Quick Transmigration: Why did you provoke him? He's love-struck!

Chapter 459 Relying on Favor (4)

Yan Zhen reined in his horse and introduced himself to the soldiers on the battlements: "I am Tan Junzhuo from Daliang. I have come here to see the King of Zhao. Please inform him of my identity."

The soldiers on the battlements were taken aback: "Are you a member of the Great Liang army?"

“Exactly,” Yan Zhen said, raising his head.

The soldiers' sarcastic remarks and doubts, which were on the tip of their tongues, choked back when they met that incomparably beautiful face.

The two soldiers whispered to each other for a few moments and decided to inform their superiors first.

Yan Zhen waited patiently outside the city for half an hour before the city gates slowly opened.

A middle-aged man dressed in armor, holding a red-tasseled spear, rode a horse and waited on the main road in the city with a group of soldiers.

Upon seeing Yan Zhen from afar, he called out loudly, "My king invites you."

Yan Zhen urged the horse on, and let Fu Xue catch up.

Two horses entered the city one after the other, and led by the man, they headed towards the residence of the King of Zhao.

The city was under martial law, and the people stayed at home. The huge city was deserted except for the patrolling soldiers. The banners bearing the character "Zhao" fluttered in the wind, making the whole city so quiet that it seemed like a ghost town.

After traveling for about 45 minutes, the horse stopped in front of a magnificent complex of buildings with red roofs and green tiles.

The man dismounted and said to Yan Zhen, "We've arrived."

Yan Zhen also dismounted: "General, my maidservant twisted her ankle on the way here and should not come in with me, lest she be disrespectful in front of Your Majesty. Could you please find a place to temporarily accommodate her?"

The man looked Yan Zhen up and down, and said in a nonchalant tone, "Okay."

Yan Zhen told Fu Xue not to run around and to wait for him to return before going inside alone.

Before being seized by Zhao Yuan, Tingzhou was governed by a vassal king.

Although a vassal king is a king, his food, clothing and daily necessities are regulated. Once he oversteps the bounds, it is tantamount to treason.

The place where Zhao Yuan lived was clearly the residence of the previous vassal king. Although it was magnificent and luxurious, it was still within the regulations of a "vassal king's residence".

Yan Zhen walked through the courtyard and entered the main hall, where many generals in armor were discussing matters, and a young man in black robes sat at the head of the hall.

Upon seeing the young man's face clearly, Yan Zhen paused slightly—it was Jing Chen again.

Jingchen in this world is no more than twenty years old. He has long arms and legs and a tall, upright figure. His face, which has not yet fully matured, carries an arrogance and domineering air between youth and adolescence. His angular face has superior bone structure.

What surprised Yan Zhen was his eyes; his left eye was light brown amber, while his right eye was a deep sea blue.

I recall Fu Xue calling him a "monster," probably because of his heterochromatic eyes.

While Yan Zhen was observing Zhao Yuan, Zhao Yuan was also sizing her up.

When he first saw Yan Zhen, a hint of amazement flashed in his eyes.

But as he lowered his eyelids, and then lifted them again, all that remained in his eyes was amusement.

"Are you Tan Junzhuo?"

"Exactly."

Zhao Yuan rubbed two copper coins in his hand, his tone nonchalant: "I heard that Tan Xuanmo is going to send the princess to the Northern Jurchens for a marriage alliance. Could it be you?"

"Yes."

"Oh?" Zhao Yuan stood up and slowly walked to Yan Zhen. "Why didn't you go to the marriage alliance? What are you doing in Tingzhou?"

Yan Zhen glanced at the generals present.

Zhao Yuan understood her meaning, and he waved to dismiss the others.

Before long, only the two people remained in the large main hall.

Yan Zhen got straight to the point: "I want to discuss a collaboration with you."

Zhao Yuan stared at her face, seemingly more interested in her features than in the "cooperation" she was about to discuss.

"Tell me."

“I do not wish to go through a political marriage,” Yan Zhen said. “If we join forces to seize the world, and you ascend the throne, I, as the emperor of Liang, will bestow upon you the title of ‘legitimate ruler,’ how about it?”

In this way, Zhao Yuan's ascension to the throne would not be considered that of a "traitorous minister".

After listening, Zhao Yuan said lazily, "Not good."

Yan Zhen was taken aback.

Zhao Yuan scoffed: "Since I'm already planning a rebellion, why should I care about legitimacy?"

Yan Zhen frowned: "But if your name is not legitimate, how will future generations of history judge you..."

"I don't care." Zhao Yuan spread his hands. "Let them say whatever they want, as long as they don't say it in front of me. As for what happens after I die—I'm already dead anyway. If my descendants are not satisfied, they can dig me out of my grave and whip my corpse."

Yan Zhen: "..."

Is this guy brainless or just too carefree?

How could he talk about something as serious as treason as if it were child's play?

However, considering that the original owner's memories show that King Zhao died at Xie Ying's hands not long after his uprising, he probably wasn't a very shrewd person.

I chose the wrong partner.

"excuse me."

After Yan Zhen finished speaking, he turned to leave.

"Wait," Zhao Yuan called out to her, his eyes gleaming with even more amusement. "Where are you going?"

Yan Zhen frankly said, "Since you don't intend to cooperate, I will naturally go to find a vassal king who is willing to cooperate."

Zhao Yuan scoffed and leaned closer to Yan Zhen: "The Liang princess has delivered herself to our doorstep, do you think you can just leave?"

He got closer, his heterochromatic eyes staring intently at Yan Zhen.

Yan Zhen wondered if it was just his imagination, but he saw in those eyes the mischievous, boyish malice of someone who thought, "How about it? Are you about to cry?" and "Hurry up and cry your heart out and beg for mercy on your knees."

She calmly asked, "Are you going to kill me?"

“No,” Zhao Yuan said. “Keeping you here will prevent you from winning over other vassal kings, and it will also cause the marriage alliance between Daliang and Beijue to fall through. When Beijue comes to attack, Daliang’s army will be exhausted, and I will reap the benefits. It’s a win-win situation.”

Yan Zhen thought for a moment and said, "Okay, then I'll stay."

After saying that, she turned around and sat down in the armchair where the general had just been sitting, and rubbed her sore arms.

I rode a horse for three days and I'm exhausted.

Zhao Yuan was taken aback by her reaction and frowned, saying, "You just... agreed?"

Yan Zhen picked up the untouched teacup on the table and drank half of it in one gulp: "Mmm."

With war raging outside and chaos reigning, she needed a safe place to stay.

Since Zhao Yuan doesn't intend to kill her, it's fine for her to stay here.

Moreover, Zhao Yuan is an old acquaintance, so staying in Tingzhou is more worthwhile than trying to win over those old vassal kings who may already be in their forties or fifties.

Seeing her stay so calmly, Zhao Yuan, who had originally wanted to see her panic and fear, became uneasy. He frowned and said, "Get up! Did I tell you to sit down?"

Yan Zhen looked puzzled: "What?"

"Who do you think you are?" Zhao Yuan said rudely. "This is Tingzhou, not the Liang Imperial Palace. There's no such thing as a palace here!"

"Then what am I?"

Zhao Yuan narrowed his eyes, raised his chin, and said wickedly, "My personal maidservant died of illness a few days ago. You will take her place from now on."

Yan Zhen was silent for a moment, then suddenly looked at Zhao Yuan, scrutinizing him from head to toe, before revealing a meaningful smile: "So, your personal maid serves you?"

Zhao Yuan: "..."

He felt a sense of unease, as if Yan Zhen had stripped him naked and sexually assaulted him with his eyes: "Yes, serve tea and water, wash feet and change clothes. If you don't do it..."

"I'll do it," Yan Zhen said, standing up with a hint of eagerness in his voice. "I can take office right now."