"Your Majesty is already waiting for the Prime Minister in front of the palace gate. Please come to the chariot!" The young eunuch, holding a fly whisk in one hand, walked a few steps to Xiao Xiang, who had just finished talking, and bowed to invite him.
"Since I returned to the capital, I have not yet entered the palace to see the Holy One, which is already disrespectful. If I enter the palace on a chariot this time, it will be an even more taboo. I also ask my father-in-law to report back to the Holy One. Mr. Xiao should walk into the palace to face the Holy One. With the courtesy of all ministers." The old man's words were full of respect, but his spine was still straight and did not bend even half a inch.
The young eunuch has obviously never seen such a battle. Since he entered the palace, he has never seen anyone dare to refuse the current emperor. What's more, it is a supreme honor for the emperor to personally give him a jade chariot to enter the palace. For a moment, the young eunuch stood there blankly. I didn't know what to do, so I could only stare blankly at the world-famous unparalleled warrior in front of me.
Looking back, there seemed to be invisible oppression coming from the corridors of the imperial city. Thinking of his rejection of the edict and the punishment he would face in the palace, the young eunuch was frightened and trembled for a moment... Just when he was about to collapse, he heard behind him The sound of horse hoofs trampling sounded, and looking back, it was Duan Muqiu, the current governor of the Nine Gates Division, who was riding his horse.
The moment he came closer, he turned over and dismounted. The popular man in front of the current Holy Lord did not look like the arrogant attitude he used to treat hundreds of officials. Instead, he was more respectful than the young eunuch. He walked slowly with his hands lowered and came to the old man. He lifted up his skirt and armor and knelt down. Kneel down, perform a military salute, clasp your fists and speak.
"Disciple Duanmuqiu, I have met you sir. Sir, please forgive me for being in the imperial position and not being able to salute master and disciple." After saluting for a moment, Duanmuqiu glanced up and turned to the young eunuch who was delivering the order.
Seeing Duan Muqiu rescuing the siege, the young eunuch immediately realized that his life was saved. He immediately cast a grateful look at Duan Muqiu, turned around quickly, and returned to the city gate corridor.
Duanmuqiu's eyes did not move, he still knelt down, saluted Wang Yue'er beside Xiao Xiang, and said: "Duanmuqiu, Governor of the Nine Gates Division, please see Your Highness the Princess!"
"Excuse me, Duanmuqiu. I would like to ask you, as the disciple of Mr. Xiang, are you here to pay homage to the master, or are you here to force Mr. Xiao to board the chariot and break the ban?" Although Wang Yuer has never met Duanmuqiu, I also heard from Zhang and Wu that he was greedy for power. When he spoke, he showed no mercy to the popular man in front of the Holy Lord.
Such a slap in the face, not to mention the famous man Duanmu kneeling in front of him, even the official of the imperial court would never be unresponsive. However, Duanmu Qiu didn't seem to hear Wang Yue'er's question, and only slightly shifted his gaze to her side. The old man who spoke persisted: "The Holy One has decreed that Master please enter the palace on his chariot. I also ask Master not to let down His Majesty's painstaking efforts."
Wang Yue'er, who was beside Xiao Xiang, saw that Duan Muqiu was ignoring her. Not only did her clear eyes show no anger, but she was slightly happy. This time the Holy Emperor gave the chariot, she was worried that she could not block this disaster for Grandpa Xiao, so she took advantage of Duan Muqiu to greet her. I acted rudely, acting like a little daughter, pretending to be angry, and muddying the water...
After settling her mind, Wang Yue'er suppressed the joy in her eyes and raised her beautiful eyebrows. Just when she was about to attack Duan Muqiu, she heard Grandpa Xiao moving beside her.
He leaned over slightly, stretched out his hand, and lifted up Duanmu Qiu, who was kneeling on the ground. He also carefully brushed off the dirt on his armor, and then he spoke: "Qiu'er, do you still remember that the seven of you were with me? Is it the scene of apprenticeship at home?"
When he returned to the capital, he wanted to meet him, but he never entered the prime minister's house. Duanmuqiu only said that it was because his master was extremely disappointed with his disciple that he didn't want to meet him. But now that he heard his loving voice, his heart was agitated. He got off and hurriedly replied: "That is something my disciple will never forget in his life!"
"You should tell me, my teacher." Xiao Xiang said, still kind.
In front of Prime Minister Xiao, this governor, who is in charge of Jianglin's Jiu Mensi and has the power to kill officials below the third rank before making a decision, seems to have turned into the timid young man who was the last to speak in the Prime Minister's Mansion, but he is still persistent when he speaks. : "Duanmu just wants to protect everyone. No matter what I study or do, I am willing to do it."
Hearing this, the old man looked up to the sky and laughed. Without saying another word, he patted Duanmuqiu on the shoulder and walked away. Wang Yue'er beside him didn't know what kind of medicine Grandpa Xiao was selling in his gourd, so he hurriedly chased him away, leaving only Duan Muqiu is still standing in front of the palace gate...
This scene naturally fell to the end of the corridor. The red light flashed and disappeared in the eyes of the nine-five-year-old man who kept twisting the jade handle. The hunched old dog behind him also seemed to have seen the most important thing in the eyes of the national scholar and the saint.
Duanmu behaved kindly, turned his cloudy eyes slightly, moved his steps slightly, walked behind Jiuwu, and spoke softly.
"Your Majesty, Duanmu Qiu is in charge of nine sects, and he is Xiao Xiang after all... Your Majesty, are you..."
Before he finished speaking, he heard the majestic voice of Jiu Wu in front of him, interrupting himself with a hint of success, "Zhongqi, you... although you are no longer in the world, are you still there in the world?" Do you have a story?".
Obviously, he had not expected the Holy Emperor to ask such a question. Remembering how he had put his hands on his shoulders just now in the Yunshu Hall, and how the domineering and evil energy had instantly defeated him, Zhongqi couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat, and he immediately responded. Said: "Old slave... is no longer in the world, and there is no longer a slave in the world... It's because I talk too much, and I deserve to die!"
The moment he spoke, he was about to kneel down, but was stopped by Jiuwu's words again. Seeing His Majesty's eyes moving slightly, as if seeing his own timidity, he softened his tone and spoke.
"Zhongqi, this gentleman of mine is an unparalleled scholar known to the world. Just think about it, when Duanmuqiu heard that he had returned to Jianglin, he put aside my errands and returned to Beijing at all costs, hoping to see him. What's the result? Who called Duanmu Qiu back to the palace? Why did he change into such a friendly gesture in front of my palace gate..."
After hearing these questions from the Holy Emperor, Zhongqi thought for a moment, suddenly became enlightened, and murmured: "Is it possible..."
"You guessed it right. This gentleman of mine is extremely resourceful. Throughout the ages, the king of a country has been most worried about his trusted ministers being too close to their important ministers... It's a good way to drive a wedge between them. ..Sir, after all, I’m afraid he only saw Duanmuqiu leaving the palace for a moment before he made up his mind and carried out this plan..." The Holy One looked through the corridor of the imperial city with a look that could see through everything. The old figure approaching gradually spoke with a smile.
The wrinkled face of Zhong Qi behind him once again showed fear, and he looked at the old and young figures with his ninety-five eyes. In just a short moment, the battle of wits and scheming had already begun invisible... He couldn't help but sigh, The hero is dying, and the unparalleled national warrior is no match for the blade of time, and he is even more afraid of the ninety-five in front of him.
...
"Grandpa Xiao, you did a good job with that alienation plan just now. Huh, this Duanmuqiu is greedy for power. Let's see how he can win his favor again after tonight!" Wang Yue'er, who was holding Xiao Xiang's arm, had a pair of clear eyes full of expressions. Admired, he looked at the old man beside him.
There was still snow behind the two of them, leaving long footprints. Listening to the angry voice of the girl beside him, the old man smiled slightly, perhaps thinking that after she married that boy a few years later, she might still need to She always reminded him of something, thought about it for a moment, stopped walking, looked sideways and spoke.
"Yue'er, Grandpa Xiao will teach you another method recently."
Wang Yue'er originally wondered why Grandpa Xiao would stop moving forward, but when she heard that this unparalleled national scholar was willing to give him advice, she immediately showed the excitement of a child: "Yue'er is asking for more...but Grandpa Xiao is not allowed to say half of it and let Yue'er guess. , on the way to Jianglin, I spent many nights thinking about the questions Grandpa Xiao asked and couldn’t sleep all night long.”
"Haha, of course it won't... Just take the alienation plan you mentioned just now against Duan Muqiu. You are so smart that you can naturally think of the second level. If there is a third level solution to this plan, you may participate in it. Enlightenment?" Xiao Xiang asked with an even more loving look in his eyes towards Duan Muqiu just now.
Wang Yue'er originally thought that Grandpa Xiao had praised her just now for seeing through his plan. Until she heard that there was a third solution to this plan, her eyes as clear as lake water widened in an instant, revealing a desire for knowledge, and she waited patiently for Grandpa Xiao. Open your mouth.
"As smart as you are, you saw the intention of my move towards Duanmu just now. Guess, did he see it?" Xiao Xiang calmed down the kindness in his eyes and turned to the man in bright yellow at the end of the corridor of the imperial city. figure.
The smart Wang Yue'er immediately heard a different meaning from Grandpa Xiao's question, and immediately thought about it. After a moment, it suddenly dawned on her, and then she frowned slightly and murmured: "No... no..."
Next to him, Xiao saw the cardamom girl thinking hard, and heard the "wrong" denial from her mouth. She had already thought of the key point, but did not say a word to remind her. Instead, she seemed to be a private teacher teaching patiently, waiting for the students. It’s like comprehending the truth in the book by yourself, and wait patiently.
Just above the city tower, a snow petal slowly floated down and landed on the cardamom girl's slightly curved bangs. Then it melted and turned into a drop of cold dew, dripping on the girl's forehead, seeming to enlighten the girl's mind. It dawned on her.
"That's it!" The girl said with a smile, as happy as if she had solved the knot that had been knotted in her heart for many days.
"Do you understand?" Xiao Xiang smiled while stroking his beard.
"Yue'er understands everything, so to speak..." Wang Yue'er spoke for a moment, and couldn't help but look back at the man standing behind him wearing the armor of the Governor of the Nine Gates Division.
"Just understand. Don't look back. Follow Grandpa Xiao to see him!" Xiao Xiang stopped Wang Yue'er from looking back for a moment, and then moved on...
At this time, Wang Yue'er, like a child whose heart had been untied, smiled cheerfully, jumped up and down, followed the steps ahead, and chased away.
The Imperial City Corridor is no less generous and more solid than the Jianglin City Gate. As the old man walked in it, he could only hear the sound of his own steps on the ground, but it did not disturb the state of mind of this unparalleled warrior at all. Those eyes full of wisdom and scheming no longer have the loving joy they had when they taught the cardamom girl before entering the corridor...
"Sir, you know, I have been waiting for this day for eighteen years." Seeing that the old man had walked out of the corridor of the imperial city, the Holy Father spoke. He did not blame him at all for resisting the decree and not taking the jade chariot. Instead, he showed the spirit of a winner. posture, spoke softly.
"It is really the fault of a minister to make His Majesty worry." Xiao Xiang lowered his head a little and spoke slowly.
When the Holy Master saw the slightly bowed head, his victor's posture became more prosperous, and he raised his voice a little higher and said: "I give you the jade chariot, so that you can live up to your reputation as a national scholar. Why refuse it?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw that the slightly bowed head had been raised, and the see-through gaze had reappeared: "I'm afraid your majesty has misunderstood. This gift is not to thank your majesty for the chariot."
"Oh? Then why did you come to the palace overnight?" The joy in the Holy Master's eyes gradually faded and turned into a chill, looking at that gaze that seemed to be able to see through everything.
"I think your majesty can see the difference in the stars tonight, and that's why I'm here tonight!" At this time, the old man no longer stood as straight as outside the imperial city. Instead, he tightened his cloak and seemed to be trapped. The cold wind blows.
"It's like being trapped in a tree and falling into a deep valley. I once learned the art of stargazing from my husband. The star positions tonight are like this. It seems that not only I saw it, but my husband also saw it." The Holy Emperor instantly understood the implication of this national scholar's words and immediately spoke bluntly.
When Zhongqi heard the conversation between master and disciple, he was secretly shocked. He immediately took a few steps back and looked sideways at the guarded golden-armored guards ten steps away. With just one glance, Qi Yunwei instantly understood what the great eunuch meant. , holding weapons one after another, quickly retreated until they were a hundred steps away.
