The night was getting darker, the time had passed, and the scholars who had stayed up for half the night couldn't stay up anymore, so they put away the exam papers one after another, turned off the lights, and rested in peace.

The courtyard was dark, except for a few sparse lights in the alleyway.

The forbidden army patrolled back and forth in the alleys, and as they walked, the armor made a slight rattling sound, and the blade on the waist was cold and cold, which was daunting.

Yao Qi and He Zhenfu were dressed in black, without carrying lanterns, skillfully avoiding the forbidden troops patrolling back and forth, and came to the east side of the house in the dark.

Walking to the outside of the Yuzi house, the lights had already been turned off in the house, and it was pitch black.

Xia Yuanji faced the direction of the laneway, curled up on the narrow plank, the plank was narrow and short, he was lying very uncomfortable, and his eyebrows were unconsciously wrinkled.

The clothes on his body were neat, and he didn't even take off his shoes, although most of the scholars were lying in clothes like him, but Yao Qi and the others were suspicious of him, and seeing his cautious appearance, they naturally cheered up their spirits.

Even breathing came out thinly, and it sounded like Xia Yuanji seemed to be asleep.

The opposite side and the left and right houses were also pitch black, and the sound of even breathing mixed with the sound of snoring one after another, made people sleepy.

It's all asleep, it's good to fall asleep, no one is paying attention, so it's easy to act.

He Zhenfu and Yao Qi glanced at each other, pointed to the number house, and moved their lips silently: "Do you want to do it?" ”

Yao Qi nodded, took out a face towel and covered his mouth and nose.

He Zhenfu also covered his mouth and nose, took out the drug, and lit it in the direction of the house.

A faint gray-white smoke drifted into the house, and a gust of night breeze blew, and the light smoke dispersed in an instant, and the gray-white was faintly imperceptible.

When the drug is in powder, it smells faintly blue, but once ignited, it has no taste.

He Zhenfu was stunned, he didn't expect Yao Qi, a little-known Jingzhao Mansion to join the army, would have such a good thing.

Sure enough, people are not to be seen.

Seeing that the light smoke dissipated, Xia Yuanji twitched twice, turned over, and lay on his back, his legs were softly dragged on the ground, and the whole person was silent, and even his breathing seemed to be a little shallow.

He Zhenfu was startled, hurriedly turned around, lowered his voice and asked, "You won't die, right?" ”

Yao Qi glanced at the remaining drugs on the handkerchief, and immediately jumped up, shouting in a suppressed voice: "Who asked you to order it?" Order so much, you have to be stupid if you don't die!! ”

He Zhenfu was dumbfounded, and glared at Yao Qi in frustration: "You didn't say how much you want to use." ”

Yao Ji secretly rolled his eyes and raised his chin towards the number house.

He Zhenfu pointed to the lock hanging on the wooden fence: "I don't know how to slip the door and pick the lock." ”

Yao Qi sighed, raised his eyebrows slightly, and took out a wire and poked it in the keyhole for a moment.

There was a soft "click", and the lock opened.

He Zhenfu gave a thumbs up with a smile, lowered his voice and asked Yao Qi: "Eh, on the day of arresting Wang Cong, what did you mean by the 'hi' you asked us to say?" ”

"It's not interesting, it's just a hello." Yao Ji didn't raise his head, pulled open the wooden fence, but cautiously did not go inside, only stood outside the number house and cruised, and then picked up a stone and threw it at Xia Yuanji's body.

The sleeping Xia Yuanji still didn't move.

He Zhenfu relieved himself, chuckled, "veteran", leaned into the house, groped in the dark house for a while, and finally touched Xia Yuanji's feet and took off the shoes on his feet.

Through the faint moonlight, a pair of half-worn leather boots can be faintly seen.

He Zhenfu pursed his lips in disgust, and when he saw that Yao Qi had locked the wooden fence again, he lowered his voice and said, "Let's go, let's go back first." ”

Yao Qi nodded: "This drug can make people unconscious for three hours, and before dawn, we have to send the shoes back." ”

He Zhenfu glanced at Xia Yuanji, who was sleeping, and said in a low voice: "It's okay, I ordered someone to prepare a few more pairs of similar leather boots, if it's really too late, just take the most similar number." ”

Yao Ji glanced at Xia Yuanji a few more times and shook his head: "This person is thoughtful, I'm afraid that the substitute won't be able to hide his eyes, so I don't need to use it as much as possible." ”

He Zhenfu pursed his lips, did not speak, and looked around vigilantly.

The two of them slipped back to the third floor of Mingyuan Building like thieves.

Seeing the two coming back, Meng Sui smiled and quipped: "Yo, the thief who stole the shoes is back?" ”

Yao Qi and He Zhenfu rolled their eyes, and one took a leather boot and looked at it carefully.

The smile on Meng Sui's face was even worse, and he came closer and checked it together.

Han Changdui sat behind the bookcase, bowing his head to write something, and from time to time he raised his head to look at the three people under the bright lights.

He was in a blink of an eye, perhaps even without even realizing it, but day by day, they faced difficult times together, and they had already given birth to a friendship and familiarity with colleagues that others could not match.

This pair of leather boots is indeed an ordinary pair of leather boots that cannot be more ordinary, as the previous internal guard returned.

From the texture to the workmanship, to the pattern on the boot upper, and the routing of the boot soles, they are not of the highest quality.

Moreover, this style of leather boots can be seen everywhere in Chang'an City, and most of the Hu people will wear them.

He Zhenfu glanced at this pair of leather boots, and hurriedly put out the leather boots of different styles and sizes that he had prepared before, and raised his eyebrows triumphantly: "Look, this pair of leather boots is no different from this pile of leather boots. ”

"If only it were that simple." Yao Qi lowered his head and flipped the boot down, revealing a thumb-sized mark.

Seeing this small, four-petal plum blossom embroidery, Yao Qi seemed to confirm the guess in her heart, maybe there are too many such confirmations these days, and there are too many blows, she didn't even change her face, she only showed her boots to Han Changdui: "My lord, it's still the Four Holy Sects." ”

He Zhenfu exploded all of a sudden, and jumped up: "It's the Four Holy Sects again, and they hide their heads and tails like mice." ”

"Not the Four Holy Sects." Han Changwan stopped his pen, looked up at the four-petal plum blossom, shook his head and said, "It's not the Four Holy Sects, it's the Third Prince of Xie." ”

This title is the tacit understanding between Han Changwan and Yao Qimeng, and it is a secret concealment of Xie Liangji's identity.

Xie Liangmao's identity is too sensitive, and if it is leaked, it may cause an uproar, and it can be concealed for a while.

Therefore, they privately decided to use the title of Xie Sangongzi to replace the name Xie Liangmao.

Xie Liangmao was the youngest son of Prince Huaizhang back then, and ranked third among the males in the Prince's Mansion.

"What your lord means is that this mark is exclusive to Third Prince Xie, not used by the Four Holy Sects." Yao Ji looked up and down at the leather boots, his eyes drooping, and his expression was obscure.

She has always stubbornly believed that this mark belongs to the Four Holy Sects, but in fact, she refuses to admit that this mark belongs to Xie Liangmao alone and is closely related to her.

She suddenly felt a burning heat in her ankles, and she involuntarily shrank as it burned.

Han Changdui noticed the unease that Yao Qi deliberately suppressed, the pen in his hand paused slightly, and changed the topic: "How is it, is there anything you found in the shoes?" ”

Yao Qi retracted his thoughts, pointed to the stitches at the junction of the top of the boots and the soles, and said sadly: "These leather boots are already half-old, and the sewing thread is also a little rotten. ”

He Zhenfu took the leather boot in his hand far away, and looked at Yao Qi with disgust: "It's so close, you don't panic." ”

Yao Qi glanced at He Zhenfu, and said with disgust: "If you are so far away, you can see that something is wrong." ”

He Zhenfu laughed twice, picked up his leather boots and asked, "Don't worry about whether it will be restored or not, let's dismantle it first." ”

Yao Qi glanced at Han Changdu.

Han Changdui didn't look up, but he also seemed to notice Yao Qi's gaze, lowered his head and said while writing: "Tear it down, everything has its own official." ”

With this promise, Yao Qi and He Zhenfu glanced at each other, and opened a leather boot very neatly.

As soon as Fang opened it, He Zhenfu covered his mouth and nose violently, and exclaimed, "Ouch, I'll go, this smell." ”

Yao Qi hurriedly took a piece of incense, stuffed another piece of incense into He Zhenfu's mouth with his backhand, and checked it repeatedly with the removed boot top.

He Zhenfu was stunned, and twitched the corners of his mouth: "What kind of shoes is this, why is it so smelly?" ”

Meng Sui covered his mouth and nose and buzzed: "This should be what Li Cheng found out of the thatched house, can the taste be small?" ”

Yao Qi didn't speak, and looked from the side of the disassembled boot upper, and the leather surface and the boot lining were not completely sewn together, but left a gap that didn't fit well.

She ran through the lining cloth little by little.

Although the interlining is not very comfortable, it does not hide the uneven feel of things.

She closed her eyes and thought for a moment, then took the scissors and removed the lining.

The lining is light brown on both sides of the inside and out, and the color is old, and patches of mottled old stains are printed on it.

He Zhenfu looked at the leather surface and interlining, frowned slightly, and looked solemn: "This, nothing." ”

Yao Qi twisted the thin, cotton and linen interlining, stared for a moment, and said to Meng Sui: "Bring a lamp here." ”

Meng Sui answered, and hurriedly moved a lamp and candle to the front.

Yao Qi carefully held the thin interlining cloth and roasted it back and forth on the jumping flames.

The lining can not be baked, but also to ensure that the heating is uniform.

She pursed her lips, it was a technical job.

The candle flame looked faint, but after a long time, it was also very hot.

Her hands were burned by the burning candle flame and shook involuntarily.

"I'll come." Meng Sui hurriedly took the interlining, and while roasting, he had a hippie smile: "I have rough skin and thick meat, and I am not afraid of being hot." ”

Yao Ji smiled, stood up, and looked at the steaming interlining cloth that was scorched.