Who among the gangsters wants to fall in love?

Chapter 173 Three Clues
The heavy snow covered all traces of people.

Zhao Wumian assassinated the emperor during the coronation ceremony. Even if he only killed a substitute, the palace could not tolerate him. If he continued to do so, people would only think, "How could this traitor kill the emperor and still stay in the palace? Was he actually instructed by the princess?"

If that's the case, then everything Zhao Wumian did would be in vain.

But before that, Zhao Wumian had something to talk to Luo Shuzhi.

The study room behind the Taiji Hall, the wall that was once smashed by Zhao Wumian has been rebuilt.

The yellow light was dim, and the firelight flickered from time to time.

Luo Shuzhi collapsed in the chair, slowly woke up and opened his eyes.

As far as the eye can see, there is a handsome young man in a green shirt and fox fur sitting at the table opposite. There is a wine pot in front of him and a wine cup in his hand. He is staring at the wine in the cup, wondering what he is thinking.

Seeing Luo Shuzhi waking up, he came to his senses, tilted his head, and the two looked at each other.

After Zhao Wumian woke up in Qinfeng Village and was immediately involved in the matter of Luo Chaoyan, he fell into Luo Shuzhi's trap. Since then, the two have been fighting openly and secretly, and it can be said that each has won and lost. Zhao Wumian probably won 95% of the time. All of Luo Shuzhi's plans were ruined by him, otherwise, Wudamu would probably be dead, and most of the 200,000 troops of King Jin would have to be given to Luo Shuzhi... But this was the first time the two met.

Luo Shuzhi and Zhao Wumian stared at each other for a few seconds, then looked away, looked around, and after seeing the furnishings in the house clearly, they understood the situation.

He first asked, "Where is Eunuch Lin?"

"He just died in Taiji Hall not long ago. His body is still warm. If you want to hug him and cry for a while, I'll allow you to do so."

"Do you agree?" Although Luo Shuzhi was a prisoner, he still maintained the royal nobility on his face and smiled slightly, "If you put it this way, it seems like you have become the emperor."

Zhao Wumian took a sip of wine and said, "When Chaoyan comes to the capital and sees her again, I will go to the martial arts world and hide. What kind of emperor is that?"

Luo Shuzhi was slightly stunned, but a little surprised. "I don't want to start a war with you and destroy the Dali Kingdom, so letting you enter the palace is to give you a chance to kill me... and you really killed me? I thought you would come up with some perfect plan to unify my Luo family's kingdom."

"Of course I have. Once I have gathered all nine bells and ascended to heaven, I can kill you instantly from dozens of miles away with a flick of my finger."

Luo Shuzhi was stunned for a moment, then laughed loudly. As he laughed, he shook his head and said, "If you really have such ability, then become an immortal... I just want to be a human being. I don't have the ability, and I don't want to be an immortal."

"I'm not interested in what you think." Zhao Wumian took another sip of wine and asked, "Not long after Emperor Jingzheng passed away, I came to the palace to steal the Naraku Red Silk... Do you remember?"

Luo Shuzhi stopped smiling, looked at the wine pot beside Zhao Wumian, and said, "There is a wine in the inner storehouse called Mantanghuazui... Go get it for me to drink, and I will tell you everything I have to say."

Luo Shuzhi's future fate will only be to be secretly killed... Facing a dying person, Zhao Wumian will certainly not fail to satisfy even this request... Even death row prisoners have a last meal before execution.

He raised his hand slightly, "Take Mantanghuazui."

Luo Shuzhi was slightly stunned. You really became the emperor?
But Shen Xiangge hugged her chest, pushed the door open, and scolded her without any courtesy: "What are you taking? I am the only one staying here, and you think you can order the eunuchs around? The news that Luo Shuzhi is still alive cannot be easily known to others."

She looked like she was going to grab Zhao Wumian's ears, and Luo Shuzhi had no doubt at all.

Zhao Wumian was silent for a moment, and then asked in confusion: "You were sitting on the dragon throne just now, and your father knelt down in front of you, but your father didn't take you back and whip you?"

"What's it got to do with you? Are you interested in my family affairs?" Shen Xiangge's eyes twitched and he said with a forced smile.

"I have no interest in the Shen family. At most, I have a little interest in the Queen..."

"Zhao Wumian!" Shen Xiangge gnashed her teeth, "When you lose the princess's protection and become a commoner with no use to me, I will beat you up or not."

"If you really want to beat me up, why add so many preconditions? To put it bluntly, you still don't dare... Don't you dare, or don't want to?"

"The famous regicide turned out to be a pervert who likes sweet talk and bullies young ladies?"

"Does Zhu Chongba know? He was a cowherd boy who married Ma when his life was at its lowest point. He then used Ma's family power as a starting point to gain control of the country and became the emperor. He changed his name to Zhu Yuanzhang. But even after becoming the Son of Heaven, he always affectionately called Guo "sister" and teased her whenever he had time."

"I haven't heard of it." Shen Xiangge tilted her head, her eyebrows furrowed, "Why? You want to marry me and use the power of the Shen family to become the emperor? You'd better give up on this idea. I won't marry."

"No, what I mean is that Zhu Yuanzhang, as the emperor, would tease Empress Ma from time to time, which shows that this is a man's nature. Moreover, if I really want to be the emperor, I should marry Chaoyan. Miss Shen is still not qualified enough."

Shen Xiangge was silent for a few seconds, then clenched his fist and was about to go up and beat Zhao Wumian, but then he thought that the impression he had in Zhao Wumian's mind was only that of a 'grandmaster', and if he did it casually, his identity might be exposed, so he gritted his teeth, stomped his feet, and left in a huff, "I'll drink you to death!"

Luo Shuzhi looked back and forth between Shen Xiangge's back and Zhao Wumian's body, and then his expression suddenly became strange.

If Shen Xiangge really became his stepmother, would Zhao Wumian have to be his stepfather?
You can't think about this matter too much.

Not long after, Shen Xiangge came back with a porcelain vase. The pattern on the vase was gorgeous, and the vase alone was probably worth a lot of money.

Zhao Wumian drank the wine in the cup and placed it on the table.

Shen Xiangge rolled her eyes and threw the porcelain bottle into his arms, "You pour the wine yourself, and you still want me to serve you?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she disappeared again... If Zhao Wumian had been given a chance to speak, he would surely have pissed her off again.

Thinking of Shen Xiangge, she rubbed her plump chest...her chest ached from anger.

Zhao Wumian smiled, not caring much. He picked up the porcelain bottle, uncorked it, took out a new wine cup, filled it up, and pushed it in front of Luo Shuzhi, "Go ahead."

Luo Shuzhi was not tied up... He didn't know martial arts, so it didn't make much difference whether he was tied up or not.

He picked up the wine cup and drank it all, then heaved a sigh of relief and asked curiously, "Why are you asking this?"

"When I left the capital, I was chased and killed. I was seriously injured and lost my memory. That was my enemy, and I had to take revenge. After I got the clue, I should go to the martial arts world to investigate, and I will not stay in the court for long, so I will not have any chance to get involved in your country... It is also in line with your wishes, so tell me the truth."

Zhao Wumian also poured himself a glass of wine, nodded slightly, and took a sip of the so-called "Mantanghuazui"... I don't know if it tastes good or not, but it's very strong. If he gets drunk, he will have to give up.

Luo Shuzhi frowned, with a look of surprise in his eyes, "After losing your memory, you still dare to get involved in such a national matter?"

"Is there any intelligence agency in the world more efficient than the imperial court?"

That's true. Luo Shuzhi knew that Zhao Wumian was a very courageous person. Investing in Luo Chaoyan was indeed high-risk but high-return. With the emperor standing behind him, everything would be easier.

But Luo Shuzhi thought about it and said:
"After I successfully entered the capital during the Jingnan Campaign, I have never left the capital again. I don't know much about the martial arts world, but I do know that sometimes, it is easier to handle things in the martial arts world than in the imperial court.

Take the Jiangnan grain transport for example. Those boat gangs who travel back and forth refuse to obey the rules. If we intervene in the taxation in the capacity of the imperial court, it will not only be difficult to collect taxes, but we will also be called the imperial court's lackeys. Even if we use force to subdue them, the grain transport will eventually decline. Most of the people in the rivers and lakes only care about face. Even if they are afraid of you in their hearts, they still look down on the imperial court. They will be soft-hearted and not hard-hearted.
Therefore, if the local gangs are the leaders and taxes are collected through them, those boat gangs will honestly pay the money to seek a safe waterway. This has been the rule of the underworld for thousands of years. It was the same even in the previous dynasty. It cannot be changed by one person or one dynasty. Therefore, the power of the court is one aspect, and the power of the underworld is another. The correct answer is to take advantage of both the black and white worlds. "

This is a long speech, but Luo Shuzhi's meaning is only one...Hurry up and mix in the underworld, and don't get involved too much in the court. Otherwise, with Zhao Wumian's ability, Luo Shuzhi is really afraid that Dali will change his surname to "Zhao" one day.

However, Luo Shuzhi could only give verbal hints...he was no longer able to do anything else.

"Stop talking so much nonsense." Zhao Wumian knew Luo Shuzhi's little thoughts very well and said lightly.

Luo Shuzhi filled his glass with wine again, swirled the cup gently, recalled a little, and then said:

"That night, my father had just passed away. According to etiquette, I had to observe mourning for three days before my father could wear the dragon robe for burial. The red silk of Naraku was embroidered inside the dragon robe. I knelt for two days that night, and on the third night, I pretended to be unconscious on the grounds of feeling unwell. Then I fell ill and was poisoned... It was at that time that I heard the news that you had sneaked into the palace."

"How can I sneak into the palace without help?"

Zhao Wumian was able to sneak in as a guard by getting hold of the leverage over Li Zhengkong, the chief of the Imperial City Division.

"How should I know?" Luo Shuzhi rolled his eyes. "I was pretending to be sick in the East Palace at that time, and Eunuch Lin was with me, discussing the details of the plan. It was only when you were discovered by the palace masters while stealing the Nine Bells that someone reported it, and Eunuch Lin went to hunt you down that I found out."

Zhao Wumian pondered for a moment, "It was the third day of mourning, and Emperor Jingzheng had not yet worn the dragon robe for burial... So where was the dragon robe placed?"

"Jinxiufang, have them check if there are any missing details in the dragon robe, and disassemble the red silk... After all, if these nine bells were to be buried with my father forever, it would be a waste of heaven's gifts. However, the red silk sewn into the dragon robe is a secret among secrets, and ordinary people don't know it. Later, Eunuch Lin went to investigate and found out that there was an insider in Jinxiufang. It was she who helped you steal the dragon robe. Her name is Mu Wanwan, but it is obviously a pseudonym and cannot be true."

"She was caught by you?" Zhao Wumian was a little surprised that there was actually a clue.

Luo Shuzhi shook his head, "She ran away long before you stole the Naraku Red Silk. Eunuch Lin had to play a trick on me and couldn't get away. So I wrote a letter and asked Master Guiyi to investigate. If you want to know more, you have to go find him."

At that time, Master Guiyi went to investigate "Mu Wanwan" on the one hand, and on the other hand, he followed Zhao Wumian's trail to look for the red thread of Naraku... According to Master Guishou's hint, Master Guiyi did not find the red thread of Naraku, but he did find clues to the enemies who were hunting down Zhao Wumian.

However, to this day, Zhao Wumian has not met this man who is said to be one of the top three martial arts masters... But if they really want to come to his house openly, the two of them will have to beat their brains out, after all, Zhao Wumian had killed his junior brother.

During the trip to Taiyuan, Lady Canghua went to hunt down Master Guiyi. No one knows what happened to her now, and there is no news at all.

After that, Luo Shuzhi drank another cup with complicated eyes, "It seems that you and I have a conflict. I was just about to implement the plan that night, and you came to steal the nine bells and caused trouble for me." "You have caused me a lot of trouble." Zhao Wumian looked at the crystal clear wine in the cup and recalled the "Jianghu Heroes List" he had read. He had never seen any so-called "Mu Wanwan" and guessed that it was indeed a pseudonym.

He continued to ask: "Is Mu Wanwan a man or a woman?"

"There are only girls in Jinxiufang."

"There are techniques for disguising one's appearance in the martial arts world. Not to mention one's appearance and age, even disguising one's gender is not a problem."

"That's your trouble, not mine." Luo Shuzhi continued drinking.

Zhao Wumian leaned back in his chair, tapping the table with his fingers. "When I first sneaked into the East Palace, I heard Eunuch Lin say that my Wan Yue Xian was not up to par at all. But is that the truth?"

"That's true." Luo Shuzhi nodded slightly. "Wan Yue Xian is Xiao Yuanmu's unique martial art. Eunuch Lin did say that the Wan Yue Xian you used at that time was just a copycat, with the intention of diverting trouble and framing Taixuan Palace. But in the past month, your Wan Yue Xian has been perfected. So we are now wondering if you were just hiding your skills that night..."

Zhao Wumian couldn't tell whether he was hiding his incompetence or had made such progress by using the Red Silk of Naraku to deduce Wan Yue Xian.

He felt that he actually had both, because Shen Xiangge had demonstrated the Wan Yue Xian sword technique to him, but he suddenly realized that he had improved it... Improving a martial art, even with the help of Naraku Hongsi, would probably not be that simple. One must be familiar with the details such as the energy and strength, not to mention that this was Xiao Yuanmu's famous martial art, which was already extremely perfect.

In short, it’s always a good idea to go find Xiao Yuanmu.

Thinking of Zhao Wumian, my teeth ached. What on earth was that woman doing? Was she pregnant and preparing to give birth?

"Do you know what Xiao Yuanmu has been doing recently?"

Luo Shuzhi recalled a little before shaking his head. "She is not in my plan. I haven't paid much attention to her. Her whereabouts are elusive... How can it be so easy to know the exact location of a top martial arts champion? Otherwise, wouldn't it be better for me to directly summon all the martial arts champions in the world to go to the grassland and kill Wudamu?"

Zhao Wumian couldn't help but pick up the wine cup and take a sip. After thinking for a long time, he asked again: "Han Yu Gu, where did you come from?"

"Cold Jade Gu?" Luo Shuzhi recalled that it was something he had given to Wu Ming ten years ago to poison Wudamu, so he said:
"Back then, the owner of Guixuan Valley lived in seclusion in the mountains with the Cold Jade Gu. The previous dynasty coveted this item and sent people to encircle and seize the treasure, but they lost a martial arts master instead. After that, the owner of Guixuan Valley moved around and finally no one knew where he ended up. After several decades, around the time he died, someone came with the Cold Jade Gu and presented it to the previous dynasty.
Later, that man became the Imperial Master of the previous dynasty. He was Wudamu's master. His name was Ji Yingshi, and he was from the Central Plains. However, he served as the Imperial Master for only a few years. After Wudamu took over, he resigned and returned to his hometown, and his whereabouts are unknown. "

Luo Shuzhi paused, recalled for a moment, and then said: "The cold jade Gu in my hand was originally left over from the treasury of the previous dynasty. If you want to find other cold jade Gu, I am afraid that in the world today, only Ji Yingshi's descendants know how to refine it."

Although the clue is a bit far away, I still know something.

Zhao Wumian's enemies used the Cold Jade Gu to kill him, and only Ji Yingshi's descendants knew how to refine the Cold Jade Gu... Oh, the purple-clothed girl could also do it, but she figured it out after extracting the Cold Jade Gu from Zhao Wumian's body.

"Does Ji Yingshi have any power? A martial arts sect or something like that."

"I don't know. He disappeared after he resigned as the imperial teacher of the previous dynasty." Luo Shuzhi shook his head. "Besides, this is all old news. I haven't finished worrying about my own throne, so how can I have the energy to worry about these things? Unless he is the real master of Taixuan Palace and intends to overthrow Dali, then I will take it seriously."

After saying that, Luo Shuzhi thought for a moment, "But Wudamu is still alive, and Ji Yingshi might still be alive as well... If he were really alive, he would probably be called a 'half-immortal' now. Wudamu and Xiao Yuanmu combined would probably not be his match."

Zhao Wumian was silent, staring at the wine in a daze for a long time. After talking for a long time, there were actually only three clues.

True Man Guiyi, Ji Yingshi, and Xiao Yuanmu who had known about it for a long time.

Ji Yingshi didn't know, but Xiao Yuanmu's Taixuan Palace headquarters was in the south of the Yangtze River, and Guiyi Zhenren's Wugong Mountain was in the right of the Yangtze River... Jiangyou is actually Jiangxi, which comes from the saying "Looking at the south of the Yangtze River from the north of the Yangtze River, the east of the Yangtze River is on the left and the west of the Yangtze River is on the right."

The common point is that they are all thousands of miles away from the capital. They have to ride on a thousand-mile horse, take into account the food and accommodation along the way, and travel through mountains and rivers. By the time they arrive, it is already spring.

If one wants to find Xiao Yuanmu, going directly to the south of the Yangtze River will surely yield some results. However, if one wants to find Master Guiyi, one must first find Lady Canghua. It is possible that the old Taoist priest was killed by her... As for Ji Yingshi, there is no clue yet.

The conversation between the two ended here. As for the remaining questions, Luo Shuzhi didn't know the answer and it was useless to ask.

Luo Shuzhi raised his eyes and looked at him, "Why don't you leave? Are you waiting to laugh at me?"

Zhao Wumian picked up the porcelain bottle and poured himself a glass of wine. He said, "There is nothing to laugh at. Your plan is actually not bad, except that it is too big and inhumane. If you hadn't met me, it would have been very likely to succeed. Once Wudamu dies, you can gather the remaining Jin army. In the future, both the Dali Kingdom and your throne will be safe."

"I know it without you telling me." Up to now, Luo Shu has become very open-minded about the matter. As he said, if we lose, we lose; if we die, we die. Even if we lose, we must have the royal demeanor and not be hysterical.

Just go to die with joy.

He gently shook the wine cup, his eyes absent-minded, and said no more words.

Zhao Wumian drank the last sip of wine, stood up and left.

Luo Shuzhi stood up, tilted his head to look at Zhao Wumian's back, and suddenly called him, "Zhao Wumian."

Zhao Wumian turned around and looked at him.

Luo Shuzhi was silent for a moment. Facing this enemy who had ruined his plans, he had a lot to say, but in the end, he just smiled and asked:

"Killing Wudamu, seizing 200,000 troops, stealing the pearl relic treasure tower, I have not been able to do it... Now 200,000 Jin troops are under your control, Xiao Xitian is also on your ship, and the last one is 'killing Wudamu'... Will you kill him?"

Zhao Wumian nodded slightly.

Luo Shuzhi's smile became brighter and brighter. He bowed to Zhao Wumian and actually performed a salute.

"I'll leave the matter of avenging my grandfather in your hands... Thank you very much."

Zhao Wumian looked at him with his hands behind his back, then looked away and said calmly, "Go and die in peace."

Luo Shuzhi laughed loudly, "If you can really kill Wudamu, then my plan won't be a complete failure. At least... you will be Wudamu's enemy, right?"

Zhao Wumian did not answer and left the study. Shen Xiangge was sitting on the dragon chair in a very rebellious manner, propping up her side face and crossing her long legs. Her luxurious skirt was wrinkled, which made her beautiful legs look very stylish. She had taken off half of her embroidered shoes and was shaking them on her toes.

It was deep winter and she was wearing thick cotton socks, which looked very warm.

At this moment, the corpses in the hall had been cleaned up, and the palace servants in the hall had been sent away by the prime minister long ago, otherwise Shen Xiangge would not have sat on the dragon throne, otherwise Prime Minister Shen would have to resign the next day.

Zhao Wumian glanced at her legs and small feet, and couldn't help but think of an allusion... the bombardment of the Golden Palace.

But the venue is right, but the person is not right... Shen Xiangge is not the emperor.

Shen Xiangge shook her calves slightly, glanced at Zhao Wumian, and smiled, "Do you like my legs? Kneel down and call me Sister Xiangge, and I'll let you touch them."

Zhao Wumian ignored her words and asked, "What do you know about Canghua Tower?"

Shen Xiangge was slightly stunned, and her heart was slightly panicked, wondering when she had revealed her flaws. Her embroidered shoes fell directly from her toes, and she said calmly: "I am a young lady in the boudoir, how can I have anything to do with Huanzhen Pavilion?"

"I have something to ask Madam Canghua. I just want to ask you one question...your shoe fell off."

Shen Xiangge felt relieved. In order to cover up the mistake, she hooked the shoe with her toes, then stretched out one leg and kicked the embroidered shoe into Zhao Wumian's arms. "You performed well today. You took the throne so easily, and I also got the credit for following the emperor... I give you this embroidered shoe as a reward. You can do whatever you want with it."

Zhao Wumian rolled his eyes and walked to the dragon chair to hand over the embroidered shoes. "A lady in seclusion wouldn't tease a man like this."

Shen Xiangge laughed tenderly, and put her hands on the armrests of the dragon chair for leverage, and stretched out her bare feet, "Because I know you have the desire but not the courage...Please put them on for me, you can't let other men in the palace see my feet, can you?"

"What does it have to do with me whether they look at your feet or not?"

"Don't you have even a little possessive desire towards me?" Shen Xiangge supported his face with his side, raised his head slightly, his delicate and beautiful face was a little charming, his feet gently rubbed Zhao Wumian's calves, and then climbed up... In fact, it was still the same old routine, just rubbing Zhao Wumian's pants.

This woman always looks very charming and like a very attractive beauty, but even those who want to flirt with her don't dare to touch her through her clothes.

You're still flirting with me? And you're saying I have the desire but not the courage?

Zhao Wumian put the embroidered shoes directly on her feet and lightly touched Shen Xiangge's feet with her fingertips.

Shen Xiangge suddenly jumped down from the dragon chair as if she had received an electric shock. She stared at Zhao Wumian with her beautiful eyes in surprise, "What are you doing!?"

Zhao Wumian laughed, "Miss Shen, please stay here and wait for Chaoyan to come back before deciding how to kill him. I'll leave the palace first."

Zhao Wumian turned and left. Looking at his back, Shen Xiangge was so angry that her teeth were itching. But when she thought that with her current status, she was no match for Zhao Wumian, she had no choice but to sit on the dragon chair, take off her embroidered shoes, and gently rub the place that Zhao Wumian had just touched with her small hands.

Can you touch a girl's feet casually? And you still say you are not a pervert? Only Su Qingqi thinks you are a gentleman!

(End of this chapter)