That orange cat!
Zheng Xiu and Feng Bei were alone in the room. Relying on Feng Bei's experience in Ye Weiyang for more than ten years, combined with what they saw in Gongsun Mo's cannibal paintings, and what they encountered along the way, they actually... Most of the "doorway" blanks on the drawing paper have been filled.
Deductions, conjectures, filling in bit by bit, the upper, middle and lower realms are all human visions, and the gap between the prisoner and "human" is not a path that humans can take, and there is only one possibility left.
Zheng Xiu and Feng Bei thought of the orange cat at the same time.
That weird orange cat.
They have raised an orange cat in the painted world for ten years.
Zheng Xiu asked Qing Shisan that the cat had never left Zheng's house since it came to him, squatting every day.
Qing Shisan also noticed that after Master Zheng came back, the orange cat seemed to have become much colder and ignored people.
Usually if the maid in the house throws something greedy, the orange cat will run away with it, but now if it is thrown in front of it, except for rolling its eyes and yawning, it no longer reacts like a licking cat in the past.
It has changed!
Zheng Xiu tried to write a few words in the blank space.
"Cat" - orange cat.
"Bird" - a crow farmer.
After thinking about it, he wrote "worm" again - he thought of the ghost in Xiangu Temple. At the end, from the dark passage, the huge insect sickle behind the mirror almost invaded the ordinary world.
Maybe there are fish?
"Birds, animals, fish, insects, mountains, rivers and vegetation?" Zheng Xiu started thinking and made random guesses: "What are the sun, moon, stars, rivers, wind, flowers, snow and moon above?"
Listening to Zheng Xiu's wild speculation, Feng Bei couldn't help laughing, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. He obviously found Zheng Xiu's speculation interesting, but... it was obviously not reliable.
It was too bizarre for her to believe.
Zheng Xiu ignored the teasing in Feng Bei's eyes, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that this was what happened.
The only paths that humans cannot take are animals, natural disasters, and spiritual existence.
"Candle tried to create a 'crowkeeper' two hundred years ago."
"He asked the crow-keepers to learn the habits of birds, get along with them, and eventually become birds."
"How can an ordinary person walk on an inhuman road? Whether it was the crow-keeper who died on Sunset Mountain or the one we met, they all turned into half-human and half-bird ghosts!"
"This is an inhumane path!"
"A path not accessible to the living!"
"But once people master these methods, terrible thaumaturgy will be born!"
"This is the price!"
"Or...restrictions!"
"To become stronger, you must first become a human being!"
Zheng Xiu sighed, and he gradually figured out the reason.
Feng Bei did not refute Zheng Xiu's analysis. She silently pointed to the [Prisoner] at the top and looked at Zheng Xiu with a faint smile.
She seemed to be asking: What about you?
Zheng Xiu understood Feng Bei's eyes, shook his head and smiled bitterly: "It's not that I intentionally concealed it. There are no secrets between you and me. But, I don't know why this is the case, let alone the origin of the 'prisoner'."
In fact, Zheng Xiu had secretly expressed to Feng Bei that he was from another world during those ten years of married life. But Feng Bei didn't believe it and laughed and said Zheng Xiu was talking nonsense.
At that time, Zheng Xiu still thought that Fengbei was Xieluohe, so he did not continue to explain.
To explain now is undoubtedly superfluous, saying that there is nothing to hide and there is nothing wrong with it.
I confessed that it is your business to believe it or not.
Back to business.
Zheng Xiu folded the "Pathway Map" and hid it on the bookshelf.
Only then did Feng Bei remember the topic of "collecting strangers" that was originally discussed. After Zheng Xiu interrupted, Feng Bei wanted to return to the matter, so he asked: "You mean, you want to find the stranger in the picture and take it for yourself?"
Zheng Xiu smiled and nodded: "The one who knows me is Madam." Zheng Xiu first nodded lightly and accidentally on the relationship between the two, reminding Feng Bei that they were a "dream couple" in name only. Feng Bei remained silent. Denying it, Zheng Xiu continued: "He still doesn't know that we understand his origin through Gongsun Mo's memory. He doesn't even know that we know his true identity and purpose. In this way, with foresight, we From his purpose, we can infer his possible arrangements next."
When Feng Bei heard this, there was no trace of surprise on his face. The murderous intent in his eyes flashed and then disappeared. Feng Bei said calmly: "He wants to recreate the Baili Village of twenty years ago!"
"Yes!" Zheng Xiu knew that Feng Bei must have thought of his father who was tragically taken away in Baili Village twenty years ago. There is a theory that Zheng Xiu did not say out loud. The "Feng Nantian" from twenty years ago was probably not a stranger, but a "sacrifice" used to open Chang An.
There's a good chance the sacrifice won't survive.
After Feng Bei's transformation, he truly became a stranger. Feng Bei was one of the three "Human Pillars".
If Feng Bei still holds on to the desire to find Feng Nantian from Chang Antian, he may end up in vain.
As for the other two, Treasure King Cangyun and Wei Chen... Wei Chen can find a way to confirm it later, and Treasure King, who was taken away by Chang An, may never see him again in this life.
The Treasure King had been expelled from his official status twenty years ago and had no heirs. If he wanted to know whether the Treasure King was born a different person twenty years later, he would have to go and ask Zhu, the mastermind behind the scenes, Ben Hei.
"Now we know that Zhu's purpose is to complete a hundred-year 'ritual'. His ritual was not completely completed twenty years ago, and he failed to attack you. Now that he has disappeared, if you stay in the imperial city, Because he is afraid of the 'entrance' underground in the palace, he will most likely not come back. After thinking about it, his most likely next move is to find new aliens and arrange ghosts to make the aliens invisible. Introduced into the 'place' he has arranged."
"Uncanny." Feng Bei thought about it and figured out the connection: "Do you want to be like him, looking for strangers and avoiding ghosts that may gather a large number of human souls in advance?"
"That's right."
Zheng Xiu smiled. In fact, in addition to collecting stamps, his move is also a way to kill two birds with one stone. The promotion of [Prisoner] requires getting rid of ghosts. Although the cannibal paintings are not ghosts in the true sense, [Prisoner] was still promoted after experiencing the world in the painting.
One can stop the candle's movements, and the other can advance the door.
This is why Zheng Xiu thought about it for a few days after the emperor proposed that he be the second night master, and decided to take over the hot potato.
This potato may be hot for other people, but for him, it may be just right and he can eat it in his mouth.
Feng Bei learned about Zheng Xiu's plan and knew that it was dangerous, not to mention that he would be on the opposite side of Zhu who had lived for a thousand years. But Zheng Xiu is right. Now Zhu doesn't know their experience in the painting, nor does he know that the two of them have a certain understanding of Zhu's origin and purpose. Taking this opportunity, they might be able to win the victory one step faster than Zhu. Get the upper hand.
"But...is this really good?" Feng Bei closed his eyes, hiding the unbearable look in his eyes. She now knows that all the weird things that happen in the ordinary world seem to be related to her survival twenty years ago.
If she had not been rescued by "Zheng Shan", none of this would have happened.
Zhu's approach seems to be correct from a macro perspective.
From now on, more innocent people will die.
"well."
From the time he met Xiao Fengbei, Zheng Xiu knew that this girl had a kind heart. Otherwise, I would not have been in Baili Village, and after experiencing all kinds of changes, I still couldn't bear to stand up and persuade a few strangers to escape.
"You are possessed by a demon." Zheng Xiu held Feng Bei's hand tightly, took out another piece of white paper, and drew on it. He drew a carriage with two roads, five people on one road and one person on the other.
"Let me ask you, if you are driving a carriage and the horse goes crazy and crashes forward. There are two roads in front of you. These five people and this one are tied to death and unable to move. Would you choose to kill the five people or kill them? Choose to kill someone?"
Feng Bei was stunned for a moment, his eyebrows raised.
After thinking about it, she realized that she had no choice.
Zheng Xiu didn't let Feng Bei struggle for too long. This was a problem that faced thousands of people.
In front of Feng Bei, he tore the sketch in half along the empty space between the carriage and the six people.
Feng Bei looked thoughtful when he saw this.
"The point is not what he asks you to choose, but how you choose."
Zheng Xiu smiled and said: "This experience has left only two options in your heart. You live, or you change to eternal peace. But in fact, I have more choices. I can lift the carriage, and you can Smash the chariots and horses together."
"The so-called choice is not worth mentioning in the face of absolute strength. I have already said that none of this is your fault."
The timing is wrong.
Feng Bei's eyes lit up and he nodded vigorously, feeling moved in his heart: "Feng Bei understands."
Feng Bei took a breath, secretly made up his mind, and his frown disappeared. She counted on her fingers: herself, the monk, Yin Qingqing, Sun Erming, and...the orange cat? No matter what, Zheng Xiu has discovered several strangers so far, and any of them may become Zhu's next target. And if Zheng Xiu gathered all the strangers around him and formed an iron barrel, Zhu would not be able to do anything.
It does work.
"Yes, the great writer Ximen Bei." Zheng Xiu suddenly remembered that there was another suspicious stranger in the city. When he used the [Evil Boy] incarnation to copy Ximen Bei's bloody romance works, his [Learning] attribute was like riding a heifer to the sky, and he was so awesome.
At that time, he doubted whether Ximen Bei was a hidden expert. Now it seems that, let alone a highly skilled person, he may even be a natural [literati].
"You have to find time to visit."
The person who could write such a masterpiece as "Lan Xin Ruo Meng" in this era is by no means an ordinary person.
It's just that there have been too many chores recently, so Zheng Xiu forgot about it for a while.
After deciding on the itinerary, Zheng Xiu suddenly thought about it, picked up the small wooden fish on the corner of the table and walked out.
After searching for a long time, the sky was bright today, and the orange cat was lying lazily in the yard basking in the sun.
Zheng Xiu tiptoed up to the orange cat.
The orange cat remained motionless, but his ears perked up.
Zheng Xiu chuckled, and the small wooden fish connected by a red rope hung down. Zheng Xiu shook the rope, and the small wooden fish swayed left and right in front of the orange cat.
The orange cat ignored it at first and scolded Zheng Xiu, but Zheng Xiu was not discouraged and kept trying. After teasing for a while, the orange cat finally reacted. He raised his eyelids and stretched out his claws to catch the wooden fish.
"Oh no!"
Zheng Xiu, with quick eyes and quick hands, lifted up the wooden fish. When the orange cat saw it, its meowing eyes widened, its sexy cat butt was raised high and back, and it purred softly from its throat.
"No matter how weird you are, you're still not a cat? Follow the rules. The only rule for cats is to be teased."
Zheng Xiu started playing happily.
This trick lasted half a month.
Wooden fish, wooden horses, wooden dogs, Zheng Xiu picked up many gadgets during this period and threw them all at the orange cat's face.
He even asked Er Niang to knit various colored fur balls, just for teasing the cats.
During this half month, many people in the Zheng Mansion could always see the interesting scene of the master grabbing various small objects and making the orange cat jump up and down.
And just when Zheng Xiu seemed to others to be neglecting his business and indulging in playing cat games.
But in the city, a series of horrific changes were quietly taking place.
Scar Laoliu, who was once an ordinary jailer, was promoted to warden before, and later he jumped several levels in a row, and in an instant he became the doctor of the household department - the position vacant by Shi Wentong, who died tragically many years ago.
Jiang Gaoyi, who is already the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, had an unknown person come to his house two days ago to announce the decree and confer the title of Viscount. According to the principle of "nobles are awarded based on merit", there was no reason why this "Viscount" landed on his head, but the imperial edict clearly stated that Jiang Gaoyi was rewarded for his "diligence and conscientiousness".
Guo Zifei, the best catcher in the imperial city, was given the plaque "The Best catcher in the world" by the Holy One, which was hung on the six doors.
Yan Jiji was awarded the gold medal of "The Craftsman of Heaven" by the Holy One.
Xi'er of the Zheng family in Buzhuang ordered an exquisite Chinese robe under the instructions of the emperor. Then the emperor Longyan Dayue personally wrote "The Best Tailor in the World" and even stamped it with his seal.
The former Douxie was suddenly promoted to the vacancy of Ye Weiyang's "Xiaxian Lu". Now he is "Xia Xian Lu Mo Lie".
The Xiang Man Building is hung with "The Hall of Gold and Jade" written by the Holy One, and the "Wonderland on Earth" is hung in heaven and earth... As the emperor moves more and more, the unprecedented reputation is thrown at the Zheng family as if it is free of money, and more and more Many people who were not in the game also tasted it differently.
There were even many high-ranking officials in the imperial court who boldly thought in their hearts but did not dare to say it out loud: The leader of the Daqian Kingdom, who surpassed tens of millions of people, was blatantly licking the Zheng family!
Things are going to change!
In the palace.
The eldest prince sat in the courtyard, watching the flowers bloom and fall. There was a chess game in front of him, but there was no one across from him. After Zhou Ji's death, no one could play chess with him anymore.
"Father, what exactly do you want to do?"
The eldest prince muttered to himself.
Since March 3, the third prince has returned to his former cynicism. He disguises himself as a commoner and wanders around the city all day long, carrying a birdcage, playing with birds for fun, and looking for blind people to ask for directions. His face is full of childlike expressions. Innocent.
The second prince hid in his palace in fear, and was in panic all day long. When he heard about all the strange things that had happened recently, the ferocious-looking second prince first smashed the furnishings in the room crazily, and finally sat slumped on the ground and sneered: "Prince Chu, haha, Prince Chu, since father, you don't If you want to retire and become a high-ranking emperor, don't blame me."
No matter how the undercurrent surges, there will always be stormy waves crashing onto the shore.
In a blink of an eye, it’s June.
One morning.
A group of fully armed Shenwu troops marched through the streets in neat formation and arrived in front of Zheng's residence with great fanfare.
"Respectfully invite Marquis Zhonglie to enter the palace to meet the saint!"
The one who was escorted here by the Shenwu Army was Jiang Gaoyi, a winner in life who had been promoted step by step and received promotions. He first knocked on the door knocker, and then recited loudly, but his eyebrows could not conceal his surprise.
Inside the mansion.
Qing Shisan fell from the wall, filled with smoke. He looked at Mr. Zheng who was holding up a piece of grilled sausage and making the orange cat grin and run up and down. He whispered: "Master, the Holy One has sent Mr. Jiang to invite you to the palace. Holy!"
When Zheng Xiu heard this, he took action. The hot sausage in his hand was snatched away by the orange cat in the blink of an eye. Zheng Xiu nodded calmly, went into the house to bathe, burn incense, and change clothes. Soon after, Zheng Xiu changed into a luxurious robe, with a pure white mink fur cloak draped behind him and a jade pendant around his waist.
Yin Qingqing walked out of the corner, bowed respectfully, and said to Zheng Xiu: "The Holy Master said that the Marquis knows what he is thinking."
"Yes, Zheng is not blind. Just follow me into the palace. Don't be too ostentatious."
Qing Shisan and Yin Qingqing agreed repeatedly.
Before opening the door, Zheng Xiu thought of something and asked without looking back: "By the way, Thirteen, I asked you to greet the brothers of the Secret Service that day..."
Qing Shisan replied with a smile: "Following the master's instructions, Qing sneaked in secretly and carried a basket of fresh fruits."
"Are they happy?"
Qing Shisan thought for a while and replied: "I'm probably flattered."
The corner of Yin Qingqing's mouth twitched, thinking that she might not be flattered if she was favored, but definitely frightened. If you can sneak into the palace without anyone noticing, are you demonstrating or showing off your skills?
Pushing the door open, Mr. Jiang was already waiting outside.
The leading general was actually the man who used to pull the emperor's chariot.
Jiang Gaoyi secretly whispered: "This man is General Zhenbei."
"Please, Lord Marquis!"
Fu Han laughed: "Go back to the palace!"
The group of people marched back to the palace, climbed the thousand-step ladder to heaven, and entered the main hall.
All civil and military officials are on the left and right.
The emperor sat high on the dragon chair.
The three princes took second seats respectively.
When Zheng Xiu calmly walked past the civil and military officials and walked under the complicated eyes of everyone, for a moment, the morning court hall was completely silent. Everyone held their breath and stared at Zheng Xiu, the richest man who should not have appeared in the morning court.
Although Marquis Zhonglie has the title of marquis, he has not held an official position and is not qualified to go to court!
But he showed up!
"Marquis Zhonglie, Zheng Xiu, please see Your Majesty!"
Zheng Xiu bowed his hands in salute without kneeling.
The stern-faced emperor who had been listening to the chaos in the world and the floods in the south in the morning finally smiled: "You are here!"
The emperor waved his long sleeve: "Declaration!"
The green-robed civil servant had already prepared. As soon as the emperor finished speaking, he walked out of the side door. Behind him, a group of palace ladies carried a tray. In the wooden basin, black Chinese clothes, official hats, seals, belts, and jade pendants were placed neatly on the tray. superior.
The eloquent recitation of the thousand-character poem echoed in the hall, and for a while, everyone's ears were filled with a buzzing sound.
That's the noise in their heads.
Finally, the emperor stepped forward and put on Zheng Xiu's hat himself. On the hat, there is an exquisite golden tiger tiger coiled up.
"Now I specially ennoble Zheng Xiu as the county king and take charge of the food town of Shuzhou!"
"From today on, you are no longer the Marquis of Zhonglie!"
"I designate you as..."
"Red King!"
The great emperor made him king!
From today on, Zheng Xiu is no longer the Marquis of Zhonglie.
But... King Zheng Chi, Prince Zheng!
At the same time, he is also the first prince in the current dynasty!
