In the early morning, the Zhongnan Mountain shrouded in the summer morning glow, the clouds are steaming and the mist butterflies are dancing and the cranes are singing, the bells of several Taoist temples are melodious, and the Sanskrit sound is chanted in the Buddhist temple.

It's like an extraterrestrial wonderland.

Li Ke's face was glued to a messy beard, wearing a star-hole hat and a patched short placket, and the lower body was a pair of white-worn green cloth trousers, the trousers were pulled up to the knees, revealing half of the calves covered with dust.

At this moment, sitting in an ox cart, with a sweat towel, and a brightly sharpened firewood knife in his hand, he looked left and right as a woodcutter cutting firewood in the mountains in the morning.

Ahead, Zhao Chong also dressed similarly, leading a black-skinned buffalo pulling a cart with a hemp rope whip in his hand, walking leisurely, and at the same time letting go of his heavy voice and singing Qiao song.

Li Ke sat on the ox cart, glanced at Zhao Chong a few times, and couldn't help but shake his head and smile.

In the past few days since he escaped from Anding County, he has been following Zhao Chong, passing through the state and county along the way, and doing all kinds of disguises. or pretending to be a business traveler, or pretending to be a fisherman, Li Ke even pretended to be a woman once, which is vivid and difficult to argue.

As soon as he arrived at the Guannei, Zhao Chong unfathomably took these many things, and the two pretended to be the woodcutters of Zhongnan and drove the ox cart to the mountain.

Along the way, Zhao Chong sang what songs he sang on what mountain, pretended to be what he looked like, and even imitated the dialects of many places to be fake. At the age of 10, he followed his father and began to walk the rivers and lakes, and at the age of 16, he began to lead the green forest bandits on the Jingxiang waterway, and it has been more than 20 years. His vigilance, alertness, insight and various clever methods made Li Ke greatly amazed.

"Brother Zhao, it's a pity that a talent like you is not of great use." Li Ke sat on the ox cart and said with a smile.

"I said, Brother Li, isn't what I'm doing now, just a big deal? Ha ha! Zhao Chong laughed loudly, and his majestic voice startled the birds in the forest.

Li Ke saw that the mountains were secluded and there was no one left and right, so he asked in a low voice: "Why do we want to go up to Zhongnan Mountain?" ”

"Don't ask, you'll find out later." Zhao Chong turned around vigilantly and threw a sentence, and continued to sing his mountain song.

Li Ke didn't say anything more, sat on the ox cart, and rushed away with Zhao all the way.

Along the way, Zhao Chong did not answer any questions from Li Ke. Only one thing is repeatedly emphasized - "Don't worry, I will definitely not harm you".

Li Ke thought to himself, if he harmed me, I would already be a dead body. Let this life be picked up, and believe in him!

In this way, the two disguised themselves and sneaked around, all the way from Jingzhou to Zhongnan Mountain, which is only one step away from Chang'an.

Looking into the distance, you can vaguely see the statue of the demon girl on the top of Zhongnan Mountain. Li Ke couldn't help but think of Qin Mubai, and said secretly: Along the way, I have occasionally heard rumors in the market, saying that Qin Mubai in Guanxi wants to rebel...... I don't believe this kind of thing, anyway, if it's killed. However, if such a rumor spreads to the court, how can it be good?

Zhao Chong also really chopped two loads of firewood on the mountain and put them on the ox cart, and then turned back halfway up the mountain, walked through the dense forest, and walked on a rugged mountain path.

After walking for nearly an hour, the ox cart finally stopped in front of an unusually desolate and dilapidated Taoist temple. Zhao Chong stepped forward and knocked on the door, and after a while, a little Taoist boy came out, and when he saw Zhao Chong, he said, "Old Zhao has sent Chai He here again, please come in." ”

"Here we are." Zhao Chong turned around and smiled at Li Ke, "Be diligent, bring the ox cart in, unload the firewood and receive the reward." ”

"Okay, Brother Zhao." Li Ke smiled and jumped off the ox cart, and led the ox cart into the Taoist temple with Zhao Chong until the firewood house in the backyard.

"Your Highness, when you get here, it's finally safe." Zhao Chong dusted off the plaster on his body and bowed to Li Ke, "Please come with me." ”

"Okay." Li Ke nodded, secretly looking forward to it: It's finally time to solve many mysteries!

Zhao Chong led Li Ke and walked a few steps through the Taoist temple into a secluded single room. The furnishings in the room are quite simple, a few futons, a bed, a table, a few tea, and that's it.

"The journey is hard, and His Highness will rest here for two days." Zhao Chong said.

Li Ke looked around, there were no other idlers, and there was no eye-catching. So he wondered, "You're not going to tell me something?" Or let me see someone? ”

Zhao Chong smiled, "Don't worry, you'll know sooner or later; Sooner or later, the people who should see you will come to see you. has just gotten out of great difficulty, why should His Highness be in a hurry? ”

"It's fine." Li Ke didn't say much, and sat down on the couch peacefully, "I'm really tired, I'll get a good night's sleep." ”

"Your Highness is resting, Zhao came out to do something, and he will come back immediately. Three meals a day are served by their own servants. Zhao Chong said, "Don't walk around or leave the temple, remember." ”

"Don't worry."

Zhao Chong left. Li Ke lay on the bed with his head resting on his arms, looking at the old gray and white roof, and said in his heart: I don't know what happened to Yin Yang? And those guards and soldiers, most of them are in danger of their lives. As expected, the news had already reached Chang'an. Now that I can't see people alive or dead, my father and mother are in a hurry, what should I be in a hurry? Above the court, what kind of chaos will it become?

Li Ke, now that he really wants to enter Chang'an City, at least he can put his parents at ease. But if he can't bear it, he will make a big plan, now he knows very little about the situation in the outside world, and he is in danger, so he still listens to Zhao Chong's arrangement!

In the evening of the next day, Zhao Chongfang came back, still dressed as a woodcutter.

As soon as Zhao Chong entered the house, Li Ke asked him, "How is the situation in Chang'an?" ”

"Chang'an?" Zhao Chong smiled and sat down, poured tea to drink, and said, "I didn't go to Chang'an." ”

"And where did you go?"

"Go to my master and report your death." Zhao Chong said with a sly smile.

"What?" Li Ke was taken aback.

"Your Highness, think about it, I was ordered to intercept and kill you, don't you need to give an explanation to the master now?" Zhao Chong said with a smile.

"And your master...... Have you ever believed it? ”

"Believe and believe; If you don't believe it, you have to believe it. Zhao Chong played with the teacup.

"I'm curious......"

"Do you just want to know, who my master is?"

"Not bad."

Zhao Chong got up and walked to the table where Li Ke was sitting and sat down, "This is a long story." Zhao is not only one owner. ”

"How many are there?"

"It's not too much, just three or four!"

"......" Li Ke was stunned and speechless.

"Haha!" Zhao Chong laughed and said, "As the saying goes, a good bird chooses a virtuous minister. Although Zhao is not a good person, he also understands this truth. Therefore, although there are many masters, there is only one who is truly worthy of Zhao's allegiance. ”

Li Ke's eyes shone slightly, "You don't want to say, that person...... Is it my father? ”

"Tsk! If you don't say it, Your Highness is smart? Zhao Chong stroked his palm and smiled, nodding, "That's right." One of my masters, your father, is now Holy. However, I have only seen him twice. After all, one is a death row prisoner who should have been executed a long time ago, and the other is a true dragon emperor. It doesn't matter if I want to see him or if he wants to see me, it's inconvenient. ”

"And what about your other master?" Li Ke asked, "Can you tell me?" ”

"Yes!" Zhao Chong smiled indifferently and said briskly, "Anyway, sooner or later, I have to let His Highness know the truth, and it doesn't hurt to be early or late." But before telling you these things, Zhao has a request. ”

"Please."

"If he succeeds in his Royal Highness, Zhao doesn't ask you to repay your kindness, but please let Zhao live freely." Zhao Chong said.

Li Ke frowned and nodded: "I promise you." ”

"Your Highness, refreshed." Zhao Chong smiled, "People who can become confidants and friends with Qin Mubai should also be trustworthy." So good, now Zhao knows everything and says everything. Your Highness, I would like to ask! ”

Li Ke took a deep breath and said, "I want to know, who sent you to intercept me?" ”

"Doctor Yushi, Wei Ting." Zhao Chong said, "He is one of my masters. He is also my direct life-saver. ”

"Wei Ting? Wei Huanchen? …… What should be the connection between the two? Li Ke was taken aback and said, "If I am not mistaken, Wei Ting is still the father-in-law of Li You, the king of Qi." When Li You rebelled, he was implicated and dismissed, and later he joined the fourth brother King Wei, and with the help of King Wei, he returned to the court and took charge of the Imperial Historical Tower. Could it be that he saved you when he was in the way of the Imperial Doctor? ”

"Not bad."

"But at that time, the water ghost case had long passed, and Li Youdu rebelled! In terms of time, it's not right! ”

Zhao Chong smiled, "Your Highness is so careless. Forget that death row inmates are all beheaded after the autumn? Moreover, the Xiangzhou water ghost case involved almost sixty percent of the officials in the Jingxiang area, and it was also related to the Chang'an Weidu family. In such a big case, the court does not know how many people are active, and the plea for mercy and obstruction of intercession has not been completely concluded after more than three months of trial. It was during this period that Zhao suddenly became a piece of fragrant bread. In addition to Wei Ting, the imperial historian who wants to save his nephew, there are many people with ghosts in their hearts who come to calculate Zhao, or to save Zhao's life, or to kill Zhao as soon as possible. ”

"Who are they?" Li Ke asked with a frown.

Zhao Chong said with a smile: "Zhao has long put life and death aside, and it doesn't matter if he dies. But seeing that so many people were so interested in Zhao, Zhao wanted to live a few more days. So, Zhao successively served three masters, the first of which was Wei Ting. He is the imperial historian, and Zhao has been interrogated back and forth by Dali Temple and Yushitai, and has squatted in the prisons of these two places. Wei Ting said that he could use the golden cicada to save my life, but the premise was that I would conceal and retract some evidence of Wei Huanchen's crime to reduce Wei Huanchen's crime. ”

"You promised?"

"Not only did I say yes, but I did it truthfully." Zhao Chong said with a smile, "Because Zhao knows that no matter what kind of evidence Zhao makes, Wei Huanchen and Du Chengyuan will definitely die." Because, there are bigger people than Wei Ting, and they must die! ”

"Who is it?"

"It's my second master, that is, ...... Your good fourth brother, His Royal Highness the King of Wei. Zhao Chong smiled more meaningfully, and said, "In the eyes of King Wei, Wei Huanchen and Du Chengyuan are both extremely inconspicuous small characters. But these two people have ties with Wei Ting and many ministers under his command. I don't know how many people have spoken to King Wei that they want these two people to die as soon as possible, and King Wei doesn't want to be implicated in any way, so Wei and Du are bound to die. At the same time, Zhao is just a green forest bandit who has no deep connection with the people in the government, so Zhao's life and death are not so concerned. But the King of Wei really wants me to continue to live, Your Highness knows why? ”

Li Ke frowned, "I once heard Qin Mubai say that the King of Wei once secretly pulled Zhang Tong with one arm, and his intention was nothing more than to ask him to leak some of the 'ulterior private evidence' of me and Qin Mubai in Xiangzhou, and to falsely accuse us." This is purely out of nowhere, Zhang Tong is also very righteous, he refused, and escaped. King Wei wants to save you, is this also the intention? ”

"To be specific, in addition to wanting me to reveal the evidence of your crimes, he also wants to know the secret of the treasure of Emperor Yang's Mausoleum." Zhao Chong laughed again, "Actually, Xihe Caozhong is the tomb of Emperor Yang, and I didn't know it before. But I went along with the boat and survived my life. ”

"So that's ......" Li Ke nodded suddenly, "In this way, even if Wei Ting wants to break his promise and not save you, he can't hinder King Wei's face, so he has to save it." Even if he wants to kill you afterwards, he won't dare to offend King Wei because of this! ”

"That's right." Zhao Chong said with a smile, "Wei Ting and King Wei, these two people have their own ghosts, and Zhao Chong is just going around between the two of them, and they can survive by taking advantage of them." In fact, all of this is a coincidence. If it weren't for your father and emperor personally coming to inquire about the case, and telling me that you and Qin Mubai had found Emperor Yang's mausoleum in the Xihe trough and found the jade seal of the country, Zhao Chong would not have been able to have this plan in his heart. When the King of Wei sent someone to secretly meet me, at first he just asked me to bite back and falsely accuse you and Qin Mubai. At that time, Zhao would not agree, and even if he was willing to agree, there was no way to sue for this false accusation, because Zhao didn't know anything about you. However, at that time, I told the King of Wei that in fact, in addition to the jade seal of the Emperor Yang, there was also a secret treasure of the previous dynasty. In addition to the rich gold and silver in the treasure, there is also the imperial dragon qi that has been passed down from generation to generation! And these are the ones that you and Qin Mubai have not appeared and cannot find, only Zhao knows! - In this way, Zhao survived. Under the secret order of King Wei, it has been three years since he recruited the heroes of the green forest to find the treasure here. ”

"Fourth, the mind is so wrong! Even if he has the imperial dragon qi, it shouldn't be something that belongs to him! Li Ke was a little annoyed and slammed his fist on the table.

"I also know that King Wei is not a good person. So, I quickly betrayed him. Zhao Chong smiled very playfully and said, "Just before the autumn beheading, His Majesty the Emperor personally came to patrol the prisoners as usual, and I saw him for the second time. In fact, the first time His Majesty came to see me, I felt that he intended to pardon me. The reason, I think it's probably because I indirectly helped him find the heirloom jade seal, and he loves the house and Wu very much. But at that time, he could not open that mouth because of the justice of the law. But this time he came to patrol the prisoners, and Zhao knew that it was my last chance to survive. I will tell Your Majesty about the matter of Wei Ting and King Wei without reservation...... His Royal Highness should be able to think of the outcome of the matter. ”

"Afterwards, my father made a plan, and with a closed eye, he let Wei Ting make the golden cicada out of its shell and save your life?" Li Ke was surprised, "Since then, you have also become the eyeliner of your father and the emperor who ambushed Wei Ting and King Wei?" ”

"Your Highness, but you are really wise!" Zhao Chong smiled, "That's right." On weekdays, Zhao is an eagle dog minion raised by Wei Ting; Secretly, Zhao recruited the heroes of the green forest to help the King of Wei find treasures, and occasionally did some things like coercion, kidnapping, murder and extermination. In fact, Zhao is a henchman of His Majesty the Emperor, lurking beside Wei Ting and King Wei, and at a critical moment, he will fight back - just like today, Zhao Chong saved King Wu! ”

"So that's ......" Li Ke let out a long breath, and finally suddenly realized. Suddenly, he exclaimed: "Then did you tell my father about saving me in advance?" ”

"Nope." Zhao Chong shook his head, "First, it was suddenly too late to report, and second, His Majesty the Emperor said that he would never see me again, just ask me to help him secretly." I am not to reveal my identity unless it is earth-shattering or His will. ”

"Then my father and mother really don't know about it, aren't they anxious and worried?" Li Ke's thick eyebrows were tightly locked, and his face was full of sorrow.

"Doesn't Your Highness want to ask, who sent me to kill you?" Zhao Chong said.

"Isn't it Wei Ting and King Wei?" Li Ke was a little puzzled.

"Heh-" Zhao Chong smiled wryly, "If I say it, you won't believe it." Actually, it's Wei Ting who wants to kill you; But it is the King of Wei who wants to save you! ”