I want to embrace the moon for nine days

Chapter 178: Dragon Pond and Tiger’s Den, Sweeping the Couch to Welcome

The cities of Chang'an are a fertile field between mountains and rivers. They are guarded by Xiongguan in the west and four cities in the east that can serve as barriers.

Because they all belonged to Tongzhou Prefecture before the corpse transformation, these four cities were collectively called the Four Cities of Tongzhou, namely Tongchuan, Luoxi, Changxin, and Bonan.

Ever since the news of the army of zombies attacking the city came, people in all cities in Chang'an were in panic. After the initial burst of looting, the business of market vendors was reduced. Street shops were uninterested in business and pedestrians were sparse.

In the four eastern cities, all the high-profile houses have closed their doors to refuse visitors, leaving a deserted appearance.

But in fact, the residence of the Chen family, the richest people in Bonan City, has been quite lively in recent times.

Guests often come through the side door and the back door, dressed lightly and simply, regardless of their status, to visit Chen Fan, the head of the Chen family.

"Recently, the people under King Wu De have noticed the rumors circulating in the city and the signs of uneasiness among the people. They have found us people and hope that all the shops under our names will reopen, set an example, appeal to the public, and appease the people."

In the living room of the Chen family, a group of people were sitting. They were all middle-aged men wearing soft-footed turbans and narrow-sleeved round-neck robes. Some were holding tea cups, and some were playing with jade pendants in their hands, each in deep thought. , slightly anxious.

"Their words are very harsh and their attitude is very tough. They seem to be very confident about the war on the front line. Should we put the planning aside for a while and then inquire about the news on the battlefield in the west?"

"Getting everyone out of the city and escaping as soon as possible is our only way to survive. At this time, King Wu De's subordinates are coming to stop us, and they want us to do the opposite and appease the people. What do you think they have in mind? ?”

"That's all I have to say. If you are still planning to suspend planning or withdraw from our circle, I will not force you to stay. There is only one thing. Please do not leak our affairs to those who withdraw."

"Of course, the carriages, horses and ships of this type of people will also have some inconspicuous problems. Probably no one will be able to reach their destination."

Bai Zhongtuo smiled and said: "Indeed, I never thought that these people could be easily fooled by your statement. They only wanted to use the civilians in the city as a barrier to encourage the civilians to flee out of the city. Even the other campaigns we planned, There is no need to use the term inducement.”

On the gravel path outside the pavilion, you can place an oven to warm wine and barbecue.

Chen Fan picked up the jug, poured himself a glass, and explained, "But for those who dared to travel with the caravan in the past years, I spent a lot of painstaking efforts, secretly classified them into categories, and prescribed the right medicine to make them think they had an advantage. Take the initiative to leave the city first, so as not to do anything bad if you stay in the city."

Chen Fan has bright eyes, thin cheeks, and a long white beard. He looks very knowledgeable and wise. His neatly manicured nails are lightly tapping on the table next to him.

Benedict!

When everyone heard the sound, they all turned to look at Chen Fan.

"Don't worry, Mr. Chen, we are not blind people. We can see where the real way out is and we will never quit!"

"That's wrong. King Wu De and the others can hold on now because of the Burning Sky Baoyu. However, there are only a few Burning Sky Baoyu in King Wu De's palace. The army of living corpses is endless. Kill them. This has happened several times, and every time we attack the city, there will only be more than the last time, not less!"

"These people are local snakes who travel between cities in Chang'an. They don't have to go out to do business. When encountering major events, they will be overly afraid of certain things in the outside world, and in some places they are too optimistic, so it is particularly easy for them to do so. Take care of it.”

"Exactly!"

The tile eaves beside the wall were expanded two feet into the wall during construction, forming a sandy area at the base of the wall to protect against rain. More than 20 black ceramic pot-bellied wine jars were placed along the base of the wall, sealed with red cloth. , tied tightly.

"Brother Bai is here again, he is so mysterious."

Chen Fan spoke unhurriedly, asking and answering himself, "The reason for spreading so much news overtly and covertly and encouraging everyone to leave the city is because the war is fierce and dangerous, and no one knows how many living corpses are coming from the northwest. If only one or two families escape from the city, even if there are hundreds of servant guards, they may not be able to guarantee their own safety."

A deep voice reached Chen Fan's ears from the backyard, and only he could hear it. None of the servants around him responded.

The people present felt a little confused when they heard what he said so straightforwardly.

At this moment, sitting in the pavilion, a middle-aged man in a gray gown with gray hair and a lazy temperament, with fair skin but green nails, was sitting there, tasting warm deer blood wine.

"I sent my family members to the west to investigate. The zombie army attacked the city several times, but they were all repulsed. On the contrary, King Wu De also sent some elite soldiers to search and spy outside the city. The situation is very good..."

Everyone stood up one after another and said goodbye to Chen Fan.

Chen Fan chuckled lightly and said, "Look, don't you all understand? What we are going to do is beneficial to both public and private interests, our family, and everyone."

His backyard is not extravagant, but it is built with a sense of fireworks.

"So we need a large number of people to leave the city together as our barrier. Even if something bad happens, just running faster than the people will be enough."

Chen Fan stepped forward, sat in the pavilion, and said, "Brother Bai must have been in the city recently. He should also know that our affairs are going smoothly."

Someone else echoed, "Even if we can't take everyone away, as long as there are enough people leaving the city, there will always be a few who can follow us to the end. If we don't help them show the way, those ordinary people will have to leave the city." I can’t even identify the direction of the city.”

"I will tell my family to do it more covertly, more frequently, to add heat to the fire faster, and get out of the city in one fell swoop!"

Chen Fan sneered, "King Wu De wants us to appease the people, just to rely on our rear to support those fighting on the front. I'm afraid he regards all of us as his private property. How can he give up until he is truly defeated?" family property?"

Someone sighed: "Why doesn't King Wu De agree to arrange for everyone to evacuate? We all know that this is the only way to survive, can't they see it?"

"Everyone, what was our original plan?"

After everyone left, Chen Fan stood outside the living room, stroking his beard and murmuring: "They are all good people. I wish there were people like you in the world."

"Yes, we will never quit. We will continue to send people to spread news among the markets."

These people usually hold a lot of wealth and have considerable power. They cheer in front of each other when they come in and out, and behave calmly. But now when their wealth and life are really involved, they gather together, talk in various directions, and have vacillating attitudes and undecided decisions.

Chen Fan bypassed the living room, followed the corridor, and walked to the backyard.

"Hahaha, such a person is certainly easy to control, but it would be a bit boring if the whole world were just short-sighted and blind people like this."

"Even if we are truly defeated, with his martial arts and elite soldiers, his group will definitely be the fastest to escape. When the time comes we lose the opportunity to escape and will become the backstop."

"The bigger the family fortune, the harder it is to give up, and the more likely you are to take chances."

Chen Fan let out a long sigh and said earnestly, "Everyone, King Wu De and the others have more opportunities than us. If we don't escape now, we can escape later. But we only have such a short window of opportunity. If we hesitate, If you miss it, you will only lose a lot and regret it."

With a look of relief on his face, Chen Fan gave gifts to each one, holding the hand of someone from time to time and giving gentle instructions.

Garden plum trees, octagonal pavilion, stone tables and benches.

Someone coughed lightly and said: "My family also sincerely wants to lead the people to escape together. It is really dangerous to stay in the city now. If we can successfully escape across the Yellow River, we can even go along the river and escape to the coast of the Bohai Sea. We can advance or retreat." If you have more margin, it will be much safer.”

Everyone looked at each other with firm expressions.

Bai Zhongtuo nodded and said: "That's it. Although these local snakes are not clear to the outside world, because they concentrate on running local industries, they have more means to spread rumors and are more difficult to suppress. Brother Chen has indeed taken great pains, and this Your contribution will never be forgotten by us at Prince Bai’s Mansion.”

"However, Du Yuanzhen was able to create the method of refining the Burning Sky Jade, and Du Wentong was also very skillful. Although the battlefield to the west had already restrained their minds, when the people here came out of the city in large numbers, it was still possible to respond in time and mobilize Manpower to suppress the situation.”

Bai Zhongtuo drank the deer blood wine and smiled softly, "So, it is best if we can blend in among the people in the chaos of the city, raid and kill the masters mobilized from Chang'an, and defeat this important part of the battle. force."

Chen Fan's expression changed slightly and he said, "If we want to attack Princess Yuanzhen, I'm afraid we don't have the strength."

"Don't say it's you. In the past, even our Baiwang Mansion might not be able to allocate many more people outside the battlefield to the west, but it's different now."

Bai Zhongtuo looked excited, "Have you ever heard of Zen Master Haha, the immortal monk who faced the wall for hundreds of years and was the best master in the northwest at that time?" Chen Fan pondered for a moment: "I have admired his name for a long time..."

"No need to pretend, you probably haven't heard of him, but I can tell you that fifty years ago, he was a guest of the three major military governors in the northwest, and he was also my father's master."

Bai Zhongtuo said, "It turns out that he has been living in seclusion in Songshan Mountain for these years. He met my father not long ago and brought two overseas experts with him. My father happened to ask me to help you with the matter of the four cities in Tongzhou. .”

Hearing that this Zen Master Haha was actually Prince Bai's master, Chen Fan was really surprised and asked quickly: "I wonder when Zen Master will arrive. What are his preferences?"

Bai Zhongtuo stood up and said, "Follow me."

Chen Fan walked with him and stopped a few steps out of the backyard. He was actually outside the kitchen door of Chen Mansion.

The two wooden doors of the kitchen suddenly opened, and a tall man wearing a jeweled crown, a mustache, and a gold bracelet came out.

This man's skin color appears to be normal, but his eyes are blood red and his joints are vaguely blue and black, and his disguise is very careless.

The other man has a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks, and is about five feet tall, but he is carrying a long-handled weapon with the top of the weapon wrapped with linen. It looks like a gun or a halberd. He is leaning on the side of the door frame and seems to be a little impatient with the smell in the kitchen. .

"This is Prince Fukurai of Silla Kingdom and Jubei Takada of Fuso."

Bai Zhongtuo introduced a few words, but Chen Fan's eyes could not help but look deep into the kitchen.

There were two rows of large stoves and eight iron pots, and they were stir-frying and stewing. His cook seemed to have turned a blind eye to the three strangers who suddenly appeared, and was fully displaying his cooking skills. The aroma of oily smoke filled the entire kitchen.

The big table next to the stove was already filled with dishes, and there was an old monk eating happily at the table.

The old monk wore a loose gray cloth monk's robe. He was tall but extremely thin. The skin on his face was loose, his eyes were as swollen as fish bubbles, his chin was smooth and hairless, his teeth were neat and fine, and his mouth was full of oil.

The dishes on the table are all made with ingredients that are always available in Chen's house.

Just one brocade fish has the head of a sea bream, the back of a seabass, the body of a carp, and the tail of a parrot fish. It is half-steamed and half-fried. It always tastes the most tender when you eat it with chopsticks.

And the portion is just right. Before you get tired of eating, you can already taste a new taste and think about the next chopstick.

That peony dish originated from the early days of the Wude Dynasty when the Empress came to power. It was the first dish in the Luoyang water banquet, and it took a lot of effort to prepare.

First, cut the crispy radish into thin strips, mix it with silky mung bean flour, steam it, stir it into ice water, and then use crab sticks, sea cucumbers, ham, and bamboo shoots, mix it with the cold shredded meat, and put it on the basket. Steam thoroughly.

Use freshly slaughtered old hens that are old enough, add the best Mangshan fresh mushrooms, make a soup stock, mix with sesame oil, and pour it on top of the filaments.

Then, after the eggs are cooked, fry them in a pan without using the white yolk inside, just the golden skin on the outside. Cut them into the shape of a peony flower and place them in the middle of the soup bowl.

When such hot dishes are served, just looking at the color and being hit by the aroma in the face will whet your appetite. After entering the mouth, the mellow aroma is also crispy and sweet, and the more you eat, the more refreshing you feel.

But these two dishes can only be regarded as mid-range dishes on the Chen family's banquet. They are not too conspicuous among the luxurious dishes carefully prepared on the table.

As the saying goes, you can see a leopard in a tube.

Just from this table of dishes, we can see how luxurious Chen Fan is in daily life. Even in this era after the zombie transformation, he can actually gather delicacies from all over the world on a table. .

His Chen family can have such an industry, thanks to the rapid reconstruction of government offices in the cities of Chang'an after the corpse mutiny, and thanks to the prosperity of these decades.

However, precisely because his family has a big business and is so prosperous, he knows how to put personal interests first in everything.

The army of zombies from Baiwang Mansion attacked the city, and there was an endless stream of soldiers. The advantage was too great.

In this case, why not surrender?

Yes, living corpses want to eat people, and the diet of the princes, princes, and grandsons of the White Palace is no different from that of living corpses, but Chen Fan knows very well that a sane leader will never be satisfied with just ruling that kind of people. A brainless zombie.

Whether it is for future food rations or for the authority to rule, there is great potential for the Chen family as living people to seek refuge in Prince Bai's Mansion.

Besides, since Prince Bai has a way to turn into a sane living corpse, the Chen family may not be able to turn into that in the future, so there is no need to worry.

Therefore, not only must you vote, but you must also vote early and well, get ahead of those who may have the same thoughts, and show your own ability.

But no matter what, Chen Fan has been dealing with Bai Zhongtuo who only likes to taste blood for a long time, and it is inevitable that he will feel a little stressed.

Suddenly, Chen Fan couldn't help but feel a great sense of intimacy when he saw the old monk eating food for living people.

"Master, do you also eat these... ordinary people's food?"

Zen Master Haha looked up and smiled kindly: "My body is no longer able to reap the benefits of eating these things, but I have the taste of these things in my memory. Using these things to chew delicious memories is comparable to sucking The essence and blood of some ordinary people are much richer."

Chen Fan quickly praised: "Master is really profound."

"Profound, haha, Buddha, just want to be able to do what others can't."

Zen Master Haha suddenly said, "When will your efforts to incite the people to leave the city be enough?"

Chen Fan was stunned: "It's hard to say. It may be enough now, but we need to get some air from each of our families. We must first act like we want to leave the city, so that we can lead the people around us and then affect the whole city."

Zen Master Haha said clearly: "Then you go and spread the news now, and try to get them out of the city tomorrow morning."

"So urgent?"

Chen Fan was a little surprised, "I just met with them, and their tone of voice was not so urgent. It is better to rush things at the last minute than to let things happen naturally."

Zen Master Haha smiled and said nothing.

Chen Fan looked at his smile and felt an inexplicable chill behind him. He didn't dare to ask any more questions and said hurriedly: "If it weren't for some difficulties, how could it be that Mr. Chen is of great use and has the ability to serve Prince Bai's Mansion? I'll do it right away. !”

When Bai Zhongtuo saw Chen Fan leaving, he was a little puzzled: "Master, what's going on?"

"When I was eating just now, I felt some changes."

Zen Master Haha said, "You should also know that all the zombie demons in the world were originally supposed to go to Chang'an. I was quick on my feet, so I met your father first, but then I felt that the guidance in my mind had changed and turned into a human being. .”

"It is still unknown what importance this person has, but the location where this person just stopped after setting off from the coast of the Bohai Sea to the west is probably in Songshan Mountain. I am afraid he met an old friend of Lao Na, but ...This person is now continuing to head west."

Bai Zhongtuo actually had that guidance in his mind, but he was already near Chang'an, so both guidances were still there, but they seemed less clear.

Even if it is clear, it is probably impossible for ordinary corpse demons to judge whether the target stayed in Songshan or Luoyang.

While sighing at the strength of Zen Master Ha Ha, he realized: "This person can knock down my old friend Zen Master. No matter what method he uses, he is a big threat, so we have to take action before he arrives..."

"No!"

Zen Master Haha clasped his hands together, chanted the Buddha's name silently, and smiled kindly, "It's impossible for the other person to act much earlier than the other person's footsteps. I just want that person to happen to encounter this turmoil!"

(End of this chapter)