Chapter 128 Chapter 26 Snow Shadow Murder

Chapter 26 Snow Shadow Murder in the Fourth Part of the Northern Han Dynasty At the beginning, in the twenty-seventh year of Wuwei, Ding Chou, Taizong succeeded to the throne, Gaozu abdicated, and was respected as the Supreme Emperor. With Gaozu still alive, the imperial edict was issued to continue to use the Wuwei reign name. At the end of the year, all the officials wrote to ask for a change of the reign title to show the holiness, and Emperor Taizong promised it. ——"Yong History.Taizong Benji" In Wuyin, the first year of Longsheng, on the seventh day of the first lunar month, it was clear after the snow, and it was very cold. Before the fifteenth day, all businesses had stopped, and there were very few pedestrians on the road.A small wild shop next to the official road has wine flags on display. The shopkeeper Hu San added a few pieces of charcoal to the stove, and leaned listlessly by the counter to take a nap. This new year has passed very smoothly. , Zezhou has no obvious foreign aggression, and there is an endless stream of travelers returning home from all over the country. His business is very good. He planned to wait until next spring to repair this dilapidated shop. The Bodhisattva refused to bless him, and lost most of the money. His wife returned to her natal home in a fit of anger. Hu San regretted it, but couldn't bear to bring his wife back, so he had to open the business early with a sad face, hoping to meet some wealthy guests. , or earn a few taels of silver to please his wife.

Just as he was drowsy from the fire, suddenly there was a loud sound of horseshoes in his ears. Hu San was shocked, and he didn't care about the cold wind blowing through his bones. He opened the shop door and looked out, only to see snow in the north. Fei Yang, twelve knights rushed forward guarding a carriage.Hu San looked desperately, and not long after, those people were already several miles away, one of them rode out from the crowd, whipped his horse fast, and in an instant the flying horse arrived in front of the door, and the knight on the horse pointed at Hu San with his whip and asked: Good wine, is there anyone idle in the store?"

Hu San said flatteringly: "Guest officer, don't worry, the wine in this shop is famous far and wide, strong and mellow, there are no customers in the shop, even a young man has gone back to celebrate the New Year, the shop is clean and warm, the uncle has traveled a long way in these nine cold days, why not Come in and have a few drinks to keep you comfortable." The knight in the black cloak took off his hood, revealing a resolute and sturdy face. He got off his horse, ignored Hu San, and walked to the shop. Standing at the door, he saw that the inside was very spacious, although the tables and chairs were simple, But it was quite clean, nodded in satisfaction, and said: "My lord wants to be a top student here, and you have to take good care of him."

Hu San's eyes were very sharp. As early as when the knight got off his horse, he could see clearly that under the cloak was a fine black riding suit, and his upper body was wearing exquisite black soft armor. He wore a horizontal knife at his waist. He knew that he was not ordinary, and with the combat boots on his feet, he knew that he was a general in the army without asking, and when he heard that he had an adult who wanted to take good care of him, Hu San was overjoyed. As long as he is considerate in his service, he will definitely not give less money.He said very neatly: "General, the stable behind the small shop is very spacious, and the pasture is all good quality. The villain is going to light the stove, so that the general's horses will not catch cold."

The knight waved his hand and said: "Go quickly, and bring up the good wine and meat in a while." At this time, other people had also arrived, and the knight walked quickly to the front of the carriage and reported: "My lord, you can sharpen the inside, please show me." A clear voice came from inside the carriage and said: "The journey is hard, let's rest for an hour, but don't drink too much wine." Those knights promised loudly, and got off their horses one after another.One of the knights dropped the bloody game from his horse, and said: "Shopkeeper, we will take care of the horses ourselves, and you can make some small dishes with these pheasants and rabbits, and bring them to my lord." Hu San repeatedly agreed.

At this time, the young man in Tsing Yi who was driving the carriage jumped out of the carriage, and then opened the curtain to help a scholar in Tsing Yi.Under Hu San's attentive guidance, the two entered the shop and sat down at a table that was leeward and warm.And those knights quickly led the horses on the carriage and the mounts of those knights to the stable without Hu San intervening, and they even took the fodder themselves.After one knight was left to guard the stable, the other knights entered the shop, greeted the scholar in Tsing Yi, and then sat down in all directions. Hu San moved extremely fast. At this moment, he had already filled the table with the prepared bacon pancakes and shochu. Hu San was so busy that he was sweating, but he saw the satisfied expressions on the faces of the guards. I can't help being happy.After a while, Hu San made some small dishes with the game brought by the guests and put them on the table of the scholar in Tsing Yi. Taking a peek, he saw that the scholar in Tsing Yi's complexion was slightly red, as if he had drunk a few glasses of wine, but The bacon was delivered barely touched.Moreover, the wine he drank was not the strong wine in his own shop. At some point, there was a blue and white porcelain jar on the table, and a simple wine glass made of unknown material, which looked like jade but not jade.In addition, there is another food box, which contains some exquisite snacks. The outside of the food box is covered with thick fur, and the cakes seem to be steaming.

Hu San put the wild game on the table, and the young man in Tsing Yi who was sitting on the side took out silver bowls and chopsticks from another box beside him, put them in front of the scholar, tasted every dish, and said: " Please use it, son." The scholar in Tsing Yi just started eating, and Hu San was dumbfounded. Although he was well-informed, he was only guarding a small restaurant after all, and he had never seen such a scene. After being busy for more than half an hour, Hu San finally took a break. The knights had already swept away the wine and meat like a storm, and then they chatted in low voices while drinking slowly.After the meal, the scholar in Tsing Yi picked up a book and read it fascinated. Hu San knew that these people probably had to rest for half an hour, so he hurriedly brought over two jars of wine. One of them seemed to be the leader of the knight shaking his head. , Said: "No need, if you are drunk, it will be difficult to travel, you can fill up our wine bag." As he spoke, he threw a wine bag on the table, and the other knights also untied their wine bags from their waists. Put the pouch on the table.Hu San calculated while pouring wine, each wine bag can hold at least two catties of wine, just counting today's wine and meat, it is already a big deal.After loading it, Hu San did the math, but there were only eleven wine bags, and he couldn't help but peek at it because he was surprised. It turned out that there was a knight sitting in the corner from the beginning, and he didn't sit with other knights. Hu San Almost ignoring him, after paying attention, he realized that the man turned out to be a boy of seventeen or eighteen years old.Hu San wondered, the northern land was very cold, and everyone loves spirits, why this young knight didn't drink, and looked a few more times, the young knight seemed to notice his gaze, and gave him a cold look.Hu San could only feel his heart trembling. The young man's expression was cold, and his eyes were even more murderous. Although Hu San was not a soldier, he had struggled in the chaos of war for many years. He understood that look very well. It was a kind of With deep hatred and crazy murderous eyes.

I drank the light wine slowly. I can't bear too mellow spirits, and I feel a little ashamed to say it. A few days ago, I thought about the approaching anniversary of my father's death, and wanted to make a sacrifice at Wanfo Temple, but who knew I hadn't Once the trip is completed, the imperial court will send envoys to reward the three armies. Naturally, I, the supervising army, will not be able to get away.After the new year was finally over, I had time, and I didn't care that it was less than fifteen, so I took Xiao Shunzi and a few personal guards to Wanfo Temple.His Royal Highness King Qi also wanted to accompany me to see it, but I declined.I glanced at the lonely figure in the dark corner, and I felt a bitterness in my heart. It's a pity, even if I simply paid homage to my deceased father, I couldn't help but be scheming. This time I brought Ling Duan on purpose to give him a chance to escape. .

After the drastic change many days ago, after Li Hu was forcibly taken away by King Qi's subordinates, Ling Duan became like this, silent, indifferent and hateful, but I have nothing to do about this matter, I can't intentionally let him see any documents and information, It is easy for an idiot to know that there is a trick in it. This is the only way to let Ling Duan know the fact that Quartz's old department has all been silenced, so that when he returns to Beihan and cooperates with other things, he will think of the possibility of Quartz's "betrayal" , This is a very important move in my plan. If I want to eradicate quartz, this is an indispensable evidence.

Among the generals under Long Tingfei's command, Su Dingluan and Tan Ji are already dead, only Shishi and Duan Wudi are left. I decided to target Shishi because Duan Wudi is good at defending and acting cautiously, so he must be a shrewd person. His subordinates, superiors can rely heavily on them, but they are hard to trust. In addition to the information we have obtained, Quartz is indeed Long Tingfei's favorite general. In this way, dealing with Quartz will not only alienate Long Tingfei's confidants, but also his confidants. Betrayal will also severely damage Long Tingfei's confidence.For this reason, I can't care about Ling Duan's mood anymore.

Looking at Ling Duan, I suddenly thought of Tan Ji. King Qi once copied to me a song that Tan Ji sang when he was dying. It is too sad and depressed, but it is also written with painstaking efforts.After chanting it in my heart, I suddenly stood up and walked out of the store. Hu Yanshou, who was in charge of guarding Jiang Zhe, stood up in surprise, and was about to ask questions, but Xiao Shunzi who followed him waved his hand and said, "Young master, I'm just going out to catch my breath, so you don't have to follow." Although he said this, Hu Yanshou still He greeted another guard and followed him out.Ling Duan's heart moved, and he also got up and followed out. He knew that although Jiang Zhe was quite generous to him, the guards were very wary of him, so he stood far away, watching Jiang Zhe standing in the snow, looking up at the sky with his hands behind his back. , I don’t know what to think about.Ling Duan touched his waist, his hatred deepened, but he could only wait patiently. At this time, Jiang Zhe suddenly let out a voice and sang: "The inhumanity of the sky brings chaos, and the inhumanity of the earth makes me meet at this time. The sun is blocked by swords, the roads are dangerous, and the people are in exile. They mourn together. The leaves are dry and the branches are dry, and the bones are full of knives and arrows. The sky is covered with snow, the heart is cold, the blood of the strong man is congealed in the deep river. The sun is dark and the wind is sad, and the sound is everywhere. Looking at the clouds and mountains, you can’t see the hometown. Thousands of miles are drifting, and the body is involuntary. Day and night, I don’t think about my hometown. The world is not peaceful, and the people are How much I hate it. Although I live in peace, I often hear sighs. I am a sage, and I do many injustices. I am a disabled family and a country, and there are many people who complain about me. If I live without hope, I will return to the south. When I die, I will be buried by the Chu River.” Ling Duan listened intently, although some sentences were hard to understand, but he could feel the sorrow and pain in the singing, and heard "It is the sage who does many injustices, and the disabled people blame me a lot" At the time of these two sentences, Ling Duan couldn't help crying, thinking of the general and his former colleagues, and thinking of Li Hu who was so straightforward and confused, the hatred in his heart almost made him unable to bear that thin figure standing in front of him, reaching out to touch him. Duan Ge, with a murderous intent in his eyes, or, just risk your life, even if you die here, it is better than this pain. Just when Ling Duan's mind was about to be confused, there was a faint sound of the zither in the wilderness. , although the sound of the piano is weak, it is continuous, and everyone can hear it clearly. At some time, snowflakes floated in the sky again, and the sound of the piano is gradually approaching, and the more and more sad tunes make the whole world seem to be filled. There was a desolate and bleak breath. The sound of the zither seemed to be full of temptation, causing hatred and fanatical murderous intent to arise out of nowhere in the heart. At this time, other guards also stepped out of the wild store, looking vigilantly at the direction of the sound, but everyone was worried. The warriors on the battlefield who are like iron and stone will naturally not be moved by the sound of the piano, but instead show a look of vigilance in their eyes. Xiao Shunzi frowned slightly. He could tell that the sound of the piano contained profound internal force. The player who played the piano was not only proficient in rhythm, but also a master insider. Naturally, he would not be moved by the sound of the piano, but Looking worriedly at Jiang Zhe, Jiang Zhe doesn't know martial arts, but Xiao Shunzi heaved a sigh of relief just by looking at him.Although Jiang Zhe didn't know martial arts, he listened to the piano purely with admiration, and he would not be influenced by the music. I listened intently to the sound of the piano, and couldn't help but sigh, I can play the piano too, but it's rough but not perfect. If I were to play this piece, several parts would be difficult to get together, but that person must have exquisite fingering skills, and he turned it naturally Going up, although I am not a master of temperament, these four words can almost sum up my ability in temperament, and I can also tell that the player who plays the piano is really a master of the world.However, the emphasis on qin music is to be happy but not lewd, and sad but not sad. This person's sorrow in the qin is too much, and the demons are born because of it, which is a bit bad. Everyone is fine, only Ling Duan has a miserable life experience. His dear brother and most respected general died on the battlefield, and his new friend was killed. Only then was the evil in his heart provoked again, and now he was bewildered by the sound of the piano, his mind was gradually confused, his eyes were red, his face was ferocious, and suddenly he swung his spear at the blue and thin figure. Hu Yanshou's demeanor has long been in the eyes of Hu Yanshou, and he was easily stopped. Ling Duan was like a crazy tiger, regardless of him, and tried his best to kill him, but Hu Yanshou is a top-notch expert among the tiger guards. His opponent, if Ling Duan hadn't risked his life to attack, he would have been defeated long ago. Hearing the sound of weapons colliding, I didn't want to listen to the piano any more. Looking back, I could see at a glance that Ling Duan was distracted by the sound of the piano. This was not what I expected. I frowned slightly. Ordered: "Xiao Shunzi restrained Ling Duan, asked the two guards to see who played the piano and brought him here." Xiao Shunzi's figure was like an illusion, and Zhang Xu space seemed to pass by in one step. He took over Ling Duan's attack for Hu Yanshou, and pointed at Ling Duan's forehead. Duan staggered back, fell to the ground, his eyes became clear, he looked in horror at the dagger in his hand and Hu Yanshou who was looking at him coldly with a knife, and understood what happened in his heart. Although he had murderous intentions, he was not a fool trying , I knew that assassinating Jiang Zhe was an unrealistic fantasy, and I thought in my heart that I was just looking for an opportunity to escape. Seeing such a scene, I couldn't help but be horrified. Ling Duan naturally knew this situation, and he was afraid that he would be executed on the spot. Although his stubbornness and arrogance made him unwilling to plead for survival, no one has the heart of greed for life. Ling Duan felt miserable, knelt on the ground, and said in a low voice: "The sinner offended the adults, please forgive me." After that, he didn't say a word. I know Ling Duan's temperament, this sentence of apology is already very difficult for him, not to mention that I have no intention of killing him, but I can't let him realize this, so I deliberately showed hesitation. Ling Duan could see the expression on Jiang Zhe's face, but if he pleaded hard, it would be beyond his ability, so he simply lowered his head and waited for the man to issue the order to kill him.At this time, he heard a long sigh, and then a gentle voice said in his ear: "Ling Duan, you have followed General Tan for many years, and you have too many demons. I know you still have hatred for me in your heart, and you are confused by the sound of the piano." , Jiang does not blame you, but you must not do it again, if you do this again, I will kill you." Ling Duan felt relieved, and thought, it is rare to have the opportunity to leave the camp of the Yong army this time, if it is possible, I will definitely escape, and naturally I will not do it again.He said respectfully: "Ling Duan obeys the order and dare not commit another crime." Then he stood up and looked up, only to see those tiger and guard guards looking at him more coldly, but he didn't take it seriously, just retreated to the side.At this time, a carriage approached in the distance, and the sound of the piano that was still lingering just now stopped abruptly. On both sides of the carriage were the guards who had just gone to look for the person who played the piano, and escorted the carriage from left to right.Ling Duan was also curious. Looking carefully, he didn't know who could play such a piano sound. It was an ordinary carriage, which seemed to be used only by ordinary travelers. The driver was an old man in his mid-century, with a thin appearance and lightning eyes.When the carriage approached, the old man got out of the carriage and stood respectfully aside. When the curtain of the carriage was raised, a young girl in purple clothes and a sword jumped out of the carriage. Dark black sable fur, with a precious sword hanging from his waist, with a gentle demeanor and nobility, with a calm and composed expression, one can tell at a glance that he is not an ordinary traveler. A guard led the three of them to come slowly, while the other guard walked a few steps quickly and replied, "My lord, the person who plays the piano has been brought here." The young man stepped forward with a bow and said, "Caomin Gao Yan pays homage to your lord, what orders do you have for summoning Caomin?" I admired this young man for a long time. His handsome appearance, slender and straight figure, noble and elegant demeanor, courteous and thoughtful yet slightly reserved demeanor, this young man is definitely from an aristocratic family, and I don't want to neglect him, said with a smile "In Xiajiangzhe, when I heard Mr. Gao playing the piano in the wilderness, I felt that the sound of the piano was like the sound of heaven, which made me feel relaxed and happy. Therefore, I invited the young master to come. The guards were reckless, or the young master was shocked. Zhe pleaded guilty to the young master on behalf of the two of them. I don't know why the young master came to Zezhou, if there is any embarrassment, Zhexi may be able to serve as the supervisor of the Zezhou camp." An imperceptible gleam flashed in the young man's eyes, and he said: "The grassroots are terrified. I don't know if it is the consort of Princess Changle of Ningguo. The Marquis of Chu Township is here, and Lord Jianghou is famous all over the world. The grassroots are the people of Goryeo. They came to the Central Plains Shangguo by fate. Cao Min once saw Hou Ye's poems in China, they are magnificent and incomparable, Cao Min admired them deeply, never thought that they would meet each other today, Gao Mou is very lucky." I sighed: "It turns out that although Goryeo is a foreign vassal, it has never been outside the Central Plains. Although there have been wars in the Central Plains over the years, there are still envoys who visit the Celestial Dynasty. In the third year of the same Yuan Dynasty, that is, in the tenth year of Zhenyuan, the envoys of Goryeo entered the court, but unfortunately encountered strong winds and had to go ashore in Hangzhou, where they were stranded for Zhao She, Emperor Wu of Southern Chu. In the sixth year of Yongwuwei, your country also sent The envoy went to Chang'an to pay a visit to Jin Dynasty, but it was a pity that the Central Plains was in chaos at that time, and the envoy Jin Guimin was killed by the princes on the way back to the country. For this reason, the imperial court sent troops to quell the chaos. What a pity." A look of amazement flashed in the young man's eyes, and he said: "Master Hou really knows a lot about the affairs of our country. Jin Gonggong is the grandfather of the grassroots. The news of his death in the line of duty has been reported back to his country. Father, it is a great honor for our king to come to pay homage for this. Sadly. Since then, pirates in the East China Sea have been rampant, and the waterway between our country and the Central Plains has been almost cut off, and it is even impossible to enter the country. It was not until a few years ago that the sea lanes were unblocked, and our country resumed trade with the Central Plains. Cao people have long admired the cultural relics of the Central Plains, so they followed When the boat arrived in Binzhou, I originally wanted to follow in the footsteps of my ancestors and traverse the famous mountains and rivers in the Central Plains. Unexpectedly, the results on paper were shallow. Great victory, Qinzhou suffered a disastrous defeat, eager to expand the army, Caomin took advantage of the gap to sneak away from Qinzhou, climbed mountains and ridges, worked hard for many days, and finally entered Zezhou, so the land is still under military control, and Caomin came from Qinzhou, so as not to be suspicious , so I bought a carriage and prepared to enter the inland of the Central Plains, but I did not expect to meet Lord Hou here. Although this matter is a bit difficult to explain, the grassroots dare not hide it, so I ask Lord Hou to learn from you." I couldn't help being surprised. I looked at this person carefully, and I couldn't tell he had Korean blood in his appearance. However, the nobles of Korea are very Chinese, which is not unusual. My eyes fell on the old servants and maids behind him. If he really is Korean If he is a person, then he should be able to tell the truth from the person, and raise his hand to beckon the old servant girl to come forward.He asked the girl in Korean, "Is what your master said the truth?" When I was in Binzhou, I covered up my true face and discussed business with Goryeo, so I can still speak Goryeo, and I can speak it in a correct way. Surprise flashed in the eyes of the beautiful girl, and she blurted out: " It's the truth." It was indeed in Korean, and the girl came to her senses as soon as the words came out, and she switched to the Central Plains dialect: "Master, I have to detain Qinzhou as a last resort. Please forgive me, Lord Hou." It's fluent, but her accent is a bit weird, but fortunately her voice is clear and pleasant, and it doesn't sound harsh. I smiled slightly and said: "Young lady's Chinese is very good. I don't know how to call you?" The girl blushed and said: "My servant Jinzhi, because you love the classics and cultural relics of the Central Plains, you have ordered your servant to speak Chinese. For many years, it's just that the slaves are stupid and their accents are hard to change, so Master Hou laughs at it." My eyes fell on the old servant. Although the old servant was a servant, he had an extraordinary bearing. He just bowed and said, "Cui Jiuzheng, the old servant, can only hear but not speak Chinese. Please forgive me, Lord Marquis." He answered in Korean with a smooth tone. I thought to myself, although it is not difficult to find two attendants who are proficient in Goryeo, but these two people are obviously not from the Central Plains. From this point of view, there should be no doubt about Gao Yan's identity, but even so, it cannot be let They left Zezhou like this, it is better to keep them in Zezhou for a while, and wait until it is confirmed that they have no problem.Moreover, this Gao Yan has extraordinary aura, so it would be a pity if such a character is missed and cannot make friends.Thinking of this, I apologized: "Jiang is assisting His Royal Highness King Qi to guard Zezhou. You must not be careless in everything. Mr. Gao is a noble guest from Korea. Zezhou is now in a state of chaos. It is inconvenient for Jiang to let you come and go freely. I am afraid that something will happen. It hurts King Qi's face. If Mr. Gao does not give up, you might as well stay in Zezhou for a while. When the spring is warm and the flowers bloom, the road will be clear, and it will not be too late to go to the Central Plains. You can come and go freely within the Dayong territory, wouldn’t it be better to be in such a difficult situation.” A strange look flashed in Gao Yan's eyes, but he lowered his head vigilantly to avoid Jiang Zhe's gaze. After a while, he said, "Master Hou is kind, Gao Yan dare not obey." I happily said: "I should have invited Mr. Gao to rest in the army immediately, but Jiang wanted to go to Wanfo Temple to pay homage to his late father. If Mr. Gao is willing, can he go with me? If Mr. Gao wants to rest in a hurry, I should send him This subordinate will send you son to the barracks." Gao Yan said: "Caomin is also a person with nothing to do. Since Wanfo Temple has this name, it must be because there are many Buddha statues and there must be places for lingering. Caomin loves scenery and cultural relics by nature. If Lord Hou doesn't find it troublesome, Gao Yan is willing to go with Lord Hou Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple." I smiled and said: "It's so good. Zhe sees that the carriage of the son is simple and simple, and the carriage that Zhe is riding in is spacious and comfortable. Please invite the son to ride with me." Gao Yan seemed a little surprised, and said after a while: "Thank you, Lord Hou, for your kindness, Gao Yan obeys." At this time, the guards of the tiger had already prepared the carriage, I asked Gao Yan to get into my carriage, Gao Yan was very clever, and before we could say anything more, he took off his sword and handed it to the maid to return to his carriage.I also got on it afterwards, but this time Xiao Shunzi didn't drive the car, he also followed in. A stranger was riding with me, so he was naturally not at ease, and Hu Yanshou held the whip himself.The maid Jin Zhi came over with the piano bag from their carriage, and got into the carriage under my signal. The carriage I originally brought from Binzhou was destroyed in the war long ago. This carriage was delivered recently, and it is more spacious than that one. Four people sitting in the carriage still feel very comfortable and spacious.The inside of the carriage is divided into two rooms, the front and the back. The back is a soft couch. There are cabinets under the couch for storing items. The front room has brocade benches fixed on both sides, and a table in the middle is made of iron, covered with snow-white brocade. , The bottom of the cups and plates on the table are made of magnets, which will not slide when placed on the table.At the moment, apart from the tea set, there are only some books on the table. In order to resist the severe cold, cashmere blankets are spread everywhere inside the carriage, and the surroundings are also tightly sealed with fur. Except for the windows on both sides, which are not blocked for light, there are soft fur everywhere, but The windows are made of translucent colored glass, which prevents the cold wind from entering. Coupled with the brass stove under the table, the inside of the carriage is warm and there is no chill at all.But Gao Yan didn't seem to be surprised because of it, it seems that his identity is not simple.