No, gentlemen also guard against

Chapter 666: Tao Qian in the South and Cui Hao in the North [Ask for monthly tickets! ]

Wei Shaoqi smiled and said nothing in response to Xue Zhongzhu's words.

The three of them walked out of the underground stone chamber.

The underground entrance is at a rockery, and is strictly guarded by several Yue women in Wu costumes.

But right now, the women in Wu costumes and Yue clothing coming and going around were packing up and preparing to leave.

The entire villa was in a silent yet busy state, and the women were as light and silent as cats.

Du Shuqing, who was like a taciturn person, followed Wei Shaoqi closely, holding the "Peach Blossom Spring" in his hands.

Xue Zhongzhu walked in front, and Wei Shaoqi was half a body length slower than the domineering queen.

After the three of them walked out of the underground hiding place.

The nominal hostess of Xuemu Villa, a charming and secluded young lady, accompanied by two personal maids, was quietly hanging not far behind them, following in silence. She did not show any dissatisfaction at being ignored.

The candle in the snow did not turn around, and continued to ask coldly:
"Seeing the light of day again? Isn't this "Peach Blossom Spring" painted by Tao Yuanming?"

Wei Shaoqi shook his head:
"Half yes, half no."

The candle in the snow is impatient:

"What do you mean? Don't play tricks on me or tell me riddles. Explain yourself clearly."

Wei Shaoqi turned around, took the scroll from Du Shuqing's hand, and carefully stroked the shaft.

He held the painting in both hands and walked forward with his back straight:

“The pictures in the scroll were drawn by Mr. Wu, and the two blood-bronze shafts of the scroll were made by Tao Yuanming himself.

"The original scroll was a manuscript titled "Peach Blossom Spring", but it has long since disappeared..."

The candle in the snow sneered:
"What is it made of? I don't know where they stole it from."

Wei Shaoqi smiled and said nothing.

Xue Zhongzhu said unhappily:
“Over the past thousands of years, many things from our sect have flowed down the mountain, and a lot of secret Qi-refining knowledge has also been leaked from deep within the Female Monarch Palace.

"But I didn't expect that I could catch him in the act today. Although this thief has turned into a pile of yellow earth, he, Tao Yuanming, a legendary swordsman of the [Hanshi], actually did such a thing."

She turned her head, looked at Wei Shaoqi and Du Shuqing and asked:
"So, he found the Peach Blossom Spring before he died? In Yunmeng Lake?"

Wei Shaoqi nodded slightly:
"Well, otherwise how could he have written the Peach Blossom Spring in his later years after he resigned from office?"

The candle in the snow chuckled:
"Mr. Wei, aren't you and Li Zhengyan planning to rebel? Why do you keep looking for the Peach Blossom Spring with this map? It seems there is something important in it."

Wei Shaoqi seemed not to hear and continued to talk to himself:
"As far as I know, the original copy of Peach Blossom Spring was in the hands of the Liu Song royal family in the Southern Dynasty. During the Yuanjia period, they were defeated in a great battle. The copy was taken as a trophy by the elite cavalry of the Northern Wei Dynasty and brought back to the north. After many twists and turns, it finally came into the hands of Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty.

"Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty, this Xianbei emperor with the surname Tuoba, was indeed smart and decisive, and quite powerful. However, this item left by Tao Yuanming was actually made specifically for the Liu Song Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties. Not to mention Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty, most of the northern Hu people at that time did not know how to use it and did not know its mystery.

“Even this piece of Peach Blossom Spring would be no different from waste paper if it crossed the Yangtze River and left the southern country. It would have lost its function.”

At this point, his face was filled with emotion:

“But fate is such a wonderful thing.

"At the time, in the court of the Northern Wei Dynasty, beside Emperor Taiwu, there happened to be a scholar named Cui, a Han man from the north, who noticed this object.

"This man is called Cui Hao. He was born into the Qinghe Cui clan, a great family in the north. He was a prodigy when he was young and had extraordinary wisdom and strategy. He served in three dynasties of the Northern Wei Dynasty and was the most important counselor of Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and was deeply trusted by him.

"The historical books say that this boy's weaving is pure white, like a beautiful woman, and he is also very talented and has a good understanding of nature.

"He is also well-versed in classics and history, the mysteries of yin and yang, and the opinions of hundreds of schools of thought. He is truly an extraordinary person..."

Wei Shaoqi talked about it with great relish, with a stern face like a candle in the snow.

After listening for a while, she felt a little overwhelmed. She hated reading history in general, and she was most annoyed by those pretty-faced scholars who showed off their talents and talked a lot of nonsense.

It would be great if Second Junior Sister was here. She could take up any topic and make it easy to understand... Xue Zhongzhu suddenly thought.

But at this moment, if she said nothing, wouldn't it seem that the eldest lady of Yunmeng was a fool?

Xue Zhongzhu interrupted coldly, caught a word and asked:

"The Qinghe Cui family? Is it one of the Five Surnames and Seven Famous Clan, the one that ranks at the top and is the leader?"

Wei Shaoqi was slightly stunned and nodded:

"That's right. Cui Hao is the ancestor of the Qinghe Cui family, the leader of the Five Surnames and Seven Families. He is also one of the most proud ancestral tablets in the Qinghe Cui family's ancestral hall. In the eyes of ordinary people, Cui's daughters are the most precious among the five surnames, and there is a reason for that."

"Yeah." Xue Zhongzhu's expression was indifferent: "Go on."

Wei Shaoqi nodded halfway, took out a white handkerchief, coughed violently, covered his mouth for a moment, and then spoke:
"Cui Hao noticed the Peach Blossom Spring and asked Emperor Taiwu for it. The orthodox historical materials, including the daily records of the Northern Wei emperors, came here, and the Peach Blossom Spring was never mentioned again.

The subsequent official history records that Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty, under the strong advice of Cui Hao, who worshipped Confucianism and hated Buddhism, carried out a large-scale campaign to abolish Buddhism and destroy temples in the north. In the end, only 320 Buddhist temples were left in the entire Northern Dynasty, and they could operate legally. Moreover, these Buddhist temples were required to depict the Buddha's life stories that praised and promoted the Northern Wei Tuoba royal family and the Buddha's miracles..."

Xue Zhongzhu glanced sideways and saw Wei Shaoqi paused when he said this.

"What do you mean? Explain clearly." She urged, frowning.

Wei Shaoqi slowly stroked the scroll of "Peach Blossom Spring":
"So, from then on, Tao Yuanming's Peach Blossom Spring was gone. No, it still existed, half of it, and only these two blood-bronze shafts remained."

"Gone? Was it destroyed by Cui Hao? Could it be that a fire burned it and only the shaft was left?"

Wei Shaoqi shook his head slowly, his eyes reminiscing:

"Mr. Wu said that the Peach Blossom Spring contains a total of 320 words."

"I don't care how many words it is..." Xue Zhongzhu started to speak subconsciously, but stopped talking halfway: "Three hundred and twenty?"

She asked, "Is it related to the remaining 320 Buddhist temples?"

Wei Shaoqi sighed:

"What a great Cui Hao! He tore the scroll of Peach Blossom Spring, which Tao Yuanming had painstakingly crafted for the Southern Dynasty Liu Song, into 320 characters and placed them in 320 Buddhist temples.

"Originally, this thing was limited to the Southern Dynasty, but amidst the lingering scent of incense in hundreds of Buddhist temples in the north, it became the cornerstone of the Northern Wei Dynasty's suppression of the dragon energy of national destiny.

"Counting the eleven years of lingering existence after the Tuoba clan bloodily suppressed the Six Garrisons Rebellion at the end of the Northern Wei Dynasty with the sharp edge of the Ding Sword.

"Cui Hao's move extended the life of the Northern Wei Dynasty by at least 80 years.

“No wonder the Qinghe Cui family enjoyed great honor and favor during the Northern Wei Dynasty, firmly established themselves as the top noble family in the north, and laid the foundation for becoming the leader of the Five Surnames and Seven Famous Clan, and their ancestral influence continues to this day.

"The current pseudo-Zhou court, the Imperial Observatory, and the four imperial guards are all what Cui Hao left behind."

The candle in the snow moves forward silently.

"Cough cough cough..."

Wei Shaoqi coughed violently and covered his mouth with his handkerchief for a while, but a smile appeared on his lips:
"Tao Yuanming and Cui Hao are representatives of scholars in the Southern and Northern Dynasties respectively. It's a pity that they lived in the same era, but because of the war between the North and the South, they never met. I still don't find their long-distance battle over "Peach Blossom Spring" very satisfying, but it can be regarded as groundbreaking...

“Your Excellency, the eldest lady, your Yunmeng Sword Sect has always been far away from the world, isolated and secluded. It is the world’s number one sword sect, and has specially set up the position of the hidden lord to match the sword holder’s veins. It should be the most original and authentic sword holder and sword protector school.

"What do you think of the new school of swordsmen created by these two scholars from the north and south?"

I couldn't see Xue Zhongzhu's face clearly, I only heard her voice was a little dull:

"I only have three words." "Which three words?"

"I don't accept disciples."

Wei Shaoqi: ...

Du Shuqing: …

Wei Shaoqi was stunned for a moment, his eyes fell on the back of Xue Zhongzhu's hand, which was tightly gripping the hilt of the snow-white sword at his waist.

This slender hand sometimes tightly grasped the hilt of the sword, and sometimes suddenly relaxed it. Between the pinching and loosening, the back of the hand lost some blood and turned white.

Wei Shaoqi burst out laughing.

This lady is too arrogant. If she wasn't arrogant, she wouldn't be able to be the chief lady of Yunmeng Jianze, and she wouldn't be able to intimidate and suppress the somewhat distracted Tiannan Jianghu.

What's more, she has already reached the upper level of Purple Qi at such a young age. After the Taogu Sword Contest two years ago, she is now recognized as the world's leading swordsman. She has the qualifications to be proud!
Du Shuqing, who had been silent all this time, suddenly asked:
"Mr. Wei, since the original manuscript of Peach Blossom Spring has been separated and lost, how did the manuscript of Peach Blossom Spring, which is now collected by Jingzhao Yuanshi, contain the two lost bronze shafts and the rest of the shafts? Who wrote it?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Shaoqi looked meaningfully at the observant Du Shuqing:
"What do you think? How many hands did it pass through?"

Du Shuqing nodded: "I understand."

Xue Zhongzhu looked uninterested and swung his Wufu sleeves:
"Don't praise the dead anymore. You are both scholars, so you should respect each other. But Second Junior Sister said something good. We should value the present more than the past. This is the way to make progress. I give it to Mr. Wei."

The tall Hu Ji with waist-length blonde hair changed the subject:
"By the way, that Mr. Wu you mentioned sounds pretty powerful. He should still be alive, right?"

Wei Shaoqi nodded: "In my opinion, Mr. Wu is no less talented than Tao and Cui from the Northern and Southern Dynasties."

As he spoke, he lowered his head and gently stroked the blood-bronze scroll that had been restored to the "Peach Blossom Spring".

"Oh? Really?" Xue Zhongzhu said with a hint of sarcasm: "Then why didn't he come here himself? Why did he give this painting of Peach Blossom Spring to a sickly person like you?"

Wei Shaoqi asked curiously, "Who said Mr. Wu didn't come?"

Xue Zhongzhu raised his chin and said loudly: "Where are the people?"

Without waiting for her to respond, Wei Shaoqi casually flipped open the scroll of "Peach Blossom Spring", pointed his index finger at a little old man on the paper who was "happy and contented with his yellow-haired and young children", and asked in confusion:

"Isn't Mr. Wu here?"

Xue Zhongzhu turned his head and looked.

Behind him, where Wei Shaoqi had originally stood, there was a contented old man with squinty eyes, standing hunched over with his hands behind his back.

Wei Shaoqi disappeared without a trace, and Du Shuqing looked away with a look of pity.

"The eldest lady is looking for the Taoist priest?" the little old man asked with a smile.

Xue Zhongzhu was suddenly startled, and the snow-white sword energy filled the corridor. The old man and the painting could not move, and Du Shuqing took several steps back.

Immediately she reacted, her sword energy was restrained, and the blonde Hu Ji Yayan cursed harshly:
"Wei Shaoqi, are you trying to kill yourself? It turns out that you are bringing this tuberculosis upon yourself!"

……

Evening, sunset.

Snowwood Villa.

The Yunmeng Yue girls, as well as Wei Shaoqi, Du Shuqing and other guests of honor, have all moved away.

But the villa is the same as before, quiet and peaceful, with evening drums and morning bells.

A tall Hu Ji with waist-length blonde hair returned. She walked into the villa with a cold breath, respectfully greeted by the young widowed Madam Xue Mu and a group of maids.

After a while, Xue Zhongzhu's figure appeared in front of the lush grass beside a pond halfway up the mountain.

She glanced across the grass in front of her.

There was a little girl with a pigtail tied around her neck who was dozing off on the ground with a small floral bag in her arms.

I had a lot of bites on my neck. Mosquitoes in the wild are still very poisonous in spring and summer. It's a pity that I met an even more vicious one.

Li Shu raised her hand from time to time to scratch her itch, and her little head drooped down like a full ear of rice in the autumn field.

She didn't know whether she was in a bad mood because of something that happened during the day, or because she was so angry and laughing at the little niece who was playing hide-and-seek with her.

Xue Zhongzhu had a very unfriendly look on his face. He raised his foot to kick... and lightly touched Li Shu.

"I asked you to evacuate with the other junior sisters, why are you hiding here alone?" She asked in a cold and low voice.

"Um... wuwuwu wuwu Master Axe, you're back... You don't know, Grandmaster Uncle pretended to move and took everyone in the villa to act out, trying to trick me into leaving, but he insisted that I couldn't take Dabai with me. Hehe, Xiaoshu wouldn't be fooled, why not take Dabai? Grandmaster Uncle is really trying to deceive a three-year-old child. He wanted to cheat on us and Junior Grandmaster Uncle..."

Li Shu's face was dazed, her mouth was missing some front teeth and she spoke with a lisp. She smiled foolishly and hugged Xue Zhongzhu's legs.

Candle in the Snow:?

She took a deep breath and shook her legs a few times, but she couldn't get rid of the little sticky candy.

"you you……"

Xue Zhongzhu looked impatient.

"Master Axe...Master Axe...I knew you wouldn't abandon Xiaoshu..."

When she heard this, her expression gradually calmed down and she looked down at the little Lolita with a pigtail bun hugging her thigh.

The eldest lady slowly squatted down, pried open her thin arms, picked her up, held her in her arms, turned and left.

Li Shu habitually rubbed against Master Axe's arms for a while, half asleep and half awake, muttering strangely:
"Hey, why did the Master's axe become bigger and softer..."

Xue Zhongzhu tried hard to resist the urge to hit someone.

"Hmm... Master Axe, don't forget Dabai..."

Li Shu rubbed her eyes with one hand and pointed towards the pool with the other.

The candle in the snow didn't even turn back.

The insect lady swooped down from the sky and grabbed a white sturgeon that was circling in the water.

Li Shu was satisfied, but after resting her head lazily on Xue Zhongzhu's shoulder for a while, she twisted her hips and started to act coquettishly:
"Master Fu, when do you think Junior Master Uncle will be back? Dabai can't wait any longer. Look how anxious he was this afternoon..."

The corner of Xue Zhongzhu's mouth twitched.

"Strange, why is Master Axe wearing Master Uncle's clothes? Uh-huh..."

Xue Zhongzhu had a cold expression on his face and raised his hand to cover the little mouth with missing front teeth.

"Wait a minute! Where's my Master's Axe?"

"Ah."

Li Shu: …

------

(PS: I haven’t slept! It’s the middle of the month, I’m begging for a new wave of monthly tickets~or2
In addition, taking advantage of the recent gift-giving event on Qidian, the last alliance leader rebate event will continue.

Now I will be the first alliance leader of the gentleman, and I will be given an Android account. I will get a 500 yuan refund immediately, plus the top-up gift activity, which means I will be in the alliance for 400 yuan. Brothers who want to upgrade their V can consider it. If you are interested, you can join the group to learn more)
(End of this chapter)