The east gate of the Daming Palace in the north of Changle Fang is called Wangxian Gate, which is one of the three palace gates in the south of Daming Palace.

Wang Yuan wore thick armor, held his chest and learned the way the street soldiers he saw on weekdays walked with their heads held high, and walked towards Wangxian Gate step by step. Dozens of steps away, it has already been detected by the palace gate guards. Guarding here is a mixed army of the North Yazuo Shenwu Army and the Longwu Army, which is also to prevent the palace gate from being controlled by a certain army, and the two armies can restrain and supervise each other.

"Standing in place, the palace gate is heavy, and idle people are not allowed to approach." The sound of swords unsheathed on the castle tower sounded, as did the creak of the bowstring being opened.

"I am Li Gang, the captain of the prince's personal guard, and I am my own person, brothers, please open the door and let me enter the palace." Wang Yuan shouted.

"The Prince's people? Why are you wandering the streets so late? Someone shouted from the tower.

Wang Yuan raised his head and said, "I went out of the palace on an errand on the order of the prince, and it was too late to finish the errand." Open the door, let me in, the prince is waiting for a reply. ”

The side door creaked open halfway, and in the midst of the noise of footsteps, more than a dozen soldiers of the Shenwu Army and the Longwu Army rushed out, with guns and knives in their hands facing Wang Yuan. Two officers with burly figures in the shape of a leader walked out slowly, looking at Wang Yuan and looking up and down.

"The rules in the palace, no one is allowed to enter or leave after dark, since you are the prince's personal guard, don't you understand?" An officer with a thick beard on the left asked coldly.

"Yes, naturally I understand. But His Highness has an order, how dare the errand disobey? The two brothers are also on errands, so they should understand the hardships. Wang Yuan said with a smile.

"Take a look at the waist card."

Wang Yuan took out the waist card and handed it over, and the long-faced officer on the right side took it over and carefully identified it, handed it back to Wang Yuan, turned his head and said to the bearded officer: "Team Zhang, the waist card is correct, you are in charge." ”

The bearded officer said: "What do you mean to be the master, my Longwu Army and your Shenwu Army guard the palace gate together, and they should be the masters together." Your money team is not speaking, how dare I be specialized. ”

"That's not right what you said, letting you call the shots is to give you the face of Long Wujun, how can you talk about these misty words."

"Hehe, don't want to save face. Last month, Lao Tzu remembered the incident in Danfeng Gate clearly, our Long Wujun put in idle people and waited for something to happen, but your Shenwu Army pushed it all away, saying that it was the master of Long Wujun. You're doing this again, in case this person is a fake or an assassin, and then your money team is going to be wiped out again, right? If you want to put it together, we will put it together, otherwise we will not let it go. Don't want to pit Lao Tzu. ”

"Fuck you, you bearded Zhao, why are your eyes so small? Love to let go, don't let go and pull down, Lao Tzu is too lazy to talk to you. ”

"Fuck you girl, ass chicken. -faced things, roll aside, brothers go, close the door. ”

The two goalkeepers were hanging Wang Yuan aside, and they actually quarreled with each other, and Wang Yuan was confused. I thought that the difficulty in entering and exiting the palace gate lay in the verification of identity, but I didn't expect it to come from the mutual bargaining between different guards. Listening to the words of the two arguing, I am afraid that there is some friction between each other, which leads to mutual distrust and unwillingness to take responsibility, which is really unexpected.

The two of them quarreled, and they each took someone back into the turnstile door, leaving Wang Yuan alone.

Wang Yuan hurriedly said: "The two of you are arguing, you have to let me enter the palace, otherwise His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will blame him, who will bear it for me?" ”

The bearded Zhao team turned around and said, "Brother, when you turn around, you will report to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince that it was his mother's Shenwu Army that did not let you enter the palace, and the prince naturally will not blame you." ”

Team Qian was scolding: "Dog, it's obvious that you Long Wujun won't let it, what's the matter with us." Lao Tzu mistook you, he drank yesterday and called Lao Tzu a brother, and his face changed faster than the sky. ”

Team Zhao said: "Is it important to be a brother or a head?" Let's not eat in the same pot, is Lao Tzu responsible for you? ”

Team Qian was scolding angrily with his neck stalked: "Fuck you, there are people like you in the Longwu Army, Lao Tzu can be regarded as a teacher." ”

Team Zhao was glaring and scolding, Wang Yuan saw that this was not the case, and hurriedly waved his hand and said, "What grievances do the two brothers have?" Is this the crime? It is also a face to say, and it is also a loss of identity to do this in front of his brothers. ”

The two were silent, snorting at each other.

Wang Yuan said with a smile: "Why bother, everyone is on an errand for His Majesty, and they all eat a mouthful of food, why make such a fuss?" If you make such a fuss, I will be unlucky if I can't enter the palace, and tomorrow His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will blame the two of you for not being able to escape, and all three of you will be unlucky, why is this so painful? ”

The two teams were also in a momentary mood, and the two armies guarded several palace gates together, and there was a lot of friction on weekdays, and they were already holding fire with each other. What's more, last month, the garrison at the Danfeng Gate had a stubble, and the Long Wu Army mistakenly let an idle person wait for him to enter the palace, and afterwards he pushed the Shenwu Army guarding the Danfeng Gate clean, resulting in the dismissal of a captain guarding the Long Wu Army, which made the relationship between the two armies even more tense.

Zhao Qian stopped, the two looked at each other a few times, froze in place and no one refused to speak first, Wang Yuan stepped forward, and the surrounding soldiers shouted at each other: "What are you doing?" Hold it. ”

Wang Yuan raised his hand and said, "Don't be nervous, just say a few words to the two teams." You bunnies, you leaders are angry with each other, and you don't persuade you, and you can't see your leaders being punished tomorrow? You leaders are being punished, what good are you bunnies? ”

The soldiers stared at each other and scolded the little rabbit cub, but they were not angry, but felt a little guilty.

"The two teams are positive, the two work together, this is fate, why did it hurt the peace. I also heard it, you are afraid of being sold and responsible, but you have verified my waist card, if you feel suspicious, you can send someone to Sanwei Mansion to verify, why bother to cause trouble? In fact, let me say, Shenwu and Longwu are all a family, and it is someone else's business to have conflicts with others. Aren't the two errands trying to get promoted and make a fortune in peace? This fuss is gone. ”

The two teams were slightly gentle, and Team Zhao said: "He's not so cunning in a dog's day, why should I scold him?" ”

Qian Team said: "Are you an idiot? I checked the waist card, can I run away if something happens? Look at your virtue. ”

Wang Yuan hurriedly stopped and said, "Stop the two, isn't it good to count me as brothers?" Our prince Sanwei is not a regular guard, but he often goes in and out of the palace gate to cause trouble for his brothers. The two of you give a face not to hurt your own harmony, if you are still unhappy, you can scold me a few words. But what needs to be done can't be delayed, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is still waiting for me to reply. ”

The bearded Zhao team was looking at Wang Yuandao: "Your brother is still talking about it, and I have a lot of acquaintances in the prince's personal guard, so I haven't seen you before." ”

Wang Yuan's heart tightened, and he secretly shouted that it was bad, he said too much, this was about to be exposed.

"I'm newly promoted, and I'm working with the prince, of course you don't know each other. Regarding my identity, the two of you still don't ask much, and it's better not to know some things than to know. lest they invite unwarranted calamities. In a word, I know that it is not proper to enter the palace in the middle of the night, but I also can't help myself. If you two insist on not letting me into the palace, I have nothing to say, but tomorrow the prince will be held accountable, and I will tell the truth. Either the two of you let me in right away, and we'll be friends. Either the two of you will wait for the prince's summons tomorrow, the matter I have to return tonight is very important. ”

Listening to the second watch drum beating, it was already the appointed time, Wang Yuan couldn't delay it, so he decided to come hard. Of course, the only thing that can be pulled out is the tiger skin of the prince, which is often the most direct and effective.

Team Zhao said: "Do you need to say it?" Naturally, I let you in, since the old money has checked the waist card. Old money, the waist card is your test, is it correct? Tell the brothers out loud that they hear. ”

"Virtue." The Qian team scolded angrily and said loudly: "The waist card is verified, and the prince guards Li Gang, the lieutenant, can be released." ”

Team Zhao said: "Wouldn't it have been said earlier?" Grinding and chirping. Captain Li, you can go in. ”

Wang Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, thanked him, the soldiers in front of him got out of the way, Wang Yuan entered the small door, passed the long doorway, and entered the Daming Palace unimpeded. From the rear, there was a mutual accusation between the two teams.

The palace was dimly lit, and under the dim skylight, the shadows of several tall and majestic palaces in the distance were reflected under the starry sky, like a huge squatting monster. Wang Yuan glanced around, unable to find the direction for a while. But when I heard the sound of gurgling water in front of me, and a few lights flickering in the distance, I suddenly remembered what Li Xin'er said about the pattern in the Daming Palace.

Not far from entering the palace gate is an artificial river called Longshou Canal, after crossing the lower horse bridge on the canal is the large square in front of the Hanyuan Palace, the person who receives the lead is waiting for himself near the square, and this part outside the canal still belongs to the palace gate guard range.

Wang Yuan settled down, walked quickly towards the flowing water lights, and soon a trestle bridge appeared in front of him, that is, the Xiama Bridge. The wind lantern on the lamppost at the bridgehead swayed slightly, and more than a dozen soldiers guarded the bridgehead, only asking Wang Yuan to show his waist card and let him go directly.

After crossing the bridge, there is a huge square in front of you, and a tall temple lies in front of you due north, like a hill. Wang Yuan was cautiously walking along the side of the square, and saw several clicks in the dark shadow on his right, and a palace lamp lit up in the darkness. At the same time, a hoarse and extremely uncomfortable voice was heard.

"Is it Captain Li Gang?"

Wang Yuan was stunned for a moment, and looked at the figure carrying the lantern in a daze.

"Captain Li Gang?"

"Yes, it's me." Wang Yuan reacted and replied in a low voice.

"You're late, come with me." The man was concise, turned and walked away.

Wang Yuan hurriedly followed his footsteps, and the two walked straight north along the passage on the side of the square, passed through the door and alley, and turned left and right all the way to the depths of Daming Palace. The man didn't say a word along the way, and Wang Yuan, who was following behind, could only see his emaciated back, looking at the style of the crown he was wearing on his head, and the voice he had just spoken, guessing that it was a eunuch.

At last the eunuch stopped and turned around. Under the light of the lantern, a face without wrinkles appeared in front of Wang Yuan, with triangular eyes, a high nose and a wide mouth, no beard, and he looked about forty years old.

"In front is the West Shaoyang Courtyard, where the prince lives, you can rest for a while, and I'll take you in?"

Wang Yuan hurriedly said: "Thank you." ”

"You're welcome, they are all loyal people for the prince, you and I will have to deal with each other in the future, a certain family is surnamed Li, and the name is Fuguo."