"Oh? Patrol battalion? ”

Emperor Chu was slightly stunned, and then said with a smile: "Ziqing, when did you care about the protection of the Eastern Capital?" ”

"The safety of the Eastern Capital is not only the safety of the Imperial Palace, but also the safety of His Majesty, how can Weichen not pay more attention to it." Liang Ziqing said.

"Isn't there a three-major military government in charge of the Tiwei Mansion, the Mingjing Division and the Jingzhao Mansion in the east? Besides, I still have 300,000 troops stationed outside the capital, so why do I have to be transferred back to the patrol camp? Could it be that they are all decorations? ”

When Emperor Chu said this, his tone was obviously gloomy.

Liang Ziqing said: "Your Majesty, Rong Chen slowly said in detail, although the Spiegel Division was established in the Eastern Capital, His Majesty granted the right to act cheaply, and the responsibility was heavy. ”

"Jingzhao Mansion, in addition to guarding the capital, also has to deal with large and small government affairs in the capital, as well as civil affairs, and it is also impossible to support people."

"As for the 300,000 troops outside the city, it is okay to resist the invading enemy, but if you want to carefully maintain the eastern capital, I am afraid it is still much worse."

"In this way, there is only the forbidden army to defend the mansion and support it alone."

Emperor Chu frowned and said: "Even if there is only the Tiwei Mansion, then they also have five hundred people, isn't it enough to defend the Eastern Capital?" ”

While the two of them were talking, the great eunuch Li Quan stepped forward with broken steps and took the gold plate in Liang Ziqing's hand.

Ziqing's hands were released, and he immediately gave a forked hand salute and said: "Your Majesty may not have received the twist and turn of the Tiwei Mansion, last night, a group of assassins infiltrated the Eastern Capital, and the soldiers were divided into two routes, and at the end of the year, they attacked Yihefang all the way, intending to harm the officials' families. On the other hand, they are preparing to storm Shuntianmen and attack the ministers who are attending the birthday banquet. ”

"Fortunately, Tiwei took the lead in the enemy's attack, stopped it, and killed the assassins, so that last night was safe, and of course, they themselves lost a lot of men."

Emperor Chu thought for a moment, and then said: "In this way, the Tiwei Mansion is still quite conscientious and loyal. ”

"Your Majesty may not know that yesterday Tiwei borrowed some people from Jingzhao Yin Guo Siyuan because of the lack of men and horses." Ziqing added.

"It seems that I have misunderstood them," Emperor Chu sighed, "Okay, when I return to the palace later, I will send an order to Tang Dezhen and ask him to return to Beijing with the patrol battalion." ”

"Your Majesty."

Liang Ziqing crossed his hands and bowed deeply.

"By the way," Emperor Chu said again, "Prime Minister, since you have quite a lot of ears and eyes in the Eastern Capital, it is better for you to speak on my behalf and go to the chief of the guard, I want to see him in private." ”

Hearing Emperor Chu say "quite ear-and-eye", Liang Ziqing was also startled, and then carefully tasted the tone, without the slightest taboo, he breathed a sigh of relief, but knelt down and said: "The minister obeys the order." ”

At this time, a cold wind blew from the back mountain and swept through the West Garden.

"It looks like it's going to snow again tomorrow," Emperor Chu said leisurely, "The holy lake has finally melted away, and it's going to freeze again." Anyway, it's almost time for me to go to the Ministry of Rites to prepare for the 'Winter Sacrifice'. ”

Dongdu Dongshi Qingningfang Qijia Tavern Chenmo

Qijia Tavern, although named "Tavern", but it is a real restaurant, a total of three floors high, covering a vast area, with dozens of houses, hundreds of guest tables, is one of the few largest restaurants in the Eastern Capital.

Xiao Chongguang and Lu Yunsheng sat on the second floor, in the private room outside, where you can see the city river below when you open the window.

Xiao and Lu drank tea around a square table, while six guards stood aside, and the stretcher was placed in the corner on the left.

"This Cao Zixiao really doesn't know how to choose a place, carrying such a thing to someone's store, fortunately he didn't show it to the store, otherwise he would have to kick us out." Lu Yunsheng complained.

When a few of them first entered the store, the shopkeeper and the shopkeeper had to know what was on the stretcher, Xiao Chongguang couldn't say anything, so he directly took out the nameplate and said, "Tiwei Mansion handles the case, this is a business matter, and you can't let outsiders know about it", and the shopkeeper let it go.

"Alas, I contacted Cao Zixiao before I looked for Ji Yun yesterday, and I didn't expect that things would change." Xiao Chongguang was also deeply remorseful.

"Wow! What the hell? Why does it stink so much? ”

While the two were talking, they heard a scolding sound outside, and when they looked up, they saw that it was Cao Zixiao who came to the appointment.

Cao Zixiao was dressed in light gray clothes, frowned, and covered his mouth and nose to enter the private room.

"Yo, it's been a good day." Xiao Chongguang said with a smile.

Lu Yunsheng looked at the other party and thought, "This guy is the prime minister's bodyguard Cao Zixiao." I really didn't expect him to be so young, and he became a powerful minister at a younger age than me. ”

"This is ······" Cao Zixiao glanced at Yunsheng.

Although Yunsheng also went to the prime minister's mansion, but because he avoided suspicion, he only passed the letter, and he didn't have a chance to enter, and Zixiao naturally didn't know him, then again, this also has a certain relationship with his official position.

Yunsheng crossed his hands and said: "Lu Yunsheng, deputy chief of the guard, Cao Guard, have been looking up for a long time." ”

"You are Deputy Lu Wei, disrespectful and disrespectful."

Cao Zixiao said this, but his face still had that disgusting arrogant expression.

"Xiao Weichang, you said that you had something to do with me, I specially found here, but I didn't expect it, but I was only invited to tea."

Cao Zixiao said as he sat down.

Xiao Chongguang said with a smile: "You replied to me yesterday that there are many matters waiting for you to deal with in the Prime Minister's Mansion, and I am afraid that I will not stay long, so I want to make a long story short today." Hearing that you are so busy, I will not leave you down to eat and drink, so I casually ordered a pot of tea, so as not to delay your business, and I can also save a sum of public expenses. ”

When Cao Zixiao heard this, his cheeks suddenly turned red, in fact, in addition to protecting the safety of the prime minister, he had nothing to do with other things in the prime minister's house, and he replied like this yesterday, just to praise his image.

In his mind, he cleared his thoughts, so he coughed lightly and said: "Today, the prime minister wants to talk to the saint, and he will go back later, the prime minister has instructed, I don't have to wait at Shuntianmen all the time, and go out on my own, so I still have to be empty today." ”

"I didn't say the prime minister, I mean, isn't there a bunch of things waiting for you to deal with?" Xiao Chongguang continued to pretend not to know and teased, "This is the official business of the imperial court, and it must not be delayed." ”

"If the prime minister doesn't go back, I won't have anything to do," Cao Zixiao's face was as red as a pig's liver, and he continued to argue, "Only when the prime minister is in the house, I have something to do." ”

"Oh, that's right."

Xiao and Lu looked at each other and smiled.

"Here comes the food!"

While the three of them were talking, the shopkeeper came in with a plate of roast chicken and a pot of beef soup.

"Nag, it stinks, what does it smell?"

Sure enough, another one was tricked.

The shopkeeper almost vomited, but seeing that everyone present was carrying knives, where did he dare to ask? He said "please use it slowly" and immediately withdrew.

Seeing this, Xiao Chongguang stood up with his eyebrows upside down: "Who ordered it?" Who ordered it? Didn't you say you wanted to save money? ”

The six guards and Lu Yunsheng looked at each other, and they were also confused.

"I ordered it when I went upstairs."

Cao Zixiao responded slowly, picking up a pair of chopsticks from the bamboo tube on the table: "I'm sorry, I wasn't there when you said you were saving money." Remember, you said you had a treat, and you paid when you finished eating. ”

"You ······"

Xiao Chongguang was speechless, he didn't expect this guy to be so cheeky.

Zi Xiao grabbed the chicken leg with chopsticks, tore it off vigorously, and was just about to put it in his mouth, his brows furrowed again, he threw the chicken leg in the bowl, got up and shouted: "Xiao Weichang!" What the hell stinks? My appetite is gone, isn't it the stuff on the stretcher? You're like this, right? ”

"Yes, it's your brother's smell, and I think it stinks too."

Xiao Chongguang nodded, deliberately with an expression of approval.

"What do you mean?" Cao Zixiao's eyes narrowed slightly.

Sogo didn't answer, but turned around and gestured to the two guards who were originally carrying the stretcher, and the two of them understood, so they lifted the white cloth on the stretcher, and it was the corpse of the masked strong man who fought with Xiao Chongguang last night.

He died of poisoning, and his skin was purple and smelly at the moment, and when the guards collected the body, they simply wiped the blood on the surface, but his face was still recognizable.

Cao Zixiao turned his face to look, and saw that the dead strong man had a round face and a beard, but his face was no longer bloodless, and he was still staring at the tiger's eyes, unable to look at it.

When Zi Xiao saw this corpse, he was full of surprise, with an expression of disbelief, he slowly paced and stepped forward.

"Senior Brother Dou!"

Cao Zixiao exclaimed, he finally recognized it, cried "wow", and fell to his knees.

"Okay," Xiao Chongguang patted Lu Yunsheng on the shoulder, "The case of Lao Lu's assassination is closed today." ”

"I'm finally dumbfounded." Yunsheng laughed to himself.

Cao Zixiao's eyes were red, there were still tears rolling in his eyes, and he roared angrily: "Xiao Chongguang! What the hell is going on? How did my Senior Brother Dou Yin die? And how did his body end up in your hands? ”

Sogo pursed his lips and said, "Cao Guard, please mourn, let me confirm again, is he your senior brother in the Haijiao Sect, Dou Yin?" ”

"I've known my senior brother for many years, how could I admit my mistake!" Cao Zixiao was almost roaring at this time, "He is famous in his sect and in the rivers and lakes." ”

"Since Cao Huwei has recognized it, then I will say it," Xiao Chongguang's gaze was a little complicated, "Your senior brother led a group of assassins yesterday and intended to attack the princes and ministers who left the imperial city from Shuntianmen, but I intercepted him on the spot and finally captured him, but unfortunately he had already prepared poison in his mouth, and he committed suicide even if he took poison." The last time our Deputy Lu was assassinated, it was also your senior brother, so I only went to look for you last time. ”

"Impossible," Cao Zixiao shook his head a little sluggishly, and finally glared at Sogo, "You liar!" You must be lying to me! My senior brother treats people generously, how can he do murderous deeds, this is impossible! It must have been you who had a bad relationship with my senior brother, so you killed people to vent your anger, and then made something out of nothing and framed you! Definitely! ”