Sapphire Warriors

The night is already deep, and tomorrow is the day of Yingmu's death, but this night, Nan Lie couldn't fall asleep no matter what.

People around him said he was ruthless, but only he knew that he just hid his feelings deeper than ordinary people.Tonight, when Sakuragi asked him to send shoes to Miyuki, he was really touched. For a moment, he wanted to change his mind, he wanted to take Sakuragi as his apprentice, he felt that Sakuragi's nature was not bad, But the teacher's rules...

A burst of footsteps disrupted Nan Lie's thoughts.It seems that this sentence is too arbitrary to say that the people around him don't understand him, and this person in front of him may be an exception.These days, when everyone treats him differently, only this person treats him as always. No matter what he thinks or does, this person can see through it at a glance. This person is Fujima!

Fujima stepped forward and asked, "Are you really not going to accept him as an apprentice?"

"The teacher's rule is that those who don't know how to repent cannot be accepted." Nan Lie replied.

"Is it really impossible to make an exception once?"

Nan Lie hesitated, he didn't know how to choose, he seemed to be expecting Fujima to give him a reason to accept his apprentice.

At this time, Fujima caught a glimpse of Ito holding a basket of incense candles and was about to walk out the door, so he stopped him and asked the reason. Only then did he know that it was Sakuragi who asked him to do something: the thing is like this Yes, a death row prisoner who was executed before had an old woman who was still alive, and she just passed away not long ago. I can ask Ito to go.

After listening to it, Tengzhen thought about it, and immediately gave Nan Lie a reason for accepting him as an apprentice: "Actually, Sakuragi is not bad in nature. If a person has a little kindness, shouldn't he be saved?"

Nan Lie fell into deep thought. He vaguely remembered what Yingmu had done for the death row prisoners on weekdays, such as helping the death row prisoners to be buried with his dead family members, sending letters to the death row prisoners, offering incense to the death row prisoners, and even once, A prisoner on death row asked him to carve a wooden statue of a Bodhisattva for him, and Sakuragi helped him complete it.At that time, Nan Lie always thought that he did these things in order to gain his own approval. Now that he thinks about it carefully, isn't this "kindness"?

In all fairness, there is nothing wrong with Sakuragi killing Kiyota and paying for his life, but if he is allowed to keep his life and let him do more good deeds for others with a kind heart, wouldn't it be better than killing him?Didn't Master Kitano once said that if you have the ability in the future, saving a person worth saving is better than doing anything else.

Thinking of this, Nan Lie said to Fujima, "Let's go."

"Where to go?"

Nan Lie smiled and said, "About apprentice!"

However, they couldn't figure it out after all their calculations. At this time, in the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, there is a prison escape incident going on!

Sakuragi lit the torch that he had prepared early in the morning, and then threw it on the straw mat of the prisoner in the next cell.Don't ask where the fire pockets came from, when Haruko sent the small stove, she used this lit stove, and Sakuragi quietly hid the remaining half of the fire pockets while the two hugged each other and cried stand up.

A single spark can start a prairie fire. When the jailers arrived, the raging fire was like thunder, and the choking soot was even more suffocating. In order to ensure the safety of the prisoners, the jailers opened the doors of the cells one after another.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Sakuragi hijacked a jailer with a hairpin and threatened the other guards to let him out.In this way, he successfully escaped from the prison and came to the place he had agreed with his sister Meixue, but what was waiting there was not her sister Meixue, but Nan Lie!

Nan Lie said angrily: "Why do you want to involve your sister? She helped you escape from prison. She is an accomplice."

Seeing that the plan was revealed, Sakuragi said, "Do I have a choice? You forced me to a dead end. I don't understand why you don't even say a word, just refuse to save me?" After finishing speaking, he He waved his fist at Nan Lie.

Nan Lie grabbed Yingmu's arm and said, "It's useless to say anything now, no one will help you!"

"I don't need other people's help, I always rely on myself!" Sakuragi pulled out his arm and punched again.

During the fight between the two, Mitsui and a group of government servants rushed over, and Mitsui wanted to arrest Sakuragi.

Taking advantage of his hurry, Sakuragi tripped him with the rope tied to the horse and fell to the ground.Then, he took the opportunity to climb onto Mitsui, subdued him, and then held his knife against his neck and said to Nan Lie, "Don't come here, or I'll kill him!"

Mitsui was powerless and persuaded: "Don't be stupid, you can't escape."

No matter what Mitsui said, he was also Sakuragi's friend, Nan Lie didn't believe what he would do to Mitsui, and he still pushed forward step by step.

Sakuragi saw that there was no way to retreat, so he slashed Mitsui's arm with a knife, and said to Nan Lie again: "Come again, I will kill him."

Now Nan Lie believed that Sakuragi was really crazy, he was no longer the Sakuragi he knew, for Mitsui's safety, Nan Lie and all the yamen servants did not dare to step forward.

Mitsui was afraid, and said: "We are friends anyway, I don't want to die."

At this moment, what Sakuragi hated to hear most was the word "death". He said, "Who wants to die? I don't want to die either, but someone wants to chop off my head, right?"

Nan Lie was speechless.

Sakuragi took Mitsui back to the tree stump step by step. Seeing that the time had come, he pushed Mitsui towards Nanlie, cut off the rope that tied the horse with a knife, and rode on it. After a while, he disappeared into the night...

After Sakuragi escaped from prison, Nan Lie became even more "a sinner through the ages" in the eyes of everyone!

In addition to saying that he was "hard-hearted", Ito and Xiaolian filled in another sentence, "The executioner is evil, and he caused so much right and wrong as soon as he entered the door."

When Qingzi saw Nan Lie, she was no longer as enthusiastic as before. Although she didn't say anything, everyone could see that she was blaming Nan Lie for not saving him.

As for Mr. Hanakata, he is old and confused and doesn't know anything at all. He yelled at breakfast that the winter solstice is coming, and asked Ito and Xiaolian to store more food for the winter. Finally, he asked why Sakuragi didn't come with him After breakfast, there was another dead silence...

The oppressive atmosphere in Yushi's Mansion made Nan Lie suddenly feel bored, so after breakfast, he hurried to the Ministry of Criminal Justice to supervise the prison, but saw that Fujima had already come to treat Mitsui's wounds.Fujima said that Sakuragi's knife was really a coincidence, if it was half a point, it would cut off the blood, and even the gods would not be able to save it.However, judging from the current injury, it seems to have healed, and it should be fine, but because the tendon is injured, it still needs to take a good rest, and there is no rush.

Mitsui looked at the white gauze on his arm, and complained: "It's really bad luck for innocent to suffer such a disaster. It's also my fault that I trusted Sakuragi so easily that I let him escape. It's my own fault."

Nan Lie reassured: "Don't say that, you were injured to catch prisoners, I think the superiors will understand you."

At this time, Mitsui said again: "I am the prison manager, and I have a duty to do so. If I want to get rid of it now, I can only arrest Sakuragi." Then, he raised his head and asked Nan Lie, "Do you have any news about him?" Thinking of the current Sakuragi who no longer regards Nan Lie as his master, how could there be any news about Nan Lie.

When the matter of "accepting apprentices" was brought up, Mitsui couldn't help complaining a few words. If Nan Lie didn't want to accept Sakuragi as an apprentice, these troubles would not have happened.Thinking of Sakuragi, Mitsui was furious again. It was reasonable for this guy to hate Nan Lie for not saving him, but he had always taken care of him. At a critical moment, this kid wanted to drag him to be buried with him.

Nan Lie said: "I am the one who started this incident, so the Ministry of Punishment and your decoction expenses should be charged to my account."

It’s fine if Nan Lie didn’t say anything, but when he said it, Mitsui couldn’t help complaining: “How? Do you have any news about him? Who helped him escape from prison, and who prepared the horse? There is no clue, if This incident has alarmed the officials, and it will be troublesome."

Seeing him complaining about Nan Lie, Fujima immediately wrote the prescription and sent it to Mitsui, comforting him: "Being open-minded about everything is good for the injury." As he spoke, he picked up the medicine box and walked out. When he left, he gave Nan Lie With a wink, he signaled him to go with him.

So the two left the room together...

Mitsui was upset. Seeing the two left, the room became quieter, so he picked up the chopsticks and prepared to eat breakfast, but his right hand still had no strength at all, and he couldn't even hold the chopsticks firmly. He was so angry that he threw the chopsticks on the ground. On the ground, at this time, a person came in from the door, quietly picked up the chopsticks on the ground for him, and brought them to his eyes.

Mitsui looked up and saw that the person who came was none other than Caizi!

It turned out that when Caizi heard that Mitsui was injured, she was unavoidably worried, so she brought Butang to see him early in the morning.This is the first time the two have met since they moved out. Although the general environment is not optimistic, they are both very relieved to see that each other is safe, and they can't help talking...

An ancient poem says:

Hate the Lord is not Jiang Louyue, east and west, north and south, north and south, east and west, only follow each other without separation.

Hate the Lord is just like Jiang Louyue, temporarily full to return the loss, loss and then full, to be reunited several times to return.

The night was deep, but Xiandao was still kneeling beside the dragon case, reviewing the memorial.

At this time in the past, he had already been in the Fengya Hall with Rukawa, drinking tea and playing chess, or poetry and songs, or having a long talk, or falling asleep together, no matter what, it was not as lonely as this moment.But ever since he heard Yayoi's "crazy talk" in Henry Zhang's palace, his heart felt like a thorn had been pierced, which made him very uncomfortable.Whenever he thinks of Rukawa, he wants to go and stay, go, Yayoi's warning will immediately appear in front of his eyes, don't go, loneliness is unbearable, it hurts Rukawa's infatuation for him, so what to do .

Just when he was still in doubt, cross-country came to report, saying that the prime minister asked to see him.

Gao Tou came to send Xiandao the soothing grass, saying that Yelai could help Xiandao sleep peacefully until dawn.

Xiandao took the brocade box, opened it and smelled it, a fresh fragrance entered his nostrils, very refreshing.He nodded slightly, accepted Gao Tou's good intentions with a smile, and then said: "The Prime Minister has a heart, these few nights, I really can't sleep at night, I wonder if the Prime Minister still remembers the incident of the emperor's uncle's rebellion?"

Gao Tou nodded, and said: "Back then, the late emperor was on his own expedition, and King Cheng seized the throne while the late emperor was not in the capital. Fortunately, Prince Anxi returned to the court in time, and thus saved the crown prince for the emperor."

Gao Tou's words brought Xiandao into the memories of those years. Yes, everyone in the world praised Anxi Guangyi's contribution, but they didn't know that the picture of Anxi Guangyi stabbing to death with a sword back then was still frozen in Xiandao's mind. , lingering, whenever he thinks of these, he needs Rukawa to be by his side.Today, because it is the first emperor's life sacrifice, so the old matter is being brought up again, so at this moment, there is no doubt that the Immortal Dao needs Rukawa's thoughts more and more.

Gao Tou was scheming, and he saw the clue at a glance, and said to Xiandao: "Mr. Rukawa has a deep affection for the emperor." After finishing speaking, he deliberately glanced at the sky, and saw a few Kongming lanterns floating in the sky, so he pointed at the sky. Those lamps said to Xiandao: "Your Majesty, look, who is putting Kongming lanterns in the palace?"

Following the direction of his fingers, Xiandao saw those lights. Although they were far away and small, they filled Xiandao's heart with warmth. He knew that Rukawa was missing him and calling him...

Yes, in order to save Xiandao's heart, Rukawa thought hard and finally came up with this idea, and was afraid that Xiandao would not be able to see these Kongming lanterns at the right time, so he asked Gaotou to remind Xiandao to watch the lanterns on the grounds of giving away the soothing grass.At this time, I don't know if Xiandao saw these lights. If he saw them, why didn't they appear in Fengya Hall?Or, he obviously saw it, but pretended not to see it?

Rukawa didn't dare to think about it anymore, so he sighed and continued to stare blankly at the Kongming lanterns floating in the air.

At this time, a gust of cold wind blew past, causing his thin figure to shiver, but the next moment, a cloak was draped over his shoulders, he thought it was Shiozaki, and said, "I don't need it. "

But the person who came asked: "You don't even want me anymore?"

Rukawa immediately looked back, and happened to meet the tenderness in Xiandao's eyes.

It turned out that when Xiandao came to Fengya Hall, he happened to see him sighing slightly to the sky. Feeling distressed, he signaled the little eunuch beside him to stop talking, then took the cloak in his hand and put it on Rukawa.He said: "With Feng'er's Kongming lantern to guide the way, I... really shouldn't have listened to that crazy woman's words, and got confused and left you out in the cold."

Rukawa smiled slightly after hearing this.The moment the four eyes meet, everything is already in silence...

……

The next day, when Gaotou saw the scene of Xiandao leading Rukawa to court again, he understood everything.Thinking about it, now that I am in favor of that wolf cub Rukawa, if I discuss with him about mobilizing military expenses, I'm afraid he won't shirk it anymore.

It is said that "winter celebrates the New Year", so on the day of the winter solstice, Tengzhen specially set up a table of good wine and food, intending to greet all relatives and friends.

At three o'clock in the unitary hour, the food and wine are served on the table, and the guests are seated.

Present here are Mr. Hanakata, Kazuken Fuji, Nanlie and Fujima, Ito and Xiaolian, Haruko and Yohei.As for Mitsui and Ayako not being there, it was because Mitsui's injury hadn't healed yet, so Fujima didn't force it.

But although people came, their hearts were not there. Because of the Sakuragi incident, everyone was in a bad mood. In order to relieve this depressing atmosphere, Fujima took the lead and said with a smile: "This meal is a treat for Mr. Hanakata. Everyone must leave the table Eat up all the food and wine served, so as to live up to the old man's kindness."

After speaking, there was silence again, no one said anything, and the atmosphere was still oppressive.

Seeing this, Yangping immediately echoed: "Yes, wandering artists like us often travel all over the world. It's rare that we can have a reunion dinner during the festival. I'm not welcome." Then he picked up his chopsticks , picked up the food and put it in his mouth.

At this time, the atmosphere eased a little, and other people present also raised their chopsticks.Only Qingzi sat there motionless, staring at Nanlie. Although she didn't say anything, everyone could see that she was complaining about why Nanlie could just sit still at this moment as if nothing had happened. , delicious?Thinking of this, her eyes turned red, and she said to everyone: "I have a bad appetite, so I'm going back to my room."

Seeing her leave the table, Yang Ping immediately got up and went to comfort her.

Mr. Hanagata was always confused. When he saw the two of them leaving the table, he complained to Fujima. He said: "Kenji, this is your fault. Why didn't you invite Sakuragi? It made Haruko unhappy, and Yohei also left. , I haven't watched any color shows for a while, and the meal is tasteless, I don't want to eat, I'm going back to my room."

Fujima immediately comforted him: "Yeah, I'm not good, I forgot to invite Yingmu." As he spoke, he winked at his father.

After Yixian understood, he got up and accompanied Master Huaxing to the backyard to play chess.

At this moment, a baby's cry came from the room, and Xiao Lian said that Ah Xiao had woken up, and she and Ito were going to take care of Ah Xiao, and the two left as well.

Just like that, only Tengzhen and Nanlie were left in the lively dinner.

Nan Lie suddenly felt a little guilty, and said: "Actually, the matter started because of me, so I am the one who shouldn't be sitting here."

Fujima comforted: "It's okay, Haruko will understand sooner or later." After speaking, he moved his chopsticks like a normal person, and ate with gusto.

Nan Lie's heart warmed, and he didn't want to spoil his interest, so he also moved his chopsticks, and the food tasted even more delicious than Tengzhen.

Fujima was puzzled and asked, "Do you have an appetite?"

Nan Lie replied: "Didn't you say that? If you don't eat all these dishes, you are not allowed to leave the table."

Afterwards, the two smiled at the same time...