knife

Chapter 156 We still need to work harder and harder.

High on the hilltop, Xiao Changche gazed intently at the receding convoy.

Xiao Dongwei spurred his horse forward a few steps and said, "Protector, there is no need to worry. The Deputy Protector is not only quick-witted and has profound martial arts skills, but also has the Valley Master to look after him on this trip. Although it is like going deep into the tiger's den, there will be no danger!"

Xiao Changche turned his head and said somewhat angrily, "Who said I was worried about Li Dachui? I'm worried about the Valley Master. He's so old, yet he still has to travel around!"

Xiao Dongwei coughed and shut his mouth, thinking to himself that the Valley Master was a god-like figure who was treated with great respect wherever he went, so there was nothing to worry about.

However, having followed Xiao Changche for so many years, he had a very deep understanding of him and knew that if he dared to talk back at this moment, his fate would be dire!
That's true. Given the Protector-General's personality, there are some things he can do but can't say.

Suddenly remembering that he had found a half-embroidered purse under the large table when he was tidying up the military tent for the Protector a couple of days ago, Xiao Dongwei couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

Speaking of the Protector, he is truly a genius. His martial arts skills are unmatched, and he excels in poetry, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. However, there is one thing he cannot do: needlework.

Thinking about the crooked stitches on that purse?

Xiao Dongwei reached out and rubbed his face to hide the somewhat distorted facial muscles, while subtly tugging at the horse's belly, causing the horse to carefully retreat a few steps.

Because the Protector-General had already turned his head to look at him with some suspicion.

Luckily, I was clever enough to throw the purse back to its original place and pretend I hadn't noticed it.

The hand that held the gun finally gripped the embroidery needle. If it wasn't for Li Dachui, then who else could it be?
As a family member who had followed Xiao Changche for many years, Xiao Dongwei felt both gratified and reluctant to part with him.

This is a precious jade cabbage from our own garden!
Lost in thought, the black horse in front of him suddenly kicked out, striking the head of the chestnut horse he was riding. The poor chestnut horse let out a miserable neigh and turned to run away.

This chestnut horse is a mare, while Xiao Changche is riding Li Dachui's little black horse today.

It was springtime, and all things were coming back to life. Horses were also in their mating season. This chestnut horse met a magnificent steed like Little Black and naturally sniffed around Little Black's rear end, which immediately annoyed Little Black.

It looks down on chestnut horses.

Li Dachui accompanied Fu Qingzhu this time as his disciple. Of course, as a master of disguise, he is now completely unrecognizable.

A few days ago, he was tricked by Fu Qingzhu. Although Fu Cheng later found a way to alleviate some of his pain, the Valley Master's methods were obviously not something Fu Cheng could cure in a day. He only stopped sneezing continuously and started sneezing once or twice every now and then.

This infuriated Li Dachui, who obtained the Poison Manual of Changchun Valley from Fu Cheng. He had some free time along the way to study it carefully.

Fu Cheng owes Li Dachui a lot of favors. Besides, he's not afraid that Li Dachui will master the Poison Scripture and use it to murder the Valley Master; that would be a real joke.

This poison manual was written by the Valley Master himself.

Despite its name, the book is mostly about saving lives.

The Valley Master used to really want to make Li Dachui a proper disciple of Changchun Valley. As long as he puts his mind to studying something, he will always have amazing ideas or results. It's just a pity that it all came to nothing in the end. Now that Li Dachui wants to learn, the Valley Master is probably more than happy to do so.

Thinking back on the suggestions Li Dachui has given him over the years, especially in the treatment of external injuries and surgery, he has enabled Changchun Valley to embark on a broad road in the practice of medicine.

Li Dachui, who was inconspicuous in the middle of the group, looked at the burly figure outside the carriage in front of him.

That was Shalevin, who had been captured alive.

Releasing Shaliewen can be considered as a gift from Fu Qingzhu to Yingzhuo during his trip to Beiyuan.

Shaliewen, who was now busy running around like a servant, naturally understood that as a general who had suffered a crushing defeat and disgraced the country, whether he could save his life upon returning this time depended entirely on whether Fu Qingzhu would put in a few words on his behalf.

That naturally means being extremely pleasing.

Li Dachui was a frequent visitor to the Yuan Kingdom.

Bandits, after all, are prone to committing crimes while on the move.

He had even been to Yandu (the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty) several times.

However, this trip was ultimately different from the previous ones.

In the past, he was just a lowly bandit. When he went to Yandu, it was either to sell stolen goods, to open up business opportunities, or to arrange some spies. Nobody cared about him.

At that time, he was not yet considered a respectable person.

Now, however, he is the deputy governor of the Anxi Protectorate, holding a high position and great power. He is someone who can act as the wielder and give orders regarding the division of the world.

While he may not be on par with big shots like Ying Zhuo, he is definitely a figure of considerable importance and deserving of respect. Li Dachui has been cultivating his influence in Beiyuan for a long time, possessing considerable strength in both business and intelligence within its borders. Although he appears to be traveling alone, he could easily gather a group of people there should trouble arise.

The Yuan Kingdom was not a monolithic entity; it had internal conflicts, and the ethnic composition of its people was far more complex than that of the Qin Dynasty. There were also many Qin people within its borders.

Among them were people who had fled after the coup d'état in the Qin Dynasty more than twenty years ago.

Time has passed, and those people from that time have grown old, but their clansmen on the other side are in their prime.

Many people fled back then; some did very well, while others were quite unsuccessful.

After Li Dachui figured out his background, he received orders from the Northern Yuan's intelligence network to make targeted contact with those who had fled back then.

Perhaps some of them will become comrades who walk alongside you on your journey.

As he let his horse follow the procession, Li Dachui's thoughts drifted far away.

Although the layout inside the pass started relatively late, it is now on the right track. The line between Ma Dacheng and Zhang Songlin has been re-established, and it is completely different from the past.

In the past, he was just a bandit, and his relationship with Zhang Songlin and Ma Dacheng was merely one of mutual exploitation. They wanted more money, and he wanted to use them to obtain more strategic resources.

But now, it has risen to the level of an alliance.

Zhang Songlin's eagerness is understandable. If the alliance between the Anxi Protectorate, Ma Dacheng, and Zhang Songlin can truly be stabilized, then his position in the court will be as secure as Mount Tai.

Since this Minister of War of the Great Qin is in such a hurry, I can't blame myself for pressing him to extort money.

As Zhang Qingyun's intelligence network in Chang'an began to operate smoothly after Luo Liang and Luo Ying arrived in Chang'an, with Wu De's help and money paving the way, the playboys of Chang'an were being brought together intentionally or unintentionally. Organizations formed under various pretexts were slowly attracting attention in Chang'an, and some of them might even become quite successful in the future.

There's no need for these people to actually become spies. Others aren't fools; if you really did that, they'd probably turn against you.

These people, gathered together, are themselves sources of information, and because of their status, any information they possess is likely invaluable. Information that ordinary people struggle to obtain is merely fodder for casual conversation within their circle.

These seemingly insignificant pieces of information, once collected and analyzed by those with a keen eye, can yield some extremely important intelligence.

Perhaps through long-term contact in the future, some important members will be developed and join Chi Qiu Yuan.

However, this is not something urgent.

Southern Chu is also about to begin operations, but it's just a precautionary measure to gain a clear understanding of the situation there.

Zhu Chi is a good starting point. If a once-glorious family wants to regain its former glory, there are many things it can do.

There's also the identity of one's mother, which could be explored further in the South.

The Demonic Sect was banned by the imperial court in both the south and the north, but it has survived for hundreds of years and has always stirred up some trouble every few years.

Their shadow can be seen behind every large-scale rebellion.

This level of strength is quite extraordinary.

If we can make use of it, it will be an extremely useful card for us, and a trump card at that.

I have cultivated the Qi of Heaven and Earth!

Didn't the old man say that once one has mastered the Qi of Heaven and Earth, one is qualified to become the leader of the Demonic Sect?

If you have the chance, you can give it a try. What if you succeed?

However, going to the south is something I can only think about now. At the very least, the situation outside the Great Wall must be stable, and I must also reach the frontier before I can go. Only in this way can I have the ability to protect myself.

If you can't win, you can run!
Empress Dowager Jiang Qian of Southern Chu was an extraordinary person.

She first joined forces with several important officials in the court to rise to power, then personally led an expedition to victory and won the hearts of the army. After gaining control of the military, she ruthlessly swept away the important officials who had once supported her, completely taking control of the Southern Chu government and becoming the first person in the Southern Chu in the true sense.

Although the enemy, the Qin state, encountered major internal problems during this process, making her victory largely a matter of luck, this lucky success was still built upon the foundation of all the hard work she had already put in beforehand.

Thinking that this person was about the same age as himself, Li Dachui felt that he had a long way to go and a heavy responsibility to shoulder.

He himself was only a minor deputy protector, with a population of just over 600,000 and an army of tens of thousands. He also had Linghu Ye constantly causing trouble by his side, and the Northern Yuan was watching him with covetous eyes. Meanwhile, Empress Dowager Jiang was already the ruler of a country with a million armored soldiers. Her only powerful enemy, the Great Qin, was now half-dead.

Still have to work hard!
(End of this chapter)