Chapter 650: Verify Authenticity (4k)

"I've lived for more than twenty years and have never been to the Imperial Capital. This year, I'll take advantage of Little Liang Shidi's light!"

"The number one capital in the world. I heard people say that the Wangyue Tower in the Imperial City is several hundred zhang high, hidden in clouds and smoke. I don't know if it's true or false."

Xiang Changsong hugged the mast and slid down.

"Is everyone going?"

"Except for Second Master Brother, everyone is going. Why, is Liang Shidi unhappy?" Cao Rang asked with a smile.

"I couldn't ask for more!"

Liang Qu was overjoyed.

He was worried about having no acquaintances when going to the Imperial Capital. Being able to have fun with his Master Brothers and Sisters couldn't be better.

Box after box of goods were moved onto the flatbed cart, all Huangzhou specialties, with cloth being the most numerous.

More goods were loaded when coming than when leaving.

The gangplank was set up.

Yang Xu led the horses ashore: "This year is a big year, the Imperial Capital will be very lively. Having the opportunity to go and see it will definitely be good."

"A big year?"

Yu Dun explained: "The year after the Autumn Examination is the Spring Examination, and the month after the Spring Examination is the Palace Examination. The three are close, so scholars call the whole year before and after a big year."

Yang Xu nodded.

"Liang Shidi is going to the Imperial Capital. Before long, you will encounter the Spring Examination in mid-second month, and then the Palace Examination a month later. If you are not busy, stay for half a month more, and you can see the Top Graduate parading through the streets."

Imperial Examination?

Xu Xu Zishuai woke up: "Right, isn't the Martial Examination also in the third month?"

"You didn't forget." Yang Xu untied the rope buckle and loosened the reins to let the horse breathe. "The Imperial Examination and the Martial Examination are both in the third month this year. The Imperial Court will select new Twenty-Eight Mansions of Wolf Smoke. You can go and see if anyone is blocking the door."

"I said so! We are leaving, Huo Zhao Hongyuan and Zhu Zhu Zongwang are also leaving. It turns out they are going to the capital to wait for assignment."

"What wait for assignment?" Yang Xu laughed. "That's called waiting for appointment. Both start at Regular Seventh Rank, mostly From Sixth Rank. They can choose the place. Work for two years, no merit needs to be established, and if they don't make mistakes, they have a chance to be promoted. Starting from the beginning is the end point for others. Many people beg for it."

"Haha, same meaning, same meaning."

Xiang Changsong asked: "Master Brother, no one is participating in the Imperial or Martial Examination. Are there any other fun things in the Imperial Capital? Don't miss it if we go."

"Others..." Yang Xu fell into memory. "You are going mainly for the New Year, right? If you can catch the New Year, you can see the 'Grand Ceremony' of the Great Court Meeting, with officials paying respects.

In the evening, the Holy Emperor will distribute 'New Year' money to the ministers—a small pouch containing a few gold beans and silver beans. Liang Ashui will definitely be able to receive one.

Besides, many small countries will send envoys to celebrate the New Year: Yarkand, Loulan, Minyue, Kucha, Ba... Furthermore, after the New Year is the Lantern Festival.

From the eighth to the seventeenth, the Imperial Capital will hold a lantern festival for ten whole days. I won't say much about what it looks like. You go and stroll yourself; it will definitely be livelier than anywhere else in the world."

Hearing Yang Xu's description.

Everyone's eyes burst with light, rubbing their hands and fists, giving birth to many expectations.

After going to Huangzhou, then to the Imperial Capital.

The number one prosperous place in the world.

Beautiful.

The afternoon of the next day.

The sunlight was just right, and the melted snow fell drop by drop along the roof tiles.

Behind the government office of the River Patrol Office, craftsmen laid stones and laid wooden boards, busily building a large bathhouse.

Inside the government office, it was quite leisurely, and officials could be heard dropping a needle as they came and went.

With the end of the year approaching, after finishing the sea merchant affairs, most of the officials had nothing to do, rarely resting, squinting for a noon nap.

Registrar Li Li Shoufu was half-asleep and half-awake, and in a trance, he seemed to see soldiers waving signal flags.

Whoosh!

The grey-skinned finless porpoises flashed with a faint light, splitting the waves and chasing the currents, leaping layer by layer. The two giant objects leading the way pulled the tower ship to crash through the water waves, the long wind whistled, and the golden sails shook, showing extraordinary style. Under the sunlight, it was like a piece of shining gold leaf.

Before he could see clearly.

The tower ship had already furled its sails, dropped its anchor, and drifted to dock.

The villagers on the shore poked their heads, having never seen such a formation. There were two tower ships in the River Patrol Office, but none were as majestic as this.

Gold leaf ship?

Li Li Shoufu shuddered.

The pier in front of the government office was exclusively for official ships to dock, plus the golden sails...

Someone from the Imperial Capital has come!

"Quick, quick, quick! Don't sleep, don't sleep!"

Before Li Li Shoufu could wake everyone up, figures on the ship leaped down one after another, rushed into the River Patrol Office, and shouted loudly.

"Where is Water Envoy Liang of Pingyang Prefecture?"

Half a quarter of an hour.

Liang Qu, who was napping at home, was called to the government office.

Just as he stepped through the door, a group of officials wearing blue robes and square hats, looking quite like Daoist priests, surrounded him, didn't explain half a sentence, and reached out to touch Liang Qu's body.

"What a vigorous martial bone!"

The middle-aged man with a goat beard and messy hair, seemingly the leader, pinched his shoulder blade, his eyes bursting with light.

Having learned bone touching for so many years, he had touched many kinds of martial bones, but this was truly the first time he had seen such a powerful martial bone!

The expressions of the others were the same after they touched him.

"No wonder he can achieve Great Martial Artist before twenty. Amazing!"

"Born extraordinary. Take the pen, take the pen! Record it, record it!"

The goat beard urged immediately: "Take off your clothes, take off your clothes!"

"Take off again?"

Liang Qu swept a glance.

In front of everyone, taking off again would mean being naked.

The goat beard was impatient: "All big men, what are you shy about? Everyone is the same. If you don't take off your clothes, separated by a layer of thick cloth, how can I touch accurately?"

Ran Seeing Ran Zhongshi turned his head and ordered.

"Go pull the screen."

"Yes!"

Li Li Shoufu went into battle himself, pulling open three screens to surround a large circle, blocking the view.

Clothes were hung on the screen rack.

Figures moved through the carvings.

"Hey, you lad, you don't look bad, and your figure is not bad!"

"Has three parts of my dashing style when I was young."

"Good bones, good bones! I've lived for decades in vain, read countless classics, but these martial bones belong to the first class! Should be recorded in the 'Martial Bone Chronicle' and listed as a small biography!"

"Turn around!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, incredible."

After a while.

The goat beard stood up.

"Alright, put them on. Eighteen is not false."

The clothes on the screen rack were taken away.

Li Li Shoufu waited for a while and removed the screens.

Liang Qu tidied his collar and cupped his hands: "May I ask your name, sir?"

"Surname Lan, called Lan Lan Jicai." The goat beard stroked his beard. "You can call me Mr. Lan. You don't need to worry about the others; they are nobodies."

Nobodies: "..."

Lan Lan Jicai didn't feel anything strange: "You lad doesn't look like a fool. You must have guessed that I am acting on the Holy Emperor's order. I transported an Altar of Heaven from Southern Zhili specifically to verify your authenticity. If there is no mistake, I will take you to the capital immediately."

Transported an Altar of Heaven?

Liang Qu secretly recorded it, unable to think too much, and followed closely: "What does Mr. Lan think?"

"Bone touching is not false, but bones can also be crushed and reshaped, and bones can be regenerated. Further verification is still needed. Follow me onto the ship!"

Lan Lan Jicai waved his hand.

Liang Qu followed him onto the tower ship and entered a pitch-black room.

Candlelight burned, the room was messy, and there were all kinds of miscellaneous items.

There were beast armors, long swords, all kinds of withered branches, strange compasses...

The goat beard pulled out a glowing yellow talisman paper from a pile of pages, and then found an inkstone from somewhere, placing it flat in front of Liang Qu.

"Drip two drops of blood into the inkstone, and then tell me your birth date."

Inside the River Patrol Office.

The officials watching Liang Qu board the ship discussed endlessly, their eyes showing envy.

The Holy Emperor personally sent a ship to pick him up—what a style.

Once this trip is gone, I'm afraid everyone in the world will know him, and he will be the person in everyone's dreams.

"Official Liang went to the Imperial Capital today, rising to the blue clouds, changing from From Sixth to Regular Sixth."

"If you ask me, it's more than that. Being conferred a baron would be even higher. A title is more face than an official position."

There are many second-generation officials in the entire River Patrol Office, most of whom can inherit titles in the future, and few can get the position of Earl or Marquis.

But there are very few who have it right now.

"The Martial Examination in the third month this year, the Twenty-Eight Mansions of Wolf Smoke are powerful enough, the first in the world, but that's under thirty, twenty-something. Heh, look at Official Liang again, under twenty, Great Martial Artist!"

"Otherwise, how could he enter the capital and be summoned by the Holy Emperor?"

The second verification took more than two quarters of an hour.

Liang Qu returned to the deck and saw the light again.

The discussion in the government office paused slightly.

Lan Lan Jicai came out and urged: "Pack your things, follow us, and if there is anything to prepare, anything to say goodbye to, do it quickly."

"Mr. Lan, rest assured."

Liang Qu didn't dare to stop, greeted Ran Seeing Ran Zhongshi, and hurriedly went home.

He had known he was going to the Imperial Capital long ago, and all his luggage was packed.

Pick it up and go.

Said goodbye to the old monk and arranged the affairs at home.

In front of the River Patrol Office government office, most of the officials came to see him off, and Prefect Magistrate Jian also came to see him off, gifting two poetry collections.

Xu Xu Yuelong stood on a small boat and exchanged pleasantries with Yang Xu on the shore.

The two had known each other since childhood, and in a flash, they hadn't seen each other for several years.

"I originally wanted to give Liang Ashui some instructions, but I feel relieved with you following. When you arrive at the Imperial Capital, you can take them directly to my house to stay. No need to spend extra money; home is definitely more comfortable than outside."

"Rest assured."

Yang Xu guaranteed. He didn't have time to stay in the Imperial Capital for the New Year or the Lantern Festival, but he had to return to Heyuan Prefecture, also needing to go north all the way. Going to the Imperial Capital only required a slight detour, two days of work, just right to settle his Junior Brothers and Sisters.

Before the words fell.

Two figures ran over, carrying large bows and long swords.

"Coming, coming!"

Xiang Changsong and Hu Qi carried their bags and came to the pier to gather.

"The martial arts school, is everything settled?" Yang Xu asked.

"Master Brother, rest assured. During the days we went to Huangzhou, the martial arts school was helped by Liang Ashui's fellow villagers. They did a good job, and Second Master Brother said he would take time to look after it."

The Master Brother said no problem.

Liang Qu had no objections and looked back, finding that quite a few people were going.

Master Brother's personal guards alone were quite a few, each needing a horse.

He himself also brought Red Mountain and Tattakai.

Lan Lan Jicai was surprised that a river otter was on the ship, but had no other words. Not everyone could go to the Imperial Capital. Bringing some friends and relatives was perfectly normal for such a great good thing.

Personnel gathered.

The soldiers waved signal flags.

The long poles pushed off, the tower ship slid out of the dock, the sails bulged, and the leading finless porpoises shook their tails vigorously, pulling the large ship to split the waves.

Tattakai stood upright and looked, climbed the mast, and ran to the lookout bucket.

"Come find me after you settle down."

Lan Lan Jicai left a sentence, and the officials led people to settle their accommodation.

Liang Qu put away Dragon Fubo and Yuanmu, let Long Yao and Long Li help tidy up the room, and returned to Lan Lan Jicai's side.

"Mr. Lan, you said earlier that you transported an Altar of Heaven. Could it be that the Altar of Heaven is on the ship?"

"Not bad. I let you come for this matter. To go to the Imperial Capital, taking a ship is not as fast as taking a Dragon-Blood Horse by land, but a ship is steadier than riding a horse, allowing you to sit on the altar directly on the ship."

Lan Lan Jicai explained while leading Liang Qu to the lower cabin.

The cabin was dim, and the candlelight was ignited.

Liang Qu saw the legendary Altar of Heaven as he wished.

The entire Altar of Heaven was not very strange in appearance, as if it were a large circular drum, more than two meters in diameter and more than half a meter high. The drum surface was covered with a layer of ivory luster, very smooth and delicate, completely unable to tell it was made from the corpse of a Wu Sheng.

Liang Qu looked carefully.

Lan Lan Jicai went around to the back of the large drum and bowed.

"Old Mo, the kid has moved the thing up."

Old Mo?

Liang Qu was slightly surprised, lowered his head to scan, and was shocked to find an old man sitting cross-legged behind the large drum.

The old man was withered, his beard and hair were grey, and his skin was dark like cracked tree bark attached to his bones, quite terrifying.

He hadn't noticed there was an old man here just now!

The old man was silent.

Lan Lan Jicai waited for three breaths, beckoned to Liang Qu: "Kid, come and help, let's move the Altar of Heaven up."

An expert is in front.

Liang Qu didn't dare to look too much, squatted down and grabbed the edge of the "Altar of Heaven."

As soon as he exerted force.

Whoosh!

Heavy!

Deadly heavy!

A Galloping Horse martial artist can still pull dozens of strong horses running, not to mention Liang Qu, who has the body of capturing dragons and subduing tigers.

Even if it were a solid giant rock of the same size, Liang Qu would move it without any effort, but the "large drum" actually made him feel a bit strenuous!

The wooden boards in the ship's cabin were quite amazing; I don't know what treasure wood was used, but it didn't let the Altar of Heaven press a large hole and fall into the water.

"Mr. Lan, how heavy is this Altar of Heaven?"

"."

"?"

Liang Qu's face flushed red.

More than six thousand jin?

Are you kidding?

With such weight, any Galloping Horse martial artist could move it. Could it make him feel strenuous?

Lan Lan Jicai guessed what Liang Qu wanted to ask: "There is a Wu Sheng true spirit inside the Altar of Heaven. If a living thing wants to move it, it will feel extremely heavy. Otherwise, would I need your help?"

No wonder.

Liang Qu suddenly realized, but such characteristics made him think of his own Dragon Fubo.

Out of the cabin.

"Mr. Lan, the old man just now was..."

"Old Mo, doesn't like to talk, doesn't like to move. Sent by Southern Zhili to escort the Altar of Heaven. You don't need to worry about him."

To be able to escort the Altar of Heaven, he must be at least a Grandmaster, right?

Liang Qu thought secretly.

The two moved the Altar of Heaven to the deck.

The soldiers were building a long frame on the deck.

Wait for the frame to be as high as the mast.

Lan Lan Jicai called Yang Xu again, and the three worked together to transport the entire Altar of Heaven onto the frame.

The long frame added the Altar of Heaven, successfully higher than the mast by a line.

Liang Qu looked up.

"Does sitting on the altar need to be so high?"

"Explored by predecessors. The higher the altar, the more open to the sky, the better the effect. Conversely, indoors or underground, the effect is the worst."

"Doesn't that mean the mountain top is the best?"

"Not so." Lan Lan Jicai shook his head. "This height is not that height. It just needs to be higher than the surrounding things. Looking out without obstruction, feeling relaxed and happy. We have come to the river, ten zhang is enough."

"Should this lad go up now?"

"Not yet." Lan Lan Jicai shook his head. "Sitting on the altar has requirements. Before sitting, you still need to bathe and burn incense for seven days, and within seven days, you must not have joy with others, ensuring your spirit is full.

Midnight and noon, two hours of sleep must be sufficient. Every day at dawn, you need to sit on the altar to receive the morning sun.

On weekdays, don't eat indiscriminately. Someone will send food to your room every day. Don't let your imagination run wild. If you have nothing to do, read books. There is a small study on the second floor."

Lan Lan Jicai gave instructions one by one.

It couldn't help but make people sigh that there were quite a few rules.

The next few days.

Liang Qu began to prepare for sitting on the altar.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 651 =====

The next few days.

Liang Qu began to prepare for the altar sitting.

(End of Chapter)