chasing after autumn

Huolian rushed to Yongtai Palace with a gun in hand, but she didn't see the guards and maids, and the surroundings were desolate and quiet. This is an abandoned palace.There is an inconspicuous narrow stone door at the back of the inner hall of the palace. The inside of the door is pitch black, and a dark stone staircase leads directly to the ground. A smell of wine mixed with a strong smell of blood floats into the nostrils, and Huo Lian immediately frowned. Lock it up, hold the steel gun tightly, and firmly believe that this is the underground wine cellar directed by the emperor.

Huo Lian held her breath and didn't hear anything, so she started to step down the stairs to investigate, when suddenly her arms tightened, Zhan Hao grabbed him, Zhan Hao casually threw a small iron ball, and the iron ball jingled and rolled with flames Down the stone steps, the dangerous darkness was illuminated all the way.After waiting for a long while, there was still no sound, only the fireball fell into a puddle of blood that had not completely solidified and glowed slightly, reflecting the shadows on the stone wall mottled.Huolian took the torch from the shadow guard and walked slowly down the stone steps to the cellar.

The cellar was damp and cold, only rats and ants were running around, but no one was there. Huolian shone the torch on the ground, and saw fragments of broken wine jars piled up on the haystack in the corner, and a few thin streams of blood flowed on the uneven surface. The stone ground of the rivers and lakes gathers and runs vertically, as if people have just left and the blood is not dry.The shadow guard looked around, sighed and cursed: "Hey! It's one step too late, let that kid Mo Fei run away!" Zhan Hao frowned, raised his eyes to examine, no matter how it looks, this place doesn't seem to be a hiding place, on the contrary Like a prison for criminals.Just thinking about it, Huo Lian suddenly exclaimed: "This... this is!..."

Huolian's gaze was like a torch, and she bent over to pick up a piece of torn white cloth and veil, which was stained with dark red blood. In the steaming dark pool of wet blood, there was a clear throbbing pain in his chest, and he couldn't help trembling back a few steps, and the blood-soaked soles of his shoes left red marks on the ground.Sadness and resentment flashed in Huolian's eyes, she gritted her teeth and whispered, "It's Qingyue..." The person who was imprisoned here was actually Qingyue!

The shadow guard Wang Yong suddenly realized when he heard the words, no wonder he couldn't find Qingyue's whereabouts for a while, but it turned out that Mo Fei had secretly hidden him in the cellar of the palace!Wang Yong frowned, with guilt in his eyes, because Zhan Hao let Qingyue go to arrest Mo Fei, and Wang Yong followed him to expose the hiding place of the traitor. Can catch, this weak and coddled girl has been bullied and tortured by the devil and suffered all kinds of torture.Wang Yong watched Qingyue fall into the tiger's mouth, he couldn't calm down, his eyes slowly shifted to Zhan Hao, and saw that Zhan Hao's face was even more stiff and gray, with no trace of blood.

Zhan Hao frowned, as if feeling the gaze, he raised his eyes to meet Wang Yong.She vaguely remembered that rainy night with lightning and thunder, Qingyue put a sharp waist knife on his neck, cried and accused him of being indifferent, and begged him to let her go, let her leave Infernal Affairs to find her beloved people.The result is like this, the man she can rely on and trust has given her a lifetime of indelible harm.

Zhan Hao's heart ached like he was twisted, as if he was entangled in a rope of sorrow and couldn't move his body for a while, but he didn't feel regretful.If he still cherished Qingyue in the past, but when he learned that Qingyue had sneaked out under his nose to have a private meeting with Mo Fei, and had helped Mo Fei escape from pursuit many times and become an enemy of Infernal Affairs, Zhan Hao had already decided in his heart that he couldn't and wasn't going to save everyone when the enemy was in danger.

Huo Lian lowered her head and clutched the rag, her eyes filled with moisture, she turned her head to look at Zhan Hao: "Father," then she was slightly taken aback, followed Zhan Hao's line of sight to look at Wang Yong, and saw Wang Yong His eyes were lowered and his brows were furrowed, his expression sad and dejected.There was an inexplicable movement in Huo Lian's heart, and she suddenly felt a little strange, but she couldn't tell what was different, because everyone present had almost the same expressions, feeling sad for Qingyue's experience.

Huo Lian slowly lowered her voice: "Father, the boy will find Qingyue..." The boy will definitely find Qingyue and bring her back to the original intact and warm home of Infernal Affairs.Zhan Hao glanced at him, but didn't say yes or no. The cellar was closed and damp, which made people feel tight and weak, and the corrupt and foul air made people feel headache and irritable. Zhan Hao didn't want to stay here any longer, so he walked up the stone steps and left , the shadow guard followed behind.

Huolian's eyes showed worry and concern. When Zhan Hao came to the cellar and saw the tragedy, he didn't speak. One can imagine the bitterness and grief in his father's heart.The more Zhan Hao doesn't get angry and doesn't swear, the more worried Huo Lian is and wants to go after him. Wang Yong quickly grabs him and smiles wryly: "You kid is too blind, no wonder you always suffer! Wohuo, you'd better talk less and don't annoy him any more!"

Huo Lian pursed her lips, nodded obediently, and quietly climbed the stone steps to leave. Wang Yong walked at the end, sighing that it was too dangerous. My elder brother put me next to Huo Lian to assist in supervision. I was ordered to follow up secretly. Yue Yi searched for Mo's flight track, and just now he only cared about guilt and sadness, and Huo Lian almost caught the clue!

Leaving the palace and returning to the main altar, Zhan Hao was silent all the way, dismounted and headed straight to the Nether Hall to look for Qiuniang, not wanting to run into Fang Xu head-on.On the stone steps, Fang Xu was pacing back and forth majesticly in the middle of the slightly dark hall, and looking around leisurely. He was dressed in a red dress exclusive to yamen tolerance, with a sword on his waist and black boots on his feet. Simple but also elegant and handsome, with a dignified and righteous look.

Under the monotonous background of black and white, Zhan Hao's eyes were slightly burned by the sudden red, and he stopped in a daze, and suddenly there were many speculations in his mind, Fang Xu, why did he come to the main altar?How dare he come? !He is no longer a member of the sect, so he can wander around in the hall intact? !Are the guards all blind? !The skin on Zhan Hao's face trembled, and there was a sense of powerlessness in his heart that his supreme authority was being surpassed.Huo Lian almost bumped into Zhan Hao with her head depressed, looked up, and explained: "Oh, my name is Fang Xu..." Zhan Hao turned back and twisted Huo Lian's ears, dragged him to the front, and roared angrily : "Say! What's going on?!"

Huo Lian was unprepared for a moment, and was staggered two steps by being pulled, grinning her teeth in pain, and couldn't help groaning twice, but they were drowned out by Zhan Hao's roar, Huo Lian was depressed in her heart: I, I, I, I Isn't that what I'm going to say? !Enduring the pain, he sucked intermittently: "Boy...baby went to the palace to find his father and shadow guards. I'm afraid that the thief...the thief would take the opportunity to sneak attack, so...he called Fang Xu to protect mother...so..." He raised his A pair of clear eyes were full of tenderness, pitifully: "Father, the child is leaving in a hurry, and I can't think of a safer way..." Zhan Hao was so angry, seeing that Huo Lian still had the strength to pretend to be innocent and wronged, he immediately He tightened his grip and twisted it half a circle, yelling at Huo Lian's ear: "I can't just stay here, and even let people from outside come in! In your eyes, the strict canon is like a fake! It seems I was too conniving, and I let you do whatever you want!"

There was a buzzing in Huolian's ears, and she couldn't hear it clearly for a long time, and the pain made her whole body almost shrink into a shrimp shape.Fang Xu over there had heard the movement and ran over, anxiously said: "If you want to blame it, blame me, Huolian is also thinking about your mother's safety!" Zhan Hao's sharp eyes scratched over, fiercely: "What's the hurry, It's not your turn yet."

"...Well." Fang Xu was in a trance for a moment, a little surprised.Zhan Hao seldom looked him in the eye, and he didn't say a few words. Fang Xu thought that he would always be transparent.Of course Fang Xu knew what Zhan Hao was nervous about, and smiled politely: "Mother is in the study, everything is fine." Huo Lian looked up as if seeing someone, and suddenly shouted: "Mother! I'm back— —" Zhan Hao was startled, loosened his fingers, Huo Lian quickly slipped away, rubbing the ear that was about to be torn off with one hand, and pushed Fang Xu over with the other: "It's your turn!"

Zhan Hao looked up, the hall was empty, how could anyone come? !Eyebrows furrowed, Fang Xu pushed aside Fang Xu and strode forward, holding Huolian by the collar and shouting angrily: "How dare you run?!" Don't think that with Qiu Niang's backing, I can forgive you lightly!Then a familiar figure appeared from the corner of his eyes and slowly came out from the study, Zhan Hao suddenly relaxed, let go and stroked the folds of Huo Lian's clothes, with a smile on his lips, stepped forward and said, "Qiu Niang!"

Qiuniang was following the hunchback, and the hunchback caught a glimpse of Huolian's distorted face and one side with red ears in a panic, and was overwhelmed by Huolian's fierce stare, thinking that he deserved it!Qiu Niang held Zhan Hao's hand back, looked at Huo Lian with concern, and finally let go of her tight heartstrings, the tiredness of worry on her face couldn't go away, she frowned slightly, and looked at Ying Wei He smiled softly and said, "You should be hungry after working all day. I've prepared dinner." After saying that, Zhang Luo Yingwei went to the hall to eat together. Without opening his mouth, his eyes were clouded with mist.

Fang Xu was about to retreat wisely, when he suddenly heard Zhan Hao say, "It's getting late, let's stay and have dinner together." Fang Xu raised his head in surprise, almost thinking it was tinnitus, Huolian had already pulled Fang away with a smile. Xu went in.Fang Xu and Zhan Hao passed by, and saw a rare gentleness on that usually serious and stern face, his heart felt warm, and he followed Huo Lian into the hall and took a seat.It wasn't because of being Li Jing's younger brother, or any other status, that Fang Xu, as the son of Zhan Hao and Qiu Niang, ate at the same table with his biological parents for the first time.

The atmosphere at the banquet was joyful, talking and laughing, but what was said and laughed were all related to Infernal Affairs. Fang Xu didn't know clearly and it was even more difficult to understand. He was not very talkative, but now he became quieter.But Zhan Hao was able to let him stay, he was already flattered, he was a little nervous, he sat next to Qiu Niang, when he saw a wine glass was empty, he got up to fill the wine, and when he saw someone holding out his chopsticks, Fang Xu hurriedly handed it over , Fang Xu also called everyone who Huo Lian called uncle, behaved respectfully and politely, and served him appropriately and thoughtfully.

This is a bit of a junior look.Zhan Hao saw it in his eyes, and thought that he was as sensible and polite as Fang Li, and he was taught by Fang Zi'an, but sometimes being too polite and restrained would create an invisible barrier, especially in front of his family. After all, he is an outsider.Zhan Hao took a sip of his wine, then glanced at Huo Lian next to him who was holding the food while talking happily, feeling a little surprised in his heart, it was so noisy!Is this really the kid I taught? !Zhan Hao frowned, but he reached out his hand helplessly to remove the grains of rice stuck to the corner of Huo Lian's mouth, and scolded in a low voice, "Can't you swallow it before talking?" Look at how busy you are!

Huolian was telling Qiuniang what happened in the palace today, and he didn't intend to mention it, but Qiuniang couldn't hide it when she asked.Huo Lian was vivid, and was about to be dragged to the front of the palace by five or six palace guards with knives. When Qiu Niang heard this, her face turned pale and her voice trembled: "You don't have kung fu, so why did you catch me without a fight?" Huo Lian smiled Easy: "The guards said they wanted to arrest me and confront the assassin. I can only find Dad as quickly as possible by giving up resistance."

Zhan Hao paused for a moment with the bamboo chopsticks in his hand, turned his lowered eyes slightly, tilted his head and said with a slow smile: "Didn't I bring him back in one piece? Since he is well, why bother?" Ask me to worry about it." Qiu Niang frowned, put down the bowl and chopsticks, looked at Huo Lian: "And then?" Going on, I want to know what happened.Huo Lian also said that the emperor wanted to use him as a threat to force her father to confess his crimes, and that her father had planned to break his leg falsely. !Zhan Hao felt the unfriendly eyes cast on him, he was at a loss, coughed in a low voice, Huo Lian said with a smile: "Mother, don't worry, the child is fine. The child knows that father always speaks without answering, since he decided to enter the palace again I have made preparations in advance!" As he spoke, he took off a flesh-colored prop tied to his leg and showed it to everyone, and explained how to operate it and how to create false appearances, Huolian showed off and felt very proud.The shadow guard admired and praised: "The young master is really clever, this trick can fool us brothers too!"

Qiuniang didn't think it was funny at all, she tightly clutched the dress under the table, her eyes were blurred with mist, the hunchback was also worried when she heard it, and seeing Qiuniang's expression was unhappy, she hurriedly persuaded: "Sister-in-law, don't panic, elder brother is still pinching you." You have to be careful." Zhan Hao nodded at the side, and then gave Huo Lian a warning look.Huo Lian finally realized something was wrong, hurriedly silenced her voice and came to Qiuniang, squatting down gently, seeing tears in her eyes, Huo Lian couldn't help but her eyes were sore: "Mother, why are you crying..." Huo Lian pulled Qiuniang put her hand on her intact lap, and finally felt guilty: "Mother, don't cry, the baby is really fine..."

Qiuniang turned her head, took his hand and held it in the palm of her hand, choked with sobs: "Knowing that there are all kinds of dangers, and knowing that your father forbids it, why do you have to go to the palace?" Why can't you follow the arrangement and stay with your mother What about around?Why do you all make me worry and anxious? !

Huolian's clear and sharp eyes showed firmness, and she explained: "Mother, Infernal Affairs has hundreds of thousands of guards besieging the capital. The war is about to break out, and my son can't stay out of it. If my son doesn't go today, I'm afraid the two sides will already be at war..." If they It is better to be able to use me as a threat than to endanger the people with a disagreement.Huo Lian raised her eyes to look at Zhan Hao, with tears in her eyes, she knelt down and said with tears in her eyes: "The child is unfilial, and mother is worried again."

Qiuniang trembled and covered her mouth tightly with one hand. The worries and fears that had been suppressed before swept away. Tears trickled down her fingers and ran down her fingers. Entered the side hall and closed the door, leaning against the door and burst into tears.Qiuniang couldn't understand why she was crying, but the child's dark and gloomy eyes made her feel sad, like a deep canyon longing for sunshine, Huolian always didn't care about her own life, he was born and went through all kinds of difficulties and dangers just to save his life Others, keep this home that means a lot to him.And I still blame him? !

Qiuniang suddenly thought, why can't I do my part for Zhan Hao?He was only properly protected, but never helped him?Over the years, from worrying about Zhan Hao's battle to worrying about Huo Lian's safety, she has silently guarded their father and son, thinking about sorrows in a safe place, and comforting them by herself. This burden is almost unbearable for Qiuniang.

Just as she was thinking sadly, there were several knocks on the door behind her: "Qiu Niang, Qiu Niang..." Qiu Niang was startled and wiped her tears, before she could turn around, she heard Zhan Hao yelling, "You bastard!" Mother hurriedly turned her head, only to see a black shadow on the window paper flickering, and there was a loud bang, as if a wooden chair had smashed into someone's body, and Zhan Hao shouted again: "Take the family law! You have done a good job! I will make a new debt Count together!" Then came Huo Lian's weeping gasps, and a weak voice came out of her throat: "Mother..."

Qiuniang's heart tightened suddenly, and for a moment she forgot all her sorrows, she hurriedly opened the door, and said anxiously, "Zhan Hao!" Sure enough, Zhan Hao was holding up another wooden chair, and was about to smash it into the corner of the wall with his eyes wide open. past.But there was no one in the corner.

There was only a piece of debris on the ground, and Huo Lian was fine, squatting next to Zhan Hao's legs, with a tangled face and slightly gritted teeth, as if planning to dub again.The rest of the people stood in the distance and stared dumbfounded.Zhan Hao put down the wooden chair slowly, and laughed: "...are you willing to come out?"

Qiu Niang was so angry that if she had a beard, she would be so angry that her beard would stand up: "You...you father and son are in collusion, and you are addicted to acting?!" Let's do it." Qiuniang couldn't help but pulled Huolian up with distress.

Qiuniang held Zhan Hao's hand: "You father and son have always taken the risk, let me help you this time." Zhan Hao was startled, not knowing where the words came from, Qiuniang said again, "Liao Niang I still remember one or two of the secret words of the national spy camp. You always said that soldiers are not tired of deceit. Maybe I can draw up a book to lure the enemy..." "No." Zhan Hao understood it, cut off his mouth, and said solemnly: "I won't, and I won't. Allow anyone to implicate you in this hateful killing."

Fang Xu was already dumbfounded from a distance, and the hunchback covered his mouth and whispered: "Hey, such farces happen from time to time." Fang Xu raised the corners of his mouth when he heard that, these three people are really interesting.Looking at it again, his eyes suddenly became moist, and Fang Xu sighed in his heart: They stand together like a family, more alike than before.It is the father who is strict, the mother is kind and the son is filial, and they are inseparable from each other, as if they are bound by blood.Three people make a painting, and one more stroke is meaningless.

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