Emperor Que Shaohua

In the 18th year of Tianyi, that is, about four years ago, Nalan Yu's whereabouts appeared in Mingtan Temple in Xuzhou.Mingtan Temple is a small temple in the mountains, with few people and few pilgrims. There are three or four meditation rooms and five or six monks. The conditions are very poor.However, during the half-year period when Zen Master Guangshen settled down and placed orders, several times a month, a young gentleman would come to visit him regardless of the high mountains and dense forests. Guangshen called him Prince Wang.The two said they were playing chess and talking about Zen, and they often went out of the temple gate to the back mountain, and they would go there for several hours or even a day or two.According to the memories of the monks in the temple, Wang Gongzi was in his early twenties. Although he was dressed simply, he had a jade-like face and a good manner.

"The old abbot of Mingtan Temple passed away the year before last, and the original monks also scattered away, but Xuanshuang still managed to find one of them." Luo Yanhua said, "It's the little disciple in the temple who is responsible for sweeping the floor and carrying water, because he often works for the prince. Open the door, so I was very impressed. When Mr. Nangong accompanied Shaoqing to Juxian Tower, he was near the gate of the building and recognized you. Does the eldest son want to meet an old friend?"

"What is Sect Master Jiang trying to prove with all this effort?" Nangong Chen's expression remained unchanged, "Not to mention whether there really were Zen Master Guangshen and Prince Wang in the ancient temple in the deep mountains, with a young monk, it is necessary to Identifying Guangshen as Nalan Yu, Prince Wang as me, and I have also learned the Sanskrit technique and obeyed Wei Wuze's orders? The so-called chasing after wind and shadow is really nothing more than this!"

"Mr. Nangong didn't happen to be in Jinling back then. It's said that he was traveling. I don't know which famous mountains and rivers he visited. Do you have any friends who can prove your whereabouts?" Zhu Jin said in a deep voice.Seeing that the other party's attitude was getting more and more arrogant and rude, he couldn't help but feel angry, and his tone was a bit questioning.

Nan Gongchen said: "Where to go down, who to visit, it seems that there is no need to explain to Lang Huan."

"It seems that the eldest son is very confident, and he is confident in his actions. It is impossible for me to catch the facts." Luo Yanhua smiled lightly. In fact, if Nalanyu hadn't attacked Luo Pingyuan with Sanskrit music last year, it would have caused a lot of trouble. Huan and Jing Yuwei's attention, collecting relevant information in a hurry must be as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack, "The clues inside and outside are time-consuming and boring to pull up, so you might as well put them aside for now. But have you ever thought that since I have already I wonder why you haven't been exposed for many days, but let you go in and out of Wanjian Villa and stay with Lord Mu Ling? You have arranged for Shaoqing to listen to the Yuntai Pu'an Mantra several times, and the effect is obviously very good. It's helpful, but why did Ah Jin play a song in the martial arts competition, but suddenly inspired the Qingxin Jue, which made all your previous efforts go to waste?"

Mu Shaoqing's chaotic mind seemed to be flashed by lightning. In the past few days, the tune of the Yuntai Pu'an mantra has indeed drifted past his ears from time to time. On the way, the melodious music came from corners far or near, and after a long time, it was inexplicably disturbing.Nan Gongchen was helping out at the villa these days, and he brought not only fine wine, but also a few skilled musicians from home, saying that it would add to the atmosphere of the sword-testing meeting.Mu Shaoqing didn't drink a lot during his sword practice, and he didn't have any opinions on playing piano music, so he left it to his friends to toss about. Now that there are no talented luthiers in the village, he must not be able to satisfy the Nangong family's picky taste.As for himself, except for sometimes wanting to listen to Qingjian Lan Zhou Song, he never distracted himself. Before today, he never thought that there would be murderous intent hidden in the invisible and colorless rhyme.If Luo Yanhua used the Yuntai Pu'an Mantra as a medicine to trigger the Qingxin Jue, why did Nan Gongchen also let himself listen to the same piece of music?

His heart was turbulent, and his face changed color accordingly, unaware that many people were looking at him.All the guests saw Master Mu Shaozhuang's expression was startled, but he didn't mean to deny it, so they understood that what King Jing said was true.It seems that Nan Gongchen really did some tricks, but he doesn't know what mystery is hidden in the Yuntai Pu'an Curse.

Luo Pingyuan thought back to the night ten days ago, when he came out of the Imperial Brother's Courtyard, he met several friends sitting on the corridor listening to the second son Nangong Jin playing the flute.During the chat, starting from the origin of Qingjian Lanzhouqu, I mentioned that King Jing accidentally discovered in his early years that there was a conflict between the Yuntai Pu'an Mantra and the Qingxin Jue, which would have the opposite effect of disturbing the mind.Originally, I didn't understand why Brother Huang asked me to find an opportunity to tell this matter, but now it seems that it was to inadvertently pass Nangong Chen through Nangong Jin to Nangong Chen who is in Wanjian Villa?

Thinking about this point, his heart suddenly became clear: Few people knew about Mu Shaoqing's practice of Qingxin Jue in the early years, even his companions in Langhuan didn't know. Nangong Jin should be the same, but Nangong Chen, as Mu Shaozhuang The master's acquaintance must be well known.The eldest son personally stayed by Mu Shaoqing's side to control things, but left his younger brother in Huaibizhuang, so he learned of Langhuan's movements.The person who said it had no intention, and Nangong Jin would only take it as a reminder when he listened to it. He was more cautious when identifying the music, but it represented a completely different meaning when it fell into the ears of someone with a heart, such as Nangong Chen.

"There are some inside stories about the Yuntai Pu'an Mantra." He said, trying to briefly describe the process of his previous disclosure of the information, but avoided mentioning Nangong Jin.

"The story is getting more and more exciting. It turns out that Shaoqing listened to the music twice, which can also prove that I have ulterior motives." Nan Gongchen sneered, "What else, Jiang Zongzhu and Lu Shaoxia will continue to make up, and listen carefully."

"The matter is not complicated. The eldest son wants to know the reason for the failure, so I will tell you." Luo Yanhua glanced at his slightly blue face, and said lightly, "After Juxianlou signed the contract, the behavior is actually a bit subtle. Tomorrow On the surface, I firmly believe that Miss Pei is the root cause of the incident, and I have stepped up investigations around her. At the same time, I asked my eldest son, who is a good friend, to accompany Shaoqing more and help him treat his illness through the collected music. and secretly, you and I are closely watching each other's every move, judging how to make a good move to increase our side's chances of winning. It should be said that Mr. Nangong handled it quite moderately. During the last few days, Mu Ling The master is often accompanied by voiceless voices, coupled with his concentration on sword practice, his mood is much more stable, which makes people feel that he is gradually getting rid of the shackles of mantra."

He paused slightly: "For Wei Wuze, it is undoubtedly the most beneficial way for Lang Huan to hold illusory expectations and pin his hopes on Shaoqing's voluntary change of attitude. Of course, Lang Huan can't just make one-handed preparations. Unexpectedly, I still have one more step to take, that is, Young Master Lu will challenge Lord Mu Ling, with the cultivation of Han Shan's master disciple, it may not be impossible to turn the situation around and turn defeat into victory."

Luo Pingyuan thought of the odds of [-] to [-] and [-] to [-] offered by Fengyun Gambling for the emperor's brother and himself, and felt silent.King Jing's two moves are clear moves, seemingly steady and steady, but what is presented to everyone is only the tip of the iceberg, and the turbulence under the water is far more dangerous than bright swords and spears.Of course, Nangong Chen could find out some information about the situation of Huaibi Village from Nangong Jin's mouth. Brother Huang also has Gu Zheng by his side, so it is not difficult to understand the troubles in Wanjian Villa.

"Thinking about it now, Mr. Nangong was under a lot of pressure. On the one hand, he wanted to convince me that Mu Lingzhu was slowly getting better, but on the other hand, he couldn't really make him regain his senses. The piano scores that Wanli and Ajin prescribe the right medicine to the case are not too small. You will be suspicious when you listen to it, and if you listen too much, you will be afraid of going out of control. It is really difficult to grasp the scale." Luo Yanhua said slowly, "Furthermore, Mu Lingzhu is not a wooden sculpture and clay sculpture at his mercy. As the sword test meeting is approaching day by day, He must devote himself to preparing for the battle, get rid of distracting thoughts as much as possible, and adjust himself to the best state. In this way, the natural state of mind is clear and the perception is sharp. It is becoming more and more difficult to continue to exert influence on him without being noticed. Great, after all Sanskrit music is different from normal speech, it requires the use of internal strength. In fact, on the first day of the sword test meeting, although Mu Lingzhu still insisted on his own opinion, as long as you observe carefully, you will find that he is hesitant. The tendency is already obvious. I think this is one of the reasons why the eldest son finally chose to use the Yuntai Pu'an Mantra to assist him."

Playing famous tunes is a devious and covert technique, first disturb Mu Shaoqing's mind, then the Sanskrit music will be performed more smoothly, and it will be harder for the opponent to detect, both are Buddhist sounds, as long as they are used properly, they can complement each other.

However, the original meaning of the Yuntai Pu'an Mantra is to calm the mind and reflect on oneself, just like the Buddhist verse that has been passed down for a long time: the body is a bodhi tree, and the heart is like a mirror stand. Wipe it diligently so as not to stir up dust.The Qingxin Jue also aims to remove obsessions and keep the mind clear and complete.After practicing to a certain extent, the running time is like a stream of water scouring the heart, which is consistent with the meaning of "wiping every day".The reason why it seems to be in conflict is actually that the Qingxin Jue is induced by the meaning of the Yuntai Pu'an Mantra, which makes people want to get rid of their mental barriers and obsessions, and then quickly, just like the body is covered with sweat and dirt, and they don't feel anything when they don't notice it. Once I look in the mirror, I immediately feel itchy and restless all over my body, wishing I could take a bath right away.

The world of mortals is disturbed and the world is complicated. How can anyone not be stained with dust? For those who practice the Qingxinjue, the Yuntai Pu'an Mantra acts like a mirror, which has the effect of awakening and guiding. Nangong Chen uses two prongs, At the same time, using Sanskrit sound technique on Mu Shaoqing again and again is like building up layers of firewood and pouring boiling oil on it, and it's ready to go off at the touch of a button. Just like the east wind brings sparks, the Qingxin Jue is naturally triggered, and it is out of control.

"The so-called conflict between Buddhism and Taoism is just a cover, and the distinction between good and evil is completely different. With Mr. Nangong's prudence, after learning the information from Mr. Lu, he must have tried to verify the effectiveness of the Yuntai Pu'an Mantra. This is also your Another reason why you dare to apply it with confidence is because you are confident that no one can compete with you in rhythm." Luo Yanhua said leisurely, with a hint of tiredness in his voice, "The eldest son is very talented, and he can even master Sanskrit music. It is true that he is an excellent character, but it is a pity that he does not understand the art of clearing the heart. After Mu Lingzhu fainted, I saw that you specially dismissed A Jin. I think I had a premonition. satisfy?"

There was silence all around, all the guests recalled the narration of Sect Master Langhuan, and looked at Nangong Chen silently.At this moment, many details flashed through Luo Pingyuan's mind, which he ignored or didn't understand when it happened, but once he recalled it, there was no meaning to it.When he arrived in Jiangnan, he proposed to challenge Mu Shaoqing, but the emperor objected at first.But it didn't take long for the meaning to change, and news of acquiescence spread.In order to split Langhuan, Nan Gongchen would not allow Mu Shaoqing to regain his clarity, but he did not dare to hit him hard. If Master Mu Shaoqing was over-emotional or mentally damaged, and he performed abnormally during the sword competition, wouldn't it be self-defeating.Only half a day after the Sword Trial Conference started, King Jing bid farewell to Wanjian Villa, because only when the decisive battle is approaching, Nan Gongchen will not hesitate to take risks and use all available methods to ensure that Mu Shaoqing will not change his position The purpose of leaving is to no longer stimulate the emotions of the Lord of Sword Crying, and to minimize the variables; it is also to divert attention, so that the other party can step into the trap with peace of mind.

Why do you know that Nangong Chen is probably a hidden traitor, but still choose to bear the heavy pressure and keep silent?What Luo Pingyuan finally thought of was the sentence that Brother Huang once said: "To untie the bell, the person who tied it must be untied. Only by adopting symptomatic methods can it be untied. If you want to forcefully drag back the person who has entered the dead end, maybe it will be reversed." It's forcing him to slam his head against the south wall." Of course, Nan Gongchen didn't intend to take the initiative to undo the Sanskrit sound technique, but he deliberately controlled it, holding the chess piece firmly in his palm.His methods are not incomprehensible, but it is precisely because he spared no effort that he was afraid of leaving half a way for Lang Huan and Mu Shaoqing to retreat, which led to his failure at the last moment, and he also had nowhere to hide.The division of good and evil is completely different. After today, under the witness of fellow martial artists, Master Mu Shaozhuang woke up from his stupor and was still able to return to Langhuan, where he was forgiven and accepted by his companions and friends.

Even if it's for Mingjian, for Wanli, and for the overall situation, Brother Huang is too kind to this guy.Recalling that I came all the way from Los Angeles a month ago, when I abandoned my boat and landed at the pier, due to the bumpy water every day, everyone's feet were sloppy.It has only been 20 days since then, but there have been constant storms, one after another, and it is all thanks to him, Mu Shaoqing.The young His Royal Highness Prince Ning felt a little unbalanced, and silently slandered, feeling again that this person had nothing to sympathize with.

Nan Gongchen was silent, and after a while he slowly said: "I heard Sect Master Jiang talk about Ah Jin, but he was very protective of his younger brother. What's so good about Ah Jin? You are so stupid, but you are still stubborn. Your Sect Master Jiang has always been He was suspicious of me from the beginning, but he trusted him a lot, could it be that smart people like stupid people, just trying to save their worries so that they can be cheated and used?"

He said, with a cold smile on his face: "At what juncture, you still think about assigning him to play the flute in public, and he really took the order immediately without thinking, and gave it his all." Going to the ground to cooperate with you, for fear of playing a wrong note, it is really ridiculous, it is really ridiculous!"

At the end of the speech, he couldn't stop laughing, and his voice became louder and louder, almost crying.Everyone looked at each other in amazement, they didn't expect that Mr. Nangong, who is gentle and elegant, would laugh wantonly, almost out of composure, but there were too many accidents happened today, and he couldn't care about it anymore.

Nan Gongchen laughed alone for a while, then stopped laughing, stared at King Jing coldly, and said sternly: "What kind of Sanskrit music, pure heart formula, what Yuntai Pu'an mantra, heart is like a mirror stand, it's all nonsense! Qing suddenly fell into a coma, who knows if you sent someone to tamper with you? Did Jiang Zongzhu think I was laughing at Ah Jin? I was laughing at you! How dare you come out without a trace! You claim to be amazingly talented, but you just want to discredit my Nangong family with just one piece of music, just to trick Shaoqing into surrendering to you, so that the hearts of the martial arts will follow you? I advise Sect Master Jiang to save his tongue and stop dreaming, lest he become The laughing stock of the whole world!"

He said, and suddenly turned to Mu Shaoqing who was sitting still: "Shaoqing, you will never be deceived too! Think about what kind of person Jiang Hua is, who is deeply scheming and flatters the court. If you say something, Would you rather trust him than trust me!"

Everyone in Langhuan was furious, but Luo Yanhua slightly raised his hand, signaling that no one should make a sound or move. His expression was as calm as water, and he silently watched the pale-faced Sword Crying Commander.

Mu Shaoqing's forehead was unknowingly soaked with fine cold sweat. Following the narration and confrontation just now, some complicated fragments surged in the depths of memory, as if they were about to break free from the shackles and surface.In the study room, on the small building, in the Zhuoyue Pavilion, strolling on the back mountain path...in the scattered scenes, there is always Nan Gongchen, talking to himself with a voice close to his ear, sometimes far and near, without seeing the beginning and the end.What is Nangong talking about?Mu Shaoqing pondered and recalled hard, but could only grasp scattered words and sentences, and the scene was intermittent and erratic.

It was vaguely the evening of the beginning of the year, and the traitor could not be found, and Wanli returned to Hangzhou. Since the last quarrel, the two have been angry and unable to reconcile for a long time.Feeling irritable, only Nan Gongchen drank with him.

"Owner, Miss Pei has arrived downstairs, and asked if you need qin music to cheer you up?" Cong Ren reported carefully.

"No, I didn't say I want to listen to the music, let her go back." He was half drunk, but his heart became more and more depressed, and he didn't even want to wave his hand to refuse.

"Shaoqing, have you ever thought that Miss Jiang may have other feelings, and that's why she always gets into trouble with you because of that person." Drunk and hazy, I suddenly heard my friend Youyou say, "Even I feel it, Although that man is far away in Luocheng, you and the old Jiangnan tribe are under his firm control. Not to mention that Miss Jiang thinks of him far more than you, and even swore a heavy oath to wait for him to come back. Everyone in your Wanjian Villa is loyal and loyal , Where did the traitor come from? I'm afraid you've been tricked, and if you continue to forcefully investigate, you're afraid you'll destroy your foundation and become alienated from your subordinates!"

How did you answer yourself?I just remember that the other party said in a worrying and sympathetic tone: "But has he filed a grievance? Shaoqing, don't be stupid, revenge is just in the name of deceiving you. Didn't you see that he was fighting with the court? I am I can't help but worry for you, if even Mingjian loses his persistence, wouldn't Langhuan be completely reduced to a bargaining chip for that person to exchange power with the court?"

The voice in my ears was as warm and pleasant as usual, but there was a trace of strange bewilderment: "Luo Yanhua is already a useless person with no power to restrain a chicken. He can control people only by scheming. You are a majestic man with superb swordsmanship. How can you Be inferior, suffer such humiliation? Do you know how many people are laughing at you behind your back, laughing at Langhuan? Even I can't stand it anymore! Shaoqing, remember that all of these are your own thoughts, I just represent You just said it. You already hated him and regarded him as an enemy, didn't you?"

…………

In the blink of an eye, it was the night when the accident happened again. The two corpses had been removed. He retreated to the left and right, sitting alone in the cold study, exhausted, in a trance, and filled with grief and doubt.Nan Gongchen came in from the outside and sat with him in the dark.

"Shaoqing, the facts are already in front of you. Luo Yanhua is not worthy to be the suzerain of Langhuan, and he is not worthy to be supported by others. You have all been deceived by him!" In the light morning light, half-bright and half-dark, the originally handsome facial features seemed to be covered with an invisible bluish-white mask, clearly close in front of the eyes, but the voice seemed to come from far away, with a strange rhythm, " So you must tear off his disguise and make it known to the world. Think about your father, relatives, friends and brothers who were persecuted to death. Blood debts must be paid in blood. Only by calling on everyone to follow you can Lang Huan’s deep blood feud be repaid! Qing, if you don't dare to stand up, and then swallow your anger and go with the flow, you will never be as good as Luo Yanhua in Miss Jiang's heart, and she won't really think highly of you!"

The deceptive words flowed into his ears, and suddenly he felt that the person sitting opposite was not Nan Gongchen, but another self, proud and inferior, suspicious and jealous, full of hatred and unwillingness to vent, and a long-term accumulation of hatred. manic depression.Those narrow-mindedness that cannot be clearly shown in broad daylight, the dark thoughts that are suppressed in the corner of the heart, and even I don't want to face up to them, gradually connect and overflow, and go beyond the boundaries to drown the reason, turning into burning flames in the bottom of my heart, and entangled blocks in my chest.

Since then, negative emotions have been chasing after him all the time, endlessly, and they are still climbing and spreading. He feels dominated and driven, like an invisible thread that keeps pulling and pulling.

The moment he woke up from a coma, no one understood how he felt.With a splitting headache and exhaustion, but freed from the shackles, the whole person is like the rest of his life.

He wasn't supposed to be drinking the night before, but his mind wasn't calm enough to refuse the offer to have a few drinks after dinner. 20 years old, Chen's daughter Hong swayed gently in the cup, reflecting the flames of the lamps and candles. The sound of the piano from downstairs fluttered upwards, lingering around the beam. Nan Gongchen took out the jade flute.

After the song was over, the drunkenness surged, his head became dizzy and his mood became more restless, and he unconsciously said what was in his mind: "Nangong, I always feel that something is wrong. The enemy has not been dealt with yet, but the companions are fighting each other." Wake up. This bet is a dilemma."

How did Nan Gongchen answer?He only remembered that the voice came into his mind, and it was like a mist that could not be seen clearly or penetrated.

"In the affairs of the world, if you don't do one thing, you can't stop doing it. Concession is a dead end...Luo Yuhua is the prince, and he sells his belongings for glory. Everything has been planned.... Be careful that Miss Jiang is being used..."

The flame in the bottom of my heart began to burn vigorously again, and I remembered what I said again. Nan Gongchen seemed to be smiling, and his voice was unexpectedly clear and complete: "Lang Huan is nothing special. If something happens to your face, someone will help you. You know , Shaoqing, you are very precious."

The words and phrases in the memory are intertwined and overlapped with the reality, which seems to have taken a long time, but in fact it is just a flash of thought.

Right now, Nan Gongchen is repeating the same slander again, perhaps because he still doesn't believe that the sanskrit technique has lost its effectiveness, but the sobriety at this moment is real, and he will never be bewitched and dominated again, and he will never wander in vain with.

Mu Shaoqing stood up slowly while leaning on the armrest of the seat. His head was still hurting badly, but he stood upright, with a tall and straight posture, and his other hand tightly held the handle of the Cold Water Sword.Because of too much force, even the knuckles have turned white.He looked at Nangong Chen coldly, as if looking at a stranger who had nothing to do with him.

"That's enough, I already understand who killed Wei Cheng and Miss Pei." The voice was flat and indescribably indifferent.

The air in the hall was almost stagnant, Luo Pingyuan instinctively pressed Chunjun's sword hilt.

But Mu Shaoqing didn't draw his sword, his fingers slowly relaxed, he left the hilt, and his eyes turned to King Jing unexpectedly.

In the past month, he had only met Luo Yanhua face-to-face three times. Today, the day before yesterday, and at Juxian Tower, and more than ten years before that.

But the presence of this person is so strong and important, the suzerain, the old friend, the person who was misunderstood, wronged, attacked, hurt by oneself, the person who was hurt the most but never stepped back or let go.Even in the center of the vortex, he has always been the fulcrum of balance. At the moment of the most intense confrontation, when everyone has left in disappointment, he is the only one who perseveres decisively.

Luo Yanhua's eyes were still quiet and deep, like clear and penetrating pond water, Mu Shaoqing saw the waiting for the prosperity to end, and a trace of exhaustion that couldn't be concealed.Looking at each other for a short time, bits and pieces flowed past the eyes, the reunion in Juxian Tower, the short farewell in the arbor of the martial arts field, the long-lost sword style on the stone platform of Jianchi, the sound of the piano in the Zhuoyue Pavilion, the bamboo forest in the past Each other's figures in the sword light, and the Qingxin Jue.But it's far more than that, Mu Shaoqing felt that she was already familiar with such a quiet gaze, even if Luo Yanhua was not in front of her, when she was most lonely and at a loss without knowing it, there was still the other party's warm concern by her side, like a silent reminder : Everyone and I are still waiting for your return.

So I still have a way back, just like a ladder leading to the ground appeared on the top of a lonely cliff, and I was pulled up to the embankment on the verge of drowning and suffocation.

After many years of absence, Luo Yanhua is still the best friend ever. Through his clear eyes, that gentle, tough and talented boy has never really gone away.But what about me, what is it that has covered my true heart, so that my face has changed beyond recognition, and I am only one step away from being lost forever?

He was also arrogant and threatened in an arrogant tone: "Tell Luo Yanhua that only if he abandons Luocheng and returns to Jiangnan, will I recognize him as suzerain, otherwise I will definitely not follow orders!"

So he never obeyed orders, refused to listen to persuasion, turned a blind eye to his difficulties, acted willfully, without any scruples, even though he knew that foreign enemies were around, he still believed that he could sweep away tigers and wolves with a long sword in his hand.Luo Yanhua rushed to Jiangnan in a hurry, he had already forgotten his promise, and turned his face ruthlessly.

Friendship, responsibility, grief, love and hate, countless emotions ups and downs, and they find their belongings in looking at each other.Mu Shaoqing took a deep breath, walked in front of Luo Yanhua in full view of everyone, bowed down on one knee, and said word by word: "The suzerain is above, Mu Shaoqing is in vain as the master of Mingjian, muddled and selfish, self-willed, Even being taken advantage of by traitors, if the suzerain did not rescue him, it would almost be a big mistake. I ask the lord to punish me, even if I die, there will be no resentment! I am convinced of this bet, and I am willing to admit defeat!"

Author's Note: The content related to Nalan Jade and Sanskrit music is in Chapter 53 and Chapter 62 of the full text.