Hearing Wu Zetian's contradictory words, Di Renjie's face did not show any signs of surprise. He did not even hesitate as he immediately asked, "Does the Heavenly Empress think that he couldn't have hung himself?"
Wu Zetian said, "He wouldn't dare!"
Di Renjie was silent again. Making people die and not dare to live; making people live and not dare to die. What kind of coercion and means was this!
Wu Zetian also seemed to feel that this topic was too heavy, so she changed the topic and said, "I believe that Shenke Miao would not commit suicide unless someone forced him. There must be something strange in this. Help me find out!"
Di Renjie stood up and cupped his hands, saying, "Yes, Your Majesty!"
Wu Zetian said, "This is not the court, so don't stand on ceremony. Sit down and talk!"
She glanced at Xu Liang and said, "Go to the 'Hundred Cavalry' and select a few capable people to listen to King Di's orders! I want to see who is so bold to do things behind my back! "
Xu Liang hurriedly said, "Your Majesty!"
On this side, Wu Zetian asked Di Renjie about some things in Jiangnan. Seeing that there was nothing else for him to do, Xu Liang left Wucheng Hall and said to Huang Xuchang outside, "Let's go, let's …"
As soon as he looked up, he suddenly saw Yang Fan pacing not far away, so he lowered his voice and said, "Why is he here?"
"Who knows what he came here for?" Huang Xuchang said, "Originally he wanted to ask for leave today to visit Monk Huai Yi of the White Horse Temple. In the end, just now I saw him with assistant minister Di from the Prefectural Yamen and Su Yuanwailang from the Heavenly Official Mansion. When he heard that Brigade Commander was inside, he said he wanted to accompany us back. Hey! Although this person has a powerful background, he knows some rules, unlike those arrogant aristocratic families. "
Xu Yong secretly smiled bitterly and thought, "What kind of aristocratic family is he? I am afraid that even the legitimate son of the eldest branch of the Hongnong Yang family is not as powerful as him. Shangguan Daizhao, General Wu, Master Huai Yi, Assistant Minister Di, Minister Counsellor Su, Ye Huli … "
As soon as he thought of his connections, Xu Yong felt a headache. He sighed and said, "Call him over, let's go back to Xuanwu Gate!" As soon as he finished speaking, his distressed expression was swept away. He straightened his back and pursed his lips, smiling as if he was being blessed by the heavens. He looked kindly at Yang Fan in the distance.
…
"Hahahaha, interesting, really interesting. Unfortunately, I was not in Luoyang at that time and did not see such a grand occasion! Although I'm not good at bowing, I like it very much … "
Di Renjie said to Yang Fan with a smile as they walked. The two were talking about the bowing ceremony during the Lantern Festival. Yang Fan stood next to Di Renjie, surrounded by six or seven 'Hundred Horsemen' guards. All of them were dressed in casual clothes with sharp blades hidden at their waists. As they moved, they vaguely protected Di Renjie in the middle.
Suddenly, someone shouted in front of them, "Get out of the way! Get out of the way!" Yang Fan and Di Renjie looked up and saw a group of people clearing the way. In the middle of the group, there was a tall horse, and there was a man sitting on it.
He had a square face, a wide mouth, thick eyebrows, and a thick black beard under his chin. He looked very dignified. Yang Fan and Di Renjie were talking and laughing with Di Renjie about the war with the Tubo people during the Lantern Festival.
Yang Fan recognized this man. He was Tang Zong, the Commandant of Luoyang.
Di Renjie waved his hand and said, "Let's step aside!"
Yang Fan obeyed and retreated to the side of the road with him. They saw Tang Zong leading his men to open the way, and behind them was a group of soldiers. They looked travel-worn, their faces were covered with frost, and their uniforms were not as bright as the Capital's garrison. They seemed to have come from a faraway place.
They carried bows, swords, and spears, guarding a row of prisoner carriages. There were men and women, old and young in the prisoner carriages. Most of them looked dispirited and curled up in the carriages, not looking out. There was a man in the foremost prisoner carriage. This man was wearing a white prisoner's uniform. He was about seven feet tall and very strong.
Judging by the wrinkles on his face and his weather-beaten complexion, he must be at least fifty or sixty years of age, but his hair was still as black as ink, and hung loosely over his broad shoulders. Because he had not washed or combed for a long time, it had become greasy and matted, and looked rather dirty. But with his strong body and rugged features, it only added to his imposing manner, and made him look like a lion, and though he was in a cage, he was still a formidable sight.
When he saw this man, Di Renjie's face immediately became serious. His hand that was stroking his beard stopped and his eyes were fixed on the man in the prisoner carriage.
The bailiffs drove the pedestrians on the street and shouted: "Get out of the way, get out of the way! The prisoner in the carriage is a serious criminal of the imperial court. Who dares to block the road!"
The prisoner carriage pressed down on the bluestone road, rolling forward. The big man's feet were firmly locked, his body was perfectly straight, just like a stone statue. As the prison cart swayed, his neck bumped against the cage from time to time, but his face was as still as stone, without the slightest change.
It was not that this man did not want to sit down, but the top of the prisoner carriage was like a flat shackle that was stuck on his neck. He could not sit down at all.
Yang Fan looked at Di Renjie and then at the man in the prisoner carriage. He asked in a low voice: "Uncle, do you know this man?"
Di Renjie gently put down his hand that was stroking his beard and nodded heavily. He said in a low voice: "This man … is the current Duke of Yan, the Governor of the River Source Road, the Chief of the Army, Hei Chi Chang Zhi!"
Yang Fan said: "From this name, he does not seem to be a Han?"
Di Renjie nodded and said: "Hei Chi Chang Zhi is from Baekje and has been under the Tang dynasty for decades. For decades, Hei Chi Chang Zhi has been guarding the western border for the Tang dynasty. He has made many military achievements, swept across Tibet, and defeated many Turks. His fame has shaken the world!"
Watching the prisoner carriage leave, Di Renjie said in a low voice: "I still remember that year when the Tubo conquered the Eighteen Junzhou of the Western Region, and joined forces with Khotan to capture the Kucha City. Our dynasty sent a hundred thousand troops, but we won at first and then lost. After that, our dynasty gathered another 180,000 troops, but because of the incompetence of the general, we fell into the Tubo's trap and were trapped.
At that time, it was Hei Chi Chang Zhi who led five hundred men to attack the Tubo commander's tent at night, and our army was able to return to Shanzhou. Even so, we lost more than half of our troops. After that, Hei Chi Chang Zhi was promoted to the commander-in-chief of the border army. He opened up more than five thousand hectares of farmland in Heyuan and collected more than five million dans of grain every year. He was self-sufficient and avoided the huge expense of long-distance transportation for the imperial court.
Our Tang dynasty has been in turmoil these years, with internal instability, and we have no choice but to focus on defense. Under such difficult circumstances, Hei Chi Chang Zhi has been guarding the border for more than ten years, and he has defeated the Tubo and Turks many times, causing the Tubo and Turks to lose their courage upon hearing his name. He is indeed the pillar of our Tang dynasty. Now even he has been arrested, isn't this destroying the Great Wall! "
As Di Renjie said this, his face could not help but show worry and anger. Yang Fan stood at the side, solemnly silent.
He remembered the battle where he defeated the Tubo five against ten in the military field. That kind of pride, that kind of glory, that kind of pride of the Tang dynasty, that kind of excitement, that kind of blood boiling feeling. However, this was completely incomparable to the illustrious battle achievements that Blacktooth Chang Zhi had made on the battlefield. This was a true hero!
But …
Yang Fan silently watched the prison cart go into the distance, and actually felt a kind of sorrow and resentment as if he had experienced it himself!
"Let's go, let's go to Scholar Miao's mansion to take a look!"
Di Renjie knew that Wu Zetian was autocratic, and she would rarely change her mind once she had made up her mind. However, he also believed that Hei Chi Chang Zhi could not possibly harm Empress Wu in any way. Hei Chi Chang Zhi was loyal to the Tang dynasty, just like how Di Renjie was loyal to the Tang dynasty. However, they were loyal to the country that the Tang dynasty represented, and not to the dynasty of one family or one surname. Therefore, Hei Chi Chang Zhi, a high-ranking military official, could not be an obstacle to the Empress' ascension to the throne.
The establishment of a new dynasty was not the matter of one person. This person was only a representative, and what was truly changing was a new ruling group. In this new ruling group, there were people who needed others to make room for them; there were people who hoped to make greater "contributions" to the new ruler and climb to a higher position; there were also people who, once they achieved their ambitions, would take revenge with all their grievances and enmity. And all of this was carried out in the name of clearing the obstacles to the new Emperor's ascension to the throne.
Therefore, Di Renjie believed that Hei Chi Chang Zhi must have been captured by someone to achieve their own selfish desires, using Empress Wu's ascension to the throne. The most taboo was a high-ranking military official who had different ambitions and took the opportunity to eliminate dissidents. He wanted to protect Hei Chi Chang Zhi, even if the hope was slim. But to protect Hei Chi Chang Zhi, he had to convince Wu Zetian that Hei Chi Chang Zhi would not rebel against her.
Di Renjie's heart was heavy. As he walked, he thought, "Wait for this old man to go to Divine Guest Miao's residence to investigate the situation, then ask about Hei Chi Chang Zhi's whereabouts and think of a way to save him …"
Di Renjie and Yang Fan had just walked away when suddenly, two fast horses galloped over from afar. When they came near, a woman on the horse looked around and said anxiously, "He was only delayed at the city gate for a while, why did I lose sight of him? Ouch … "Before she could finish speaking, the woman covered her abdomen with a painful expression on her face.
The woman on the horse was in her early twenties. She had a pointed nose and blue eyes. Her skin was the color of wheat that had ripened under the sun. Her body was strong and plump. Although she did not have the elegant and slender appearance of the women of Luojing, she had the exuberant vitality of the grass and wildflowers that grew in the wild valleys and mountains.
She was wearing a Hu robe with a lapel and a waist. She had a big belly and looked like she was pregnant. At this time, she was pressing her abdomen with her hand. It was unknown whether the rapid galloping of the horse had affected her pregnancy.
The woman on the horse behind her was a girl who was a few years younger than her. She had small lips and a round chin. She was also wearing a Hu robe with a lapel and a waist. She had the same healthy wheat-colored skin, but she looked like a Han. She had big eyes and a pretty face. Her hair was braided into three black braids, but it was still the hairstyle of the Hu people.
As soon as she saw the woman pressing her abdomen with her hand, she immediately urged her horse forward and asked anxiously, "Madam, what's wrong? You've been galloping all the way, don't affect your pregnancy. Since Ah Lang has entered the capital, there's no need to worry about not being able to find his whereabouts. Let's find a place to stay first. "
The woman on the horse pressed her abdomen and endured the extreme discomfort. "No, I must find Langjun first!"
The girl said anxiously, "Since Ah Lang has entered the capital, he must be in prison. Even if we know his whereabouts, Madam won't be able to see him for a while. Let's find a place to stay first. Otherwise, if anything goes wrong, not only will we not be able to save Ah Lang, but we will also lose the baby in our womb … "
The woman hesitated for a moment before saying, "Alright, I … really can't hold on any longer. Duoduo, accompany me to find a place to stay first. Then, immediately go and find out Langjun's whereabouts. Once you get the news, go to Di Renjie's residence to ask for help. Deputy Envoy Lou told me that only Di Renjie has a chance of survival!"
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