red cliff top

Watching the carriage disappear into the depths of the night, he hesitated outside the courtyard wall for a long time in contemplation, and finally chose to walk back through the gate of the mansion.According to Mr. Shen's temperament, even if he is a thief, he still wants to be frank.It's just that because of my heart, I have traveled half a stick in the short few steps, which is not faster than a turtle crawling.

For a long time, King Jin's favoritism and connivance have already made him full of confidence. He is convinced that no matter whether he acts out of line or speaks outrageously, even if he violates King Jin's original intention, offends King Jin's majesty, and challenges King Jin's bottom line, he will not be punished. any penalty.He just didn't want to see the embarrassed look on King Jin's face, and he didn't want to hear King Jin sigh in worry.

What is love, love, you and I don't understand at all, but he knows that now he and King Jin are tightly connected by an invisible and intangible silk thread, and each other is full of joy, anger, sorrow and joy. I feel the same way, if a black cloud floats over King Jin, it will rain sooner or later.

It was because of this that he was furious at King Jin's intention to protect Zhang Jinyu.There is me in you, and you in me, how can you allow the slightest distraction?

The third watch had passed, and it was supposed to be the time to sleep peacefully, but the front porch of Prince Jin's Mansion was illuminated by lanterns and torches as if it were daytime.

Shen Si stepped into the gate suspiciously, and was immediately caught off guard by the big battle in front of him. Dozens of guards and servants stood there hurriedly, not knowing whether they came here just to wait for him, or were preparing to capture Niu Huang.There were a few people in the crowd who were quite familiar with Shen Si, and their eyes were flickering at the moment, hesitating to speak, as if they were hinting at something.

Shen Si never expected that King Jin would be so laborious for a mere bezoar. He was about to ask the reason, when he heard the chief manager Hu Buxi speaking in a male voice: "Mr. Shen, please move to the study. Your lord is still waiting."

Shen Si glanced at Hu Buxi in disgust, and although he was unwilling, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow him to the study by the lake.After leaving a long distance, I saw people standing outside the door of the study room, not only the attendants on duty, but also some unknown faces with tense and serious expressions.

On the second floor, all the idlers were dismissed, and only King Jin paced back and forth with a gloomy expression.Seeing Shen Si, he froze at first, then quickly returned to his normal expression, and asked in a deep voice with his hands behind his back, "You let the bezoar go?"

Shen Si knew that he was wrong, and softened a little when he opened his mouth: "Shou Zhi, it is indeed my fault for acting without authorization, and I hereby apologize to you. After all, the bezoar who crossed the river in the past was kind to me, and I don't want him. Tortured to death as a scapegoat..."

After hearing this, King Jin became more and more irritable, but he didn't want to take his anger out on Shen Si, so he tried his best to suppress his emotions and turned his back to silence for a while, before slowly saying: "A Yu died just now."

After thinking for a while, he couldn't believe his ears: "Zhang Jinyu is dead? How did he die?" Although he had long believed that Zhang Jinyu poisoned the third brother and indirectly killed his third brother, he wanted to kill Zhang Jinyu to relieve his anger, but Hearing that a living person had died so suddenly without warning, he was unavoidably shocked and stunned.

The King of Jin took a deep breath, and said with a sad tone: "Hanging a half-old sweat towel on the roof beam, and hanged himself to death... The sweat towel is of poor quality and rough pattern, it is obviously not something he is used to."

Shensi only felt a "hum" in his mind, his eyebrows stood upright, and his throat was dry: "What does this mean? If you have something to say, you might as well just say it!"

King Jin still turned his back to him, and did not answer directly: "The knot of the sweat towel is tied on the right, and the armrest of the chair used to stand on tiptoes is also facing right, but Ayu is born left-handed. What's more, this king himself promised to check it out as soon as possible." Regarding the matter of poisoning Ming, choosing to commit suicide at this time will not only fail to prove his innocence, but will actually carry out the crime of harming others. No matter how stupid and dull Ayu is, he should understand this truth."

"You're not... doubting me, are you?" Shen Si couldn't help taking a half step back, his eyes full of grievance and guard.

King Jin stared at him for a moment, then shook his head helplessly: "Nianqing, from the beginning to the end, I never doubted you at all. With your skill, it would be easy to kill Ayu ten or a hundred times, so why bother to pretend to be a ghost. I'm just annoyed that you shouldn't have let Niu Huang go at this time, you know that by doing this, you are taking the initiative to draw doubts on yourself."

Thinking with a wry smile: "If I don't save Niu Huang, how do I know if he will live until tomorrow or the day after tomorrow?"

At this time, there was the sound of chaotic footsteps downstairs, and a confidant guard hurried upstairs, bowed and clasped his fists and said, "Reporting to the lord, the subordinates followed the lord's order and chased them for more than a dozen miles in three ways, but only caught him." A coachman, according to what he said, the young man called Niu Huang disappeared out of nowhere in the middle of the journey."

King Jin seemed to have expected it long ago, so he was not very surprised. He just hooked his hands lightly: "Bring people in."

The guards got the order, pushed and shoved a black and thin man in his forties to come in, it was the coachman that Shen Si had hired earlier.The coachman didn't know what mistake he had made, he just took over a business, but he offended the majestic Jin Wang Qiansui, he was so frightened that he didn't dare to say a word, didn't dare to lift his head, and hugged a bundle tightly with both hands His back shrank and his whole body trembled.

Shen Si recognized at a glance that it was the baggage he had prepared for Bezoar, rushed forward and snatched it, and tore it apart randomly. There were quite a lot of money, dry food, and customs clearance documents in it, except for the saber that was a parting gift.He grabbed the driver's collar and asked sharply: "Disappear out of thin air? How can there be such a thing as disappearing out of thin air in the world? Why don't you tell the truth about where people have gone?"

Being yelled at by Shen Si, the coachman's legs and feet became weak and he knelt down on the ground with a "plop": "My lord, spare me! My lord, spare my life!" Without waiting for Shen Si to urge him, he immediately narrated the situation along the way in detail. .

The more Shen Si listened, the more he felt the tightness in his chest, and the blood on his face slowly faded.The coachman was emaciated and timid, he didn't look like he was capable of murdering and stealing goods, besides, how could he just stay there instead of running away after killing someone?If you meet a thief on the way, why is the coachman safe and sound, and the money in the car is also untouched?That sword is really an ordinary thing, it is neither a rare treasure, nor is it made by a famous expert, except for Niuhuang himself, who would take it away alone?

If Niuhuang has the ability to escape quietly without the driver's awareness, then it is a lie that he does not know martial arts, and it is also a lie that he has no hope of fleeing and intends to commit suicide. If it is traced back, perhaps Zhang Jinyu has really suffered an injustice Perhaps the appearance of maltose the day before the incident was also the result of careful planning, or perhaps, when King Jin killed the killer at the canal wharf that day, Niuhuang took three steps to win his sympathy. The chance meeting in the village by the shore was premeditated... In this way, I was really wrong, and it was a big mistake!But who, and why, is plotting against him?

Shen Si was deeply annoyed at his inability to see and hear clearly, and was even more annoyed at not believing King Jin's words earlier.This taste is like being stabbed from the back, the pain is unbearable, but there is no way to fight back, and you don't even have the qualifications to complain or groan.

In a daze, Hu Buxi ran in with small steps, hurriedly whispered in King Jin's ear, "My lord, Mr. Zhang is here..."

Jin Wang nodded: "It's always coming, Ayu, hurry up and deal with me..." Then he thought about it and said to Shen Si, "Nian Qing, you go back first, I have my own opinion on this matter." After a long time, seeing that Shen Si was still standing there, as if he hadn't heard of it, the King of Jin had to raise his volume and called out twice, "Nian Qing? Nian Qing?"

Shen Si woke up suddenly, raised his head and looked at King Jin in a trance, his eyes did not see the usual brilliance.His lips moved twice, but he didn't say anything after all, just turned around and backed out silently.

I didn't want Zhang Shijie to come too fast, followed by dozens of prominent members of the Zhang clan.As soon as Shen Si walked downstairs, he ran into a group of Zhang family members who were full of grief and indignation and came to seek justice from King Jin.In order not to embarrass King Jin, Shen Si took the lead in greeting Zhang Shijie, "General Zhang."

Zhang Shijie didn't seem to notice Shen Si, he glanced away coldly, and snorted contemptuously.

The enemy was extremely jealous when they met, the Zhang family saw Shen Si without saying a word, they swarmed up and blocked the way, although they dared not act rashly because of Shen Si's identity, but they all looked at him fiercely and wanted to eat him alive.Shen Si paused for a while, ignored the opponent's attack, and walked straight forward.For one thing, he was disturbed and didn't want to cause troubles anymore, and for one thing, he didn't pay attention to those who deliberately provoked people.

This seemingly proud attitude infuriated the Zhang family even more. Unsound curses came faintly from the corner. A bold man even took advantage of the darkness to sneak up on Shen Si's back with his fists. Before he could succeed, Shen Si had already grabbed the wrist bone with his backhand. , with a slight twist, the man fell to the ground.

Seeing this situation, the people around believed that Shen Si was attacking with power, and rushed forward with shouts. Some people stretched out their hands to grab Shen Si's collar, but he turned his head slightly to dodge it, and then he retracted his palms inward, and was about to hit him. On the opponent's forearm and elbow, there was only a crisp sound of "click", and the muscles and bones were broken. The man screamed and fell to the ground, hugging his arms and rolling back and forth.

The guards of the palace present at first were worried that Shen Si would be at a disadvantage, so they deliberately stepped forward to help, but when they saw his sharp fists and swift movements, they all obediently stood behind and watched the excitement.Zhang Shijie, who was the leader, turned a blind eye the whole time and let his family attack Shen Si.

Immediately afterwards, another three or five people surrounded them at the same time, punching each other fiercely. Shen Si was already annoyed and irritable because of the death of the third brother and the deception of Niu Huang. No longer showing mercy, he clenched his fists and swung straight at the limbs and joints of the comer. In an instant, his figure was in disarray, with the sounds of body collisions and painful wailings one after another.

Just as they were getting excited, they suddenly heard a shout from the steps: "Everyone stop! Do you know where this is!"

When everyone looked up, it turned out that King Jin was standing there condescendingly. He hurriedly withdrew and knelt down and said, "My lord, please calm down. I offended you in a moment of impatience. Please forgive me."

King Jin secretly aimed at Shen Si who was standing there silently and angry, and confirmed that he was unharmed. Fang heaved a sigh of relief, then looked at Zhang Shijie who had been watching coldly from the side, and sternly reprimanded Shen Si pretendingly: "Didn't I tell you to go back? It's just out of order, why don't you leave quickly!"

Shen Si clenched his teeth and remained silent for a moment, then turned around and flew away, quickly disappearing at the end of the path.

Zhang Shijie observed the words and expressions, and hurriedly knelt down in front of the crowd: "My lord, Ayu died unjustly, and I ask my lord to make the decision for my poor nephew!"

King Jin narrowed his eyes and looked at Zhang Shijie carefully for a moment, and stepped forward to help him carefully: "Zimu, Ayu passed away suddenly, and this king is also deeply grieved. Looking back on the past few years, no matter whether it is the feathers presented at the festive banquet, Wu, is still the desk attendant, so many scenes are vivid in my memory. Alas, I can only blame this king for not thinking carefully, punishing him a little bit, making him unable to think about it for a while, and doing such irreparable stupid things. thing."

Zhang Shijie's eyes widened suddenly when he heard the words, startled and angry: "My lord, Ayu was clearly..."

"Zimu, life and death are fates, so you should be sad and obedient." Before he finished speaking, he was stopped by the king of Jin, "Although Ayu is a descendant of your Zhang family, he is also a person close to this king. He is buried, you just need to rest assured."

Zhang Shijie couldn't be reconciled anyway: "My lord! Your lord should also know that Ayu's child is pure and cheerful by nature, and he has no city in his heart. There are many doubts about the poisoning. It is even more nonsense to say that he committed suicide by hanging himself. It is clearly murdered." And die!"

"Oh? Then Zi Mu will tell the king, who is trying to murder him?" King Jin looked at Zhang Shijie with special meaning, raised his palm and patted him on the shoulder affectionately twice, with neither light nor heavy, It happens that only the person involved can perceive it.Zhang Shijie was taken aback for a moment, his eyeballs flickered rapidly, and the expression on his face changed rapidly.

Seeing that Zhang Shijie was speechless for a while, the King of Jin pretended to be kind and said: "The dead are the most important. Regarding the matter of poisoning and harming people, I don't want to pursue it any longer. Although Ayu is gone, this king and him The relationship between them is still there. In the future, the Wangfu and the Zhang family will still be close relatives of flesh and blood, and we will share weal and woe."

Speaking of this, Zhang Shijie couldn't appreciate it if he talked too much, Zhang Shijie struggled to utter a few words with trembling lips: "Thank you... my lord..."

After finally dismissing Zhang Shijie temporarily, Jin Wang hurried to the small courtyard where Shen Si lived, without taking a sip of tea to catch his breath.Jin Hulu had been sent to guard the border town a few months ago, and once Niuhuang left, the courtyard was deserted and almost lost its popularity.

Several rooms were not lit, and they were dark. King Jin left all his attendants outside the courtyard. He went in by himself, and went directly up the bamboo ladder to the roof.Sure enough, Shen Si and the little fox were sitting there side by side drinking.

The little fox can't drink well, and after a few licks, he gets drunk, sticks out his long tongue, and snores continuously.Only Shen Si muttered softly there: "Liuli, it's not strange if you say it's weird, sometimes I think I'm very smart, how difficult military books and sword manuals are engraved in my mind after reading it once. Strangely stupid, simple people, simple things, always can't see clearly. Trying to do one thing well, but messing up another thing, trying to save one person, but implicating another person, It's so hard to live..." He tilted his head back and took a few swigs of wine, then raised his sleeve and wiped the corners of his mouth indiscriminately, "It's not easy to be a general who defends the country on the battlefield, and it's not easy to be a petty boy in the backyard of the palace." Easy to do, brother Liuli, if everything in the world could be as easy as riding a horse and shooting an arrow, how wonderful it would be..."

"Horseback archery is not easy for most people." Jin originally planned to stand behind and listen quietly, but he couldn't help but interjected.

Sitting in the same place without looking back, the little fox staggered to King Jin's feet and sniffed curiously, with two big black eyes rolling around and scratching the upper of King Jin's shoe with its paws to make fun of it. .

After being disturbed by the little fox, King Jin's heavy mood was relieved a lot. He walked to Shen Si and sat down next to him, only to find that Shen Si's eyes were slightly red. He couldn't help teasing: "You It's... Could it be that you were bullied by Zhang's family and you were so angry that you cried?"

Shen Si shook his head calmly: "I'm not afraid of your jokes when I say it, I'm a little homesick... I miss my father and my brothers..."

Jin Wang was stunned for a moment, then stretched out his arms to embrace Shen Si's shoulders, hugged him tightly in his arms, and gently swayed from side to side, coaxing a child: "Aren't you going to send the third son's coffin back to his hometown for burial?" Is it? Taking advantage of the fact that the war on the Eastern Front is stable these days and everything is still under the control of the Jin army, let’s leave quickly.”

The night wind blew, and the roof was surprisingly quiet. For a long time, Shen Sifang asked quietly: "This is to calm things down, do you want to drive me away?"

King Jin's heart ached, and he held Shen Si's arm even tighter: "Say something stupid, I don't want you to be involved in disputes."

Shen Si smiled lightly with a hint of wine: "The scenery of Lanyue Mountain is picturesque, and the top of the red cliff is like a fairyland. Are you not afraid that I will leave and never come back?"

King Jin sighed exaggeratedly: "Oh, my beloved Shen Xiaowu is a wild monkey. If he really wants to leave, who in the world can keep him? But Nianqing, to be honest, what are you waiting for?" One day I get away from this complicated world, and I will go back to Lanyue Mountain with you, and I also want to live a fairy life on the top of the red cliff..." As he spoke, he hummed unconsciously. The country tune on Lanyue Mountain, "Lanyue Mountain, Yupai River, five hundred feet, to the horizon, on the top of the red cliff, there are gods, go with the wind, into the clouds..."

Hearing him humming and babbling sadly, he couldn't help feeling sad when he thought about it, so he stuffed the jug into his arms: "Don't dream, drink."

What is going out of the world, what is going back to the mountains and forests, it is just a simple choice for others to go or stay, put it on the king of Jin, how easy is it?If we talk about ease, no one is more at ease than King Jin. There are endless gold and silver treasures, endless silk and satin, and there are attendants attentively waiting for you when you walk, sit, and lie down. Do it for others.But if it is hard work, no one has worked harder than King Jin. He never lived for himself alone. Countless people of the Zhou Dynasty in the original land...

After drinking all the wine in the pot, Shen Si raised his hand and rubbed his cheeks stiffened by the night wind twice: "Shou Zhi, there are actually a few more lines in that ditty." He picked up the tune that King Jin had played before and hummed, " Embracing the bright moon, shoulder to shoulder, the world is good, and we will be reunited forever."

Jin Wang also sang with him in a low voice: "The world is good, and we will be reunited forever, and the world is good, and we will be reunited forever..."

Three days later, Shen Si and Chen Liudao set off in a hurry.Walking to the gate of the palace, he pondered for a long time before turning over and jumping on the horse. During this time, he peeked inside the door several times, but he never saw King Jin.In desperation, he had no choice but to embark on the road back home with regret.

After leaving Jinyang City, the team moved forward at a constant speed along the official road.In a place that Shen Si couldn't see, on the top of a high mountain ridge in the distance, King Jin was secretly following all the way, and he was still reluctant to part when he was sent all the way. He didn't forget to ask Gu Zhuozi who was following him repeatedly: "The escort Is the manpower arranged properly?"

Gu Zhuozi had to report again and again: "Yes, my lord, I have dispatched the most capable people both openly and secretly, pretending to be silk dealers all the way to the front, and all the way pretending to be the rear of the caravan. You can rest assured. The officers and soldiers were forced to go outside the customs. The section to Qingzhouwei is all under the defense of the Jin army, so it is considered peaceful."

King Jin looked at the shrinking figure in the distance, with melancholy in his eyes: "I'm afraid it won't be long before the king of Xiangfan's million-strong army arrives, and it's hard to predict who will die. It's a good thing to send Nianqing away for the time being. No matter who wins or loses in this battle between me and Wei You's nephew, he will feel bad."

Gu Zhuozi shook his feather fan to blow up the cool breeze, with a clear expression on his face: "My lord is so considerate for Mr. Shen, you are really lucky. But... since your lord is so reluctant, why don't you just go down the mountain and give you a ride?" What? No one can see that the young master is clearly waiting for the prince to show up."

King Jin smiled wryly: "I won't give it away, I won't give it away... I'm afraid the more I send it, the more reluctant I will be..."

There was a rustling sound from behind, and a confidant urged the horse to come over, bowed and leaned closer to report something in a low voice.King Jin nodded after hearing this, calmed down and told everyone: "A Yuan, A Qu, come with me to the gate of the city to 'catch fish'!"