Chapter 246 Assassin, the creation of Water Melody
When Magistrate Huo saw that Li Xuan was about to chop him to death over a disagreement, he was frightened to death.

Because Li Xuan has a breathtaking murderous aura, a kind of iron-blooded aura that allows him to command thousands of troops and kill countless enemies.

How could a mere county magistrate withstand Li Xuan's aura and gaze?

Faced with Li Xuan's momentum, Huo Yiling swallowed his saliva, trembling and unable to speak, until his personal guards entered the hall and captured him, he suddenly woke up.

"You are a doctor known for your benevolence. Would you be able to convince the people of the world to kill me just because of something like this?"

Huo Yiling struggled and shouted. As soon as they met, they wanted to chop him and make his face pale.

"During the reign of the Empress Dowager, Di Renjie and Xu Yougong also punished many officials, but why are they respected by the world? Because they killed people like you! I pacified Tubo for the country, and you dared to frame me at the critical moment? If I am transferred back to Chang'an, the people of Helong will suffer. Do you still want to live with such a crime?"

"Fork out!"

Li Xuan waved his hand and asked his personal guards to take Huo Yiling away.

There is no need to make a small-time person who is blinded by greed get angry.

"Please spare my life, Doctor. I want to tell you something..."

When Huo Yiling was dragged to the door, he was terrified and begged for mercy again.

He was afraid of death, and seeing that Li Xuan acted so vigorously, he could not argue any more.

Li Xuan's frown finally relaxed. He raised his hand to signal the guards to stop, but he still sneered, "You don't need me to tell you. I already know that it was the powerful people in Hedong who instructed you to do this."

He now also serves as the Hedong envoy, a position that hangs like an axe over the heads of the Hedong tyrants.

Rather than being ravaged by Li Xuan like he was trying to eliminate the Hexi tyrants, it would be better to try every possible means to plot against Li Xuan.

If Li Xuan could be killed through conspiracy, all the powerful people in the world would applaud.

"I didn't want to do this, but they forced me to do it."

Huo Yiling defended himself by saying that he had no choice.

"This is not an answer I'm satisfied with. I'll give you one more chance!"

Li Xuan glared at Huo Yiling.

It is obvious that the powerful have a handle on him and they say that they had no choice.

A wise man's wealth will diminish his ambition, while a fool's wealth will increase his faults.

In Li Xuan's view, corrupt officials are the stupidest people.

They pursue their own selfish desires and enjoy themselves for a moment without paying attention to the consequences. In the end, their families are broken up and they are even more despised.

However, this evil of desire is everywhere, causing the white sand to become black in Nirvana.

Li Xuan wanted a list so that he could kill those powerful people when he had time.

"My Lord, I know that those powerful people not only spread rumors and fabricated omens, but also recruited heroes from Yan and Zhao to assassinate you in Huangshui. They may have been hiding in Huangshui City now."

"Please prepare carefully! And please spare my life!"

Huo Yiling knelt down and kowtowed.

He thought that exposing the powerful would not satisfy Li Xuan, so he told Li Xuan about this matter.

If Li Xuan could find the assassin, he might let him go.

Huo Yiling was also very angry. Those powerful people found something against him and asked him to write a letter to the emperor to impeach Li Xuan.

When he saw the "Heaven's Mandate" jade disk that the powerful wanted, Huo Yiling felt that it was very likely to fail.

He heard that not only the emperor favored Li Xuan, but even Gao Lishi and Yang Guifei also had a favorable impression of Li Xuan.

With so many protective shields covering his body, how could he be killed by just a piece of jade?

The theory of destiny is mysterious and sometimes not very profound.

Since ancient times, wise ministers have known that a minister who is far away from the capital must not disobey the emperor.

Once you receive an imperial edict that is unfavorable to you, you cannot refute it.

Like Prince Xin'an Li Yi, he handed the memorial to Gao Lishi in a roundabout way, and then Gao Lishi presented it to the emperor to protect his own goals.

Li Xuan had all the conditions. So Huo Yiling felt that it would be difficult to accomplish and would bring disaster upon himself.

But the powerful people in Hedong are short-sighted and eager for quick success.

They forced Magistrate Huo to impeach Li Xuan regardless of the consequences.

"A hero should kill the powerful. What kind of hero is it to kill me?"

Li Xuan wanted to laugh when he heard this, and actually recruited heroes to kill him.

He is not afraid of these!
"The doctor is a mighty man. But the heroes of the northern frontier are different from the knights of Guanlong. Some of them are still Hu people. They are not chivalrous, but they value promises and wealth. For the sake of promises, they will not hesitate to kill innocent people; for the sake of wealth, they will disregard everything just to please themselves."

Huo Yiling said to Li Xuan.

Throughout history, countless dignitaries have kept assassins to demonstrate their power.

Especially since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, influenced by the fierce spirit of the Western Regions Hu people, the Tang people were mostly martial and worshipped knights.

The nobles would show their favors and win over the knights to work for them. These knights were willing to become a knife in the hands of the powerful and wealthy in order to seek wealth and honor.

Some of the knights who work for the powerful call themselves heroes.

They often travel in frontier areas where the law is lax.

"Then do you think they dare to do something to me given my reputation? Don't let them become rats!"

It is normal to encounter assassins. If a powerful person falls from the sky, he will inevitably be assassinated many times.

When others cannot defeat you and resort to despicable assassination tactics, it means they are desperate.

Assassination is not bravery, but cowardice!

Only by using upright and honest strategies to crush everything can we be the light of righteousness.

Li Xuan was proud of his bravery and never tried to assassinate Li Linfu. He never even had the idea of ​​doing so.

Li Xuan always believed that when those people couldn't deal with him, they would use the last resort, assassination!

Revolution is not a dinner party. He wants to kill the powerful. Will the powerful just sit there and wait for Li Xuan to kill them?

They are not fools and will definitely fight to the death with Li Xuan.

Li Xuan had been mentally prepared for being assassinated. Generally speaking, no matter where he was, Li Xuan would wear hidden armor just in case.

"Write down the names of those powerful people, and I will spare your life and let you be a clerk in Huangshui!"

Li Xuan did not end up killing Huo Yiling, an insignificant little man.

He just wanted this list, to kill the tyrants who harmed him, and to tell the world that he would avenge himself and hated evil.

"Thank you, doctor. Thank you, doctor!"

Huo Yiling hurriedly thanked him.

He thought that being a commoner was a fluke. He never expected that Li Xuan would give him a position as a clerk, allowing him to survive in Longyou.

Under the witness of Li Xuan, Magistrate Huo wrote down the list of powerful people in Hedong who had committed crimes.

These are all large families in Tianlianqianmo, and there are even famous families in Taiyuan.

We are all bad guys, so we know each other well.

If they had offered their property to the army like the local tyrants in Helong when Li Xuan started the battle of Dafeichuan, Li Xuan would have spared them.

However, the powerful people in Hedong not only did not do so, but also stirred up trouble while he was fighting. This was intolerable.

In black and white, which powerful person was located in which county. Huo Yiling wrote it clearly.

Li Xuan also asked Huo Yiling to write a confession report, including that he was instructed by powerful people to present the jade disk to the saint, that he was guilty of deceiving the emperor, that he framed a loyal minister of the country, that he obstructed the border defense, and that he missed the opportunity to fight.

Just because of the jade bi incident, Li Xuan was accused of seven deadly sins.

There are also some other reports.

But the people of Huoyi had little influence and only knew the crimes of the local tyrants in Huoyi, but not the crimes of the tyrants in other counties.

So Li Xuan will have to use the pliers directly when the time comes.

After the writing was completed, Huo Yiling signed and sealed it, and Li Xuan let him go.

"Meet the Marshal!"

When Li Xuan was writing and drawing on the table in the main hall, a strong man came to the main hall cautiously and bowed to Li Xuan.

This person was Gongshu Qingzi, whom Li Xuan met in the West Market of Chang'an.

At the end of last autumn, he was exiled to Huangshui by Chang'an County to work as a craftsman.

To make a powerful crossbow without permission is a crime punishable by exile.

Li Xuan only requested that Gongshu Qingzi be exiled to Huangshui City, but did not absolve him of his guilt.

Only after making meritorious contributions to one's crime can one be free.

"No need to be polite! Huangshui is not as prosperous as Chang'an. The wind is strong and the rain is heavy at the border. How have you been these past few months?"

Li Xuan said to Gongshu Qingzi.

"I committed a crime out of ignorance, but was spared death by the Marshal's care! Although the border is bitterly cold, I dare not complain. I just want to quickly manufacture a powerful crossbow to help the Marshal resist the bandits!"

Gongshu Qingzi was very grateful to Li Xuan, but he was a crude man and could only repay Li Xuan with his skills.

"The enemy has been defeated! Your crossbow is not needed for the time being. You should study and practice it yourself first, and try to make your crossbow more perfect. When the time is right, you can mass-produce crossbows. From now on, you only need to obey my orders and don't need to show your crossbow skills to others. I will give you a yard in Huangshui City as a place for you to study crossbows."

Li Xuan poured a basin of cold water on Gongshu Qingzi.

He planned to transfer Gongshu Qingzi to be a craftsman for agricultural purposes rather than a craftsman for making armor and weapons.

In this way, Gongshu Qingzi would not have to make a powerful crossbow comparable to the Shenbi Crossbow in advance.

Because once such a powerful crossbow appears on a large scale, An Lushan will definitely get the design and build it on a large scale.

Li Xuan wanted to wait until he had a foundation before he could restore order, then he would bring Gongshu Qingzi to that place and start manufacturing a new powerful crossbow.

This powerful crossbow is twice as powerful as the Broken Crossbow and may determine the outcome of a battle.

"I will follow your instructions..."

Gongshu Qingzi didn't dare to ask more questions, as he was just an ordinary citizen in Chang'an.

Li Xuan is such a powerful person, and it is a blessing from heaven to reward him with a house. It is like living in Chang'an.

And he can also do his craft blatantly.

"Qingzi, can you make this?"

Li Xuan handed over a drawing of a cotton-punching bow.

Gongshu Qingzi quickly stepped forward and caught it with both hands.

"Marshal, this bow is so big, I'm afraid it's beyond human control!"

Gongping Qingzi was shocked when she saw the dimensions marked on the design drawing.

He could also make a strong bow, but he could see that this bow could not be used by just people with great strength.

Moreover, the setting of this "bow arm" is too unreasonable.

"This is not a bow, but a tool. It is used to fluff cotton..."

Li Xuan explained to Gongshu Qingzi.

Gongshu Qingzi looked at the drawing carefully and found that it was very different from the real bow.

This string is made of beef tendon, and as long as it is designed properly, it will be more powerful when played.

There was also a cotton-fluffing hammer, which made Gongshu Qingzi feel that it was indeed a tool.

But he was ignorant and had never heard of the name cotton.

"Cotton is a flower native to the Western Regions. When it matures, it will produce a lot of cotton wool, which can be woven into cloth, or made into cotton clothes and quilts. It needs to be processed with a cotton-fleshing bow and a cotton-fleshing hammer before it can be used..."

Gongshu Qingzi wanted to know the details, and Li Xuan patiently explained to him the wonderful uses of cotton and the key to playing the cotton bow.

Li Xuan knew that whether the cotton-twisting bow was labor-saving and efficient depended on the craftsman's design.

We even need to wait until the cotton is mature before testing. "Don't worry, Marshal. I will make this... cotton-picking bow and cotton-picking hammer as soon as possible. Please take a look."

After getting the detailed answer, Gongshu Qingzi bowed to Li Xuan.

Looking at this design, it's a piece of cake for him.

"I'm waiting for Qingzi's results. If everything goes well, we'll make more for the first batch."

Li Xuan hoped that before he left, he could harvest cotton in Longyou and make some quilts.

Let people know the warmth of quilts and strive to attract more people to grow cotton.

Nearing evening, Li Xuan left the governor's office and returned to his mansion.

Due to Li Xuan's reputation, many Hu and Han merchants appeared in the originally lifeless Huangshui City.

They are all here to look for business opportunities.

The goods brought in benefited the people of Huangshui.

Li Xuan thinks Jiuqu and Qinghai are places that can be developed and utilized.

Li Xuan planned to start trade in Fuqi City near Qinghai.

The trade was participated by the Bailang Qiang, Tuyuhun, Tongjia, Dangxiang, Subi and other tribes, who brought their tribal specialties to the vicinity of Fuqi City.

Appoint officials to manage the trade.

There are many resources that can be utilized, and Li Xuan wants to attract some businessmen to drive the prosperity of Longyou.

Otherwise, the Tang army stationed on the plateau would seem lifeless.

"Marshal, I have prepared hot water for you, please take a bath and change your clothes..."

After returning to the mansion, Changli bowed to Li Xuanying and said.

Li Xuan left in August and returned in March.

This was the longest time Li Xuan had ever been on a campaign, and she was waiting for Li Xuan's triumphant return all the time.

I also pray that Li Xuan will be safe!

"Huh... okay."

Li Xuan nodded. He knew that Li Mi had gone to Hexi to find his "fellow Taoist" and there would be nothing to do when he came back.

Li Mi was not his subordinate, so he was free to go wherever he wanted.

He had instructed in advance that if Mr. Li Mi wanted to go on a long journey, he should send a few servants to accompany him.

The main reason was that Li Mi was too weak to bear any danger.

Li Xuan respected Li Mi's beliefs, and did not eat meat or women. He just advised him to eat more fruits and vegetables, and grains.

Facts have proved that as long as you can control your desires, you can live a long life even if you don’t eat meat.

Back in the room, Li Xuan took off his armor, and Chang Li had already prepared hot water for him in the bedroom.

When marching and fighting, there is no time to take a bath, usually just wash and brush your teeth.

Li Xuan let Luo Xing rub his back and took a bath for half an hour, feeling extremely comfortable.

He changed into clean casual clothes and threw off all his burdens.

He looked in the mirror and saw his long flowing hair and the beard that had already grown.

Although it was short, Li Xuan knew he should grow a beard.

Men in the Tang Dynasty would only choose to grow long beards after middle age.

Young and middle-aged men often have short, neatly trimmed beards.

Of course, there are also some young people who grow beards and let them grow long to show their individuality.

Li Xuan didn't like beards, but he knew it was necessary. Otherwise, if he stood next to Gao Lishi, people would think he was a eunuch!
"Changli, help me fix my long hair..."

Li Xuan saw Changli preparing a bed for him and called him.

It will be very inconvenient to eat with disheveled hair later.

After saying this, he sat in front of a bronze mirror that showed every detail.

Changli is very clever and always keeps Li Xuan's hair neatly combed, as if not even a single extra hair can affect her.

Unlike Li Xuan who just tied his hair casually and put on a helmet in the military camp.

"Yes, General!"

Hearing the sound, Changli came behind Li Xuan and tidied Li Xuan's long hair in front of the mirror.

She had done this many times, starting with using a wooden comb to straighten Li Xuan's long hair.

She stroked her soft hair with her jade fingers. As she combed her hair, she looked at herself in the mirror, constantly looking around, meticulously.

In Li Xuan's mirror, her bright face is reflected from time to time.

The faint fragrance wafted into Li Xuan's nose.

"Changli, how are the other women in the mansion?"

Li Xuan suddenly asked Changli this question.

Li Longji rewarded him with twenty beauties, both beautiful and talented.

These young singing girls can only hide in Huangshui City in this border area and don’t even have the chance to perform.

However, their status as musicians meant that even if they got married, they could only be concubines.

"The sisters are all doing well. They have rehearsed the music and dance many times, waiting to be summoned by you, Marshal!"

Changli paused and answered Li Xuan.

She was lucky to serve Li Xuan.

Her family fell into poverty and she became a prostitute in a music brothel. Although she did not lose her virginity, she was still considered lowly.

Being able to see the hero in her heart often is enough for her in this life.

"Okay! Let me enjoy their singing and dancing sometime."

Li Xuan agreed.

Afterwards, Li Xuan stopped asking.

Changli combed Li Xuan's hair, making Li Xuan look like a handsome young man.

"Changli, wait a minute!"

Changli thought Li Xuan wanted to read a book, and when she was about to leave, Li Xuan suddenly called her.

"Marshal, please give your orders..."

Changli turned to Li Xuan.

"I wrote a song recently, but it doesn't seem gentle enough. Can you help me take a look at it?"

Li Xuan said to Changli.

After Changli came to the mansion, Li Xuan discovered that Changli was a very talented woman.

She has superb ability to compose music.

It turns out that some poems already have fixed tunes, but in Changli's hands, the tunes can be changed to become more perfect.

This poem is none other than the famous "Song of Water Melody" known to all women and children in later generations.

The Tang Dynasty was an era of poetry.

But there is no shortage of lyricists.

Li Longji was a relatively powerful poet.

He also likes writing lyrics very much.

But Li Longji's status and position destined his poems to be out of this world.

For example, Li Longji’s famous poem “Good Times”.

The bun is more suitable for the palace style, the face is lotus-like and tender, the body is rosy and fragrant, and there is no need to draw eyebrows, as they are naturally long into the temples.

Don't rely on your stunning beauty, marry a man who loves you. When we were young, don't waste the good times.

The catchy little lyrics show Li Longji's superb skills in writing lyrics.

This song imitates the lyrics of a folk song about a man and a woman courting each other. It emphasizes that love should not rely on beauty, but that one should choose a man who is affectionate and loyal.

The idea is very good.

But because Li Longji was an emperor, he had different aesthetic views. He portrayed the beauty as being adorned with jewels and dressed in a palace-style, which deviated from the natural beauty of a commoner girl.

Li Xuan planned to arrive in Chang'an before the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet on August 15th.

He will take this opportunity to bring up Song Dynasty poetry.

Good Song Dynasty poetry gives people an immersive emotional expression.

This is something that Tang poetry does not have.

And this state is very high.

In this era, the lyrics and music were written by many musicians.

But with Li Longji before and Li Xuan after, their status was destined to prevent literati from despising ci.

Moreover, Li Xuan started off by composing one of the most popular poems in later generations.

Perhaps the music played is not as shocking as the lyrics.

In order to determine the rhythm of Song Dynasty poetry, Li Xuan had to dominate the poetry world and maximize his prestige in the hearts of literati.

After Changli prepared paper and pen for Li Xuan, Li Xuan slowly wrote "Song of Water Melody" on the paper.

This era has this tune.

When will the bright moon appear? I raise my cup to ask the sky. I don’t know what year it is in the palace of heaven…

People have joys and sorrows, separations and reunions, the moon waxes and wanes, and it is difficult to have everything in life. I wish you a long life, and we can enjoy the beauty of the moon together even though we are thousands of miles apart...

Changli witnessed Li Xuan writing with such indifference and calmness, and every word exuded unparalleled charm.

She was surprised, then astonished, and then her red lips slightly opened...

In the past, she only knew that the melody was beautiful, but this was the first time she heard the lyrics were so beautiful.

It’s so cold up there, dancing with my shadow doesn’t feel like being in the human world!
This kind of artistic conception fascinated her!
The thoughts that finally came to mind are also touching.

If the lyrics are like this, does the music still matter?
Even if one were to compose a hundred different kinds of music for this lyric, none of them would be as good as this one.

After Li Xuan finished writing "Song of Water Melody", he began to compose music for it.

His level of composing music was average, and he was even influenced by classic lyrics of later generations.

"I have only been learning to compose music for a short time. I hope Changli can help me revise it so that I can improve."

Li Xuan did not let Changli compose the music directly because he hoped that he could make progress and one day be able to compose a good song himself.

"Changli..."

Seeing that Changli didn't respond, Li Xuan pulled her again.

"Yes, I will try my best to change the song for the Marshal."

Changli said quickly after he reacted.

She was attracted by the song "Song of Water Melody".

She thought the poem was written by the Marshal during the Mid-Autumn Festival last year.

Only a marshal could write such words.

She also expected the marshal to develop his own style and shine.

(End of this chapter)