When the bowl of decoction was drunk, the heart of Li Xian, the Emperor of Yingtian Shenlong, gradually returned to normal. With the help of Gao Yanfu, he hobbled to the dormitory behind the imperial study, lying on the bed, closing his eyes and resting.

"What did Bao'er do today to make the saint so angry? She has always been a filial child, and since she was a child, she has known that she will do everything possible to please you as a father. Shuntian Yi Holy Empress Wei Wushuang also slowly followed, sat on the edge of the bed, took Li Xian's hand, and asked gently.

"She went to Young Eunuch Zhang's house today to forcibly buy someone else's life-saving pill!" Li Xianyu was still angry, frowned, and responded angrily, "I also said that she is a gentleman, and the other party is a minister." The king has what he needs, and the minister should give it with both hands! ”

"This kid really doesn't know the rules when he speaks!" Wei Wushuang was stunned, and the figure of Princess Anle hurriedly leaving with the brocade box in front of him quickly flashed in front of him, and then he smiled and helped explain: "But she should also be in a hurry, so she doesn't choose to speak." Zhang Shaojian refused to sell it, just refused her. Why did you bring the complaint to the Holy One again? ”

"She's not in a hurry, that's what she thinks. She always wanted to be the second queen mother! Li Xian glanced at his wife and shook his head weakly, "Don't get used to her!" With her appearance, sooner or later she will get into trouble! ”

"There is a saint, who dares to touch her!" Shuntian Yi Holy Empress Wei Wushuang immediately pricked up her eyes like a python that had been touched against the scales, and on her handsome face, cold air rolled, "Holy Lord, will you allow it?" At the beginning, for our sake, she had just passed the line, so she gave up her life to marry into the martial arts! ”

In the second half of the sentence, the lethality is not ordinary. Ying Tianshen Long Li Xian's face immediately flashed with pain that could not be concealed, and the breathing that had just regained steady breathing also became short and heavy.

He was re-established as the crown prince by his mother, Empress Wu Zetian, and was in danger of being deposed for the second time at any time. And the loan borrowed from Buddhism was almost exhausted at that time. At the critical juncture, it was Princess An Le and the empress's favorite nephew Wu Chongxun who was pregnant before marriage, and married into the Wu family with a child, which made the Wu family completely relieved of him, the prince.

In other words, it was Princess Anle who used her lifelong happiness to help him stabilize the position of the crown prince. Otherwise, he would have been deposed by his mother long ago, and would most likely have died a tragic death under his mother's butcher's knife, just like his two own brothers.

This matter has always been regarded by him as a great shame. And every time I think about it, I feel sorry for my daughter. Therefore, no matter how careless and willful Princess Anle is, he is reluctant to give half a point and punish him. Because in his heart, half of his throne was exchanged for him by his daughter with her body, and this debt will not be paid off in his father's life!

"Besides, as a wrapper, how could he be the second Heavenly Great Holy Empress!" Obviously seeing the pain on Li Xian's face, Wei Wushuang still didn't give up, "She just relies on your favor to be more willful." After you are a hundred years old, the crown prince will ascend the throne, inside and outside the court, where is there still a place for the child to speak? ”

This is the second scar in Li Xian's heart. After being deliberately poked by his own knotted wife, it immediately hurt him so much that he could barely breathe.

He and Wei Wushuang had a deep relationship, however, they only gave birth to one son. Moreover, this only son, at the age of nineteen, was ordered to be executed by the empress because he and his sister Li Xianhui were two after drinking, and criticized the empress's face.

Therefore, after a hundred years of him, no matter which prince ascends the throne, he will not be born to the same mother as Princess Anle. At that time, Princess Anle's status and treatment will inevitably plummet.

"Qilang, my life is hard, and I didn't even have a piece of clothing when I was born." Gently clenching Li Xian's hand, Wei Wushuang's voice suddenly became gentle and mournful, "You just tolerate her more." No matter how much nonsense she has, she is a girl's house, where can she still mess around? It's just a daydream behind closed doors in your own home. ”

"Alas-" Li Xian's heart was sore and painful, and he sighed, tears slowly flowing out of the corners of his eyes. "Of course I can tolerate her, including the elixir, I was angry again, and in the end, didn't I give her the same thing? But she is so willful and foolish, which prince will be on the throne in the future and can stand it? If the two sisters and brothers cause trouble, Xiao Wall......"

Four white fingers quickly pressed on his lips. Empress Wei Wushuang gritted her teeth and shook her head with a smile, "Holy Lord, it's good that you keep being the emperor." As long as you keep being the emperor, you are not afraid of stabbing the sky! ”

"How is that possible?" Not noticing the fleeting fierceness in Wei Wushuang's eyes, Li Xian closed his eyes and shook his head tiredly, "Since ancient times, everyone has shouted long live the emperor. But who has ever seen an immortal emperor? ”

"Then the Great Holy Empress of Heaven lived to be eighty-two years old, and the Holy One will definitely only outlive her." Quickly waving his fingers to dispel the smell of medicine in his nostrils, Empress Wei continued to explain gently, "The concubine has already lit the longevity lamp for the saint in the Shengshan Temple in Luoyang. There are high monks who take turns chanting sutras for twelve hours a day. Every year that the lights last, it can add a lifetime to the saint! (Note: 1st Age, 12th year.) ）

"Wushuang bothered!" Li Xian glanced at his wife and nodded with a smile.

He has always been skeptical of the monks' tricks to add longevity. But his wife can do so much for him, which still makes him feel so warm in his heart.

In his life, he was disliked by his mother, let down by trusted people, and bullied by powerful ministers and relatives, which can be described as a taste of the coldness of the world. is the only wife who has never disliked him or failed him. Always be with him through thick and thin, sharing weal and woe.

"The Great Holy Empress of the Heavens, who killed so many innocent people, but still lived to be eighty-two years old, is because of the sincerity of the Buddha." Knowing that Li Xian didn't believe in the effect of the longevity lamp, Wei Hou thought about it and added in a low voice.

These words are too convincing, and Li Xian can't help but think deeply without closing his eyes.

Whether from the perspective of a son or the king of a country, the Great Sage Empress in his eyes is a rare tyrant in ancient and modern times! Compared with Xia Wei, Shang Xun is not inferior! However, he had to admit that the Heavenly Great Holy Empress, in luck and physical strength, far surpassed his grandfather and great-grandfather, and even left his father without a trace.

If there really is any good deed, it can be used to sanitize the sins of the Great Holy Empress of Heaven, I am afraid that it is the matter of worshipping the Buddha. After all, to the point of sending a monk with no experience in leading troops to be the commander of the army, I am afraid that Emperor Wu of Liang will have to bow down. (Note: Emperor Wu of Liang Xiao Yan believed in Buddhism and became a monk many times.) During the Wu Zetian period, Xue Huaiyi, the presiding officer of the White Horse Temple, served as the chief of the march many times, leading the troops to resist the Turks. ）

"In the afternoon, Hui Fan sent his junior brother Hui Zhong to visit his brother, saying that when Luoyang Shengshan Temple was repaired, the surplus of good men and women donated 40,000 merit money, and wanted to dedicate it to His Majesty as a New Year's gift." Seeing that the foreshadowing was almost done, Empress Wei gently shook Li Xian's hand and reported in a very low voice.

"Don't take it. The Shengshan Temple has just been rebuilt, and there are almost more temples in Luoyang than there are streets and alleys! Ying Tianshen Dragon Emperor Li Xian's brows quickly furrowed, opened his eyes, and decisively refused.

"He didn't ask for anything this time, but he sincerely offered a gift to the saint." Empress Wei was not disappointed and smiled, her voice as gentle as before.

"Didn't ask for anything?" Li Xian couldn't believe his ears, because his wife's statement was obviously different from what Yonggong Huifan had done in the past. However, he soon linked the actions of the monks to several recent major events, frowned again, and asked in a low voice: "The matter of the White Horse Temple and the assassination case have been spread to Luoyang?" Impossible, even if it is passed on, Hui Fan will not have time to send his junior brother Hui Zhong over in such a short time! Unless he and Huizhong have been staying in Chang'an recently. ”

"Maybe there is some secret method in Buddhism!" Empress Wei took over with a smile and explained in a low voice, "Who knows? They have always had many magical powers in their door, and they will not easily show them to others. ”

"Hmm!" Li Xian's heart tightened when he heard this, and he sneered again and shook his head: "Then don't accept it, I have received this intention." Also, in the name of the queen, you sent an edict to Hui Fan and Hui Chong, asking him to restrain the people in the Buddhist sect recently and not to mess around. Is it true that the practice of setting up an altar in front of my officials' homes does not exist in the imperial court? ”

Although the words are heavy, in fact, letting Queen Wei give an edict in her personal capacity still gives enough face to Hui Fan, Hui Zhong and others. However, Empress Wei Wushuang was not very satisfied, slowly put away her smile, and said in a low voice: "Holy Lord, White Horse Shande Temple, but it was only burned down by fire last night......

"It has nothing to do with the ordnance superintendent, the arsonist poured a lot of fierce fire oil!" Li Xian rarely took it seriously in front of his wife, sat up, and solemnly added, "I also sent someone to investigate the case of the destruction of the White Horse Temple, and it has nothing to do with Zhang Qing." Who did it, you can call Bao'er to your side and ask later. ”

"The case of the destruction of the White Horse Temple, is it related to Bao'er?" This time, it was finally Empress Wei's turn to be surprised. A pair of almond eyes were round, and his face was full of disbelief.

"You go and ask her, and then ask her, who is she asking for the life-saving elixir? It's all understood! Li Xian glanced at his wife and shook his head with a serious face, "The monk of Qujiang White Horse Temple is indeed killing himself. This case involves An Le's reputation and samurai, and it is difficult for me to delve into it. But the case of the monks assassinating officials on the street, I can't let it go easily. Even if, as you said, a big tree inevitably has dead branches, and the dead branches have to be cut off, rather than just throwing out a few rotten leaves to get by. ”

"Then Shangshan Temple was deliberately set on fire, so won't you be held accountable?" is about her favorite little daughter, Empress Wei's heart is in turmoil, but she still stubbornly continues to seek "justice" for Buddhism.

"Someone is trying to muddy the water, which one is exact, the Hundred Horsemen Division is still tracking!" Li Xian glanced at him again, his face extremely ugly, "But this is not a reason for me to give up pursuing the assassination case. It's not a reason for a monk to take the opportunity to make trouble! I am the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, and the monk blocked the doorstep of the Wupin officials, and no official will be happy. I can't keep all the folds in the middle, and I can't hide and not see the officials! ”

"Holy Lord, the concubine obeys the order!" Empress Wei's face suddenly bloomed with a bright smile. Leaving the chair, he squatted down and saluted Li Xian mischievously, "The Holy Lord does not allow the concubine to accept Huifan's New Year's gift, and the concubine does not accept it, why do you have to make your face so tight, as if the concubine has made you angry?" ”

"It's not that I'm angry with you, but I hope that you will stay away from those monks in the future. You are the mother of a country, and your majesty and status come from me and the court, not from Buddhism. Realizing that he had spoken too heavily to his wife just now, Li Xian smiled apologetically and slowed down his voice to explain, "Also, it's time for them to restrain themselves." They are kind to you and me, but I can't turn the Tang Dynasty into a Buddha country! ”

"Of course not, Your Majesty is wise and martial, how can he be at the mercy of Buddhism?" Like coaxing a child, Empress Wei said in accordance with Li Xian's tone, but in her heart, she was very dismissive of the warning he made, "The concubine will send someone to pass on the message to Hui Zhong tomorrow morning." But ......"

Deliberately making a hesitant look, she pondered for a moment before adding softly: "Your Majesty will let the monks withdraw the altar now, isn't it too early?" This is a trivial matter, and it should be handed over to the local government to deal with, and it should not alarm the saints. Besides, the monks have just found trouble with Young Eunuch Zhang, and His Majesty is anxious to support him, he is so young, he will inevitably be pampered and proud in the future! It's better to make him uncomfortable for a few days, and when he is cornered by the monks, His Majesty will pull him again, so that he can completely return to His Majesty! ”

A few words just grasped the weakness of Li Xian'er's soft-hearted life. When he landed, the latter hesitated.

Speaking from the heart, there are so many officials in the Nine Temples and Five Eunuchs, and it is indeed not worth alarming Li Xian, the Divine Dragon Emperor, if a young eunuch of the Fifth Rank is in trouble! The reason why he was in a hurry to want the monks to stop was purely to prevent the matter from getting bigger and bigger, and to put himself in more trouble to deal with. (Note: Li Xian's handling of problems is different from that of other emperors.) According to the records on the Zizhi Tongjian, the official Cui Wan impeached Prime Minister Zong Chuke for accepting bribes, and his solution was to let the two become brothers. ）

"Saint, the combination of grace and power is the way to control the courtiers. Zhang Qian, the concubine Pingsu has also heard of it. His talent is indeed outstanding, and it is not in vain that the saint has a blue eye for him. But he is also arrogant, as if no matter how courteous His Majesty gives him, he deserves it. Therefore, taking this opportunity, His Majesty might as well "carve" him a little! Seeing that Li Xian had been moved by his own words, Empress Wei smiled and continued to add softly, "If the emperor is not at ease, he will send a hundred horsemen to keep an eye on it, and report to the saint at any time if there is a situation." Perhaps, if he is forced to be ruthless by the monk, he can show more real skills and surprise the saint! ”

"Hmm-" Li Xian listened to it with a heartbeat, groaning and slowly nodding.

As his smart and considerate queen said, in his heart, Zhang Qian is indeed a rare talent, but he is really too laissez-faire, and he lacks enough awe for anyone, including himself, the emperor. Therefore, it is indeed necessary to sharpen his temperament, otherwise, it will be really difficult for someone to control him in the future!

"Shengshang, it's late at night, it's so warm here, the concubine doesn't want to go back!" The wife's voice came again, gentle and sweet, like a cat meowing on a spring night.

"If you don't want to go back, just stay. It's mine, and it's yours. I promised back then, and what I say counts! Li Xian immediately understood, quickly grabbed Empress Wei's hand, and pulled the other party into his arms with force.

"Goo-do-doo, goo-doo, goo-to-do......" The water in the pipe was boiled by the water stove again. Tumbling up and down in a special pressure relief box, the thick mist and spring will be scattered all over the house.

Outside the door, the snow fell heavier and more urgently.

…………………………

It snowed all night, however, there was not a little accumulation on the ground, and before the sun came out, all the snow particles turned into ice water, making the inside and outside of Chang'an City, where people were moving, muddy.

As if it was not enough to be afraid that pedestrians would be offended, after sunrise, God suddenly blew the north wind again. This trick is too ruthless. The wet water vapor was blown by the cold wind, almost pervasive, blowing people's faces blue, snot flowing, and the outer robes and underwear on their bodies were cold and hard, heavier than armor!

Such bad weather is definitely a test for the good men and women who believe in the "boundless Dharma". Around the altar opposite Zhangjiazhuang, the number of people who came to watch, release and help was three-quarters less than yesterday. And the monks who sat around the altar and chanted the scriptures were also much weaker. And every half an hour, the next batch had to be replaced and roasted in the altar, so as not to wait to get rid of the demons on the other side of the river, and the monks themselves would be bedridden.

When the news reached the palace, Li Xian, the Ying Tianshen Dragon Emperor, immediately breathed a sigh of relief. And the officials, who had already developed the same hatred for Zhang Qian, found that the weather was so bad that the monks might make a big joke, and they were no longer in a hurry to urge Youji to disperse the monks as soon as possible. There were even some young officials who started a gambling game with a smile, to see if Zhang Qianxian couldn't stand the sound of the monks' chanting, or if the monks couldn't stand the clammy and cold weather first.

This gamble is very boring. For the next three consecutive days, the temperature fluctuated from cold to hot, and the number of good men and women near the altar also fluctuated with the temperature of the high and low. However, neither the monks chanting scriptures on the south bank of the river nor the Zhang family on the north bank of the river have undergone more changes.

The two sides seem to have a tacit understanding with each other, you recite your scriptures, I take care of my injuries, and do not interfere with each other. On the morning of the fourth day, in order to avoid conflicts between the people and good men and women, Ren Quan, the chief housekeeper of Zhangjiazhuang, led a large number of family members to pry up the bridge on the wooden bridge and take it away. If the two sides of the strait want to go back and forth again, they will have to make at least a 10-mile detour, which is equivalent to completely cutting off the possibility of an armed fight.

"What the hell do you want to do? My Senior Brother Zhang? Do you think that if you tear down the bridge, you will be able to stop the monks from touching it again in the middle of the night? Luo Huaizu, who was dressed as Mr. Ledger, rushed to the study and asked in a low voice.

"Uncle Shi!"

"Uncle Shi!"

Under Zhang Qian's guidance, Guo Nu and Ren Cong, who were making medicine twists from thick paper and black powder, both stood up and saluted Luo Huaizu with great respect.

Because of this person's precautions, in the past few days, Guo Nu and Ren Cong have led their families to thwart three infiltration poisoning and one midnight assassination. Therefore, for this Uncle Qi Mo who suddenly appeared, both of them admired it so much. I wish this person could help come up with an idea as soon as possible and give the bald donkeys on the other side of the river a blow to the head.

"On a cold day, the bad people guarding the bridge are also hard. Dismantle the bridge plate, and they can go back to the Yamen of Jingzhao Mansion to make an errand! Zhang Qian's performance was as calm as he had been on the night four days ago. Just continue to hold a wooden spoon and put black powder on top of the pre-cut slip of paper, as if it were all made of gold, lest you accidentally spill even a little bit.

"They don't have to work hard, but if the old man wants to cross the river and fight back, he has to go around in a big circle!" Luo Huaizu was so angry that his nose rolled up and he gritted his teeth, "The old man doesn't know how to cross the river with a reed, it's all a trick made up by the monk to deceive people, you need to smash the stake in advance under the water, and if you take a detour, the farther away, the easier it is to alarm the surrounding eyeline." ”

"I've said it all, I won't bother my uncle to go out. All you have to do is give me ideas! Zhang Qian smiled, put the last spoonful of gunpowder on the note, and at the same time motioned for Ren Cong and Guo Nu to quickly put their minds back on the medicine twist.

"Then you'll listen to me. If you give you an idea, either you don't listen to it, or you change it in a mess. Luo Huaizu was angry and anxious, stamping his feet and complaining.

"Uncle Shi, drink tea!" Zhang Qian put down the wooden spoon and poured a cup of tea for Luo Huaizu and himself with a smile, "Although I have slightly changed Uncle Shi's idea, on the whole, I still follow Uncle Shi's meaning." I told you in advance that we Qin Mo and Qi Mo have been separated for more than a thousand years, and the way we do things is very different. ”

"You ......" knew that this sentence was perfunctory, but Luo Huaizu was helpless. Suddenly, his eyes fell on Zhang Qian's body, and his brows quickly furrowed, "Your legs are okay?" How can you stop relying on crutches today? Could it be that you Qin Mo have a way to fly over the river, so you deliberately demolished the bridge to show weakness? ”

"No, it's just that it doesn't hurt so much!" Zhang Qian looked at the injured thigh and shook his head with a smile, "I still can't run, and I can't fight with others." There are indeed many ways to fly over the river, but I can't use them now. ”

"Is there really a way?" Luo Huaizu was taken aback, and decisively ignored Zhang Qian's contempt for him for several days, and urged in a low voice, "Tell me, how to fly, if your method is feasible, the old man will go to the other side for you tonight." This time, I don't want you to pay anything. ”

"I can teach you the way, but I don't need you to help me risk assassinating the monk. Uncle Shi, you just need to help me find a way to divert the attention of those dark piles around Zhuangzi for a while. After dealing with this person for a long time, Zhang Qian gradually found a practical way, thought about it, and bargained.

"That's not easy!" Sure enough, there is a specialization in the art industry, and in Zhang Qian's opinion, it is a very troublesome problem, Luo Huaizu gave a solution in one sentence, "When you need it, let your housekeeper take the family and lead the dog, in case the monk makes trouble, and search around." The reason why a dark pile is a dark pile is that it cannot be exposed to the light. In order to avoid your family and hounds, they naturally didn't have time to pay attention to Zhuangzi's side. ”

"My solution is simple!" Zhang Qian smiled and grabbed the carbon strip and drew a huge triangular wing on the white paper. "The master called this thing paragliding, here is the keel, here is the handle. It is especially suitable for people like you, Uncle Shi, who are strong in martial arts. The keel is made of bamboo, and the surface of the wings is pasted with several layers of thick silk cloth. It will definitely not work at first, but as long as you practice more, it will not be a problem to say that the small river ditch at the entrance of the village will not be a problem if it is twice as wide. ”

"Shaft, the old man treats him sincerely, and you actually deceive the old man again?!" Luo Huaizu was furious, his eyes widened and he roared. However, he found that Zhang Qian's face had not changed at all, and the anger in his heart quickly plummeted, "Really?" Why had the old man never heard of this before? ”

"There is something similar on the "Atlas of the General Scriptures of the Mo Family's Organs", but Uncle Shi, you didn't think about it carefully!" Zhang Qian smiled and marked the approximate size on the map and explained in a low voice.

Whether paragliding can be made of bamboo and silk cloth, he is not really sure. But with Luo Huaizu's martial arts and reaction speed, even if the test flight fails, he will definitely not fall to death. Therefore, having such a master by your side, of course, cannot be wasted. Tricking this person into experimenting with some dangerous projects for himself is also considered to be the best of his ability!

Of course, it would be better if one day the experiment failed and the old guy fell to his death. The cooperation between the two sides was originally a ghost with each other. When the old guy has the opportunity to pit him, he will definitely not waste it easily!

"Then I'll try it another day! However, this time you took advantage of the old man again. The atlas was lent to you by the old man, but you took the old man's things to trade with the old man. Hearing that there were similar patterns on the "Atlas of the General Scriptures of the Mojia Organs", Luo Huaizu's suspicions immediately dropped sharply. While recalling the specific content on the atlas in his mind, he stepped forward and put away the sketch that Zhang Qian had just drawn.

Zhang Qian didn't have time to argue with him, so he just turned his gaze back to the two junior brothers, "I'll repeat the essentials, after lighting the twist, just run away, run as far as you can." ”

"Remember!" Ren Cong and Guo Nu agreed in unison, and both turned their eyes to the bronze bell placed in the outhouse.

The three bronze bells were all installed on the wheelbarrow according to Zhang Qian's requirements. Any adult man can move freely when he pushes it. But just by relying on these three bronze bells and the things stuffed in the bells, can the altar on the other side of the river be broken? Guo Nu and Ren Congshi, the brothers, really couldn't believe it.

"Then go back and rest, and act after dark!" There were no outsiders present, and Zhang Qian did not hide his plans, looking out the window at the sun that had just risen directly above his head, and ordered with a smile.

As soon as he finished speaking, the sky suddenly became dark. Immediately after, the big geese in the yard barked frantically, and the thin dogs also tore their throats and barked wildly.

With a teacup in his hand, he hurried to the windowsill. I opened the window and looked at the sky, but there was no dark cloud in the sky, but the sunlight became dim.

"It's broken, Tengu Swallowing the Sun!" Luo Huaizu's voice sounded behind him, nervous and hoarse. "The real killer tricks of the monks are hidden here. The chanting is fake, and they have deduced that in the next few days, there may be a tengu swallowing the sun. So put the demon's hat on your head first, and when the Tengu swallows the sun, you can take the opportunity to confirm your demon name! ”

"Tengu?" Zhang Qian quickly lowered his head and pointed the tea in the teacup at the sun in the sky. On the surface of the tea, a mutilated sun was quickly reflected, floating up and down the water, as if it was dodging the pursuit of demons.