Chapter 58: The great road is like the sky, you will find your own way forward, I hope all living beings will see peace (7500)
In mid-August, a piece of good news came to the capital.
Since the two leaders Zhu Tiandu and Zhu Polong, as well as the thirty-six captains, have been completely deprived of their backbone, the pirates have been turned into a ball of loose sand, and the rest are just swept away like wind and clouds.
After the Battle of Aobei Island, Qi Jiguang did not rest, and rushed forward like a raging wave along the established front line. The flag of the Qi family army was only chasing death and chasing north, and there was no way to fight with each other.
Even Hu Zongxian, the governor of Zhejiang Province, did not shy away from the target. He went to the battlefield in person and fought bravely to be the first. He almost seemed to sacrifice himself for his country's loyalty.
Fortunately, the soldiers of the Qi family fought bravely and Qi Jiguang was properly protected, so he did not die in the battle, but he inevitably suffered some injuries. In addition, his old illness recurred and he could not bear the pain of the boat, so he could only stay in Taizhou to rest.
Within fifteen days, the Qi army marched for more than a thousand miles, and with nine battles and nine victories, they wiped out thirty-six ships of pirates who had been causing trouble in the southeast for decades. The suffering of countless people along the coast, who had suffered burning, killing and looting, was finally put to an end.
After receiving the news, an unknown person also said with emotion: "Sweeping thousands of troops is like a mammoth roll."
After this battle, Qi Jiguang was even dubbed the "Tianzhu of the Southeast, Unparalleled against Bandits".
At this time of year, this is excellent news.
However, after Qi Jiguang won nine major victories in a row, he did not follow the order and went to the capital to receive the title. Instead, he insisted on staying in the southeast and continued to suppress the pirates, which added some gloom to this happy event.
In a quiet room in Taizhou City, Hu Zongxian, who was still intact, saw this urgent letter and was so angry that he slapped the table and said angrily:
"Xu Wenchang, what on earth do you want to do!"
In the quiet room, Xu Wei looked at the governor of Zhejiang Province, smiled slightly, and said warmly with a kind attitude that Hu Zongxian had never seen before:
"Brother Ruzhen, you have an old illness, wouldn't you take this opportunity to recuperate?"
Behind him, Li Shizhen didn't speak, but she looked deeply convinced.
Hu Zongxian stretched out his hand, pointed at the Southeastern masters around him, including Yan Pingsheng, and said with an angry smile:
"Recuperation? You call this recuperation?! Xu Wenchang, what on earth do you and Qi Yuanjing want to do!"
Xu Wei looked directly at Hu Zongxian, with a chilling calmness in his eyes. He chuckled and said slowly:
"Hu Ruzhen, from the first day you and I met, I have said what I want to do.
Then I will say it again, since the imperial court is in the midst of a war, it still wants to "change rice into mulberry" to exploit the people in the southeast and condone the pirates to plunder...
Having said this, Xu Wei's eyes suddenly became extremely sharp, like two sharp swords piercing into the heart of Hu Zongxian:
"So what if I represent Southeast and oppose the fucking imperial court?!"
When Hu Zongxian heard this, he was furious and wanted to scold Xu Wenchang, but he found that all the great boxers around him looked calm and unmoved.
Even Li Shizhen, a former imperial doctor who once worked at the Imperial Hospital, nodded slightly after a moment of silence.
After witnessing this scene, Hu Zongxian felt as if all his strength had been drained from him. He suddenly fell down on the bed, lowered his head, looked downcast, and didn't know what to say.
As the governor of Zhejiang Province, how could he not know what kind of suffering the people of the southeast have suffered over the years?
Shouldn't they rise up and rebel? !
Rather, it is extremely incredible that they can bear to raise the flag until now!
Hu Zongxian took a long breath and lamented:
"Chang Wen, you do this, do this..."
In the end, even he couldn't speak anymore.
After learning the news, Hu Zongxian's first reaction was, how could this be possible?
However, after seeing Xu Wei's firm eyes and the expressions of common hatred among many great boxers, the tone and belief in Hu Zongxian's chest involuntarily weakened.
——Why can’t it be done?
In terms of wealth, the tax revenue from the southeast accounts for tens of percent of the world's taxes. It has always been said to be a cornucopia. After Qi Jiguang defeated the pirates, he would be able to seize the opportunity to control the sea routes.
In terms of military strength, the Qi family army was originally an army trained by Qi Jiguang. The middle-level officers among them were all boxers trained by Xu Xing. They were trustworthy if they really wanted to do something.
More importantly, after this great victory, Xu Xing and Qi Jiguang were completely disappointed by the people in the southeast. Some people even secretly built a shrine to the "Great Sage Huntian" who tore Zhu Laolong to pieces. .
As for the imperial court, the "conversion of rice to mulberry" policy had triggered several popular uprisings in the southeast, and it could be said that the people's support had been lost.
Looking at it this way, Xu Wei and others are sitting on thousands of miles of fertile land, hundreds of thousands of armored men, and they have won the hearts of the people, which is quite disappointing.
Moreover, there is also the Great Sage in the opponent's formation who is firmly seated as the best person in the world.
You know, Zhu Tiandu alone has caused unrest in the southeast for decades, leaving the court helpless and helpless. It can only watch as he controls the sea lanes, gradually grows in power, and becomes a serious problem.
If the Great Sage Huntian, who is younger, has a tougher wrist, and has more advanced boxing skills, comes and breaks the mountains and rivers, and turns the world upside down, what's the difficulty?
The more Hu Zongxian thought about it, the more desperate he became. He felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. His face was sad and desolate, as if he had aged more than ten years all of a sudden, and he felt like he was dying.
Xu Wei just sneered:
"Hu Ruzhen, to be fair, if it were us, would we be worse than the emperor?"
Hu Zongxian raised his head and looked directly at his closest comrade. He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but he hesitated and remained silent.
Seeing him like this, Xu Wei couldn't bear it. He stopped threatening him and said sincerely:
"There are also our helpers in the center. If we can cooperate inside and outside, we may not reach the point of full-scale war."
When he said this, Xu Wei felt a rare guilty conscience, but he quickly adjusted himself and became even more confident, and his words were resounding.
After all, it was Tafa himself who took action, what could possibly go wrong?
When Hu Zongxian heard this, his eyes flickered for a while, then he just turned around, facing the wall, and said no more.
Xu Wei knew this old friend's temperament, so he didn't try to persuade him. He just said:
"We will know the results in two months at the latest. You, Mr. Hu, won't be willing to wait for this time, right?"
Hu Zongxian's back remained motionless. After a long time, a sound of gnashing teeth came out.
"Yeah."
Just five days after the war in the southeast was settled, the capital received another good news. Yan Shifan, the elder of the small pavilion, raided King Anda's tent alone and killed all the three remaining masters of the Mongolian tribes.
The frontier army's light cavalry then arrived, covering up and killing Anda's remnants, beheading more than 10,000 people, leaving blood flowing all the way, corpses strewn across the fields, and countless horses, camels, cattle and sheep seized, and rare treasures piled up like mountains.
For a time, Yan Shifan's reputation was spreading rapidly.
You know, although Zhu Tiandu is ranked first in the "Wuzhilu", that is because Anda Khan is the leader of various Mongolian tribes and is not a martial artist, so he is not included in it.
In fact, in the eyes of many people, Anda Khan, the overlord of the grasslands, and Zhu Tiandu, the giant of the sea, were the two most important henchmen in the north and south of the Ming Dynasty.
Which one is better in boxing between the two? After all, they have never fought before, so it is difficult to draw a conclusion. But in terms of power, status, military power, and men, Anda Khan is definitely better than Zhu Tiandu by more than one margin.
After all, although Zhu Tiandu was famous and powerful, he only attacked Jiangning Mansion, while Anda Khan actually led his army, showed off his power outside the capital, and burned and looted for eight days before leaving. .
It can be said that he completely trampled the face of the Ming Dynasty under his feet and established his own reputation.
Moreover, in addition to this contemporary overlord and the hero of this generation, the other two great lamas also have great backgrounds. One of them is over ninety years old, almost a hundred years old.
This great Living Buddha once traveled south to the Central Plains and exchanged Buddhist Dharma and martial arts with the great monks in Northern Shaolin, the ancestral home of Zen Buddhism.
That time, the eighteen stick monks of the North Shaolin Bodhidharma Academy joined forces and besieged them. Within the time of burning incense, they did not even shake the opponent's golden body. From then on, he also had a "Great Vajra King" in the Central Plains martial arts. nickname.
But these three great masters and masters who stood at the pinnacle of martial arts were killed by Yan Shifan in one fell swoop. What kind of terrifying boxing technique was this?
After this battle, the name "Immortal Official" spread throughout the country again, and the "Great Sage Huntian" had the potential to fight against the emperor.
Even with the tireless advocacy and publicity of officials in the DPRK and the Central Committee, Yan Shifan's reputation was even better than that of Xu Xingtou.
All the officials in the DPRK and the Central Government were celebrating, feeling much relieved as the mountain above their heads had been removed. However, there were still a group of people, a group of officials who were incompatible with Yan Song and Yan Shifan, who felt greater pressure and frustration.
Beijing.
It is now the time of late autumn when the cold dew is beginning to set and the frost is getting colder. Heavy iron clouds cover the sky, blocking out the stars and moon.
A middle-aged scribe with a slender figure, a beard that fell to his abdomen, and an elegant face was standing under the dead tree in front of the court, looking at the horizon.
His skin is smooth and delicate, his skin is plump, his limbs are strong and strong, and his every move shows great energy and vitality. He is obviously a pampered big man, and he is well maintained on weekdays.
This person was Zhang Juzheng, an official in the Ministry of War at that time. He had already joined the cabinet at the age of thirty-five and was a leader of the Qingliu party. He had always acted decisively, courageously and well-organized, so he was quite respected.
Because he is young and is in charge of the Ministry of War, this young minister's graceful and noble aura is mixed with a touch of high-spirited spirit.
However, facing the current situation in the world, this young pavilion elder who has always been extremely knowledgeable and resourceful can't help but feel a little trapped and helpless.
Yan Shifan had just won a great victory in the northwest and would soon be returning to the DPRK. In order to cope with the changes in the situation in the southeast, the Holy Emperor would definitely rely on his boxing skills and military might and would not touch Yan Dang lightly.
In fact, in order to appease Yan Shifan, the Holy Emperor may even expel some elite figures from the cabinet.
Although Emperor Jiajing has not revealed this intention, several major leaders within Qingliu have a tacit understanding and have had close discussions.
As the youngest and most junior one, Zhang Juzheng was naturally regarded as an outcast by the other two Qingliu bosses who could regress.
Zhang Juzheng naturally understood the reason for this. He knew that if he were to change places, he would definitely make the same choice.
However, after the small meeting was over and he returned to his residence, looking at the dark sky, Zhang Juzheng still felt a trace of deep worry in his heart.
The Yan Party has become so powerful that it not only has the wily and scheming chief assistant Yan Song, but also has a small pavilion boss Yan Shifan who is both civil and military and has extremely high boxing skills. The situation is almost uncontrollable.
Even if His Majesty, who is always unpredictable, can he really control the situation as always after losing the help of Lu Qingtian and Eunuch Lu?
At this moment, a thin sound sounded from the courtyard.
Zhang Juzheng turned around suddenly and saw a tall man with fair skin, his back to him, standing with his hands behind his back, looking at the entire courtyard, and said leisurely:
"Good Feng Shui, good courtyard. I have long heard that there is a Master Lan Dao Xing Lan in the capital, who is proficient in Feng Shui. I guess he is the one who can help you decorate this place?"
As he spoke, the man turned around.
It was Xu Xing who had just come all the way from the southeast.
Zhang Juzheng couldn't help but look sideways, not because he recognized his identity, but mainly because this man's appearance was too young and too handsome.
When Xu Xing first opened a martial arts school in Chun'an, he was famous for his beautiful appearance that "cultivates bamboos and jade trees, and is rich and handsome".
Now that he has become an immortal, his appearance has improved to a higher level, and his temperament is unique. He has a detached air of independence from the world, and a blazing heat brought by the body-burning fire.
The two temperaments were mixed together, making him look like a sun that hung alone in the sky but still illuminated all living beings.
Therefore, the moment he saw Xu Xing, a word naturally popped into Zhang Juzheng's mind.
——The watch of heaven and sun!
After calming down for a while, Zhang Juzheng didn't show much emotion when faced with this uninvited guest who broke into his courtyard. He cupped his hands towards him and talked and laughed calmly:
"I never thought that Zhang's small humble house could host a peerless figure like the 'Great Sage' who looks down on the world and is invincible. He is really lucky.
Unexpectedly, at such a young age, the Great Sage was not only able to practice boxing to the pinnacle, he was also proficient in Feng Shui, which really surprised Zhang.
Your discernment is correct. This place was indeed decorated by Master Lan himself. ”
Xu Xing waved his hand and said with a smile:
"If you want to climb to the top of martial arts, you need to study the way of heaven and man. Every move and every breath of the human body is vaguely consistent and related to the changes in heaven and earth. The truth and the way of Feng Shui are different paths leading to the same goal."
After listening to this, Zhang Juzheng was deeply impressed: "The great sage's boxing skills are indeed extraordinary and reach a miraculous level."
Xu Xing stopped continuing this topic and went straight to the point:
"I came to the capital this time for two main things. The most important thing is to see you, and the second thing is to kill the emperor."
When he said this, Xu Xing looked calm and his tone did not waver at all, as if this was a normal and trivial matter.
But when this kind of "normality" fell into Zhang Juzheng's ears, it was like thunder on the ground.
No matter how good he was at cultivating Qi, he was startled by Xu Xing's direct poke. He was frightened. After a while, he calmed down and said with a wry smile:
"The Great Sage didn't come to me because he wanted to... incite rebellion against me."
At the end of the sentence, Zhang Juzheng's expression was extremely weird.
If Xu Xingzheng hadn't been standing in front of him, he would never have believed that this newly promoted "Number One Rebel" would actually target him.
He really didn't expect that in the eyes of the great sage, meeting him would be more important than assassinating the king and killing the driver.
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Thinking of this, Zhang Juzheng felt a little bit flattered despite being weird.
Even for an upstart minister like him who stood at the top of power in the Ming Dynasty and was used to the ups and downs, the "recognition" and "respect" of Xu Xing, the resident immortal, seemed so precious.
Xu Xing shook his head:
"Strictly speaking, I intend to let you help with the aftermath, and I also intend to give you a chance to realize your ambitions."
After saying that, he chuckled:
"I believe that you, Zhang Taiyue, are a smart man. As long as you clarify your interests and benefits, you will definitely make the right choice. We also cooperated pretty well in the southeast."
Southeast, cooperation?
"It turns out that the account book is yours, so aren't you and Xu Wenchang...?"
Zhang Juzheng is such a smart man. Xu Xing just made a slight move, and he immediately understood. The context of the situation in the southeast that was previously unclear was suddenly revealed and became clear!
The great sage Huntian and the number one rebel in the world were all directed and acted by Southeast from the beginning to the end!
Zhang Juzheng felt that his mouth and throat were a little dry, and there was a kind of cold air rising from the tailbone, soaking into the skin, flesh and bone marrow little by little, chilling his lungs and penetrating the sky.
The way he looked at Xu Xing was like looking at an unpredictable and unpredictable monster.
After a long time, Zhang Juzheng opened his mouth, smiled bitterly, and said in a harsh voice:
"The world only knows that the Great Sage has unparalleled boxing skills. Unexpectedly, his scheming is so deep..."
Xu Xingdao didn't think this was a scheming, he just said indifferently:
"Based on a little asymmetry in intelligence, we just took advantage of the situation and followed the trend."
After he was beaten to death, an account book was found from the Blackstone veteran in which the Blackstone organization accepted bribes and paid for murders for various officials.
After entering Taizhou City, Xu Xing handed this account book to Xu Wei. When Xu Wei looked through the account book, he immediately realized that most of these officials who hired murderers were members of the strict party.
The reason is very simple. Since the Wheel King returned from Ouchi and took away a group of elite backbones, the Black Stone has basically ceased to exist in name only, and there are not many masters left.
If it weren't for the half-step master Lian Sheng, the Chief of Ceremonies wouldn't even bother to look at them again.
Yan Shifan took the opportunity to hold this remaining force in his hands. On the one hand, he could use the tiger skin of "the palace" to pull the banner, and on the other hand, he could secretly eliminate the opposition forces in the DPRK.
Although Xu Wei didn't know the whole story, he also knew that if he wanted to make good use of this rare weapon and achieve a fatal blow, he needed to find a better user.
He himself is Hu Zongxian's staff, and Hu Zongxian is Yan Song's die-hard confidant, so he is not suitable to come forward directly.
Therefore, Xu Wei revealed the information in the account book to Qingliu's representative in the southeast, Taizhou Magistrate Tan Lun.
He hoped that Tan Lun could use the power of the Qingliu Party as a lever to force those strict party officials in various confidential positions in the southeast to change their ways, or at least not dare to make trouble in the dark.
At that time, the Yan Party had already suffered a major blow when Yan Shifan was demoted to the northwest and sent to the nine-sided battlefield. As the party leader, Yan Song could only rely on the southeast pillar of Hu Zongxian.
Therefore, from the standpoint of Party Yan, he naturally did not want the war to kill the Japanese pirates to end as soon as possible. Yan Song even sent several private letters, hoping that Hu Zongxian would not kill all the pirates and let him support the Japanese pirates to respect themselves.
As long as there is war in the southeast, Emperor Jiajing will not touch Hu Zongxian. By protecting Hu Zongxian, he will also protect the entire Yan Party.
Whether it was for party struggle or for peace in the world, Qingliu would naturally not want to see this kind of thing.
Therefore, Tan Lun quickly agreed to Xu Wei's request, reported the matter to several leaders in Qingliu, and quickly launched action.
Because of this, the entire Southeast can unite closely and concentrate manpower and material resources to defend Taizhou City.
Zhang Juzheng naturally remembered this incident. After all, they had really gained a lot of benefits through that account book.
I am afraid that no one in the government or the public could have imagined that there was not just a slight tacit understanding between the Great Sage Huntian and the Southeast government, but a real and deep connection!
After thinking about this matter, Zhang Juzheng suddenly realized something.
He hesitated several times, but he always felt in his heart that the great sage had no ill intentions, so he still asked:
"Since the Great Sage has such a far-reaching layout in the southeast, do you dare to ask Governor Hu if he is...?"
Xu Xing raised his head, glanced at him, and asked with interest:
"Why, isn't Hu Ruzhen a member of the strict Party? Are you still concerned about his safety?"
Seeing Xu Xing's half-smiling expression, Zhang Juzheng felt like he was entering a palace to meet a saint. He subconsciously felt his breath suffocating and immediately lowered his head. After a while, he finally regained his breath.
It wasn't until this moment that he truly realized that the person in front of him was a peerless strong man with unrivaled boxing skills and a reputation for being unscrupulous and unscrupulous.
But in the end, Zhang Juzheng still raised his head, looked directly into Xu Xing's eyes, paused for a moment, and whispered:
"Hu Ruzhen is a person who does practical things. If the Great Sage really wants to do great things, he should be spared his life."
Xu Xing could naturally feel the unabashed sincerity in Zhang Juzheng's words. Even though he belonged to two parties, he really felt sorry for Hu Zongxian.
After realizing this, Xu Xing couldn't help but feel more and more satisfied with Zhang Juzheng. He was indeed a well-organized person who could do great things. He couldn't help but smile and said bluntly:
"The practical things Hu Zongxian has done over the years are obvious to all the people in the southeast. Naturally, I will not let him suffer.
To be honest, if it weren't for the sake of preserving his life and reputation, I wouldn't bother to do such a troublesome thing. ”
Zhang Juzheng just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Xu Xing continue:
"Now that I have done it, I want to do my best. I have a method here that may make the world a better place.
Zhang Taiyue, do you want to give it a try with me, a madman? ”
Such an unpretentious and straightforward request is like Xu Xing's boxing technique, which has always been about hitting hard and overwhelming others with overwhelming force. It has almost no tricks, but it has a kind of convincing courage inexplicably.
Zhang Juzheng could even predict that Xu Xing's next words would completely shake his mind and even shake his position as a minister of the Ming Dynasty.
Yes, yes...
Facing Xu Xing's confident look and gaze, Zhang Juzheng could not look away, nor could he refuse his curiosity.
Of course Xu Xing noticed his inner struggle, but he didn't do much to persuade him. He just said:
"I said this method was not thought up by myself. It was a fragment of a book left by a hermit. If you meet him in the future, you might as well tell him this. Maybe he can make some new discoveries."
Can we meet the remnants of the hermit again?
Zhang Juzheng felt a little strange, but he didn't ask. Instead, he concentrated on waiting for what Xu Xing would say next.
Xu Xing immediately opened the book. He has always been a person who likes to do things to the best of his ability. Now that he recognizes Zhang Juzheng, he will treat Zhang Juzheng honestly and not hide anything.
Of course, if he had just discovered that Zhang Juzheng was showing any signs of being different from what he appeared to be, he would have killed him immediately without any hesitation.
"This method is called the virtual king. The most serious harm to the world is the treacherous man and the people, and the king is the only one..."
Zhang Juzheng, who worked in the cabinet and experienced Emperor Jiajing's absence from court for decades, felt particularly deeply about this sentence.
Although he instinctively frowned and wanted to refute, once he thought about it carefully, he felt that it made perfect sense.
In the final analysis, whether it is Yan Dang or others, aren't they just puppets who make money for the emperor?
The "conversion of rice to mulberry" campaign at the beginning of this year brought this issue to the forefront. Even if the government and the public bury their heads in the soil and pretend to be ostriches and say they didn't see it, they can't do it anymore.
I have to say that the Great Sage Huntian in front of me and the great changes in the Southeast were almost all created by the emperor who was bent on seeking immortality and asking questions. So, does this count as self-satisfaction?
After Zhang Juzheng thought briefly, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to Xu Xing's narration. He was so mesmerized that he could hardly extricate himself.
After listening, he sighed and said sincerely:
"This is indeed a good remedy for the world. May I ask the name of this hermit master?"
And Xu Xing, a madman who has no fear of heaven and earth, and has always looked down upon the world, turned out to have a solemn expression at this time. He sighed and said slowly:
"His name is Huang Zongxi, but you must also remember that an idea is an idea, and ultimately it depends on how well you implement it.
Moreover, even this method is not permanent, you, you..."
Zhang Juzheng felt the solemnity in Xu Xing's words, and couldn't help but calm down and look up slowly.
Although he is young, he attaches great importance to these practical matters and is very sensitive to them. Naturally, he understands what Xu Xing means.
Xu Xing sighed again:
"Sometimes, I also think about what formula I should teach you to cure this sick world. After thinking about it, this is the most practical one.
However, this is not the best way. ”
Xu Xing shook his head and sighed:
"Forget it, neither the time nor the era is suitable, but I sincerely hope that one day, you can find a way to the world of great harmony.
A world where old people die, adults are useful, young people have their own strengths, and everyone has their own place. This kind of world is worth pursuing no matter where it is or in what era. ”
As he spoke, Xu Xing showed a look of waning interest. Zhang Juzheng could feel that there was a great loneliness that penetrated into the bones of his bones, emanating from this great and independent great sage.
But this loneliness was gone as soon as it was revealed. After Xu Xing turned his head, he once again became the Great Sage Huntian that Zhang Juzheng was more familiar with.
"However, the road is like the sky. The road is made by generations, not by me alone. Just try it.
As long as tomorrow is better than today, my trip will be considered valuable and meaningful..."
After saying that, Xu Xing turned around and faced Zhang Juzheng. He raised his eyebrows, smiled a little openly, and asked loudly:
"So, Zhang Taiyue, do you have the answer?"
Zhang Juzheng smiled bitterly again, but the light in his eyes was brighter than anything else tonight.
He was wearing his crown and clothes, and with an unprecedented solemn attitude, he bowed his hands respectfully towards Xu Xing and said every word:
"You have what you want, but you don't dare to ask for help."
Although he didn't understand the meaning of Xu Xing's last few words, Zhang Juzheng understood Xu Jun's way very clearly.
He could better understand Xu Xing's indescribable compassion and regret that time had not waited for him.
For these reasons, Zhang Juzheng was willing to pay high respect to the Great Sage Huntian, whom he had only met once.
Xu Xing also flicked his sleeves and left, leaving only a long sigh.
"The next step is all up to you."
(End of chapter)