Xi Heng was saluted by a bunch of officers and soldiers around him. He felt that if he didn't take the initiative to get on the car, he might be forcibly dragged on... She paused, recalling the costume dramas she had watched. If I board this overly luxurious carriage in front of me, I will probably lose my freedom in this life. However, the royal family's life of luxury does have considerable appeal. If she didn't have the ability to load save files, she would probably hesitate for a long time at this moment. But she does. If you are unhappy living in the palace, just reload the game and start over. "My goal in this life is to master martial arts," she thought. "There must be more resources in the palace. As long as there are no restrictions on martial arts training, it should be easy to enter the realm of strength, right?" Xi Heng nodded slightly and walked forward to get into the car.
…… Chapter 10: Great Zhao's Prosperity The capital city is not far from Jinshi City, and it only takes a few days to drive there. The carriage traveled smoothly on the official road with few bumps. The sound of hooves accompanied the rolling of the wooden wheels, and a little dust was raised behind the vehicle. The lavender curtain fluttered backwards like a cloak. Through the space not covered by the curtain, Xi Heng saw that the distant city and post station were getting farther and farther away. For the past few days, Xi Heng lived in the best room in every post station or restaurant along the way, ate exquisite snacks and meals that he had never tasted since his time travel, and received care that he had never received before. Compared to the daily fatigue and boring practice in the Sword Academy, this journey is much more comfortable. To the extent that Xi Heng subconsciously wanted to indulge in it. He didn't have to think about various moves every day, nor did he have to close his eyes at night and have his fists clenched unconsciously, disturbing his sleep. I can live a relaxed and lazy life like this, but someone is taking care of me everywhere. Even my daily health care products are precisely prepared by a special doctor using top-grade medicinal materials. My life is much better than before. "No, no..." Xi Heng shook his head in the carriage, remembering his previous resolution: "I must do my best to become a warrior in this life. I swore." Only when you enter the realm of martial arts can you be considered free. You can retain your martial arts level by reloading the save file, and you don't have to be bound by this frail body in every life. "No matter how good your clothes and delicious food are, they are not as important as a healthy body." Xi Heng said to himself. After a while, she drew aside the curtain and asked the leader of the imperial soldiers about the matter of entering the power. But after several attempts, I didn't get much useful knowledge or experience. The officers and soldiers guarding the carriage seemed to be top-notch geniuses in martial arts. Xi Heng looked at their expressions while talking and could tell that they thought entering the realm was an easy thing. These people said that as long as a solid foundation is laid and practice is continued for another month or two, getting into the swing of things will be a natural thing. "..." After asking around, Xi Heng realized that he would not be able to learn anything from the warriors around him, so he sighed softly and closed the curtains again.
I would like to ask, these talented warriors under the royal family, it would be better for them to just find a martial arts master. At least the people in the martial arts school have some teaching experience. …… Five days later, in the capital. The carriage that Xi Heng was sitting in slowly entered the city, surrounded by imperial guards. The tall and stacked towers stand on the thick city walls. There are nine gates under the towers, with entrances on the left and exits on the right. The middle one is the imperial road for high-ranking officials to enter and exit. There were long queues at the eight entrances on the left and right, with people crowded and noisy, while the largest entrance in the center was completely empty. The purple-gold carriage moved towards the imperial road under the gaze of the crowd, and went straight into the empty and wide road without encountering any obstacles. The wide roads in the city were paved with white stones, and there were many dragon-patterned watchtowers on both sides of the road. Yu Changlu walked a short distance into the inner city, and he could hear the noise of people again. Xi Heng pulled aside the carriage curtain and saw pedestrians in brightly colored clothes coming and going on the roadside, houses on both sides crowded with people, and the roadside was crowded with carriages and horses. Red and brown BMWs were ridden at high speeds with their red manes flying; carved carriages of various colors were parked on the streets, dazzling with gold and green. Red lanterns were lined up in front of teahouses, taverns and shops on both sides. Even though it was already daytime, a few were still burning. Looking into the distance, you can see banquet halls, singing towers, painted pavilions and embroidered windows. New sounds and charming laughter were heard from the willow alleys and flowery streets, and the sounds of wind and string instruments were heard on the streets. Not far away, there were also street performers who attracted a crowd of people who gathered around and cheered loudly. The road was filled with patches of flowers, which made Xi Heng, a countryman who had lived in a remote mountain village for several years, feel a little overwhelmed. Although it cannot compare with modern entertainment and shopping streets, this part of the capital can still be said to be full of exquisite things. "It's so lively." Xi Heng sighed casually. However, neither the driver nor the officers and soldiers accompanying him responded. The closer they got to their destination, the more cautious and serious they looked. Seeing that no one paid attention to him, Xi Heng didn't want to say anything more. He rested his chin on his hand and looked at the scenery outside the window silently. Gradually, the carriage passed through the prosperous commercial street and arrived in front of the imperial city with carved railings and jade bricks. Compared with the tall pavilions outside, the scenery in the imperial city is more like the jade towers and golden palaces in heaven. What is even more eye-catching is that on one side of the imperial palace, there is a mountain dozens of meters high rising from the flat ground. Just looking at it from a distance can make people feel that the scenery is picturesque. Flowers of various colors compete with each other in beauty, and lush forests and bamboos carve out green mountains. There are some beautiful clouds lingering and floating on the mountain, which makes the mountain more fairy-like. There is a high pavilion on the mountain, which seems to be the residence of immortals. This mountain seems to have gathered the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in one, giving a sense of the spiritual beauty of heaven and earth. What’s even more special is that there is a shiny black dragon coiled on the mountainside. Under the sunlight, the layers of scales are clearly visible, and it looks lifelike. I don’t know what the carving is. Seeing this scene, Xi Heng subconsciously recalled what the black-robed man had said in the Hongxian Sword Academy before.
"In the cold winter, people can hardly survive, but the emperor uses coal to carve dragons..." "Is this the dragon?" Xi Heng pondered silently, his eyes fixed on the golden buildings of the imperial palace, and then on the mountain that stood out in the air and was full of spiritual energy. She looked at the scenery for a long time when she came here, and remembered that there were no mountains around the capital city at all. This place should have been a large plain. The ancients would not build cities on the side of mountains, especially the capital of a country. Xi Heng pulled open the carriage curtain and asked the imperial guard beside him: "What mountain is that?" "Princess, you may not know this, but this is the sacred mountain built by the emperor, named Penglai!" As the leader of the imperial team introduced it, he put his hands together and bowed to the imperial palace. "Built bit by bit on flat ground?" "Your Majesty has great ambitions and strategies." The other party said respectfully. Corrupt government harms the people. Xi Heng closed the curtain and felt more and more that the old emperor was not a good person. It might be quite troublesome to get along with each other afterwards. "Well...if you're not nice to me, just try to get as much benefit as possible and run away." Xi Heng thought silently in his heart. The purple-gold carriage entered the palace, and the tense and serious expressions of the guards around it gradually relaxed. The floor of the palace was blue and white, as if it were paved with jade. Some walls are covered with gold foil and gold threads and painted in the shape of dragons. There was a glow of fire in the eyes of the golden dragon wall painting, and it looked like it would come alive and fly out of the wall in the next moment. After walking along the imperial road, the magnificent imperial hall appeared before our eyes. Many guards wearing golden armor and holding spears stood on both sides. At a glance, you could see hundreds of them. The carriage stopped in front of the hall, and a eunuch politely asked her to alight. Xi Heng pulled open the purple curtain and walked out of the car that was filled with a strong scent of agarwood. "Welcome to the Princess!" The eunuch's voice was so harsh that it made Xiheng irritated. She glanced at the white-haired old eunuch and saw that his body was stable, his posture revealed a certain majesty, his eyes were bright and shrewd, like a master. "Please come to the court to meet His Majesty!" the other party leaned over and said. Xi Heng walked down the wooden steps and looked around the open space. Behind him was the magnificent and majestic hall. "Is there anything I need to prepare?" she asked the old eunuch. "The emperor has ordered that the princess meet him as soon as possible. No need to be polite!" Every word of this eunuch sounded roundabout, like singing an opera.
"Please follow me, Princess—" the man turned and walked away. Xi Heng had no choice but to follow, and saw the wide door of the hall getting closer and closer. In addition to the sunlight shining through, the hall was also illuminated by several pillars of fire burning violently. As she entered the hall, she first felt it was vast, then dim. There are red carpets and many decorations of purple and gold dragon patterns. The walls are painted with dark green and light white scenes of the heavenly palace, and there are images of five-clawed golden dragons perched on each of the huge beams and pillars. After the decoration, the hall looks less like a political court and more like a Taoist palace. The closer you get to the brighter light of the pillar of fire, the more you can see civil and military officials dressed in brocade clothes, wearing black gauze hats, and holding colorful court scepters. Hundreds of officials stood in neat rows in a square formation, some of them trembling with fear. At this moment, the entire court was silent as death, and one could hear a pin drop. Until a steady middle-aged male voice uttered a word: "read." "Huh~" Another sharp eunuch voice, but this voice was a little unstable. Xi Heng didn't like this voice very much and frowned slightly. Then, the eunuch in front of him began to speak in a strange voice with a slight tremor and fear: "Your Majesty believes that immortality is attainable, and is bent on practicing the mystical arts. You are rich, but do not say that the people's fat lies in this, and you are extravagant in building projects. You have not attended court for ten years, and the rules and regulations have been relaxed. You have promoted a few examples, and the titles and honors are rampant..." "Officials are corrupt and generals are weak, the people are living in misery, floods and droughts are frequent, and bandits are rampant. This has also happened since the beginning of your Majesty's reign, but it has not been severe..." This voice continued for almost several minutes. During this period, Xi Heng also came behind the officials and looked forward to see the so-called emperor sitting in the center of the court. This person was wearing a black fur coat with dragon pattern, a red and gold garment inside, and a crown with twelve tassels on his head. He was leaning naturally and casually on the spacious throne. Although he is old, he is still handsome, with a high nose, thin eyebrows, phoenix eyes, and a beard. Several palace maids were holding jade plates with plump red peaches, full-grained grapes, and wine in jade pots. The emperor picked up a cup of wine, drank it frivolously, and listened quietly to the eunuch's recitation. "Your Majesty has practiced the Mystical Cultivation for many years, but has gained nothing. The immortality of a mere external medicine is not logical, and the uselessness of the Mystical Cultivation is obvious—" After the voice fell, silence fell in the court. None of the civil and military officials below dared to utter a word at this moment. "Good!" The emperor clapped his hands loudly after hearing this, and broke the silence with a loud and clear voice: "This article is unique, with a magnificent style and a majestic momentum. It is truly a masterpiece by a great man." "Come here, bring this wise minister here!" The loud voice echoed in the palace, and not long after, a man in rough prison clothes and shackled with iron chains was brought to the court.
The prisoner had disheveled hair, a dirty face, and red eyes. When he saw the emperor, he wanted to open his mouth, but his mouth had already been sealed with thick needle and thread. Drops of blood flowed from his waist, dyeing the front of his white prison uniform red. "Why treat a wise minister like this?" The emperor frowned and said, "Cut his mouth open!" After a moment, a eunuch came to the prisoner holding a pair of thick iron scissors. With a click of the sharp blade, he cut off the flesh and the black thread together. A dull and hoarse roar of pain came from the cracked mouth, and was then suppressed.