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During the negotiations, the Qing Kingdom was very strong. After more than ten days of mutual testing and entanglement, the balance of the negotiations was finally broken due to a piece of news from the Northern Qi Kingdom.

Yan Bingyun, the chief spy sent by Qing State to Northern Qi, was captured. Northern Qi used Yan Bingyun as a hostage, demanding that Qing State release the imprisoned Sean and reduce the terms of the negotiations.

When Emperor Qing heard the news, although he was angry, he acted decisively and said that except for the occupied state, all other conditions could be negotiated.

In fact, this was the only solution. After all, Yan Bingyun led a group of secret agents in Shangjing City of Northern Qi, and it was impossible for Qing Kingdom not to rescue him.

If Yan Bingyun was dead, everything would be fine. The key is that Yan Bingyun was captured alive. If Emperor Qing did not rescue him, it would damage his reputation and would also disappoint many spies who had risked their lives for the Qing Kingdom. Once people's hearts are scattered, it will be difficult to lead the team.

That's why Emperor Qing decided to lower the negotiation conditions so decisively.

On the other hand, he was also trying to take advantage of the situation. He originally wanted to let Sean go back. He was worried that the reason was not enough, but now, if he let Sean go, no one would be able to say there was any problem.

As a result, with Emperor Qing's concessions, the negotiations soon took a turn for the better. Qing and Northern Qi negotiated for several more days, and finally the two sides reached a consensus.

The state that Qing conquered from Northern Qi did not have to be returned to Northern Qi, but Northern Qi had to pay Qing a small amount of gold and silver, as well as some other conditions.

In addition, in order to exchange hostages, the Kingdom of Qing needs to send an envoy to Shangjing City of Northern Qi and bring Sean with them to Shangjing City to exchange for Yan Bingyun.

After the discussion, both parties signed a contract and the peace talks were completed.

The peace talks ended successfully, and Emperor Qing specially held a celebratory banquet in the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests to reward those who had made contributions to the negotiations, and also invited the envoys from the Northern Qi and Dongyi City delegations.

Although Zhou Chen didn't want to see Emperor Qing, he was not afraid of it. Moreover, the night banquet in the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests was so lively that he certainly wanted to witness it. So he specially submitted a memorial to the palace, indicating that he would also go there on the day of the night banquet.

Emperor Qing was very surprised when he received Zhou Chen's memorial.

"This Zhou Chen, he didn't go to court when I asked him to, and he refused to accept the official position I gave him. Yet, he actually wanted to go to a small evening banquet at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. Is he trying to join in the fun?"

With the three forces of Qing Kingdom, Northern Qi and Dongyi City gathered together, it is normal to have some fun at the party. He is not a prophet who knows what will happen in the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, but he does not think that Zhou Chen just wants to join in the fun. Perhaps he has other purposes, but he can't think of them for the time being.

"Since he wants to come, let him come. To be honest, I haven't met him yet."

Zhou Chen lived in Kyoto for so many years, and after becoming a grandmaster, he returned for nearly a year. But in such a long time, Emperor Qing had never seen Zhou Chen once. He really wanted to meet this top genius in martial arts.

The next day, it was the day of the evening banquet in the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.

Zhan Pianpian and Sang Wen sat together playing chess, while Zhou Chen watched from the side and gave Zhan Pianpian some pointers from time to time. Zhan Pianpian was the eldest princess of the Northern Qi royal family. Although she was good at playing the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, she was not as proficient as Sang Wen.

Seeing that it was getting dark and the night banquet was not far from starting, Zhou Chen said something to Zhan Pianpian and Sang Wen, and asked He Qin to drive the carriage to take him to the palace.

Chapter 1456 The Banquet Begins, Fan Xian is Under Siege

We soon arrived at the palace by carriage.

"Master, I'll stay here and wait for you to come out."

"Ah."

Zhou Chen responded and walked towards the palace. He had been into the imperial palace before, but today was the first time he did so openly.

So when the soldiers on duty at the palace gate saw him, they didn't recognize him and immediately went up to question him.

"Who is coming?"

Before Zhou Chen could say anything, a deputy general ran over and yelled at the soldier who was questioning him.

"You are blind, this is the Duke of Zhenguo."

Then he saluted towards Zhou Chen with a flattering face and said, "I am here to see the Duke of Zhenguo. You are here to attend the evening banquet at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, right? Please come in."

Zhou Chen nodded at him without saying anything, and walked slowly into the palace.

In fact, he didn't know where the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests was, but that was not a problem, because those who came to the palace at this time were basically officials who were going to attend the night banquet at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. He just had to follow the crowd and follow behind others.

"The Duke of Zhenguo."

"Meet the Duke of Zhenguo."

"The Duke of Zhenguo."

"........."

On the way to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, many officials recognized Zhou Chen and came forward to greet him.

Although Zhou Chen did not hold any official position, the title of Duke Zhenguo was the highest in Qing Kingdom. Moreover, Zhou Chen was also a grandmaster, and his status was absolutely extraordinary.

Maybe everyone doesn't need to curry favor with him, but they will definitely say hello when they meet him. The attitude of most people towards Zhou Chen is that even if they can't make friends with him, they can't offend him.

Zhou Chen has always been a person who would not hit someone who smiled at him. Unless it was someone he disliked, he would not have a stern face if someone was polite to him, and would always respond one by one.

Soon, he arrived in front of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. Because there was a night banquet in the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests today, the guards outside the hall were very strict, and there were several teams of imperial guards guarding it.

There are many people coming to the dinner tonight, including envoys from Northern Qi and Dongyi City. The number of people is complex, so naturally we have to pay special attention to safety.

On the way to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, there was a team of imperial guards responsible for interrogating and checking people entering the hall, and no one entering was allowed to bring any sharp weapons.

When Zhou Chen passed by, he happened to see someone being interrogated. He did not stop and continued walking towards the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.

The lieutenant general in charge was about to interrogate Zhou Chen, but suddenly he saw an official saluting Zhou Chen.

"The Duke of Zhenguo."

When the general heard the title of Duke Zhenguo, he immediately stopped moving. Although his duty was to interrogate and examine the visitors, he also had to distinguish between different targets.

It's nothing for ordinary officials, but there are exceptions to everything. There's no need to interrogate people like the crown prince and the prince. Although this Duke Zhenguo is not a member of the royal family, he doesn't have the courage to step forward and interrogate them.

Zhou Chen walked up the stairs step by step. The scale of the Qing Palace was quite good. It was large and relatively new. Many palaces were built in recent decades.

The Northern Qi inherited the heritage of the former Wei Kingdom. The palace looked older, but had a stronger sense of historical sedimentation. However, a lot of it was destroyed in the First World War last year.

When Zhou Chen walked into the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the hall was already full of people. Many officials from the Qing Kingdom were very surprised to see Zhou Chen, and most of them stood up and greeted Zhou Chen.

"The Duke of Zhenguo."

…………

As for the Qi State, most people had never seen Zhou Chen before. After hearing how the Qing State officials addressed Zhou Chen, they quickly figured out Zhou Chen's identity. They all looked at each other in confusion, but no one joined in the fun.

"The Duke of Zhenguo."

Fan Xian also immediately stood up and saluted, and Xin Qiwu, the official from the Honglu Temple who was sitting next to him, also followed suit.

"I am the Junior Minister of the Honglu Temple, and I pay my respects to the Duke of Zhenguo."

Zhou Chen nodded slightly at him: "No need to be polite, sit down."

Continuing forward, when passing by the front, Yun Zhilan from the Dongyi City delegation suddenly stood up, walked up to Zhou Chen and saluted respectfully.

"Greetings, sir."

"Yun Zhilan, we meet again."

Yun Zhilan replied respectfully: "Sir, I didn't expect to see you here again. My master often talks about you and is eager to fight you again."

Zhou Chen replied calmly: "Next time I pass by Dongyi City, I might go to see your master again. I wonder if your master has any new tricks."

"Dongyi City welcomes you at any time, and my master will definitely not let you down."

"Ah."

Zhou Chen walked directly up the stairs, and the Crown Prince, the Second Prince and the Eldest Princess all stood up to greet him.

"The Duke of Zhenguo."

"Your Highness."...

Zhou Chen returned the greetings and then sat down at the table closest to the right side of the dragon table.

Fan Xian, who was below, was very surprised when he saw Zhou Chen's actions: "The position of the Duke of Zhenguo is higher than that of the Princess?"

Xin Qiwu explained in a low voice: "It's normal. Although the Duke of Zhenguo has no official position, he has a high title and is a Grand Master. His position is transcendent and his seat is second only to His Majesty and the Crown Prince."

"Tsk tsk, the treatment of a Grand Master is different." Fan Xian sighed.

Having been in Kyoto for such a long time and now being an official, he had seen the most the competition for power in official circles. Now he saw a different side. A great master like Zhou Chen, although he had no official power, had a truly transcendent status. Even the crown prince had to show goodwill to him, and the emperor did not dare to neglect him.

Zhou Chen sat with the eldest princess Li Yunrui. Li Yunrui asked Zhou Chen with a smile, "How come the Duke of Zhenguo has the leisure and elegance to attend the banquet today?"

Zhou Chen replied calmly: "When things get quiet, you may think of something else. It may also be that there will be something exciting to watch today. I like to join in the fun, so I am here."

Li Yunrui smiled sweetly and said, "If you like to watch the excitement, you should tell me. I also like to watch the excitement and can find a lot of excitement. Next time if there is something exciting to watch, I will definitely inform the Duke of Zhenguo in advance so that you can feast your eyes."

Zhou Chen glanced at her, and you immediately stopped laughing, and it wouldn’t be long before you became the center of the fun.

"I heard that the Duke of Zhenguo has a good relationship with Mr. Zhuang Mohan, a great literary figure in Northern Qi. Mr. Zhuang came to Kyoto and went to visit the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion?"

"I am indeed quite familiar with Mr. Zhuang. When I first went to Shangjing City, I stayed at Mr. Zhuang's mansion."

"Being able to be friends with Mr. Zhuang, it seems that I still didn't know you before. The Duke of Zhenguo is not only gifted in martial arts, but also has excellent knowledge of literature."

"Who knows."

Zhou Chen neither admitted nor denied it. He stopped talking, closed his eyes, and sat there quietly.

Seeing that Zhou Chen closed his eyes and remained silent, Li Yunrui stopped disturbing him and asked the female official behind him to call Fan Xian over. The two of them fought each other with guns and sticks in front of the hall.

After a while, Zhuang Mohan walked into the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests with a scroll of paper. Out of respect, everyone in the hall stood up and saluted, watching Zhuang Mohan go.

Li Yunrui took the opportunity to ridicule Fan Xian using Zhuang Mohan, but Fan Xian didn't take it seriously.

Zhuang Mohan walked very slowly, step by step, and nodded slightly to everyone until he sat down in his seat. He did not act very close to Zhou Chen.

Following a cry of "Your Majesty has arrived", Emperor Qing made his final appearance and sat down in front of the dragon table.

All the ministers in the hall stood up and knelt down to pay homage to Emperor Qing. Fan Xian looked up and saw that apart from the eunuchs behind Emperor Qing, only Zhou Chen and Zhuang Mohan were still standing. He hesitated for a moment, but finally knelt down.

"Long live my emperor! Long live!"

"Be flat."

Everyone stood up and returned to their seats, and Zhou Chen also sat down.

Emperor Qing immediately looked at Zhou Chen and said with a smile: "Duke Zhenguo, today is the first time that our monarch and subject meet."

Zhou Chen said calmly: "Yes, Your Majesty, my old injury has not healed yet and it is difficult for me to move. I have never had the opportunity to see Your Majesty. Please don't blame me."

The corner of Emperor Qing's mouth twitched slightly. His old injury had not healed yet, yet he went to Zuixianju every day. His old injury had not healed yet, yet he redeemed the girl in the brothel. His old injury had not healed yet, yet he took the Princess of Northern Qi shopping?

"It's okay. Health is more important. The Duke of Zhenguo is so young, you have to take good care of your health. The future of Qing Kingdom still depends on the Duke of Zhenguo."

"Your Majesty, you are too kind. I just know a little bit of martial arts. The future of Qing Kingdom is too heavy for me to bear."

"The Duke of Zhenguo is too modest. Nowadays, everyone in the world knows the Duke of Zhenguo's name. He is a young grandmaster, famous throughout the world and one of a kind."

"Your Majesty has conquered the world with his power and achievements, and you deserve the respect of the people of the world."

It was obvious that both of them disliked each other and even had the idea of ​​getting rid of each other, but when they met for the first time, they seemed particularly "harmonious", praising each other and being extremely harmonious.

People who don’t know them well might think they have a very good relationship, but some people can tell that there’s something wrong with the tone of their voices.

As they were talking, the palace maids had already started serving food and wine, and at Emperor Qing's signal, everyone began to eat and drink.

Emperor Qing no longer continued his verbal confrontation with Zhou Chen. Today was a celebration banquet and Zhou Chen was not the protagonist. It was enough to see Zhou Chen and there was no need to hold on to him.

He coughed lightly, and everyone put down their bowls and chopsticks. Only two people seemed not to have heard it. One was Zhou Chen, who was still drinking and eating, and the other was Fan Xian, who was eating and drinking heartily.

Emperor Qing just glanced at Zhou Chen and passed him by, his gaze finally falling on Fan Xian.

"Fan Xielu."

Fan Xian didn't react at all. It was only when Xin Qiwu beside him reminded him that he realized he was being called, so he stood up and walked to the middle.

"His Majesty."

"You've seen me several times and never knelt down. I thought you would stand up this time."

"That would incur public outrage."

Emperor Qing waved to Fan Xian, and Fan Xian walked forward. Emperor Qing teased him a few words, then called Yun Zhilan out and told Yun Zhilan that Fan Xian was the one who killed his apprentice. Yun Zhilan did not take it seriously and responded casually with a few words.

Emperor Qing praised Fan Xian a few words. Fan Xian was about to go back and sit down when the Second Prince suddenly stood up and praised Fan Xian again. He proposed that Fan Xian should preside over the imperial examination next year. The Crown Prince followed suit and also agreed that Fan Xian should preside over the imperial examination.

But Emperor Qing just dealt with it casually. He had other plans for Fan Xian and was not in a hurry about the Spring Examination.

At this moment, Zhuang Mohan suddenly spoke up and asked about Fan Xian, and then reminded Emperor Qing intentionally or unintentionally that the Spring Examination was a big deal and that the person to preside over it needed to be carefully selected. From his words, he actually did not agree with letting Fan Xian preside over it.

Seeing Zhuang Mohan's actions, Zhou Chen sighed in his heart. When Zhuang Mohan didn't answer him directly last time, he already knew that Zhuang Mohan had made up his mind, which was one of the reasons why he was there today.

He respected Zhuang Mohan and would not stop his actions, but after all, he was a close friend and could not stop him. However, he still had to ensure Zhuang Mohan's safety, but it would take more effort.

Things were going in the direction Li Yunrui had expected, so he stopped sitting and stood up to add fuel to the fire.

She walked to the middle, facing Zhuang Mohan, and said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Mr. Zhuang has a deep knowledge of ancient and modern times. I have always admired him, but I cannot agree with what he said just now. Although I am a woman with shallow knowledge, I have read Fan Xian's seven-character poem. This person is very young, but just from this poem, we can see that he is very talented. What Mr. Zhuang said just now was vaguely directed at Fan Xian. Are you worried that the young man will surpass you and surpass you in fame in the future?"

Zhuang Mohan cooperated with Li Yunrui's acting, smiled lightly, and did not answer.