This so-called "inner study" is in a hidden location, and the journey there is very tortuous.
Under the guidance of General Xixia, the group first passed through the Imperial Garden and entered the "Qingfeng Pavilion" where Princess Yinchuan lived.
Later, a personal maid of Princess Yinchuan came forward and invited Meng Xiuyuan and others to have some refreshments and take a short rest before setting off on the road again.
Walking into the inner hall of "Qingfeng Pavilion", you can see a long corridor extending into the distance on the wall. It is brightly lit with candles and the end can't be seen at a glance.
The palace maid led everyone into the corridor. Every tens of feet away, there was a thick stone door blocking the way, which required a special mechanism to open. After passing three stone gates in a row, everyone walked out of the corridor.
It wasn't over yet. As soon as we came out of the corridor, we suddenly heard the sound of gurgling water, and saw a deep, dark and bottomless stream in front of us.
"Brother Meng, have we already left the Xixia Palace at this moment?
Or is this underneath the Xixia Palace?"
Duan Yu meandered a distance of two hundred feet in the corridor, and he had already lost his sense of direction. Seeing such a deep gorge appear in this darkness, he felt it was really unbelievable, and he couldn't help but look towards Meng Xiuyuan beside him.
asked.
Meng Xiuyuan shook his head when he heard this and did not answer. In fact, he didn't understand what was going on, let alone where he was at the moment.
The only thing he could confirm was that the reason why this road was so difficult must have been deliberately designed by Li Qiu Shui.
After all, these disciples of the Xiaoyao Sect are all quite accomplished in architecture. Whether it is the Lingjiu Palace in Tianshan, the Wuliang Jade Cave in Dali, or the long corridor under the Xixia Palace, they are all the same.
Not only is the design exquisite and eye-catching, but it also has the practical effect of concealing and defending against enemies.
Come to think of it, the reason why Tianshan Child Lao's martial arts skills were higher than that of Li Qiu Shui, but he has not been able to succeed in revenge for decades, is that the design of this "inner study" took a lot of credit.
"If you want to go to the inner study, you have to pass through this orchid stream. Everyone, please follow me..."
The palace maid who led the way listened to everyone whispering, couldn't help but smile, and took the lead to walk to the edge of the deep stream, and then jumped down.
"girl?!"
Seeing this palace maid acting like this, many people immediately exclaimed in surprise.
However, everyone soon discovered that the palace maid did not fall into the deep stream, but walked over the stream gracefully.
After taking a closer look, I saw that there was a steel cable extending from one bank to the other, crossing the stream. However, the steel cable was dark and in the dark, out of reach of the firelight, so no one noticed it just now.
Everyone present was selected from among the hundreds of people through martial arts competition. If they are not very skilled in martial arts, or they are surrounded by powerful helpers, this tightrope walk is naturally not difficult.
Many people guessed that this might be a test for them to meet the princess, so they rushed to jump on the steel cable, each using their Qinggong skills, and quickly passed by in what they thought was the most elegant posture.
Meng Xiuyuan had no interest in the position of Prince Consort, so he was unwilling to compete with them. After Duan Yu was led by Ba Tianshi across the tightrope, he was the last one to step on.
Unexpectedly, when Meng Xiuyuan was walking halfway, there was a sudden sharp "swish" sound, and one end of the steel cable under his feet was suddenly disconnected. The entire steel cable seemed to be pulled by some mechanism and quickly retracted to the other side.
among the grass.
This stream is about ten feet wide, and Meng Xiuyuan is in the middle of it now, with no support at his feet.
The incident happened suddenly, and everyone was shocked when they saw this scene, with different expressions.
Most of them, including Murong Fu and Prince Zongzan of Tubo, felt very happy in their hearts, saying that it was God who helped me. Today, I have lost one of my biggest rivals in the competition for the position of Prince Consort.
The eyes of the crowd were sharp. During the martial arts competition just now, everyone could clearly see that Mr. Meng was firmly ranked first in terms of appearance and martial arts. With him present, others felt that their chances were less.
I wish I could just throw him to death.
Only Duan Yu and others in Dali were anxious after seeing this situation, and were really worried about Meng Xiuyuan's safety. However, they were far away after all, and there was no other way except Duan Yu exclaiming "Brother Meng".
For Meng Xiuyuan himself, this situation was completely unexpected, and he couldn't help but be shocked.
In such a desperate situation, even if it was only two years ago, he would have had no other ending except falling into this deep stream.
Fortunately, now that he has the Qinggong of "Xiaoyaoyou" at his side, things are a little different.
"Ah!"
Meng Xiuyuan shouted softly and exerted his strength. He immediately stretched out his palms backwards and downwards, and the two powerful palm forces suddenly fired.
Relying on the reaction force of this palm strike, Meng Xiuyuan's body immediately jumped forward and upward, then he took a strong breath of Qi, used the "Xiaoyaoyou" Kung Fu, stretched out his arms, and stretched out like a dandelion.
It flew across the air several feet away and slowly landed on the opposite bank.
"What?!"
When everyone present saw this, they couldn't help but turn pale with shock. They felt that the kung fu that Meng Xiuyuan displayed in just a moment was no longer ordinary.
Among them, Murong Fu was the most complicated in his mind, because only someone like him, who had stepped into the ranks of peerless masters, understood where the limits of human power were.
He didn't even dare to think about the skill of flying across the sky without using any force, not to mention doing it.
"Master, I'm really sorry. I don't know how the steel rope could be retracted suddenly..."
When the palace maid who led the way saw this scene, she was very flustered and hurriedly wanted to explain to Meng Xiuyuan:
Meng Xiuyuan didn't say anything when he heard this, he was just thoughtful. On the contrary, Duan Yu who was beside him was so frightened just now that he couldn't help but defend him and said:
"Sister, it's too reckless for you to act like this.
In the situation just now, it was only Brother Meng who had peerless martial arts that was able to protect himself.
If it were the rest of us, I'm afraid we would have fallen and been shattered to pieces...
Is this how Xixia treats guests when they recruit their consort?"
As soon as Duan Yu said this, everyone present couldn't help but nod and figured out the reason behind it.
Indeed, in such a dangerous situation just now, no matter which one of them encountered it, they would be dead in the end, and there was absolutely no possibility of surviving like Meng Xiuyuan.
Choosing a consort would put one's life in danger, and no one wanted to do so.
So for a moment, everyone couldn't help but commotion, and they all surrounded the little palace maid and asked questions, trying to get an explanation.
The palace maid was only sixteen or seventeen years old. Although she was clever, she could not bear such a heavy accusation for a while. She immediately became more and more panicked and hurriedly explained to everyone:
"Everyone, please don't misunderstand me. We, the Xixia Kingdom, have no intention of harming you.
This stream seems to be bottomless, but in fact it is mainly because there are few lights and no sunlight.
The stream below is flowing. Even if you slip and fall, your life will definitely not be in danger, but you will be just a little embarrassed..."
While speaking, the maid looked at Meng Xiuyuan, bowed deeply to him, and said sincerely:
"Sir, please forgive me.
This accident was all the fault of Xiaolei and I, and had absolutely nothing to do with Her Highness the Princess or the Xixia Kingdom.
If you want to blame, please just blame me..."
Meng Xiuyuan shook his head when he heard this, knowing that this matter must have nothing to do with her as a little girl, so naturally he did not want to embarrass her, and immediately said with a smile:
"Miss Xiaolei, you don't need to explain.
Don’t delay because of this, please lead the way.”
When the palace maid saw this, she immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and after bowing respectfully to Meng Xiuyuan, she led everyone forward.
After crossing Shenjian, the terrain gradually rose all the way to the ground, where we saw the sun. Then we passed through a large bamboo forest and came to a cave door, and finally arrived at this mysterious "inner study".
Pushing the door open, you first see a hall. This cave was originally a natural cave in the mountain peak, and was later artificially modified.
The walls of the hall are polished smooth, and are covered with calligraphy and paintings. There is a large rosewood desk on the side of the hall. On the table are the four treasures of the study, antiques on inscriptions and inscriptions, several bookshelves, three or four stone benches, and stone tables.
It's spacious, but it's also quite elegantly decorated.
The palace maid Xiaolei said: "This is the inner study of Her Royal Highness the Princess. Please feel free to enjoy the calligraphy and paintings. The princess will be here later."
Everyone was very excited when they heard that the princess was coming soon. Regardless of whether they could read or understand the calligraphy and paintings on the wall, everyone immediately began to pretend to appreciate them.
Even Duan Yu was attracted by a picture of a lady dancing with a sword, because what was painted in the picture was exactly what Li Qiushui looked like when he was young.
Only Meng Xiuyuan recalled what happened when he walked through the deep stream just now, and instead of taking action in a hurry, he sat down on a stone bench and rested quietly.
The steel cable mechanism could not be put away by accident. It was obviously the master of this place. Meng Xiuyuan just didn't know what he meant by doing this. Did he not welcome him, or did he just want to make a little joke.
After a while, when there was no movement, Meng Xiuyuan stood up again and walked to the wall to observe carefully.
However, Meng Xiuyuan naturally did not see the calligraphy and paintings. He gently lifted up the image and saw countless human figures carved on the wall, some meditating, some leaping, and the postures were all kinds of strange.
Most of these human figures are surrounded by circles, and most of the circles are marked with some heavenly stems, earthly branches and numbers.
A closer look revealed that these figures were very similar to those carved on the walls of the stone chamber of Lingjiu Palace. It seemed that Li Qiushui had made rubbings of those secrets handed down from ancient times in his early years and copied them into the "inner study".
All the differences among them should be the insights accumulated by Li Qiushui over the past decades of meditation.
Meng Xiuyuan looked at it carefully and found it quite beneficial. After all, although Li Qiu Shui's kung fu was a little inferior to that of Wu Yazi and Tianshan Tong Lao, he was definitely a peerless master and had a unique understanding of martial arts.
In this way, after a while, when Meng Xiuyuan was immersed in this martial arts understanding, he suddenly smelled a very elegant and light fragrance, and then heard a palace maid say loudly:
"Her Royal Highness the Princess has arrived."
When everyone heard that the princess had arrived, they were all surprised and happy. They immediately arranged their clothes and crowns and cheered up.
Unexpectedly, a moment passed, but Princess Yinchuan did not appear. She could only hear a soft conversation coming from the direction of the inner hall across the door. Apparently, the princess had stopped there.
When Prince Zongzan of Tubo saw this, he was very anxious and couldn't help shouting:
"We have traveled thousands of miles to come here for Princess Yinchuan.
Just now in the palace, I defeated many opponents before I had the opportunity to come to this 'inner study'.
Why doesn’t the princess want to see us?”
As soon as he said this, several people around him echoed his words and put pressure on the palace maid standing between the hall and the inner room.
Unexpectedly, the palace maid was not affected at all. She only bowed to everyone in a dignified manner, and then said slowly and warmly:
"Her Royal Highness the Princess invites everyone to come to Xixia. The original purpose is to meet with the guests. The Princess has a question. Please answer it one by one. If it suits the Princess's wishes, you should come and see me.
If you don’t want to stay here any longer, you can leave first and go back to the Ningxiang Hall outside to have a tea break. There will be someone to guide you along the way so that you don’t get lost.”
After everyone heard what she said, they secretly thought that this Xixia princess was indeed different. They immediately did not dare to say any more words and became quiet a little bit.
The palace maid waited for a while, and when no one spoke again, she spoke softly:
"The questions that the princess wants to ask have been informed to the maid, and I ask you to listen:
I would like to ask, you all have traveled thousands of miles to come to Xixia, and to be the prince-in-law of Xixia, what do you want most in your heart?"
Speaking of this, the palace maid paused for a moment, looked at everyone in the hall, and then continued:
“Please also answer with your heart, and don’t be conceited.
The princess is very concerned about this and hopes to hear a sincere answer..."
This chapter is not over, please click on the next page to continue reading! Everyone was scrambling to say some flattering words to please the princess. But after hearing the reminder from the palace maid, they couldn't help but feel a shiver in their hearts immediately, and were impressed by the "sincerity"
"The two words struck me, and I knew that the matter was not simple, and no one knew how to speak.
After all, everyone comes here to marry the princess, but they all have their own hidden agendas, so how can they bring it to the table?
After a long while, Prince Zongzan of Tubo stood up and said to the palace maid:
"I have already thought about the princess's question, so let me answer it first.
Haha, the reason why I came here to ask for the princess is because I heard that the princess looks like a fairy, rare in the sky and unparalleled in the earth.
Heroes love beauties, so what’s wrong with me, the prince of Tubo, loving the princess of Xixia?”
Everyone heard that although Prince Zongzan's words were a little rough, his behavior was quite magnanimous, and they couldn't help but secretly regret it. They knew that they should be braver and be the first to stand up, so as to leave a good impression on the princess.
The palace maid nodded when she heard this, bowed to Zongzan, and said politely:
"The prince's arrival brings great honor to our country.
Please also ask the prince to take a break and wait for others to finish answering the questions."
Zongzan laughed, feeling that his performance was already certain. He happily sat on a stool aside and looked at the answers of others with a smile.
When Murong Fu saw this, he just said that he had lost the opportunity. If he waited any longer, he would probably have a more profound impact on the princess, so he immediately stood up, bowed to the palace maid, and said politely
:
"I am Murong Fu of Yanziwu, Gusu. I have admired the princess for a long time and came here to pay her a special visit.
I have already thought about the princess’s question, I wonder if I can answer it?”
The palace maid smiled and said:
"It turns out to be Mr. Murong of Gusu who "repays others with his own way." Even though my maid is deep in the palace, I have heard of the young master's name.
Since you have already thought of the answer, please respond."
Murong Fu nodded, cleared his throat slightly, turned to the direction of the inner room, channeled some energy, and said directly to the princess:
"The reason why Murong Fu wanted to be this consort today was because he actually wanted a lot.
Men of my generation should make contributions and establish careers. After becoming the Prince Consort of Xixia, it will naturally be much easier.
I also heard that Princess Yinchuan was beautiful, dignified, and well-read poetry. I also wanted to find this beautiful woman and a good companion to spend the rest of my life with.
There are so many reasons. It is really difficult to summarize them into one reason.
I just hope I can get this answer after meeting the princess..."
When the palace maid heard this, she also nodded, and then asked Murong Fu to sit aside.
In this way, it didn't take long for the more than ten people in the hall to answer the questions one after another.
Under the influence of Zong Zan and Murong Fu, most of the people spoke the truth in their hearts. There were only one or two who were a little tricked and could be heard immediately.
In the end, even Duan Yu answered the question, saying awkwardly something like "I wish Xixia and Dali to have everlasting friendship."
At this time, Meng Xiuyuan was the only one left in the hall who had not yet answered the question.
Everyone's eyes couldn't help but focus on him, wanting to hear how this peerless master Mr. Meng would answer.
But Meng Xiuyuan remained silent, his eyes slightly lowered, wondering what he was thinking.
The maid looked at Meng Xiuyuan and reminded her:
"Master, it's your turn to answer the question."
"Oh." Meng Xiuyuan heard what those people said was boring, so he deduced and thought about Li Qiushui's martial arts on the wall. Hearing a reminder from the palace maid, he calmed down and said with a smile:
"My Excellency, Meng Xiuyuan, your visit this time is actually not..."
Unexpectedly, as soon as he said these words, he saw that the palace maid's face was confused, and she interrupted:
"Are you Meng Xiuyuan, Mr. Meng?
I didn't hear your name just now, so I thought the young master wouldn't come today.
The princess has given instructions, Mr. Meng, you are her honored guest. As long as you show up, you do not need to answer questions.
Young Master, please come in first, Your Highness the Princess has something that she wants to talk to you about alone..."