Chapter 438: Qingshan Visitors (6k)
Crazy? Had Xu Jianwen's biological mother gone mad? Was it because of the shock of Xu Jianwen's death during the coup? Was she mentally disturbed and insane? Or was it a problem that only developed after being banished to the cold palace and imprisoned for a long time?
Zhao Duan was stunned, and immediately a strong sense of doubt and surprise surged in his mind.
Immediately, he thought of a new possibility:
Pretend to be crazy to avoid disaster!
If Xu Jianwen died, and the entire Xiao family, the foreign relatives, were implicated for the crime of treason, would Concubine Xiao be able to pretend to be crazy in order to escape death?
"She is truly mad. At least I can't see any signs of disguise. When the news of Jian Wen's death reached the harem, she fainted and was like this when she woke up."
Xu Zhenguan seemed to understand his thoughts at a glance and explained them calmly.
"..." Zhao Duan smiled awkwardly, restrained his distracting thoughts, and said seriously:
"So, torture is impossible?"
It is obviously too difficult to interrogate a crazy concubine to obtain valuable information.
Punishment is unlikely to be effective at this time because it is difficult for normal people to follow the thinking of a mentally ill person, and it is also impossible to determine which words are credible and which are fabricated.
"I tried to send someone to communicate with her, but she was completely immersed in her own world and was completely unable to communicate with anyone." Xu Zhenguan sighed softly.
Zhao Duan looked up and saw that the Crazy Concubine had no food in their hands. She immediately turned her head with a gloomy look and walked into the house.
He tried to call out, but the latter ignored him.
Ah, this... Zhao Duan was also in trouble and tried to ask:
"What do you think, Your Majesty?"
Xu Zhenguan rolled his eyes, with an expression that said, "If I had an idea, I would bring you here." "I was just wondering if Mr. Zhao had any good ideas."
No... I'm not a psychiatrist, I can't just invite the fox spirit raised by Gongshu Tianyuan over...
Well, it's not completely impossible. The key lies in two drawbacks. First, it is still unclear whether the fox fairy can make a madman speak normally. Second, the fox fairy's torture means killing Concubine Xiao...
Zhao Duan frowned and thought hard. The bright sun shone on the mottled and cold courtyard of the cold palace. On the bare branches in the corners of the walls covered with weeds, sparrows sometimes flapped their wings and sometimes landed.
Xu Zhenguan did not interrupt. After a moment, Zhao Duan suddenly looked up and said hesitantly:
"I do have a way. You can try it."
As he spoke, Zhao Duan turned his wrist, and a silver scroll appeared in his palm. It was the "Taixu Painting Scroll" that he used as a storage magic weapon.
Another function of it is to create illusions.
Combined with the disguise mask of the Thousand Illusions God, it can be called a combination skill.
Xu Zhenguan raised his eyebrows, looking as if he was waiting to see your performance.
…
In the dilapidated room of the cold palace, the tables and chairs were broken, and there were cobwebs in the corners of the walls.
Concubine Xiao walked back to her bed, curled up on it, covered her stomach, pulled up the tattered quilt that revealed the cotton wool, covered herself with it, and began to sleep.
In a trance, an invisible force swept through the surroundings, and an illusory voice came to my ears:
"Mother...Mother..."
Concubine Xiao opened her eyes wide and saw in a daze that she was lying on a large and luxurious bed with silk curtains draped over it.
Her mind was a little confused. She slowly sat up, looked around, and was surprised to find herself in a luxuriously decorated bedroom.
The sunlight outside the palace was bright and a little dazzling, as if her years in the cold palace were all a dream. Now that she woke up, she was still the imperial concubine, but had just taken a nap.
"Mother..."
Suddenly, a tall figure stepped into the room. He was dressed in luxurious robes and looked to be around thirty years old.
He looked about 60% similar to the late emperor, and it was actually the second prince Jianwen.
"Xu Jianwen" smiled and said, "Did your mother get too sleepy? I'm here to pay my respects."
Concubine Xiao was struck by lightning. She stared at the other person in a daze, tears rolling down her eyes.
She immediately ignored the irrationality of the surrounding details, stretched out her arms, stumbled out of bed, and rushed towards "Xu Jianwen". She touched the other's face with both hands in surprise and burst into tears of joy:
"You're still alive...still alive..."
Xu Jianwen looked puzzled, and comforted her to sit down, saying with a smile:
"Did your mother have a nightmare in her afternoon nap? The child was fine, why did you tell him he was dead?"
"Don't say that word!" Concubine Xiao covered his mouth, sobbing as if she didn't want to hear the unlucky word "death".
"My mother dreamed that you were gone, and everyone was gone..."
Zhao Duan, who had disguised himself as Xu Jianwen, continued to comfort and persuade him:
"My queen mother was confused in her sleep, so I'm afraid she may have misremembered everything. Do you still remember that I came to pay my respects to you a few days ago?"
"Yes, I have been here...I have been here..." Concubine Xiao murmured.
As expected... According to the information provided by Zhenbao, the last time Concubine Xiao saw Xu Jianwen before she went insane was probably when he came to pay his respects before the coup... Concubine Xiao's memory ended there...
The reason she couldn't interact with outsiders and was immersed in her own world was probably a self-protection mechanism of a traumatized brain... Which meant... as long as you used the right method to enter "her" world, you could have simple communication...
Zhao Duan's thoughts flashed through his mind, and he continued to persuade her, gradually asking her whether she still remembered the last time they paid their respects and the conversation between the mother and son.
The last conversation should be one of the most profound scenes in Concubine Xiao's memory. Even if she was crazy, she should not forget it completely.
As expected, Concubine Xiao cried and said:
"Remember, remember... You said you might have to leave the palace for a while, and asked Mother to wait for you... Always wait, even if there are unexpected events... You will come back..."
Zhao Duan's expression changed and he stared at her: "Accident? What accident?"
Concubine Xiao shook her head blankly:
"I don't know... I don't know... I'm waiting... waiting for you to come back..."
After that, no matter how he tried to inquire, he could not get any valuable information.
Zhao Duan took a deep breath, brought Concubine Xiao back to bed and coaxed her to sleep, and then removed the "Taixu Illusion" and the disguise.
He turned around and walked out of the room, closed the door, and repeated the information he had obtained to the empress standing outside the door.
Xu Zhenguan was surprised that this guy's idea actually worked. He also frowned when he heard what Concubine Xiao said:
"If this is true... then Jian Wen was indeed ready to take action at that time, but he didn't tell her the truth."
Of course, we can't talk about rebellion... Zhao Duan said seriously:
"Your Majesty, I believe the key point lies in the purpose. Jianwen wanted to launch a coup, but there was no need to take the risk of saying these words to Concubine Xiao in advance. If he was worried about his own failure, he should have expressed his affection for each other instead of saying these things...
But he insisted on saying he would be away for a while, and that he would definitely come back... It sounded as if he was afraid that Concubine Xiao would commit suicide after the 'accident' happened."
Xu Zhenguan was silent for a moment and said:
"Noble Consort Xiao was appointed by our father, and she did not participate in the coup. Even if Jianwen is defeated and the Xiao family is exterminated, under the premise that our father has passed away, whether it is me, the crown prince, or any other prince who succeeds to the throne, she will not be executed. Instead, she will be banished to the cold palace."
Zhao Duan said in a deep voice:
"That makes sense. Jian Wen was worried that Concubine Xiao would commit suicide after his 'death', so he deliberately said all this... Either it was false comfort, or..."
Xu Zhenguan sighed:
"Or, maybe he really did have a backup plan. He wasn't completely dead, but instead used some method to deceive everyone... and is hoping to return."
The king and his ministers quieted down.
Only the sparrows chirped in the courtyard.
Even though I already had a guess in my mind, confirming that Xu Jianwen was still alive was still a heavy topic.
"Your Majesty..." Zhao Duan tried to speak.
Xu Zhenguan smiled first and said:
"I've been mentally prepared, so this isn't a surprise. Don't worry, I know what to do. It seems Jianwen's intentions are clear now.
He wants to hide behind the scenes and instigate a head-on conflict between the Eight Princes and me. He can wait for the opportunity to strike, or wait for me and the Eight Princes to fight, and then he can reap the benefits...
If he wants to hide, then let him. Everything remains the same. Continue to attack the Kuangfu Society and respond to the outside world without changing anything."
Zhao Duan thought about it and nodded vigorously.
Jian Wen being alive may sound like a big deal at first glance, but if you think about it carefully, it’s not a big deal.
Now the situation is clear, Jianwen is only a prince in title.
If you stand out at this moment, without enough chips in your hand, you will only become a puppet of the Eight Kings.
This is definitely not what Xu Jianwen wants to see, so Zhenbao's speculation is most likely his strategy.
It is not difficult to break it. As long as we suppress the Eight Kings and secure our throne, the remnants of Jian and Wen will not be able to cause any waves.
"Your Majesty has made this determination. I will do my best to help." Zhao Duan did not forget to express his loyalty.
Xu Zhenguan rolled his eyes, took him out of the cold palace, and ordered the eunuchs to change Concubine Xiao into a better set of bedding and clothes and tidy up the cold palace.
…
As the emperor and his ministers walked back, the empress sighed and smiled, changing the subject:
"You have made great contributions this time, but I haven't rewarded you yet."
Ah? Are you really going to give me the old emperor's concubine? Zhao Duan was apprehensive, but thinking about it, it was quite exciting. He swallowed his saliva and said, "Your Majesty, I will obey you completely. I will accept whatever your Majesty gives me."
Xu Zhenguan looked at him suspiciously, snorted, and said:
"How far are you from reaching the upper level of the Divine Chapter?"
Isn't she a concubine? How can she talk about cultivation... Zhao Duan said honestly: "It's still a little short."
Xu Zhenguan said "hmm". Not surprisingly, she walked in the narrow corridor with her long skirt dragging, and the towering crimson palace walls on both sides were solemn and beautiful.
The Empress said calmly:
"While you were away, I ordered people to collect and prepare natural treasures suitable for your current realm. During these days, you will move into the palace and practice in seclusion with Eunuch Hai in the Martial Arts Hall.
Breaking from mid-grade to high-grade, using a vast amount of natural treasures to strengthen your body can save a lot of time. Before, your foundation was not enough and you couldn't withstand too much medicinal power, but now you are almost there.
Before the peach blossoms bloom in spring, it is possible to enter the upper realm. As for when you can break through the bottleneck and step into the world, outsiders can't help much."
Zhao Duan was stunned.
So...is this the surprise you secretly prepared for me? You started preparing it while I was away on business? Doesn't that mean you'll give it to me regardless of whether I succeed in capturing Zhuang Xiaocheng or not?
He felt warm in his heart, but suddenly realized that this arrangement was a bit urgent.
You must know that in the past, the empress was not very willing to let him take drugs... Why did she change her attitude this time?
Well, it seems that after the official announcement of the Grand Banquet, his attitude changed, whether it was preparing medicine or taking the initiative to teach me how to paint...
Zhao Duanfu was so happy that he suddenly blurted out:
"Your Majesty wants me to enter the secular world as soon as possible so that I can... Ouch!"
Zhao Duan rubbed his thigh and grimaced, feeling as if he had just been hit by an electric current, and felt numb and tingling.
The electric light on Xu Zhenguan's white, almost transparent fingertips disappeared. She kept a straight face, as if she hadn't heard clearly:
"What did Zhao Qing just say?"
"...Nothing." Zhao Duan was speechless.
This woman, I'm afraid her secrets have been exposed. Isn't she just trying to push me into the world as soon as possible so that we can practice dual cultivation?
We are all adults, what are we afraid of...
Xu Zhenguan seemed to feel that she had overreacted, but this topic ultimately made her feel ashamed. What she didn't say was that this year seemed to be a good year, but in fact it was full of crises.
Zhuang Xiaocheng would rather sacrifice himself than kill Zhao Duan... This shows that the rebels are being forced into a corner.
How close are the Eighth King to being cornered?
The empress vaguely sensed the dark clouds behind the clear sky, and she was eager to improve her realm and step into the true realm of heaven and man.
Marrying Zhao Duan, who is accompanied by "Dragon Soul", and practicing dual cultivation is one way, but Zhao Duan does not know when he will be able to enter the worldly realm.
Secondly, she didn't know if this method could help her reach the next level. In history books, there was no record of anyone reaching the Heavenly Man Realm through dual cultivation...
In comparison, what she cares more about is this year's "Fengshan".
Xu Zhenguan suddenly said, "By summer at the latest, I will go south to Mount Luo to offer sacrifices to the gods."
Zhao Duan was stunned, and keenly caught her sense of urgency:
"So urgent? Because you're worried about the Eighth Prince's rebellion?"
"Only one aspect," Xu Zhenguan sighed.
"According to the agreement between Emperor Taizu and the Qingshan clan, at the latest at the beginning of next year, it will be the time for our Dayu royal family to compete with the Qingshan clan again in a hundred years. This time, Wu Xiankui will definitely not let us off, so I have no choice but to accept the challenge."
Yes, the competition took place the year after the Buddhist-Taoist duel... because Old Xu was jealous of the duel and copied it...
Zhao Duan frowned and said, "Can't we not compete?"
Xu Zhenguan shook his head bitterly: "Not competing is admitting defeat, and admitting defeat comes at a price."
Zhao Duan asked doubtfully:
"The Qingshan lineage seems to be obsessed with winning. Do they want the reputation of being the best in martial arts? The royal family doesn't care that much about that, does they?"
Xu Zhenguan shook his head and said softly:
"Wu Xiankui never wanted so-called fame. He was a martial arts fanatic, and all he wanted was to break through the void and reach the realm of 'human immortal'. Therefore, what he always wanted was the Martial God inheritance of my royal lineage."
Zhao Duan was stunned. This was the first time he heard such a secret.
So, are the two sides gambling on such a big scale?
It involves the foundation of the royal secrets, no wonder she takes it so seriously... If she loses the ancestral inheritance, not to mention the possible consequences, the mere fact of not being able to face her ancestors is a fatal matter.
Zhao Duan suddenly felt a sense of urgency. If he couldn't advance before the Empress's Fengshan ceremony, he was afraid that after Zhenbao advanced to the "Heavenly Man" level, he would be even more unable to break through the defense...
But how could the "worldly" realm be so easy to enter? How many people are stuck at this barrier for their entire lives.
As for asking Zhenbao to postpone the Fengshan ceremony and wait for him, the situation did not allow it.
"Next, I will strive to enter a high-quality position as soon as possible." Zhao Duan took a deep breath and said seriously.
Xu Zhen looked at his serious expression and couldn't help laughing:
"Alright, let it be. By the way, according to the rules, both sides must issue a declaration of war to each other within a year before the competition.
In this century, it will be Qingshan's turn to send people. When that time comes, the disciples sent by Qingshan will also exchange ideas with my royal family members... Well, now there are only royal family members serving, so we can learn from each other."
Discuss? Zhao Duan narrowed his eyes.
“Will that water cutoff come?”
Xu Zhenguan said calmly:
"If he comes, I will capture and kill him myself. Even Wu Xiankui will be speechless for assassinating an official of the imperial court."
...It seems that guy will never come... Zhao Duan thought for a while and said:
"But it should be okay to collect some benefits from Qingshan disciples, right?"
Xu Zhenguan glanced at him and said, "Don't overdo it."
This is tacit consent.
Zhao Duan raised the corner of his mouth and his eyes flashed with ferocity. It was not easy to pursue the matter of Duan Shuiliu and Qingshan breaking off ties, but since they had a tradition of sparring, he should not blame himself for being cruel and ruthless.
Especially... the last time Zhao Duan took action was at the lake pavilion where the smoke was shrouding the lake, and at that time he only threw a flying knife.
In other words.
Up to now, except for a very few people like Tang Zhao who have experienced his martial arts, the rest of the people's impression of Zhao Duan's cultivation is still at the stage of cheating with the Taia Sword.
No one would have thought that in just half a year, he had grown rapidly under the hellish training of Pei Niannu opening his skull time and time again.
…
…
On the coast of the East China Sea, Qingcheng sits on the earth.
Behind this city, which was expanded from a small town, is the Daqing Mountain, most of which is hidden in clouds all year round.
On the top of the green mountain, on the cliff facing the East China Sea.
Wearing simple linen clothes, straw sandals, with an axe hanging around his waist, he smiled as he watched the rather kind Chai Keqiao walking on the wind-beaten and rain-beaten steps.
Arrived on the cliff.
I could hear the sea breeze from the East China Sea and the sound of waves crashing against the cliffs.
Chai Keqiao looked respectfully at the burly figure who was sitting cross-legged with his back to him, facing the sea:
"Master, I have entered the realm of the world."
Wu Xiankui, who was sitting alone on the cliff, had a tall and burly frame, with a coarse linen robe that fluttered lightly in the wind. His rough and messy hair was a mixture of black and white, and was casually tied behind his head with a ribbon.
On the face of the middle-aged man who was about fifty years old, there was a mark between his eyebrows that was the size of a fiery red date and was faintly surrounded by purple air.
The only true martial arts grandmaster among the four "celestial beings" in the world today opened his eyes and nodded calmly:
"good."
Chai Keqiao grinned, revealing a row of snow-white teeth, waiting for more praise.
But Wu Xiankui only gave a grudging comment of "not bad" and left it at that. He just threw something out of his sleeve:
"Now that you have entered the world, you will lead the team on this journey to the capital to issue a declaration of war."
Chai Keqiao pinched the scribbled challenge letter that flew towards him and scratched his head:
"Are you going, disciple? I heard that those who are going there to issue a challenge will also have to compete with the people in the palace."
Wu Xiankui said calmly, "You don't dare?"
"No," Chai Keqiao scratched his head and said with a strange look on his face:
"I heard that Senior Brother failed in his assassination attempt on Zhao Duan... Although Senior Brother left the mountain long ago, we are still from the same lineage... Zhao Duan is not a good person. The last time I went to the capital, I was just challenging him, but they mobilized a large army to surround and kill him..."
"..." Wu Xiankui seemed to be choked, and after a moment he said unhappily:
"When two countries are at war, envoys are not executed. The Empress of Yu is as magnanimous as any man. Go ahead without worry; no one will die."
Chai Keqiao said with a bitter face, "Is your disciple going alone?"
"Go pick someone yourself." Wu Xiankui seemed too lazy to talk to this disciple and waved his sleeves.
"Go away"
Chai Keqiao only felt a strong wind blowing on his face, and he was thrown high up by the sea wind like a fallen leaf and fell into the dense forest.
When he got up, he looked up at the cliff from afar and muttered:
"I didn't say I wouldn't go... Alas, anyone on the mountain who steps into the secular realm must leave the mountain. As the ancestors said, like a fledgling on a cliff, it will be pushed off the cliff by the adult bird when it grows up. Life and death are determined by fate, and there is no longer any connection between us... Only a very few remain to guard the mountain, and they don't care about worldly affairs. How can I invite them out? Well... I can only find those I can defeat..."
Chai Keqiao put the letter of challenge in his arms, straightened the axe at his waist, and walked down the mountain in straw sandals.
On the green hills, there are man-made platforms every few hundred steps along the long mountain path.
There were disciples practicing on the platform, oblivious to the surroundings.
Chai Keqiao walked to the first step in the mist. Under the unfriendly gazes of the senior brothers guarding the mountain in the mist, he hesitated for a long time, and finally walked down awkwardly.
On the second step, he walked straight to a hut and rang the bell outside the hut.
A moment later, the door of the thatched cottage opened and a woman in her twenties walked out. She was wearing warrior clothes and had her hair cut short to her ears. She had a pretty face, cold eyes, and a thin sword hanging from her waist.
Xiao Ran stared at the smiling young master of the Chai family in the past and said coldly:
"What's up?"
Chai Keqiao smiled and said, "I'm going to the capital to issue a challenge. Do you want to go?"
"Not interested." Xiao Ran's face darkened and he was about to slam the door and go back.
But then I heard Chai Keqiao say quietly:
"Although the Xiao family is gone, I remember that there is still a Concubine Xiao in the palace, right? Senior Sister, don't you want to go and meet her? After all, she is your aunt, right? I remember that the next war secretary can stay in the palace for a while."
Her surname was originally Xiao, which was later changed to "Xiao". She was the only remaining woman after the "Xiao family" of the maternal relatives was wiped out in the Xuanmen coup.
Chai Keqiao continued to add: "Sister, don't you want to see if Aunt is okay now?"
Xiao Ran turned around.
The two continued walking down and reached the third platform.
Chai Keqiao walked straight towards a young man who was slashing the air with a sword again and again, his eyes covered with a black cloth.
“Woo!”
The young man slashed with his sword, and the air formed a vortex. His ears moved slightly, and he stopped:
"Brother, is there something wrong?"
Chai Keqiao smiled and said:
"Haven't you always been dissatisfied with Zhao Duan and stood up for the young monk Tianhai? This time there's a chance..."
"I'll go." The sword-wielding young man with a black cloth said coolly. He swung his sword, and a large tree in the distance was cut off and slowly fell down.
"Those who seek fame and reputation, and those who harm loyal and good people, are to be punished by all."
Chai Keqiao's smile froze, and after a moment of silence, he said:
"Do you know that the tree you cut down was originally planted by me?"
Blindfolded young man: "..."
Xiao Ran turned around and walked down the mountain with a cold look in her eyes. She was going to see her aunt and let her vent her anger on anyone who treated her badly.
(End of this chapter)
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