Qingzhou is divided into inner and outer cities.
The outer city is lively, but the inner city is more quiet.
With Qingzhou Prefectural Government as the center, at the end of the four broad avenues are the four major families of Qingzhou. If you look down from a high position, it seems as if the four major masters are surrounding the Prefectural Government Office.
As a staff member of the state leader Nie Wendong, Yu Wanghai came to the Yamen every day to order his meal. The rest of the time, he either drank tea in the teahouse or went to the restaurant to listen to stories.
In his free time, he doesn't like to be disturbed by others.
Several government officials were waiting outside with files in their hands. The sky was getting darker, and Yu Wanghai slowly walked out of the teahouse.
“Sir, as the new year is approaching, I still need you to review the reports from various prefectures and counties...”
Several government officials hurriedly handed over the files.
"Um."
Yu Wanghai nodded slightly, and then another servant came forward and said in a low voice: "This is a tribute to you from the people below..."
"oh?"
Yu Wanghai took the file and walked slowly on the quiet street while scanning the file.
For a moment, his movements paused slightly.
“...Liu Wenpeng, the magistrate of Heishancheng County under Shunde Prefecture, wishes to greet the boss and offers three thousand silver and two hundred gold..."
“Another one died...”
Yu Wanghai closed the file and stopped walking.
In front of you, you see the center of the inner city, next to the government office, with green bricks and yellow tiles, but you can see a Taoist temple. Outside, there are Taoist boys cleaning fallen leaves, and inside, there are towering trees.
In the busy city, it is especially quiet.
Yu Wanghai walked into the Taoist temple, surrounded by dozens of quiet rooms with red walls and green tiles, and deep trees in the courtyard.
At this time, the sky was getting darker and the wind was getting a little cooler.
Under the old tree, there was a group of people sitting cross-legged, and several girls with delicate looks, younger than Nutmeg, carefully knelt aside to serve.
This man is quite old. Although his appearance is exquisite, he still looks old. However, he is well groomed, with his hair and beard hanging down and moving in the wind.
Duan Duan is a good seller.
Yu Wanghai bowed slightly: "Sir, this is the annual income of all the prefectures and counties this year."
“In life, if there is a gap between heaven and earth, it will happen all of a sudden. Before I know it, more than half of the year has passed..."
The Taoist's breathing has a rhythm, and his voice is as gentle as water, but there is a touch of reluctance:
“Another year has been wasted.”
“From the Emperor of Qin to the Ancestor of the Ming Dynasty, from ancient times to the present, for three thousand years, how many people have longed for it but cannot get it. Why should you be in a hurry?”
Yu Wanghai looked respectful.
“Young people are full of vitality, young people are full of vitality, middle-aged people are already in decline, and moral standards are declining in old age..."
Nie Wendong casually glanced at the file a few times and then ignored it:
“I am already in my declining years, how can I not be anxious?”
Yu Wanghai was silent for a moment and changed the topic:
"An hour ago, the boy from Black Mountain City took over the mission and left the city. Granny Shi also followed, I'm afraid..."
"Why bother talking about trivial matters?"
Nie Wendong was slightly unhappy.
“Didn’t you still doubt that this kid had obtained the Tao Fruit?”
Yu Wanghai had to give a reminder.
“If it was true, how could that crazy girl let him go? Ah, the spittoon..."
Nie Wendong yawned, and phlegm seemed to rise in his throat.
The girl waiting at the side hurriedly stepped forward and crouched down, raised her pink neck, opened her small cherry mouth, took the mouthful of thick phlegm, and swallowed it with joy.
Yu Wanghai looked at it expressionlessly.
“Jilong Mountain…”
After spitting out a mouthful of phlegm, Nie Wendong's face turned as dark as water.
With his martial arts, although he can't be said to be free from all kinds of diseases, he shouldn't have any filth. The only reason for this is because he was injured.
“Judging from your humble position, what you have to consider is no longer Ji Longshan, but your classmate...”
After signaling the maids to retreat, Yu Wanghai slowly said:
“I heard that when he left the capital this time, he only brought an old servant, a granddaughter and a blank document. All positions in Qingzhou must be filled in by himself..."
"He will not."
Nie Wendong interrupted him, asked him to sit down, and said:
“I have been practicing the three refuges and five precepts of Taoism for many years. How far should I go before I can go one step further?”
Yu Wanghai was surprised by his calmness. Hearing this sentence, he did not dare to neglect and replied in a deep voice:
“The eight precepts of Buddhism and the three refuges and five precepts of Taoism are essentially self-restraints and the work of spiritual cultivation. If you cannot practice the Tao, you cannot go further..."
Nie Wendong frowned slightly:
“I heard that the founder of your sect kept the Three Refuges and Five Precepts for eighteen years and finally became a real person. I have been keeping the precepts for eighteen years. Is it possible that this is not possible?”
"this…"
Yu Wanghai looked slightly unnatural, but still responded:
“My ancestor lived in a remote mountain, and he followed the rules for eighteen years, and was almost untouched by the world of mortals. Although you live in a Taoist temple, my lord, there are too many worldly things.
If not, with your talent, you should have taken that step long ago..."
"well……"
Nie Wendong let out a long sigh:
“After all, it was Qingzhou who mistook me and the people of Li who mistook me...”
…
…
Outside the spacious moat, there are many sheds set up on the flat ground several miles wide. Although the weather is cold, there are really a lot of people.
Most of them are people from nearby prefectures, counties and villages who come to exchange information.
The entrance fee to Qingzhou City is not low, as much as 80 Wen. For some villagers, 80 Wen is enough to feed their family for four or five days, so they are naturally reluctant to part with it.
Over time, there was also a mutual trade outside Qingzhou City.
You also have to pay money for the mutual market, but it is only half of the city entry fee.
This market is not big, but it is very lively. From a distance, many laborers, villagers, hawkers, and merchants are shouting and selling.
There were also many strong men holding swords or long whips to maintain order.
Living in the city of Qingzhou is not easy.
Not only people, but also horses.
At this time, the price of an ordinary slave horse in Qingzhou was about fifteen taels of silver, and a better one often cost more than thirty taels.
Even for the people in Qingzhou City, it is still a big burden, let alone affording it, and they may not be able to support it.
Not to mention, Qingzhou City does not allow outside carriages to enter.
Let someone take care of it for you, and you will get twenty coppers a day, but this is the worst treatment. It only guarantees that your horse will not starve to death.
If you want to feed yourself with good fodder, you have to spend money.
“Thank you for your favor, one or two denarii of silver.”
The stable owner with a mustache smiled and took out Yang Yu's yellow gelding, with a very good attitude.
Not only because of the money gained, but also because this man carries a sword and a bow on his back. No matter how you look at it, he is a ruthless person.
“Your business is really good!”
Taking out a couple of pieces of silver and handing it to the boss, Yang Yu gently combed the yellow gelding's mane:
“Someone will probably ask me about it later…”
“The guest officer was just joking, it’s just a small business...someone asked?”
The boss’ face stiffened and he forced a smile:
“What did the guest say? If someone asks, of course I don’t know anything.”
"That's not necessary. If someone asks you later, just say so."
With that said, Yang Yu led the horse and left.
“What a weirdo.”
The boss muttered and got busy again.
And just as Yang Yu expected, within an hour, the group hurried out of the city and found the owner of the stable.
“Six, six doors...”
The boss had a pale face and was busy giving directions.
But I couldn't help but feel lucky in my heart.
Had the guest not mentioned it deliberately, he would have been so busy that he might not have even remembered which guest left when or in which direction.
“Wait a minute!”
The group of people led the horses and were about to catch up, when Mrs. Shi suddenly called everyone and passed a file to several people:
“The old lady hasn’t handled a case for a long time and is a little rusty. Let’s take a look at this file and guess whether that kid has other purposes?”
“The flower-picking thief ‘Wang Sheng’? Is this scum really making it to Qingzhou?”
Eugene Jin frowned slightly.
The world is in chaos and bandits are rampant. What he hates most are flower pickers, especially after he gave birth to a daughter.
"That Wang Sheng is good at lightness, so it's not easy to surround and kill him. But Yang Yu is good at using bows and arrows, so he can be defeated."
Jia Qiu looked through the files in detail:
"In the intelligence, Wang Sheng is suspected to have come near Qingzhou City..."
"Mother-in-law is too worried. Even if a boy from a small city government office has some talent, what kind of trouble can he make if we join forces?"
Eugene Jin sneered:
“If his martial arts skills are better than those of the Qin brothers, why would he hurt people with hidden arrows? We only need to guard against his cold arrows, and he can only be captured without a fight!”
Granny Shi nodded slightly and looked at the middle-aged man in the middle of the team, carrying a long bow:
“Mr. Liu, what do you think?”
“Leave this person to me.”
Liu Wenlong looked indifferent:
"No matter who he is, if he is suspected of secretly imitating our Four Elephant Arrows, he must die!"
…
…
“Good bow…”
While riding quickly on the horse, Yang Yu stroked the large, bright steel bow and admired it slightly.
Many times, the things that ordinary people and people in public circles come into contact with are two completely different things.
Ordinary bows can effectively kill no more than 30 feet, but the crossbows in the army are far from that. Black Mountain City's Divine Arm Crossbow is only a defective product and can shoot more than 150 feet.
The real divine arm crossbow is much more lethal.
Lin An spent a lot of time making this bow in Yang Yu's hands. The fine steel bow body is nothing, and the black iron content is very small, but the bow string is extraordinary.
“It is said that those who make bows all the year round often enclose large areas of mountains and rivers, raise pythons in captivity, and soak them in the glue soup for many years with the muscles of the pythons.
It is said that King Long Yuan has such a bow, which is made from the sinew of a giant python soaked in a secret medicinal glue soup for three hundred years. It is one of the world's most famous divine bows..."
Gently stroking the bow body, Yang Yu felt yearning in his heart.
Up to now, his archery skills are still his strongest point. If he has a magic bow in his hand, not to mention this old lady Shi, she is Ji Longshan, the famous big bandit in Qingzhou.
He also dared to touch it.
pity…
With thoughts running through his mind, Yang Yu casually abandoned his horse by the roadside, turned back, entered the jungle, found a small cave and sat down cross-legged.
“It is said that Mother-in-law Shi has already reached the level where Qi and blood are as strong as an elephant. In addition, she is old enough, and her superior martial arts skills are probably not low... She cannot underestimate the enemy.”
Playing with the red porcelain bottle, Yang Yun thought to himself.
At this time, it is getting dark, and his time has not yet come, so he should do other things.