the enlightener says

Facing the wind, Abu shouted loudly on the horse: "You never told me that Mr. Gao is actually a spiritual practitioner!"

But now he fully understood that the little sword that helped him when the caravan was attacked was none other than Gao Yishui's little willow-leaf sword.

Qin Ke laughed and said: "You didn't ask, it's not that I didn't tell you! And I don't know how his cultivation is, but I didn't think he was quite reliable at critical moments!"

With the mood of being out of danger and feeling the wind in their faces, both of them were laughing and laughing on the horse.

But maybe because he was out of danger for a while and was too happy, Qin Ke had forgotten something after all.

Amidst the buzzing sound, a small transparent sword hidden in the sunlight pierced through the air.

Gao Yishui did not relax, and kept his eyes tightly closed, his fingers trembling slightly, the willow-leaf sword flew out of his hand, and soon turned into a flying bird in the air, colliding with the transparent sword .

Gao Yishui couldn't hold it back this time, spit out a mouthful of blood, his body on the horse's back almost went limp, his heavy head drooped and collapsed on Cai Yan's shoulders, but even so, he still didn't open his eyes. Eyes, at this moment, his mental power was almost filled in the chest that seemed to be torn apart.

He shouted loudly: "A Ke!"

Qin Ke had stopped smiling, and the technique of wind vision was launched again, and he captured the position of the transparent little sword in an instant, and then the Bodhisattva came out of its sheath again, like a stream of light, weaving into a sword curtain, which happened to block the chasing transparent little sword sword.

The transparent little sword is extremely powerful, and Lu Ming, who is no longer disturbed by Gao Yi's water flying sword, is now unreserved. Qin Ke turned around, leaning against Abu, but he was still so pressed that he could hardly hold the Bodhisattva in his hand.

Blood oozed from his tiger's mouth, and then he let out a muffled groan, and the small transparent sword slid down, piercing through his sword screen, like a sharp arrow, piercing Qin Ke's chest...

This sword, however, did not pierce Qin Ke's chest as expected, and pierced his heart. Qin Ke heard a bang, as if something fell out of his clothes, and the horse galloped. It was urgent, and he didn't have time to look at it, so he quickly used the Bodhisattva's scabbard to pry open the small transparent sword.

The horse neighed in pain, and the little sword that was thrown away slightly slashed across the horse's buttocks, and bright red blood oozed from the wound immediately.

The next moment, Qin Ke was still catching the trace of the transparent little sword, but Abu's eyes widened, and he found that the reins in his hand had been cut off.

Without the reins, he could continue to use his legs to control the horse, but this blow undoubtedly gave them another danger signal. Perhaps Lu Ming didn't plan to target the rider anymore, but drove the small transparent sword towards the two of them. The dismounted horses came, and now the few people escaped entirely by the footsteps of the horses. Without the horses, they would fall into the previous fierce battle again.

With Qin Ke yelling, "Abu, be careful!"

Of course Abu reacted immediately, the halberd shook, and the edge of the transparent little sword was knocked away from the side. Seeing the crack on the halberd, he felt a little distressed for a moment. The Bodhisattva in Ke's hands is even more different, but Gao Changgong personally selected him and fought side by side with him on that rainy night. Of course he couldn't bear to be "injured" at this time.

The little transparent sword lingered, it just spun a few times in the air, and rushed towards the horse's head again.

Gao Yishui closed his eyes and tried his best to resist the attack, but it was still difficult to prevent it from leaving another shallow scar on the horse's neck.

"It won't work like this." Qin Ke's face was solemn, "If this goes on like this, sooner or later it will drag you to death."

Abu yelled: "If you have anything to do, just say—"

On the horse's back, Qin Ke frowned, looked at the small transparent sword hidden in the sun's light, and said, "I'll stop it, you keep running!"

Immediately afterwards, he jumped, and actually jumped off the horse's back.

Chapter 325 Parting ways

Abu's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition arose spontaneously. However, after the horse under his crotch experienced two "injuries" from the transparent sword, he seemed to feel the sharp killing intent, and his pace accelerated.

Abu didn't have a rein in his hand, so he could only turn around and shout loudly: "What are you going to do!"

"Meet in Jinzhou City!" Qin Ke clenched the Bodhisattva sword in his hand, "I will hold them back!"

"You're crazy!" Abu felt that Qin Ke's voice was getting farther and farther away. His eyes reflected the various gestures of Qin Ke waving the Bodhisattva and the transparent sword, because he couldn't see the transparent sword clearly. It feels as if Qin Ke's sword light splits the invisible air again and again.

Abu began to grab the horse's mane vigorously, and shouted: "Wait! Wait!"

But a piece of gravel flew over out of thin air and just hit the strong horse's buttocks. This time, the horse, which was already frightened, refused to stop, spreading its hooves and continuing to run wildly.

When Qin Ke opened the transparent little sword again, he weighed the pebbles he had picked up on the ground just now, and was about to hit Abu's horse again, but found that their figures had gradually disappeared into the deep forest. Amidst the emerald green, a smile finally appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Abu didn't turn the horse's head after all, Gao Yishui was enduring the severe headache caused by the severe damage to his mental power at this time, trying to persuade him from the sidelines.

The dust raised by the galloping horse gradually went away. Qin Ke narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the ancient trees with huge roots and the rolling hills in the distance.

The lingering transparent little sword was no longer as sharp as before. He swiped it away with a backhand blow, and there were shadows of trees not far away. He guessed that Lu Ming and the others should be coming soon, so after a little thought, a playful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. .

Chen Hu and Chen Bao's feet were like the wind, their eyes were like knives, they pushed aside the bushes, and cursed Qin Ke angrily in their hearts, thinking that after catching this damned brat later, they would definitely take off his limbs and go Tortured to death, and forced him to spit out the contents of his stomach word by word...

And at this moment, the two heard Qin Ke's triumphant cry from a distance: "Hey grandsons! Stop chasing your grandpa! If you catch up with grandpa, you won't have the money to buy candied haws for you!"

He was born in the countryside, although he studied and practiced daily under Zhuge Wolong's teaching, which washed away a lot of his stubborn nature, but after all he has not yet reached the age of weak crown, he is still a young man full of childishness.

Since he couldn't rush up to beat these two people away, he simply took advantage of his words. While talking, Qin Ke bowed and got under an "arch" coiled by the roots of an old tree.

The two brothers Chen Hu and Chen Bao were naturally furious when they heard Qin Ke's shout. They gritted their teeth and cut off the branch in front of them. When they saw Qin Ke's bent back, their eyes almost burst into flames.

Chen Hu hissed and roared: "Brat, don't run away!"

Qin Ke made a grimace, and continued to drill into the depths of the jungle, but heard the buzzing sound in the air behind his ears again, trembling all over, and screamed strangely: "Oh, I almost forgot about this thing."

As he spoke, he used both his hands and feet, and the Bodhisattva's sword body and scabbard became his crutches at this moment. He specifically searched for the place where the ancient tree's horizontal branches intertwined, while the Bodhisattva stood up behind him from time to time, and with a sound of ding There was a loud clanging sound, and the transparent little sword failed to succeed after several fierce attacks.

At this moment, he felt that the power from the sword was much weaker than before. It seems that although Lu Ming's cultivation base is not low, it takes a lot of energy to control the flying sword from such a distance. The severe cough behind the sword exposed his current poor physical condition.

With another thrust coming from behind, and the method of controlling wind in Xunfeng's art, Qin Ke took a deep breath, pouring Qi and blood into his legs, and holding onto his body with one hand. The root system of the tree was broken, and with a push, the whole person jumped under a low, small soil slope like a monkey.

"It's a big deal to pass through this mountain." Qin Ke muttered, so he regained his energy after planning to leave Funiu Mountain, but actually headed for the depths of Funiu Mountain. When walking down the short Xiaotupo, I only saw a graceful and agile back in the forest, and the expression on his face became even more ugly.

The small transparent sword flickered in the forest, and the luxuriant bushes might be able to cover its whereabouts, but after all, it couldn't cover up the sound of its progress.

When Lu Ming felt heart-piercing pain spreading all over his body, he coughed up two more mouthfuls of blood. Obviously, his physical condition was already very bad, and it was gradually difficult for the transparent little sword to trace Qin Ke's trace.

However, Chen Hu and Chen Bao could see Qin Ke showing his figure from the forest from time to time. Lu Ming made a decision, thinking that none of the three escaped on horseback entered the palace, and the secret should still be on the kid with the sword.

"Chase him." Lu Ming drove the transparent little sword, and wiped away the blood around his mouth with his hand.

Three people and two horses galloped on the road, Cai Yan controlled the direction of the horse, while Gao Yishui wiped the blood overflowing from the corner of his mouth with his cuff, and said with a wry smile: "After all, he is a master of the Great Wall, his ability to control the sword is really powerful. "

Abu sat on the horse, with a gloomy expression, and said, "I'm still worried about him walking alone. Even if you say that the forest can help him hide his figure, who can guarantee that it won't happen?"

Gao Yishui smiled and said: "In terms of strength, Lu Ming can firmly suppress A Ke, but in terms of footsteps, spiritual practitioners are far behind him. This forest is full of barriers, shrubs, weeds, and ancient trees are overgrown. How could it be possible to catch up with Qin Ke?"

"Then there are those two bandits." Abu muttered.

"Those two people." Gao Yishui shook his head, "Both of them can't be Ah Ke's opponents together, plus they have to protect Lu Ming who is obviously injured. If Qin Ke doesn't attack and just wants to get away, it's very simple."

Abu's eyes changed, and after a little thought, he also knew that what Gao Yishui said was true, but he still felt a little uncomfortable.

Gao Yishui said in relief: "You, if you care about it, you will be chaotic. After all, that kid is a loach, and now he has entered a mud puddle, which is a lucky thing, so why worry too much?"

Abu lowered his head and said, "Sir, you said that when you make friends with friends, you should share joys and sorrows. It is unrighteous to abandon friends."

Gao Yishui shook his head and said with a smile: "Otherwise, there is a saying that you don't believe in making friends? Since you are Ah Ke's friend, why can't you believe that he has enough ability to get rid of them and walk out of the mountains?"

Cai Yan heard what Gao Yishui said, and suddenly reminded in a low voice: "The word 'letter' here doesn't seem to mean trust, but honesty, right?"

Of course Gao Yishui knew, but he quoted the scriptures only to convince Abu: "They are all similar, they are all similar...cough cough cough..."

Seeing that Gao Yishui was also injured, Abu immediately stopped talking and nodded, thinking of Qin Ke's self-confidence all the time, he asked instead: "Then what should we do now?"

Qin Ke left, but they still had to keep going.

"Didn't Ah Ke say that Jinzhou will meet?" Gao Yishui continued to droop his head, and murmured: "Miss Cai, you are too thin, why are there bones on your shoulders, it hurts..."

When Cai Yan heard this, he gave him a blank look.

Gao Yishui suddenly laughed loudly: "However, I feel a little sympathetic to him now. Without me, the one-in-a-million guide, once he goes to Jinzhou, where the mountains are high and the rivers are far away, tell me... how bumpy his journey will be!"

"Probably... like a bird trying to fly across the sea of ​​vaults?" Cai Yan also giggled.

It was clear that Qin Ke had just entered Funiu Mountain, but from what Gao Yishui said, it seemed that Qin Ke had already left Funiu Mountain and was already on his way to Jinzhou.

Abu heard the trust in Qin Ke in the words of the two, and was ashamed of his previous worries for a while.

Even Cai Yan, who has only a short acquaintance with Qin Ke, is so sure that Qin Ke can walk out of Funiu Mountain safely at this moment, let alone him who grew up with Qin Ke all the way?

He felt relieved for a moment, and said: "Then we can only go to Jinzhou to meet him? If we can meet him earlier..."

Gao Yishui smiled helplessly: "Who asked us to have such a fool? Don't worry, I will try my best to arrange the route. After all, if he wants to go to Jinzhou, he must pass through various states and counties on the way. If there is a destiny, we will meet him."

Gao Yishui said it easily, but in fact, even in the same city, it is not easy to meet each other.

But at this point, Abu was no longer worried, and the three of them headed all the way to the post house at the foot of Funiu Mountain——

It was a long journey to Jinzhou, so a few fast horses were naturally needed, and the two horses they had spent so much effort to win were obviously no longer able to withstand the long journey.

Chapter 326 Three Pillars

Jing Wu, the palace.

After nightfall, Qionglou and Yuyu are as quiet as usual. Zhuge Wanling started advocating frugality when he moved into the palace a few years ago. In the palaces where people lived, candles and lamps were omitted, which made some young eunuchs and maids a little more afraid.

They are not students of Tai Xuetang, their knowledge is shallow, and some of them can't even write their own names. Naturally, in their hearts, there are too many horrible and terrifying things in this world, and those eerie darkness seem to appear at any time. Horrible ghosts and ghosts will emerge.

However, there is a palace that is brightly lit tonight.

"This year, the frontier army has eliminated [-]% of the old and weak. Although there are new troops in training, they are not strong enough and need to be polished. As for Qingzhou Ghost Riders, I suggest that those stationed outside Jianye City not move. You flooded the damaged dikes earlier. Tian's matter has become so big, it is inevitable that people's hearts will fluctuate, and I don't have enough troops to stop it, so I don't worry."

In the light, Gao Changgong knelt and sat in front of the table. He was dressed in the rigorous court uniform of the general as clean as new. He stretched out his hand and stroked the bamboo slips on the table, "At present, Tang Guo has just undergone a great change, and it is estimated that he will be dormant for a while. Time, but now I got the news that Yang Taizhen has formed an alliance with Canghai in private... So, I still dispatched troops from Qingzhou, sent two troops, and let Zhu Ran lead the way to the north-south passage to guard against the surprise of Tang Guozheng's southern army. There is no need to worry over there, with Sun Qing as the deputy general, I think the Sun family will also provide substantial support..."

Gao Changgong said softly: "In terms of time, Tang and Canghai will not start a big battle now, at most they will make small troubles. Winter is coming soon, and it is difficult to transport food and grass. In addition, soldiers in winter are afraid of the cold. Marching into battle is naturally inconvenient."

Zhuge Wanling was sitting opposite him, dressed in plain cotton clothes, with a simple bun tied with a wooden hairpin on his head, the firelight reflected his calm eyes for thousands of years, and his cheeks were covered by the hot tea in front of him. The rising mist made it slightly reddened.

After the court situation gradually stabilized, Gao Changgong, Huang Hansheng and others kept asking him to put aside all the complicated business affairs and take good care of his body. When Zhou Gongjin forcibly took away the mountain of official documents in front of him several times, he had no choice but to agree. The daily "self-discipline" stipulates that only two hours are set aside to deal with paperwork, and to take medicine on time, and to work and rest on time.

Seeing that winter was getting closer, not only did his cough get better, but even his thin cheeks became more fleshy and rosy.

Gao Changgong jokingly said that maybe if he rests for a few more years, he might really be able to get rid of his stubborn illness, but it's a pity that "the tree wants to be quiet but the wind doesn't stop". Just a few days ago, the news brought back by the spies was that Cang Hai and Tang Guo were doing some weird things. The possibility of a big war starting in winter is not high, but the eagerness of the two countries to make a move has been clearly revealed. Even if Zhuge Wanling wants to continue to rest, he may not be able to raise it.

After Gao Changgong finished speaking, Zhuge Wanling was not in a hurry to answer or comment, but was just waiting for something quietly, a cool breeze blew in through the palace door with a gap, the fire light flickered slightly, and the tea in the teacup on the table The heat also drifted away.

The old eunuch looked at the gap, and his face became gloomy. He knew that Zhuge Wanling's body couldn't stand the wind. Although the prime minister's health was improving day by day, it was still an old tree that had not been transplanted for a long time and its roots were not firm. ...

These servants are frivolous in doing the facts.

He hurriedly stepped forward and walked to the door, but someone had already walked in from the door, and his tall body blocked the drafty door for a while.

The old eunuch was a little surprised for a while, but he also maintained the prudence and prudence that he should have as a servant of the Huangmen. He hunched slightly and said: "So it's Mr. Sun."

The Sun family tree has deep roots and luxuriant branches. From the county to the county, I don't know how many "adults" surnamed Sun, but there are not many people who can enter the palace late at night and enter the palace to discuss matters.

No. 1 is Sun Zhong, the elder of the Sun family who is old but still in charge of the affairs of the Sun family. However, he has resigned from office, and the court would not call him an old man into the palace at such a night.

So, standing here now is Sun Zhong's son, Sun Qing's father, Sun Jian'an, who is currently the imperial historian of Jingwu.

In fact, Sun Ji'an took over this position not long ago. The original Yushi doctor has always been an old man with little fame but no ability to govern.

The purpose of Zhuge Wanling's arrangement is naturally to control this important position in his own hands, so as not to let those aristocratic families take advantage of it.

But after the incident of destroying dikes and flooding fields, he and Sun Zhong met, and they had reached a deal.

Sun Zhong came forward to appease the resentment of the entire gentry, while Zhuge Wanling vacated the seat of doctor censor and handed it over to Sun Ji'an. By appeasing the Sun family, he gave an explanation to the gentry.

There was an interesting episode in it, the former imperial censor got a little rumor from somewhere, and before Zhuge Wanling mentioned it in the court, he took the initiative to hand in his resignation.

Zhuge Wanling naturally took the opportunity to approve, and for a while, this royal doctor who had always had a bad reputation in the court and was criticized for "standing in the latrine and not shitting", actually got a "abdication to let the virtuous" when he retired from his old age and returned to his hometown good reputation.

The old eunuch gave way, and slowly closed the hall door, blocking the cold night wind from the door, but when he turned around to look inside the hall again, a little turbulence suddenly arose in his heart.

Zhuge Wanling is the prime minister, the lord of the country is still young and difficult to govern, he can be regarded as half the lord of the country both openly and secretly.

Gao Changgong, the great general of Da Sima, and one of the three princes, is also the Taiwei, who is in charge of the military affairs of the whole Jingwu.

Sun Ji'an, also one of the three lords, is the imperial censor and supervises all officials.

In this hall, the three pillars of Jing and Wu gathered together...Of course the old eunuch knew that the three of them never planned to get together to drink tea and chat.

The old eunuch retreated to his seat, while Sun Ji'an quietly listened to Gao Changgong's brief explanation of the results of the previous discussion with Zhuge Wanling. He looked at the huge map unfolded on the wall, shook his head and said softly: " I have a different opinion."

As soon as Sun Ji'an said this, Zhuge Wanling sat up slightly.

What he was waiting for was this different opinion, if everyone had the same opinion as Gao Changgong, why bother discussing it?What's more, Sun Ji'an is the leader of the gentry today, if he can't make a good statement, troubles in the court will only follow one after another in the future.

After being denied, Gao Changgong didn't see any displeasure at all. Instead, he poured himself a cup of hot tea, blew it carefully, and smiled.

He was not surprised that Sun Ji'an would object. Zhuge Wanling once told him that Sun Ji'an seemed gentle and indifferent, but his chest was no less than that of his father, Sun Zhong. Under the accumulated halo, it seems inconspicuous.

Just inconspicuous, but always there.

Sun Ji'an said: "In the past few years, Canghai has been keeping a low profile. Although living in a bitter and cold place, it has accumulated national strength that cannot be underestimated. I am located in the south of Jingwu, with undulating terrain, numerous mountains and rivers, and lush forests. The landscape of the Yimapingchuan Thousand Li Plain is very different. Such a landscape is not conducive to marching, let alone large-scale invasions. This is why the Tang State clearly had a large army suppressing the border, but my soldiers from Jing and Wu could still persist for several months... Now that the Tang Kingdom has formed an alliance with Canghai, it is obvious that the Lord of Canghai also wants to go to war with all his heart, so he has a well-thought-out plan..."

As if he was observing the expressions of Gao Changgong and Zhuge Wanling, Sun Jianan paused for a moment, but Gao Changgong immediately raised his hand and said with a smile: "Your Majesty Sun, you don't have to be scruples, the purpose of inviting Master Sun tonight is to Mr. Sun is a staff officer together, please speak freely."

Sun Ji'an bowed his hands humbly, and said: "If you talk eloquently in front of the general, it is inevitable that you will be suspected of cheating. I just have a few superficial opinions. Please don't make fun of me, general."

He didn't wait for Gao Changgong to respond, and then said: "In my opinion, even if Canghai and Tang will jointly send troops in the future, it is unlikely that they will face Jingwu, whose foundation is now stable, and the army will go south, let alone whether the northern soldiers can adapt In the southern climate, the transportation of food and grass alone is a problem. Moreover, the tiger and leopard cavalry in the sea are all heavy armored cavalry. The water system in Jingwu territory is abundant, with nine bends and eighteen bends. The cavalry is not good at water warfare... So, I guess the two countries will continue I am afraid that his actions will go towards the Mo family first."

Sun Ji'an patted the vast land of the Mo family, "Although the Mo family has vast mountains and rivers and a large population, there are even 50 armored soldiers and 20 cavalry troops, but after all, it is impossible to distribute them to every inch of the land. Facing the joint troops from Canghai and Tang, it is already very difficult to defend the stretch of the border."

"The sea is not only heavily armored tiger and leopard cavalry, but also nearly 15 elite light cavalry. Once such an army drives straight in, it can go straight into the hinterland and force the Mohist army to return to defense. Outside, it can also harass the border towns from behind. , so that the Mo family can’t take care of both ends, and then the Tang army will take advantage of this time to advance aggressively, and the Mo family will inevitably suffer heavy losses.”