Chapter 130 Baidi City

Ji Daoren took a sip of wine, looked at Qi Xuansu, and said proactively: "Brother Qi doesn't seem to be a native of Shuzhou."

Qi Xuansu replied: "I grew up in the Wanxiang Taoist Palace and later settled in Yujing."

"I see." Daoren Ji nodded, "Yujing City has a lot of rules and big names, which makes people really uncomfortable. I haven't been there for several years. Since you have settled in Yujing, I guess you are working in Jiutang. "

"Junior is now in Tiangang Hall." Qi Xuansu said, "Senior should know that if ordinary Taoist priests want to enter Jiu Tang, Tiangang Hall is the easiest place."

Ji Daoren said: "That's true. Over the years, Tiangang Hall has continuously recruited elite Taoist priests from the local Taoist government to join it. It can be regarded as a step forward for ordinary Taoist priests. However, the errands of Tiangang Hall are the most painful and tiring among the nine halls. Only Taoist priests from our local Taoist government or Wanxiang Taoist Palace are willing to do it. Those pampered Yujing Taoist priests will not look down on it, unless they directly become deacons."

Qi Xuansu said: "In my humble opinion, as the saying goes, the king chooses his ministers, and the ministers choose their king. The Yujing Taoist priests look down on the hard and tiring Tiangangtang, and the Tiangangtang may not look down on these pampered Yujing Taoist priests."

"That makes sense, that makes sense." Daoren Ji couldn't help laughing loudly.

Qi Xuansu glanced at Zhang Yuelu. She seemed oblivious to Taoist Ji's laughter.

Taoist Ji then looked at Zhang Yuelu and asked, "Is this girl also a Taoist priest of Tiangang Hall?"

"Yes." Qi Xuansu nodded, but did not take the initiative to mention Zhang Yuelu's name.

Ji Daoren glanced at the identical cloaks on the two men and asked meaningfully: "Aren't you performing official duties?"

Qi Xuansu hesitated for a moment, then said truthfully: "Go home for the New Year."

Ji Daoren patted his knees gently and chuckled: "Brother Qi is from the Wanxiang Taoist Palace. This 'home' will not be the Wanxiang Taoist Palace. That is to accompany the girl home. Is this a good thing coming soon?"

Qi Xuansu coughed violently: "Nothing."

Ji Daoren took another sip of wine and said with emotion: "It is good to return home with youth as a companion."

There was a look of nostalgia on his face. Although gods can stay young forever, the time in the past is past. Flowers will bloom again, and people will never be young again.

Qi Xuansu added dead branches to the bonfire.

Ji Daoren didn't lie, he really just wanted to find someone to chat with. The two of them chatted for an hour, not only talking about the sect, but also about the world, the past and the present, everything from the ancient emperors governing the world to the ancestral dragon sweeping the world.

When the pot of wine was finished, Taoist Ji's interest in conversation was exhausted, so he said goodbye and left.

Qi Xuansu looked at Daoren Ji's figure slowly disappearing into the vast night, and felt as if he had just dreamed.

At midnight, Zhang Yuelu had already woken up before Master Qi Xuansu could call him.

Zhang Yuelu stretched slightly and said, "I had a dream just now."

"What dream?" Qi Xuansu asked.

Zhang Yuelu rubbed his cheeks with both hands: "I dreamed that you were chatting and drinking with someone, but I couldn't see the person's face clearly."

Qi Xuansu smiled helplessly and said: "That was not a dream. Someone did come, that is, the middle-aged Taoist we met before. He did not know what means he used to isolate you."

Zhang Yuelu didn't look too surprised and asked, "What did you all say?"

Qi Xuansu concealed the joke about "good things are coming soon" and probably repeated it.

Zhang Yuelu said thoughtfully, "Your surname is Ji. He should be a member of Quanzhen Taoism, and maybe he has some connections with your Qi family."

"What do we mean by our Qi family?" Qi Xuansu asked, "I just follow my master's surname Qi. Can it mean that if my surname is Zhang and yours, it will be included in the Zhang family tree?"

"Fuck you." Zhang Yuelu spat, "Who wants your surname to be Zhang? Why don't you follow Xuansheng's surname of Li? The Li family likes adopted sons and sons-in-law the most, and adopted sons and sons-in-law can also serve as heads of the family."

Qi Xuansu smiled and said: "Li Xuansu? Are you a brother with Xuan Sheng? I'm afraid of being slapped to death by the Taoist Master of Taiping Dao."

There is also the word "Xuan" in Xuan Sheng's name. If Qi Xuansu changed his surname to Li, there would be only one word difference between the two of them. They would be like brothers. However, the Li family will definitely hold different opinions and will definitely adopt some unruly and violent means to protect the name of their ancestors.

Speaking of the Li family, its reputation has never been very good, whether it was before Xuansheng or after Xuansheng. It was even called the "East China Sea Weird" by the world. Only the dozens of people who were in power under Xuansheng In the middle of the year, things are pretty orderly.

In fact, it cannot be said that Xuansheng made the Li family successful. Even without Xuansheng, the Li family was still powerful. It was just that Xuansheng made the Li family reach a higher level. The reason why Xuan Sheng became the Tao Sect's great leader was also due to his family's help. It can only be said that both parties achieved each other's achievements.

Therefore, Qi Xuansu fully believed that the Li family could do such a thing, and Zhang Yuelu did not refute.

As for whether Taoist Ji had other intentions, neither of them thought too much about it, because there are many such leisurely people in the Taoist sect. Their cultivation is high enough, but they have no desire to compete for fame and profit. They do not make friends based on their status, and they are carefree and playing in the world. If he gets excited, he will even give the younger generation some advice, which is what the story goes like: "Send a blessing."

With the current size of Dao Sect, it can accommodate such a leisurely person.

As for why Taoist Ji did not give Qi Xuansu some advice, it may be that the two of them are not close enough, or it may be that Qi Xuansu's strong energy and blood made Taoist Ji mistakenly believe that Qi Xuansu is a martial artist who has returned to his true form, and is not far away from heaven, so there is nothing to teach him.

After joking, Zhang Yuelu took out his pocket watch and looked at the time and said, "Go to sleep, we have to go on the road tomorrow."

Qi Xuansu nodded, gathered his cloak, and fell asleep peacefully.

When Qi Xuansu woke up, the sky had turned dark blue. Zhang Yuelu stomped out the bonfire and led the horse.

The two rode back to the official road and continued on their way.

After walking for three days, Baidi City was in sight.

The poet said: "I left Baidi in the colorful clouds in the morning and returned to Jiangling a thousand miles away in one day. The monkeys on both sides of the river kept crying, and the light boat had passed thousands of mountains."

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were going to take a boat from Baidi City, go down the river, and go to Jiangling Prefecture in Huzhou.

Baidi City is strategically located and is the gateway from Huzhou to Shu. Surrounded by water on three sides and mountains on one side, it is easy to defend and difficult to attack. When Gongsun occupied Shu and became king, they ruled this place. There was a white crane well in the city, and white gas often gushed out of the well, just like a white dragon. Gongsun took this as the name "Baidi" and renamed the city Baidi City.

People who often read novels are also familiar with Baidi City. After the fire burned down the camps, the first lord of Shu Kingdom entrusted his son to Baidi City, leaving a good story for all ages.

In the last years of the Wei Dynasty, the Qingyang Sect was in chaos, and its main altar was located in Baidi City. Later, the Qingyang Sect was destroyed, and Baidi City was attributed to the Taoist sect.

The Taoist sect did not regard this place as a gateway fortress, but as a place for the distribution of goods. The bulk goods such as silk, brocade, sugar and salt in Shuzhou were gathered in Baidi City, and then transported to Huzhou, Jiangzhou and other places by water, or went north from the Grand Canal, or went directly to the sea.

Because of this, Baidi City was not under the jurisdiction of the Shuzhou Daofu, but directly under the Shibo Hall in the Nine Halls.

As the name suggests, "Shi" means market trade, and "Bo" means ship trade. It is in charge of the Taoist sect's sea trade and other trade affairs. The Duzhi Hall is responsible for auditing, statistics, and expenditures, mainly how to spend money, while the Shibo Hall is responsible for how to make money.

Among the nine halls, Shibo Hall is not only related to Duzhi Hall, but also closely cooperates with Tianji Hall and Huasheng Hall. Tianji Hall and Huasheng Hall can produce goods, but how to sell the goods is Shibo Hall's business. The money earned is handed over to Duzhi Hall to support Beichen Hall, Tiangang Hall and other halls that only go out but not in.

For this reason, Shibo Hall also set up branches in various places, but unlike Huasheng Hall and Tianji Hall, they did not set up branches in every prefecture, but mainly concentrated in several key locations of trade routes, such as Baidi City, Jinling Prefecture, Lanling Prefecture, Qingbin Prefecture, Loulan City, etc. At the same time, Shibo Hall also played a role in coordinating. When the Jiangnan case was a big case, the goods were transferred from Liaodong Prefecture and Qizhou Prefecture to fill the gap in Jiangnan Prefecture. It was coordinated by Shibo Hall, and the business was also negotiated by Shibo Hall and Western Continent merchants. Jiangnan Prefecture was mainly responsible for preparing the corresponding goods.

The two calculated the distance just right. When it was almost dusk, they just arrived at the north gate of Baidi City. As expected, the gate inspection was very strict. And the guards of the gate were not the black-clothed men of the court, but the spiritual officials of the Taoist sect.

However, for Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu, it was more favorable. No matter what, the Taoist sect was separated from the court, and they were not the Taoist sect’s own people.

As expected, Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu showed their certificates. After the spiritual officials at the gate confirmed that they were correct, their attitude suddenly became friendly. They even saved the necessary luggage inspection and let them go.

Entering the city, even though it was late, there were still people coming and going, and cars coming and going, very busy.

There are mountains in the city, which can be seen everywhere. There are palace buildings on the mountains, which can be vaguely seen.

Zhang Yuelu pointed to the palace on the mountain and said, "That is the famous Yong'an Palace. It is located on Yong'an Mountain, the highest mountain in Baidi City. You can overlook the situation outside the city. It is very suitable for supervising and commanding. The famous Shu Kingdom's first lord died here, leaving behind the story of entrusting his son to Baidi City. But now it is the branch of the Taoist Shibo Hall, and it also serves as a Taoist temple."

As we all know, many Taoist temples also serve as post stations.

Qi Xuansu's eyes lit up: "You mean we can stay for free."

"That's right." Zhang Yuelu said, "By the way, we can sell horses to them."

"Let's go, let's go." Qi Xuansu rode forward first.

Zhang Yuelu smiled and followed closely.