Xu Jingming walked all the way to the tea pavilion without taking a look at Jiang Youyue.
Not to mention being taken advantage of over the matter of flesh-seeing, the sense of security I had built up over the years was shattered into pieces. Seeing Xu Jingxing in yellow robe, his grievances were immediately put to rest. Xu Jingming hurriedly ran to the emperor's side and stuffed several pieces of tea snacks into his mouth to cover up the bitter taste in his mouth.
His Royal Highness Prince Rong's behavior was so irregular that the eunuch Lu Fuzhi just tried to remind him when the emperor stopped him with a hand.
Xu Jingxing was already thirty years old and was very tolerant of this young brother. Lu Fu immediately shut up, stepped aside respectfully, and continued to look at His Highness Prince Rong, who had a grimace on his face.
The tea snacks in the palace are less delicious than those in Prince Rong's palace, but the snacks are sweet, and Xu Jingming always feels heart-burning after eating them. After he drank a cup of good tea, he freed up his mouth to have a pleasant chat with the emperor—
As a result, he was shocked by Xu Jingxing's appearance.
Compared with the last time they met, the emperor was much thinner. His eyes were slightly green and black, and his face was almost ashen, but not rosy at all, which made him feel very comfortable. The refreshments are light, delicious and fragrant. The emperor only took a small bite, then frowned and asked people to leave.
Xu Jingming quickly swallowed the gossip he was about to say: "Brother Emperor, your face..."
"The war in Naluojiu ended in peace, and I couldn't sleep well." The emperor shook his head, "The war has ceased for a long time, and the dead and injured are all my people. I thought it was just a little trouble, but it turned out After some time passed, there was no good news.”
"A bunch of drunkards and rice sacks! Those generals took our Dayun's salary and beat up even the uneducated barbarians!" Xu Jingming hurriedly followed the emperor's brother's wishes and scolded.
Who would have thought that after hearing this, a bitter taste appeared on the emperor's face.
"I thought so at first. Jing Ming, I have read the battle report carefully recently, and the barbarians back then were just average. That 'God descended the saint' used his troops like a god, which made me think... "
At this point, Xu Jingxing hesitated and finally sighed.
Of course Xu Jingming knew who the emperor brother was talking about: "Either capture Shi Jingzhi and ask him to solve Dayun's urgent needs first. If you die for the country, it is a worthy death."
"Counting the days, he is already at the end of his strength. If we forcefully recall him soon, how can he obediently work for Dayun?"
His younger brother took it for granted, and the emperor laughed and laughed. He coughed lightly twice, and then drank tea to suppress the dry cough.
Xu Jingming's face was full of melancholy: "I'll just tell you. Brother Huang, you are too indulgent towards Shi Jingzhi. If it were me, if it was my father's will -"
The corner of the emperor's mouth moved: "So you have always thought this way... It was my father who wanted to kill him at the beginning."
"Did the Imperial Preceptor instigate that? I personally heard the previous Imperial Preceptor say that Shi Jingzhi was a disaster for the country."
"But he bet with his father and saved him. If a three-year-old child was thrown into Juyi Valley for a month, he should definitely die. However, God's will really taught that man to survive, so my father had no choice but to admit defeat."
Xu Jingming said, "Brother Emperor, you have always been polite to the imperial family. Wouldn't it be better to kill him in the early years?"
"It would be a pity to kill him early. Firstly, that man has amazing talents and can be used by me. Secondly... Concubine Jin is very happy, and her belly is getting more and more obvious."
Xu Jingming looked confused. He knew that the imperial brother had few heirs, but what did this have to do with Shi Jingzhi
The emperor let out a long sigh.
"There have been many generations of emperors, and each generation will give birth to a smart and short-lived daughter. I originally wanted to give Jingzhi a chance to see if he could find a way out, and let me learn from it... This is still Lu Fu woke me up. If it works, my child may be saved. If it doesn't work, let him go out for a walk to gain some virtue. "
“…”
Indeed. Even though Shi Jingzhi was carrying the name of "disaster that destroyed the country", he had to put his life first. In only half a year, Shi Jingzhi could not shake the mighty country.
But after all, that man was almost a monster. To simply let the tiger go back to the mountain like this was really—
However, in Xu Jingming's silence, Xu Jingxing stared at her somewhat skinny hands and asked questions without raising her head.
"Does Jing Ming think that I am kind to women?"
"Brother Emperor..."
"I am tired of wars and have no ambitions. Instead of rushing to expand my territory, I just want the treasury to be full and the people to be stable, and to hand over the prosperity of the country to future generations. Now that war is approaching and disasters have occurred again, the people only respect my virtues. Unfortunately... maybe I should have listened to the advice of the national master and sent troops to attack Na Luojiu earlier, so that there would be no trouble. "
Xu Jingming didn't know what to say.
Obviously, Dayun has lived in harmony with the surrounding countries for nearly a hundred years. It happened that in his generation, the war that had subsided for a long time returned with a vengeance. When it comes to fighting, he definitely wants to fight, but...
"Na Luojiu had a close relationship with Dayun before and had a good relationship. Invading another country for no reason is really not a benevolent and righteous act." His Highness King Rong held it in for a long time and said sincerely. "Brother Imperial, please don't blame yourself too much or hurt your body."
Xu Jingxing talked for a long time, and after a while, he changed the topic: "I'm upset because of these things. Jingming, I heard that you watched a big show in Shafu. Come, tell me -"
Before he finished speaking, the emperor swayed and fell weakly on the tea table. The cups and saucers on the table were swept away by his sleeve and fell to the floor with clatter.
"Brother Imperial?! Imperial Physician, declare Imperial Physician quickly!"
"It's okay, don't panic." The emperor seemed to be in a daze for a moment before gradually regaining his consciousness. "I'm just... a little tired."
Looking at the increasingly haggard imperial brother, Xu Jingming stayed where he was. I don’t know why, but the cold feeling I felt when I met Jiang Youyue came back with a vengeance. He was far away from the windy and sandy Shafu, and far away from the borderland where flesh and blood was everywhere. The spring day in Yidu is warm and peaceful, but I am in a palace that is not safe and insecure.
Yet he had never been so frightened.
, as Prince Dayun, he should be so fragile. Now that another half month has passed, Shi Jingzhi's remaining life is in jeopardy, and his situation should be worse than theirs. Maybe if the "disaster that overwhelms the country" dies on its own, all disasters can just go with the wind.
Xu Jingming's side was trembling, but Shi Jingzhi's side was expressionless.
…No, he is supportive.
Shi Jingxia ate several meals in a row in front of the mountain, vowing to eat all his favorite dishes. He did it at a small cost. Nowadays, the leader does not need to put on makeup and powder, his face will be pale. The porter went up the mountain to pick up his luggage. He was already humming weakly on the wooden chair, looking like he was about to die soon.
Okay, Yin Ci thought numbly. At least it saves the effort of acting.
"Young master is so ill, why are you going to the martial arts competition? Why don't you go and ask Taiheng and ask them to cut your flesh for inspection." Shoehorn's face was familiar with Su Si's repeated attempts. , how can you be so polite in your speech
"Do you know how to look at flesh?" Su Si asked curiously.
"No, there are people looking for fairy objects everywhere. We helped them transport their luggage and made a lot of money. Recently, no one is looking for them. They all say that they have got Tai Heng."
"It's not like they got it, they probably found it but couldn't get it." Su Si said mysteriously, "You need a key to take it out!"
"How about it, half on one side? What if there's a fight over it?"
"So this is a martial arts conference. Everyone has had enough fighting. Let's just choose a leader to settle the matter."
Shoehorn's face was full of astonishment: "What, you still want to be the leader of the alliance? I'm sure it's Taiheng's position. If you catch the bastard in the jar, you're sure of it."
Su Si smiled mysteriously and answered. Shoehorn just said that the crowd was crazy and did not ask further questions.
The martial arts conference is scheduled to be held in Wuming Town, north of Qizhou. It is close to the center of Dayun and is convenient for traveling from north to south. A group of people from the Kushan faction traveled on foot for four or five days, but by then they had already lost their seats. The group of people didn't choose, they found a shabby house with a roof on it, and settled there.
The long-lost Kushan sect suddenly appeared, causing a small stir. Everyone in the Kushan sect didn't pay much attention. They ate and drank when they should, waiting for the rumors to spread.
Sure enough, Jin Lan came to the door the next day.
Taiheng has the best courtyard in town. In comparison, the shabby house of the Kushan Sect was comparable to a stable, looking dangerously crumbling. Jin Lan carefully pulled open the wooden door, fearing that it would be pushed open to the ground.
The dilapidated house had been cleaned by the Kushan Sect, and it was quite clean inside. There was even a faint fragrance of rice floating around—
At that time, Jingzhi's disciple was holding a bowl of porridge and feeding it to his master. The flag of the current leader hung wiltingly behind the wooden chair, while he himself had disheveled hair, pale complexion, and gritted his teeth as he swallowed porridge.
The porridge was mixed with brown and red things, and Jin Lan thought minced meat was added. Unexpectedly, when I took a closer look, there were actually chopped hawthorn in the porridge. Against the backdrop of the dying Shi Jingzhi, the desolation around him suddenly became several times heavier.
Jin Lan took a step back and looked around. When I saw the people in the house, the two of them had no idea what they were doing, and even the eldest brother had to do other tasks.
Is the Kushan Sect now in such a state of disarray
When Jin Lan saw Shi Jingzhi's situation, he couldn't help but feel mixed emotions in his heart. He sighed for a long time, then slowly said: "It is said that the headmaster was attacked and the key to the body was stolen. It seems to be true. As the saying goes, wealth is exposed, but I still have to weigh it carefully. "Why are you in Chigou..."
Shi Jingzhi replied, just sniffling and shrinking back into the fur.
Yin Ci put down his spoon and said in a calm tone: "Brother Jin came here specifically to see the joke. But he wanted to confirm where the 'key' is?... It seems that Taiheng doesn't have the key, so he won't be able to get the meat after all. "
Jin Lan was an old acquaintance of them and was most suitable to be sent to investigate. Qu Duanyun's hand can be considered fair and aboveboard, and they had already expected it.
Jin Lan was really open-minded: "It's not impossible to get it. I have seen that where the meat is stored, brute force can still break it. This method takes a long time, and it takes hundreds of years."
A hundred years later, all the damned ones will be dead. It is said that looking at the flesh is a thing that "extends life and ascends to immortality". No one wants to plant trees for the predecessors to enjoy the shade. Taiheng agreed to participate in the martial arts conference, most likely because he wanted to get the key as well.
"Have you seen the place where the meat is stored?" Yin Ci pretended to be surprised.
"There's no way, we have to dig it out by hand... Bah, don't try to deceive me! I'm not the senior sister, I don't trust you at all."
"If you poke it out, we can snatch it from Taiheng?" Yin Ci sat down on the broken bench without haste. "I'm just a little curious about what the visual flesh looks like."
Jin Lan looked at Master Shi again, who had less air coming in and more air coming out, and felt that this person was causing some big waves. He hesitated for a while, and his words were full of sympathy: "I only saw it for a moment, and I knew it was a good thing at a glance. This thing is green all over, shaped like a peach. It grows on jasper-like vines and has a strange fragrance. It’s fascinating. I know who gave it the name ‘Shirou’, it looks more like a fairy fruit.”
Yin Ci said meaningfully: "Thank you, Brother Jin, for informing me."
"Don't even think about it, Senior Brother Qu, , Leader Qu looks like he is bound to win. When he returns to the martial arts conference, he will be the leader. After all..."
Jin Lan didn't make her words clear, but everyone could hear the implication.
After all, Jianchen Temple has been closed for a long time, so experts will definitely be sent to the scene. If the demon sect caused trouble, the Ling sect was completely destroyed, and Chigou's reputation plummeted. Recently, I haven't heard of a new leader being elected. Three of the four major sects have fallen. If Taiheng gets another leader, he will be in trouble.
It's just that the truth is here, and it can't stop everyone from wanting to give it a try.
What if we win in an upset? What if the lackey is lucky enough to get the meat-seeing key? Even if he fails, will allow Qu Duanyun to obtain the position of leader of the martial arts alliance and obtain the key to seeing the flesh in an honest and fair manner. When Master Qu gets the disease, he will definitely give some compensation to the participants. No matter how you think about it, you will make money.
When the two of them were relatively speechless, Shi Jingzhi burst into an earth-shattering cough. Yin Ci hurriedly gave him another mouthful of porridge, then picked up the topic and said, "Brother Jin, if there is nothing else..."
Jin Lan saluted knowingly and turned to leave. As soon as he reached the door, another weak greeting came from behind.
Shi Jingzhi swallowed the porridge in his mouth: "Jin Lan, have you seen Miss Shi recently? If so, please say hello to me."
Jin Lan did not look back.
"I haven't seen Senior Sister for a long time," his voice was a little lonely, "I haven't heard from her since she left Yidu. Maybe in this martial arts competition, she will reveal... Senior Sister?!"
The rotten door was slammed hard, and he almost fell to the ground. Shi Zhongyu, dressed as a bandit, stood in front of the door and looked at Jin Lan expressionlessly.
"It turns out there is someone here." Her eyes narrowed to Jin Lan's and looked at Shi Jingzhi sitting on the wooden chair. Shi Zhongyu suppressed his expression very well, showing only a little bit of surprise.
Jin Lan only knew elegant senior sisters in white clothes, but had never seen Shi Zhongyu in such a wild and uninhibited manner. He stood frozen on the spot, speechless, and it took him a long time to squeeze out some words: "You, you, are you really the senior sister?"
"Jin Lan." Shi Zhongyu nodded slightly to Jin Lan and then turned to Yin Ci. "You two, I saw the abandoned house was dilapidated and thought no one was here... We will find another place."
Jin Lan was frightened: "Senior Sister, there is still room in Taiheng's courtyard. If you talk to Master Qu, he will definitely take care of you—"
"Yes, I am still a person from Taiheng, and I will receive Taiheng's kindness. Once again, I will use my own method to return Taiheng's favor."
"But… "
"Besides, I have my own sect, so it's really inconvenient for me to stay here."
After that, she dragged someone in from outside the door. The man was shaking like chaff and had a front tooth missing in his mouth. He kept mumbling, sometimes saying "Xia Xia, please spare my life", sometimes "I know I was wrong", and finally "Master, stop it".
Yin Ci took a closer look and saw that he was still an old acquaintance—that was Ma Shili, the leader of the bandits in Shafu. The man looked disheveled and looked like he was being beaten frequently. It was obvious that he was roped in to make up for the loss.
… This scene seemed a bit familiar, Yin Ci said silently.
Shi Zhongyu didn't take it seriously: "We, the Yangsha sect, are now registered in Yueshui Pavilion. We will also participate in this martial arts competition... It seems that each sect has two quotas, so what does Dry Mountain count?"
Hearing this, Jin Lan was so shocked that she forgot to prick up her ears—
"Master is seriously injured, so he will go on stage." Yin Ci smiled slightly, "This time Yan Qing and I will fight, that's enough."