Chapter 113 Returning to Beijing to Celebrate Birthday
boom!
The pile of rocks exploded and the gibbon rushed out. Its tall body was as big as a small mountain, and its bloodshot eyes stared at Zhao Wumian.
The huge size and powerful strength brought a terrible sense of oppression, which made Chang Meizhen, who was watching from behind, jump with fear, worrying that Zhao Wumian's magic was not used correctly.
Then I saw tears flowing from the eyes of the angry gibbon, and big drops of tears fell to the ground.
The aura in its body gradually disappeared, and it finally knelt on the ground helplessly, looking up at the tomb, roaring and howling.
The sadness and pain in that voice were hard to suppress, and he was as sad as a child.
Chang Meizhen suddenly understood, this is the power of sound.
Even if you don't understand what they are saying, you can still feel the emotions. No wonder those sound wave skills can capture souls and control minds, and can also control poisonous insects and strange beasts...
The most powerful aspects of "No Suspicion Between Man and Animals" and "Forgetting Schemes with Beasts" are that they connect hearts with Qi, making people and birds and beasts "in tune with each other", so that they can communicate with each other and understand each other's words. However, in this way, people with wicked hearts and scheming minds will naturally find it difficult to get the favor of birds and beasts, let alone control them.
To reach this state requires extremely high levels of human character.
Birds and animals are not fools. They can tell who wants to eat them and enslave them, and who wants to feed them and please them.
This is even more true when it comes to the level of exotic beasts. Anyone with ill intentions will fight to the death!
Therefore, for people like Meng Changfeng, it is easier to suppress them by force than to open their hearts. However, in this way, they are just "controlling the beast" instead of "understanding the beast", so there will be no intelligence at all.
Zhao Wumian had no intentions towards the gibbon and was open-minded. He was also able to communicate with it and understand its meaning.
The gibbon understood what he wanted to convey, and then it realized that its master was dead and the person it had protected for a hundred years had also died long ago. It was now the only one left in the world, and for a moment it didn't know where to go.
Zhao Wumian said: "We met by chance, it can be considered as fate. I am leaving now. Do you want to stay here to accompany the grave, or come with me? This place is no longer safe. If you stay, you'd better be careful."
The gibbon turned his gaze to Zhao Wumian.
Zhao Wumian said frankly: "I am the same as those people. I want the Ice Chi Grass and the secret manual. The difference is that they want to kill you, but I have no intention of killing you, especially after knowing the inside story. As for using you, you are not worth it."
He pointed at Xiaokui on his shoulder and said, "This one of mine is more useful than yours."
Xiaokui raised her neck proudly.
Once the hearts are "connected", they can get more information. Tonggiyuan knew that Zhao Wumian had a mermaid sister, and also knew that he took her in mainly to keep Bai Liuli company. He didn't want to treat her harshly or enslave her. He just wanted her to be an extra playmate, dispensable. After a little thought, he wiped away his tears, called out twice, and gestured.
"it is good."
Zhao Wumian walked to the front of the tomb and raised his hand, shattering the entire underground palace. The rubble fell and buried the ice coffin in the tomb.
The gibbon looked deeply twice and then looked away.
Zhao Wumian said, "Let's go." After that, he jumped onto the cliff path first, and the gibbon followed silently behind.
Chang Meizhen was amazed and said, "Is that all? No wonder the Phoenix King can dominate the world!"
Zhao Wumian walked in front and shook his head. "This is just the initial application. If I want to reach his level, controlling hundreds of birds and gathering intelligence from all over the world, it will take countless time and energy. Using people as eyes and ears, people can select the key points of intelligence by themselves and report it actively. Birds don't have enough knowledge reserves, and they don't know the time, geography, names of people and places. I need to select intelligence from them, understand the inside story, determine the cause, and who and what it is related to... I have to do this every day, and you can imagine how hard it is."
"..."
Chang Meizhen was amazed when she heard this.
When I thought about countless birds chirping and reporting in my ears, without any focus and just talking nonsense, it was really annoying. I had wanted to practice it for fun, but now I gave up the idea.
The best ears and eyes are exotic animals and birds, which are intelligent enough to learn human knowledge, writing and geography.
However, the amount of manpower and material resources required to train such a spy team is difficult to estimate.
Zhao Wumian didn't have the energy to do that, so he decided to pass these two books to Shen Weiyang.
The rich young woman has the ability to collect exotic beasts, but has no intention of harming or enslaving them, so she is the most suitable candidate. With Xiao Kui's assistance, it will not only help her business, but also provide her with more channels to find methods for longevity and becoming stronger.
The two men walked out of the barrier, burned the corpses on the ground to ashes, and quickly returned to Prince Yan's Mansion.
When Zhu Di heard from his servants that they rushed out in a hurry, he thought something big had happened, and he had ordered the palace soldiers and generals to wait for him to come back and call for help.
Zhao Wumian was quite moved after reading it. He briefly explained the situation, and Zhu Di and Xu Da were relieved.
Dinner is approaching.
Several people were chatting casually in Chengyun Hall.
Zhu Di picked up the animal and gave it to Zhao Wumian, asking him, who understood animal language, to help take care of it. When he left, he would bring it back to the capital to present it to his mother.
The little raccoon-shaped, white-tailed beast howled in the cage, biting the cage desperately with red eyes.
"What is it saying? It's struggling so hard with the cage."
"It said, 'I want a big house' and 'If you don't give it to me, I will bite you to death'."
"..."
Zhu Di was speechless and doubted whether Zhao Wumian was talking nonsense. The strange thing was that after he asked someone to replace the cage with a bigger one, the little animal's biting movements were indeed much less severe.
Zhu Di was amazed: "Is the Su Shu really so mysterious?"
Xu Da pondered and said, "I have some impression. I heard from Liu Bowen that this "Su Shu" was created by Guiguzi, the founder of the school of diplomacy. Guiguzi has wisdom that penetrates the heavens and the earth, and has unpredictable plans. He is well versed in the laws of nature and the mysteries of heaven. Although he lives in seclusion, he can treat the world as a chessboard. His disciples have become generals and ministers, and they have influenced the survival of various countries... The masterpiece of such a person is naturally extraordinary. But strange beasts are strange beasts after all. Your Highness should not focus on these strange skills."
After saying that, he pointed at Zhao Wumian and said, "This kid is different. He can learn everything and master everything. Others don't have his talent. It's not a good thing to dabble in too many things and not be good at anything."
Zhu Di's talent was not bad either. He also had a photographic memory and could master something in a short time, but it was limited to martial arts.
There is still a big gap between him and Zhao Wumian's "Heaven's Jealousy" talent.
Zhu Di himself realized that this kid was a monster in human form. He was the one who felt aggrieved when he compared himself to him in everything.
He nodded and said nothing more. He changed the subject and said, "Speaking of the strategists, at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the world was in chaos and many heroes were fighting for power. They were behind the scenes. Maha Zun, one of the three White Lotus Sect masters, is a descendant of Wang Wentong, the former prime minister of the Yuan Dynasty. Wang Wentong is the heir of the strategists and is proficient in the art of strategy. He has been making moves in the northwest recently. I guess he wants to cause trouble. It's so annoying!"
"The White Lotus will never settle down."
Xu Da raised his glass and took a sip of wine, then said to Zhao Wumian, "The commander of Yima Pass communicated with me a while ago, saying that Mao Xiang appeared in the northwest to investigate the unusual movements of the White Lotus Sect. Did you know about this?"
Zhao Wumian thought to himself that it was no wonder that he hadn't seen the commander for a long time. It turned out that he had gone to the northwest on business. It must be a big deal for him to be dispatched. He shook his head honestly.
Xu Da warned: "The northwest is in chaos, and there is also the Yuan general Wang Baobao outside the pass, eyeing him covetously. If you encounter him in the future, remember to act with caution."
In the fifth year of Hongwu, Xu Da led an army of 150,000 to the north, but was ultimately defeated in the Battle of Lingbei.
This battle can be said to be the only military defeat in his life.
The one who defeated him with a trick was Kuyuk Timur of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, also known as the famous Wang Baobao.
Zhu Yuanzhang attached great importance to Wang Baobao. He once convened a meeting of all the generals and asked, "Who is the most extraordinary man in the world?" All the generals said, "Chang Yuchun has only 10,000 men, but he is invincible. He is a truly extraordinary man." Zhu Yuanzhang replied with a smile, "Yuchun is an outstanding man, but I can make him my servant. I cannot make Wang Baobao my servant, because he is also an extraordinary man." The fact that he could be praised so highly by Zhu Yuanzhang shows his ability.
Zhao Wumian nodded and took note. That night there was another meal and drink. The next day, Zhao Wumian set off for Beijing.
Time was indeed a bit tight, so Zhu Di did not stay long and just said he would write to him if he had anything.
After expressing his gratitude, Zhao Wumian mounted on Chili with the cage containing Feifei placed behind the horse. He followed the gibbon southwards back to Beijing. Chang Meizhen followed along the way. The two of them and the beast took their time and returned to Nanjing in half a month.
Nanjing is still the same, bustling with people and prosperous.
The two entered the capital from Dinghuai Gate and first went to the palace to see the prince and report back.
Naturally, Zhu Biao couldn't help but praise him. As he was currently busy preparing for the Qianqiu Festival, he didn't spend much time reminiscing about the past and directly asked Yun Qi to present the rewards.
Zhao Wumian transported grain to Beiping, uncovered the mastermind behind the Yin-Yang Taoism, and uncovered confidential information of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, which turned the crisis around for Nairbuhua and Wanzhebuhua. The two generals were captured alive by Xu Da and Feng Sheng. His contribution was not small, so he was specially awarded 300 taels of platinum, 20 li of jade, and a piece of [Soul-Nourishing Wood].
Zhao Wumian bowed and thanked him.
Gold, silver and other gifts are secondary. They are rewards that show one’s achievements and have more symbolic significance than practical significance.
What he values is the [Soul-Nourishing Wood].
This kind of thing is clearly recorded in "Lu Ban Book". It is made from the heart of a thousand-year-old jade locust tree. It is very rare and has a special function. If it is engraved with cloud seals and made into a pendant, wearing it on the body can make people feel energetic.
In other words, it can nourish the soul and accelerate the growth of spiritual consciousness!
The piece of [Soul-Nourishing Wood] in Ouchi was obtained from Chu Huanan.
Chu Huanan is a descendant of the Gongshu family, so the things he has are naturally helpful for the practice of mechanical engineering and Yanshu.
Zhu Biao didn't understand the key, but he knew that Zhao Wumian inherited the Yanshu technique, and he must also need the things that Gongshu Jia valued, so he gave it to him without any hesitation.
Zhao Wumian had to admit that following Zhu Biao was indeed a good path, at least he was very generous.
As long as he didn't die, his identity as Chang Yuchun's true disciple would not only not be a problem, but would be a protective umbrella. But once Zhu Biao died, what awaited him would most likely be the same fate as Lan Yu...
Even if it's just for himself, he must try his best to save Zhu Biao.
Of course, the prerequisite for all this is that he must first survive the catastrophe of death, otherwise it will all be in vain.
After appreciating the things, Zhu Biao said, "The Qianqiu Festival is coming soon. You are now considered half of the Crown Princess's family, the uncle of Xiongying and Jiangdu, so come and have some fun this time. Zhen'er can probably guess what I mean, so I should have told you."
"Yes."
Zhao Wumian clasped his fists and said, "It is an honor for me."
"You're always so reserved."
Zhu Biao smiled and said, "The Qianqiu Festival won't be a big event, but in previous years many people still took the opportunity to present gifts. Not accepting them would make them feel uneasy. This time, Yin Yang Dao, Wudang, Tianshi Mansion and other sects have sent their disciples to present elixirs. In addition, it is close to the Mid-Autumn Festival, and there are many people in the capital, so we need to intensify the protection. You can help keep an eye out with Qi Shizhou and the others."
"Wei Chen accepts the order."
"Go ahead, go back and have a good rest."
"Wei Chen retire."
Zhao Wumian turned around and left Wenhua Hall.
Just then, a shadow guard, sweating profusely, walked into the hall quickly with a letter in his hand. With a look of horror on his face, he reported the news to Zhu Biao.
After reading it, Zhu Biao frowned and handed it to Yun Qi, whose expression also changed.
The reactions of the two men clearly indicated that something big had happened, but since he was not asked to go back, Zhao Wumian just left the palace on his own.
The less trouble, the better.
"sure?"
Zhu Biao looked solemn as he looked at the text message in his hand. It read: Nanxiong Marquis Zhao Yong was assassinated! !
Zhu Biao and Yun Qi were both a little bit unbelievable.
Zhao Yong was a powerful general who held the Five Mountains Mace in his hand, a rare divine weapon. How could he die like this?
Furthermore, he was stationed in Qujing, Yunnan, where there were no masters at all! All the tribes in Yunnan had surrendered, the Five Poison Sect had surrendered, Dali City was about to fall, and the Duan family was resisting stubbornly and had no power to leave the city. The only remaining major sect, Dian Cang, did not dare to attack Daming at this time.
Who else can kill Zhao Yong?
The shadow guard hurriedly said, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince, the reports from Marquis Yingchuan, Marquis Yongchang, and Marquis Xiping are on the way. Marquis Nanxiong was indeed killed. The military coroner said that he was poisoned by the Wushen Cult's deadly poison [Targument Powder] and then slit his throat. It is speculated that the assassin was someone close to him, and the other party left some behind after the attack..."
The shadow guard hesitated and whispered, "...evidence."
As he spoke, he presented another letter.
Zhu Biao finished reading it quickly, his face became even uglier, and he threw it to Yun Qi.
Yun Qi read it carefully and found out that it was a list of the illegal things Zhao Yong had done over the years.
This included slaughtering the Hell Gate, an evil sect in Minyue, but taking their highly poisonous [God's Heart-Stirring Pill] for himself, refining it on a large scale to control his wives, concubines and adopted daughters; forcibly seizing qualified women as his own; secretly intercepting and killing the Buddhist treasures presented by the tribute envoys of Srivijaya; and using the name of banditry to eliminate dissidents, etc.
There is evidence for each of them, and they are already on the way with the documents of the three marquises...
His wives and concubines were also willing to testify.
"..."
Zhu Biao slammed the table with his palm. The shadow guard's forehead was covered with sweat and he quickly crouched down.
After Yun Qi scanned it, he found that one of the evidences was the possession of evil magic, the secret cultivation of assassins, and the raising of killers. Combined with the above-mentioned characters who were normally difficult to kill, and Zhao Yong's own unclear death, he roughly understood... This was a backlash from his subordinates.
The shadow guard added: "Marquis Yingchuan speculated that the assassin might have the "Actor's Treasure Mirror". Otherwise, no one could have secretly poisoned and assassinated Marquis Nanxiong and escaped unscathed after the assassination."
Zhu Biao was slightly surprised.
Yun Qi nodded: "It seems that the so-called hidden evil magic is that he got the secret book from Chen Youliang's corpse when he killed him, and left a copy before presenting it... The "Actor's Treasure Mirror" is so difficult to practice, it's really a pity that he can find someone who can practice it... Your Highness, this matter must be handled properly. Zhao Yong has been in a high position for many years, and he is from the Chaohu navy. The four Chaohu generals who defected to the emperor, Liao Yongzhong and Hua Gao, are all dead. In addition to Zhao Yong, there is also Yu Tongyuan, the Marquis of Nan'an, who has a life-and-death friendship with him. The death of his sworn brother is already a grief, if he hears about the scandal again, I'm afraid there will be a commotion..."
Zhu Biao said coldly: "It is a merit and a fault. It is too early to draw a conclusion now. Once the evidence and confession arrive in Beijing, I will immediately order the three judicial departments to conduct a thorough investigation. After that, the crime will be judged according to the law!"
Yun Qi was just giving a reminder. Seeing Zhu Biao's determination to punish according to the law despite the pressure, he felt somewhat relieved:
"Yes, slave, take orders."
……
(End of this chapter)
