That night, Feng Fei waited until the third watch before returning. Everyone was in high spirits, and it was obvious that the performance was very successful.
All the girls quietly entered the room to see Xiang Shaolong. He resisted the urge to get up and pretended to sleep to deal with it.
When the backyard was mostly quiet, he instead sat cross-legged in meditation, breathing according to the health-preserving methods taught by Mozi. At dawn, he went to the garden to practice with the Baizhan Dao.
He was glad that he did not wait for the birthday banquet to end before leaving last night, so he could still maintain his mental and physical strength at its peak.
He repeatedly practiced the movements of holding the sword with both hands, trying to simplify it as much as possible. Focusing on speed, he imagined that the enemy was Cao Qiudao.
Against this holy sword, even Mozi's skillful and clumsy moves were useless.
He can only follow scientific modern martial arts, extract the best parts and integrate them into sword skills.
At this time, everyone was either still too drunk to wake up, or was still sleeping soundly. He was happy to concentrate on warming up and preparing for the battle.
Then he went to the bathroom and took a cold bath. He went back to the room to sit quietly for a while. Xiao Ping'er came to see him.
All the concubines were present, including the musician Yun Niang and several other more prominent musicians.
Feng Fei first expressed her gratitude to Xiang Shaolong on behalf of everyone, and said with a look of reminiscence in her eyes: "When Shuzhen finished singing and Prince Jian announced the news of Feng Fei's retirement, the scene was so grand that people will never forget it."
Yun Niang smiled and said: "Everyone is proud to witness the last song and dance performed by the eldest lady."
Zhu Xiuzhen said excitedly: "The eldest lady's performance last night was truly wonderful, and we were mesmerized by it. We were completely fascinated by the eldest lady's singing. We were also worried that the second lady would be so overwhelmed that we couldn't hold our heads up. Fortunately,
The second lady also gave an extraordinary performance, which brought the integrated song and dance to a perfect conclusion."
Xiang Shaolong said distressedly: "Do you want me to regret it?" The girls burst into laughter.
Dong Shuzhen said gratefully: "Li Yuan of Chu, Chuang Hou of South Korea, and Long Yangjun of Wei all invited us to perform..."
Xingyue interrupted: "There is only no formal invitation from the general."
The girls laughed again, and the atmosphere was relaxed and harmonious. Their worries that the song and dance troupe would be disbanded were definitely a thing of the past. Xiang Shaolong smiled and said: "Are we all our own people? When you come to Xianyang, you should just go back to Xianyang."
The family is ready, look, haven't I already sent out an invitation?" The girls smiled sweetly again.
Dong Shuzhen said: "What do the eldest lady and the general think of Fei Chun?" They both knew that she was choosing a deacon, and they both applauded and agreed.
After the meal, Xiang Shaolong and Feng Fei went for a walk in the garden. Both of them felt a little unsure of what to say.
Feng Fei said calmly: "I won't go to Xianyang for the time being."
Xiang Shaolong said in astonishment: "Where do you plan to go, Miss?"
Feng Fei looked up at a particularly large white cloud floating in the sky and said, "Feng Fei wants to go back to Chu with Mrs. Qingxiu to stay for a while. The slave family is tired of the severe cold weather and wants to enjoy the beautiful southern scenery."
Xiang Shaolong thought that she wanted to avoid Han Jie. He nodded and said, "It would be nice to change the environment. The winter in Xianyang is very difficult."
Feng Fei glanced at him and said, "Don't think that you have left me alone. Maybe someone will touch the door of your Xiang family one day and refuse to leave."
Xiang Shaolong knew that she was joking, so he laughed and said: "This is something that no man can refuse. Please remember to come and interview me."
Feng Fei said quietly: "General, are you leaving tonight?"
Xiang Shaolong said solemnly: "If I can survive, I really shouldn't stay for a long time."
Feng Fei said happily: "The general finally truly trusts Feng Fei│. As long as I think of this matter, I will have no regrets in the future."
Then she said softly: "Feng Fei would rather die than keep the secret for Xiang Shaolong."
Xiang Shaolong felt greatly relieved when he remembered that the two of them had gone from distrusting and deceiving each other to now treating each other as confidants.
What’s so touching about life is that beauty and ugliness co-exist. Human nature is an uneven three-dimensional body. When you look at it from different angles, you will get different impressions.
For example, it is difficult for him to classify Li Yuan and Han Chuang as bad guys.
Everyone has their own position. But when you encounter him harming you due to interests, you will naturally hate him deeply.
Feng Fei suddenly said: "It's almost sunset. Alas, it makes me very sad to think about whether I will ever see the general again."
At this time, Xiao Yuetan came to Xiang Shaolong. They interrupted their farewell words. When they arrived in the east chamber, Xiao Yuetan took out a pile of silk and said with a smile: "I made this for you this morning. Give them to Lu Buwei and Qi."
Wang, the newly crowned prince Tian Jian, Xie Ziyuan, and of course Li Yuan, Long Yangjun, Han Chuang and Zhongsun Long. Among them, the ones for Li Yuan and Han Chuang are more exciting. If you have seen it and you have no problem, just make a bet. Wait until you succeed.
After leaving, I will let Feng Fei deliver it on your behalf."
Xiang Shaolong said worriedly: "Aren't you afraid that Lu Buwei will recognize your handwriting?"
Xiao Yuetan said: "I'm good at different bodies, I guarantee he won't recognize it."
Xiang Shaolong praised: "Lu Buwei has a talent like you but doesn't know how to use it. It's really stupid."
Xiao Yuetan said harshly: "He deliberately sacrificed me so that others would not suspect him, and at the same time took the opportunity to weaken the power of the old man."
Xiao Yuetan was a person who valued friendship the most, so she hated Lu Buwei's lack of affection and loyalty.
Like this time, he came to help Xiang Shaolong without hesitation because he was such a person.
Xiang Shaolong randomly took out one of them, spread it out and took a closer look, and saw what was written on it: "This is written at the feet of Marquis Chuang. When the Marquis read this, Shaolong was already a hundred miles away. He left without saying goodbye this time.
The truth has to be forced. The Marquis must be aware of it and will not blame Shaolong for being rude. Life is nothing but joys and sorrows, love and hatred. After this farewell, I don’t know what will happen next. I wish the Marquis all the best and a long life.
Shaolong pays his respects"
Xiang Shaolong held the hand and laughed and said: "Looking at this moment, Han Chuang must be feeling all kinds of emotions in his heart. It's hard to say."
Xiao Yuetan proudly took out another letter and handed it to him: "This is for Li Yuan."
Xiang Shaolong held it up and read: "Brother Li Xiang Guoyuan's great lesson: things in the world are full of twists and turns, and separation and separation are unpredictable. I wanted to fight side by side with my brother and take care of him without hesitation. I still remember it today. Unfortunately, time has changed and this feeling is no longer.
It’s really disappointing. Now that I’m on my way home, I sincerely wish the prime minister’s officialdom to be prosperous and prosperous.”
Xiang Shaolong slapped the table and said: "Can you add a few more sentences? But how to write it must be decided by my pen. I like that sarcastic tone." Li Yuan said last night that he would take care of him.
speak out.
Xiao Yuetan had a pen and ink prepared, and while holding back his laughter, he added at the end, "This is a gesture of support from the Prime Minister. I apologize for my insensitivity in thanking you, and I dare not forget it even for a moment."
Xiang Shaolong was amazed when he shot another case.
Other letters to King Qi, Zhongsun Long, etc. are very general, nothing special, but the letter to Lord Long Yang is the most polite, full of love words, showing Xiao Yuetan's talent.
Xiang Shaolong looked carefully into Xiao Yuetan's eyes and said, "I must have been up all night last night, and I have to write these letters in the morning."
Xiao Yuetan smiled and said: "What's the big problem if you don't sleep for one and a half nights? The most important thing is to make you have no worries. These letters will inspire your fighting spirit more than any words, because if you lose tonight, these letters will have no choice but to
It’s all burned.”
Xiang Shaolong slapped the case and stood up, looking up to the sky with a smile and saying: "Don't worry, I am very motivated to fight now. No matter what sword master or sword demon he is, I will fight with all my strength and I will never let him succeed."
Xiao Yuetan twitched his beard and smiled and said: "I will refit out of the city right now and go there to place your tools for escape tonight. I will tell Shao Longxin tomorrow."
After Xiao Yuetan left, Fei Chun, who had just been promoted to deacon, came to thank him. Xiang Shaolong was moved in his heart and said: "You find someone to secretly monitor Xiao Ning. If she goes out to meet other people before my departure today, tell Xiuzhen."
Miss, let her go. There is no need to punish her."
According to his estimation, if Xiao Ning was a traitor, why would he have to report his last situation to the person who bribed him today, so he added: "If this didn't happen, just pretend I didn't say these words."
Fei Chun woke up and took the order.
Xiang Shaolong stretched himself and felt extremely relaxed.
Some things that were originally difficult to solve were finally solved satisfactorily. As long as we pass the Cao Qiudao Pass tonight, avoid the ambush of Yanzhao masters, and rely on our skis, we can rush back to Zhongmou before the snow melts, and meet the Teng Yi brothers.
After rendezvous, return to Qin, and the suffering will be a thing of the past.
Of course, there is still Xiaopan's identity crisis to resolve, but now he can only firmly believe that history cannot be changed even one bit.
At least in history, no one has ever mentioned that Qin Shihuang was neither the son of a foreigner nor the son of Lu Buwei.
What always puzzled him was that there was no mention of this world-shaking figure.
When he was thinking hard, Long Yangjun came with red eyes. Needless to say, Xiang Shaolong knew that he had not slept well last night.
When the two of them arrived at the small pavilion in the garden, Long Yangjun sighed, as if he had a thousand words to say and didn't know where to start.
Xiang Shaolong in turn comforted him and said: "Life and death are determined by destiny, wealth and honor are in heaven. If the old man has not destined me to die, even ten Cao Qiudao will not be able to do anything to me."
Long Yangjun smiled bitterly and said: "Shaolong may have thought that Cao Qiudao would show mercy, but last night I heard the news that Tian Dan had talked with Cao Qiudao for an entire hour. What do you think he would say?"
Xiang Shaolong felt confident. He thought that since he had personally agreed to Xiao Yuetan, naturally no one could influence his decision.
He patted the Baizhan sword and said calmly: "He wants my life. You must ask my good partner first."
Long Yangjun tried his best to cheer up and said: "The slave family is not trying to dampen Shaolong's spirit, but they are here to remind Shaolong not to underestimate the enemy. If you can fight, fight. If not, retreat. He is old after all, and he should not be able to outrun you.
"
Xiang Shaolong laughed and said: "After all, you are still afraid that he will kill me."
Long Yangjun looked at him for a long time and said in surprise: "Shaolong is indeed an extraordinary person. If it were anyone else, who could be as calm as you in the face of such a powerful enemy?"
Xiang Shaolong said calmly: "Worrying is useless. It would be better if you use your energy during the competition."
Long Yangjun leaned against the barrier and said, "Li Yuan and Han Chuang..."
Xiang Shaolong cut him off and said decisively: "Your Majesty, please stop talking. From now until I see Cao Qiudao, I don't want to hear anything about them."
Long Yangjun was shocked and said: "Young dragon..."
Xiang Shaolong smiled and said: "It's all silent. Your Majesty, go back and have a good rest. Don't think about anything. I'll tell you tomorrow."
Lord Long Yang slowly moved in front of him, hugged him gently and said, "Shaolong's strong confidence has made the slave family feel that you can cope with any difficulties, and they value you."
Seeing Long Yangjun's back gradually disappearing into the trees, Xiang Shaolong felt infinite regret.
The entire singing and dancing troupe, led by Feng Fei and Dong Shuzhen, all bid farewell to their heroes in the square and watched Xiang Shaolong board the carriage of the new prince Tian Jian and Lu Buwei.
With flags fluttering, all soldiers marched out of Tingsongyuan in neat formation, clearing the way for the three men's chariots, with great momentum.
When the troop escorted by the Hundred Cavalry Guards galloped out of the street, people lined the streets to see him off. It was unclear whether they were cheering for Cao Qiudao or applauding Xiang Shaolong for his "remarkable courage."
Including Xiang Shaolong, no one thought that Cao Qiudao would lose. The only question was whether Xiang Shaolong could survive.
This carriage was particularly spacious. The seats were located at the end of the carriage and could accommodate four people sitting side by side. Xiang Shaolong, the protagonist, could not refuse, so he naturally sat between Tian Jian and Lu Buwei.
In recent years, he has rarely been so close to his great enemy Lu Buwei. He felt very uncomfortable and just hoped that the carriage would leave the city quickly.
He first congratulated Tian Jian, the new crown prince, and Tian Jian smiled from ear to ear. Lu Buwei interjected: "I just discussed the strategy of governing the country with the prince, and the prince proposed what Guan Zhong said in "The Herdsmen": "The warehouse actually knows the etiquette."
"If you have enough food and clothing, you will know honor and shame." This is indeed a true insight. With Prince Jian ascending the throne, the prosperity of the Qi Dynasty can be expected."
Tian Jian was overjoyed and said: "If you govern a country, you will always be rich, but if you are in chaos, you will be poor. It can be seen that those who serve the country well must first enrich the people and then govern them."
Xiang Shaolong couldn't help but ask: "What strategies does the prince have to enrich the people?"
Tian Jian was dumbfounded for a while and then said in deep thought: "Strengthening the army and enriching the country are inseparable. Without a strong army, the country will not be protected. If the country is not enriched, the army will not be strong. This is an eternal truth."
Xiang Shaolong sighed secretly in his heart, knowing that he had no good way to govern the country at all, but only followed Guanzi's theory, which was still empty words.
Although he has only been in Zi for a short time, we only know from the existence of Zhongsun Long that Qi is prosperous on the surface, but there is a huge disparity between the rich and the poor. This is because the monarch connives with the nobles and merchants to seek wealth, and they rush to open gambling houses, brothels and loan sharking.
Of course, the lack of intelligence among the people and the lack of widespread education are also important reasons. However, Tian Jian ignores this situation and only talks about strengthening the military and enriching the people, which is ridiculous.
The reason why Xiaopan is far superior to the monarchs of other countries is that he can truly understand the people's sentiments and has the help of wise men like Li Si. Everything is based on reality and is not empty talk.
Lu Buwei flattered him and said: "The prince's opinion is better than that of Guan Zhong and Qi Huan."
Tian Jian kept saying he was humble, but in fact he was very happy and had already accepted the order.
At this time, they were approaching the city gate, and more people gathered along the road. Someone shouted: "Cao Gong will win, Cao Gong will win!"
In an instant, a chain effect occurred, with hundreds of people shouting in unison, which was shocking.
Tian Jian looked unnatural and said nothing.
Lu Buwei secretly observed Xiang Shaolong's expression and saw that his face was as smooth as a mirror. He smiled and said, "Shaolong, your calming skills are very good."
Xiang Shaolong was amused in his heart.
This is like the situation when a team plays away from home. The home team has a favorable location and good people. If you can't stand the sound of cheering, you will lose the game without having to play.
He smiled slightly and said: "If a swordsman's fighting spirit is affected by foreign affairs, how can he still be qualified to fight?"
Lu Buwei rolled his eyes and pretended to have forgotten something and said: "I almost forgot to tell Shaolong. After discussing with the Queen Mother and Xiaodu, I have sent people to Handan to invite the Zhang couple who raised the prince.
Return to Xianyang so that they can enjoy their old age in peace. According to time, they should have arrived in Xianyang."
Xiang Shaolong felt a great hatred in his heart, knowing that he deliberately brought up this matter at this time, so as to disturb his mind and make him unable to concentrate on dealing with Cao Qiudao's holy sword due to worry. His intentions were extremely vicious.
Fortunately, Zhongsun Xuanhua wanted to test the matter and told him in advance. Otherwise, if his thoughts were suddenly confirmed, things might really get messed up.
Tian Jian looked attentive, indicating that someone had mentioned this matter to him before.
Xiang Shaolong pretended to be surprised and said, "Father Zhong must have not asked the Crown Prince for instructions first."
Lu Buwei chuckled and said: "The intention of the Queen Mother and I is to give the Crown Prince a surprise. How can we explain it in advance?"
Xiang Shaolong sighed: "If Father Zhong had asked the prince, there would be no need to bother: the prince had already sent someone to take Zhang and his wife back to Xianyang, but even the queen mother kept it secret and did not make it public." This time it was Lu Buwei's turn to look serious.
Change, uncertainty.
Amidst the sound of firecrackers, the motorcade drove out of the city gate.
Li Yuan, Han Chuang, Guo Kai, Xu Yize, Long Yangjun, Zhongsun Long and his son, Min Tingzhang and other officials of the Qi Dynasty had already gathered in the open space outside the city gate to form a farewell group.
The carriage stopped.
Xiang Shaolong got out of the car first and accepted the congratulations from everyone. Of course Qi Chen would not wish him "a successful start" or "a successful battle" or anything like that.
After some commotion, eight swordsmen, accompanied by Zhongsun Xuanhua and Min Tingzhang, put on their formal attires, held lanterns to shine before and after, and then galloped to Jixia Palace.
Zhongsun Xuanhua said solemnly: "After sending the general to the palace, we must return to the city immediately. This is the king's strict order in response to the master. Only after the master releases the rocket can we go to Jixia Palace to see what happens."
Xiang Shaolong was surprised: "Is there no one else in Jixia Palace except Mr. Cao now?"
Min Tingzhang on the other side replied: "That's right. According to what Master said, his merciless invitation was all because he was afraid that other people would cheer for him and affect the general's mood. Looking at the situation just now,
I don’t know what Master’s concerns are, but they are not unreasonable.”
At this time, I was galloping up to a higher ground. I saw that except for the lantern hanging at the main entrance of Jixia Academy, the entire area was pitch black, with only the light coming from the southeast corner.
Zhongsun Xuanhua pointed at the brightly lit place with his riding whip and said: "That is where the star observatory is located. It is located in the open space of the east gate. It is three stories high and has a large platform twenty feet wide at the top. The master is waiting there for the general to arrive.
"
Xiang Shaolong's eyes fell on the place illuminated by the lights. He suddenly thought of Long Yangjun's words in his heart.