A ten-meter-wide and narrow river with seven twists and turns across the Zhuangzi outside, dividing the field into two.

On the south bank of the river, there is a dirt slope with little height. Tupo on the left side is surnamed Sun, which belongs to the imperial physician Sun Anzu. The original surname of Tupo on the right side was Liu, and now it was donated by its owner to the Baima Shan Temple in Weinan. The monks built a huge altar out of wood on the dirt slope, facing the gate of the Zhang family......

Under the oil lamp, Zhang Qian picked up the charcoal pencil and sketched on a blank piece of paper according to the information collected by Guo Nu and his family in the evening. His painting skills are very average, and he can only describe the information obtained. However, it is barely enough to deal with the relatively narrow and simple terrain around Zhuangzi.

Xiaohe is about 870 steps away from the gate of Zhangjiayuan, the bridge is 25 steps long, turn to the upper left after crossing the bridge, and it is about 2780 steps to reach the altar. However, if you draw a straight line, the distance between the altar and the Zhang family will be greatly shortened. The shortest distance between the altar and the river bank was only more than fifty steps away.

An adult step is about 1.5 meters, and 80 steps are 120 meters. Lifting the pen again, near the nearest position on the north bank of the Zhang Qianhe River from the altar, two points were marked, and the word 120 was written. One left and one right, just can lock the altar cross. Immediately, shaking his head with a smile, he drew a stick figure cannon in each of the two positions.

That's right, it's artillery, not a bell! Elongated bowl cannon! At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the peasant rebel army built a furnace in the field to smelt copper coins, the kind that could be cast, Zhang Qian didn't believe it, and concentrated the best craftsmen and the best production conditions in the Tang Dynasty. (Note: The bowl cannon, the original artillery used by the peasant rebel army at the end of the Yuan Dynasty.) Because the muzzle of the cannon is bowl-shaped and named, Shandong has unearthed the real thing. It can fire live or scattered bullets. It is characterized by poor casting quality and uneven thickness of the gun. ）

In fact, according to Zhang Qian's understanding of the technical background of the general supervisor, casting a bowl cannon is far simpler than casting a bronze bell. To cast a bronze bell, the thickness of the bell is required to be consistent, and the thickness of the bell itself is not more than half an inch. The thickness of the barrel of the bowl cannon can be more than three inches, and the thickness of the barrel is not required to be uniform.

To cast a copper bell, the copper material used is often seven or eight hundred catties, or even thousands of catties. And the extended version of the copper cannon he designed based on the bowl mouth cannon he saw in the museum is expected to use about 300 catties of materials at most. It's not half of the current cap of the Prison Casting Capacity!

In addition, when Zhang Qian was initially preparing to cast the artillery, he did not consider long-term continuous firing at all, so the quality requirements could continue to be relaxed. It's a big deal, use the bowl cannon as a disposable powder gun, and still scare the monks on the other side of the river who chant the scriptures half to death!

"Huh-" The window was suddenly pushed open, and immediately after, Luo Huaizu's figure came in like a ghost.

"Why are you here in the middle of the night again? Won't you go through the front door? Zhang Qian, who was thinking about how to scare the monk, was startled first, put down the charcoal, and asked in a low voice.

"Right now, near your Zhuangzi, there are at least twenty hidden stakes of different yamen in ambush. In the middle of the night, the old man was worried about how to avoid them, let alone in broad daylight?! Luo Huaizu pursed his lips, generally patting the fine snow particles on his body, while complaining angrily. As for the main entrance, after the old man comes in, are you not afraid of being implicated by the old man? The saint you serve is the most suspicious one in the world! ”

"Okay, okay, you're justified!" Zhang Qian rolled his eyelids helplessly, pushed open the door of the house, and softly ordered Zijuan, who had already pricked up his ears, "Don't worry, my fellow uncle is here." Right now, he won't do anything bad for me, you go and make us a pot of tea. ”

Zijuan's face suddenly turned pale. However, he was unwilling to disobey Zhang Qian's orders. Picking up the heavy copper kettle, he prepared to go to the earth-heating boiler outside to boil tea. Before he reached the door, Luo Huaizu had already chased after him quickly, snatched the copper kettle, opened the lid, first sniffed the cold water with his nostrils, and then asked in a low voice: "Is this water a well or a river?" If it's river water, replace it immediately. Beware of the monks on the other side of the river poisoning! ”

"Well water!" Zijuan was startled again, her face became even paler, and there was a noticeable tremor in her voice when she answered.

Luo Huaizu didn't know that she had known herself for a long time, but she was born timid as a girl. smiled at her kindly, and comforted her softly: "It's good if it's well water, and the well water is clean." The monks have just a few tricks, and with me, your master doesn't have to be afraid of them. ”

After that, he pulled Zhang Qian again, quickly returned to the master bedroom, lowered his voice, and quickly added: "Immediately send an order, everyone in the Zhuangzi should not drink river water, and it is best not to wash clothes." The monks are insidious and ruthless, chanting scriptures is just a pretense, and all the tricks to trick you are in the invisible place! ”

"What?" Zhang Qian was also taken aback, and blurted out an exclamation.

"You are actually a child of the Mo family?!" Luo Huaizu rolled his eyes in anger, and smashed his head and face with his scolding words, "You Qin Mo also used to be the Zhenguo School of Great Qin, didn't anyone in your sect teach you, how to play and beware of other people's ghost tricks?" These are the leftovers of our Mo family, and the monks are just picking up people's teeth and wisdom! When our Mo family was in the world, who did you want to kill, and you still used such a teacher to mobilize the people? Just use a few means to come out, and let the other party's whole family die cleanly! ”

"We, Qin Mo, have long given up the science of killing." Zhang Qian's face was so red that he was counted, and he explained stubbornly, and his voice sounded so empty.

"Then you do what I say!" Luo Huaizu glanced at the topographic sketch drawn by Zhang Qian, but he couldn't recognize what the artillery on it was, frowned, and ordered in a deep voice: "First, no one, including the tenants in Zhuangzi, is allowed to drink river water. For the past month, all of them have had to drink water from wells, and they have been inspected daily to prevent dead rats and corpses of all kinds. ”

"You mean, the monks are going to pollute the water?" Zhang Xian has always been wary of Luo Huaizu, frowned, and whispered to get to the bottom of it.

"It's not preparation, it's done. If you don't believe it, you send people to the river after dawn to see if many of the things that were released by good men and women during the day have died in the river? Luo Huaizu was sure that he was a layman, rolled his eyelids, and reminded with a sneer.

Cold sweat immediately flowed down Zhang Qian's backbone. No matter how hot the water stove was in the house, he didn't feel any warmth.

He originally thought that whether it was a monk's practice altar or chanting scriptures, it was at best a kind of psychological pressure. As long as you don't believe in the monks, you can be safe and sound. But I never expected that the monks' chanting was just a disguise, and the real killing trick was hidden in those released animals.

"Humph!" Seeing his pale face and the appearance of the six gods without a master, Luo Huaizu immediately let out a cold snort in his nostrils, and the expression on his face was so proud, "It's a loss to the old man today, otherwise, you don't know how to die." The second trick is to divide the courtyard into an inner courtyard and an outer courtyard, and the family members who come from the outside are not allowed to enter the inner courtyard. From now on, only those you trust most will be allowed to enter the inner court. The monks' statements are the most demagogic. Hundreds of outsiders are wandering around your yard, and as long as there is a good man and a woman hidden inside, you can't guard against it. ”

"Thank you Uncle for your advice!" Zhang Qian had to admit that he was far less professional than Luo Huaizu in harming and preventing people. He thanked him, then picked up the charcoal pen and recorded the other party's pointing.

"Third, the family in the outer courtyard doesn't need so much. Unless you're going to take them out to fight the monks, fifty people are enough to keep your home. More than 200 people, eating and drinking every day is not a small number, and it must be supplied from outside. The more you resupply, the more opportunities your opponent can take advantage of! Glancing at Zhang Qian with disdain, Luo Huaizu continued to give orders.

"Fourth, put the fine dog outside the Zhuangzi and let the family pull it for patrol every day. That's a hound, not a watchdog. If you look at the house, in the yard, buy a flock of geese, better than dogs! ”

"Uncle Shi, ......" Zhang Qian realized that Luo Huaizu sneaked into his house just now, but he didn't alarm the fine dog. Suddenly, his eyes widened again.

"Smear a little tiger urine on your body, it's too late for the dog to hide, how dare you bark!" You don't have to guess, you know what Zhang Qian wants to ask, Luo Huaizu pouted and quickly gave an answer.

I see! Zhang Qian suddenly realized, and at the same time, he felt more and more that he had underestimated the other party's professional level in crime.

"Fifth, strictly inspect the kitchen, rice warehouse, and other places, as well as the recent change to vegetarianism, don't always buy pork and mutton outside to eat. As a child of the Mo family, you won't die if you eat less meat. Luo Huaizu continued to roll his eyes, pointing out his omission in guarding against details, "The meat that comes in from outside is the easiest place to do it. There are a lot of poisons, and the silver needle can't be detected at all. ”

"Just Uncle Shi!" Zhang Qian hesitated for a moment and nodded helplessly.

The silver needle can only test out mineral poisons such as arsenic, and since the monks even know the tricks of contaminating drinking water with animal carcasses, some plant poisons, and even fungal poisons, I am afraid that they have already mastered them. And the latter, especially fungal poisons, have the amount of two poisonous mushrooms, which is guaranteed to allow you to see the "villain dancing".

"Sixth, mix the soot left over with lime and sprinkle it in a whole circle along the courtyard wall, inside and outside the wall. On the one hand, it can leave footprints on people who come in and out. On the other hand, it prevents poisons from entering the precincts with the help of plants and trees! Luo Huaizu's voice continued to come, making people feel more and more creepy.

"Seventh, the sleeping room, with wind chimes hanging in the window. It's not for the sake of pretty, but as soon as someone touches the window, the wind chimes will warn. If the monks failed to poison them, they would definitely send assassins in again. When sleeping, don't be alone in the outhouse. Transfer a few strong family members to serve in shifts, young people, life matters, don't just be greedy for lust! ”

"Eighth ......"

said more than a dozen in one breath, each of which was a safety omission that Zhang Qian hadn't noticed before. Listening to the latter with a wry smile and sweating.

And Luo Huaizu, Wu felt that he was not satisfied, and in the end, he pursed his lips again and said loudly: "Don't think that you can get through it just by being beaten and not fighting back." If they can't curse you for seven days and seven nights, how can they scare others in the future? There are some tricks that the old man may not be able to imagine. In short, it is definitely better to take the initiative to take the initiative to defend it blindly! ”

"How to be proactive?" Since the other party is a "professional", Zhang Qian is also willing to listen to more of his suggestions and opinions. lest his side be too wishful thinking and underestimate his opponent as before.

"The old man has three strategies, upper, middle and lower, for you to choose!" Luo Huaizu swung the measuring scale on his chest, and responded with a smug face, "The next strategy is to let your two junior disciples lead the family to rush across the river early tomorrow morning and kill the monks by surprise." Anyway, if you kill someone, you can use your family to blame for it later. Since the imperial court can't restrain the monks now, there may not be a face to be more serious with you in the future! ”

Without waiting for Zhang Qian to refuse, after a pause, he quickly added, "The middle strategy is that you immediately move to Chang'an City to live and avoid the monk Fengying." Anyway, their goal is you, and if you leave, their altar will naturally be built in vain. Then you find someone to help you make a deal with the monks, and hand over your Six Gods Trading House to them, maybe they will be happy, and they will reward you with a Buddhist protector who practices at home. ”

When Zhang Qian heard this, he could only shake his head and smile bitterly. Not to mention the Six Gods Trading Company, it is no longer his own now. Even if he still belongs to him alone, who has surrendered without a fight since ancient times, which one has ever had a good end? Far away is like Liu Cong in the Three Kingdoms era, and close to it, a company in the 21st century in another time and space, but you can't move to Mars!

"As for the best policy, it is naturally Uncle Ben who personally stepped in. It's not that the old man boasted, the group of monks on the other side of the river, although there were many people. Uncle Shi, I wanted to take the lives of the bald donkeys who took the lead, but it was as easy as a snap. "I have long expected that with Zhang Qian's temperament, he will neither choose to fight hard nor choose to surrender. Luo Huaizu shook the heavenly scale again, and the old god announced on the ground. If the iron rod in his hand is replaced with a goose feather fan at this moment, there will be a bit of the taste of the military Sima Yi of the Three Kingdoms, "But everything pays attention to fairness, in our agreement at that time, there was no old man who personally went out to charge into battle......

"Shaolang-kun, tea is here!" Zijuan held a lacquer plate, walked in, and put two cups of freshly boiled tea on the table beside Zhang Qian and Luo Huaizu.

The scene of Zijuan's father's family being killed by Luo Huaizu instantly flashed in front of him, Zhang Qianling shivered, and hurriedly smiled and waved his hand, "Uncle Shi, there's no need." You just have to help come up with ideas, how to make that group of monks retreat, Zhang has his own way. ”

"Just you?" Luo Huaizu frowned, looking Zhang Qian up and down repeatedly, he really couldn't see that the other party was dragging an injured leg, how could he touch the altar unknowingly, and severely punish the person who took the lead in making trouble.

"Let me try it with all my strength first, if I don't succeed, I will naturally ask Uncle Shi to come out. When the time comes, Uncle Shi will also open his mouth! Knowing the price of begging this person to make a move, Zhang Qian smiled and added confidently with a confident face. It seems that in my heart, there are still countless strange tricks and secret skills, and I haven't used them.

"Whatever you want!" Luo Huaizu was so angry that his teeth itched, but he knew that Zhang Qian was a soft and hard person, so he had to nod helplessly.

After that, I am afraid that Zhang Qian will think about things too simply. He pursed his lips again and quickly added: "Don't expect that saint of yours, he is born to be an unresponsible person." No matter how great your credit is, no matter how useful you are to Datang, he will not conflict with his mother-in-law for you. And his mother-in-law is one of the several big proprietors of the White Horse Sect. ”

"Got it, thank you Uncle for reminding me!" Zhang Qian smiled, sighed and nodded. Immediately, his gaze fell back to the sketch he had just drawn.

Originally, I just wanted to create a little thunder and scare the monks, to see if the psychological pressure caused by the other party's chanting was great, or the pressure of inexplicable thunder near the altar in the middle of the night. And now, now that the monks have begun to fight biological warfare, the copper cannon is aimed at the direction, and some adjustments must be made.

Anyway, the total distance is only about two hundred meters. Such a big altar, but I don't have to worry about smashing it!

"Pap, papa, papa......" Outside the door, the snow particles suddenly became larger, and they were blown by the cold wind and hit the window guard, like a shotgun!

"Papa, papa, papa......" Hail hit the window of the imperial study, and the noise made people upset.

Li Xian, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, turned his head, glared at his daughter Princess Anle fiercely, and counted in a low voice: "Don't say that he is still a young eunuch of the fifth grade who I have just made and awarded, even if it is an ordinary trader, you don't have a reason to take away his things without giving money?" If all my children are like you, where is the majesty of the royal family? ”

"The son is the king, he is the minister." Princess An Le proudly held her pink neck, tears in her eyes, "The king has what he needs, and the minister should give it with both hands." What's more, Erchen didn't take his medicine in vain, and said that he would give him 10,000 hangings! ”

"The only medicine in the world, the price is 100,000, you take it for 10,000, and you say it's not for nothing?" Seeing his daughter's strong words, Ying Tianshen Dragon Emperor Li Xian felt more and more irritable, took a big step forward, and scolded condescendingly: "And it's not you who was injured, that medicine, he was assassinated by the monk and didn't even want to ......take it himself."

He ate it, in front of his ministers, and deducted half of it. The other half was afraid that his sons would persecute him, so he dedicated it to his father! Princess An Le stalked her neck and interrupted angrily, "If you don't believe that your father can ask that Huaijian again?" ”

"Of course I know, he was afraid of your persecution, so he gave the medicine to me." Thinking of Duan Huaijian's frightened appearance when he entered the palace to offer medicine to Zhang Qian, the anger in Li Xian's stomach didn't come out, he raised his foot and kicked the brocade stool out of the distance, "I still know, who are you going to use this medicine on!" I know that the case of the destruction of the White Horse Temple has nothing to do with him, but I don't clarify it for him, I just want to save you a little face! It's good for you to take the initiative to send it to the door, don't admit yourself! ”

"What does Father know?" Princess An Le was so frightened that she couldn't care about the black state that continued to sue Zhang Qian, so she denied it, "A servant girl of the son-in-law ......"

"For the sake of a servant, you went to persecute my five-grade officials? What do you think of the imperial court! The anger in Li Xian's stomach could no longer be controlled, and he raised his arms high. However, at the moment of falling, the slap turned into a finger.

Pointing his finger at Princess Anle's nose, his roar was like rolling thunder: "When did one of your maidservants have a higher status than my fifth-grade official!" Who gave you the guts? If someone is impeached tomorrow, how can I cover it up for you? Also, don't think that Wu Yanxiu is really angry for you! He just couldn't get used to seeing his brother's bones cold......"

scolded halfway, and hindered that the other party was his daughter after all, so he had to save some face. Gritted his teeth, and hurriedly changed his words, "He just watched Monk Hui'an swagger and deceive him with your signboard and insult his reputation as a martial artist." ”

"Father, you sent someone to spy on me?" Princess An Le's eyes widened, and tears rolled down, "You actually sent someone to spy on me?" For your sake, I didn't hesitate to feed the tiger and marry into the martial arts family. You ......"

"I didn't!" Li Xian was asked so that he avoided his gaze and retorted in a deep voice, "I don't need to send someone to monitor, I can know that Wu Yanxiu is in and out of pairs with you all day long." Based on the movements of the Wu family on the night of the White Horse Temple extermination case, I naturally know who you are going to get the medicine for! ”

"Father, you sent someone to spy on me!" Princess An Le didn't listen to a word, and continued to stare at Li Xian with tearful eyes, emphasizing repeatedly. "You sent someone to spy on me! Watch your wraps! You're even guarding against me, you're ......"

"I said it, but I didn't!" Li Xian couldn't bear it anymore and roared again. Suddenly, there was a pain in my chest, and the world was spinning.

"Holy Lord, be careful!" Gao Yanfu's hand was quick, and he immediately rushed forward and firmly held Li Xian with one hand. The other hand stretched out his index finger and quickly poked at Li Xian's two key points, Jiquan and Zhiyang.

"Father, what's wrong with you?" The ancestor of An Le Gong was also shocked, and did not dare to continue to protest against his possible surveillance, so he rushed forward and firmly hugged Li Xian's waist.

"Take the elixir in the brocade box, get out! I don't want to see you! Li Xian weakly pushed his daughter and commanded in a low voice, "I don't want to see you again today." I haven't spied on you, but you don't want to be blind. Don't be someone else, it's all stupid. You see Wu Yanxiu is pleasing to the eye, after he recovers from his injury, even if he marries him, I will not stop this marriage! ”

"Father, the son knows that he is wrong, he knows that he is wrong!" Princess Anle got what she wanted, but she didn't feel much joy. Let go of your hand, get on your knees, and burst into tears.

She never thought about marrying Wu Yanxiu at all. However, Wu Yanxiu is her courtier, and she can't watch Wu Yanxiu die of "poison".

In addition to Wu Yanxiu, she also needs a lot of courtiers, so that after his father is a hundred years old, she can be like her grandmother.

The reason why she coaxed Zhang Qian to go to the top of Wu Yanxiu today was just to turn Zhang Qian into her own courtier, in order to better control this person.

Including the purchase of Zhang Qian's medicine at a low price, it is also to bring the relationship between the two parties closer, and the fact that Zhang Qian is already a courtier under his command is made. Otherwise, with her net worth, how could she really be short of the 90,000 copper coins?

But the surnamed Zhang actually dared to take two pills of medicine by himself, and deducted the other four?

But his father didn't support himself, but wanted to stand up for Zhang?

……

"What's the matter, Bao'er, are you angry with your father again?" Just when he was so aggrieved that he couldn't help himself, at the door of Zichen Palace, Empress Wei's loving voice came again, "My mother has already said you, don't always work against your father, you just don't listen!" Let's retreat first, when your father's anger is gone, it's not too late for you to enter the palace to apologize! ”

After that, he took a medicine bowl from the palace maid's hand and slowly walked to Li Xian's side, "Alas, the concubine body is just a short time late, and your father and daughter quarrel like this!" Alright, Holy One, don't be angry. His own daughter, what is there to be angry about. Come, take the medicine, take the medicine first, and then the two of us will teach her a lesson slowly! ”

"Hmm!" Knowing that as soon as his wife came, no matter what mistakes his daughter made, she could no longer be held accountable, Li Xian let out a long breath and opened her mouth helplessly.

"Papa, papa, papa......" Outside the window, the snow is like hail, the more it falls, the more urgent, the more urgent, in the blink of an eye, it connects the heaven and the earth into a white expanse.