Even at night, the high temperature in southern Xinjiang seems to have not dissipated. A gust of wind blows in the face, and it seems that even the throat is burned by the heat.
After being invited to the General's Mansion by Lin Baoyi, the Zhennan General did not dare to slack off. The dishes served were four cold dishes, four hot dishes, and a pot of soup. He did not dare to have less of any one, and did not dare to have more of one. The dishes were exquisite and delicious. .
Yin Xiu and Ma Xiaoyu swept away the food on the table and drank all the wine. When they were lying on the bed, they felt that the fatigue of traveling in recent days had disappeared.
There is a door between the two beds. Ma Xiaoyu sleeps in the room inside, and Yin Xiu lies at the other end of the living room.
Ma Xiaoyu gently covered her body with a thin quilt, which was quite comfortable.
Yin Xiu could not help but toss and turn, feeling that what she was sleeping on was not a bed but a nail board. She was uncomfortable no matter how she lay down.
Ma Xiaoyu glanced at him sideways, "Do you have lice on your body?"
"It's not a lice or a flea."
Yin Xiu gritted her teeth and said: "Maybe the master hated me and deliberately found a hard bed board for me, which made my body hurt.
You know I've been in so many fights, it's inevitable that I have some old problems. ”
"I don't think I can do this."
Yin Xiu stood up immediately, "Then let me try?"
"Okay," Ma Xiaoyu patted the bed, "Come over."
Yin Xiu smiled, "I'll tell you, you still have room for two people lying there."
"Yes, you sleep in this room and I sleep in yours. I won't be too hard on you."
Hearing this, Yin Xiu did another sit-up position, lay down heavily on the bed, looked at the blue bricks on the top and sighed: "Forget it, I got a few bruises and it's nothing."
"That's good."
Ma Xiaoyu closed the door between the two.
Yin Xiubian also fell asleep.
After a while, he suddenly heard the sound of the wooden door being opened and creaking.
Yin Xiu turned around and vaguely saw Ma Xiaoyu wearing a nightgown under the lamp with a smile on her face.
"Oh, Brother Xiu, are you angry?"
Ma Xiaoyu pouted, "I'm just joking with you."
"What, you want to get up to go to the bathroom?" Yin Xiu was still lying down.
"Ouch, you're really angry."
Ma Xiaoyu raised her foot and pressed it against the door frame, revealing her smooth white thighs under her nightgown.
"It's not about going to the toilet, it's because I feel a little hot and can't sleep."
Yin Xiu suppressed the urge that came to her head, just put her hands together under her hair, and said expressionlessly: "Hot? Just put some water on yourself and wipe yourself."
"Then come in and wipe it for me. Brother Xiu, your hands are cool."
She twisted her body, revealing her distinct collarbone again, and winked at Yin Xiu.
Yin Xiu still had a straight face, "You asked me for this yourself."
He stood up and walked to the door.
"What are you doing?"
Ma Xiaoyu's question came from inside.
Yin Xiu was stunned for a moment and rubbed her eyes, "Oh, I'm sleepwalking. It's okay. Go to sleep."
After a pause, Ma Xiaoyu's soft whisper came from inside, "Good night."
Yin Xiu's doubts disappeared and she smiled, "Good night."
At the same time, in another part of the general's mansion, the master also showed a satisfied smile.
On the table in front of him, there was a scarecrow with Yin Xiu's name written on it and a piece of Yin Xiu's hair tied on it.
During the day, he was humiliated by Yin Xiu and Ma Xiaoyu, telling him that he could not get off the stage.
The master is not a broad-minded person to begin with, so why would he not think of ways to retaliate and regain his position?
So after getting Yin Xiu's hair, he couldn't wait to start a forum and used the "fascination method" to tease Yin Xiu.
The method of ecstasy is a magic in the Longhu Mountain lineage, but serious Taoist priests generally will not use it because it is considered a "deviant way".
This spell usually requires the target's hair and birth date, but when the distance between the caster and the target is very close, only the hair and name are enough.
And another reason why Longhushan Taoist priests generally don't use it is because of its low power.
Although it is said to be about Dafa, in fact the power of the spell is not great. At best, it only makes people feel like they are having a dream, and even the content of the dream cannot be grasped by the caster himself.
Generally, whatever the target is thinking about at the moment is just a dream corresponding to it.
So to a certain extent, this is even a spell that can make people's wishes come true. Its biggest use is to tease others and make them look embarrassed. Other than that, it has no other function.
This kind of useless technique is a burden for others to learn and used improperly.
But the master was willing and obsessed with this kind of magic. During his years in Longhu Mountain, he had already realized that he would not become a great heavenly master or Taoist priest who could subjugate demons and eliminate demons in the future.
Therefore, as for spells and other natural knowledge, just pick some that are easy to use and have quick results. Therefore, he specially picked some spells for home travel and murder and arson to learn. This is because he chose a "wrong way".
For the master, teasing Yin Xiu and making him make a fool of himself in front of such a beautiful woman is enough, so that he can rest contentedly.
After taking down the altar, he threw the scarecrow with Yin Xiu's name out of the window. The master yawned, but he was still proud of himself.
He shook his head and chanted: "It's time to strategize, and it's time to master the books."
Just as he was about to go to bed, there was a rapid knock on the door.
The master was startled, suppressed his emotions, and asked in a deep voice: "Who?"
Immediately at the door, a high-pitched voice replied: "Imperial envoy from the Imperial Court, Commander-in-Chief of Jianghuai Military, Inspection of the Thirteen Provinces, Grand Bachelor of the Military Aircraft Department, Duke Leshan, Gan Linmu, a first-grade officer, Mr. Gan is here, why don't you come out to greet him?"
[Why are there so many people here? I can't fit it in my yard. 】
The master hesitated for a moment and finally pushed the door open.
Then he saw several officers and soldiers standing in the yard with long swords tied around their waists. These officers and soldiers were surrounding a person.
The man was wearing an official robe, and the patch on his chest was embroidered with a crane.
He is truly a first-class official! ?
The master hurriedly knelt down and saluted, "The common people are paying homage to Mr. Gan, but I am a bit disappointed in your welcome. I hope you will forgive me!"
"Mr. Lin, you're welcome."
The first-rank official read out the master's surname and called him sir, which made the master panic.
"Don't be nervous."
The senior official took out the imperial edict from his sleeve and said to the master: "The emperor has taken a fancy to you and wants to recruit you to Yujing."
"What?" The master was obviously startled, his heart pounding like a drum.
"That's right."
The official frowned and looked at him again.
"The Holy One saw your article when he was out of office."
"Oh?"
The master's suspicions were lessened, "I thought that the Holy Emperor's gifts in the palace should be made of gold foil..."
"He even ate five sugar pancakes in one meal."
The senior official snorted coldly, "The Holy One thinks that your strategy has merit and that you are a talented person, so I plan to ask you to enter Yujing to accompany you day and night, and to serve you everywhere. How about it?"
Accompany you day and night, be at your side?
The master immediately connected himself with those ancient luminaries.
Although he shouldn't think this way and should be more modest, he obviously is right now!
The senior official coughed lightly and asked the master to wake up a little. Then he handed over the imperial edict, "I won't read what it says here. Read it yourself, read it again, and then prepare. We will enter Beijing tomorrow."
【tomorrow? 】
The master never imagined that his fate would change so quickly.
That strategy book was taken out after he spent several nights thinking about it in his study when he was very young.
It contains all the methods of enriching the country and strengthening the army, making friends from far away and attacking at close quarters, and the methods of saints and wise kings to rule the world. These are the methods of slaying dragons that have not been passed down.
Since it is a dragon-slaying technique, the master does not want to be understood by the general public.
Therefore, he had been thinking of going to Heaven to listen and deliver this treasure to the emperor.
Unfortunately, I was stopped by the guard at the first level.
Later he visited this Taoist platform again and the governor was rejected without any surprise.
No matter whether he was using money or giving gifts to the housekeeper or concierge, no one informed him inside, they just kept chasing him away and telling him to leave.
He didn't know that for those high-ranking officials, there were more Wolongs and Phoenix chicks coming to offer advice in one day than there were flies at the door.
At first, they received these people with a kind of polite and informal attitude.
It wasn't until they heard the concepts of Zhou Rites, Riding and Archery, and the Six Arts of the Gentleman from their mouths that these senior officials truly knew that they had indeed overestimated these so-called masters - it would be better to find a Taoist priest or monk to come and recite sutras. .
Because of these people's drag, the master was not able to meet these high officials after all.
Frustrated, he printed and distributed a hundred copies of the policy at his own expense, and distributed it to "people of insight" in restaurants and various societies, hoping to first become famous among the people and gain momentum, and then be noticed by Ouchi.
After sending it out for two days, he heard that because of this policy, the court arrested more than 200 people on the street, and even illiterate beggars were thrown into prison.
The master ran away all night and ran to southern Xinjiang without even having time to pack his luggage.
Only then did he meet Lin Baoyi, the later general of Zhennan, and became his staff.
And the strategy he thought was the dragon slaying technique was finally forgotten.
Unexpectedly, today, that strategy would finally reappear in the world and be valued by the Holy One. How could he not be excited?
With excitement in his heart, Master opened the imperial edict and read it one by one.
"By God's blessing, the emperor has issued an edict... to make you the Grand Privy Councilor, with an official rank of third rank."
The master only remembered the rank of the third rank, but he couldn't understand anything else, especially the so-called Grand Privy Chief, whom he had never heard of. Maybe it was a new position in the palace in recent years.
It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t understand, just remember to thank him.
So the Master respectfully rolled up the imperial edict into a ball and kowtowed three times to thank the Emperor for his great kindness.
"Sir, are we going to Beijing tomorrow?" The master was still a little worried and confirmed with the senior official again.
"What?"
The senior official glanced at him and said, "Didn't I make it clear just now?"
"That's not what the common people meant. Please forgive me, sir." The master quickly lowered his head.
The senior official smiled and said: "That's a bad statement. You are no longer a commoner. Even when others see you, they have to call you the general manager, right?"
"Don't dare to take it, don't dare to take it..."
The master waved his hands repeatedly, but his heart was already blooming with joy.
"By the way, why don't you bring up the clothes to dress up the manager?" the senior official reminded again.
So the master was full of expectations and watched the officers and soldiers take out a box.
Inside was a bamboo hat, a solid dark blue robe, and a whisk.
The master was stunned for a moment. He really couldn't tell the quality and style of this official robe.
But he only hesitated for a moment, and soon began to untie his gown and prepare to change.
"General Manager, wait a minute." An officer and soldier stopped him.
"Huh?"
The master frowned, a little displeased, "You stopped me from changing my clothes. Are there any other procedures?"
"Yes." The official smiled.
The master's brows widened, "Then please make it clear so that the common people can understand."
"You don't have to say it explicitly, they will do it for you."
The senior official pressed his chin to one of the officers and soldiers. The man understood and took out another box.
[Oh, it turns out I forgot my official seal and ribbon, you little slave, you are so careless in your work. 】
The master held his head high and spoke to the officers and soldiers through his nostrils.
"Hurry up, don't waste my time and your lord's time."
"Quickly, steward, just lie down."
The officers and soldiers took things out of the box.
Razors, chisels, scissors...
The master's eyes widened as he watched, and he couldn't help but ask: "What, what is this?"
The official came closer and said with a smile: "You have to accompany the Holy Lord. This is a necessary procedure. Every father-in-law who enters the palace has to go through this process."
"Father-in-law? Eunuch! Chief Superintendent!"
The master finally realized what he was doing, and when he was about to retreat, his hands and feet were firmly grasped by the officers and soldiers, and he was pushed to the bed.
"No, I'm not going!! Help, help!!"
He screamed at the top of his lungs, but no one paid attention to him.
"This is what the Holy Spirit requires, how can you not go?"
As he spoke, the senior officer directed to the officers and soldiers: "Be quick, it's better to cut early. We still have to spend some time on the road.
Don't use those. It's a waste of time. Isn't there a hammer in it? Paired with a saw, that's it. ”
"Yes!"
The officer and soldier took out tools from inside and approached the master.
There was a strange smile on his face, which seemed to be excitement, but also a little regretful.
"Oh, steward, look at your cute little brother, don't worry, I will be there soon..."
ah! ! !
Ma Xiaoyu opened her eyes, "Did you hear anything?"
Yin Xiu glanced out of the window and said, "It's probably a dog barking. Don't pay attention."
"Dogs bark?"
Ma Xiaoyu felt a little strange, "Does the general also have dogs in his mansion?"
"If you have a big family and a big business, you must have a few dogs to look after the door. Even in the countryside, you have to keep a big yellow dog."
Yin Xiu said, throwing the talisman paper in the palm of her hand under the bed.
The talisman paper with the master's name written on it fell to the ground quietly and immediately turned into ashes.
The screams immediately disappeared, and the night became peaceful again.
"The dog stopped barking." Yin Xiu said.
"Well, if I ask you again, I'll kill it and make it into hot pot."
Ma Xiaoyu closed her eyes with satisfaction, pulled the quilt on Yin Xiu closer to her, and fell into a deep sleep. (End of chapter)