Chapter 257 Autumn Limited: The Battle is Approaching
Chapter 257 Autumn Limited: The Battle is Approaching
"What the princess said is true. The Emperor Taizu was extremely talented. He not only made the two factions bow down to him, but most of the world could not compete with him."
The old man in plain robe driving the car looked respectful and sighed:
"Unfortunately, things are different now. For example, the Buddhist-Taoist battle has not had the participation of the royal family for many years. Instead, the Qingshan lineage is ready to make a move."
When Xu Junling heard the word "Qingshan", his expression changed slightly and he said softly:
"Master Lu is saying that Chai... is going to challenge the winner of the two factions?"
The person she was referring to was someone the group met by chance on the way to Beijing a few days ago.
He is the only extremely powerful person in the world today who has entered the realm of "heaven and man" purely through "martial arts", and one of Wu Xiankui's direct disciples.
His name is "Chai Keqiao".
The old man in plain robe recognized the other party's identity and became extremely alert at that time.
But the warrior named Chai was quite polite. Since both parties were going to Beijing, Xu Junling politely invited him to go with him.
But the man refused and said he wanted to go there on foot.
As a result, several days passed.
The convoy of people from the Huainan Palace, riding in horse-drawn carriages, were unable to shake off the young warrior.
Even the old man in plain robes was envious of such leg strength.
"Haha, it's hard to say. But the disciples of Qingshan lineage have always had the tradition of traveling around the world and looking for strong people to learn from. This is called 'traveling'.
This person is coming to the capital at this time, even if his purpose is not to fight between Buddhism and Taoism, he is bound to cause trouble. "Master Lu said.
Xu Junling, who had a sweet face and the temperament of a lady from a noble family, nodded slightly.
Although she was curious about the struggles among practitioners, that was all she cared about.
This trip to Beijing has another purpose.
At this moment, Xu Junling unfolded the scroll in his hand. Written on this so-called scroll was information worthy of attention in the capital.
"Zhao Duan... Well, in the intelligence my father prepared for me, this person's name appeared very frequently, and his relationship with the emperor's sister is unclear...
However, given the Emperor's sister's personality, I'm afraid the rumor about her being a 'face-to-face lover' is a deliberate lie."
Xu Junling analyzed softly:
"But even if it's fake, he must be someone who is valued by the Imperial Sister. I didn't expect that he has such a bad reputation."
Beside her, the maid Lu Shui whispered:
"How many powerful and domineering young men have a good reputation? In my opinion, this Zhao guy is a fly out of a chicken coop..."
Xu Junling interrupted the maid and said seriously:
"Don't underestimate anyone. If what the intelligence says is true, how could someone with such skills not be able to control his temper?
I'm afraid this so-called bad reputation is all deliberately tarnished by this person...
He lay dormant for a year, but suddenly rose to prominence. This kind of mentality is rarely matched by young talents in the Huai River. "
After a pause, she looked worried and said:
"It's a pity that this person and the Jiangnan faction controlled by the Prime Minister are at odds with each other. In terms of stance, he is not on the same side as our Huainan Palace, which may become an obstacle...
However, if on the other hand, the emperor's sister can really sit firmly on the throne, this person is worth making friends with, but we have to take into account Li Yinglong's attitude..."
As she spoke, she had already imagined a long series of future scenes.
The maid whispered:
"My Lord, you are overthinking again. How can we judge this person based on the words on paper? Maybe he is just a puppet thrown by His Majesty."
Xu Junling laughed at himself:
"I'm overthinking. Hearing is believing, seeing is believing. We can only wait until we get to Beijing to see for ourselves."
The princess closed the book and closed her eyes to rest.
In the autumn wind, the carriage rolled over the ruts, gradually approaching the distant capital.
And at the other end of the rut.
Behind the convoy, there was a warrior walking far behind.
He was about twenty years old, with messy hair.
He was wearing a linen shirt, straw sandals, a bag slung across his back, and a gourd filled with water hanging around his waist.
He had no sword or other weapons in his hands, only a hemp rope belt around his waist that was tightened by his hands. At the other end of the belt, there was an axe of quite good quality stuffed in the gap between his waist and ribs.
He didn't look like a powerful man at all, but more like a woodcutter chopping wood in the mountains. The woodcutter strode forward, his muddy toes stretching his straw sandals so much that they looked like they were about to split.
Although his pace seems slow, he is able to follow the convoy steadily.
No matter whether the carriage was going fast or slow, the distance between the two was neither getting closer nor farther.
Chai Keqiao, whose face was red and black from the sun, raised his head and put up a small "tent" with his right hand in front of his eyebrows, and his vision seemed to cross the mountains and seas.
Looking expectantly: "God of War, what is this scene?"
The carriage is in front and the warriors are behind.
One reads thousands of books, the other travels thousands of miles.
This autumn, all the cultivators from the nine sects and eighteen prefectures of Dayu were attracted by the once-in-a-century battle between Buddhism and Taoism.
Zhao Duan, who was lazy at home, sneezed for no apparent reason, rubbed his nose, and muttered:
"Who's talking about me?"
……
……
In the next few days, the entire court was digesting the aftermath of Wang Heng's downfall.
One secret letter after another was sent to various places in Dayu, naturally including the Prince Jing's Mansion, which paid a heavy price.
Unfortunately, no one knows what expression the "Prince Jing", who occupies Jiancheng Road and is the first of the Eight Princes, has.
In the court, all officials were trembling with fear, waiting for the empress's brutal reckoning.
But to everyone's surprise, the empress ordered that only the confirmed traitors should be punished, without any involvement.
The subsequent "amnesty" brought about a subtle change in the wavering atmosphere in the temple.
No one knows what the pros and cons of this move are.
But Wu Ling, a member of the Kuangfu Society stationed at the Bafang Theater, felt the coolness of autumn.
When he met with his companion again, the other party only gave two words:
"Hibernation."
The Kuangfu Society and the royal palace's secret agents were hit hard one after another, and the subsequent battle between Buddhism and Taoism was like a "truce" signal, causing all parties to suspend their actions.
Even if they are rebels, they don't want to cause any trouble in the capital at this critical juncture and offend the gods of the two major sects at the same time.
Only the aftereffects of some events linger slowly in the lake of the capital.
For example, the "young master" who was stripped of his official robes quietly returned to the Shenji Camp, as if he had become a different person.
For example, the criticisms about Zhao Duan in the army gradually disappeared, and under the guidance of the Privy Council, many voices of admiration gradually emerged.
For example, one day, Chen Huoshen, the chief officer of the Firearms Bureau, received the design ideas about the "flintlock rifle" from Zhao Duan.
He was so ecstatic and excited that he couldn't sleep all night. It is said that he slept with the simple blueprint in his arms.
For example, Jin Jian and Gongshu Tianyuan appeared less and less frequently, and the bell in Tianshi Mansion rang later and later.
The same is true for Shenlong Temple.
As the days passed, the number of unfamiliar faces in the capital increased day by day. A large number of them were practitioners who came from all over the country to join in the fun and watch the battle.
Who wouldn’t want to see such a once-in-a-century excitement?
However, unlike the streets, there are more and more discussions about the battle between Buddhism and Taoism.
Zhao Duan just wanted to sleep.
"What a nice autumn with cool weather..."
Early that morning, Zhao Duan woke up wrapped in a quilt and sighed sleepily.
(End of this chapter)