When Chang Geng chased Monk Mingran to the outside of the city, the night was already dark, everything around him was completely silent, and the sound of the wooden carts clocking in the city had faded away. So he stopped and called out to the people in front of him:

"Master Qingran, please walk slowly for now."

There was a pause in the steps.

Chang Geng spoke slowly and calmly, and his attitude showed no trace of anger. He was gentle and polite, just like he used to drink Kuding in silence in the Zen room.

Only the palm of his hand has moved to the hilt of the sword, and he can unsheath the sword at any time and skewer the monk.

Chang Geng: "I have often talked with the master these days, and I have benefited a lot. I also know that the master cares about the world, and is not a person who is content with talking about Buddhism and Taoism in a Zen monastery. Maybe the master has heard about my origins. Lord Hou is thousands of miles away.

Even though he is a famous general, no matter what position his family and country place him in, to me, he is just a relative who depends on each other for life. I am a small person with no ability. I can barely stand on the iron in my hand. I can't worry about big things.

There is only a palm-sized house and a few people, I hope you can forgive me."

Clearly: "..."

He didn't know how Chang Geng usually spoke to Gu Yun, but to outsiders, he had always been "very reserved when talking about three points". Ming Ran thought he had learned the lesson, but he still never expected that someone in the world could "be very reserved".

Friendship is friendship, if you dare to touch Gu Yun's head, I will stab you to death with a sword." Such murderous words came out so easily.

Ming Ran lowered his head and looked at the monk's shoes, whose appearance was no longer visible after running around for a day, and said tentatively: "His Royal Highness Tianhuang is a noble man with a kind heart. He deserves to have a world, so there is no need to belittle oneself."

Chang Geng looked calm and unmoved: "A man is born in this world. If he can't even take care of the surrounding land, why should he look so far away?"

Ming Ran smiled bitterly, knowing that he was not easy to fool, so he could only swear and said: "Gu Shuai is the pillar of the country. If he pulls his hair, his whole body will be affected. How dare the monk have any evil intentions?"

Chang Geng's palm was still resting on the hilt of the sword: "But the master did intend to lead my foster father here."

Qing Ran said seriously: "Your Highness, please come with me."

Chang Geng stared at him for a moment, then raised the sword again and said with a smile: "Then Master Lao will lead the way and clear up the confusion."

If you don't solve it well, I'll still stab you to death.

Monk Ming Ran took off the monk's robe and turned it inside out. He saw that the white monk's robe, which was covered with linen and filial piety, actually had two sides. The inside was black. When he put it on his body and then over his head, the monk merged into the darkness.

inside.

Chang Geng: "..."

A question involuntarily emerged in his mind - it seemed that they had never changed clothes during their walk from the capital to Jiangnan. So, was there a piece of black cloth underneath his monk's robe, or did he never wash it?

When one side is worn black, turn it over and wear it again?

Thinking of this, Chang Geng became obsessed with mysophobia and could hardly walk side by side with the eminent monk!

Wearing "night clothes", Miao Ran and Chang Geng shuttled through the narrow and winding bridges in the south of the Yangtze River, and soon arrived at the Inner Canal Pier.

The access between Daliang Shipping and the Inland Canal was opened ten years ago. The two lines run in parallel, making it very convenient for boats to travel. It once served as a prosperous area along the river. In recent years, it has become a bit depressed due to excessive taxes.

.

However, a skinny camel is bigger than a horse. It was already late at night, and there were still merchant ships and boatmen busy on the dock.

Miao Ran waved his hand, stopped Chang Geng in his footsteps, and gestured: "There are already agents from Xuan Tieying in front of us, don't get any closer."

Chang Geng glanced at him, took out a clairvoyant eye, and looked towards the water.

The sea was calm on the pier, with boatmen and porters coming and going. Some soldiers transferred from the Jiangnan garrison were inspecting the goods on the shore. He could neither see anyone from the Xuantie Camp nor anything unusual on the water.

Chang Geng didn't trust Mingzhu at this time, and didn't ask directly. He silently observed - the boatmen were loading the cargo, and the cargo was packed in thin wooden boxes. Before boarding the ship, the lid of the box must be opened and placed on a rotating gear.

The conveyor belt was inspected by the garrison, and then transported to the other end. Several boatmen were waiting there, sealing the boxes one by one and carrying them onto the ship.

When passing by a few days ago, I heard local people chatting and mentioned that shipping and river terminals generally do not inspect merchant ships so strictly. Jiangnan has recently begun to implement farming puppets, and the imperial court has released a large amount of purple gold to prevent larceny.

I became nervous only after reselling privately.

As soon as the inspection box was opened, Chang Geng couldn't help but wrinkle his nose from a hundred feet away: "What does it smell like?"

Ming Ran wrote on the tree next to him: "."

Chang Geng was stunned: "What?"

Ming Ran gestured and said: "His Royal Highness has lived in the Anding Marquis Mansion for a long time, and the incense he uses must be a bargain given by the emperor. He has never seen these cheap things used by ordinary people. This is a pile of scraps of spices pressed into oil or paste. The smell is

It is very strong. When you buy it, you need to add a three-layer sealed jar to prevent it from losing its smell. You only need to take out a little at a time and dissolve it with warm water, and it can be used for several months. A fragrant ointment is only about the size of your thumb, and it will take ten to use it.

It’s no problem for eight years, and it’s only a drop of money.”

The pressed incense was too strong, and when the incense reached a certain level, it became a complete stench. Chang Geng was so fumed that his brain ached, and he did not bother to correct the monk's misunderstanding - the Hou Mansion never used incense, and the washed clothes only smelled of soapberry.

Chang Geng raised his clairvoyance and suddenly saw a man's figure flashing past on the merchant ship. His hair and accessories were different from those of the Central Plains people. He remembered what Ming Ran had told him about his overseas experiences and asked, "I seem to see something like this."

I met the Japanese people that a master said, so this is a merchant ship sent to Japan... What do the Japanese people want so much , take it home and cook it? "

She glanced at him appreciatively.

The wooden box containing the incense winds like a long dragon, and four or five large ships hidden in the dark night are waiting there, which is even more spectacular than the merchant ships carrying fresh aquatic products next to it.

If one perfume can last ten or eight years, why would anyone buy so many?

Not to mention the palm-sized Japan Islands, even the people in Daliang may not be able to buy all these ships.

The garrison at the dock was so smoked that tears came to his eyes. He covered his nose with a handkerchief and desperately urged the boatman to hurry up and pass the container. There was a dog beside him that was assisting in the inspection, but it had already been so smoked that it lay on its side and became motionless.

Chang Geng asked in a low voice: "Master, what are the dogs around the garrison checking for?"

"That's 'Inspector Dog'," Ming Ran said. "Ziliu Jin has a faint bitterness that humans can't smell, but dogs are very sensitive. Zi Liujin is of great importance. Emperor Wu issued a death order to rectify Zi Liujin."

When money was flowing in the black market, Inspector Dog made great contributions and is still used today."

The dog inspector rolled his eyes because of the low-quality incense. He couldn't even smell the meat and bones, not to mention the purple liquid.

Chang Geng: "So the master suspects that this Japanese team has an ulterior motive for boarding the ship. Did you lure my adoptive father to investigate this?"

Before Ming Ran could nod his head, Chang Geng pressed him: "Then I dare to ask Master, how do you know that my Marquis will come in person? Moreover, this is supposed to be a matter between Yingtian Mansion and the Jiangnan garrison, and he deserted.

Come on, how can you be so sure that he will intervene? Why don't you go to Governor Yingtian or the Chief Inspector, but you have to sacrifice the near for the far and try your best to lure him from the northwest?"

Clearly: "..."

He originally thought that this young man would run into such a big conspiracy when he went out alone for the first time. He would be so shocked that he would easily ignore other things - but he didn't expect that Chang Geng was not shocked at all. He was just...

He frowned and insisted on getting to the bottom of it.

The monk couldn't help but think of the rumors that Gu Yun brought the child back from Yanhui Town - some people said that the barbarian rebellion in Yanhui Town was caused by the adoptive mother of the Fourth Highness.

With preparation, we will catch all the barbarians in one fell swoop.

But how old was Chang Geng at that time? He must have been twelve or thirteen years old at most...

Mingran suddenly wanted to ask, "Did you kill anyone during the Yanhui turmoil?" After a while, he swallowed it back because he felt there was no need to ask.

Chang Geng looked at him quietly. Under the moonlit night, Miao Ran saw two shallow black shadows in his eyes.

He had known that Chang Geng had a special kind of precocity and precocity, and thought that it was due to his sudden change of status when he was young and the sensitivity born from living under the influence of others in the capital. Only then did the monk suddenly realize that this young man might have seen something in his eyes.

A dark place that no one else knows about.

He even suspected that even Gu Yun didn't know.

Miao Ran's attitude became more cautious, and after considering it for a moment, he slowly gestured: "I know he will come, and I also know that as long as he comes, he will definitely intervene. This matter involves a wide range of things, not just a small matter."

Yingtian Mansion can sort it out - there are some things that the Marquis should be tacitly understanding with us."

Chang Geng squinted his eyes and noticed keenly that he said "we".

At this moment, there was a sudden sound of wind behind him. Before Ming Ran could react, the decorative sword at Chang Geng's waist had already been unsheathed with a scream. This was his instinctive reaction after fighting against the iron puppet countless times.

The sharp sword collided with the black iron cutter blade. Chang Geng recognized the man as Xuan Ying, and the two of them withdrew their weapons and retreated at the same time.

Xuan Ying took advantage of the situation and knelt down on one knee: "To disturb His Highness - the Marquis asked his subordinates to take His Highness and the Master back."

Chang Geng's eyebrows that had just been lowered slightly raised. How did Gu Yun know that he and Mingran had sneaked here?

What does the "tacit understanding" mentioned by the monk Mingran mean?

He knew it but was not surprised. He took off his ridiculous turban Congshan Ruliu, and bowed his head solemnly, expressing silently and loudly, "I'm sorry to bother you."

Early the next morning, a black eagle knocked on the door.

Xuanying said: "Master Mingran will continue to travel, and the commander-in-chief will also rush back to the northwest. I have asked my subordinates to escort His Highness back to the Marquis Mansion. Please give me your instructions so that we can set off as soon as possible."

If he hadn't witnessed those strange Japanese merchant ships at the canal ferry the night before, Chang Geng thought he would have believed it.

But before he could say anything, someone from the opposite side gently knocked on the wooden handrail of the corridor.

Xuan Ying turned around and saw the mysterious mute monk standing there. He told Chang Geng to "wait a moment", straightened his clothes, and directly reached out to push open the door of Gu Yun's room.

Xuan Ying and Chang Geng were both stunned - the monk didn't knock on the door!

If the entire Hou family didn't know that Gu Yun hated bald heads, Chang Geng would have almost suspected that the two people had a close relationship.

Probably because he was afraid of being beaten out, Ming Ran opened the door and did not go directly into the house. He just nodded at the people inside.

Gu Yun actually didn't rush with him, and a somewhat impatient voice came from the room: "Master, what do you have to say?"

He gestured clearly and said: "Commander, the young eagle does not grow up in a golden cage. Besides, you are short of a few attendants to hide from others. Why don't you take your highness with you? The late emperor left the geese for your highness.

In a year or two, he will be able to take the position of King of North County and go to court."

Gu Yun replied coldly: "Master, you are taking too much care."
To be continued...