It was sunny after the snow, but there were still very few pedestrians on the road. A gray jade horse walked cautiously through the white market with broken steps. Under the horse's hooves, the snow that reached the instep also turned into a string of yellow.
Brown mud puddle.
Immediately, the man was wearing black iron armor with the pattern of the navy's sea falcon, and carried a broad-backed saber on his back. A man and a horse stopped outside the quiet back door of Jinghaihou Mansion, but the housekeeper of the manor was already waiting here.
"General Pinghai, you came on time. How was your journey?"
The butler took the reins handed to him with a flattering look. He understood that the relationship between the fierce-looking young man in front of him and the short and fat prince in the house was unusual. Although he did not know the details, he was shrewd.
It seems that he has already begun to make plans for his future future.
"It's going well. Butler Feng, Lord Governor, is it not convenient for him to see me?"
The green-faced and bull-eyed young man seemed to understand the thoughts of the butler in front of him, but out of fear for Marquis Jinghai, the corners of his mouth only trembled slightly, but he held back and did not laugh.
The butler, still with a smile on his face, stretched out his right hand and pointed to a two-story building on the east side of the courtyard: "Master Marquis is already waiting in the Nuan Pavilion. General, just go over there."
Yu Li quickly clasped his fists in salute, and ran along the winding path in the courtyard of the Hou Mansion. He stopped in front of the Nuan Pavilion, straightened his clothes and armor for a while, and then bent his fingers to knock on the workmanship fan in front of him.
Beautifully carved wooden doors:
"Last General Yu Li, please see the Governor."
"Just come in on your own, there are no outsiders here."
Marquis Jinghai's voice sounded from behind the door, asking Yu Li to come in directly. The young general realized that the other party had already sent all his followers out, and immediately reached out and pushed open the door of Nuan Pavilion.
At the moment, the short and fat prince was standing in front of a huge map of the Great Shengkan, with his back to the door. Hearing the sound of footsteps, he turned around, narrowed his eyes and greeted:
"Thank you for your hard work these days! Come, come, come, come to me!"
Yu Li didn't know why the other party was in such a good mood today, so he bowed his hands again. When he got closer, he saw the dark brown sheepskin held by Marquis Jinghai in his hand. It was full of weird words and symbols.
, it is the ancient map that was taken out of Jiang Yan’s Baipi three years ago.
Previously, the young general had only occasionally heard the other party talk about the existence of this map, but had never seen its true appearance. Now when he caught a glimpse of the strange marks painted on the map, his eyes were immediately attracted to it.
After a while, the green-faced boy suddenly realized that his behavior was inappropriate. He quietly raised his eyes to look at Qi Shouyu beside him, only to see that the other party was squinting his eyes and looking at him with deep meaning:
"You're looking at it so engrossed, are you seeing something interesting?"
The indistinguishable expression of joy and anger on Marquis Jinghai's face caused a sudden chill to run down Yu Li's back. Although there were several braziers burning in the Nuan Pavilion, which was much warmer than outside, he still couldn't help but shudder.
Shivering, he immediately lowered his head:
"Forgive me, Lord Overseer!"
"What crime are you guilty of? I asked you to come to me to look at this picture together. Could it be that - I am too harsh on you on weekdays?"
Seeing that the other person's words had changed from his usual sharpness, and his actions were like a loving father who cared about his children, Yu Li suddenly felt that his hard work over the years had finally paid off. After saying thank you, he raised his head again, but he was already
I am obviously much more relaxed.
"During the days when you led the team out of the city, I repeatedly compared the coastline drawn on this map with the territory of Dasheng. According to my speculation, the ruins of the city of gods we are looking for may be in the underworld. Deep in the extreme ice fields.”
"Then when you go back, you will order people to prepare clothes to keep out the cold. As long as the governor gives the order, you can lead the ship north at any time to find out what's going on."
Yu Li finally understood the reason why the other party was in a good mood, and immediately gave a formal military salute, as if he was accepting orders in danger, but it made Marquis Jinghai laugh:
"This matter is not urgent. The underworld is extremely dangerous and dangerous. It is many times colder than the winter in Wanzhou. How can a few winter clothes be enough to withstand it? Besides, ordinary ships can only reach the floating ice sea on the west side of Guizhou. This is the limit, even if you want to go, you must consider the long term."
Qi Shouyu gently waved his fat palm, but changed the topic, "Speaking of which, have all the Din slaves you captured this time been sent to Zhenlan Fortress?"
Hearing that the other party finally asked about his trip to sea, Yuli immediately cheered up: "All the people have been sent to the island. It is expected that the fortress will be completed before spring next year. By then, the armored soldiers and firearms will be supervised. We can start at full speed as planned."
Listening to the young general's report, Marquis Jinghai finally showed a look of satisfaction on his face:
"Okay, okay! After the Zhenlan Fortress is completed, we can start looking for a way to break the ice by boat and continue northward. If people can stay in the cabin to keep warm, maybe their lives will not be hurt by the ice and snow!"
"How to break the ice and go north? Could it be that the Lord Governor wants to use those firearms -" Yu Li seemed to suddenly realize.
Qi Shouyu nodded: "That's right. Although the expert who taught me how to make firearms didn't say it clearly, I vaguely felt that if the black flame powder used in the firearms was re-mixed, it might be possible to make it. It is more powerful and can break through the ten-thousand-year-old black ice of the underworld!"
"There is no need for the warlord to tell the general about such a confidential matter..."
Yu Li was suspicious, wondering what the profound change in the other party's attitude toward him today was.
"I want to tell you that I naturally want to discuss some countermeasures with you. Although you are an illegitimate son, the king's discipline is usually quite strict, but after all, blood is thicker than water. To achieve this big thing, you and I, father and son, need to work together. , to overcome all difficulties! I have worked hard to manage Zhenlan Fortress for decades before it reached its current scale. Now that I plan to hand it over to you, I hope you will not betray my trust."
In Yu Li's impression, it seemed that this was the first time that the short and fat man opposite him was so honest with him. Suddenly his knees softened and he knelt down on the ground with a plop: "The general will definitely live up to his mission!"
"As long as I can go north to the Hades, the divine power left by the ancestors will be in my pocket! By then, no matter the Guan Ning warriors in Weiliang or the Qingyao cavalry in Chengguo, even the emperor and the other ten princely states will If we all join forces, we may not be my opponent, Qi Shouyu!"
Marquis Jinghai couldn't help laughing when he said this. His smile was so sinister and presumptuous that even Yu Li, who was standing aside, felt a little scared. However, the short and fat prince did not seem to notice the change in the young man's expression. After a slight change, he laughed for a while and then continued to ask:
"Is there any recent news from the Crown Prince?"
"Qi Zixiu seems to be more uneasy than before. It is said that he ignores government affairs all day long in Xiyin City, and instead spends a lot of energy practicing secret arts according to the manuscript you asked the general to send. The purpose of Lord Warlord should be achieved. "
"It can only be said that half of it has been achieved for the time being. However, Qi Zixiu, this loser, has the same nature as my brother Wang, stubborn and stubborn. Once the seeds of doubt are planted in his heart, it will not be so easy to get them out again. If necessary,
He will be our staunch ally to contain Xiang Baili."
"The general feels that the Lord Governor does not have to worry about that lazy general who likes to tend flowers and plants. Although he leads an army of 50,000 royal feathers in the city, without the imperial talisman in his hand, he is just a tiger without teeth. It is not enough.
For fear."
"Rather than worrying about Xiang Baili, it is better to say that I am worried about the student Qi Ziyin whom he silently supports. Although my nephew is not showy on the surface, he is the biggest variable in my plan. After all, Wang
Brother has always been very fond of this young master, not to mention, he has such a pair of amber pupils!"
Having said this, Marquis Jinghai's smile suddenly froze on his face, as if he suddenly thought of something abominable.
And when he mentioned Qi Ziyin, Yu Li naturally thought of the black-eyed boy who hung out with him all day long. His teeth were itching with hatred, and there was even a hint of awe-inspiring killing intent in his eyes:
"Lord Governor, if that's the case, why don't you find an opportunity to get rid of him, Jiang Yan, and the little red-haired witch? The three of them hang out in the busy streets all day long, so it's inevitable that they won't encounter any accidents."
"No. As long as these three children are left alive now, they will not easily arouse the suspicion of the person above the main hall. Especially the red-haired girl, her origin is always difficult to find out. But I have a hunch that this girl
It’s not as simple as it seems, and it may come in handy in the future.”
"What use can a little girl be used for? We have suffered losses from them several times. The Luo Jianli incident not only failed to bring down Xiang Baili, but promoted Jiang Yan to the position of commander of Mo Ling's guard.
A left-colonel lieutenant. How can the Governor tolerate this tone?"
There was some doubt in Yu Li's tone, and Marquis Jinghai, who was standing in front of him, straightened his face, changed his previous pleasant demeanor, and reprimanded loudly:
"If it doesn't work, it won't work! Have you forgotten that I taught you that the first thing a husband must learn when establishing a new life is to be forbearing? Have you ever thought about the fact that Xiang Baili has spent a lot of energy on those three children?
They are also deeply trusted by the king. If anything happens to them, the whole city will definitely use the strength of the city to find out!"
"It's the last general... I didn't think about it..."
"This is not at all due to lack of consideration, but because you are just as impulsive and reckless as your stupid mother! I have spent so many years cultivating you in vain, but you have made no progress at all!"
"The general realizes his mistake! The general is willing to be punished by the warlord, but please don't drive me out of the camp. Now in this world, apart from the warlord, I have no one else I can rely on!"
Yu Li knew that he had offended the other party unintentionally, so he begged sincerely. Marquis Jinghai got angry, and the anger in his heart gradually dissipated. When he saw the restless look of the young man prostrate at his feet, he finally sighed.
He took a deep breath and stretched out his hand to lift it up, but the expression on his face still had a somewhat irresistible sense of oppression:
"As the saying goes, a little impatience leads to a big plan. Think carefully about the meaning of this sentence, and don't do it again in the future. Let's get back to the subject, have the spies sent to follow the three children ever paid off?"
"Yes. According to the message sent by the spies early in the morning, Jiang Yan carried the red-haired witch on his back and went to Zitong Street alone today."
"Oh? This is strange. Don't those three children always move together? Send someone to follow them and keep an eye on them. If there is any abnormality, report it to me immediately!"
When Qi Shouyu heard this, he immediately smelled something unusual in it, and a half-smile appeared on his face.
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