old grace

The summer night was sweltering, Xie Qinghe was sleeping deeply, when he was suddenly awakened by a hasty knock on the door.

Lao Huang, who was in charge of guarding the gate, lived in the south gate, and soon got up and came out with a lamp, and asked who was outside the gate.

Jiang Erniang's voice came from outside the door: "It's me, Erniang."

Xie Qinghe was lying still, but when he heard the sound, he put on his clothes and got out of bed, walked out with his shoes on, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Lao Huang opened the door latch, and Jiang Erniang rushed in, her hair disheveled and her face full of panic, without a lantern in her hand, she asked eagerly, "Brother, is Xiao Yan here? Have you seen Xiao Yan?"

At this moment, Xie Qinghe saw the resident bird that was originally perched on the treetops in the courtyard startled, fluttering its wings and flying to the sky.

This is an external response.Without divination, Xie Qinghe knew that Shu Jing flew away like a frightened bird.

"It's okay, go back to sleep." Xie Qinghe told Old Huang to go back to sleep, took the lamp in his hand, and led Jiang Erniang into the room, "Second sister, don't worry, go in and talk slowly."

While talking, Jiang Youniang also heard the movement, and the lamp was lit in the room.

Jiang Erniang came to ask about Shu Jing's whereabouts in the middle of the night, Xie Qinghe didn't want Jiang Youniang to get involved, and said, "Third Sister, it's nothing serious, don't need to get up, go to sleep."

Jiang Youniang poked her disheveled head out of the window, and asked with concern: "Are you all right?"

Jiang Erniang didn't want Jiang Youniang to get involved, she nodded indiscriminately, followed Xie Qinghe into the main room, and closed the door directly.

Jiang Youniang leaned against the window and thought for a while, then turned on the lamp and fell asleep.

Xie Qinghe got up in the middle of the night with long hair disheveled. He first asked Erniang Jiang to sit down, lit the candles, and poured Erniang Jiang a glass of cold water as there was no hot water for tea in the middle of the night.At this time, the weather is hot and cold water can also be imported.Then he turned around and went to the house to touch a hairpin, and managed to tie up his long hair.

"What happened?" Xie Qinghe asked.

Jiang Erniang was embarrassed to talk about what happened in the shop, so she begged Xie Qinghe first: "Xiao Yan is gone, brother, don't you know how to tell fortunes? Do you figure out where he went? Let's go find him quickly."

"Second Sister asked me at the door just now, and I already got an outside response. If my calculations are correct, he must have been alarmed by something before he left in a hurry."

It was Jiang Erniang who alarmed Su Niao to fly away at the door just now, Xie Qinghe believed that Jiang Erniang should also be the one who alarmed Shu Jing away.

He didn't point this out clearly, but patiently explained: "It's like a resident bird flying away, its nest is here, even if it flies away for a while, it will eventually come back. Second sister, don't worry."

"You mean he will come back?" Jiang Erniang often saw Xie Qinghe divination to fool Zhuang Tong and He Jing. She was very convinced of his word-of-mouth fortune-telling skills, and immediately calmed down and asked with concern, "Then when will he be?" Can you come back?"

Xie Qinghe didn't care when Shu Jing would return, he wanted to know why Shu Jing left: "Second Sister, what happened?"

Jiang Erniang was choked by the question, unable to speak.

Xie Qinghe immediately realized that this matter involved privacy, and it might not be easy to ask.

It's not easy for a younger brother to get involved in her sister's private affairs, but the reason why he can let Jiang Erniang and Shu Jing get along with him is because he thinks that Jiang Erniang is self-confident, Shu Jing knows how to behave, and both of them are mature and rational.Even if one fantasizes, it will not cause the two of them to lose their minds together.

It now appears that the situation has not developed as he expected.

Shu Jing's origin was a mystery, and he never pressed him because he sympathized with Shu Jing.Now that Jiang Erniang and Shu Jing are so ambiguous, it seems that he, the younger brother, failed to fulfill his duty of protection and put the person with unknown history by his sister's side.

Xie Qinghe thought for a moment and took out three copper coins.

It is absolutely impossible to question Jiang Erniang.He planned to divination Shu Jing's whereabouts and asked Shu Jing for questioning.

Jiang Erniang just wanted Xie Qinghe to divine Shu Jing's whereabouts and help her chase Shu Jing back, but now seeing Xie Qinghe going to get the copper coins, he wanted to chase Shu Jing back to interrogate what happened tonight, she was in a panic and fidgeted again.Xie Qinghe just spilled the copper coins, and she pressed the copper coins on the table in her hand, not letting Xie Qinghe look at Yin Yang, and said: "I'll tell you."

"But before I tell you, you have to promise me one thing. You must promise me that you really promise me, and you can't go back on your promise." Jiang Erniang said.

Xie Qinghe refused to promise indiscriminately, saying: "Second sister, just say it. Whether you agree or not depends on what the second sister's conditions are."

Jiang Erniang choked on him, stared blankly at the faint light on the table, and suddenly didn't want to make her own request.

She told her younger brother not to beat Shu Jing, but Shu Jing was still beaten.She wanted to restrain her younger sister's extravagant expenses, but her younger brother never bothered.She knew where she was - she could be sheltered by her brother, but she couldn't influence his decision.

Every daughter-in-law has a dream of becoming a mother-in-law. Jiang Erniang was taken home by her younger brother to support her. She once thought that she could overcome the cowardice and hardship of being a daughter-in-law and become the hostess of the family in one step. Zhang's status.

After a few quarrels with Jiang Youniang, her younger brother never supported her, and Jiang Erniang realized that her dream was unrealistic.

Since speaking has no weight, why bother to speak?

Jiang Erniang recounted everything that happened during this period.

After she realized something was wrong, she interrogated why Shu Jing avoided Xian Yuyu.How did Shu Jing prevaricate her.How did Shu Jing intentionally block her for a long time, making her go crazy and lose her temper.And, how did she have a showdown with Shu Jing today.

She only talked about many things in general, even so, in order to excuse Shu Jing, she still emphasized that it was she who tore Shu Jing's shirt.

——It wasn't Shu Jing who took the initiative, but she led the matter.

In Xie Qinghe's view, it is not uncommon for a woman to pursue a man actively, and she did not show any surprise.

Who would have thought that the story Jiang Erniang narrated next would take a sudden turn for the worse.

A reserved woman like Jiang Erniang threw away her restraint and tore Shu Jing's shirt with her hands. The mutual affection between the two can be described as a firewood.

Under such circumstances, Shu Jing remained calm throughout the whole process, and was able to coax Erniang Jiang not to act for the time being.He said, I already knew that my aunt was determined to protect me at all costs, so I relied on the love my aunt gave me to think of other countermeasures.Is it just this matter on the bed in the boudoir? It must never be done.Otherwise, if you coerce the master and offend the master, you will not be able to end it.

Jiang Erniang was also quite afraid of her younger brother's turning against her, and with Shu Jing sticking to her face to please and coax her, how could she stand it?

Therefore, the two finally held the bottom line.Jiang Erniang thought that she had already made an agreement with Shu Jing, and she just waited for Shu Jing to come up with a countermeasure. After avoiding this catastrophe, she and Shu Jing could slowly plan for the future—even if it was a private agreement for life.

Jiang Erniang was satisfied, and she slept with Shu Jing in her arms.When Jiang Erniang woke up in the middle of the night, she was surprised to find that Shu Jing had disappeared.

At first she thought that Shu Jing was embarrassed, so she quietly hid in her room in the middle of the night and went to sleep.Now that she has crossed the line in her heart, she has lost a lot of scruples, and wants to find Shu Jing so that he doesn't have to be so shy.

I searched around the shop, but there was no sign of Shu Jing, and Jiang Erniang's panic gradually accumulated.

She didn't know what Shu Jing had done, what secrets she had hidden, and panicked, thinking that Shu Jing had turned himself in to his younger brother.Thinking of how severely her younger brother had admonished Shu Jing twice, Jiang Erniang was too afraid of Shu Jing's suffering, so she came to the door all night with her hair disheveled.

"I just can't figure it out, why did he run away..." Jiang Erniang was thinking so hard, "If he wanted to run, he should have done so long ago, why did he have to run today... Could it be me... Are you watching him?"

Speaking of this, Jiang Erniang still feels a little inferior.

Regardless of whether Shu Jing was a criminal slave or not, Jiang Erniang felt inferior to herself and Lizhi, thinking that she was a dwarf.

Regardless of the woman's modesty, she took the initiative to puncture the layer of window paper between her and Shu Jing. Based on her experience of being seduced by Shu Jing these days, she thought that Shu Jing also had intentions for her.Unexpectedly, Shu Jing refused to do such a good thing with her, and got up in the middle of the night and ran away without a trace. Jiang Erniang was left where she was, so she naturally doubted whether she was being affectionate.

The unconfident Jiang Erniang was full of melancholy, and Xie Qinghe, who was sitting by the side, had already drank two glasses of cold water, feeling depressed.

He knew that he shouldn't touch this ordinary heart, and he also knew that he was so angry because he was burdened by his skin, so that his will was weak and his emotions leaked out.

But, he was really angry.

For more than ten days in a row, Shu Jing made trouble for Jiang Erniang every day, teasing and angering Jiang Erniang all the time, insisting on making Jiang Erniang feel flustered and short of breath, feeling that everything was not going well, and was disgusted in his heart.Is this something normal people can do?

No matter what Shu Jing's real purpose was, what he did to Jiang Erniang was outright abuse.

The most annoying thing is that Xie Qinghe knew that Shu Jing was manipulating and abusing Jiang Erniang, but Jiang Erniang didn't realize it.She didn't even think it mattered!She was still wondering why Shu Jing ran away overnight, and whether her confession scared Shu Jing away!Does this girl get the point? !

Shu Jing gave eight points of Xie Qinghe's anger at this time, and the remaining two points fell on Jiang Erniang.

But he can punish Shu Jing, but he can't do anything about Jiang Erniang.After all, he is a younger brother, so what can he do with his sister who has fallen into the sea of ​​love and evil?Before speaking, you have to keep silent.Xie Qinghe suppressed all emotions, and asked slowly: "Second sister, on the first day after buying him home, he deliberately pretended to be pitiful to win the sympathy of second sister. Did second sister forget the past?"

How could Jiang Erniang not know that Shu Jing is cunning, she thought for a while, and said in a low voice: "I remember. It's just... he is very cute when he is with you on weekdays. Sometimes he knows that he is trying to please and be pitiful, but she still bears it." I can't help but want to pet him."

"For more than ten days in a row, he made troubles for my sister every day, adding insults and offenses everywhere, which made my sister feel depressed and unhappy. He justified that he had no choice but to do it for my sister's benefit and for my sister's sake. So let me just forgive him?" Xie Qinghe asked.

Jiang Erniang shook her head and said, "I know he's not doing it for my own good. He just wants to coerce me, remind me that he is very important to me, and wants me to protect him—he's not like this usually, and he was fine before anything happened. I think it's because I'm too afraid of Xiaoyu, that's why I did this. I'm a little angry, but he has no other choice, can I still argue with him, reprimand and scold him? As long as he shows a sad expression, I'll..."

Jiang Erniang didn't go on.Obviously, she had already been captured by Shu Jing, and she couldn't bear Shu Jing's sadness.

Xie Qinghe had no other choice.

He understands how it feels to fall in love with someone.He is so calm, sober, wise and unparalleled, he can be controlled by Shu Hanyun for more than ten years and cannot be released. Jiang Erniang's vision and insight are a thousand miles behind Shu Jing, and he is played in the palm of his hand. Doomed ending.

The room was so quiet that only the sound of each other's breathing remained.

Jiang Erniang looked at her younger brother's calm face, fingertips were picking at the rim of the cup, feeling flustered.

No matter how angry Xie Qinghe was, after many years of life, his behavior has become a law.If Jiang Erniang was his daughter, he would naturally control Jiang Erniang and not allow her to entangle with Shu Jing.Jiang Erniang is his older sister.He can only remind and suggest Jiang Erniang's life, and she has to decide what direction she should take in the end.

After abandoning all emotions, Xie Qinghe opened his mouth carefully and said, "Until I ask him about his past, Second Sister should not think deeply about marriage and marriage. This is the bottom line."

Jiang Erniang's cheeks were flushed by the words, and she whispered, "I also...haven't thought about it."

No matter how shy she was, Xie Qinghe said calmly and sternly: "No matter what happened to him in the past, I have to remind my second sister."

"He has excellent skills, has received very hard training, has read many books, and has many fatal insights. Moreover, he is very good at manipulating others, and he never minds manipulating others. The second sister is with him and is crushed by him everywhere Control, even if he lied and said that he likes the second sister, the second sister can't tell the truth from the fake, one day he wants to count on the second sister's life, the second sister will only willingly die for him—"

"I'm not alarmist. Second sister, please remember everything I said today."

Jiang Erniang subconsciously defended Shu Jing: "He's not like that. I'm not a fool!"

Xie Qinghe: "..."

Jiang Erniang also felt that she refuted her younger brother's remarks, and seemed to be rude to her younger brother. She smiled apologetically, and said flatteringly: "I haven't thought about that far. I just want to prevent him from dying. If you There is a way, can you help him, help him make peace with Xiaoyu? He is a good man, he was convicted and became a slave, and he has already been punished, so there is no need to... kill them all?"

Before Xie Qinghe agreed, she thought about it and changed her mind: "This is not good. If it doesn't make sense, it will make him expose Xingzang instead."

"Why don't Xiao Yan and I move farther away and go back to the town? A few days ago, my eldest sister sent someone to deliver a letter, asking me if I would also open a shop at home, and she would join me in doing it together. I..."

Xie Qinghe got dizzy when he heard this proposal, and said, "Let's talk about it later. When he comes back, I'll ask him."

Jiang Erniang asked sharply, "Brother, do you not want me to go home?"

Xie Qinghe's displeasure has reached the extreme, and he still said in a good voice: "You are too close to your parents, and there will always be restrictions. The second sister wants to return to Linjiang Town to make a living. Everyone has their own ambitions, and I can't force each other. However, Yan Ji is my servant, so I will take it back today."

Jiang Erniang immediately became anxious: "What are you going to do to him? Didn't you say...you gave him to me?"

"I haven't figured out what happened to him in the past. Even if I figured it out, he has a stinky body. No matter how important my sister is, I will wash it up and give it to you. It's getting late, sister, let's rest. I'm tired too." .” Xie Qinghe opened the door and gave Jiang Erniang a lamp.

Jiang Erniang's room at home has been paved all the time, and the maids often go to clean it, so they can be settled at any time, so Xie Qinghe didn't send her back to the shop.

She went out with the lamp in her hand, and looked at Dongfang Jiangming, quite anxious about the future.

■

Xie Qinghe said that Shu Jing is like a bird that is frightened away and will always return to its nest.

Jiang Erniang dreamed that she would come back at dawn, and woke up the next day full of expectations. Shu Jing did not appear in front of her like a dream, but Xie Qinghe took the lead and arranged for her to move back with her three adopted daughters.

"It's not always safe to live on the street with three little girls without a man guarding the gate."

Xie Qinghe didn't ask Jiang Erniang's opinion, and directly asked Lao Huang to go to the shop to help move.

Now Yangting County is relatively safe under the administration. It can’t be said that they don’t pick up things on the road and don’t close their houses at night.It's just that women's chastity is too valued these days, and once something happens, they can't bear the consequences.

Jiang Erniang had some bad premonitions and asked, "When will he come back?"

Xie Qinghe didn't answer directly, but said: "It's only a day or two, and it's safer to move back."

The population of the family increased, and the East Wing could not accommodate them. Zhuang Tong and He Jing no longer came to class, so they vacated the study room for people to live in.

Xie Qinghe lives in the main room, the living room, bedroom and study are all complete, and the study in the west wing has always been used by Jiang Youniang.Now that she was suddenly vacated for the older girls, Jiang Erniang was worried that her sister would be unhappy, so she took the embroidery pattern to please her.Jiang Youniang couldn't help laughing: "Second sister is really caring. If there are fewer people in the family, the house should be spacious, and if there are many people, it should be crowded. What's the matter? It's worth it."

The two sisters lived apart for a long time, and then lived together in the same courtyard again, but they got closer emotionally.

Jiang Erniang is busy with the business of the shop, and worried about Shu Jing's future, so she has no time to meddle in other matters. Jiang Youniang also knows that quarreling with her sister will make her younger brother worry, so she usually tries to let Jiang Erniang do her best.The two didn't quarrel anymore.

Jiang Yuanniang often sent people to deliver letters and gifts, most of which were for daily necessities, and she wished she could cover all the food and clothing expenses of her brothers and sisters.

After Li Changshu went crazy, Jiang Yuanniang took charge of the house behind the scenes, and lived a very proud life.The only thing she regrets is that her knees are empty and she has no children.Parents are not close to each other, Jiang Yuanniang lives lonely and wants to walk with her brothers and sisters.

Therefore, Jiang Yuanniang kept writing letters to persuade the two younger sisters, asking Jiang Erniang to go back to Linjiang Town to open a shop, and asking Jiang Youniang to go back to be with her. alright.

For Jiang Erniang and Jiang Youniang, there is no essential difference between living with the younger brother and living with the eldest sister.

If you really want to think about the future, it will be safer to follow the eldest sister.Jiang Yuanniang has a family and a very stable business, but Jiang Yingzhou is young and young, and there will always be a day when she will marry a wife and have children.Once the younger sister-in-law comes in, gives birth to a few children, and forms a family of her own, the elder sister-in-law who stays at home for a long time and refuses to marry is probably a thorn in the eyes of the younger sister-in-law.

Jiang Youniang has been following Xie Qinghe for a long time, thinking about things is very lawless.

Seeing that the elder sister wrote another letter to urge the shop to open, she clarified with Jiang Erniang: "I know that the second sister is worried about the future. However, the second sister has to think about it. When I return to Linjiang Town, it will be my mother who will socialize in the future." .If you don't return to Linjiang Town, the worst result will be to see the cold face of your sister-in-law--as a sister-in-law, can you still slap us in the face?"

These words immediately woke up Jiang Erniang.

She is not a masochist either, she has lived freely for two years, how can she bear the pain of living under Zhang's eyes?

I can bear being cut off from diet and eating chaff and vegetables all year round. At that time, I was always worried about being reprimanded and punished, and the fear of being blamed at every turn was like a nightmare that I had already woken up from. I never wanted to go through it again.

Jiang Erniang's female celebrity shop is not bad, the shop is her own, labor is not expensive, and there is a guarantee of a few taels of silver every month, and if there is a change of season, it is not uncommon to earn 80 to [-] taels.Not to mention being rich and powerful, it is enough to support a family.

Seeing that she was earning a solid living, Jiang Youniang also felt anxious that she would not be able to make money, so she went up to Jiang Erniang and wanted to work.

At the very beginning, Jiang Erniang disliked that she was blind and her embroidery work was not good. Now that the shop is making money, she felt that it didn't matter if she raised her sister for nothing, so she agreed vaguely.Unexpectedly, the work embroidered by Jiang Youniang was very beautiful. Jiang Erniang was very surprised. After reading it carefully several times, she went to Jiang Youniang to settle the score: "It's all right if you do your work sloppily. How can you ask your younger brother to help you embroider? How can he be a man?" To be a female celebrity?"

Jiang Youniang found out the embroidery basket, covered the cloth with a bandage, and with a flick of her fingertips, the silk thread was divided into twelve strands, which surprised Jiang Erniang so quickly.

Then Jiang Youniang threaded the needle, flicked her fingertip lightly, and the thin needle flew across the embroidery cloth like a light smoke.

Jiang Erniang was dumbfounded: "You, you..."

"Brother taught me. I want to be arty, learn some piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. In the end, I still like embroidery. Second sister, wait until I learn this craft exquisitely, and I can handle the work of the shop. When the time comes, I will do the work, and you come to learn the flying needle. It’s really fun and interesting, and it’s beautiful and easy to do.” Jiang Youniang put her arms around her shoulders and said with a smile, “I’ll teach you.”

Jiang Erniang was a little timid at first: "Then can I learn it well? It's no good, I still...it's up to you to do it."

Jiang Youniang encouraged her: "Isn't it just a needle? The second sister's embroidery is the best, I can learn it, can you?"

Only then did Jiang Erniang develop some courage, and watched Jiang Youniang play with needlework curiously, and started practicing in the afternoon.

There is a shop that occupies the energy of the day, and often plays with her sister after closing time. Jiang Erniang is so busy that she only thinks of Shu Jing and the little things she got along with him when she is lying in bed at night.She knew that her younger brother disapproved of their affairs, and she also suspected that his younger brother used a tactic to slow down the attack and temporarily appease her with lies. She thought that Xiao Yan might never come back again...

No matter how she guessed and shed tears at night, she dared not ask her brother about it the next day.

Without the help of her younger brother, Erniang Jiang didn't know how to find Shu Jing.You can't report to the officials that you have escaped slaves, right?

Jiang Erniang spent the whole summer scratching her heart and lungs like this.

It's another year of high and refreshing autumn, and Xie Qinghe has skillfully prepared clogs and trekking poles, planning to take the whole family out for an autumn outing.

Xian Yu Yu arrives on a flying kite as promised.

Unlike before, he didn't come alone this time, he brought someone with him.

"Xiao Yan?! What's the matter with you?!" Jiang Youniang was very surprised, and stepped forward to look at the man who brought Xian Yuyu back several times.This person is described as thin and haggard, he has endured a lot of hardships, how can he have a handsome old appearance?

At this time Jiang Erniang was still guarding the shop, and Shu Jing, who had no idea what he was thinking about day and night, was brought back by Xian Yuyu.

Xie Qinghe heard the sound, and Xian Yuyu stepped forward to salute, and explained: "The real man. This man traveled thousands of miles all the way up the cold mountain, and has been a wild man in the wasteland without a guide, washing in the dirty river, and buying some game when he is hungry. , eat some fruit, and at the foot of the cold mountain, he is no different from a savage. I want to see my disciple by name—I thought he came to seek revenge."

Xie Qinghe smiled and looked at Shu Jing up and down.Shu Jing's body was haggard and thin, which was the natural appearance of a long journey.There was no internal or external injury on his body. Obviously, neither Xianyu Yu nor the Hanjiang Sword Sect had ever done anything to him.

"He went to look for you and asked you to bring him back to Yangting?" Xie Qinghe asked.

"The real man is joking. If he uses his status as a real man's servant to coerce his disciples, he can get his wish if he stays in Yangting, so why run to Hanshan? Before yesterday, the disciples didn't know his relationship with you." Xian Yuyu said. Putting away the smile on his face, he said seriously, "He didn't say that he was a slave in Yangting, and he promised to make a break with his disciple for the rest of his life after the catastrophe."

Xie Qinghe understood: "That's to die."

Xian Yuyu smiled, but Shu Jing lowered his head.

At this time, the old Mrs. Huang Zheng was in the courtyard, and Jiang Youniang brought two maids with her, so there were many people.

Xie Qinghe pointed to the inside of the house, Jiang Youniang wisely took the maid back to the room to write, Lao Huang went to chop firewood, Mrs. Zheng went back to the kitchen to choose vegetables, only Xianyu Yu and Shu Jing followed into the house.When Xian Yuyu came in and served tea skillfully, Shu Jing bowed his head and knelt in front of the couch, silent.

"The real person doesn't know yet, right? Shu Jing...that's him. The name on the register is Yan Ji, and Shu Jing is his real name. He is an assassin raised by the Marquis of Jingxi. He usually follows the prince of Jingxihou, saying yes. Jingxihou's adopted son is not an exaggeration. Because he is very skilled and skilled, Jingxihou is very fond of him and values ​​him very much." Xian Yuyu said.

Xie Qinghe looked at Shu Jing's expression, whenever Xian Yuyu mentioned Jingxihou, Shu Jing had an obvious feeling of disgust.

"The Marquis of Jingxi has raised many assassins in the mansion, and Shu Jing is one of them. The Marquis of Jingxi told all the assassins that he has a secret order from the palace, which is responsible for raising private soldiers for the royal family, and is responsible for cutting off those who cannot understand the canon for the court. Every sinner who was ordered to be removed is a heinous sinner—either a big corrupt man, or a collaborator with the enemy and treason, or playing tricks and tyrannying the people..."

Shu Jing lowered his head, Xie Qinghe could no longer see his face clearly, only his slightly tightened knuckles could be seen.

"Marquis Jingxi lied to him?" Xie Qinghe asked.

Xian Yuyu nodded: "It's not about eradicating traitors on behalf of the heavens, it's just that traitors with authority eradicate dissidents."

Shu Jing has served at home for two years, and Xie Qinghe has already guessed a thing or two from his background and working habits.

Shu Jing's name on the crime book was Yan Ji, and anyone in the market could find out his origins, and knew that he was a slave who was sold out after bad things happened in the Jingxi Hou Mansion.The downfall of the Jingxihou Mansion is also a major event involving a lot of attention in the court in recent years, and there are rumors in both the court and the public.

Moreover, Qianxihou's Mansion and Jingxihou's Mansion have old grudges.

When Xie Qinghe was first involved in Yuan Shi'an's coma incident, Xie Qinghe heard He Jing gossip about the reason for the downfall of the Jingxihou Mansion.

According to He Jing, the Marquis of Jingxi and the Prefect Xiong of Ningjun were envoys of the old branch of Yu Pavilion, who kept assassins and assassinated dissidents.It wasn't until Yu Ge's downfall and the emperor ordered a thorough investigation that Jingxihou and Xiong Taishou, who were minions, were then ransacked and confiscated.

The strangest thing about the whole incident is that after the incident, Yu Ge Lao An, who led the murder behind the scenes, retired and returned to his hometown, but Jingxihou and Xiong Taishou, who were in charge of executing the order, died and the whole family died-the treatment of the main criminal and the accomplices was completely reversed.

At that time, Xie Qinghe felt that there must be something shady about this matter.

Now Xian Yuyu said that the Marquis of Jingxi tricked and reared assassins, falsely claiming that he followed the holy order and was raising private soldiers for the royal family.

After associating the two sets of rhetoric, Xie Qinghe felt that the things in it were worth pondering.

——Is Jingxihou really lying?Mr. Yu Ge is already an extremely human minister, why should he kill dissidents in such a blatant way?

No matter how you look at this matter, it seems that Yu Ge has taken the blame for the emperor. Jingxi Hou and Xiong Taishou are two unlucky dogs cooked by rabbits and dogs.

Xie Qinghe looked at Shu Jing who was kneeling with his head bowed, and felt pity in his heart.

In the whole shady incident, the really unlucky and innocent ones were neither Old Yu Ge nor Marquis Jingxi—whether they were passive or active, both Elder Yu Ge and Marquis Jingxi were insiders.They know very well what evil they are doing.

Only the assassins who were deceived by the Marquis of Jingxi with the banners of "Emperor's Order", "Justice" and "Eradication of Traitors for the Country" were truly innocent.

They were tricked into bloody hands and killed countless innocent "heinous people", but naively thought that they were upholding justice, upholding the law, and protecting the common people in the world.Blame them for not being smart enough, blame them for not being able to tell whether it is a real Yamen or not?Not to mention whether or not the emperor ordered Mr. Yu Ge behind his back, but Mr. Yu Ge himself is a leader in the court with power over the government and the public. Who would dare to accuse him of being unselfish and always being a leader among civil servants until he falls from power? Harm the common people?

There are many types of assassins.Some people have a righteous heart and die for their country.There are also people who regard human life as worthless, and easily exchange their heads for food, clothing and wealth.

If the assassins raised by Xihou Jing are all the latter, after the truth is revealed, it will not be so painful.For this kind of people, killing is killing, and a head is exchanged for a meal of wine and meat. What is the difference between killing a good person and killing a bad person?

Shu Jing will feel the pain and brood over the past, which proves that he is not a callous killer.

He put on night clothes, carried a three-inch sharp knife, and used ten years of penance to kill people because he always thought he was doing good deeds.

Civil officials rule the world, military generals guard the border, and assassins slay traitors.Who is not loyal to the country?

——It's a pity that if you go the wrong way and be deceived into going astray, you can't look back in your whole life.

"Things in this world are so unreasonable." Xie Qinghe said suddenly.

"I often see born villains who can't empathize with others. They were born in the jungle, and their hearts are like beasts and wolves. They regard their parents and brothers as chickens, ducks, dogs and sheep, and slaughter them wantonly without pity. Be righteous and confident. Sleeping in a sea of ​​corpses and blood, you can feel at ease."

"On the contrary, good people who have read the books of sages and sages, know the laws of heaven and justice, and swear to eradicate the strong and help the weak, are deceived by others and do bad things unintentionally. They don't need to be punished by the law, and they don't need revenge from the victims. Just blaming themselves can make them want to die .”

"So, as the saying goes, killing people and setting fire to the golden belt, repairing bridges and repairing roads without corpses. It is always more difficult for good people to live in this world."

Shu Jing's hands hanging by his side had been quietly hidden in his cuffs, his head was too deep to bury his head, and his upper body trembled slightly.

Not everyone can be as compassionate as Xie Qinghe.

In the eyes of the families of the victims, and in the eyes of all onlookers who insist on fairness and justice, right and wrong cannot assign responsibility so finely.Damn Yu Ge, damn Jingxihou, and even more damned as the assassin in charge of carrying out the assassination order!

——You said you were cheated?Murder is such a big matter, why don't you go directly to kill without investigating clearly? !

Shu Jing thought so too.It is his responsibility and sin to follow orders without investigation and kill so many innocent people.

For many years, Shu Jing has always been immersed in self-blame and regret, unable to extricate himself.

When the Jingxi Hou Mansion was confiscated, most of the people died.

Killed while resisting, committed suicide in guilt, committed suicide in despair... Only Shu Jing has been living, trying to live, never thinking of escaping.

He was sold as a sinful slave, tossed about in many families, locked in a cage by the tyrants of the city, and was not given anything to keep out the cold in the severe winter, and almost froze to death in the simple cage that couldn't trap him at all. Never thought of running away.After being bought by Xie Qinghe, he willingly acted as a slave and let him be punished... All along, he has been punished by the court as a slave to atone for his previous crimes.

That past was too sinful for him to talk about.He kept avoiding it and refused to tell Xie Qinghe.

What Shu Jing never expected was that after the incident was exposed, Xie Qinghe not only did not hate to expel him, but expressed sympathy for him very bluntly and clearly, thinking that he was an innocent person and a "good person".

——Bad people will not regret the bad things they have done, only good people will repent and suffer for their sins.

Shu Jing doesn't think he is a good person, nor does he think he is innocent.However, in the whole incident, he was both the perpetrator and the actual victim. He was bewitched by Jingxihou with his emotions and bewitched by his righteous name. He clearly wanted to do good but committed a serious crime and ruined his life.

When Xie Qinghe understood his deepest pain, Shu Jing couldn't suppress his emotions, and a wave of anger surged in his chest.

He always thought that Xie Qinghe was unpredictable and difficult to get close to, but at this moment, he wanted to bow his head at the knees of his young master and cry out his heart and soul.Sitting on the couch and bearing feet so close at hand seems to be the safest and gentle place in the world.

It's a pity that Xie Qinghe still remembered Shu Jing's method of dealing with Jiang Erniang, so he didn't have much tenderness for him.

After expressing his attitude towards Shu Jing's past, Xie Qinghe turned his head and asked Xian Yuyu, "What does the court battle and the assassination have to do with you?"

"Ten years ago, my master was adjudicating different matters in the capital. The court struggle had nothing to do with him, but in a fight, someone used the formula handed down by the patriarch of Qianyue, and the master was ordered to judge. He..." Xian Yu Yu was silent for a moment, "He is my master's registered disciple, and his aptitude is not enough to make a living in the door. However, the master loves his character and nature, and always takes him by his side to guide and accompany him."

Xie Qinghe probably knew what happened.

Xian Yuyu once said that his master was too involved in the world, and he was motivated by selfishness when making the judgment, so he was cleared by the sect.

Looking at it now, the reason why he has been involved in the world so deeply is that this bit of selfishness is probably used on Shu Jing.The reason why Shu Jing was able to have such dexterity and agility, and to go in and out of the door like no one under Xie Qinghe's eyes, was also due to Master Xian Yuyu's "teaching" to him in the past.

"He was the one who murdered." Xian Yuyu pointed at Shu Jing.

"He insisted that what he killed was a heinous person. He has always been jealous and has a clear distinction between right and wrong."

Xian Yuyu spread his hands, showing a trace of helplessness: "At that time, there were a lot of fraud cases near the capital, and Master was already very busy, and he trusted him too much. When adjudicating this matter, he justified it by saying that Master dismissed the case without further investigation." gone."

This matter is very oolong and nonsensical.

"Later, Zongmen also investigated this matter. He really didn't know the inside story. For many years, he always thought that he was doing good deeds."

Xian Yuyu was also very sad when he brought up the past, but he didn't mean to blame Shu Jing at all in his words: "My master's matter... is because the master is too credulous and not careful enough in handling things. Originally, he had the power to make judgments and went down the mountain. Reputation, it is not too much to be cautious. This is the responsibility of the master, and has little to do with him. Besides, he himself was deceived, and he did not intend to deceive."

"I've been in the capital for so many years, if I really hated him, I would have gone to Jingxihou Mansion to kill him long ago." Xian Yuyu said.

In other words, there is no need for Shu Jing to avoid him at all.

This sentence stung Shu Jing, he lowered his head and said softly, "It's a slave...the heart of a villain."

Xian Yuyu patted him on the shoulder, thought for a moment, and said, "Actually,