Within a month after the death of King Beiyang, the prince Gu Zi'an successfully received the support of King Xia and returned to China to inherit the throne. With the escort of the army sent by the Xia King, the risk on the road was much reduced.

The group crossed a wide river before dark and set up camp.

The village chief let Gu Zi'an and Meng Yining into his home. They sat around an oil lamp filled with oil. Outside the window, there is a joyful roar of joy and joy, today is the spring moon festival in the village, men, women and children dance around the bonfire until midnight. It is said that a jump on the Spring Moon Festival is full of yang energy for a year. The villagers sang their traditional melodious songs to the sound of crackling and burning wood. You can also hear the laughter of young men and women.

In the house, Meng Yining put down the bamboo brewing, this wine is sweet and greasy, and a trace of it melts in the mouth, like slightly drunk fruit honey. Her heart is like a large lake, deep and quiet. She knows there is still a long way to go.

The letter from the assassin had just arrived, and only two things had come to him.

Six days ago, when Zhao Hai, the queen of Beiyang, went to worship in the temple, her entourage found a hairpin with a broken head at the feet of the god. The bird was nothing unusual, for it was named after a cluster of yellow feathers on its head that looked like a golden hairpin. However, because the hairpin character coincides with the queen's name, there are many taboos. After returning to the palace, someone found the hairpin head finch killed at the gate of the newly favored Anliangren Palace before the death of the former king.

Zhao Chai invited a Taoist from outside the palace to check on the matter, and the Taoist said: "Although the bird is small, it understands the protector." He decided that someone was trying to use witchcraft to falsely accuse the queen. Zhao Chai ordered a search of all the concubines' rooms in the palace, but found a blood-stained paper-cut figure in An Liangren's residence, and his name was actually written on the puppeteer. The man claimed to be able to see ghosts, claiming that there were ghosts and ghosts around An Liangren, all of whom were haunted by witchcraft.

Without hesitation, Queen Zhao ordered the doors and windows of An Liangren's palace to be nailed to death with wooden planks, and then starved to death. I heard that An Liangren still has Gu Zhang's blood and bones in his body, and it has been three months.

"Zhao Chai can't control the other sons, so he will harm this defenseless An Liangren who has no support from his father and mother, she is too vicious and has no place to release." Meng Yining sneered contemptuously.

Le Yi looked at Meng Yining's small expression, but he was happy: "If you catch Zhao Hai, you must have thought about how to deal with it." Won't throw her into the scorpion pit? ”

"Hmph." She snorted, "This is a vicious woman with no vision, I'm really not interested in her."

Zhang Ji looked at the letter and said: "More than 20 years ago, there was a lover surnamed Zhen, who was being favored, and saw that Zhao Chai had no children at that time, and he had a desire to covet him, so he made a witch and ghost, cursed Zhao Chai and killed the maid to kill him. It was discovered that His Majesty asked Zhao Hai to be questioned and investigated, and Zhen Liangren and others committed suicide. Now it seems that it is no different from this matter. ”

Xiao Zimu crossed his hands and stood in front of his chest: "Zhao Jiashan witch Gu technique, when Zhao Chai's second brother Zhao Erze was under me, he had three competitions, and his soldiers won all three of them, and he was rewarded by His Majesty." Although his army was the same as the other armies in terms of law and order, it was much more ferocious than the other armies. Later I found out that his soldiers often had headaches, dizziness, irritability, and some even had spasms, shortness of breath, and dilated pupils. After slowly exploring, he found that before the competition, he ordered people to add a large amount of strychnine, poppy husks and other medicinal materials to the soldiers' meals, and then applied southern witchcraft, so that people would be extremely excited and not feel pain. ”

"This is madness for fame and fortune...... Meng Yining sighed, turned his head to look at Gu Zi'an, his eyes were calm and unsharp, and he didn't seem to be affected.

"The Zhao family likes the art of yin damage and viciousness, values money and status, and has no permanent friends, only eternal interests. Therefore, the subordinates of the Zhao family are easier to buy than the loyal family, and they follow Zhao Hai because of money. It's not hard to find the inner response. So they watched their teeth and claws fall into power for a while, but because they were too selfish, they were greedy for money, and the people who followed him were actually terrified. As long as we are willing to pay a lot of money, we can divide from within, plant bombs, and detonate them at any time. Gu Zi said quietly, dressed in a dark blue brocade robe, reflecting the light slightly under the light.

Meng Yining raised her eyebrows slightly, and squinted her eyes: "Then you have to thank me, I have discovered all those good things of Lord Hehou." As he spoke, the corners of his mouth went up, like a child begging for praise.

Gu Zi'an smiled: "Yes, thanks to you, we are now broad." ”

And Zhi Duoxing seemed to understand something, dancing on Le Yi's shoulder, and consuming a hair. Le Yi grabbed Zhi Duoxing off his shoulder and spoke: "What about the second thing?" ”。

Zhang Ji said in a low tone: "Zhao Erze has already left from the capital with 10,000 elite soldiers. ”

Gu Zi'an looked like he had already guessed, and took the jade pendant in his hand. "The country cannot be without a king for a day, and it is common sense for the son of the world to ascend the throne. It's just that my brother how can I be obedient to this monarch? And when Yangshang set off for the summer from the teacher, he ordered people to start building momentum for this son. It should also be fruitful. ”

Zhang Ji's cronies who stayed in Beiyang began to prepare for the journey to Daxia from the moment he embarked on the road to Daxia, so that Gu Zi'an's name appeared in the hearts of the people and officials of Beiyang, and publicized his contribution to the stability of the country in the past eight years abroad. And this hindered Queen Zhao's plan, and she did not dare to act rashly to let her son be king.

"Is this a decision to send troops after an assassination attempt? Zhao Erze only has a total of 20,000 soldiers and horses in his hands, and he took out half of them, so he is not afraid that someone will take advantage of the chaos? Meng Yining asked.

"I left quietly. If the hundred officials knew that Zhao Erze ordered someone to be killed on the way back to China, how could they let Zhao Chai listen to the government in the court, and they would never let her son take on the big responsibility. What's more, we now have the protection of the Great Xia army, is she going to war with Great Xia? ”

"One more important thing, your mother is still in the sun." Meng Yining suddenly thought of the down-to-earth, gentle, and virtuous woman, and looked at Gu Zi'an with some concern.

"Someone has been sent to pick it up." He always did a lot of things first, and when Meng Yining realized it, he had already taken measures. "We'll see you at Lingfeng Mountain." He said firmly, he no longer had a weakness in the hands of the enemy, and now he could give it a go.

All the music in the village is played in unison, and the words of blessing auspiciousness are like flowing water. The villagers also presented corsages made of dried flowers to the guests passing by from afar. Mars twinkles, and the atmosphere is joyful, as if all of a sudden it has entered the season of luxury. After Meng Yining's meeting, he walked through the layers of crowds and came to the silent riverside.

It was quiet and dark, and the sounds of dancing and celebration were far away.

Suddenly, she felt a gentle gaze shoot from behind her, and she turned around to see Le Yi standing behind her.

"Why did you come along?"

"Let's see what good stuff you've found."

She smiled: "What's the matter, I'm just coming out to meditate." The two sat quietly by the river, which was quietly thawing.

The night wind was low, and the grass was blowing. Suddenly, she heard what seemed to be a sneaky conversation nearby. Le Yi also seemed to be aware, and the two glanced at each other, hiding behind the big rock, looking at the direction the voice came from.

"Just put it here!"

"The water is deep here, and we have tied stones to the soles of his feet, and we will surely die."

"Hurry up, the master is still waiting for us to return to life."

The two whispered, and Meng Yining had a keen sense of hearing and quickly noticed it. She looked back at Le Yi, who put her hand between her lips and asked her not to make a sound.

Two people were seen carrying a black object into the river, and the black object was still struggling and writhing.

The two were about to work together to lift the man and fall to the bottom of the river when they suddenly felt a cold wind and a chill down his spine.

"Who?"