Under the sky

Chapter 193 Dao is not alone

After promising Xie Gubai to go to Wudang, Shen Yuqing did not return to Juntian Palace.He called open the small door next to Ruyi Gate and asked the guards to stay. The city gate guards were not surprised when they saw the leader leaving alone. It was obviously not the first time.

After leaving Qingcheng, Shen Yuqing rode to Laoqiao Alley in the west of the city.There is Wenshan Bookstore in this narrow alley that can only accommodate one horse. The old plaque declares that this store has a long history. It may be the oldest bookstore in Ba County.

The bookstore is very small. Even if the door is opened in the narrow alley, sunlight cannot enter the house.The shopkeeper is a middle-aged man in his forties. He puts a desk at the door and is copying a recipe while squinting against the sunlight.

There were few wealthy people coming to this alley. He caught a glimpse of the horses, quickly raised his head, stood up and saluted respectfully, but did not say hello.Shen Yuqing waved his hand, handed the horse to the shopkeeper, and walked into the bookstore.

In the bookstore, there are some books on the bookshelves, but not many. They are all relatively common, such as the almanacs printed by the sect, and a few "Thousand-Character Classic" and "Three-Character Classic" for children to learn calligraphy. The rest of the sages' teachings , stacks of literati's pens and inks were piled haphazardly in the corner of the room, and there was a musty smell in the darkness.

Of course Shen Yuqing was not here to buy books. He walked directly to the back of the bookstore and opened the door curtain. Inside was a darker and narrower room, so small that after putting down a desk, there was only enough room for one person to walk around behind the desk.Fortunately, there is a small window, and the sunlight shines through the window into a deep corner of the room, shining around the desk. There are many books piled under the desk. Judging from the degree of damage and corrosion, they may not be dozens of years old.

The old man behind the desk looked at the seventy-year-old man, who was concentrating on reading. He thought it was his son coming in, lowered his head and said: "The old lady of the Sun family asked you to copy the Lotus Sutra for him. Her original copy has some flaws. I Remember there is a complete copy in the shop, you can look for it." When he raised his head and saw Shen Yuqing, he stood up tremblingly.

Shen Yuqing said: "Master Zhang, please sit down. No need to say hello."

Master Zhang still bowed respectfully and then sat down. Shen Yuqing pulled up a chair and sat in front of him.Master Zhang bent down and searched under the desk. After a while, he took out an old book. The pages were off-line and the pages were yellow and mottled. They almost broke when turned over.

Master Zhang said: "After the Kunlun Conference, all the books related to Sacredism were burned, and not many were preserved. The name of this book "Ancient Travels and Knowledge" seems not to violate taboos, and it is also remote, so it was preserved."

Master Zhang flipped through a few pages, and the threads were scattered out of control. He simply pulled out a few important pages and handed them to Shen Yuqing, saying: "These are travel notes written by a man named Gu more than a hundred years ago. He was a former A literati from the Chao Dynasty had served as an official. This does not mean that he had been outside the customs. It said that the Sa religion... was not called a barbarian at that time. The Sa religion believed in light and fire, and light represented God... I mean Sa Yao, the fire represents the wisdom that Sa Yao bestows on people. Wrapping with chains means that the person's wisdom, ideas, and thoughts are all tied up, which means that the person is not free and cannot have his own ideas. In fact, the Sa Yao people are imprinted on them. The branding on the slaves is just like the branding on cattle, horses and animals, and sometimes the name of the master is branded in barbaric script."

"Slave?" Shen Yuqing pondered.

"Where did the master see this image?" Master Zhang asked curiously.

Shen Yuqing smiled and said: "Just a few months ago, I was flipping through a drawing in the drawer of the library. The paper was broken and blurred. I was curious about the origin, so I drew a picture and asked the old gentleman for advice."

"Find it in ancient books? That's strange." Master Zhang looked confused and pulled out another book from under the table. It was also old and shabby. Shen Yuqing took advantage of the sunshine outside the window to take a closer look. The title of the book was "Views of the Four Teachings" think".

Master Zhang said: "In this book "Guansi on the Four Religions", the author examines the teachings of Taoism, Buddhism, Ming Dynasty, and Bailian and traces them back to the original source. The appendix at the end of the volume records the customs of Saoism at that time." He found a book on the last page. picture, "The author also has a rich family. This is a printed copy. It is rare and rare, so it is possible to preserve such a picture."

The drawing is mottled and worn, and the ink has long faded. It can still be seen that it is an image of chains surrounding flames, but it is different from the image on Xie Gubai. It can be seen that the two images are only different in age.

"The slave brand used by the Sacred Cult more than a hundred years ago should have looked like this." Master Zhang said, "It is slightly different from the one brought by the leader."

Shen Yuqing knew that image imprints often changed with the passage of time, so he said: "The barbarians are composed of many tribes, and maybe they are used by different tribes."

Master Zhang shook his head: "No, this slave mark is common to almost all tribes."

"Since it's almost, it can't be said for sure that it's all." Shen Yuqing said, "I saw that the mark came from an unknown place. Maybe there was a mistake in the notes that were passed down by ear."

Master Zhang sighed: "This kind of drawing is rare now. It was left behind by my grandfather in those days. If the master can find a complete copy, it will be a treasure."

Shen Yuqing took out a silver note from his sleeve and handed it to Master Zhang: "To be honest with you, Master, this drawing has some implications. Please keep my coming here a secret and don't tell anyone."

Master Zhang took the bank note and squinted to see the amount. His eyes widened and he couldn't stop talking.

What kind of life it was like to be a slave of the barbarians. Shen Yuqing could not imagine how a gentle man like Xie Gubai, with his character, could survive the hard life of a slave.
Xie Gubai always conceals something. Compared with the lies he tells, the things he conceals are more concerning, Shen Yuqing thought on the way back to Qingcheng.The descendant of Guigu exchanged identities with Wen Ruoshan. These lies may be used to cover up the truth he concealed.The imprint does not prove that he has been outside the customs, but that he has something to hide.

Even if he is not included, the maid who changed Xie Gubai's clothes when he was ill must have seen the tattoos on his body. However, Xie Gubai never mentioned a word about the brand. Was he not aware that it had been discovered, or was he planning to hide it to the end? Or play dumb until you ask questions?
Why should I hide it? If today I discover that it is not myself but someone else who is branded, how can I help him?Or does he still not believe in himself?Even if you have nothing to hide, are you still not going to admit it?

If the barbarians could sneak into the Kunlun Palace and the Nine Families more than ten years ago, then had the eldest brother been to the barbarians, or... was he actually a barbarian who came to the pass through a secret passage and changed his identity to lurk beside him?
Shen Yuqing still believed in her elder brother.While Xie Gubai was recovering from his injuries, he didn't ask about the brand. Firstly, he wanted to find out the origin of the image. Secondly, Xie Gubai was seriously injured and didn't want to upset his elder brother.However, Xie Gubai is going to Wudang before his injury is healed. Is he trying to avoid it or has another agenda?
It was hard for Shen Yuqing not to doubt, including the fact that Xie Gubai deliberately sat back and watched the world become chaotic. Even if Xie Gubai explained the reason, who knew whether he was hiding something?
Shen Yuqing returned to Juntian Hall. Shen Lianyun was waiting outside the hall. Shen Yuqing waved him into the hall and asked, "Is there anything going on in the execution hall?"

Shen Lianyun bowed and said, "The official documents from the execution hall have been submitted to the master's study." Shen Yuqing nodded and asked in confusion, "What else is there?"

"The master...has left Qingcheng?" Shen Lianyun asked, "I came to see the master. No one knows where the master is. The master's followers are all staying at the side gate of Ruyi Gate."

Shen Yuqing frowned: "Are you checking my whereabouts?"

"No." Shen Lianyun was still respectful, "Master, although Qingcheng is under your control, it is still too much to be alone."

"I still have the ability to protect myself."

"It's a calculated calculation but it's dangerous after all. Wearing tens of thousands of armors, you can't walk alone but a man." Shen Lianyun said, "I'm worried about the leader. The son of a rich man cannot sit down in the hall. I hope the leader will not go out of the city alone in the future, even if there is something important. Bring a few guards, or take the eldest lady with you. It is the duty of General Wei Shu to protect the safety of the leader. No one knows that the leader goes out of the city alone. This is also the eldest lady's dereliction of duty. The second thing, if the subordinates know it, they will definitely do it. Others know.”

Shen Lianyun bent down and saluted: "Although the Grand Master abdicated, some people are still thinking about him."

Shen Yuqing understood what he meant and was silent for a while before saying, "I understand."

I don't know how many confidants my father has, and even saying that all the barbarian spies in Qingcheng have been eradicated is just a guess.Shen Lianyun had already tortured those people severely before they were executed. Shen Yuqing believed that there were no barbarian spies in Qingcheng that could not be detected, but he only believed it himself. Who can guarantee that there is no such thing, and who can guarantee that there is one?With his meticulous approach, there might be other lurkers, so Qingcheng could only be on guard.

Shen Yuqing thought for a long time and asked the guard to call Shen Weichen and tell Xie Gubai that he was going to Wudang.Shen Weichen said in surprise: "Mr. Xie is still unsteady on his feet, how can he go to Wudang?"

"I'm worried about one more thing." Shen Yuqing pondered, "In addition to Dr. Zhu and Miao Ziyi, I also want to invite my little sister to come."

Shen Weichen was very smart and understood the truth immediately, and said, "Brother, are you worried that your third uncle still has his trusted aides?"

Shen Yuqing nodded: "We can't let regrets happen again. It's better to be careful. Logically speaking, you are the commander of General Wei Shu and want to stay in Qingcheng. I shouldn't let you go, but I don't have a trustworthy person. Ya I am a good candidate, but..." Shen Yuqing smiled bitterly, "I think the eldest brother can't suppress the uncle."

Shen Weichen understood his brother's intention, so he said: "That's good. Sister Gu and I haven't seen each other for a long time, and we are a little reluctant to leave. The master is there, and I have also been to Wudang. I am familiar with him, so he is a good candidate."

Shen Yuqing nodded: "Let my little sister handle this matter and bring more manpower."

Shen Weichen smiled and said: "Don't worry, brother, I will ensure that your military advisor returns to Qingcheng safely."

■

The Beichen Pavilion is arranged in a strict manner, with almost one post every three steps and one sentry every five steps. The guards are all recommended by Shen Lianyun and Chang Buping, and carefully selected by Shen Yuqing. They are loyal and reliable. Except for the serving maids, no one else is allowed to interact with them. Shen Yongci talked.

Shen Yuqing comes to say hello every day.Passing the tight guards, he remembered that he had sent his father back to Beichen Pavilion only a few months ago. When he passed these guards, he still felt heavy and uncomfortable in his heart.

Now I'm used to it.

When Shen Yongci saw his son arriving, he smiled and said, "You came just in time, I was bored." Then he pulled up Shen Yuqing's sleeves and tidied up half of the game, "Play a game of chess with me."

Mrs. Chu smiled and said: "He thinks I am bad at chess, so you can play with your father."

Shen Yongci frowned: "I didn't say that, just to arrange his father in front of his son."

Shen Yuqing asked his father to hold the white, but Shen Yongci had to guess. Shen Yuqing guessed wrong. Shen Yongci went ahead with the white, took his seat, and asked, "What happened in Qingcheng recently?"

Shen Yuqing responded and replied: "Mr. Xie is going to Wudang."

Out of politeness, but also as a sign of solicitation and probing, Shen Yuqing would still mention the Qingcheng incident to Shen Yongci.

Mrs. Chu stood up and asked the maid to prepare snacks and tea, then pulled up a chair and watched the father and son play chess.Shen Yong said: "If the leader of Xingzhou is willing to be accommodating, he can indeed contain Huashan. It would be best if he can be roped in for assistance. The leader of Xingzhou has a tough character, Ni Yan can't make the decision, and Master Ya is stubborn. Mr. Xie is indeed He is the best candidate. But has his injury recovered? Can he make this trip? "

Shen Yuqing said, "I'll ask Doctor Zhu to accompany me." He pondered for a while and then responded, "Let Xiaoxiao follow for protection." Shen Yongci smiled and said, "Mrs. Ya wants to talk again."

"This is a business matter, and Xiaoxiao also wants to do his best for Qingcheng."

"Dad, I think you helped Hengshan too quickly." Shen Yongci pondered for a while and then replied, "At Tangmen, the cold-faced lady always stood still. She colluded with Dian Cang, and Dian Cang won. She was not harmed. Hengshan Winning, relying on the relationship with Qingcheng, Leader Li will not get angry even if he is dissatisfied, and establish an undefeated situation."

"According to dad's original plan, how should we deal with this situation?" Shen Yuqing asked her father.

Shen Yongci remained silent.According to his original plan, Li Xuanxuan and Zhuge Yan were bound to die at the same time. The nine families were in chaos and it was difficult to decide the alliance leader. Hengshan and Dian Cang went to war, while Qingcheng sat on the mountain and watched the tiger fight.

"I will unite with Dian Cang and make an agreement with Deputy Commander Zhuge to acquire Xiangxi, Dayong, Wuling, Yiyang and other places from Hengshan, and gain Yangtze River water conservancy."

"Will the deputy commander agree? With the Beggar Gang, Qingcheng is just the icing on the cake." Shen Yuqing said.

"Xu Fangge died. His family and the world are not yet stable. Even if the Beggar Clan is not in chaos, the successor leader may not be named Xu. Secondly, even if his surname is Xu, he may not be able to fulfill his promise to Dian Cang." Shen Yongci fell. Zi, "Headmaster Xu formed an alliance with Dian Cang for the sake of his family. Without Xu Fangge, there would be no alliance, so Qingcheng would be important. Besides, your uncle is guarding the gate of Hecheng. Even if you can't say surrender, there is always a way." Handle."

It was a very sharp offensive. Shen Yuqing recalled the past when she played chess with her father. His father was not good at attacking, but instead defended Xu Tu slowly, and occasionally counterattacked with fierce force.Influenced by his father, Shen Yuqing also has a steady chess style. When he accepted a piece, he still gave priority to being steady.

If you think about it carefully, your father's behavior is just like his chess game. On the surface, he is withdrawn and submissive, but occasionally he attacks fiercely.

"The successors of Wudang have always been incompetent. As for the Tang clan, once Mrs. Lengmian dies, even the second girl of Tang will be too young to succeed. As long as we get Xiangbei, we can move to the west of Hubei, or if we get the Tang Sect to take Sichuan, then Qingcheng can be independent If you become a tyrant, given time, you will be able to compete with Dian Cang."

"So, the person who abandoned the vote in Kunlun was his father?" Shen Yu asked casually.

Shen Yong resigned and his hands trembled, almost making the wrong move.He pretended to be thinking hesitantly, but Shen Yuqing had already seen it.

"At that time, Dad didn't know that Tang Clan had secretly formed an alliance with Dian Cang, and Hengshan still had an advantage of five votes. Only when the heads of the nine families died and the vote failed to produce results, Dian Cang would go to war with Hengshan, and Dad's plan could succeed, so That's why I chose to abstain." Shen Yuqing was on the defensive and it was difficult for Shen Yongci to break through.

"And a waste vote is meaningless. After all, the position of alliance leader cannot be left unresolved. Since the first round is unresolved, there will be a second round and a third round. If it remains unresolved, it will have to be discussed again, or directly expressed. , then dad can’t vote invalid. So I hope that the position of alliance leader is still pending. It is best to ensure that the voting is only for this round, and there will be no way to vote a second time. And there are people present who can confirm that the vote will only be once..."

"Dad, you invited Senior Peng to take the blame for you, didn't you?" Shen Yuqing counterattacked again, so fiercely that Shen Yongci was surprised.

“If Mr. As long as one of Kongtong and the Tang Sect defectes, there will be five votes. At that time, Dad will also abstain. If Dian Cang has six votes or more, Dad will find a way to persuade a few of them to defect, or find a reason. To turn in favor of Hengshan, you always want to make the situation a stalemate."

"No, think deeper," Shen Yuqing continued, "If all the heads of the eight families are dead, whoever is elected leader can only trust dad's words. Or dad will delay the voting time and explode before the voting starts. The leader of the Eight Dead Families."

Shen Yong said nothing, responded, and continued to attack: "Then who defected to Hengshan? Kongtong, Tangmen, Huashan? This is very important. There is a traitor in the Diancang Alliance."

"It won't be that simple, dad." Shen Yuqing looked at the chessboard and muttered, but did not answer Shen Yongci's question.Although he had some guesses in his mind, he refused to speak easily until he was completely sure.

Chu Jingtan took the snacks and tea brought by the maid, poured tea for the two of them, and placed the teacups next to the chessboard.After Shen Yongci was put under house arrest, Shen Yuqing hoped that her mother could spend more time with her father, and there was also the intention of monitoring her. However, Mrs. Chu was unwilling, saying that she didn't want to be idle, wouldn't this mean that her mother would also be locked up?Have to find something to do.When the master of the war hall was vacant, Shen Yuqing took over the duties. Although Mrs. Chu did not have a title, she also assisted in the affairs of the war hall and was responsible for weapons and horses.

But most of the time, Mrs. Chu would still accompany her husband, especially when Aunt Xu, Shen Qingge and other relatives came to visit. Mrs. Chu would not be allowed in if she was not around.Shen Yuqing thought that she didn't want to face her father, but later she saw that they got along well as husband and wife, so she said no more.

Or I don’t want to point it out.

"Never mind that Mrs. Lengmian did not go to Kunlun to discuss the matter, and Gang Leader Xu did not die. The person who succeeded Wudang as the leader is Xing Zhouzi. I have seen him, and he is not a confused person." Shen Yuqing continued, "Even if it happens, Dad That's what I mean, Deputy Commander Zhuge, you don't know what he thinks, he has never believed you." As he spoke, he made another move.

"To unite for benefit, to gather for benefit, losing is not a loss." Shen Yong said, "Enterprising is the long-term way for Qingcheng, not to mention that I still have people to help." He couldn't attack for a long time, so he simply abandoned the middle road and moved to the side. In a corner, this sudden force suddenly appeared, trying to kill Shen Yuqing by surprise.

"Barbarians?" Shen Yuqing quickly blocked the approach at the corner. Shen Yongci thought for a long time before returning the favor.

"What I'm asking dad about is the current situation. The original idea is of no use."

Shen Yongci was silent for a while and said: "I will suggest that Zhuge Ran and the three beggar clans divide up Hengshan, let Huashan get the Gu Cemetery, and Qingcheng get Hecheng, Xiangxi, Dayong and other places."

"Qingcheng must gain benefits in this war, and that is the Xiangbei territory." Shen Yong said.

Shen Yuqing shook his head.

Perhaps if his father's initial plan was successful, Qingcheng would have a chance to obtain the benefits his father said, but it was just a chance, which did not mean success.But when his father's plan fails, just like now, when Mrs. Lengmian and Xu Fangge are still alive and Xing Zhouzi takes over as head, his plan will put Qingcheng in danger.With the Beggar Gang, Zhuge Ran does not need Qingcheng as an ally. On the contrary, Huashan is eyeing Qingcheng covetously.

not to mention--

Shen Yuqing responded, cutting off his father's chance to counterattack.

Qingcheng can form an alliance with Dian Cang, and so can Tangmen.

Shen Yong resigned and surrendered.

"I lost this game, but I may not lose Qingcheng's interests." Shen Yong said, "Things on paper are just talks on paper. Have you talked to Zhuge Ran? Have you ever thought about obtaining benefits for Qingcheng?"

"Using the risks of Qingcheng's people in exchange for Qingcheng's interests?" Shen Yuqing collected the chess pieces and asked, "Do you want another game?"

Shen Yongci waved his hand: "No, I am not your opponent now."

"The battle at Diancang Hengshan is just the beginning." Shen Yongci said, "What can Qingcheng get after the war? Just an ally, or interests thousands of miles away? You connected with the Tang Sect and just let them sit back and watch. Just reap the benefits?"

Shen Yuqing shook his head: "Children will care."

"That Xie Gubai, have you figured out his origins?" Shen Yong said, "Do you trust him so much?"

Shen Yuqing said: "Dad, there is no need to mention the old words again."

"My son is old and has his own ideas. You have abdicated. Don't worry about so many things." Mrs. Chu, who had been silent, picked up the teacup and handed it to Shen Yongci, "The tea has gone cold."

Shen Yongci took the tea cup and drank it in one gulp, and Mrs. Chu poured another cup for him.

"You are my son, and I will not harm you." Shen Yong said, "Yu'er, I'm going to tell you what's in my heart, and I'm going to ask you something."

"Everyone has their own plans, especially a person like him. Do you know what he is doing for you?"

"If you don't know what he wants, you can't control him. One day, what he wants will come back to bite you."

Shen Yuqing remained silent, and then said: "The child will remember father's teachings. If there is nothing else, the child will leave."

"There is one more thing I want to remind you, it may be helpful to you." Shen Yongci stroked the tea cup, "I talked with Taoist Xuanxu in Kunlun Palace. Taoist Xingzhou will not be the heir he wants. Here There must be something wrong with my head."

Is it something like Qingcheng?Shen Yuqing thought to herself, but still didn't reply, so she bowed respectfully and left.

Is my father really as peaceful and retired as he seems to be, no longer involved in political affairs?
Mom and dad treated each other with respect and affection as usual, but he knew that this was not her true intention.He knew very well that his mother was disappointed in his father, and this was just for outsiders to see.

If Lian Niang could put her temper aside and do her duty as Mrs. Chu in front of outsiders...

The husband sings, the wife follows, the father is kind and the son is filial, it is just a play.

(End of this chapter)