In the fifth year of Taihe, October was not the second quarter of the first month.

Chang'an, Wannian County, Jinchangfang.

Seeing Zhang Yijun walking straight north, Li Shangyin was stunned for a moment at this sudden change, and his heart sank, and his plan changed?

Li Shangyin hesitated, and he looked at the red door of the Yang Mansion with some hesitation. They had been waiting in front of the gate of this mansion for half a moment, but Li Shangyin decided to trust Brother Yi Jun's judgment, so he hurriedly put the collection of poems and essays in his arms and quickly followed.

After Li Shangyin caught up, Zhang Yijun slowed down a little, he raised his hand forward, and at the same time explained a few words to Li Shangyin in a low voice. Li Shangyin only heard the words "Xuandu Guan", and then knew that Zhang Yijun was talking about the "man in Xuanjiao" who appeared several times but it was difficult to confirm his identity, and he couldn't help but get nervous in his heart.

They were about thirty paces away from the two mysterious men, and they were still in the middle of the curve, and there was not much crowd yet, so they didn't dare to get too close.

After passing through the North Street, which is dozens of steps wide, you will enter the Beiqu where the Great Ci'en Temple is located, and the flow of people on the street is increasing, and there are some monks of the Ci'en Temple wearing five clothes in the crowd. Li Shangyin unconsciously shrugged the tip of his nose, and the air was filled with a smell of sandalwood and benzoin, which was very sticky, and it lingered as soon as it was touched on his sleeves. It seems that Zhang Yijun's previous guess may not be far from ten, and today the Great Ci'en Temple may really have a dharma, and most of the people on the street think that they are here to offer incense.

"Troublesome ......" Zhang Yijun smacked his mouth, he didn't have the heart to appreciate the grand scene of the Shi family, and the tourists and pilgrims interspersed from time to time really increased the difficulty for them to follow the two men closely.

Fortunately, the two of them walked leisurely, walked slowly, did not ride horses, and even glanced at the stalls on the side of the street from time to time, so Zhang Yijun and Li Shangyin did not have much trouble following them, but it also made Zhang Yijun secretly wonder, where are the two of them going? Could it be that he also went to the Temple of Mercy and Grace?

The two stopped in front of a bronze mirror shop, and Zhang Yijun immediately froze, but by coincidence, Zhang Yijun found that they happened to be standing in front of a food stall rather awkwardly.

This is a meatloaf shop, focusing on ancient buildings, and the meat is fragrant. That is, take a pound of mutton and chop the filling, mix with butter, smear the Hu cake layer by layer, add pepper and soy sauce between each layer, and put it in the oven to bake the snack.

Li Shangyin couldn't help but look at the stall curiously, but he didn't want to meet the eyes of a guy in the store who was serving a plate and delivering a lamp, the guy's eyesight was not bad, and when he saw a visitor, he hurriedly wiped the grease off his hands with a dough cake, rubbed it on his trouser leg again, and leaned forward to ask the guest officer how many people to eat.

Li Shangyin was silent for a long time, Zhang Yijun only smiled and gave a slight salute and said: "Don't be busy first, the two of us are just walking here......" The guy in the store raised his hand and sang a song when he heard this, and turned back.

Zhang Yijun had just finished dealing with the guys, but when he turned his head, he saw that the two people were nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile.

Wannian County, Sixteen Princes' Mansions, Yingwang's Mansion.

"Hurry up, hurry up! Don't miss the hour......" Zhao Guizhen urged behind him, and the quiet dust in the crook of his arm trembled with his pace. Ah Hao followed behind the master without saying a word, still dragging the bulging wat bag in his hand, Zhao Guizhen complained in his mouth: "As a teacher, he is nearly sixty years old, and he still walks faster than you kid!" ”

Zhao Guizhen rushed to the door of the Yingwang Mansion in the dust, straightened out the clothes that were a little scattered due to the fast walking, and then knocked lightly on the door.

Song Gao, the eunuch of Yingwang's Mansion, opened the door of the mansion through a crack, and when he saw that it was Zhao Guizhen, he opened the door of the mansion, and saluted with his crossed hands: "Master Zhao Lian, are you here......" His gaze swept over Zhao Guizhen and the little Taoist boy behind him, and asked a little question: "It's a little late today......

Zhao Guizhen replied apologetically: "The poor road has been slightly delayed due to the matter, and I hope Gonggong Song will forgive me!" ”

"It doesn't matter if the old slave is old," Song Gao said with a smile, and hurriedly invited the two of them into the mansion: "But I'm afraid that His Highness will be in a hurry, please hurry up!" ”

After Zhao Guizhen stepped into the threshold, Song Gao saw the little Taoist boy standing in place, motionless, looking at Song Gao with round eyes, which made the old eunuch a little stunned, and he was worried for a while, this little guy is usually elated, but what happened today? Isn't it that Meng Lang was reprimanded by the master ruthlessly? Song Gao thought of this and couldn't help but glance at Zhao Guizhen.

Zhao Guizhen beckoned: "Why don't you come in soon?" ”

Ah Hao heard the master's urging, but still didn't say a word, just dragged the wat bag into the palace and stood behind the master.

Song Gao closed the door slightly, and when he turned around and raised his eyes, he saw that Ah Hao was still staring at him, and there seemed to be some uncomfortable feeling in his eyes, which made the old eunuch feel a little furious. The mind of a child, I am afraid that adults will never be able to guess. Song Gao thought so in his heart, as if he was comforting himself, he put his hand in his sleeve and slowly walked in front of Zhao Guizhen.

"Master Zhao Lian, please follow the old slave to see His Highness......"

There is a grass house in the back garden of the Yingwang Mansion, which is facing the Taiji Bagua furnace in the middle of the garden. The grass house is only ten steps square, and there is nothing else in the furnishings, only a few futons and two seats, which is already shabby for the huge palace. In addition to Zhao Guizhen's preaching here, sometimes when the night is quiet, King Ying sits here quietly with Wang, leaning on the railing to listen to the wind, and inviting the stars.

Li Han has been sitting quietly in the grass house for half an hour with his eyes closed, if Zhao Guizhen came here to preach and preach in the past, the time would have arrived at the latest, but today Zhao Guizhen is a full three minutes late.

After Zhao Guizhen was led into the grass house by Song Gao, he hurriedly arched his hand and said: "Your Highness, please forgive Weichen's sins, it's too late today......" After speaking, he was about to bend his knees to make amends, but was stopped by Li Han.

"It's okay, sit." Li Han closed his eyes and pointed to the side, where a few futons were spread.

After Zhao Guizhen raised his hand to thank him, he dragged a futon and knelt down in the lower position.

The two sat silently for a long time, King Ying opened his eyes, straightened up, and said casually: "I heard that today Zhao Lianshi entered the palace to serve the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager Gui'an?" ”

"Back to Your Highness, Queen Mother!" Zhao Guizhen raised his hand and said.

"What's going on in the palace?"

"Go back to Your Highness, there is nothing to do in the palace!"

"Last time, the saint went to the banquet because of something, I wonder if the refiner heard some rumors?"

"Back to Your Highness, Weichen has not!"

King Ying pursed his lips, he wanted to ask Zhao Guizhen about some palace affairs, especially the inside story of the last time the Son of Heaven did not go to the Sixteen Mansion for a banquet, or...... If there are clues that can help Zhang Yijun investigate the case, it is the best. But seeing that Zhao Guizhen answered so simply every time, he didn't have much hope, after all, he was familiar with the heart of this old Taoist, and he had always turned a deaf ear to everything other than cultivation.

Li Han knocked on the edge of his knuckles, and said with emotion and said with a wry smile: "The refiner really doesn't listen to things outside the window, and only reads the Tao Te Ching." ”

Zhao Guizhen just laughed, Li Han no longer greeted and verbosed, so he bowed his head and said: "Refiner, please talk about the Book of Changes......

"Your Highness," Zhao Guizhen said at this time: "Although the old minister in the palace has not heard of it, there is a matter in the city, the old minister...... I just don't know how to start? ”

In the courtyard of the palace, Wang instructed a few maidservants to clean up the remaining leaves in the courtyard, and then moved to the corridor. There is a pond of fish pond in the cloister of the courtyard, there are several koi fish with a healthy physique, a majestic swimming posture in it, the Tang Dynasty avoided the royal name, "carp" and "Li" have the same sound, so the koi can only be used for ornamentation, not edible, and thus become the pet of the dignitaries and nobles competing to raise, the price is expensive.

The cloister leads directly to the side room library, Wang is ready to read some of King Ying's collection of books to the side room study as in the past, waiting for Zhao Guizhen to finish his sermon when Shen Shi, but in the corner of the corridor suddenly saw Ah Hao sitting alone on the railing.

Ah Hao pointed his legs towards the fish pond, held the railing with both hands, and stared blankly at the koi in the pool.

Wang was afraid that the sound would be too loud to scare Ah Hao, so he fell into the pool by mistake, so he tentatively called Xiao Daotong: "Ah Hao? But Ah Hao didn't seem to hear.

Wang slowly walked to Ah Hao's side, although Ah Hao noticed Wang's presence and glanced back at her, but his face was still expressionless, and he did not say anything about Wang's questioning.

Wang felt that something was wrong, in her impression, Ah Hao was very talkative on weekdays, every time she entered the mansion, she was always smiling, either running to Song Gonggong to ask this and that, or hiding with the maid in the house, and often telling Wang some rumors outside the sixteen houses. Today, Ah Hao is in such a state, and the Wang family is really unheard of.

Don't...... What happened to Zhao Lianshi when he entered the palace today? Noticed by Ah Hao?

"Ah Hao," Wang leaned down and said in a low voice, "Is it fun in the palace?" ”

Ah Hao did not respond.

"Is Hanliang Hall big?"

Ah Hao is still unresponsive.

Think again, think again...... Although Wang said this silently to himself, Ah Hao was so unresponsive that Wang didn't know what to ask.

At this moment, Ah Hao's gaze suddenly moved away from the fish pond, staring intently at the Sanjin Moon Gate in the distance. Wang looked over and saw Song Gao holding a teapot and a teacup, and was walking towards the back garden in a little anxious.

Wang looked at Ah Hao's eyes again.

Could it be ......

Wang's jade neck trembled slightly, she lowered her voice a little, and asked softly, "Ah Hao...... Have you ever seen General Wang Shoucheng? ”

Ah Hao looked away from Song Gao, he looked at Wang with a blank expression, as if he didn't understand who she was talking about.

Wang's willow eyebrows frowned slightly, his eyes turned, and he had an idea in his heart, so he got up silently and beckoned Song Gao to come over.

When the old eunuch heard the princess's call, he hurriedly handed the tray in his hand to the servants in the first house, and then walked over in three steps and two steps, and asked Princess Ying what she commanded.

Wang whispered a few words in his ear, Song Gao's face changed slightly, and he asked, "But...... Old slave ......"

Wang Shi was relieved: "Don't worry, just for a while." ”

Song Gao raised his hand and sang, and then left slowly. After a short time, Song Gao changed into a purple robe according to Wang's instructions, and wore a black gauze crown on his head. This dress is the official uniform of King Ying, which is often placed in the cabinet on weekdays and rarely used, so it is slightly tied and tight for Song Gao. And wearing His Royal Highness's official uniform, Song Gao was also a little weak and drummed, helpless for the princess's life.

Wang led Song Gao into the cloister again and stood in front of Ah Hao. I saw that the moment Ah Hao saw Song Gao, his eyes immediately widened, his pupils shrank suddenly, and there seemed to be some indescribable fear in his eyes.

And with the next flick of his fingers, Ah Hao actually howled "wow" and cried......