"Brother Li, I cannot thank you enough for your kindness, please drink this cup to the full!"
Yan Jiuling raised his head and drank all the wine in the glass. After drinking several glasses in a row, his cheeks were stained red.
He raised his hand to pour another drink, his fingertips trembled slightly and the wine almost spilled.
Li Yan Seeing this, he quickly held down his wrist, lifted the wine jar aside, and said with a smile:
"Brother Yan, why should we be polite between you and me? If I drink any more, I'm afraid I'll end up drunk in this inn."
"It's not polite..."
Yan Jiuling sighed deeply, his eyes fell on the Bodhi tree outside the window, and his voice was low. "My father was afraid of disturbing my mind, so he kept hiding the crisis at home. It's ridiculous that I didn't notice it, and still traveled all the way. If Brother Li hadn't taken action, I'm afraid..."
At this point, he closed his eyes suddenly and clenched his knuckles until they turned white.
Li Yan patted his shoulder and said, "There is no need to mention the past. Now that the southwest has been settled and the Lei family is in charge, the Yan family can sit back and relax."
Seeing that Yan Jiuling's expression softened slightly, Li Yan took advantage of the situation and changed the subject. "But this 'Qiankun Academy', they didn't make it clear. Brother Yan worked hard to get the position, so he must know the inside story?"
Yan Jiuling heard this, his drunkenness faded slightly, a trace of solemnity flashed in his eyes, and he lowered his voice and said:
"As soon as Brother Li asked, I said bluntly that the future of this academy is related to the rise and fall of our country!"
"Have you heard anything about the Royal Fleet?"
"Know a thing or two."
Li Yan nodded slightly. "I heard that the imperial government secretly formed a fleet. In order to avoid the reputation of 'competing with the people', they deliberately disguised themselves as a caravan and went to sea. Unexpectedly, they were ambushed and damaged three treasure ships... The opponent seems to be using a moisture-proof New-Style Gunpowder?"
"More than gunpowder!"
Yan Jiuling said in a deep voice, "The matter has been found out. It was businessman Frankish who did it."
"They pretended to be pirates and plundered everywhere, trying to control the waterway. Not only did they use New-Style Gunpowder, which is moisture-proof, but the artillery is also very sophisticated. The barrel was drilled using a secret method, and the range is 30% farther than the Ministry of Engineering's 'Godly Might General Cannon'!"
His voice became more solemn. "His Majesty sent spies to conduct a thorough investigation, only to find out that the world has already changed dramatically."
"Frankish is the most powerful, and its whereabouts have spread all over the sea, but Red Haired Foreigners is more ferocious, showing a tendency of latecomers to catch up. They have already secretly controlled Nanyang Countries, pretending to be a vassal country and entering Divine Land also colluded with the Japanese Japanese pirates to destroy sea lanes, but because Southwest War had no time to take care of him before, he could only pretend to be confused. After Jinmen was bombarded, His Majesty took the opportunity to take action and eliminate these people..."
"Another continent, England and France are fighting, and have invaded Shendu, threatening our northwest Divine Land..."
"And that Rakshasa Country, taking in the remnants of Golden Horde Wolf Country, building a city and stationing troops in Mobei..."
As he spoke, he sighed, "Divine Land The border seems to be stable, but in fact it is full of crises."
Li Yan After listening, his pupils suddenly shrank.
Since Southern Song Dynasty was subverted by "Great Song Ghost Sect", the history of this world has been completely different from the previous one.
Fortunately, Great Xuan Dynasty's national power is no less powerful than that of the Ming Dynasty in its previous life.
But according to Yan Jiuling, the changes in overseas countries are actually faster than Divine Land?
Maybe something happened in the middle...
"His Majesty discovered that the strength of these barbarians is due to the 'academy' that emerged a hundred years ago."
Yan Jiuling continued, "They searched for classics from various countries and even went to those ancient mysteries Secret Realm to find the lost inheritance. Frankish's academy astrology secrets can calculate the stars and avoid storms. The 'Royal Society' in England even went to the capital to buy ancient books at high prices a while ago."
"So Qiankun Academy wants to include hundreds of families and revive Divine Land's destiny!"
Yan Jiuling slapped the table fiercely, "It's a pity that the rotten scholars in the court still regard magic as a strange skill. If the Southwest War hadn't made His Majesty see the benefits of firearms, I'm afraid this academy wouldn't even be able to lay a foundation!"
"That's it..."
Li Yan understood completely in his heart, and then looked at Zhao the Donkey, "Brother Yan, I would like to introduce someone to you. This brother Zhao the Donkey is my best friend. He is a member of the Zhao the Donkey family. Isn't the academy searching for Mister Luo? Can he join it to teach?"
"Of course!"
Before Yan Jiuling could reply, Fatty Lin next to him had a look of surprise on his face, "One of the missions of the academy is to re-measure Divine Land's feng shui. The people from all over the country are familiar with the local landscape, but it's a pity that each faction has its own treasure. If we can get together, we will definitely be able to do great things."
"Brother, are you willing to teach the secret method of the sect?"
Zhao the Donkey was silent for a moment and said in a low voice, "I have broken my oath to leave Guanzhong. These things left by my ancestors will eventually be spread. If it is really beneficial to Divine Land's luck, I will have the honor to see my ancestors after my death."
"This is wonderful!"
Yan Jiuling was very happy, "I will take you to see Jianzheng after a few days."
Li Yan asked, "The academy is about to open. I'm afraid Senior Yuan will be very busy, right?"
What he said was Yuan Feng, which seemed to be just the doctor Ministry of Works, Department of Yuheng, but was actually the elder Mo Sect.
At that time, I found Lu Ban Muque at Liangzi Lake and Li Yan, and got acquainted with this old man.
It was from his mouth that I first learned about the Qiankun Academy and was invited to join.
Qiankun Academy was established, and this old man was also appointed as the supervisor.
"That's not true."
Yan Jiuling shook his head and said, "Master Tian and his disciples have been mysterious these days. They often come in and out of the palace. I don't know what they are doing. The affairs of the academy have always been handled by me and other adults."
The speaker has no intention, the listener has intention.
Li Yan Spiritual Light suddenly flashed in his mind.
He remembered the Steam Engine prototype found in Liangzi Lake.
It seems that because of this incident, Yuan Feng became the supervisor of the Qiankun Academy.
Couldn't they have copied this thing...
While they were chatting, Yin Yang Master, who had just arrived, had arrived at East City.
In addition to the imperial city, inner city and outer city, the capital is also divided into five cities: central, east, south, west and north.
The terrain of this East City land is flat, and the East City land boundary stretches from Chongwen Gate to the east of Yonghe Temple, to the inner city wall in the north, and to the south from Chongwen Gate and the Dongbianmen line, which is where the water transportation throat lies.
Tonghui River There are many grain ships on board, and there are many warehouses beside Datong Bridge. It is a prosperous scene of "thousands of sails racing across Chaoguan North, and tens of thousands of loads of grain and rice entering the warehouse".
There are five houses here: Mingshi, Huanghua, Sicheng, Nanjuxian, and Beijuxian. Banks and banknotes are located next to each other within the walls of the houses. The Dengshikou Night Market stays open all night. Imperial College The sound of reading and the chants of laborers are heard one after another. On the stone tablet carried by the Confucius Temple, the words "Edict to be built in the 15th year of Daxuan Hongjing" are still clear.
Yin Yang Master held a long flag and walked through the street.
A few porters squatting under the eaves of the warehouse eating cooking cakes caught a glimpse of the banner and spat three times on the ground.
Anyone who dares to play with mysteries in this world is either a true god or a short-lived ghost.
Yin Yang Master walked on the bluestone road and came to a blue brick warehouse.
Outside the warehouse, a dozen strong men were standing or squatting, telling dirty jokes.
Among them was a man with gold teeth, who was imitating the girls from the Bada Hutong kilns and waving their handkerchiefs, making everyone laugh.
They rolled up the sleeves of their black robes, revealing the "Iron Anchor" tattoo on their left arms.
The tattoo is green with a hint of purple, and was made with aged pigeon blood mixed with cinnabar. Only the old gangs were particular about this technique, and the people nearby did not dare to approach.
There are three major gangs in Beijing, "Iron Anchor Society", "Tiger Might Hall" and "Copper Camel Alliance".
This is the entrance of "Iron Anchor Society".
Not only are they related to Cao Gang, but they also control East City's "Five Elements", and their power is indeed quite large.
Seeing Yin Yang Master approaching, several men immediately surrounded him with fierce expressions on their faces.
The man with gold teeth stared, "Hey! Where did this old man come from? What are you groping for?"
Yin Yang Master slightly cupped his hands and said, "Excuse me, everyone, Wang Branch Master asked me to help arrange the feng shui at home, so I came here to meet you."
"Oh?"
The man with gold teeth changed his face slightly and looked up and down, "Wait!"
After saying that, he turned around and went in to report.
After a while, the man ran out, his attitude obviously improved, "Branch Master invites you."
The two entered the warehouse and saw that there was a strange world inside.
Densely stacked cargo boxes resemble walls, dividing the warehouse into different areas.
In front is the facade used for picking up goods, with piles of sacks marked with "Su-Song Grain Route" seals, but in fact they are all private salt.
There was an old man lying in front of the counter calculating accounts, and the sound of the abacus was louder than raindrops.
A man named Carriage Guild came to pick up the bamboo chips for delivery, his face full of fawning.
There were also a few shirtless men wrestling in an empty arena, causing the surrounding people to howl and cry.
A thin man squatted on a bench and opened the handicap:
"Buy it and leave! If the black blind man can hold on to Old Willow, Laozi will pay you two cents!"
Passing through the front hall, the inside is more complicated.
There are several various passages, some of which can only be passed sideways and are covered with mud to prevent fire.
You could vaguely see the light of fire inside, as well as the sound of whips and screams.
Unlike Cao Gang, "Iron Anchor Society"'s business is not just about transporting goods.
East City Commerce and trade are developed, there are many bank accounts, and there are even more secretly lending money.
"Iron Anchor Society" not only lends money at high interest rates, but also helps people collect debts.
On the surface, there are industries such as "Smooth Sailing Shipping Company" and "Tonghe Warehouse".
Secretly, he also runs "Water Ghost Hall", a business that takes money and kills people.
In short, the industry is complex, and the background behind it is even more complex, otherwise it would have been annexed by Cao Gang.
Yin Yang Master turned a blind eye to this and followed the man through three iron-covered secret doors to the back of the warehouse.
This place is also divided by cargo boxes, but it is decorated like a house. The ground is paved with blue bricks, there are bonsai trees, fish tanks, and even a small courtyard built, all lit by surrounding torches, just like at night.
"Go in, Branch Master is inside."
Before they even got close, the man leading the way stopped.
Yin Yang Master nodded slightly and walked into the small courtyard.
After entering the door, I saw two people sitting inside, drinking tea.
One of them has a bald head and a white beard, a copper ring hanging from his left ear, and is wearing a brocade robe. Not only does he have an iron anchor tattooed on his arm, but he also has a huge and ferocious snake tattooed on his scalp. Although he is old, he still looks fierce and majestic.
This person is "Iron Anchor Society" Branch Master King Snake.
The other person is even taller, it is Jinghai Gang's second boss, Zhang Tiankui nicknamed 'Iron Arm Dragon King'.
At this moment, he was no longer as domineering as before. He was holding a glass of wine with a depressed expression on his face.
When I saw Yin Yang Master arriving, I just glanced at it and ignored it.
King Snake also had a normal expression on his face, drank the wine in his glass and said, "Brother Tiankui, with our relationship, we will naturally help anyone we can, but you also know that the capital is not as good as other places when it comes to court battles, and we Iron Anchor Society don't have such thick arms."
"But don't worry, it's very safe here. You can stay here and the court's hawks and dogs won't be able to smell it."
"Well, since I have something to do, I'll leave first."
Zhang Tiankui also drank the wine in the glass and turned around to leave.
After he walked away, King Snake's expression changed, and he suddenly lay on the ground and kowtowed:
"My subordinates pay their respects to Master Kong Xian!"
Yin Yang Master smiled, the facial features on his face kept distorting, and his face melted like wax, revealing Zhang Qinghuo's face.
He has an ordinary appearance, light eyes, and a rather elegant air.
It is Yu Wenhai's master, "Rotten Document Mister" Kong Hui!
King Snake Seeing this, he stood up quickly, took out the talisman for isolating detection from his arms, and hung it carefully at the door.
After doing this, he knelt on the ground again and secretly glanced at Kong Hui, who was sitting on the Grand Master's chair.
Under the candlelight, this "Rotten Document Mister" was wearing a clean green shirt and holding a tea cup with slender jade-like fingers. He looked more like an imperial lecturer in Imperial College. But the hairs on the back of King Snake's neck stood up like a field mouse being stared at by a poisonous snake.
He was worried and said with a smile, "Master Immortal, I heard that Brother Yu was lost in the hands of Commandery Commandant Office? I don't know..."
"He can't speak."
Kong Hui poured a cup of tea by himself, "What happened Zhang Tiankui just now?"
King Snake sneered, "This kid betrayed Lu Jinghai and still wanted to be a gang leader, but he didn't know how the court would let them go. All his brothers were arrested by the yamen. He also gained a reputation as a traitor and was hunted down by Prince Ying's Estate. He came here to ask for help."
"I will stabilize him temporarily and see if the immortal master can use it."
Kong Hui was noncommittal, "Where is Zhao Qingxu?"
Although his tone was calm, King Snake was sweating, "This... I don't know. After I told you to deal with those boys Girl, Master Zhao Xian never showed up again. He just asked me to collect information and not to cause trouble."
"Oh?"
Kong Hui held up the teacup, "Is this your kiln?"
King Snake After listening, his eyes unconsciously moved to the teacup.
But he saw Kong Hui blowing Miancha lightly, and white mist passed over his indifferent eyebrows.
The dark inscription "Yuande" on the bottom of the tea cup is faintly visible in the candlelight. It is the "Ji Qing Glaze" from the official kiln of the previous dynasty.
King Snake Suddenly felt that the tea cup was enlarging in his sight, and the cracks in the glazed ice turned into thousands of spider webs, entangling his consciousness layer by layer...
Soon, his eyes became confused.
"Where is Zhao Qingxu?"
The quiet voice of inquiry seemed to come from far away.
King Snake's eyes were straight, and his lips opened and closed mechanically. "After I told you to deal with thirty-six pairs of boys and girls... I have never been seen again."
After asking several times in succession and finding out that the other party was not lying, Kong Hui waved his finger lightly.
Ding!
The crisp sound of the tea cup came, and King Snake woke up suddenly, and the clothes on his back were soaked through.
He didn't realize anything was strange. He just thought he was distracted and rubbed his hands to apologize, "Immortal Elder What a good eye! This is the tribute stolen by the clerk of the Ministry of Works to pay off the debt. I am planning to use him to set up a game and serve as a spy for the war bureau. Immortal Elder If you like it, I will get a better one for you..."
"No need."
Kong Hui stopped the conversation. "Send a message to Zhao Qingxu, I want to see him. If you keep hiding, don't want this stall in the capital!"
"Yes, Immortal Elder."
Behind me, King Snake felt a hair in his heart, and a chill rose from his back.
Although he is famous as a murderer on the streets of Beijing, he is secretly supported by Jianmu.
Only he knows how terrifying these people are!
King Snake did not dare to delay at all, and immediately called his subordinates and whispered:
"Hurry and prepare a table of high-quality noodles. I want 'Drunken Immortal Restaurant' Eight Treasure Brew, 'Gather Virtue Quarter' roasted deer breast, and four kinds of fresh seasonal fruits."
After his men took the order and left, he straightened his clothes and hurriedly exited the cargo hold.
In the secret space between the walls of the cargo hold, Zhang Tiankui was secretly peeping at his back through the ventilation holes.
He held his breath and concentrated, even the rustle of his clothes against the brick wall was deliberately suppressed.
He was born with a strange appearance, his spine was like a dragon, and his wrestling skills were amazing. He earned the nickname "Iron Arm Dragon King" in the world.
But what is really rare is to awaken Intent Mystical Power and learn the art of inviting gods.
Intent Mystical Power is the most mysterious among Yang Six Roots Divine Ability. Some people can communicate with gods and some can perceive things thousands of miles away.
But Zhang Tiankui is extremely sensitive to Qi breath.
Even if it is isolated using secret techniques, it can still be detected.
The breath coming from deep in the cargo hold made his spine feel hot.
He is a mortal enemy of Yu Wenhai, and has also met his master.
Zhang Tiankui gritted his steel teeth, and the muscles on his cheeks stretched out.
Unexpectedly, when I was desperate and asked for help, I met the real mastermind of the Jinmen incident.
If sold to Commandery Commandant Office, the brothers' lives may be saved.
As soon as the thought occurred to him, he suddenly turned around and prepared to leave.
"Where are you going, Mr. Zhang?"
As soon as he opened the door, three strong men were already blocking the way.
The gold-toothed man at the head smiled enthusiastically, but his waist Water Dividing Spike showed three inches of cold light intentionally or unintentionally.
"I'm so suffocated, let's take a breath."
Zhang Tiankui pretended to be carefree and replied.
"Don't dare!"
The man with gold teeth smiled humbly, with half of the black match rope exposed from his cuffs, "You showed your face, and the hawks and dogs of Jinyiwei came over after smelling the smell. We can't afford it. Branch Master said, we will get you whatever you want to eat and drink."
That's polite, but in the gap between the high-level cargo piles, Three Fires gun has appeared, aiming at Zhang Tiankui...