The Bad Guys: Playing the Fake Li Xingyun at the Beginning

The empress nodded slightly, her eyes fixed on him, "It has been confirmed, and the family behind them has also informed the Ministry of Rites."

Once you enter the palace, it's as deep as the sea, and you'll be separated from the world by high walls from now on.

For women, the palace is not a good place, at least it is not a good place for women who want to live a stable life.

Of course, women from ordinary families are not even qualified to be screened, and the same goes for wealthy and powerful families everywhere. Only the truly powerful and wealthy are qualified to enter this threshold.

In later generations, it was almost like common people were not even qualified to be exploited.

These women may not all be willing to go in, nor may they all be unwilling to go in, but since they have been reborn into a family and have enjoyed wealth and glory for more than ten years, they must fulfill the corresponding obligations.

Even if they did not enter the palace, they would be used for marriage alliances and to win over other people in the future. Nowadays, noble ladies from aristocratic families are no longer as pampered as they were in the early Tang Dynasty.

As the times changed, noble ladies from aristocratic families were used by powerful families to win over soldiers and local powerful military governors. It's heartbreaking to talk about it.

In the past, these people wouldn't even be qualified to take a look.

For those women who are willing to enter the palace, rather than having an uncertain future and being given to strangers, it is better to enter the palace, isolate themselves from the threat of their own forces, and get a chance to breathe.

In any case, once they were on this list, it was a foregone conclusion that they would enter the palace, whether they were willing or not.

"Six hundred people, another huge expense." Su Ming closed the list and sighed.

These days, being able to support a family of several people is considered a blessing, and his palace is going to add 600 palace maids, and the expenses for their food, clothing and other expenses are not a small amount.

Compared with those predecessors, he was nothing, but as an emperor, it was very necessary for him to select concubines to enrich the harem. On the one hand, it expanded the royal pomp, and on the other hand, it won over these people and showed goodwill to them.

This political rule that has existed for thousands of years is simply unavoidable. In later generations, only the Ming Dynasty avoided this political rule. The harem was not allowed to interfere in politics, and external relatives were prevented from meddling in government affairs.

However, despite his feelings, when these people entered the palace, he would naturally give titles to those who deserved them and make them imperial concubines. If there were any girls with good looks, it would be fun to keep them in his room.

It was also his duty as the emperor to expand the Li Tang bloodline, and no one could find fault with it.

After reviewing the memorials, Su Ming did not leave in a hurry, but accompanied the empress to drink tea and read books, enjoying the pleasure of having a beautiful lady accompany him in reading at night.

From now on, there will be fewer days of leisure and happiness like this.

Chapter 161 Li Xingyun's Farming Life

In the streets of Luoyang, peddlers carrying goods on their shoulders shouted, and children in groups of three or two ran around chasing polo balls, their high buns on their foreheads swaying, and their childish and innocent voices could be heard far away in the busy city.

The passers-by were either hurried or scattered. Chunfanglou on the next street had just opened its doors, and the sleepy-eyed dandies were yawning, stretching, and leisurely returning home.

Clerks and officials in black uniforms hurried to their duties, some in sedan chairs, some on foot, and some on donkeys, all for that meager salary.

In the Tang Dynasty, officials' salaries were not high, but they still worked hard to become officials, not only to improve their status, but also because once they became officials, they would naturally have money.

Who still relies on salary to make a living these days?

Early in the morning, Su Ming took Chi Meng out for a stroll. There was no court meeting today, and all government offices were operating as usual. He simply left the pile of memorials behind and took a break from his busy schedule to take a look.

"Long time no see, Luoyang has become more prosperous." Chi Meng held a string of candied haws, the sweet and sour taste bloomed in her mouth, and she showed a satisfied smile.

Suddenly, her eyes widened, she pulled Su Ming and pointed at a street stall, "Look, what is that? It's shiny and beautiful."

Su Ming looked in the direction she pointed and saw a Hu man in a long robe sitting there. In front of him were various silver kettles and daggers inlaid with gems.

These daggers are small and exquisite, and their styles are not like those found in the Central Plains.

Su Ming raised his eyebrows. In this day and age, there are still Hu merchants who are not afraid of death and come to Luoyang?

He picked up a silver dagger with a blue gem and a strange pattern on the handle and explained to Chi Meng, "The gems on it are from the Western Regions and are very precious."

"This young man has a really good eye. This dagger is a treasure from Persia. It is very sharp. It can be yours for only one thousand taels." The Hu man had a square face and a big beard on his chin. He spoke with a fluent Luoyang accent.

"One thousand taels? So expensive? Are you here to rob me?" Women are naturally sensitive to prices. When Chi Meng heard this number, her pupils shrank and she became furious.

"Miss, Persia has been destroyed, and these things are extremely rare. I had a hard time bringing them to the Tang Dynasty." The Hu man's beard trembled, and his voice rose three degrees.

Upon hearing this, Chi Meng blinked his eyes, and his momentum inexplicably weakened.

Su Ming pulled out the dagger and saw the sharp blade. He was too lazy to talk nonsense with him, "Five hundred taels. If it doesn't work, I'll go somewhere else."

The Hu man had a painful look on his face and was very conflicted. He quickly glanced at Su Ming and the others' clothes and said, "Well, noble sir, this treasure is yours." As he said this, he looked like you were getting a great bargain.

Then, the waiter following them paid the money, and Hu Renyou's expression immediately changed and he smiled happily.

Chi Meng had not been excited for two minutes after getting the dagger. When she saw his expression, she knew that they were being slaughtered. She was about to argue with him but was pulled away by Su Ming.

"The money and goods are settled. If you suffer a loss, then so be it. Be careful next time. There is no need for us to argue with him. This dagger is indeed sharp. Even the craftsmen in the court cannot make such a thing." Su Ming handed the dagger to Chi Meng and said with a smile.

Chi Meng took the dagger, her face slightly reddened, "Okay, I'll listen to you."

Next, Chi Meng did not buy anything else, but strolled on the street holding his arm. Su Ming was dragged around by him, but his mind was on the dagger just now.

He did not belittle it. The current imperial court was indeed unable to make that dagger because the material of the dagger was similar to Wootz steel, which did not exist in the Central Plains at all.

However, India is too far away now, so it is impossible to equip a large number of swords made of this material.

The imperial court still exists today, and although a large number of craftsmen have been lost, the corresponding technology is still backed up, and the forging technology of Tang swords has not been lost. It is just that due to the limitations of craftsmen and materials, the output of the imperial court is not high.

It is basically impossible to recreate the Modao team.

……

Overseas island.

Li Xingyun was cutting rice in the field with a sword. The sword that was used to kill people in the past became a weapon for cutting rice here. In the overseas area, the climate is hot and the rice matures very quickly.

Various seabirds and small wild animals live here, accumulating a large amount of excrement, making the island's land very fertile.

Because it was the first season of rice, the yield was not high. Walking on the muddy paddy field, Li Xingyun saw the rice piled up beside the ridges, and a happy smile appeared on his face.

They finally no longer have to live off the land. By growing rice, they can live here for a long time without worrying about food.

Although his body was covered in mud, Li Xingyun felt very satisfied. He had never worried about his livelihood, and this was the first time he experienced the joy of harvest.

"Xingyun, it's time to eat." Ji Ruxue brought food to the edge of the field.

"Here I come, Xue'er." Li Xingyun smiled unconsciously and threw the sword in his hand casually. The long sword spun in the air and fell accurately into the scabbard inserted in the ground.

"Hey, there are rabbits today?"

Ji Ruxue nodded, a blush creeping up to her ears, and she subconsciously lifted the hair beside her ears, "You must have been exhausted from harvesting rice these past two days, so I'll give you some nourishment."

I have been on the island for a year. In this environment, even two strangers will develop feelings for each other and depend on each other, not to mention two couples who already have feelings for each other.

The young man was strong and vigorous, with full energy and blood. On a stormy night, Lao Li finally fulfilled his dream and was no longer a virgin.

After that, the two of them got addicted to it, and when they went to bed at night, it would be like thunder and lightning, violent storms and heavy rain. Although the island was lonely, they did not feel lonely.

Life on the island was undoubtedly hard. They had enough daily necessities for the time being, but they were a little short of food. If Li Xingyun had not studied medicine since childhood and knew a lot of medicinal herbs, he might have been malnourished by now.

Facing the sea, they have no shortage of fish, but they are very short of vegetables and other meats. The small animals on the island are scattered everywhere, and their numbers are not particularly large.

In addition to farming recently, he also established a farm in the center of the island to capture and raise small animals for sustainable development.

He also found and transplanted edible wild vegetables on the island, preparing to harvest seeds for planting.

Every time he worked, he was very grateful to his master Yang Shuzi. If it weren't for his childhood experiences, he wouldn't have known so much.

Away from conspiracies and intrigues, away from his country and the world, away from bad people, away from Yuan Tiangang, such a simple and beautiful life, isn't it what he has always dreamed of?

Except for the panic at the beginning, after settling down, Li Xingyun wanted to thank Yuan Tiangang. If it weren't for him, he wouldn't be living such a life.

The two of them sat on the edge of the field and ate like an ordinary farm couple. After the meal, Ji Ruxue packed up and went back, while Li Xingyun bundled the rice and took it back to process and thresh it.

Chapter 162 Far Cry

Over the past year, Li Xingyun has not changed much except that his skin has become tanned, while Ji Ruxue has become thinner and paler.

This was not a problem for Li Xingyun, who studied medicine. He gave the patient a few injections and then boiled some medicine to treat the condition. Although her complexion recovered, she was still as thin as before.

But since the two of them had slept in the same bed, Ji Ruxue had changed from a girl into a woman. Perhaps it was the nourishment of the essence, her skin became white and rosy, and even when blown by the sea breeze, her skin was still watery. The immaturity between her brows faded, and a hint of spring appeared.

After a stormy night, Li Xingyun lived up to Ji Ruxue's expectations and held a simple wedding with the few utensils on the island, a wedding for only the two of them.

On the wedding day, Li Xingyun went into the sea to fish and got a tuna as a betrothal gift, which made Ji Ruxue laugh and cry.

Now, they have officially become husband and wife and live a life of the man farming and the woman weaving.

However, despite her peaceful life, the shadow in Ji Ruxue's heart never disappeared. Instead, it became heavier and heavier, making her feel a little breathless.

On the way home, Ji Ruxue looked towards the coast with worry in her eyes. She was afraid that one day a big ship would appear there and destroy their hard-earned lives.

After experiencing so many hardships, she understands more clearly how difficult life is now. Over time, this has almost become a source of worry for her.

Ji Ruxue knew that Li Xingyun would not let her down, so she let down her guard towards Li Xingyun and gave herself to him. One of her biggest purposes was to leave him a child.

She didn't want Li Xingyun to return to the underworld and become Yuan Tiangang's pawn. She wanted to live an ordinary life with her family.

……

At night, thunder rumbled.

It rains very frequently on the island, almost every few days, so this place has become the base for the bad guys.

At first, they were not used to it, but now they can fall asleep to the sound of thunder.

In the room, Ji Ruxue was lying next to Li Xingyun, her brows tightly furrowed, her pretty face slightly cold and a little frightened, as if she had dreamed of something terrible.

"do not go!"

Suddenly, a mournful voice broke the silence in the room. Li Xingyun was awakened and lit the oil lamp. He saw Ji Ruxue sitting on the bed, looking dazed, with eyes full of sadness and fear.

"Xingyun." Sensing Li Xingyun approaching, she threw herself into his arms, closed her eyes, hugged him, and pressed her cheek against his chest, as if she was afraid that he would disappear.

Li Xingyun looked solemn and patted Ji Ruxue's shoulder gently, "Xue'er, it's okay, I'm here, it's okay."

As he continued to comfort her, Ji Ruxue's emotions gradually stabilized and her body stopped trembling.

"Xue'er, what did you dream about?" Knowing that Ji Ruxue was having a nightmare, Li Xingyun helped her up, held her face and asked.

"I..." Ji Ruxue's eyes were blurred with tears. She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.

Just now in her dream, she dreamed that Yuan Tiangang appeared here, took Li Xingyun and the child away, and left her alone on the deserted island.

She chased the big ship on the beach, but couldn't catch up, and could only watch them leave.

But how could she say these words to Li Xingyun?

She didn't want to disrupt her peaceful life and just wanted to live a good life here with Li Xingyun.

Ji Ruxue actually knew that Yuan Tiangang would not let them go. She was escaping by doing this. That day would come sooner or later, but she just didn't want to interfere with her current life, even for a moment.

After hesitating for a moment, Ji Ruxue chose to lie, "I just dreamed of a monster. She kept chasing me. It was so scary."

However, she had forgotten the words she had just shouted during the nightmare.