Zhang Fenghan was speechless. He stared at the note for a long time and his face changed. "What does this mean? This … What is this hidden danger of Wu 'er Gu? "
Liao Ran frowned as if he didn't know where to start. After a while, he hesitantly said, "It's a kind of poison from the northern people. His Royal Highness Yan Wang wandered to Yanhui Town when he was young and was persecuted by the northern people's witch. Even now, the Chen family is still trying to find a way to completely cure him …"
Zhang Fenghan said incredulously, "There's such a thing? Is the Imperial Academy of Medicine all dead? This … "
"Please calm down, Duke Han," Du Wanquan interrupted him. "In the past few years, because of the ancient silk road, I often walked around the northwest area and heard about the barbarian's voodoo. I heard that this Wu 'er Gu seems to be harmful to people's minds. I think General Zhong is also concerned about this and is worried that Your Highness is overthinking."
"When the country is in danger, the Marquis of Stability still rushed to the northwest even though he was injured. Yan Wang is not a stingy person. Duke Du's words are disappointing," Zhang Fenghan said seriously. "Moreover, Master Liao Ran also said that he had this poison since he was young. Until now, I can't see anything wrong with him. It may not affect him much in the future. If General Chung doesn't trust Yan Wang, can he find someone else to take over the abyssal wooden tablet?"
Ever since the capital city was besieged, Zhang Fenghan had become a loyal fan of the Wild Goose King. The umbrella that hung beside her hand was something that she had just taken from his carriage. Whenever the Wild Goose King was mentioned, she would become hot-headed. She wished that she could tell the whole world that "His Highness is the best in the world".
At this time, Old Ling Shu still had not vented his anger, so he continued, "This time is different from two hundred years ago. At that time, the imperial court was tyrannical and had lost the hearts of the people. That was why there were heroes everywhere. Now, there are foreign enemies in the country. The Emperor … Although the Emperor's methods are too harsh, he is diligent and loves the people. He is not wrong. In these troubled times, if the Linyuan Wooden Tablet falls into the hands of someone else, who can guarantee that he will not be disloyal? His Royal Highness Yan Wang was originally a descendant of Heaven's Imperial Majesty. In the face of crisis, he could have succeeded the throne and fled to the Eastern Capital. But instead of going to Luoyang, he stayed on top of the city gate tower! If such a person is not worthy of the Linyuan Wooden Tablet, who else is worthy? "
Du Wanquan was used to being tactful and didn't want to argue with him. He just smiled and said, "I believe that. His Royal Highness Yan Wang's character and talent are impeccable. But when it comes to his body, we laymen can't say anything, right? Why don't we all listen to Miss Chen and order some food and wine first. When Miss Chen's letter arrives, we can make a decision. What do you think? "
Zhang Fenghan's expression relaxed slightly. He shook his head and said self-deprecatingly, "I'm old, but I still have a bad temper. Don't take it to heart."
Before he finished speaking, the three of them heard the sound of flapping wings coming from outside the window at the same time.
Du Wanquan smiled and said, "Speak of the devil."
Wealth God Du pushed open the window. A lively little wooden bird drilled in and gently pecked the table twice. It lay down and didn't move. This wooden bird was even more special than General Zhong's, because the latter was sent by a trusted person. Chen Qingxu's bird was released from the northwest on the way back from the army.
The abdomen of the wooden bird was sealed with a special method. It wasn't a symbolic seal like General Zhong's, but a series of seamless locks. There were 27 holes in it, and a thin needle had to be inserted in order. Otherwise, it would ignite the remaining purple gold in the wooden bird's abdomen. People who didn't know the secret key wouldn't be able to get anything.
The craftsmanship of this special wooden bird was extremely complicated. There were only a few in the Linyuan Pavilion. Even Changgeng didn't know about it. When the westerners besieged the city, he was worried about the safety of the wooden bird's communication.
Du Wanquan took out a silver needle. The other two pairs of eyes fell on his hand at the same time. For a moment, Zhang Fenghan felt an indescribable tension in his heart.
"Wait." Just as Wealth God Du was about to open the wooden bird's seal and take out the letter, Zhang Fenghan suddenly stopped him.
Du Wanquan and Liao Ran looked up at him at the same time.
Although they both belonged to the Linyuan Pavilion, Duke Feng, who had been immersed in the Lingshu Temple all year round, was not familiar with Chen Qingxu, who was a wanderer in Jianghu. They had never seen each other before, let alone understood each other. But for some reason, he had a premonition that the result might not be as he wished.
Zhang Fenghan's face tightened. He said slowly, "Right now, the south of the Yangtze River and the coast of the East Sea are in the hands of the westerners. General Chung is personally guarding the front line, but he is only guarding. He doesn't dare to act rashly. With his military strength and war preparations, it is impossible for him to cross the river. I heard that the westerners are barbaric and cruel. They have already burned down the Jiangnan Academy. That's not a big deal. If the books are gone, they can be printed again.
But if we can't save them, then we can't save them. "Old Lingshu's voice trembled." The land of 'osmanthus seeds in three autumn, ten miles of lotus flowers' has now become a mass of scorched earth. Our treasury is empty, and the Purple Flowing Gold is in urgent need. The wind is leaking everywhere. If the Linyuan Pavilion doesn't do anything, we might as well disperse and go home to take care of our children. What is our destiny? Since we can't be silent, the wooden plaque has to come out. Although we are only peddlers, we don't want to entrust ourselves to the wrong person. In today's world, there is Yan Wang in the court, and there is Marshal Gu outside the Great Wall. Marshal Gu … I don't want to say this, but he has long had dealings with the Linyuan Pavilion, but he has never expressed any intention of getting close. He has the Black Iron Battalion in his hands. He doesn't care about us and has no time to take care of our messy and disorderly resources. If you pass His Royal Highness Yan Wang with this kind of … this kind of groundless reason, what do you plan to do next? "
He spoke with sincerity and did his best to pull Du Wanquan to his side. Even Liao Ran was slightly moved.
But God of Wealth Du was a shrewd person. He wasn't so easily impulsive. After listening to him, he appeared to be fervent and angry, but his mouth still avoided the important point and dwelling on the trivial. "In fact, His Royal Highness Yan Wang has a close relationship with the Linyuan Pavilion since he was a child. He can be considered a member of the Pavilion. When the capital was besieged, wasn't it Your Highness who used the Linyuan Pavilion to build the communication network? When the country is in danger, if there is anything we can do for you, no one will say anything. Whether or not we entrust the wooden plaque to you doesn't make much of a difference, right? "
"That's not the case. You're mistaken." Liao Ran shook his head and said, "If we don't have this wooden plaque, the Linyuan Pavilion will only be able to provide some small convenience. With this wooden plaque, the people of the Pavilion will be able to do everything they can to help. That's different. Linyuan Pavilion has been silent for 200 years. It's all because of this wooden plaque that it maintains and gathers people. In troubled times, everyone wants to protect themselves. If we don't have this wooden plaque, even you and I can only use our power to run errands and send letters. I'm afraid we won't be as useful as the bigger gangs in Jianghu. "
His words were meaningful, and Du Wanquan's face changed slightly.
God of Wealth Du was different from Duke Feng Han, who was so poor that he had to keep a dog company. God of Wealth Du had a big family and a big business. If he was barefooted, his whole family wouldn't be hungry.
If there was someone who didn't want the wooden plaque to reappear in the world, it was undoubtedly God of Wealth Du.
Liao Ran didn't directly expose him. The wooden plaque could mobilize the most mysterious "Hall of Dao" in Linyuan Pavilion. If anyone in the Pavilion didn't agree with the arrangement of the wooden plaque and defected, the Hall of Dao would chase that person to the ends of the earth. In other words, without the wooden plaque, God of Wealth Du might only need to give some pocket money as a token. With this wooden plaque, he had to accept it even if he had to spend all his money.
Liao Ran put his Buddha beads on one by one. "Mr. Du, please bring out the Chen family's wooden plaque."
Du Wanquan was silent for a while, and then he opened the belly of the wooden bird. The last wooden plaque fell out. As soon as it fell on the table, it automatically merged with the other wooden plaques and completed the word "yuan".
Chen Qingxu's scribbled sea-pattern paper rolled out. Liao Ran wiped it away and saw that the note said very simply, "The Chen family will do its best."
Zhang Fenghan was a little stunned for a moment. "That's it?"
Liao Ran smiled helplessly. Chen Qingxu was a little taciturn. She usually spoke verbally, but when it came to pen and paper, she didn't have the patience to write a long speech. If she could, she could. If she couldn't, she couldn't. No matter how big a matter was in her hands, she would just say a few words.
"Since Miss Chen said so, the chronic poison in His Highness should not be a problem." Liao Ran turned to Du Wanquan. "What do you think, Mr. Du?"
The wooden plaque was divided into five pieces. No one was qualified to veto it alone. At this time, it was three against one. Du Wanquan knew that whether he agreed or not, the result had already been decided.
Wealth God Du smiled bitterly. "Master Liao Ran is too polite. I heard that His Royal Highness Yan Wang is recently promoting fire beacon tickets. When the time comes, if you need this Du's help, please don't hesitate to ask."
Zhang Fenghan tactfully advised, "Mr. Du, when the nest is overturned, no egg can remain intact. When the world is in turmoil, people in chaos are not as good as dogs in peace. Wealth is no different from quicksand flying water. Isn't this the truth?"
Du Wanquan, who was forced to board the pirate ship by a group of poor people, was still very upset. He half-heartedly cupped his hands and said, "Yes, Mr. Du is righteous."
The three of them hurriedly ate a simple meal, each with their own thoughts. They didn't touch the wine and then went their separate ways.
Just as they made this decision, Chang Geng also returned to the Marquis' mansion.
Ge Chen was waiting for him in the study. Chang Geng told him not to disturb him, then quietly walked in and closed the door. The Marquis' mansion was empty and there were few people. Among the group of old servants, there were some who were deaf and some who had trouble with their legs. It was unknown whether they were serving their masters or enjoying their retirement in the master's home. Often, no one would come when he was ordered around. Sometimes, he even had to serve tea and pour water himself. However, there were also places where it was convenient. For example, he didn't always have to guard against the walls having ears.
As soon as Ge Chen saw Chang Geng, he stood up. There was a hint of nervousness on his naturally doll-like face.
Chang Geng was very calm and unperturbed. He waved his hand at him. "Did you cut it off?"
Ge Chen responded and took out a piece of paper from his pocket.
"As you said, I secretly cut off the wooden bird under the pretext of repairing the forbidden sky net. The note inside was changed and the seal was repaired flawlessly." Ge Chen pursed his lips and said, "At the end of the year, Xiao Cao went to the north to find Miss Chen and saw her take the wooden bird. After that, he secretly caught it and used a mold to copy the seal inside. There shouldn't be any problems. Big brother, why did we have to cut off Miss Chen's wooden bird? What did she write on the note mean?"
Chang Geng didn't answer for a moment. He unfolded the wrinkled note and read it.
The handwriting on it was the same as the one that Liao Ran and the others received. The only difference was the content.
This note said, "I have little talent and knowledge. After many years of searching, I still couldn't find the method to solve the Wu 'er's bone. I have failed you. As for the matter of the Linyuan wooden tablet, I hope you will be careful."
Chang Geng didn't feel anything after reading it. He wasn't surprised and thought, "As expected."
Based on his understanding of Linyuan Pavilion over the years, there were either three or five people in charge. The possibility of five people was very high. Linyuan Pavilion had many unique and extremely exquisite fire engines and steel armor. Therefore, there must be people from the Lingshu Temple. The Chen family who treated Gu Yun's eyes and ears in the past did it in the name of Linyuan Pavilion. Gu Yun couldn't trust them unconditionally. The Old Marquis' old subordinates must have pulled strings. Therefore, there must be people who represented the military. Liao Ran had always acted as a liaison between the four parties. He might also be one of them, representing the Huguo Temple. As for the other two, it was very likely that one party controlled the "wealth" and the other party was the Chen family of Taiyuan Prefecture.
Among the five people, only Liao Ran and the Lingshu Temple were more confident. The other three parties were still undecided.
In this world, other than Chang Geng himself, only Miss Chen knew how terrifying Wu 'er' gu was. She had always been a person who didn't care about the person. It was impossible for her to support him because of personal feelings. The people who controlled the "wealth" were usually easily burdened by their family business. In this case, they were likely to shrink back. As for the one who represented the military … if it was really General Chung as Chang Geng guessed, then Zhong Chan might not necessarily speak for him. The people behind the two parties had their own ways of doing things. It was very difficult for him to get in touch with them. Only Chen Qingxu followed the army to the northwest. When the time came, he would definitely send a wooden bird to deliver a letter. This would give him an opportunity to take advantage of.
Chang Geng finished reading the sea-patterned paper and put it over the brazier. The faint light of the fire illuminated his young and handsome face, making him look somewhat unreal.
"Big brother …" Ge Chen called him slowly. This round-faced guy was loyal to his Prince Yan since childhood, but he was not stupid. He could roughly guess that Chen Qingxu's encrypted wooden bird might be related to the final decision of the Linyuan Pavilion. Although he had followed Chang Geng's instructions and secretly changed the note, he still had doubts in his heart. Chang Geng had always been frank and open-minded. He had never done such a shady thing. This time, for the sake of the Linyuan Pavilion … was it for the sake of power?
"I don't necessarily have to get the Linyuan Pavilion." Chang Geng seemed to know what he was thinking. He calmly explained to Ge Chen, "But I haven't been in the imperial court for long. Although I have the emperor's support for the time being, and I have the Lord Jiang and other new talents following me, my foundation is still shallow. There are many things that I can't do. I can wait for other things, but the purple gold and silver on the front line can't wait. At this time, I can only retreat and ask for the power of the Linyuan Pavilion. If there is time, all the problems can be solved slowly and openly. I'm just afraid that the foreigners won't give us the time. "
Hearing this, Ge Chen straightened his back. The doubts in his heart suddenly disappeared. Instead, he felt a little embarrassed, "Xiao Cao and I both understand this. Um … Big brother, you should also take care of yourself. Otherwise, when Marquis returns to the imperial court, you will be exhausted again. Won't he come to make trouble for me?"
After saying this, he seemed to imagine the specific process of how Marquis would come to make trouble for him. He was so scared by himself that he shivered.
Chang Geng's expression softened a little, "I'll take care of this crisis until it's over. When the world is at peace, who would be willing to do such a thankless thing? We can't work for them for nothing. When the time comes, I will ask the emperor to give me a mountain with the best scenery. I will make a peach blossom forest on the mountain. I will admire the flowers in spring and eat peaches in summer. There must also be a hot spring at the foot of the mountain. I plan to raise chickens and ducks all over the mountain. When they lay eggs, they will be thrown directly into the hot spring to cook … "
Ge Chen's stomach growled. Chang Geng was stunned. Then, the two of them laughed at the same time. Chang Geng jumped up, "It's too late. Let's not disturb Uncle Wang and the others. Let's make some dumplings to eat."
Ge Chen was quite embarrassed, "No, no, big brother. How can we let His Highness cut the dumplings and roll the skin … This is too …"
Chang Geng glanced at him, "Do you want to eat or not?"
Ge Chen said resolutely, "Eat!"
Thus, the two of them sneaked into the Marquis's mansion's kitchen in the dark. They chased the old cook who was dozing off back to sleep. They tossed and turned for a while, listening to the sounds of the night watch. One of them held the lid of the pot, and the other leaned against the fence. They did not pay attention to the details and directly ate more than sixty dumplings in the kitchen. Ge Chen was so hot that he cried out in pain. He vaguely felt as if he had returned to the time when he was a young boy in the countryside.
The good times all happened in the middle of the night. Even in broad daylight, they still had to be cautious at every step.
A month later, the fire beacon votes were still not implemented. Even Emperor Li Feng was annoyed by the noise. A quiet purge gradually began.
First, the Supervision Yard sent three memorials in succession, accusing Prince Yan of covering up the sky with one hand. The Grand Council secretly withheld memorials from the officials of the imperial court, causing the complaints to obstruct the hearing of the heavens. The so-called fire beacon votes were completely nonsense. They were throwing the imperial court's face on the ground and trampling on it.
Prince Yan ordered people to put all the memorials sent and returned by the Grand Council in the imperial court. All the memorials returned were recorded, including when and why they were returned. All the memorials were sent to the warm west pavilion. There was not a single discrepancy. The court was dumbfounded. Immediately, Prince Yan used the excuse that his talent was shallow and his learning was shallow, so it was difficult to convince the masses. He asked the Emperor Long An to remove him from his position. As usual, Li Feng refused. This Prince, who had just turned twenty, was young and impetuous. He turned his head and resigned from the imperial court, saying that he was sick. He ran back to the Marquis's mansion and shut himself in.
The imperial court was full of old fox spirits who spoke human language when they saw people, and spoke ghost when they saw ghosts. There was really no one who would so brazenly throw a tantrum. Li Feng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. But before he could go out of the palace in plain clothes to coax him, Prince Yan left, and immediately the imperial court was in trouble.
First, the Grand Council was like a group of dragons without a leader. Every day, memorials were sent to Li Feng's desk like snowflakes. Everywhere was asking for money and Purple Gold. Seeing this, he was badly battered. Then the two ministers of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War almost fought in the imperial court. In his fury, Li Feng investigated and found that even at this stage, there were still people who were exploiting and taking advantage of the military budget. He was immediately flustered and exasperated, and investigated a major case that shocked the imperial court. From the grand second-level officials to the low-level seventh-level officials, a large number of people were implicated. Even those gossips from the Supervision Yard were mysteriously implicated.
In September, an autumn rain washed the capital into a bleak and desolate atmosphere. Jiang Chong personally went to the Marquis's mansion to pass down an imperial edict inviting Prince Yan back to the imperial court. At this point, some people seemed to understand something. Prince Yan once again raised the issue of fire beacon tickets, which were pushed out with almost no resistance.
At first, some people were worried that the first batch of fire beacon tickets wouldn't be sent out. Unexpectedly, as soon as they were released, Jiangnan's richest man, Du Wanquan, and others contacted a group of civil merchants to help. In less than three days, the first batch of fire beacon tickets was sold out.
Real gold and silver poured into the national treasury. At this point, no one said anything more.
Long An's seventh year ended. The two armies on the front lines of Jiangnan were still in confrontation. Along the way, the Marquis of Stability joined forces with the Central Plains garrison to clean up the rebellious mob. Finally, they returned to Jiayu Pass. The next day, the Western Regions Coalition Army under the city walls retreated 30 li.
At the end of the year, Gu Yun wrote fourteen personal letters to the kings of the Western Regions to wish them a happy new year. At the same time, he was sharpening his blade, preparing to kill when the imperial court sent the next batch of armaments.
This year, there were no lanterns or colored banners outside Jiayu Pass. The fire beacon was on the verge of being ignited. The imperial court had finally sent the long-awaited military provisions and war preparations.
However, the person escorting them had a special status.
Gu Yun had just returned from patrolling with a group of light cavalry. He hadn't even dismounted when he heard that Yan Wang had come. At that moment, he was stunned. He didn't even take off his light coat before throwing the reins of his warhorse and running.
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