Zhang Xiaojing galloped all the way to Pingkangfang, and Yao Runeng also hurried up halfway.

It wasn't until this moment that Yao Runeng had the opportunity to talk to Zhang Xiaojing. When he arrived at the Far Away Inn, before he could enter the door, he heard a neighing in the stables next to him, followed by a dozen healthy horses swarming out. He couldn't dodge and was knocked to the ground by one of the headshots, bruising his forehead. When he got up and revealed his identity, the guys in the merchant said that he was a fake, and there was a fight between him and there, and he had to light a cigarette and ask for help.

Zhang Xiaojing asked, "Where is the stable in the business inn?" ”

Yao Runeng said: "This shop does not do retail sales, so there is no shop. The stables are on the right side of the store, and there is a ramp road that connects to the store. ”

"Was the door to the stables open or closed?"

Yao Runeng recalled: "It should be hidden, I remember that there was a copper lock on it, but it was only hung on the latch." ”

"I remember I saw two smokes, one black and one yellow, where did the black smoke come from? When will it be ignited? ”

Yao Runeng said: "After the startled horse rushed over, the black smoke only rose. I didn't see the fire, but it must have been lit from the back of the stable, maybe the horses kicked over the brazier, right? ”

Zhang Xiaojing smiled when he heard this, there was a pile of grass in the stable, how could he put a brazier nearby? Traders from afar are accustomed to buying and selling livestock, and it is impossible to have such negligence. He wanted to speak again and again, but in the end he shook his head and muttered: "Forget it, this kind of thing, let's let Li Sicheng have a headache." Yao Runeng was curious, but it was not easy to ask.

Pingkangfang is in Wannian County. Starting from Guangdefang, they had to run east through five intersections in one go, and it took nearly two moments before and after they arrived at the most prosperous place in the capital.

Before entering the workshop, the two of them could already hear the faint sound of silk and bamboo. Beautiful tunes come and go, musical instruments of all colors sound in unison, mixed with singing. Before I saw it, a gorgeous and prosperous scene had emerged in my mind. At this time, it was noon, and it was already so lively, if it was night, I was afraid that it would be ten times better.

Although Pingkang Fang is called a fang, the layout inside is completely different from that in ordinary fangs. Zhang Xiaojing and his entourage entered from the north gate, turned to the left, there are three curved alleys in the north, middle and south in front, three full moon arches stand in columns, the silk Luo hangs the edge, the powder eaves and the white wall, respectively, painted with peonies, peach blossoms and willow branches.

It is said to be a curved lane, but in fact, the road surface is quite spacious and can accommodate two double-wheeled vehicles. At this time, there are a lot of carriages and horses, the car is loaded with beautiful women, all kinds of flower crown scarves are dazzling, and even the dust that has been run over by the wheels has a faint aroma of fat powder - there are many wine banquets on the Shangyuan Festival, and everyone wants to choose a decent female companion to watch the lanterns, so they all come here early to invite.

The wooden plaque that Yao Ru was able to search for was written as a song. Among the three lanes of Pingkangli, Nanqu and Zhongqu are all good prostitutes, and most of them are eunuchs, princes and nobles; The north song close to the fang wall, also called a song, comes mostly ordinary people, small rich businessmen or poor people who go to Beijing, and the like, and the environment is so on. It can be seen from the layout: Nanqu is mostly lined with small platforms; Zhongqu is mostly a single courtyard, and there is a meandering water meandering in it; Only Beiqu is divided into dozens of high and low color buildings, arranged chaotically. The three songs are clearly distinguished, and they are clear at a glance.

Zhang Xiaojing stood at the entrance and looked up for a while, and said to Yao Runeng: "If you can enter here, don't act rashly." "Yao Runeng was quite surprised, he was arrogant and unscrupulous in the West Market before, why did he come here and suddenly restrain himself? Zhang Xiaojing pointed to a huge mansion on the other side of the street: "Do you know who the house is over there?" Yao Runeng shook his head, he was from Chang'an County and was not very familiar with the east.

Zhang Xiaojing smiled: "It was originally Li Weigong's mansion, but now it is the right minister." ”

"Li Linfu?" The young man's heart was cold, and when he looked at the spine beast on the mansion, he suddenly had a little more gloomy temperament. The important minister of the dynasty actually lived so close to Pingkangli, and admired the red willow green of the warbler day and night, which can be regarded as a strange anecdote.

They stepped into a song, Zhang Xiaojing did not squint, and walked straight forward with a familiar car. There were a few sparse shouts from the upstairs on both sides, and there was no movement. The girls have eyesight, and these two people have steady steps and serious expressions, and they are not here to have fun at first glance.

The two of them made seven turns and eight turns to the middle of a song. Zhang Xiaojing's feet deviated and turned into a side alley. There are only some simple wooden shacks on both sides, which are connected together by black pressure, and the gaps are full of debris and garbage.

Ditches were built on both sides of the streets of Pingkangli, covered with green tiles to facilitate drainage and scouring of the pavement – except for this area, only six main streets in Chang'an City had this treatment – and these ditches were diverted into the low-lying alley and drained into the waterway outside the town. Therefore, the sewage in this alley is vertical and horizontal, and the smell is not small.

Yao Runeng wondered in his heart, thinking why he didn't go to track down the origin of the wooden plaque, but came to this kind of pickled place. It can be seen that Zhang Xiaojing's pace did not hesitate, it was by no means improvised, it was obviously a success, so he had to follow silently.

Zhang Xiaojing walked to a shack and knocked three times. A person probed his brain to open the door, and when he saw Zhang Xiaojing, he seemed to have been stung by a scorpion, and subconsciously wanted to close the door. Zhang Xiaojing stretched out his arm and snapped to stop the door frame: "Don't worry, Xiaoyi, I'm not here to investigate your case today." The man called Xiao Yi cowered and took a step back, not daring to stop him.

There is a cave behind the shack, and it is actually a gambling shop. It's really hollowed out here, on the outside it looks like a few dilapidated sheds, but inside it has been opened into a rather spacious Chase Shop, with a desk and a seat, but the light is dim.

At this time, dozens of gamblers were lying on the edge of the three high papers, happily watching the three dealers throw dice, surrounded by copper coins. As soon as Zhang Xiaojing entered, all eyes were on him. There was a moment of silence in the gambling shop, and then the crowd immediately exploded, half of the people began to flee out of the window, the other half went to the bottom of the case, and a few hands did not forget to draw money, the scene was chaotic and funny.

A beggar came running menacingly, wanting to see who was making trouble. He saw Zhang Xiaojing standing there, as if he had seen an evil ghost, his mouth opened wide, and he forgot to appease the gambler for a while.

Zhang ...... Zhang Touer? ”

Zhang Xiaojing said quietly: "You came here?" The beggar looked ashamed and did not dare to speak. Zhang Xiaojing said: "Take me to see your family." The beggar hesitated, but he didn't dare to say it after all. He turned back into the house, asked for a moment, and led them back.

Begging heads and sacs are all idioms that cannot be seen. Yao Runeng observed the way this person walked, which was quite similar to Zhang Xiaojing, and it was estimated that he was originally a member of the public family, but he didn't know why he fell here.

The shacks were connected together, separated by countless rooms and earthen walls, and the darkness was like a labyrinth of tunnels. As you walk, you can faintly hear the sound of crying and mourning, as if someone is being imprisoned here.

Yao Runeng's heart was awe-struck, knowing that he had touched another Chang'an City. This Chang'an city is full of blood and greed, there is no law, there is no morality, chaos and cruelty like the Shura prison of Buddhism, and those who can survive here are all great treacherous and evil people. Even the government did not dare to go deep into this heavy world easily.

His throat was dry, his heartbeat was a little faster, and he couldn't help but look forward and found that Zhang Xiaojing in front of him was walking steadily without any discomfort. The outline of the man's back is blurred, and it seems to blend in with the gloomy background.

This former bad handsome man should have gone deep into the tiger's den and fought against the evil forces. As long as you follow him, there will be no mistakes. Besides, the wicked and the catchers are natural enemies, and if you are terrified to even look at this place, how can you fight them in the future? Thinking of this, Yao Runeng regained his courage, clenched his fists, and his eyes burned.

He suddenly felt a little regretful, if Zhang Xiaojing was not a death row prisoner, maybe he would be his boss now. Although this person has learned a little, he can really learn a lot.

They walked for a long time, and their eyes lit up, there was a hole in it, and it was actually a small brick and stone courtyard. The courtyard is not big, quite tidy, and there is a pitch-black medicine pot resting on the stove in the middle of the courtyard, which is filled with a smell of medicine. A man wrapped in a scarlet coat sat cross-legged by the stove, holding a little yellow cat in his arms.

Zhang Xiaojing said: "Old Ge, don't come unharmed. ”

Da Qiu moved, and an old voice came from it: "Brother Zhang? I didn't expect to see you again. The tone is flat, not a question, but a statement of fact.

"I didn't expect that either." Zhang Xiaojing has no intention of explaining.

"As soon as you came back, you were shocked that my gambling shop was so frightened that it was really a tiger and a dead body, and the killing power still existed - you came to me, what is the matter?" The old man asked.

Da Qiu slid down, and Yao Runeng realized that he was wrapped in a thin and withered old man, his skin was as black as ink, his hair was curly, and his lips were flat, he was not from the Central Plains, he was an old Kunlun slave! This Kunlun slave's eyes were bright and fierce, and he spoke fluent official words, and he couldn't hear the slightest sound. Listening to the conversation, the two have long been old acquaintances, but obviously the relationship will not be too good.

The strange thing is that Zhang Xiaojing was extremely rude in the West Market and the Zoroastrian Ancestral Hall, and when he faced the real wicked people here, he was polite. Yao Runeng had already tried his best, but neither of the two in front of him had the intention of doing anything.

Zhang Xiaojing said: "Old Ge, you still owe me a favor. Ge Lao snorted and patted the cat in his arms: "Paying back the debt, killing people to pay for their lives, this is the way of the old slave." You say. ”

Zhang Xiaojing took out a wooden card and threw it in front of him: "This belongs to a Qiuzi man named Long Bo." I want to know which family gave it to him, which girls he was close to, and where they are now. Find out right away. ”

Ge Lao pinched the wooden plaque with his thin hand, looked at it for a moment, reached out to lift the lid of the medicine pot, and knocked on the edge of the pot. A fierce servant walked into the courtyard, Ge Lao gave a few orders, and the servant left in a hurry.

Ge Lao looked at Zhang Xiaojing: "This is not a case in Wannian County, right?" Zhang Xiaojing showed the waist card of "Jing'an Ceping", shook it, and then took it back. Ge Lao got up slowly, and said that it is inconvenient for me to serve tea to the people in the official face here, so you can do it yourself, and then turned around and entered the house.

Faced with Yao Runeng's doubts, Zhang Xiaojing briefly introduced. This Ge Lao was originally an overseas monk slave, and was sold into Chang'an around the time of the Shenlong, first as a slave in the family of a squire surnamed Ge, and later sold into the Qinglou as a servant. Ordinary Kunlun slaves, honest and docile temperament, not very bright minds, only Ge Lao is an outlier. He can speak well, left and right, mixed well, and soon said that he moved his master to release him and get rid of his slavery.

Over the years, he has been a little bit of a person in Sanqu Qinglou, and if a girl disobeys or runs away, he will also be arrested. Over time, Ge Lao became the biggest trafficker in Pingkang with his ruthlessness, and he became a tyrant in the industry. The shack area is his world, and all the girls know that they would rather mess with the husband than annoy Ge Lao.

When Zhang Xiaojing was in Wannian County, he handled several abduction cases of selling his lover. It's a pity that Ge Lao is cunning and has never lost his wind, and he still stays in the shack peacefully. This time he came to Pingkangli to do business, Zhang Xiaojing knew that if he negotiated with those mothers, he would inevitably push back and take time, so it was better to ask Ge Lao to help.

"Isn't this a collusion with the wicked?" Can Yao Ru understand.

Because several elders in the family died in the case of bandits, Yao Runeng couldn't see these thieves rampant. In his opinion, as long as he looks at his face, he should shoot and kill, and there is no room for hesitation. He never expected that Zhang Xiaojing, as a member of the government, would actually talk to them about the conditions.

Zhang Xiaojing said: "Rats have rat paths, snakes have snake roads, wicked people have wicked methods, and there are some things that the government can't do." ”

"But this shantytown is obviously in Pingkangli, and dozens of trappers can be leveled, how can the government tolerate a few human traffickers getting away here? This is obviously against the laws of the Tang Dynasty! ”

"Figure it out for yourself, the answer to this question is your second lesson." Zhang Xiaojing replied.

Yao Runeng bit his lip unconvinced, thinking that this answer was evasive. He suddenly thought that Zhang Xiaojing had been a bad handsome person in Chang'an City for nine years, and he was only afraid of many hidden things in the mountains. Ge Lao said that he owed him favors, could it be that they had colluded before?

In this way, Zhang Xiaojing's hands and feet must not be very clean, maybe it is because of this kind of thing that he went to death row. Thinking of this, Yao Runeng stood a step away quietly, remembering his other responsibility.

It didn't take long for Ge Lao to send back the news. This wooden plaque was awarded by Zhao Tuan'er's family, Long Bo started to visit here half a year ago, and he came once a decade, and every time he looked for a girl named Tong'er. Although he is not generous, he never defaults on his money.

"Walk the horse or stay in the house?" Zhang Xiaojing asked. This is the jargon of Pingkangli, walking a horse is said to travel with a prostitute, and staying in Mu means staying overnight.

"Occasionally, I bathe in incense, and walk the horse a lot."

Zhang Xiaojing's eyes flashed. Huaiyuanfang was far from here, and the surrounding neighbors were mostly devout Zoroastrian followers, so it was impossible for Long Bo to bring Hitomi back - that is, he had another place to stay.

"Where is Hitomi now?"

"Xiao Nizi's heart is rippling, and she eloped with a lifter a day ago."

Zhang Xiaojing smiled slightly: "In Ge Lao's hands, how can there be a flying sparrow?" Hearing this, the folds on Ge Lao's black face stretched for a while, and his fat lips grinned, revealing white teeth, as if a row of human bones were lying in the night.

He hooked his fingers and said come with me.

Ge Lao wrapped his coat tightly and led them into the labyrinthine shack. The roof of the hut is covered with uneven thatch, and as you walk, the sunlight that shines through it flickers and darkens, making everyone's expression look a little blurred. On either side of the passage are small compartments, some with locked wooden doors, some completely open, but all of them smell of straw rot. There were many people inside, silent, like the walking dead.

Yao Runeng was walking, and suddenly a skeleton hand reached out from the darkness, and he screamed in fright. When I looked closely, I found that it was a thin woman lying in front of the door. Ge Lao let out a low snort, and the woman quickly retracted her hand.

Ge Lao's footsteps didn't stop, and his voice sounded coldly between the ghosts: "Outsiders all say that Pingkangli is a heavenly ecstasy, and everyone is an immortal goddess, but I don't know how much filth there is behind it. The girl who got gonorrhea, the disfigured Feng Kui, and the doll who was born with a deviant ...... There is nowhere to go, no one to contain, and it all flows here like sewage, waiting to be reborn. The old slave has done all the bad things, and he is never afraid of going to any infernal hell - hey, he is already in the midst of karma, and he has long been unaware of the freshness. ”

Yao Ru could hear it shockingly, but he didn't expect that the dark places in Pingkangli would be so dirty and dirty. He turned his head sideways and saw that Zhang Xiaojing's face did not change, obviously he had already known.

They eventually arrived at a dark wood house. When I opened the door, there were two people hanging inside, a man and a woman, both of whom were covered in blood and looked depressed. The woman's goose yellow skirt was torn, revealing ivory-white skin. The man's thin skin and tender flesh were the appearance of a weak scholar, hanging his head, as if he was unconscious. A deformed dwarf with crooked features stood aside, whip in hand.

Zhang Xiaojing was about to step forward, but Ge Lao stretched out his hand to stop them and led them to the next room: "Brother Zhang, your favor only ends here." "He understands very clearly, I'll tell you where this woman is, and the favor is over. What to do with this woman next will have to be calculated separately.

Zhang Xiaojing said: "I owe you a favor." Ge Lao sneered: "The humanity of the dying person is not enough." Let's change it. Yao Runeng hurriedly interjected: "Jing'an Division can pay you enough." Ge Lao glanced at him, indifferent, as if he was watching a funny haiyu.

Yao Runeng was so anxious, how could he be delayed by an old Kunlun slave here. He drew his saber and said loudly: "Hinder Jing'an Division's case, believe it or not, level your shack within an hour!" ”

Ge Lao shrugged, he had heard more threats in his life than this little guy had said. Zhang Xiaojing patted Yao Runeng's shoulder, asked him to step back, and then looked at Ge Lao: "What do you want?" Ge Lao squinted his eyes and looked at him, as if thinking about what he could squeeze out of this death row prisoner. He suddenly smiled, his dark folds trembled, and he stretched out two fingers: "Two." ”

Zhang Xiaojing's two short eyebrows suddenly kinked, hesitated again and again, and replied with a finger. Ge Lao pondered for a moment and said with a smile: "Let's do it." Zhang Xiaojing's face was not very good-looking, but he still nodded.

Yao Runeng was a little confused, the two of them were playing dumb riddles, what did they mean?

Ge Lao arched his hand and said let me retire for a moment, and then disappeared into the darkness. Zhang Xiaojing stood in place, leaning against the pillar, his fingers dusting the dust from his eye sockets. The faint light from the ceiling gave him a gray silhouette.

"Duwei Zhang, what conditions are you talking to him about?"

"Just now I promised him that I would tell him the name of a secret stake of the government." Zhang Xiaojing replied lightly.

Yao Runeng's shoulders shook violently, his eyes widened, and he couldn't help but lose his voice: "You...... How can you do that? ”

Zhang Xiaojing has been a bad marshal in Wannian County, and he is clear about the power planted by the government in the underworld, and he may even be in charge of it himself. Yao Runeng never thought that this guy would betray his colleagues to thieves in order to be greedy for convenience! It's incredible!

Zhang Xiaojing said: "This is the only way to win the cooperation of Ge Lao." ”

Yao Runeng quietly moved his right hand to the hilt of the knife, and Li Yu's advice before leaving appeared in his mind.

Li Mi saw him alone before leaving, and once he found that Zhang Xiaojing had signs of escape or betrayal, he should immediately warn him, and if he was in a place where he could not be warned, he would personally punish him. Yao Runeng felt that Zhang Xiaojing had now shown his feet. He didn't believe that he had to deal with a thief so compromised. There must be something wrong with it, and it must be stopped before he sells out more government interests.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Xiaojing saw that he was about to make a move, so he flew up first and kicked him to the ground, with murderous intent in his eyes: "Stay honest!" Yao Runeng struggled for a while, but he didn't get up, which shows the weight of this kick. He curled up in pain, but his eyes burned with rage.

Relying on the secret stake of the government in exchange for intelligence is simply shameless! Yao Runeng struggled to get up from the ground and asked loudly, "Why do you want to betray your own people?" ”

Zhang Xiaojing glanced at him and said coldly: "Li Sicheng's order is to stop the Turks at all costs, do you understand?" At all costs. ”

"In order to achieve the goal, don't you even want the bottom line and morality of being a human being?" Yao Runeng thought this statement was ridiculous.

"I only care about whether the hundreds of thousands of lives in Chang'an can be saved."

Yao Runeng, who was stabbed back, turned red, and he defended: "You are using strong words. A gentleman has something to do and something not to do. If these thieves want you to do something treacherous, uh, like a plot against the Son of Heaven, will you agree? ”

Zhang Xiaojing nodded slightly: "The life of one person is naturally inferior to the life of all people." ”

In the face of such a rebellious statement, Yao Runeng was simply stunned: "You dare to ......" He didn't finish a sentence, and suddenly was suddenly choked by a force, and his back slammed into the wall with a "bang". Zhang Xiaojing's one-eyed eye was almost on the tip of his nose, and his hoarse voice sounded viciously in his ears:

"Listen, there are only three hours left before the destruction of Chang'an City, and we haven't touched the Turks yet. If you don't help, get out of here! ”

Yao Runeng stiffened his neck and showed no weakness: "Don't pretend, you don't care about the safety of Chang'an at all." You are a death row prisoner, you must have done something wrong, you hate the court! Zhang Xiaojing's expression changed subtly in the light and dark, it was an indescribable bitter smile, and there was mockery and sadness hidden in it.

"Yes, I hate this court, but only I can save it."

At this moment, a dense sound of footsteps came, and more than 20 people came in one after another, all of them men, of different heights and ages, all of them in short jackets and white shirts. Yao Ru could recognize several of these faces, all of whom he had seen in the casino. Ge Lao asked them to stand in a row, and then made a gesture to Zhang Xiaojing.

Yao Runeng stiffened, even if he didn't understand the code language, he knew what Ge Lao meant. I didn't expect this Kunlun slave to be so ruthless, not only to let Zhang Xiaojing say the name of the secret pile, but also to let him point it out to his face. You don't have to think about the next thing to know, you will definitely let Zhang Xiaojing kill this secret pile with his own hands, and only then can the agreement be completed - this is called a letter of nomination.

Yao Runeng looked at Zhang Xiaojing nervously, and was about to open his mouth to question, when suddenly his neck was slashed by the latter, and he fainted.

Ge Lao smiled: "You still feel sorry for this little official harrier, he is quite similar to you back then." Zhang Xiaojing didn't answer this, but walked over and glanced around at the two dozen people.

The muscles of Zhang Xiaojing's cheeks twitched slightly. Even death row inmates still have to overcome a great psychological barrier to help their former enemies point out their fellows. His arm slowly raised, and Ge Lao suddenly spoke again: "Zhang Shuai, in fact, you have another path to choose." ”

"Huh?"

"The old slave's old eyes can see that this life is the government threatening you with a pardon for capital crimes, right?"

Zhang Xiaojing remained silent, but did not deny it.

"Hehe, that's what they like to do." Ge Lao's fingers were elegantly put together, "How about we make another deal?" I don't force you to recognize people, as long as you tell the old slave about Chang'an, the old slave will send you out of the city. ”

I have to say that Ge Lao's proposal is very tempting. As long as he leaves Chang'an City, Zhang Xiaojing is completely free, and Jing'an Si and Li Mi don't care about pursuing it at all-I don't know if they can survive tonight--and the price Zhang Xiaojing has to pay is simply minimal.

This path is much easier than killing his former colleagues in exchange for information, and then saddled with suspicion to track down the Turkic murderers.

The room became very quiet, except for the faint cry of a woman next door. Zhang Xiaojing stood in the shadows, closed his eyes briefly, and opened them again with less than a flick of his fingers, raising his hand to dust off the dust in his eye sockets: "I'm sorry, Ge Lao." This time, I can't walk yet. ”

"You like to be a lackey for the court so much?"

"No, this time it has nothing to do with the imperial court." Zhang Xiaojing raised his head, and a faint light flowed down from the gap in the thatch.

"Pedantic." Ge Lao commented sharply, and then stretched, "Come on, the old slave is righteous, then please identify the dark pile, it is best to be the one you personally sent in before, I love to watch such a play." ”

Zhang Xiaojing glanced at everyone again, and his eyes became resolute. He suddenly knelt on one leg and solemnly arched his hand: "Today's matter is really urgent, and I have to do it." Stay under the Nine Springs, and then confess. ”

One of the people in the group changed his face and hurriedly jumped back. Zhang Xiaojing got up and suddenly made a move, and the knife flashed and cut through the man's throat. Before the others could react, he fell to the ground softly and died of anger, it was Xiao Yi who opened the door just now.

The beggar in the casino stood in the queue, his legs trembling.

"Tsk, I regret it a little, I shouldn't have let you do it yourself." Ge Lao licked his lips unwillingly, "If it falls into our hands, I'm afraid that I won't be able to die for three days." ”

Zhang Xiaojingtie blushed and raised his knife again. The beggar of the casino knelt on the ground with a "bang", and screamed repeatedly: "I really can't get along in the public gate, so I came to join Ge Lao, I'm for money, not a secret pile!" He was screaming to himself when he saw a bloody finger fall in front of him. The beggar was at a loss, looked up, and saw that a little finger on Zhang Xiaojing's left hand was cut off by Qi Gen, and the blood was flowing wildly.

The audience was silent, and only Zhang Xiaojing's voice was heard: "Xiao Yi was sent in by me personally, and I personally betrayed it." For the sake of the big picture, I don't regret it. I'm going to pay it back sooner or later—but not now. Therefore, you will bear witness to me. ”

Old Ge shook his head and sneered, "Pedantic." It's just a human life, and if you sell it, you sell it, as for being so blameful? Zhang Xiaojing ignored him, took out a piece of silk cloth from his arms, and wrapped the wound with one hand. The beggar in the casino looked at Ge Lao timidly, and seeing that he didn't react, he hurriedly got up and helped Zhang Xiaojing to wrap his wounds diligently.

He is familiar with this job, and he used to heal Zhang Tou when he was in the public gate. After the wound was disposed of, Zhang Xiaojing lifted the corner of his robe, wiped the blood stains on the knife, and said to Ge Lao word by word, with a painful and hideous expression:

"Old Ge, it's your turn."

At this time, the strong killing intent that poured out of his body made even the old black slave dumbfounded. The latter moved his lips, but after all, he did not say anything more sarcastic.

…… Yao Runeng woke up and found himself lying in the interrogation room, a man and a woman tightly bound in front of him. He saw Ge Lao snap his fingers, and the dwarf handed the leather whip to Zhang Xiaojing.

Could it be that Zhang Xiaojing has already been identified? Kill all the dark piles? He was about to ask, but he was pressed to the ground. Ge Lao turned his head sideways and "shhh

Zhang Xiaojing pinched the handle of the whip in front, his eyes patrolled back and forth between the two of them, and then stayed on the woman. He said to Hitomi, "I'm going to ask you a question about Long Bo now, and I hope you will answer it truthfully." ”

Hitomi raised her head suddenly, and shouted sharply, "Unless you let me and Han Lang go, don't let me speak!" She and her lover were detained for a day and a night, almost desperate, and now they finally caught a life-saving straw and clung to it. Zhang Xiaojing observed that this woman was covered with whip marks, obviously I don't know how many times she had been beaten, and the torture was useless to her.

Zhang Xiaojing said: "Say it, I can ask Ge Lao for a favor and let you go." ”

Hitomi sneered: "Don't think about separating us!" We have sworn to live and die together, and we will never walk alone! ”

Zhang Xiaojing shook his head and walked in front of Han Lang again. The man raised his head and saw that it was someone from the government, and was about to open his mouth to call for help, but he was gagged by the whip. The pupil next to him said loudly again: "It's useless! If you kill Han Lang, I will be martyred with him. ”

Zhang Xiaojing ignored him and said to the man: "I can only save one of you from leaving, you can choose who it is, but remember, you can only choose one." ”

After finishing speaking, Zhang Xiaojing took a few steps back and looked at it coldly. The man was first surprised, then surprised, and muttered repeatedly, but every time he looked at Hitomi, he hesitated and refused to say a name clearly. Zhang Xiaojing suddenly leaned over, put his ear close to him, and then nodded.

"Okay." Zhang Xiaojing put down the whip, raised the knife in his hand, and cut off the hemp rope hanging from the man.

Han Lang rolled to the ground, he was stunned for a moment, and he didn't say anything at all. But when the words came to his lips, he suddenly hesitated. He tentatively moved a few steps to see that the fierce gods did not move, and then ecstasy welled up in his eyes—as if someone had made a decision for him, so he didn't have to feel guilty. He looked left and right, no one stopped him, covered his face with his cuffs, and hurriedly ran towards the exit.

After he walked away, Zhang Xiaojing walked up to Hitomi again, she stared blankly at the rope broken in two on the ground, her head lowered, as if she didn't believe it was true.

"You lied to me, he didn't say anything at all!" Hitomi suddenly raised her head and shouted angrily.

"A man, don't listen to what he says, look at what he does. If he has no intention of leaving, how can I control his legs? Zhang Xiaojing's tone was flat, as if he was stating a simple fact.

Hitomi couldn't help but cry out loud. Yao Runeng's face couldn't bear it, and he turned his head to the side. Zhang Xiaojing only tested his humanity a little, and then took a salary from the bottom of the kettle, ruining the girl's hope. But if you think about it, he doesn't even care about betraying his colleagues, what is this kind of thing?

Zhang Xiaojing raised Hitomi's chin with the tip of the whip: "Can you answer my question now?" She didn't refuse, she had no reason to insist.

According to her confession, Long Bo chose her when he first came to Pingkangli, and he has never changed people since. This man rarely speaks, never reveals his identity, and doesn't speak much when he has sex. He took her for a walk several times, to a large mansion southwest of Xiu Zheng Fang Cross Street. The mansion was huge, and she had asked Long Bo where he had come from. Long Bo only said that he was in charge of it, but he didn't say who it was.

Zhang Xiaojing turned to look at Ge Lao and said that I am good at advocating letting one person go, please forgive me. Ge Lao smiled: "We are not sadists, putting on this pomp is nothing more than teaching the girls to pay attention." Brother Zhang's words let Tong'er know the harm of men, and it also saved us trouble, and we can directly return it to my mother. ”

The deformed dwarf untied her eyes and dragged her out of the room.

Yao Runeng couldn't bear it anymore, and finally spoke: "Zhang Duwei, is it a loss of benevolence and righteousness to bully a weak woman like this?" …… Yes! You even killed your own colleagues, what is that? "He was stuck in his throat, and it was very uncomfortable not to say it. Zhang Xiaojing raised his head, his eyes full of mockery: "Oh, you mean, let her follow this kind of person home, and the ending will be better than now?" ”

Yao Runeng let out a "uh" and couldn't answer. He has been in contact with similar cases, and it is true that almost none of them have a good ending. Zhang Xiaojing said coldly: "Everyone has to be responsible for their own choices. If she chose this path, she should have realized it early. If you feel pitiful, marry her back. ”

Yao Runeng was a little red-faced, and closed his mouth speechlessly. But he had already made up his mind, and as soon as he left Pingkangli, he immediately reported to Jing'an Division, Zhang Xiaojing's behavior had completely crossed the bottom line.

Cao Poyan's elbow kept aching, which was very uncomfortable, but at least it kept him alert. In this perilous city, nothing is more important than a keen sense.

He was standing at the entrance to a remote compound, watching a convoy slowly move in. There were as many as ten of them, all of them double-wheeled, with thick green curtains hanging on all sides, and the roofs were arched high. As can be seen from the depth of the rut marks, the cargo loaded in the car is quite heavy. Every car was covered in dust and mud, and both the horses and the drivers were exhausted.

From the green-edged triangular flags planted in front of the car, it can be known that they belong to Su Ji Che Ma Xing. This carriage and horse company specializes in the transportation of civilian goods north of Chang'an, and has a high reputation.

The foot of the team always jumped out of the first carriage, patted the dirt on his body, and breathed a sigh of relief.

This trip from Yanzhou Mansion to Chang'an is good, the client gives money quickly, and the transportation is not a valuable thing, so there is no need to worry about it on the road. The only thing the client is demanding is the time - in any case, it must arrive the day before the Shangyuan Festival. Now that the convoy was in the middle of the stack at noon, he didn't have to worry about anything.

In fact, according to the rules, these bulk goods can only be transported into the east and west cities, and then shipped out. The other doors are equipped with dragon thresholds, and the wide carriages cannot enter at all. However, this warehouse is relatively remote and inaccessible, and the entrance is directly open to the street, and the dragon threshold has long been unloaded.

This kind of kitten in order to save some taxes is tired, and the feet are always seen a lot, so I don't think it's strange at all.

Next, as long as you finish ordering the goods with the receiver and ask for a cutting order, the matter is over. Mr. Foot has already thought of a plan for the afternoon: find a hall to bubble well, relax your body, and then go to the West Market to buy some Hu goods for your mother-in-law, get a good Sanle pulp in the evening, find a high place, and watch the lantern festival while drinking, a perfect day!

Mr. Foot looked around, and at a glance he could tell that Cao Poyan was the person in charge here. He leaned over and smiled all over his face: "This big man, fortunately, he is not dishonored, there are a lot of goods, and the time is just right." Then he handed over a bunch of rolled mint leaves, which were used for driving and refreshment, and were only produced in Jianghuai.

Cao Poyan didn't answer at all, and said expressionlessly: "When you enter the city, is there an obstacle? ”

When such bulk goods enter Chang'an City, the city gate supervisor must review and enter the register before they are released. However, there are too many goods and too few officials, and often the first instance is a few days. Su Ji Che & Horse Shop has been carrying goods all year round, and has a good relationship with the city gate supervisor, which can shorten the customs declaration time - this is the reason why they dare to go to the front line of Chang'an.

Hearing him ask, his feet always patted his chest and smug: "We have acquaintances to take care of it, and there is no problem." The company reported to the customs in the morning, and it was released in less than two hours. The formalities are all here, and there are a lot of them. ”

After speaking, he handed a stack of documents to Cao Poyan, who simply flipped through them and asked:

"Did they inspect the goods?"

The kick always smiled and said, "Unless you have a knighthood, this is inevitable." But I was staring at it the whole time, they only spot-checked two of them, stabbed them with a spear and sealed them back - then again, this thing you transported, one is not prohibited and the other is not overstepped, what can go wrong? You're too worried......"

Cao Poyan didn't want to listen to his instigation, and made a gesture with one hand: "Hand it over." ”

The feet always have a hot face and a cold buttocks, and they are no longer courteous to talk. He turned and gave the command, and the coachmen scolded the horses, turning the carriage upside down, and slowly retreating towards the entrance of the mansion.

It has been converted into a makeshift warehouse with a raised unloading platform. The carriages were parked beautifully, with the tailgate and the edge of the platform so tightly attached that there was hardly any gap. The men inside gathered around and opened the tailgate, and in each car were ten large barrels of cypress with thatch three fingers wide underneath. They built several long planks and rolled the barrels down one by one. Mr. Foot noticed that these guys were all bearded faces, and there was not a single Tang person.

But what he didn't notice was that a few men walked up to the entrance of the warehouse and bolted the door.

One by one, the cypress barrels were unloaded onto the platform. Cao Poyan walked to a wooden barrel, pried open the top stopper of the barrel, reached in and stirred a dagger, and then picked it up to see the oil stains on the blade. After checking a few barrels, Cao Poyan nodded with satisfaction, there is no problem with this batch of goods, the quality is high-quality, the packaging is also tight, and there is no spillage along the way.

These wretched coachmen thought they were carrying ordinary goods, but they did not know that it was the soul of the "great" Quelehodo.

Putting down the dagger, Cao Poyan asked Mr. Foot: "After you entered the city, you came here directly?" ”

"Of course, we don't delay our guests."

"So, is there anyone else in Chang'an City who knows about your arrival?"

"No, you have to keep it a secret for the guests. After handing over and unloading with you and collecting the final payment, we will go to the dental store to pay the errand. ”

In the next moment, Cao Poyan stabbed the oil-dripping dagger directly into the chest of the foot boss, and also turned the handle. The foot staggered back a few steps, twisting his neck in an attempt to crawl out. His last glimpse of the world was the bloody slaughter of the other coachmen.

It was a swift and quiet slaughter, complete in an instant. These dusty coachmen died tragically beside the carriage without even taking a break, and no one in the entire convoy was spared.

The hustle and bustle soon ended, and the store was calm again. This little riot did not alarm anyone. Cao Poyan instructed his men to disassemble Su Ji's carriage and horses, erase the brand on the horse's buttocks, remove the flag, and erase all traces that belonged to Su Ji.

At this time, there was a soft knock on the door outside the warehouse. Cao Poyan frowned, walked over, and looked out through the hole in the door panel. Standing in front of the door was a man, dressed in a shabby variegated cloak, with a tattered hood on his head, revealing the turban inside. The ordinary people of Sanfu are almost all dressed like this.

"Where will the young horses of the grassland go?" Cao Poyan asked in Turkic through the door panel.

"What the bow and hammer points to is where the horse's head goes." The man replied, his voice as shrill as that of a woman.

The code was matched, Cao Poyan pulled the latch and let him in. The man lifted the cloak, revealing a withered face and a sharpened hooked nose.

"I'm Long Bo." He grinned widely.

Cao Poyan frowned, he hadn't seen Long Bo before, he only knew that he was from Qiuzi and lurking in Chang'an, including this remote warehouse and Wanquan Mansion, all of which were arranged by him. In fact, Long Bo was found by the right killer nobleman, and Cao Poyan didn't know anything about him.

But I didn't expect him to be a Tang man.

"I need a token to prove your identity." Cao Poyan clenched the dagger, full of vigilance.

Long Bo suddenly squatted down, and Cao Poyan took a step back, his eyes fierce and bright. Long Bo smiled: "Yo, why are you so surprised, I can still eat you?" As he spoke, he took off one of the soft-soled boots on his left foot, snapped the sole of the shoe, and pulled out a packet of yellow thick paper from it.

In order to prevent moisture, the paper was soaked in oil and was slippery and greasy to the touch. Cao Poyan carefully unfolded it and took a look, and sure enough, it was a map of Chang'an Fang, which was marked in great detail, including Zhufang street corners, Wuhou shops, archways, military camps, public houses, watchtowers, bridges, and even the culverts of each square and the mansions of giant households. The panoramic view of Chang'an is clear at a glance.

This workshop map was originally made privately by the gold and silver shop in Xifu, and then it was taken to the Huaiyuan Fang Ancestral Hall by the wolf guard, and Long Bo took advantage of the chaos to take it away. Since he can come up with a map, there is no doubt that it must be Long Bo himself.

Cao Poyan pinched the corner of the map, with mixed feelings in his heart. For this thing, he lost fifteen elite men. Now that the square map has arrived, the nine links that killed the nobles on the right have finally put on the last copper buckle.

"For the sake of this broken thing, I can no longer gain a foothold in Chang'an, and I have to add some money to kill the nobles on the right." Long Bo complained.

Hearing this, Cao Poyan frowned: "Jing'an Division found you?" ”

"Now I'm afraid that half of Chang'an City is looking for me, and the new champions don't have this treatment." Long Bo was actually a little proud.

Cao Poyan's face turned cloudy: "Then those houses and this warehouse you handled, will they find out?" ”

Long Bo tilted his head: "These places are all booked by me under a pseudonym through different dental stores, and I didn't leave any credentials for my residence." Unless they're immortals, it's impossible to find out – huh? Are you still stunned? Let me in. Long Bo urged. Cao Poyan put aside his chaotic thoughts, dodged and let him in, and then closed the door again.

Long Bo entered the courtyard and saw corpses on the ground, and the strong smell of blood came to his nostrils. He was not surprised, but looked around: "So, the goods from Yanzhou Mansion have been delivered?" ”

"It has been successfully put into storage. The people who should be dealt with have also been dealt with. ”

"Tsk. These coachmen are so pitiful, they are really thousands of miles away. Long Bo chattered as he walked to the platform of the warehouse and patted the huge cypress barrel, "What is contained here is the soul of Quelehodo, but what about the body of Quelehodo?" ”

Cao Poyan was very dissatisfied with his frivolity, and reluctantly replied: "The bamboo shop is ready." When the convoy is refitted, I'll take my body here. At that time, it's up to you to complete the final assembly step. ”

Ironically, Quelehodo represents the wrath of the Turkic khans, but only Longbo, a master craftsman, knows how to assemble them.

Long Bo paced around a few times, as if reciting a ballad: "When the soul and body become one, the great Quelehodo will be resurrected." This map will guide it to destroy the whole of Chang'an. After speaking, he couldn't help but "flutter" and muttered in a low voice: "The code name given by your Turkic Khan is really funny!" ”

The corners of Cao Poyan's mouth twitched, feeling that the Great Khan had been insulted. He clenched the dagger, bent his right leg slightly, and made a gesture that could surprise at any moment, deciding to teach the guy a lesson. Long Bo took a few steps forward, and suddenly leaned down, as if to dodge his assassination. Cao Poyan's body shook, his muscles tensed, and he almost thought that his attempt had been seen through.

Fortunately, Long Bo just wanted to pick up something from the ground, which was a delicate gold-painted silk abacus bag, which should have fallen when his feet were always struggling. There were more than a dozen bunches of mint leaves rolled into columns in the bag. Long Bo's triangular eyes shone brightly, and he picked up a bunch and threw it into his mouth, chewing it a few times, snorting pleasantly from his nostrils.

Cao Poyan quietly put down the dagger and warned himself not to make extraneous branches for the time being.

Long Bo kept chewing mint leaves in his mouth, and his dark pupils flashed: "When will the flesh be transported?" ”

"The convoy departed in an hour and came back in half an hour. Hopefully, you will be able to complete the final assembly within two hours. ”

Long Bo looked around: "There are a few people working in the warehouse, what about Ma Ge'er?" ”

"I'm just acting on orders, where are they, you go and ask the right to kill the nobles." Cao Poyan sneered.

Long Bo made a helpless gesture: "Without further ado, prepare the tools and raw materials, I'm going to start assembling." He shook his wrist and chewed in his mouth.

Taipingfang is located at the northernmost end of the West Second Street of Zhuque Street, facing the Hanguang Gate of the Imperial City, and is very close to the official offices in the Imperial City. In the actual temple in the southwest corner of Taipingfang, there is a Pure Land Temple, which is known as "the best in the capital". There are many towers in the courtyard, and there are one hundred and eight Buddha statues of good karma among the bamboo forests, which can be described as full of Zen.

At this time, in a small pavilion with eaves in the depths of the bamboo forest, two people stood side by side, one was wearing a green shirt and a white scarf, it was Li Mi who had just left Jing'an Division; One person is dressed in Zhu Peizi, and he is extravagant. If there is a third person on the side, you can immediately recognize that this thin-faced noble person is Li Heng, the crown prince of the current dynasty. The two of them looked at the railing from afar, as if they were appreciating the artistic conception of the Zen forest outside, but the words in their mouths were not at all related to Buddhism.

"So, you really forced Prison He away?" Li Heng was about the same age as Li Mi, and his face was worried.

Li Mi bowed slightly, but his attitude was very tough: "Exactly." As the minister just said, if He Jian does not leave, it will be difficult to get rid of the Turks. The minister did nothing wrong in this matter. Li Heng pointed to the top of his head and sighed: "Eunuch He is this pavilion, with him in the way, we can play calmly." You tear it down, but the place is enough to move, if you catch up with the wind and rain, what can you do? - Changyuan, you can do this Meng Lang. ”

"There are tigers waiting to devour people, where can they take care of the wind and rain?" Li Mi pushed back with a word. This attitude made Li Heng slightly embarrassed, and he wanted to sink his face and reprimand him several times, but when the words came to his mouth, he glanced at Li Yu, and endured it again.

Between him and Li Mi, he has long surpassed the monarch and the minister. Li Mi entered the East Palace to accompany him at a very young age, and the two got along for so many years, had a deep friendship, and said everything. It's a pity that although Li Mi is highly talented, he is dedicated to the Tao and has little interest in his career. This time to set up the Jing'an Division, Li Heng lobbied for a long time before persuading Li Mi to go down the mountain to help him.

Li Mi spoke to Li Heng and never pretended. Li Heng knew his temper, so he had no choice but to wave his hand and say in a consultative tone: "Hey, how can I say hello, go and invite Eunuch He back?" ”

"No, I don't have that time." Li Mi had a calm face, "There are less than three hours before the Lantern Festival, and the affairs of the Turks are not yet visible. If it weren't for the concern that His Highness is too careful, I shouldn't have even come to the Pure Land Temple. ”

Li Heng snorted and patted him on the back: "I won't be too careful." It's just that...... Uh, how to say it. He Jian is a fixed star, with or without him, Jing'ansi's status in the court and in the eyes of his father will be very different. ”

As early as the third year of Tianbao, He Zhizhang was selected as the prince's master to teach reading. The two have a master-apprentice friendship of more than 20 years, and the closeness between Li Heng and He Zhizhang is not inferior to the relationship between him and Li Yu.

He Zhizhang has a very high status in the mind of the Son of Heaven, and when Li Heng invited him to make the Jing'an Order, he hoped that he could deter the group and let Li Yu do things with peace of mind. I didn't expect that these two people would be at odds, and I didn't expect that Li Yu, who had always been modest and quiet, would actually force He Zhizhang away...... If he leaves, the situation will be difficult to say.

Jing'an Division is the most important card in Li Heng's hand, and if he is caught by political enemies, the matter will be serious.

He has no harem protection, no foreign town to echo, and no close ministers. Even when this Jing'an Division was first established, there was only one person who could really be called a confidant, Li Mi.

"You know, the prince of the Tang Dynasty has never been so easy to be......" Li Heng complained bitterly.

"Your Highness is afraid of the discussion between the court, isn't it afraid of Your Majesty?" Li Mi said softly.

Li Heng's face changed "swish", this, what is this?

Li Mi took a step forward and lowered his voice: "With the weight of Your Majesty's suspicions, you can actually hand over the defense of Chang'an City to His Highness." What is the rationale for this? Lee Hendon was silent.

The suspicion of the Son of Heaven against the princes is well known to the world. In the past, the prince was abolished, and then there was the disaster of the three concubines. After Li Heng became the crown prince, he didn't even enter the East Palace. This time, the Son of Heaven acquiesced to the establishment of the Jing'an Division by the crown prince for the first time, and his authority overrode the various departments and entrusted the entire Chang'an, obviously with a tentative heart.

This is not only to test the prince's intentions, but also to test the prince's ability.

Li Mi saw this arrangement thoroughly, and He Zhizhang also saw it thoroughly. However, the two have very different ideas. He Zhizhang would rather not do things well, and have to be right; Li Mi is just the opposite, trying to do good things and preferring to offend people.

"It may be three days before the political opponent strikes. But there were only three hours before the Turks started! - So your Highness, don't get the point wrong. If Chang'an is unharmed, Your Majesty will be happy, and His Royal Highness's status will be as stable as Mount Tai; If you can't hold back for a long time......" he slowed down and put his expression away, "Well, there's nothing to be done." ”

Li Heng was frightened by this tone, but he was still a little unwilling: "Eunuch He also wants to catch thieves, and you also want to catch thieves, can't you help each other with your heart?" ”

"No, not that time! Jing'an Division must order a family! Li Mi shook off the dust, and there was a little more complaint in his cold tone, "The ministers are in the world, break the Taoist heart, and absorb these complicated affairs, does Your Highness think that I am fighting for power and profit?" ”

"Nonsense! I didn't think so. Li Heng hurriedly defended.

Li Mi was silent. He looked up, looked beyond the eaves of the pavilion, looked at the sky, and suddenly sighed.

Li Heng smiled bitterly and walked over to grab his arm: "I know you are for me, I don't doubt it, it's just that this change is a bit messy, and I have to be careful...... Alas, forget it, since Eunuch He has retired from illness, this matter will be left as for the time being. He wanted to say a few more words, but Li Mi gave up his hand: "The time has come, and the minister must return to Jing'an Division." ”

Li Heng said stupidly: "Then what else do you need me to do?" ”

"During these three hours, Your Highness needs to stand firmly by my side and support every decision I make. There is no time for questioning and discussion, and it must be done in full accordance with the rules of the minister. ”

"Changyuan's rules? What is it? Li Heng was suddenly curious.

"No rules."