In the northeast corner of Daxiangguo Temple, an old monk with a red face who was like frost but had a red face twisted a black jade chess piece in his hand and carefully considered it, and walked very calmly with every step.

"Boy, it's a foregone conclusion that one-third of the world is here, why do you have to work hard?" The old monk sighed and looked at the brocade-clothed boy holding the white chess on the opposite side: "Even if you fight to break the net, after all, it's just a sacrifice for the misery of the living!" ”

The boy in brocade still wanted to break out of the siege, but the two refused to give in to each other, and the whole game of chess was a mess after an hour. White seems to be alive but full of endless despair, and black's encirclement, although torn apart, is like a wildfire rekindled, extinguished.

Neither of them will give up, and they are struggling.

"How about you wake up and come down and see?" The old monk's eyes did not leave the chessboard and shouted to the black-clothed man sleeping on the beam.

When the man in black heard about his whereabouts, he didn't see any movement and gently landed beside the boy in brocade, squinted his eyes and looked at the chessboard, grabbed a handful of walnuts and threw them on the chessboard.

Before and after just a blink of an eye, when the two people playing chess looked at the chessboard again, the old monk twisted a black piece fell on the table, but the young man accidentally crushed a white chess.

The two looked up at the man in black, who was a very handsome young man, who was weak but as angry as the sea.

The old monk saw that the walnuts he fell were just blocking the two parties, and it was difficult to move forward. After taking the purple clay pot on the table next to him and taking two sips of tea and slowly exhaling the turbidity in his chest, he slowly picked up the seven walnuts on the chessboard one by one and arranged them in a row on the table under his nose, "The sky will descend on a great task, even if you have no intention, you still need to take on the responsibility of peace in the world!" ”

The two sons looked at each other and did not speak.

The brocade boy holding the white chess was silent and thoughtful.

Let's say that Mu Qingyan galloped with Sanjiu and two horses, and entered a small town called Dongyang after dawn. The two rode into the city, found an inn that looked fairly clean, changed their clothes, and ate some food, and then they could fight again.

All the way down the South Road, three days later came to Gangneung City.

He will have time to enter the city before dark. The city is quiet, and the occasional merchants come and go quietly, and there is no hustle and bustle of the past. The emperor is newly mourned, and although Jiangling City is far away from the capital, it is difficult to hide his sadness.

I followed the main road to the door of Qingjing Winery.

The shopkeeper greeted him at the door.

"Two upper rooms, two more buckets of hot water, food picked, ready, and sent to the room together!" Sanjiu dismounted first, pulled the reins of Weiyang's horse, and gave the horse to the man after she dismounted.

Weiyang was dressed in white, holding the longsword that looked a little old in his arms and entered the Qingzhen Winery.

At this time, it was already dark, and there were only four people sitting at the tables in the huge hall of Qingyu Winery. Weiyang didn't look up, and went up to the second floor amid the greeting of the shopkeeper.

In the first room on the left, the shopkeeper opened the door with his own hand, turned sideways and bent down respectfully and softly respected: "Young master!" ”

"Hmm!" Weiyang shallowly responded and stepped into the No. 1 room of Tianzi.

The man went downstairs and left after eating a meal.

There were two people sitting at a table by the window in the hall, an old man with gray hair and a young man in a blue shirt.

"I thought he would die last time, but I didn't expect his life to be really big, the unsolvable poison of the ghost grass can escape from death, no wonder the son said that this person is not simple!" The young man in the blue shirt whispered to the old man.

The old man glanced at the people who disappeared at the staircase, and muttered: "After investigating for half a year, I still can't verify his relationship with Qingqi Winery. ”

Before he could sit down after he finished grooming, there was a knock at the door.

She squinted and hesitated.

This is not the footsteps of Sanjiu, nor does it look like a shopkeeper. Who will it be when you first arrive in Gangneung?

After thinking about straightening up his clothes, he walked to the door in a few steps, opened the door, and was slightly stunned, how could it be him!

"Brother Tai, we're meeting again!" The man was dressed in an agarwood-colored brocade robe, with a green jade crown on his head, a scholarly body, a faint joy hidden between his eyebrows, and an entourage dressed as a scholar behind him.

Weiyang turned his mind and said with a few surprises, "Master Qi, how could it be you?" ”

The person who came was Qi Yan, the eldest son of the Qi family of Wu County, who was rescued by Weiyang from the sea.

"Today from the north of the city, the sky is late, look at the person who comes from afar, but you don't dare to be serious, the city gate is staggered and take a closer look, it is really a brother, it is really fate, this is the venture to visit!" Qi Yan looked at Weiyang happily.

The two of them talked at the door for a long time, and people came up downstairs one after another.

Weiyang turned sideways and let go of the door, "Young Master Qi, please come in and continue!" ”

"You're welcome to die like this!" He turned to the scholar and ordered, "Qi Xing, you go downstairs and ask the shopkeeper for some wine and food, and I will have a few drinks with my son!" ”

The boy turned around and was about to run.

"Wait, the meal is ready-made, but there is no wine, and the trouble and the shopkeeper's altar wine can be used!" Weiyang said loudly.

The scholar agreed, and hurried downstairs.

The two of them entered the room and sat down facing each other, and did not close the door.

"It's been more than half a year since Luochuan said goodbye, and I haven't had time to ask my son's name and surname!" Qi Yan's eyes were full of sincerity, and the etiquette was thorough.

Weiyang saw that he looked very decent, quite a bit upright, and he didn't hide his joy in his heart, "In Weiyang, the lower capital, a martial artist." ”

Qi Yan was stunned, his eyes widened and he looked at Weiyang as if he didn't believe it, "But the Weiyang of Gongzi Weiyang?" ”

Weiyang was amused by him, winked mischievously and nodded.

Qi Yan immediately got up, and his thin figure circled around Weiyang for half a circle, which was quite unbelievable.

"I've admired it for a long time, I didn't think I'd seen it earlier, but I still have grace to me, fortunately, fortunately!" Qi Yan saluted to the ground, a little excited, and his voice was two points higher than the usual warmth.

Qi Xing came in with the wine, went to seal it and poured it for Weiyang and his master, and consciously retreated to the door to guard.

"Sit down, it's rare to be lucky enough to meet today, I respect you!" Weiyang raised the wine cup first.

With a smile on his face, Qi Yan gently touched a glass with Weiyang and drank it all. Putting down the cup, he reached out and pulled out a fan from his belt, "I don't know when you painted it, but I got it by accident, it's really a treasure!" ”

Weiyang stretched his head to look, and there was a remnant rainbow and a blue wave in the middle of the lake painted on the fan, and her seal was printed in the lower right corner, and her signature was under the chapter. It was indeed drawn by her, and only she would put her stamp on the signature.

"If I'm not mistaken, I painted this fan to the monk of Wujun Shuanglin Zen Temple, four years ago!" Weiyang still remembers that when she fell in love with a lone scripture book in Shuanglin Zen Temple, the monk didn't know the goods and threw it in the pile of old books, so that she could say that she had exchanged a page of fan noodles.

She kept the broken book closely, and when she returned to the capital, she didn't even return home, so she ran to the Broken Sky Temple and Hui Yan to ask for credit, and insisted on replacing his broken sword with a broken book.

Four years have passed, and she still remembers the entanglement of choosing one of the two at that time.

"Below is the person of Wu County, and the Wufang of Shuanglin Zen Temple is a close friend, he reads my Mu Gongzi's talent, which is really what he asks for below." Qi Yan told the story.

Because the two have a common hobby, the more they chat, the more they talk, they are really devoted, and before they know it, a jar of wine will run out.

Weiyang is not a good drinker, and it doesn't matter if he drinks it or not. Qi Yan is not a good drinker, and he is already seven points drunk at this time. Just because I am happy when I meet someone who has admired him for a long time, I am not as restrained and dull as I am on weekdays.

"Brother Weiyang, now that it's a national mourning, why did you come to this city far away?" Qi Yan asked casually.

Weiyang glanced at him and said indifferently: "People in the rivers and lakes are free to live in the rivers and lakes, and the national mourning is in my way!" ”

I only heard a sigh overflowing from Qi Yan's mouth, as if with regret.

"Truly! Now that the new emperor has not been decided, Dongchu is in danger, although the people of my generation are determined to strengthen Chuwei, but they are not courteous because of the eyes of the well, and it is difficult to achieve ambitions! Qi Yan's eyes stared at the half-held wine cup in his hand, and the corners of his mouth sneered.

Weiyang got up and closed the door.

"It doesn't matter! Today's drunkenness is such nonsense, but it makes Brother Weiyang worried, it really shouldn't be Qi Yan! The words fell, and he drank the contents of the cup again.

Weiyang personally poured a cup of tea and handed it to him, frowned and said, "Prince Qi has the ambition to serve the country, why don't you go to the palace to seek fame and defend the Eastern Chu family and country with your own strength?" ”

Qi Yan smiled slightly bitterly, "The list that only fell this spring is not a sacred heart." He sighed lightly and said: "I am not talented, I have been reading and studying since I was four years old, I can read ancient history and know classics, and I learned martial arts at the age of six to strengthen my body." Therefore, the former emperor did not emphasize the text of ruling the country by force, and the commander of the division did not agree with the text of the martyrdom; It is said that governing the country should be strong outside and internal, and clean government and benefiting the people are the most royal road. However, I thought that it was better to teach people to fish than to teach people to fish, and the first major thing that Dongchu had done right since the founding of the country was the governance of the Fen River, although the process was difficult but also laid the real stability of Dongchu, and the people could be rich in the country. ”

Weiyang listened quietly, she never knew that she had become the hero of Dongchu.

Qi Yan staggered to his feet, walked to the window and pushed it open.

The moonlight was good, just a little colder.

After a while, he sighed again, "The prince does not pay attention to learning, he has not performed a feat in more than ten years of reign, and all his energy is spent on seizing the throne, even if the position of the supreme emperor in the world is in hand, he must have the ability to sit firmly and sit firmly!" "Qi Yan's voice is getting colder, like a half-bent crescent moon outside the window." Although King Ning's rebellion has subsided, how can King Li give up so easily when he is staring at the throne? Internal worries and foreign enemies will take the opportunity to invade, since the collapse of the emperor set off, thinking of going to Qixia Pass to do their part for the people of the people. ”

Weiyang listened to his remarks and couldn't help but re-examine him. Suddenly, there was some inexplicable impulse in my heart, if the Eastern Chu Kingdom got him as the prime minister in the future, what kind of weather would it be?

She didn't know why she thought the way she did, she just felt that he was so similar to what she thought.

The two of them were silent for a long time, contemplating the cold first quarter moon.

Bangzi sounded on the street, and it was the third watch.

"Brother Weiyang, I don't know if there will be a reunion today, but it's a pity that I will be separated from my brother and Taiwan." Qi Yan had a faint sadness and farewell.

Weiyang bowed his hand as a courtesy, "If one day Eastern Chu will be in danger, Weiyang may be on the way to fight side by side with Qi Gongzi, and the same Chu people should take their family and country as their own responsibility." ”

Before the words fell, Qi Yan looked at her deeply, turned around and walked to the door, opened the door and walked out. He didn't look back with his body on his back, and left two sentences with arrogance, "If there is a return trip, I will be drunk with my brother and Taiwan for poetry and painting!" ”

After Qi Yan left, Weiyang stood at the window for a long time and couldn't be calm.

On the fourth watch, there was a secret signal knocking on Weiyang's door.

"Come in!"

Sanjiu entered the door and looked at the cold room, "The young master is not sleeping, let's leave later!" ”

"You go and prepare, as soon as the city gate is opened, don't delay for a moment!" Weiyang turned around, sat down on the bed, and used his internal strength to breathe his body.

Sanjiu quietly closed the door, asked the shopkeeper for water and dry food, and led the horse to wait in front of the door.

On the fifth watch, Weiyang washed up and went downstairs, got on the horse with Sanjiu and went out of the city, and went straight to Wuling City.

The weather was still good, and it took another day to come to Wuling City.

Stayed overnight in another village ten miles outside the city, and on the second day, a dragon envoy hidden in Qixia Pass sent a message.

Wuling City is the last city on the southern border of Eastern Chu, and then a hundred miles south is Qixia Pass, the border of Eastern Chu and Nanzhao.

"Sanjiu, today you will enter the city and join the afterimage, and I will go to Qixia Pass to take a look." Weiyang burned the letterhead in his hand and commanded in a deep voice.

Sanjiu thought about saying something like following, but when he caught a glimpse of Weiyang's serious face, he knew that he couldn't influence her decision, so he simply agreed, "The big war is coming, and the young master must be cautious when he goes." ”

"Hmm!" Weiyang has been quite serious since he entered Beizhuang yesterday, not like he is lazy on weekdays, which makes Sanjiu also a little nervous, for fear of saying something wrong.

"Qixia guards the Qi family, and three generations have never slackened off in sticking to this pass, which is deeply used by the emperor. He is a modest person, strict in military discipline, and a rare general. Weiyang said this, looking up at Sanjiu, "Find a chance to enter the forward camp, don't make people suspicious, I have your own place." ”

Sanjiu looked at Weiyang with some puzzlement.

"There are only 100,000 soldiers and horses in Qixia Pass, and they have not fought for many years, and I don't know if they are still sharp now. The 2,000 men in the forward battalion are the elite of the 100,000 soldiers and horses, and I want to get to the bottom of him. Weiyang said slowly in a deep voice.

"Thirty-nine obeys! If a big war is coming, it will be forced to fill the barracks, and it will be easy to blend in. Sanjiu said.

"The forward battalion is led by Qi Jingxun's eldest son, Qi Yao, more than half of them are from two generations of government soldiers, and the rest are also selected from the big battalion, and they are careless. Weiyang looked up at him, "Don't force your head, I intend to find out the truth." ”

Sanjiu Fu nodded again.

After a long pause, she spoke again, "Also, pay attention to the entry and exit of some soldiers in the battalion, and use extraordinary means as a last resort in extraordinary times. ”

The two agreed on some contact methods, and Sanjiu went into the city.

Weiyang crooked on the bed and thought carefully about the current matter, and then got up and changed into a coarse cloth coat when the sun was sinking, black and gray and gray; casually pulled a bundle of hair under the hem of his clothes, blackened his hands and face, pretended to be a woodcutter, and collected what he brought with him out of Beizhuang.

She did not enter the city, but went east around the city into the mountains.