70 Double Hemp Fire
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Tokyo Bianliang.
The setting sun, like blood, soaked into the ruins, adding a more miserable look to this looted ancient city.
The heavy, vermilion-painted city gate stood half-open, already in a state of disrepair. Ruts in the road, mingled with blood and mud, stretched all the way out of the city.
In the middle of the road, a blood-stained tiger-head shoe was trampled in the mud.
The smell of tung oil mixed with the smell of blood lingered in the air.
Xie Linchuan held the reins and stood firmly on the horse, his expression unremarkable.
The spring breeze of March brought warmth, but his heart was filled with sadness.
He returned from Jinzhou to support Bianliang, but was blocked by the Western Xia army.
When he defeated Yuan Hao and hurriedly arrived, he caught up with Yelu Jun's troops heading south outside the city of Bianliang.
The two sides fought a fierce battle, in which Xie Linchuan won a tragic victory and Yelu Jun retreated to Xingzhou. However, Bianliang was eventually looted for two days and the scene was horrific.
When the officers and soldiers entered the city and saw this scene, they were all filled with grief and speechless. They immediately sent soldiers to collect the bodies and comfort the people.
When they reached the outside of Daxiangguo Temple, they heard rustling sounds in the ruins. Everyone was startled and grasped their swords in their right hands.
But when the rubble and wood collapsed, a little boy of eight or nine years old came out, his clothes were torn and his face was black.
He seemed dazed, staring blankly at the soldiers on horseback. Then he turned his head and muttered while hugging a piece of charred wood:
"Dad, eat it quickly! Zen Master Kongyin gave it to me!"
After saying that, he tremblingly took out a double hemp fire from his tattered pocket.
How could wood be burned by his fire? Buried in the ruins was a corner of a bloodstained cassock.
He was not discouraged. Seeing that the fire was still intact, he thought for a while and muttered, "Yes, yes, let's go home and eat with mother!"
Holding the burnt pillar, he limped forward, shaking his little body.
The setting sun chased after him, making his shadow smaller.
Pinglin has always been soft-hearted, and when he saw this scene, he burst into tears.
As soon as this started, some young soldiers behind them could not hold back and started to sob. For a moment, the team was filled with sad cries.
Although Mo Shan's eyes were red and his face was still fierce, he kicked Pinglin's horse and glared back.
Including Pinglin, everyone wiped their faces with their sleeves and tried hard to hold back their tears.
Xie Linchuan remained silent, his face gloomy, but his hands were tightly gripping the reins, veins bulging as if he wanted to break the rope.
He watched the child stumble and disappear into the alley before he moved his lips and instructed Pinglin in a hoarse voice:
"Send him home and have him looked at by a doctor. If there is no one left, let him stay with you."
Pinglin's tears rolled down again. He immediately sniffed and urged his horse forward.
Xie Linchuan closed his eyes, then suddenly opened them again, raised his head, and let the blood-red sunset cover his whole body.
He looked at the vast sky and the rolling mountains in the southeast for a while, clenched his fists, and made a difficult decision.
The news of Tokyo's fall and looting spread among the people, causing an uproar.
At this time, the spring examination had just passed, and many scholars were still staying in Lin'an, gathering together every day to discuss state affairs.
Some people scolded the eunuch named Tong for being a traitor and a traitor;
Some lamented the neglect of military preparations, the collapse of the Yellow River, and the garrison's flight;
Some people were sighing over the fall of Bianliang, and some of their friends and relatives in Bianliang secretly had tears in their eyes.
But what was criticized the most was, of course, the brutality and tyranny of the Liao soldiers.
There was a commotion outside, but the kitchen was quiet, with only the crackling of firewood in the stove.
Zheng Wang, wearing thick cloth gloves, took out the baked double-flavored buns one by one from the hot furnace and placed them neatly in a bamboo winnowing basket.
This double sesame cake is a famous cake in Bianliang. It got its name because both sides are coated with sesame seeds and are baked in a furnace. It has a crispy and fragrant taste and is quite memorable.
The people of Bianliang loved to use it as breakfast, often with a bowl of sweet soy milk.
The flour and sesame seeds are stimulated by high temperature, giving off a sweet and creamy aroma, but when eaten, they have a strong taste of pepper and salt.
At this time, take another sip of soy milk, the crispy skin of the double sesame fire cake will be softened just right, the outer layer is slightly glutinous while the inside is still crispy, which is very memorable.
If you eat it as a midnight snack, you can pair it with a bowl of spicy soup.
The pancakes are crispy and fragrant, and the soup is spicy and thick. After eating, I feel full and my stomach is warmed. Then I go to bed and even my dreams are beautiful.
Ever since learning that Tokyo had fallen, Zheng Wang has been frowning.
He was from Bianliang. Although he had no relatives left, his neighbors were all friends from childhood.
Especially Xiao Zhuzi, the boy who worked at his noodle stall in Bianliang, no one knew whether he escaped the disaster.
These days, he feels uncomfortable when he thinks about this.
After picking up the double hemp fire, he sat in front of the stove in a daze again. The stove fire shone brightly on his dark face, revealing a little redness under his eyes.
Jiang Qinglan went into the kitchen and saw him like this. He felt as if his heart was being soaked in water and fried in fire, and he felt very uncomfortable.
She didn't say much, just nodded, took the bamboo dustpan and left.
Zheng Wang said, "Wait!"
He picked out a burnt yellow one with the most sesame seeds from the bamboo winnowing basket, held it in his hand, and thought to himself: Xiao Zhuzi likes to eat steamed buns that are a little mushy and have a lot of sesame seeds, so keep this one for him.
We don't know whether Xiao Zhuzi is dead or alive.
Even if he was alive, he was in Bianliang, thousands of miles away. How could he afford to eat this roasted bread?
But at this time, no one cared about it.
Seeing Zheng Wang in a daze, Jiang Qinglan stepped out, let out a light breath, and called Wang Huiniang in.
When she distributed the double-flavored steamed buns to the diners, she saw a few local hooligans leaning against the wall with their ears perked up, eavesdropping on the conversation of the scholars in the room under the moonlight.
She hated these idlers the most. In the past, they would bring a pot of wine, get drunk, order a plate of edamame, and talk and laugh loudly in the store.
Later, for some reason, he was beaten so badly that he didn't dare to enter the house.
At this time, Jiang Qinglan saw that they were listening with great excitement and gleaming eyes, so he quietly walked to the door and listened to them talking.
"Bah! Damn the Liao people! They killed our brothers and sisters in Bianliang. Listen, these high officials are saying that we can't just let it go!"
"Although we brothers may not be able to accomplish great things, our sense of loyalty is genuine!"
After that, there was a series of muffled thuds, which seemed to be the man patting his chest.
Someone else said:
"Outside Chongxin Gate live many thieves and prisoners of the Liao people. Every family is extremely wealthy, and the men are still away due to the war. There are only women left. Let's go and plunder them and show them the might of the men of the Song Dynasty!"
A few hooligans burst into laughter.
Someone said, "How dare you, a coward, go and rob? Aren't you afraid of the government officials?"
The man patted his chest and said, "What are you afraid of? I heard that my brothers have been planning this for several days. Today, the blood debt must be paid with blood!"
After saying that, he led the others and staggered out while still drunk.
Jiang Qinglan frowned and listened for a while, thinking something was wrong.
Xue Qi's family lives just outside Chongxin Gate and is extremely wealthy. Xiao Yali is a Liao noble and is very beautiful, so she is the first to be targeted!
Another thing is that she had offended Liang Chan, who was narrow-minded and would definitely take the opportunity to stir up trouble!
She immediately called Cherry:
"Go to the Prince of Dongping's mansion and ask to see Madam Xie. Ask her to send a team of personal guards, and don't reveal your identity. Also, ask her to notify the Lin'an Prefecture Office that there are thieves planning to cause trouble outside Chongxin Gate. Send runners to suppress them immediately!"
The Xinghua Restaurant was not very close to the Prince of Dongping's Palace, but Yingtao was very fast and had someone come back in no time.
There were twelve people in the group, all wearing military uniforms and carrying swords, but they did not wear the Xie family badge.
Jiang Qinglan put on his veil, climbed onto the carriage, and followed them in a majestic manner towards the Xue family residence outside Chongxin Gate.
But the further he walked, the more frightened Jiang Qinglan became.
She lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked out. Outside Chongxinmen, every door was shut tightly, and the streets were deserted. The only sound she could hear was loud shouts, like waves, coming from far away and approaching. They were clearly shouting:
"Kill the Liao people! Kill the Liao people!"
Jiang Qinglan had never seen such a scene before. He shrank his neck and almost fell down in the carriage.
But when she thought of Xiao Yali, she tried her best to calm down, sat up by holding the wall of the car, and urged the car to move forward.
When they arrived at Xue's house, they saw a group of men, about a dozen or twenty in number, surrounding the gate and banging on it by holding onto the pillars.
The vermilion lacquered wooden door creaked and had opened a gap two fingers wide.
With a "swish", the leading guard of the Xie family drew his sword and shouted fiercely: "How dare you break into a private house in broad daylight? Are you planning a rebellion?"
The others also drew their swords, flashing their sharp blades.
If it were just ordinary thugs, they would have been scared out of their wits and fled in panic after seeing this scene. But who would have thought that this group of people were so powerful?
A tall man with a two-finger-wide scar on his face stood up and said with a fist:
"Brother, you have misunderstood. We are unemployed servants from the Lin'an Prefecture Office, and we are ordered to catch spies from the Liao Kingdom." After saying this, he really handed over a waist badge of the prefecture office.
Bai Yi was a temporary servant, mostly rogues from the streets. When the yamen runners were too busy, they would do odd jobs like assisting in arrests and standing in court to summon people.
Sure enough, the man said:
"There are gangsters looting and causing trouble on the other side of the river, and the brothers in the government office have gone to arrest them. There was also a message saying that someone has reported that there are spies from the Liao Kingdom here, and they are asking the brothers to take them back for questioning."
"I didn't know that this woman in the house was such a tough nut to crack. She scolded me and others and even threw some cold arrows at me. I had no choice but to knock on the door."
Jiang Qinglan sat in the carriage, listening with his ears pricked up for a long time, and felt that something was wrong.
This group of people are obviously thugs, but they have badges from the government office, and their appearance does not look like they were gathered together temporarily.
Just now outside the Xinghua Restaurant, those thugs said someone had been planning this for a long time. Was it them? Something must be wrong when things are out of the ordinary. Someone must be behind this.
Xiao Yali was generous and open-minded, and her neighbors were all on good terms with her. She had lived in seclusion since the beginning of the Liao-Song conflict. Apart from offending Liang Chan, she couldn't think of anything else.
I also heard the man in front negotiating with the personal guards of the Xie family, saying that Bianliang had fallen and he and others were filled with indignation. The government office had received news that there was a spy here, and they all rushed to look for him.
Jiang Qinglan listened carefully and felt that the voice sounded familiar. When he opened the curtain and saw the man's face, his expression changed.
Thinking of those righteous words he said, she felt cold in her teeth.
She got out of the car wearing a veil and suddenly sneered:
"I didn't know you were such a great hero! How come it wasn't you who was exiled to Bazhou that day for rape and robbery?"
It turned out that this person was none other than the coachman Chen Si'er, who was the one who failed to rob Jiang Qinglan in Jiangmi Lane three years ago and was imprisoned in Lin'an Prefecture by Lu Fei.
This man's experience is also legendary. He was beaten with forty sticks and sentenced to exile in Bazhou.
On the way, he simply gave up, killed the guard and ran away, and became a bandit by joining a mountain king.
There had been wars outside for the past two months, with shouts of killing everywhere, so he took a few brothers and fled back to Lin'an.
Little did I know that I would get a great job as soon as I came back.
A few days ago, two powerful slaves found him by the Yanqiao River and asked him to capture a woman outside Chongxin Gate. Not only did they give him silver, but they also gave him a badge from the Lin'an Prefecture Office.
They were bandits, and all they did was rob and loot. How difficult was that? He immediately gathered people and got the job done.
At this moment, Jiang Qinglan saw Chen Si'er, and all the old and new hatreds came flooding back. In addition, her forces were strong, so she raised her eyebrows and shouted, "Stop talking nonsense and capture him!"
The Xie family's personal guards had no suspicion and immediately rushed forward. The two groups of people fought in a group, with swords flashing and blood flying everywhere.
The Xie family's personal guards were well-trained and could fight ten men at a time, while the other side was just a group of thugs. The difference in strength was too great, and everyone said that the battle would be over in a moment.
Unexpectedly, this group of people were masters, cruel and ruthless, and there were many of them. They actually killed two of Xie family's guards.
The incident happened suddenly and everyone was shocked. Even Chen Si'er was stunned. When did the brothers he gathered become so skilled in martial arts?
Seeing that someone had died, he wanted to escape, but suddenly a knife pierced his chest from behind and he fell in a pool of blood in an instant.
Jiang Qinglan only thought that he could deal with a few thugs, beat them with a stick, pick up Xiao Yali and leave, but he didn't expect to go through all this.
She was a person who couldn't even bear to watch a chicken being killed, but now she saw someone being killed. She was so frightened that she almost lost her soul and couldn't even stand.
Seeing that the Xie family's personal guards were no match for them, the Xue family no longer cared about them. The remaining few people surrounded Jiang Qinglan and retreated to the back of the carriage.
I heard someone on the other side say, "Brother, no matter what kind of immortal you are, we are doomed to kill this person in our sect today. I advise you to mind your own business!"
He was full of energy and had a long breathing, he was actually a martial arts master.
The leading guard had no choice but to whisper to Jiang Qinglan: "My lady, the only plan now is to retreat first. We will return to the palace to deliver the letter and then send someone to come."
Jiang Qinglan's face was as pale as paper and her whole body was shaking. She took a deep breath and tried her best to calm herself down.
She knew what he said made sense, but she couldn't bear to think that Xiao Yali would fall into the hands of thieves.
Just when they were in agony, they suddenly heard a few whooshing sounds and dense feather arrows came flying through the air. Those martial arts masters were caught off guard and fell down in an instant.
Jiang Qinglan looked closely and saw a group of masked men drawing their bows from three feet away, moving forward and backward in an orderly manner. It was obvious that they were well-trained.
Suddenly, another burst of arrows rained down.
The people led by Chen Si'er had just fought a fierce battle with the Xie family's personal guards and had suffered many casualties. Now that they were shot by this arrow, they were already thrown into disarray.
When the people from the Xie family saw this, their morale immediately soared. Except for one person who stayed behind to protect Jiang Qinglan, the rest jumped out and fought with the group.
For a moment, except for two people who escaped, the rest of the group were either dead or injured.
The situation reversed, and the group of men in black who shot arrows immediately retreated without a trace upon seeing this.
Jiang Qinglan was confused, but didn't care about anything else. He stood up tremblingly, squeezed into the half-open vermilion lacquer door with soft feet, entered Xue's house, and shouted in the yard.
After a moment, Xiao Yali, wearing a tight-sleeved suit, ran out from the west wing.
Behind her were seven or eight servants, each holding a stick or a kitchen knife, and some even held a pot of tung oil.
When she saw Jiang Qinglan, she was also startled, and then she smiled, as bright as a flower in the spring morning.
Jiang Qinglan thought to himself: I didn’t realize it before, but seeing her today, she is so dashing, she doesn’t look like a lady in the boudoir at all, but more like a female general.
Xiao Yali came forward, exhaled, and pulled Jiang Qinglan and said, "Good sister, today is thanks to you!"
Both of them escaped death, and they were immediately filled with sorrow, but we won’t talk about it for now.
After settling down, Jiang Qinglan finally had time to think about what happened today, thinking:
Liang Chan is a young lady from a secluded place. It would be the best she can do to find a few ruffians. Where can she find such a martial arts master?
On that day, Liang Chan falsely accused Xie Linchuan of secretly communicating with Liao on Imperial Street. Could it be that he was being used by his political enemies?
Were the people who came later to shoot arrows also the Xie family's helpers? These people were very secretive in their actions, and their true and false stories made it difficult to figure out.
Because of the war, news was blocked and Xue Qi could not be contacted. Jiang Qinglan originally wanted to send Xiao Yali to the Xie family, but now it seems that this is not appropriate.
In this case, it is better to secretly invite Xiao Yali to the Jiang family's old house and ask Mrs. Xie to send secret guards to protect them.
——
Li Zheng dismissed his subordinates, changed into his night clothes, and became the mighty and heroic commander of the imperial guards again.
Only a scar on his face revealed that he had been exiled in the past, just like Chen Si'er.
He walked leisurely to the bank of Yanqiao River, picked up a stone, and threw it into the river with a "dong" sound, disturbing the tranquility of the river and startling the people who were meditating by the river.
"It's all right." He said loudly, "The two of them have returned to the Jiang family. The Xie family's secret guards are with them."
Lu Fei nodded and saluted: "Thank you very much, Brother Li."
Li Zheng waved his hand and said nonchalantly, "This is nothing. Consider it a way of repaying your kindness in helping me."
That day, Lu Fei pleaded for Li Zheng in front of Emperor Chengping, and he was finally freed from his slave status and joined the Imperial Guards. After a few years of hard work, he became a small leader.
In the past few years, Li Zheng and Lu Fei have been in close contact. He looked at him coldly, sighed, and said:
"You said you, saving people is a great deed, why do you have to be so sneaky?"
"Qin Yan has a grudge against Xie Linchuan and wants to implicate them. If they were with you and were to get in the way of King Wu, what would he dare to do?"
Lu Fei smiled faintly, watching the leisurely Yanqiao River, and whispered:
"It's still unknown who will win. I don't want to break up with Qin Yan. This is for my own protection and also for her to have someone to rely on in the future."
Li Zheng was stunned, then he sighed deeply.
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