Chapter 438 A visitor from Qingshan (6k)
Crazy? Xu Jianwen's biological mother has gone crazy? Is it because Xu Jianwen's death was a blow during the coup? Mentally stimulated to the point of becoming insane? Or is it a problem that only arises after being imprisoned for a long time in the cold palace?
Zhao Duan was stunned, and strong doubts and surprises immediately surged in his mind.
Immediately, he thought of a new possibility:
Pretend to be crazy to avoid disaster!
If Xu Jianwen dies and the entire Xiao family is implicated in the crime of treason, is it possible that Concubine Xiao deliberately pretended to be crazy to avoid death?
"She is really crazy. At least I can't see any sign of disguise. When the news of Jian Wen's death came back to the harem, she fainted and it was like this when she woke up."
Xu Zhenguan seemed to understand what he was thinking at a glance and explained it calmly.
"..." Zhao Duan smiled awkwardly, suppressed his distracting thoughts, and said seriously:
"So, it's impossible to torture?"
It is obviously too difficult for a crazy noble concubine to interrogate valuable information.
Punishment is difficult to be effective at this time, because it is difficult for normal people to follow the train of thought of a mentally ill person, and it is impossible to determine which sentence is credible and which sentence is fabricated.
"I tried to send someone to communicate with her, but she was immersed in her own world and completely unable to communicate with anyone." Xu Zhenguan sighed softly.
Zhao Duan raised his eyes and saw that the crazy noble concubine saw that there was no food in their hands. She immediately turned her head and walked into the house with a look of sadness.
He tried shouting, but the latter ignored him.
Ah, this... Zhao Duan was also in trouble and tried:
"What do you think, Your Majesty?"
Xu Zhenguan rolled his eyes, with an expression like if I had an idea, I would bring you here: "I was just about to hear if Zhao Qing has any good ideas."
No...I'm not a psychiatrist. I can't invite the fox fairy raised by Gongshu Tianyuan...
Well, it’s not completely impossible. The key lies in two disadvantages. First, it is unclear whether the Fox Fairy can make a crazy person speak normally. Second, the Fox Fairy’s torture means killing Concubine Xiao...
Zhao Duan frowned and thought hard. The bright sun shone in the mottled and cold courtyard of Leng Palace. On the bare tree branches in the corners covered with weeds, sparrows sometimes fluttered their wings and then fell.
Xu Zhenguan did not interrupt. After a moment, Zhao Duan suddenly raised his head and said hesitantly:
"I really have a way, you can give it a try."
As he spoke, Zhao Duan flipped his wrist, and a silver scroll appeared in his palm. It was the "Taixu Scroll" that he used as a storage artifact.
Its other function is to create illusions.
Supplemented by the disguise mask of Qian Huan Shenjun, it can be called a combination skill.
Xu Zhenguan raised his little eyebrows, looking like he was watching your performance.
……
In the dilapidated room of Leng Gong, the tables and chairs were broken and there were cobwebs in the corners.
Concubine Xiao walked back to her bed, curled up on the bed, holding her stomach, pulled up the tattered quilt with exposed cotton wool, covered her body, and started to sleep.
In a trance, an invisible force swept through the surroundings, and an illusory voice came to my ears:
"Queen Mother...Queen Mother..."
Concubine Xiao opened her eyes wide and saw in a daze that she was lying on a luxurious bed with silk curtains.
She was a little confused. She slowly sat up and looked around. She was surprised to find that she was in a luxuriously furnished palace.
The sunshine outside the palace was just right, a bit dazzling, as if her years in the cold palace were all a dream. Now that she woke up from the dream, she was still a noble concubine, but she just took a nap.
"Mother..."
Suddenly, a tall figure stepped out of the room. He was dressed in luxurious clothes and was about thirty years old.
The appearance is similar to that of the deceased old emperor, and he is clearly the second prince Jian Wen.
"Xu Jianwen" said with a smile on his lips: "Mother, is she sleepy? The child has come to say hello."
Concubine Xiao stared at the other party as if struck by lightning, tears rolling down her eyes.
She immediately ignored the unreasonable details around her, stretched out her arms, stumbled out of bed, threw herself at "Xu Jianwen", touched his face with both hands in surprise, and cried with joy:
"You are still alive...still alive..."
"Xu Jianwen" looked confused, comforted her and sat down, smiling:
"Mother, is she having a nightmare in the afternoon? The child is fine, why does she seem to be dead to you?"
"Don't say that word!" Concubine Xiao covered his mouth, as if she didn't want to hear the unlucky word "death", sobbing:
"The Queen Mother dreamed that you were gone, and everyone was gone..."
Zhao Duan, who disguised himself as Xu Jianwen, constantly comforted and persuaded:
"The Queen Mother was confused in her sleep. I am afraid she has forgotten everything. Does the Queen Mother still remember that the child came to pay her respects a few days ago?"
"Yes, I've been here... I've been here..." Concubine Xiao murmured.
Sure enough... According to the information provided by Zhenbao, the last time Xiao Guifei saw Xu Jianwen before she went crazy was when he came to pay her respects during the coup... Xiao Guifei's memory ends here...
The reason why she is unable to interact with outsiders and is immersed in her own world should be a self-protection mechanism of the brain due to stress and trauma... which means... as long as you use the correct way to open it and enter "her" world, you will be able to Simple communication is possible...
Zhao Duan's thoughts flickered, and he continued to be persuasive, gradually asking her if she still remembered the last conversation between mother and son.
The last conversation should be one of the most memorable scenes for Concubine Xiao. Even if she is crazy, she should not forget it all.
Sure enough, Concubine Xiao was crying and said:
"Remember, remember... you said you might have to leave the palace and ask your mother to wait for you... keep waiting, even if there is an accident, wait... 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...waiting...waiting for you to come back..."
Next, no matter how much he made some insinuations, he never got any valuable information.
Zhao Duan took a deep breath, took Concubine Xiao back to bed and coaxed her to sleep, and then released the "Taixu Illusion" and the disguise.
He turned around and walked out of the room, closed the door, and recounted the original information he had obtained to the empress standing outside the door.
Xu Zhenguan was surprised that this guy's idea actually worked. Hearing what Concubine Xiao revealed, he also frowned:
"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 think the key point is the purpose. If Jian Wen wants a coup, there is no need to take the risk in advance and say these things to Xiao Guifei. If he is worried about his failure, then he should show affection to each other instead of saying these things...< br>
But he just said that he would leave for a while and said that he would definitely come back... It sounded as if he was afraid that Concubine Xiao would seek death after the 'accident' happened. ”
Xu Zhenguan was silent for a moment and said:
"Concubine Xiao was conferred by the emperor and she did not participate in the coup. Even if Jian Wen was defeated and the Xiao family was wiped out, under the premise that the emperor is dead, no matter whether it is me, the prince, or the other princes who succeed, Instead of executing her, she would choose to live in limbo.”
Zhao Duan said in a deep voice:
"Then it makes sense. Jian Wen was worried that Concubine Xiao would seek death after her 'death', so she deliberately said this... either it was false comfort, or..."
Xu Zhenguan sighed:
"Either, he did have a backup plan and did not die completely, but used some method to deceive everyone... and hoped to return."
The king and his ministers became quiet.
Only the sparrows chirped in the courtyard.
Even though there were already speculations in his mind, it was still a heavy topic to confirm that Xu Jianwen was still alive.
"Your Majesty..." Zhao Duan tried to speak.
Xu Zhenguan smiled first and said:
"With psychological preparation, it's not a surprise now. Don't worry, I know what to do. Now it seems that Jian Wen's intention is obvious.
His desire is to hide behind the scenes and provoke the Eight Kings into a head-on conflict with me. He can hide in the background and wait for the opportunity, or he can benefit from the fight between me and the Eight Kings, the snipe and the clam...
If he wants to hide, let him do it, and continue to attack Kuang Fu She, so as not to respond to the outside world. ”
Zhao Duan thought for a while and nodded vigorously.
Jian Wen's survival may sound like a big deal at first, but if you think about it carefully, it's not that big of a deal.
Now that the situation is clear, Jian Wen only has the name of a prince left.
If you stand up now and don't have enough chips in your hands, you will only become the puppet of the Eight Kings.
This is definitely not what Xu Jianwen wants to see, and Zhenbao's speculation is very likely to be part of his strategy.
It is not difficult to get rid of it. As long as the eight kings are suppressed and the country is secure, the remnants of the Jianwen Party will not be able to make waves.
"Your Majesty is determined to do so, and I will do my best to help you." Zhao Duan did not forget to show his loyalty.
Xu Zhenguan rolled her eyes, took him out of the cold palace, and ordered the eunuch to change Concubine Xiao into a better bedding and clothes, and take care of the cold palace.
……
As the emperor and his ministers walked back, the empress breathed out a breath and changed the topic with a smile:
"You have made great achievements this time, but I haven't rewarded you yet."
ah? I really want to reward the old emperor’s concubine to me... Zhao Duan was uneasy, but it was quite exciting to think about it. He swallowed and vomited: "I listen to your majesty. Whatever your majesty rewards, I will bear it."
Xu Zhenguan looked at him suspiciously, snorted and said:
"How far away are you from being at the top of the divine seal?"
Not a concubine? How to talk about cultivation... Zhao Duan said honestly: "It's still a little bit worse."
Xu Zhenguan said "Yes". Not surprisingly, she dragged her long skirt and walked in the long and narrow corridor. The towering crimson palace walls on both sides were solemn and beautiful.
The empress said lightly:
"While you are away, I have ordered people to collect and prepare heavenly materials and earthly treasures suitable for your current state. During these days, you can move into the palace and follow Eunuch Hai to cultivate in the martial arts hall.
The middle grade is broken into the top grade. Using a large amount of heavenly materials and earthly treasures to train the body can save a lot of time. Before, you did not have enough foundation to withstand too much medicine, but now it is almost the same.
Before the peach blossoms bloom in the warmth of spring, it is possible to step into the top grade. As for when to break through the bottleneck and step into the world, outsiders can't help much. ”
Zhao Duan was stunned.
So...is this a surprise you secretly prepared for me? Start preparing when I'm on a business trip? Doesn't it mean that no matter whether I succeed in arresting Zhuang Xiaocheng or not, I will give him?
His heart warmed, and he suddenly realized that this arrangement was somewhat urgent. It should be noted that in the past, the empress was not willing to let him take drugs... Why did she change her attitude this time?
Well, it seems that after the official announcement of the banquet, my attitude changed, whether it was preparing medicine, or taking the initiative to teach me how to draw...
Zhao Du felt happy in his heart and suddenly blurted out:
"Your Majesty wants me to enter the human realm as soon as possible so that I can be with you... Oops!"
Zhao Duan rubbed his thighs and grinned, feeling as if he had just been hit by an electric current, which made him feel numb.
Xu Zhenguan's nearly transparent white fingertips were filled with lightning, and she had a straight face, as if she didn't hear clearly:
"What did Zhao Qing just say?"
"...Nothing." Zhao Duan was speechless.
Is this woman afraid that her secrets have been revealed? Don’t you just want to push me into the world as soon as possible so that you can practice dual cultivation?
We are all adults, what are we afraid of...
Xu Zhenguan seemed to feel that she had overreacted, but this kind of topic still made her ashamed. And what she didn't say was that this year seemed to be a good year, but in fact it was full of dangers.
Zhuang Xiaocheng would rather die than kill Zhao Duan... This shows that the rebels are being forced into a hurry.
The Eight Kings... how far are they from being cornered?
The empress was vaguely aware of the dark clouds behind the clear sky, and she eagerly wanted to improve her realm and step into the true realm of heaven and humanity.
Marrying Zhao Duan, who is accompanied by "Dragon Soul", is a way to practice dual cultivation, but Zhao Duan still doesn't know when he will be able to enter the human realm.
Secondly, she doesn’t know whether this method can take her to a higher level. There is no heaven-human realm in the history books that relies on dual cultivation...
In contrast, what she cares more about is this year's "Feng Chan".
Xu Zhenguan suddenly said: "At the latest in summer, I will go south to Luoshan to worship."
Zhao Duan was stunned and keenly captured her sense of urgency:
"Are you in such a hurry? Because you are worried about the rebellion of the Eight Kings?"
"Only one aspect," Xu Zhenguan sighed:
"According to the agreement between Emperor Taizu and the Qingshan lineage, at the beginning of next year at the latest, it will be the time for our Dayu royal family to compete with Qingshan again in a hundred years. This time, Wu Xiankui will definitely not let go, and I can only accept the challenge."
Yes, the martial arts competition takes place the year after the Buddhism and Taoism competition...because it was originally copied by Lao Xu who was jealous of the competition...
Zhao Duan frowned and said, "Can't we not compare?"
Xu Zhenguan shook his head bitterly: "Not to compete is to admit defeat, and there is a price for admitting defeat."
Zhao Duan said doubtfully:
"The Qingshan lineage seems to be very obsessed with winning or losing. Do they want the reputation of being the leader of martial arts? The royal family doesn't care about this that much."
Xu Zhenguan shook his head and said softly:
"What Wu Xiankui wants is never the so-called fame. He is a martial arts idiot. He only wants to step through the void and ascend to the 'Human Immortal' realm. So what he always wants is the inheritance of the Martial God from my royal family."< br>
Zhao Duan was stunned. This was the first time he heard such secrets.
So, is the gambling between the two parties so big?
It involves the foundation of royal secrets, no wonder she attaches so much importance to it... If you lose the ancestral inheritance, not to mention the possible consequences, it is a fatal matter for just one person to face the ancestors without face.
Zhao Duan suddenly felt a sense of urgency. If he couldn't advance before the Empress granted Zen, he would be even more vulnerable after Zhenbao advanced to "Heaven"...
But where is the "worldly" realm so easy to enter? How many people have been stuck at this pass for their entire lives.
As for asking Zhen Bao to postpone his enshrinement and wait for him, the situation did not allow it.
"Next, I will strive to enter high-level as soon as possible." Zhao Duan took a deep breath and said seriously.
Xu Zhen couldn't help but laugh when she saw the solemn look on his face:
"Okay, just let nature take its course. By the way, according to the rules, within one year before the competition, both sides must declare a challenge to each other.
In this century, it will be Qingshan's turn to send people. When the time comes, the disciples sent by Qingshan will compete with my royal family members...well, now they are only worshiped by the royal family. ”
Discuss? Zhao Duan narrowed his eyes:
"Will the water flow stop come?"
Xu Zhenguan said lightly:
"If he comes, I will capture and kill him with my own hands. I will assassinate the imperial officials. I will make Wu Xiankui speechless."
...It looks like that guy will definitely not 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: "Don't overdo it."
This is tacit approval.
Zhao Duan raised the corner of his mouth and revealed a fierce look in his eyes. Duan Shui Shui and Qing Shan were cut off from each other. It would be difficult to pursue him, but since there is a tradition of fighting, don't blame yourself for being ruthless.
Especially... the last time Zhao Duan took action was on Huting Yansuo Lake, and at that time he only fired a flying knife.
In other words.
As of now, except for a very few people like Tang Zhao who have learned his martial arts skills, the rest of the world's impression of Zhao Duan's cultivation is still at the stage of using the Tai'a Sword for cheating. .
No one would have thought that in just half a year, he had grown rapidly under the hellish training that Pei Niannu had to endure again and again.
……
……
On the coast of the East China Sea, Qingcheng is located on the earth.
Behind this city, which was expanded from a small town, is Daqingshan, which is mostly hidden in the clouds and mist all year round.
On the top of the green mountain, on the cliff facing the East China Sea.
Wearing simple linen clothes and straw sandals, with an ax hanging from his waist, he smiled as he watched the rather kind-hearted Chai Keqiao stepping on the wind-swept steps.
Arrive at the top of the cliff.
I could hear the sea breeze blowing from the East China Sea and the sound of waves crashing against the cliff.
Chai Keqiao looked respectfully at the burly figure with his back to him, sitting cross-legged, facing the sea:
"Master, this disciple has entered the realm of the world."
Wuxiankui, who was sitting alone on the cliff, was tall and burly. He was dressed in coarse linen clothes and fluttered gently. His rough and messy hair was mixed with black and white, and was tied back casually with a ribbon.
On the face of a middle-aged man who was about fifty years old, a mark the size of a fiery red jujube was imprinted between his eyebrows, vaguely filled with purple aura.
The only real martial arts master among the four "celestial beings" in the world today opened his eyelids and nodded calmly:
"Not bad."
Chai Keqiao grinned, showing his white teeth, waiting for more compliments.
But Wu Xiankui only commented "not bad" stingily, without further explanation, and only threw something out of his sleeve:
"Now that you have entered the world, I will go to Beijing to declare war. You will lead the team."
Chai Keqiao grabbed the scrawled war note that came flying towards him and scratched his head:
"Disciple, are you going? I heard that those who go to declare war will have to discuss matters with the people in the palace."
Wu Xiankui said lightly: "Don't you dare?"
"No," Chai Keqiao scratched his head and said with a strange expression:
"Disciple heard that senior brother failed to assassinate Zhao Duan outside...Although senior brother left the mountain a long time ago, they are still of the same lineage...Zhao Duan is not a good person. The last time the disciple went to the capital, it was just to play in the gym. , just mobilize an army to surround and kill him..."
"..." Wu Xiankui seemed to be choked, and after a moment he said angrily:
"When the two countries are at war, we will not kill the envoys. The female emperor of the Yu Kingdom is as broad-minded as a man, so just go and go, no one will die."
Chai Keqiao said with a bitter face: "Disciple, go alone?"
"Go and pick someone yourself." Wu Xiankui seemed too lazy to talk to this disciple and waved his sleeves:
"Go away"
Chai Keqiao felt a strong wind blowing on his face. He was thrown high by the sea breeze like a fallen leaf and fell into the dense forest.
When he got up, he looked up at the direction of the cliff from a distance and muttered:
"I didn't say not to go... Well, if you step into the worldly realm on the mountain, you have to go down the mountain. As the ancestor said, like the fledgling on the cliff, it has to be pushed off the cliff by the big bird. Life and death are determined by fate. It has nothing to do... There are only a handful of people left to guard the mountain and ignore the world. How can I invite them? Well... I can only find someone I can fight..."
Chai Keqiao put the letter of war in his arms, straightened the ax on his waist, and walked down the mountain peak on straw sandals.
On Qingshan Mountain, every few hundred steps along the long mountain road, there are platforms dug out by humans.
There are disciples practicing on the platform, as if there is no one else around.
Chai Keqiao walked to the first step in the mist. He hesitated for a while under the unkind eyes of the mountain-guarding brothers in the mist, and finally walked down.
On the second step, he walked straight to a hut and rang the bell outside the hut.
After a while, the hut opened, and a woman in her twenties walked out. She was wearing the clothes of a warrior, her hair was cut into ear-length hair, she had a beautiful face, cold eyes, and a thin sword hanging from her waist.
Xiao Ran stared at the young master of the Chai family in the past with a smile on his face, and said coldly:
"Is something wrong?"
Chai Keqiao smiled and said: "I will go to the capital to declare a war, will you go?"
"Not interested." Xiao Ran's face darkened and he was about to slam the door and go back.
But I heard Chai Keqiao say quietly:
"Although the Xiao family is gone, I remember that there is still Concubine Xiao in the palace, right? Senior sister, don't you want to meet her? By the way, she is senior sister's aunt, right? I remember you can live in the palace for a while in the afternoon "
The surname was once Xiao, but later changed to "Xiao". It was also during the Xuanmen coup that after the "Xiao family" of the maternal relatives was wiped out, the woman who was left with only a single seedling stopped in her tracks.
Chai Keqiao continued to press forward: "Sister, I don't want to see, how is my aunt 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 holding a sword and cutting through the air again and again, his eyes covered with a black cloth.
"Woo!"
The young man slashed out with his sword, and the air formed a whirlpool. His ears moved slightly and stopped:
"Senior brother, is there something wrong?"
Chai Keqiao smiled and said:
"Aren't you always unconvinced by that Zhao Duan, fighting for the injustice of little monk Tianhai? This time there is a chance..."
"I'll go." The sword-wielding young man blindfolded with black cloth said coolly. He swept out his sword, and a big tree in the distance was cut off and fell slowly:
"Those who seek fame and reputation will harm those who are loyal and good, and everyone will punish them."
Chai Keqiao's smile froze, he was silent for a moment, and said:
"Do you know that I planted the tree you cut down?"
Blindfolded young man: "..."
Xiao Ran turned around and went down the mountain with cold eyes. She was going to see her aunt. If anyone treated her badly, she would take it out on her.
(End of chapter)