Zongwu: Eavesdropping on the inner voices, the female warriors have become strange

"Palace Master, Young Master, a boat is approaching us." The Yihua Palace lookout on the boat immediately sounded the alarm after seeing a boat approaching them.

"Is there a ship approaching us?" Chen Liu and the other girls from Lianxing were a little surprised. They immediately stood up and walked to the side of the boat, looking towards the large ship approaching them.

"It's a ship belonging to the Song clan." Chen Liu didn't understand the power of the Sui Dynasty, but Wanwan knew it very well. When she saw the flag on the large ship approaching them, she knew it was a smuggling salt ship belonging to the Song clan in Lingnan.

The Song clan was one of the four major clans of the Sui Dynasty. The other three clans were the Li clan of Li Yuan, Duke of Tang, the Yuwen clan of Yuwen Shang, and the Dugu clan of Dugu Feng.

The Li, Yuwen, and Dugu clans all had Hu ancestry, but the Song clan, which dominated Lingnan, was of pure Han descent. Song Que deeply disdained foreigners, especially the Hu people. He even established a rule that Song clan members could only marry Han women, and his daughters could only marry Han men. Furthermore, Song Que was dedicated to restoring Han Chinese customs to the Central Plains, which is why he later supported Kou Zhong's conquest of the world. However, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were deceived by Shi Feixuan, and ultimately, without even showing any signs of defeat, they ceded half of their territory to Li Shimin.

He supported Kou Zhong and married his youngest daughter Song Yuzhi to him. This was probably the thing Song Que regretted most in his life.

"The Song clan's ship?" Chen Liu seemed to be thinking about it.

The Song clan dominated Lingnan, controlling the illegal salt trade between Lingnan and Sichuan. This is likely a Song clan salt ship. It's said that Song Shidao of the Song clan was responsible for the salt trade for his family. I wonder if he was the one on the ship?

The Song clan's ship stopped approaching when it was about ten feet away from the Yihua Palace's ship, and moved forward side by side with the Yihua Palace's ship to avoid misunderstanding.

A gentle and graceful young man stood at the bow of the Song clan's ship, bowing to Chen Liu and the others. "I am Master Song of Lingnan. Is that the ship of the Ming Dynasty's Yihua Palace? I wonder which Palace Master of Yihua Palace is on board?"

[It really is Song Shidao. If it were him, I would understand.]

Song Shidao is a man who loves to make friends and discuss everything under the sun. In the original novel, while smuggling salt, he encounters Fu Jun'er and Shuanglong, who are being hunted by Yu Wenhuaji. Song Shidao invites Fu Jun'er and the others aboard his ship, where he discusses the current state of affairs with them.

"It turns out to be Young Master Song. I am Chenliu from the Great Song Dynasty. The person next to me is Lianxing, the second palace master of Yihua Palace." Chenliu returned the greeting to Song Shidao.

"But is it Mr. Xihua of the Song Dynasty?" Song Shidao asked in surprise when he heard that.

When Chen Liu heard this, his face turned dark.

Wang Yuyan, Lianxing and Wanwan burst into laughter. They all knew how much Chen Liu hated this name, but his favorite name "The Divine Calculator" did not spread, but "Young Master Xihua" came to the Sui Dynasty.

"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?" Seeing Chen Liu unhappy and Wang Yuyan and Lianxing girls giggling, Song Shidao was suddenly a little confused.

"No." Lian Xing smiled, "It's just that my husband doesn't like this nickname."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Mr. Chen." Upon hearing this, Song Shidao hurriedly apologized.

Song Shidao, a son of an aristocratic family, is approachable and renowned for his modesty and loyalty. He exemplifies the humble, modest, and generous son of an aristocratic family. His breadth of knowledge and his deep sense of loyalty and loyalty earn him immense respect, even for Ba Fenghan, who traditionally despised the sons of powerful families.

Chen Liu did not blame Song Shidao, but he really disliked the nickname "Young Master Xihua".

"No problem, Mr. Song, would you like to come over and have a chat?" Chen Liu invited.

"Very good!" Song Shidao agreed quickly.

When Song Shidao encountered the boat of the Daming Yihua Palace on the Yangtze River, he had been intending to approach and make friends, as more friends meant more opportunities. Now Chenliu's invitation was exactly what he wanted.

"Young Master!" The Song family servant behind Song Shidao called out to him hurriedly.

"It's nothing. Go and tell my third uncle that I met Xi... um, Master Chenliu from the Song Dynasty and Palace Master Lianxing from the Yihua Palace of the Ming Dynasty. I'll go over and make friends with them and then come back." Song Shidao said as he used his lightness skills to jump across the water and landed on the big ship of the Yihua Palace.

"Song Shidao greets Mr. Chen." As soon as he got on the boat, Song Shidao bowed to Chen Liu.

"Brother Song, please call me Chen Liu." Chen Liu returned the greeting and introduced, "Brother Song, this is my wife, Wang Yuyan."

"Greetings, Madam Chen." Song Shidao bowed quickly.

"I've met Mr. Song."

"This is Lian Xing, the Second Palace Master of Yihua Palace, and also my wife."

"Meet Madam Chen."

"I've met Mr. Song."

"This is my wife, Wanwan." Chen Liu did not introduce Wanwan's background. After all, her identity was a bit sensitive in the Sui Dynasty.

"Greetings, Madam Chen." Song Shidao couldn't help muttering in his heart. They say there's only wrong names, but no wrong nicknames. You've been Madam three already, so how could it be wrong to call you Young Master Xihua?

After the greetings, Chen Liu invited Song Shidao to have tea in the living room on the boat.

Entering the living room, even though Song Shidao was a descendant of one of the four great families of the Sui Dynasty, he couldn't help but be shocked by the interior decoration of the living room on the ship.

The exterior of the Yihua Palace's ship revealed little, but its interior was lavishly decorated. The hall's deck was covered in a luxurious goose-feather rug; the ceiling was inlaid with a ring of night-shining pearls, illuminating even at night without lighting. The walls were covered with ancient calligraphy and paintings, as well as verses from renowned poets, all authentic. Song Shidao even encountered Wang Xizhi's "Chu Yue Tie." In each of the four corners stood an incense burner, each burning a dragon-extending incense stick. The delicate aroma emanated from the burner, leaving one feeling refreshed. Every vase and every object in the hall was a priceless treasure. The value of the décor in this hall alone was worth tens of thousands of taels of silver. And this was just the decor of one of the ship's living rooms.

"Zhenzhen, serve the tea."

"Here!"

A beautiful woman in gorgeous clothes walked slowly forward and poured tea for Chen Liu, Wang Yuyan, Lianxing, Wanwan, and Song Shidao.

Chapter 288 Song Shidao (Part )

The tea drinking habits are different in each place. The Sui Dynasty likes to boil tea, but Chenliu prefers to drink fried tea.

Song Shidao glanced at Wei Zhenzhen. Another beauty. However, he only glanced at her once and stopped looking. After all, Chen Liu was known as a flower-loving gentleman, a romantic and suave man. Who knew if this beauty was his wife or concubine?

"This is Meishan Maojian tea from the Ming Dynasty, right?" Song Shidao said with an enjoyable look after tasting the tea.

Chen Liu raised an eyebrow. This Song Shidao truly had excellent eyesight. The original novel described him as a man of great insight, well-versed in both ancient and modern knowledge. Whether it was jade treasures, daily necessities, or even calligraphy and paintings, he could accurately discern the authenticity and origin of anything at a glance. When investigating Fu Junyu's whereabouts, he also uncovered numerous clues based solely on a few tea leaves.

Meishan Maojian was not considered a famous tea in the Ming Dynasty, but Chenliu liked the taste, so Meishan Maojian was also available on the ship. Unexpectedly, Song Shidao, a young master of a noble family in the Sui Dynasty, even knew about Meishan Maojian in the Ming Dynasty.

"Brother Song is very insightful."

"Haha, I've only tasted it before. Besides, my Song family not only makes salt tea from the Great Sui Dynasty, but also dabbles in tea, silk, and porcelain from the Great Ming and Great Song Dynasties." Song Shidao said with a smile, "Brother Chen, are you here in the Great Sui Dynasty for sightseeing, or for something else?"

"I came to visit the Great Sui Dynasty." Chen Liu said with a smile.

"The Great Sui is now ravaged by wars. This isn't a good time to travel," Song Shidao sighed. "The tyrant ruler's tyrannical taxation, massive construction projects, and aggressive military spending have brought the Great Sui to a state of misery. The common people can barely survive."

Song Shidao loved to discuss the general situation of the world, and would start talking about it in just a few words. However, this was normal. The Song family was one of the four major clans of the Sui Dynasty, and they had huge interests in the country, so they would naturally care about the general situation of the Sui Dynasty.

Chen Liu smiled and said, "This isn't necessarily all Yang Guang's fault. Although Yang Guang did have his share of faults, don't you think it's strange that the Sui Dynasty had deteriorated to this point in just a few years, Brother Song?"

"Brother Chen, what are your thoughts?" Song Shidao was a little surprised.

"When did the Sui Dynasty begin to fall into chaos?" Chen Liu asked.

"Yang Guang's expedition to Goguryeo begins."

"No, it should be that the Great Sui Dynasty began to fall into chaos when Yang Guang started to introduce the imperial examination system."

Chen Liu said, "The political systems of the Sui Dynasty differ from those of the Song and Ming Dynasties. The Sui army is controlled by the Guanlong nobles, while the court officials are controlled by the aristocratic families. The Sui Dynasty wants to recruit officials through the imperial examination system like the Song and Ming Dynasties. This is indeed a good thing for the lower-class gentry, but not for the Guanlong nobles and the aristocratic families. For them, this is Yang Guang affecting their interests. How can they be happy?"

Chen Liu took a sip of tea and said, "As soon as Yang Guang conquered Goguryeo, uprisings broke out everywhere in the rear. And the uprisings spread like wildfire, one after another, and no matter what they did, they could not be extinguished. Do you believe that these rebels did not have the support of aristocratic families behind them?"

Song Shidao was silent, unable to refute. Song Shidao was the legitimate son of the Song family, and he knew what was going on behind the scenes of the uprising.

"During Yang Guang's second expedition to Goguryeo, Yang Xuangan rebelled behind the scenes. Furthermore, Li Mi, Lai Huer, and other sons and relatives of Sui Dynasty generals also participated in Yang Xuangan's rebellion. This shows that the Guanlong nobles were also extremely dissatisfied with Yang Guang."

Song Shidao asked, "Brother Chen, what do you think of the situation in our Great Sui Dynasty?"

"The Song family wants to conquer the world?"

"No, if the Sui Dynasty continues to be in chaos, I am only worried that the people in Lingnan will be dragged into the war." Song Shidao said with some compassion.

Song Shidao had no idea of ​​fighting for the world, but he knew that his father, Tiandao Song Que, had always wanted to restore the Han Dynasty's clothing to the Sui Dynasty, and this would definitely plunge the people of Lingnan into war.

"I have only been in the Great Sui for a few days, and I don't know much about your Great Sui." A few words were enough, and Chen Liu was unwilling to say more.

After that, Chen Liu talked with Song Shidao about everything under the sun, but the topics of conversation no longer involved the situation of the Sui Dynasty. Instead, they talked more about local customs and folkways, interesting stories from the martial arts world, and so on.

Song Shidao was well-versed in ancient history, and Chen Liu was also knowledgeable. Therefore, the more Song Shidao and Chen Liu talked, the more they got along. They felt that they had met too late and were reluctant to leave.

However, except for Chen Liu, the rest of the people on the Yihua Palace boat were women, so it was inconvenient for him to stay. Therefore, when it was getting dark, he said goodbye reluctantly and returned to the Song family's boat.

"My husband, you don't think highly of the Song family?" Wang Yuyan asked after Song Shidao left.

"The Song clan is located in Lingnan, which is too limited. Moreover, Song Shidao is a soft-hearted heir. Such a person is not suitable for fighting for hegemony."

"Then my husband, who do you think will rule the Sui Dynasty in the future?" Wanwan stepped forward and asked.

"Your Yinkui sect wants to invest?"

Wanwan giggled, sat on Chen Liu's lap, put her arms around his neck and said, "Isn't this natural?"

"Those who use their martial arts sects to influence the court will not have a good ending in the future." Chen Liu pinched Wanwan's fleshy flesh and said with a smile.

"why?"

"Emperors are extremely selfish creatures. Anyone who threatens their power is their target for elimination, even the meritorious officials who helped them conquer the world. Throughout history, how many founding emperors have slaughtered their meritorious officials after gaining control of the country?"

"Really?" Wanwan had a puzzled look on her face.

Seeing the confusion on Wanwan's face, Chen Liu began to react. This was the Zongwu World, not his original historical world, and the history here was somewhat different from his original history.

Chen Liu had read the history of this world in the history books collected by Huang Yaoshi on Peach Blossom Island.

This world of martial arts also boasts the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties. However, after the Zhou dynasty divided the empire into feudal states, the various vassal states began to slowly conquer and annex each other during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, gradually evolving into the present-day landscape. Nomadic peoples were driven to the bitter cold of the desert and snowy highlands, where they established the Yuan Dynasty. The Qin, Song, and Ming dynasties each occupied a fertile portion of the continent, becoming dominant in their respective regions. The continent where the Sui dynasty reigned was the most chaotic, and after numerous changes, Yang Jian ultimately inherited the Northern Zhou dynasty and conquered the world.

"Why think so much?" Chen Liu was confused and changed the subject. He picked up Wang Yuyan and Wanwan, one in each hand, and walked towards the room, saying, "Let's do something happy."

Wei Zhenzhen took a look and hurried to catch up with a rosy face. Although she had two ladies, Wang Yuyan and Wanwan, to serve her, there was basically no need for her to be a substitute, but what if?

In the following period of time, Song Shidao would go to the Yihua Palace's boat almost every day to chat with Chen Liu. Chen Liu also went to the Song family's boat to meet Song Que's cousin Song Lu.

The destination of Chen Liu's trip was Feima Ranch in Nanjun. After arriving in Nanjun, the private salt ships of the Song clan had to continue westward to transport the salt to Bashu. The two sides had different routes, so Song Shidao reluctantly said goodbye to Chen Liu.

"Brother Chen, if you have time in the future, you can come to my Song family mountain city in Lingnan. I will welcome you with open arms." After this period of communication, Song Shidao also admired Chen Liu very much.

"If I have time, I will go."

Chapter 289 Pegasus Ranch

Lu Miaozi lived in seclusion at Pegasus Ranch.

Pegasus Ranch is located in Nanjun, and was founded by Shang Xiong. Shang Xiong was once a military general. To avoid the scourge of war, he led his men and clansmen south and established Pegasus Ranch in Nanjun. He also established a family precept to never get involved in the affairs of the underworld or the imperial court, and to keep a low profile and focus on business.

Pegasus Ranch has been passed down for more than 160 years and is now in the hands of the current ranch owner, Shang Xiuxun, who is now in his seventh generation.

Approximately thirty years ago, Xiang Yutian, the leader of the Xieji Sect, decided to fake his own death to escape. Before faking his death, Xiang Yutian entrusted the Xie Emperor's relic to Lu Miaozi for safekeeping. He then taught Zhu Yuyan the method for extracting the relic's essence. Xiang Yutian's purpose was to deflect the blame. To enhance her power with the relic, Empress Zhu Yuyan was bound to fight against the four disciples who had inherited Xiang Yutian's legacy. However, the relic had been hidden by Lu Miaozi, forcing neither side to seize it.

However, this move indirectly led to a rift between Zhu Yuyan and Lu Miaozi. Zhu Yuyan sought to learn the whereabouts of the Evil Emperor's relic, but Lu Miaozi, under Xiang Yutian's request, refused to disclose the location. Consequently, Zhu Yuyan plotted against Lu Miaozi, resulting in a slap on his face. This forced Lu Miaozi to create a false alarm, misleading Zhu Yuyan into believing he had fled overseas, thus evading her pursuit. Disheartened, Lu Miaozi retreated to Pegasus Ranch.

While living in seclusion at Pegasus Ranch, Lu Miaozi met Shang Xiuxun's mother, Shang Qingya, the previous owner of Pegasus Ranch, and married her and gave birth to a daughter, Shang Xiuxun. Although Lu Miaozi broke up with Zhu Yuyan, he still couldn't forget her, causing Shang Qingya to die of depression.

After Shang Qingya's death, Lu Miaozi finally realized her mistake and felt remorseful, but it was too late. Shang Xiuxun also bore a deep hatred for Lu Miaozi because of his mother's death.

Pegasus Ranch is very famous in Nanjun, and Chenliu can easily find out about it.