Chang'an is good

At dawn, when the first ray of golden light broke through the clouds in the east, there were attendants and book boys shuttled back and forth in the Confucian Temple, holding sacrificial utensils in their hands, making preparations for today's Confucian ceremony.

When the auspicious time came, the doors opened one by one. Amidst the sound of the morning bell, Qiao, who was wearing sacrificial attire, led the students in long gowns to enter slowly.

Soon, Chu Taifu and other officials, who were accompanying priests, also arrived.

Ming Luo also came with her. She has served as the official of praise for Confucius in the past years.

For the families of the gentry with the highest surnames who value literature and Taoism, offering sacrifices to Confucius is also a major event, so all the families have their children present.

In addition, there are famous Confucian scholars and scholars from all over the world.

Headed by Qiao Jijiu, Chu Taifu, and Ming Nvshi, everyone first worshiped in front of the apricot altar. More than a thousand people came and lined up in order to hold the ceremony. It was a grand occasion.

After offering incense and worship in front of the apricot altar, Qiao Jijiu and others entered the Dacheng Hall.

On the shrine in the hall, there is a statue of Confucius enshrined in the middle, and on the left and right, there are four statues of sages including Yan Hui and Zeng Shen.

The music of welcoming the gods played, and Ming Luo held the gift silk in his hand, and the sound of the gift was heard in the hall: "Welcome the most holy teacher, Confucius, to return, and attend the gods, and all the officials kneel—"

Most of the people in the hall are officials and children of aristocratic families, and most of the supervisors and ordinary scholars have lined up outside the hall, and they all kneel down three times and kowtow nine times.

Song Xian stood at the head of the supervisors, but he was a little distracted because he hadn't seen Qiao Yubai since the ceremony began.

Where have people gone?
Is it because of the disappearance of the girl from the Chang family that she has no intention of participating in the sacrifice?

The ceremony was going on in an orderly manner, and when the children of each noble clan went up to offer incense and pay homage to the saints individually, when Ming Luo stepped back and waited, her personal maid came over.

"Nvshi, something happened in the mansion..." The maid lowered her voice and said, "The prince is gone!"

what?
Ming Luo didn't show any strangeness, and led the maid to avoid the eyes of everyone, and went behind the pillars to speak.

"...It is said that Shizi left the mansion through the back door with only a roommate and servant, and the guard at the back door was knocked unconscious by someone!"

The maid said: "The mansion has sent people to look for it, and finally found the son's carriage in front of the other courtyard where the wife married, but the servants in the other courtyard claimed that they did not see the prince!"

"The sage was furious when he heard about this. At this moment, people are already searching for the whereabouts of the prince inside and outside the city..."

Ming Luo's brows became tighter and tighter.

The guard was unconscious... Who helped Ming Jin get out of the mansion at night?
It's definitely not his cronies, those dudes who don't have the guts, and it's impossible to do it so cleanly!

Could it be... Chang Suining?

Thinking of this possibility, Ming Luo's heart jumped a few times, and a bad premonition arose in his heart.

In the past two days, Chang Suining's whereabouts could not be found everywhere, which already made her feel a little uneasy.

Things are not quite right now...

If the Chang family has already succeeded, why hasn't they shown up for so long?With all the members of the Chang family around, the Chang family would definitely not dare to escape... So, could something have happened?
And if all of this is controlled by Chang Suining behind the scenes, then the other party Yin Mingjin took the initiative to leave the house... What's the purpose?Holding him hostage, forcing the Ming family and the sage to release Chang Suian?Or is there any other attempt?
Soon a bookboy came looking for him, Ming Luo had no choice but to hold back his demeanor, returned to the front of the people and continued to lead the ceremony.

And the possibility that she could think of, the Emperor Shengji had naturally thought of it.

Under the instruction of Emperor Shengji, the Imperial Army and various yamen have quickly dispatched troops to search for traces of Ming Jin inside and outside the city, and focused on the places related to the Chang family.

"Recently, a large number of vagrants and bandits have harassed the capital, and there are occasional incidents of hiding in private houses waiting for opportunities to steal and hurt people. We have been ordered to come and search for the whereabouts of the rogues!"

Chang's family is outside Zhuangzi outside the city, and a team of officials also came.

Shen Sanmao turned pale when he heard the words, and hurriedly bowed and made a "please" gesture: "There is such a thing... Please come in quickly, please, please search carefully!"

He personally led the way and led the officials to search the house and then went to the back mountain. He was afraid that there would be thieves hiding, even if he only stole a grain of rice, it would be an unbearable pain for him.

As teams of banned officers in the city quickly walked in and out of various places, they fell into the eyes of some people who didn't know the truth, and people were unavoidably panicked.

Ever since the refugees entered the capital and the war started in Yangzhou, the capital has become less peaceful day by day...

"What's wrong with this?"

A group of common people who avoided the official posts gathered together to discuss in a low voice.

The sky was still a little sunny in the morning, but now it was lowered again, and the cold wind gusts made people tighten their necks.

Ming Jin had no idea that the outside world had almost turned the capital upside down in order to search for his whereabouts.

At this moment, he was lying on the couch, just opening his eyes with difficulty, and subconsciously raised his hand to press his aching head.

"Your Majesty...you are finally awake." Sushuang, who had been standing by the side all the time, said.

With her support, Ming Jin sat up, looked at the furnishings in the room, and asked with a frown, "Why am I sleeping here?"

"My lord, have you forgotten that you fell asleep in the carriage on the way here, and the servants failed to wake you up outside the other courtyard, so they brought you here to rest first?"

is it?

Ming Jin tried to recall how he fell asleep, but the more he thought about it, the more painful his head became.

He drank a lot of wine last night, and took the yang-strengthening pills. In addition, he was exhausted after not resting for a long time. It is normal for him to fall asleep due to alcohol.

Sushuang's words gave him a sense that he was already in another courtyard at this time, so he asked casually, "Where's Minggui?"

Minggui is his personal servant.

Sushuang looked out of the window, and replied without hesitation: "He is guarding outside, do you want the maid to call him in to serve?"

"No need." As his thoughts returned, Ming Jin clearly thought of his purpose for coming here, so he got up and walked outside.

When he got out of this inner room, he realized that it seemed to be an attic. The other courtyard where his mother married was very large. He had only been here once, so he didn't have much impression of the furnishings, so he didn't think there was anything wrong. .

In addition, he quickly saw the people around Chang.

"Nurse Liao." Ming Jin laughed, "Sushuang did not lie, you are indeed here."

"My son..." Nanny Liao bowed slightly, followed by a follower.

"Did you really catch that bitch from the Chang family?" Ming Jin asked impatiently, "Where is she? Is she dead or alive?"

Nanny Liao looked hesitant.

"Why, mother won't let you tell?" Ming Jin sneered impatiently: "I can't deal with a lowly adopted daughter of a general!"

The cold and sharp object suddenly pressed against the back of the waist was full of reminders and threats, Madam Liao dared not hesitate any longer: "...the person is upstairs."

Ming Jin let out a "ha" laugh, with excitement in his eyes, and immediately walked upstairs.

Listening to the sound of going upstairs step by step, Nanny Liao's heart was ashamed, and she looked at Sushuang with cold and resentful eyes.

This bitch actually betrayed his son and conspired with outsiders to trick him here!

Sushuang clenched her nervous and sweaty palms, her face was trembling but she never avoided Nanny Liao's gaze, she just wanted to live!

Before Nanny Liao had a chance to speak again, seeing that Ming Jin had already gone upstairs, the attendant quickly tied her hands and feet, escorted her to an old and abandoned small library, locked the door tightly, and guarded her outside .

Seeing Nanny Liao being imprisoned, Chang, who was also tied up, hurriedly asked, "...What on earth does Chang Suining want to do, and where is this place!"

"Ma'am... she didn't know what tricks she used, but that bitch Sushuang tricked the son over!"

"What?!" Chang's eyes widened suddenly: "What is she trying to do!"

Seeing his wife's distressed appearance, Nanny Liao shook her head in despair.

She didn't know where this was, she and her wife were brought here after being beaten unconscious, they hadn't eaten anything for two days, only drank some water.

The double torture of body and spirit deepened Chang's fear and uneasiness. She struggled and fell to the ground, trying to leave here to stop the unknown, but it was doomed to be in vain.

During the useless struggle, Chang who fell to the ground had red eyes due to too much force. At this moment, the last words that the girl said to her in the Guansheng Temple suddenly sounded in her mind——

"Before you die, let's take a look at the truth of my ant."

……

Ming Jin has already gone up to the second floor.

There were two attendants guarding the second floor, but when they saw him coming, they hesitated for a moment, then saluted and gave way.

This made Ming Jin believe in everything in front of him even more, not to mention that he couldn't concentrate on thinking about other possibilities.

He raised the corner of his mouth: "You stay here, I will go in by myself."

The two followers should "Yes".

Ming Jin lifted up one of the hanging bamboo curtains in front of him, and walked in.

All the doors and windows here are tightly closed, not a breath of wind can come in, and you can't see the outside scene at all. It is indeed the scene that a prisoner should have.

Mingjin soon saw the imprisoned man.

She was tied in a chair, her hands and feet were bound, the robe she was wearing was covered in mud and blood, and the hair tied on top of her head was in a mess.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, when she turned her head to look, only those eyes were still astonishingly bright and chilly.

Ming Jin smiled in surprise: "Great, it really is alive!"

He walked over, looked at the person in front of him with satisfaction, bent over and pinched Chang Suining's chin, and looked her from side to side: "Aren't you always the most powerful and powerful, why are you in such a mess now?"

As he spoke, he moved closer to that face: "I heard that you did something secretly during the horse competition in Furongyuan, right?"

Chang Suining looked at the face that was close at hand, and smiled slightly: "So what?"

Ming Jin's hand pinching her chin moved down, suddenly grabbed her neck, and said in a bitter voice: "Chang Suining, you really know how to court death..."

Chang Suining also looked at the person in front of him with satisfaction.

Sure enough, as long as you tell him the truth about his injury, he will definitely come over.

Using herself as bait is indeed a feasible and good way.

She asked provocatively, "Are you going to kill me for revenge?"

Ming Jin grinned: "Why, do you think I dare not?"

Chang Suining further dispelled his vigilance: "If you dare to kill me, why imprison me here?"

"That's my mother!" Ming Jin pinched her neck with increasing strength: "She imprisoned you here just because she was afraid that you would ruin her business... But I am different! You are now in my hands , I want to kill you, but it is a piece of cake!"

"You should have already found out, I killed Changsun Xuan!" He said proudly and happily: "I can kill all the daughters of the Changsun's family, let alone you, the lowly adopted daughter of a general!"

As if he had finally found a suitable person to confide in, he said flauntingly: "To be honest, I was a little scared when I killed her at first... But later, someone else took care of everything for me, and you Brother, come and take the blame for me!"

"Do you know why?" He smiled and said, "Because my surname is Ming!"

He looked at the girl in front of him with 'compassion': "Even if I skin and tear you apart today, people will humiliate you a hundred times... Who will uphold 'justice' for you?"

The girl whose neck was strangled by him turned red, but laughed again: "Just by you, this moth that is worse than a gutter mouse...is it worthy of my brother to take the blame for you?"

The cold contempt in the girl's eyes angered Ming Jin, he pushed the man down with the chair to the ground with a loud noise.

The guard guarding outside frowned, but thinking about the girl's explanation, he could only hold back for a while.

The girl's head hit the ground heavily, she just frowned lightly, she didn't have any other expressions, she just looked at Ming Jin coldly.

Ming Jin stared at her, and suddenly asked curiously: "You are not the same as Changsun Xuan, are you really not afraid of death?"

"That's right, I can't let you die so easily. Changsun Xuan just died too fast. How can I think about it when I look back, why don't I feel that I didn't have enough fun..." He let go of Chang Suining's neck, and his eyes fell on her on the right arm.

The robe there was cut, and although the blood had stopped, it was clearly visible that he had been wounded by a sword.

Ming Jin's eyes brightened slightly, and he felt a little regretful: "I came in a hurry, and I didn't bring anything convenient..."

He looked around, but found nothing satisfactory, and finally pulled out the jade hairpin that Chang Suining used to tie his hair.

"Just use this?" Holding the jade stick, he inserted it forcefully into the wound on the girl's arm, and slowly plucked it out. Looking at the wound that soon became bloody, he laughed heartily.

Chang Suining frowned, cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

His hands were stained with warm blood, but Ming Jin laughed louder and louder.

Chang Suining watched his gradually maddened demeanor, and then looked at the censer burning with medicinal incense in the corner - it was almost time.

The girl exerted her strength on her waist, and suddenly swung her sideways, bumping into Ming Jin with her and the chair, knocking him to the ground.

She broke free from the rope binding her hands, and quickly broke free from the chair, with her palms on the ground, and stood up with her hair down.

"...you bitch!"

Ming Jin wiped off the blood on the corner of his bruised mouth, and also sat up.

……

On the other side, outside the Great Accomplishment Hall, the ceremony had come to an end, but suddenly there were cranes ringing above everyone's heads.

Everyone raised their heads to look, and they were all surprised to see a white crane arriving.

The crane is an auspicious thing, and it is obviously a good omen to have a crane arrive on the day of offering sacrifices to Confucius!

Surprised and discussing all around, I saw that beautiful white crane spread its wings and flew towards the front of the hall.

In front of the hall, Ming Luo was reciting the sacrificial oration, when he suddenly heard a commotion, he raised his eyes to look, and before he could react, he saw a white crane flying towards him, and then took the sacrificial oration from her hand!
The white crane circled around for a while, then let out another long crane cry.

"This crane is quite spiritual!"

"Look, it's flying away!"

Everyone was amazed, they didn't know who took the lead and shouted "Follow and have a look", so many people picked up their long gowns and quickly followed the white crane.

Seeing this situation, Ming Luo's heart suddenly sank.

Others don't know, but she knows that cranes can be domesticated by humans, and under the guidance of the crane breeders, they can perform some seemingly spiritual behaviors... This is how many so-called good omens come from!
The appearance of this crane will never be accidental!
Hey, come here~