svetikya Chapter 139 Junior Xu Qingya pays respects to Ancestor Luo Qingyan!
Chapter 139 Junior Xu Qingya pays respects to Ancestor Luo Qingyan!
Chapter 139 Junior Xu Qingya pays respects to Ancestor Wu Luo Qingyan!
Xu Qingya and Duan Yu returned to the delegation's convoy. Hua Mancong gave a wry smile but didn't say a word.
Before setting off, Hua Ruling spent a lot of money to buy a file about Xu Qingya. After analysis by multiple intelligence organizations, it was found that Xu Qingya had "dual nature"!
Light particles exhibit wave-particle duality.
Duan Zhengchun possessed two contrasting traits: a scoundrel and a devoted lover.
Xu Qingya has two sides: one is capable of stirring up trouble, and the other is capable of appeasing others.
Wherever he goes, whether intentionally or unintentionally, he will cause trouble and then appease the people.
The advantage is that Xu Qingya's passive ability only targets evil spirits, bandits, bullies, and corrupt officials. When facing ordinary people, he is always very patient and acts cautiously and properly, and will never harm the people in the slightest.
The downside is that most of the work in the latter part is left to others. Whoever teams up with Xu Qingya is responsible for appeasing the people and handling miscellaneous matters. Even the Grand Tutor of the court is no exception, not to mention Hua Mancong.
Hua Mancong couldn't understand how Xu Qingya had managed to abduct the Prince of Dali, capture the Four Evils, explore the Boundless Jade Wall, and incidentally travel around with a group of beauties while painting a hundred scrolls of portraits of ladies in just five days.
Xu Qingya's energy is simply too abundant.
Fortunately, nothing was delayed.
The timing was perfect.
When the Han delegation arrived in Dali's main city, the Dali royal family was just ready to receive them. The relationship between Dali and the Han Dynasty has always been very good. When talking about the history of Dali, one cannot help but mention the legendary figure Meng Huo!
Besides Zhao Zilong, Meng Huo, the King of the Southern Barbarians, was also skilled at making seven incursions and seven exits. Back then, Meng Huo was full of ambition and played a "Southern Barbarian Invasion" card with a wild laugh. Zhuge Liang countered with a "Flawless" card. Meng Huo thought to himself, "You mere Zhuge Kongming, do you think I'm afraid of you? Let me show you how many helpers I have!" Then he discovered that the opposing Zhuge Liang had changed his skin and activated "Wisdom and Wisdom"!
You think I'm some newly emerged Zhuge Liang? Look at my beard! I'm Zhuge Liang now!
The right hand's "Situation" deals high damage.
The left hand has "Exhaustion" for high defense.
Meng Huo, Wutugu, and Mulu were all thoroughly defeated by Zhuge Liang, making seven incursions and seven exits before they were truly convinced and swore to guard the southern border.
Over the centuries, the Yunnan-Guizhou region has undergone numerous changes, transforming from the Southern Barbarians to the Nanzhao Kingdom, and then to the Dali Kingdom, but it has always remained a vassal state of the Han Dynasty.
The Dali Royal Palace and the Tianlong Temple, the royal ancestral temple, still contain treasures left by Zhuge Liang, such as the Bagua formation diagram and the wooden ox and flowing horse. It is said that Huang Yueying had a good relationship with Meng Huo's wife, Zhu Rong, and left Zhu Rong a secret scroll containing various tools. When Meng Huo was managing the southern border, most of the mechanical devices for opening up mountains and building roads, as well as the salt wells he built, were taught by Huang Yueying.
Times change, and the world transforms.
Those once powerful families and large tribes have either declined or disappeared, but the worship of Zhuge Liang and Huang Yueying has been preserved. There are fixed sacrificial festivals, and every household offers steamed buns as offerings.
After offering the food for a day, the child is made to eat the steamed buns. It is said that this will bring Zhuge Liang's blessing and make the child smarter. Xu Qingya arrived at just the right time, just in time for the festival, when every household was steaming steamed buns.
Why offer steamed buns?
Because steamed buns were invented by Zhuge Liang.
In May, Zhuge Liang crossed the Lu River, venturing deep into the barren lands. He captured and released Meng Huo seven times before returning to the capital. When he passed the Lu River, a sudden gale arose, with waves crashing a thousand feet high and howling like ghosts. The army was unable to cross the river. Zhuge Liang asked Meng Huo, who explained that the two armies had suffered heavy losses in the battle, and the fallen soldiers could not return to their hometowns to reunite with their families. Therefore, he was causing the storm on the river and demanded forty-nine human heads as a sacrifice.
Zhuge Liang thought to himself, "You have already surrendered. If I were to commit further bloodshed, how could I win over the people?" So he ordered the cooks to wrap beef and mutton in dough and shape them into human heads to offer as a sacrifice to the fallen soldiers. The Lu River returned to peace.
The original offering was the "head of the Southern Barbarians," so this type of noodle was called "mantou" (steamed bun). Zhuge Liang's chef made improvements to it, calling the unfilled ones mantou, the filled ones baozi (steamed buns), and there were also soup dumplings and the like.
It is said that Zhuge Liang's cooks not only did not lose their skills, but became more and more proficient, carrying forward the art of making noodles. The steamed buns they made had the effect of calming the sea and suppressing the waves, and could be called a delicacy of the world.
Xu Qingya didn't know much about this history, but Duan Yu spoke of it with great enthusiasm. In addition, Dali was a small country compared to the Han Dynasty, but Dali's territory was not small at all, with eight prefectures, four counties, and four towns.
The most serious problem was that there were too many foreign tribes around. In order to alleviate the conflicts with the surrounding tribes, it was often necessary for the royal family to form marriage alliances. Duan Zhengchun, this womanizer, could not escape the fate of marriage alliances either.
These things were no secret. On the way from Wuliang Mountain to the capital of Dali, Duan Yu had already explained everything about the Dali Kingdom. No matter how detailed the records in the books were, they could not compare to the knowledge that Duan Yu had.
Yin Susu asked curiously, "The chef of Zhuge Liang has passed down his skills to his family? The steamed buns he makes can calm the sea and subdue the waves?"
Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?
Duan Yu chuckled, "Sister-in-law, I've read a few volumes of strange tales and miscellaneous records. Some of them mention that the steamed buns would be delicious, but Zhenhai Fubo—if it had such great power, you would have subdued it long ago!"
After several days of investigation, Duan Yu learned that Yin Susu had more than a dozen fleets of ships, mainly engaged in maritime trade, and was known overseas as the "Pirate Queen".
Qin Nanqin smiled and said, "Young Master Duan, did you eat the steamed buns offered as sacrifices to Marquis Wu when you were a child? Weren't the steamed buns offered as sacrifices to Marquis Wu by the royal family especially delicious?"
Duan Yu explained, "There's nothing special about it! The imperial palace uses the original beef and mutton buns for sacrifices, while Tianlong Temple uses vegetarian buns. I prefer the vegetarian buns."
"What kind of filling is in vegetarian buns?"
"Mushroom filling!"
"No other fillings?"
People in Dali really like to eat mushrooms!
Cheng Lingsu added, "Besides mushrooms, there's also sour soup. Some mushrooms are poisonous, and you might encounter poisonous insects while gathering herbs in the mountains. Sour soup can neutralize some of the poison, and over time, it becomes a habit!"
Duan Yu's eyes widened, and he thought to himself, "I've learned something new. I, a native of this place, never knew why the imperial chef liked to cook sour soup. It turns out it's for detoxification!"
Xu Qingya remained silent for a moment. Most of the poisonous insects, beasts, flowers, and plants in Yunnan are alkaline. Sour soup can effectively neutralize the acid and alkali, and thus can indeed detoxify.
Of course, don't do anything reckless.
Sour soup is not Manggu Zhuha!
Eating mushrooms indiscriminately can have serious consequences!
Chatting and laughing, the group arrived outside the royal city.
Emperor Duan Zhengming and Prince Zhennan Duan Zhengchun led civil and military officials out to greet them. Xu Qingya put on his official robes, held the imperial edict, and arranged the imperial carriage. He secretly glanced at Duan Zhengming and Duan Zhengchun. Duan Zhengming had a kind face, while Duan Zhengchun had a square face and was not a handsome young man.
Duan Zhengchun, whose reputation for being a womanizer spread throughout the land, was not a handsome man like Duan Yu, Hua Manlou, Li Xunhuan, or Jiang Feng. Instead, he had a square face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes, and was quite dignified.
Upon seeing Duan Zhengchun, Duan Yu hurriedly hid behind Xu Qingya, peeking out cautiously.
Duan Zhengchun gritted his teeth, thinking to himself, "When the Han envoy Xu Qingya returns to the capital, I will definitely hang you up and beat you. If I don't beat you for three days and three nights, I'm not your father!"
Hua Mancong familiarly stepped forward to exchange pleasantries.
After exchanging a few official pleasantries, the group entered the capital city of Dali together. According to the rules, Xu Qingya should have walked alongside Duan Zhengming, but he took a half step back and walked alongside Duan Zhengchun. Duan Zhengming thought Xu Qingya was humble and did not bully others, but he did not know that Xu Qingya was just curious about his "half master" whom he had never met before and wanted to observe the "Five Luo Ancestor" with the golden sign above his head up close!
"Lord Jing'an, what is this—"
"Uncle Duan, there's no need for such formalities. Brother Duan and I hit it off immediately and are like brothers. You can just treat me as a junior or nephew. There's no need to be so polite."
"Since that's the case, I won't stand on ceremony! The imperial edict says that the Heavenly Mandate Sect is plotting to overthrow Dali. What right do these traitors have? How should I defend myself?"
"No need to be on guard!"
"ah?
'
"I have been working tirelessly for over three months, fighting across thousands of miles in the south and north. His Majesty has sent me on a mission to Dali, which is actually a way for me to travel and enjoy the scenery, a kind of 'reward for my service'!"
"The traitors of the Heavenly Mandate Cult—"
"You are the nemesis of the Heavenly Mandate Cult!"
"Hehehehehehehe————"
Duan Zhengchun laughed awkwardly a few times.
He had previously received a letter from Duan Yu, in which Duan Yu showered Xu Qingya with praise, describing him as having superb martial arts skills, heroic and chivalrous deeds, and exceptional talent, among other admirable qualities, which made Duan Zhengchun uneasy.
The more powerful the people from the Han Dynasty are, the more serious the impending events will be. If they are just ordinary bandits, a letter of state would suffice; why go through all this trouble?
Until I saw Xu Qingya in person.
So this guy really was just traveling and sightseeing.
"The traitors of the Heavenly Mandate Cult" is just an excuse.
When Duan Zhengchun was young, he traveled all over the country and had heard of the name of the Heavenly Mandate Sect, but he had never come into contact with it. Or rather, he had come into contact with it before, but he used his sincerity to influence the witch and did not know that she was the Heavenly Mandate Demoness. He asked Xu Qingya for an excuse to get closer to her!
To my utter surprise, I saw none of the heroic and invincible wisdom in Duan Yu's letter, and all I heard was the nonsensical phrase "the nemesis of the Heavenly Mandate Cult." If I were the nemesis of the Heavenly Mandate Cult, how could I have survived until now?
Duan Zhengchun was fully aware of his own limitations. In his youth, he was obsessed with chasing women and neglected his martial arts training, so his martial arts foundation was far inferior to that of his peers.
The Dali Duan family's One-Finger Divine Skill is divided into nine grades, with each three grades representing a major level. Reaching the upper three grades means one's combat power can rival that of a Grandmaster of the Heavenly Gang. Duan Zhengchun's generation, such as Duan Zhengming and Duan Yanqing, are all at the fourth grade level, but Duan Zhengchun is only at the fifth grade, which he will find difficult to break through in this lifetime.
Of course, looking at the entire Dali Duan family, there are only three or four experts who have broken through to the upper three ranks.
Two are the most famous:
One is Master Kurong of Tenryu-ji Temple.
One was Master Yideng, who lived in seclusion in the wilderness.
The martial arts skills of Shan Yuru, the leader of the Heavenly Mandate Sect, are no weaker than those of Master Kurong. Even without using seductive arts, she is still a top figure in the world. Shan Yuru infiltrated Dali and launched an assassination while Duan Zhengchun was out chasing women. She could kill Duan Zhengchun in three moves without leaving any trace.
Duan Zhengchun was baffled, wondering if Xu Qingya had multiple personalities. He showed himself to be both scholarly and martial arts expert when facing Duan Yu, but when facing the Five Luo Ancestor, he was just a pretty face with no substance. Should he find someone to teach him a lesson?
Xu Qingya rubbed his chin. These days, no one believes you when you tell the truth. It's really too difficult to be a person.
Zhong Ling watched the commotion from the convoy, while Mu Wanqing was forcibly dragged to stay in the convoy by Zhong Ling. Looking left and right, she thought to herself, "You guys are so annoying, not a single word you're saying is human!"
Seeing that his father was showing signs of calming down, Duan Yu grinned and approached him, "Father! I traveled a hundred miles to welcome the Han envoy, what reward should I receive?"
Duan Zhengchun gritted his teeth and said, "I will reward you with the Duan family's unique skill, 'One-Finger Divine Skill,' but I will punish you by making you stay in seclusion in the palace for three months. You are not allowed to leave the palace until you have mastered the One-Finger Divine Skill to the eighth rank, or I will break your legs."
Duan Yu looked at Xu Qingya pleadingly.
Xu Qingya coughed twice: "Brother Duan, even an upright official finds it hard to settle family disputes. As for Uncle Duan's teachings, I can't say much. I wish you success soon."
Duan Yu pleaded, "Brother Xu, are you really going to just stand by and watch me be confined to the palace?"
Xu Qingya shook his head: "Brother Duan, we're good brothers, of course I can't bear to see you suffer. I'll close my eyes and not see anything!"
Duan Yu had an urge to run away on the spot.
The filter applied to Xu Qingya has shattered into dumpling filling.
Duan Zhengchun glanced back and realized that Duan Yu was right about one thing: Xu Qingya had four beautiful young women around him, all of whom were his confidantes, and only a part of them. It seemed that the two of them had a lot in common and could have a good chat.
Duan Zhengchun: Nephew Xu, you probably don't want me to tell anyone that the delegation brought female relatives with them, do you?
Xu Qingya: This is Cheng Lingsu, one of the imperial physicians of the Imperial Hospital and the accompanying military doctor. This is Yin Susu, the eldest daughter of the Tianying Sect. Forty percent of the smuggled salt sent to Dali every year comes from the Tianying Sect. As for Nanqin and Bai Feng, they are the retainers of the Dragon Guard Manor and my guards!
Duan Zhengchun: Can I take back what I said?
Xu Qingya: Hehehehe! It's too late! Quickly hand over your complete understanding of the "Five Luo Light Smoke Palm" and your "Daily Records of the Prince of Zhennan".
Duan Zhengchun: So you're my disciple!
Xu Qingya: Greetings, Ancestor Wu Luo! Wishing Ancestor Wu Luo eternal youth and countless romantic encounters!
The two stared at each other, seemingly in a daze.
Duan Yu asked somewhat awkwardly, "What are you discussing? Can I listen in?"
Xu Qingya said, "Brother Duan, this secret is extremely important. You will only be able to master it after you have settled down and started a family. It concerns the inheritance of Dali!"
Duan Yu's expression turned unusually serious: "What secret is so big? Does Dali have such a secret?"
Duan Zhengchun coughed awkwardly twice. It wasn't about the fact that he could only master it after "starting a family and establishing a career," nor was it about the secret of "Dali's inheritance." Yu'er was nineteen years old this year, and it was long ago time to marry him off to a princess!
Duan Yu's marriage was quite simple.
If they agree today, they can get married tomorrow.
Whom should I marry?
Of course, she's the Gao family's daughter.
Duan Yu's childhood sweetheart, Gao Mei!
After presenting their credentials, exchanging gifts, and holding a grand banquet for their officials, Xu Qingya and his entourage temporarily stayed at the Zhennan Prince's Mansion. There was no other reason than that the Zhennan Prince's Mansion was more comfortable and lively.
Duan Zhengchun and Dao Baifeng were having a tiff when they learned that the Han envoy had arrived. Dao Baifeng dressed up in her finest clothes and took the initiative to arrange a banquet. How could Dao Baifeng not understand palace intrigue, given that she could so easily suppress the womanizing Duan Zhengchun?
As long as Xu Qingya comes to the door and presents gifts in the name of the Han Dynasty envoy, Dao Baifeng can accept the gifts as the Princess Consort of Zhennan, and no one can take them away!
Qin Hongmian and Gan Baobao are far less skilled than Dao Baifeng. Ruan Xingzhu knew that she was not as skilled, so she could only try to win by surprise. She threw away two children in a row, which made Duan Zhengchun feel guilty. They still keep in touch.
Xu Qingya guessed Dao Baifeng's little scheme. She was the legitimate princess, and her status was her weapon. There was no need to hide anything; she could win by being straightforward.
Xu Qingya bowed and presented the gifts prepared by the Ministry of Rites: a set of gold jewelry made by the Imperial Embroidery Workshop, along with matching palace attire.
Robes, jade belts, and gauze scarves.
"Han envoy Xu Qingya greeted the Queen and wished her eternal youth and beauty."
"Thank you, Marquis Jing'an."
Dao Baifeng stood up and returned the greeting.
Duan Yu had just returned home and saw his mother returning to the Zhennan Prince's Mansion from Yuxu Temple. He mistakenly thought that Dao Baifeng and Duan Zhengchun had reconciled, so he went up to her and said in a coquettish tone, "Mother, you're finally back from Yuxu Temple! Let me introduce you. These four are Brother Xu's confidantes, and these two are the two girls I met while traveling."
Dao Baifeng retorted, "What a rascal! Your father hasn't learned any other skills, but he's learned all the skills of being a womanizer!"
Duan Yu rubbed the back of his head: "Mother, I learned this from Brother Xu. Brother Xu's confidantes are all very capable. Don't underestimate them."
Dao Baifeng turned her head away, slightly embarrassed.
Xu Qingya introduced, "Your Highness, Brother Duan and I hit it off immediately, so you don't need to be so reserved."
What else could Dao Baifeng say?
Could it be that they are birds of a feather?
It's acceptable to criticize Duan Zhengchun and Duan Yu, but it's absolutely unacceptable to criticize Xu Qingya. This concerns the diplomatic relations between the two countries. No matter how polite Xu Qingya is, Dao Baifeng must be on high alert and not allow anyone to find a weakness.
Having lived in the mountains for a long time, Mu Wanqing knew almost nothing about human relationships, official positions, and titles. However, the grand scene of welcoming the delegation was so overwhelming that Mu Wanqing felt uneasy and dared not speak casually. On the contrary, Zhong Ling was more relaxed and stayed close to Cheng Lingsu.
Dao Baifeng went to arrange the banquet, while Duan Yu chatted with everyone. Duan Zhengchun had not yet returned; he was in the palace discussing countermeasures with Duan Zhengchun and Gao Shengtai. The arrival of the Han envoy was too suspicious. If they were here for tourism, why would they arrest the Four Evils? If they were here to quell a rebellion, bringing less than two hundred Imperial Guards was somewhat careless. Given Xu Qingya's reputation in the martial arts world, he shouldn't be so careless and dissolute.
Gao Shengtai said softly, "Xu Qingya has been in the industry for less than three months, but he has done more than a dozen great things, each of which is thrilling and can be recorded in the history of the martial arts world."
Xu Qingya may seem cynical and rambling, but every word he utters is actually quite logical.
Xu Qingya easily wiped out six or seven notorious underworld gangs in the Central Plains. Within three days, he broke through three underworld strongholds, and within one day, he wiped out two assassin organizations. The purpose of eliminating these forces was neither to seek wealth nor to gain merit, but to seize gold, silver, rice, cotton and cloth to provide relief to disaster victims.
In just one month, Xu Qingya restored order to hundreds of thousands of disaster-stricken people, earning praise from everyone. The Hanlin Academy of the Great Han Dynasty has compiled Xu Qingya's rescue efforts into a book to warn future generations.
These are no ordinary people!
How could they possibly be here simply for sightseeing?