Ah, there it goes.
What does it feel like to be admired by someone you like?
The storytellers in the teahouses always prefer to use some exaggerated phrases, such as “the soul flying beyond the ninth heaven” or “a thunderclap bursting right next to one’s ear,” leaving one dizzy and disoriented.
Whether they be unrivaled heroes or unparalleled beauties, all suddenly become fools, utterly forgetting where they are, deaf to any sound, with only joy filling their hearts.
Indeed, these words may be a bit far-fetched, yet not entirely without reason.
After all, what humans cannot achieve, the dragon veins can!
Taking advantage of the night, the golden dragon formed from clouds excitedly rolled twice in the sky, the abundant spiritual energy rushing from Shangyun Mountain directly collided with the thunderclouds that originally hovered over Taijing.
“Boom!”
A real thunderclap jolted Meng Qi’s consciousness back.
He looked up to see Doctor Mo extending his hand, trying to embrace the person who would faint (or turn into a dragon) at the slightest disagreement.
“Ahem, an accident,” Meng Qi explained earnestly, “The spiritual energy wasn’t enough to disperse the storm. To prevent another accident in the capital, I lent a hand.”
Mo Li vaguely saw a dragon’s shadow flash across the sky.
But it was too fast, and with the night so dark and the clouds so thick, it was hard to see clearly.
Mo Li asked with skepticism, “And now?”
“All is well,” Meng Qi said, not betraying a hint of emotion.
Knowing Doctor Mo’s temperament, pointing out directly that he saw through Doctor Mo’s thoughts might not be appropriate.
Meng Qi thought, no matter, he knows, and that’s enough.
“The scare is enough; shall we go back to rest?” Meng Qi made a move to leave.
Mo Li, having just grasped the crux, looked at Meng Qi differently.
In the bedroom, there was only one bed, and he and Meng Qi…
When sharing a room with the person of one’s thoughts, isn’t there a certain propriety to follow? Like avoiding suspicion before marriage, no, wait, how do two dragon veins marry?
That’s not right, they will be seen together in the future; they can’t hide it from the people of Zhushan County forever, there has to be an explanation.
Mo Li quickly reviewed the situations he had observed in daily life.
In Zhushan County, although marriage is often arranged by parents and matchmakers, it’s impossible not to have met before marriage.
In small places, there are fewer rules, and many couples grow up together. Even if the marriage is arranged with someone from a neighboring village or county, they still need to go through the ceremonies and meet a few times.
There’s no precedent for living together directly; even the poorest families need the consent of their elders.
When relatives and elders meet, the first questions are about family wealth, land ownership, and livelihood skills.
Mo Li glanced at Meng Qi, thinking that the matter of land could be ignored; as for family wealth, Meng Qi would probably have to dig up treasures from various hiding places. Anyway, it exists.
The troublesome part is the livelihood skills.
Having been the Imperial Teacher in the previous dynasty, but not holding an official position now, being able to govern and handle political affairs doesn’t count.
As for leading troops and being proficient in military strategies… it’s the same as not holding an office; how can it count without soldiers under command?
Being highly skilled in martial arts is true, but martial arts cannot be eaten as food.
The fat mouse excels in eavesdropping and gathering information, but can that really be considered a livelihood skill?
Mo Li shook his head, starting to worry about Elder Qin’s disapproval. Initially, he planned to bring his companion back, regardless of Qin Lu’s views on Meng Qi, as the identity of the Taijing dragon vein stands firm, a solid companion.
But… regarding marriage, that’s a different matter.
Mo Li speculated about Qin Lu’s reaction, inadvertently recalling how Niu Da, who sold stuffed buns, had chased out a peddler with a broom for trying to take his sister home, claiming the peddler had a deceitful face, was adept at flattering talk as he roamed the streets, and firmly opposed the marriage.
Meng Qi, indeed, has a face.
Fluent and skilled in persuasive talk, Meng Qi not only knows but also excels in sowing discord and instigating trouble!
Mo Li silently observed Meng Qi, though he felt in his heart that even if Qin Lu were angry or displeased, he probably wouldn’t make an excessively rude gesture. Yet, Doctor Mo couldn’t help but imagine Elder Qin picking up a hoe to chase Meng Qi out of the yard.
What a headache, how should he persuade the teacher when the time comes?
And, Meng Qi will surely return as the fat mouse.
Tang Xiaotang might scream at the sight of such a fat sand mouse, and Auntie Ge would definitely not hesitate to grab a shoe and strike.
That would really cause chaos, turning everything upside down!
If he grits his teeth and tells the teacher that this sand mouse is Meng Qi, is the Taijing dragon vein… at least two heart-protecting pills should be prepared, right?
“Doctor, what… are you thinking about?”
Meng Qi asked hesitantly, because he felt Mo Li’s mood changed too quickly that even he couldn’t fathom it.
Mo Li did not hide it and directly said, “I’m worried… the teacher won’t like you.”
“Divine doctor Qin?”
It was fine not to mention it, but once brought up, Meng Qi remembered a certain shadow from before his amnesia.
He, the Imperial Teacher of the Chu dynasty, Meng Qi, was already eighty-seven!
“Older” by seven years than Xuan Hu Divine Doctor Qin Lu!
The joy in Meng Qi’s heart vanished in an instant, and if he wasn’t so composed, he almost wanted to pull his hair out.
The age of a dragon vein doesn’t count; considering the “time lived” in the world, he is indeed eighty-seven, indeed older than the doctor by about sixty years.
“Does your master have any hobbies?” Meng Qi earnestly asked.
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles.
Although he may not be considered a great general, he absolutely cannot afford to be timid in battle!
“Doctor, rest assured, I will definitely be able to persuade him!”
***
At this moment, Shangyun Mountain began to fog up, and the dense fog directly caused misery for the martial artists and Jinyiwei hiding in the mountains; even Gong Jun couldn’t help but think of various ghostly legends.
Especially this fog, appearing and disappearing intermittently, as if it were playing a joke.
Vice Commander Gong had lived in Taijing for many years and never knew Shangyun Mountain had such mystical features.
However, his subordinates were worried, looking around, afraid that a female ghost might appear.
“Nonsense, the dragon stirs the clouds; it should always be about dragons, where do ghosts come into play?” Qian Baihu scoffed.
“You’re the one talking nonsense; aside from dragons, the fog could also be caused by demons! Didn’t that gust of wind just now seem like something out of a tale, where a black wind sweeps through, indicating a demon driving clouds to abduct people?”
“…Demons crave Tang Sanzang’s flesh, and we don’t have him here, so what are you afraid of?”
Gong Jun coughed dryly upon hearing this; indeed, there were quite a few temples near the Dragon Claw Peak.
Qian Baihu anxiously said, “There has been no news from the capital side yet, and the encircling troops of the Jingji Camp are still there. We don’t know what the situation is like in the city now.”
Worrying was useless.
Gong Jun sat by the rekindled fire, warming his hands, about to say something, when he saw several flashes in the sky, followed by thunder and a torrential downpour.
“…”
Alright, the fire is out again.
Shangyun Mountain is abundant with moisture. The fierce wind earlier had sent sparks flying everywhere, startling everyone into thinking a forest fire might erupt. They hurriedly rushed over to beat out the flames, only to find some of the ignited areas had silently extinguished themselves before they could intervene.
“Find a cave!” Gong Jun couldn’t help but curse.
He had never seen dense fog rising before rain.
The heavy rain pattered against the tree canopies, poking the soil with little pits.
Before the Jinyiwei could find shelter from the rain, it stopped as quickly as it had started.
Approaching the cliff, they could see lightning streaking across the sky in the direction of Taijing.
The rumble of thunder suggested a heavy rain was falling over the capital tonight.
“Why don’t we try to sneak into the city…” one suggested.
“To do what? Rescue the emperor, or earn merits?” Gong Jun asked with a sidelong glance.
The guard fell silent, while Qian Baihu hesitated to say, “This mission to capture the martial artists was clearly a trap for the vice commander. If it was just the commander showing displeasure towards us, it would be one thing, but I feel there’s more to it.”
Gong Jun fell into silent contemplation.
Those who could manipulate behind the scenes were either from within the Jinyiwei or the high-ranking officials at court. They influence the emperor, who decides on the assignments.
“Could it be related to the case you took on before?”
Qian Baihu, Gong Jun’s confidant, knew many things others did not.
Upon hearing this, the others, disregarding the usual taboos of officialdom, hurriedly pressed for details about the case to deduce who was pulling the strings behind the scenes.
“It’s a secret edict.” Gong Jun surveyed his subordinates.
After looking each person over, he confirmed these dozen or so Jinyiwei were all loyal to him, ambitious but not excessively so, free from gambling and other bad habits, and not extravagant spenders, thus above suspicion.
“Somebody has been embezzling the military rations for the northern border, supplying inferior goods as top-quality.”
“What?”
“Both the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue are implicated, but only small fish have been caught so far. I’ve reported to His Majesty, but he was not satisfied,” Gong Jun sighed and shook his head, “The one behind this is too bold, possibly involving a high-ranking official, but without evidence, so His Majesty assigned this task to the covert operatives of the Jinyiwei. I’m unaware of the details that followed.”
Gong Jun’s casual delivery belied the complexity of the situation.
Without evidence, Gong Jun had his suspicions.
Prime Minister Jiang was about to retire and wouldn’t tarnish his reputation at this time. Prime Minister Zhang’s faction, which included the Minister of War and the Minister of Revenue, was a likely suspect.
Gong Jun wasn’t the only one with suspicions; he believed the emperor thought the same.
Though Gong Jun was highly skilled in martial arts, in terms of cunning and control over forces, he couldn’t compete with Prime Minister Zhang and sought a way out. This led to a decrease in imperial favor, and Gong Jun harbored no doubts about being assigned this difficult task.
“Boom!”
Was this thunder different?
It took a moment for everyone to react; the thunder continued, far away, so they paid it no mind.
When the thunder sounded repeatedly, Qian Baihu finally sensed something amiss. He looked towards the distance, his expression changing dramatically, “Vice commander, that sounds like cannon fire!”
The noise was audible even from afar.
The sound of heavy cannon fire.
Gong Jun stared intently towards Taijing, and soon, flashes of light appeared.
Relying on his profound internal strength to discern directions in the night, the area being bombarded with cannons was north of Taijing. That is, closest to Shangyun Mountain.
“Is it the North City? Or the Imperial City?” Gong Jun muttered to himself.
The group was alarmed, questioning if the treasonous forces of Ancestor Qingwu and the Second Prince had such capabilities?
Was it possible that the princes were conspiring together, or each acting independently in the chaos?
Listening to the regular and massive cannonade, Gong Jun suddenly had an absurd thought.
“It couldn’t be the Crown Prince, could it?”
It wasn’t that he underestimated the Second, Third, or Sixth Princes, but only the emperor could command the artillery corps, and only the Crown Prince could win them over. The court officials like those in Wenyuan Pavilion couldn’t do it.
Ah, there it goes.
What does it feel like to be admired by someone you like?
The storytellers in the teahouses always prefer to use some exaggerated phrases, such as “the soul flying beyond the ninth heaven” or “a thunderclap bursting right next to one’s ear,” leaving one dizzy and disoriented.
Whether they be unrivaled heroes or unparalleled beauties, all suddenly become fools, utterly forgetting where they are, deaf to any sound, with only joy filling their hearts.
Indeed, these words may be a bit far-fetched, yet not entirely without reason.
After all, what humans cannot achieve, the dragon veins can!
Taking advantage of the night, the golden dragon formed from clouds excitedly rolled twice in the sky, the abundant spiritual energy rushing from Shangyun Mountain directly collided with the thunderclouds that originally hovered over Taijing.
“Boom!”
A real thunderclap jolted Meng Qi’s consciousness back.
He looked up to see Doctor Mo extending his hand, trying to embrace the person who would faint (or turn into a dragon) at the slightest disagreement.
“Ahem, an accident,” Meng Qi explained earnestly, “The spiritual energy wasn’t enough to disperse the storm. To prevent another accident in the capital, I lent a hand.”
Mo Li vaguely saw a dragon’s shadow flash across the sky.
But it was too fast, and with the night so dark and the clouds so thick, it was hard to see clearly.
Mo Li asked with skepticism, “And now?”
“All is well,” Meng Qi said, not betraying a hint of emotion.
Knowing Doctor Mo’s temperament, pointing out directly that he saw through Doctor Mo’s thoughts might not be appropriate.
Meng Qi thought, no matter, he knows, and that’s enough.
“The scare is enough; shall we go back to rest?” Meng Qi made a move to leave.
Mo Li, having just grasped the crux, looked at Meng Qi differently.
In the bedroom, there was only one bed, and he and Meng Qi…
When sharing a room with the person of one’s thoughts, isn’t there a certain propriety to follow? Like avoiding suspicion before marriage, no, wait, how do two dragon veins marry?
That’s not right, they will be seen together in the future; they can’t hide it from the people of Zhushan County forever, there has to be an explanation.
Mo Li quickly reviewed the situations he had observed in daily life.
In Zhushan County, although marriage is often arranged by parents and matchmakers, it’s impossible not to have met before marriage.
In small places, there are fewer rules, and many couples grow up together. Even if the marriage is arranged with someone from a neighboring village or county, they still need to go through the ceremonies and meet a few times.
There’s no precedent for living together directly; even the poorest families need the consent of their elders.
When relatives and elders meet, the first questions are about family wealth, land ownership, and livelihood skills.
Mo Li glanced at Meng Qi, thinking that the matter of land could be ignored; as for family wealth, Meng Qi would probably have to dig up treasures from various hiding places. Anyway, it exists.
The troublesome part is the livelihood skills.
Having been the Imperial Teacher in the previous dynasty, but not holding an official position now, being able to govern and handle political affairs doesn’t count.
As for leading troops and being proficient in military strategies… it’s the same as not holding an office; how can it count without soldiers under command?
Being highly skilled in martial arts is true, but martial arts cannot be eaten as food.
The fat mouse excels in eavesdropping and gathering information, but can that really be considered a livelihood skill?
Mo Li shook his head, starting to worry about Elder Qin’s disapproval. Initially, he planned to bring his companion back, regardless of Qin Lu’s views on Meng Qi, as the identity of the Taijing dragon vein stands firm, a solid companion.
But… regarding marriage, that’s a different matter.
Mo Li speculated about Qin Lu’s reaction, inadvertently recalling how Niu Da, who sold stuffed buns, had chased out a peddler with a broom for trying to take his sister home, claiming the peddler had a deceitful face, was adept at flattering talk as he roamed the streets, and firmly opposed the marriage.
Meng Qi, indeed, has a face.
Fluent and skilled in persuasive talk, Meng Qi not only knows but also excels in sowing discord and instigating trouble!
Mo Li silently observed Meng Qi, though he felt in his heart that even if Qin Lu were angry or displeased, he probably wouldn’t make an excessively rude gesture. Yet, Doctor Mo couldn’t help but imagine Elder Qin picking up a hoe to chase Meng Qi out of the yard.
What a headache, how should he persuade the teacher when the time comes?
And, Meng Qi will surely return as the fat mouse.
Tang Xiaotang might scream at the sight of such a fat sand mouse, and Auntie Ge would definitely not hesitate to grab a shoe and strike.
That would really cause chaos, turning everything upside down!
If he grits his teeth and tells the teacher that this sand mouse is Meng Qi, is the Taijing dragon vein… at least two heart-protecting pills should be prepared, right?
“Doctor, what… are you thinking about?”
Meng Qi asked hesitantly, because he felt Mo Li’s mood changed too quickly that even he couldn’t fathom it.
Mo Li did not hide it and directly said, “I’m worried… the teacher won’t like you.”
“Divine doctor Qin?”
It was fine not to mention it, but once brought up, Meng Qi remembered a certain shadow from before his amnesia.
He, the Imperial Teacher of the Chu dynasty, Meng Qi, was already eighty-seven!
“Older” by seven years than Xuan Hu Divine Doctor Qin Lu!
The joy in Meng Qi’s heart vanished in an instant, and if he wasn’t so composed, he almost wanted to pull his hair out.
The age of a dragon vein doesn’t count; considering the “time lived” in the world, he is indeed eighty-seven, indeed older than the doctor by about sixty years.
“Does your master have any hobbies?” Meng Qi earnestly asked.
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles.
Although he may not be considered a great general, he absolutely cannot afford to be timid in battle!
“Doctor, rest assured, I will definitely be able to persuade him!”
***
At this moment, Shangyun Mountain began to fog up, and the dense fog directly caused misery for the martial artists and Jinyiwei hiding in the mountains; even Gong Jun couldn’t help but think of various ghostly legends.
Especially this fog, appearing and disappearing intermittently, as if it were playing a joke.
Vice Commander Gong had lived in Taijing for many years and never knew Shangyun Mountain had such mystical features.
However, his subordinates were worried, looking around, afraid that a female ghost might appear.
“Nonsense, the dragon stirs the clouds; it should always be about dragons, where do ghosts come into play?” Qian Baihu scoffed.
“You’re the one talking nonsense; aside from dragons, the fog could also be caused by demons! Didn’t that gust of wind just now seem like something out of a tale, where a black wind sweeps through, indicating a demon driving clouds to abduct people?”
“…Demons crave Tang Sanzang’s flesh, and we don’t have him here, so what are you afraid of?”
Gong Jun coughed dryly upon hearing this; indeed, there were quite a few temples near the Dragon Claw Peak.
Qian Baihu anxiously said, “There has been no news from the capital side yet, and the encircling troops of the Jingji Camp are still there. We don’t know what the situation is like in the city now.”
Worrying was useless.
Gong Jun sat by the rekindled fire, warming his hands, about to say something, when he saw several flashes in the sky, followed by thunder and a torrential downpour.
“…”
Alright, the fire is out again.
Shangyun Mountain is abundant with moisture. The fierce wind earlier had sent sparks flying everywhere, startling everyone into thinking a forest fire might erupt. They hurriedly rushed over to beat out the flames, only to find some of the ignited areas had silently extinguished themselves before they could intervene.
“Find a cave!” Gong Jun couldn’t help but curse.
He had never seen dense fog rising before rain.
The heavy rain pattered against the tree canopies, poking the soil with little pits.
Before the Jinyiwei could find shelter from the rain, it stopped as quickly as it had started.
Approaching the cliff, they could see lightning streaking across the sky in the direction of Taijing.
The rumble of thunder suggested a heavy rain was falling over the capital tonight.
“Why don’t we try to sneak into the city…” one suggested.
“To do what? Rescue the emperor, or earn merits?” Gong Jun asked with a sidelong glance.
The guard fell silent, while Qian Baihu hesitated to say, “This mission to capture the martial artists was clearly a trap for the vice commander. If it was just the commander showing displeasure towards us, it would be one thing, but I feel there’s more to it.”
Gong Jun fell into silent contemplation.
Those who could manipulate behind the scenes were either from within the Jinyiwei or the high-ranking officials at court. They influence the emperor, who decides on the assignments.
“Could it be related to the case you took on before?”
Qian Baihu, Gong Jun’s confidant, knew many things others did not.
Upon hearing this, the others, disregarding the usual taboos of officialdom, hurriedly pressed for details about the case to deduce who was pulling the strings behind the scenes.
“It’s a secret edict.” Gong Jun surveyed his subordinates.
After looking each person over, he confirmed these dozen or so Jinyiwei were all loyal to him, ambitious but not excessively so, free from gambling and other bad habits, and not extravagant spenders, thus above suspicion.
“Somebody has been embezzling the military rations for the northern border, supplying inferior goods as top-quality.”
“What?”
“Both the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue are implicated, but only small fish have been caught so far. I’ve reported to His Majesty, but he was not satisfied,” Gong Jun sighed and shook his head, “The one behind this is too bold, possibly involving a high-ranking official, but without evidence, so His Majesty assigned this task to the covert operatives of the Jinyiwei. I’m unaware of the details that followed.”
Gong Jun’s casual delivery belied the complexity of the situation.
Without evidence, Gong Jun had his suspicions.
Prime Minister Jiang was about to retire and wouldn’t tarnish his reputation at this time. Prime Minister Zhang’s faction, which included the Minister of War and the Minister of Revenue, was a likely suspect.
Gong Jun wasn’t the only one with suspicions; he believed the emperor thought the same.
Though Gong Jun was highly skilled in martial arts, in terms of cunning and control over forces, he couldn’t compete with Prime Minister Zhang and sought a way out. This led to a decrease in imperial favor, and Gong Jun harbored no doubts about being assigned this difficult task.
“Boom!”
Was this thunder different?
It took a moment for everyone to react; the thunder continued, far away, so they paid it no mind.
When the thunder sounded repeatedly, Qian Baihu finally sensed something amiss. He looked towards the distance, his expression changing dramatically, “Vice commander, that sounds like cannon fire!”
The noise was audible even from afar.
The sound of heavy cannon fire.
Gong Jun stared intently towards Taijing, and soon, flashes of light appeared.
Relying on his profound internal strength to discern directions in the night, the area being bombarded with cannons was north of Taijing. That is, closest to Shangyun Mountain.
“Is it the North City? Or the Imperial City?” Gong Jun muttered to himself.
The group was alarmed, questioning if the treasonous forces of Ancestor Qingwu and the Second Prince had such capabilities?
Was it possible that the princes were conspiring together, or each acting independently in the chaos?
Listening to the regular and massive cannonade, Gong Jun suddenly had an absurd thought.
“It couldn’t be the Crown Prince, could it?”
It wasn’t that he underestimated the Second, Third, or Sixth Princes, but only the emperor could command the artillery corps, and only the Crown Prince could win them over. The court officials like those in Wenyuan Pavilion couldn’t do it.
