Huaigui

In July of the second year of Yong'an, King Qin's army captured Luoyang City in just three days, eradicating the resistance forces in the imperial city.Although there were still small movements in other places, they were all completely suppressed within a year.

Emperor Xiaozhao, who was deposed two years ago, was restored and announced that he would change his reign name to "Guide".

Although this war is full of color in the history books, it has only been covered in a few strokes.

At the moment, Helan Mingyue can comprehend far more than those few lines of thin words.

Not long after they came out of Hanzhang Palace, they heard the good news. Tang Feiyi personally escorted Mei Gong into the city. As Gao Hong said, Mei Gong was ambushed by the most elite forces of Fang Huai and the Shadow Guard. Even Tang Feiyi won and won. Not easy.She may have never been so embarrassed. She fell off the horse as soon as the prisoner was handed over to He Lanmingyue——she was so sleepy that she almost fell asleep.

After Tang Feiyi is settled, Helan Mingyue is free to interrogate Mei Gong.

By this time it was already dark.

The Prison of the Ministry of Justice is not as gloomy as imagined, and it is even very clean.Gao Jing entrusted him with the full authority to handle the matter, and it was too complicated to award him, but the fact that he was the orphan of Helan Maojia had already spread throughout the government and the public.

Everyone regarded him as another "Longxi King".

The only person who followed him was Li Keshuang. He was supposed to rest in the posthouse, but after hearing about it, he insisted on following.Thinking that this matter was related to Li Ciyuan, He Lanmingyue agreed.

The interrogation room in the big prison is separate, and a desk separates the front and back spaces.

Mei Gong had his hands and feet in shackles and knelt with his head down.He Lan Mingyue intentionally let the guards and prisoners go away, and thought that there was nothing to avoid, so she tied up her sleeves and sat on the chair in front of the desk.

"So this is General Pingnan." He said, it was so mean that he was surprised.

Perhaps no matter how generous He Lan Mingyue is to Mei Gong, He Lan Mingyue can't be calm.

The man was over fifty years old, because he was in good health in the early years of fighting, but because he had avoided graying his beard and hair for many years, he showed his aging prematurely.He Lan Mingyue remembered that he was ranked third among his father's four lieutenants, only older than Li Ciyuan, and the traces of time were left on his face. When Mei Gong raised his head, even his eyes were cloudy.

Seeing He Lan Mingyue's expression, he wasn't surprised at all, but smiled instead: "The handsome son...he really looks like him."

He Lan Mingyue had heard similar expressions countless times, but this time it was harsh.

Too lazy to talk to Mei Gong anymore, He Lan reminded the jailer to pay attention to the records and cut straight to the point: "When the Western Army rebelled from Yaguan, were you the one behind the scenes?"

"...No." Mei Gong muttered, "I just let the commander-in-chief think clearly, the Western Army is the most elite in the whole country and even in the whole north and south. If you raise troops against Ning at this time, you can join forces with Southern Chu to attack Luoyang. Luo Jingping is also in the army, he can mobilize the defense line along the river in Southern Chu... Luoyang can be broken."

"What is the purpose?"

"Purpose? Let Gao Pei step down!" Mei Gong smiled half-crazily and half-stupidly.

He Lan Mingyue was unmoved: "The first emperor resigned, and then the prince is still young and the king of Yu inherits the throne. It is a good idea. But have you ever thought that this is colluding with foreign enemies?"

Mei Gong laughed loudly: "Of course, of course I have thought about it! So Luo Jingping can't stay, and Nanchu has to push it out... After arriving at Yaguan, I asked Luo Jingping to talk in secret. The general of Nanchu is really a prince and wants to cooperate with him. Huanxi was tricked by me to go far away from the garrison——I killed him and stuffed the secret letter to make everyone think that the commander-in-chief conspired with him!"

"Because dead people can't speak." He Lan Mingyue repeated this sentence, gnashing her teeth.

Mei Gong said with satisfaction: "Yes, Gao Pei was really furious when he saw that letter. At this time, the commander-in-chief couldn't argue with anything, so he had to go back to the capital alone to explain to Gao Pei... Hey, young commander, why do you think he treated Gao Pei? So loyal?"

"what?"

"I heard that you have a very close relationship with the little emperor now. You share the same car when you go out, and share the same bed when you lie down... Haha! You are already better than blue in this way!"

Of course Helan Mingyue knew that he intended to provoke her, so she would not be provoked so shallowly: "Really?"

Mei Gong was suddenly full of frustration, and said viciously: "Gao Pei deserved what he deserved!"

It's a pity that Helan Mingyue didn't care about the late emperor's affairs, and said directly: "So after my father came out of the cliff alone, you immediately encouraged the rest of the soldiers to rise up to create the illusion of his rebellion-I'm curious, you are not dead. How did your tongue move the remaining two adjutants who are older than you?"

"They?" Mei Gong said contemptuously, "They are just dogs in front of the commander in chief. They only know how to lead troops and obey orders, and they have no idea of ​​their own! The commander-in-chief has always trusted me and Li Ciyuan more, and Li Si has an extremely impulsive personality. Easy to dismiss. I just made a small plan, and he had a quarrel with the commander and was forced to lead the troops back to Xiazhou. He is not in the army, and I am the one who has the final say in the Western Army!"

Hearing this, Li Queshuang behind him clenched his fists: "You fart!"

He Lan Mingyue whispered that Shuang'er was quiet, but ignored Mei Gong's pride, and said: "The Western Army is in your hands, and your cronies even sneaked into Li Ciyuan's formation and returned to Xiazhou to wait for an opportunity. There is such a thing. ?"

Mei Gong was stunned for a moment, then snorted coldly: "You mean princess? A woman without wisdom..."

"That's what happened." He Lan Mingyue interrupted him, and frowned, "Why did you plant nails everywhere? Who ordered you?"

This question hit the nail on the head, and even the recording officer next to him paused for a moment, looking up at Helan Mingyue in bewilderment.

Mei Gong probably knew that he was a capital offender, even if he was lucky enough to save his life, no one would let him go, instead he dared to say anything.He leaned back, leaning his back on the thick chains of the cell:

"Who else do you think? Of course it's King Yu."

"Since when?"

"I have to think about it..."

"Li Ciyuan once told me that the King of Yu confessed to Helan Maojia on the surface that there was no one in the Western Army, and he also took the initiative to avoid suspicion. Since you have been in the Western Army for many years under his instructions, is it King Yu lying or Li Ci? Did Yuan remember wrong?"

After hearing this, Mei Gong laughed out loud: "Haha! Hahaha! Do you know what is meant by 'raising soldiers for a thousand days and using them for a short time'? Of course I listen to the commander in chief, but I also listen to King Yu's words occasionally... yes, That's right, I remembered, in the tenth year of Jianyuan period, Gao Pei had just been in charge of the Western Army that I joined, because he contributed to the battle against Rouran and wiped out [-] enemies, and was promoted to lieutenant general..."

"Then Gao Hong found you?"

"You're weird?"

He Lan asked, "Why you?"

Mei Gongdao: "Because I don't have so many missions and ideals. I joined the Western Army for the sake of glory and wealth. Before the battle, I was not like Li Ciyuan, who was born and died and insisted on dying with him!"

These words hit He Lan hard, and the corner of his eyes twitched for a moment: "Don't talk about irrelevant people."

"Hehe..." Mei Gong smiled contemptuously, "I am the best alliance partner for fame and profit. King Yu needs someone who has won the trust of the general to deliver news for him in the Western Army and open up the upper and lower joints." Of course he wants to avoid suspicion, because once the commander-in-chief is dismissed one day, the Western Army will be in his hands—”

What happened later was as imagined, Mei Gong planned the battle of Yaguan, and King Longxi and his family were all imprisoned.Among the deputy generals of the Western Army, except Li Ciyuan who fled Yaguan early, the other two were sentenced to death.

Mei Gong died because Gao Hong pretended to be in exile, and secretly arrived in Yuzhou until now.

When Li Ciyuan was hiding in Tibet, he ate and drank spicy food in Yuzhou; when Li Ciyuan was willing to protect a few people in Yinzhou City for several years, he sat in Yuzhou and enjoyed the blessing of having a group of wives and concubines.

As Mei Gong said, everyone has his own ambition.

But Helan Mingyue couldn't forgive him.

At the end of the interrogation, Mei Gong was taken away by two guards. He turned his head and suddenly asked, "To commit such a serious crime... Even if King Yu is fine, I will definitely die, right?"

He Lan Mingyue looked at him with only disgust, and left without saying a word.

He turned his back, Mei Gong burst out laughing as if realizing something, she was insane, crying and shouting in the prison was mixed with his arrogant laughter, vaguely revealing a sense of desolation.

After leaving the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, the sun rises in the east.

Although Li Keshuang got the answer, he didn't have the comfort he had imagined. Sacrifice is always a matter of pain for loved ones and joy for enemies. What he wanted to hear was actually something he knew well in his heart.Now that she was hurt again, Li Queshuang was not as desperate as before, and ran down the steps with her lips tightly pressed.

"Shuang'er!" Helan Mingyue called to stop him, "Where are you going?"

Li Queshuang's footsteps paused, and her voice was crying: "Let me be quiet for a while!"

He was in a mess and urgently needed someone to confide in—but Li Queshuang was running around in Luoyang City, and he was alone, and he couldn't find anyone who could comfort him now.

It was already dawn, and He Lanmingyue stopped where she was and looked at the running back of Li Queshuang, not knowing where to go for a short while.

It seemed like there was a lot to do, but he was tired and just wanted a good night's sleep.

Now is not the time to sleep, He Lan Mingyue also knew, he sighed, regained his thoughts from the momentary trance, and prepared to leave the Ministry of Criminal Justice to meet Ran Yunyang at the east gate as planned—the remaining old departments of the Western Army are also waiting for him to explain, Helan Mingyue was disturbed by various backlogs, only to realize that fighting does not mean the end.

Compared with these, fighting is actually the simplest.

Before coming to the Ministry of Punishments, He Lan and Gao Jing had just finished visiting Hanzhang Hall, and Gao Jing was going to the North Hall to meet his mother and brother Cheng who had been imprisoned for a long time.He remembered Gao Jing heaving a sigh of relief when he heard that Gao Sheng was fine, as if he was alive after a catastrophe.

After going to Ran Yunyang's place, He Lanmingyue thought that he should also meet Gao Sheng.

He got on his horse, and as soon as he walked out of the punishment department through the corner gate, he saw a woman standing at the gate.

The Ministry of Punishment is a serious place, how can it be allowed to come in and out, and the woman with the hairstyle that has not left the cabinet is anxiously stopped but does not retreat.She almost knelt on the ground and begged bitterly: "Please, please let me go in and see my second brother..."

The voice was not very familiar but he clearly recognized it.

He Lan Mingyue dismounted and approached, only seeing the side of the woman and couldn't help exclaiming: "Miss Yuan?"

The woman turned her head in response, a piece of hibiscus noodles with pear blossoms and rain...

It is Yuanyu Xin.

She was very panicked when she saw someone coming, but when she first recognized the young man in front of her, she lost her footsteps, and then she ignored the swordsmen in front of the gate of the Ministry of Justice, trotted forward a few steps, and hugged He Lan without hesitation!

"This……"

The hand holding the rein stiffened for a moment, and Helan Mingyue was about to let her go when she heard the woman in her arms cry out, "Helan! Helan! You are not dead, it's great..."

So she wanted to put aside her movements and stop there, Helan Mingyue said "um", without explaining much, just stood there quietly and let Yuan Yuxin hug her for a while.

It was inevitable that he would get overexcited under great joy, and he understood it, and he didn't think that this behavior was too out of line, but Yuan Yuxin recovered and hurriedly let him go.

She kept wiping the corners of her eyes with her sleeves, and for a moment she could only say "Great", choked up sobbing unbearably, Yingying looked over: "I'm sorry, I lost my composure... I was too happy just now, I didn't mean it... I, I didn't expect... It's really... There is still time to see you again in this life... You really came back."

"It's okay." He Lan Mingyue said softly, after thinking for a while, she handed a handkerchief from her bosom to signal her to wipe away her tears.

Yuan Yuxin didn't answer: "Why are you here?"

She took the initiative to bring up the topic, and He Lan Mingyue said: "Your Majesty wants me to interrogate a criminal. What about you? Isn't Grand Master Yuan already home?"

"It's not for my father..." Yuan Yu shook his head, and then glanced at the gate of the Ministry of Justice, "I came to see my second brother. The gangsters attacked and he fled in a panic after hearing the news, but he was still at the city gate Caught..." His sad expression changed, and Yuan Yuxin suddenly pulled his sleeves: "He Lan! Your Majesty likes you very much, right? He will definitely listen to what you say! Can you...can you please forgive me? Second brother's death penalty...he..."

Her second brother?

Helan Mingyue remembered that it was Yuan Zhuoer.

After severing ties with the Yuan family during the Jingming period, this person joined Gao Hong and gave him many ideas, including uniting with Rouran to force Gao Jing to abdicate.Even if Gao Jing doesn't hold grudges, according to the law, Yuan Zhuoer's conspiracy to commit murder is unavoidable, and Yuan Tan and Yuan Ying's attitudes have clearly drawn a clear line with him——

He Lan Mingyue couldn't meet her gaze, and dodged, "It's not up to me..."

He is not a life-saving straw, Yuan Yuxin understood how serious Yuan Zhuoer's crime was, so he withdrew his hand and was stunned.The last tear fell down her cheek and onto the collar, and she seemed to be awakened.

Yuan Yuxin took two steps back, intentionally asked He Lan Mingyue a few more words but was in a mess, since he hadn't seen him for a long time, in the end he could only talk about important matters.

"Then... can I go in and have a look at my second brother?"

"..."

"Please, He Lan, please say something! They will listen to what you say!" When did the domineering young lady on Suzaku Street back then bow down so humblely, "I really don't want to see my second brother for the last time on the execution ground— —”

Helan Mingyue couldn't refuse her ardent gaze, not to mention human nature.

He tugged at Yuan Yuxin's sleeve and gently tugged, without saying a word, he led her to the gate of the Ministry of Punishment.He Lan turned his back to her, avoiding Yuan Yuxin's complicated eyes. He didn't know how fast Yuan Yuxin's heart was beating at the moment, he couldn't see how red her face was, and he couldn't feel how hot her ears were.

Just like when they met and now, only Yuan Yu was looking at Helan Mingyue persistently.

He only explained a few words to the officials guarding the door, and after a while, the servant of the Ministry of punishment came out.

He recognized He Lan Mingyue, and since the other party opened his mouth, he immediately responded, He Lan turned sideways and said warmly: "Miss Yuan, you can go in now. After you finish watching him, go back quickly... In a few days, the son-in-law will return to Luoyang to accompany you .”

"Understood..." Yuan Yuxin murmured, and quickly bowed to him, "Thank you, thank you very much!"

He Lan Mingyue said it was all right: "Let's go."

Hearing this, Yuan Yuxin hesitated for a moment, as if she really wanted to spend more time with him, but she was afraid that she would miss the approval to visit Yuan Zhuoer after hesitating for a long time.

Gritting his teeth and taking two steps, Yuan Yuxin turned his head: "He Lan! Waiting for you...I can't wait, can I go find you?"

Helan Mingyue looked at her quietly, showing a soft smile: "Of course, it's okay to meet business needs, but if it's because of personal matters, it's better for Miss Yuan and this servant not to see each other."

Yuan Yuxin had expected his answer, and asked again: "Then...then where have you been these past few years, and how are you doing?"

Are you having a good time?

It seems that many people like to ask this question, like Amon and Yuan Yuxin.He Lan Mingyue felt that Yuan Yuxin might really just be worried about him for a moment, nodded slightly, and hid those scars: "It's okay."

"Stay in the capital in the future?" Yuan Yu asked impatiently, and then hastily added, "I didn't mean that...it was Your Majesty. Since he is back, you...may stay because of him."

He Lan Mingyue couldn't guess when she would know about her relationship with Gao Jing, so she just said, "Not necessarily."

Although he always answered every question, and his tone was gentle and without any impatience, Yuan Yuxin could clearly feel that there was no possibility for her here in Helan Mingyue.

The first meeting like enemies in the busy city, the tall and straight figure of the gazebo by the pool and the intertwined shadow of the Lantern Festival night were all left in yesterday, and Helan Mingyue had never had a bad look towards her——

She thought it was a beginning and an end.

So the proud Miss Yuanshi restrained her tears and saluted him with a smile: "No matter what you say, thank you very much today."

He Lan Mingyue returned a salute, and watched Yuan Yuxin enter the gate of the Criminal Department.

He got on his horse again, wondering if he should tell Gao Jing about this little episode first, remembering what he said in Pingcheng that angered him, he thought it better not to say it, Gao Jing would look better when he mentioned it by himself.

Thinking of this, he walked a few steps, Helan Mingyue wanted to visit Ran Yunyang, but suddenly came riding from a distance.

The man stopped in front of him and called out to Master He Lan repeatedly.

He Lan Mingyue recognized Lin Shang's subordinate: "What's wrong?"

"General Xu Xin is awake!" He couldn't stop the joy on his face, "I'm in the side hall of Zichen Palace, I want to see you."