When Zhao Rushu walked out of the palace, it was almost dark.
Although the night breeze in the first month is not as cold as winter, it is still cool.
"Master, please get on the sedan. It's getting dark. It's not convenient for you to walk back now, right?"
The servants on the side have already advised Zhao Rushu several times.
Unfortunately, my master seems to have lost his soul today and is still unwilling to get into the sedan chair.
Just walking on the streets of Lin'an, walking back home.
After the court meeting, all the courtiers went back, and the people related to the Jiangling battle were busy dealing with their own affairs.
The core members of Shi Miyuan's family gathered at his house and did not disperse until dark.
Only Zhao Rushu was retained and brought into the "Funing Palace".
Strangely, the official family did not show up.
In the words of the old eunuch, the official was a little tired after going to court, so he went to bed first and asked Minister Zhao to wait for a while.
Just wait, who lets people be officials?
Tea, snacks, seasonal fruits, and even four dishes and one soup were served to him as a royal meal.
After waiting for three hours, when Zhao Rushu really lost his patience, he was informed that the official was getting up and wanted to summon him.
When he arrived at the imperial study, Zhao Rushu discovered that the official was meditating on a futon.
There is an empty futon next to it, which seems to be reserved for myself.
"Sit down, Brother Six."
"Brother Six?" Zhao Rushu shivered.
Why did the official name his own ranking for no reason?
Zhao Rushu was the sixth eldest in the family. In terms of seniority, he was the same generation as the official, but in terms of age, he was two or three years older than Zhao Kuan.
However, after so many years, this was the first time that Zhao Rushu heard an official call him that.
"Officials and senior ministers don't dare."
"Haha, what are you afraid of? There are no monarchs or ministers today, we are just two old brothers of the Zhao family, just chatting casually, please sit down quickly."
The official family seemed extraordinarily friendly and easy-going, as if they were chatting with each other.
I asked about Zhao Rushu's physical condition, the situation at home, and what the children are doing now.
Later, he even discussed with Zhao Ru in detail the details and procedures of going to the two lakes to labor from beginning to end.
Are these trivial matters something you, a government official, should have to worry about?
Almost all the officials were talking, and Zhao Rushu was listening.
Zhao Rushu had never thought that the government officials were so concerned about military affairs, and he had never thought that the officials were so talkative.
It was not until the old eunuch came in to hold the lamp that the conversation among the officials subsided a little.
Finally, Zhao Rushu left the palace.
But he still didn't understand why he was left here today.
In other words, he was unwilling to believe his guess.
"Brother Six, you are also a descendant of the Zhao family after all. If you are willing, please take more care of Mo'er——"
When he was about to go out, Zhao Rushu felt as if he was struck by lightning when the official suddenly said this nonsense.
I don’t even know which leg I took to walk out of Li’s main entrance.
The night wind blowing along the way could not completely calm Zhao Rushu's heart.
"Mo'er? Is the official talking about 'Guo Mo', or the seventh prince who 'died' many years ago?"
"Is this still the official family I know? It turns out that the official family has the wisdom to master everything!"
Zhao Rushu figured this out and walked quickly to his mansion.
When he got home, he didn't bother to eat, so he went straight to the study and asked his servants to call his two sons.
Zhao Rushu's eldest son, Zhao Chengxian, is thirty-two years old this year and looks like a middle-aged man.
Along with him, I got a position as a Yuanwailang in the Ministry of Justice. Although I didn't have great talents, I was conscientious in my work.
The youngest son, Zhao Chengyu, was Zhao Rushu's fourth son. Although he was born from a concubine, he was deeply loved by him and kept him by his side.
He is just eighteen years old this year and has not yet entered the official career, but he loves martial arts, especially arching and horse fighting. He dreams of one day being able to ride on horseback and cross the spear to fight for the Song Dynasty.
"Dad, are you looking for us?"
By the time the two sons came to the study, Zhao Rushu had already finished writing a letter and sealed it.
"Son, my father has something to tell you."
"This time, my father was sent by an official to work in front of the Lianghu Army. He is expected to leave in two days. Hasn't Yu'er always liked to dance with guns and sticks? Let's go with my father this time, and it will be better for him to join the army.
Let’s get to know it.”
"Great, dad, you finally agreed to let me join the army. Last time you didn't let me participate in the 'martial arts'."
After all, Zhao Chengyu was young, and he was Zhao Rushu's old son, so he felt less restrained in front of his father.
"Xian'er, here is a letter from my father. One month after my father leaves Lin'an, you can personally deliver this letter to the palace and hand it over to the officials."
"If the officials want to ask, you can only say that you did it as a father, purely because you doted on your younger son and you were worried about letting him stay in the army alone. You don't know anything else."
"Don't let anyone know that this letter was given to you in advance by my father. When the time comes, just say that you just received it."
Zhao Rushu's words confused the two of them, but they did not dare to ask further questions, so they had no choice but to accept the offer and leave first.
...
"Meet me, what do you think of today's events?"
It was already past the second watch, and the lights in Shi Miyuan's study were actually still on.
In the flicker of candlelight, Shi Miyuan and Xue Ji sat opposite each other, drinking tea slowly.
"What aspect are you asking about?"
Xue Ji was a little cautious. Today at the court, he made a big mistake and misjudged the official's reaction.
"Like the official family, like Zhao Rushu, or like that Guo Mo?"
He was holding the tea bowl as always, as if he had always used the same one.
"Eun Xiang, from my point of view, the officialdom is just following the trend of the situation. To put it mildly, he is unable to control it, so he might as well make it as chaotic as possible."
"As for Zhao Rushu, you can rest assured about this kindness. In the entire Song Dynasty, the road to becoming an official for a member of the clan was the most difficult."
"'The clan members are not allowed to be promoted higher than their attendants'. This is already regarded as an ancestral law. He should be aware of the situation he is in and dare not make any mistakes."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "And this Guo Mo, although he is indeed an amazing person, but in any case, he is just a chess piece at best. Eun Xiang should pay more attention to
Yes, it’s His Highness the ‘King of Yan’ behind him.”
"'King Yan'? Do you think this person really exists?"
They had discussed this topic more than once.
At first, I thought it was just a "cover-up" used by the officials, and that he was simply a non-existent person.
Later, I gradually thought that this "King of Yan" was probably a clan member of the Song Dynasty who was trained by the official family to "share" the pressure for the prince.
But now, His Highness the "King of Yan" has repeatedly intervened in military affairs, and has successively mobilized the "Dunwu Army", "Zhongshun Army" and other garrison troops in the two lakes. In particular, he seems to have had too much contact with this "Dunwu Army" who controls Guo Mo.
"En Xiang, whether the 'King of Yan' exists or not, it doesn't matter who it is, what's important is that we have enough power. This 'Dun Wu Army' controls Guo Mo, and En Xiang must win it."
Xue Ji advised sincerely.
Guo Mo is not only a person with outstanding martial arts skills, but what he said the last time he came to Shi Miyuan's house has been verified one by one.
The Jin Kingdom has moved its heavy troops north to defend Mongolia.
Mongolia has indeed begun preparations to attack Xixia. It is expected that Mongolia will launch a war against Xixia this spring.
The Kingdom of Jin, which had always been in contact with Shi Miyuan, also revealed its desire to buy food and even weapons and armor from the Song Dynasty.
When Shi Miyuan handed the pre-prepared quotation to the Jin Kingdom's secret envoy, he was not rejected by the other party.
Bartering, bringing war horses in exchange for food and even soldiers and armor.
The excuse given by the Song Dynasty was that the "Luo Shi Ghost Kingdom" in the south had been in turmoil for the past two years, and the Song Dynasty was in urgent need of 30,000 war horses for the Battle of Pingnan.
Of course, the 30,000 war horses were just asking for money. In the end, the Jin Kingdom's secret envoy revealed that the war horses could be provided by Xixia and Jin Kingdom.
According to the specific situation of the northern war situation, barter was also carried out one after another, but the total amount would not exceed 15,000 war horses.
This was far beyond Shi Miyuan's expectations. According to old Xue Ji's analysis, it seemed that the Kingdom of Jin was really going downhill and had become a strong force on the outside.
Such an ending not only allowed them to see the opportunity to make a fortune in the northern war, but also felt deeply wary of Guo Mo's strategic vision.
"As a matter of fact, the first batch of war horses from the Jin Kingdom is expected to arrive in March, with only 1,500 horses. Then you can take a look at the condition. If they are good, all of them will be allocated to the 'Dunwu Army'."
"What the officials can give Guo Mo is just an illusory official position, but what the real person can give him is a real weapon on the battlefield."
"In addition, we are instructing our people in the two lakes to unconditionally cooperate with Guo Mo's actions in the two lakes, asking people to give things to people, but they must also subtly let Guo Mo know that the truth is supporting him."
"Hey, Mochou, this kid, must have gone after Guo Mo, but I don't know what's going on now?"
...
When Shi Miyuan was talking about Mochou at home, she had already left Jiangling City and returned to the ancient tomb where she had been away for half a year.
Li Mochou knelt upright in front of her master's bed. The master lying on the stone bed was seriously injured and was unlikely to survive.
"Master, these are all ignorant disciples who sneaked away from the ancient tomb without permission. Master, please punish me!"
Seeing the master's appearance, Li Mochou felt very sad.
Originally, the master was only in his early fifties, and he had been practicing the "Jade Girl Heart Sutra" for many years, so he was very good at looking good.
But now he looks like an old man in his seventies or eighties, with hair as snowy and a face full of wrinkles.
"Ahem, Mo Chou, just come back. Master didn't expect to see you again in his lifetime."
Because of the forced practice of the "Jade Girl's Heart Sutra", she became possessed by evil spirits and has been bedridden for four or five months.
Perhaps because he has not continued to practice the "Jade Girl Heart Sutra" in the past few months, the master's character and temper are actually kinder than ever before, or "more humane".
Next to it, there was a pink little girl, holding a cup of honey water in her hand. Standing there, she could not catch up with Li Mochou's kneeling height.
"Mo Chou, our sect's secret skill, the 'Jade Girl's Heart Sutra', is under my teacher's pillow. However, you must practice it carefully and don't act too hastily."
"From now on, you are the third generation leader of the Tomb Sect. You must take good care of Long Er from now on, she is still a child..."
Li Mochou actually saw a tear flowing out of the corner of her master's eyes.
"Although at first, I didn't want to accept you as my master because of your adoptive father's character and status. After all, your master also advocated resistance to gold."
"In the past few months as a teacher, I have been sober for a rare few months, and I have figured out many things. This ancient tomb sect has been handed down to you. Some of the rules of the sect seem inappropriate to you. You can modify them however you want.
.”
"There is only one thing. Although our ancient tomb is located in the Kingdom of Jin, we must be loyal to the Song Dynasty. We must not surrender to the enemy and treason. Otherwise, we will not let you go."
"master--"
The master held on for another three days and finally left. Li Mochou also knelt in front of the bed for three whole days.
A sect like Gu Tomb has no reputation in the world. Even if the old leader dies and a new leader takes over, this is considered a top priority in the world.
But in this ancient tomb, everything went on without any disturbance.
Li Mochou personally carried the master to the tomb that had been prepared.
There were five sarcophagi lined up side by side. In the first sarcophagus, Lin Chaoying, the founder of the Tomb Sect, was buried.
Granny Sun opened the second sarcophagus and said in a low voice.
"Girl, put your master here."
Li Mochou looked at the cold sarcophagus in front of her, put the equally cold master in, and then closed the sarcophagus.
Then, together with Grandma Sun and the junior sister, they kowtowed a few times to the master respectfully.
"Grandma Sun, take Long Er out first. I want to spend more time with the master here."
Grandma Sun looked at Li Mochou in front of her and felt a little distressed. She felt that the child seemed to have grown up suddenly and was no longer as unruly and willful as before.
"Girl, you should also express your condolences. Your master has been benevolent throughout his life. He has served his master and passed down the Tomb Sect. From now on, it will be up to you."
"This is the general map of the ancient tomb. Your master asked her to give it to you after she leaves."
Grandma Sun placed a roll of cloth topographic map next to Li Mochou and left with Long Er.
From that day on, Li Mochou stayed in the tomb.
When the master passed away, according to the rules of the Ancient Tomb Sect, his body had to be buried in this stone room.
Li Mochou thought that by staying here, she could be guarding the grave of her master.
The stone chamber was quite large. In addition to the five stone coffins placed there, it was still one foot square. Li Mochou simply made a bed here.
On this day, Li Mochou finished sorting out her master's belongings and took out the "Jade Girl's Heart Sutra". She had also been interested in this book, the highest martial arts in her sect.
"Jade Girl Heart Sutra" is a martial art created by the founder Lin Chaoying specifically to restrain the Quanzhen sect. During practice, two people must practice together and help each other.
The first step of training is to master the various martial arts of the Tomb Sect.
The second step of cultivation is to learn the martial arts of the Quanzhen sect.
The third step of training is to practice the Jade Girl Heart Sutra, which restrains the Quanzhen sect’s martial arts.
After Li Mochou finished reading, he smiled bitterly.
She can spend time practicing the ancient tomb sect's martial arts. After all, she is now the leader of the ancient tomb sect. With the map of the ancient tomb in hand, she can naturally find the stone room where her master practices.
But where does one start practicing the martial arts of the Quanzhen Sect?
Forget it, after all, it was left behind by the master, so just treat it as a souvenir.
Li Mochou put away the "Jade Girl's Heart Sutra", took out the "Ice Sponge Palm" she got from Ouyang Ke, and read it carefully.
Because Long Er is still young now, Li Mochou thought that when the year comes and the little girl turns six years old, she can start learning martial arts for her.
The master is no longer here, so this little junior sister can only teach her like a disciple.
The days in the ancient tombs are boring and boring, but they also test one's temperament the most.
Li Mochou also didn't expect that after staying in this ancient tomb, it would be two years before she left again.
...
East China Sea, Peach Blossom Island.
It's already July, and today is the seventh day of July, the "Qiao Qiao Festival".
The servants who came in and out of "Fulong Residence" were all in a hurry.
"Dongxie" Huang Yaoshi was greeting the guests in "Lingqing Pavilion". The tea had been changed several times, but no one took a sip.
The guests arrived yesterday. Huang Yaoshi greeted him politely, but he was not favored by Feng Heng. He kept complaining that he should not let Guo Mo come back at this time.
Tingxiang and Wenfu, the two maids, also alternated between "Lingqing Pavilion" and the back house, delivering the latest news.
Early this morning, Huang Rong felt a stomachache and there were signs of giving birth. Fortunately, she asked four women to be on standby early in the morning.
Feng Heng, Nan Qin and Mu Nianci were also greeting each other in the back house, but because Huang Rong was pregnant with twins and this was her first child, the delivery was undoubtedly more difficult.
Several boys did not practice martial arts today. Under the leadership of Zhang Shijie, they all stayed in the "Yuying Hall" obediently.
Even little Yang Guo, who was almost two years old, also stayed in the "Yuying Hall" because Mu Nianci was greeting him in the back house, and was teased by his three senior brothers from time to time.
"Elder brother, do you think my wife will give birth to a boy or a girl this time?"
Wu Nantian, the oldest, is over fourteen years old. At this age, he can even go into battle to kill the enemy.
"I heard from my master that my wife is pregnant with twins, either two junior brothers or two junior sisters, or one junior brother and one junior sister."
"I still hope it will be a boy and a girl, so that we will have an additional junior brother and junior sister."
Speaking of the child that is about to be born, Zhang Shijie, the originally young and mature senior brother, can't help but show a childish look.
"Junior brother, junior sister..."
Little Yang Guo was also cheering next to him. He had a round head, but he always liked to ride on Hu Yande's shoulders.
Hu Yande is over eleven years old this year, two years younger than Zhang Shijie and three years younger than Wu Nantian, but now he is the tallest and strongest among the three.
These three apprentices, whether Guo Mo or Huang Rong, did not limit their development direction, but instead focused on their own hobbies and specialties.
Zhang Shijie is good at both civil and military skills, and loves the art of war most. Internal strength is the foundation of the Quanzhen Sect. He has also mastered a set of "Yang Family Spear Techniques", and the best one is the "Luoying Divine Sword".
Wu Nantian is more like a Jianghu person. Palm skills, sword skills, and light kung fu are his favorites. Guo Mo's "Sunset Palm" is the best among the three.
This is not the case for Hu Yande. The "Huyan Spear Technique" passed down from his family, coupled with the "Yang Family Spear Technique", is the strongest among the three in bow and horse riding.
He was the last to cultivate internal strength, but the fastest to enter the realm. Unlike the first two, he directly practiced the "Seven Styles of the Desert" passed down by Ke Zhen'e.
Compared with when he first became a disciple in November last year, more than half a year has passed. Hu Yande has already practiced the "Seven Styles of the Desert" to the third level of "White Sun Yellow Sand".
"It's born, it's born—"
Hearing the cry of a maid, he ran from the back house to "Lingqing Pavilion" to report the news.
The younger brothers could no longer sit still, so they left the "Yuying Hall" and ran towards the courtyard on the first floor. Little Yang Guo sat on Hu Yande's shoulders, enjoying the feeling of speed.
"Dongxie" Huang Yaoshi and the guests in "Lingqing Pavilion" also heard the shouts.
He stood up hurriedly, and as soon as he walked to the door, Tingxiang ran in.
"Master, the girl has been born. The mother and child are safe. They are a boy and a girl."
"Hahaha - rewards, there are rewards for all, old man, everyone in 'Fulongju' today will be rewarded with one hundred taels of silver notes, and everyone who sees it will have a share."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Before Huang Yaoshi could even open his mouth, the guests who came here took over the guests.
"Dongxie" didn't bother to argue with him, he was just happy anyway and let him make trouble as he pleased.
"Tingxiang, can you go see the child now?" Huang Yaoshi asked.
"It will take a quarter of an hour to wait, the child is being cleaned."
Seeing the ecstatic guests and "Dongxie" pretending to be calm, Tingxiang couldn't help but feel a little funny.
"Junior brother or junior sister?"
Several boys also ran in. When they saw "Dongxie" Huang Yaoshi, they hurried forward and saluted.
"Are these Mo'er's apprentices?" the guest asked Huang Yaoshi.
"Dongxie" smiled and nodded.
"Haha, that's good. They are all pretty good kids. Old man, these four kids are worth one thousand taels each."
Well, the dignified official family of the Song Dynasty came to "Peach Blossom Island" today to be a money-spreading boy.
"This father-in-law, my master said, 'No reward for no merit.' The gift from me is too heavy, and we brothers dare not accept it."
Zhang Shijie had never met an official before, so he gave one thousand taels to strangers as soon as they met, and he gave it to all four people. As a senior brother, of course he had to come out and show his attitude.
"Haha - Shijie, this is not an outsider, you should also call him 'Master'. He is willing to give it, so just accept it."
Seeing that the child would not be accepted, the officials had no choice but to look at Huang Yaoshi for help.
Given this opportunity to show his "status", "Dongxie" is naturally willing to show off.
Zhang Shijie had no choice but to accept four thousand taels of silver notes on behalf of everyone. With so much money, he even thought of giving it to his wife.
No longer delaying, the group of people walked towards the back house.
When they arrived at the back house, the two children had been cleaned and each was wrapped in a thin swaddling clothes. Nan Qin and Mu Nianci were each holding one.
"Let me hug my grandson, my granddaughter—"
As soon as the official entered the living room of the back house, he rushed forward and called "grandson, granddaughter" without caring about whether his identity was revealed.
The Guan family has had so many children, but none of them have grown up except Guo Mo. These two children made him a grandfather for the first time.
Holding a swaddling baby on each side, one on the left and the other on the right, looking at this, then looking at that, the official couldn't help but shed tears.
"I want to give my child a good name. What name should I choose?"
Well, the official's habit of choosing names has happened again.
"Haha, you run pretty fast, let me hug you too."
"Dongxie" Huang Yaoshi rushed over and stepped forward to separate a child.
“Has the baby been named yet?” Another naming enthusiast?
"Master, Junior Sister said that the boy's name was left to Brother Guo. This girl has already been named 'Guo Xiang'."
"Because Brother Guo is really leading the 'Dunwu Army' to fight against the Jin people in Xiangyang. He named it 'Xiang' because he wanted to commemorate it."
Nan Qin replied from the side.
It turned out that the parents of their children had already divided up the work of naming them, and the two old men felt sour.
"The word 'Xiang' is good. So for this boy, I will call him 'King Xiang', and the girl will be called 'Princess Xiangyang'. Hahaha——"
The official family finally got a win in terms of "face".
There was great celebration and excitement on "Peach Blossom Island", but Guo Mo, who was thousands of miles away, didn't know that he had an extra pair of children.
When he heard his daughter's name was "Guo Xiang", what would he think?