Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

As dusk fell, no one lingered in Chang'an City; the people had all consciously returned to their homes to rest.

But Piaoxiang Garden was brightly lit, standing out starkly against the dark backdrop of Chang'an.

The first and second floors of the hall were already filled with the sons of the most powerful families in Guanzhong, many of whom were even the heads of their families in person.

Powerful clans and wealthy families had strict hierarchical divisions, and even visiting brothels and pleasure quarters was subject to strict rules.

The main hall on the first floor was filled with ordinary wealthy families from Guanzhong, including local merchants and small landowners.

The second floor houses powerful clans with considerable influence in the Guanzhong region, each owning tens of thousands of acres of land. Each person sitting here controls no less than a thousand hectares of fertile land.

As for the specially designed private rooms on the third floor, only the top wealthy families in Guanzhong are qualified to enter. They are generally not open to the public. Once they are opened, Piaoxianglou must give up everything to meet all the demands of these VIPs.

The girls at Piaoxianglou, along with the madam, were all on high alert and extremely focused.

In the lobby on the first floor, two women dressed in Hu clothing were performing the Hu Xuan dance with great enthusiasm, while a female musician with thin black hair and delicate makeup was playing her instrument attentively beside them.

Furthermore, there were even women of custom personally accompanying the guests at the banquet, drinking and having fun, creating a very sensual atmosphere.

Today, the Changsun family has booked the entire venue, and all those present are distinguished guests. Piaoxianglou dares not be careless in the slightest.

However, neither the guests on the first nor the second floor were in the mood to flirt with the beautiful women in front of them; they all focused their attention, intentionally or unintentionally, on the specially designed private rooms on the third floor.

That was the special private room where Changsun Yang had invited Shen Lang and Jiang Shangxian.

Tonight's banquet is supposed to be a victory celebration, but the conversation taking place in the private room on the third floor could very well influence the future fate of the powerful clans of Guanzhong.

The sound of the zither is faint and ethereal, the music of strings and bamboo instruments is melodious and gentle.

The melodious music, sometimes grand and sometimes gentle, combined with the incense burning in the room, created a pleasant scene.

The woman playing the zither in the center was extremely beautiful. Her pair of fair and slender hands plucked the strings back and forth, producing a heavenly melody.

The woman was beautiful in appearance, and her temperament was also extraordinary.

However, a faint trace of melancholy lingered between her delicate brows, and her lowered eyes flickered with an unfathomable sadness.

As the music ended, the woman gracefully rose, grasped the ribbons hanging from her shoulders, and bowed to the three people in front of the table in the inner room.

"Excellent! As expected of the most famous socialite in Chang'an! I like her, she deserves a reward! She deserves a reward!"

Jiang Shangxian was already impatient, and upon seeing such a beautiful and charming woman, he immediately clapped his hands in delight.

The woman maintained a sorrowful expression throughout, and in response to Jiang Shangxian's praise, she merely bowed once more with her eyes lowered.

Then, she carried a plate of incense powder into the inner room and began adding it to the incense table.

Jiang Shangxian, that lecherous man, never took his eyes off the woman, constantly swallowing his saliva as he watched her elegant movements.

That pitying demeanor stirred an uncontrollable protective instinct in him.

If there hadn't been other people around, he would have loved to pounce on her and kiss her.

Seeing Jiang Shangxian's eager expression, Changsun Yang smiled and explained, "Her name is Piaoxu, the top courtesan of Piaoxiangyuan."

If Your Highness likes her and doesn't mind her status, then let her accompany you tonight.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shangxian was overjoyed: "Really? How could I possibly accept that? I should at least ask if they're willing!"

Changsun Yang smiled and said, "Your Highness need not refuse. It is a blessing that Piaoxu can serve Your Highness. How could she not be willing?"

Upon hearing this, Piaoxu paused in her act of adding incense, a sense of sorrow welling up within her.

But what could she do? Her status as a socialite in Chang'an was perhaps an unattainable saintly figure in the eyes of those from the lower classes.

In the hands of the powerful clans of Guanzhong, they were nothing more than playthings for social interaction.

It's all fate.

The thought of being pinned down by this fat man that night filled Piaoxu with endless desolation.

"Alright, Patriarch Changsun, now it's time to get down to business. I want to understand how the major clans in Guanzhong view the court's return to control Guanzhong, and what conditions they have that they can raise now."

Shen Lang, holding his teacup, steered the conversation back on track.

Changsun Yang replied, "May I ask, Commander Shen, once Guanzhong is recovered, will the imperial court move the capital back to Chang'an?"

This was the most pressing concern for the powerful clans of Guanzhong. If the imperial court moved the capital back to Chang'an, they would feel at ease.

After all, the influence of the central government on the local area is absolutely incomparable.

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang turned his gaze to Piao Xu, then smiled wryly and shook his head.

Changsun Yang didn't understand what Shen Lang meant, and hurriedly asked, "General Shen, what's going on...?"

Shen Lang turned his head and stared quietly at Changsun Yang, making his scalp tingle.

After a long silence, Shen Lang turned around and said, "Patriarch Changsun, don't you think it's a bit too early to bring up this issue now?"

Changsun Yang frowned: "Could it be that the court is unwilling to relocate the capital? But after all, Chang'an is the true capital of the Great Chu."

Shen Lang shook his head: "Patriarch Changsun, please don't be in a hurry. Moving the capital is a major event, and it can't be decided by you and me having a meal and a meeting here."

That requires the approval of His Majesty and the entire court. As you know, the Great Chu capital has been in Jinling for over two hundred years.

His Majesty has long been accustomed to the atmosphere of the Jiangnan water towns; does the head of the Changsun family think it's possible to persuade her to move the capital all at once?

Changsun Yang: "That may be true, but the people of Guanzhong have never longed for the royal army to return to the capital and stay permanently. Otherwise, if the Qiang and Hu tribes come again, I'm afraid people will be filled with fear."

"You don't need to worry about the Qiang and Hu people. I'll just tell you the truth right here, Patriarch Changsun: once they leave, they will never be able to set foot in Chang'an again."

Upon hearing this, Piaoxu, who was preparing the fruit platter, suddenly brightened up.

Changsun Yang hurriedly asked, "Marshal Shen, what do you mean by that?"

Shen Lang picked up a cup of tea and drank it in one gulp.

"Does the Changsun family head believe that the Great Chu suffered two hundred years of humiliation simply to reclaim Chang'an?"

Changsun Yang's pupils contracted: "Could it be that the royal army is going to launch a military campaign against Xiliang?"

Shen Lang sneered: "The existence of the Qiang and Hu peoples has always been a major hidden danger in Guanzhong."

Xiliang is also the homeland of our Great Chu, and it has a close relationship with Yongzhou, so naturally we cannot ignore it.

Upon hearing this, Changsun Yang hurriedly said to Piaoxu, "Aren't you going to get out? We don't need you here anymore."

Piaoxu remained silent and was just about to get up and leave.

"Don't panic, let her stay. I never intended to hide this matter," Shen Lang said softly. "The people of Chang'an have suffered for so many years; they have the right to experience the resolve of my royal army!"

Piaoxu was immediately excited and got up to respectfully place the first plate of cut fruit in front of Shen Lang's table.

Changsun Yang: "When will the royal army set out on the expedition?"

Shen Lang: "Naturally, once the subsequent ammunition supplies arrive, it will be time to wipe out the Qiang and Hu tribes."

As he spoke, Shen Lang drank another cup of tea.

After considering for a moment, Changsun Yang cautiously asked, "General Shen, are you really going to take action against Qiangxia?"

Shen Lang: "If the Qiang and Xia are not eliminated, Guanzhong will never be at peace. Only by taking this opportunity to permanently eradicate this cancer can we slowly make a comeback to Liangzhou."

"it is good!"

Changsun Yang slapped his thigh.

"General Shen truly lives up to his reputation as a young hero. If General Shen really intends to annihilate the Qiang and Hu tribes..."

"If we bring Xiliang under the control of our Great Chu, then all the powerful clans of Guanzhong will support our royal army even if it means selling their possessions!"

"The head of the Changsun family is indeed a reasonable person. On behalf of the royal army and His Majesty, I would like to express my gratitude here."

As Piaoxu knelt on the ground awaiting instructions, tears welled up in her eyes upon hearing this.

She wanted to say something, but ultimately didn't.

She felt nothing but deep-seated hatred towards the Qiang people.

They murdered their parents, siblings, and then ruined their own reputations.

As for her future, Piaoxu no longer dared to hope for anything.

His only wish was to see the Qiang people wiped out.

Now that her wish is about to be fulfilled by the young man in front of her, she is very excited.

Piaoxu hadn't figured out how to repay him, she only hoped that he wouldn't despise her withered body and would serve her well this once.

At this moment, Shen Lang didn't consider Piao Xu's complicated feelings at all, and the topic with Changsun Yang returned to whether or not to move the capital.