Chapter 211
Zhao Yushu didn't ask how many chances he had. It was the same as bargaining. Whoever spoke first would be at a disadvantage.
As long as you don't ask, theoretically you have unlimited opportunities to trial and error.
But everyone is smart. Zhao Yushu would never be so arrogant as to think that the old eunuch is so friendly that he would allow him to act recklessly. In fact, if he behaved too poorly, the old eunuch might get impatient and kill him with a palm.
So you must be sure enough before you take action. If you win, all is well. If you lose, people will think this guy is interesting and let you go. Then be prepared to continue.
After this joking conversation ended, neither of them mentioned it again, as if it was really just a joke.
After leaving Luzhou, officials of all ranks in Luzhou accompanied him for more than ten miles and prepared a lot of clothing and food. I don't know whether it was a gesture of goodwill to the academy or to the prince.
(To tell you a joke that is not a little-known fact, the population of Luzhou in the Tang Dynasty was larger than that of Hefei today when it first became the capital of Anhui Province...)
In ancient times, if you were traveling long distances, taking a boat would definitely be the first choice as long as there were large rivers. First, it saves energy, and second, it is fast.
Huainan Road, Shenzhou, and Xinyang City in the Tang Dynasty.
The city gate slowly opened with the sound of the morning bell, and the two monks quickly entered the city with the crowd.
These two monks were very strange. One was already in his twilight years, but his eyes were as lively as a teenager. The other one had a strong body like a King Kong and had an honest face.
If they just took a quick look, everyone would think they were a master and disciple, but the Vajra Monk called the old monk "senior brother".
"Brother Bujie, I asked outside the city last night. There are boats every day, but they don't go that far. We need to change boats several times. I don't know if we will make it in time."
The Vajra Monk is Yuan Zhen, one of the foreign monks who fought against the Ghost Buddha in Longmen Mirage Temple together with Zhao Yushu. He was the only one alive among the four brothers. After the Ghost Buddha incident was over, he stayed and rebuilt the Mirage Temple with Bujie.
And this old monk was the former disciple of Shaohua Temple, Monk Bujie, whose life span was shortened by several decades after being possessed by the golden body of Master Mirage.
"It doesn't matter. If we can save him, we'll save him. If we can't, that's fine. That's also the fate of Mr. Zhao."
Bujie looked indifferent and found a breakfast stall on the roadside. He ordered bean porridge and salted eggs without being anxious or impatient.
Yuan Zhen hesitated for a moment and said, "Brother, I heard that the escort was carried out by five hundred Jinwu Guards, and one, um, inner scene. To be honest, I am only at the second level of heaven, and I am afraid that I cannot handle a hundred Jinwu Guards."
Bujie nodded: "It's okay, I'm here."
Yuan Zhen touched his bald head and asked, "Brother, how much have you recovered?"
"Probably, there is still a triple heaven."
Yuan Zhen's face turned bitter. Zhao Yushu had chopped the young duke to pieces in Jiangning. The gossip spread faster than wings to every corner of the Tang Dynasty. Although Longmen was small, it was close to Dongdu after all. They had also received the news not long ago.
Bujie was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then he threw away the hoe in his hand, went back to the room to pack his clothes, and went down the mountain without looking back. If Yuanzhen hadn't reacted quickly, he would have almost failed to catch up with him.
Along the way, more and more information came in, and it became more and more coherent. It seemed that someone was deliberately sending out the configuration, route, and even the time of the escort team.
So the two monks decided to go south to Xinyang first, and then take a boat eastward along the Huai River to try to intercept Zhao Yushu in the Huai River.
As for how to save people from Neijing, Yuanzhen asked, Bujie thought about it: I didn’t expect it, I’ll tell you when the time comes.
Never mind. My life was saved by someone else in the first place. Now I just want to give it back. Yuan Zhen drank some bean porridge and asked for a few more pieces of bread. He wanted to eat more so that he would have the strength to fight.
In a school in Dongdu, most of the students here come to Dongdu from all over the place in advance to prepare for next year's academy examination, which is similar to the postgraduate entrance examination cram schools in later generations.
The food here is exquisite, the dormitories are clean, the professors are all retired literary giants of the college, and there are even people responsible for organizing and washing your clothes. In short, all you have to do is study.
By the way, you are also responsible for paying the money.
The hottest topic in the school these days is that the sixth teacher of the academy killed the young duke in Jiangning with one knife. There are many different opinions on the specific reasons, but the result is very clear.
The young duke died, and Mr. Liu was escorted back to Xijing by the inner immortal to stand trial.
So a lady in the school asked for leave, saying that she was going to pick up her own son. The professor was a little puzzled. The annual fee of this school was at least over a hundred taels. Was this lady, who seemed to have no shortage of money, actually someone's maid?
Mo'er persuaded Rulan, who wanted to go with her, and told her that it would be useless for her to go as she was just a mortal woman. Then she went to say goodbye to Yungu. Yungu flatly refused her request to see her, expressing her disapproval of her suicide journey, but did not stop her.
Going all the way east from Dongdu, as long as nothing unexpected happens, we can definitely intercept the escort team in Pengcheng, and we will even have enough time to make some arrangements.
Zhao Yushu is not as strong as himself in fighting, but his brain is a little better. He likes to prepare everything in advance, arrange everyone clearly, and then strike directly with a fatal blow. This habit is very good and suits him very well.
Moer rode on his horse and rushed out of the Eastern Capital.
"It's useless for you to go." Sanniang looked at Lan Ling who was carrying a bag on her back. Although she knew that she would definitely go after hearing the news, she still wanted to persuade her.
"We are friends, I can't just watch him die." Lan Ling smiled and looked at the Buddhist beads on her wrist.
"You just want to die with him!" Sanniang's eyes turned red and her voice became louder.
"If you want, you can come along."
"I do not want!"
"I'm leaving."
Lan Ling walked out of the tent, smiling and nodding to everyone she passed by. She was dressed in coarse cloth and had only been there for a month, but she seemed to know everyone.
Everyone knew her because of her white hair, and some children secretly called her Snow Fairy behind her back.
"Where are you going to save him!" Just as I walked out of the camp, I heard Sanniang's voice behind me.
"Let's go to Dongdu. I'll go to the academy to see if there's anyone who wants to go with me. I'm only at the fourth level, so I don't dare snatch anyone from Neijing. This is your last chance. Do you want to go?"
Sanniang stamped her feet fiercely: "After saving you, you must come back with me!"
Lan Ling raised the corner of her mouth: "I'll bring him back with me."
At the foot of Jiufeng Mountain, a group of villagers were pointing at a strange young man. The young man had dark skin, was wrapped in animal skins and leaves, had a deer-head hat on his head, and was barefoot. He looked like a savage no matter how you looked at him.
But this savage actually had a horizontal sword hanging on his waist. The sword was glowing with fire and it was obvious that it was not an ordinary item. Hanging on the young man, it looked like a toad wearing a dragon robe.
The boy looked at the crowd around him blankly, raised his head to look at the sun, turned around in a circle as if to determine the direction, and finally scratched his head through his hat, looking quite desperate.
Just as several villagers were discussing whether to report to the police, the young man suddenly walked towards them.
The villagers were startled and took a few steps back. The young man walked up to them, thought for a moment, and suddenly spoke.
"Changan, where is it?"