Knife splashing

Chapter 303: The Palace Sells Treasures
It is said that the treasury of the Wuchang Palace is a forbidden area, but Li Yan feels that it is dangerous everywhere from the moment he enters the door.

At the side door they entered, the palace guards were all carrying muskets, including two new-style divine muskets.

In addition, they also led a fierce dog, which was huge in size, covered with black hair, and it was unknown what breed it was. It had a pair of dark yellow eyes and stared at the few people.

This should be the palace guard team.

Li Yan also saw similar teams patrolling along the corners under the walls.

Cooperate with the sentries on the blockhouse to form a tight line of defense.

There are only a few people who can break into this first floor alone.

In addition, Li Yan could vaguely feel threatened in some places along the way, but the only thing he saw clearly was an ordinary old eunuch who crossed paths with them.

He couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

There are many mysterious techniques in this world, and they have been passed down for thousands of years, but the imperial court can control the entire China, and the royal power is more powerful than the divine power, so how can it not have power?

Jianghu is just a small part of China...

Just then, he saw a group of people walking towards this side on the river bank in the distance. The leader was the Prince of Wuchang, followed by a dozen guards and eunuchs.

Hu Ming naturally noticed it as well, and quickly got up and went to the door.

Seeing the Prince of Wuchang from afar, he smiled and bowed respectfully, saying, "I greet the Prince!"

The attitude is very humble, even a little flattering.

Li Yan also followed out, but didn't say much. He just bowed without bending down.

"No need to greet you two."

The Prince of Wuchang raised his hand with a smile on his face.

Li Yan looked at him secretly. He had heard that the prince's name was Xiao Shixian and he was quite obsessed with martial arts. Now it seemed like pure nonsense.

There is a murderous aura around the opponent, as well as some kind of hot energy. I'm afraid he not only knows kung fu, but also some martial arts.

Although he is young, he speaks with great dignity. No wonder he is recognized as the successor to King Wuchang.

You know, King Wuchang has many children.

He didn't know that Xiao Shixian was also looking at him.

The Prince of Wuchang originally had some thoughts on recruiting Li Yan to his side. After all, he was young and had great potential. But when he saw that Li Yan was unwilling to bow, he immediately gave up the idea.

The underworld has its own rules, and the same is true for the court.

"How can I bow my head and serve the powerful?" It sounds great, but the price is that I will definitely not be able to integrate into the rules.

On Guishan Mountain is the tomb of Ni Heng, a man of great talent but arrogant in character. He humiliated Cao Cao and despised Liu Biao. Not to mention realizing his ambitions, he did not even live to the age of 26 and was killed for angering Huang Zu.

Just as the King of Wuchang said, Li Yan is just a gangster. They had their heads stuck in the door, so they invited such a person to their door.

What they want are subordinates who can fight and work. They would never look for someone to cause trouble for themselves, no matter how capable the person is.

As soon as the two sides met, they both had plans in mind.

After the eunuchs replaced the hot tea, Wuchang Prince Xiao Shixian smiled at Hu Ming and said, "Mr. Hu, I heard that you are from the Jade Emperor Temple in Zezhou, and are a member of the Doumuyuan lineage?"

"Your Highness is right." Hu Ming quickly agreed.

After hearing this, Xiao Shixian pretended to be curious and asked, "Most of the people in your Doumuyuan work in the Imperial Observatory. I heard that Your Majesty intends to revise the calendar?"

Hu Ming hesitated for a moment and said, "It is true."

To be honest, this is why they were so anxious to build the observatory. Formulating a calendar is a major event that will go down in history books.

For them, being able to participate and have more say is more important than any money or treasure.

After hearing this, Xiao Shixian frowned, "Revising the calendar is a huge project. The Shushi Calendar was created not long ago. Why are we in such a hurry to revise it?"

"Your Highness doesn't know."

Hu Ming seemed to be moved by what he said, and said with emotion: "In ancient times, there was the Yellow Emperor's calendar, followed by the Xia calendar, the Yin calendar, and the Zhou calendar. The Ganzhi calendar, the new moon and the full moon were gradually improved. It can be seen that the calendar must also change with the times."

"For example, after the Qin unified the six kingdoms, it established the Zhuanxu calendar. However, by the Western Han Dynasty, it was no longer consistent with the astronomical phenomena, and the solar terms were even more inaccurate. Therefore, Sima Qian and others were ordered to create the Taichu calendar, which included the 24 solar terms..."

"Because of the deviation between the vernal equinox and the ecliptic, Zu Chongzhi introduced the 'precession of the equinoxes' during the Northern and Southern Dynasties to determine the 'Da Ming calendar', which was more accurate. In the Tang Dynasty, due to the inaccuracy of the solar eclipse, another monk Yixing determined the 'Da Yan calendar'..."

"During the Daxing Dynasty, Guo Shoujing and others established the "Shushi Calendar", which was already perfect. However, after the opening of the sea, overseas astronomy was introduced by foreign monks, which also had its advantages."

"So your majesty's intention is to learn from each other's strengths and overcome our weaknesses, and revise the calendar to cope with the current situation..."

"I see."

After hearing this, the Prince of Wuchang suddenly realized what was going on. He nodded and said, "This matter will benefit future generations. Naturally, my Wuchang Palace will also contribute to it."

"I will give the Immortal Crystal to the Jade Emperor Temple and donate another 100,000 taels to facilitate this matter."

Hu Ming was stunned, and quickly stood up, bowing deeply and saying, "Your Highness is so kind and righteous, we are so grateful. We will pray for you in the temple, and we will also erect a monument on the day when the observatory is completed."

Even though the Prince of Wuchang behaved like an adult, he couldn't help but curl his lips when he heard this, "It's all thanks to my father."

The scene before him made Li Yan laugh secretly in his heart.

He had figured out that the King of Wuchang had no intention of selling it, and the Crown Prince was asking despite knowing the answer. Giving away the crystal was also a way to build a good relationship with the Taixuan Orthodox Church and establish a good reputation for himself.

In this matter, both parties are actually acting.

I guess even without my mediation, this matter would have been accomplished in another way. It would be nothing more than the Jade Emperor Temple giving enough face and the Wuchang Palace going along with it.

After the performance, the Prince of Wuchang turned his head and looked at Li Yan, smiling and said, "This must be Young Master Li from Guanzhong, right? I saw you fighting in the ring a few days ago. It's really extraordinary that you can achieve such success at such a young age."

"Your Excellency, thank you for your compliment."

Li Yan calmly bowed and said, "I am just a wanderer in the world. There are always people better than me. I don't know how many people are smarter than me."

The Prince of Wuchang nodded slightly, then with a serious expression, he asked about the situation in Zigui County at that time.

Li Yan pondered for a moment and then gave a detailed account.

The Wuchang Palace guards Ezhou, so some things can be known with a little inquiry, so there is naturally no need to hide them.

After hearing about Master Huang Liu, Tongtian Sanniang, and even Liu Gang and his wife, the Prince of Wuchang was also shocked. "How could these evil people be reincarnated to cause trouble? How did they do it?"

Hu Ming, who was standing next to him, was hearing this for the first time. He wanted to say something, but he sighed slightly and said nothing.

He thought of his uncle on Mount Taibai.

Just as Li Yan guessed, there are indeed some hidden people who have returned to the world among the Xuanmen, but they are all highly skilled in Taoism, who have forcibly broken through the boundary between life and death and are hidden practitioners.

At least, he knew one.

It is really a pity that the uncle master's practice was not good enough and he was seduced into the evil way.

But he didn't want to say more about this kind of thing.

After all, the Li Yan in front of him is a living ghost messenger.

Li Yan saw the appearance of the Prince of Wuchang and knew what he was thinking. He said in a deep voice, "Nothing special. He just uses his profound Taoism to mess up the yin and yang."

"People like us in the martial arts world sometimes violate the laws of the court for our own selfish interests and bring disaster upon ourselves." "There are also rules in this world. No matter if you are a god or an emperor, you cannot break free. If you practice those evil ways of longevity, you will not only bring disaster to all living beings, but also be punished by the underworld."

Li Yan spoke frankly, which was both a statement and a warning.

There is a great fear between life and death. Since the pre-Qin period, people have been practicing to achieve immortality. Throughout the dynasties, countless people have tried to break free from the rules of heaven and earth, but only a few have succeeded.

Among these princes and nobles, who enjoy the fortune and prosperity of the world, there are only a few who can put everything aside and concentrate on practicing.

Not to mention those secluded earth immortals, even for the miserable ghost immortals, it is as difficult as ascending to heaven for them to achieve success in cultivation.

The only chance is to take the evil path to immortality.

During his journey, Li Yan witnessed the strangeness and evil of various secret techniques in the "Immortal Treasury of Immortals".

These princes and nobles possess a vast amount of resources. If they were to embark on this path, the harm they would cause would be far greater than that of ordinary people.

Regardless of whether it succeeds or not, it would be the end if the demon suppressed in Luofeng Mountain could escape.

Therefore, when Li Yan found that the other party was curious, he warned him directly.

There was a hint of unnaturalness in the eyes of the Prince of Wuchang, and he said solemnly: "Young Master Li is absolutely right."

He was a reasonable person and knew that what Li Yan said was correct, but the other party's tone and attitude made him feel uncomfortable for some reason.

This was because Li Yan was influenced by his previous life and had no idea about the level of imperial power.

Some lunatics look down on the kings and princes, but in essence they still want to integrate into the rules of the court and realize their ambitions.

And Li Yan really didn't take the imperial power seriously.

Even though he spoke politely, the Prince of Wuchang was sensitive and could still feel uncomfortable. He thought to himself, what his father said was indeed right!
Seeing his appearance, Li Yan was also somewhat helpless.

He had no intention of offending this big client. As expected, these matters had to be handled by Sharifei.

Thinking of this, he no longer held out any hope, and simply bowed and said, "Your Highness, I heard that the palace is collecting treasures. I happened to get a rare treasure and want to sell it to the palace."

"Oh?"

The prince of Wuchang became interested. "Can you let me see what it is?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yan took out the crystal dinosaur egg from the package and said, "I found this by chance. It is made from the petrified egg of an ancient beast."

The outside of this crystal dinosaur egg is translucent, and the dinosaur skeleton inside is clearly visible. Even if it is not a treasure from heaven and earth, it is extremely rare.

Sure enough, the prince of Wuchang suddenly widened his eyes, quickly took it, carefully examined it, and said in amazement: "This is the egg of the ancient dragon beast."

Li Yan was surprised, "The prince also knows about this thing?"

The Prince of Wuchang nodded and said, "During the Tang and Song dynasties, someone dug up these ancient wild dragon bones in the mountains, but they have been petrified and are no different from ordinary stone sculptures."

"After restoration, it can be used as a decoration."

"To be honest, there are several doctors in the Imperial College who have been studying this item because it contains ancient witchcraft and divination words."

"This is the first time I have seen someone who has turned into jade. I will accept it and give it to my father as a birthday gift. I wonder how much Young Master Li wants to sell it for?"

Li Yan had no idea how much it could be sold for. If he said less, he would lose money, but if he said more, it would be a joke. He could only say frankly, "I really don't know. Your Highness, please decide for yourself."

It would be better to pass the ball to the other party. If he is not satisfied with the price offered, he can also politely refuse.

The Prince of Wuchang pondered for a moment and said, "This kind of treasure is not the first time it has appeared."

"During the Qingyuan period of the previous dynasty, there was a treasure-loving clan that dug up ancient animal bones from the mountains. They looked like animals and birds, but had turned into jade. They sold them to the Daxing royal family at the time and earned 500,000 taels of silver."

"But that thing is a treasure from heaven and earth. It was refined into a magical tool and can even be transformed into a Yin God to protect the palace. It is very precious. It's a pity that it was taken away by the Golden Horde Wolf Country."

"Although this item is rare, it is just an ordinary item. How about 100,000 taels?"

Li Yan was delighted and said, "Let's follow your advice, Prince."

His desired price was fifty thousand taels, but the fact that the Prince of Wuchang could offer one hundred thousand taels was beyond his expectations.

"it is good!"

The Prince of Wuchang was also in a good mood. He immediately ordered someone to get the silver notes and hosted a banquet for the two men.

Although the banquet was only held in a small pavilion by the water and was not formal, the skills of the chefs in the palace were naturally extraordinary and each dish was extremely exquisite.

Hu Ming wanted to make friends, and the Prince of Wuchang also wanted to improve the relationship between the palace and Taixuan Orthodox Church, so this banquet was a great pleasure for both the host and the guests.

It was not until the afternoon that the two left the palace.

As soon as he left the house, Hu Ming bowed and said, "Young Master Li, I will arrange for someone to escort Shui Jing back to Jinzhou overnight. We will say goodbye now."

Li Yan frowned, "So urgent?"

Hu Ming sighed, "You've heard all the causes and consequences, young man. Time waits for no one. Send the things back as soon as possible. We need to hire someone to polish them."

"Besides, the situation in Ezhou is turbulent. If we leave too late, there might be unexpected twists and turns."

"But please rest assured, Young Master Li, I will make arrangements when I leave. Master Lu will not leave until he has helped you build the magic weapon."

As he spoke, he took out another token from his bosom, "This is the handwritten token of my Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce. Young Master Li, if you can't find a suitable inn when you travel around the world, you can stay at the Chamber of Commerce's halls at any time."

"Hold this token, and they will all receive you wholeheartedly."

"Thank you."

Li Yan naturally would not refuse.

He lived in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Guild Hall for a period of time, and now lives in the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce Hall. Compared with ordinary inns, the environment is better and quieter. I guess the Jinzhou Guild Hall is not much worse.

"See you later."

After saying goodbye again, Hu Ming hurried away with his men.

Li Yan also returned to the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce with the silver bills.

There was nothing much going on in the Chamber of Commerce. In fact, the streets were much quieter because many people in Wuchang City went to watch the dragon boat race.

Li Yan thought about it and went out again.

After crossing several streets, he came to an alley.

Compared to other places, there are obviously a lot more people here, and there are teahouses, wine shops, and brothels on both sides of the street.

This street, called Xiangshui Alley, is a bit like Pingkangfang in Chang'an and is the most famous place for entertainment in Wuchang City.

Of course, he wasn't here to visit a brothel.

Previously, on Guishan Mountain, he and Wu Qu of Cangzhou got acquainted with each other. The other party was staying in Jinfeng Tower and invited him to meet for a drink.

Li Yan asked passers-by and walked a few hundred meters before a brothel of considerable size appeared in front of him. On the door plaque were written the three huge characters "Golden Phoenix Tower". Even during the day, there were constant sounds of singing and dancing inside.

But Li Yan frowned when he looked at the pattern on the doorpost.

This brothel was actually the secret hall of the Golden Swallow Sect...

(End of this chapter)