Chapter 627 A Sword Technique in Yunmeng, a Thief in the Southern Dynasty? [Seeking Monthly Tickets!]
"Lianghan, I don't think I've done anything wrong, have I?"
The air is filled with birdsong and the fragrance of flowers at dawn in the courtyard of Yuan Huaimin's study at Chengtian Temple.
As the morning sun streamed into the courtyard, it illuminated Dongmei's slender body as she chewed her hay, highlighting her dark red, smooth coat and its glossy sheen...
Under the shade of a tree, four people are sitting around a stone table, drinking porridge and eating steamed buns.
Yuan Huaimin was halfway through his meal when he sensed something was amiss. He put down his chopsticks and asked timidly.
Ouyang Rong's expression remained unchanged:
"What mistake did you make? If you had made a mistake, Lady Historian would have arrested you long ago. Why wait until now?"
“That’s true.” Yuan Huaimin took off his hat, scratched his head, and muttered to himself, “After all, not everyone is like Lianghan, who can get the Lady Historian to be a little more lenient. I’d better be honest…”
"..."
Ouyang Rong glanced at him.
Yuan Huaimin put his hat back on, shrank his head, and buried himself in his food.
Li Yu looked curiously at the two who seemed to have an unusual chemistry.
Ouyang Rong didn't say anything more.
After breakfast, Ouyang Rong and Yuan Huaimin went out to work.
Dongmei had eaten and drunk her fill, and Ali led her to pull the cart. Even the best-fed oxen and horses have to pull carts.
Li Yu stayed in the courtyard to clean up the dishes. Anyway, he didn't have much to do, so he spent his days at Chengtian Temple.
These days, this Mr. Li has been living a quiet and unassuming life, staying at Yuan Huaimin's courtyard and keeping to himself, without ever leaving the temple.
Yuan Huaimin was naturally a carefree and easygoing person who didn't care about details, while Li Yu was cautious, polite, and courteous. So there was no conflict between them. In fact, the latter was influenced by the former and gradually relaxed a bit.
For example, during breakfast today, he even made a few jokes about Ouyang Rong and Yuan Huaimin, something he wouldn't have dared to do before.
"Huaimin, is Master Li settling in well with you?"
Before getting on the bus, Ouyang Rong asked casually.
"He's alright, a pretty honest guy, but he sometimes likes to daydream. Also, every time he goes for a walk by the lake, he likes to bring back some little trinkets..."
Yuan Huaimin said casually.
"What little gadget?" Ouyang Rong asked curiously.
"Some special branches, perhaps."
“Special…tree branch?” Ouyang Rong asked, puzzled.
"Hmm, unlike ordinary tree branches, they are all straight, long, and bare branches, quite special..."
Yuan Huaimin's face revealed an undisguised look of envy:
"To be honest, Lianghan, I visited his room and saw all those little gadgets. I wanted some of them. I'm really envious."
Ouyang Rong: ...?
Yuan Huaimin looked up to the sky and sighed:
"What a pity. Master Li is good in every way, and he is very kind to everyone. However, when it comes to his tree branch, he becomes a bit stiff and looks reluctant... Oh well, one should not force others to do what they don't want. A gentleman does not take what others love."
I don't really want to deal with these two clowns.
Ouyang Rong, with a stern face, boarded the carriage.
However, before the carriage could even set off, he came out again and called Yuan Huaimin to get in the carriage.
"Is there anything else, Lianghan? Hey, I thought Lianghan was going to give me a ride, but it turns out he's just asking questions. He asks me so many questions every day, I don't know why he asks so many..."
Ignoring his complaints, Ouyang Rong smirked and said, "You need to go back to the main hall in Jiangzhou. I have business to attend to in Xingzifang today, and we're not going that way."
"What business does Lianghan have in Xingzifang? I've seen you coming here often lately."
"Brother Huaimin has started keeping an eye on me."
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips as he took out a red cloth bag from under his seat.
Open the red cloth bag.
Yuan Huaimin chuckled, then his gaze fell on the items hidden inside the red cloth bag.
It is a bronze short sword.
"Lianghan, this is..."
"It is called Yunmengling."
Ouyang Rong squinted and said, "Huaimin, if you see it anywhere, you must report it to me immediately. This matter is of great importance."
"Understood." Yuan Huaimin nodded obediently.
He took the Yunmeng Token and looked it over with some curiosity.
Ouyang Rong suddenly asked, "How does the bronze body of this Yunmeng Order compare to your two bronze shafts? Are there any similarities?"
Yuan Huaimin was taken aback: "Aren't all bronzes the same? What's the difference? But if you have to say they look alike, they are indeed similar."
After a moment's thought, Ouyang Rong withdrew the Yunmeng Token.
Yuan Huaimin bid him farewell, got off the carriage, and rode off to his post.
Ouyang Rong sat in the carriage for a while, glanced down at Yun Mengling, and pursed his lips.
Both are made of bronze, and I just suddenly made the connection, which is why I tentatively asked about it...
Putting away the Yunmeng Token, Ouyang Rong casually said to the carriage curtain in front of him:
"Let's go to the usual place."
"Yes, young master."
The carriage slowly drove out of Chengtian Temple and headed to a quiet courtyard by the lake.
...
"Boom..."
The stone gate slowly opened.
A tall, blonde woman with waist-length hair led a gentle lady in flowing white robes into the stone chamber.
Inside the stone chamber was an elegantly furnished hall, complete with lamps, tables, chairs, and other furniture. Faintly visible behind the hall was a room with a stone door, which appeared to be a bedroom for rest.
The stone chamber was not only illuminated by ever-burning lamps, but also by a beam of sunlight streaming down from a gap in the ceiling.
It must be underground, while it's still daytime outside.
A beam of sunlight fell and illuminated a chessboard where two people sat silently playing chess.
They were a refined middle-aged scholar in a faded Confucian robe and a robust but plain-looking young man in a felt hat.
After Xuezhongzhu and Yu Nianyuan entered the stone hall.
"Whoosh..." Wei Shaoqi carefully placed a handful of black chess pieces into the chess box and stood up to receive them.
Du Shuqing, sitting opposite him, rested his chin on the back of his hand, lost in thought, and did not get up.
The brim of the felt hat obscured his ordinary face, making it impossible to see his expression.
Xuezhongzhu didn't mind Du Shuqing's rudeness and directly addressed the amiable Wei Shaoqi:
"I apologize, but for safety reasons, we have asked Mr. Wei to stay here. We apologize for the inconvenience."
"That's not true."
Wei Shaoqi shook his head:
"To be honest, the past two weeks at the resort have been the best rest I've had in recent years."
"Your Majesty, you may not know this, but on the southwestern front, the conditions are not as good as those at your esteemed manor. We often live a life of hardship, eating and sleeping outdoors. Although we enjoy it, we still occasionally miss the courtyard in Chang'an and the bustling streets of Luoyang."
He laughed heartily:
"Before Shuqing and I came to see you and the Second Lady, we made a point of finding a place to rest and tidying up our disheveled appearance, worried that the First Lady, the Second Lady, and all the esteemed ladies of your clan would think we were beggars and chase us away, haha."
Faced with this familiar, conversational chatter, as gentle as a spring breeze, Xue Zhongzhu remained expressionless and said:
"I'm just being polite."
"Forehead……"
The atmosphere became slightly awkward.
Wei Shaoqi chuckled and shook his head: "The First Lady is truly a woman of strong character."
"I hope so, and I hope Mr. Wei is too."
While Xuezhongzhu and Wei Shaoqi exchanged pleasantries, Yu Nianyuan walked to the chessboard.
She glanced at the chessboard, and before she could even think, her slender hand had already reached into the white chess piece box, picked up a white piece, and casually placed it on a certain spot on the chessboard.
After making his move, Yu Nianyuan turned and left.
Du Shuqing, who had been looking down, froze, looked closely, and then suddenly realized what was going on.
Xuezhongzhu walked to a row of seats in the center of the hall, sat down at the head of the table without hesitation, and waved his hand, saying:
"Let's get down to business. My second junior sister said that Mr. Wei has something he wants me to see."
"Yes, that is true. Thank you, Second Lady, for conveying the message and for allowing First Lady to take time out of your busy schedule."
"Then stop talking nonsense."
Xuezhongzhu asked coldly, "Where's the painting?"
At the edge of the chessboard, Du Shuqing glanced at Wei Shaoqi.
The latter sighed softly and nodded slightly.
Du Shuqing got up and went into a stone room next to the hall.
While waiting, Wei Shaoqi was about to speak when his face suddenly flushed. He took out a handkerchief, covered his mouth forcefully, and coughed violently.
A candle in the snow, a fish in the abyss, glancing sideways.
At this moment, Du Shuqing reappeared at the entrance of the stone chamber, carrying a long cloth bag in both hands, and walked towards the crowd.
"Is Mr. Wei alright?"
Xuezhongzhu lowered his eyelids and asked a question.
"Ahem...no...it's nothing. What the First Lady wanted to see, Shuqing has brought. Please take a good look at it, both ladies."
Snow Candle, with a blue-eyed, mixed-race, exotic face, whose specific emotions were unreadable, asked indifferently:
"Mr. Wei, aren't you afraid I'll take it away?"
"I have heard that your clan is the most trustworthy, and has never broken its promise in the past thousand years. I, along with Lord Li, admire your clan's integrity."
The candle in the snow paused for a moment, its chin slightly raised, its tone impatient:
"Our sect's Queen Mother will certainly keep her promises, but over the past few hundred years, there have been many who have broken their promises to our sect. Why should our sect believe you? What if it's just another lie?"
The candle in the snow spoke with a firm and powerful tone:
"Furthermore, Li Zhengyan mentioned something... asking our sect to provide him with assistance equivalent to that of the Southern Dynasty. What right does he have to bring up this matter? Does he think it's child's play?"
"At least during the Southern Dynasties, there was a migration of people from the south, which attracted a continuous stream of people fleeing from the north to the south, promoting the prosperity of Jiangnan and maintaining this prosperity for more than 300 years. During this period, many bad people emerged and many detours were taken, but a group of people also emerged who actually did some things."
"Therefore, even at the very end, when the world is in turmoil, the north and south are united, and the Sui army is already at the gates, our elders are still willing to lend a helping hand and establish the Lotus Tower Alliance..."
"But what can your Kuangfu Army do? What can you promise this sect? You can't even protect yourselves."
Upon hearing this, Wei Shaoqi let out a long sigh.
He stared at the empty hall directly in front of him, his face filled with loneliness, and after a moment he slowly nodded.
"What the Great Lady says is true. What your clan has done for the people of Jiangnan and Lingnan is truly admirable. I have heard about your clan's deeds through various channels and admire you from the bottom of my heart."
"No wonder Emperor Taizong and your esteemed Yuanjun made a pact that the court would never interfere with the southern rivers and lakes. This time, the tyrannical Zhou broke the pact. The incompetent ruler is wicked. The statues in Jiangzhou are truly a scourge."
His tone was very sincere:
"Therefore, when we discovered something unusual about the Buddha head in Guizhou, we sent it here immediately. It is the same now. Knowing that the Buddha statue in Jiangzhou was in danger, Lord Li immediately sent me and Shuqing here. This is one reason. Secondly, this is a matter of righteousness, and our Kuangfu Army will not shirk its duty."
"Our Kuangfu Army is determined to support the great cause. We must abide by the agreement made between Emperor Taizong and your esteemed clan, and may even go further."
"As for the matter that Lord Li mentioned, Your Majesty need not answer immediately. We can wait and see our sincerity this time. This time, Shuqing and I will do our utmost to assist your clan."
Xue Zhongzhu's complexion improved slightly.
Just then, Wei Shaoqi suddenly started coughing violently again, covering his mouth with a white handkerchief. After coughing for a while, he calmed down a little.
Yu Nianyuan glanced at it from the side.
There was blood in the center of the handkerchief.
"Hmph. But I've also heard that you came here to help with another condition. Are you trying to raise your price? Do you think that our sect and the Tiannan Jianghu can't accomplish anything without you?"
Xuezhongzhu sneered, his tone somewhat disdainful:
"What can you do to help? Don't overestimate yourselves. If you were truly capable, why has there been no progress on the southwestern front?"
Wei Shaoqi shook his head.
"Although I do not know what arrangements your sect has made in issuing the Yunmeng Orders this time, but..."
Wei Shaoqi pointed directly ahead, where Du Shuqing was holding a long cloth bundle. The latter was untying the outer layer of fabric piece by piece, a rather tedious process:
"But what if Lord Li were to send this painting? Does Your Majesty think there is any way to slightly assist your clan?"
Xue Zhongzhu stood up, frowning slightly as he watched Du Shuqing take out a scroll that appeared to have a bronze shaft from his cloth bag, without immediately speaking.
Seeing this, Wei Shaoqi made a request.
"However, I would like to ask your sect to provide one or... two copies of the sword manual."
Xuezhongzhu and Yu Nianyuan immediately fell silent and exchanged a glance.
The candle in the snow had dim and unclear eyes.
Wei Shaoqi looked slightly embarrassed and tentatively asked, "By the way, how many sword manuals does your sect possess? Um, your sect's Hidden Lord seems to possess a considerable level of cultivation in wielding the sword through the Severed Meridian, truly a peerless genius, I suppose..."
The candle in the snow suddenly turned its head.
Wei Shaoqi immediately shut up.
Staring intently at by the murderous eyes of the Great Queen of Yunmeng, he felt as if a thousand-pound weight was pressing down on him, so he lowered his eyes and focused on his inner thoughts.
The air around the two gradually solidified.
Seemingly feeling unwell from being pressed down, Wei Shaoqi clenched his fist and covered his mouth again, coughing violently.
The series of labored coughs made Xue Zhongzhu suddenly look away. Yu Nianyuan, who was beside her, took out a pill box from her sleeve and threw it into Wei Shaoqi's arms. She didn't say a word and followed her senior sister's gaze to Du Shuqing, who was unpacking the cloth bag.
Wei Shaoqi was slightly taken aback. Without asking about the details of the pill, he cupped his hands to Yu Nianyuan, then opened the pill box, picked up a soybean-sized pill that emitted a fragrant aroma of herbs, and swallowed it whole.
Before long, Wei Shaoqi's complexion visibly regained its color, as if a withered tree had come back to life.
Xue Zhongzhu frowned and looked at Yu Nianyuan, who smiled gently.
However, Wei Shaoqi's decision to swallow the pill without asking any questions did slightly soften Xue Zhongzhu's cold and frosty expression, and she let out a "humph".
Just then, Du Shuqing, who had received a signal from Wei Shaoqi, took out a scroll from his cloth bag, bent down and unfolded it.
Xuezhongzhu immediately stepped forward to observe.
The two bronze shafts of the scroll were rolling around on the table, making quite a bit of noise, but that wasn't the point.
A scroll is slowly being unfurled.
A paradise leaps off the page.
Xuezhongzhu stared for a moment, then suddenly her chest heaved violently. She reached out and grabbed the bronze axle, which was supposed to be just an accessory, and said, word by word, with her red lips:
"Blood bronze? You scoundrel Tao Yuanming, you dared to steal that! So you're the one who started this disaster of Buddhist statues!"
The blonde queen's pretty face showed a hint of anger, and the hall fell into a deathly silence.
...
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(End of this chapter)
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