The Great Wei Music Bureau

Chapter 157 Shen Lu Makes Trouble at Zhu Village

Last time, we talked about how Master Mo Zhai lent his magic weapon, the Doubi, to Li Yi to comprehend the essence of the Mo Dou technique. As the saying goes, a master leads the way, but the practice is up to the individual. Whether or not he can learn the Mo Dou technique depends on Li Yi's comprehension. After that, Li Yi set off to Zhujiazhuang to attend Zhu Zi's wedding. Next, let's take a look at who the little nun who is going to marry Zhu Zi is.

Although Wang Youjun had tried his best to make up for it, not only allowing Li Yi to experience his unique martial arts, the Mo Dou Shu, but also guiding him to visit Zhu Wentai, the leader of Confucianism and Taoism in Southern Liang, Yi Ling's departure still made the great talent Li very dissatisfied.

Of course, on the way to Zhujiazhuang, Li Yi also figured out Wang Youjun's intention. First, it was to save Yi Ling from his own clutches so that he could fully prepare for the challenge from the Tiandi Sect; second, he was indeed suitable for practicing the Mo Dou technique; and finally, it was to deal with the crisis of the Shura King's incarnation appearing in the world.

Although Li Yi is not a Taoist now, he has practiced two Taoist derivative spells, so his relationship with Taoism has become very subtle. This is Wang Youjun's real intention.

In Wang Youjun's plan, as long as Li Yi can get the recognition of Zhu Xi and other Confucian and Taoist masters of Southern Liang, it would be natural for the three religions to jointly deal with this crisis. However, our great talent Li seems to have other plans.

Yu Jiu drove most of the way, and Li Yi spent more time concentrating on comprehending the ink technique. He didn't want to waste his powerful soul power. After noon that day, Yu Jiu saw a large manor in the distance while driving. He shouted excitedly: "Sir, come out and take a look, it seems we have arrived!"

Li Yi opened his eyes, lifted the car curtain and looked at the manor surrounded by white walls in the distance. He nodded and smiled, "Yes, there is no mistake. This is Zhujia Manor of Zhu Zi Zhu Wentai. You drive carefully, and I will change my clothes and pack up." Yu Jiuen nodded and drove towards the gate of the manor.

The wedding of Zhu Xi, the leading Confucianist and Taoist leader of the Southern Liang Dynasty, naturally dominated the hot search list of the Southern Dynasty. The carriages and horses coming to congratulate blocked the road so tightly that Yu Jiu had no choice but to stop the car.

As soon as the car stopped, Li Yi, dressed as a Taoist priest, walked out of the car. This really surprised Yu Jiu. He immediately asked, "Sir, why are you dressed as a Taoist priest?"

Li Yi looked at the crowded path and said with emotion: "Wow, it's so lively! That's right, Zhu Zi's wedding should be like this!" Li Yi threw a Taoist robe to Yu Jiu and said: "Find a place to park the car and change into this clothes. We both have to dress up as Taoists today!"

Yu Jiu was puzzled and asked, "Young Master is obviously a Confucianist and Taoist, why do you want to dress up as a Taoist priest?"

Li Yi smiled and said, "You should know that this Zhu Zi brought the Taoist Tianzong's theory of preserving the heavenly principles and eliminating human desires to Confucianism. This old man who is over 60 years old is willing to destroy his reputation to hold this wedding. I am very curious about who he is going to marry, so I have to disguise myself as a Taoist priest to sneak into the back hall."

Yu Jiu muttered, "Then can we still have the banquet?"

Li Yi glared at Yu Jiu and said sternly, "Eat, eat, eat. All you know is to eat! Stop the nonsense! Go park the car and change your clothes!"

Yu Jiu said "oh" very reluctantly, and then drove away. Li Yi stood on tiptoe and looked at the gate. There were really big red lanterns hanging high, colorful flags fluttering in the wind, pairs of "happiness" characters everywhere, and the gatekeeper's announcements were heard everywhere.

After a while, Yu Jiu came back in his Taoist robe. Li Yi led him to the main gate. After finally squeezing through the gate, the gatekeeper looked at the two of them and saluted, "Excuse me, are you here to beg for alms or to congratulate?"

Li Yi pretended to bow and said, "Excuse me, little brother, what is the difference between begging for alms and congratulations?"

The gatekeeper smiled and said, "Today is my master's big day after all. You can see that there are too many people coming to congratulate him! There is almost no room for everyone in this manor. So if you two don't have an invitation, you can only make up for it and have the feast in the courtyard opposite."

Li Yi was puzzled: "Invitation? Why send invitations in such a grand manner for such a self-destructive thing? But Wang Ru didn't send me an invitation. And even if Zhu Zi sent an invitation to Wang Ru, how could Wang Ru receive it when he was traveling around?"

Just as Li Yi was hesitating, a young man in luxurious clothes squeezed over, looked Li Yi up and down, and then said, "If you want to join in the fun, just go across the street. It's a buffet, come and eat as you please! Master Zhu's wedding is naturally a good time for everyone to enjoy the joy."

After saying this, he winked at his attendant, who immediately placed the wooden box in front of the gatekeeper and said, "My prince's gift is ten pieces of Ningguang paper from the previous dynasty. This is Night Condensation Frost made by the royal papermaking company of the previous dynasty. Not to mention that this paper is smooth and white, you can't buy it now even if you have money."

The gatekeeper accepted the wooden box and bowed, saying with a smile, "Oh, Master Liu is really thoughtful! Quick, write it down, Master Jiankang Chengping Hou gets ten knives of top-grade Ningguang paper!"

He immediately took note and the gatekeeper shouted, "Liu Jiye, the son of the Marquis of Chengping, Jiankang, is here to congratulate you. Please come to the inner courtyard and take a seat!"

The Prince Liu glanced at Li Yi and then walked into the courtyard with a smile. Li Yi didn't know where this Prince of Chengping came from. He just shook his head and smiled, then took out the scroll written by Wang Youjun from the sack and handed it to the gatekeeper, then said, "We are here to congratulate Wang Youjun and Wang Ru on behalf of Mozhai Zhenren. This is the calligraphy that Wang Ru gave to Master Zhu."

Si Guan took the scroll and opened it halfway. He only saw the words "Hong Ru" and his pupils dilated visibly. He immediately put the scroll away and said to Li Yi respectfully, "Excuse me, Taoist, are you a disciple of Wang Ru?"

Li Yi waved his hand and said, "Although Master Mo Zhai does not admit that he is my master, he has taught me a lot of things. So he can be considered half a master."

The gatekeeper paused for a moment and then asked, "May I ask the Taoist priest's name?"

Li Yi replied, "Venerable Miaoyin Li Jing."

The gatekeeper immediately shouted loudly: "Master Mo Zhai, the disciple of the great scholar Wang Youjun of the Langya Wang family, and the Master Miaoyin, Li Jing, congratulates on behalf of his master. Please come to the inner courtyard and take your seat!" Then he made a gesture of invitation.

Li Yi and Yu Jiu then stepped into the courtyard and were led by a waiter through the corridor to the gate of the inner courtyard. The waiter bowed to a man in his thirties and said, "Second Master, this is Li Jing, the Master of Miaoyin, a disciple of Wang Ru, the Master of Mozhai. The Taoist priest congratulates you on behalf of the master and presents Wang Ru's calligraphy."

Upon hearing this, the second master of the Zhu family bowed to Li Yi and said, "I never thought I would meet a disciple of Wang Ru. I am Zhu Ye, meeting Taoist Li."

Li Yi bowed and replied, "So you are the second master of the Zhu family. To be honest, Master Mo Zhai only taught me a few moves, but I never became your disciple, so I am not worthy of the title of senior disciple."

Zhu Ye waved his hand and said with a smile: "This is wrong. There are only 3,000 people who have listened to my father's lectures, but how come there are tens of thousands of people in this world who claim to be my father's disciples? Since the Taoist priest was able to receive guidance from Wang Ru and has a righteous spirit, he must be a person who practices both Taoism and Confucianism.

I guess Wang Ru intends to pass on the art of ink fountain to the Taoist priest, so the word "disciple" is natural! Taoist priest, there is no need to be modest, please follow me to the table." After saying this, he welcomed Li Yi and the other two into the inner courtyard and took them to the front seats.

The previous Chengping Marquis's son Liu Ji was also at this table. He was chatting with another young master at the table. When he saw Li Yi sitting next to him, he was puzzled and asked, "Hey? How did you, a stinky Taoist priest, get into the inner courtyard? How did this kid get to the table as well? Didn't they say there were too many guests and not enough seats? Why did the gatekeeper let everyone into the inner courtyard? How can he be so bad at his job!"

Everyone at the table turned to look at Li Yi and Yu Jiu. Yu Jiu was so angry after hearing these sarcastic words that he was about to speak but was stopped by Li Yi. The latter smiled and gave him a calm gesture, then asked, "I have lived in the mountains for a long time and don't know the worldly affairs. The surname of the Marquis of Chengping is Liu, so the Marquis of Chengping must also be Liu. The gift is Ningguang paper from the previous dynasty. The name of the previous dynasty was Song, and the surname was Liu. Does this mean that the Marquis of Chengping is a member of the royal family of the previous dynasty?

This is strange. I heard that when Xiao Qi replaced Song, Emperor Gao of Qi killed all the Liu clan members. I guess the lineage of Marquis Chengping must be a branch of the Liu clan, so they were able to survive, right? Speaking of branches, it was the branch that seized the throne when Xiao Liang replaced Qi. The previous emperor only killed the Xiao Qi clan members, and he was really kind-hearted to spare the Liu clan's descendants!"

"How dare you!" The young man who had been chatting with Liu Ji suddenly shouted, "How dare you, a mountain Taoist priest, talk nonsense about the late emperor? Do you know your crime?"

Li Yi looked at the young man, smiled and saluted, and asked, "May I ask who you are?"

The man replied, "I am Shen Lu, son of the Minister of the Central Secretariat Shen Yue. How can I tolerate a rebellious person like you? Someone come here!"

Although Shen Lu's loud shout attracted everyone's attention, no one responded. After all, this was Zhujiazhuang, not the residence of his Minister of the Central Secretariat.

Zhu Ye rushed over upon hearing the noise, bowed and asked, "Mr. Shen, what happened to Taoist Li? Why are they quarreling on such a happy day?"

Shen Lu said, "Although Master Zhu is not in the court, he still holds the honorary title of Qingye Taichang and enjoys the court's tribute. Today, Master Zhu is getting married, and there are such rebellious people who dare to talk about the late emperor and humiliate the princes! Master Zhu, is it that the guests you invited are treasonous, or is it that your Zhu family is dissatisfied with the court?"

Zhu Ye said in horror, "Why do you say that, Master Shen? Ever since my father left the court, he has been studying and teaching at home, and has never discussed state affairs. How can you say that he is dissatisfied with the court?"

Shen Lu laughed and said, "What a joke! Buddhism is the state religion of Daliang. Your Majesty personally wrote the words 'Buddha's Gate is Always Open' and hung them on the gate of Tongde Temple in Jiankang. However, when Zhu Zi was the governor of Xiangzhou, he repeatedly advised monks and nuns to return to secular life and closed down 17 temples and monasteries. Didn't I just go against your Majesty's wishes?"

That’s not all. I heard that when Zhu Zi left Xiangzhou, he also took a little nun with him, and this little nun is today’s bride!

Master Zhu, how do you explain this? Everyone knows that Master Zhu once practiced in the Tianzong of Taoism. His idea of ​​preserving the principles of heaven and eliminating human desires was copied from the Tianzong. The Tianzong was also on good terms with the Northern Wei Dynasty. Master Zhu's intention to suppress Buddhism and promote Taoism was obvious! Your Majesty has issued edicts many times to invite Master Zhu to serve as an official in the court, but Master Zhu refused. I wonder if Master Zhu's heart is with Liang or Wei?"

Hearing this, Li Yi thought, this Shen Lu is not targeting me, he is here to cause trouble today! As for the reason, I haven't guessed it yet, but...wait! Shen Lu? The son of Zhongshu Ling Shen Yue, the unlearned drunkard and womanizer that Lao Yinbi mentioned? Cui Zhi used the alias Su Xiao to befriend him?

Hiss, this is not right! Just the courage to cause trouble in front of so many guests on the wedding day of Zhu Zi, who is in the extraordinary realm, is not something that ordinary people can have? He said it so bluntly. Judging from his appearance and behavior, he doesn't look like a playboy. Could it be that the information from Old Silver Coin is wrong? Who is his source of information? Is it Cui Zhi? Or someone else? It seems necessary to find out.

Thinking of this, Li Yi stood up and walked to Shen Lu and said coldly: "Mr. Shen, it's fine if you scold me. I am a person from the outside world and don't care about your secular views, but it's inappropriate for you to say this about Master Zhu, right?

After all, today is a big day for the Zhu family. How will it end if you continue to make trouble like this? Master Zhu, this matter started because of me, so I will end it by me! Don't worry, Master Zhu will not be implicated!"

Li Yi stared at Shen Lu with murderous eyes. The latter was frightened and retreated half a step. He asked: "What are you going to do? In broad daylight, in the open air, are you going to kill me? I am the son of the Minister of the Central Secretariat! If you dare to hurt me, I will make sure you die without a burial place!"

After hearing these two sentences, Li Yi smiled in his heart: It seems that Old Silver Coin's information is not completely wrong. This kid is the kind of person who is soft-hearted and afraid of hardship. That will make it much easier to deal with!

Li Yi casually pulled out the long-handled saber that Yi Ling had given him from the sack and placed it on Shen Lu's neck. The sinister and murderous aura on the saber turned into black smoke and dissipated, and everyone present was horrified!

Li Yi smiled and said, "This blade was taken from the demons of Shura Palace before. They called it the Ghost Blade. The power of those evil cultivators is accumulated on this Ghost Blade. This ownerless Ghost Blade will inevitably attract the snatch of other evil cultivators of Shura Palace.

Now I just need to force this knife to recognize you, Master Shen, as its master. No matter where you go, it will follow you. When the evil cultivators from Shura Palace come to seize the knife, I wonder if Master Shen's guards can help you stop them? If they can stop them, it will just help my sect eliminate the evil cultivators. If not, Master Shen's karma will not be counted on me."