The two of them talked about their circumstances, family background, and martial arts. Mei Yuanchen was fine, but Xu Jinye became more and more interested in chatting. If his legs and feet were not weak, he might have rolled up his sleeves and started to move. Come.
"Come on, come on, even if you don't do anything, tell me the sword technique you used when you were dealing with the Salt Gang on the banks of Hongshi Bay." That night, although he was able to deal with the thirteen people of the Salt Gang, he still couldn't. At most, he can escape unscathed. If he wants to kill the four of them, he will never be able to get away with it. "Although the pig heads of the Salt Gang are not good people, their martial arts are not weak. Let others put it aside for the time being. Let's talk about Guo Tongcai. . Then Fatty Guo took up the position of the elder of the Salt Gang more than ten years ago, and has been famous in the world for even longer. His sword skills are also quite promising. Who would have expected that he would become the soul of someone killed by your sword? "
The two of them had had a fight in the middle of the night at an inn outside the capital. At that time, Xu Jinye still had the upper hand, but Mei Yuanchen relied on the mysterious footwork of "Twenty-Three Fighting Turns and Diagonal Steps" to barely hold on. The place of defeat.
In the Ruozhou martial arts school field, Mei Yuanchen and Shi Yinheng had a fierce battle to help Zhenwu Guan compete for the leadership of the martial arts league. At that time, Xu Jinye was watching from the side and saw that his palm skills were fierce and his sword skills were superb, and he was secretly convinced. I couldn't help but think that I was no longer sure of victory.
Then, at the request of Yi Qingxin, he went to Hongshiwan to rescue Mei Yuanchen, who was besieged by Zhang Suiguang and thirteen masters of the Salt Gang. During this time, the two fought side by side, and he truly saw a side of Mei Yuanchen that few people knew.
"I thought that what he showed during the fight with Shi Yinheng was his strongest martial arts, but I didn't expect that he was still hiding his clumsiness. If he tried his best on the martial arts school stage, he might not lose to Old Man Shi. If before the battle at Hongshi Bay He was not injured internally, even if Zhang Suiguang went up with the thirteen masters of the Salt Gang, he was able to escape and save his life."
After witnessing Mei Yuanchen's swordsmanship, footwork and fearless ferocity, Xu Jinye had a more accurate understanding of his true martial arts attainments - "In the face of an enemy, I have a six-point chance of winning; In a life and death fight, I am not as good as him."
"That sword technique is called 'One Sword Technique', which means that once the sword technique is deployed, all life will be wiped out." Mei Yuanchen replied softly, "My master once said that 'One' is the most murderous person in the world. Skill. Unfortunately, I haven't mastered it yet and can't do it freely."
As he murmured, the image of Qingxuan demonstrating a sword technique appeared in his mind involuntarily. Clouds and water flowed through the air, and the void where the sword pointed was cold. "If I am perfect in swordsmanship, why should I be afraid of Zhang Suiguang?"
"Killing skills? Well deserved." Xu Jinye muttered, turned around and asked tentatively, "Yuanchen, have you killed many people?"
He was very curious as to how a gentle and elegant young man from an aristocratic family could acquire such a ruthless martial arts, and whether his martial arts training was as reckless as he said.
Mei Yuanchen let out a long sigh and sighed: "One hundred and eighty-two people."
The target of a sword move is usually the enemy's throat and heart, so those who are hit by the sword are killed on the spot. With his mental arithmetic ability, he can clearly remember the number of people killed.
"So many!" Xu Jinye was so shocked that his eyes almost fell off.
... ...
It was dark at night, and it was rare for people to gather together in the eldest princess's meeting hall.
This room was originally the place where Xia Muchao and Zhou Xukuan, Du Chong and other royal officials held daily discussions. However, no one has sat here since the "Tianmen City Incident". Fortunately, the maids in the mansion take care of everything diligently every day, so that everything is not stained and looks as good as new.
"Yuanchen!" Seeing Mei and Xu walking side by side, Xia Chengxuan pointed to the seat next to him and waved, "Sit here."
After waving away, everyone sat down one after another. The eight people in the seats were Xia Chengxuan, Mei Yuanchen, Chu Zhong, Du Chong, Yi Qilin, Yun Xiaoyang, Xu Suye and a middle-aged man with a gray beard.
Mei Yuanchen had never seen the middle-aged man with a gray beard. After Xia Chengxuan introduced him, he found out that he was General Zhi Lin Bu Sheyi.
Prince Jia's Palace, Prince Yi's Palace, and Prince Zhi's Palace have been fighting in the court for many years, and finally won the battle for imperial power. The two biggest sources of help were Princess Ran Jingru's natal Xuanguo Palace and General Zhilin's Palace.
Needless to say about the Duke of Xuan Kingdom, Ran Jieting came from a well-known family and had been favored by the emperor for a long time, and was deeply trusted by Emperor Yonghua. Ran Jiangong joined the army as a young man, and benefited from the favorable timing, people and people, and he had some time to lead the White Horse Army. The father and son are Ran Jingru's closest relatives. From the day of their marriage, the future of the Ran family has been tied to Prince Jia's palace.
Bu Sheyi was Xia Muchao's confidant, and he was also a talisman that could quickly shock all parties after Xia Chengxuan came to the throne.
Back then, Xia Muchao concealed his identity and went to Zhilin Military Camp for training, and became deeply attached to Busheyi, and then pushed him to the position of General Zhilin step by step. It can be said that without Xia Muchao, there would be no Busheyi later.
Bushe reciprocated the favor and always unequivocally supported the Palace of Prince Jia. On the occasion of the decisive battle with Prince Yun's Mansion, after receiving Xia Chengxuan's secret letter, he immediately led 70,000 forest-planting troops southward regardless of the future. He rushed to the capital before the new emperor's coronation ceremony, consolidated the security outside the imperial city, and wiped out all the shackles inside and outside Dahua. The disciple's last wish was to follow the dragon.
"Everyone is here, let me get straight to the point." Xia Chengxuan left his seat and walked to the middle of the hall, saying to everyone, "What we are discussing tonight is related to Yiyi's safety. Chengxuan invites everyone to come. I trust you very much."
He mainly said this to Yi Qilin, Yun Xiaoyang, Xu Suye and Bushe. After all, compared to Du Chong and others, they were considered outsiders.
The four people also understood and stood up together to promise: "I will not speak for others."
Seeing Xia Chengxuan making a gesture of invitation towards him, Chu Zhongnai stood up and left his seat, and said in a clear voice: "Taoist Master Qingxuan checked the pulse of Princess Chengyi and confirmed that there was a poison named "Dream Demon" in the princess's body. How to solve this poison? The poison needs to be treated with blood amaranth, century-old ginseng and blue gentian. These three substances are all extremely rare treasures in the world. I searched all over the medical books and finally found some descriptions about them, so I will tell you about them. .”
"Blood cistanche is only produced in the Gobi and deserts in the northeastern region of Shatuo. It can be called the holy product among cistanche. It is more than a foot tall, shaped like an umbrella canopy, its flesh is like turtle scales, its color is like human blood, and it is mature and dehydrated. The whole body is as crystal clear as amber jade resin, and the cooked product that is naturally air-dried has the best medicinal effect. However, this material is not resistant to moisture, and when exposed to water, it swells and the medicinal properties are dispersed."
"Black ginseng, also known as black blood ginseng, is a treasure among ginseng. It has been found only in scripture annotations for hundreds of years and has not been spread among the public. Medical books say that there is a ginseng species on the thousands of miles of snow in the far north of the Snow Country. Its leaves are like goose palms. , the stem is like a lotus stalk, the roots are like bamboo joints, and the fruit is produced under the bamboo joints. Its shape is the same as taro, and its juice is as black as ink and has a strange fragrance. Its roots become one section in ten years. It is easy to identify the century-old treasure, which is ginseng. There were more than ten nodules before."
"As for the blue gentian, it is actually the gall of a giant sea snake called the 'blue dragon'. This snake is covered in blue scales and has red eyes that fluoresce orange at night. It is fast and ferocious and can climb mountains. Submerged in the sea, it is extremely poisonous. Fishermen in the South China Sea call it the 'demon dragon'. The blue dragon mainly inhabits the sea cliffs in the southern border of Jue Kingdom and the islands near the coast. According to "Jue State Anecdotes", it can be up to Two feet, it weighs more than a hundred kilograms. There are even rumors that a fishing boat once saw a blue dragon when it took a nap at the island. Its body was nearly three feet, its waist was like a vat, and its scales shone like gold and iron. If it’s a real dragon.”
This matter was of great importance, Chu Zhong explained it clearly, and all seven people listened carefully.
After everyone finished chatting softly, Xia Chengxuan stood up, held his hands in salute and said: "I invited you here late at night because I want you to help get these three things."
Except for Bu Sheyi, the others were more or less familiar with the matter, so they were not surprised. They all stood up and returned the gift, each with their own promises.
Xia Chengxuan looked at them one by one and replied seriously: "Chengxuan is very grateful!"
"Let the emperor assign you!" Yi Qilin asked in a loud voice.
The Yufeng Escort Bureau has a strong reputation, and the Yi family can now be said to be the number one family in the martial arts world. However, when Yi Qilin and Yan Qinhe chatted about the future of their descendants on the way to the Ruozhou Conference, he made no secret of his envy of the Yan family.
Although the Yan family is a martial arts family, their ancestors have accomplished many important errands for the imperial court. Because of that achievement, the imperial court built a mansion for them in Xuanzhou. Moreover, for hundreds of years, the imperial court would give the heads of the Yan family a high-ranking and fictitious position. Although there was no real power, the official rank was there, and the military and political officials of the prefectures and prefectures had to respect it.
Relying on this favor, it will be much smoother for the descendants to enter officialdom.
Martial arts talents vary, and the strength of one generation of the Yi family does not necessarily mean that the next generation will be as strong. The world has always relied on martial arts to establish its position. Once the top masters are not in charge, the golden name of Yufeng Escort Agency will not be preserved.
What's more, although running around in the world is not really a knife-edge licking blood, it is still a hard job after all, and it is really not the same as becoming an official.
Yi Qilin used the power of the escort agency to transport salt for Mei Siyuan, but he was at least 30% selfish. Later, Yi Buyi was sent to Prince Zhuge's Mansion to deliver a message. It was not without the idea of taking the opportunity to let his grandson serve in the army.
"Okay!" Xia Chengxuan said happily, "Chief Escort Officer, the Yufeng Escort Bureau is connected to the north and south, and travels east and west. The knowledge of the several young escort chiefs in the bureau is extraordinary. This trip to Shatuo requires going deep into the bitter cold desert, and there is no one better than you." It’s appropriate!”
Yi Qilin clasped his hands and said sternly: "Your Majesty, please rest assured. I will leave for Qingzhou early tomorrow morning. I will start my journey with a little preparation."
As he expected, Shatuo was assigned to Yufeng Escort Bureau for this mission.
In fact, Xia Chengxuan's choice is not difficult to guess.
First, the headquarters of the Yufeng Escort Bureau is in Qingzhou, which is an important town in Anxian. Caravans often come and go from Shatuo, so the Yi family has a favorable location.
Both of them, blood amaranth grows in the desert, and the escorts sleep outdoors all year round. Their ability to find things is not weak, and they take advantage of people and people.
This time I went to Shatuo to look for blood cistanche, and they were the best choice.
"The chief escort is not in a hurry at this moment." Xia Chengxuan waved his hand and smiled, "Besides, it is not easy to bother the old man to do things like looking for medicine. There are many outstanding people in the Yufeng Escort Bureau, and the chief escort sent dozens of second and third officers. If you are a good hand, there is no need to worry about things failing."
Yi Qilin hesitated a little and replied: "How dare I neglect the Emperor's affairs?"
Mei Yuanchen on the side understood what Xia Chengxuan meant and interrupted: "Senior Yi, the vast desert is thousands of miles away and the journey to find the medicine is long. It is a good opportunity to train the young men of the Escort Bureau. After the matter is completed, the emperor will have other matters. Leave it to them. Right, Your Majesty?"
Although the two of them were as close as flesh and blood, he would never call others by their first names when they were around.
Xia Chengxuan nodded after hearing this and said to Yi Qilin with a smile: "That's what Yuan Chen said. Zhuge Pingtai and Xu Ding'an have stated before that Yi Buyi from the Yufeng Escort Bureau is both civil and military, loyal, brave and resolute, and is one of the younger generation. He is a rare talent for running the army. If the commander-in-chief does not object, after this incident I want him to go to Suzhou Military Camp to serve as Xu Ding'an's deputy general. After a few years of experience, he will become a great weapon in the future. "
Everyone's words are worth their salt. Especially after hearing Mei Yuanchen talk about the third son of the Yi family several times, Xia Chengxuan had secretly sent someone to conduct a detailed investigation and determined that he must be a talent that could be developed. He has only just ascended the throne, and there are few available people. Moreover, Dahua has been in a stalemate with Shatuo and Jue for a long time. It is uncertain when a national war will start. Reserve some young generals in advance to govern the country and the army.
Xu Ding'an, known as "Crazy Xu", became famous throughout the world during the Battle of Suzhou. At this time, he was already a third-rank general stationed in Suzhou. According to the system, the deputy general of the stationed military camp is a fourth-grade military position. That is a position that many people cannot reach in their lifetime! Moreover, being able to work beside a famous general like Xu Ding'an as soon as he entered the military camp brought endless benefits to Yi Buyi.
The credit for helping the royal family find medicine should be left to the younger generations of the Yi family. Only then did Yi Qilin understand Xia Chengxuan's thoughts. He was overjoyed and replied loudly: "Yufeng Escort Bureau will definitely live up to its mission!"
He thought that the Yi family might benefit a lot from completing the tasks assigned by the emperor, but he never expected that Xia Chengxuan would directly let Yi Buyi take the position of a fourth-grade military general. Such a reward would far exceed his expectations.
Seeing Yi Qilin taking the initiative to ask for help, Xu Suye dared not to hesitate and walked over on a crutch: "Your Majesty, the Xu family will kill the blue dragon and regain its courage."
Because Xia Chengxuan had approached him a few days ago and he had agreed, he naturally knew that the Xu family's errand was to go to the South China Sea of Jue Country to fetch blue gentian. At this time, he was just making a statement in front of everyone.
Xia Chengxuan raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: "If the Xu family is willing to serve the imperial court sincerely, I will not be implicated in the crime of rebellion committed by Xu Xiaoyu and others. At present, the family and the country are in trouble, and everything is waiting for improvement. It is the time to employ people. The Xu family is full of talents. If it is for the benefit of the country, there is no greater good! You can relax your mind. I, Xia Chengxuan, am the emperor of Great China. How can I not have this tolerance? "
His divine appearance resembles a smile, but he possesses an undeniable majesty.
Xu Jinye was startled for a moment, then slowly knelt down on one knee, and replied Zheng Sheng: "Your Majesty is kind, and Xu Ye will remember it. Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will gather the talents of Ruozhou to create another Xu family that is loyal to the Great China Court!"
It can be said that Xia Chengxuan has always cherished Ruozhou Xu Er very much. Hearing what he said, he was greatly relieved and said with a smile: "Wait a few days and see how many people from Ruozhou come here to accept the order."
The snow gradually melted away, the post road was open, and the distance of a thousand miles was only two days' journey. If those "outside" people of the Xu family had the intention to put aside their relationship with Xu Xiaoyu and others, they should be on their way to the capital by now. .
"Your Majesty, please rest assured. The descendants of the Xu family are very sensible. Knowing that the Emperor is such a benevolent person, they will not hesitate to follow him with their lives. To be honest, even if I am the only one who is in trouble this time, I will still take the blue gentian." The reason why he said the second part was that he was not very clear about the current situation in Ruozhou. If Wang Yutang and He Zhengrong really didn't come, he would agree to this errand first and take care of the Xu family.
Although one person is in trouble, it is not wrong to take gentian.
Seeing how heroic he was, Xia Chengxuan became even more determined to take over the Xu family for his own use.
"Grandpa Chu and General Bu, the Snow Country has troubled you both!"
Xia Chengxuan also assigned the last task.
Before Mei Yuanchen could react, Chu Zhong and Bu Sheyi had already cupped their fists and accepted the order.
"Your Majesty, it's up to me to find the century-old black ginseng!"
Seeing that the emperor didn't answer, Chu Zhong came up and said to Mei Yuanchen with a smile: "Sir, Princess Chengyi has been unconscious for a long time. It's better for you to stay in the house. I have prepared for this trip to the Snow Country."
Without waiting for him to ask, Chu Zhong continued: "It is not easy to find a black blood ginseng in the snowy plains, let alone one that is hundreds of years old. It is like finding a needle in a haystack. Fortunately, we have found out that there is one in Jingting Villa." One hundred and thirty-year-old black blood ginseng. We must be polite first and then treat guests, and everything will be done."
Jingting Villa has been trading medicinal materials for hundreds of years. The owner of the village, the Yin family, is the richest man in the Snow Country and the overlord of the martial arts in the northern snowfields. What is strange is that five years ago, the owner of the village, Yin Wugou, was beheaded in the village and became a joke in the world.
"Is there ready-made century-old black ginseng in Jingting Villa?" Mei Yuanchen said happily, "That's easy. We can just pay a high price to buy it."
He thought that with Dahua's national power, even if the Yin family asked for tens of thousands of gold, Xia Chengxuan could still afford it. Looking at it this way, the century-old black ginseng is actually the easiest to obtain among the three medicinal herbs.
Chu Zhong smiled bitterly and said: "After Taoist Priest Qingxuan suggested that the three herbs needed to cure the princess's poison, the family quickly found out that there was a century-old black ginseng hidden in Jingting Villa. Jingting Villa is famous for its rich Tibetan medicine, Huarong The sales of snow lotus and black blood ginseng were almost entirely in the hands of the Yin family, and the matter was quickly found out. We sent people to Jingting Villa and proposed to the owner Yin Wujie to purchase the plant for 100,000 gold. I didn’t want to buy the century-old black ginseng, but she rejected it flatly. "
"One hundred thousand gold is not enough?" Yi Qilin looked in disbelief. There are over 10,000 people in the Yufeng Escort Bureau, and even a person who works as an escort cannot make a fortune in a year. One hundred thousand gold, even if the entire Yufeng Escort Bureau was sold, it would still not be worth this amount.
Xu Jinye looked no better than him. He sighed and said, "One hundred thousand gold. Apart from the royal families of the four countries in the world, only Tongdui Bank, Yan Gang and Cao Gang can afford it. Xian Ma will bring down a country." Even if you don’t have enough strength, you may not be able to make up the number.”
The four kingdoms of Dahua, Snow, Jue, and Shatuo all have vast territories and millions of people, so they can naturally afford one hundred thousand gold. Tongdui Bank, Yan Gang, and Caobang monopolized the world's banks, salt market, and water transportation respectively, and they probably still had 100,000 gold left.
The Xu family has dominated the martial arts world of Dahua for many years, and everyone in the world thinks that they are as rich as any country. However, he still knows how rich his family is. It is impossible to have even fifty thousand gold, not to mention one hundred thousand gold.
One hundred thousand gold is equivalent to two million copper coins. At the current price of Ruozhou, more than 10,000 hectares of fertile land can be purchased, 2,000 high-rise buildings can be built, and almost half of the city of Ruozhou can be rebuilt.
This shows how sincere the price offered by Xia Chengxuan is!
But no one could have imagined that Yin Wujie would not agree to this deal.
"Isn't Yin Wujie crazy?" Xu Suye sneered, "How much does she want?"
Mei Yuanchen and Yi Qilin were also curious about how much she wanted for the century-old blood ginseng at Jingting Villa.
Xia Chengxuan shook his head and sighed: "You asked for a price I can't afford."
As soon as this statement came out, everyone was shocked.
At that time, Yin Wujie's reply was that there was no price for the Jiuzi Huarong Snow Lotus and Centennial Black Ginseng at Jingting Villa, and could only be exchanged for one thing. It's just that thing that Xia Chengxuan couldn't give her.
"Your Majesty, it's all Bu's fault!" Bu She squeezed her eyes tightly to prevent tears from falling.
Everyone was puzzled as to what this matter had to do with him.
Seeing that he was about to kneel down, Xia Chengxuan hurriedly held his elbows and comforted him: "Uncle Bu, how can I blame you for this accident?"
Bushe shook his head and exclaimed, "If it weren't for the incident between me and Jingting Villa, it was just a black ginseng, why would we mobilize so many troops? Why would we spend all the money of a country?"
One hundred thousand gold is also 80% of the national treasury of Dahua. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is "all the money in the country".
"General Bu, what is the dispute between you and Jingting Villa? Why don't you tell everyone, maybe there is room for change." Yi Qilin asked.
Seeing Xia Chengxuan nodding in secret, Bushe started talking.
It turned out that Bu Qingjiang, Bu Sheyi's youngest son, visited the border of Zhilin County five years ago and met Yin Wugu and his entourage who were going south. The two sides had conflicts over trivial matters and eventually fought. Although Bu Qingjiang was not weak in martial arts and had more than a dozen followers, he was still far from his opponent. Not only was he severely punished, but he was also humiliated by his vicious words. After being humiliated, Bu Qingjiang returned to the Zhilin Military Camp and privately led more than a hundred light cavalry to rush for several days before finally intercepting him in the Snow Kingdom. The two teams fought and killed each other. Unfortunately, Bu Qingjiang also died. Bu She, who had lost his beloved son, had no way to seek revenge, so he went to Jiudian and asked for Yin Wugou's head with all his belongings. Originally, Jiudian was not supposed to take on this business, but for some reason, it ended up taking it. Fifty-six masters of the Nine Halls, led by Bodhicitta at the time, went north at night and lurked for several months before finally sneaking into Jingting Villa and taking back Yin Wugou's head at the cost of fifty-five deaths. From then on, the two families forged a bloody feud.
This matter is extremely secretive, and few people in the world know about it.
It is natural for a father to avenge his son. After hearing this, no one thought there was anything wrong with Bu Sheyi. As Xia Chengxuan said - it was just a mistake.
However, with this blood feud in the way, the century-old black ginseng has become the most difficult to obtain among the three medicinal herbs. But what Yin Wujie wanted was Bu Sheyi's head, and Xia Chengxuan couldn't agree to it.
"Mr. Mei, this matter started with me, and it must end with me. A century-old black ginseng, Bu will get it at any cost!" The general's figure was jilted, his words were like nails, and he did not tolerate refutation.
To be honest, he would not hesitate to exchange his son's life for the century-old blood ginseng. Unfortunately, something has happened that cannot be undone, and Bushe has to try his best to make up for it.
Mei Yuanchen held his fists against his and said sternly: "The general is guarding the northern border, which is of great importance. This junior is not weak in martial arts. I will lead all the masters in my family to the Snow Country. There is a dragnet at Jingting Villa, and that black ginseng We can get it too. Don’t worry, General!"
No matter what you say to me, no one can convince the other.
"Your Majesty, state affairs come first. Let me go to the Snow Country this time." Since there was nothing he could do about it, Mei Yuanchen had no choice but to put pressure on Xia Chengxuan.
When Bu She saw this, he hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, this is the only bloodline of the Mei family that is loyal and loyal, and we cannot afford to lose it. Let me lead a group of riders to the Snow Country!"
Xia Chengxuan looked left and right, and after a long time he said: "The incident originated from the Bu family. If General Bu did not participate in getting the medicine, he would not be happy. In this trip to the Snow Country, General Bu will lead an elite group of Zhilin Army. Grandpa Chu Lead a team of palace experts to assist. Yuanchen, didn't you say that your uncle might be in Tianshuang County? You are the only blood relative, so you should go find him as soon as possible. Also, you may not have seen Xinyue and Changsheng for a long time. According to my wishes, you go and finish those two things first. After that, General Ruobu and Grandpa Chu will be successful, so everything will be fine. If the current affairs are still unsolved, you can go to the Snow Country to find them. I will send them along the way. People butt."
As soon as he said this, Bu Sheyi and Mei Yuanchen both felt that it was feasible and both agreed.
