A violent explosion occurred in the pawn shop in the West Market. The entire roof was overturned and turned into billowing smoke and fire. The structure of the house gradually collapsed into a pile of ruins. Zhang Xiaojing threw the emperor and fell to the street. His robe behind him had already been burned by the flames.
Burning.
The first to arrive were the soldiers of You Xiaowei. They isolated the scene and rescued the embarrassed emperor. The saint was supported by two people and was about to be put into the carriage. He stepped on the shaft of the carriage and turned around and shouted: "Bring Zhang Xiaojing here too."
Bring him here! I will take him back to the palace to ask the imperial doctor to treat his injury."
Two soldiers carried Zhang Xiaojing like a corpse and placed him on the saint's chariot. The palace eunuch sat on the shaft of the chariot and gently whipped the horses before leaving along the straight road of the West Market.
In addition to You Xiaowei, Long Wujun and Jing'ansi also came over and jointly took over the crime scene. It seemed that this place must be guarded by three forces at the same time, so that the truth can be revealed to the world and the real culprit behind the scenes can be discovered.
Three forces were dispatched at the same time. They first extinguished the flames with buckets, and then carried them on their shoulders to clean up the residue. In the end, only a small iron abacus, a few pieces of burnt cloth and carbonized bones of residual limbs were found in the fire.
Supervisor He Zhizhang hunched his shoulders and came to identify it himself. Facing this scene, the old man's heart seemed to be broken. He squatted on the ground and looked at the abacus left at the scene. He covered his chest and nodded and said: "Yes, this is Xu.
The ornament that Bin hangs on his chest."
Dali Temple Judge Yuan Zai and Wang Yunxiu led the team around. He shouted loudly: "When the explosion just happened, there must have been many people watching on the street. Naturally, there was more than one murderer who wanted to kill the saint. Let's arrest a few common people who witnessed it.
Come here and arrest them based on their confessions!"
He Zhizhang refuted angrily: "Why arrest the people! Everything is witnessed by the saints, and the murderers will be decided by the saints themselves!"
Yuan Zai smiled awkwardly and crossed his hands at He Zhizhang, while Wang Yunxiu rolled up his eyelids, tugged Yuan Zai's sleeves and hid in a corner and said: "Yuanlang, don't look up to him.
I don’t know, but he is an eighty-year-old man who is suffering from hysteria again. Shangshu requested to join the Taoist priesthood and return to his hometown. He will leave Chang’an after the first month.”
"I see," Yuan Zai straightened his back and snorted, "I don't care about him, an eighty-year-old man."
The explosion also woke up Li Bai who was drinking heavily in the Orchid Wine Shop. He slowly walked out of the wine shop holding on to the wall and looked at the morning light in Chang'an. The sunrise in the east was vigorous and brilliant. However, his fate was far from as exciting as the sunrise.
People are excited. When Tianbao entered Chang'an, he thought he could inspire writing, reward great ambitions, guide the country, and assist the sage. But until now, he can only serve as a scholar waiting for imperial edicts, pleasing the powerful and decorating the palace with elegant lyrics and music, and flashy craftsmanship.
, ideal met reality, dream was shattered!
He staggered and leaned on the handrail at the door of the wine shop, a sour smile escaped from the corner of his mouth, he raised his hand and pointed into the distance and said: "Those who abandon me will not be able to stay in yesterday's day; those who disturb my heart will have many worries in today's day, and I cannot stay in Chang'an.
You can’t stay.”
…
In the narrow alley behind the Liangming Temple in Yankangfang, Li Siye was leaning against the earth wall, with a gray head and a very miserable face. There was a body beside his feet, and the upper body was covered with a white cloth pulled from the middle.
That burned face easily scares people.
Today is the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and the Shangyuan Lantern Festival will be held for another three years. The turmoil in Chang'an City will not dilute the atmosphere of the festival at all. Only those few people who are awake can feel the dazzling prosperity.
The meeting is slowly coming to an end.
A maroon pony pulled an ink cart to the gate of the backyard of Liangming Temple. The driver opened the curtain and helped the owner of the cart out. But it was a woman in a red cloak who led a child out of the cart.
The woman, who had a bright hairpin and a gentle face, took the child's hand and entered the temple.
The driver was leaning on the carriage and chewing mint leaves. Li Siye strolled over and asked directly: "I want to hire your car, is that possible?"
The driver waved his hands repeatedly and said: "This is a private car, we are not employed."
He took out the only remaining gold coin from his arms and waved it in front of the coachman's face: "This is a Sasanian gold coin. Follow me to Xinchangfang and this gold will be yours."
The coachman's eyes followed the shining gold coins, and he shook his head in embarrassment and said: "If I were closer, I could give you a ride. This Xinchangfang is half the size of Chang'an City. If my master knew about this, he would definitely not do it.
Spare me."
"In this way," Li Siye leaned close to him and whispered: "When you get to the place, I will give you another gold coin like this. You can go in and tell your wife that you want to take a seriously ill person to see a medical officer. She will definitely
promised.”
"Okay, just wait a moment."
The coachman ran and jumped into the temple, probably because he was afraid that his cooked duck would fly away. After a while, the coachman came back and said happily: "It's done."
"Okay," Li Siye led him and pulled the carriage to the wall, squatted down and held Dai Wang's arms and said, "Come, carry him to the carriage with me."
The coachman immediately took the reins of the horse and took two steps back hesitantly: "Our master's carriage cannot pull people to death, it is really unlucky."
"He's not dead! He was injured and unconscious. Didn't I take him back for treatment?"
The coachman listened to Li Siye's words and squatted down to hug the injured man's legs. He found that the legs were not so stiff and his knees could bend freely, so he felt a little relieved.
As the carriage drove out of the gate of Yankangfang, Li Siye opened the curtain and looked around. The number of soldiers patrolling the street had reduced a lot. It seemed that the saint had returned safely.
As they walked eastward, Li Siye was anxious and worried about whether there would be patrols and interceptions. However, when they arrived at the Hengjie intersection of Anrenfang, they encountered an interrogation by the Luben Army.
"Stop the car and get investigated!"
Li Siye stretched out his head and held the fish bag in his hand and said: "I am the fourth-rank general of Qixi Town. I am returning to Chang'an to pay tribute. There are patients at home in the car and they must not be exposed to the wind."
The sergeant put his hands on his hips and raised his chest and said: "The Jing'an Division is handling the case, and no one can refuse inspection without reason."
Li Siye touched his chest and quickly said to the coachman: "Where is the gold coin I gave you? Take it out and let me use it."
The coachman shook his head and refused.
"Hey, I'll give you one more when we get there!"
The driver hesitated and coyly took it out and spread it in the palm of his hand. Li Siye grabbed it and handed it into the sergeant's hand. He asked in a low voice: "Didn't I hear that the saint returned to the palace? Why are you still checking?"
"Hey," the sergeant shook the gold coin into his sleeve neatly: "Isn't this the daughter of General Wang Zhongsi and the Yuan Pingshi of Dali Temple? There is still a dead body that has not been found. He must be lurking on the run. So I took advantage of Jing.
Ansi has not been disbanded yet, so he insists on ordering us to set up a checkpoint at the intersection. It’s really easy to find nothing. These two people’s contribution to saving the saints has not been picked up, so they are anxious to find sesame seeds here. Let’s go!”
Li Siye closed the curtain and got back into the carriage. The coachman drove back on the road. He turned around and complained: "I don't have a single gold coin deposit anymore. You won't default on the payment and make my trip in vain."
"How could that be? I'll give you three when we get there."
"That's fine. If you encounter another interrogation later, what are you going to do?"
"Shut up!"
The carriage finally stopped in front of the old house bought by Li Siye in Xinchangfang. He pushed open the courtyard door, worked with the coachman to lift Dai Wang out, and placed him on the couch in the main room. He then ran to the underground vault in the wing room and took out the
Three gold coins came to the driver in the center of the yard. He pinched them with three fingers and was about to put them into his palm. Suddenly he raised them and said, "Remember, don't mention what happened just now to anyone. I remember your appearance and I know you."
If someone comes looking for your carriage when you turn around, I can tell you that I will be able to find you even if I search all over Chang'an."
"Don't, don't, how dare I? You are an official, how dare a villain like me go out and talk nonsense!"
"Let's go."
Li Siye sent the coachman away, closed the courtyard door, and returned to the main room. He came to Dai Liulang's body, grabbed the middle sheet that covered his upper body with both hands, and gently lifted it up.
The face was burnt to pieces and was beyond recognition. The white cloth that covered it had some flesh and blood stuck to it, and the pain made him moan and hiss.
"You wait here, I'll go find a doctor for you right away."
Dai Wang turned his head and made a vague sound in his throat: "I am not Dai Wang."
Li Siye turned around, paused, turned his head and said, "From today on, you can only be Dai Liulang."