After Princess Yuzhen barged into Princess An Le's residence that day, causing people to misunderstand the relationship between her and Yang Fan, Yang Fan had to frequently visit Jade Truth Temple.
They had to continue this fake show to ensure the safety of the spies in the palace. At the same time, it was beneficial to cover his contact with Li San Lang.
Li Longji wanted to return to the capital to participate in the Grand Ceremony. He would arrive in the capital in a few days. Jade Truth Temple was the best place for the two of them to meet for the first time.
Yang Fan walked up the stairs and arrived at the foot of the mountain gate. Suddenly, he thought of Li Chiying's beautiful face and the rumors between the two of them. For a moment, he really felt like his heart was like a monkey running amok. Ambiguity was a kind of poison. It could unknowingly corrode a person's heart.
The snow on the stone steps had been swept away, but there was a thin layer of ice. Yang Fan had some thoughts in his mind. His foot slipped and he almost fell. Luckily, he was an expert. He quickly steadied himself. His face was slightly hot. "What nonsense are I thinking about? Do you want an old cow to eat young grass?"
"Moo ~ ~ ~"
At the right time, a cow mooed. A big green cow strolled in, swaying its big horns. It slowly walked over while chewing on a bunch of hay. When it saw Yang Fan, the big green cow arrogantly glared at him and slowly walked over.
"Aiya! Great General Yang! "
The little Daoist nun Ning Xiang walked over with a bucket of water. When she suddenly saw Yang Fan, she hurriedly put down the bucket and smiled sweetly at him.
Yang Fan smiled. "Hello, Daoist Ning Xiang. Is Temple Master Jade Truth here?"
Ning Xiang hurriedly nodded. "Yes, yes. Great General, please."
Ning Xiang strenuously lifted the bucket, but it was snatched away by Yang Fan. He smiled and said, "Let's go!"
The water bucket in Yang Fan's hands was as light as a feather. Ning Xiang took small steps and followed beside Yang Fan. When they reached the backyard, Yang Fan passed the water bucket to her. Ning Xiang's eyes were like crescent moons as she sweetly said, "Thank you, Great General."
The sound of a zither drifted over from the front. Yang Fan smiled and nodded at Ning Xiang. He slowed down his pace and walked over. When he reached the corridor, the sound of the zither from inside the room became clearer.
Although Yang Fan had learned to play the zither when he was young and had been taught by Dugu Ning Ke and other masters, he had only picked a few pieces to practice his fingering skills. He was not familiar with too many ancient pieces, so he could only hear the simple melody but didn't know what kind of music it was.
Yang Fan stood in the corridor and listened quietly. Occasionally, a gust of wind would blow some snow off the eaves. The speed at which the snow fell seemed to be even faster than the sound of the zither.
Yang Fan listened for a while and felt that this zither song lacked some emptiness and elegance. It was tinged with melancholy and didn't seem like Daoist music. He thought about it and couldn't help but laugh. "This Yuzhen became a nun to avoid marriage. Her master is infatuated with officialdom and rarely comes to teach her anything. She must have learned this song when she was at the Prince of Xiang's estate."
When the zither music finally stopped, Yang Fan knocked on the door with the lingering music lingering in the air.
Knock knock knock!
"Who is it?"
"Temple Master Yuzhen, this Yang requests an audience!"
"Ah!"
Thump!
Weng … …
Seven notes rang out in unison, followed by what seemed to be a cry of alarm. The zither fell to the ground, shaking the seven strings, and then there was a flurry of sounds. Yang Fan's eyebrows shot up, almost suspecting that a large, straight tail had grown out of his butt. "Is there a need to be so scared?"
After a while, the room quieted down. He heard Li Chiying say in a forcefully calm voice, "General Yang … please come in."
Yang Fan slowly pulled open the barrier door and saw Li Chiying, dressed in blue, standing with her head bowed. When he looked into the room, he saw that the walls and floor were empty. There was still a 'Dao' character dripping with ink hanging on the wall, but there was nothing on the floor except a few prayer mats.
Li Chiying saw his searching gaze and the blush on her face deepened. She lightly lowered her eyes and shyly said, "Great General, please come in."
Yang Fan took off his boots and entered the room. Li Chiying followed. Under her blue Daoist robe was a pair of snow-white socks. Her feet were slender like the moon and her gait was as light as a cat's.
The two of them each sat down on a prayer mat. Li Chiying lowered her eyebrows and said with a slightly blushing face, "Why did the Great General come?"
Yang Fan said, "Didn't the temple master say that San Lang might return to the capital today? I thought that San Lang and the temple master have a close sibling relationship. If he returns to the capital, he will definitely come to visit the temple master. So I wanted to wait for him here."
"Oh! Third Brother … returned to the capital this morning, but I don't know if he will come today. "
Li Chiying said in a low voice. There was a faint sense of loss in her heart. Yang Fan saw that she was suddenly lost in thought, her long eyelashes blinking. She looked as if her soul had left her body. He couldn't help but look at her with curiosity.
Li Chiying was lost in thought for a long time. She suddenly came back to her senses. When she saw Yang Fan's strange gaze, her cheeks became hot again. It was as if her thoughts had been seen through. She said guiltily, "Uh … Yuzhen forgot to serve tea to the Great General. Please wait a moment, Great General. "
Li Chiying was so nervous that she forgot to call someone to serve her. She actually ran to prepare tea herself. But just as she ran to the door, before she could put on her boots and go out, she heard a shout of surprise, "Third Brother, you're here!"
Yang Fan heard the voice and looked up. He saw a handsome young man wearing a light blue robe, a black cloak, and a black gauze hat on his head. He was striding over from the snowy path in high spirits.
"Shiniang, long time no see!"
Li Longji affectionately held his younger sister's hand. Seeing Li Chiying's tears welling up, he could not help but patted her back with pity. His gaze went over her shoulder and suddenly saw Yang Fan who was slowly standing up. Their eyes met and they smiled at each other.
In the middle of the room, there is a two feet wide floor. When the floor is lifted, it is hollow. The stove is placed in the middle and the red charcoal is burning, causing Li Chiying's face to turn red.
Yang Fan and Li Longji are sitting cross-legged facing each other. Li Chiying is holding a pair of fire tongs and occasionally fiddling with the charcoal. Occasionally, she would raise her head and look at the two men closest to her. Her face is filled with satisfaction and happiness.
Li Longji and Yang Fan chatted happily for a while. Suddenly, he turned to Li Chiying and asked, "Shiniang, do you have a more secretive place here?"
"Oh, yes. If Third Brother has something to say, we can discuss it in the inner room."
Li Chiying regained her senses and hurriedly replied.
Li Longji smiled and faced Yang Fan, cupping his hands respectfully, "Great General, please!"
"Prince of Lin Zi, please!"
Yang Fan did not overstep his boundaries just because Li Longji wants to rely on him. Li Longji smiled and stepped forward. Pulling open a barrier door, he turned his head to Li Chiying and instructed, "This place is as usual. Do not let anyone in!"
Li Chiying nodded her head in acknowledgement. Li Longji and Yang Fan then entered the inner room one after another.
Once inside, Yang Fan discovered that it is a completely different world. After pulling open the barrier door, there is not only one room but a long corridor that connects to three rooms. The two rooms on each side should be Li Chiying's study room and bedroom respectively. The door in the middle is open and it is a quiet room dedicated to the statue of Lord Lao Zi.
After Yang Fan and Li Longji entered the inner room, Li Chiying was lost in her thoughts for a while. Suddenly, she sighed softly and pressed on the floor beside the wall. A small door slid open and a zither can be seen.
Li Chiying took out the zither and placed it on her knees. After a careful inspection, she realized that she did not break the zither in her panic. She heaved a sigh of relief but soon let out another long sigh. She didn't know when she had started to become sentimental.
In the quiet room, Yang Fan and Li Longji are engaged in a conversation that is of utmost importance to them and the entire world.
Li Longji remarked, "During the Dragon God's coup, there are many meritorious officials. But in my opinion, there are only two people who contributed the most!"
Yang Fan smiled, "I am all ears."
Li Longji said, "The first one is my father. If it weren't for my father breaking into the Southern Yamen, controlling the Sixteen Guards of the Southern Yamen and suppressing the North Gate Imperial Army to not act rashly, the situation on that day would have been a mess.
Yang Fan nodded and said, "What San Lang said is very pertinent. Everyone thinks that Zhang Jianzhi and the other four have contributed the most, but in my opinion, at the critical moment, the only thing that can be relied on is martial power. If there is no martial power to rely on, everything is just an illusion."
At first, Yang Fan still respectfully called him Jun Wang. But under Li Longji's repeated insistence, Yang Fan changed to call him San Lang. This was the title used by the closest people nowadays.
Li Longji pointed to Yang Fan and said, "The other one is you, Erlang. If it were not for you opening the Xuanwu Gate and allowing us to enter, we would have ended up like Crown Prince Zhong Jun in the coup that day."
Yang Fan did not want to boast, so he just smiled and said nothing.
Li Longji sighed and said, "Now that things have come to this, where are the meritorious officials? Zhang Jianzhi, Huan Yanfan, and the others were first promoted, but secretly demoted, and then they were deposed. In the end, they died tragically in the hands of Zhou Yong and the others.
My father and Aunt Taiping were conferred the title of Prime Minister of the An Kingdom, and Aunt Taiping was conferred the title of Zhenguo Princess. Their etiquette is like that of an emperor. It can be said that they are extremely favored. In fact, they are just like Zhang Jianzhi and the others. They are honorable on the surface, but secretly embarrassed. Now they are living an ignoble life, not knowing when the butcher's knife will fall. "
"As for you, Erlang, hehe …" Li Longji slightly narrowed his eyes and said, "Erlang, you are already the General Who Supports the State at such a young age, and you are about to reach the peak of the military. The emperor also 'favors' you very much."
Yang Fan smiled bitterly and said, "I really don't want to be the second Zhang Jianzhi."
Li Longji said sadly, "My father doesn't want to either! But it can be foreseen that when the Wei Clan gains a more stable footing, it will be an extravagant hope for us to seek temporary peace! The knife has already been placed on our necks! "
Yang Fan slowly and forcefully nodded his head and said, "This is exactly the reason why I invited Erlang to meet me. I don't want to sit and wait for death. I believe Erlang doesn't want to either. The Wei Clan is holding the Emperor in their hands, and they are wantonly nurturing the Wei Clan's henchmen. Given enough time, we will no longer have the strength to resist!"
Li Longji happily said, "Great minds think alike! If one doesn't think far ahead, he will definitely have immediate worries. Now that the Wei Clan is sharpening the knife, if we still have any illusions in our hearts, we can only wait until the knife is sharpened, then they can cut off our heads. But … "
Li Longji gave Yang Fan a deep look and said, "Erlang, to tell you the truth, the strength I have at hand is actually very limited. It's not enough to accomplish anything. The reason why I want to accumulate strength is because I don't want to die a cowardly death. But now that I have been invited by Erlang to discuss the grand plan, I want to know, what kind of help can Erlang give me? "
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