The cold winter has not yet dissipated, the spring has not come, the early morning in Qufu is cold and windy, and there is not even a dog in the vast fields except for the scattered farmers from poor families.

When a farmer inadvertently looked at the official road between ploughing the ground, he was surprised to find a group of solemn-looking people coming out of the thick white mist.

Their shirts were soaked with mist, but they still walked steadily and silently, even if someone coughed sickly from time to time in the middle, it did not affect the overall marching rhythm of the team at all.

The farmer was puzzled, this team gave him a strange feeling, solemn and dignified, needless to say, there was also an indescribable power of piety and faith in his body. But they are obviously different from the disciples of Daomen and Shimen, and they do not have that kind of look and demeanor that pretends to be a ghost.

If there is anything special about Qufu, the first thing that comes to mind is definitely the Confucian Temple.

This is the hometown of Confucius.

When the group walked in, even the most knowledgeable farmers could recognize each other as scholars.

The most people in Qufu are scholars, who are completely different from the martial artists, Taoist monks, and merchant farmers in the army, and they can easily judge from their clothing and temperament.

Since they are scholars, there is nothing to look at, and there is no curiosity at all, and the farmers who looked up withdrew their eyes one after another and continued to busy their work.

The farmers in Qufu still can't tell that these scholars in front of them are different from the Confucian scholars in Qingzhou.

If the latter is a virtuous, solid, down-to-earth scholar, very down-to-earth, then these scholars in front of them are obviously elegant, graceful, and refreshing, which makes people feel at a glance that they should not write poems in the Qinglou, but should talk about them in the temple.

This team of hundreds of soldiers was stopped in the suburbs before they could enter Qufu City.

The man who stopped them was a team of elite horsemen in the Eredivisie.

The military formation is spread on the official road, the spears are like a forest, the horses are armored, the majesty is majestic, and the murderous spirit is fierce, and it is obviously not a new army that has not been on the battlefield.

The leader of the ranks of the scholars was a tall and thin old man with gray hair, and in the face of this cavalry blocking the way, he took the initiative to step forward, and asked Wen Yan, "Why did the general block the way, but what law did we violate?"

The captain at the head said lukewarmly: "I don't care if you break the law, but the military order that the general received is to prevent you from entering Qufu!"

As soon as these words came out, the scholars' expressions changed slightly, some were puzzled, some were puzzled, some were angry and some were sad.

Only the white-haired old man, his face did not show half a wave, and he said respectfully: "I heard that under the rule of King An, the imperial dynasty Wenchang Wude, the Tang people live and work in peace and contentment, the world is prosperous, there are no thieves in the mountains and fields, there are no strongmen in the states and counties, and the people do not close their doors at night and do not leave anything behind, and they are all in order."

"Why can't we even enter a city when it comes to us? Dare to ask the general, who issued the military order? Isn't the person who issued such a military order afraid of ruining the reputation of the court and being punished by King An?"

This old man is the Zhang Qi who led the Confucian scholars of Yangzhou to leave Yangzhou City in the past.

The lieutenant was speechless and simply did not answer. It's just that the posture of blocking the road is still stubborn, and there is no intention of letting them go in the slightest.

This is typical of the military style.

Zhang Qi was not angry for half a minute, sighed, and said calmly: "Well, since the general's military order is in my body, it is not good for me to embarrass the general." However, this Qufu City, we have to enter it no matter what. ”

When he had said this, he walked straight towards the formation.

As he moved, the soldiers behind him followed.

They were no more than forty or fifty paces away from the military formation, but they quickly closed the distance.

In the captain's cold and hard gaze, a strong killing intent suddenly burst out, and his hand was already pressed on the hilt of the knife, "Do you really want to find death?"

The military order has made it very clear that these people are not allowed to enter Qufu City.

Of course, the lieutenant knew what would happen if he violated military orders, and he did not think that he had a reason not to carry out military orders.

So, he's ready to kill.

Zhang Qi has no intention of retreating, his steps forward are still steady, and the steadfastness reveals the will to move forward. Although his face was calm, his heart was actually icy and snowy.

He didn't expect that this time he would bring his disciples to the Confucian Temple to worship, but he would be stopped outside Qufu City.

This is the first time they have appeared in front of the world after leaving Yangzhou City.

They didn't do anything out of the ordinary, they just wanted to come to worship Confucius, and Li Ye didn't even allow this. It is conceivable that their Confucian lineage will not have a chance to see the light in the future.

As the current leader of Yangzhou Confucianism, Zhang Qi must seek a way out for the scholars behind him.

And the way out for a scholar can only be a scholar.

Zhang Qi actually thought very clearly, and when he worshiped Confucius this time, he went to Chang'an to petition, hoping that Li Ye could treat the Confucian disciples in Yangzhou equally and give them the opportunity to participate in the imperial examination.

Zhang Qi knew it was hard.

After all, the Confucian sect in Yangzhou was once an enemy of Li Ye under the leadership of Wang Zaifeng, and also planned and led the Kunlun Change, sending Li Ye to the immortal realm - although they still don't understand why Li Ye appeared in the mortal world in full view of everyone, obviously he has gone to the immortal realm.

The road is long, I will go up and down and seek, this is the life motto of the scholar.

Zhang Qi was ready to endure the challenge.

But Zhang Qi didn't expect that the difficulty of this matter was so unimaginable.

If they are not allowed to worship Confucius, they will not be recognized as Confucian scholars, so what follow-up is there?

Zhang Qi must fight.

In other words, you must show your attitude.

I want to take my disciples to worship Confucius, and I want to announce to the world that I am a Confucian scholar.

If you can't, you're dead.

Since it's a dead end, I don't care when I die.

So Zhang Qi didn't answer the captain's words, but just stubbornly walked forward.

The captain's eyes began to be bloodshot sharply, and the murderous aura could no longer be concealed, and he coldly ordered: "Crossbowmen prepare!"

Thinking of the general's order, the captain stared at the approaching Zhang Qi, and still warned one more sentence: "One step further, there will be no forgiveness!"

The tensioner did not stop.

The soldiers behind him also followed him across the red line in the eyes of the captain.

When they were still in Yangzhou, these scholars thought that the world was theirs and sneered at the Confucianism in Qingzhou. When they left Yangzhou, these sons realized that the world had nothing to do with them.

If Confucian scholars can't devote themselves to their careers, if the world has nothing to do with them, they are nothing. So at this moment, these scholars who have experienced hardships know that they have no way out.

Under the leadership of Zhang Qi, they have been moving forward.

A true Confucian scholar is never afraid of death.

Chaowen said, Xi can die.

Although they lost the battle with the Confucian sect in Qingzhou, they also shed their blood on the battlefield of the Central Plains, and even sacrificed their lives.

The lieutenant didn't say anything more, but pulled out the horizontal knife at his waist and pointed forward.

The sound of sharp arrows breaking through the air sounded almost simultaneously, and a hundred and ten crossbow arrows tore through the air in the lightning and flew head-on into the crowd of Confucian scholars.

The sharp arrows of the puff puff sneered into the flesh one after another, and one after another the Confucian scholars fell down.

Even Zhang Qi was hit by three arrows, two on the shoulder and one under the ribs.

The lieutenant's pupils shrank suddenly.

Of course, he could see that most of these Confucian scholars in front of him had the realm of scribes or above, and there were even many scholars in the central crowd headed by him.

In Confucianism, a scribe meant to be a scholar, and a scholar was a rare talent.

And now, none of them used the power of cultivation to protect themselves.

Under a round of crossbow shots, most of the ten or twenty people who fell were scribes, and there were two scribes among them!

Zhang Qi's face remained unchanged, and his figure only paused, and then he stepped forward again.

His eyes kept staring ahead, but instead of looking at these elite riders, it seemed that through their bodies, he saw Qufu City behind, saw the Confucian Temple in Qufu City, saw Confucius, and saw the source and future of Confucianism.

The soldiers behind him also kept walking. Some lifted up their wounded companions, others avoided their corpses, stepped on the blood-stained dirt, and continued on their way, their eyes resolute and determined.

The soldiers did not hesitate, and neither did the captain.

The knife in his hand was drawn forward again.

Then, a hundred and ten sharp arrows flew out to the left and right and behind him.

The soldier who was supported by his companion followed in the footsteps of his companion and was either wounded or shot to death.

Those who insist on moving forward are destined to endure the calamities ahead. They experienced violent storms, lightning and thunder, and many of them were destined not to see the rainbow after the rain, but to die in the wind and rain.

But they are hard-hearted, as if they have fallen into a demon, and they go forward one after another.

When the lieutenant raised his horizontal sword for the third time, a voice sounded behind him, "The whole army is back to the camp." ”

The captain's eyes changed, and he did not hesitate at all, put the knife into the sheath, and shouted "return to the camp" in a low voice, and took the lead in turning the horse's head.

When the military order is still in his body, he will not be moved when he kills all the soldiers who do not resist in front of him, even if he will be sick to his stomach afterwards; when the military order is revoked, he will not hesitate to collect the army and return to the camp.

Zhang Qi was hit by five arrows, the last two were in the thigh, and I don't know if those cavalrymen had some sympathy or admiration for him, but the crossbow arrows didn't hit his vital point.

After hundreds of elite horsemen stepped on the billowing smoke and dust, on the official road in front of the scholars, a young official in official robes appeared.

Seeing this official, his face turned pale and he smiled, and bowed his hand with difficulty.

Not only him, but the people behind him, whether they had crossbow arrows in their bodies or not, whether they were bleeding or not, whether they were standardized or incapable of standardizing their movements, they all saluted this official.

The official did not put on a score, and followed closely to return the salute.

It is true that you can't put it on the score.

Because he is Zhang Zhongsheng.

He used to be a scholar of Confucianism in Yangzhou.

After the Battle of the Central Plains, he and Yang Xingmi, Sun Ru and others threw themselves under Li Ye, and they were considered to have returned to the imperial court.

"Why is Uncle Shi doing this?" Zhang Zhongsheng glanced at the scholars who were lying in a pool of blood, as well as the injured who looked miserable after being hit by the arrow, and shook his head unbearably.

What did he say, naturally Zhang Qi didn't need to take the former Yangzhou Confucianism, this group of doomed useless scholars, and exchange his life for an opportunity to worship the Confucian Temple.

Several scholars came to Zhang Qi's side, wanting to help him remove the crossbow bolt and treat his injuries, but he waved his hand and pushed him away, and looked at Zhang Zhongsheng and said: "There are 800 Confucian disciples behind the old man, and there are 3,000 disciples who did not come. This is not a small amount, is King An really going to watch them die?"

I have to say that compared with the vast area, countless officials, and many Confucian schools that Gao Biao once ruled, more than 3,000 scholars are really too few. However, this is a group of scholars who are still gathered together after two years, not to mention their talents, at least their temperament will not be too bad.

Zhang Zhongsheng smiled bitterly: "King An has instructed that if you are sincere enough, I can give you a chance." ”

For Zhang Qi and others, this is the good news they can't ask for.

However, the reason why Zhang Zhongsheng said it with a wry smile proves that this "sincerity" is definitely not idle.

The more than 20 corpses lying on the ground in front of you, and more than 30 wounded, are a necessary part of "sincerity".

For Zhang Qi and others, this is cruel.

However, Zhang Qi didn't think there was anything wrong with this.

Now that King An controls the world, saying that they are looking up to people, it is all looking down on them. Their life and death, honor and disgrace, are completely between Li Ye's thoughts. Even if Li Ye killed them all, no one would be able to say a word, after all, they were once enemies.

"King An is really kind, we can't wait for it!" Zhang Qi said movingly.

Paying more than 20 lives, he can exchange for a scholar of the Confucian line in Yangzhou, who has the same identity as the Confucian sect in Qingzhou, which is something he can't ask for. Even if you die, you have no regrets.

In the past, Daomen and Li Ye were enemies, but Li Ye did not kill all the Daomen, but supported the Quanzhen Temple;

Li Ye's attitude towards Daomen and Shimen made Zhang Qi and others realize that as long as they are willing to sincerely take refuge in Li Ye, accept Li Ye's transformation, and become Li Ye's minions, they may have a glimmer of vitality and a future.

This is the reason why they are now appearing in front of the world and rushing to Qufu to worship Confucius.

Entering the Confucian Temple to worship is just an excuse for the first time. The essential purpose is to attract Li Ye's attention. If Li Ye is willing to give them a chance, then they will try their best to seize it even if they give everything.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Zhongsheng shook his head.

In Zhang Qi's puzzled and apprehensive gaze, Zhang Zhongsheng said in a deep voice: "King An is indeed merciful, but King An's kindness is only for his own people. In the past, the Yangzhou Confucian sect once caused trouble in the Tang Dynasty, and now if you want to have the status of a scholar in the Tang Dynasty, you just have to pay the price of dozens of lives, which is far from enough.

"King An doesn't even care how many lives you give, even if you all die, King An won't frown. What King An cares about is what meritorious contributions you can make to the Tang Dynasty and how many meritorious contributions you can make to Jiangshan Sheji. Only those who have meritorious service in the dynasty can have an identity in the dynasty and become a minion of King An!

"Uncle Shi, did I make it clear enough?"

These words fell on Zhang Qi's ears and made him fall into deep thought.

It was just a moment before he understood what Li Ye meant.

Zhang Qi nodded seriously: "The old man understands." Please tell King An that Zhang Qi will take this group of Confucian scholars to make enough meritorious deeds for the Tang Dynasty. ”

When he had said this, he opened his arms and motioned to the soldiers behind him to draw arrows for him and bind his wounds.

Zhang Zhongsheng smiled, "Next, where is Uncle Shi going to go?"

Zhang Qi said: "North." ”

......

Many times, Li Ye wished that time would pass more slowly, so that he would have more time to gather the luck of the people, but at other times, he wished that time would pass faster, so that he could immediately cut down the clowns who danced happily.

In any case, winter has finally passed, and spring has arrived.

And Li Ye is about to leave Chang'an and rush to Chudi.

On this trip, he wants to solve Ma Yin and Nanzhao. If there is an ambush of the Khitan monks there, he will also easily deal with those Khitan envoys.

If it was a year ago, Li Ye would not think that there was anything wrong with this operation. But now, after so much time and repeated deduction, he began to feel that this trip was not as simple as he imagined.

When things come to an end, you need to be bold, and Li Ye has nothing to hesitate about. It's just that before he goes south, he needs Chang'an to be absolutely stable. There are no unstable factors in Chang'an, if you insist on saying that there is, it is Emperor Li Yan.

Li Yanzhi's instability is not that he has any thoughts about Li Ye that he shouldn't have, but that his physical condition is becoming more and more unbearable now, and he was seriously ill some time ago.

For Qi cultivators, getting sick is a very humiliating thing.

For Li Ye, it is also an intolerable thing to make his brother seriously ill.

Therefore, he carried out a thorough treatment on Li Ye, and with his cultivation at the peak of the Yang God True Realm, he helped the other party completely recover his strong physique.

The price is not nothing, during the treatment, many people thought that Li Ye was going to kill the king. After all, using one's aura and qi to influence the other party, even if it is not a murderer, there is a suspicion of controlling the other party.

Li Ye didn't let go of his hand to help Li Yan before, just because he was afraid of these.

However, at the moment, Li Ye has no hesitation.

Because he knows very well that Li Yan is actually the end of his life.

According to the memory of his previous life, Li Yan should almost die at this time, and then pass the throne to him.

But this is not a previous life after all, and Li Ye is no longer the waste who can't practice and is stuck in the market. Zhu Wen, who usurped his throne in his previous life, does not now sit in the Central Plains.

So Li Ye helped Li Yan renew his life and gave the other party a body that was so healthy that he couldn't be healthier anymore, so that he could continue to enjoy himself in his music and rhythm world.

When Li Ye did this, he opposed not only Li Yan's henchmen and eunuchs, but also Li Ye's descendants, including Li Zhen.

From the perspective of conspiracy, Li Yan's death is really beneficial and harmless to Li Ye. As a son of the clan, and a powerful minister who pacified the world and subdued Hexi, he can inherit the throne logically, and there will not be many people who are dissatisfied.

From the perspective of Li Ye's cultivation realm, the king of the world, his personal destiny and luck will be completely integrated with the dynasty, and he will be able to command the world more like an arm, and the convergence of the people's luck will no longer be separated by a membrane.

But all of this, in Li Ye's place, cannot be compared with brotherhood.

Li Yan is not a good emperor, but he is a good brother, and now he has given himself all the power of the dynasty without the slightest suspicion. Throughout the ages, I am afraid that there is only Li Yan as such an emperor, and I can't be sorry for him or my conscience.

In response to this incident, only one person clearly expressed his support and appreciation for Li Ye.

Li Maozhen, King of Qi.

Li Ye, who was in a relaxed mood, took King Qi to lead the army south.