Chapter 3 The third chapter was framed, and the Mohist giant guided Sun Bin into the ghost valley

As the saying goes, misfortunes never come singly. When Sui Chaozi and his disciple Song Jian were still in Yunmeng Mountain, Sui Chaozi's premonition had come true.The countryside of Weiguo, which had just been ravaged by the war, had not been rebuilt in time, and a more terrible disaster had quietly befallen them. The incident happened in a village called Shi Nianzi on the outskirts of Pingyang.As the name suggests, the people in Stone Nianzi Village are stone millers. There are more than one hundred households in the village, and almost every man in every family is a stonemason. Traveling around the world, forging stone mills for people.

This catastrophe should have happened.After Prince Ang slaughtered the city, Pingyang was basically an empty city, and all the corpses that could be found in the city were dragged to the countryside by the mohist disciples to bury them. A mason who was involved in transporting corpses in Shinianzi Village accidentally saw an ancient mill in the courtyard of a large family, and felt very unique.At that time, the stonemason was only concerned with transporting the corpses, not this matter.One month later, the stonemason was free. Thinking of this, he got up early one morning, took a brush, ink, wood chips and other tools, and planned to study the patterns on it carefully and ponder the ancient forging skills.

As soon as the craftsman walked into the courtyard, he smelled a strange smell.A while ago, he was busy removing corpses, he was already used to this smell, so he didn't pay much attention to it, he went straight to Gu Nian, stood there and observed carefully.Half an hour later, the craftsman had traced all the patterns on the stone roller on the wood chips he brought with him.Just as he was about to leave, he squatted down, intending to observe the bottom of the stone roller to see if the ancient craftsmen had also worked there. At this moment, the craftsman suddenly screamed and fell to the ground.There were two rotting corpses curled up under the ancient mill. Obviously, the frightened guards were hiding under the mill, and they were stabbed to death by the soldiers of Wei.Due to too long time, the two corpses had already decomposed, and the strange smell was just the corpse poison emanating from them.

Perhaps he was overly frightened, the stonemason wanted to turn over and get up, but his legs were weak, he took a few steps back with difficulty, struggled to get up, turned around and ran back home.Nothing happened that day, but when he got up the next morning, he suddenly felt chills all over his body, so he hurriedly asked his wife to boil ginger soup and drink it, but he still didn't feel relieved.Seeing that his face was turning blue, the blue was turning purple, and his eyes were green, his wife felt very strange, and asked him what was the matter, but he just shook his head.Probably because he was afraid of scaring his wife, he didn't say a word about the two carrion corpses that were crushed.

That night, the craftsman died before dawn. The well-behaved husband died suddenly in the middle of the night, and the young wife was distraught and cried until she died. The neighbors, relatives of the craftsman were all alarmed, and they all rushed to the funeral.Seeing that the craftsman's whole body was livid, everyone didn't know what kind of strange disease he had. Some said that he was arrested by a little ghost, and some said that he was smoked by the king of Hades. There was no one to explain it.The family members also felt that the appearance of death was ugly, so they hurriedly got a shroud and put him on.It happened that an old man in the neighbor had a ready-made pair of paulownia wood for longevity, and his family bought it with money, and buried him.

According to the custom, after a commoner dies, he can only be buried after three days in the coffin.The villagers kept him for two nights, and at night on the third day, they beat him along the way and carried him to the ancestral grave in the south of the village for burial. On the way to the funeral, a long line of people wore sackcloth and filial piety, crying loudly. Because the paulownia wood is not heavy, and the stonemasons in the village are all strong men, only four people were used to carry the coffin.Among the four pallbearers, walking behind were the deceased's two neighbors, also a pair of uncles and nephews.When he was about to walk to the cemetery, the nephew whispered to his uncle, "Uncle Six, when I was encoffining the day before yesterday, I saw this man inside—" He leaned towards the coffin, "The face is black and blue, I was scared to death!"

The sixth uncle was sweating profusely on his forehead, obviously trying to support himself, but still glared at him: "Don't talk nonsense, be careful that he hears you, he'll catch your soul!" While speaking, Sixth Uncle staggered suddenly, but held on.The nephew made a grimace, and was about to laugh at Sixth Uncle's cowardice, when he suddenly froze, stared at him in a daze and said, "Sixth Uncle, your face is——is also turning blue!" As soon as his words fell to the ground, Sixth Uncle couldn't hold on any longer, his legs went limp, and he tilted to one side.The coffin suddenly lost a corner of its support and slid to the ground.

The nephew put down the bar and cried, "Uncle Six! Uncle Six——" Everyone heard the sound and gathered around. The nephew hugged sixth uncle and walked to the side of the road.Sixth Uncle's face was getting greener and bluer, he pressed his hand to his throat, pointed to the coffin with the other, and said with all his strength: "It's - it's him -" The nephew seemed to realize something suddenly, his eyes were straightened, and he screamed in horror: "Damn, what a ghost, the ghost is catching people!" He ran away like a madman. Everyone was startled, they were looking at each other, another person in the crowd wearing sackcloth and filial piety had a black face and fell to the ground.Everyone saw that it was the young wife of the dead mason.

Everyone was dumbfounded.Someone yelled again, and everyone panicked and fled in all directions. In the next few days, there were frequent deaths in the nearby villages, and bruised corpses could be seen everywhere on the road and beside the fields.The living have learned to behave themselves, hiding at home, and no one cares about the dead.Under a big tree at the head of the village, several villagers who were caught by ghosts lay bent over there waiting to die, and another person half-kneeled on the ground, as if praying to heaven. The epidemic spread rapidly, and within a few days, it had already affected Chuqiu.Chuqiu Shoucheng Li Ping heard the details and knew that the plague god had come, so he sent people to report to the Xiangfu.

It was a great court day, and old Prime Minister Sun Ji happened to ask for leave to recuperate in the mansion due to his stomach ache for several days.After receiving the urgent report, Sun Ji read it hastily, his complexion suddenly changed, not caring about his weakness, he hurriedly asked the housekeeper to get in the cart, and drove towards Wei Palace. The carriage stopped abruptly at the gate of Wei Palace.With the support of the housekeeper, Sun Ji got out of the car, holding the emergency report in his hand, and stumbled up the steps in front of the main hall.Due to panic and weakness, he failed to lift one foot in time and stumbled over the bluestone on the steps.The housekeeper has sharp eyes and quick hands, he rushed forward and grabbed him.

Seeing this situation, the housekeeper ignored the etiquette that his retainers were not allowed to go to court, helped Sun Ji up, and slowly walked up the steps in front of the palace. In the main hall, all the officials were presenting to Duke Wei Cheng, when they suddenly saw Sun Ji coming in, they were startled.Sun Ji rushed forward a few steps and kowtowed to the ground, holding the emergency report in his hand: "My lord, General Chu Qiuli rushed to report that Pingyang and Chuqiu suddenly suffered from plague, and the patient's whole body was blue and purple. In severe cases, he died instantly, and in light cases, he was panting for several days. And died. Right now there are more than a hundred dead, and the people’s expressions have changed upon hearing the news, and the hearts of the people are worried—" Hearing the word "pestilence", all civil and military officials in the Manchu Dynasty were shocked and looked at each other in blank dismay. The minister hurried over, took the urgent report from Sun Ji, and presented it to Wei Chenggong with both hands.Wei Chenggong took it with trembling hands, and glanced around, as if he was stunned. Sun Ji whispered: "Your Majesty—" Duke Cheng of Wei came to his senses and sighed, "Alas, good luck never comes, but misfortune never comes singly. As soon as the soldiers and disasters left, the God of Plague arrived. Could it be that God killed my guard?" Turning his head to Sun Ji, "Old love Sir, is there a cure for plague?" Sun Ji shook his head and said: "According to the historical records, during Yu's time, there was a flood, and there was a plague in Yongzhou. It lasted for three months, and corpses littered the fields, with more than 100,000 dead. There are few soldiers in the capital to defend against the enemy...Your Majesty, plagues are no worse than wars. There are generals to stop the soldiers, and plagues..." Wei Chenggong's voice trembled, and his eyes turned to the courtiers: "This--what should I do?" A cold light flashed in Taishi's eyes, his eyeballs rolled several times, and he took a step forward: "Your brother has played!" Wei Chenggong hurriedly turned his gaze to the Grand Master, and asked eagerly: "Quick, what is Aiqing's clever plan?" The grand master said slowly: "As far as I know, the plague is a disaster from heaven, and there is no cure!" Wei Chenggong was stunned for a while: "This—Ai Qing is saying that the widow has been blamed by heaven?" The Grand Master glanced at Sun Ji, and said with ulterior motives: "Whether Brother Jun was guilty of the heaven, I dare not speak nonsense. However, it is the truth that the god of plague is descending from the sky right now!" Wei Chenggong pondered for a while, and his eyes slowly fell on the Taimiaoling: "Aiqing, the priest, can you ask on behalf of the widow, why did the widow make the heavens angry and bring disasters on Wei?" Taimiao Ling took a step forward: "Report to Your Majesty, forgive me for daring to make a mistake. The previous hostility surged up, and the comet tail swept Geng. This should be a warning from heaven. My minister has already reported to the imperial court what the heaven showed, but the imperial court put it in the sky. As shown in the disregard, the war was not in the right place to fight, which led to the disaster of massacring the city of Pingyang, Chuqiu, and Diqiu. After the war was over, the court did not pay respect to the ghosts in time to dissipate the hostility, and finally caused this disaster!" The Taimiao Ling spoke eloquently, not talking about the emperor, but only about the court, and the spearhead was obviously directed at Xiangguo Sun Ji.Duke Wei Cheng understood what he heard, he was speechless for a while, and finally heaved a long sigh: "Oh, after the war, we should respect the heavens and the ghosts, but I was only busy, so I made a mistake. The god of plague is fit for health, and it's my fault!" He paused again and looked up. To the Taimiao Order, "Can Aiqing pray to God on behalf of the widow, please ask God to recall this god to resolve the disaster?" The Taimiao order said: "Reporting to your lord, I don't have this ability. However, as far as I know, the great witch Zhuke travels to the sky and communicates with ghosts and gods. Why don't you call him to try?" A light flashed in Wei Chenggong's eyes: "Quickly, please ask the great witch to bless you!" After a second thought, "Slow! Drive to the Taimiao, I will personally beseech you!" Weiguo Taimiao is located about three miles southeast of the palace city, and in terms of terrain, it is the commanding height in Diqiu City.The Taimiao is very old. It was built more than 300 years ago. It was the first batch of buildings built after Wei Chenggong moved east to the Emperor's Hill. Both the scale of the building and the degree of luxury are higher than the palace city built after it.However, Miyagi has been expanded several times, and the Taimiao has been in use since its completion, so it has long been incomparable with Miyagi.Even so, from a glance, the Taimiao still does not lose its dignity and elegance when it was first built. Since the Taimiao was built, the Dukes of Wei of all dynasties had to go to the Taimiao to ask the great shaman for advice on matters large and small, from the appointment and dismissal of officials to civil diplomacy.This also changed the nature of the Taimiao. In name, it was the place of worship for the guards, but in fact it was the power center of the Wei state, and it was the final court for decision-making of the Wei state.Because of this, the Taimiao Order, which is in charge of the Taimiao, has always been very popular in the court.According to the ancestral system, the Taimiao has always been under the jurisdiction of the Taishi, and it is naturally the Taishi who decides the Taimiao Order and the Great Witch Zhu. Be in awe of him. However, Wei Chenggong appointed Sun Ji as Prime Minister not long after he came to the throne, and the role of the Taimiao suddenly decreased, because no matter how difficult the state's affairs were, Sun Ji always had a way to deal with them, and most of them dealt with them decently.After a long time, Wei Chenggong only consulted with Sun Ji when he had problems, and only went to the Taimiao during New Year's festivals, weddings and funerals.The power of the Taimiao has been greatly weakened, and the Taishi has also lost its glory.When the people from Wei called before, the grand master saw the situation and tried his best to advocate for peace, but he didn't want Sun Ji to insist on fighting, which caught him off guard, and he was ashamed and embarrassed in front of the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty.The grand master had placed high hopes on the outcome of the war, but did not expect another accident. The Qin people raided Hexi, the Wei people took the initiative to withdraw their troops, and Sun Ji fought desperately to save the country.Taishi, Taimiaoling, Dawuzhu, etc. are very lost, and they are struggling with no good plan, but the God of Plague comes down to help! Just as Wei Chenggong was driving the Taimiao, the big witch Zhuzheng was sitting in front of the temple hall, his eyes were slightly closed, and he seemed to have settled down.Little Wu Zhu hurried in and whispered something in his ear.The great witch Zhu trembled all over his body, his eyes were wide open, and the rays of light radiated: "Oh, the god of plague has descended on Pingyang and Chuqiu, and your majesty is here to plead? Well, what does the grand master mean?" "The grand master ordered that Xiangguo Sun Ji never respected heaven and ghosts, and urged the emperor to fight against the strong with the weak. God was furious, and then sent the god of plague down to punish the guards. The grand master asked the immortal to sacrifice to the sky and communicate with the god of plague, so don't let him Offending Emperor Qiu will bring disaster to the capital, and at the same time, Shangxian will uphold the will of heaven, and take this opportunity to force the emperor to respect heaven and ghosts, and stop listening to that grandson's bewitching!" The great witch Zhu pondered for a while, the cold light shrank, his eyes closed, and he seemed to be in a state of concentration again, and said in his mouth: "Return to the grand master, let me say that Xiaoxian knows it well!" In the evening of that day, less than two hours after Wei Chenggong drove to the Taimiao, more than a dozen soap-clothed palace men hurried out of the Taimiao with arrows in their hands, each riding a fast horse, and drove across the country.Two of the fast horses ran straight to Emperor Qiu Ximen, and one of them left the city and galloped towards Chu Qiu like flying.The other horse stopped at the city gate, and the man in soap immediately reined in the horse's head and announced to the city gate captain: "Chengmen captain listens to the order!" The city gate captain kowtowed and received the order: "The last general will accept the order!" The soap-clothed man declared loudly: "Pingyang, Chuqiu, and the plague gods are raging. You have a decree. From today onwards, the whole country is governed by heaven, and only the order of the great witch Zhu will be obeyed!" "The final general will obey the order!" "Pass down the order of the Great Witch. From the moment the order is received, the gates of the city will be closed, and those who disobey the order will be beheaded!" After speaking, the soap-clothed man threw a command arrow to the ground. Chengmen Lieutenant picked up the command arrow and said loudly: "The last general has orders!" The man in soap didn't answer, he turned his horse's head and galloped towards another city gate. Watching the man in soap go away, the city gate captain shouted to all the soldiers: "What are you still doing? Close the city gate!" Eight soldiers pulled up the suspension bridge with a "swipe", and slammed the gate of the city with a "squeak". Because it was late, the citizens who went out to do errands or work were returning one after another, queuing up to enter the city.Suddenly seeing the city gate closed, all the people panicked and rushed up, knocking on the gate desperately. In an instant, there was a sound of mourning and cursing. The soap-clothed man galloped out of the west city gate with great speed, and in less than three hours, he had already rushed to Chuqiu, a hundred miles away, and got off his horse in front of Shoucheng's mansion.Although it was late at night, due to the plague, the mansion was still brightly lit. Shou Cheng Li Ping was calling the elders in the city and his subordinates to discuss the major issue of plague control. Welcome in, kowtow to the ground, and wait for the decree. The soapclothed man stood still in the hall, announced the imperial edict, and said in a loud voice: "The great witch ordered that the living should not wander, and the dead should be buried on the spot. All families suffering from plague will be punished by heaven and cannot be redeemed. Gate, after the God of Plague executes the punishment, burn his house and send the God of Plague to fire! Those who disobey the order will be beheaded!" Li Ping was startled, hesitated for a while, kowtowed and said: "The general obeys orders!" Probably because he was afraid of the plague god, the soap-clothed man hurriedly left the edict and command arrows, and got on his horse and galloped back regardless of the night and the distance. After sending off the envoys, Li Ping sat alone in front of the hall, contemplating for a while, and ordered his subordinates to be summoned to convey the emperor's will and arrange for them to carry out the orders of the great witch. It was just dawn, and the soldiers in armor were divided into roads, and checkpoints were set up at various traffic fortresses to restrict the movement of subjects.Some people have made notices of Wei Chenggong's edict and Dawu Zhu's order, and posted them everywhere.For areas suffering from plague, people will make people announce the content of the notice to the subjects by ringing gongs. For a moment, Pingyang and Chuqiu were like a dead area, except for the soldiers with guns and halberds, there were no living people walking around.Whether it is subjects or soldiers, everyone is shrouded in the shadow of death, no one speaks loudly, and even crying is hard to hear. A group of soldiers went to Shinianzi Village, where the plague originated, as if they were facing a big enemy, and surrounded every household. No matter whether the inside was dead or alive, they only nailed the doors and windows to death from the outside with wooden strips and iron nails. In a courtyard, two soldiers broke into the courtyard, drove people into the house without any explanation, closed the door, locked the door from the outside, and nailed the seal with a rattle.There was a sound of fists beating on the door in the room, and a woman begged hoarsely: "Grandpa Guan, our family is well-behaved, and there is nothing wrong with my family, please go to God, please let us go out, the plague god has not come to our house, please! Officer, let us go out...God, open your eyes and save us!" Accompanied by the woman's crying, a boy's immature cry: "Sister, I'm thirsty!" Then came a girl's voice: "Brother, don't cry, Sister, go get some water!" The soldier who was hammering the nail felt sore, hesitated for a moment, and looked at the other soldier: "It seems that there is no plague in this house, why not give them a way to survive?" Another soldier glanced at him: "You're looking for death, nail it!" The sound of hammering nails sounded again. In Diqiu, the capital city, just as it was getting dark, the streets were already empty.Not far away, a soldier on duty beat the gong and shouted: "The great witch has ordered that the whole city be curfew, all subjects are not allowed to move around, and those who disobey the order will be beheaded!" A group of soldiers on duty walked through the street with guns.A fast horse galloped past this group of soldiers and stopped in front of the gate of Xiangfu not far away. Sun Bin, the guard of Emperor Qiu in military uniform, got off his horse and walked into the gate. A servant had already come out to greet him and led the horse away. . Sun Bin strode into the living room, and the maid greeted him: "Master, you are back!" She stepped forward to remove his armor. Sun Bin went to the hanger and changed into casual clothes by himself.While hanging the armor on the hanger, the maid said, "Young master, the master just told you that you want the young master to go to the ancestral hall!" Sun Bin was startled, and walked towards the ancestral hall. The Sun Family Ancestral Hall is located next to the back garden of Xiangfu. There are a row of portraits hanging on the wall. The one in the middle is wearing heavy armor and has a kind face. There is a tablet below it, which says "the spirit of the ancestor Sun Wuzi".On both sides are the ancestors of the immortals, and the tablets of Sun Bin's father, Sun Cao, and his uncle, Sun An, are at the farthest.Next to Sun An's tablet are three more tablets, one is Sun An's wife, and the other two are their sons and daughters. The housekeeper placed the offerings, lit the joss sticks, and exited slowly.Sun Ji walked slowly in front of Sun Wuzi's memorial tablet leaning on his stick, put down his cane, knelt down, and looked up at the portrait of Sun Wuzi. Sun Ji closed his eyes, his lips moved slightly, as if he was muttering to himself.The candlelight shone on his old face, and the gray beard on his chin trembled slightly with the movement of his lips. At the door, Sun Bin stood there, looking at Grandpa quietly. Sun Ji felt it, without raising his head: "Is it Bin'er?" Sun Bin walked in and knelt down beside Sun Ji: "Grandpa, it's Bin'er!" "Bin'er, come, together with grandpa, pray to the spirits of our ancestors in heaven to protect and protect us!" The two paid their respects to the spirit seats of their ancestors several times, closing their eyes and praying.After a while, Sun Bin opened his eyes and looked at Sun Ji: "Grandpa, can we really not avoid this plague?" Captain Sun sighed: "Ah, whether you can escape or not depends on God's will!" Sun Bin's eyes lit up: "God's will? Grandpa means that we still have salvation?" "Yes," Sun Ji nodded and said, "There is no unparalleled road! It is rumored that the giant of the Mo family has a cure for the plague with his nest. If he comes, the guards will be saved!" Sun Bin stood up suddenly: "Bin'er is going to look for Suichao right now, please allow me, Grandpa!" "That's why grandpa called you here. It's just that he lives with the nest and has no fixed place. Do you know where to visit him?" "Grandpa, don't worry, no matter where he is, Bin'er will definitely invite him over!" "Bin'er," Sun Ji sighed softly, "The urgent situation is not a matter of the remotest corners of the earth. Not long ago, someone saw Sui Chaozi in Luoyang. You can go to Luoyang to look for it. The plague in Weidi must have boiled over." Yang in the world, according to the temperament of the nest, if you know, you will come. Whether you are already on the way, or you don't know!" Sun Bin stood up: "Grandpa, take care, Bin'er is gone!" Sun Ji also stood up, reluctant to part: "Bin'er, go, grandpa is watching you in Chuqiu!" Sun Bin was startled and said, "Grandpa, you—you're going to Chuqiu?" "Yes." Sun Ji said, "You have seen it in the past few days. The great witch wishes to cure the plague in this way, and the people in the epidemic area will be worse. With Grandpa's old beard fluttering there, they will feel a little bit in their hearts. comfort." Sun Bin knelt down towards Sun Ji, and said slowly, "Grandpa, but—but you're still sick!" Sun Ji stroked Sun Bin affectionately: "Go, grandpa, this old bone, is still strong!" Sun Bin bowed again and again, crying: "Grandpa, you—take care of yourself!" He turned around and left, returned to the hall, put on his cloak, took out his horse from the stable, and galloped towards the west gate. In Shinianzi Village, the doors and windows of every household were nailed to death by soldiers from the outside. Several houses were already on fire, and thick smoke billowed from a distance. Three soldiers, holding torches in their hands, walked to the side of the courtyard where a family was crucified, opened the courtyard door, and were about to enter, when they heard faint crying from inside the house.The leading soldier listened carefully for a while, then turned his head and said, "It's the old man who is crying. It seems that it is his wife who is leaving today!" Another soldier continued: "This old man is also strange. Yesterday, when my son died, I only heard his wife cry, but not him; today, when my wife died, he cried. From this point of view, the wife is more important than the son." !" The third soldier said: "You know what! Have you never heard of 'Da Yin Xi Sheng'? If a person is too sad, he will not be able to cry! The son does not cry when he leaves, and the wife cries when he leaves. This just proves that , the son is more important than the wife!" The leading soldier glanced at them: "Is this the place of dispute? There are more than a dozen companies ahead. If you delay for a long time, be careful that the plague god will put you down too! Have you heard that, just for a few days, just our centurion Just put down a dozen! Do you also want to—” Put it aside, exit the chaifei, and walk towards a nearby courtyard. The two soldiers were stunned, they didn't dare to speak anymore, and followed behind them silently.The three of them pushed open the chaifei and walked into the courtyard.The leading soldier shouted loudly into the room: "Hello, is anyone there?" There was no response. The leading soldier shouted a few more times, but when there was still no response, he turned to the two soldiers and said, "This family is gone, let's burn it!" Without saying a word, the two soldiers ran to the firewood stack in the courtyard, brought firewood and piled it under the gate, front and rear windows, and under the rafters, and lit them with torches.After a while, thick smoke rose and the whole house was on fire. In the south of the village, a carriage slowly climbed up the high slope and stopped at the top of the slope.The housekeeper sitting in the front of the car turned his head and said, "My lord, Shi Nianzi Village has arrived. I heard that the plague spread from here!" Sun Ji jumped out of the carriage slowly and stood on the top of the slope, watching the thick smoke rising from the village, his thick eyebrows knit together.After a while, Captain Sun sighed: "Oh, what a waste of life!" The housekeeper wiped away his tears, turned to Sun Ji and said, "My lord, get in the car and go, Chuqiu is just ahead!" Sun Ji didn't answer, and walked towards the village with big strides.The housekeeper asked anxiously, "My lord?" Sun Ji paused, turned around and said, "You wait here first, I'll go to the village to have a look!" The housekeeper said anxiously: "Master, if you want to see it, you can watch it here. When you see Li Shoucheng later, you will know everything!" "It doesn't matter, I'll come as soon as I go!" After Sun Ji finished speaking, he walked downhill without looking back. In the village, the three soldiers from just now set fire to two more courtyards and began to walk towards the courtyard where the woman once called for help.As usual, the leading soldier pushed open the firewood door, stood in the courtyard and shouted loudly: "Hello, is there anyone else in the room?" There is no sound. The leading soldier hesitated for a moment, walked towards the door, and knocked several times: "Hello, is there anyone else in the room?" Still no sound. The leading soldier retreated to the courtyard, and said with a sigh, "Go get the firewood!" The other two soldiers went to the firewood room to gather firewood and stacked them properly.When the fire was about to be lit, there was a sudden noise from the window, and then, a small hand stretched out from the leak in the sealed window. The little hand shook a few times, and a girl almost hoarsely begged: "Uncle—uncle—" Several soldiers were startled and looked at each other in blank dismay. The girl's voice became lower and lower: "Water—uncle, water—water—" A soldier glanced at the lead soldier: "Is it still burning?" The leading soldier glared at him: "Burn it, burn it, burn it, you're still alive! Go away, come back tomorrow!" Several soldiers turned around and were about to leave, but they saw Sun Ji standing at the door, and were stunned for a while.Sun Ji saw the little hand that was still shaking in despair, so he didn't care to blame them. He walked to the window in two steps, took the water bag from his body, and handed it to the little girl. However, because the window was sealed too tightly and the hole was too small, the water bladder could not be plugged in.In a hurry, Sun Ji snapped off a piece of wood that was nailed to it, making a big hole. The little girl took the water bag with trembling hands, unscrewed it, took a sip first, and said in a husky voice, "Thanks—thanks, Grandpa!" "Son," Sun Ji said in tears, "are you alone?" With a hoarse voice, the little girl burst into sobs: "Mother and younger brother. Grandpa, please save us, save my mother, save my younger brother, grandpa, we haven't eaten for a few days, and we've run out of water..." Sun Ji's voice trembled: "Children, grandpa will rescue you immediately!" Turning around, he shouted at several soldiers, "This child is fine, why lock her in?" All the soldiers looked at each other, the leading soldier took a step forward, and fixed his eyes on Sun Ji: "I haven't asked you yet, but you started to train people instead! Let me tell you, the great witch wishes you an order, and anyone who destroys officials privately Those who are sealed will be sentenced to death! I think you are over sixty years old, and it is out of good intentions. The military master will not care about you for the time being, and will not ask who you are or where you come from. Old man, mind your own business and walk quickly Bar!" Sun Ji not only did not move, but pointed to the seal on the door: "Remove it!" The leading soldier was stunned, looked Sun Ji up, down, left, and right, and rolled his eyes: "Hey, you weird old man, the military master intends to let you die, but you don't leave! What is this called? This is called ignorance! Brothers, take Get him down and lock him up in the woodshed!" Two soldiers gathered around and grabbed Sun Ji from left and right. Seeing that he was about to turn into the firewood room, the sound of carriages and horses came from outside the courtyard. The housekeeper rushed in and shouted loudly to all the soldiers: "Stop!" The three soldiers looked at each other and were waiting to be questioned, when the housekeeper shouted: "Don't let Mr. Xiangguo go!" The three of them froze for a moment. The leading soldier said in a daze, "Master Xiangguo? What is Mr. Xiangguo?" The housekeeper scolded: "What else can there be, Mr. Xiangguo? He is Sun Xiangguo, you blind wolves!" Sun Ji's name was well known to everyone, and the three soldiers were stunned for a moment, and they all kowtowed to the ground, and the leader of the soldiers couldn't make a sentence: "The little—the villain—offended the Lord Xiangguo, please punish—the crime !" Sun Ji sighed softly, pointed to the door and said slowly: "Remove the seal!" The three soldiers hurriedly stood up and removed the seal three or five times.Sun Ji walked into the house first, and carried the boy who had fainted on the kang out of the courtyard.Seeing that Xiangguo was not afraid of death, the three soldiers walked in one after another. They carried the middle-aged woman, and the other carried the little girl out and put them in the courtyard. Sun Ji glanced at the housekeeper: "Quick, bring the dry food!" The butcher walked back to the car and took out a few pieces of dry food.Sun Ji chewed a piece and fed it to the little boy.When several soldiers saw it, they hurriedly found a big bowl, soaked the dry food in the bowl with water, and fed it to the middle-aged woman. The little girl was the most sober, kneeling in front of Sun Ji while drinking water and chewing dry food, staring at Sun Ji with her big eyes without blinking. Sun Ji looked at her: "Son, what's your name?" "My name is Ah Hua!" "Where's your dad?" "Ada went away to make a mill for others. There were only three of us at home. We heard that there was an illness, and my mother refused to let me go out, so she set the house on fire. The three of us were in this room in good order, and suddenly a few Army Lord, without any explanation, locked us in the house and nailed us outside. We had nothing to eat or drink. Later, my mother and younger brother were thirsty and hungry, and passed out. Grandpa, if it weren’t for you, we would have to Die alive in the house." Ah Hua said sadly, and choked up. Sun Ji patted her little head: "Son, don't cry, don't cry, with Grandpa here, everything will be fine!" Turning to the leading soldier, "How many other people are nailed to the house?" "Master Hui Xiangguo, the great witch Zhu said that this village has committed a serious crime, and the plague god will punish it, and every household will be nailed!" "Absurd!" Sun Ji scolded, "Go and check, if they are still alive, release them all, give them water to drink and food to eat!" The leading soldier hesitated for a moment: "This—" "What is this?" the housekeeper said angrily, "Master Xiangguo told you to let it go, so hurry up!" "The villain obeys!" The leading soldier responded, and hurried out with two soldiers. In Diqiu City, as soon as Sun Ji left, someone informed the Taimiao Order.The order of the Taimiao rushed to the Taishi's mansion and reported in detail that Sun Ji, Sun Bin and grandpa Sun had left the city one after another. The grand master frowned and pondered for a while, then said slowly: "According to Sun Ji's temperament, if you leave the city right now, you must be in the epidemic area!" "He went to the epidemic area, isn't he looking for death?" "Well," the grand master stroked his beard, "that's fine. If you really die, you don't have to worry about it!" After a short pause, "Have you seen the great witch Zhu in the past two days?" "The next official came from Shangxian." "He said he didn't say when the God of Plague would be able to send him away?" "Reporting to the Grand Master, the Shangxian has already traveled to the Heavenly Palace to play the Emperor of Heaven. The Emperor of Heaven ordered that the people of Wei should be plagued by plague for a hundred days, and it will be taken back when the plague god's punishment period expires!" "Hundred days?" The grand master was shocked, "How many people will die if the punishment is so long? Besides, if the emperor loses patience, wouldn't things get worse?" The Taimiao Order hesitated for a while, and replied in a low voice: "Reporting to the Grand Master, the Shangxian said that once the God of Plague punishes him, he must last for a hundred days. He must be impatient. As for how many people will die, the Shangxian said, as long as the roads are blocked, there will be no danger." Making sinners run away is equivalent to chaining the plague god's legs and confining him to death in Pingyang and Chuqiu. Let him mess around for a while, but he can't make a big mess. Besides, Sun Ji tricked the king into not dealing with ghosts and gods. People deserve it too!" The grand master lowered his head, nodded for a long time, and said: "Since you have said so, let him do it!" His brows tightened again, "Speaking of Sun Ji, the old man also remembered something. Since the grandfather and grandson are out of the city, why didn't they How about going together?" "This—the lower officials don't know either!" "Send someone to keep an eye on it! This opportunity is rare, we must not let this old and young couple get into trouble again!" "Your officer understands!" After the Taimiao order said goodbye, the Taishi frowned, called the chariots and horses, and went to the palace to kowtow to Duke Cheng.Hearing that the grand master asked for an audience, Wei Chenggong went against the usual, not only welcomed him out of the palace gate, but also brought him into the palace with his own hands, instead of bowing down, let him take the seat first. The Grand Master was flattered: "Brother Jun is such a great gift, how can I ask my younger brother to bear it?" "Ai Qing is here, there must be something important to tell the widow!" "Yes," said the Grand Master, cupping his hands, "I have reported to Your Majesty, and I just learned that Xiangguo left the city yesterday!" "Going out of the city?" Duke Wei Cheng paled, "Why is he going out of the city at this time?" "I heard that I went to Chuqiu and Pingyang to visit the God of Plague!" Wei Chenggong was stunned, stood up hastily, walked back and forth in the hall several times, and turned to his courtiers: "What a fool, hurry up, chase him back, and tell me that I have something urgent to discuss!" The minister was about to make arrangements, but the grand master waved his hand to stop him, and turned to Cheng Gong: "I report to your lord, the old minister has sent people to look for him when he learned that Xiangguo is out of the city." "That's good." Wei Chenggong breathed a sigh of relief, "If there is any news from Xiangguo, please report to me immediately!" "The old minister obeys the order!" Little Wuzhu led several witches to Chuqiu Shoucheng's mansion. After questioning, he saw that the orders of the big witch Zhu had been fully implemented. He was very satisfied. Chu Qiu, why don't you see him?" Li Ping was surprised: "Oh? When did Master Xiangguo come? Li Ping has never seen it!" Little Wu Zhu was also taken aback: "Then—what about Sun Bin?" "I haven't seen it either!" The little witch Zhu Jiang stared at Li Ping, wondering if he was lying, and mumbled to himself, "That's weird. They have left the city, but they haven't arrived here, where did they go?" Li Ping pondered for a while: "Excuse me, Shangxian, do you dare to conclude that Lord Xiangguo and General Sun have come to Chuqiu?" Xiao Wuzhu asked smoothly, "If they don't come here, what are they going out of the city for?" Thinking about it, it is true that when the country is in crisis, the one in the court who really cares about the suffering of the people is the Xiangguo.Li Ping called out loudly: "Come on!" A general hurried in. "Search the nearby villages, and look for Lord Xiangguo and General Sun!" "The end will be ordered!" The officer immediately led people to search the village, and found that Sun Ji was in Shinianzi Village.The villagers who are still alive have been ordered by Sun Ji to be put in the courtyard, and several soldiers are delivering water and food for them according to Sun Ji's orders. The general was shocked, he didn't care to kowtow, he quickly turned his horse's head, went back to Chuqiu, and explained the situation in detail. Li Ping and Xiao Wu Zhu heard that Xiangguo removed the seal and hurried to Shinianzi Village. They learned that Sun Ji was helping the villagers in a courtyard, and urgently asked to see him.Seeing that it was Li Ping who arrived, Sun Ji was about to stand up to greet him, but suddenly became dizzy and nearly fell to the ground. Li Ping saw it clearly, and took a step forward to support him: "Master Xiangguo, Lord Xiangguo, what's wrong with you?" Sun Ji was sweating profusely on his forehead. With General Li's support, he barely walked under a tree and leaned against the trunk: "Water!" Someone has already handed the water bag.Sun Ji drank a few sips, panted for a while, smiled and said to Li Ping, "Look at this old man's body, he had diarrhea a few days ago, he's actually weak!" Li Ping knelt down and kowtowed: "Lord Xiangguo, the last general just found out that you are coming to Chuqiu, so it is too late to welcome you!" Sun Ji pointed to the villagers in the yard: "Among these villagers, some are sick, and some are not. How can it be possible to close all the doors indiscriminately?" Li Ping glanced at Little Wu Zhu: "This...report to Lord Xiangguo, the last general is involuntary and obeys orders!" Xiao Wuzhu saw Sun Ji's eyes shot at him, and knew no place to hide, so he took a step forward and bowed slightly: "Xiaoxian has seen Mr. Xiangguo!" Pointing to the villagers in the courtyard and the removed seal, "Master Xiangguo, You are disobeying the king's order by breaking the seal here and letting the criminals go without permission! Xiaoxian advises Lord Xiangguo, don't just go your own way and ruin your reputation for the rest of your life!" Where did Sun Ji put him in the eye, panted a few more times, and reprimanded in a deep voice: "They are all common people, why do you offend the people? Go back and tell the great witch Zhu, let him pass it on to the Grand Master, and just tell the truth." Yes, to cure the plague like this, not to mention that the God of Plague cannot be driven away, even if it is driven away, it will still hurt the people. The most precious thing in the world is life, if it is only for selfish selfishness, it is not a wise man to do so carelessly!" Sun Jiyi spoke harshly, Xiao Wuzhu opened his mouth a few times, but he couldn't reply, his face was red and his ears were red: "Master Xiangguo, you—you just wait, Xiaoxian will go back and give a performance to the Shangxian!" Xiao Wuzhu turned around, walked out of the courtyard gate, rode on a fast horse, and headed for Diqiu in a stream of smoke and dust. 栗平看一眼气喘吁吁的孙机，不无关切地说：“相国大人，您——身子骨要紧，要不，先到末将府上，好好将息一晚如何？” 孙机又喘一时，摆手道：“你们去吧，老朽只想待在村里，跟百姓唠唠嗑儿！” 栗平急道：“这——这如何能成？” 孙机想了一会儿，缓缓说道：“栗将军，本相问你，罹瘟百姓究竟有多少？” 栗平应道：“从平阳到楚丘，方圆百里瘟病肆虐。就末将所知，迄今为止，像石碾子这样整村封门的共是八个村寨，千二百户，零星封门的有三百余户。百姓听闻罹瘟就要封门，纵有病人，也不上报，谁家有死人，更是悄悄葬掉，连哭都不敢，因而眼下究竟有多少人罹瘟，又死去多少，末将实在说不清楚！” 孙机的两道浓眉锁在一处，许久，长叹一声：“唉，天灾是大，人祸却甚于天灾！前番魏人屠城，平阳百姓已剩无几，再此下去，楚丘也将成为空城，人丁兴旺、鸡犬之声相闻的百里沃野，就会成为无人区了！” 栗平也是不无忧虑：“可——君上旨意如此，如何是好？” 孙机再叹一声：“唉，君上全让瘟病吓糊涂了。没有百姓，何来国家？没有国家，何来社稷？栗将军——” "The end is here!" “国家昏乱，方见忠臣！眼下君上糊涂，奸人当道，你是此地父母官，万不可乱了方寸哪！” 栗平再叩，泣道：“末将知罪！可——可如何治瘟，末将真也不知。相国大人若有良方，末将但听吩咐！” “听闻墨者有治瘟之方，若得巨子前来，此瘟或可有治！老朽已使孙宾寻访墨者去了。你可使人打探，守望孙宾他们！若是他们赶到，叫他们先来此村！擒贼擒首，治病治本。瘟病既从此始，亦当由此治起！” 栗平朗声应道：“末将遵命！” 小巫祝一溜烟似的回到帝丘，将石碾子村发生之事细细禀过，末了说道：“孙机还让小人特别传话与太师！” 太师趋身问道：“哦，他说什么了？” “孙机说，'这样治瘟，莫说赶不走瘟神，纵使赶走，也是伤民。天下至贵者，莫过于生命，若是只为一己之私，就这么草菅人命，实非智者所为！'” 太师闻听此言，半晌无语。 太庙令急插一句：“孙机是狗急跳墙，大人莫听他的胡言！” “唉，”太师轻叹一声，“你懂什么？孙机说出此话，算是明白人。他只有一点不明白，那就是，人不为己，天诛地灭。他孙机忙来忙去，虽不为利，却是为名。为名也好，为利也罢，不都是一己之私吗？” “太师所言甚是！”太庙令附和道，“前番魏人伐我，孙氏一门出尽风头，名噪天下，不想却是害苦了卫人，平阳城里血流成河，满城尽屠啊！” 太师复叹一声，转向小巫祝：“老相国身体可好？” 小巫祝急前一步，低语数声，末了说道：“若不是栗将军搀扶及时，他就倒在地上了！” 老太师眉头立动，转向大巫祝：“请问上仙，观此症候，难道老相国惹怒了瘟神？” 大巫祝转向小巫祝，问道：“老相国是否额头汗出？” 小巫祝应道：“正是！” “相国是否气喘吁吁？” "Exactly!" “相国是否面呈青气，全身发颤？” "Exactly!" 大巫祝转对太师：“回禀太师，孙相国私拆封条，擅放罪民，已获罪于瘟神，观此症候，想是瘟神在行罚了！” 太师思忖有顷，一语双关地吩咐大巫祝：“老相国是卫国大宝，不可缺失，麻烦上仙去跟瘟神商议一下，让老人家手下留情，放回老相国。老朽禀报君上去！” 大巫祝心神神会：“太师放心，小仙这就去求瘟神！” 太师吩咐家宰，备车前往宫城。成公一见他来，急急问道：“可有孙爱卿下落？” 太师的眼里挤出几滴泪水：“回——回禀君上，臣弟正为此事而来！” 成公心里咯噔一声：“爱卿快说，孙爱卿他——他怎么了？” 太师长叹一声：“唉，孙相国爱民心切，竟是瞒了上下，视君上诏命于不顾，与其家臣一道径至石碾子村，逼令兵士打开封条，放出瘟神属民。此举果然惹恼瘟神，瘟神——”似是说不下去，泪水再出。 卫成公一下子怔了，好半天，方才说道：“老爱卿是说，孙爱卿他——得了瘟病？” 太师郑重点头。 卫成公跌坐于地，又怔半晌，方才转对太师：“老爱卿，可——可有救治？” “臣弟得知音讯，即去恳请大巫祝，请他赶赴上天求请瘟神，或有救治！” 卫成公急道：“快，快请大巫祝！” 不一会儿，大巫祝进宫叩道：“小仙叩见君上！” “上仙免礼！” 大巫祝谢过，起身坐下。 卫成公拱手揖道：“孙相国爱民心切，无意中得罪瘟神，招致瘟神行罚。方才听太师说，上仙已去求请瘟神，寡人甚想知道瘟神旨意？” “回禀君上，小仙方才神游天宫，叩见瘟神，瘟神说，相国大人违抗君命，私侵他的领地，放走他的属民，已犯死罪！” 卫成公惊道：“这——寡人身边，不可没有孙爱卿！还请上仙再去恳请瘟神，求他无论如何，务必放回孙爱卿！” “回禀君上，方才小仙正是这么恳请的。小仙好说歹说，瘟神终于开恩，说是唯有一方，或可救赎相国大人！” “是何妙方，上仙快说！” “瘟神说，君上须将瘟神的属民还与瘟神，对擅拆封条、违抗君命的军卒明刑正法，警示国人！” “好，寡人答应！” “瘟神还说，相国大人从他齿下夺走童男、童女各一名，须此二人献祭！” 卫成公思忖有顷，摆手道：“好吧，好吧，都依瘟神所请！寡人烦请上仙亲劳一趟，速速献祭，早日从瘟神手里赎回孙爱卿！” 大巫祝拱手应道：“小仙领旨！” 大巫祝奉了君命，引领小巫祝及巫女十余名，与内臣、太庙令等一行人敲锣打鼓，焚烟点火，径奔楚丘。内臣宣过君上诏书，栗平接旨，引领众人赶赴石碾子村。 孙机年过七旬，本就年老体弱，抗魏以来，更是未曾休息过一时。前些时连拉数日肚子，今又带病奔走疫区，受到戾气，纵使铁打的身子，此时也禁受不住，终于支撑不住，倒在地上。家宰将他扶入轺车，赶至村南高坡，使他远离村中戾气。 大巫祝等赶到时，孙机已是昏迷，脸上泛起青气。 大巫祝一到，即令军卒复将村民赶进屋去，尽数封死，又使人抱来许多干柴，在村头空场上堆起柴垛，垛前设下祭坛，将阿花姐弟二人梳洗过了，换上白衣，置放在高高的柴垛上面，缚了手足，使其盘腿坐下。两个孩子全身战栗，大声哭泣。 帮孙机放出村民的三名军卒也被反绑双手，跪在祭坛前面。他们的身后是一排巫女，巫女后面是小巫祝，小巫祝后面是大巫祝，大巫祝后面不远处，是栗平、内臣、众兵卒等数百人，再后面是那个高坡，坡上停放着孙机的轺车。 不一会儿，巫乐响起，众巫女个个手拿火把，踏着鼓点，载歌载舞，准备向瘟神献祭。栗平站立不安，似在焦急地等待什么。 不远处的大道上，一名军尉和孙宾牵着马急急走着，身后跟着随巢子、告子、宋趼等十数个身负背篓的褐衣墨者。 军尉手指不远处的村落对孙宾道：“孙将军，前面就是石碾子村，据传，瘟神就是从该村首先发作的。相国大人说，他就在村里等你！” 孙宾急于见到孙机，转对随巢子道：“随巢子前辈，晚辈先走一步了！” 随巢子点了点头，孙宾嘱托军尉几句，跨马朝石碾子村急驰而去。 村头，鼓点越来越响，巫女越舞越劲。 孙机躺在轺车中，脸色青紫，昏迷不醒。家宰守在车边，目光焦急地望着坡下的祭坛，似乎在等候大巫祝火祭过后，相国能够奇迹般生还。 一阵更急的鼓点传来，孙机的脑袋略动一下，微微睁开眼睛。家宰看到，急忙俯下身子，不无惊喜地说：“主公，主公，您——您醒过来了！” 孙机声音很低，断断续续地问道：“何——何来鼓——乐？” “回禀主公，君上为救主公，下旨让大巫祝向瘟神献祭。眼下正在献祭呢！” 孙机急道：“献——祭？所——所献何——祭？” 家宰迟疑一下，声音哽咽：“是——是阿花姐弟二人！” “荒唐！”孙机挣扎着就要坐起，家宰赶忙扶他起来，孙机手指祭坛方向，“快，扶——扶我过——去！” 家宰哭道：“主公，您这样子，万不能动啊！” “快——快让他们放——放掉两——两——两——两个孩——孩——”孙机话未说完，头一歪，竟是咽气了。 家宰大声哭号起来：“主公——主公——” 祭坛前面，巫乐戛然而止，众巫女各自手拿火把站成一排，候在柴垛前面。 鼓声一停，家宰的哭喊声陡然清晰起来。众人皆吃一惊，纷纷扭过头去。栗平急步跑到车前，大声问道：“老相国怎么了？” 家宰泣道：“主公仙——仙去了！” 栗平似乎无法相信：“这——这怎么可能呢？” 家宰泣道：“主公临终遗言，取消献祭，放掉两个孩子！” 栗平迅速转身，急步走到大巫祝跟前，沉痛地说：“相国大人仙去了！” 大巫祝两眼闭合，摇头摆脑，对着空气念念有词，谁也不知他在念叨什么。 栗平提高声音：“相国遗言，取消献祭，放掉两个孩子！” 大巫祝似是没有听见，口中依旧念念有词，有顷，陡喝一声，竟如魔鬼附身般狂舞起来，边舞边道：“吾乃上天瘟神下凡，尔等还不快快跪下？” 小巫祝及众巫女闻听此言，赶忙跪下。内臣及其他军士一时愣了，也先后跪在地上。栗平迟疑一下，也跪下来。 大巫祝一边狂舞不已，一边大叫：“尔等听着，罪人孙机屡次蔑视本神，犯吾禁令，本神适才已将他锁拿问罪。自今日始，无论何人胆敢蔑视本神，违吾禁令，吾必使千里卫境鸡犬不宁，白骨盈野！哈哈哈哈——” 在一声狂荡的狞笑声中，大巫祝一个急旋，栽倒于地。小巫祝赶忙起身，上前扶起大巫祝。大巫祝悠悠醒来，不无诧异地看着众人：“你们为何跪在地上？” 小巫祝应道：“回禀上仙，方才瘟神下凡，我等是以跪拜！” “哦，”大巫祝甚是惊讶，“瘟神下凡了？他可说过什么？” 一巫女接道：“瘟神说，他已将相国大人锁拿问罪。瘟神还说，今后有谁再敢违他禁令，他必使千里卫境鸡犬不宁，白骨盈野！” 大巫祝佯作惊恐状：“快，快祭瘟神！” 众巫女答应一声，各将火把扔向柴堆，火苗立时腾空而起，火势趁了顺坡吹下的南风，噼里啪啦地燃烧起来。两个孩子又哭又叫，尖声呼救。众兵卒皆是不忍，纷纷转过头去。 就在此时，一匹快马飞驰而来。那马嘶鸣一声，从火堆前面疾驰而过。就在战马驰过火堆之际，马上一人腾空飞起，稳稳落在丈许高的柴堆上面。众人尚未明白原委，那人已是一手一个孩子，如落叶般飘至地面。 一切发生得如此突然，如此不可思议，如有神助一般。众人一时惊得呆了，无不大睁两眼，连惊叫也无一声。 大巫祝不无惊愕地望着孙宾：“孙将军？” 孙宾没有睬他，顾自将两个连熏带吓早已晕死过去的孩子放在地上，一边扑打他们衣服上的火苗，一边朝不远处的军卒喝道：“快拿水来！” 众军卒齐将眼睛瞄向栗平。 栗平眼睛一横：“还愣什么？快递水！” 一军卒提着水桶跑来，孙宾将水洒在两个孩子脸上。二人遭冷水一激，旋即清醒过来。阿花不可置信地望着众人，她的弟弟哇哇大哭起来。 大巫祝似也回过神来，猛然咳嗽几声，眼中射出冷光，跨前一步，声色俱厉：“大胆孙宾，本仙奉君上旨意敬天事鬼，祭拜瘟神，拯救卫人。你胆敢破坏祭拜，逆天犯上，罪不容赦！来人，拿下罪人孙宾！” 众军卒无一人响应。 大巫祝又是一声断喝：“还不拿下罪人孙宾？” 众军卒的目光一齐投向栗平。大巫祝也转过头来，目光直射栗平，阴阴说道：“栗将军，你要抗旨吗？” 栗平转向内臣，内臣轻叹一声，无奈地点头。栗平无奈，只好缓缓闭上眼睛，对众军卒道：“拿下孙宾！” 几名士卒走上去，分别拿住孙宾和阿花姐弟二人。阿花不无惊恐地紧紧搂住孙宾的脖子，她的弟弟更是号哭连天。 大巫祝从鼻孔里哼出一声，大声喝道：“速将罪人孙宾三人，另有三名军卒，抛进火堆，献祭瘟神！” 听到连孙宾也要扔进火海，众军卒无不惊异，再次望向栗平。 栗平朝大巫祝缓缓跪下：“末将恳求上仙以慈悲为怀，宽容孙将军一次！” 大巫祝放缓语气，长叹一声：“唉，栗将军，非小仙不能宽容，实乃孙宾咎由自取啊！将军你都看见了，孙宾身为帝丘守尉，却忤逆君上旨意，置卫人万千生灵于不顾，公然冒犯瘟神，罪无可赦！栗将军，瘟神的话想必你也听到了，难道你真的想让卫境尸横遍野吗？” 栗平缓缓抬起头来，求助于内臣。内