Lanting prelude

Chapter 15
In Pingkangfang at night, there are fragrant cars and BMWs, and the lights are red and green. It seems that even the air is full of luxury and luxury.

In the private room of Qihuang Pavilion, Su Jinse played the piano and sang behind the bead curtain, and Li Tai, Fang Yiai, and Du He sat outside.

Du He has delicate features and a handsome face, but Gu Pan has an arrogant expression, with the inherent conceit and publicity of a famous child.Both he and Fang Yiai are invincible figures in Chang'an City. They are not only the sons of the founding hero, but also the consorts of the dynasty. Du He is married to Princess Chengyang, the No. Married the No.16 daughter Princess Gaoyang.Du He himself was granted the title of Duke of Xiangyang County, and the official was Shangcheng Fengyu, while Fang Yiai was the official residence of Taifu Qing and a regular servant of Sanqi.Both of them belong to the typical cases of being born with a golden key in their mouths, and then ascending to the top of the sky and achieving success at a young age.

Due to the close relationship between the two, after Li Tai accepted Fang Yi'ai, he also accepted Du He, and the three quickly became friends.At this moment, the three of them were sitting tightly around a food table. When Fang Yiai told the secrets about "Lanting Preface" that his father had heard from the emperor one by one, Li Tai and Du He were shocked from ear to ear .

At this point, Li Tai finally understood why his father would do everything possible to find Biancai and "Lanting Preface". It turned out that there was such a terrifying and mysterious force lurking in the ruling and opposition parties.

"Your Highness," Du He suddenly approached Li Tai, and said in a low voice, "If I can use this force for me to deal with the East Palace together, why not worry about a major failure!"

Li Tai was shocked: "Don't talk nonsense! If this kind of thing goes wrong, it is a serious crime of treason!"

Du He didn't take it seriously: "Your Highness, have you forgotten that the Holy Majesty also raised [-] dead men in the Prince Qin's mansion back then? Those who plan big things don't care about small things, if they are cautious everywhere, they can only be controlled by others."

Hearing this, Li Tai couldn't help pondering, as if his heart was moved.

"Erlang's words are not unreasonable, but this kind of power in the world is often a double-edged sword. If you can control it well, if you don't control it well, there is a danger of being countered or even backlashed by it." Fang Yi Love Road.

Du He is the second son of Du Ruhui, so he is also called "Erlang".He smiled: "Of course I know this, but seizing the heir is a matter of licking honey with a knife. How can there be no guarantees? Aren't they all fighting with their heads up? Besides, this kind of Jianghu power is not easy to control. , but it’s enough to make good use of it once, once the big things are done and the throne is in hand, it’s not too late to kill the donkey.”

Li Tai looked at Du He, couldn't help laughing and said, "Erlang, I don't see that you are gentle and elegant, but you are so dangerous in your intentions!"

Du He also laughed and said: "Your Highness's words are frightening, but I have the right to take these words as compliments. They all say 'Fang Mou put an end to judgment'. If my father hadn't been able to make decisive decisions in the face of major events back then, how could he be appreciated by the Holy One?" ?”

Li Tai laughed: "That's true! Back then, there were two fathers who assisted my father in accomplishing great things, and today I have two more helpers. It seems that it is also God's arrangement that the three of us should inherit the father's business." what!"

"Your Highness is right!" Fang Yiai held up the wine cup, "Come on, let's have a toast for 'Fang Conspiracy' and for our son to inherit his father's legacy!"

"Do it!" The three wine cups collided boldly.

Inside the bead curtain, Su Jinse glanced out intentionally or unintentionally, and an imperceptible smile flashed across the corner of her mouth.

The Donggong Chongjiao Hall is brightly lit, with the sound of silk and bamboo, a music and dance is going on.

In the hall, Li Chengqian and Li Yuanchang each sat on a couch, and there were five dancers and more than ten musicians.The five dancers are all young women, with moving lips and raised plain wrists, singing and dancing.Four of them are backup dancers, who also act as harmony voices. Among them, a woman with a graceful figure and graceful dancing posture is the lead dancer and lead singer.

From the beginning to the end, Li Chengqian has been staring at the woman in the center.One can only see her head and brows, bright eyes and white teeth, hands like catkins, skin like creamy fat, sleeves swaggering like blue clouds coming out of the mountains, waist and limbs swaying like tender willows facing the wind.Listening to his singing, the place where he sings is like a gurgling spring flowing through his ears, which is tactful and charming;

Li Yuanchang saw that Li Chengqian was stupefied watching and listening, he smiled secretly, picked up the wine cup and knocked on the food table: "Prince, don't just watch the dance and listen to the song, you have to drink the wine!"

Li Chengqian subconsciously picked up the wine cup, but stopped stiffly in mid-air, his eyes still fixed on the woman for a moment.

Li Yuanchang shook his head and smiled, and drank the wine himself.

"What is the name of this song and dance?"

Taking advantage of an interlude in the middle and the singing paused, Li Chengqian quickly turned to ask Li Yuanchang.

"The dancing girl came out of the Western Qin Dynasty, and her shadow dances in the spring. With her small hands hanging down, her wide sleeves sweep the world of mortals." Li Yuanchang shook his head and groaned, selling off.

"Isn't this the libretto just now?" Li Chengqian was puzzled.

Li Yuanchang smiled but did not answer, and recited the second half of the poem: "Bend your waist to cover your sleeves, stamp your feet and turn your double scarves. Crescent eyebrows and full faces, seeing this is empty and sad."

Li Chengqian pondered for a while, and blurted out: "Little Hanging Hand by Emperor Wen of Liang Jian?"

Emperor Jian Wen of Liang was the third son of Xiao Yan, Emperor Wu of Liang. His name was Xiao Gang.

Li Yuanchang clapped his palms and smiled: "As expected of me, the prince of the Tang Dynasty, I am so proficient in the ancient poems of the Six Dynasties, this song and dance is called "Little Hanging Hands."

"Using Xiao Gang's palace-style poems as lyrics, composing music and choreographing, no wonder it is so graceful!" Li Chengqian sighed.

"That's right! Didn't Xiao Gang say, 'The way to establish yourself is different from writing. To build yourself, you must be cautious, while writing must be dissolute'. If the libretto is reserved first, how can the singing and dancing be graceful?"

"What's the name of this woman?" Li Chengqian asked, but his eyes returned to the dance floor.

Li Yuanchang smiled again, poking his head in an exaggerated way: "There are so many women here, which one are you referring to?"

Li Chengqian rolled his eyes at him: "The one in the middle."

"The middle?" Li Yuanchang put on airs, "Oh, the one with the most beautiful appearance, the most charming eyes, the softest waist, and the most intoxicating singing voice?"

Li Chengqian smiled charmingly: "Uncle Qi, I think you are more dissolute than Xiao Gang's erotic poems!"

Li Yuanchang giggled: "If I don't want to be dissolute, I won't be able to be your guest in the East Palace!"

"Stop talking nonsense and tell me quickly."

"Flying Luan."

Li Chengqian frowned slightly: "A stage name?"

"Jiaofang musicians, who doesn't use a stage name?"

"This name is not good, gaudy!"

Li Yuanchang chuckled: "It's not easy, if you give me one, it's over?"

Li Chengqian thought for a while, and then said: "This "Little Hanging Hand", did Fei Luan compose and choreograph it himself?"

"Yes, Fei Luan composed and choreographed quite a few of Xiao Gang's poems." Li Yuanchang said, "But I think the best one is not this "Little Hanging Hand."

"what is that?"

Li Yuanchang blinked at him, with a somewhat wretched expression: "Child prostitution is delicate and charming, and Dong Fuchao is flawed. The plume tent is full of fragrance in the morning, and the bead curtain is leaking at night..."

Li Chengqian was startled, suddenly felt embarrassed, and coughed quickly.

This poem was also written by Xiao Gang, Emperor Wendi of the Liang Jian Dynasty. The original meaning of the word "child molestation" refers to a handsome young man who looks like a woman, but since the Northern and Southern Dynasties, it has gradually become a synonym for "male sex" for people to play with.When Li Chengqian heard it at first, he would naturally feel embarrassed.

Li Yuanchang observed his expression, and secretly smiled again.

At this time, the singing and dancing just ended, and the two clapped their hands immediately.Li Yuanchang waved his hand, the musicians and the four supporting dancers stepped back quickly, and only Fei Luan remained in the center of the hall.

Li Yuanchang approached Li Chengqian, and said in a low voice: "I'll leave it to you, I'll take a step first. Don't forget to give Fei Luan a nice name." After speaking, he winked at him mysteriously, and then walked out .

Li Chengqian didn't understand why he was always so mysterious tonight, he shook his head and smiled, then walked slowly to Feiluan with a cane, and looked at her carefully.At close range, Li Chengqian found that Feiluan's skin was fairer and more delicate than it looked from a distance, and his facial features seemed to be more beautiful and charming, but he kept his head down and couldn't see clearly, so he said: "Lift up your face and let the prince take a good look at it." .”

Fei Luan raised her face shyly when she heard this.

When Li Chengqian saw it, he was much more amazed than he looked from a distance. He was lamenting that Li Yuanchang had a good eye, when he suddenly realized that something was wrong, his face changed slightly, and he said anxiously: "Pull down your collar."

Fei Luan was startled by his urgent voice, tremblingly said: "Your Highness, this...why is this?"

When Li Chengqian heard that her voice was so charming, he felt more and more wrong, and said loudly: "Pull it down!"

Feiluan's eyes turned red in an instant, obviously frightened, she had no choice but to stretch out her hand and pull down the collar around her neck a little.Li Chengqian took a closer look, and as expected, there was an obvious protrusion on Feiluan's neck. It was Adam's apple, a man's Adam's apple!
Li Chengqian took a few steps back in shock, and looked at Feiluan in disbelief.

Only now did he finally understand why Li Yuanchang smiled so mysteriously all night, especially when he mentioned Xiao Gang's "Boy Molestation" poem, his expression would look so wretched. It turned out that he really sent himself a "Child molestation"!
However, even though he already knew that Fei Luan was a man, Li Chengqian still couldn't believe it, because she... no, it was him, who obviously had the appearance and figure of a stunning woman, and also had an intoxicating singing voice and voice, such a person , how could it be a man? !

The two of them froze on the spot like this, and the whole hall was eerily silent.

After a long time, Li Chengqian sighed and said, "Let's go."

Fei Luan was startled, and immediately her knees softened, and she knelt down on the ground, tears streaming down silently: "Your Highness, please be merciful, don't drive me away, let me stay, I can do whatever you want... ..."

His voice is still as soft and charming as a woman's, and even the sound of crying is still so sad and moving.Li Chengqian couldn't bear it anymore, and shouted: "Don't speak in such a voice again! You make me sick!"

Fei Luan was shocked all over, tightly covering her mouth, tears streaming down her face.

Li Chengqian glanced at him, couldn't bear it, and eased his tone: "Don't cry, I didn't blame you for anything, nor was I angry at you, I was just..." In fact, he didn't understand why he was so angry. "Get up, the ground is cold."

Feiluan stopped crying after hearing this, but refused to stand up.

"Why don't you get up?"

Fei Luan opened his mouth, wanted to speak but dared not.

Li Chengqian waved his hand: "Tell me, I don't blame you for using your voice."

"Thank you Your Highness!" Fei Luan spoke in a female voice, "If Your Highness chases Fei Luan away, His Highness the King of Han will definitely not spare Fei Luan..."

"He dares!" Li Chengqian couldn't help shouting again.

Fei Luan was shocked again, paused before saying: "Even if His Highness the King of Han spared Fei Luan, Fei Luan would have no face to go back to Jiaofang."

"why?"

"Your Highness doesn't know something. People like me and others in Jiaofang were confiscated into the palace when they were young, and their status was low. They had to practice singing and dancing hard in order to leave the membership of Jiaofang one day and live a normal life. This time, the King of Han chose Feiluan Dedicated to His Highness, the sisters in the workshop say that Fei Luan is going to fly on a branch and become a phoenix, if His Highness doesn't want Fei Luan, how can Fei Luan have the face to go back? It can only... can only die!"

Li Chengqian was both irritable and helpless, he waved his hands and said, "That's all, I won't drive you away either, get up."

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Fei Luan then got up and took a peek at Li Chengqian.Li Chengqian was also looking at him, and the two of them exchanged glances, and quickly avoided them.

"How old are you?"

"fifteen."

"Have you been in the palace since you were a child?"

"Yes, Your Highness. As soon as Fei Luan was born, my father committed a crime and had his head chopped off. Fei Luan, along with his mother and sisters, was confiscated from the palace."

"Then, since you were...you have been like a girl since you were a child?"

Feiluan smiled sweetly: "My mother raised me as a girl since I was a child, and the sisters in the workshop also regarded me as a girl. After a long time, Feiluan got used to it and forgot that I was a boy."

Li Chengqian looked at him with pity: "When you come to me, you will regain your manly body. From tomorrow on, I will change all these women's clothes, and change your behavior. If you can't change your voice, just... just forget it." .”

Fei Luan was a little surprised, but didn't dare to say anything, just said: "Yes, Your Highness." After speaking, he had to bow his knees habitually, but suddenly remembered what he just said, so he had to make a stiff and awkward bow.

Looking at his appearance, Li Chengqian couldn't help laughing.

Fei Luan also smiled shyly.

Li Chengqian looked at his blushing cheeks and shy appearance, he couldn't help being a little stunned, and he remembered something after a while, and said: "Since you have entered my East Palace, you will no longer be the Feiluan you used to be, and your name will also be changed. From now on, you will be called..."

Fei Luan looked at him expectantly.

"It's called... Xinxin, yes, it's Xinruyi's Xinxin!"

Fei Luan was overjoyed, and subconsciously saluted: "Fei... Thank you Your Highness for the name!" After finishing the movement, he realized that he had made a mistake, and quickly changed his bow again.

"Behavior, if you don't get used to it for a while, just change it slowly, don't worry."

The two met their eyes, and this time they didn't look away, but smiled at each other.

The weather was sunny and the Chunmingmen Street was crowded with people. A group of Xuanjiawei knights escorted a prison cart to the direction of the imperial city.

Passersby dodged one after another, pointing and whispering to the prisoners on the prison van.

The person in the prison car was about fifty years old, with a rough face and a burly figure. He could be seen as a brave man, but at the moment his hair was disheveled, his eyes were dull, and his face was as dark as ashes.

He is Liu Lancheng, the governor of Daizhou.

Luo Biao of the Xuanjia Guards was at the forefront of the team. Because of the long journey, his expression was a little tired, and his beard was covered with dust.A young knight behind him rode his horse and walked a few steps, caught up with Luo Biao, and said in a low voice: "Brother, I think you are exhausted from this trip, so you can take a few days off to hand over the criminals later? "

Luo Biao said expressionlessly, "Yu Erxi, look at the elder brother, does he seem tired?"

Yu Erxi was a little puzzled: "It's... a bit like it."

"Which eye are you blind?"

Yu Erxi was startled and dared not answer.

Luo Biao glanced at him: "I'm sleepy, understand? It's sleepy, not tired."

Yu Erxi couldn't help muttering: "It's different."

"It's the same fart!" Luo Biao said, "Sleepy is sleepy, tired is tired. If it's really the same, why did the ancestors invent two characters?"

Yu Erxi scratched his head, looking even more confused.

"As soon as you stick your butt, I will know what shit you are going to do. You want to take a vacation yourself, so you can use me to talk about things, right?"

Yu Erxi chuckled: "Brother, don't blame me, you should be the next one to push your ass, and forget about farting."

Luo Biao couldn't help laughing out loud, and patted him on the head: "Hold on for a few more days, I know the brothers are exhausted, when this guy's case is settled, I'll go ask the general for a reward, Just a few more days off!"

Yu Er was overjoyed, and turned around and shouted behind him: "Brothers, cheer up for me, don't let everyone be listless!"

On the same day when Luo Biao and others escorted Liu Lancheng back to Beijing, a group of Xuanjia guards suddenly rushed into the official office, went straight to the Kaogong Division's duty room, and arrested Cui Shi, the doctor of the Kaogong Division, in full view.

The Department of Examinations is the department responsible for official examinations, and the doctor is the highest officer of the department.

When Hou Junji heard the movement, he strode out from Shangshu's duty room, just in time to see Xuanjiawei forcibly grabbing Cui Shi and walking towards the gate.

Cui Shi turned his head desperately, looking at Hou Junji again and again, his eyes filled with fear and begging.

Hou Junji immediately looked away, turned around, and walked back to the duty room with his hands behind his back.

His footsteps were steady, no different than usual, but his heart was already agitated, and at the same time, his mind began to run rapidly, thinking about countermeasures.

Also on the same day, Huan Dieyi brought Chu Lisang back to Chang'an.

Huan Dieyi handed Chu Lisang to his servant Zhao Dequan in front of the Chengtian Gate in Miyagi.Chu Lisang looked up at the tall and majestic palace gate, then looked at the soldiers with shiny armor and sharp swords under the palace gate, smiled lightly, turned around and said to Huan Dieyi: "Team Huan is upright, you said that once I enter this palace gate, Can you still come out?"

Huan Dieyi didn't know what to say, so she shrugged: "I hope, I hope you can come out."

On the way back to Chang'an, although the relationship between the two of them is that of officers, soldiers and criminals, and they always sarcasm and quarrel with each other along the way, but for some reason, Huan Dieyi felt an inexplicable sense of farewell at this time .

"Captain Huan is a stranger to me, why would you want me to come out?" Chu Lisang said.

Huan Dieyi smiled: "Don't we still have a fight?"

Chu Lisang also smiled: "Yes, I forgot about this episode. So how about it, if I can't get out, let's arrange this unfinished fight in the next life, what do you think?"

Huan Dieyi felt a little sad in his heart, forced a smile and said: "Then it's settled."

Zhao Dequan at the side heard what the two women said, sighed secretly, and said softly: "Miss Chu, you've been exhausted all the way, you'd better go to the palace to rest."

"After entering this door, am I afraid that I won't have time to rest?" Chu Lisang looked at him and smiled sweetly, "I'd better trouble the envoy, take me to see my father quickly!" Saying that, he strode in.

The two heavy palace doors closed slowly behind Chu Lisang.

Huan Dieyi raised her head and looked at the blue sky, feeling that today's sunshine was extremely dazzling.

As soon as the job was done, Huan Dieyi hurried back to the Xuanjiawei Office to report to his uncle Li Shiji.Of course, apart from returning to life, she was more anxious to see Xiao Junmo immediately.After not seeing him for a few days, Huan Dieyi always felt empty in his heart.Although she knew that she was worthless like this, she just couldn't help it.

"This kid seems to be very busy recently," Li Shiji said, "I run around all day without seeing anyone, and I don't know what he is busy with. He just doesn't go back to the office to help me share my worries."

"What are you talking about!" Huan Dieyi said, "Who can you blame for the vacation you gave him? In my opinion, senior brother let you spoil him." Huan Dieyi's parents died since childhood, and it was Li Shiji Raised, so the two love each other like father and daughter, and she has always talked to her uncle in the same way.

Li Shiji chuckled: "I thought he had worked hard on the debate case, and I wanted him to rest for a few more days. It would be good for him, he would become a wild crane in no time."

"He was checking Uncle Xiao's whereabouts a while ago, so he was busy." Huan Dieyi hurriedly explained to Xiao Junmo, "Now that Uncle Xiao has passed away, he is naturally depressed, maybe he just walked around to relax."

When talking about Xiao Henian, both of them couldn't help feeling a little sad.Li Shiji observed Huan Dieyi's expression, wondering if Xiao Junmo had told her what he knew, so he sighed and said tentatively: "A few days ago I went to He Nian's house to pay homage, and asked about his body. The reason for this is that the butler, Lao He, is still hesitating, and he can’t explain clearly. I always feel that this matter is strange, you are often with Jun Mo, have you heard anything from him? "

Huan Dieyi quickly shook his head: "No, I heard that Uncle Xiao was visiting relatives in the countryside and fell off his horse. When he found out, he had been dead for many days. What's so strange about it?"

Li Shiji looked at her, knowing that Xiao Junmo had formed a tacit understanding with him, and he didn't want her to get involved.So at the moment, she felt at ease, but she wanted to make the show more realistic, and said, "You and Jun Mo are hiding something from me, right?"

"Oh uncle, you are too suspicious!" Huan Dieyi hugged his arm coquettishly, "You can't even trust me and senior brother, who else can you trust in this world?"

"It's hard to say." Li Shiji deliberately put on a serious face, "The closer the person is, the less wary they are, so the easier it is to deceive."

"I don't care about you when you say that." Huan Dieyi pouted, "I will come to see you as soon as I return to Beijing, and I still hear you say such things!"

"That sounds good!" Li Shiji smiled, "Are you here to see me? Are you in a hurry to find Jun Mo as soon as you return to Beijing?"

Huan Dieyi was ashamed, stomped her feet, turned around and left: "I don't care about you, I'm going home!"

Li Shiji laughed, and said to her back: "When you see Jun Mo, remember to tell him that the government office is very busy recently, so ask him to report back."

Huan Dieyi was overwhelmed, and felt ashamed for a while, simply shouted "I didn't hear you", and went straight out.

Li Shiji shook his head and smiled, and said to himself: "I also said that I spoiled Jun Mo, you are really spoiled by me."

Xiao Junmo used Xuanjiawei's intelligence network and his own relationship network to spend several days interviewing dozens of civil and military officials in the court, and finally found a colleague of Meng Huairang back then, who was also a brother of Jinlan. After trying hard and soft, they finally found out the whereabouts of Meng Huairang.

This person said that Meng Huairang did not flee far back then, but hid in the nearest Lantian County in the Guan, which is only seventy or eighty miles away from Chang'an City.Xiao Junmo couldn't help laughing secretly when he heard the words.This is the so-called "darkness under the lights", and the most dangerous place is the safest.When my father traveled far to Longyou to track down Meng Huairang, how could he have thought that he was actually hiding under his nose?
This person also said that he once visited Meng Huairang in Lantian and wanted to help him, but he scolded him and said that if he went again in the future, the brother would have nothing to do. So for so many years, this sworn brother has never dared Go see him again.

Lantian County is sandwiched between the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains and the southern foot of the Lishan Mountain. The terrain is complex, with ravines and ravines.Xiao Junmo rode his horse around the mountains for a long time, lost his way several times, and finally found a small village named Jiayugou.

According to Meng Huairang's sworn brother, he hid in this corner.

The village in Jiayugou is just an elderly man, leaning on a walking stick, and severely deaf. Xiao Junmo yelled and yelled in his ear, and it took him a lot of effort to make him understand the three words "Sun Ada" clearly. .This is Meng Huairang's pseudonym.Lao Cun was looking him up and down with sideways eyes, and said, "Who are you? Why are you looking for him?" Looking at him like that, he seemed quite vigilant.

Xiao Junmo hurriedly said that he was Sun Ada's cousin, and since he hadn't seen his cousin for many years, he missed him very much. This time he was passing by the capital on business, so he made a special trip to visit him. As he spoke, he untied a few packs of dried fruit snacks from the horse's back and stuffed them into the In the arms of the old village.

The old village is still squinting: "I am the head of a village, how can I be bought by you, an unknown person with a few packets of snacks?"

Xiao Junmo didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and quickly said loudly: "Old man, I am not someone with unknown background, but a serious businessman."

"Businessman?" Old Villager said with a look of disdain, "How can a businessman be decent? If you don't plant, you don't reap, you don't harvest, you reap without labor, how dare you say you are serious?!"

Xiao Junmo was at a loss for words at the moment, thinking that he had met everyone in Chang'an, but he had never seen this one. If he really wanted to keep entangled with him like this, he would not even try to find "Sun Ada" tomorrow, so he paid for it. Smiling, made a bow, led the horse and turned to go, intending to find it by himself.

Unexpectedly, the old villager suddenly shouted: "Stop!"

Xiao Junmo was startled and looked back at him.

"Without my old man's consent, you dare to walk around here?"

Xiao Junmo smiled wryly again and again, but he didn't expect this old man to be more powerful than a Beijing official, so he said: "Old man, I'm really Sun Ada's cousin. If you don't believe me, take me to see him, so you know everything?"

Lao Cunzheng looked at him for a long while, then moved over and put the snack back to him: "I've been innocent all my life, I can't be bribed by a profiteer like you, take it away!"

Xiao Junmo smiled helplessly, so he had no choice but to put away his things, thinking that the old man had been cheated by some profiteer, so that the trauma was so serious.

"Come with me." Lao Cun was leading the way with a stick, and said as he walked, "This Sun Ada also has relatives? I thought his relatives were all dead!"

When Xiao Junmo heard this, he felt very uncomfortable, and couldn't help but said: "Old man, you are the leader of a village, and you should be kind to your neighbors and harmonious customs. Isn't it good to talk about others behind your back?"

Xiao Junmo thought that the old man would be unhappy when he heard this, but he smiled instead, and turned to look at him: "Although you are a businessman, you are kind, but it's not that the old man is mean. Since Sun Ada entered our village, he has hardly interacted with others. He looks like he will fend for himself. How can he stay here!"

Meng Huairang came here to marry, obviously his previous wife had passed away.Xiao Junmo thought, flattering Muramasa, but feeling a little heavy in his heart.In order to protect the secret left by Lu Shiheng, Meng Huairang worked so hard that he lost his whole life.Having lived here incognito for so many years, he must have lived an extremely miserable life.

While talking, Muramasa led him to a big house.Xiao Junmo looked up and saw the big characters "Sun's Ancestral Hall" written on the lintel.How could Meng Huairang be here?Just as he was wondering, the villager suddenly hit the ground three times with a walking stick, and suddenly a dozen young and strong villagers crowded out of the ancestral hall, each of them holding a sickle and a hoe, surrounded Xiao Junmo, looking as if he was facing an enemy shape.

Xiao Junmo looked at Muramasa in astonishment: "Old man, what is the meaning of this?"

Lao Cunzheng snorted coldly: "Young man, stop pretending, you are here to seek revenge from Sun Ada?"

Xiao Junmo smiled wryly: "Where did the old man start with this remark?"

"Ever since Sun Ada came to my village, I've noticed that he must have come here to avoid his enemies." The old villager had a discerning expression on his face, "Young man, you just said the right thing, the old man, I am ashamed." As the head of a village, one must be kind to the neighbors. Although this Sun Ada is not a man, as long as he stays in my Jiayugou, he will be a member of my Sun clan, and I will protect him as an old man!"

Xiao Junmo finally understood, and immediately felt a little respect for the old man in his heart.He knew it was useless to talk too much, so he simply showed Xuanjiawei's badge: "Cunzheng, I am General Xuanjiawei, who is ordered to investigate Sun Ada, please cooperate!"

Lao Cun was squinting at the waist card for a long time, and finally his expression turned serious: "It seems that the old man guessed it right again! The general is handsome and upright, how can he be a profiteer!"

Xiao Junmo was happy in his heart, and really wanted to ask: old man, where did the businessman offend you?
Meng Huairang lived at the east end of the village, and a few dilapidated tile-roofed houses surrounded by a low earthen wall were his home.

When Xiao Junmo walked straight into the gate of the courtyard, he saw a sturdy man in his fifties who was sitting around a small table with three young people eating at a small table. The food was simple, but they ate with gusto.

The man suddenly raised his head, met Xiao Junmo's eyes, and seemed to realize something immediately, a wry smile flashed across the corner of his mouth.

"It's been 16 years, and you're finally here!"

Meng Huairang led Xiao Junmo into the room, and let out a long sigh, which seemed to be filled with infinite desolation.

The slightly larger one among the three tile-roofed houses of the Meng family is the living room of their house.Xiao Junmo looked around, but saw that the walls of the house were bare, and there was a hole the size of a fist in the roof, and a beam of sunlight fell directly on half of Meng Huairang's face.Meng Huairang has a dark complexion, rough skin, and numerous wrinkles on his face. He is at least 20 years older than his actual age.

What kind of life has he lived for the past ten years? !Xiao Junmo couldn't help feeling sore in his heart.

"Can you just kill me and spare my three sons?" Meng Huairang said sadly.

"You don't even ask me who I am, so you think I'm here to kill you?"

"Then tell me, which road you are from, so that I can understand!"

"Which way do you want me to go?" Xiao Junmo folded his hands, leaned against the wall, and looked at him calmly.

Meng Huairang snorted coldly: "No matter which route you are from, you will never get anything from me!"

"So, you know that I'm here to ask you for something?" Xiao Junmo smiled.

"Don't bother, the only thing you can get is my head."

"Your head is worthless to Mr. Mingzang." Xiao Junmo stared at him.

Meng Huairang was shocked suddenly.It can be seen that despite the lapse of many years, the fear caused by the word "Ming Zang" is still unimaginable.This is enough to prove that Meng Huairang is not only Lu Shiheng's subordinate in the Forbidden Army, but also an important member of his "Wu Ya" force.

"You are not from Mingzang." After a while, Meng Huairang forced himself to calm down.

"why?"

"If Ming Zang really wanted to do something, he wouldn't send you alone."

"Smart!" Xiao Junmo smiled, "Then who do you think I am?"

Meng Huairang took a closer look at him and said with a sneer, "It looks like I used to eat imperial food just like I did back then."

"That's right!" Xiao Junmo suddenly felt a little emotional, "I think back then, if Mr. Wu Ya hadn't died in the Xuanwu Gate, you are still eating the emperor's food now, so why hide in this poor mountain ditch and suffer?"

He intentionally placed the accent on the word "Wu Ya", and then observed Meng Huairang's reaction.

Meng Huairang was startled, looked at him suspiciously, and immediately said: "Impossible..."

"What's impossible?"

"You can't be Mr.'s man."

"Why so sure?"

Meng Huairang sneered: "Mr.'s people are all over half a hundred now, how can there be such a greenhead like you?"

"I won't bother you if my milk smell is dry or not." Xiao Junmo said with a smile, "What you have to think about now is why for so many years, even someone as powerful as Mingzang can't find you, but it's me found you."

Meng Huairang really thought about it and said after a while, "Then tell me why?"

"Because of my father."

"Your father?"

"Yes, Xiao Henian." Xiao Junmo looked at him, "You should be familiar with this name, right?"

Meng Huairang recalled it for a while, and suddenly remembered: "Chang'an Order?!"

"That's right. It was my father who was in charge of the case where Mr.'s family was exterminated, and it was also my father who secretly protected you."

"Protect me?" Meng Huairang was quite surprised.

"Of course! My father already knew that Mr. gave you the wine glass and found out that you were hiding here, but he deliberately went away to Longyou to look for you in your hometown. The purpose was to divert the attention of the emperor and the government. Think about it, if my father wasn't from Mr., would he do this?"

Meng Huairang pondered for a moment, half-believing and half-doubting: "Then why does he think of me now?"

Xiao Junmo was a little sad: "Letting me come to you is... It is my father's last wish."

Meng Huairang was taken aback for a moment: "My father..."

Xiao Junmo nodded: "At present, the situation in the court is complicated, and Mingzang is ready to move. In order to maintain the peace of the country, and also to protect the secret of "Lanting Preface", my father was unfortunately killed by Mingzang..."

When Meng Huairang heard this, he subconsciously believed it again, and said, "What is the purpose of your father asking you to come to me?"

"As you know, get back the wine glass." Xiao Junmo stared into his eyes, "Then follow Mr. Wu Ya's behest, gather the brothers or their descendants from back then, to fight against Mingzang and avenge Mr. Wuya!" Although Xiao Junmo didn't know what the "wine glass" was, since Lu Shiheng and Meng Huairang were risking their lives to protect it, it proved that this thing was very important, and it was probably something like a token, so he took a gamble.

Sure enough, he made the right bet, and only listened to Meng Huai's way: "What does your father mean, do you want to restart the organization?"

Xiao Junmo was secretly happy and nodded.

Meng Huairang suddenly became suspicious again: "With just a wine glass, he can't do it, right?"

"why?"

"As far as I know, at Xuanwumen, most of our people have died, and the identities of the rest are very secretive. How could your father know who they are?"

"Of course my father knows." Xiao Junmo could only gamble again, "Mr. gave you the wine glass back then, but gave the organization list to my father."

"The list?" Meng Huairang couldn't believe it. "How could there be a list? Why didn't I know about it?"

"My father didn't know about the fact that Mr. gave you the wine glass. This is the genius of Mr. - separating the wine glass from the list, so that no one can activate the organization alone." Xiao Junmo decided to make this lie come true. , "It was only because you ran away with your family that my father guessed that the wine glass was in your hand."

Meng Huairang thought about it, and seemed to think it made sense, but he thought of something: "Since your father knew that Mingzang harmed Mr.'s family, why didn't you tell the matter to the Holy Majesty, and kill Mingzang to avenge Mr.?"

Xiao Junmo had never thought about this question before. He was taken aback for a moment, and hurriedly said: "The matter is not so simple. The forces hidden in the government and the opposition are intertwined, and he himself is mysterious, coming and going without a trace. How can we catch them all? Besides, back then How many aristocratic families are there in the Orchid Pavilion, and it’s not limited to Mr. This family and Mingzang’s family. Can you tell who is the enemy and who is the friend now? What if all the secrets of "Preface to Lanting" are revealed in order to track down Mingzang? Know how many families will be implicated, and how many innocent brothers will be sacrificed!"

Xiao Junmo's words were righteous and loud, and immediately made Meng Huairang speechless.Looking at his appearance, Xiao Junmo decided to strike while the iron was hot, to probe more things, and said: "Mr. Meng, before my father died, he asked me to ask you something."

"What's the matter?"

"When Mr. gave you the wine glass back then, did you explain anything?"

Meng Huairang nodded: "Sir, if he encounters misfortune at Xuanwu Gate, let me give the wine glass to King Qin and tell him all the secrets about the organization."

Xiao Junmo was puzzled: "Mr. Why didn't you say it yourself, but you have to explain it to you?"

"At that time, my husband was hesitating whether I should say it or not. If I said it, I was afraid that the king of Qin would investigate deeply and involve too many secrets of the organization, which would be detrimental to the organization; if I didn't say it, I was afraid that Mingzang would stir up trouble secretly and endanger the country. Until the Xuanwumen Incident , Mister still hasn’t made up his mind, so he had to tell me. Maybe Mister thinks that if he can survive, he can think about it slowly;

"Then why didn't you follow Mr.'s instructions?"

Meng Huairang gave a wry smile: "At the beginning, Mr. Yin and Mingzang were behind their backs and surrendered to the King of Qin. I didn't agree. After the Xuanwu Gate Incident, the King of Qin slaughtered the prince and the ten sons of the King of Qi in one fell swoop. This made me even more respectful of the King of Qin." I felt a little disgusted, so I hesitated. Later, Ming Zang brazenly wiped out the family of Mr. Zhang. I knew that he was seeking revenge and also wanted to find a wine glass. I was shocked and hid here without thinking too much. .As a result, Yizang has lived for so many years..."

Xiao Junmo didn't expect him to be quite critical of the present, and he couldn't help but rejoice that he only said to protect the peace of the country, but not the protection of the Holy One, otherwise he would definitely be disgusted.

"Mr. Meng, because my father passed away suddenly, I only know a lot of things. I would like to ask, how much do you know about the secrets of "Lanting Preface"?"

Meng Huairang shook his head: "I only heard from my husband that the original "Lanting Preface" hides a major secret of the entire organization. As for the specifics, I didn't dare to ask. I think even if I asked, my husband would not tell."

"The entire organization, you mean..."

"Of course it's the Heavenly Punishment Alliance!"

Xiao Junmo's heart suddenly moved. It turned out that his guess all along was correct. The masked man Mingzang and Linchuan Mr. Wei Zheng belonged to a larger secret organization, and the name of this organization was "Sky Punishment League"!
"Yeah, I think it should also be a major event related to the alliance!" Xiao Junmo hurriedly concealed his ignorance, "Then, how many factions in the alliance do you know?"

Meng Huairang frowned, and said suspiciously: "Faction? Are you referring to the sub-rudder?"

"That's right, I mean splitting the helm. My father is vague about some things, so I'm not very clear."

"I only know about Wuya, the main rudder, and Xuanquan, the sub-rudder, because these two secret rudders belong directly to Mingzang, and I don't know anything about the other sub-rudders."

Dark rudder?There are actually light and dark points in the rudder?And according to what Meng Huairang meant, it seemed that except for the two secret rudders, the other sub-rudders did not directly obey Mingzang's orders.

"Then, do you know about Xuanquan's sub-helm? For example... Xuanquan's real identity?"

Meng Huairang suddenly became alert: "At my level, it is impossible to know his true identity. Besides, the organization has rules, and many things cannot be inquired casually. Didn't your father tell you?"

"Of course I know." Xiao Junmo smiled, "I just hope to find more brothers from this alliance."

"Don't think about it!" Meng Huairang said coldly, "Xuanquan has always been loyal to Mingzang. It's okay if you don't look for him, but if you do find him, I'm afraid your head will be lost."

"I feel that after so many years, Xuanquan may not have his own ideas." Xiao Junmo said, "Of course, if he is still loyal to Mingzang, and he has a part in killing Mr.'s family, I will definitely not let him go."

At this moment, Xiao Junmo still has a lot of questions to ask about "Lanting Preface" and Tian Xingmeng, but judging by Meng Huairang's expression, it is obvious that he has doubts, and if he asks more questions, he will probably reveal his secrets.But fortunately, with so many unexpected gains today, it was a worthwhile trip.Now, the most important thing left is to get the wine glass.Xiao Junmo always felt that the wine glass might be a key to solve the mystery of "Lanting Preface".

"Mr. Meng, what are your plans next?"

"Plan?" Meng Huairang smiled wryly, "I'm already a useless person, what else can I plan? I can only end my life in this ravine!"

Only then did Xiao Junmo remember that when he walked in from the yard just now, one leg was limping badly, obviously he was injured and disabled in the Xuanwu Gate incident.

"Mr. Meng, you are definitely not useless! In order to protect the wine glass, you have done things that ordinary people cannot do, so you are a hero!" Xiao Junmo's words are completely from the bottom of his heart, even though his main purpose of coming today is to "cheat" wine glass.

Meng Huairang was a little moved: "Thank you, Xiao Lang! With your words, the hard work I've worked for all these years is worth it!"

Xiao Junmo looked at him, his nose suddenly felt a little sour, and he hurried out.After a while, Xiao Junmo walked in again, and put a package that looked quite heavy on a broken bed against the wall.

Inside, there are a full twenty ingots of gold, and each ingot weighs a catty.

"What does Xiao Lang mean?" Meng Huairang was surprised.

"Sir, don't refuse! This is a little thought from me on behalf of my father and Brother Benduo." Xiao Junmo said, and then looked around the house, "Sir, let's build some new tile-roofed houses, and your sons, It's time to marry a wife, if you refuse, you just don't recognize me as a brother! I think Mr. Wu Ya is in heaven, and he doesn't want to see you working so hard."

When Meng Huairang heard the words, tears finally flowed down uncontrollably.

"Okay, I accept this offer!" Meng Huairang wiped away his tears and stood up, "Xiao Lang, it's not that I don't believe you, but before I hand over the wine glass to you, we still have to talk about the rules. .”

After finishing speaking, Meng Huairang looked at Xiao Junmo, as if waiting for him to say something.But Xiao Junmo was stunned for a moment: "Rules? What rules?"

Meng Huairang's brows slowly tightened, the trust in his eyes began to fade, and a cloud of suspicion floated up.

Xiao Junmo was very anxious, if he couldn't pass this last hurdle, then today's trip would be in vain!His thoughts turned, and he suddenly realized that he had talked to Meng Huairang so much, but he had never exchanged the secret code with him.Could this be the "rule" that Meng Huairang referred to?
There is no time for Xiao Junmo to hesitate anymore.In the blink of an eye, a line from Wang Xizhi's five-character poem suddenly jumped into his mind.

"Low and boundless view."

Xiao Junmo met Meng Huairang's gaze, and calmly read this sentence.

Meng Huairang stared at him for a while, and then showed a happy smile: "Look at what you see."

A bronze seal in the shape of some kind of divine beast was lying quietly on the desk.

This is the "wine glass" that Xiao Junmo retrieved from Meng Huairang.

As soon as he got it, Xiao Junmo rushed back to his home in Lanlingfang, Chang'an without stopping, and immediately locked himself in the study, impatiently studying it.

In terms of appearance, this copper seal has nothing in common with the popular wine vessel "Yu Yang" in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, even irrelevant, but more like the "Tiger Talisman" used by the imperial court to mobilize troops.

The shape of the beast on the copper seal looks familiar, but the name cannot be called at once.

Xiao Junmo picked it up and looked at it carefully, and saw that the head and tail of the beast looked like a dragon, its body was like a tiger and leopard, it had wings on its shoulders, its legs were like a unicorn, and its posture with its head held high was like a lion.What the hell is this?Xiao Junmo tried his best to search in his memory, and suddenly he had a flash of inspiration: Pixiu.

That's right, this guy is the legendary ancient beast Pixiu!

According to ancient legends, Pixiu is the ninth of the nine sons of the dragon, also known as Tianlu and evil spirits.Xiao Junmo recalled that in "Historical Records: The Chronicles of the Five Emperors", there is a record of Huangdi Xuanyuan's family "teaching Xiong pixiu□tiger to fight Yandi in the field of Banquan".From this point of view, it is obviously reasonable for the Tianxingmeng, a secret organization, to forge a token similar to a tiger amulet based on the meaning of the mythical beast Pixiu.

This copper seal also has a very obvious feature, which can also support Xiao Junmo's judgment - it is only half of a brave, not a whole one.When Xiao Junmo turned the copper seal to the other side, he found that there were four words engraved on it: the cup of boundless.The text is "raised" in which the lettering is raised from the background.Obviously, this is a "yang seal", and there should be a "yin seal" that uses the "yin engraving" method to match it.The principle is the same as that of the tiger talisman: the tiger talisman is usually divided into left and right halves, one half is in the court, and the other half is in the army. When dispatching troops, one half of the talisman must be presented. If it fits perfectly with the other half, it is a real tiger talisman;

If the above judgment is correct, then it is very likely that in the hands of the leader of the Tianxing League, the Yin seals of all the sub-rudders below are held, while the Yang seals are in the hands of the rudder masters of each sub-rudder.Once the leader of the alliance mobilizes the rudder, he must show the Yin seal, and if it matches the Yang seal, he can issue orders.

In addition to the casting method of this copper seal, the font of the four characters above also caught Xiao Junmo's attention.

The three characters "Wuya" and "饱" are all ancient seal characters. Although the characters have complicated shapes and many strokes, it can be seen at a glance that they are commonly used characters in the market, and they were not written by calligraphers.The only difference is the character "Zhi", which uses a bright and neat cursive script, and is obviously written by a calligrapher.

Xiao Junmo immediately realized that the word "Zhi" must be the most important anti-counterfeiting means in this copper seal.

That is to say, if someone wants to forge a token to order the division of helms, it is not difficult for him to forge the three seemingly complicated seal scripts, but it is almost impossible for him to imitate the extremely simple "Zhi" character.Because the same character is written by different people, there will inevitably be subtle differences, and even the same character written by the same person at different times cannot be exactly the same.It can be seen from this that the person who designed and cast the "wine glass" in the Tianxing League back then must be a master of calligraphy. He had to write a "zhi" in various forms in order to cast multiple wine glasses for multiple calligraphy. At the same time, because these "Zhi" characters are written by himself and cannot be written by others, counterfeiting and forgery are prevented.

Guessing so far, Xiao Junmo couldn't help being overjoyed.

It seems that the "wine glass" is indeed a key to solve the mystery of "Lanting Preface".Through my own investigation these days, it seems that I am getting close to the core of this mystery.

Thinking of "Lanting Preface", another thought suddenly jumped into Xiao Junmo's mind, making him jump up excitedly.I have already memorized the "Lanting Preface" written by Wang Xizhi by heart, isn't there just a lot of "zhi" in it? !

Xiao Junmo immediately opened the volume of "Lanting Collection" left by his father, and the beginning of the volume was "Lanting Preface".He immediately read the full text again:
In the ninth year of Yonghe, at the age of Kuichou, at the beginning of late spring, I met at the Orchid Pavilion in Shanyin, Kuaiji, to do auspicious things.A group of virtuous men arrives, and young men and women gather together.There are lofty mountains and majestic mountains, lush forests and bamboos;It is thought that the flowing water is flowing, and the second is sitting.Although it is not as prosperous as the silk and bamboo orchestra, a glass of wine and a chants are enough to express the quiet feelings.

It is the sun, the sky is clear, the breeze is smooth, looking up at the size of the universe, and looking at the prosperity of the categories, so traveling with eyes, it is enough for the entertainment of audiovisual, believe in Cola.

The wife's relationship with each other, I look up to the whole life, or I take it into my arms, and understand the words in a room; or because of the entrustment, I let go of the waves.Although it is very interesting and restless, it is different from being calm and restless. When you are happy with what you meet, you can get it for yourself temporarily, and you will be satisfied quickly, and you don't know that old age is coming.And what I am tired of, my feelings change with the situation, and I am deeply moved.Xiang Zhi's delight, between pitching, has become a thing of the past, and I still have to be happy with it, and the short-term and short-term changes will eventually come to an end.The ancients said: "Death and life are also great." Isn't it painful!
Every time I look at the reasons for the former people's interest, if they are united, it is not without the mourning of the text, which cannot be explained in the memory.The solid knowledge that death and life is imaginary, Qi Pengshang is a fool.Looking back at the present, but also looking at the past as the present.Sad husband!Therefore, the people in the Syrian period record their descriptions, although the world is different, so the happiness is the same.Those who will be watching later will also feel the gentleness.

Xiao Junmo counted it carefully, the full text has a total of 320 four characters, among which there are twenty "zhi".

Does this mean that Wang Xizhi wrote all the twenty "zhi" in different shapes in the original "Lanting Preface", thus casting and engraving a total of twenty wine glasses?If this is the case, does that mean that the so-called secret organization of the Heavenly Punishment League has nineteen sub-helms besides the leader himself who should have a "Sky Punishment Cup"?
As far as Xiao Junmo knows, no one has seen the original "Lanting Preface", and no one even has a copy of "Lanting Preface", so it is still impossible to verify this guess, but it is possible to get so close to "Lanting Preface" through this wine glass. The truth of "Orchid Pavilion Preface" is enough to make Xiao Junmo feel gratified and inspired.

(End of this chapter)