Chapter 162 Counting Nines
"Commander."

Seeing the dark scene inside the palace gate spreading outwards and gradually forming a tall and majestic figure, Jing Xin Mo's already small stature became even smaller, until finally, he folded his hands and bowed his head.

Under the corridor, two bad guys who looked like wooden sculptures from beginning to end also bowed their heads, very respectful.

The young man in the straw raincoat swallowed his saliva subconsciously, and felt that the figure walking out of the hall seemed so tall that it was taller than the hall door, making people subconsciously need to look up at him, both visually and psychologically.

He had occasionally heard of legends about this Imperial Master and Commander in the palace when he was young, and he knew a lot about him this year, but he had never met him before. Even though they were finally going to meet face to face, he still felt mysterious, powerful, and oppressive.

Although the man did not utter a word from beginning to end, and he could not even see his face clearly, the aura he exuded seemed to be even more powerful than that of his father in his memory, and made him more uneasy.

So when the figure walked out with his hands behind his back, the young man in the straw raincoat had already avoided his gaze and looked at the ground.

For a moment, the wind and snow were howling, the bamboo forest surrounding the building complex was swaying, and the sound of the cold wind was heard. In the corner of the young man's eye, he only saw a pair of very ordinary cloth boots and the hem of a cloth robe that was already quite old.

But he also clearly noticed that someone was observing him. It was an indescribable feeling, but it made him tighten his clothes awkwardly and lower his head as if he had forgotten to breathe.

This imperial teacher never saluted him...

Suddenly, this strange idea popped up in the young man's mind, and he couldn't suppress it no matter what.

Since he was rescued from Caozhou by the Bad People, all the Bad People who saw him for the first time would be extremely respectful and perform the etiquette of a subject. Even though Jing Xin Mo was so arrogant and arrogant when facing Shi Tong (the old man in Yanzhou), he would also perform the etiquette of a subject in a proper manner when he saw him.

Apart from……

Xiao Yan.

The young man's mind flashed with that person, the person he had always been grateful to but never understood. When he met him, he did not greet him, which also gave him a great sense of oppression. However, Xiao Yan did not make him feel too uneasy or scared.

But he could keenly smell a common scent from the two men through observing their words and expressions during his years as emperor, which was a sense of indifference towards him, or to put it another way.

These two people seem to have no fear of imperial power or the word emperor at all.

What will Xiao Yan do when facing this bad guy?
"..."

The scene was depressing and silent for a long time, until the young man felt that he was almost out of breath, and finally heard a hoarse and low voice.

"Keep your head up."

The young man's throat suddenly became dry, but he didn't dare to disobey and raised his head.

He didn't dare to look at the bronze fang mask and avoided his gaze, but he found that the Mirror Heart Demon behind the Bad Commander was also cautiously spying on this side with his peripheral vision.

"Not like."

Yuan Tiangang shook his head and said hoarsely to himself, "The bone structure is too poor. The skin is just a shell, but it is useless. This fake purple aura has been hidden from me for more than ten years. Humph, don't let it be you who is competing with me again!"

The young man was stunned and blinked subconsciously in confusion.

But soon, he realized that Yuan Tiangang was not talking to him, because Yuan Tiangang turned around angrily and went into the hall.

"If it's not you, then who is it?"

Yuan Tiangang raised his palm and three Bagua coins were captured in his palm. Then he waved his hand casually and the three Bagua coins floated in the air. The surrounding lights flashed, making the Bagua coins keep changing their shapes until they finally settled.

Mirror Heart Demon was not surprised by the way Yuan Tiangang asked and answered his own questions, because he had known the reasons for the past few decades.

The Marshal is so proud of himself that his thoughts and ambitions are far beyond those of anyone else in the world. He understands the world, and a thought can determine the rise and fall of the world. In the blink of an eye, a century-old cause can be overturned in a day.

But no one in the world understood him, let alone could figure him out. Only the historian Li Chunfeng, who had passed away two hundred years ago, could catch his eye. He asked and answered his own questions, asking Li Chunfeng and answering Li Chunfeng.

But Jing Xinmo couldn't guess what made Yuan Tiangang angry, so he watched cautiously with his peripheral vision.

Qian Gua, upper nine.

The upper nine lines read: The arrogant dragon will regret.

This hexagram means that the dragon flew too high and has regretted it. Confucius said this hexagram means: "He is in a high position but has no position, he is high up but loses the people, and the wise are in a lower position but cannot come to assist him, so he will regret it as soon as he takes action."

The upper nine is at the end of the upper hexagram, the highest position in the whole hexagram, but it is no longer the middle position of the nine five. Therefore, although it is noble, it has no people and no position, and it cannot get the assistance of wise men. Every move it makes will surely make the people in the hexagram regret it, and the loss will outweigh the gain.

This hexagram speaks of the late emperor, Emperor Zhaozong...

Mirror Heart Demon frowned in thought, but immediately lowered his head, not daring to look.

The hall was dark, but in the eyes of the authorities, there were twinkling lights and two human figures.

Yuan Tiangang stood with his hands behind his back in silence.

Someone else laughed softly, pointed at him and said, "A dragon that is too arrogant will regret, and when the yang reaches its limit, the yin will arise. Everything will turn around when it reaches its limit. The late emperor suspected that you had destroyed the foundation of the Tang Dynasty, so he created a chaos. You can't blame me for that."

Yuan Tiangang did not answer, but waved his fingertips, and the hexagram changed again.

The Mirror Heart Demon couldn't help but look again with his peripheral vision.

Qian Gua, the first nine.

The first nine lines read: The hidden dragon is of no use, it is still in turmoil; it is beneficial to stay steadfast and to establish a marquis.

The interpretation of the hexagram is: Although it is stable and peaceful, its aspirations and conduct are righteous. It respects the noble and humble, and it wins the support of the people.

The first nine is the first in the upper hexagram. Although the line says "The dragon is hidden and should not be used", it seems that it is not suitable for action, but the hexagram is interpreted as: although it is hesitant, the intention to move forward is justified. It is noble and under the humble, so it can gain widespread support from the people.

Jing Xinmo had divined this divination many times over the years, so he naturally knew who it was for. It was Li Xingyun, the tenth son of the late Emperor Zhaozong.

The first nine, "The dragon in hiding, do not use", is the first line to be activated. It is at the lowest position in Qian Gua and cannot play a role immediately, just like a dragon whose fortune has not yet arrived, hiding in the abyss. However, it is different from the upper nine, "The dragon in high position will regret", which is the highest line in Qian Gua and cannot rise any higher, and will eventually fall.

The dragon is initially dormant, but when it reaches the ninth and fifth day, it can finally fly into the sky. This is also the origin of the hexagram "to be noble and humble, to win the people". According to the hexagram, when Li Xingyun was not yet developed, he was a "dark dragon, do not use", but whether he can soar to the ninth and fifth day and become a "flying dragon in the sky" depends entirely on whether he can be patient and strong when "dark".

According to the hexagram, Li Xingyun has passed the stage of "using the noble to be humble", and now he needs to stay low-key, cultivate his character, and hone his forbearing and strong will.

Therefore, Jing Xin Mo understood from the beginning to the end why the Marshal had found Li Xingyun but kept him in the Sword House of Qingcheng Mountain. Everything was just within the Marshal's arrangement.

He seemed to understand something, and he recited the hexagram in his mind, with his head lowered and silent.

Inside the hall, Yuan Tiangang looked at the three Bagua coins and remained silent.

But the man next to him knew what he was thinking and said with a smile, "The hexagram is correct. Li Erhua is the person you have chosen. Mencius said, 'If you have the right way to win the world and win the people, you will win the world. If you have the right way to win the people and win their hearts, you will win the people.' If you, Li Erhua, can really win the hearts of the people, how can you not win the world?"

But he immediately changed the subject and said with his chin propped up, "But the late emperor just suspected you. He destroyed the Shen Ce Army, lost to Li Keyong, and supported Zhu Wen. How could he not suspect this identified Li Erhua?

The late emperor believed that the Tang Dynasty was destroyed by him, so how could he entrust this last hope to you? Huang Chao's rebellion was difficult to stop, so how could the late emperor not doubt you? "

"..."

Yuan Tiangang pondered for a moment and said indifferently: "Ten is the end of the number. The hundred-year plan is just for this child. The chaos in the world is just a prelude. When the latent dragon returns to the nine-five, the prosperous era will come. When Li Erhua returns to his position, the chaos will return to normal."

The man smiled carefreely, waved the folding fan in his hand, and said: "But there is another saying. 'Nine is the number of Yang, and it is the principle of Taoism.' You determined the number of ten, and the late emperor suspected you, so he naturally determined the number of nine. The chaos started naturally, it was just the will of heaven."

He waved his folding fan, and the Eight Trigrams Coin in the air changed again, turning into a Kun Trigram.

"Qian Gua and Kun Gua, the front is positive yang, and the back is extreme yin."

The man pointed at the hexagram and chuckled, "Top Six, dragons fight in the wild, their blood is dark yellow. This is the extreme of Yin, and it can only work if you force Yang to fight with it. For the ruler, it should be Qian Gua Jiuwu, and for the minister, it should be Kun Gua Liuer.

Unfortunately, your Li Erhua is not the ninth five, and the number nine chosen by the late emperor is the sixth."

He propped his chin up in a thoughtful manner, deliberately thinking for a while, and then smiled and said, "The person in the previous hexagram of 'Upper Six' is Sima Yi, right? Sima Yi was a minister with great power in the world. He forced the King of Wei to go to war with him. As a result, the Sima family usurped the throne, and the King of Wei died and lost his country. Marshal, do you think this hexagram can be interpreted?"

Yuan Tiangang snorted coldly and waved his hand, and the three Bagua coins were burned to ashes.

The man followed closely behind him and continued, "From the look of this hexagram, it is clear that the number nine is more in line with the Marshal's domineering way. The Marshal insisted on choosing the number ten. Is this because he is going against my way of heaven?"

Yuan Tiangang was not tired of asking, and said indifferently with his hands behind his back: "What is God's will? What is Heaven's way? They are all empty talk!" He walked to the head of the hall and gently placed his hands on the sword rack on the table. The sword rack was very large, and on it was placed a long and wide sword wrapped in black cloth. This giant sword had remained on it for decades.

He stroked the black cloth slowly with one hand and spoke without any emotion.

“Everything in the world is ever-changing and unpredictable. Even if things are treacherous and unpredictable, as long as you focus your mind on one thing, you can accomplish anything.

Heaven's Way? Oh, what is Heaven's Way?
I only know——

Heaven’s will is stronger than man’s, and man’s will is stronger than Heaven’s! "

The person next to him finally pursed his lips and kept silent.

Snapped--

The black cloth wrapped around the giant sword was instantly torn into pieces by a wave of light, and then burned to ashes in the air and floated upwards.

After the black cloth was cracked, the roar of the giant sword like a dragon's roar could be heard.

hum-

As if it had finally been unsealed after decades, the giant sword began to tremble on its own, the sword edge flashed with cold light, light flowed in the blood grooves, and the blood that had gathered on it for thousands of years now all surrendered to the hands of the man in front of him.

Yuan Tiangang gripped the hilt of the sword and sneered.

"The sword is in my hand, Li Chunfeng. What does the law of nature have to do with it? Can you block my sword?"

The man next to him sighed, then waved his folding fan and said with a smile: "Then let's set a bet?"

"Ah."

Yuan Tiangang looked at him with disdain.

The man was very interested. He twisted the white hair on his cheek, thought for a moment, and said with a smile, "I'll bet on the nine. In another ten years, we'll see who the destined person is, okay?"

"Five years."

Yuan Tiangang stood up with his sword in hand, and said confidently: "In five years, the chaos in the world will end in the hands of dozens of people."

The man twirled his hair and laughed, saying nothing.

The Mirror Heart Demon outside the door was only secretly shocked. The Dragon Spring Sword appeared in the world. Is the Marshal going to...

He was greatly shocked and took a quick glance at the young man in the straw raincoat.

The young man's face turned pale, and he took a step back, watching the tall and majestic figure of Yuan Tiangang walking out with an equally tall and majestic sword in his hand. He stammered and wanted to retreat again, but his shoulders were suddenly held down by two bad guys.

"I……"

But before the young man finished his voice, Yuan Tiangang's fingertips moved, and a flash of cold light suddenly flew over and penetrated into his chest.

The tingling sensation made the young man's scalp numb, but before he could react, Yuan Tiangang raised his palm again, and the silver needle in his chest returned to his fingertips.

A drop of blood slid down the silver needle slowly and fell on the edge of the Longquan sword.

The blood groove on the sword's blade showed no reaction at all.

Yuan Tiangang sneered again, raised his palm and stroked the edge of the Longquan sword, and the sword surface glowed coldly again.

The young man finally breathed a sigh of relief, his face covered in sweat, and he collapsed to the ground with his whole body weak. But this time, the two bad guys did not hold him, and let him collapse to the ground.

"Marshal, then this..."

The Mirror Heart Demon observed the man's words and expressions and approached cautiously.

"I'm not interested." Yuan Tiangang threw the Longquan sword casually, and it returned to Lan Qi accurately.

He walked with his hands behind his back in the wind and snow, looking at the sea of ​​bamboo on the mountain without any emotion.

"This former emperor has indeed been underestimated by me."

The elegant white-haired man next to him was still there, holding his cheek and smiling: "It seems that the late emperor was unwilling to be manipulated by the commander-in-chief. As a king and father, he did it. As a subject, have you done it?"

"I did what the late emperor wanted, helping him to kill Yang Fugong, helping him to control the Shen Ce Army, helping him to resist Li Keyong... As a subject, how could I not have done that?"

"What are the consequences of these stupid moves?"

"With great ambitions and full of ambitions, how can one become a sage monarch without setbacks?" Yuan Tiangang said indifferently: "The late emperor disbanded the Bad Men, wasn't it because he wanted to get rid of me and take over the power after gaining power? I made the late emperor's wish come true, so haven't I done it?"

"You, you, have become too cold-hearted after a hundred years." Li Chunfeng shook his head and said, "Brother Yuan, who was once full of vigor and vitality, is now like this?"

Yuan Tiangang remained silent.

Li Chunfeng was also speechless. The two stood side by side, just quietly admiring the sea of ​​bamboo.

"bet……"

After a while, Yuan Tiangang turned around, but saw no one around. Behind the mask, his tone was stunned for a moment.

A familiar voice came from my ear: "What's the bet? It depends on what you think, Marshal."

The mountain breeze blew away the words in an instant. Yuan Tiangang stood by the railing, just silent.

……

The Mirror Heart Demon looked at the young man in the straw raincoat on the ground, his tone without respect, and said coldly: "From now on, you are not allowed to use the surname Li. Do you remember?"

"My last name is Xiao." The young man was stunned for a moment, and whispered, "I am from Qiaoshan Villa in Yanzhou."

He was confused for a moment and whispered to himself.

"On the way from Yanzhou to here, I never said that my last name was Li..."

Mirror Heart Demon was stunned when he heard this.

After a long while, he turned around fiercely and said bluntly: "Go back to where you came from! Send him back to Yanzhou!"

The young man looked at him gratefully, stood up weakly, and walked down the mountain again under the escort of the two bad guys. But before leaving, he hesitated for a moment, faced the direction of Yuan Tiangang, and bowed down.

Although the latter didn't even look at him, he still smiled in gratitude.

"..."

Mirror Heart Demon watched the young man go down the mountain expressionlessly, then walked carefully behind Yuan Tiangang and apologized, "General, I released this man without permission..."

Yuan Tiangang said nothing, but stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance at the sky. In the vast snow and fog, nothing could be seen clearly, yet it seemed as if everything was looming.

A carrier pigeon flew through the snow and fog and landed on the carved railing. Its feet rested on the letter box and it stared at the two of them with a cooing sound.

Jing Xin Mo subconsciously wanted to step forward, but Yuan Tiangang stretched out his hand and took the letter tube at the foot of the pigeon.

"The world is full of disasters...haha."

"Marshal, are you going to come down the mountain in person?"

"Master, I suddenly want to meet this——

beginning of winter frost."

(End of this chapter)