Zhaohua's love

Chapter 14 Sword Match and Marriage

Tossing and bumping, after going through hardships and finally getting the most important thing, everyone's hearts fell to the ground for a moment.After experiencing the emotional ups and downs of great grief and great joy, Ding Yuehua finally fell ill.

The four people who originally planned to rush to the capital immediately were delayed in the inn.It was another quiet night, and summer has come quietly without knowing it.Some hot weather makes it hard to sleep.

Zhan Zhao's room is on the west side, and the faint moonlight can only shine on a corner of the room.Under the moonlight, a black shadow flashed past, and then, the door of Zhan Zhao's room made an imperceptible sound.

The black shadow flashed into the room, looked around the room by the moonlight, and finally stopped on the wardrobe.The black shadow nimbly came to the closet, opened it carefully, and searched for something inside.After a long time, he finally took out a paper bag, squeezed the paper bag in his hand, and hid it in his bosom.

Just as he was about to turn around, he felt the sword energy sweeping behind him.The black shadow swiftly dodged it, turned around, drew out the dagger in his waist, and went up to meet him.

"Who are you, and what is your business when you visit Zhan's room late at night?"

Soi Ying didn't speak, but made a hand gesture, expressing that he would never speak.

"Since you're here, why don't you make gestures with Grandpa Bai, or it would be so boring." Bai Yutang, dressed in white, jumped in from the window.

"Cat, you don't even tell me when you catch a thief, that's not enough brother!" Bai Yutang never forgot to tease Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao cast a helpless glance at Bai Yutang who couldn't tell where he was, and continued to confront the black shadow.

Sombra doesn't seem to have much patience.Seeing a helper coming, he didn't flinch, and stabbed at Zhan Zhao with a flick of the dagger.Zhan Zhao raised his sword to resist, and for a while, the fight was in full swing.

Bai Yutang had nothing to do at the side, so he watched with relish.

But after a while, the black shadow fell into a disadvantage, and Zhan Zhao picked him off the black scarf when he was caught off guard.The moonlight just happened to shine on her face, that beautiful yet heroic face was Qiao Yuli!

"As expected of Nan Xia Zhan Zhao." Qiao Yuli didn't feel depressed, but stood there calmly, as if she had given up struggling.

"It's you!" Bai Yutang almost jumped up in surprise. "Are you here to kill Zhan Zhao for revenge?" Bai Yutang still insisted on his deduction.

Qiao Yuli glanced at him, and said: "I came to find Daxia Zhan for help, now that I'm done helping, I should go too, and leave." Can't stop it.

Seeing a large living person disappear without a trace in front of him, Bai Yutang was in a state of desperation.When he saw that Zhan Zhao was standing still and not moving, he couldn't help saying angrily: "Zhan Zhao, what did you do? The thief ran away, so why don't you go after him!"

Unexpectedly, Zhan Zhao sat down by himself, picked up the warm tea on the table, poured two cups, picked up one of them, and handed it to Bai Yutang: "Brother Bai, don't worry, sit down and have a cup of tea."

Bai Yutang looked at him suspiciously, then tossed off his robe, sat down gracefully, and said, "You knew she was coming, and you let her go on purpose?"

Zhan Zhao nodded slightly, and said, "From all the signs in front of Master Lin's tomb that day, she is not as simple as she appears on the surface. All her identities are probably disguised. I thought about it for a long time, and thought that she might be aiming at Master Lin. I came. I remembered that there were Xixia people who were also looking for these things. I’m afraid she was one of them. It’s just that she changed a method and followed us around, so it’s easier to get it. I expected that she would definitely come tonight Come to steal, so I will use the plan and let her take it away. In this way, we will know what she wants to do and what the Xixia people want. So even if she can't escape tonight, I will let her go on purpose .However, her ability to escape is more proof that she is from Xixia!"

Bai Yutang nodded in agreement, and then asked again: "Then you gave him that thing, what shall we bring to see Master Bao?"

Hearing this, Zhan Zhao smiled mysteriously, and said: "Zhan has already made a new copy of those, but the map, because I haven't figured out what it is for, I deliberately changed a few places when I copied it."

Hearing this, Bai Yutang couldn't help clapping his legs and said, "Forgive him for his wicked skills of the Xixia barbarians. He had a wishful thinking. Now that he has the evidence, he must not let them succeed!" The root of the tooth itches with hatred.

Seeing Bai Yutang's unruly temperament again, Zhan Zhao couldn't help smiling.However, he suddenly felt uneasy, feeling as if he had missed some important clue.Just about to think about it, he heard a sleepy voice at the door: "Brother Zhan, Bai Yutang, what are you doing? Why aren't you sleeping?"

Zhan Zhao, Bai Yutang looked at Ding Yuehua standing at the door with sleepy eyes and flushed face caused by fever, and secretly yelled "Oops", the noise was so loud that it woke up Ding Yuehua who was sick.

"Uh, haha, Zhan Zhao and I are drinking tea, drinking tea." Bai Yutang lifted the teacup to his lips as if trying to hide his secret.

"Drink tea?" At this time, Ding Yuehua was relatively sober, and even when he was sick, he was observant. "What do you do with the tea and the sword?" She pointed to the painting and giant que that the two put on the table, and asked suspiciously.

"Uh, this..." Bai Yutang was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Yuehua, you are still sick, the night is cold and dewy, go back and lie down." Zhan Zhao looked at her red cheeks and said worriedly.

"Then what happened? Why didn't you tell me? Is it something bad? Is it my family..." Ding Yuehua became more and more anxious as he spoke, his breathing became short and unsteady, and he was even panting.

"Third sister, don't worry, there's nothing wrong, it's just that it's Qiao Yuli..." Seeing her like this, Bai Yutang didn't dare to hide any more, but when he talked about what happened just now, he hesitated to speak.

"Sister Qiao? What's wrong with her?" Ding Yuehua heaved a sigh of relief and asked in confusion.

"Brother Bai and I both feel that Ms. Qiao is a spy sent by Xixia to the Song Dynasty. What she wants to get is what is in Master Lin's tomb. I think the Xixia warriors we met, those men in black, are all hers Companion." Zhan Zhao replied.

"How could it be? Isn't elder sister Qiao Zhuang Yufeng's fiancée? Zhuang Yufeng and Master Lin desperately protected those things, how could she be a spy?" Ding Yuehua asked in surprise.

Zhan Zhao pondered for a while, and frowned slightly: "Yes, I overlooked this point. Qiao Yuli is a spy, and Zhuang Yufeng is sympathetic to Mrs. Lin, which is against common sense. With Zhuang Yufeng's character, he will definitely not make love to a Xixia woman. Then, maybe Qiao Yuli is lying, maybe Zhuang Yufeng doesn't know her identity."

"Hey, Zhan Zhao, do you still remember when we first met Qiao Yuli, she said that her family was in Jinzhou, and when you said you were hunting Zhuang Yufeng, you saw him unable to escape all the way, thinking that he was looking for her? Qiao Yuli. But now, it has been confirmed that Zhuang Yufeng fled south to meet Master Lin, so why did Qiao Yuli appear there?"

"It's to get the map and list from Zhuang Yufeng!" Ding Yuehua interjected.

"No, no matter whether Qiao Yuli lied or not, she is from Xixia. She lived in the north with Zhuang Yufeng, and followed all the way to the south of the Yangtze River. It's easy to get things, so she doesn't have to come to me. Just now she said she was asking for my help. It is conceivable that she had no intention of taking anything from Zhuang Yufeng, but came to me directly. Then... yes, the little pear that Zhuang Yufeng called before his death was her! Then I'm afraid she really is Zhuang Yufeng's fiancée !"

"Brother Zhan, do you still remember the concubine who died on the day we got married when we first came to Jiangning? You also said that she didn't commit suicide, but homicide. Her name is Zhuang Xiaoli." Ding Yuehua suddenly mentioned.

"Zhuang, Xiaoli? Could it be that Qiao Yuli killed Zhuang Yufeng's real fiancée, impersonated herself, and then..." Bai Yutang speculated.

"No, no, sister Qiao must be true. Every time she talks about Zhuang Yufeng, the sadness, pain and deep affection in her eyes can't deceive anyone." Ding Yuehua said firmly.

"Then, we may have a bold guess that Qiao Yuli is Zhuang Yufeng's fiancée, but she stayed by Zhuang Yufeng's side under the pseudonym of Zhuang Yufeng, concealing her identity. After Zhuang Yufeng's death, Zhuang Xiaoli pretended to be Zhuang Yufeng's fiancee, and restored Qiao Yuli's identity. It's convenient. But, who killed her? Who is the woman who died?" Zhan Zhao frowned in thought.Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration and said in surprise: "Could it be that someone is chasing and killing Qiao Yuli, and Qiao Yuli found someone to replace her to be killed. Then the person who chased and killed her may also be from Xixia!"

"How to say?" Bai Yutang asked.

"Brother Bai, do you still remember the fight with the three men in black in Jasmine Village that night?"

"Unforgettable forever!" Bai Yutang gritted his teeth.

"Brother Bai is in the arena, and his martial arts are already excellent. Usually, even if a dozen people join forces, they may not win Brother Bai. But that night, there were only three men in black, but Brother Bai couldn't stand it, and watched them leave helplessly. , Isn’t this surprising? The two brothers Ding also said that the men in black when they were injured for the first time also had such weird martial arts. However, the man in black that Yuehua and I met on the day the Jiangning Inn was on fire Martial arts are average; the night when Qiao Yuli was rescued, the men in black were very good at martial arts, but the one in the temple was vulnerable. When Brother Lan took the medicine, the man in black was still mediocre in martial arts. It seems that whenever Ms. Qiao is involved, the man in black's martial arts will become worse. Then there is only one possibility, that the people who came to Song Dynasty are two forces that are hostile to each other. Power. One wants to kill us, but the other wants to seek our help, and even help us. Qiao Yuli is the leader of the second force!" Zhan Zhao said firmly.

Bai Yutang and Ding Yuehua thought hard for a while, and finally nodded in agreement.

Ding Yuehua stood up abruptly, and said: "No matter whether Sister Qiao is from Xixia or not, and for what reason, she saved the eldest brother and the second brother, I will definitely..." Before he finished speaking, he became dizzy for a while, his eyes darkened, and then Lost consciousness.

Zhan Zhao, Bai Yutang turned pale with shock.With quick eyes and quick hands, Zhan Zhao hugged Ding Yuehua and called out, "Yuehua! Yuehua!"

"Hurry up, put her on the bed!" Bai Yutang shouted.

The two hurriedly put Ding Yuehua on the bed.Bai Yutang had studied medicine a little, so he sat by the bed and took her pulse.

Zhan Zhao stood beside the bed worriedly, staring anxiously at Ding Yuehua on the bed, his hands clenched into fists involuntarily.

"Brother Bai, Yuehua, is there something wrong?" Zhan Zhao's voice trembled a little.

"It's okay, it's just the fever and the cold that caused the fainting. Don't worry. Take the medicine again in a while and see how it goes."

Zhan Zhao felt relieved.Heaved a sigh of relief, and then said: "Brother Bai, Yuehua's current body can no longer be exhausted. But the map and list must be sent back to the capital as soon as possible and presented to the emperor. Tomorrow, you will bring Yuehua to Mohua Village. Go to Beijing alone, report back to Lord Bao!"

Bai Yutang also looked a little dignified, thought for a while, and nodded in response.

At this time, outside Jiangning City, in a wild grass.A woman in a black cloak stands in the moonlight, thinking.It was Qiao Yuli.

"Young master, now that we have got the things, should we go back?" A masked man in black asked respectfully.

"Yeah, it's time to go back. This beautiful south of the river doesn't belong to me after all." Qiao Yuli murmured, looking up at the moonlight.

"Young master, don't be sad. When the master wins the throne and we have the help of the people on the list, why worry about not being able to rule the world. Then the young master will naturally enjoy the beautiful scenery here." The man in black said in his tone It's hard to hide your pride and expectations.

"Really? I hope." Qiao Yuli suppressed the rolling emotions in her eyes, and replied lightly.Ever since she saw Lin Ziyong committing suicide to protect this secret that day, she had no reason to have deep doubts about what she was doing now.Father, can you really succeed?

Three days later, when Ding Yuehua woke up leisurely, it was Bai Yutang's magnified handsome face that caught his eyes.

"Third sister is awake? Do you want to eat something?" Bai Yutang asked with concern.

"Yeah." Ding Yuehua still replied weakly. "Where's Brother Zhan?" She looked around, but didn't find that familiar figure.

"Hey! Ding Xiaosan, you are too unkind! Thanks to me taking care of you for three days, the first thing you said when you woke up was where is Zhan Zhao! You, you, you..." Bai Yutang Make a look of grief.

Ding Yuehua couldn't help laughing when he saw his movements like Xizi holding his heart.

"You can still laugh, it doesn't look like it's a big deal, so let's set off tomorrow." Bai Yutang said.

"Departure? Where are you going? Where's Brother Zhan?" Ding Yuehua was at a loss.

"That stinky cat has returned to Kaifeng Mansion, let's go home." Bai Yutang seemed to be upset.

"Why? Why did he leave alone, and he didn't..." Hearing this, Ding Yuehua felt a little sad for some reason.Xu just woke up and didn't see the person he wanted to see, so he was fragile and sad.

"Zhan Zhao said that you were sick and couldn't move, so you left by yourself. It's okay, and Brother Wu is with you!" Seeing her appearance, Bai Yutang couldn't help but lamented that the word "love" hurts others.So he pretended to be relaxed and said.

Ding Yuehua pursed her lips, lowered her eyes, and muttered silently in her heart: But you are not him.Although he knew that he had a heavy responsibility, but he was reluctant to leave him.In the past, I was chic and happy, and I could afford it and let it go, but now I can tell it's because I didn't meet him.

Speaking of Zhan Zhao, he bid farewell to Jiangning Mansion, and then hurried to the capital.Close to his chest is the secret that Lin Ziyong has saved with his life. It can save the Ding family and thousands of families in the Song Dynasty.

Kaifeng government office.

In the evening, Zhang Long and Zhao Hu, who had returned from patrolling the streets, were full of praise for the sesame seed cakes they had just bought. There was a sound of horseshoes behind them, and the two couldn't help turning their heads together.

"Who is galloping in the street in front of my Kaifeng Mansion, you..." Zhao Hu reprimanded him without thinking, but was interrupted by Zhang Long before he finished speaking.

"Master Zhan, you are back!" Zhang Long trotted forward excitedly, leading Zhan Zhao's horse.

Zhan Zhao got off his horse sideways, and patted Zhang Long and Zhao Hu on the shoulder, "Zhang Long and Zhao Hu, long time no see, my lord, how are you, sir?"

"It's good! I can eat and sleep, and the street is very peaceful!" Zhao Hu always said such words, which made Zhan Zhao's heart very warm.Finally came back.

"Where's your lord?" Zhan Zhao, Zhang Long and Zhao Hu walked towards the mansion, asking as they walked.

"My lord and sir must be in the study at this time. Let's go, let's go there." Zhang Long said, leading Zhan Zhao to the study.

"grown ups!"

"Zhan, guard Zhan!" Bao Zheng, who was flipping through the case file, raised his head, and saw the man in the blue shirt standing at the door, his figure was still tall and straight, but his face couldn't hide his fatigue.

"My lord, sir, Zhan Zhao is back! It's a good luck!" Zhan Zhao strode forward, prostrated himself in the middle of the room, then took out the paper bag in his arms, and presented it to Bao Zheng.

Listening to Zhan Zhao talking about what happened these days and the origin of this paper bag, Bao Zheng sighed with emotion: "Lord Lin is indeed a loyal minister of a generation, but it's a pity... alas."

"My lord, this matter is of great importance. I'm afraid it will involve border wars. Zhan Zhao doesn't dare to delay, rushing all night, he must not miss the important event!"

"That's right. Zhang Long, prepare the sedan chair for me, show the guards, and follow me into the palace to face the saint!"

Royal study.

Renzong shook his head slightly with his hands holding the list, and his face was iron. "Pa", the paper was slapped hard on the table.

"It's ridiculous! In the Song Dynasty, from the important officials of the court to the border guards, and even a small county magistrate in the frontier, they all had an affair with Xixia. A Xixia spy can be arrogant and reckless in the country! Where will I be placed! Put the world Where are the people? It's just, it's just..." Renzong's chest heaved violently, and the eunuch beside him rushed forward to relieve him.

"Holy Majesty, calm down. Now that Xixia's wolfish ambitions are clearly revealed, we must make arrangements as soon as possible to resist the war provoked by Xixia. The Xixia Kingdom has secretly raised troops for several years, and everything is about to be ready soon. Your Majesty can't hurt your body because of these scumbags." , Missing the livelihood of the country!" Bao Zheng persuaded.

Only then did Renzong calm down a lot.But when he thought that all the important officials he relied on had fornicated with Xixia, he was extremely angry, and said: "Kill! Put them all in the sky prison and see how they have fornicated!"

"Your Majesty, calm down! Now that the war is about to start, your Majesty's move is tantamount to shaking the foundation of the country. This matter involves a lot of officials. If your Majesty puts them all in prison, the government will be paralyzed, the frontier will be unguarded, the morale of the army will be lax, and the people will lose their minds." Ah. Your Majesty, please think twice." Bao Zheng analyzed.

"Then what do you think we should do? Could it be that I just watched them hand over the land left by their ancestors to the barbarians!" Renzong said angrily.

"In my opinion, the officials in the capital city mentioned in the list will now be secretly monitored and guarded to cut off their communication with Xixia to prevent the leakage of court secrets. The frontiers will be sent to supervise the army to restrict the generals who have illicit relations with Xixia so that they cannot help Xixia to raise troops. But remember not to shake the morale of the army. As for Jiangnan, the most officials are involved. I am afraid that Xixia also knows that Jiangnan is the main supply place for our soldiers and civilian food in the Song Dynasty. Knowing that there are many heroes in the south of the Yangtze River, they plead for the people, and their righteousness is beyond the sky, why not ask them to warn and punish these officials on behalf of the court, those who are willing to correct their evil ways, let the past go, and those who are not willing to execute in secret, block the news, and create time for the court to gather troops .”

After Bao Zheng finished speaking, Renzong thought for a while, and finally nodded. "That's what Bao Qing said."

"I have one more thing. The emperor still remembers old General Ding's last words."

Hearing these words, Zhan Zhao moved slightly.Looking up at the emperor, there was some confusion in his eyes.

"Of course I remember. He said that the descendants of the Ding family will never serve as officials in the court, but if the country is in trouble, they will definitely go to battle, and it is their duty."

"Exactly, so, I also ask His Majesty Enzhun Zhan to escort you to Songjiang Mansion, and invite the Ding brothers to go out."

Zhan Zhao was taken aback for a moment, and suddenly became a little nervous, thinking of Ding Zhaolan's prejudice against the court, he knew that this trip might not go well.

"Okay, I agree."