Chapter 214: Champion (Part )
Bianliang, inner city, Daxiangguo Temple.

According to Zhu Wen's habits, he had no obvious likes or dislikes towards Buddhism or Taoism. From the time he was stationed in Xuanwu to the time he became emperor, he did not particularly suppress the Daxiangguo Temple. He even acquiesced in the formation of the most prosperous commercial district along the Daxiangguo Temple in Bianliang City. However, for so many years, he had never visited this place.

But at this moment today, the Emperor of the Zhu family cleared the streets and went straight into the main hall of the temple under the protection of the Jinwu Guards. For a moment, the inside and outside of the Xiangguo Temple were full of imperial guards holding spears. Even the prosperous long commercial street was blocked off to leave a piece of open space. People were surging in the distance, all wanting to see the emperor's appearance.

However, few people could see Zhu Wen's face in person during the Qing Street Cleansing. They could only see their emperor through his vaguely visible huge body on the sedan chair, and saw that he was incredibly fat.

Therefore, in the midst of the curious questions from others, most of these people just waved their hands impatiently and said in annoyance: "What else can it be? Your Majesty is a noble man with dragon eyes, eight feet tall, and a majestic demeanor..."

After all, Zhu Wen, who had lived a life of luxury for many years, did disappoint his people a little.

Needless to say, what these Bianliang citizens were thinking, but the abbots and monks in the Daxiangguo Temple were immediately busy. As a Buddhist holy place that enjoys a great reputation in the whole Bianliang and even the Central Plains, the attitude towards ordinary people and dignitaries is obviously completely different, and they have their own set of coping measures.

But even so, they seemed not to have expected Zhu Wen to arrive so suddenly, so under the abbot's smiling hospitality, the other monks began to clean the house, burn incense, prostrate themselves, and use ritual instruments for Zhu Wen, before they finally welcomed Zhu Wen in with full confidence.

At this moment, in the main hall, Zhu Wen, who rarely needed to be served by others, knelt there alone like a huge bear. He first swallowed a pill offered by a palace servant, and then closed his eyes and thought about something alone.

In the hall, the aroma lingered. The eminent monks on both sides dared not say a word. Only the abbot could still chant something beside him, which was nothing more than asking the Buddha to listen to what Zhu Wen said. There was no other way. In this world where warlords were supreme, Zhu Wen was more powerful than the Buddha. The fact that he was willing to kneel down was already giving the Buddha statue some face.

Later, the Ghost King, dressed in a plain long gown and looking exceptionally amiable, was waiting outside the palace with a group of officials. When he saw Zhu Wen finally exhale and open his eyes, he immediately rushed forward, bent down and slowly helped Zhu Wen's fat body up, so that the latter would not show the embarrassment of having difficulty getting up.

"Father, how is it?"

Zhu Wen looked very good. He waved his hand with great satisfaction and walked out with the gait of a dragon and a tiger. He stroked his beard and nodded, "It's not bad. When I closed my eyes just now, I seemed to hear a sound from the sky echoing in my ears. Now I am full of energy and feel like I am in my prime."

The Ghost King smiled obediently and followed closely behind. At the same time, he gave a wink to the abbot behind him, who immediately stepped forward to introduce the origin of the magic formula he had just recited to Zhu Wen. He also took small steps in front to lead the way, but unknowingly led the Daliang monarch and his ministers to the depths of the temple again.

When the Ghost King saw that Zhu Wen was in a good mood, he immediately laughed and said, "There are several eminent monks in Buddhism. In terms of fame and lineage, they are no less famous than the Taoist masters. Now that Hebei has been settled, except for Li Keyong and Li Maozhen, the rivers and seas of the country are peaceful and the towns are in submission. Your father's achievements surpass those of the Qin Emperor and Han Emperor, and he has protected our Daliang for thousands of years. It is time to build a golden statue for him to enjoy the incense of the world, obtain the great way, and prolong his life for a hundred years."

Zhu Wen laughed loudly, stroked his protruding belly, squinted his eyes and asked: "Can the magical power you presented really prolong my life?"

"How dare I lie?" The Ghost King bowed respectfully and said, "This is what I got from the Western Regions. It is said to be a Buddhist holy skill brought back from India in the past. If taken with elixirs, it can not only refine the spirit, but also prolong life. That's why I asked my father to come to the Daxiangguo Temple to gain some insights."

Zhu Wen was moved and nodded in satisfaction: "You are respectful and filial. To be honest, I have some insights. I am afraid that it will take several years to complete the so-called practice of divine skills. I am already fifty-seven years old. Why is it so late?"

The Ghost King said with shame: "This is my fault. If I had found this item earlier, I would have presented it to my father this morning."

"This is God's will, how can I blame you?" Zhu Wen waved his hand.

However, although he said this, he immediately agreed with the Ghost King's words in his heart.

If what the Ghost King said was true, Zhu Wen's first thought was that the former must have already practiced this magical skill before offering it to him at this time. In addition, the so-called "magic pill" had always made Zhu Wen feel very energetic after taking it in recent days. Even the time he spent in bed seemed to last longer. Therefore, he would always think so afterwards.

However, considering that the Ghost King had been extremely filial to him over the years, Zhu Wen finally suppressed his thoughts. And because of this incident, the relationship between the father and son, which had been a little unharmonious, had gradually eased over the past two months.

It has to be said that among so many adopted sons and sons, only the Ghost King is the one he loves the most. The rest are a bunch of rubbish, such as the Hades Emperor Zhu Yougui who makes him feel more disgusted every time he looks at him. How come this bastard doesn't have such filial piety?

At this time, the Ghost King smiled respectfully and said as he walked: "Father is in his prime, so why say it's too late? In the path of practicing martial arts, it is said that talent is the most important thing. This magical skill seems to be suitable for you, father. In two years, you will definitely achieve great results."

But when he saw Zhu Wen's smile getting wider, he suddenly changed the subject: "But..."

"But?" Zhu Wen paused, a hint of dissatisfaction flashing in his tiger eyes.

"That's right. According to your experience, when you practice martial arts, there will always be some impact on the mundane world. Although your father can handle it easily, there will inevitably be some important court affairs that will stir your father's heart. At this time, if your heart is uneasy, it will be difficult to succeed..." The Ghost King said respectfully.

Zhu Wen waved his hand disdainfully, and continued forward with the gait of a dragon and a tiger, saying indifferently: "In the whole world, except for Li Yaer, the one-eyed dragon, who else can provoke my Tao heart? Even now, I have taken Hebei, what does Li Yaer mean to me?"

The Ghost King followed closely, and after listening, he said carefully: "Ke Ruo, there is a problem in Hebei..."

Zhu Wen narrowed his eyes suddenly and his face darkened.

The former seemed not to have seen it, or rather, he just pretended not to see it, and continued: "I shouldn't have given advice to your father at this time, but when I thought that if I didn't say anything now, it would greatly disturb your father's practice in the future, and it would prevent your divine power from being achieved, which would be a capital crime, I had no choice but to give you honest advice, and I hope your father will accept it."

Zhu Wen actually had guessed what the Ghost King wanted to say, but after hearing the words "the magic power failed", he hesitated for a moment and finally agreed, but waved his hand in a dull manner: "You are my son, we are one family, if there is any guilt or innocence, just tell me what you have discovered."

The Ghost King laughed secretly in his heart, although he was just a substitute arranged by the Emperor of Hell, he had been with Zhu Wen for many years, so how could he not know what kind of person this so-called 'father' was? If he really wanted to snatch something from Zhu Wen, he just needed to make something closely related to him.

The bad thing about this Zhu emperor was that he was extremely selfish. He was so selfish that he slaughtered a number of officials who had helped him conquer the world before the world was even at peace. He was so selfish that he was on guard against his own son to an abnormal degree and even needed his adopted son to restrain him before he could feel at ease.

However, this disadvantage has become a benefit for the Ghost King at this time.

He first bowed down in fear and trepidation, then stood solemnly with his hands hanging down, looking like a respectful and filial son, and whispered: "No one is more wise than your father. The current situation is stable. All officials, whether they are old ministers or loyal ministers, have been screened over the years. Even if they have some selfish motives, they are just ants that your father can easily crush to death. They are nothing. I, your son, will say something heartbreaking. For the officials in the court, if your father really wants to show his thunder, who dares to refuse his grace? The word "reinstatement" is not just based on your father's will..."

Even Zhu Wen was moved by these words and smiled again. However, he saw that there were still many ministers following him not far behind him, so he just waved his hand and said, "This is not appropriate. Don't say it again." The Ghost King bowed and whispered, "Compared with the officials in the court, the one who can threaten my father is still the general who controls the army. Lord Li Zhen is so loyal to my father. He followed my father to fight in the south and the north in the past. He was so good at making plans. However, when he arrived in Yan, he couldn't even leave Youzhou. Yan was in great trouble and the situation was so out of control. Lord Li was trapped in Youzhou and died. The officials in the court thought that they had to rely on the troops in Beijing to quell the chaos. But as soon as Lord Li died, Champion Marquis Xiao Yan immediately quelled the chaos in Yan...

Although Lord Li is only a scholar, he has been with his father for many years and is familiar with military affairs. If he had only defended Youzhou, how could he have ended up like this? And Xiao Yan is a former Tang surrenderer, no more than a young man, can he really know military skills from birth?"

Zhu Wen frowned and waved his hand to interrupt him: "If you want to say something, just say it directly. Why beat around the bush?"

The Ghost King then pondered for a moment and said directly, "I suspect that Champion Marquis Xiao Yan is in collusion with the Yan thieves and wants to harm Lord Li. According to the messenger, the surrendered troops of Youzhou are all powerful troops, but they are all difficult to control. Whether it is Lord Li or Zhu Hanbin, they can't command them at all, but when facing Xiao Yan, they can use him as if he were their own arm...

At this moment, the emperor allowed Xiao Yan to open a government office, obtain the title of champion marquis, and even enter the imperial palace to guard the imperial palace and take charge of important matters of the imperial army. Why? I dare to speculate on the emperor's intention. It is because of Xiao Yan that Hebei is stable, not because of the emperor. Because of this, the emperor would drink poison to quench his thirst and comfort Xiao Yan's loyalty with various generous rewards..."

Zhu Wen's face turned ashen and looked extremely ugly. He stared at the Ghost King and no longer wanted to go into the Daxiangguo Temple.

The abbot and all the officials had already avoided him in fear, secretly criticizing the Ghost King for his outspokenness. His quick words were fine, but how could their attendants be fine? If Zhu Wen was displeased, he might take their heads to vent his anger.

As for why Zhu Wen's face was so ugly, it was not just because of what the Ghost King said.

Honestly speaking, before the Ghost King said this, he had not actually thought about why he rewarded Xiao Yan so much. Instead, he just thought that Xiao Yan would become his knife to cut down the feudal lords in the future, and would die sooner or later. Rewarding him with some wealth now was equivalent to buying Xiao Yan's life.

The reason why he looked unhappy was because what the Ghost King said actually made some sense.

The stability of Hebei seemed to have nothing to do with him, the emperor of the Zhu family. Except for the 800 Longxiang soldiers that Xiao Yan brought at the beginning, none of the remaining soldiers were sent to Xiao Yan by Zhu Wen.

After much thought, if Hebei wants stability now, it seems that it really cannot do without Xiao Yan, rather than him, the emperor of the Zhu family who is firmly seated in the court.

Then why has he been so proud these past two months?

Seeing that the atmosphere was in place, the Ghost King leaned over and said in a deep voice: "Your son, frankly speaking, Daliang is now full of talented people, and there are several generals who have led troops for many years. Can it be that without Xiao Yan, Hebei cannot be conquered? How can the emperor entrust all the power to the hands of these former Tang surrenders who are full of fog and do not know how to be loyal and filial? Wouldn't it be a waste of time to encourage their monstrous ambitions..."

"That's enough." Zhu Wen waved his hand impatiently and turned to leave the temple: "Can you make me doubt a powerful general just by these few words?"

"It's not just a few words."

The Ghost King crossed his arms and bowed, saying, "My son, Cui Yu from the Xuanming Sect, seems to have something to say to your father."

Zhu Wen glanced gloomily at the officials following behind him.

Cui Yu, who had been hiding in the crowd, cursed inwardly. The Ghost King said yesterday that he would find an opportunity to give him a chance to speak up, but he never expected it would be in this situation. How could he get away safely? Wouldn't that mean he was cutting himself off from Zhu Youzhen...

But no matter how much he regretted coming here today, seeing that Zhu Wen was already heading towards him, he had no choice but to step forward and repeat what he had said to the Ghost King yesterday. Of course, he was doing what the Ghost King asked him to do to hit Xiao Yan's sore spots, which was the so-called groundless news.

But in Zhu Wen's eyes at that moment, any groundless news was enough to touch his sensitive nerves.

The Ghost King immediately struck while the iron was hot and said directly: "What I want is nothing more than to seize the Guide Army under Xiao Yan's command. All of them are powerful troops, with tens of thousands of cavalry, enough to rival the cavalry of the entire Central Plains. Even if they are incorporated into the Imperial Guard, how can they be controlled by him? I don't know how many generals there are in Daliang. If they are in the hands of a loyal father, not only can they deter unruly people like Xiao Yan, but they can also monitor such a strong army to prevent them from doing such evil things. Since the Li Tang Dynasty, there have been countless unspeakable things such as the lower committing crimes against the upper. How can the father not be on guard... This is just my opinion, of course, it is biased, but I hope the father will give me some advice."

His accusation was very sharp. If he had not been by Zhu Wen's side for more than ten years and knew the Zhu emperor's mind very well, he would never have dared to make such a statement. However, he was so sure of it that it made these groundless stories seem more true.

Cui Yu wisely stepped back, and the Ghost King also bowed. Everyone in the field lowered their heads and dared not speak. Only Zhu Wen stood there with his face turning pale and blue.

He felt very uncomfortable, not only because what the Ghost King said was very likely true, but also because his adopted son made him lose face in front of so many people.

usurpation.

Zhu Wen pondered for a long time, then smiled coldly and walked out with his hands behind his back.

"You can ask me to do whatever you want. It won't be too late to talk to you when you become the emperor."

The Ghost King was horrified. He didn't know what was wrong with him at first, but then he realized that he was too impatient and followed him immediately: "I am not..."

At this time, Zhu Wen turned around and sneered: "I need to wait and see what conclusion you make about Xiao Yan. It's not something you can just say in a few words!"

The Ghost King was overjoyed, knowing that the thorn had already been planted and it was just a matter of time for it to sprout. Even if it made Zhu Wen unhappy, it would be worth it.

He bowed deeply: "Father, Your Majesty is wise..."

Zhu Wen glanced at him with disgust, said nothing, and walked away with an expressionless face.

Behind him, Ding Zhaopu, the eunuch attending him, immediately followed.

(End of this chapter)