230843 Chapter 1 Shizheng Chapter 1 Shizheng

Countless black horses galloped back and forth in the distance. Above the long river in the distance,

A round, bloody sunset; in a lonely city,

The smoke pierced straight into the dim sky. Tianbao is three years old, on the fourteenth day of the first lunar month.

Chang’an, Chang’an County, West City.

The spring is cold and the sun is shining brightly. At this time, the sky over Chang’an City is cloudless, and it should be a good weather today.

With a creaking sound, the two heavy gates of the West Market were slowly pushed open, and an enlightened beast flag hung high in the middle of the door lintel. A dozen teams of Luo had already gathered on the street outside. As soon as they saw the flag hanging out, they immediately made a noise. The guys used cowhide whips to drive up the camels lying on the ground, counting the boxes, calling for their companions, and shouting with foreign accents one after another.

This is the last group of Hu caravans that arrived in Chang’an before the Spring Festival. They set off from distant places such as Bling, Persia, and traveled day and night, just to catch up with the most important festival in Chang’an. You know, starting from tonight, the Shangyuan Lantern Festival will last for three full nights. Datang’s dignitaries spend money, but they are not merciless.

The officials of the West Market Department stood on both sides of the west entrance of the West Market with a notebook in one hand and a pen in the other, checking the customs documents and goods one by one with expressionless expressions. Today is a special day, the West Market opened half an hour earlier than usual. These bureaucrats all wanted to finish their work as soon as possible and go home for the holidays, and the inspection speed was a little faster.

An old official quickly completed registration for a group of Persian merchants, and then beckoned to the people behind. A Hu businessman in a short chestnut robe with double lapels walked over and presented his hands.

The old official took a look, and was stunned.

The job itself is impeccable. The applicant was named Cao Poyan, a Sogdian, from Kangguo. This time I came to Chang’an and brought a total of fifteen companions, fifteen-humped camels and a stallion. The goods they carried were thirty wool felt blankets and variegated leather goods. All the way to Guanjin, the guards had checked and signed .

The problem is not in transit, but in the goods.

The veteran has been in this business for twenty years. He has seen too many caravans and goods, and he has developed a pair of eyes that are as sharp as a falcon. Sixteen people, but only transported such a small amount of goods, how high is the average cost? What’s more, Chang’an is beginning to spring, and the market for felt carpets is falling. Even if these goods are all sold, I am afraid that even the round-trip expenses can not be covered-how can there be such a stupid businessman on the long road?

The old official couldn’t help frowning, and carefully looked at the husky merchant in front of him. Cao Poyan is about thirty years old, with a high nose and deep eyes, and a thin jaw with a ring of hard black beard, like a hard bristle brush. If you count the white felt hat on his head, the whole person must be more than seven feet tall.

The old staff asked a few simple questions, and Cao Poyan answered them one by one. His Tang dialect is very blunt, with just a few words coming and going, his face is always cold without a smile, and he doesn’t look like a businessman at all. The old official noticed that this guy always touched his waist unconsciously with his right hand when answering. This is the action of holding a weapon, but it is a pity that there is only a small empty copper hook on his belt.

For safety reasons, all the merchants’ portable weapons were confiscated by the gate guard when they entered the city, and they were returned only when they left the city.

The old official put down his notebook calmly, and circled Cao Poyan’s caravan. There is no problem with the goods, ordinary goods. The fifteen companions are all nonsense, with tight-legged pants and pointed shoes, and they are all about the same age as Cao Poyan. They each led a camel, silent, but their shoulders were slightly taut.

“These guys are very nervous.” The old official secretly made a judgment and brought up the pen, intending to write a “not” on the past post-it means that the caravan’s identity is in doubt, and the West Market Department Cheng will do further investigation. Test. But the pen did not fall, but was stopped by a big hand.

The old official looked up and found a man with thick eyebrows and a wide face smiling at him.

“Cui Rokuro?”

This person is a well-known broker in the West Market and has a wide network of contacts. For everything from stocks, renting a house to finding people, litigation, etc., it is not wrong to find him as an intermediary. So even though he has no official status, he can eat well on the ground in the West Market.

Cui Liulang smiled and said, “Have you eaten Chaoshi yet? I gave Lao Zhang you a piece of cake.” Then he handed it a steaming sesame bun with big oily sesame seeds on the front, and the aroma was tangy. The old man squeezed and found that a small straight silver collar was deeply pressed on the reverse side of the dough. He weighed it secretly, fearing that there would be no two or two. Although he could not make cash, he could still get a good hairpin for his daughter.

“These friends came to Chang’an for the first time, and many of the rules were not clear, so I asked Lao Zhang to be accommodating.” Cui Liulang lowered his voice.

The old official hesitated a little, but took the noodles, and then gave a “listen” at the office, allowing him to enter the market. Cui Liulang crossed his hands to thank him, turned around, and spoke a series of Sogdian fluently. Cao Poyan just nodded slightly, neither happy nor excited.

Under the leadership of Cui Liulang, the little camel team filed into the West Market along the threshold.

After crossing the threshold, there is a wide crossroad on the front, and shops are on both sides of the four wide lanes in the east, south, west and north. From silk cloth shops, ironware shops, porcelain shops to Andan shops, cloth food shops, jewelry shops, and musical instruments shops. The roofs of these shops are not the same as those of Chang’an buildings. The roofs are as flat as a platform—not because the Hushang is homesick, but because the space and the flat roofs allow more goods to be accumulated.

At this time the shop has not officially opened yet, but all the shops have hung out their plaques and flags, almost covering the entire wide lane. The peach charms that had just been hung on the lintel on New Year’s Eve have not yet been taken off, and there are a few more lanterns and bamboo frames of different shapes next to them-these are all prepared for the lantern party tonight. At this time the lantern has not yet been hung, but the festive taste has skyrocketed.

“Let’s Chang’an, there are a total of 108 squares, 14th street from north to south, and 11th street from east to west. Each square is surrounded by walls. Whether you are eating, playing, talking about business, or staying in a shop, you have to stay in the square. Normal nights, you can’t come out and you’ll have a night ban. But don’t worry about it today. There will be a Lantern Festival in the evening to relax the curfew. Actually, the day of the Lantern Festival is tomorrow, but the lantern festival will begin tonight…”

As Cui Liulang walked, he warmly introduced various stories about Chang’an City to the guests. Cao Poyan scanned left and right, his eyes always full of alert, like an immature eagle. The horse mules neighed around, the wheels were swollen, and the past travels were hurrying, and no one paid attention to this small caravan.

The two walked to the middle of the cross street. Cui Liulang stopped and said, “Where shall we go next? Are you looking for a hostel or a store that you have an affiliate?” Cao Poyan took out a folded piece of paper from his arms and handed it to him. Cui Liulang was startled first, then smiled and said, “So you have already booked it, come and go here.” He straightened his arm, pointed to the right with a slight exaggeration, raised his leg and walked forward, and the others followed closely. Afterwards.

Cao Poyan didn’t know that this little action between him and Cui Liulang was seen by Wuhou who was not far away looking upstairs.

The watchtower is a high wooden pavilion with black lacquer, more than eight feet high, standing in the middle of the West Market, from which you can overlook the movement of the whole market. There is Wuhou upstairs. These people have been carefully selected and have keen eyesight. Nothing in the city can be hidden from them.

Cui Liulang and Cao Poyan have been closely monitored by the watchtower since they entered the market. Seeing Cui Liulang’s gesture, a Wuhou straightened up, picked up a solid black flag, waved it three times towards the east, and repeated it three times.

After two snaps, another watchtower three hundred steps away from the east side of the watchtower also waved the same black flag; shortly afterwards, the watchtower further east also responded quickly. In this way, the first floor was spread from the first floor, but with dozens of finger-tips, the message of the black flag had crossed a street, from the West Market to the Guangdefang just a block to the east.

The northeast corner of Guangdefang is Jingzhaofu Public Building, and next to it is the Temple of Mercy. Between the two, there is an inconspicuous side courtyard. This was originally Sun Simiao’s old house, but now the traces of the King of Medicine are gone. Instead, there is a murderous atmosphere. A tall black building stands in the courtyard. The watchtower is much taller than other watchtowers.

Upstairs Wuhou saw the black flag dancing in the distance. He wrote down the color of the flag and the number of waves on a wooden slip, and quickly threw it towards the ground.

There was a tall and strong Tong Chuan downstairs that caught the wooden slip, ran all the way, and sent it to a large hall thirty steps away. A gold and black wooden plaque hangs high above the main hall. The three-character script “Jing An Si” is written in regular script. The calligraphy is rich and full, and it is Yan Zhenqing’s handwriting.

When I entered the hall, the first thing I saw was a huge sand table of Chang’an City. The outer city wall made of red clay, the square city wall made of yellow beeswax, 108 squares and twenty-five streets are arranged like a chessboard, and even the curved alleys and the water canals in the square are all visible-of course, only Miyagi is a blank space–there is a fourth-order Bronze bronze water leaking clock in the corner of the temple, which is in the same tone as the bronze leaking clock in front of the Shuntian Gate.

Looking down on this plate, supplemented by water leakage, like looking at Chang’an from the cloud, the current situation is clearly changing.

Next to the sand table, the two officials were concentrating. The old man has white beard and hair, wearing a purple robe with wide sleeves and round neck, and a goldfish bag on his waist. The young man’s face was round and small, the greenness had not yet faded away, but there were three light lines faintly between his eyebrows, which was obviously overthinking. He wore a narrow-sleeved green robe with a silver fish bag hanging around his waist, but he held a Taoist whisk in his hand.

Tong Chuan ran in front of the two officials and shouted with Jane, the loud voice resounding in the hall: “The wolf has entered the West Market, and it has passed the cross street!”

The officials were silent, a beautiful maidservant next to him took a step forward, picked up a moon stick used for playing polo, and pushed a black pottery figurine in the sand table from West City Outer Street to the city. The locations of Liulang and Cao Poyan coincided with each other.

There was a moment of silence in the hall. The young man first asked: “He Jian?” After asking several times, the old man opened his eyes: “Chang Yuan, how did you arrange it?”

The young man smiled slightly and pointed to the sand table with his whisk: “Cui Qi personally led the team. Fifty brigade troops have been deployed to the West Market. As soon as Liu Lang got the news, Cui Qi immediately broke the door to catch people. Periphery, There are more than a hundred unscrupulous people from Chang’an County guarding the alleys; the two gates of the West City can be closed by guards at any time. There are three iron fences, and there is no reason for this dog to escape.”

Following the instructions of the whisk, the maidservant quickly put down the Zhu Tao figurines. Above the sand table, the Zhu figurines immediately surrounded the black figurines, airtight.

“These wolf cubs think that they can pretend to be a Sogdian merchant to buy an internal response, and they can hide from the sky. They don’t know that we are fishing from beginning to end. With mental arithmetic and unintentional, there is no reason to win?” The young man retracted his whisk, his chin raised slightly. Appears confident. The old man let out an “um” and closed his eyes again, noncommittal.

Every minute, a loud-sounding pass would run in from outside, reporting on the latest trends of Cui Liulang and Cao Poyan.

“The wolf crossed Fanji Antanpu and headed northwest of Cross Street!”

“The wolf crosses Ruyi Xintuo General Store and turns right into Erhuiqu Alley!”

“The wolf crosses the third bridge of Guangtong Canal and turns into the left lane of Duliushu.”

The maidservant was holding the moon stick and constantly moved the black figurines to the corresponding position. Cao Poyan’s walking trajectory is vividly presented in front of the eyes of the two principals: This caravan is moving further and further away from the prosperous place, and is gradually approaching the single willow tree in the southwest of the city.

The Dolliow is a place where people are executed in the West Market. The merchants find it unlucky and they have to stay away, so there are fewer and fewer people around.

The young man turned his head slightly: “Master Xu, what buildings are there nearby?”

Behind the two officials, surrounded by dozens of cases, dozens of low-level officials were busy. Upon hearing the call, a fat middle-aged scholar quickly put down the scroll in his hand and ran to the sand table. His eyesight is not very good, and he needs to lie on the edge to see where the black figurines are.

Mr. Xu thought for a while, and immediately replied as if he were reciting a book: “Northeast Alley, the terrain is wet and wet, with only 16 warehouses next to Guangtong Canal. In the fifteenth year of Kaiyuan, there was a heavy rain and the water in the canal skyrocketed. The inventory of the three Hushang merchants was completely destroyed, and the price was five thousand guan…” His memory is quite amazing, and he answered casually without any suffocation.

The young man interrupted his endless talk: “Is there an exit near these sixteen warehouses?”

“Oh, no, but…”

At exactly this moment, Tong Chuan broke into the hall again and interrupted his words: “The wolf entered the third warehouse, but did not leave!”

The atmosphere in the hall was suddenly stirred by this transmission, and everyone’s eyes were cast on the sand table.

“That’s it!” The young man’s eyes flashed suddenly, “Send Cui Qi, ready to act; the unscrupulous person immediately clears the periphery of the warehouse, and no one is allowed in or out. The second gate of the West Market is on standby at any time.” A brief and powerful command came from his mouth There was an excitement in his tone that couldn’t be concealed.

Tong Biography gave an order to leave the hall quickly. The young man supported the edge of the sand table with his arms, leaned forward, looking at the black pottery figurines, and muttered to himself:

“I want to see what these Turkic wolf cubs want to do when they come to Chang’an City.”

The order was uploaded from the Jing’an Division Hall to the Wanglou. Then, through a series of semaphores, quickly crossed the street and passed back to the north side of the West Market. Wuhou copied the semaphore on the wooden slip and threw it downstairs, while shouting, “Cui Lvshuai, take the order!”

Before Mu Jian landed, he was firmly pinched by a big hand.

The man who grabbed the wooden slip was a tall man with a beard whose arms were as thick as a beam. He took Mu Jian, quickly glanced at the command above, refreshed, and immediately turned his head and shouted, “Gather all!”

From the barn beside him, fifty soldiers from the Cardia Army quickly filed out. All of them wore ink-colored infantry armor, armed with a crossbow, and a ringless crossbow at the waist. Ten of them also slung a long bow. During the entire process of assembly, no one spoke, only the dull sound of footsteps and breathing.

Cui Qi glanced around with a sullen face: “The target is in the Bingliu warehouse. Encircle and fight as much as possible to stay alive. Be smart for a while, and no one should be ashamed of the brigade!” He waved his hand and ran outside. . The soldiers were in a row of five, closely following the main general, trotting at first, and then running quickly.

They skimmed across the cross street in a familiar way, got into the curved alley, and headed for the Nanfang of Xishi City. The merchants along the street were shocked when they saw the sudden dust on the street and so many soldiers running past. Before they could whisper, a large number of unscrupulous people came over and demanded that shops close their doors temporarily. Pedestrians on the street were also invited to rest in nearby shops, and no one was allowed to leave.

At the east and west entrances of the West Market, the gatekeeper lifted the stone workshop bolt from the pit, and could close the gate at any time.

The spider web was woven layer by layer, and a sharp arrow pierced away.

After entering the scope of No. C warehouse, Cui Qi made a few gestures, and the tacit understanding of the brigade army divided into three directions, and quietly approached the No. C warehouse. The bad guys had quietly blocked all the roads nearby. There were only a few caravan horses and livestock tied here, and three or two men watched. A bad person passed by and negotiated a few words, pulling the animals far away.

At this point, Bingliu Warehouse was completely isolated from West Market.

Cui Qi squatted halfway at the corner of an earth wall near Bingliu Inn, took off the breastplate, hung it on the head of the horizontal knife, and carefully stretched out. With the reflection of the protective goggles, he can see clearly the situation ahead without using a probe.

Bingliu Warehouse is a wooden building with pressed eaves. It is 60 steps long and 45 steps wide. It is almost square. It has only one entrance and ventilation windows on all sides, but it is very small and does not allow adults to pass. Because this area is close to the canal and is prone to flooding in summer, the bottom of the building is suspended in the air and is supported by sixteen wooden pillars, which resembles the Lingnan architectural style.

A man with a big nose guarded the door, one of Cao Poyan’s fifteen companions. He leaned against the wooden door, and from time to time he lowered his head to play with a string of wooden beads on his wrist, appearing absent-minded. Cui Qi estimated the distance of the crossbow arrow. If he really wants to do it, he is confident that he will break in within ten snaps.

Cui Qi cast his gaze to the entrance and held his breath. Everything is ready, just wait for the movement in the warehouse.

In the warehouse separated from the outside by a wooden wall, Cao Poyan leaned back against the corner of the house with his arms folded and stood facing the entrance. He has taken off his white pointed felt hat, revealing a thick black braid. The others spread out between the shelves, talking in low voices in twos and threes, but they were not in Sogdian but Turkic. Of course, Cui Liulang who was standing by the window appeared to be completely incomprehensible.

Cui Liulang rubbed his hands and smiled and said, “Cao Gong, who found this place for you? It is very humid and there are no restaurants nearby. Why don’t I arrange another one for you.”

Cao Poyan didn’t seem to have heard the question, and replied nonchalantly, “Do the right thing.”

Choi Liulang was not embarrassed either: “Okay, okay. What the hell are you looking for with me, can you tell me now?”

Cao Poyan snapped his fingers, and the two companions walked over, spread a roll of cloth on the ground, and unfolded it to a wide square size. Then they took out another little wolf, one ink ingot, and one inkstone. Cui Liulang was startled, not knowing what this meant, is it possible to open an academic examination of poems?

He looked at the hard yellow cloth again, and couldn’t help taking a breath. The cloth is densely painted with countless squares, and the ink lines are vertical and horizontal, which is the 108 square map of Chang’an City. However, this map is too rough, just drawing the outline and name of the city.

“This thing is only collected in the Imperial City Secret Mansion. Whoever hides the furniture of the people, but it is a big crime to beheaded!”

Cao Poyan narrowed his eyes: “…you dare not pick it up?”

Cui Liulang laughed, and took a step back and sat cross-legged on the ground: “If I dare not, I won’t take you to the West Market. I am begging for wealth and danger. Some people in my business take Datang Laws back. What? Come on, take care of me, what do you want to mark?”

“I want you to mark all the key points such as hidden doors, culverts, and wall passages on this Chang’an Square map.” Cao Poyan said every word.

As Cui Liulang agreed, his mind turned quickly. The terrain in Chang’an City is intricate, not as simple as twenty-five streets. There are water and land channels between the fangs, the wall between the city walls, the ditch under the bridge, and the ridge beside the slope. Most Chang’an residents have no idea how to connect each other and where to connect.

If there is such a complete picture in hand, Chang’an City can be fully grasped and come and go freely. It seems that these Turkic people are not small…One of them took out the skin and poured some clean water on the inkstone. After a while, he grinds out a shallow pool of ink. Cui Liulang licked the tip of the wolf’s pen, dipped it in ink, took a few strokes, and suddenly stopped: “Cao Gong, you are not from the Central Plains, and you are not familiar with cloth. This cloth is not good. This is called hard yellow cloth. Appropriate, but the ink is slightly sluggish. Why don’t I buy some rice paper of a grade…”

“You can’t leave.” Cao Poyan categorically rejected it.

Cui Liulang shook his head and started to sketch. He just finished filling in the corner of Chang’an City, he raised his eyes again and said, “Chang’an City is too big. If you can paint it in every detail, you can’t finish it for three days and three nights. Cao Gong, what are you doing with this picture? If you know it in your mind, you will naturally have a detailed description.”

Cao Poyan said, “This has nothing to do with you.”

Cui Liulang spread his hands together: “You want me to fill in the full map of Chang’an City within two hours, but I won’t even say anything about it–sorry, I can’t draw it.”

When Cao Poyan heard this series of rhetoric, he couldn’t help being furious, and stepped forward to Cui Liulang, reaching out to choke his throat.

Cui Liulang hesitated, but did not dodge. He knew that Jing Ansi’s people were outside, and with a loud shout, none of these Turkic people could escape. But in that case, all the previous efforts were wasted. He bet that Cao Poyan was just bluffing now, and he wouldn’t really start if he didn’t get the Fangtu.

As long as one more scam, they can figure out their true purpose.

Cao Poyan’s hand that was pinching Cui Liulang’s throat suddenly stopped, Cui Liulang felt relieved, knowing that he was betting right. Cao Poyan maintained this posture, his head suddenly tilted out of the window, as if he was listening. Cui Liulang was a little nervous. Could it be that the people in the Cardia Army made the noise carelessly? He quickly asked, “Cao Gong, what’s the matter?”

“Did you hear anything?” Cao Poyan pointed out the window.

Cui Liulang listened, but there was no sound outside. He shook his head in a daze, “Nothing.”

“Yes, nothing.” Cao Poyan showed a grinning smile that prairie wolves can only have, and his fingers suddenly exerted force. “When I entered the door just now, there were a lot of livestock tied up nearby. It was very lively, but now he didn’t even make a sound of a horse. Up.”

Upon hearing this, Cui Liulang’s face suddenly changed color, initially because of panic and then because of suffocation.

Cui Qi waited outside, his heart becoming more and more disturbed. There was nothing moving at the warehouse, but he just felt something was wrong. As a veteran, his intuition is often accurate.

He used his horizontal knife to poke out the protective mirror again, this time aiming it at the window of the Bingliu warehouse. The window is so small that the shaking of the figure can barely be seen on the mirror. Suddenly a figure disappeared in front of the window, and at the same time there was a “boom”, as if something heavy fell on the ground.

not good! Cui Qi’s heart suddenly stopped beating. He suddenly retracted his horizontal knife and eagerly shouted at the surroundings: “Break the door! Hurry up!”

The brigade troops were already ready in their respective battle positions, and with an order, eight crossbow arrows shot out from three directions immediately, immediately nailing the Turkic guarding the gate into a hedgehog. At the same time, the two soldiers suddenly jumped up to the wooden steps in front of the door, passed the soft and fallen enemy, and slammed their thick shoulders against the door.

The bamboo hinge could not withstand the pressure, and broke instantly. With a bang, the soldier’s body fell inside along with the door panel. Behind them, the other two soldiers stepped on their companions without hesitation and rushed into the house. The crossbow in his hand shot at the room for a round first, and then quickly lowered his body. At this time, the two soldiers lying on the ground had already turned over, lifted the door panel to form a temporary wooden shield, protected by their companions, and gave them time to wind the crossbow.

This series of actions was so smooth that it seemed to have been rehearsed countless times.

The few Turkic people closest to them yelled and rushed forward, and suddenly fell to the ground again, screaming in pain. Three longbows were launched from the far distance of the inn, and the two-foot-long iron arrows passed accurately through the narrow window of the warehouse and pierced their thighs.

This round of offensive won enough time. More soldiers rushed into the warehouse with their crossbows in their hands, advancing and shouting, “Fall low! Do not kill!”

But the Turkic people didn’t seem to understand, and threw out from the corner of the shelf one after another. They shouted Khan’s name and rushed towards him with bare hands. For the soldiers in the Brigade Army, these people were basically living targets. For a time, the warehouse was filled with the muffled sound of metal entering the flesh and the screams of people.

The soldiers were not in a hurry to advance. They moved forward slowly in groups of three, covering each other. As long as the Turkic people show up, they will be shot by several crossbows.

The soldiers were instructed to keep their mouths alive as much as possible, so try to target non-critical parts. But these desperate prairie wolves are not afraid of death, even if they only have a breath, they will try to fight back. Several soldiers hesitated for a while because they could not kill the killer. They were injured and even killed in a sneak attack. Even if they are unable to fight back, those Turkic people will immediately commit suicide without hesitation.

Soon the house returned to quiet, and only the corpses lying in a row between the aisle and the wooden frame were left. After paying the price of the death of three soldiers, the brigade army finally took control of the entire warehouse.

The soldiers did not relax their vigilance, and cautiously searched from shelf to shelf. Suddenly, a Turkic man who was lying on the ground jumped up and rushed to the nearest soldier. The soldier was caught off guard and was hugged by him, and the two were entangled. The Turkic opened his mouth to bite the soldier’s nose, but his movements suddenly stiffened, and immediately fell to the ground, with a green crossbow arrow stuck in the back of his head.

At the end of the aisle, a soldier’s companion held an empty-handed crossbow, his arm slowly drooping, his eyes panicked. He was supposed to let the Turkic people survive, but the experience of his colleagues made him forget the instructions.

“Stupid! How did I teach you!”

Cui Qi snatched the soldier’s crossbow and slapped his hand up. His swarthy face seemed to be painted a lead gray, dull and dull.

It only took ten snaps to break the goal, and the enemy was completely destroyed within twenty-six snaps. This was an outstanding achievement among the guards in the capital. But the Turkic people were so fierce that they didn’t even leave a living. This was not the result that the above wanted.

Cui Qi paced the aisle with anger, his eyes swept over the corpses, his fingers gripped the handle of the knife nervously and released. Suddenly he was taken aback for a moment, and immediately walked two steps quickly, with Cui Liulang’s body in front of him.

His eyes were wide and there were obvious finger marks on his neck, and he knew that he was strangled to death without any examination.

“Brother!”

Cui Qi let out a tiger roar, kneeling on the floor with one leg, trying to lean over to hug the dead. The two have similar eyebrows, they are brothers, but it is a pity that one of them will never open his eyes.

“If I can order three snaps sooner… if I can break the door myself…” Regret gnawed Cui Qi’s heart like an ant, his fingers trembling violently, and he could barely hold Brother’s hand.

A soldier from the Brigade Army ran over and saw the officer’s appearance, and he didn’t dare to approach him. Cui Qi turned his head and asked him what’s the matter with his eyes. The soldier hurriedly stood at attention: “After counting the corpses just now, there are fifteen corpses in total.”

Excluding Cui Liulang, a total of sixteen Turkic people entered the warehouse. In other words, there is still one person who has not been caught. After identification, it should be Cao Poyan who is the head. Cui Qi took a breath and stood up again, with flames in his eyes.

“Search!” he shouted with a calm face.

The warehouse is not a home, but a large open room without partitions, with only some wooden shelves in the middle. Cui Qi patrolled the warehouse a few times and found nothing unusual. Such an open and open place can be seen through at a glance, where can he hide? Could it be that this guy knows the Western Regions demon method, can he pass through walls?

Cui Qi suddenly felt a bit chilly on the top of his head, he stopped, suddenly raised his head, and his pupils shrank instantly. Right above him, there is a wooden lid the size of a well. The lid is slightly slanted, revealing a hint of blue sky.

There is a vent here!

The top of the Bingliu warehouse is a pressure-eave structure, so no one thought that there would be a vent on the roof—normally, only flat-topped houses have such a design.

This is probably a secret opening made by a previous user, who has not reported it to the Western Market Department. Cui Qi scolded bitterly, and ordered the people to bring the ladder, and then installed a crossbow with the arrow removed. The anger didn’t make Cui Qi lose his reason, this was the last person, and he must stay alive, otherwise the whole plan would be ruined.

Now there are soldiers around the warehouse, and even if Cao Poyan goes to the roof, there is still no way to go. It is almost like catching turtles in the urn.

Cui Qi climbed up the ladder personally, afraid of any omissions. Climbing to the top, Cui Qi was about to push open the wooden cover, when suddenly he felt a wave of murderous aura. He hurriedly shrank his head, and a piece of hardwood embedded with nails flew across his scalp. He said nothing, raising his hand was a crossbow. There seemed to be something stabbed with a pop. Cui Qi was overjoyed and climbed up with his hands and feet together, but unexpectedly he was caught in his left eye by a belt.

This belt is made of cooked cowhide, and the texture is extremely hard, which caused Cui Qi to feel painful and dizzy. There was a small copper hook on the head of the belt, and when he pulled it back, he made a long bloody mouth on his cheek. This attack aroused Cui Qi’s bravery. He didn’t retreat but moved forward. He rolled his belt with his backhand and pulled hard, and he rushed to the roof.

Before he could stand firmly, he felt his belt loosen, and it was obvious that the opponent released his hand. Cui Qi suddenly lost his balance and swayed his arms desperately, before finally standing still. At this moment, he heard the sound of a series of steps on the tiles, and then he jumped up with a clatter, and then there was a dull clatter from a distance, and then the sound of water.

The sound was a little weird, it didn’t seem to fall on the ground. Cui Qi was in a hurry. His left eye was swollen and painful and he couldn’t see clearly, but his mind was still sober. He realized that he had made a huge mistake.

Next to the Bingliu Warehouse, there is a Guangtong Canal close to the square wall. The water canal was widened a year ago to transport timber from the Qinling Mountains, so the canal has a lot of water and is wide enough for ships. This fashion is in the first lunar month, and the canal has not yet thawed, and it is covered with a thin layer of ice, as flat as Suzaku Avenue, and there is no deployment at the Watergate—Cui Qi’s previous arrangements, patronizing Lulu Road, actually ignored this matter. .

What he heard was the sound of Cao Poyan hitting the ice and falling into the water.

After the Guangtong Canal flows out of the West Market, it connects with Yong’an Canal, Qingming Canal, and even Longshou Canal and Gong Canal. Cao Poyan dived and swam through the water gate of West City, and he could easily escape the encirclement and land anywhere in the city.

Cui Qi couldn’t wait to slap himself, this mistake is really stupid.

In a hurry, he also jumped into the canal, but he forgot that he was wearing a heavy light armor. As soon as his feet touched the ice surface, the ice surface cracked open and directly broke the brigade commander. Drag into the bottom.

Before entering the water, his right eye barely saw that a spray was galloping toward the water gate.

Between the canal and the warehouse, there is a high dike wall blocking it. The soldiers of the Brigade Cardia can only go around from the other end. It took a lot of time. Then they took off their armour and went into the water one after another, dragging the chief ashore. After such a delay, Cao Poyan had already disappeared at the other end of the water gate.

Cui Qi was rescued on the canal embankment, spitting out ice water on his stomach, his face pale. In his hand, he also held a leather belt with a copper hook.

This is the only gain in the entire operation.

The atmosphere in Jing Ansi’s hall was as solemn as mercury, and every member was light-handed, afraid to make a noise, for fear of annoying the two officers with displeased expressions.

No one thought that a very secure hunt would actually let the cooked duck fly. The raid just now was perfect, but it was meaningless, and didn’t even leave a living.

Cui Qi knelt halfway down in front of the hall with one leg, and his whole body was soggy that he couldn’t wipe it off. The water droplets on the floor formed irregular water marks. After Cao Poyan fled, he was urgently recalled to Jingansi. The boss was eager to figure out which part of the problem went wrong, and Wanglou Qiyu couldn’t deliver too complicated news, so he could only make a trip in person.

Facing Jing’an Ling and Jing’an Si Cheng, Cui Qi dared not conceal it. He knelt on the ground and told the whole process one by one, then lowered his head and awaited trial. The old man flicked his sleeves and sighed long, “I originally invited you to enter the urn, but instead led the wolf into the room…”

Everyone knows the seriousness of this sentence. That Cao Poyan showed fierceness, cunning and extremely strong instantaneous response just now. Such an unpredictable Turkic man broke into Chang’an City on the eve of the Shangyuan Festival, and no one can imagine what will happen next.

What’s more terrible is that this wolf was almost brought in by Jing Ansi. If this responsibility is held down, no one can bear it.

“The humble post has sent people to search along the canal.” Cui Qi added cautiously, hoping to dilute the shame of dereliction of duty.

The young man smiled with a stern face and waved the dust: “What’s the matter with this kind of human economy! Do you know how long the Guangtong, Yongan, Qingming, and Longshou canals are? Go and call out the Wuhou and Lishou from all street shops. , All places are closed, give me a place to search!”

“Changyuan, the whisk is not for smashing people.” The old man raised his palm and stopped him gently and firmly. , The whole city of Chang’an will be disturbed and uneasy – today is the Lantern Festival on the Spring Festival, and now the streets are lit up everywhere. You are making a lot of noise, and even the saints have to worry about it.”

The young people still have to argue: “Jun He doesn’t let things happen, but I don’t know! Cao Poyan these sixteen people are just the last group to enter the city. They have more party members already hidden in the city. If you don’t find out the Turkic people as soon as possible Intent, I am afraid that this Chang’an City will have a catastrophe imminent!”

His tone was almost rude. However, the old man did not get angry. He stretched out a finger and nodded toward the northeast-that side is where Miyagi is: “I didn’t say that I would ignore it, but it’s never feasible to openly search, so I can’t trouble that one. .”

When the old man mentioned “that one,” the young man’s eyes dimmed. He pondered for a moment, and then burst out a more blazing fire: “Since He Jian thinks that the table is immobile, what if I only dispatch a small amount of spirits to catch the thief secretly?”

Regarding this suggestion, the old man stroked his beard, seemingly indecisive.

As soon as Cui Qi heard this, he suddenly raised his head and said loudly: “Cui Qi knew he had made a big mistake. He did not seek forgiveness, but only wanted to be able to stab the enemy and avenge him!” He made mistakes again and again after today’s defeat. If you don’t use the banner of revenge for your relatives, you will be defeated, and I’m afraid the end will be worrying.

But the young and the old shook their heads at the same time.

Nearly one million residents live in Chang’an. There are nine streams of different religions from the Han Dynasty, Hu Baiguan, and various forces. It is a complex vortex of light and dark. Cui Qi only came to Chang’an half a year ago to take up his post. It was no problem to kill the enemy in battle. It would be unrealistic to expect him to travel through the city to find people.

The Jing’an Division has gathered elites from all over the world. There are talented and old officials who are proficient in the city’s money and food, have memorable chief documents, have fierce and brave soldiers, and even a group of Hu people who know how to be sentimental–now The only thing missing is an old hunting dog that can walk in the shadows of Chang’an and has a keen sense of smell.

Originally, they had one of the most suitable candidates, Cui Qi’s elder brother Cui Liulang, but unfortunately he had already died. Cui Qi knew what the chief was sorry for, his eyes were red, and he hit the ground with a fist, causing the brick to crack slightly.

After a moment of silence, the old man picked up the top of the side table, put it on, and tied the bag and towel around his waist. The young man was taken aback, and hurriedly asked where He Jian was going. The old man sighed: “The palace attaches great importance to the Turkic Wolf Guard. It will not last long. I tried to delay a few hours when I entered the palace. During this period, Changyuan, you’d better think of a countermeasure to make up for the previous It’s wrong, otherwise…” The old man cast his eyebrows and didn’t say anything.

The young man’s shoulders drooped slightly, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time he felt contemptuous. This old guy is slippery, and when he sees things go wrong, he finds a reason to leave, and he refuses to take any responsibility for making decisions-he will go this way, so he doesn’t have to be stymied by himself.

Now the moment is worth a thousand dollars, and he doesn’t have much time to spend on dealing with his own people.

The young people sent the old man to Zhaobi, and then returned to the hall with a much more relaxed expression. He sternly glanced at Cui Qi, who was still kneeling down the steps, and his sleeves flicked: “When it’s very time, the punishment will be postponed for now. Then you can’t slack anymore!”

Cui Qi’s face was solemn, and he walked back. He knew that the old man surnamed He was just named, and it was the young man named Li Mi who was in charge of Jing Ansi and his life. Regardless of this Shangguan’s young age, his methods were really sharp, and he was decisive. The entire Jing’an Division was tuned to be subdued by him.

After dealing with Cui Qi, Li Mi banged on the corner of the case and called all the heads of the ministries over: “Now think about it, what suitable candidate can replace Cui Liulang?-Remember, I want the best.”

Everyone in the hall fell into deep thought, and no one said a word. It was only four hours before the Lantern Festival, and it was almost impossible to find Cao Poyan before that. If this job is done well, it may not be good; if it is done poorly, it may become a scapegoat, and even the recommender will be unlucky.

Seeing his subordinates cowering, Li Mi was about to open his mouth to reprimand. Suddenly, his eyes condensed and he hesitated when he saw the ill-sighted Master Xu hesitating and raised his hand. He knew that this person was Xu Bin. He was originally a bookkeeper at the Ministry of Households. He had a wonderful memory and he never forgot to read the papers. So he was transferred to Jingansi as the principal, but he stuttered slightly. Li Mi lifted his chin and motioned for him to speak.

Mr. Xu hesitated for a moment, and said, “Hey…There is a choice at the bottom, I don’t know if it suits you.”

“speak!”

“He is a friend of mine. His name is… hey, Zhang Xiaojing. He used to be an extraordinary commander in the Anxi Imperial Guard Army. Later, Xu Gong was transferred back to Chang’an, and I have been a bad commander in Wannian County for nine years. I think it might be what Li Sicheng meant…”

“Oh?” Li Mi narrowed his eyes.

This resume is simple to say, but it’s not ordinary. The bad commander is the deputy of the county lieutenant of the capture thief, and he is the top official in the foreign official, in charge of all matters of the capture of the thief and public order. It is very rare for a small and even leader of the Duhufu to be a bad commander in a county, not to mention this is not an ordinary county, it is Wannian County.

Chang’an is divided into east and west counties, Chang’an County to the west and Wannian County to the east. This Wannian County is at the foot of the emperor, and most of the princes and nobles live here, and the relationship is intertwined. This person can be stable for nine years, and Li Mi suddenly became interested.

“Where are the others now?”

“Hey…he committed a crime last year, and now he is in prison in Chang’an County, and he is already awaiting decision.” Xu Bin pondered his words. The people around were whispering, is Mr. Xu confused, why did he recommend a prisoner? Still a death row? Isn’t this bad for your boss?

Who knows Li Mi has no expression on his face: “What I want is not a saint, but a capable person-is this person the best?”

Xu Bin hurriedly raised his voice: “In Chang’an, there is nothing better than arresting theft.”

A whitebait bag passed through the air, and Xu Bin hurriedly reached out to pick it up, but almost missed it. Li Mi said, “Use my horse to pick it up. In two moments, I will see that person here.”

Xu Bin was stunned for a moment before he understood what the chief said. He tied the whitebait bag around his waist, but felt that it was inappropriate, so he quickly untied it and held it in his hand, and hurried out of the hall.

Li Mi looked around and found that other people were looking out with their necks stretched. He couldn’t help but exasperated: “What are you still looking at? Go and check it out for me right away! Check the news from the street shop. Quickly!”

The officials of the Jing’an Division hurriedly returned to their seats, immersed in their work, and the hall was busy again. Li Mi took a piece of brocade scallop scalded with boiling water from the maid beside him, rubbed it hard on his face, and suddenly remembered something, and said, “Yao Runeng, you go to Jingzhao Mansion and take Zhang Xiaojing’s Turn over the coloring experience.”

A young official got up immediately and rushed out.

Li Mi pulled the chest of his outer robe apart, propped his arms beside the sand table, leaned forward, and continued to look down at the sand table of Chang’an City. His sharp eyes scanned every building, as if he wanted to use his gaze to squeeze out the wolf.

The copper drain in the corner of the temple, the water droplets are still dripping calmly. No matter how urgent the world is, it never changes.

Desert, ruins, and a strong smell of blood.

Countless black horses galloped back and forth in the distance. Above the long river in the distance, there was a round, blood-colored sunset; in the city of Gucheng, wolf smoke pierced straight into the dim sky.

He straightened up laboriously, angrily warning loudly. But there were layers of corpse mountains around the city wall, and no one stood up to answer his call. There was only one broken dragon flag drooping at the head of the city, and the flagpole was crooked and slanted, almost breaking in half.

Boom boom boom, the enemy’s offensive drum sounded, and bone arrows were dense like locusts. This time, he was the only one facing… Zhang Xiaojing woke up suddenly and realized that he was not in the Western Regions, but in the death row of Chang’an County. The shackles locked his neck and hands tightly, unable to move even when he was awakened from a dream.

The thumping sound of the war drum in the dream turned out to be someone beating the wooden threshold with the handle of the whip. He lifted his eyelids and saw two people standing in front of the prison door, one of which was a death row; another with narrow face and short eyebrows, five strands of messy long beard on the chin, with concerned eyes.

“Xu Bin and Xu Youde?” Zhang Xiaojing was taken aback for a moment, and then smiled, “Unexpectedly, it was you who would be the last to see you off.” Between the words, I could not hear the slightest loss of soul before the execution.

Xu Bin knew that he had misunderstood, but it was not easy to explain, so Jieji arched his hands and said, “Trouble you, please open the prison door and remove the shackles.” Jieji bulged with two slightly protruding eyes, like an unwilling toad. But when he scanned the whitebait bag held by Xu Bin’s right hand, he flinched again, had to take out the key, unlocked the lock with a crash, and let the two prisoners unload the shackles.

The two cell bosses were trembling, and seemed to be in awe of Zhang Xiaojing, so nervous that they couldn’t get rid of the shackles. Zhang Xiaojing snorted coldly, “Idiot, this is a three-twisted snake lock. You have to pull your thumb from below and work hard in the middle.” The head of the prisoner followed his instructions with a click, and the shackle finally broke into two pieces. The two held one piece each and stood up anxiously. Zhang Xiaojing glanced at the level with the left light. The latter shivered, and quickly avoided his eyes.

Zhang Xiaojing is not tall, but is as strong as a Taishan rock, with a slightly convex forehead and two short black eyebrows underneath. He shook his sour wrist, looked around, and said loudly, “Where is the wine and food? The county buys decapitation wine. As a rule, it is 500 dollars. Don’t deduct it.”

The people around avoid it like the plague and don’t talk to each other. Xu Bin bent down and entered the prison, holding his arm, and whispered: “Someone wants to see you…”

“Ok?”

Zhang Xiaojing looked surprised. It turns out that Xu Bin didn’t come to send the end, but actually came to fish for people? But he is a good husband, where is the supernatural power to save people from death row?

Xu Bin didn’t explain too much, but urged Jie-level to go through the formalities quickly. Soon the subordinate staff sent down a document for Xu Bin to sign. Zhang Xiaojing looked at the side cover of the document and knew that this is not a pardon, but a transfer of prisoners. It is generally used for Dali Temple or the Ministry of Criminal Affairs to transfer prisoners from county prisons. Flail.

Zhang Xiaojing was full of doubts, but he remained silent when it was not time for questioning.

Xu Bin signed his name with flying phoenix, and then a group of people waited to leave the dark death cell and return to the ground. Sunlight shines in from the entrance, creating a sharp contrast between light and darkness on the last few steps. Zhang Xiaojing stepped onto the last step, and suddenly stopped, a touch of emotion appeared on his face.

This level is the boundary between yin and yang. He had a heart to death, but he didn’t expect to turn around before the gate of the ghost, and inexplicably come back.

Next is whether it is good or bad, I don’t know yet, but it’s worth looking at the sunshine anyway!

Zhang Xiaojing walked towards a well without anyone, which was somewhat unruly, but the prisoners around all stood far away, no one sipping. Zhang Xiaojing alternately pulled the well rope with his iron-like hands, and quickly hit a bucket of icy water from the well. He raised the bucket high and shook his head, and poured ice water on his head, making him fight a pleasant cold war, sweeping away the filth and malaise in the dungeon.

Zhang Xiaojing put down the bucket, raised his head high, and the ice water dripped down the locks of hair, faintly exuding fierce aura from his body. At this time, the sun was blazing, and the golden sunlight was shining down and shining in his left eye socket. There are no eyeballs there, only a very deep old scar, which is extremely fierce in the sun.

“Langlang Qiankun, don’t come unharmed.”

He raised his fist and waved hard to the sky. At that moment, the light and shadow shook, and the profile of a sword, axe, and axe was as hideous as a diamond.

After completing the transfer procedures, Xu Bin took Zhang Xiaojing and hurried out of the Chang’an County Office. Xu Bin was so anxious that he didn’t even have time to change the prison uniform. There are two Liangzhou hussars in front of the horse tie-in stone in front of the public, and a striking tortoiseshell with a wiped forehead on the horse’s forehead. This means that the two horses can ride on any street, even the royal road on Zhuque Street. , Do not have to be restricted by the “Instructions on the Instrument”.

The two each stepped on a horse, and Zhang Xiaojing asked, “Where are we going?” Xu Bin replied, “Ah, let’s go back to Jingansi in Guangdefang.” He glanced at the sundial in front of the tooth gate: “You must get there as soon as possible. , Um, I have to hurry up, I have to run for a quarter and a half.”

“It will be there in a moment.” Zhang Xiaojing swept the horse’s ears with her ring finger, and the horse’s sensitive response made him very satisfied.

Chang’an Waiguo is separated by Zhuque Avenue, and is under the jurisdiction of Wannian County in the east and Chang’an County in the west. The prison in Chang’an County is located in Yongdafang in the West City. If you go to Guangdefang, you must first cross Santiao Avenue to the west, and then go north. It’s a street corner, and the whole journey takes ten miles. If you want to arrive in a moment, you have to ride your horse and run wildly without any delay.

The two swaggered onto the street and rushed away. Two high-headed horses were on the road fiercely, both pedestrians and shoulders evaded on the street for fear of collision. Xu Bin’s riding skills are obviously not as good as Zhang Xiaojing’s. He almost leaned on the horseback, clutching the reins with both hands, quite embarrassed.

Zhang Xiaojing slowed down a little bit, leveled with Xu Bin, one-eyed and said, “Brother Youde, what is going on?”

Xu Bin reluctantly controlled his riding posture and took a breath. Then he said, “It is Jing Ansi who fished you out.”

“Jing’an Division?” Zhang Xiaojing was a little surprised. He was proficient in the Chang’an government system, but he had never heard of this name.

Xu Bin explained: “The town is called Jing to fight chaos, and peace is safe in all directions. The Department of Jing’an is the new government office established by the imperial court to oversee the thief defenses of the entire Western Capital-this is all after you entered-they are now I am looking for talents, so I recommend you.”

Zhang Xiaojing raised her silkworm eyebrows. In charge of the public security of Chang’an City, there are the street messengers from Jinwuwei, the patrol from Yushitai, and the thieves who are arrested in Chang’an and Wannian counties. What kind of “thief” is this, forcing the imperial court to set up a new bureau. To deal with it?

Xu Bin continued: “The person in charge of Jing’an is called Li Mi, with a long character. He is waiting for the Hanlin to know Jing’an Sicheng. It is Li Sicheng who wants to see you.

Zhang Xiaojing let out a “hiss”, and the doubts increased, which made it even more abnormal. Secretary Jing’an’s duty is to “prevent and defend against thieves.” It must be a drama. Let the idle and important civilian officials such as Hanlin wait for the imperial court to take care of the thieves? Isn’t this a nonsense?

Zhang Xiaojing searched for the name in his mind, and suddenly remembered: “Could it be… the prodigy who talks about chess?”

Don’t Xu Bin nodded deeply.

In the thirteenth year of Kaiyuan, a seven-year-old child prodigy named Li Mi entered the palace for pilgrimage. The emperor is playing chess with Zhongshu Ling Zhang. The emperor ordered Zhang said and Li Mi to recite chess with the theme of “Range and Static”. Zhang Shuo wrote: “A square is like a chess game, and a circle is like a pawn. Movement is like a chess born, and static is like a chess death.” And Li Mi said: “Fang is like righteousness, round is like wisdom. Movement is like talent, and quiet like Sui Yi.” Greatly appreciated by the emperor, he was sent to the East Palace to accompany the prince to study.

Counting now, Li Mi is already twenty-six years old, and it is the time when his ambitions are emerging. Secretary Jing’an is humble and powerful, and can accumulate general affairs qualifications, which is a perfect step to advancement. Thinking of this, Zhang Xiaojing scratched the left eye socket with his little finger, and smiled: “Li Sicheng is so thirsty for talents, it seems that Jing Anji is in big trouble, right?” He said with a slight mockery. taste.

Xu Bin turned his gaze away a little awkwardly. His friend’s eyes were too poisonous, but his speech was too straight. The combination of these two characteristics is really unbearable.

“Sorry, I can’t say this yet. Hey…Li Sicheng will tell you later.”

Zhang Xiaojing laughed and said, “Okay, don’t ask. It doesn’t matter what it is, can I be decapitated no matter how miserable it is?”

Xu Bin cast his gaze forward, his face solemn: “This… hey, it’s hard to say.”

Just as the two were racing towards Jing’an, Cao Poyan had just climbed the steep bank of the canal. There happened to be a bluestone road stele with a height of more than two feet on the shore, with the words “Yong’an Beiqu” written on it. He ran to the stele with his hands and feet together, and sat down with his back against the surface of the stele, his face pale and panting.

The elbow on his left has been bent, a dark steel crossbow tail is exposed at the joint, and the sleeve tube is concealed with blood. He is very lucky. If there are arrows on it, I’m afraid the whole arm will be useless.

Suddenly, Cao Poyan’s ears moved, and he quickly bent down and covered his figure with a stone tablet. On the main road not far away, a group of Jinwuwei Street Envoys rumbled over. There are a lot of pedestrians, carts and horses on this road, and it is often congested. The patrol team had to yell in order to separate a road-in this case, almost no one would pay attention to the movement by the canal.

When the patrol was far away, Cao Poyan covered his left elbow with his right hand and slowly got up. He looked around and was about to step out, suddenly his eyes drenched. A person in the distance left the avenue, walked across the drain, and walked slowly towards the stele.

This is a drunk in his forties, wearing a white robe with a lack of hips, and a wet blemish mark on his chest. He walked along the road three times, and he wanted to drink a lot. Cao Poyan had to lower himself down again, trying to keep his breathing as low as possible.

The drunk walked up to the stone tablet, burped loudly, then lifted the edge of his robe smoothly with one hand, rustled his belt with one hand, and started peeing at the stone. This soaking in urine was really long, and the drunk still held on to the penis with great interest, and went to wash the floating soil on the monument. After urinating, the drunk twisted his belt and turned around to leave, but he suddenly lowered his head and said, “Huh?”

He saw that there was a messy trail of water marks on the embankment from the canal to the stone tablet. The drunk stepped forward curiously a few steps, and walked around the stele, just to meet Cao Poyan’s eyes behind the stele.

The drunk was stunned for a moment, and then he laughed, and said, “Zimi, you are back here, come here for a drink.” Cao Po stretched out his hand and held his arms around his neck. The drunk muttered to himself. Don’t make trouble, don’t make trouble. In the next moment, behind the stele came the sound of a broken neck bone, and the muttering stopped abruptly.

Not long after, Cao Poyan wore a crotch shirt and walked towards the street with an air of nature. Hu people wear Chinese robes, it is not more common in Changan. He walked into the crowd like this, like a grain of sand falling into the desert.

Zhang Xiaojing and Xu Bin arrived at Guangdefang, and it took exactly a moment, and the price was that Xu Bindian lost his headscarf. After a rigorous search, the two met Li Mi in a secluded courtyard behind the Jingansi Hall.

Here is a retreat room with plain walls and grey tiles, flat tables and simple tables. Under the windows are scribbled with honeysuckle, bauhinia, and a few clusters of half-dry yellow bamboo. The owner obviously did not put any thoughts on decoration. The only special thing is a small bronze sundial pointing diagonally to the sky, which shows that the owner is very concerned about time. A small channel was dug around the sundial, and the gurgling water snaked down to the back of the yard.

Xu Bin returned the whitebait bag and bowed to leave, leaving Zhang Xiaojing and Li Mi to face them alone.

Zhang Xiaojing pressed his hands deeply, and one eye took the opportunity to quickly look at it. This handsome chess prodigy wore a dark green robe, which was in line with the sixth rank of Hanlin. But the fish bag was only for officials of rank 5 or higher. He was given a silver fish bag, indicating that it was a superb gift from the emperor – from this small detail, a strong taste of the holy family can be smelled.

But Li Mi at this time was not so proud of the spring breeze. Although he tried his best to maintain calmness, the muscles at the corners of his eyebrows and lips were tight. Zhang Xiaojing could tell at a glance that the young man was under extreme pressure.

The most interesting thing is that Li Mi actually held a whisk in his hand. He didn’t know why a general secretary of the Jing’an Division held such a Taoist magic weapon.

Li Mifu shook, did not say anything, and went straight to the point: “Next, what I want to tell you is the first-class secret of the court. You have only two choices, do things for me, or go back and wait for death.”

Zhang Xiaojing remained silent. He knew that the other party did not need to answer, he was just confirming the dominant position of the conversation.

Li Mi walked to the side of the case and pulled hard, tearing off the thin white silk on the wall, revealing a general map of the territory of the Tang Dynasty, and pointed it to the north with a whisk:

“In August of the first year of Tianbao, the Turkic civil strife, the newly appointed Usumish Khan refused to obey Wanghua, and started a war. Shuofang Jiedu made Wang Zhongsi united with Basimi, Huihe, and Ge Lulu to send troops to fight. A year and a half, the Turkic Khan is now at the end of the road.”

His voice is clear, calm, and organized, as if he had rehearsed many times.

As Li Mi was talking, he took a volume of books with a red silk label from the shelf next to it, and threw it to Zhang Xiaojing. This is a long roll with strips of paper pasted across it. The handwriting on the note is very scribble, ranging from a hundred characters long to a short sentence, arranged in chronological order. Looking at it alone, they are all unclear, but it can be slowly unfolded with the book records, but Zhang Xiaojing is more frightened as he reads it.

“At the beginning of September of the second year, a secret memorial came from Shufang in the backyard, saying that the Turkic Khan had sent several batches of nearby wolf guards to infiltrate Chang’an, hoping to be against the emperor in order to reverse the battle on the front line. Those Turkic wolf guards are the most terrifying in the steppe Jingan, cruel and cunning, and extremely loyal to the Khan. In order to defend against this thief, the court established the Jingan Division.” Li Mi paused for a while and continued, “But what the Turkic plan is, we don’t know. Staying in the backyard and Si Jingan tried their best, but they barely caught the movement of one of the teams.”

Having said this, Li Mi tapped the pine case table lightly with his knuckles: “Originally, Secretary Jing’an set up a plan to invite you to enter the urn. He wanted to use this team of wolf guards to fish out other lurkers. Unfortunately, his men were mediocre and failed. Before the hour, the key figures escaped!”

Li Mi instructed people to fetch all the communication slips from the previous operation and let him browse it, which had a vague meaning of going to school. Zhang Xiaojing turned it over and pointed to one of the records and said: “Turkic people are from the grasslands and are most sensitive to horses. Li Sicheng, you ordered the removal of livestock around the warehouse too early. If the sound becomes silent, it will naturally arouse alertness.”

Hearing this, Li Mi couldn’t help being stunned. Jing Ansi had previously discussed how Cao Poyan saw through the trap, and the conclusion was inconsistent. Li Mi always thought that Cui Liulang was incompetent to reveal the flaws, but he didn’t expect the reason to be on him. He originally intended to test this person in school to see if he had real skills, but he turned out his mistakes.

Thinking of this, Li Mi was a little ashamed at first, but then smiled slightly-isn’t this the person Jing Ansi was looking for?

Zhang Xiaojing’s face is as usual. He has worked in Chang’an for nine years and has been a handsome man. He has gone through all weird and peculiar cases. This simple inference is nothing at all.

Li Mi sighed, “After the failure of entering the urn, all clues are cut off. The only thing we are sure of is that the wolf guard will do it at the Yuan Lantern Festival tonight!” At this point, he looked at the sundial outside the window. , His eyes are awe-inspiring.

Zhang Xiaojing was surprised when he heard this. Shangyuan Lantern Festival has always been burning candles in unitary time. Now that the hour has passed, there are only four hours left when it is full.

Jing Anji must unearth all the Turkic Wolf Guards from the million-population Chang’an City within four hours. This is an almost impossible task.

Only then did Zhang Xiaojing understand why Li Mi was so eager to remove himself from the death row. This matter was too important, too difficult, and too urgent, and could not be done by ordinary means. The young official had to make dangerous moves and talked with a death row prisoner respectfully.

Li Mi’s tall figure leaned forward slightly: “Can you do it in four hours?”

Zhang Xiaojing asked, “Why me?”

“I have checked your experience of coloring. You have dealt with Turkic people in the Western Regions before. You should be very experienced in dealing with them. You have been a bad guy in Chang’an for nine years. I’m afraid no one is more familiar with the situation in this city. “He paused intentionally, then raised a hand again, “As long as you can do this errand, I promise you an amnesty.”

For death row prisoners, there is nothing more tempting than pardon.

But Zhang Xiaojing didn’t show any surprise. His one eye was slightly squinted, as if he was thinking about something, and then he bowed his hand respectfully: “Thank you, Si Cheng, for your kindness. I would rather go back to prison and wait for death.”

Li Mi’s eyebrows trembled, he actually refused the only chance to survive? why?

“There are 108 squares in Chang’an. I want to find a few Turkic people within four hours. The gods can’t help it. Anyway, it’s all dead. I’m back in prison now, and I still have a clear province.” Zhang Xiaojing spreads out. Hand, then turned and walked outwards.

“Is it enough to give you a lieutenant of Xuanjie, plus a real post as a special general?”

“This is not a question of compensation.”

Li Mi’s face turned gloomy: “I have no time to waste, make your offer!” He didn’t believe that a person would give up this opportunity unless he didn’t want to live anymore.

Zhang Xiaojing continued to move forward: “I have already said that this has nothing to do with the amount of remuneration. If you can’t, you can’t.

“Do you hate Turkic people?” Li Mi suddenly asked an unrelated question.

Zhang Xiaojing stopped.

“Hate.” The voice is neither happy nor angry.

Li Mi’s voice suddenly increased: “You hate the Turks so much, do you plan to sit back and watch these wild beasts wreak havoc in Chang’an?”

Zhang Xiaojing still kept his back to the posture: “Chang’an has the emperor and hundreds of officials, and there are a hundred thousand strong troops under Chang’an. How can I catch the Turkic people but it has become the responsibility of a death row prisoner of mine?” His tone was light. The taste of mockery.

Li Mi sternly said, “Because you are the only one who can save Chang’an City today!” This was almost a rogue. Zhang Xiaojing was about to shake his head and leave. Unexpectedly, Li Miji stepped forward, pulling on his sleeve regardless of his identity, and twisted. Standing in front of him, two sword eyebrows stood almost side by side:

“Zhang Xiaojing, I know that you have grievances against the court. But today’s matter has nothing to do with the face of the emperor, nor for my Li Mi’s official career, but for the safety of the people in the city! Do you understand? It is for the people, you Ruoyi Go away, what peace of mind! I don’t care what you think, but you have to get this done! This is hundreds of thousands of lives! It’s human lives!”

He said that afterwards, his voice was a little trembling, obviously because of his emotional upheaval. This is rare.

Zhang Xiaojing did not expect the young official to suddenly lose his attitude. When he heard the word “life”, his heart finally made waves. For some reason, the scene of the corpse mountain and the sea of blood reappeared in the dream, with the ferocious wolf flag intertwined with crying. After a long silence, he finally let out a long sigh: “Well, Li Sicheng, you convinced me.”

Li Mi loosened his sleeves, took a step back, and returned to a reserved posture: “My other promises are still valid.”

Zhang Xiaojing pondered for a moment, and said: “But I have one request. The government has too many concerns in handling affairs, and it is bound to act. If I want to catch this in four hours, I have to follow my rules.”

“Your rules…what is it?”

“Just don’t talk about any rules.” Zhang Xiaojing’s right eye flashed a dangerous gleam.

Li Mi is a wise man, and immediately understood what Zhang Xiaojing meant. The water in Chang’an City was too deep, and various forces staggered checks and balances, and they acted to hinder many obstacles. If you can’t cut this mess with a sharp knife, let alone four hours, even four months may not have any results. To catch the Turkic people in Chang’an within four hours, Zhang Xiaojing must have the absolute authority to crush everything-do whatever he wants, everyone cooperates, no one can stop it.

Li Mi hesitated. This guy has been a bad handsome guy in Chang’an for nine years. He has all kinds of cruel methods. He really has to act without scruples. It is hard to imagine how much impact it will have.

Zhang Xiaojing sneered when he saw that he was silent, and turned to walk outside.

“Wait!”

Li Mi finally made up his mind. He raised his right hand and showed a yellow bronze medallion with the words “Jingan Ceping” engraved on it:

“From now on, you are the captain of the Jingan Division. With this badge, the watchtowers and street shops in Changan City, Wuhou, Fangshouli Guards, Patrol Cavaliers, Chengmen Guards, and Jingzhaofu counties can all be Listen to your dispatch. Seeing the card is like seeing the official.”

Zhang Xiaojing unceremoniously took the waist card, tied it to his belt, and tied a firm Nine River knot. From now on, he is the most powerful death row inmate in Chen’an.

Li Mi suddenly asked, “I give you such great authority. What if you run away without telling you?”

“There is no guarantee.” Zhang Xiaojing replied without hesitation, “You choose the person, and I choose the road. We are all responsible for our choices.”

That’s the end of the conversation. Li Mi shook the bell on the case and called two maids. They took Zhang Xiaojing to the nearby wing, asked him to take off his gray prison clothes, and replaced him with a set of small jackets and brown cotton hakama that were easy to move around. After packing up, Li Mi personally took Zhang Xiaojing to the hall of Jingansi.

This is the center of the entire Jing’an Division, gathering elites from various ministries, summarizing military information and deductions; there is a huge warehouse in the wing room, which is piled up with files from the six departments to the two cities in Chang’an, which can be read at any time. Xu Bin was transferred because of his expertise in this area.

What impressed Zhang Xiaojing most was the watchtower of Jing Anji.

Throughout Chang’an, there are two to three watchtowers in each square, which are used to monitor robbers and fires on weekdays. Under Li Mi’s deployment, the watchtower now has an additional function, with a special flag-holding Wuhou set up, and they can communicate in the agreed semaphore. Flags are used during the day and lanterns are used to light and shade at night.

In this way, what is seen in any watchtower in Chang’an City can be quickly transmitted to the center of Jing’an Division. Similarly, the Jing’an Department Center can quickly issue orders to any place.

This gadget was obviously learned from Frontier Fengsui, but it was more convenient than Fengsui. The watchtowers are only half a mile away from each other, and the military situation can span the entire Chang’an City in a flash. Zhang Xiaojing can see the practicality of this thing at a glance: This means that no matter where he is in Chang’an, he can keep in touch with Jing’an through the watchtower, and there is a huge eye overlooking Chang’an.

However, this watchtower system is extremely expensive, and only freaks like Jing Anji can afford it.

At this time, Cui Qi was also in the hall, talking in a low voice with the maid in charge of the sand table deduction. Li Mi called his name, Cui Qi hurried over and fell on one knee, he still hadn’t forgotten that he was a sinner.

Li Mi calmly said: “Cui Lushuai, Liu Lang’s death was due to an inadvertent mistake in clearing the field. It made me take responsibility, and the official was also responsible.” Cui Qi suddenly raised his head, hardly believing his ears. He didn’t expect that Brother Brother’s death was due to such a small negligence; second, he didn’t expect that the officer actually admitted his fault. Could it be…this is a trick to buy people’s hearts?

Li Mi curled his lips on this, he didn’t have time to play with power, but he was so arrogant that he disdains too much. He pointed to Zhang Xiaojing: “It is this Duwei Zhang who solves this suspicion. He will succeed your brother next and track down the wolf guard.”

Cui Qi glanced at Zhang Xiaojing, with gratitude and doubts in his eyes.

He knew Zhang Xiaojing was a death row prisoner, and he didn’t understand why Li Mi would bet the treasure on him. However, a soldier regards obedience as his bounden duty. He performed a military etiquette and said vigorously: “I have three hundred brigades under my command, and they can ride on foot. Within two minutes, he can reach any place in Chang’an-I hope Mr. Zhang You can give me a chance to slash the enemy and avenge my brother!”

Zhang Xiaojing noticed that he was talking about Mr. Zhang, not Zhang Duwei. The sharp sword Li Mi gave him does not seem to be easy to manipulate.

Time is too tight. The next arrangement was tense and dense. Zhang Xiaojing wrote down the semaphore of the watchtower and some necessary contact information, and then went to the big sand table to listen to a brief introduction about the Turkic people.

The person in charge of the explanation is the maidservant Pingting who is holding a moon stick. She said while pushing when facing the sand table, her voice was clear and clear, with a slight husky tone. Zhang Xiaojing glanced at her slightly more impolitely. This girl named Tanqi, with a tall nose and black hair, should be of mixed blood between Han and Hu.

“The point is, how does the Turkic Wolf Guard plan to do it?” Zhang Xiaojing asked.

Tan Qi said: “I don’t know yet. The only piece of information comes from Shuofang’s backyard. A Turkic leader of a tribe once claimed that the entire city of Chang’an is about to become Que Lekhodo-do you know what this means?”

Zhang Xiaojing nodded. Quele is a Turkic noun, similar to the Jiuyou Blood Prison, while Huo Duo means turning into dust. The whole word is not only a curse, but also a legendary beast. Even if you don’t understand Turkic, you can feel the monstrous killing intent in the four words “Quellehodo”.

Chang’an City is about to become Que Le Hoduo, this may be an exaggerated rhetoric, maybe it is a metaphor, no one knows.

Tanqi knew that the time was urgent, and spoke quickly: “…This is a piece of cloth we found in Bingliu Inn. It outlines half of the outer corner of Chang’an City. It is likely that what Cao Poyan wants is the entire Chang’an. Detailed shop map.”

At first it was a picture of Chang’an Square, Zhang Xiaojing’s two silkworm eyebrows were corrected together. Li Mi noticed that his expression became stern, and asked, “In your opinion, what do the Turks want this map to do–well, let me change the question, if the map is in hand, what can they do? “

“Poisoning down the canal, arson in Lianfang, killing good by night, spreading monsters, and entering the imperial city… If it is the Shangyuan Lantern Festival, you can only watch the prosperous lanterns in Chongrenfang, Yanshoufang, Xingqing Palace, and Qujiangchi. Throwing a few copper coins everywhere can cause trouble. With the guidance of the plan, they can come and go freely in Chang’an City, and they can do too much.”

Zhang Xiaojing broke his fingers and talked freely. Every time he said a sentence, the expressions of the people around him got colder.

Li Mi’s face was stern, he had estimated the situation serious enough, but he didn’t expect to have these unimaginable sinister tricks. After all, the people of Jing Ansi are official, and their knowledge in these aspects is far less than that of the bad handsome predecessor who is used to the tricks of ghosts.

“In your opinion, if the search cannot be done publicly, what should we do next?” Li Mi asked.

Zhang Xiaojing replied: “Privately hiding the map of the Imperial City is a serious crime to beheaded. Except for the government, most people will not have it. Since Cao Poyan can’t get it from Cui Liulang, he must either go to the Imperial City to steal it, or…” He moved his gaze to the sand table, moved his body towards Tanqi, almost touching her shoulders: “Where was the last time Wanglou saw Cao Poyan?”

Tanqi was a little surprised at his boldness, and he hesitated for a while before repliing: “Cao Poyan passed the water gate too fast, and the watchtower was too late to watch. But according to our speculation, he may have landed in the Yanshou Fang and Buzheng Fang areas. Both are places where there is a lot of people, which is good for hiding. We have sent people to search.”

Zhang Xiaojing said, “I guess he won’t go far, he still has to come back here eventually.” After speaking, he pointed to the sand table.

“West Market?” Cui Qi was a little surprised. Li Mi nodded slightly, and said in unison with Zhang Xiaojing: “Hushang!”

Most of the Hushang merchants gathered in the West Market, among which there were many wealthy and wealthy giants. The Chang’an Fang map is of great benefit to business, and it is not surprising that they secretly collected one. Zhang Xiaojing can’t be more familiar with their dispositions. These people are naturally profit-seekers, and they are more courageous than camels.

After Cui Liulang was exposed, Cao Poyan did not dare to contact the Tang Dynasty again. If he wants to get the Fangtu in the shortest time, he has no choice but to make a fool of himself.

“But do you know which merchant to look for?” Li Mi asked with a frown. There are too many foreign merchants in West Market, and it is impossible to investigate one by one.

Zhang Xiaojing squeezed her fist and replied faintly: “When you are very, you have your own way.” Li Mi was a little nervous, but he swallowed the words.

The “extraordinary law” that this guy said might be some unhumane means. But now there is no time to talk about criminal law and conscience. There was a copper leak in the corner of the temple, and the water was still beating the hour tube drop by drop. Every drop may mean the loss of hundreds of lives.

“Zhang Duwei, the fortune of the imperial court and the safety of the people in the city have been entrusted to you.” Li Mi flicked his sleeves, clasped his fists solemnly, and bowed solemnly. Upon seeing this, the officials behind him also got up and arched their hands together.

Zhang Xiaojing didn’t respond, but wiped the dust from the left eye socket with his hand, and said indifferently: “I am for the people of Chang’an. Don’t care about the others. You must not be wrong.”

Everyone’s complexion changed instantly, what is this? Although everyone has grievances against the court in private, how can they say it openly?

Zhang Xiaojing grinned, turned and walked out of the hall. A staff member of the Jing’an Division was terrified and looked at Li Mi. Li Mi’s face was as usual, and the whisk was placed on his arm, seemingly unconscious.

This guy is suggesting to himself that he does not want to be controlled.

At the door, Cui Qi had prepared a complete set of equipment: refined barrier knives, close-fitting soft armor, smoke pills, beef tendon ties, etc., as well as a broken crossbow. Zhang Xiaojing draped these things skillfully, squatted down again, and tied the trousers tightly with two pieces of hemp rope. After being properly dressed, a fierce and murderous aura hits his face.

Zhang Xiaojing picked up the hand crossbow, repeatedly pulled the open string, and listened to it with his ears, and said to Cui Qi: “Remove Wangshan, and tighten the hook by two more points.” Cui Qi was startled when he heard the words, Wangshan It is used for assisting aiming, which is more cumbersome. People with accurate heads don’t like to install it. The hook adjusts the speed of the crossbow arrow. The faster it is, the greater the power, but the accurate head is not easy to control. It seems that this is a master of crossbow.

He quickly took the crossbow arrow to find the craftsman to adjust, Zhang Xiaojing took the opportunity to call Xu Bin aside, and lowered his voice:

“Trouble you, Youde, send someone to the southwest corner of Dunyifang. There is a Wenjixiang shop and send a message to the shopkeeper: Leave Chang’an immediately without delay. It is best that you also advise your family to leave the city as soon as possible, and never go. Participate in the lantern festival.”

Xu Bin’s eyes widened, and he didn’t understand his intention.

Zhang Xiaojing’s tone was extremely harsh: “I have been in Chang’an for so many years, and I know better than anyone how fragile this city is. If Li Sicheng’s words are true, I guess—”He hesitated rarely when he said that. For a moment, and then increased the tone:

“Chang’an is doomed to escape this time.”

Cao Poyan was standing at the gate of a certain workshop at this time. At this moment, there is a hat on his head, if he doesn’t open it, he can’t see the face at all.

At this time, the gate of the square was wide open, and countless vendors set up their stalls under the square wall, shouting loudly. A dozen idle guys were holding the two ends of the thick rope in an open space, pulling the hooks to play, and there were ten times as many people watching and cheering. Beside the Fangmen, there is a large lantern wheel with a height of more than five feet. There are colorful silk ears hanging from each corner of the lamp wheel, only to hold candles after dusk.

Cao Poyan lowered the hat and walked towards the inside of the square from Liwei’s side. Department of Jing’an has already sent a message, asking Zhufang Liwei to pay attention to a bearded bearded man, but the matter rushed and no picture was attached. The front guards were busy cheering for the lead. When they saw that Cao Poyan was not wearing a robed robe, they didn’t even bother to look at it and let him enter.

Cao Poyan walked to a secluded corner near the cross street, took out a small scroll from his arms, glanced at it, then stopped a child who had passed by and asked Li Ji where the bamboo ware was shopped. Seeing his cruel appearance, the child quickly said that he was in the house at the end of Kuan Alley on the back street.

Cao Poyan walked along with the instructions. Sure enough, there was a bamboo workshop. The aisles and doors were filled with unpaved lantern stands and bamboo sticks. There were Luanfeng, Yunlong, and various gods and auspicious objects. It seems that business here is good, and it is still busy on the day of the Spring Festival.

He knocked on the door, three long, one short, and then two long. There was a moment of silence in the room, and a thin bamboo craftsman with a high nose and deep eyes stuck out his head, and put a bamboo-pointed knife on his chest.

“Where are the white felt gold tents located in the royal court?” He suddenly asked in Turkic language.

“The eagle of the grassland is not afraid of the strong wind.” Cao Poyan opened the hat and replied in Turkic language.

The other party opened a small slit and let him step inside.