Volume I—Chapter 4 Before the Beginning

With its meandering waterways, buildings, flowers, willows, and paths, it is a great place to visit all year round – for both visitors and escapees.

Tianbao is on the 14th day of the first month of the third year, and it is not the beginning.

Chang'an, Wannian County, Xiuzheng Fang.

Xiuzheng Fang is located in the southeast corner of the city, far away from the two prosperous places such as the east and west cities of the imperial city and the second square of Yanshou Pingkang; However, it is adjacent to Qujiang Pond and Furong Garden, and it is very convenient to enjoy the banquet and scenery. Although most of the dignitaries and nobles in the capital do not live here, they all try to buy a few sets of partial houses here.

It is indeed a good choice for the Longbo or Turks to settle here. At this time, there are not many people living in the mansions in this area, and many of them are empty, which is the best place to hide in them.

The hour was pressing, Zhang Xiaojing and Yao Runeng quickly whipped up their horses and galloped from Pingkangfang all the way to Xiuzheng Fang.

Compared with the crowded and dense buildings in the north, the layout of the mansions in the Xiuzheng Fang is much sparser, with no more than seven or eight households on one street—but each household occupies a much larger area, the gate is wide, and the walls on both sides are more than thirty steps long. The head of the wall is covered with green scale tiles, and the back of the wall is covered with green plants such as pine, bamboo, vine, and rose, which is sparse and suitable. If you stand far away, you can also see several high-rise pavilions in the courtyard, showing the magnificence.

According to Tong'er's confession, every time Long Bo took her out, he went to the third room by the side of the alley in the southwest corner of Xiuzheng Fang. Compared to the neighbors, the mansion was a little shabby, with peeling skin and broken tiles, like a row of broken teeth. The beast ring of the house gate is rusted, and there is no door plaque hanging above, indicating that this house has no owner for the time being.

Jing'an Si has already read the deed, the owner of this house is a wealthy Yangzhou businessman surnamed Jin, but he has not shown up for several years, I don't know if he is dead or forgotten, this place has been deserted and uninhabited, and he has not even hired a sprinkler and sweeper. The Turks chose this place as a Wanquan house, which is really suitable.

Zhang Xiaojing has always believed that the Turks must have more than one Wanquan house in Chang'an City, otherwise they would not be able to carry out a big operation. Pushing back, as long as you find Wanquan House, maybe you can find the Turks.

From the outside, there is nothing unusual about this empty house. However, Zhang Xiaojing knew that the buildings here in Xiuzheng Fang were five or six deep, and they had to dive in to know what was going on inside. He first checked the crossbow arrows, tightened the trouser hems and cuffs, and then removed the scabbard of the saber, and said to Yao Runeng: The situation inside is unknown, I'll go first to take a look. You stand at the door and keep in touch with the watchtower.

Just one person? Yao Runeng was surprised.

Zhang Xiaojing said lightly: I don't dare to hand over my back to you now.

The corners of Yao Runeng's mouth twitched, he lowered his head, and silently took a few steps back. After the controversy in Pingkangfang, the relationship between the two people is a little delicate.

Yao Runeng had just reported to the Jing'an Division through the watchtower, reporting Zhang Xiaojing's despicable behavior. As a result, Jing'an Division's reply reprimanded him, just a hidden stake, which could not be compared with the safety of the entire Chang'an, and warned him not to interfere with Zhang Duwei's affairs anymore, and not to use the watchtower to pass on these irrelevant trivial matters.

Yao Runeng stubbornly believed that Zhang Xiaojing must have his own little abacus, but his superiors were blinded and didn't know. Now that he is asking for a person to enter the house, will he want to abscond? But if he had the heart to run away, he would have knocked himself unconscious and left just now, so why wait until now?

He stood in disarray, not knowing whether to follow the past to monitor or obey the order. Without waiting for Yao Ru to make a decision, Zhang Xiaojing bit the barrier knife in his mouth, stood more than ten steps away from the wall, suddenly accelerated, jumped up and climbed the edge, and deftly climbed over the courtyard wall.

If there are Turkic people hiding here, there will definitely be manipulation on the palace gate and a few corner gates, and climbing over the wall is the best choice.

As soon as he landed, he crouched in the bushes to observe for a moment, and then cautiously walked inside. There is nothing new about the layout of this house, and there is a flat eaves nave after the wall, which is connected with the east and west wings with a corridor. The cloister is winding and winding, just enclosing an empty courtyard, but unfortunately the few flower shelves resting in the middle have been dusty for a long time, and the tile pots are deserted. There are still a few clumps of peonies in the soil in the corner of the wall, and the first month is not the flowering period, only the bare branches stretch out, and I am afraid that no one will serve them.

The corridor goes around the back of the main hall and goes deep into a pine forest, and between the trees, there seems to be a two-story wooden pavilion.

Zhang Xiaojing hid his figure under Langfang, poked his head out and observed about half a burnt incense time, it seemed that there was no movement in the courtyard, and he was slightly disappointed. He was only speculating about this place or the Turks' mansion, and if his speculation failed, he would have no clues in his hand, and the whole strategy would have to start from scratch.

He decided to look any further, and stepped into the cloister and moved forward. Suddenly, Zhang Xiaojing shrugged his nose and smelled a very subtle aroma of fat powder - it can be seen that a woman has just passed by, and the time will never last. Hitomi has been detained a long time ago, it must not be her, so who could be here? Zhang Xiaojing squatted down again, rubbing his fingers on the wooden floor of the corridor, and his fingers were stained with some blue-white dust. This is not dust, but stone chips.

There is no similar material in the house, and it should be brought in by outsiders who walk in and bring in the soles.

There is no doubt that someone must have been here. Since it is not in the front hall, is it hidden in the second-story wooden pavilion at the back?

Zhang Xiaojing was about to get up, when he suddenly felt the wind on the top of his head. He reacted very quickly and rolled forward on the spot, avoiding the edge and adjusting his posture, and the elbow was an arrow. I heard a pop, and the sound of crossbow arrows shooting into the flesh was heard. Zhang Xiaojing's left leg flicked suddenly, and he pounced in reverse, and a person over there had fallen to the ground crookedly, he pinched the opponent's jaw with his right hand like a plier, not letting him make a sound, and his left hand quickly threw away the crossbow, pulled out the barrier knife and stabbed it into the lower abdomen fiercely, and stabbed it three times, not forgetting to twist the handle of the knife each time.

The other party collapsed to the ground limply, and died of exhaustion. Zhang Xiaojing had time to observe this person's appearance, he was also a Turk, but he was wearing a prison guard. On one side of this cloister there is a mullioned moon window, which blocks half of the view. Just now, the Turk was estimated to be freeing his hands in the bushes behind the window, so Zhang Xiaojing didn't see it.

It was really dangerous just now, if Zhang Xiaojing reacted a little slower, he would be cut open by this Turkic man. If the Turks were not greedy for merit and sneak attack, but first spoke out to warn their companions, then Zhang Xiaojing was afraid that he would also fall into a siege and killing.

Only one person was sent to patrol in the front hall, instead of arranging two sentry posts, one bright and one dark, and it seemed that the other party's manpower would not be too manpower. Zhang Xiaojing was almost certain that the enemy was in the second-story pavilion behind.

Finally caught your wolf's tail, Zhang Xiaojing thought excitedly.

He could retreat now, and let Yao Runeng inform Jing'an Si that Cui Qi's brigade would arrive in two moments. But Zhang Xiaojing was a little concerned about the fragrance, and he decided to go further.

The name of the two-story attic after the middle hall is called Zhuxin, from the outside, it should be a structure of the building - the ground floor is a large open room, used for banquets, there are bamboo steps leading to the second floor, divided into several rooms, when it is a place to rest or private conversation. There is also a high pavilion on the top of the building, and you can raise your eyes to overlook the Qujiang River.

Zhang Xiaojing observed for a while, there was no figure in sight by the window, these guys were very cautious. He decided to retreat for the time being, the internal structure of this pavilion was complicated, the space was narrow, and it was too dangerous to rush in. But just as he was about to leave quietly, a woman's scream suddenly came from a room on the second floor.

When Zhang Xiaojing heard this familiar voice, the two silkworm eyebrows twisted together. He hesitated slightly, and immediately leveled his crossbow and groped it under the window on the first floor towards the main entrance. After reaching the main entrance, he leaned his back against the wall, turned sideways to the door, and threw a piece of flower and stone picked up in the courtyard in the opposite direction.

As expected, the people in the main hall of the attic heard the sound and opened the door to check, Zhang Xiaojing pushed the door next to the door, slammed it on the back of his head, and then strangled his arm hard. The guy was suddenly clamped around the neck, struggled desperately, and kicked over a nearby flower pot shelf with his right leg. A fine-grained tile basin fell to the ground and shattered into countless pieces with a thud, resounding throughout the courtyard.

Zhang Xiaojing twisted his backhand and broke the opponent's neck. But his attempt to sneak in was also bankrupt. Hurried footsteps were heard on the second floor, dust splattering from the ceiling, accompanied by loud shouts in Turkic. Now that the matter has come to this, Zhang Xiaojing can't care about regret, he picked up the crossbow, stepped on the bamboo steps and rushed up. The first person to rush down was knocked down by him with an arrow and rolled down.

Zhang Xiaojing seized this opportunity, rushed to the second floor in one go, and got behind a Qi Chu embroidered screen facing the stairs. The Turks on the other side also had crossbows in their hands, and they shot indiscriminately, piercing the screen into a sieve. Zhang Xiaojing deliberately did not fight back, and when a person raised a knife forward, he quickly shot an arrow and hit the knee.

The others dragged the screaming companion back, not daring to approach for a moment. So the two sides looked for cover and fired at each other from both ends of the corridor. For a while, crossbow arrows flew sideways in the small pavilion, like a storm blowing in.

It is forbidden to carry arrows and crossbows when entering the city, so these Turkic crossbows are privately equipped, and whether it is the rate of fire or the accuracy, it is not as powerful as the military system. With the power of a crossbow, Zhang Xiaojing was able to suppress the three people on the other side and the three crossbows couldn't raise their heads.

Zhang Xiaojing's problem was that he was about to run out of crossbow arrows. He guessed that there were at least four people on the other side, all of whom were huddled in the room on the second floor and refused to come out, and he was secretly a little anxious in his heart.

Jing'an Division does things! You're surrounded! Zhang Xiaojing put the last crossbow arrow into the crossbow trough and shouted loudly in Turkic.

Shooting in the hallway stopped for a moment, and then there was a creaking sound of dragging something. A voice shouted: "The people on the other side lay down their weapons, or Wang Zhonghe's daughter will die!"

Wang Zhonghe? When Zhang Xiaojing heard this name, his movements froze. He is the core figure of the Tang Dynasty's use of troops against the Turks this time, and the Turks actually tied up his daughter?

He poked his head out of the corner and saw a burly Turkic wolf guard standing in the middle of the hallway, pulling a woman in a big tie in front of him, holding her neck with one hand and a sharp knife at her throat. It's a pity that the direction is backlit, and the faces of the two people can't be seen clearly.

I'll count to three, and if you don't throw it away, she'll see blood. At the same time, Ma Ge'er pressed the blade of the knife hard against the woman's delicate neck. The woman's temples were scattered, her mouth was gagged with strips of cloth, and she could only let out a whining wail.

As soon as he heard this voice, a trace of surprise flashed in Zhang Xiaojing's eyes. This is not the voice of Wang Zhonghe's daughter, it is more like smelling the girl, but shouldn't she have received her own notice to leave the capital? How could it be mixed into the affairs of the Turks? How can you get confused with Wang Zhonghe's daughter?

Magar threatened for the third time, and this time it was going to be real. Zhang Xiaojing snorted, so he had to throw the crossbow machine on the ground and kick it at Ma Ge'er. If it was really Wang Zhonghe's daughter, he didn't care about her life or death, but the other side was holding Wen Ran hostage, so he couldn't ignore it - these Turks were really crooked.

And your knives! Ma Ge'er tightly wrapped her arms around Wen Ran's neck.

Zhang Xiaojing had no choice but to throw away the barrier knife and stand up with his hands raised.

Two Turks pounced on him and pushed him to the ground. Zhang Xiaojing's hands were restrained, and he had no power to resist, so he could only struggle to raise his head, trying to see the woman's face clearly, but Ma Ge'er had already pushed her back into the room.

Zhang Xiaojing was still struggling, a big hand pulled his hair and slammed it into the floor. The violent impact made Zhang Xiaojing's eyes bumble, and two streaks of blood came out of his nostrils, then the second and third time, and soon a shocking blood stain appeared on the luxurious cypress floor

Li Mi had already returned to Jing'an Division at this time, and he summoned Xu Bin and others to discuss things in a low voice in front of the sand table. On the outskirts, the scribes and servants were busy with each other, and the entire hall of the Jing'an Division was bustling with a busy scene.

At this time, a small official held a glass hourglass bottle beside him, and as soon as the fine sand in the bottle flowed out, he turned over the mouth of the bottle and counted loudly: one leak, two leaks, three leaks, and four leaks per thought, and an old man next to him will put down a few red paper papers in the market. On the entire sand table, there are already more than 30 red Cambodians, covering more than a dozen markets in Beicheng, they are intertwined with each other in groups, and there is a red one as far as the eye can see.

After a while, Xu Bin raised his hand to signal to stop the timer, and said to Li Mi: Forty leaks, thirty-seven squares.

This number made the faces of everyone around him solemn.

This is a sand table-based deduction to figure out what the Turks really want to do.

Zhang Xiaojing tried his best to track it down, but Li Mi didn't like to wait passively, so he decided to be more proactive. The Turks said that Chang'an would become Quelehodo, but it is not clear what Quelehodo is. So Li Mi gathered a group of officials who were familiar with the situation of the city and gave them a proposition: how to cause the greatest damage to Chang'an City as quickly as possible?

The officials quickly came to the conclusion that it was arson.

Other methods are either too complex or too limited. Arson planning is simple, inexpensive, and with the right time and place, a few people can make a big mess.

For the wolf guards, who had no roots in Chang'an City, this was almost their only option.

But Li Mi was still not satisfied with this answer, and he wanted to know more details: where is the right place to start the fire? Where is it spreading? Fast or slow geometry? So he transferred a few old officials of Wuhou Shop, who were well versed in fire, and used this big sand table to conduct a fire deduction.

At the time of deduction, the hourglass was used to overturn the table at one time, and a bunch of red Cambodian watches were counted as a fire within a radius of 300 steps. The forty leaks and thirty-seven squares reported by Xu Bin mean that once the fire starts, within four hours, the fire can spread to thirty-seven miles, and they are all prosperous places in the northern city and the essence of Chang'an.

And that's just simulating a fire. If someone is intentional and launches it in several places at the same time, I am afraid that the result will be several times more miserable.

Looking at the dense red Cambodia on the sand table, the onlookers all showed a terrifying scene of fire and hell. Is this the true face of Quelehodo?

Li Mi frowned: Spread so fast? But did you take into account the means of avoiding fire in Zhufang?

Xu Bindao: If it is a weekday, Zhufang is separated by a wall, and there are canals in the city that are divided and staggered, so as not to cause great harm, but don't forget, today is the Shangyuan Festival, and the lights must be hung on the streets and streets, and there are only tens of millions of candles, and the lamp stands are all bamboo branches and wood, and there are several squares in succession. At the beginning of spring this year, the wind is high and dry, and in case of a fire, it is the trend of burning the camp

Everyone suddenly realized. No wonder the Turks are obsessed with fangtu. With the diagram in hand, you can easily deduce which places are far away from the canal; Which places are higher and can take advantage of the wind; Which places are next to each other can allow the fire to spread to all sides as quickly as possible.

Cui Qi said loudly on the side: Let's hope to be upstaired, as long as we see the fire together, we will immediately send personnel to put it out, won't we?

Xu Bin smiled wryly: Hey, Cui Lvshuai, you think it's simple. Millions of soldiers and civilians came out to watch the lanterns tonight, and the roads were flooded, how to mobilize Wuhou? Besides, the people will be terrified when they are on fire. With so many people trampling and running, do you save people or fight fires?

Cui Qi was silent, but he knew how terrible the rebellious army was. The two of them looked at Si Cheng at the same time, but Li Mi pinched his chin and was silent.

The best way to deal with it is to cancel the lantern festival and restore the night ban - this is absolutely impossible; The second way is to thoroughly investigate the squares one by one - this is also impossible☆ I shook my head helplessly, Jing'an Division was heavily constrained inside and outside, and it was not satisfactory, but it was really wearing shackles and dancing Hu Xuan Dance.

In fact, there is another way, which is to ask the old officials to mark the most suitable place for arson on the sand table, and ambush people in advance. But this is tantamount to a gamble, as long as one guess is wrong, it will collapse completely☆I don't like this kind of resignation.

But if you don't, what can you do? Can you only count on Zhang Xiaojing?

At this time, a white-bearded old official next to him interjected: Instead of checking the workshop, it is better to check things. Li Mi's eyes lit up, and he motioned for him to go on, and the official replied respectfully: His subordinates used to be engaged in farming, and they often burned the fields. If you want to set off a fire in Xuantian, one is that the fire head must be big, and the other is that the fire must be fierce. The former relied on sesame oil, and the latter relied on firewood, and if they wanted to set fire to the city, these two things were indispensable, and the quantity was very large.

Do you mean, Wolf Wei is in Chang'an, and he will inevitably accumulate a large amount of firewood?

Si Cheng is wise. According to the humble opinion of his subordinates, as long as he keeps an eye on the bulk accumulation of these two types of materials, he will definitely gain.

This opinion came out of the machine, and everyone listened to it, and they all nodded secretly☆ Praise: Xun Yue's "Shen Jian" has a saying: 'Prevention is the first, save the second', this method is the bottom of the kettle, which can be described as very good.

Seeing that his colleagues had received the approval of the top, others were also emboldened. One humanitarian: firewood and the like are all from the people of Jingfu Mountain, scattered and scattered, difficult to check, it is better to focus on oil. It is not easy to squeeze this thing, and it is difficult to operate non-large households, so the sources are in the hands of several giant merchants, and it is faster to check.

Another small official also suggested: The capital relies more on transshipment from other places for oil. You only need to call up the customs declaration records of the city gatekeepers to see if any Hu merchants have recently brought large quantities of pig fat, sheep fat, flax and other oils into the city, and then you can find the storage land according to the map

Ridiculous, do you think the people of the Central Plains will not be bought? If you want to check it all, check it all for me! Li Mi lowered his face and corrected. One of the things he always instilled in his subordinates was that there should be no Hanhu prejudice, both of which were dangerous.

The scribes quickly copied these suggestions into more than a dozen official letters, and Li Mi personally stamped the seal of Jing'an.

Immediately send it to the various offices, let them comply with the order, and within an hour, I will check the list of all the places where oil and oil are stored in Chang'an.

Tong Chuan received the order and hurriedly ran out. The scribes returned to their seats and were busy again.

Li Mi returned to his place and closed his eyes for a moment. Tan Qi walked behind him, pressed his slender jade fingers on his temple, and began to rub them gently. It didn't take long for Tan Qi to suddenly hear a slight snoring sound.

He actually fell asleep.

Tan Qi thought for a while, and Childe hadn't closed his eyes for twenty-four hours.

Zhang Xiaojing recovered from his dizziness and found himself tied to a hall pillar, his hands tied high. His nose still ached, and the blood was smeared. Ma Ge'er walked up to him, shook the Jing'an Ceping waist card in his hand, and there was a tent in the crotch of his pants.

Ma Ge'er is in a bad mood now, and the boils on his garlic nose are getting more and more swollen, and even skin oil is oozing out.

He followed the instructions of the right murderer and robbed the two girls to this perfect house. The right killer only said that he would let them live, but he didn't tell anything else, so Ma Ge'er decided to enjoy it. Since he came to Chang'an City from the grassland, he has been low-key and forbearing, and the desire in his heart has long been about to explode. He is not a cold man like Cao Poyan, he longs for blood, for killing, for women's screams.

Ma Ge'er has planned it, both women will do it, and then leave Wang Zhonghe's daughter, and the other one will be tortured to death by the most cruel means, vent it well, and then welcome the arrival of Que Lehodo in the fullest state. As soon as he thought of the daughter of the Prairie Evil Star King Zhongji moaning under him, Ma Ge'er's phallus stood up high, unable to help himself.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he took off his pants, an intruder came, which made Ma Geer very unhappy.

What made him even more unhappy was that this intruder actually had a waist card. Although Ma Geer doesn't know words, he also knows that it is not a mortal thing from the heavy texture of the waist card.

Ma Ge'er wanted to say nothing, slaughtered him, and then continued to play with women. But after all, he was born in the wolf guard, so he had to consider another possibility - this guy's equipment is too sophisticated, whether it is waist brand soft armor or hand crossbow, it is a high-end goods, it is likely to belong to Jingzhao Mansion or Jin Wuwei, and may even come from the army.

If he can find the door, so can others, and this perfect house has become extremely unsafe.

This must be asked.

How did you know we were here? Ma Geer asked in jerky Tang dialect.

Zhang Xiaojing didn't speak, and stared coldly at Ma Ge'er with one eye. Ma Geer felt very uncomfortable, this look was very similar to the lone wolf on the grassland, whether the wolf was in a trap or on the verge of death, he always looked at humans with such cold eyes.

Ma Ge'er snorted coldly, picked up Zhang Xiaojing's barrier knife, and gently used the tip of the knife to pick off a trace of flesh from his throat, Zhang Xiaojing's neck was full of blood: Say it quickly, otherwise you will have more hardships to eat.

Zhang Xiaojing's lips moved, and Ma Geer thought he was going to confess, but he asked rhetorically: Where is the woman you arrested? Ma Ge'er frowned and punched him hard in the lower abdomen, making him vomit loudly.

Now I'm asking!

But Zhang Xiaojing already knows the answer. Just now, Ma Ge'er subconsciously glanced at the next door, indicating that Wen Ran was there. The smell of séance was familiar to him.

How did you know we were here?

Ma Ge'er asked again, and seeing that he still didn't respond, he put the blade of the knife against Zhang Xiaojing's armpit. The cold touch of the iron made his skin tremble. Ma Ge'er grinned, deliberately pushing the blade slowly, like peeling a pear, and peeled off a piece of bloody round flesh under his armpit. As the blade lifted the flesh and skin, Zhang Xiaojing let out an irrepressible scream.

In the Turks, this was called minting meat money, because the meat that was spun down was the size of a copper coin. Swirling in this part of the human body, it is not fatal, but it is extremely painful, and as long as a few meat coins are minted, the prisoner will recruit anything.

But although Zhang Xiaojing's face changed miserably, he still kept silent, and his annoying eyes always stared at him. Ma Geer suddenly realized that the other party was dragging time! The brigade is most likely already on its way.

No, we have to evacuate immediately!

Ma Geer walked next door, and his men had already picked up the two women. Ma Gexin glanced outward, stretched out his finger, and pointed to Sniff: Take her with you.

How can you tell which one is Wang Zhonghe's daughter? The subordinates were a little surprised.

Ma Ge'er touched the delicate neck, put his hand in front of his nose and took a breath, and said obscenely: What I found when I held her hostage just now, the daughter of the official, is more fragrant. That one is also fragrant, but not as good as this one.

The subordinates all laughed, knowing that this person had an unusual fetish for women, so he was particularly sensitive to certain details. Spices on the grassland are rare, and only noble ladies can afford to use them.

What about the other one?

Throw it next door and kill the spy with that. Let's go. Maggar's hand gestured at his throat.

The door slammed and was pushed open again. Zhang Xiaojing looked fixedly, and a woman was pushed and shoved in by the Turkic wolf guard.

She didn't smell it, but her figure was quite similar, and she wore the same robe. But the twisted silver cuidian on her cheeks and the Nanmu hairpin on the bun all show that she is from an extraordinary background, how can an ordinary woman afford such a valuable ornament - this should be the real daughter of Wang Zhonghe, right?

Zhang Xiaojing quickly deduced the truth, the two of them should have been kidnapped by the Turks at the same place, these vulgar Turks did not know the ornament, Zhang Guan Li Dai, and mistakenly confused the identities of the two.

The Turkic wolf guard drew his sharp knife and rushed towards Wang Yunxiu first. Wang Yunxiu's mouth was gagged and she couldn't make a sound, so she had to twist her body desperately, and actually dodged a knife to her throat, causing the sharp knife to cut her shoulder, and blood splashed everywhere. The Turk lost his hand, felt that his face was dull, and reached out and slapped Wang Yunxiu to calm her down.

Before he could do it again, there was a sudden flapping of falling wings outside the window, and then several larks flew up from the courtyard. Ma Ge'er's eyes lit up, and he motioned not to do anything first, and walked quickly to the window to look down on the front yard.

The bushes swayed, the footsteps were messy, and there seemed to be many people approaching here.

Ma Ge'er immediately turned around and called out to his men to enter the house. He originally had seven subordinates, three of whom were killed by Zhang Xiaojing, one was hit by an arrow in the leg, and only three people were left who could move. Ma Geer couldn't care about emotion, and quickly explained a few words in Turkic, and the three of them were ordered to go out.

Ma Ge'er glanced at Zhang Xiaojing and Wang Yunxiu, stopped caring about them, and turned to leave. Soon there were panicked cries from the next room, and it seemed that they were only going to take this Wang girl away.

After just a few dozen snaps of fingers, the door on the first floor of the Zhuxin Pavilion slammed open, and more than a dozen people rushed in at once. They rushed to the main hall and stopped abruptly. I saw a wolf guard with a wounded thigh leaning in front of a large copper-eared stove, holding two crossbows in his hands and facing the door, and two crossbows resting on the ground.

The wolf guard was also surprised. He originally thought that the intruder was Zhang Xiaojing's accomplice, or at least he should be a Praetorian Guard, but these people in front of him were all obliquely draped in floral cloth and tattooed on their shoulders, as if they were floating teenagers in the profligacy of Beijing.

The two sides confronted each other for a few breaths, and a floating boy couldn't hold his breath, roared, raised the big stick in his hand and rushed up. The other companions were startled and hurriedly retreated, and three more arrows were fired, hitting three more in succession.

He's out of arrows!

I don't know who shouted, and the floating boys rushed forward again. This time, the wolf guards had no choice but to lie on the ground and let them punch and kick. These teenagers were obviously not as disciplined as the brigade army, and as soon as they saw that the wolf guard was defeated, they immediately rushed into the main hall, and there were more than twenty people.

A small leader at the head turned around on the ground floor, pointed to the stairs, and motioned for a few people to go up to the second floor. Soon there was a message from above, saying that it had been found! He hurriedly walked up the bamboo steps, ran through the corridor, and saw two people tied to a room on the second floor. The man was tied to a pillar, and the woman collapsed to the ground, looking like she was seventeen or eighteen years old.

The little leader is happy, there is only one woman in the whole building, and this time it should not be wrong.

The Bearfire Gang kidnapped a woman today and ran away. According to the chasing thugs, the woman was brought into the mansion by a group of Hu people of unknown origin. The Xionghuo Gang regarded the entire Wannian County as a forbidden body, and the people on their own ground were robbed, how could they endure this breath? So the little leader gathered a group of rogue teenagers, intending to rob them back.

The little leader called four men to take the woman away, and did not delay; As for the man, I don't know him, so don't worry about it.

He watched the escort team leave, and his mood suddenly became very good, which would be a milestone achievement for him in the Bear Fire Gang. The little leader walked onto the high pavilion on the second floor and looked out for a moment. I saw the distant Jiang Jinxiu vividly, the scenery was pleasant, and I couldn't help but sigh: the rich man is his mother will enjoy it! After admiring the scenery for a while, he slowly paced downstairs with his hands behind his back and the demeanor of a gentleman.

As he walked, the little leader suddenly felt something strange under his feet, and when he looked down, he found a thick yellow-brown river flowing down the stairs to the floor on the first floor, and the smell was slightly pungent.

He squatted down and wiped it with his fingers, judging that it should be castor oil, and couldn't help but be puzzled. Isn't this house uninhabited? How could there be such a thing? The little leader raised his head and saw that at the four corners of the beam frame in the attic, several clay pots were hung, the mouth of the jar was tilted, and oil was dripping downstairs continuously, and seven or eight turbid streams converged on the floor of the first floor, forming a large stall.

His pupils suddenly shrank, and he hurriedly ran down the stairs, shouting as he ran: Quick! Kill him! Before he finished speaking, his feet slipped, and the whole person stepped on castor oil and fell downstairs. The Wandering Boys didn't hear the warning, but laughed at his embarrassed look.

At this moment, the injured wolf guard, who had been beaten, took out a fire fold from his arms, blew it with all his might, and then threw it onto the oil. When the oil and fire meet, the hula burns all at once, and the flames quickly spread along the oil line to the entire floor of the first floor, like a golden snake dancing wildly.

The attic is made of bamboo and wood, and the walls and staircases are ignited in an instant, and large and small fire mushrooms emerge from the cracks in the wood. In the past, the place of elegance and ease suddenly became a fire house in the Buddhist scriptures.

The floating boys were dumbfounded and wanted to flee one after another. However, there were many people and the door was narrow, and the door was blocked at once, and the menacing oil fire swept in, swallowing up the people who had not escaped one by one, leaving only the figure of despair dancing.

Zhang Xiaojing, who was on the second floor, felt a steaming heat rise under his feet, and heard the ghost crying wolf, knowing that the intruder must have fallen into the trap of the wolf guard.

Since the wolf guard has chosen this place as a foothold, he will naturally be prepared. The bamboo building was filled with castor oil cans, which would tip over in the event of an irresistible invasion of foreign enemies, waiting for an opportunity to ignite them, and then quickly flee. Long Bo was making this kind of preparation before.

Zhang Xiaojing knew that if he stayed like this, he would be burned alive. He had been quietly moving his wrist before, and the rope had loosened a lot, and it only took a few more strokes to break free. But at that moment, there was a sharp grinding sound at the edge of the floor, and the whole attic shook slightly, and then every connection in the whole room began to creak.

Zhang Xiaojing secretly screamed that it was not good. These wolf guards were really ruthless, not only arranging castor oil, but also connecting several tenon joints and support beams between the ground floor and the second floor. As long as the fire is together, the entire attic will soon collapse, and the people in the building will be stoned to death if they are not burned to death.

His left hand broke a finger, and he didn't break the rope around his wrist, so he had to arch himself desperately and use the strength of his hips to slam into the floor. This kind of bamboo-made attic uses the bridge method, and the second-floor is embedded with bamboo boards on top of the wooden frame, which is not strong in itself. Zhang Xiaojing turned into a sledgehammer, hammering its fragile support one by one, and he must knock down the floor before the attic collapses as a whole, so that there is a chance to escape.

Under the continuous hammering of Zhang Xiaojing's buttocks and the pinching of the flames below, the floor soon let out a wail, first sinking suddenly, and then booming, and the main part smashed obliquely downstairs, creating an inclined slide in the fire.

It's a pity that the pillar that tied Zhang Xiaojing was not broken, and it was stuck in the middle, putting his body in the air. Zhang Xiaojing struggled a few times, and found that it didn't work, so he hurriedly adjusted his posture so that the rope on his wrist was aimed at the flames that jumped up.

This rope is made of Lingnan snake rattan and soaked in oil, which is full of toughness but not fire-resistant. As soon as the flames lit up, they immediately burned. Zhang Xiaojing endured the pain of burning his wrist, let the rope burn through, and then struggled hard, twice, and finally tore it off in the third stroke.

But he didn't have time to rejoice, so he immediately stepped on the sloping floor that had not yet burned, ran forward, elbowed his face through several walls of fire, rushed to a blazing window, and jumped outward. The burning pane was very fragile, and it was smashed out by Zhang Xiaojing. As soon as he hit the ground, he rolled a few times to extinguish the fire on his body.

In the next moment, the main structure of the attic collapsed, the fire flew everywhere, and the small pavilion completely turned into a raging pyre.

Zhang Xiaojing lay on the ground, gasping for breath. His eyebrows and hair were scorched, both of his wrists were burned, and there was a shocking long wound on his waist that had been cut by the bamboo thorns of the border as he jumped out of the window.

It wasn't long before there was a chaotic sound of footsteps outside. Zhang Xiaojing thought that there was still an enemy, he reluctantly raised his neck to take a look, and his shoulders couldn't help but loosen.

Rushing into the backyard was a large number of soldiers of the brigade in brown armor, and it was actually the men and horses of the Jing'an Division who arrived. Seeing that the fire was so fierce, the brigade army spontaneously dispersed without waiting for the commander's order, and began to clear a fire barrier around the Tsukushin Pavilion to avoid spreading.

A sturdy figure walked up to Zhang Xiaojing, helped him up, and said that it was too late to forgive his sins, but there was not much enthusiasm in it. Zhang Xiaojing looked at it, it was Cui Qi. He didn't care about his own situation, and eagerly grabbed Cui Qi's arm: When you entered the mansion, did you see anyone else?

Cui Qi was not very convinced by this Mr. Zhang, but raised his chin: I saw a few idlers from the Xionghuo Gang!

The Bearfire Gang? When Zhang Xiaojing heard this name, a meaningful light flashed in his eyes.

Cui Qi dodged his body, and Zhang Xiaojing saw that in the courtyard corridor, several floating teenagers who had escaped were squatting on the ground dejectedly, being watched by several steel knives. They had probably just escaped, and were bumping into the brigade army.

Zhang Xiaojing shouted: Quick! Beat the drum of nine levels! Wolf Guard just left, and it's nearby!

As soon as Cui Qi heard the word wolf guard, his eyes were full of fierceness, and he immediately issued a series of urgent orders to the deputy beside him.

Jing'an Division has a set of well-defined warning system. As soon as the drum sounded on the watchtower, not only the door of the square should be closed, but also the surrounding eight squares should be closed, and at the same time, the sixteen street entrances between the nine squares should be set up to reject horses and crossbars.

From the Bear Fire Gang breaking into the mansion to the arrival of the brigade army, there was only a short time before and after the retreat of the guard, and when he left, he dragged a sniff, and the speed of travel would not be very fast. As soon as the Nine Guan Drums sounded, a big prison blocked the place of the Nine Fangs, so that they could not hide—if necessary, the other Fang would also beat the Nine Guan Drums and block them one by one.

Cui Qi was very experienced in this area, and ordered Xiuzheng Fang to beat the Jiuguan drum, and at the same time sent four brigades of Ben cavalry to search and advance in four directions. After arranging these things, Cui Qi squatted down and ordered him to bring some wound medicine and cloth strips left and right to bandage Zhang Xiaojing.

How did you come here? Zhang Xiaojing asked Cui Qi.

Yao Runeng flashed out from Cui Qi, holding the wound medicine in his hand, with a guilty face: I saw that you had not been in and out for a long time, so I ran to the watchtower and notified General Cui to come to the rescue - I'm sorry, I didn't dare to go in to save you

His guilt was genuine. Not long ago, he also questioned Zhang Xiaojing's motives in a righteous and stern manner, and even wanted to kill someone, but now Zhang Xiaojing almost died alone, and he didn't move forward to see death. In Yao Runeng's mind, he is simply a cowardly hypocrite.

It doesn't help you to come in alone, just call for reinforcements in time. Your judgment is correct, and you don't have to be presumptuous. Zhang Xiaojing commented lightly, and at the same time raised his wrist and asked him to apply medicine to himself.

Cui Qi frowned and asked, "Mr. Zhang, what's going on with all this?" He has as many questions as a mountain, there are obviously Turkic wolf guards lurking in the mansion, how can a group of thugs come in? Why are the two sides firing? How did the Tsukushin Pavilion burn up?

Zhang Xiaojing briefly recounted what happened to him: first sneaked into the attic, and then was coerced by the Turks with Wang Zhonghe's daughter, and fell into the hands of the enemy, and then the Xionghuo Gang inexplicably came in Cui Qi interrupted his narration, and his face turned green: You mean, Wang Jiedu's daughter is in the hands of the Turks?

His voice trembled. Zhang Xiaojing was about to answer, but a thought suddenly flashed in his heart.

The Turks kidnapped him but what would happen if he told the truth? When Jing'an Si pursued and killed the Turks, he would never care about the life and death of Wen Ran.

But he cares about this girl, not Chi Xin.

If there is only one person in the entire Chang'an City who can be saved, Zhang Xiaojing will definitely choose to smell it.

He made up his mind in an instant.

Zhang Xiaojing slowly raised his hand, and his tone did not fluctuate at all: That's right, I saw her taken away by the Turkic wolf guard.

Cui Qi stood in despair and suddenly felt that the world was spinning.

He turned out to be just a military man from Longshan, and with some military exploits and the efforts of his brother Cui Liulang, he was finally able to enter Chang'an. Before the glory and wealth were obtained, they suffered one heavy blow after another: first the elder brother was killed, and then he let go of the important Turkic figures, and now he was actually involved in the kidnapping of the families of important ministers in the court.

Cui Qi is too aware of the style of the imperial court. Such a big mess, the court must introduce a responsible person to accept the punishment☆ The background is too hard, Zhang Xiaojing is originally a death row prisoner, so he who is responsible for the action is simply an excellent black pot material.

What he cares about is not how to make a career or avenge his brother, but how to save his life.

Zhang Xiaojing pushed him: Cui Lvshuai, they are all waiting for your order. Cui Qi woke up like a dream, Huo Ran got up, and yelled at his subordinates angrily: Why are you standing stupidly? Stop putting out the fire, hurry up and arrest someone! Zhang Xiaojing said again: Notify the watchtower and let Jing'an Si send someone to Wang Jiedu's house to confirm the situation!

Right! Right! Go to Wang Jiedu's house to confirm! Cui Qi has lost his square inch and obeys Zhang Xiaojing's words.

And ask these people what the hell is the source. Zhang Xiaojing set his eyes on those floating teenagers. In fact, he already knew who these people were. There are only a few gangs in Wannian County, and it's easy to identify - but there are some things that would be better asked by others.

Just as Cui Qi couldn't vent the evil anger in his chest, he walked up to the captured few floating teenagers violently, and pulled it away with the scabbard of his saber, and a teenager fell to the ground with his head covered. Cui Qi was still not enough, so he pumped a few more times, until the flesh and blood were blurred. The other teenagers were so frightened that they peed their pants, and they didn't need to ask, they immediately poured beans into a bamboo tube and explained everything.

It turned out that they weren't even counting the Bear Fire Gang, they were just peripheral members, and they came with a small leader. The little boss heard that a woman that the boss had taken a fancy had escaped and was hiding in a deserted mansion here, so he came to arrest her.

Cui Qi asked who the woman was, and a young man said that his surname was Wen, and he was the daughter of the owner of the Wenji incense shop in Dunyi Fang. Cui Qi said angrily: Who asked this! I asked about another woman! Is it Wang Jiedu's daughter? Those teenagers were ignorant, where could they answer. Cui Qi waved the scabbard and beat them desperately, almost killing those people, and he didn't ask for a name.

It wasn't until a soldier ran over to report the blockade of the road that Cui Qi left these people behind and rushed to arrange it in a hurry.

Zhang Xiaojing half-leaned against the corridor and asked Yao Ru to give him a wound. He was not lightly injured, a large piece of flesh was spun off in his armpit, and his wrists and back were burned. Yao Runeng carefully washed it with well water first, then brewed sores to stop the bleeding, and then took out the silk cloth and wrapped it in a circle. This guy's fingers are slender and skillful and delicate, which is not much better than that of an embroiderer.

His body was tortured like this, but he still held out until the reinforcements arrived, but it was hard enough. Yao Runeng secretly thought to himself while bandaging it, if he changed himself, he might not be able to hold on. Zhang Xiaojing let him play with him, but his eyes kept staring at the outside of the mansion. In his single eye, there was a deep depression of worry.

This hard-hearted despicable man is actually worried about others? Yao Runeng said secretly.

Yao Runeng suddenly noticed that his left hand was missing a finger, and it was wrapped in a sackcloth half-soaked in blood. Yao Runeng is surprised, this is done by the Turkic wolf guard? No, it was before that. Yao Runeng thought about it again and made sure that before he was knocked unconscious, Zhang Xiaojing's hand was still intact.

In other words, this severed finger injury occurred when Zhang Xiaojing killed the hidden pile. As soon as he thought of him betraying the secret pile, Yao Runeng's anger rose again. He thought maliciously, could it be that this finger was cut off by Ge Lao?

This is the imprint. Zhang Xiaojing suddenly spoke, his voice a little hoarse.

What the?

Zhang Xiaojing's one-eyed eyes were still looking outside, not like he was explaining to Yao Runeng, but more like saying to someone in the dark:

Xiao Yi is the last dark pile I cultivated in Wannian County. He came from humble beginnings, but he was a very intelligent man. I still remember that the day before he went to work as a secret pile, the county gave a reward. His wife hid the money and didn't allow him to spend it indiscriminately, saying that it would be used to marry his daughter-in-law in the future. But Xiao Yi actually risked being beaten by his mother, secretly took out half a hanging money, and bought me a good moxa fire sickle. He told me that the fire sickle that Zhang Tou carried with him was too old to fire, and that it was time to replace it with a new one. He also said that as long as he could still light the fire, he would not get lost.

Yet you killed him with your own hands today. Yao Runeng replied coldly.

I ask you: If you are on a wooden boat, full of travelers, and in the midst of a stormy sea, you must kill an innocent person to sacrifice to the god of the river, or the ship will sink. Will you kill? Zhang Xiaojing asked suddenly.

Yao Runeng was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help frowning, falling into contradictions. This is a very tricky question, and it is not benevolent to kill innocent people, but we can sit back and watch a boat capsize, only to fear that more people will die. The more he thought about it, the more he had a headache, and he fell silent for a while.

Kill one person, save a hundred people, do you kill or not? Zhang Xiaojing asked.

Yao Runeng retorted a little embarrassed: How should you choose? He thought it was a cunning statement.

Kill. Zhang Xiaojing said without hesitation, but then changed his tone, this is a thing that should be done, but this is a wrong thing. I should have done it, so I did, and even if I had to do it all over again, I would still do it – but what was wrong was wrong. Speaking of this, he raised the severed finger, so I cut off one finger myself, which is a mark of owe to Xiao Yi. When this happens, I will take responsibility and pay back this sin for this.

Zhang Xiaojing closed his one eye, as if mourning. His face had a few more wrinkles, which made it even more vicissitudes and bitterness.

Yao Runeng was silent. He found himself completely unable to see through this rebellious fellow. One moment he is like a ruthless murderer, another moment like a benevolent brave, and another like a ranger who does what he says. Many contradictory features in one. Yao Runeng suddenly realized that he had never thought about what crime Zhang Xiaojing was imprisoned for.

Zhang Xiaojing slowly opened his eyes: I remember that you have been in Chang'an City for three months?

Yao Runeng didn't understand why he suddenly changed the topic here, so he had to nod.

Zhang Xiaojing smiled: You will know if you stay a little longer. As a thief hunter in Chang'an City, you have to face such a choice almost every day. What should be done wrong and what should not be done right. Whether you stick to the way of a gentleman, you'd better think about it early, otherwise

Otherwise?

In Chang'an City, if you don't become a monster like it, you will be devoured by it.

With a snap, the ointment in Yao Runeng's hand knocked over to the ground, and the black-brown liquid sprinkled a stain on the white silk.

Knock knock, knock, rhythmic sound spread throughout the southeast corner of Chang'an, it was the nine drums from Xiuzheng Fang. According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, as soon as the drum sounded, the street shop Wuhou had to immediately block the street intersection of the nearby Bafang.

However, today is the Shangyuan Festival, everyone is full of magnetic play, and the martial marquis on duty are inevitably a little slack. When they heard the drums, they were not so quick to react, and after a while, they called out to their comrades who were sleeping or playing on the back, and they were a little sluggish.

Fortunately, Cui Qi never counted on these fools, and he specially sent more than a dozen soldiers of the brigade to go straight to the street shops in various places, urging them to act as soon as possible. In order to make a foolish plan, Cui Qi also sent out five or six teams of elite horsemen to patrol back and forth in the outer streets. Even if the Turks were lucky enough to cross the blockade, they would have crashed headfirst into this mobile wall.

For a while, there was a commotion in the nine squares. The Wuhou hurriedly lifted out the horse rejection and thorn walls, and set up temporary checkpoints at the intersections; The elite horses galloped, and countless eagle-like eyes repeatedly scanned every corner on both sides of the road. Pedestrians stopped in surprise, unaware of what was happening nearby, and they were still passable, but they had to be questioned every time they crossed.

A large swallow enveloped the vicinity of the Repair Workshop. However, Ma Ge'er and his party seemed to be flying immortals on the spot, and there was no trace of them. Everywhere has reported the same content: not seen.

Cui Qi roared loudly at the herald: How is it possible! Are they birds? Even if it's a bird, it can't escape the watchtower's eyesight!

Whether they were riding a bicycle or walking, it was impossible for Ma Ge'er and the others to escape more than two miles in such a short period of time - this was the biggest warning range of Jiuguangu. Then there are only two possibilities for their whereabouts: one is to buy off the sentry soldiers and get out smoothly; Second, he hid in a square near the Xiuzheng Workshop.

Either way, it can turn into an extremely awkward situation.

Just at this time, I got the news from the palace: Wang Jiedu's daughter Wang Yunxiu got a new Xi car, went out for a test drive alone, and has not returned. At the same time, the headquarters of the Jing'an Division also forwarded another news: There was a car accident near Jingshanfang, a diesel truck and a Xi car collided, but only the bodies of the driver and a dozen Wuhou were found at the scene.

This must have been done by the Turkic wolf guards, who were the only ones who were so vicious.

When Cui Qi heard the news and it was confirmed, his stomach pouch seemed to be pinched by a giant hand, and he was so uncomfortable that he wanted to vomit. Wang Zhongji is an important minister in the court, and if this matter is on a business trip today, it will be a shocking chaos.

Cui Qi was at a loss, so he had to walk up to Zhang Xiaojing, who was about to leave, and arched his hand: Zhang Duwei, the Turkic wolf guard has lost his trace. What should we do now?

If there was even the slightest possibility, Cui Qi was reluctant to show weakness to this death row prisoner, but at the moment he had no choice. This guy single-handedly pulled out the tail of the Turks in less than two hours, which is not something ordinary people can do. Cui Qi realized that only if Zhang Xiaojing exerted his might and captured the Turkic wolf guards, he could escape this major catastrophe - so even Mr. Zhang became Zhang Duwei.

Zhang Xiaojing saw his mind clearly, and he had no intention of saying it, so he flicked his fingers: go up to the watchtower first.

The two of them climbed up to the watchtower of the Xiuzheng Fang, raised their eyes and looked around, and the scenery of the surrounding eight squares was in full view. The road outside the square is vertical and horizontal, and the gray tile in the square is high, which is clear, such as watching the sand table. At every intersection, there is a dark crowd of people, and it is the checkpoint that is in play. If you have good eyesight, you can even see the clothes of pedestrians.

Under such close surveillance, it is impossible for the Turks to quietly disappear into thin air.

Cui Ji's eyes widened, and he looked around nervously, and he felt suspicious when he saw anyone. Zhang Xiaojing narrowed his eyes, slowly glanced at it, and then stopped in one direction. He raised his arm and pointed to the southeast: Qujiangchi.

Cui Qi didn't understand it first, but he looked at Zhang Xiaojing's finger and suddenly realized.

In the southeast corner of Xiuzheng Fang, is the most prosperous scenic spot in Chang'an City - Qujiang Pond. Half of this pond is located in the city, and occupies two squares; The other half is outside the city, bordering the Shaoling Plain. With its meandering waterways, buildings, flowers, willows, and paths, it is a great place to visit all year round – for both visitors and escapees.

Qujiang Pond has a special Shangchi Department to manage, and Zhufang Street Shop is not under the control of each other, and the Jiuguan Drum does not move them. It is likely that the Turkic wolf guards took advantage of such a time difference, and after leaving the Xiuzheng Workshop, they directly crossed the fence on the side of the street and burrowed into the labyrinthine garden in the Qujiang Pond.

Chang'an City was originally laid out vertically and horizontally, but here in the southeast corner, Qujiang Pond arches outward, like a corner of a rice bag bulging outward. In order to ensure that the water surface that spans the inside and outside of the city is not cut off, the perimeter is not surrounded by a city wall, but several canals are dug to surround it. Although horses and vehicles are impassable, it is not difficult to get out of the city if you are walking on foot with three or two pedestrians.

From this point of view, the Turks chose to settle down in the Zhengfang, which can be said to be deliberate.

Cui Qidao: You mean, they are likely to cross the Qujiang River and leave the city? He breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, and this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. As long as he is out of the city, Jing'an Division does not have to be tied, and can send elite horsemen to reciprocate the rope. The terrain near Chang'an City is flat, and there is nowhere to hide, and catching those few Turks on foot is just a water mill job.

Zhang Xiaojing's eyebrows did not stretch because of this, he stared at the vast surface of the Qujiang River, and felt that things were not so simple. Since the Turks wanted to be unfavorable to Chang'an City, why did they run outside the city? Is their purpose to kidnap or burn the city? Zhang Xiaojing unfolded the Chang'an Fang map, squatted down to observe carefully, and felt that these actions were contradictory and suspicious.

But Cui Qi couldn't wait to raise a flag on the watchtower, report to the Jing'an Division in Guangdefang, and ask for additional people to go out of the city to search for him☆ After receiving the report, he did not rush to mobilize the brigade army, his eyes fell on the sand table, and fell into the same doubts as Zhang Xiaojing.

The wolf cubs of the steppe have given them a big puzzle.

Cui Qi was a little anxious, he didn't quite understand, such an obvious matter, Zhang Duwei just forgot it, why even Li Sicheng's side didn't give an order. You must know that with every flick of the finger that is delayed here, the enemy will be a few points away from Chang'an City.

The whole encirclement came to a standstill. Cui Qi looked at the pensive Zhang Xiaojing for a while, and looked at the nearby watchtower for a while, his fingers rubbing irritably on the edge of the copper hoop with the protrusion of the scabbard, thinking in his heart that if he didn't get the order again, he simply scattered a few horse teams first.

But Cui Qi is a soldier after all, and he is not used to this kind of thing of cutting first and then playing. Cui Qi was still hesitating, Zhang Xiaojing suddenly stood up, shook the map in his hand, and his eyes burned—and the communication flag of the watchtower also waved at the same time.

The order from Li Yu was exactly the same as what Zhang Xiaojing said:

This is a suspicious tactic. The thief who goes out of the Qujiang River will return from the nearest city gate!

The nearest city gate from Qujiang is Qixia Gate in the south and Yanxing Gate in the east, but it is only a mile away. The Turkic wolf guard broke out from the southeast corner and swaggered into the city again from these two gates. In this way, once you get out and one in, you can easily jump out of the nine levels of alert and be at ease.

Cui Qi's forehead was drenched in sweat. Fortunately, I didn't go out of the city, otherwise it would have been a real mistake. He hurriedly looked at the tower and issued a warning to the second gate, and at the same time lifted the nine-sided blockade on the spot, and quickly approached the second gate.

But before that, Jing'an Division delayed too much time to deploy in the Xiuzheng Workshop, and suddenly there was chaos, and the implementation was very slow.

The second gate of Qixia Yanxing is an important passage for the people of eastern Qidong to enter the city to watch the lanterns, and it is the peak period at this time. When the news came back from the second gate, the cunning Turks had already mixed in with the large crowd of people, and once again entered Chang'an City without a trace. They were one step late.

The thread was thus broken, but time passed mercilessly.

Cui Qi hurriedly wrote a secret report, and sent it to Jing'an Division quickly, this matter was too big, and he didn't dare to hide it. Then he looked at Zhang Xiaojing: Zhang Duwei, what should we do? Even he didn't notice it, and the tone of addressing Zhang Xiaojing became more and more humble, almost begging.

Wait a minute. Zhang Xiaojing was half-lying on the ground, leaning forward, his nose twitching slightly, like a hunting dog.

Cui Qi couldn't figure out what medicine he was selling in his gourd, and he didn't dare to ask, so he had to wait beside him in fear, breathing heavily.

It's ridiculous to say. When Cui Qi was in Longshan, he licked blood with a knife, was happy and brave, and never had any worries about life and death; The affluent life in Chang'an did not wash away his combat power, but it corroded his courage. When a person has too much, he will no longer be able to look down on life and death. Cui Qi was suddenly ashamed to find that he had been clamoring to avenge his brother, just to cover up his fear of being guilty.

Does his future fall on such a death row inmate? Cui Qi thought unwillingly.

Zhang Xiaojing suddenly raised his head and asked an irrelevant question: Do you have any acquaintances over there in Xuanhui Academy?

Cui Qi was stunned, Xuanhui Academy belongs to the palace department, and it has nothing to do with the city defense, what did Zhang Xiaojing suddenly mention it? Zhang Xiaojing said: If I remember well, there are five squares under the Xuanhui Academy, which are specially designed for the Son of Heaven to raise eagle eagles and harrier dogs. If you can borrow a few beasts with sharp noses from the dog shop, there is still hope for this.

He lifted his hand, grabbed a handful of dust and put it next to his nose, and took a deep breath.

The incense of Wenji incense shop is of good quality and can last for several hours, and is well-known in Xijing.