Chapter 472 Baihua Village (5k)
The sun sets in the west.
On a dirt road within the Huai River Waterway, a gray donkey snorted, swung its tail, and leisurely dragged a cart covered with thick straw.
The leather collar around the donkey's neck was frayed with hair, and the copper bell it held in its mouth swayed slightly.
Zhao Duan wore a straw hat and swung his whip like a wild man from the countryside. Behind him, sitting on the straw piled on the carriage board, was the only female emperor of the Yu Dynasty for 600 years.
"...So, at the critical moment, Eunuch Hai showed up with his men and stopped the pursuers, and I was able to escape." Zhao Duan softly told the story of what happened, and said with a grimace:
"I was supposed to meet up with His Majesty before noon, but... I accidentally got lost in the mountains and forests and went in the wrong direction. I had no choice but to go around in a long circle before I caught up with him.
We also passed a small town on the way. I wanted to buy a carriage to drive on the road, but I didn't see it, so I had to spend some money and buy a donkey cart. ”
Xu Zhenguan was wearing men's clothes and sitting on the donkey cart with a smile on his face, showing no sign of disdain.
Listening to the story of Zhao Duan's escape in the forest, she secretly sweated in her palms. When she learned that Hai Chunlin had arrived and Zhao Duan was lost, she burst out laughing again for no reason.
"In that case, it would be a wise move for me to wait a little longer." She said with a smile, not without pride.
It seemed that squatting under the wall all day was a very honorable and wise decision.
Zhao Duan cheered and praised:
"Your Majesty is wise and mighty, and brings great blessings to the sky. Thanks to Eunuch Hai and the others who are behind us, we can take a breath. Next, when we step into the Huai River, the pressure will be much less."
Xu Zhenguan beat him seriously and guarded against arrogance and impetuosity:
"The King of Huai'an may not search for me, but many local nobles in the Huai River Channel may have colluded with Prince Jing, King Mu and others. We still cannot be careless. We must be careful about this group of nobles and tip off the rebels."
"I know." Zhao Duan nodded. Of course he would not be stupid enough to think that it would be safe to enter the Huai River.
At most, it's just that the pressure of escape is slightly less.
Moreover, there was one thing that the monarch and his ministers tacitly did not mention:
If the Eight Kings have rebelled, will the "Li Party" officials who remain in the capital still be at peace? Li Yanfu is afraid that he will become the most unstable bomb in the capital.
However, the capital still has Yuan Li, Xue Shence and other "imperialists" to check and balance it, so chaos will not break out for a while.
The setting sun extinguished little by little, and the dark night was like ink, covering the sky.
Xu Zhenguan suddenly said:
"The journey is long, and there will be no less dangers today. Don't let me leave you rashly and take risks yourself next time."
Zhao Duan did not look back, driving the donkey cart and said calmly and seriously:
"Okay."
After a pause, he added:
"However, if that day comes, I will definitely die before Your Majesty."
The empress was silent for a moment and suddenly asked: "Why?"
Zhao Duan smiled:
"Your Majesty is the king, and I am a minister. Isn't it natural?"
The empress was silent for longer than before. At the moment when the world completely fell into darkness, she sat on the back of the donkey cart and said softly:
"Are they just monarchs and ministers?"
Unfortunately, the voice was too low, almost like a mosquito. It was covered by a long donkey bray, so Zhao Duan didn't hear it clearly.
……
……
Within the completed road, there is a large Buddhist temple named "Hanshan".
A few days ago, Prajna Bodhisattva from the main altar of Shenlong Temple in Beijing went up the mountain alone to take over the assets left by the "Great Purification Master" who defected to the Western Regions.
Hundreds of monks in the temple greeted the Bodhisattva.
The old nun then stayed in the temple and dealt with the accumulated affairs of the temple one by one.
When the Luoshan Zen Ceremony happened, the empress and Zhao Duan disappeared, and the news that King Jing had launched an army to rebel came to the temple.
Prajna Bodhisattva could not hide his shock, and immediately announced the closure of the temple, prohibiting monks in the Taoist temple from going down the mountain, and tried his best to protect himself.
She was not yet aware of the disgraceful role Xuan Yin played in this matter, but her instinct and logic made her feel extremely uneasy.
On this day, the Bodhisattva who was feeding the golden carp in a water tank in Hanshan Temple learned that King Jing Xuwen had personally visited the mountain.
"Prince Jing, why do you come to Han Temple?"
Wearing a nun's veil, with disheveled hair, and holding a jade purification bottle in one hand, the plump and white Prajna Bodhisattva looked at the group of uninvited guests who entered the inner courtyard with some caution.
Prince Jing Xu Wen was actually dressed in military uniform!
Wearing brand-new armor and a sword hanging from his waist, he looked like a general about to go into battle, followed by a group of strong men in the army.
"Hahaha... Why, the Bodhisattva doesn't welcome me? Or do you think that worldly people like me should not pollute the land outside the country?"
Prince Jing's face was red, he laughed loudly, and there was a look of disdain in his eyes!
Thanks to years of hard work, the right location and the right time, coupled with the timing of the empress' disappearance, King Jing's construction was extremely smooth!
He hardly encountered much resistance, and he won a place in the name of "entering the capital" as King Qin.
These days, most of the energy is spent on "digestion" territory, but Xu Wen knows that there is more than one person competing with him.
Therefore, although he was still in a hurry, he was still preparing to lead his troops northward in person. Before leaving, he came to Hanshan Temple.
"The prince is joking, but I, Shenlong Temple, have never participated in the struggle for imperial power."
Prajna Bodhisattva's brows were dull and her almost transparent eyes stared at him:
"Or maybe the prince is here to seek personal revenge? Because the poor monk was traveling with Zhao Shaobao a few days ago?"
Prince Jing laughed again, waved his hand and said:
"Bodhisattva is joking! Bodhisattva has never been an enemy of this king. How could he move to your temple to anger him because of such a trivial matter?
I took the liberty to come here this time. First, I went to the Buddhist temple to burn incense and pray for good luck;
Both, everyone in the world knows that Prajna Bodhisattva can heal all living beings by cultivating Medicine Buddha...
As I go north, my soldiers will inevitably be injured. If the Bodhisattva is willing to go with me and lend a helping hand, I can promise to help the Bodhisattva take a further step. how? ”
Are you taking a fancy to my ability to save people... Prajna's expression remained unchanged and he clasped his hands together:
"Amitabha, the two armies are fighting, and the killing is bloody. The poor nun is weak and speaks softly. He only wants to stay here in Hanshan Temple to chant sutras and worship the Buddha. He has no intention of going to war."
"That's it..."
Prince Jing's face was full of regret, and he tried to persuade him a few more times. When Prajna insisted, he smiled:
"In that case, I will not force you, so I will say goodbye and leave. Don't worry, Bodhisattva, I have ordered the people below not to collide with any Buddhist temples, large or small, in the built road."
Prajna bowed lightly: "Thank you, Your Majesty. The poor nun will send Your Majesty down the mountain."
A monk and a dignitary came to the mountain gate to greet each other.
After King Jing burned a stick of incense, he said goodbye and went down the mountain.
Walking on the mountain road, a trusted private army general beside him said:
"Your Majesty, this woman doesn't give you face, do you want to..."
Prince Jing suppressed his smile, shook his head, and snorted:
"The old nun doesn't know how to praise...but she is from the Shenlong Temple family after all, so don't mess with her."
Even if there are differences between Prajna and Xuanyin, in the final analysis, they both come from the same school.
Prince Jing and Xuan Yin formed a private alliance, and it was impossible to displease Xuan Yin and suppress Shenlong Temple at this juncture.
"It's a pity that Xuan Yin didn't want to openly take sides due to the reputation of Buddhism. He was still stared at by Zhang Yan and refused to leave the capital. Before being enshrined, he was only willing to send the Dharma God to help in the battle."
Xu Wen frowned secretly in his heart.
He didn't know the truth that "Dharma God" was the clone of "Xuanyin".
I just thought that the God of Law was a very powerful master in the world raised by Shenlong Temple.
Prior to this, Shenlong Temple also relied on the power of the Fashen Sect to quietly contact the more promising ones among the Eight Kings.
Yes!
Abbot Xuanyin bet on several of the eight kings at the same time, not just Xu Wen!
Therefore, he did not dare to offend Shenlong Temple, there was no need to take risks.
"Your Majesty, what if this nun secretly aids the false emperor and the man named Zhao?" Another confidant whispered.
Not long ago, the news that Zhao Duan and the Empress were exposed and fled into the Huaihe River had reached Prince Jing's ears.
The information about Hai Gongzheng leading people to stop Ouyang Ye, which led to the failure of the arrest, is very detailed.
"So I sent someone to keep an eye on Hanshan Temple. If nothing happens, I'll go in and see if the old nun is there. As long as she doesn't wander around, don't worry about it."
Prince Jing said calmly:
"As for the escaped monarchs... Humph, do you really think that just the two of them can return to the capital alive? Hai Chunlin and others can stop my king's people, but they cannot stop the people coming from the north to the south. ”
According to the plan, the empress died directly on Ruoluo Mountain.
The Shenlong Temple will stay on its own and will no longer participate in the battle.
But the empress is not dead... she is still alive, which has become a huge hidden danger. With the empress' intelligence, she must have guessed that it was Xuan Yin who took action.
As a result, Abbot Xuanyin must continue to work hard to ensure that the empress cannot return to the capital.
But the empress is not dead, and the previous instructions are still effective. Zhang Yanyi stares at Xuan Yin to ensure that he will not end up in the heaven and human realm.
Wu Xiankui, a martial artist with an incomprehensible mind who practiced martial arts, only agreed to take action once. At the critical moment, he even punched the God of Law in return, which was totally hopeless.
So...
Prince Jing has learned through magic means that Shenlong Temple secretly sent a team of troops south to surround the empress.
"In this way, my king's people will move from south to north, and Shenlong Temple's people will attack from north to south. She will be attacked from the front and back, and it will be difficult for her to fly!"
Prince Jing sneered, raised his hand to lift the bright red cloak behind his armor, and stepped forward to look at the neatly arrayed, black mass of armored troops guarding the foot of Hanshan Temple.
"If the Yu State wants to prosper, and if the ancestral foundation wants to last forever, how can it be possible to entrust the great country to a woman? When she really gives birth to an heir, and then passes on the throne, will the country be named Xu or Zhao? If the country is destroyed and the seed is stolen, damn it! ”
Prince Jing got on his horse, pulled the reins, turned to look at Chang'an, his eyes burning:
"In this world, the surname should be Xu, for generations to come! There is no room for error!"
Inside Hanshan Temple.
"Bodhisattva, the army at the foot of the mountain has left."
6◇9◇Book◇Bar
A monk opened the door and said to the Bodhisattva who had his back turned to him.
"I know." Prajna spoke softly, looking down at the large water tank in front of him.
A lotus was planted in the water tank, with lotus leaves covering half of the tank, and a fiery red arowana swimming underneath.
According to folklore, when the arowana appears, all the heroes compete with each other.
"It's been a troubled year. What a pity for that fine cauldron..." Prajna Bodhisattva murmured, seeming to still be thinking about Zhao Duan.
She immediately shook her head, not believing that Zhao Duan could still be alive without the empress as his backer.
"And...Xuanyin...are you involved?"
Prajna overlooks the water tank, and the clear water ripples, vaguely seeming to reveal the image of the capital.
The old nun frowned. She wanted to return to the capital immediately, but she knew that Prince Jing would not allow her to go north.
“I wonder what’s going on in the nunnery in Beijing.”
……
Beijing.
In this era of long-distance letters, the transmission of news is always very slow.
However, due to various magical means, the news of the disappearance of the empress and the revolt of the Eight Kings was first learned by a small number of people within a few days.
On this day, Master Bianji knocked on the door of Jizhao Temple.
Princess Yunyang was found by the pond in the small courtyard where Prajna lived.
After Prajna left, no one in the nunnery could suppress the eldest princess, although she was still "grounded" and could not go out.
But inside the nunnery, he moves freely and no one dares to restrain him.
So, the eldest princess, who was about to go crazy, occupied the magpie nest and took Prajna's residence as her own in a majestic manner.
At this moment, she put on a bright red dress, sat barefoot by the pond, and soaked her two jade feet in the water.
"Mage, you are here!"
Princess Yunyang's eyes lit up, she stood up, stepped on the stone, smiled and looked at Bianji, who had red lips and white teeth, and was pretty.
Master Bianji clasped his hands together and said calmly: "The poor monk came here to tell His Highness a piece of news."
"What?"
"His Majesty failed to seal the throne. He was seriously injured and disappeared. The eight kings raised their troops. Now all the soldiers and horses have rushed to the capital." Bianji said with emotion.
"What!"
Princess Yunyang was shocked. She held the defense machine and interrogated her carefully. When she learned the detailed information, she cried and laughed for a while, as if a five-flavor bottle had been knocked over in her heart. She didn't know whether it was more pleasure or pain.
When Xu Zhenguan was around, she only had resentment towards her niece. This year's grounding turned her into hatred.
But when I learned that my niece might really die, sadness and emptiness surged into my heart, as if I had suddenly lost the target of hatred.
Princess Yunyang stood blankly for a long time, as if grasping a life-saving straw, she grabbed Bianji's sleeve, pulled his hand over abruptly, pressed it on her chest, and begged:
"Master, I feel so much pain here, so distressed."
Bianji's eyes were filled with compassion: "Amitabha."
A sentence from a Buddhist scripture he often read suddenly came to his mind:
Cross yourself before crossing others.
"Your Highness, why not go to the Zen room and let the young monk untie your knot?"
……
……
The carriage drove through the long official road and entered Baihua Village.
Midsummer every year is the most beautiful time in the famous Baihua Village located on the Huai River.
By then, the sunlight crossing the equator will evenly shine on this village hidden among the green mountains and green waters. Flowers planted by farmers from all over the country will be in full bloom, and when the flowers are most fragrant, they can float ten miles away.
The villagers living in Baihua Village are no different from the households that have lived in the royal gardens for generations. Their names are recorded in the official craftsmen's book.
For generations, flowers have been planted for the royal family.
Mature flowers will be planted in flower pots, loaded on oxcarts in batches, and sent to the capital in the north across thousands of miles.
It appeared at banquets in the palace, filled the vacancies in the imperial gardens, circulated deep in the residences of the dignitaries of the capital, and was sought after by each other among the ladies, and even spawned entertainment activities such as the "Flower Fighting Party".
Zhao Duan drove the carriage he had managed to buy on the way and carried the empress. The two changed their faces and entered Baihua Village.
The carriage was walking on a dirt road in the countryside. On both sides of the road, there was an almost endless sea of flowers, with a rich fragrance.
Among the flowers, large groups of white butterflies were dancing in entanglement.
"Your Majesty, according to the map, passing through Baihua Village is a safer route. This area can barely be regarded as the property of the royal family, and it can avoid the eyes of the local nobles to the greatest extent."
Zhao Duan wore a straw hat, looked around with a slightly wary look in his eyes, and said something in his mouth.
Several days had passed since they escaped from Jiancheng Road. Along the way, they encountered dozens of enemy pursuits.
A considerable part of them originated from the local clan forces in the Huai River.
As expected, after the King of Huai'an closed his door, the entire Huai River Channel became a stage for the major noble families.
This group of families with deep foundations has a close eye on the local area, and at the same time, they also secretly cultivate martial artists in the world.
Although Zhao Duan is not afraid of most family thugs, he is worried about exposing his whereabouts and attracting the attention of the masters who are secretly pursuing him.
Therefore, if you respond passively along the way, you will inevitably get injured.
Fortunately, he did not fall into a life-or-death crisis, and the several dangers were all solved by the worshipers who followed him.
Even so, during this journey, he lost a lot of weight and his skin became much darker.
However, a pair of eyes are piercing, and the Qi sea is majestic and full, and there is a faint sound of mountains roaring and tsunami when breathing in and out.
He had a premonition that he was approaching the peak of the divine seal and was getting closer and closer to the worldly realm.
"Okay, then we'll stay in Baihua Village for one day. Don't stay longer, lest our identities attract pursuers and cause trouble for these people of the Yu Kingdom."
In the carriage, Xu Zhenguan opened the curtains and looked at the sea of colorful flowers outside, and her tense heartstrings relaxed slightly.
She used a mask to change her appearance, and now she only looked like a delicate woman, wearing an ordinary women's skirt. She no longer pretended to be a man - that would easily arouse suspicion.
To outsiders, the monarch and his ministers looked like a young couple on their way out.
As for the injury...
Xu Zhenguan kept adjusting his breath along the way, and the "palm power" left by the mysterious seal in his body finally gradually faded away. Although there is still some residue, there is not much left.
Unfortunately, due to the existence of this palm power, her internal injuries recovered extremely slowly.
Although he can move freely now, his strength is barely enough to touch the first grade of the divine seal, which is not sustainable yet.
Once the Qi is activated, internal injuries will be aggravated... let alone returning to the peak, it will take some time to return to the "worldly" state.
Along the way, she saw scenes of places falling and government offices being captured by rebels, which made her extremely anxious.
"Your Majesty, please relax, at least Huai River has not been completely captured by the rebels yet, right?
Further north, Linfeng Road must still be in the hands of the imperial court. There are border troops stationed in the west and north. The King of Qingzhou in the east is too weak and the Beijing camp is enough to deal with it. ”
Zhao Duan comforted softly.
The empress nodded and smiled: "What you said is that I am impatient."
At this time, the carriage drove into Baihua Village, and houses appeared in front of them, like a world in a fairy tale.
(End of chapter)