Lord of the Desert

Chapter 464 Getting to the bottom of things
The three-bedroom Dingxin Jingshe has its own independent courtyard, and the paintings and screens are all exquisitely made. It is naturally a first-class luxurious residence.

But thirty-two taels of silver a day would be too much for even Hong Fan Lai Hua.

On the tenth day of July, he sent Shen Hong and others out early in the morning to look for a dentist to look for a house. Not long after, they sensed from the Dragon Soul Tree that a star god had arrived at the inn.

The person who came was actually Hu Zhuang.

He came to deliver the title deed to the mansion.

After leaving Shuixin City, Hu Zhuang arrived in Shenjing at the end of June. From then on, he asked people to pay attention to the movements of Zhangwu Academy every day, and he followed the clues to find Hong Fan's whereabouts.

All this was naturally in accordance with Xiao Chu's arrangements - so careful and thoughtful that Hong Fan felt like he was looking at himself in the mirror.

After lunch, the two went to see the house together.

It has three courtyards, a stable and a small garden. It is located in the south city, not too central. Although it is far inferior to Asahi Palace, its market value is over a thousand taels.

With Jing Huanxing's cooperation, Hong Fan and Xiao Chu already have a lot of interests tied to them, so a gift of this magnitude is nothing.

So he gladly accepted it, and only refused the few maids and servants who were sent to the house.

In mid-July, the group was busy decorating their new home, getting acquainted with the neighbors, and hiring people. Just as they were getting things done, they were visited by a scholar from the Hanlin Academy and the Junior Secretary of the Eastern Palace.

Apparently, in the eyes of the higher-ups, Hong Fan's achievements in Shengzhou far surpassed those of Hong Jian in defending Jinhai in the past, so much so that both the court and the royal family gave him rewards.

The former read out the imperial edict, conferring on him the title of "General Wude"; this was a fifth-rank military official position with a salary of three thousand stones but no specific duties.

The latter brought gold, silver and silk as personal rewards from the prince, equivalent to more than 30,000 taels of silver, as well as a letter of thanks, the core idea of ​​which was "It was all thanks to you that my sister was not crippled by the chaos in the world."

From this, it can be seen that the Crown Prince and the Princess have a good personal relationship.

On July 20th, Hong Fan paid a visit to Han Anlan, the magic saint who was stationed in the Shenjing Weapon Factory.

The latter had achieved the state of communication between heaven and man. He was 87 years old at the time, and his main academic achievements were in mathematical analysis. His proudest achievement was the discovery of the "Anlan formula" - e^(ix)=cos x+isin x - this formula established the relationship between trigonometric functions and exponential functions, and occupies a very important position in mathematical analysis and complex function theory.

In another world, it is called Euler's formula.

With Hong Fan's ability, it is too easy to conquer the math guy.

In full view of everyone, he wrote three inferences based on the Anlan formula on the spot.

First, x=(α+β)
Substitute e^(ix)=cos x+isin x,

Expand to get
e^ i(α+β)=e^(iα)e^(iβ)=(cosα+isinα)(cosβ+isinβ),

After further expansion, separate the real part and the imaginary part, and directly obtain the sum-angle formula of trigonometric functions.

cos(α+β)=cosαcosβsinαsinβ，

sin(α+β)=sinαcosβ+cosαsinβ.

0. About the ordinary differential equation y''+y=
Let the solution be y=e^(kx)
Substituting into the equation, we get the characteristic equation

K^2+1=0, the root is k=±i,

Using Euler's formula, we get the general solution:

y=C1e^(ix)+C2e^(ix)=Acosx+Bsinx.

3. Substitute π into e^(ix)=cos x+isin x,

We get e^(iπ)+1=0, an extremely beautiful and artistic equation that relates five basic mathematical constants.

Although these were not great achievements, they had already deeply shocked several scholars who were in charge of instrument making present, and made Hong Fan regarded as a close friend by Han Anlan.

On July 23, Xiao Chu completed his two-month fundraising journey and returned to Shenjing.

Hong Fan sent the invitation immediately and visited the emperor three days later.

Princess Xiande's (Xiao Chu's title) mansion is located in the powerful area of ​​the north city near the imperial palace. The guards outside the door are wearing red divine bird cloaks, and they are obviously from the Shengyu Army.

Being able to use private armies in the capital is undoubtedly a manifestation of power, and most unmarried Dahua princesses do not even have their own independent mansions.

Next to a pool of clear water, Hong Fan saw from afar that Xiao Chu was different from before.

She wore no heavy armor nor military uniform. She wore a long green skirt inside and a thin, translucent bright yellow gauze shirt with wide sleeves and a front opening outside. She had no jewelry except a phoenix-head hairpin with kingfisher feathers. Her only decoration was a light purple shawl that was wrapped around her neck and hung in front of her body.

The maid stopped outside the corridor.

Hong Fan walked into the Peony Pavilion and saw Xiao Chu sitting by the railing, with a pair of red-string clogs on his toes, happily feeding the fish.

"Your Highness looks happy, so I guess the fundraising went smoothly?"

he laughed.

"The Shengyu Army's money is not just for me, how hard can it be to find it?"

Xiao Chu glanced back and said proudly.

"Shijia County saw this princess coming, so they had to pay for several months' expenses. This time I went to three states to collect the money, and I have already collected 80% of the money for Shengzhou."

She said as she spilled a large amount of fish food.

"It's just that I went to ask my brother for money yesterday, hoping to fill the last hole, but he said that he had just sent a batch of military pay to the northern border of Hezhou at the beginning of the month, and he also paid you an extra sum, but there was no extra left for me."

This was said with a joking complaint.

"I heard that Zhenbei Guard has always been doing its own thing. Does the court still pay them?"

Hong Fan took the initiative to ignore the second half of the sentence.

"Send it, it's also Dahua's territory, how can we just ignore it?"

Xiao Chu rolled his eyes at him.

"On the surface, the imperial court receives tax silver from the north of the Kuaiye Mountains every year, but the amount is not large, far less than the food and wages allocated in the past. The Zhenbei Guard also recognizes the officials sent by the central government, but without their approval, these officials can do nothing."

"Why has the situation come to this?"

Hong Fan sat down at the railing on the other side of the pavilion, looking at Xiao Chu's empty eyes.

"They are geographically separated and culturally different, but in the final analysis, it all started with the Rebellion of the Thirteen Kings."

Xiao Chu didn't shy away from it.

"After the civil strife, although the capital was saved, the entire Zhongzhou suffered heavy losses. For decades after that, the imperial court's finances and military power were insufficient, and it could neither help nor control the areas north of Kuaiye Mountain in Hezhou. The Zhenbei Guard had to find a way out on its own under the threat of the giant spirit, and it ended up like this."

"How have you been in Shenjing these few days? Do you still need the yard I gave you?"

She changed the subject.

"Very good, but I just arrived in Shenjing for the first time, just like a fish in shallow water suddenly entering the ocean, I feel a little unfamiliar and nervous."

Hong Fan replied.

"You are just pretending. You dare to sit down in front of the princess without asking. Why are you so scared?"

Xiao Chu sneered and flicked out a fish food, which hit the forehead of an exceptionally strong white-backed koi that was desperately fighting for food.

The fish were frightened and scattered suddenly, like colorful flowers withering.

"Since you are willing to come and see me, I will reluctantly explore the deep waters of Shenjing with you."

Xiao Chu clapped his hands, put his clogs back on his feet with a snap, and stood up to pace.

A fragrant breeze blew in the pavilion, covering the fishy smell of water.

She was over 1.75 meters tall, well-proportioned and strong, and looked vigorous even in a skirt.

Hong Fan noticed that Xiao Chu had wrapped his chest, but not too tightly, which was quite distracting.

"There are many people in Shenjing who are hard to offend. Apart from the royal family, the most difficult person to deal with is definitely your current boss."

Xiao Chu walked to the other end of the pavilion, leaned against the railing, and stood in the gentle afternoon sunlight.

"You should have heard something about the headmaster—impatient, stubborn, disgusted with the ways of the world, inconsiderate of his subordinates, and his actions seem somewhat arrogant even for a martial saint..."

She hesitated.

"These comments are true, but he is difficult to get along with, and he is also responsible. I'm afraid the person who is most capable of taking on responsibilities in the entire Shenjing is not my great-grandfather, but him."

When Xiao Chu said this, he couldn't help but express admiration.

"To the east, we suppressed the two feudal states; to the west, we recovered the three prefectures of Huaiyang; to the north, we squeezed the Zhenbei Guard. Seven years ago, the head of the mountain went north to talk to Kou Fei in person, so that a military supervisor could be put in every city north of the Kuaiye Mountains in the past seven years."

"Now, relying on these foundations, the court's influence in Zhenbeiwei has expanded a lot, and occasionally by allocating money and food, it can also place some mid-level military generals. In short, my father has to be careful when facing the head of the mountain. The only one in the whole Shenjing who dares to be casual in front of him is my great-grandfather."

After saying this, Xiao Chu came back, casually swinging one end of the shawl in his hand.

"The Artifacts Bureau is large in size and has a wide range of ties, and is closely connected to my brother. However, I heard that you have great respect among the five art saints, so there is no need for outsiders to interfere."

"Besides the eight ministries in the court, there is also the Supervisory Council. This department is really mysterious, and I can't really explain what they do on a daily basis. The head of the Supervisory Council is Guan Qianjian, and I have met him several times. I remember that he was in office when I was a child, and he was very respected by my father and brother.

Well, let me put it this way, the three lists include all the masters in the world, regardless of their status, but people in the world don’t know that only the warriors of the Supervisory Council are not on the list; in addition, any problems with Shi Xin Wu Chang and Zi Wu Chang are handled privately by the Supervisory Council. "

Hong Fan understood.

The Tiangang Divine Wind in Feng Yeyi's Impermanence Realm is scary enough, and the fact that the Inspectorate was able to interfere with the Impermanence Realm left behind by the death of the two demon gods shows that it has a profound foundation.

"Outside the imperial court, there is also the saying of Three Dukes and Four Marquises in Shenjing."

Xiao Chu picked up a lychee from the fruit plate on the stone table and his tone became relaxed.

"The three dukes are Shen, Zhou and Lu, and the four marquises are Bu, Zu, Shang and Jiang. Among them, there are celestial beings in the families of the three dukes, and the four marquises have multiple Yuanci. The Dingxin Jingshe where you lived before is the property of the Huaiyuan duke Lu family. Most of these seven families don't get along well with the Zhangwu Academy. Of course, the Divine Capital is a mountain, and the mountain chief is a tiger. They dare not do anything to the Tiqi easily." Having said that, Xiao Chu puffed up his cheeks and suddenly spit out the lychee pit, and beat the fat white-backed koi that was bullying the fish school, making it flee.

"There were originally two great sects in Shenjing, but now they have both moved away."

"Oh, and there are also the royal families of the vassal states. Because Emperor Xiao has an agreement with the princes, the Yi family and the Hou family both have mansions in the capital, and they often hostage several outstanding descendants. These guys have the support of the Martial Saint behind them, and when they act recklessly, they are like sticky candy and are not easy to deal with."

She showed a look of disgust, wrinkled her nose and sneered.

"Ordinary court officials, civil servants, generals, nobles, and wealthy merchants cannot confront the Purple Ribbon of the Martial Academy. If my brothers and sisters are involved, you can beg me and I will help you settle it..."

Xiao Chu ate five lychees in a row, and when he said this he slapped his chest, which scared Hong Fan so much that he quickly looked away and angrily looked at the scenery in the courtyard.

······
It was Shen Shizheng (four o'clock in the afternoon) when Hong Fan left the princess's mansion.

Outside the corridor, the glazed tiles on the top of the wall shine brightly under the warm sun.

"Sir, I have informed you for the third time that His Highness does not wish to see you."

A bitter female voice came from the side door.

"Please tell the eunuch that Yi She only wants to see His Highness and see that she is safe."

Another male voice responded firmly.

Hong Fan walked forward, knowing that the female servant outside (responsible for daily service and conveying orders in the princess's mansion) was talking nonsense just now.

He had been by Xiao Chu's side for half the afternoon and had never seen anyone come to report.

Of course, it’s none of his business whether it’s nonsense or not.

Passing by the armored guards who were staring straight ahead and the female servant with sweat on her forehead, Hong Fan glanced at the person who was speaking as he walked out.

He is of medium height and about the same age as himself. His appearance is slightly worse than that of the clean-cut Qu Luoyi, but he can be considered handsome.

The only thing he had was a sky blue martial arts uniform embroidered with ice-cracking lightning patterns, which looked somewhat familiar.

[The sky of Yunlan City is blue, with tiger eyes and lion mouths, punishing Yi Zhen on behalf of the heaven. ]

An image flashed through Hong Fan's mind, and he immediately thought of the word "twilly" that Xiao Chu had cursed with his nose wrinkled.

[Yi She, the innate five-in-one, the heir of the "Void Thunder Scripture", and the seventh on the Tianjiao list? ]

You must know that the lickers in heat are the most ignorant, especially those who claim to be extremely powerful.

So Hong Fan withdrew his gaze as if to ward off evil spirits and walked out.

But the opponent was able to shrink the ground into an inch and block him, his speed was much faster than that of Instant Step.

"who are you?"

Yi She narrowed his eyes and asked bluntly.

There are many people coming in and out of Princess Xian De's mansion every day - such a huge mansion requires people to do maintenance, purchases, and carry manure - and most of them have nothing to do with the eldest princess.

But Hong Fan's attire and appearance made it clear that he didn't look like an ordinary person.

"who are you?"

Yi She almost gritted his teeth.

"I arrived half an hour ago, but I didn't see you enter the mansion. So His Highness has been seeing you the whole time?!"

There was a blue light in his eyes, and his whole body was as sharp as lightning.

"I am a nobody, so I will not make friends with you."

Hong Fan dismissed him casually, cursed him in his heart as an idiot, and moved away to bypass him.

But Yi She took a step forward and tried to stop him.

"Let me ask you, what are you doing in your Highness's residence?"

The content of his three interrogations kept changing, which showed that he had already imagined a big drama in his mind.

But the Shenjing in the 31st year of Zhenghe was not as good as the Jinhai in the 27th year of Zhenghe. In Hongfan's heart, his place on the list of geniuses no longer had much weight.

He glanced at the sweaty female servant who couldn't get a word in, then looked at the Shengyu Army guards at the door.

"As the guards of His Highness, you must recognize this man. I don't know if he is from the Imperial Clan Court or the Supervisory Council. What qualifications do you have to set up a checkpoint in front of Princess Xiande's mansion and spy on my private discussion with the Princess?"

Hong Fan said in a serious tone.

Once the topic changes, the nature of the matter becomes different.

The captain of the guard immediately gave up the idea of ​​watching the fun, sent a subordinate into the mansion to report the news, and then he stepped forward with a knife in hand.

"Sir, the Princess's Mansion is an important royal residence, and you are not allowed to be presumptuous."

The fighting power of the two is very different.

Although Yi She despised the insignificant person in front of him, but thinking that Xiao Chu had always protected the officers of his Shengyu Army, he suppressed his anger and ignored him, only using his body to block Hong Fan.

The northern city is home to many dignitaries and there are constant horse-drawn carriages on the road.

But every time someone lifted the curtain to look, they were forced back by Yi She's sharp gaze.

Not long after, heavy footsteps were heard in the mansion.

Hu Zhuang placed one hand on the door beam and ducked his head like a bear before crawling out. Behind him followed a soldier who came to report the news. It was obvious that he already knew what had happened.

He took a deep breath, wiped his face, and went straight to the person in charge.

"Yi She, let me tell you the truth. His Highness has always disapproved of people like you who don't deal with practical matters. He has only tolerated you a few times because of your status. Don't be ungrateful."

The Elephant Eater is a star of destiny for battle, and Hu Zhuang’s combat power has been honed in Shengzhou and is close to that of Yuanci, so he is not polite at all.

"Your Highness has misunderstood me deeply. As the Crown Prince, I have not been able to leave the Capital in these years. Otherwise, I would have followed her to fight in the north and south to defend my country..."

Yi She hurried to clarify.

"You can think whatever you want, but your Highness is kindhearted, and my patience is limited."

Hu Zhuang shouted.

"Will you let me go?!"

Seeing that the captain of Xiao Chu's personal guards was standing against him, Yi She had no choice but to compromise, glaring at Hong Fan and moving aside.

"It's funny."

Hu Zhuang nodded to Hong Fan.

"Thank you."

Hong Fan bowed and left.

This interaction made Yi She realize that the two people were familiar with each other.

He is young, good-looking, speaks with an accent that is not native to Shenjing, and is also familiar with Xiao Chu and Hu Zhuang...

A name suddenly emerged in his mind.

[In just three months, how far has their relationship come? ]

In the scorching July, Yi She felt frozen all over at first, and then a fire of jealousy burned in his body.

"You are Chixing Hongfan!"

He shouted angrily, shocking the flock of birds on the back of the house from dozens of meters away.

But the young man in the distance didn't even turn back, leaving only an indifferent back at the alley.

PS: (Words added after this paragraph is published are not counted as paid words)
Since Nailong came home from the confinement center a few days ago, my operations officer and I, as new parents, have been through a chaotic and exhausting period. Especially since Nailong is a high-demand baby who is in the second trimester and cries very loudly, which is quite torturous every night.

Due to fatigue, lack of sleep, and restlessness, every time I tried to calm down and write a little during this period, I ended up failing.

During the two days of the New Year, I occasionally thought about this new child who really disrupted our original life order and affected my writing of the book. But from another perspective, isn’t she also a new book that I will spend the rest of my life diligently writing?

Some time ago, I finished reading most of the complete works of Yasunari Kawabata. I was deeply impressed by the decay and corruption often depicted from the perspective of the elderly in the novels, as well as the desire, retreat and inferiority revealed when faced with vibrant new things.

Ever since my grandmother, who raised me, passed away in 2015, I have often suffered from death anxiety, especially in the years since I turned . The comprehensive and slow decline of my spirit, courage, memory, brain power, and physical strength is nothing short of a chronic torture.

It suddenly dawned on me that every second a person spends after birth is called aging, and every step taken is towards death. It’s just that the person who wrote this was once in his prime and disdained to face it.

At this time, I had a daughter.

A new little life is also a turning point in my life course and role.

Before that, I differentiated between identities, calculated gains and losses, and was busy with my own ego. I never had even a thought of becoming an unconditional giver.

From then on, I have a new perspective to experience life, and my words and deeds in the next ten years will echo in the world that I cannot see decades later.

Water, fertilize, and take good care of it.

If so, I will have a midday sun that belongs to me alone, shining on my sunset.

Almost forgot to wish you all a Happy New Year!

Life is short, I wish you all health, safety, happiness, joy and joy!
In addition, my book friend Zhuye Huaishuise helped me write a single chapter to the author of "The Immortal Eater" Yingwu Yaoshe. I would like to express my gratitude to both of them here.

The book "The Immortal Eater" was so popular that it dominated the magazines, much more so than my own works. I have already put it on my own book list, and I would like to recommend it to everyone!
(End of this chapter)