In the wind and snow, the big black umbrella slowly came to the palace gate and stopped in front of the Tang civil and military officials. Then it closed, revealing Ning Que and Sangsang under the umbrella.
It was dead silent in front of the imperial city. Only the sound of the cold wind blowing the snow, the sound of the snow falling on the ice of the moat, and people's own breathing could be heard.
These bigwigs looked at Ning Que and frowned at the same time. They seemed to be very confused about what Mr. Thirteen of the Academy wanted to do on the day General Xiahou left the capital.
Their complicated expressions and confusion were actually cover-ups.
They all knew about the rumor and knew that the military had investigated Ning Que's connection with the murder cases, so they could guess his intention. But from summer to autumn and then to winter, Chang 'an had been peaceful for a long time. When the whole world thought that Ning Que had given up, he really appeared.
In the silence, everyone looked at Ning Que with vigilance and uneasiness. Zeng Jing, the Grand Secretary of the Imperial Library, looked at Sangsang beside Ning Que with a worried expression.
Prince Li Peiyan slowly took a step forward and looked at Ning Que with hidden anger. He said, "What do you want to do?"
General Xu Shi looked at Ning Que expressionlessly and said, "If you want to assassinate a general of the Tang Empire in front of all the civil and military officials, I will admire your courage and stupidity."
The snow continued to fall toward the imperial city.
Ning Que brushed off the thick snow on his shoulder and said, "Even if I have the courage, I will not be so stupid. But since I am here, I have to do something."
Xu Shi said lightly and sarcastically, "What can you do in front of the law of the Tang Empire?"
The change in front of the imperial city gate had alarmed the Yulin Royal Guards and the imperial bodyguards. The chief eunuch who had sent General Xiahou to the exit had already run into the palace as fast as he could to inform His Majesty of the news.
Many imperial court subordinates came from the square and walked behind the adults. They opened umbrellas to shelter them from the wind and snow. In front of the red wall, flowers of different colors suddenly bloomed.
Ning Que's big black umbrella had been put away and was held in Sangsang's hand. The master and handmaiden stood in the wind and snow calmly, looking at the more and more umbrellas in front of them.
The shadows of the umbrellas shrouded the faces of the adults. No one could see the emotions on their faces, nor could they see the thoughts in their eyes.
Ning Que looked at Xu Shi and said calmly, "The law of the Tang Empire comes first. This is the iron rule of the Academy. As a disciple of the Academy and a student of the Headmaster of the Academy, I will certainly abide by it. Therefore, I think it is extremely absurd that the military is investigating whether I am a suspect in those murders."
Xu Shi frowned slightly and said, "There are so many old officials of the imperial court standing in the wind and snow talking to you. Do you think they want to hear you clear your name?"
Ning Que did not pay any more attention to the military leader of the Tang Empire. He turned to look at Xiahou and said, "Many people are guessing what I will do. I believe you have been guessing too. In fact, from the day I decided to kill you, I have been guessing what I will do."
Indeed, the most important bigwigs of the Tang Empire in front of the imperial city had been guessing what Ning Que would do. Even when they saw him at this time, they did not know what he was going to do.
Ning Que looked at Xia Hou and said seriously, "It was not until autumn that I finally understood what I should do."
"I want to challenge you."
…
…
His voice was not very clear in the howling wind and snow. However, the content of this sentence was clearly passed through the wind and snow and into everyone's ears.
The voice gradually disappeared from the vermilion palace wall. A thin piece of paper floated out of Ning Que's sleeve. Ignoring the heavy snow falling from the sky, it slowly and steadily floated in front of Xia Hou. No matter how strong the wind in front of the imperial city and how heavy the snow was, it seemed to have no effect on this thin piece of paper.
Xiahou silently looked at Ning Que who was not far away. He looked at the white paper that seemed to be pulled by countless strings and slowly floated towards him. There was no emotion on his face that was covered by the shadow of the umbrella.
He raised his right hand and grabbed the thin piece of paper that floated in front of him.
It was a letter of challenge.
…
…
From the moment Ning Que said that he wanted to challenge Xia Hou, it became even quieter in front of the imperial city. Even the sound of the wind and snow seemed to have disappeared. His words echoed in everyone's ears, and everyone's eyes were fixed on the thin piece of paper that was moving forward slowly and firmly in the wind and snow.
Ning Que wanted to challenge General Xiahou head-on? Everyone thought that they had misheard, because in their opinion, this was something that would never happen.
People in the imperial court certainly knew that Ning Que was the core disciple of the Headmaster of the Academy and had learned Talisman Taoism from Master Yan Se. In less than two years of cultivation, he had already become a powerhouse in the Seethrough State.
The upper Seethrough State was almost like an immortal in the eyes of mortals. However, decades ago, General Xiahou was already a powerhouse in the Peak State of Martial Arts and one of the most powerful men in the world. What qualifications did Ning Que have to challenge Xiahou?
This was like a flower challenging a forest, a mantis challenging a horse carriage, an egg challenging a stone mountain, and a beggar challenging the great Emperor.
General Xu Shi silently thought that Ning Que was probably really driven crazy. If he was not crazy, how could he do such a crazy thing?
Prince Li Peiyan's face was a little stiff, but in an instant, it became gentle again. He felt that he had probably guessed Ning Que's thoughts.
— Ning Que's father's death was absolutely irreconcilable, and he could not go against the will of the Academy and the law of the Tang Empire. So he came to challenge Xiahou. Even if he lost, it would be considered an explanation.
After the shock, people in front of the imperial city came up with two different ideas. If Ning Que was not crazy, then he was only challenging General Xiahou for spiritual comfort.
Looking at Ning Que who was bathed in the wind and snow and his calm expression, bigwigs did not think that he was really crazy. Then they thought that there should not be anything too bloody next.
Ning Que could not defeat General Xiahou. Even if General Xiahou won this duel, he could not really kill Mr. Thirteen for the sake of the Academy and the Headmaster of the Academy.
Yes, things should be like this.
However, what happened next directly destroyed all their imaginations and expectations.
Ning Que took a small knife from Sangsang's hand and used the blade to stab his left palm. Then he began to move. The blade moved very slowly on his palm, and the sharp blade slowly cut a long wound. Blood began to ooze out, and the slightly white skin was instantly dyed red.
There were exclamations and gasps in front of the imperial city. People looked at the blade cutting slowly on his palm, as if the sharp tip of the knife was cutting their own bodies, and it was extremely painful.
Ning Que was not affected by these exclamations. His expression was calm and very focused, as if he was not cutting his palm, but carving a flower in his palm.
"Ning Que! You are crazy! "
Zeng Jing, the Grand Secretary of the Imperial Library, could no longer keep silent. He anxiously walked out of the crowd and looked at Sangsang, yelling, "Hurry up and stop him!"
Sangsang lowered her head and looked at her boots stepping in the snow.
The Prince's face suddenly became abnormally pale. General Xu Shi's fluttering snow-white eyebrows suddenly dropped, as if he could not bear a heavy burden. Everyone in front of the imperial city looked extremely shocked.
Only Xiahou remained expressionless and silent. He calmly and attentively watched Ning Que cut his palm, and the two iron eyebrows in the shadow slowly raised.
What shocked and even astonished the crowd was not the pain that Ning Que might bring by cutting his palm, but the meaning of his action.
The Tangs worshiped martial arts, and their temperament was simple and direct. If they did not agree with each other, they would often punch each other. Duels became the most common scene in Chang 'an. On that spring night two years ago, Ning Que and Sangsang returned from the City of Wei to Chang 'an and saw a duel on the street that night.
At that time, he explained to the little handmaiden beside him that the rule of duels in Chang 'an was that cutting one's sleeve represented a challenge, and that it was called a live game. As long as there was a winner, it would be fine. However, if the challenger cut his left palm, it meant that the duel was a dead game.
At this time, in the snow of the imperial city, Ning Que slowly cut his left palm, which meant that the challenge he issued to Xiahou today was not a spiritual comfort as people had previously thought, but a dead game of life and death.
Although the civil and military officials present were of high status and could not be challenged, they all lived in Chang 'an and knew this extremely well-known rule.
So they were shocked and even pale.
In their view, General Xiahou would definitely win today's challenge. However, if it was a dead game, and Ning Que died, with his identity as a core disciple of the Headmaster of Academy, it would still have a terrible impact on the imperial court of the Tang Empire.
Li Peiyan stared at Ning Que with a pale face and said, "Are you going to use your life in exchange for the Headmaster's anger? Is it worth it? And what kind of person is the Headmaster, how can he be used by you? "
The blade had already cut the base of his palm. Ning Que stopped moving and raised his head. His expression was still so calm, as if the pain in his palm did not affect him at all.
He looked at the prince and said, "What does this have to do with Your Highness? Are you afraid that I will challenge you next? "
Xu Shi looked at him and said expressionlessly, "A duel of life and death requires the approval of the government. I can tell you that no one in the imperial court of the Tang Empire dares to approve this duel."
"When Daoshi Monk came to challenge me, it was approved by the Military Ministry. When Liu Yiqing challenged me, it was also approved by the Military Ministry. Today, I challenge General Xiahou, does the Military Ministry not approve?"
Ning Que looked at him and asked seriously, "Does the Tang Empire's military have any shame?"
Xu Shi frowned slightly and did not speak.
Ning Que looked at everyone in front of the imperial city and said, "You all say that the law of the Tang Empire is the first. Fine, I will challenge according to the law of the Tang Empire. I want to know who can stop me?"
Then he looked at Xiahou and said, "Unless you don't accept it."
Xiahou slowly stroked the thin letter of challenge between his fingers. His expression was a little strange. He looked at him and said, "Your choice is indeed beyond my expectation."
Ning Que said, "I have never taken the ordinary path."
Xiahou lightly flicked the thin paper in his hand and said, "When I saw this paper moving slowly in the wind and snow, I knew that your Psyche Power is very sensitive. It is a pity that your Snow Mountain and Ocean of Qi are blocked, and your control of the Qi of Heaven and Earth is extremely bad, even worse than the Seethrough State that you should have. You are so bad, and yet you want to challenge me. I can only say that you have embarked on a dead end."
Ning Que looked at him and said, "I have no other path to take, so I have to take this path. As for whether it is a dead end, I will know when I reach the end."
Xiahou said, "For you, challenging me head-on is the worst choice."
Ning Que said, "Since it is the only choice, then it is the best choice."
…
…
(Ning Que's choice was decided when I started the book. It was decided on the night he and Sangsang entered Chang 'an. It was really the only choice and the best choice. But he is not Xu Le. He doesn't know the concept of bravery. It's just a decision made after careful consideration and helplessness. I am here to report that there is still some time before I kill Xiahou. This is just a bone, and I have other things to write. It is meat, very important, and there is more today.) (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian.Com to vote for me. Your support is my biggest motivation.)
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