with this matter."

He leaned forward and lowered his voice.

"The Saint wants someone who is willing, not someone who is crying and being dragged away."

Emperor Shen Qi's expression tightened.

"Master Chen's meaning is..."

"Think about it, a seventeen-year-old girl—if you tell her you're sending her to be a concubine for a man she's never met, what would her reaction be?"

Emperor Shen Qi smacked his lips and didn't make a sound.

Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang held up a finger.

"She cannot harbor any resentment. If she reaches the Saint's side and speaks even half a word of dissatisfaction, neither you nor I will be able to handle the consequences."

Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang's eyes narrowed.

"I've checked; this girl has a childhood sweetheart, Song Heng, from the Marquis Tongyuans Residence."

Emperor Shen Qi took a breath.

"Song Heng... Your subject has an impression of him. The legitimate son of the Marquis of Tongyuan, with good Aptitude."

"The two haven't gotten engaged yet, but their relationship is not ordinary." Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang tapped the armrest.

"If this thread isn't cut, there will be nothing but trouble later."

Emperor Shen Qi's brows furrowed, and he tapped his fingers on his knees a few times.

He had sat on the throne for thirty years and played with the schemes of the palace his whole life.

"Master Chen, I do have a method."

Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang lifted his chin.

"Speak."

"Song Heng is the legitimate son of the Marquis of Tongyuan and is nineteen this year."

Emperor Shen Qi stood up and paced the hall twice.

"I will issue an imperial decree, in the name of imperial selection, to transfer Song Heng to the capital."

"In name, it is to promote him; in reality, it is to separate them."

He turned to look at Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang.

"After he is transferred to the capital, I will arrange a marriage for Song Heng with the Prime Minister's legitimate daughter, whose family status is three tiers higher than Shen Jingzhe's."

Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang's finger stopped on the armrest.

"Continue."

"If Song Heng agrees, once the marriage is set, Shen Jingzhe will naturally give up on the idea."

Emperor Shen Qi pressed the corners of his mouth downward.

"If Song Heng refuses, that would be disobeying an imperial decree, and the entire Marquis Tongyuans Residence..."

Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang stared at him for three breaths, then twitched the corner of his mouth.

"With this brain of yours, being an emperor is a waste of talent."

Emperor Shen Qi bowed and cupped his hands.

"Master Chen is too kind."

Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang stood up, walked to the hall door, and paused.

"If this matter is handled well, the future Spirit Stone tribute of your Great Xia Dynasty can be reduced by 30%."

Emperor Shen Qi's eyes widened.

"30%!"

"That's hundreds of thousands of Spirit Stones every year!"

"I... I will definitely handle it perfectly!"

Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang's figure had already disappeared outside the hall door.

Emperor Shen Qi stood where he was, his dragon robe soaked with sweat on his back, his legs still trembling.

He took a long time to calm down, then suddenly slammed the table.

"Chief Eunuch Wei An!"

Chief Eunuch Wei An rolled in from outside the door.

"Transmit the decree: Summon the Marquis of Beiliang, Marquis of Beiliang, to the capital for an audience immediately!"

"Send it by 800-li express!"

Beiliang Marquis Manor, main hall.

Marquis of Beiliang sat in the main seat, a small stove beside him warming a pot of hot tea, steam rising from the spout.

Madam Liu sat opposite him, embroidering something, without raising her head.

"Did Jingzhe go to the back mountain to practice sword again today?"

Marquis of Beiliang picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Yes."

Madam Liu's needle moved steadily.

"She didn't return until the Shen hour, not even having time to eat."

Marquis of Beiliang set down the teacup and sighed.

"This child is a good talent."

He stroked his beard, his eyes filled with a touch of emotion.

"Tell me, five years to reach the Dan Bian Realm, Heavenly Spiritual Root—if she went to those big Sects, would there be people fighting over her?"

Madam Liu's needle stopped for a moment, and she said nothing.

Marquis of Beiliang leaned back in his chair, his voice lowering.

"Last time people from the Song family came, they hinted at things regarding Song Heng and Jingzhe..."

"What do you intend to say?"

Madam Liu placed her embroidery frame on her lap and looked up.

"That child, Song Heng, has impeccable character, and the status of the Marquis Tongyuans Residence is worthy of us."

Marquis of Beiliang held the teacup and tapped the rim.

"But with Jingzhe's Aptitude, her path may not necessarily be limited to just the Song family."

Madam Liu opened her mouth, but before she could speak...

A series of hurried footsteps came from outside.

The steward poked half his body through the door of the main hall, his face unable to hide his panic.

"Marquis!"

Marquis of Beiliang frowned.

"What is the reason for such panic?"

The steward swallowed and lowered his voice to a whisper.

"Someone has come from the palace."

"It is the Chief Eunuch, bringing an imperial decree."

The teacup in Marquis of Beiliang's hand slammed onto the table with a "bang," spilling tea and wetting his cuffs.

Madam Liu's fingers tightened around the embroidery frame.

Marquis of Beiliang stood up from his chair, adjusted his attire, and took a deep breath.

"An imperial decree?"

"He was a third-rank Marquis who hadn't entered the capital in thirty years; it was uncertain if the Emperor would even recognize his face. Why would an imperial decree suddenly arrive at this critical moment?"

A chill slowly seeped down Marquis of Beiliang's spine. He stepped out, his pace steady, but his eyes churned with irrepressible anxiety.

In the courtyard, the servants were all kneeling on the ground, and in the middle, a eunuch dressed in bright yellow imperial robes stood waiting, holding a scroll.

Marquis of Beiliang lifted his robes and knelt down.

"Marquis of Beiliang, accepts the decree!!"