No matter how much Zhao Luqing marveled, the two of them quietly returned to the inn.
Zhu Hongni did not forget to pack the dry food she would take with her on the road. When she picked up the bag, she could not find the boy.
At this moment, Shen Li was hiding in the kitchen talking with the waiter and the current shopkeeper.
"I deliberately leaked your identities to Jiang Zhuo and recommended him to Zhao Luqing. This person will definitely tell Zhao Luqing the news that you are the Xingxiu Sect in order to gain Zhao Luqing's trust."
The waiter and the shopkeeper suddenly changed their minds.
Shen Li immediately said: "Zhao Luqing is ambitious and has no one to help him. He will definitely go to see Jiang Zhuo. This also means that in his eyes, the Xingxiu Sect is not a hostile force in the world, but an intermediary force that can be used. If Zhao Luqing finds you, don't do it. You’re welcome, that guy has plenty of money, even if the lion opens his mouth.”
When the two of them thought about it carefully, they suddenly realized that the young man had unique insights and had set up a very clever scheme.
The shopkeeper asked: "Sir, can Chen Qifeng make use of it?"
"Chen Qifeng... what is this person's background?"
The waiter slapped his head: "Damn it, I forgot to tell you about Chen Qifeng's distant relative."
"Young Master, it's like this. Chen Qifeng has a distant relative named Chen Xuanjing, whose Taoist name is Xuanzhen. She is a female crown prince and is known as one of the young geniuses of Taoism."
"Which Taoist school did you learn from?"
"View of the Moon over the East Sea."
Shuiyueguan has few disciples and is mysterious. Over the years, only the name Donghaiyueyueguan has been heard, and its disciples are rarely seen walking around in the world.
As soon as Chen Xuanjing entered the world, he did not shy away from inheriting his master. As the battles and discussions continued, Xuanzhen's Taoist title and Shuiyue Guan once again boiled over in the world.
"How did you know that Chen Qifeng and Xuanzhen are distant relatives?"
"The Xingxiu Sect has always paid attention to the prodigies of the world. Xuanzhen once came to Wanshui City to visit Chen Qifeng. We learned from the vegetable seller in front of Chen Qifeng's house. Based on the portrait she drew, we confirmed that she is Shuiyue Guan Xuanzhen."
The Xuan generation in Taoism is very senior. Almost all Taoists today are from the Xuan generation.
"Use Chen Qifeng to find Xuanzhen?"
"yes."
"Let's see if Xuanzhen can be used by me?"
"Yes, the Xingxiu Sect has always adopted this strategy when dealing with those talented people in the world."
"Yes. Since Xuanzhen is known as the genius, he should be cautious and don't pick up the sesame seeds and lose the watermelon."
"Don't worry, sir, Miss Gao will be in charge of this matter."
"Gao Nanzhi?"
Gao Nazhi can also be regarded as Qin Xianqing's disciple. Like Shen Li, he is not one of the seven killers, nor does he have the name of the Twenty-Eight Constellations. Unlike Shen Li, Gao Nazhi obeys Qin Xianqing's orders very much. Sometimes the young man slanders, and Sister Qin wants to Gao Nanzhi commits suicide, will she comply...
She is five years older than Shen Li and is a fourth-grade Sword Immortal. Although her swordsmanship and kendo are not outstanding, she is extremely solid.
"Exactly."
"Heh, Gao Nazhi is also in the Northern Sui Dynasty, isn't he?"
"Miss Gao has been in Northern Sui for a year."
He and Gao Nazhi never got along. Gao Nazhi had nothing in his eyes except Qin Xianqing and the sword. He was completely addicted to swords and cared about the rules. The young man also liked to do some outrageous things. The two chief helmsmen often fight.
Gao Nazhi and his swordsmanship were mostly taught by the same master. There was no need to use the ultimate killer move. The two of them fought for dozens of rounds without a winner. At this time, relying on the Vajra Dragon Elephant Body, they would throw away their swordsmanship and end up with the sword. The overwhelming force forced her to abandon her sword and admit defeat.
After admitting defeat, Gao Nanzhi practiced sword practice crazily, so crazy that Qin Xianqing couldn't stand it anymore.
Shen Li secretly thought, "Oh no, if she were unlucky enough to meet Gao Nanzhi, wouldn't she bully me crazily if she saw me in this situation?"
It's no wonder that the young man thinks this way, after all, he has bullied Gao Nanzhi many times.
"Young master, do you want Feige to pass a message to Miss Gao?"
"Ah? Why is Fei Ge sending a letter to her?"
"Of course I will inform you of the whereabouts of the young master."
The shopkeeper heard that the two were "inseparable" when they were studying at the helm, and thought that their relationship must be unusual.
Shen Li interrupted and said word by word: "Absolutely not! There is a misunderstanding between Gao Nanzhi and I, and there is no time to resolve it now!"
"Oh~ I see."
The shopkeeper means a lot.
He secretly thought that the young master took great care of Miss Zhu and was his childhood sweetheart with Miss Gao. He must be in a dilemma and didn't know who to choose.
"Did you remember it?" Shen Li asked.
The shopkeeper and the waiter said in unison: "Don't worry, sir, we will never tell Miss Gao the whereabouts of you and Miss Zhu."
"That's good, here's the money for food and accommodation."
"Give it."
"Think of it as me treating the brothers to a bar."
Everything that needs to be said has been said, and everything that needs to be commanded has been given.
The shopkeeper took the package containing the silver: "Sir, the money for Chen Qifeng's mission is here. You have a safe journey."
"all?"
The waiter laughed: "The part that belongs to you."
"Cheapskate."
He picked up the baggage, walked to the lobby, and patted Zhu Hongni on the shoulder.
"Where have you been?" Zhu Hongni looked for a while but couldn't find the young man, and she was angry and angry.
"I asked the waiter if anyone would inquire about our whereabouts after we checked in."
"Ah?" Zhu Hongni was puzzled, "You and I have not offended the big forces in the world."
When walking in the world, you are most afraid of accidentally offending a big force. If you become a Liangzi, people will really hunt you all over the world.
Such as the infamous Taotie organization.
Zhu Hongni was drunk and fell asleep at the outdoor inn last time. Shen Li killed several Taotie with his own hands, plus the ones he killed in Nanwu. No one can break the gap between the two. One of them must die, or the Taotie will be driven away and killed by Shen Li. , or a great master of the Taotie sect would kill him.
"Be careful when sailing a thousand-year-old ship." The young man replied.
Their horses were full of energy from the inn's waiter's feeding. They got on their horses and drove them out of the city.
He glanced at the braised noodle shop. He originally wanted to ask the shopkeeper and waiter to pay attention to find out what kind of talent Sun Xi had. But then he thought about it. Sun Xi's grandfather was hidden deep inside, like a thousand-year-old man lying on the bottom of the pond. The old bastard seems to be motionless and has no evil look, but who knows how cruel he can be when he gets angry. Wanshuicheng's Xingxiu teaching skills are not enough for the old bastard.
After successfully passing the gate guard, the two galloped on their horses.
The sky is high and the clouds are clear, it is a hot summer day, and the horse riding on the official road is particularly refreshing and enjoyable.
Zhu Hongni squinted her eyes and asked with a smile: "Mr. Shen, who is more beautiful between me and Zhao Lu?"
This question should not be asked!
The young man reacted very quickly and replied instantly, as if without thinking, "Of course I wish you a beautiful girl."
Without asking in front of Zhao Luyuan, this is the standard answer.
Zhu Hongni asked again: "If you had accepted Zhao Luyuan's hydrangea, would you have married her?"
Also an immediate reply.
"We have different paths and we don't want to conspire against each other. Zhao Luyuan and I are not from the same place."
Zhu Hongni was very happy: "When I get home, I will definitely ask my family to open the door for Mr. Shen so that he can go to Jixia Academy without any hindrance."
"Thank you."
There are green trees and wild flowers blooming.
The two of them passed by groups of caravans heading or leaving, and sped northward.
During this period, a businessman seemed to have noticed Shen Li. Looking at his retreating figure, he and his companions laughed and said, "What a handsome young man."
"What a beautiful man from the Central Plains, you will never deceive me."
This group of merchants dressed up as grassland herdsmen, and the goods they brought were also specialties from their hometown. After entering the customs, they went all the way south and sold them everywhere. There was not much left, and Wanshui City was their last stop.
The man who seemed to have read the sage's book said: "The Central Plains is a land of vast resources and charming people. It is indeed a fairyland on earth. Think of my grassland... Oh, I really can't compare. The more I compare, the more I salivate."
"Haha... On the one hand, Wang Zhang sent people to communicate with Bei Sui Xu and Wei Snake, and on the other hand, he organized herdsmen to train and build armor. Soon the Wang Zhang army will enter the pass and move south. This fertile Central Plains land will definitely be ours."
They spoke the official dialect of the Northern Sui Dynasty very well. If you didn't listen carefully, you would think they were local people.
"There are more than a dozen grassland warriors going south to compete. I hope they won't alert the enemy."
"You are worrying too much. Warriors from the Central Plains often travel to the grasslands. Why can't warriors from the grasslands come to the Central Plains?"
The man who should be the team leader laughed and said: "The prairie warriors can fight bears and tigers. It's best to teach the Central Plains a lesson. If the two armies fight in the future, they will be afraid, and we can save fewer people."
An old man in the caravan spread out a piece of sheepskin with mountains and rivers drawn on it. Holding a pen, he looked at Wanshui City in the distance. He thought deeply for a moment and chose the right location. He drew a city gate and wrote the word Wanshui. After a pause, he looked at Wanshui City again. The two characters are circled with a red pen.
After drawing the map, he carefully rolled it up. You must know that this well-documented map goes directly to the king's tent and is handed over to the great khan with eternal heroic spirit. The great khan of the grassland will soon become the great khan of the world and the world. The king.
He took out the book again and turned to a new page. The paper was blank. He pondered for a moment and began to record the distribution of the state troops he saw during this journey.
Exhaled.
Finally put pen to paper.
"Wanshui City is an important commercial and tax place in the Northern Sui Dynasty. Destroying it before the war may increase the chance of victory by 10%."
He closed the book, lay down on the truck, and said with a long smile: "The heroic spirit of the ages is everywhere in the world, but only the Lord is the one."
"Keep your voice down, someone is watching you."
He didn't take it seriously: "Just watch it. Is it possible to go to Luojing and sue me? Hey, the Northern Sui Dynasty is in a mess, so they can't take care of me, a frustrated person."
This man was originally a scholar of the Northern Sui Dynasty. He failed to pass the Jinshi examination five times in a row. He went north to the grassland in despair. At that time, heroes gathered in the grassland and wars continued. Now the Great Khan of the grassland saw that he could make good decisions and received a big account. Sure enough, the old man had a lot of tricks and strategies to help him unify the grassland.
In order to go south and occupy the Central Plains, the old man came in person to draw maps and inspect soldiers and horses for the future.
The caravan leader went to the old man and asked quietly: "Sir, should I visit Zhao Luqing when we enter Wanshui City?"
"Zhao Luqing? Zhao Luqing, the ambitious Wanshui Town garrison general who controls Eagle Guard intelligence?"
"It is this man whose father is also the helmsman of the Copper Coin Association."
"Heh, that's interesting. Zhao Luqing is not short of money. You don't need to bring it with you when you visit."
"Ah? Sir, what should we do?"
Along the way, many bribes were used. If Zhao Luqing was not lacking, what kind of conditions could be used to impress him?
The old man sneered: "It's very simple, just a promise."
"A promise?"
"Yes, the promise of breaking the soil and becoming a prince!"
…………
A few more days.
If the mountain is not high, there will be immortals, and if the water is not deep, there will be dragons.
When they reached a high mountain, Zhu Hongni suddenly proposed to visit a senior.
"That senior is a very good scholar. He served as Minister of Rites in the DPRK more than ten years ago. Later, due to the constant disputes in the DPRK, he was unable to do practical things, so he simply resigned and returned home to live in seclusion in a famous mountain."
The scholars in high positions in the Northern Sui Dynasty were different from those in the Southern Wu Dynasty. Most of them were Confucian Qi practitioners.
The so-called becoming generals and prime ministers, and asking for orders for the people were exactly what scholars in the Northern Sui Dynasty pursued throughout their lives.
To be able to achieve such a high position as Minister of Rites, he must be a very powerful person.
Shen Li had no reason to think of Wang Chunfu, the Minister of Rites of the Southern Wu Dynasty. If he had been the Minister of Rites of the Northern Sui Dynasty, he and Xie Lingjiang might not be able to handle it.
"This senior has a good relationship with the Zhu family?"
"We have a normal relationship with the Zhu family, and even had a very tense relationship with the Zhu family due to something. But he is my grandfather's best friend. Since he passes by the mountain where his predecessor lives in seclusion, it is reasonable for him to pay a visit."
He glanced at the young man.
"If you don't want to go, just wait for me at the bottom of the mountain."
In fact, the two of them arrived here in parallel and could go their separate ways.
With the soft hedgehog clothes on her, ordinary bandit Roadhog couldn't do anything to her.
However, I still said to wait for her...
A woman's thoughts are sometimes like a needle in the sea, and sometimes they are easy to understand.
"I'd better go up the mountain with you."
Zhu Hongni immediately beamed: "You must not accompany me up the mountain unwillingly because of the matter at Jixia Academy."
"Mr. Jingjie once said that climbing mountains and wading in water is also a kind of spiritual practice."
"Ah?! Do you also admire Mr. Jingjie?"
"The Peach Blossom Spring" became famous all over the world. Even in the Northern Sui Dynasty, there were many scholars who longed to meet Mr. Jingjie.
"Of course. What an outstanding person Mr. Jingjie is? How could I not admire him?"
"Ha, since you admire Mr. Jingjie, then we are good friends."
Turn the horse's head and head towards the mountain.
There is a stone tablet erected at the foot of the mountain. This mountain is called Yunu Mountain.
"There are many plum blossoms on the mountain. It used to be called Meishan. After my predecessor came to live in seclusion here, it was renamed Yunu."
Yunu is the elegant name of plum blossom.
As you walk up the mountain, you have to dismount.
Less than halfway up the mountain, Zhu Hongni was sweating.
On the other hand, Shen Li's face was not red, his heart was not beating, and he was not out of breath.
"Are you not tired of such a steep mountain?"
"A calm mind brings strength."
Zhu Hongni shook her head and said: "I am already very calm, but I am still very tired."
When the mind is still and the force is strong, it is said to masters in the Vajra Realm. It originates from Taoism. If it is combined with the Taoist mental method, it can be immune to all evils.
"I have a little Taoist trick here, you can try it."
"okay!"
The young man recited slowly, and Zhu Hongni adjusted her breathing according to the scriptures. After a while, her strength recovered quickly, and she was not as tired as before when climbing.
It's just a simple breathing method, nothing more than strengthening the body.
But this breathing method has been included in the treasure house of the Constellation Sect. Compared with other breathing methods, this one is particularly effective.
Halfway up the mountain, Shen Li felt something in his heart and looked up.
On the cliff, an old man in coarse white clothes stared at the two of them.
Zhu Hongni followed Shen Li's gaze and saw the old man, and immediately waved excitedly: "Senior! It's me! It's me! Zhu Hongni!"
The old man laughed: "The rare guest, the rare guest is actually a little girl from the Zhu family."
We took a detour to reach the old man's location. There was a piece of flat land with a thatched house built, and mountain spring water gurgled out on one side to form a deep pool.
Zhu Hongni came here for the first time. She looked around curiously and saw that the old man lived a simple life, and suddenly felt sad.
The old man served tea with spring water. Seeing that Zhu Hongni was sad, he smiled and asked, "Why are you so sad, little girl from the Zhu family?"
Zhu Hongni said: "Grandpa has told many stories about his predecessors. Who would have thought that the high-spirited Minister of Rites more than ten years ago would actually hide in the mountains and forests to keep company with the mountain breeze."
"Haha... because of this little thing..." the old man laughed, "You think this place has no strings, bamboos, or documents, and it is boring, but I think it is Penglai Immortal World, so free and unrestrained. What's more, the Confucian scholars in the city He often comes as a guest and talks with me about the past and the present, and debates on knowledge. He is very honest and unrestrained, not inferior to the swordsman."
The last sentence was obviously meant for Shen Li.
The old man had already seen that he was a swordsman in the Vajra realm.
Today's Shen Li has fallen into the pseudo-King Kong state, and is like a house with a wide open door. His aura can leave and come back whenever he wants. As long as his realm is higher than Shen Li's, it won't take long before he can reach his realm.
Of course, the premise is that there is no way to hide the breath.
The young man sat here calmly, not showing any signs of surprise because the old man pointed out his realm.
"Your grandfather told you about my husband's hiding place, and I thought he was thinking about my old friend. Go back to Luojing and tell your grandfather that one day, when you are tired of it, you will come to live in seclusion with me to play the piano."
While going up the mountain, Zhu Hongni briefly introduced the friendship between the old man and her grandfather.
Both of them like to play the piano. They met when they were young and often exchanged piano scores. Over time, they became close friends.
"Senior, grandpa said that if you feel bored in the mountains, you can go to Luojing again and he will find something to do for you."
The old man laughed instantly: "The city of Luojing is full of flies and dogs. The old man asked me to go with a big sedan, but I didn't go."
"What if I teach the prince?"
"..."
"Who are you teaching?"
"Prince."
The old man narrowed his eyes slightly and asked: "Aren't women in charge of politics now? How can there be a prince!"
"Grandpa said that His Majesty has already thought of establishing a crown prince."
"Whose prince?"
Is it her natal family or a descendant of the late emperor?
Zhu Hongni shook her head: "Grandpa didn't say anything."
"That's all, that's all. I haven't been to the palace for more than ten years, and I'm getting old. I'm halfway into the coffin. Why bother with my body and body anymore."
The tea is boiling.
Shen Li took a step ahead of him and poured tea for the old man and Zhu Hongni.
"May I have your name?"
"Junior Shen Li is from Southern Wu."
"Oh, Nan Wu, a few days ago, my old friend mentioned to me the rebellion in Kaixi City and the death of the prince of Nan Wu in Woxia Temple. Do you know these two things?"
"Senior, I've heard a little bit about it."
"Okay, tell me."
Shen Li took it out of context, just like hearsay, and simply told it for the elderly. Among them, he criticized Sun Yuanji, the deputy privy envoy, and criticized Woxia Temple for grabbing farmland as a disaster.
After listening, the old man became slightly silent and spoke slowly: "Sun Yuanji couldn't help himself. It seemed that he was a popular man in front of Lord Wu, covering the sky with one hand, but in fact he was just a poor chess piece in Lord Wu's hands. After these two things happened, Sun Yuanji also It will be of no use, Lord Wu will just throw it away, regardless of whether he lives or lives."
"After enjoying the glory and wealth, you should bear the consequences." Shen Li said.
The old man looked at him in surprise. He actually had such insight at such a young age, "Tell me more about Zhao Ruyu."
Zhao Ruyu, from being a famous scholar in Kaixi City, instantly spread his wings like a roc and soared high into the sky, which has spread all over the world.
"Mr. Zhao has both political integrity and talent. He deserves to be in a high position and do things for the people."
"Did you know that the Mr. Zhao you are talking about is presiding over an alliance with Xishu. Although the alliance is difficult to achieve, I can still guess a little bit of his thoughts. It is nothing more than using the name of the Northern Expedition to unite the parties and defeat those who are different. Besides, the Zhao you are talking about is Mr. Wang has a dirty background and is in league with the powerful Xingxiu Sect. Without the help of the Xingxiu Sect, Zhao Ruyu would not have been able to gain the upper hand in the chaos in Kaixi City, let alone reach a high position."
Unexpectedly, during the period of traveling north to the Northern Sui Dynasty, so many things happened in the temples of Nanwu.
The young man then thought about it. Qin Xianqing asked him to contact the sixth prince of Western Shu and set up a branch of the Xingxiu Sect in Chengyi of Western Shu... Could it be that the real purpose was to lure the sixth prince to join the Xingxiu Sect and then let Zhao Ruyu come into contact with him? Promote the alliance between Southern Wu and Western Shu? !
In this way, Brother Zhao accomplished what others could not do, and his prestige in Southern Wu soared thousands of miles.
Even if Liu Taiyuan is re-appointed as the first and assistant prime minister by Lord Wu, he still cannot suppress Brother Zhao!
Away from the whirlpool, Shen Li could clearly see what was under the water.
"Young man, why are you in a daze?" the old man asked in surprise.
He replied, "Remembered something?"
"Oh? What made you distracted?"
Zhu Hongni was equally curious and looked at Shen Li with burning eyes.
"The famous Xingxu Cult Vajra Dragon Elephant Body in Jiangnan." Shen Li joked, "It is said that Zhao Ruyu's success is due to this person accounting for 80% of the credit."
"Vajra Dragon Elephant Body... This person is too mysterious. I heard from old friends that it is difficult to distinguish the true and false appearance of this person. Sometimes he is a young man, sometimes a young man, and his name is not known to outsiders... The Xingxiu Sect protects him too much. Okay. But he has 80% success, which is a slight exaggeration. 80% is too much, but 60% is still there."
Then, the old man sighed.
"This person is really amazing and talented. With him, Xingxiu Sect can prosper for a long time."
Living in Northern Sui Dynasty and living in seclusion, the old man still heard a lot about the things Shen Li did in Southern Wu.
"The tea is almost cold. Drink it. The camellia tea tastes bad, but it soothes the heart."
It was almost evening.
The two said goodbye to the old man and went down the mountain together.
The old man stood on the cliff and watched them go away.
It wasn't until Lin Muzhi blocked their figures that he murmured to himself.
"At a young age, I fell into the pseudo-Vajra world, and I wore the withered beauty of the deputy chief of Jiange Mountain..."
"Boy, you did a good job. Unfortunately, I was also a character who had intrigues in the court back then. Compared with those old foxes, you are not nearly as popular."
"I hope my little girl will have her heart set on your boy. Hey, I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse."
"Wang Po sells melons and brags about herself? Interesting, interesting!"
He drove his horse from the foot of the mountain to the county seat not far away.
"Miss Zhu, what's the name of that senior?"
Zhu Hongni said: "Senior's surname is Zheng, and his last name is the Chinese character for mountain."
Zhengshan.
The name is unremarkable.
The young man vaguely spied that he should be a Confucian Qi practitioner in the third-grade Chaolu realm.
Among the masters of Confucian Qi practitioners, there were especially many in the Rites Department of the Northern Sui Dynasty.
It's dark.
The two rushed to the nearest county seat.
Meishan was changed to Yunu Mountain by Zhengshan.
Meixian is still Meixian.
The city gate was open, but no soldiers were seen.
Coming towards me was a strange team dressed in mourning clothes, but cheering and banging.
Passed by two people.
At the end of the procession, two red coffins were carried.
