Chapter 445 The current battle of legends (seeking a guaranteed monthly ticket in the new month)
Outside the Martial Arts Hall, the empress’ chariot stopped quietly, the horse’s tail swung, and the horse snorted.
After Mochou took care of the affairs of the Shangshan Bureau, he arrived here with the lantern maid and frowned: "Your Majesty hasn't come out yet?"
A female official nodded respectfully:< br>
"Reporting to Zhao Rong, Your Majesty went in to talk to Mr. Zhao and ordered me to wait here."
It's been so long... Mochou thought for a moment and stepped across the threshold of the Martial Arts Hall, but when he was about to enter the backyard, he was politely stopped by two worshippers raising their hands.
"Zhaorong, please stop. Your Majesty has ordered not to disturb you." One of the worshipers said.
Mochou bit her lip, nodded and said, "I'll wait here."
......
Backyard.
"That's it. Now that you have mastered the method of moving Qi, that's enough."
After another round of teaching ended, Xu Zhenguan said softly.
"...I am stupid, do you want to teach me one more time?"
"...What do you think?"
Zhao Duan smiled coquettishly and pulled away, holding his hand in his hand. Holding a peach blossom branch, he said:
"Your Majesty has a lot of things to do, I understand."
As the two distanced themselves, the slightly hot temperature on Xu Zhenguan's face dropped rapidly. She took a gentle breath, threw away the peach blossom branch in her hand, and remained reserved. The ground said "En" and said:
"It is not easy to master this technique. Just follow this sword technique and try to chop off the peach blossoms on the tree from a distance."
That's not all. Simple? Zhao Duan flicked his wrist, and amid the low sound of wind, a peach blossom fell from his head.
Xu Zhenguan seems to be smiling but not smiling:
"When will you practice until the sword is silent and the peach blossom is cut off, but it is tied to the branch and refuses to fall lightly, then you will be considered a beginner."
Cut off but not fall down? What kind of harsh request... Zhao Duan's mouth twitched, but he still nodded and said:
"I understand."
As he said that, he sat cross-legged on the ground and quietly experienced the sword taught by Zhenbao. From time to time, I would pick up a peach blossom branch and wave it twice, put it down again, and meditate again.
"I will be staying here tonight. If you have any questions, please come and ask."
Xu Zhenguan said suddenly, then moved lightly with lotus steps and entered the inner hall not far away to sit and breathe.
It is as if he has the attitude of a master.
It’s just that she originally thought that with the naughty character of this little imperial guard, he would find out various swordsmanship problems after a while, seek advice from her, and take advantage of the opportunity.
But she miscalculated. For the next hour, Zhao Duan didn't leave the backyard and started practicing seriously.
Is it to show off in front of yourself? Want to make progress as soon as possible and give yourself a surprise? Surprise yourself? Xu Zhenguan recalled passages from the few story-telling novels he had read when he was a child, and speculated on his thoughts.
The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, he shook his head and laughed, and simply sat cross-legged, meditating and practicing.
"Although the Peach Blossom Sword Technique is not complicated, it was also created by Emperor Taizu. How much progress can be made in one night?"
The night is getting darker, and the darkness is like a thick quilt. Covered the palace.
Unconsciously, when dawn broke and the sky turned white, the empress' eyelashes trembled and she opened her eyelids, only to realize that the night had passed.
“This guy really practiced all night?”
Xu Zhenguan muttered in his heart, stood up slowly, opened the door to the backyard, and saw a faint mist under the pale morning sky.
Zhao Duan was still sitting in the same position as last night, sitting cross-legged under the huge peach tree, with the peach wood "sword" across his knees, his eyes closed and his head slightly drooped, as if he had fallen asleep.
This guy... fell asleep like this... The empress tugged at the corner of her mouth and sighed helplessly. With a little disappointment in her heart, she immediately walked over and tried to wake him up and go back to the house to sleep.
However, at this moment, a gust of breeze blew slowly into the backyard, and on the lush tree canopy, countless peach blossoms rustled like goose feathers and fell one after another.
In the blink of an eye, the ground was covered, leaving only a few remnants on the bare tree trunks.
Xu Zhenguan's beautiful eyes widened slightly, looking at this scene in astonishment.
"Your Majesty?" Zhao Duan woke up from his nap, rubbed his dark circles, looked at the peach blossoms scattered on his shoulders, raised his face, and smiled brightly:
"I Did it.”
After a while.
After waiting in the front yard all night, Mochou, who was sitting on the steps with her arms around her knees, was awakened. In a daze, she saw the empress of the Yu Kingdom walking out.
"Your Majesty? Are you up?" Mochou asked with infinite resentment.
Xu Zhenguan did not notice her, and muttered:
"What a weird thing, what a weird thing..."
...
……
The arrival of Qingshan disciples finally attracted the attention of many people, including the officials in the capital.
Especially the practitioners in the city are particularly concerned about this competition between the two major martial arts heritages.
In a private room of an elegant teahouse, Xue Shence and Yuan Li also talked about this matter while having a dinner.
"As a master in the military, Lord Xue, who do you think will win in this competition in the palace?"
As the leader of the Qingliu Party, Yuan Li held his chopsticks and picked up a piece of cod meat. , asked curiously.
Xue Shence was a military attache, and even at private banquets, he would sit upright and solemnly. Hearing this, he glanced at Yuan Qingyi and said lightly:
"Does Mr. Yuan not have confidence in the palace's offerings?"
Yuan Lixiao He smiled and said with emotion:
“I am not familiar with martial arts, let alone Lord Xue who understands it. There is a big gap, but I know how to judge people. I heard that the Qingshan disciples were coming fiercely, so they must be very confident. Fortunately, a few days ago, Zhao Shaobao used some tricks and beat them a few times before they calmed down. Although both sides have calmed down in the past few days. The discussions continued one after another, but there was no tension anymore."
Xue Shence sighed:
"I heard that there are many talented people in Qingshan's generation. Not to mention the Wu Immortal who is attacking the Wu Po Void and trying to attack the Human Immortal. There are many strong players from the Duanshui River. On the other hand, in the royal family... only Zhao Shaobao is more famous. Unfortunately, The competition came too early, and even if he barely reached the high level of the divine chapter, it would be difficult to reverse... It is impossible to use the Tai'a sword in this kind of competition."
The implication: the royal family will lose.
Yuan Li nodded lightly but did not express his opinion. There was silence in the box.
Xue Shence took the initiative to stir up a new topic: "Mr. Yuan is extremely busy these days."
Yuan Li smiled bitterly: "The New Deal was issued last year and a number of local officials were beheaded. The court has to draw up a plan The list of newly appointed and dismissed officials has been finally finalized since the beginning of the year.”
Xue Shence asked curiously: "Could it be that the Prime Minister is blocking it?"
Li Yanfu is in charge of the personnel department. Even if the "new cabinet" takes away the power now, when it comes to official evaluation, promotion, appointment and dismissal, Li Dang cannot be bypassed.
Yuan Li nodded, then shook his head:
"But that's not entirely true. New officials appointed and dismissed must shoulder the responsibility of promoting the New Deal. The rest is fine, especially when it comes to the Huai River. , to build two areas in the south, it must be The governor has been urging the completion of the road and water transportation for several months. Why don't you know that there is a shortage of people there? But the more important it is, the more important it is to screen. The burden of screening new local officials falls on it. I am all over the procuratorate.”
Xue Shence showed sympathy in his eyes and raised his glass to toast:
"Mr. Yuan has worked hard for the country, so I will drink this cup to the full."
Yuan Li smiled and raised his glass in return:
"I hope nothing will happen."
……
Jizhao nunnery.
After spring, the lotus lake in the courtyard thaws, the grass turns green, and the climate becomes warmer.
Prajna Bodhisattva, wearing only a gauze monk's robe, sat quietly by the pond, listening to the nun's report.
Her bare feet were soaked in the water, with golden carp kissing between her fingers. The monk's clothes were open and exposed, and she held a wooden comb in her hand, gently combing her long hair.
"...Bodhisattva, this is the fifth time I'm begging you. I hope you can go south."
The nun said softly.
Prajna Bodhisattva did not speak. After a long time, he sighed softly, squinting his eyes and enjoying the warm light of spring:
“I really don’t want to move.”
Following the Buddhist sutra debate, the status of Prajna Bodhisattva in Shenlong Temple has increased.
After the defection of the Great Purity Master, the monks in the temple who were originally affiliated with the Great Purity lost their support. After several trade-offs, they all defected to the Prajna sect.
Not only did her power increase, it also brought a lot of trouble.
Shenlong Temple is the main altar of Buddhism in the Yu Kingdom, and there are also scattered temples in various places. Quite a few of them were originally controlled by the Great Purification Master, but now they have become the "political legacy" left by him.
In the context of the empress' "ban on Buddhism", Shenlong Temple can still carry on with its solid foundation, but local temples are in panic all day long.
Therefore, as the new leader of the "Zen Sect", Prajna Bodhisattva had to go south to meet and appease the monks in temples everywhere.
To prevent the collapse of the new "Zen"... Prajna Bodhisattva has a lazy temperament and does not like fighting. He has refused several times, and now this is the fifth time.
"That's all, if you don't nod, they will come again and tell me, I will go south in a few days." Prajna said helplessly.
The young nun breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "Bodhisattva is compassionate."
Prajna Bodhisattva smiled and asked about other things casually:
"Yun Yang Is the eldest princess still making trouble these days?”
The nun said: "There is no more trouble. She seems to have a much calmer temper. Speaking of which, it is probably because Master Bianji gave her a lecture on the Dharma last time."
Bianji lectured on the Dharma... Prajna Bodhisattva smiled and said:
“Yes, Yunyang His majesty left him in the Jizhao nunnery, just to prevent her from seeing the man, so she would panic and make a fuss. A handsome monk like Bianji must have been able to satisfy his craving."
The little nun's face turned red when she heard the words of tiger and wolf coming from the Bodhisattva's mouth.
Prajna looked down at her with a smile: "Why, are you also interested in Bianji?"
"No...how could it be...Bodhisattva, I..."
Prajna laughed out loud. Strangely enough, a woman's laughter is originally indecent, but in her case, it was particularly harmonious and beautiful:
"My Zen method does not emphasize the prohibition of those corrupt precepts, so what are you afraid of?"
The little nun hesitated and suddenly asked boldly:
"Bodhisattva thinks that Master Bianji How? ”
"He..." Prajna Bodhisattva, who was born with a pair of Buddhist wisdom, sneered:
"A traitor is like a loyal person."
After a pause, she said sadly: "Not as good as Zhao Duan."
……
……
In the palace, the discussion between the disciples of Qingshan and Qingshan was going on day by day, but except for the first day, there were not many twists and turns in the following days.
Zhao Duan understood the Peach Blossom Divine Sword overnight, which shocked Xu Zhenguan, and once again sighed that he was worthy of being the person chosen by "Dragon Soul".
It is incredibly fast to learn the martial arts of the Xu royal family, but if you think about the secret assistance of Dragon Soul, it can barely be explained.
Zhao Duan knew that he had missed too much homework, so he spent half a month in seclusion, practicing hard day and night. He was surprised to find that this peach blossom sword technique was the same as the one taught to him by Lao Xu at the end of the "Picture of the Martial God" The "Kaitian" sword is full of charm.
There was a faint sense of the beginning and end of the movement, and the circulation of energy, which made him suspect that perhaps the Opening Heaven Sword Move was one of the Peach Blossom Sword Techniques.
The more I practice and understand, the deeper my understanding becomes, and I feel a vague "flow" state of being immersed in the world of martial arts.
And on the seventh day, his cultivation level was as Zhenbao said, and he successfully entered the upper level of the divine chapter.
In the next few days, I repeatedly strengthened my strength, and my strength once again made a substantial leap. Unfortunately, it was still far from the "worldly" state.
In this way, the time came to the fifteenth day, which was also the agreed day for the martial arts test.
……
Early in the morning, inside the martial arts hall.
Zhao Duan ate seven-cent full slowly and walked out of the room. He saw the worshipers headed by Tang Jinzhong standing in several rows in the courtyard.
The military looks neat.
Everyone's face was solemn and solemn.
“Don’t be so serious, be relaxed, it’s just a competition.”
Zhao Duan smiled:
"Besides, we don't need most of you to fight. Let's all smile. Don't surrender before the fight starts."
The eunuchs are dedicated to their efforts. She tried to smile, but it was uglier than crying.
After several days of discussion, everyone repeatedly evaluated and clearly noticed the gap between the two sides.
"There are three people on the other side. If we play three games, we can make sense if we win one." Zhao Duan said with relief.
The worshipers had a grimace and were playing at home. Not to mention winning three games, they should have won at least two games. Otherwise, wouldn't it be embarrassing for His Majesty? Just...can you do it? No one has confidence.
Originally, some people still pinned their hopes on Zhao Shaobao, thinking that if he could perform a sword skill like breaking armor on the first day, there might be a turning point.
But when everyone saw Zhao Duan's empty hands, without even a sword, they understood that Zhao Shaobao would not take action today.
……
The meeting place was chosen in the peach garden of the palace.
As the name suggests, it is a garden full of peach trees surrounded by a fence, based on a hill-like soil slope backed by the city wall.
There is a large open space in between. It is said that six hundred years ago, after the queen died, Emperor Taizu at that time often came to Taoyuan to relax and practice martial arts.
When Zhao Duan led a group of depressed and stressed worshipers over the fence and into the center of the Taoyuan, he found that Qingshan disciples had already arrived.
Chai Keqiao is still dressed like a woodcutter, standing calmly, his expression full of strong confidence.
Qiye's injuries have recovered. The swordsman blindfolded with black cloth stands beside him. The scabbard in his hand is as black as an inkstone. The sword is named "Ancient Inkstone".
Xiao Ran, who was wearing a bamboo hat, had a slender figure, and the cloth tied around his waist fluttered gently in the wind.
She stood with her sword in hand, her eyes locked on Zhao Duan sharply, the corners of her mouth slowly raised, and she actually made a provocative action of "wiping her neck" from a distance.
"Master Dong? Secret Envoy Xue? I haven't seen you for several days." Zhao Duan looked calm and not nervous at all.
His eyes swept over the trio, and then he looked at the familiar spectators in the Taoyuan in surprise.
Today, Dong Xuan, who is in his 60s, led Han Zhi, Wang You, Guo Jieyuan and other bachelors from the Xiuwen Academy gathered here, as if they came to join in the fun because they were close to the imperial city.
As for several members of the Privy Council headed by Xue Shence, as well as the military attachés in charge of the Forbidden Army in the palace, they seemed to be "military warriors" and did not want to miss this competition.
"Zhao Shaobao looks even better than before."
"Haha, I came to see the excitement today, but I was expecting your Majesty's tricks."
A group of military attachés and the cabinet The bachelors all smiled in greeting, while the Qingshan trio frowned.
"A good martial arts competition is like going to court." Qiye snorted.
Chai Keqiao suddenly looked outside the Taoyuan: "Your Majesty is here."
As expected, after Zhao Duan exchanged greetings with a group of colleagues, he turned around and saw a group of people approaching in a mighty manner.
The surrounding palace people are clearing the way, and the most conspicuous one is naturally the empress of the Yu Kingdom, who has both the attributes of a fairy in heaven and an emperor on earth.
Beside her, on the left and right, were her old acquaintance Mochou and Hai Chunlin, who was wearing a bright red python robe.
“See Your Majesty!”
Everyone salutes.
Xu Zhenguan nodded lightly and said with a smile:
"After a hundred years, today is another time for the royal family of the Yu Kingdom to test martial arts with the high disciples of Qingshan..."
The empress seems to be early Prepared for his opening remarks, Zhao Duan listened in the crowd with his left ear and out the right ear.
Today’s competition was not as grand as the Buddhist and Taoist competitions, which attracted the entire capital to watch.
It only happened in the Taoyuan of the Imperial Palace, with more than a hundred people watching, but its significance to the royal family of the Yu Kingdom was perhaps even greater than the former.
"The martial arts trials of Qingshan and the royal family in the past dynasties will not only be recorded in the history books, but also spread to the Jianghu. In the next hundred years, they will be remembered by generations of Jianghu warriors..."
Zhao Du An's ears seemed to echo the words that Eunuch Hai had said to him yesterday.
The whole person could not help but be infected by the solemn atmosphere, and became a little serious.
Looking around, he suddenly realized that what he was seeing right now was the current battle that would be passed down from generation to generation?
Thanks to Jun Lintianxia for the 3,000 point coins, Zhizhu holds 500 point coins, Thunder 128, 500 point coins, moodygumiho, Kenshin, rurudo, 101 points reward
(End of this chapter)