Er Bing hurriedly moved the small iron boxes to the rosewood table in the main hall of the Chang'an Yue Branch. Rosewood is a hardwood, the pattern is complex and elegant, but it is very suitable for the bearing of the 'Chang'an Yue' dart game. At this time, I saw two people sitting at the table. At the guest table was a widowed woman dressed plainly, and she didn't even have any decorations on her head, but the whole person looked like she was somehow quite noble. She seems to be twenty-eight or nineteen years old, and she claims that her husband's surname is Xiao and her maiden name is Pei—of course, no one would ask a young woman's boudoir characters.

Sitting in the chairman's seat is Mr. Lang of 'Chang'an Yue'. His bearing was peaceful, and although he was glamorous, he didn't feel anything wrong with his demeanor.

There are a total of six boxes of boxes that Er Bing brought to the table, all of which are of average size, iron and red sheepskin, just looking at the box, it makes people feel that although the box is old, the contents of the box are only afraid of being extraordinary.

The woman said softly, "Unpack." ”

Er Bing took the key and opened the six small boxes in turn. Mr. Lang looked at it and saw that the six boxes were different in color, but they were all rare and rare. A box is an inch-long Tang Dynasty secret solid color gold bar, and the number of the year is also marked on the bar; One box is a rhinoceros horn enshrined in Siam, all of which are inches thick; One box is water ivory, white and transparent; There is also a box of superb sandalwood that is well sealed and more than enough for use, and as soon as I open the box, I smell a cool air. The other two boxes are filled with a phoenix crown, exquisite craftsmanship, nineteen beads in the phoenix's mouth, the pearl is clean and moist, and it is a rare gem at a glance; Another box of things is the least, only containing three kinds of emerald - bracelets, rings, and pendants, but in Mr. Lang's sharp eyes, knowing the value of these three emeralds is only afraid of the top of the six boxes.

Mr. Lang is a fair-skinned lean man. He quietly looked at the things on the table, and although it was valuable, his reaction was not strong. Chang Anyue has Chang Anyue's rules, and he smiled slightly: "This is the dart that Madame wants to support?" ”

Then he sighed lightly: "I'm sorry, we Chang'an Yue never directly accept customer darts, we are only bodyguards for the dart bureau, Mrs. should put it away and find another dart bureau." ”

The woman—Pei Hongling was speechless, she glanced at the six boxes of treasures on the table—how many years? It's been eleven years, and she's not opened the six boxes in eleven years. Eleven years ago, she was only eighteen years old, and the day before her marriage, her mother was really reluctant to let her daughter marry a poor Hanlin and suffer—at that time, Xiao Yuzheng was still a Hanlin who had just entered the Hanlin Academy—so she poured almost half of her family resources into these six small boxes of things for her. She hadn't opened it again in eleven years. Because three days after entering the door, she changed out of the Sichuan brocade she was wearing for the upper use, and only wore ordinary poplin. Let go of her identity as Miss Shangshu and take charge of the pestle in person. She admired her arrogant husband, so she hadn't touched the six boxes of treasures for years—even Imperial Envoy Xiao didn't know they existed. But today, she's going to use them.

I saw Pei Hongli raise his head, look at Mr. Lang with a pair of bright eyes and say, "This is not the dart I want to support." ”

"—this is just the money I intend to use to pay for the darts I have trusted."

"As long as you take care of this dart, these are all rewards."

"-Aren't you going to take this dart?"

These things can be worth 100,000 yuan. The rules of the dart line are one out of ten, and Chang'an Yue is the bodyguard of the dart bureau, and only one-tenth of the commission of the dart game is drawn. Although these things on the table are only six boxes, they are worth a huge amount of 100,000 yuan, and Chang'an Yue's business in a year is afraid that he will not be able to make so much money, and the people in the hall 'Chang'an Yue' are all stunned. They hadn't taken on such a big deal in years. It's just a dart, so what kind of dart does she want to protect? How big of a deal should this be?

Mr. Lang was also stunned, coughed and said, "I don't know what Mrs. wants to protect?" ”

Pei Hongli gently pulled Xiaozhi - Xiaozhi is her son, and she looks childish and happy, "All we ask is: your bureau will ensure the safety of our mother and son, master and servant, and return to Zhuji, the hometown of our late husband, safely." ”

Zhuji is far away in Zhejiang, this is really a thousand miles of dart. This is not unusual, but who did they offend? Is it worth paying such a big price to ask the most famous dart bureau in Chang'an City to ensure the safety of the three of them? Mr. Lang stared at Pei Hongling's shadow on the ground, and doubts surged in his heart.

I only heard Pei Hongli say: "Actually, we also know the rules of your bureau. It's just that although there are many darts in Chang'an City, we have also looked for them one by one, but none of them are willing to take our darts. ”

She looked up, and it was a pair of beautiful eyes. At the age of twenty-nine, there was already a faint wrinkle between her eyebrows, and that wrinkle gave her a sense of **. - Is this year her bitter year? Yue Zheng died in March, leaving her orphans and widows, that kind of suffering, that kind of hardship, she never shed tears in front of people. But it was only a month after the death of the person, and the aunt was killed inexplicably, although it had been reported to Chang'an Mansion, but how great the ability of Fu Yin was Pei Hongli did not know. When the cat had died the morning before, she knew it was not an accident. The deceased husband is Geng Jie, and there are many wealthy giants who have offended during his lifetime, and this is only afraid of revenge and revenge. She thought about it all night, and the next day immediately dismissed all the servants, leaving only a second Bing who had nowhere to go, she knew that she was now in Chang'an City without relatives and no reason, and if she wanted to live, the only way out was to return to Yuzheng's hometown Zhuji. But in the past two days, she asked Er Bingyi to worship the dart line one by one, and the remuneration has been increased again and again, but no dart bureau is willing to accept this business!

Pei Honglian's fingers brushed the armrests of the rosewood chair, but his heart was beating. She still said calmly on the surface: "But I think, in the great Chang'an, no matter what you say, there should always be some responsible and moral men, right?" We don't all see our pair of orphans and widows in distress and have no one to help. So, we've found your bureau. ”

There was a glimmer of hope in her eyes—after all, childishness was the only thing left to heal the flesh—and she gently pushed the key over to Mr. Lang. "This is all my family assets, if your bureau doesn't accept this business......" she glanced at Mr. Lang with a serious face, "Then our mother and son, it will really ...... There is no way out. ”

Mr. Lang lowered his head and fell into deep thought. It's not that he doesn't know who this woman is. Eleven years ago, as long as you have ears, you should know who the title of the number one lady in the eastern capital Luoyang City should fall on. ——The daughter of Pei Shangshu eleven years ago, the wife of Xiao Yu's envoy for eleven years, and the mother of Xiao Zhi's bone blood and blood eleven years later. Although her husband and wife live in a plain life, the clear names of the two are still spread in the workshop. He didn't know how they got to chase them, the political situation was confusing, and the battle was unpredictable, but he knew that it must be a dangerous errand.

And Chang'an Yue is just a dart game that seeks to make a profit.

Mr. Lang is a steady person, a gentleman loves money and takes it in a good way, so he thought about it for a long time, and then rubbed his hands and said, "Mrs. Xiao ......"

He also seemed to find it difficult to say the following words: "...... We can't take your dart. First, we can't break our own rules, and second, we ...... Your trip is really dangerous. ”

Mr. Lang narrowed his eyes - how could it not be dangerous? Although others are in the rivers and lakes, they also know who the iron-boned imperial envoy Xiao Yuzheng offended in the court before his death. Is the power of the left servant to be provoked? Is the 'East Secret' on the rivers and lakes easy to mess with? His family's hunt now has something to do with it.

"So, it's not that Mrs. Xiao doesn't pay you well, but you can't help it."

He pushed the box in front of him: "Madame, please take it back." ”

Then Shi K, who was sitting on the side, saw Pei Honglian's face turned pale, and her hands trembled slightly-even Chang An Yue refused to take this dart, and she couldn't let Chang An Yue be slightly tempted by all her family resources, so their mother and son, master and servant, should their lives be hanging in the balance?

At that moment, she felt empty in her heart. But she is a proud woman, and she will never forget whose wife she is and whose mother she is until she dies, and she will set an example for Xiaozhi. Pei Hongling tried his best to restrain the slight trembling of his body, but raised his neck and said to Erbing: "Collect the box." ”

She didn't bother to ask for help, and then she stood up with childish hands. This Chang'an where she has lived for twenty-nine years, this Chang'an that disappointed her, this Chang'an that she had to flee from, she didn't want to look at them again, she only knew: If her deceased husband is still there, in the same situation, he will never do nothing!

I only heard her say softly: "Xiaozhi, let's go." ”

She didn't plan to go back this time, the car was loaded with luggage and supplies, no matter whether 'Chang'an Yue' picked up her dart or not, she had to leave. It was getting late, she walked to the car door and said to Er Bing, "Get out of the city." ”

Shi Khan rubbed his hands and sent her to the car door, then rubbed his hands and said, "Madam, let's go." - It's not that we don't want to do our best, it's just ......"

Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Pei Hongli with a 'sneer'. Pei Hongli looked at the face of Shi Ke, a simple man, and finally couldn't suppress his indignation and said coldly: "Just what? …… Jianghu men, licking blood with knives, fighting desperately, fighting for gold and silver, as long as they come out, don't be afraid of death. Who is like you, looking at a table full of property, orphans and widows, but still refusing to accept this business, what kind of man is he called, what kind of hero? You are like this, martial arts are not enough to be brave, and people are not enough to be benevolent, you ...... What kind of man! ”

Her gaze slid coldly over Shi Khan's face, she didn't want to see these people anymore, her feet had already stepped on the car door, and at the moment when the car was about to leave the gate of Chang'an Yue, she only heard a call from Mr. Lang behind her: "Slow down......"

A half-old car walked on the ancient road to the east of Chang'an. Or Erbing carrying Pei Hongling's mother and son, a light car went out of the east gate of Chang'an City, just five miles out of the city gate, a man caught up and sat on the right side of the car, that was Shi Kke with makeup, and soon, two more horses ran to meet, one was Mr. Lang with makeup, and the other was also the "money leopard" Wu Ben in the three major darts of "Chang'an Yue". The three of them didn't say anything when they met, thinking that they had discussed it in advance, and then Wu Ben ran ahead, and one person and one horse ran first; then there was the car in which Pei Hongling's mother and son were riding, escorted by Shi Kline; In the end, Mr. Lang hung two or three miles away, slowly following.

This time, Mr. Dart Lang and Pei Hongli agreed: they didn't know how to take this single dart, but only secretly received it. Pei Hongli is not allowed to declare to the public that this dart 'Chang'an Yue' has been taken into bail. This dart is like being escorted to the ground, and 'Chang'an Yue' They only charge four boxes of six boxes of remuneration to be shocked, but this has to be arranged by them all the way, Pei Hongli nodded on the spot.

For their mother and son, Chang An Yue actually dispatched two of the three major dart heads, and even pulled Mr. Lang himself, Pei Hongli was relieved, but he already understood the strength of the enemy, which would definitely make Mr. Lang's generation unpredictable. Thinking of this, Pei Hongling felt a cold breath hit her bones, but she was not afraid.

She was not afraid, in the darkening carriage, she seemed to see her deceased husband's face again: Imperial Envoy Xiao stubbornly held her hand and said, "Hongling, if we don't fight with them, who else will fight?" The Lu of the Eater, the Matter of Loyalty; Lu is taken from the people, and it should be repaid by the people. I know that the eastern branch of Tantra has had other ambitions since Du Buchan took over, and he has no ambitions when he is the left servant of the court, and the diplomatic Yanmen guard will be Zhang Zhunian, offering favor and bewilderment, and poking at dissidents, once it is big and out of control, how can I not care? I'm going to fight them to the end, even if they claim to be Dongmi's elite assassins as many as ants crossing the river. I know that it may cause trouble for the family, but the husband is in the world, the world is public, if this kind of thing shrinks his head in advance to protect himself, then it is not interesting for our family to live in this troubled world. ”

Pei Hongli looked at the face of her deceased husband in the illusion, and said silently: "I understand, I will fulfill your last wish", she wanted to reach out and grab the thin and hard hand of her illusionary husband, but under the grip, everything was empty.

The car was encountering a pit, and under a bump, in Pei Hongling's eyes, which was not going to cry, a tear was finally turned upside down, although the tears were few, but they were hot. Pei Hongli never cried in front of people after her husband's death. She remembered the night her deceased husband was buried, and it was she who sent all the servants away and dressed him herself. She took off her clothes from him first, looking at such a thin and hard body, tears couldn't help but drop down, she felt that her tears were hot at that time, tears dropped on Xiao Yuzheng's chest, dripped on his flat lower abdomen, and rolled down gently, but she couldn't warm him, couldn't warm him, Yue Zheng's hands were still cold. In fact, since that night, Pei Hongli has been afraid of this darkness in his heart, afraid of this kind of face alone, afraid of thinking of this kind of breathless companionship. - That night, she walked into the darkness without breathing with a familiar body......

Suddenly, Pei Hongling felt that Xiaozhi was gently pulling the corner of her clothes, and Pei Hongli hurriedly treated her with plastic surgery.

The childish said childishly: "Mom, are you crying? ”

Pei Hongling smiled bitterly in the dark, hugged Xiaozhi to her lap, and wanted to say that she was not crying, but just crying. She stroked her slender neck, from which hung a small roll of parchment. The child was white, and when she hung the parchment roll on his thin chest, his skin seemed to melt with the delicate sheepskin, which made her mother's heart hurt even more. Pei Hongli said: "Mom didn't cry, Mom still wants to bring your blood and bones back to Xiaomen with "Liver and Gall Record". ”

The car was walking in the dark night, and Er Bing was a little stumbling when he caught up with the livestock. I can't see that Shi K, who is the head of the dart, is a rare good handlebar style, he took the whip, drove in the dark night, and actually walked smoothly. There was nothing to say all the way, seeing that it was already three watches at night, Xiaozhi had fallen asleep, Pei Hongli also had heavy eyelids, and suddenly, the car stopped.

As soon as the car stopped, Xiaozhi woke up, and he and his mother looked out through the curtain of the car, only to see Wu Ben, the "money leopard" standing in front of him, standing under a tree, and he and Shi Ke were talking about something. After a while, the horse's hooves sounded behind him, and Mr. Lang caught up. Xiaozhi was tired of sitting all the way, and it was rare to stop, so he stuck his head out of the car and wanted to get out of the car to take a look. Pei Hongli just said: "Slowly", I heard Xiaozhi already let out a scream, in such a dark night, his child's voice was particularly sharp, Pei Hongling's heart almost jumped out.

She hurriedly jumped out of the car, and saw Xiaozhi staying on the ground with one finger pointing ahead, trembling all over, and her mouth was so frightened that she couldn't speak.

Pei Hongli followed the child's hope, and then the cold hair on her body couldn't help but stand up: I saw that under the bleak moonlight, she saw a tree - black and swarthy, and I don't know what the tree is. On a dead branch of the tree, three feet high, there was a white horse! The white horse was dead, but its ribs on the left and right sides were bloodily opened and propped up to the left and right like umbrellas, and the white forest was in the moonlight. The horse's entrails were more visible in the moonlight.

A gust of wind rose, a special smell of blood came to her face, Pei Hongli's first action was to hold Xiaozhi's head, not letting him look at it again, only to hear her suppress her fear and say to the child: "Don't be afraid, Xiaozhi, don't be afraid, this is a dream, this is just a dream." ”

But she knew it wasn't a dream! Xiaozhi was so frightened that she cried and cried and fell asleep. Pei Hongli put him in the car, and then walked to the open space alone, and she glanced at the horse again. She decided not to be afraid. The three Mr. Lang who were standing and talking on the side of the road, they were silent for a while, and they all looked at this woman with some admiration. Pei Hongli tried his best to ask calmly, "What does this mean?" ”

Mr. Lang had a calm face: "It means that Dongmi's 'Five Animal Killing' has been launched." This is the first warning from the people of the 'Mashasa' Luo Hu to our bodyguards. ”

Pei Hongli looked at the faces of Shi Ke and Wu Ben, there was a wooden look on the faces of the two of them after the middle of the night, but she could see the wavering in their hearts - they were not sure! Shi Ke looked at the horse and thought to himself: In the seventeen years since his debut, he will pass many masters, but in the face of the 'five animal killings' of 'Dongmi', can he still cope with the past? Unless the General Administration of the word 'Yue' is willing to mobilize all its strength, he is really not sure about the 'Dongmi' who is like a maggot attached to the bone and never dies.

But he didn't say it. He didn't want to say it to scare a woman, let alone a beautiful woman. I only heard Mr. Lang cough lightly, and said to Wu Ben and Shi Kke: "Let's get on the road." ”

Then they didn't speak, but the three of them didn't separate the front and back again, but Wu Ben was only half a mile in front of the car, and Mr. Lang only walked together in the back half of the car.

When they are stressed, their fists should be clenched. What was Mr. Lang thinking? Is he regretting that he shouldn't have called "Crawler" Weng Ping to stay in the dart game?

This dart, Chang'an Yue should have been dispatched all!

Five more

Turn over the five watches, and you can't see the five watches. People who stay up late should be the most uncomfortable when they stay up until what time is the fourth watch, and the long night is vast, and it seems that it will always be difficult to understand, and it is difficult to avoid the earthquake.

Fortunately, since Pei Hongli left her deceased husband, she has almost developed the habit of staying awake all night.

- What are you looking at with empty eyes in the dark night? What are you waiting for? And what can be caught?

Pei Honglou thought - the emptiness of despair was pressed continuously. This attack was so calm for it, it knew that there was no way for people to resist and hide in this night. It toyed with them, tormented them. But they struggled to the last of their spirits, and in despair they forged hope for the dawn to return.

The sound of hooves came from behind, and everyone was startled. Smith K's surprise was on the back of his hand, and the back of his hand burst out on the handle of the horsewhip; Wu Ben's surprise made the horse suffer, his thick legs that had practiced the 'north legs' clamped the horse's belly so tightly; Mr. Lang raised his eyebrows, he reined, he wanted to see, in this dark night, who was chasing them, Lang Qiande of the Praying Mantis Gate was not a man who could be bluffed casually.

Who?

——The people came so quickly, fifty feet away, Mr. Lang had already heard the panting of the cattle. His hands were in his sleeves. No one knew what Mr. Lang was in his sleeve, not even Shi Kline and Wu Ben, but every time he killed someone, his hand was groping in his sleeve.

Forty zhang, thirty zhang, twenty zhang...... Mr. Lang was about to withdraw his hands. But I heard someone shouting: "Mr. Lang! ”

Mr. Lang was stunned for a moment, and then Shi Ke and Wu Ben both smiled at each other, they heard who it was! - They have been the 'creeper' Weng Ping for many years. Chang'an Yue's 'one master, three darts head' is now reunited, and the two of them can't help but be full of confidence. I saw that Weng Ping was already sweating and approaching, and when he arrived, he turned over and dismounted. He was a short and stout man, Wu Ben smiled and said, "Old man, why are you in such a hurry?" ”

Weng Ping hurriedly said: "I have seen the 'five livestock killing' on the tree in front of me, how can I not be in a hurry?" ”

He was clumsy, knowing that it was a big matter, and he was afraid that he would not be able to say it clearly, so he took out a note from his arms and handed it to Mr. Lang: "This is, this is, the news from the General Administration that you have been gone for an hour." ”

Mr. Lang turned on the moonlight, it was not a message, it was an instruction. There was only one sentence in the command, and he glanced at Pei Honglian, but somehow, as calm as him, he seemed to feel that he couldn't bear to read it out.

He was silent for a moment, and glanced at the three darts who were rejoicing on the side of the road: "The head of the General Administration order: We should not take care of the affairs of the 'Eastern Secret', let alone the grudge of the 'five animals'." ”

Shi Ke and Wu Ben were both stunned on the spot, while Weng Ping was sweating. Wu Benne said: "But, we have already taken this dart." ”

Mr. Lang didn't speak, and he had never done such a half-thing in his life. But after staring at the sky in the west corner for a long time, he still said with a dry throat: "Withdraw." ”

Shi Kenne said: "But Chang Changyue's reputation ......"

A woman said coldly: "What does it matter, anyway, you are not open, but secret." ”

It was Pei Hongli who had stepped out of the car at some point. She smiled in her throat, she was usually gentle and graceful, but this smile couldn't suppress the contempt in her heart: "What's more, haven't you been paid yet?" ”

These were exactly what several people in the dart game were trying to justify themselves, but they didn't think she would say it first. Ske's face couldn't help but turn red and white. Mr. Lang ignored Pei Honglian's words. said coldly: "The bureau master has an order, you must obey and withdraw." ”

Seeing that the three of them were still hesitating, he turned his horse's head and turned back first.

The three of them had to get on their horses. He and Wu Ben didn't dare to look at Pei Hongling at all. Shi K's face was red and white, and he said for a while: "Take care." And he rode away.

In the dark night, there was no one to accompany him.

Pei Hongli took a deep breath, she had never felt so lonely and helpless in her life.

There was a dead cow on the side of the road just now-Pei Hongli thought coldly in his mind. The night is infinitely long, and the road seems infinitely long. There was a dead cow on the side of the road, and its belly was cut open by its own horns, and blood flowed all over the ground. And the earth was full of ox lungs, and ox hearts, and ox livers. - If he escapes this difficulty, Pei Hongli promises that he will not take another look at beef.

She understood that it was another 'five animal killing', another threat from the people of the 'Eastern Secret' to Chang'an Yue's dart master, but they didn't know that Chang'an Yue had withdrawn. Now there is only one woman and a child in the car, and there is a driver who is driving the car. When Er Bing saw the tragic scene, he suddenly foamed at the mouth and got off the wheel, he had a problem with sheep epilepsy, Pei Hongling had always known, but he didn't expect him to have a seizure at this time. She stuffed Er Bing into the car so easily, it was impossible to expect him to catch the car, she took a breath, and only she got into the wheel. In the dark, she heard the childish trembling voice calling: "Mom".

She knew that Childe was waiting to see her reaction—he was afraid, he would have to see her reaction before deciding whether to cry or not. Pei Hongli also wanted to cry, but now, now is not the time to cry with a headache. Pei Hongli said to herself: Xiaozhi, you are a child without a father, but you still have a mother, she will not be intimidated by difficulties. She bit her lip and let the pain stimulate her, and she was finally able to say calmly, "Xiaozhi, are you a man?" ”

Xiaozhi was stunned.

Pei Hongli didn't turn around: "Are you your father's son?" ”

She felt the childish nod lightly behind her.

Pei Hongling said in a stiff voice: "Okay, you have to be like a man, take care of Er Bing, let's go." ”

This is Pei Honglian's first time driving. She, the daughter of Pei Shangshu and the wife of Xiao Yu, never thought that one day she would drive by herself. The night is infinitely long, and the road seems infinitely long. Let this fear pass quickly, and give me an end, or a result.

Suddenly, a horse came running from behind, is it 'five animals killed'? Child's eyes widened in horror in the car. Pei Hongli doesn't care, she just runs, run. The horse still caught up, the man ran to the side, stretched out his hand and handed Pei Hongling a pill, and whispered very softly: "You guys go quickly, if you can reach Lintong within half an hour, you still have hope." Remember, the deepest part of the alley at the East Gate. ”

It was Smith Kline who spoke, and he turned his horse and left. But how can this car go fast? Na Shi Ke turned around and said, "Bloodletting." ”

Pei Hongli didn't know if what he said was true or false. Gritting his teeth, he stopped and fed the medicine to the horse pulling the cart, and then shouted, "Little child, sit down." And he took out the hairpin on his head, and plunged it into the horse's hips.

Then, just as Pei Hongli expected, the horse galloped up!

The road is flying,—— night is short, the night is short, Pei Hongling thought: Give me and Xiaozhi a tomorrow!