When the boat turned around the tip of the burning lighthouse, Li Yan stood on the bow and looked at Tongzhou City in the distance.
After leaving Jinmen, they went northward along the North Grand Canal, passing through Wuqing, Xianghe and other prefectures and counties, and finally arrived in Tongzhou.
The whole journey was more than 240 miles and took five full days.
That's it, we are still sitting on an official ship, and there are no obstacles blocking us along the way.
The reason is very simple. The North Grand Canal river is relatively gentle, but because you need to go upstream, trackers are indispensable.
The locals described it as "a hundred and eight thousand howling ghosts", and the chants continued day and night.
Anyway, we finally arrived in Tongzhou.
But I saw that the canal was crowded with grain ships flying various flags.
The rammed-earth bank of the earthen dam wharf was shiny with millions of straw sandals. The backs of the porters were glistening with sweat, and they made a squeaking sound while carrying sacks on the springboard. The tops of the green tiles of the official warehouses on the bank were covered with yellow flags, as far as the eye could see.
This is the symbol of the Ministry of Household Affairs, which shows the importance of Tongzhou water transportation.
Outside the official warehouse, the tax collectors used iron picks to pierce the sacks and transport the grain. Cao Gang men were bowing their heads and smiling.
"Yan XiaoGe, look at those three iron-headed boats."
Sha LiFei pointed to a few small boats hidden next to the big ship and said happily, "The draft is not normal, and there must be private salt under the grain bags."
"Don't meddle in other people's business."
Li Yan shook his head slightly, glanced at the tea sheds on the shore, turned his head and said solemnly, "Who is going to pick me up?"
Commandery Commandant Office Xiaoqi beside him said helplessly, "Young Hero Li, the adults didn't tell me, I really don't know."
"It's so mysterious." Li Yan was speechless.
Soon, the official ship sailed into the dock, and ships of all sizes along the way gave way.
The "Taotie" flag of Commandery Commandant Office is flying on the ship, and no one wants to provoke it.
Before landing, Li Yan sniffed and smiled on his face.
Looking up, I saw a cashier wearing indigo shorts sitting on the railing on the second floor of the restaurant on the shore.
The two whiskers trembled slightly with the hot wine, and a pair of bright eyes looked at him with a smile but not a smile.
"Brothers below, come up and have a glass of water and wine!"
"Mr. Accountant" raised his wine glass and shouted, with a touch of Beijing accent and a touch of Kansai accent.
"Hahaha..."
Li Yan laughed and jumped onto the pier without waiting for the springboard to be set up.
He quickly came to the second floor of the wine shop, opened the beaded curtain in the elegant room, and said with a smile, "Daoist Priest, long time no see!"
The person who came to pick him up was none other than Luo MingZi.
This Daoist is a good friend of Li Yan, and to some extent, he is also his mentor on the road of spiritual practice. After finding out the clues about Zhao Changsheng, Luo MingZi was transferred to the capital to be responsible for tracking down Zhao Changsheng.
"Yeah."
After Luo MingZi stood up, he patted Li Yan's arm and sighed, "I haven't seen you for a few years, but you have already gained such a great reputation. Master wrote a letter last month and is still regretting it. If I had known this, I would have dragged you into the palace at any time."
"It's all the same."
Li Yan laughed dumbly, then sniffed again and turned to look at the southeast corner of the room.
There was a burner of incense burning there, which seemed to be mixed with mugwort leaves and peach wood.
It looks ordinary, but it is Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect's disposable magic weapon "Qinghui Xiang".
The biggest function of this thing is to clear away the wandering evil spirits.
When the altar is opened, it is used to clean the altar. On weekdays, it can prevent someone from using magic to locate curses.
Coupled with Luo MingZi's dress, Li Yan immediately realized something was wrong.
"What's going on? Someone wants to harm the Daoist priest?"
Luo MingZi smiled and said, "No problem, let's invite Daoist Wang and them first, and let's sit down and talk."
While they were talking, Wang Dao Xuan and others had already gone upstairs.
"I've met Daoist friends."
"Daoist Priest, long time no see."
He and Sha LiFei also knew Luo MingZi, so they naturally chatted with each other when they met.
After introducing Long Yan'er and others, everyone took their seats.
At the same time, the entire restaurant upstairs and downstairs had been completely emptied.
It turns out that the shopkeepers and waiters were all disguised as Luo MingZi's subordinates, and they even posted charms on the doors and windows to isolate them from detection.
The movements were smooth and smooth, and everyone looked well-trained.
Sha LiFei and others were secretly surprised when they saw it, but they didn't say anything and waited for Li Yan to ask.
"Hey, don't laugh at me."
Luo MingZi took a sip of tea, removed the Eight Characters fake nonsense from his mouth, shook his head and said, "I just ran an errand, but I didn't get caught, and I was tracked by the opponent's master, so I had to deal with it carefully."
Li Yan frowned slightly, "In the important place of the capital, at the feet of the emperor, who is so bold?"
"They are very brave!"
Luo MingZi said coldly, "Sneak into the Ministry of Rites and replace the house-holding magic weapon given by the imperial court for meritorious service."
Li Yan was stunned, and then his eyes became sharp, "Has the Daoist found it?"
Back then, his grandfather Li Gui was fighting in Northern Xinjiang and accidentally destroyed Zhao Changsheng's earthly immortal body, and was subsequently designed to take revenge.
Even his father Li Hu died because of investigating this matter.
He continued to search and finally caught Zhao Changsheng by its tail.
Zhao Changsheng is the mastermind, but if he can be so unscrupulous, there must be someone in the DPRK who cooperates!
"Hmm."
Luo MingZi nodded and said, "After arriving in the capital, under the order of the emperor, we will dispatch elite soldiers and generals to secretly investigate and collect intelligence from various places. This matter about your family is a key clue."
"Unfortunately, this matter has been going on for too long. The veterans from twenty years ago have all passed away. The general Yuan Xizhong who led the army violated the law and was executed by his entire family. The people in charge of this matter in the Ministry of Rites have also disappeared or died mysteriously, and their files are missing."
"Zhao Changsheng's accomplices in the capital are well behaved."
"It wasn't until you provided clues some time ago that we gained anything."
"The name 'Zhao Qingxu' sounds like a Daoist code. I have to first thoroughly check the Mystic Sacrificial Official file, and then ask Daoist temples in the capital to submit all the names of Fire Dwelling Daoist on the order, and the origin of the name must be clearly stated."
Li Yan quickly asked, "What was the result?"
Luo MingZi smiled bitterly, "I found three 'Zhao Qingxu', two swindling Daoist priests, and a pawn shop owner. They are all ordinary people."
"So, we followed the clues of the magical artifacts and found that when Da Xing Dynasty fell, Secret Treasure was stolen from the palace in an orderly manner, and 'Three Talents Demon Suppressing Coin' was among them. Fortunately, Da Xing Dynasty's treasure house directory is still there. Following these things, we found a group of Xuanmen thieves."
"But when we were arresting him, a mysterious master suddenly appeared to silence him and cursed several of his colleagues to death."
Li Yan felt a little incredible, "Then Human Path is very high?"
"Not sure."
Luo MingZi shook his head and said, "The other party has not appeared from the beginning to the end, and has disappeared without leaving any trace. But what is even more shocking to the poor Dao Heart is that these people seem to know everything. Our actions are secretive, and even the emperor does not know, but they are always one step ahead of us."
"It doesn't matter that there is a mole inside."
Li Yan shook his head slightly and made a few gestures while holding the tea.
This time in Jinmen, he had a new clue.
When Lu Jinghai was about to die, he mentioned the capital "Pan Peach Gathering".
This clue is very important, but Zhao Qingxu sent someone to Li Family Fortress and asked Hei Dan to send him a message. This is not only a provocation, but also shows that the other party has already set up a dragnet in the capital to investigate the matter of "Pan Peach Gathering", so it can no longer be grand.
Seeing Li Yan's gesture, Luo MingZi immediately understood. He stopped talking about the matter and started talking about the current situation in the capital.
"His Majesty fainted once on Imperial Court last year. Although it is forbidden to talk about it, everyone in the capital knows about it. Due to pressure from all parties, His Majesty finally decided on the identity of the prince. However, the eldest prince is weak-tempered and the other princes are also dissatisfied..."
"Qiankun Academy, now attracting much attention, is also the center of the vortex..."
Just as he was talking, there was a sudden noise from below.
Everyone immediately stopped talking and turned to look out the window.
But at this moment, the long dock street was in chaos.
Dozens of officers and soldiers mounted horses and held swords to surround several Western Region merchants.
Those people, with their tall noses and deep eyes, were running around in turbans, using their hands and feet to jump up and down the rooftops.
They looked embarrassed, but they were extremely flexible, hiding from the officers and soldiers below them as if they were hiding and seeking.
Sha LiFei was immediately delighted after seeing it, "This method of lightening one's body is rare, what is it?"
"Those are Persia people."
Luo MingZi glanced at it and said disapprovingly, "I heard that after the opening of the sea, a group of people came. After establishing a foothold in the capital, they built a private fire worship altar. They were also very ambitious. They hooked up with the Maitreya Sect. After being warned by the Enforcement Hall, they became honest."
"Some of their warriors secretly disobeyed the court's laws and regulations. They didn't bother to bother in the past, but because of Jinmen's incident, Native Faction got into trouble, and His Majesty was annoyed, so they were also in trouble."
Sure enough, facing these Persia warriors running around, the soldiers at the guard station were not surprised at all.
Several people were riding horses, swinging the iron ropes in their hands and flying claws.
Wow!
Just as Persia jumped into the air, the flying claws roared out.
Those unlucky ones were immediately chained and fell from the air.
Before they could get up, a group of officers and soldiers rushed forward and beat them with fists and kicks, knocking them out of the air and leaving them with little air.
"Barbarian profiteers dare to smuggle banned drugs!"
The leading captain found a skin bag, looked at it Fushou Paste, and cursed coldly.
After saying that, he suddenly glanced sideways at the street corner and yelled, "What are you doing standing around here? There are them!"
At the corner of the street, there were several ragged Northeast ginseng pickers standing.
Due to emergencies, they and the people were blocked on both sides of the street and did not dare to move.
The basket wrapped in coarse cloth was squeezed askew, revealing seven or eight wild ginseng branches covered with dense beards, glowing with amber luster in the sun.
Several wolf-like soldiers rushed forward, kicked over the basket, and the ginseng whiskers were scattered in the dust like golden threads.
"What a big ginseng!"
When people around saw it, they immediately exclaimed.
The old ginseng picker at the head quickly knelt down and begged, "Master Mingjian, this was dug by ordinary people risking their lives in Baishan. It is not a banned drug!"
Before he finished speaking, a soldier turned to look at the leader. Seeing him nodding, he pulled the basket away with a grin.
"Fan Shang's colleagues are all hiding drugs! Take them away for examination!"
When the surrounding soldiers saw this, they rushed forward, tied up the ginseng pickers with chains, and took them away together.
Some guests tried to resist, but were beaten with a stick until their heads were bleeding and they fainted.
Not long after, people were coming and going again on the street, some were whispering to each other, some were cursing in a low voice...
Luo MingZi shook his head slightly, called a subordinate, and said solemnly, "Go to the Tongzhou garrison general and inform him of this matter."
"Yes, sir."
The subordinate immediately left with fists in his hands.
Looking at the crowd, Luo MingZi shook his head helplessly and said, "This is all I can do. The capital is no better than other places. We still have a lot of people watching. If we interfere randomly and are blocked by others, we won't even be able to do business."
"The Daoist priest has a kind heart, I admire him."
Everyone nodded in praise.
Disturbed by this farce, they had no intention of continuing to drink.
Luo MingZi stood up and said, "In that case, let's go."
"The waterway from Tongzhou to the capital is blocked again and has not yet been cleared. Because of the merchant affairs, there is some chaos in the city. Let's take the land route and reach the capital in about three hours. Accommodation has been arranged for you in the suburban manor."
"That's a good feeling."
Sha LiFei said happily, "Sure enough, there is someone in Beijing who is easy to do things with."
"Don't say weird things."
Luo MingZi laughed dumbly, but actually he was secretly surprised.
He remembered, however, that Sha LiFei was just a veteran, with average skills, who relied on his thick skin and smooth tongue to get around. How could he turn from an ordinary person to a warlock after not seeing him for several years? It was rare.
Of course, what he is more concerned about is the password before Li Yan.
I left Tongzhou early because I wanted to know what I found.
"Great Hero Li..."
At this moment, Kong Shangzhao next to him suddenly hesitated and spoke.
Li Yan shook his head and said, "Brother Kong, don't worry, we will find someone later and notify the person arranged by your father to come and meet you."
When Luo MingZi heard this, he thought for a moment and said, "This is inappropriate."
"Some people were spying on us secretly before. I'm afraid that Brother Kong may have fallen into their sight. Just in case, it's better to follow us. We have to go to the capital anyway. It's safer to go on the road together."
Li Yan smiled and said nothing when he saw this.
In the introduction just now, the identity of Kong Shangzhao was explained.
Luo MingZi is probably attracted to this baby.
"That's... that's fine."
Kong Shangzhao nodded quickly and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Soon, the person arranged by his father rushed over.
"Master, you are here..."
The visitor was a thin, middle-aged shopkeeper, with a cry in his voice, "There was an accident in Linqing, there was an accident in the Jinmen pier, and now Tongzhou City is also in trouble. I thought... it's okay, otherwise I don't know how to explain it to the master."
"Amber, it's okay."
Kong Shangzhao quickly comforted and told everyone about their plans.
Hearing that it was Commandery Commandant Office, the shopkeeper was not stupid, so he agreed immediately.
At this time, night had fallen. Luo MingZi took a dozen of his subordinates and helped everyone arrange carriages in advance. After showing the token, he directly ordered people to open the city gate and walked out of the city under the night.
Not long after Official Road walked forward, Li Yan suddenly felt something and turned around to wait and see.
In the distance, in Tongzhou City late at night, only a few sparks can be seen.
"What's wrong?"
Luo MingZi asked quickly.
Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, "Someone did peek just now, but I don't know what kind of magic was used. Please be careful on the road later."
Everyone immediately understood, Lu San stretched out his hand and ordered Falcon Li Dong to fly high into the sky.
On the Tongzhou city wall, several men in black robes suddenly appeared.
The strange thing is that the soldiers patrolling the city passed by holding torches, but they couldn't be seen.
"What to do?"
"Humph, driving at night is really asking for death..."
"I think you are looking for death!"
The leading man in black robe scolded, interrupting the words of several people around him.
He looked at everyone and sneered, "That's Twelve Yuan Chen, Li Yan or Living Underworld Messenger. If you get close, I'm afraid you will be thrown into the underworld directly."
"After all, we are all outcasts in this world..."