A glance at the spring breeze

At this time, in the Royal Study Room of the Imperial Palace.

Yin Jian was looking through the memorial before the case.

The small pile on the left has already been reviewed, and the pile on the right is as high as a hill, which was just brought by Manager Zhang.

After leaving the palace for too long, a lot of government affairs have been backlogged.This debt must be repaid slowly.

I saw Mr. Zhang walking over quickly with a cup of tea in his hand, and whispered, "Your Majesty, Mr. Mei from the Ministry of Finance has arrived."

"Announce him in."

"Yes."

After a while, Manager Zhang led a middle-aged official in his forties.The man walked up to Yin Jian and knelt down: "Chen Meishen kowtows to His Majesty."

"Exemption." Yin Jian closed the folder in front of him, put the ink brush in his hand aside, looked down at Mei Shen and said, "Master Mei, what I asked you about yesterday, is there any result?"

Although Yin Jian said "no courtesy", Mei Shen knelt on the ground and couldn't get up, and his head sank even lower: "I have carefully read the files of Linzhou, and I didn't find any such thing as "Wuxian County". For the place names, I also searched for county names that contain the same pronunciation or similar fonts to "Wood", but there is still no result. "

Wu County in Linzhou is the location described in the note that Ruan Lan presented a few days ago, according to Ruan Lan.The person who wrote this note came from Wuxian County, Linzhou, where there was a mess of favoritism and fraud.

"Didn't find it?" Yin Jian couldn't help but paused, lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, "Maybe it's another state capital."

Mei Shen shook his head, and sighed leisurely: "For avoidance, I sent people to check other files too... nothing was found."

"Oh?" Yin Jian stood up from the imperial case, took two steps slowly beside Mei Shen, and said, "Since this is the case, there is no need to continue the investigation."

"Yes." Mei Shen said and changed the subject: "However, I have news about the matter of Qiumang Mountain in southern Anhui that His Majesty ordered earlier."

"How?" Yin Zhen asked.

"Qumang Mountain was originally a place with beautiful mountains and clear waters. It was bought by a merchant 14 years ago and a luxurious mansion like a paradise was built. Unexpectedly, 12 years ago, the mansion suddenly flooded for unknown reasons, and the The entire mountain top including the mansion was burned down, and Qiumang Mountain has become a place full of bad luck, no one wants to go there again, and it is still deserted."

"Is there any record in the file of the merchant's surname?"

"Your Majesty, there is no record."

Yin Jian frowned slightly after hearing this: Since Mei Shen said "it is still deserted", then the Qijia Village in Qiumang Mountain must not have been recorded in the file, how could it be so?If the former prince Yin Cheng had the power to erase the news about Qiumang Mountain and conceal the information related to the merchant, but Yin Cheng has already died at this time, why there is still no record of Qijia Village?

What's more, the Liuchi Qi family is a foreign family. It stands to reason that as soon as they enter the Central Plains, the government should monitor their every move.

Strange, really strange...

Yin Jian raised his hand and said calmly: "So, I know, Ai Qing will step back first."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

After Mei Shen withdrew, Yin Jian continued to walk around the imperial study room twice.

"Yun Sheng, do you still remember who recommended the prefect of Linzhou to become an official in Beijing?"

"Slave is stupid."

"It's the Prime Minister." Yin Jian continued to look at the wonderland in the spring breeze, and said, "The Prime Minister has been lying in bed for many days due to illness, and I don't know when he will recover."

Coincidentally, the spring wind scrolls sent by the North Foreign Envoy on Yin Jian's birthday were just hung in the imperial study by Manager Zhang yesterday. Yin Jian stopped in front of the spring wind scrolls and looked at the few flowers in the picture. Like the auspicious clouds that are slowly floating, I can't help concentrating and meditating.

"Spring breeze..." Yin Jian murmured.

——The Chunfengjuan of the Ruan family has been lost for many years. Why did it fall into the hands of Yasukuni in the north? Is it a coincidence, or is there an unpredictable past hidden in it?

If there is something else hidden, isn't the Spring Wind Roll presented by Yasukuni this time a provocation?

"Your Majesty, it's getting late, it's time for dinner."

After being reminded by Manager Zhang, Yin Jian realized that the setting sun in the west had almost entered the sky.The clouds in the sky are full of dark and red tones, as if announcing the coming of night to the world.

"Ruan Lan hasn't come back yet."

"Your Majesty, according to reports from spies, Master Ruan and Daoist Xuan Mo have been in for nearly three hours, and they haven't come out yet." Manager Zhang leaned down and whispered in Yin Jian's ear.

"Ruan Lan is stubborn. He has to investigate this secret path himself no matter what. If I don't let him go, he will probably blame me."

"Your Majesty, there is no need to worry. With the protection of Daoist Xuan Mo, Master Ruan will surely return safely."

Yin Jian stood with his hands behind his back, standing in front of the spring wind for a long time, staring straight at the fairyland on the scroll, and said after a while, "Which secret guard followed Ruan Lan when I returned to Beijing that day?"

Manager Zhang lowered his head and counted the days in his mind, and then replied, "It's Yuan Geng."

"Call him over, I have something important to ask him."

*****

At this time, the reflections of the people in the secret passage rippling on the surrounding walls suddenly tilted to one side.

The light of the fire slanted, sometimes bright and sometimes dark.

"There's a wind blowing over there." Ruan Lan raised her hand to stroke the blown hair on her forehead.

The wind that was blowing was so bitter that one couldn't help but want to shiver.

Xuan Mo said: "It will become colder and colder here, so you can't stay here for long."

Li Quanfeng asked: "Master Daoist, now that you know the reason why this secret path has become so strange, do you know how to solve it now?"

As he said, he looked around, looked at Ruan Lan, and the pair of broken legs that were still standing not far away, and his eyes finally fell on the subordinate who was still unconscious.I saw that his complexion was sallow, his lips were pale, and his whole body seemed to have lost all life. If it wasn't for his breathing, everyone present would have thought he was dead.Li Quanfeng clasped his fists at Taoist Priest Xuanmo and said: "If the Taoist priest has any orders, I will definitely go through fire and water, and it is my duty."

Daoist Xuan Mo didn't answer, but walked to the terrible pair of broken legs, lowered his eyebrows and looked for a long time, his peaceful and serene eyes still showed no expression.

Holding the broken jade hairpin tightly in her hand, Ruan Lan walked forward and said to Daoist Xuan Mo: "I seem to have some impressions, as if the murderer said that only I can break the spell in this secret path. "

Daoist Xuan Mo nodded: "That's right. But do you remember what you did to untie it?"

"I don't know-"

"Ah Shan's legs are placed at the head and tail of the secret passage, and the solution to this spell is to dig out his legs at the same time with Lord Ruan's hands."

Li Quanfeng was a little confused after hearing this, he frowned: ""At the same time?But Taoist Master, you also said that Ah Shan’s legs are placed at both ends of the secret passage, Master Ruan, how could you use both hands to pull them out at the same time—”

Suddenly, everyone fell silent.

——Isn’t it, as long as Ruan Lan’s hands are chopped off?

The "simultaneity" mentioned by the Taoist chief probably can only be solved in this way...

The eyes of the rest of the people immediately fell on Ruan Lan's arm neatly.

Ruan Lan pursed her lips, looked down at Brother Lin's saber on the ground, bent down, and raised her hand to pick it up.

"My lord! No." Li Quanfeng hurriedly stepped forward to stop Ruan Lan, and kicked the sword far away. He firmly grasped Ruan Lan's arm and said, "My lord! Your Majesty ordered me to do so no matter what." Protect your lord carefully, if your lord makes any mistakes, the guilty minister really can't bear it..."

Ruan Lan laughed, and there was some warm light in her eyes: "I am the one who caused you to be demoted. If it weren't for me, how would you come here? You are not a criminal, and the only criminal is me." .

"Can--"

"Master Li, there is no need to say more, just let go."

Li Quanfeng wanted to dissuade him, but at this moment, the voice suddenly remembered in the secret passage: "Da da da da da—"

The chill in the secret passage seems to have also increased a bit.

Ruan Lan tried her best to shake off Li Quanfeng's hand, and raised her eyebrows to look at Li Quanfeng and his subordinates: "If you continue to stay here, you will be caught by Ah Shan's resentful spirit one by one. Frozen to death from the ever-increasing cold, but as long as you cut off my arms, you can all get out alive, whether this deal is a good deal or not, I believe you all understand in your heart."

But Taoist Xuan Mo said at this time: "Master Ruan, Pindao has other ways to let you out."

"Oh? Daoist, please tell me." Li Quanfeng said.

"However, Pindao is going to stay here for a while, so remember, you must not come here to seek the poor."

As soon as Taoist Xuan Mo finished speaking, Ruan Lan saw a thick white mist rising around them instantly, and this white mist enveloped them all.Ruan Lan immediately felt a layer of refreshing smoothness caressing his skin, and a fresh and cool breath entered his nostrils. He closed his eyes involuntarily, and when he opened them again——

"Hey? Why are we here?" Li Quanfeng looked around, his face full of surprise, "This is—"

Under the hazy and clear moonlight, there are a few withered Bana flowers standing wiltingly on the ground at the door.

Although there are no more fragrant blue flowers in the forest, everyone can still recognize that this is the previous entrance to the secret passage.

"Where is the Taoist priest?" Ruan Lan asked, "Did the Taoist priest come out?"

Just now it seemed that the Taoist priest told them that he would stay inside for a while and would not let them look for him.

Li Quanfeng clicked on the mechanism outside the stone gate, but the stone gate remained motionless and tightly closed.

Ruan Lan sighed: "It seems... the Taoist priest sent us out, and he stayed inside."

Although they wanted to save Taoist priests, they didn't know anything about these ghosts, so there was nothing they could do; besides, the Taoist priest just reminded them that they must not go in to look for him. If it is not good, it will ruin the bureau set up by the Taoist chief.

At this time, the unconscious guard also woke up and stood up with the support of his companions. His eyes were dazed and his limbs were stiff, so he had to roll his eyes and looked up at the sky again.When he realized where he was, the corners of his mouth curled up instantly, and he said with a smile, "We came out? Are we still alive?!"

"Yes! Brother, we're coming out!" Someone patted him on the shoulder.

Li Quanfeng instructed the rest of the people: "Being imprisoned in the secret way for a long time, I must be tired, go back and rest first. As for the rest, I will go back to the palace and report to His Majesty."

"Thank you, my lord!" These little guards finally escaped, feeling very grateful in their hearts. Hearing Li Quanfeng's words, they were even more delighted: "If the Taoist priest comes out, thank the Taoist priest for us. Then, my lord, let's go first!"

When those people walked away, Li Quanfeng asked Ruan Lan: "Do you want to go with me to report to His Majesty?"

"That's natural." Ruan Lan glanced at the stone gate and the withered manjusawa plants at the door, and then said, "My lord, let's go."

The two walked out of the city wall, and walked towards the city. At this time, the city was already pitch black, without the crowds of people in the daytime, and it was extremely quiet.The two walked for a while, and Ruan Lan suddenly stopped.

"My lord?" Li Quanfeng asked, "My lord, what's the matter?"

Ruan Lan replied, "Wait for me here, I'll be right back."

Ruan Lan walked into an alley alone, and after a while, he saw a familiar herbal medicine shop, just next to it, the lights in the house were still on, and he clearly heard a female voice inside: "Brother, when are you going to sleep?" Down?"

Ruan Lan stepped forward and knocked lightly on the door.

The door was quickly opened, and it was a handsome and lovely girl who opened the door.

"My lord, you're here so late... Is there any news about Ah Shan?" Qiao Aifen said pleasantly.

Ruan Lan lowered her eyes halfway, not daring to look at the look of hope in the girl's eyes.

He said, "Is your brother here? I want to talk to him alone. "

Although Qiao Aifen was surprised, she went into the room and called Qiao Aiqing.Qiao Aiqing was wearing a coat, the sleeves hadn't been put on yet, obviously she was going to sleep soon.

"My lord, it's so late, you still come here, we don't have anything to entertain here..."

"No need. I'll leave after I have some words with you." Ruan Lan took out the jade hairpin that was half broken from her bosom, and handed it to Qiao Aiqing, "Is this yours... or, Is it Ah Shan’s mother’s?”

When the other party saw what Ruan Lan was holding, he immediately opened his eyes wide: "My lord, how do you know this—" Qiao Aiqing took the jade hairpin with trembling hands, "I just disappeared in Ashan A few days ago, it disappeared, I thought, Ah Shan knew it, he knew it—that’s why he took this hairpin and left without saying goodbye.”

Daoist Xuan Mo said that this hairpin will strengthen the resentment in Meng Qishan's heart, but what kind of hairpin will have such an effect after being cast under a spell?

What kind of thing can arouse the anger in Ah Shan's heart.

Ruan Lan has been thinking about where the memory he saw came from.

Probably it was aroused by this hosta.

In the dream, what else did he see?

On that night many years ago, Ah Shan was insulted.

And the person who kidnapped Ah Shan's mother, the person who forced Ah Shan's mother in the backyard of the brothel, the person who heard that Ah Shan was taken away by gangsters, but did not stop him——

He took away the jade hairpin belonging to Ah Shan's dead mother and secretly kept it in his home.

He repents, he hates, and in order to redeem the mistakes he made, he volunteered and became an apprentice in the medical center next door.

He wanted to get close to Ah Shan, but even if he had been with him for more than ten years, the anxiety and guilt in his heart still made him have to alienate him.

Reflecting the moonlight falling from the sky, Qiao Aiqing was in a daze for a moment when she looked at the face in front of her that was quite similar to Ah Shan.