Chapter 737 Ouyang Rong: You’re not happy that I’m here [Please vote for me at the end of the month!]
Shendu, Luoyang.
Early in the morning, Qinghuafang, where the dignitaries gathered, became noisy.
Today is not a family banquet held by the most powerful Wei Palace in Qinghuafang, but it is closely related.
The nobles who got up early in the mansions in Qinghua Square were stepping onto the dew-wet carriages. Supported by their servants and entourage, they were preparing to go to the square in front of the Ziwei Palace in the imperial city.
The long-prepared Great Zhou Dynasty Song De Tianshu will be officially completed today. It is said that the four giant Buddhas scattered in all directions have also been completed one after another. The much-anticipated Tianshu plus giant Buddha praising system is completely completed.
A few days ago, the Wei family announced the good news, and the saint was overjoyed. He specially issued an edict to hold a grand ceremony to worship heaven today in the Ziwei Palace Square located in Tianshu.
The reason why it is a ceremony to worship heaven instead of a celebration ceremony like that in Jiangzhou is actually very simple.
The so-called Tianshu naturally communicates with heaven. As the emperor of the Zhou Dynasty, the pilgrims are the sons of heaven and the agents of heaven. They carry the will of heaven and use it to issue laws and manage human affairs in the world...
To communicate with heaven, sacrificial rituals are naturally indispensable. The heaven-sacrifice ceremony has been the domain of emperors since ancient times. Compared with the celebrations in Jiangzhou, the pilgrims and the Wei family paid more attention to its political significance as a symbol of God's blessing on the great Zhou Dynasty.
, anything that can represent the destiny of heaven is the most valued by the emperor and is the cornerstone of the rule of the country.
The great affairs of the country lie in sacrifice and military affairs.
Therefore, today's heaven-sacrifice ceremony not only summoned the civil and military officials of the entire dynasty to participate, but also invited envoys from all nations and foreign countries within the divine capital.
The specifications are very high.
The morning light fell on the carriages going out grandly in Qinghuafang.
However, it seemed a little quiet over there at Prince Wei's Mansion.
It's not that there's no one around, but the atmosphere in the palace is solemn.
The honor guard ready to go has been prepared and parked at the main entrance, which attracted the attention of the passing neighbors. However, the entire honor guard has not yet started. From the jade chariot with the prince's specifications to the deep inner residence of the mansion, every five days along the way.
Every step of the way, there were dead guards standing guard. It could be roughly seen that the King of Wei had not left the house yet and did not know what he was wasting his time on.
Deep in the palace, in front of the Wei family ancestral hall, a group of people were gathering. There were the royal guard captain, the chief steward, and the Wei family's son and princess. They all stopped in front of the door, and from time to time
They exchanged glances, and finally cast a helpless or inexplicable look towards the closed door of the ancestral hall in tacit understanding.
No one dares to go in and disturb.
They quietly lowered their hands and waited.
One of the leaders of the Wei family, King Wei Wei's heir, is inside. He has not come out since he entered before dawn.
But no one dared to go in and urge him.
Wei Wu, who was very close to the King of Wei, was not in the capital at the moment. Some people in front of the gate couldn't help but think that it would be great if the steady Wei Wu was here, at least they could go in and explore the situation.
Since the sixth and third sons were killed outside one after another, King Wei has become moody. In addition, the last time he drew a sword to kill his concubine in the inner house, the Wei family members in the palace now dare not break in privately, let alone
Other domestic servants.
Different from the anxious waiting atmosphere in front of the door, inside the gate, in the Wei family ancestral hall, Wei Jisi was dressed in black and wearing a white cloth belt on his head. He was walking around in the lobby and burning incense for the tablets on the table one by one.
His face was calm and his movements were skillful. After a while, he came to the two tablets at the end of the table.
These two tablets belong to Wei Shaoxuan and Wei Shaoqi.
Wei Jisi placed a few sticks of incense, picked up his sleeves, and carefully wiped the dust off the two tablets.
After doing this, I stopped in front of them for a while, with my eyelids lowered.
He turned his back to the door and against the light. Even if someone was standing next to him, he couldn't clearly see his face that was uncertain between light and dark.
In fact, Wei Jisi never believed in such a coincidence. Both his sons died one after another in that small Jiangzhou. Could it be that the place where the Mercury of his Wei family was in reverse? A place dedicated to the loss of children who died young?
At a certain moment, Wei Jisi chuckled.
Turning around and going out, when passing a desk in the corridor, he picked up the string of white jade beads given by the saint.
He and his younger brother Wei Sixing initiated and supervised the construction of the Tianshu and Sifang Buddha statues of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Today, the protagonist in the Ziwei Palace Square in the Imperial City is destined to be their Wei family!
Wei Jisi looked calm, holding white jade Buddha beads in his palms, and strode away from the desk. After taking a few steps, he raised his hand and grabbed the white cloth strip on his forehead, pulled it off, and threw it on the grass next to the desk.
.
This scene seems familiar.
I still remember a few months ago, on the day before Wei Wu left the capital, Wei Wu also knelt on the grass here and respectfully took the piece of white cloth that Wei Jisi had picked off casually with both hands.
In front of the door, Wei Jisi, who finally took off the white cloth strip, stopped slowly and looked back.
The yard is empty.
Wei Jisi didn't know what he thought of. Before pushing the door open to greet everyone respectfully, he murmured the words he had told Wei Wu that day:
"Then bring it for me."
…
Xunyang River.
The first beam of skylight broke through the dark curtain of dawn and sprinkled on the river. The river fog was broken and dissipated in the morning light and waves.
An official ship was riding the wind and waves.
The young man with a sword on his back stood on the bow deck of the ship, frowning and looking at the unchanging river surface, as if he thought the official ship was too slow.
He was Lu Ya, a Taoist priest directly from the Shangqing Dynasty.
The bow of the ship was bumping violently, and Lu Gai stood on the bow with his feet like roots. No matter how big the waves were, he could not stagger.
For some reason, since this morning, Lu Ya has felt a strange feeling lingering in his heart. It is neither a special premonition of disaster nor a precursor to some happy event, but an inexplicable meaning.
Lu Ya does not know the divination skills of his master Yuan Laotian. In fact, there is no one like his master, not to mention the Shangqing Sect, in the entire Sanqing Taoist sect. In the past hundred years, there may not be one person who has the talent of Fuqi fortune-telling.
The prodigy is called a sorcerer on the mountain, and he is no different from a semi-immortal.
There is also an old saying in the Sanqing Taoist sect that this type of warlock is the reincarnation of an ancient immortal. In this way, he can repeatedly uncover the secrets of heaven. Compared with ordinary people, he is less likely to suffer the retribution of premature death and punishment for forcing this way.
If people go further, they can also explore life and death, and even plan the situation after death, which can be regarded as immortal in a certain sense.
Lu Ya remembered something that his master had mentioned before. There were only two people in the past 500 years who were also warlocks and could allow his master to tell fortunes, yin and yang, and feng shui in this fuji.
One is an unknown Taoist priest five hundred years ago. His birth and death years are unknown, and his name has not been left in the history. He is suspected of becoming an immortal from his bones. When he was young, the master passed through the land of Yanzhao and passed by his tombstone while sleeping in the mountains. The following sentence
"When the tomb is reopened, the number of people will no longer be so small," the commander said.
My father was deeply impressed. The reason why he knew that this man was five hundred years old and seemed to have become an immortal was because he left a legacy for the master who happened to rest in front of the tomb five hundred years later. It was still good that year, month and day.
At that moment, I left a message instructing Master to open the coffin and pick it up himself, and he would not wait until the expiration date;
The other one was a scholar in the Northern Dynasties more than 300 years ago. He was born into a family of poets and calligraphers. He practiced both Confucianism and Taoism, and hated Buddhism. The master knew about him because he was famous in history and had a great reputation for his many works.
, only those who are also warlocks can appreciate...
Lu Ya pursed his lips.
Although he didn't have the skills of his master, he had learned a little bit about it, and he could vaguely sense that this premonition in his heart was a sign of something big happening.
Moreover, this matter was related to him, so it gave rise to a mysterious premonition in his mind, just like "the storm is about to come".
At present, the things that can be related to him, Lu Ya, only involve three things: Prince Xunyang's Mansion, Master, and Senior Brother Zhang.
The answer is self-evident.
Lu Ya, who was about to return, raised his head and looked in the direction of Xunyang City.
He couldn't help but think of the talisman water that Prince Li Dalang swallowed.
Did Master think about what was happening before he died? Did Master also have a premonition that something big like this would happen?
I remember that my master had warned me in every possible way during his lifetime that the secret art of our sect, the "Edict of Subduing the Gods", is actually the most special among the three pure arts. It should not be passed on to outsiders lightly. Not only are there many living people outside who care about this technique, but there are also dead people who are watching.
...It’s just that Lu Ya has been puzzled after hearing this, what does it mean to stare at the dead?
While Lu Ya was thinking, bursts of screams came from the cabin behind him.
The young Taoist priest with a paralyzed face was not surprised by this.
It belongs to the man named Qian Chen.
Brother Wang has been interrogating him since he was caught on the ship.
Not long after, Wang Caozhi came out, holding a white cloth belt in his hand and casually wiping the blood on his hands.
He came to the deck and frowned like Lu Ya.
The two stood side by side on the bow of the boat. After catching Qian Chen and others at Guanyin Temple early yesterday morning, they rushed down the mountain to catch a boat at the ferry in Hukou County and rushed back to Xunyang. At the same time, they tried to catch up with Duan Quanwu and his party who had left a few hours earlier...
Lu Ya asked without looking back: "Confessed?"
Wang Caozhi shook his head: "You have a tough mouth."
"What makes Brother Wang so sad? What is the origin of the group of people he interacts with?"
Wang Caozhi narrowed his eyes: "It's just a guess. If this person doesn't confess, it won't count as evidence."
"What are you going to do?"
"First go back to the city to find your brother-in-law. For confession, you can go to Shuangfengjian to find an old cruel official named Lao Yangtou. I remember my brother-in-law mentioned that he is very good at using torture to extract confessions."
"OK."
Wang Caozhi looked back at the cabin and whispered:
"Actually, I guessed it even if he didn't confess. Where are the costumes of the group? However, this matter involves too much and requires ironclad proof. Otherwise, even my brother-in-law may not be able to suppress him. The prince will come..."
Having said this, he shook his head.
Lu Ya thought of the military strategist who he accidentally killed.
He glanced sideways at the short young man with nagging eyes and didn't ask any more questions.
Wang Caozhi turned around and asked casually:
"Where are you going when the Taoist Master arrives in Xunyang? Can we go together?"
Lu Ya shook his head: "Pindao must return to the palace first and stay with the prince."
"Okay, Chief Lu will wait until we get off the boat at Xunyang Ferry in the city."
Wang Caozhi raised his head and glanced at the sky, as if he had estimated the time when he would arrive in Xunyang. He nodded slowly:
"To be on the safe side, I will stop ahead of time and take people to disembark at the Shuangfengjian Ferry. My brother-in-law is going to Xunyang Grottoes to host the celebration in the morning. The people must be there. It just so happens that my sister is also there..."
Shuangfengjian Ferry was newly opened in the past two years along with the construction of Xunyang Grottoes. It is located in the direction of Xunyang City to Hukou County. Ships must pass through it whether they are passing by or returning.
Lu Ya nodded in agreement.
After thinking for a moment, Wang Caozhi warned again:
"If we arrive early and my brother-in-law is still in the palace or in the city, Director Lu remembers to inform him."
"good."
…
Prince Xunyang's Mansion, in the waiting room.
When Ouyang Rong arrived, Li Congshan and Miao Zhen were standing guard at the door.
"Assassin Ouyang."
Li Congshan said hello, winked at him, and motioned to the living room. Miaozhen next to him had a straight face and said nothing.
Ouyang Rong turned around and saw a petite figure in purple palace clothes inside.
"The matter seems to be very urgent. Rong Zhennv Shi also called us over and said that we might have instructions later."
"Okay, thank you for your hard work."
Ouyang Rong smiled at Li Congshan and prepared to exchange a few words.
At this time, Rong Zhen in the hall seemed to have noticed his arrival and stood up, ready to come out.
Ouyang Rong immediately bid farewell to Li Congshan and entered the hall.
He saw that Rong Zhen didn't touch the tea at hand.
"Why is Rong Nushi so urgent?" After a pause, he added tentatively: "Was Rong Nushi at the Overwatch Council this morning?"
Rong Zhen didn't answer, walked quickly, closed the door, and the first sentence he said when he turned around made Ouyang Rong's eyelids twitch:
"The latest report is that the water thieves from Hukou County raided the town of Hukou County yesterday, broke into the county government office, took control of the ferry, and are hijacking the boat and heading south. They are suspected of coming directly to our Xunyang. According to the time, they should be able to wait until the morning
Arrive in Xunyang."
Ouyang Rong paused.
He frowned: "Where are Duan Quanwu and the others?"
Rong Zhen frowned equally dissatisfied:
"Duan Quanwu just arrived at Shuangfengjian Ferry this morning. He led his troops a step ahead and set out early yesterday morning. At that time, half of the soldiers were left in Hukou County to guard the water thieves. No one expected that he would walk on the front foot and then the back foot.
The water thieves seized the opportunity, emerged from the swamp, killed the remaining soldiers, and captured Hukou County..."
Ouyang Rong interrupted and asked: "When did the news come? Is it accurate?"
Rong Zhen nodded, took out a blood-stained roll of paper from his sleeve, handed it to Ouyang Rong and said:
"There are soldiers in the White Tiger Guard who specialize in hunting eagles. They are stationed in Hukou County. When I rushed to Shuangfengjian Ferry to pick up Duan Quanwu in the morning, the eagle came to report with a letter. Then I came to Hukou County.
This news is faster than our waterway."
Ouyang Rong opened the scroll and looked at it. The handwriting on it was hastily scrawled. It was a message from the military. It was urgent and it was difficult to fake it.
Moreover, this time the water thieves broke through Hukou County, intercepted the boat and headed south, heading straight for Xunyang City.
Along the way, the outposts set up by Ouyang Rong and the Jiangzhou government will definitely be triggered.
Ouyang Rong raised his head and glanced at the clock, guessing that the follow-up news must be on the way. He didn't even need to go to the Jiangzhou lobby to know that urgent reports were coming like snowflakes.
So this is easy to verify. Just wait for a while. At least Yanrokuro will definitely come to you soon and you can check again...
Ouyang Rong frowned and thought carefully.
After experiencing what happened with the Golden Sword, he and Prince Xunyang are now extremely cautious about any urgent news and must verify it. Being cautious is a good habit.
Besides that, the most important thing right now is the mystery and purpose of this matter.
Ouyang Rong's expression remained normal, and he even sat down and picked up the tea cup.
The more times like this, the calmer he becomes.
Rong Zhen looked at his calm expression and seemed to have found his backbone. He let out a breath and asked:
"Ouyang Lianghan, what do these water thieves want to do?"
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips and said:
"The last time they built the Buddha in secret, they happened to be here. Now, what else can they do?"
Rong Zhen nodded and said in a cold tone:
"Then come, let's open the door to receive guests. We are the hosts. Are you afraid of these nasty guests? It's best to come all, Master Die Lianhua, Xuezhongzhu, Yu Nianyuan... By the way, I have prepared something like this
For a long time, I just waited for these rebels to come to my door. If they don't come, wouldn't it be in vain for me to wait and learn the music of the piano in vain?"
Ouyang Rong was speechless when he heard that he was ranked first again.
You're not happy that I'm here.
He couldn't help but glance at the girl in palace clothes who was gearing up and looking forward to it.
Something suddenly popped into my mind.
Rong Nushi looks so excited and warlike. In addition to being prepared to deal with Yunmeng Jianze, is she also prepared to deal with him, the sixth sword wielder?
Before Rong Zhen looked over, Ouyang Rong straightened his eyes calmly...
————
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