Knife splashing

Chapter 678: The Conspiracy in the Royal Palace
"Who are you from?"

"Do you have a permit to enter the city?"

In the capital city, the inspection for entry is more stringent.

All foreign merchants must have a certificate issued by checkpoints along the way and have someone to act as a guarantor before they can enter the city to do business.

Common people living near the capital city would get up early every day to go into the city to work or sell wild goods from the mountains. Although they did not make much money, at least they were familiar to others. If they did not carry a large amount of goods, they would usually be allowed to pass.

People like Li Yan, who are armed with knives and guns, are the focus of attention.

Those who travel the world need to be guaranteed by the local Chamber of Commerce or the Shenquan Society.

If not, you will never be able to enter the city in your life.

There was a bronze mirror hanging on the door, which was polished in an odd way, and even when one was close to the figure, it was still a little blurry.

This thing is called "magic mirror".

It does not reflect human shadows, but light.

If there is evil energy flowing, the blurry shadow above will be distorted.

Some wealthy families would hang this thing at their door.

Rumor has it that something that is not human comes to the door and leaves in a hurry to avoid revealing its true form.

Of course, this kind of magic weapon is complicated to make and not something ordinary people can afford.

Even if you get the real thing, it will be stolen soon.

And the ones at the gate of the capital city must be real.

No sorcerer entering the city can hide his identity and must take out his Taoist certificate and go to the City God Temple to register.

Before leaving, Luo Mingzi had helped to get a fake Taoist certificate to hide his identity, but when Li Yan arrived at the city gate and saw that there was nothing unusual about the shadow on the "magic mirror", he had an idea and gave up taking out the Taoist certificate.

His dragon and snake plaque was a sacrificial vessel used by the ancient Shu tribe to worship the Bashe, and is also considered a national sacrificial vessel.

This kind of treasure can avoid the heaven and the underworld, so the "magic mirror" naturally cannot detect it.

No matter how authentic Luo Mingzi's fake certificate is, it can't be as good as leaving no trace.

Li Yan suddenly realized that there must be a lot of sacred artifacts for the national sacrifice in the capital, and the same is true for hidden masters.

But even so, the guards guarding the city did not let him go.

"Name?!"

"Liu Ergou."

"Who are you from?"

"Ezhou Yichang."

"Do you have a pass and a guarantee?"

"My Lord, here..."

After a strict interrogation, and seeing Li Yan take out the fake identity that the Lei family of Ezhou had made for him, the soldier relaxed his vigilance a little, but still snorted, looked at the scabbard on Li Yan's waist, and said coldly: "The capital has rules and laws, you'd better not cause trouble!"

"Don't worry, sir. I will go and earn a living."

"Okay, let's go!"

After letting Li Yan pass, the soldiers stopped the next caravan.

The caravan had more than a dozen carriages and a lot of cargo. It would take a lot of time to check carefully. The manager of the caravan was afraid of missing the time, so he hurried forward and secretly stuffed a silver ingot into his pocket, "My lords, please give me some convenience..."

"Come on this!"

The guardsman guarding the city immediately became annoyed, pushed the man away, and checked more carefully.

At this time, Li Yan was passing through the Yongding Gate Archway with the crowd entering the city.

Hearing the scolding from behind, he turned his head and looked around, as if thinking about something.

Even in the capital, such inspections are too strict.

Could something have happened?

Thinking of this, he lowered his straw hat, trying not to stand out.

The capital of the Daxuan Dynasty was Beiping in the previous life.

During the previous dynasty's confrontation between the North and the South, this place was originally the capital of the Golden Horde Kingdom, while the capital of the Daxing Dynasty was in Jinling.

Since the founding emperor of the Daxuan Dynasty, Xiao Chengyou, destroyed Daxing and drove the Golden Horde Wolf Kingdom deep into the grassland, he established his capital here.

This involves feng shui and strategic purposes, so although the timeline has changed, Beiping still became the imperial capital.

The entire capital city has a "convex"-shaped city wall structure.

The central area, from inside to outside, includes the palace, the imperial city and the inner city.

The Meridian Gate outside the "Palace City" was where all officials would hold court and hold court meetings. The three main halls were used for grand ceremonies and government affairs, and the Palace of Heavenly Purity and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility were the sleeping quarters for the emperor and empress. The city was surrounded by moats, with guards stationed at the four gates. The palace walls were high and thick, and only the emperor could enter and exit through the Daming Gate.

The "Imperial City" is a ritual building, which is divided into the left ancestor and the right community according to national sacrifices.

On the left is the Taimiao, where ancestors are worshipped, and on the right is the Sheji Altar. The square outside Chengtian Gate is where imperial edicts are issued. The five ministries and six departments are symmetrically distributed on both sides of Chang'an Avenue. In addition, there are royal gardens.

The "inner city" is where government offices and residential buildings are located. The east city has mostly civil offices, while the west city has mostly military institutions, commonly known as "East Civil and West Military".

In addition, there are nine gates in the inner city, each with different functions.

For example, Chaoyang Gate was the gateway for grain to enter the city, and the wharf led directly to the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. Desheng Gate was the gate for the army to return from the battle, and Xizhi Gate was the gate for the imperial water from Yuquan Mountain to enter the city, and the water quality was better than the bitter wells in the city.

As for the outer city, it is an outer defensive city wall with seven gates and is where ordinary people live.

In this way, a pattern of "the palace in the center, guarded by layers of buildings" was formed, fully demonstrating the majesty of the imperial capital.

Li Yan entered from Yongding Gate. As soon as he stepped into the outer city, the bustling atmosphere of the city hit him in the face.

The smell is a mixture of the aroma of burnt bread, the bitterness of medicinal herbs, and the fishy smell of mules and horses.

Li Yan frowned slightly and couldn't help rubbing his nose, glancing at the notice posted on the inside of the city gate.

The title is "Strictly prohibit foreign merchants from colluding with Maitreya and other evil cults to deceive the people"

It reads: In compliance with the Imperial Decree: Recently, investigations have shown that in Tianjin, Tongzhou and other places, some red-haired foreign merchants have been pretending to engage in tribute trade, secretly forming alliances with the evil Maitreya sect, smuggling longevity creams, setting up lewd and evil altars, misleading the ignorant people, and even colluding with Japanese pirates and salt smugglers. Their crimes are unforgivable!

There are many prohibitions listed later.

"1. It is forbidden to collude with evil cults. All foreign merchants entering the port must hold a permit from the Maritime Customs Office, and local officials must verify the goods and register the accompanying personnel. Anyone who dares to privately set up a fire altar or Maitreya incense hall, or have contact with evil people, the principal offender will be tortured to death, the accomplice will be beheaded, the property will be confiscated, and the brokers and interpreters who know about it but do not report it will be punished together with the crime..."

"Second, prohibit the smuggling of banned drugs. Fu Shou Gao is a foreign poison. Those who take it will become emaciated and unable to work. From today on, all customs will strictly check foreign ships for smuggled drugs. If found, they will be burned. Those who sell them, whether Chinese or foreign, will be punished for "conspiring to harm the country". The main offender will be torn into pieces and the buyer will be exiled 3,000 miles away..."

The prohibitions are clearly listed and the penalties are severe.

The seals of the Censorate and the Five Cities Military Commission were both stamped with vermilion ink that had not yet dried.

It turns out that this is the reason...

When Li Yan saw it, he immediately understood.

It seems that the attack on the Tianjin wharf has completely stung the imperial court.

Civilian laws are strict, and the struggles in the court are probably even more fierce.

What reassures Li Yan is that the imperial court strictly prohibits the use of longevity cream, and this substance may no longer harm China.

But this also means that it is temporarily inconvenient for him to meet Yan Jiuling.

Whether this brother likes it or not, because of his grandfather, he has become a banner of the Shanghai School.

The events in Tianjin gave the local faction an opportunity to launch a massive attack on the Kaihai faction.

In order to maintain a balance, the emperor chose to sit on the mountain and watch the fight between the two tigers.

Yan Jiuling must be feeling uncomfortable at this moment.

If he showed up and lured Zhao Qingxu into setting up a trap, it would probably harm Yan Jiuling.

We still need to investigate secretly.

But how can one sneak into the British palace...

Li Yan walked along the bluestone street while thinking deeply.

Daxuan's national fortune was at its peak, and its capital was the most prosperous in China.

The shop signs lined up on both sides almost blocked out the skylight.

Under the golden plaque with the words "Rui Fu Xiang" in the silk shop, the shop assistant spread out a piece of Suzhou embroidery brocade to attract passing merchants...

The copper mill in the medicine shop next door was turning gurglingly, and the apprentice in ramie shorts shouted, "Tongxintang tiger bone wine, it will dispel dampness and drive away cold!"

Various hawking sounds, mixed with the sounds of mules and horses on the street, came one after another, and all you could see was a hustle and bustle.

Li Yan was not in a hurry to go to the Prince of Ying's Palace, but wandered around the city casually. He would probably have to stay in the capital for a while, so the sooner he got familiar with it, the better.

After all, he is an old customer who has experienced many hardships in the world. Outsiders only see the prosperity, but Li Yan sees more.

The shirtless man who was performing on the street was performing the act of breaking stones with his chest.

Generally speaking, these people are the "point line" in the "Guazi line" of the underworld, and are divided into "Qing Guazi" and "Tiaojiang Han".

"Qing Guazi" simply performs martial arts to make a living, while "Tiaojianghan" also sells wild herbs, powerful pills, tiger bone wine and other fake medicines.

No matter which one it is, it’s all “fishy tricks” and the skills are not that good.

After all, if you have the ability, who would want to suffer this?

But when the hammer fell, the shirtless man puffed up his chest and actually used his hidden strength to crack the bluestone.

The bluestone exploded into pieces as they struck from top to bottom, with the effect far exceeding that of ordinary moves.

"it is good!"

The people around cheered and threw coins.

And this man, even though the copper coins were jingling in the ceramic bowl, remained indifferent.

But his legs had been cut off at the roots by the weapon.

After the crowd dispersed, the young man holding the hammer stepped forward and said with a distressed look on his face: "Master..."

"Stop talking, I can still hold on."

The man's eyes were filled with desolation. "Once we have saved enough money, we will return to Jizhou and leave this cannibalistic capital!"

Li Yan left with the crowd, shook his head slightly, and threw it away without even looking at it.

Ding Ding Ding!
A small ingot of silver was spinning rapidly in the broken bowl under the shocked gazes of the master and disciple.

The man raised his head quickly, but seeing the noisy streets, he couldn't find anyone there, so he could only clasp his fists in the air, "Thank you, brother..."

Where there are down-and-out people, there are naturally also successful people.

There were sturdy escorts, in groups of three or five, entering the brothel with smiles on their faces. It was obvious that they had just received rewards for escorting goods.

There were also disciples from aristocratic families in flowing white robes, parading on horseback and wearing flowers in their hair.

But in the capital, the imperial power and laws are ultimately the most important.

No matter who you are, if you encounter officials and guards patrolling the streets, you must stay away from them.

Before he knew it, at sunset, Li Yan passed through the Zhengyang Gate Arrow Tower and entered the inner city.

The surrounding scene suddenly became solemn.

In front of the six government offices outside Dongjiang Mixiang, secretaries in blue robes and small hats hurried along, holding documents;

Outside the military office on West Chang'an Street, there were many soldiers patrolling in formation.

Relatively speaking, the streets in the inner city are cleaner. After all, not only are there various government offices here, but also many mansions of the powerful and wealthy. Even a small courtyard is not affordable for ordinary people.

Of course, the inner city is equally lively.

The teahouses and taverns along the street are more prosperous, and there are hardly any people in rags coming in and out.

As dusk fell, Li Yan slipped into Wangzhima Hutong, north of Dongsi Pailou.

The alleys are even quieter, with only wealthy families living there and only occasionally people passing by.

In a short period of time, Li Yan saw the residences of several court officials.

All the vermilion doors were tightly closed. If one wanted to find someone, one had to knock on the copper nails on the door frame.

Almost every household has a talisman placed at the door.

Like his own "Hundred Battles", the stone lions and stone drums bestowed by the imperial court are all used to ward off evil spirits and protect the house.

Because Luo Mingzi reminded him again and again, Li Yan did not easily use his magical powers to investigate.

He simply used his light body skills and restrained his breath to move through the shadows of the streets at dusk.

Not long after, Li Yan arrived outside a mansion of considerable size.

From a distance, you can see a wooden sign hanging on the lintel that reads "Built by Imperial Order for the English King's Palace".

Li Yan looked at the sky and saw that the sun was setting, so he immediately ran into a dark alley and prepared to climb over the wall.

But at this moment, he suddenly stopped and his expression became strange.

The goudie in my arms began to feel slightly hot!
interesting…

Li Yan was really surprised. He never expected that there was a criminal hiding in the Prince of Ying’s mansion!

Without any hesitation, Li Yan immediately immersed himself in it.

Passing through the fog, black water from a stone well appeared before our eyes.

He placed his hand on the edge of the well, the black water swirled, and the criminal's information was immediately revealed:

This sinister criminal, named Wuleji, was born in the "Black Wolf Village" deep in the Greater Khingan Range, where he worshipped the wolf fairy...

It turned out to be the "Dark Five Immortals"!
Li Yan immediately guessed this person's heritage.

The northern part of Xinjiang is dominated by shamanism, and the most famous one is naturally the Shaman Immortal, who worship foxes, weasels, snakes, hedgehogs and mice.

But few people know that in addition to these "Five Bright Immortals", there are also "Five Hidden Immortals".

The "Five Hidden Immortals" refers to the worship of tiger, wolf, centipede, bat, and frog immortals.

Different from the orthodox spirit mediums, the Dark Five Immortals are famous for their evil arts such as blood sacrifices, possessing other bodies to prolong life, etc.

Just like the "Black Wolf Village", it was besieged by the Five Immortals Hall because it skinned pregnant women's placenta alive to make the "mother-child evil spirit", and only Uleji escaped.

This person is practicing "Wolf Immortal Possession" and needs to eat raw hearts and livers of living people every month.

When the King of England led his army to suppress the rebellion in the northern border, he was ambushed by the remnants of the Golden Horde and lured into the Baishan Black Waters to be surrounded and killed.

Wuleji, who had just returned to life and possessed another body, took the opportunity to kill the shaman of the Golden Horde Wolf Country, and ate his heart and liver to heal his wounds. He was regarded as a "strange man" by the King of England and taken in...

Seeing this information, Li Yan was a little disappointed.

He originally thought that the person hiding in it was the Jianmu monster.

Now it seems that he is just a thug kept by the palace.

He had also heard about this kind of thing from people in the Huangquan organization.

Most of the criminals on earth hide in blessed places and are protected by the great Taoist sects.

Both parties have a tacit understanding that as long as nothing serious happens, the living ghost will turn a blind eye.

But there are still some lone wolf masters who have no one to rely on.

Those who can endure their temper can hide in the deserted mountains and wilderness where few people go, but some cannot stand the loneliness and choose to escape into the world of red dust, hide in the homes of royal nobles and become servants.

Thinking of this, Li Yan stopped.

With such an expert in the British palace, he would definitely be discovered if he sneaked in so brazenly.

He couldn't just summon the ghost soldiers to capture people, because then no one in the entire palace would survive.

When things got out of hand, he could only flee far away in embarrassment.

We must come up with a foolproof plan.

At this moment, the small vermilion door at the back of the alley creaked open.

This place is remote, and according to the general layout, it should be the passage for the cooks to go out to buy and transport firewood.

But the person who came out was a young man in gorgeous clothes. His facial features were handsome, but his eyebrows were droopy, his face was pale, and he had dark bags under his eyes. He walked with a hunched back and looked like he had indulged in alcohol and sex excessively.

Behind him were two palace guards, both with embarrassed looks on their faces.

One of them begged, "Master, let's not go. Don't make the old woman angry."

"What are you afraid of?!"

The young man glared and said, "My grandmother is ill in bed, and other people are busy scheming against each other, so why would they care about me?"

"Come on, come on, I heard there's a new girl at Piaoxianglou, she's extremely pretty, and she's getting married tonight. Those bastards must have gone there, I don't want to drink their pot-washing water..."

After saying that, he walked out carrying his robe.

The two palace guards had no choice but to follow behind.

Li Yan looked at the high walls of the palace, thinking, and followed the figure of the young man into the night...

(End of this chapter)