Chapter 260 The Iron Tree Blooms (1/2)
Chapter 260 The Iron Tree Blooms
Ning Wuxie and Xuan'er left the small world and returned to the new room arranged for them by Zhang Wanyang in Ninghou Mansion.
On the table were several days' worth of food brought by a servant. It had already become cold. A servant was standing in the room, scratching his head and looking around. Suddenly he heard a movement behind him. When he turned around, he saw Mingming Ning Wuxie and Jiang Ningxuan disappeared and stood on the ground.
"Ah! Master Ning!" The servant was so shocked that he almost sat on the ground, "Master Ning, how did you..." He wanted to ask why Ning Wuxie was so elusive, but after thinking about it, he didn't dare, so he changed his words and said, "Tonight, Your Majesty The master and Mr. Ning are invited to the palace for a banquet. The master is worried about your absence, so he sent the younger one to inform you. "
"I know." Ning Wuxie waved his hand and sent the servants away.
It really came on time, just in time.
It was just past noon, but the royal banquet process took a long time, so the invitation was sent at this time.
Ning Wuxie walked out of the room with Xuan'er on her arm and saw workers everywhere in Ninghou's mansion, climbing up and down to repair the eaves of the house that were damaged in the battle on the left front. Some servants were helping.
The two of them walked straight into the inner courtyard and saw Zhang Wanyang as expected. The old boy had put on a gorgeous suit. The blue-purple satin was embroidered with clouds using advanced techniques. As the angle changed, reflections could be seen. On the front of the robe was A black black tiger, with its fangs and claws showing, showing its fierce look.
Looking at Ning Wuxie and Xuan'er, how can they be so casual in their outfits? Ning Wuxie is wearing a white shirt with a light blue lining exposed at the neck. There are no loose sleeves or a long skirt that cannot open her legs. , focusing on a more practical style. Xuan'er is also wearing a white skirt, but the close-fitting short jacket under the upper body outer shirt is an elegant green color as the only embellishment.
The only colors on the two of them were light blue and light green, which matched them quite well.
"Junior brother Ning, here we come." Zhang Wanyang was stunned when he saw the two of them, and said with a smile, "Where have you been these past two days? I thought you were going to break the appointment."
"How could this happen at Senior Brother Zhang's dinner party?" Ning Wuxie responded with a smile.
"...Haha," the smile on Zhang Wanyang's old face was also awkward. He narrowed the corners of his eyes without wrinkles and looked at Ning Wuxie with his small eyes. The two of them faced off like this.
"Then...please?" He stretched out his hand and asked.
"please."
The three of them got on the sedan and headed towards the palace.
"Tsk, tsk, look at Miss Jiang's beauty. Even wearing such simple clothes, she is still breathtaking." In the sedan, Zhang Wanyang looked at Xuan'er's outfit and praised her.
"Senior Brother Zhang is also dressed very elegantly. I have never seen you wearing such a luxurious official uniform," Ning Wuxie said with a smile, "You really rely on your clothes and your horse's saddle."
Zhang Wanyang responded with a fake smile, but his smile froze when he heard the last sentence.
What's the meaning?
Why doesn't it feel like a nice thing to say?
But now he didn't dare to estrange the relationship with Ning Wuxie, so he could only smile and sigh:
"What's so good about this official uniform? It's fat and big, and it won't cost you anything to eat. Clothes like yours are better. They have an immortal style and are clean and tidy. This is what we as cultivators wear."
Ning Wuxie smiled and curled her lips, thinking that you have already become a eunuch in your cultivation of immortality, but you still want the bones of immortality.
"Then Senior Brother Zhang no longer wants to be the Xuan Qin Imperial Master? Why don't you resign? Just go back to Junzi Mountain."
"Hey, Junior Brother Ning, you just don't understand. A gentleman does something and doesn't do something. As the saying goes, if I don't go to hell, who will?"
"Tch." Ning Wuxie really laughed out loud this time and turned her head disdainfully.
Seeing that Ning Wuxie stopped pretending, Zhang Wanyang didn't feel ashamed and cast a small spell with his backhand, and a purple light immediately covered their carriage.
"Li Luobing, what did you do to her?" Zhang Wanyang asked coldly, his tone completely different from before.
"nothing dealing with you."
"If you want to disgrace her, it's best to bring her to a gentleman for interrogation as soon as possible and then tell the world, so that Xuan Qin and I can testify for you." Zhang Wanyang said, his tone a little urgent.
His thoughts on Ning Wuxie could not be clearer. To publicly try Li Luobing and give her a characterization was to give himself an insurance policy.
"I'm not in a hurry, maybe I'll just kill her."
"Kill her directly?" Zhang Wanyang was shocked, "This...is too cheap for her."
"Wouldn't it be better for such a proud and arrogant woman to be reviled and trampled on by thousands of people?"
"You are so perverted. Did Li Luobing offend you?" Ning Wuxie squinted at Zhang Wanyang.
"No..." Zhang Wanyang pursed his lips, sorted out his sentences, and finally said what he was thinking: "The key is that you directly killed Li Luobing. This is unclear. Xuan Qin is not easy to explain to others."
"After all, she is still the disciple of Princess Dachu, the young leader of the Renzong, and Master Wuyuan. She came to find me, and then she disappeared inexplicably in Xuanqin Qian City. What should I do if people come to ask me?"
"What are you afraid of? They won't be able to find you. You can beat me to death and don't let go."
"This..." Zhang Wanyang clenched his fists and glanced at Ning Wuxie. The other person looked indifferent and looked at him with a look that clearly said: No, what can you do to me?
He turned off the sound insulation and looked out the window helplessly with a frown.
Soon, several people arrived at the entrance of the Xuan Qin Dynasty's palace.
Solemn and solemn!
The folk customs of the Xuan Qin Dynasty were fierce, they built their country by force, and valued the color black. They regarded the black tiger as the sacred animal. Black and gold met at the entrance of the entire palace, like a black tiger that had been crawling on the ground, opening its bloody mouth, about to pounce on the general. The prey standing at the door swallowed it in one gulp.
It's a bit like Renzong's style, but Renzong's symbol is black and white. Even some pure black buildings don't have many complicated patterns like the Xuanqin Palace.
After all, it is a secular empire rather than a monastic sect, and some designs still pay attention to tediousness and ritual.
Just like the majestic imperial palace covering an area of hundreds of miles, Ning Wuxie knew that he could level the majestic palace in front of him with just one meteor. These were all false.
But he didn't dare, because there was a real power in the palace, the world's top ascetic, an old monster who could explode with earth-shaking power alone.
These are the real things.
As the eunuch led the group of three people up the steps and into the palace, people were once again surprised by the grandeur and luxury inside.
There are bells and drums, delicious food, fine clothes and fine food, wonderful dances and elegant music, and the beautiful palace maids are presenting the delicacies one by one.
At the top position in the center, sat a young man who looked about seventeen or eighteen, wearing a black dragon robe, handsome with thick eyebrows and big eyes, but with a sad look on his face. Sitting next to him was an extremely beautiful woman, slender and wearing a phoenix crown, who was putting a grape to her husband's mouth.
There were more than a dozen people sitting at the bottom, and the most conspicuous ones were naturally three gray-haired old men. Ning Wuxie recognized them as the fat Fu Wang Zhao Xun with a big belly, the Duan Wang Zhao Bingxun who loved to drink and never left his hand, and the tall and tall Fu Wang Zhao Bingxun. Ning Wang Zhao Guangxian is as thin as a little old man.
Fortunately, these kings are tall, short, fat and thin, with their own characteristics, otherwise Ning Wuxie would not be able to remember their names.
They sat in the first three seats on the left hand side of the emperor, and below them sat a dozen ministers, each wearing official uniforms. On the emperor's right hand side, the three desks counting from the beginning were empty, and they seemed to be prepared for Ning Wuxie and others.
"The Imperial Master of Xuan Qin, Zhang Wanyang, and the Imperial Master of Lanyuan, Ning Wuxie, are here with their families~~~" At the same time as several people stepped into the threshold of the palace, the eunuch shouted at the top of his voice, his voice sharp and penetrating.
The conversation at the banquet stopped for a moment as Ning Wuxie and the other two walked in. Under the leadership of Zhang Wanyang, they saluted the emperor and the princes.
Zhang Wanyang knelt down directly, while Ning Wuxie and Xuan'er just bowed slightly.
"I've met your Majesty." Ning Wuxie finally remembered that the emperor of Xuan Qin was named Zhao Heng.
Zhao Heng originally had one leg raised on the mat, his body tilted and his brows furrowed. His sitting posture was inelegant and he looked a little bored. Now when he saw Ning Wuxie returning to his straight posture, he showed a smile.
"Master Ning is so young. He is really young and promising. Hurry up and take a seat."
Ning Wuxie led Xuan'er back to the seat.
Since Ning Wuxie was a guest, the conversation at the banquet naturally revolved around him. Zhao Heng asked Ning Wuxie what position he held in Confucianism.
Ning Wuxie was about to answer when she heard Zhang Wanyang say: "Your Majesty, this junior brother of mine is a rare genius in Confucianism for a hundred years. He has made great achievements as soon as he joined. He became the Twelve Young Masters and went out to practice, and actually became Lan Yuan’s Imperial Master is now one of the top ten literary saints! Master Xun personally conferred the title.”
Zhao Heng's eyes were filled with surprise: "He is such a genius. Do you want to come to Xuan Qin?"
Zhang Wanyang was startled and said without changing his expression: "Haha, I also regret that such talents cannot be used by Xuan Qin, but my junior brother is immersed in the way of cultivation and is used to freedom. He is not willing to be bound by the world."
Zhao Heng frowned slightly and turned to Zhang Wanyang: "Zhang Aiqing, I am talking to Mr. Ning. You can let him speak for himself."
Zhang Wanyang closed his mouth, lowered his head and cupped his hands, with a sinister look on his face, and gritted his teeth.
Seeing Zhao Heng looking at him again, Ning Wuxie smiled slightly and saluted, "It's pretty much what senior brother said. Besides, I'm already the master of Lanyuan. It's not appropriate to serve in another country."
Zhao Heng nodded and raised his glass to drink. Zhao Xun, the King of Fortune, who was sitting opposite Ning Wuxie, moved his buttocks and said with a smile: "The news of changes in Lanyuan is getting more and more intense. It is said that they will soon open the port to allow foreigners to enter and trade. , many businessmen have already set off for Jiuyong City."
There was nothing he could do about Zhao Xun's big belly. It couldn't be covered by any clothes and could only be exposed a little. When he was talking, his big belly was moving up and down. Fortunately, he has a high level of cultivation and his belly is a rounded bulge instead of loose layers of fat, otherwise it would be really unsightly.
"Lanyuan has been isolated from the world for hundreds of years. Mo Xiang massacred Confucian disciples before, drawing condemnation from the entire continent, but now he is defeated by Ning Xiaoyou after just one training trip. It is truly an unparalleled feat, as a man should be! "
The thin Zhao Guangxian shook his head and said.
"A toast!" Duan Wang Zhao Bingxun shouted and raised his glass, his face flushed. Just when everyone was talking, this guy had already drank several glasses of wine. At this time, he didn't miss the opportunity to drink. Everyone raised their glasses. Drink together.
"So, how does Mr. Ning think it is better to deal with Li Luobing's matter?" Putting down the wine glass, Zhao Heng asked, "I was shocked when I first heard that Li Luobing was connected to the devil. I didn't expect that a famous fairy in the world would actually do something like this. Such a deal..."
Hearing this, Zhang Wanyang hurriedly said: "I think it is better to expose Li Luobing as soon as possible and bring him to justice. Otherwise, it will be difficult for us, Renzong and Dachu, to explain!"
Zhao Heng gave him a cold look and said nothing, so Zhang Wanyang had no choice but to shut his mouth. Zhao Heng then looked at Ning Wuxie again.
"Li Luobing is temporarily under my custody. I haven't figured out how to deal with it yet." Ning Wuxie said with her hands raised, "I think we should try to pry something out of her mouth before fully and publicly reporting her."
"After all, Li Luobing is only guilty of collusion, and Huang Quanke is the real devil behind it. With her reputation as a threat, I believe she will cooperate a lot."
As Ning Wuxie said this, she secretly looked at the reactions of other people at the banquet.
Zhang Wanyang was glared at by Zhao Heng, who lowered his head silently and said nothing. Zhao Heng frowned slightly and nodded with a look of surprise in his eyes. The three princes opposite him also had expressionless faces and could not tell anything.
"Anyway, Li Luobing's little girl will be left to Ning Xiaoyou. It's up to you to deal with her as you please. After all, you have a strong background, so you can only come forward." Zhao Xun said with a naive smile.
"It's a matter of duty." Ning Wuxie responded. Judging from Zhao Xun's reaction, he did not seem to be that Tianxu person.
Damn it, Ning Wuxie cursed in his mind, what could he see on the wine table?
Even Zhang Wanyang can pretend to be calm and calm, let alone these old monsters who have lived for hundreds of years!
Who is the enemy and who is the friend? Ning Wuxie felt that the situation in Xuan Qin was confusing.
The banquet continued. After they were full, there was a tour of the back garden. Ning Wuxie and Xuan'er were invited to watch the blooming iron trees in Qi'an City that happened every few decades. It was not easy to shirk it, so Ning Wuxie went there. .
The group of people walked out of the palace and walked toward the back garden while chatting. After eating and chatting for such a long time, Ning Wuxie also saw the pattern in the Xuan Qin court.
The three princes stood high, did not show any attitude, and were respectful to the emperor and ministers. But all the other ministers followed Zhang Wanyang's lead. Even when they replied to the emperor's questions, they had to take a look at Zhang Wanyang first.
Zhao Heng obviously hated this very much.
It is obvious in him that the young emperor's desire for power after growing up is evident, and he hopes to hold on to power and have the final say.
In the back garden, the three princes were walking and chatting. Zhao Bingxun still held a bottle of wine in his hand, and he did not forget to take a few sips while admiring the flowers.
The legendary iron tree is a strange tree with a black body and dark green leaves. There is only one iron tree in the Xuan Qin Palace, and there is no other iron tree in the world. It was also the first time for Ning Wuxie to see it.
When they came to the iron tree, more than a dozen people stood in a row, but it was still not as thick as it. The iron tree towered like a giant tower, and its dark and shiny trunk was covered with rust-eating moss and entangled vines.
When it reached a height of more than ten meters, the iron tree finally stopped climbing, and countless layers of banana-like leaves grew out, casting a large shadow.
"The Xuan Qin Iron Tree is really shocking." Ning Wuxie sighed.
"Junior brother Ning, does he know the origin of this iron tree?" Zhang Wanyang asked.
"I really don't know, but these magical objects are definitely not ordinary trees."
"Yes, the legendary iron tree is indeed not a tree, or rather, it is not entirely a tree. It..."
"Zhang Aiqing," Zhao Heng, who was standing aside, suddenly stopped Zhang Wanyang, "Let me, a Xuan Qin man, tell Master Ning."
As he said that, he walked over, inserted himself next to Ning Wuxie and Zhang Wanyang, and directly squeezed Zhang Wanyang away.
Ning Wuxie thanked him and said there was no need to trouble His Majesty. Zhao Heng smiled and waved his hand.
"Zhang Aiqing is just recounting what he has heard. It's not like I grew up under this iron tree."
"You are right, the iron tree is indeed not an ordinary plant, but just a weapon of a certain ancient emperor."
"Is this weapon a sword? Or a knife, a gun, a club, a halberd? No one knows, because no matter how many meters you dig down, it is still this iron pillar, and its true size cannot be explored by mortals."
"Can you imagine the cultivation of the Great Emperor?" Zhao Heng looked fascinated, "According to generations of my Zhao family, there is a world within the Great Emperor's Divine Weapon, a real world, and the spiritual martial arts we live in. It will still be windy and rainy, and the seasons will change. It’s not just a small space!”
"But the emperor died, or went elsewhere, leaving the magic weapon here, until now it has become rusty."
"What are the leaves above?" Ning Wuxie asked. The leaves above the head did not look like lifeless objects. They had the green luster of plants and were still swaying in the wind.
"Those, come and see here," Zhao Heng said, actually holding Ning Wuxie's arm and pulling him towards the other side of the iron tree, "Look at these leaves, can you identify what plant they are? "
Ning Wuxie was a little confused and looked back at the others. Xuan'er looked at him with wide eyes. The others were also a little surprised as to why the emperor suddenly pulled him away.
The three ancestors looked at each other and said nothing. Zhang Wanyang frowned, but it was difficult to follow.
"Legend has it that after the death of the Great Emperor, the world in the Divine Weapon collapsed, and an ancient tree inside frantically absorbed the remaining power of the world in order to survive. In the end, it grew out of the world, and became what you see. The iron tree." Zhao Heng said while still pulling Ning Wuxie further away, as if to show him the various angles of the iron tree.
"Thank you for your explanation..." Ning Wuxie was a little embarrassed, "Let's go back and watch it with everyone."
But Zhao Heng glanced at the large army and suddenly lowered his voice and said: "Ning Wuxie!"
"Only here can I talk to you."
"That Zhang Wanyang is watching me all the time. I am surrounded by his people! My ancestor doesn't help me either. It doesn't make any difference to them who becomes the emperor!"
"Can you ask Confucianism to transfer Zhang Wanyang and send a new person to help me? This person has the intention to steal power!!"
Ning Wuxie was shocked and looked at Zhao Heng's anxious and pleading face. She didn't expect that the little emperor pulled him over and actually asked him for help!
"This... Your Majesty, although I am one of the ten great literary saints, I have no say in the Confucian plan."
"What plan? Letting a minister take control of the court is your plan? The Meng Cangran who came before was okay, but he was also squeezed out by Zhang Wanyang's followers. You Confucians don't understand the true situation of Xuan Qin at all!"
"Even the death of my father is unclear!"
"I saw at the banquet that you and Zhang Wanyang don't get along. You were also in Lanyuan before, so you should not be in the same group with him. I only ask you to help me this time. As long as I succeed in taking power, you can have whatever you want!"
Zhao Heng tightly grasped Ning Wuxie's wrist. Although he whispered, he was extremely strong, and even his neck was tense and blood vessels burst.
Ning Wuxie didn't expect that this little emperor actually knew something all along, and didn't become Zhang Wanyang's puppet, but thought about resisting.
Thinking of Zhang Wanyang and the plans of the forces behind him, Ning Wuxie also lowered his voice and said: "Your Majesty, the forces behind Zhang Wanyang are unimaginable. Even if there is no Zhang Wanyang, there will be others to deal with you!"
"What do you mean..." Zhao Heng said nervously.
"...I can't say more, but if you want to resist, you must save your life and must pretend to obey first! Otherwise, you will be killed!"
Ning Wuxie whispered that the priority now was to persuade this young and energetic little emperor not to act rashly.
Ning Wuxie didn't dare to say it too clearly, worried that Zhao Heng would do something irrational after knowing it.
Zhao Heng stared at Ning Wuxie in disbelief.
"Who is behind him...?"
"It can't be said." Ning Wuxie shook his head, and these three words made Zhao Heng even more shocked.
"Your Majesty! Junior Brother Ning!!" Zhang Wanyang's shout suddenly came from behind, and the two turned around and saw Zhang Wanyang waving at them:
"It's night, and the iron tree is blooming! Come and see!"