After the forbidden military officers and soldiers got used to it, Chen Ke's musical instrument evolved.

  Pluck a segment of smooth willow branch, cut off both ends and leave a section. With the gentle force of caressing a lover, carefully rub it, and then pull out the wooden stem, leaving the intact outer skin. Then, on its surface, regularly dig out several round holes, like blowing a vertical flute, and thus the melodious and crisp tune echoes in the small courtyard, floating above the entire government mansion.

  Even officials working in the front yard occasionally heard the faint sound of a flute, but they all thought it was the noble people living in the west yard making music, and no one went further to investigate.

  Only a young girl in the Western Courtyard was intently listening. After the music ended, she picked up her fine brush and wrote three words on Xue Tao's letter: 'Liu Wai Lou'.

  Above this word, there are six different words: 'Hongna Yao, Xiao Bai Xiao Tuo Bu Shan, Yue Zhao Ting, Ye Jin Xiao Qing Dong Yuan'...

  The girl's pretty eyebrows furrowed like a new moon, and she muttered to herself: "For the past three days, it was Yangzhou Slow, Xihua Slow, Suwu Slow, Shengsheng Slow, Shizhou Slow... Today it finally didn't slow down, but changed to these seven words." She nodded very affirmatively and said: "I dare bet that there must be an unspeakable secret inside."

  Behind her stood a beautiful and gentle maid, who covered her mouth and smiled: "Master always loves to think wildly."

  "You don't believe me, I do." The girl didn't look at her either, with both hands on the windowsill, gazing out at the flower window. Her voice was clear and crisp, straightforward and not coquettish or overbearing, nor was it the soft and weak tone of a Jiangnan woman, making people feel very comfortable listening to her: "I think, perhaps behind this, there's a hidden story of unrequited love. A girl locked up at home by her parents uses this willow flute to send messages to her lover..." As she spoke, she pointed at the willow flute with an air of importance: "Three days ago, 'slow, slow, slow' meant that the timing wasn't right, and they shouldn't meet rashly. Today, it seems like they've finally got the chance. Look, Moonlit Courtyard, Qingdong Garden, Liuwa Pavilion... isn't this exactly 'people meeting at dusk, under the moon on the willow branch'?

  "If it's as Master said", the maid giggled and asked: "Then what about 'taking off one's shirt'?"

  The young lady's face turned red with rage and she stretched out her hand to slap the maid: "How dare you tease me, your mistress!"

  "The maid dare not, the maid dare not..." The two of them burst out laughing together.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Chen Ke's eastern courtyard, where he was under house arrest, also became lively today. Because early this morning, Yu Wenju led his troops out of Shaoguan, leaving behind only a small number of imperial guards to watch the house and keep an eye on him.

  Yan Yuanshuai walked away, and the guards naturally didn't dare to stop him. They wouldn't let Chen Ke blow the willow flute again, laughing and scolding: "You only have this little time to relax, and you're still blowing that flute?!"

  Chen Ke stopped speaking and lowered his hand, saying: "What's so fun about that?"

  "Look at you, so big and tall." The soldiers chuckled and said: "Let's wrestle, that's the way men should play."

  "Alright." Chen Ke didn't refuse this time, narrowing his eyes with a smile: "I don't know what you want to play, with or without the rainbow?"

  "What's the trick?"

  "It depends on how much you can come up with." Chen Ke said with a smile.

  "Joking, we're not poor devils who can be compared to the army." The soldiers shouted: "How much money, you name it, with so many brothers like us, your prize money is definitely safe."

  "In the recent chaos, I picked up a big piece of dog-head gold and stored it with my landlord." Chen Ke jumped down from the tree, gesturing with his fist: "I'll sell it for ten guan, what do you think?"

  "Good!" The big soldiers suddenly took him as Yang Hu, and they couldn't help but fight over who would go on stage. In the end, Chen Ke had to specify one... of course, choosing the shortest one.

  "Are you sure?"

  "Confirmed."

  "Kid, you're really something." The crowd of soldiers laughed and jeered: "Little Guan Suo is actually the number one sumo wrestler for the Japanese army!"

  Chen Ke shrugged and didn't say a word. He untied his belt, took off his outer robe, revealing his bare upper body, wearing only shorts, then retied his belt and walked down from the stage.

  He was originally wearing a loose robe and couldn't be seen. Now that he's made his appearance, the soldiers are staring with wide eyes. No wonder this kid is so arrogant, it turns out he has the capital to be arrogant... From behind, his shoulders are particularly broad, and his waist is cinched by a belt, making it look especially slender. The long legs exposed under his shorts have solid muscles.

  This is what is called the "Tiger Arm, Wasp Waist, Mantis Leg" recruitment standard for the top four armies of the Song Dynasty's Imperial Guard.

  It is said that these three rules were set by Taizu himself. People with the best physical quality are: first, good at walking, can walk more than 160 miles a day; second, good at jumping, walls as high as two zhang, jump up and grab with both hands, turn over and pass; third, good at fighting, in a fair fight, the one who dies is always someone else.

  Xiao Guan Suo, seeing the situation, also didn't dare to be careless, and similarly put on his upper body*, lower body short pants revealing legs, tied a black headscarf, wore boots to enter the arena, while the rest of the people retreated outside.

  If Cuju is the national ball of the Song Dynasty, and Sumo is the national art of the Song Dynasty, then there must be a set of strict rules. Even in this private sumo match in the military, there are special referees who draw a circle on the ground and clearly state the rules: "No sneak attacks, no hitting vital parts, stop immediately when called to halt", etc. Only after that do they let the two men loose, shouting "Watch out!" and letting them wrestle freely.

  Time was pressing, and in an instant the two were entwined together. Xiao Guan Suo was swift as a butterfly flitting from flower to flower, circling around Chen Qie's body with rapid steps. Chen Qie guarded the entrance tightly, responding cautiously, and in the blink of an eye they had exchanged moves - advancing, retreating, seizing, probing, twisting, butting, and parrying. After several exchanges, Xiao Guan Suo was finally caught by Chen Qie, who pulled him into his arms.

  Who would have thought that he had fallen into someone's trap, and with the momentum, he rushed to his left ribcage, reached out with his left hand to hug his thigh, used his shoulder blade to press against his abdomen, and with a sudden burst of strength, tried to lift him up.

  Who would have thought that Chen Ke's feet seemed to have taken root, and he suddenly turned around and picked up Xiao Guan Suo. As soon as he was about to throw him down, he was tightly wrapped around his body by Xiao Guan Suo, and the two of them fell to the ground together. In the moment they fell, Xiao Guan Suo felt Chen Ke suddenly lose his strength, and without thinking, he violently twisted his body, pressing Chen Ke tightly under him, and tightly grasping his neck.

  "Halt!" The referee shouted stop.

  Although the outcome was already decided, Chen Ke still managed to make Xiao Guan Su break out in a cold sweat. He stood up and reached out his hand to pull Chen Ke up, saying: "Why did you suddenly lose your strength?"

  "He overexerted himself and ended up spraining himself." Chen Ke said with a wry smile.

  "Oh." Little Guan nodded and said: "Practice more, your build is really suitable for sumo wrestling."

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  After waiting until nightfall, Xiao Guan Su went out with several fellow idle colleagues to have fun.

  After Wen Shuai arrived in Hengyang, he drove all the defeated soldiers from Liangguang out of the city to camp, lifted the curfew, and reopened the wine towers and brothels. Taking advantage of his absence from the city, the officers and men of the Forbidden Army naturally indulged in revelry.

  Let one person go ahead and occupy a spot, Xiao Guan Suo will bring a few more people to accompany him to pick up the Dog Head Gold. It's not that he's afraid of anything, but just because there are people talking on the road to relieve boredom.

  According to Chen Ke's address, several people found the household and knocked on the door for half a day before someone came to open it. It was a big fellow with his head hitting the top of the door frame and a face darker than the sky.

  "Hmm..." Xiao Guanzi finally arrived at the entrance of the house, and with a slightly short breath, he asked: "Excuse me, sir, does Chen Sanlang live here?"

  He was called "Big Brother" by a man in his thirties, and Gorō's feelings were complicated as he stared at the four men wearing red military uniforms with a pair of ox-like eyes.

  In the Forbidden Army, the Bearer of the Sun, Heavenly Martial Arts, Tiger Wing and others wore crimson robes as their military uniform.

  "What are you doing?" Wu Lang asked in a loud and clear voice.

  "We've come to collect his things, he gave us the key." Little Guan shook the brass key in his hand.

  "Come in." Gorō stepped aside.

  Four military men rushed in, Wu Lang closed the big gate and pointed to the west wing: "That room."

  Xiao Guan Suo used the key to open the door and went in, while the other three waited outside. He had been inside for a long time without any movement or response to their calls, so they let another person go in to take a look.

  No one knew that the man had also fallen silent, leaving the two of them suddenly tense, reaching out to touch the hilts at their waists, but being deceived by Gorō from behind, grabbing their heads with one hand each, and with a strong blow, they bumped heads and fainted.

  At this time, Xuan Yu came out of the west wing room, with his hands together and a face full of shame, saying: "Amitabha, I am guilty, I am guilty..."

  "Have some free time to chant Buddha then." Song Duanping came in from outside and said in a low voice, "I heard them say that there are still companions booking tables at the wine tower, and the time left for us is not much."

  The two nodded, and then dragged the other two in, stripped off their outer clothes, gagged them, tied them up, and put on their robes. Although he gave the largest one to Gorō, he still wore the loose hakama as a tight-fitting garment.

  The three of them walked out onto the street, where it was already dark outside and they couldn't see each other's faces. It was the perfect time to muddy the waters.

  Wen Shuai was not there, the guards at the front gate of the government office had also been replaced by imperial guards from the Forbidden Army. Seeing several men in forbidden army uniforms coming in, they didn't even dare to ask questions and let them in directly.

  The three of them swaggered past two checkpoints and stopped in front of the path leading to Dongyuan Garden, where the imperial guards were stationed. As soon as they saw each other, they would definitely have to show their credentials.

  He retreated from the path and moved to a deserted corner of the wall. He gazed up at the smooth, over 10-foot-high courtyard wall. Wu Lang let out a stifled sigh and propped himself against the base of the wall. Xuan Yu pressed down on his shoulder, took a light leap, and landed on his shoulders, stabilizing himself before nodding towards Song Duanping. The latter took two steps back, expelled the air from his chest, and leapt at the wall face. At the highest point of his jump, Xuan Yu gave him another boost, sending him onto the top of the wall.

  Song Duanping also pulled Xuan Yu up onto the wall, only Wu Lang was pitifully stuck below, unable to climb up.

  "Wait here to respond." Song Duanping made a casual gesture, assigning him this glorious mission. Tonight was the 15th, with a full moon shining brightly, perfect for using the moonlight to get a bird's eye view of the entire garden, and sure enough, he found that Liuwai Tower.

  The courtyard was quiet, the main force of the garrison was concentrated in a small building on the east side, where Yu Jing was staying. As for this "Liuwai Building", there were only two soldiers standing guard, sitting on the stone in front of the door, chatting and enjoying the cool breeze.

  Without much effort, the two of them knocked out the two derelict guards, found a key on one of their bodies, opened the door and freed Chen Ke who had been waiting for a long time.

  （）