Waqiaoguan
Outside the pass are military camps stretching for dozens of miles. These are the officers and soldiers of the Great Zhou Dynasty who were personally recruited by the emperor. The commanders set up camps lined up in a long snake formation, stretching endlessly. The formation echoes from front to back, and is majestic and spectacular. It is obviously to deal with the cavalry of the Liao Kingdom and to demonstrate the power of the Zhou Dynasty.
Emperor Guo Rong personally went on an expedition and set up a palace at Waqiao Pass. All officials had to avoid it. Although there is usually no palace, Guo Rong's army tent still needs to be surrounded in the middle. The guard general of Waqiao Pass who led his army to surrender had his own arrangements. Except for Emperor Guo Rong, who lived in Waqiao Pass, the rest of the officials, except for the night guard guards, were all stationed in the military camp. There were quite a few officials accompanying him this time, but there was actually no one who could accompany him on the side of the palace.
The reason for this can only be speculated by everyone. The thoughts of superiors have always needed people to figure out and think about.
It was already about a quarter after Shenshi. According to usual practice, it was time for the soldiers to rest in batches in the military camp. There is very little training during the expedition period, unless new soldiers join, so general generals will make reasonable arrangements. Although there are many soldiers on routine patrol walking in the military camp, overall the military camp is relatively quiet.
The emperor continued to campaign for more than thirty days without actually fighting a single battle. Everywhere he went, he surrendered easily. It seemed that the Han people in foreign countries were eager to return. Guo Rong's strategy for this Northern Expedition, Now it clearly seems to be a success. The emperor stationed at Waqiao Pass and ordered the entire army to rest for a day because the emperor had to decide on the next move.
Whether to decide whether to attack Youzhou first, or to recover Mozhou and Yingzhou first. If we attack Youzhou, we will be directly facing the elite cavalry of the enemy Liao Kingdom, and countless soldiers will inevitably die for the country. If we attack Mozhou and Yingzhou, then means that all the lands of the states in Guannan may be owned by the Great Zhou Dynasty. If Mozhou and Yingzhou can be like the previous cities, this kind of peaceful surrender without spending a single soldier and this kind of war to regain the territory will really be an unparalleled achievement. Even if Guo Rong is dissatisfied, naturally some of his generals will also pursue him.
As the backbone of the return, Waqiaoguan has a special geographical location, close to the sea and lake, and can retreat or defend. What everyone was not worried about following the emperor was that Li Chongjin, who commanded all the bodyguards and was part-time military envoy of the Tianping Army, was also leading an army to support the emperor. According to reports from spies, it should be possible to arrive in less than two or three days, and all the generals are very confident.
At this time, in a larger military tent outside the pass, Zhao Kuangyin was sitting in front of the desk, with five people sitting on both sides, all with serious faces, and everyone looked at him in silence.
Zhao Kuangyin also looked solemn and looked at everyone thoughtfully and silently. He seemed to be thinking about something in his mind and his eyes kept wandering.
"Your Majesty, how did Zhang Yongde react when we met today!" On his left was a middle-aged man with a calm face, but he was only wearing the uniform of an ordinary soldier. Seeing that his aura was completely restrained, he just sat there as calm as a rock. Not an ordinary person.
Unexpectedly, there were all kinds of people around Zhao Kuangyin, and there were soldiers guarding the tent. Obviously there were some things that he didn't want others to know. Although this person was the first to ask calmly, he was actually dressed in ordinary clothes. He deliberately lowered his voice when he spoke, as if there must be something ulterior to say here. Facing these people, he, a man dressed as an ordinary soldier, actually sat in the first place on Zhao Kuangyin's left hand. He must be not an ordinary person in Zhao Kuangyin's eyes.
He looked at Zhao Kuangyin without making a sound, and couldn't help but glance at a lean soldier on the opposite side. This soldier was just like him, and he was also dressed as an ordinary soldier, but when his eyes moved, the light and dark flashes were heart-catching. The other party made eye contact with him, and there was eye contact.
"These brothers are all watching the envoy. Our sect can ask a certain family and junior brother Chu Wei to come to the envoy to take orders and promote the success of this operation. We hope that the envoy can act quickly!" He asked Zhao Kuangyin , but there was no politeness in his words.
His words made the other three people present frown. These three people were obviously not from the same group as them. Two were wearing armor, but one was wearing a scribe's attire. One of them on the left, a young general with a beard, was about to get angry after hearing his words. The young man next to him dressed up as a scribe waved his hand to signal him not to worry.
Zhao Kuangyin's eyelids trembled, and withdrew his imperceptible light, he looked at the middle-aged soldier with an eager look on his face and nodded slightly to him. But his eyes fell on the well-dressed scribe next to him, who had just taken the initiative to stop the bearded young general, and said lightly: "Brother Zeping, although a certain family is looking for Zhang Yongde this time, it is an action strategy! Now it seems that it is It’s not a mistake!”
This scribe who looked to be about the same age as Zhao Kuangyin was his aide Zhao Pu, a native of Jixian County, Youzhou, and a famous prime minister of the Song Dynasty in later generations. At this time, he was still unknown, just an unknown secretariat next to Zhao Kuangyin.
However, it is obvious that Zhao Kuangyin seems to rely on his ability as much as anyone else here. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have asked for his opinion in the first place. You must know that the other two people on the side are the young man sitting next to Zhao Pu, Han Lingkun, the Marquis of Yu in front of the Great Zhou Palace, and the other is Shi Shouxin, who has just been promoted to the commander of the capital in front of the palace.
Han Lingkun is Zhao Kuangyin's friend, and now he is also the boss of the Forbidden Army and Zhao Kuangyin's deputy; Shi Shouxin is one of the ten brothers of Zhao Kuangyin's righteous society. They are true sworn brothers in life and death, and they can be said to be confidants.
Zhao Pu naturally knew this, but after listening to Zhao Kuangyin's words, he still pondered: "The general must have heard that a blessing in disguise is a blessing in disguise. No matter what Zhang Yongde said to him, what we want is to make him feel resentful, or say something. This kind of dissatisfaction with the emperor. The power and prestige of the Zhang family in the court cannot be compared with that of ordinary Liu Hou Jiedu. If he takes action, the court will naturally be in chaos. By then, the general can watch the fire from the shore and fish in troubled waters. !”
"I just don't know how much noise Elder Qing Shaoming, Elder Chu Wei, and your sect can make in Waqiao Pass!" Han Lingkun said quietly, looking at the two people and seemed to be questioning: "Let's put pressure on him in every possible way. , and he did not hesitate to target his family, causing him to be resentful towards the emperor. Now Brother Zhao is even more willing to put himself in danger. I am afraid that as soon as he investigates, he will definitely be suspicious of your sect! By then, your Excellency will be People are suspicious!”
"General Han, there is no need to worry about this matter. Since our sect dares to help you, you have enough confidence to deal with this matter! What's more, the founder of our sect is a rare and extraordinary person in today's world. He is far beyond the understanding of ordinary people. The ancestor once said: , As long as the war in the Central Plains continues, our position in the Central Plains will remain strong. Then at the critical moment, we will find a wise leader in the world to help him achieve success." The middle-aged soldier Qing Shaoming looked at Zhao Kuangyin with some pride.
Seeing that everyone was silent, he continued: "I don't know if the ambassador has this confidence now. As long as he sticks to his beliefs, he will do something grand and grand in this land of the Central Plains just like he promised to our ancestors. !”
Zhao Kuangyin actually frowned a little. Cooperating with the sect of this slightly arrogant guy had no harm at all, so he went to visit their ancestor. He made this decision in the end. But the guy sent seemed to be relatively simple-minded. Zhao Kuangyin despised him a little, but didn't show anything on his face.
Success in anything is never that easy. Emperor Guo Rong is indeed a man of great talent and strategy, a rare talent that Zhao Kuangyin has rarely seen since he traveled around the world. What's more, the foundation left by the late emperor is not shallow. It can be said that his status in Dazhou is as stable as Mount Tai. It can be said that I am very lucky to be able to reach this day under his hands.
"With the help of the two elders Qing and Chu, a certain family is full of confidence. No matter how the current situation in the Central Plains develops, with the noble sect as a strong backing, a certain family's back is much thicker! This time Zhang Yongde listened to a certain family If I say that, I will definitely go back and think about my future decisions. I just don’t know what the movements and plans of your faction will be in Waqiao Pass now. Can someone know something about it?" Zhao Kuangyin said with a slight smile.
"The emperor seems to be aware of our faction's actions. According to the reports from spies in the palace, the emperor seems to be taking action against our faction in the near future. We cannot guess when exactly he will launch it. Therefore, our faction decided to strike preemptively at Waqiao Pass! "This elder Qing Shaoming was very proud. "At that time, even if he attacked our faction, it would not have much effect!"
Hearing Elder Qing Shaoming's words, Zhao Kuangyin's heart moved, but his expression did not change at all. He actually looked at Han Lingkun and Shi Shouxin with an eyebrow raised. These two people are both the bosses of the Forbidden Army and their brothers. It is still very simple to get close to the emperor. He couldn't help but said: "In this case, a certain family can let General Han bring two elders into the palace when he is on duty!"
Zhao Pu remained silent.
"This couldn't be better!" Elder Qing Shaoming smiled softly, and his junior brother Chu Wei actually showed a smile.
Waqiaoguan, palace.
It was not too dark yet at Youshi.
The so-called palace is just a decoration of the residence where the garrison and general were originally stationed, and then cleared away the idle personnel, leaving only the emperor to live alone. Because it was an unusual time for the expedition, there were not even any concubines accompanying him, which made the palace seem even more quiet and deserted.
Guo Rong stood in the hall with his hands behind his hands. This was the place where the gatekeepers of Waqiao used to gather to discuss affairs. Although it was not magnificent, it was spacious and grand. Guo Rong likes this simple feeling. He has been traveling around the world since he was a child and has long been accustomed to simplicity.
Standing next to him was a man in Tsing Yi. He was a somewhat pale man who looked to be no more than thirty or forty years old. Although he seems to be an ordinary person, and his eyes seem to be lifeless, he actually gives people an ethereal feeling.
In particular, his eyes seemed to be closed but not open, but his eyes felt breathtaking. He has three strands of clear beard, and his long hair is tied casually on his back, but it is mixed with a few white hairs. It not only makes people feel that he is quite young, but also makes people feel that his eyes are full of vicissitudes of life. His hands were also clasped behind his back, and they were covered in long sleeves. This person's whole person feels unpredictable and profound, vague and difficult to capture.
"Cough cough cough!" Guo Rong, who seemed healthy and normal, suddenly coughed and his body shook violently. And as he coughed, his face turned frighteningly red.
"Your Majesty is still serious! But if you can react, at least it's on the surface of your body!" The man in Tsing Yi said lightly: "What a powerful Soul Seizing Powder!" He actually sighed and looked at Guo Rong's painful expression, He couldn't help but put his right hand on the Dazhui point on the back of Guo Rong's neck, but Guo Rong didn't move at all. Sure enough, within a few minutes, Guo Rong's expression softened and he slowly regained his momentum.
"This medicine is really powerful. Without Mr. Dongzhen's help, I'm afraid it would be difficult for me to persist until now!" Guo Rong let out a long sigh of relief, as if he had gone through a long period of torture. There was actually a trace of darkness between his eyebrows that persisted. Thinking of the torture he had suffered, his eyes actually became a little more vicious.
However, he saw the man in Tsing Yi exerted force with his right palm and slapped it on Dazhui point. With a pop, a mouthful of black blood spurted out from Guo Rong's mouth. Guo Rong didn't wipe it, and when the second mouthful came out, the blood had turned red.
Not only did Guo Rong not move, he actually looked more relaxed. The man in Tsing Yi slowly retracted his hand, and a faint puff of smoke actually floated from the top of his head, making him feel a little sweaty on his forehead. The darkness between Guo Rong's brows seemed to look lighter.
"They may not have thought that His Majesty has an experienced Taoist by his side!" The man in Tsing Yi said calmly. Although he was wearing ordinary clothes, he actually claimed to be a cultivator.
There was even more pride in his eyes as he said: "Because Luhu has always been a frequent visitor to the palace, people can't guard against him. He is a highly virtuous Buddhist and is the master of your subordinate Zhao Kuangyin. Therefore, they do not dare to have too strong medicinal properties. , it’s too obvious to deal with His Majesty.”
The man in green frowned and said calmly: "However, if the old Taoist hadn't discovered it early, I'm afraid His Majesty would have been unscathed. Although this kind of treatment will damage His Majesty's holy body and longevity, the old Taoist is confident that After spending some time in cultivation, the remaining poison in Your Majesty's body has been eradicated in the past few days. However, Your Majesty must remember not to use force in these few days. Naturally, the Northern Expedition will be slowed down. There are also experienced people who really want to find out this person. , who would use the most poisonous medicine in the world!"
Guo Rong remained silent, closed his eyes and meditated for a moment, then suddenly opened his eyes, looked at the man in green beside him and said: "Mr. Dongzhen concluded that it was not the All Saints Sect. Then who else in the world is so skilled in using this medicine?" Oh! Especially who would want my life!" His tone had become colder. It was expected that everyone would have resentment towards the person who wanted his life.
"There are countless ways to use poison in the world. When it comes to methods, I would naturally recommend the All Saints Sect. The old Taoist knows the All Saints Fairy quite well. She will never take action if she doesn't do it. Therefore, although she is famous for using poison, she still Being named a fairy in the world!"
He elaborated: "She lives in the Yunnan-Guizhou area. She has an aloof status and will not be involved in the affairs of the Central Plains. It should be ruled out! What's more, with her current skills, even if she sneaks into His Majesty's inner palace, it will be extremely difficult for even an experienced person to detect her. !" The man in Tsing Yi seemed to be recalling the past. Imagine that with the methods and skills of the All Saint Fairy, it would not be easy to poison ordinary people in this world.
Looking at the darkening sky outside the hall, his eyes were alert and he suddenly said: "Your Majesty's reminder just now reminded me of something!"
"Oh!" Seeing the man in Tsing Yi so surprised, Guo Rong was a little moved. You must know that this man was a famous figure in the world in the past. He once made great changes in Fujian and was known as Mr. Dongzhen Chen Shouyuan.
He was the most highly regarded cultivator by the father and son of Fujian masters Wang Yanjun and Wang Jipeng. At that time, he was at odds with Tan Qiao, the drunk immortal who was also famous. Later, due to the demise of Fujian, he disappeared and no one knew his whereabouts.
After unexpectedly appearing in the Central Plains, he was helped by Guo Rong by chance, and he has followed him since then. He can achieve the great treasure of the Zhou Dynasty, and he has also contributed a lot. He is really a good chess piece and help.
"In the past, Liu Yan of the Southern Han Dynasty in Lingnan passed away. His sons successively succeeded to the throne of Dabao, and their unjust actions caused turmoil in Lingnan. The old Taoist was extremely curious about the four heavenly kings of the Eight Kingdoms of Zhongtian who rebelled in Luofu Mountain, and wanted to meet them. Who knew they were being killed? The Liu family drove out of Lingnan."
"Later I found out that they ran away to the Southern Tang Dynasty, and were later annihilated in the Southern Tang Dynasty. The old Taoist was disappointed and happened to pass by Prince Xing's Mansion. Who knew that he actually met Liu Yan's two sons fighting for the throne, and out of curiosity, he went into the palace to visit. ." Chen Shouyuan paused, seeming to be recalling something.
"I actually saw something strange about Liu Sheng who had snatched the position. Later, because of the complicated internal fighting in Lingnan Palace at that time, there were many masters trained by Liu Yan personally on the side to protect him. Several forces competed for survival in the palace. The old Taoist Then he withdrew. But he clearly remembered that Liu Sheng had good kung fu. Imagine that his father, Liu Yan, was ranked first on the list of strange arts. But your majesty, you can't imagine that he was also poisoned like your majesty! "
"Did he also get hit by this soul-stealing powder?" Guo Rong said with an emotional expression.
"Almost!!" Chen Shouyuan, a man in Tsing Yi, said quietly: "It is also a colorless and odorless poison. The old Taoist thought about it later! Because this kind of poison is usually not toxic and usually mixes with something. Only when they meet together will they react! It is conceivable that the poisoner must have a perfect grasp of all the poisons in the world!"
He stared at Guo Rong's surprised expression and suddenly said word for word: "So the old Taoist suddenly thought that this person has a unique way of using poison, and he may not necessarily be a person famous for his poison!"
Guo Rong suddenly felt a cold feeling on his back. He looked at Chen Shouyuan and said softly: "Although I have a few people in my heart, some people say that I doubt Zhang Yongde, but he is my brother-in-law, and there is nothing I can do about it!"
He suddenly turned his head and looked out of the hall, and said leisurely: "Since he has paid the price, I will make some compensation for him! The Jiuyang Sect has been trying to win the wind in the Central Plains. As a disciple of the Jiuyang Sect, Li Jixun was in court. Zhong Ye can be said to have had the wind, but now the garrison who was appointed by me personally has not only failed to restrain the disciples in the sect, but has intensified his public actions. This time I will teach them a small lesson!"
"Your Majesty kills three birds with one stone with this move!" Chen Shouyuan said quietly.
Nine Suns Sect
Three large gold characters sparkled in the sun.
Zhaozhou Mansion, the largest residence, is several times larger than the Zhaozhou Governor's Mansion. But no one dares to question its existence, and no one dares to enter here without invitation.
Maybe not many people know what this Nine Suns Sect does. Even the swordsman monks in the world, not many people know the true details of this Nine Suns Sect. However, its reputation in the Central Plains region comes from the founder of the sect.
The Central Plains region has always been the seat of centralized power. Even though there are many separate countries in the world now, there are still many forces that recognize centralized power. For example, Jingnan and Chudina are all forces that regard the Central Plains court as Zhengshuo. Therefore, challenging the rights of the Central Plains government is like seeking death.
However, it has such a majestic existence, and it is in the Central Plains region. No matter it was the Later Liang of the day, or even the Later Han Dynasty today, or the Later Zhou Dynasty in the hands of Guo Wei, it still stands tall in Zhaozhou. Not only is it unique, but it is not too far away from Kaifeng Mansion.
The Jiuyang Sect is famous because its founder is famous!
Haichanzi, Liu Haichan, the Taoist disciple of the North Sect of Daomen! He is the founder of the Jiuyang Sect!
The man who was a powerful figure in the Yan Kingdom that day did not support Liu Shouguang who became the emperor for a long time, but he became famous in the Central Plains Taoism and the world.
Although, he is now hiding in the Happy Valley of Zhongnan Mountain to practice Taoism, and he no longer cares about worldly affairs at all. But now the person in charge of the Jiuyang Sect is Cui Shaoyang, his disciple who has followed him for many years.
This is a figure who has been in charge of the Northern Dao Sect for nearly twenty years. Cui Shaoyang, the real leader of the Jiuyang Sect, is not only the leader of the largest sect in the north, but also a descendant of the Boling Cui family, so no one dares to touch the Jiuyang Sect.
