In Yanshoufang next to Chang'an West Market, there is a Gaoping Inn. In the upper east room on the second floor of the inn, three mysterious guests live. They leave early and return late every day.
It is said that they are scholars who came to take the imperial examination, but they don't look like businessmen. They are more like warriors. The three of them are tall and strong, move quickly, and carry knives and bows and arrows on their backs.
Of course, there were many such knights in the Tang Dynasty, and it is not surprising that they were like warriors.
In the evening, when the leading warrior came back from outside in a hurry, the shopkeeper came up to him and said with a smile: "Master Han, please stay!"
The leading warrior stopped and said coldly: "What's the matter with you?"
"I just want to remind you that according to internal security regulations, any out-of-town guest who stays for more than ten days must register again. It has been eight days now, and you will have to register again the day after tomorrow."
"Registering for what?" the samurai asked with a frown.
"When you first arrived, you only registered your name and place of origin. This is a daily registration and does not need to be handed over to the guards. It is just a registration at the inn. But after staying for ten days, you will have to register in detail, including your name, place of origin, and height.
, physique, physical characteristics, whether he carries weapons, what he is doing in Chang'an, etc."
"Does it matter whether you carry weapons?"
"Of course you have to take care of it. Whether or not you carry weapons is the key concern of the inner guards. Generally, scholars wear swords, but you are carrying a knife and a bow and arrow. The inner guards will definitely come to investigate."
"Then what?"
"If everything is fine after the internal security inspection, and you continue to live there, and if you live for another month and you are inspected by the internal security again, you will have to find a guarantee in Chang'an. This is the internal security regulation. If you register for the second time, I will ask you to
I have sent your information to the internal security guards."
"I don't want to deal with the government!"
"So I want to remind Han Zhuangshi in advance that you will have to register again in two days. Either register honestly, or change to another inn and start counting the time again!"
"I understand, thank you shopkeeper for reminding me!"
The leading warrior hurriedly came to his room, entered the room, closed the door and said, "Pack it up and get ready to move out!"
"Brother, what's wrong?" Both men were surprised.
"Just now the shopkeeper reminded me that if it has been more than ten days in Chang'an, it will need to be re-registered and sent to the internal security for registration. We are on the eighth day and must go to other inns to start the calculation again!"
"It shouldn't matter if you register again!" one of his subordinates scratched his head.
"idiot!"
The leading warrior cursed: "We have brought weapons and are the focus of attention. There will definitely be internal guards coming to investigate."
The three of them quickly packed their luggage, went downstairs to pay the bill, then got on the bullock cart and left.
The innkeeper didn't want to cause trouble, so he drove the three people away on the eighth day, but he didn't know that he had let go of a devil.
The leading warrior was Han Zaiyu, a famous assassin in Youzhou. He was the one who killed Shi Chaoqing. He was bribed by Zhu Si to assassinate Zhu Xicai as well. This time Zhu Si promised him 20,000 yuan to come to Chang'an to assassinate Li Ye or his son.
The two men have followed him for many years, and the three of them cooperate very well. These days, they are collecting all kinds of information about Li Ye and looking for various assassination opportunities.
Since Han Zaiyu is known as Youzhou's first killer, he naturally has his own merits. After being reminded by the shopkeeper, the first thing he did was to throw the sword into Caohe River, then take off the bow string and put it in a long bag.
, then go to the weapons store and buy a gorgeous long sword each. The sword is very sharp and the scabbard is very gorgeous. Then change into a Confucian robe and a plain scarf on your head. Buy a book box full of scriptures for your men to carry.
When you get up, you are no different from a scholar rushing to take the exam.
This time, Han Zaiyu moved into Shengyefang, which is close to the Qi Palace. He found a Yuelai Inn and rented a private courtyard. He looked like a rich young man coming to take the exam.
There are many advantages to living in a private courtyard. First, you will not be noticed by the scholars who come and go. Once you start chatting, he will be exposed. Secondly, the clerk will not push the door directly into the room to change the water. There is a yard as a buffer.
The guy would shout in the yard.
On the table were all kinds of intelligence collected in the past few days. Han Zaiyu said to his two subordinates in a deep voice: "Judging from the current situation, we usually don't meet Li Ye. He lives in the palace and comes directly from the palace."
If you go back to the official office, go straight back. There is no chance of assassination on the way, so we only have two opportunities, either wait for him to go out for inspection, or sneak into the palace."
One of his subordinates said: "Brother, we didn't even know he was out on patrol!"
"Here's the problem. We know nothing about his whereabouts, so we have only one way to sneak into the palace, wait for him to return to the palace, and assassinate him on the way."
Having said this, Han Zaiyu shook his head again, obviously he also thought this idea was unrealistic.
"Brother, is there any other way?"
"The method is good, but we know nothing about the defense within the palace, so our first step is not to consider assassination, but to study the palace. Once we have thoroughly studied the palace, we will have a method."
Just as he was talking, there was a noise outside, and it seemed that countless people were coming upstairs. The three of them were so frightened that they quickly threw the information on the table into the brazier, and several pages of paper quickly burned.
At this time, someone knocked on the courtyard door, "Mr. Han, open the door quickly!"
It was the voice of the clerk. His subordinates went out and opened the door. They saw the clerk leading a group of sergeants. The leading sergeant came in and said: "We are internal guards. We are doing a routine inspection. Please come out of the house. Put your money bag on you. We will leave other items."
They all need to be checked.”
Han Zaiyu came out and asked: "Do all the scholars staying in the inn have to be inspected?"
"Not at all! We must check the inns and tenants around King Qi. If you are afraid of trouble, you can live in a place far away from King Qi's palace."
Han Zaiyu cursed in his heart because the investigation was so strict. Fortunately, he was experienced and didn't carry any letters.
He asked his men to take out the money bag, and more than a dozen soldiers entered the house to search. The captain of the Shouchi Guards looked at him and asked: "Where does the young master come from?"
"Cangzhou, Hebei!" Han Zaiyu is from Cangzhou, Hebei.
"Zhu Si's territory?"
Han Zaiyu shook his head, "Now it is occupied by Tian Chengsi."
"You came to Chang'an to take part in the imperial examination?"
"Exactly! But I just stopped by to have fun, otherwise there would be no point in me coming so early."
The school lieutenant looked at his ID card and saw that it was the identity certificate issued by the Hejian County Government. 'Han Song, a scholar from our county, is coming to Chang'an to take part in the imperial examination. I hope to receive him!'
The captain returned Lu Yin to him and looked at his hand again, "Young Master is a martial arts practitioner?"
Han Zaiyu said calmly: "Hebei aristocratic families are all good at civil and military affairs, but the general doesn't even know this?"
"I didn't hear that!"
At this time, the searching soldiers came out and took out a few bows, "Colonel, I found this!"
Han Zaiyu said quickly: "Bows are not crossbows. Folks should be allowed to carry them!"
"It's okay, but yours is actually a riding bow, a bow used on the battlefield. How do you explain it?"
