The Demon Lords

Chapter 442 52 Qian Emperor_2

As they moved forward and were about to cross a courtyard, Shao Wenjie made an inviting gesture. A young eunuch appeared ahead. Shao Wenjie and the eunuch seemed to perform a handover; the eunuch then lit a lantern and signaled for Zheng Fan to follow him.

Am I not going to meet the civil and military officials?

In Zheng Fan's original imaginings, he might have had to face the civil and military officials of the Qian State in the imperial court, inevitably engaging in some verbal duels.

But apparently, that step had been skipped.

After following the young eunuch for a while longer, the eunuch stopped in front of an arched gateway, bowed courteously, and stepped back a few paces.

Zheng Fan nodded and walked straight in.

As soon as he entered, Zheng Fan saw a female captain in silver armor appear before him.

"Envoy of Yan, please excuse the intrusion."

Zheng Fan didn't resist and spread his arms.

This felt much like going through an airport security check in his previous life.

Moreover, she was a female member of the Silver Armored Guard. Not bad, he didn't mind, and her hands were soft.

Zheng Fan wasn't carrying any weapons. The only thing that might potentially cause an issue was the Mo Wan hidden in his clothes.

However, the Mo Wan was sly.

When the female Silver Armored Guard's hand searched his upper body, the Mo Wan moved down.

When her hand searched his lower body, the Mo Wan circled around from behind and moved up.

Throughout the process, it remained completely silent, without the slightest trace of its aura leaking out. This was likely the Mo Wan's special ability; being a soul entity and currently self-sealed, it was inherently difficult to detect.

Unless this Silver Armored Guard possessed heightened senses like those of a blind person, or perhaps was one of those psychic mages rumored to exist in the West.

After the search was completed, the female Silver Armored Guard withdrew.

Zheng Fan continued forward. After passing through a corridor, he arrived before a heated room.

Standing at the doorway, one could feel a wave of heat wash over them, like stepping into a sauna.

Looking left and right and seeing no one to guide him, Zheng Fan pushed open the door.

There were no charcoal braziers in the room, yet it was undeniably warm. A valuable carpet covered the floor, and the furnishings were not only exquisite but also arranged to create a very comfortable atmosphere.

Perhaps because he had been a painter in his previous life, Zheng Fan was very sensitive to this kind of visual composition and design. He knew at a glance that this arrangement was the work of a master, reflecting the host's refined taste.

"Come in quickly and close the door. Don't let the cold air in."

A man's voice, tinged with laziness, came from inside.

To speak with such a tone in this part of the palace... apart from *that* person, there could be no one else.

Zheng Fan exhaled, stepped inside, and shut the door. He then turned, followed the direction of the voice, and walked around a screen deeper into the room.

SPLASH...

The sound of splashing water reached him.

Then, Zheng Fan saw a middle-aged man with damp hair, wearing a Taoist robe, emerge from an area further back.

"Your humble servant, Envoy Zheng Fan of Yan, pays respects to His Majesty the Emperor of Qian!"

Zheng Fan did not kneel, but instead performed a cupped-hand salute.

The Qian Emperor appeared to be in his forties, perhaps a few years younger than the Yan Emperor. However, when it came to personal grooming and upkeep, he clearly paid far more attention than the Yan Emperor.

"You may rise. There's food and drink here; if you're hungry or thirsty, help yourself."

With that, the Qian Emperor personally walked over to an incense burner, selected a stick of sandalwood incense, and lit it. After lighting it, he gently fanned the smoke with his hand, took a sniff, and a satisfied expression appeared on his face.

Zheng Fan didn't stand on ceremony either. He walked to a table where numerous dishes were laid out. Most were cold dishes and pastries, many of which were varieties he had never seen before.

He selected a few items and popped them directly into his mouth. They were surprisingly delicious, no worse than the pastries of his former world.

Next, Zheng Fan poured himself a cup of wine. It was red, likely grape wine. Beside a jar, there was even ice stored.

The chilled wine went down smoothly, and he instantly felt refreshed.

Zheng Fan simply stood there, engrossed in tackling the food before him.

He tasted a bit of this and took a couple of bites of that.

Heh, like a country hick in the city, he truly wasn't afraid of being laughed at. After all, filling his stomach was what mattered most; what was face worth?

Besides, only he and the Qian Emperor were in the room, so he wasn't worried about word of his unsightly eating habits or his undignified behavior getting out.

"Are your Yan People's forces short of rations? Look how famished you are," the Qian Emperor remarked, reclining on a chair and leisurely twirling a string of Bodhi beads in his hand. "No, that can't be right. Logically, having fought your way here, you should have captured plenty of supplies. You shouldn't be lacking food."

Zheng Fan swallowed the food in his mouth and replied, "The army isn't short of food, but Your Majesty must be aware that military rations are merely enough to fill our stomachs. They truly can't compare to the refined delicacies here."

"It seems you're quite the gourmand."

"In life, only two things are truly supreme: fine food and beautiful women."

"A bit one-sided, but it does capture a common human sentiment. However, in this world, besides fine food and beautiful women, there are indeed many other, even better, things."

"But those are things that only people like Your Majesty can afford to pursue."

Zheng Fan scooped up a handful of green, granular tidbits that resembled raisins but clearly weren't. He walked over and, without any ceremony, sat directly on the carpet in front of the Qian Emperor.

The Taoist robe the Qian Emperor wore was loose and unfastened, revealing large expanses of his fair skin.

Honestly, it was rather disconcerting to see a man expose so much skin in front of him.

"Alas," the Qian Emperor sighed, "tell me, what exactly is it that people live for in this life?"