Pawn Crossing the River

Ji Daoren took a sip of wine, looked at Qi Xuansu, and said proactively: "Brother Qi doesn't seem to be a native of Shuzhou."

Qi Xuansu replied: "I grew up in the Wanxiang Taoist Palace and later settled in Yujing."

"I see." Daoren Ji nodded, "Yujing City has a lot of rules and big names, which makes people really uncomfortable. I haven't been there for several years. Since you have settled in Yujing, I guess you are working in Jiutang. "

"Junior is now in Tiangang Hall." Qi Xuansu said, "Senior should know that Tiangang Hall is the easiest place for ordinary Taoist priests to enter the Nine Halls."

Ji Daoren said: "That's true. Over the years, Tiangang Hall has continuously recruited elite Taoist priests from the local Taoist government to join it. It can be regarded as a step forward for ordinary Taoist priests. However, the errands of Tiangang Hall are the most painful and tiring among the nine halls. Only Taoist priests from our local Taoist government or Wanxiang Taoist Palace are willing to do it. Those pampered Yujing Taoist priests will not look down on it, unless they directly become deacons."

Qi Xuansu said: "In my humble opinion, as the saying goes, the king chooses his ministers, and the ministers choose their king. The Yujing Taoist priests look down on the hard and tiring Tiangangtang, and the Tiangangtang may not look down on these pampered Yujing Taoist priests."

"That makes sense, that makes sense." Daoren Ji couldn't help laughing loudly.

Qi Xuansu glanced at Zhang Yuelu. She seemed oblivious to Taoist Ji's laughter.

Taoist Ji then looked at Zhang Yuelu and asked, "Is this girl also a Taoist priest of Tiangang Hall?"

"Yes." Qi Xuansu nodded, but did not take the initiative to mention Zhang Yuelu's name.

Ji Daoren glanced at the identical cloaks on the two men and asked meaningfully: "Aren't you on official duty?"

Qi Xuansu hesitated for a moment, then said truthfully: "Go home for the New Year."

Ji Daoren patted his knees gently and chuckled: "Brother Qi is from the Wanxiang Dao Palace. This 'home' will not be the Wanxiang Dao Palace. That is to accompany the girl home. Is this a good thing coming soon?"

Qi Xuansu coughed violently: "Nothing."

Ji Daoren took another sip of wine and said with emotion: "It is good to return home with youth as a companion."

There was a look of nostalgia on his face. Although gods can stay young forever, the past time is past. Flowers will bloom again, and people will never be young again.

Qi Xuansu added dead branches to the bonfire.

Ji Daoren didn't lie, he really just wanted to find someone to chat with. The two chatted for an hour, not just talking about the sect, but also about the world, the past and the present, everything from the ancient emperors governing the world to the ancestral dragon sweeping the world.

When the pot of wine was finished, Taoist Ji's interest in conversation was exhausted, so he said goodbye and left.

Qi Xuansu looked at Daoren Ji's figure slowly disappearing into the vast night, and felt as if he had just dreamed.

At midnight, Zhang Yuelu had already woken up before Master Qi Xuansu could call him.

Zhang Yuelu stretched slightly and said, "I had a dream just now."

"What dream?" Qi Xuansu asked.

Zhang Yuelu rubbed his cheeks with both hands: "I dreamed that you were chatting and drinking with someone, but I couldn't see the person's face clearly."

Qi Xuansu smiled helplessly and said: "That was not a dream. Someone did come, that is, the middle-aged Taoist we met before. He did not know what means he used to isolate you."

Zhang Yuelu didn't look too surprised and asked, "What did you all say?"

Qi Xuansu concealed the joke about "good things are coming soon" and probably repeated it.

Zhang Yuelu said thoughtfully, "Your surname is Ji. He should be a member of Quanzhen Taoism, and maybe he has some connections with your Qi family."

"What do you mean by our Qi family?" Qi Xuansu said, "I just follow my master's surname Qi. Can it mean that if my surname is Zhang and yours, it will be included in the Zhang family tree?"

"Fuck you." Zhang Yuelu spat, "Who wants your surname to be Zhang? Why don't you follow Xuansheng's surname of Li? The Li family likes adopted sons and sons-in-law the most, and adopted sons and sons-in-law can also serve as heads of the family."

Qi Xuansu smiled and said: "Li Xuansu? Are you a brother with Xuansheng? I'm afraid of being slapped to death by the Taoist Master of Taiping Dao."

There is also the word "Xuan" in Xuan Sheng's name. If Qi Xuansu changed his surname to Li, there would be only one word difference between the two of them. They would be like brothers. However, the Li family will definitely hold different opinions and will definitely adopt some unruly and violent means to protect the name of their ancestors.

Speaking of the Li family, its reputation has never been very good, whether it was before or after Xuansheng. It was even called the "East China Sea Weird" by the world. In the middle of the year, things are pretty orderly.

In fact, it cannot be said that Xuansheng made the Li family successful. Even without Xuansheng, the Li family was still powerful. It was just that Xuansheng made the Li family reach a higher level. The reason why Xuan Sheng became the Tao Sect's great leader was also due to his family's help. It can only be said that both parties achieved each other's achievements.

Therefore, Qi Xuansu fully believed that the Li family could do such a thing, and Zhang Yuelu did not refute.

As for whether Taoist Ji had other intentions, neither of them thought too much about it, because there are many such leisurely people in the Taoist sect. Their cultivation is high enough, but they have no desire to compete for fame and profit. They do not make friends based on their status, and they are carefree and playing in the world. If he gets excited, he will even give the younger generation some advice, which is what the storybook calls "a gift of good fortune".

With the current size of Dao Sect, it can accommodate such a leisurely person.

As for why Taoist Ji did not give Qi Xuansu some advice, it may be that the two of them are not close enough, or it may be that Qi Xuansu's strong energy and blood made Taoist Ji mistakenly believe that Qi Xuansu is a martial artist who has returned to his true form. He is not far away from heaven and there is nothing to teach him.

After joking, Zhang Yuelu took out his pocket watch and looked at the time and said, "Go to sleep, we have to go on the road tomorrow."

Qi Xuansu nodded, gathered his cloak, and slept peacefully.

When Qi Xuansu woke up, the sky had turned dark blue. Zhang Yuelu stamped out the bonfire and led the horses.

The two rode back to the official road and continued on their way.

After walking like this for three days, Baidi City was visible in the distance.

There is a saying from the Poetry Immortal: "Amidst the colorful clouds of the White Emperor, thousands of miles of rivers and mountains are returned in one day. The apes on both sides of the bank can't stop crying, and the light boat has passed the Ten Thousand Mountains."

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were about to take a boat from Baidi City and go down the river to Jiangling Mansion in Huzhou.

Baidi City is located in a dangerous location, as it is the gateway from Huzhou to Shu. Surrounded by water on three sides and close to mountains on one side, it is easy to defend but difficult to attack. When the Gongsun family occupied Shu and became the king of Shu, they took over this place. There was a White Crane Well in the city. White gas often gushes out of the well, like a white dragon. Gongsun family took advantage of this and named it " Baidi" and renamed the city Baidi City.

People who often read story books are also familiar with Baidi City. After the burning of the camp, the former lord of Shu took care of his orphans in Baidi City, leaving behind a story that will last forever.

In the late Wei Dynasty, the Qingyang Sect was in rebellion, and its main altar was located in Baidi City. Later, the Qingyang Sect was destroyed, and Baidi City was placed under the name of the Taoist Sect.

Daomen did not regard this place as a gateway fortress, but as a goods distribution center. Bulk goods such as silk, brocade, sugar, and salt from Shuzhou were gathered in Baidi City and then transported to Huzhou by water. , Jiangzhou and other places, either go north from the Grand Canal, or go directly to the sea.

Because of this, Baidi City is not under the jurisdiction of Shuzhou Daofu, but directly belongs to Shibotang among the nine halls.

As the name of Shibotang suggests, "Shi" means market trade, and "Shi" means ship and sea trade. It is in charge of maritime trade and other commercial matters. Duzhitang is responsible for auditing, statistics, and expenditures, mainly how to spend money. Shibotang Tang is responsible for how to make money.

Among the nine halls, Shibo Hall is not only related to Duzhi Hall, but also has close cooperation with Tianji Hall and Huasheng Hall. Tianjitang and Huashengtang can produce goods, but how to sell the goods is Shibotang's business. The money earned is then handed over to the Duzhi Hall to support Beichen Hall and Tiangang Hall, which are only accessible but not accessible.

For this reason, Shibotang has also set up branches in various places. However, unlike Huashengtang and Tianjitang, which set up branches in every Taoist government, they are mainly concentrated in a few key locations of trade routes, such as Baidi City, Jinling Mansion, Lanling Mansion, Qingbin Mansion, Loulan City and so on. At the same time, Shibotang also played a central coordinating role. In the original Jiangnan case, Shibotang coordinated the transfer of goods from Liaodong Provincial Government and Qizhou Provincial Government to fill the gap in Jiangnan Provincial Government. The business was also coordinated by Shibotang and Xibeitang. It was negotiated by mainland businessmen, and Jiangnan Province was mainly responsible for preparing the corresponding goods.

The two calculated the distance just right. When it was almost dusk, they arrived at the north gate of Baidi City. As expected, the gate inspection was very strict. Moreover, the person responsible for guarding the city gate is not the man in black from the imperial court, but the spiritual official of the Taoist gate.

However, for Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu, it was more beneficial. In any case, there was a layer of separation between the Taoist sect and the imperial court, no more than the Taoist sect's own people.

Sure enough, Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu presented the ultimatum, and after the gatekeeper confirmed that it was correct, their attitude suddenly became more friendly, and even the necessary luggage inspection was omitted, and they were allowed to go quickly.

When we entered the city, even though it was getting late, it was still very busy with people and cars coming and going.

There are mountains in the city that can be seen as far as the eye can see. There are palace buildings on the mountain, which can be vaguely seen.

Zhang Yuelu pointed to the palace on the mountain and said: "That is the famous Yong'an Palace. It is located on Yong'an Mountain, the highest in Baidi City. You can overlook the situation outside the city and is very suitable for supervising and commanding. The famous first lord of Shu died of illness in Therefore, the good story of Tuogu in Baidi City is left, but now it is the branch of Daomen Shibo Hall, which also functions as a Taoist temple. "

As we all know, many Taoist temples in Taomen also serve as post stations.

Qi Xuansu's eyes lit up: "You mean we can stay overnight for free."

"That's right." Zhang Yuelu said, "By the way, you can also sell the horse to them."

"Let's go, let's go." Qi Xuansu rode the horse first.

Zhang Yuelu pursed his lips and smiled, following closely behind.