Traveling through Tianlong: Starting from the Zhenlong chess game

Chapter 526: The Mystery of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils"
Then Ah Zhu hurriedly put the box away safely, not daring to delay for a moment.

After handing the box to Ah Zhu, Zhao Mu was completely relieved.

At sunrise on the second day, it was time for Zhao Mu's convoy to set off for his fiefdom.

Everyone in the family was filled with emotion. After living in the capital for a long time, they were all a little sad to leave suddenly.

Especially Zhao Ji and Qiu Shuang and Dong Xue. Just many years ago, Zhao Ji did the same thing. She brought the young Zhao Mu and Qiu Shuang and Dong Xue and rushed from Bian Jing to Dai in disgrace.

But this time they left Bianjing again and went to the more distant Western Xia Kingdom. Although this was Zhao Mu's promotion and she was going to Qi Kingdom to be his "Queen Mother", Zhao Ji was not happy at all.

At least in the capital, she could still talk to a few acquaintances. Or she could visit the Zhongxiao Palace or the Dongping County Prince's Palace, but this time, she would be in a strange place, and only Qiu Shuang, Dong Xue, and Ah Zhu would accompany her.

The same thing happened to Cong Longxuan, who was dressed in an official robe. She didn't know why, but she always felt like she was being sent to Xixia to marry a princess.

However, Mu Wanqing and others did not react much. After all, the capital was not their home, and going to Xixia was just a change of place to live.

This time, Zhezong personally led civil and military officials and stood in front of the Meridian Gate to see Zhao Mu off.

Before leaving, Zhezong took out the imperial wine and gave it to Zhao Mu.

Zhezong held up the wine glass and said, "Uncle, take care on your journey. I will give you this wine as a farewell!"

Zhao Mu took the imperial wine from Zhezong, drank it all, and then bowed to Zhezong.

However, Zhezong's expression at this time was very strange. It felt like a farewell between life and death. Zhao Mu felt as if he had poisoned the wine. However, seeing the sincerity in Zhezong's eyes, Zhao Mu also dispelled his doubts.

Zhao Mu bowed three times and kowtowed nine times to Zhezong, and was ready to bid farewell. Zhezong personally helped Zhao Mu up, and he also held Zhao Mu's hand tightly.

Zhezong said: "Take care on your journey, uncle!"

Zhao Mu bowed respectfully for the last time: "Your Majesty, I bid you farewell!"

Then Zhao Mu turned around and got on his own carriage. The procession of King Qi also began to slowly leave the capital.

When he could no longer see Zhao Mu's carriage and flags, Zhezong even climbed up the city wall of the imperial city to continue looking into the distance.

When Queen Meng and Concubine Liu saw this, Concubine Liu couldn't help but say, "I really don't understand why your majesty thinks so highly of him. He has given him so much honor and even divided the country equally with him, yet he is still so reluctant to let him go. If the Prince of Qi was a girl, I'm afraid there would be nothing for us sisters to do."

Facing Concubine Liu's indignation, Empress Meng said, "Sister, don't talk nonsense. Prince Qi is the pillar of our Song Dynasty and your Majesty's right-hand man. Now that Prince Qi is on a long journey, your Majesty is naturally reluctant to let him go. Prince Qi is the one who stands on our side. Now Prince Qi is going to Jingping in the northwest, and I don't know when he will return. Your Majesty is probably alone in the court. Now your Majesty is like losing an arm and a right-hand man. How can you not be sad? How can you not be in pain?"

Concubine Liu said, "I understand this, of course. But your Majesty is a little corny."

Queen Meng didn't say anything else, but just kept shaking her head.

Zhezong stood on the city wall for a long time, until the flag of Qi State completely disappeared from his sight, then he slowly walked down the city wall.

Zhezong called out, "Thirteen!" Fang Shisan stepped out and bowed, saying, "I am here!"

Zhezong wiped the tears from his eyes, and then put on his arrogant air. He said, "Do as we arranged before."

Fang Shisan bowed to Zhezong and said, "Yes! I obey your order."

Then Fang Shisan did not delay any longer and left quickly.

Zhao Mu was sitting in a carriage, heading towards the Western Xia Kingdom with his ceremonial guard and family.

Zhezong had also arranged all the civil and military officials, generals and troops for Zhao Mu.

Most of the officials in Qi State were Han-sinic Tanguts or Han Chinese who were retained by the old Xixia State. And Zhezong added a group of officials to Zhao Mu. Most of these officials were Zhao Mu's "disciples and former officials". The person who served as the prime minister was the previous top scholar, Hu Yanrui, the cousin of Hu Yanjin.

The 50,000 private soldiers that Zhezong granted to Zhao Mu were also on their way. When these 50,000 soldiers arrived in Qi, together with the Xixia foreign soldiers who were willing to stay in the old land of Xixia and the troops left behind by the Song Dynasty, Zhao Mu had a total of 130,000 soldiers. The commanders of these soldiers were all Zhao Mu's old subordinates from the two wars. These people were very convinced by King Qi.

However, when Zhao Mu thought about having to feed 130,000 mouths, he felt overwhelmed.

Zhao Mu's original fantasy of a wonderful life was that he occupied Lingzhou City, lived in a house as big as the Xixia Royal Palace, and then turned Lingzhou City into a must-go commercial city on the Silk Road and vigorously developed commerce, just like Chang'an City back then.

Then, as the mayor of the city, he collected business taxes from merchants in both places. Although the income of a city is much less than that of a country, the income of a city would be spent on Zhao Mu's family in several lifetimes.

He used this huge sum of money to support his servants, wives, concubines, and courtesans in the palace, and then lived a comfortable life of wine and women. He could even occasionally build a large-scale building.

As for other people's livelihood, Zhao Mu did not intend to care about it at all, and even planned to let the Song Dynasty government bear the burden. He himself did not care about anything, did not ask anything, and closed the door to be a "master" lying in the gentle land of his beautiful wives and concubines.

In a word, the more places to make money, the better, and the fewer people who ask for food, the better. And the people around you, such as "Cong Longxuan", who don't have to pay their "salary", are even better.

But now Zhezong threw the entire Western Xia Kingdom to him and gave him hundreds of thousands of mouths to feed.

What he wanted was to sleep in the arms of a beauty every morning until he woke up naturally, and after breakfast, he would be faced with beautiful women singing and dancing. He would hug one and kiss one. It was ecstasy and joyful.

His daily life from now on was to get up before dawn. After getting dressed, he would sit on a chair in the Yin'an Hall and listen to a bunch of rough men chattering. After listening to them chattering, he would have to deal with the pile of trivial matters on the table. Only after a busy day could he be intimate with his beauties.

When Zhao Mu thought about his future life, he wanted to die.

Although being a vassal king is very impressive and glorious, this is not what Zhao Mu wants in life. Zhao Mu wants to be a rich and powerful king who can retire after success. But why does God want him to be a king who is in power?

Now Zhao Mu felt that he might have entered the puzzle of "Tian Long Ba Bu". He couldn't get what he wanted. But what he didn't want was within his reach. This feeling of wanting but not getting was really uncomfortable.

Now Zhao Mu somewhat understood Murong Fu's feelings.

(End of this chapter)