He suddenly remembered and turned back.

A woman walked out of the porch, wearing a common hooded hat for women when they go out, and stopped to remove the scarf, revealing a face as beautiful as a full moon behind the hat.

It's the Qiu Niang named Yumian in the Golden Wind Building.

He knew what Pei Langjun was thinking and wanted to see Pei Langjun. But I wonder if Pei Langjun is willing to take the time to meet? ”

Qiu Niang looked at him and said softly.

Chapter 70

In the "Bon Sutra", there is a legend about Muren saving his mother. Seeing that his deceased mother was trapped in hell, hanging upside down everywhere, the sea of suffering was difficult to escape, and he was sad, so he asked the Buddha for help. Shakya refers to a solution to the Dharma and makes offerings to the monks of the ten directions on the day of the end of the monks' peaceful residence. It was for this reason that the Obon festival was born. On this day, the major monasteries have held chanting ceremonies and water and land dojos, and good men and women are fasting and offering to monks, putting lamps in the water, so as to express sorrow and bless the deceased relatives.

In Chang'an, since the time of the old sage, in order to promote filial piety, Obon Day has also become the only curfew lifting day of the year except for the Lantern Festival. By this night, the doors of each square were not closed, and the people of the square came and went freely, and they gathered in the east and west cities. There, there is a release pond connected to the Cao River, the pool is wide, and the people can come to the water to release lanterns to celebrate the festival.

I don't know when it started, and putting on the lights has gradually become a way for the rich and noble people in Chang'an to boast about their luxury. They are no longer satisfied with the simple ordinary lotus lanterns, often many days in advance to invite skilled craftsmen to make various shapes of water lanterns for their own homes, the lamps are also made bigger and bigger, there are the largest, like pagodas, to the Bon day, after dark, with the boat have been put on the surface of the pool, brilliant as stars, competing for beauty, attracting countless people to come, competing to watch.

This year is no exception.

After dark, the release pond of the West Market is surrounded by good men and women from all over the city, and the shops in the square seize this rare opportunity to turn on the lights all night to attract customers, and the market is full of people, laughing and talking, a prosperous and peaceful scene.

Pei Xiaoyuan boarded a light-laying boat.

The exterior of this boat looks like many of the boats that are swinging in the release pond tonight, with lotus lights hanging from the bow and stern, and it is not at all conspicuous. But when you enter, you can see that there is a screen, and there are two banquets in the screen, one on the left and one on the right, and the seats are set up oppositely. Besides it was empty and there was nothing else. At this moment, in the middle of the screen, Li Yan is standing.

He was dressed in white, and if it weren't for the faint scar left by the sharp blade on the front door, he would look no different from the countless ordinary scholars in Chang'an who were roaming the streets and enjoying the Taiping Night Market tonight.

"Thank you for coming to see me. Please be seated. ”

With a smile on his face, he nodded towards Pei Xiaoyuan and said.

Pei Xiaoyuan sat straight behind one of the feasts, and then glanced at him.

"You're not small." He said.

In order to maintain order tonight, at every street in the eastern and western cities, there are twice as many Jinwu guards as during the day.

Li Yan himself sat down at another banquet and was silent for a while.

"I smiled. Truth be told, I'm scared too. I hesitated for a long time about this, but finally decided to take a risk and gamble on my luck again. ”

"As long as you can see Pei Langjun's face, at any price, I am willing to gamble."

Pei Xiaoyuan's gaze swept over the sword mark left on Li Yan's door, and smiled: "How can Pei Mou, how dare he say such a thing." What's the matter with you? ”

Li Yan poured a glass of wine and held it to him.

"This should be the third time I have met Pei Langjun. Speaking of which, the last time I was in Jinfeng Tower, it was all because of the mercy of your men, and we escaped. The kindness has always been in my heart, and I have long wanted to thank Pei Langjun. Tonight I finally got a chance to thank you. I'll drink it first. ”

After he finished speaking, he drank it all.

Pei Xiaoyuan didn't pour a drink in return with him, but said coldly: "You and I both know that I didn't come tonight to hear you say this." ”

"Pei Langjun is refreshing, so I won't be pretentious. I have asked you to meet for one purpose, and that is to ask you to help me. ”

"I want to avenge my father and take Chang'an back. Everything here is mine, you know. ”

Pei Xiaoyuan looked at him calmly, as if he had already predicted what he said.

Li Yan continued: "Please help you, naturally you can't come empty-handed. I also know that Pei Langjun, you are not comparable to those flies and dogs in the world, if you promise the wealth and glory that others are eager for, not only can you not be moved, but it is like humiliating you. I don't want to humiliate myself by not saying this. The only thing I can use to express my heart to Pei Langjun now is to help Pei Langjun take revenge! ”

After he finished speaking, he stared closely at the person opposite, waiting for his response.

"You may have been a distinguished person, but time has long since passed. Whether the saint of today is a virtuous monarch or not, may be debated by future historians, but he is at least not a master of inaction. ”

Pei Xiaoyuan finally spoke, and his tone was ordinary.

"With all due respect, if you want to turn over under him, I'm afraid it's a fool's dream, how can you help me get revenge?"

"Besides, if I want revenge, I have my own hands and feet, so why should I rely on you?"

There was no ridicule or contempt in his words, but the words were like knives, without the slightest euphemism.

Li Yan's expression did not change, but he laughed and nodded when he heard the words.

"Yes, I know that my mantis arm is not self-sufficient as a car, Pei Langjun is even more intelligent, tenacious, and has the ability to turn over the river and stir up the sea, and the matter of revenge is indeed enough, but——"

He paused and stared at Pei Xiaoyuan tightly.

"What if your enemy is the one who is called a saint today?"

Pei Xiaoyuan slowly raised his eyes and met Li Yan's two glances, and after a while, the corners of his lips twisted slightly, and he moved.

"Do you have proof?"

Li Yan shook his head, and then immediately said: "Of course, I don't have conclusive evidence now, but I don't believe it, with Pei Langjun's wisdom, you have never doubted the person in the Ziyun Palace now." ”

"In the Beiyuan incident back then, I am sure that the reason why the Xifan army dared to invade on a large scale must be that I summoned someone to prevent the Shenhu General from returning to Beijing, and even more so as to take the opportunity to get rid of him in order to prevent future troubles."

"This matter is so extensive and influential that it can be described as another great change in the court after the chaos. That's a big matter related to the throne and the 100,000 soldiers of the Divine Tiger Army! The current emperor, he was able to stand out among the princes back then, and he ascended to the throne because of the situation, how could he be an innocent person who stayed out of the matter? He is not the head of evil, who is? ”

Pei Xiaoyuan's complexion became as solemn as cast iron at this time, and his gaze turned cold.

"Li Yan!" He suddenly shouted the name of the person opposite him and stood up from his seat.

"I'm afraid you're wrong about saying these extravagant words in front of me!"

"Pei Langjun is a little quiet, please sit down again and listen to my explanation!" Li Yan said again.

"I dare to invite Pei Langjun to meet me tonight, naturally it's more than that. The Yongning Mansion where Pei Langjun lives now is the former owner of the old prince Chen Wang, who was killed for his crime a few years ago, and Pei Langjun must know about it. But Pei Langjun should not know that before the Beiyuan Incident that day, King Chen happened to be in Jinzhou, when King Ding wanted to fight for my father's throne and was on the way back to Chang'an, when he passed through Jinzhou, he settled in his mansion, so he witnessed some things that were not known to outsiders. ”

"That night, a person came to Yuanju and secretly saw King Ding. What exactly is conveyed, King Chen doesn't know, and I naturally don't dare to speculate. But not long before that, Liu Ceye went to Yuanzhou on his own without being appointed by the old sage on the grounds of contacting the military intelligence. This matter is not framed by me, and some old people in the court now know about it. Yuanzhou was the place where Feng Zhenping was garrisoned, not far from Beiyuan. ”

"Why did he go there at that time?"

And that's not all! The messenger from Yuanzhou, Pei Langjun, do you know who it is? is now the father of Wei Juren, the prince's brother-in-law! At that time, he was still a person in my father's Jingsheng East Palace, and his official residence washed horses, and my father trusted him very much, because he was not worried about Feng Zhenping, he entrusted him with important responsibilities and sent him over to supervise the military. Who knew that he was also a villain, and he was bought early and voted for the king. ”

"What is the important thing that wants a person like him to come from Yuanzhou to meet the king in secret?"

"King Chen is not a confidant of King Ding, so naturally I don't know, and to this day, I don't dare to assert it. But if I am allowed to guess, he must have been sent by Liu Ceye to discuss with King Ding about the impending Beiyuan conspiracy. ”

Li Yan's face gradually showed an excited look.

Suddenly, a cheer erupted from outside the ship, engulfing his voice. That's how people at the release pond reacted to seeing the novel lotus lanterns.

"Yes! That's a complete conspiracy! He raised his voice as the shore cheered.

"In this conspiracy, my father lost his most trusted Divine Tiger General. When I was fifteen years old, I was sent out to meet the general. But I can't wait. Without an army, my father was forced to hastily deal with it in Chang'an, hoping to get the support of the old sage before his brother's butcher's knife was cut down. Naturally, he failed, and became a shameful rebel. And the real rebel, after he killed the Divine Tiger General and the eight hundred heroes, he instead wore a dragon robe and became a saint praised by all the people! ”

"Not only that, but to this day, Liu Ceye, Feng Zhenping, as well as Chen Sida, Wei Jia and others who betrayed your father and my father, they are all rich and noble! However, Pei Langjun, your father, he has not yet received a correct name! And he was originally a loyal martyr who should have built a temple and enjoyed sacrifice! ”

The cheers on the shore gradually subsided, and after a while, when the mood slowly calmed down, he looked at Pei Xiaoyuan again, and his voice turned calm.

"Pei Langjun, I know that it is the death day of Lingtang recently. Now I am just a person who hides in Tibet, and I can't see the light of day, even if I want to worship, it is in vain, and I can only sacrifice with the fragrance of the soil from afar to send respect. ”

"Just now you asked me for evidence, and I really don't have any conclusive evidence that I can come up with. You can not believe the words of King Chen, after all, this person is not a good person. But three years ago, the Xifan nobles who came down also died on the street inexplicably, isn't this enough to prove that there was another conspiracy in the Battle of Beiyuan that year? ”

With that, he raised his hand and stroked the sword wound on his face.

"When I was a teenager, I was hired by my father, and Pei Gong was also my teacher. Although he resigned from Beijing soon after, I still remember Pei Gong's earnest teachings to me in the past. A teacher for one day, a teacher for life. At the beginning of the year, I went to Ganliang, my original intention was to visit Pei Gong, but after thinking about it again, I thought that he was old, and after all, I couldn't bear to use this thing of mine to disturb his old man again, so I returned halfway. With Pei Langjun, you don't know each other. No matter what you think of me, in my place, you are a person who is worthy of any risk that I Li Yan is willing to befriend. ”

"As for your father, he is the person I respect the most in Li Yan's life. Back then, if he had left Beiyuan behind him and returned to Beijing as scheduled, with him, my father might have been able to save the day. But in that case, the general is not a general! I'm here tonight, you can kill me, or you can sacrifice me to the emperor, and I'm ready for the worst when I'm here. ”

"But in the end, I still have one thing to say, Pei Langjun, the current saint, he is the culprit of the Beiyuan change back then. When you return to the court to be an official, even if you get rid of the rest of the enemies and occupy a high position, however, you still have to serve him as a king, and serve one of his sons who may not be able to tolerate you one day in the future, are you really willing? ”

Li Yan said all the words in one breath, his eyes did not blink, staring at the person opposite.

After he sat down again, he didn't say a word, let alone interrupt Li Yan's words, and always listened quietly. After Li Yan finished speaking, he closed his eyes, motionless, his face was like a layer of cloud, he looked expressionless, and he could not distinguish between joy and sorrow.

Li Yan waited quietly.

After a moment, he opened his eyes, got up, walked to the hatch, and pushed one side open.

"Here you go." He spoke, calling.

Li Yan was a little puzzled, hesitated, and soon answered the call, also walked to his side, and stopped behind the window.

Their boat was in the middle of the release pond, and at the moment, the pond was filled with all kinds of lotus lanterns and lantern boats. The shore is crowded with people, and the street market near the water is densely packed with rows of houses.

Bright lights are everywhere, there are rituals at the water's edge, and night tourists are crowded with street markets.

He stopped talking for a while, and his eyes kept wandering over the street market in front of him. Li Yan waited for a while, but finally couldn't help it, and asked a little puzzledly: "What does Pei Langjun mean?" ”

"Look there." Pei Xiaoyuan raised his arm and pointed to a tall house at the intersection in front of the right in the distance.

"It was a Persian mansion, a Hu merchant that specialized in collecting treasures. When I came, I noticed a man standing at the intersection of the shop, carrying a bag of heavy goods. He looked like a seller, but he behaved differently from the real people around him. Only walk around the neighborhood and avoid passing street guards. ”

"As I passed by, I deliberately bumped into his pocket. He pretended to be nothing, but I could still see that he was extremely nervous. I also heard the movement of the pockets. It contained copper coins. ”

"Not only this place, but also in the rest of the place, the Zhangjia Medicine Store in the northeast, the pawn shop in the southeast, and the silk silk shop in the southwest, I found similar people. The locations chosen are very coincidental, and they are also the most lively intersections with narrow roads and many people. ”

"When I first joined the company, I had a cursory look at some of the old records of the Jinwu Guard. About twenty years ago, on the night of the Lantern Festival, there was an accidental pedestrian stampede in Xishi, and no less than 100 people were killed or injured at that time, including several Jinwu guards who tried to maintain order——"

Speaking of this, he closed the window and turned to Li Yan, whose face changed slightly as he spoke.

"Li Langjun, if I guessed correctly, those are the people who answered you, right? You took the risk of asking me to see here, and kept saying that you would be safe and secure with me, but in fact, you had already made a way out. In case of accidents, as long as they throw money into crowded places, it is easy to cause passers-by to scramble, which in turn causes traffic jams and even stampedes. In this way, tonight's nearby Jin Wuwei will be able to take the opportunity to leave calmly. ”

Li Yan was silent for a while, and after a while, his face showed a slightly embarrassed expression, and then he smiled bitterly.

"I can't hide anything from Pei Langjun." He muttered.

"Pei Langjun, forgive me, I'm really-"

"It doesn't have to be explained. If it were me, I would be on guard. ”

Pei Xiaoyuan lightly cut off his words.

"Who was the culprit in Beiyuan back then, I will find out. Whether I am willing or not is also my own business. ”

"I only told Li Langjun once, the revenge of the son of man is of course justified, but in the future, don't violate my standards, otherwise, even if I don't make a move, people who are too smart will probably be attacked by cleverness."

After he finished speaking, he ordered the boat to dock, and then landed and left, and his figure quickly disappeared in the bustling night passers-by.

Chapter 71

This night for all living beings is to relieve the suffering of their parents who have lost their relatives in another life, and it will be destined to be unusual for Pei Xiaoyuan.

Chen Shaofang had been secretly waiting in the street corner outside the southeast gate.

In order not to attract attention, he is still on duty in the area of Yanpingmen, but his position has been promoted from the team with no grade to the eighth-rank soldier Cao to join the army, take charge of the military attache of Yanpingmen, and obtain the qualification of a great driver.

He saw Pei Xiaoyuan's figure from the bustling flow of people in and out, looked around, made sure that no one was following or watching, and was about to speak, when he suddenly noticed that under the reflection of a dim red lotus light nearby, Lang Jun's face looked a little stiff, and he was in a trance.