Li Zhang

After Li Zhang escaped from imperial prison, he was thrown to Jin Bai by Sima Yi.He didn't know when he saw Sima Yi's sudden attack that day, so he didn't know that Emperor Jing had recovered from his illness until the imperial guards surrounding the imperial prison were in chaos.

After that, Sima Yi disappeared every day, and Jin Bai was busy with affairs inside and outside the palace, and he couldn't keep his feet on the ground.After resting for more than ten days, Li Zhang could no longer lie down. When Jin Bai took the time to come over for inspection again, he asked about the current situation and asked Jin Bai for the job of assistant secret guard.Jin Bai saw that his internal and external injuries were almost healed, and the news sent back by the dark guards every day was complicated, and he really needed someone to sort it out in advance, so he really handed it over to him.

Therefore, Li Zhang decided on the results and direction of all investigations of the enemy's situation, and the pursuit of them. Jin Bai even found him the title of governor, and cooperated with the Governor of Kyoto to manage the affairs of the city.Li Zhang quickly registered the men in the city. After a little training, he formed groups and patrolled all the drinking water wells and food distribution points in the city to ensure the safety of food and drinking water.Then search area by area according to the information retrieved by the secret guards, and send people who are familiar with the area to guard the entrance and exit of all areas that have been checked, and check if they are alive.Those who escaped and hid were arrested one by one, and the rumors in the city and the commotions all around gradually subsided.

With the end of the crisis outside the city, the strict search in the city gradually reached the last place in the south of the city - Baoen Temple.

Baoen Temple is close to Anmen in the south and west of the city. It was originally a simple and small temple. Before Emperor Taizu became emperor, he took refuge there. Later, it was expanded to the current scale and named Baoen Temple.

Because of the grace of the emperor and the close proximity to the imperial palace, the monastery had a lot of incense. After the war started, more people went to burn incense and worship Buddha every day.Because Li Zhang missed his mother, he visited him not long after he was released from prison, and he was very impressed by the crowds there.After taking over the secret guards to track down the Prince and Cheng Tong's remaining party, he decided to put down the Baoen Temple first, and then concentrate on dealing with it after cleaning up all the places in the city.

Now that the crisis outside the city has been resolved, and the city is in order, Li Zhang put the focus of the hidden guard's investigation on Baoen Temple.

Soon, the dark guard reported back the descriptions of several suspicious characters, Li Zhang saw that one of them looked exactly like Ling Yuncong, and his heart skipped a beat.He walked slowly around the temple alone while visiting his mother, but Ling Yuncong never showed up, which made him hesitant.

Ever since Li Zhang got involved with Sima Yi and committed a crime, the Li family took him out of the genealogy on the grounds of not harming the clan, and Gu Wen was even written a letter of divorce by Li Fengzhi.Therefore, after Li Zhang came out, he still had to let his mother stay in Baoen Temple.But because of Jin Bai's coercion, Gu Wen's life in the monastery was much more comfortable, he no longer had to do hard labor, and his food and medicine were also taken care of by special staff.

She is also a very stubborn person. She was tortured to the point of being haggard and haggard, and her life is not long. After seeing Li Zhang, she felt sorry for his situation and couldn't bear to leave him to suffer alone, so she managed to muster up her will to live.

After she ate the pills brought by Jin Bai, the air of near-death dissipated for a few minutes, but in the end she was exhausted, and she was just lingering on her last breath.Li Zhang came to accompany her every day, and saved his rations when food was scarce, but Gu Wen was only willing to share a few bites with him, which made Li Zhang heartbroken but helpless.

Li Zhang took the food brought to him by Jin Bai this day, thinking about how to coax his mother to eat more, while carefully paying attention to the movements around him.

Baoen Temple is not quiet.

Although he had read the information from the secret guard, Li Zhang still frowned secretly at the throbbing.

——Too blunt and obvious, it seems like, eager to cover up something...

Pushing away the small room in the corner of the living room, Gu Wen was buried in sewing clothes, when he heard the movement, he raised his head and smiled warmly: "Zhang'er is here."

"Mother, didn't you say that you should take good care of your general, the lights are so dim!"

As Li Zhang said, he went to snatch the things in Gu Wen's hands, but Gu Wen didn't argue, so he took it away, rubbed his stiff fingers, moved another thick clothes that had been folded beside him, and pulled Li Zhang to replace it. He took off his coat and said, "It's snowing heavily, your clothes are too flimsy. Mother made them out of your uncle's old clothes. Try changing them.... Mother is useless, so I can't make new ones for you." Vin said turning his head away.

Li Zhang dressed himself, and said to his mother with satisfaction: "It's so warm! Thank you, mother!"

Gu Wen hid her tears in embarrassment, and sat down at the table with Li Zhang's support, watching him busily restarting the charcoal stove, and hanging the food on the charcoal stove to simmer hot, his eyes were filled with tears. It is a deep sense of reluctance and love.

"Zhang'er, don't be too busy. Sit down for a while and talk to mother."

Li Zhang sat down beside his mother obediently: "Youfufeng's supplies have arrived today, Mr. Jin gave some jujubes and new millet, and asked the boy to make porridge for mother. Mother will eat more later."

"Well, I would like to thank Mr. Jin for my mother. If it weren't for him, my mother wouldn't be able to delay today..."

"mother--"

"Life and death are fate. Mother, in this life, with you, I have no regrets. But, you are too stubborn. Mother is afraid of you..."

"Mother, life and death are life and death. The child will cherish it."

Gu Wen took care of Li Zhang's sideburns, and slowly traced the familiar eyebrows with his fingers, and said softly, "You and Yun Cong are really similar."

"mother?"

"The day before yesterday, Mother saw my sister and Yun Cong."

"Auntie is here?"

"Your uncle is here."

Li Zhang frowned slightly, silently waiting for his mother to continue.

Gu Wen clenched his hands in some embarrassment, hesitated for a while before saying, "Auntie wants you to take Yun Cong out of the city."

Li Zhang lowered his eyes.

Gu Wen leaned closer carefully: "Zhang'er?" Seeing that Li Zhang was still bowing his head, he sighed and continued, "Yun Cong him, there is nothing he can do. He let the prince go in Yizhou that day, and the Marquis of Jing'an Arrested your aunt and uncle, and forced Yun Cong...Yun Cong seemed to be dead afterwards, refused to eat properly for several days, and...killed himself with a sword! If your uncle hadn't watched closely, I'm afraid, I'm afraid he would have died Aunt, she cried very sadly, and mother was also very sad..."

Hearing this, Li Zhang sighed secretly, stretched out his hand to hold his mother's hand, and raised his eyes to look at her: "My child knows that my cousin must be forced to do nothing, but the consequences... the prince really hates him very much."

"Mother knows that you are in trouble. However, your aunt and uncle are only one child. They used to serve with your uncle in the army, and they almost died. My aunt, she is much older..."

Gu Wen carefully looked at Li Zhang's expression while talking, Li Zhang frowned lightly, his expression looked very helpless and hesitant.She secretly sighed, knowing that she was very embarrassed, she still continued to be a lobbyist for her sister.

"My aunt said that my uncle was very ashamed of what happened this time, and he kept saying that he would go back to Youzhou and join the army to guard the border. Yun Cong also heard what his uncle said, so he regained his soul a little bit. Your aunt also died in her arms The idea of ​​Beijiang... Although the prince hates it, he has overcome this hurdle anyway, and their family will go to atone for Yun Cong, it should be enough."

Li Zhang listened to his mother Xu Xu's words, thinking about the night of the imperial edict that turned upside down without warning, and vaguely felt that Sima Yi was not really killed by Ling Yuncong, and those lives that were lost in vain could not be counted On Ling Yuncong's head.He was lucky enough to figure out how to catch the prince as soon as possible, thinking that he was the real root of Sima Yi's illness, and if he went, Sima Yi probably would not pursue Ling Yuncong's matter anymore.After all, the two of them have never had a simple relationship.

So Li Zhang agreed to his mother, served her porridge, and boiled the medicine before letting her go to invite his aunt.

Gu Xiu should have been waiting in the wing not far away, and soon followed Gu Wen, seeing Li Zhang about to kneel down in tears, Li Zhang hurriedly supported her.

"Why does Aunt need to do this!"

"Good boy, Auntie is sorry for you... You, why are you so thin! What's going on! Why are our children so miserable!"

Gu Xiu cried until she beat her chest, and Gu Wen couldn't help but lower her head and wipe away her tears.

Li Zhang waited helplessly until Gu Xiu's crying gradually subsided, and then asked, "How does Auntie plan to leave?"

"Your uncle had a premonition when we came. The carriages, horses and luggage are all in place."

"Youzhou..., I'm afraid my cousin won't be able to go."

"Then Liangzhou! Go to a place where there is no one, and our family will die together!"

"That was not what I meant……"

"Good boy, Auntie knows that Yun Cong is sorry for you. Who told us that our fate was so bad that we met the prince! What Yun Cong owed, our family will pay it back for him! Let's go and work for the prince! Okay? What is your uncle doing for you?" Dawei has guarded the border for so many years, almost throwing his life out, who has thought of him well! Auntie dare not ask for wealth and prosperity, Auntie only asks for the safety of the family. We will never go back to the capital!"

Li Zhang nodded sadly: "I will send you out of the city."

Gu Xiu finally breathed a sigh of relief, hugged Gu Wen and cried again.

After Gu Xiu left, Li Zhang took the medicine for his maid and fell asleep, then carefully thought about the situation before him, feeling a little uncertain, thinking about what his aunt said, and finally made up his mind.

Although Gu Xiu is the daughter of a businessman, she liked to run a business with her father since she was a child. She was already beautiful, intelligent, famous and well-known at a young age, and her knowledge was even more impressive.After growing up, she has her own opinion on choosing a son-in-law, and the sons of ordinary merchants from aristocratic families don't pay attention to them. In the end, she marries Ling Feng, who comes from a clean family background and is highly skilled in martial arts.

Li Zhang didn't meet Gu Xiu much, even less with Ling Feng, but he heard a lot from his mother since he was a child, and he has always been fascinated by his uncle and aunt.Later, Ling Feng was tricked and escorted to the capital. He was afraid that his uncle would be embarrassing, so he took care of him silently all the way.When he encountered a strong enemy on the way, Liu Xiuji panicked and fell into disarray, and he let Ling Feng know the truth when he stepped forward, and he was relatively sad and sad.Ling Feng's pride and Ling Feng's helplessness were all torn apart at that moment, which greatly shocked Li Zhang.In addition, Ling Yuncong was also arrogant and refused to admit defeat since he was a child, so Li Zhang couldn't help but feel sorry for their situation this time.

After making up his mind, Li Zhang dismissed the hidden guards monitoring Baoen Temple, squinted in his usual resting room for a while, and then went out to the backyard.

It was not yet clear, and the monastery, which had lost all human voices, showed a serenity that was not there during the day, and it was even more lonely amidst the tinny bells of the pagoda.Li Zhang walked alone on the path according to Gu Xiu's instructions, feeling the inexplicable coldness piercing his skin all the way, and deeply frowned.

Beside the corner door in the backyard, a carriage was waiting quietly. The horse pulling the carriage trotted restlessly and snorted. It seemed very abrupt and noisy in the quiet night, but it dispelled the coldness that made Li Zhang vigilant.Li Zhang couldn't help turning around and taking a second look.

Gu Xiu leaned out from the car, smiled and waved to Li Zhang: "Zhang'er!"

Li Zhang hurriedly responded with a smile, and then looked at Ling Feng and Ling Yuncong who were standing beside the carriage on one left and one on the right.Ling Yuncong kept his head down, unconsciously grasping the rein with his right hand, and had no intention of saying hello to Li Zhang.Ling Feng glanced at Ling Yuncong, and saluted Li Zhang, "Ling Feng, thank Governor Li for Yun Cong!"

Li Zhang waved his hands again and again, not knowing how to respond to Ling Feng.He had admired this uncle since he was a child, but he was always embarrassed when he met several times, which made him always at a loss.

Ling Yuncong was shocked when he heard the words, and slowly raised his head, the expression on the backlit face could not be seen clearly, but his eyes were dazzlingly bright.He just stared at Li Zhang quietly, making Li Zhang also look at him in confusion.

Gu Xiu looked at Ling Yuncong and then at Li Zhang, sighed lowly, rolled up the car curtain, and shook the handkerchief in her hand at Ling Yuncong: "Don't be in a daze, the city gate will open soon."

Ling Yuncong trembled slightly, lowered his head, took the reins, and pulled the horse towards the corner gate.

Seeing that Ling Yuncong had no intention of getting into the car, Li Zhang called softly: "Cousin—"

Ling Yuncong paused.

"Let's just sit in the car."

Ling Yuncong's back was tense, and his head was buried even lower.Just as Li Zhang was about to say more, Ling Yuncong suddenly jumped up, tapped the shaft of the car with his toes, and plunged into the car.The originally stable horse let out a whimper when disturbed by this, while Ling Feng on the side tightened the reins in his hand, stopped the horse softly, and sighed secretly.

Li Zhang looked at his uncle's frustrated and lonely look, ignored Ling Yuncong's tantrum, and walked over to walk side by side with Ling Feng.Behind him, Gu Xiu complained about Ling Yuncong again.

When the city gate was about to open, a carriage slowly drove out of the corner gate of the temple and headed for Anmen.