The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

Of course, the Chu Lu people saw clearly that this was just "bait".

Perhaps, aside from Ao Bai, it is very likely that this will actually come true. However... Kangxi's goal of strengthening imperial power will continue step by step. Historically speaking, after ten years, Kangxi will gradually sideline the "Council of Princes and Ministers," and Yongzheng and Qianlong will add the "Grand Council," which will basically be completely abolished.

These things have little to do with the people of Chulu. What the people of Chulu care about more is what "Little Guizi" called a "traitor"!

"Brother, hold on!" Chu Luren stopped Qiao Feng.

In fact, Qiao Feng didn't really use his strength; he just wanted to scare the kid away with his internal energy. Chu Luren also noticed that Qiao Feng seemed to be gradually overcoming his tendency to get "hysterical."

"Boy, let me ask you, who is the 'traitor' your emperor is talking about?" Chu Luren had already guessed, but he still wanted to confirm.

"This... requires the Duke of Zhenguo's approval... cough cough! Naturally, it's that treacherous dog Ao Bai who has brought disaster to the Han people!"

At first, Xiao Gui Zi wanted to keep it a secret for the time being, after all, what if Qiao Feng didn't agree? Wouldn't that reveal Xiao Xuan Zi's plan to kill Ao Bai?

However, upon meeting Chu Luren's ambiguous smile and seeing Qiao Feng's displeased expression, Xiao Guizi made a snap decision, disregarding any pre-arranged rules and improvising on the spot.

Because he discovered that Qiao Feng was indeed as rumored, he had no good feelings towards the Qing court, and he didn't care about titles like Duke of Zhenguo or Banner Prince.

Having discovered that Qiao Feng was a completely different kind of person from himself, Xiao Guizi changed his tactics and pinned all the unethical things, such as literary inquisitions, on Ao Bai—in the great martial arts world, this was not entirely unjust to accuse Ao Bai.

As expected, upon hearing this, Qiao Feng's expression softened somewhat, and he countered with a question: "Is it Kangxi who wants to kill Ao Bai?"

"Indeed, His Majesty has long been disgusted by Ao Bai's actions, but he regrets that there is no one of suitable talent in the court or among the people. That is why he had no choice but to take a risky step and contact some people in the martial arts world. He even specifically instructed me that if I encounter the Duke of Zhenguo..."

"Hmph, you're Han Chinese too, aren't you? Why do you call yourself a slave so naturally?" Qiao Feng said with displeasure.

Xiao Guizi was taken aback when she heard this—wasn't this just a habit?

After all, he wasn't a member of the martial arts world before. No matter how much he had heard of "Qiao Feng of the North," for the time he still regarded Qiao Feng more as a "nobleman of the Plain White Banner."

The logic of the Manchu nobles differed from that of the Han people. Due to the profound influence of slavery, calling themselves "slaves" became a means of proclaiming themselves as "one of their own."

The common saying that "Manchu officials referred to themselves as 'slave' while Han officials referred to themselves as 'minister'" is not entirely accurate; this has evolved over time.

According to the current rules, apart from eunuchs and other true "servants," Manchu nobles only referred to themselves as "servants" to their "banner lords." Except for the two Yellow Banners, the nobles of the other six banners referred to themselves as "subjects" to the emperor.

Historically, it was only in the mid-to-late Kangxi period that Manchu officials began to refer to themselves as "slave," which also reflected the beginning of imperial power overriding the power of the nobility.

However, during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng, due to his personal preferences, both Manchu and Han officials referred to themselves as "臣" (chen, meaning subject/minister). It was not until the reign of Emperor Qianlong that the most detailed and longest-lasting rule was established: military generals, regardless of whether they were Manchu or Han, referred to themselves as "奴才" (nucai, meaning slave/servant), while among civil officials, Manchus referred to themselves as "奴才" and Hans as "臣" (chen, meaning subject/minister), and for imperial relatives, it depended on how close they were to the emperor.

As a eunuch in name only, Xiao Guizi could only refer to himself as "slave" when addressing the emperor. After all, this was a lingering poison of the slave system, not simply a matter of self-deprecation. Referring to himself as "slave" when addressing others was not much different from rebelling.

The reason he referred to himself as "servant" to Qiao Feng was to express his closeness, since he still needed Qiao Feng's help in this matter. However... Qiao Feng didn't buy it at all!

It even backfired, making Qiao Feng think: such a spineless person's words must not be trusted!

However, this kid was really resourceful. With a quick glance, he started making up a lie: "My family was poor when I was young, and I only had a way to survive after I entered the palace and became a eunuch." This made it difficult for Qiao Feng to pursue the matter further, as the man lacked backbone.

Chu Luren didn't care whether he had backbone or not, but asked instead, "Eliminating Ao Bai, contacting people in the martial arts world... So, your previous contact with people from Wudang and Southern Shaolin was also for this matter?"

"Indeed, Master Chu is wise! That treacherous dog Ao Bai deceives the emperor, oppresses the Han people, and uses vicious and cruel methods. His Majesty has long wanted to kill this villain, but because he holds a high position and has not yet taken personal control of the government, he cannot act immediately. Therefore, he came up with the plan of capturing the king to capture the thief..."

However, Ao Bai has mastered a strange and formidable martial art, making him nearly invulnerable to swords and spears. Therefore, His Majesty hopes to find some reliable experts to enter the palace and assist in assassinating this villain!

What "Little Guizi" said was not entirely the truth, but that was indeed the meaning he wanted to convey.

Chapter 445 Agreement

By this time, "Little Gui Zi" had already been taken away. Qiao Feng was still somewhat conflicted, so he consulted Chu Luren and Duan Yu for advice. When Murong Jiu heard that it was a matter concerning the Qing court, she also insisted on joining in...

Logically speaking, Qiao Feng had no desire to get involved in the affairs of the Qing Dynasty—firstly, because it would damage his reputation, and those who didn't know better would think he had genuine connections with the Qing Dynasty; secondly… he truly had no feelings for it.

But now that it concerns eliminating Ao Bai, Qiao Feng is somewhat hesitant!

In the Qing court, the vanguard who suppressed Han officials and enslaved Han people was undoubtedly Aobai. Moreover, Aobai also interfered a lot in the affairs of the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world). When Han people in the Jianghu talked about the villains of the Qing court, most of them hated this person first. As for Kangxi, he was only thirteen years old and had not yet taken personal control of the government, so he had little presence.

Back when Qiao Feng was at the Mount Tai Conference of the Beggars' Sects of the North and South, he was attacked by Ao Bai's troops. At that time, he covered the retreat of the Beggars' Sect members and almost died at Ao Bai's hands. Fortunately, he broke through in the midst of the battle and managed to repel Ao Bai.

When it comes to killing Ao Bai, Qiao Feng becomes quite interested!

"Kangxi wanted to kill Ao Bai. Wasn't it enough that he sought out Wudang and Shaolin? Why did he need to find other masters? Brother, I think there's something fishy going on!" Duan Yu's great wisdom was clearly not in this regard.

Chu Luren could understand to some extent, and weighed the options, saying, "To be precise, it's Wudang and 'Southern Shaolin'... Kangxi didn't dare to use the masters of the sects within the Qing court's territory. After all, if things failed, they would definitely be wiped out by Pingshan, and even if they succeeded, there was a risk of being blamed!"

Wudang and Southern Shaolin would certainly not send many experts; otherwise, if a few hundred monks and several sets of Zhenwu formations were to infiltrate, Emperor Kangxi would probably be the first to object.

Moreover, there is a big difference between colluding with "outsiders" to kill Ao Bai and joining forces with the "Plain White Banner" to kill Ao Bai. Especially after Sukesaha was killed by Ao Bai, the two White Banners were even more oppressed, which was a time when they were dissatisfied with Ao Bai's faction.

Not to mention, there were also security considerations... The young Emperor Kangxi probably understood that even if the people of Wudang and Southern Shaolin were serious, they would never risk their lives; they were nowhere near as reliable as his 'Imperial Uncle'.

"What imperial uncle? Even if he were to personally kill that scoundrel Ao Bai, it would be for the sake of chivalry and the common people. He would surely leave after the deed is done. How could he possibly serve the Qing court?" Qiao Feng corrected him righteously.

Because there was no bloody battle at Juxian Manor and no interaction with the emperor, Qiao Feng was not as open-minded as he was in the original work.

You can't be fooled by a mere insincere mention of being an imperial uncle...

“I’ve heard that the banner lords of the Qing Dynasty are all important governors of their respective regions and members of the Council of Princes and Ministers, holding high positions in military and political affairs. If you could really become the banner lord of the Plain White Banner, it might be a good thing,” Duan Yu said innocently again.

"It's really a good thing for Kangxi... He's only thirteen years old, yet he's already thinking about getting rid of Ao Bai. He must be an ambitious person. Why would he care about the Council of Princes and Ministers dividing up power? Besides trying to win over his elder brother, he probably thinks that we roughnecks from the Jianghu are easier to deal with than the old nobles of the Eight Banners!" Chu Luren retorted to Duan Yu again.

Duan Yu glanced at Chu Luren with a hint of resentment, then looked at Murong Jiu and muttered, "I've heard that the sons-in-law of the Murong family are all very accommodating to Young Master Murong."

Neither Chu Luren nor Qiao Feng paid any attention to his interruption, and Murong Jiu simply chuckled...

However, Murong Jiu then said seductively, "I think what Young Master Duan said is not entirely unreasonable. When the Manchus first entered the pass, the Plain White Banner was under the command of Dorgon and suppressed the Two Yellow Banners. After being purged, they were already holding a grudge."

Two years ago, Sukesaha was accused of twenty-four crimes by Aobai and his entire family was executed. Now, the two hundred banners still have a foothold, but their minds are unsettled. If Kangxi wants to seize power, why doesn't Brother Qiao take advantage of the situation and fight for it? With power in hand, whether it's pacifying the Manchus and Han, helping the Song Dynasty advance north, or even establishing himself as king, wouldn't it all be within his grasp?

Murong Jiu is simply using this opportunity to stir up trouble...

Qiao Feng frowned upon hearing this, somewhat displeased, but still trying to save face, he said, "Brother Murong is too kind; how could I possibly know such things?"

Chu Luren, however, felt that Qiao Feng might not actually be ignorant.

Although Qiao Feng may seem like a rough and uncouth man, beneath his boldness lies a meticulous mind!

His style, however, is not merely about intrigue and scheming, nor is it that political struggles are solely based on intrigue and scheming...

Putting aside other matters, during the Xingzi Forest incident, all four elders of the Beggars' Sect rebelled, his own confidants were trapped, and Chen Youliang and Quan Guanqing were eyeing him covetously. However, as soon as Qiao Feng arrived, he quickly and easily quelled the situation.

If it weren't for the revelation of his Manchu origins, which disheartened Qiao Feng, he could have easily thwarted this massive coup d'état with his personal charisma and magnanimous skills...

As generous as he may be, does he really think Qiao Feng is a simpleton?

If it were now, when the "Council of Princes and Ministers" still existed and the Manchu nobles still had a bit of recklessness and hadn't been completely corrupted, and if Kangxi dared to vindicate Qiao Feng, and really wanted to use the two white banners left by Dorgon to fight for power, I'm afraid this young emperor would also have to taste the bitterness of lifting a stone only to drop it on his own foot!

After all, Ao Bai belonged to the Bordered Yellow Banner. In the end, the two Yellow Banners were the emperor's confidants, so he couldn't cause any major trouble. But if it were the two White Banners that started a disturbance, then it would truly be a case of white knives going in and red knives coming out.

However, it's true that Qiao Feng had no interest in this...

Qiao Feng believed in his Manchu identity, but did not wholeheartedly accept it. However, it was impossible for him to infiltrate the Qing court and wait for an opportunity to surrender to the Song Dynasty. Qiao Feng could only feel conflicted and instinctively avoid the conflict between the Manchu and Han people.

"Let's get back to the matter of Ao Bai. We'll just have to take it one step at a time and see what happens," Chu Luren interrupted Murong Jiu's instigation.

"Second brother, do you think this is an opportunity?" Qiao Feng was also more concerned about killing Ao Bai.

"It's definitely an opportunity, and for our elder brother, it's a good opportunity to take credit for himself and let others take the blame!" Chu Luren was right. If things went well, Kangxi would definitely not give credit to Wudang or Shaolin, and would even try to avoid the fact that he had brought outsiders to kill Ao Bai.

In contrast, it was only right and proper for the Duke of Zhenguo of the Plain White Banner to kill Oboi!

"Besides... even if we fail to kill them, we can still escape unscathed by joining forces. Then, if we let Ao Bai and Kangxi fight each other, it might be even more exciting," Chu Luren said sullenly.

However, others obviously wouldn't realize that the thirteen-year-old Kangxi would have great influence in the future, and Qiao Feng also thought that it would be best to kill Ao Bai!

"Us?" Murong Jiu glanced at Chu Luren.

"Such an interesting thing, of course I have to go and see... It makes sense for the Duke of Zhenguo to bring a guard, right?" Chu Luren teased deliberately.

Qiao Feng was already used to it and completely ignored his teasing. After frowning and thinking for a while, he said, "Alright! Then I'll agree to their request first!"

Chapter 446 Say it again, who's pitiful?

"Where is Eunuch Gui from?" Chu Luren asked casually as he walked along the road, striking up a conversation with "Little Gui."

To others, this "Eunuch Gui" was merely one of Kangxi's confidants—thinking about it this way, Kangxi was quite pitiful at this time, having to rely on a mere eunuch as his confidant.

However, Chu Luren was able to "guess" that this was not Xiao Guizi at all, but most likely Wei Xiaobao who had been replaced by someone else!

As for his identity...

That's really hard to define. He's been having more than three identities all these years, as if just being a "double agent" would make him feel uncomfortable and like it's not enough!

For example, at this time, Wei Xiaobao was not only Kangxi's "good friend", but also the "confidant" of Hai Dafu, a master of the palace. Moreover, because he noticed some strange things about the Empress Dowager, he became the Empress Dowager's "tacitly known Hai Dafu's spy".

Fortunately, this attempt to win over Qiao Feng did not involve Hai Dafu or the Empress Dowager.

However, when it came to the question of being from Chulu, Wei Xiaobao lied without hesitation—claiming to be from Hebei.

"Judging from the accent, it doesn't seem likely. How come a Hebei native working in the capital has developed a Henan accent? Is the old eunuch who brought you from Henan?" Chu Luren pointed out the suspicious points but did not expose him.

At the same time, Chu Luren roughly realized that Wei Xiaobao was probably not from Yangzhou like in the original work, but rather from Henan.

Upon hearing this, Wei Xiaobao broke out in a cold sweat—was my Henan accent really that strong? I had already tried my best to disguise it!

He still remembered that the "Little Guizi" he killed had a Hebei accent. In order not to reveal his identity in front of Hai Dafu, he had been imitating a Hebei accent. He never expected that... it wasn't that he couldn't tell?

It wouldn't be a big deal if someone from the martial arts world recognized him, but... Wei Xiaobao thought about it more deeply. Did the blind eunuch Hai really not notice that there was something wrong with his accent and voice?

The voice could be attributed to puberty, and everyone has a slightly hoarse voice, but the accent...

"How old was Eunuch Gui when he entered the palace?" Chu Luren asked rudely.

"I...I am fourteen years old this year, and I have been in the palace for three years," Wei Xiaobao replied, trying to appear calm.

"I see you have a pretty good physique, you must have practiced some external martial arts, right? But what can you achieve with external martial arts? How about I teach you a set of internal energy cultivation techniques? It's most suitable for people without roots to cultivate, but if a normal man practices it, his meridians will be disordered and he will die." Chu Luren probed with a half-smile.

Wei Xiaobao didn't dare to look at Chu Luren, and just kept his head down—he always felt that this man seemed to have seen through his biggest secret!

In terms of wit, Wei Xiaobao could barely compare to Xiaoyuer, but in terms of skill, Xiaoyuer completely outclassed him. It was like two geniuses with an IQ of 200, one who was self-taught and the other who had been taught everything by several world-class professors.

Moreover, in terms of true "wisdom," Wei Xiaobao is still inferior to Xiaoyuer.

"Second brother, we're almost at Manjing. Change your clothes," Qiao Feng instructed Chu Luren, who seemed to be leisurely teasing a young eunuch.

It's not very far from Leigushan to Yanjing.

At this time, along with "Little Guizi" heading north, besides Qiao Feng, there were also Chu Luren, Duan Yu, and Murong Jiu!

Murong Jiu finally had a chance to get close to the Qing court's power center... even if it wasn't her own opportunity, she was still unwilling to let it go.

As for Duan Yu...

Since his eldest and second eldest brothers had both come, he naturally had to come along too!