Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

Page 96

"Issue the order to have the Imperial City Guard thoroughly investigate Qin Hui's connections within the army. Anyone involved in this matter shall be executed without mercy."

"Tell Qin Hui to continue serving as the supervisor of the Taiping Temple in Jiangzhou!"

The silver-gray figure responded and disappeared from the hall.

Zhao Gou sat on the throne, muttering to himself...

"In this way, Zhang Jun and Zhao Ding cannot be touched for the time being. Otherwise, if they treat civil officials so harshly, I'm afraid the students all over the country will be talking about it."

"Qin Hui, I thought you were clever, but I didn't expect you to be such a fool. Well, let's see how you are!"

With the sound of a bell, Zhao Gou's expression turned solemn, and he rose and headed towards the front of the court.

………………

In just two days, news of the attacks on Zhang Jun and Zhao Ding, two senior officials of the Council of State, on their way to court had already spread throughout Jiangnan, and as the news spread, it gradually reached various parts of Sichuan and Shaanxi.

Mingjian Manor.

Yi Yuchen looked at the imperial gazette, shook his head and chuckled. He hadn't expected things to take such a turn for the better; it really was a case of mistaken identity leading to a happy ending. He smiled and said...

"In this way, unless Zhao Gou wants to gain a reputation for mistreating civil officials, this attack on the Council of State Affairs will have to come to an end."

"That's good too. As long as the Council of State can hold out for a few more years, it will be a good thing in the fight against the Jurchens. Recently, the Jurchens have begun to eye Xuzhou, and things might get complicated..."

Yi Liang nodded and said, "This matter was probably done by Qin Hui. It's being talked about in the streets and alleys now."

"Qin Hui is unlikely to return to the central government for the time being, but it's only a matter of time. Once the border army defeats the Jin, the one in the palace will stop it even without a reason." Yi Yuchen didn't care about the opinions of the common people.

Frankly speaking, the people of this era still had loyalty to the emperor and love for their country deeply ingrained in their bones. The hierarchy of Heaven, Earth, Emperor, Parents, and Teacher was such that the emperor ranked only after Heaven and Earth, demonstrating the absolute authority of the emperor.

Therefore, Yue Fei's army could encourage him to continue the Northern Expedition by saying "a general in the field may disobey the emperor's orders," but they would never say that he was rebelling!

Thinking of this, Yi Yuchen waved his hand and said, "These things are too far away from us for now. We still need to speed up the arrangements in Lüliang. I have a feeling we'll need them."

Yi Liang nodded and left.

………………

In a secluded room in a certain place in Jiangnan.

Zhang Qiqiao, Qin Sirong, and the Four Demons of the Western Regions were all present, but they all looked rather unwell.

The Four Demons of the Western Regions are so named because ever since their intrusion into the Famous Sword Manor, the martial arts world of Jiangnan has been searching for them.

For some time now, the four of them have been hiding in an underground chamber, not daring to go out at all. Martial arts practitioners outside are like locusts, lingering in the vicinity wave after wave.

Moreover, the four dared not act recklessly, for if they attracted the sword servants of the Famous Sword Manor, or even the young man who single-handedly repelled the giant snake that night, their lives would be in danger.

Zhang Qiqiao and Qin Sirong looked unwell because their reckless actions had directly ruined Qin Hui's plan to return to the central government.

Not long ago, Qin Hui wrote a letter in which he hurled insults at Zhang Qiqiao, leaving the self-important Zhang Qiqiao utterly humiliated.

Zhang Qiqiao placed the letter on the stone table and said...

"Prime Minister Qin has ordered us to keep a low profile recently, because the consequences of Si Rong using crossbows in the capital have begun to surface."

"The Imperial City Guard cut off all of Prime Minister Qin's connections in the army, and years of planning were ruined in an instant."

"This is a warning from the person in the palace to Prime Minister Qin. Within a year or two, Prime Minister Qin has no hope of returning to the central government."

"Right now, all we can do is try to downplay the impact of this and let time heal all wounds!"

"Sirong continues to befriend martial arts figures in Jiangnan, and we are secretly cooperating to enhance her reputation. Even if she cannot compete for the title of martial arts alliance leader, she must still have a place in the Jiangnan martial arts world so that we can use the martial arts forces for our own purposes in the future."

Chapter 194 Discussing Yue Fei, Amidst the Storm

Time flew by, and after the incident of the prime minister's dismissal, the pro-war faction once again defeated the pro-peace faction in the imperial court, and the border army, supported by the Council of State Affairs, prepared for war.

In the sixth year of the Shaoxing era, the military forces led by Han Shizhong, Zhang Jun, and Yue Fei achieved successive victories in their war against the Jin dynasty. In particular, the border troops led by Yue Fei's army fought a decisive battle against the main force of the Jin army at Zhujia Town, causing great excitement in the martial arts world of Jiangnan.

In early 1938, Han Shizhong and Yue Fei completed the encirclement of the main Jin army from two sides. The people were filled with joy and jubilation, and the public was in an uproar, demanding that the army be sent north for an expedition.

Inside the Famous Sword Manor.

Yi Yun and Yi Yuchen, however, were filled with worry.

Putting down the official gazette, Yi Yuchen sighed helplessly, "The thing I feared most has happened! He's a military general with real power, and Zhao Gou has treated him exceptionally well. Why would he interfere in the struggle for the crown prince's position!"

Yi Jifeng, who was watching the narration, still didn't understand, so Yi Yuchen explained: "Do you know what emperors have feared most since ancient times?"

Yi Jifeng shook his head, and Yi Yuchen said...

"What I fear most is the loss of military power!"

"This is something no emperor could allow!"

"Since Yue Fei took command of the army, the military discipline has been strict and the people love and respect him, which is a good thing. Therefore, some people named it the Yue Family Army."

"And this in itself is a major taboo. How can the imperial army be turned into private property?"

Fortunately, Zhao Gou still trusted Yue Fei and did not strip him of his command of troops because of this!

"That's probably why Yue Fei had the misconception that he had gotten involved in the competition for the crown prince position. How could Zhao Gou not have doubts about that?"

"Are you dissatisfied with me, Yue Fei? Or have you already pledged allegiance to my imperial nephew? You must know that Zhao Gou had no children; the current emperor was adopted. And since ancient times, military power has been reserved for the emperor, not for civil officials, and certainly not for princes or imperial nephews!"

"Zhao Gou may have already become suspicious of Yue Fei. In this situation where he is surrounded by enemies, Zhao Gou has begun to be paranoid, and it is only a matter of time before he is stripped of his military power."

Yi Jifeng argued, "But nowadays, there are constant calls from the people for a northern expedition. Does the emperor dare to defy the world's opinion?"

Yi Yuchen smiled, a sarcastic smile, and said...

"An emperor can never make mistakes; the only ones who can make mistakes are his subjects."

“Zhao Gou would never do such a thing, so Qin Hui must return to the central government! Only he would dare to bear such infamy.”

"Zhao Gou knew that the Jurchens were plotting something, but he couldn't care less about that now. The most important thing now was to take back the military power and prevent the two emperors from returning."

"Qin Hui's rise to power foreshadowed an era in which the peace faction would gain the upper hand!"

After saying this, Yi Yuchen couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, as the Southern Song Dynasty had missed its last chance to reclaim the Central Plains.

………………

Sure enough, not long after, Zhao Gou issued an edict restoring Qin Hui to his position as Vice Chancellor, appointing him as Privy Councilor and placing him in charge of military affairs nationwide.

The following month, Qin Hui was promoted to prime minister. He framed Zhang Jun and Zhao Ding on the grounds that they were cultivating their own faction, controlling the court, and deceiving the emperor, and once again launched an attack on the prime ministers!

After seizing power, Qin Hui ordered the Northern Expeditionary Army to return to the capital, citing the court's inability to afford the army's logistics and provisions. This caused an uproar throughout the country!

Han Shizhong, Zhang Jun, and others withdrew their troops one after another, but Yue Fei hesitated and refused to retreat in Zhujia Town. This move completely angered Zhao Gou, who then issued twelve imperial edicts to summon Yue Fei back to the capital.

………………

Inside a secret room in a certain place in Jiangnan.

"Now that Prime Minister Qin holds absolute power, the only one who could pose a threat to him is Yue Fei!"

"This man is obsessed with the Northern Expedition and has the deepest conflict with Prime Minister Qin. The Prime Minister has already decided to get rid of him!"

"Fortunately, he has already relinquished his military power and is on his way back to Lin'an. I will now issue orders to locate Yue Fei and then eliminate him!"

Inside the secret room, Zhang Qiqiao spoke to the five men with a sinister expression.

Seeing that none of the five people had any objections, he looked at Qin Sirong and said, "Sirong, you are the most innocent right now. You should actively infiltrate the Jiangnan martial arts world. We need to take this opportunity to wipe out Yue Fei and the anti-Jin forces in Jiangnan in one fell swoop."

Qin Sirong nodded without speaking. She was an assassin trained by Qin Hui, and all she had to do was complete the mission.

Seeing that no one had any objections, Zhang Qiqiao took out a regional map and analyzed the most likely route Yue Fei would take back to Lin'an.

Qin Sirong was responsible for gathering intelligence on Yue Fei's movements from the martial arts forces in Jiangnan, gaining control of these forces, and trying to lure them into an ambush.

The Four Demons of the Western Regions remained hidden in the shadows, working with Qin Sirong to hunt down martial arts figures in Jiangnan while searching for Yue Fei's whereabouts, aiming to eliminate him before the Jiangnan martial arts community could find him.

Zhang Qiqiao, on the other hand, was in charge of directing operations from the center and was responsible for contacting all the various forces!

After the discussion was settled, everyone dispersed, splitting into two lines, one open and one covert. For a time, the martial arts world of Jiangnan was in turmoil.

………………

In the end, there are still more intelligent people in this world.

As the Four Demons of the Western Regions continued their clandestine operations, ambushing and killing martial arts practitioners, their true intentions were finally noticed.

For a time, the martial arts world in Jiangnan was in an uproar. All the martial arts practitioners were searching for Yue Fei's whereabouts. One side wanted to protect him and use this opportunity to become famous throughout the world; the other side wanted to take advantage of the chaos, find Yue Fei's whereabouts, and kill him to eliminate future troubles.

Finally, the Famous Sword Manor, which had suppressed the martial arts world of Jiangnan for hundreds of years, once again came to the forefront of the storm.

With the gathering of like-minded individuals in the Jiangnan martial arts world, they unanimously hope that Yi Yun, who once served as the leader of the Jiangnan martial arts alliance, will once again lead all parties.

Mingjian Manor.

Yi Yun, Yi Yuchen, and Yi Jifeng gathered together. On the stone table, a bright red invitation card stood out—it was an invitation to the heroes of the martial arts world. It invited the Famous Sword Manor to participate in the alliance meeting, to elect a leader of the martial arts alliance, and to fight against Qin Hui's henchmen.

Yi Yun glanced at the silent Yi Yuchen, knowing he probably wanted to use this opportunity to train Yi Jifeng. After thinking for a moment, he said to Yi Jifeng...

"Now that the martial arts world has gathered together, someone must lead them to prevent them from going astray!"

“My legs are weak, and your elder brother has no interest in this. So you will represent Mingjian Manor to participate in the alliance meeting.”

"These martial arts outlaws, though some may be hidden among them, are mostly prone to acting impulsively and being easily swayed. The martial arts world can no longer withstand further turmoil."

"Once the martial arts world weakens, there will be no hope of resisting the Jin dynasty. Who will be able to stand against Qin Hui's henchmen?"

"Although you have practiced martial arts for many years, you lack experience. This is a good opportunity for you to go out into the martial arts world and see what it's like."

As he spoke, Yi Yun pushed the invitation card in front of Yi Jifeng.

Yi Jifeng glanced at his grandfather and elder brother, stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "I will definitely not tarnish the reputation of Mingjian Manor. I will definitely take back the title of leader of the martial arts alliance."

After Yi Jifeng left to make preparations, Yi Yun looked at his eldest grandson and asked, "What are your plans?"

This grandson always plans carefully before acting; he's quite shrewd and calculating. He has no interest in the martial arts tournament; he probably has other plans.

Yi Yuchen smiled upon hearing this and said...

"I want to meet Yue Fei."

"He originally had a way out, but now, with the actions of the martial arts forces, I'm afraid Zhao Gou's suspicion of him has turned into a determination to kill him."

"If he returns to Lin'an now, he will surely die! Although I know he will not run away, I still want to see him."

Chapter 195 The protagonist makes his appearance

Taihe Mountain, Qingfeng Temple.

The abbot, Daoist Wuchen, had five disciples and more than ten abbots, making him quite a large figure.

Master Wuchen claimed that his martial arts skills were unfathomable, but he never demonstrated them. All his other disciples believed him without question, except for his youngest disciple, Zhang Junbao, who was unconvinced.

Although this disciple was ordained in a Taoist temple, he dressed as a layman, simply because he was the only son of the Zhang family in Jiangnan.

Originally, they should have been at the Zhang family's ancestral home in Jiangnan. However, the head of the family, Zhang Tao, believed the fortune teller's words and thought that his son would definitely bring misfortune to his relatives and would not be able to see them before the age of twenty-five.

Therefore, after Zhang Junbao turned six, Zhang Tao, disregarding his wife's objections, sent Zhang Junbao to Qingfeng Temple to be raised, and only Zhang's mother visited him a few times a year.

Since Zhang Junbao came to Qingfeng Temple, Daoist Wuchen has been very protective of him. He is reluctant to hit or scold him and doesn't discipline him for his playfulness and mischief. He just patiently explains things to him.

Later, when a monk came to stay at the back mountain of Qingfeng Temple, Wuchen Daoren did not refuse him. Instead, he let Zhang Junbao play with the monk.

As a result, Zhang Junbao did not learn much martial arts, but he had a strange and mischievous personality and often played pranks on his fellow disciples.

Fortunately, his fellow disciples were kind and honest, and instead of taking it to heart, they played along with him, thus preventing Zhang Junbao from being traumatized by his childhood abandonment.

This was the first day Yue Fei received the gold medal.

Two young men arrived at Qingfeng Temple, which is also located on Mount Taihe. They said that the place was beautiful and had outstanding people, and they wanted to become monks and cultivate Taoism there for a period of time.

Wuchen Daoist naturally refused, but he couldn't resist the fact that the other party was so rich that he offered fifty taels of silver! You should know that a shi of rice is only eight hundred wen, so fifty taels is enough for Qingfeng Temple's food expenses for half a year.

Unable to refuse the earnest invitation, and with his disciples eagerly watching, Daoist Wuchen reluctantly accepted the two.

He assumed that the two were just young noblemen from some wealthy family going out for a stroll, and that they would lose interest after a few days and leave naturally, so he didn't mention the matter of becoming monks at all.

The other party seemed to have forgotten as well, and both sides tacitly forgot about the matter.

As they continued to interact with each other daily, everyone in Qingfeng Temple confirmed that the two were women. However, they exchanged knowing glances but did not say it outright. Even Daoist Wuchen pretended not to know and waited for the two of them to come down the mountain on their own.

………………

Since the arrival of these two, strange things have been happening in the vicinity of Qingfeng Temple. Villagers have been reporting seeing ghostly figures in the middle of the night and have been rushing to Qingfeng Temple to ask for amulets for protection.

Wuchen Daoist's heart skipped a beat. He saw that the two newly recruited disciples looked excited, which clearly meant there was something fishy going on!