across the Quartet

Wei Zhuang and Huo Mei met each other and stared at the baby on the couch.

"Aunt Mei, this child...her face...why is it a little different from what I saw last time?!"

"...As expected, I can't hide it from the young master." Huo Mei sighed. "I saw it when Lin'er was six months old. She is like her father, but her talent is higher than her father's."

"What... talent?"

"There has always been an ancient legend in our family." Huo Mei held half a huge banana leaf in her hand, and gently fanned the child to repel insects. "It is said that the unicorn god worshiped by our family for generations will melt every 100 years. It is a fetus, born among the tribe. But Qilin does not have its own human form, so it is ever-changing and can change into the appearance of any person he sees."

"This, is the talent you mentioned? Ah, could it be that Uncle Chi..."

"Why do you think his face became that way?" Huo Mei wiped his eyes and said, "When Chi was about six or seven years old, he realized that he could change the bones and skin of his face at will to imitate other people's faces. Therefore, the elders of the clan thought that he was the reincarnated Qilin. If it wasn't for me, he must have become the new leader of the clan."

"..." Wei Zhuang tilted his neck, knowing that he would continue without asking her.

"The reason why our patriarch is the patriarch is precisely because his ancestors also produced people like Chi. Chi was supposed to marry the patriarch's daughter in his day; but he and I have known each other since we were born. I have practiced martial arts together since I was a child, and protected the village together... I still remember that it was the night before the Youth Festival, and there was a faint fragrance of flowers in the forest. He swore to me under the grapefruit tree that he would stay with me no matter what. I will never forget that night—" Huo Mei blushed, and lowered her head deeply; when she raised her head again, her voice returned to calm and reserved, "But the next day, Chi found that he was no longer Unable to change his face like before. The skin on his face is withering day by day, like a fruit falling from a tree... The elders also said that this is the Qilin God's anger and left us forever."

"So you two were expelled by the tribe and had to go to the Central Plains?" Wei Zhuang raised an eyebrow.Huo Mei nodded in default.

"But Lin'er has clearly inherited her father's ability. This is the son of Qilin God. If your clansmen see it, you will regret it!" Wei Zhuang grinned.

Huo Mei seemed to have thought of something, and the melancholy between her brows was lingering.Wei Zhuang stood up and wanted to find something to eat, but saw her kneeling in front of him with a plop.

"Young master, Huo Mei knows that her fate is not long; I beg you, for the sake of Huo Mei and the Wei family, to promise one thing—"

"Nonsense, you don't have a long life." Wei Zhuang's face darkened, "Isn't it just a sequela of blood transfusion? I think you are doing well now, and you may not be cured in the future."

"My subordinate's body, I know best." Huo Mei's face was miserable, and she said slowly, "Day after day, Qi deficiency and body decline, and recently even Lin'er can hardly hold her. To continue my life, I am afraid that my subordinates will not be able to last so long. However, Huo Mei can leave blood for that person, and my wish is fulfilled. I only hope that the young master will not let this child practice martial arts after Huo Mei is gone."

"what?"

"Don't let her practice martial arts. Don't let her be touched by the blood in the rivers and lakes." Huo Mei choked up and said: "If I hadn't learned poisonous kung fu, Lin'er would not have lost her father when she was born. I just hope Her life was peaceful and peaceful, she did not contend with the world, and she was an ordinary farmer..."

A long, oppressive silence followed.Wei Zhuang stretched out his hand to help the woman up, but the woman in red gritted her teeth and knelt in place.

"...Aunt Mei, this statement is wrong." Wei Zhuang did not insist, but turned his head away, and used his fingers to tease the baby's eyes to move around. "You only said that it was your kung fu that harmed the child, but you didn't say that if you didn't have kung fu, you and Uncle Chi would have been buried with the family on the night when Wei's family was destroyed. How could there be a chance to give birth to Lin'er?"

Huo Mei was taken aback, as if this was something she had never thought about.

"The world is hard. Now in this world, seven countries are fighting each other, and there are continuous wars. I am afraid that it is not easy to be a peaceful villager." Wei Zhuang was absent-minded, and some words just came out of the depths of his memory, floating in the air. On the tip of the tongue—"There are too many variables in the chaotic world. Floods, droughts, epidemics, soldiers, bandits, and disasters are raging one after another. Even farming on one's own land has become so out of reach."

The woman in red opened her eyes wide, staring at the man between a teenager and a young man.His light gray eyes were as bright as cold stars, as if mocking something, but also promising something.

"If you want to survive in this world, becoming strong enough is the only way."

"When Lin'er grows up, I will teach her personally. Let her be a hunter for the rest of her life, not a prey."

*

The scorching summer has passed, and although there is still a lingering heat in the Han Palace, most of the red lotuses in the lotus pond have withered.

The palace was surprisingly quiet.Pepper orchids are burning in the incense burner, and the fragrant mist is curling up; the maid in emerald green gauze is kneeling and sitting on the couch, fuming her clothes with smoke.

A girl with red makeup was sitting by the window, looking at the lotus in the pond in a trance.

Suddenly she looked back at the maid, and beckoned, "Xiao He, come here."

The maid in emerald clothes put down her clothes and ran over in small steps, "What orders does the princess have?"

The girl leaning against the window is the Korean princess Honglian who gave the ceremony a while ago.

"Sit down." The girl pointed to the cushion under the window. "You often walk around the palace and ask you about someone."

"Princess, please speak."

"Guard Wei Zhuang, have you seen him?"

Xiao He covered her mouth in surprise and said, "The commander of the guards with all white hair? I have seen him a few times. That man... that person... Xiaoye Xiaotao and the others all said he was handsome, but the maid felt that... I think he's a little..."

"Some what?"

"... Terrible." As if to match the words, the maid shuddered.

Hong Lian rolled her eyes and asked, "What do you think—what's so scary about him?"

"The servant girl can't explain clearly." Xiao He lowered her head in frustration, "The servant girl just didn't dare...don't dare to look into his eyes. I always feel that the way he looks at people is like a cook looking at a fish on a chopping board. Thinking about where to put the knife—"

Honglian smiled softly, "Sister Xiaohe, you are indeed much smarter than Xiaoye Xiaotao and the others."

But Xiao He thought the princess was laughing at her, and hurriedly said: "The servant girl is indeed delusional. But, the guard is indeed an extraordinary person. I heard that the sword he hangs around his waist all day is a The famous demon sword! I don’t know how many people I have killed and how much blood I have drunk..."

"Demon sword..." Honglian muttered to herself, and her memory returned to the moonlit night not long ago.

——The man held her wrist and said to her, this sword cannot be touched.

"The servant girl also heard that the sword was once enshrined in the Taimiao, but a big case happened a month ago, and many people died. Among the people in the Taimiao, only the guard guard survived, still holding the demon sword in his hand. Later, the king gave him the sword." Although Xiao He spoke inconsequentially, the general meaning was understandable.

Honglian listened intently, and suddenly interjected: "He was the only one who survived? No one... doubted him?"

"Suspect him... what the princess means is that the guard killed him?" the maid in green clothes exclaimed.

"...I didn't say that. But if he was the only one alive, wouldn't the ministers discuss it?"

"Because the guard was also seriously injured in the Taimiao. I heard that he almost died. Moreover, most people in the Taimiao were shot to death by arrows, not from sword wounds." Xiao He stroked his chest and said, "What's more, The guards are on good terms with Lord Hengyang, and Lord Hengyang is the most powerful person in South Korea besides the king, who dares to talk about them casually?"

"Third brother?" Hong Lian bit her lips lightly, "When did they get so familiar?"

"...The servants listen to people's discussions. These days, the guards will have banquets and drinks with Lord Hengyang, General Han, General Deng and several other adults every night. Sometimes they are in each person's house, Sometimes in Luming Pavilion in Xinzheng City."

Honglian snorted lightly, seeming a little shameless.

"By the way, the princess wants to know what this man is doing? Did he offend the princess?"

Hong Lian smiled but didn't answer, she suddenly reached out and pinched Xiao He's cheek, and whispered a few words with her ear.The maid changed her expression in fright, and said: "Princess! I'm afraid——if the madam asks, how will the servant explain—"

"What are you afraid of? It's not the first time." Honglian blinked slyly, "I'm with my mother."

After dismissing the maid, Honglian quietly slipped back to her bedroom, and took out a set of men's attire from the interlayer of the suitcase.This is what she has worked so hard to get recently.She washed off the makeup on her face, quickly changed her clothes, and tied her hair again—after a while, a young man full of vigor and vigor was reflected in the bronze mirror.

The "boy" smiled at himself in the mirror, then sneaked into the courtyard avoiding the servants walking back and forth in the palace.She waited and watched under the wall for a while, and when she was sure that no one was around, a soft whip suddenly shook out from her sleeve, tied it to a branch of an old elm tree, and used her strength to flip out.

About half a moment later, this "boy" appeared on the streets of Xinzheng, looking around with interest.Today's Xinzheng is no different from the past, with few pedestrians on the streets; in such a comparison, the prosperity and luxury of "Luming Pavilion" are particularly conspicuous.

Although it wasn't the first time Honglian sneaked out of the palace, it was the first time she approached a crowded place.She stood on the opposite side of the street and watched for a long time, finally gritted her teeth, and deliberately strode in.Immediately, a guy with a smile on his face came forward to ask questions.Hong Lian squeezed her tone and said in a deep voice, "Find me a seat upstairs by the window."

The clerk immediately put on a mournful face, and said, "My guest, what a coincidence, today's private seat has been taken up by a noble person—"

Hong Lian rolled her eyes and said, "That distinguished guest, is his surname Wei?"

The waiter was startled, and said with an apologetic smile: "So the distinguished guest was invited to the banquet by Mr. Wei?"

"I——" Hong Lian was dumb, and suddenly she thought about it, and whispered to the clerk: "Yes and no. I have some cousins ​​with that Master Wei, and an old man in the clan asked me to come; but I can't tell That lord—" she said, her voice gradually lowered, and at the same time, she took out a piece of gold from her bosom and stuffed it into the palm of the clerk.

Honglian was born in the royal family, so her manners are naturally a bit noble; the clerk in the wine shop is shrewd and smooth, and has read countless people, so she is naturally very sensitive to this kind of gesture; Scared, she found a corner seat for her, with wine on the table, and the outside was tightly blocked by a screen.The seat was still leaning against the rear window, and he had to jump out of the window to escape, which is not inconsiderate.

Hong Lian sat for a while, feeling bored herself, feeling a little regretful.From the day she met Wei Zhuang, she felt that something was wrong with her. What she saw in her eyes and what she thought in her heart always unconsciously related to that man—who is he?Which side are you on?What is he planning?What is his attitude towards the peril of South Korea?And his hair—his hair—

Guren patted her head angrily.How do you think about those who are there or not.

The key now is to find out if Wei Zhuang is really a courtier of South Korea, or does he have other plans?She could feel that this person's ambition was definitely not small.It can be said that he is going to do something unfavorable to South Korea, but there is no sign yet.Although there are rumors in the government and the public that the downfall of Xia, Duan, and Chen's family was caused by this person alone, but now he has not seen the rise of the Wei family, and he is still a guard who keeps his own law; Brother, recently he has gathered a lot of cliques and recruited many followers of the original Sanqing, and his power has greatly increased.

Could it be that Wei Zhuang is also like those courtiers who follow the wind, planning to support the third brother as the next King of Han?

While thinking wildly, a familiar human voice suddenly drifted in from the window; only heard a group of noisy people climbing up the wooden steps, laughing and saying: "It turns out that my virtuous brother has arrived early. Brother Yu, who came a step late, should punish himself with a drink." .”

What?Arrived early? !

Hong Lian suddenly felt her heart palpitating and her hair standing on end - she had been sitting here all this time, and she didn't even know when there was another person outside!Fortunately, I didn't make any movement...

"Where, Zhuang didn't sit for a long time. You don't have to be like this, Mr. Hengyang."

Although she knew it was dangerous, she couldn't help but peek out from the gap in the screen—unfortunately, she could only vaguely see a figure sitting with her back.Black crane cloak.Loose white hair.

After pushing the cups and changing the cups for a while, Honglian finally figured out that Mr. Hengyang was the only one at Weizhuang's banquet today, accompanied by only two trusted disciples; she couldn't help secretly suspecting that these two people really wanted to plot something.It's a pity that the voices at the banquet fluctuated loudly and softly, and most of them couldn't be heard clearly except for the persuasion speeches.

Until later, perhaps because they drank too much, the voices of both of them relaxed a little.

"...Young Master Xin is the emperor's younger brother and the grandson of King Xiang. He is known for his bravery; it is expected that the king ordered him to lead the army. You don't have to worry about it too much. You are a descendant, although the king has not yet announced it to the people of the country. , but now everyone in South Korea knows that you are the only candidate for the crown prince—”

Jun Hengyang let out a long sigh.

"Brother Yu is not worried about this. Now that our country is at stake, the important officials in the court do not think about the way to save Korea, but they still form cliques and collude for their own petty interests; but they don't think that if Korea really dies, where will they go? "

Honglian was surprised—it turns out that the third brother can speak human language occasionally—and heard Hengyang Jun continue: "The most urgent thing is to send an envoy to Xianyang to settle Honglian's matter—"

I'll strangle you first.Hong Lian's face darkened, and she almost tore off the soft whip hidden in her sleeve.

Unexpectedly, Wei Zhuang did not follow his usual reply: "Mr. Hengyang really thinks that this marriage will be beneficial to our country? There are many princesses and grandchildren from the six kingdoms of Shandong in the harem of Qin, such as Queen Mother Xuan of Zhaoxiang, Queen Mother Xuan, Zhuang Xiang's mother, Empress Dowager Huayang, and even the current mother of King Qin, Empress Dowager Zhao, can pull out Yingdu, burn Yiling, and encircle Handan in vain, but now that Wang Jian is attacking Zhao, does he seem to be thinking of the favor of his homeland?"

well said!Hong Lian's heart brightened, and she was almost overjoyed.

"...This, this, this, how can we generalize." Young Master Cheng was embarrassed, and he hesitated, "Gou Jian destroyed Wu, and Xi Shi's three-point help. The so-called ten years of gathering, ten years of lessons; what our country lacks most now is time , Honglian's departure, if it can earn a few years of life lessons for our country, and prepare for military training, South Korea will indeed have a chance to preserve the country..."

"...I heard that Qin Wangzheng's bee quasi-long eyes, the true bird chirping, the jackal's voice, the lack of kindness and the tiger's wolf heart...not to mention these rumors in the market, just look at his political style in the past few years, get rid of Lai Ai, and kill Zhongfu , promote water conservancy, and attack Wucheng, we can see that this person is ambitious and ambitious, no worse than Wu Wangfu, and he will be entangled by mere children's personal affairs."

"This... But now, there is really no better way. Earlier, Yao Jia, the envoy of the Qin Dynasty, repeatedly persecuted the father and ordered him to send troops to attack Zhao. The father was very worried. If Qin was rejected, our country would be the first to suffer. ; But if we really send troops, our country will lose our troops and lose our generals. Who doesn’t know that the three Jins are dead, Zhao Guo is not protected, and Han Wei is also doomed—”

Wei Zhuang also sneered and said, "Yao Jia's actions have indeed pushed our country to the brink of death. It is nothing more than a death, and we only have to choose whether the date of death is today or tomorrow—"

Hearing this, Honglian also became worried.Is South Korea really in such a dangerous situation?Then I—

The two men kept their voices low and whispered for a while, and suddenly heard the young master become enlightened: "My dear brother, I heard people say that you have some friendship with the young master who has been closed for many years?"

"Friendship can't be called friendship, but his school has some connections with his former teacher. Xunqing is a high-ranking student, and his former teacher often praises him."

"That's how it is. But you must be careful, brother. Although Han Fei is also a son of the clan, but this person speaks arrogantly and slanders the nobles. He doesn't talk about the monarch in the right way. He only talks about severe punishment to establish power and the desire to make people. Everyone in Korea knows He is a mean and vulgar person...my brother must stay away from him in the future."

"..." Wei Zhuang was silent for a moment, and answered something in a low voice.The tone is very calm.

Jun Hengyang continued: "The strange thing is that the envoy of Qin mentioned this person several times. It seems that King Qin read the book written by Han Fei and loved it very much. I hate it!' Come on. Do you think it's strange—"

"King Qin, do you want to see him?"

"That's right. Yao Jia has brought up this matter in person with his father, just a few days before his younger brother recuperates... I just can't think of what King Qin is planning this time. The purpose of meeting such a fool is to find out more about South Korea. However, Han Fei has not been in the court for a long time... the father hesitated and did not immediately agree, and the Qin envoy has urged him several times."

Honglian sat for a long time again, not listening to any important things they mentioned.When it was about Xu time, Wei Zhuang suddenly got up and asked to resign.

"It's so late, brother, is there any urgent matter to do?" Jun Hengyang asked in surprise.

Wei Zhuang said hesitantly: "Master, please don't laugh at my younger brother, it's just some... private matters."

The young master laughed knowingly, "Very good, very good, brother Yu is not a person who doesn't understand customs. It's just that I don't know what kind of woman can catch the eyes of a good brother. Someday, brother Yu will see her true face."

Wei Zhuang also laughed when he heard the words, but Hong Lian felt that the laughter had a deep meaning, as if sinking a heart into the bottom of the water alive.

Cold all over.

The author has something to say: Note: The descriptions of martial arts and swordsmanship in this article are all fabricated, especially those involving historical figures, such as Su Qin.Here, in conjunction with the mysterious setting, it is assumed that all the disciples of Guigu's lineage have practiced swords.