Before the fire took shape, the extremely black smoke was the first to rise,

Mars swirled all around, like a black dragon splashing ink leaping into the night sky. On the 14th day of the first month of the third year of Tianbao, the beginning of the first month.

Chang'an, Chang'an County, Yiningfang.

"Can't get in touch? How can it be? ”

Tan Qi looked at the signal soldier in disbelief. The watchtower system was planned and designed by Gongzi himself, it is not a single line to transmit messages, as long as it is a watchtower within Wuhou's field of vision, it can be directly communicated. In this way, even if one watchtower is not able to respond, there are other lines that can transmit.

Unless the hundreds of watchtowers in Chang'an all collapse, it is impossible to be uncontactable.

The signal soldier said: "The missing one is the big watchtower. ”

Tanqi is even stranger. The Great Watchtower? It was the main liaison building of the Jing'an Division, located in the garden behind the main hall. It has the dual role of receiving messages from all over the city at any time, and sending instructions to any part of the city at any time. If it loses contact, Yasuyasu will become a half-paralyzed blind man.

In such an important place, how could Childe let it fail? Tan Qi stretched his neck again and looked in the direction of Guangdefang, but unfortunately the night was dark and the light and candles were dazzling, so it was impossible to see so far away.

"It should be recovered soon, Childe hates that the news is not timely." She said to herself.

At the same time, Zhang Xiaojing was counting the results in the alley. When he knocked out the medical hall apprentice just now, he pulled out a poison pill. Zhang Xiaojing put the poison pill under his nose and sniffed it, judging that it should be a mixture of wild kudzu and aconitum aconitum, but there was no peculiar smell.

This poison pill is not something that ordinary people can concoct, which shows that the strength behind the other party is quite terrifying.

At this time, Tan Qi hurriedly came over and told Zhang Xiaojing about the loss of contact with Dawanglou. Zhang Xiaojing also frowned, this is really a bit strange. Tan Qi said: "Since we can't get in touch, let's send the assassin back to Guangdefang directly." ”

"Nope." Zhang Xiaojing categorically vetoed, "It's time now, and the streets are already crowded with people." I don't know how many hours it will take to transport them there. I don't have that room to spare. ”

"What then?"

"Transported to the Persian temple and interrogated on the spot." Zhang Xiaojing made a decision. Tan Qi still wanted to fight for it, but he swept it with one eye and said lightly: "The girl's actions don't have to be discussed with me, but I am in charge here." ”

Tan Qi pouted and had to keep his mouth shut. But she was still not at ease, so she sent someone back to Guangdefang to report.

The soldiers of the brigade reloaded the infirmary apprentice and the ox coachman back into the cart and, under the astonished gaze of the tourists along the street, drove back to the Persian monastery again. Even the bishop of the temple was alarmed by such a big movement, and a deacon was sent to inquire about it.

"Now there are traitors from the outside world plotting against them, and the court needs to borrow the prestige of God to deter evil demons, so they turn to Zai Xia and push the sheath in the temple to punish them in detail." Deacon Isis said to his colleagues that although they did not understand what was meant by "pushing the sheath" and what was meant by "detailed punishment", they knew that the court was accepting God, and they expressed their honor.

The place where the apprentices of the medical hall were detained happened to be the confession room where Zhang Xiaojing and Tan Qi were held before. Isis explained that this was the quietest place in the temple and the most suitable place for interrogation. He is very diligent now, but he is afraid that Zhang Xiaojing will move to Nujing Temple.

The infirmary apprentice is tied up and stuffed into a cramped hut before being woken up by a bucket of ice water.

"You'd better avoid it next." Zhang Xiaojing said to Yi Sidao, a cruel light flashed in his eyes. Isis hesitated, but did not move his steps: "He committed murder in our temple, and our temple should be interrogated with Wen to show justice." ”

"Whatever you want."

Zhang Xiaojing opened the small window and looked inside. The man hung his head and didn't move, his hair dripping with water, but his slightly trembling shoulders showed that he was awake.

This guy is from the Central Plains, with a thin face and short beard, not many muscles on his body but very well-proportioned, and two green tendons can be vaguely seen under his ears connected to the neck, and he knows at a glance that he is a killer who exercises all year round. Zhang Xiaojing didn't say anything, just looked at it coldly.

"Kill me." The killer said weakly.

"I'll tell you what's next." Zhang Xiaojing's voice came into the confession room, "During the Shenlong Dynasty, there was a royal historian named Zhou Lizhen, who was ordered by Wu Sansi to kill Huan Yanfan. Zhou Lizhen deliberately cut down a bamboo forest, leaving a protruding sharp bamboo stake, and then dragged Huan Yanfan around on the ground. Pieces of his skin were scraped, torn, and worn away by the tips of the bamboo, revealing tendons and bones. It took a day before he breathed, and when he died, almost all his flesh and bones had been separated, and the bamboo stakes were all red—this was called the sunset reflecting bamboo. ”

Zhang Xiaojing spoke with relish, describing the details as if he had seen it in person. Isis next to him trembled, he couldn't help but imagine the bloody scene of "sunset reflecting bamboo", but he immediately felt a churning in his stomach. The prisoners in the confessional room did not know how they would feel when they heard this.

Zhang Xiaojing continued: "But I don't have a whole day right now, so I'll change the method. This is the method that Zhou Xing used to deal with Hao Xiangxian back then, called flying stones to attract immortals. When he talked about these cruel things, he even quoted scriptures, which made Iss cry and laugh.

"I'm going to put an iron hook in your anus and hang the gut. One end of the hook is attached to a horizontal wooden pole, and the other end of the pole is bound to a stone. Hang this horizontal pole on a wooden frame, and you and the stone are separated on both sides, like a scale - you have used the scale - and then I will pull the stone down here, and the pole will be cocked, and the hook will slowly pull out your intestines*, and you can feel it clearly every inch of movement. If I pull a little faster, your intestines will be ripped out and thrown in the air.

"Of course, it's not bad to replace the iron hook with a bamboo tip, rely on the elasticity of the bamboo pole to pick up the whole person, and then wear it down."

Then Zhang Xiaojing smiled, smiling very proudly. If the prisoner looked up and saw the one-eye that flashed through the window, he knew he was serious.

Tan Qi listened on the sidelines, she knew that Zhang Xiaojing was persecuting the prisoner, but she still felt shuddering. The kind of momentum that Zhang Xiaojing exuded made her almost out of breath, and she had to move her steps and stand a few steps away.

She has always regarded Zhang Xiaojing as a lascivious disciple, a dutiful lieutenant of Jing'an and a reliable companion. At this time, she finally remembered that the true face of this person was the five Yamas of Wannian County.

Which five? Ruthless, poisonous, spicy, stubborn, absolute.

Chang'an has been handsome for nine years, I don't know how many times he has used this technique and how many people he has tortured.

She desperately threw this thought out of her head, exchanged glances with Is, and saw remorse in the other party's eyes. I knew I shouldn't have come to listen and just waited in the hallway for the results. Isis scratched his head in embarrassment, if Zhang Xiaojing really wants to be tortured, will he stop it or not, this is a sacred place after all......

"Kill me." The killer repeated the phrase in a low voice.

Zhang Xiaojing grinned, and his tone was sensitive: "You don't have to doubt the effect, I can tell you that Zhou Lizhen, Zhou Xing, and all kinds of torture methods of our torturers all come from the same lineage - Lai Junchen." Lai's Eight Methods are very famous. ”

When the words "Come Junchen" were spoken, the temperature in the room immediately dropped. It was an eternal nightmare for the inhabitants of Chang'an, and even though the man had been dead for many years, it could still be used to stop the children's night crying. The name is sometimes more effective than the various tortures he invented.

"Phew!" The prisoner tried to spit out, but found that he didn't spit out because his lips kept shaking.

All this was seen by Zhang Xiaojing.

If it was the Turkic wolf guard, Zhang Xiaojing didn't have the confidence to pry out their words, but these people were different. They carried poison pills with them, indicating that although they were not afraid of death, they were also afraid of torture after all. Now he's shaking, which is a good sign.

Zhang Xiaojing closed the small window with a "sigh", and let the horror slowly ferment for a while. In the dark and enclosed space, the prisoner will imagine the scene over and over again in his heart, and he can't stop. Any sound from the outside world, footsteps, or movement of wooden tables will be regarded as a signal of imminent execution. Some people were scared to death like that.

Zhang Xiaojing deliberately did not ask any questions, so that the prisoners had a psychological illusion, thinking that the torturer had nothing to ask for himself. This will make him more and more frightened, more eager to prove his worth.

The essence of the art of torture, like sexual intercourse, lies in foreplay.

After the arrangement, Zhang Xiaojing turned around and left the confession room, Tan Qi and Isi stood far away at the door, looking at him with a little fear in their eyes. Zhang Xiaojing dusted his eye sockets and did not explain. The world these two people live in is so beautiful that they don't know what the real bottom world is like.

Isis hesitated for a long time, but still came over: "Zhang Duwei has checked a lot of classics, I think the assassin is really scared." ”

"I didn't learn it from books." Zhang Xiaojing smiled. Isis only felt a cool breath rising from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and his originally fair skin was even more bloodless.

"You guys are here to watch, and as soon as the prisoner speaks, tell me as soon as possible. I went outside to see the terrain. ”

"Terrain?" Iss didn't understand.

"Flying stones attract immortals, it is best to be on flat ground, so that the shelf can be firmly established."

"Hey, this, this is not benevolent......" Isis was really frightened this time, this guy really planned to abuse people on the spot in this temple! How will the Jing monks deal with it in the future?

Zhang Xiaojing ignored him, walked out of the confession room, and began to survey the terrain in the courtyard, raising two fingers from time to time to measure, or stepping on the soil with his feet to see how soft it was, like a most dedicated builder.

After a short while, Isis grabbed his robe and stumbled out of the hall: "Captain Zhang! Don't fight! Recruited, recruited! In a hurry, he didn't even say any elegant words, and spoke directly.

"Oh? Did he say it all? ”

"Yes, it's all said!"

The opportunity for the prisoner to confess is also due to Is. After Zhang Xiaojing left, Isis thought that something was wrong and that he was panicking, so he went to the other side of the confession room, and tried to persuade the assassins to come as if he were confessing to the believers on a daily basis.

I don't know if there was indeed the power of inspiration in Is's words, or if the atmosphere created by Zhang Xiaojing before was too terrifying, and the prisoner finally gave up resistance. Isis hurriedly ran over to stop Zhang Xiaojing.

From the perspective of torture, one soft and one hard, one dozen and one pull, can indeed make people speak faster.

When he was about to arrive at the confession room, Isis grabbed Zhang Xiaojing: "He promised to know everything, but you have to pardon his crimes." This man has promised to take refuge in our Lord and will meditate and practice from now on, without leaving the temple gate. ”

"You go and talk to Jing'an Sicheng about this, I'm only responsible for questioning." Zhang Xiaojing shook off his hand. This deacon inevitably overstepped his responsibilities and interfered in the affairs of the imperial court.

The prisoner was still tied up in the confessional chamber, but the wooden door was open to allow him to see the light. Tan Qi sat opposite and asked, while Zhang Xiaojing kept staring at his expression, one was to exert invisible pressure, and the other was to observe the assassin's meticulous movements.

The Assassin slowly opened his mouth, claiming to be the Catcher. This name made Zhang Xiaojing frown unexpectedly.

The word "guarding" originally referred to the small garrison town on the border of the Tang Dynasty. These small cities are not geographically important, and the scale is very small, and the imperial court basically does not care much. They are self-governing in peacetime and self-protection in wartime, and over time, every city guarded and captured has become a place outside the law that Tang Lu and Di Ze can't reach, and there is a mixture of fish and dragons.

Since the beginning of the Kaiyuan period, the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty have been gradually slackened, and there are almost no superior soldiers in the Zhichong Mansion. At this time, an organization called Shou Capture Lang quietly appeared, specializing in providing mercenary services for local governments, jiedu envoys, and wealthy merchants. Its members are very complex, including fugitive criminals, retired veteran soldiers, farmers and children who have migrated to the frontiers, and a large number of Hu people from the Western Regions of unknown origin. These members have only one thing in common, they all come from various local garrison cities.

The soldiers who guarded Lang were fierce and neat, and after more than ten years, they became a decisive force in the territory of the Tang Dynasty.

These two assassins actually came from the guard, and the matter was even more strange.

Zhang Xiaojing has dealt with Shou Zhu Lang several times, and they are businessmen in the final analysis, and they are low-key and cautious. Their main business object is the Tang Dynasty, how could they collude with the Turks to harm Chang'an? Don't want to live anymore?

He thought about it, it was very likely that Shou Lang had just taken a commission to assassinate him, and he didn't know what was going on behind the assassin. So he quietly told Tan Qi to ask in this direction.

Sure enough, Tan Qi asked again, and the assassin admitted that he didn't know the Elder Pusha. He was just ordered to lurk in the Persian temple and keep an eye on the elders' movements. As soon as you get the signal, you immediately shoot and kill, and then evacuate.

Zhang Xiaojing asked who sent the signal, and the Assassin said that there was no one, and that it was an old eagle's nest on the top of a locust tree in the Persian temple. When the old eagle's nest disappears, it means that you can do it.

In this way, the two sides do not have to meet, which also reduces the possibility of leaks. It's a very common practice, but pity the old owl.

"And who gave your order?" Zhang Xiaojing asked again. The Assassin did not know the reality of the client, but must have known his superiors.

The Assassins were silent, which touched their greatest taboo. These guards have families living in the city. If you die, the organization will take care of the bereavement; If it is betrayed, the relatives at home will not know what will happen.

Zhang Xiaojing said coldly: "Since you have opened the * generation, you have already betrayed Shou Lang, it is better to confess it all, maybe the court can still treat one or two preferentially." Hearing Zhang Xiaojing's threat, the assassin looked desperate and looked at Tan Qi and Iss pleadingly.

Isi looked unbearable, and said: "Since he has a heart for the Lord, it is not appropriate to persecute Tai ......" Zhang Xiaojing suddenly pointed to the door and shouted angrily:

"Get out!"

This sudden thunderbolt made everyone in the room tremble. Iss stammered, unable to believe it. Since he came to Chang'an, no one has ever been so vocal about him.

Zhang Xiaojing scolded: "Do you think you are the secretary of the criminal department or the Dali temple?" Here you are talking and pointing fingers! ”

"Under just ......"

"You, the Persian temple, harbor important criminals and harm Chang'an; You obstructed Jing'an's case, and almost allowed the assassin to escape. These two charges alone are enough to uproot your temple! Do you still think you're meritorious? ”

"But ......"

"Get out!"

Isis was scolded so that his face was like ashes, and it took him a while to muster up his courage and draw a cross: "I am a servant of God, and I only care about God's favor." Then he bowed deeply and turned away, staggering on his feet, as if deeply struck.

Tan Qi looked at his back and left, and sighed softly. She was a little sympathetic to this narcissistic and naïve Jing monk, but the situation was serious, and she couldn't help the Bodhisattva's heart, so she had to look at King Kong angrily.

Seeing that Zhang Xiaojing vented to Is, the assassin was also a little frightened. Zhang Xiaojing slapped the table: "Let me tell you, the person you killed was the right killer of the Turks, and he planned for a group of murderers to destroy the entire Chang'an City tonight." You have been entrusted with the task of putting out the mouths of those murderers. ”

The Assassin's pupils contracted abruptly. He didn't know what the identity of the right kill was, and he couldn't quite figure out the complicated relationship between them, but he knew what the result of the destruction of the entire Chang'an City was.

"Guarding Lang as a tiger and fighting against the imperial court. At that time, not to mention your organization, even all the garrison cities in the border areas will be wiped out. ”

The assassin was silent, but the corners of his brow twitched slightly. "Purge" is only two words, but it means that more than 100,000 women and children have been displaced and reduced to untouchable slavery. The Tang Dynasty can do this kind of thing.

"Tell your superiors, this is saving you from guarding Lang himself." Zhang Xiaojing delivered the final blow.

The Assassin finally broke down completely, covered his face and muttered an address: "Ping...... Pingkang Fang. Our foothold and commission are all handed over at the Liu Kee Bookstore inside. ”

Pingkangfang?

Zhang Xiaojing was stunned for a moment, then thought about it again, and felt that it couldn't be more reasonable.

In Pingkangfang, there are not only green buildings, but also the backyards of ten Jiedu envoys from Fanyang, Hedong, Pinglu, Shuofang, Hexi, Anxi, Beiting, Longyou, Jiannan, and Lingnan.

These ten backyards are responsible for the affairs of the ten festival envoys in the capital, from the dispatch of money and grain, the movement of officials, and the presentation of chapters, to the travel of family members and the purchase of gifts. It also has a job that cannot be declared, that is, it serves as an intelligence post stationed in the capital from all over the country, not only collecting local information and summarizing it to the imperial court, but also being the eyes and ears of the envoys in the capital.

The Turkic wolf guard's attack on the capital was first discovered by Shuo Fangliu in the backyard, and then reported to the imperial court, and it was after Jing'an Si took over.

The festival envoy is a big customer who guards the Lang, and generally comes forward to issue a commission from the backyard. Shou Lang set up his foothold in Pingkangfang, and it was naturally very convenient to communicate.

It seems that today, it is destined to enter Pingkangfang for the second time.

Zhang Xiaojing thought as he moved his fingers. The wound on the little finger of his left hand was painful again. He was about to leave when he heard a brigade soldier running in a panic outside. Tan Qi recognized him as the person who was sent to Jing'an Division in Guangdefang, and hurriedly stopped him and asked why he had come back.

"Yasuyasu Division is attacked!" The soldier dragged his crying voice and panted unevenly, "The whole hall is burning!" ”

The Jing'an Division Hall in Guangdefang is becoming brighter than ever. Countless sparkling flames burst out from between the walls, and they frantically devoured the building, making a crackling sound, and every flick of the finger grew wildly. It won't be long before these flames can gather in one place, turning the Jing'an Division Hall into a large torch that is not inferior to any lantern in the West City. At the same time, the left and right side halls also burst into flames.

Before the fire could take shape, the extremely black smoke was the first to rise, and the surrounding sparks were swirling, like a black dragon splashing ink leaping into the night sky. The smoke is extremely black and rich, with a pungent smell, and the night sky, which has been illuminated by the lights of Zhufang, is re-blackened by this piece of smoke.

Watchtowers near and far are waving purple lanterns at headquarters in vain, waiting for a response that is destined to never be repeated.

Many of the scribes of the Jing'an Division poured out from the main gate and the side gates, and they were all in a mess. Some people fell to the ground, some shouted for help, and some even had fire burning on the back of their clothes, screaming as they ran.

Fortunately, Chang'an has always attached great importance to the fire hazards of the Shangyuan Festival, and every year when the Lantern Festival arrives, a large number of Wuhou will be arranged to be on standby at any time. As soon as he saw the fire in Guangdefang, the fire-fighting Wuhou of the nearby Zhufang immediately reacted and rushed over to this side. It's just that there are so many people watching the lanterns that they spend twice as much time on the road.

The rescue that arrived early was too manpowered, so the survivors could only be rescued first, and then ensure that the fire did not spread to the surrounding buildings. As for the main hall itself, there is nothing to be done.

After fleeing to safety, many officials squatted on the ground and wept bitterly at the fire. The main hall and the left and right side halls stored a large number of important documents, all of which were burned down at once. Without these, it will be impossible to perform the big case trick, and Jing'an will lose the most important insight.

In the hearts of these survivors, there is an unspeakable horror image. Before they fled the main hall, they saw that the huge Chang'an sand table in the hall was shrouded in fire: the ground of Suzaku Street was cracked and cracked, Leyouyuan melted in the licking of tongues of fire, smoke rose from the Qujiang Pond, and one hundred and eight squares were falling and collapsing one by one—it was a hellish sight. Everyone who saw this scene was overwhelmed by this great and ominous sign.

The fire alarmed all the surrounding government offices. From the Wuhou shop in Fangjiao to the bad people in Jingzhao Mansion, from the brigade army to the right Xiaowei, they all sent people to try to get closer, trying to figure out what was going on. There are also many tourists and idlers who watch the lanterns, thinking that this is some new gimmick, so they curiously come over to watch.

The status of Jing'an Division is too sensitive, and its fire at this time is bound to attract the attention of all parties.

It stands to reason that at this time, we should first try to rescue the Chinese books of the temple, and then try to restore the communication function of the Great Lookout Tower and dispatch the troops to deploy defenses. However, the two commanders, He Zhizhang and Li Yu, one was critically ill and the other was taken hostage, the commander of Jing'an and the commander of the brigade army were far away in Yiningfang, and the chief Xu Bin was nowhere to be found, and the whole situation was leaderless and chaotic.

Jing Anji was like a giant who had been shot by a poisoned bow and arrow, and he collapsed to the ground in an instant, completely unconscious.

A group of cavalry rushed quickly, their shoulders and helmets adorned with leopard skins, and at a glance they knew that they were the elite leopard cavalry belonging to the right guard. Wielding their whips, the leopard riders violently dispelled the onlookers, quickly clearing a safe clearing near the scene of the fire. Gan Shoucheng, who was dressed in military uniform, hurried over surrounded by more than a dozen guards.

Outside the imperial city, it is not under the control of the right guard. However, Gan Shoucheng happened to patrol the neighborhood and rushed over.

Gan Shoucheng raised his head and observed the fire in the hall without saying a word, without any expression on his tense face. A guard next to him smiled: "Jing'an Division burned us, and we suffered retribution in a few hours." This is really refreshing......" Before he finished speaking, there was a "snap", and the horsewhip slammed into his thigh, causing him to jump high.

Gan Shoucheng shouted in a low voice: "Shut your dog's mouth!" At this moment, there was no pleasure of revenge in his heart, only fear.

A few surviving scribes have been found. According to the survivors' accounts, a group of masked men calling themselves "mayflies" raided Jing'an Division, carried out some killing and destruction, and then quickly hijacked Li Sicheng and left before the people outside noticed. Before leaving, they also sprayed a large amount of stone grease oil and burned the entire hall and side halls.

When a layman listens to it, he will only be shocked by the cruelty of the raiders, but Gan Shoucheng, who has decades of military experience, feels a chill to the bone. How bold and confident it would have to be for the controller to come up with such a plan that hits the heart straight ahead.

This raid was of a very high standard, both in terms of prior information, the formulation of plans, and the decisiveness and neatness of execution. Just like an unknown young general riding through the barrier, among the ten thousand armies, Shengsheng took the head of the general. Gan Shoucheng did not think that any of the forbidden troops in the capital had this ability, and even the border army might not be able to match it.

Compared to this, the embarrassment of being forced to bet by Li Mi and He Dong just now is nothing at all.

"Grasshopper...... Grasshopper ......" Gan Shoucheng whispered these two words, not remembering any organization called this name.

With such a strong team, what if it was not Jing'an Division that attacked, but the imperial city or the three major palaces?

Gan Shoucheng thought of this, and the wrist holding the horsewhip couldn't help but tremble, and his heart was cold. At this time, a cavalryman galloped to report: "We have found Captain Cui." Gan Shoucheng said: "Let him come over and report immediately." "Cui Qi has been staying in the Jing'an Division Hall, he should know more about it. But the cavalry looked embarrassed: "This ...... Please come over. ”

Gan Shoucheng frowned, shook the reins, and followed the cavalry.

At the door of a raw and cooked medicinal herb shop near Jing'an Division, more than a dozen injured people were lying on hastily paved tarpaulins, and the sound was endless. The boss and his men were busy mixing sesame oil in a large stone mortar, which was the fastest way to concoct a burn recipe at the moment, and a few enthusiastic residents were busy carrying clean water. At the door of the shop, several cavalrymen on the right side of the guard were already standing on the left and right, and no one was allowed to approach.

Gan Shoucheng lifted the curtain and stepped in. There are a total of four people inside, in addition to Cui Qi, there are two men and a woman next to them, all of them are grizzled, and Gan Shoucheng only knows Yao Runeng among them.

Seeing Gan Shoucheng come in, Yao Runeng just rolled his eyes, and his face was as dark as ashes. He didn't expect that the main hall in front of him was ten times more tragic than the prison. When he saw the raging fire, he almost went crazy. His faith, faith, and allegiance were reduced to ashes.

Gan Shoucheng's gaze swept over Yao Runeng, and then looked at Cui Qi next to him.

His condition was worse than Yao Runeng's, and he was lying upright on the door panel, his lower abdomen was covered with blood, and it was covered with paste-like hemostatic powder. Gan Shoucheng knew at a glance that the hemostatic dispersion did not work at all, and it was washed away by the blood, and it was definitely not saved. Hearing the sound of footsteps, Cui Qi suddenly opened his eyes, looked at him weakly, and closed his mouth one by one.

Gan Shoucheng didn't have much affection for this traitor, but now that he saw him in such a miserable state, he didn't know what to say for a while. He simply leaned forward and asked directly:

"Cui Wei, who do you think the attacker is?"

After a while, an extremely weak voice came: "Soldiers, all soldiers......"

Gan Shoucheng's heart sank. He had always suspected that such a precise and ruthless attack could not have come from an organization other than a professional soldier. At this moment, I'm afraid that the entire big * world is going to make waves.

"Can you tell where it's a soldier?" Gan Shoucheng asked.

Cui Ji closed his eyes and shook his head gently. When Gan Shoucheng saw his condition, he had to give up asking and absent-mindedly relieved a few words. At this time, Cui Qi spoke again:

"General Gan...... I shouldn't have come to Chang'an. ”

"Huh?" Gan Shoucheng was stunned.

"When I came to the capital, I thought I could make a contribution, but I shouldn't have come. Chang'an turned me into a coward I used to despise the most. Liulang, I want to go back to Longshan, I want to go back to Longshan......"

Cui Qi looked at the ceiling, muttering, two lines of tears streaming down his cheeks. The people around him were silent. He suddenly tried his best and yelled twice: "Longshan Cui Qi!" Longshan Cui Qi! Then the screaming stopped abruptly, and the breathing subsided.

Wen Ran silently squatted down and wiped Cui Qi's remains with a sweat towel. She didn't know what this person had done before, but she could see the figure of the enemy fighting bravely in front of the prison. Yao Runeng tilted his head, there was a deep sadness in his eyes, and he remembered Zhang Xiaojing's words in his mind: "In Chang'an City, if you don't become a monster like it, you will be devoured by it." ”

Gan Shoucheng stood up, put his left hand across his chest, and tapped his chest three times. This is the gift of the robe in the army, and the guards next to him also salute with the general.

A voice sounded in the room: "You don't hear the saddest sound of the beard, and the purple-haired and green-eyed bearded man blows." Blowing a song is still over, and I am worried about killing Loulan Zheng'er...... Hu Ji is resentful and will send the king, and Qin Shan looks at Longshan from afar. The border city has a lot of dreams every night, who likes to hear about the moon beard? ”

This poem is about the things on the border, and there is a sad mood between the sentences. Everyone turned their heads to see a young man with a square face and a straight nose leaning against the corner of the wall, holding his arms in his hands, and the poem just now came from this person's mouth.

"You wrote this?" Gan Shoucheng asked. Cen Shen arched his hand and said: "It's just a feeling, a few lines of scattered sentences, and it is not yet a chapter - in Xia Xianzhou Cen Shen." ”

"The poem is good, it's just out of place. The prosperous world is prosperous, why bother to make such sad words. Gan Shoucheng casually commented a few words, and then turned around and went out. Cen Shen said loudly behind him: "General, do you think that in this prosperous world, you really only need words of praise and praise?" The five colors blind people, and those who are blind cannot see the danger lurking. ”

Gan Shoucheng's footsteps stopped.

He was not shocked by Cen Shen's words—there was nothing new about the literati complaint—but from his last sentence he thought of a terrible conjecture.

Those people attacked Jing'an Division, carrying fire oil with them, apparently for sabotage, and withdrew as soon as they achieved their goal. This kind of move, unlike revenge, is more like a precautionary measure: Jing'an Division is the eye of Chang'an City. Gouge out the eye, and it becomes a blind man, and the enemy can do whatever he wants.

In other words, the raid on Jing'an Division was only a necessary part of the plan, and the attackers must have a bigger goal.

Gan Shoucheng, who figured this out, immediately broke out in a layer of cold sweat on the inner lining of the armor. A bigger goal than Jing'an Division is not much in Chang'an City.

As soon as he thought of this, he had no intention of staying here for any longer, and walked out the door quickly. There was still a commotion outside. The fire continues without the slightest sign of extinguishing. Seven or eight people from different yamen were mixed together, shouting and shouting, each doing their own thing, and there was no one in the middle to command, and the rescue and fire extinguishing efficiency was extremely poor.

"If there is no new chief, Jing'an Division is probably finished." Gan Shoucheng thought to himself.

He didn't like the Jing'an Division, but he had to admit that the role of the Jing'an Division in searching for the enemy could not be replaced by any other government office. If it is finished, it will be a great blow to the security of the entire Chang'an.

A large cloud head burned and fell, smashing into an ox cart transporting the wounded, provoking a wave of exclamation. The driver made the mistake of parking too close to the scene of the fire.

Several shoppers were wrapping up stretchers, ready to carry people. However, their position happened to block the passage in front of the fang, and the water bladder behind could not be delivered, causing the soldiers fighting the fire in front to have to retreat and accidentally break several stretchers. A quarrel broke out on both sides.

Such things continue to happen at the scene, seriously delaying the progress of the rescue.

Seeing this low-level mistake, Gan Shoucheng was a little unbearable, took a step forward, and raised his right hand. At this time, he was the highest-ranking official on the scene, and as long as he raised his arms, the situation could be improved. But Gan Shoucheng hesitated again and again, and put his hand down again.

A forbidden army general takes over the command of the city defense? No, it's too taboo to do it. The backstage of Jing'an Division is the crown prince, and the person who comes to clean up the mess must be from the East Palace family.

Well? Wait, not necessarily.

A good idea suddenly came to Gan Shoucheng's mind. He summoned a cavalryman and handwritten a letter on the spot, asking him to send it directly to Zhongshu Province immediately. The content of the letter is very simple: Jing'an Division was killed by the soldiers, the head was broken, and it was afraid that it would be harmful to the governance of the city.

He knew that Li Linfu had coveted the control of Jing'an Division for a long time, but he had nowhere to start. This letter can send Li Xiang a high-sounding reason and a great favor.

And this behavior is beyond reproach on the official face. Out of security considerations, I, General Xiaowei, suggested that the Zhongshu Order select new officials and take over Jing'an, which is upright and open-minded, and no one will say that there is a suspicion of overstepping authority and interfering in politics.

It not only sold favors, but also took advantage of the righteousness, and also promoted the restoration of Jing'an Division, which can be described as killing three birds with one stone.

As for the chaos in front of us, we can only let it be chaotic for a while. With a look of regret, Gan Shoucheng glanced at the torch-like Jing'an Division Hall again, turned his horse's head and left in a hurry. He had to hurry back and check the security of the right guard again.

Black smoke and flames continued to dance in the night sky, and the rest of Chang'an's neighborhoods were still singing and dancing, and tourists were weaving, unaware of what was happening here, let alone what it all meant.

Hearing the news of Jing'ansi's attack, Tan Qi was completely stupid.

She felt that this was simply a rumor, how could such a thing happen? That's Jing'ansi! Ignoring her reserves, she grabbed the soldier's armor and roared as if she were the matter.

But the soldier didn't have a chance to get close to the main hall, and he didn't know the details. He only heard that someone seemed to have attacked Jing'an, set it on fire, and then hurried back to report it.

"What about Childe? Where is Li Sicheng? ”

"No, I don't know." The soldier stammered in reply.

Tan Qi took a deep breath, pushed away the soldier and ran to the mount, not even bothering to step on the horse stone, so he hurriedly turned over and got on the horse, shaking the reins to leave. At this moment, a man suddenly stopped in front of the horse and grabbed the bridle with his big hand.

"Where are you going?" Zhang Xiaojing shouted with a gloomy face.

"Back to the light of the place! Didn't you hear the attack on Jing'anji? Tan Qi's voice was sharp and a little crying.

Zhang Xiaojing's face was gloomy: "There is no point in you going back now." Tan Qi shouted: "I'm not in your hands!" Get out of the way! She shook the reins again and drove the horses to knock Zhang Xiaojing away. Zhang Xiaojing straightened his chest and stood still on the road: "We have more important things to do." ”

Tan Qi was angry, this person was ruthless and unrighteous to this point, and he really didn't have any heart: "You are a death row prisoner, Jing'an Division has nothing to do with you!" But I can't ignore Childe! She scolded the horses and was about to leap over.

Zhang Xiaojing didn't let her move forward, his one-eyed fierce light appeared, and his hands slammed both sides. The horse was suddenly in pain, and when he was in a panic, he began to stumble, and Tan Qi couldn't grasp it, and fell off the horse.

Tan Qi was so dizzy that he fell to the ground and couldn't get up. Zhang Xiaojing paced closer, but didn't stretch out his hand to help, just looked at her coldly: "Jing'an Division has Li Sicheng here, if you can't even deal with him, even if you rush back, what can you do?" ”

Tan Qi half-stood up and turned his face away, how could this brutal executioner understand human emotions? Zhang Xiaojing saw through her thoughts, and said mercilessly: "Yes, you are very concerned, you are very angry, you are very humane, but these bullshit emotions are useless to the situation!" Look at my mouth shape - it's no fucking use. ”

This sudden foul mouth made Tan Qi's face red. She was about to retort, Zhang Xiaojing glared at her, and pressed her back in a louder voice: "Do you think this is Miss Fu's game between flowers?" Just go. Wrong! It's war! There is no room for emotion in war! Everyone must follow orders, to the letter! ”

Tan Qi had never seen this person so vicious, and she couldn't raise her head because of this scolding.

"I also have good friends in the division, you think I'm not worried? You think I don't want to go back right away? But our mission is not to defend Jing'an! Instead, track down the whereabouts of Que Lehodo and keep this Chang'an City! If this matter is not resolved, the task must continue. ”

"First, go back and take a look first, and then go to Shou Lang......" Tan Qi still tried to justify.

"There is no such hour! You can only choose one of the two places. You have to pay the price for your choice. Zhang Xiaojing glared at her, turned around, walked a few steps, and said coldly,

"Your son-in-law agrees with me because he believes that you can do more valuable things than serving people."

After speaking, he threw down the weeping tanqi and walked to the door of the Persian temple. The captor was escorted by two soldiers and stood nearby. He looked haggard and uneasy, not knowing whether it would be good or bad next.

There is no missing moment in this vicinity, and I don't know the time, but I'm afraid it's almost halfway through the unitary hour. The light market outside has gradually entered*, and the sound wave is higher and higher, and the light is increasing unabated. Zhang Xiaojing suppressed his anxiety and said briefly: "Take this person and let's go." ”

The Assassin was then stuffed into a van, and several of the Soldiers sat in it. He drew the curtain outside, so that he could not see inside.

Zhang Xiaojing took his mount, got on his horse and was about to leave the temple. Suddenly, a hand grabbed the bridle beside him, and the horse was frightened, neighed, and raised its front hooves high. Zhang Xiaojing hurriedly clamped his legs and shrunk his abdomen, firmly glued to the horse's back, so he didn't fall.

He looked sideways and saw that Tan Qi was standing in front of the horse. There were still tears in the corners of her eyes, and her beautiful face was a little haggard and a little more resolute. She loosened her bridle and lifted her chin: "Now we're even, let's go." ”

Without waiting for Zhang Xiaojing to speak, she had already turned on her horse, tied her long hair behind her back with a thin rope, and then tied it on the top of her head. In this way, when exercising, the hair will not fall off in a disorderly manner, especially the neck of Tanqi is particularly long, and the hair is high, which shows that the whole person is sassy and capable.

Zhang Xiaojing didn't make any comments, waved his hand, and ordered to go.

A group of people quickly left the Persian Temple, squeezed a way out of the crowd watching the lanterns, and rushed to Pingkangli as fast as they could. After walking for a while, the group suddenly dispersed in front of a cross street, divided into two groups and headed in two directions. Soon another rider came from behind, and after a long time of dilemma, he finally chose the right side and chased after him.

He chased to the gate of Yining Fang in a hurry, and the team in front of him suddenly disappeared. He was about to look for it, when he was suddenly surrounded by several riders on the left and right. Zhang Xiaojing came out of the shadows, and when he looked at it, his expression was even more surprised than that of this mid-lying person: "Deacon Is? ”

"Captain Zhang, don't come unharmed." Isis straightened his chest and drew a cross on the mule. He was scolded by Zhang Xiaojing just now, but now he is not embarrassed at all, but like an old friend reunited.

As soon as he left the Persian Temple, Zhang Xiaojing found that there was a tail behind him. They set a trap, thinking that they could catch the member of the guard, but they didn't expect it to be the narcissistic and naïve deacon of the Persian Temple.

"What are you doing with us?"

Isis struggled to maintain his balance on the mule, and said, "The commander is trained to be suitable, and it is really an enlightenment. After bowing down and introspecting for a while, our temple is indeed lazy in the scriptures and neglected to self-examine. So I decided to share my worries for the captain. If there is no help, it can be regarded as Jingji living up to the knowledge of the imperial court. ”

Zhang Xiaojing understood his call. There is a Turkic right killer and two assassins who are guarding and capturing in the Persian temple, and this matter is really going to be exposed, but I am afraid that the temple will be unlucky. For the sake of the survival of Jingjiao in Chang'an, Yisi can only come over to help with a cheeky face, so as to fight for a merit and a demerit.

Zhang Xiaojing squinted his eyes on the horse, but he didn't speak. Isis waited tremblingly, his Adam's apple rolling, and he swallowed his saliva, he didn't know if these words could impress the fierce god.

Seeing that he didn't react for a long time, Isi arched his hands and pleaded with a pleading: "It's not easy for my Jing monk to preach in Middle Earth, so I implore Du Wei to be extrajudicial and merciful, and I am willing to hold the stirrups and be willing to be the forerunner - besides, Du Wei investigates the case, doesn't he just need a helper who is agile, sharp-eyed, and wise-minded?" ”

"......" This time, even Zhang Xiaojing was speechless.

Tan Qi endured it for a long time before he resisted the urge to kick this narcissist off the mule. Isis also felt that what he said was not appropriate, so he quickly changed his words:

"When negotiating with the Hu, as a prince in Lower Persia, it will certainly be of help."

The Hu people believe in Sanyi, Jingjiao is one of the big ones, and Isis is not boasting when he says so. As for the "Prince of Persia" Yunyun, only when he boasts about himself. Zhang Xiaojing was finally moved: "Whatever you want, but I don't guarantee your safety." ”

Isis was overjoyed and hurriedly whipped the mule and followed closely with the team. He went out in too much haste to catch up, and before he could prepare his horse, he took the mule by the hand. Fortunately, there were too many people on the streets at this time, and the mules and horses were traveling at similar speeds. Isi didn't dare to get too close to Zhang Xiaojing, so he went to get close to Tan Qitao. Tan Qi was worried about his son and didn't bother to pay attention to him. Isis had to be left alone.

They stopped and stopped, and finally squeezed past the crowd of lantern watchers and came to Guanglufang. In front is Suzaku Street, and then there is the jurisdiction of Wannian County. But when I got here, the carriage couldn't go any further.

At this time, the wide Suzaku Street was full of dense people, shoulder to shoulder, incalculable, black and oppressive, so dense that even the wind could not penetrate it.

They were all waiting to see the lights pulled.

Pulling out the lantern is not a lamp, but a team of artists singing and dancing on a specially made cart. These lantern pull-out vehicles were selected by local governments and sent to the capital to add color to the Shangyuan Lantern Festival. After putting on the lights, they entered the city from the east, west and south directions, walked along the street, each performed their skills, and finally gathered in front of the Xingqing Palace in the fourth watch, that is, the ugly time. The artists who have received the most praise and the most dazzling performance are called "red chips at the top of the lamp".

There, the Son of Heaven allowed the "red chips on the top of the lamp" to ascend to the diligent government building, and together they lit the largest lamp tower in Chang'an City, pushing the festive atmosphere to the fullest* - this is the origin of pulling out the lanterns.

In addition to watching the lanterns, another great pleasure for the people of Chang'an is to chase these lantern pulling cars. Wherever the car went, they followed. Some particularly outstanding artists have a regular following every year.

Now in the middle of Suzaku Street, two extremely popular lantern-pulling convoys are fighting, on one side is a scarlet dancer who is playing the lute, and on the other is a half-naked man beating a drum on all sides. Both of them have music classes around them. Countless fans crowded around, holding silk sticks alof, sweating and shouting in unison.

Zhang Xiaojing looked at this posture, but he was afraid that the crowd here would not disperse within half an hour, and the wide carriage would definitely not be able to pass through. He consulted with the others, and decided to let the soldiers escort the wagon and make a detour from the south, with him himself taking the first step. Riding a single ride through Suzaku Avenue is much faster than riding a few bikes and a car.

Originally, Zhang Xiaojing asked Tan Qi to follow the carriage, but her eyes widened: "Don't you always say that everyone has to be responsible for their own choices?" You just wanted me to follow, and now you want to get rid of it? She stubbornly shook the horse's head.

Zhang Xiaojing had to agree with a wry smile. So he and Tan Qi went first, and the others went around.

As for the deacon Is, who followed behind his buttocks, Zhang Xiaojing meant that he didn't have to pay attention to it, he would follow if he loved it, and he deserved it.

The plan was set, and the coachman turned the carriage around and headed south. Zhang Xiaojing and Tan Qi got off their horses and buckled the reins around their wrists a few times. These two horses did not have tortoiseshell foreheads and could not gallop on Suzaku Avenue. What's more, there are too many people on the road now, and it is better to ride a horse than to lead a horse and go faster.

So the two of them led the two horses side by side, trying to squeeze through the crowd. Surrounded by candles and lanterns, the hustle and bustle of pianos and drums, and from time to time there are broken spring victories and money thrown into the air, and then slowly falling, causing bursts of exclamations. The whole avenue is filled with the smell of fat powder, stinky sweat and the greasy smell of thousands of candles.

The two men and two horses walked silently, looking out of place with the excited crowd. Zhang Xiaojing, who was walking through the crowd, restrained his murderous and ferocious aura, and was so low-key as if it didn't exist. Several times, excited tourists bumped into him, only to realize that there was another person here. Tan Qi turned his face sideways several times, wanting to say something to Zhang Xiaojing, but he didn't know what to say.

Dengzi, death row prisoners, fierce god Yama, gentlemen who refuse to let women die in their place, cool officials, operators, rangers...... In just a few hours ago, Tan Qi had seen many faces of Zhang Xiaojing, but she still had a hard time grasping this person. Now this chaotic crowd is like a gurgling stream, washing away the exaggerated oil paint on Zhang Xiaojing's body, revealing its original texture.

In Tan Qi's mind, two words were condensed: loneliness.

Zhang Xiaojing's figure is very lonely. The more lively the surroundings, the stronger the sense of loneliness. He walks through the most prosperous and prosperous place in the world, but he seems to be in two paintings with his surroundings, although they are close to each other, they will never be compatible.

In a sense, he is farther away from this world than Childe.

Thinking so, she unconsciously lowered her head, held the reins behind her back, and hummed softly the song of the shepherd. The singing lingered, never leaving the two of them. Although the voice was low, it was never drowned out by the noise outside.

This is the tone of the villagers in the Qishan area when they drink blessing wine after worshiping the gods, although it is close to slang, but it has its own true meaning. Childe once said that the rhythm of this song was handed down from ancient times, the upper can reflect the moon, and the lower can reach the original intention.

At this time, the bright moon in the sky hung high in the sky, round and bright, and scattered with a cold light. Tan Qi believes that the moon has been sensitive, but he doesn't know which people's hearts can reach.

Singing and walking, Tan Qi suddenly found that Zhang Xiaojing was holding the reins and moving forward, but his thick fingers tapped the copper ring on the bridle head, which happened to coincide with the beat of the pastoral song. His movements are very secretive, and he seems embarrassed to be discovered.

Tan Qi smiled lightly, didn't say anything, and continued to hum. The two of them sang and beat very tacitly, just through the hustle and bustle of the crowd. Zhang Xiaojing's gait seemed to be a little easier.

It took the two of them half a moment to squeeze out of the crowd. When Tan Qi saw the wall of Xingdaofang, he was relieved and couldn't help but sigh: "It would be nice if the watchtower was still there, at least it would be able to tell us in advance where it would not be blocked." ”

Since the attack on the Jing'an Division, the entire watchtower system has ceased to function. In fact, most of the watchtowers are still in operation, but there is no central coordination of the big watchtowers, they are just scattered watchtowers, and they are not integrated.

There is no real-time update of Chang'an City news, which makes the people of Jing'an Division feel inconvenient.

Thinking of this, Tan Qi looked back at Guangdefang, and there was a strong worry in his eyes. She chose to go to Pingkangli, she believed that Gongzi would choose to do the same, but she was worried about this emotion, but she couldn't control it.

Zhang Xiaojing suddenly restrained his mount, turned his head to Tan Qi and grinned: "You reminded me, I'll play a trick for you." Tan Qi was stunned, not knowing why he said this.

Zhang Xiaojing took out a folded purple lantern from the pouch next to the horse. He pulled the lantern back up, lit it, and then re-unfolded a long bamboo pole folded in three folds and lifted the lantern high. Tanqi is a bit inexplicable. This set of equipment is used by the field personnel of the Jing'an Division to communicate with the watchtower at night, and now that the big watchtower has been destroyed, what is the point of using this message?

Zhang Xiaojing picked up the purple lantern and swung it up and down regularly, sometimes covering it and sometimes raising it. Tan Qi was not very familiar with this set of lantern language, and he didn't know what he wanted to express. Zhang Xiaojing put his index finger to his lips and shushed to tell her to wait and see.

After a while, the watchtower of Xingdaofang lit up with a purple lantern, flashed several times, and seemed to have received a message from Zhang Xiaojing. Immediately, the Kaihuafang watchtower in the south was also lit up with purple lanterns, and the frequency of flashing was similar to that of Xingdaofang.

Zhang Xiaojing continued to shake the lantern, and the Guanglu Fang and the Colonization Fang in the distance also responded. After a short time, Anren, Fengle, Wuben, and Chongyi ...... The watchtowers in the surrounding squares from far and near all woke up one after another, and the purple lights flickered brightly and flickered, and soon they were intertwined, all echoing Zhang Xiaojing's movements. That scene was like a celestial master.

Zhang Xiaojing put the bamboo pole holding the purple lamp on the buckle behind the horse, and then said to Tan Qi: "Now the watchtower system has resumed operation. It's just that the center of them is not the Guangdefang Lookout, but me. With that, he raised his left thumb and tapped it on his chest.

"I am now the center of the Jing'an Division."

Tan Qi's eyes widened, this is really more magical than juggling. Why did he take over the watchtower so easily and become the highest-ranking commander?

Zhang Xiaojing got back on the horse, and the horse's body trembled, and the purple lamp raised high behind the buttocks shook a few times.

"Don't forget, Li Sicheng gave me the authority to look at the tower at the beginning of the Shen Dynasty, and this order has never been revoked."

Yao Runeng handed over a glass of water, took a shallow sip of it, and felt that the water was also full of the smell of fireworks. Yao Runeng said apologetically: "I'm sorry, several wells are overcrowded, so I can only wait." Wen Ran smiled bitterly: "It's good to survive, how can you choose?" ”

After Gan Shoucheng left, they had nowhere to go but to continue to stay in the pharmacy. It was still busy outside, and even Cui Qi's body didn't have time to collect the burial, and it was temporarily parked on the door panel next to it.

"Can I go home?" Smell asked pitifully. Since noon today, she has never encountered anything good, she has been caught and transported, and she has not stopped, and her spirit is really exhausted. Yao Runeng made an apologetic gesture: "I'm sorry, no, Li Sicheng asked me to lock you up, and I don't have the order to release you yet." He was afraid of misunderstanding, so he hurriedly explained: "It's not peaceful outside now, so it's safest to stay here." ”

"Because it's burned down here?" Wen Ran asked rhetorically.

"Uh......" Yao Runeng choked unsuspectingly. Wen Ran laughed, and suddenly noticed that the wound on Yao Runeng's shoulder was only scribbled with a rag, crooked, and beckoned him to sit down. She lowered her head and tore a piece of cloth from the hem of her skirt and re-bandaged him.

The white fingers of the smelling green onion deftly fiddled with the strips of cloth, and Yao Runeng could smell the faint fragrance coming into his nose, and hurriedly lowered his head. He thought to himself, it turned out that Zhang Duwei followed such a fragrance to find this girl. This fragrance is indifferent at first, but it lingers for a long time, and it is convenient to use it as a public chaser in the future.

Alas, I wonder how Zhang Duwei and Miss Tanqi will react when they hear the news of Jing'ansi's attack? How's Quelehodocha doing?

When he thought of this, he suddenly thought that this was a good opportunity, so he casually asked, "You and Zhang are ...... Uh, what is Zhang Xiaojing's name as Lieutenant? ”

Wen Ran replied softly while concentrating on the wound, "He is my father-in-law. ”

"He saved you?"

A look of pain appeared on Wen Ran's face: "Haven't you saved it...... He put his life on the line for our family. Yao Ru was shocked, why was this the reason why he was sentenced to death? Didn't Tan Qi say that he killed the county lieutenant?

Now there is nothing to do left and right, and I will tell you about it.

It turned out that Zhang Xiaojing and Wen Ran's father Wen Wuji were both comrades-in-arms when they were soldiers in the Western Regions. Among the three soldiers who survived defending Fengsui City that year, Wen Wuji was also one of them. He saved Zhang Xiaojing's life and lost a leg for it.

After the siege of Fengsui was lifted, Wen Wuji could not continue to be a soldier, so he chose to retire from the army. With his daughter and the reward of the Duhu Mansion, he came to Chang'an City to open an incense shop, and his life was good. Later, Zhang Xiaojing became a bad handsome in Wannian County, and the two old comrades-in-arms had a fateful friendship, and they took care of them all the time.

In October last year, it happened that Zhang Xiaojing was on a business trip, and Wenji Xiangpu suddenly received a notice from the Yu Department that the imperial court wanted to build a hotel for Xiao Bolu's envoy, and the address was chosen in Dunyifang. The price offered by Yu is extremely low, and Wen Wuji naturally does not do it, and insists on not moving. Unexpectedly, a group of masked floating teenagers suddenly came at night, broke into the shop with a big stick, smashed and beat indiscriminately, Wen Wuji came out to reason with him, and was beaten to death. Wen Ran was also in danger*, but fortunately she was alert and tenacious, and escaped through a gap.

Wen Ran wanted to report to the official, but just in time for the county lieutenant to personally lead the night patrol, she was determined to commit the night and arrested. She cried and cried in every possible way, but no one paid attention to her, and she was kept in a deep prison. Not long after, a petition was handed in from outside, telling her that her father had colluded with the robbers and was beaten to death for unequal distribution of the spoils, and that the spice shop had been purchased with the stolen goods. If she refuses to be taken into custody, she will be sold into slavery.

After hearing this, she resolutely refused, but several jailers came to hold her down, and insisted on pressing a handprint on the pleadings. She was in utter despair, and several times thought about killing herself.

After a few days, suddenly she was released. When I inquired about it, I realized that the world had been turned upside down outside. Zhang Xiaojing returned to the capital, and after learning what happened to Wenji Xiangpu, he first uprooted the Xionghuo Gang almost by uproot, and then, for some reason, killed the county lieutenant of Wannian, which shocked the Wannian County Party. In the end, he actually held the Yongwang hostage, and almost stabbed the mess to the sky.

In the end, how Zhang Xiaojing was involved in King Yong, and how he was captured and sentenced to death, it is not clear what happened in the heart. She only knew that from then on, Wenji Incense Shop was safe and sound, and no one came to trouble her. She is a weak female streamer and has no strength to see Engong, so she can only worship the ancestral hall at home and offer incense every day.

As he spoke, Wen Ran leaned on his arm and actually fell asleep.

Yao Runeng's body didn't move, but his heart was turbulent. He was not only surprised by Zhang Xiaojing's actions, but also surprised by the black-hearted greed of those people.

You know, the county lieutenant easily does not kiss the night patrol. He will appear that night, obviously he has already colluded with the Yu Department and the Xionghuo Gang, the underworld stick, the government punishment pen, the two-pronged crucification of Wen Wuji, and the embezzlement of land. He believed that Zhang Xiaojing must have seen it, so he killed people in anger.

Yao Runeng has heard a lot about the dark places of officials, but it is the first time that he is so ruthless and vicious. A small rich family, the family was ruined in an instant - this is still Zhang Xiaojing who sacrificed his life to shelter, if it is replaced by another family, I am afraid that the end will be even more miserable. Zhang Xiaojing said that Chang'an is a giant beast that swallows people, which is really not an exaggeration.

He finally understood why Zhang Xiaojing was so resentful when he mentioned the imperial court.

"The long wife rests to hide her tears and mourn the difficulties of people's livelihood." A sigh came from the side, Yao Runeng turned around and found Cen Shen leaning next to the pillar, and he could also listen attentively.

The two lines of poetry he recited, Yao Runeng knew that it meant regret and sadness. Cen Shen praised again: "The girl's narration, with a little embellishment, is a good music house that sets up topics and satirizes current politics." He looked down to find a pen to make a record, but found that the poem bag had long been burned, so he had to go to the wooden cabinet of the pharmacy to see if there was any paper and pen.

Yao Runeng was a little confused: "This can also be used in poetry?" ”

Cen Shen waved his hand angrily: "Why can't you enter?" Nowadays, most of the people who write poems are beautiful, exaggerated, and often poems are far away, but they refuse to face up to the reluctance in front of them. It is precisely when someone advocates a new style, doing things for the sake of things, not for the sake of writing. Then he put his head down and flipped it again.

Yao Runeng reluctantly urged: "Your Excellency is only temporarily detained in Jing'an Division, and if you want to leave now, you can leave at any time." ”

At the beginning, Guan Cen Shen was because he obstructed Zhang Xiaojing's case, and he suspected that he had something to do with the Turkic Wolf Guard. Now that his identity has been clarified, he can be released, and besides, there is no place to lock him up if he wants to stay......

Cen Shen raised his head from behind the counter and said in an indignant tone: "Go? Now I can't go. My horses and poems are gone, and you have to pay me. ”

"The mount can be folded for a penny...... How to pay for poetry? ”

"Well, it's easy, just let me follow you." Cen Shen had a smug expression on his clever plan, "I've been observing, Wen Girl's matter, Cui Qi's matter, your matter, that Zhang Xiaojing's matter, and your Jing'an Division's pursuit of the Turks...... You know a little bit of poetry, right? Do you know what a good material this is for poets? ”

Yao Runeng was a little stunned, in the eyes of this guy, these things are just poetry? He shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, I don't know poetry, I only know a little rhyme." ”

As soon as Cen Shen heard that he understood the rhyme, he immediately became excited, and said that enough was enough, and he could have a brief chat. Yao Runeng smiled bitterly, he knew the rhyme of words, because the message transmitted by the watchtower was based on "Tang Rhyme", which had nothing to do with poetry.

Unexpectedly, Cen Shen was even more curious, pestering him to tell him how to use "Tang Yun" to spread the news. Yao Runeng held his forehead with his hand, regretting that he was too talkative. He asked Cen Shen to push the window open, and the lantern hanging in front of the Temple of Compassion could be seen in the distance. Yao Runeng looked at this lantern and briefly explained the principle of the watchtower using drums during the day and lanterns at night to carry out rhyme transmission.

Cen Shen Strike Festival praised: "Rhyme with lamps and drums, and rumors with rhyme, wonderful!" Who came up with this? What a talent! It seems that in the future, I don't have to go around to dedicate, as long as I rely on a high drum, the poems can be spread in all directions, and the whole city will know! ”

The corners of Yao Runeng's mouth twitched, and he barely suppressed his desire to refute, thinking that you are happy...... Cen Shen looked out the window and began to draw against the lantern, muttering words in his mouth—he was trying to translate his poems into the language of lanterns.

At this moment, the door was pushed open with a bang, and a brightly dressed leather-clad servant entered. The little official looked around and shouted, "Are there any people from Jing'an Division here?" ”

Yao Runeng saw that his appearance was unfamiliar, and hesitantly raised his hand, indicating that he was. The little official said: "Jing'an Sicheng has an order, all the subordinate officials who can still move go to gather in front of the Temple of Mercy, there are instructions." "Yao Runeng was stunned, wasn't Li Yu held hostage? Was it rescued? The little official glanced at him: "It's the new Jing'an Sicheng." Then he hurried out of the shop and went to inform the others again.

Someone took over so soon? Yao Runeng felt a little uncomfortable. But Li Sicheng was held hostage and his whereabouts are unknown, and there really has to be someone to recover the situation as soon as possible - it would be great if this person was Zhang Xiaojing, but unfortunately this is absolutely impossible.

He gently laid the sleeping Wen Ran on the mat and said hello to Cen Shen. Cen Shen waved his hand and said You go, I will take care of this girl first, and then continue to concentrate on looking for paper and pen.

The gate of the Temple of Mercy is not far from Jing'ansi, and there is a wide square in front of the gate. The lantern viewing tourists have been emptied, the monks have also closed the door tightly, and now there are dozens of people standing in the square, all of whom have survived and can move the Jing'an Division, all of them with sad faces.

Yao Runeng counted the number of people, only one-third of what it was before the incident. In other words, nearly 100 of his colleagues died in this raid, and he felt a pang of compassion in his heart. The acquaintances in the square saw each other, and before they gave up their hands, they shed tears first. I can't say anything other than rejoicing in the rest of my life.

After waiting for a while, a gong sounded, and more than 20 soldiers came from all sides, all holding torches, illuminating the square. An official paced to the gates of the Temple of Mercy and stood on the steps overlooking the square. He was in his forties, with a long body and high cheekbones on both sides, and the bridge of his nose in the middle was squeezed forward and protruded, as if he was about to leap out of his face at any moment. He has a beautiful hair on his chin, which is shiny under the light of the torch, and it looks like he has worked hard to maintain it.

Yao Runeng noticed that this person was wearing a light green official robe, and nine shiny copper belts were embedded in the silver belt. This is the clothing belt of the seventh-rank official rank, which is one order lower than Li Mi.

The gong sounded again, signaling everyone's attention. The official held a bronze seal in his hand and said aloud to the below: "You Langjun know that this official is the left patrol envoy and the palace attendant Shi Jiwen. Now according to the order of the Chinese book, the Jing'an Division is reorganized. Each to its place, without delay. ”

This identity made the people in the square talk a lot. They all know that the backstage of Jing'an Division is the East Palace, and now Zhongshu Ling has appointed an imperial historian to take over, how strange does this sound.

Apparently prepared, Gwen bowed his head and immediately another official approached, holding a thick scroll of papers. The official unfolded the scroll and read it aloud, and his voice resounded throughout the square:

"The Six Classics of the Tang Dynasty" Volume 13 "The Imperial History of the Imperial Palace" contains: Where the two capitals are divided into left and right patrols, each inspecting the illegal things in its patrol. It is said that the left descends, the flow stops and disappears, and the demons, the night, the pubo, the theft, the prison lawsuits, the state code, trade, the hidden thief, the endowment is not as good as the French style, and so on.

"Again! "Baiguange": The left patrol knows the inside of the capital, the right patrols the outside of the capital, the realm of Yong and Luozhou, the first generation of the month, will be obscure, that is, the patrol department, Dali, the east and west apprentices, Jinwu, and the county prison. ”

As the difficult and awkward official texts were read out in public, the people of Jing'an Division gradually understood.

There are two titles in the palace: the left patrol envoy and the right patrol envoy, who have the right to supervise the illegal things in the two capitals, while the Jing'an Division is in charge of the Xijing policy defense, and the responsibilities of the two overlap, it can be said that the colleagues are different officials.

Both legally and practically, there is nothing wrong with letting a left envoy take over the Jing'an Division.

This auspicious imperial history does not rely on official power and pressure, and second, does not take advantage of the general trend of the Chinese book order to persecute, but reads the official code in public, which shows that he is a person who abides by the merit order. Now that the dragons are leaderless and the hearts of the people are panicking, they need someone to clean up the mess. What's more, this imperial historian is still holding the authorization of the Zhongshu Order, so why bother to fight him?

The hostility of the crowd decreased, and the chatter gradually subsided. Ji Wen stroked his beard and spoke again: "Jing'an Division was taken by thieves, and this official is very sad. But now that the culprit is not bound and the stubborn enemy still exists, I hope that you will temporarily contain your hatred, take the Son of Heaven as your mind, kill the thief first, and then sacrifice the heroic spirit. ”

This is a beautiful remark, which not only points to the urgency of the situation, but also implies that the court must have a heavy reward. The surviving officials of the Jing'an Division all bowed down one after another to bow down. This is the etiquette of the lower officials to meet the upper officials, and recognize him as the new Jing'an Sicheng.

Seeing that most of the people were subdued, Ji Wen was very proud, turned his head sideways, and whispered to the official who was reading the official just now: "Gongfu, your trick seems to be clumsy and clever, and it really works." The official smiled and said: "I will deceive Duan Gong in the next year, you can't do it, strike while the iron is hot, according to what was discussed before." ”

The history of the palace is called "Duan Gong" under the court, and the history of the palace is called "Deputy Duan". The official deliberately said that he was a step higher, and Ji Wen was overjoyed when he heard it, and immediately picked up the bronze seal: "Everyone, listen to the order!" ”

This was the first order he gave after taking office as Jing'an Sicheng, and everyone quieted down.

Ji Wen said loudly: "Jing'an Division was raided by thieves, and there must be a collusion between traitors. The next priority is to dig out this tumor. As for his identity, I've already found out-" He scanned the audience and found that everyone was staring at him directly, and he was very satisfied with the effect, and spit out a name: "Captain Jing'an, Zhang Xiaojing!" He is a traitor who colludes with grasshoppers. ”

This conclusion caused an uproar among the people below.

The smile on Ji Wen's face turned cold: "You may not know that Zhang Xiaojing was sentenced to death by hanging before because he killed his boss. The so-called thief is difficult to move, once there has been, it is inevitable that there will be a second time. Previously, Wang Zhonghe's daughter was kidnapped, and he also had a share. Now that Jing'an Division has been attacked, he must have lured the wolf into the house - give me an order to guard all the shops and shops, and the whole city will arrest this person, whether he lives or dies! ”

Yuan Jae stood aside, slowly and methodically re-rolled up the official canon, a slight smile on his lips.

I heard that the thief who attacked Jing'an Division called himself "Grasshopper", isn't it just the identity of Zhang Xiaojing, a lowly man?