Qingzhou Mansion, the Yamen of the Exorcism Division.

Keqing Tao Qian was still drawing talismans alone in a secluded room as usual.

According to the agreement reached between him and the Qingzhou Mansion Exorcism Division, he needed to hand in at least one hundred different types of talismans every month in order to receive all the rewards.

In addition, after he became a follower of the Great Prince Xiao Shangyuan, he also needed to complete the talisman drawing task given to him by His Royal Highness the Great Prince on time and in quantity.

For Tao Qian, drawing symbols is a delicate job.

He must strictly follow the steps of purification, chanting mantras, praying, etc., and meticulously reproduce each rune on the rune paper; The slightest mistake can undo all the work.

So Tao Qian hates being disturbed in the process of drawing talismans.

"Knock knock"!

Just then, he suddenly heard a sharp knock on the door.

"I've told you countless times that don't affect my drawing!" He put down the pen in his hand and said irritably.

However, when Tao Qian opened the door and saw the appearance of the person outside the door clearly, he instantly restrained the anger in his heart, and his attitude took a 180-degree turn.

"I've seen Mr. Fan!" Tao Qian clasped his hands into fists and saluted respectfully.

The person who came was Fan Cheng, the worship of the royal family of the Great Qi Dynasty.

Tao Qian knew that this Mr. Fan was the number one confidant of the eldest prince Xiao Shangyuan - during the time when the eldest prince was recuperating from his injuries, Fan Cheng had been doing things for the eldest prince.

Fan Cheng glanced at him lightly, and said expressionlessly: "Your student Du Jingjing unfortunately died in the ruins of Laoshan Mountain. ”

Tao Qian froze in place for a moment.

Du Jingjing's teacher is the most, and he naturally knows that Du Jingjing went to the Laoshan ruins not to compete for the immortal inheritance, but to complete the task assigned to her by the eldest prince - to assassinate the fourth prince Xiao Shangzhen.

There is undoubtedly uncertainty about this task of assassinating royals.

But even though Tao Qian had been mentally prepared, when he heard the news, he still felt a little caught off guard.

After hesitating for a moment, Tao Qian lowered his head and asked cautiously, "What about Du Jingjing...... Was her mission successful? ”

"The four princes were lucky to save their lives. It's just that he was poisoned by the 'Life Devouring Pill', and there is a high probability that his cultivation will not be able to keep it. Fan Cheng said in a non-fluctuating tone.

Tao Qian was silent.

He knew that Du Jingjing's task could be regarded as both a success and a failure.

The defeat was because the four princes were still alive.

The success is due to the fact that after the four princes lost their cultivation, there was almost no possibility of competing for the "Tai'a Sword" - the eldest prince was one less competitor with amazing potential.

After a long time, Fan Cheng spoke again, breaking the silence in the room.

"You didn't actually draw this 'Wind Talisman', right?"

As he spoke, he handed a talisman to Tao Qian's hand, without the slightest emotion in his eyes.

Tao Qian's breathing paused for a moment.

He stretched out a trembling hand and slowly took the rune paper, only to feel that his heart was cold, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

…………

This "wind talisman" is indeed not painted by Tao Qian.

More than two months ago, Gu Xu went to Qingzhou Mansion to solve the case of the Lu family's murder house.

On the way, when Gu Xu flew with Chu Fengge's sword, in order to maintain the balance of his body, he pasted a "wind talisman" on his body.

After arriving at the destination, Gu Xu casually threw this talisman into the waste basket.

Then he was picked up by the eldest prince Xiao Shangyuan.

Fan Cheng once spoke highly of this "Wind Talisman", thinking that it had smooth lines, skillful brushwork, and was more powerful than ordinary "Wind Talisman", so he thought that it came from the hand of a master.

Since there was only one talisman in the Exorcism Division of Qingzhou Mansion, Xiao Shangyuan guessed at that time that this "Fengxing Talisman" was painted by Tao Qian.

So, after returning from Yishan, Xiao Shangyuan offered extremely generous conditions, wanting to recruit Tao Qian to become his follower.

An excellent talisman will undoubtedly be a powerful boost for him to compete for the "Tai'a Sword" in the future.

Tao Qian wanted to refuse.

Because he knows that his catties are two - with his current ability, he can't draw this unique "wind talisman" at all.

However, Xiao Shangyuan gave too many benefits.

Among them even includes the transcript of the notes of the Great Qi National Teacher, something that all the world's talismans dream of.

Faced with such a temptation, Tao Qian was stunned, and under the drive of greed, he lied that the "Fengxing Talisman" was indeed drawn by himself, and agreed to the request of the eldest prince in a daze.

He regretted it afterwards.

The original lies made his daily life tremble and walk on thin ice.

In order to cover up this impulsive lie, his daily life can be described as trembling and walking on thin ice.

He must play at a super level to get through in front of the great prince with every talisman he draws.

In addition, he also studied the notes of the Great Qi National Master without sleep or food, only hoping to improve his rune level as soon as possible, so that his rune seal technique could reach the level of that "wind talisman".

After all, only by turning the lie into reality can he be freed from this painful life of sleep.

At this moment, however, his lies were exposed.

He committed the sin of deceiving His Royal Highness.

He couldn't imagine what he would face next.

Before Tao Qian came back to his senses, he heard Fan Cheng continue: "Tao Qian, in fact, His Highness has seen through your lies a long time ago.

"Your level of runes is far from that of the monk who drew that 'wind talisman' - just like a scholar who can only read to death, deliberately imitating the master's articles, piling up words between the lines, but lacking a unique and natural charm.

Such a gap can be seen by anyone with a discerning eye.

"His Royal Highness is a person who cherishes talents, but he hates being deceived the most in his life.

"That's why he's sending your students on a mission that lives and dies. He hopes that both of you, teachers and students, will give full play to your remaining value before you die. ”

"It turns out that this is His Highness's punishment for me!" Hearing this, Tao Qian leaned against the door with his back, only to feel that his legs were paralyzed and could no longer support his body, so he slowly sat on the ground, his face like ashes.

Tao Qian knew that it was the greed that hurt Du Jingjing and himself.

Du Jingjing is really a silly girl.

Many years ago, her parents died and she was left homeless.

Tao Qian took a fancy to her rune talent, so he took her in, did chores for herself, and did a lot of dirty work.

He treats Du Jingjing as a free laborer.

But Du Jingjing regarded him as a reborn parent and obeyed him.

Now, in order to repay the kindness, she has lost her young life.

Thinking of this, Tao Qian couldn't help but sigh.

"Tao Qian, you should know what you should do now, right?" At this moment, Fan Cheng spoke in a cold tone again.

"I ...... I know. Tao Qian lowered his head, his face as white as paper.

"It's good to know."

Fan Cheng smiled, then turned to leave the room, and soon disappeared at the end of the hallway.

Tao Qian sat on the cold ground, looking at the "Fengxing Talisman" in his hand - this talisman has complex and smooth lines, and the natural meaning in it is a realm that he has never reached in his life.

"Never touch anything that doesn't belong to you."

Tao Qian smiled dismally, and then his heart moved, and he cut off his meridians.

His face was blue and purple, and he was surrounded by black qi, and he soon lost his breath.

In this way, the teacher and student bid farewell to this world in the same way.

…………

Luojing City.

That night, according to the order of Princess Zhaoning, the eunuch Cao Tong sent the fourth prince Xiao Shangzhen to Princess Zhaoning's mansion on the edge of Luoshui.

It was the dead of night.

Warm yellow light shines through the carved window lattices, casting dappled light and shadow in the courtyard.

The bitter cold wind howled by, and the bare branches were blown to sway.

Xiao Shangzhen's face was pale, and she had been hiding behind Cao Tong, not daring to come forward to meet her sister.

In the end, it was Cao Tong's coaxing and persuasion that persuaded him to enter the gate of the princess's mansion.

Princess Zhaoning still sat quietly behind the desk as usual, looking through the thick stack of papers.

The skin is like clotted fat, and the face is like a peach petal; The lips are red without dotting, and the eyebrows are green without painting.

And the simple and generous men's clothes on her body made her a little more heroic in addition to being charming.

Under the orange oil lamp, her gaze was as still as water, and she could not see the slightest mood swing.

Xiao Shangzhen took a deep breath and sat down on a chair opposite Princess Zhaoning.

He kept his head down and was silent.

He thought that his sister would be angry and would scold him like before.

On the way home, he also imagined thousands of responses in his mind, such as "The enemy is too insidious for me to guard against", such as "I'm sorry sister, I let you down", and "I'm not fighting for the 'Tai'a Sword' at all......

But now, Princess Zhaoning's calm expression made him a little overwhelmed.

I don't know how long it has been, Princess Zhaoning sighed lightly and said slowly, "I'm sorry." ”

Xiao Shangzhen raised her head, thinking that she had misheard.

"I'm sorry," Princess Zhaoning repeated what she had just said, "maybe I shouldn't have expected that from you.

"This path may not be for you."

Xiao Shangzhen's mind suddenly went blank.

The thousand words that I had prepared before, all choked in my throat, and I couldn't say a word.

"That'...... So what should I do now? He was stunned for a long time, and finally asked in a hesitant manner.

"Gonggong Cao is waiting for you at the door now. Later, he will take you to the headquarters of the Exorcism Division and ask the head of the Division to help you detoxify. The princess replied.

"And then...... And then what? Xiao Shangzhen asked again.

"Then," the corners of Princess Zhaoning's mouth rose, revealing a shallow smile, "From tomorrow onwards, you will go to the backyard and play with Xiaoliang, Chou, and Laifu!" ”

Her smile was gentle and kind.

Like the traces of clouds, the soft waves of waves, and like a ray of light floating past the corners of her mouth.

In Xiao Shangzhen's impression, her sister has always been strict and harsh, and she has never shown such an amiable expression in front of him.

"You...... You're not kidding, are you? ”

"I'm serious," Princess Zhaoning retracted her smile and said word by word, "Xiao Shangzhen, I owe you a carefree childhood. Now, it's time to give it back to you. ”

Speaking of this, she paused for a moment, then changed her words and asked, "By the way, there is another question - do you know who succeeded in obtaining the immortal inheritance on Laoshan Mountain in the end?" ”

Xiao Shangzhen replied without thinking: "Gu Xu from Yishui County, the one codenamed 'Vermilion Bird'. ”

"Gu Xu ......," Princess Zhaoning silently recited the name in her heart.

She only felt that the frequency of the name in her ears recently seemed to be a bit high.

…………

A few minutes later, Xiao Shangzhen followed the eunuch Cao Tong to the headquarters of the Exorcism Division.

Only Princess Zhaoning was left in the house.

She lowered her head and continued to read the thick stack of sitters on the table.

In her bright phoenix eyes, there was finally a faint hint of tiredness.

At this moment, a maid hurriedly came to her, curtsied at her, and said, "Your Royal Highness, the queen wants to see you." Niangniang has important things to discuss with you. ”

"Now?"

"Yes, now." The maid replied respectfully.

Princess Zhaoning glanced at the deep night outside the house, and couldn't help but wonder how the queen mother would deal with this matter.

"Prepare a sedan chair for Hongu!" She commanded lightly.

At the same time, she put on a cotton coat, a big hat, gloves, and a scarf, and went out in full gear.

As a mortal with no talent for cultivation, she couldn't use her true yuan to resist the cold of winter like a monk.

So after leaving the Princess's Mansion, she had to wrap herself tightly, like a chubby zongzi.

It's just that the exposed skin is fairer and smoother than the glutinous rice wrapped in the zongzi, and it seems to be blown and broken in the cold wind.

Soon, she sat in a small sedan chair with a green mantle carried by two people, and walked along the wide and flat "Heavenly Street" towards the Great Qi Palace-"Zichen Palace".

From a distance, the golden glazed tiles of Zichen Palace reflect the moonlight like water, flashing with a cold luster.

The small sedan chair enters the gate of the palace from the west side door, and under the guidance of a line of attendants, it bypasses the emperor's bedroom "Qianyang Palace" and stops in front of the queen's bedroom "Kunyuan Palace".

Kun Yuan Hall sits in the north and faces south, the yellow glazed tile heavy eaves the top of the palace, is located on the white marble single-layer Sumeru seat, the face is wide and the corridor is nine rooms, three rooms are deep, the front of the hall is out of the platform, the four are surrounded by the white marble railing with the flower phoenix pattern, the front is out of three steps, the left and right are each out of one step, and there are four Chen gilt copper incense burners on the platform.

It can be described as resplendent and solemn.

Princess Zhaoning met Chen Anzhi, the current empress of the Great Qi Dynasty and her mother, in the Xinuan Pavilion of the Kunyuan Palace.

At this time, the queen sat on the kang, dressed in civilian clothes, without a crown, wearing a white straight-necked placket jacket on the upper body, a square-necked placket on the outer part of the jacket, and a red flowered pleated skirt on the lower body.

Compared with the gentle and humble girl on the mural of the Lu family's murderous mansion, Chen Anzhi at this moment looks graceful and generous, as dazzling as a blooming peony flower.

Over the years, the Qi people have always spoken highly of this queen, believing that she is virtuous and virtuous, safe and self-serving, does not fight for power and profit, does not interfere in court politics, is generous and tolerant, and is friendly to concubines.

Otherwise, it would be impossible for her to sit firmly in the position of the master of the harem after the death of the first queen, surrounded by wolves.

"I've seen the Queen Mother." Princess Zhaoning bowed to her mother.

"Sit down, Wan Jun," the queen drove away the servants in the room, pointed to the chair opposite, and said with a calm face, "I already know what happened to Xiao Shangzhen. I'm sure with your wisdom you should be able to guess the identity of the man behind the scenes. ”

Princess Zhaoning straightened her dress and slowly sat down on the chair: "What is the queen mother's plan for this?" ”

"Xiao Shangzhen's loss of cultivation can be described as a great loss of vitality for us,—— and even in the next many years, we will be crushed by Xiao Shangzhen's brothers," I heard the queen say slowly, "However, our top priority is not to seek revenge on the murderer, but to consolidate everything we have, so as to prevent those young people from seeing us declining and thinking that we are a piece of fat and want to pounce on us and take a bite." ”

Speaking of this, Empress Chen Anzhi paused for a moment, took a sip of hot tea, and continued: "First of all, your uncle Chen Shandao, as the head of the Chen family, will send his daughter Chen Yayan to the palace at the beginning of this year's spring draft. ”

Princess Zhaoning was not surprised by the queen mother's words.

In the Great Qi Dynasty, the former dynasty and the harem have always been prosperous and loss-making.

The open and secret struggle of the harem concubines is essentially the competition for the interests of the family behind them.

After Chen Yayan entered the palace, he would undoubtedly be able to become the queen's help and help consolidate the Chen family's power in the palace.

But the problem is that as far as Princess Zhaoning knows, her father has been obsessed with cultivation recently, and he has not been close to women for several years.

Even if ten girls from the Chen family are sent into the palace, I am afraid it will be difficult to give birth to a new imperial heir.

"Does the queen mother have any other arrangements?" Princess Zhaoning pondered for a moment, then asked.

"A lone tree is easy to be cut off, but it is difficult to completely eradicate the intertwined vines," the queen said in a tone without any emotional fluctuations, "as long as we have a deep enough relationship of interest with other family members, then even if we lose power temporarily, others will not dare to act rashly." ”

"So what should we do?"

"By marriage. It starts with you. ”

"Me?" Princess Zhaoning was stunned for a few seconds.

The queen mother's words caught her off guard.

Ever since she began to take charge of the secular government of Daqi, she never imagined that she would have such a day.

"No...... No, I don't want to get married," Princess Zhaoning shook her head repeatedly, "I still need to stay here and assist my father in handling secular affairs." ”

"Xiao Wanjun," the queen called out her full name earnestly, "you have long passed the age of the princess, and you are a big girl in the boudoir, can't you stay in this palace for the rest of your life?"

"In addition, do you think that your father asked you to help him deal with government affairs, just to trust you, value you, and want to give you important responsibilities?

Actually, he was just looking for a tool to get his hands on.

"You don't have a cultivation talent, so you don't pose any threat to him. Your current power and status are all just rootless duckweed. One day he gets tired of you, or when the new emperor ascends the throne, he can easily take back all the power in your hands with just one word. ”

"But I don't want to marry any man right now—" She lowered her head and looked at her men's clothes, trying to argue.

"-You have to get married," the queen's eyes suddenly sharpened, as if she was about to nail the princess firmly to the chair, "Zhao Kuan of the Zhao clan in Youzhou, Shen Hua of the Shen clan in Jinling, Liang Hongyun from Penglai Island, and Su Xiao from the Sword Pavilion are all objects you can choose from." ”

"But Liang Hongyun is a fat man who likes to go to the Sect Division, and Su Xiao is a sword idiot who only has a sword in his head——"

"Then choose one of the remaining two, and then I will go and ask the emperor for instructions," said the queen in a cold tone, "after you get married, every time you have a child, our position will be secured." As long as the heirs of the Zhao family or the Shen family have your blood flowing in their bodies, then no matter who the future emperor is, he will not dare to touch you easily. ”

Princess Zhaoning did not answer immediately.

The queen mother's words do have a point.

A princess like her, who has no talent for cultivation, is often used as a marriage tool for the royal family, used to win over the family or cronies.

Because she has seen the depressed lives of many harem concubines and wealthy ladies, Princess Zhaoning has always been full of fear of such a fate.

She longs for freedom and wants to have a choice.

Even if you are married, you have to choose the one you like.

Instead of obeying the orders of his parents, marrying a man he has never met, and becoming a fertility tool for a certain family to inherit the bloodline.

So, she read through the spiritual texts in the palace, hoping to find a way to change her qualifications and put herself on the path of cultivation.

But she got nothing.

I just accidentally became an expert in spiritual theory.

After that, she put on men's clothes and began to read books on scripture and history, and studied the way of statecraft; The eight-strand articles she wrote were no less than most of the actions of the Great Qi Dynasty.

In addition, she often went to Guozijian, Hanlin Academy, Longmen Academy, and the headquarters of the Exorcism Department to discuss academic and political issues with officials such as Si Ye, doctors, and bachelors, and the officials were full of praise for her talent.

She wanted to prove that she had value beyond marriage and having children.

Even a few years ago, she quietly put on a set of student costumes, put on an ugly makeup for herself, and tried to blend into the Luojing urban and rural examination room, hoping to make a name for herself.

It's a pity that because of her stunning beauty that can't be concealed by makeup, as well as her bumpy and concave figure, she was recognized as soon as she arrived at the door of the examination room, and finally had to give up this ridiculous plan.

But her move also caught the emperor's attention.

After seeing his daughter's amazing talent, the Great Qi Emperor took the opportunity to leave the secular government affairs to her, and went to retreat and cultivate immortals happily.

From that moment on, Princess Zhaoning felt the joy of power and thought that she had escaped her original destiny.

But today, the queen's words seemed to wake her up from her dream with a slap.

She deeply felt that in this world with extraordinary power, all the power that did not match her own strength was just rootless duckweed.

Just like the mortal officials of the cabinet and the six ministries, they seem to be high and powerful, but in fact they are only the executors of the emperor's will, responsible for maintaining the normal operation of state institutions, but they do not have any decision-making power.

If one day the emperor does not like them, he only needs one sentence to demote them to commoners, and even ask for their heads.

Before, she kept urging the fourth prince Xiao Shangzhen to cultivate, but wasn't it the anxiety in her heart that was instigating?

Ask yourself, she doesn't really care if her brother can make it or not.

The phrase "it's all for your good" is just a lie to deceive yourself.

However, she must rely on her younger brother in the future to maintain her current status, power, and freedom.

She didn't want to lose it all.

Can ......... now

"Allow me to think about this for a few more days." Princess Zhaoning wrapped her body tightly and said expressionlessly.

"Yes," said the queen calmly, "but you are no longer a child. As the princess of Daqi, I hope you will remember your responsibilities. ”

Princess Zhaoning nodded, got up from her seat, and then left the Kunyuan Hall carved by Danying.

At the same time, she couldn't help but sigh silently in her heart: The queen mother is really a ruthless person - she can not have the slightest fluctuation in her emotions after her son's cultivation is abolished; She can also talk to her daughter about life events such as marriage in the same way that she buys and sells goods.

Perhaps, it is precisely because she is ruthless enough that she can sit firmly in the Kunyuan Hall for a long time and put the harem in order!

Princess Zhaoning thought as she walked down the white marble stairs.

Then, she boarded the sedan chair and set off back to the princess's mansion.

Along the way, her right hand clenched into a fist, her nails digging deep into her flesh.

It was the middle of the night, but she didn't feel sleepy at all.

A trip to the palace today, she benefited a lot.

She understands that in Game of Thrones, there are two characters: a pawn and a chess player.

Now she is too weak and can only be a pawn in the hands of others.

She has to be strong enough to become a chess player, have true freedom, and even dictate the fate of others.

This is the prerogative of chess players.

Although she doesn't know how to get stronger yet.

Maybe it's studying a more obscure practice, maybe it's finding a group of followers who are loyal to you, or maybe you have to make proper use of your beauty......

But she believes that with her own intelligence, as long as she works hard to find it, there will always be a suitable way.

So, in this cold winter, the young princess suddenly discovered something in the depths of her soul -

Ambition.

…………

Laizhou Mansion, Tongfu Inn.

That night, "Candle Dragon" Chen Yanping stayed in his room and silently wrote a letter to his father.

He first briefly described what he saw and heard on the Laoshan Mountain, including the winding mountain road that symbolized cause and effect, the tests set by the empty Xuansan people, and the assassination of the fourth prince Xiao Shangzhen.

In addition, he also introduced the companions of the "Shenji Battalion" reserves, and briefly analyzed each person's identity, background, cultivation, good moves, and so on.

This letter has important reference value for Xiangyang Chen's future investment or cooperation partners.

I saw him write in the letter:

"...... 'Bi Fang' Chu Wei, the Exorcism Division of Le'an County, a monk of the second realm, is good at fire spells, and has a mid-to-upper talent, but he is at the bottom level in the reserve of the 'Divine Machine Battalion', and has no attraction value......

"...... 'Qingluan' Du Jingjing, a native of Qingzhou Mansion, a monk of the Second Realm, studied under Tao Qian, the exorcist of Qingzhou Mansion, and was good at the art of talisman seals, deceased, and tried to assassinate His Royal Highness the Four Princes in Laoshan Mountain, suspected of being loyal to a certain prince......

"...... 'White Tiger' Su Xiao, a Fourth Realm cultivator, a disciple of the Sword Pavilion Lord, only has a sword in his mind, and he once took the initiative to give up the opportunity to obtain the immortal inheritance, and he is a cultivator who is difficult to communicate......

"...... 'Spirit Fox' Shangguan Jin, a monk of the Fourth Realm, an exorcist Shilang, a confidant of the head of Luo, is scheming, unpredictable, good at using swords, and knows a lot about poisons, she is an inscrutable woman. You must be very careful when working with them in the future. In addition, she seems to be more interested in Gu Xu recently......

"...... 'Vermilion Bird' Gu Xu, a monk of the Second Realm, an experience of the Exorcism Division of Yishui County, and the new owner of 'Jinghong Pen'. Of our group, he was the only one who made it to the top of the mountain and obtained the inheritance of the Kongxuansan people.

"This person's talent and temperament are far beyond ordinary people, and he has mastered an extremely exquisite talisman technique. The 'Taishang Arctic Town Demon Killing Talisman' he drew was many times more powerful than the ordinary 'Ghost Killing Talisman', which was enough to instantly kill the ghost 'Devil' under Laoshan Mountain.

Recently, he has been relatively close to Shi Lei, a thousand households in Laizhou Mansion, and is suspected of having a personal affair with Shi Lei's daughter Shi Xiaohan. In my opinion, a young monk with great potential like him, even if he cannot become Chen's in-laws, should have a good relationship with him. It seems to me that there may be a possibility for him to become a saint.

"It's just that from what I've observed, he's not interested in anything other than cultivation. If we want to recruit him, I'm afraid it's not as easy as we imagined......"

…………

Tonight, Shangguan Jin was in no hurry to return to the capital.

She also stayed in the room of the "Tongfu Inn" and quietly recuperated.

At this moment, she was wearing a single dress, standing in front of a bronze mirror, silently observing herself in the mirror.

With the "Heavenly Calculation" supernatural power, all her physical characteristics - including height, weight, facial proportions, chest circumference, waist circumference, and even arm circumference and leg circumference...... It's all in front of her eyes in the form of data.

For a woman like her who pays attention to appearance, "heavenly calculation" is undoubtedly a very practical skill.

With "Heavenly Calculation", she can sense the changes in her figure in time, and she can also accurately use makeup to modify her facial features and face contours more perfectly.

Otherwise, why can she always appear in front of everyone with a pure and refined beauty?

"Alas, I'm losing weight again......"

After a moment, she shook her head, a bitter smile on her face.

The food conditions in Laizhou Mansion are far inferior to those in Luojing City, and the trip to Laoshan is extremely expensive, so it is indeed reasonable to lose weight.

It's just that she really can't understand why she always loses her face first when she gets fat, and she always loses her breasts first when she gets thin.

This bothered her deeply.

Whenever this happens, she will be full of envy for the plump Princess Zhaoning.

Then, she sat on the edge of the bed and pulled out a picture book from the pocket of her robe.

The content is all drawn by herself.

As a lover of beauty, she likes to quietly record all the beautiful things she sees in this album - landscapes, flowers and birds, and people.

The "Heavenly Calculation" magic power enables her to have painting skills far beyond ordinary people, and can reproduce what she sees almost exactly.

Even the court painters of the Great Qi Dynasty would feel ashamed of themselves after seeing her paintings.

The first page of the Lord's album is a portrait of Princess Zhaoning. The princess in the painting leans against the white marble railing of the palace and looks into the distance, revealing a beautiful side face and seductive body curves.

The second page is a picture of the spring scene of the Luohe River.

The third page is a group of small milk cats she saw on the street side of Luojing City.

The fourth page is a beautiful female ghost she saw while on a mission.

The fifth page is the back of Luo Sishou playing the guqin under the vast starry sky.

Page 6 is a shark she saw many years ago during her travels in the East China Sea.

On page seven is a self-portrait of her.

The eighth page is a ghost dressed as a scholar who was killed by her own hands.

……

Page 89 is a picture of the sunrise in the East China Sea that she drew on her way back from Laoshan Mountain.

At this moment, she suddenly had the urge to paint again.

So she went to her desk, prepared her pen and ink, and began to draw carefully, stroke by stroke.

Sets of data came to her mind.

Precise lines appear on the blank pages of the album.

An hour later, the figure of a teenager appeared on the paper.

He stood on the top of the mountains, overlooking the earth as a king's landing, facing the waves of the sea, with his back to Yuyu Qionglou, his clothes fluttering in the wind.

Although this painting is only black and white, it truly shows the confident and calm temperament of the teenager.

Unlike other painters, Shangguan Jin does not understand such things as "artistic conception", "verve" and "emotion".

However, she believes that as long as her paintings are realistic enough to capture the most perfect moment, they can also become art.

She smiled and tucked the album into her pocket.

…………

Gu Xu also lit candles and wrote letters in the room of the "Tongfu Inn".

The first letter was addressed to Chen Jisheng.

In the letter, he briefly described what he had seen and heard during his trip to Laoshan – of course, skipping the notes and warnings of the Kongxuansan people, and equally briefly mentioning the assassination of the Four Princes.

In addition, he also asked Chen Jisheng about the recent situation in Yishui County.

Because Chen Jisheng once told him that the yin and evil qi generated in the Yishan area is spreading outward and will soon arrive in Yishui County.

This made Gu Xu very worried about the lives of Chen Jisheng and his colleagues in the Yishui Exorcism Division.

The second letter was addressed to Shi Xiaohan.

In this letter, he brushes the hardships and obstacles he encountered, and writes more about the interesting things he encountered during his journey.

He knew that Shi Xiaohan would like to see him see these things.

For example, His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince's disguised female voice was unfortunately exposed, such as the "Shenji Battalion", where everyone showed their magic powers to deal with the "Otter?" scenes, such as the expressions of envy, jealousy and hatred of everyone after climbing to the top of the mountain.

He could even imagine the girl reading the letter with the corners of her mouth upturned and her little tiger teeth exposed.

Then, he spent a lot of pen and ink to praise Shi Lei, calling him a powerful monk, a competent official, and an enviable father.

Although Shi Xiaohan has been talking about "my father is too annoying and nagging" all day long.

But she didn't allow anyone to speak ill of her father.

When others praise her father, she is also sincerely happy.

In the end, Gu Xu asked Shi Xiaohan about the situation of breaking through the realm in the letter.

He wanted to know what kind of supernatural powers she would awaken in the process of walking across the "Nai He Bridge".

After Gu Xu finished writing these two letters, he put them in an envelope and prepared to send them to the yamen tomorrow.

As for himself, he planned to stay in Laizhou Mansion for a while and study the "Puppet" spell of the Kongxuan Sanren.

After all, Chen Jisheng has been busy with work recently, and it is impossible to come here to pick him up.

In addition, Chen Jisheng also told him when he left that Yishui was dangerous and not to come back.

It's just that when he finished writing these letters, he suddenly felt like an arrow in his heart.

PS: Ask for a monthly pass! (I wanted to write 10,000 words, but my hand speed was not enough to whine qaq)

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