Below the high platform, the ministers and generals of the court lining the red carpet stared intently at Zhou Yuan, unable to suppress their exclamations.
Compared to Zhou Yuan's gift, Zhou Wuji's head was mere child's play.
"The people's will can be ceded? Even if it can be ceded, how can it be you who cedes it? A prince ceding the people's will to the Crown Prince? What logic is that? Isn't that mocking the Crown Prince for being unworthy of his position!"
Li Zao, standing below, also had a solemn expression. The reason the populace revered a monarch was solely because that monarch was humble, thrifty, loved the people, and was diligent and wise.
Zhou Yuan's gift of a patched robe to Zhou Wuji implied that the people's will was with him, not his elder brother. The position of Crown Prince should have been his. The reason he was Crown Prince was not due to his virtue and capability, but because his father had freely bestowed it upon him.
What could be given could also be taken back.
"The people's will is with me."
"I should be the true Crown Prince!"
Zhou Yuan gazed at Zhou Wuji, a smile on his face. Seeing Zhou Wuji hesitate to accept, he raised the patched robe in his hand slightly higher.
Zhou Wuji's facial muscles twitched violently. The humiliation brought by this tattered cloth was immense. He wished he could snatch it and tear it to shreds, no, tear Zhou Yuan to shreds along with it!
As Zhou Wuji pondered this, his eyes darkened, and he gritted his teeth, trembling with rage. Even the energy within his meridians couldn't help but begin to stir, preparing to unleash.
The surrounding air seemed to grow heavy, making it difficult to breathe.
The military officer who looked like a steward, but was actually Zhou Wuji's strategist during his time at the border army, saw Zhou Wuji in this state and guessed that he was about to lose control. His heart tightened, and he quickly reached out to grab Zhou Wuji's arm.
"Your Highness, you must not be rash!"
"Zhou Yuan's objective is to enrage you. If you act now, all your efforts for the past six years will be in vain!"
"Damn it!!!!"
Zhou Wuji roared in his heart, mentally killing Zhou Yuan hundreds of times. He then slowly raised his head and forced a smile onto his face.
He looked up at Zhou Yuan, gently raised his right hand, and pushed the patched robe back. He smiled stiffly and politely declined, "Third Brother has made great contributions in governing the Huai River, and the people are grateful for your life-saving grace, so they sent you this gift. As your elder brother, I shall not steal your thunder."
Zhou Yuan smiled slightly, withdrew the patched robe, and clasped his hands, saying, "Since Imperial Brother does not want it, little brother can do nothing. However, I truly don't know what else I can give Imperial Brother besides this item."
"You still want to give something?" Zhou Wuji's expression stiffened, and a bad premonition arose in his heart. He gritted his teeth and smiled, "My virtuous brother can give anything. Its value is not important; the sentiment is."
"Imperial Brother says so, and I am reassured," Zhou Yuan chuckled, reached into his pocket, grabbed a handful of large red dates, and placed them directly into Zhou Wuji's hand. At the same time, he said sincerely, "Elder Brother, these are red dates that little brother planted in my own courtyard when I had nothing to do."
"In terms of taste, they are not as good as the red dates from the Western Regions, but they are still very sweet. I hope Elder Brother will not find them subpar."
Zhou Yuan smiled and released his hand. He knew very well what had transpired in the imperial palace that night.
Zhou Wuji looked at the red dates in his hand, his pupils contracting sharply. His gaze at Zhou Yuan was filled with uncontrollable shock. He clearly remembered that there were only him and the Emperor in the Taihe Hall that day. Zhou Tian could not have let such a matter slip.
Could it be that Zhou Yuan was hiding behind a screen in the hall when he entered the palace?
Zhou Wuji was utterly stunned.
The ministers below also had solemn expressions, as they could not understand what was happening. Why was Zhou Yuan giving Zhou Wuji red dates, and why did the latter look as if he had seen a ghost?
Could there be some secret hidden within these red dates?
After what seemed like a long time, Zhou Wuji slowly regained his senses, as he seemed to have guessed who had informed Zhou Yuan.
"Thank you, Third Brother. I will preserve these few red dates well."
Zhou Yuan smiled faintly:
"Imperial Brother should not preserve them. It's better to eat them soon, lest they rot."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Wuji immediately popped a red date into his mouth, chewing as he smiled, "Hahaha, then I shall do as Third Brother says."
Zhou Yuan glanced at the reactions of the ministers below. The corners of his lips curved slightly. At this point in the royal birthday banquet, he could be said to have won hands down. Zhou Wuji had been away from the capital for too long, and his attempts to manipulate him were far from sufficient!
"It's getting late, I think I should..."
"—Crown Prince!"
Just as Zhou Yuan clasped his hands, intending to wrap things up and leave early, a sudden young voice interrupted him.
The voice was loud and steady, yet not devoid of youthfulness. Everyone in the hall simultaneously turned their heads, looking towards the young figure clad in light armor and holding a long spear at the courtyard entrance.
"Your subordinate has arrived late. I beg Your Highness's forgiveness!"
The young general, with his steady demeanor, stood at the courtyard entrance, bowed towards the high platform from afar, and knelt on one knee.
Upon seeing the newcomer, Zhou Wuji's face immediately lit up with a smile. He strode down the high platform, extending his hands as he walked, saying with a laugh, "What is this for, my virtuous brother? Please rise quickly!"
"Yes!" The young general's expression was calm, his eyes holding a steadiness and world-weariness beyond his years. He glanced indifferently at the crowd, finally resting his gaze on Zhou Yuan, who stood on the platform.
Their eyes met.
Zhou Yuan narrowed his eyes and smiled slightly.
"Interesting."
Zhou Wuji led the young general back to the high platform, then, looking at all the ministers in the courtyard below, he announced with a hearty laugh, "Everyone, let me introduce you to my good friend, Lu Xuan, whom I met when I first joined the border army."
"Lu surname?" Zhou Yuan raised an eyebrow. This surname, and being from the military, could it be that...
Zhou Wuji smiled, patted the young general's shoulder, and said with emotion, "Back then, when I first joined the border army, I knew nothing. Your grandfather reprimanded me harshly and even whipped me. It was this young man who pleaded for me.
"Six years have passed in a flash. I have returned to the capital, and you, my boy, have grown so tall."
Hearing this, Lu Xuan recalled those times, and a hint of a smile appeared on his stern face.
The ministers below exchanged glances, and then a civil official spoke, tentatively asking, "May I ask if this young brother Lu's grandfather is the one we are thinking of?"
Zhou Wuji smiled proudly and announced, "It is Marshal Lu Nantian!"
"—Boom!"
Upon hearing this name, not a single official present, civil or military, failed to show a look of astonishment. Even Li Zao's eyes became solemn.
Marshal Lu Nantian was arguably the most legendary figure in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Since before the reign of the previous emperor, this old man, wielding his long spear, had stood like a city wall on the border between Zhou and Xia, repelling countless enemy attacks. He had even once, alone on his horse, pursued the enemy for eight hundred li, capturing a general of the Xia army, which had shocked the entire nation!
If Zhou Tian, the majestic and unparalleled ruler, was the sun of the Great Zhou Dynasty, then Lu Nantian, the old general who had guarded the frontier for centuries and ensured the peace of the realm, was the sun in the hearts of tens of millions of the Great Zhou's people, a living legend!
And that legend had not appeared in public view for nearly a decade. Little news of him circulated in the martial world. People only knew that he remained at his post in the border army, day in and day out, for centuries. Yet today, his grandson had appeared in the imperial city!
Lu Xuan felt the reverent gazes from below, remaining very calm. Having grown up accustomed to such attention, this scene was not enough to stir any emotional waves within him.
Only this Zhou Yuan...
Lu Xuan turned his head and looked at the young prince beside him, who was about his age. A hint of fighting spirit emerged in his stern eyes. Even in the border army, he had heard Zhou Yuan's name countless times, simply because the latter was privately hailed by many as the most brilliant genius in the Great Zhou Dynasty, past and present.
Whether in court politics or cultivation, he was an unparalleled existence at such an age.
But Lu Xuan did not agree.
Because Zhou Yuan had never defeated him.
Zhou Yuan sensed Lu Xuan's gaze and looked at him with calm eyes. After a period of quiet observation, he smiled slightly and consciously shifted his gaze away.
He was clearly aware of the fighting spirit in the other's eyes, but unfortunately, he had no interest in sparring with the grandson of a legendary old general, as the legend was Lu Nantian, not Lu Xuan.
However, Lu Xuan did not think so, and so he spoke:
"Brother Zhou, I am late for your banquet. As an apology, please grant me an opportunity to compensate."
Zhou Wuji asked with a smile:
"Very well, how do you wish to compensate?"
"Let me say this first, if you wish to give a gift, then there's no need. I have received too many things today."
Lu Xuan's expression was stern, and he clasped his hands, saying, "I wish to have a fight, to entertain Your Highness with a martial display!"
"Oh?" Zhou Wuji's eyes narrowed. He pretended to scan everyone present, then smiled and said, "It seems everyone here is not your age. Only the woman sitting in the corner, and my imperial brother beside me, are comparable to you. It might be a bit difficult to choose."
Lu Xuan didn't even glance at Li Zao and cupped his hands, saying, "I do not fight women."
This clearly meant he wanted to fight Zhou Yuan.
Zhou Wuji chuckled, then continued teasingly, "You and my imperial brother were born in the same year. It would be good for you two to spar. However, I cannot make this decision. You will have to ask my brother for his opinion."
Saying this, Zhou Wuji, drawing everyone's attention, looked towards Zhou Yuan beside him.
Zhou Yuan's expression was calm, and he inwardly sneered. Zhou Wuji and Lu Xuan were clearly in cahoots, having conspired beforehand. They chose to pick a fight with him right after entering. How could such a coincidence occur!
Zhou Yuan clasped his hands and chuckled at Lu Xuan:
"Brother Lu's bearing is extraordinary, and he comes from the military. Your strength must be formidable. I am also very eager to spar with you."
"However, it is a pity. When I was in seclusion some time ago, I accidentally sustained some internal injuries. I am still recovering, so I fear I cannot fulfill your wish."
Zhou Yuan circumvented the issue and politely declined.
It wasn't that he was afraid of Lu Xuan. It was simply that this was Zhou Wuji's territory. He couldn't act as he pleased for the sake of caution. Even if he believed he wouldn't lose, couldn't Zhou Wuji secretly play some tricks?
The combined power of a Crown Prince and the grandson of a great marshal could be described as terrifying. Who knew what hidden traps awaited him!
Li Zao below, witnessing this, raised his evaluation of Zhou Yuan once again. In this situation, finding a way to avoid a fight was the most sensible course of action.
However, Lu Xuan would not let such a good opportunity pass. He had been victorious in countless battles in the army, with no opponent his age. Yet, he had been suppressed by someone he had never met for so many years.
If he didn't fight today, how could he be satisfied!
Lu Xuan looked at Zhou Yuan and said coldly:
"It matters not. I can let you use only one hand."
Zhou Wuji's lips curved into a smile. This was his prepared trump card. Having Lu Xuan defeat Zhou Yuan would shatter the world's perfect impression of Zhou Yuan, which was his true objective.
As long as Zhou Yuan lost this fight, or refused to fight and left, no matter how clever the reasons given, they would not silence the world. This was because Lu Xuan, both in terms of status and talent, was sufficiently qualified to fight him, and they had ample justification.
To entertain the guests with a martial display.
You just gave me a few dates.
Will you fight or not?
Zhou Yuan looked at Lu Xuan's left hand hidden behind his back. A trace of noble fighting spirit flashed in his eyes. A terrifying golden radiance erupted from beneath his robes, causing the entire high platform to tremble with the fluctuation of his energy.
Zhou Wuji was startled, but thinking of Lu Xuan's strength, he confidently descended the high platform with the others, preparing to watch the match from below.
"Take out your left hand from behind your back."
Zhou Yuan, with his hands behind his back, stepped forward calmly. His eyes were like those of an ancient emperor of the firmament, gazing down at Lu Xuan from a superior position. His voice was ethereal and majestic as he said faintly:
"If the loser falls too quickly, it will not be as entertaining."
A hint of shock flickered in Lu Xuan's stern eyes. Goosebumps erupted all over his body, and his face turned pale, as if he had been intimidated by Zhou Yuan's sudden majesty.
But the next moment, he reacted, brought out his left hand from behind his back, wielded his long spear, and stirred up a spectral nine-clawed azure dragon in the air. Its dense scales resembled city walls hundreds of meters high at the border, piercing through dark clouds to bathe in lightning, roaring as it charged at Zhou Yuan.
"—Boom crack!"
Zhou Yuan, his hands still behind his back, conjured a tall and majestic golden apparition above his head, as if condensed from the laws of the Great Dao. It directly and forcefully withstood the terrifying azure dragon spear.
"What!"
Lu Xuan was shocked. He hadn't expected Zhou Yuan to block his spear so easily. He had used this move before, and it had instantly killed a cultivator at the peak of the third stage!
Zhou Yuan's pupils were filled with brilliant golden light, extending outwards from the corners of his eyes like dense golden scales, noble as a golden dragon. The tall apparition of the Great Dao's laws had completely coalesced. Its golden eyes shattered the body of the azure dragon and shone upon Lu Xuan, reprimanding him with the majesty of a holy emperor:
"I am fighting you. Is this all you have!"
"—Ah!!!"
Lu Xuan felt humiliated. Enduring the risk of his bones breaking, he forcefully straightened his body, gripped his spear with both hands, roared, and leaped into the air. Behind him, a dark illusion of a battlefield unfolded, with an endless army charging towards the sky on horseback. Terrifying fighting spirit converged into Lu Xuan's spear, striking towards the holy emperor apparition.
"Insubordinate!"
Zhou Yuan's hands remained behind his back. His figure suddenly appeared above the holy emperor apparition. As if stepping on a divine manifestation, he roared down at the charging Lu Xuan with immense authority.
Terrifying imperial might descended, and holy light shone, instantly scattering the vast iron cavalry army behind him. Myriad soldiers bowed in submission, leaving only Lu Xuan still wielding his spear and charging.
"Rebel, withdraw!"
Zhou Yuan's eyes flashed with sharp light. He roared again. The holy emperor apparition leaned forward, and countless brilliant heavenly might condensed into mud and sand. With the weight of a mountain, it slammed down, striking Lu Xuan's body.
"—Boom crack!"
Lu Xuan's body could not withstand this devastating blow. He plummeted to the high platform like a shooting star, shattering the wooden planks and obsidian beneath him.
Everyone in the hall stared at the scene with exaggerated expressions.
Because when Lu Xuan was struck to the ground, Zhou Yuan's hands were still behind his back.
Li Zao couldn't help but show a hint of a smile on his face.
Lu Xuan had said he would let Zhou Yuan use only one hand, but in the end, Zhou Yuan defeated him with ease, without even using his hands.
"Truly impressive. It seems brute force won't work."
Li Zao smiled faintly and quietly departed.
...