marriage contract

"Lost it?!" Before Chu Junyi could speak, Qin An jumped up first, "What do you mean losing someone?!"

Chu Junyi was also worried, but he still tugged at Qin An's sleeve before asking.

Qin An stabilized his mind, sat back in his seat, and stared at the guard with a sullen face.

"We had already met Wei Xibo, but on the way back, we were attacked by assassins. The driver of Wei Xibo's carriage was killed, and the horse was injured by an arrow from the back. He went crazy immediately. I wanted to chase, but was attacked by the assassins." To stop him, we can only watch the carriage drive away." The guard said ashamedly.

Chu Junyi gritted his teeth and asked, "And then? Zhu Ning is the only one in the car?"

"Second Master Shao is also here." The guard quickly replied, "Second Master Shao rode behind the carriage. After the driver died, Second Master Shao jumped into the carriage. When the horse ran wildly, Second Master Shao was also on the carriage."

Hearing this, Chu Junyi and Qin An breathed a sigh of relief. After all, it was not the worst outcome. With Shao Yan by their side, it would definitely be better than Zhu Ning facing the assassin alone.

"This matter is of great importance, so keep your mouth shut." Qin An said coldly, and hurried out after speaking.

Watching Qin An leave, Chu Junyi looked at the guards and said in a deep voice, "Do you hear me clearly? No matter whether you can hide this matter or not, it must not get out of your mouths."

"Yes, this subordinate understands." The guard's head almost dropped to his chest.

"There is also the Zhu family..." Chu Junyi paused and said: "If the Zhu family sends someone to ask, they will say that the return date is uncertain, and it may take a few days."

The information network in Chu Junyi's hands is huge, and there are only a few people who know it. Even Qin An can't ask too much.

Zhu Ning and him have a good relationship, and they are more or less aware of it, but they are tacit to each other. Some things they want to know will ask him. People also know a little bit.

Mrs. Zhu sent someone to ask before, but Chu Junyi thought that Zhu Ning hadn't come back yet, so he didn't tell her the exact time. Now that he is lost, it can save some trouble.

"Yes." After the guard finished speaking, seeing that he had no other orders, Dang even retreated.

Chu Junyi closed his eyes, sighed softly, and there was a bit of worry between his brows.

Zhu Ning does not know martial arts. Even though Shao Yan is by his side, he is no match for two fists and four hands. Once caught by an assassin, the consequences...will be disastrous.

The purpose of Zhu Ning leaving the capital this time is unclear, Chu Junyi didn't ask too much, but from Qin An's previous words and his reaction just now, it can be seen that the matter is very serious.

Zhu Ning has been idle for so many years, and in the past two years, he has gradually gained the respect of the emperor. It would be a lie to say that his ability is against the sky. Chu Junyi and Zhu Ning have known each other for so long, how could they not understand him? ?

Third Master Chu and Master Zhu are close friends. Chu Junyi and Zhu Ning have a good relationship, apart from their similar temperaments, there are also reasons for their parents. Otherwise, there are so many honorable families in the capital, so why let them get together? It's over.

The third master Chu was worried that the old man would drag the whole family down by killing himself; the elder Zhu was worried that the Zhu family was sparsely populated and it was very difficult to revitalize the family.

And a shortcut to solve this kind of problem is to hug the emperor's thigh and follow the emperor all the way to the black.

Back then, Third Master Chu could leave so many things for Chu Junyi, how could he know that Elder Master Zhu would not plan for his son, the only difference is that Third Master Chu planned it while he was alive, and Elder Master Zhu passed away before he could make arrangements .

Chu Junyi couldn’t be 80.00% sure that Master Zhu was also involved, but he was [-]% sure that his guess was correct, so after suggesting Zhu Ning to become an official, he hinted that he should find the person left behind by Master Zhu, maybe Can have unexpected gains.

As for what Zhu Ning got, Chu Junyi had no intention of prying, just like Zhu Ning would never ask what Chu Junyi got from Master Chu San.

But from the emperor's increasingly important attitude towards him, it can be known that Zhu Ning should have mastered the things left by Elder Zhu.

Once Zhu Ning is arrested, unless he can guarantee that a word will not be leaked, there will only be a dead end.

If he couldn't bear the torture and told the emperor what he told, the whole Zhu family would suffer.

It took Qin An a long time to come back, and Chu Junyi saw him and hurriedly asked about the situation.

"It's neither good nor bad." Qin An sighed: "Wei Xibo's carriage has been found, there is no one in it, the shaft of the carriage has been cut off, the horses pulling the carriage have disappeared, and there are no traces of fighting around. It is very likely that Shao Yan led Wei Xibo away on horseback before the assassin came after him."

The cut of the shaft was clean and neat, and there was no other trace on the carriage. If the assassin had chased him, it would not be like this.

Therefore, it is very possible that Shao Yan will take someone on a run.

"That's good." Chu Junyi said, but there was not much relief on his face.

The load of a horse is limited, especially the horses that pull carts, which pay attention to durability, but the speed is definitely not as fast as those assassin's horses.

"I have already sent someone to look for it... I hope I can find it." Qin An's hair was about to turn gray, and while sending people to find the whereabouts of Zhu Ning and Shao Yan, he also searched for traces of the assassins. Once in his hands, they must let them know why the flowers are so red!

That night, Chu Junyi did not return to his residence, but sent someone to pass a letter to Gu Chengzhi, and then sent someone back to get a suit of clothes.

Now that Zhu Ning's life and death are uncertain, Chu Junyi is really not in the mood to go home and sleep.

In the middle of the night, the gates of the city had been closed for a long time, the yamen servants came out to patrol the streets, and the watchmen also started to work.

A figure flashed into the room and saw Qin An who was sitting in the main seat. Just as he was about to speak, he caught a glimpse of Chu Junyi who was sitting beside him, and immediately closed his mouth again.

"Let's talk." Qin An's face sank like water, without any emotion on his face.

The man glanced at Chu Junyi again, and then said: "The horse was found, but the man was not."

As soon as this remark came out, the room instantly fell into a dead silence, only a few "popping" sounds from the burning candles still echoed.

Chu Junyi looked at the person standing down expressionlessly. The city gate had already been closed. If this person had entered the city before the city gate was closed, it would be impossible for him to come and report at this time.

Apart from going through the city gate, there are other ways to enter the city, but at this time Chu Junyi didn't want to delve into it. After all, there were some things he shouldn't know.

Compared with how people entered the city, Chu Junyi wanted to know Zhu Ning's situation more.

"Alive or dead?" Qin An said suddenly, his tone unusually calm.

"Dead." The man said.

The hands placed in front of him were clenched instantly, but Chu Junyi's face was half hidden.

"The horse was hit by arrows several times, and no excess blood was found around the body. Wei Xibo must have escaped by jumping off the horse halfway, and the horse ran wildly after being hit by arrows, and finally died of exhaustion." The man continued.

Qin An was silent for a while, and asked, "Where do you think they will flee?"

"I don't know." The man replied, "But judging from the traces along the way, it should be in the direction of Tong County."

"Tong County..." Qin An thought for a while before saying, "Then you take people to search in the direction of Tong County."

"Yes." The man agreed, and then withdrew.

Listening to their questions and answers, Chu Junyi also came up with a general idea. Zhu Ning and Shao Yan were attacked, and the way back to the capital was not easy. Tong County and the capital city run in the opposite direction. It is indeed possible for them to escape in that direction.

He sent a lot of guards to pick up the people, even if they were stopped by the assassins, there must be more people chasing and killing them.

Shao Yan wanted to protect Zhu Ning, so he definitely couldn't let go and fight the assassins. The gadgets Zhu Ning brought were fine against ordinary people, but they weren't enough to deal with those assassins.

No matter how he thought about it, Chu Junyi felt that the situation was not optimistic.

"If..." Qin An suddenly said, Chu Junyi looked at him, waiting for his next words.

Qin An glanced at him, smiled wryly and said, "If something really happened to Wei Xibo, I guess I should go home to be with my grandson." This is still the best result.

Chu Junyi was a little silent. He understood what Qin An meant. It was not easy to end well in this line of work. When he was too old to take care of things, he should abdicate and make way for a worthy man. However, he didn't understand why Qin An said this to him.

Turning his eyes to the window, the candlelight illuminated the room brightly, but it was extremely dark outside the window. Qin An was stunned for a while, and asked, "Are you interested in taking my place?"

Chu Junyi was taken aback by these words, then calmed down, and said in a deep voice: "In terms of qualifications and abilities, I shouldn't take over this position."

Qin An didn't refute, just nodded.

Chu Junyi's palms began to sweat, he didn't understand why Qin An said this, what exactly did he mean?

What is he worth... Thinking of this, Chu Junyi's mind flashed. The only difference between him and others is the information network left by Master Chu, and that information network...does not belong to the emperor.

Qin An tilted his head to look at him for a moment, then said slowly: "You don't have to think about it too much, this is just my own little thought, not what the emperor meant."

The pain from the nail piercing into the palm made Chu Junyi's mind clearer. He looked at Qin An and smiled and said, "Then you shouldn't say it out loud. In this position, you can only sit in the emperor's confidant."

"Indeed." Qin An sighed.

"I'm going to rest first. If there is any news from Zhu Ning, please let me know." Chu Junyi stood up and said goodbye.

Qin An nodded and watched him leave.

Because Chu Junyi has been staying here for a while, Qin An thoughtfully helped him prepare the room.

Back in the room, Chu Junyi threw himself on the bed without even having time to change his clothes.

What he said just now was Qin An's own intention, but it also explained one thing. Once Prince Yu is dealt with, the information network in his hands is likely to become a hot potato.

The relationship between Qin An and Master Chu San is really good, and Qin An has taken good care of him in the past few years. It is not easy for him to ask Chu Junyi how to deal with those things, so he reminded him like this.

Chu Junyi has already obtained grace for the spies who sneaked into Prince Yu's power. In the future, as long as they keep themselves safe and become squires, no one will embarrass them, but what about the other spies?

The emperor is not someone who can kill a donkey to unload the mill, and those people on hand can't shake the emperor's position.

But if this matter is not resolved, it will be a problem after all.

It seems that he should leave a way out for himself, and when the dust settles, he should also deal with the affairs in hand.

At least, to reduce the degree of danger to the level that the emperor can tolerate, he should really think about it carefully if he wants to avoid making a fuss and not make people suspicious.

Chu Junyi tossed and turned on the bed for a long time, and didn't fall asleep until it was almost dawn, but after sleeping for less than two hours, the sound outside woke him up.

The quilt wrapped his head tightly, and Chu Junyi was extremely reluctant, extremely unwilling, but it was a pity that he still had to get up when he should get up, even if his head was groggy and the pain was severe, he still had to get up and work.

Seeing his ugly face, Qin An was also taken aback.

"I recognize the bed..." Chu Junyi was full of depression. He not only recognized the bed, he also recognized the person lying beside him. Without Gu Chengzhi, he couldn't sleep well.

Qin An patted him on the shoulder sympathetically, and then left. He has a lot of things to do, and he can't wait to split himself into eight petals.

Chu Junyi stayed here until noon before leaving. Because this place is secret, it is not easy for others to know, so every time Chu Junyi comes here, he takes the most common carriage, and there will be no more than three people with him. .

There were only two people with the car today, one was Xue Hu, and the other was one of the guards sent to pick up Zhu Ning.

Xue Hu drove the carriage without squinting, while the eyes of the guards always glanced to the sides inadvertently.

"Stop!" the guard suddenly whispered.

Xue Hu's expression remained unchanged, but the carriage drove for a while before slowly stopping.

"What's wrong?" Chu Junyi asked in a deep voice.

The guard stared in one direction for a moment before saying: "Master Liu, I saw the assassin who attacked Wei Xibo."

"What?!" Chu Junyi's face changed suddenly, and he asked quickly, "Are you sure?!"

"Sure." The guard said with certainty, "I have fought against that assassin, and I remember his body and footwork very clearly. He must be right."

If it had been ten days and a half months, he wouldn't have said it with such certainty, but the fight was yesterday, how could he forget it.

"Xue Hu, drive the car aside, and then go back to find Master Qin." Chu Junyi turned to the guard and said, "Since you recognize him, then keep an eye on him."

As soon as Chu Junyi's words fell, the guard quickly said: "Master Liu, the assassin is gone... No, he has to leave the city!"

Chu Junyi's heart sank, his eyes were quiet and dark, and he said coldly: "Follow him! Xue Hu, you go to Master Qin and ask him to send someone over to support him."

Before the guard could speak, he heard Xue Hu say, "I'll take the sixth master to follow him, and you go to find Master Qin."

"Hurry up, it's too late!" Chu Junyi was a little anxious when he saw the assassin walking farther and farther through the car window.

"My martial arts are better than yours." Xue Hu said to the guard.

The guard gritted his teeth, jumped out of the carriage and ran back, with Chu Junyi's voice still echoing in his ears.

"I will pay attention to propriety, when the time comes, we will meet at the outskirts station."

Seeing the guards leave, Chu Junyi looked at Xue Hu and said, "Let's go!"

Xue Hu didn't speak, but just twitched the reins in his hand, and the carriage drove towards the city gate.