Heaven's Formula

Although this is not a royal cemetery, it is obvious that not just anyone can be buried here. For example, there is only one tombstone in the burial place in front of us.The pavilion is more like a shelter, covering the heavy stele to protect it from the sun and rain.Before entering the stone pavilion, there is a long and thin staircase.

However, the long years have made these creations old and mottled, and moss has climbed all the way from the pillars to the roof.There are accumulated fallen leaves everywhere around, and the deposited water vapor cannot be released, so it is fermented and deposited here, and it smells like rotten wood.

The sweepers seem to care more about the cleanliness of the road here, and will not go into the depths of these tombs.

Following the bluestone steps and coming to the tombstone, Xia Fan let out a slight snort.

"What's wrong?" Li asked from behind.

"Here...someone has been here."

"Let me take a look." The fox demon leaned forward and carefully looked at the altar below. "Indeed, the incense in this ash basin should have just been burned, at most... just a day or two."

"Not only that." Xia Fan pointed to the stele and said, "The stone used for this tombstone is basically the same as that of the pavilion, but it is far better than the pavilion in terms of cleanliness and cracking. This shows that someone is taking care of this place, and the frequency It’s not too low. Otherwise, if the rain comes in, the edge of the stele should be covered with moss.”

"Will it be the princess' friend?"

"According to Ning Wanjun, no one in Shangyuan City can do this for her." Xia Fan shook his head, "A friend who is close to her can often come to visit the grave, how could she not know .”

Li's eyes moved, revealing a look of surprise, "Could it be that... is that person?"

"This doesn't make any sense. If the Son of Heaven still has nostalgia for the third princess' biological mother, why should she be reduced to this situation? Even if she regrets it later, her cemetery can be moved to the royal cemetery on the top of the mountain." Xia Fan thought, "The most important thing is that the concubine is dead, but the daughter is still alive. If the emperor realizes his mistake, he will definitely find an opportunity to communicate with Ning Wanjun. But in fact, the princess went to the border until she was entrusted. In Jinxia City, there is no tendency to reconcile with the other party. This can only show that the emperor has never paid attention to his third daughter."

"That's right." Li scratched the back of his head, "Then I can't think of other possibilities."

"I'm afraid Ning Wanjun will not be able to guess this answer, so let's not waste our efforts."

Xia Fan took out a handful of joss sticks, lit them, bowed three times in front of the tomb, and then inserted them into the ash basin.

Green smoke rose slowly, climbed up along the tombstone, and quickly disappeared into the cold white mist.

Through the curling smoke, Xia Fan remembered the other party's name.

Autumn rhyme.

When he was about to return, Qianyan suddenly asked to go to another cemetery.

It was not far from the place where the concubine was buried, only two forks away, but it was obviously much more desolate.

Moreover, this place is more like a cemetery for uniform burial—both the size and shape of the stone tablets are quite consistent, and they are neatly arranged far away.

"It's still here..." Qian Yan's tone showed a trace of surprise, "I thought it's been so long, they've already moved in with someone else."

Xia Fan's heart trembled slightly at the words of staying in, "Have you been here before?"

"From Yongchao to Qiguo, many battles were fought around Shangyuan. The disciples of the Fang family and the living dead who died for this were all buried in this cemetery."

Only then did he notice that there was more than one name engraved on each tombstone, and some even had as many as a dozen names.

In front of a tombstone, Qianyan stopped and slowly squatted down.

"Do you need incense sticks?" Xia Fan asked.

"No need." She shook her head and whispered, "No matter what is left here, it will not be conveyed to them."

"Xia Fan." Li suddenly tugged at the corner of his clothes, and whispered in his ear, "Look at the name on the stele..."

Xia Fan squinted for a while, then opened his mouth in surprise.

I saw one of them had the word "Qianzhi" written on it impressively!

And before and after this person, there are several names beginning with thousands.

"What's going on here?" He couldn't help asking, "Isn't Qianzhi still alive and well?"

"She is alive, but it is the current Qianzhi who is alive, not the former Qianzhi." Qianyan said calmly, "At that time, people couldn't tell whether the living dead were seriously injured and fainted, or they were really dead, so they were counted as killed in battle. In addition to worrying that the corpse will be used by magic, only the stele is left in the cemetery, but no one is left, so no one will change the content on the stele in the end."

"What. That is to say, it's just a statistical error for Qianzhi to appear on it..." Xia Fan was stunned when he said this. It seemed to be hiding something else, not as indifferent as she said. "Wait—not the former Qianzhi, what do you mean?"

"Before the living dead wear this talisman ribbon, rebirth is no different from death." She held up the cloth strip like a decorative belt behind her head, "The living dead who wake up from the recovery will not remember everything in the past Things, even xinxing will be reshaped. Although the Fang family improved this situation later, relying on talismans to strengthen memory and perception, only more than half of it will be lost after recovery, and xinxing can be preserved, but this remedy cannot go back a hundred years. Before. For them, once asleep, never wake up again."

Having said that, Qianyan wiped the tombstone with his hand, "Xia Fan, let me ask you... what proves a person's existence is this body, or the memory that constitutes this person's life?"

The answer to this question is obvious.

"Consciousness determines the self."

"I think so too," Qianyan sighed, "that's why I keep a distance from other living dead, especially Qianzhi. Sometimes I even hate her, because she is completely different from the person I know, and she was obviously very close I used to get along with her, but now I look at her like a stranger."

Xia Fan knew where her complicated emotions came from.

"Qianzhi doesn't know this?"

"Yes, she had a few accidents later on, and I can't even remember how long she lived, but at least after getting the strengthening talisman, her xinxing has not changed. Anyone who sees her will feel that She is the 'thousand know'."

"Since she won't suddenly become a complete stranger like in the past, maybe you should accept her as a newborn person instead of comparing her with the former Qianzhi." Xia Fan explained.

"It's true to think so, but sometimes consciousness doesn't easily accept rational judgments." Qian Yan stood up, "Don't worry, it's been so many years, I won't be affected by emotions long ago."

She was calmer than he thought, Xia Fan realized. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I can't tell." Qianyan thought for a while, "If I have to have a reason, probably you are an outlier just like me."

"Heterogeneous?" Li couldn't help but said, "Even if he looks a little strange, it's because of the listener, right?"

"I thought so at the beginning, but after getting in touch with you, I realized that this is not the case." Qian Yan turned to look at Xia Fan, "I have seen more than one listener, but there is no one like you. The so-called listener, It’s just a person who has been exposed to some secrets or techniques, and you... are different everywhere. After thinking about it, only the title of alien is the most suitable. Maybe in the end... there will not be a single person in this world. A person can really understand you."

"..." Xia Fan fell silent for a moment.

"Help me keep it a secret from Qianzhi." She glanced at the tombstone, then walked towards the exit of the mausoleum area, "Let's go back."

Chapter 264 Dinner

The next day, the Lantern Festival came.

"Hey, there are so many people!" Qianzhi shouted excitedly while lying on the window sill.

As the little girl said, the surrounding streets were crowded with people, extending almost from the gate of the city to the center of the city.Although the lanterns are put on at night, some small activities have begun to warm up, such as lion dances and stilt performances.

Sure enough, no matter where they are, these two activities are all-purpose plug-ins, and they can be used for red and white things, as well as high-level promotions.Coupled with the accompaniment of suona, there is a festive atmosphere in an instant.

Vendors seized the opportunity to sell their products, including sweets, snacks, lanterns and colored paper.For most people, this is the last chance to fill their pockets before the Chinese New Year, so not only ordinary businessmen, but also many local residents have taken out their usual hoarding and joined in the hawking.

"It feels much more lively here than Jinxia." Qianzhi finally said with emotion.

Puff, Xia Fan felt a stab in the heart.

"After all, this is the center of Daqi." Luo gently walked aside and looked at the joyful crowd, "Before I met Xia Fan, I never thought that I would go to a humble Yancheng one day."

The second knife also pierced in.

"I still... prefer Jinxia City." Fang Yanni said cautiously.

"Oh? Why?" Xia Fan asked happily.

"Because there are too many people, I will be nervous." She lowered her head slightly, "It's better for the place to be remote and desolate, and it would be better if it was like the deep mountains and old forests in Lingzhou."

Xia Fan couldn't help but clutched his chest tightly.

"Okay, Jinxia is already very good." Qianyan interjected abruptly, "I feel that place is different from most towns... It actually has a bit of the appearance of Yongchao Prosperity. Even if it is not as good as Shangyuan now, It will definitely become a famous city in the future.”

"Really?" Qianzhi was a little surprised, "Lord Qianyan seldom speaks well of others."

"You still have the nerve to talk about others!" Fang Xiandao gave his protector a hard look.

"Let's put the gossip aside, let's settle the business for tonight." Li greeted everyone behind him, "How should we arrange the itinerary for the Wandeng Banquet?"

Everyone closed the windows and sat back in the middle of the room.

"Xia Fan, do you have any ideas?" Luo asked softly.

"This dinner party will be held in the palace square, and the identities of the personnel will be checked. If I'm not wrong, I should be the only one who can go in." Xia Fan said while thinking, "The princess also said, in case The probability of danger in the Lantern Festival is extremely low, so it’s you, it’s best not to go out that day, just stay in the Wanjing Tower.”

"Thousands of knowledge, immovable like a mountain!" The little girl echoed.

"Perhaps divination can be used to detect the situation at night." Li suggested.

"Actually, I tried it last night." Fang Xiandao looked solemn, "Because I couldn't directly calculate Xia Fan, I took Shangyuan City as the target of the spell."

"What was the result?" Xia Fan asked curiously.

"It's dark and unclear, and it's hard to make a judgment." He narrowed his eyes slightly, and said in a long tone, "There are strong winds all around, and the clues of fate have been disrupted and reorganized, and have lost their original meaning."

"Please speak up."

"That... Junior Brother Fang means that someone in Shangyuan City is interfering with divination spells, and more than one person is doing it." Fang Yanni explained in a low voice, "This situation will make the conclusion drawn by the hexagram calculation false. Forced interpretation will not achieve the desired effect.”

"Tsk, so this technique can still be restrained." Xia Fan twitched the corner of his mouth, and the other party's statement reminded him of electromagnetic warfare in a complex electromagnetic environment, "As long as the other party keeps interfering, isn't divination useless?" effect?"

"It's not as simple as you said!" Fang Xiandao became anxious, "First of all, the other party must have studied Kanshu divination in order to do it against the spell. Secondly, doing so also requires a lot of gems, soul jade and other rare things , continuing to interfere with last month's expenses is enough to ruin a man's fortune!"

"Okay, okay, I understand." Xia Fan comforted falsely, "But since there are so many sources of interference, it seems that the crown prince's enthronement ceremony will definitely not be passed safely."

"After all, this matter is too hasty. I'm afraid many people are just about to make a move." Luo said softly, "The order here has already existed in name only."

"Perhaps we will all leave Gyeonggi when the other party ascends the throne." Xia Fan finally concluded, "Since everyone thinks there is no problem, let's proceed according to the original plan. We will do it after the formal meeting with the Privy Council. Next step plan."

……

At four o'clock in the afternoon, that is, around six o'clock, Xin Wu came to the bottom of Wanjing Tower as promised.

"I wonder if Master Xia has had a good rest in this day and a half?" He warmly greeted Xia Fan when he saw him, "Master Gan has reserved a seat for you at the Wandeng Banquet."

"It's not bad. I'm also an alchemist anyway, and traveling long distances is not a big deal." Xia Fan nodded, "Let's go."

At this moment, the long street is full of people, and horses and vehicles are prohibited from passing. Even alchemists can only walk to the palace area at this moment.

Walking to the gate of the inner city, the imperial guards had already put down their horses on the main road. Above the towering palace wall, Xia Fan could see guards with strong crossbows patrolling back and forth.

"Please show the letter." The guard stopped the two of them and said.

"Here." Xin Wu skillfully took out a stack of papers and handed them to the guards. "He is a distinguished guest invited by the Privy Council, it doesn't matter if you check or not."

"You're right, but this is our duty." After checking, the guard handed a nameplate into Xia Fan's hand, and then stepped aside, "Please come in."

"Just me?" Xia Fan asked in surprise.

"I'm just a questioner, and I've completed the task by sending you here." Xin Wu said calmly, "The next meeting is not an occasion that I can participate in. You have to go alone. Master Xia, that is only you. In the field that is eligible to be on stage, I will wait for your return here."

Xia Fan glanced at the nameplate, and his seat number was already marked on it.

"It's cold, you can sit in a teahouse and come back after the Lantern Festival is over." After he finished speaking, he walked into the deep palace gate.

What follows is a rigorous inspection.Not only weapons, but also talismans, chips and medicine bags are included in the storage. Obviously, except for clothes, shoes and socks, those who enter the palace are not allowed to bring in any equipment.Without the materials for the operation, the combat effectiveness of the alchemist would undoubtedly be greatly limited. No wonder the princess thought that the risk of attending the Lantern Festival was not great.

After passing through the courtyard wall, it was a different scene.

On the huge square, rows of round tables criss-crossed, forming a square grid.Each table is surrounded by windproof candlesticks, and hundreds of candlesticks are combined to create the illusion of a sea of ​​lights.This is not only entertaining guests, but also showing the strength of Daqi's court - being able to gather so many bronze candlesticks at the same time is a manifestation of financial resources and means.

Under the guidance of the guards, he quickly came to the reserved seat.

"Xia Fan, long time no see."

The person who greeted him was actually an old acquaintance from Qingshan Town, Fei Nian.

Beside him, two men and two women sat in turn.

"Let me introduce you." He stood up with a smile, "This lord is the green sword of the Privy Council, the "Layman on the Cloud" Baizhan. "

Bai Zhan nodded without saying a word.

"Beside Mr. Bai is the guardian "Sheying" Yu Linglong. "

"Yo, you are Xia Fan, right? First time meeting... Well, you are cuter than I imagined." Yu Linglong giggled.

Fei Nian's hand moved to the other side, "This lady is also guarded by the Privy Council, "Crossing the Embers" Wei Huang. "

"The concubine is polite." The other party bowed his head slightly.

"The last one is the Yuyi envoy stationed in Gyeonggi—" Fei Nian paused, "Master Gan. "

Chapter 265 "Dry"

Xia Fan's eyes met Yu Yi's.

It was an unremarkable middle-aged man, with beards of different lengths visible on his cheeks and chin. Obviously, he did not follow the secular rules of his parents. He often cleaned his beard by himself, but it was a pity that he shaved The craftsmanship is quite rough, which makes him look a lot of vicissitudes.

Also, those drooping bags under the eyes and the long face make him look more like a down-and-out quack warrior than a first-rank Yuyi of the Privy Council.

"Ahahaha, when can't you say the introduction? Why do you have to be so serious? You see, the atmosphere has become stiff!" The other party moved over and took Xia Fan's arm to sit down, and then patted him on the shoulder, "You step in The master should have taught you when you were at the gate of the Privy Council Mansion, the mansion doesn’t care much about etiquette, so relax. This is just a dust-cleaning banquet, you can eat as you usually eat here!”

This feather coat really feels a bit... familiar.

Xia Fan sat up straight, and cupped his hands towards the crowd, "I am Bairen of the Jinxia Mansion, Xia Fan. My nickname..." He thought for a while, "I am known as the Nine Heavens Thunder Envoy."

"Pfft—" Yu Linglong burst out laughing, "Jiuxiao... Heavenly Thunder Messenger? Haha...hahaha, this is really a mighty nickname."

Madam Wei also raised her hand, covering her lips indistinctly.