When Bai Yan captured Fucheng and the cities near Qufu, he had just received news from Yao Jia. On the other side, Jiuding had already arrived outside Luoyang City.
To be able to get there so quickly was indispensable for the efforts of Qin officials in all the cities along the way, and even less for encountering major obstacles. The only major obstacle was the bandits encountered when they were in Wei, but those bandits even They were all destroyed without stopping them for more than a day. After receiving the news, Lord Changping even ordered officials from all the cities along the way to lead the city officials and defenders to protect Jiuding.
Inside Luoyang City.
Jiuding has not yet arrived at the city gate. Countless people have already gathered inside and outside the city. As the ancient capital of Xia, Shang, Western Zhou, and Eastern Zhou, the prosperous Luoyang City has never lacked merchants, nobles, and descendants of some countries.
In a mansion.
A man ran quickly, from the corridor to the courtyard, and finally entered the main hall, and came to a group of men. Among the many men, there were five or six old men with gray hair on their temples.
"Sir, Jiuding is about to arrive in Luoyang!"
While the man was breathing heavily, he raised his hands to the man above the main hall and reported the report.
Hearing this, the leading man nodded slowly, looking at the other men in the main hall who were also nodding, and finally looked at the six white-haired old men.
"Wei Lao, Zhu Lao, Tian Lao, Chen Lao... Now that the fake tripod has been sent to Luoyang, Bai Yan has deceived the heavens and deceived all living beings, so I would like to ask you to tear apart his face and don't shame the treasure that has been passed down since ancient times!"
The leader of the man is named Kuang Jing, and he belongs to the famous Kuang family in Qi State.
After receiving the news from Qi State, Kuangjing waited for these old men in Xianyang, gathered all his connections, and waited for Bai Yan to send the fake Jiuding.
"We were once lucky enough to see the Nine Cauldrons. Now that Bai Yan has used a fake cauldron to deceive the world, we are naturally obligated to do so. Mr. Kuang is at ease. Tomorrow, we will go to Luoyang with the fake cauldron!"
"We must expose that Bai Yan. The Zhou family does not exist today, and the Qi State has declined. However, the Jiuzhou Cauldron is not something that the Qin State can obtain. Bai Yan cannot use falsehood to deceive others. That Yingzheng has a false cauldron. It will definitely not be accepted by God!"
One by one, the gray-haired old men said loudly on their old faces.
These people are all elders from the Qi Kingdom. They have all seen the Jiuding with their own eyes, and they have been proud of it for decades after the Jiuding was lost.
Now that they heard that Bai Yan was going to use the fake tripod to deceive the people of the world, how could they agree? If the fake tripod was used by the Qin State to deceive the people of the world, it would not only be an insult to the Jiuzhou tripod, but also an insult to their lifelong reputation.
Jiuzhou Ding is Jiuzhou Ding! No tripod in the world can replace it.
"I heard news from Chu State yesterday that Bai Yan came up with the idea of making a fake cauldron because of the words of Wei Shi Wei Pang. For this reason, Bai Yan did not hesitate to massacre all the people in Shiliting and the Song family, framed the blame for the rogue bandits, and took the Song family's cauldron. Pretending to be Jiuding..."
Kuangjing saw the appearance of those old men, nodded slowly, and then informed everyone in the main hall of the news he learned from Chu State.
"Is this actually happening?"
"Then Bai Yan is so violent?"
Hearing Kuang Jing's words, not only the white-haired old men, but also other men also frowned in surprise.
"This is absolutely true. Song Jin, the only remaining member of the Song family, saw with his own eyes that the Qin people massacred his clan, took away his nine tripods, and then placed the nine tripods in Si River. Now that he heard about Song and Jin, he fled to Chu Shouchun, who just escaped from the disaster, is still in Shouchun City."
Kuang Jing explained.
As Kuang Jing finished speaking, almost instantly, a man punched the table angrily and stood up.
"How unreasonable is it to assume that Bai Yan holds his Zhanlu? How can such an unkind and unjust person be worthy of the sword of benevolence and righteousness!!!"
Just when the man said his words, under Kuangjing's look, the man sneered knowingly.
"How can people who flood the beams be benevolent and righteous?"
The man shook his head.
As soon as the questions and answers were asked, almost all the men in the lobby immediately felt the same indignation. The old men with white hair looked at each other angrily, with determination in their eyes.
"Sir, Jiuding has entered Luoyang!"
At this time, another guard suddenly hurried into the main hall to report.
Seeing this, Kuang Jing quickly stood up and held his hands in front of everyone.
"Please don't spread the word about what happened today. Let's go! Everyone, let's go together and see what the 'Nine Cauldrons' Bai Yan found looks like!"
Kuang Jing said.
Kuangjing told the story of Song and Jin in the hope that these scholars would spread the word. He had already asked people not to tell it, but Kuangjing knew very well that once Jiuding left Luoyang, once he, Chen Lao, Tian Lao and others went to Xianyang , if he is not here, the news will be hidden sooner or later.
At that time, they had arrived in Xianyang, and people in Xianyang would spread the news about the Song family and Song Ding in Xianyang one day in advance.
"Walk!"
"Go and see that Song Ding!"
Seeing Kuang Jing's invitation, the others were already itching to refuse, so they stood up one after another, returned the favor to Kuang Jing, and motioned to go together.
Scenes like this happened in other places in Luoyang City. Some old people who had seen Jiuding gathered in Luoyin City from all over the country.
And on the streets of Luoyin.
At this time, all the people in Luoyin were looking at the big black cauldron in the distance. The wrapped cauldron required about thirty people to carry it with giant trees.
This scene made countless people take a breath.
"It's so big! Is that Jiuding?"
"It's so big! It's a pity that we can't see the rumored Kyushu map!"
"Don't think about it. The Nine Provinces Cauldron was presented by Bai Yan to King Qin Ying Zheng. Ying Zheng hasn't seen it yet, so how can the world see it!"
Amidst the noisy discussion, looking at the cavalry soldiers holding long swords and sharp swords along the way, as well as the city officials and Qin soldiers, everyone gave way one after another, not daring to stop them.
Looking at the frighteningly large cauldron, almost everyone exclaimed in surprise.
soon.
Some people on the second and third floors of the building frowned when they saw the size of the cauldron, but fortunately these people seemed to know something, so they tolerated the surprise in their hearts.
However, in the eyes of some old people, they looked at each other in surprise. They seemed not to have expected that the cauldron under the black cloth with the word Qin was not small. Unfortunately, it seemed that the cauldron should be wrapped with hay or the like to prevent collisions on the way. This made them It is impossible to see the specific edges and corners as well as the body and legs of the tripod.
However, when thinking about Shiliting and the Song family, every old man felt angry, looking at the fake tripod wrapped in black cloth with the word "Qin" on the street.
A fake tripod will always be a fake tripod! ! !
Inside Luoyang City.
Xun Shuo and Jiu followed Ran Wu to the mansion.
Uncle Bai, Bai Yan, and Bai Ping were all in the courtyard at this time. When they saw Xun Shuo and Jiu, Uncle Bai and others bowed their hands in greetings.
After Ran Wu's introduction, Xun Shuo learned that these people in front of him were all members of the Bai clan.
"Xunshi, Xun Shuo, I've met you all!"
Xun Shuo bowed his hands and said.
As soon as the words came out, not to mention Bai Ping, even Uncle Bai and Bai Yan all looked startled. After looking at each other, they looked at Xun Shuo and bowed their hands in a serious manner.
They had learned about Xun Shuo from Bai Yan's letters a long time ago. Now that they met, even the Bai family, Uncle Bai and Bai Yan did not dare to show any contempt or neglect.
The Bai family of Pingyang is famous because of Wu'an Jun Bai Qi, and Bai Qi is a military general, while the Xun family is famous because of the Confucianism and the great integrator. In the eyes of the world's scholars, their status is extraordinary, and they are now favored by Ying Zheng. Ting Wei Li Si, whom he trusted and was in charge of the laws and regulations of the Qin State, was his disciple.
Therefore, when meeting Xun Shuo, the origins of Bai Bo and Bai Yan, compared with Xun Shuo, may not necessarily be explained.
"When we heard about Jiuding, we will wait here, please!"
Uncle Bai spoke first.
In fact, when they came to Luoyang, it was not Jiuding's matter at the beginning. As for Jiuding, they originally planned to wait with Bai Yu in Xianyang. They never thought that under the arrangements of Feng and his father Bai Zhong, Bai Ping's matter would finally come to an end. result.
Bai Ping went to Luoyang and served as the chief official!
Compared with important positions such as county magistrate and county lieutenant, the chief official seems to have a lower status, but this is Luoyang, and the chief official is in charge of the advancement and retreat of the group of officials. It can be said that Bai Ping's official position may not seem high, but his real power is great. Moreover, it can not only win people's hearts and manage the relationship between Luoyang nobles and clans, but also lay the foundation for future promotion.
Therefore, everyone in the Bai family was very satisfied when they learned about this position. Uncle Bai and Bai Yan personally sent Bai Ping to take up the post, and also met Ran Wu by the way.
"please!"
When Xun Shuo saw Uncle Bai's invitation, he thought about it and extended his hand to signal.
……………………
Qi State Linzi.
As the news of the assassination of Qin Prime Minister Wei Zhuang spread in the city, it involved the diplomatic relations between Qi and Qin, and a slight mistake would lead to war. Therefore, martial law was enforced everywhere in the city, and Qi soldiers could be seen on the streets everywhere. , the figure searching everywhere.
Anyone whose background cannot be told or who is suspicious will be investigated by Qi soldiers. If the investigation fails, they will be arrested directly.
The same is true at the city gate.
Due to the tight security, more than 30 soldiers of the Qi State were carefully searching the passers-by under the city gate that used to be easily accessible. Looking from the bottom up, it was the Qi soldiers stationed in the city road above the city. The number of soldiers in the country was several times greater than in the past.
Many nobles and officials riding in the carriage could not help but complain, but in the face of searches and martial law, everyone had to endure it.
After all, it was the Prime Minister of Qin who was assassinated. No one wanted to have anything to do with such a serious matter. The person who would be used as a scapegoat would have no place to complain.
There are exceptions.
An exquisite carriage, escorted by Qi Qi, quickly arrived at the city gate. Facing the search, a fat middle-aged man walked out of the carriage.
If Shui Shou were here, he would tremble with fear when he saw the man, because this man was actually Tianjia who had ordered his legs to be broken before.
"Get out of the way! I am the royal family, do you want to search?"
Tian Jiu was getting fatter than before, and he obviously ate and drank as much as he could. However, Tian Jiu's face was full of impatience at this moment. It was obvious that if Qin Xiang had not been assassinated, Tian Jiu would not have rushed back to Linzi in such a hurry.
It's so nice to be in your own fiefdom, with beautiful women and good wine, and it's mostly comfortable.
"Don't dare!"
The soldiers guarding the city gate, who dared to block Tianjia, gave way one after another, and other people also stepped aside, for fear of offending this powerful man who they could never afford to offend in their lives.
not far away.
A middle-aged man waiting patiently on a carriage also saw this scene, but he was accustomed to it and patiently followed other carriages and waited.
"Zhan'er, how long will it take before we can enter the city?"
An old man's voice came from the carriage. Gongyang Zhan listened to his mother's words and quickly comforted his mother. There was still a while.
Looking at Linzi City in front of him, Gongyang Zhan also knew that his mother was homesick and wanted to enter the city earlier to see the places she had seen before and meet old friends.
Gongyang Zhan could understand his mother's thoughts, so he asked his brother Zhong to take his family to Dongyang first, while he took his mother to Linzi.
Thinking of what happened in the past, Gongyang Zhan's eyes were still full of horror when he looked at Linzi City.
Bai Yan!
Qin general Bai Yan was actually the grandson of his mother's old friend.
If he hadn't seen this with his own eyes, Gongyang Zhan would never believe that his Gongyang clan could actually be related to Bai Yan, a powerful minister of the Qin State and a favored minister of Yingzheng.
In Linzi City.
In the alley, in the dilapidated courtyard, Kaimata had just walked back to the courtyard when he saw his mother and wife looking at him inquiringly.
Seeing this, Mima could only shake his head helplessly.
"The city is still heavily guarded, and checks are being carried out everywhere. Many shops have been made difficult to make a living, and many other traders have been arrested. They are still unable to sell goods today."
Kasama walked to the yard and whispered. Looking at his mother's white hair, and then looking at his wife, Kasama was also a little worried.
So much time has passed, and I don’t know when it will end.
"It will pass!"
Kaimata nodded after hearing his mother's comforting words.
But at this time, there was suddenly the sound of heavy footsteps outside. Out of curiosity, Katama came to the door to look. Then he saw many soldiers holding long swords and swords, searching from house to house.
"Get away! Catch anyone who dares to block it!"
"sit down!!"
Kima looked at the residents in the alley being driven out of their homes. Under the scolding of the soldiers, they knelt on the ground and did not dare to move.
At this time, Kaimata also saw the leading general and several of his soldiers walking towards here.
Worried about his mother, and not daring to stop the soldiers, Kasama quickly opened the door and let the soldiers in to search.
"Search!"
The leading general, who was in his thirties, took a brief look at Kimata. When he saw the white-haired old woman and the frightened woman, he looked at the room and whispered an order.
However, compared with the residents outside, whether they are generals or other soldiers, they are much more polite and kind, and they do not throw everything around like outside, either kicking or throwing.
When Bai Yan's grandmother saw this, she didn't know that it must be Yan'er who gave instructions to the servants of Tian Mansion.
The Prime Minister of Qin was assassinated, and everyone was worried about being implicated. Once implicated, not even Tian Mansion would be in trouble, so seeing Yan'er not forgetting to worry about it, her grandmother also looked guilty.
At this age and with this body, I always feel that I am dragging down other people everywhere, not only the eldest son, but also Yan'er who has always been worried.
"Walk!"
There were not many things in the house, so the soldiers left quickly after checking them.
Seeing this, Kasama breathed a sigh of relief and looked at his wife. The wife hurriedly walked towards the room. When she saw the small bag containing dozens of coins in the corner of the coin, she was relieved.
"Mom, what's wrong?"
Kaimata nodded when he saw his wife coming out, and was about to speak when he suddenly noticed that his mother looked disappointed. He was worried about her, so he quickly asked.
"fine!"
The grandmother shook her head slightly at her eldest son. She seemed a little tired. She slowly came to a firewood and picked up the firewood that had just been knocked down. The old figure looked at the old figure, full of worry.
At this time, footsteps suddenly seemed to be heard outside. Kaimata thought that the soldiers had forgotten something, and he suddenly became nervous again.
However, this time, what surprised Yamata was that a man about his own age supported an old woman and slowly came to the small courtyard. These two people had never met and did not know each other at all.
