After returning to the East Fence Village, everyone was like a hero triumphant, and all the people inside and outside the village cheered and greeted, knowing that this was their money and food income for a whole year. Ruan Mei rushed to hear the news and saw that she not only retrieved the goods, but also rescued many missing passengers, so she was overjoyed and hurriedly ordered everyone to unload the goods.

She asked about the experience, and Ye Suiyun only said that it happened that there were only a few widows left on Phoenix Island, so she was easily taken by herself. Ruan Mei said happily: "Brother Ye has helped me a lot this time, Dongli Village owes you a big favor." If you need any help, just ask. ”

Ye Suiyun hugged his fists and smiled: "The eldest sister is serious, just let me repay your help in Yangzhou." Tang Xiyao interjected on the side: "If you want to talk about it, you really want Sister Ruan to help." Ruan Mei said: "The girl just said." ”

Tang Xiyao said: "The two of us planned to go to Kou Island this time, but we have no clue where Kou Island is. ”

Ruan Mei thought for a while and said, "Kou Island is only a day's waterway from here, but it's not far, and I will send a brother to cross you at any time." It's just that you have to be careful when you get there, especially you little girl... She looked at Tang Xiyao with a worried face. . . The water is clear and handsome, and if it is seen by the Japanese Kou, it will be troublesome. ”

Tang Xiyao grinned and said, "Don't worry, eldest sister, if you really encounter those bad things, I have my own way to rectify them." ”

At this time, a brother came and whispered a few words in Ruan Mei's ear, Ruan Mei's face changed slightly, and she walked quickly to the body of the boatman who was killed in the previous crash and drowned, and said something to others.

Ye Suiyun and the others were curious and followed. The man who heard the news pointed to one of the corpses and said, "This is this person." As he spoke, he lifted the cloth covering it, and saw that the deceased's face was not unusual, wearing a purple hall robe, wearing a lacquered gauze crown, and a picture of a cloud and crane painted on the chest of the clothes.

Ye Suiyun saw that everyone seemed to have a worried face, and wondered: "What's wrong with this person?" ”

The man said: "I have sailed back and forth between Shimizu Island and Kou Island all the year round, and I have met many Japanese bandits, and I often talk and chat with them, so I know a little about them. Knowing that only people with such a high status can wear such clothes in Japan, you can look at the pattern on his chest, which is an accessory that can only be accessed by the imperial family. ”

Ruan Mei said: "Chang Qiaozi, search him." ”

The man, known as Chang Qiaozi, lowered his body and searched for a while, and found a seal in the deceased's pocket. Ruan Mei took it and read it skimmingly, and said in surprise: "This person is actually Prince Azumi of Japan, and he came here as the emperor's special envoy, but I didn't expect to die here." ”

"How big is Prince Anji?" Ye Suiyun asked

Ruan Mei said: "He is the younger brother of the current Emperor Xiaolian, and I have also heard of this person. ”

Ye Suiyun stretched out his thumb and praised: "Sister Ruan is amazing, she can read and understand Dongying's words." ”

Ruan Mei smiled slightly and handed him the seal. Ye Suiyun took a look, although he couldn't recognize all of them, he also knew that the Chinese characters written on it were all real Central Plains Chinese characters. Chang Qiaozi said with a smile: "Although the Wa Kingdom is not similar to our language, they do not have written words, so all the Chinese characters used on them are used. ”

Duan Baosheng, who had never spoken, said in a deep voice: "That day, the Japanese invaders attacked our ship and robbed things but did not retreat immediately, so I arrived with my brothers and almost captured one of them. That person was later rescued by Brother Ye, do you remember this incident, eldest sister? ”

Ruan Mei thought that he wanted to bring up the old matter again, and shook her hand and said: "It's all a misunderstanding, why mention it again, Brother Ye is a good friend, don't talk about it anymore." Chang Qiaozi also said: "Yes, Brother Baosheng, you are still finished." ”

Duan Baosheng hurriedly said: "I didn't mean that, but in retrospect, I felt that things were too strange." The pirates sank our ship that day, and looted all the things on it, but they did not leave, and when we arrived, they still seemed to be looking for something on the water. And when they heard this, they all looked at him.

"Could it be that they are just looking for the body of Prince Anji?" Duan Baosheng said: "Otherwise, how can you explain the unusual behavior of the Japanese Kou. ”

Ye Suiyun interjected: "It seems a little strange to hear Brother Baosheng say this. The bulk of the goods they had worked so hard to grab were only guarded by a few people, and they didn't seem to pay much attention to it, and it could even be said that they didn't care much, and when I went to Phoenix Island, they were just drinking and making noise, without a little vigilance. ”

Tang Xiyao paced a few steps lightly with his chin propped up, and suddenly said, "Could it be that those transport ships that attacked Dongli Village didn't come for the goods on board... Everyone looked sideways and only listened to her: "The goods are just collateral, and the real purpose is to kill Prince Anji." ”

Ruan Mei pondered for a moment and said, "I'm afraid this is the most likely explanation." ”

Tang Xiyao asked, "I just don't understand, how could Prince An Ji appear on the cargo ship in Dongli Village. ”

Chang Qiaozi said: "The girl doesn't know, transporting goods and taking passengers is one of the most important livelihoods in our Dongli Village. The waters in all directions are not very peaceful, and there are water thieves and robbers, so with the protection of our east fence village, many merchants who come and go are not at ease. ”

"I see, but Prince Anji is not an ordinary person, doesn't he have his own boat, but he wants to take your ship?" Tang Xiyao asked.

Chang Qiaozi replied; "What the girl said is that the Wa Kingdom often sends a large number of people to Datang. Tribute study or trade, but because of the topography here, the waterline is too shallow for large ships to enter, so every time they arrive, they have to change to a small boat on Shimizu Island to enter the Central Plains. And the task of traveling back and forth from Shimizu Island was covered by our local snakes, so there were often Japanese people who paid for it, but the people who came to take the boat on weekdays were low-level samurai and emissary merchants. For example, Prince Anji's honorable status is usually sent by a special ship, and I can't figure out why he would choose our ship. ”

Tang Xiyao thought for a moment and said, "Unless... He was afraid of attracting attention, and took the boat of Dongli Village like ordinary people, but he didn't want others to know that he was coming, so as to hide his whereabouts. ”

Chang Qiaozi clapped his hands and said: "I'm afraid that this is exactly the case, it seems that Prince Anji's visit to Tang this time is a secret operation." ”

Tang Xiyao said: "It's a pity that his whereabouts were finally leaked, and he saw the king of Hades before he reached his destination." Now the only question is why did they dare to kill Prince Azuki? ”

Chang Qiaozi said: "Hey, they Dongying people are not monolithic, I don't know what kind of struggles and interests are involved." ”

Ruan Mei ordered everyone to examine the rest of the bodies one by one, and sure enough, a secret letter was found on one of the deceased. Fortunately, the letter was wrapped in cowhide so that it would not get soaked in water, and it looked quite important. Looking at the man's clothes again, he should be Prince Anji's entourage.

Ruan Mei opened the letter and read it, nodded slightly, and said, "That's right, this explains Miss Tang's doubts. The letter was an edict issued by Emperor Takare, and its content was roughly asking the lord of Hinawa Castle to kill Ichiro Nomura. ”

"Who is Ichiro Nomura?" Ye Suiyun asked when he heard this.

Chang Qiaozi said: "I have heard of this person, it is said that he is the number two person in Rilun Mountain City,"

"Rilun Mountain Castle!" Ye Suiyun suddenly thought of what had happened on the night of the destruction of Saltless Island. At that time, the iron ring that Yan Wuwu picked up was engraved with these four words.

Chang Qiaozi nodded and said, "Rilun Mountain Castle is located in the north of Ko Island, it was established decades ago by the order of the Son of Heaven of the Japanese Dynasty, and it is an island city mainly used for Japan's commercial transit and midway trade in the Central Plains. With the passage of time, it has gradually evolved into a forward base for the Japanese state stationed in the Tang Dynasty. It is also a supply depot for travel to and from Japan. ”

"What kind of person is the Lord of the Rilun Castle?" Ye Suiyun asked again.

Chang Qiaozi thought for a while and said, "Generally speaking, he must be the most trusted person of the Emperor of the Japanese Dynasty, the last city lord was named Abe Funamoru, who died suddenly and violently six years ago. I don't know who the successor of the new lord is, but it is said that he is a very mysterious figure. ”

Ye Suiyun was about to continue to ask, when he suddenly heard someone shouting at him not far away: "Hey, hey, Ye Suiyun, Ye Suiyun." Ye Suiyun looked back, it turned out to be Brother Yang Bao, and the last time the two met was when they attacked Saltless Island at night. He hurriedly said hello to everyone, walked over and said, "Why are you here?" ”

Brother Yang Bao grabbed his arm and said hurriedly: "Don't ask, I lost an important thing, very, very important, so important that I can't describe it in words, no matter what, you must help me find it." ”

Ye Suiyun frowned and said: "Don't worry, you are always unclear when you speak, what is going on, speak slowly." He wanted to use Yang Bao's temperament, and eighty percent of the important objects he said were bamboo dragonflies, sugar gourds and the like.

A man from Dongli Village next to him said: "Brother Ye, this kid is one of the survivors you just rescued from Phoenix Island. Ye Suiyun was a little surprised, thinking that things kept happening, but Shicai didn't notice that Yang Bao was also there.

"That's right, I went to Nanping Mountain Haoqi Alliance with Ah Zhu to look for someone, but I didn't find it, and then turned north, and turned to Qingshui Island to change ships and prepare to pass through Yangzhou, but on the way I was attacked by a large group of fierce Dongying warriors, and the ship sank. They also forced me and the others to get on their boat with knives, and when they got on the boat, they robbed everyone of their baggage and money, and my very important thing was also searched, and I insisted that it was not a treasure and that it was not valuable. Who knows that no one listens to me in these stupid dwarves, maybe they don't understand either, whatever, anyway, they snatched things away. ”

Speaking of this, Yang Bao grabbed Ye Suiyun's shoulder, "This thing is very important, very important, your martial arts are so high, you must help me find it." It is placed in a cloth bag with blue and white edges. Otherwise.. Otherwise.. And things went bad. Yang Bao's mouth was very fast, and he said to himself, but fortunately, Ye Suiyun had already understood it.

Ye Suiyun looked at him scratching his ears and cheeks, and said, "After talking for a long time, what is in the bag?" Rush you like this. Who knew that Yang Bao's complexion changed, and he said: "That thing... That thing is important ... But.. But I can't say I know you ... You just help me find it, why bother asking so much. ”

Ye Suiyun really couldn't cry or laugh, thinking that this nerd's stupidity had flare up again, anyway, he wasn't very interested. replied: "Okay, when I'm done with the things in front of me, I'll help you find something." Seeing Yang Bao's face turned anxious again, he said, "Don't force me, if you urge me again, I won't care." Yang Bao heard him say this, helplessly unhappy, and muttered: "You are a very good person, but it's a pity that you don't care about things, hey... I went to do the unimportant things first. He sighed. Ye Suiyun was even more amused and asked, "What about Ah Xu?" Aren't you all in this together? ”

Yang Bao was even more depressed, and said: "Don't mention it, after going to the Haoqi League, she wants to stay there alive or dead, I persuaded not to move, so I had to leave by myself, this time I went on the road alone." ”

Ye Suiyun became curious and asked, "What is so important that you are willing to part with Ah Xu." Yang Bao was about to answer, but he suddenly stopped, thought for a moment and said: "Don't ask, you can't tell people casually about this matter, I'll tell you when I'm done." ”

Ye Suiyun shook his head helplessly, then found Ruan Mei, asked her to take care of Yang Bao to live in Dongli Village for a few days, and finally told Yang Bao: "You live here to take care of Sister Ruan, don't get into trouble, and when I come back, I will help you find something." Yang Bao had to nod and agree.

Early the next morning, Chang Qiaozi drove the boat and sent Ye Suiyun and Tang Xiyao to Kou Island. On the way, Tang Xiyao asked about Brother Yang Bao, and Ye Suiyun replied: "He is a friend I met in Yangzhou last time, this person is quite interesting, although sometimes so-so, but he has a pure temperament and is not a bad person." ”

At noon, Chang Qiaozi said: "Two of you, the front is Qingshui Island, and it is not far from Kou Island." Let's go to replenish some water and food first, and then set off from Qingshui Island, and we can reach Ko Island in a maximum of one hour. ”

Tang Xiyao asked, "Can there be people living in this Qingshui Island?" ”

"Of course, the boundary of Qingshui Island is not small, and the fortress located at the fork of the three rivers, ships from all over the world, everything going to the Central Plains must pass through here. We also have a branch village on the island, which is mainly responsible for transporting goods and passengers. Chang Qiaozi replied.

As soon as the three of them landed on the shore, they were greeted by the villagers who had been waiting there in advance, and Chang Qiaozi said: "It's not far ahead, let's go and eat first." The two agreed to follow behind, and as they walked all the way, they saw many people busy on the docks. Chang Qiaozi said: "These people are all residents of the local Qingshui Village, and their ancestors have lived here for generations, mainly relying on fishing for a living. ”

Tang Xiyao didn't ask any more questions, and arrived at the place without walking a few steps. As a sign of respect during the meal, Ye Suiyun and Tang Xiyao sat at a table alone, and the rest of the people, including Chang Qiaozi, sat or squatted and ate in the courtyard. Ye Suiyun was distracted, so he didn't pay much attention to it.

Tang Xiyao saw someone muttering something in Chang Qiaozi's ear, Chang Qiaozi's expression changed slightly, he was very frightened, and he couldn't bear it, and shook his head and said, "It's really pitiful." Then he said to the man, "Don't talk about it again, and don't talk about it when you tell your other brothers." We who beg for life on the water should be more taboo. Everyone agreed.

After eating, Ye Suiyun couldn't sit still, so he urged him to move, and the three of them soon arrived at Kou Island. Chang Qiaozi tied the boat cable, led the way in front, and said endlessly as he walked: "Brother Ye, you want to find the Hoshino Shrine on the mountain in front, fortunately, I lead the way, I know that this shortcut goes up, if you take the big road, I am afraid that you will encounter the Japanese Kou, and it will be difficult to do it at that time." ”

Tang Xiyao grinned and said, "Okay, I know that your eldest brother Qiaozi has the ability, otherwise Senior Sister Ruan would not have asked you to come, and the two of us naturally want to thank you." Chang Qiaozi was praised by Tang Xiyao, and he was even more proud. Tang Xiyao suddenly asked, "Shicai is on Qingshui Island, I saw you talking to another brother, and your expression was not quite right, did something happen?" ”

Chang Qiaozi smiled and said, "It's okay... It's okay. After speaking, he bowed his head and hurried away, and then he didn't say anything. Tang Xiyao knew that he didn't want to reveal it, so he became even more curious, turned around and whispered to Ye Suiyun: "He must have something to hide from us." ”

Ye Suiyun didn't know what he was thinking, he glanced back at his back from time to time along the way, and at this time, he turned his head over, and was said by Tang Xiyao before he came back to his senses and said, "What did you say?" Tang Xiyao saw that he was absent-minded, and didn't seem to listen to what he was talking at all, so he became unhappy and said, "I think he is strange, but now it seems that you are stranger than him." "With a puff of cheeks, he walked in front of the anger.

Ye Suiyun didn't know what to provoke Tang Xiyao, but it was no big deal to think about it. He was uneasy along the way, because from the moment he landed on Ko Island, he felt as if someone was following him. The strange thing is that he looked back several times, but there was no one behind him, which made him feel a little trance, secretly wondering if he hadn't rested well in the past few days and had hallucinations. What is incomprehensible is that the feeling is getting stronger and stronger, and it seems that the people behind him are getting closer and closer to the three of them.