Chapter 73 How can a real man be under someone else’s control for long?
In the backyard of Liu's house, Liu Qing looked at the wedding dress that was almost finished and couldn't help but smile. Yue Lingshan behind her was also very happy.

Half a month ago, Yue Lingshan and Jie Qing went to Hengshan County together.

When Liu Qing first met Yue Lingshan, she was a little stunned. How could the daughter of the leader of Huashan Sect cross the mountains, rivers and lakes and run to Hengshan to see her?
After hearing the real reason why the other party came, Liu Qing did not blame Yue Lingshan. If she had not fished out the wooden box, she might not have received the letter. What's more, the other party only read the first and last pages, so it was not a big deal.

The two are of similar age and have similar experiences. After spending some time together, they became good friends.

"Qingqing, are you going to the capital to get married?" Yue Lingshan looked at Liu Qing, whose face was filled with happiness, with some envy in her eyes.

Why is it that the other senior brother is so smart and can understand things at once, while the one at home is like a blockhead who can't be pushed at all?
Is it because I’m not pretty enough?
Yue Lingshan couldn't figure it out and a look of loss appeared on her face.

"Is Senior Sister Yue missing Senior Brother Linghu again?"

Liu Qing turned around and saw the expression on Yue Lingshan's face, so he smiled and comforted her, "My father, Master Mo, and Uncle Lu have already arranged for all the junior brothers and sisters to deliver the invitations. I believe that it won't be long before Master Yue and Senior Brother Linghu will also come to Hengshan."

"Who misses him? He's just a drunkard and an idiot. By the way, Qingqing hasn't answered me yet!" Yue Lingshan said, and couldn't help but look at Liu Qing's wedding dress.

The top and skirt, phoenix crown and shawl are embroidered with magpie patterns in gold thread. This is a pattern that can only be embroidered on the shawls of ladies of the sixth and seventh ranks.

It is recorded in the Ming History: Records of Vehicles and Clothing that when ordinary people get married, they can wear the ninth-rank official uniform, but they are not allowed to wear yellow, because yellow is the exclusive color of the royal family and they must not violate the rules.

Hence the saying "A newly-married couple is as good as a minor imperial examination, and a man wearing red and flowers and becoming the number one in the imperial examination" came into being.

Liu Qing stroked the shawl, smiled gently and said, "I will listen to my senior brother. If he asks me to go to the capital, I will go. But before I leave, he said he would come back to marry me."

"That's great!" Yue Lingshan said silently.

At this moment, Liu Zhengfeng and his wife Ouyang came to the east gate of Hengyang City. Liu Zhengfeng bought a large yard here years ago, and later arranged for people to clean and decorate it. Today he came to see the results.

This is a typical Jiangnan garden-style building, covering an area of ​​about two thousand square meters.

The architectural style is simple and elegant, with a brick and wood structure, red doors and green tiles, presenting a quiet and solemn atmosphere.

The couple, accompanied by several servants, entered the house. The first thing that caught their eyes was a spacious courtyard shaded by green trees and filled with the fragrance of birds and flowers.

After passing through the courtyard, there is the residential area, which consists of the front hall, main hall, and back hall in sequence. The layout is rigorous and orderly.

There are rockery, fish pond, pavilions and towers in the courtyard, which complement the green trees and flowers in the courtyard, forming a beautiful picture.

"Madam, what do you think of this place?" Liu Zhengfeng asked with a smile, supporting his wife.

Ouyang looked at it and said with a satisfied smile: "It's beautiful, with a kind of Zen-like tranquility."

"The key is that on the second floor, you can overlook the Xiangjiang River and enjoy the two beautiful views of Xiaoxiang Night Rain and Pingsha Falling Wild Geese."

Liu Zhengfeng smiled proudly and said, "I prepared this house for Zanghua. He was a juren before, and now he is a tanhua. When he gets married with Qingqing in the future, it will not be appropriate for him to live in our Liu's house."

"Master is really attentive." Ouyang was stunned. She had never thought about this question.

Liu Zhengfeng looked at the exquisite house and said with emotion: "I know my disciple. He certainly doesn't care. But when people are in the martial arts world, how can they not care about their reputation? He doesn't care, but as his master, I can't let him do what he wants."

"Yes, yes, Zanghua will understand the master's painstaking efforts." Ouyang smiled and patted her husband, but there was some loss in her eyes.

Is this place good?
It’s just a little far from Hengshan County, so if my daughter wants to see her in the future, she will have to walk for half a day.

At the same time, in the main hall of Junji Palace of Songshan Sect, the Thirteen Guardians of Songshan, including Pagoda-Bearing Hand Ding Mian, Crane Hand Lu Bai, Great Songyang Hand Fei Bin, Golden-Haired Lion Gao Kexin, Nine-Curve Sword Zhong Zhen, and Great Yin-Yang Hand Le Hou, gathered together.

Not long after, Zuo Lengchan slowly walked out. In just half a month, his originally black hair had turned white at the temples, which made everyone feel heartbroken.

"Master Brother." Ding Mian wanted to say something, but Zuo Lengchan raised his hand to stop him.

He looked at Fei Bin and asked seriously, "Is the news confirmed?"

Fei Bin felt a tightness in his chest. He nodded with difficulty and said, "It's confirmed. Ou Zanghua was the third place in the palace examination in the sixth year of Zhengde. He was appointed editor of the Hanlin Academy." "Editor? It doesn't sound like a high position!" Gao Kexin's expression relaxed and his tone became calmer.

Fei Bin shook his head and explained, "I asked the teacher at Songyang Academy. Although the editors of the Hanlin Academy are of the seventh rank and have little power, they are of noble status. In our dynasty, there is a tradition that only Jinshi can enter the Hanlin Academy, and only Hanlin can enter the cabinet. So."

"Future cabinet minister?" Ding Mian and Lu Bai looked at each other and saw confusion in each other's eyes.

How to deal with this?

"If... I were to rebel against Songshan now, then go and kill Ou Zanghua, and finally commit suicide," Zhong Zhen, the Nine-Curved Sword, said to himself with a cold look in his eyes.

As soon as these words were spoken, the eyes of the others lit up and they all looked at Zuo Lengchan.

Using a gangster's life to exchange for the life of the third place winner, it's not a loss no matter how you look at it!

Zuo Lengchan shook his head and said, "Do you think the imperial court is stupid? How could they not see through such a simple plot? Moreover, I, Zuo, would never disregard the lives of my brothers."

When the Thirteen Protectors heard this, they were deeply moved.

Even at this critical moment, the head brother still cares for them as always!

"This won't work, and that won't work either. Are we going to give up the merger of the Five Mountains? I..." Big Yin-Yang Hand Le Hou's eyes turned red, and he gritted his teeth and said, "I won't give up!"

“So, there is one last way.”

Zuo Lengchan looked at his fellow apprentices with an especially bright look in his eyes: "That means asking Liu Zhengfeng to retire from the martial arts world and never interfere in the affairs of the martial arts world again."

"Ou Zanghua is the third place in the imperial examination and an editor of the Imperial Academy. How could he care about the affairs of the martial arts world? The martial arts world is the world of martial artists after all, and the world of the editors of the Imperial Academy is in the court!"

"I don't believe that Mo Da, who is so self-pitying and poor, would be very kind to Ou Zanghua before this."

"Liu Zhengfeng originally had a close relationship with Mo Da, and we just happen to have something on him."

"In the martial arts world, the only person that Tanhualang cares about is Liu Zhengfeng!"

Zuo Lengchan stood up, all his decadent air disappeared, and the high-spirited and domineering Zuo leader was back again!
"Send someone to the capital to keep an eye on Ou Zanghua. Contact us immediately if there is any movement. The rest of you should come with me to Hengshan."

"We must ask Liu Zhengfeng to quit the martial arts world before Ou Zanghua returns to Hengshan and before the other three sects react!"

"After arriving at Hengshan, Ding Mian, Lu Bai, Fei Bin, and Gao Kexin, the four of you will be responsible for watching over Mo Da, while Zhong Zhen and Tang Ying'e, the two of you will watch over Lu Lianrong."

"Le Hou, take your people to Prajna Monastery. The leader of the Hengshan sect's side sect, Master Yixin, is there. Sima De will take people to Hengshan Daming Temple, and Deng Bagong will take people to Hengshan Jinmu Temple."

"Zhang Jingchao, Zhao Sihai, Sha Tianjiang, Bu Chen, follow me to Liu's house!"

"In order not to attract the attention of Shaolin, we will move in batches. Today, Zhong Zhen and Tang Ying'e will lead the people down the mountain first."

"Yes!" The Thirteen Protectors of Songshan responded loudly after hearing this.

Then they left in an orderly manner. They needed to gather their disciples and discuss who would go which side.

Zuo Lengchan sat back in his seat, closed his eyes and began to think, repeatedly pondering his plan.

Will Liu Zhengfeng be willing to retire from the underworld?
Ou Zanghua knew that it was the Songshan Sect that intended to guide Liu Zhengfeng into retirement. Would he retaliate?
Will the other three factions have already defected to Hengshan before this?

The key is
If Qu Yang can't threaten Liu Zhengfeng, is there anything else that can make him afraid to use it?
Zuo Lengchan's mind was in a mess, but he knew very well that he and his fellow apprentices would not be willing to give up unless they made this last attempt.

"A real man born between heaven and earth, how can he be timid and not make progress?" Zuo Lengchan walked out of Junji Palace and looked at Liantian Peak in the distance. Shaolin Temple was at the foot of Liantian Peak.

His eyes were steady, and he silently said in his heart: "Shaolin, Wudang, how can we let you make arrangements in the rear while my Five Mountains Sword Sect fights bloody battles on the front line? If the plan fails, what if I, Songshan, join the editor of the Hanlin Academy?!"

(End of this chapter)