Firefly Journey

Chapter 343 Knowing Mu Shaoai (3)

Danyang, Chu State.

In the Imperial Study, the bright lights cast two silhouettes.

The Seven Gods' Eastern Expedition, though short-lived, had a significant impact. Towns along the route, from the Kolenbutzbutz Mountains to Yuanzhou, the capital of Chu, suffered varying degrees of damage.

Buildings are easy to collapse but difficult to rebuild from scratch. Infrastructure construction cannot be accomplished overnight; it requires both financial and material resources.

The State of Chu was in dire need of rebuilding, and everyone from top to bottom was determined to do so. Given time, this magnificent Eastern power would surely return to its former glory.

Originally, the Crown Prince of Chu was about to get married, but at a time when the whole country needed money, it was not advisable to be extravagant, so the wedding was repeatedly postponed indefinitely.

The crown prince himself had no complaints.

Firstly, as the crown prince of Chu, he should prioritize the well-being of the people.

Secondly, even if the wedding were to take place now, the Ministry of Revenue would not be able to allocate much silver for the event due to the empty national treasury, so the scale would not be too large.

After thinking it over, Lü Jianming decided to postpone the wedding and wait until tax revenue returned to normal before having a grand ceremony. Wouldn't that be better than a casual, perfunctory one?

Emperor Zhuang was still in relatively good health and there was no possibility of him abdicating in the short term, so Lü Jianming was living a carefree life.

In the study, Emperor Zhuang meticulously instructed his son on everything, from how to approve memorials to how to bestow official seals. He went to great lengths, almost to the point of smashing his brains and feeding them all to his son.

Perhaps because he has a fiancée and has witnessed the devastation of the country, Lü Jianming is no longer the carefree and irresponsible man he once was. He sits upright, behaves politely, and finally resembles a prince.

“Mr. Simpson Budd is very talented. We must not be disrespectful to him in the future, but give him an important position.”

"My son understands."

How could he not understand?

Simpson Budd was Cassius's best friend. Could someone who could confide in his teacher be a mediocre person?

After finishing their official business, Emperor Zhuang took out a box, which contained a sword sheath.

He tossed the letter to Lü Jianming and said, "My elder brother has sent a letter; he's getting married. Your maternal grandparents and mother all passed away early, so we're his only remaining relatives. I'm presiding over state affairs and can't leave, so you and Hongxiu can go on my behalf."

Lü Jianming's expression was quite interesting.

He had only recently heard about the affair between the Great Chu Sword Saint and the Temple Master, and he found it unbelievable at first, and still finds it unbelievable now.

Who would believe that two people who seem to have nothing in common would actually hide together and have a baby?

What's most remarkable is that Chen Qingchen was not willing to marry him. It was the Temple Master who took advantage of the crisis in Chu State to snag his ideal husband.

But upon closer reflection, how many people throughout the history of the Pan-Ancient Continent have been as unparalleled as my uncle?

It's only natural that saintesses, princesses, and palace lords would like him.

Lu Jianming accepted the order and took his leave.

Back at the East Palace, the main hall was brightly lit, and some people were still awake.

"you are back?"

The slender beauty smiled sweetly and jogged over, immediately grabbing Lü Jianming's hand.

"You're back! It smells so good! What kind of soup are you having tonight?"

Since the two realized their feelings for each other, there has been no longer any barrier between them. Finney Roberts is determined to be a virtuous crown princess. Even before getting married, she has already taken the initiative to take care of Lü Jianming's food, clothing, and shelter.

"Stewed pork liver with spinach".

"Then I have to taste it."

……

……

The Dark Temple has nine main halls and eight side halls that surround the central main hall like stars around the moon, just as knights guard a princess.

Above the main hall stands a statue that has stood for thousands of years, with the dark goddess Ayepeya with outstretched arms, bringing happiness and peace to the believers.

Under the cover of night, the stone statue appears to be wearing a black dress, which better reflects its essence.

On the roof of the palace, the sword saint in blue sat on the eaves, his white boots swaying back and forth, a sword in his hand.

Moonlight bathed the sword, shimmering like snow-covered waves.

"I've been looking for you for ages, what are you hiding here?"

The woman's voice was full of energy, and she didn't treat herself as an outsider. She sat down on the eaves of the palace and wrapped one hand around the sword saint's waist.

Chen Qingchen's body trembled slightly, but he said nothing, letting the hand encircle him.

Over the years, many women have thrown themselves at him, some even offering themselves up directly. Whenever this happened, Chen Qingchen would respond with a deep and affectionate sword intent.

But he dared not draw his sword against the woman beside him.

In terms of strength, he is a notch above Hantina, but the opponent is the Temple Master, one of the seven great ancestral god churches. If she uses all her trump cards, he may not necessarily be able to defeat her.

Most importantly, Hantina had done him a favor in the state of Chu, something he had promised her and couldn't go back on his word.

"I'm sharpening my sword."

"Grind it by hand?"

"My hands are the best testing ground for swords in the world."

“Alright.” Hantina didn’t care about that. “The Chu Kingdom has sent back a message. My two nephews and nieces will be here soon.”

She called him that quite affectionately.

“If I remember correctly, both the Holy Maiden and the Temple Master of the Dark Temple must be virgins, otherwise it would be disrespectful to the goddess,” Chen Qingchen said.

Hantina said nonchalantly, "Rules are made by people, and those eight branch hall masters are all my people now, so I can do whatever I want."

You might not believe it, but I saw in a church file that the goddess actually got married back then, and she did so secretly. Her husband's name will scare you to death: Julius, the god of light!

As for rules, the goddess herself broke them long ago. All that talk of purity and holiness is just a facade, nothing more than the fabricated lamentations of her followers.

Chen Qingchen wiped his sword, remaining silent.

This is going to be a hassle.

……

……

With the empire's eastern expedition failing and Henry I's unexplained death, one piece of bad news after another arrived, leaving Einar El-Lanca constantly worried, fearing retribution from the old king.

Fortunately, the old king still had some brotherly affection for him and did not kill him, but only demoted him and moved him away from the power center of the Kingdom of Delos.

Under the cover of night, Ainor, carrying a wine jug, sighed leisurely at the moon.

“My brother is acting out of family ties, but he is seriously ill and doesn’t have many days left to live. Once my niece takes over, I will be in danger too!”

"Can anyone tell me what to do?"

"Why can't you be king yourself?"

"what?!"

The sudden sound startled Aino. He looked around, but the night was dark and there was no one there!

Damn it!

He said tremblingly, "Who are you, Your Excellency? May I ask to show myself?"

The strange voice rang out again: "Don't worry, no one else can hear you. The Empire's eastern expedition failed because of Henry I's folly and the incompetence of 'Tongue of Calamity'."

"I'm different. If you're willing to cooperate with me, in a few years you'll be the next Henry I. I mean it."

The pitch-black sky suddenly cracked open, revealing a huge, oval-shaped eye socket floating out.

Enor was utterly terrified: "Who...who are you?"

The eerie eyes in the night blinked.

"you can call me……"

"The Gaze from the Dark Side".