In the side room of Tongfu Temple, the usually dashing and elegant Cui Sangong was hanging on the beam like a dead dog.
Zhang San and others disguised him as committing suicide out of fear of crime.
However, Zhang San was in a mixed mood at this time. He stared at the flying snow outside the house, his eyes unfocused.
The men who accompanied them were standing behind them, saying nothing, listening to the sound of soldiers searching from the temple on the other side. The two of them seemed a little defeated.
Zhang San sighed quietly. He could already see his upcoming fate. He withdrew his gaze, turned around and looked at his subordinates behind him, and asked, "Do you regret coming on this mission?"
The subordinate puffed out his chest and said softly: "There is nothing to regret. From the moment I received the mission, I was already prepared not to go back."
"And the head of the family has promised that if anything happens to me, my family will be compensated and taken care of. It's just a pity that I can't advance and retreat with my brothers."
Zhang San patted him on the shoulder and nodded happily: "As expected of my brother Zhang San, the temple has been sealed off. We have to be prepared for the worst, but there is still a chance."
As a dead soldier who was secretly trained, Zhang San had already expected that such a day would come, but he just didn't expect it to come so soon.
At this time, there was the sound of footsteps outside the door, and a petite man rushed in from outside the house, came to Zhang San, clasped his fists and said: "Captain, the people of Baiqi have surrounded this temple. There is no way to escape." stay home."
"They are looking for our side yard. They will definitely rush in and search soon. My subordinates have just detected the location of Queen Mother Xiao. Let's act quickly?"
Another subordinate was in a daze. The temple was sealed off and this place was being watched. What else could be done?
Queen Mother Xiao? Could it be...
Then his eyes lit up and he suddenly became excited.
People are like this, as long as there is the slightest hope, who wants to die?
At the critical moment, of course Zhang San would no longer pretend to be pretentious and explained: "Although Baiqi has sealed off the temple, we will definitely not dare to search the Zen room where Empress Dowager Xiao worships Buddha. As long as we can hide in, we can also hold Empress Xiao hostage." , there will be a glimmer of hope.”
"This time I failed to allow everyone to retreat in time because I made a mistake in designing the plan, which caused you to suffer. If I had known better, I should have taken action directly and not let Cui Yongjian wait and see."
The subordinate who had just arrived said in a deep voice: "At first, the Baiqi soldiers were stopped by the abbot of Tongfu Temple and did not dare to enter. Who would have known that Baiqi would dare to suddenly break into Tongfu Temple to search?"
"Back then, His Majesty strictly ordered the soldiers not to enter Tongfu Temple. I wonder how those soldiers had such courage?"
Not only was he strange, but Zhang San was also deeply puzzled.
The original plan was to move if possible; if not, kill Cui Yongjian and hide in Tongfu Temple.
They waited for the limelight to pass before going back, but Baiqi actually dared to break in and conduct a search, which caught them off guard.
Based on Zhang San's understanding of Li Junxian, this commander was extremely loyal and would never dare to disobey the emperor's order and enter without permission.
But now Baiqi soldiers broke in directly to search, which is really surprising!
This made Zhang San couldn't help but think of Marquis Zhongyi, who temporarily joined Baiqi to assist in the investigation.
Before coming, the head of the family specifically told him to be careful with the mallet, but Zhang San didn't take it seriously at first.
Now that he was about to stumble, Zhang San didn't know what it felt like.
Unsurprisingly, it must be the credit of Marquis Zhongyi that he is now forced into such a desperate situation.
I just don’t know how that guy could be so reckless and dare to barge in regardless of His Majesty Li Er’s order. His behavior is really different from ordinary people.
It seems that this guy is not only good at writing, but also good at fighting and making money. He is also very flexible in his mind, and his military skills and speed are clearly demonstrated.
However, this young Marquis Zhongyi is really quite capable. No wonder the head of the family is so afraid of him.
Seeing that Zhang San was deep in thought, the subordinate who just came in interrupted his thoughts with a deep voice.
"Captain, if you want to go, leave immediately. If you delay any longer, I'm afraid it will be too late!"
A cold light flashed in Zhang San's eyes, and he said sternly: "The matter has come to this, success or failure depends on this one move. If we fail, I, Zhang San, will live and die with everyone, and I will never survive."
"Live and die together!" Perhaps to embolden their courage, the two men looked at each other and shouted in unison with determination to die.
As soon as a few people left the side courtyard and sneaked towards the Buddhist hall, the sound of breaking the door of the courtyard behind them was heard.
…
At the gate of Tongfu Temple, Yang Fan originally wanted to trick Abbot Tokugawa and prevent him from interfering with Baiqi's search.
Who would have thought that now he is so annoyed by this old abbot.
I saw Abbot Tokugawa looking at Yang Fan with shining eyes, and eagerly persuaded: "The old monk admires Mr. Hou for his understanding of Buddhism. With such wisdom at such a young age, he must be the reincarnation of Arhat. It is better for Mr. Hou to convert to Buddhism and serve My Buddha preaches the spirit of great selflessness..."
Looking at the gushing Abbot Tokugawa, Yang Fan was speechless.
hehe!
Convert to Buddhism? What a joke.
There are several beauties waiting for him, and his beautiful life has just begun, leaving him with nothing. Isn't this nonsense?
Seeing this guy's reluctance, Yang Fan really had some followers and used these Buddhist verses to show off!
Just when he was thinking of a way to escape, Qin Huaidao hurried over: "Master Hou, Cui Yongjian hanged himself in a side room of the temple!"
"What, Cui Yongjian committed suicide? Take me there quickly!" Yang Fan was stunned for a moment and couldn't believe it.
The children of these aristocratic families are very arrogant and have a good life. It is impossible for them to have the determination to commit suicide.
The most important thing is that the existing evidence only shows that Cui Yongjian transported the crossbows out of Chang'an City, and does not identify him as the mastermind.
If it was just a crime of transshipping a crossbow, with the power of the Qinghe Cui family, although it would be impossible to completely absolve him of his guilt, presumably the punishment would not be very severe, and there would be no need to commit suicide.
Yang Fan's first reaction was that Cui Yongjian had been silenced, and the figure of Duan Zhixuan could not help but appear in his mind.
Just now, Duan Zhixuan turned around and walked away from Baiqi station neatly. He thought this guy gave in, but it turned out to be just a trick.
How careless!
When Yang Fan and Abbot Tokugawa entered the side courtyard, Cui Yongjian's body had already been put down.
Abbot Tokugawa had an old and pale face. He didn't expect that someone actually died in the temple, and he was the target of the marquis' arrest.
Holding back the panic in his heart, Abbot Tokugawa stepped forward and looked at the corpse carefully. He suddenly screamed and said in disbelief:
"Isn't this man a pilgrim who came here a few days ago? He claims to be a merchant from the Western Regions. He has been renting accommodation here due to the heavy snow blocking the roads. Who would have thought that he would be the suspect in the assassination of King Wu?"
Ignoring Abbot Tokugawa's fuss, Yang Fan looked around and asked, "Have you found anyone else?"
Rice Ball Exploration
Li Junxian frowned: "No, the house has been searched, and there is no one else. Even if there is, they probably escaped before we came."
Yang Fan did not give up. In his opinion, Li Junxian was an outstanding general. He was more suitable for the battlefield where two armies were confronting each other, rather than the secret service department that was peeling off cocoons.
On the contrary, although Qin Huaidao is young, he has a delicate mind and the ability to accept new things quickly. He is naturally a good person for intelligence.
As soon as this guy came in, he looked around with stern eyes.
So Yang Fan turned to Qin Huaidao and asked: "Huaidao, have you found anything?"
Qin Huaidao touched the quilt with his hand and said: "There is still warmth on the bed. Cui Yongjian obviously slept on it. It is impossible for a person who wants to commit suicide to sleep and get up early in the morning to commit suicide."
"In addition, the hanging rope has just been measured by my subordinates. With Cui Yongjian's height, there is no need to tie him up so high. Otherwise, he would have to jump from a stool to hang himself, which is a bit illogical."
"These abnormalities indicate that Cui Yongjian did not commit suicide, but committed homicide."
Yang Fan was stunned now!
Qin Huaidao was indeed a master of intelligence. It had only been so long before he discovered so many problems.
Li Junxian sighed sadly: "It's just a little bit worse. If we had come here earlier, this Cui Yongjian would not have died. Alas, the person who killed him may have run away long ago. It will be difficult to find out the person behind the scenes." Got it!"
Qin Huaidao's still somewhat immature face showed a confident smile, and he said firmly: "I don't know if I can find the person behind the scenes, but the person who killed Cui Yongjian may not be caught."
Yang Fan smiled and praised: "Huaidao's thoughts are really delicate!"
Qin Huaidao smiled sheepishly and said modestly: "Marquis Zhongyi is overly praised. Didn't you pay for it a long time ago?"
Yang Fan patted Qin Huaidao's shoulder affectionately and laughed: "Not arrogant or impetuous, Mingcha Qiuhao, he is indeed the son of Duke Yi, not bad!"
Qin Huaidao grinned, revealing a smile that was little better than crying!
The Marquis's hand was so strong that he almost knelt down when he was slapped. He was as good as Lu Guogong Cheng Yaojin, they both like to tease people so much.
What made him even more depressed was that the words of the Marquis were too hurtful.
If I hadn't happened to find a clue and said a few words of humility, wouldn't I be able to admit that it was my father's seed?
Li Junxian didn't know the inner activities of the two of them. Seeing that they cherished each other and were in a daze, he seemed even more confused: "What do you two mean?"
Yang Fan gave a brief explanation, and Li Junxian said in surprise: "You mean the person who killed Cui Yongping is still in the temple."
"Of course!" Yang Fan nodded firmly.
Qin Huaidao led people to Tongfu Temple first. There was no way for the murderers to get out. These people could only hide in the temple.
At this time, a soldier came to report: "Master Marquis, General, there is a footprint outside the courtyard heading towards the Buddhist temple. I sent someone to follow it, but the trace was lost in the main hall of the Buddhist temple."
Yang Fan waved his hand: "Search for me, don't miss every corner."
Li Junxian had a sullen face and was a little depressed. He didn't expect that these people were actually in the Buddhist temple.
If he hadn't looked forward and backward and come here earlier, he might have been able to save Cui Yongjian's life.
Of course, Li Junxian doesn't care about Cui Yongjian's life or death, but wants to find out the person behind Cui Yongjian's fitness.
Abbot Tokugawa walked over and said awkwardly: "Um... Marquis Zhongyi, you have to believe me. I really don't know that the suspect is hiding in the temple. Do you think... can I report it to His Majesty... cough cough …”
It's strange that he didn't panic when he heard that the assailant was still in the temple and that the important suspect died because of his own obstruction.
It took a lot of effort to make Tongfu Temple bright and beautiful. If His Majesty Li Er demolished the temple in a rage, wouldn't his years of hard work be destroyed in one day, and he would have no place to cry!
Of course Yang Fan knew what he was thinking, but he didn't pay attention.
Regarding Buddhism, I neither like it nor dislike it, as long as it doesn't offend myself.
Obviously, Tongfu Temple has had a smooth life these years and has become a little arrogant.
Even Baiqi dared to stop Baiqi from doing his work. This was not a good sign, and it really wouldn't work without some beating.
So he smiled slightly and said: "Of course I believe that the master is unintentional, but will others believe it? Whether your Majesty will believe it is not something I can decide!"
Abbot Tokugawa immediately grimaced and really had a headache!
Normally, no one would dare to mess around in the temple because of their reputation, but now that Yang Fan had barged in and was caught, he was a little at a loss.
Cui Yongjian donated a large amount of sesame oil money. If he said he didn't know his identity, who would believe him?
It seems that I was a little overconfident before!
Host Tokugawa completely lost his previous toughness, and quickly begged with a smile on his face: "Marquis Tadayoshi, we had a very pleasant conversation just now, and we are both believers influenced by Buddhism. You can't just sit back and ignore the difficulties at Tongfu Temple. !”
Yang Fan was embarrassed by his actions: "It's not that I don't want to help you, but with so many people here watching, I can't open my eyes and tell lies. Who in the world dares to deceive Your Majesty? This is a crime of great disrespect."
"Besides, it was indeed because of the master's obstruction that the perpetrator had time to kill the suspect. I am really in a dilemma."
Abbot Tokugawa is really speechless!
You stick stick also knows the crime of disrespect. If you really fear the imperial power so much, how dare you lead people to break into the temple just now?
Although I wasn't angry in my heart, I didn't dare to say it out loud.
Abbot Tokugawa weighed it in his mind and found that the crisis was really great. He immediately felt a sudden surge in his heart and gritted his teeth and said: "The wind and snow have been quite heavy this year. Many people in the Guanzhong area have collapsed their houses. Marquis Zhongyi loves his people like this." Son, I cannot bear to see these people suffering, so as a token of my steadfastness, Lao Na, on behalf of Tongfu Temple, donated 100,000 yuan to help the victims, and asked Marquis Zhongyi to show his kindness on his behalf."
After saying that, Abbot Tokugawa's heart was bleeding!
This is the incense money of Tongfu Temple for three years. It seems that there will be more benefactors to beg in the future.
In his opinion, the Marquis had even auctioned off sacred objects for money, so he naturally loved money as much as his life, but now he could only do whatever he wanted to lose money and avoid disaster.
Yang Fan's eyes lit up.
One hundred thousand dollars!
This guy didn't even blink, he was indeed a big dog.
Of course I had to be polite: "Since Master Tokugawa is so thoughtful, I would like to thank Tongfukuji Temple for its kindness for the victims."
"Everyone can testify that I did not ask you to donate. This donation was entirely voluntary."
Tokugawa looked mournful, and his withered face looked even more ugly. At this moment, he even wanted to die. He cursed secretly, "I'm willing to be a big-headed devil!"
You push three and four, don’t you just want money?
This Marquis of Zhongyi is indeed as annoying as ever.
No wonder most of the nobles in Chang'an City don't like this kid.
Seeing that the Tokugawa abbot was exhausted, Qin Huaidao felt extremely relieved.
Just now I begged my grandpa to sue my grandma, but this old boy refused to let me enter the temple to search. Now I finally know how powerful our Lord Marquis is!
Li Junxian was a bit dumbfounded. This brother was really good at making money. He easily got a hundred thousand yuan. He was indeed the God of Wealth!
Li Junxian, who was originally dissatisfied with Tongfu Temple, would not intercede, but looked like he was watching a good show.
However, he also knew that the business was important, and he had to catch a few perpetrators first, so he reminded: "Ahem, Marquis Zhongyi, let's hurry up and arrest them? If they run away, wouldn't our work be in vain? .”
…
Unfortunately, Li Junxian led Baiqi soldiers to search Tongfu Temple several times, but found nothing at all.
This made Yang Fan a little confused!
Could it be that both himself and Qin Huaidao made a wrong analysis?
It shouldn't be possible for the perpetrator to escape!
Abbot Tokugawa almost felt regretful in his intestines at this time.
Who would have thought that Yang Fan had been so precise with his words just now, but now he couldn't even find the hair of the perpetrator, so what else was he afraid of?
Judging from the scene, the man who hanged himself just committed suicide and had nothing to do with the temple.
Just as Abbot Tokugawa was heartbroken, Yang Fan confirmed again: "General Li has really searched the entire temple?"
"Really?" Li Junxian smiled awkwardly, a little ambiguous.
Yang Fan was really speechless, rolled his eyes and said, "What does this mean? If it is, it is, if it is not, it is not! How can we say it is right?"
At this time, Qin Huaidao explained: "Master Hou, except for the Buddhist Zen Room of Empress Dowager Xiao, all other places in the temple have been searched."
Yang Fan's eyes widened and he said displeasedly: "Then what are you waiting for? Why don't you go search it quickly?"
As soon as these words came out, Abbot Tokugawa was shocked and shouted quickly: "Master Marquis, this is not allowed. You cannot disturb the Queen Mother's Qing Dynasty."
It is precisely because of Empress Dowager Xiao that this temple existed. Now that food, clothing and food are being disturbed, of course Abbot Tokugawa will quit!
Yang Fan said with a smile but not a smile: "Master really decided to stop Baiqi from doing something. If the perpetrator is allowed to escape, can you afford it once His Majesty is blamed?"
Abbot Tokugawa was at a loss for words, his face flushed, and he hesitated for a long time without explaining the reason. In the end, he had no choice but to say: "I don't care, as long as it disturbs Empress Dowager Xiao's purification."
Yang Fan's face became solemn, and he shouted coldly: "Here come! Search for me. If something happens, I will take care of you. If there is anyone who blocks your way, I will kill you without mercy."
"Promise!" Hundreds of cavalry soldiers promised in unison and turned to leave.
Abbot Tokugawa was dumbfounded!
This Zhongyihou was so stupid that he did not dare to contradict him again.
Just when Abbot Tokugawa looked extremely ugly, a shout suddenly came from the place where Empress Dowager Xiao was worshiping the Buddha, followed closely by the sound of swords and swords clashing!
When Yang Fan and Abbot Tokugawa arrived at Biewan, the battle was over, two corpses were lying on the ground, and one seriously injured Yanyan had been captured.
Four of the Hundred Cavalry soldiers were injured, which shows how fierce and fearless these people are.
Abbot Tokugawa had a very pale face, and there was actually a murderer hiding in the place where Empress Dowager Xiao worshiped Buddha.
If the Queen Mother Xiao was injured, he would be the abbot for the rest of his life. He endured the fear in his heart and asked with some anxiety: "Is the Queen Mother okay?"
“I’m fine, thank you Marquis Zhongyi for your help!”
A voice came, and a figure could be seen faintly flashing inside the screen.
It's just that the sound seems extremely weird.
It felt like the sound was coming from the sky, like a pleasant sound wave.
This surprised Yang Fan!
You must know that Queen Mother Xiao should be in her seventies at this time, but there is nothing senile in her voice.
If this was really Empress Dowager Xiao's voice, it would be incredible.
Yang Fan raised his hands in the direction of the screen and saluted: "The Queen Mother is so polite. I just happened to meet you at the right time. Please forgive me for disturbing the Queen Mother."
