釜底抽薪

extracting the firewood from under the cauldron

Take out the leading argument or a.s.set of someone; "steal someone"s thunder." This is the very essence of an indirect approach: instead of attacking the enemy"s fighting forces, the attacks are directed against his ability to wage war.

From the noise of the hors.e.m.e.n, the man who wanted to take up the wagon was already trembling with fear.

The guard general completely swallowed saliva when he saw how the riders surrounded them. He would like to retreat, but he knew that influential people were standing upstairs in the tower, before whom he should not withdraw. Otherwise, unpleasant consequences await him.

"Burn it!" Shan Chao Zong got off the carriage and gave the order. At the same time, someone gave him a knife. And he, as soon as he took the knife, immediately sharply threw the knife in one direction. A spray of fresh blood sprinkled on the general"s face.

The security general stared. He could not have thought that Shan Chao Zong would dare to kill him. However, before he could react, his cut head flew up and then fell. And his body was convulsing.

"Aaa ..." the soldiers who were outside beginning to retreat a few steps back.

When Lan Jo Ting got off the carriage and saw this scene, he simply could not find the words. He did not think that in broad daylight before the eyes of the son of heaven, dare to kill the general in charge of the guard!

Tao Sin waved his sword and cut off the la.s.so linking the horse. He rushed to the gates of the city. No one dared to block his path. Tao Sin grabbed a flaming torch and returned and threw it into the carriage.

Bright flames quickly seeped through the carriage as did smoke.

Shan Chao Zong turned his head and looked with a b.l.o.o.d.y face at the top of the tower. There, he saw Song Jiu Min and Ga Miao Shui standing near the window. Then, turning, he shouted: "Let"s go!"

As he rode on the horse, others also followed him.

"A tiger cannot have pooch!" Ga Miao Shui said in a cold tone, and a dark gleam appeared in his eyes.

He watched the two squads go farther and farther away.

Song Jiu Min also added:

"Fear is fear, and the strength of Ning w.a.n.g is still here. And I hope he doesn"t let the tiger go to the mountains!"

Not much time pa.s.sed before the deputy general quickly went upstairs and in a trembling voice, clasped his hands, said:

 "Grandpa, Shan Chao Zong killed General Li. Please judge!"

"After all, he is from an imperial clan, the blood of a family of heaven. Is it possible to dishonor him? He died so dead! "Ga Miao Shui spoke indifferently and turned from the window and began to go away. Only when he pa.s.sed by the deputy general did an invisible sword instantly flash between him and the deputy general. The deputy general immediately fell to the ground. And the companion Song Jiu Min said with a grunt:

 "A few thousand were afraid of only 500 horse riders. Worthless rags!

Song Jiu Ming looked at the fallen deputy and as if he did not want to talk to him anymore. He also went away.

He understood that after the news reached the man in the palace, this man would undoubtedly lose his temper with anger. Here no excuse will rea.s.sure him. Several thousand soldiers scared 500 people. And if suddenly the army attacks, then what to do? Can the guards from all sides protect the capital? Most likely, the head of this deputy general will not be enough, and all the soldiers of the gate will also be involved ...

...

There was the aroma of peach, a breath of wind, beautiful spring weather.

Niu Yu Tao sat on the couch under the peach tree. At this time, he enthusiastically examined the book of healing herbs, and at times the naughty peach blossoms bothered him.

From the foot of the mountains, the sound of horses stamping suddenly began to be heard. Niu Yu Tao put the book to his chest and turned his head. He looked and saw how at the bottom of the opposite cliff, someone from not the sect of the Highest purity stopped, and immediately one person, going down the steps, began to meet him.

He saw it and okay. Anyway, no matter how many guests came, they did not touch Niu Yu Tao. So he enjoyed the books. It"s good that the books here are still pretty good.

He read the book and found sleepiness upon him. So he did not worry, fell asleep.

It is not known how much he overslept. And when he woke up, he stretched lazily and thought with his eyes closed. Then Niu Yu Tao began to compose:

""In the peach village, in the peach hut, there was a peach celestial. He belonged to peaches and changed foliage for tea and alcohol. Sits in front of flowers - sobers up, falls asleep under herbs - gets drunk. And so he whiled away his days, now drunker, then sober The flowers faded and opened. But getting lost in peach hops, it was not necessary to bend your back when you ride a horse, or like a rich man to breathe the dust from carriages. Peach blossoms are the reason for the hermit"s quiet life. It is better to be a hermit than a rich man and enjoy peace. Others will laugh at me, and I will know that they do not understand. Without seeing the hero, without flowers, without alcohol, I will plow the fields ... " - His voice was measured and melodious. He held out his arms and opened his eyes.

But he saw three people in front of him.

Ahead stood women, both familiar and unfamiliar. This woman was gorgeous. And she was, none other than his wife, Tan Yi.

He did not consider her beautiful because she was his wife. She really was a beauty. White as porcelain skin. Sublime and full b.r.e.a.s.t.s, tender, flexible, and charming figure. Tan Yi was dressed in a black skirt, from her came the temperament of a celestial woman. A kind of cold beauty. But what was the purpose of her coming if she used to go only once a year?

Behind her stood the one-eyed Tu Han, and next to him was a girl dressed like a warrior. He certainly did not recognize her. He only did know a few people from the sect of the Highest purity. This girl also stood in a bamboo hat, which hid her face.

Why did they come?

He thought it was still a dream and rubbed his eyes. Not a dream. Niu Yu Tao quickly jumped up and began to collect tousled hair in a ponytail and smiling to say: "Why did you come?"

Wife or spouse - he did not know how addressed her. Besides the moment at the wedding, where he was to call Tan Yi his wife, he no longer called her that.

Niu Yu Tao was a little worried. Over the past few years, he became so accustomed to the bliss that he forgot about security, once he allowed three people to sneak up on him when he was sleeping quietly. If someone wanted to kill him, he would have killed him like a sleeping pig. He would not know how he was dead.

However, three people did not want to kill him. Tu Han looked at him strangely, like a monster, and at times looked at a peach tree.

Tan Yi looked at him with a complicated expression. She was struck by the verse that Niu Yu Tao had just read. Can this guy compose poetry so easily and relaxed? Didn"t Song Yang Qing read his poems?

She already thought about it and looked after this thousand-year-old peach tree.

Tan Yi always thought whether there was a connection between the poems of Song Yang Qing and Niu Yu Tao. But she could not believe that Niu Yu Tao at that age could write such beautiful love poems. But did the verse told by Niu Yu Tao was similar in style to the previous ones? It seems like that.

She had carefully discerning Niu Yu Tao.

Although Dong Guo Hao Ran gave irrefutable evidence that he chose him as his student. However, having understood the circ.u.mstances, everyone came to the conclusion that Dong Guo Hao Ran took him as a student from necessity. And then the students learned in the village that Niu Yu Tao really lived there, that there really was such a person. And there is no mistake.

As soon as they first saw him, all without exception understood that Niu Yu Tao did not look like a village guy. Although he was dressed in rags, even his finger was sticking out of his shoes. But his speech, manner of conversation, did not resemble the expression of a lout.

Maybe a wealthy family prepared it?  But how could one develop the ability to write poetry in him?

Although it is said that one poor scholar stayed at the temple, but to what level could he teach Niu Yu Tao? And could the villagers talk about the level of his education? How educated was he, can an uneducated person judge?

"I sober before the flowers ... This is a good verse. Good peach celestial! "- Tan Yi did not have time to say anything, as the girl in the bamboo hat said with a sigh. She was delighted. Her voice was melodic, and her manner of speaking indicated that she had been well educated since childhood. She must have come from a wealthy home.

"Uhh." Niu Yu Tao shook his head. He said on the go what came to mind. But he didn"t think that somebody would pay much attention to it:

"Nothing special. Impromptu. Not worth mentioning, not worth it!"He realized that he had accidentally spilled the beans.

Tan Yi asked him: "This verse you wrote yourself?

 Niu Yu Tao froze. Did he say something wrong? Are there poems in this world? Then he must have made them laugh:

 "From idleness, I dabble." "What?"

Tan Yi stared at him. And Niu Yu Tao decided to translate the topic of conversation and, looking at the girl in the hat, said:

 "Do not know who this lovely guest is?"

The girl immediately politely answered:

"Shan Shu Qing paid a visit to the peach celestial!"

*Peach celestial?* "Khe-khe ..." Niu Yu Tao began to wave his hand and deny.

Tan Yi, a little walked away and, pointing with her hand, politely began to imagine:

"Great princess Shan, daughter of Ning w.a.n.g Shan Jian Bo. Ning w.a.n.g was an old friend of Dong Guo Hao Ran."

Niu Yu Tao was a little surprised. This girl in the hat is from the imperial family of the Yan kingdom!

Although Niu Yu Tao did not know the situation well outside this world, he still found out a little from the words of Cheng Gui Shuo and drunk Tu Han. Now there were times of turmoil. Times when kings fight among themselves. Out of several hundred va.s.sal kingdoms, seven appeared: Jin, Zhao, Han, Song, Wei, Yan, and Qi. This Nu Yu Dao reminded about 7 kingdoms during the period of the warring kingdoms. (seven strongest kingdoms (hegemonic kingdoms) of the period of the Battle of the kingdoms (other names: 七 国, 七雄; These include the kingdom: Qi 齐, Chu 楚, Zhao 赵, Han 韩, Wei 魏, Qin 秦, Yan 燕);) It only seems that the territories of the 7 kingdoms are not on the same continent like. Nu Yu Dao vaguely still knew this. And the kingdom of Yan was founded by the descendants of the great emperor Shan Song. And this Ning w.a.n.g Shan Jian Bo - is the younger brother of the current emperor. And he is one of three influential dignitaries in the imperial court, namely a military adviser. A man who has real power.

And as Niu Yu Tao understood, the daughter of such a powerful man appeared before him. Can you imagine his amazement?