Xiao Yan stood in front of the window with her hands in her hands.

The chessboard-shaped neighborhoods in front of you are scattered, the cornices of the big huts are lined up one after another, the pedestrians on the long street are shoulder to shoulder, all kinds of laughter and laughter are coming and going, and the red lanterns are hanging high.

Today is Chinese New Year's Eve.

Chinese New Year's Eve is Qi and has nothing to do with her. The excitement is also someone else's, whether she wants to or not, she can only be independent on the edge of prosperity.

This stop is half a day, watching the noon sun turn west, watching the night cover the land, watching the lights come on, and watching firecrackers light everywhere.

Qi people like to say that they miss their relatives every festival, Xiao Yan admits that there is some truth in this, but only lonely people have time to miss their relatives, and only lonely people need to rely on their relatives to make their hearts less helpless.

Xiao Yan actually didn't like this poem. She thinks that this is because Qi people are easy to become hypocritical after suffering a little bit, and they always want to use a thousand methods to let others know that it is not easy.

And poetry is undoubtedly a very subtle and stylish way of expression that Qi people think they are, which can make them attract attention and pose as superior.

Xiao Yan didn't feel how lonely she was, and she didn't feel the need to show off these emotional fluctuations. Just like the story of the talented and beautiful woman and the hard-working mandarin duck that the storyteller tirelessly tells, she always listens to it with disgust.

The Qi people always called the northern border fortress a bitter cold place, and literati, scholars, officials and magnates were all afraid of it like a tiger. As everyone knows, in the north of the Great Wall, there are thousands of miles of real bitter cold places.

There are many people dying every winter, and when there is a white plague, there will be tribes of shepherds and cattle and sheep who will die, and there will be no chance to see the grass green.

In order to survive, herders must do everything they can, fighting wolves, beasts, wind and snow, moving from pasture to pasture year after year, risking death anytime and anywhere.

The shepherds don't have so many tears, and they don't have so many stories of hypocrisy.

Xiao Yan went south at the age of sixteen and has been lurking in Yanping City for nine years.

In the past nine years, she has seen countless glamorous and drunken fans, which is a prosperous scene that no grassland people would have imagined in their dreams. How unfair is the sky, giving the best land to the Qi people, but letting them starve and cold in the grassland.

But the Qi people never knew how to cherish these.

They sit and enjoy the treasure land with peace of mind, their desires can never be satisfied, the powerful families continue to calculate each other in order to compete for power and profit, and the rich and noble people keep exploiting the people in order to accumulate wealth.

What's even more ridiculous is that they always say that their emperors are eloquent and strategic, and their officials are honest and honest, because of their long-awaited governance, there are countless prosperous times here, and there are enough food and clothing for the people......

How ridiculous!

The land of the Central Plains is fertile for thousands of miles, the four seasons are distinct, the water and soil are abundant, the output is abundant, the grain is endless in the wild, and the prey is abundant in the mountains.

Sitting on such a treasured land, but attributing the abundance of food and clothing to himself, how shameless it is for the emperors and officials of the Qi people. If they were to go to the land of the desert north, would these self-proclaimed rich fellows still be able to make all the shepherds have no worries about food and clothing?

What's even more ridiculous is that the people of Qi also recognize this.

They never thought that as long as the kings here did not start wars, as long as the magnates here did not exploit the common people, as long as they could cultivate and hunt in peace, there would be endless meat to eat and endless clothes to wear!

Such a shameless and stupid Qi person does not deserve such a god-sent fertile soil.

The Tian Yuan Royal Court will definitely become the master here, and only those brave and warlike, simple and heroic people under the rule of the Tian Yuan Royal Court are worthy of such a treasure land!

With such an ideal in her heart and such a fighting spirit, no matter how far Xiao Yan is in a foreign country and stands alone, she will not have the heart to feel lonely - in her heart, it is just an insignificant feeling of cowardice.

She wants to rebuild the Goshawk Gang, to bring down the Zhao family, and to clear the obstacles for the army's southern expedition, this is her mission and her life.

Xiao Yan just stood until dawn.

......

There is a wind and snow pavilion in the palace city, it is the place where the emperor Song Zhi often stops to overlook Yanping City, and the Zhenguo Mansion also has a pavilion with a wide field of vision, which is enough to overlook the whole house, which is called the Guanwu Terrace.

Zhao Xuanji often inspected the martial arts of the clansmen here, or simply watched the Zhao children in the martial arts arena teach martial arts. As the first general of the Great Qi Dynasty, the Zhao family should have such a pavilion.

Today is Chinese New Year's Eve, Zhao Xuanji does not need to take the school to cultivate, in the process of keeping the New Year, he and Zhao Ning set wine here to discuss major events in the clan, but it is also a different flavor.

"In the past, it was your father who accompanied me to drink here, but this year's situation is extraordinary, and it is a pity that he can't come back from Yanmen Pass. But fortunately, you have grown up, and you can have a few drinks with me, which is not bad. Putting down the wine glass, Zhao Xuanji smiled very happily.

Zhao Ning poured a full wine for Zhao Xuanji, said some words of filial piety, and finally asked, "I heard that my father is preparing to attack Wang Ji's realm?"

Zhao Xuanji stroked the white beard and said with satisfaction: "Exactly." He has been in the late stage of the Yuan Shen Realm for many years, and his foundation is solid, and it has been several months since the revised "Qingyun Jue" was sent over, so he should have hit the Wang Ji Realm. ”

In his previous life, Zhao Beiwang failed to achieve the Wang Ji Realm, and he couldn't do much in the face of the war, but now this situation can be improved, and it is not in vain that Zhao Ning improves "Qingyun Jue".

"In addition to your father, your third uncle is also about to impact the Wang Ji Realm, but his talent is not as good as your father, if there is no pill to assist, I am afraid that it will take a few years. And the auxiliary pills that impact the King Extreme Realm, not to mention that there is no market, one or two are not guaranteed to be useful. ”

Speaking of this, Zhao Xuanji sighed, when he didn't improve "Qingyun Jue" in the past, the possibility of everyone's breakthrough was not high anyway, he didn't have these troubles, but now that he saw hope, he was inevitably more urgent in his heart.

Zhao Ning thought for a while and said: "In addition to the auxiliary pills that break through the Wang Ji Realm, those that break through the Yuan Shen Realm, and even the auxiliary pills that break through the middle and late stages of the Yuan Shen Realm, if we can get more, the cultivation of the clansmen can be improved a lot." ”

The Yuan Shen Realm is a high-end combat power, each one is very important, and the middle and late stages of the Yuan Shen Realm are even more important, if the army can suddenly increase a dozen or so cultivators in the middle and late stages of the Yuan Shen Realm, it is possible to change the victory or defeat of a local war.

Zhao Xuanji smiled and said, "The pills that assist in the cultivation of the Yuan Shen Realm are very precious, even if it is our Zhao clan, the financial resources are limited. To raise the cultivation of the clan to a higher level as a whole, the wealth required is extraordinary, even if we have the Liu family's industries such as the amethyst mine in Lantian Mountain, it will not be enough to do this in a short period of time. ”

Of course, Zhao Ning knows that it is new.

He suddenly said: "Yanping City is located in the north of the imperial dynasty, only 800 miles away from Yanmen Pass, the princes and nobles of the Beijing division are gathered, the number of people is more than one million, but the land of Gyeonggi is not vast, plus the various supplies of the border garrison, including many goods, including grain, need to be transported from the rich south by Cao Yun, and there are a large number of goods loaded and unloaded at the wharf every day.

"Many of our industries in the south also rely on Cao Yun to mobilize materials, and if Cao Yun fails, fifty percent of our income will be affected - other families are similar.

"A Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is related to the lifeblood of the dynasty, from the princes and nobles, the operation of the imperial court, down to the common people in the market, clothing, food, housing and transportation, all of which are locked in their throats!"

Hearing this, Zhao Xuanji understood Zhao Ning's subtext, and frowned slightly: "The transshipment envoy who manages Caoyun is subordinate to the Ministry of Households, which is the land of the civil and official family, and we have never been able to intervene, and it is not easy to share the benefits of Caoyun." ”

If there is a benefit of Cao Yun, even if it is only one percent, there will be a huge income every year, and this money will be exchanged for pills, which is enough to raise the strength of the cultivators of the Zhao Sect to a higher level as a whole.

Zhao Ning's tone was firm and resolute: "The war in the north is imminent, but the emperor thinks that the Tianyuan royal court is not to worry, and if we want to fulfill our duty to guard the northern border for the Great Qi, we must strengthen our strength!"

Although Caoyun made a lot of profits and entered the pockets of the Mendi family, it was not all used to transform it into the strength of cultivators and the combat power of the dynasty, and most of them were consumed in drunken gold.

Zhao Xuanji fell into a deep groan, and smiled helplessly at the end, "I knew that you were getting bolder and bolder, but I never thought that it was already so big." Do you know that once my Zhao clan's strength is improved too much, who will be the first one who will not agree?"

Zhao Ning's eyebrows were like swords, and his eyes were like iron: "If you bring down the Liu family, the Zhao family can't retreat if you want to." As for the coming day, when the big event comes, the situation will change by itself. If the kingdom does not exist, we will not be able to protect ourselves. The rest, after all, is just a soldier, blocking the water and covering the earth!"

Zhao Xuanji drank a glass of wine and fell into contemplation again.

Zhao Ning also took a drink.

Northern Hu Nan invaded and destroyed Great Qi, even Zhao Xuanji at this time had already experienced the affairs of Daizhou, and he was afraid that he would not be able to think of it.

The matter of Daizhou made Zhao Xuanji aware of the position of the Tianyuan Royal Court against the Zhao family, and deduced the other party's ambition to dominate the grassland.

But at this time, Zhao Xuanji believed that the Tianyuan Royal Court would invade Great Qi in two and a half years, and had the ability to destroy Great Qi, and there was no sufficient empirical evidence.

If it was so quick and easy within Great Qi that he could realize the true face of Beihu, Great Qi would not have died so easily in his previous life.

The national situation is like this, but Zhao Ning is not in a hurry.

As long as Xiao Yan's fine forces in Yanping City are dug out, people of insight and generals in the Great Qi Dynasty will naturally know the seriousness of the problem.

Before that, the current situation will push the Zhao family forward, and will let Zhao Xuanji do everything Zhao Ning wants the other party to do.

To bring down the Liu family is to light the fuse, and the situation cannot be stopped.

Zhao Ning turned his head to look outside the pavilion. The Zhenguo Mansion is brightly lit, and the children in the clan play with the maids and servants in various courtyards. Outside the palace gate, Yanping City is as bright as a sea of stars, no less than daylight.

This impending storm is what he is promoting.

Then you might as well make it more violent.

In the huge Yanping City, there are more than a dozen generals and sects involved in the turmoil, even if Zhao Ning can call the Zhao family, Yipinlou, Duweifu, and get the help of the Wei family and other generals, after all, he will have to face a big battle, and at this moment, he is not sure of victory.

Success or failure has not yet arrived, and it is immediately unknown.

But after all, he added the Duwei Mansion and Yipinlou to himself, and his strength has increased a lot compared to half a year ago.

The wind and the tide will either become the tide maker, independent leader, and dominate the situation, or it will be swallowed by the storm and become a drop of stagnant water in the torrent, merging with the wave.

Other than that, there is no choice but to steal a living.

"Life is like a reverse journey, isn't it a battle situation where you don't advance or retreat?" Zhao Ning retracted his gaze from afar, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. It is a great fortune to be able to indulge in the fight in this life and have the opportunity to become a winner.

......

Winter goes to spring.

The fireworks of the Shangyuan Festival in the seventh year of Qianfu are already tomorrow's yellow flowers, which can be remembered irrevocably, and its last echo in the spring breeze can no longer capture half a trace.

Yanping City Golden Water Gate, the horse's hooves on the bluestone slab ground from far and near, the cavalry of the black robe and black armor went out of the city gate and turned west, galloping all the way. The horses' hooves trampled on the muddy road, splashing countless tiny mud and scattering wildflowers far away.

After a short distance, a group of more than 20 horsemen gradually approached the crowded dock, passed by warehouses large and small, and at the end of the street where various shops were lined up, and at the flat unloading area by the river, the cavalry moved neatly and reined in the reins of the horses.

Zhao Ning, who was dressed in the official robe of the chief flag of the Governor's Mansion, raised his eyes and looked: hundreds of people had gathered in front of him, and a large area of black pressure was pressed, and the noise in the middle was extremely intense, with scolding and crying, and the words of killing people could be vaguely heard.

At the feet of the Son of Heaven, the five directions live together, the three religions and nine streams, and the five elements and eight works, which are the embodiment of the prosperity of the Beijing Division. The wharf is mixed, and the five elements of the car, boat, foot, business, and tooth shops gather here, and it is difficult not to be lively.

"I've seen Mr. Zhao!"

A soldier from the Governor's Mansion squeezed out of the crowd and ran to Zhao Ningma sweating profusely, "Zhao Zongqi, this matter is not simple, I'm afraid it's not easy for you to come forward in person, so you should avoid it and give you a detailed explanation of the situation first." ”

Zhao Ning glanced at the soldier, "Isn't it the Zhao clan, because the cargo ship was not unloaded, it was delayed for half a month, and when I was looking for the ship's owner's theory, a conflict broke out with them, killing and injuring many people?

"The Governor's Mansion is responsible for the security of the capital, and the dock is also under its jurisdiction, and there are several cultivators here to make a move, and this official has come to check it from now. Do the people here think that this official and the Governor's Mansion will bend the law for personal gain?"