The Demon-Slaying Grandmaster

Chapter 118 Enemies are extremely jealous when they meet
Shi Delong was promoted to the seventh rank and deputy envoy of the Daoluo Si Pacifier.

Liu Hongshi is the eighth-rank etiquette official, and Lin Yi is the eighth-rank affairs official.

As can be seen from the title of the official position, it has nothing to do with "official".

However, even if he was an 'Assistant Official', he was actually a seventh or eighth rank official.

If he was transferred to the local level and promoted to an official such as a county clerk or county magistrate, he would be the second or third in command of a county.

Even the headmaster of Mount Mao only had the title of a fifth-grade master at this time.

The other elders were only of the seventh rank.

If Shi Delong and the other two returned to Maoshan, at least the elders would have to greet them outside the mountain gate.

The elders at home were overjoyed when they received the letter.

So the three of them were extremely grateful to Li Jingxiao.

If Shi Delong makes more contributions, it will be no problem for him to ask for a seventh-rank imperial edict for his mother.

In ancient times, this was considered great filial piety.

In the family tree, there must be a separate page for his mother.

Moreover, many things of the Great Zhou Dynasty basically inherited the system of the Ming Dynasty.

It is actually not difficult to obtain an imperial edict. Basically, if you pass the exams for three years without making any mistakes, you can receive the title.

Moreover, official positions and titles are not only granted to the officials themselves, but can also "honor their ancestors and their descendants."

Although Li Jingxiao's adoptive father died early, he was still awarded the second-rank "Guardian" honor and the third-rank "Zhaoyong General".

My biological mother also had a "second-rank imperial edict".

So when Li Jingxiao said that Shi Delong could earn an imperial edict for his mother, he was not exaggerating.

Before going out and getting on his horse, Li Jingxiao thought for a moment and decided to give each of Shi Delong and the other two 20 mastery-level evil-repelling talismans, fire-controlling talismans, and thunder-controlling talismans.

Then he looked at Shi Delong and said, "Send a message to your head teacher. I want some protective spells or Taoist magic."

Shi Delong didn't hesitate and hurriedly bowed and said, "Don't worry, sir. I will send a message back to Maoshan later."

Myself and others were promoted from the ninth rank to the seventh and eighth rank, two or three levels higher in rank. I really owe you a big favor.

Not to mention, the three of them were rescued by adults a few days ago.

If you don't repay such a big favor, it will cause more trouble in the future.

Besides, whether it is Taoism or talismans, once the adults learn them, they may be able to guide my three brothers in the future.

Li Jingxiao smiled and nodded, then turned to look at Erfu who had already mounted his horse, and Jia Heng and others who were driving the carriage and were ready.

Then he rode ahead and rushed all the way to the palace.

To be honest, Li Jingxiao actually wanted to stay overnight in the palace just in case.

But no one told him about this rule, so Li Jingxiao pretended not to know it.

As soon as I arrived outside the Shenwu Gate, I saw Niu Zhanpeng, a captain of the Shangzhi Army, guarding the palace gate with dozens of guards, checking the personal belongings and clothing of people entering the palace.

The Forbidden City has four gates, and Donghua Gate is generally where civil officials enter and exit the palace.

Next to Xihua Gate is the Imperial Household Department. If the emperor and his concubines want to go to the Western Garden, they will also go this way, so Xihua Gate is the least used.

The south gate is the Meridian Gate, which is rarely used.

The Shenwu Gate, the north gate, was the place where concubines, officials, guards, eunuchs and craftsmen entered and exited the Forbidden City the most.

Seeing Li Jingxiao riding towards him, Niu Zhanpeng hurriedly left the official and walked forward with a smile to grab the reins.

“Sir, Eunuch Xia and Eunuch Dai just sent someone to ask if you have entered the palace.

He also instructed me to tell you that after entering the palace, you should go directly to the Baohe Hall."

Li Jingxiao nodded, but felt a little disgusted.

On New Year's Eve, the father and son set themselves a difficult problem.

He ordered Erfu and others to take the things to the Dianqian Yamen. Li Jingxiao dismounted and walked straight through the palace to Baohe Hall.

As I walked up the steps, I saw a group of princes, grandsons of the emperor, princes and dukes wearing golden dragon robes standing orderly under the eaves outside the palace.

Li Jingxiao's bright red python robe seemed quite out of place among these people.

Not to mention, he was holding a long sword in his hand.

Li Jingxiao didn't care who they were, he would bow when he met them.

However, there was a man in the crowd who looked to be in his thirties and was wearing the attire of a prince. There was obvious malice in his eyes when he looked at him.

Li Jingxiao couldn't help but pay attention to it in his heart.

As they entered the Baohe Hall, many people felt strange.

However, before entering the hall, Li Jingxiao directly handed the sword in his hand to Xia Shouzhong's godson Changshun.

Unexpectedly, Changshun waved his hand and said, "My Lord, the Saint specifically instructed that you have a heavy mission today and you can carry weapons with you."

Li Jingxiao thought again and felt that the emperor and the retired emperor must know that he could use the talisman at any time.

So it really makes no difference whether you carry weapons or not.

He nodded and was about to enter the hall, but then he changed his mind and handed the sword to Changshun.

Sometimes it's enough to just listen to what the boss says.

If you really believe it, you are a fool.

Changshun took the sword in surprise, and then heard Li Jingxiao ask, "Who is that prince among the princes over there, wearing a dragon robe, about thirty years old, tall and thin, with a long beard and a round face?"

Changshun didn't even need to look back to know who Li Jingxiao was asking about.

After hesitating for a few seconds, he finally whispered, "My Lord, the old Prince Yishun passed away, and His Majesty has shown mercy and granted the Crown Prince the title of Prince.

The prince just came to Beijing a few days ago to express his gratitude.

As the New Year is drawing to a close, His Majesty has allowed Prince Yishun to spend the New Year in the capital before leaving for his fiefdom."

When Li Jingxiao heard that it was the son of the old Prince Yishun, he couldn't help but look back at the other person.

The smile disappeared from the man's face, and the malice in his eyes was undisguised.

It is only natural that a son pays his father's debts.

The old prince killed his grandmaster, master, and uncles, but he has not yet sought revenge on Prince Yishun's mansion.

It’s really great that the other party came to my door on his own initiative.

Li Jingxiao also saw a chill rushing to Prince Yishun's forehead.

Several princes subconsciously kept their distance from Prince Yishun.

This made Prince Yishun angry and frightened, and he felt a little worried.

Li Jingxiao sneered and stepped into the hall.

The retired emperor and the emperor were seen sitting on the left and right, drinking tea and chatting and laughing about family matters.

Today is New Year's Eve, and if there is something important to talk about, I won't talk about it today.

Therefore, the father and son are a rare couple who are very loving and filial, and they live in harmony.

After Li Jingxiao paid his respects, the retired emperor allowed him to sit down and talked about the training of the Sima army in front of the palace, how to lead troops, and how to reward soldiers.

The retired emperor was a bit like Zhu Di. When he was young, he drove the Tatars to the north and won several battles.

However, the constant military mobilization also dragged down the finances of the Great Zhou.

Moreover, the former crown prince, Prince Yi Zhong, was not Zhu Gaochi.

Although Zhu Gaochi died young, he was extremely capable.

While Zhu Di was fighting outside, Zhu Gaochi was in the court as regent. While handling state affairs, he was also able to get enough military pay and food for his father.

Perhaps the biggest mistake the retired emperor made was not to do as Zhu Di did and find some brothers for Prince Yi Zhong to restrain him as the crown prince.

As a result, the power of Prince Yizhong, the former crown prince, was so great that it threatened the emperor. That's why the former crown prince rebelled, was defeated and killed.

Fortunately, the Great Zhou Dynasty had only been established for a few decades, and the people were on the side of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Even if the prince rebelled, it would only cause temporary chaos.

Not to mention, many nobles and armies have been following the emperor in his northern expeditions for many years. With military power in their hands, anyone who rebels would be seeking death.

As for leading troops, the emperor was indeed very experienced.

Li Jingxiao gained a lot.

Otherwise, if he relies on himself to figure it out, he will not notice many aspects.

Moreover, the ability of ancient generals to command troops and fight wars was a secret that was not passed on. Many things would not be taught to a son who was not their own son.

The emperor even jokingly said, "Jingyou, when you have free time in the future, you should visit the Jia Mansion more often.

The military books and tactics passed down from the Ning and Rong mansions of the Jia family are now being passed down to you, their son-in-law, and this is a good use of their resources."

At this time, the retired emperor still valued the nobles very much. After all, if he wanted to keep his military power, he had to rely on the nobles to lead.

But Li Jingxiao was not willing to leave Beijing at this time. The most important thing now was to upgrade and practice.

Not to mention that it may take a year or two to get out.

As for leading troops to fight, to be honest, with such skills, which man doesn't want to command thousands of troops?

If I could ride my horse to Yinshan Mountain, seal the Wolf's Lair, and leave my name in history, my life in this world would be worthwhile.

Seeing Li Jingxiao's hesitation, the retired emperor and Emperor Longde couldn't help cursing in their hearts.

If it weren't for the recent reconnaissance and exploration of the various Tatar tribes, it would have been confirmed that the Tatars would move south to attack Goryeo when spring comes and flowers bloom.

Once Goryeo is conquered, it will not be a good thing for the Great Zhou.

Or maybe it was just that Goryeo was attacked by the Tatars, but the Zhou Dynasty remained inactive.

Then, if the Tatars attack the Zhou Dynasty in the future, Goryeo will not send troops to threaten the Tatars' flanks.

Therefore, no matter what the Tatars do, the Great Zhou must be prepared.

To be on the safe side, they planned to send Li Jingxiao north to prevent any strange incidents from happening during the war, which would disrupt the morale of the army.

It would be even better if Li Jingxiao could burn the Tatars' food supplies.

But unexpectedly, this kid was so obsessed with the gentleness of a gentle woman that he didn't even know how to seize the opportunity to make military achievements.

However, the emperor and his son felt a little relieved.

Although as long as the Great Zhou itself does not fall into chaos, no matter who rebels at this time, they will not be popular.

But human hearts are unpredictable. Once someone like Li Jingxiao has inappropriate thoughts, even if he fails, the damage caused will be considerable.

So it’s actually a good thing that this kid doesn’t seek to make progress.

Fortunately, Li Jingxiao was only 16 years old after the Chinese New Year. If he rebelled at this age, no one would believe it.

No one is willing to follow him.

When the retired emperor saw that Emperor Longde's face had turned dark, he knew that his son, who was not very broad-minded and was strict with his ministers, was angry.

He smiled and waved his hands, "Forget it, Jingyou is going to marry the girl from the Jia family at the end of February, let's talk about it after he gets married."

The emperor changed his mind and thought that if Li Jingxiao married the girl from the Jia family, it would be equivalent to gaining access to the Jia family's connections.

In disguise, he tried to win over the Jia family to his side.

At worst, the Jia family is betting on both the emperor and themselves.

Moreover, as long as the Jia family decides to bet on both sides, it is actually equivalent to joining his side.

After all, time is on the side of the emperor.

Afterwards, the emperor talked about cultivation.

The emperor has been practicing internal skills for more than ten to twenty days.

Although he did cultivate internal strength, his body did not show any abnormalities during the practice these days.

But for the retired emperor, without any comparison, he had no idea how fast his cultivation was.

Whether the internal force cultivated is powerful.

And most importantly, can it increase life expectancy?

Li Jingxiao muttered to himself, knowing that this question would be asked.

He pretended to be thinking, was silent for a while, and then spoke cautiously.

"Reporting to the sage, the so-called Tao follows nature, and what is cultivated is the mind. The most taboo in practicing Taoism is being impatient and practicing with a purpose.

As for the speed of cultivation and the strength of the true qi, I have studied talisman drawing for eight years, and can only be considered to have made some progress so far.

Saints might as well try drawing talismans and see how long it takes to master the art of talismans."

After hearing this, the corners of the emperor's mouth curled up slightly. It seemed that he could already draw talismans. He felt that he had a special talent in practicing Taoism.

Li Jingxiao curled his lips in his heart. Now that he had cultivated the true Qi, it was not difficult to get started with the talismans.

But it is hard to say how powerful the talismans are and how many talismans can be drawn every day.

Li Jingxiao learned from the three Shi Delong brothers that although they could also draw talismans, the power of the talismans could not compare to the talismans he gave them.

It was obvious at first glance that the energy level of the true qi cultivated from the 'Immortal Changchun Gong' was definitely higher than that cultivated by the three brothers.

This is also related to the fact that the level 10 Qingyun Fan, level 10 Yuling Necklace, and Sapphire Ring can all increase the power of spells.

The retired emperor thought that the martial arts he practiced was very powerful, so naturally he had no intention of talking about this matter with Li Jingxiao.

He even regretted discussing topics related to the martial arts he was practicing with Li Jingxiao a few days ago when he had just cultivated true qi.

Li Jingxiao had no choice but to talk about this matter anymore.

You can also understand why so many Taoists would rather deceive the emperor than teach him the real method of cultivation.

Everyone is selfish, and emperors are even more selfish.

Once the emperor learns it, he might want to destroy this faction.

So the fact that the emperor was unwilling to continue communicating was naturally the best thing for Li Jingxiao.

After chatting for a while, an official from the Ministry of Rites came in and reported that it was time to go to the Taimiao and Shimiao to hold sacrificial activities.

As a personal bodyguard, Li Jingxiao had to stay by the emperor's side.

When they arrived at the Taimiao, Li Jingxiao held a long sword and stood guard outside the main hall of the Taimiao. He easily spotted Prince Yishun among the dozen or so princes, emperors, and dukes.

I couldn't help but think that I should perform some ritual to kill this guy.

Or should I sneak into his residence in the capital at night and kill him directly?

But after thinking about it, Prince Yishun had just inherited the title of king and suddenly died at home.

Any fool would doubt himself, the suspect who has a grudge against him.

Moreover, assassinating a prince is no different from exposing the sky.

Not only will the royal family be committed to this, but all the civil and military officials and nobles in the court will also worry that they will become targets of assassination in the future.

They will definitely try their best to find the killer, or the forces behind the killer.

Then I would become the most suspicious person.

Moreover, casting a spell to curse a prince to death is more harmful than the disaster of witchcraft.

By then, everyone will be in danger, and I will be in big trouble.

Thinking of this, Li Jingxiao couldn't help but sigh.

Fortunately, I soon thought of a reliable solution.

He focused on searching in the game inventory and soon found "Finger of Magic" among more than a dozen hidden weapon secret books.

(End of this chapter)