Su Yixin pointed to the nine-star map above and said to Pan Yi'an: "Jun Yuan, could it be that the sacrificial platform we destroyed represents the Giant Gate Star?"
Pan Yian nodded: "It's very possible. The spirit-gathering transfer array is destroyed. The people who set up the array will know about it soon. Let's leave here first."
"As long as you know it, you know it."
Su Yixin coughed: "Brother, what Yuan Jun means is that if we can leave quickly, we must save our lives as soon as possible."
After all, the formation here was set up by five Yuan Juns. With Yuan Jun's cultivation, it would be extremely fast not to mention that it would take only a few minutes to reach the battlefield.
If you don't leave now, are you waiting to be blocked here and beaten?
Being beaten is a small matter, but losing your life is a big deal.
The four of them came out of the water and immediately left with their swords without saying anything else to Gu Qingjue.
In order to prevent them from tracing their whereabouts, they circled the Ningzhen Mountains several times before returning to Wangjiacun.
Su Yixin briefly explained the situation under the water.
"Yixin, did you just destroy the sacrificial altar?"
"Um."
Su Yixin said: "All nine stars are just one star away from lighting up. Once the formation is complete, there is no room for change. We can only destroy it first. At least we will buy time to find the other eight."
Then Su Yixin drew the nine-star diagram on paper.
"When the sacrificial altar was destroyed, of the eight stars that were originally lit, only the Giant Gate Star dimmed. After three breaths, the Nine Palaces Diagram disappeared. If the Ningzhen Mountains represent the Giant Gate Star, then the Greedy Wolf Star It's in the northeast of the Ningzhen Mountains. But we don't know the distance, so we can only look in this direction first."
Fortunately, one has been destroyed now, and this sinister method of trying to use the spirit-gathering transfer array to reverse the fate of the country has no effect for the time being.
They bought enough time.
The sacrificial platform was destroyed, and things here came to an end for the time being. Zhao Jin knew that there were eight similar sacrificial platforms, and decided to follow this clue and search in the northeast.
Pan Yi'an, on the other hand, returned to Kaifeng Mansion to resume his duties.
Inside Funing Hall
"I would like to extend my regards to the officials."
"Mr. Pan, there is no need to be polite, just sit down."
"In the official family, I am just a slave and cannot be used."
Zhao Zhen smiled and still pointed to the chair next to him. Pan Yian was assigned by the late emperor to protect the Guan family the year he was born.
It can be said that Pan Yian grew up watching Zhao Zhen.
Zhao Zhen was very close to him, and he was very easy-going when no one was around in private.
So Pan Yi'an sat down at the lower end as he was told.
"Pan Gong went to Jiangning Prefecture this time. Can the matter be solved?"
"Reporting back to the official family, this time I went to the Ningzhen Mountains and indeed found the Xixia people's sacrificial platform. It was complex and vicious in construction, but only one of them has been discovered so far. I worked together with the lady Su who wrote the letter and others to bring it to justice. Its destruction will only delay the operation of the sacrificial altar, and we still need to find the other eight sacrificial altars."
"Li Yuanhao has been ambitious since he proclaimed himself emperor the year before last, intending to go south to invade the Song Dynasty. In the first month of the first month, he assembled 100,000 troops and launched the Battle of Sanchuankou, which resulted in countless casualties. I thought that Li Yuanhao was just ambitious and a gentleman, but he did not expect to use such means To fight for the world through dirty means is unworthy of being a king."
Zhao Zhen has been the king for many years and rarely gets angry. These words are extremely serious.
After a moment of silence, Zhao Zhen said again: "The husband of the Zhao family is still in Yuyuan Town?"
"Yes, the matter of the sacrificial platform has not been completely resolved. Madam Su speculates that the other one is most likely to be in the northeast of the Ningzhen Mountains. Mr. Zhao plans to look for it along the way."
"Well, Zhao Jin is careful and down-to-earth in his work, but he is quite old and it's time for him to get a wife."
Pan Yian didn't answer this.
After reporting what happened to the Ningzhen Mountains and his party, Zhao Zhen still asked Pan Yian to follow Zhao Jin to protect Zhao Jin's safety.
Last time, Zhao Jin single-handedly retrieved the defense plans of several important towns from the imperial court, which has become a thorn in Xixia's side. Such a pillar of the country must not be harmed by thieves.
After Pan Yian retreated, Zhao Zhen came to the Queen's Kunning Hall.
Over the years, I have become accustomed to having the Queen listen to me when I talk about things I encounter. When I am confused, the Queen can always give me pertinent opinions.
Empress Cao greeted Zhao Zhen, sat down next to him, turned away the servants who were serving her, and said softly: "The official is frowning, is he encountering something difficult?"
Zhao Zhen originally came to complain to the queen.
When the queen asked, she explained what had just happened in detail, and then asked: "Yuyan, what do you think of this matter?"
Cao Yuyan chuckled and said, "The official has already made a decision in his mind, so why bother asking me?"
Zhao Zhen picked up the tea cup in front of him and took a sip: "I heard Mr. Pan mention Miss Su twice. She played a big role in discovering Xixia's conspiracy in time this time. I was thinking about giving her some reward."
Cao Yuyan's brows moved and she said, "Is the official willing to listen to me?"
"you say."
"I think there is no need to give the reward now, otherwise the Xixia people will inevitably associate her with the Ningzhen Mountains, which will be detrimental to their family."
Cao Yuyan looked at Zhao Zhen and saw that he was not displeased, so she continued: "Pan Gong didn't say that this young lady Su has an unmarried husband who is very talented. He was the one who cracked the mechanism of the underwater stone gate this time. But because His parents have passed away, and I’m afraid he won’t be able to take part in the provincial examination in the autumn. Why not just let him study at the nearby Songyang Academy, which can also cultivate talents for the imperial court in advance.”
"Queen, this is a good idea."
Zhao Zhen's eyes lit up: "I still have something to do, so the Queen will go to bed early."
Cao Yuyan showed a hint of disappointment, which was soon replaced by a dignified and gentle smile. She knelt down and said, "Respectfully send me off to the official family."
Zhao Zhen walked a few steps, then turned around and told Cao Yuyan: "The weather has been hot recently. I heard that the queen likes the iced fruit wine very much. It is better to eat cold food as little as possible. It is good for your health."
"I got it!"
Cao Yuyan's smile gradually dimmed when Zhao Zhen stepped out of Kunning Hall.
In the end, even the hunched shoulders collapsed.
Lian Qiao walked in from outside the door, and supported the queen to sit in front of the dressing table with distress: "Mother, the official feels sorry for you. As long as you ask the official to stay, he will not leave tonight."
Cao Yuyan smiled: "He is willing to stay. He will stay without me asking."
If she doesn't want to stay, even if she reluctantly stays in Kunning Hall because of concerns about her face, such a result is not what Cao Yuyan wants.
She, Cao Yuyan, has her own pride.
"Empress, you are always like this. When will the officials see how good the empress is? The officials have been very diligent in running to Zhang Cairen's place recently."
The official family and the empress do not argue or quarrel. The official family provides the empress with dignity in everything, but the two of them are together only a handful of times. It has been the seventh year since the empress entered the palace, and she has not yet given birth to a son and a half. Women, how can we keep the servants like them from being anxious?
(End of chapter)
