Minister Gu Ming can't take care of himself

A fire in Fengyue Building spread to the entire long street, and the flames soared into the sky, burning for a whole night.

Xiao Zhi never left, holding the last bell left by Xu Guanchen in his hand, sitting in front of the window of a tall building, opposite to the fire scene.

The night wind blows hot air and blows in through the window, making it hard to breathe.Xiao Zhi didn't notice anything, just sat in front of the window, motionless.

Soldiers fighting the fire ran underneath, transporting sand and carrying corpses.

The power of the stone fat water was so strong that many corpses were burnt to ashes, and the rest were burnt black broken arms and limbs.

A whole long street was reduced to ashes.This street was originally a famous downtown street in Jinling City, crowded with people, buildings next to buildings, and sheds next to sheds.

The hollow pattern on the bell was imprinted on the palm, but Xiao Zhi clenched his fist tighter and tighter.

He slammed his fist on the window frame, and the sash shook.

He was born cold and indifferent, and he never cared about anyone, but it was Xu Guanchen, and Xu Guanchen was the only one.

Uncle Pei slowed down and walked up the stairs without making a sound.

Eunuch Xiao Cheng just choked on a few mouthfuls of thick smoke, drank some water, and vomited a few more times. Even though he stayed outside at this time, he didn't dare to go in to persuade him.Seeing Uncle Pei coming, he hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Did you find it?"

Uncle Pei frowned and shook his head, then pointed to the inside of the compartment.

Eunuch Xiao Cheng clenched his fist and hit the wall.

The two sighed together, Uncle Pei opened the door cautiously, before he could speak, he heard Xiao Zhi say: "I shouldn't have left you alone."

His voice was low and hoarse, Uncle Pei took two steps forward, picked up the tea bowl on the desk, and poured him a bowl of hot tea.

This place used to be a tea house, but now it is temporarily requisitioned by the imperial court. It lacks everything, except tea.

When Uncle Pei handed him the tea bowl, he came back to his senses: "Uncle."

"Ah."

Xiao Zhi took the tea bowl and took a sip, only feeling bitter in the mouth, so he put it down.

Uncle Pei said softly: "We have already sent more people to investigate, Zhong Yao took Feiyang and Xiao Jue also went, and when this matter is over, we can spare some people. An old man, too, was so anxious that he didn't sleep all night, waiting for a letter."

Xiao Zhi only asked: "When will the investigation be finished?"

Jinling City is very large, and it would take a lot of time to conduct a house-to-house investigation.

Uncle Pei said, "We still have to wait for a few days."

"A few days." Xiao Zhi got up with a flick of his sleeves, stood in front of the window, watching the scene of the fire, "his illness relapsed in one day."

Uncle Pei also sighed, but still wanted to persuade him: "Isn't Taoist Priest Yuqingzi by Guan Chen's side? Thinking about it..."

Xiao Zhi turned his head: "Bring up the two hidden guards and Cheng De, I have something to ask."

In fact, I have been interrogated three times overnight. Except for Xiao Cheng, who can still recall what happened at that time, everyone else panicked.Injured, wounded, and dead, there are only two people left, and those two people don't know anything.

Uncle Pei didn't dare to refuse, so he had to turn around and go out to pick him up.

Before reaching the door, Xiao Jue opened the door and came in, bowed and called "Your Majesty", and said, "There is something strange, so I came here to report it."

"You said."

"Just passing by the post house, I saw Yuan Ce also had a burn on his arm. When I asked about him, he said that he was also in Fengyue Tower yesterday afternoon." Xiao Jue paused, "He said, the Wen who was following him Ren Zhiwei was burned to death in the building. Later he said that there was an urgent letter from Xiling a few days ago, saying that the emperor was seriously ill and asked him to go back quickly. He asked me if I could be accommodating. He's out of town."

Xiao Zhi said: "Leave a few people to watch him."

"I thought so too. I asked Feiyang to watch him personally. If he goes out, tell Feiyang to follow him." Xiao Jue opened his mouth and said softly, "I'm sorry, if I hadn't begged the young man about Chen Zhou , nor..."

Xiao Zhi ignored him and walked outside.

On the contrary, Uncle Pei patted Xiao Jue on the shoulder: "Even if the whole street is burned, you can't always guard against it. If you have the heart, you'd better look for it again. Your Majesty feels uncomfortable and doesn't like to talk."

Xiao Zhi asked several people, including Eunuch Xiaocheng, the matter again.

Eunuch Xiaocheng thought: "At that time, the slave was very dizzy, he was knocked unconscious and thrown on the ground, and he was far away from the window, and then he threw the slave out of the window by himself. The slave looked like the little prince Brother Xu asked."

"You still recognize him?"

"The slave used to be a censor and kept his old records for a year, so I recognized him."

"What do you think?"

"Yuan Ce has a group of people who specialize in refining martial puppets. There may be rumors recently that the martial puppets in Xiling were all made by our Daliang captives. If so..." Eunuch Xiao Cheng pursed his lips, "But If he can still recognize me, he probably has not been made into a martial puppet."

He continued: "A few days ago, the young master asked me to check the iron coupons of the Dan book. I am stupid and have not made any progress. But if Xiao Qi and Yuan Ce are in collusion, what Xiao Qi wants should be the Duke. The mansion's Danshu iron certificate is the private soldier raised by the late emperor in Yanbei."

"I know." Xiao Zhi lowered his head and looked at the bell in his hand, "You mean, you can do whatever you want. If Yuan Ce wants to leave, let him go; if Xiao Qi can't get the iron coupon of the Danshu, he will come back again." Take the lead; if Xu Wen is here, he will appear again."

Eunuch Xiaocheng nodded: "That's what it means."

Xiao Zhi clenched the bell in his hand again: "But he will fall ill in one day."

Eunuch Xiao Cheng sighed softly, but he could only say: "Young Master is a lucky person, with Xu Wen secretly watching over him, and Daoist Priest Yu Qingzi accompanying him, everything should be fine."

In fact, he didn't believe it himself when he said it.

Xu Guanchen, when he is good, will give his all to you, and when he is stubborn, he is also very stubborn.

……

It was not until the afternoon that the fire in Jinling City was extinguished.

Sixteen city gates were closed, and General Pei personally led the investigation from house to house, but he never said what he was looking for or who he was looking for.

As Xiao Jue said, Yuan Ce handed over the notebook this afternoon, saying that Jinling City was in such a mess, he had been in danger twice in less than a month since he came to Liang, and he was really terrified.In addition, a letter came from the court, saying that the emperor was seriously ill and called him back to the capital.The border in the northwest is also not drawn, saying that it will be discussed at another time, and he will go back in a few days.

From the insider's point of view, if he said he was going to leave at this time, he was clearly going to run away.

Xiao Zhi deliberated for a long time for the first time, followed what Eunuch Xiao Cheng said, and finally decided.

This note was approved at the teahouse opposite the fire scene.

It's not convenient to stay outside for a long time, and he hasn't closed his eyes or eaten all day and night, so Eunuch Xiaocheng and Uncle Pei persuaded him.

After the fire was extinguished, he walked around the burnt long street again, but found nothing else.

Eunuch Xiao Cheng brought the horse over and asked him to go back.

Xiao Zhi sighed in his heart, got on his horse, and prepared to go back.

In the Palace of Funing, Eunuch Xiao Cheng ordered people to tidy up the palace earlier.The books that Xu Guanchen was copying before he left, the overturned pen holder, and the candle wicks that were too long to be cut, were all temporarily taken away.

Xiao Zhi entered the hall, changed his outer shirt, sat down in front of the case, and casually flipped through the confession presented by the servants.

He didn't show it on his face, but he was actually very anxious.

One day and one night, I didn't even bother to drink a few sips of tea.

Eunuch Xiaocheng put the tea brewed by Zhijie Lian by his hand, and without daring to persuade him, he retreated lightly.

After a long time, the tea turned from hot to cold, Xiao Zhi turned his head, but saw a pen scattered under the long case in front of him, it was Xu Guanchen who knocked over the pen holder the day before yesterday, and it fell under the case, most of the palace people who cleaned it up didn't see it.

At that time Xu Guanchen also said that he was coming to pick it up, but Xiao Zhi refused to let him, and took him into his arms and circled him with rosary beads.

Xiao Zhi looked around, only to find that Xu Guanchen's things in the hall had been taken back.The clothes and scriptures that he had thrown away at random were all put back.The palace people dare not use these things to provoke him.

He got up, put on a clean coat, and was about to go out.

Wearing casual clothes and not many people with him, he went to Dingguo's mansion.

At that time Xu Yue was waiting in the court.

Xu Yue met him, but didn't know he was the emperor, she only knew that he was a good friend with Xu Guanchen.She knew that there was a fire in Jinling City and a long street was burned down, but she didn't know that Xu Guanchen was involved in it. Seeing Xiao Zhi approaching at this time, she hurriedly stepped forward to greet her, and wished her a blessing.

Xiao Zhi waved his hands, he didn't want to talk much, he just said: "It's nothing, he will be back in a while."

I said this to Xu Yue, and I also said it to myself.

Xu Yue was still anxious, and murmured: "The old Taoist priest hasn't seen him all day, too."

Xiao Zhi paused, then suddenly remembered something, turned his head and told Eunuch Xiao Cheng: "Go and search in Yuqing's house."

He went to Xu Guanchen's yard by himself.

Xu Guanchen doesn't often live in the mansion, he always lives in the palace.But the room is not big, tidy up, full of little Taoist gadgets.

Eunuch Xiao Cheng still came in with tea, put it on the table and went out, before leaving, he said: "Your Majesty has not closed his eyes all day and night, it's better to rest in the little eunuch's room."

It was getting late at this time, and he looked at some things he found from Yuqing's ovary, there were only some medicinal materials, and nothing else.

Uncle Pei talked back and forth once, saying that the east and west cities had been searched, and the city gates were always closed, which was not good.

Xiao Zhi kept a cold face, no matter what others said, he dispatched people to look outside the city.

He always stays in Xu Guanchen's room in the Duke's mansion. No one in the Duke's mansion dares to drive him away, and no one in the palace dares to invite him. He will rest in the Duke's mansion tonight.

When the moon was in the middle of the sky, the surroundings were very quiet, but suddenly there was a very desolate sound of insects.

Xiao Zhi closed the window and listened to the insects for a while, only to find it noisy.

Then he got up and opened Xu Guanchen's wardrobe, took out all his Taoist robes, and threw them on the couch.He lay down with his clothes on, nestled in Xu Guanchen's clothes and quilt, and squinted on Xu Guanchen's couch for a while.

The little Taoist priest's clothes and quilt were incensed, an unusual incense, only on him.

After only half an hour, Xiao Zhi got up again.Wandering in the yard, while waiting for the subordinates to report the matter to him at any time, while thinking about countermeasures, thinking about the future, there is only one thought left.

He thought to himself, Xu Guanchen must be sick.