Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Buying songs and laughter with white jade, getting drunk and disregarding kings and nobles.

Lü Xiucai was an extraordinary person. He was both a pedantic scholar who exuded poverty and pedantry, and a pillar of the country who was upright, fearless of the powerful and impartial.

He could haggle over a pancake or two steamed buns, but he could also donate a hundred taels of silver as a reward, using it all to repair the academy and river embankment in Qixia Town.

He appears timid and cowardly when facing Guo Furong, Tong Xiangyu, and Bai Zhantang. Even Li Dazui can bully him by relying on his strength, as if anyone can touch him.

Facing the most powerful figures of the time, such as the emperor, empress dowager, princes, and grand marshals, he was able to speak confidently and eloquently, recounting the details of the case in detail.

Without stuttering or showing weakness, he delivered a calm and measured speech with intonation and fervor, seeking justice for the fallen soldiers.

Bian Mouting was the Grand Commandant of the Palace Guard, a ruthless military general, and a powerful minister with immense authority. His influence surpassed that of Zhu Wushi, and his murderous aura was almost tangible.

Normally, a single glare from Bian Mouting would be enough to terrify those pedantic scholars who only knew how to talk big, causing them to soil themselves and scramble away in a panic.

Lü Xiucai was indeed frightened.

Two days ago, while he was investigating a case, Bian Mouting ordered the Imperial Guards to perform a martial arts exercise. The Imperial Guards, fully armored and in formation, let out a loud roar, which frightened Lü Xiucai so much that his whole body went limp and he almost lost his life.

Bian Mouting sneered and believed the rumor that "Guo Bujing looks down on his pedantic son-in-law and wants to take the opportunity to ruin him, make his daughter divorce him, and marry his sixth disciple."

At this moment, whether it is the overwhelming pressure of a Grandmaster, the tangible killing intent of Bian Mouting, or the majesty of an emperor who stands on the four corners of the earth and holds the reins of power, they are as indifferent as a gentle breeze in front of Lü Xiucai. How can they shake his righteous spirit?
The smaller the scene and the less important the person, the weaker and more vulnerable Lü Xiucai appears. Any burly man could easily beat him up.

The bigger the occasion and the more important the person, the more upright and fearless Lü Xiucai appeared. Neither the notorious bandit who committed numerous evils nor the powerful Grand Commandant who had killed countless people could shake him in the slightest. Even when his own daughter pleaded for him, he remained impartial and incorruptible.

Why is this happening?
Because of four words—justified and confident!
Lü Xiucai's backing is the law of the Song Dynasty, the righteous spirit that has been passed down through the ages, and the right path of heaven and earth. In the face of heavenly justice, what is the Grand Commandant?
"More than 20 years ago, some people, for the sake of power, money, and ambition, replaced all the military equipment and armor being transported to the northern border army with inferior goods."

The soldiers' armor was as thin as paper, their weapons as fragile as rotten wood, and the supply transport in the northern battlefield was in complete disarray; even their marching information was betrayed.

The situation went from being evenly matched to a desperate situation.

In the end, the army suffered a crushing defeat and was completely wiped out.

There were five masterminds behind the case.

One of them was Chen Yeshen, who was in charge of allocating funds.

One was He Taiji, who discovered Chen Yeshen's intention to inform on him and poisoned him. His real name was He Fulai, and he was General Chu's deputy, mainly responsible for the transportation of military supplies.

This person has a congenital disability in his right hand, with his five fingers atrophied together, resembling an eagle's claw. He can only write with his left hand and is very fond of copying inscriptions.

General Chu, am I right?

Chu Xiangyu angrily said, "He Fulai? Because of his injured right arm, he has been bullied. It was I who discovered his talent in calligraphy and promoted him."

I am deeply grateful to him!
Why did he betray me?
How did He Fulai become He Taiji?
Isn't he dead?

I offered sacrifices to his grave three times!

Fuck!
What exactly is going on? "

Lü Xiucai explained: "This question needs to be answered by He Fulai himself. I don't know the specific reasons, but I do know one thing: He Fulai knew that he could not hide his crimes from General Chu, so he chose to fake his death to escape."

Why is he in such a hurry to become the instructor of the Prince's Palace?
On the one hand, He Fulai couldn't stand the secluded life of eating vegetables and tofu and wanted to find a wealthy identity.

On the other hand, He Fulai's physical characteristics are too obvious, making him easily recognizable. Therefore, he needs to find a powerful patron who holds a high position but lives a low-key life.

He Fulai disguised himself as a war refugee who had fled from the north to the capital. He slashed his severed limbs several times, pretending to have been wounded by Liao soldiers, and worked as a servant in the Prince Lian's mansion.

Relying on the skills he learned in the army, He Fulai gained the appreciation of the Third Prince and became the head instructor of the Prince's Palace.

His accomplices provided him with a lot of help.

Two individuals provided the most significant assistance.

One of them was Qian Bali, the military supervisor.

The inferior weapons were all made by Qian Bali.

After the army's defeat, Qian Bali was transferred from the Ministry of Works to the Ministry of Revenue, and then back to the Ministry of Works, changing positions more than ten times, which confused his own files.

The other is a wealthy businessman responsible for money laundering.

His real name is Jia Xin.

With this money, Jia Xin recreated his identity as Zhang Dajing, a disabled tycoon!
Everyone's attention was focused on Zhang Dajing's congenitally disabled legs. Zhang Dajing had repeatedly stated that he was willing to offer a million taels of silver as a reward... a reward for the remains of a high monk with the ability to restore the body of a disabled person. The student was not very clear about martial arts, only that this matter had caused a great stir.

While everyone's attention was focused on the disabled tycoon, the million-dollar reward, and the remains of the high monk, Zhang Dajing's past and how he amassed his fortune were all hidden from view; no one knew his past.

The four men—Deputy General He Fulai, Military Supervisor Qian Bali, wealthy tycoon Zhang Dajing, and Vice Minister of Revenue Chen Yeshen—were far from enough. Above them was a high-ranking official who had access to all the secret intelligence about the military campaigns and controlled every detail of the march. This person held a high position and great power, and the four men had complete faith in him.

After the Treaty of Chanyuan, warfare gradually decreased.

Unable to make money from arms, they turned their attention elsewhere, such as building river embankments!

The flood in Chanzhou was caused by their shoddy workmanship and use of inferior materials. They did it very secretly, completely hidden in the dark. Coincidentally, Yuan Lianqin, the Vice Minister of Works, was corrupt and engaged in the same business as them. After the incident was exposed, Yuan Lianqin took the blame for everything, and these people continued to hide in the shadows.

Until this spring, Chanzhou was flooded.

Chu Xiangyu shouted, "Lu Xiucai, you can't just say half of what you mean! Who's the mastermind behind this? I'll skin him alive! Is he right here?"

Guo Bujing sneered: "General Chu, who can control every detail of the march? Who has the authority to mobilize military supplies? Who can mobilize all these people at the same time? Who can gain their approval simply by virtue of their official rank?"

Chu Xiangyu looked up at Bian Mouting: "Of course it's the Grand Commandant of the Palace Guard, Bian Mouting, is that you?"

Bian Mouting shouted, "Twenty years ago, I was not the Grand Commandant. Don't make baseless accusations against me!"

Lu Xiucai said, "Twenty years ago, Bian Taiwei's official position was Commander of the Palace Guards, which was only one step away from Taiwei, but he lacked a little military merit."

After the army suffered a crushing defeat, you went on a campaign with the army and took the opportunity to make military achievements. A few years later, the Song and Liao dynasties restored peace and the situation stabilized. Based on this, you were promoted to Grand Commandant.

Am I correct in describing this process?

Zhao Zhen said, "Summon the witnesses."

Not long after, Li Xunhuan arrived at the palace with He Taiji, Qian Bali, and Zhang Dajing. He ripped open Zhang Dajing's trouser leg, revealing that both legs were intact.

Zhao Zhen shouted, "Minister Bian, you have one last chance to explain yourself. What else do you have to say?"

Bian Mouting laughed wildly, "Zhao Zhen! You weak, incompetent, soft-hearted piece of trash! Since you know that I was the one who did it all, you could have just had Yuan Shisanxian arrest me. Why bother with evidence? Is it necessary for a three-way confrontation? You're just giving me time!"

Yuan Shisanxian roared, "Bian Mouting, how dare you address His Majesty by his name! His Majesty is merciful and has granted you a chance to live, yet you not only show no remorse but also say you're being given time! What good is time? To let you think about who your accomplices are! Surrender now!"

Before he finished speaking, Bian Mouting's face turned deathly pale, then bluish-black; this was the "Divine Skill of One Shout".

Yuan Shisanxian was proficient in seventy-seven unique skills, thirteen of which were extremely powerful. He was quite proud of this and added the number thirteen to his name, changing it to Yuan Shisanxian.

At this moment, the "One Shout Divine Skill" is used. This method has a strong connotation of "words become law", which can intimidate the enemy with shouts and make them tremble with fear.

It can be understood as a combination of Vajra Zen Lion's Roar and Demonic Crying Great Compassion Mantra. It has both the majestic power of Buddhist Zen and the insidious ruthlessness of demonic arts. It requires a very high foundation and is prone to backlash.

Dealing with a powerful minister like Bian Mouting, whose martial arts skills are mediocre but who is fat and healthy, is a piece of cake. However, if this method were used against a Grandmaster, he would be easily overwhelmed.

Bian Mouting roared, "Yuan Shisanxian! I control the Imperial Guards of the capital. The Imperial Guards loyal to the Emperor have been taken to the north by Li Nanxing and are about to be wiped out. The Imperial Guards of the capital obey my orders. No matter how strong your martial arts are, can you defeat 100,000 Imperial Guards? The entire capital has fallen to me..."

Before the words were finished, the bowstring rang out.

Two arrows pierced Bian Mouting's collarbone.

Yuan Shisanxian said disdainfully, "I can't defeat 100,000 Imperial Guards, but killing you would be a piece of cake! You want to provoke me into killing you? I'll just not do that!"

Your fate has already been written.

With your meager skills, you can't even fool my eyes, how could you possibly fool His Majesty?

Your Majesty is wise; how could you possibly deceive him!

Traitor!

"Just wait to be torn to pieces and have your entire family wiped out!"

Zhao Zhen stood up and shouted, "Bian Mouting, as the Grand Commandant of the Palace Guard, you were blinded by greed, embezzled and accepted bribes, colluded with traitors, and betrayed the army, causing the entire border army to be wiped out and countless soldiers to die in vain on the battlefield."

You coveted the river embankment project, cutting corners and using inferior materials, causing the flood in Chanzhou, leaving hundreds of thousands of people displaced, starving for miles around, a truly tragic situation.

If we don't kill you, where is justice?
Guards, throw Bian Mouting's cronies into the death row. After the imperial examinations, have them executed by slow slicing to uphold justice.

Bian Mouting deceived the emperor, formed cliques for personal gain, and plotted rebellion. His crimes were unforgivable, and his entire family was exterminated.

He Fulai, Jia Xin, and Qian Bali were accomplices in evil deeds and committed heinous crimes; their entire families were executed.

Chen Yeshen, considering his slight remorse, I spare the lives of his family. The male members are exiled to Lingnan, the female members are re-entered into the brothel, and their property is confiscated and deposited into the national treasury. My beloved ministers, take this as a warning!

Bian Mouting was utterly shocked. Where were his guards? Where were his top experts?

Bian Mouting knew, of course, that Zhao Zhen had the loyal Yuan Shisanxian by his side. Yuan Shisanxian was not only good at long-range sniping, but he also had a knack for hitting the target every time. Not only was he a perfect shot, but he was also guaranteed to die if he was hit by an arrow.

Even though Bian Mouting was surrounded by 100,000 elite troops, as long as Yuan Shisanxian nocked an arrow, he could pierce Bian Mouting's heart with a single "Heartbreak Arrow".

Furthermore, given Bian Mouting's prestige, launching a coup to become emperor was pure fantasy.

Bian Mouting's idea was to take the opportunity to launch a coup, force Zhao Zhen to abdicate, and then assist a puppet emperor.

Bian Mouting should act as Dong Zhuo for a few years, then as Cao Cao for a few years. Once his power is fully established and his forces reach their peak, he can then become Sima Zhao.

To this end, Bian Mouting sought out many collaborators. Even the recent southward march of the Manchu army, in which Li Nanxing led 80,000 imperial guards, was the result of their conspiracy.

Bian Mouting wanted to repeat what happened in the past, sending away 80,000 troops in one fell swoop, causing heavy losses to the Song Dynasty, and burying all the ministers loyal to Zhao Zhen in the north.

Bian Mouting's plan was to scheme against Li Zhaoting and instigate a conflict between Li Zhaoting and Yuan Shisanxian and others, but the plan was thwarted as soon as it was put into action.

Li Zhaoting willingly entered the Heavenly Prison and did not fight with masters such as Yuan Shisanxian, Guo Bujing, Cao Zhengchun, and Mi Cangqiong, especially Yuan Shisanxian.

The power of the Heartbreak Arrow is terrifying.

As long as Yuan Shisanxian was alive, Bian Mouting felt no sense of security. He had thought that the martial arts masters provided by his collaborators would be able to stop Yuan Shisanxian and give him time to mobilize his troops. However, when the time came, all of these masters disappeared, completely betraying him.

In fact, from any perspective, Bian Mouting's plan was full of loopholes, because he never intended to rebel, at least not before.

More than 20 years ago, Bian Mouting betrayed the army, only wanting to gain money, merit, and promotion. In the following 20 years, apart from making money, he did not do anything outrageous.

Until recently, some people used Bian Mouting's past actions as leverage to force him to join a mysterious force and provide them with intelligence on the Imperial Guard.

This faction has nine members, most of whom hold high positions and wield great power, and at least one of them is a member of the royal family.

These people's goal is—rebellion!

Once you get involved in rebellion, you can never escape it, let alone what Bian Mouting did twenty years ago, which was enough to warrant the execution of his entire family ten times over.

Left with no other choice, Bian Mouting could only rely on the strength of these collaborators to gradually grow stronger, and planned to first target Dong Zhuo, then Cao Cao, and finally Sima Zhao.

Unexpectedly, the plan was exposed by Chu Xiangyu, a brute filled with hatred, and Lü Qinghou, a weak and uneducated scholar, just as it began.

Bian Mouting felt he had been set up.

Even if Lü Qinghou was the reincarnation of Di Renjie, how could he have found so many clues in such a short time?

I'm afraid they won't even be able to finish reading the case files.

Who exactly orchestrated this scheme to harm themselves?
Could they be accomplices?
Bian Mouting looked at the sky in despair. As he shook his head, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of Zhao Zhen's eyes, a sharp and decisive look he had never seen before.

In Bian Mouting's eyes, Zhao Zhen was a kind-hearted but almost pedantic saint, a weak and easily bullied good-for-nothing. If it weren't for Liu E's help, he would not have been able to secure the throne.

Bian Mouting thought maliciously that Zhao Zhen was a puppet supported by Liu E. Liu E wanted to become Wu Zetian, but she did not expect that Zhao Zhen had loyal ministers such as Zhuge Zhengwo and Yuan Shisanxian by his side, which made Liu E dare not usurp the throne.

Using the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun as a pretext to transfer Zhuge Zhengwo away from the capital might have been Liu E's scheme.

Unexpectedly, Liu E gradually handed over power to Zhao Zhen. She did not want to be the Empress Dowager above millions of people, nor did she want to be the emperor. Instead, she acted like the Eighth Prince and the Third Prince, engaging in a charade of seeking fame and reputation.

Bian Mouting never dreamed that the pedantic, kind, weak, and easily bullied emperor would possess such a sharp and decisive gaze. Could all of this be...?

Bian Mouting's face was full of shock.

Unfortunately, he couldn't utter a single word.

Yuan Shisan sealed off all the meridians in his body.

Bian Mouting looked at the sky in despair, like a wild beast at the end of its rope, and screamed as he fainted.

Li Xunhuan, accompanied by imperial guards, stepped forward and imprisoned Bian Mouting and the others in the imperial prison. Immediately afterwards, Li Xunhuan, Cao Zhengchun, Mi Cangqiong, Zhu Wushi, and Guo Bujing each led their men to search the homes of Bian Mouting and the other four.

Li Xunhuan was a kind-hearted man. When he searched Chen Yeshen's house, he didn't need to use particularly cruel methods. He simply imprisoned everyone and dealt with them after the imperial examination.

Cao Zhengchun was fond of wealth. He built the "Eunuch's Den," a place where old eunuchs helped each other out in their old age. He also raided the home of the wealthy merchant Zhang Dajing, allowing him to make money off the family.

Guo Bujing searched and confiscated He Taiji's house.

Mi Cangqiong searched and confiscated Qian Bali's house.

Zhu Wushi had the most important task: leading all members of the Dragon Guard Manor to search and confiscate Bian Mouting's house. Zhu Wushi was overjoyed and couldn't wait to go and search the house.

First, have the secret agents of the Dragon Guard Manor take control of all members of Bian Mouting's household. Then, order Shangguan Haitang to search for secret passages and hidden compartments, and find all the treasures.

"Haitang, you're in charge of finding the jewelry—pearls, white jade, emeralds, agates—find them all if they're larger than longans, and examine them carefully one by one!"

"Yidao, you're in charge of finding the porcelain..."

"Tianya, you're in charge of finding the gold and silver..."

"Cheng Shifei, you're quite lucky. Your job is to wander around here, use your luck to find valuable items, and if you do, I'll reward you handsomely!"

Everyone was baffled by Zhu Wushi's order, but since it was a raid, they naturally needed to thoroughly search and confiscate everything, so they didn't have too many doubts.

Zhu ignored his clenched fists and serious expression.

Fragrant cardamom... Fragrant cardamom...

Bian Mouting, if you dare to lie to me, I will grind your ancestors for eighteen generations to dust! I will tear your eight illegitimate sons, whom you hid in Jingzhou, to pieces!

Suddenly.

Zhu Wushi's eyes were wide open, and he was covered in sweat.

He had never been involved in the case, and had no connection to it whatsoever. Why did the emperor send him to confiscate his property? Bian Mouting was the mastermind behind the case; shouldn't Guo Bujing, Yuan Shisanxian, or Li Xunhuan have been sent to conduct the confiscation? Why was he sent to do it himself? How much did the emperor actually know?

……

Heaven Prison.

Li Zhaoting has gained a new neighbor.

A super-serious criminal like Bian Mouting must be imprisoned at the bottom of the Heavenly Prison and guarded by top-notch experts.

No one is more suitable than Li Zhaoting.

Li Zhaoting never imagined that one day his hobby would become his profession: from studying jade feet to becoming a prison guard, please call me "Warden".

"Oh~~ Isn't this Grand Commandant Bian?"
How did you become such a mess after just a few days?

Chains piercing your bones, handcuffs and shackles—even I don't get this kind of treatment. Are you planning a rebellion?

You've misread it; this is Yuan Shisanxian's arrow.

It seems you're really planning a rebellion!

Tell me about it!
What have you done?

There's no need to hide anything now that things have come to this.

If you're not satisfied, you can call me out later and say I'm your accomplice.

Come on, come on! Don't be shy! Tell me in detail!

Let's compare our statements!

Li Zhaoting pointed a finger from a distance, deflecting the arrow from Bian Mouting's body and releasing the force sealing Bian Mouting's acupoints, allowing him to regain his ability to speak.

Bian Mouting laughed wildly, "Li Zhaoting! While your father is still alive, you can be smug for a while longer! Your father is about to die! Your father is about to die!"

The weapons and equipment I gave your father were the lowest quality. The three deputy generals I assigned to your father were Manchu spies, and the two were Liao spies.

Your father, Yang Yanzhao, and Zhuge Zhengwo will all die on the Liao battlefield, trampled into mud by iron cavalry.

Back then, your father was heartbroken after being tricked by me. You failed to find out that it was me who did it, and instead suspected the leader of the Green Dragon Society. You are the number one fool in the world!
Idiots should die!
I will die!
Your father will die too!
Of course you couldn't possibly survive!

Your name is Zhaoting, and mine is Mouting. I was born to have you by my side, and I'm going to make sure you have no descendants!

The assassins who wanted to kill your wife and your child have arrived in Nanjing. Let's see what you can do about it!
Hahaha… (End of this chapter)