In the thirteenth year of Tianbao, on the third day of the third month, the land of Guanzhong entered spring. The warm winter had just ended, and the peach blossoms in Chang 'an city bloomed brilliantly.
In order to welcome Gui Fei's thirty-fifth birthday in June, officials from all over the country poured in all kinds of treasures. Messengers came and went as fast as they could. Ramadan people, Semu people, Turks, Tibetans … all the people outside the Great Wall knew that Li Longji doted on Yang Guifei. No matter how they expressed their loyalty, it would be better to win the Yang Family's favor. Therefore, they prepared early.
There were still nearly a hundred days until the birthday. Chang 'an was already abnormally busy. Thousands of weavers were making longevity brocade in the Daming Palace, and every night the lanterns were as bright as day. Qinchuan went down to Luoyang, the Central Plains, and other places to make lanterns, candlelight, and flying silk. For a time, the Tang Dynasty used the power of the whole country to celebrate Gui Fei's birthday, showing the extraordinary grandeur of this dynasty.
In the Exorcism Division, spring was in full swing. Mo Rigen and the others did not expect that after a winter, everyone would gather together again. Qiu Yongsi had just returned to Jiangnan and was catching his breath. He did not eat much of his hometown's food before he had to travel long distances again. When he returned to the Exorcism Division, he felt a rare moment of comfort.
Atay was facing a large deficit and was racking their brains with Ashina Chong to think of a way to make money.
"Where's Hongjun?" Lu Xu said expressionlessly.
Mo Rigen replied, "Elder Shi will bring him back. Don't worry, where are you going to play today?"
On the snowy night of New Year's Eve, Hongjun left everyone and rode away. Li Jinglong told everyone not to move and that he would definitely bring Hongjun back. Lu Xu originally wanted to chase after him, but was persuaded by Mo Rigen. Everyone followed Li Jinglong's instructions and returned to the Exorcism Division to wait.
Unexpectedly, they had been gone for three whole months. During this time, they had only received one letter — Li Jinglong had returned to Taihang Mountains with Hongjun. Lu Xu had nowhere to go. At first, he was angry at Mo Rigen because of the Dunhuang incident. But after a few months, when he thought about it carefully, there was nothing to be angry about. He did not want to stay alone in Hexi, so he followed the others to Chang 'an.
Lu Xu was born and grew up in the north, he had never seen Chang 'an flourishing, just like Hongjun when he first entered the human world. Before he even entered the city, as soon as he arrived in Guanzhong, he was already dumbstruck. After they entered Chang 'an, they were even more astonished by this magnificent city of the Divine Prefecture. For the time being, they forgot about their unhappiness.
Mo Rigen, on the other hand, was extremely conflicted. Should he serve this White Deer like a wife or a brother? It was originally a fated love, but in the end, God had actually sent him a male wife. But if he did not follow the clan's rules and marry Lu Xu, how would he settle down for the rest of his life?
Atay: "Why don't you ask the Chief Scribe?"
Qiu Yongsi: "Ask the Chief Scribe."
Ashina Chong: "You should have said so earlier! Don't give it to me. "
Mo Rigen: "… …"
No matter how Mo Rigen asked his brothers, he could not get any answers. But he still liked Lu Xu very much. No matter whether Lu Xu would become his wife in the future or not, the White Deer should still be under his care. He also had a responsibility to accompany Lu Xu well.
And so, Mo Rigen followed suit and learned from Li Jinglong's usual behavior. He arranged for Lu Xu's room to be between his and Hongjun's room. When Lu Xu entered the city, he exclaimed that the peach blossoms in Chang 'an were very beautiful and had never been seen in the north. So, Mo Rigen bought a few peach trees and planted them in the courtyard.
At first, he suspected that Lu Xu might have taken Hongjun as his sweetheart. But slowly, he realized that Lu Xu did not reject being friends with Qiu Yongsi, Atay, and even Ashina Chong. When they were in Dunhuang, he followed Hongjun closely because he only knew Hongjun. After regaining his body, he naturally felt close to Hongjun.
But Lu Xu's attitude towards Ashina Chong was a little unacceptable to Mo Rigen. Ashina Chong even openly declared that he liked good-looking young men, and Li Jinglong did not explicitly accept Ashina Chong as a member of the Exorcism Division. This was like raising a wolf at home!
Although the real wolf should be Mo Rigen, he still tried his best to prevent Lu Xu from getting too close to Ashina Chong … Fortunately, Ashina Chong did not seem to have any feelings for Lu Xu. Although he would occasionally take advantage of Lu Xu with his words, he was not very attentive in his actions. Mo Rigen would go out with Lu Xu every day, while Ashina Chong and Atay spent all day at home calculating money, planning where to get some money to support the troops thousands of miles away.
Hongjun witnessed the great battle between Chong Ming and Qing Xiong with his own eyes. Fortunately, the battle between the two demon kings ended as quickly as it started. After blowing up a few mountains, peace returned.
"Let's go home," Li Jinglong said.
Hongjun knew that from that day onwards, Dazzling Gold Palace was no longer his home. Before he left, Qing Xiong gave him a look that seemed to tell him everything: Go, go where you belong.
In this short half a year, too many things had happened to him. The truth came one after another, almost drowning him. At night, he and Li Jinglong sat by a bonfire in the wilderness. He said absentmindedly, "Chief Inspector, will I die?"
"Call me Jinglong." Li Jinglong said, "It's been a long time since someone called me that. You won't. I promise you, Hongjun."
Hongjun looked at him with complicated feelings. Ever since that night when Li Jinglong climbed up the mountain with difficulty and appeared in front of him, Hongjun seemed to understand some kind of feelings he had for Li Jinglong. Along the way, there was a looming sense of loss in his heart. When he met Li Jinglong's eyes, his heart palpitated … He couldn't help but recall every bit of their time together, even if Li Jinglong was right in front of him.
However, Li Jinglong didn't say anything about their relationship, as if everything was natural. When he noticed that Hongjun was looking at him, he turned his gaze away. After the incident at Dazzling Gold Palace, both of them seemed to be a little awkward. On the way back, they rarely spoke. Li Jinglong didn't even ask to ride on the same horse as him.
But as long as Hongjun asked, Li Jinglong would find a way to satisfy all of his requests.
"I don't want to ride anymore," Hongjun said to Li Jinglong. "It's so tiring."
Li Jinglong said, "I'll go to the town up ahead and hire a carriage."
Hongjun originally wanted Li Jinglong to take him. At this time, he couldn't explain why. He just wanted to stay by his side. He didn't expect Li Jinglong to misunderstand him. After leaving Taihang Mountain, he hired a large open top carriage and went west with the spring traveling merchants heading to Sichuan.
Hongjun, "…"
The two of them sat together with a large pile of porcelain, tricolor, wine, silk, and other things. Along the way, they went to Chang 'an. Li Jinglong let Hongjun see the spring scenery of Guanzhong along the way. He would find words to tease him. Obviously, he was afraid that he would be depressed. Hongjun was a young man after all. His mood gradually improved.
At night, Hongjun felt guilty. He didn't dare to joke with Li Jinglong like before. On the contrary, Li Jinglong seemed to vaguely feel something. He didn't play with Hongjun anymore. The two of them just lay there obediently.
Hongjun slept. He couldn't help but want to take advantage of Li Jinglong. Li Jinglong was the same as before. He didn't take the initiative and didn't refuse. This made Hongjun a little crazy.
On the last day, the two of them rode their horses again and bid farewell to the caravan that changed its route to Sichuan.
"We're home," Li Jinglong said to Hongjun when he saw Chang 'an city.
Hongjun stopped his horse on the hillside. He looked at the eight hundred li Qin Creek. The majestic Tang Dynasty's capital. He felt like he had found a home. Pingkang was brightly lit. Vermillion Bird Street was solemn and magnificent. Xingqing Palace's glazed tiles shone. The east and west markets were bustling with activity. The Exorcism Department's spring breeze blew past.
Li Jinglong said: "Let's see who gets there first." As he said this, he rode towards Chang 'an city. Hongjun hurriedly shouted and followed closely behind.
During the third month, Chang 'an was bustling. When they entered the city, Li Jinglong slowed down. The Long Wu Army soldier guarding the city hurriedly said: "Elder Li! You're finally back! "
Li Jinglong first let Hongjun enter the city. As expected, after leaving for so long, the Supreme Court and the Six Armies were looking for him. Li Jinglong sent people to deliver a letter to the Six Armies. Hongjun watched from the side for a while. He couldn't help but feel a little melancholy. He said: "You go do your work."
"A few days won't make a difference." Li Jinglong looked around. He seemed to be deep in thought as if he was judging the situation in Chang 'an. He then smiled at Hongjun and said: "Let's go!"
The two crossed Xingwu Bridge. The bridge was filled with peach blossoms. Li Jinglong said: "In a few days, the cherry blossoms will bloom. When the time comes, we'll ask for a few from Ren 'an and plant them outside your room. "
Outside of Jincheng Lane, there were thousands of trees along the way. They all sprouted new buds. It was a thriving scene. Li Jinglong and Hongjun were chatting happily. They talked about Chang 'an and the spring hunt. This year, they might even celebrate the Imperial Concubine's birthday. After turning a corner, they suddenly saw close to a hundred armored Divine Martial Army soldiers blocking the alley outside the Exorcism Department.
"… It's just a birthday and it's so grand …" Hongjun was talking when he saw so many people. He immediately knew that something bad had happened.
"Elder Li is back!"
Li Jinglong signaled to Hongjun not to speak and to let him handle it. They passed through the alley. The Divine Martial Army soldiers separated to two sides. A barbarian woman held a long whip and several Divine Martial Army soldiers were lying on the ground, wailing and rolling. Behind the barbarian woman stood the ashen-faced and trembling Atay and Ashina Chong. There was also a fish head on the wall.
"Hongjun!" The fish head saw Hongjun and shouted.
Hongjun hurriedly signaled the Carp Demon not to speak. Li Jinglong frowned and said: "What's going on?!"
The barbarian woman put her hands on her waist and said angrily: "Who's in charge?! Come out and talk! "
The barbarian woman had dark skin and a bell on her wrist. She only wore a tube top and a long skirt. Her hair was curled up, and her eyelashes were thick and long. Her eyes were as clear and bright as obsidian. Her waist was slender and extremely sexy. When she turned around, Hongjun's heart trembled and he couldn't help but praise her beauty.
"Trandol." Atay immediately said, "That's our boss!"
At this time, the Carp Demon had already shrunk back. The barbarian woman called Trandol pointed her whip at Li Jinglong and said: "Come, come, come. You come here."
The Divine Martial Army soldiers immediately said: "We'll leave this to Elder Li. We're leaving!" As they spoke, they hurriedly ran away and brought away their wailing comrades.
Li Jinglong sized up the barbarian woman and asked: "What's the matter?"
"I'm here to take away my fiancé." The barbarian woman arrogantly ordered: "Why are you protecting him? It's him! It's him! Tegra! Tell me clearly! And you! Ashina Chong! "
Hongjun: "…"
Li Jinglong: "…"
The barbarian woman grabbed Atay's collar. The usually calm and composed Atay actually trembled like a mouse seeing a cat. He was dragged out and hurriedly signaled with his eyes.
"Hey, hey!" Hongjun wasn't someone to be trifled with either. He angrily said: "Let him go!"
"What?" The barbarian woman became interested and kicked Atay to the side: "Come here, let's have a fight?!"
"Don't fight!" Atay and Li Jinglong hurriedly shouted.
After a long while, Li Jinglong found out that Atay's fiancé had come to find them. After arriving, she didn't say anything and wanted to take Atay away. Atay seemed to be very afraid of this fiancé, and no one in the Exorcism Division had ever heard of her before.
Qiu Yongsi was afraid that the barbarian woman would treat him as a bad friend and beat him up too, so he immediately ran away. Mo Rigen wasn't stupid either and immediately took Lu Xu out to play. The men instantly fled in different directions. Ashina Chong also wanted to run away, but she and Atay were blocked outside the Exorcism Division's main entrance.
Coincidentally, the Divine Martial Army discovered this scene and ordered the barbarian woman not to make a scene in front of the authorities. In the end, the barbarian woman only used one whip …
"… Is it that painful?" Li Jinglong's mouth twitched.
"Don't provoke her!" Atay and Ashina Chong were like birds startled by the twang of a bow.
"This is the authorities." Li Jinglong said to Hu Ji, "Princess, as long as Tegra enters this door, his identity will be that of an exorcist. Right now, he's on duty. You have family matters to attend to, so you can't come to the authorities to arrest him. "
"Who would believe you." Hu Ji said, "I've been looking for this guy for so long! You're still protecting him! What about me? Is there anyone who cares about me? "
Although Hu Ji looked like she wasn't afraid of anything, when she said this, Hongjun's heart ached.
"How long have you been looking for him?"
"Three years! A full three years! "
Hongjun, who was helping Atay a moment ago, instantly changed his stance and said angrily, "Atay! How could you do this? "
Atay: "Who are you helping! Hongjun! "
"Tegra lives here in Chang 'an." Li Jinglong explained patiently, "He's a registered exorcist, so he won't leave. Why don't we … go in and talk?"
Li Jinglong raised his hand, and the wall of the Exorcism Department opened, revealing the door. Hu Ji heaved a sigh of relief, and everyone filed in. When the Carp Demon saw that Hongjun had returned, it immediately jumped up and threw itself into Hongjun's arms.
The two of them entered, covered in dust. Not long after, Qiu Yongsi, Mo Rigen, and Lu Xu also returned. When Lu Xu saw Hongjun, he cheered and jumped over, riding on Hongjun's back. The two of them laughed and played together. Li Jinglong gestured for them to talk about the rest later. Everyone served tea and first served Trandol.
When Trandol saw that there were so many people, he no longer showed his fierce aura. Instead, he burst into tears and complained about Atay in Tuhuoluo Language. Atay's usual carefree expression was gone, and he hurriedly apologized to Hu Ji.
"You can do whatever you want," Atay said. "Just don't use that whip on me."
Ashina Chong hurriedly said, "Sister-in-law, this has nothing to do with me. I only met Tegra before the New Year."
Everyone: "…"
Trandol then said to Li Jinglong and the others, "Do you know how hard it was for me to find him?!"
Everyone nodded and looked at the whip. Hu Ji said, "I won't use the Whip of Agony on you. Don't worry."
"So that's called the Whip of Agony." Hongjun understood and nodded.
Trandol vented again. Li Jinglong said, "It's getting late, why don't we …"
Li Jinglong was thinking about whether to let Hu Ji live in the Exorcism Division. Although the two were engaged, they had not yet held a wedding. Although the Tang Dynasty was open, it was against etiquette to do so.
"I opened a wine shop in Xi City." Trandol wiped his tears and finally said, "I come here once a day. Tegra, if you dare to run away again …"
"You can use the whip on them," Atay said.
"Shut up!" Everyone angrily rebuked.
"Send her back!" Li Jinglong said angrily. "What nonsense is this, Tegra! I'll make trouble for you later! "
Atay could only lower his head and send Trandol away. Everyone couldn't help but talk about it. They all scolded Atay for being so reckless even though he was engaged. More importantly, he caused trouble for the Exorcism Division. It was simply too much. After a while, everything was settled. They said their goodbyes to each other.
Li Jinglong simply said that he and Hongjun went to Taihang Mountain together and visited Chong Ming. There was a solution to the problem that they were worried about.
Where did the solution come from? Hongjun heard this and glanced at Li Jinglong. Li Jinglong smiled and nodded, indicating that he believed in him.
"Hongjun left in a hurry." Li Jinglong said, "I forgot to bring some local specialties."
"It's okay, it's okay." Qiu Yongsi hurriedly said, "It's okay as long as it's solved."
Mo Rigen said, "That's great!"
Lu Xu looked at Hongjun suspiciously. Hongjun nodded. Li Jinglong began to ask about the Exorcism Division's affairs again. These days, when the Chief of Staff was not around, the Division spontaneously let Mo Rigen be the head. The Supreme Court sent over a lot of files, but everyone put them aside for the time being.
"There's more?" Li Jinglong asked.
Mo Rigen replied, "The Imperial Consort's birthday is approaching. I'm afraid that the six armies and the Supreme Court will be busy. If there's any case that they can't solve, they'll send it to us."
Li Jinglong made a sound of acknowledgement. He thought for a while and said, "I still have to report to the Crown Prince and His Majesty about what happened at West River. I will meet with the Emperor another day. For the next few days, everyone should rest well."
"What about the Hei Jiao?" Lu Xu didn't look at his expression and directly asked.
Li Jinglong seemed to have been prepared. He replied, "Wait, wait for him to come to us. I have a plan, but I haven't thought it through yet. When the time comes, I'll bring it up and listen to everyone's opinions. Let's disperse. "
Everyone dispersed. When Hongjun returned to his room, he saw the courtyard full of peach blossoms and couldn't help but exclaim. Lu Xu followed him back and forth. He said outside, "It's so nice here."
"Do you like it?" Hongjun asked.
Lu Xu was a bit confused. He stood under the peach blossom tree in the spring breeze and didn't answer. Instead, he said, "Hongjun, when my horns grow out, I'll help you. Don't worry."
Hongjun thought that Lu Xu had probably guessed it. He sighed and stood up to stand with Lu Xu. He put his hand on his shoulder and gestured for him to come in before closing the door.
Li Jinglong walked along the corridor and saw Hongjun and Lu Xu enter the room and close the door. Their movements were so smooth that he didn't know what they were going to do. He couldn't help but be startled. Mo Rigen stood behind Li Jinglong and said, "Chief, I have something to ask you."
Li Jinglong hurriedly waved his hand and leaned forward from the side to eavesdrop on the two's conversation.
"Ai!" Mo Rigen said, "Let's go!" He then forcefully dragged Li Jinglong away.