evening.

There are no clouds in the northwest, so a red sun suddenly hangs above the earth, which is particularly magnificent and lonely.

On the official road, the strong wind rolled the yellow sand into the sky.

Everyone leaned over and sat on the horse, covering their mouths and noses with their arms, and they could hardly open their eyes by the wind and sand. Chen Ji raised his head and squinted his eyes and saw the outline of the county town appearing on the horizon.

When he arrived in front of Chengguan, he saw that the gate of Tianshui County was closed and he didn't know that the Guyuan battle had ended. When the soldiers on the city wall saw Chen Ji and others approaching, they immediately opened their bowstrings: "Who is coming?"

Chen Jiyuanyuan responded: "Tiance army has been defeated, we escaped from Guyuan!"

The soldier on the city wall said coldly: "How to prove that he could still ride a horse after escaping from Guyuan. Who should he fool? Shoot arrows!"

In an instant, arrows on the city tower were raining. If Chen Ji had not approached alertly, he would have been shot into a sieve at this time.

Li Xuan was about to reveal his identity, but Chen Ji held it down: "It's unspeakable!"

Li Xuan was stunned: "Why?"

Chen Ji did not answer, turned around and waved with him.

All of them took the horse and walked closer: "What's wrong with Master?"

Chen Ji glanced at him and whispered: "Send the order. Now we are merchants who escaped from Guyuan. They lost their goods and went to Taiyuan Prefecture to take refuge. Before arriving in the capital, they all called His Highness the 'Prince'. If anyone reveals His Highness's identity, they will deal with it by military law."

"Yes," they took the order carefully and turned around to remind everyone.

Chen Ji frowned at the closed city gate from afar, and the prince asked, "Are you worried that someone would assassinate him on the way back to Beijing?"

Chen Ji bowed and replied: "It may not be true, but be careful, there is no big mistake. I hope the young master will take care of it."

The prince smiled: "The right guard is thinking about the safety of the people, so there is no need to be so polite. Now that I can't enter the city, I don't know what to do?"

"Wait," Chen Ji glanced at the sky: "The border troops will definitely send people to send messages to you when the city gate will open."

He muttered to each other: "The defenders of Tianshui County are alert, but what if the side army comes, they don't recognize them?"

Zhang Xia explained on the side: "Scam opening the city gate has always been an important means of siege, and Tianshui County has to guard against it. But there is no need to worry, border towns have always had three methods of self-testing. One is to hang twelve 'shadow pictures' in the city gate tower. The shadow picture shows the appearance of the border town general, deputy general, army officer and nine other confidential officers. One of the twelve people needs to come; the second is a tiger talisman seal; the third is three questions and three answers made in advance. These three methods can only be opened by two. Otherwise, the city guards will be executed and the three tribes will be exiled for three thousand miles."

The prince exclaimed: "Miss Zhang Er is well-informed and knowledgeable, and has a good reputation."

Chen Ji sat down outside the range of the arrow: "Wait, the border army won't wait too long."

Everyone sat on the ground in a daze. Seeing the sunset, a fast horse came from Guyuan. The soldier passed by Chen Ji and others, took a bow and shot an arrow, and shot an arrow at the gate of Tianshui County: "Gouyuan victory, Tiance army was killed, and 600 miles of speed up, and the test was carried out quickly!"

The city guard on the city tower held a torch, hurriedly took off the arrows, spread the white paper wrapped in the arrows, and suddenly saw a large seal covered by the Guyuan General!

"Hurry, come and take a picture," said the city guard.

The guard took the shadow picture, compared the official seal, and confirmed that each missing corner was exactly the same, then shouted to the city: "The day is gone, how many sounds are closed?"

The army below the city replied loudly: "Six hundred and eighty-nine!"

The city guard asked again: "What if there is no night talisman?"

The border army replied: "Twenty-seven whip!"

The city guard asked again: "What did you eat last night?"

Bian Jun replied: "El Tree Face!"

Qi Jingjing widened his eyes: "What a mess."

Zhang Xia explained: "Three questions and three answers are naturally a matter of making an agreement on questions that others can never answer."

As soon as he finished speaking, a cheer erupted from the city wall: "Guyuan won, Tiance army was killed!"

"Guyuan won!"

"I am mighty!"

A creaking sound came, and the gate of Tianshui County opened. The city guard officer ran down the city wall with his official robe. He excitedly approached the border army's horses, pulled the other party's reins and asked, "Did you really win?"

The Bianjun was impatient: "Get out, grandpa is still waiting to change horses and get 600 miles to speed up!"

The city guard said twice: "Hurry, hurry up, prepare two pounds of mutton and two pounds of cake for the Guyuan hero, and let him lead the way to eat!"

Chen Ji asked from a distance: "Can we enter the city?"

The city guards no longer had the enthusiasm before, so they turned cold: "Where are you waiting for the way to lead?"

Chen Ji replied: "It was thrown in Guyuan, and a fire was burned out."

The city guard sneered: "Then wait outside the door."

At this time, the border army rode back and said to the city guardian: "I recognize these people. Those who escaped from Guyuan in the morning will let go."

Chen Ji was stunned, but saw Jun Yaoyao over there holding his fists and bowing to him and Li Xuan, and then galloping towards the city.

...

...

Chen Ji finally entered Tianshui County, and the wind and sand stopped a little.

Zhang Xia walked in Tianshui City by horse, looked back at Tianshui City Pass, and curiously said to Chen Ji: "You asked everyone to hide their identities because you were worried that as Lord Chen said, someone would take the opportunity to fight for the throne?"

Chen Ji nodded and confirmed that no one was around the corner and recalled: "I had never figured out one thing before. Why did Hu Junxian suddenly call me to the city gate tower and tell me about recruitment and offering the city, which is unreasonable."

Zhang Xia lowered his head and pondered: "Mr. Wang's letter arrived before us, but he hadn't seen you long ago, and he hadn't seen you late, but he just saw you the day before Xiancheng... Moreover, he had never thought about attracting you."

Chen Ji nodded: "That's right. He is actually lending me a message to Longmen Inn: You can do it."

Zhang Xia suddenly realized: "But you have not revealed to the shopkeeper... Is it that Tingweng to Longmen Inn?"

Chen Ji nodded: "This time, not only the Silijian wants the prince to die, but even the border army wants the prince to die."

Zhang Xia whispered: "King of Fortune."

Chen Ji looked at the prince's back.

He had only known the danger of fighting for the throne before, but he did not know where the danger was.

He had heard of the Xuanwu Gate Incident, the witchcraft disaster, the Hu Hai's battle for the throne, and the Eight Kings Rebellion. He knew very well that the battle for the throne was dangerous, but the stories in the pile of old papers were far less real than facing them.

The crown prince of a country died in a border town with almost no clarity, which is really hard to guard against. If the crown prince died here, historical books would only record that the crown prince died for his country and would never have thought it was related to the battle for the throne.

Perhaps this is the difference between history books and truth.

At this time, Li Xuan stood in front of an inn and looked back at the prince: "Young Master, will we stay here today?"

The prince casually said, "This place is too close to the city gate. The soldiers guarding the city changed their defenses and let's walk forward."

Li Xuan remained silent.

The team walked a mile further forward, and Li Xuan pointed to an inn and asked, "Young Master, where is this?"

The prince did not look squinted, as if he was distracted and didn't hear it.

Until Chen Ji pointed to an inn and asked the prince: "Young Master, how about this?"

The prince said in a gentle voice: "Okay."

Chen Ji called the Yulin Army to lead the horses into the stable, and then explained to Li Xuan: "Mr. Li took people to buy water bags and food. We will continue to rush tomorrow morning... Remember to arrange the nighttime service, and the idle people will rashly approach the inn and kill them first."

"Okay," Li Xuan asked in a low voice, "Do you want to hire a carriage for Your Highness?"

"No," Chen Ji shook his head: "You can only change the carriage after leaving the territory of Shanzhou. If someone comes, the carriage will not run fast."

Li Xuan won't ask more questions.

Seeing the two of them discussing things in a low voice, Chen Liqin came over. As soon as he was about to ask, Li Xuan had already taken people away in a hurry.

He looked at Chen Ji again and wanted to ask Chen Ji what he planned next. But Chen Ji didn't look at him, turned around and entered the inn and used the silver gift given by the prince to get the entire inn.

Liang observed silently at the end of the team. She saw that in less than an hour, the ministers of the Eastern Palace completed the alternation of power.

Wang Gui whispered: "Madam, you are obviously the most important person in charge. How can you tolerate Chen Ji taking over the main character?"

Liang said calmly: "This is the rule of the Tian family. No matter the official position, no matter the status, no matter the status, whoever is the saint, the power is in his hands."

She crossed the threshold and waited for the room in the inn's main hall.

When the shopkeeper arranged the guest room, Chen Ji originally planned to let several people live with him, but the prince suddenly said, "The Right Guard worked hard these days, so he should have a good rest. Let's live alone."

Chen Ji thought for a moment and replied: "Yes."

Liang's eyes moved slightly, she looked at the prince, and then her eyes turned to Zhang Xia.

...

...

Late at night.

Chen Ji sat alone in the room No. 1, silently reviewing Guyuan's affairs and recalling any other omissions.

With a creak, the door opened.

Xiaoman rolled up his sleeves and came in with a wooden basin: "What are you thinking about?"

Chen Ji came to his senses: "I didn't think of anything."

Xiaoman said, "Young Master, wash your feet and relieve fatigue."
To be continued...