The hot mutton noodle soup was brought to the table and sprinkled with a large amount of chopped green onion.
Diao Geng sniffed and inhaled the hot air into his big nostrils. He didn't care about the heat. He picked up the bowl and ate it with big mouthfuls. When there was only broth left in the bowl, he picked up a piece of pancake, rolled it up with meat sauce, and ate it with the soup.
"full."
After the two drank the wine in the pot, Diao Geng followed Diao Bing to the lobby.
Now that Lao Liang and Jiang Hai are not here, Fan Lao is considered the most skilled martial artist here. He is sitting on the right side with a calm face and a bottle of wine in his hand, drinking slowly.
Du Erniang was sitting at the top with a scroll on her knees. When everyone was gathered, she started talking.
"Mr. Lang is not here, so everything is up to me. There is a big event now... I plan to capture Gao Lishi."
"good."
In Chang'an, this was really a big deal, but Fan Lao immediately agreed. It's not because he is so impressive that he doesn't take Gao Lishi seriously, but because he is just a nobody and he really doesn't understand how important Gao Lishi is.
On the contrary, brothers Diao Bing and Diao Geng have been with Xue Bai for a while and know better.
"Shuai Tou, this matter..." Diao Bing wanted to remind Fan Lao, but at the end of his words, he said: "Just do it."
"That's right, our brothers have been following Lang Jun to protect him every day, and we haven't stopped eating. When something happens, Lang Jun is taken away by someone. This is really..."
Fan Lao said: "Shut up, everyone, and listen to Er Niang's orders."
"It's easy." Du Jin said, "I invited Gao Lishi to come. First, let's talk about the situation of his willingness to come. If we can reach an agreement, it will be easy to deal with. If we can't, I will throw a cup as a sign. You can take him down. Gao Lishi must live. , as for his guards, if they dare to move, they will be killed."
"Well, what if he doesn't come?"
"I sent him important news, he should be here." Du Jin thought about the reason why Gao Lishi went to Yeting Palace last night, and said to himself: "If he is really not curious, things will be simpler."
"Here."
Du Jin originally planned to talk about how he would end up after committing such a thing, but they didn't ask, so they didn't ask.
In short, the swordsman has made arrangements and is waiting for Gao Lishi to come.
~~
Yishanfang, Baoshou Temple.
The bell kept ringing, and each bell was worth a thousand dollars. In these two days alone, no one knew how much money the dignitaries of Chang'an gave away in the name of Gao Lishi.
This was originally a happy event, but unfortunately, something happened in the palace, and Gao Lishi was too busy to leave. But the ministers had given him such great honor, and no matter how busy he was, he still had to find time to come.
"My uncle is kind-hearted and has given so much. I'd like to raise a toast."
"I don't dare to be General Gao and toast, but I am toasting General Gao."
Yang Guozhong kept his posture very low, and wanted to ask Gao Lishi if he dared to accept the title of "Uncle Guo" now that the imperial concubine had been kicked out of the palace.
It's a pity that a lot of money was spent. Before he could say a few words, the young eunuch rushed to Gao Lishi and started muttering.
"Excuse me."
When the young eunuch took out a message from his sleeve, Gao Lishi accepted it, said he was sorry, and went to read it where no one was.
The post was unfolded, and the handwriting was delicate and elegant, but the strokes were like the branches and leaves of plum blossoms, with a hint of aloofness.
"General Gao wants to know what Xue Bai is investigating, why not meet him?"
Gao Lishi was amused, thinking that he could just ask Xue Bai directly, but thinking of Xue Bai's hidden eyes, he shook his head, feeling that it was difficult to ask anything from his mouth.
"Where is the person who sent the message?"
"Still outside."
"Let him lead the way and take a walk."
After entering the East Market, there was a side entrance in an alley. The man leading the way stopped and said, "We're here."
Gao Lishi was in no hurry to go in.
There were six guards protecting him. Two of them circled the house and came back to report, "This is the back door of Fenghui Branch."
"You stay outside."
Gao Lishi then led the four people through the courtyard. Along the way, his guards paid attention to the servants who were sweeping the courtyard, with some contempt in their eyes.
"General, there are some good players, but they are not very good."
Entering the hall, they observed it first and found that except for a woman sitting at the head, there was no one else in the room.
"Stand back," Gao Lishi said, "I'll talk to her."
"Here."
"Du Liangdi, long time no see."
"I am no longer Shi Liangdi." Du Jin did not stand up, but pointed to the chair in the hall and asked Gao Lishi to sit down and talk.
"If you are not Liangdi, how do you see me today?"
Du Jin spoke bluntly and said, "It doesn't matter if you admit it. I am Xue Bai's best friend. Is that okay?"
Gao Lishi appreciated her frankness and smiled, looking very kind.
In this aspect, he is very similar to Wu Huaishi.
Du Jin said: "It is said that women are like clothes. I was supposed to be like Princess Wei. I was imprisoned in the nunnery in Yeting and tortured for the rest of my life. It is very difficult for a woman like me to fight against fate. It’s not an easy thing, if the prince succeeds to the throne in the future, he will still kill me, so if Xue Bairuo offends the East Palace and makes General Gao unhappy, it’s my fault.”
"Who dares to fight again after being established for a long time." Gao Lishi said, "Back then, I advised the saint to establish a prince for the sake of the stability of the country. Since you are enemies of the prince and will die unjustly, there is no need to ask me for mercy."
"If we want to establish it for a long time, then we should establish King Qing, or rehabilitate the case of the three common people. Then it will really be 'who dares to resume the struggle'?" Du Jin said: "Li Heng cannot convince the public. Li Linfu has suppressed him for so many years, and he has already lost his temper." If it kills his luck, once he ascends the throne, An Lushan will raise his troops to rebel against him."
This was the first time Gao Lishi had heard of the saying that the prince's luck had been wiped out. It sounded ridiculous, but it made sense when he thought about it carefully. The prince had indeed lost too much prestige by giving in step by step.
"Du Erniang, tell me straight, why did Xue Bai want to investigate the details of the three common people's case?"
"The case of three common people?" Du Jin said: "I wrote a post to invite the general to come here because I wanted to report to Xue Bai that King Shou had once made false claims of prophecy. King Shou once kept filial piety for King Ning as his heir..."
Gao Lishi shook his head.
Given his status, it was actually very offensive for Du Jin to play word games with him and test his attitude.
"Stop beating around the bush." Gao Lishi said: "We all know that Wu Huaishi did not frame Xue Bai. He did pry into things he shouldn't have pried into. If you don't want to tell, why did you coax me here?"
Seeing that all these methods were seen through, Du Jin could only ask, "General Gao went to Yeting last night?"
"I won't hide it anymore, and tell Er Niang the truth from the bottom of my heart." Gao Lishi said, "Princess Hezheng has received some favors from me over the years, so she has told the truth. Xue Bai came to Ye Ting to meet her. Princess Boping also dismissed the others and talked alone."
There was no emotion on Du Jin's face, and he said: "It turns out that this is the matter. Xue Bai is doing it for the saint's marriage between the princess and the Anqing clan. General Gao also knows that he has always disliked An Lushan and is very concerned about this matter. .”
"Since Du Erniang is still unwilling to be honest, there is no need to talk."
Gao Lishi stood up as he spoke.
Du Jin still hoped to persuade him and avoid the step of actually using a knife or a gun, so she had no choice but to say: "Yes, Xue Bai went to see Princess Boping."
Gao Lishi had turned around and left, but did not sit down. If Du Jin's words dissatisfied him, he would leave immediately.
"General Gao also knows that Xue Bai is Xue Xiu's adopted son. He has always been very curious about his origin. Therefore, he wants to find out where Xue Xiu adopted so many children."
Du Jin spoke slowly while observing Gao Lishi's reaction.
"He heard that the concubine of Hubei King Li Yao was pardoned but was still imprisoned in Yeting, so he wanted to ask her. Please believe, General Gao, that he just wanted to know about his life experience and had no intention of prying into the secrets of the past."
Gao Lishi obviously didn't believe it, but he didn't leave immediately. He asked, "How did he know that Princess E was not dead?"
"He handled government affairs for the Right Prime Minister's Office. Li Linfu showed him the edict from that year, 'The Wei family, the concubine of Yao of the King of Hubei, has a high standard of virtue and is appointed as a supporting vassal residence. The husband's righteousness is weak, but the woman's virtue is diligent... no need to be tired.'"
"Since I want to see Princess E, how can I meet Princess Boping?"
Du Jin replied: "He and Princess Boping inquired about the whereabouts of Princess E."
Gao Lishi's eyes seemed to see through everything, and he said: "You have been lying, but you want me to believe you? Do you really think I don't know what Xue Bai and Princess Boping talked about?"
Du Jin's heart trembled.
"Princess Boping has already told me." Gao Lishi said, "I am here today to give you the last chance to confess."
"She... told General Gao what?" Du Jin tried her best to stay calm and said, "Since General Gao knows what they talked about, he should believe Xue Bai..."
"The grandson of the emperor, Li Qian."
Du Jin finally realized that Gao Lishi was not easy to fool, and lying would only make things worse.
She hesitated, wondering if she could still enlist Gao Lishi's help...or just kidnap him and rescue Xue Bai?
Thinking about it in her mind, she picked up the cup on the table and took a sip of tea.
"Wu Huaishi believes that Xue Bai is the emperor's grandson Li Qian." Gao Lishi asked: "What do you think of this matter?"
Du Jin was stroking the teacup in her hand and was silent.
There is a key to the whole matter. According to the information obtained from Li Jing, what happened at that time was that Li Jing and Concubine Wu Hui's people went to Li Ying's mansion. When the emperor's grandson was accidentally killed, Li Jing was present, Gao Lishi and Chen Xuanli came later, but Wu Huaishi was not there.
Wu Huaishi was in Concubine Wu Hui's palace at the time, and heard about it from Concubine Wu Hui after the matter was settled. In addition, it is impossible for Gao Lishi's character to tell Wu Huaishi all the truth.
Therefore, Wu Huaishi suspected that Xue Bai was Li Qian based on many clues, but Gao Lishi knew the truth and it was clear that Xue Bai was not Li Qian.
There is such a subtle information gap between the two, which is the key to Xue Bai's breakthrough. The entire plan is also designed around this point.
If the plan succeeds, Xue Bai only needs to deny to Gao Lishi that he is Li Qian. As long as Gao Lishi believes that Xue Bai is being persecuted and is willing to help intercede with the saint, then the matter is not serious. He has given evidence to prove that Wu Huaishi colluded with King Shou to commit a major crime and framed him.
However, if the plan fails, Du Jin will do exactly the opposite.
She wants to capture Gao Lishi, an insider, and rescue Xue Bai by force. At the same time, she will promote that Xue Bai is the emperor's grandson Li Qian. Through this case, she will confirm this identity and make it known to everyone.
This is the worst outcome. They can only escape as the emperor's grandson, hide in a certain place, wait until Li Longji dies, and then seek to compete with Li Heng for the throne. Without Xue Bai to restrain the government, An Lushan would have to rebel, or if the situation in Hebei could not be alleviated, chaos would break out. There would always be a chance.
Both decisions are difficult.
If the situation becomes clear now, Du Jin can make a decision without hesitation, but her biggest problem right now is that she can't figure out Gao Lishi's attitude.
"What do I think? I don't quite understand what's going on with Emperor Sun Li Qian."
Du Jin gently put the tea cup back on the table without dropping it. She placed her palm on the scroll on her lap and said, "If Xue Bai is really the grandson of the emperor, wouldn't it be a good thing? But Wu Huaishi clearly wants to frame him."
Gao Lishi gave Du Jin a lot of patience and was always observing her movements.
He has been with the emperor all his life, and his ability to see through people's hearts is very good, and he saw her entanglement in his eyes.
"Du Erniang seems to be undecided? Then it's better for me, an old guy, to give you the truth, right?"
"Please give me some advice, General Gao." Du Jin answered, hiding her uneasiness.
"Wu Huaishi wanted to put Xue Bai to death, and he was indeed framed. As for saying that Xue Bai is the emperor's grandson, I have seen the emperor's grandson's body and will not be fooled by this."
"Then please ask General Gao to return Xue Bai's innocence..."
"Don't worry, I haven't finished speaking yet." Gao Lishi said, "Whether Xue Bai is spying on secrets or investigating his origins, or even if he is really just trying to investigate the case, I can't save him. Because he uses the Holy Family He has done everything but still doesn't know how to restrain himself. This is his way to die."
"I don't understand." Du Jin said, "How could he be accused of so many crimes in the past? What is his crime this time?"
"There is no crime, but it is the most deadly thing."
As he spoke, Gao Lishi sighed.
What he was thinking about was the matter of Concubine Yang. The sage suspected that Concubine Yang was having an affair with Xue Bai. There was no evidence, but together with this suspicion, it was difficult to erase it.
"I can't save Xue Bai, I can only give him a ride myself."
Du Jin clenched the scroll unconsciously.
For her, the situation was finally clear and she could make a decision.
"We have used up all the holy relatives." Du Jin spoke, his voice a bit colder.
She finally no longer felt as weak as when she lied just now. She had made a decision in her heart. No matter how difficult the future was, her attitude could be firm.
"However, the saint cannot kill Xue Bai, and General Gao cannot kill him."
"Yeah?"
"Because Xue Bai is the emperor's grandson Li Qian." Du Jin said, "If a saint can kill three sons, can he still bear the reputation of killing one grandson?"
Gao Lishi couldn't help being surprised.
He looked at Du Jin and carefully observed her expression.
Maybe he came today just to see what Xue Bai and Du Jin wanted to do, and now he finally saw it.
"Du Erniang, are you crazy? I just said that I saw the emperor's grandson's body with my own eyes."
"Then I will also show you Xue Bai's thoughts."
Du Jin said and threw the scroll in his hand.
The scroll fell on the carpet in the middle of the hall. Gao Lishi looked down at it, leaned over, picked it up, and spread it out.
Du Jin picked up the teacup again and looked at the stone floors on both sides of the carpet, preparing to take down Gao Lishi.
If the cup was thrown down, she, Xue Bai, and many of their subordinates, including relatives, friends and old friends, would become fugitives wanted by the court.
"What is this?" Gao Lishi asked doubtfully.
Du Jin looked at his kind face and calm movements. He didn't throw the cup immediately. He took a sip of tea and said, "The story of Nezha."
The story is written on the scroll and combined with the paintings, it is easy to understand.
"Nezha suffered so much cold treatment, cut off his flesh to return to his father, removed his bones to return to his mother, and used lotus flowers as his body to do heavy work...Xue Bai added a sentence at the end of this story, General Gao might as well take a look."
Gao Lishi was unrolling the scroll bit by bit, watching with great interest. When he heard what Du Jin said, he looked towards the end of the scroll and saw that there was indeed a separate sentence.
He couldn't help but read it out.
"I control my own life."
It seemed that these words gave Du Jin courage. A look of determination flashed in her eyes, and she slammed the teacup in her hand to the ground.
"Boom!"
The tea cup fell apart.
~~
Diao Bing and Diao Geng were sweeping the yard, looking at Hu Laishui who was guarding the corridor from time to time.
Hu Laishui has a keen ear. As soon as he hears the sound of a cup breaking in the main room, he will make a gesture, and they will immediately take action to kill the followers brought by Gao Lishi. Take Gao Lishi.
For this reason, Diao Bing has put on a pair of lightweight and durable shoes.
He knew that there were still many things to do after the murder, such as using Gao Lishi to rescue Lang Jun. It turned out that the broken straw sandals he was accustomed to wearing were too conspicuous in Chang'an City, and he could easily be recognized, which would delay things.
Diao Geng had a dagger hidden in his sleeve, ready to pounce on him at any moment and wipe the neck of a guard.
Finally, Hu Laishui twitched his ears and made a gesture.
Diao Geng smiled slightly, holding the dagger in his palm.
Suddenly, a bell rang.
That is the rope bell used to call the maid in the main room.
"Qushui, are you there?" Du Jin said loudly, "I dropped my cup, please bring another one."
Hu Laishui immediately opened the door.
Diao Geng looked around and saw Du Jin sitting at the top. He waved his hand and said, "What are you doing in the courtyard? Why don't you retreat?"
He couldn't help but be stunned. Seeing Gao Lishi's gaze, he quickly put the dagger back into his sleeve.
~~
"All right."
As the tea cup fell to the ground, Gao Lishi suddenly said: "With this, I may be able to save Xue Bai."
Du Jin was surprised and thought that Gao Lishi had seen her plot and was delaying the attack.
Gao Lishi did not look at her, but kept staring at the scroll. He said happily: "Wu Huaishi's accusation is not groundless, but comes from this story."
Du Jin thought about it and quickly pulled the bell and shouted, "Qushui, are you there?"
Gao Lishi then turned to look at her, slightly confused, and pointed to the painting in his hand with a half-smile.
"The evidence on the side is too blunt. The way to resolve the saint's suspicion is to hide it inadvertently."
The door of the main room was opened and then closed. Du Jin quickly said a thousand blessings and said: "Please give me some advice, General Gao."
She was still worried that Gao Lishi was lying to her, but she was willing to listen to what he had to say, at least for now it was still her territory.
"Wu Huaishi didn't know the secret. He saw Xue Bai pursuing old cases and he was similar in age to the emperor's grandson, so he mistakenly thought he was the emperor's grandson. Although the saint and I knew that this was impossible, we were still angry with Xue Bai. Do you know why?"
Du Jin was suspicious, but on the surface his attitude was much lowered and he said, "It's because Xue Bai is too good at causing trouble."
"Xue Bai is definitely not a good guy if he can let Wu Huaishi criticize him like this. It's better to kill him all together."
Although the theory sounds absurd, it is actually the case.
There is no truth to these things, they are nothing more than the likes and dislikes of the superiors.
The power struggle seems to be unfathomable, but in essence it is very simple and outrageous. Sometimes it just depends on the mood of the saint.
"But it's different with this story." Gao Lishi said, "It turned out that Wu Huaishi heard this story and used it to guess Xue Bai's thoughts, so he mistakenly thought that Xue Bai was the emperor's grandson."
Although Du Jin was wary, he couldn't help but admire that Gao Lishi really understood the Sacred Heart.
With this seemingly simple reason, all the mistakes Xue Bai may have committed can be attributed to this story.
Wu Huaishi would not fabricate Xue Bai and the King of Ruyang to say that Li Qian was still alive for no reason. In the heart of the saint, Wu Huaishi must have a reason to do such a thing.
But, based on this alone, Gao Lishi was suddenly willing to help?
Du Jin didn't believe it.
She believed that Gao Lishi must have known that his life was in danger, quickly expressed his stance, and then found a reason.
"Du Erniang, you seem to have unsteady hands?" Gao Lishi suddenly asked with a smile.
"What?"
Du Jin looked at the fragments of the teacup on the ground and knew that Gao Lishi was asking her if she should take action.
Gao Lishi didn't make any more promises, only the few words he just said, maybe he would actually rescue Xue Bai, or maybe he would send troops to surround this place as soon as he left.
He deliberately asked the question now to test whether Du Jin believed in him.
"General Gao is really willing to save Xue Bai?"
Gao Lishi rolled up the scroll again, very carefully.
He calmly put the scroll into his sleeve and said, "I care about him very much. If I can, I will protect him."
This sentence inexplicably made Du Jin feel that she could trust him. She hesitated in her heart and finally made a decision again.
"The little girl apologized to General Gao. I just broke the pot and thought... I thought that Xue Bai had been wronged but could not explain it clearly. At worst, if he admitted it, even if he died unjustly, it could be the funeral of the emperor's grandson. I just talked nonsense and smashed something, General Gao, please forgive me."
Gao Lishi couldn't help laughing, pointing to the fragments on the ground, and said: "What a 'broken can, broken fall'."
~~
Tai Chi Palace Eagle Dog Square.
In the huge cage, Xue Bai was sitting in the middle with his eyes closed to relax.
Not long ago, Yao Siyi was imprisoned here, and in a blink of an eye it was his turn again. It can be seen that accompanying a king is like accompanying a tiger. Even for a broad-minded emperor like Li Longji, not everyone can enjoy his patience and tolerance.
In other words, the love of a saint cannot be relied upon for a lifetime, it will be gone once it is gone.
A tall figure came and blocked Xue Bai from basking in the sun.
"I met Du Erniang. She didn't lie. She really told me what you were pursuing."
Xue Bai opened his eyes and saw Gao Lishi coming. He quickly stood up and saluted, saying: "I caused trouble again. General Lao Gao is running away. I really feel guilty."
"You are much more polite than Du Erniang." Gao Lishi smiled, "It's a pity that I can't find anything from you."
"I wonder what General Gao learned from Er Niang?"
"First of all, your reputation as a calm and honorable gentleman has been ruined by me."
Xue Bai could only say: "Please ask General Gao to help cover it up. This is a private matter after all."
"Last night, I went to Yeting Palace and met Princess Boping." Gao Lishi said.
Xue Bai's expression remained unchanged and he waited patiently for the next sentence.
Gao Lishi listened to his steady breathing and felt the calmness in his heart. He was too lazy to test him again and continued: "What did you talk to Princess Boping in secret? The princess has always refused to tell me. She rarely interacts with people in her life and keeps silent." Without talking about it, I really can't find out anything. Fortunately, I asked Du Erniang to find out."
Xue Bai was not upset and said, "If you care about me, you will cause chaos."
"She wants something from me, so it's easy for her to make mistakes."
"Then I will tell it directly to General Gao." Xue Bai said: "I heard that Xue Xi adopted orphans back then. There is a book recording where the orphans were found. This matter is also related to King E, so I thought …”
"That's enough. I've seen through it all, and you're still acting." Gao Lishi took out the scroll from his sleeve and handed it over, saying, "Read it for yourself."
"Is this the story of Nezha?" Xue Bai burst out laughing after reading it, shook his head, and said, "I have been writing a collection of stories recently called "The Romance of the Gods", and it got sidetracked, but what can this story prove? ?”
"Hidden inside is your thoughts." Gao Lishi said.
"What's on my mind?"
"The third prince's thoughts." Gao Lishi stared into Xue Bai's eyes with burning eyes and said, "Tell me the truth, what do you want to do?"
Xue Bai met his gaze calmly and said: "There is also a story in "The Romance of the Gods" in which Bigan cuts his heart to prove his loyalty. Does General Gao want to hear it?"
"No, I just want to ask what you think."
"I said that "The Romance of the Gods" has many, many stories. If Nezha's thoughts are my thoughts, Yang Jian is my thoughts, Jiang Ziya is my thoughts, and Bigan is also my thoughts."
Xue Bai said, "I've talked a lot, but General Gao hasn't read these stories yet. Why don't you give me paper and pen, and I'll write them out. General Gao will read them and present them to the saint."
Gao Lishi couldn't help but think that when Xue Bai was imprisoned in Beiya, he was the one who urged him to write stories, but now it was different, the saint's thoughts were different.
"Even now, if you still want to repeat the same plan, you won't be so lucky every time."
"I have no shame in admiring him and I am not afraid of being framed by villains." Xue Bai said: "General Gao, you know very well that Wu Huaishi is just talking nonsense, isn't it?"
Gao Lishi met Xue Bai's eyes and was surprised to find that Shuzi actually tested him in turn.
He then took back the scroll from Xue Bai's hand and said: "Reflect on yourself, if you are willing to be honest with me, I will help you for the sake of our past friendship. If you are still stubborn, you are seeking death. Don't It’s your fault that I didn’t save you.”
"I treat General Gao with sincerity." Xue Bai said: "From the moment when General Yuanye protected my life in the sixth year of Tianbao, I regard the general as a close person."
"Save the nonsense to lull the King of Hell."
Seeing that he couldn't find anything useful to say from here, Gao Lishi put away the scroll again and turned to leave.
He also muttered to himself.
"Du Erniang wants to kill me, but you still expect me to save you? You are hopeless."
His back was determined, as if he had made up his mind not to save Xue Bai.
But when Xue Bai saw this situation, he breathed a sigh of relief, lay down in the big cage, thinking about something, and gradually became confused.
I thought that this plan would be difficult to succeed, but I didn't expect that Gao Lishi was actually willing to see Du Jin. He just came here as a test.
"Since you still have doubts, you will definitely come to the rescue, but what are you doubting?"
(End of chapter)
