It was mid to late April, and it was a little hot and humid at noon.

Li Xiu was led out of the imperial city by a group of officials, and first ate two bowls of mutton noodle soup and six Hu cakes at a stall in Xingdaofang. He knew that he would die on the way to Zhenzhou, and it would be difficult to have such a full meal before that, until his stomach was really stuffed, so he was willing to get up.

In the past, he used not to eat these things on the street, and he saw Xue Bai eat them a few times, and taught Xue Bai that as a courtier, he should eat more exquisitely, but today he feels extremely fragrant.

Chen Xilie and the others actually sat patiently and watched him eat slowly, with some sympathy in their eyes.

Li Xiu didn't want to be sympathized with by him, wiped his mouth, and sneered: "Zuo Xiang has been in a high position for nearly ten years because of my grandfather's recommendation. In the end, he attached himself to Yang Guozhong and killed the Li family, and he was ashamed. ”

"I'm ashamed." Chen Xilie stroked his beard and sighed, "However, Li Linfu is plotting against the government and disagreeing with the government, and the old man is helpless." ”

An official next to him added: "That is, Li Linfu died early, and the big mistake has not yet been made, otherwise it would not be as simple as exile, be content." ”

Li Xiu frowned when he heard this, and was about to refute, when a servant kicked him behind him and said, "Leave when you're full." ”

"Let's go."

They went all the way south, out of Mingde Gate, and galloped for more than ten miles.

Li Xiu was puzzled that Chen Xilie was still sending him off, so he looked at the hill in front of him, and his heart was faintly uneasy.

As he went any further, the unsettling thing in his heart finally happened—they had climbed the hill.

Li Xiu's footsteps paused, and he was pushed forward, and behind him was an uncarved stone carving, carved by a Fanbang chieftain, mighty and fierce, guarding this place.

Not far ahead, is Li Linfu's tomb. He brought a large number of Hu border towns, so he used the statue of the chief of Fanbang as the tomb guard.

"Meridian Road should be over there!" Li Xiu raised his hand and pointed to the official road to the east and reminded loudly.

Chen Xilie stopped, turned his head, and glanced at him, and countless contents were hidden in these old eyes, telling him in an instant. Li Xiu's body stiffened, and finally understood why the compassion was, and her fingers were numb with fright, and she trembled uncontrollably.

"Nope." He muttered.

"Let's go see your grandfather." Chen Xilie replied slowly.

After that, the left minister walked forward, facing the wind in the suburbs, and walked to the entrance of the underground palace, standing in the middle of a stone tiger and a stone sheep.

The whole hill is actually Li Linfu's mausoleum, and the underground palace is inside the plateau.

When Chen Xilie came last time, the three incense sticks that he had inserted with his own hands were still inserted in the land in front of him, and the incense was broken, so it didn't burn to the end.

He stood there and watched for a while, then quietly raised his foot, stepped on the end of the incense thread, and gave a command.

"Dig up."

The attendants and attendants pulled a donkey cart and took out shovels from it.

"Don't!"

Li Xiu shouted, struggling, and wanted to stop him, but he was held back, so he had to widen his eyes and keep shouting.

He had seen this kind of picture many times, and in the past ten years, the Right Prime Minister's Mansion has created countless major cases, and the families of those officials who have been executed and exiled will also let out such angry and powerless shouts every time.

"Stop digging! Please don't dig it! The deceased is great, don't do this to him...... Don't really ...... to him like that."

Chen Xilie walked up to Li Xiu, stretched out his hand, held his face, and said, "Shilang, you thought that there would be this day, didn't you?" A drink and a peck, it must be predetermined, this is what Grandpa should be. ”

Li Xiu burst into tears, stained Chen Xilie's full hands, his lips trembled, and he was powerless in the face of a powerful fate.

"You're a dutiful son." Chen Xilie wiped his hands, pointed to the thin coffin they brought, and said, "Today, you can bury your grandfather well." ”

There was a "ding" sound of a shovel hitting a stone ahead, and someone shouted, "Dig it!" ”

Everyone changed their tools, dug up the soil on the stone gate, pushed open the stone door, breathed through the breath, and went down the stone steps, only to see that there were extremely bright murals on both sides, painting the exploits of Li Linfu's life.

In the foreground painting, an immortal caresses the top of a young man's head, trying to lead him to immortality. In the second painting, the young man's eyes look at the imperial city of Chang'an, to show that he cares about the world.

Walking to the end, I pushed open the second erected stone door, and there was a huge stone coffin in front of me.

Around the stone coffin is a statue of a samurai holding a sword given by a saint, and in front of the stone coffin, a stone turtle carries a monument to the Taoist god.

"The Zhongshu ordered Shangzhu Guo and Jin Guo Gong to give Taiwei Yangzhou Governor Li Gong Linfu Shinto inscription."

The light of the torch only shone on the stele, and someone shouted: "Smash! ”

"Bang!"

The sledgehammer smashed it, smashing the stone tablet with a bang.

The stones fell into the crypt, knocking down many burial goods around, and Li Xiu also followed this loud noise, his legs weakened, and he fell to the ground, watching these people finish smashing the stone tablet and walking towards the stone coffin.

"Don't, really don't ......"

His begging was to no avail, and before long there was another loud bang, and the slab above the coffin had been pried open.

"One! Two! Rise! ”

Everyone worked together, their spirits were uplifted, and they pushed hard, and opened the stone coffin with a "bang", and there was a wooden coffin inside, which was the secret weapon of the West Garden given by the saint.

"Demolished."

The two statues of samurai wielding swords are still silent, not guarding the owner of this tomb. Let them take the coffin apart.

A foul stench came over their noses, and the smell of rotting corpses provoked them to vomit.

Li Linfu's skin is completely rotten, but his flesh and blood are not yet rotten, and they are still sticking to the bones, which is extremely terrifying.

He had a night pearl in his mouth, an elephant wat in his hand, and a purple gold court robe wrapped in rotten flesh, but it was still bright.

"Gross!"

Li Xiucai wanted to struggle and get together, but he couldn't hold back and vomited.

The two bowls of mutton noodle soup and six Hu cakes that he desperately stuffed into his stomach were all spilled in front of his grandfather's corpse, and there was a sour smell, mixed with the corpse smell, and smoked his snot and tears kept flowing.

An old official opened a handkerchief to cover his mouth and nose, stepped forward, leaned over and picked up the pearl of the night.

"Don't touch my grandpa!"

Li Xiu finally burst out with amazing strength, broke away from the person behind him, pounced forward, pushed the old official away, and protected the coffin with his body.

However, when his eyes fell on his grandfather, there was immediately a burst of jubilation in his stomach, but this time there was nothing to vomit, only the acid water stirred his stomach to twitch, making him feel painful.

"Fuck off! There's a time for you to collect the body! ”

Someone lifted Li Xiu and gave him a "snap" slap, pushing him to the ground.

The old official got up with the night pearl in his hand, put the night pearl into the box, picked up the elephant wat again, and said, "Come two people, let's strip the court clothes." ”

Li Xiu was powerless to resist, lying there foaming at the mouth, muttering, "Don't ...... Don't ......"

Suddenly, someone outside the crypt shouted.

"Who?!"

Chen Xilie seemed to have a hunch, turned around, and squinted at the glowing entrance.

After a while, a figure appeared in the light and walked down.

"Xue Lang? You're still here, but can you still overturn the case? ”

Xue Bai shook his head and said, "One drink and one peck, it is not predetermined, and it is indeed impossible to overturn the case." ”

Chen Xilie smiled slightly, and sighed: "Xue Lang and the old man see the same thing, Li Linfu is to blame." No one can intervene in this case, right? ”

Xue Bai took two steps forward, got closer, and said in a low voice: "Just withdraw the posthumous gift, and the crown and clothes won't be peeled off, right?" I brought a set, and the left phase can be used for the errand, and no one will presumably check it carefully. ”

"Why bother?"

"It is great for a man to die, leave him some dignity."

Chen Xilie shook his head and said, "The old man is asking, why did Xue Lang leave him these dignity?" ”

"Some time ago, I beat Yang Qixuan, and he still doesn't dare to come to the office." Xue Bai said, "The reason is that Yang Qixuan dares to fight with me for women." ”

"Have you forgotten how Li Linfu treated you when he was alive?"

"But I also remember how Seventeen Niang treated me."

Chen Xilie stroked his beard, his eyes flickered, and he hesitated.

Xue Bai said again: "When I act, my kindness will be repaid and my debts will be repaid." Li Linfu and I have grievances, but we also have kindness. I just want to protect his last dignity today, please do it to the left. What's more, we have all been officials in the same dynasty as Li Linfu, and we know that his today is not our tomorrow? ”

Chen Xilie is a very cautious person, often easy to worry, today the coffin was opened and stripped of clothes, and there was indeed a sense of sadness in the bottom of his heart.

Who knows, one day in the future, Li Linfu's fate will not fall on his own head?

This is a trivial matter, but it is the last dignity for the Li family.

But he still didn't speak immediately, so he was embarrassed. The longer he hesitated, the bigger his face would be.

At this moment, footsteps sounded from behind Xue Bai.

At this moment, there was a sound of small footsteps behind Xue Bai, and he turned his head to look, only to see Li Tengkong walking over, with a blank look in his eyes.

He hurriedly stopped her and said softly, "You go up there and wait for me." ”

Li Tengkong has always been a very aura woman, but today she looked a little sluggish, did not answer Xue Bai, but looked at the stone coffin in the crypt in a daze.

Xue Bai sensed that something was wrong with her, took her hand, and wanted to take her out first.

Li Tengkong didn't leave, broke away from Xue Bai, and wanted to move forward. Xue Bai blocked her again, hugged her, blocked her sight with his chest, and whispered, "You wait for me outside, I'll take care of it......"

Chen Xilie turned around and looked up at the firelight on the stone wall, not looking at the pair of children hugging and entangled.

After a while, Xue Bai said, "Zuo Xiang? ”

Chen Xilie felt that he was a little annoyed, thought about it, and ordered in a loud voice: "It's dull here, let's all go out." Xue Sheren, since the sage ordered you to inquire about this case, you will bring out the purple gold court clothes. ”

"Listen to the arrangement of the left minister."

Chen Xilie then walked out of the crypt with his hands in his hands, and a group of officials picked up the funeral goods, and Yuguan followed him out, including the old officials holding the night pearl and the elephant wat.

Among them, many people looked back at Xue Bai and felt that this young man was quite responsible, and he was the only one in the Manchu Dynasty who was willing to stand up for Li Linfu, not to mention that it was not Li Linfu's family.

Even if there are people who have a grudge against Li Linfu, they have seen the tragic situation after Li Linfu's death today, and they have no resentment towards Xue Bai's action at this time.

Eventually, the men moved all the burial goods out, leaving the crypt empty.

Xue Bai always held Li Tengkong, his eyes fell on the entrance of the crypt, and he saw the Diao brothers walking down, and Diao Geng was still carrying a burden.

"Lang Jun." Diao Bing said: "They said that they had to strip Li Linfu's official robe and use a small coffin to bury him elsewhere." ”

"Got it." Xue Bai said, "You bring the coffin down." The baggage is left behind. ”

"Whoa."

Xue Bai gently patted Li Tengkong's back and said, "Obedient, you go out and wait for me first, and I will take care of it." ”

Li Tengkong shook his head.

Xue Bai had no choice but to kiss her forehead and said, "You can trust me, your brother is also here, he will watch." ”

Li Tengkong looked at Li Xiu, and saw that this brother was already paralyzed there like mud.

She still shook her head and said in a low voice: "I can't let you clean up my grandfather's bones, I have to do it as a daughter." ”

"I'll clean it up for you."

Xue Bai said, for fear that she would ask back, "Who are you?" so he took her hand and put it in his heart, letting her feel his heartbeat and his heart for her.

"Although I didn't become Li Linfu's son-in-law, I ......"

Li Tengkong covered Xue Bai's mouth, she looked up into his eyes, looked at it for a long time, and said, "Don't say it." ”

Then, he removed his hand, stood on tiptoe, and kissed Xue Bai on the lips.

Xue Bai was stunned.

Li Tengkong left his embrace and walked to the coffin.

Xue Bai turned around and looked at her back, only feeling distressed, but he didn't step forward to stop her again, watching her walk to the coffin and lean over to see Li Linfu's half-decomposed body.

In the crypt, there is a rancid stench that suffocates people.

Only a touch of warmth on the lips makes people feel that things are not so bad.

Xue Bai reacted, took out two handkerchiefs, stepped forward, tied a piece to Li Tengkong's mouth and nose, tied it himself, and then picked up the burden from the ground, opened it, and inside was a purple gold court robe.

He looked around and saw a puddle of vomit in front of Li Xiu, so he went over and put the lining of the court clothes on the vomit to wipe it off.

During the process, Li Xiu always lay there, his eyes blank, as if he was dead.

Xue Bai walked to the coffin, looked at Li Linfu's corpse, and then looked at the already dirty and smelly court clothes in his hand, spread it on the ground, took out a leather bag from his arms, and carefully poured some blackened blood on it.

This was brought by Du Goro, and it is said that the blood of sheep was sent from his kitchen for many days.

After doing this, the Diao brothers had already moved the thin coffin in.

Li Tengkong glanced back, tied up his wide sleeves, and prepared to move Li Linfu's corpse.

But no one knows which part of this corpse will flow down when touched.

"Juro?"

Xue Bai turned his head and asked Li Xiu.

Li Xiu's soul had been lost, and he didn't say anything for a long time.

In this case, such a reaction is normal, although Xue Bai felt that Li Xiu was not strong enough, but he could also understand, so he motioned to the Diao brothers to do it.

The Diao brothers tied their handkerchiefs and stepped forward, one raising their heads and the other raising their feet, intending to move Li Linfu's body.

As soon as the head was raised, the neck was about to be broken, only a little adhesion remained, Diao Bing didn't dare to raise it again, looked at Diao Geng, and saw that he was holding two boots in his hands, but the two legs on the boots were weak and weak, and they broke when he pulled them.

Li Tengkong closed his eyes and shook. She opened it again and stretched out her hand, trying to lift Li Linfu's shoulder.

This time, Xue Bai didn't stop her again, and went over to hold the torso of the corpse with both hands.

He couldn't tell what kind of touch it was on his hands.

It's like picking up a heavenly treasure that is about to rot.

It's disgusting, and it's heavy.

just carried his feelings for Li Tengkong.

Out of this feeling, he is willing to hold this rotting corpse and rotting dynasty.

~~

Li Xiu couldn't see anything in front of him.

His mind kept flashing back to everything he had experienced in this life, pampered, well-dressed, sensual dogs and horses, singing and dancing, and being poor and extravagant, however, it was really worth remembering before he died, and the things that could support him...... No.

A lifetime of nothing is just an inconspicuous footnote under Grandpa's extreme power and tragic aftermath. Neither could prevent Grandpa from persecuting Zhongliang, nor did he prevent Grandpa from being persecuted, just a waste.

Even more pitiful than the waste is that he is a sober waste. Therefore, it is much more painful than those foolish brothers who are drunk and dreaming of death.

Li Xiu laughed bitterly self-deprecatingly, and had no attachment to this terrible life.

You don't have to go to Zhenzhou anymore, let's die here today, be buried with my grandfather, and make his only and last protest like the saint tomorrow who uses people to face forward and no people to face back.

But in fact, no one cares about this protest at all, waste is waste...... So the despair deepened.

Suddenly, in a trance, Li Xiu came back to his senses, only to see that those people were already moving his grandfather's body.

The last decency was also stripped off.

However, when he looked closely, he found that it was not a piece of flesh and blood that was being moved, and Li Linfu was still wrapped in a purple gold court robe.

Clothes are important, especially in this moment.

Li Xiu sobered up a little at this time, and recognized that it was Xue Bai and Li Tengkong who were moving the corpses.

He struggled to his feet on the ground, and with great difficulty, he stepped towards them.

Seeing that something was falling from the robe under Li Linfu's waist, he hurriedly walked over and held it with both hands.

I can't tell you what kind of touch it is.

Li Xiu wanted to cry, but he finally did a little bit of it when he was in the most painful time.

~~

With a soft sound, the plank was placed on top of the thin coffin.

"Give it to me."

Xue Bai took the hammer from Diao Bing's hand, knocked it hard a few times, and nailed Li Linfu's coffin.

Only then did he put down the hammer, but he turned his head and saw Li Tengkong's face pale, his body swaying, as if he was about to faint, so he hurriedly hugged her again, reached out to probe, and saw that her forehead was hot.

"Are you sick?"

Li Tengkong didn't answer, but buried his head in Xue Bai's arms very affectionately, and said in a low voice: "You fell into the hands of Chen Xilie......"

"It doesn't matter." Xue Bai said, "Take care of your grandfather's funeral first." ”

"Hmm."

Li Tengkong responded weakly, and wanted to remind Xue Bai a few words, but he felt that his throat was uncomfortably tight, and he couldn't breathe, and even the picture in front of him began to be in a trance.

The next moment, her body was light, and her whole person seemed to float. was picked up by Xue Bai.

He had great strength, his arms were steady, and his chest was broad. If pain is like a stormy wind, his embrace is like a harbor.

Li Tengkong suddenly thought that when her grandmother passed away, her grandfather still didn't care. At that time, she would often hide alone in a tree hole in the backyard, where no one could find her, not even her sleeper.

So, she can cry as much as she wants inside, and go to sleep after crying, without worrying about being accused of losing everyone's beautiful body.

There was a sudden brightness in front of her, it was Xue Bai carrying her out of the crypt, the wind was blowing and it was no longer so smelly, she sniffed, and tears fell unconsciously.

It was only now that she finally cried.

In his ears, Xue Bai was talking to someone.

"I have moved Li Linfu to the thin coffin, and then let Li Xiu find another place and bury him with the rites of a concubine. Filial piety comes first, Li Xiu's exile must not be in a hurry in these two days, and let him calmly treat the funeral, how about it? The saints have always been forgiving, and they will not pursue such trivial matters. ”

"If he escapes, will Xue Lang take care of it?"

"I'm responsible."

"It's fine. However, the old man reminded Xue Lang a few words...... Li Linfu was resented by the scholars, and now he is a criminal minister. Xue Lang was unscrupulous, he was so close to the daughter of the Li family, and even hugged and hugged in public, what he did today would inevitably be impeached. ”

"Thank you Zuo Xiang, it's me who lost my moment."

"Then you still don't relent."

"I can't help myself."

Li Tengkong listened to it and wanted to open her eyes to take a look, but she was so uncomfortable that her eyelids seemed to be heavy, and she couldn't open them.

Gradually, the whispers in her ears faded away, and she disappeared into darkness.

……

I don't know how long it took, but there was a faint sound of "gurgling" in the darkness.

Li Tengkong walked towards the source of the sound and saw two little ghosts squatting in an oil nest to add firewood.

They are ugly-looking, with long tongues that roll up to their stomachs, revealing a salivating appearance.

When she walked over, they turned around, smiled, and said, "Do you eat Tang monk's meat?" Eat it to live forever. ”

Li Tengkong was inexplicably frightened, shook his head, and wanted to retreat.

But no matter how she retreated, she was getting closer and closer to the oil pot.

The two imps laughed and screamed, "Come on, eat together." ”

Li Tengkong shook his head desperately, but a copper basin was still brought to her.

The cloth that covered it was lifted, revealing the flesh inside.

She was nauseous, turned around and was about to run away, when suddenly, a head hung behind her, opened her eyes suddenly, and showed a dead angry look, it was Li Linfu.

Li Tengkong let out a cold sweat and trembled.

The next moment, a voice sounded in my ears.

"Vacate?"

"Fairy? Fairy? ”

Li Tengkong opened his eyes.

The candlelight glowed with a warm light, and Xue Bai was sitting on the edge of her couch, looking at her with a concerned expression.

She quickly sat up, couldn't wait to throw herself into his arms, hugged him, greedily felt the warmth on his body, and then gradually felt at ease.

"Nightmares? Unafraid. ”

Xue Bai stroked her back, feeling the sweat on the cold skin under her thin spring shirt, and still trembling slightly.

"I also had nightmares when I was a child, and my grandmother had a way to make me not afraid, come, I'll try it for you."

Li Tengkong stubbornly hugged Xue Bai, unwilling to let go, as if he was afraid that as soon as he let go, he would leave, and then go to Nanzhao, and he would go for a year.

"Don't worry, I won't leave, I'll give you a nightmare."

"Really, not leaving?"

"Well, never to leave you again."

Li Tengkong hugged him for a while, and then he was willing to let go, but he still pulled his shirt.

Xue Bai leaned to her face, then moved his head away, and snorted outside the tent, repeating this a few times, he said, "Okay, let's get the filthy gas out." ”

"Silly."

"I'll recite the scriptures to you." Xue Bai put his arms around her and lay down on the couch together.

When he did this, he didn't have any distractions, just thought about it and recited the scriptures as his grandmother did when he was a child. But he can only say one sentence, and it is "Nan Wu Amitabha" over and over again.

Li Tengkong let him hold him, and after listening for a while, he muttered in a low voice: "I am a Taoist priest." ”

"Huh?"

Xue Bai was a little uneasy, and let go of his hand slightly, thinking that the Taoist priest couldn't hug it?

But Datang has never said that the female crown cannot be held.

Li Tengkong didn't want him to let go, so he put his back close to his arms again, feeling relieved, and said in a low voice: "You recite Buddhist scriptures to Taoist priests." ”

"That'...... Then don't read it? ”

"It's all practice."

"Well, there is no Amitabha in the south, there is no Amitabha in the south."

Li Tengkong gradually came to his senses, and after that, he began to feel that something was wrong with the two of them.

She moved, but she was embarrassed to tell Xue Bai to go away, she couldn't use people to face forward, and she couldn't use people to face backwards, so she had to lie quietly. Then I found that I was already very clean.

"My clothes?"

"Mian'er and Kyauknu bathed and changed your clothes." Xue Bai said, "Yan Yan and Ji Lanzi have been guarding you for the past two days, and they are tired, so they replaced me." Your grandfather's coffin has been reburied, the funeral is not over, and your brother is still recuperating. I'll find a way to keep him from being exiled......"

"Thank you."

"Hmm."

Li Tengkong thought that Xue Bai would talk about the relationship between them, and there was no need to thank them. As a result, he just responded like this, and she couldn't help but have some gains and losses.

But the hug she slept in the same bed gave her great courage, and she sneered, "Uh-huh. ”

"You don't have to thank me, you should."

Li Tengkong asked, "What did you say earlier...... Can't help it, is it all sincere? ”

After speaking, the voice became quieter, like a mosquito moaning.

Xue Bai said: "It's true. ”

"Then why don't you say it at this point?"

"I don't want to look like I'm taking advantage of you."

"What's the bargain?"

Li Tengkong asked like this, and Xue Bai was silent.

She knew that she was speechless, this was not what a Taoist priest should say, not to mention that she had just experienced a great change in her family.

But lonely men and widows hug each other in the same bed, and their feelings are secret, which always makes people can't help it.

Soon, the atmosphere between the two changed.

Xue Bai also changed.

Li Tengkong didn't know what it was at first, and still stuck it in his arms, and then he thought of the booklet left by Princess Yuzhen, and couldn't help but stiffen.

She hesitated for a moment and said, "I...... Maybe...... Yes...... Here you go...... Concubine? ”

Xue Bai didn't hear clearly.

Li Tengkong said again: "But, can you delay a few days?" I haven't ...... yet Didn't think about it. ”

Xue Bai hurriedly stepped back a little and asked, "Let Mian'er and Jiaonu accompany you?" ”

"I mean, slow down, you ...... You can not go. ”

"Okay."

"And you still don't?"

"I can't help it, you don't have to worry about it."

Li Tengkong relaxed again, sighed long, and was neither happy nor sad in his heart, but curled up, pillowed Xue Bai's hand, and gradually fell asleep again.

Xue Bai's earthy method seemed to work, and this time, she didn't have any more nightmares.

(End of chapter)