"Official, I...I was really eager to save you at that time. Seeing that you were in trouble, I lost my bearings for a moment..."
"Just because I have been with you for so many years, you should just take pity on me and spare my life..."
"Your Majesty! It's been fifteen years, it's been fifteen years since we crossed over from the south! In the past fifteen years, I have been working hard and assisting you with all my heart, Your Majesty!"
"minister……"
Yang Yizhong's home is not far from Fengyu Gate, not far from the palace.
The house is not big, but it is backed by the Lin'an government office and the yamen of the three provinces and six ministries, so the location is pretty good.
From the moment he got off the carriage, Lieutenant Zhang acted like his dead son, crying and running down his nose, pleading to the emperor.
Pleading, leaving his life behind.
Liu Qi and Yang Yizhong also helped to talk, but the emperor seemed to have lost his hearing and just looked around, ignoring the three of them.
Later, Captain Zhang actually asked Daoji:
The young monk could not protect himself against the emperor. Besides, he could clearly see the old man killing people just now.
This is the first time the emperor has come to the house. He has not received any notice before. Everyone in the Yang family is busy. Starting from Mrs. Yang, they don’t know what kind of etiquette they should put on so as not to neglect the Tian family. .
"What about Kun Ren?"
Yang Yizhong had roughly guessed the emperor's intention. When he saw the emperor asking questions, he led a few people to a house in the inner courtyard.
"Doctors from three medical clinics in Lin'an City have seen it. Master Fohai's wound is not deep and there is no serious problem."
"It's not deep?" Liu Bang asked doubtfully, "It's not deep, so how could he be knocked unconscious with one knife?"
"That's right..." Yang Yizhong hesitated, "I was shocked."
"Is he so timid?"
He was so young, but he still dared to block the knife for himself.
Liu Bang didn't quite understand. Anyway, he himself was determined not to do such a stupid thing.
"You guys just wait at the door, I'll go in and see him."
Although the emperor still regarded him as nothing, this was the first time the emperor spoke, and he responded quickly.
Among the three generals, he was the oldest, but his voice was the loudest at this time.
After watching the emperor enter the house, Yang Yizhong sensiblely opened the door. As soon as the door was closed, Zhang Jun pulled Liu and Yang aside as if he was a different person:
"Zhengfu, Uncle Xin, you two arrived in Lin'an before me. What happened to this official family...?"
"You heard what the official said just now. If you still think that we have a brotherhood, tell me what you know!"
The three people outside the house started chatting, and the three people inside the house were not idle either.
Seeing the visitor, the lying monk Fohai wanted to get up, but Liu Bang stopped him:
"You kid, just lie down."
Daoji has been with Fohai since he became a monk. This is the first time the two have separated.
Seeing his master wrapped in white cloth and turned into half a rice dumpling, he always wanted to cry, but he didn't dare.
Seeing his appearance, Fohai thought he couldn't bear to worry himself, so he couldn't help but touch his face:
"Good disciple, you have grown up."
After the master and apprentice exchanged pleasantries for a while, Liu Bang said:
"Daoji, go guard the door and don't allow those three people to eavesdrop."
Although Daoji was reluctant to give up, his movements were not slow. As soon as the emperor finished speaking, he had already decisively broken free from Fohai's hand.
This little Kun... Liu Bang couldn't help but shook his head. When he left, Liu Ruyi was only about this age.
As for Daoji being pestered by Zhang Jun after he went out, that's a story for another day.
Looking at the monk in front of him, Liu Bang was not polite and sat down next to the bed:
"Say it."
Fohai was lying on his stomach, and he could only see his legs. He didn't know what his expression was, and he couldn't perform Buddhist rituals.
"Noble sir, what do you want the young monk to say?"
"You took a stab for me. I'm very grateful to you, but when did you recognize me?"
Fohai seemed to have expected this question, and without even thinking about it, he answered directly:
"It's a long story."
"There is plenty of time, I will listen to you for as long as it takes."
Seeing him say this, Fohai no longer concealed:
"The young monk is from Sichuan. When he was young, he studied Dharma with Zen Master Keqin in Zhaojue Temple. Until six years ago, after Zen Master Keqin passed away, the young monk left Sichuan and came to the south of the Yangtze River."
Damn you, why don’t you start with King Wu’s defeat of Zhou?
He cursed secretly in his heart, but after hearing that he was from Shu, Liu Bang was silent for a moment and then said:
"Riyou Immortal Banban."
When Fohai heard this, he was surprised and confused: "You, why do you say such vulgar words?"
Liu Bang patted him on the shoulder: "Isn't this to see if you are lying? I am very familiar with Shuzhong... keep talking, keep talking."
Even if Fohai was scolded, he had never been scolded so dirty before. At this time, his neck was already red. Fortunately, the many years of reciting Amitabha were not in vain. He paused and said again:
"After leaving Sichuan, the young monk went to various Zen monasteries and temples in the south of the Yangtze River to study in Chuzhou, Wuzhou, Quzhou, Tanzhou..."
"Can you get to the point?"
Fohai said: "Amitabha, the young monk said beforehand that it is a long story, and you will listen to it no matter how long it is."
"Okay, okay, I listen!"
"Until a few days ago, the young monk was invited by layman Yi An to go to Qiantang to chant sutras for his late father and husband. It was there that the young monk met Taoist Master Huangfu Tan."
"Taoist Master was also invited by layman Yi An. Although the method he learned is different from mine, both of us are from Shu. Moreover, Taoist Master Huangfu is very profound in Taoism, and the young monk admires him."
"That day, the two of us were discussing Dharma under the pavilion. When the Taoist priest saw that the general had lost his position, he predicted that something would happen to one of our great generals in the Song Dynasty. He thought of the generals who had been recalled to Lin'an. Although the two of us did not know who they were. , but he was still worried, so the young monk came to Lin'an. Although he couldn't help much, he still helped the general who suffered the disaster by praying for him. "
"Before leaving, the Taoist priest tested the divination for the young monk. He only said that this trip would be a bloody disaster, but it would also bring great luck, and even... the future of the Song Dynasty was tied to the hands of the young monk alone. "
"So that night, after feeling the nobility in you, the young monk boldly guessed that you are the great luck Taoist Master Huangfu mentioned... In fact, even if it were not you, but someone else, the young monk would have done the same. Amitabha."
After Fohai finished speaking, he closed his eyes and said nothing, waiting for this person's reaction.
until……
There was a sharp pain in his back, and he subconsciously wanted to turn around, but he was pinned to the bed.
"My lord, what are you doing?"
Liu Bang pressed the monk with one hand, and drew the fingers of the other hand together across his wound. Even though it was wrapped with medical cloth, Liu Bang's strength still caused Fohai to suffer endlessly.
"It's a story, I won't comment on it."
"But it may be possible to use such words to deceive other people, but I will never believe it."
"Don't ask why, right? Taoist, right? Stargazing, right? Divination, right?"
"If you know what's going on, tell the truth. If not... hum."
Liu Bang smiled sadly, and the strength on his hand increased a bit, causing Fohai to sweat from the pain.
The monk was shocked. According to their speculation and understanding of this person, at this time, even if he did not believe it completely, he must have believed half of it.
How, how could it become like this!
"What a pity. I thought you were the one who could tell the truth."
Fohai gritted his teeth and said: "This is the fact. If you feel that this young monk is hiding something, just take this life!"
After hearing this, Liu Bang stopped.
Just as Fohai was thinking whether he was testing himself, he heard:
"What should I say? You helped block the knife. I won't take your life."
"It's just that your disciple has no favor with me."
He said this calmly, making Fohai feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
The two of them were silent, and they could only hear the chirping of cicadas outside the house.
Liu Bang did not force him. After a while, Fohai smiled bitterly and said:
"Can you tell me how you found out?"
Seeing that he relaxed, Liu Bang helped him up, then lay back and collapsed on the bed.
"First, do you know Zhang Liang?"
"How come you don't know the name of Duke Zifang?"
"He is also a Taoist. Do you think that Huangfu or something like that can be more powerful than him?"
Fohai was silent. He couldn't figure out what the relationship between the two was.
"Even Zhang Liang can't predict the unknown. How can that kid do it? If he can, I'll give you my head to play with!"
this……
Liu Bang then said: "Second, you shouldn't lie to me about ghosts and gods. My wife used to say that wherever I go, there is a cloud following my head..."
Seeing that he was getting more and more confused, Liu Bang said bluntly: "I don't believe this anyway, you understand!"
"Third, Yang Yizhong told me that you fainted because you were frightened... This is impossible."
"How...how is it impossible?"
"If you were so cowardly, you wouldn't have blocked that knife... There may be people in this world who would do this, but without knowing their identity, absolutely no one would stand up, absolutely!"
"If you are brave, the knife will not make you unconscious."
"Now, can you tell me the truth?"
Fohai was silent again. He really couldn't imagine that things would be like this.
For other people, he might believe these three reasons.
But in this case, he couldn't convince himself.
Maybe... he already knew it, and he just came here to amuse himself.
Unable to help but sigh, Monk Fohai stopped chanting Amitabha. Regardless of the pain on his back, he got off the bed and then knelt down towards Liu Bang very solemnly.
"Guan family, continue the Northern Expedition! Don't ever negotiate peace with the Jin people again!"
Liu Bang tapped the bed with his fingers: "From the story you made up, I have already thought that your boy is a person who wants to fight... So you are so close to me, actually just to say this, right? ?”
Fohai nodded, and without waiting for him to continue asking questions, he continued to speak sensibly:
"The land of Hanzhong, the land of Xiangyang, and the land of Lianghuai. Do you know how many people rebelled against the Jin in these three places?"
"You don't know, no, I should say you know, but you are just pretending not to know."
"The Thirteen Boats of Calligraphy, Paintings, Porcelain, Books and Antiquities that Master Yi An brought across the river have been almost sold off."
"She shouldn't have done this. It's not her responsibility. Are you right?"
From Fo Hai's mouth, Liu Bang probably heard the matter clearly.
The one named Jushi Yi An is a woman, almost sixty years old.
During the Jingkang crisis, her husband died on the way south. She was a woman and had no one to rely on. She suffered a lot in the days of war and chaos.
When she was fifty, she married an official. Unexpectedly, the old man was interested in the belongings she had brought with her when she went south. He wanted to force her to take them out, but she refused, so he would beat them whenever he had trouble.
The woman could no longer endure the hardship, so she sued the man for cheating during the exam... Fortunately, he was finally sentenced to divorce. However, after this incident, she became extremely disappointed with the world and thought about writing something every day. Poems and lyrics are used to criticize the Song Dynasty court.
The more she cursed, the greater her reputation became, causing many people who wanted to fight back but had no choice but to think of ways to interact with her.
This monk Fohai, as well as the Taoist priest Huangfu Tan he mentioned, and many officials who were demoted from the court...
After more than ten years, I have actually accumulated a lot of strength.
It's just that these forces only exist among the people and cannot yet affect the imperial court.
Everyone who studied Confucius, Taoism, and Buddhism got together for a common reason. They often scolded the court together, and occasionally raised funds for local heroes.
It stands to reason that if they were causing trouble at the foot of Lin'an Mansion, they would have been taken away by Prime Minister Qin's temper.
but……
The grandfather of layman Yi An and the grandfather of Mrs. Qin Hui were both Wang Gui, the prime minister of the former dynasty.
Everyone in the world didn't know that Qin Hui was afraid of his wife. With this relationship, they also knew that they couldn't cause any trouble, so Mr. Qin turned a blind eye.
This group of people originally thought that they had hope of returning to the north because of their successive great victories. After all, Yue Fei was almost reaching Bianjing.
But he never thought that the emperor would call back the generals again.
Everyone was disappointed, and under Na Huangfutan's suggestion, they came up with such an idea.
If the advice of the Northern Expedition was not accepted, then he would rely on the gods. Anyway, the emperor was frightened by the Jin people and the rebels, so he had little faith in these things.
Although it is not a good idea, other than that, this group of people really has no better strategy.
"Originally, I planned to use the relationship between layman Yi An and Prime Minister Qin to have Prime Minister Qin introduce the young monk to you... Prime Minister Qin strongly advocated for peace, and the people he brought over to persuade you to go to the north would be more convincing. did not expect……"
"I didn't expect that by such a coincidence, we met at the city gate, right?"
Fohai said: "You are arguing with the steward of the Qin Mansion over the defense of a city gate. This is indeed something I have never thought about."
"That man has been killed by me."
"Amitabha……"
He was chanting Amitabha Buddha, but there was no expression on Fohai's face.
The origin of this monk has been clarified, but what Liu Bang wants to find out more now is...
What did the emperor of Song Dynasty do before?
He just called back the generals, but everyone in the world thought that he was going to make peace.
In the past, I just thought that maybe I was incompetent and a little dull.
But now it seems that it may not be that simple.
He looked at Fohai and told him what had just happened.
"Are these people who want to kill people related to you people?"
Fohai was kneeling on the ground. He had already stood up. After hearing this, he quickly knelt down and said:
"Official officials are aware that the young monk and others only want to restore the country. If they really want to kill, they just want to kill the golden man."
"Well," Liu Bang didn't doubt him, and just heard him continue:
"But just like what the young monk said just now, there are many righteous people in the people who are fighting against the Jin Dynasty, and some of them are well known to the young monk. Could it be..."
He wanted to know if someone had gone crazy and wanted to assassinate the emperor, but he still didn't say it.
Liu Bang knew what he meant: "If you tell me what you think, it will be regarded as a crime and meritorious service, and I will be able to avoid you from the crime of treason."
Fohai was speechless... The most he could do was deceive the emperor, how could it turn into treason?
However, this was not the time to worry about this. He didn't know who wanted to kill the emperor.
But he might actually be able to guess who wanted to kill Zhang Jun.
