On a dry afternoon in the eastern suburbs of Luoyang City, listless birds hid in the trees, squinting sleepily. Wild rats emerged from holes covered by dense grass, looked around, and then quickly retracted into their holes.
A group of soldiers, with bows and armor on their backs and halberds in hand, ran past the rat's den. The rising noise was picked up by the wind and smeared the scene in the camp in Luo City.
In the central military tent, Brother Shu Yao, Prince of Xiping County, sat in the middle with a solemn expression, listening carefully to the report from Captain Tan Lingde of Zhiguo School: "General, Taiwei Palace has made every effort! The first time Hong Zhiye came over, the general promised him ten soldiers.
Recruitment, ready to disguise themselves as a knight-errant, to help them intercept the Zoroastrian saint.
I was invited to Taiwei Palace today. Wang Jin actually instigated a few Taoist priests to provoke each other with words, and wanted us to camp in Luocheng to help them surround and suppress the Jianghu rangers gathered in Tongyuan Canal. The general did not dare to make independent decisions, so he
Push the matter back."
Ge Shuyao's face was expressionless: "You did a good job. The camp in Luocheng only obeys the instructions of the saints. If there is no military symbol, no rash action is allowed. This is an iron rule! Wang Jin is a very deep man in the city. He was with me under the command of General Li Guangbi.
When he is in service, this person is full of deceptions. It is expected that you will be tricked by him."
Tan Lingde clapped his knees and said angrily: "If I had known that Taiwei Palace was like this, I wouldn't have lent him those ten soldiers!"
Ge Shu Yao suddenly laughed and said: "That's okay! It was the intention of the Prime Minister of the Central Government to stop the Zoroastrian Saint. The edict had been sent out long ago, and it was originally entrusted to Henan Yin Xiaojing. Then
Wang Jin also borrowed people for Xiao Jing, not for Taiwei Palace. I just don’t know which team of soldiers you transferred?"
Tan Lingde hurriedly knelt down on one knee, clasped his fists and said: "I have neglected my duty! I did not submit the list of these ten people to the general for review, so I reported it to Taiwei Palace and asked the general to punish them!"
Ge Shu Yao waved his hand: "It's good to know your mistake, and I won't do it again! I'm calling you today not to ask for a crime, but I just won't come to camp for a few days to sit in command and listen to the recent military training. As for who you send to answer the mission, you can decide on your own. There is no need to do it again.
Report!"
Tan Lingde then stood up and replied loudly: "General, you have a keen eye for people! Among the people sent by the last general, there is Fang Qidou, whom you recommended to join the camp. This man's martial arts are indeed extraordinary. In just a few years, he has become a master of martial arts."
If the team is upright, all the troops under your command will be admired. In the end, I will recognize that this person is really a general who can be put to great use! When the autumn defense comes this year, he may be promoted!"
Ge Shuyao smiled and said: "Fang Qidou? He is just a disciple of a distant relative. You may also know this distant relative of mine. His name is Yuchi Yuan. He is the master of Hongdao Temple and has some boxing and kicking skills. The disciples he taught have great skills.
Naturally, it won’t be too bad. It’s too early to talk about promotion now, and it will depend on the autumn defense record this year!”
Tan Lingde added: "There is another person named Chen Gu. He was the leader of the regiment's training at first, and later followed General Li Guangbi to fight everywhere. However, his temper was a bit violent and he was not popular among the recruits, so he is still the leader of the regiment to this day."
Ge Shu Yao thought for a while and said: "I have some impressions of this person. He is from Wang Jin's old army. He has a high self-esteem and is bold and impatient. He never shows timidity in battle. He can fight and kill. He is a fierce general. Send him.
, which is exactly what Wang Jin wants."
Tan Lingde said worriedly: "It's just that our camp in Luocheng refuted Wang Jin's plan and refused to help him to encircle and suppress the Jianghu rangers gathered in Tongyuan Canal. I wonder if he will write a memorial to impeach us?"
Ge Shuyao pondered: "It shouldn't be the case. Wang Jin promised huge profits early in the morning, hoping to induce the soldiers to participate in the dredging of the river. In the end, we eliminated him and caught him with some information. It's just a matter of time.
It's not a small thing, it won't kill us.
It just so happens that His Highness the Crown Prince is coming to Luoyang in the past two days. Lord Yin Xiao of Henan is preparing for a banquet. He has informed me that he will welcome him there. I will look for an opportunity to report the situation of the Tongyuan Canal to the Crown Prince and explain the interests. I believe the Crown Prince will definitely meet him.
In front of the sage, please give a fair word to our soldiers in the camp."
When we woke up the next morning, the sky was overcast and threatening to rain. Lead clouds filled the sky, pressing down heavily with darkness, making people feel a little more uneasy and heavy.
Holding the talisman letter in hand, Luo Changqing entered the Shendu Garden again to pick up the singers and dancers who slept last night. However, after waiting for a long time, he only saw more than a dozen dancers with slightly messy hair and delicate looks.
, gradually gathered outside Wangchun Palace, but there were still two dancers who had not come out yet.
After asking the guards in the garden, they found out that these two dancers were assigned to the Prince Consort Tian Hua last night. Thinking of Tian Hua's daring behavior in the hall, Luo Changqing couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling in his heart, and hurriedly took him with him
Several dancers quickly ran towards the pavilion where Tian Hua was staying temporarily.
The doors and windows of the pavilion were closed, and everything in the pavilion was silent. Luo Changqing raised his hand gently, knocked on the door three times, and called "Sir Duwei" several times, but no one answered.
Pushing the door open, the pavilion was in a mess. Broken celadon vases, white porcelain tea cups, and three-color ornaments were scattered everywhere. Broken calligraphy and paintings, and overturned desks were scattered on the ground. However, Tian Hua had already
The pavilion is empty when people leave.
Luo Changqing's heart tightened, and he hurriedly walked from the outer hall into the bedroom. Next to the large carved red sandalwood couch, two dancing dancers were huddled there, with no hair on their heads, and bruises all over their bodies. Bloodstains and bruises were covered with snow-white bruises.
The tears on the body and face have dried, and the smudged rouge and fallen plum makeup look even more desolate and helpless.
The eyes of the two dancers were dull, their breath was dying, and the blood seeping out from between their buttocks had already torn their remaining self-esteem to pieces.
"Tian Hua! You bastard!!"
Luo Changqing roared in his heart and gnashed his teeth. His clenched nails dug into his palms, making his hands bloody and bloody, but he could not offset the anger!
The eastern sky is dark and the sun is nowhere to be seen.
The dense clouds are like black scales, layer upon layer, covering the dome and shrouding Luoyang City.
In Chongzhengfang, in the back garden of the Henan government office, Prince Li Shi woke up from his sleep, got up, and danced his sword in the lush courtyard. The drunkenness after last night's singing and dancing banquet, and the fear of being shocked by Liu Xiaomu's performance in the palace,
All have faded away.
Li Changyuan stood on one side holding a wooden sword in his hand, looking at Prince Li Shi's flashy swordsmanship with great pleasure, praising him from time to time: "His Royal Highness is really like a dragon and a phoenix! This swordsmanship is exquisite and has reached the state of perfection. Although the realm of the prosperous dynasty is
Those who are vast and worthy of comparison will probably not exceed the number of one palm. Even a poor Taoist will retreat from the sharp edge, abandon his sword and run away."
Prince Li Shi finished a set of sword skills, waved his sleeves to wipe away the sweat on his forehead, and said with a smile: "Master Chang Yuan is overly praised. This 'Wuwei Sword Technique' was taught by you, I have only practiced it for more than a month, how could it be possible?"
Is that better than the master? The real person came here early in the morning, maybe he has something to say?"
Li Changyuan also smiled calmly and said: "Sure enough, I can't hide anything from Your Highness. It was Pindao's idea to come to Luoyang this time, so I naturally wanted to make everything clear to Your Highness. Before the banquet last night, what Brother Shu Yao, the prince of Xiping County, said,
What do you think, Your Highness?"
Prince Li Shi smiled and said: "Brother Shu Yao is also a cunning old man. He is afraid of being punished by Yuan Zai, Wang Jin and his like, so he has come to me to submit a petition. The gathering of knights in Tongyuan Canal has been going on for nearly ten years. Wang Jin
He wanted to use the troops of the Luocheng camp to encircle and suppress these Jianghu rangers, but was rejected by the captain Tan Lingde face to face.
No matter Taiwei Palace or Luocheng Xingying, they all know that these Jianghu rangers cannot be provoked. Taiwei Palace wants to use a knife to kill people, and Luocheng Xingying does not want to be used as a gunman. This is the reason why Ge Shu Yao is looking for me."
Li Changyuan nodded: "However, some of the information revealed by Ge Shu Yao is indeed worth pondering. It is said that Taiwei Palace and Henan Prefecture have joined forces to dredge the canals for four years. The two parties are secretly looking for swords and quietly amassing wealth.
Keep it secret. This is one of them.
As for the Zoroastrian religion suddenly coveting the "Rushui Sword", it is also a matter of this spring. Now they have set up a spy in Tongyuan Canal, and have placed details in the "Tiger Ben Guard", hoping to snatch it away as soon as the divine sword comes out. His style of doing things
, still as decisive and mysterious as ever. This is the second one.
Furthermore, Tian Chengsi, the Jiedu envoy of Wei Bo Town, was originally from the old tribe of An and Shi, and he had been unwilling to settle down after joining the imperial court. This time he sent his son Tian Hua to Luoyang to look for the sword, and his disobedience was evident.
Revealed. It must be paving the way to win over people's hearts and dominate the town. This is the third one.
There is nothing strange about these three things. What is strange is why, since this spring, the rumor of the birth of the ‘Sword Like Water’ has suddenly spread all over the world, attracting knights from all over the world.
I have thought about it and found that although the three forces are at odds with each other, they will not rely on spreading rumors to prevent others from finding the sword. Therefore, there must be someone else who deliberately spreads the rumor of the birth of the 'Rushui Sword'!"
After hearing this, Prince Li Shi was also secretly frightened: "This person's rumor has forced several forces into the open, and there is a great potential for tension. His unpredictable intentions and vicious intentions are really making people's hair stand on end. But he didn't know this.
What do people really want?"
Li Changyuan waved his hand: "Maybe it's not just one person, but a force. Since they have been hiding in the dark and planning and manipulating, they must have a big plan! Let's look at it the other way around. If Luoyang Gongmen, Zoroastrianism, and Wei Bo Town,
As well as the Jianghu Rangers, if these four forces fight against each other, they will inevitably suffer heavy casualties and even lead to overthrow. Who is most happy to see such an ending? The answer is only Fan Bang. Once the disaster breaks out and the Central Plains is shaken, they can take advantage of the situation and rise up.
, driving troops to plunder the people and expand the territory."
Prince Li Shi was deeply convinced, and nodded and said: "What Changyuan Zhenren said makes sense! The only foreign country that is at odds with our Sheng Dynasty is Tubo. This country is the most dissatisfied with the king's rule and repeatedly invades the border. I think it must be the spy sent by them.
What you did.”
Li Changyuan twirled his beard and said: "This possibility cannot be ruled out. However, the Tubo people are often brave and aggressive, and few are good at using resourcefulness. This method of provoking them is not like their style."
Prince Li Shi said proudly: "In short, the Tubo side must be on guard. Since I came here, I will naturally bring the 'Rushui Sword' back to the orthodoxy to deter all parties who are ready to move. I also hope that Master Changyuan will connect more Luoyang Taoist gates."
Everyone, please work together to help me find this sword!"
Li Changyuan cupped his hands and said: "It will be a shame! But this way, there will be another force looking for swords. Hahaha!"
Prince Li Shi also smiled and said: "That's true..."
The two of them speculated again about the identity of the heroine who acted righteously last night and shocked the princes, but they could not guess the reason. They could only sigh with emotion: in the green forests of the rivers and lakes, there is indeed a crouching tiger, hidden dragon, and there is such a powerful martial arts miracle.
Woman! If you can be recruited back to the imperial court, it will be a blessing to the country and the world!
After a deep conversation, Prince Li Shi and Li Changyuan discussed some other matters, then got on the chariot and rushed to Ziwei City.