Outside the temple is already dark and dreary, and it is estimated that the hour has passed. The temple has been abandoned for a long time, and the spider eaves and webs are full of flying flotsam, which is even more dilapidated in the dim candlelight, and even the desk dedicated to the lord of the city god has broken corners, revealing jagged and slightly spiky corners.

At this time, Princess Pingyang woke up slowly, opened her eyes and looked around and couldn't help but be shocked, Wei Zifu hurriedly said: "Princess, don't panic, we met in the corridor of the Hou Mansion in the afternoon, I am Wei Zifu in the mansion." ”

"Wei Zifu?" Princess Pingyang raised her eyes and looked the woman in front of her up and down, and asked in surprise, "How did you end up here?" And how do I get here? ”

Before the words fell, Tang'er woke up and screamed, startling the two people who spoke.

"Don't scream!" Wei Zifu listened to the movement outside, and quickly shook his head to signal Tang'er.

After a while, after making sure that Tang'er's cry did not attract the two brothers outside, Wei Zifu put down his hanging heart and said softly: "There are people outside, don't make a sound." ”

Tang'er looked at Princess Pingyang with tears in her eyes, nodded in fear, Wei Zifu whispered the matter simply, Princess Pingyang gritted her teeth and said, "It's really hateful!" It's just that Princess Ben was negligent for a while, and she let such a thief take advantage of it. ”

Wei Zifu shook his head and said, "Princess, I'm afraid that these two are not ordinary thieves. ”

"Not an ordinary thief?" Princess Pingyang was surprised, "What do you mean by this?" ”

Wei Zifu said respectfully: "The princess has not yet come to Pingyang County, the slave maid has seen these two people, the princess has not been in the house for a few days, and she was followed and taken away as soon as she left the house, doesn't the princess think it's too much of a coincidence?" ”

Princess Pingyang felt a chill in her heart when she heard this, and lowered her head to think about it, if this is the case, she is the princess of the dynasty, and she dares to break ground on Tai Sui's head, it seems that the person behind her is definitely not small.

"That's... What to do? What should I do if there is a difference between the princess? Tang'er was so anxious that she was about to cry.

Wei Zifu looked around and said, "Right now, we have to find a way to escape first, maybe Hou Ye is sending people around looking for the princess." ”

Princess Pingyang nodded, but her face was embarrassed: "What the husband said is very true, but if you want to escape, you have to find a way to break the ropes on your hands and feet." ”

"Hmm." Wei Zifu nodded and said to Princess Pingyang, "Princess, look! ”

Following Wei Zifu's line of sight, Princess Pingyang saw the table dedicated to the Lord Chenghuang, and wondered: "What's the use of this?" ”

Wei Zifu said: "Princess, take a closer look at the corner of the case." ”

Princess Pingyang looked carefully at the dim candlelight, it turned out that the case had already been damaged, because the corner of this side was cut into bamboo strips, so after the horns were worn, the bamboo strips were like a blunt knife oblique outside.

Princess Pingyang said happily: "You can give it a try." ”

"Hmm!" Wei Zifu was closest to the corner of the case, "Princess, the slave maid will try it first." ”

"Good! Be careful. Princess Pingyang instructed.

Wei Zifu slowly moved his body forward, leaning the rope that tied his hands against the bamboo strips, once, twice... Although the bamboo strip at the corner of the corner is sharp, it is never a blade, and the rope has been rubbed back and forth dozens of times, but there is no loosening in the slightest. As time passed, the disappointment in Princess Pingyang's eyes became heavier and heavier.

"Whew!" The man outside the door suddenly turned over, and the sound made Wei Zifu quickly lower and hide under the desk, not long after, there was a snoring sound at the door, and the three of them breathed a sigh of relief.

Suddenly, something on the back of the case attracted Wei Zifu's attention, it was a broken wine jar in the corner, the broken porcelain surface glowed faintly in the candlelight, this luster was like a small flame, instantly ignited Wei Zifu's hope, she bent down again, trying to grasp the fragment with her tied hands.

"Son-in-law," the princess exhaled lowly, "are you alright?" ”

"Princess, I'm fine." Wei Zifu held the porcelain piece and moved out of the case, and whispered to Princess Pingyang: "Princess, look! ”

In the dim candlelight, the porcelain piece was held in Wei Zifu's hand, as if condensing the hope of all life, Princess Pingyang nodded happily, Wei Zifu did not dare to slack off, his fingertips clenched the porcelain piece, and he grabbed it with his backhand and cut the rope hard.

Gradually, his hands were numb, and suddenly he heard a "crack", and the rope tied to his hands was finally broken, and Wei Zifu's heart was full of joy.

"Great!" Tang'er said happily, "Princess, we can go out!" ”

Princess Pingyang smiled and nodded, Wei Zifu loosened his numb hands, quickly untied the ropes on his feet, and then untied the ropes that bound the princess and Tang'er respectively. Princess Pingyang, who had regained her freedom, let out a long sigh and said, "Zifu, let's go quickly." ”

Wei Zifu said softly: "The princess will be patient for a while, and the princess will go and see the movement." After that, he tiptoed towards the door, and saw two men leaning on the door with red faces and sleeping naked, so he put his mind at ease, turned back to Pingyang and said, "Be careful, princess, those two men are asleep, and go out with the slave!" ”

"Okay." Princess Pingyang and Tang'er carefully tiptoed behind Wei Zifu, looking at the two men who were sleeping soundly, Princess Pingyang couldn't help but scold: "Look at how Princess Ben will clean you up after she goes back!" ”

"Shh Wei Zifu shook his hand, signaling the princess not to wake up the thief, and quietly hurried away, Princess Pingyang nodded, and followed Wei Zifu carefully. Suddenly, with a "bang", Tang'er accidentally kicked into the empty wine jar on the ground in the night, and the sound broke the silence of the night, and also woke up the sleeping thief.

"Not good! Run! Wei Zifu saw that the situation was not good, so he pulled Princess Pingyang and ran away.

The two people, who were originally drunk into mud, saw that the three people they had caught were running out, and they couldn't help but be shocked, and most of the wine immediately woke up, and shouted loudly while getting up: "Stop! Stop me! ”

Wei Zifu saw that he was chasing after him, and he didn't dare to stop for a moment, how could Tang'er ever encounter such a thing, he was so frightened that his legs were weak, and he fell behind, and the short and fat man caught up and grabbed Tang'er's collar and threw it on the ground: "Little slut, I see how far you can run?" ”

The princess had never experienced such a danger, and she was even more panicked when she saw Tang'er being arrested, and seeing the two chasing closer and closer, Wei Zifu was very anxious, and at a critical juncture, he suddenly saw many pine oil torches lit up in front of him, and a young man in the lead sat on the horse with a sword eyebrow, and Wei Zifu shouted: "Qing'er!" ”

It's Wei Qing who came!

-----

In the afternoon, Cao Shou went to the 'Youfeng Laiyi' pavilion and disappeared Princess Pingyang was in a panic, and the servants of Xiyuan took the blood cloth strip on the copper ring and told the old lady, and then the mother and son of the Cao family were completely panicked, and hurriedly called for martial law in the county and searched from house to house. For a while, the people in the house were panicked, and everyone in Pingyang City was in danger.

"Son, if anything happens to the princess, this is a capital crime to destroy the nine clans!" Mrs. Cao lamented again and again.

"Mother, it's all bad children, they can't take a good look at the princess, if the Cao family is implicated in this matter, the child will be to blame!" Cao Shou understands what the princess's disappearance means, and now that Gao Tang is above, this matter will not only implicate the old mother, but also ruin the Cao family's century-old foundation, no matter which of these consequences, he can't afford it.

"Alas!" Old Madam Cao leaned on her crutches and sighed.

Cao Shou saw his mother like this, and he couldn't bear it in his heart: "Mother, don't worry, the child has been ordered to be searched and arrested in the whole county, and the princess will have a glimmer of hope." ”

The old lady was so preoccupied that she bowed her head and said nothing. At this time, the housekeeper Fu Bo entered the house and said: "Cao Hou, old lady, Ma Fang Wei Qing has something important to ask to see!" ”

"Wei Qing?" Cao Shou turned his head and asked, "But the Wei Zifu brothers who disappeared with the princess?" ”

Fauber replied, "Exactly! ”

Cao Shou nodded slightly and said, "Let him in." ”

Fu Bo led Wei Qing into the main hall, Wei Qing bowed and said, "Wei Qing knocks to see the Hou Ye, knocks to see the old lady!" ”

"Excuse me! Wei Qing, why do you want to see Ben Hou? Cao Shou asked.

Wei Qing said: "Master Hou, Wei Qing heard that his sister had shouted loudly before she disappeared, and there were blood cloth strips on the copper ring on the door, Wei Qing was afraid that it was left by her sister, so she dared to ask Master Hou to let Wei Qing take a look." ”

When Cao Shou heard this, he hurriedly brought a strip of cloth and handed it to Wei Qing: "Take a closer look, but your sister's things?" ”

"No!" Wei Qing took the strip of cloth with both hands and examined it carefully, only to see that this strip of cloth was the lace of the maidservant of the Hou Mansion, which was blue-brown, and the blood stains on it looked like the shape of a mountain peak, but what does this mountain peak mean? Suddenly, Wei Qing remembered that his sister had mentioned Li Shan to him, and instantly understood his sister's intentions.

"Wei Qing, do you have a clue?" Seeing Wei Qing staring at the cloth strip silently, Cao Shou couldn't help but ask.

Wei Qing put the strip of cloth in both hands and replied affirmatively: "Please send Li Shan urgently." After saying a simple account of what Wei Zifu had seen before, Cao Shou was furious when he heard it, and said sharply: "Quickly bring Li Shan's gang up!" ”

That Li Shan couldn't catch a few boards, so he made a real move. It was only because he owed a loan shark to the gambling house a few days ago that he was cornered, and when he was cornered, he met the two men, who were willing to repay all the gambling debts for him as long as he helped to report the whereabouts of the princess. This is tantamount to a pie falling from the sky, Li Shan hurriedly agreed, but he didn't know where the two men came from and what the so-called things were, and he didn't participate in the rest of the matter, let alone know.

"Take this guy down, and I'll be punished eighty! Imprisoned in the government! Cao Shou fell on the chair with a butt, originally thought that he could know the whereabouts of the princess by opening a gap in Li Shan's body, but who knew that after working for a long time, it would be such a result.

"Master Hou, please Rong Weiqing go and take a closer look, maybe my sister has left other clues." Wei Qing is looking for her sister, and her sister is cautious, maybe there are clues that have not been discovered.

"Okay, you do your best to do this, and report if you find anything." Cao Hou's eyes were full of expectation.

"No!" Wei Qing replied in a deep voice.

Wei Qingfu returned to the back door of Xiyuan and looked around carefully, but found nothing. Thinking that her sister didn't know where she was and who she had fallen into, Wei Qing couldn't help but feel worried.

Where did my sister go after hanging the strip of cloth on the brass ring? There was a deep alley in front of the back door of the Hou Mansion, Wei Qing imagined Wei Zifu's actions at that time, compared himself with his body, and searched all the way along the alley.

This alley is tortuous, and there is no mark left by Wei Zifu along the way, sister, where have you been? Wei Qing was anxious.

Go to the entrance of the alley again, it is the official road, Wei Qingli raised his eyes at the entrance of the alley, and suddenly his eyes lit up, isn't this the same strip of cloth as the copper ring? Wei Qing rushed up to untie it from the branch and took it in his hand to observe it carefully.

This skirt cloth is the same as the previous copper ring regardless of color and texture, but unexpectedly, there is no clue after turning it over and over, Wei Qing did not give up, and carefully checked it back and forth a few times, but still found nothing.

My sister would never tie useless strips of cloth to a tree, what did she want to sign?

Wei Qing looked around, and the entrance of the alley was connected to the official road of Pingyang County, and to the north was the outskirts of the county, leading to Taiyuan County. Walking south through the gate of the Hou Mansion leads to Henan County, which is also the official road to Kyoto. A gust of wind blew, Wei Qing suddenly felt cool, and a thought came up, my sister didn't leave any clues in the alley, but tied a piece of cloth to the branch at the entrance of the alley, and tied a knot on the side of the cloth, the direction of this knot is the outskirts of the county, could it be that my sister wants to tell me that she went in the direction of Taiyuan County?

Wei Qing settled down and took a closer look.

It must be so!

Wei Qing hurriedly ran back to the mansion to tell Cao Shou, and when he saw another piece of cloth left by Wei Zifu, Cao Shou immediately gathered people and divided two groups of people, led by Cao Shou and Wei Qing, and immediately traced along the official road to Taiyuan County.

The two groups of people kept chasing along the road, and although Wei Qing always paid attention to whether there were any other clues along the way, he still found nothing until the northern suburbs. Seeing that the sky is about to darken, the twilight is getting heavier and heavier, and Wei Qing's uneasiness is getting deeper and deeper, is his judgment wrong?

If you search further, you will have to go out of Pingyang County, and if you continue to search like this, I am afraid that you will have to find a needle in a haystack, sister, sister, where are you? Wei Qing reined in the horse's reins, and his heart was in turmoil.

The horse followed Wei Qing all the way to find it, maybe it was hungry, stopped and lowered his head to gnaw on the weeds on the side of the road, and suddenly the horse seemed to be interested in something, and neighed and picked up a bright yellow thing.

Wei Qing looked down, was suddenly startled, and reached out to pick it up, isn't this my sister's cloth bag? I also have one on my waist, and it is precisely because I wear it every day that the horse also recognizes this thing, and this time I thought it was the master's object that fell off and picked it up.

"Good horses!" Wei Qing stroked the horse's head approvingly, and when he saw the peace charm in his sister's cloth bag, Wei Qing's heart was greatly boosted, and he immediately ran in the direction of the City God Temple.

-----

The two brothers were chasing hard, and a large group of people appeared in front of Leng Buding, and they heard Wei Zifu shouting, and they knew that it was not good, but it was too late to escape, and the team surrounded the two, and the two had to be captured.

That night, the prison cell in the county government was interrogating these two men, and the brothers also understood that the kidnapping of the princess should destroy the nine clans, and in order to seek trouble for his wife and children, they confessed the matter one by one.

"Princess, please take a look!" In the study of the Hou Mansion, the county Cheng presented the case file to Princess Pingyang.

Princess Pingyang took the case file, glanced at it a few times, and her face turned like frost: "Is this true?" ”

The county man replied cautiously: "This matter is very important, and the officials of those two thieves dare not hide a word." ”

Princess Pingyang's face became colder and colder: "Who else knows about this?" ”

"In addition to the lower officials, there is still a small official in the prison who knows about this."

"This princess orders you to destroy all the case files immediately, and the confession must not be made public, if this matter leaks out half a word, this princess will wait for your head to fall to the ground!"

"No!" The county man was already sweating like rain, and said in fear, "Princess, what should we do with those two thieves?" ”

Princess Pingyang's voice was like ice: "Kill it!" ”

The next day, Princess Pingyang and Cao Shou resigned to the old lady, the old lady knew that the severity of it would not be much to keep, Princess Pingyang knew that the escape was all due to the Wei Qing sister and brother, so she asked the old lady for the sister and brother, and the old lady naturally agreed.