treacherous world

Zhan Zhao and Xiao Sizi stood in the corner, holding pillows to block the flying dust, watching the stone digging a hole curiously.

The stone was planed and planed... Finally, with a thud-it fell.

The fourth son and Zhan Zhao looked at each other. After a long time, the fourth son finally understood, "Stone!"

The two ran to the edge of the pit and looked in. Good guy, it's bottomless!

Zhan Zhao frowned, the stone is no longer the little guy the size of a cat in the past, now the stone is big and fat, like a little bear, the little four can ride it like a pony, just like that, it just fell down , it is obvious how big the pit below is.

This is the dungeon of Dali Temple, why is there such a big pit?

After a while, I heard the sound of rustling.

With a sound of "whoosh", the stone rushed up, stood firm and then shook his hair, Zhan Zhao quickly blocked it with a pillow.

The fourth son reached out and touched the back of the stone, then looked up at Zhan Zhao, "What the hell, we didn't dig a puddle."

Zhan Zhao lowered his head and glanced into the cave, at the same time, he listened to the movement inside.

The fourth son looked into the cave curiously, looking at Zhan Zhao, wondering what he was listening to.

"Little Si." Zhan Zhao lowered his voice, and asked the little Si gently, "Do you feel that there seems to be something in the hole?"

The fourth son hugged Zhan Zhao and looked up nervously, "What? A monster?"

"Of course not, there are no monsters in the world." Zhan Zhao waved his hands, "I mean, people!"

"Who would live underground?" The fourth son felt even more terrified.

"I'll go and have a look." Zhan Zhao was about to jump down, but the fourth son hugged him tightly, "I'll go too."

"Then how can I do it?" Zhan Zhaoxin said, if you want to have a grandson, why don't you work hard with me?

"Then meow meow, you want to leave me alone?" The fourth son frowned, and Zhan Zhao thought it was the same...and he was even more worried.

After much deliberation, he squatted down, "Then you lie on my back, remember to hold on tight."

"En!" The fourth son quickly climbed up and put his arms around Zhan Zhao's shoulders.

Zhan Zhao took the fourth son and jumped down the deep pit. The stone had just been shaken off, looked around, and simply followed.

It was pitch black when he jumped down, Zhan Zhao didn't dare to neglect, he was small when he broke himself, but big when he hit the fourth child, so he moved slowly by using left and right.It was strange to say that there was nothing in the dark below, but he could see the four walls clearly.Even Zhan Zhao felt that his eyes were abnormal.

After falling down, Zhan Zhao almost thought that there was a third underground floor in the dungeon, and the criss-crossing underground roads didn't seem like they could have been created in a short while, and the traces of artificial excavation on the four walls were very clear.

"There are so many forks in the road!" The fourth son lay on Zhan Zhao's back, took the torch that Zhan Zhao handed him, and held up the light.

Zhan Zhao also frowned, if he went out, would he get lost and not come back?

Shi Shi creaked twice and walked in front of Zhan Zhao, then turned his head and shook his flat tail at him.Zhan Zhao raised his eyebrows slightly, there is a stone, so naturally there is no need to be afraid.

"Little Si, do you have a handkerchief?" Zhan Zhao turned around and asked him.

The fourth son reached out his hand to dig around his waist, took out a handkerchief and handed it to Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao dug a hole in the soft ground with his feet, and buried the veil in it, so that he would not be afraid that the stone would not find his way.

The fourth son lay on Zhan Zhao's shoulder and stared at his focused profile——Miao Miao didn't seem very angry, I hope he won't be so angry.

After Zhan Zhao finished his work, he took his fourth son along with Shitou along the main road.

Before the fork in the road, Zhan Zhao asked the fourth son, "If Shi Shi finds someone, is that okay?"

"Okay." The fourth son has been with Shitou for a long time. Shitou is smart and quick-witted, and basically listens to him in everything.

"Stone." Little Four pointed to his nose and gestured to it.

Stone sniffed around, turned around a few times, and then sat there raising his hind paws and scratching his ears.

Zhan Zhao turned to look at the fourth son.

The fourth son spread his hands, "I can't smell the stone."

"Can't you smell it?" Zhan Zhao wondered, a stone's sense of smell is better than a dog's.

"Well, either there has been no one for a long time, or there are a lot of people who smell bad, and Stone doesn't know who to turn to."

"It's unlikely that there are many people." Zhan Zhao thought for a while, "Is there no one? I do feel that there are..."

"Ah."

Just as he was talking, Stone suddenly sneezed.

"Could something affect the stone?" Zhan Zhao asked the fourth son, "For example, only the smell of herbs that it can smell."

Little Sizi blinked, "Yes! Just like dogs, stones are sometimes deceived!"

Zhan Zhao was a little embarrassed, is it that complicated?Could it be that I was worrying too much, so I was suspicious.

When he was in trouble, the fourth son pointed at Shishi, "Shhh, Shishi!" As he said, he pointed to his ear, signaling Shishi to use his ears to find it.

Stone shook his tail, lay down and tilted his head, with his ears on the ground, listening seriously.

Zhan Zhao crouched beside it to watch it.

Stone listened for a while, raised his head, and then listened close to the ground again, seemingly confused.

The fourth son and Zhan Zhao looked at each other—what's the situation.

"squeak!"

Suddenly, the stone seemed to be very annoyed, raised its claws, and continued to dig the ground.

Zhan Zhao and the fourth son opened their mouths in surprise, "Come again?"

After a while, the stone dug a big hole and jumped into it... Zhan Zhao and Xiaosi looked down, and they both yelled in unison, "Bright light?!"

With a "bang", it seemed that the stone fell to the ground, and there was a scream from the other end, "Oh my god! Bear!"

Zhan Zhao quickly jumped down with his fourth son.

Below is a room with front and back doors, a table and chairs, and a table full of wood, and wood chips all over the floor.

Zhan Zhao took a closer look and found that the stone's front paws were pressing on a white-haired old man who was struggling hard.

"Crushed to death, crushed to death!" The old man lay on the ground and screamed. Seeing that he was about to escape, Shito held him down.

"Shitou, let him go first." Zhan Zhao waved his hand at Shishi, Shishi withdrew his claws, and the old man jumped up with a "chuo", and then ran away.

Can Zhan Zhao let him escape?He raised his foot and hooked a chair by the table, and kicked it out.

The back door that the old man just opened was hit by a chair, he turned his head with a mournful face, and shook a handful of beans at Zhan Zhao, "Look at the hidden weapon!"

He originally wanted to make a feint, but threw out the beans, and Zhan Zhao stood there motionless, frowning at the old man in front of him, as if he was stunned.

The fourth son also saw it clearly - there is a red birthmark on the old man's chin!

The old man tried to escape again, but the stone had already blocked the gate, and he squinted his eyes at him.

The old man took a step back and looked back at Zhan Zhao—this young man was so gentle and handsome that he really didn't look like a bad guy, not to mention there was a cute chubby baby lying on his shoulders, this combination was really incomprehensible.

"Are you a raccoon?" Zhan Zhao couldn't help asking.

The old man shrank quickly and hid in a corner, "Don't kill me, the Zhao family doesn't mean anything, didn't they agree not to tell others where I am, and not to send people to chase and kill me! When the emperor promises , nonsense, the sky is thundering!"

Zhan Zhao and the fourth son looked at each other, and instantly understood—Zhao Zhen spent a long time sending Zhan Zhao to the dungeon of Dali Temple. Way, let them find the civet.

The fourth son pouted, as if he misunderstood Zhao Zhen, and lost his temper with Zhao Pu just now... Fortunately, Dad didn't divorce Jiujiu.

Zhan Zhao put the fourth son down and walked towards the civet.

The old man was really as timid as the rumors said, he shrank back, "I see, you are here to kill me, aren't you?"

Zhan Zhao looked up at the sky, "Master Tu, I'm Zhan Zhao, from Kaifeng Mansion. I just want to ask you something, and I won't hurt you."

"No, no!" The old man hugged his head, "I won't talk to you, you are an official or sent by the emperor to kill me."

"I really won't kill you!"

"I don't believe it!" The old man narrowed his eyes and looked at him. "Looking at your pretty face, you have a delicate skin and tender flesh. How could you become such a big official at such a young age? There must be a conspiracy!"

The corner of Zhan Zhao's mouth twitched, feeling that he might not be able to communicate with the old man at all.

"I told you I won't hurt you!" Zhan Zhao frowned, "Are you hiding here because you're afraid that someone will harm you?"

The old man nodded, "Of course, otherwise you think I like digging holes?"

"Who wants to kill you?"

"People all over the world!" The old man was suspicious.

Zhan Zhao squatted down slowly, and asked the fourth son beside him in a low voice, "Do you think he is sick?"

The fourth son looked at the man wonderingly, "Is it timid?"

"What do you know, a child!" The old man hugged his head, "I've been worried all day long since I was a child, and it's all because of the Song royal family!"

Zhan Zhao felt that he didn't seem to be afraid of the fourth son, and felt that he was. No one would think that the fourth son could hurt anyone, so he poked the fourth son with his hand and motioned him to go.

The fourth son didn't know what to ask, Zhan Zhao whispered a few words in his ear, the fourth son nodded, and ran to sit next to the raccoon.

After all, he is an old man, and he has no resistance to chubby little dolls.Claw civet looked at him, perhaps lonely too long?So he didn't run away, "Why did such a small child come to such a place?"

The fourth son squinted his eyes and asked him, "Is it because you know some secrets that you have a bad life?"

The clayclaw nodded.

"Then tell the secret, it will be better." The fourth son leaned over and pointed to his ear, "Tell me quietly, it will be better!"

"Really?" The old man was dubious, but the fourth son didn't seem to be threatening at all, and he wasn't that nervous.

"Really!" Little Four nodded.

The old man swallowed, and looked up at Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao looked at the sky, stood up and retreated to a place farther away, and signaled - don't eavesdrop!

Maybe the civet civet really held back his stomach, so he really said a few words to the fourth son.

The fourth son was curious, opened his eyes wide and nodded vigorously.Soon after the old man finished speaking, the fourth son reached out and gently touched his chest, "Are you comfortable?"

The cub's nose soured, and he kept nodding.

"You, you can't stay underground all the time, do you know?" The fourth son took his pulse as seriously as the young doctor, "The surrounding area is sealed underground, and the lights are still on, your lungs will be broken!" , leaned over to listen with his ears folded on his chest, "There is already a bit of noise, you should go to Kaifeng mansion and find my father to see a doctor for you."

"I will never leave here!" The old man shook his head vigorously.

"why?"

"If you go out, you will die. This place is safe for now." The old man glanced at Zhan Zhao, "Of course, if you don't kill me."

"Of course I didn't come to kill you." Seeing him frowning, Zhan Zhao asked, "Who wants to kill you? I can protect you."

"How do you protect me, you are a golden man." The old man disagreed.

Zhan Zhao was confused when he heard that, "What kind of golden scorpion?"

The old man continued to shrink into the corner.

Zhan Zhao had no choice but to continue looking at the fourth son, who asked him, "What is Jin Maozi?"

The old man pointed to his eyes reluctantly.

The fourth son was slightly taken aback, "You mean Miaomiao's golden eyes?"

The old man curled his lips, "Tch, I think all the people with golden eyes who were arrested in the whole world back then, once caught, would be executed regardless of the reason. Now there is even Jin Maozi helping the Zhao family with affairs, tsk!"

"What?" Zhan Zhao frowned, "When did it happen?"

"Who else?" The old man was bored, "The emperor."

Zhan Zhao calculated the time, it might be the late emperor's father, that is, Zhao Pu's father.Back then, Zhao Pu also left the palace for a foreign country because of eye problems.The emperor who decided to kill his own son just because of the color of his eyes... what is he afraid of?Those with golden eyes will be killed... The whole city should have been searched back then, but not many people seemed to know about it.Was it deliberately concealed afterwards, or were all the insiders silenced?What secrets are hidden in the troubled times of Eight Eyes?

Zhan Zhao waved to the fourth son, and asked the old man, "You are hiding here, what should you do if you eat?"

"I'll take care of it naturally, don't worry about it." The old man pushed him out, "You go, don't say I'm here."

Zhan Zhao saw that he was agitated and was afraid that he would accidentally scare him away, so he took Xiao Si and Shi Shi back to the dungeon for the time being.

When they reached the ground, Zhan Zhao first collected the soil on the ground, sealed the pit, and then spread straw to cover the entrance of the hole so as not to arouse suspicion.

While he was busy, he asked the fourth son, "What did the old man tell you just now?"

"He told me that you can't open that box. Once you open it, you will go crazy or die. The monsters will be released. There will never be peace in the world. Wherever you go, there will be many, many eyes staring at you. You would rather die or something. Miaomiao, this person seems really abnormal, if Dad comes to see you later, let's ask him to take a look?"

Zhan Zhao nodded, and was about to continue, when he suddenly heard footsteps in the distance... Qiu Shaobai actually had an advantage in arranging him in the innermost cell, because he could know when someone was coming.

Zhan Zhao pulled the fourth son over and gave him a "shh", not wanting him to sit directly on the stone bed, even though the quilt was covered, it was very hard after all.Putting Sizi on his lap, seeing that there was still some dirt on his cheeks, Zhan Zhao wiped it off for him.

The fourth son pointed at the hole just now.

Stone sat over unsteadily, lay on the top of the hole, blocked the entrance tightly, and began to doze off.

At this time, the visitor had already appeared at the door of the cell.

It was Zhao Cong and Dead Leaf who came.

Zhao Cong arrived and asked the yamen servant to open the prison door.

As soon as the yamen servant reached out to touch the iron chain, Shi Shi suddenly turned his head, gritted his teeth and made a threatening sound of "huhu".

The stone was huge, the servant hesitated for a moment and looked at Zhao Cong.

Zhao Cong smiled, "Brother Zhan."

Zhan Zhao nodded.

The fourth son lowered his head, sitting on Zhan Zhao's lap, pinching a gadget in his hand.This is a wooden toy that Bai Yutang gave him before, it is composed of several triangular wooden blocks and can be moved.Bai Yutang can usually change the box into any shape in a few moments, and the fourth son likes to play with it very much, knowing that it will take time to stay in prison, so he plays with Zhan Zhao.

"Little Sizi?" After Zhao Cong and Zhan Zhao greeted each other, he said to Xiaosizi, "Why are you here?"

The fourth son looked up at him, saw the dead leaves behind him, and muttered, "Come with Miaomiao."

Zhao Cong smiled helplessly, "Prison is no joke, little four, you are not guilty, you can't stay in prison."

The fourth son pouted, "Meow Meow is not guilty either."

Zhao Cong looked at Zhan Zhao, who asked him with a smile, "Why is the little prince here?"

"Oh, I want to see if brother Zhan has any needs." Zhao Cong said apologetically, "The emperor seems to be a little hasty this time..."

"Sigh." Zhan Zhao waved his hand, "It's normal to be investigated for suspicion, don't mind."

"It's only natural that Brother Zhan thinks so. We will definitely catch the real culprit as soon as possible and restore Brother Zhan's innocence." Zhao Cong also found a place to sit at the door, as if he wanted to have a long talk.

The fourth son looked at Zhan Zhao, and continued to break the wooden toy in his hand.

"Little Four." Seeing that Zhan Zhao seemed to have nothing to say, Zhao Cong asked Little Four, "Is this your first time in the cell?"

The fourth son glanced at him, moved his buttocks in front of Zhan Zhao, leaned his head against his chest, and didn't speak.

Zhao Cong smiled slightly, "It's even scarier in the cell at night, you want to stay here too?"

The fourth son flattened his mouth, "It's not scary."

"Not scary?" Zhao Cong smiled, "Is there anything fun?"

Zhan Zhao knew in his heart that Zhao Cong definitely had doubts about Zhao Zhen locking him up, so this time he came here not to visit, but more to test.Judging from his current words and deeds, it is estimated that he wants to start with the fourth son.

The fourth son frowned and pinched the building blocks in his hand.

Zhan Zhao patted his head... Zhao Cong was mistaken for his cleverness. Although the fourth son looked dumb, he was not stupid, and once he didn't like something, he would refuse to accept it.

Sure enough, the fourth son was all focused on playing with building blocks, and he didn't hear clearly what Zhao Cong said.

After playing for a while, he raised his face and asked Zhan Zhao, "Meow, what does prison food look like? Is it delicious?"

Zhan Zhao pinched his face, how could he be willing to let him stay with him in this gloomy place, just waiting for Bai Yutang or Gongsun to come and take the little guy out.

"Brother Zhan." Zhao Cong saw that he couldn't ask anything, Shi Shi guarded the cell and refused to let them in, so he stood up and asked, "Do you want me to take the fourth son back to Kaifeng Mansion?"

Before Zhan Zhao could speak, the fourth son quickly put his arms around Zhan Zhao's arm, "I won't leave."

"Hey!" Zhao Cong frowned, "Little Si, the cell is heavy, so you can't just stay here. Be good, I'll take you back to Uncle Jiu."

The fourth son was afraid and refused to leave Zhan Zhao.

Zhao Cong turned his head and raised his eyebrows slightly at Withered Ye, signaling—to take Xiaosi away.

Zhan Zhao saw that the fourth son was nervous, he shook his head with a smile, reached out and patted his arm lightly, signaling that there is no need to worry.

At the same time, a voice came from a cold voice, "Are you sure you dare to take him away?"

Zhao Cong frowned, and the dead leaves beside him didn't move, just shook his head slightly at him.

Not far from the aisle, stood a familiar white figure.Bai Yutang leaned against the cell door with the knife in his arms, looking coldly at Zhao Cong and Dead Ye.

Zhao Cong could tell by Bai Yutang's expression that he was in a bad mood.This person is different from others and will not show mercy to himself.Previously, what he knew about Bai Yutang was that he was relatively cold, but now it seems that this person is the type who will return ten times as much as once provoked.

As soon as Bai Yutang opened his mouth, he hinted that he was afraid of Zhao Pu, and Zhao Cong felt that it was no sense to make fun of himself here. Today, it seems that there are no clues to be found.He never expected that one Zhan Zhao and one Zhao Pu would be enough in Kaifeng Mansion, yet there would be an extra Bai Yutang.

Zhao Cong smiled at Zhan Zhao, "I'll go back and persuade the emperor, and I'm leaving."

Zhan Zhao still nodded indifferently, and Zhao Cong left with the dead leaves.

After confirming that he was out of the dungeon, Bai Yutang walked to the door of the cell.

"Baibai." The fourth son came over, Bai Yutang stretched out his hand to gently touch his head, and looked at Zhan Zhao.

"Don't be angry." Zhan Zhao saw his gloomy face, "There is a reason..."

Bai Yutang didn't seem to pay attention to this issue, but said, "I went to check the Liaoguo post house, and Bayan drank too much that night, and he had no power to resist when he was attacked after falling asleep. The strange thing is that the person in charge of protecting him Apprentice Longge actually fell asleep that night and didn't show up."

"He was drugged?"

"It's just a possibility, maybe it was Longge who did it." Bai Yutang said, "I asked Yeluqi, and he seemed to feel that Longge's behavior was a little strange recently, and before they came to Kaifeng Mansion, they had been on the road There was an assassination incident. That night, Long Ge suddenly disappeared, and the assassin came, which is one of the reasons why he hid in Kaifeng Mansion."

"Longge is suspicious." Zhan Zhao crossed his legs and stretched out his hand to pull Bai Yutang's arm.

"how?"

Zhan Zhao smiled and asked the fourth son, "Do you smell it?"

"Yeah!" The fourth son smiled and raised his face, "Crab!"

Bai Yutang looked at the sky helplessly, and brought a huge food box from where he was standing just now.Raising his hand, he gently picked the chain that locked the door, only to find that it was only hanging symbolically.Bai Yutang frowned, put the food box in front of Zhan Zhao and the others, and opened it - inside was a big box of crabs, vinegar dishes, and some snacks and fried noodles that the two of them liked to eat.

Bai Yutang also took the thick mink fur that Gongsun asked him to bring, a charcoal brazier and two hand stoves to keep warm.

Zhan Zhao and the fourth son held the crab legs, seeing that Bai Yutang's face was still dark, they all looked at him.

Shi Shi yawned, Bai Yutang put aside the large bag of Shi Shi's rations that Ziying gave him, Shi Shi quickly got up to eat.The soft ground under its belly is exposed.

Bai Yutang saw it at a glance.

Zhan Zhao said, "It turns out that the raccoon is down there. For some reason, it is only in this way that we can see him."

Bai Yutang nodded, but he didn't seem to agree.

Zhan Zhao handed him a chopstick of crab meat, "Do you want to eat?"

Bai Yutang sat down in front of him and took a bite.

"Is this crab from the empty island?" asked the fourth son, "The meat is sweet."

Bai Yutang nodded.

"Are you still angry?" Zhan Zhao poked Bai Yutang.

"Of course I won't be angry with you." Seeing that Zhan Zhao was still feeling guilty, Bai Yutang couldn't help frowning, there was no reason for him to apologize to Zhao Zhen and the others after being wronged.

"There is a special reason." Zhan Zhao pointed to the entrance of the cave.

Bai Yutang smiled faintly, "So what if there is a reason?"

Zhan Zhao looks at him.

Bai Yutang pointed at the crab, "I asked Bai Fu to bring it back two days ago. I wanted to eat it happily on the boat with you. This is a loss. I can understand it but it doesn't mean I will forgive it."

Zhan Zhao was helpless, "Then did you demolish the palace, or burn down the imperial garden? Don't make things difficult for Mr. Bao, it's hard for him to do it, you see he was so sad when I left."

Bai Yutang slightly raised his eyebrows.

The fourth son looked around, picked up a food box with several crabs, took a plate of vinegar, put on his robe and sat on the back of the full stone, "Stone, let's go down and find that grandpa to eat together." .”

Shi Shi went into the hole with his little four sons.

Only Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao were left in the cell.

Zhan Zhao stretched out his hand and gently pinched his cheek, "Smile."

Bai Yutang looked at him, lost his temper, leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Just this time, if there is another time, I'll take you away, I won't give anyone face."

Zhan Zhao reached out and pinched his nose, "That's the deal!"