It was dark all around, so Chang Ren judged it by touch at first and thought it was something gold or silver.
He handed the thing over: "I hope you two can be accommodating..."
The two people also thought that the thing was used to bribe them. One of them raised his eyebrows and scolded without thinking: "How dare you mess around here!"
As soldiers guarding the city, how could they make an exception just because of a mere bribe!
If you accept it here, what does it mean to consider the safety of the city?
What is the peak patrolling on the tower?
——Accepting bribes in front of Shangfeng, do you still want to get the job?
It was during this gap that Chang Ren could clearly see what was in his hand.
It turned out to be a fish-shaped bronze talisman, and the name written on it...
After Chang Ren was stunned for a moment, he looked slightly solemn, stopped bowing, and said to the two men again: "You two, please be accommodating."
The two soldiers looked at each other - how could this man be so stubborn!
The man standing in front stretched out his hand and snatched the object from Chang Ren's hand. He wanted to see what the other person was trying to do...
The soldier who had snatched the thing away and was about to throw it into the moat in front of Shangfeng's face suddenly froze -
His fingers trembled slightly, and apart from being surprised, he felt lucky - if his hand had been faster, he would have been thrown into the moat today!
The companion beside him had also seen the bronze talisman clearly, and moved his mouth, but did not dare to say anything, for fear of accidentally saying the wrong thing.
The soldier returned the bronze talisman with both hands and said in a low voice: "It's a villain who has no eyesight... I hope you can forgive me!"
Chang Ren put the bronze talisman away without hesitation and picked up the oar.
He didn't know whether he should forgive me or not. After all, he was not an adult.
The soldier asked in a low voice: "The water is deep and the sky is dark ahead. Do you need a lamp to guide the way?"
Chang Ren: "No need."
Extra things can easily leave clues, so it’s okay if you don’t follow the path.
"Yes." The soldier said respectfully: "Sir, walk slowly..."
Chang Ren rowed away.
As soon as this adult left, another adult came over.
"Why did you let people out of the city without permission? You know it's already curfew time!" the captain of the city gate, who was walking quickly down from the city tower, asked his subordinates sternly.
Don't think he didn't see that these two fools had just reached out and accepted the benefits offered by the boatman!
You dare to act like this in front of him, but you don’t know what kind of virtue you have behind your back!
"The captain doesn't know, that boatman is not an ordinary person..." The soldier quickly lowered his voice and explained: "The talisman he holds is half of the bronze talisman of Cui Dadu of Xuance Mansion..."
The captain's expression suddenly changed: "... Governor Cui's bronze talisman? Can you see it clearly?"
"My subordinates can see clearly!"
The captain looked towards the direction of the boat. This was in the capital, and no one dared to forge the bronze talisman of the general in Xuance Mansion.
But the other party acted so low-key and pretended to be an ordinary boatman...
And the Commander Cui who just left the city this afternoon was also dressed in regular clothes to hide his eyes from others...
Looking at this posture, could it be that they are investigating some secret official business that should not be publicized?
"Don't talk too much. Just pretend that we haven't seen any ships leaving the city tonight!" the captain told his two subordinates in a stern tone.
The Xuance Mansion is independent of the three provinces and six ministries. The only people who can interfere with the actions of the Xuance Mansion are the saints. It is not their turn to talk too much.
The two soldiers also knew the seriousness of this and hurriedly responded.
On the small broken ship that had gone away, Chang Ren couldn't help but ask: "Where did this bronze talisman come from?"
Azhi: "The girl gave it to me."
"Where did you get the girl?"
"Given by Governor Cui."
"..." Chang Ren: "Why did Governor Cui give his bronze talisman to the girl?"
Ah Zhi briefly recalled what Governor Cui said that day when he presented the bronze talisman to him at the back of Dayun Temple, and gave a summary: "It's convenient for girls to hit people."
Chang Ren: "..."
Suppressing the confusion in his heart, he could only ask: "Where are we going now?"
"Go to the village near the lake outside the city."
Chang Ren nodded and looked forward: "When you get close, take the people off the boat first. I will swing the boat to where the fishing boats gather, then go to Zhuangzi to look for you, and cover your tracks on the way."
Now that it has been done, it must be done cleanly. If the fish is not caught, it must be done beautifully.
Ah Zhi nodded in agreement.
"Who is this person?" Chang Ren turned his head and glanced at the woman in the cabin while maneuvering the boat. He couldn't hide his curiosity: "How do you know that you can pick up someone by staying there?"
Ah Zhi shook his head: "I don't know anything. These are the girl's confessions."
Chang Ren was speechless and asked no more questions.
In the meantime, Yuchi woke up in a daze: "Who are you..."
"Sorry." Azhi raised his hand and knocked the person unconscious again.
Chang Ren: "..."
Be polite, but don't delay in making your move.
…
At the same moment, in a mansion in the capital, a man sneaked in silently, followed a deserted path to a study, and climbed in through the wide open rear window.
The man saluted the people sitting in the study, with a complicated expression on his face: "...The female envoy in the eldest princess's mansion went out today, but disappeared after falling into the Xiqu River."
The man asked in confusion: "Why don't you do it?"
"There will be no time in the future." The man explained: "Just when my subordinates were about to take action, a group of beggars gathered around and begged. In the chaos, the female envoy fell into the water."
"The beggar..." the person sitting asked: "Is he really a beggar?"
"Yes." The man said, "My subordinates have confirmed that those beggars are not pretending."
"Is it such a coincidence?" The person in the chair thought thoughtfully: "If you rush into the moat along the river, it will be difficult to find the body..."
The man said anxiously: "Do you want to send a message back..."
"Don't worry yet." The person in the chair sighed and interrupted the man: "Let's try checking again and see if we can find anything suspicious... It would be nice to have an explanation when writing the letter.
"
After a moment, he thought to himself again and said: "If someone really planned this, who would do it...Who would be so interested in a crazy old man next to Princess Chongyue?"
The night breeze entered the room, and the flames flickered in the gauze lantern with the ink painting of bamboo and orchid, but no one answered this question.
…
The summer night wind also blew through the copper bell hanging outside the Tiannv Pagoda, and its Zen-like sound echoed in the night.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! In the tower, there is a tall and tall young man standing by the white marble pool, slightly raising his head and looking up at the statue of the goddess in the center of the pool.
Cui Jing arrived here before evening and stayed until now.
Not long after Wujue came in, his eyes fell on the tribute table and he couldn't help but said: "This chestnut is..."
All the tributes that were sent into this tower were fine or rare, such as those lychees. This was the first time that chestnuts, which could be seen everywhere, appeared.
"I heard Senior A Dian talk about it by chance," Cui Jing said.
Wujue smiled knowingly: "That's so..."
Your Highness likes chestnuts.
Governor Cui is an insider about the relationship between the goddess statue and His Highness, as well as the relationship between this Highness and that Highness.
When he originally set up this formation, Governor Cui was the one who had the opportunity shown by the hexagram. As a person of opportunity, he naturally knew everything.
The jade used for the statue was found by this young man from the Western Regions when he was still a young man.
"It's stuffy in the tower. Governor Cui, please go out with the poor monk to talk."
Cui Jing nodded.
The two of them came out of the tower, and the night wind rustled the green bamboo outside the tower.
"I've been curious about something for a long time." Perhaps the plate of chestnuts made Wujue feel that the young man next to him was more approachable, so he tried to ask: "Have Governor Cui... ever interacted with His Highness before?"
He always felt that the opportunity showed up would not be for nothing.
But the other party never mentioned it, so he didn't ask too much about it.
"Yes." The young man nodded.
Wujue looked at him, is it true?
"Cui was still young at that time." Cui Jing looked at the night ahead, and the memory that was so deep in his heart instantly took him from the hot summer nights to the snowy winter days.
He seemed to see his young self standing in the snow as a bystander, looking up at the man sitting on the horse.
His voice was slow: "When I was seven years old, I was in danger outside and was rescued by His Highness."
Wu Jue was startled: "Seven years old?"
Ordinarily, the dignified eldest grandson of the Cui family will always have someone to protect him even when he is away from home. How could he be in danger and need His Highness' help?
Seemingly aware of his confusion, Cui Jing said: "That year, Cui ran away from home, with only his mother's old servant by his side."
Absolutely surprised.
What a good guy, he actually started running away from home at the age of seven.
The co-author secretly joined the army when he was twelve years old. This was not the first time he had run away from home?
Tsk, he is a habitual criminal.
Jue looked at the young man's overly superior physique with emotion... This anti-bone appearance is really just an insult to his nature.
Regarding the intersection more than ten years ago, the young man seemed to have no intention of saying more, and then asked casually: "Today Cui seems to have seen the Meng Dong family who came to the Tailou -"
When he dismounted and entered the temple, he happened to meet the Meng Dong family leaving the temple.
Wujue smiled and nodded: "Yes, that Meng Dong family is also a believer in Buddhism... Today I came to offer incense, and the poor monk also accompanied me and talked about some Buddhism."
"Does Meng Dongjia have any connection with Dayun Temple?" Cui Jing asked.
Dayun Temple is a royal temple and non-clan members, officials and family members are not allowed to enter. The Meng Dong family should not be allowed to enter the temple.
"The origins are there, and they are quite deep..." Wujue said: "This is as deep as the fact that when the Dayun Temple and Tiannv Pagoda were built, the Meng Dong family contributed half of the money."
Cui Jing was silent.
For such a large sum of money, the origins are very deep.
Wu Jue said with a smile: "Meng Dong's family is a very pious businessman. Every time he comes, he will give a large amount of incense and money."
Therefore, in the eyes of outsiders, Meng Lie was very sensible and knew how to cling to the empress's party to win protection - after all, the business of climbing the tower was so big that it was inevitable that some people would be jealous.
This is the connection between Meng Dongjia and Dayun Temple in the eyes of the world.
As for the true origin, only he and Lao Chang know.
It was not appropriate to talk about this fact with the young people around me. He changed the topic and asked with a smile: "Speaking of Dengtai Tower, I wonder if Governor Cui has ever heard of the poetry meeting held by my daughter on the Dragon Boat Festival?"
It's a pity that he can't escape because he's guarding Dayun Temple. This cassock has become a shackle, otherwise he would have to drink two jars of wine.
"Cui was present that day."
"Oh?" Wujue looked at the young man beside him with some surprise, and then asked with a smile: "Coming from the perspective of Grand Governor Yi Cui, how is the painting like?"
Cui Jing: "Very good."
Wujue smiled and said, "It's great to be able to get a word from Governor Cui. It seems that my little girl is really something extraordinary now."
"Now?" Cui Jing caught these two words.
"Yes, this girl has really fulfilled the saying about women's eighteenth transformation..." Wujue said with emotion: "Now her face is getting more and more beautiful."
Cui Jing subconsciously asked: "Will your face also change?"
"Naturally." Wujue said with a smile: "The same person's face will be different when they are in adversity and good times. As the saying goes, the face comes from the heart, which means that the face of a person will change according to the situation and mood."
Cui Jing then asked: "Master, what you just meant is that Mrs. Chang's appearance has changed?"
Wujue nodded: "The face is also where the destiny lies. When the face changes, the destiny changes... Things in the world are interconnected. A thought will arise and disappear, and a different choice may lead to big or small changes."
Cui Jing thought.
Many images flashed before his eyes.
The girl drew her sword but failed, but she did not retreat under the attack of the giant elephant. She won the word "justice" for his strength in the shooting arena. She stood in the brightly lit building and painted a tiger with ink——
There was also the way she sat on the stone steps outside the building, quietly watching the two beggars eating steamed buns... and the way she told him so calmly that she wanted the world to know who Chang Suining was.
All these things are vividly visible at this moment.
Different choices will bring about big and small changes, and thus gradually change the appearance...
So, does she have many different choices than before?
For example, not many people knew who Chang Sui Ning was in the past, but now Chang Sui Ning wants to become famous——
Why are there suddenly different choices?
There had been such a turning point in his life - it was because he met a person and learned about that person's deeds. This process allowed him to get some kind of enlightenment and guidance from him, and that guidance resonated with him.
A giant pine tree, as tall as a canopy, took root in his heart, and from then on he no longer moved forward in confusion.
Since then, for more than ten years, this ambition has not changed, and there will be no change or wavering in the future.
I wonder what her turning point will be?
Did you meet someone important or experience something important?
He was a little curious, but had no intention of prying too much.
Since she had said that they were friends, or if one day she wanted to talk about it, he would not hesitate to listen.
"Will Governor Cui go back to the city today?" Wu Jue's voice interrupted Cui Jing's thoughts.
"The curfew has been restored tonight." Cui Jing said: "Cui wants to stay in the temple for one night."
Wujue nodded with a smile on his face, but complained endlessly in his heart.
Every time this young man stayed overnight in the temple, he would be invited to talk about Buddhism, sometimes even all night long!
So what about the curfew? The dignified general of Xuance Mansion should also make appropriate use of some privileges. Really!
Before leaving the pagoda courtyard, Cui Jing glanced at the weeds growing beside the bamboo forest.
…
That night, A'che led Xiao Duan and Xiao Wu to hang out among the beggars in the city until late at night. They came back from the back door of Chang's Mansion at dawn the next morning.
Ah Che went back and changed into clean clothes, then hurried to the martial arts arena to meet Chang Sui Ning.