Liu Heitai put his arm on Xu Ziling's shoulders and walked into a nearby silk shop.
The two elderly shopkeepers didn't even come to greet them, as if they turned a blind eye and let them rush on. Zhu Lian, who was advancing forward after uncovering the partition, walked through the warehouse full of furniture and stepped out of the courtyard. It turned out that there were two buildings.
Four men and one woman were gathering in the courtyard to talk. When they saw Liu Heitai, they all looked respectful and shouted, "Brother Liu!"
Leader Liu Heita led Xu Ziling into the house on the left side of the patio.
It was a simple hall. Apart from a table, chairs, and other necessary furniture, there was not even a cabinet, let alone any decorative furnishings.
After the two sat down, Liu Heitai laughed and said: "How wonderful! I met you unexpectedly. I heard the bad news about you so many times and never thought that you are still alive and well. Where is Kou Zhong going?"
Xu Ziling said: "He and I were separated but we agreed to meet here."
I secretly sighed in my heart that although Liu Heitai was a good man, he was still Dou Jiande and it was inappropriate to reveal too many things to him.
Liu Heitai frowned and said, "I heard that Li Mi sent people to intercept you. Do you want me to send people to find Kou Zhong?"
Feeling his sincere enthusiasm, Xu Ziling shook his head with guilt and sadness and said: "There should be no problem for him to protect himself. In fact, we deliberately separated and I led away the pursuers while he was responsible for doing other things."
Liu Heita understood. At this time, the girl who had just been chatting with four other men outside came in and offered tea.
Only then did Xu Ziling see that this woman had a beautiful silhouette and a delicate temperament.
Liu Heitai smiled and said, "She's called Tongtong, and she's good at throwing knives!" But he didn't introduce Xu Ziling to Tongtong.
Tongtong smiled slightly and glanced at Xu Ziling curiously before exiting the room.
Liu Heita pondered for a while and sighed, "The assassination of Ren Shaoming not only made your two names known to everyone, but also changed the situation in the entire south. I am really proud of you."
Xu Ziling was afraid that he would bring up the matter of inviting them to join the gang again and quickly changed the subject: "Brother Liu, what's the big deal when he comes to Luoyang today?"
Liu Heitai looked at him deeply for a few times and then said in a deep voice: "Maybe this matter is actually just one thing, but it may be related to the issue of who can rule the world."
Xu Ziling was confused and asked: "What can have such influence?"
Liu Heita did not answer and asked instead: "Are you planning to enter Guanzhong from the west when you come to Luoyang today?"
Xu Ziling understood that Liu Heitai was a good person, but he was by no means a fool, and he was very smart and could not be easily deceived.
He asked this question as if he was indirectly asking him if he wanted to dig out the 'Yang Gong's Treasure House'. If he hesitated and hesitated, it would be difficult for him to tell Liu Heita his true feelings.
In this era of divided heroes, even fathers, sons, brothers and friends have to keep certain things secret because they have their own masters.
Just like Li Jing, he seemed to have some reservations about talking to him just now.
Xu Ziling smiled bitterly and said: "In fact, we only know that the treasure is somewhere near the pass and know nothing else, so we are just trying our luck this time."
Liu Heitao's loyal and simple black face showed a sincere smile and said: "How could I not believe Zi Ling's words? But I heard that in the 'Yang Gong's Treasure House', in addition to the rare treasures that Yang Su has collected over the years, there are still many rare treasures." There are tens of thousands of weapons and other items. To transport these things away from the Li Clan requires huge manpower and material resources. If you can trust me, Liu Heita, I will fully support you. The conditions are that everyone gets what they need; you go Become a rich man and I will fight for the best of both worlds. Everyone will be happy."
After a pause, he continued: "According to the information I got, 'Yang Gong's Treasure House' has seven levels. Except for the first level, which has no mechanical devices, each level is more dangerous than the next. If you know that the person who designed this treasure room is the best in the world.
The craftsman Lu Miaozi knew that it was not easy to obtain the treasure. As far as I know, only the Rakshasa girl has entered the first level and retreated. Hey! Why do you look so weird?"
When Xu Ziling heard the name of Lu Miaozi, he was shocked and began to understand why when he gave the secret book of "Mechanism Science" to Kou Zhong, he specially reminded him that he must use it to enter the "Yang Gong's Treasure House".
But why didn’t Lu Miaozi directly tell them how to enter the ‘Yang Gong’s Treasure House’ designed by him?
This is really puzzling.
Liu Heitai added: "Yang Su and Lu Miaozi even became good friends; he designed the Xingjin Floating Bridge, the opening and closing bridge that connects the north and south of Luoyang. This person's talent in this field is so high that no one else in the world would think of him."
Seeing Xu Ziling frowning and thinking hard, he reached out and patted him on the shoulder in a friendly manner: "You don't have to answer me so quickly. You can discuss it with Kou Zhong first. Even if you don't cooperate, I, Liu Heitai, won't blame you. By the way, Zhuge Dewei is right about the agency.
Having some experience in architecture will definitely help in accessing the treasures.”
Xu Ziling had no choice but to agree.
Liu Heita breathed a sigh of relief and said easily: "To be honest, I really don't want to sound like I am as greedy as other people who covet treasures, but I have to do it for the sake of the overall situation."
Xu Ziling said: "I understand this, Brother Liu, don't worry about it."
Liu Heita said happily: "I once mentioned to King Xia that the two kings of Xia admire you very much and hope to meet you if we have the opportunity."
The king of Xia is Dou Jiande.
Xu Ziling said indifferently: "We would also like to pay homage if we have the chance. What happened to Brother Liu just now? But what exactly is it?"
Liu Heitao said in a deep voice: "Of course it has something to do with He's Bi, which is as famous as 'Yang Gong's Treasure House'!"
※※※
A dozen people who had just entered the imperial city and gathered at Duanmen greeted them. Except for three of them, who were wearing military generals' armor, the others were all in casual Confucian clothes. One of them was Ouyang Xiyi, whom Kou Zhong knew.
Ouyang Xiyi is a master who has been famous for decades. He is very senior in the world and has close friendship with the great Confucians Wang Tong and Wang Shichong. However, he has been out of touch with world affairs for many years and never expected that he would come out to help Wang Shichong in his fight for the world.
Back then, he fought against Ba Fenghan in Pengcheng with the Sinking Sword. Although he gave up before the victory was decided, it had left an indelible impression on the hearts of Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling.
In addition to Ouyang Xiyi, there were two men and one woman who particularly attracted Kou Zhong's attention.
The female one is as eye-catching as a flash of red among the green bushes.
She was a pretty young woman, delicate and delicate, carrying a long sword on her back, but her expression was surprisingly serious and unsmiling. She had a cold and mature charm. Although people felt that she was aloof and inviolable, she could also make people secretly
If Xingxing can break through her heavy barrier to protect himself, it will be a man's greatest achievement.
However, the reason why Kou Zhong paid attention to her was not because of her beauty, but because of her sparkling blue eyes, which not only made him know that she was a martial arts master but not from China.
The other two people who attracted his attention were an old man and a young man.
The old man was short and fat, wearing a Taoist robe and holding a dust whisk. His eyes, ears, mouth and nose were all crowded towards the center of his fat face. The look should have made him laugh, but his half-squinted eyes shone with a hint of ruthlessness.
But it doesn't feel even remotely funny.
The younger one is a burly man of about twenty-seven or eight years old. Although he is not as tall and handsome as Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling, Ba Fenghan, etc., his face is simple and dark, his skin is solid, and he has a strong and domineering demeanor.
.The weapons are double pecks on the back.
It seems that apart from Ouyang Xiyi, these three people have the highest martial arts skills and can be ranked among the first-class masters.
Ouyang Xiyi's eyes fell on Kou Zhong first, his eyes flashed with surprise but he said nothing.
At this time, Wang Shichong hurriedly rushed to meet him and said with a smile, "If you all come here in time, I, Wang Shichong, don't have anything to fear."
Kou Zhong was slightly stunned before he realized that Wang Shichong had mobilized all the strength in his hands to deal with the crisis at hand without making a sound.
Ouyang Xiyi and others returned the favor one after another.
One of the generals said: "Meng Qiu has made all arrangements according to the minister's instructions."
Only then did Kou Zhong realize that this man was Song Mengqiu, another confidant of Wang Shichong outside Langfeng. He quickly looked at him carefully. This man's ugly face had an artificial and over-exaggerated expression of loyalty, and he was wearing a mask.
It felt like Kou Zhong didn't like him at the first sight.
At this time, Wang Shichong introduced Kou Zhong to everyone. The woman was actually named Linglongjiao. The fat Taoist was Ke Feng Taoist, the strong man was named Chen Changlin, and the others were famous masters from different sects.
Ouyang Xiyi obviously had the most status among this group of people and said with a smile: "The Secret of Immortality is worthy of being one of the four great books, otherwise it would not be possible to create talents like Brother Kou."
Kou Zhong quickly gave in.
Wang Shichong said a few more polite words to everyone, then suppressed his smile and said: "Without further ado, we will go into the palace immediately to see the Hunjun to see what tricks Dugu Feng can pull off."
※※※
Liu Heitai saw that Xu Ziling was still indifferent when he heard the name of He's Bi and smiled and said: "If Ziling knew more about He's Bi, he might be interested."
Xu Ziling remembered that Kou Zhong sighed secretly in his heart and reluctantly pulled himself together and asked: "Besides being the official seal of the country and a symbol of the emperor's power, what other value and achievements does the Heshi Bi have?"
Liu Heitao said: "I don't really know this. But from the fact that Ning Daoqi also made a three-year agreement to borrow the jade from Cihang Jingzhai, we know that Heshi's jade is not just a precious jade. Otherwise, how could it be possible?"
Being able to teach otherworldly masters like Ning Daoqi is also very attractive."
Xu Ziling said in astonishment: "Isn't it true that He's Bi has always been hidden in Cihang Jingzhai? But how did Brother Liu know about it?"
Liu Heitai smiled mysteriously and said in a low voice: "Brother Liu, please forgive me for letting me keep it a secret. It's all because I promised not to let anyone come out. All you need to know is that this news is absolutely true."
Xu Ziling frowned and said: "If this is true, then the rumor in the world that Ning Daoqi will hand over He's Bi to Shi Feixuan in Luoyang is not a fabrication. Ning Daoqi and Shi Feixuan are so public. Do you think the world is not enough?
Where's the chaos?"
Liu Heitai's dark face showed a smile and said lightly: "On the contrary, this is exactly the condition of Cihang Jingzhai's agreement to lend Yu Ning Daoqi the jade. He is to help bring order to the world and benefit all people."
Xu Ziling was moved in his heart and said: "So Ning Daoqi is indeed assisting Cihang Jingzhai in building momentum for the future monarch."
Liu Heitai was surprised and said: "It sounds like your guess is not right, but it is not far off. According to Dou Gong and my speculation, Concubine Xuan set foot in the world during this critical period not only to deal with the Yingui sect, but also to bear more important responsibilities."
The mission is to find God for all people. Just imagine what it would be like under the current situation if someone could get the favor of Shi Fei Xuan and be given the Heshi Bi?"
Xu Ziling immediately felt a severe headache.
The problem he was thinking of was with Kou Zhong.
Under the current circumstances, no matter how Shi Feixuan chooses, she will never choose Kou Zhong.
As Liu Heitai said, He Shibi itself is only a matter, but Shi Fei Xuan's choice of emperor is a major event in the world.
The combined strength and prestige of Cihang Jingzhai and Ning Daoqi, represented by Shi Fei Xuan, would be what the world's heroes would react if they publicly announced that they would give the Heshi Bi to someone.
Therefore, Kou Zhong would never allow this to happen.
In the past, Kou Zhong was afraid that at least half of it was a joke when he wanted to snatch He's Bi.
But now it's a different story.
If Kou Zhong joins the battle for He's Bi, can Xu Ziling stay out of it?
Wouldn't that mean that they would become head-on enemies of Shi Feixuan and Ning Daoqi?
※※※
Wang Shichong, Kou Zhong and a group of generals and famous masters flew on their horses and galloped through the imperial city towards the palace city in the north, escorted by nearly a thousand personal guards.
Along the way there were soldiers with bright armor and stomachs, which showed that the control of the imperial city had completely fallen into the hands of Wang Shichong's army.
There are palace gates on all sides for nine miles around the city.
The Zetian Gate is located in the middle of the south wall, opposite the Duan Gate in the south and the Xuanwu Gate in the north. The main entrances of the central halls run through a central axis.
The entire imperial city seemed to be shaking under the roar of hoofbeats.
Kou Zhong rode on Wang Shichong's left. On the other side was Ouyang Xiyi. In front of him was Lang Feng, who led 30 cavalry to clear the way with great momentum.
At this time, it is clear that the Tianmen Gate is divided into two levels, about twenty steps deep, connected by a wall about eighteen steps wide, and the gate is twelve feet high. The atmosphere is majestic and intimidating.
At this time, the middle door of the Tianmen was wide open, but not even half of the guard could be seen, a group of people who were contrary to common sense and taught people unpredictable and profound things.
Wang Shichong looked calm while riding and said to Kou Zhong: "There is Yongtai Gate inside Zetian Gate, and then there is the main hall Qianyang Hall, which is specially designed for holding grand ceremonies and receiving foreign envoys. That guy Yang Tong never goes there."
Kou Zhongqi asked: "Why are there no guards in the palace?"
Someone from behind said, "Look, everyone was scared away." But no one laughed at this.
Wang Shichong said in a deep voice: "The Imperial Guards under Dugu Peak are divided into twelve guards, including Yi Guards, Cavalry Guards, Wu Guards, Tun Guards, Imperial Guards, and Hou Guards. Each guard has about 500 people. The total strength cannot exceed 5,000.
It is a slight insult. At the same time, there is a strong city that can be defended. With Dugufeng's character, he will never retreat without a fight. We must be united."
The crowd roared in response, shaking the imperial city.
In an instant, the leading troops had arrived in front of Zetian Gate and were about to march forward. When a man stepped out of the door with his hands behind his back and laughed loudly: "I don't know why Lord Shangshu is attacking the imperial city like this."
※※※
Liu Heitai sighed and said: "The situation in the world has been in chaos for a long time. If Master Fei Xuan intervenes in it again, the situation will be even more complicated."
Xu Ziling also had a headache because of this.
Shi Feixuan and Jiu Zhu are the representative descendants of the two major sects of good and evil respectively, and both are rare masters of the two sects. Now Jiu Zhu has become their mortal enemy. If Shi Feixuan is added to the mix, it will not be a joke for them.
.
Xu Ziling couldn't help but ask: "Where is Shi Fei Xuan now?"
Liu Heitai shrugged and said: "I heard that she showed up near Luoyang ten days ago but disappeared afterwards. No trace of her could be found. Just from this, we can see how smart she is."
When Xu Ziling thought of Jiujiu, he could infer how powerful Shi Fei Xuan was, and when he thought that she might become the enemy of him and Kou Zhong, he was even more speechless.
Even if he didn't agree to break up with Kou Zhong after he obtained the 'Yang Gong's Treasure House', he still couldn't leave Kou Zhong under the current circumstances.
Liu Heitai continued: "This is the reason why I came to Luoyang today. If I can get the Heshi Bi from the hands of my master Fei Xuan, then half of the world will be in the hands of the King of Xia. Therefore, Luoyang at this moment will be unprecedentedly prosperous.
Whoever wants to win the world would not want to take a chance."
Xu Ziling then thought of Li Jing and he might have come to Luoyang for the same reason, to win the He's Bi for Li Shimin, and asked: "According to Brother Liu, who has the chance to win the He's Bi?"
Liu Heitai laughed dumbly and said: "I'm afraid the word 'win' in Ziling is not used properly. Without Ning Daoqi to take care of him, it's just that Shi Feixuan's superb swordsmanship is enough to make it difficult for people to have delusions, so I still use it."
'Seeking' is more appropriate to replace 'grabbing'."
Xu Ziling was also amused in his heart that because it was Dai Kou Zhong's idea, he unconsciously used the word "rob" and said awkwardly: "Then who has the best chance to win the treasure?"
Liu Heitai smiled bitterly and said: "I really want to tell you that it should be Mr. Dou. But the fact is that it is not the case. There are at least three people who have the same opportunity as us and are the three most qualified to dominate the world at the moment."
After a pause, he continued: "If I were the master concubine, I would have to judge whether someone is suitable to be the future emperor based on his performance, governance, reputation and other aspects. So the first person with the best chance will
It must be Li Mi. No doubt he happened to be a new member of Shengyu Culture and he has opened warehouses to provide relief to people several times in the past. Who can compare with his excellent reputation?"
Xu Ziling's heart sank. If Li Mi had obtained He Shibi, he and Kou Zhong would still have a chance to compete with him.
Liu Heitai said in a deep voice: "The second one is Wang Shichong. Just looking at the stability of Luoyang, we can see that he has good governance and his base is in the heart of the Central Plains. His majestic outlook makes it difficult for people to underestimate him."
Xu Ziling said: "These two are indeed worthy of competing with the King of Xia. Is the other one Li Yuan?"
Liu Heitao said: "Li Yuan can be considered one of them. It's just that he is both good-tempered and attached to the Turks, so although he has the strength, the chance of being selected by Shi Fei Xuan seems to be small."
Xu Ziling thought of his father and asked: "Does Du Fuwei have no chance of being selected?"
Liu Heitai replied: "Du Fuwei's reputation has always been poor and he has recently colluded with the Tiele people to get He's Bi! I'm afraid I'll have to take it by force."
Xu Ziling was slightly stunned because he knew that the Yingui Sect was also involved, and Zhu Yuyan, Zhuojiu, Qu Ao and Du Fuwei were all qualified to challenge Shi Feixuan, so even though the latter had the support of Ning Daoqi, the opponent was too strong.
It is not without danger.
The situation is indeed complex and abnormal.
Liu Heitai burst into excitement and laughed loudly and said: "Although the world is divided, there are only a few who are qualified to be kings. There are only four major forces south of the river: Xiao Mian, Lin Shihong, Shen Faxing, and the Song clan. They will be killed by you.
Ren Shaoming currently regards Xiao Mian as the most powerful, but it is a pity that the Baling Gang is notorious for human trafficking and has never been favored by Concubine Xuan."
After a pause, he continued: "Except for the three men mentioned just now, among the northern heroes, such as Xue Ju and his son, who were just defeated by Li Shimin, self-preservation is a problem, so it can be ignored. As for Liang Shidu, Liu Wuzhou and Liu Wuzhou all rely on the support of the Hu people.
Even if they have some momentum, they are not fragrant, and Shi Fei Xuan is even more contemptuous. And Gao Kaidao, Li Zitong, Xu Yuanlang and others are forced by us, Li Mi and Du Fu respectively, and it is difficult to make any progress in a corner. It is still difficult to make even an inch of progress.
It's a pity that Li Gui of Wuwei is in Western Xinjiang. Everything depends on the face of the Hu people. What kind of bargaining chips can he use to face people?"
Xu Ziling frowned and said, "Looking at Brother Liu's tone, is it really true that the matter of who becomes the emperor is controlled by Shi Fei Xuan?"
Liu Heitai smiled and said: "Whether this is the case depends on the future development. But seeing that all the forces have sent people to Luoyang to see Shi Fei Xuan, we know that they attach great importance to this matter. Otherwise, I would have free time here.
Talk to you."
Then he avoided Xu Ziling's burning eyes and said sheepishly: "How are you, sister?"
Xu Ziling felt a pain in his heart and said dejectedly: "Sister Su is married!"
Liu Heitao's body was stunned for a long time before he coughed and said: "Hey! Then... ugh..."
Xu Ziling suddenly felt that he didn't want to face Liu Heitai, so he walked as far away as possible and never talked about Su Su with anyone again.
What should Xiang Yushan do if he is just a despicable human trafficker?
Liu Heitai was surprised when he saw Xu Ziling stood up and said, "Is Ziling going to leave?"
Xu Ziling said miserably: "I want to have a few gulps of wine alone and then come see Brother Liu later!"