The fat man and the thin man walked ahead, intentionally leaving Xie Yilu and Liao Jixiang far behind.
After sailing all the way, after more than ten days, they turned overland and left the cramped canopy. Only then did they dare to ask each other tremblingly: "How do we... how do we live?"
The thin man frowned: "It's not a water ghost." He secretly turned his head and looked back, "They didn't say anything."
"Unless..." the fat man looked at him with secretive eyes, and the thin man shook his head, "No, if there are accomplices, why don't they run away?"
"It's fine if you can't," Fatty nodded, "If you lose him, we'll both die!"
The skinny man walked for a while, then suddenly said: "Those are two lunatics." He pouted contemptuously, and there seemed to be vague concern and some kind of ambiguous admiration in the contempt, "Let's have more snacks."
The fat man stopped, and waited for Xie Yilu and Liao Jixiang to catch up. The two were swaying and didn't know what to say. Xie Yilu carried Liao Jixiang on his back again. The thin man guessed that the one on his shoulder had just grown I'm afraid the wound will wear off again.
The sun was particularly abundant this day. It was very warm in the morning, and it became even brighter at noon. The four of them walked along the endless green tree shade. The vast land was as peaceful as a woman, without any complicated things. The only sound is the soft sound of the wind blowing the clouds, and the evaporation of dew on the grass blades.
Liao Jixiang lay on Xie Yilu's back, with shiny leaves on top of his head, at this moment, he was almost carefree like a child, small nail-sized fruits occasionally appeared in the middle of the leaves, which were bright red and delicious.
His hands were in the shackles and he couldn't reach them. Xie Yilu found out and held him up. It was very troublesome. He tore off one, looked at it again and again, took one into his mouth, crushed it, and smacked it. , that sweetness, he will never forget it in his life.
"Sour?" Xie Yilu laughed.
Liao Jixiang patted his head with both hands, told him to turn around slightly, grabbed a small fruit, and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Ah, so sweet!" Xie Yilu couldn't help exclaiming.
"Yes," Liao Jixiang looked at him with lowered eyes. This is not a broad back, but it is his destination in this life. "It's sweeter than Nanjing."
"Sweet," the thin man heard from the front, and bumped the fat man with his elbow, "you pick one."
The fat man looked at him: "Pick it off, I can't reach it."
Thinking about it enough, is there still something out of reach? The two of them are embarrassed, maybe they are greedy after all, the thin man jumped up suddenly, and tore off a lot of leaves from the top of the tree. There were so many red fruits in it, he picked them The fat man took one, and ate the rest whole by himself.
"Hey, it's so sweet!" The fat man snatched it from the thin man with his backhand, and the thin man laughed and tugged at him. At this time, he heard "cracking" in the distance, the sound of horseshoes.
After a while, two fast horses came to meet them, and the horses were beaten by a pair of young men, who seemed to be on urgent business, and brushed against them rustlingly. He asked eagerly, "From Nanjing?"
The thin man didn't give them a good look, squinted at them, and didn't answer.
The man on the horse took out a plaque from his waist, it was brass, and it flashed brightly for him to see. The thin man straightened up immediately. It was the badge of the Imperial Horse Supervisor in the palace: "Yes, it's from Nanjing!"
They could tell from the seal on Liao Jixiang's shackle, Xie Yilu put him down and slowly hid behind him.
"Is it a prisoner from the Weaving Bureau?"
The thin man was about to answer, but the fat man said first, "No, for such a big criminal, it's our turn to be detained."
What he said was so true, and that's why Tu Yao asked the two of them to escort them, and the two eunuchs rode their horses, examining them back and forth: "What happened to the people from the Weaving Bureau, do you know? "
The fat man and the thin man looked at each other and replied respectfully, "Which one is Grandpa asking?"
The two eunuchs also seemed to hesitate, and after discussing for a while, they said, "One is Zhang Cai."
Really didn't recognize it, the thin man opened his mouth and was about to refuse, Xie Yilu said: "I recognize it."
The two horses came towards him immediately, Xie Yilu stood still, neither humble nor overbearing: "I want to know who asked."
The man on the horse laughed loudly, and looked at this beggar-like guy with a bruised nose and a swollen face: "You deserve it too!"
Xie Yilu laughed along with them: "Forget it then." He lowered his head and brushed off his robes, "Go to Nanjing and ask."
The expressions of the two eunuchs became serious, as if they were about to get angry: "If you say you know, we will believe you?"
Xie Yilu raised his head and looked at them frankly, as if it was a gamble, he said: "I have friendship with Yishiha."
Hearing that name, the two of them immediately changed their expressions, and got off the horse one after another, a little embarrassed as they didn't know whether to be respectful or acquainted, and whispered: "We are the people of Yishiha."
Xie Yilu frowned, as if he didn't believe it, he opened the distance warily, and the two eunuchs immediately posted: "Our grandfather is now managing the treasury and gate for the ancestors, and he is the general manager of the seventh rank!"
This "ancestor" is of course not that "ancestor", but Qi Wan. Xie Yilu was surprised that Yi Shiha crawled so fast beside him: "Zhang Cai is dead."
When the words fell, Liao Jixiang's shackles rang behind him, as if afraid of what he would say, the two eunuchs hurriedly asked: "How did you die?"
Xie Yilu understood Liao Jixiang's meaning, since some things have already been settled, why bother to speak out to hurt others: "When Jin Yiwei went to copy the weaving bureau, he was loyal to their governor."
This ending is reasonable, people can't help but believe it, the two eunuchs didn't say anything for a while, Xie Yilu said again: "Buried behind Lingfu Temple, there is a stone tablet of him."
That small temple, the place where Xie Yilu met Zhang Cai for the first time, was also the final destination of that silly boy. Perhaps he was lucky that he did not see the end of the Weaving Bureau, and did not expose his corpse to the wilderness with Aliu and the others.
The two eunuchs were obviously a bit discouraged, maybe they were pointing to this errand to go to Yishiha to claim credit, but Xie Yilu didn't ask any further questions, and when they said they would go to Nanjing to see it with his own eyes, he left.
Yishiha, it seems that he got what he wanted, but what he lost is beyond measure.
Xie Yilu squatted down and carried Liao Jixiang on his back again: "It would be great if I could carry you for the rest of my life." He said, looking up at Liao Jixiang, Liao Jixiang seemed to understand his little thoughts, slowly Laughing: "When I arrive at the underworld, I want you to carry me on my back."
Arriving at the underworld... These are bad words, but when they reached Xie Yilu's ears, it was as if they were dipped in honey. He staggered and staggered, with a smirk on his face, and staggered like this for almost a mile. A group of people came out and stopped them.
The leader is a young man, seventeen or eighteen years old at most, with a handsome face, wearing an inner official uniform, navy blue makeup and flowers over the shoulders, a cloud python modification machine, white cranes embroidered on the cuffs, agate inlaid on the forehead, at least five grades.
It's someone who came out of the palace. The two messengers didn't dare to move, they looked behind him, except for three or five eunuchs wearing stickers, the rest were guards riding in brocade clothes, wearing bows and knives, and leading horses.
That young man Shi Shiran came up, arms raised, eyebrows raised, he had the air of a young man who had achieved success, his clear eyes scanned the four of them, and quickly fell back on Liao Jixiang, observing carefully as if he were sizing up an animal. , as if weighing his value, he threw out a sentence: "Preach the Holy Spirit!"
Liao Jixiang, Xie Yilu, and the two messengers all fell to their knees.
"Talk to your companion (11) and listen," the young man lazily conveyed the decree, condescendingly looking down at Liao Jixiang who was wearing a heavy shackle. I lose my temper and feel uneasy outside, it's better to be at home, so!"
Liao Jixiang was still in a daze, but the boy helped him up and called out, "Grandpa."
Then the seal on the shackle was torn off, and the iron locks were opened from both ends. Over there, Jin Yiwei was handing over the official documents at the reconciliation mission. Liao Jixiang looked up at the child in front of him. He was beautiful and smart, just like him back then. Long live God's favorite blank.
"Grandpa, let's invite you," the young man leaned against his face, his tone very rude, "Qi Wan's people have delayed us in Shuangduiji, if you want to return to the palace completely, you have to..."
Liao Jixiang didn't listen to what he said at all, he turned his head suddenly and saw that Xie Yilu was being pushed and pushed by Jin Yiwei, he knew his temper, and Jin Yiwei would not be soft on him when they got into an argument.
The young man was enraged by Liao Jixiang's attitude, and he ordered sharply to his people: "Take it back!"
Immediately, Jin Yiwei came up to pull Liao Jixiang, and he was dragged down. Even so, he still stared at Xie Yilu, wanting to shout to him, don't be stubborn, go away! But the strange thing is that Xie Yilu didn't move rashly, but obediently retreated following Jin Yiwei's order. Liao Jixiang blinked his eyes very slowly. Why did Xie Yilu, who would rather die than be separated from him, suddenly change
For a split second, he felt a pain in his heart, thinking that Xie Yilu was intimidated by the authority of the emperor, but looking at him from a distance, there was no trace of fear on his face, it was more like he finally let go of his heart, and finally took the warm baby out of his arms. He took it out and carefully offered it to the altar.
Could it be... Liao Jixiang was shocked, did he know it all along
"Last time on your Duobaoge, I saw a white jade badge engraved with 'Golden Mink Honored Guest'." That day, Xie Yilu did say with his arms around him before falling asleep in the small courtyard in Santiao Alley.
He also said that the engraving was not very good. How did you answer yourself at that time? Can't remember... Liao Jixiang felt that tears were about to come out of his eyes, hot and steaming, his eyelids were on fire: "Spring hoe!"
He suddenly yelled, startling the Jin Yiwei who was dragging him, and the boy quickly ordered: "Grab him, tie him up and throw him on the horse!"
Shuangqing! That's why he engraved his heart and mind! Liao Jixiang struggled hard, Xie Yilu misunderstood him, self righteous, misunderstood him all the time!
Xie Yilu disobeyed Jin Yiwei at this time: "Yangchun, don't earn money, don't earn money!"
Liao Jixiang's entire face was wet, and surrounded by so many people, he could only see Xie Yilu through the gaps in his limbs, he couldn't be misunderstood, he just thought, even if he died, he couldn't be misunderstood!
Vigorously, he pulled his hand out of the chaotic restraint, pulled out the wooden hairpin from his bun, and thrust it into his neck with his backhand. He rushed forward, was kicked from behind, lay on the ground, and stubbornly crawled forward.
Blood dripped from the side of his neck, Liao Jixiang was stabbed crookedly, Xie Yilu would not misunderstand so many strange faces in front of him, he thought, he would not misunderstand his heart, there is no one else in it !
Everyone can understand this situation, this is a pair of desperate mandarin ducks, the boy kicked Jin Yiwei away, grabbed Liao Jixiang's hand that stabbed him with one hand, grabbed his messy hair with the other, and whispered into his ear : "Grandpa, if you're dead, I won't be able to live even if I go back. Why bother?"
Liao Jixiang lowered his eyes and did not speak.
"You said... Wouldn't it be fun for Lord Long Live to know that there is such a 'hoe' in this world?"
Liao Jixiang's eyes moved, and he looked at him in horror.
The young man laughed: "If I were the Lord Long Live, I would have appointed him to be pouted!"
Liao Jixiang grabbed his front lapel, the piece of silk embroidered with python patterns, the young man lowered his voice to coax him: "Don't make trouble, I'll let him fly away, okay?"
Liao Jixiang had only one way in front of him, okay, he closed his eyes resignedly.
(11) Companion: The emperors of the Ming Dynasty often called the eunuchs who read or were close to him as "companion", "big companion" or "a certain companion".