In the dungeon of the pro-military captain's mansion, in the torture chamber.
"Aren't you an outsider? How do you know that the three religions are uniting to assassinate the king and kill him?" Zhu Zhen stared closely at the man named Ma and asked.
"Bianliang is a place where all three religions are mixed together. It's not like Nanjing, where people can arrest you just for gossiping..." Ma regretted it so much that if he could do it over again, he would never talk nonsense again.
.
"So you heard this too?"
"Yes." He immediately nodded in agreement.
"Isn't that right? I see that you were very confident in your news last night." King Chu was not easily fooled. He slightly loosened the tight mask straps and said:
"Ordinarily, your crime would be more than enough to punish the Nine Clans. But because it involves the safety of my brothers, if you can make a great contribution, then after my brothers return safely, I can ask my father to spare your life."
"Think it over carefully." After Zhu Zhen finished speaking, he turned to leave.
"I said, I said..." Then someone named Ma shouted weakly from behind: "I said it all!"
~~
On the way out of the Qinjun Duwei Mansion, Zhu Zhen was riding on the back of an ox, thinking about Ma's confession——
He finally confessed that he was able to take this job because his brother-in-law was a leader of the White Lotus Sect. His brother-in-law told him about the merger of the three religions and the assassination of the king.
His brother-in-law also said that in the past two months, high-ranking officials and powerful players from the Three Religions had gathered in Bianliang. They had received definite news that several of Zhu Yuanzhang’s sons had appeared in Peiping as low-level officers.
On the way back to Nanjing, he assassinated someone and took revenge.
Although what the man surnamed Ma said may not be reliable, it still aroused Zhu Zhen's uneasiness. In order to avoid his blind guess and miss the lives of his brothers, he decided to make a mistake.
His Royal Highness the King of Chu turned the bull's horns and said: "Go back to Uncle Chengyi's Mansion!"
~~
In Uncle Chengyi's Mansion, Liu Ji was receiving guests, and the King of Chu broke in.
"Master, something bad has happened." Lao Liu shouted loudly as soon as he came in, and then used his eyes to signal the guest to be more understanding and leave quickly.
Unexpectedly, the other party turned a blind eye to him and asked angrily: "Whose child is so rude?"
"That's the kid you scolded just now." Liu Bowen said with ill intentions.
"Ah?" The man squinted his eyes hard, and two chrysanthemums bloomed on his face. He looked at Lao Liu carefully and said, "It's true, he's a lot taller than last year, and I can't even recognize him."
"Master, who is this?" Zhu Zhen asked strangely.
"A lousy writer of novels." Liu Bowen laughed and said, "You have also acted in novels written by his master."
"Ah, Luo Guanzhong!" Zhu Zhen suddenly realized, immediately changed his face to a very affectionate face, grabbed the hand with chrysanthemum eyes and shook it vigorously: "Nice to meet you!"
"Haha, it is the common people's misfortune to meet His Highness." That person was none other than Luo Guanzhong, who had appeared in Linhuai County a year ago.
"As you said, have we met before?" Monk Zhu Zhenzhang was confused.
"Your Highness has never seen the grassroots, but the grassroots have seen your Highness." Luo Guanzhong said with gritted teeth: "I was still in the Linhuai County Town God's Temple, and I watched the performance of "The Legend of Wu Song" performed by Your Highness and your brothers!"
"Uh..." Only then did Zhu Zhen understand why Lao Luo was so prejudiced against him. But he was not shy but said happily: "How is it? How did our performance go?"
"Haha..." Luo Guanzhong glanced at Liu Bowen and said, "The adaptation is directed by the dignified Mr. Qingtian, how can it not be good-looking?"
"No, Master, do you...recognize it?" Zhu Zhen looked at Liu Bowen and said.
"Hmm." Old Liu nodded and said matter-of-factly: "Otherwise, where did you see the unpublished "Water Margin"?"
"Uh, okay..." Zhu Zhenxin said, why did he forget this? He still expected the master to make up for the loopholes.
"No wonder Mr. Guanzhong is unhappy. How could you only write Duke Shi Naian's name in the original column and leave out his name?" Liu Bowen said again.
"Oops, I was negligent." Zhu Zhen slapped his forehead and said apologetically: "I just remembered that my husband wrote "Three Kingdoms", but it turns out that "Water Margin" also had his credit."
He quickly expressed his position: "Add it, I'll add it later."
"No need." Luo Guanzhong's expression softened slightly.
"It's necessary. How can I lose my signature right?" Zhu Zhen was very determined. He asked Luo Guanzhong: "By the way, sir, who is your name?"
"Guanzhong is my character," Luo Guanzhong replied calmly: "I act with my character."
"What's your real name?" Zhu Zhen asked with increasing curiosity.
"This is the original." Luo Guanzhong replied: "The thick and thin is the original."
"Oh, Robben!" Zhu Zhen couldn't help but exclaimed: "Sir must be good at shooting."
"Am I just short-sighted?" Luo Guanzhong pointed to his chrysanthemum eyes depressingly. "I can't see the target anywhere."
"That's it." Lao Liu looked disappointed.
Robben didn't know why he was disappointed, and then said to his master and apprentice: "You two masters and apprentices, it is not impossible to adapt my master's apprentice's "Water Margin", but you should not make it up randomly and add erotic content!
"
"Why did you say this?" Liu Bowen asked.
"I heard that by the Qinhuai River, there was a Golden Lotus Courtyard recently, and the drama "Jin Ping Mei" was staged and it was very popular. The common people, with a learning attitude, spent a lot of money and bought tickets for the first row." Luo Guanzhong said and coughed twice.
He said: "I'm not doing it for anyone else, I'm just short-sighted and there's nothing I can do about it."
"oh……"
"What happened in the end!" Luo Guanzhong was so angry that his nose was crooked. If he couldn't bear it anymore, he wouldn't come to Liu Bowen to settle the score.
"I'm embarrassed to say it, it's obscene! Vulgar! Obscene! It's simply too much!"
"That has nothing to do with me." Liu Bowen quickly denied it: "I don't know about 'Jin Ping Mei' or 'Yin Ping Lan'."
"I don't even know..." Zhu Zhen also quickly denied it. "How can my little kid go to a place like that?"
At this moment, he understood why Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng had to remain anonymous.
"It really has nothing to do with you?" Luo Benhu asked.
"Really." Master and disciple said in unison.
"Then, Your Highness, please send someone to tell Jinlianyuan not to perform "The Plum in the Golden Lotus" again, otherwise when my master's "Water Margin" is published in the future, others will think it is a pornographic book." Luo Guanzhong said to Zhu Zhen.
"I'll give it a try." Zhu Zhen nodded. In his heart, he was very dissatisfied with "Jin Ping Mei". Alas, there is no human rights in fan works...
"Well, I won't disturb you, master and disciple." Luo Guanzhong stood up and said goodbye.
"I won't send it off." Master and apprentice said in unison again.
"Oh, that's rude." Robben held on to the doorframe depressedly and went out.
As soon as he left, Zhu Zhen quickly took out the secret letters and briefly explained what happened.
Of course, he would not tell Lao Liu that he was monitoring the situation in Jinlianyuan. He would only say that Liu Ying and the others caught the person named Ma.
Liu Bowen glanced at the secret message, looked at him again and said, "Then please invite Mr. Guanzhong back."
