Pawn Crossing the River

For Taoist people, only after the Shangyuan Festival can they truly celebrate the New Year and usher in the new year.

Starting from the 16th day of the first lunar month, the Taoist sect has officially entered a state of tension before the start of the war.

Because of the Lantern Festival, Xiaoleichi's flying boat was delayed for one day and did not take off until the evening of the 16th day of the first lunar month and returned to Yujing.

Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu were both on board the flying boat.

For the two of them, the last time they took the flying boat from Yunjin Mountain was a bad memory, but they shouldn't have to worry too much this time.

Accompanying them were several important figures from the Zhang family, including Zhang Wuliang and Zhang Jucheng.

Zhang Wuliang is the assistant manager of Taiping Bank. There is a large-scale war. Taiping Money is the top priority, so Zhang Wuliang must return to Yujing.

As for Zhang Jucheng, it was to pave the way for him to start activities in advance. Many important relationships required him to appear in person, such as meeting with Master Donghua and Master Cihang. In addition, he also had to meet with the Earth Master.

As for Li Changsheng and Li Minghuang, they went directly north to the Qizhou base camp.

After Jinque officially made the decision, the huge machine of Daomen started to operate. Countless materials were transported from various places to Qizhou, and then from Qizhou to the sea to Fenglinzhou.

At this time, most of Taiping Dao's top officials gathered in Qizhou and had already held their first pre-war meeting. As one of the seven assistant managers of Taiping Bank, Li Changsheng is mainly responsible for the allocation of Taiping money here at the Qizhou base camp.

After the Shangyuan Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month, high-level Taoist priests from the other two Taoists, as well as civil and military generals from the imperial court, would go to Qizhou one after another to conduct the second pre-war discussion with Taiping Tao.

The Taoist sect is full of confidence in this war, so there is a tension mixed with excitement and a festive atmosphere that has just passed but has not dissipated.

In this atmosphere, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu returned to Yujing on the seventeenth day of the first lunar month.

After getting off the flying boat, everyone dispersed.

Zhang Kucheng has known Master Cihang and Master Donghua for a long time, and no one needs to introduce them. Moreover, they have already communicated with each other before coming, so they can just come directly to their door. But before that, Zhang Jucheng had to go to his mansion in Xuandu to make some preparations and to meet Zhang Yuyue's mother.

That's right, Zhang Yuelu's mother has been living in Yujing in recent years and rarely returns to the Dazhen Mansion, which makes her feel depressed. The superficial reason is that as the second deputy head of Huasheng Hall, she must stay in Yujing. In fact, The reason is that the relationship between the couple is only in name only. They are just worried about the influence and have not gone to the point of breaking out. They also have a daughter, so they have not divorced and simply lived a long-term separation.

But having said that, it is reasonable for the relationship between middle-aged couples to weaken, but the real reason for the breakdown of their relationship is related to Li Minghuang. After Zhang Yuyue was abandoned by Li Minghuang, the couple had different opinions on how to deal with the matter.

Zhang Jucheng thinks that not many people know about this matter. The key is that Zhang Yuyue is still perfect, so it is not easy to make a fuss in the city and make everyone aware of it. Not to mention the reputation of the Zhang family, the daughter's reputation must always be scrupulous, right? If it really gets spread, 90% of the time it will be said that it started with chaos and ended with abandonment, that is, the yellow mud fell into the crotch, and it is difficult to explain. Your daughter still has a long way to go. You don’t want her to become the second Shi Bingyun, do you? ? So the key right now is to keep silent and suppress this matter. Since we have to suppress it, we cannot retaliate in a big way.

Zhang Yuyue's mother believes that there is no airtight wall in the world and cannot be suppressed. Her daughter's reputation has been ruined at the hands of this bitch, and she must take revenge and make him pay the price.

Neither the couple could convince the other. Zhang Jucheng felt that his wife was too impulsive and did not consider the consequences. Zhang Yuyue's mother thought that Zhang Jucheng was too weak. This was the trigger that exploded all the conflicts that had accumulated for decades between the couple.

In the end, it cannot be said that Zhang Jucheng was wrong. Nowadays, outsiders say that Zhang Yuyue was emotionally injured. It is common for young people to become depressed because of feelings. There are no rumors of starting chaos and giving up, or getting pregnant, so Zhang Yuyue After Jucheng saw Li Minghuang, he didn't want to mention the old things again. It wasn't that he was afraid of Li Minghuang, a junior, but in the final analysis he was trying to preserve his daughter's reputation, so he endured the humiliation. .br\u003e

daughter

It has also become the last link to maintain the relationship between husband and wife.

Zhang Wuliang went to the Duzhi Hall to handle some matters. People in the Taoist sect call Duzhitang the one who manages money, Shibotang the one who makes money, and Taiping Bank the one who saves money. The three families have the closest business relationships.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu also had to separate. Zhang Yuelu returned to Tiangang Hall and Qi Xuansu returned to Ziwei Hall to cancel their leave.

After canceling the leave, Qi Xuansu returned to the contract room and found that Ke Qingqing had arrived.

The two hadn't been apart for too long, and they hadn't felt strange enough yet, so Qi Xuansu just said casually: "Coming?"

"We arrived on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, which happened to be the Shangyuan Festival in Yujing. The Earth Master personally hosted it, which was even grander than the one in the Imperial Capital." Ke Qingqing chirped, "It's a pity that I hadn't completed my induction at that time and couldn't go to Zifu. I can only watch the lights in Taiqing City. I just completed my induction this morning. Zhenren Lei looks scary, but he is very nice and kind. I heard that Zhenren Lei is the sister-in-law of Zhentang. Is this true? ?”

Qi Xuansu said: "It's true. Master Lei was my former boss and he took good care of me. If something happens while I'm away, you should go and ask Master Lei for instructions. Also, Yujing is not like a place, so be careful in your words and deeds." "

"Yes." Ke Qingqing said seriously.

She was deeply aware of this point. In the past, in the Imperial Palace, the number of real-level Taoist priests could be counted on two hands. But when she arrived at Ziweitang, she saw as many as thirteen real people in the past two days, including two Zhenzhi Zhenren who were on the same level as the master in charge, not to mention other third-grade Youyi Taoist priests. As for the fourth-grade wine-sacrifice Taoist priests, they were even more numerous. Instead, she, the sixth-grade deacon, became an anomaly. However, many people knew that she was Qi Xuansu's secretary, so they were very polite to her and even took the initiative to make friends with her. At first, she was a little flattered, but later she understood that it was not because of her, but because of Qi Xuansu behind her that she was so polite.

Qi Xuansu did not forget to care about his subordinates: "Has the accommodation been arranged?"

"It will be temporarily arranged in Chunyangfang." Ke Qingqing replied.

Qi Xuansu said: "Zhongbafang, that's not bad."

Ke Qingqing asked: "Master...Deputy Hall Master, is there anything else you want to explain?"

Qi Xuansu sat behind the desk and said: "There is nothing to explain, everything is as usual. By the way, I may go to Fenglinzhou. Master Lei will not go. If you want to ask for leave, go to see Master Lei."

Ke Qingqing nodded in agreement, and couldn't help but sigh in her heart, otherwise Deputy Hall Master Qi would be promoted quickly, and he would have no time to spare. He had just returned from the Imperial Capital and was going to Fenglin Continent again.

In Tiangang Hall, Zhang Yuelu met the real person Cihang.

Master Cihang stepped back and said straight to the point: "I have met Yao Qi."

Zhang Yuelu was stunned for a moment, then he understood and asked, "So how was the conversation between Master and Qiniang?"

"Speaking of it, we are old acquaintances. We have known each other for a long time." Master Cihang did not answer directly. "In those years when Qiniang was a Taoist priest, she was always one step behind the rest of us. It was not because of her incompetence, but because of her relationship with the Taoist sect. If she didn't fit in, she wasn't qualified to be a Taoist priest, so one day, Qiniang left without saying goodbye. In name, she said she was going to become a wandering Taoist priest, but in fact, she was going to live in the world. After becoming famous, she first became the owner of Qibaofang, and now she is a high-ranking member of the Qingping Association. It is not an exaggeration to say that she is a giant in the world, but she has also been infected with many habits of the world, and her character has become even worse."

Zhang Yuelu already understood something when he heard this.

As expected, Master Cihang continued: "So our meeting this time was not pleasant. Qiniang was very resistant, but she was not against it, she just had objections. In the end, we could only make concessions, such as letting Qi Tianyuan leave the Qingping Association. Let things take their own course. I will no longer force him to quit, and Qiniang will no longer force him to stay. It all depends on his own wishes."

Zhang Yuelu said nothing.

Based on her settlement with Qi Xuansu, Qi Xuansu had always wanted to withdraw from the Qingping Society. To put it bluntly, he was afraid of being discovered. But now that he has confessed, not only does she know it, but Tianshi, Donghua Master, and Cihang Master also know it. It seems that they have not done anything to him, and this guy's courage has become bolder again.

The key is that she is also involved with Ziguang Society

Relationship, Qi Xuansu always has a strange mentality of equality. If you have Ziguang Society, I will also have it. If you have Ziguang Society, then I will have Qingping Society. This is called equality. Otherwise, it is double standards. I want him to voluntarily withdraw from Qingping Society. I'm afraid it's not that simple.

Zhang Yuelu had no position to force Qi Xuansu. Although she did not join the Ziguang Society, she did receive favors from the Ziguang Society. We cannot just allow state officials to set fires but not allow people to light lamps.

In terms of depth of understanding of Qi Xuansu, I'm afraid no one can surpass Qiniang. Maybe Qiniang saw this clearly and dared to retreat like this.

Qi Xuansu walked out of the city carrying a jar of wine, a few cooked dishes, a small bundle of ordinary incense sticks, and a stack of paper money.

Outside the city, the wind and snow were still howling, and the ice was bone-chilling.

Qi Xuansu braved the wind and snow to go to the cemetery under the name of Requiem Si and found his master's grave.

The tombstone in front of the grave simply says "Qi Haoran's Tomb" without any inscription. The handwriting is beautiful and it is Qiniang's handwriting.

Qi Xuansu first placed the cooked food in front of the grave, then placed the jar of wine in the middle and lit the incense. The incense head flickered on and off. He did not speak for a long time.

At this moment, there was a sound of banging the smoke pot.

Qi Xuansu looked back in shock.

He saw Qiniang leaning on a tombstone and knocking off the ashes from the pot.

At this moment, Qi Xuansu suddenly felt the warmth of home.

My father was asleep and my mother was smoking tobacco out of boredom.

And he is a man who returns home on a snowy night.

"Qiniang." Qi Xuansu felt that he had a lot to say but didn't know where to start.

Qiniang casually put the cigarette stick on her waist and said, "If you encounter any danger when you go to Fenglinzhou this time, you can't expect me to fall from the sky. I only have one sentence, go well and come back well."