Changsheng: Peak at the Beginning

Chapter 1850 The Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty 10

Jiang Xinxin and Song Yuzhi get along well. Song Yuzhi is a lively, lovely, and understanding girl who is very willing to share everything she has with Jiang Xinxin. She is afraid that she will not be able to entertain Jiang Xinxin well, so she tries her best to do everything perfectly.

When Jiang Xinxin presented several medicinal diet recipes to dispel dampness and reduce internal heat, Song Yuzhi was so delighted that she almost bowed down in gratitude, which showed that she was truly suffering from the excessively hot summer in Lingnan.

The news of Song Que's sparring match with Jiang Xinxin had already spread throughout the world. As the young master of the Song Clan, Song Shidao stayed at the Song Clan to personally entertain Jiang Xinxin. However, he still had matters to attend to at the Xie Family Fortress that required his personal visit. Since Jiang Xinxin was still a guest at the Song Clan, he couldn't leave. He could only send someone else to the Xie Family Fortress to support his sister, Song Yuhua.

Jiang Xinxin stayed in the Song Clan for almost half a month, and eventually she got tired of it. The lychees in Lingnan were indeed delicious, and she didn't have to worry about getting a sore throat from eating them every day. But even the most delicious food will eventually become tiresome if you eat it every day.

Jiang Xinxin decided to leave the Song Clan and travel elsewhere. Upon hearing the news, Song Yuzhi immediately packed his bags and rushed to Kan Rifeng to recommend himself: "Miss Jiang, it's always a bit lonely to be out on your own. It's good to have someone to talk to while you're traveling. Don't underestimate me just because my skills are only so-so. At least I won't hold you back. On the contrary, I can help you with a lot of trivial matters."

Song Yuzhi enthusiastically recommended herself, "Besides, I've already been out before. After all, I'm the eldest daughter of the Song Clan, and many forces are willing to give our Song Clan some face. I also have a rudimentary understanding of the various forces in the world. Moreover, I'm generous and quick-witted, so I'm perfect for gathering information."

Song Yuzhi blinked her big eyes expectantly, waiting for Jiang Xinxin's decision. Jiang Xinxin found her really cute and simply agreed to let her come along. "Okay, I want to go north to Jiangnan. Maybe after visiting Taiyuan and Chang'an, I'll go to the grasslands. Back then, Emperor Sui went to look out for the Western Regions. I also want to see the four new prefectures established by Emperor Wu of Han."

Song Shidao already knew that Jiang Xinxin was preparing to leave. However, when Jiang Xinxin officially set off, he learned that his sister Song Yuzhi had persuaded her to go out together. His first reaction was that he couldn't let Song Yuzhi go out alone, and he wanted to go with her too.

But it was hard for him, a grown man, to say that he was going out with two girls, even though one of the girls was his own sister.

Song Yuzhi had such good eyesight; she understood that Song Shidao also wanted to go out for a walk. She did want to matchmake Jiang Xinxin and Song Shidao, but she had seen clearly these past few days that although her silly brother had that intention, Jiang Xinxin just wasn't interested.

Because of his poor communication skills, Song Shidao missed the best opportunity to go out with Jiang Xinxin, and could only watch helplessly as Song Yuzhi skipped and hopped out the door with her.

With the death of the Sui Emperor, the world is now in chaos. None of the four major clans are willing to concede, while there are thirty-six rebel groups and seventy-two bandit groups in the countryside. Rebellion against the Sui is almost a universal slogan. Yuwen Huaji of the Yuwen clan occupied the prosperous city of Jiangdu and carved out a territory in the south, while Wang Shichong occupied Luoyang and carved out a territory in the north. Li Yuan of the Taiyuan Li clan also took the opportunity to declare himself emperor, directly showing his ambition to dominate the world.

For a time, only the Dugu Clan and the Song Clan remained silent.

The Song Clan was already confined to a small corner of the country, and the world did not have high hopes for them. In particular, the leader of the Song Clan was now in seclusion again, hoping to make progress in his martial arts. Even when Fan Qinghui personally went to see him, he was unable to meet him.

As for the Dugu clan, their decline is already visible to the world. Currently, only the old lady can maintain their status, and the younger generation who can uphold their reputation have not yet grown up. The Dugu clan is in a state of limbo, which is even more embarrassing than the Song clan. At least the Song clan has an orderly succession, and Song Shidao has a good reputation outside, so at least it will not tarnish the reputation and prestige of the Song clan.

On the large ship of the Song Clan, Song Yuzhi commented on the various forces in the world with great familiarity, and finally, based on his intuition, he asserted: "...Among the four major clans, I think if there is one clan that can go all the way, it must be the Li Clan of Taiyuan."

Jiang Xinxin asked with great interest, "Why do you have this idea?"

Song Yuzhi smiled shyly, "Sister Jiang, that's just my feeling. Actually, if you really think about it, it has nothing to do with the friendship between me and Sister Xiuning. If you think about it carefully, it might be because when I went from Luoyang to Taiyuan back then, I looked back and saw that the Central Plains were flat and unprotected, while Taiyuan was somewhat... high up and down."

Jiang Xinxin nodded in affirmation of Song Yuzhi's guess, "Yes, among the four great clans in the world, the Song clan is in Lingnan. Although it is safe, it lacks the right timing and location to contend for the world. So now it can only focus on people. This is why your family must arrange marriages with other forces."

"However, the other three major clans have close ties with the Yang family of the Sui Dynasty, and they also have many helpers in the court. They each have their own base of influence. They seem to be evenly matched, but in reality, the Yuwen clan and the Dugu clan have no successors. If the current leader is in trouble, and none of their disciples stand up to stabilize the situation, then it will only end in regret."

"Therefore, the only ones truly qualified to contend for supremacy are the will of the people represented by Wagangzhai, the old officials represented by Wang Shichong of Luoyang, and the powerful and wealthy represented by the Li clan."

"The biggest advantage of the Li clan is their complex kinship ties. Wang Shichong's old officials will not last long. He himself is not bad in controlling Luoyang. However, compared with the Li clan, he can only recruit a limited number of people. The Li clan can recruit the Yuwen clan and the Dugu clan by means of complex kinship ties. I even heard that Li Xiuning has been engaged to the Chai family."

"The wealth of the Chai family is evident to all. The Li clan is rich and powerful, and Li Xiuning's generation has produced many talented individuals. In the end, it will depend on whether any of them can surpass Wang Shichong."

Song Yuzhi then realized just how much of an advantage the Li family held. While admiring Jiang Xinxin's foresight, she couldn't help but feel secretly pleased that she shared the same vision as Jiang Xinxin.

However, when she received a message from Li Xiuning saying that Xu Ziling was seriously injured and was currently being cared for by Kou Zhong and Shi Feixuan, he wanted to go to the reclusive Lu Miaozi for treatment.

Song Yuzhi had a lukewarm impression of Xu Ziling, but he knew that Xu Ziling was Kou Zhong's most important brother. When Li Xiuning mentioned Lu Miaozi, he couldn't help but feel worried for Kou Zhong. "Master Lu Miaozi is known as a learned master. Besides his unparalleled mobile magic, his extensive knowledge of books has been overlooked by many people."

"It is said that the current Tomb of the Evil Emperor was built by Lu Miaozi at the request of the Evil King Shi Zhixuan, which attracted the pursuit of the Yin Queen Zhu Yuyan. No one knows where he is hiding all these years. Where exactly are they looking for him?"

Jiang Xinxin had no recollection of Lu Miaozi, so she simply suggested, "Why don't you write to Kou Zhong and ask him if he needs any help?"

Song Yuzhi thought it was a good idea and was about to get started. Jiang Xinxin didn't stop her. Song Yuzhi released a carrier pigeon and then turned to talk about how Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were originally two ordinary beggars in Yangzhou City. Later, they had the opportunity to obtain the "Longevity Manual." Only then did she realize that Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling should be the protagonists of this world. It was too late for her to back out and say that she wouldn't go looking for them.