Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 148 The Strange Token: A Lie That Could Deceive Anyone to Death
The snow at the palace has melted, and the weather is getting warmer.

Liu E held a token in her hand that was neither gold, iron, copper, nor jade. She gently stroked the patterns on it. The token had a dim luster and deep engravings in the middle.

This token is indestructible; even the Yin Gui Sect's ancestral Heavenly Demon Double Slash cannot damage it in the slightest. However, a force has left a crack in the core of the token.

What a terrifying power this is!

Is this the power that martial arts can unleash?
Liu E searched through many ancient books but found not a single clue. This token seemed to be a gift from heaven, appearing and disappearing unintentionally.

No one knows the secret.

No one knows where the token came from.

The only thing Liu E could do was to carve the patterns on the token onto a piece of jade and spread it throughout the martial arts world through various means, so that people in the martial arts world could find the secret.

Many secretive forces, such as the Azure Dragon Society or the Western Regions Demonic Cult, know that there are ancient jade tablets in the Central Plains, and whoever obtains the jade tablet will rule the world.

"Your disciple pays respects to Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."

Gongsun Lan handed a stack of files to Liu E.

From the perspective of teaching and imparting knowledge, Gongsun Lan's master was not the leader of the Demonic Sect, but Liu E.

The method of attacking with a short sword tied with a ribbon comes from the Heavenly Demon Ribbon of the Yin Gui Sect. Gongsun Lan's commonly used technique of borrowing and deflecting force is largely derived from the Heavenly Demon Great Art.

Without the Heavenly Demon Great Art's method of deflecting force and the Heavenly Demon Force Field's technique of channeling energy, attacking with a short sword tied with ribbon would result in the ribbon being sliced ​​off with a single strike.

Liu E smiled and said, "I will arrange for you to perform a dance at this year's Qionglin Banquet. Do your best then."

"This...my...background..."

“You are no longer the fourth princess of the Demonic Sect, nor are you a gamble that was gambled away by Jade Rakshasa. Don’t forget, you are the direct descendant of Gongsun Jianwu. As long as Du Fu’s poems are passed down through the ages, no scholar will look down on you.”

The status of singers and dancers is not very high, but if they become famous enough, even the most pedantic and rigid old Confucian scholars will not have much of an opinion. At most, they will offer a few words of advice and try to trick the court into punishing them.

Gongsun Jianwu happens to belong to this category.

This is not an ordinary dance.

This is the Gongsun Sword Dance that Du Fu praised in his poem.

In terms of fame alone, only the magnificent Rainbow Feather Robe can be compared to Gongsun Jianwu. With the reputation that Gongsun Jianwu has accumulated over hundreds of years, performing a dance at the Qionglin Banquet would not only not be despised, but would be praised as elegant. The candidates who have passed the imperial examination with high spirits might even use this as a topic to compete in the Flying Flower Order.

"Empress Dowager, why do you do this?"

"I need you to make a real name for yourself as Gongsun Lan, and then infiltrate the Azure Dragon Society."

"Isn't the Azure Dragon Society an organization of the Imperial City Guard?"

"Not only are they not enemies, they are the enemy. This mission is extremely dangerous. This is for your self-defense."

Liu E took out two long ribbons.

The Heavenly Demon Belt, a treasure passed down through the Yin Gui Sect, is made entirely of Heavenly Silkworm Silk, making it impervious to blades, spears, water, and fire. Using it to perform the Heavenly Demon Dance increases its power by 50%.

"Thank you for the Empress Dowager's gift."

"If you encounter danger, return immediately. Don't think about facing a powerful enemy alone. Staying alive is the most important thing. If necessary, you can ask Li Zhaoting for help."

Will Li Zhaoting help me?

"meeting!"

"For my good looks?"

"That's not wrong."

Liu E waved her hand, and Gongsun Lan was led away by a maid to prepare for her dance. At the same time, Li Zhaoting returned home with two bags of wedding candy and found Feng Suzhen in the study, her face turning pale and then purple. He comforted her, "My wife, I know you are very happy right now. Your talent as the top scholar..."

"What are you saying, my lord! Do you want me to go to jail for two years and then take the imperial examination to save you? That's all nonsense, absolutely impossible."

Feng Suzhen's words were resolute, silently setting a flag for Li Zhaoting. Li Zhaoting's lips twitched, thinking to himself, "I am an old general on the stage, with flags planted all over my back."

Li Zhaoting felt a chill run down his spine, as if he were a supporting character in a movie who said things like "I'll go home and get married after the war" and "I'll look at my children's photos before the war starts." The soul-reaping chains of the Black and White Impermanence were already on the back of his collar.

Feng Suzhen thought it was absolutely impossible.

Li Zhaoting felt that it was bound to happen.

Moreover, it must be a major event of all.

This is a major event of "a decisive battle at the Forbidden City".

Li Zhaoting felt a little cold, so he hugged Feng Suzhen to warm her up and asked, "Wife, let's not talk about the imperial examination for now. What were you thinking about just now?"

"The Empress Dowager invited me to the Qionglin Banquet."

"This kind of thing can be granted special permission?"

"The candidates initially disagreed, but after the Empress Dowager showed them my exam paper, they agreed."

"Money can control servants, and talent can overpower professionals. Most of these people are upright gentlemen, and seeing Feng Shaomin's unparalleled talent, they naturally have high regard for Brother Feng."

"Would you like to go and take a look, sir?"

"I am Feng Xiucai's pageboy."

"I heard that the Eighth Prince will also be going."

"What to do?"

Looking for a son-in-law!

"He hasn't given up yet."

"The Eighth Prince would rather give up the throne than give up finding a good son-in-law. There are quite a few talented scholars in this imperial examination, but they are either already married or they can't beat Tianxiang. The prince will most likely return empty-handed."

"I think the Eighth Prince will anger Tianxiang, and in her anger, Tianxiang will just pick any husband on the spot."

Who will Tianxiang choose?

"Of course it's... Feng Shaomin!"

"My lord is talking nonsense again." "My wife can shut me up."

Li Zhaoting licked his tongue.

Feng Suzhen's red robe is really beautiful.

A swift resolution is best; there should be enough time.

……

The craze for the imperial examinations quickly passed.

The Eighth Prince's attempt to find a son-in-law failed once again.

Tianxiang ran away from home to learn martial arts from the Emei Sect.

Bao Zheng and others were each given official positions and sent to different prefectures to serve as officials. Because Bao Zheng was good at criminal investigations, his reputation as a detective spread far and wide. Emperor Zhao Zhen was good at recognizing and using people, so Bao Zheng was not admitted to the Hanlin Academy, but went to the Dali Temple.

The Dali Temple has accumulated a large number of cases.

Jin Jiuling couldn't be in two places at once, so he couldn't take all the blame. He could only take part of it, and some of the messy issues that were difficult to clean up needed to be dealt with by someone else.

Bao Zheng was very suitable for this kind of job.

He is impartial, skilled in reasoning, and fair in handling cases.

That day, Bao Zheng was reviewing case files when a commotion broke out outside. Three burly, thuggish-looking men were grabbing an honest farmer, cursing and swearing that he was a murderer.

Bao Zheng disliked judging people by their appearance, but this farmer looked too honest. Despite being physically strong, he endured several people's punches and kicks, which didn't seem like a murderer at all.

What kind of honest murderer is this?

Most murderers are vicious criminals. Even if they are kind by nature, after killing someone, they inevitably carry a murderous aura and will never be timid or submissive.

The murderer was none other than Qiao Tai, who had guarded Xiao Jun during the Luzhou case. Xiao Jun was secretly taken away by Li Zhaoting, and Boss Qian was taken away by the Imperial City Guard. With nothing to do, Qiao Tai decided to come to the capital to see the city. He had never been to the capital before and finally had the chance to live for himself. He wanted to see the prosperity of the capital.

To his utter surprise, he was arrested by three men as soon as he arrived in the capital. They accused him of being a murderer, saying that he had ruthlessly killed his entire family and deserved to be torn to pieces.

Qiao Tai was an honest man, but also a murderer.

The two are not in conflict.

Anyone who's been hanging around the streets for a long time knows that there's a four-word motto among street thugs: "A coward with the courage of a leopard!"

Thugs swagger around, bullying the weak. Most of those they bully are honest and timid people. You can take advantage of them a little, but you can't bully them too much.

Once this kind of person explodes, the consequences are often more serious than those of a strong man with a fiery temper. If you provoke Niu Er, you'll at most get a beating. But try provoking Yang Zhi.

If you push Yang Zhi too far, he might actually kill someone!

From his appearance, Qiao Tai is an honest, timid, and ordinary person. The thugs who are chasing and beating him up seem to be skilled in martial arts. In the eyes of most people, Qiao Tai must have been wronged.

Bao Zheng wouldn't judge a case like that.

What's needed to solve a case is evidence.

Without evidence, it's all nonsense.

Bao Zheng ordered Qiao Tai to be temporarily detained, and at the same time, he arranged for the people who had been chasing and beating Qiao Tai to be settled. He wanted to interrogate these people separately and discern the truth from their testimonies.

Then, Bao Zheng got stuck.

Qiao Tai was taciturn and didn't say a word.

You can hit him, you can scold him, you can deliberately not bring him food and let him go hungry, but he just won't say anything, he just sits silently in the cell with a blank stare.

If Qiao Tai weren't able to eat, drink, and relieve himself normally, he would be no different from a clay or wooden puppet. Helpless, Bao Zheng could only interrogate the other three first, hoping to get some clues.

Chen Da, Wang Tian, ​​Zhang Gen.

The three of them harbored intense resentment towards Qiao Tai, their words filled with anger. However, when questioned by Bao Zheng, their expressions were very unnatural, as if they were strongly resistant to the government office.

If Qiao Tai hadn't killed their entire family, they would never have set foot in the government office in their entire lives. Bao Zheng keenly sensed the problem and had someone bring out the relevant files.

Files from ten years ago!

……

Gongsun Ce passed the imperial examination with flying colors and returned to his hometown in glory.

Halfway there, they heard that the famous opera troupe Huanxiyue had reopened, and that Kang Qiao, a disciple of the leading opera master Yu Li, would be performing Yu Li's signature play, Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens. So they decided to stop and watch.

Gongsun Ce loved acrobatic performances since childhood. When he was a child, he saw Yu Li perform the Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens. Just like Du Fu saw Gongsun Da Niang dancing with a sword, he still can't forget it.

The accident happened on the day of the performance.

The actor performing the "Tempest Man" magic trick was killed by gunpowder. It was later found that the gunpowder dosage was incorrect, being increased several times over, which caused the man to be killed by the gunpowder.

The Joyful Moon Opera Troupe is rife with internal conflicts. Several men are vying for Kang Qiao's favor, which could very well lead to a crime of passion. Gongsun Ce reveals his identity, and the local magistrate, eager for someone to take the blame, immediately hands the case over to Gongsun Ce. Gongsun Ce can freely dispatch constables and yamen runners, and anyone who disobeys will be treated as the murderer.

Gongsun Ce thought to himself, "Bao Heitan isn't here, Li Zhaoting and Lu Xiaofeng aren't here either, everyone is gone."

This time, it's my turn to make a move!
Just as he was about to show off his skills, he discovered that a young girl had arrived at the county office. She had a round face and a fierce look. She claimed to be Pang Feiyan, the daughter of Grand Tutor Pang, and that she was the number one female constable in the capital. She wanted to compete with Gongsun Ce in solving cases.

……

After living in the capital for nearly half a year, the house in Jinling was repaired. Li Zhaoting and others returned to their ancestral home, first to worship their ancestors, and then to hold a housewarming banquet.

By the way, establish a set of rules for the Five Rats.

—Young people should study diligently and are strictly prohibited from dating early.

Especially Bai Yutang, don't be so arrogant. Your senior sister is a demonic witch from the Demonic Sect, skilled at drawing her sword and killing people!

Looking at the renovated ancestral home, Lan Fenghuang blushed and tugged at Li Zhaoting's sleeve. The two had agreed beforehand that after the ancestral home was renovated, they would go to the Miao village of Moon Mountain to propose marriage and marry Lan Fenghuang in the ancestral home.

Lan Fenghuang originally had no sense of crisis, but Li Zhaoting was always surrounded by stunning beauties. Lan Fenghuang was very confident in her figure, but she was still not married.

Li Zhaoting laughed and said, "In a few days, let's go to the Shiliang Chess Immortal Sect to look for the Golden Snake Sword!"

(End of this chapter)