The morning drum sounded, forcibly waking up the sleeping Chang'an City. The morning drums startled the perched birds, and they screamed in flocks and soared into the sky, hovering in the dark morning light for a long time.

The door of the study in the back house of the Wang family's mansion was opened, and Wang Yuan, who was pale and his eyes were red, walked out of the room, stood under the porch, took a deep breath of cold air, and slowly stretched his waist.

"Erlang, you...... You okay. What happened? Someone asked in a low voice.

Wang Yuan turned his head to look, only to find that there were seven or eight figures standing high and low under the eaves of the corridor on the left, led by Li Xin'er, Qingyun'er, Huang Ying and others all standing there. Even Lan Xinhui, who was holding her stomach, stood there with the support of the two maidservants, and everyone's faces were worried.

"Why are you here? Why did you all get up so early in the morning? Hui'er, why are you standing here when you're pregnant? Wang Yuan hurriedly walked over and frowned.

"You haven't slept all night, we can't rest assured. Jiro, have you encountered anything tricky? Say it, everyone comes up with ideas, and the palace shares it. Li Xin'er's face was full of concern.

Wang Yuan smiled and said: "Where do you want to go, there's nothing to do, it's just that yesterday the concubine asked me to write a lyric and present it today, so I can only stay up all night to write the lyrics." Because this morning the palace sent someone to fetch it. Besides, I didn't sleep all night, and in the second half of the night I wrote the lyrics because I didn't want to disturb you, so I slept on the soft couch in the study. Don't be cranky, it's going to be a busy day. I'm going to the palace to receive the order soon, and you have to pack up, buy what you should buy, arrange what you should arrange, don't be suspicious. ”

Li Xin'er frowned and said, "Is it really just like this?" ”

Wang Yuan spread his hands and smiled: "What else?" Hui'er went back to her room to rest, what should you all do. Eldest sister, take this lyric and give it to your brother, and tell him that someone outside the door will come to pick it up in a while. If that person claims to have been sent by Li Leshi in the palace, he will give it to him and take it away. ”

Wang Yuan took out a piece of white paper with words written on it from his sleeve and handed it to Huang Ying, Li Xin'er reached out and took it, looked at it carefully, and found that it was indeed the lyrics, so she believed Wang Yuan's words. turned around and handed it to Huang Ying, who took it and went to the front house.

Everyone was relieved, Lan Xinhui was also helped back to the room, Wang Yuan returned to the main house, took a hot shower and changed clean clothes, and the whole person recovered from a stiff state. After taking care of it, I simply ate some porridge and rice snacks, the third morning drum has been beaten, and the sun in the east has also shown its head.

Wang Yuan set off to the front yard, Wang Dahei prepared the horses and waited, and asked Huang San if the lyrics had been taken away, Huang San replied that they had already been taken away, and Wang Yuan's mood was a little lower. This means that you are one point closer to that event, and your judgment is one point correct.

At the end of the hour, Wang Yuan rushed to the political hall to receive the holy decree, and yesterday afternoon, the discussion on the holy decree appointed by Wang Yuan was passed by the political affairs hall. The left and right sides have no opinions, and everyone else also follows and goes through the procedure.

Yang Guozhong, the left minister, personally read the holy decree to Wang Yuan. The holy decree said: "Disciple: I am glad to hear that during the period when the household servant served as the envoy of Hebei Province, he repeatedly defeated the enemy and strong enemies, and shocked the enemy with less victory and more courage and fearlessness, and strengthened the majesty of the Tang Dynasty. In order to show his merits, I specially commended Wang Yuan Jiannan Jie Du as the deputy envoy and used his strengths. His position as a household servant was relieved on the same day, and the rest of his post remained the same. In addition, he was given three products to the general of Germany, and was given a purple gold fish bag, 100 silk horses, and 100,000 yuan. I hope that Wang Yuan will live up to my hopes, level the thieves in the south, and highlight the ministers' festivals, and admire this! ”

Wang Yuan shouted long live to receive the order of thanksgiving, and everyone around him stepped forward to congratulate, although it may not be sincere, but everyone understands that the position of deputy envoy of the festival degree is not trivial, no matter what his background is, how to become the deputy envoy of this festival, it is not important, and this Wang Yuan must not be underestimated.

"Haha, congratulations, Erlang, you are now also a military general on the fourth grade, and I envy the speed of your promotion. It's just a year. I've been in the capital for three years, and I'm just mixing the official position of a five-grade Tobe Duzhilang, and you're much faster than me. Yang Guozhong smiled and pulled Wang Yuan to the public room for tea, and the two chatted for a while, Wang Yuan still had something in his heart, so he said goodbye.

Leaving the Daming Palace, Wang Yuan went straight to Xingqing Palace to thank Xuanzong, entered the palace, and went straight to the Nanxun Palace, which was Xuanzong's residence, but when he arrived at the Nanxun Palace, he found that in addition to a few attendants and palace maids who were sprinkling and sweeping, it was extremely deserted here. Even the guards of the Yulin Army are much less.

Wang Yuan didn't know why, but he still stepped forward to ask the inner servant in front of the door to ask to see Xuanzong, and the inner servant was surprised: "Don't you know that Your Majesty doesn't see outsiders today?" ”

Wang Yuan didn't know why and asked, "Why?" ”

The chamberlain was surprised: "I don't know this? Today, on the first day of the lunar month, according to the custom, His Majesty will start to look at the Sendai Taoist Temple from today's son. On the fifteenth day of the first month of each month, His Majesty will fast for one day in Wangsendai and listen to the immortal chief in the Taoist temple teach alchemy and meditation. From today to tomorrow, Your Majesty will be in retreat, and no one will be able to see Your Majesty. It seems that you are a person who doesn't see drivers very often. ”

Wang Yuan was speechless, it turned out that Xuanzong still had this habit, and he counted with his fingers, today is indeed the first day of the lunar month, and it seems that it is not the right time for him to come.

Wang Yuan suddenly remembered something, and when he was about to turn around and leave, he turned around and said, "Dare to ask, I don't know if the noble concubine Niangniang is fasting in the Wangxiantai Taoist Temple with the driver?" ”

Wang Yuan's intention in asking this was that if the concubine Niangniang also followed His Majesty to retreat in Wangxiantai, then no one would be able to see her until tonight, so his judgment that Li Guinian would assassinate the concubine would be wrong, because no one could see the concubine Niangniang, and the concubine Niangniang would never summon Li Guinian and herself to listen to any new music this evening.

Wang Yuan really wanted to hear a positive answer, but the waiter's words made his heart sink even more: "How can the concubine go with you?" The noble concubine Niangniang never accompanied His Majesty to Sendai, and practiced dancing in the Golden Flower Pavilion on these two days every month. ”

Wang Yuan didn't ask any more, he already understood it in his heart. It is no wonder that the number of Yulin troops and palace maids around the Nanxun Hall has decreased, and that is because Xuanzong went to Wangxiantai, so the center of gravity of the vigilance is also Wangxiantai. There is no doubt that where Your Majesty is, it will be the focus of defense. However, this is indeed an opportunity for Li Guinian's mouth. The Golden Flower Pavilion is located in the northeast corner of Xingqing Palace, and Wangsendai is located in the southwest corner of Longchi, and the two places are far apart, which may be a favorable factor for action.

Although the motive and means of the purpose are not yet clear, at this time, Wang Yuan is 100% sure that this is a real assassination operation, not a test of himself. And in Wang Yuan's view, the target is 100% the concubine.

After leaving the Yingzhou Gate, Wang Yuan sat on the north bank of Longchi in a place where no one was in the rocks and meditated quietly, and after a while, he suddenly threw the stone in his hand into the water, got up, and walked away.

……

Sunset. In the courtyard of the Wang family's mansion, the bundled luggage was piled up into a hill, Li Xin'er and Qingyun'er, Huang San and others were carefully counting the luggage, and the newly bought more than a dozen carriages were also parked in the courtyard, and dozens of mules and horses who were going to carry the luggage tomorrow were also standing quietly in the corner of the courtyard. Everything is ready before the trip.

Although Li Xin'er thought that she and Huang San had prepared enough, after all, Wang Yuan, the head of the family, needed to take a look at it and approve it before she could rest assured. But the man went out early in the morning and did not return home, and the officials brought all the rewards, and there was no sign of him. inevitably aroused Li Xin'er's complaints.

Just when Li Xin'er was complaining about Wang Yuan, under the southeast bridge of Longchi in Xingqing Palace, Wang Yuan and Li Guinian had just connected to each other. In fact, Wang Yuan had already arrived, and he lingered on the willow embankment under the South Bridge for a long time before Li Guinian appeared.

"Why did you come? I've been waiting for you for a long time. Wang Yuan greeted him and said in a low voice.

"What's the hurry? Without concentration, it is difficult to become a big tool. Li Guinian scolded Wang Yuan like a subordinate, but in fact, whether in Luo Yimen or in the imperial court, Li Guinian was far inferior to Wang Yuan. Li Guinian wouldn't tell Wang Yuan, in fact, he had been hiding aside to monitor Wang Yuan for a long time.

Wang Yuan didn't argue, but said: "I'm not in a hurry, I'm just worried." I don't even know who I'm going to kill, I don't know the specifics, how can I not be impatient? If you're kept in the dark, you'll be impatient. ”

Li Guinian said: "When you should know, I will let you know, and it is useless to be anxious." Take this. ”

Li Guinian stretched out his hand and handed over a short package, Wang Yuan took it, and instantly understood that this was a short blade. No one was allowed to carry a sword when entering the palace, Li Guinian was obviously ready, and Wang Yuan's heart began to pound. The arrival of the blade indicates the official start of the assassination operation, and there is nothing to doubt about it.

"Can you tell me who to kill?" Wang Yuan hid the package in his arms and asked.

"Shut up, I'll do it when the time comes, and you can help. Listen to me, no matter who you kill, you must fully obey my orders and assist me. This operation must be successful, and you should understand that if the assassination fails, you and I will die, and your family and I will also die. As long as you listen to me, I guarantee that you and I can get out of the way, and then you can go to Jiannan to avoid the limelight, and I will also find a reason to leave Chang'an, and we will not meet in this life and this life. No one knows about the matter. ”

"Okay, then I won't ask more, let's go, hurry up and get out of the palace, I'm very nervous."

"A person like you can also mix with the deputy envoy of Jiedu, the court is really blind. You're not even as good as a little fingernail of mine. Li Guinian humiliated Wang Yuan unceremoniously, turned around and stepped onto the embankment on the shore, Wang Yuan sneered slightly behind his back, and climbed up.