My enemies became my companions

Chapter 368 What is your sword?
After talking about Lin Wanlang, Queen An thought of another person.

Whether it was Min Ming, Lin Wanheng, or even Concubine Dong, compared to that woman, they were just appetizers.

"Go, call the girl from the East Palace."

Queen An put down the red pen and gave instructions.

Ever since she entered the Shangshu realm of introspection, Su Xin knew how to perceive the emperor's intentions. At this moment, she hurried her steps and quickly walked out of Jingren Palace. It didn't matter if she was really fast, but in front of the empress, she had to appear fast enough.

Su Xin was not a person who put on airs. Not long after, a beautiful figure in a red brocade skirt and a jade pendant on her waist entered Jingren Palace under the guidance of Su Xin. Her black hair was tied up high, her neck was white and slender, and her slender wrists fit her clothes very well. There was not much trace of martial arts training. In addition, her eyebrows were carefully trimmed and her figure was exquisite...

"What a lovely girl."

Queen An sighed.

The East Palace girl blinked her almond eyes at the Queen Mother and smiled:

"Thank you, Queen Mother, for the compliment."

"If it were an ordinary woman, she would say that I am too kind." Queen An said with a gentle smile.

"Your Highness has found a treasure. I am not an ordinary woman."

Donggong Ruoshu raised her hands slightly at her waist and leaned forward with a bit of pride.

"Haha, you have a generous personality."

Queen An couldn't help but laugh. Such a lively girl is always more likely to be liked by the elders than the generally gentle and graceful women. No wonder among the many women of the Chen family, the Queen of the Western Jin Dynasty specially chose her to be the Crown Princess.

A gentle woman is weak and fragile, and will be blown away by the wind when there is any storm in the harem. On the contrary, a woman like this can shoulder heavy responsibilities and support her husband in times of crisis.

Now that she is in her thirties, Queen An obviously appreciates Dong Gong Ruoshu more than Min Ming and Lin Wanheng.

It’s just a pity that she is still a daughter of the Chen family...

Fortunately, she is a daughter of the Chen family.

Donggong Ruoshu did not have much grudge against the Queen Mother. For the Crown Princess, who had no worries except her marriage in her hometown, anyone who was good to her must be a good person.

And from what Donggong Ruoshu had seen, the Queen Mother treated her really well, like her own daughter.

First, Wuyong Tower was investigated. When she and her distant cousin Donggong Ai were at a loss, it was the Queen Mother who lent a helping hand and told her that there was solid evidence that Wuyong Tower was connected to the Demon Cult, but Jingren Palace could resolve the deadlock.

What he meant was... Princess Consort, you don't want Wuyonglou to go bankrupt, do you?

The Queen Mother lent a helping hand, and not only was Wu Yonglou treated with kindness, but she was also given a marriage opportunity, and the person she married was none other than Chen Yi.

But Donggong Ruoshu was greedy for the Lizhu that Chen Yi got when he killed the dragon with his sword.

Now her skills cannot be digested, and her bones are burned by the Sanskrit sound every night. It is just a little painful, but it also hinders the improvement of her martial arts realm. She urgently needs the Lizhu to resolve it.

Therefore, Donggong Ruoshu was very satisfied with this arranged marriage.

What's more, who is Chen Yi?

What a gentleman!
Since coming to Beijing, she has heard almost nothing but good things about him, and she has also personally met him in the Hehuan Sect. This man looks like a good person, and even if he takes advantage of her verbally, he is definitely a true gentleman who only talks but does not practice.

It feels like the wandering knight in the storybooks.

Even if she were to marry him, as long as they discussed it carefully, he would definitely not take advantage of her. She thought that after the storm was over, she would still be a virgin.

When Donggong Ruoshu was lost in thought, Queen An slowly spoke:
"Ruo Shu, do you know why I came to you this time?"

"To answer your Majesty, it must be related to my fiancé." Donggong Ruoshu replied cheerfully.

What Queen An was thinking of must be to bring her together with Chen Yi, making them a perfect match made in heaven with their outstanding talent and beauty.

"Yes, there will be a private banquet tomorrow night, and he will be invited to come," Empress An stroked the red jade Suanni paperweight on the desk, "and his concubine will also come."

Donggong Ruoshu was a little confused. Of course she had seen Chen Yi's concubines before. She thought it was the girl following behind him, named Tingxue. However, the Queen Mother was holding a private banquet and wanted to invite the concubine as well. I was afraid it was not appropriate...

Is this really an attempt to match her up with Chen Yi?

Before Donggong Ruoshu could think about the Queen Mother's intention, he heard the Queen Mother continue:
"In addition to his concubine, the palace will invite several women to the banquet to help you."

Donggong Ruoshu asked in confusion: "Are they beautiful?"

"You are just a hair's breadth away."

"It seems that they are almost as beautiful as the emperor, and almost have the beauty that can overturn a country."

The more Empress An looked at Miss Donggong, who was puffing out her chest slightly, with her hands on her hips, and looking very pretty, she liked her more and more.

Especially her self-confidence, coupled with her somewhat silly personality, the more I look at her, the more satisfied I am.

Suitable to marry that minister...

Seeing Empress An's satisfied expression, Donggong Ruoshu was confused instead.

It would have been fine if Chen Yi had brought a concubine, but he also arranged for her to have several women who were just a little bit different from her.

This doesn't seem like a match between her and Chen Yi...

It's more like...the concubines in the harem are vying for favor.

What? Could it be that the harem in the capital of Dayu is Chen Yi’s harem?

Before Donggong Ruoshu could figure it out, he saw the Queen Mother clapping her hands.

After Su Xin nodded, she walked out of the palace gate. Not long after, she brought two palace maids back in. They were holding a dress with a dark red background and embroidered with the finest eight-color brocade. Dong Gong Ruo Shu was attracted by the beauty of the dress at first, but when he looked at it more carefully, his heart skipped a beat.

This is a Hezi skirt, which has appeared since the Tang Dynasty. It has no sleeves and leaves the arms uncovered when worn, revealing the cleavage.

Since the rise of Neo-Confucianism in the Song Dynasty, this kind of skirt has been worn almost exclusively by women in the boudoir.

Queen An stood up, placed her hands flat on her stomach, and said slowly:
"You will wear this to the banquet then."

Donggong Ruoshu's cheeks were rarely red. In her entire life, she had never seen many people wearing this kind of skirt.

An Hou lifted up a corner of her clothes with her fingertips and said in a gentle but unquestionable tone:
"There are no outsiders at a private banquet. You are so charming. If you put it on for him to see, you can win his heart and keep him in the palace."

"But..." Dong Gong Ruo Shu naturally didn't want to wear it, and after a little hesitation, he said, "The Queen Mother is more beautiful than me, why doesn't the Queen Mother wear it?"

An Hou’s face froze.

A series of embarrassing memories flashed through her mind, and her eyes became gloomy.

It seems that being generous and straightforward also has some disadvantages.

If you can speak, you might as well say more...

The carefree Miss Donggong didn't notice the change in Queen An's expression at all. Instead, she boldly looked at her figure.

The wide phoenix robe swayed back in the wind, outlining her graceful and voluptuous figure. Her well-proportioned figure revealed the beauty of a ripe peach. Her skin was as white as cream, and her facial features were so majestic that she could captivate the eyes of fish and geese alike. No matter how you looked at her, she was the most beautiful woman in the capital.

Sensing Donggong Ruoshu's gaze, the Queen Mother's eyes became even colder. She said with a fake smile:

"Ruo Shu, you are going to marry him after all. When I summon those two women over later, you can ask them about him."

After saying this, Queen An turned around.

Donggong Ruoshu wanted to step forward and ask something, but Suxin stepped forward first and raised her hand to stop her.

So she had to ask:

"Then...does the queen know him?"

"No one knows a son better than his mother." At this time, Queen An paused for a moment, and then sneered, "Ruo Shu... After you marry him, don't be jealous. He is a born playboy."

Born to be a playboy...

When these last few words fell into my ears,

Donggong Ruoshu, who was about to say something, stood there in a daze, with drops of cold sweat breaking out.

Born to be a playboy, this is often what the brothel customers boast about...

That is to say, he...

He has a woman who really likes him?!
........................

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After leaving the underworld, Chen Yi saw that the coffin outside the Yin-Yang Gate had disappeared.

Thinking that he should have been taken away by Yu Zhen Yuanjun, Chen Yi did not think too much about it. He had stayed in the underworld for too long, and now he just wanted to go home.

Even for the human world, it was only past midnight.

But for Chen Yi, he actually stayed in the underworld for forty or fifty days.

Even though it is winter now, Chen Yi feels warm whenever the wind from the world of the living blows.

When Chen Yi brought Yin and Yin Xiao back to the familiar courtyard, he felt even warmer in his heart.

Even Min Ming, who had always been unattractive except for his chest, seemed to be much more pleasing to him.

A group of four people entered the courtyard. After the maid Min Ming called out "Master", she began to call out the First Madam and the Second Madam.

When it comes to the female crown, there is naturally a sound...

"Third Madam." Min Ming bowed. She had heard some things from Min Ning.

Yin Weiying raised her eyebrows slightly.

This is too tactless.

Can't you see that she is the eldest lady?
Yin Weiying was unhappy because Chen Yi proposed to her first, and then to Tingxue. Moreover, Chen Yi already had love in his eyes, so no matter how he looked at her, she was the eldest lady.

As for Master Tongxuan, logically speaking, she had not even been engaged, let alone the "third wife", she was not even a wife at all.

Yin Weiying glanced at Min Ming. If she was eager to correct him, she would seem petty. So she didn't rush to speak, but retracted her gaze.

Yes, no wonder Min Ming is Min Ning’s sister, they are both people with poor vision.

She sneered inwardly and strode over the threshold.

If she meets Mr. Min again in the future, she will make sure he knows how deeply that mortal has fallen.

How would someone with the surname Min react?
I was afraid that he would cry and beg her not to kill the red dragon. Yin Weiying got goose bumps and a trace of excitement passed through his heart.

Chen Yi didn’t know what Dayin was thinking right now. He finally got home and he just wanted to relax for a while.

After entering the hall, before Chen Yi could say anything, the little fox took small steps to order tea for several people.

Seeing her little head swaying back and forth in the hall, Chen Yi felt warm in his heart and waves of warmth surged up.

This is home...

In comparison, the trip to the underworld seems like a long journey.

The home Chen Yi dreamed of was actually very simple. It was right here in the yard. Every day when he got up, he would hug the little fox and then see Zhou Yitang when he came to the yard. After dinner, Zhou Yitang would naturally sit on the chair next to him, and the little fox would order tea for them both.

Thinking of this, Chen Yi looked at the seat next to him.

As if they had a vague sense of telepathy, Zhou Yitang walked over slowly with slow steps.

then,

Dayin sat down in that seat very naturally.

The one-armed woman stopped and narrowed her eyes.

Chen Yi was stunned for a moment. Seeing that the nun didn't seem to realize anything was wrong, he didn't want to ask her to get up, so he could only look at Zhou Yitang awkwardly.

Zhou Yitang said expressionlessly:

"Get up and practice swordplay."

Chen Yi was about to stand up when he saw Yin Weiying grabbing his wrist.

The nun turned to look at Zhou Yitang and advised softly:
"Now that he has just returned, even though Master Zhou is his master, why not let him sit for a while?"

The one-armed woman still had no expression on her face and said calmly:
"Get up and practice swordplay."

Cold sweat broke out on Chen Yi's forehead.

In the underworld, she was so gentle to Yin Weiying for several days in a row, and their affection for each other was so deep that he almost forgot that she was a woman who could easily take advantage of him.

Many people will change their character, their actions, or even their inherent nature because they like someone, but Yin Weiying is not such a person.

After all, she still had to roll her eyes.

Chen Yi tried his best to stay calm. He didn't want Zhou Yitang to know about the engagement now. He just wanted to explain it slowly, when Zhou Yitang was in a good mood, and then add some sweet words, so that his wife from the previous life would reluctantly accept it.

Chen Yi coughed dryly and waved his hand:
"I still listen to Master."

Yin Weiying turned to look at him, feeling somewhat afraid, but he still said:
"It's just to let you rest more."

Even though it was a bit awkward to say this, she had never been good at caring for others, but after returning from the underground palace, she had learned to care.

It just came at a wrong time.

Chen Yi said slowly:
"No need to rest, I'm not tired."

There was a hint of worry in Yin Weiying's eyes, and Chen Yi's neck was almost covered with cold sweat. If Da Yin said another word to keep him, he would be killed.

Zhou Yitang said at this time:

"Don't force yourself, just sit down."

Chen Yi was sweating profusely and said seriously:
"I really want to practice swordplay."

Yin Weiying frowned slightly, but seeing that he was so determined, he let him go. Chen Yi then quickly caught up with the one-armed woman, and the two of them disappeared outside the door.

At this time, the little fox had ordered tea and was walking over with it. She, who knew nothing, looked at Dayin, then at Zhou Yitong and Chen Yi, then she lowered her head and put the tea down obediently.

Chen Yi followed Zhou Yitong into the yard. The one-armed woman stood under a tree, looking at Chen Yi without saying a word.

He did not delay, took a deep breath, and pulled out the Hou Kang sword from his back.

With his knees bent and the sword pointed straight forward, Chen Yi had just made a sword stance when Zhou Yitang came over and asked him to stand firm.

"How does it feel to comprehend the Living Sword again?" Zhou Yitang asked.

Chen Yi had comprehended the Living Sword in his previous life, but in his next life, due to his clairvoyance, all his understandings were cleared out.

And this time, when I comprehended the Living Sword again, it seemed a little different from before.

He then described:

"It was like a process from existence to non-existence, and then from non-existence to existence. The moment I held the sword, I only had one feeling left, which was that I wanted to save people..."

Chen Yi looked at Zhou Yitang and said:

"At that time, I thought I would go and save you."

She replied:
"I don't need you to save me."

Chen Yi did not refute. After spending so much time together, he could tell whether she was saying one thing and thinking another.

He just continued: "This feeling is like refining the spirit and returning to emptiness. I seem to have touched this state again."

But it is just a touch, not a complete reach of this realm.

He is still far from reaching that state completely.

So after he finished speaking, he was silent for a while, then turned around and saluted Zhou Yitang with his fists clasped:
"Please teach me, Master."

This was the first time in his life that he performed the disciple ceremony with her.

Jian Jia remained calm and asked:
"What is a sword?"

Chen Yi was puzzled by this question.

Before he could answer, Jian Jia said:

"Can the picked flowers and flying leaves be used as a sword?"

This question made Chen Yi feel awkward for a moment. There were always many descriptions of swordsmen in the story books, and there were often some masters who could make swords out of flowers and leaves, or even everything. But the story books were written by people, and they were ultimately just the imagination of ordinary people.

The imagination of ordinary people is often very different from the facts.

Chen Yi thought about it and said tactfully:
"If it were a Broken Swordsman, he would say that picking flowers and leaves to make swords is just empty talk.

A sword is a sword, a double-edged sword is straight and strong, a sword is what it does, it doesn't care about the strong winds of heaven and earth, it doesn't care about the myriad things in the mind, let alone the so-called great heroes, who serve the country and the people.

He paused and told about his understanding of the killing sword.

"One sword strikes, all is done, just kill."

At that moment, the Hou Kang sword began to hum, and with the change of his state of mind, Chen Yi's sword posture was instantly broken.

Zhou Yitang said calmly:

"You are still wavering. With your current state, it is difficult to refine the spirit and return to emptiness."

Chen Yi nodded and said:
"I understand that very well, but I still want to ask you, can you make a sword out of picked flowers and leaves? In the end, I always feel that it is just empty talk among ordinary people."

"What do you think?"

“I think it’s wrong.”

The one-armed woman shook her head and said, "So you are wrong."

Chen Yi was stunned and looked at Zhou Yitang.

The one-armed woman walked slowly and picked up a half-dried leaf.

This time she said a lot more:

"I discussed swords with him before, at the Wuding River in the Western Jin Dynasty. The sword that kills people... is a sword of annihilation.

Once the sword is struck out, it will kill the person and destroy his heart.

It is different from the swords of Yinjian Mountain.
When practicing this kind of sword, he will emphasize your past humiliation, the injustice of your life...

Think about someone who has humiliated you and think about that person’s arrogant face.

For example, imagine that your parents were killed and you had nowhere to turn to for help, so you knelt outside the government office for a day and a night, and in the end were chased away by the bailiffs with sticks.

Think about it again... You want to bury your parents, but you can only bury them in a mass grave. You dig the soil inch by inch with your hands, and you bleed profusely, crying and laughing.

Don't you want to put an end to this injustice with one sword?"

As Zhou Yitang spoke, Chen Yi gradually became immersed in it. His sword moves became increasingly unstable, and there was a faint buzzing sound between his joints.

I just heard her suddenly say:
"But what happens after that?"

Chen Yi stopped and looked straight at the Yinjianshan Sword Armor.

"Nothing has changed. After extinction, there is still extinction, just like the nirvana mentioned by Buddhists. In this case..."

The sword armor pinched the dead leaves, and the eyes were sharp.
"In that case, why not protect everything from the beginning?
The Living Sword is used to save people, but the dead cannot be resurrected, so the Living Sword is not used to save the dead, but to save the living.

Think about how you don't have to be humiliated and no one can act arrogantly in front of you.

Think about it, if your parents could be saved and not be killed, you would have a happy family and would not have to kneel in front of the government office for a whole night. Even if you see someone kneeling in front of a government office, you can help him and redress the injustice that has happened to him.

Think about it again... There could be fewer people dying in the world, fewer mass graves, and fewer young men digging the soil inch by inch with their hands..."

Jian Jia looked at him. His originally shaky sword gradually became stable. She smiled calmly: "If picking flowers and flying leaves can save people, then picking flowers and flying leaves is also a sword, isn't it?"

The dead leaf flew over, drawing an ordinary arc, but finally landed right on the edge of the sword, and landed there calmly, motionless. However, Chen Yi's heart suddenly shook.
Zhou Yitang's living sword spread out like a towering mountain.

This is her sword.

This is the Tao.

It is neither extinction nor nirvana, but from nothing to something, from something to nothing, encompassing both existence and non-existence.

"What is your sword?"

Three in one

(End of this chapter)