Travel through the heavens

For a long time afterwards, as if to prove what Ye Xiaoying said, no more guests came to this luxurious hotel.

Xiao Se stood in the hall with his hands behind his back, facing the gate of Qianjintai, his face as calm as water.

Until a horse neighed outside the door, his expression finally relaxed and he uttered two words softly: "Here it comes."

I only heard the Qianjintai attendant at the door excitedly reporting: "The guests have arrived, Lord Lan Yue is here!"

"Oh, Marquis Lan Yue is here. He's a big shot." Master Tu clapped his hands happily and smiled at Xiao Se.

But Xiao Se remained silent. He didn't seem very happy, but rather seemed a little lost.

A moment later, Ye Ruoyi's loud voice came from outside the door: "The guests have arrived. Grand Tutor Dong Zhu has arrived."

Hearing this announcement, Ye Xiaoying was slightly startled, and the tea in his hand seemed to shake slightly: "Grand Master Dong Zhu? I didn't expect Chu He to invite him as well."

Fang Muye smiled and asked, "Is General Ye surprised?"

Ye Xiaoying nodded and said slowly: "Grand Master Dong Zhu is a veteran of three dynasties. He has been an official for fifty years. He is honest and upright. He does not get involved in party disputes or make friends with the powerful. He stands in the court with his talent and integrity for the country and the people. Honest officials respect him and corrupt officials fear him. When the court discusses matters, the emperor sits on the dragon chair, but he also has a crane chair, so he can sit with the emperor without kneeling or standing. He is a role model for Confucian scholars and the head of all officials. Since he is here, all officials in the court will also come. However, I am quite puzzled. He has always claimed that he is not involved in party disputes. Why did he come to such a meaningful banquet?"

Master Tu, who was downstairs, also asked Xiao Se a similar question: "Your Highness, I really admire you. Even the Grand Tutor Dong Zhu is here. How did you manage to welcome the greatest scholar in the world to my gambling house?"

Xiao Se explained, "I have a sword called Xuejian, which was the sword that the Prince of Langya wore when he went to war. Many years ago, the Grand Master also went to war with the army. At the critical moment of life and death, the Prince of Langya used this sword to save him."

Master Tu sighed, "Alas, the love between life and death is extremely precious, but you only use it to exchange for a meal for the Grand Tutor?"

"No, I don't want him." Xiao Se said almost word by word: "What I want are the civil and military officials."

Fang Muye looked downstairs, and saw Lan Yuehou and an old man with gray hair walking in together. The wrinkles on the old man's face were as sharp as if they were cut by a knife, but his eyes were still clear and bright.

Xiao Se, Master Tu, and Jiujiu Dao hurried over to greet them, bowing their heads respectfully and saying, "Marquis Lan Yue, Grand Master!"

Lan Yuehou smiled slightly as a response.

Dong Zhu looked at Xiao Se, his tone full of emotion: "You're back."

Xiao Se bowed again and said, "Yes, I'm back."

"It's good that you're back. After all, Tianqi City is your home." Dong Zhu said slowly: "However, you are better than before. It is indeed necessary to hone your skills outside. Child, you must understand your father's painstaking efforts!"

Xiao Se was stunned for a moment, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded: "Xiao Se remembers it."

Dong Zhu looked at Xiao Se and said, "The autumn wind is bleak and the weather is cold. The grass and trees are shaking and the dew turns to frost. Although your name sounds a bit sad, it also has a more artistic conception."

"Grand Master, let's take a seat." Marquis Lan Yue suddenly said.

Dong Zhu nodded: "Okay, take a seat."

Xiao Se leaned over and extended his hand to invite them: "You two, please take a seat."

Seeing Marquis Lan Yue and Dong Zhu walking up to the second floor, Ye Xiaoying stood up and said with a smile: "I had expected that the Marquis would come, but it was unexpected that the Grand Tutor also came."

Dong Zhu smiled slightly: "If the general can come, I can come too."

Lan Yuehou ignored Ye Xiaoying, but bowed to Fang Muye and said with a smile: "Brother Fang, we meet again, but the situation is different now. Yue Li would like to congratulate Brother Fang here."

Fang Muye clasped his fists in return: "You are too polite, my Lord."

Dong Zhu was slightly startled to see that Lan Yuehou, who was always unrestrained and uninhibited, and even did not say a word to Ye Xiaoying, the general of Beili's central army, actually had such an attitude towards someone. He glanced at Fang Muye, thought for a moment, and roughly guessed Fang Muye's identity in his heart.

Just as Ye Xiaoying had said to Fang Muye before, when Dong Zhu arrived, all the officials in the court also arrived.

Less than an incense stick of time had passed since Grand Tutor Dong Zhu and Marquis Lan Yue stepped into Qianjin Terrace. The entrance of Qianjin Terrace, which had been deserted before, suddenly became noisy. Guests came in one after another, and the loud announcements never stopped.

"The guests have arrived! The Minister of Revenue, Mr. Li Ruozhong, has arrived!"

"The guests have arrived! Lord Zhou De, the Minister of Justice, is here!"

"Guests are here! Lord Wu Jingcheng, the Minister of War, is here!"

"The guests have arrived! The Minister of Personnel, Mr. Xuande, has arrived!"

"The guests have arrived! The Minister of Rites, Lord Xu Weicheng, has arrived!"

"The guests have arrived! Lord Zhu Yumo, the Minister of Works, has arrived!"

……

In just half an hour, almost all the officials above the fourth rank in Tianqi City arrived one after another. The originally empty Qianjintai suddenly became extremely lively. Both the hall and the second floor were almost full.

The six ministers, the seven censors of the Censorate, the chief judge of the Supreme Court, the grand secretary of the Longtu Pavilion and other high-ranking officials of the court all went up to the second floor and paid respectful greetings to Dong Zhu, Lan Yuehou and Ye Xiaoying. However, when they saw Fang Muye, they all became puzzled and secretly guessed his identity.

After a long time, Lan Yuehou got up and went downstairs. He walked to Xiao Se's side and reminded him softly, "Chu He, the Grand Tutor has been waiting for a long time, and the others are getting a little impatient. No matter how delicious the tea at Qianjintai is, you can't drink it all the time. If you continue like this, even if the Grand Tutor doesn't say anything, someone will make a fuss about you being disrespectful to him."

Xiao Se lowered his head and said, "I know."

"Then when will you start the banquet?" asked Marquis Lan Yue.

"One stick of incense." Xiao Se whispered, "Give me another stick of incense."

"You want to wait for those two people?" Lan Yuehou shook his head: "They won't come. They won't give up so easily."

Xiao Se sighed softly: "That's all."

He turned around and said to Master Tu: "Master, let's start the banquet."

Master Tu nodded, cleared his throat, and said loudly: "Open..."

"Wait." A gentle voice suddenly interrupted him.

The voice was very gentle and made people feel comfortable listening to it, but when the two words were uttered, it abruptly interrupted Master Tu's words.

Master Tu opened his mouth and was clearly moving it, but no sound came out.

"It's really haunted." Master Tu cursed in his heart.

Everyone looked towards the door where the sound came from, and saw an old Taoist priest slowly walking in with a little Taoist boy.

Suddenly, the whole place was silent, even Dong Zhu stood up.

"Although I didn't say I would come, I also didn't say I wouldn't come. Why are you in such a hurry to start the banquet? Can't you wait for me?" The old Taoist priest reached out and touched the head of the little Taoist boy beside him, and continued: "Our little Zitong wants to enjoy the rare imperial banquet, so I will bring him here to have a taste. Do you have any objections? The old man walks slowly, and I am sorry to have delayed you all."

None of the officials in the court or the nobles of Tianqi dared to respond.

Only Xiao Se bowed his head and said, "The Imperial Master has arrived. This humble platform is honored. Please take a seat!"

Qi Tianchen led the little Taoist boy to the second floor. All the officials on the second floor wanted to step forward to greet them, but Qi Tianchen waved his hand lightly, and those who had just stood up or had taken a few steps retreated back to where they were in an instant.

The officials did not find it strange, but the next scene shocked them greatly.

Qi Tianchen bowed to the young man they met for the first time and said with a smile, "Fang Daoist, how are you?"

Fang Muye bowed in response: "Master Qi Tian, ​​long time no see."

Qi Tianchen smiled, took the little Taoist boy by the hand and sat down on the table between Fang Muye and Dong Zhu.

Master Dong said with emotion: "I didn't expect to see the Imperial Master here."

Qi Tianchen touched the little Taoist boy's head and said with a smile: "I want to say that it was really because my little disciple asked to come that I came. Do you believe it, Grand Master?"

"Nonsense, you are greedy yourself, Supervisor." The little Taoist boy called Zi Tong said dissatisfiedly.

Dong Zhu looked at the little Taoist boy and found that his pupils were actually purple. He was surprised and said, "Being born with purple pupils is indeed a bit special."

"It's not special." Hua Jin said suddenly: "It's a disease."

Master Dong was stunned for a moment, but Qi Tianchen nodded: "It is indeed a disease."

Zi Tong glanced at Hua Jin with dissatisfaction: "Can you cure it?"

"It can be cured." Hua Jin shook his hand slightly, and three silver needles were already in his hand.

Zi Tong quickly shrank towards Qi Tianchen.

Qi Tianchen touched Zi Tong's head and asked Fang Muye, "Fellow Daoist Fang, who is this little girl?"

Fang Muye smiled and said, "She is my new apprentice, Hua Jin."

"So it's your disciple." Qi Tianchen smiled at Hua Jin and said, "Young lady, do you really have a way to cure my disciple?"

"Of course there is a way." Hua Jin nodded and said confidently: "I heard about this disease from my master. Well, my other master said that people who are born with purple eyes can see things that ordinary people cannot see. However, the eyes are the mouth of the heart. If evil enters the eyes, it will enter the heart. People with purple eyes are often extremely smart, but they don't live long. If my master can cure it, I can naturally cure it too."

Qi Tianchen asked curiously, "I wonder who is the other master of the little girl?"

Hua Jin replied in a crisp voice: "Medicine King Valley Xinbaicao."

Qi Tianchen laughed: "It turns out that the little girl is the little genius doctor of Medicine King Valley. Doctor Xin is also an old friend of mine. I haven't seen him for many years."

Zi Tong glanced around and suddenly asked in a low voice: "Supervisor, why haven't you served the food yet?"

Qi Tianchen scratched his head: "Don't worry, the master is still waiting for someone."

Zi Tong asked again: "Who are you waiting for?"

Qi Tianchen said faintly: "His brother."

"Oh, that's time to wait. Okay, I'm not in a hurry." Zi Tong lowered his head.

At this moment, the loud voice of Qianjintai's attendant at the door sounded again.

"The guests have arrived! His Royal Highness the White King is here!"

"The guests have arrived! His Royal Highness the Red King is here!"