Sunshine City
fifteen miles east of the city
This is a small village that cannot be found on the territory map of the Sui Dynasty, not because the village is small, nor because the village is remote, but because the village is so new that it is impossible to appear on the last edition of the Sui Dynasty several decades ago. on the map produced. Until the reign of the God Bless Emperor Yang Yi, the standard maps needed by the military were also decades ago.
This village has not been more than four years since it was established.
When Luo Yao entered Gyeonggi Province, a large number of people in Gyeonggi Province fled. Their first choice is near Yanyang City, because it is rich enough and there are no bandits. In addition, Gao Xianze still took good care of the people in exile here, and specially set aside some places for them to build villages to live in, so the number of people in Shun Cheng Dao has increased rapidly in the past few years.
There is no inn in the village, but there is a small tea shop by the roadside.
This shop is extremely deserted on weekdays, because few people pass by here. The owner of this shop is an old couple. Both sons died in the war in Gyeonggi-do. The couple were brought here by their nephew for refuge. died.
The old couple settled here with their nephew and children, living on the meager money for tea. The people in the village take good care of them and come here from time to time to deliver some food and vegetables.
After noon today, a dozen people in fresh clothes and angry horses stopped outside the village to rest at the tea shop. What they drink is that they bring their own tea, and even bring their own water, but they just borrow the kettle from the shop to boil the water. A servant cleaned the kettle four times, which made the old couple feel distressed.
However, these people made a big move, throwing out a silver ingot worth twelve taels.
For poor families, this is simply a huge windfall.
The old two days peeked out of the house from time to time, and found that the middle-aged man with kind eyebrows but a gloomy face must be the leader of these people. Sitting there, this person naturally has a kind of power.
"Owner."
A strong man hurried over from a distance, lowered his voice and whispered in the ear of the middle-aged man: "After lunch, Fang Jie and Wu talked together in the room for a while, but they were obviously on guard. Niu When Qi heard what he said, they were indeed suspicious of Dugu Wenxiu. Half an hour later, Wu Yiyi left, and Fang Xie slept in the room for a while. Niu Qi said that he was not breathing evenly, so he probably didn't fall asleep."
"Then Fang Jie sent someone to call Gao Xianze, and the two of them left the house and went to the small river in the east of the city, talking while walking. The place was too open for our people to get close to. After Fang Jie and Gao Xianze left, Zhou Que'er went into the house to check, and there was no trace of using the pen, ink, paper and inkstone in the house, he carefully looked at the paper, and there was no trace of handwriting."
After the man finished speaking, he stood with his head bowed and waited for orders.
The middle-aged man sitting there drinking tea listened carefully, frowning slightly.
After being silent for a while, he asked the person wearing a bamboo hat sitting opposite: "Brother Dugu, what do you think?"
The person sitting in front of him looked up, it was Dugu Bingwen.
"Your Ye family has eagles, dogs, snakes, and rats. The news should be reliable. Even if Fang Xie was shocked, he would not be able to detect Niu Qi. Niu Qi has no cultivation, but his ears are good. All his current performance It's not that he discovered something, it's just a habit. He chose to meet Gao Xianze in an open place because he was worried that someone would eavesdrop. However, this is an attitude in itself."
Dugu Bingwen said: "If it were you who trusted Gao Xianze, what would you do?"
Ye Manwen thought about it carefully for a long time, and suddenly understood: "Brother Dugu means that Fang Jie doesn't trust Gao Xianze at all?"
"Um."
Dugu Bingwen nodded: "If I trust someone, I won't expose this person, especially at such a critical juncture, it is the most stupid thing to expose someone I trust. He and Gao Xianze took shelter by the river Talking to others, on the surface, it seems that they don't want others to know what they talked about. Then people feel that he is trying to win Gao Xianze... In fact, it is not the case. The two of them are walking by the river. Isn't this an attitude? He has given Gao Xianze to After selling it, I have to say that Fang Jie is a smart person."
Ye Manwen nodded: "He wants to use this method to tell us that he wants to win Gao Xianze over. If we are fooled, we will get rid of Gao Xianze impatiently."
After thinking for a while, Dugu Bingwen said: "Originally, we meant to get rid of Gao Xianze. We haven't been able to control this impervious guy, and keeping him will be a disaster sooner or later. Although we are following the path of Dugu Wenxiu , asked him to send someone to contact Gao Xianze. But Gao Xianze is also a smart person, he must have guessed who is behind Dugu Wenxiu. He just can't know who is behind Dugu Wenxiu."
"Will Fang Xie trust Gao Xianze after a long talk with him?"
Ye Manwen asked.
Dugu Bingwen was silent for a while, then shook his head slowly: "It doesn't matter anymore, Gao Xianze is worthless. A person like Fang Jie, once he makes a decision, will not turn back. I suspect that he wants to use Gao Xianze to test our abilities He sold Gao Xianze like this, he must hope that we can get rid of Gao Xianze... In this way, Fang Xie can use this to see how capable we are."
"Ha ha."
Ye Manwen couldn't help laughing: "I never imagined that Fang Jie, who is famous all over the world for benevolence and righteousness, would be so vicious."
"Benevolence?!"
Dugu Bingwen snorted coldly: "Things that are worthless."
Ye Manwen took a sip of tea, looked around and couldn't help but ask: "I just don't understand, why you have to go so far? Why not the west of the city, but the east of the city?"
Dugu Bingwen asked back: "If you were Fang Jie, would you think that we would come to the east of the city? Chang'an City is obviously on the west side, so he would think that our people are also on the west side of Yanyang City. It's just an extra few miles. Still clean."
Ye Manwen was surprised, and said with a smile: "You are always so careful."
"We are going to sail for ten thousand years."
Dugu Bingwen said seriously: "How can you be careless?"
…
…
xiaoquehe
This river is not well-known at all, that is, the people near Yanyang City know its existence. This river is not wide enough or deep enough, and the widest point is no more than a dozen meters. And there are no trees on both sides of the river bank, and there is nothing to say on the bare embankment. Even the most coquettish literati can't write colorful words for a small river with no bright spots like ours.
There is only running water and no homes.
There is a small bridge dozens of miles away, but it is not beautiful either.
"Standing on this embankment, people with good eyesight can see me and the prince from far away."
Gao Xianze couldn't help smiling, a little bit bitterly: "It seems that the prince has chosen the terrain long ago, and he knew there was such a place before entering Yanyang City. As long as the prince and I walk around here, even if the prince just Ask me if there are any famous actors in Yanyang City, or which brothel has the most lovely girls... I'm afraid my head will be marked with a price in the morning."
Fang Jie also smiled: "Do you think I'm betraying you?"
Gao Xianze asked back, "Isn't the lord betraying me?"
"I'm protecting you."
Fang Jie answered.
Gao Xianze froze for a moment, but didn't understand.
He knew that Fang Xie came to Yanyang City, and those who wanted to get rid of Fang Xie were very clear about it. And he was sure that somewhere, someone was watching every move here with clairvoyance. It won't be long before the news that he and Fang Xie have been working side by side for a long time will spread. This is undoubtedly telling those people that Gao Xianze is already Fang Xie's person. In this way, his own death time is almost here.
But Fang Jie actually told him that it was to protect him.
"Why did your lord deceive me like this?"
Gao Xianze said with some disappointment.
"You just haven't thought it through."
Fang Jie stood by the small river with his hands behind his back: "I walked side by side with you like this, and walked so far, those people don't know what you and I talked about, but the attitude has been expressed. Do you think I am Selling you because you think I'm telling those people that I trust you. As long as I trust you, your danger will come, right?"
"Isn't it?"
Gao Xianze asked back.
"no."
Fang Jie said earnestly: "If I don't talk to you, or even see you with a cold face, you are in danger. They know my attitude towards you and make judgments based on it. I seem to be trying to win you over. Those People's first reaction is that you want to be on my side. What about the second reaction? Few people who do big things believe their first feeling. Because the first feeling will be wrong 90% of the time, especially in the face. Against a cunning enemy."
"They would think, is this what Fang Jie did on purpose? Could it be that Fang Jie wanted us to get rid of Gao Xianze on purpose? Why did Fang Jie get rid of Gao Xianze?"
He looked at Gao Xianze: "What's the answer?"
Gao Xianze pondered for a while, and suddenly his eyes lit up: "Understood! Because they will feel that the prince is trying to test their ability by selling me. But now, they dare not show their full strength. So... They won't touch me."
Fang Jie nodded: "I need your help, so the first thing is to keep you. They have already confirmed that I am going to sell you, so they will not kill you. If my prediction is correct , they will continue to send people to contact you, and the people they send again will definitely not be from Dugu Wenxiu."
Gao Xianze was silent for a while, then asked curiously: "I just don't understand why they reacted so strongly? Now that the prince is the new master recognized by the world, why do they insist on overthrowing you?"
"Because I will touch their most fundamental interests."
Fang Jie said: "This sentence is a bit false, you may not understand it. Another way of saying it is... I am not the person they elected. I am not easy to control, and they are not easy to benefit. This is a relative relationship. I I didn't rely on them to be controlled by them. So I need to cultivate my own strength... You have to get on my boat now."
Gao Xianze smiled wryly: "It doesn't count that I voluntarily boarded... If I had a choice, I would still be the same as before, and I would not board any boat."
"It's time to choose."
Fang Jie turned around: "It's time to go back... You should go back, and I should go back. After you go back, you'd better do your best and show a little anger, but not too much. It's time for me to go back, too. Ying pretended to be preoccupied, and then led the team back to Chang'an."
"My lord is worried, are there any of them in your army?"
"have."
Fang Jie nodded: "Impossible."
"After returning to Chang'an, the prince will get rid of these people first, right?"
Gao Xianze couldn't help but ask, "May I know who these people are?"
Fang Jie glanced at him: "Remember, it will be fine without you."
After speaking, Fang Jie strode away.
Gao Xianze looked at Fang Jie's back, but his heart never calmed down. He knew that he was far from understanding Fang Xie, but he could already touch Fang Xie's horror. It seems that nothing can be hidden from him, but no one can guess him.