Feeling this change, Li Xiuping was extremely excited and stared at the sphere with all his concentration, wanting to see what was in it.
The wickers wrapped into a sphere separated one by one, but the separation speed became slower and slower. It seemed unrealistic to see what was inside in a short time.
After Li Xiuping observed this for a while, he found that the feeling of blooming stopped immediately.
Out of curiosity, Li Xiuping brought his consciousness close to the sphere, but just like before, it was directly rejected and blocked.
Li Xiuping reluctantly chose to give up, withdrawing his consciousness from the spiritual sea, and began to deal with the injuries on his body.
Time passed like this day by day. After the senior sword master left, there was no news. However, a lot of things happened in the capital.
First, someone raised an army to besiege the city, and then for some reason they all retreated. Then many people were killed in the imperial city, and then a child of only seven or eight years old took the position. In addition, the princess She would come to Shanquan Academy almost every day, and the primary purpose of each visit was to meet Li Xiuping. She was rejected for seven or eight days in a row, but she could not make the princess give up.
On this day, Li Xiuping, as usual, first rectified the situation in his body, and then listened to Huang Qing's account of recent events. A disciple from Shanquan Academy came outside, cupped his hands and saluted: "Mr. Li, that princess is here again. Yes, do you want to see me?"
Li Xiuping heard the same words once a day, almost always at the same time.
Just as Huang Qing was about to refuse, Li Xiuping said, "Let her come over. There happens to be something that I need to understand with her."
Huang Qing nodded, turned around and walked out.
After a while, a woman dressed in luxurious clothes came here. After entering the courtyard, she stopped and cast a Wan Blessing on Li Xiuping's residence and said, "Zhao Pingkang has met Mr. Li."
Huang Qing, who was standing outside the door, glanced at this person first, as if he was sure that she would not pose any threat, then turned to look at Li Xiuping in the room. After receiving Li Xiuping's instructions, he stood aside.
Seeing Huang Qing standing aside, the woman moved on and walked towards Li Xiuping's house.
After the woman who called herself Zhao Pingkang entered the room, Li Xiuping said: "Let them prepare some tea."
Huang Qing stepped back in response, while Zhao Pingkang continued to salute Li Xiuping.
Li Xiuping raised his eyes and glanced at the princess. Her appearance was ordinary, not that stunning. She was wearing a luxurious purple dress, and there was an innate nobility between her eyebrows. I was angry that Li Xiuping felt familiar, but I couldn't remember where I had seen him before.
Li Xiuping smiled and said: "Your Highness, you are welcome. Please sit down."
Zhao Pingkang thanked him and sat down opposite Li Xiuping.
Before she could speak, Li Xiuping took the lead and said, "I was injured earlier and it was inconvenient to see Her Highness. Please forgive me for this."
Zhao Pingkang said hurriedly: "Young Master, you are so polite. There are really some things that need to be discussed with Young Master in person, otherwise I..."
She seemed to feel that this title was inappropriate, but the words had already been spoken, so after a pause, she continued: "That's why I keep bothering you, please forgive me."
At this time, Huang Qing walked in with tea, poured a cup for the two of them, and then stood aside.
Zhao Kangping thanked him and then looked at Li Xiuping.
Li Xiuping stretched out his hand to signal her to drink tea, and asked with a smile: "Your Majesty, if you have any advice, it's okay to say it. This will save both of us time."
Zhao Kangping had just picked up the tea bowl, but now he put the tea bowl down again and said, "I don't dare to give you advice."
She continued: "Master Li should also be able to guess that what happened this time was planned by Taiyi Pavilion. Our Zhao family has always been protected by Taiyi Pavilion. Even the Imperial Master was recommended by Taiyi Pavilion. , has made a lot of contributions to the Xia Dynasty in these years, for this reason, the Zhao family can only obey the arrangements of Taiyi Pavilion, even if it requires gambling on the fate of the country."
Li Xiuping listened quietly, just nodded without interrupting, waiting for Her Royal Highness the Princess to continue.
Zhao Pingkang continued: "Actually, my father already knew about today's situation, so he made a lot of plans. He said that after he died, I must see Young Master Li, and I must stand by Young Master Li no matter what time. .”
Hearing this, Li Xiuping frowned slightly and raised his eyes to look at the woman in front of him, but still did not speak.
Cha Kangping continued: "To be honest, I actually don't understand either. So before this happened, before this situation happened, I never thought about giving up the reliance of Taiyi Pavilion."
When she said this, she stared at Li Xiuping, looking extremely sincere.
Li Xiuping smiled and said: "Is it because of the move of the senior sword master that you made changes and even came here every day just to see me and express your attitude and position?"
Zhao Pingkang nodded, shook his head, and said: "Senior Sword Master is indeed powerful. One person can change the entire situation, but in the final analysis, the Sword Washing Pond and the Taiyi Pavilion are equal existences. There is no distinction between strong and weak. It is even possible to wash the sword." Jianchi is not as good as Taiyi Pavilion."
Li Xiuping became interested and asked with a smile: "What's the reason for that?"
Zhao Pingkang said: "Because the young master is the junior uncle of Guanchao Academy and a disciple of Confucianism."
Li Xiuping just looked at Zhao Pingkang without saying anything.
Zhao Pingkang continued: "A sword-washing pool may not be as good as Taiyi Pavilion, but if you add a Guanchao Academy, which is also one of the Seven Holy Lands, the situation will be different. What's more, there are more involvements behind Mr. Li."
Li Xiuping smiled and said, "But I almost died not long ago."
Zhao Pingkang nodded and said: "If Mr. Li really dies in this capital, everything will be discussed separately."
She looked at Li Xiuping and said, "But the young master survived."
Li Xiuping nodded, picked up the tea bowl and took a sip, and said: "I'm afraid Her Royal Highness will be disappointed. I won't be involved in your family's affairs, so if Her Royal Highness wants to use me as a springboard to discuss the matter with Guanchao Academy, Or it may be related to the sword washing pool, I advise Her Royal Highness to give up this idea as soon as possible."
Zhao Pingkang seemed to know that Li Xiuping would say this, and said, "What if it has something to do with Taiyi Pavilion?"
Li Xiuping frowned slightly, "What do you mean?"
Zhao Pingkang said directly: "Zhao has been dealing with Taiyi Pavilion for many years, and naturally knows a lot about Taiyi Pavilion. Sooner or later, Young Master Li will inevitably have contact with Taiyi Pavilion. Before that, Zhao can provide young master with relevant information." Everything about Taiyi Pavilion."
She looked at Li Xiuping and continued: "Know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles. What do you think, Master?"
Li Xiuping smiled and said: "I don't think you Zhao family knows much, and..."
He paused and then changed his words: "In the past, I might have been moved by Her Highness the Princess's proposal. Unfortunately, it's a bit difficult to impress me with this now."
Zhao Pingkang was stunned.
Li Xiuping continued: "What happened to your so-called strategies and plans after the senior sword master appeared?"
Zhao Pingkang was stunned again, then nodded.
She could understand what Li Xiuping meant, which was that in the face of absolute strength, everything was in vain, and naturally nothing was needed.
Zhao Pingkang shook his head and said: "In the face of absolute strength, all strategies are indeed redundant, but Mr. Li does not seem to have that kind of strength now, and what Mr. Li has to face is not an existence like the Zhao family of the Xia Dynasty, but Taiyi Pavilion, or even the entire Taoist family. To the Zhao family of the Xia Dynasty, Mr. Sword Master naturally only needs one sword, and all problems can be easily solved. But to the Taoist master, if he also wants to solve it with one sword, the height of this sword will probably yes……"
She didn't say anything further, but looked at Li Xiuping.
Li Xiuping said with a smile: "That's true. If we really want to face the entire Taoist sect, even the senior Jiuxian will not be able to defeat him with one sword."
He looked at the princess and said with a smile: "It seems that the princess has really made a lot of preparations to meet me."
Zhao Pingkang did not speak, but looked at Li Xiuping, as if he already had a feeling of victory.
Li Xiuping shook his head and said, "Even if what Her Royal Highness the Princess says is reasonable, I'm afraid I won't be able to agree to it."
Zhao Pingkang was stunned and frowned: "Why?"
Li Xiuping said directly: "Because I don't want to deceive Her Highness the Princess."
Zhao Pingkang was even more confused.
Li Xiuping continued: "If I reach an agreement with Her Royal Highness now, I will naturally be able to get help from the Zhao family and even the entire Xia Dynasty, and I will also be able to get some information that I need but cannot get, but I cannot repay Her Royal Highness the same treatment. "
Li Xiuping drank all the remaining tea in the tea bowl, and continued: "The combination of Guanchao Academy and Sword Washing Pond may really be able to fight Taiyi Pavilion, but Taiyi Pavilion is just a second-rate force of the Taoist sect, not to mention me. It cannot directly represent the attitude of Confucianism and the attitude of Xijianchi."
He looked at Zhao Pingkang and asked, "So, Your Highness the Princess should be able to understand."
Zhao Pingkang nodded, did not speak, but fell into thinking.
Indeed, no matter how powerful Li Xiuping is, in the final analysis he is just a monk in the foundation-building stage. Although the senior sword master is standing behind him, no one knows what the relationship between Mr. Li and the Sword Washing Pond is. No one knows how much influence he has in Xijianchi.
Leaving aside the Sword Washing Pool, let’s talk about Guanchao Academy. Although Mr. Li is the junior uncle of Guanchao Academy, there is also a Mr. Qi and Master Liu in Guanchao Academy. The attitude of Guanchao Academy , it’s not Li Xiuping’s turn to make the decision yet.
It was because of this that she never understood why her father insisted on siding with Li Xiuping.
Putting aside the above, Mr. Li is currently in a situation where he has too much time to take care of himself, so how can he help the Zhao family?
Is it just because we share the same problem that we join a group to keep warm?
If this was useful, there wouldn't be so many beggars in the world.
But she still remembered her father's firm look, the eagerness that made her agree, and she felt that she should trust her father.
To put it bluntly, his father has been a puppet of Taiyi Pavilion since he came to power. He has always obeyed Taiyi Pavilion's instructions. He has been in power for so many years and has never hesitated. Even now, he knows that he will die. , and also completed the tasks assigned by Taiyi Pavilion without hesitation.
She used to look down on such a father. In order to preserve the so-called Zhao family, he would even sacrifice his own flesh and blood. So when the Taoists asked her to sacrifice to keep Li Xiuping, her father didn't hesitate at all.
She couldn't understand that her father, who never disobeyed Taiyi Pavilion until his death, made all his plans after his death. Everything was verified one by one, whether it was his death, the appearance of the senior sword master, or the attitude of Taiyi Pavilion, everything was verified one by one.
So she felt that she should trust her father, so she followed the plan left by her father, handled everything step by step, used the power left by her father, eradicated those who should be eradicated, and supported a A prince who knows nothing ascends the throne.
She was surprised to find that as he completed these things according to the instructions left by his father, many seemingly unsolvable problems were solved inexplicably.
But she also needed to determine Li Xiuping's attitude and whether Mr. Li could help Zhao. This was the main reason why she insisted on meeting Li Xiuping.
She thought of many possibilities, but she never thought that Mr. Li would refuse, and even choose such a reason to refuse.
Zhao Pingkang didn't speak, and Li Xiuping didn't speak either. The atmosphere in the room suddenly became a little heavy.
After a while, Zhao Pingkang showed bitterness on his face and said: "To be honest, Zhao has no choice now. The sword master's sword not only killed a few people, but also directly severed the connection between Zhao and Taiyi Pavilion. , now the entire Zhao family has nothing to rely on and can only choose Mr. Li."
Li Xiuping frowned slightly.
Zhao Pingkang continued: "As Mr. Li said, I actually have the same doubts, but I still represent the Zhao family to express my attitude. No matter what the situation, I will stand by Mr. Li and help Mr. Li as much as possible. Young Master, as for whether Young Master Li can bring rewards to the Zhao family..."
She paused and said bitterly: "It all depends on God's will."
Zhao Pingkang continued: "To show my sincerity, I specially brought a person and gave it to Mr. Li to have full authority."
After saying that, two strong men were asked to escort a person to the door and throw the person directly to the ground.
This person is exactly the person who had an affair with Li Xiuping on the Immortal Ferry before. However, compared to the previous two meetings, this guy is in a miserable situation now. It seems that some magical power has been used to completely imprison his body, turning him into a puddle. Mud that can only be slaughtered by others.
Li Xiuping looked at the people outside and said with a smile: "You Zhao family are really good at what you do..."
He did not continue, but said with a smile: "Let it go, if it weren't for him, your so-called plans may not be able to be carried out, and I'm afraid you, Princess, would not be able to have your current status."
Zhao Pingkang was stunned for a moment, and then without any hesitation, he waved directly outside.
The two strong men lifted the man up and turned around to leave the yard.
Li Xiuping borrowed the opportunity and asked, "I'm very curious, how does Her Highness the Princess plan to deal with the so-called Nanyan Sect?"
Zhao Pingkang said directly: "You will do what you say how to deal with it."
Li Xiuping smiled and said: "It's up to Your Highness the Princess to decide for yourself. That's what I asked."
Li Xiuping finally asked: "There is one thing I can't understand, and that is your queen. Logically speaking, she seems to be on the side of Confucianism and should not die. Why does the senior sword master do it?" You should waste one more sword just to kill two people like that."
Zhao Pingkang looked at Li Xiuping and said, "Shouldn't the young master directly ask the senior sword master this question?"
Li Xiuping smiled and said: "I didn't know before, but now I want to ask, but the old man doesn't know where he is, so I can only ask Her Royal Highness."
He continued: "I think Her Royal Highness the Princess must know."
Zhao Pingkang nodded and said: "Because only by killing her can the Zhao family completely cut off contact with Taiyi Pavilion. Only if she dies will all the situations change again and I can take charge of the Zhao family."
She looked at Li Xiuping and said: "Although the empress is on the side of Confucianism, she is not necessarily on the side of the young master. Therefore, it is far more beneficial to the young master for me to be in power than for her to be in power."
Li Xiuping nodded, said nothing, and was lost in thought.
Seeing that Li Xiuping didn't speak again, Zhao Kangping stood up and said, "Then I won't disturb Mr. Li. If Mr. Li has any instructions, you can send someone to the imperial city to inform him."
Li Xiuping nodded and said, "Since I am inconvenient, I will not send you to Your Highness the Princess."
Zhao Kangping walked out of the room, glanced at Huang Qing outside the door, and then left the yard.
After Zhao Pingkang left, Huang Qing walked into the room and asked, "Uncle Junior, do you think what she said can be believed?"
Li Xiuping nodded and said: "It's trustworthy. After all, she really has no better choice now. You can write a letter later and inform the academy of the situation here. I believe Liu Shanzhu will make an absolute decision on his own. We don't need to worry about this matter." , As for the sword washing pool, it seems that the senior sword master has already made a plan, so we don’t need to worry about it."
Huang Qing nodded and said: "Okay."
Li Xiuping stood up and walked outside.
Huang Qing frowned and said, "Master uncle, are you going out?"
Li Xiuping nodded and said, "I'm going out for a walk. I don't know when the senior Sword Master will come back. If I continue like this, I'm afraid I won't be able to catch up with the Seven Holy Lands Conference."
Huang Qing also nodded, a little anxious.
Although Li Xiuping left his own courtyard, he did not leave Shanquan Academy. He just walked around the academy and found that Shanquan Academy was really not small, even bigger than Guanchao Academy, but one Guanchao was missing. Just a building.
When thinking of the Chaoguan Tower, Li Xiuping couldn't help but think of the scene when he first climbed the tower, and couldn't help but think of the last two steps.
According to Qi Wenxing, if you want to go up, you have to let go of your obsessions. Li Xiuping naturally knows what obsession he can't let go of the most, because he has always wanted to know his life experience.
When a person comes into this world, there should always be a place for him to come from, rather than being so unclear.
But even if this obsession is let go, there is still one step left. What does the last step represent? Even Li Xiuping himself doesn't know...
