On the streets of Baoding, Duan Tianming took two school lieutenants and asked around before they found the Wang Family Blacksmith Shop, which was famous throughout Baoding.
Several people discussed for a long time, but in the end they had no other choice, so they decided to drill a hole through the courtyard wall. One was to explore the situation, and the other was to act secretly so that it would not be easily discovered.
Originally, Duan Tianming thought that he had no other choice, so he led his men to surround the entire academy and went in to search.
But Xiao Chen was worried that if the prince was not imprisoned inside, a large-scale operation would once again arouse the suspicion.
The situation in Gu'an must not happen again.
"Chief Duan, the shop on the street in front seems to be the Wang family's blacksmith shop." A school captain pointed forward.
Looking up, the door of the blacksmith shop was closed, and you could faintly see an iron lock hanging on the door.
"No, if you don't open the door in broad daylight, what's the point of hanging a lock?" Duan Tianming said.
After finally asking around, I found the blacksmith shop, but was turned away by an iron lock.
"How about we go over and ask the neighbors?" said a school captain.
"Let's go and ask." Duan Tianming lowered his head and walked forward.
Although the blacksmith shop on the left and right is located on the street, it is not a front door. There is an iron lock hanging on each door. They must have left the city early in the morning to farm or do other things, but there is no one there anyway.
At the bun shop diagonally opposite, the buns may have been sold out, and the shopkeeper is packing away the baskets and scrubbing the linings inside.
Duan Tianming glanced at the blacksmith shop, raised his legs and walked towards the opposite side.
"Shopkeeper, when will the door of the blacksmith shop open?" Duan Tianming shouted to the shopkeeper of the bun shop who was busy.
"Sir, do you want to buy farm tools?" The shopkeeper of the bun shop raised his head, holding a brush in one hand, and looked at Duan Tianming with a smile.
"Yes, isn't it the beginning of spring sowing? A lot of the farm tools in my hometown are broken, and I'm too lazy to repair them. I want to buy a few and take them back." Duan Tianming said hurriedly.
"The guest may not be able to buy it anymore. Blacksmith Wang from this blacksmith shop took a load of new farm tools and walked through the streets a few days ago. Those farm tools can't be sold out, so he probably won't come back."
Head, the shopkeeper began to clean the cage hard again.
"What, what can we do?" Duan Tianming scratched his head and pretended to be very anxious.
"If you are really in a hurry, walk a mile further and there is a blacksmith shop on the roadside. However, the farm tools there are not as strong as those made by Blacksmith Wang. If you can make do with it for a year or two, it will still be fine." The shopkeeper said.
Said again.
These days, young people who have some skills outside will never think of buying some farm tools to take back to their hometown. They always bring something that looks very respectable and show it off in front of the neighbors.
This young man knew how to buy farm tools for his family. This made the shopkeeper very satisfied, so he pointed out another way.
"It's a mile away, okay, okay, thank you, shopkeeper." Duan Tianming saluted and walked forward with the two captains.
Xiao Chen and Liu Rufeng, after Duan Tianming took to the streets, also left the inn and prepared to go to the temporary residence of the Shenji Army adjacent to the academy.
The two of them walked slowly and in no hurry, as if they were walking on the street.
"How about we first inquire about the information about this academy and pretend to be students to go in and find out. I always feel that this method of digging a hole is not advisable." As he walked, Liu Rufeng expressed his opinions.
"We must inquire about the details of the academy. But now, we cannot use any facilities in Dongchang. We can only inquire as common people. If we alert the other party this time and let the prince be taken away again, I am afraid that it will really happen in the future.
We won't be able to see the prince anymore. We should keep our composure, and we must not reveal our identities until the situation is confirmed." Xiao Chen said.
"How long does it take for the Emperor to return to Beijing?" Liu Rufeng asked a little worriedly.
"Today is already the last day of March. I estimate that within these two days, the hunting in Huailaiwei will be over. After meeting with envoys from various countries, the emperor will return to Beijing.
I really can’t tell what the situation will be at that time.”
"Once the emperor wants to punish Dongchang, what will we do?" Liu Rufeng said.
Xiao Chen had said before that if the emperor really took action against Dongchang, he would leave Dongchang and the court with a few important people.
Seeing that the day to make a decision was coming, Liu Rufeng felt a little absent-minded while investigating the case.
"If the emperor really wants to put this responsibility on Dongchang, we have nothing to say. But I will go to the emperor in person and issue a military order to him. If the prince cannot be found, my head will be handed over to the emperor.
." Xiao Chen said calmly.
Liu Rufeng stopped and said, "Do you want one person to bear all the responsibilities?"
Xiao Chen also stopped and smiled faintly: "If I can use my head to exchange for everyone's safety, even if the emperor really kills me in the end, I will still be smiling."
"You are so smiling. Have you ever thought about how we feel? You bear all the responsibilities alone. Do you think you are great? You are buried in the ground, but we are burning paper on your grave. How do you feel?
Huh?" Liu Rufeng stared at Xiao Chen angrily, Liu Rufeng had never been so angry with Xiao Chen before.
"Why are you so anxious?" Xiao Chen was also stunned, "I'm just talking about the worst ending. The purpose of issuing a military order to the Emperor is to buy us time. I can't let go of my brothers from Dongchang.
I can’t let go of the prince either.”
Looking at the street in the distance, Xiao Chen couldn't help but think of the scene when he "cured" the prince's leg disease.
Originally, I had a lot of resentment towards the prince, so under the guise of curing his leg disease, I was actually torturing him in disguise.
But as they got along with each other later, Xiao Chen discovered that except for being a little jealous of his favor at that time, this prince liked him in every other way.
Honest, practical, and able to listen to other people's opinions.
The most important thing is that in order to build a perfect figure, you can endure pain that ordinary people cannot endure.
If such a person can become the future emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the life of the people will certainly not be bad.
If you flee the capital because you are afraid of the emperor's punishment, you will not only give up the prince, but also the entire people of the world.
When he comes back to his senses, he will live with guilt all his life.
Xiao Chen doesn't want to live such a life.
"When the time comes, when you go to see the emperor, take us with you." Liu Rufeng said seriously.
"Will you be brought along? Will you join me in making a military order?" Xiao Chen laughed.
"Yes, let's make a military order together, and we will share the blessings and the hardships. Otherwise, if you really die, it will be really painful for us who survive." Liu Rufeng said.
Xiao Chen stopped again, raised his right hand, and patted Liu Rufeng's shoulder with a serious look on his face.
"Don't stop us. When the time comes, I will drag Duan Tianming with you. Since Dongchang is a whole, we will act together." Looking at Xiao Chen, Liu Rufeng nodded vigorously.
"No, you misunderstood me Liu Qianhu." Xiao Chen was just about to tell the difference when he was interrupted again.
"Don't say anything unnecessary. This military order has been decided. Don't think of leaving us alone to bear everything." Liu Rufeng stubbornly insisted on his opinion, fearing that Xiao Chen would bear it alone.
"Wait, wait, you really misunderstood me." Xiao Chen raised his right hand and waved it continuously.
Misunderstanding, how could I have misunderstood? After arriving at Dongchang, I really understood Xiao Chen's character. He never evades responsibilities, let alone shirks them to others.
If the time comes and the emperor only convicts him, not to mention feeling sorry for himself, others will also suffer terribly.
Rather than living in an ignoble existence, it is better to face it together with the people you admire.
In this way, even if he was punished by the emperor in the end, as Xiao Chen himself said, it would still be a smile on his face.
Standing in front of Xiao Chen, Liu Rufeng stood erect.
Like a flagpole in the wind, tall and straight.
"No, what I mean is that the military order is just to delay time. Since you are going, then you guys go and set up the military order, and I will stay and investigate the case properly." Xiao Chen whispered.
"You? You actually think like this?" Liu Rufeng closed her eyes and patted her chest. Her whole body shrank instantly like an eggplant beaten by frost.
