Zhou Yizhi asked the maid to help Gu Xinyi to the room to rest first, and asked Xu Hu to take someone to move several bodies to the foyer to clean the blood stains in the courtyard, and he discussed with Zhang Mingyuan how to handle the funeral of the Gu family. Zhang Mingyuan suggested that Gu Xinyi and Zhu Qiaozhen be invited, and several people discussed it in the hall. Finally, it was said that the deceased should be buried first, and that someone should be sent to inform the homes of several servants. If people want to get back for burial, they will give people more money for burial and settling expenses, and if they don't want to, they will stay and bury them together in the Gu family cemetery. Then arrange for someone to prepare the mourning hall with the application items, and ask the monk to chant the sutra excessively. It is customary to spend 7749 days exceeded, because the turbulent environment is reduced to a three-day wake, and the funeral is held on March 17. As he was talking, Cao Ying, Xu Xudong, and Lu Jiaxun also arrived. There were also Ji Tang and Black Five who arrived at the front and back, and they led people to pull eight coffins. Zhang Mingyuan only then knew about Cao Ying's arrest, Cao Ying said that there was no big problem, and now he came to help him. When people were not paying attention, he quietly told him that Sun Zhixiang had come several times, and wrote notes as he told him to put them on the table in that room at night.

When it was just dark, Zhang Mingyuan went to Fengzhuo Tower for a banquet, and Huang Zhenkun, Cao Ying, Lu Jiaxun, Xu Xudong, and Xu Hu went back to eat. The mourning hall has been set up almost completely, Gu Xinyi has not had teeth all day, has been crying intermittently, and her eyes are obviously a little red and swollen. Zhou Yizhi also didn't eat, afraid that something would happen to her, and almost didn't let her leave his sight. When the moon shines overhead, the mourning hall is set up. Except for Erhu's family, who took him away, the remaining seven bodies were buried one after another and placed in the hall. Ji Tang went home and asked Hei Wu to take five or six nursing homes to stay behind to help keep vigil. The four monks, young and old, began to set up altars around the coffin to chant scriptures, and Gu Xinyi, Gu Xi'er, and Zhu Qiaozhen wore heavy filial piety and burned paper money in front of the spirit. Zhou Yizhi and Qiu Hong's brothers, as well as a few male servants, sat and rested on a bench outside the mourning hall. Suddenly, he saw Black Friday walking past the corner of the shed, and the yellowed candlelight shone on the side of his face. It was such a moment that happened to make Zhou Yizhi catch a glimpse, the face with half of the black face in his mind, it was in the room of the store's procurement department that recalled the person holding the knife. Zhou Yizhi brushed up the intermittent dreams in recent years, and it was almost certain that he had committed murder in that room. One thing he couldn't figure out, that is, he didn't know Black Friday at all before he came to Liaocheng, why did he appear in a dream in Heidelberg. He also hadn't seen Gu Xinyi before, if she liked him just because he was like Fan Junsheng, then why did he like her? Where did Fan Junsheng go? Could it have been killed by Black Friday? The more he thought about it, the more frightened he felt, and he was sweating. He didn't dare to make a noise, this matter could only be discussed with Zhang Mingyuan, not to mention that no one knew Fan Junsheng's life and death, where the body was, even if he said it, no one would believe it.

The moon was in the west, and the night was as quiet as water. The main room of the North Garden Temple is still brightly lit, and there are faint people talking about things under the lamp. Listen carefully to the breathing of six people, and the conversation is the voice of two people, all speaking Japanese.

"食事の時間はよい機会だ,人が多いうちに彼を殺すべきだ。 (It's a good opportunity to eat, you should kill him while there are more people)" A slightly hoarse voice seemed a little complaining and faintly unwilling in his tone.

“え？ そんなに簡単じゃない,そこははなはだ小さくて発揮できない。 (Huh?) It's not that simple, the room is too small to be opened)" The other voice was softer, but full of breath when he spoke.

"この人がいる以上,重慶側は私たちのことを知っているかどうか? もっと多くの人がまわりに latent nestしているかどうか? (Since this person is here, will Chongqing know about us?) Will there be more people lurking around)"

"私もそう思います,だから簡単にはやれない,うまくやれないと大きな仕事に支障をきたす,今はもう途中で,もっと気をつける必要がある。 (I think so too, so I can't do it lightly, and if I don't do it well, it will delay the big thing.) At the beginning, I avoided Jining loading because I was worried about accidents, but now I am on the way, so I need to be more careful)"

“じゃあ、どうすんの？ (So what to do?) ）”

"いくつか変える必要がある。 は人をdispatch して知らせなさい,2日後に船が到着すると,船は主な河道に不泊した。 日が暮れてからは井田君小野くんとエリート部隊を率いて,あの人とボートを乗せて送ります。 私は前もって張の店を予約してIza屋に泊めた,あなたがそこに意外に私は彼に対処することを担当します。 (There is a need to make some changes.) Send someone to inform you that the boat will stop at the main river when it arrives in two days, and after dark, you will take Ida-kun, Ono-kun, and the elite troops to escort the boat over with that person. I made an appointment with the surname Zhang to the tavern in advance, and I can deal with him if you have an accident over there)"

"ああ、これは安全に。 President Ma's はどうする? 彼と船は使わないの? (Oh, it's safer.) What about President Ma? Don't you need him to follow the boat))"

"いいえ、この愚か者はもともと飾り物です。 その時彼に何人かの大芝居を見させる,目標を引き付ける。 (No, this idiot is meant to be an ornament.) When the time comes, let him take a few people to watch the big drama and attract the target)" After a pause, the man said, "この数日町の人が増えるだろう,あなたの人には事を起こさないように言いつけて。 では、散りましょう。 (The number of people in the city will increase these days, and those who command you not to cause trouble.) That's it, let's disperse. ）”

"はい、行きました。 早くお休みなさい。 (Yes, we went.) You rest early)"

As the figure flickered, the door opened, and five officers came out of it, led by Koichi Kimura. After they all came out, someone turned around and took the door casually and walked to the courtyard next to it. After two or three minutes, the lights in the house went out, and the courtyard was left with darker and darker nights and yellowish moonlight.

After another ten minutes, two dark shadows stood behind the ridge at the south end of the west transept. A few ups and downs jumped out of the courtyard wall of the North Garden Temple, evaded the guards from a distance, and quickly swept to the west, jumping up the high city wall in an arc. He whispered as he walked, and after entering the city, he turned three times and two times into the courtyard behind Weicang Street, and walked into the house on the south side and lit the candles. The man in black in front ripped off the black cloth on his head and rested it on the table, revealing a cold and beautiful face, it was Dai Lin. The person wearing a dark blue tunics in the back also took off the black cloth on his face, it was Zhang Mingyuan.

"Didn't they really say where to load the ship?"

"If you don't believe me, can you go back and ask the old fellow?"

"Hehehe, of course I believe you, we're in this together."

"Who's with you? You're the one who sticks through. ”

"Okay, okay, I'm sticky. Hey, what do you think they're going to take away? Ammunition? Medicine? Or looted money? "Zhang Mingyuan can't understand Japanese, even if he hears clearly that it's Shizuichi Watanabe and Kimura Hirokawa talking, it's useless. He smiled and poured two cups of herbal tea, one and handed it to Dai Lin.

"You're welcome, this is my room." Dai Lin didn't reach out to take it, but picked up another cup and took two sips gently, "Did they scavenge less money in various places?" Will you ask the old guy to come from Shanghai to pick up? ”

"That's right, chemical weapons? There doesn't seem to be a chemical plant nearby, huh? ”

"You know devils well? Or are you familiar with Liaocheng? ”

"Or—"

"Don't mess with your mind, I'm not done with you."

"Hehe, it won't. If it was two days later, it would have been on the night of March 18. What are your plans? ”

"Don't you worry about this, didn't you hear the old guy say that he wanted you to drink? You're being targeted, so think about how to deal with him. ”

"But- how did you do it alone to get past Kimura's elite troops? You should find someone to help you. ”

"Could it be that you still - you don't plan to let Sun Zhixiang count it as a share, right? I'm afraid that kind of person can't be relied on if he stays in the place for a long time. ”

"In addition to Sun Zhixiang, there are also people in secret."

"Oh? You mean the guerrillas? Are you sure you can rely on it? ”

"I don't think it's a big problem, as long as we can stop the Japanese from growing. Or, let's study the map again? Tomorrow we will take a look at the terrain and see where they will park the big ship. ”

"Don't beat your little Jiujiu in front of me, hurry up. I'm going to change my clothes and rest. ”

"Why do you military commanders always think of others as sinister as you? I just want to discuss it now, and I have other things to do tomorrow. ”

"Who is going to consult with you? It was originally my own task. ”

"No one is going to take credit for you, I said I'll help you get things done sooner, let's-"

"Not leaving?"

"Good! That's it. Zhang Mingyuan walked to the door with a smile, and looked back when he pulled the door, "I told them okay, let Lao Cao inform you." ”

"Let's go!" Dai Lin took a few steps to push him out of the door, slammed it shut and bolted it.

Zhang Mingyuan took a deep breath, leaned up and ran upstairs, and three or two ups and downs disappeared into the night. During dinner in the evening, he noticed that Ma Liang's eyes were a little red and swollen, and he was saying kind words peacefully throughout the meal, obviously being heavily responsible. So after the dismissal, he looked for Dai Lin, and the two of them explored the North Garden Temple at night. She didn't deliberately put a face on him at this meeting, but she didn't say anything other than business. Although the person he recognized would not give up easily, seeing her coldness could not help but give birth to a little melancholy.

The wake is to keep watch all night in front of the coffin, Gu Xinyi has not eaten and cried many times a day, and she dozed off on the chair just after midnight, and Zhu Qiaozhen covered her with the mattress prepared earlier. Gu Xi'er didn't doze off, and whispered to her mother. Zhou Yizhi said goodbye at this time, and sat in the hall drinking tea after returning home, he wanted to wait for Zhang Mingyuan to go back and talk about the doubts in his heart. Huang Zhenkun knew that he hadn't eaten, so he asked the fourth sister-in-law to leave porridge and sit with him for a while and go back to the room to rest.

Hearing a knock on the door, Zhou Yizhi got up and walked out of the hall door. Seeing Alai open the door and let Zhang Mingyuan in, he walked a few steps over, and then pulled Zhang Mingyuan outside for a walk, in fact, he didn't want these people in the family to hear their conversation. The two walked out of the north entrance of the alley to the right, chatting as they walked. Walk along Nanshuncheng Lane to the end, then go west to Lounan Street, and finally come back from Huoshenmiao Street. Zhang Mingyuan listened to Zhou Yizhi's speculation, and also guessed that Black Friday committed murder in that room, and it was estimated that Ji Tang was also present at the time. What is slightly different from his point of view is not that Fan Junsheng dreamed after he was killed, but that it may have happened on the same night that he passed through Liaocheng and became ill. But they can only guess this, and when they are busy with the things of the past few days, they will find someone to ask who has seen Fan Junsheng last, and if they can find the body, they will dare to try to set up a trap for Black Five. Zhang Mingyuan told him about Lu Jiayu and Zhou Zhuozhi again, and used the bracelet to play a recording of the conversation with Wu Liu. reminded him to be more wary of Huang Zhenkun these days, because Xing Hongying and they would not come to Liaocheng for no reason, and they might do something at any time. In the end, he told him that the Japanese were going to transport things away, and asked him to take the time to talk to Lu Jiaxun alone tomorrow.

March 17 was a sunny day, the sky seemed to have just been cleaned, and there was not a trace of clouds or wind in the blue. Zhou Yizhi got up and washed, and rushed to the west next door without breakfast. The Gu family got up earlier, and everyone was silently busy in the front and back yards, immersed in grief. Ji Tang arrived early, and he was also wearing linen and filial piety, and he was taking Black Friday and a cousin in the Gu family to order the items. Gu Xinyi and Gu Xi'er were dressed in heavy filial piety, squatting in the hall behind the spiritual shed, and there were more than a dozen sisters in the door. In front of the seven coffins, oil lamps and braziers were burned, and paper money was burned in the braziers from time to time. He entered the room to greet Gu Xinyi, but she just nodded blankly, and there were tear stains in the corners of her eyes and nose.

When the sun was high, Zhang Mingyuan, Cao Ying, Huang Zhenkun, Lu Jiaxun, Xu Xudong and Xu Hu, Alai, and Ali all arrived. After entering the door, he offered sacrifices and put money on the ceremonial table, received a black filial piety badge to wear on his arm as a friend, and then helped Gu Xinyi's brother in the hall.

Guests arrived one after another, and they went to the mourning hall to salute in the sound of firecrackers and suona, and the female dependents in the back would also cry for a while. Everyone else cries or pretends to cry, even if it is a passing scene, they also retain their physical strength, because they have to cry continuously all the way to the funeral in the afternoon. Gu Xinyi is different, she can't stop crying from the beginning, and the maid and Zhu Qiaozhen next to her can't persuade her. Zhou Yizhi outside listened very badly, he knew how innocent she was, she had suffered a lot of thoughts over the years, and the sudden loss of her parents was even more like a collapse for her.

Liu Tonghai, Dong Hua, and Lin Pu arrived at the same time, along with a dozen or so people who accompanied them, went to the table to offer offerings and walked inside. Zhike (1) shouted and fired cannons, and they watched as they walked into the mourning shed. Dong Hua entered the room as a representative to comfort Gu Xinyi for a few words, and then went back to salute together. Out of the mourning shed greeted Zhou Yizhi and Ji Tang, and sat in the guest seat to drink tea. A few minutes later, Limpu went out with his attendant.

Not much time, there were cars and motorbikes parked at the door. Shizuichi Watanabe and Hirokawa Kimura came in with seven or eight people, all of whom wore black kimonos except for Ma Liang, who wore a navy blue tunic. The heavily armed gendarmes remained outside the courtyard and sent only a few men to carry a few wreaths to the funeral shed. The group still made offerings, and bowed to the sound of firecrackers and suona. Only Ma Liang performed a big gift of three deductions and nine bows, and after the end, Zhou Yizhi accompanied him to the coffin to comfort Gu Xinyi in a low voice, and presented 100,000 fake legal currency. She still sat on the ground crying, and without even looking at Ma Liang, she put the money he gave into the brazier.

These people took their seats in the guest seats one after another, Zhang Mingyuan went over to say hello, and then continued to sit at the table. Every guest would pass in front of him, and it was clear whether he was armed or not. At this time, Lin Pu came in from outside and sat next to Dong Hua.

The people of the Guo family in Qufu came in to worship, and it was close to noon. At this time, Zhao Zhenhuan and Yu Banshan arrived, both dressed in civilian clothes. As usual, he offered an offering first and then saluted, and then comforted his family and greeted Zhou Yizhi. Sun Zhixiang also arrived, wearing a dark gray tunic today, with only one entourage, and sat at a table with Dong Hua after the salute.

After the banquet, the suona team began to sing. Some people who had eaten and waited to be seated and watched the excitement gathered the performers in the middle of the arena. Zhou Yizhi, Zhang Mingyuan, and Lu Jiaxun also stood side by side in the crowd. They couldn't understand what the four-strand strings (2) were playing or singing, and they stood here purely for fun. Seeking peace in the midst of chaos is indeed a good place to discuss things.

"How many of you are there?" Zhang Mingyuan is on the far right of the three, and several rural women are in front of him and on the right. After he came in, he first told the two of them about his plan, and as he spoke, his eyes looked at the middle of the circle more than three meters away. The performer was a woman in her thirties with a painted face, and she didn't pay attention to what she sang.

"What, how many? I only promised to talk to you that our people here are not combat troops. Lu Jiaxun said casually.

"! So what do you talk about? Yesterday there was something 'as a Chinese must stand up', how righteous Ling Ran said! It's not the same as the outside, you? Zhou Yizhi, who was on the far left, was annoyed when he caught Lu Jiaxun's words.

"What kind of temper tantrum do you have? I'm just joking with Chief Zhang, your dirty words will come out, and you're still studying abroad! "Lu Jiaxun saw Zhou Yizhi's foul language for the first time, so he was obviously a little embarrassed. His face flushed, and he hurriedly lowered his voice to explain: "Hit the silver ring, I'm your second uncle!" ”

"What's the foul language? When are you still in the mood for a joke? I'm not afraid to ask my father-in-law to judge me! Zhou Yizhi turned his head and glared at him.

"Good, good, no kidding." Lu Jiaxun hesitated for a moment and then said, "There are many comrades fighting against the enemy, but - I just said that we are not a combat unit, so there are only a dozen guns. Can you please ask Mr. Zhang to borrow some for us? ”

"Huh? Looking for me to borrow? You should know that Lao Cao and I don't carry weapons, just two people and two horses. Do you want a razor? ”

"Then what else can we fight? Otherwise, you will consult with the surname Sun? Although he is not your soldier, you have a big rank, and they all believe in the Three People's Principles. ”

"How come you are so poor? Can't I give you the money to buy some more? Zhou Yizhi caught Lu Jiaxun's words again, his expression was ten thousand incomprehension, he was the most unstable of the three.

"Brother Yizhi, good boss Zhou, you are really a businessman. Don't you think that buying a gun is the same as collecting food? Lu Jiaxun sighed helplessly, his eyes always looking at the crowd in front of him.

"I can't help you with guns. One thing, Ma Liang will be arranged to play Ming tomorrow, and most of the people who protect him are Linpu's men, and you can grab it from him and then go to the king's embankment (3) to meet. Zhang Mingyuan said lightly, his expression was still like he was watching a play seriously.

"No, it's too late. We don't have a car or a boat. ”

"Then you can't help it, you can also use spears and knives and devil machine guns."

"Hey, Ah Kuan has a big gun that looks very powerful, why don't I take it for you?" Zhou Yizhi interjected.

"Don't! It's hard to say who that guy is. Zhang Mingyuan glanced around.

"What I'm saying is, your godbrother is really not a good thing."

"If there are no other problems, just leave it at that, it's suspicious for a long time."

"Wait a minute! If you don't get a guy, you won't talk about it, and let's listen to the woman's command? ”

"That's right, the matter is done, and the guns of the gendarmerie can be collected and yours."

"We've got to get our share of what's on the ship."

"Besides, I won't be able to catch up, you can discuss it."

"You really can't give the surname Sun a consultation? I can't explain it when I ask it above? ”

"You two watch the play slowly, I'll go out and have a glass of water." Zhang Mingyuan said and turned around to squeeze out of the crowd.

"Talking nonsense!" Zhou Yizhi also went out from the other side.

Lu Jiaxun stammered his tongue, sighed and continued to watch the play, babbling and singing at all, not understanding what he was singing at all.

Halfway through the sunset, most of the people had already left the cemetery. The guests went back to their respective homes, and those who helped with the funeral returned to the Gu family. Gu Xinyi was really reluctant to let her parents go, and almost cried at the grave. Fortunately, Zhu Qiaozhen and Gu Xinyi's distant sister-in-law persuaded her for a long time before she could stop her grief, choked up and walked back with Gu Xi'er's seven or eight women. The others were long gone, and Zhou Yizhi was watching from less than thirty meters, with Cao Ying next to him. He knew that she was sad today, so he paid special attention from the time he went out, and when he went back, he was embarrassed to be alone, so he pulled Cao Ying to wait for her from afar.

Not far from the cemetery, suddenly thirty or forty horses sprang out of the grove, and immediately all of them were men with black scarves covering their heads. The gang went straight to Gu Xinyi, and couldn't help but snatch her and put her in a sack, and her cousin-in-law and cousin were also tied up and pulled on horseback. The other women were so frightened that they squatted on the side with their heads in their hands and cried. When Zhu Qiaozhen stopped him, he was frightened when he saw them shooting indiscriminately, and was pulled to the side by Gu Xi'er and squatted. Zhou Yizhi and Cao Ying rushed over to stop the violent beating, and they were also tied up and put on horseback. Although the gang acted rudely and unreasonably, they acted very swiftly, dragging a few people on horseback and galloping away in a southwesterly direction.

Note: (1) Knowing the guest is the person who helps the host's family to entertain the guests, and some places are called Zhibin or Dazhibin, which generally appear in red and white ceremonies. (2) One of the ancient traditional local opera genres, the Qing Dynasty prevailed in Linqing. (3) There is a village next to the embankment at the intersection of the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal and the Tuxiao River, which is named Wang Dikou.