At the end of February, the pier was crowded with people, and merchants traveling from north to south could be seen everywhere.
A small, inconspicuous-looking ferry slowly docked amidst the noise, and three young men and women dressed as wanderers got out.
Ye Jingtang was dressed in an ordinary linen robe, with his hair tied up with a hairband, and a bamboo hat. After getting off the boat, he came to the riverside and looked back at the southern land.
After staying in Jingjie City for ten years, Ye Jingtang's injuries have basically recovered. Although the night and night singing is very intoxicating, Yuhu's body is really not feeling well. If it is delayed for too long, it is easy to cause an accident. For this reason, his body
After everything was clear, he packed his bags and started the next stage of his journey.
This trip to Beiliang is not that far away. After passing the Yazhou border, we are near Hudong Road. The distance to Yanjing is about the same as from Liangzhou to Yun'an. It only takes a few days to travel lightly.
But in two countries, the situation is completely different. In the Southern Dynasty, Ye Jingtang was considered a hero, and people in the Jianghu would give him more or less face. But in the Northern Dynasty, both good and evil stood against him, and the slightest mistake would trigger an encirclement and suppression by Jianghu in the Northern Dynasty.
.
Although Ye Jingtang is not afraid of ordinary warriors, there are still top overlords in the Northern Dynasty such as Zhong Sunjin, Xiang Hanshi, and Beiyun Bian. If you are not careful, it may turn into a situation where the dragon is trapped in the shallows.
For safety reasons, Ye Jingtang took Yunli and Qinghe with him on this trip.
Yunli's martial arts skills are not bad, and his brain is even more clever. He is considered a natural talent for the world. He is already sixteen or seventeen years old. If he can be brought out to see the world, he still has to take him with him. He can also protect him when he is alone.
Originally, he and Yunli were going to go together on this trip, but Aunt Fan refused, saying that they were little brats who didn't even know their way around, so what kind of world would they be in?
Qinghe has visited various sects in Beiliang in the past few years and knows the world of Beiliang very well, so he volunteered to come over and be a guide.
Ye Jingtang really didn't understand the situation in Beiliang, and because Qinghe's lightness skills were extraordinary, there weren't many people in the world who could catch up with him, so he finally agreed.
Due to the strict security at the border, all incoming and outgoing people were strictly checked. Ye Jingtang did not go through Tianmen Gorge, but first went east along the river to the junction of Yazhou and Yanzhou, then went north to exit the customs, and arrived at Beizhou.
The mouth of Yanhe River in Liang.
It was noon at this time, and Fan Qinghe, who had just disembarked from the boat, stood beside Ye Jingtang and introduced him familiarly:
"Continuing to go east from here is Yanbei Road, which is under the rule of King Youxian. Go north for about a hundred miles and you will reach the boundary of Chengtian Mansion..."
In the past, Fan Qinghe looked like a wild and exotic chivalrous girl, but during this period, she was dragged by Shui'er to play in a group of five people every day. It can be said that she had learned all the secret skills of chivalrous lady tears, and she was really enlightened.
Her vision has now obviously lost its youthfulness, taking on a bit of the charm of a young woman.
And Yunli is obviously still the same as before. She came to Beiliang for the first time, with a sense of freshness from head to toe. She dressed up as a knight-errant, carried a sleepy bird, stood outside the tea shop on the pier, and listened to the storyteller from the north.
Writing Jianghu jokes:
"Ever since the Big Devil of the Night was born, the world has been full of bloodshed every day. However, as the saying goes, heroes emerge in troubled times. Old people die quickly, and newcomers rise to power quickly. In just half a year, three heroes have emerged in a row near Yanbei Road.
…”
When Zhe Yunli heard the title of 'Night Demon', he thought for a moment and thought it was referring to the Night Terror Hall. His eyes looked a little strange and he quietly ran to the Night Terror Hall:
"Brother Jing, why do Beiliang Jianghu call you the big devil?"
In fact, Ye Jingtang also listened to the chatter of Jianghu and said to this:
"When I was in the Wei Dynasty, I was also a demon who killed people without leaving any body intact. With the imperial court as his back, the people in the world were called the King of Hell to euphemistically call him the King of Hell."
Thinking about it, Zhe Yunli seemed to be thinking the same thing. He felt that this title was very overbearing and a little yearning:
"I don't know when I will become such a famous person."
Fan Qinghe, who still bears the reputation of 'stealing saint', is someone who has experienced these people and advised:
"It's better not to get these bad reputations. Otherwise, in the future, people in the world will blame you for murders and arson, and no one will believe you even if you try to explain. Aunt Qi Lu used to give people a jar of wine and didn't say anything.
Because Qinggong is so good, people all over the world still say that I got it..."
"Yeah……"
…
Ye Jingtang listened to the two people's chat without interrupting. He only learned about the situation in Beiliang Jianghu from the idle chats of Jianghu people. Soon he heard the storyteller preach again:
"Of these three heroes, the one who holds the top spot is none other than Situ Yanfeng, the head of Huofengzhai in Chengtian Prefecture. He practiced martial arts at the age of three and dormant for forty years before enlightening him. Not only his martial arts skills are extraordinary, but he has also been trained by local officials.
With the help of Imperial Master Chao, 90% of Jianghu affairs can be settled just by relying on connections..."
Ye Jingtang heard this description and thought about it for a while. He couldn't remember this person, so he asked:
"Is there such a master in Beiliang?"
Fan Qinghe had gone all over the various sects, and when he heard this, he didn't bother to turn around and explained:
"This is close to Yanzhou, and many Jianghu people who sneaked over from the Southern Dynasties will first settle at the dock, looking for powerful gangs to lead the way or take root.
"Most of the people who escaped from the Southern Dynasties brought a lot of money with them. Small sects liked them the most and would hire people to promote their sects on the docks.
"This Huofengzhai is at most bigger than the Qinglian Gang in the world. The leader, Situ Yanfeng, used to have a private fight in Yanjing and was arrested by the Twelve Stations and imprisoned for fifteen days. He was lucky in prison.
I met the Imperial Master going to the prison to arraign someone, and seeing that he had a good attitude in admitting his mistakes, I casually told him to take the right path in the future.
"Situ Yanfeng has been boasting this sentence for more than ten years, and the locals don't believe it. However, if a gangster who came here illegally wants to get a legitimate identity, he can indeed do it..."
The identity tag is the one that Ye Jingtang carried when he first entered the capital. It contains his name, his place of origin, his appearance, and an anti-counterfeiting emblem so that officials can check them at any time. After he has a black Yamen badge, it is naturally useless.
pass.
Hearing Fan Qinghe talk about it, Ye Jingtang remembered this. Although most Jianghu inns did not check the identity card, they would definitely check it when they arrived in Yanjing. If not, they would have to stay in the bridge cave. After listening for a while, he
He took the two of them to the market:
"Let's buy a horse first, and then go to Huofengzhai to have a look..."
"Jiji?"
"Oh yes, I should eat first. Are there any good restaurants around here?"
"There is a boiled fish restaurant in front. I have eaten there once before and it tastes good..."
…
——
Hundreds of miles away, Chengtian Mansion.
Beiliang inherited the ancient system, and its geographical division is different from that of the Wei Dynasty. The Dawei Dynasty was a simplified "prefecture, prefecture and county", while Beiliang was more complicated because of the mix of new and old systems, but the main body was still "prefecture, county and county".
Lord, 'Tao' can only be regarded as a false title and has no specific administrative role. The highest local chief is still the prefect.
Chengtian Mansion and Yanjing Mansion border each other and are both within the Hudong Road. Its geographical location is approximately equal to Zezhou in the Wei Dynasty. It has waterways extending in all directions and is also a large plain. It is rich in grain. It can be regarded as a land of plenty in Beiliang. It is home to a large number of aristocratic families with long-standing inheritance.
, among them was the Hua family, which had been in power for many years during the reign of the late emperor.
Twenty years ago, the Hua family stomped their feet and the whole court trembled, and they were in the limelight for a while. However, Master Hua knew very well the principle of one emperor and one courtier. Since the death of the late emperor, he decisively resigned and stayed away.
After leaving the court, the Hua family's influence naturally gradually became smaller.
However, after being in power for many years, Mrs. Hua's influence is obviously still there, and there are still many celebrities from Hudong Province who come to visit on weekdays.
It was already the end of February, and Hua Qingzhi, who had gone home to celebrate the New Year, was about to leave for Yanjing to return to the Imperial College to continue her studies.
Because she is the granddaughter, Hua Qingzhi's status in the family is obviously not low. At noon, her uncles and aunts all came over to eat in the hall of her home. Even Mrs. Hua, who has been living for a long time, showed up and sat down.
The principal earnestly warned:
"The current situation in the court is changing rapidly. You must be careful when studying in the capital in the future. The Wang family in the east of the city will definitely take action after learning that your old illness has improved..."
Master Hua is in his seventies. Because he is not a martial artist, his hair and beard are almost completely white, but his face is quite kind, and there is a sense of majesty in his eyebrows that he has been in power for a long time. His son, granddaughter, etc. sitting on the table are all
Listen carefully and no one dares to interrupt.
Hua Qingzhi was also listening to the instructions carefully, with a look of sadness on her brows, and she understood what her grandfather meant deep down in her heart.
The Wang family that Mrs. Hua mentioned was a large family in Chengtian Mansion. Their daughter married into the imperial palace and was the favored concubine of Emperor Liang. She also gave birth to the third prince.
The third prince, Li Chong, was only seventeen years old, but he was both civil and military. He had already gained a lot of talent and fame in Yanjing, and was deeply loved by Emperor Liang.
The crown prince of Beiliang, the fat prince, has a fat head, big ears, and mediocre academic skills. Standing with the third prince, he is completely different. There have been cases where envoys came over and regarded the third prince as the prince and the prince as the prince.
The matter of servants.
For these reasons, there were rumors in Yanjing a long time ago that Emperor Liang wanted to establish a new crown prince, but there has been no movement until now.
After all, there is too much resistance to abolishing the eldest son and establishing a young child. Although the fat prince's mother has no big background, she is known for her virtuousness and is the queen appointed by the old queen. Although the fat prince himself has no great ability, he has not made any mistakes.
So useless.
As relatives, the Wang family must have wanted to bring down the prince and make his grandson the emperor.
Although the Wang family dare not interfere with the crown prince's dethronement, they can interfere with external matters, such as the selection of the crown prince.
The fat prince himself has no big backer. If the prince chooses an ordinary person and cannot rely on the strength of his wife's family, Emperor Liang can directly dismount as soon as he dies.
And if the crown princess comes from a large family of the same size, such as the Hua family, then the crown prince's position will obviously be much more stable.
In the past, Hua Qingzhi's legs were disabled and she couldn't be a princess at all, so the Wang family didn't worry about it, and the two families interacted quite harmoniously.
But now that Hua Qingzhi's leg is about to heal, she is qualified to be the Crown Princess regardless of her birthplace or talent.
If Emperor Liang decides to settle the matter, the chances of the three princes competing for the throne will be slim. In order to pave the way for the new king, Emperor Liang may have to stab the Wang family.
For this reason, when going to Yanjing this time, the Wang family will definitely make some secret moves to prevent this situation from happening. The Hua family can't guess what specific moves they will make.
As a biological father, Hua Junchen was naturally worried about his daughter's safety. He thought about it and said:
"If the Wang family arranges for an assassination, there will be big trouble. This time when I go to Beijing, why don't I accompany you there and hire some experts to accompany you..."
Master Hua shook his head: "We all have roots in Hudong Road, and we know each other's ins and outs. No one is a fool. If we engage in dirty tricks like assassination, the Wang family will no longer have to show up in Hudong Road.
"There are many ways to prevent the other party from getting married to the royal family. Decades ago, the Zhou family in Yanjing did something to the Wang family. Originally, the Wang family was moving around, and the choice of the crown prince was already a certainty. However, the Zhou family came to pull out all the stops and arrange
He met a handsome knight-errant, secretly hooked up with him, and eloped with Miss Wang before the court selected him.
"At that time, the old man of the Wang family was so angry that he vomited three liters of blood, but he didn't know how to teach his daughter. No wonder the Zhou family was so cunning that they admitted their failure and lost an adult. This is the method of the aristocratic family."
Hua Junchen touched his chin and felt that this method was really clever, so he looked at his daughter:
"Qingzhi, after you enter the capital, you have to be careful of those fancy-mouthed knights..."
Hua Qingzhi didn't want to be the princess at all, but in front of her uncle and aunt, she couldn't say it clearly, so she just said:
"I'm not one of those little girls who haven't grown up, and I don't like martial arts. How could I be fascinated by the Ranger's few words..."
Mrs. Hua said earnestly: "Scholars are more difficult to guard against, especially those young people who are talented, knowledgeable, and handsome. If you read a few lines of good poetry and coax a few lines, you will most likely be defeated by your temper, Qingzhi."
He lost his mind and ran away with others..."
"well……"
Hua Qingzhi couldn't talk back to her grandfather, so she felt helpless and just nodded and said:
"I know what's appropriate. From now on in Beijing, I will never leave or take another step, and just concentrate on studying."
As a father, Hua Junchen was worried about his daughter's safety after all. After thinking about it, he said to Mrs. Hua:
"We know how well the family handles things, but the Wang family can't say for sure. If there are two idiots in his family and they send someone to assassinate him, things could easily go wrong if he is not prepared.
"This time when I enter the capital, I will follow you and recruit two more skilled and down-to-earth guards. Hua Ning is an honest man, but a little timid. Last time at Tianlang Lake, he was so scared that he almost hid under the carriage... …”
"Dad, it's not like you don't know who you met at Tianlang Lake last time. Your face turned pale with fright, and you still expect Hua Ning to remain calm?"
"The guard must put the safety of the young lady first. Otherwise, why spend so much money on the maintenance of the guard? Okay, dad will arrange these things, you just take your medicine on time, and when the arrangements are made, you can go to the capital to continue your studies... "
…
——
At dusk, south of Chengtian Prefecture, Huangmei County.
It was getting dark, and the lights were on in the small county town. Because Huangmei County is located at the junction of the two places and is quite remote from the government, the people walking here are all wanderers traveling from north to south.
The biggest difference between the Northern and Southern Dynasties is that the Southern Dynasty values chivalry. No matter what his character is in private, he will definitely look like a good man and a righteous man on the surface. He will never expose throwing knives, lime bags, etc. to the public for embarrassment.
On the other hand, the Beiliang Jianghu is very pragmatic. Anyone who can kill people is a good martial artist. The lower level Jianghu can be described as a smoky mess. People with flying knives and hidden weapons hanging on their waists can be seen everywhere, and there are even people with two venomous snakes on their arms as pets.
Fan Qinghe's wallet was full of medicine bottles at the back, so there was no need to cover it, while Zhe Yunli, a female swordsman with no hidden weapons, became a breath of fresh air in the crowd.
On the street, Zhe Yunli, wearing a bamboo hat, stood with Aunt Fan outside the martial arts gym with the signboard of 'Huofengzhai', watching the passers-by.
When she noticed that everyone who walked by would look at her, Zhe Yunli was a little confused and turned slightly to ask:
"Aunt Fan, is there something wrong with my appearance?"
Fan Qinghe put her arms around the watermelon and leaned against the flagpole at the door. With a red veil on her face, she looked like a ruthless bad sister. After hearing this, she reminded:
"You stand so upright, like a fledgling in the world. If Auntie hadn't been standing right in front of you, someone would have come to abduct you."
Zhe Yunli looked down, and then returned to the way he looked when his mother was not at home - he put the long knife on his shoulder, jumped slightly, sat on the fence at the door, put one hand on his knee, and picked a root Holding a blade of grass in his mouth, he put on a standard image of a gangster.
Not to mention, with this posture, he immediately blended into the smoky town, and no one looked at him.
"Hey, this place is really interesting. But Master and Mistress have also come to Beiliang. If Mistress walks here, wouldn't it be obvious at a glance that she is an outsider?"
"Your master wife looks like a top expert who has just come down from the mountain. Normally no one dares to provoke her..."
"Too……"
…
There are quite a lot of people in the martial arts hall at the rear, half of them are Huofengzhai's apprentices, and there are also people from the Jianghu who came to Beiliang through some unknown route to apply for identity certificates here.
In the study room at the back of the martial arts hall, there are desks, tea tables and other items presently arranged, but the bookshelves are dusty and it is obvious that no one usually reads them.
A middle-aged man in his forties sat behind the desk. He was dressed in a somewhat fairy-like manner. He sat on the Grand Master's chair, spinning two iron walnuts in his left hand and frowning as he said:
"You said that you used to be a member of the Qinglian Gang in the Southern Dynasties. You offended the gang leader Yang Guan and came to the north after being hunted down?"
Ye Jingtang sat on the tea table outside the desk, with a hint of sadness in his eyes:
"Yes, Leader Situ may have never heard of the name of the Qinglian Gang..."
"Eh."
Situ Yanfeng raised his hand slightly: "Being well-informed is the first priority when eating in Jianghu. How could I not have heard of the name of Yang Guanyang Erdao? The disciple of the Sanjue Immortal, who was walking in Yunzhou, suffered in the past.
The big devil survived two attacks overnight and is now running a boat under Honghualou, right?"
When Ye Jingtang heard this, he was really surprised. After all, he had never heard of Situ Yanfeng's name, but the other party had heard of a little person like Yang Guan, so the information was really well-informed. He cupped his hands and said:
"Headmaster Situ is really not an ordinary person. He is thousands of miles away and across the border, but he has even heard of Gang Leader Yang."
Situ Yanfeng waved his hand casually: "Most of the people who can come to me are desperate friends from the Southern Dynasty. The demon of the night is so powerful. How can I not hear about people who have some connection with it? How did you offend Yang?
crown?"
"Oh, handsome, I got closer to the gang leader's wife and was discovered..."
"...?"
Situ Yanfeng was stunned, looked at Ye Jingtang's appearance, nodded and said:
"You boy, you do have the potential to make a living. Now that you have come to Beiliang, the past is over, and everything starts from scratch. But it is not that easy to reincarnate again. If you want to gain a foothold, you have to take care of everything from the government to the world...
…”
Ye Jingtang took out thirty taels of silver from his sleeve and put it on the table:
"I also brought two confidantes with me, so this matter will trouble Gang Leader Situ."
When Situ Yanfeng saw the silver, he sat up a little straighter, used a ruler to push the silver back, and said with a smile:
"You really value friendship, and you don't forget to take your friends with you when you go. I like this. Seeing as you are a talented person, are you interested in working in my family? I know many wives of wealthy families. As long as you
Being able to speak eloquently will ensure your success..."
Ye Jingtang shook his head and smiled: "I'm so proud of Gang Leader Situ. I brought some money with me when I came here. I wanted to find something to do in Yanjing during this trip. I wonder if Gang Leader Situ has any connections?"
Situ Yanfeng smiled and leaned back on the chair:
"I have many connections. The Twelve Institute has been recruiting people recently. I have friendships with several father-in-laws in the capital. With just a word from me, I can send you to the Yamen to eat royal food. You will still be a full-time editor, not a handyman.
"But how capable you are, how much work can I introduce you to? You just arrived here, and I know nothing about you. You can't do anything after you are sent there. If something goes wrong, if the higher-ups investigate, won't I have to be implicated?"
?”
Ye Jingtang knew that the Twelve Institutes were the imperial guards, so when he heard these words, his heart naturally moved:
"Is Master Situ so broad?"
Situ Yanfeng didn't believe it when he saw Ye Jingtang. He took out a waist tag from the small box next to him, with the word "jiao" engraved on it:
"I don't have any connections, how dare I do this business? This is a badge for entering and exiting the West City. With it, you can enter and leave the Forbidden Army station and teach the Forbidden Army how to box and kick. I spent a thousand taels of silver to get it, and I am still sitting here with the Spear Saint Qi Qingfeng.
Had tea together..."
Ye Jingtang has been working in the capital for so long, and with a quick glance, he can tell that the badge of the 'Forbidden Army Instructor' is not fake, and he immediately asked:
"How does Master Situ determine the level of his abilities? Let's compare it with each other?"
"Alas, in the sect, competition is the only way to determine the level. Traveling in the world is based on the ability to do things. If you don't have a bright mind, how far can you go even if you have the skills of a master?"
After Situ Yanfeng said this, he took out a booklet from the wooden box and flipped through it a little:
"You are too young, and you definitely don't have enough experience. You can't get around in the capital now. Let me introduce you to two suitable jobs first. This is a beautiful job that ordinary people can't do, but you should be able to catch it, and the reward will be high. Three
Qianliang, why don’t you give it a try?”
When Ye Jingtang heard the silver reward, he frowned and said:
"Three thousand taels of silver, does this mean we have to kill the master?"
"You are quite knowledgeable."
Situ Yanfeng laughed first, then shook his head and said:
"The job is not bloody, just hook up with a rich girl, and then run away and fly away. The girl is yours, and the money is yours. The only requirement is that you don't go back to Hudong Road in the next year or two, and you can bring him back when you have a fat boy.
I guarantee you a lifetime of wealth..."
Ye Jingtang has been traveling around the world for so many years, and this is the first time he has heard of such a good job. He is indeed confident in doing it, but it is too cowardly, so he shook his head and said:
"I have just suffered a loss with a woman, and it is unlucky to encounter this again. Is there anything else?"
Situ Yanfeng was very sorry to hear this and opened the booklet again:
"You can definitely make it. You should think about it when you go back. Money that is so easy to get is not easy to find in the world. Well... By the way, the Qinglong Society has lost a lot of people and has been recruiting people recently, but they have to try their skills first.
, How about I ask around and talk to you when you get directions?"
Ye Jingtang knew that Qinglong Club was Qingji Pavilion, the number one killer organization in Beiliang, and it was considered a wealthy sect.
Naturally, he was not very interested in being an assassin, but it would be easier for Qinglong Association to sneak into the palace than it would be for him to force his way in. He immediately stood up and said:
"Then thank you, Master Situ."
"Oh, thank you for nothing. I just collect money to do things. From now on, when you travel in the north, don't forget about Situ when you get rich..."
…
———
It is expected that the updated test subjects will be a little late tomorrow. I hope I can sign up at once. It will be almost three years or 2!
Thank you [Treasure An Yue] [The world is big and I am small] [Book Friends 20230217220758806] The leader of the big boss for the reward!