Nanjing City.

Yefu.

Ye Zhiqiu sat in the hall and carefully wiped the knife in his hand.

This knife is about a foot long and two inches wide, and its appearance is also very ordinary, no different from the ordinary Yanling waist knife, but the blade shows a faint cyan color, and you can see that the material is unusual at a glance.

This knife is Ye Zhiqiu's heavy money to obtain foreign green steel, looking for the world's famous craftsmen made, it is really a treasure knife that blows hair and breaks hair, and sharpens iron like clay, called "deciduous knife".

Back then, it was with this deciduous knife, a set of self-created deciduous knife techniques, that he traveled all over the rivers and lakes, and it was rare to meet opponents, and he was once famous in the rivers and lakes.

Of course, only he knows that this so-called "deciduous knife method" is actually born from the Mojia knife technique he has practiced since childhood. And the famous "magic knife" on the rivers and lakes on the fifth floor of the devil is actually his senior brother who grew up together.

Originally, he could rely on this knife to make a name for himself in the rivers and lakes, and even become a hero of one party, and he really thought so.

Until, he was destined to meet that person, the young Yan King Zhu Di.

Although there is a huge difference in their identities, Zhu Di does not have the lofty shelf of the prince, but he is very good to him.

It was this Zhu Di, who was still the king of Yan at the time, who made him understand that a man's life should not just be mixed in the rivers and lakes, but to make contributions and have his own world.

From Zhu Di's body, he learned what is ambition, what is strategy, what is mind, what is the world, and what is a real hero.

From then on, he gave up everything he had, threw himself into Zhu Di's command, and worked hard for him, because he knew that no matter how good a knife is, it also needs someone who knows how to use it in his hand in order to truly exert its power.

He was indeed a good sword, sharp, and loyal.

Zhu Di also regarded him as a confidant around him, and never hid it from him in almost everything, until the success of the Battle of Jingyan, Zhu Di ascended the throne as the emperor and appointed him as the commander of the Jinyi Guard.

Although Jinyiwei is said to be a forbidden army, he is responsible for supervising the words and deeds of the subjects of the world, dealing with important cases that move the heavens and the sky, taking charge of the edict and prison, and determining the life and death of people.

But he is still very loyal to Zhu Di, because he knows that everything he has is given by the emperor, and of course he may take it back at any time, just like now.

After the military rebellion in Beijing, although he was exonerated and released from prison because of his son Ye Feng's great contribution to this case, Zhu Di also removed him from his position as the commander of the Jinyi Guard, and allowed him to return to his hometown for retirement.

In fact, he was deposed of all power and driven him back to his hometown.

You must know that over the years, he has acted as a minion for Zhu Di and hunted down dissidents, which has offended many literati, and even many officials in the DPRK and China are also deeply dissatisfied with him.

Now that he has become a cloth cloth and returned to his hometown in despair, I don't know how many people will take the opportunity to take revenge and want to kill him, in the eyes of these people, he is actually like a dog that has lost its sharp claws and has been abandoned by its owner, no difference.

But none of this can be resented by the emperor, everything is caused by himself.

I don't know when he felt that he couldn't see the emperor in front of him more and more clearly. In the past, when they were still King Yan, they often talked to each other, but now the emperor's mind is becoming more and more difficult to guess, and the emperor's little secrets that he doesn't know are also increasing.

Accompanying the king like a tiger, he began to really feel the helplessness and fear in this sentence.

So he learned how to seek self-preservation.

From the very beginning of Sun Dianchen's fake death case, he saw the clues and felt the huge conspiracy hidden behind this case. He didn't want to get involved in the bloody struggle for power between the royal family, so he used his son Ye Feng to investigate the case and put himself out of the matter.

Of course, he knew the importance of Ye Feng to the plan that had been planned for many years in the emperor's heart, but he was even more reluctant to become a victim in the game of competition between the crown prince and the kings, and in order to protect himself, he had to take a risk.

In the end, although Ye Feng successfully solved the case and quelled the rebellion in the capital, Ye Zhiqiu's practice of putting Ye Feng in danger had touched the emperor's bottom line and attracted the emperor's thunderous anger.

Although the emperor thought of Ye Feng and his grand plan, he did not kill Ye Zhiqiu, but the dismissal of the official and returning to his hometown was already the lightest punishment.

Therefore, Ye Zhiqiu does not resent the emperor, he just resents himself, when did he regard his life and status as so important?

Perhaps, it's because he's getting old! Ye Zhiqiu couldn't help but think like this.

Once a person is old, he will be particularly attached to what he has in his hands and afraid of losing, and the first thing to lose is courage.

Just like the knife in your hand, no matter how sharp it is, once it is inserted back into the scabbard to protect it, it is also useless.

Ye Zhiqiu let out a long sigh, and slowly inserted the wiped leaf knife in his hand back into the scabbard, and the pale cyan knife also disappeared into the scabbard.

Maybe one day, it will still have a sharp blade out of its sheath and see the light of day again, but what about itself?

Raising his head, Ye Feng was striding into the hall from the outside.

Looking at Ye Feng's sword eyebrows with a resolute color, and looking at his mature face, Ye Zhiqiu suddenly felt like a world away.

Twenty years ago, when I first saw this child, he was just a baby waiting to be fed, and I can barely remember what he looked like at that time.

Now that the baby has grown into a man, how can he not grow old?

Ye Zhiqiu looked at Ye Feng quietly like this, with a lot of thoughts in his heart.

Ye Feng stood in front of his father and was a little surprised, so he asked, "Father, I don't know what you want to call the child to?"

Ye Zhiqiu put down the knife in his hand and looked at his son with gentle eyes: "It's nothing, just to see if you come back." You just went out with those fox friends again?"

Although he said "fox friend and dog friend", there was no trace of blame in his tone. He naturally understood that without the help of this group of friends, Ye Feng would probably not be able to get to where he is today.

Ye Feng lowered his head and replied: "Yes, Uncle Xie has been demoted to the state, and he will leave Beijing in a few days, so let's go see him." ”

Ye Zhiqiu nodded and said, "You are good friends with the boss of the Xie family, so it is right for you to go and see it." ”

He knew that Xie Jin was demoted, to be honest, in fact, staying away from the capital and the court was really a good thing for Xie Jin. He is too talented and famous, and he is easy to be targeted by others.

Not only for Xie Jin, but also for his son Xie Zhenliang, it is also a good thing, so that he can stay by Ye Feng's side to help with peace of mind.

Thinking of this, he raised his head and looked at a big man standing in the courtyard outside the hall, it was the Helian Tie, since the rebellion in the capital was pacified, he had been following Ye Feng, treating Ye Feng as the master, saying that he wanted to repay him for saving his life.

Ye Feng followed his father's gaze and saw the, and hurriedly explained: "He is a friend of mine, and he has no relatives and no reason in Beijing, so he has to follow me and say anything to repay me......

Ye Zhiqiu raised his hand to interrupt Ye Feng's words, and comforted: "Forget it, if he wants to follow, he can follow, in the future, when you walk the rivers and lakes, one more friend will give you more help." ”

Ye Feng nodded yes, but secretly wondered in his heart, what did his father mean that he was going out to explore the rivers and lakes?

Ye Zhiqiu looked at his son, now he is no longer the commander of Jinyiwei, and Ye Feng is no longer in Jinyiwei, after all, Jinyiwei is a royal forbidden army, and he can't tolerate a person like Ye Feng who has become a wanted criminal.

In fact, it's okay, the current commander of Jinyi Wei is Ji Gang, who is the person next to King Han, who has always disagreed with Ye Zhiqiu's politics and has been-for-tat. If Ye Feng continued to stay in Jinyiwei, it was conceivable that there would be no good fruit to eat.

Fortunately, this kid has no concept of official status or anything, he doesn't care too much, and he doesn't feel sad if he doesn't do brocade guards, and he seems to be happy to be idle.

Ye Zhiqiu sighed secretly in his heart, but he was afraid that such idle days would not last long.

He coughed lightly and said, "Your uncle Xie is already preparing to leave Beijing, and he has delayed returning to his hometown for a few days for his father's edict, so it's time to go on the road." ”

Ye Feng was stunned for a moment, then he noticed that there was a small burden on the table, it seemed that his father had only packed some of his clothes, and he was about to go.

He hurriedly said, "The child will go back to the room immediately to clean up and accompany his father on the road." ”

Ye Zhiqiu waved his hand and said, "No need, just go back to your hometown for your father, you don't have to follow." ”

He sighed: "I haven't been back for a long time for my father!"

Ye Feng was a little surprised, and wanted to say something more, but Ye Zhiqiu stopped him and said meaningfully: "You just stay in the capital, perhaps, there are more important things waiting for you!"

Ye Feng didn't understand, and his face was puzzled.

Ye Zhiqiu pointed to a brocade box on the table next to him, and said, "You were not at home just now, and someone from the palace passed on the decree, saying that you had made a meritorious contribution to solving the case this time, which was rewarded by the emperor, and I took it on your behalf for my father." ”

Ye Feng was even more puzzled in his heart, when he was in the palace, he had clearly explained that he didn't dare to take credit, and pushed away the emperor's reward, why did he have another reward at this time?

He muttered, "What is it?"

Ye Zhiqiu's face sank: "Look at it yourself, what the emperor rewarded you, how can you easily open it for your father?"

Ye Feng was helpless, and stepped forward to pick up the brocade box.

It is worthy of being a royal thing, and a small brocade box is also finely carved, exquisite, Ye Feng carefully held it in his hand and opened it.

He couldn't help but shudder and was taken aback!

There is no gold and silver jewelry in the brocade box, nor is it a treasure jade, but an antique thin book, with three big seal characters written on the cover, Ye Feng knows, those three words are "push-back picture"!

Ye Feng was really shocked and frightened in his heart.

Why did the emperor give this book?

Because he promised not to leak it, he never mentioned the content of the conversation between Shaolin and Master Ning Ran to anyone, even the two closest brothers around him never said half a word.

How did the emperor know that he wanted this book? Could it be that the emperor also read fortune-telling, or was he aware of his own hesitation in the center of the temple?

But thinking about it, I don't think it's possible, it seems that this unfathomable and profound emperor probably knows far more things than Ye Feng and the others imagined.

Ye Feng stood in place in shock, standing still, his face changing several times. Ye Zhiqiu sat on the side and looked at his son's expression, but his face was calm and he didn't say a word.

Could it be that he already knew what was in this brocade box?

At this moment, a man dressed as a servant hurriedly ran in from outside. He walked through the courtyard and came to the door of the hall and said, "Master, young master, there is someone outside the door who asks to see you." ”

Ye Feng turned around and saw that his face was a little strange, and asked, "Who is it?"

The servant had a somewhat strange expression on his face: "It's an injured monk!"