Chapter Ninety-Five: Your Majesty’s Holy Wisdom is far away.
Beijing.
Chui Gong Hall.
The old emperor was lazily lying on his side on a soft sandalwood couch, with a golden silk pillow woven by this year's spring silkworms as his pillow. He was reading the appeal letter. The old eunuch Cao Yan stood respectfully aside. Behind him, two palace ladies gently shook their long-handled feather fans to add wind to the emperor. mosquito.
The fragrance in the hall was ethereal, and two important ministers wearing purple robes and gauze turbans were sitting sideways, their hands cramped grasping the leather belt inlaid with gold and jade around their waists.
The purple robe was the first-class court uniform in the current dynasty, and there was no need to bow down when admonishing the emperor. In the current dynasty, besides the prince, there were also people with honors such as the three masters and three dukes.
It is Taishi Qi and Taifu Xiao.
This remonstration came because the emperor suddenly pardoned Zhao Zhengli.
A pardon would be enough, why did he also be given the title of Captain of the Qingchao Army in the Changning Army on Hedong Road?
They are all close associates of the emperor, and there is no need to imitate other people's speculations. Therefore, they retired from the court today to face the emperor alone to explore the old emperor's true intentions.
Not hiding their thoughts was a way for them to survive despite their stupidity, and it also suited the old emperor's appetite for controlling people.
But how many stupid people have been able to sit in the position of Grand Master and Master in ancient and modern times? It's nothing more than knowing the pros and cons of taking advantage of the situation, so as to pretend to be wise and foolish.
The old emperor was full of smiles when he read the words in the book of remonstrances, such as the rebellious ministers and the sons who were left with endless troubles, and the words "let the tiger return to the mountain".
Combined with the reason why they offered a reward of one million gold, it can be seen that the two of them hate the rebellious officials even more than he, the emperor.
He was very relieved.
After a long time, he slowly put down the memorial book and looked at Master Qi Taifu Xiao with a smile that could not be concealed on his face. Finally, it fell on the wrinkled face of Grand Master Qi: "Brother Longbi, if I remember correctly, you are already in the eighth grade this year." Are you more than ten years old?"
Then he turned to the younger Taifu Xiao: "Brother Xiao must have passed his seventies!"
The two of them were like two-foot-long monks, scratching their heads. They thought that the old emperor was dissatisfied with his old age, or that he had committed something recently, which was a sign of persuading him to retire and give way to someone more worthy.
The two of them were thinking a lot. Master Xiao finally looked at his eldest brother, Taishi Qi. Then Taishi Qi stood up and bowed to the old emperor: "Your Majesty, I am eighty-three this year." Then he sighed: "People Although I am old, my heart has not grown old, and my original intention to serve His Majesty is still there."
Taifu Xiao also hurriedly echoed sonorously: "The same goes for me, veteran!"
The old emperor was full of emotions, as if he had returned to the era of strife among the ten kingdoms: "Following me for a lifetime, I will naturally give you a stable old age. I pardoned Zhao Zhengli, arranged for him to go north to Hedong Road, and made him the fourth rank of the Changning Army. The captain of the imperial carriage has no real power with his title, so what I want is for him to lead the rivers and lakes to the frontier, and use the power of the rivers and lakes to resist the Khitan, Tubo and Xixia."
Grand Master Qi added: "What if the rebellious minister's son leads the rivers and lakes to disrupt the frontier? Or is he attracted by the benefits of other countries, which will be detrimental to Qing?"
The old emperor waved his hand: "Then Zhao Zhengli was completely torn apart from the Tubo, Xixia, Khitan and other countries. This is well known in the world. Secondly, although he has no father or mother, and is even hostile to the current government, Qingchengshan and his seven senior brothers are here, and he I will definitely not be a treasonous person, this has been proven on the shores of the East China Sea two days ago."
Then he sighed: "I am by no means a heartless person. You two must also know the hidden secrets of his parents. Furthermore, although Tianshi Zhao does not care about worldly affairs, he has never interfered with his parents' affairs. He has worked hard for the Qing Dynasty these years. He is diligent, but after all, he has a vague relationship with Zhao Zhengli. If his worldly mind is moved by killing him, it may be difficult to contain him."
Taifu Xiao said boldly: "I'm just a great master, what should I be afraid of?"
The old emperor asked back: "What if Qingcheng Mountain is involved? It is now known that the second Taoist has reached the threshold of the land gods, and even went down the mountain to support Zhao Zhengli, overwhelming Northern Shaolin and Cangzhou Du Family, and recently fighting against the four major forces in Dengzhou. Grandmaster, it is estimated that the leader is also among the brothers, not to mention the other real people. If there is a fallout at that time, tens of thousands or even more than 100,000 people are used to encircle and suppress a Jianghu sect? Even if they win, it will damage the foundation of the country. What will happen if there are invaders from the border then?"
The two were silent for a while. At first, Zhao Hongyun didn't need to pay too much attention. Even if he was a guest of Longhu Mountain, Zhang Tianshi's lineage would not follow him to oppose the imperial court.
But now that Qingcheng faction has the backing of Mingmu, he understands why the old emperor suddenly issued a decree to pardon the son of the rebellious minister who was originally determined by him.
After all, destroying Jianghu sects is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and the gains outweigh the losses. From a businessman's point of view, it is a loss-making business no matter how you calculate it.
Therefore, temples and rivers and lakes often have water from wells that does not change from rivers.
The old emperor continued: "The rivers, lakes and temples have finally been quiet for two years. Now those traitors are also ready to make a move. The Qing Kingdom is peaceful on the surface, but undercurrents have begun to surge inside. The Khitan and other countries have made many noises. I don't want to cause any trouble. , to intensify the conflicts between Jianghu and Jianghu."
Then he sighed: "If we can unite these rivers and lakes forces and share the same hatred with the border troops to resist foreign powers, Qingguo is destined to have long-term peace."
The two masters and masters were silent for a long time. After saying this, they understood the emperor's intentions and concerns. One thing is certain, the rebellious minister's son was really pardoned, and at the same time, he was arranged to go north to the desolate frontier. The border was bitterly cold, and the war was endless. He could not leave. Unexpectedly, he has never had any chance with the court in his life.
The two of them figured this out, bowed their hands and saluted deeply: "Your Majesty is wise."
——
The waves on the vast East China Sea were undulating, and several groups of pirates raised their sails to surround the ship. The ship turned its rudder and evacuated toward the northwest.
The approaching pirates were already within a hundred meters. The old captain shouted softly, "Shoot the arrows." The ship's crossbows were fired like a hail of arrows, mixed with fuel-fired slingshots.
Arrows pass by like locusts, fireballs fall like comets.
The person who had been standing calmly on the sailboat moved at this moment. He actually pulled up a long piece of cloth and caught the flying arrows in the air. He rotated his body and kicked the fireball away, and then threw out the wrapped arrows.
"Whizzing!"
The arrow feathers turned back at double the speed. The men on the deck of the ship stared in shock, and the blazing fireball was kicked away? Can a piece of cloth catch a sharp arrow? The key is that the cast returns faster than the bow string can be fully drawn. This was beyond the scope of their cognition. Looking at the cold arrows speeding back, they instinctively hid themselves to avoid them.
However, after waiting for several breaths, he didn't hear the sound of arrows hitting the deck, nor did he feel the pain of being hit by an arrow, or the wails of his companions.
When they raised their heads slightly vigilantly, they saw an unforgettable scene. Dozens and hundreds of arrows that had gone and returned were actually hovering in the void a few feet away, as if they were fixed by some mysterious force.
At that time, the bewildered crewmen looked around and saw the handsome young man in white robe wave his sleeves, and the sharp arrow hovering ten feet away turned around and shot out suddenly.
The speed is so fast that it is difficult to catch the trajectory with the naked eye.
The next moment, all I could hear was the popping of the sails of the pirate ship, the torn canvas, broken sail poles, pierced hulls, and screams. Even the "immortal figure" who had just kicked away the fireball and caught the sharp arrow with a cloth would inevitably suffer.
The three or two groups of pirates who were a little further away turned around and fled decisively when they saw the situation. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that there was an expert on the other side. They did not think that they could act as a million-strong general and consume the other side alive.
The situation changed so quickly that if it weren't for the slowly sinking sailboat in the ocean and the blood that had not yet dispersed, the crew would have thought they were hallucinating.
The dark, plump old captain was astonished as if he had seen a ghost. His mouth was wide open, not covering up his scarce and yellowed teeth.
All I could hear was the handsome young man in white robe saying lightly: "Go east!"
The voice was not loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly, and his tone was as calm as swatting a few flies.
How dare the old captain neglect such a divine personage? He quickly reacted: "Okay, okay, Master Yuan comes into the cabin to rest, no no, Immortal Yuan, Heavenly Yuan!"
Yuan Chaoyang smiled brightly: "It's better to call me Taoist Yuan!"
The dark, plump old captain grinned back in a naive manner, but his forehead was dripping with sweat unconsciously. He was secretly glad that he had not disrespected these five people. If the head of the Du family hadn't reminded him repeatedly, he really wouldn't have been able to protect the hungry and thirsty people below. The rough man had his own thoughts on the three beauties who looked like fairies.
The rough and rough crewmen who were usually big and thick-waisted were also silent at this moment, and even their breathing became careful, for fear of hindering several gods and figures from collecting the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
Thinking of his earlier attitude, cold sweat broke out down his spine.
Yuan Chaoyang and the five others returned to their cabins as if nothing had happened. However, after this incident, the status of these people on the ship was infinitely improved, and they were barely able to burn incense and worship.
We spent three days like this, during which we encountered two storms and setbacks, both of which were saved under the command of an experienced captain.
We even passed several islands, and we could see sporadic human activities. There were also a few people practicing Taoism and martial arts looking across the sea, but in the end no big trouble was caused.
Early morning on the fourth day.
At the end of the vast East China Sea, the white color of fish belly appeared, and a black dragon was vaguely seen lying across the East China Sea, blocking the connection between the sea and the sky.
When the first ray of the morning sun rises, the sky and the earth gradually become brighter, and the true appearance of the "Black Dragon" can be seen clearly, it is a huge green continent.
According to the introduction of the old captain, there is Donghai City Island. More than ten years ago, it was a place where pirates gathered. All passing ships called it the "Evil Ghost Island".
About seven or eight years ago, the overall situation of the unification of the Qing Kingdom was decided. The loyal ministers of the late Tang Dynasty who failed to recover during the chaos of the Ten Kingdoms withdrew all the way eastward, and finally crossed the sea in the Qing Kingdom to sweep across the oppressive Middle East.
It was also because of this that he found this huge island by accident. Li Xiaozhong took the remaining soldiers and landed on the island to occupy a place.
Li Xiaozhong rested for several months. The regular soldiers he led naturally crushed the mob on the island. They were good at planning and attacking their schemes. They were almost overwhelming. The pirates either surrendered and were recruited, or were ruthlessly pushed. In just two days, Within a year, he took complete control of the island and renamed it "East China Sea City".
Soon the Qing Kingdom learned about it and launched many sieges to eliminate the trouble. However, Donghai City became more secure and powerful during the sieges. It was not until recent years that the Qing Kingdom was unable to resist the foreign powers from the north that it relaxed the island.
While chatting, the island gradually approached and grew larger. Zhao Zhengli and Yuan Chaoyang discussed and decided to bypass Donghai City and head east.
If they land on this island, the news will probably reach Qingguo within half a month.
Although there is a vast sea between the two places, and the city lord and the imperial court are hostile, the monks are free to come and go. It is inevitable that the news will be leaked. At that time, Qingcheng Mountain may find it difficult to raise its head in the world.
However, contrary to expectations, three or two figures rose up from the sky on the huge island.
There are also three or five large ships sailing from the island pier.
From far away, I could hear the old man laughing.
"We only saw each other for a few days on the shore of the East China Sea in Dengzhou. The old man Yang Sili and the city lord came to meet Yuan Daoyou and came across the sea. Some were not welcomed from afar, but some were not welcomed from afar! Haha!"
You can tell that the other person is in a happy or even surprised mood.
Another rich middle-aged voice came.
"The Lord of Donghai City, Li Xiaozhong, respectfully welcomes the Second Daoist from Qingcheng to bring glory to this island!"
The sound has already arrived before the person is near. Just hearing the name "Lord of Donghai City" frightened the old captain and others. Coupled with the ability to fly into the air, they mistakenly thought they had entered the fairy island.
They seemed to have thought of a question in their panic and confusion, that is, they had lowered their status in front of Taoist Yuan and greeted them personally. What were the identities of Taoist Yuan and the others? .
Being able to see things in advance from a great distance is a method comparable to that of an immortal, right?
However, Zhao Zhengli and Yuan Chaoyang have sorted out the whole story.
It is impossible for the gods and gods to communicate with heaven and earth and have insight into things thousands of miles away without reaching land. It must be that the sailing pirates who escaped a few days ago went to Donghai City and reported their encounters, which were transmitted to the ears of the people above for confirmation.
After all, the ship is so big, it's not hard to spot.
However, what surprised everyone was that Daochang Yuan didn't seem to have a good look, and responded in a cold tone: "There is no need to go to the island. Please forgive me for causing any disturbance while passing through this place."
After saying that, the white-robed young man stood on the bow deck of the ship, raised his sleeves, and the zhenqi gathered around him like a tide. Then he flicked his sleeves back, and the huge ship automatically drove at high speed, like a spaceship cutting through the ocean. The man on the deck was suddenly Accelerating and falling, the sea wind roared in their ears, making it difficult to open their eyes. The sea wind poured into their mouths and noses, making it difficult to breathe, and their cheeks hurt. At this time, they only had one thought in their minds: "Could this boat be flying?" ?”
Dozens of men paddling below the deck were suddenly shaken off the oar handle by the sudden inertia. They could only hear the roar of the waves outside, which frightened everyone into panic for a moment.
Kuizi, who was directing the paddling, quickly went up to the deck to check, only to be faced with a strong wind. He squinted and saw that the huge ship was traveling at high speed, with waves at the stern of the ship slicing left and right, as fast as a meteor breaking through the sky.
And in such a stormy environment, the white-robed figure stood firmly on the bow deck of the ship. The white robe swayed wildly, making a hunting sound, but the man remained motionless. The tall figure made the rough men respect him like a god.
At that time, two figures appeared from behind and chased the giant ship through the sky. From a distance, they heard the old voice who called himself Yang Sili earlier.
"Yuan Chaoyang, the score you laid out is a bit too much! How come you are like the three old loaches in the temple? The old man and the city lord invited each other personally, but they refused to even stop to exchange greetings. Is this the upbringing of Qingcheng Mountain?"
But there was no smile at all at this moment, and the majestic tone made people feel intimidated.
The Lord of Donghai City also spoke: "Taoist Yuan, you use your true energy to control a huge ship. Not only is it laborious, but it is also a burden. How far can you run? I heard from Her Highness the Princess that your younger junior brother still has an old friendship with her. Now We should allow this city lord to fulfill his duties as a landowner and allow you all to stay on the island for a few days, right?"
Yuan Chaoyang paid no attention to it. Everyone just felt that the sea wind in front of them was getting more and more violent, the ship was traveling faster, and the incoming sea breeze was suffocating.
However, the speed of the ship increased several times at this time. If you were watching on the sea, you would be surprised. The huge ship was flying almost close to the sea level. The speed was fleeting. The naked eye could only feel a huge black shadow flashing past, and then there was it. The huge waves and strong winds it brought swept across the sea.
The old captain passed out at his extreme speed, and the dozens of ordinary men fell unconscious one by one without even being able to hold on for a few breaths.
As an ordinary person, Yang Guifen didn't last long. In the end, it was Zhao Zhengli who poured infuriating energy into him, so that his sister-in-law could still be conscious and not completely faint.
Even Yu Xiaowei, Li Zhanyi and others were also confused and in a state of drowsiness with difficulty breathing.
Yuan Chaoyang, who was steering the ship, and Zhao Zhengli, who was barely awake, were left alone in the entire ship.
Zhao Zhengli could clearly feel that the giant ship was really flying, and the speed was astonishing.
What shocked him even more was what state had Senior Brother Yuan reached? He actually took a huge ship and chased away two great masters at high speed.
Back at the mountain gate, he envied his own understanding, but now it was his turn to envy his senior brother's realm!
