Chapter 156: The Emperor's Capital

In the snowy ground, Zhang Zhuo helped Zhang Xia remount the horse. He patted Date Date's cheek, saying, "Thank you very much. From now on, you are a great benefactor to my Zhang family. When we return, I will have the steward find you a mare..."

Zhang Xia glared at him, saying, "Dad, what are you saying?"

Zhang Zhuo laughed heartily, "This is just the natural order of things. What's there to hide?"

Chen Ji watched the scene and sighed, saying, "The world says Lord Zhang is greedy, which might not be true, but the world says Lord Zhang is lustful, which must be true. However, I see that Lord Zhang truly loves Miss Zhang Er. He is wearing his official robe, so he must have rushed here immediately after being informed at the yamen."

Zhang Zhuo laughed loudly, "You understand me, Chen Ji!"

Chen Ji suddenly asked, "Lord Zhang, this horse is divine and exceptional. I heard Miss Zhang Er mention earlier that it was brought back by Vice Supervisor Xu Shu from the Qintian Jian?"

Zhang Zhuo flipped onto his horse, "This isn't a secret. Xu Shu resurrected seven years ago and achieved success in cultivation. He suddenly bid farewell to Xu Ge Lao and headed north, saying he was looking for something. Later, I heard him say that he went to the bitter cold regions further north in the Jing Dynasty. He didn't find what he was looking for, but he brought back this dragon-horse."

"I heard Miss Zhang Er say it's a dragon species."

Zhang Zhuo said, "Xu Shu said that some ancient bloodlines still remain in the bitter cold regions of the north. They are the most divine and extraordinary for use as warhorses."

Chen Ji suddenly thought to himself, if his guess was correct, and Xu Shu also came from the Forty-Nine Heavens, then what could the other party have traveled ten thousand li to the bitter cold northern regions to seek?

Treasures left in the human world from the Forty-Nine Heavens?

Chen Ji asked again, "Lord Zhang is learned and knowledgeable. Have you ever heard the name Xuanyuan?"

This was the question he most wanted to ask.

There was no search engine in this world. Trying to find any information was like searching for a needle in a haystack. Only someone with a super memory and wide reading like Zhang Zhuo could possibly answer his questions.

He saw Zhang Zhuo ponder for a moment, "There is a Fugu Peak on Huang Mountain. Underneath Fugu Peak is a cave dwelling. The characters 'Xuanyuan' are engraved inside the cave dwelling. A remnant book records that the sharpest sword of all time is named 'Xuanyuan Sword,' but this sword has been lost, and its whereabouts are unknown. No one has ever seen it. That's all the records I can find."

Chen Ji nodded and said no more.

It seemed that some matters still needed to be asked of Xuanyuan himself.

He slowly closed his eyes, letting the horse carry him as it swayed and walked far away. The ice flow within his body spread out, bringing him back to that black cloud sea, falling onto the green mountain.

When he opened his eyes, Chen Ji still didn't see Xuanyuan's figure on the peak of the green mountain.

The black king flag with gold embroidered characters was inserted into the crack of a giant stone. There was no one around.

Chen Ji felt strange. He stood at the edge of the mountain cliff and looked down, only to see the cloud sea dispersing. He saw that a piece of farmland had been cultivated below the mountain, at some unknown time.

Xuanyuan had taken off his king's robe and changed into coarse clothes. He had rolled up his trousers and was pulling a plow in the farmland.

Chen Ji came down the mountain to the edge of the farmland and asked curiously, "What are you doing?"

Xuanyuan answered casually, "Farming!"

Chen Ji was puzzled, "You are already an immortal who doesn't need to eat or drink. Why do you still want to farm?"

Xuanyuan said impatiently, "I like farming, is that not allowed? Society, society, society is for land, and Ji is for the five grains. If there are no five grains, this world is incomplete. This is the foundation of a country."

Chen Ji sat down at the edge of the farmland, "But within the two characters 'society' and 'Ji', there are no people."

Xuanyuan was startled, "What?"

Chen Ji sat cross-legged, "Society is for land, Ji is for the five grains. Where are the common people?"

Xuanyuan thought for a moment, "In the emperor's heart."

Chen Ji chuckled, "Humorous."

Xuanyuan put down the plow on his shoulder and said with a cold face, "What matter brings you here today?"

Chen Ji said seriously, "Did you once build a cave dwelling and cultivate under Fugu Peak?"

Xuanyuan doubted, "Fugu Peak? Never heard of it."

Chen Ji thought for a moment and changed the way he asked, "In the outside world, I found a cave dwelling under a mountain peak. The characters 'Xuanyuan' are engraved inside the cave dwelling. Not far from that mountain peak, there is also a valley. When people walk among them, looking up at the sky, the blue sky exists only as a line. If it is not noon, you cannot see the sun or the moon."

Xuanyuan was startled, "Tian Zi Du? You found Tian Zi Du?"

Chen Ji was also startled, "What Tian Zi Du?"

Xuanyuan left the farmland and in the blink of an eye put on a black king's robe out of thin air. The king's robe seemed to come from the void, appearing on him in a flash. "I was once severely injured and escaped to a mountain valley to heal and enlighten... That's also where I came to know you."

Chen Ji didn't expect that this place was actually related to him, "What happened after that?"

Xuanyuan didn't want to answer this question yet. He just turned and narrowed his eyes, "Strange, strange. Since you can find Tian Zi Du, that means Gui Xu, Lei Ze, Qing Qiu Country, Tian Shan, Zhang Wei Mountain, Fa Jiu Zhi Mountain, Ri Yue Mountain are all still here, just with different names..."

"It should be so!"

Xuanyuan's expression became strange, "There is a sword hidden in a spring eye within Tian Zi Du. That was something I seized after killing an enemy that year. If you absorb its sword intent, you can use it to nourish the sword seed within your body and ascend to heaven in one step."

Chen Ji's eyes lit up, but instantly extinguished, "It's been sixteen thousand years. That sword has probably decayed?"

Xuanyuan asked in a deep voice, "Did the Whale Knife ever decay?"

"No!"

"If the Whale Knife didn't, then it didn't either. I put it in the spring eye. Originally, I intended to use Tian Zi Du, the world's first strange peak, to nourish the sword intent and use it later. I didn't expect it to benefit you."

Chen Ji became spirited again, "Can you specifically describe the geographical features of that spring eye?"

Xuanyuan avoided answering, just slowly and leisurely said, "Not only this place, I have also hidden many treasures in the world. Although I don't know what they are called now, I can help you find them. But what do I rely on to help you find them?"

Chen Ji said seriously, "If one day I die, can't you borrow my body to return to the world? I'll just manage these treasures on your behalf. They will all be yours later. When you return to the world, you won't have to work hard to find them. You can use them immediately."

Xuanyuan sneered, "Do you think I'm a fool?"

Chen Ji was helpless, "Name your condition."

Xuanyuan thought for a moment, then suddenly waved his hand towards the distant army formation, "Feng Huai, Feng Lie, Feng Xiao, Feng Gui."

From the army formation, four generals stepped forward and knelt on one knee, "Here!"

Xuanyuan turned his head to look at Chen Ji and laughed coldly, "The four of them will surround and kill you. When you can defeat all four of them, I will tell you the first place where I hid a treasure."

Feng Huai held a knife, Feng Lie held an axe, Feng Xiao held a staff, and Feng Gui had a bow on his back.

The four of them had vigorous aura and surging battle intent.

Chen Ji cursed under his breath, turned around, and ran.

"Chen Ji, wake up..."

"Chen Ji, we've arrived!"

Chen Ji opened his eyes on the horse. What met his eyes was a vast expanse of red.

The setting sun shone slantingly, and the white snowy plains reflected a brilliant light, like an orange-red aurora flowing in the snow.

The city gate tower of Luo City appeared on the horizon, like a mirage.

Chen Ji looked at this scene, a little absent-minded.

Zhang Zhuo urged his horse to his side and asked curiously, "What are you thinking about?"

Chen Ji came back to his senses and smiled, "Lord Zhang, I really want to go back to the medical hall and get a good night's sleep right now, but this beautiful scenery is breathtaking, and I want to stop and look at it more. What do you say, is the destination more important, or the scenery along the way?"

Zhang Zhuo stroked his beard, thought for a long time, and then replied, "To me, naturally the destination is more important."

Chen Ji didn't understand, "Why?"

Zhang Zhuo laughed heartily, "I am a rather greedy person. When I see one place's scenery, I think there will be something better to see ahead of me. I won't be satisfied until I reach the destination. Young man, you protected my black hat during the last popular uprising, and this time you saved my daughter's life again. How should I repay you?"

Chen Ji smiled, "Lord Zhang is too polite. Miss Zhang Er and I are classmates. How could I not save her when she was in danger?"

"Those are two different matters!"

Zhang Zhuo thought for a moment and said, "Take the imperial examination. As long as you don't kill anyone in the examination hall, I will protect you and make you a scholar."

"That simple?"

"That simple!"

Zhang Zhuo said, "I know you don't want to be involved in officialdom, but I also know you're not someone who just wants to cultivate yourself."

Chen Ji looked into the distance, "Your Excellency misunderstands."

Zhang Zhuo laughed, "If you were just a Confucian official who only wanted to cultivate yourself, you wouldn't have jumped off the city wall that day of the popular uprising. Work for me. I'll protect you..."

Before he could finish speaking, he saw Master Wang whip his horse away from the Qian Sui army formation and come to Chen Ji's side.

He said to Zhang Zhuo, "Chen Ji is not suitable to be a civil official, and he doesn't necessarily have to take the imperial examination route. Follow me to the capital after the new year. I will find a position for you in the Ministry of War. The court's accumulated evils have been long. What benefit is it to waste three years?"

Zhang Zhuo was unhappy, "Why are you getting involved?"

Wang Dao Sheng answered calmly, "He is more suitable for the border army."

Zhang Zhuo shook his head, "Promotion in the border army is too slow."

Wang Dao Sheng was expressionless, "If there were no border army, where would the peace and tranquility of the south come from? Does Lord Zhang look down on the border army?"

"You old man, stop dumping your garbage on me."

Zhang Zhuo said angrily, "I'm not saying the border army is useless, but having him by my side will allow him to be promoted quickly. The more power he has, the more he can do."

Wang Dao Sheng asked lightly, "Who are you to him? I am his teacher. It is natural for him to work for me."

Zhang Zhuo was startled. For a moment, he wanted to refute but didn't know where to start, "I... I can..."

He turned his head to look at Zhang Xia and swallowed his words, "You've only taught him for a few days. How can you count as a teacher? Let's see, everyone depends on their own abilities..."

Chen Ji looked left at Zhang Zhuo and right at Wang Dao Sheng, "Two Excellencies..."

Wang Dao Sheng's expression was calm, "You can call him Excellency. From now on, you should call me teacher!"

Chen Ji, "Teacher!"

Wang Dao Sheng said slowly and methodically, "I don't necessarily need you to come out and do things, but if you want to do things, you must be with me. Don't follow him. He works for the Xu family and doesn't cherish his reputation. Who knows how history will write about him later?"

Chen Ji quietly pulled the reins tight and slowed down, retreating from the quarrel between the two Excellencies.

Without his obstruction, Zhang Zhuo and Wang Dao Sheng got closer and argued more fiercely.

Zhang Zhuo said, "Whether you can be transferred to the Minister of War next spring is still debatable. What kind of promise are you making now?"

Wang Dao Sheng, "In the spring of the twenty-fourth year of Jianing, you lost to me in a scripture debate."

Zhang Zhuo raised his eyebrows, "You have already been demoted twice by His Majesty. The Donglin Party also doesn't tolerate you, this deviant rebel. What can you do by following you?"

Wang Dao Sheng, "In the autumn of the twenty-fifth year of Jianing, you lost to me in a scripture debate again."

Zhang Zhuo suddenly became angry and rode his horse to strike Wang Dao Sheng in the air. However, Wang Dao Sheng was wearing heavy armor, and a few punches and kicks didn't hurt or itch him.

Wang Dao Sheng calmly said with contempt, "Court officials moving hands and feet, what decorum!"

Zhang Zhuo said angrily, "Dog thief, come and die!"

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