At the beginning of 2013, when the Soul Village was renovated, when Brother Zhuang was tidying up the old plaques in the lobby, he found that the second wooden beam used to support the roof in the lobby was hollow.

I was also present at the time, Senior Brother Zhuang was lying on the beam, the weight of his body was almost crushing the entire section of beams, I was afraid that he would fall, so I hurriedly ran over.

Just when I ran directly below Senior Brother Zhuang, I heard a crisp sound of "click", and the beams in the lobby were broken.

Fortunately, I came in time and reached out to catch Senior Brother Zhuang, and the half-truncated wooden beam smashed to the ground and broke into two pieces on the spot.

The pieces of wood fell to the ground, and when I put Brother Zhuang down, I saw a metal box covered with patina pressed into the scattered wood chips, and there was some grease hanging on the box.

Senior Brother Zhuang looked at the broken beam above his head and pouted: "When I repaired the lobby before, the beam never had a problem, what's going on?" ”

I bent down and picked up the box, and said, "No one ran to the beam before, didn't I say it, Senior Brother Zhuang, your weight has grown by thirty or forty pounds in the past two years, it's time to lose it." ”

Senior Brother Zhuang smiled a little embarrassedly: "In the past two years, my life has been clean, I rarely go out on tasks, and the flesh on my body has also grown...... What is it? ”

As I spoke, Senior Brother Zhuang approached me and stared at the box.

It took me a lot of effort to open the box, and it contained an ancient slip, and the thick thread used to connect the slips had been corroded over the years, and had become very fragile, and I only touched it lightly, and the bamboo slips were scattered.

Originally, I thought that the content on this bamboo slip might involve some secrets of the early years of Jisoul Village.

I took out a few simple videos, looked at the text on them, and couldn't help smacking my tongue: "Eighty percent of the content on this is made up, right?" ”

Senior Brother Zhuang also frowned, he looked at the words on the bamboo slips, and shook his head incessantly.

This bamboo slip does involve a secret, but this secret has nothing to do with the Soul Village.

This is a bizarre story that happened two thousand years ago, and the hero of the story is Zhou Lie.

If the content on the bamboo slip is true, then Zhou Lie's deeds can really be called a legend.

His story begins with the secret meeting between Chen Tang and Wang Mang two thousand years ago.

In the first year of Suihe, it was ugly.

This year's winter was earlier than usual, and the fierce cold wind destroyed the last bit of vitality buried in the late autumn, and at the end of the year, a heavy snow covered the entire Chang'an City, and the female wall on the edge of the city revealed a palpitating pure white.

Chen Tang blew hot air into his sleeve, trying to rejuvenate his almost frozen hands.

He stood at the door of the liquor store, still hesitating in his heart.

Ten years of opening up the territory, twenty years have passed, thinking that back then, he once stood on the grassland of thousands of miles, and shouted to the sky: "Those who commit strong men will be punished even if they are far away!" What a high-spirited man, but now, he is a man who has stepped into the coffin with half a foot, and only a handful of dry bones remain.

Chen Tang knew very well that Wang Mang was waiting for him upstairs, and he didn't have much intersection with Wang Mang, but he heard that although the newly appointed Great Sima was a relative, he was able to be a virtuous corporal, and he was a virtuous minister who was rare in a century.

"General, go up."

A soft voice came from Chen Tang's ear, and Zhao Feiyan came to Chen Tang's side with a small stove.

Zhao Feiyan, who is now thirty and seven, still maintains the appearance of a girl, soft and petite.

Chen Tang knew about the relationship between Zhao Feiyan and Zhou Jialang a long time ago, but he didn't expect Zhao Feiyan to come in person.

Soon, Chen Tang noticed that Zhao Feiyan did not bring guards and palace maids by her side, and she left the palace without permission.

Zhao Feiyan waved her sleeves to stop Chen Tang, who was about to salute her, and said again: "General, go up." ”

Chen Tang looked up at the window lattice on the second floor of the restaurant, and he seemed to be able to see through the wall that Wang Mang was sitting on the couch, waiting for him quietly.

This time he asked Wang Mang to meet here, he wanted to use Wang Mang's power to send Zhou Lie into the court, Chen Tang dedicated the first half of his life to the Han Dynasty, opened up territory for the Han Dynasty, established immortal meritorious deeds, and in the second half of his life, most of his thoughts were placed on Zhou Lie.

He wanted Zhou Lie to enter the court as an official, he believed that with Zhou Lie's talent, he would definitely become a close minister of the Son of Heaven, and he also thought that maybe one day, Zhou Lie could hold a six-foot sword and kill all the eunuchs in the court.

But Zhou Lie is a person who is not interested in the court at all.

Thinking of this, Chen Tang sighed helplessly: "But Zhou Lie just wants to be a ranger." ”

After speaking, Chen Tang finally made up his mind and crossed the threshold of the wine shop.

Zhao Feiyan threw one last glance at Chen Tang's back and sighed softly, at this time, a big hand rolled up his waist, and then, she felt a thick chest against her back.

Zhou Lie lifted his cloak, wrapped Zhao Feiyan in his arms, and asked very stiffly, "Is it cold?" ”

Even if he put away his murderous aura, the sound that came out of Zhou Lie's mouth still made people shudder.

But for Zhao Feiyan, only Zhou Lie could make her feel a little relieved in this world, she raised her head and stared at Zhou Lie's rough face like a knife and axe, but Zhou Lie's eyes kept staring at the window on the second floor of the wine shop.

"He still went to find Wang Mang." Zhou Lie let out a long breath of turbidity, then picked up Zhao Feiyan and walked to the end of the alley.

Zhao Feiyan shrank in Zhou Lie's arms, and her eyes never took off Zhou Lie's face.

Zhou Lie noticed Zhao Feiyan's eyes, he lowered his head and gave Zhao Feiyan a smile: "What are you looking at?" ”

The world said that the stout man in front of him was a murderous ghost who did not blink an eye, and even when he smiled, it looked like a demon with his fangs bared to others.

But in Zhao Feiyan's eyes, Zhou Lie's smile was the last ray of sunshine planted in her heart, and every time she saw Zhou Lie smiling at her, the deer in her heart would bump into her.

She hugged Zhou Lie's neck and whispered, "Zhou Lang, do you really want to enter the court?" If you become an official in the court, I can see you every day. ”

Zhou Lie still smiled: "Can't you see me every day now." ”

After leaving the alley, Zhou Lie walked on the official road of Chang'an City with Zhao Feiyan in his arms, his boots pressed against the snow, making a "squeak" sound, and Zhao Feiyan covered his face with Zhou Lie's cloak.

She is the queen, and no one can see her with Zhou Lie.

In fact, a long time ago, she also wanted to leave the palace with Zhou Lie, but she knew in her heart that once she did this, her sister Zhao Hede would not follow them anyway, and when the Son of Heaven condemned him, Zhao Hede would definitely be implicated.

Zhao Hede is a person who is greedy for power, she used to be, until she met Zhou Lie, but it was too late by then, she should not enter the palace, she should not introduce Zhao Hede to the Son of Heaven, if she is not a person in the palace, maybe she has accompanied Zhou Lie to travel all over the world now, if it is not for Zhao Hede's greed for Zhaoyi's false name, maybe she can leave the palace and leave.

But all the assumptions can't contradict reality, she is thinking, one day the Son of Heaven dies, she may be able to use the power in her hands to recruit Zhou Lie into the deep palace, so that she can stay with Zhou Lie for a long time.

Zhou Lie wouldn't allow her to do that, she knew it.

Zhao Feiyan asked Zhou Lie: "Zhou Lang, why do you just refuse to go to Wang Mang?" ”

Zhou Lie was stunned for a moment and said, "Why should I go to him?" ”

Zhao Feiyan: "I heard that he is a good person, you follow him, at least you don't have to worry about food and clothing." ”

Zhou Lie smiled: "I don't have to worry about eating and drinking now, the Son of Heaven is raising me." ”

Zhao Feiyan also laughed coquettishly: "Then the Son of Heaven raised you, obviously you are greedy, and you always go to the palace to steal food." ”

Zhou Lie said teasingly: "The Son of Heaven has a small appetite, he can't finish eating by himself, I'll help him eat some, otherwise it's a pity to waste it." ”

Speaking of which, the night Zhao Feiyan met Zhou Lie, she also happened to encounter Zhou Lie sneaking into the palace to steal wine.

Zhao Feiyan suddenly changed the topic and said to Zhou Lie: "Zhou Lang, go find Wang Mang." ”

Zhou Lie frowned: "I don't look for him, I don't look down on that person." ”

Zhao Feiyan: "Why? I heard people say that Wang Mang is a good person. ”

Zhou Lie: "He's not a good person, Zhuang Junping has calculated for him, in a few years, he will do a big thing, and then you will be able to see his nature." ”

Over the years, Zhao Feiyan often heard Zhou Lie mention the person named Zhuang Junping, who is said to be a physiognomy master and has deep attainments in the science of fortune-telling.

Zhou Lie once said that the reason why he is still staying in Chang'an is because Zhuang Junping suggested not to leave for the time being, and Zhuang Junping also calculated that Zhao Feiyan would suffer a catastrophe in seven years.

However, Zhao Feiyan has never taken the catastrophe predicted by Zhuang Junping to heart, in her opinion, as long as Zhou Lie does not leave Chang'an, no matter what she encounters, Zhou Lie will come to save her.

For her, Zhou Lie is an omnipotent person, even if it is something that the Son of Heaven can't do, Zhou Lie can do it.

Hearing Zhou Lie's words, Zhao Feiyan immediately became interested: "Big deal? What is Wang Mang going to do? ”

Zhou Lie let out a long breath of turbidity and said two words sullenly: "Usurpation!" ”

Zhao Feiyan immediately covered Zhou Lie's mouth, she exposed one eye outside the cloak, swept her eyes towards the official road, and saw that there was no one else on the road, so she breathed a sigh of relief, and said to Zhou Lie again: "Zhou Lang, you can't talk nonsense like this, let people hear it, but you will be killed." ”

Zhou Lie smiled and didn't say anything more.

When Zhou Lie hugged Zhao Feiyan to avoid the guards and sneaked into the palace, Wang Mang personally poured a cup of hot wine for Chen Tang.

In the eyes of outsiders, Wang Mang is a very caring person, he tried the temperature of the wine, and made sure that it was not too hot, so he handed the wine glass to Chen Tang.

Chen Tang took the wine glass with both hands, but his eyes never took off Wang Mang's face.

"Da Sima, you see...... Zhou Jialang's affair ......"

When speaking, Chen Tang is always cautious.

Since he met Wang Mang just now, Chen Tang has mentioned Zhou Lie more than once, but Wang Mang seems to be deliberately avoiding topics related to Zhou Lie, and has been gossiping with Chen Tang and gossiping.

This time, Wang Mang finally responded: "I know about Zhou Lie. He was indeed a good man, but I heard that the relationship between him and the queen of the dynasty was ...... It's a bit unusual. ”

Of course, Chen Tang knew the relationship between Zhao Feiyan and Zhou Lie, but although Zhou Lie was rebellious, he was not reckless, over the years, he protected Zhao Feiyan very well, even if everyone knew that the relationship between him and Empress Zhao was extraordinary, but no one had ever caught the evidence, and all the rumors were just chasing after the wind.

Chen Tang did not hesitate at all, and immediately denied it for Zhou Lie: "What can there be between Zhou Lie and the queen?" It's just rumors. Five years ago, the Son of Heaven appointed Zhou Jialang to lead the officials into the court, but he didn't expect the eunuchs to get in the way and suppress this matter. ”

Wang Mang rubbed his eyebrows: "Old general, you are also well-intentioned for your old subordinates." ”

After saying this, Wang Mang stared at Chen Tang's eyes and didn't say a word more.

Chen Tang looked at Wang Mang and carefully pondered the meaning of his words.