At the banquet in the side hall of the palace, the guests and the lord were talking arm to arm, and there was laughter and excitement.

— at least on the surface.

Zhu Di and Xiao Fan hid their calculations in their hearts, and the smiles on their faces were so sincere and sincere, as if they were confidants and brothers who had known each other for many years.

Zhu Di is older, nominally Xiao Fan's father-in-law, but Zhu Di seems to have completely forgotten the daughter of the thrush, and the conversation is still polite and distant in the tone of the vassal king's envoy to the imperial court, laughing again and again, and the eyes that are inadvertently revealed are as cold as ten thousand years of cold iron.

Xiao Fan sighed secretly in his heart.

After a banquet today, the next time I see this father-in-law, I am afraid that it will be on the battlefield of the confrontation between the two armies, the thrush deeply resents this ruthless father, Zhu Di also has the right to never give birth to this daughter, the father and daughter do not recognize each other, and soon, even his son-in-law will have to fight against him.

Is the ambition of power so important? Even if he has everything in the future, even ascending to the throne of the emperor, so what? While enjoying the supreme dignity of the world, doesn't he feel that his life is actually full of sorrow?

"Lord Wang, the ...... of Changning County"

As soon as Xiao Fan's words started, he was immediately interrupted by Zhu Di.

"Lord Xiao, today you and I should drink happily, only talk about the wind and the moon, and not talk about family and state affairs, so as not to spoil the wine, do you think so?" Zhu Di's smile was still the same, but his squinted eyes exuded a faint cold light.

Xiao Fan was startled, and he immediately came back to his senses.

Now it's the Hongmen Banquet, the father-in-law wants to kill his son-in-law, and he still doesn't know whether to live or die to say these useless nonsense, it seems that his IQ has degraded after traveling for too long.

Xiao Fan quickly corrected his attitude.

He found that he often did this kind of unseemly thing, which is similar to when someone else eats noodles, you tell him that he just pulled a big piece of, which is very neat and ends other people's appetite, which is very annoying.

What is the occasion now?

The cups are staggered, and the killing machine is gradually born, and a pair of enemies who look like each other are laughing and calculating with each other.

During the banquet, the three of them seemed to be a little drunk, Cao Yi still stood behind Xiao Fan with his sword, coldly watching Zhu Di and Dao Yan's performances, and his eyes glanced outside the empty hall from time to time.

The green of the garden outside the main hall swayed slightly, and the early morning sun shone on the top of the trees, reflecting the layers of dark shadows on the ground, dark and unpredictable.

Xiao Fan's eyes also turned to the outside of the hall from time to time, and the smile on his face was a little stiff, it turned out that the fake smile was so tired.

Halfway through the feast, the wine has been counted, and what is going to happen should also happen.

He understands that Zhu Di is calm on the surface, but in fact he is less and less patient, and no one wants to talk so much nonsense to a person who is about to die.

Quickly exchanged glances with Dao Yan, Zhu Di laughed and said: "Lord Xiao Yingjie, the weak crown is in a high position, it can be said that the young man is proud, this king and you have known each other for more than two years, I know that you are a geek, a genius, this king has been admired for a long time, has been hard to recruit but can not get, now while the wine is in full swing, this king and ask you again, I don't know if the adult is willing to stay in Beiping for a long time, succumb to the king's side, for the king to give advice, if the king has an inch in his year, the king promised, Lord Xiao, you are only under the king, the official to the third duke, From the lord to the prince, you can choose the gold and silver beauties in the world, and the king will give them away, I don't know what the adults want? ”

Dao Yan on the side hurriedly echoed: "The poor monk is also willing to be under Lord Xiao and obey Lord Xiao's dispatch, and there will be no complaints......

Xiao Fan's heart tightened, Zhu Di said these words, and he didn't shy away from it at all, especially the sentence "If he has an inch in his year", what is it if a person who is as high as the prince takes another step forward?

Xiao Fan understands better that now Zhu Di is having a showdown with him, and at this point, the two sides have no way to retreat, either stay in Beiping alive, or blood will be spattered on the spot.

Although Cao Yi was silent, he still listened to Zhu Di's words word for word, and when he heard this, his eyebrows were raised, and he took a small step behind Xiao Fan, his right hand clenched the saber at his waist more and more forcefully, and his body arched slightly, like a lion who was angry at any time.

The atmosphere of the banquet full of joy suddenly became strange and inexplicable with Zhu Di's showdown, and a cold atmosphere gradually filled the banquet, and even seemed to condense the air.

Zhu Di was smiling, his smile was cold, his eyes were firmly fixed on Xiao Fan, like a hungry wolf staring at his prey, eager to try and wait to tear the prey to pieces.

A layer of cold sweat broke out on Xiao Fan's back, he felt that it was time for Tu Poor Dagger to see now, if he shook his head and refused Zhu Di's invitation, I am afraid that his next action would be to smash the cup and order the knife and axe hand to rush in and kill him...... "Lord Xiao, I don't know what to do?" Zhu Di chased after him and asked again.

Xiao Fan smiled, rolled his eyes, and suddenly turned his head to Dao Yan on the side and said, "Master, this is how you got from the prince back then, right?" ”

At such a tense and solemn moment, Xiao Fan actually had no head or brains to ask such a sentence, and everyone in the hall froze.

"From ...... From? Dao Yan's face turned a little green.

He knew what he meant, but ...... Coming out of Xiao Fan's mouth, why is it so awkward?

Xiao Fan asked reluctantly, "...... Is the prince rude to you? ”

Daoyan: "............"

"Lord Xiao, you don't have to manage Yan, this king is waiting for you to answer." Zhu Di felt slightly impatient.

"Lord Wang, the lower official wants to ask you...... If I don't want to stay in Beiping, I don't know what the prince will do to me? Xiao Fan returned to his normal position.

Zhu Di said with a cold face: "The world's talents, this king wants to be included in the world, for my use, high-ranking officials keep it, and if you don't use it for me, kill it!" ”

"It seems that the prince must force me to express his position today......"

Zhu Di sneered and was silent.

Xiao Fan gritted his teeth and said with his head held high: "...... Can I go back to Jingshi and make a statement? ”

"What do you say?"

"I guess you won't say yes......"

"Lord Xiao is really smart."

Xiao Fan was so angry that he stomped his foot fiercely, and said sadly: "Aren't you forcing Liang to become a prostitute?" What the hell am I good about making you so obsessed with me, you tell me, can't I change it? ”

Zhu Di sneered: "You are such a fart! This king just doesn't want you to block me anymore, Xiao Fan, tell you honestly, this king's patience for you has been exhausted, either you promise me today, stay in Beiping from now on, and no longer help Zhu Yunwen that waste, or you will have to die in this Yanwang Mansion today, there is no third way to go! ”

"You...... You're finally going to poison me......" Xiao Fan twitched all over, and then straightened his chest, like a heroic and unyielding underground party, his expression became resolute and resolute.

"Since the prince must be strong, I will tell you honestly, I, Xiao Fan, will never be in the same stream as the rebellious ministers and thieves!"

The resounding answer echoed in the empty hall.

After Xiao Fan finished speaking, he looked directly at Zhu Di, then sneered a few times, picked up the small wine glass in front of Zhu Di, and said, "Now that the prince has heard my answer, is it time to show his hideous face?" It's time for the Axe Maker to make his debut, right? Don't bother you, I'll call in the axe hand myself! ”

Saying that, Xiao Fan didn't wait for Zhu Di and Dao Yan to react, and slammed the wine glass in his hand to the ground.

Syllable!

A crisp sound broke the silence in the hall.

Zhu Di and Dao Yan looked at him expressionlessly and didn't say a word for a long time.

The wine glass had been broken, and the expected scene of the sword and axe hands pouring in to kill Xiao Fan did not appear, and there were still only four people sitting around the Eight Immortals table in the main hall, and there was not even a dog outside the hall.

Xiao Fan and Cao Yi were surprised, the two glanced at each other and found that each other's eyes were blank.

...... for a long time, "The prince doesn't plan to kill me?" Xiao Fan asked with surprise and joy.

Zhu Di sneered: "Who said I wouldn't kill you? ”

"As is customary, isn't it a cup drop? I dropped the cup, why didn't anyone kill me? ”

"I want to ask you, why did you smash my cup for no reason?"

Xiao Fan stomped his feet and said, "Will you kill me or not?" If you don't kill me, I'll go back, I'm busy! ”

Zhu Di sneered a few times, suddenly stretched out his hand and took a large vegetable bowl with stewed chicken on the table, and slammed it on the ground.

Syllable!

With a loud cracking sound, the chicken nuggets and chicken soup in the bowl scattered to the ground.

Immediately after, a chaotic sound of footsteps came from outside the hall, and hundreds of figures suddenly poured out of the empty hall, wearing leather armor, holding knives and axes, and slowly approaching Xiao Fan and Cao Yi with murderous intent on their faces.

"Perverted! Don't drop the wine glass and the vegetable bowl......" Xiao Fan gritted his teeth and scolded.

"Shame! Waste of food......" Cao Yi looked at the chicken soup scattered on the ground, his face full of distress.

Seeing this, the hall was filled with a suffocating murderous aura, and hundreds of people walked slowly, gradually approaching Xiao Fan and Cao Yi.

Zhu Di and Dao Yan put their hands on their faces with sneers, and slowly retreated calmly and calmly.

Xiao Fan's face showed a little fear, and he glanced at Cao Yi, and the two nodded at the same time.

When everyone approached them, Xiao Fan's shoulders suddenly shook, and the sparrowhawk that had been landing on his shoulder flew up as if it had been ordered, and then spread its black wings nearly two feet long, circling around above the empty hall, and finally with a loud long roar, the sparrowhawk rushed out of the hall like a black lightning bolt under the eyes of everyone, and flew higher and higher under the early morning sky, until it disappeared above the blue sky...... It wasn't until the sparrowhawk completely disappeared that Xiao Fan's expression relaxed, he ignored the hundreds of knife and axe hands who were getting closer and closer, and even sat down and leisurely cocked Erlang's legs.

"Lord, if you killed me just now, I would definitely die unjustly, and you don't have any responsibility for killing a minister, even if the court knows the truth that I was killed by you, there is nothing to be done about you, because the court can't produce any evidence. It's a pity...... You're a step too late after all, and if you kill me now, I'm afraid you'll be in big trouble......"

Xiao Fan squinted, and the fear on his face had long since disappeared, replaced by a wicked and evil expression.

Zhu Di's eyelids jumped, seeing that Xiao Fan's expression was relaxed and natural, not like a fake, he couldn't help but have an ominous premonition in his heart, he had a hunch that this time the booby trap of Xiao Fan might fail again.

"Xiao Fan, what do you mean?"

Xiao Fan pointed to the blue sky outside the hall and said with a smile: "Do you remember the sparrowhawk that flew away from my shoulder just now?" ”

"So what? It'......s just a flat-haired beast," Zhu Di sweated slightly on his forehead.

"That's a very cute flat-haired beast...... Xiao Fan said affectionately: "...... It saved our lives, I can assure you, because of this flat-haired brute, you can't move a single hair of my hair now......"

"Xiao Fan, make it clear! What exactly do you mean? ”

"That sparrowhawk was requisitioned by me overnight from the Brocade Cloth Guard Senhu set up by the Daimyo's Mansion, and its mission is to deliver a message, and just now, it has once again completed its task brilliantly, delivering a very important message......"

When Xiao Fan said this, he bared his teeth and smiled at Zhu Di.

"The prince is really a little careless, you must know that what Jinyiwei is best at is intelligence exchanges, fast and effective transmission of any valuable information, this is Jinyiwei's old business, and it is not only carrier pigeons that can transmit news, but also eagles......"

Zhu Di's face gradually turned pale, at this moment, he fully understood why Xiao Fan went to the banquet with an eagle, and pretended to be a prodigal son of arrogance and luxury, it turned out that he had premeditated.

"You already knew I was going to kill you today?"

A touch of pain appeared in Xiao Fan's eyes: "Yes, I did already know that the price I paid was too great to get this news......"

If it weren't for Zhang Hongqiao's fate, I'm afraid he would be more and more auspicious today, and that poor hard-working woman now doesn't know whether she is alive or dead...... Zhu Di's eyes flashed a little bit of panic, at this moment, he didn't care about finding out who leaked the news, he suddenly waved his hand, stopped the knife and axe hand who was approaching Xiao Fan step by step, and said with a blushing face: "What news did you just deliver?" ”

"I wrote down the whole process of being killed by you in advance, of course, completely by my own imagination, it is inevitable that there will be places to add fuel and vinegar, and that is to make the plot seem more full and twisty...... This news will first fall into the hands of Guo Ying, the Marquis of Wuding, who is waiting outside the Daimyo's mansion, I gave him an order in the name of Qincha, if you don't get my next news within a day, it will prove that I have been killed by you, Guo Ying's 80,000 soldiers and horses will attack Beiping in the name of Wang Shi's rebellion, at the same time, the news of my murder, as well as the handwritten letter I wrote will spread all over the world in the fastest time, King Yan openly killed the imperial court, intending to rebel and usurp the throne, the prince is the current emperor's uncle, you should know very well, Killing Qin Cha is tantamount to a slap in the face of the imperial court, and my handwritten letter is ironclad evidence, guess how the Son of Heaven and the Manchu Dynasty will react? ”

Zhu Di's heart was shocked when he heard this, his face twitched violently a few times, and the iron blue color on his face gradually became pale and terrifying.

Occupy the lead, but did not take the lead, the killing situation was resolved by an inconspicuous flat-haired beast, now if Xiao Fan is killed, Guo Ying will definitely attack Beiping with all his might, now Beiping is empty in air defense, most of the elite are in the northern frontier, and there is no time to transfer troops back in a hurry.

Even if he held Beiping, the news of Qincha's murder has spread all over the world, the emperor's uncle rebelled, intending to usurp the throne, and he has lost the name of righteousness. Who wants to be a rebel and a thief?

If you are not careful, you will lose all the games! At this moment, Zhu Di was unwilling, and it turned out that he was defeated by Xiao Fan again.

"How can the hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers under the command of this king be willing to be captured?" Zhu Di's teeth were gritted, and he still said hard.

Xiao Fan said coldly: "Even if you are determined to rebel, aren't you afraid of cutting off your children and grandchildren?" Don't forget, your three sons are in the hands of the imperial court, you only have these three sons in your life, if you openly rebel, the imperial court will definitely kill your son to sacrifice the flag, even if you become the emperor in the future, who will inherit your throne? If there is no inheritance of flesh and blood, are you not afraid that when you die, you will be dug out of the grave and whipped? ”

Like the last straw on the camel's back, Zhu Di was shocked, his face turned pale, and then he hung his head weakly.

The loss is too big, this gamble has already bet on his net worth, he can't afford to lose, and he won't be stupid enough to bet in a gamble that he knows is losing.

After Xiao Fan said this, he stood up and said proudly: "Lord Wang, I have made it clear to you the benefits of this matter, now I bid you farewell, this official has finished everything in Beiping, it is time to return to Beijing, if you are willing to gamble with your life, I will accompany you to the end!" Let your sword and axe men come to kill me, and if I frown, it won't count...... Hum! I frowned, that's a good guy too! Farewell! ”

Cao Yi took a big step forward and shouted violently at the hundreds of knife and axe men gathered in front of him: "If you want to fight, you will fight, and if you don't fight, you will make way for Lao Tzu!" Lord Qin sent back to Beijing, and some of them came to kill us! ”

The swordsmen didn't dare to move a little, and looked at Zhu Di hesitantly.

Cao Yi snorted fiercely, and then looked up to the sky and laughed: "A group of bastards with eggs and no yolks!" Get out of the way! ”

After speaking, Cao Yi took out his saber and slapped it left and right with the scabbard, and the sword and axe hands did not dare to act rashly without Zhu Di's order, and soon Cao Yi opened a passage to the palace gate.

Xiao Fan didn't look at Zhu Di and Dao Yan anymore, and strode out of the palace gate with his hands in his hands.

Taking a deep breath of the morning air, Xiao Fan's mood suddenly improved a lot.

"It's really a refreshing morning...... Xiao Fan sighed leisurely but comfortably.

"Mornings like this are best for a sip of spirits and a brine duck." Cao Yi also sighed.

"When I return to Jingshi, I will invite you to eat the most authentic salted duck, please drink the strongest wine, dare to mix half of the water, I will help you destroy the daughter of the restaurant owner......" Xiao Fan smiled easily.

"I'll help you hold her hands and feet......"

The two looked at each other and laughed, and the laughter was heroic and agitated, piercing the sky.

Behind them, hundreds of fierce sword and axe men stared at them, and the shadows of the axes in their hands trembled faintly, but no one dared to get close to them for half a step. Seeing that the two of them suddenly laughed, the knife and axe hand involuntarily took a step back, and his expression became more and more frightened.

The enemy is currently talking and laughing, the sword and axe are as if they are nothing, the guns and halberds are strolling leisurely, and the sword and crossbow array are scolding Fang Xuan.

Fearless and fearless, true heroes should be the same!

The two of them took a big step and walked calmly in the sword and halberd array outside the side hall of the Yanwang Mansion.

"Let's go back to Beijing!"

(To be continued)