Chapter 58: Back
The western capital of Daliang, Luoyang.

In a blink of an eye, it was the eleventh day of the first lunar month.

The altar for the sun sacrifice in the eastern suburbs had been built, and the series of large carts that hauled stones every day had stopped.

This place is only ten miles away from the city of Luoyang. A fence has been erected around the Sun Altar, with flags and banners standing in between. There is a large tent inside, and officials come and go in it, but they are all very careful, for fear of staining the area around the Sun Altar.

The altar is close to the main road, but guards have blocked off the area to the left, so pedestrians or vehicles have to take a detour as far as possible.

In the carriage, Ji Ruxue was wearing an indigo quilted coat with fur to keep warm. She was gazing at the vague shadow of the Sun Altar from afar, her beautiful eyes fixed.

"I heard that Zhu Wen's carriage left Yanshi yesterday and should arrive in Luoyang today."

On the side, Miao Chengtian whispered, "From the looks of it, Zhu Wen is going to hold a suburban sacrifice and divination in the next two days, but I don't know exactly when it will be."

Xuan Jingtian sat beside her, but her exquisite longbow was not in the carriage at this time.

Both of them wore long skirts and had their hair tied up high, which made them look quite beautiful and noble. They were much more eye-catching than Ji Ruxue who wore a ponytail.

If ordinary people saw this attire, they would only think that there were two ordinary beautiful women leading a cold young lady in the car.

At this moment, after hearing this, Xuan Jingtian frowned and asked, "In this case, should we still go into the city? Or should we go straight back to Fengxiang?"

They came all the way from Zhengzhou, and placed all the women accompanying them in secret posts along the way. Fan Yintian returned to Fengxiang before them, intending to discuss with the empress the idea of ​​cooperating with Xiao Yan to rebuild the entire Central Plains intelligence system.

After settling all the women, Miao Chengtian suddenly proposed to stay in Luoyang for a few days.

At this time, she looked at Ji Ruxue and asked, "Xue'er, what do you think?"

The girl was a little surprised, then replied, "I will follow Saint Ji's arrangements."

"According to what you said, Xiao Yan should be in Luoyang now. He is now pretending to be the deposed emperor. After Zhu Wen's divination, he may be in some danger..."

The carriage bypassed the avenue and drove through the muddy fields, shaking a little so much that they had to hold on to the body of the carriage.

Then, Miao Chengtian said: "Considering that he has rescued Huanyinfang several times, we should see if he needs help."

"We should help..." Ji Ruxue responded subconsciously at first, and then she saw the two girls looking at her meaningfully.

She hesitated for a moment, not feeling embarrassed about being seen through by them, so she said frankly: "Although he has always had strategies, this time he is right under Zhu Wen's nose, I'm afraid it won't be that easy to fool him."

"Xue'er is right. Mr. Xiao is actually very important to our Huanyinfang now." Xuan Jingtian took over the conversation and said, "Sister, I have been thinking about it these days. It would be a good thing for us to get the cooperation of the bad guys. They are rigorous and their strength is obvious to all. If they join the reconstruction of the secret stakes, it may make the secret stakes in various places more secure."

“Nothing more than…”

She paused and said hesitantly, "It's just that we might lose the unique source of intelligence. I'm afraid the Queen won't agree easily."

"The Empress can consider this matter."

Miao Chengtian just nodded slightly and said to Ji Ruxue: "Then let's go into the city first and feel out the situation."

Outside the carriage, two bad guys disguised as guards heard Miao Chengtian calling and rode their horses closer.

"My captain?"

One of the bad guys frowned, but saw Ji Ruxue looking over, so he thought that the girl seemed to have a close relationship with the captain, so his tone was not so stiff, and he said, "I'm afraid you can't help much if you enter Luoyang at this time. If the captain needs anything, he will also inform you in advance."

Finally, he added: "But if Miss Ji and the two Saints insist on helping, I can contact our people for you."

"Thank you both."

After Miao Chengtian expressed his gratitude, he suddenly felt something was strange.

They clearly wanted to lend a helping hand, but they seemed particularly grateful for the opportunity.

------

Luoyang, Jishanfang, south of the city.

Jishanfang was built along the river, and to the north you can cross the Luoshui River and reach the imperial city. During the Wu Zhou period, Li Longji, who had just married, and the four princes of the Li Tang Dynasty all lived here, so it was also called Prince Fang. At the same time, Zhang Wulang, a favorite of Emperor Wu, also lived in the square. Now, Xiao Yan was placed in a mansion in Jishanfang. According to the eunuch who arranged him, this house and garden was also lived in by Princess Taiping of the Tang Dynasty a hundred years ago, but after Princess Taiping rebelled and was killed, this house and garden was given to Prince Shou Li Mao by Emperor Xuanzong before his wedding with Yang Yuhuan, and became the Prince Shou Mansion.

A hundred years have passed, and countless dignitaries of the Tang Dynasty have shined in this Jishanfang, but today it has become the place where the deposed Emperor Li Tang is imprisoned.

Snow flakes were falling. Xiao Yan, wearing the warm quilted clothes given by the eunuch, stood in the corridor in a daze, watching countless snowflakes falling in the courtyard.

There was almost no one around him, but several eunuchs and palace maids standing in the distance formed an invisible square and monitored him from all sides.

Outside the corridor, a group of Xuanming Sect ghosts were guarding with swords.

They were ordered to imprison the Prince of Jiyin, so they should do their best and not relax for even a moment.

……

A general strode in with several Jinwu Guards.

He didn't even bother to follow the etiquette and said straight away with a straight face: "Your Majesty has held a banquet and summoned the Prince of Jiyin to the palace."

Xiao Yan was somewhat flattered when he heard this. He subconsciously shrank his neck and asked in a low voice: "May I ask, General, can I..."

The general pulled him down the stairs before he could finish.

"Don't ask too much. Does the King of Jiyin want to keep Your Majesty waiting for a long time?"

Xiao Yan's face flushed with embarrassment, but the general grabbed his wrist with great force and pulled him out of the courtyard.

"You all go together. Hou will stay outside the palace. When Prince Jiyin leaves the palace, you need to escort him back."

Because the Imperial Guards were at odds with the Xuanming Sect, the general spoke in a bad tone to the ghost soldiers in the mansion.

The leader of the ghosts just sneered, sent someone to arrange a mount, and followed their carriages.

The curfew is approaching and there are almost no pedestrians on the streets.

The long team left the gate and went all the way to Tianjin Bridge, heading towards the imperial city in the northwest corner.

Xiao Yan was sitting alone in the carriage. He calmly opened the curtain and saw the heavy snow falling and accumulating on the thin ice on the surface of Luo River under the bridge.

At the side of the bridge, a group of Jinwu Guards patrolling the streets stood aside with spears in hand.

One of them looked up and met his gaze from a distance.

Xiao Yan lowered the car curtain and placed his hands on his knees.

The cold wind was howling outside as the carriage crossed the Luo River and entered the Zuoye Gate.

The Jinwu Guards who had been waiting here for a long time stepped forward and lifted the thick windshield.

Xiao Yan bent down slightly and got off the carriage, looking quite frightened.

But he finally raised his head.

On top of the city wall, the double-eaved hip roof rises and falls, covered in layers of white snow, and a heavy air blows in between the ancient vermilion palace walls.

Here, a hundred years ago, Emperor Taizong hunted in Yique, Emperor Gaozong settled in Baili, held a banquet for foreigners to watch the "Yi Rong Da Ding Music", and Emperor Wu established the Divine Capital...

A hundred years later, Zhu Wen usurped the Tang Dynasty and lived here.

The mediocre officials and Jinwu guards shuttled back and forth on Zuoyemen Street, but no one mentioned the Tang Dynasty anymore.

……

Now, the Tang Dynasty has come again.

(End of this chapter)