On November 25th of the 12th year of Daye, Lin Shihong was beheaded.
On November 26, the 12th year of Daye, Liu Ziyi, who had just been badly injured in the war, reviewed the situation and surrendered.
He ordered the Council of State to prepare for the ceremony of his enthronement.
…
In the southwest of Jingling County, two tributaries of the Yangtze River, the Zhang River and the Ju River, divide a large triangular fertile plain. The two rivers flow gently, irrigating the fertile fields on both sides and finally merging into the Yangtze River.
The climate here is mild, the soil is fertile, and the products are abundant. The grassland where the Pegasus Ranch is located is particularly rich. It is surrounded by mountains on all sides, forming a fertile field with only two east-west gorges for entry and exit . The dangerous terrain forms a natural shield for the ranch.
Five hundred cavalrymen advanced. It was already December 10th, and feathery snow was falling from the sky.
Luo Shixin stepped forward and said, "My lord, please listen to me. You are responsible for 100,000 troops in six counties. How can you be so submissive? No matter how important the Pegasus Ranch is, it is not as important as the safety of my lord."
"Mr. Shi Xin, you have said this several times. However, it is indeed of great importance. There are few horses in the south, and this horse farm is an important bargaining chip in the future fight for the world. It cannot be taken lightly. I have been busy with military affairs before, and now the overall situation in the south has been settled, I have some spare time and have to come here." Zhang Xuanning said with a smile.
"In that case, please follow me."
"Yeah, that's fine."
Zhang Xuanning looked straight at the castle on the higher ground in the northwest, with a steep cliff behind it and a winding river in front of it, which made people marvel at the magnificence. He noticed that there were sentry towers and blockhouses built at various dangerous and key locations. There was a tower at the exit of the gorge. In front of the tower, a tunnel three feet wide and five feet deep was dug, crossing the gorge. The bottom was covered with spikes and had to be passed by a suspension bridge. It was indeed a situation where one man could not cross the pass and ten thousand men could not cross.
However, this can stop a large army, but it cannot stop a top-notch expert.
When it was late at night, the two of them broke into the ranch and the inner castle. Although Pegasus Ranch had a large number of war horses, it was not a military organization after all, so from a professional perspective, it still had many loopholes.
But the terrain was indeed good. The city wall was built along the mountain, with ridges and hills, winding along the undulating terrain, and the situation was steep. Behind the city, the rocks were exposed, the caves were steep and rugged, and it was difficult for birds to cross. The two of them used iron claws to break in.
After entering the city, there is a wide ramp that stretches upwards, leading directly to the inner fortress where the highest owner of the field lives. There are houses on both sides, connected by branch roads to the ramp, showing the characteristics of a mountain city. The buildings are all rough and simple, built with stones, and have a magnificent shape. Along the way, there are many bell pavilions, archways, and gates, which are simple and unadorned, showing the heroic spirit of the city builders.
The inner fort is even larger in scale, with five main buildings, side halls and corridors. Large and small houses are neatly arranged in the fort, decorated with gardens, flowers and trees, small bridges and waterfalls, which are elegant and pleasant.
Zhang Xuanning did not go to the heavily guarded city lord's palace, but went straight to a garden.
After a careful observation, I discovered a garden. The most amazing thing was that there was a circular corridor extending into the garden, which expanded the depth of view and created a corridor passing through the beautiful scenery of the garden. There was also a lotus pond on the left. A hexagonal pavilion was built in the middle of the pond, connected to the shore by a small bridge.
Although it was a winter night and there was a light snow, the ingenuity and craftsmanship of the work were still amazing.
This person must be the one who could do such a thing. Zhang Xuanning was overjoyed. He passed through the winding corridors with endless beautiful scenery on both sides and a bamboo forest. He heard the sound of rushing water. It turned out that there was a square pavilion at the end. In front of it was a hundred-foot-high cliff. A waterfall cascaded down from the opposite cliff, which was very imposing. If it were not for the bamboo forest, the thundering sound of the waterfall could be heard in the courtyard.
Although Luo Shixin was alert to his surroundings, he couldn't help but be amazed when he saw this.
Walking along the gravel path, turning left and right, the view suddenly opens up. On the terrace near the cliff, there is a two-story building in a dangerous position.
At this time, there were still lights on the second floor, indicating that not only was there someone living there, but they had not yet gone to bed.
When he got closer to the second floor, he deliberately slowed down his pace. Sure enough, an old male voice came from upstairs and said, "Since you are a distinguished guest, why don't you come up and meet me?"
A room does not need to be big to be elegant, and flowers do not need to have many to be fragrant. Zhang Xuanning laughed in silence, feeling relieved, knowing that he had achieved half of his purpose this time.
Zhang Xuanning was calm and composed. In the eyes of those who wanted to be the emperor, the world belonged to him, so no matter where he went, he was the real landlord and should be calm. However, Luo Shixin was shocked. Before he made a sound, he did not even feel that there was anyone in the building. This had aroused his vigilance and he gripped the hilt of the knife.
When the two walked past the plaque with the words "An Le Wo" engraved on it on the main gate, although it was night, they could still see a couplet hanging on the two beams facing the entrance. Written on a wooden sign, it read, "In the morning it is good to tune the zither, and in the evening it is good to play the harp; the old rain has just arrived, and the new rain has just come." The handwriting was elegant, vigorous and powerful.
This hall is a four-sided hall. Through the four-sided windows, the steep cliffs covered with plants in the back and the swaying bamboos around can be faintly seen into the hall, making the mahogany furniture displayed here look thick and plain, leisurely and natural. There is a nanmu staircase in the corner of the house, leading to the upper floor.
The old man's voice came down again: "You two, please come up!"
Zhang Xuanning climbed up the stairs and saw that the upper floor was divided into two rooms by a screen. One side had a round table and square chairs, and the other side should be the owner's bedroom.
An old man was wearing a tall hat and a wide robe. He looked at the two of them carefully for a moment, then said softly, "I didn't expect that a king and a general would come at this time of night. This must be Zhang Xuanning, the governor of Wuzhou. Please sit down and taste the six-fruit juice I brewed."
This person was of course Lu Miaozi. He treated the two of them much more politely. He personally picked up the wine jug and filled three cups.
The two then realized that there were wine glasses and other wine utensils on the table, and the aroma of wine was overflowing. Under the illumination of two hanging palace lanterns, apart from the table and chairs, there were only a few necessary furniture, all made of rosewood, with an elegant and noble style.
"Uncle, why are you so formal? Don't you know that I'm the grandson of the Duke of Wei? I pay my respects to you, uncle." Zhang Xuanning stepped forward and bowed deeply.
The old man had a very special face, simple and quaint. His thick black eyebrows extended all the way to his spotted temples, but the other end was connected to his ears, forming a sharp contrast with his deep eagle eyes. There were lines of melancholy wrinkles at the corners of his mouth and under his eyes, making him look unwilling to care about the world, tired and sad.
The bridge of his nose was as straight and powerful as his waist. With his tightly closed lips that naturally revealed an air of arrogance and his slender and clean face, he looked like a prince who had once enjoyed all the wealth and glory in the world but was now heartbroken.
After a long silence, he said softly, "I assisted the Duke of Wei in the past. I was also depressed when the Duke of Wei failed to achieve his great cause. My dear nephew, please roll up your clothes so that I can see your arm."
Zhang Xuanning was of course aware of his own body, so he immediately rolled up his left hand and saw a hemorrhoid on his upper arm.
"If it is you, Xuan Gan has many wives and concubines, and you are the eleventh concubine, so you have many brothers and sisters. But I didn't expect that you are the only one alive now. Come, when the son of an old friend meets, we should drink more."
"My lord!" Seeing Zhang Xuanning pick up the wine, Luo Shixin hurriedly whispered, how can a king drink such uninspected wine and food?
"No problem." Zhang Xuanning picked up a cup and drank it all, then said to Luo Shixin : "You also sit down and drink. In this place, you don't have to be bound by the etiquette between the monarch and his subjects."
"Yes, my lord." Luo Shixin sat down.
When the fruit wine goes down your throat, the taste is mellow, soft and refreshing. The most valuable thing is that the aroma is rich and harmonious, leaving a long aftertaste.
Lu Miaozi said calmly: "This wine is made from six kinds of fresh fruits: pomegranate, grape, orange, mountain dregs, green plum, and pineapple. After the process of fruit selection, water washing, water bleaching, crushing, pitting, soaking, juice extraction, fermentation, adjustment, filtering, and alcoholization, it is then put into wooden barrels and buried in the ground for three years. It tastes good, right!"
Zhang Xuanning praised sincerely, "Uncle is proficient in architecture, crafts, gardening, formations, and pharmacy. I didn't expect that he is also good at brewing wine. I really admire him."
"You are just knowledgeable but not deep. My dear nephew, you are still young, but you have already achieved the first-rate realm in martial arts, and your vitality is eight or nine times better than that of ordinary people . Have you taken Yang Gong's treasure?" Lu Miaozi shook his head and sighed, "I am quite good at physiognomy. When I saw you when you were young, you were nothing special. Now you have white energy penetrating your head and purple energy filling your nose. You have the appearance of a king. It is really incredible."
He slowly swept his eyes over the two of them, smiled slightly and said, "Before I die, I am so happy to see my old friend. And my nephew has inherited the Tyrant Sword, which is really a cause for celebration. Do you know who killed Lin Shihong?"
The two of them shook their heads in confusion, it was just that Zhang Xuanning was pretending to be like this on purpose.
Lu Miaozi looked exhausted , but full of joy: "Lin Shihong is a master of the Yin Gui Sect, and also the most important layout of the Demon Sect in the south. I didn't expect you to kill him so easily. This is really your fate."
The two looked at each other in bewilderment. Zhang Xuanning said, "On the battlefield, the role of masters is not that great. Oh, why did Uncle Shi say that? Is he injured?"
Lu Miaozi nodded and said, "This is the injury I got thirty years ago. I was injured by the Queen of Yin. Although her Heavenly Demonic Skills were praised as the best of the evil sects, they still couldn't take my life. I used the terrain of the mountains to escape thousands of miles away and hide here. For thirty years, I have put all my energy here to build gardens. If I didn't have this kind of sustenance, I'm afraid I would have died of my injuries long ago. But these few days, I keep thinking of the old hatred. This is a sign of a recurrence of the injury. I'm afraid that I don't have much time left and it's difficult for me to do anything. I just want to ignore everything and live the last days in peace."
This has actually been made clear. I know that you two came here with an agenda, but I am dying and your agenda is in vain.
"So that's how it is. If uncle is in good health, can you come out with me? Uncle, I don't need to explain the current situation in the world in detail. I have already obtained six counties and Yang Gong's treasure. In a blink of an eye, I will have an army of 100,000. Besides, the overall situation will change next year. It will not be difficult to have more than a dozen counties next year. As the saying goes, great things are about to be accomplished. I hope uncle will help me." Zhang Xuanning said leisurely, as if he was not moved by the news at all.
Lu Miaozi stared at him for a long while, then glanced at Luo Shixin, and then sighed and said, "You have a brave general in your hands, and you have the right time and place, as well as Yang Gong's treasure. You can indeed accomplish something. You want to use the essence in the evil emperor's relic to help me, right? It seems that you have already absorbed the essence."
"That's right. I have already removed the restraints of the evil emperor's relic's essence. As long as my uncle practices the Sun-Changing Technique, he can absorb the essence, stimulate vitality, and continue life. How could my uncle die early?" Zhang Xuanning said, "Besides, my uncle must come to settle the cause and effect of Zhu Yuyan's matter!"
Speaking of this, Lu Miaozi seemed to be reminiscing about the past, with a sad look on his face. He paused and said, "I am afraid that even if I recover, I will not be a match for Zhu Yuyan. I have a limited life to pursue unlimited knowledge. I cannot focus on martial arts."
Then he smiled and said, "Besides, the reason why people come to me is for Yang Gong's treasure. You have got it now. Why else would you want an old man like me to come out of seclusion?"
Zhang Xuanning deeply felt his conflicting feelings and said with a smile: "Uncle, you underestimate yourself too much. Let's put that aside for now. What have you learned in the past 20 years here?"
Lu Miaozi smiled and said, "In the past thirty years, the only things that have fascinated me are gardens, architecture, machinery, weapons, history, geography, and numerology. However, gardens and architecture are not my passions. It was only because I lost a game of chess to Qingya that I was forced to fulfill the bet and build a garden and design a pavilion here."
He sighed sadly, "If I hadn't been able to place my feelings here, I would have died of regret. Qingya! When will I be able to repay you for what I owe you?"
Seeing Zhang Xuanning looking at him in confusion, he explained, "Qingya is Xiuxun's mother!"
Zhang Xuanning didn't like the name Qingya because it sounded like it had some connection with a nunnery. However, he knew that Lu Miaozi and Shang Xiuxun's mother must have an unusual relationship. After thinking for a while, he said slowly, "What does Pegasus Ranch have to do with His Majesty?"
Lu Miaozi pondered for a while, revealing an expression of disbelief. He looked at him for a long time, then slowly stood up, moved to the window, looked at the steep rock wall on the opposite cliff, and then said in a deep voice: "My nephew is really amazing. He revealed the secret with one word. Although Shang Xiong, the first owner of the Pegasus Ranch who built this castle, was a military general in the late Jin Dynasty, when Liu Yu replaced the Jin Dynasty and changed the country's name to Song, the world was divided. In order to avoid war, Shang Xiong led his men and clansmen to the south. By chance, he found this hidden valley and settled down here and established a ranch. However, due to the scale of the ranch, it has not developed much. There are only a few thousand horses. Until the current emperor became the King of Jin, in order to compete for the world, he set up a game in the south to control the Pegasus Ranch. The scale of the Pegasus Ranch has increased from a few thousand horses to about 30,000 horses now. Jingling is actually a county town that provides food and grass for the ranch. Otherwise, how could such a small place raise so many horses?"
Lu Miaozi pondered for a while, and then slowly said: "Originally, it was for the purpose of starting an uprising in the south if the fight for the throne failed, but later it was no longer necessary after the fight for the throne was won. I didn't expect that now, although the emperor has come to the south, he is trapped in Jiangdu and the horses are useless."
"So, Shang Xiuxun is the princess of His Majesty?"
Lu Miaozi sighed and said, "Maybe, but my dear nephew, you came here not only for me, but also for the ranch, right?"
Zhang Xuanning said calmly: "The Pegasus Ranch is in the south, which has changed the strategic situation, so we must take it. No matter who Shang Xiuxun is or whose daughter she is, I will marry her. This is already the best result."
"What if Shang Xiuxun doesn't agree? What will you do?" Lu Miaozi asked.
Zhang Xuanning said puzzledly: "What else is there to ask? A man is innocent, but he is guilty of hiding a wall. Even if my nephew doesn't do this, there are still others who do this. Shang Xiuxun married me, and she has the relationship with my uncle, so she won't be wronged. Otherwise, how can a man who has accomplished great things be moved by a woman? He should do what he should do."
Lu Miaozi's whole body was shocked, and his eyes flashed with unprecedented coldness. However, seeing Zhang Xuanning looking at him calmly, without any shame, he looked at him for a long time before sighing and saying, "You said such a righteous and awe-inspiring thing about killing someone and taking his property. It's really the so-called king's bearing. It seems that I can't refuse."
Zhang Xuanning’s words were actually very simple. If you don’t help me, Shang Xiuxun will be the one who suffers. I am decisive in killing and only take the path that should be taken.
Zhang Xuanning smiled and said, "Uncle, this is the best. I have brought the relics with me. Just find a safe place and absorb them."
After a pause, he continued, "Although Shang Xiuxun appears to be rude to you, he actually treats you as his father in his heart. I asked your uncle to come, and the position of Minister of Works is inevitable. Please take care of several things in the future."
Lu Miaozi sighed, stood up, moved to a bookcase, reached in and touched some mechanism, and with a "creaking" sound, a three-foot square stone in the center of the hall sank down, just forming the top step of the stone steps leading to the bottom. Then he said tiredly, "Go down!"
As he spoke, he led the way down the stone steps, and the two followed him down the two-meter-long stairs.
Below was a spacious basement about three meters square, with two large camphorwood boxes on one side and ten exquisite wooden boxes on the other side. Seven or eight strange-shaped things that looked like weapons were hung on the walls. The air in the basement was only slightly more stuffy than above, which showed that there were good ventilation facilities.
The copper jar was taken out, and the relic emerged. Zhang Xuanning smiled and said, "Uncle, you can absorb the remaining half. The other half is for the Evil King."
As soon as these words came out, Lu Miaozi was shocked again. Even a person like him could feel the unfathomable and terrifying nature of Zhang Xuanning. After a long while, he said, "My dear nephew, you are really thoughtful."
Zhang Xuanning revealed a hint of sneer. To some extent, he could look down on both Lu Miaozi and the Evil King.