wait a minute

Chapter 426 The End of Qingping
"steamed stuffed bun……"

"Candied haws..."

At the end of February, the pier was crowded, and merchants traveling from north to south could be seen everywhere.

A small, inconspicuous-looking ferry slowly docked amidst the noise, and three young men and women dressed as wanderers got out.

Ye Jingtang was dressed in an ordinary linen robe, with his hair tied up with a hairband, and a bamboo hat. After getting off the boat, he came to the river and looked back at the southern land.

After staying in Jingjie City for ten years, Ye Jingtang's injuries have basically recovered. Although the night and night singing is very intoxicating, Yuhu's body is really not feeling well. If it is delayed for too long, it is easy to cause an accident. For this reason, his body is After everything was clear, he packed his bags and started the next stage of his journey.

This trip to Beiliang is not that far away. After passing the Yazhou border, we are near Hudong Road. The distance to Yanjing is about the same as from Liangzhou to Yun'an. It only takes a few days to travel lightly.

But in two countries, the situation is completely different. In the Southern Dynasty, Ye Jingtang was considered a hero, and people in the Jianghu would give him more or less face. But in the Northern Dynasty, both good and evil stood against him, and the slightest mistake would trigger an encirclement and suppression by the Jianghu in the Northern Dynasty. .

Although Ye Jingtang is not afraid of ordinary warriors, there are still top overlords in the Northern Dynasty such as Zhongsun Jin, Xiang Hanshi, and Beiyun Bian. If they are not careful, it may become a situation where the dragon is trapped in the shallows.

For safety reasons, Ye Jingtang took Yunli and Qinghe with him on this trip.

Yunli's martial arts skills are not bad, and his brain is even more clever. He is considered to be a natural in the world. He is already sixteen or seventeen years old. If he can take him out to see the world, he still has to take him with him. He can also protect him alone.

Originally, he and Yun Li were going to go together on this trip, but Aunt Fan refused, saying that they were little brats who didn't even know their way around, so what kind of world would they be in?
Qinghe has visited various sects in Beiliang in the past few years and knows the world of Beiliang very well, so he volunteered to be a guide.

Ye Jingtang really didn't understand the situation in Beiliang, and because Qinghe's lightness skills were extraordinary, there weren't many people in the world who could catch up with him, so he finally agreed.

Due to the strict security at the border, all incoming and outgoing people were strictly checked. Ye Jingtang did not go through Tianmen Gorge. Instead, he first followed the river all the way east to the junction of Yazhou and Yanzhou, then went north to exit the customs, and arrived at Beizhou. The mouth of the Yanhe River in Liang.

It was noon at this time, and Fan Qinghe, who had just disembarked from the boat, stood beside Ye Jingtang and introduced him familiarly:

"Continuing to go east from here is Yanbei Road, which is under the rule of King Youxian. Go north for about a hundred miles and you will reach the boundary of Chengtian Mansion..."

In the past, Fan Qinghe looked like a wild and exotic chivalrous girl, but during this period, being dragged by Shui'er to play in a five-man group every day, it can be said that she has learned all the secrets of chivalrous lady tears, and she has learned a lot. Her vision has now obviously lost its youthfulness, taking on a bit of the charm of a young woman.

But Yunli is obviously still the same as before. When he first came to Beiliang, he was fresh from head to toe. He dressed up as a knight-errant, carried a sleepy bird, stood outside the tea shop on the pier, and listened to the storyteller from the north. Writing Jianghu jokes:

"Ever since the Big Devil of the Night was born, the world has been full of bloodshed every day. However, as the saying goes, heroes emerge in troubled times. The old die quickly and the newcomers take over. In just half a year, three heroes emerged in a row near our Yanbei Road. …”

When Zhe Yunli heard the name 'Night Demon', he thought for a moment and thought it was referring to the Night Terror Hall. His eyes looked a little strange and he quietly ran to the Night Terror Hall:
"Cousin Jing, why do Beiliang Jianghu call you Big Devil?"

Ye Jingtang actually listened to the chatter of Jianghu and said to this:

"When I was in the Wei Dynasty, I was also a demon of the world who killed many people without leaving any body intact. I had the imperial court as my back, so the people in the world were called the King of Hell to euphemistically say."

Thinking about it, Zhe Yunli seemed to be thinking the same thing. He felt that this title was very overbearing and a little yearning:

"I don't know when I will become such a famous person."

Fan Qinghe, who still bears the reputation of 'stealing saint', is someone who has experienced these people and advised:
"It's better not to let these bad reputations spread out, otherwise in the future, people in the world will blame you for murders and arson, and no one will believe you even if you try to explain. Aunt Qinlu used to give someone a jar of wine and didn't say anything. Because of my good qinggong, people all over the world still say that I got it..."

"yes……"

……

Ye Jingtang listened to the two people's chat without interrupting. He only learned about the situation in the Beiliang Jianghu from the idle chatter of the Jianghu. Soon he heard the storyteller preach again:

"Of these three heroes, the one who holds the top spot is none other than Situ Yanfeng, the head of Huofengzhai in Chengtian Prefecture. He practiced martial arts at the age of three and dormant for forty years before enlightening him. Not only his martial arts skills are extraordinary, but he has also been trained by local officials. With the advice of Imperial Master Chao, [-]% of the world affairs can be settled just by relying on connections..."

Ye Jingtang heard this description and thought about it for a while. He couldn't remember this person, so he asked:

"Is there such an expert in Beiliang?"

Fan Qinghe had gone all over the various sects, and when he heard this, he didn’t even bother to turn around and explained:
"This is close to Yanzhou, and many Jianghu people who sneaked over from the Southern Dynasties will first settle at the dock, looking for powerful gangs to lead the way or take root.

"Most of the people who can escape from the Southern Dynasty bring a lot of money with them. Small sects like them the most and will hire people to promote their sect on the dock.

"This Huofengzhai is at most bigger than the Qinglian gang in Jianghu. The leader, Situ Yanfeng, used to fight privately in Yanjing. He was arrested by the twelve and locked up for fifteen days. He was lucky in prison. I met the Imperial Master going to the prison to pick up someone. Seeing that he had a good attitude in admitting his mistakes, he casually told him to take the right path in the future.

"Situ Yanfeng has been boasting about this for more than ten years, and the locals don't believe it. However, if a gangster comes here illegally and wants to get a legitimate identity, he can indeed do it..."

The identity card is the talisman card that Ye Jingtang carried when he first entered the capital. It has his name and birthright on it, his appearance and anti-counterfeit emblem are more important, so that officials can check him at any time; pass.

Hearing Fan Qinghe talk about it, Ye Jingtang remembered this. Although most Jianghu inns did not check the identity card, they would definitely check it when they arrived in Yanjing. If not, they would have to stay in the bridge cave. For this reason, after listening for a while, He took the two of them to the market:

"Let's buy a horse first, and then go to Huofengzhai to have a look..."

"Chichi?"

"Oh yes, we should eat first. Are there any good restaurants around here?"

"There is a boiled fish shop in front of me. I have eaten it once before. It tastes good..."

……
-
Hundreds of miles away, Chengtian Mansion.

Beiliang inherits the ancient system, and the geographical division is not the same as that of the Wei Dynasty. The Wei Dynasty is a simplified "state, county and county", while the Beiliang is more complicated because the new system and the old system are mixed, but the main body is still based on the "prefecture, county and county". Lord, 'Tao' can only be regarded as a false title and has no specific administrative role. The highest local chief is still the prefect.

Chengtian Mansion and Yanjing Mansion border each other and are both within Hudong Road. Its geographical location is approximately equal to Zezhou in the Wei Dynasty. It has waterways extending in all directions and is a large plain. It is rich in grain. It can be regarded as the land of fish and rice in Beiliang. It is home to a large number of aristocratic families with long-standing inheritance. , among them was the Hua family, which had been in charge for many years during the reign of the late emperor.

Twenty years ago, the Hua family stomped their feet and the whole court trembled, and they were in the limelight for a while. However, the old master Hua knew very well the principle of one emperor and one courtier. After the death of the late emperor, he resolutely resigned and stayed away. In the court, the influence of the Hua family naturally gradually became smaller.

However, after many years of being in charge, Mrs. Hua's influence is obviously still there, and there are still many celebrities from Hudong Road who come to visit on weekdays.

It was already the end of February, and Hua Qingzhi, who had returned home for the New Year, was about to leave for Yanjing to return to Guozijian to continue her studies.

Because she is the granddaughter, Hua Qingzhi's status in the family is obviously not low. At noon, her uncles and aunts all came over to eat in the hall of her home. Even Mrs. Hua, who has been living for a long time, showed up and sat down. From the main seat, he earnestly warned:

"The current situation in the imperial court is changing rapidly. In the future, when studying in the capital, you must be careful. The Wang family in the east of the city will definitely take action when they hear the news that your old illness has turned around..."

Mrs. Hua is over 70 years old. Because she is not a martial artist, her hair and beard are almost completely white, but her face is quite kind. There is a sense of majesty in her eyebrows that she has been in power for a long time. Her son, granddaughter, etc. sitting on the table are all Listen carefully and no one dares to interrupt.

Hua Qingzhi was also listening carefully to the instructions, with a hint of sadness on her brows, and she understood what her grandfather meant deep down in her heart.

The Wang family that Master Hua mentioned was a large family in Chengtian Mansion. Their daughter married into the imperial palace and was the favored concubine of Emperor Liang. She also gave birth to the third prince.

The third prince Li Chong was only 17 years old, but he was both civil and military. He had already gained a lot of talent and fame in Yanjing, and was deeply loved by Emperor Liang.

The crown prince of Beiliang, the fat prince, has a fat head and big ears, but he is mediocre in academics. Standing with the third prince, he is completely different. There have been cases where envoys came over and regarded the third prince as the prince and the prince as the prince. Servant thing.

For these reasons, there were rumors in Yanjing a long time ago that Emperor Liang wanted to establish a new crown prince, but there has been no movement until now.

After all, there is too much resistance in abolishing the eldest son and establishing a young child. Although the fat prince's mother has no big background, she is known for her virtuousness and is the queen appointed by the old empress. Although the fat prince himself has no great ability, he has not made any mistakes, no. So useless.

As a relative, the Wang family must have wanted to bring down the prince and make his grandson the emperor.

Although the Wang family dare not interfere with the crown prince's dethronement, they can interfere with external matters, such as the selection of the crown prince.

The fat prince himself has no big backer. If the prince chooses an ordinary person and cannot rely on the strength of his wife's family, Emperor Liang can directly dismount as soon as he dies.

And if the crown prince comes from a large family of the same size, such as the Hua family, then the crown prince's position will obviously be much more stable.

In the past, Hua Qingzhi's legs were disabled and she couldn't be a princess at all, so the Wang family didn't worry about it, and the two families interacted quite harmoniously.

But now that Hua Qingzhi's legs are getting better, no matter her background or talent, she is qualified to be a princess.

If Emperor Liang decides on the matter, the chances of the three princes competing for the throne will be slim. In order to pave the way for the new king, Emperor Liang may have to take a stab at the Wang family.

For this reason, when going to Yanjing this time, the Wang family will definitely make some secret moves to prevent this situation from happening. The Hua family can't guess what specific moves they will make.

As a biological father, Hua Junchen was naturally worried about his daughter's safety. He thought about it and said:

"If the Wang family arranges for an assassination, there will be big trouble. This time when I go to Beijing, why don't I accompany you there and hire some experts to accompany you..."

Master Hua shook his head: "We are all rooted in Hudong Road, and we know each other's ins and outs. No one is a fool. If we engage in dirty tricks like assassination, the Wang family will not have to show up in Hudong Road in the future.

"There are many ways to prevent the other party from getting married to the royal family. Decades ago, the Zhou family in Yanjing did something to the Wang family. Originally, the Wang family was moving around, and the choice of the crown prince was already a certainty. However, the Zhou family came to pull out all the stops and arrange He met a handsome knight-errant, secretly hooked up with her, and eloped with Miss Wang before the court selected him.

"At that time, the old man of the Wang family was so angry that he vomited three liters of blood, but he had no way to teach his daughter. No wonder the Zhou family was so cunning that they admitted their defeat and lost an adult. This is the method of the noble family."

Hua Junchen touched his chin and felt that this method was really clever, so he looked at his daughter:

"Qing Zhi, after you enter the capital, you have to be careful of those flamboyant rangers..."

Hua Qingzhi didn't want to be the princess at all, but in front of her uncle and aunt, she couldn't say it clearly, so she just said:
"I'm not one of those little girls who haven't grown up, and I don't like martial arts. How could I be fascinated by the few words of a knight-errant..." Mrs. Hua said earnestly: "Scholars are more difficult to guard against, especially those with talent, learning, and good looks. A handsome young man, if you recite a few lines of good poetry and coax a few more lines, with your temper Qingzhi, you will most likely lose your mind and run away..."

"Ugh……"

Hua Qingzhi couldn't talk back to her grandfather, so she felt helpless and just nodded and said:

"I know the right thing to do. From now on in Beijing, I will never leave or take another step, and just concentrate on studying."

As a father, Hua Junchen was worried about his daughter's safety after all. After thinking about it, he still said to Mrs. Hua:

"I'll wait until I know how the aristocratic family handles affairs, but the Wang family can't say for sure. If there are two brainless people in his family and they send people to assassinate them, it will be easy to go wrong if they are not prepared.

"This time when I enter the capital, I will follow you and recruit two more skilled and down-to-earth guards. Hua Ning is an honest man, but he is a little timid. Last time at Tianlang Lake, he was so scared that he almost hid under the carriage... …”

"Dad, it's not like you didn't know who you met at Tianlang Lake last time. Your face turned pale with fright, and you still expect Hua Ning to remain calm?"

"The guard must put the safety of the young lady first, otherwise why spend so much money on the guard? Okay, dad will arrange these things, you just take your medicine on time, and when the arrangements are made, you can go to the capital to continue your studies... "

……
-
At dusk, south of Chengtian Mansion, Huangmei County.

The sky was getting dark, and the lights were on in the small county town. Because Huangmei County is located at the junction of the two places and is quite remote from the government, the people walking here are all wanderers traveling from north to south.

The biggest difference between the Northern and Southern Jianghu is that the Southern Dynasty values ​​chivalry. Regardless of their personal character in private, they will definitely look like a good man and a righteous man on the outside, and will never expose throwing knives or lime bags to the public to embarrass themselves.

On the other hand, the Beiliang Jianghu is very pragmatic. As long as it can kill people, it is a good skill. The lower level Jianghu can be described as a smoky mess. People with flying knives and hidden weapons hanging on their waists can be seen everywhere, and there are even people with two venomous snakes on their arms as pets.

Fan Qinghe's wallet was full of medicine bottles at the back, so there was no need to cover it, while Zhe Yunli, a female swordsman with no hidden weapons, became a breath of fresh air in the crowd.

On the street, Zhe Yunli, wearing a bamboo hat, stood with Aunt Fan outside the martial arts gym with the signboard of 'Huofengzhai', watching the passers-by.

When she noticed that everyone who walked by would look at her, Zhe Yunli was a little confused and turned slightly to ask:
"Aunt Fan, is there something wrong with my appearance?"

Fan Qinghe put his arms around the watermelon and leaned against the flagpole at the door. With a red veil on his face, he looked like a cruel and bad sister.Hearing this, she reminded:

"You stand so upright, like a fledgling in the world. If Auntie hadn't been standing right in front of you, someone would have come to abduct you."

Zheyunli looked down, and then returned to the appearance of 'mother is not at home' - carrying the long knife on his shoulder, jumping up slightly, sitting on the fence at the door, with one hand on his knee, and picking a root With the blade of grass in its mouth, it poses a standard image of a quack veteran.

Not to mention, with this posture, he immediately blended into the smoky town, and no one looked at him.

"Hey, this place is really interesting. But Master and Mistress have also come to Beiliang. If Mistress walks here, wouldn't it be obvious at a glance that she is an outsider?"

"Your master wife looks like a top expert who has just come down from the mountain. Normally no one dares to provoke her..."

"Too……"

……

There are quite a lot of people in the martial arts hall at the rear, half of them are Huofengzhai's apprentices, and there are also people from the Jianghu who came to Beiliang through some unknown route to apply for identity certificates here.

In the study room at the back of the martial arts hall, there are desks, tea, and other things presently arranged, but the bookshelves are dusty, and it is obvious that no one usually reads them.

A middle-aged man in his forties was sitting behind the desk. He was dressed in a somewhat fairy-like manner. He was sitting on the Grand Master's chair, spinning two iron walnuts in his left hand and frowning as he said:

"You said that you used to be a member of the Qinglian Gang in the Southern Dynasty. You offended the gang leader Yang Guan and came north after being hunted?"

Ye Jingtang sat on the tea table outside the desk, with a hint of sadness in his eyes:

"Yes, Leader Situ may have never heard of the name of the Qinglian Gang..."

"Eh."

Situ Yanfeng raised his hand slightly: "Being well-informed is the first priority when eating in Jianghu. How could I not have heard of the name of Yang Guanyang Erdao? The disciple of the Sanjue Immortal, walking in Yunzhou, he used to suffer The big devil survived two stabs in the night, and now he is running a boat under Honghualou, right?"

When Ye Jingtang heard this, he was really surprised. After all, he had never heard of Situ Yanfeng, but the other party had heard of a little person like Yang Guan, and he was really well-informed.He cupped his hands and said:
"Master Situ is really not an ordinary person. He is thousands of miles away and across the border, and he has even heard of Gang Leader Yang's name."

Situ Yanfeng waved his hand casually: "Most of the people who can come to me are friends who are desperate in the Southern Dynasty. The Great Demon Ye is so powerful, and people who have a relationship with him, how can I not hear the wind. How did you offend Yang?" crown?"

"Oh, handsome, I got closer to the gang leader's wife and was discovered..."

"...?"

Situ Yanfeng was stunned, looked at Ye Jingtang's appearance, nodded and said:

"You boy, you do have the potential to make a living. Now that you have come to Beiliang, the past is over and everything starts from scratch. But it is not that easy to reincarnate again. If you want to gain a foothold, you have to take care of everything from the government to the world... …”

Ye Jingtang took out 30 taels of cash from his sleeve and placed it on the table:

"I also brought two confidantes with me. This matter will trouble Gang Leader Situ."

When Situ Yanfeng saw the silver, he sat up a little straighter, used a ruler to push the silver back, and said with a smile:

"You really value friendship, and you don't forget to take your friends with you when you run away. I like this. Seeing as you are a talented person, are you interested in working in my family? I know many wives of wealthy families. As long as you Being able to speak eloquently will ensure your success..."

Ye Jingtang shook his head and smiled: "I'm so proud of Gang Leader Situ. I brought some money with me when I came here. I wanted to find something to do in Yanjing during this trip. I wonder if Gang Leader Situ has any connections?"

Situ Yanfeng smiled and leaned back on the chair again:

"I have many connections. The Twelve Institute has been recruiting people recently. I have friendships with several father-in-laws in the capital. With just a word from me, I can send you to the Yamen to eat royal food. You will still be a full-time editor, not a handyman.

"But how capable you are, how much work can I introduce to you? When you first arrived, I knew nothing about you. You couldn't do anything after you were sent there. If something goes wrong, if the higher-ups investigate, wouldn't I be implicated?" ?”

Ye Jingtang knew that the Twelve Institutes were the Royal Guards of the Imperial City, so when he heard these words, his heart naturally moved:
"Sect leader Situ has such a wide family?"

Seeing Ye Jingtang, Situ Yanfeng didn't believe it, so he took out a waist tag from the small box next to him, with the word "jiao" engraved on it:

"I don't have any connections, how dare I do this business? This is the waist card for entering and exiting the West City. With it, you can enter and leave the Forbidden Army station and teach the Forbidden Army how to box and kick. I spent 1000 taels of silver to get it, and I am still sitting with Qi Qingfeng, the Spear Saint. After drinking tea..."

Ye Jingtang has been working in the capital for so long, and with a quick glance, he can see that the badge of the 'Forbidden Army Coach' is not fake, and he immediately asked:

"How does Master Situ determine the level of ability? You and I have a sparring session?"

"Alas, in the sect, competition is the only way to determine the level. Traveling in the world is based on the ability to do things. If you don't have a bright mind, how far can you go even if you have the skills of a master?"

After Situ Yanfeng said this, he took out a booklet from the wooden box and flipped through it a little:
"You are too young, and you definitely don't have enough experience. You can't get around in the capital now. Let me introduce you to two suitable jobs first. This is a beautiful job that ordinary people can't do, but you should be able to catch it, and the reward is high, 3000 Two, why don’t you give it a try?”

When Ye Jingtang heard the silver reward, he frowned and said:

"3000 taels of silver, does this have to kill the Grandmaster?"

"You're quite knowledgeable."

Situ Yanfeng smiled first, then shook his head and said:
"The job is not bloody, just hook up with a rich girl, and then elope and fly away. The girl is yours, and the money is yours. The only requirement is that you don't go back to Hudong Road in the next year or two, and you can bring him back when you have a fat boy. I guarantee you a lifetime of wealth..."

Ye Jingtang has been traveling in the world for so many years, and this is the first time he has heard of such a good job. He is indeed confident in doing it, but it is too cowardly, so he shook his head and said:

"I've just suffered a loss with a woman, and it's unlucky to do this again. Is there anything else?"

Situ Yanfeng was very sorry to hear this and opened the book again:
"You can definitely make it. You should think about it when you go back. Money that is so easy to get is hard to find in the world. Well... By the way, the Qinglong Society has lost a lot of people and has been recruiting people recently, but they have to try their skills first. , How about I ask around and talk to you when you get directions?"

Ye Jingtang knew that Qinglong Club was Qingji Pavilion, the number one killer organization in Beiliang, and it was considered a wealthy sect.

Naturally, he was not very interested in being an assassin, but it would be easier for Qinglong to sneak into the palace than it would be for him to force his way in. He immediately stood up and said:

"Then thank you, Master Situ."

"Oh, thank you for nothing. I'm just collecting money to do things. From now on, when you walk in the north, don't forget about Situ when you get rich..."

……

---

It is expected that the update of the test subjects tomorrow will be a little late. I hope I can register at once. It will be almost three years or 2!

　Thank you [Treasure An Yue] [The world is big and I am small] [Book Friends 20230217220758806] for the reward!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)