Chapter 143 Good fortune! The plan of the day is in the morning. Early in the morning, the battle in the waters east of Fuli Island was known to everyone who should know, and all those who should respond were either thinking or discussing. Qingzhou, Pinghaiwei headquarters camp. Miao Zongren, the governor of Pinghai Guard, Li Huizu, the governor of Qingzhou and the military supervisor of Pinghai Guard, and deputy generals Ma Jinyu, Yang Qingren and Huang Juecheng gathered in a tent and sat in an arc. Li Huizu and Miao Zongren sat in the middle, with Yang Qingren and Huang Juecheng surrounding them on both sides, and Ma Jinyu sat a little further away. Opposite the five people was a circular light magic water mirror as big as a giant screen, on which the entire battle of last night was replayed. This is the third time I've replayed it. After reading it, Li Huizu spoke up, performing his duties as a military supervisor: "Manager Miao, I think this matter is not a trivial matter. We cannot deal with it vaguely or casually. How did the Langmo Sect accurately know the time when the two patrol fleets changed their posts? How did they know the weak points in the sea area monitoring when the two patrol fleets changed their posts? How did they sneak past the patrol fleets? These questions must be clarified one by one, and no matter who is found, they must be investigated to the end!" After a pause, Li Huizu emphasized: "At this critical moment, in order to pacify Haiwei, we must take a clear attitude. We don't seek to satisfy all parties, but we must stand firm."

"Of course, Li Jianjun, please rest assured." Miao Zongren agreed with Li Huizu's point of view, and then said to Ma Jinyu who was a little further away: "Deputy Marshal Ma, could you please investigate this matter? Oh, by the way, the two captains on duty last night, Ma Boqi and Yang Ningyu, should be recalled and suspended pending investigation." "promise." Ma Jinyu agreed without hesitation. It seemed that Ma Boqi was not his favorite general, but was brought from the capital to serve as Pinghaiwei. As for Yang Ningyu, who had accumulated enough merit and made great contributions after the attack on Fuli Island some time ago and was promoted directly from centurion to captain, Ma Jinyu didn't care even more about him. Anyway, he is just suspended pending investigation, and there is no doubt that nothing will be found out about this matter. Immediately, Miao Zongren looked at Yang Qingren and Huang Juecheng respectively: "In the future, you two deputy commanders will have to work harder and take cross-responsibility for patrolling the dozen islands seized from the Langmo Sect. This is especially true for Fuli Island, the island farthest from the mainland of the Heavenly Dynasty and the former mountain gate of the Langmo Sect. Don't let something like what happened last night happen again. If it gets out, it will damage the reputation and dignity of our Pinghai Guards and make people all over the world think that our Pinghai Guards are incompetent and can't even maintain peace for three months!" "promise." Yang Qingren and Huang Juecheng bowed at the same time. For a military general, the most feared thing is being idle, with no soldiers and no tasks. On the surface, Miao Zongren did not trust them. The so-called cross-responsibility meant mutual supervision. In fact, this is creating a more harmonious opportunity for them to seize military power. Cross-responsibility is also a kind of running-in and forming a tacit understanding. When each of them holds his own military power, if there are any disagreements or conflicts, they can completely rely on the tacit understanding formed and resolve them through consultation. After all, when they were under Duke Chengguo's command, Yang Qingren and Huang Juecheng were just nodding acquaintances. There was neither much military cooperation nor any personal interactions. This shows the skill of Miao Zongren. He was transferred from a civil official to a military officer, and came to Qingzhou from the three southwestern states. He had a shallow foundation, so it was naturally difficult for him to gain the trust of the soldiers. It was impossible for him to keep Pinghaiwei firmly in his hands, so he had to share power.

Rather than being eroded by Ma Jinyu, it is better to take the initiative to divide it among Yang Qingren and Huang Juecheng so that they can check and balance each other. In this way, Miao Zongren would not have to worry about being sidelined. He could also use the ample time created by checks and balances to work steadily and lead Pinghaiwei from one victory to another, thereby establishing his own authority. A military general who has a strong fist and can win battles will naturally gain support! Miao Zongren turned around and spoke in a friendly manner to discuss with Li Huizu: "Military Supervisor, I know Tao Tie quite well. What he said to Yang Ningyu last night was actually to ask for compensation, not to threaten. More than 10,000 soldiers went to the battle, and more than 9,000 were lost. The pre-war preparations plus the post-war recall and training are indeed a huge expense. Military Supervisor, do you think we, the Pinghai Guard, should make compensation in the form of rewards?" Li Huizu thought about some of the things his daughter mentioned in the letter, then nodded in agreement: "Okay." Ma Jinyu, Yang Qingren and Huang Juecheng standing by had no objection to this. Whether it's rewards or compensation, they all come from Pinghaiwei's public account and they don't need to pay out of their own pockets. As long as Pinghaiwei can provide it and it doesn't reduce the supply of the troops under their jurisdiction, it will be fine. What really needs attention is how Tao Tie can have more than 10,000 soldiers and horses with him! A traditional Taoist inner talisman system cultivator who wants to train more than 10,000 personal soldiers must at least be granted the "Shangqing Five Thunder Scriptures"; If a monk of the outer talisman system of the Missionary Academy wants to train more than ten thousand soldiers and horses, he must at least become the chief military mage of a guard, which is a third-rank official! In the entire Dayong Dynasty, there are only 749 guards in total. Tao Tie's official position is still the ninth-rank inspector of the Department of Immortals and Gods. So, how did he do it? boom! The capital city, the third prince’s palace. A chessboard carved from an entire piece of top-grade spiritual jade was overturned, and the black and white chess pieces were scattered all over the floor. The third prince was furious and smashed everything he could to vent his anger. The think tank Shi Guanzhong stood aside with his eyelids slightly drooping and a calm expression, as if he didn't see the scene in front of him. In the courtyard where the study was located, there was no one else except the Third Prince and Shi Guanzhong. The guards, eunuchs, palace maids, and subordinates were all dispersed in advance by Shi Guanzhong who saw the bad situation. "call!" After the huge study was smashed to pieces, the third prince let out a long sigh of relief, took a few deep breaths, and regained his composure. "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Mr. Shi." The Third Prince walked out, saying with embarrassment, "I don't know why I couldn't control my temper after hearing the news. I shouldn't have lost my composure like this. Fortunately, Mr. Shi was here and handled the situation in time, so that no one could see my loss of composure. Otherwise, I would have been in a dilemma as to how to deal with it." Shi Guanzhong did not seem to understand the cruelty in the Third Prince's words, and said calmly: "Your Highness must have been confused by the calamity, so he is like this." "The calamity enters the heart?" The Third Prince's brows knitted together, a look of deep doubt emerged on his face, and then he said nonchalantly, "I am a descendant of Taizu, and I have the luck of the royal family. How could the calamity enter my heart so easily?" After a short pause, the Third Prince pondered for a moment and asked in confusion, "Mr. Shi, is Tao Tie my calamity? No wonder he is always against me. I don't like him very much. A few days ago, I even ordered Ma Jinyu to target him. Now that I think about it, it was a bad idea. I am a prince, why should I compete with him?" Shi Guanzhong followed the Third Prince into the courtyard, looked up at the bright sky, and shook his head slightly: "Your Highness is wrong. Tao Tie is not enough to be your calamity. Your Highness's calamity is brought about by the luck of the royal family."

"Oh?" The third prince became interested and bowed solemnly, "Please teach me, Mr. Shi." Shi Guanzhong flicked his fingers and cast a spell to prevent any possibility of the conversation being leaked. Then he said seriously: "In this world, humans, demons, monsters, ghosts, and monsters live together, it is a chaotic world! Taizu was a man of extraordinary talent, and he carved out a bright and prosperous Celestial Empire, which gave our human race a large area where we could live in peace. But outside the Celestial Empire, there are the millions of mountains in the southwest, the Ten Thousand Monsters Desert in the northwest and north, the Ice Field Demon Realm in the northeast, and the overseas demon sects in the southeast and east. All major human cultivation forces, no matter how strong or weak, are enslaving living beings, just like the demons and monsters over there. Your Highness, don't you think that the underlying rules of the Heavenly Dao in this world are chaotic?" The Third Prince frowned and asked, "But killing ghosts, slaying demons, exterminating monsters and exterminating monsters can not only gain the favor of humanity and merits of humanity, but also gain the favor of heaven and merits of heaven. How do you explain this?" "That's why I said that the way of heaven is just chaotic, not evil." Shi Guanzhong said lightly, "As far as I know, the way of heaven in this world was not so chaotic from the beginning, but rather presented the indifferent and unfair state it should be. More than ten thousand years ago, in the ancient times, I don't know what kind of catastrophe happened, and then it suddenly became chaotic and inclined to evil. This trend was not stopped until Taizu was born more than a thousand years ago, and it was reversed. Therefore, it is precisely because Your Highness is a descendant of Taizu and has the luck of the royal family that you are targeted by the evil part of the chaotic way of heaven, so that the calamity enters your heart." The third prince couldn't help but ponder for a while after hearing this. Then he asked, "Mr. Shi's words have some hidden meaning, and I can't guess it for the moment. Just say what you want to say." Shi Guanzhong bowed solemnly and said seriously: "Your Highness, I think that the time period for demonstrating my ability to win people has passed. Even if I want to demonstrate it, I should not focus on the 180 geniuses. Your Highness should focus on observing government affairs and making achievements. If Your Highness continues to do treacherous things and does not follow the upright path, the calamity in his heart will become more and more serious, and he will be further away from the position of crown prince. On the contrary, if Your Highness takes the initiative to face the evil side of the chaotic Heavenly Dao, builds meritorious careers, and pacifies the chaotic world, not only will you not have to worry about the calamity entering your heart and becoming lost, but you will also gain more favor from the human and Heavenly Dao, and you will be closer and closer to becoming the crown prince or even the emperor." At this point, the voice in the stone crown became excited: "To bear the disgrace of the country is to be the master of the country; to bear the misfortune of the country is to be the king of the world! I hope Your Highness will understand!" These words are undoubtedly Shi Guanzhong's heartfelt words, and also a manifestation of his stubbornness, and he is speaking frankly and directly to the emperor. However, the third prince is a descendant of Taizu after all. Although his character is somewhat biased, his essence is still not bad. Even though he felt unhappy after hearing this unpleasant but honest advice, he was still able to suppress his emotions and think carefully, instead of acting impulsively in anger and smashing everything like he did before. While the Third Prince was thinking seriously, on Yuquan Mountain, Dao Xiaofeng drew his sword and fought with the eldest princess. The two of them were really fighting this time, not just sparring. Qiu Wanru was watching from the sidelines. She looked calm on the outside, but she was very worried in her heart, fearing that the two would get angry and turn the fight into a life-and-death struggle. She couldn't rashly intervene in the fight between the two men, so she had to set up one talisman formation after another, ready to rescue them at any time. Fortunately, although Dao Xiaofeng was angry, he did not completely lose his mind. While venting his anger, he did not actually kill the person. The eldest princess mainly dodged and defended, occasionally counterattacking. As the fight went on, Dao Xiaofeng suddenly slashed out with a sword light so bright that it dimmed the sun, and then he withdrew. Waving her long sleeves, using softness to overcome hardness, removing the knife light, the princess landed beside Qiu Wanru and asked with a smile: "Don't you want to fight anymore?" "do not fight!"

Dao Xiaofeng sheathed his sword, then dropped it, looking gloomy, "You didn't fight well." "Why is it so unpleasant?" The eldest princess asked the question even though she knew the answer, just to irritate Dao Xiaofeng. "Humph!" Shaking his head and snorting, Dao Xiaofeng turned around and walked away, not bothering to look at the eldest princess's smug face. In the past, Dao Xiaofeng felt that the eldest princess was like this, real and pleasing to the eye. Now it seems a bit fake. It’s not that the eldest princess has become hypocritical, but that she has put on a mask. It’s like the laughter before was a hearty laugh, but the laughter now is just a fake smile. Qiu Wanru smiled and said, "Xiaofeng often uses killing moves, but once she has killing intentions, it will cause the Qi that has grown too much in your body to counterattack. But she doesn't really want to kill you, so she won't really use killing moves. If she uses ordinary moves to fight you, she will only be able to exert 60% of her strength under the restraint of Qi counterattack, and the fight will definitely not be smooth." "Then why are you so nervous?" The eldest princess looked at the various talisman formations that were dispersing and asked with a smile. Qiu Wanru replied as a matter of course: "How do I know if Xiaofeng will really use a killing move on you when she gets angry?" After a moment of silence, the princess asked with concern, "Has she not yet overcome her love tribulation?" Qiu Wanru nodded silently and said nothing. There are thousands of disasters in the world, but the most difficult one to overcome is the disaster of love. Especially in situations like Dao Xiaofeng who knows that he is experiencing an emotional tribulation but has no idea who it is related to. After a moment of silence, Qiu Wanru changed the subject and asked solemnly, "Yun Shen, did you know about what happened on Fuli Island last night?" The princess looked directly into Qiu Wanru's eyes and replied with the same solemnity: "I didn't know, but I foresaw this happening. And I can tell you and Xiaofeng for sure that Fuli Island will face an even stronger impact next." Qiu Wanru took a deep breath and said, "So, you deliberately arranged for Tao Tie to go to Fuli Island just to test the quality of Tao Tie?" The eldest princess smiled, put her hands behind her back, and walked away slowly. As they walked, he said meaningfully: "You and Xiaofeng really think of him as your junior brother. He is not the same Tao Tie as I saw. How do you know that it is not the Fuli Island that Tao Tie wanted to go to?" After saying this, the princess passed by Dao Xiaofeng, who was standing on the edge of the cliff looking southwest, and gave a suggestion: "Listen to Wanru's arrangement and go to Yangzhou to relax. After relaxing, you can go out to sea from Yangzhou and meet the overseas demon sects." Dao Xiaofeng remained silent. On Fuli Island, the main peak of the Central Mountain Range, Tao Tie remained silent as he looked at the dozen or so clay figures in front of him who were staggering and walking from side to side. The clay figurines were made using part of the Tiangang method [casting beans to create soldiers]. However, they have not been consecrated or sacrificed, and are more like Yanshi's puppets than the intelligent bean soldiers like the Yellow Turban Warriors. The Earthly Evil Techniques of "false shape", "spraying", and "fingering" are applied to the clay figures, giving them the power to adapt to changes;

"Zhi Li" and "Ji Zhang" are applied to it, giving the clay figure the ability to reduce or even exempt it from damage; "Life Light" is applied to it, giving the clay figurine the effect of divine light protecting the body, being invulnerable to all kinds of attacks, and keeping away all evil; Immediately, the souls of more than a dozen soldiers from the Liudun Zhentian Command Department of Ziwei Jade Palace entered the body of the clay figure. The Earthly Evil Technique "Qi Ban" makes the soldier's soul merge with the clay figure's body into one, and they cannot separate easily. After observing silently for three hours, Tao Tie was sure that the clay figures made in this way could exist for a long time without fighting, and just like living people! Although it did not meet Tao Tie's real expectations, it was barely enough. The tens of thousands of soldiers who burned the ferry in Pingyuan County were all strong and powerful. They were led by the former county magistrate, yamen runners, stationed soldiers, and practitioners from various sects. In short, they were elites during their lifetime! It would be most appropriate to let them teach in the missionary school for three months to teach and educate the people of Fuli Island. So Tao Tie started to scoop water and mud. Continue playing in the mud. (End of this chapter)