Clouds and Waters

Xiao Qi anxiously knelt beside Yun Chenxiao, gave her water, and helped her up, but she refused everything.I don't know how long I knelt before I saw Yun Zhengting slowly pacing out from the back room.

Yun Chenxiao straightened her waist and shouted, "Father, how is Er Niang?"

Yun Zhengting raised his eyebrows, glanced at Yun Chenxiao, and said, "It's because you still have such thoughts. She's fine, just take a rest. You...you've been kneeling here all this time?"

Yun Chenxiao was relieved to hear that Li Wei was fine, but stopped answering.Xiao Qi interjected from the side: "Miss has been kneeling for almost two hours, and no water has entered. Master, you..."

"Xiaoqi!" Yun Chenxiao interrupted her.

Xiao Qi's heart twitched, and he pouted and stared at Yun Chenxiao foolishly.

Yun Zhengting nodded slightly, and said, "Xiao'er, follow me."

Father and daughter, one in front and one behind, came to the Yun family's ancestral hall.The Yun family's family rules are very strict, women and children in the family are not allowed to enter the ancestral hall without authorization.Yun Chenxiao once came here when she was a child, to pay homage to her dead mother, but she never came again, and now she couldn't help asking suspiciously: "Father, why did you bring me here?"

"Why?" Yun Zhengting paused for a moment, stared into the distance with deep eyes, and said in a deep voice, "Xiao'er, don't you despise the family law of your ancestors? Then you have to tell the ancestors of the Yun family not to come Ancestral hall, where else do you think of?"

Just as Yun Chenxiao opened his mouth to speak, Yun Zhengting knelt down on both knees and respectfully kowtowed three times.Yun Chenxiao knelt down with Yun Zhengting and kowtowed too.Yun Zhengting said: "Go and burn incense sticks."

Yun Chenxiao twirled a stick of incense, waved his hand to disperse the smoke, and stepped forward to insert it into the incense burner.Suddenly at this moment, he suddenly felt that something was wrong, raised his head, and stared at the highest spiritual tablet for a long time, with many twists and turns in his heart, but he couldn't figure out why.

Yun Zhengting said from the side: "Xiao'er, is it strange? Why does the ancestral hall of our Yun family enshrine a spirit seat named Xue at the highest place?"

Yun Chenxiao took a closer look at the spiritual seat, but saw the letter "The seat of Zhilan tabooed by the ancestor Xue family".She shook her head and said, "Daughter doesn't know. But the surname Xue is my imperial surname, could it be..."

Yun Zhengting breathed a sigh of relief, and said slowly: "Xiao'er, you have grown up too. There are some things that you should know about. This matter has to be traced back to the third year of Emperor Gaozu's Yongkang..."

A light flashed in Yun Chenxiao's heart, and he suddenly said: "Yongkang three years? Dad, I saw a plaque outside the room in Jingshan Academy, which is the plaque of Zangshu Pavilion. It also says Yongkang three years .”

Yun Zhengting smiled and said, "That's right. Back then, it was there that your great-grandfather met our family's great benefactor."

Yun Chenxiao interjected, "Is that the Heroine Xue?"

Yun Zhengting nodded and said: "That's right. Back then, your great-grandfather was only a ten-year-old naughty boy. Both his parents died since he was a child. He had no way to support him, so he had to beg for a living. Unexpectedly, there were unpredictable things. Your great-grandfather's year Suddenly he was seriously ill and his whole body was weak. He had no friends, no food or drink, so he had to wait for death in the mountains.

"Just as he was dying, he suddenly heard a woman's voice..."

Yun Chenxiao closed her eyes, and said in a daze: "The woman's voice...the woman's voice..." As she spoke, it seemed that the picture was right in front of her eyes, and the woman's voice was right next to her ears, as if she was The person involved, who experienced the scene at that time, generally...

"Hey, Zhilan, do you think there is a person in front of you?" The one who spoke was a beautiful woman in pink, who looked only 20 years old, with picturesque features and a graceful figure.It was early spring at that time, and the peach blossoms on the mountain were swaying in the wind, scorching the flowers. The woman in pink stood among the peach blossoms, it was really a human face and the peach blossoms were red, it was really beautiful.

Beside her, a woman in white held her hand and persuaded softly: "Is there anyone? You must be dazzled? We have been here for so long, let's go quickly, if they are still there We are waiting in Jingzhou City. I don’t know if Xueying has found that thing. Hey, if that thing is not in Jingshan Mountain, I’m afraid Little Yezi may have remembered it wrong. It is said that she has a photographic memory, so it shouldn’t be... "Her eyebrows are clear and elegant, her white clothes are fluttering, she is not stained with dust, her long hair is fluttering, like a celestial being walking against the wind.

The woman in pink gave her a blank look and said: "Cut! One moment, one moment, one moment that, my mind is confused, thanks to you remembering everything so clearly." Her eyes were clear, and her smile was half-smile, which seemed to be teasing.

The woman in white smiled slightly, feeling a little helpless, and said pitifully, "What are you talking about, Yixuan, okay, okay, I'm afraid of you, just go and have a look."

The woman in pink smiled sweetly, and the flowers paled.The two walked away holding hands, and sure enough, there was a ten-year-old boy in the grass, his eyes were closed, his face was pale, and there was no trace of blood on his lips.The small body is covered by weeds, if you don't look carefully, you really can't see it.

The pink-clothed woman named Yixuan said "Yeah", bent down and touched the little boy's forehead, then turned her head and called, "Zhilan, his forehead is so hot."

Zhilan also squatted down early, took the boy's hand, felt his pulse, and said, "The body is weak and cold, I'm afraid it's a gastrointestinal illness, and I ate something unclean."

Yixuan asked anxiously: "Then what should I do?"

Zhilan calmly said: "It's just a sudden onset, it's nothing serious. Just warm the middle and dispel the cold, nourish the spleen and stomach, and take some Shenling Baizhu powder. Well, how about this, take this boy down the mountain to Jingzhou In the city, find an inn to live in first, and he can also take care of him. Looking at his skinny appearance, I don’t know how many full meals he has had.”

After hearing this, Yixuan was relieved.Zhilan reached out to caress the child's chest, took out a pill from her wide sleeve and gave it to the child, then picked up the child and walked side by side with Yixuan.

Before reaching the foot of the mountain, the child on Zhilan's back had already woken up leisurely.The child was suddenly carried on his back, he couldn't help being startled, and struggled.Zhilan had already felt the commotion behind her back, and said with a smile: "Good boy, don't move around, I will carry you down for treatment."

The child was still in a daze. He looked to the side and saw a woman in pink looking at him with a smile on her face. She was lost in thought and asked, "Am I dead? Are you immortals in the sky?"

Yixuan chuckled and said, "If you died, you would be on Huangquan Road now! Then we are black and white." She made a grimace while talking.

The child just grinned, but still said in a foolish heart: "If you are not a god, then who are you?"

"Xiao'er, how are you? Xiao'er..."

Yun Chenxiao wandered thousands of miles, lost her mind, she just felt that she was in the midst of the peach blossoms, willows and greenery, and the smiling faces of the two women were right in front of her eyes, wasn't she like a fairy in the sky?And that "Xiao'er" sounded like a mighty voice nine days away.She replied subconsciously, only to feel that the voice was getting closer to her.The bright colors in the phantom faded away, and she suddenly opened her eyes, and in a haze, she saw her father standing in front of her with a kind face.This kind of expression is really rare on the father's face!Yun Chenxiao rubbed her eyes involuntarily, making sure that what was in front of her was not a phantom, she suddenly said in shock: "Daddy... this... what I saw just now... is it real, or is it a dream?"

Yun Zhengting smiled slightly, and said: "What you see is neither real nor a dream. It is an illusion. It is just an illusion. It is an illusion that has been sealed for a hundred years."

Yun Chenxiao rubbed his forehead, and said in a daze, "Daddy, you mean, that woman in white and pink is our family's great benefactor? That child is... grandpa? But... why? Will I personally see the scene a hundred years ago?"

Yun Zhengting said: "What you asked is about the funeral. Listen to me slowly. Xue Xia rescued your great-grandfather. At that time, Xue Xia was famous in the Jianghu world. When Xue Haoran was mentioned, although There are mixed opinions, but no matter which faction they are, they are all admired. She thought the name was cumbersome, so she changed her name to Xue Zhilan, and a few of her... Well, a few good friends retired to the world, and since then they have left the world and traveled all over the country. , the merit of using the hanging pot to help the world. I came to Jingshan today, and I also accidentally saved your great-grandfather."

Yun Chenxiao asked in confusion: "What does this have to do with the illusion?"

Yun Zhengting didn't answer her, and continued: "Your great-grandfather recovered from his illness, but he still had nowhere to go. Lady Xue saw how pitiful he was, so she took him with her and stayed in Jingzhou. , The wisdom of the people has not yet been developed. In addition to curing diseases and saving people, Xue Nvxia set up a small school on Jingshan Mountain with her own money. Not only does it cure the physical diseases of the people, but it also educates the people, subtly influencing..."

Yun Chenxiao clapped her hands for joy, her eyes were looking forward, her eyes were as clear as the moon, and she suddenly smiled and said: "Yes, yes! It turns out that the school was run by Xia Xue. No wonder the plaque on the barren grass at the back of the school reads 'Yongkang' Three years', but what does the word 'Lin' mean? But Xue Xia's friend whose surname is Lin? Ah, it must be the woman in pink. Does your father know?"

Yun Zhengting coughed slightly, and said, "My friend Xue Xia, if your great-grandfather doesn't tell me, how would I know? Xiao'er, don't interrupt, do you want to listen to the following?"

Yun Chenxiao covered her mouth, blinked her eyes, shrunk her head obsequiously, and said no more, Yun Zhengting sighed softly, and said: "At that time, your great-grandfather admired Xue Nvxia's martial arts, so he insisted on learning from a teacher. At that time, Nvxia Xue had already accepted five apprentices, which were divided into the five elements of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. The five apprentices were divided into one, and each guarded one side. You have excellent tendons, clear bones, and a talent for martial arts, so you passed down a set of kung fu to your great-grandfather right away. Later, your great-grandfather used only this set of kung fu to travel across the north and south, and made great military exploits for Emperor Gaozu."

Yun Chenxiao wondered: "One set? There is only one set, so grandpa is so powerful?"

Yun Zhengting sneered and said, "Don't think that this is an easy way to learn. Now, there are people who know half of this set of kung fu, and they are top-notch experts. At that time, what Xue Xia passed to your great-grandfather was the 'Beidou Bagua Sword' Formation'. This set of kung fu contains thousands of subtle changes of sword moves in the Big Dipper formation, and dissolves the sharpness, smoothness, and elegance of sword energy into the Eight Diagrams formation. Therefore, if one person uses this sword technique, it is as if there is no change. The formation is the same as the one measured, with infinite power and invincible to all. Learning this set of sword formations will not only make great progress in martial arts and swordsmanship, but also understand the changes of heaven and man, master the spirit of all things, and naturally Great. That's why your great-grandfather is quite proficient in leading troops to fight, and our Yun family has been a military officer for generations. The illusion technique I just used is to confuse your mind and make you have the illusion that you are in the Its environment is actually just a trivial skill in this formation."

At this moment, Yun Chenxiao couldn't speak even if she wanted to talk.She didn't know anything about martial arts, so she nodded half-understood, like listening to fairy tales when she was a child, and asked with a pair of confused eyes: "Then what happened later?"

Yun Zhengting continued: "Nvxia Xue has stayed in Jingzhou for two years. After two years, she will leave for the south. It seems to be going to Dali, Yunnan. Hey, in short, it is time to leave. At that time, your great-grandfather's sword formation As soon as she started, Xue Nuxia wrote down all the techniques of this sword formation and passed it on to your great-grandfather. Before she left, she told her that this technique of sword formation is unpredictable, and it cannot be mastered by anyone with a very high level of understanding. If you are blind Practice, if you are fascinated by the virtual illusion, you are very likely to go crazy. Therefore, you must not pass on the essence of the art to future generations. The little trick that Dad used just now is just a little superficial of your grandfather, let alone your great-grandfather. Xue Xia I also told your great-grandfather to keep quiet, and never tell anyone that she taught this sword array technique."

Yun Chenxiao thought: "Oh, daddy didn't ask me to study, probably because of this? In fact, he didn't let us learn the peerless martial arts left by our master? But it's just because of choking, he gave up eating." She just thought about it, and didn't dare to say it Come out, and said again: "Why don't you let it go?"

Yun Zhengting touched the stubble all over his face, and said, "It's a long story. Xiao'er, you just said that Xue is my imperial surname. But you know, Xue Xia and Xue Xia Is there any origin of my courtship to Emperor Gaozu?" Yun Zhengting seemed to ask himself and answered: "She is my aunt of Emperor Gaozu, and she came to Jingzhou Mansion to find something..."

Yun Chenxiao couldn't help but her heart beat faster and said, "What are you looking for?"

Yun Zhengting took a few steps and said, "Look for the Jade Seal of Chuanguo!"

Yun Chenxiao couldn't help but yelled "Ah", her heart was palpitating, she took a few steps back and said in surprise, "Chuan... Chuan Guo Yuxi?"

Yun Zhengting nodded: "That's right. According to legend, the Jade Seal of Chuan Guo was taken from He's Bi in the Spring and Autumn Period. This He's Bi was originally owned by the State of Chu, but later it was exiled to the State of Zhao..."

Yun Chenxiao interjected: "I know this. The history books describe it in detail. At that time, the State of Qin coveted the treasures of the State of Zhao, and promised to exchange [-] cities for this Heshibi. Later, he didn't keep his word, but Lin Xiangru lived up to his mission. , return it to Zhao in its entirety."

Yun Zhengting lowered his face again and said, "You read the book well."

Yun Chenxiao didn't react for a while, and said with a sneer: "Daddy's an award, the matter of studying..."

"Hmph," Yun Zhengting snorted and said, "I don't know the severity of the girl, you will naturally understand after a while, what situation you are in now, you can still laugh?"

Yun Chenxiao stuck out his tongue, and heard Yun Zhengting say: "After King Qin Yingzheng unified the world, he carved it into a Jade Seal of the Kingdom, engraved with the characters 'Ordered by Heaven, and longevity is eternal'. Since then, the country has changed hands, with ups and downs several times. The Jade Seal of the Chuan Kingdom has also changed hands several times, and the details need not be said. Until Li Congke, the abolished emperor of the later Tang Dynasty, was defeated by the Khitan and climbed the tower with the Jade Seal in hand, the whereabouts of the Jade Seal of the Jade Kingdom was unknown. Unexpectedly, in the previous dynasty, there were rumors that The national jade seal is actually buried in a hidden mountain, and the shape of the mountain and the specific location of the treasure are all recorded in a "Diamond Sutra". It has been passed down from generation to generation, whoever gets the jade seal will be justified, and he will command the heroes to win it. The world. So, there was another bloody storm in the rivers and lakes. After many changes, this "Diamond Sutra" fell into the hands of Xue Nvxia."

When Yun Chenxiao heard this, she giggled and said, "That's all right. Everyone is happy if she falls into the hands of good people. Xue Xia's martial arts skills are world-class, no one will be able to snatch her away."

Yun Zhengting shook his head and said, "It's not that simple. What I told you just now is also what I heard from your grandfather. Only the children of the Yun family knew about it. Xue Nvxia doesn't want your great-grandfather to tell outsiders, for fear It also caused unnecessary trouble for your great grandfather. As for what happened later, the world knows very little. Some people say that Xue Xia used the "Diamond Sutra" to exchange an extremely important friend of hers. , the scriptures fell into the hands of Zhou Liwen, the former prime minister, and their whereabouts were unknown after Zhou Liwen died. It is also said that the scriptures have always been in the hands of Xue Nvxia, and disappeared with Xue Nvxia in the chaotic world of the rivers and lakes. Said, Lady Xue regards fame and wealth as dung, disdained to be the king of the world, so she passed the scriptures to her nephew, that is, I went to Emperor Gaozu, and wandered the world by myself, happy and happy."

Yun Chenxiao nodded and said: "Then which statement is true? What about Xue Xia? He has never appeared again?"

"Which is true and which is false, let alone me, even your great-grandfather doesn't know. It's just that at that time, Nvxia Xue sent all five disciples of the Five Elements Sect to Emperor Gaozu's side. At that time, it was rumored that Lady Xue was afraid that my big swallow would be disturbed by chaos, so she sent people to guard this world's most precious treasure. In short, there are different opinions, and I don't know what the truth is. Hey, as the saying goes, keeping a business is more difficult than starting a business. It's true. When there is a foreign enemy, everyone is united and united. But once the situation is stable, everyone has their own concerns, and the hearts of the people are not in harmony, and they forget the solidarity in the past."

Yun Chenxiao's mind turned, and he said in a daze, "Could it be... Could there be a change in the palace?"

Yun Zhengting said: "Exactly. After the situation stabilized, there was a gap between the brothers and sisters of the five elements of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. They all had their own ghosts and coveted the peerless treasure. At first it was a secret fight, and then it intensified. Finally Disaster arises, and gunpowder smoke rises. Your great-grandfather, that is, at that time, began to emerge. Thinking about the five elements and each school, each has its own strengths, mutual generation and mutual restraint, and they are all deepening stunts. How can they be settled in a short time? This battle has been fought for almost ten years. For a long time, although the court ended in victory, after this battle, the court was also seriously injured, which led to the current situation where the kings are divided, the emperor is not respected, and the court is declining.

"In the following decades, the powers of the vassal kings fluctuated one after the other, sometimes strong and sometimes weak. It is only now that it has gradually become clear. Jiangnan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi and other places are the sphere of influence of His Royal Highness King Ning, while Bashu, Guizhou The vast territory in the west is the domain of His Royal Highness An, and the area around Shandong and Henan is the land of His Royal Highness Ding. The real land under the emperor's jurisdiction is only Shaanxi, Shanxi and the northeast provinces."

Yun Chenxiao suddenly said: "But Daddy, you haven't mentioned Jingzhou yet. Who controls Jingzhou Huguang area?"

Yun Zhengting chuckled, and said, "Silly girl, you're just dreaming, and you haven't woken up yet. Jingzhou Mansion is the gateway to the north and south. It can be attacked and defended. No vassal king sits in town, and the emperor can't take care of it. King Ning, King An, and King Ding, which one doesn't want to take it for himself? Among the three kings, King Ning has the richest land in the south of the Yangtze River. There are many generals, food and grass are in stock, hmph, do you think that King Ning came to Jingzhou to choose scholars? He came to find out about my details. But, Xiaoer, you really gave me a big problem King Ning personally ordered you to go to Pinheng Academy. How could he be kind? He asked you to be a hostage! You girl, you are really a good material for trouble. If your father doesn't tell you to go now, you will be openly defying the order , to leave an excuse for King Ning, and it will be difficult to get along with him peacefully in the future; Meat, no matter which vassal king is, they are all descendants of Xue Xia, this, Daddy is really embarrassed."

Yun Chen Xiaoxiu frowned slightly, and said loudly: "Father is wrong. In this world, there is only one imperial court, no matter which feudal lord is a minister of the imperial court. Daddy, you are also a minister of the imperial court. Of course it is for the sake of the emperor and the imperial court."

Yun Zhengting laughed dumbly and said: "Haha, what Xiao'er said is good. But, you can't help yourself. You are still young, and you don't understand the hardships and dangers of this world, the ups and downs of the officialdom, how can you explain it clearly in a few words? Hey, today, I'm afraid it will be with you. You talk too much... Forget it, go back and rest, tell old father to think about it, how can you give King Ning an excuse... But he is eyeing a tiger, how can he give up so easily?"

Yun Chenxiao pondered for a moment, accidentally saw his father's deep wrinkles, and suddenly felt that he was much older, and he was no longer the same as before.Lian Po is old, can he still eat?She couldn't help feeling flustered in her heart, a warm current flowed through her whole body, and she suddenly felt courageous, as if in the dark, her path was determined by God, and she couldn't help herself.Immediately said: "Daddy, don't think about it. How can my daughter live up to His Royal Highness King Ning's kindness? How can I make things difficult for Daddy? Don't worry, Daddy, my daughter will pack up and go south with King Ning to Jiangsu and Zhejiang."

Yun Zhengting turned pale with shock, staring at his daughter's resolute cheeks, he couldn't say what he wanted to say, he just thought in his heart: "Xiao'er, I've really grown up, I've grown up..."

The author has something to say:

Studying in the academy is the beginning of Yun Chenxiao's story. . . .

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