Chapter 23 The reaction in the palace, the old dragon is late (5600)
In the Taizhou Yamen, a man with disheveled hair was standing.
His clothes were in tatters, his legs were swollen and bruised, and his red and swollen right hand hung down by his side, as if it had been broken. He looked like a crippled beggar, and was out of place in this solemn and solemn public place.
Even so, as soon as he stood here, he felt an indescribable sense of presence, causing people passing by to look at him frequently.
But Xu Xing didn't care about their gazes. He just closed his eyes and recalled many details of the fierce battle just now, and gained information from which he could improve his own martial arts.
It wasn't until he noticed a familiar scent approaching that Xu Xing opened his eyes and looked outside the Yamen, only to see his uncle hurriedly crossing the threshold.
As soon as Xu Wei saw Xu Xing's miserable appearance, he immediately became furious and cursed:
"Xu Xing, what did you do!"
Fortunately, although Xu Wei was angry, he still remembered Xu Xing's current dual identity and did not reveal his identity.
Xu Xing knew very well that his uncle always spoke harshly, so he did not give Xu Wei a chance to continue to show off, and said directly:
"I just had a fight with Zhu Polong outside the city. Within three months, he could not use force. He was a cripple."
Upon hearing this, Xu Wei's barrage of questions was blocked in his throat and chest, his face turned red from holding back, and he couldn't catch his breath for a long time.
Hearing the three words Zhu Polong, the officials and soldiers who were coming and going in the entire hall were stunned. They all fell silent and looked at Xu Xing up and down in disbelief.
It seems that it is not a person's name, but a curse. As long as it is read out, the great terror will fall on everyone's head.
Having been in the southeast for a long time, these officials naturally know the importance of the three characters Zhu Polong.
After the defeat of Xiangshan, they were even more worried day and night, fearing that the Taizhou Yamen would be assassinated by this elusive man like the Xiangshan Camp.
In these days, although Hu Zongxian has stretched the security of Taizhou City to the limit, and there are often more than five great boxers stationed in the yamen, this silent fear and pressure are still accumulating day by day.
After all, even if a master-level strongman doesn't take action, his mere presence is enough to make people feel chilling and creepy.
The lesson from Xiangshan's defeat is not far away, Lu Bing's body is still cold, and Qi Jiguang's whereabouts are unknown. Now who can guarantee that Taizhou City is truly foolproof and impregnable?
You can be a thief for a thousand days without any trouble, but you can guard against thieves for a thousand days. What you are guarding against are Zhu Tiandu and Zhu Polong, who travel all over the world and travel across the five oceans. How can you guard against them?
Now this crippled beggar said that he had a fight with the "Crocodile God of the Four Seas" and even beat him to a disability?
Such shocking remarks, coupled with Xu Xing's current appearance, have an indescribable sense of absurdity.
So much so that the first thought of everyone present was not whether to believe it or not, but whether to find Dr. Li for Mr. Xu so that he could feel his nephew's pulse and check his illness.
That's right. It's strange that he became disabled at a young age and has no mental problems.
After all, Xu Wei had an extraordinary mind and quickly calmed down, solemnly saying:
"Are you sure?"
Xu Xing nodded, knowing that his uncle had left the state of being a filial piety and entered work mode, and could communicate efficiently, so he said:
"This man still had injuries from Qi Yuanjing, so I kicked him in the lower abdomen and broke a big tendon.
No matter how good the magic medicine is, he will have to cultivate for at least three months. ”
The middle-aged swordsman following Xu Wei couldn't help but said:
"Zhu Polong's physical strength is almost the best in the world. I dare to ask this little master, what method was used to hurt him?"
The man was wearing a dark green robe, with cloth belts wrapped around his wrists and sleeves. He had one long and one short ancient sword hanging on his waist. The bronze mouthpiece and sword hilt were both glowing. You could tell at the first sight that he was the man. Something to maintain day and night.
This man's mouth and nose have a long breath, his steps are heavy and light, and his posture is like a fish floating in the water. He seems to be a great master. He must be the personal bodyguard sent by the Yamen to Xu Wei.
Xu Xing heard the doubt in his words and didn't find it strange.
Since defeating Zhu Polong and getting rid of the demonic barriers in his heart, Xu Xing has begun to practice boxing to the extreme. His boxing movements are restrained and not revealed.
Even if an ordinary great boxer stood next to him, it would be difficult for him to realize that he was a master.
Xu Xing raised his head, glanced at the swordsman, and said casually:
"Zhu Polong's muscles and bones are extremely strong. I only broke one of his big muscles with the strength of my sword, which was derived from the Spring and Autumn Swordsmanship.
This move is somewhat similar to the 'Kaiyun' in your Qingcheng Sect's Male and Female Dragon and Tiger Swords. If you meet him on the battlefield in the future, you might as well try this move. ”
Xu Xing stretched out his left hand, raised his palm like a knife, and made some gestures.
When the palm sword was struck, it was still quite a distance away from the middle-aged swordsman.
But the moment Xu Xing made his move, the hairs all over the great boxer's body suddenly stood up, and he almost jumped back to avoid his sharp attack.
He only felt that it was not an arm, but a Spring and Autumn sword slashed from across the sky, carrying the evil energy of thousands of soldiers and horses, trying to chop him down and cut him into pieces on the spot.
"This person is so young, but his boxing skills are so fierce?"
The middle-aged swordsman was shocked, but he also confirmed that this was indeed a genuine master's fist.
He looked serious, cupped his fists and said in a deep voice:
"Qingcheng faction Yan Pingsheng, just now he was speechless and bumped into your Excellency. Please forgive me."
Xu Xing nodded to him, waved his hand and said:
"My name is Xu Qingdao. You go out first. I'll talk to my uncle about something."
Hearing the name "Xu Qingdao", the swordsman took a deep breath, but said nothing, turned around and walked out.
Yan Pingsheng, a Qingcheng swordsman, was obviously very prestigious in the yamen, so when he made such a gesture, everyone was in an uproar.
These officials and soldiers who were reminded by Hu Zongxian day and night that they should be calm during major events could no longer restrain themselves and became noisy and chattering.
The important place of the public gate, at this moment, was like an early morning market, exploding with a bang!
They all realize one thing.
It turns out that Zhu Polong was really defeated!
Defeated, the crocodile god who roamed the world was really defeated!
The dull and depressing atmosphere disappeared, replaced by a joy that was almost beating gongs and drums.
Because they understand that from this moment on, the shadow named "Zhu Polong" can no longer cover the sky of Taizhou City!
All of this is thanks to the majestic young master in front of him!
Ouch, this young man is becoming more and more handsome and powerful the more he looks at him.
Xu Wei was most afraid of this kind of chattering scene, so he led Xu Xing away from here without any explanation and walked towards a secret room.
On the way, he turned his head, looked at this strange nephew, and said in wonder:
"Yan Pingsheng, this kid, usually has a very tough temper. He always follows me when eating and sleeping. He never leaves me. How come he listens to you so much?"
Xu Xing said calmly:
"Because he knows that if I can't protect you, then adding him will be useless."
Xu Wei choked again, blew his beard and stared:
"Yes, you, Xu Tafa, are the best in the world. Why do you still beat me like this?"
Xu Xing laughed. In front of Xu Wei, he didn't bother to hide his emotions at all, and said proudly:
"This is a flesh wound. It looks scary, but in fact the muscles and bones are not damaged. It will only take a few days to recover.
By the way, the people I brought are still outside the city. Let them come in. ”
Since Zhu Polong and his people have been wandering in the mountains and forests near Taizhou these days, in order to prevent these big boxers from infiltrating in disguise, the entry and exit control of Taizhou City is extremely strict.
As for Qi Dazhu and his party, there were more than thirty people in total, and they were carrying swords, knives, and guns. They were fully armed. Naturally, the Taizhou defenders would not let them in easily.
Therefore, only Xu Xing, who looked the most miserable, was allowed to enter the city first by the defenders because he claimed to be Xu Wei's nephew.
"Your people?"
Xu Wei suddenly remembered that the news from Hangzhou mentioned that Xu Xing had rushed into the prison to save people, and couldn't help but cut him.
"Brought from Hangzhou?"
Xu Wei said as he walked to the door and covered it.
Xu Xing knew what his uncle meant, nodded, and emphasized the role of this group of people before Xu Wei got angry.
"I have trained more than thirty apprentices who have just started. They have a good foundation in boxing and can be put to great use.
The four instructors sent by Boss Shen are all martial arts masters who are accomplished in boxing. My apprentice is about to become a master in bone refining and has half-stepped into the threshold of a great boxer.
Finally, there is a second-level boxer who is good at swordsmanship. With a sword in his hand, he has endless killing power. ”
Xu Wei was still frowning at first, but knowing that Xu Xing wanted to help him clear the identities of these thirty fugitives, he felt it was a bit tricky.
But after listening, his brows relaxed and he waved his hand.
"I've done this."
If this group of people brought by Xu Xing were put at sea, they would probably be enough to compete with the pirates who ranked in the middle of the thirty-six ship owners.
Being able to accommodate such a powerful force, even if Xu Xing didn't mention it, Xu Wei would consciously deal with those troubles.
After dealing with his worries, Xu Xing spoke very quickly:
"I walked all the way from Chun'an and found no trace of Qi Yuanjing, so I wanted to lure Zhu Polong to fight with me, thus hindering his search for Qi Yuanjing.
But now it seems that he has not found any clues. There is only one possibility. Qi Yuanjing did not come to Taizhou at all.
I have a guess and I want to test it out in a few days. ”
Xu Wei asked directly:
"Qi Yuanjing is a popular figure in the southeast, he is a good soldier, and he is a boxing master. Of course we must do our best to rescue him.
How sure are you and how much support do you need? ”
Xu Xing eloquently said:
"The person who took Qi Yuanjing away should be a good friend I made when I went north. His name is Lu Zhu, and he is a lay disciple of Shaolin Temple.
He had mentioned at the beginning that he would go to Southern Shaolin to exchange Buddhism and martial arts.
Nowadays, the southeast is in chaos. If we want to find another place that can save the master, the only one is Southern Shaolin.
If I want to go, it’s most convenient for me to go alone. ”
Xu Wei pondered for a moment and nodded: "That makes sense. As for Taizhou city defense, there is no need to worry too much for the time being. Hu Ruzhen has already sent a letter to the court. Counting the days, the experts sent by the central government should also be on their way."
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Xu Xing frowned and said worriedly:
"The situation in the southeast has deteriorated to this point, all because Qingliu and Yandang are working hard behind the scenes.
The old emperor is also a clay-body wood sculpture who does nothing. Under the constraints of both sides, can the center really respond so quickly? ”
Xu Wei was a crazy student, so naturally he would not take Xu Xing's words about the emperor seriously.
He nodded first, then shook his head:
"Our emperor is indeed a mean and ungrateful person, but he still has some old feelings to cherish, otherwise he should completely eradicate the Yan family and replace him with a new one.
Since those in the cabinet are determined to be the chief assistant, will they still not help him find money?
Lu Bing, who died in Zhu Tiandu's hands this time, was the emperor's close friend since childhood and held a very important position in his heart.
In both the government and the public, there is probably only one internal minister, Lu Fang, who can compare with him.
Therefore, he will definitely take action. ”
Xu Xing nodded silently.
After saying these business matters, Xu Wei looked at his nephew again, and the sadness in his heart suddenly burst out. He narrowed his eyes and sighed.
Check out the 16-9 book bar and see the correct version!
"You... I know you are a human being, but if you do these things, even if the southeast is pacified, how will you live in this world?"
Xu Xing smiled and said optimistically:
"At worst, I can imitate the old man and raise the flag and go to the sea to make a living. Isn't the Japanese slave country in chaos? It's just a good time for me to show off my skills. At least I can make a living."
He paused and then said:
"Besides, I already have a case in my mind. If this can be done, maybe we and that Hu Butang will be able to retire with success in the end, and we won't end up as cunning rabbits and lackeys."
Xu Wei suddenly became interested. He came to sit in front of Xu Xing and urged:
"If there is any good strategy, let's work it out together."
Xu Xing took out a leather booklet from his arms. This was the account book he had specially taken from Qi Dazhu before entering the city.
"This is what I snatched from Blackstone. It contains records of officials from all over the southeast and their transactions with Blackstone."
Xu Wei was more excited to get this kind of thing than a martial artist to see the Boxing Sutra. He came up with hundreds of strategies as soon as he thought about it. He stroked his beard and said with a smile:
"Okay, okay, this thing came just in time, Tafa, you gave me another big surprise."
——
Capital City, Xiyuan, Yuxi Palace.
Since the fire burned down the Longevity Palace, Emperor Jiajing moved to the Yuxi Palace in Xiyuan, and built a Jingshen Jingshe here, which was arranged as an alchemy room for practicing Taoism and Xuanxuan. room.
If there are any important matters on weekdays, the cabinet ministers and several eunuchs from the ceremonial department will discuss matters here.
At this time, Yan Song, the first assistant of the cabinet, and Xu Jie, the second assistant, were kneeling in the main hall of Yuxi Palace.
There is a deep passage on the east side of the main hall, with heavy gauze curtains, leading to Jiajing's sequestered Jingshen Jingshe.
The two of them heard the howling wind in the passage, the air currents surging wildly, and the gauze curtains were being rolled up continuously and slapped against the wall, making a crackling sound like a barrage of cannons.
From a distance, it looks like a group of ghosts in white, dancing wildly in the corridor, constantly making soul-stirring screams.
Such a scene is enough to frighten an ordinary person to the point of splitting his liver and gallbladder, causing him to fall to the ground and faint. But after all, the two pavilion elders are people who have seen the world, and they can actually remain motionless.
A moment later, there was a series of thunderous explosions, which rumbled away. The two of them felt as if the entire monastery and even the palace were shaken.
Then there was the sound of a series of heavy objects falling to the ground and the sound of broken porcelain.
These two figures who stood at the pinnacle of power in the Ming Dynasty did not even dare to take a breath at this time. They just tried their best to lower their bodies, lowered their eyebrows and lowered their eyes, for fear of overstepping the mark.
Especially Yan Song, who is over eighty years old, looks extremely humble.
A few days ago, news of the deaths of Zheng Michang and He Maocai finally reached the central government, with a secret letter from Yan Shifan inciting them to destroy embankments and flood their fields.
Emperor Jiajing was furious because of the thunder.
Although he didn't care about Yan Shifan's method of destroying dikes and flooding fields, after all, Emperor Jiajing himself understood that Yan Shifan's move was just to promote the "conversion of rice into mulberry" as soon as possible and make money for him.
——As for how many people will starve to death and how many will be displaced, that is not what Emperor Jiajing cares about.
But it was hard for him to tolerate Yan Shifan actually making such a mistake, which led to others being caught.
Now that this matter was revealed, Emperor Jiajing, who had always cherished his wings, had to express his feelings.
Therefore, Mr. Xiaoge, known as "the best boxer in the imperial court", was directly sent to Jiubian to support the battlefield outside the Great Wall.
It is said to be support, but in fact anyone with a discerning eye can see that it is not much different from distributing troops.
Suddenly, the government and the public were shocked.
The Yan Party, which was once prosperous for a while, seems to have suddenly fallen into a precarious and precarious situation.
But compared to the urgent report that came today, the so-called "shock" before seemed not worthy of being called a "shock".
There were only a few sentences in the emergency report.
"The pirates attacked Xiangshan at night. Lu Bing, the commander-in-chief of the left rear army, was killed in the battle. The whereabouts of Taizhou commander Qi Jiguang are unknown."
Hu Zongxian, the governor of Zhejiang Province, was a disciple of Yan Song, and the person responsible for converting rice into mulberry was Yan Song's son. Both of them had an inseparable relationship with him.
Now that there is chaos in the southeast, and even Lu Bing died in the battle, the chief assistant naturally has an unshirkable responsibility.
While Yan Song's legs were shaking, Xu Jie, the second assistant, was thinking about another problem.
——Since the Holy Emperor is so angry, will he directly lead a personal expedition to attack Zhu Tiandu?
Everyone knows that Zhu Tiandu's boxing skills are unparalleled in the world, ranking first in Wuzhilu.
But only these cabinet ministers, who are qualified to meet the Holy Master from time to time, know that the Holy Master, who has not been in court for decades and only focuses on studying alchemy, has truly unfathomable boxing skills.
After all, even Yan Shifan, who is known as the best boxer in the court, was personally trained by the Holy Master.
I don’t know how much time had passed before an extremely deep and long sigh came from the monastery.
"In the eighteenth year of Jiajing, I went out of the palace to patrol the south and was assassinated. It was Lu Wenming who stepped forward and saved me from the sea of fire.
In the 21st year of Jiajing, the remnants of Wudang teamed up with people from the White Lotus Sect and bribed the palace maids with the intention of assassinating me. It was Lu Wenming who saved me from danger.
In the 29th year of Jiajing, the four great Mongolian masters joined forces to attack the capital. It was Lu Wenming who rode out of the city alone, galloped across the city and killed one of them, forcing the Tatars to retreat and leaving the capital intact.
The righteousness between the king and his ministers, the love between brothers, even thinking about it now makes me sad. Now that Lu Wenming is dead, I have to avenge this revenge. ”
While he was talking, a tall and thin figure walked out of the monastery.
He was wearing a silk robe, his hair was tied in a bun, and his black beard was fluttering. He was like a heavenly being banished to the mortal world, and he had an air of immortality, as if he was going to ride the wind back home.
Xu Jie suddenly raised his head and stopped talking.
Jiajing glanced sideways at Xu Jie and said only:
"I have made up my mind!"
Although his words were not passionate, there was a kind of majesty and courage that enveloped the whole world, making Xu Jie dare not say any more words.
Xu Jie could only try his best to think on the bright side. If His Majesty really took charge of the expedition, at least the people in the southeast would be calmed down, and the matter of changing rice to mulberry should be put on hold.
——
To the north, a group of cavalry was galloping towards the northwest outside the fortress. They were all wearing heavy helmets and bright armor, with dazzling blades, holding flags high, and smoke billowing all the way. They looked like the elite of the army.
Then, among these elites, there was a man wearing a scarlet cloak, but no armor underneath, just an ordinary cloth, and no helmet, just galloping on horseback with bare hands.
This person was Yan Shifan who was demoted from the capital and rushed to help Jiubian as a general.
At midnight, the cavalry camped on the spot and made fires to make food.
When Yan Shifan was closing his eyes to rest in the military tent, he suddenly opened his eyes and ordered to a personal guard:
"There is a letter coming from outside. Go and get it."
The guard was a little confused, but he didn't show it. He just walked out of the tent with his knife and waited outside the military camp.
Not long after, a man came on a flying horse and shouted:
"There is a letter in Beijing, please forward it to Lord Yan for personal acceptance!"
The guard took the letter, returned to the camp, and handed it to Yan Shifan. Yan Shifan opened the envelope without lighting a lamp. There were two pieces of paper, and he looked at the first one first.
"Lu Bing died at the hands of Zhu Tiandu?
It seems that my previous whim feeling was indeed not false.
Your Majesty is furious with thunder and points his halberd to the southeast. Do you want to conquer it yourself? ”
Yan Shifan's eyebrows moved, a certain thought in his heart faded a little, and he sighed:
"It is Your Majesty..."
Before he finished speaking, he had already turned to the second piece of letter paper.
"Only Lu Fang was sent?!"
Yan Shifan looked stunned and stagnant for a long time.
He leaned back and covered his face with his hands, his face twitched, and the blazing eyes revealed between his fingers were as bright as burning flames!
——Your Majesty, it turns out you are really old! ! !
I went to see my cousin today. He broke his left hand while riding a bicycle. The fracture was dislocated and he needed surgery. The update is a bit late. It is a 5,600-word chapter. I just want to apologize to all readers.
When I think about the car accident I had at this time last year, and the radial nerve in my right hand has not recovered yet, I feel very sad. Friends, you should always pay attention to safety.
(End of chapter)