Further in-depth sensing, Zhao Qing also noticed that the other party carried several artifacts that concealed power above the seventh level. They were like sleeping dragons. Although they were silent, they emitted heart-stopping fluctuations of vitality. They were obviously Emperor Chu's.
Every piece of top-notch equipment is far beyond the imagination of the world.
For thousands of years, most emperors were not the strongest practitioners in their country, but they were usually the ones who mastered the secrets of their dynasty's cultivation world and had the most cultivation resources, such as the current Emperors of Qi, Emperor Yan, and Emperor Chu.
, so he definitely belongs to the top few in the world.
Even Qi Jinshan, the great master of the Lingxu Sword Sect whom he met earlier, is more than one level behind Emperor Chu. Even Zhao Qing is not fully confident of defeating him head-on. After all, who has a long dynasty that has been passed down for hundreds of years?
Do you know what desperate means and trump cards are hidden?
It's just that Emperor Chu has only been in power for thirty-two years, and is only about seventy years old. However, many of his body functions are completely maintained by the flow of true energy, and he is already on the verge of old age and death. This makes Zhao Qing doubtful, guessing that the other party will be there during this period.
What kind of damage was sustained?
Not far behind Emperor Chu, stood a middle-aged grandmaster. The two sides maintained a just right distance. There was an indescribable old sadness in his eyes. His short beard neatly decorated his lower jaw.
It adds a bit of literati character.
Ten thumb rings of different colors flashed on the fingertips of this master. Each finger exuded a unique luster, red like flames, blue like the deep sea, and green like emeralds. This set of yin and yang five elements talismans seemed to be compressed into many
A miniature world that combines lightness and heaviness.
It can make the autumn wind blowing around you naturally feel a bit sad. Those who know something about the famous masters of the Chu Dynasty should be able to quickly think of Chu Qifeng, the master of the "Tiangong Pavilion", the strongest in the previous generation of the Chu Dynasty.
The first among the masters "The Wind, Bitter Rain and Ivy Chaos".
As one of the "holy hands" who has already reached the top level of the Seventh Realm and has the best skills in the world, Chu Qifeng's status is undoubtedly higher than that of all the people who have appeared in the bidding conference so far. It is said that in recent years, due to political opinions with Emperor Chu
Due to some disagreements, I have been unable to come out of seclusion.
However, such a legendary figure was quietly traveling with Emperor Chu at this moment, standing silently behind him, seemingly close and trusting each other.
This makes people speculate that Ming Xiao's reputation outside the country is not good. It is said that Emperor Chu, who is lustful and mediocre and dislikes government affairs, is actually just low-key and peaceful in his affairs, and his real methods are quite clever.
Considering that Chu Liuyun of Xiajiang Workshop should be a relative of Chu Qifeng of Tiangong Pavilion, he came with Emperor Chu and most likely already knew something about the "Magic Machine for Producing Grain" and understood its importance.
, this was completely within Zhao Qing’s expected plan.
"Just call me Xiong Qian." Emperor Chu's voice was gentle but powerful. He nodded slightly and acknowledged his identity: "I would venture to guess that the two of you are not practitioners from our dynasty, right? Come to Yingdu, so
Why? Maybe I can be of some help."
"We are just traveling here and are very interested in Chudu's bidding conference, so we came to take a look." Zhao Qing replied casually, seeming to be unfazed by the appearance of the country's supreme ruler, and said calmly: "Your Majesty.
I came here specially to ask for something, right?"
"There is indeed something I would like to ask you in detail." Emperor Chu approached slowly and gently placed the food box in his hand on a tree stump in front of the two of them.
The food box was well-made and made of fine wood. It was engraved with complex and exquisite dragon and phoenix patterns. It contained two layers of heat preservation and freshness preservation magic arrays and had a few roses inserted for decoration. It was obviously made by everyone.
"Within ten days, there will be springs and springs in Bashan, meteors will appear suddenly in Yangshan, and formations will go wrong in Wushan... I'm afraid these phenomena are inseparable from the two of you, right?"
He laughed as he spoke, and sat down on the earthen chair that was created by Chu Qifeng using his little finger to control the talisman. He looked at Zhao Qing and Xia Mi, and sensed the latter's similar but different aura to the blind dragon:
"A great master who is rare in the world is here together. As the master of this place, why should I not come to welcome the guests?"
When Zhao Qing was observing Emperor Chu, Emperor Chu was also using his profound cultivation and mysterious techniques to explore the details of Zhao Qing and Xia Mi as much as possible. He saw countless small worlds of birth and death, and endless bright stars hanging down.
, swimming in the vast ocean of billions of sword energies and sword intentions.
The deeper you practice, the less your lifespan is left. The more you understand how wonderful practice is, the more you understand how far away the higher realms are.
However, Emperor Chu concentrated his mind on his thoughts, and vaguely sensed some qi that went beyond the scope of the eight realms of enlightenment recorded in the classics, a sense of immortality, the root of all laws, and the source of all ways.
Although it is difficult to confirm and distinguish, he is basically certain that the other party has not really entered the Eighth Realm yet, but he is still shocked in his heart, and he instantly has sincere respect for her, knowing that this is a person who can quickly become a person no matter where she goes.
The existence of leaders in the spiritual world.
For some reason, after meeting the two people in the intelligence, Emperor Chu seemed to be very interested in talking, and added: "These two people came to Chu from Qin and have never shown their identities in the Qin Dynasty before, but they are willing to meet and talk with me.
, that means despising Qin and respecting Chu. Although we have just met him for the first time, he is already my friend in Xiongqian."
Zhao Qing and Xia Mi looked at each other and smiled. They were not surprised by Emperor Chu's direct question and expression of goodwill. After all, as the king of a country, it would be difficult for Emperor Chu to sit firmly in this position without some ability to discern the subtleties.
country.
"I admire your Majesty's ears and eyes." Zhao Qing smiled slightly, neither admitting nor denying it, and asked instead: "I just don't know, besides confirming your identity, your Majesty came here in person. What else can you give me?"
Emperor Chu smiled softly and looked deeply: "Guidance is not a big deal, but in recent years I feel more and more that the progress of the spiritual world, and even the prosperity of the entire country, often does not entirely depend on the talent of the practitioner, but more on the talent of the practitioner.
Their vision and thoughts.”
"Vision determines the pattern, and ideas lead innovation. When I look at today's bidding conference, there are a dazzling array of all kinds of tools, but it can't hide the fact that most craftsmen are still limited to the old framework, and there are few breakthroughs.
do."
"As outsiders, both of you are highly cultivated and often perceive everything in the world. Your vision is naturally extraordinary. You may have more in-depth insights. I wonder if you can share something? If you have gained anything, I will express my gratitude!"
When Zhao Qing heard this, she smiled slightly and glanced at the craftsmen and spectators who were busy cleaning up the mess and setting up new targets. She already had some concerns in her heart. She spoke slowly, her voice clear and penetrating:
"What your Majesty said is absolutely true. Vision and ideas are indeed the key to the progress of practitioners and even the country. However, how can these visions and ideas be formed out of thin air? They are rooted in the environment, receive education, and become successful.
practice."
"The reason why the Qin Dynasty was able to rise rapidly among other countries was because it dealt a heavy blow to the old powerful families with their own agendas through reforms, and established a more advanced practitioner training and selection mechanism to allow talented and ambitious practitioners to
To stand out and not be limited by one’s origins.”
After hearing this, Emperor Chu nodded thoughtfully: "Yes, the reason why it is difficult for our dynasty to produce practitioners as powerful as the Bashan Sword Field in the past is not only due to over-reliance on utensils, but also due to the lack of resources among the powerful and wealthy families.
Various problems caused by uneven distribution among people.”
"While many practitioners with talents and ideas find it difficult to rise to prominence due to lack of sufficient resources and support. On the contrary, those practitioners who come from powerful families, even if they have mediocre talents, can rely on the strength of their families to obtain a large amount of resources for practice
and opportunity.”
"How can such an environment stimulate the potential and creativity of practitioners?"
Aren’t your royal family of the Chu Kingdom the largest powerful family? Aren’t the Chu Emperor himself the ultimate embodiment of unfair distribution of spiritual resources? Xia Mi complained in his heart, but did not speak. He lowered his head and opened the food box, looking at it.
ate the meals.
Zhao Qing saw that Xia Mi didn't say anything, so he knew what she was thinking, but he didn't express it. He just took over what Chu Emperor said and continued to analyze it in depth: "What your Majesty said is exactly the crux of the matter. If you want to solve the problem of Chu Dynasty's cultivation
To solve world-wide problems, we must start from the most fundamental system.”
"Those powerful families who have been enfeoffed in local counties for a long time have intertwined interests with each other and control the promotion of officials. They are like a spider web and airtight. They even have a large number of practitioners and private armies, and they continue to accumulate wealth and power. Although they are named
The land of Chu is really no different from other countries."
"Such a situation not only hinders the emergence of spiritual talents, but also causes a large loss of national tax revenue, leaving the national treasury empty and unable to support large-scale wars and construction. If things go on like this, the prosperity of the Chu State is only superficial, but in fact it is plagued by internal and external troubles and crises."
When Emperor Chu heard the words, his expression was solemn. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke: "The road to change is full of thorns. If you are not careful, it may cause turmoil and even endanger the country. Our dynasty has gone through hundreds of years and has a deep foundation, but
Likewise, the long-standing shortcomings are also profound. How easy is it to implement changes?"
"However, I also understand that if things remain unchanged, our dynasty will only be eliminated by the times. Therefore, I have been looking for a suitable opportunity, an opportunity to implement changes."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Qing smiled slightly and asked: "Could the opportunity your Majesty mentioned be this military talisman bidding conference?"
Emperor Chu admitted frankly: "The bidding conference is just the beginning. My real purpose is to use this conference to fish out those Qin spies who are hiding in the dark and trying to steal the secrets of our talisman. At the same time, I will also
Take this opportunity to see my true level in the spiritual practice world."
"Of course, if possible, I also hope to find some talented and loyal practitioners of the Chu Dynasty through this conference to reserve talents for future changes."
In his words, it seemed that he completely trusted Zhao Qing and did not have any doubts because they came from the Qin Dynasty. On the contrary, there was a sense of acquiescence that they were hostile to the Qin Dynasty, and they even discussed important national affairs from the beginning.
It is a reliable ally.
Zhao Qing nodded slightly, a hint of appreciation flashing in her eyes. Emperor Chu's frankness and foresight gave her a deeper understanding of this emperor.
She knew very well that Emperor Chu did not really believe in her and Xia Mi, but was interested in their abilities and knowledge, and hoped to use external forces to promote the change of Chu State. In this way, he created a false identity "persona"
", the best way to participate in many affairs of the Chu Dynasty.
"However, what kind of soil will grow what kind of crops, and how to destroy the spy network set up by the Qin Dynasty, just relying on the bidding conference is not enough."
Zhao Qingping looked at Emperor Chu and spoke slowly: "As I said before, it is better to treat the symptoms than to treat the root cause. We need to start from the environment, otherwise it will just be like weeds that will never be hoeed."
When Emperor Chu heard this, he frowned slightly and seemed to be quite interested in Zhao Qing's words: "I would like to hear the details."
Zhao Qing continued: "The reason why the Qin Dynasty was able to set up such a huge spy network among various countries is, in addition to their own strength, also inseparable from the transfer of interests among the powerful families in various countries. For their own interests, these powerful families,
They often do not hesitate to collude with enemy countries and betray their own country’s interests.”
"The transfer of interests between the powerful elites and the Qin Dynasty is the soil for the existence of the spy network. Only by cutting off this chain of interests can the spy network have nowhere to hide." She added: "But this is by no means simply eradicating criminals.
Instead, we must start from the economic basis of production relations.”
"Production relations? Economic basis? What does this mean?" Emperor Chu asked: "Is it to establish a strict control system for the circulation of spiritual resources like the You Dynasty in the past? Or..."
"Let's talk about another issue first."
Knowing that the other party could not understand these concepts at once, Zhao Qing changed the topic: "How much tax does the Chu Dynasty's treasury receive every year? Are these taxes sufficient? Have they been strictly counted and confirmed? These questions may not even bother Your Majesty.
You don’t have a definite answer in your mind, do you?”
Zhao Qing's words hit home, and Emperor Chu's expression became more solemn. He was silent for a moment, seeming to weigh the authenticity and weight of Zhao Qing's words, and finally said slowly:
"Yes, taxation has always been a thorn in the side of the imperial court. The powerful and wealthy families often use various means to evade taxation, while local officials are either afraid of their power or collude with them, resulting in the loss of a large amount of tax revenue. The actual revenue of the national treasury every year is far less than
Less than it should be.”
Emperor Chu's tone revealed a bit of helplessness: "Although our dynasty has a huge territory and population, the tax revenue that can really be used for national construction and war is far from enough. During the decades of my reign, at least
More than a dozen counties are completely perfunctory and resemble a separatist government."
"In fact, the lack of the most basic food collection alone makes our army unable to fight for a long time, let alone deal with possible large-scale famines. In order not to show cowardice in front of the outer court, Yingdu made several public appearances.
The large granary that has not been opened is already empty, and all of it is used to make up for the losses of the war."
"With the national treasury empty, the large number of troops stationed in the garrison are heavily dependent on supplies from other counties and cannot sustain themselves. Therefore, they are shackled by local clans and it is difficult to send large armies to eliminate these cancers. This is a vicious cycle." Zhao Qing.
Interface:
"By controlling local resources, the powerful clans further weakened the authority and strength of the central government. As a result, the power of local counties and counties expanded even more, sinking the entire Chu Dynasty into a deeper and deeper quagmire. The only way to do this was through centralized mass production.
, can we solve this dilemma..."
Having said this, Zhao Qing once again switched to another topic: "However, in my opinion, the biggest problem of the Chu Dynasty at present is probably the matter of establishing an heir and establishing a prince. Your Majesty's delay in establishing a prince is not only related to the future of the Chu Dynasty
, and it is one of the sources of many current turmoils.”
"As His Majesty's life is coming to an end, many forces in the DPRK are ready to take action. The supporters of each prince will only become more divided and opposed, and even have the idea of colluding with other DPRKs to plot evil. This is undoubtedly a very serious hidden danger and cannot be used to establish an heir.
Stirring turmoil and repeated delays.”
Hearing people from other dynasties gesticulating about the ownership of the country's throne, Chu Qifeng beside him was also shocked. Many thoughts flashed through his mind, and then he waved his fingers very fast, setting up several layers of wind barriers covered with talisman lines to block the attention of others.
Sight and hearing.
Some nearby wood flew up one after another. The wind blades carried by the runes in mid-air were accurately cut and spliced, and placed in the area where the four people were. In the blink of an eye, a beautifully carved pavilion was built.
China has even set up many restrictions.
Can this be said on the table? Xia Mi also raised his head and looked around at the routes suitable for tactical retreat. Suddenly, a wisp of the blind dragon's vitality appeared in his hand, which could be used to call the opponent and let him
It quickly moved into the city to support.
"Of course I understand the truth, but the position of the crown prince has been vacant for a long time. It is really because my sons are so unsatisfactory. Now there is not even one who has reached the seventh level of cultivation. The one with the highest level is actually the proton Li who is located in Qin Changling.
Lingjun' is completely unable to take on important tasks."
Emperor Chu had obviously thought about this for a long time, and immediately replied: "In ancient times, if the emperors were far inferior to the important ministers in the court, their actions in all aspects would be strictly restricted, and most of them would become puppet kings, which would in fact bring disaster to the country.
Yuan, how can I make the same mistake again?"
"In recent years, I have practiced secret techniques internally and sought elixirs externally to forcefully prolong my life, just in the hope of giving birth to the final miracle."
"So that's it." Zhao Qing thought secretly in his heart, thinking that among the seventeen princes and twenty-three princesses of the Chu Dynasty, none of them could enter the Seventh Realm. There were also rumors that many of them were crazy, stupid, and physically disabled.
I can roughly guess the reason for this.
She thought for a while and asked: "Among the important weapons of the Chu State, are there any invisible rays that can emit deadly invisible rays, causing the body to fester and make it difficult to recover? It is similar to the killing effect of Zheng Xiu's Starfire Comet Tail Sword.
But it doesn’t necessarily contain the energy of the stars.”
"There is indeed such a thing, called the 'Eclipse Dzi Bead'."
Emperor Chu was stunned for a moment, then replied: "This talisman was jointly made by several holy hands of our dynasty for more than a hundred years. It is obtained from the essence obtained after smelting a piece of bright yellow luminous rock. It is brittle in texture, quite heavy, and has
Similar to the death characteristics of the vitality of stars."
