Fu Shifeng

Chapter 103 Jealousy
In the early morning of the next day, several riders crossed the ravine and came to a clearing with messy tracks and blood stains.

The leading man was wearing a round-necked gown with tufted flowers, and his body was as fat as a ball. Even if he was riding a tall horse, he still looked big and small, which was completely weird.

What's even more strange is that the entourage behind this person and the mount under his crotch can't stop exhaling warm white air from his mouth and nose, but he is sweating profusely on his face, as if he is in a completely different season from others.

"There's a foul smell." Mr. Zhaoyang fanned his nose, frowned and said, "The people who were killed here last night must have had all their feces and urine poured out."

At this time, several subordinates were digging with tools in the distance, and after a while they exclaimed: "I found it, I found it!"

Lord Zhaoyang rode forward and saw dozens of corpses lying on top of each other in a sunken ditch, most of them were stripped of their clothes.

The subordinates moved the corpses out of the ditch one by one, moved them to the ground and placed them one by one. Mr. Zhaoyang became interested, dismounted his horse and took a closer look. He even leaned down from time to time to examine the dead like a yamen clerk, trying to restore his previous experience.

"The wound has some traces of scorching. It really is the Yanfeng Knife." Mr. Zhaoyang held up a mutilated arm, not tired of getting dirty, and even brushed away the dust on it himself.
"What a Cheng Sanwu. In just a short period of time, he was able to cultivate Yanfeng Dao to such a level." Mr. Zhaoyang's words did not imply any joy or praise.

One of his subordinates asked, "Could it be that Cheng Sanwu killed all these people?"

"Not all." Mr. Zhaoyang saw a corpse with no knife wounds, carefully pressed the cold and stiff flesh, and said after a while: "Soul Whip, it seems that the embroidered messengers who are walking with Cheng Three to five cooperate tacitly."

"Cheng Sanwu and the others have no reason, what are they doing killing these people?" The subordinates were puzzled: "If you encounter robbers on the way, it seems that there is no need to bury them."

"This group of people have cocoons in their hands, and they all have superficial martial arts." Jun Zhaoyang sneered, and looked at the crevice of the ditch where the corpse was thrown: "The soil buried above is not too thick, it should have been buried hastily."

At this time, another rider came and crossed his hands in salute to Mr. Zhaoyang: "I tell Mr. Zhaoyang, we have questioned the owner of that inn, and we heard that it was Cheng Sanwu and the others who took action to save a couple.

"At that time, another group of unknown people arrived, it is said that they came for the couple. The two groups fought at night for a while, and they left after a while. The rest of the inside story is unknown to the store."

"I never heard that they were ordered to save people." Mr. Zhaoyang was puzzled.

Since Cheng Sanwu and his party left Chang'an, Mr. Zhaoyang also led his own subordinates to follow them all the way.For fear of being noticed by the other party, he didn't dare to get too close, so he could only follow their footprints and secretly pay attention to their every move.

"Perhaps Cheng Sanwu made his own decision?" the subordinate asked tentatively.

Mr. Zhaoyang didn't believe it at first, then pondered for a moment, and sneered, "It seems that Cheng Sanwu is really restless. But that's fine, let's see what kind of trouble he will cause."

Ever since he got the order from Eunuch Feng to monitor Cheng Sanwu's actions, Mr. Zhaoyang has been planning in secret and sent people to find out about Cheng Sanwu's origin.

Only after making some inquiries did I find out that when Cheng Sanwu was in Chang'an, he had frequently entered and left Tianxiang Pavilion.

Outsiders may not be aware of it, but Mr. Zhaoyang knows that Tianxiang Pavilion is Afu's territory, which is used to communicate privately with Chang'an dignitaries and dignitaries, and to listen to confidential information.

Gongchenwei's ten Taisui basically had places like this, and most of them were used to cultivate private forces, which may not be completely under the control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Ten Tai Sui are not good men and women, they have always been wary of each other, and will not set foot on other people's territory unless necessary.Even if Mr. Zhaoyang coveted Afu's beauty, he would not take the risk of invading Tianxiang Pavilion. Who knows what kind of trap formation is inside?
Considering that Yinlong Si Sanzun mentioned the double cultivation of Aiki, and Cheng Sanwu's frequent visits to Tianxiang Pavilion, it is very likely that he and Afu were having sex.

Thinking of the beautiful Orchid who has always been high above the others and never pretended to others, being suppressed by Cheng Sanwu and other stupid people, allowing her to be beaten to death by this person, screaming coquettishly, Jun Zhaoyang felt jealous Furiously, the seven orifices almost spewed out fire.

However, this is the only way to explain why Cheng Sanwu was able to master the Yanfeng Saber technique in a short period of time. This must be the result of both Aiki and Qi cultivation.

With this in mind, Mr. Zhaoyang plans to win Afu by himself in the future. He must taste every inch of her body, and then use the technique of nourishing to improve his skills, and strive to occupy the upper position in the ten Taisui.

As for Cheng Sanwu, Mr. Zhaoyang made a secret decision, not only to kill this person, but also to cause a big trouble, which would implicate Afu and make her bear the crime of unknown person.

Ten Taisui can't tolerate incompetent people. If they make frequent mistakes and fail to complete errands, they will still be dismissed.It is said that the previous Lord Zhaoyang killed a group of embroidered emissaries from the Ministry of Internal Affairs because of his wrongdoing.

"Lingzhou... Yanchi monster." Zhaoyang Jun looked at the corpses all over the ground, and suddenly grinned: "If that's the case, don't blame me for adding more firewood."

……

Watching Wei Ying help Deng Huijun into a newly bought carriage, Zhang Fan turned to Cheng Sanwu and asked, "Did you perform the Flame Wind Saber Technique last night?"

"Senior Brother Zhang has good eyesight, how did you tell?" Cheng Sanwu seemed to have no intention of changing his words, and completely regarded himself as a disciple of the Heng School.

Zhang Fan didn't bother to care about these details, and replied in a low voice: "I have seen people practice this sword technique, but unfortunately the effect is very little. No one can be like you, the sword is entwined with raging flames."

"So that's what I was talking about." Cheng Sanwu smiled proudly: "The flame on the knife was not created by internal strength at all."

Zhang Fan showed surprise: "Then how did you do it?"

"Mother... Shangzhang Jun gave me a pot of ointment, which is used to spread on the knife, so as not to rust after being stained with blood." Cheng Sanwu rummaged through the horse's backpack and took out a black-glazed clay pot.

Zhang Fan took it from the opponent's hand, opened it, sniffed it for a while, and said, "This is... the ointment?"

"I don't know those two words. I heard it's oil from water birds, which is specially used to maintain the sword." Cheng Sanwu waved his hand and said, "The night before departure, I was oiling the knife and accidentally ignited it. A rag that was stained with ointment. Yesterday when we fought against each other, I came up with such a method, and it was just to scare people."

Last night, in order to deal with Wu Lushuai's group of horses, Zhang Fan conceived several ways in advance, and finally according to everyone's ability - Hu Yi cast a spell to startle the horse, Xu 23 lurked to intercept, Cheng Sanwu head-on confrontation, and Wu Lushuai and others were trapped. In the ravine, kill them all.

In fact, to Zhang Fan, the life and death of Marshal Wu and his group are not important. As the embroidered emissary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, he has also killed innocent people in order to complete the errands sent by his superiors. The conscience of ordinary people has long been forgotten back.

Compared with going to Lingzhou to find out the truth about the monsters in Yanzhou, Zhang Fan's real mission on this trip is to observe Cheng Sanwu's every move.

"You don't have to restrict him too much." Before leaving Chang'an, Eunuch Feng personally summoned Zhang Fan and told him, "You should do your best to cooperate with what Cheng Sanwu wants to do."

"But what if this person does something harmful to the court?" Although Zhang Fan didn't know Cheng Sanwu very well, the person who was so valued by Eunuch Feng was definitely not an ordinary person.

"As long as you don't kill the court officials in public, or openly plot treason, you can let him do it. Naturally, someone will help you clean up the situation." When Eunuch Feng said this, his tone was so flat that Zhang Fan shuddered.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has great power, and sometimes it even kills first and plays later.But when things get to this level, it often means great danger and crisis, which usually cannot be handled by a green ribbon messenger.

Most outsiders do not know that the embroidered envoys of the Ministry of Internal Affairs also have different statuses. When walking in Yishanfang, they are distinguished by ribbons, and they are similar in rank and color to imperial officials, with red and purple as the most expensive and green as the humble .

As for the embroidered envoys who can wear purple ribbons, if they are not in the Gongchen Guard, they will be stationed in various provinces, responsible for monitoring the prefectures and counties under their jurisdiction, and have a high position and authority.There are no more than 30 Purple Ribbon Envoys in the entire Ministry of Internal Affairs.

"If you handle this errand well, you will be promoted to the Red Ribbon when you come back." Eunuch Feng's words still echoed in his ears, making Zhang Fan feel more and more that Cheng Sanwu is hiding something extraordinary.

"Several benefactors, we are ready and can go to Lingzhou at any time." Wei Ying came to thank Mr. Deng Hui after he settled down.

After the family slaves headed by Wu Lushuai were all killed, Wei and Deng escaped the pursuit temporarily.

Wei Ying was naturally very grateful to Cheng Sanwu and the others for taking the initiative, and knew very well that his husband and wife would have nothing to repay.

To his surprise, Cheng Sanwu and the others did not ask for revenge, and Wei Ying was eye-opened by the demeanor of such righteous knights.

"It just so happens that we are also going to Lingzhou." Cheng Sanwu said: "Since the Wei family brothers have relatives and friends working in the Jiedu Mansion, maybe they can help us."

Wei Ying immediately cupped his hands and bowed: "If your benefactor has any troubles, the villain must go through fire and water to repay it!"

"It's serious." Zhang Fan said, "We went to Lingzhou to do business. It would be better if we could have government protection."

Facing Wei Ying, Zhang Fan changed his rhetoric. He planned to try to find out about Lingzhou Yanchi through the way of selling private salt.

Wei Ying replied: "I have an uncle of the clan who is an inspector in the Jiedu Mansion, and I want to deal with businessmen often. When I introduce some benefactors to him, it should be very convenient."

"Oh, then I will accept your good words." Cheng Sanwu laughed loudly: "Let's go, we will head to Lingzhou!"

……

Going northwest along Malingshui, crossing Qinggang Mountains, you have reached the boundary of Lingzhou.

Daxia divides the world into fifteen realms. Although Lingzhou also belongs to Guanzhong Dao, this place has been named Shuofang since the Han Dynasty. Sigh the wind is fierce.

Moreover, unlike the densely populated area of ​​Gyeonggi and the city walls everywhere, Lingzhou has a large area of ​​uninhabited wilderness.Push away the snow, and below is a sandy land with sparse weeds.

However, this wilderness scene did not last long. He continued to travel along the Anle River for several days, crossed the Yellow River, and passed through Mingsha County. Lingwu City was in sight, and this place was also where Shuofang Jiedushi ruled.

Lingwu City is adjacent to the Yellow River in the east and Helan in the west. The surrounding area is a narrow strip of nearly [-] miles from north to south. The water and grass are lush and the soil is flat and open.

In the early years of this dynasty, the frontiers were vigorously expanded, and the people from the inland were recruited to reclaim and build cities in the Lingwu area, where they repaired water conservancy, developed culture and education, and gradually became prosperous.

After years of construction, the Lingwu area is rich in products, and the local fish, salt, and corn are abundant, and it has a good reputation as the north of the Yangtze River and the south of the Yangtze River.In the past, when the imperial court sent troops to the north, they often collected food and fodder from the Lingwu area, or transported materials from inland counties to Lingwu for dispatch.

Shuofang Jiedu envoy guarded the boundary and was the northern barrier of Chang'an.Therefore, after the current emperor establishes Shuofang Jiedushi, those who can take the order and take office must be deeply trusted princes and ministers.

In recent years, the Rong and Di tribes in the north have been intimidated by the military power of the Great Xia. Apart from being specially appeased and settled by the imperial court, there are also many who have taken the initiative to go south to join them. Therefore, the Lingwu area is also populated by Hu and Han, and there are also a large number of business travelers traveling from south to north.

Therefore, Cheng Sanwu and his party drove dozens of horses on the official road, and they didn't look unusual. Even on the way, a few businessmen took a fancy to the horses and came to chat.

It was not Zhang Fan who came forward to negotiate with those businessmen, but Hu Yi.Cheng Sanwu watched him talking with the businessman in a low voice, and even covered his hands with his sleeves, clearly bargaining.

"Why does this Hu Yi know everything?" Seeing this, Cheng Sanwu couldn't help asking Zhang Fan, who was resting off his horse, and said in a low voice, "He understands spells and can control a horse, and he even looks good at doing business."

"He is from Sogdia, and this group of people is famous for being good at doing business." Zhang Fan explained with a smile: "Hu Yi just learned to walk and talk, and started doing business with his family. It is said that the ancestors made a contract with a white horse god, so that they can understand the horse language, and can command the horses at will by relying on the whistle."

"Sogdians? I've seen them in the Western Regions too." Cheng Sanwu wrinkled his nose: "They are very cunning. Once they released false news that the Uighurs were attacking Quzhi City, causing the price of wheat to rise five or six times overnight. , They hoarded in advance and made a fortune. The local people almost killed themselves in order to rush to buy food to prevent accidents."

"No business, no adultery. Although this statement has passed, it still has some truth." Zhang Fan said.

"What about that iron mace, I think it's quite delicate." Cheng Sanwu stared at the long leather pouch on Hu Yi's back, the mouth was tied tightly and airtight.

Zhang Fan explained: "Hu Yi was able to enter the Ministry of Internal Affairs because of the secret method of controlling horses, and then he learned some other spells after being instructed by an expert. But don't expect his spells to be used for fighting, even if it is someone who breathes fire and swallows swords. He can't even do tricks."

Cheng Sanwu laughed and said, "That's not necessarily the case, it's enough to startle the horses at the same time."

At this time, Hu Yi finished talking about the business, took a money bag and carefully checked it, and heard him complain: "I just didn't feed the fodder for a few days, and the horses lost weight a little, and those Han merchants suppressed the price. It's so cunning. Already!"

(End of this chapter)