"Although several enemies have been killed, the crisis has not been resolved, and it has become even more troublesome."
In Zhenwu Temple, Guan Luoyang came to this conclusion.
Qiu Di said: "At least the traitor has been eliminated."
"I don't think so."
Guan Luoyang shook his head and said, "The Zhongyuan Festival Dharma Assembly is very involved. It should be a relatively important time point in the other party's plan. However, the other party doesn't care about Wei Dinggong's life or death at all. Do you think they will?" Would you entrust such an important thing to someone who doesn’t value you?”
Qiu Shi understood and said: "Indeed, although Wei Dinggong has good methods, if he faces Master Yanglian or Huangtou Taigong, he actually doesn't have much chance of winning, and the certainty of becoming the final winner of the fight is not high. His activity, It’s more likely that he was pushed out as a target by others, but he doesn’t know it yet.”
Qiu Di said: "But Grand Master Yanglian and Grand Duke Huangtou, one hates evil and the other is this old and has a very good reputation, and they are mixed up with evil ways... not many people will believe it."
Guan Luoyang said: "You need to pay more attention to the two of them, but it may not be just the two of them. There may be others who, after discovering that I disrupted the situation, were not sure of victory, so they deliberately hid their methods and did not use their full strength. .”
Qiu Di was greatly disappointed: "Why is this like this? I thought that tonight I could pull out an important nail. It was also the first step in revenge. I hit the opponent hard. In the end, I just killed an abandoned son. .”
"It can't be said that with the existence of Wei Dinggong, we can justifiably remind the mages of various sects to be more vigilant, screen people like Duo Duo, and even remind the government that in Zhongyuan During the festival, more people will be mobilized to protect it.”
Guan Luoyang pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "Nine times out of ten, they want to assassinate the King of Yue, and even kill all the political envoys who have been proclaimed, the envoys who have been punished, and the like."
Qiu Shi's face was a little heavy: "Looking at their behavior, there is no other possible explanation other than this. However, the bandits were robbing for property, and assassinating the King of Yue and the Chief Envoy would only anger the Ming Dynasty and make the government pay no attention to the cost. The pursuit and suppression of this kind of thing will do far more harm than good. Unless..."
Qiu Shi didn't say any more, but Guan Luoyang spoke for him.
"Unless they want to rebel."
Guan Luoyang no longer pinched the bridge of his nose, directly pressed the upper half of his face with his right hand, and said in a muffled voice, "Only those who want to rebel will first use this assassination method to cause chaos in Jiaozhi. They Only then can we take advantage of the chaos, gather people and horses, attack the city, take out the stronghold, and invade the prefecture and county."
"rebel?"
Qiu Di was shocked. He had lived here in Jiaozhi since he was a child and was used to peace. The scale of the Five Prefectures Water Pirates was already a rare turmoil, but it was far from being called a rebellion.
People are like this, even if they know that there are still two dynasties confronting each other in the north and the south, and they know that there are red-haired barbarians not far away overseas, the world has never been peaceful.
Even a few decades ago, there was a large-scale war between tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of people between the Ming Dynasty and the Jurchens. When Chen Yonghua regained Jiaozhi, it was not without using weapons.
But as long as I have not experienced it, it will always feel very far away. When I hear the word rebellion, it even feels a bit unreal.
But Qiu Di took a closer look and found that his eldest brother was still concerned about Luoyang. Although one was worried and the other seemed agitated, both of them seemed to be convinced of the speculation of rebellion.
Qiu Di couldn't help but feel a little convinced, and even more panicked: "If it's really a rebellion, then it's not something we can handle. The next step is... should we send a letter to Wudang?"
"The imperial court's Northern Expedition is about to begin, and the elders from Wudang have already gone to the riverside. Besides, it will take too long to send letters back and forth, so it's too late."
Qiu Shi said, "I will send a letter to the people of the Third Division, describing the previous situation, and imploring them to pay attention to it. Even if they don't completely believe in the rebellion, after all, it is related to the safety of the King of Yue, and they will definitely react."
Qiu Shi hurried back to his room.
Qiu Liang, Taoist Master Zhiyuan and others are inviting magicians from various sects to witness, deal with Wei Dinggong, and interrogate those people who relied on Wei Dinggong in the past.
Qiudi stood in the yard, feeling suddenly deserted around her, and her mind was in a mess.
A lot of things had happened recently, but he seemed to have failed to interfere in them. He didn't know what he had done or what he should do next.
"Soldiers will block it, water will cover it, and water will cover it. After all, we are not wise men who know the secrets of heaven. In addition to telling the people in charge of what we know, we can only do two things well. ”
Qiudi heard the sound and looked towards Guan Luoyang.
Guan Luoyang put down his palm, exhaled deeply, and said, "Waiting to kill, and also, exercise."
He turned to Qiudi and smiled, "It's almost dawn, why don't you sleep, how about we go to Qianniyuan to practice together?"
Qiudi nodded along with his words, and after walking a few steps, she realized: "But, Brother Guan, your eyes are bloodshot and you look like you are not in good condition. Wasn't the previous battle too tiring?"
"It's a bit, but the reason why I'm like this is not because of that battle. Hey, I should just go practice and let off some steam."
Guan Luoyang quickened his pace.
After the fight, the restlessness of Qingniao's vitality has not stopped. The thrilling move of the purple-robed Taoist in the inn made this restlessness intensified, and even affected his thoughts, and his chest was filled with the desire to destroy something.
Damn it, can this kind of thing actually affect your mind?
Damn it, why are you so weak and can't let me fight to the fullest? !
Damn it, why doesn't the man with the sword stand directly in front of me?
Guan Luoyang realized that his thoughts were getting more and more wrong, and he could only think of going to Qianriyuan to vent his anger as soon as possible, but on his way down the mountain, he suddenly smelled a strange and rich fragrance.
Guan Luoyang, who had red eyes, showed no respect for etiquette and directly stretched out his hand to push open the door next to him. The lock on the door was torn apart by his push.
Qiu Di was startled and stood still behind him. The courtyard was where medicinal materials were stored.
Most medicinal materials need to be dried during the day, but some special medicinal materials need to be soaked in night dew and exposed to moonlight.
Therefore, there are many baskets and bamboo sieves placed on the wooden shelves in the yard, and they are all filled with medicinal materials.
Guan Luoyang walked to and stopped in front of a group of medicinal materials. There were many dried pythons in the basket.
"ha……"
Guan Luoyang breathed out, his eyes even redder.
He felt a hunger radiating from his bones.
………………
In the lobby, light lamps are placed on the four corner pillars, and bronze mirrors are inlaid on the pillars. They are located behind the candles and reflect the light, making the hall brightly lit.
In addition to Hua Mi and the old man, there were tall men standing in every doorway, wearing elegant clothes and holding steel knives in their hands. Their breathing was so low that it was almost inaudible, as if they were afraid of disturbing the conversation of the owner here.
But in this silence, if you listen carefully, you will find a slight sound of water coming from the ground.
The climate here in Nanyang is really too hot. If the locals want to live more comfortably, in addition to wearing less clothes, there is a more common way, which is to dig a pool at home.
Things like pools are warm in winter and cool in summer. After digging them out, you can feel the obvious temperature difference from outside to home.
For a vast mansion like this, the methods used are even more clever. Water channels are arranged underground, criss-crossing, and spread throughout every room. They are separated and covered by stone bricks and stone strips, such as the floor tiles in the corridor and the four corners of the house. Some small holes are specially left, and the wind from the water channel blows up from the holes, which is refreshing and refreshing.
The old man with the money rat tail was slightly fat and had a smile on his face. After waiting in the lobby for so long, he didn’t show any signs of sweating. He was neither arrogant nor impetuous. He said: "The big leader Li Ban tried to test it. He must have already taken it." I’ve got more accurate news from Zhenwu Temple.”
"The matter of fighting for the order encountered a variable, which was considered a failure. I simply reused those useless people and explored the details of the variable."
Hanami was sitting with her legs crossed, and a large area of skin on her body was exposed. Her dark brown complexion glowed with a subtle glow under the light, making her not look like a big bandit who had become famous in the fifteenth house many years ago. , but like a female martial artist in the prime of her youth.
The smell of taking human lives is just an understatement, but it still reveals some truth, allowing people to get a glimpse of the cruelty and coldness hidden in this beautiful body.
The braided old man said: "Although he is not efficient at doing things, those who can practice magic to the point of actual combat are all talents that can be developed. It is really courageous for the big boss to use such a group of talents as soon as he wants to use them. However, it is also a pity. ah."
"Failure does not mean the loss of worth. I am also a failed person. But after Zi Yilang failed to besiege Jiuying, he lost his courage and could not even play a complete song. After Wei Dinggong was defeated, Shen Being irritable, half-hearted, and unable to control themselves is the main reason why they lose value."
Hanami flicked open the lid of the teacup and picked it with her fingers. The tea in the cup formed into balls, glistening green, and flew up into the air and fell into her mouth. After swallowing a few times, she added, "These people They have turned from talents into burdens, and may even become our weaknesses. Allowing them to test out the basis of this variable is the best use of them."
The old man with braids thought about it again: "Yes, in a tight layout, variables are the most worthy of attention, and not knowing the details is the most dangerous. I wonder where the big boss found out about that person?"
"He is a martial arts practitioner. His sword skills have the shadow of Emei's. His physical strength seems to be from the Southern Shaolin lineage, but it is a bit mixed. Although he has magic power, he is extremely unfamiliar with it. He probably only uses magic power directly to strengthen it. Physically, I can’t even think of casting spells in actual combat.”
Hanaya commented carefully, "The two great achievements of Shuihuo Xianyi and Zhou Tiantuna cannot be underestimated, but I already know it in my heart. When the time comes to take action, it will not be difficult to kill him."
The braided old man said: "I'm afraid he has something to hide?"
"I tested him with the most dangerous sword. A young man couldn't hide his move when faced with that sword. There are only about ten days left before we actually take action. In such a short time, it is impossible to have enough Progress towards a comeback.”
Hua Mi tapped the table with his fingertips and said in a determined tone, "But the matter of fighting for the order was messed up. The arrangements for the day of the Ghost Festival Dharma meeting had to be adjusted and relied on the other side. I have to ask Eunuch Chen to come together." Go and meet that person.”
This braided old man is the great eunuch from the imperial city of the northern Jurchen Dynasty. His ancestors were originally a branch of the Jurchen Wanyan clan, but in the last years of the Jin Kingdom, they had been changed to the Chen clan. Although he was a childless man, he was The Jurchens can also be said to have a distinguished status.
He personally came to Jiaozhi, which can be said to be the plenipotentiary representative of the Jurchens. When conspiring with Hua Mi and others, he was able to directly make many effective promises.
Old eunuch Chen smiled and said, "Could it be that he is going to meet the big boss's brother, the current head of the Yao family?"
Hua Mi objected: "Wrong. Although he has been building momentum in Qinghua Mansion for a long time, there is another person who can intervene in the Chengyin Mansion Zhongyuan Festival Dharma Assembly. I have had many contacts with that person , but we still need Eunuch Chen to accompany him and give him the last bit of determination."
"Okay, then let's go."
Old eunuch Chen seems to be a kind and slow-tempered person, but when he decides to do something, he refuses to waste even a moment of time.
"In July, troops were launched in Jiaozhi, and then my army crossed the river and marched south, echoing each other. These things must be implemented within this year. Looking at the recent trends in Nanming, I am afraid that the troops will also be launched this year. We must get ahead of them and seize this opportunity. We really can’t delay.”
In fact, everyone in the world knows that the Ming Dynasty wants to Expedition to the North. The Jurchen Dynasty has never been afraid of it. From the perspective of the general terrain, the north is mountainous and dangerous. It is an advantage to stay at a dangerous pass and wait for work. Very big.
In the 13th year of Yongli reign in the Southern Ming Dynasty, a generation of heroes who were still known as King Yanping commanded an army, regained the south of the Yangtze River, and faced off against the Jurchen dynasty from north to south. After that, he sent his troops northward twice, but suffered repeated defeats, and ended in regret.
But the bad thing is that the current emperor of the Jurchen Dynasty has a great-tempered temperament. To put it nicely, he is brave, diligent, and arrogant. To put it harshly, he is squandering the accumulation of his father and grandfather, and is willful and self-willed.
He was unwilling to defend against danger, but wanted to take the lead in launching an army to conquer the south, so as to gain a famous name in history and demonstrate his civil and military skills.
It should be noted that since the Jurchens occupied the vast territory in the north, although there have been strong enemies here for many years, they have not slackened their bows and horses, but they have also lost a bit of the fierceness of their ancestors.
Taking millions of people from the north to support hundreds of thousands of Jurchens, in this kind of privileged environment where everyone is superior to others, who can bear the laziness in their bones.
On the other hand, in the Ming Dynasty, in recent years, they have dredged traffic and published newspapers to publicize, eliminating the signs of extravagance and self-preservation of the previous generation of emperors. The whole country is aiming at the northern expedition. The Jurchen emperor will first launch an army to conquer the south, using his own shortcomings to attack the enemy's strong points, and his morale will be improved. If one thing goes down and the other goes up, how can it be possible to get a good deal?
Fortunately, there were important officials in the Jurchen court who could speak in front of the emperor. They advised him to postpone his actions and secretly send people to contact him first, planning to plot the southern Jiaozhi land, incite civil strife, and attack the maritime transportation that Ming Dynasty attaches most importance to now.
When the Ming Dynasty is in disarray, a large army will attack the country again, and if the inside and outside are coordinated, great things can be accomplished.
This statement was also what Old Eunuch Chen put out when he contacted Hua Mi and the others. It was clear, reasonable and told the truth, so it was naturally very inspiring.
However, there is still more to say in these words.
According to the considerations of some ministers on the Jurchen side, even if Hua Mi and his group's rebellion was ultimately suppressed by heavy troops and failed, as long as the unrest in Jiaozhi can be allowed to continue for more than five months, the overseas red-haired Yi people will Encourage other forces in Nanyang to take the opportunity to intervene.
Those red-haired ghosts seem to have gotten along well with Ming Dynasty for decades and have formed a relatively stable trading relationship. But that is because between the first year of Jianwu and the twentieth year of Jianwu, the Zheng family was The fleet, who was born into a great pirate, was frightened and fearful.
Once those ambitious and greedy red-haired people see a big enough opportunity, they will definitely tear up the so-called trading covenant, intervene in Jiaozhi, and even spy on southern Yunnan.
When it reached that stage of development, the Ming Dynasty was truly eroding from the rear. It was attacked from both sides and full of crises. Only then did the Jurchen Emperor truly have the hope of inheriting the legacy of his ancestors and embezzling the Ming Dynasty in his generation.
With this intention in mind, old eunuch Chen followed Hua Mi to meet the important person with a mysterious identity.
Hua Mi was surrounded by more than ten followers, and old eunuch Chen was also accompanied by the guards he had brought from the Jurchens. Everyone left the hall and walked around, but did not go to the main entrance. Instead, they walked around to the deepest corner of the mansion. , walked to the inconspicuous small guest room.
Old eunuch Chen was a little confused: "Could it be that that important person has already received the news and is waiting in this room?"
Hua Mi didn't answer, but went directly to open the door. The moment he opened the door, old eunuch Chen knew that he had guessed completely wrong, because there was nothing in this small guest room, not even the ground.
There's just a big hole.
There are stairs in the cave that extend downward to the dark depths underground that cannot be discerned with the naked eye.
Among Hua Mi's entourage, someone lit a torch to lead the way, and everyone stepped into the tunnel.
The tunnel is moist, but it is supported by wooden piles and wooden boards engraved with spells, which will drive away snakes, insects, rats and ants that drill into the soil, keeping the entire tunnel smooth.
The tunnel is also quite wide and can accommodate two people walking side by side at the same time.
Old eunuch Chen was very calm at first, but after walking for two quarters of an hour, he had not even seen the other end of the tunnel, and his face gradually became uncontrollable, showing a look of surprise.
Hua Mi walked in front without looking back, as if he knew his emotional changes, and said at the right time: "This tunnel is seven miles long. It leads directly from me to a villa of that important person. It takes about another one to walk." Rideau.”
Old eunuch Chen doubtfully said: "With the support of magic spells, and some Feng Shui magicians, it is not uncommon to explore the underground tunnels with soft soil and soft rocks for seven or eight miles. But a few months ago, there was a big event in Chengyin Mansion. Despite the earthquake, this tunnel can still remain intact?"
Hua Mi said: "Because this was dug after the earthquake. To be precise, I sent fifty men to complete it in one day."
Old eunuch Chen was slightly shocked: "Fifty people, in one day, dug a tunnel that was seven miles long and so wide?!"
"That's right. The Ming Dynasty has tens of thousands of troops stationed in Jiaozhi. With my little brother's management in Qinghua Mansion, he may be able to take advantage of the chaos and seize the moment. How can he really withstand the counterattack of the Ming army until he can respond to the Jurchens? when?"
Hua Mi looked back at Old Eunuch Chen, with a hint of sneer in his voice, which made Old Eunuch Chen feel a little bit seen through, but his face was calm and he just listened quietly.
"That man was very worried that we were not strong enough, so I sent these fifty people to dig this tunnel and show it to him. And for warriors like this, we have five hundred people, digging the ground with bare hands, walking several miles a day, Carrying a heavy weight and being invulnerable, this is the confidence of our alliance with Eunuch Chen."
Mrs. Chen's monitored heartbeat was a little faster.
If there were such five hundred warriors, placed on the battlefield, they might be able to withstand an army of tens of thousands, and the effect of a surprise attack would be even better than an army of ten thousand people.
Speaking of which, as for the Jurchens, they had greatly underestimated these people before.
However, there is also a big doubt in this. This level of elites, whether it is the Jurchen Dynasty or the Ming Dynasty, is probably not easy to get together.
Can people like Hua Mi really have such a background?
"Eunuch Chen, are you doubtful?"
"Haha, how could I not believe what the big boss said? The stronger our allies become, the more delighted I am."
"You don't mean what you say. On the Hungry Ghost Festival, you will understand."
Hanaya walked forward slowly, showing unspeakable ambition and confidence.
Therefore, since the fake Taoist priest who has been tested and found out is just a martial artist and not a great mage sent by Wudang to provide the last guarantee, it is not worth paying attention to at all.
How could he alone resist five hundred masters who were equivalent to great boxers? !
On the day of the Ghost Festival Dharma Conference, Hua Mi will be targeting not only the important figures at the puja, but... the entire Chengyin Mansion!
