After experiencing a bloody night, Qin Xian, who had just become the crown prince, took off the prince's nine-bead crown, and under the auspices of Xiao Lie, he replaced it with a twelve-bead crown that belonged to the emperor. The new monarch succeeded to the throne, and according to the etiquette system, he should be in the Emperor's Palace and accept the worship of hundreds of officials. From the scholars of the palace who entered the cabinet, to several governors of the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion, and then to the six Shangshu, from the prince to the earl, they are all among the worshippers. But only some well-intentioned people found that this enthronement ceremony not only lost many familiar faces who disappeared on the bloody night, but also Xiao Lie, the initiator of the bloody storm in the eastern capital.

The new monarch ascended the throne, Xiao Lie did not worship, and the deep meaning inside was self-evident.

Just when the enthronement ceremony was being held in the Imperial Palace, Xiao Lie went out of the East Gate of the Eastern Capital and brought his descendant disciple Zhao Qing with him, just to wait for someone.

On an official road nearly 100 miles away from the Eastern Capital, two travelers who came from afar met unexpectedly. Among them, the older traveler is already full of silver hair, slender figure, and it can be vaguely seen from his appearance that the Yushu in his youth is in the wind, with a high crown and a broad belt, but he is dressed in an ancient style. The other traveler looked like he was in his thirties, with a weathered face, acting like a soldier, and there was a layer of calluses on his tiger's mouth, like an old pawn who had retreated from some border army.

The old man in Confucian costume glanced at the man standing opposite him, and asked calmly, "General Murong, but you want to go home to save your family?"

The middle-aged man who looked like he was just a young man patted the dust on his body and laughed softly: "I joined the army at the age of twelve, and it has been nearly forty years since I returned home. ”

The old Confucian shook his head and said, "Then you shouldn't come." ”

The middle-aged man laughed and said, "You are allowed to come, but I am not allowed to come, what is the reason?"

The old Confucian said: "It's not a reason, it's a rule." ”

The middle-aged man clapped his hands, and the corners of his mouth turned up: "What a rule." ”

The old man was indifferent and ruthless, and said calmly: "Murong Yan, the Heavenly Machine List ranks you sixth, and the old man is only ranked eighth, come to show off your power in front of the old man?

Murong Yan, whose real identity is General Hou Jian, smiled lightly: "It just so happens that I want to go to Weiguo, so I will just stop by to catch up with you, if you can't enter the Eastern Capital, I won't interfere." ”

Zhang Zai, who was covered with frost and snow, glanced in the direction of the eastern capital in the distance, and said: "In addition to an eighth here, there is also a tenth not far away, even if you interfere, what can you do?"

After Murong Yan glanced at Zhang Zai's gaze, he retracted his gaze, "Although I, Murong Yan, am only a martial artist, but I also know the truth of the Heaven and Earth Monarch's teacher, you Zhang Zai said that he wanted to continue his studies for the sake of the saints and restore the heyday of Confucianism, but it was with the help of Xiao Lie, a man who had no ruler, is this the truth or the rules of Confucianism?"

Zhang Zai shook his head and said: "Confucianism does not exist, how can we talk about the rules and principles, the old man is entering the Eastern Capital this time to re-establish Confucianism." ”

Murong Yan sneered, pointed to the sky above the Eastern Capital, and said, "The leader and the eye on the Heavenly Machine List are still there. ”

Zhang Zai walked past Murong Yan, walked straight forward, and said calmly: "Where righteousness is, although there are tens of millions of people, I will go." ”

――

Xiao Lie stood at the gate of the city, looking into the distance, and slowly retracted his gaze after about a stick of incense.

He glanced at Zhao Qing, who was standing respectfully behind him, and suddenly said: "This person in the world, no matter how high he stands, he has something to ask for, and as long as he has what he wants, he will have a flaw." The real person in charge of the sect wants to let the Dao Sect unify the cultivation world, the Shangguan Xianchen of the Sword Sect wants to make the Sword Sect become the orthodox of the Dao Sect, the great elder of the Later Construction wants to let the Houjian Iron Horse go south to the Central Plains again, and Mr. Hengqu, who is known as the sage of the East China Sea, wants to re-establish the Confucian Sect. ”

It's just that when the Taoist sect is powerful, how difficult is it to establish a religion? Knowing that he can't do it, not doing his job, and not knowing the destiny of heaven, he is worthy of the title of this saint.

As for Murong Yan, Xiao Lie had a relationship when he was Hou Jianyou, Xiao Lie was not a metropolitan governor at that time, and Murong Yan was not a general with heavy troops, but a miscellaneous general.

The chance encounter between the two is now very accidental, at that time, there were two people playing against each other in the later Jinhu City, Xiao Lie admired it, and Murong Yan's department happened to be stationed outside Jinhu City.

At that time, there was a huge age difference between the two chess players who played against each other, one was from a down-and-out clan and was just a young man who was just a nameless person at this time, while the other was already Li Xu, the Duke of Wen Ruo, who was regarded as Li Shi by many later princes.

At that time, Li Xu, who had been regarded as a fairy figure by Hou Jian, would look at a young man with no name, so the number of masters from all walks of life attracted by this chess game was really staggering in the future.

Xiao Lie closed his eyes, and the scene of that year was still vivid.

At that time, he was just a son of a family without half of his fame, and at that time, Houjian was divided from the feudal towns everywhere, and I don't know how many people called the king and how many people called the emperor, at that time, the turmoil in the cultivation world had just passed, the leader of the Demon Sect was missing, and the Demon Sect was also in chaos, so the Houjian at that time, from the court to the rivers and lakes, was a chaos.

Only that city has a rare scene of peace.

At that time, Li Xu and Wan Yanhong, who had not yet been crowned king, were hugging Pu to watch chess, Xiao Lie, a foreigner, was naturally not qualified to watch chess, and he didn't dare to gamble on his luck and rashly climbed over the wall, so he had to stay outside the door.

Then he saw a young man with a group of personal soldiers, wearing armor and swords, with a strong martial aura on his body. However, judging by his outfit, he is just a miscellaneous general. He guessed that such a martial artist probably wouldn't be able to enter the simple view of literati and scholars. Sure enough, that guy was also blocked out of the door, and he and his stranger became a pair of difficult brothers squatting at the door.

The young man who was not too much of an age difference between the two just squatted outside the door of Hug Puguan, saying something that he still remembers clearly.

"Brother, where are you from?"

"Da Zheng people. ”

"Da Zheng, that's a peaceful place, I heard that you have a Shoufu named Zhang Jiangling there, it's very powerful. ”

"It's a pity to die. ”

"How did you die?"

"Who knows, maybe the emperor doesn't like him?"

"There is a saying that the king wants the minister to die, and the minister has to die, and that is eighty percent true. By the way, what are you doing here?"

"Study tours. ”

"You're here to study on a study tour, brother, are you all right?"

“......”

"My name is Murong Yan, what's your name?"

"Xiao Lie. ”

"Oh, if you have any trouble in Jinhu City in the future, just report my name. ”

"Thank you. ”

That day, Xiao Lie remembered the name Murong Yan.

It's just that at that time, Xiao Lie was not the Grand Governor who commanded the 200,000 secret guards, and Murong Yan was not the general of the hundreds of thousands of iron cavalry under his command.

In the end, Murong Yan couldn't hold his breath and pulled him to sneak into Baopuguan from the back wall.

In the garden, there are two people playing chess, and the atmosphere around is somewhat delicate.

Until now, Xiao Lie can still recall the scene in the courtyard at that time.

Li Xu and Wan Yande are concentrating on playing chess. Among the onlookers on the sidelines, Xiao Zheng, the uncle of the country at that time, and the then Elder Zuo of the Demon Sect were chatting, and the Qingchen Dazhen, who failed to compete with his senior brother for the throne and turned against the Dao Sect, also appeared in this small courtyard, and was watching the chess game intently at this time, and beside him was Mr. Fu, who had not yet taken the position of the master of the Tianji Pavilion.

Outside the courtyard, Xiao Lie and Murong Yan cautiously poked their heads out and peeked into the courtyard.