Yang Ling rushed back to the fu and threw the horse to his family. When he asked if the Emperor was still in the inner courtyard, he hurried over.
When he arrived at the Flower Hall, he called twice but no one answered. Yang Ling's heart tightened and he felt a little panicked for no reason. He ran to the small courtyard where he and Young-niang lived alone to take a look, and then to the residence of Yutang Chun, Sheridan, and Cheng Qiyun. It was still empty. Yang Ling stood there in a daze.
Just as he was at a loss, he heard a burst of laughter from the back garden and hurried over. This house was the residence of the maids and maids. There was a porch in the middle of the two-story building that led to the back garden.
Yang Ling rushed to the back garden and saw that in the open space where Young-niang usually practiced martial arts, a dozen maids were standing on the side, clapping and laughing. On the flat open space, Yutang Chun, Sheridan, and Young-niang were all dressed in short green clothes and were smiling happily as they did a Cuju.
Three beautiful young girls stood on the side. The ball was passed around their feet, but it never fell to the ground. The ball was like a pearl, and the faces were like jade. The three beautiful wives were graceful and had a different kind of beauty.
On the other side, the tall man in green had the front and back of his robe tucked to his waist, revealing the white satin trousers inside. He was calm and unruffled. Han Youniang and the other two dazzled the ball and took advantage of his unpreparedness to volley the ball. The man in green advanced and retreated, not panicking. No matter how tricky the angle of the ball was, or how fast it was, he could always snatch the ball in time. He used the tip of his foot, the top of his foot, the side of his foot, and the heel of his foot skillfully, bouncing the ball in a variety of ways.
His teammate was the Emperor of Ming Destiny, Zhu Houzhao. This man's skills were limited, and he kept losing the ball after playing for a while. So he consciously became a cheerleader, standing there and shouting. He was even more nervous than the green-robed scholar who was playing.
When Yang Ling saw this, he immediately heaved a sigh of relief. That green-robed scholar was naturally Cheng Qiyun. He did not expect her to have such a good hand. Ming Destiny's Cuju was very popular. Even the army often organized competitions. Yang Ling often saw it. Ever since they moved to this manor, Young-niang, Yutang Chun, and the others would often play football together during the day.
This game could strengthen one's legs and body. Although Yang Ling didn't like to play, he would often stroll to the side and watch his three beloved wives and maids play.
This game was divided into two types: duel and free play. Duel was a bit like the modern football game of attacking each other, while free play was a complete display of one's playing skills. Looking at the situation on the field, Cheng Qiyun was fighting one against three. Both sides received the ball and played free play first. After showing off their skills, they would volley at each other.
Yang Ling noticed that there were nine people standing on the opposite side of the field. Eight of them were heroic and reserved men. They were obviously the elite guards of the Imperial Palace. The other one had a fair face, light eyebrows, and thin eyes. He habitually half-bent his waist, folded his sleeves, and stood on the side of the field with a smile. It was Liu Jin.
At this time, he also saw Yang Ling and hurriedly raised his hand in greeting. Yang Ling saw that Zhengde was staring intently at the ball, as if he hadn't finished playing. He smiled and nodded at Liu Jin, then turned his gaze to Cheng Qiyun.
Although Cheng Qiyun's skills were superb, she was fighting one against three. At this time, her jade cheeks were bright red, and there were some slight traces of sweat on her forehead. She obviously also saw Yang Ling. When she saw Yang Ling looking at her, she raised her eyebrows and suddenly raised her leg. The tip of her foot kicked straight at his forehead. She was wearing a man's clothes, so she wasn't afraid of such indecent behavior.
The ball was kicked into the air, leisurely swinging several feet high. Everyone raised their heads to look at the sky. The ball paused in the air for a moment, then fell down again, just barely reaching the tip of Cheng Qiyun's boot that was still raised high in the air. Cheng Qiyun bent her other knee slightly, and borrowed the momentum to stabilize the ball. The ball spun on the tip of her boot, and unexpectedly did not fall. Everyone couldn't help but cheer loudly.
Cheng Qiyun pursed her lips, and in a slight smile, the ball seemed to be standing on the tip of her boot. As it fell down, it looked like it was about to kick. Han Youniang and the other two did not know where she was going to shoot, and nervously bent down slightly, staring at the ball. Unexpectedly, Cheng Qiyun lifted her leg and gave it a light kick. The ball softly rolled to the side of Han Youniang and the other two. The three wanted to rush forward to catch the ball, but it was already too late.
Zhengde was overjoyed. Sheridan raised her sleeve and dabbed at her blushing face. She lightly said, "Fine … Gongzi is acting shamelessly, how can there be such a scheme."
Cheng Qiyun smiled and sent her a look. Only now did Sheridan see Yang Ling standing at the side. Her bright red face immediately became a little bashful. She quickly crouched down to pay her respects, and timidly called out, "Laoye."
Zhengde finally saw Yang Ling. Yang Ling came forward to pay his respects, and just as he called out, "Your Majesty, this subject … …"
Zhengde had already taken a step forward, and supported his arm. He chuckled and said, "Yang, please rise. We are leaving the palace incognito, there is no need to pay our respects."
He happily smiled and said, "Subject Yang, your wife fought three against one, but still wasn't your biaoxiong's match. Who would have thought that such a weak and scholarly Jiangnan scholar would have such a high level of skill."
"Biaoxiong?" Yang Ling was startled. He quickly glanced at Cheng Qiyun before letting out a laugh. He turned his head to look at Zhengde.
He was wearing a light purple robe with wide sleeves and a large lapel. At his waist was a five coloured belt inlaid with amber, and on his upper body was a sapphire blue brocade armor. His glossy black hair was tied into a jade half moon crown, held in place by a silver hairpin. His face was like jade, and he was extraordinarily handsome.
He had grown a bit taller, and there was light black hair on his lips. Between his brows, there was a mature and dignified temperament. When Yang Ling saw him, he suddenly felt a kind of excitement and joy. That kind of feeling was like watching one's family grow up, and he could only feel happy and happy for him. Yang Ling didn't know when he started to have this kind of feeling towards Zhengde. For a moment, he was somewhat shocked.
But when he saw that when Zhengde looked at him, there was also a kind of warm and childish admiration in his eyes, and he felt very moved and gratified. The two of them had been separated for several months. After a hasty meeting in the golden hall and in front of the hundreds of officials, the two of them had to put on an act. Only now did they have a real exchange of feelings. At this moment, the two of them suddenly felt that their hearts had drawn closer. It was not the trust between a ruler and a subject, but a kind of mutual intimacy as equals.
The two of them looked at each other, and the exchange of feelings happened so naturally. Before this moment, the two of them did not know that they would have such feelings in their hearts. Liu Jin had served Zhengde since he was young, and knew his emotions like the back of his hand. So when Zhengde's emotions changed slightly, he could feel it.
This kind of warm and childish admiration, the feeling of family, other than towards Hongzhi, Zhengde had never had such feelings towards anyone else, including his mother. Liu Jin unconsciously felt some reverence in his heart.
Cheng Qiyun's ability to read people's expressions was very good. In a blink of an eye, she had also seen the expressions of the two of them. Zhengde recovered his natural expression and said with a smile, "There have been too many things recently. Although zhen do not like to manage things, but zhen is too busy for Old Li, zhen is also too embarrassed to roam around. Now that Jiao Fang has entered the cabinet, zhen has thickened my face to come out, ha ha … achoo!"
Liu Jin quickly took the cloak of soft brocade and thick satin from the guard's hands and draped it over Zhengde's shoulders. His mouth chattered, "Your Majesty, quickly return to your room and drink some hot tea. The weather is getting cold, you can't stand the cold."
The group returned to the courtyard. Han Youniang led the female army and withdrew. Cheng Qiyun was also about to withdraw. Zhengde saw this and said, "Subject Cheng, stay. Zhen has come to see Yang. It is only to go out of the palace to play, there is no need to avoid it."
Cheng Qiyun stealthily glanced at Yang Ling. Seeing that he did not show any signs of displeasure, she softly acknowledged and followed him into the inner study. As Yang Ling poured tea for Zhengde, he said with a smile, "Your Majesty, do you still remember the Hu Guo Temple that we first met?"
Zhengde smiled and said, "How could I not remember? Ah, ah! Zhen remembers, at that time, you used something about looking back five hundred times to deceive Young-niang jiejie … cough, cough, deceived furen, and deceived zhen by saying that if you and I were not lovers in our previous lives, then zhen owed you a large sum of money. Ha ha … glib, you deserve a beating! "
As he spoke to this point, he suddenly thought of his father-in-law. The smile on his face involuntarily disappeared and he slowly pressed his lips together. Yang Ling knew that he was thinking of his loving father. He could not help but sigh in his heart.
He also poured a cup of tea for Liu Jin and Cheng Qiyun. Then, under Zhengde's signal, he gently sat opposite him. He said, "At that time, I still did not know Your Majesty's identity. I remember that there were a few western foreign monks who were bullied by foreign monks from the Western Regions. The Former Emperor was kind and even donated three thousand taels of incense money to the temple, asking them to take good care of these foreign monks who came to my Ming Destiny because of its fame."
"That's right," Zhengde said, "Those foreign monks had some rare toys. It's just that after playing for a while, those rare toys were not rare anymore. Zhen almost forgot."
Yang Ling smiled and said, "Those foreign monks heard that my Ming Destiny is the most powerful and prosperous place in the world. Therefore, they came from thousands of miles away to preach. It's just that their God's supernatural power is far inferior to that of the Jade Emperor, Taishang Laojun, and Buddha. Therefore, their believers are too few. I met them on the street today. Those poor foreign monks have already become beggars.
Not to mention that my Ming Destiny's prestige is spread far and wide, they were educated by my Chinese Shangguo. The dignified Ming Destiny is a country of etiquette, we cannot let them be reduced to such a state. Just based on the Former Emperor's kindness and care towards them, I dare not ignore them. Therefore, I just brought them to the manor and let them stay for the time being. "
He quietly looked at Zhengde's expression. He saw that Zhengde heard that it was because of the Former Emperor's kindness that he was so respectful to the foreign monks. He nodded repeatedly to show his approval. Then he changed the topic and said, "But … it's not a solution to keep them like this. Besides, it's not a bad thing for the people to have some spiritual sustenance.
Now my Ming Destiny has Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, and other big and small religions believed by various ethnic groups. Among them, there are various schools. It doesn't matter if there's another Catholicism. They also advise people to do good.
The Shangguo is like a boundless sea. It can accommodate hundreds of rivers. I think … why not allow them to build a temple and preach? It's not a big deal to have a few foreign monks. "
The role of religion in China was very limited. Zhengde himself had dabbled in Buddhism, Lamaism, and Islam. He casually asked a few questions about Christianity. It sounded similar to the God of Islam. He couldn't help but laugh in his heart. Could it be that like Buddhism, the Western sects are also divided into Mahayana and Hinayana?
Zhengde waved his hand and said, "It's okay. They came from afar to Ming Destiny. They are guests. The former Emperor also took good care of them. I can't be stingy and let them go. Liu Jin, inform the Ministry of Rites later and make a record. "
Liu Jin and Zhengde were also sitting casually in private. After hearing it, he quickly got up and responded. Yang Ling was overjoyed. Now that he had resolved this matter, he would no longer have to worry about the foreigners not working for him.
Zhengde smiled and said, "Just now I heard from your cousin that you fought against the pirates in Jiangnan. It was really exciting." He sighed and said a little absent-mindedly, "It's a pity. If I was there, I could kill a few pirates with my own hands and sail on the sea. The sky is high and the sea is wide. How comfortable would that be?"
Yang Ling glanced at Cheng Qiyun and said without batting an eyelid, "Your Majesty is right. The ten thousand miles of the sea is also the territory conquered by the Hongwu Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty. How can we allow some pirates to run rampant there? In the future, when we get rid of the Wokou pirates, Your Majesty can also find an opportunity to patrol the seas of the Great Ming Dynasty. If that's the case, Your Majesty will be able to patrol the seas of the Great Ming Dynasty."
As an emperor, he had the world. Perhaps what moved him the most was the reputation of a virtuous emperor that could be passed down through the ages. Hearing this, Zhengde's ambition rose. He raised his eyebrows and said, "That's right. My Ming Destiny's territory is vast. How can it be given to small fries? But why wait for the sea to be cleared? I am about to practice martial arts in the forbidden area. At that time, I want to be the Grand Marshal and personally lead the troops to suppress the pirates. "
"This …" Yang Ling pretended to hesitate. Zhengde saw this and his competitive spirit was aroused. He said unwillingly, "Why? Subject Yang doesn't believe in my political and military skills?"
Yang Ling chuckled, "Your Majesty is eager to learn. When you lead the troops in battle, you can naturally be called a talented general. But fighting on the sea cannot be compared to fighting on land. It's not that I don't believe in Your Majesty's ability …"
Liu Jin knew about the plan to lift the ban on trade. For a moment, he couldn't help but say, "Mr. Yang, if you have something to say, just say it. Don't hide it from His Majesty."
Cheng Qiyun looked on coldly and took the opportunity to say, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I heard from my cousin that it has been a hundred years since my Ming Destiny banned the sea. The soldiers are no longer familiar with our Ming Destiny's sea borders. Not many people know how to build the invincible warships that made the four seas surrender. Now, the ships can only patrol in the coastal waters. They can't even withstand the wind and waves. That's why those pirates are rampant. It's not that my Ming Destiny soldiers are not willing to risk their lives. In fact, they can only stay at the seaside and take a beating."
Zhengde was shocked to hear this. He suddenly stood up and paced back and forth in the room for a while. He slowly said, "My Ming Destiny Navy has declined to this extent?"
The room was silent for a moment. Liu Jin saw his gloomy expression and hurriedly signaled Yang Ling with her eyes, saying, "His Majesty is very fond of those strange and exotic things that Yang Daren brought back from Jiangnan. He often plays with them and loves them so much that he can't bear to part with them. Since the sea bans business, logically, other than foreign tributes, there shouldn't be any goods from other countries among the people. How did those things get in? "
Yang Ling secretly praised his cleverness and quickly continued, "The coastline is long. The court's ban on the sea can only stop the people of Ming Destiny from going out to sea, but it can't stop more and more large merchant ships from foreign countries from coming to our Ming Destiny. It's a pity that our Ming Destiny's sea borders have become other people's back garden. They can come and go as they please. The people are tempted by profit and naturally there will be daring people who privately trade with them.
Oh, that's right, I also found something good in Jiangnan. I brought it back with me. I haven't presented it to Your Majesty yet. I will go get it now. " He stood up. In the end, he was still worried about Cheng Qiyun staying here. After a slight hesitation, he looked deeply at her.
Cheng Qiyun looked back at him strangely. Her eyes flashed and her brows furrowed. She suddenly had a hint of understanding and hurt. Her bright eyes burned with the flames of anger. She gently stood up and bowed to Zhengde, saying, "I will accompany … cousin to get that thing."
Yang Ling saw her expression and felt slightly ashamed. But this suspicion had been there for a long time. If it was buried in his heart, there would come a day when it would explode. The atmosphere between the two was slightly stiff. One in front, one behind, they silently walked to Yang Ling's palace treasury. Yang Ling opened the door and rummaged for a while. He took out a long sword with a slightly curved dark green sharkskin scabbard and carried it out the door.
The heavy iron door banged against the ground and the lock clicked into place. Cheng Qiyun silently looked at him and suddenly took a deep breath. Her eyes blinked rapidly and there was a thin layer of mist in her eyes. She asked in a stiff voice, "Daren, is it so difficult to trust someone?"
Yang Ling lowered his gaze and hardened his heart, saying, "One cannot be careless in the danger of the Imperial Court. It is …" Yang Ling hesitated for a moment before saying, "It is your passion for utility that makes this official unable to do so. Using beauty to serve the ruler is not necessarily a shortcut."
He raised his gaze. There was an unfamiliar murderous and cold intent there. He said bluntly, "If you really have any ideas about the Emperor today, I promise I can kill you before the Emperor falls head over heels in love with you!"
As he spoke, his finger pressed on the spring. With a clang, the sword energy rippled between the two of them. Cheng Qiyun suddenly raised her head. What entered her eyes was a white light.
Yang Ling let out a breath and lightly said, "However … you have performed very well. This official was overly suspicious. You have helped this official greatly. I hope that our tacit understanding can continue. You did not do anything unwise. Very good. "
Cheng Qiyun laughed self-deprecatingly and said, "Unwise? Of course it's unwise. What kind of status do I have? How could I like a heartless thing? For someone of my background to be willing to give a piece of my true feelings, it can be considered retribution. "
Yang Ling did not understand what she was saying and couldn't help but look at her in surprise.
Cheng Qiyun lowered her eyes and faintly said, "… the danger of the Palace is greater than Jianghu. A beauty grows old in the blink of an eye, a moment of youth … someone as smart as me naturally would not do something unwise. This reason … can it make Daren … rest assured?"
Two streams of clear tears flowed down her jade-like cheeks. Her face, which had just recovered from her illness, was slightly pale and haggard. She looked all the more pitiful. Yang Ling gripped the hilt of his sword and pressed it down. The sharp blade returned to its sheath with a clang. He lightly laughed and said, "Very good, very good …"
Pink walls and black alleys, antique. Yang Ling seemed to see that water-like, jade-like person holding an oil umbrella in her left hand and a skirt in her right hand. Her graceful smile was like a swallow cutting water. Stepping on the moist, oily green grass, she gracefully arrived.
He raised his long sword and walked a few steps before suddenly stopping. Without turning his head, he said, "There are many strange things about your past. I do not wish to delve too deeply into them. It is really because of my selfish motives. Miss has helped me greatly … I hope Miss will forgive me for being overly suspicious.
The matter of Jiangnan is a meritorious deed for generations to come. It is not for my own future … perhaps you do not understand. As long as this matter is resolved, as long as I am still in this world, whether you like power or money, Yang will definitely give you what you want.
The spring sleeves, the long corridors of the alleys, like a beautiful woman walking on the waves, that scene has always been engraved in Yang's heart. I really do not wish for you to be involved with a dirty plot … ai … "He let out a long sigh and quietly left.
Cheng Qiyun suddenly turned around. Her teary eyes gazed at his back. She resentfully said, "Ruthless, you can cut off my thoughts. So what if I owe you in my previous life? I still have to continue to suffer your torment … "
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