In the north of Luoyang City, in Jia Xu's house. Diaphragm

Jia Xu was sitting cross-legged in the corridor outside the house, with a carbon stove in front of him, and he put his hands slightly close to the carbon stove to keep warm.

The rain outside the house was getting louder, and although it was still the beginning of summer, there was some chill in the rain.

"It's just the beginning of summer." Jia Xu sighed, "I don't want them to do it so quickly, so it seems that these sergeants are also a little unbreathable." ”

Not far from Jia Xu's side, Shi A stood with his sword in his hand, leaning on the doorpost on the side, looking at the heavy rain outside the house in a daze.

Even if he is a martial artist who is not afraid of heaven and earth, when he encounters the sky, he can only find a place to shelter from the rain if he wants to avoid the cold.

At this time, he also spoke, "Wang Fu naturally should have died a long time ago, but Duan Gong is a pity." ”

Wufu has always respected Wufu, and Shi A is no exception, although he has little contact with Duan Cheng, but over the years, he has heard a lot about Duan Cheng's old affairs in Liangzhou. Diaphragm

Jia Xu smiled and took back the hand covering the carbon cage, "In this world, where is there any wrong, it's a pity." To be dead is to be dead. ”

"When will we inform Xuande about this?" Shi Ah hesitated for a moment.

Now he also knows a little about Liu Bei's temperament, Duan Cheng has had an excellent relationship with Liu Bei in the past two years, and it will be very helpful, if Liu Bei learns the news of Duan Cheng's imprisonment, he will probably think of ways to rescue this person.

It's just that it is not easy for them to create such a situation in Luoyang City now, and it would be a pity if it was destroyed all at once because of Liu Bei's willfulness.

Outside, the wind and rain intensified, and the rain hit the eaves and crackled.

Jia Xu was silent for a moment, and then said with a smile: "Shi Jun, you still don't know Xuande. If we delay this matter, I am afraid that Yu Xuande will no longer be trusted in the future. In fact, this thing is nothing, and if it is ruined, it will be ruined, and it will be done again in the future. Just trust this kind of thing, once it grows a thorn in it, it will never be pulled out again, and it will take root sooner or later. ”

A few drops of rain splashed down the eaves and hit him in the face. Jia Xu wiped it off casually, looked up at the outside of the house, the water vapor in the rain was continuous, and even in the courtyard, it was not real to see the model lake. Diaphragm

This scholar, who is known for his iron-hearted heart, frowned for the first time, and he sighed, "Back then, I was surrounded by a group of thieves, claiming to be the heir of Duan Gongzi, and I escaped the catastrophe, and Duan Gong is also considered to be kind to me." Shi Jun, you don't know how famous Duan Gong is in the land of Liangzhou. Today, half of the people in Liangzhou have grown up listening to Duan Gong's story. If you want Duan Cheng to die, these scholars in Luoyang City can't do it, even if it's his Yang family. ”

Shi Ah was stunned, "What do you mean?"

"When I came to Luoyang, when I first met Duan Gong, he was in power in Luoyang. It's just that when we met at that time, I could already see some death intent in him. ”

Jia Xu put his hands in his sleeves, "Therefore, this time Duan Gong was imprisoned, most of them were begging for death in their hearts." Even if Xuande had a way to rescue him, Duan Gong would not respond if he wanted to. Haojie has his own way of dying. ”

He stood up, picked up the charcoal cage, and walked towards the room behind him, "You just have to go and tell Xuande, if you want to come, he will come and see Duan Gong again." ”

Shi A was silent, and suddenly felt that this Jia Xu, who had never been happy or angry, was a little sad today.

…………………… Diaphragm

On the Wushi Mountain, Liu Bei was originally drinking around the stove with Guan Yu and others.

Now that there is tension in Luoyang City, Liu Bei is talking to a few people about the future.

He plans to wait for the limelight in Luoyang to pass a little, and go to the book to ask for a foreign official, with his current reputation in Luoyang, it is not difficult to think of it, even if it is the worst case, it is nothing more than to pay some money to buy an official position.

The business of the wine house is not bad, and money has become the most dispensable thing in comparison.

The most difficult thing now is where to go.

It's just that before he could discuss the result with Guan Yu and others, Shi A had already braved the rain to go up the mountain.

At this time, Liu Bei was hanging his hands on his knees, looking at Shi A, who was going up the mountain in the rain on the opposite side, even if he was wearing a robe, his clothes were still soaked by the rain. Diaphragm

"What Shi Jun means is that now Duan Gong has been taken into the Luoyang Prison?" After being silent for a long time, Liu Bei asked.

Shi A nodded, "I got the news at noon, it was Duan Gong who was arrested by Yang Biao of the Yang family." ”

"It turned out to be him." Liu Bei smiled, "I had a relationship with this person before." ”

He stood up and looked at Guan Yu, "Yun Chang, prepare some rain gear, we're going down the mountain." ”

Guan Yu responded: "Yes."

Guan Yu was not surprised that Liu Bei wanted to visit Duan Cheng at this time, although it was very easy to get burned if he got involved with Duan Cheng now, but if he hesitated because of this, then he would not be his brother Guan Yunchang.

Shi Ah opened his mouth when he saw this, but in the end he was speechless. Diaphragm

Liu Bei smiled: "What's the matter, Wenhe asked Shi Jun to stop me?"

Shi A shook his head, "If that's not the case, Wen He still wants me not to stop Liu Jun and let Liu Jun go." ”

Liu Bei took a few steps forward, grabbed Shi A's shoulder, and sighed, "Wen He knows me, and he also knows Duan Gong." ”

………………

The Luoyang Prison in the city of Luoyang has always been the place where Xing prisoners were imprisoned in Luoyang.

Ten people are rumored to have entered it, and less than 12 out of 10 can come out of the inside.

After entering Luoyang Prison, life and death are trivial matters, and the more important thing is that the person in prison will be worse off than dead. Diaphragm

Even those who can come out of it are mostly crazy and delirious.

Therefore, there has long been a saying in Luoyang City, it is better to be a ghost under the spring than to enter Luoyang Prison.

At this time, Liu Bei and Guan Yu were standing outside Luoyang Prison with umbrellas, and the rain slid down the umbrella surface and smashed on the ground.

The two guards at the door kept their faces straight and turned them away.

"Liu Jun is indeed a well-known big man in Luoyang, but it is our responsibility, and I ask Liu Jun not to make it difficult for me to wait." A guard spoke, obviously this person had also heard of Liu Bei's name.

"We are also eating food and doing things, and now Yang Sili is iron-faced and selfless, if Liu Jun is let in, don't say that my errand is not guaranteed, even if I am afraid that this life will be difficult to save." The other also spoke.

Since Yang Qiu took up his post as a lieutenant, he has rectified many things in Luoyang Prison, not only adding a lot of torture tools to it, but also strictly enforcing the law and discipline, and those who dare to commit crimes are not as simple as losing their positions. Diaphragm

Liu Bei smiled when he heard this, and he no longer insisted on it, but waited with Guan Yu to watch the rain under the eaves.

An hour later, Yang Qiu came from not far away on a horse, and saw Liu Bei and a few people in the distance.

When he came to the door, he turned over and dismounted, went under the eaves, and shook the rain from his robe.

"Where did Xuande come from?" Yang Qiu laughed.

Liu Bei glanced at him, different from the decadence he had seen in the past, now he was ambitious, and his face was full of flying energy.

"I came to see Duan Gong, I don't know if Yang Sili can be accommodating?" Liu Bei said with a smile.

Yang Qiu glanced at the wine he was carrying in his hand and said with a smile, "Duan Cheng is a repeat offender, if it is someone else, it must not be, but Xuande is naturally not an outsider, and my relationship with Xuande is not a big deal." "Ahh

He opened the way ahead and led the two of them towards the prison.

The two jailers who stopped outside the gate looked at each other, they had never seen their own lieutenant so "pleasant-looking".

Liu Bei and Yang Qiu walked in the rain, and the rain accumulated on the ground, wetting the uppers of their shoes.

"I haven't congratulated Yang Jun yet, but now he is finally on the rise, and his wish has come true." Liu Bei tilted the umbrella in his hand, and a lot of rain fell from above.

"Liu Jun said with a smile, a certain seeker, the affairs of the family and the country, not for their own selfishness." Yang Qiu laughed.

Liu Bei paused and asked, "What will happen to Wang Fu's father and son?"

"Wang Fu's father and son have done a lot of evil, and they have already taken their deaths, and if they want to live to this day, it is already a matter of heaven. If the sky does not collect it, I will collect it for the heavens. "Ahh

Yang Qiu did not hesitate, in his eyes, Wang Fu's father and son were already dead. Ever since he had captured them with his own hands, he had never intended to spare their lives, but now it was just a matter of seeing how much they could spit out.

Liu Bei nodded, he had expected this, Yang Qiu would definitely not leave Wang Fu's father and son alive.

"What about Duan Gong?" Liu Bei looked at Xiangyang Qiu.

"It's not easy for me to get this opportunity this time, I should first punish the fox, and then ask the jackal. Zhu Wangfu's father and son pressed the eunuchs. Punish him Duan Cheng, and it is the people on the border who are pressed, lest they have to fight for the tiger in the future. Yang Qiu's gaze did not turn and met Liu Bei's eyes.

Liu Bei was silent for a moment and did not say anything more.

By this time they had come to prison.

Looking from the outside and looking in, it was pitch black, and there was no light in it. Diaphragm

"After Xuande is imprisoned, you can go straight first, then turn left, and walk some distance to see Duan Gong. I won't follow this excitement, after all, Duan Gong may not want to see me. I also have to entertain Wang Fu and his son. ”

Yang Qiu didn't care about the two of them, and walked towards the prison, just walking to the prison door, he turned around suddenly, with a smile on the corner of his mouth, "There is one more thing, Xuande can talk to Duan Gong, the world often says that it is better to die than to steal life." But in my opinion, in this Luoyang prison, life is better than death. You still have to persuade Duan Gong well. ”

He stopped talking, stepped into the shadows of the prison, and soon disappeared.

Liu Bei was silent for a moment, and before coming to the prison with Guan Yu, he put away the umbrella in his hand and walked towards the prison according to Fang Caiyangqiu's words.

In ordinary prisons, when outsiders enter, it is always inevitable to boil the sky, but Luoyang Prison is different.

It was not pitch black, there were a lot of wax fires burning on both sides, but the corridor was too narrow and long, so the place was particularly dark.

There were many cells on both sides, but they were all silent and silent. Diaphragm

Liu Bei stopped and looked towards one of the cells.

The prisoner in the prison cowered in the corner, as if only then did he notice the arrival of outsiders, and raised his head in a daze.

This person's eyes were slightly unbright, like a walking corpse, as if he wanted to say something, but the lack of words for a long time had degraded his language a lot, and he could only make a giggling sound.

Liu Bei didn't say anything, withdrew his gaze, and walked towards the depths of the prison with Guan Yu.

………………

In Luoyang Prison, only newly imprisoned people who have not been tortured have the strength to shout.

In the depths of the prison, someone was roaring loudly, and his mouth was shouting and scolding, and the person he was scolding was the current Sili Captain Yang Qiu. Diaphragm

"Yang Qiu, you dog thing that eats inside and out. If I hadn't recommended it to Your Majesty, how would you be where you are today! Now that you have temporary power, you will lose your benefactor! You won't die a good death! Wang Fu's roar kept coming from the prison.

"If I don't know who I'm holding in prison, I'm afraid I'll be scolded like a hot woman on the street. Who would have thought that Wang Changshi, who had the grace to advance and retreat at the beginning, would also have such a gaffe now?" Someone walked in with a smile.

"Yang Qiu, you dog!"

Wang Fu scolded angrily, but Wang Ji, the prime minister on his side, did not speak.

Yang Qiu lowered his head slightly, looking at Wang Fu, who was tied up in a ball and was still struggling on the ground.

"What is the use of Wang Changshi's words now? You see, Wang Peixiang, this is not very smart. confess with peace of mind, and you can avoid some skin and flesh suffering. Otherwise, under the five poisons, I don't know if the king will be able to live or not?" Yang Qiu laughed.

"You dare to torture me? I am a close minister of Your Majesty, and now Your Majesty is only temporarily confused by you, and he will release me one day, and then I will want you to live and not die. So far, Wang Fu can only say some threatening words. Diaphragm

Yang Qiu smiled and looked around, "Who is punishing Wang Changshi?"

Intimidated by Wang Fu's words, and afraid of Wang Fu's might, the people on the left and right did not dare to step forward.

Wang Fu laughed out loud when he saw this.

Yang Qiu rolled up his sleeves and said with a smile: "Others have scruples, but I have never had them, since I dare to arrest Wang Changzhi in prison, I naturally can't let you out like this."

Yang Qiu took matters into his own hands and inflicted five poisons on Wang Fu.

Whip, Gas, Burn and Emblem、?? That is, the "five poisons".

Wang Fu's screams were heard from the prison. Diaphragm

Yang Qiu took a few steps back, wiped the blood on his hands, and said with a smile: "I heard that in the past, Wang Changshou tortured Fan Fan and others, and he couldn't bear to do it because of Fan Fan's righteousness? I really can't imagine that a character like Wang Changshi will also have a soft heart. It's a pity that you are not Fan Fan now, and I am not the king of the past. ”

He took a few steps forward, intending to punish Xing again.

One of Wang Fu's righteous sons, Wang Meng of Yongle Shaofu shouted when he saw this: "What kind of means is it to Shi Xing to the old man, can you dare to use Xing to me!"

Yang Qiu smiled when he heard this, turned his head and glanced at Wang Meng, "What a father and son." It's just that a wicked person like your father and son is worthy of talking about the filial piety of your father and son! Those who died under your hands in the past will not agree! ”

He looked around and said with a smile: "Suffocate it with soil and kill it."

Wang Meng shouted angrily: "You were like a lackey under my father and son in the past, and now you are fighting back, and what we suffer today, you should also suffer it in other days."

Hearing this, Yang Qiu just shook off the blood on his hand and said with a smile: "Where can there be a good ending for eagle dogs in the world?" If you have done this, you should have this realization. It's just that it is already a rare pleasure to be able to cut off these wicked people such as you while you are alive. "Ahh

He kicked Wang Fu in front of him a few steps, picked up a torture battle on the side, pointed at Wang Fu's father and son one by one, and said in a deep voice: "Kill them all with a rod!"

………………

In prison, Liu Bei and Guan Yu walked slowly in the flickering candlelight.

From time to time, a cold wind blew through their ears, and even he, an atheist, was inevitably a little colder in his heart.

Hundreds of years after the founding of the city, how many prisoners have been held in this prison, and how many of them have died?

How many people actually died because of their sins, and how many died innocently.

I'm afraid that no one can tell the difference. Diaphragm

Fortunately, it was Guan Yu who followed him at this time.

With the second master here, he can always feel at ease.

"Yun Chang, this place is full of gloom, I don't know how many people have died in vain." Liu Bei sighed.

The corridor is long, so the sigh is also very long.

"Brother thinks too much." Guan Yu's words were deep, "There are many people who have died in vain in this world, and as for the wrongs, falsehoods and mistakes, even if they are the Son of Heaven of Shengming, they are inevitable." ”

Liu Bei nodded, the so-called eucalyptus of injustice and falsehood, even if it is another hundred years, another thousand years, it will never be able to get rid of it.

The criminal law is ruthless, and the hearts of the people are selfish. Diaphragm

"Yes, what you and I can do is nothing more than to do our best and know the destiny of heaven." Liu Bei smiled and no longer dwelled on the matter.

The two continued to walk forward, until they reached the end, which was exactly what Fang Cai Yang Qiu said.

At this time, a jailer came running, and it turned out that Yang Qiu specially ordered him to come and open the prison door for Liu Bei.

Liu Bei pushed the door in, and the prison was quite damp and dark, with a musty smell.

Dressed in prison robes, Duan Cheng was leaning against the wall, sitting cross-legged in the corner.

He was looking up slightly, looking at the rays of daylight that were slanting in from the small window on the wall on the right-hand side.

There is rain today, so those few rays of sunshine are also sparse and sparse to see. Diaphragm

Duan Cheng was not surprised that the two of them would come, and said with a smile: "It's here." Earlier than I thought. ”

Liu Bei put down the wine in his hand and sat opposite Duan Cheng, while Guan Yu stood behind Liu Bei.

Duan Cheng took advantage of those rays of sunlight to glance at Liu Bei's expression and said with a smile: "It doesn't have to be like this. People are old and decayed, and life and death are ordinary things, but sooner or later. ”

"Duan Gong really doesn't think about one or two anymore? If Duan Gong changes his mind, I can think of ideas outside. Liu Bei was silent for a moment, but still spoke.

It is true that it is necessary to pay a lot of price to save Duan Cheng, but it is not unthinkable.

"In the twilight of life, it is important to know the destiny of heaven." Duan Cheng smiled, "If I am a few years younger, even if there is only a glimmer of hope, I will have to give it a go." It's just that now that the age is getting late, and the heart of the year has long been lost. ”

"It's better to stop at the shore and rest less." Duan Cheng opened the wine that Liu Bei brought and took a few sips happily, "It's a pity that I can't drink this wine anymore." "Ahh

Liu Bei wanted to speak and stopped.

"What does Xuande think the future generations will say about Duan Cheng?" Seeing this, Duan Cheng smiled.

"As a man of the present world, I don't know how the future generations will talk about it." Liu Bei said in a deep voice.

He said that he didn't know, but in fact, no one knew better than him what later generations would say about Duan Cheng.

In the history books, it is often said that it protects the country in ruin, and those who read after the later generations are conceited that they have read a few ancient histories, and they are conceited and novel, so they pretend to be amazing.

It's not bad to be wrong, but it's just about the merits of a person's life, and it shouldn't be seen separately.

Duan Cheng smiled when he heard this, "Yes, how do people today know about his year." Now that I think about it, the so-called conclusion of the coffin is actually quite reasonable. "Ahh

He drank up the jar of wine in his hand, picked up another jar, and said with a smile: "I won't give it to you this time, I always have to drink it before leaving."

"I miss my life, and I was born in Liangzhou since I was a child. In the poor land of Liangzhou, even if Xuande has never been to Liangzhou, he has also been to Bingzhou, and it is not difficult to think of the hardships of Liangzhou. ”

Duan Cheng's eyes showed a look of reminiscence, "My Duan family is also a famous family in Liangzhou, and the life of my youth is actually not hard. Sanming, Liangzhou, Zhang Huan and I are close in age, so there was a lot of competition at that time. In the land of Liangzhou, I call myself a hero in the world, so I think that although the world is big, it is just like this, and the only person who can compete with me is Zhang Huan. ”

】

He waved his sleeves to disperse the rain splashing in from the window, "It was only when I walked out of Liangzhou and really looked at the world that I realized that the world was far more complicated than I imagined." People like me and Zhang Huan can't fight those ministers in the court. ”

"Later, Zhang Huan and I suffered setbacks one after another in Luoyang, and he retreated. I am attached to the eunuchs, or rather to the Son of Heaven. ”

Duan Cheng said with a smile: "Everyone knows that with a few eunuchs, can you really control an emperor who has succeeded to the throne since childhood and sat on the throne for more than ten years?"

"Naturally, it won't work." He smiled and said, "It's just that those scholars don't blame the Son of Heaven, so they naturally blame the eunuchs, and the eunuchs have done a lot of evil things, but aren't all the eunuchs in the past dynasties?" The one who should really be scolded is the high Son of Heaven. "Ahh

Now that Duan Cheng didn't care about his words, he laughed loudly: "In the future, when the world talks about me Duan Cheng, I'm afraid that few people can still remember my achievements in attacking Dongqiang in the west." I only know that Duan Cheng is a Liangzhou martial artist who took refuge in eunuchs, and did a lot of evil in order to seek fame. ”

Liu Bei shook his head, "Success or failure is right or wrong, and future generations have their own opinions." Duan Gong attacked Dongqiang in the west back then, and his martial arts were great, and future generations will not forget it. ”

"That's good, that's the best. It's just that even if they can only remember that Duan Cheng is a villain who tends to be inflammatory, it doesn't matter, there are countless years, and there are not many people who can leave their names on the top of that history. The reputation and notoriety of Duan Cheng have taken it. ”

At this time, the wine in his hand was gone, and he put the wine jar on the ground and burped.

Full of wine and food, no regrets.

"Xuande, among the younger generation now, Yuan Benchu has the most prestige, but I am most optimistic about you." Duan Cheng said with a smile, "I still have a wife and a young family in my family, but my children and grandchildren have no future. After I die, I am afraid that it will be extremely difficult for them to return to their homeland. I need your help then. ”

Liu Bei nodded, "It is incumbent on the juniors. "Ahh

"That's fine." Duan Cheng pointed to the sword on Liu Bei's waist, "I also want to borrow the Xuande sword." ”

Liu Bei was silent for a moment, untied the sword from his waist, and threw it to Duan Cheng.

Duan Cheng held the sword in his hand, slowly stood up, first took a few steps back, and then drew the sword out of its sheath.

"It's a pity that I never died in the battle formation in this life."

His wrist was reversed, and his sword was raised.

"How could Duan Jiming fall to the ground and die!"

The sword grazed across his neck, blood dripping down the blade. Diaphragm

A man dies, but he does not fall.

In the second year of Guanghe, in the summer and April, Duan Cheng killed himself in Luoyang Prison.