Chapter 47: The Prize of the Martial Arts Conference is Gone
The life of a prostitute is hard.
Even if they are the top prostitutes, they have set various rules, receive far fewer customers than their peers, and earn much more, but in the end they still cannot avoid sleeping with people.
At least the dignitaries have come and I can’t refuse them.
The ladies in the brothel don't want to get pregnant casually. Who will raise the baby? Then they have to take anti-pregnancy drugs, but these drugs are very harmful to the body.
When Zhao Xiangxiang followed Liu Yong, she was already aware that she would not be able to have children in the future. After all, she was in poor health and Liu Yong was old.
But neither the couple expected that Zhao Xiangxiang would become pregnant.
Liu Yong hoped to have descendants, and Zhao Xiangxiang also wanted to have a child. It was a maternal instinct.
So even though the doctor warned that Zhao Xiangxiang would most likely not be able to keep the baby even if she got pregnant because of her injured body, and that it would cause great harm to the mother and would significantly reduce her lifespan even if she didn't die, she still wanted to take a chance and give birth to the baby.
Cicadas were chirping outside. After Liu Yong and Zhao Xiangxiang finished their conversation, both of them had a nonchalant expression on their faces.
Both of them didn't care about life and death. Zhao Xiangxiang herself was not afraid of death, and Liu Yong was even more determined that if his wife did not have children and instead died because of his selfishness, he would not live alone.
Lu Lin understood very well the ancient people’s desire and persistence in having offspring.
He took out the honey from his backpack and said with a smile, "You should know the effect of this thing. Madam Liu should drink some every day, drink half of it before giving birth. Drink the other half after giving birth."
To be honest, in Lu Sen's opinion, honey is not valuable.
The beehive in the yard can produce more than a dozen bottles every month. When he is at home, he, Heizhu and Ringo mix this stuff with water and drink it as a beverage.
He may not care, but in the eyes of others, this thing is a miracle drug.
Especially Liu Yong and Zhao Xiangxiang, they both witnessed the therapeutic effect of this thing with their own eyes.
He saved the dying Liu Yong.
Looking at the transparent crystal glass bottle on the table and the beautiful golden honey, Liu Yong took a deep breath, stood up, clasped his hands together, bowed, and said solemnly: "Lu Xiaolang has been so kind and virtuous. I have no way to repay him. I can only work like a slave in the next life..."
As he spoke, he was about to bow, but Lu Sen held him back: "Liu Duntian, there's no need to be so serious. It's just a bottle of honey. It's not worthy of such a big ceremony. Besides, you are older than me, so you are the elder anyway."
"Lu Xiaolang has saved my wife and I time and again." Liu Yong wanted to bow, but as an old man and a weak scholar, he certainly couldn't compare to After two attempts, he couldn't bow any more and had to give up: "How dare I, Liu Yong, call him an elder again?"
Before, Liu Yong called himself "old man", but now he calls himself "I".
This shows that he no longer takes the fact that he is thirty or forty years older than Lu Sen seriously.
"Isn't it normal for friends to help each other?" Lu Sen pushed Liu Yong to sit down, then turned to Zhao Xiangxiang and said with a smile: "Madam Liu, I'm a little hungry. Do you have any food?"
"Oh, excuse me for making fun of you. I was so confused that I'll go and prepare it now." Zhao Xiangxiang stood up immediately, wiped the tears of joy from the corners of her eyes, and turned into the kitchen.
Zhao Xiangxiang's tears were not shed for herself, but for the hope that the baby in her belly would be born.
In addition, she also understood that Lu Sen deliberately ignored her and seemed to have something to say to her husband.
She bowed obediently and went into the kitchen.
After Zhao Xiangxiang left, Lu Sen turned to Liu Yong and said, "I wonder if Liu Tuntian knows about the recent election of the leader of the martial arts world?"
"Of course I know. Hangzhou has been preparing for this more than half a year ago." Liu Yong nodded: "The court's move is to absorb and divide warriors. It is indeed a good strategy. It was either the idea of Master Pang or the Eighth Sage King."
Although Liu Yong never became a high-ranking official in his life, he was still a good official and was extremely diligent. During his tenure in local office, he received unanimous praise from the people.
It’s a pity that he was always disliked by the government, so even if someone recommended him for an official position, his recommendation would be rejected by the government. After several times, no one in the court was willing to promote Liu Yong.
But he could see clearly about the affairs of the court.
"The minister in charge of this matter is Sima Junshi."
Liu Yong leaned back slightly, even a little incredulous: "The emperor actually dispatched Sima Zhongcheng here? It seems that the court's attention to this matter is far beyond my expectation."
Who is Sima Guang?
A civil official of the same status as Bao Zheng, Ouyang Xiu, and Grand Tutor Pang.
"He was assassinated last night." Lu Sen smiled and said, "I heard that he was rescued by Captain Zhan at the critical moment. Fortunately, he was not injured."
Liu Yong was stunned for a moment, then he patted the table gently: "It seems that someone doesn't want the court to recruit Jianghu people."
Lu Sen nodded: "Sima Junshi is an important official after all. If he dies at the hands of the Jianghu people, the court will launch a large-scale suppression of the Jianghu sects, rather than appease and incorporate them, just for the sake of face. At that time, the Jianghu people will inevitably be hostile to the court, and there will be too much to do in the bloody storm."
"Lu Xiaolang is also very good at official affairs." Liu Yong admired him a little.
He could see that it was simply because he had been an official for more than 30 years and was old and experienced.
The young man in front of him, who looks like he is not yet twenty, can grasp the key points of the matter at once. If he is supported by someone and becomes an official in the court, he may even be able to become a high-ranking official.
In fact, Lu Sen does not have a very keen political sense. It’s just that people in the information age see more things and see a wider world. They can see a lot of news every day, all kinds of weird things and reversals.
When Lu Sen was young, he was also easily influenced by junk news. But after reading fake news and falling into many traps, he realized that he had to wait for a while before making any decisions.
Lu Sen waved his hand and said, "It's not that I'm good at it, but I've seen a lot of things like sowing discord and creating opposition. Liu Duntian, who do you think is secretly ruining the relationship between the court and the people of Jianghu?"
"That's a lot." Liu Yong thought for a moment and said, "The two evil wolves in the north naturally don't want our Song Dynasty to be harmonious and peaceful. As for us Song people, it's hard to say."
Lu Sen thought for a moment and said, "Chai family?"
Liu Yong smiled and said, "That's possible."
"Dali?" Lu Sen asked.
Liu Yong nodded: "It is possible. I heard that the Wang Clan of Dali is also a semi-Jianghu sect."
"Or some generals?" Lu Sen asked indifferently.
Liu Yong immediately sat up straight with a serious expression: "What we can think of, the ministers in the court can definitely think of, and they may think even further than us."
Just as Liu Yong said, Sima Guang was sitting in the Hangzhou government office at this time, with a circle of local officials, big and small, standing in front of him.
Zhan Zhao protected Sima Guang on his left side.
"I am fine. Fortunately, Captain Zhan rescued me in time." Looking at the local officials in front of him who were so frightened that their souls were about to flee, he smiled amiably and said, "When I was building forts and storing troops at the border, it was much more dangerous than this, but nothing happened. You don't have to make a fuss."
After hearing Sima Guang's consolation, the local officials finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Withdraw the search warrant and post a notice saying that the murderer has been arrested by Captain Zhan." Sima Guang swept his eyes over everyone, and then slowly continued: "The villain hiding in the dark has bad intentions. I think he wants to sow discord between the court and the people of Jianghu and prevent the latter from relying on our government. The more the enemy wants to do this, the more we must not let them succeed. But privately, you have to cheer up and find a way to find out which side the murderer is on."
All the local officials clasped their fists and said yes.
"Then disperse. Go get some work!" Sima Guang stood up and said, "Guard Zhan, come with me. I have some things to arrange."
The two men entered the backyard of the government office.
There are green bamboos planted in the yard. When the breeze blows, the bamboo leaves rustle, and occasionally long fallen leaves spin and slowly fall.
Sima Guang walked to the pond, stared at the rockery in front, and said, "Guard Zhan, things are a bit troublesome."
“What else happened?” Zhan Zhao clasped his fists, somewhat surprised.
"We have fallen into the enemy's trap." Sima Guang was furious. "While you were leading the detectives to search for people, a group of masked strongmen broke into the government warehouse in the north of the city and stole the prizes placed inside. This matter has not been spread yet, but it will probably be known to everyone in Hangzhou soon."
Zhan Zhao's eyes widened: "What?"
The election meeting for the leader of the martial arts world has prizes for a martial arts competition.
A sword that can cut through iron like mud came from the palace.
More than half a year ago, the government launched a strong propaganda campaign in order to make the Wulin Alliance Leader Election Conference more well-known.
All government offices in various places received orders from the Zhongshumen to inform all the martial arts sects under their jurisdiction or clans with family martial arts.
For this reason, almost all county magistrates from all over the country made this trip in person to inform the martial artists of various families, which led to the grand martial arts leader election conference at this time.
The sword that could cut through iron like mud was called the Seven-Star Dragon Abyss Sword, and it was also a prominent propaganda point in the public opinion offensive .
Now... this sword is gone.
There are still a few precious swords in the palace, but the problem is... From Bianjing City to Hangzhou, even if we ride at full speed, it will take about ten days to bring the swords.
And that doesn't even include the time it takes to get the message back.
Sima Guang turned around and said helplessly: "I heard that Guard Zhan has a Juque sword, which is also a good sword. Can it be used as a reward? When I return to the capital, I will ask the emperor to give you a better sword."
From common sense, Sima Guang's request is reasonable and is the best way to deal with the current predicament.
Zhan Zhao also thought so.
He just said, "Mr. Sima, it's not that Zhan Zhao is unwilling to present the sword, but my Juque sword was cut off by someone more than half a year ago. And although the Juque sword is a famous sword, it is not a precious sword."
To be precise, the current Juque Sword is actually a "brand" of sword.
It's the same principle as the Longquan sword and Damascus knife.
The Juque Sword refers to a special long sword with a blade that is made thicker and a little wider.
It is slightly heavier than an ordinary one-handed sword, but not as long as a normal two-handed sword.
This sword can be held with one hand or with both hands as a two-handed sword, which is quite flexible.
Because the sword body is thicker , it is not easy to be damaged. Naturally, the Juque Sword became a famous sword.
But after all, it is a mass-produced sword. No matter how good the quality is, it can never compare to a real sword that has been made for more than ten years.
Zhan Zhao then untied the stone sword behind him and said, "As for this sword, it was given to me by a friend. It is neither a famous sword nor a precious sword."
As he spoke, Zhan Zhao handed over the stone sword.
Sima Guang took the sword with both hands, pulled it out of the sheath, and then was stunned.
He discovered that the sword was actually made of stone. The blade was golden in color, and there were strange square patterns on it. After looking at it for a long time, it seemed that these patterns were constantly jumping and changing.
"This sword is really unique..." Sima Guang touched the edge of the stone sword and felt that it was not sharp, so he returned the stone sword to Zhan Zhao.
The stone sword has very low attack power, only two points, and it can hardly cut through even ordinary wood.
But the durability is surprisingly high, a full one thousand points.
Moreover, Lu Sen has tested it and found that the durability of this stone sword is consumed very slowly. Even after colliding it with a hard object for a long time, the durability will not drop by more than one percent.
This thing is more of a sword-shaped stone stick than a sword.
What's more, this thing is currently used by Zhan Zhao.
When internal energy flows into wood, the wood will become a little harder.
Zhan Zhao's internal energy was fully developed, and he poured it into the stone sword. Not only did the stone sword become a little sharper, but it also became tougher. Also, this sword seemed to be able to conduct the internal energy without any obstacles. It was much easier to spread the internal energy throughout the sword than with an iron sword.
In fact, although this sword has been in Zhan Zhao's hands for more than half a year, its durability has not decreased even a little bit.
Zhan Zhao's family-inherited swordsmanship is heavy and solid, emphasizing on overpowering the opponent with force, so he uses a weighted long sword like Juque.
The stone sword was quite heavy, and he was very adept at using it.
It can be said that the Stone Sword is not a good sword, but it is durable, heavy, and saves a lot of internal energy when used by an expert.
Ordinary people in the martial arts world would not even look at it unless they had no weapons to use.
But it perfectly fits Zhan Zhao's ancestral swordsmanship. It can be said that there is no sword in the world more suitable for him than this stone sword.
"Alas, when it rains it pours." Sima Guang shook his head helplessly, and then said: "Then I will think of another way. Captain Zhan, you continue to find those villains who stole the sword and bring them to justice as soon as possible."
Zhan Zhao nodded and went out.
Sima Guang immediately wrote a secret letter and sent someone to deliver it to the official post station, which then delivered it to the Eighth Wise King.
The secret letter briefly described what had happened in the past two days, and asked the Eighth Wise King and a group of ministers to pay attention and see if the generals had any unusual behavior recently.
Three days passed quickly and the Wulin Leader Election Conference would officially begin tomorrow. Now a large number of people from the martial arts world have gathered at the foot of Wulin Mountain.
But Sima Guang still couldn't find a treasure that could serve as a prize for the martial arts conference.
It’s not that there are no treasures in the huge city of Hangzhou. There are glass cups, colorful trees and silver flowers (corals), Hetian jade beauties jade carvings, etc. These things can be easily exchanged for a house with a large courtyard in the city center of Hangzhou, where land is also extremely expensive.
It’s just that people in the underworld don’t like these things.
They usually chase after treasures and wealth, but they are not suitable to be used as prizes in martial arts conferences.
The people in the martial arts world will not acknowledge these things, and will not think that these things are worth fighting for in today's largest martial arts competition.
That night, Sima Guang was so worried that his hair turned a little whiter.
"If it really doesn't work, then just put up a huge sum of gold as a prize." Sima Guang shook his head helplessly. This was the best way he could think of.
But at this moment , Zhan Zhao asked for a meeting.
"Please ask him to come in." Sima Guang sat on the chair.
"Zhongcheng, have you found a prize to replace the sword?"
Sima Guang shook his head, looking helpless.
Even if the matter was not handled well, the court would not demote him, but the impression of incompetence would definitely remain among his colleagues in the hall.
Even a mere gangster can't take care of things!
Upon hearing this, Zhan Zhao clasped his fists and said joyfully, "I have a solution for this matter."
"Really? What treasure is it?"
“Please allow me to keep you in suspense. Tomorrow, the Minister of Justice just needs to sit on the podium and watch. I will make sure this matter is properly handled.” Zhan Zhao said with a fist salute.
"This..." Sima Guang felt a little uneasy.
"I am willing to issue a military order." Zhan Zhao knelt on one knee and performed the official salute, clasped his hands together, and held his head high: "If the treasures I invite tomorrow cannot satisfy my friends in the martial arts world, I will cut my own throat on the spot and present my head to the Minister of Justice."
"Okay, I'll leave it to you." Sima Guang agreed.
Zhan Zhao is the confidant of Lao Bao of Kaifeng Prefecture. Since he has said so much, he has to give him face.
But Sima Guang was very curious about what the treasure was that Zhan Zhao had invited.
