The next morning, Zhuo Zhan and his party washed up and tidied up early, ate the hot breakfast prepared by Madam Lu, and then went to the palace with Jin'er.

When everyone arrived in front of the royal city, they had no time to admire the palace's golden tiles, red doors, cornices and painted walls. Several pairs of eyes were staring at Jin'er, wondering how to call out Teng Feng outside this huge palace wall.

.

Jin'er was also troubled and frowned slightly in embarrassment: "Yesterday... I said it happily yesterday, but I didn't think about it... how to call Teng Feng out..."

Zhuangzi, who had not yet woken up, stretched weakly: "Well, it's a waste of time to go together. Let me tell you, isn't Teng Feng's parents' house near the Lu family? Let's just sit back and wait.

When Teng Feng comes home, it won’t be too late to find him.”

"But last night I heard from my father that since Teng Feng was promoted to the Golden Boot and Sword Commander, he has almost all food and accommodation in the palace. He only goes home once or twice a month. It's better not to wait for him at his house."

Jin'er added.

"What should we do? This is no longer a newly built road." Zhuangzi spread his hands and shrugged.

"It's not difficult to find Teng Feng." Zhuo Zhan said calmly and confidently.

"What, have you thought of a solution?" Duan Fei smoothed his hair, which had grown two inches in half a month, with his hands, and tilted his head to look at Zhuo Zhan.

"Commander with a sword, he has the important duty of protecting the monarch. If you want to find him, just go to the king directly." Zhuo Zhan said with a mysterious smile, took out the official certificate from his sleeve pocket, turned around and walked towards the palace gate.

.

"Hey, wait, Brother Zhuo Zhan, wait!"

Chi grabbed the hem of Zhuo Zhan's clothes in a panic, with some anger on his face: "I thought you had thought of some good solution. We have no reason to persuade the guards to let us go. If we go to the king rashly like this, wouldn't it be just to frighten the enemy?"

"Who says there is no reason? Don't forget, in addition to saving Xiu'er, we came to Leng Lingguo for another equally important purpose." Zhuo Zhan smiled proudly.

"Open Picture Stone?!" Chi exclaimed in surprise.

Zhuo Zhan nodded: "Yes, it can be inferred from the fact that Mr. Jiang left the map stone to your elder brother. Mr. Jiang would not leave the map stone in the hands of ordinary people casually. He must be the monarch of a place.

A commander-in-chief or a wealthy merchant, no matter how bad he is, should still be a powerful and famous country squire.

Following this logic, it is safest to start from top to bottom and ask the king first, and we can also find Teng Feng, killing two birds with one stone."

Chi raised his little head, thought for a long time, and murmured: "This seems to be the truth."

But at this time, Zhuo Zhan had already walked out four or five meters away from Duan Fei and the others, and he was dancing with bare hands anxiously, shouting behind him to wait for her.

"Son, you and Duan Fei will accompany me into the palace. Without your status as the third princess, we may not be able to enter the palace smoothly.

Sister Xueyan, take Zhuangzi, Xiaoyue and Jiner to carefully measure the palace city, including the location of the shrine and the general direction of the dungeon, as well as the distribution of the guards at each palace gate. We will make a rough drawing when we go back.

A map.”

Zhuo Zhan ordered, striding forward without looking back.

"I know. Fortunately, I brought paper and pen. I can draw it right away."

When Duan Yue heard that Zhuo Zhan needed her, he was like a little sparrow who had been injected with chicken blood. He excitedly took out a notepad and pen from his small backpack.

Although she was happy, she still couldn't get used to hearing Zhuo Zhan call Chi "er", and she couldn't get used to hearing Chi call Zhuo Zhan "Brother Zhuo Zhan".

Because in Duan Yue's impression, only she who grew up with Zhuo Zhan could be called like this. Now there is another girl with the same name as her, which really makes her uncomfortable.

Duan Yue was very confused, when did Zhuo Zhan and Chi, who had always been under his nose, change their words? It seems that they called each other this way on the road.

It seems that I was still too careless. I have to be more alert in the future and never be negligent again.

Zhuo Zhan glanced at the pen and paper in Duan Yue's hand with his peripheral vision, the pen and paper that he longed for but did not want to ask for. Next time he comes, he must bring enough notebooks and pens, Zhuo Zhan thought silently in his heart.

**********

With the official certificate given by Chi Shu and Chi's royal token, it is not difficult to enter the palace.

Zhuo Zhan and the others were led into the main hall. They saw a fat man leaning on a golden chair in the hall. His clothes were exaggeratedly gorgeous. He must be the leader of the Lengling Kingdom.

Zhuo Zhan and Duan Fei bowed respectfully, stood at the foot of the steps and nodded, waiting for inquiries.

The Lord Lengling looked at the official certificate presented by the eunuch, and let out a feeble "hum" from his huge nostrils.

Then he picked his nostrils with the ring finger of his left hand and groaned slowly: "It turned out to be a businessman from China. I thought he was some big shot, and it made me unable to sleep."

Zhuo Zhan was startled and looked at each other with Duan Fei and Chi, thinking that the Kaitu Stone must not be with this damn fat man.

The eunuch next to him crept forward and reminded the king of something in his ear.

The king straightened up immediately, stretched out his almost invisible neck, and flicked his sleeves: "Look at my memory, I still let the third princess stand. Cao Zhong, please sit down!"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Cao Zhong...Cao Zhong was sentenced to death by you yesterday..." the eunuch said with a trembling voice.

"Oh, I forgot. I haven't slept well these past few days and my memory is also bad. I forgot. Cao Zhong fed the dog yesterday. Then you go!"

I saw the little eunuch hunched over, bending down and walking quickly. He picked up a satin-embroidered rustle and placed it firmly behind the naked body.

Chiya was not polite at all and sat upright on it.

"How come the third princess has the honor to come to my country, Leng Ling, and how come she gets together with these Chinese merchants?" the leader of Leng Ling asked grumblingly.

Fortunately, Chi heard the words clearly and replied solemnly: "These two are the heroes who helped the feudal government overcome the difficulties in the Yangshan Campaign. They can be regarded as Yangshan's benefactors. I was ordered by my brother to escort them out of the fiefdom."

, walked all the way here. They come to see you this time, it seems that they have something important to ask the king."

"Oh," Lord Leng Ling leaned on the chair again, looking at Zhuo Zhan and Duan Fei with the corner of his narrow eyes, but still had no intention of sitting down.

"I just remembered. I just received a message from Qu Ru yesterday. The letter mentioned this. But having said that, the small bamboo slips you used to send the message in Yangshan are really special. How did you come up with it?

Stringing the pieces together to write on them is much more convenient than tortoise shells or animal skins. I will ask the craftsmen to make a batch of them later."

Speaking of the small bamboo slips, the king suddenly became interested, and his eyes that were about to narrow into a thin line suddenly opened.

Zhuo Zhan lowered his head and sighed helplessly, then suddenly raised his head and chest, clasped his hands and fists, and announced loudly in a voice that could attract the attention of the king: "Zhuo Zhan, a businessman from China, dare to ask the king for information.

One thing.”

"Oh, tell me."

The king was very unhappy when the topic was interrupted. He glanced at Zhuo Zhan and responded impatiently.

"May I ask the Lord, if a group of Chinese people passed through this place five years ago?" Zhuo Zhan said with a straight face.

"Chinese people... let me think about it... oh, yes! There is such a group of people, the leader is called Jiang or something. They have brought many rare treasures, and they are considered respectful and polite."

Zhuo Zhan was pleased: "The king of the country has a relationship with Mr. Jiang?"

"Friendship?" Lord Leng Ling rolled his eyes and glared at Zhuo Zhan: "No. They are actually very close to the great witch Zhu Zhu of the shrine. A group of people who call friends every day are not doing their job properly."

"Oh? Can the Lord of the Kingdom allow me to meet with the Great Witch Zhu in person? I have something important to ask of him." Zhuo Zhan did not expect that the inquiry would go so smoothly, and he was overjoyed.

"Ask him? Then you have no choice but to go to hell and ask." Lord Leng Ling smiled coldly and said in a strange tone.

"Five years ago, just after your group of Chinese people left, the great witch Zhu Gao Qiliang secretly studied black witchcraft with the intention of harming me. Fortunately, Shen Ziyou found out early, otherwise I would be the one going to hell!

But having said that, why did Gao Qiliang suddenly become involved in black witchcraft? It’s hard to say whether it was instigated by you Chinese people."

Zhuo Zhan's heart suddenly sank, his throat tightened, and the joyful smile suddenly condensed on his face like frost.

Zhuo Zhan did not continue to ask, because he knew that with the violent and unruly temperament of Lord Leng Ling, it would be considered a blessing from the Bodhisattva if he did not implicate them.

Zhuo Zhan sighed to himself that it was a good thing he brought Chi in with him. With the third princess here, he didn't dare to do anything too excessive.

Duan Fei quickly handed over his hand and said warmly: "It must be just a coincidence. We Chinese people have always been responsible and do not understand witchcraft. If the great witch Zhu is suspected of such arrogance, he must have been planning it for a long time, and it is not just a day or two.

.Fortunately, the country’s Lord Jiren had God’s blessing and discovered this matter in time, so there was no danger.”

"Well, this sounds pretty good to me." Lord Leng Ling yawned widely, tears streaming from his eyes.

He rubbed his eyes with his naked hands and turned to the little monk next to him: "Who is that? What is your name?"

"Humble slave Dong Er."

"Dong Er, go and get some almond biscuits, as well as yun cake and red bean soup. The lonely king is hungry." Lord Leng Ling smacked his mouth, looking like he was about to die from hunger.

"Since the king hasn't had breakfast yet, I'll take my leave first and won't bother you anymore." Chi stood up and said coldly.

"Oh, the third princess wants to leave, who is that, Dong..." The king patted his forehead and thought.

"Dong Er." Yansi reminded with a trembling voice.

"Dong Er, go and see him off."

"No need, let this little official serve the king for breakfast. Just ask the golden-booted guard outside the door to see us off." Zhuo Zhan said hurriedly.

"Ah, that's fine, this is the best. That Teng Feng, you go see off the third princess." Lord Leng Ling grunted and nestled into his golden chair again.

**********

Zhuo Zhan walked slowly and unhurriedly on the white jade bricks of the palace city, following the rhythm of Duan Fei and Chi, always keeping a distance of about one person from Teng Feng in front of him.

Zhuo Zhan's face was calm and there seemed to be nothing unusual, but he whispered in a low voice: "Commander Teng Feng, don't look back, just listen to me."

Teng Feng was calm, but tilted his head slightly, and strode forward without changing his expression.

Zhuo Zhan said softly: "I think Commander Teng must have heard it just now outside the palace gate. We had something to ask of the former Great Witch Zhu Gao Qiliang, but we didn't want to..."

Zhuo Zhan pondered for a moment and then continued: "The palace was afraid of offending the king, so he didn't ask any more questions. Seeing that the king has such trust in the commander-in-chief, I thought Commander Teng must have been serving in the palace for many years. I dare to ask, Commander-in-Chief Teng, if he can

Tell me, is there anyone else in Gao Qiliang's family now?"

Teng Feng smiled slightly, nodded and said in a low voice: "You are smart, what you did in the palace was very correct. However, you took a desperate risk by asking the guard with a knife in private. With what you said just now, you can be detained.
To be continued...