Gu Wen got off the carriage and saw that the palace was surrounded by forbidden troops wearing heavy armor, armed with guns, crossbows, knives and shields.

The average stomach weight of a large Ganjia is forty kilograms, while the Forbidden Army generally wears iron plate armor, which can weigh up to fifty kilograms. Under normal circumstances, it is impossible to wear it on a daily basis. The daily wear of the Forbidden Army in Bianjing City is cloth armor and Chain mail, those who can wear iron chain mail on a daily basis must be the elite of the Forbidden Army and the most loyal soldiers of the emperor.

The guard in front of the palace, one of the three armies of the Forbidden Army.

As Gu Wen approached, cold gazes were immediately cast on him. The Imperial Guards had already drawn their crossbows. Compared with the foreign troops stationed before Bianjing and the Chinese troops stationed in the city, the momentum of these guards in front of the palace was obviously much higher. More than twice as much, it exudes the aura of a powerful military force inside and out.

This is normal. No matter how stupid the Dog Emperor is, he still doesn't care about his own personal safety. What's more, the Dao Lord Emperor is just stupid, but he is definitely not mediocre.

If immortality is not a delusion, then the absurd thing that he has been able to cause famine in three consecutive years of good harvests for so many years is not so absurd. Emperor Daojun is just a pure one-man thieves.

"Put down your weapons and don't be rude to Marquis Wen."

A deep voice came, and then a general wearing golden armor and red feathers on his head and a majestic appearance came out.

Gu Wen knew this person, Jin Liang, the commander of the Qiaoqi Guards, one of the guards in front of the palace. His ancestor was a founding hero of the country. He was a dandy two years ago. He liked to visit brothels and pursued Yang Shanyu, the oiran of Qianfeng Tower at that time.

Perhaps because it was a bit embarrassing for the family to say that he was going out, Jin Liang was detained at home and ran away without money to enter Qianfeng Tower. Gu Wen happened to meet him and took him for a meal.

Jin Liang stepped forward, clasped his fists, and said enthusiastically: "Marquis Wen, I haven't seen you for a long time. I miss you so much."

Gu Wen also said with a familiar face: "Gu has not seen the general for many days. I wonder if I can have a meal with him someday?"

"How dare you refuse Marquis Wen's invitation."

The two chatted happily, like old friends they hadn't seen for many years.

It's true that they haven't seen each other for two years, but their actual friendship is not even considered as friends. After Jin Liang became a general, he became the commander of the guards in front of the palace, and he was also considered a young general.

With such a background and identity, Gu Wen, a merchant, would not look down on him. The reason why he is able to talk to him now is most likely because of the title he has yet to receive and the bodyguards around him.

These nobles from Bianjing are all talented people, and what they are best at is to adapt to the changing circumstances.

Gu Wen despises the title, but the rice bugs who live their lives on the hereditary title don't think so. Even if Gu Wen is originally a mud-legged person, as long as he has the title, they will accept it and even pursue it. This is also to maintain their interests and regulations. Get out of a circle that outsiders cannot touch.

The Longqiao merchants were in a circle, and people like He Huan, Lu Chan, and Zhao Feng were in another circle. This world is a big trap and a small circle.

"I heard that Marquis Wen is going to be granted the title of Marquis?"

"It's not that Gu is a prince, but the emperor's grace is so great."

"I have a little girl in my family who is still unmarried. I wonder if Marquis Wen is interested in her?"

Gu Wen's answer made Jin Liang look even more eager, and they all began to match him. Marriage was the most common method used by aristocratic families. The other party liked his marquis, but he did not like the daughter of the other party's aristocratic family.

"The noble daughter of the Jin family has heard about it for a long time. If there is a chance, Gu will definitely come to visit." Gu Wen blew a rainbow fart, and then asked: "But now Gu is more worried about the safety of His Highness. I wonder if the general can reveal something?"

Jin Liang looked around and saw that there was no one around. He also thought that Gu Wen was a confidant of the Ninth Prince, so he lowered his voice slightly and said, "It's not convenient to talk about this in the first place, but since Master Wen asked, I can only take risks and answer."

."

Gu Wen understood and said: "Gu recently received a jar of tea worth five hundred taels of silver and will deliver it to the general's residence tomorrow."

Gifts are not considered bribes. This is a rule in the officialdom. Although there is a high probability that tea is packed with money, it is still considered a gift. And it is not something you just want to give. It doesn’t matter if you give it to someone else’s house.

It will attract suspicion.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Wen."

Jin Liangxi smiled widely, and then continued to whisper: "At noon, there was a sudden strange noise in His Highness the Ninth Prince's study. The guards entered it to check and found that the assassin then fought with him. The movement attracted more guards, and some servants from the palace rode out to report to the official.

.But at that time, all the nearby imperial troops went to Longqiao, so he ran outside the palace and shouted, but when I arrived with my troops, there were only corpses left on the ground."

"How is His Highness Ninth Prince doing?"

Gu Wen asked anxiously.

He's not dead, is he?

"When I came, His Highness Ninth Prince was covered in blood, but he was still breathing. Now he has been sent to the Imperial Palace Hospital and I don't know how he is doing." Jin Liang sighed, "In these troubled times, Marquis Wen should be more careful when traveling in the future."

So are you dead or not?

Gu Wen was very anxious, but he didn't leak anything on the surface, saying: "Gu is favored by His Highness the Ninth Prince. If the general has any news, he must inform Gu, and Gu will definitely give you a generous gift."

"Easy to say, easy to say."

Jin Liang readily agreed. As a close confidant in the palace, it was normal for Gu Wen to inquire about the safety of the Ninth Prince.

Although it doesn't meet the regulations, it should be fine.

------------------

Gu Wen drove away from the palace, went to the water house to get medicine and fruit on the way, and then returned to his home.

It was already late at night on this trip.

On the carriage, he suddenly thought of something. Yu Hua lived in the palace. To avoid suspicion, he never went to find her, but since Yu Hua was in the palace, he should know whether Zhao Feng was dead.

Unfortunately, I have no means of contacting her, so the other party has always taken the initiative to come to my door.

Gu Wen returned to the room carrying the medicine and fruit, opened the door and found Yu Hua in plain clothes sitting on a chair, holding a book in his hand, reading it by candlelight and moonlight, and adding a few strokes with pen and ink from time to time.

When she saw Gu Wen, she smiled and said, "Are you back? It seems that you have gained a lot today."

Gu Wen subconsciously hid the sack behind his back and said without blushing, "I picked it up on the roadside."

"Then your luck is also very good. This medicinal fruit is a rare main medicine for alchemy. Every pill is worth a fortune if you put it out there. Its medicinal properties are strong, so don't be greedy for too much when taking it."

Yu Hua did not delve into it as usual, he lowered his head and wrote a few more strokes.

Gu Wen put away the medicinal fruits and came to the side to watch the other party copying the poems of his ancestors. The fonts were beautiful and the strokes were smooth. They were much better than his own dog crawling calligraphy. Just looking at them was pleasing to the eye.

He said: "Zhao Feng was assassinated and is now being sent to the palace for treatment."

Yu Hua did not stop writing in his hand, and his expression did not pause at all as he said: "I have been away from the palace for the past few days, and I just returned to Bianjing, so I don't know about this."

After she confirmed that Lu Chan would not take action against Gu Wen, Yu Hua took a boat out to search for water veins. As for Zhao Feng's life or death, she didn't care. Zhao Feng was not necessary in the current plan to find the elixir.

And he has never provided any substantial role, only buzzing like a fly.

"Extend your hand and I'll teach you another technique."

Did she see that I practiced all the exercises to the top?

Gu Wen had some doubts, but he still held Yu Hua's hand honestly, as delicate and cold as ever.

Yu Hua frowned slightly, sensing Gu Wen's scarred body under his clothes, and said, "I'll help you heal your wounds first."

"Some minor injuries..."

"Meditate and enter concentration."

Yu Hua was unusually stern, so Gu Wen had no choice but to sit cross-legged on the ground, close his eyes and meditate, and then he was fed pills one by one, and a soft voice came to his ears.

"The damage is not to the root, it is just a deficiency of Qi and blood, but a thousand-mile dike breaks in an ant nest. A qualified monk should not put himself at a disadvantage at all times. No matter what kind of treasure you get, you should also treat the injury first."

"I don't have a cure."

"I will pass it on to you later. And this is not the reason. Your meridians have dried up, which means you have not stopped to recover your mana, not even a trace."

Suddenly Yu Hua paused. She did not explore Gu Wen's cultivation level, but when she guided the medicinal properties through the meridians to the whole body, she could clearly feel that it was not what the first level of Daoji should be like.
Chapter completed!