Lanting prelude

Chapter 30 Trap
In the depths of the Qinling Mountains, there are many mountains and mountains, deep valleys and narrow valleys.

After the four of Xiao Junmo crossed the stream, they entered the forest on the opposite bank, and after a lot of effort, they found the mountain path they had walked through when they were chasing the Jiangyang thief.This mountain road is not long in terms of distance, only more than 40 miles, but it is extremely steep and dangerous. There are many cliffs and precipices. The tens of feet of valley can only be lowered bit by bit by rattan ropes; walking in the dark valley, you will encounter tigers, wolves, black bears, cheetahs and other ferocious beasts from time to time, and you may become their delicious meal if you are not careful .Therefore, the four of them had to be cautious and walked very slowly. They could only walk five or six miles a day.

After walking with difficulty for seven days, the group finally miraculously passed through the mountains and climbed up a mountain at noon on the eighth day.The four of them stood on the mountain together and looked down, only to see a road that could pass for carriages and horses lying at the foot of the mountain.Xiao Junmo and Biancai laughed with relief, while Chu Lisang and Mi Mancang couldn't help cheering.

This is the Yigu Road, also known as the Qin-Chu Ancient Road.

Seeing it means that the most difficult journey is over.Follow it to the south for more than [-] miles, you can reach Fengyang County, and then take a boat along the Zuo River and Xun River to the south, and you can get out of the Qinling Mountains to Han River in a day at most.

The four rested and ate in a small village at the foot of the mountain, bought some clean clothes from the villagers, and changed out of the rags and rags that smelled of sweat. At first glance, it is completely indistinguishable from the local villagers.In the afternoon, they walked for thirty or forty miles along the mountain road parallel to Yigu Road, bypassed Fengyang County, then sneaked to the south of the county seat, and at dusk they came to a small ferry beside Zuo River.

In the setting sun, the slowly flowing Zuo water is glowing with golden waves, the smoke from the cottages on both sides of the bank is curling up, a few herons are flapping their wings and skimming over the water, and the shepherd boy who is returning home in the distance is riding on the back of a cow and blowing melodious songs. bamboo flute...

The four people, who had been exhausted for the past few days, stood by the ferry, looking at the peaceful, peaceful and beautiful rural scenery like a picture, they couldn't help being a little stunned.Xiao Junmo suddenly remembered the chat with Wu Wang Li Ke.Li Ke laughed at his lack of ambition, and said that he might as well be a farmer. He half-jokingly said: Maybe one day the time is right, I will really be a farmer.

At this moment, Xiao Junmo wished he could let go of everything and live forever among the green mountains and green waters.However, he knew that this was purely a luxury for him.The problem is not that he is on the run now, but because he still has revenge for killing his father, and the mystery of his life experience. At the same time, he can't let go of the mystery of "Lanting Preface" that is entangled with him. As well as the deep debt to Biancai and Chu Lisang's father and daughter, together with the debt of conscience owed to Cai Jiande and Meng Huairang's father and son...

How can it be possible for a person to be free in the mountains and rivers with so many heavy things on his back?

Xiao Junmo smiled wryly.

"Are some guest officers on board? The old man is going to scull and sail!" A scull boat was parked at the ferry, and the old boatman on the boat shouted, pulling back Xiao Junmo's thoughts.

"Where is this boat, old man?" Xiao Junmo asked, but his sharp eyes quickly scanned the dozen or so passengers on board, and then returned to the old boatman.The passengers were male and female, old and young, and they all looked like simple villagers without any abnormality; the old boatman had gray beard and hair, black and red face, his sleeves and trousers were rolled up high, and his arms and calves were very muscular. With the appearance of sailing all year round and being exposed to wind and sun, his identity should be no problem.

"Go to Xunyang." The old boatman said impartially, "Get on the old man's boat, and you will arrive at Gui'an Town tonight. A few guest officials will find an inn to spend the night at the top, and you will board the boat tomorrow morning, and you will arrive at Xunyang at noon."

Xiao Junmo and Biancai exchanged glances, and both felt that the current situation was safe.Xiao Junmo immediately stepped on the board first, followed by Biancai, Chu Lisang, and Mi Mancang.At this time, there were also people boarding the boat ahead, and seven or eight people stood on the board at once, and they were a little wobbly.A young woman in a long red dress walked in front of Xiao Junmo. She seemed to be frightened by the dangling board, subconsciously stepped back, and happened to step on his foot.Xiao Junmo couldn't help but let out a "hiss" in pain.The woman became more and more flustered, stepped on her floor-length skirt again, let out a scream, and tilted her body to the side, as if she was about to fall into the water.Xiao Junmo quickly reached out and supported her.The woman's feet were weak, and she leaned into his arms unintentionally.

A strange fragrance mixed with the unique body fragrance of young women hits the face.Xiao Junmo blushed, and quickly grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away: "Miss, be careful!"

The woman turned her head and glanced at him shyly: "Thank you, sir, for your help!"

Looking at this scene, Chu Lisang from behind felt uncomfortable.Out of intuition, she felt that the woman in the red skirt pretended to fall and lay in Xiao Junmo's arms on purpose.And seeing her charming vixen, Chu Lisang instinctively felt disgusted.

After the woman in the red skirt stood firm, she finally boarded the boat gracefully, then glanced at Xiao Junmo vaguely, and then sat down on the right side of the boat with the maid.At this moment, the left side of the boat was full of people, and there were only a few seats left on the right, so the woman patted the seat beside her and said to Xiao Junmo: "Mr., please come and sit here."

Before Xiao Junmo could react, Chu Lisang pulled Mi Mancang over, pushed him to sit beside the woman, and then asked Biancai to sit down, then put his arms around Xiao Junmo's arm, and said softly: "Come on, let's sit down." Sit here." With such an arrangement, there were three people between Xiao Junmo and the woman, not only did they not sit together, but they couldn't see each other.Chu Lisang was secretly proud, and glanced at the woman in the red dress with her head, only to see her smile coldly.

Seeing that the boat was full, the old boatman yelled: "Let's sail!" Then he went to evacuate the boat.At this moment, someone on the shore shouted loudly, calling the boatman and so on.Xiao Junmo looked up, and saw three strong men with sabers on their waists running down the slope on the bank towards the ferry.The old boatman showed fear, and hurriedly put away the boat, but the three jumped up first.

"Old man, are you deaf, tell you to wait, why can't you hear?!" A big bearded man in the lead scolded with staring eyes.

The old boatman nodded and bowed, repeatedly apologizing.

The three of them cursed and walked into the cabin, glanced fiercely at everyone, and immediately shouted four or five villagers opposite Xiao Junmo, occupying their seats.The villagers did not dare to resist, so they had to sit on the floor in the cabin.Seeing this, Xiao Junmo couldn't help feeling angry, but when he thought about the current situation, it was really not appropriate to get involved in right and wrong, so he suppressed it.Chu Lisang next to him obviously couldn't bear it either, and was about to get up when Xiao Junmo held him down: "Be patient, this is not the time to fight against injustice."

As the boat sails on the water, the green hills on both sides of the strait recede slowly.

As dusk fell, the surroundings gradually darkened, leaving only an oil lamp on the cabin ceiling emitting a dim yellow light.The cabin swayed gently amidst the monotonous sound of rowing oars. Chu Lisang and Mi Mancang, who were tired all day long, relaxed and dozed off in a daze, while Xiao Junmo and Biancai sat with their eyes closed and rested.After an unknown amount of time, the speed of the boat suddenly slowed down, and a broken voice shouted: "Folks, don't sleep, wake up!"

Xiao Junmo opened his eyes suddenly, and saw that the boat was slowly approaching the shore, but it was pitch black all around, and it was obvious that he had not yet reached Gui'an Town.

"Brothers are short of money recently, and want to borrow some money from the folks to spend." The big man with a beard grabbed a little boy in his hand, and threatened with a knife, "Hand over all the valuable things on your body, hurry up, don't force me!" Brothers, do it." At this time, another big man was standing at the stern of the boat, threatening the old boatman with a knife, and another was standing in the cabin, holding an empty sack in one hand, and threatening the passengers with a knife in the other.

Chu Lisang quickly looked at Xiao Junmo.Xiao Junmo shook her head, implying that she should not act rashly.

The passengers were all frightened, and threw their copper coins and gold and silver jewelry into the sack, together with the woman in the red dress and her maid.The big man carrying the sack walked up to Mi Mancang in order: "Boy, it's your turn."

Mi Mancang's face was pale, he hugged his bag tightly, and shook his head desperately: "No, I won't give it."

The big man said angrily: "You want money but don't want your life, right?"

Mi Mancang turned his head and looked at Xiao Junmo eagerly.Xiao Junmo suddenly stood up, took the initiative to throw his own baggage into the sack, and then involuntarily snatched Mi Mancang's baggage and threw it in too.Mi Mancang was so astonished that he stood up abruptly, his face turning pale.Xiao Junmo pressed him down forcibly, and said to the big man with a smile: "What is money, isn't it just something outside the body? How can life be important, right brother?"

The big man chuckled and said, "You're smart." He glanced at Biancai and Chu Lisang as he spoke, and saw that they had neither luggage nor jewelry on them, so he tied the mouth of the sack and threw it on his back. The big man winked.

The bearded man motioned for the man at the stern to let go of the old boatman, and then said to the crowd: "Thank you, folks, for your emergency rescue. Brothers, let's go first. Everyone stay on the boat and don't move anyone." Then he let the man go. boy, and the three of them jumped ashore together.

"Don't leave in a hurry, you three, I have something to say." Seeing that the old boatman and the little boy were safe, Xiao Junmo decided to make a move.Chu Lisang wanted to go down with him, Xiao Junmo whispered: "It's just three little thieves, you don't have to get off the boat."

The three big men turned around in surprise when they heard the sound.The bearded man stared at Xiao Junmo: "Boy, stay on the boat obediently, don't be a hero!"

Xiao Junmo laughed, jumped off the boat, and walked towards the three of them: "I have no other intentions, I just want to say a few words to the three of you."

Seeing that he had no fear, the bearded man knew it was not a good thing, so he said, "What do you want to say?"

"Just three sentences. First, it is shameless to seek poor people to rob. If you have the means, go to corrupt officials and local tyrants and evil gentry. Second, it is very shameless to hold the elderly and children hostage during robbery. You should hold me hostage if you can; third, you can even do such a shameless and shameless thing, are you still men?"

The passengers on the ship heard Xiao Junmo's words were both reasonable and interesting, and they forgot their fear and burst out laughing.The young woman couldn't help giggling when she heard this.Chu Lisang frowned slightly, turned to look at her, unexpectedly this woman was also looking at her.The two looked at each other, and there was a sense of rivalry, and neither of them wanted to look away first.

The big bearded man and his two subordinates had never been so humiliated by anyone, they were furious and rushed forward with their knives drawn.Xiao Junmo didn't even bother to pull out the knife, so he dodged a few times left and right, punched a big man in the face, knocked him down to the ground, then kicked the other big man with his left leg, and the sack fell out of his hand to the ground.Seeing this, the bearded man knew that he had met a master, so he hurriedly jumped into the diagonal stab, trying to escape.Xiao Junmo jumped up, turned over in the air, and landed firmly, blocking his way.

The bearded man hurriedly backed away.Xiao Junmo smiled and pressed towards him step by step.

The guy stepped back a dozen steps in a row, and one foot had already stepped into the water.Seeing that Xiao Junmo was about to approach him, the bearded man rolled his eyes, turned around suddenly, kicked on the rocks by the water, and flew towards the boat, obviously trying to repeat the same trick to hold the passengers hostage.

How could Xiao Junmo allow him to succeed, he picked up a stone at his feet and threw it, hitting the back of his head.The big bearded man tilted his head and twisted his neck strangely, and then he fell straight into the water, splashing a large wave.

Although this person is hateful, he is not guilty of death, and he cannot be allowed to drown and die.Thinking about it, Xiao Junmo dragged him out of the water and threw him into the grass on the bank, then reached out and touched his neck, and found that he was just fainting, so he ignored him, grabbed the big sack and returned to the boat.

Seeing this, the old boatman thanked him repeatedly, then quickly rocked the boat and continued on the road.

All the passengers took back their belongings, and thanked Xiao Junmo a thousand times.When the woman in the red dress took back the jewellery, she looked at him with admiration: "Your Majesty is heroic and upright, just like the ancient chivalrous men in the play, I am so admired by my family!"

Xiao Junmo was embarrassed by the praise, and hurriedly said: "It's a trivial matter, nothing to worry about, the girl praised it absurdly."

"Guian Town is not far away. I wonder if Mr. Lang will stay at the inn in the town tonight?"

"That's natural." Xiao Junmo said with a smile, "You can't sleep on the boat."

"Since that's the case, my family has an unfeeling request, and I don't know whether to say it or not."

"Girl, please tell me, as long as I can do it, I can't deny it."

"Your Majesty can do it." The woman was overjoyed, "That's right, my family's home is in the town, but after getting off the boat, I have to walk for a long night, my family is a little scared, and I want to ask you to give me a ride. If you don't mind, Mr. You can also temporarily stay at the slave's house for a night, so you don't need to find another inn, this is a double win, I don't know what you think about it?"

"This..." Xiao Junmo didn't expect such a request, so he hesitated for a moment.

"No!" Chu Lisang came over suddenly, and said coldly, "We have never met the girl before, so we have no obligation to send the girl home, let alone stay at a stranger's house with the cheek."

The woman in the red skirt ignored the sarcasm in her words, and said with a smile: "This younger sister is really impatient. It is this gentleman who is asking, not you, but the gentleman should talk about whether or not to do so. Isn't it true that my sister is doing this?" Is Yuezu taking over?"

Chu Lisang sneered: "First of all, I don't know you, so please don't call me sister; secondly, he has never met you before, so don't call him so affectionately; lastly, for me, It's normal for our lord to make up his mind, please don't make too many strange things!"

The woman in the red skirt was not angry when she heard the words, but she covered her mouth and smiled: "This girl is very powerful. I don't want to rob you of your husband. Why do you speak so unforgivingly? I just fear walking at night and want to Please send me a ride to my slave's house, if it's not convenient to stay, that's fine, but it's not a big deal to send you a ride, right?" After speaking, a pair of big watery eyes looked directly at Xiao Junmo.

Xiao Junmo was in a dilemma, and was immediately embarrassed.

Chu Lisang saw that this woman was so cheeky, she became more and more angry, and was about to say some more cruel words, when Biancai suddenly came up and gently pulled her: "Sang'er, this girl's request is not too much, isn't it just to send her away?" A ride? Going out, who has no difficulty? Help as much as you can. If you are worried about Erlang's safety, you can take this girl home with him. If you come back like this, you two will have company ?"

Xiao Junmo had told Biancai and the others before that whenever outsiders were present, they would call him "Erlang" to avoid revealing their true identities.

The woman in the red skirt was overjoyed when she heard the words, and hurriedly saluted: "This uncle is really warm-hearted, I am very grateful!"

You are sweet!See who makes out with whom, don't treat yourself as an outsider at all, your skin is thicker than a city wall!Chu Lisang was extremely reluctant, but her father had already spoken, and she couldn't hold on any longer, so she could only stare at the woman, then turned her head and walked aside.

Xiao Junmo was relieved by the debate, and finally heaved a sigh of relief, and said to the woman: "Then follow what uncle said, get off the boat later, and we will see you off."

"Thank you, sir!" The woman smiled sweetly, her eyes were like silk.

Xiao Junmo couldn't help his heart fluttering, and quickly said "Excuse me", walked to Chu Lisang, and whispered something to her.Chu Lisang ignored him and went to the other side of the boat.The woman in the red dress looked at the two of them, and then exchanged glances with her maid, a faint smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.

The ship sailed in the dark night.

Gradually, sporadic lights appeared in the distance.Xiao Junmo stood at the bow of the boat, guessing that Gui'an Town must be ahead.Just now along the way, Chu Lisang ignored him, but the woman in the red skirt always looked at him from time to time, her eyes seemed to be full of affection.Helpless and embarrassed, Xiao Junmo simply left his seat and came to the bow of the boat to blow air.

The nose was a little itchy, Xiao Junmo stretched out his hand and scratched it.Suddenly, he smelled a faint fragrance.

Where does this fragrance come from?
He sniffed himself, everything was as usual, then raised his hand to smell it again, and found that the fragrance was on the index and middle fingers of his right hand.But where did the incense come from?

He thought for a while, and suddenly realized.When I dragged the bearded man ashore just now, I poked his neck with these two fingers, the scent must have come from there.But the strange thing is, how can there be a scent on a man who robs his house and is a big and three rough man?
There are more and more lights on the shore, and pedestrians, carriages and horses are also faintly visible.The old boatman shouted: "Guest officers, Gui'an Town is here!"

After everyone disembarked, Xiao Junmo first accompanied Biancai and Mi Mancang to find an inn, then borrowed a lantern, and sent the woman in red dress and the maid home with Chu Lisang.Along the way, the woman kept looking for something to talk about, claiming that her surname was Hua and her name was Ling'er, and then asked for Xiao Junmo's name.Xiao Junmo casually said that his name was Zhou Lugui.When Hua Linger heard this, she couldn't help smiling: "Looking at Zhou Lang's temperament is so refined, I don't think this name is very homely."

Xiao Junmo smiled lightly and said nothing.

"Isn't it good at home?" Chu Lisang took the words coldly, "I think this name is good, simple and honest, and approachable. But you Hua girl is a little out of place when she hears people's names, and she makes fun of them. This is you Is it the way of treating others? Did your father not teach you when you were young?"

"Young girl's mouth is really capable of killing people!" Hua Ling'er giggled, "With a girl as a companion on this journey, not only is it lively and interesting, but it also makes people not afraid to walk at night."

"What do you mean?" Chu Lisang was puzzled.

"You have a sharp weapon!" Hua Ling'er said, "It doesn't matter whether you meet bad guys or ghosts on the road, if you just open your mouth, it means people come and die, ghosts come and go, what else is there to be afraid of? ?”

When the maid on the side heard the words, she couldn't help covering her mouth and laughing.

"That's right, as Miss Hua said," Chu Lisang also chuckled, "My sharp weapon is powerful, but unfortunately there is one thing in this world, I still can't pierce it."

"What do you dare to ask?" Hua Ling'er looked at her with great interest.

"Miss Hua's face!" Chu Lisang laughed, "This thing is as thick as a city wall, what sharp weapon in the world can pierce it?" Then he looked at Xiao Junmo, "You think so, Lugui?"

Xiao Junmo didn't know whether to laugh or cry in his heart, so he murmured "hmm" twice and continued to walk with his head buried.

Hua Ling'er finally couldn't think of any words to counterattack, so she gave up with a sneer.Xiao Junmo was walking, but saw that the lights on both sides of the road were getting thinner, and he felt more and more deserted, and the road under his feet gradually became steeper. When he looked up, there were rolling mountains not far away.Xiao Junmo suddenly became suspicious: Is the Huazhai on the mountain?
"Miss Hua, didn't you say that your mansion is in the town? But it's about to leave the town, why haven't you arrived yet?" Xiao Junmo stopped in his tracks.

"We'll be there soon." Hua Ling'er hurriedly said, "My house is a single-family compound, it's at the foot of the mountain over there, and it's just around the Sala tree in front."

Xiao Junmo looked in the direction she pointed, and saw a huge tree with luxuriant branches and leaves standing thirty or fifty feet away in front of him under the clear moonlight. It was an extremely rare Sala tree.

"Since the front is right there, let's send it here." Chu Lisang said coldly, "Miss Hua, please do what you want, we are leaving." After speaking, she took Xiao Junmo's arm, turned her head and left.

"Hey..." The maid who didn't speak along the way hurriedly stopped the way, and said anxiously, "This is the darkest section of the road back to our house, and this section is what our wife is most afraid of. They all say to help others to the end, Send the Buddha to the west, since both of you have already been sent here, please excuse me to go a few more steps!"

Hua Ling'er also looked worried, and stepped forward and said: "Zhou Lang, girl, don't be afraid of your jokes, there is a Wuliang Mountain behind our Gui'an Town, and there is a Thousand Devils Cave on the mountain, and a group of people are entrenched in the cave. Bandits. Although they themselves are known as heroes who fight for justice, they will go to the foot of the mountain to snatch people from time to time. Not long ago, several people from the town were robbed at the Sala tree, so the slave family was afraid, so Please, both of you, give the servants another ride!"

Xiao Junmo whispered to Chu Lisang: "It's only a few steps away anyway, so let's send them there?"

Seeing their pitiful appearance, Chu Lisang finally couldn't bear it, and said: "Let's go, let's go, I really owe you in my previous life!"

Hua Linger was overjoyed and thanked repeatedly.

After a while, the four of them came under the Sala tree with a huge canopy.Xiao Junmo looked up, and saw that the tree was about ten feet high, with a thick trunk, at least four adults could hug each other, and the tree should be more than 800 years old.It is summer, which is the season for Sala trees to bloom, and the trees are full of white flowers in full bloom.The flowers are like towers and candlesticks, while the leaves hold up the pagoda like palms, revealing a sense of serenity and holiness under the soft moonlight.

"This tree is so big, and the flowers are so beautiful!" Chu Lisang couldn't help admiring, "What kind of tree is this?"

"The Sala tree." Xiao Junmo said, "This kind of tree is also regarded as a sacred tree by Buddhism. There are many in Tianzhu, but it is very rare here."

"Why is it called a sacred tree?"

Xiao Junmo has a long history of research on Buddhism, and said: "It is said that the Buddha's mother, Mrs. Maya, gave birth to the Buddha under a Sala tree, and the Buddha finally entered Nirvana between the two Sala trees. Because of this origin , the Sala tree has gained great respect in Buddhism, and it is also known as the two holy trees of Buddhism along with the Bodhi tree when the Buddha became enlightened."

"So that's how it is." Chu Lisang said, "It's a pity my father didn't come, otherwise he would have been delighted and praised."

The two of them patronized and admired the tree, but they didn't notice that the expressions of Hua Ling'er and the maid were a little strange.

A cool breeze blows, and a burst of clear and strange fragrance hits the nostrils.

"Why is it so fragrant?" Chu Lisang sucked on his nose.

"The resin and wood of the Sala tree can be used as incense, and the fruit and seeds can be used as medicine or spices..." Xiao Junmo said, suddenly thought of something, his expression changed, and he subconsciously brought the index finger and middle finger of his right hand to his nose Before him, he suddenly realized, and immediately shot Hua Ling'er sharply, with strong vigilance and suspicion in his eyes.

Hua Ling'er did not avoid, but looked at Xiao Junmo with a meaningful smile.

Xiao Junmo seemed to understand something, and smiled wryly: "Hua Ling'er, your home is not here at all, is it?"

After hearing the words, Chu Lisang realized something was wrong, looked at Xiao Junmo in surprise, and then at Hua Ling'er.

Hua Linger smiled sweetly: "That's right, it's a pity you didn't understand until now, it's already too late."

At this time, more than a dozen black shadows were slowly approaching them from the direction of the town, and more black shadows emerged from the nearby woods and approached at a fast pace—the two groups of people were clearly facing Mira. The trees formed a momentum of encirclement.

Xiao Junmo realized that a fierce battle was inevitable, and just about to ask Chu Lisang to prepare for the fight, Hua Linger and the maid raised their right hands at the same time, and two silver lights shot at them respectively like lightning. "Be careful, Li Sang!" Xiao Junmo yelled sharply while dodging, but Chu Lisang didn't expect that the other party would suddenly release a hidden weapon, so he was caught off guard, and a silver light immediately sank into her neck.Chu Lisang closed his eyes, shook for a while, and then fell down softly.

"Li Sang!" Xiao Junmo's eyes widened angrily, and he wanted to rush over, but Hua Ling'er's second silver needle arrived in no time.He had to pull out his saber, and knocked the silver needle away with a clang.But when he wanted to rush towards Chu Lisang again, he saw that Hua Linger's maid had already grabbed the fainted Chu Lisang first, and pressed a dagger to her throat.

Xiao Junmo suddenly stopped.

At the same time, the third silver needle shot into the back of his neck impartially.

Hua Ling'er let out a series of silver bell-like laughter behind him.

At this time, dozens of black shadows from two directions had all gathered around and surrounded Xiao Junmo.

Xiao Junmo pressed the knife on the ground, and his body began to shake from side to side.He felt that everything around him was slowly spinning, the earth, the sky, the Sala tree, the stars... In a daze, he saw a dozen or so black figures walking slowly from the direction of the town.As they got closer and closer, their faces gradually became clear.Finally, Xiao Junmo saw the faces of the old boatman and the "passengers" on board.

Why are they here?
Xiao Junmo thought so, and fell to the ground.

Before losing his last sense of consciousness, Xiao Junmo heard Hua Linger softly whispering next to his ear: "My family has already made a bed for you in Thousand Demon Cave, Xiao Junmo."

After Su Jinse disappeared, Wang Hongyi and Li Tai activated all the eyeliners all over Chang'an at the same time. It took them several days to learn some sporadic information, and finally put together a complete clue: the day Su Jinse left After Ye Lanxuan, he visited four Zoroastrian temples in a row, with the purpose of finding a female priest of Zoroastrianism, Doris; and the last place where Su Jinse disappeared was the headquarters of Zoroastrianism in Chang'an - the Zoroastrian temple in Puningfang.

After discussing with Li Tai, Wang Hongyi decided to go to the Zoroastrian Temple to find out.

Afterwards, Li Tai greeted Saurons, the high priest of Zoroastrianism in Chang'an, through "Sabao", the official in charge of Zoroastrianism in the imperial court.So on this day, Wang Hongyi came to the Zoroastrian Temple in Puningfang, claiming his surname Xu, and paid a visit to Saurons on the grounds of admiration for Zoroastrianism.

Sorens had a big beard, a white scarf wrapped around his head, and a kind face, speaking Chang'an dialect very authentically.He received Wang Hongyi and his party in a clean room.After exchanging pleasantries, Wang Hongyi went straight to the topic: "I heard that there is a priest named Doris in your temple, who has incredible supernatural powers. I have admired her for a long time. I wonder if the high priest can invite her to come out and see her?"

Sorens stroked his beard and said with a faint smile, "What a coincidence, Doris is not in the temple right now."

Wang Hongyi secretly exchanged a look with Wei Laoliu.Now that he has admitted that there is Doris, the next thing will be easy.

"Oh? Then where is she now?"

"Dai Lisi grew up in this temple and lacked understanding of life in the city, so she always wanted to travel outside in order to increase her knowledge, so the old man sent her to the Jianghuai area to preach."

Wang Hongyi knew he was lying as soon as he heard it, so he asked: "May I ask the high priest, when did this happen?"

Solons recalled for a moment: "About... about a month ago."

"Really? That's amazing!" Wang Hongyi pretended to be surprised.

"Why is Xu Tanyue surprised?"

"To tell you the truth, High Priest, I also have some Zoroastrian friends. I heard from my friends that they saw Doris in your temple a few days ago!" After Wang Hongyi finished speaking, he stared at Sorance's face.

Sorens's expression didn't change at all, he just shook his head and said, "Impossible, Xu Tanyue's friend must have made a mistake."

Wang Hongyi looked at him for a while, then smiled and said, "Maybe they remembered it wrong. It seems that if I want to see the miracle of Priest Doris, I have to wait until she comes back from Jianghuai?"

"I'm really sorry for disappointing Xu Tanyue." Sorens said, "In the future when Doris comes back, I will definitely inform Xu Tanyue in time."

"Then thank you very much!" Wang Hongyi cupped his hands, "By the way, I have heard that the precious temple is magnificent, and it is second to none among the four Zoroastrian temples in the capital. I have been fascinated by it for a long time. I wonder if the high priest can lead me to look around? "

"If it's an ordinary person, that's not allowed. However, Xu Tanyue is a friend introduced by Sa Bao, so it's a different matter. This old man will definitely give this face." Sorens stood up with a smile, "Everyone, please. "

Wang Hongyi, Wei Laoliu and the others followed Saurons around the Zoroastrian Temple, pretending to be pious and respectful, and asking questions from time to time, but actually looked around, trying to find some clues.Sorens seemed unaware, and patiently explained the history and related teachings of Zoroastrianism to them.Finally, everyone came to a courtyard, and Solons said: "This religion was only introduced to your country during the Northern Wei Dynasty, and it has only been more than 200 years so far. It is incomparable with the long-standing Buddhism and Taoism, and the scale of the temple is far greater. Not enough. Therefore, although this temple is said to be the largest among the four Zoroastrian temples in the capital, it is actually only this big, and the rest is not much to look at... I wonder what else Xu Tanyue needs?"

This was the meaning of the order to chase away guests, but Wang Hongyi pretended not to understand, and still looked around with great interest.Suddenly, he noticed a row of bungalows on the north side of the courtyard, and a slightly rusty arched iron gate on the east side of the bungalow, so he asked, "High Priest, what is behind that iron gate?"

"Oh, there's a wine cellar down there." Solons said calmly, "In addition to storing holy wine, there are also some miscellaneous things piled up. There are special staff to take care of it, and even the old man rarely goes there."

For some reason, looking at the iron gate, Wang Hongyi suddenly had a strong intuition that Su Jinse must have been to this place.

"I heard that your teaching's method of storing holy wine is different. I have admired it for a long time, but I have never had the chance to see it. Today, thanks to the kindness of the high priest, can I let you see it?" Wang Hongyi was quite aggressive.

Solons showed embarrassment: "This...to tell the truth, Tanyue, the wine cellar of this temple has never been visited by outsiders..."

Hearing this, Wang Hongyi smiled without saying a word, but secretly gave Wei Laoliu a wink.Wei Laoliu understood, so he stepped forward and said: "There is always a first time in everything. My husband just wants to take a look, and has no other intentions. What's more, Sa Bao is a guarantor for my husband. The high priest is afraid that I will wait for you." Is it possible to snatch the holy wine taught?"

"This Tanyue is joking, why would this old man think so?" Sorens forcefully forced a smile, "It's just that this is the rule of the sect, so it's really not appropriate to make an exception. Presumably all of you, Tanyue, won't make things difficult for others, right?"

These words are already a bit rude, but Wang Hongyi is eager to find a girl, how can he be polite to him?So he remained silent.Wei Laoliu went on to say: "High Priest, you are in such a difficult situation for a mere wine cellar, which inevitably makes people suspicious!"

"What does Tan Yue mean by this?"

"What I mean is that I don't know if there is anything else hidden in the wine cellar of the Guici Temple besides wine?"

"The old man just said, apart from the holy wine, what else can there be?"

"Since there is nothing ulterior, why not ask me to take a look later?" Wei Laoliu looked directly at Saurons, both his eyes and his tone were aggressive.

No matter how good-tempered Saurons is, he couldn't help getting angry at this moment: "This Tanyue, please speak clearly, what do you mean by not telling others? The old man only respects you three points for the sake of the imperial court Sabao, please Don't push yourself too far and push people too far!"

"Lao Liu, it's your fault!" Wang Hongyi scolded, "We are guests, and as the so-called guests do as they please, how can we force them like this? It's simply unreasonable to make trouble! Hurry up and apologize to the high priest?"

Wei Laoliu cooperated tacitly and apologized immediately.Sorens had no choice but to wave his hands and give up.Wang Hongyi smiled, and said: "Today I am honored to visit your temple and listen to the teachings of the high priest. I am very grateful! Although I have only met Priest Dalisi, and I have not even had the chance to see the wine cellar of your temple. It is a bit of a fly in the ointment, but after all, the future is bright. , maybe soon, Xu will come to bother again, presumably the high priest will not refuse, right?"

"Of course not, of course not." Solons was perfunctory while thinking about what he meant - this "God of Plague" was obviously implying that he would not let it go. If he couldn't see the wine cellar today, he would think goodbye tomorrow. The best way, in short, is to entangle your Zoroastrian temple, what can you do to him?

"I've been bothering you for a long time, so I'll take my leave. I'll see you another day." Wang Hongyi cupped his hands, then turned around and left with Wei Laoliu and other four or five subordinates.

"Wait a minute." Sorens finally sighed, "Since Xu Tanyue is so caring, how could this old man disappoint you? Please come with me."

Wang Hongyi stopped in his tracks and smiled silently.

When the iron gate opened, a stone step led directly to the ground, and the stone wall next to it was lit with everlasting lamps.After everyone stepped down the stairs, they saw that it was indeed a square wine cellar. Except for some sundries, the walls were covered with multi-layered tall wooden frames, and rows of oval-shaped wooden barrels were placed on the frames. The barrel is obviously the "holy wine" of Zoroastrianism.Wang Hongyi looked at it for a long time, but didn't find anything. Seeing that Wei Laoliu and the others were all disappointed, he had to laugh a few times, and said to Saurons: "Thank you, High Priest, for allowing me to fulfill my wish. With such careful cellaring, the wine must have a rich and mellow taste, so if you are free someday, you must ask the high priest for a few cups to taste."

"Why another day? If Xu Tanyue wants to drink, he can open a few barrels of it today, and let the old man accompany you all to have a drink." Solons smiled lightly, but there was a trace of sarcasm in his smile that he didn't want to hide.

Wang Hongyi hastily declined, then bowed his hands and left.After leaving the Zoroastrian Temple, Wei Laoliu resentfully said: "Sir, this guy is an old fox, I think there must be ghosts in this Zoroastrian Temple!"

"I also know it has a ghost, but where is the ghost?"

Wei Lao was at a loss for words, scratched his head, and said: "Why don't you simply ask your subordinates to bring some brothers and bring them to the Zoroastrian Temple tonight!"

"You can't do it recklessly. It's not good for us if things get big."

"What should I do?"

Wang Hongyi pondered for a while, then turned his head to stare at the golden dome of the Zoroastrian Temple: "If Doris is still in Chang'an, she can't hide forever, and she will show her face one day."

"Sir, you mean..."

"I mean you still don't understand?"

Wei Laoliu reacted: "Yes, this subordinate will arrange manpower to watch this place at twelve o'clock!"

"Not only this place, but also the four Zoroastrian temples must be watched by me."

Ever since he learned that Yang Bingjun was hiding in the Wei Palace, Li Ke fell into deep thought.

If he reported this information to his father truthfully, Li Tai would be finished immediately, but under the current situation, would Li Tai's death be good for him?
After thinking about it, Li Ke still gave himself a negative answer.In order to deal with this matter carefully, he specially invited Li Daozong and Yuchi Jingde to the mansion.At this moment, when they heard that King Wei dared to hide Yang Bingjun, the two couldn't help looking at each other in astonishment.

"In my opinion, one counts as one!" Yuchi Jingde said in a rough voice, "Anyway, after the East Palace is brought down, we will have to deal with King Wei later, so it is better to take this opportunity to bring him down, so as to save trouble in the future. Therefore, My opinion is very simple, report the truth to the Holy Majesty, let King Wei go to hell!"

"I haven't thought about it." Li Ke said slowly, "It's just that if King Wei falls, we and the East Palace will be in a confrontation immediately. Although Emperor Father doesn't like me very much now, he is still the prince after all. If we take the initiative to jump to the front of the stage to fight against him, I am afraid that the chances of winning are not great. Besides, at this juncture where the prince and the king of Wei are in the same situation, getting rid of the king of Wei is tantamount to helping the prince consolidate his position as the crown prince. Why should I do it? What about this kind of stupidity?"

"Your Highness is very worried." Li Daozong continued, "Right now, no matter whether it is the sage or the government, they don't know that His Highness has the intention of seizing the heir. Once the King of Wei collapses, His Highness will have to fight against the East Palace in the open, among other things. , first of all, it will arouse the suspicion and precautions of the Holy Majesty."

Yuchi Jingde thought for a while: "What you said is true. In your opinion, what should we do?"

Li Daozong thought for a while: "In my opinion, it is better to keep Wei Wang for the time being and let him fight with the East Palace. Regardless of the final outcome, it will benefit us in two ways: first, it helps us get rid of an obstacle; , There is a way to hurt the enemy one thousand and lose eight hundred, no matter who wins, the crown prince or the king of Wei, he has to pay the price. Therefore, only by letting the king of Wei go, His Highness can reap the benefits of the fisherman."

"According to what you say, this Yang Bingjun will not be arrested?" Yuchi Jingde asked with squinting eyes.

"Well..." Li Daozong looked at Li Ke, "It depends on what His Highness wants."

"Catch it, of course you have to catch it!" Li Ke didn't think about it, "Yang Bingjun was corrupt and perverted the law, exploiting the common people. He not only caused the Gantangyi murder case, but also almost killed Xiao Junmo. It's a heinous crime! Whether it's public or private, I can't let this guy get away with it."

"Then what should we do?" Yuchi Jingde was puzzled, "You both said you wanted to let King Wei go, and you said you wanted to arrest Yang Bingjun, isn't that contradictory?"

"It's indeed a contradiction on the surface," Li Daozong chuckled, "but with His Highness's wisdom, it shouldn't be difficult to solve this contradiction."

"I have an idea," Li Ke also smiled, "You two might as well help me as a staff officer."

"Your Highness, speak quickly!" Yuchi Jingde was impatient.

"I plan to visit my fourth brother in person and have a showdown with him."

"You mean to ask him to hand over Yang Bingjun on his own initiative?" Yuchi Jingde asked again.

"Exactly."

"But what if King Wei refuses to admit it to death?"

Li Ke smiled coldly: "Then he is looking for death. I don't think he is that stupid."

Yuchi Jingde thought for a while, then said nothing.

"By the way, Your Highness, what do you plan to do with Yao Xing?" Li Daozong asked suddenly.

"I will hand him over to the Ministry of Punishments today, and then enter the palace to report to the emperor."

"This guy won't talk nonsense, right?" Li Daozong couldn't help worrying, if Yao Xing confessed to the court about Yang Bingjun, not only would King Wei not be able to escape, but even Li Ke would be charged with covering up.

Li Ke knew his worries, and smiled lightly: "Don't worry, I made a deal with Yao Xing, he won't say anything." Then he told the two about Guo Yan.

Li Daozong and Yuchi Jingde couldn't help smiling at each other when they heard the words.

Afterwards, Li Ke personally led people to escort Yao Xing to the Ministry of Punishment. After completing the handover procedures, he immediately entered the palace to report to Li Shimin.Li Shimin's long face was very joyful, naturally he encouraged him a lot, and then rewarded him with a lot of gold and silk.At the end, Li Shimin asked Li Ke: "This Yao Xing, did he explain the whereabouts of Yang Bingjun?"

"Back to Father, although Yao Xing confessed, but Yang Bingjun is extremely cunning, he may have heard some rumors, so when my son led people to search his hiding place yesterday, the house was already empty and he was allowed to slip away again. .”

Li Shimin frowned: "So, the clue is broken again?"

"Father, don't worry, since I have found his foothold, it will not be difficult for me to dig out some useful clues." Li Ke said confidently, "I dare to guarantee that within ten days, Yang Bingjun will be arrested and brought to justice. "

"Okay!" Li Shimin was overjoyed, "Ke'er, I once said that you're a 'heroic warrior like me', and I was right! It's a pity, your elder brother and fourth younger brother, it would be great if they could share my worries like you do."

"Thank you for the compliment, Father, I am ashamed to be worthy of you." Li Ke showed restrained joy, "In fact, the elder brother and the fourth younger brother have their own strengths, but the father has higher expectations of them, so the requirements are also higher."

"Yes, the higher the expectation, the greater the disappointment!" Li Shimin smiled wryly, "But then again, my expectations for you are not low, don't you let me down?"

Li Ke smiled shyly: "There are also disappointing things, such as the incident where my ministers hunted excessively in Anzhou and disturbed the people."

"I didn't say anything about you, why are you so eager to demean yourself?" Li Shimin looked at him with a smile, "Is it because I'm the governor of Anzhou, you're still a little unhappy?"

"Father's lesson!" Li Ke quickly knelt down, "I understand my father's good intentions, no matter what my father does, it is a test for my son."

"Oh? Then tell me, why do I care about you?"

"Returning to the emperor, you confer an official position on your son, which is to train your ability and encourage your son to work hard; when you dismiss your son's position, you are tempering your son's heart and encouraging your son to reflect on himself. The intention of the father is to tell the sons and ministers: As a prince and a feudal lord, he has the responsibility of protecting the country and the people, and all aspects of cultivation are indispensable. It is precisely because the sons and ministers understand these , so instead of feeling resentful, I am full of gratitude to my father."

After hearing these words, Li Shimin's eyes lit up, but it was hard to say whether he was approving or had some deep meaning: "Ke'er, I am so relieved that you can have such an understanding, I hope these are all from your heart. to speak honestly, not to please me."

"Father, please be enlightened. My son's words come from the bottom of my heart, and I absolutely dare not show any pretense."

"Well, I believe in you. If you have nothing else to do, go get busy. I'll wait for your good news."

"Yes, my son will leave." Li Ke saluted and withdrew.

For some reason, his performance just now was obviously impeccable, but Li Ke still felt a faint uneasiness in his heart.After coming out of Ganlu Palace, Li Ke had been thinking about where the anxiety came from, and when he was almost at Chengtianmen, he suddenly realized that his problem was not that his performance was not perfect, but that his performance was too perfect!

This is called too much, and the result is likely to be counterproductive.

Li Ke secretly warned himself that from now on, one must not use too much force when speaking in front of his father, and must learn to use moderation, otherwise, even if it is not flattery, it will be suspected of deliberately pandering and eager to invite favor.

Su Jinse's sudden disappearance disrupted Xie Shaozong's plan.

He originally wanted to find out the secret of Mingzang by following Su Jinse, and at the same time hold Qicun of King Wei, but he didn't expect all the clues to be cut off suddenly.

First, he asked Xie Qian to activate the Persian eyeliner to track down Mohadi, but after asking, he found out that there are at least a thousand Persian men named Mohadi in Chang'an. Such "clues" are obviously of no value.Immediately afterwards, he asked Xie Chong to keep an eye on Ye Lanxuan's old bustard, saying that he could bring her back if necessary, but unexpectedly, what Xie Chong brought back to him was a blood-stained corpse.In the end, his subordinates in Puningfang did not bring back any news. They stared outside the Zoroastrian Temple for a long time that day, but they never saw Su Jinse’s carriage. broken.

Although the whole matter was confusing and seemed to be at the end of his rope, Xie Shaozong was not discouraged.He still ordered Xie Qian and Xie Chong to continue to investigate Ye Lanxuan to find out who the owner of Ye Lanxuan was ten years ago, and to find this person as soon as possible to find out Su Jinse's purpose for going to Ye Lanxuan.

Fortunately, after a few days, Xie Qian found a valuable clue.

Xie Qian said that Yelanxuan's old club is indeed a Persian, but his name is not Mohadi, but Sises.Ten years ago, this person gave Yelanxuan to the old bustard Xiugu, and then moved his family to Guangzhou. Later, it is said that he went to sea again, and his whereabouts have been unknown since then.Just when Xie Qian was at a loss, Xie Chong got a very valuable piece of news from a prostitute in Yelanxuan—the prostitute revealed that when Su Jinse found Xiu Gu that day, she eavesdropped on it out of curiosity. After a while, I learned that Su Jinse was inquiring about a singer from more than 20 years ago, named Xu Wanniang.

Based on his intuition, Xie Shaozong decided that this Xu Wanniang probably had an important secret hidden in him, and this secret was exactly what Mingzang wanted.Aware of the seriousness of the situation, Xie Shaozong immediately rushed to the East Palace to report to Li Chengqian.

After listening to his narration, Li Chengqian was quite surprised: "Why did Mingzang find a singer who was more than 20 years ago?"

"It's impossible to judge at the moment." Xie Shaozong said, "But one thing is certain, the secrets about her must be serious, otherwise Wang Hongyi wouldn't want to look for her after so many years."

Li Chengqian frowned and thought: "Have you found out the specific situation of Xu Wanniang?"

"I have found some. It is said that this person was the top card of Yelanxuan back then. He was beautiful and good at singing and dancing. Unexpectedly, he left suddenly in the fourth year of Wude. It seems that he was redeemed by a good friend from a rich family. It's very mysterious, no one knows who redeemed her body and what happened to her afterwards."

Li Chengqian sneered: "If ordinary people redeem themselves for singers, there is no need to cover up. Since they deliberately concealed it, it means that the so-called 'rich man' who helped Xu Wanniang redeem her must be an unusual person. In my opinion, Rather than saying that he is a son of a rich family, it is better to say that he is a "noble son" of an aristocratic family, because only people with strict family education and noble status will worry about such romantic affairs being publicized and ruining the family tradition."

"Your Highness is right." Xie Shaozong nodded, "So, the next thing I have to do is to find out the whereabouts of this Xu Wanniang, and at the same time find out the true identity of this noble son. In this way, we can find out Wang Hongyi plot."

"Of course we need to investigate this matter, but the most urgent thing is to find Su Jinse." Li Chengqian looked at him, a little displeased, "Mr. Xie, do you remember what I said last time? It flew, but you told me you couldn’t fly, how are you doing now?”

Xie Shaozong finally showed shame, and sighed: "Yes, man is not as good as God, Xie is ineffective in doing things, and he has failed His Highness. I am really ashamed!"

"Forget it, it's useless to say anything now, it's better to find Su Jinse quickly and make up for it."

"Yes, I will try my best to find it."

"Remember, don't be smart and play tricks of stalking this time. After you find someone, just tie her back to me!"

Even though Xie Shaozong still doesn't think this is a good way, he has already missed a move, and now he really doesn't have the confidence to tell the prince what "the next big game of chess" is, so he has no choice but to say yes.

Zoroastrian temple, basement.

Sorens walked down the high stone steps slowly, walked to the middle of the square wine cellar, first slowly cleaned up the sundries for a while, then walked around the wooden shelves of the wine cellar, from time to time Touched and patted the oval oak barrels on the rack, and finally came to a wooden rack on the right side of the stairs, standing quietly, as if waiting for something to happen.

After a while, the wooden frame shook suddenly, shaking off a little dust, and then the whole wooden frame creaked and sank downwards, gradually revealing an arched doorway more than a person's height behind, inside the hole was a long corridor.Immediately afterwards, Doris's delicate and flawless face was revealed.She smiled at Sorance, who nodded slightly.Soon, the wooden frame sank completely into the ground, and it seemed to fit perfectly with the ground, and there was no abnormality at all if you didn't look carefully.

Doris took a step forward and saluted respectfully: "High Priest."

"How about those three people?" Sorens asked.

"Just recruited." Doris seemed a little excited, "The subordinate was going up to report to you, and you just happened to come."

"I reckon it's about the same." Sorens has always been confident in his keen intuition, "tell me, what are their backgrounds?"

"It's a subordinate of Mingzang Duo of Tian Xingmeng. That woman's name is Su Jinse. She was once the top singer of Qihuang Pavilion in Pingkangfang. Her real identity is the adopted daughter of Wang Hongyi, the master of Ming Zang Tuo. She is regarded as the jewel in his palm. This girl is now He fought fiercely with Wei Wang Li Tai, and lived in Wei Wang's residence most of the time, while Mingzang Rudder Master Wang Hongyi's stronghold in Chang'an is located in Wuliu Lane in the northeast corner of Qinglongfang."

"Ming Zang Ruozhu Wang Hongyi?" Sorens smiled thoughtfully, "It seems that the person yesterday was him."

"He found here?" Doris was slightly startled.

"With his identity and power, it's not surprising to find him here."

"Has he noticed it already?"

Solons nodded: "I must have noticed it. He insisted on visiting the wine cellar yesterday, so he just stood in my place for a while."

Doris smiled meaningfully: "The person we have been waiting for for so many years has finally appeared."

"Looking at it now, Mr.'s worries are really not unreasonable. He said that although Wang Hongyi didn't know much about Xu Wanniang back then, he probably guessed the important secret about Xu Wanniang, so no matter how long it took, he would come to find Xu Wanniang sooner or later. , to confirm his conjecture." Sorens recalled the past with a distant gaze.

"If Wang Hongyi found Xu Wanniang and found out the secret, what would he do?" Dai Lisi was puzzled.

"He will definitely make use of this secret to create an earth-shattering wave in Chang'an!" Sorens looked serious, "This is what Mr. Wang is most worried about."

"That secret...will it really have such a big effect?"

"Yes," Solons nodded firmly, "especially when it fell into the hands of Wang Hongyi! Mr. knows too much about this man's ambitions, so he made so many arrangements in advance. Not yet."

"Since the matter is of great importance, should the subordinate send out the information now?"

"No, I will deliver the information, and I will go to see Mr. in person." Sorance said, suddenly looking at her meaningfully, "Doris, now you have a new mission."

Doris looked stunned: "What task?"

"Transfer."

"Transfer?" Doris was taken aback, "But at this critical juncture, how can the subordinate leave?"

"You have to go!" Solons said in a deep voice, "Mr. and I drew up this plan. One of the most important items was that the personnel in each link must be transferred once it is activated. This is not only to ensure your safety, It is also for the safety of this plan, so you must go!"

"But now it's not just me who is in danger, isn't Wang Hongyi also suspicious of you?"

"That's right, so according to the plan, I also have to transfer, but it's a step slower than you, and after sending out the information."

Doris looked at Sorance, and tears suddenly appeared in her eyes.

She is a Persian living in the Western Regions. She was born in Shule. She lost her mother when she was two years old, and her father soon found another stepmother.This stepmother gave birth to three sons for her father in one go, so she became redundant in the family.The stepmother treated her like a servant, beat and scolded her frequently, and Dai Lisi was so angry that she ran away from home and followed a camel caravan to Chang'an in a daze.She was only eight years old that year, and she was begging on the street, without clothes and food. One day when it snowed heavily, she was hungry and cold, and fainted at the door of a house.When I woke up, there was a beautiful and kind face of a woman in front of me.

This woman is Xu Wanniang.

Xu Wanniang took her in and treated her like her own daughter, so she called her Aunt Xu Wanniang.What frightened her was Xu Wanniang's husband, who was an ugly and short man with a gloomy face all day long and couldn't speak three words a day.At that time, Doris was already sensible, so she said, Auntie, you are so good-looking, why did you marry such an ugly man?When Xu Wanniang heard this, her eyes became empty and sad, saying that Auntie didn't know either.

She lived with Xu Wanniang for three months, and that was almost the happiest time in her life.It's a pity that the good times didn't last long. One day, a group of strong men with knives on their waists suddenly broke into their house and took away Auntie without any explanation.Auntie's man wanted to fight them desperately, but was pushed by the strong man, hit his head on the stone mill, and died on the spot.The strong man also took her away that day, but he didn't go with his aunt, but sent her to the Zoroastrian Temple in Puningfang, and then she met Saurons.

Doris resisted at first, but within a few days she became docile, because Sorens treated her better than her biological father.From then on, she became a member of Zoroastrianism and began to learn the history, teachings and illusions of Zoroastrianism.Doris was gifted and intelligent, and she soon achieved success in her studies and gradually became famous.Sorens was very happy and said that she must be a messenger sent by Ahura, the God of Light. At the age of 16, she became a priest of Zoroastrianism. She vowed never to marry in front of the holy fire. She was willing to dedicate her life to Ahura and bring infinite light to the world.On the day she became a priest, Sorens took her to meet a man.What she never expected was that this person was Xu Wanniang.The two who hadn't seen each other for many years hugged each other and cried, telling each other how they missed each other.It was also on the same day that Solens let her enter the task of protecting Xu Wanniang, and it has continued until today...

Over the years, in Dai Lisi's mind, Xu Wanniang has long been her mother, and Sorance has long been her father.So at this moment, when she knew that she was going to be separated from them, and she didn't know when she would see them again in this life, tears came out of her eyes and flowed down uncontrollably.

"Dai Lisi, we just moved separately and separated temporarily. After a few years, when the limelight passes, we will still come back. At that time, you, Xu Wanniang, and me will still be together. Good boy, be strong, and pray for the light The God of God will give you courage and strength!" Sorens tried his best to comfort her, but his own eye circles were also obviously red.

Doris wanted to throw herself into Sorance's arms and cry, but she didn't, and quickly stopped crying. "Okay, High Priest, this subordinate follows your arrangement."

There was a look of relief in Sorens' eyes, and he gently wiped away the last trace of tears on her face: "My good boy, just clean up, in a few days, you will have a new identity, and someone will send you to Yanqi Zoroastrian Temple, it's not far from your home, if you want, you can go back and have a look..."

"Chang'an is my home." Doris said decisively.

"Okay, okay..." Sorance could fully understand her feelings, "I'll send someone to notify you as soon as the limelight passes, and then you can come home."

"By the way, what should we do with those four people?" Doris suddenly thought of Su Jinse and her three followers.

Sorens pondered for a moment, then sighed: "Those three attendants can only disappear, there is no other way, not to mention they betrayed Wang Hongyi, even if they let them go, they will not survive. As for Su Jinse..."

"High Priest, I think this woman doesn't know anything about this matter. We have imprisoned her for so many days, and she has suffered enough. Why don't you let her go?" Doris didn't know why she wanted to replace Su Jinse. plead.

Sorens smiled: "Don't worry, I won't kill her, I will hand her over to my husband, presumably my husband won't take her life."

Doris secretly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

(End of this chapter)