(I've been away from Jianghu for a long time. I didn't know that I was charging 500 words now. I'm sorry. Finally, I thank you.)
…
…
The restaurant was named Jincui, a famous and luxurious place in Yangzhou City. The dishes were extremely exquisite, and there were several ancient dishes that had been passed down for thousands of years. They could not be found in Chang 'an City.
For the bigwigs of the warlords of Qinghe County, these were nothing. Their attention was not on the table at all. No one raised their chopsticks or glasses. The steam rising from the plates was quickly blown away by the autumn wind and gradually cooled down.
"Master, should we kill them?"
The steward knelt on one knee outside the door and asked in a trembling voice. He could no longer stand the dead silence in the room and wanted an answer as soon as possible.
The two men in the carriage were envoys sent by Chang 'an City to the West-Hill Divine Palace. The hatred between Qinghe County and Chang' an was as deep as the sea, and there was no room for reconciliation. In order to declare their loyalty to the West-Hill Divine Palace and help the Divine Hall solve their inconvenient problems, they had no reason to leave the carriage.
Yes, the West-Hill Divine Palace wanted these two people alive, and there were some people in the West-Hill Divine Palace who wanted them dead. Those people's will was very clear.
However, after a long time, even the faint sound of the wheels rolling on the stone slabs could be heard from afar. The room was still dead silent.
The masters of the warlords of Qinghe County were either livid or cold. Their lips did not move at all, and they did not even blink. They were like statues.
When Jun Mo brought Mu You to the manor by the Fuchun River, Ning Que, who was far away on the Peach Mountain, killed the old master of the Cui family with an iron arrow. Since that day, the warlords of Qinghe County had lost all their confidence and were no longer as sharp as before. Therefore, these masters were hesitating and struggling. No one could make a decision.
They had to have enough information to help them make a decision. Therefore, they were waiting for the latest news from Chang 'an City and the news from the various states and counties of the Tang Empire. They wanted to know if the imperial court of the Tang Empire had really done what the rumors said. They wanted to know if that person was really so ruthless.
Several sharp whistles cut through the gloomy sky and the patter of autumn rain. They entered the restaurant and brought the most accurate news.
Yes, people were killing in Chang 'an, the Gushan Commandery, the Northern Military Camp, the Verdant Canyon, and everywhere in the Tang Empire.
Thousands of captives were executed. Half of the families of the Tang priests who betrayed the Divine Halls of West-Hill were executed. He Mingchi's entire family was executed. Even the family of Xiong Chumo, the Hierarch of the Divine Halls … seemed to be lying in a pool of blood. Too many people died in the autumn rain.
The people in the restaurant were mentally prepared for this. They did not forget that in the spring rain, just before the Tang Empire and the West-Hill Divine Palace reached an agreement, Ning Que led the Yulin Royal Guards and the Fish-dragon Gang into the guild hall of Qinghe Prefecture and killed everyone inside.
Those who had died in the guild hall back then were their brothers, their children, and their relatives. How could they forget them?
The clan lords' expressions grew increasingly gloomy. They were like ice sculptures under the scorching sun, exuding a chill from head to toe.
However, they still did not give the order to attack the carriage on the long street.
After a long time, the dead silence in the restaurant was finally broken by an old voice. It was the clan lord of the Song Clan, who was the most senior among the clans. He looked at the autumn rain outside the restaurant and said weakly, "Please come upstairs."
…
…
There was no fighting or killing. When Chu Youxian and Chenqi walked into the restaurant and walked up the stairs, they saw the seven clan lords behind the threshold. They saw a peaceful scene and heard very gentle greetings.
The dishes on the table had been changed. They were steaming hot and fragrant. The candles under the plates kept them warm even in the cold autumn wind.
The clan lords were like statues that had come to life. There were gentle and reserved smiles on their faces, and their eyes were full of enthusiasm. Some of them took Chu Youxian's hand and sat down, recalling the scenery of the Academy in the old days. Some of them bowed to Chenqi and drank with him. They began to discuss which female dealer in the Silver Hook Casino in the western city was the most beautiful.
It seemed that they had returned to the old days when the clans treated the imperial envoys from Chang 'an carefully and dignifiedly in Yangzhou City. It seemed that nothing had happened between the two parties, that the Tang Navy had not been destroyed in the Great Swamp, and that the officials loyal to the imperial court had not been hanged by them. It seemed that Ning Que had not entered the guild hall in Qinghe Prefecture, that the spring rain had not fallen, and that the autumn rain this year was also fake.
After the greetings came the banquet. Although it was not the autumn wind, the clans hoped that the banquet was to welcome two people who had come to ask for money.
These two people represented the imperial court and the Academy, so it was the imperial court and the Academy who wanted to ask for money. No matter what they wanted, it was fine as long as they did not kill anyone.
The clan lords' voices were very low, which was covered by the autumn rain and the tactical array. Even if the Great Divine Priest of the West-Hill Divine Palace came in person, he might not be able to hear them clearly.
"What do Her Highness and Mr. Thirteen want?"
The clan lord of the Song clan looked at Chu Youxian and Chenqi, and said humbly, "Money, mines, and even my life, we can talk about it."
Ning Que wanted to talk to the world, and in fact, the world also wanted to talk to him. After he had killed so many people in this autumn rain and expressed his attitude to the world, just as he had predicted, Qinghe Prefecture really wanted to talk to him.
The heads had already been laid out. The families in Qinghe County had to consider their future plans. The Divine Hall might win in the end, but they were stuck between the Tang Empire and the Divine Hall. How many of them could survive after the war?
However, things in the world were always unsatisfactory. In the past, when Chang 'an wanted to talk, they did not want to talk. Now that they wanted to talk, it was Chang' an who did not want to talk. At least Chu Youxian and Chenqi did not want to talk. They could talk about the scenery of the Academy and the beautiful dealers in the gambling house, but they did not want to talk about these things.
Because Chang 'an knew very well that Qinghe Prefecture could not return to the Tang Empire, and this was also the premise of the clans' talk. In this case, it was better not to talk.
Seeing Chu Youxian and Chenqi only eating the delicacies on the table, the clan lord of the Song clan said after a moment of silence, "Is it meaningful?"
Chenqi put down the ebony ivory chopsticks in his hand, looked at him quietly, and said, "What do you mean? Killing people? "
"No matter how many people Mr. Thirteen killed, even thousands or tens of thousands of them, what else can he do after killing all the captives and hostages?"
The clan lord of the Song clan said worriedly as if he was one of them, "After all, he can't destroy the world alone."
Chen Seven looked at him in silence and then looked around. He looked at these noble clan heads dressed in embroidered robes and had an extraordinary bearing. Suddenly, he laughed.
He felt that it was just like what Ning Que had said before he left Chang 'an. It was really interesting. The more people they killed, the more docile they would be. Even if they were still burning with the flames of grief and indignation, they would not dare to do anything.
Chenqi's smile gradually disappeared, and his eyes became calm and deep, giving people a strange feeling, which gradually made people at the table uneasy.
Chen Qi thought of what Ning Que had said, but he did not say it out loud. He asked directly, "Who wants to kill us?"
The clan lord of the Song clan answered without hesitation, "Hierarch."
…
…
At night, Chenqi and Chu Youxian sat at the table, thinking about the previous banquet and the conditions put forward by the clans. They looked at each other and could not help shaking their heads.
"What are these people thinking? Are they betting on both sides? Don't they know that they have no right to bargain? How dare they expect the imperial court to accept the current situation and only pay taxes without stationing troops? "Chu Youxian said sarcastically.
Chenqi said, "It's impossible for the clans to side with the imperial court. They just want to show some goodwill in advance. Mr. Thirteen's killing has really frightened many people. Besides, these people in the south always have an inexplicable sense of superiority. They always feel that they have something to gain. Otherwise, why would they betray the West-Hill in the first place? But they have no idea what Mr. Thirteen wants. "
He thought of what Ning Que said again, and could not help shaking his head and laughing, but the hidden meaning in his smile was so cold.
Chu Youxian said, "I don't know how Wang Jinglue is doing."
Chenqi said, "He has been negotiating with those young people on behalf of Mr. Thirteen for several years. I think the negotiation should be going well."
Those bigwigs of Qinghe Prefecture in the restaurant thought that Ning Que's killing was meaningless, but they did not know that in Chenqi's eyes, their banquet was meaningless.
The people Ning Que wanted to talk to were never the heads of the clans, but some young people. He thought that they were the real hope.
The next morning, Chu Youxian and Chenqi set off again. They accepted the kindness and money from the clans of Qinghe Prefecture, but did not leave any message.
The heads of the clans stood on the shore and watched the ships gradually disappearing in the mist of the Great Swamp. They felt a little cold when they thought of Chenqi's eyes in the restaurant yesterday.
Because it was the eyes of a dead man.
…
…
The Great Swamp was so vast that the shore could not be seen. Sailing on it was like sailing in the ocean, which made people feel small.
Chu Youxian knew that he would die if he went to the Peach Mountain, so he relaxed and enjoyed the lake view. He stood in the drizzle with a pot of fruit wine in his hand, like a scholar in a desolate state.
Unfortunately, his mood was soon completely destroyed, because the shadows of many huge ships suddenly appeared on the surface of the lake. Those ships were extremely huge, and their sails covered the sky. They moved on the water like moving mountains, and their auras were astonishing.
The navy of South Jin was here.
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