Zhang said again: "There is one more thing. Xianggong Ke still remembers that a few days ago, when Mr. Liu Bowen and Mr. Liu were leaving, he gave you a bag for you to open after the death of your father-in-law. ”

"Yes, yes. I forgot, I'll get it now. ”

Zhang took out the bag from his waist and handed it to Xu Jizhong: "I have already taken it for you." ”

Xu Jizhong took the bag and said, "It's still Mrs. Careful." While speaking, he opened the bag, there was a paper ball inside, unfolded the paper ball, and wrote two lines of small words on it: Don't mourn when people die, quickly pack up the whole line, Han Cicada Temple in the west of the city, the old monk Qiumu.

Xu Jizhong frowned and said, "Mr. Liu's meaning seems to be to let us go to the Han Cicada Temple to find a monk named Qiumu. ”

Zhang said: "I think that's what it means. ”

"However, my father asked us to go to Beiping. ”

Zhang said: "I have been to this Han Cicada Temple before, about ten miles west of the city. Anyway, we're going to go, so let's stop by the Hancia Temple. Mr. Lau is resourceful, and there must be a reason why he left this message. ”

Xu Jizhong nodded: "That's what Madam said." Just trouble my wife to pack up and pack up, and Xu Fu and I stayed here to bury our father's body. ”

Madame nodded and took Xu Pu away.

Xu Jizhong summoned Xu Fu and asked him to go outside to buy a coffin, and instructed him not to reveal the death of the prince to outsiders, and to stay in the mansion with other subordinates to scrub Xu Da's body and change his shrouds.

As soon as Xu Da changed his shroud, Xu Fu bought the coffin back. Xu Jizhong and Xu Fu, one holding his head and the other holding his feet, put Xu Da's body into the coffin. Looking at his father in the coffin, Xu Jizhong couldn't help but feel sad, and tears came out of his eyes again.

At this time, Mrs. Zhang walked in with Xu Pu and said to Xu Jizhong: "Xianggong, it has been cleaned up." I've ordered a carriage to be ready and waiting at the back door, ready to go. ”

Xu Jizhong wiped away his tears and said to Xu Fu: "Take a few people and carry my father's coffin to the back door." ”

Xu Fu agreed, beckoned his subordinates, and carried Xu Da's coffin away.

After Xu Fu left, Xu Jizhong gathered several henchmen, told them about his intention to leave Beijing, and instructed them not to spread the matter, and to wait for three days after his family left, and then dismiss all his subordinates. As for the materials needed, there are a lot left in the house, and they can be used at will.

These subordinates have served in the palace for many years, and they are loyal, and when they heard that Xu Jizhong was not only going to leave the Beijing Division, but also to dismiss the subordinates, they obviously had no intention of coming back, and they were all reluctant. But seeing that Xu Jizhong had made up his mind, he had no choice but to follow the order.

After instructing his subordinates, Xu Jizhong went back to the house and took out the sword, took his wife and children, and left the palace.

When he came out of the back door of the palace, he saw a carriage parked in the street, and a lantern was hung at each of the four corners of the carriage. There is only one word for blessing on the lantern, not the lantern with the word "Zhongshan Palace" used in daily life. The housekeeper Xu Fu and his wife's personal maid Qingju stood next to the car and waited, both of them were carrying backpacks, and Xu Fu also carried his own iron knife.

Seeing that there was only one carriage, Xu Jizhong was stunned and said, "Why is there only one carriage?

Zhang said: "I ordered it so, and my father's coffin was placed on the roof of the car." Xianggong, please think, our family left Beijing late at night, if we take two carriages, the soldiers defending the city will be suspicious, in order to hide people's eyes, I only let my subordinates prepare a carriage. When we leave Beijing, let's buy another carriage and make it a coffin for our father-in-law. ”

Xu Jizhong sighed, nodded and said, "Madam is reasonable. Please get in the car, and let's go. ”

Zhang took his son Xu Pu and the maid Qingju into the carriage and sat down. Xu Jizhong sat on the right side, Xu Fu sat on the left side, picked up the whip, twitched it on the horse's buttocks, and said, "Drive!" The carriage rumbled forward.

It was the eve of dawn, the darkest and quietest time of the day. Except for the lanterns around the carriage, there was darkness as far as it could see, and there was a deathly silence except for the rumbling of the rolling wheels.

In the carriage, Xu Pu leaned on the shoulders of his mother Zhang, his eyes open and stunned. When Xu Da asked for the future, Xu Pu was also present, and he remembered Xu Da's entrustment clearly. So after Xu Da's death, Xu Pu didn't cry a word, but followed his mother silently.

Listening to the rumbling sound of the wheels rolling across the stone road, Xu Pu suddenly raised his head, looked at his mother, and asked, "Mother, when will we come back?"

Zhang was stunned, sighed, and said, "This, my mother doesn't know." ”

Xu Pu looked disappointed, but didn't say anything.

The maid Qingju said on the side: "When the young master grows up, you can come back whenever you want." ”

Xu Pu nodded, put his head on his mother's shoulder, and closed his eyes.

After crossing three streets, the carriage came to Xicheng Street. Sitting in the car, you can see a brightly lit area in front of you from a distance, which is the west gate of Jingshi. Several wind lanterns are hung on each side of the city gate, illuminating the vicinity of the city gate as bright as day. On both sides of the city gate, more than a dozen soldiers wearing armor and armed with swords and guns were on duty.

When the leader of the soldiers saw that there was a vehicle, he took two subordinates to come up to stop him, and when he got closer, he was about to speak, when he saw Xu Jizhong from the car, and he quickly knelt on the ground in a panic: "See the young prince!"

Xu Jizhong got out of the car and said, "Brothers and soldiers, you have worked hard, please get up quickly." ”

The leader stood up, looked at the carriage behind Xu Jizhong, and said, "The young prince came here late at night, could it be that he wanted to go out of the city?"

Xu Jizhong said: "In the middle of the night, the dog suddenly had a high fever that did not go away, and I asked the two doctors to see it, but it didn't work." I heard that there was a doctor Liu in the west of the city with superb medical skills, so he took his dog out of the city overnight to see a doctor. It happened suddenly, and I hope you will be considerate. As he spoke, he took out two gold ingots from his bosom and handed them to the leader.

The leader took the ingot, immediately smiled, and said, "Young prince, you are too polite, such a small matter, and let you break the bank." Humble rank thanks to the grace of the young prince. Wait a moment, and I'll let them open the gates. So saying, he came to the city gate and ordered his subordinates to open the city gate.

After a while, the city gate opened, and the leader of the army said to Xu Jizhong: "Young prince, please." ”

Xu Jizhong hugged his fist to the leader: "Thank you, thank you." After that, he turned around and got into the carriage, and said to Xu Fu: "Go." ”

Xu Fu waved his whip, and the carriage rumbled out of the West City Gate.

When I came to the outside of the city, I realized that the eastern horizon had been slightly white, and the sky was almost dawn.

Xu Jizhong said to Xu Fu: "Before dawn, let's hurry up so as not to be discovered." ”

Xu Fu replied and waved his whip to urge the horses.

After walking for about a cup of tea, I saw a little light flickering at the foot of the mountain in front of me. Xu Fu said to Xu Jizhong: "Young Lord, there is the Han Cicada Temple in front." ”