If there were an immortal overlooking the entire Chang'an City, he would see, on the empty streets,

There are two small black dots running desperately, one to the south and one to the east, and the two are getting closer and closer,

Then they met together on the road of Yongchong Xuanping*. On the fifteenth day of the first month of the third year of Tianbao, the beginning of the year.

Chang'an, Wannian County, Yanxingmen.

The sound of footsteps sounded, and a large group of guards hurried up to the top of the city and ran north. The right side of this long line happened to be exposed to the morning sun in the east, and the armor glowed with a blinding light. From a distance, it looks like the upper edge of the city wall is inlaid with a bright edge.

Led by the city gate lang of Yanxing Gate, he ran very awkwardly, and he didn't even have time to tie the silk silk of the armor, and the heart guard was hanging crookedly on his chest, which looked quite funny. But he refused to even stop to tidy up his appearance, and blindly ran wildly, his expression confused and nervous.

Just now, they received a strange letter. The letter was sent by a Hu man named Arroyo, and it only wrote one sentence: "The Son of Heaven is fighting in the north of Yanxing." "There is also a sign of the Jing'an Governor. Chengmen Lang felt a little inexplicable, Son of Heaven? Isn't the Son of Heaven on the upper floor of the diligent government office? How did you get there? Who is this Jing'an Governor?

But inexplicable does not mean that it falls on deaf ears. There is the word "Son of Heaven" in the news, and Chengmen Lang has to check it anyway. Especially in these extraordinary times, there can be no omission.

He hurriedly mobilized more than a dozen guards, dressed neatly, and personally led the team to check. The team ran along the city for a while, and the huge frame could already be seen in the distance. The city gate man put his hand on the pergola to block the dazzling light, and vaguely saw that there seemed to be a person lying on his stomach next to the shelf, motionless.

The man was dressed in a red robe, his hair was disheveled, and a crown of heaven was rolling down from the ground nearby...... Seeing this, the city gate lang sighed in his heart, it seems that what the letter said is true. He staggered faster, and soon rushed to the side of the rack, and when he was still a few steps away from the man, he suddenly stopped again and watched cautiously.

Although Chengmen Lang has never seen the appearance of the Son of Heaven, the dragon embroidered on this robe, the Jin Bo Mountain in front of the crown of heaven, and the Liuhe boots on his feet all prove the supreme identity of the person in front of him. He didn't dare to hesitate for a moment, and quickly leaned over and respectfully turned the person over.

The Son of Heaven was still unconscious, but he was still breathing. Cheng Menlang did a simple examination and found that he was not seriously injured except for the bruises on his forehead, so he was relieved.

At this time, there was a shout from the soldiers next to him. Cheng Menlang turned his head and found that on the outside of the shelf, there was also a large crooked rattan basket, and inside lay a beautiful female Kun Dao who was also unconscious. Even more strange is that at the lower end of the noose next to the rattan basket, the body of a man hangs, swinging back and forth over the city wall.

The city gate man poked his head out of the city wall and saw a large hole in the ice of the moat, indicating that someone had jumped from this position.

Such a strange pattern made him puzzled.

However, this is not the most important thing, the top priority is to send the Son of Heaven back to the palace as soon as possible, presumably it has become a pot of porridge over there. Thinking of this, Cheng Menlang couldn't help but look to the north. After daybreak, the view of the city becomes very clear. The Taishang Xuanyuan Lantern Tower had disappeared, and the thick black smoke was waving in the direction of Xingqing Palace, and the blue sky was stained.

The city gate man straightened up, took the flag and the golden gong from his men, first rang the big gong, and then quickly signaled to the nearest watchtower. This signal was quickly picked up by the watchtower, and then quickly transmitted in all directions. All of a sudden, the flags of the watchtowers all over the city were flying, and the gongs were sounding everywhere. If someone understands it, they all pass the same message:

"The Son of Heaven is safe!"

Chen Xuanli looked at the one-eyed man in front of him with resentment, and he wanted to go up and slash to death. It was this person who knocked himself unconscious before the hundred officials; It was this person who openly held the Son of Heaven hostage and left; It was this person who plunged the entire Chang'an into great turmoil.

For a forbidden general of the Dragon Martial Army, there is no greater insult than this.

Now with a slight bend of his fingers, this heinous creature will turn into an iron hedgehog. But Chen Xuanli didn't dare to move, the whereabouts of the Son of Heaven are still unknown, and everything has to fall on Zhang Xiaojing. This bastard can't die yet.

Thinking of this, Chen Xuanli squinted his eyes slightly, and King Yong was standing beside him, his robe covered in dirty cigarettes. The nobleman's eyes were fixed on the front, and they were also filled with angry flames.

Chen Xuanli remembered that it was said that there was a big case last year, which seemed to be related to Zhang Xiaojing and Yongwang, Yongwang also suffered a big loss, and Zhang Xiaojing was also put on death row. No wonder before in the Star Picking Palace, Zhang Xiaojing would single out King Yong and kill him.

However, King Yong's luck was really good, and he actually survived Zhang Xiaojing's poisonous hands. Although Chen Xuanli had doubts about how he could escape, since he was still alive, there was no need to make extraneous troubles - the safety of the Son of Heaven was the most important thing at the moment.

"Zhang Xiaojing, you have been surrounded, why don't you tell me quickly, where did your comrades hold the Son of Heaven hostage?!" Chen Xuanli shouted angrily.

When Wen Ran and Cen Shen heard this, their faces changed at the same time. They didn't expect that Zhang Xiaojing actually held the Son of Heaven hostage? This is really a big case. was shocked, Wen Ran grabbed Zhang Xiaojing's hand, but it was tighter. She whispered to Cen Shen: "Little Brother Cen, go over quickly, we can't bother you anymore." Cen Shen didn't say anything more this time, just let out a deep "um".

Holding the Son of Heaven hostage, this is a great crime of the Nine Clans, and it will not only delay the disaster to him. Even if Cen Shen is not afraid of death, he has to think about his family.

But before he could react, Feng Dalun had already taken the lead, pointed at the two of them resentfully, and shouted: "The two of them are Zhang Xiaojing's accomplices!" They did everything! ”

Feng Dalun didn't know what was going on in Xingqing Palace, but he knew that it involved the Son of Heaven, it must be a shocking case, and he had to take this opportunity to bite these guys to death! Splash as much dirty water as you can.

Feng Dalun's accusation caused a commotion in the team. Chen Xuanli raised his hand and scolded sharply, then turned his head and shouted again: "Zhang Xiaojing, quickly tell the whereabouts of the Son of Heaven, you can still leave a whole corpse!" King Yong stood aside, his hands hanging from his sleeves, squinting his eyes and saying nothing.

Wen Ran bit his lip and decided to accompany Eungong to complete this last stretch of the road. She suddenly noticed that her arm was bent, Zhang Xiaojing had already raised her neck, and said in a hoarse voice: "You let the two of them go first, and I'll talk about it." ”

Chen Xuanli was furious: "You dog slave, you still want to bargain?!" ”

"Yes."

Zhang Xiaojing knew that this time he couldn't escape the plan, even if he explained his identity now, it would be useless. Whether it is Chen Xuanli, Yongwang or Feng Dalun, they will never believe it, and they will never let themselves go - but Wen Ran and Cen Shen are innocent.

Chen Xuanli clenched the hilt of his sword, furious. Feng Dalun was afraid that he would compromise, so he hurriedly reminded: "General Chen, this death row prisoner has committed a lot of bloody crimes before, and he is extremely cunning and murderous, and if he is given the slightest chance, it may cause a catastrophe." He turned his head to King Yong and said respectfully: "Your Highness can prove this." ”

King Yong snorted coldly, neither objecting nor agreeing. Feng Dalun felt very strange, King Yong hated Zhang Xiao to the core, why didn't he take this excellent opportunity to fall into the ground? He thought about it for a while, and immediately understood, anyway, in the current situation, Zhang Xiaojing is dead, and King Yong has his own identity, so he doesn't have to make any more moves. However, King Yong's reluctance to make a move does not mean that he is unwilling to see others make a move, and this is the best time to give favors.

Feng Dalun's plan has been decided, and he stepped forward: "Zhang Xiaojing, now that you have committed a major crime and are surrounded by a large army, do you dare to hold such wishful thinking?" I tell you, if you don't tell the whereabouts of the Son of Heaven, you will die a miserable death today! It's not just you, the people around you will be even worse! That little prostitute named Wen Ran, let's bear fire everyone to take her turn, at least three days and three nights, don't want to be idle in every hole on her body! ”

Speaking of later, the more Feng Dalun spoke, the more proud he became, and the more he spoke, the more ugly he became. He didn't care about the whereabouts of the Son of Heaven, he just wanted to completely anger Zhang Xiaojing, so that Long Wujun would have a reason to do it. Without seeing the corpses of the five Yamas, Feng Dalun's heart could never really calm down.

Chen Xuanli couldn't help frowning when he heard Feng Dalun talk more and more vulgarly, but he didn't say anything to stop it. He also wanted to know whether this kind of talk could force Zhang Xiaojing's bottom line.

Feng Dalun spat and said happily. Zhang Xiaojing suddenly broke free from the support of Wen Ran and Cen Shen, and the whole person took three steps forward and straightened up, and his one-eyed eyes re-lit up with sharp killing intent. Feng Dalun was caught off guard, fell back in fright, and sat down on the ground with a slump of buttocks, and the fear that penetrated deep into the bone marrow re-diffused in his limbs.

Zhang Xiaojing's body was shaky, and just now he was holding on to a breath. Wen Ran rushed up to help him, but he gently pushed him away, and he said to the other side:

"General Chen, at this hour yesterday, Li Sicheng fished me out of death row and asked me to deal with the Turkic wolf guard. Guess what reason he used to convince me? Zhang Xiaojing's vocal cords had just recovered, and he was extremely hoarse, like the hot wind of the Western Regions blowing through the sand and rolling.

Chen Xuanli was stunned, not knowing why he suddenly talked about such an unrelated topic. Zhang Xiaojing didn't expect him to answer, smiled self-deprecatingly, and continued:

"He first threw out the righteousness of the monarch and the minister, said that he would pardon my capital crimes, give me the real position of a general of the Shangfu, and then asked me if I hated the Turks, and gave me a chance to take revenge. But none of these things impressed me. What really made me decide to help him was what he said - today's incident has nothing to do with the face of the Son of Heaven, nor is it for my Li Mi's career, but for the safety of the people in the city! That's hundreds of thousands of lives. ”

There was silence in front of the Incense Shifting Pavilion, and both the generals and the soldiers of the Longwu Army seemed to be attracted by Zhang Xiaojing's words. They all have families living in the city, and they are all closely related to the topic.

"I have been a soldier in the Western Regions for ten years and a bad commander for nine years, and what I have done is only two words: peace. I am alone, and I only hope that this city can be safe, and that everyone in this city can continue to live their happy and ordinary life. So I promised Li Sicheng to do my best to stop this attack, even at the expense of myself. ”

At this time, Zhang Xiaojing stretched out his right fist and struck lightly on his left shoulder. This gesture is unknown to others, but Chen Xuanli can understand it. He was born in the army and knew that this was the call sign of the Western Regions Legion, which meant that he would die without regrets.

But what does this mean? Chen Xuanli retorted unceremoniously: "Blowing up the Taishang Xuanyuan Lantern Tower, burning down the diligent government affairs building, killing the prince, and holding the Son of Heaven hostage, this is what you call peace?" ”

"General Chen, if I tell you that everything I have done from yesterday to today is to fulfill my duties as the Lieutenant of Jing'an and try my best to prevent these things, will you believe it?"

Chen Xuanli laughed angrily: "You are in full view of everyone, calling you a brother and sister to a grasshopper, and now you are saying such nonsense, deceiving me and others are all three-year-old children?" Feng Dalun also shouted: "When you killed the county lieutenant of Wannian, I knew that you were a despicable person who loved to kill and did nothing. Now that he was lucky enough to deceive his boss and mixed up with the identity of the lieutenant of Jing'an, instead of repenting, he became even worse. When I die, I remember to make up lies and beg for life, is it true that I am all blind? ”

He is guilty of every word, and he is really as sharp as a knife and pen. Even Chen Xuanli bowed his head slightly when he heard this.

Zhang Xiaojing sighed, knowing that it was too difficult to explain these things clearly. The people around him will not understand his situation, let alone what a difficult choice he made today.

The people who can prove that Zhang Xiaojing worked hard in the lantern tower, the fish intestines, Xiao Gui and the dried grasshopper all died cleanly. Only Taizhen and Tan Qi can indirectly prove their innocence, but will they? Even if they were willing to prove it, would the Son of Heaven believe it? Even if the Son of Heaven believes, will the imperial court announce it?

Zhang Xiaojing is too familiar with the temperament of these people. In such a sensational catastrophe today, the imperial court must find a culprit in order to give an explanation to all parties and maintain dignity. Xiao Gui is dead, and for them, the best option is to throw Zhang Xiaojing out as a scapegoat, even if they know his contributions.

From the Son of Heaven to Feng Dalun, they will not hesitate to promote this matter. Zhang Xiaojing really can't think of any other way to get rid of himself.

The Great City of Chang'an is like a raging beast, destined to devour its nearest guardian. Those who want to save it will inevitably have to suffer the misunderstandings and sacrifices from the city.

Zhang Xiaojing raised his head, looked at the sky as clear as yesterday, and a smile appeared on his lips. He dusted off the dust in his eye sockets, lowered his head, looked at Chen Xuanli and said slowly: "That's it, people always have to be responsible for their own choices." Let me tell you, the grasshopper is dead, and the Son of Heaven and Taizhen Kundao are safe and sound. ”

"Where?"

"Let these two people go first, and I'll say it."

Zhang Xiaojing pointed to Wen Ran and Cen Shen, and put on a frank posture. Now that the end was doomed, he gave up defending himself and only asked them to leave safely.

Unexpectedly, Feng Dalun jumped out again: "General Chen, don't believe him!" This guy is cruel and harbors evil intentions! Now that he suddenly said such a thing, there must be some conspiracy! ”

Chen Xuanli stared at Zhang Xiaojing, who had a calm face, and was a little hesitant. At this time, King Yong suddenly spoke: "The safety of my father is the most important thing. ”

Chen Xuanli and Feng Dalun were stunned at the same time, and when King Yong said this, it was tantamount to agreeing to let Wen Ran and Cen Shen go. However, his reason was pure filial piety, and no one dared to oppose it.

So Chen Xuanli made a few gestures to ask the soldiers to make way for a passage. Wen Ran let out a terrible cry: "Engong, you can't leave me alone!" I'm not going! "Hold on to his arm. Zhang Xiaojing touched her head lovingly, and advised: "Our eighth regiment has this little bit of blood and bones, let's live well for us." ”

As he spoke, he reached out and slammed into Sniff's neck. Smelling a snort, he fainted.

Zhang Xiaojing said to Cen Shen: "Please take her away, there is a lot of trouble today." Cen Shen didn't dare to be a hero at this time, knowing that if he didn't leave, he would cause a lot of trouble, so he silently picked up the smell and walked out.

Feng Dalun was a little reluctant, but he thought about it: Let's kill Zhang Xiaojing first, as for Wen Ran, as long as she stays in Chang'an City, are you afraid that there will be no chance for the Xionghuo Gang to torture her in the future?

Cen Shen supported Wen Ran and slowly walked between the passages vacated by the soldiers of the Longwu Army. The soldiers on both sides showed fierce expressions, and Cen Shen could only straighten his chest as much as possible to suppress the apprehension in his heart. Halfway through, he suddenly glanced back and saw Zhang Xiaojing still standing straight in place, his hands outstretched, and the one eye had been staring at this side.

Out of the sensitivity of the poet, he has a strong feeling that Zhang Xiaojing has the will to die. As soon as he leaves his sight, the last line between him and this world will be disconnected, and there will be no nostalgia again. Although Cen Shen didn't know much about this person, he knew from the contact with a few people such as Wen Ran and Yao Runeng that he was by no means as simple as a despicable murderer in Feng Dalun's mouth. The story behind it is just that the mountains are sinking into the sea.

He let out a deep sigh, the end of the hero, the pathos and despair, this is excellent poetry. It's a pity that the poet is lucky, but not the hero's, and the strong emotions are about to explode in his chest.

At this moment, suddenly there was a sound of a golden gong in the distance, and the sound of the gong was urgent. All of a sudden, the attention of everyone in front of the Incense Pavilion. They saw flags flying over the watchtowers in the distance, and there were more than one place, the watchtowers in all directions were transmitting the same news, and the entire sky over Chang'an was almost filled with this news.

Someone who knew the flag language immediately deciphered it and reported it to Chen Xuanli: "The Son of Heaven is fine." Chen Xuanli was surprised and delighted, and hurriedly asked for details, but unfortunately the watchtower had not had time to provide more detailed details, only knowing that it was news from Yanxingmen.

Feng Dalun looked at Zhang Xiaojing quickly, his face full of joy. The Son of Heaven is fine, this guy has lost the last bargaining chip to blackmail, and he can be slaughtered by others!

Zhang Xiaojing smiled slightly bitterly. It was he who sent the news to Yanxingmen, but he didn't expect this kind act to become a talisman for himself and the other two.

But he couldn't do anything.

"Li Sicheng, I can't tell you about that, but I finally fulfilled my promise." Zhang Xiaojing muttered to himself, closed his eyes, faced the sharp arrow, puffed up his chest and walked forward.

Feng Dalun didn't want to stay alive at all, as soon as he saw Zhang Xiaojing's figure move, his eyes rolled, and he immediately shouted loudly: "It's not good!" The prisoners want to escape! ”

The spirits of the soldiers of the Long Wu Army were in a highly tense state, and when they suddenly heard such a sentence, they subconsciously raised the crossbow machine and were about to pull the hanging knife at Zhang Xiaojing.

At this moment, a voice suddenly flew from behind the crowd:

"Stop!"

"An Lushan?"

Li Mi is very unfamiliar with this name. The team Zheng hurriedly explained: "He is Yingshan Zahu, the righteous son of General Zhang Shouqi." ”

When he heard that it was Hu Ren, Li Mi's eyes lit up. Hu people are not uncommon in the Tang Dynasty, but it is not rare. An Lushan can achieve this position, which shows that he has a lot of means to drill camps. However, this guy is just a new envoy of the Pinglu Festival, how dare he do such a big thing in Chang'an? It's so bold that it's a little ridiculous. Li Mi always felt that the reason did not make sense, and there must be twists and turns.

"Where is Pingluliu's backyard? You go with me. Li Mi walked outside, although the team was reluctant, but seeing that he was murderous, he could only follow stupidly.

Opposite the stronghold of the captors, there are ten backyards. This is the place where the ears and eyes and daily activities of the Zhufang Jiedu envoys in the capital are located, and it is usually an independent area, and the Chang'an government cannot control it. But today, there was suddenly a group of brigade soldiers in the streets and alleys, and they drove towards it violently, alarming the eyes of many dark places.

The people here are well-informed in the capital, and when they see this team, they can't help but think of the chaos in Xingqing Palace. So they exchanged puzzled looks, but neither dared to make a sound.

Under the guidance of the team, Li Mi led the crowd straight to the third institute on the west side. In the middle of this backyard, there is a Xuanbian Qinglong Flag, the cyan belongs to the east, and the Xuanbian belongs to the north, which just represents the location of the Pinglu Festival.

A brigade soldier walked to the door and slammed the door, and after a while, a middle-aged man in a brown robe came out. This middle-aged man has thick eyebrows and short eyes, and is quite martial, but he laughs like a sleek businessman. As soon as he opened the door, without waiting for Li Mi to speak, he gave a deep blow and said that he would die.

Li Mi had expected all kinds of reactions in Pinglu's backyard before, but he didn't expect it to be like this. He frowned, not knowing what to say. The middle-aged man had already straightened up and reported to himself with a smile.

It turned out that his name was Liu Luogu, and he was the principal of the Pinglu backyard in the capital, and An Lushan's confidant. When Li Mi heard this, he immediately put away his contempt. This person in charge is up to the dynamics of hundreds of officials, down to the money and grain market, he inquires about everything, his hands and eyes are all over the sky, although he has no official body, his power should not be underestimated.

Li Mi said coldly: "You say that you are ten thousand deaths, so you already know my intentions?" Liu Luogu still had a smile on his face, and only said two words: "Send it." ”

As soon as he heard these two words, Li Mi's face sank.

The officials of the Tang Dynasty and the Chinese government are often involved in some large transactions that are not suitable for disclosure. In order to avoid trouble, they often entrust some wealthy businessmen to operate on their behalf, and the income and expenditure are all from the shop's account books - called "sending money". Later, slowly, the backyards in various places also began to undertake this kind of business, they are official offices, there is no risk of bankruptcy, and the degree of self-control makes it difficult for outsiders to interfere with military power and financial power, and the secrecy is higher.

As soon as Liu Luogu said this, Li Mi immediately understood. The account that Shou Lang spent in the backyard of Pinglu was actually sent by a certain senior member of the court. This senior official hired a guard and catcher in a place outside the capital, but the cost was to settle the account of Lu Liu's backyard. In this way, the employment of people outside Beijing, the transfer of accounts in Beijing, people and money are two independent lines. No matter how much he tosses, this big man can be invisible and as stable as Mount Tai.

The only thing he missed was that he didn't expect Liu Luogu to sell himself so simply......

Li Mi also asked the same question: "Why did you sell the person who sent the rice so simply?" ”

Liu Luogu Zhengse said: "The way to send the rice is to pay attention to integrity. Although this court never asks about the use of the client's money, if it is aware of the commission of adultery, it is also responsible for reporting to the court. Last night was met with drastic changes, and the hospital naturally had to introspect and self-examine. An Jiedu was deeply grateful to the emperor, and often warned his subordinates to be loyal to the country and work hard for the Son of Heaven, and if he was in Beijing, he would also agree to do so. ”

He said it soundsoundly, but Li Mi heard it, this was to remove the responsibility of staying in the backyard, and also implied that An Lushan did not know, and he had a holy dependent, so it was not appropriate to investigate too deeply. This Liu Luogu is really a veteran, not to mention the well-informed, as soon as he heard the news, he immediately made preparations and happily showed a posture of full cooperation.

Li Mi really didn't think that An Lushan would be involved, how much movement could a miscellaneous beard in a remote place toss? What he was most anxious to know now was who this Jiguang master was. Unexpectedly, Liu Luogu shook his head: "It is a secret thing, and the identity of the senior member is also secret from us." But you can see one or two things in the account. ”

With that, he showed a book of accounts. This account book is not an ordinary roll, but the Shujun jute paper is cut into a piece of elbow long, layered piece by piece, and then strung with a thin rope, the length is suitable for tying behind the elbow, suitable for reference at any time during the journey. As soon as he saw this regulation, Li Mi knew that it was definitely not a forgery.

This is the general ledger, which only records the total amount in and out, and there are no breakdowns. Liu Luogu said that they only settled the money according to the customer's instructions, and they didn't care how the money was spent — but for Li Mi, it was enough.

You know, from the Turkic wolf guard to the mayfly, from the fierce fire oil to the quelehodo, this is an extremely large plan. Nearly 100 people were fed, drunk, housed, and transported, and the purchase and dispatch of materials, equipment, and carriages and horses, and the bribes that opened up the joints of the government in various places, the remuneration for finding out the news, and covering up the flaws, it can be said that the cost of each link is an astonishing figure.

Such an expensive plan could not be affordable by the poor retired veterans of Grasshopper. This is also one of the reasons why Li Mi has always thought that there must be someone behind them.

The delivery of Shou Lang and Luliu's backyard in the second year of Tianbao exceeded 10,000 guan, of which only 2,000 were used in the capital. In other words, if there are about 8,000 income and expenditure in this general ledger, eighty percent of them are the handwriting of the mysterious sensitor.

Liu Luogu and Li Mi quickly found this account: 8,600 yuan, paid at one time, in August of the second year of Tianbao.

In September of the second year of Tianbao, news came from Shuo Fangliu's backyard for the first time that there was an abnormal movement in the Turkic wolf guard. In the same month, the Jing'an Division was established, and personnel were transferred to various government offices. The timing coincided with this payment.

Li Mi's eyes sharpened. It was rumored that the main hall was probably mixed into the Jing'an Division at that time, and all kinds of clues were completely matched.

There are two crossbows in one iron and one crossbow, and thirty-nine crossbows in one Turkic horse. This is the current market situation. These 8,600 are barely enough to cover the day-to-day expenses of the project. The parasitor may have other expenses, but he probably won't be here.

There are also some annotations attached to the back of the account. Liu Luogu said that the person who sent the house was generally reluctant to reveal his true identity, and generally made an appointment with the backyard for the delivery location and contact code, which was attached to the account. Li Mi didn't speak, lowered his head and swept over, and suddenly his gaze stopped on the four words.

This is the meeting place that stays in the backyard and this Jiguang person every time:

"Shengping Medicine Garden."

There is only one medicine garden in Shengpingfang, which is the East Palace Medicine Garden.

Li Mi silently closed the account book and handed it back to Liu Luogu. Liu Luogu was accustomed to observing words and feelings, and found that the imposing Jing'an Sicheng next to him suddenly lost his sharpness and became lifeless. He asked with concern: "What else does Si Chengke want to do in the courtyard?" ”

"No need."

Li Mi replied weakly, and the conjecture he had been trying to avoid all avoidance had become a grim fact. His fingers were trembling slightly, and his eyes were blank. Although he is very strategic, he does not know what to do in the face of this change.

At this time, a crisp gong sounded, which was the important news that the watchtower was about to arrive. Li Mi subconsciously looked up, and when he saw the flag clearly, his whole body trembled suddenly, as if he had been struck by lightning.

"The Son of Heaven is safe!"

Liu Luogu also noticed the news and was about to ask Li Mi, but was stunned to find that the other party was gone.

A series of hurried footsteps sounded in the backyard of Liu, and Li Mi ran out at an unprecedented high speed, turned over his horse, and walked away with a whip. The soldiers of the nearby brigade stood still, watching him ride away, looking at each other at a loss.

Without instructions, without advice, the coach of the Jing'an Division left so inexplicably.

Li Mi, who was on horseback, grabbed the reins, and now he couldn't take care of anything, he only had one goal - the East Palace Medicine Garden, the East Palace Medicine Garden where the prince was.

The sound of "stop" came, and the shooting momentum of the Longwu soldiers was stopped in time. If you flick your fingers half a night later, I'm afraid Zhang Xiaojing has already been shot into a sieve.

Whether it is Chen Xuanli, Yongwang or Feng Dalun, they all follow their prestige. They saw an official with a broad forehead hurrying through the crowd and limping in this direction. His clothes were stained with soot, and at a glance he knew that he had also survived from the Diligent Government Building. Behind him was a beautiful woman wearing a veil.

Chen, Feng, and Yongwang called out his name at the same time: "Yuan Zai? ”

However, the tone of the three people is slightly different. King Yong is indifferent, only as if he was an ordinary courtier; Chen Xuanli was disdainful with a hint of appreciation, after all, Yuan Zai reported the military situation in time, so that Long Wujun could enter the diligent government building as soon as possible; As for Feng Dalun, his tone was half affectionate and half joyful.

Fortunately, thanks to this guy's skill, Feng Dalun was able to successfully get rid of the sin of tying Wang Yunxiu by mistake, and forced Zhang Xiaojing into a corner. Now that Yuan Zai suddenly appears here, he can make the situation nine out of ten stable, and then nail a stable nail.

Although he didn't know why he stopped shooting crossbow arrows at Zhang Xiaojing, with this guy's methods, he must have thought of a better poisonous method, right? Thinking of this, Feng Dalun opened his arms with a smile on his face and greeted him affectionately. Unexpectedly, Yuan Zai raised his hand to ask him to wait, Feng Dalun suddenly realized, and hurriedly stepped back, not forgetting to glance at Zhang Xiaojing - the one-eyed Yama was still standing in place, waiting to be killed.

Yuan Zai first saluted King Yong and Chen Xuanli, and then said with an expressionless face: "On behalf of Jing'an Division, this official has come to arrest the culprit of the case of taking the lantern wheel. ”

This move was not unexpected. Zhang Xiaojing was originally the commander of Jing'an, and his rebellion was a great stain, if Jing'an Si didn't detain him personally, he was afraid that his face would be lost.

I don't know when, Yuan Zai had an extra pair of iron-cast shackles in his hand, shaking loudly. He took a few steps forward and shackled the shackles over the other's head, the chains sliding off his shoulders and wrapping around his wrists.

"The French Open is magnificent, negligent but not leaky!" Yuan Zai shouted righteously.

Everyone present, including Zhang Xiaojing, was shocked, because Yuan Zai's shackles were actually hanging on Feng Dalun's head.

"Gongsuke, what are you doing here?" Feng Dalun exclaimed, wanting to break free from the shackles and chains. Yuan Zai said coldly: "Your conspiracy has been revealed, there is no need to be cowardly." ”

"You're crazy! The culprit is that Zhang Xiaojing! Feng Dalun was furious.

At this time, Chen Xuanli couldn't help frowning and said, "Yuan Zai, what do you mean by this?" Could it be that this Feng Dalun is Zhang Xiaojing's accomplice? Yuan Zai shook his head: "No, this guy is the mastermind behind the grasshopper, and Zhang Xiaojing is the Jing'an lieutenant of my Jing'an Division, he has never rebelled, but is just undercover among the grasshoppers." ”

"Ridiculous!" Chen Xuanli was furious, "He attacked the forbidden army and held the Son of Heaven hostage, this is all done in front of everyone's eyes, am I blind?!" He slammed his grip on the hilt of his sword, ready to strike at any moment and slay the traitor.

A trace of fear flashed in Yuan Zai's eyes, but it was fleeting: "This is to win the trust of the grasshopper, and it has to be done." ”

"Why?!"

Yuan Zai said with a smile: "There is a witness down there who can solve General Chen's confusion." ”

"Who? How can I believe what he says? ”

"You must be trustworthy in this man's words." Yuan Zai turned his head and made a deep bow to King Yong, "His Royal Highness King Yong." ”

King Yong kept tilting his head, and his face was not very good-looking. But after Yuan Zai asked, he hesitated again and again, and finally reluctantly said to Chen Xuanli: "Shicai is in the Star Picking Palace, Zhang Xiaojing pretended to push this king down, but in fact, it was to notify Yuan Zai and smash the inner building. ”

Chen Xuanli was stunned, no wonder the Star Picking Hall would suddenly collapse, no wonder King Yong was able to survive in Zhang Xiaojing's hands, it was actually such a reason.

King Yong has a deep grudge against Zhang Xiaojing, and since he said so, it seems that this matter is true. Thinking of this, Chen Xuanli glanced at King Yong's face again, and his heart was like a mirror. If Yuan Zai doesn't come, I'm afraid this prince won't take the initiative to stand up to prove it, and will only sit back and watch Zhang Xiaojing die.

The more this is the case, the more it proves that what Yuan Zai said is true.

"Then his move of holding the Son of Heaven hostage......" Chen Xuanli asked again.

Yuan Zai calmly explained: "The grasshopper is in great power, and Zhang Xiaojing can't help it, so he has to follow the thief and wait for the opportunity to start." If Zi is safe today, wouldn't it just show that he is still loyal to Datang? I believe that when I meet Your Majesty later, the truth will be revealed. ”

His words are closely aligned with Zhang Xiaojing's self-defense just now, and others can't help but believe it. Chen Xuanli had no choice but to wave his hand and ask the soldiers to put down the crossbow machine first to avoid accidental injury.

At this time, Feng Dalun, who was in shackles, let out a heart-rending roar: "Even if Zhang Xiaojing didn't rebel, what does it have to do with me!" Yuan Jae slowly turned his face away, with a sneer on his face, not at all as cordial as when the two met for the first time.

"Zhang Luo, the head of the Yu Department, do you know each other?" Yuan Jae asked suddenly.

Feng Dalun was stunned for a moment and nodded. This is his colleague, both of them are the head of the Yu Department, but Zhang Luo has no means, and his status is much lower than him. That's why this time the lantern will be on duty, and it will be pushed on his head.

Yuan Zai said: "Just a few hours before the lantern tower raised the lamp, he was inexplicably squeezed off the arch bridge, and he didn't know whether he was alive or dead. I asked the Long Wujun on duty, those craftsmen who entered the lantern tower, the bamboo books used were all issued by you. ”

Feng Dalun was anxious when he heard it. There are not many directors in the Yu department, and the paperwork is heavy, so the directors at the same level sometimes help each other to sign, which is normal. Feng Dalun bet that if he carefully checked the bamboo books of the craftsmen who entered the Lantern Tower, there would definitely be the names of several principals, and even the endorsement of Yu's member Wailang, and he was not the only one.

But the way Yuan Zai speaks now, anyone who listens to it will think that Feng Dalun killed Zhang Luo, and then issued a bamboo certificate to the grasshopper so that it could blend into the lantern tower. Without waiting for Feng Dalun to open his mouth to defend himself, Yuan Zai said again: "If there is no cooperation from the people, how can the thieves make such a big thing?" This rhetorical question has no substance, but everyone heard that Feng Dalun had become a thief and a traitor hidden in the official mansion.

"You're slandering me!"

"You worked so hard to identify Zhang Xiaojing as a thief just now, didn't you want to frame Zhongliang?" Yuan Zai asked meaningfully. Feng Dalun blurted out: "I want him to die, it's because of ......" Speaking of this, he paused.

"What's the reason for that?" Yuan Zai squinted his eyes and asked for a long time, but Feng Dalun didn't dare to say it.

Further down, it is bound to involve the case of Wenji Xiangpu last year, as well as the small action of King Yong instructing Yuan Zai to come over and frame Zhang Xiaojing yesterday. Feng Dalun glanced at King Yong and found that the other party was not good, and he knew that if he picked this matter out, he was afraid that the ending would be even worse.

Feng Dalun is going crazy, why did King Yong and Yuan Zai become enemies all of a sudden? Isn't it in everyone's interest to kill Zhang Xiaojing? The three of them are obviously standing in the same boat, how can they say that they are overturned?

He suddenly ran to Chen Xuanli, knelt down with a bang, and cried: "General Chen, you can see clearly, it is obviously Zhang Xiaojing's evil thief who deceived King Yong, you can't be gullible!" ”

Chen Xuanli will be skeptical. Emotionally speaking, he longed for Zhang Xiaojing to die immediately; Rationally speaking, Yuanzai's analysis makes sense. He pondered for a moment and said to Yuan Zai, "Do you have any other evidence?" ”

Yuan Jae smiled slightly, turned sideways, and the veiled woman behind him walked in front of everyone. She slowly took off her veil, revealing a pretty face - it was Wang Zhonghe's daughter, Wang Yunxiu. Chen Xuanli had heard a little about what happened to her, and knew that she had just been kidnapped by the Turkic wolf guards, and she was rescued by Yuan Zai, so she escaped by luck.

Yuan Zai said to her respectfully: "Miss Wang, I know that you are a thief today, and your mind is unbearable. But this matter is related to the safety of the court, so I have to force you to return to the old place and identify the thief. If there is any thought, the next one will be guilty again. ”

Wang Yunxiu's cheeks flushed slightly, and she said softly: "Although Yunxiu is a woman, she also knows that she must put state affairs first. It's all up to arrangement. ”

The people around were inexplicable, and they didn't know what Wang Yunxiu meant by popping up so suddenly. Only Feng Dalun's face became more and more miserable, his lips trembled, and his body couldn't move.

Yuan Zai took Wang Yunxiu to the firewood room next to the Xiangxiang Pavilion, pushed open the door, and invited her to go in and take a look. Not long after Wang Yunxiu entered, he walked out trembling and said in a low voice: "That's right, this is it, I was thrown here after I was kidnapped......"

As soon as Chen Xuanli heard this, his eyes immediately changed, and when he looked at Feng Dalun again, he already looked disgusted.

Wang Yunxiu was kidnapped by the Turkic wolf guards and was actually placed in the firewood room next to the Xiangxiang Pavilion. Needless to say, what exactly this means. There was an inexplicable connection between the Turkic wolf guard and the grasshopper, and then thinking of the encounter of Zhang Luo, the head of the Yu Department, and the issuance of the bamboo book, the truth was about to come out, and the evidence was conclusive.

Feng Dalun's eyes widened, and he was about to be blown up. The kidnapping of Wang Yunxiu was a misunderstanding at all, and you Yuanzai also helped me cover it up, but I didn't expect this guy to turn his backhand and say that it was ironclad evidence of collusion with the Turks.

Feng Dalun still wanted to argue, but he didn't know how to speak.

The few things listed by Yuan Zai are actually either misunderstandings or ambiguous, and they are not related to each other. But he has a way to convince everyone that this is a rigorous chain, which perfectly proves that Feng Dalun is a spy, first helping the Turks kidnap the families of important ministers, and then secretly helping the grasshopper craftsmen to sneak into the lantern tower, almost all the bad things are done by him alone.

He still remembered that when Yuan Zai framed Zhang Xiaojing, several pieces of evidence were laid out, which made him admire. Unexpectedly, a few hours later, he laid out several pieces of evidence, but came to a completely opposite, but equally convincing, conclusion.

Feng Dalun was full of anger at first, and the more he thought about it, the more frightened he felt, and finally he was enveloped by an boundless chill. Turn your hands into clouds, and turn your hands into rain. The evidence is in Yuan Zai's hands, it is simply a lump of yellow mud, and he can make whatever he wants. Could it be that Junchen's "Luo Weaving Sutra" fell into his hands?

"As an official of the imperial court, he still formed an association in Chang'an City to form a party and secretly gather young and strong, I'm afraid it's also for today, right?" Wonjae finally hammered a nail into his coffin. This sentence basically doomed the end of the Bear Fire Gang.

"I was wronged! He's slandering! Eternal King! Eternal King! You know! Feng Dalun went out and shouted at King Yong in a hiss, now only King Yong can save him.

King Yong was indifferent. When I heard about the incense shop, in the final analysis, it was Feng Dalun who caused him a mess, and now it is good to be able to dispose of this pesky fly.

Chen Xuanli saw King Yong's attitude and immediately understood. As soon as he flicked his fingers, several soldiers immediately stepped forward, kicked Feng Dalun to the ground and whipped him hard, and found a stick of firewood in the firewood room and stuffed it into his mouth to prevent him from making a sound.

The painful* sound soon fell low, and Feng Dalun crawled on the ground with a bloody face, curled up like a shrimp. The head of the Yu Department raised a hand, as if calling for help from someone, but it quickly hung down softly.

Chen Xuanli has no sympathy for this. In the catastrophe last night, the imperial court needs an object that can be executed publicly, Zhang Xiaojing can't do it, so it's okay to seal Dalun with this one. At present, the evidence is sufficient, although there are still some doubts, but there is no need to delve into them.

With a smile, Yuan Zai watched Feng Dalun struggle, as if admiring a well-carved Persian gold artifact—sure enough, luck was still on his side. From then on, the entire Chang'an will know that when the lonely hero who saved the Son of Heaven was framed, there was an upright petty official who spoke up, and finally helped the hero clear his grievances and uphold justice.

In the crowd not far behind him, Tan Qi wore a hat on his head, his expression was relieved, but there was a deep fear in his eyes.

In fact, they had already rushed to the vicinity of the Shifting Fragrance Pavilion, and Tan Qi saw that Zhang Xiaojing, Wen Ran, and Cen Shen were surrounded, and hurriedly called Yuan Zai to explain. But Yuan Zai stopped her, saying that the time had not yet come, and asked her to wait. It wasn't until Zhang Xiaojing was about to be shot that an urgent report came from the watchtower, and Yuan Zai walked over and saved the whole situation with a sound tongue.

Tan Qi didn't understand why Yuan Zai said that the time had not come, and then he suddenly figured it out.

He was waiting, waiting for the news that the Son of Heaven was safe.

Yuan Zai hated Zhang Xiaojing so much, but he was able to change his position and come to help, purely because this move could win the trust of the Son of Heaven and obtain great benefits - if something happened to the Son of Heaven, it would be meaningless and harmful.

So the time he has been waiting for is the whereabouts of the Son of Heaven. The Son of Heaven was born, and Yuan Zai was Zhang Xiaojing's savior; When the Son of Heaven died, Yuan Zai was Zhang Xiaojing's executioner.

This Yuan Zai can easily change back and forth between two diametrically opposed positions without stagnation. Tan Qi shuddered at the thought that if the news came late, the biggest ally would become the most dangerous enemy in an instant—what a terrible beast of profit.

"Human nature has always been to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and it is possible to betray loyalty, righteousness and benevolence, but it will never betray interests. So as long as it's in my favor, girl, you don't have to worry about my betrayal. The words that Yuan Zai said next to Long Chi echoed in Tan Qi's mind again.

At this time, there was some commotion in the ranks of Long Wujun, and Tan Qi hurriedly put away his thoughts, raised his head, and saw that Zhang Xiaojing had actually moved.

When Yuan Zai's words were talking just now, Zhang Xiaojing kept standing in place, maintaining a surprising silence. It wasn't until Feng Dalun was captured that he seemed to wake up from a dream, first looked around, then took a step forward, and staggered outside.

The soldiers of the Dragon Warrior Army did not stop them, they silently separated a passage and stood solemnly on both sides.

Zhang Xiaojing's suspicion has been cleared, and his previous deeds have naturally been confirmed. It doesn't take much imagination for others to guess the dangers and sacrifices he endured. I don't know what attitude the imperial court had, but in the eyes of these soldiers, this is an awesome hero.

He was covered in the blood that had been poked out by Feng Dalun, and those were colorful, outlining other scars on his body: some from the explosion of the West City, some from the burning of the Lantern Tower, some from the torture of the Turkic wolf guards, and some traces of fighting with the mayflies. They are layered on top of each other, intertwined on this body, recording the thrill of the past twelve hours.

He was weak and staggered as he walked, but only the only one eye was still burning.

"Callsign!" I don't know who shouted in the ranks. With a bang, the soldiers on both sides raised their right fists at the same time, and struck them on their left shoulders in unison. Chen Xuanli and Yongwang's expressions were a little complicated, but they were silent about this almost transgressive behavior.

Tan Qi watched this scene and couldn't help but burst into tears. But she soon realized that something was not right, Zhang Xiaojing did not walk aimlessly, but walked straight towards herself. This disciple actually recognized himself hiding in the crowd? Tan Qi suddenly became flustered, and he stood in place at a loss.

What is he going to do? What should I do? What will he say? How should I answer? Countless thoughts instantly filled Tan Qi's brain, as smart as her, and she didn't know what to do at this time.

At this time, Zhang Xiaojing walked up to Tan Qi, stretched out his hands, and grabbed her shoulders at once, making her almost unable to move. At this moment, Tan Qi could barely breathe.

"Dengtu ......" Tan Qi screamed softly in embarrassment, but was immediately rudely interrupted.

"Li Sicheng, where is Li Sicheng?" Zhang Xiaojing hissed hoarsely.

Tan Qi was stunned, she didn't expect him to say this. Zhang Xiaojing asked again, and she hurriedly replied: "I have learned from the watchtower that Gongzi was lucky to survive and regain control of Jing'an. But where is it now, but it is not ......."

Zhang Xiaojing roared: "Go and ask clearly!" Get me another horse! ”

Extreme anxiety flashed in his single eye, Tan Qi didn't dare to delay, and hurriedly turned around and ran to the watchtower in Jing'anfang.

Cen Shen, who escaped death, walked over with Wen Ran in his arms, he witnessed the whole process of a person from a vicious criminal to a hero, and his heart was surging, and he felt that if someone sent a set of pen and ink at this time, it would be perfect. It's a pity that Zhang Xiaojing ignored him, but turned his neck irritably and looked around.

Xiao Gui's dying words always burned in Zhang Xiaojing's heart, making him uneasy, and he had no intention of paying attention to anything else.

At this time, Yuan Zai came over, patted him on the shoulder, and smiled: "The overall situation has been decided, the real culprit has been eliminated, Zhang Duwei has worked hard, and he can sleep with confidence." ”

"The real murderer is someone else!" Zhang Xiaojing said unceremoniously.

Wonjae's smile froze on his face, what the hell is this death row prisoner talking about? I've spent so much effort to help you clear your name, and I've found the perfect person behind the scenes, and now you say that there is someone else?

Yuan Zai looked over there, Chen Xuanli was directing the soldiers to search the Incense Pavilion, and King Yong didn't know when he had left. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, grabbed Zhang Xiaojing's shirt and roared in a low voice: "You stupid! Don't make any mistakes! ”

Before the words fell, there was a sudden crisp sound.

Wonjae covered his swollen and aching cheeks, his eyes widened in disbelief. This guy actually slapped himself, but he just rescued him!

"This is everyone who represents the Jing'an Division." Zhang Xiaojing said coldly.

Yuan Zai was about to get angry, but he saw Zhang Xiaojing's single eye suddenly shoot a sharp edge. Yuan Zai suddenly felt a heat in his crotch, and the fear that was deeply rooted in his heart could not be eliminated until now. Yuan Zai took a few steps back, a little away from the evil star, rubbing his face and thinking that he would not let this embarrassment be seen by Wang Yunxiu.

At this time, Tan Qi ran over panting: "There is news from Pingkangfang, Gongzi may be about to go to the East Palace Medicine Garden of Shengpingfang!" In her hand, she also led a tall, yellow-brown horse.

No one knew where Li Mi was going, only Liu Luogu guessed that it was probably related to the last place name. This conjecture was soon fed back to all watchtowers. It was daytime, and all the people had returned to the square, and the streets were empty. The watchtower easily captured Li Yu's strange and wild figure.

After getting the news, Zhang Xiaojingqiang dragged up his tired body, gritted his teeth and turned over to the horse. Tan Qi also wanted to follow, but before he could speak, Zhang Xiaojing had already grabbed the horse's belly and galloped away, without even leaving a word.

Tan Qi looked into the distance worriedly, and the swaying figure seemed to be about to fall off the horse at any moment.