Lu Bu listened to Zhang Meng's request and categorically refused: "It's not that I don't help, it's just that Dong Gong has an order, and I haven't seen outsiders for a few days." But if you just go into the city, there should be no hindrance. After saying that, he took a group of his men and went to himself.

Cao Cao's eyebrows were as tight as a river, he looked at Lu Bu and the others galloping away, and asked, "Chengying, what are you doing when you see Dong Zhuo?" ”

Zhang Meng said: "The decree in the palace is unknown, martial law is imposed on the outside world, listen to Lu Bu's words, now most of the soldiers and horses in the Beijing division are controlled by Dong Zhuo, I want to enter the palace and find Dong Zhuo to confirm that it is convenient." ”

Cao Cao pondered for a moment and said solemnly: "Dong Zhuo is a person, I have heard a lot, and it is not easy to match. Ding Yuan's violent death this time is planned by Dong Zhuo nine times out of ten, which shows his ability to fight against dissidents, you go to him, but you are afraid that you will fall into the quagmire. Then he sighed, "After a night's effort, the pattern of the DPRK and China has changed greatly, and the sea is crossing, and how many people will take advantage of the time." ”

Zhang Meng answered: "There must be a place for you, Brother Mengde. ”

Cao Cao raised his head and laughed, and then said: "The drama of the change in the capital division has exceeded expectations, I have to take a step first, Chengying, there will be a period later!" On the horse, he saluted Zhang Meng and Min Gong respectively, and then urged the horse and hurried away.

Zhang Meng looked at his back and thought: "I'm afraid I'm going to find Yuan Shao, Bao Xin and others, they are a group of sworn friends, sharing weal and woe, and it is inevitable to reach a consensus on how to advance and retreat." Thinking of this, I couldn't help but sigh, "In this era, the relationship network between family and friends is too important, and without connections and team, it is difficult to move an inch." There are changes in the world, and it is difficult to get ahead on your own, Cao Cao can take these into account, and I can't lag behind, I have to think about which relatives and friends can be contacted as soon as possible...... so he began to search for relevant memories in his mind.

The first person who thought of it was Ji Xuan, since he was separated in the house, he should have returned to Luoyang in advance.

"Ji Xuan's identity is similar to mine, if he is blocked out of the palace, I am afraid that my situation will not be much better." Zhang Meng pondered, "Entering the city from Gumen, on the way to the North Palace, you will pass through Buguangli, where he lives, but you can go and see the situation first." ”

There are two places in the Luoyang Palace, namely the North Palace and the South Palace, usually the queen and the prince live in the South Palace, and the Queen Mother lives in the North Palace. And because Emperor Liu Wei was young and did not have a queen and a prince, he lived in the North Palace with the Empress Dowager He.

Buguang-ri is a residential settlement to the east of Beigong, and like the neighboring Yonghe-ri, a large number of scholars live. Ji Xuan's family is not a scholar family, but because his father died in battle, the imperial court took care of a small mansion in Buguangli, so he lived there. The west side of Buguangli is opposite the east gate of the North Palace, the "East 'Ming Gate", and the traffic is also convenient.

Zhang Meng thought of two people at this time, namely Zhang Chang and Sima Lang.

Zhang Chang's character is Wenshu, and he is Zhang Meng's second uncle. He was in his early forties this year, and according to this qualification, he was released outside the county order, and the worst was the county order of the rank of Qianshi, but the fact was that he still served as the Huangmen Order of the rank of 600 stone under the Shaofu. This is as much related to his tranquil personality as it is to his obsession with calligraphy.

Zhang Meng's father, Zhang Zhi, worked in cursive and was unparalleled in the world, so he also gave up his career. Zhang Huan reluctantly accepted this fact and arranged for his eldest son to inherit the family business. Although Zhang Chang has the same interests as his brother and has no intention of joining the office, he had to leave home to become an official in Beijing under the pressure of Zhang Huan, but he is not enterprising, and it is not surprising that his official position has stood still for many years.

Zhang Chang also lives in Buguangli, to be honest, Zhang Meng doesn't expect the second uncle, who doesn't listen to the outside of the window, to bring him any special news, but he is worried about the second uncle, and he doesn't know how safe he is in this turmoil, so he is bound to visit.

Sima Lang is two years younger than Zhang Meng and is from the Sima clan of the Hanoi Shi clan. His father, Sima Fang, was a local state and county official when he was young, and was later transferred to the central government as the right secretary of Shangshu, in charge of the affairs of money and grain, and now he is the ruler of the imperial history. Cao Cao was able to become the lieutenant of the northern part of Luoyang back then, relying on Sima Fang's recommendation.

As Sima Fang's eldest son, Sima Lang has lived in Luoyang with his father since he was a child, and even though he passed the scripture examination at the age of twelve and became a Tongzilang, he was a classmate in Taixue with Zhang Meng, who was also a Tongzilang, so they met.

The ancestor on Sima Lang's genealogy is Sima Wei, a famous general at the end of Qin, and the ancestor who can be followed is Sima Jun, a general in the early years of this dynasty, who is all in the army, so he is the queen of the Eight Classics. Nowadays, the society is immersed in Confucianism and Confucianism, and generally admires and admires scholars from scholarly families and scholars, and the status of martial artists gradually declines, and the background of Jiangmen is also despised by others.

Sima Lang is tall and old, and he looks out of place among his peers, and is often ridiculed as a martial artist, so he naturally has a good impression of Zhang Meng, who is also young and powerful, and the two often learn family martial arts in private, adding to their closeness. He has several younger brothers, and the other younger brothers are too young to play together, among which only the second brother Sima Yi is ten years old and Zhang Meng is ten years old, but he is smart and sophisticated, and he can often follow Zhang Meng and his brother to swing.

As a scholar clan, the residence of the Sima clan in Jingshi is in Yongheli, and according to Zhang Meng's plan, it is not too far to move around.

The name "Sima Yi ......" repeatedly appeared in Zhang Meng's heart, "It's a pity that he is still a hairy child, and he is not yet a climate." ”

Zhang Meng thought all the way, and unconsciously walked outside the valley gate. The guards of the city originally asked to show the bamboo messenger for identity verification, but they recognized Min Gong and let him go directly.

Entering the city, Min Gong dismounted, exchanged the horses to Zhang Meng, and said that he would go to Shangguan to report on his work, and the two sides separated.

Shi A squinted at Shan Zhong and said, "Your good skills in entering the city are useless, can you help Zhang Jun enter the palace city directly?" ”

Shan Zhong blushed and didn't speak.

Zhang Meng thought for a while and said, "Dong Zhuo can't see him for the time being, let's go to the palace first, if we can't get in, then we will make a plan." ”

The three of them walked south from Gumen, which belonged to the northeast corner of Luoyang City, where Taicang, Wuku and other government offices were located, and there were few pedestrians along the way. After walking for a while, you can see an independent palace in the east, the eaves and arches are exquisitely warped, here Zhang Meng is very familiar, it is the Yong'an Palace where he was on duty every day, but since the death of the Empress Dowager Dong more than a month ago, Liu Xie, the king of Chen Liu, has moved to the North Palace, and there is no one living here for the time being.

The gate and side doors of Yong'an Palace are all closed, although there are guards stationed in front of the door, looking at the face, there is no Ji Xuan. Zhang Meng went up and asked a few words, and learned that these guards were all transferred from other offices in the past two days, not to mention knowing Ji Xuan.

Further to a fork in the road, Zhang Meng instructed Shi A: "You go east, go to my second uncle's house, and say that I will visit later." Then he gave the detailed address, and did not forget to add, "You have to find some way to avoid the prison gate." ”

Unlike the complete lifting of the ban on neighborhoods in later generations, the people's settlements, especially the neighborhoods in the city, are now tightly controlled, and it is difficult for outsiders to enter and exit the gate of a lane at will for no reason, and misbehavior will be reported to the government for arrest and questioning. Zhang Meng didn't have the credentials to give Shi Ah a pass for the time being, so he could only let Shi Ah figure out his own way. Of course, according to Shi A's skills, Xiao Limen can't stop him.

After separating from Shi A, Zhang Meng and Shan Zhong walked in the opposite direction, and after a short time, the heavy eaves watchtower of the North Palace was visible in the distance. Walk back for a hundred steps, on the gray and white palace wall, the palace tower of the East 'Ming Gate is impressive. Directly below the palace building, is a large vermilion lacquer palace gate that is ajar. In front of the palace gate, there are two tall and thick doors carved with stone bottoms, which look solemn and majestic.

Around the gate, there are many guards stationed.

Zhang Meng led his horse to about fifty paces, and the guards immediately became alert.

When it was, dozens of halberds and Changge on the ground stood up at the same time in an instant, as dense as a forest wall. By the window of the palace tower, there are rows of stumbling crossbows and aiming diagonally downward.

"Zhang Meng in the Tiger Benlang, enter the palace to see you!"

Zhang Meng raised his hands, signaled that he was not holding a weapon, and shouted three times in succession. At the same time, I saw a guard on the ground riding a horse quickly, turning into the palace castle, thinking that I would go up to the palace tower along the ramp on the inner side of the castle platform, which is commonly known as the "horse road".

Shan Zhong was obviously frightened by the formation in front of him, and showed a frightened expression, Zhang Meng gave him a look and asked him to stand back, while he stood motionless fifty steps from the palace gate. He knew the rules of the palace guards, fifty steps was already the minimum risk distance, and if he went any further, even if it was only half a step, he would be directly attacked by the guards.

The air around them was condensed, and it was almost audible that pins fell. After a short confrontation, "cluck, cluck", a crisp sound of horses' hooves came from the direction of the palace gate.

There were two horsemen in front of him, except for the guard who told the news, and the other was the commander in charge of guarding the door.

But when Zhang Meng saw the appearance of the chief, he couldn't help but be shocked.