In the first year of Xianqing (656 AD), the 14th day of the twelfth lunar month, two hours of the lunar calendar.

In the Puningfang, Chang'an City, the southwest corner of Sikong Mansion, the vermilion gate is closed. The whistle blows across the north, rolling up the dead leaves on the roadside, and the coldness is biting. The black horse is sniffing, and the sniff is lying on the north side of the owner, and his body blocks the north wind.

Cui Xiaoqing knelt under the wall, rolled up cloth with her back, shrank her neck and clamped her arms, and shivered. She blew hot air into her palms, rubbed her hands constantly, and her lips were frozen purple. After going through hardships in Wuzhou, she finally collected the letters of the people at the end of November and received a secret letter from the queen.

The fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month was like a bolt from the blue. She didn't care about her sadness and her tears had already dried up. She sewed the book of Wanmin overnight, and entrusted Di Renjie to the whole person to grow up. She ate dry food when she was hungry, drank alcohol when she was thirsty, and slept on the horse's back when she was sleepy, and traveled day and night.

More than 1,500 kilometers were all due to fighting spirit and perseverance. Finally, three days ago, she arrived in Chang'an City. She did not go to the Martial Palace or see the queen, so it would be useless. Because the master once said that he could only beg Li Ji that if he was willing to help, he could delay the execution time.

After being turned away several times, Sikong's mansion closed the door directly, but he had no choice but to kneel outside the door for a visit. No one responded or asked for advice. He knelt for two days and two nights. He was the stepping stone with sincerity, but it was still useless. Only the Li family's young lady secretly sent some food.

Tomorrow, the West Market asked the sneer, and I was not in the mood to eat, wiped my lips and nose, and looked at the door speechlessly. At about noon, the wind became stronger and stronger, and my body shrank into a ball, and the monkey couldn't help coughing. At this time, the corner door opened, and Yuanniang sneaked out quietly, holding the hot tea cup.

Xiaoqing wiped away her tears and said thank you with difficulty. She held the teacup to keep warm, and her shoulders trembled even more. Her face was as pale as paper, her hair was extremely messy, and her nose was red with cold. Her eye sockets were deep in the sockets, her eyeballs were covered with bloodshot, and she was haggard.

Yuanniang felt sad, picked her hair and leaves, and squatted in front of her, and persuaded her: "You'd better go home. My father won't see you. I just went to plead with mercy and scolded me fiercely. My uncle told me that Wumao was too sinful and no one would plead with mercy."

Xiaoqing shook her head firmly. Without her husband, there would be no home. Yuan Niang rubbed her eyes, picked up an empty teacup, stroked Doudeng's mane, and said for a moment: "I will go to beg for my eldest father again. If he is determined, no one can do anything. The old housekeeper just said that it may snow tonight, and you are not strong without a martial cat, so you will definitely not be able to stand it."

Unresponded, Yuan Niang sighed and ran into the corner door quickly. She threw the teacup to the butler and ran to the study room. Someone in the room spoke, which was the voice of the eldest father and uncle. She tiptoed to her ears, pressed against the crack in the door, and listened with breath and concentration.

Li Siwen was very excited and talked endlessly: "He is dedicated to Zezhou, helping his elder brother make great contributions and solve the urgent problem. In August this year, the Xuanshui River broke the dike in Jincheng County, Zezhou, and flooded tens of thousands of fertile land. Due to the war in the Western Turkic Republic, the imperial court could not provide relief, and the people gathered to be thieves."

Li Ji frowned slightly, recalled carefully for a long time, and nodded gently. Because the people had no food, they had no choice but to gather as thieves, robbed the Xuanshui merchant ship, and even ransacked the county town. To the south of Jincheng County, there was the towering Taihang Mountain and the steep Malao Mountain. Every time the officers and soldiers surrounded and suppressed the enemy, they hid deep, waited for the officers and soldiers to leave, and continued to go out to loot.

Zhen'er was the governor of Zezhou. He was under great pressure on his shoulders and once wrote a letter to me to ask for advice. In mid-October, the seven prefectures of Zezhou were dispatched, and several times were in siege and failed. The saint Long Yan was furious and sent envoys to instruct Zhen'er that if he had not been a slut, he would have lost his post and dismissed.

Thinking of this, he became interested, took a sip of warm wine, and said lightly: "The thieves are cunning, with mountains as the foundation, and steep mountains as the camp. The officers and soldiers surrounded and suppressed them, broke into pieces, and the officers and soldiers dispersed, gathered to cause trouble. The boy who was dedicated to Zezhou was not long after he went to Zezhou, and his eyes were still dark. How did he solve it?"

Li Siwen replied: "Due to insufficient food and grass, the seven palaces failed to encircle and suppress the enemy, and they had no choice but to leave Jincheng. The thieves came to the fore and thousands of people gathered in Tianjing Pass to attack Zezhou City. The militia waited and watched, their morale was extremely depressed, and their elder brother was in a panic. They found their elder brother and promised that as long as they were with them, they could solve the thieves."

Li Ji narrowed his eyebrows and thought for a long time, but he couldn't think of any plan. Li Siwen brought the wine pot and filled the wine to the grandfather, and continued to tell: "Jingye told his elder brother that he would go to the Tianjingguan to negotiate in person, and persuade the thieves to disperse with his three-inch tongue. He frightened his elder brother and disagreed no matter what he said. He locked him up, but he sneaked out."

Li Siwen was very excited: "One horse left the city, went straight to the gate of the thieves and ran to the nest of the thieves. The governor's seal was revealed and said, "You are the people, and you have to gather together in order to fill your stomach. The court has already pardoned you, so go home quickly. If you don't go back, you will not be able to catch up with the fishing season in the Xuanshui River."

The so-called fishing time is when the cold water is frozen in winter, a large number of fish froze in the ice layer, and the people are chiseling soldiers to get the fish. A large number of raw fish fill their stomachs and wait until the relief grain arrives, which should not be a problem. Li Jilu expressed his gratitude. This kid is strategy and can grasp the key to the problem.

Li Siwen continued: "He found the leader and blamed them for not surrendering early. Each of them beat forty strikes. At the same time, he spoke, and the person who left was the real thief, who wanted to start a blow. As a result, thousands of thieves actually threw away their weapons and rushed down the mountain. Grandpa, tell me, are they not bloody, are they brave and resourceful?"

Siwen smiled and suddenly saw the grandfather's face sank. He quickly restrained his smile and served him carefully. Li Ji covered his cup with his hands, his eyebrows were clumps, and he looked up and shouted to the door: "Yuan Yuan, go outside and invite the wife of Chu, and the eldest father is waiting for her here."

There was a scream outside the door, sounding very excited, and his footsteps disappeared instantly. Li Siwen looked doting on his face, and soon realized something was wrong, and asked carefully: "Siwen dares to ask Grandpa, why did he change his mind? Wu Kang is very disrespectful. If he pleads rashly, it will be unfavorable to the reputation of the Li family."

After a moment of silence, Li Ji sighed: "Be dedicated, brave and resourceful, and go to the thief's nest alone. To put it nicely, it's extremely courageous, it's too reckless. If you can succeed this time, it may not be necessary next time. The Li family does not need to be enterprising, but also needs to stabilize the family business. As a father, he will not be like him. If he destroys the Li family in the future, he will definitely be dedicated."

Siwen was dumbfounded, and her forehead was cold sweat fell, feeling that it was reasonable. She was too reckless and mistakenly attacked Wu Kang's trick. She beat Changsun and made a big grudge between the two families. Thinking of this, she whispered: "Grandpa, what does it mean to help Wu Kang this time, and the Li family will suffer in the future. Can he help?"

Li Ji held his long beard with an unusual tone: "That day, after the Empress appeared in the Hall of Political Affairs, it can be seen that his relationship with the Empress is very strong. Wu Kang and the Empress have a deep relationship. If they can survive this disaster, they will be in power in the future. For my father, I have a premonition that as long as I help Wu Kang, even if I rebel with my professionalism, he can protect the Li family."

Siwen was struck by lightning, her face was full of disbelief, and she could not rebel. Sweat was oozing from her forehead, and the grandfather's eyes were fierce, and he was always aimless. The boy was very handsome... At this moment, outside the door, Yuan Niang shouted, "Mrs. Chu is leaving."

Li Jishua stood up, turned his head to look at Li Siwen, who focused his attention and ran out of the study. After about half an hour, he returned dejectedly: "Looking for Puningfang, looking for Wufu and Xiuzhenfang, but he didn't find his wife. Wu Kang asked for a killing tomorrow, only the Grandpa and the Grand Marshal could delay the time. She went to find Changsun Wuji?"

He didn't know how to find Changsun Wuji, Li Ji shook his head decisively, picked up the wine glass on the table, and suddenly froze in the air. Thinking of that possibility, he was both shocked and regretful. After thinking about it for a long time, he felt that there was no other way. But that kind of way would definitely die, and Wu Kang couldn't stand it.

Is it God's will that missed this opportunity? I slowly stood up, walked out of the study, and looked at the direction of Dali Temple. Outside the main entrance of Dali Temple, Dou Gong stood proudly in front of the closed door. Xiaoqing focused on watching, her pale face as pale as paper, climbed up a hint of warmth.

Wu Kang, who was sleeping, suddenly opened his eyes, turned over and jumped off the brick bed. He ran to the prison door barefoot, held the fence tightly with his hands, and stared at the opposite wall. After a few minutes, he slowly closed his eyes, let go of his hands, and covered his chest tightly. Standing straight, his heart was in tune with a warm smile.

The footsteps of the corridor sounded, instantly breaking the mood, and anger surged upwards. The emperor's scalp was numb, his eyes were filled with horror, and he trembled with the keys, and tiptoed to unlock the lock. After a long time, Wu Kang retracted his murderous aura, clasped his fists perfunctorily, and sat back to the bed.

Seven prisoners came in, and the prison minister directed and shouted, quickly cleaned up the toilet. He asked to go, cleaned the hay on the ground, blocked the mouse hole. He placed the table beside the bed, wiped it over and over, and moved two low stools. The table was covered with jade and silk, and placed more than a dozen dishes, and a five-pound wine jar.

The dishes were very rich, all of them were meat, even beef. It was steaming, and Wu Kang was satisfied with this silenced rice. The prison guard brought the wooden barrel, and the prison minister held a tray with yellow satin on it, and placed it next to the wooden barrel. Ivory white jade chopsticks, fluorite green wine glasses, and two pairs.

Everything was ready, the prison chief took the prison guard out and four palace maids came in. They took out the slender silver needles, checked each dish, and bowed and left. With such a big reliance, it was that person who came. Since they moved into the cell, they had never seen her.

A beautiful figure appeared soon, and Wu Kang raised his eyebrows, which was incredible. The dignified Empress Wu was dressed as a palace maid, which was a bit interesting. She grinned and laughed seriously, saying, "Mei Niang is just a maid in this outfit, but it's a pity that she has no sense of temptation for the uniform."

Mei Niang rolled her eyes and ordered the guard to leave. She walked to the edge of the bed. She stretched out her slender hands, combed her hair in her temples, and gently brushed her ears behind her ears. Suddenly, she twisted her ears, rotated counterclockwise, and gritted her teeth and said, "Why are you so cruel, why are you leaving me? Who do you want me to rely on? Damn fang, I can't twist you to death!"

The style is wrong. This is not a maid, but a domineering queen. Wu Kang grinned and quickly beg for mercy: "Good aunt, please spare me, this is not a cat's ear, it's useless to twist it off. Oh, don't twist it. I just felt that Xiaoqing is outside. Have you seen it?"

The force disappeared instantly, and Mei Niang shook her head in shock. Wu Kang was very disappointed and shook her head and sighed lightly, perhaps an illusion. Moving to the side, Mei Niang leaned back on the bed, raised her legs, and pressed her thighs. The quilt was pressed against the wall, and the back was leaning against the quilt, with a lazy expression: "Only by your side can you relax completely, it feels very comfortable."

The posture was very ambiguous, Wu Kang curled his lips, not afraid of Li Jiu being jealous. Yu Guang glanced at the prison door, gradually lowered his face, and said with a firm word: "Qian Shun and Pinglang, and the three hundred security guards, are all lurking in the capital. Qian Shun once said that it would rob Dali Prison, but it has not happened yet, and I am even more worried."

Mei Niang sat upright, widening her eyes, unbelievable. Wu Kang focused heavily and pondered for a few breaths and said, "I understand them in the friendship of life and will not give up. If what I expected is not bad, they will be foolish in the West Market execution ground tomorrow and may rob the justice ground."

Knead her thighs, soothe her meridians, and continue to analyze: "Pinglang will choose a shop, hide on the second floor of the store, and look directly at the execution ground with the window. His archery technique penetrates the sun in a hundred steps, and easily shoots the executioner, which is also a signal. The security guard creates chaos. If it is expected, it will ignite the alcohol jar, create a sea of ​​fire or an explosion."

He stopped his hand and gently pinched his chin with his right hand, continuing to analyze: "They rescued me, and before the city gate was closed, they escaped from Chang'an City, and fled south. This is a sound attack from the east and west. Those more than 300 brothers will use their lives to attract the attention of officers and soldiers."

Speaking of this, he smiled helplessly: "The most dangerous place is also the safest. Qian Shun and Pinglang will keep me in Chang'an, wait for the calm and then make other plans. These bastards were led by me, and they are all very bold... Hey, why are you crying?"

Wu Kang was speechless, stretched out his hand to wipe his tears, and his palm was patted. The two of them met with each other, and Mei Niang said softly: "Until this moment, I am still thinking about me, not letting money go to them, and damaging my status. Kang Lang told me that we have no blood relationship, so why do we treat me like this? I want to hear the truth."

It's really hard to answer. Wu Kang pondered for a long time and crawled up to his face with a wry smile: "I have lost my mother in my two lives and have never enjoyed maternal love. So I am extremely eager to develop a strong attachment to a slightly older, mature and steady woman. In terms of professional terms, it is love. The mother's complex, a very deformed mentality."

Wu Kang became interested and blinked and said softly: "Li Jiu is similar to me. The plot is very serious and he can hardly extricate himself. When Empress Changsun passed away, Li Jiu was only eight years old and was taken by Emperor Taizong and was extremely lacking in maternal love. So when facing his elder sister, he naturally fell in love with him at first sight and then became deeply attached."

Mei Niang was stunned for a while, spat hard, rolled her eyes and said, "You little bastard, you are sloppy and dislike me. I am thirty-two years old this year, only eleven years older than you, and I am my sister and not my mother. But then again, except Cui Xiaoqing, the women around you are older than you. They like to hook up with women, such as Princess Xincheng, and your Yuan sister."

I can't take the blame. I didn't hook up with Wu Shun. Wu Kang felt embarrassed, so he changed the topic: "Let's get back to the point and use your ability to stop Qian Shun. But you can't make a statement. They are elites in a hundred battles, so you have to find a way to conquer. Being your confidant like Chu Shenke will be of great benefit to you."

Mei Niang didn't comment, she got out of bed and walked to the table, untied the mud of the wine jar, and poured wine into the pot. She tried her best to make Wu Kang laugh, got up and snatched the wine jar, raised her head and poured it into the jar. She sat on the stool, wiped her mouth with her big sleeves, and laughed: "It's great to drink like this, sit down and eat with me, I'm so hungry."

Put down the wine jar, grab a piece of beef, open your mouth and bite it. Since I came to Datang, I have never eaten beef, which is a crime. As for the cows that died of illness, I dare not eat them, nor do I like them. I eat meat, drink wine, and stuff them into my stomach.

It felt a bit ridiculous. In Wuzhou, whenever he was killed in prisoners after autumn, he would accompany them to eat the food of their heads. They swallowed them voraciously, crying while stuffing their mouths without using chopsticks at all. Once, they were despised, and stretching their heads was a knife, and shrinking their heads was a knife. What's the use of crying?

At this moment, I put myself in my shoes and couldn't help but burst into tears. I stood and talked without ache. My stomach was so full that I was full of wine and meals, and when I was full of tears, Mei Niang got up and left the table, walked to him, held him in her arms, and blamed herself softly: "It's my sister who is useless, she has no right in her hands and no ability to save you, I'm sorry for you."

Wu Kang opened his heart: "I used to think I would be very strong, but now I realize that I am just a coward and I don't even have the courage to commit suicide. All my debts owed to my parents in my life have been paid back. Xiaoqing and Nao Nao, including my Erya, can rest assured with your care."

Stop crying, and have a yearning for me: "I have no regrets in this life. Now I just hope that after noon tomorrow, I will return to my previous life. Go back to my father, throw away the goddess of bright moon, and pursue Li Lingyue. That little fat man, who has a crush on me for a few years, will definitely agree. When I get married and have children, I will support my father in old age and see you off, and my life will be complete."

Mei Niang slowly lowered her head, pressed her chin against her hair bun, and comforted her softly: "I don't understand some words, understand the general meaning, your wish will come true. Kang Lang should not be sad, take a shower and change your clothes, sister will comb your hair."

Wu Kang nodded, Mei Niang let go of her hand and turned away from the cell. Soon the eunuch came over, carrying a wooden barrel in her hand, and heated water into the bathtub. After feeling the water temperature, the palace maid brought the basket and sprinkled petals into it. Open the dressing box and fixed the bronze mirror. After preparing everything, they left the prison door and kept in the cell.

There were only two people left in the room. Mei Niang came to untie her belt. Wu Deng was confused. It would be bad. Before she could speak, her eyes rushed over and shut up in embarrassment. Her clothes fell off, revealing her muscles and scars, which were all left when she fought.

Mei Niang was about to cry, gently stroked the scars on her chest, and kept calling him a fool. Wu Kang curled his lips awkwardly, sat in the bathtub, enjoying the queen's service. After thinking for a moment, he said his last words at the end of his life: "Every step in the palace, if you take a wrong step, you will never be able to get rid of it. Be careful of the three people, your mother Yang, Wu Shun and Minyue."

The smooth and tender slight pause, Wu Kang smiled slightly: "The one who has the ability to harm you is often the closest person. If you don't care about yourself, you will be punished by heaven and earth, remember it in your heart. You must also be vigilant about Li Jiu. Men have aesthetic fatigue. If you face a woman for a long time, even if you are charming in the country, you will be boring."

He said twice and continued: "In the foreign ministers, Di Renjie and Zhang Jianzhi are both talents of the prime ministers. Especially Di Renjie, whose personality is similar to me, can be loyal to you and can be fully trusted. As for Zhang Jianzhi, he can use his talents and must not be intimate. There is also Luo Binwang, who is too macho, so don't promote him."

Mei Niang whispered, unbuttoned his hair, washed his messy long hair. After taking a shower, she changed into clean clothes and dressed up in front of the bronze mirror. Her hair was tied up high, she inserted a mutton fat hairpin, and pulled him up. She looked carefully, smacked her lips, and slapped her head and said: "Although she is not handsome, she is brave, but she is too murderous."

Wu Kang touched the scar on his cheek and said indifferently: "Men don't rely on their faces, they have to rely on their ability to make a living. They hate those sissiests the most, like women. Mei Niang, it's getting late, you should go back to the palace quickly. Remember my words, take Chu Shenke tomorrow to stop Qian Shun and Pinglang."
Chapter completed!