The Book of Troubled Times

How could Yue Hongling be so casually caught by these words? She smiled casually and said, "I am just a wandering wanderer in the world. It is not involved in the struggle for power. Except for foreign races, does it matter to me whether my surname is Xia or Li in China?" What? If I stay here, it’s just to have a wedding drink.”

Yue Fenghua sighed and said: "Hong Ling, if a war breaks out and all lives are destroyed, how can you ignore it?"

"If there is any attempt to injure the people, my disciple will take action." Yue Hongling paused for a moment before saying with a half-smile, "It's the same even when the Li family leaves Guandong."

Yue Fenghua choked for a moment, and looked at each other with Wei Changming, not knowing what to say.

Unless Yue Fenghua, as master, forced her to take sides, how could he say it out loud?

Beforehand, he could have thought about how to give orders as the master, and also deliberately tested whether the apprentice's respect for the master had been lost over the years. Facts have proved that Yue Hongling still respects her teacher and her attitude is impeccable. But when she stood up, her aura was naturally overwhelmed and she instantly became the protagonist. Whether it is Wei Changming or Yue Fenghua, they are both half a head shorter subconsciously, and the rhythm is completely in her own hands.

This is a famous hero who has been in the world for so many years. She is no longer the young girl she once was. Her aura is even stronger than that of the head of the aristocratic family. Perhaps in her eyes, Wei Changming is just a bidder.

Just as Yue Fenghua was trying to say something else, Yue Hongling suddenly added: "Actually, my disciple is really here for some important things when he returns to his hometown this time."

Yue Fenghua had to swallow what he wanted to say, and asked kindly: "Oh? I don't know what the important matter is. Can I help you?"

"It's necessary." Yue Hongling smiled sheepishly: "I heard that the Hu people once broke through the pass and plundered, and now there are still Hu people wreaking havoc in many places in Guanlong. I want to eliminate evil in my hometown and restore the beauty of my hometown. An. But alone, it’s hard to even find the whereabouts of the Hu people. I think now that the sect is at its peak, I should be able to help find out some information.”

Wei Changming opened his mouth and closed it again. Yue Fenghua was stunned for a long time, and said with a dry smile: "This is what our knights are supposed to do! It's just that the Hu people are powerful, and maybe you can't catch them with your own strength. Let's take a long-term view on this matter. Let me ask someone to find out the good news. Know yourself and know the enemy."

Yue Hongling smiled slightly: "Master has thought carefully."

Wei Changming smiled dryly and said: "Miss Yue, please have a rest, Wei Mou will go back first... By the way, Miss Yue's return to her hometown is also a major event in Long in the near future. If our family holds a banquet to entertain Miss Yue, will Miss Yue appreciate it?"

Yue Hongling shook her head slightly: "I'm sorry, Hongling doesn't like to socialize, so I take it well."

Yue Fenghua said: "I will see Brother Wei off." Then he ordered the disciples on the left and right: "I will take your second senior sister to the guest house to rest."

The disciples could not understand the strange atmosphere in these conversations, and all of them were inexplicably excited: "Yes, we will treat senior sister well!"

"There is no need for so many people." Yue Hongling pointed at a little girl casually and said with a smile: "This junior sister can just accompany me."

The little girl was so happy that she jumped three feet high and pulled Yue Hongling towards the backyard: "Sister, follow me."

Seeing the little girl's full energy, Yue Hongling's dull mood improved slightly, and she followed behind with a smile. When he came to the door, he turned around and saw that the figures of Yue Fenghua and Wei Changming had disappeared outside the main hall.

Yue Hongling sighed softly and lowered her voice: "I want to go see my wife first."

"Oh." The little girl scratched her head: "Then go this way..."

In front of Houshan's tomb, Yue Hongling paid her respects solemnly, stood up slowly, looked at the tombstone, and asked in a low voice: "Has Master Niang been lingering on the sickbed for a long time? Why doesn't anyone go to the rivers and lakes to talk to me about this?"

The little girl replied: "No, I fell ill very suddenly and passed away quickly..."

"What disease?"

"Said he had a malignant sore."

There are many types of malignant sores, and some of them are called cancer in this world. If it is this type of disease, it does not seem strange. Yue Hongling shook her head slightly. The scene after scene of the master's performance just now flooded her mind. The intuition of a strong Yu Jing still made her feel that something was not quite right.

"Who is the person from the Wei family coming to discuss marriage?"

The little girl looked around and lowered her voice: "It's Miss Li's family."

Yue Hongling smiled slightly and knew. It seemed that he just couldn't say it in front of her, so Wei Changming couldn't explain it in detail, but he couldn't hide it. Once this kind of thing started to be mentioned, everyone would know it, and it would be the same to anyone she asked.

It seems that his return may not be a surprise to some people, but a shock.

At least the marriage with the Li family was seen by her. She felt it was weird and it didn't sound like it was nothing. Why couldn't the senior brother marry Miss Li's family... But if we take a closer look, why did the Li family If I want to marry a daughter to you, I really think that Luoxia Villa is very respectable. It is just a naked use, just for her, Yue Hongling. It doesn't matter whether the girl you marry is a direct descendant of the Li family or not. There is a high probability that she is a side branch. If not, she could be a maid.

This is different from King Cui's marriage, because no matter how King Cui marries, it can't affect what Cui Wenjing and Wang Daoning want to do; but if you marry the Li family, you have some say in the matter, and you are not a complete vassal. Just do whatever you want...

When the battle between Guan Long and Xin Han continues, it will be difficult for her, Yue Hongling, to take sides... If not done well, the sect can really put pressure on her, Yue Hongling, to side with Guan Long.

This was all for Yue Hongling. If Yue Fenghua had some sense of responsibility in not wanting to embarrass his apprentice, or if he had some respect for his apprentice's ideas, the marriage would not even be discussed. If he wanted to discuss it, he would at least find someone to contact him. Let me ask Yue Hongling what she thinks first. Not long ago, the Book of Troubled Times showed that he had killed the Black Miao King in Miao territory. His whereabouts were confirmed, so it would not be difficult to send someone to look for him.

But let alone trying to send people to search for it, I can't even explain it here. It seems that she also knows that the essence of this matter is to plot against her, Yue Hongling. I'm sorry to say it...

Does he take the reputation Yue Hongling gained and the closeness others gained because of Yue Hongling as his own? Do you think you can make a lot of money by marrying the Lord of Guanlong?

Yue Hongling turned her head to look at the prosperous manor and sighed in her heart. If it only stops here, it's not a big deal. I won't do anything due to the pressure from my master, so it doesn't matter how they try to climb up the ladder. Just be afraid, once you fall deeply into it, there will be something else.

For example, the Hu people I mentioned.

Where do I need to go outside to visit and know myself and my enemies? There are Hu troops and horses stationed in Chang'an City! Are you pretending not to know?

Is this the chivalrous way you taught me since childhood?

If he insists on killing barbarians here, it will give the Guanlong nobles a huge headache. They will no longer think about whether they can win over him, and will probably find a way to get him out early. And if I start killing barbarians now, what will be the result?

There was a high probability that various families would set up an ambush and Yue Hongling would die at the hands of a foreigner.

Just as he was thinking this, footsteps sounded behind him. Yue Fenghua stood behind him and sighed: "Hong Ling."

Yue Hongling turned around and held up her hands: "Master."

Yue Fenghua whispered: "If you want to kill Hu people, you will be in danger... and you still said it in front of Wei Changming..."

Yue Hongling's heart moved: "Master means..."

"No matter what the reason was before they lured the barbarians into the pass, maybe they felt that they were not strong enough and needed to borrow the help of the barbarians, or maybe they wanted to use a knife to get rid of the forces that were still loyal to Daxia in the territory, or maybe they just wanted to deal with people who were not of the same mind. ...In short, now, the world is undecided, and they still need to borrow strength. It is impossible to turn against the Hu people now. If you want to kill the Hu people here, it will make it very difficult for them." Yue Fenghua said in a low voice: "In fact, if they If you win the world, if you kill Hu then, everyone will support you."

There was a bit of disappointment in Yue Hongling's eyes: "I know."

There are people who set up education on an equal plot of land and serve the people wholeheartedly. Some people only think about how to get this world.

She took a deep breath: "As I said before, politics has nothing to do with me."

"But have you ever thought about it..." Yue Fenghua held it back for a moment, and finally said: "If you insist on going your own way, you may be able to leave in style afterwards, but what about the master? How will you survive here in the future..."

Yue Hongling said: "Let's not mention the past killings of the Hu people. Let's just say that this time they also ravaged Guanzhong. I don't know how many souls of our compatriots were killed by the sword. But this is what Master is thinking about? It's not that there are no rebels resisting in the mountains in Guanlong today! Master today The ninth level of the Profound Entrance is actually afraid of this?"

Of course, what I fear is not survival, but losing my glory.

Yue Fenghua was silent for a moment and whispered: "Will you contact these thieves...these rebels?"

"What if it does?"

"In order to stab the Li family from behind when fighting with Xinhan?"

Yue Hongling looked into her master's eyes, the disappointment in her eyes almost reaching the extreme.

Changhe has never thought about this, nor has he thought about it himself. If they really know how to contact the rebels, everyone's thoughts will only be to fight against Hu. But for now, there are too many shadows of Guanlong gods and demons. Neither he nor Changhe will drag these ordinary warriors into the quagmire. They will not go at all. consider.

But in their thinking, this is...

Yue Fenghua finally said: "Hong Ling, Master has never asked you for anything else... I just hope that if you see a barbarian in Chang'an this time, you must refrain from making random moves."

Yue Hongling looked at him steadily for a while, until she saw Yue Fenghua avert his gaze, and then suddenly smiled brightly: "If I pretend to assassinate, won't it bring trouble to the sect?"

Yue Fenghua hesitated for a moment: "That's fine."

Yue Hongling said: "Can you ask Master to investigate and give you a better entry point? For example, which barbarian leader is stationed here and where he is on a daily basis."

Yue Fenghua said helplessly: "Okay, you will wait for news about me as a teacher."

After speaking, he hurried away.

The little girl next to him watched the conversation between the master and the apprentice with admiration. In the little girl's opinion, both the master and the apprentice were heroes.

Yue Hongling looked at her master's back and thought to herself that this was the last test. It would be really funny if the "entry point" given by the master were to be surrounded by everyone when the time came. I guess it wouldn't be like this, and it would probably be delayed forever.

She thought for a while and patted her head again, feeling that it was meaningless to be mired in such private matters when she came back. She was originally meant to inquire about the situation in Chang'an for Zhao Changhe. The so-called leaders of the barbarians and where they can be assassinated are things that can be known by just squatting outside and investigating. What is the meaning of returning to the master's gate? Now that I'm back, I have to understand some things that I can't understand outside to be useful.

Having said that, I met the head of the Wei family the first time I came here. This is a very good starting point. Why not get up... What can I do if I am confused about what kind of person my master is now?

As soon as she thought of this, Yue Hongling suddenly felt a lot more relaxed, and her body swayed and disappeared.

Wei Changming was sitting in the carriage on the way from Huashan back to Chang'an. He was wandering all the way and his mind was wandering. Yue Hongling came back and looked like he wanted to cause trouble and kill Hu here. This time it was lively... As long as Yue Hongling persisted, the final result would be that everyone would try to make Yue Hongling die here. It was impossible for her to destroy the alliance between Guanlong and Beihu.

This is a bit of a pity...

I have invested in Luoxia Villa for several years. At that time, the situation was not like now. There were no general troubles, it was just a pure emotional investment.

According to Yue Hongling's ability to single-handedly kill the Black Miao King's corpse puppet, she is definitely a top performer on the Heavenly Ranking, not an Earthly Ranking. What is the concept of a heavenly ranking within a force? It is a concept that is qualified to compete for hegemony. Just look at Li Shentong and you will know.

Logically speaking, based on the current relationship between him and Yue Hongling's sect, if there is something difficult to solve outside, or if the family offends someone who cannot afford to offend, if he entrusts Yue Hongling with a favor, Yue Hongling will definitely help without saying a word. Being able to get a top-ranked foreign aid, this investment is really a success.

The result was good. From the beginning, there was a struggle for hegemony in the world and feuds between Hu and Han. This investment was not enough. Not to mention investment, even their master-disciple relationship is not enough in front of the great righteousness... I am afraid that the investment over the years has been wasted, which is a pity.

But looking at it from another angle...

Before he could finish his thoughts, warning signs arose in his heart. Wei Changming quickly drew his sword, but was shocked to find that the sword did not obey orders and could not be pulled out.

The next moment, the fragrant wind blew by, and the other party's sword was already on her neck, and she didn't even see when she entered the carriage.

Wei Changming was extremely shocked. His so-called strength in the rankings was like a child in front of the other party: "Yue, Miss Yue...Wei didn't, didn't offend you..."

Yue Hongling said calmly: "Isn't it an offense to pull the marriage between my master's sect and the Li family and put me in a dilemma?"

"Hey!" Wei Changming paused: "You think that's what I think! Li Boping mentioned it like this, and I can't refuse. According to Wei's own idea, it is also a marriage with my own family! To be honest, I have already thought about it. , but I’m worried that once I get married to your master, I’m afraid it will cause suspicion, so I put it aside!”

Yue Hongling blinked her eyes and seemed to be smiling: "Mr. Li is dead, and Li Boping seems to be in the middle of the list. I have forgotten the exact number. He should be inferior to you. I am very curious as to why you are still willing to use the name of the Li family. Are you following the horse's lead? Your Majesty is not interested in this thousand-mile career in Guanzhong and becoming a king?"

"Uh..." Wei Changming didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said carefully: "Girl, can you put down your sword first and talk?"

Yue Hongling put away her sword and sat across from him.

Wei Changming took out the drinking utensils prepared in the carriage, poured a glass of wine for Yue Hongling, and said slowly: "The battle for power is of course not just about the masters...especially when everyone has no masters at hand, it is even more simple. Comparing the power of money, food, soldiers and horses. When Li Gongsi was still alive, he relied on his prestige and skills to run an excellent business. After joining forces with the barbarians to kill several dissidents, he became the dominant one... This is normal. Anyway, compared with No, it’s far from it.”

Yue Hongling said: "In this case, regardless of the masters or forces, the Li family has been completely crushed by the Hu people. Will he become a son-emperor who only listens to the Hu people?"

"It was possible." Wei Changming smiled meaningfully: "But under the pressure of Xinhan, it is difficult for Timur to win, and it can only be a cooperative gesture. Li Boping is not a fool. He has won over Buddhists before. To increase his momentum, he later introduced Yuxu. With this strength, he has the confidence to speak for himself, and it is difficult for him to become an emperor."

Yue Hongling said: "If what I have seen and heard is correct, is there a strong conflict between Buddhism and Taoism?"

"Yes, this is a balanced power technique that allows both Buddhism and Taoism to be used. The more they fight against each other, the more they rely on those in power. As a result, the Langya incident came out, and many people questioned whether Yuan Cheng would It will be the second return to the dust, leading to forcing Yuancheng away. We never thought about this beforehand... Seeing that Yuxu wants to dominate the family, Dayan Temple has moved a new Buddha from nowhere, and now it seems that there is another Rebalance.”

Yue Hongling thought for a while: "The Li family is walking a tightrope."

"There is no way. The Four Symbols Sect in Xinhan is an established state religion. Of course, others can only fight for it among other forces. Whether the Li family walks the tightrope or not, this situation will happen sooner or later." Wei Changming took a long sip of wine and pointed out: "Of course, the hidden dangers are huge. After all, there is really no strong person in the Li family. Once they can't grasp the balance, and which family becomes dominant, they may be ignored. And it is also possible that they have annoyed someone and won't play with him. But for now, no matter how different the various forces in Chang'an have their own ideas, they are unanimous in facing Xinhan, and their overall strength is really not weaker than Xinhan or even stronger."

Yue Hongling said: "There is no need to always mention Xinhan to me, I am not a Xinhan official."

Wei Changming smiled warmly: "Yes, a girl can become a powerful force by herself."

This is the tacit understanding that the two sides have had for so long. Yue Hongling asked, "Your Excellency, you are not interested in this thousand-mile Guanzhong and Wangba career?" Of course, it is impossible that no one is not interested, but the situation is so complicated that no one dares to make mistakes easily. What is certain is that once the Li family loses control, there may be a pack of wolves around to bite them, and one of the wolves is Wei Changming.

But Wei Changming obviously didn't want to hook up with Xinhan.

The attitude of suppressing aristocratic families and promoting common people is too obvious. This is a huge attraction in the eyes of the people at the bottom, but it is not necessarily beneficial to the current situation of hegemony. The aristocratic families are in conflict and many things cannot be done. Assuming that Xinhan is a prominent family, he can now directly try to instigate Wei Changming. Unfortunately, Wei Changming is unlikely to be willing to learn Cui Wenjing's self-disciplined martial arts, so he keeps testing the relationship between Yue Hongling and Xinhan.

If it were Yue Hongling two years ago, she really wouldn't be able to understand these subtexts. But now, following Zhao Changhe these days, her horizons are no longer limited to the world, and her thinking on these matters has broadened a lot.

She also leaned on the backrest of the carriage and sipped her wine leisurely, and after a long while she suddenly said: "I have a good relationship with Changhe, but we are not involved in the power struggle. Even if we help Changhe, Xia Chichi and I are not on the same side. You can understand Does this mean?"

Wei Changming blinked and said with a smile, "I understand."

As for the dispute between the East and West Palaces... the West Palace Empress also needs to have her own power.

Yue Hongling said: "In fact, all I care about is the Hu people. Whoever colludes with the Hu people, I will oppose. I do not contact you on behalf of Xinhan, I only represent myself - your investment in Luoxia Villa is nothing more than for me, Yue Hongling , I can put my words here, as long as you can provide help in the fight against Hu, then no matter how the situation changes in the future, I personally can become a friend of the Wei family."

After saying this, he disappeared directly.

Wei Changming looked out the window at the light snow, his expression uncertain.

If we talk about investment, with Yue Hongling, it is comparable to the previous investment in Luoxia Villa for several years. What we need is Yue Hongling, otherwise what is Yue Fenghua?

Whether it is Yue Hongling's level in the Tianbang, or the power of Zhao Changhe behind her... Even if the new Han Dynasty is not friendly to the aristocratic family, it is still a fallback path. If it is not done well, this thousands of miles of Guanzhong may not be surnamed Wei.

This investment is priceless.

But there are prerequisites for investment... Hu people... Hu people. It just so happened that I really had nothing to do with the Hu people, but the Li family did.