Two days later, Zhu Long and his party of six entered Xingren Mansion.

Xingren Mansion, formerly known as Caozhou, is also the gateway of the Beijing Division, and is an important town of the Great Song Dynasty.

The snow had stopped for the past few days, and they were hurrying up.

On this day, I came to a small town called Miaoqian Town, and further on, I entered the Gyeonggi area.

In the evening, after dinner, Zhu Long took Shi Wengong and Bian Xiang to wander on the street.

Lu Zhishen's big bald head is too conspicuous, Lu Fang is a handsome young man, and he is also eye-catching, Jiao Ting can't ride a horse, he is so tired that he can't sleep in the inn.

Since the last time he experienced the embarrassing incident of not being able to find an inn in the middle of the night, Zhu Long has developed a habit that he must familiarize himself with the local environment whenever he goes.

He had to keep in mind what roads and entrances, what landmarks there were, and where he could retreat in case of an attack.

The three of them were walking around the town, talking as they walked, and suddenly a large group of officers and soldiers entered the town, making Zhu Long and the others vigilant, hiding in a narrow alley, and secretly watching what those officers and soldiers were doing.

I saw the leader of the officer sitting on a horse, and a small leader holding a portrait, asking from shop to store, only to see that the shopkeepers all shook their heads, indicating that they had not seen it.

The officers and soldiers did not believe it easily, and they still had to go into the store to search, and some of the shopkeepers were very dissatisfied, worried that the soldiers' hands and feet were not clean, but after the officer who led the team took out a token, everyone kept silent and let the officers and soldiers go in to search, but they searched more than a dozen in a row, but there was no result.

Finally, the officers and soldiers posted the portraits on the bulletin board at the intersection, leaving eight officers and soldiers to guard them, and the others followed the officer down the street, one by one, and continued to search.

Zhu Long handed the knife at his waist to Shi Wengong, walked to the bulletin board alone with his empty hands, looked at it, turned around and left.

"Eh, if you see this person, if you see it, you have to report it, otherwise you will be punished for harboring!" The small leader of the officers and soldiers asked.

Zhu Long shook his head, "I'm not a local, but a merchant who went to the capital, and I don't know the person in the portrait. By the way, big brother Cha, what kind of crime has this person committed, you are so excited! looks like a reader! ”

"If you don't know, just go away, is this something you can ask?" The little leader of the officers and soldiers waved his hand impatiently, and after Zhu Long walked away, he muttered in a low voice: "There is so much nonsense, how do I know what crime he has committed!" ”

As soon as Zhu Long turned his back and walked away, his face became gloomy, because he knew the person in the portrait, it was Fan Xiu!

Fan Xiu was sent to Tokyo to work as a deputy for Lehe. Now that Fan Xiu is exposed and wanted by the government, what happened? What is Lehe doing now?

Zhu Long was anxious, returned to the alley, with a gloomy face, and said to Shi Wengong and Bian Xiang: "Let's go back to the inn!" ”

The three of them returned to the inn, Zhu Long asked Shi Wengong and Bian Xiang to lead the horse out of the back door, and went upstairs to find Lu Zhishen, Lu Fang, and Jiao Ting, and said without distinguishing: "Go!" Immediately away"

Seeing Zhu Long's solemn face, the three of them knew that the big thing was not good, so they didn't ask much, and without saying a word, they followed Zhu Long down the stairs and went out from the back door of the inn.

After turning around the alley, I came out of a wooded area at the back of the town, and through the woods, I saw an abandoned temple.

Although it is now abandoned, the temple covers a large area, and you can imagine its original prosperity.

The Song Dynasty advocated Taoism, especially the current emperor Zhao Ji, who proclaimed himself the "Emperor of Taoism", pushing the status of Taoism to the top.

Although he did not inhibit the development of Buddhism, many monks felt that there was no way to believe in Buddhism, and the preferential policies of the imperial court were much less than those of Taoism, so they changed their careers to become Taoist priests.

Whether it is Buddhism or Taoism, it is good to teach if you can make money!

As a result, many temples were abandoned, and this phenomenon was not obvious in remote areas, but the closer they were to Jingshi, the more they were affected by the highest power of the empire, and the more temples were abandoned.

This is the case with this ancient temple in front of you, and the monk walks away and the temple is empty.

Zhu Long took them in, stood in the courtyard, told them about the situation, and said: "The officers and soldiers are searching from house to house, although they are not looking for us, but as long as they are interrogated, we will definitely show flaws, so we have to come out and avoid them." ”

"So what are we going to do?" Shi Wengong worried.

Zhu Long looked at Shi Wengong and said without hesitation: "Find Fan Xiu first and figure out what happened!" ”

Bian Xiang looked puzzled and said, "How to find it?" ”

Zhu Long fell into thought, and Lu Zhishen said loudly: "Let's go and do these officers and soldiers, and then grab the officer who took the lead and ask the reason from his mouth." ”

"No way!" Zhu Long shook his head and said: "These officers and soldiers are well-armored, sharp swords and guns, and well-trained, they are by no means comparable to bandits, we don't wear armor, and we don't have weapons with us, so it's difficult to defeat them." And I think that the officer who took the lead is not an ordinary person, it is not easy to deal with, we have to find another way! ”

Jiao Ting said suddenly: "Big official, villain has a way!" ”

"Oh?" Zhu Long looked at him in surprise.

"I have a way to find local heroes and ask them to help us find people! These land snakes are very familiar with the situation on the ground, and if there are really strangers hiding here, they will definitely not be able to hide from them. Jiao Ting's words were convincing.

Zhu Long's eyes lit up, although he hesitated, "Are they willing to help us?" ”

"With the reputation of a big official, come to the door and ask them to help, they will definitely help."

"And what price do I have to pay?"

"You don't have to give anything, as long as you treat them as friends!"

"Friends?"

"That's right! The most important thing for heroes in the rivers and lakes is friends, if the big officials are willing to treat them as friends, it is a very face-saving thing for them! ”

This is the real heroes of the rivers and lakes, Zhu Long remembered Zhu Tong, although Zhu Tong was ready to arrest him, but when he identified himself and went to Zhu Tong for help, Zhu Tong really did not hesitate to help him escape from Yuncheng County!

He asked Jiao Ting: "In the town in front of this temple, are there such friends in the rivers and lakes?" ”

Jiao Ting shook his head and said, "I don't know, but I can go and inquire." ”

"Okay, you're going right away! Brother Bian Xiang, you go with him! ”

Bian Xiang and Jiao Ting left together, Zhu Long and the four of them found a fairly clean hall and sat down, and Lu Zhishen knelt in front of the Buddha and whispered something.

After a while, Lu Zhishen stood up, and Zhu Long said strangely: "Master, are you finished reciting the scriptures?" ”

"Chanting?" Lu Zhishen was stunned for a moment, and said with a smile: "The Sprinkle family only drinks wine and eats meat, kills people and sets fires, where can they chant scriptures!" ”

"Then what are you whispering in front of the Buddha?"

"The Sprinkle family is saying that this Buddha is too miserable, and the Sprinkle family is pitiful, and after a while, the Sprinkle family hires a temple to bless, and a few nearby people, cleans and cleans him, and puts two pillars of incense on it every day."

Zhu Long smiled, "The master is really compassionate!" ”

The four of them guessed what was going on in the capital, and Zhu Long was very worried about how Le He was doing now, and whether he was okay? He really wanted to send someone to the capital to inquire, but none of the five subordinates had a suitable candidate, and he regretted that he didn't bring Wu Song out, if he was there, he could go to the capital.

After a while, Bian Xiang and Jiao Ting returned.

Jiao Ting panted and said: "There is a butcher in the town in front of the temple, named Tie Lin, who is righteous, easy to fight and hold grievances, likes to hand over the heroes of the rivers and lakes, and has contacts with the three religions and nine streams, and the gangsters in the town are the only ones who look ahead. ”

"Well done!" Zhu Long patted Jiao Ting's shoulder, praised him, and then said, "Have you found out where his family lives?" ”

Jiao Ting nodded and said, "Yes, it's in the vegetable market in the west of the town." ”

Zhu Long commanded: "Take us over!" ”

The six people came to the west of the town, Bian Xiang and Lu Fang guarded the horses in the woods outside the town, Lu Zhishen and Shi Wengong answered outside, Zhu Long and Jiao Ting came to a butcher shop, knocked lightly on the door next to it, and after a while, the two young students opened the door and poked out their heads: asked, "Who are you looking for?" ”

Jiao Ting accosted: "I'm looking for Boss Tie!" ”

"Please come in!" The latter opened the door, and after Zhu Long and Jiao Ting came in, the door was closed.

The butcher shop is a three-room façade with a small door at the back, and out of the small door is a courtyard.

The yard is quite large, and the smell is also very big, there is a smell of pigs, and on the left is the pig house, and there is a neighing sound from pigs fighting.

There were seven or eight young young students in the courtyard, each doing their own work, some sharpening pig knives, and some cleaning the yard. A young man sharpening his knife was annoyed by the pig's noise, rushed over, and slapped the pig killing knife on the railing, and suddenly fell silent.

The two juniors who opened the door led them through the small door next to the main house and came to the courtyard behind, where the smell of pigs was much lighter.

"Master, there are guests!" Brought to the door of a lit room, one of the juniors shouted.

Squeak –

The door opened, and a burly man came out.

He glanced at Zhu Long and Jiao Ting, and felt that although the young man in front of him was not very old, he had an extraordinary bearing, and between his eyebrows, he was heroic and magnificent, and although the other yellow-faced man was an entourage, he was also a good man, so he arched his hand and said, "May I ask who the two are?" ”

Jiao Ting replied on his behalf: "My master has always heard that the iron boss is generous and righteous, helping the needy, and today he passed by the treasure land, and suddenly encountered a difficult thing, and came to ask for it!" ”

Seeing that the two refused to reveal their identities, Tie Lin said to the two descendants: "You guys go to the front to do things!" ”

Then Zhu Long and Jiao Ting were invited into the room, sat down as the guest of honor, and said, "I don't know what is so difficult about the honorable driver?" It's just a person who kills pigs and dogs, and it may not be able to help. ”

Zhu Long got up, walked to the center of the room, hugged his fists at Tie Lin and said, "Zhu Long in Xiashan Mountain, this is my brother Jiao Ting!" ”

Tie Lin stood up, pointed at Zhu Long, and said excitedly: "You, you, are you really a Shandong Zhu official?" ”

As for the name "Jiao Ting", he automatically ignored it.

Zhu Long smiled: "It's exactly below!" ”

Tie Lin hurriedly left the table, walked quickly to Zhu Long, bowed his head and bowed, "I have heard the prestige of the great official for a long time, I just hate not to have the opportunity to meet, and when I see it today, it is really a blessing for three lives!" ”

Zhu Long's heart is secretly happy, he finally enjoys the same treatment as Song Jiang, no matter where he goes, as long as the name is reported, the younger brothers will bow their heads one after another, it is so cool.

He hurriedly helped Tie Lin up, and said modestly: "I wish Long He De how can he be, he deserves to be treated like this by Boss Tie!" ”

Tie Lin said: "I wish the great officials the world's fame, and it is the pride of my Shandong heroes, who doesn't give a thumbs up and call a hero?" By the way, I wish the big official just said that he has encountered a problem, and I don't know what is going on, please do not hesitate to tell Tie to go up the knife mountain and go down to the oil pot, and it will be done! ”

"Boss Tie is serious! Do you see the officers and soldiers on the street? They were one of my men, and I don't know where he was hiding, but I had to find him before the officers and soldiers could catch him! ”

"Don't worry, it's on me, as long as he's in Miaoqian Town, I'll definitely be able to find him!" Tie Lin patted his chest and reassured.

I wish the dragon great joy, bow down and say: "Thank you Boss Tie!" It's a great pleasure to be able to make a friend like Boss Tie today! ”

"Since I wish the officials to treat me Tie Lin as a friend, don't say the word 'thanks'!" Tie Lin's face was excited, and he said outside: "Come on, prepare a wine banquet and slaughter the lamb in the sheepfold!" ”

Zhu Long hurriedly excused himself and said: "There is no need to do this, now the officers and soldiers are searching in the town, it is not suitable for drinking and having fun, we will meet again another day!" ”

When Tie Lin heard this, he had to give up, and said a little unwillingly: "I wish the big officials to come to the cold house, but I can't do the friendship of the landlord, and I wish the big officials a good drink, it's a big pity!" ”

"He will have a good drink with Brother Tie in the future, and I will take my leave, I live in the temple behind the woods, if Brother Tie finds my men, please go there and inform me!"

Tie Lin nodded vigorously and said, "Okay, I wrote it down!" ”

He personally sent Zhu Long and Jiao Ting out, returned to the butcher's shop, called the two apprentices, and said, "Liu Da and Liu Er, you went out today and saw the notice posted by the officers and soldiers, right?" ”

Liu Da replied, "See, Master! is a young scholar named Fan Xiu, who is quite handsome. ”

"Okay, you go out and inquire and find this person!"

Liuer wondered, "Master, what are you looking for him?" There is no bounty for the officers and soldiers! ”

Tie Lin gave him a shudder, and said angrily: "Who do you think the master is, is he a dog for the government?" This Fan Xiu is also a good man on the rivers and lakes, or a subordinate of a friend of mine, I want to save him, understand? ”

"Oh, that's it!" Liu Er touched his head aggrievedly.

"Go and find it, if you can't find it, see how I clean you up!" Tie Lin kicked Liu Er's buttocks, and Liu Er hurriedly ran out.

Zhu Long and the six returned to the deserted temple, smashed some discarded tables and chairs into dry firewood, lit a fire in a large hall, and everyone gathered around the fire, and found some wooden planks to put on the ground, ready to make do with the night.

Lu Fang suddenly said: "Lord, I want to go out to watch the night!" ”

Zhu Long waved his hand and said, "It's so cold outside, there's no need!" ”

"I am the deputy lieutenant of the camp of the guard, and it is my duty to guard for you!"

Lu Fang insisted on going, but Zhu Long insisted on not letting him, on such a cold day, let alone standing outside for one night, even if he stood for two hours, he would be frozen, and if he got sick, he would be in trouble.

Jiao Ting suddenly smiled and said, "You don't have to be on night duty, I found a guard on night duty." ”

Everyone looked at him in amazement, and saw him pick up a wine jar from the corner of the wall, walk out of the main hall, come to the gate of the courtyard, close the courtyard door, hold it with a stone, and then put the wine jar on top of the door.

"Wonderful!"

"Brother Jiao Ting, he really has a lot of experience!"

Everyone praised one after another, and Lu Fang didn't mention that he was on duty all night, everyone returned to the main hall, closed the door, and chatted around the fire.

Several of them are people who have traveled from south to north, and they are well-informed, and they all talk about what they have seen, what interesting things they have experienced, and what they have heard of absurd and strange things.

After these days of getting along day and night, everyone is much closer to each other, and the estrangement caused by the strangeness has been eliminated, which is exactly what Zhu Long wants.

When a few people slept until the second half of the night, suddenly there was the sound of crockpots breaking outside. Several people woke up at the same time, Lu Zhishen and Shi Wengong grabbed the weapons at hand, jumped up, and rushed out of the main hall. Zhu Long followed, grabbed the knife, and rushed out side by side with Bian Xiang.

There were a few people standing at the gate of the courtyard, who were startled by the clay pot at first, and before they could come back to their senses, they saw two fierce men rushing over, and they were so shocked that they couldn't move.

"Don't be reckless, it's your own people!" After Zhu Long saw the appearance of the people at the gate of the courtyard, he hurriedly stopped Lu Zhishen and Shi Wengong.