gnovel Chapter 351 Nanzhao Kingdom
Chapter 351 Nanzhao Kingdom
When Lin Chen's carriage arrived at the city gate, a group of people were already standing there.
The leader was a middle-aged man, wearing a dark gold robe and a jade crown on his head. His face bore a five or six-point resemblance to Murong Xue.
He was Murong Jing, the King of Nanzhao.
Standing next to him was his younger brother, Murong Hong.
Lin Chen had met him a few times in Dayan before, so he was an old acquaintance.
Behind him followed a large group of civil and military officials in official robes, a dark mass of at least a hundred people.
As soon as Lin Chen stepped off the carriage, Murong Jing came to greet him.
It's not leaving, it's welcoming.
The speed was like a wedding robbery.
He walked at a moderate pace, each step steady and deliberate. After all, he was a king, and appearances mattered.
But the smile on her face was impossible to hide.
His eyes shone like he'd found money, and his grin stretched almost to his ears.
He exuded an aura that said, "My son-in-law is here, so you all get out of my way."
"Your Highness, your esteemed presence is an honor! I am deeply sorry for failing to greet you properly!"
Murong Jing bowed and clasped his hands, his manners impeccable, after all, Lin Chen was the Prince of Zhenbei of the superior country.
Lin Chen quickly helped him up and said with a smile:
"Father-in-law, you're too kind. I was just passing through the southern border and stopped by to see you. Please don't be so formal."
Murong Jing straightened up, looked Lin Chen up and down with eyes that seemed to regard him as a gold nugget, and grinned from ear to ear:
"Alright, alright, my dear son-in-law, you must be tired from your journey. Hurry up and get into the city."
When he said "hurry into the city," his hand was already tugging at Lin Chen's sleeve.
He's really arrogant.
Lin Chen was pulled forward and staggered a step.
Lan Fenghuang almost burst out laughing from behind, and quickly lowered her head to pretend to adjust her headdress.
Behind Murong Jing, a young man stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:
"Greetings, Prince Zhenbei."
His tone was polite but a little distant, and his eyes were a bit unfocused, clearly indicating that he hadn't yet figured out how to address this legendary "second" brother-in-law.
Lin Chen glanced at him.
The young man was around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a handsome appearance. His eyebrows resembled Murong Xue's, but he had more heroic spirit and less refinement.
Prince Murong Yun of Nanzhao.
Murong Xue had mentioned to him that her brother was a good person, but a bit rigid, the kind of honest person who was afraid of stepping on an ant.
"You must be Murong's brother, right? Xue'er mentioned you to me. Don't call me Prince Zhenbei, just call me brother-in-law or by my name."
Murong Yun was taken aback.
He clearly didn't expect that the legendary, ruthless Prince of Zhenbei would ask him to call him "brother-in-law" as his first words.
Murong Hong kicked him from the side and whispered:
"Shout!"
Murong Yun then realized what was happening and whispered:
"Brother-in-law?"
The last syllable of the sound rose slightly, carrying a hint of uncertainty, like someone doing something wrong.
Lin Chen smiled and patted his shoulder:
"Oh! That's right, we're all family, don't be so formal and polite."
The slap made Murong Yun's shoulder sway.
But he visibly relaxed, let out a sigh of relief, smiled and nodded, and stepped aside.
Murong Hong walked over from the side, smiling and clasping his hands in greeting:
"Your Highness, it's been a long time."
Lin Chen nodded: "Uncle Wang, how have you been?"
Murong Hong laughed heartily: "Thanks to Your Highness, everything is fine."
He went to Dayan to pay tribute every year and had dealt with Lin Chen several times. He was much more at ease with Lin Chen than his nephew, and spoke more freely.
"I had a few jars of that wine we drank in Beijing last time brought back. Shall we have a couple of drinks tonight, you and me?"
Lin Chen raised an eyebrow: "You're still thinking about that wine?"
"I've been thinking about it for half a year!" Murong Hong slapped his thigh. "Let me tell you, that wine—"
"Alright, alright," Murong Jing waved his hand dismissively.
"Stop talking about drinking at the city gate, let's go inside and talk."
He stepped aside to lead the way, gesturing with his hand towards the city gate in a posture so perfect it could be used in a etiquette tutorial video.
"Please come, son-in-law!"
Lin Chen nodded and started walking into the city.
Behind him, hundreds of civil and military officials made way for him.
The scene was like Moses parting the sea.
A crowd of onlookers gathered at the city gate, but soldiers kept them on both sides.
They craned their necks to look this way, chattering in the local dialect of Nanzhao. Lin Chen couldn't quite understand it, but he could roughly guess that they were talking about him.
A woman holding a child was whispering to someone next to her, her voice very low, but Lin Chen's ears were sharp enough to hear her:
"Is that the Prince of Zhenbei? He's so young."
Another chimed in, "I heard he has more than twenty wives, tsk tsk..."
"He's a big shot, what's wrong with him marrying a few more? It's none of your business!"
"I didn't say it was bad, I just felt...would it be too tiring?"
Lin Chen paused in his steps.
He continued walking forward expressionlessly, pretending not to hear.
Lan Fenghuang, walking beside him, also heard it. A slight smile curved her lips as she lowered her voice:
"My husband, did you hear that?"
Lin Chen remained expressionless: "I didn't hear you."
"That woman said you looked exhausted."
I said I didn't hear it.
Lan Fenghuang laughed even harder, her shoulders shaking, and she reached out to pinch Lin Chen's arm:
"Then why are you blushing?"
"From sun exposure."
"It's cloudy in Nanzhao today."
"...windy."
Lan Fenghuang laughed so hard she could barely stand up straight.
Lingbo followed at the very back at a leisurely pace, her white robes fluttering gently in the wind. Her face remained expressionless, but her ears twitched slightly.
She suddenly spoke, her voice calm:
"That sister-in-law also said something."
Lin Chen turned to look at her: "What?"
Lingbo relayed the words expressionlessly: "But he is truly handsome. I would die willing to have a night of passion with him."
Lin Chen: "..."
Blue Phoenix burst out laughing.
Murong Jing walked ahead, glanced back, and looked completely bewildered.
"What's wrong?"
Lin Chen waved his hand: "It's alright, father-in-law, let's go."
After entering the city, there is a wide main street paved with bluestone, with shops lining both sides, selling all kinds of things.
The signs for selling medicinal herbs, cloth, silver jewelry, and food were hung everywhere.
The streets were bustling with people, just as lively as the capital of Dayan.
A kebab vendor shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Lamb skewers! Fresh lamb skewers!"
The old man selling sugar figurines next to him wasn't about to be outdone:
"Sugar figurine! Blowing sugar figurine! Blowing a Zhenbei King!"
Lin Chen's eye twitched.
Are there really people praising him?
He turned his head and glanced at the old man. The old man had only blown half of the sugar figurine in his hand. He puffed out his cheeks and blew hard, and the sugar syrup slowly swelled up, making it vaguely recognizable as a human figure.
But that face...
It was blown off-center.
Lin Chen silently withdrew his gaze.
At the end of the street, a mountain can be seen in the distance, with a white building complex on it, extending upwards in layers, shimmering in the sunlight, like a palace embedded in the mountain.
That is a temple.
The place where Lan Fenghuang grew up.
Lin Chen glanced at it, then looked at Lan Fenghuang.
She was looking at the mountain, her face expressionless, but there was something indescribable in her eyes.
Lin Chen didn't say anything, but simply reached out and squeezed her hand.
Blue Phoenix paused for a moment, then gently returned the handshake.
Her hands were a little cold.