I come to see Bai Yujing today

Chapter 40 Should we chop down this sky-devouring tiger?
Chen Zhian stood under the unusually large ginkgo tree. He raised his head and looked at the sky through the dense leaves. Only the sun, obscured by clouds, revealed a faint light.

There was something wrong with the ginkgo tree in front of Chu Muye's yard on Dongfeng Street today.

The last time he came to Dongfeng Street, he could clearly see the rich red-orange scent emanating from the ginkgo tree.

But today, the red-orange scent of the ginkgo tree has become faint and swaying, and seems to be about to dissipate.

"And this yard seems to be suppressed by dark clouds in the sky. Even the sun's rays can't shine in."

As Chen Zhian was thinking this, suddenly the dark clouds in the sky became thicker, a bolt of lightning struck, and heavy rain came.

This is not like the drizzle in the south of the Yangtze River, but rather it is sudden and fierce.

Chen Zhian was shaded by the ginkgo tree, but rain still fell on him, so he quickly knocked on Chu Muye's gate.

The gate was not locked, but no one came to answer.

"Uncle Chu is not here?" Chen Zhian frowned.

He was just about to go back to Qihuang Street when a gust of wind blew by. With a creaking sound, the courtyard door was blown open a crack. Chen Zhian looked inside but there was no one there.

For some reason, he suddenly felt that there seemed to be something strange in this courtyard.

"Master Chu, you have a friend coming, why don't you invite him in?"

Until a voice came and fell into Chen Zhian's ears, and then he heard Chu Muye's gentle voice: "Since you are here, come in."

Chen Zhian entered the yard and walked past the stone screen, only to see a table and two cushions placed under the eaves of the green brick and green tile roof.

Chu Muye was drinking tea opposite a man wearing a bronze mask.

It was a tiger mask with two protruding fangs, looking ferocious and majestic, and now it was a little scary.

At this moment, only the two eyes of the face covered by the tiger mask were exposed, and those eyes were staring at Chen Zhian.

What kind of eyes are those?
As cold as iron, with a terrifying gaze, and a silent and gloomy aura that made people shudder and shudder.

Chen Zhian felt as if he had seen these eyes somewhere before.

"It just so happens that we have guests in my courtyard. Since you are a junior, please pour us some tea."

Chu Muye sat cross-legged on a cushion, and a stove had been set up on the table in front of him to make tea.

Brewing tea in the rain seems quite pleasant.

Chen Zhian calmly came over and sat down beside Chu Muye.

Their teacups were empty, but they still let the steam from the purple clay teapot rise from the fire.

Chen Zhian poured tea for the two of them. The precious tea leaves were overcooked and tasted a bit sour.

"The long sword on your waist is good, but it is bound to be taboo to carry it with you when traveling." Chu Muye glanced at the Yangsui long sword on Chen Zhian's waist and reminded him.

The person sitting opposite him smiled and said, "As a young man, it is normal for you to have some temper. The government does not allow the people to bring swords into the city, it is nothing more than being afraid of them. If the government does its duty, why should they be afraid of a long sword?"

Chen Zhian untied the Yang Sui and placed it beside him, saying, "I won this sword from Si Hougui. The reason I brought the sword here was to show off to Uncle Chu. I didn't carry the sword with me on the way. I just wrapped it with cloth and put it on when I got to the door."

"He is indeed a young man." Chu Muye moved very slowly, picked up the cup on the table and drank his tea, then said, "However, the reason why swords are not allowed in Sunan Mansion is to guard against those knights who break the law with weapons, or bandits who enter the city in disguise. For the government, it doesn't really matter whether ordinary people have swords or not."

"Indeed." The tiger-faced man nodded: "The government, aristocratic families, and the Xuanmen control the way of cultivation. It is as difficult as ascending to heaven for ordinary people to practice. Whether or not you have a sword in your hand is indeed secondary. In fact, it makes no difference.

Even if ordinary people have swords in their hands, they will only die if they encounter the iron teeth who cultivate qi and body, or even cultivate true energy.

Suwu Prefecture was a prosperous place, and the people still had some money to make money from it. However, the people in the twelve border prefectures, the six northwestern prefectures, and the three Lingnan continents suffered from disasters or lost their lives, and it was not uncommon to see corpses lying everywhere.

On the other hand, the wealthy families are still enjoying life and feasting. It seems that those aristocratic families will never decline. Sir Chu, do you think this is fair?"

Chen Zhian's expression became a little solemn, but he still lowered his head to add more tea.

"It's not fair." Chu Muye shook his head bluntly: "It is precisely because of this that Prime Minister Song wants to purge the court and the country and reform the world. The reason why I scolded the national teacher at the banquet was because I couldn't stand the evil spirits sitting in the court of Dayu. Now I am willing to return to the capital because Prime Minister Song is in Xuantianjing.

He wants Xuantian Jingdu to no longer tower above the clouds, to bring Xuantian Jing down to earth, and to let all the blood that flowed to Xuantian Jing flow back and flow throughout the entire Dayu!"

"Hahaha..." The tiger-faced man suddenly laughed, his voice full of sarcasm: "How to return?"

"Dayu's blood vessels are full of stubborn sores! The aristocratic families control everything. Prime Minister Song is a perfect man, but he is not an immortal who can change the world with a flip of his hand. The one blocking his way is a tiger that can move mountains and split the sea. Can we just let the water flow back?"

Chu Muye faced the questioning of the tiger-faced man with a completely unchanged expression, and said: "There are seven countries in the world. For Dayu, Daqian in the east has already set up a stove and started cooking oil, trying to make Dayu into a nutritious meal, so that they can eat their fill and swallow the world! Dali in the north is riding on a big horse and watching us covetously. The prefectures and cities on the northern border are being plundered by Dali all day long. I don't know how many people have died under their iron hooves.

Further south, the monsters on the two islands in the South China Sea are wreaking havoc and often destroying our Dayu merchant ships, but due to the current situation, we are helpless.

The current situation of Dayu cannot withstand great turmoil and storms. Qi Tianchong, why don't you tell me, if you were the prime minister of Song, how could you make the 800 million people of Dayu live in peace and happiness when there are so many serious problems everywhere?"

When Chu Muye called out the man's name, Chen Zhian immediately remembered where he had seen this man's eyes!
"Qi Tianchong, the Sky-Swallowing Tiger of Western Penglai, was once painted by the Huangmen Painting Academy overnight."

At this time, Qi Tianchong snorted coldly and said, "You are the masters sitting in the temple, and Prime Minister Song has the heart of reform. These things should be considered by you. I am just a group of iron horses and mud snakes in Western Penglai. I only know to protect the people and don't care about so many things!"

Chen Zhian frowned slightly.

Chu Muye smiled, and suddenly turned around and asked Chen Zhian: "Zhian, do you know who this person is?"

Chen Zhian lowered his head and thought for a moment, not pretending to be stupid, and said, "This person is Qi Tianchong, the Sky-Swallowing Tiger of Western Penglai, and he ranks twelfth among the twenty-four generals of Western Penglai."

Chu Muye was a little surprised, and then nodded and said, "Indeed, Qi Tianchong ranks twelfth in Western Penglai, but his cultivation ranks fourth in Western Penglai, which is extremely powerful."

When Qi Tianchong heard that Chen Zhian recognized him, he simply raised his hand and took off the bronze tiger mask on his face.

This man had a square face and his beard was as rough as thorns, especially his eyes. When he looked at Chen Zhian, Chen Zhian felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, which was quite terrifying.

"Zhi'an, Xi Penglai is the strongest bandit in Dayu. You met him today and listened to his words. Do you think Xi Penglai is full of heroes who care about the people?"

Chu Muye spoke again, his eyes became quite serious, staring at Chen Zhian, wondering what he was thinking.

Qi Tianchong also looked at Chen Zhian at this time, with an interested smile on his face. Chen Zhian thought for a few moments, and seeing the serious look in Chu Muye's eyes who had helped him many times, he asked, "Can I tell the truth?"

Chu Muye nodded: "Don't worry, I'm here, he can't do anything to you, and... the famous Western Penglai Swallowing Sky Tiger will not bother with a junior like you."

Qi Tianchong remained silent and just looked at Chen Zhian.

So Chen Zhian poured more tea for the two of them and said, "Uncle Chu, the aristocratic families have been controlling Dayu for a long time. There are many powerful people in Western Penglai, but I have been to a tavern in a dark alley, and the storyteller there told me the origins of the heroes of Western Penglai."

"Some of them are descendants of criminals, some are heads of small clans that were annexed by large clans, some are unsuccessful in the court, or are captains and school lieutenants who have offended their superiors, and some have become bandits for the martial arts controlled by Western Penglai."

"These heroes have various backgrounds and are of great importance, but there is no ordinary person among them."

Qi Tianchong's expression changed.

Chu Muye's eyes showed more interest and he listened carefully to Chen Zhian.

Chen Zhian added: "Western Penglai has been active in Dayu for many years, and news of its assistance to the people has often been reported, and it has also been praised by many people.

But from what I heard, the matter of helping the people was only mentioned two or three times, and there were many twists and turns in the reasons.

The heroes of Western Penglai were very powerful. Zhu Yuanyu, the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, once commented that they had already become powerful. But if you think about it carefully, the so-called robbing the rich to help the poor in Western Penglai was actually a bit strange.

For example, at the Wuzhu Mansion at the foot of the Lotus Mountain, the owner of the mansion was kind and generous, and had helped countless people. He even set up a special charity hall in the mansion and raised more than 400 orphans. He has been doing charity for 20 years, and when the orphans grow up, they often make a living from the Wuzhu Mansion's industries.

Even such a person was killed by Xi Penglai three years ago. I don't know why, but I wonder where the hundreds of orphans are now after Wu Zhu Mansion is gone? Has Xi Penglai taken them up the mountain? "

Qi Tianchong stared at Chen Zhian, but his expression became extremely calm.

Chu Muye was now somewhat curious. He glanced at Qi Tianchong and said with a smile, "What are you doing in a dark alley when you are seventeen or eighteen years old?"

Chen Zhian scratched his head and did not answer Chu Muye's question. He continued, "There are also many daily gossips in the streets and alleys. It is mentioned that the so-called iron horses and mud snakes in Western Penglai are also divided into different levels. The twenty-four generals can practice excellent skills, eat the best elixirs, and enjoy luxury and pleasure, while the lowest mud snakes can only serve as coolies and servants to serve the higher mud snakes and iron horses."

"Today, Senior Qi was filled with righteous indignation when he mentioned the aristocratic families, and he wished he could eat their bones and drink their blood. But if you think about it carefully, if Western Penglai were to control the world, it would only divide the people into different classes. How much better would it be than it is now?"

Qi Tianchong's calm expression finally changed and became very cold. He squinted his eyes and looked at Chen Zhian, not knowing what he was thinking.

Chen Zhian didn't look at him, but just poured tea for the two of them.

But as he told the story, Chu Muye's eyes showed a bit of joy.

"You have never read, but you can see some truth and falsehood in the confusion of the world. I am happy about it."

Chen Zhian was about to speak when Qi Tianchong, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke up and asked, "What's your name?"

His tone was cold, so chilling that it almost penetrated into one's bones.

But Chen Zhian answered truthfully: "My surname is Chen, and my name is Chen Zhian."

"Chen Zhian, how do you think the shackles that the current aristocratic families put on Dayu should be removed?" Qi Tianchong asked.

Chu Muye put down the cup in his hand and listened carefully to Chen Zhian's answer.

Chen Zhian took a deep breath, thinking of the many books he had read in the past two years, and the five thousand years of history in his previous life, and said: "Daqian, Dayu, Dali, Dachu, and even the past Daxi, even counting the past thousand years, the aristocratic families have never been cut off.

The so-called noble families in Daqian are them, the so-called flag-raising tents in Dali are them, and the former officials and masters in Dachu are also them. Their relationship with the imperial power is so complicated that it is almost impossible to eliminate them through reform.

If we want to completely remove the shackles of the aristocratic family, there is actually only one way."

Chu Muye stared at Chen Zhian with wide eyes, and Qi Tianchong also stared at him intently.

Then, under the gaze of the two, Chen Zhian said calmly, "Only by completely destroying them physically can the aristocratic family be cut off."

Chu Muye and Qi Tianchong's expressions suddenly changed.

Chen Zhian thought of the Eight Princes Rebellion in his previous life, the Yongjia Rebellion, An Lushan's Rebellion, and Huang Chao. He finally sighed and said, "It's a pity that we are now facing internal and external troubles. The aristocratic families are supporting Dayu to some extent. They hold the most powerful force. It may not be easy for them to destroy themselves."

"So we can only settle for the next best thing, supporting the commoners and splitting up the power of the aristocratic families. Only then can we cure Dayu's chronic illness. However... the implementation of the policy will probably encounter great resistance. The promoter of the policy must have absolute power to do so."

Chen Zhian stopped talking here.

Chu Muye let out a long breath. Chen Zhian's words about physically destroying the family really frightened him.
Although the idea of promoting commoners could not be considered profound, he could not help but marvel at it when it came from a 17 or 18-year-old boy who had only worked as a laborer in the painting academy.

"As expected of Chen Shuijun's son."

Chu Muye thought so in his heart.

Qi Tianchong also let out a long breath. He carefully memorized Chen Zhian's face and suddenly asked, "You are so arrogant in front of me and slandering Xi Penglai. Aren't you afraid that I will kill you with one palm?"

"Not afraid."

Chen Zhian grinned: "Before I came, Senior Qi must have fought with Uncle Chu. Both of them seemed to be exhausted and could only hold their hands steady while drinking tea. How could they kill me?"

Qi Tianchong and Chu Muye couldn't help but look at each other.

"Your cultivation is too weak, how did you know that I was exhausted?" Qi Tianchong asked.

Chen Zhian said, "The tea is already boiling, but it is at the end of the table. You two let the fire boil without pouring the tea."

"It was raining heavily, but you two let the rain splash onto yourselves without trying to cover yourself."

"I said a lot of impolite words, but Senior Qi didn't have any true energy flowing through him. This is really... unreasonable."

Chen Zhian came slowly. He suddenly grasped the Yangsui long sword beside him and turned to look at Chu Muye.

"Uncle Chu has helped me several times. Today I just happened to come here with a knife..."

"Should we chop down this Sky-Swallowing Tiger? Uncle Chu is taking up his post in Xuan Tianjing, and it just so happens that Hu Men has made some contributions!"

ps: There will be another chapter later. If anyone is reading it, you can read it tomorrow. The word count of this chapter is also acceptable.

(End of this chapter)