Chiwuxing

Chapter Seventy-Seventh - A year-old appointment committee clearly stated hidden dangers, drinking together in the suburbs to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new

The weather is fine and the sun shines everywhere.

A group of maids walked gracefully, crossed the stone path, and came to the deep court of the palace carved with mahogany lacquer.

The three characters of "Shangyijian" are eye-catching, and they were written by Emperor Yanxian on that day.Emperor Wen has mastered poetry and calligraphy since he was a child, and his calligraphy is smooth and vigorous, with a self-contained style, which is also unique both inside and outside.The plaque is clear, and the door is cleaned every day.From a distance, it doesn't look like a residence for a servant, but more like a copy of a huge noble palace.

The Shangyi Supervision Department is a subordinate institution of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is in charge of the affairs of the court's crown and robes. Just from this small office, it is enough to see that when Jiang Hua was at its peak more than ten years ago, there were tentacles everywhere in the internal affairs and the external court. Power is monopolized, and no one can match it.Even when it is being reviled today, the lingering heat of this glory is still there.

"Boss Jiang." Fanyin saluted him.

"You are welcome," Jiang Hua nodded slightly, and said with a smile, "I called the embroiderers in the palace to rush to make the imperial concubine's jewelry all night, there is absolutely no mistake, now let the maids go into the backyard to get them."

"Boss is in charge of the business, the empress and I are very relieved," Sanskrit winked at the maid following behind, ordered her to remove her clothes, then turned her head and said apologetically, "The original empress has been depressed and closed her account for days, and ignores these things." Foreign affairs, it wasn't until yesterday morning that the prime minister sent someone to deliver a letter to persuade the empress to go out and see the new palace uniform, saying that the red color is too bright and not suitable for wearing at this time of year, so she came again to trouble the Shangyi supervisor to change it again gone."

"Nothing, since our family organized it, there is no reason to dissatisfy the empress's birthday banquet," Jiang Hua said with a smile. Presiding over the overall situation at the end of this year, the empress has worked really hard, how can the servants be inconsiderate."

Seeing Jiang Hua's loss of power, Sanskrit even lowered his usual high-spirited tone a little bit, and sighed a little proudly in his heart, but his expression remained unchanged, and he greeted a few times with him, waiting for his maid to come out.

When the palace lady came out with a tray of clothes in her hands, Sanskrit, who was used to palace attire, was taken aback for a moment, took a breath, stepped forward and said carefully, "This...how did you do it overnight..."

Seeing that the palace skirt is based on black, covered with red luan patterns and golden corner pendants, its luxury and color matching habits are comparable to dragon robes.

Jiang Hua smiled and said, "This palace dress is not made now, it is changed from the former queen mother's palace dress, but please rest assured, auntie, this dress is new, and the changes can only be made according to According to the size of the imperial concubine, I have slightly adjusted a few places."

Sanskrit voice said: "Boss, this idea is really good, but the empress is after all..."

"Hey," Jiang Hua said with a meaningful smile, "according to the current real power status of the imperial concubine and empress, today coincides with this auspicious day, this color and style...no one can suppress you better than the empress. What's more, there is Hu Bin visiting tonight , if you change your usual clothes because of your empress’s concern, wouldn’t it also lose the national prestige of our country of Yan?”

"That's right," Sanskrit said clearly, "Boss Jiang's words are really reasonable, and the empress must be satisfied with such a heavy color... I really appreciate it, Boss."

"It's okay, it's our family's business." Jiang Hua flicked his whisk, smiling unabated.

After Sanskrit came out from the Internal Affairs Bureau, he returned to the palace on the same route. While glancing secretly at the palace clothes from time to time, he sighed in his heart. If this Chief Jiang is flattering, there is no one at his right. No wonder from the emperor down to the courtiers It seems that his ambition is still there after he was demoted, so it should not be underestimated.

Surprised and delighted, before stepping on the steps of the inner hall, he saw several court ladies and eunuchs whispering under the tree, the word "monk" was involved in the words, and immediately approached and reprimanded: "I don't know what day it is today. You know? Everyone still has time to gossip!"

"My aunt is wronged," said the little palace maid anxiously, "The servants originally planned to bring snacks in, but... Zen Master Yuming is inside, and the empress does not allow us to go in..."

"If you are not allowed to enter, you can put it down and do your own business," Sanskrit sternly said, "There are so many things today, and you still have time to talk, I can tell you a few things. You are not allowed to gossip with other palaces all day long, if there is any reason to talk about it, I will find you guys and never let them go! Did you hear me!"

"...Understood." Several people replied aggrievedly.

"Okay," Sanskrit said without wanting to entangle too much, "Go and do your own business, don't hang out here..."

Several people retreated after hearing the order, Sanskrit took a deep breath, and stepped towards the inner hall.

"Your Majesty, the Shangyi Supervisor has brought the remade clothes, do you want to check?" Sanskrit approached the gate of the palace, and a strong fragrance oozes out, making her also subconsciously frown.

"Leave it for now, I will try again in the afternoon." The imperial concubine's voice came from the hall.

"...Yes." Sanskrit replied hesitantly, and then ordered the maid to put away the clothes.

In the hall, Concubine Ni is kneeling in front of the Buddha statue in a moon-white single dress, while she is the shadow of a tall and silent monk.

"...Yesterday, I put down the Buddhist scriptures, opened the door to inspect the affairs, and learned about the rumors in the palace," Concubine Ni said suddenly with the Buddhist beads hanging down in her hand, "Wouldn't it be an act of deception for a believer to hide the outside world and straighten her heart?"

Monk Yuming looked pale, and said: "If you have ghosts in your heart, every move you make is an act of deceiving your ears; if you have a Buddha in your heart, half-steps and half-steps are all bright and open walks. Madam, the honest ones come first. Do not deceive yourself."

Concubine Ni's complexion turned pale, and she stopped talking.

The Hu-man coalition forces are long in the city that has already been attacked. The news of the Jingzhou massacre is reported.Most of the surviving merchants in the border towns north of the Jinhe River crossed the river to the Imperial Capital, seeking a little protection from the emperor.

Today there is wine and today is drunk.

The head of the Yuan family, who used to make wine in the past, saw this opportunity, joined hands with Hongxiang Pavilion, the only flower wine shop in the imperial capital, and secretly started the business of selling bootleg wine.There are many high-ranking officials and dignitaries in this pavilion who come here to seek pleasure, but there is no one who is not knowledgeable like the above who reports on the activities here. While knowing it well, he secretly praises that the Yuan family has found a good momentum, half the country has fallen, and they took the opportunity They can make a lot of money, but the former government-run wine business ended up giving away their heads for free to their family members, which made the Yuan family a fortune for no reason.

"Sir, please."

In the box on the top floor of the Hongxiang Pavilion, several nobles in official uniforms were seated, and the accompanying prostitutes came up to order wine and food.

"My virtuous brother, today... is it not a good idea to claim illness and resign at the court's birthday banquet?" Yuan Xing said to the flamboyant young man on the opposite side.

"Hmph," Yuan Libin hugged the woman beside him, and said disdainfully, "What are you afraid of? If you don't mind this, don't come here..."

Next to him were a few low-ranking officials' children who booed.

Yuan Xing's old face turned green, and he knew that what he said was not interesting, so he said again: "This Hongxiang Pavilion occupies a large area in Beijing, and its actions are ostentatious. I thought, even if Xiang Ni turned a blind eye Just one eye, so what if the really upright person at the bottom pokes the truth upwards..."

"Up?" Yuan Libin took a sip of his wine and laughed, "You said that this kind of place openly attracts the rich and powerful for pleasure, but they can do things that go against the imperial court's policies in private...Will no one keep it?"

Yuan Xing was stunned, only Ni Xiang didn't seem to be the one who used such means, but who could openly suppress the objections of the Manchu officials, and no one raised it again?

"This...is it secretly manipulated by someone appointed by Ni Xiang?" Yuan Xing hesitated.

Yuan Libin looked at him and sneered, speaking freely: "Zhou Xing, with a brain like a wooden fish, how did you recognize our house in the first place? I think that you are not suitable to go back and tell the old man." Stay in court again, pack up your things and go home while the war is in turmoil... If it doesn't work, just follow the monk in the palace and study hard, and you will be able to find a safe way out in the future."

Yuan Xing looked embarrassed, but Yuan Libin didn't know what to say, and then said badly: "Either you still want to get some money from our house now, and when the barbarians all hit the door of the house, you can't take it out to make traveling money..."

"My lord, let's talk less with this mouth." The prostitute on the side flattered and reminded secretly, and took the opportunity to feed the wine with his mouth.

"Girls are much more knowledgeable than you..." Yuan Libin took advantage of it, and hummed, "Ni Congwen is usually very 'clean and self-possessed', what can he get involved with, and he will come forward to do such a thing?"

Sometimes Yuan Xing had to admit that although Yuan Libin was a well-known licentious son of the Yuan family, he was a little more awake than others in the place soaked in gold and silver, and sometimes he was able to understand the relationship better than him.

He thought about it, and came up with a rather surprising answer. He dared not say anything, and tentatively stretched out his finger towards the direction of the window.

Yuan Libin, who was reclining on the back couch, raised his eyebrows lazily, straightened up, picked up the flagon and poured him another glass, and raised his voice at the end: "Drink with peace of mind...Master Yuan?"

Yuan Xing accepted the thank you in fear, his mind was full of thoughts, and he couldn't help but glanced back and forth at the brocade window several times, the glamorous curtains were eye-catching.

The night falls outside the embroidered windows of the pavilions, and below it is the Ring River leading from north to south, and the arch bridges on the river are all stacked shoulder to shoulder.

On New Year's Eve, the capital is as lively as ever, with bustling street scenes and dense population.

At the end of the year, the red lanterns of the shopkeepers are hung high, and the bridge is crowded with people, for fear that one day their fate will be bad, and if they miss this beautiful and busy city, their lives will be in vain.

Lion dance and juggling, storytelling and swimming in the lake.This kind of lively scene was strange and fresh in Huxue's eyes, but once it was overshadowed by hatred, everything turned into silent hatred.

"...Is this the daily life of you Yan people?" He Xuyun gritted his teeth as he walked, "You will really enjoy it."

"The scenery is just different," Fu Chenzang kept a low profile in the night market in his Qingwu robe. He wrapped his white hair with a black cloth on his head. It was just an ordinary attire, but he was so tall that he was slightly eye-catching in the crowded crowd. Slightly tilting his head and bending over, he said humanely, "In such a crowded street, there are still many people who would envy the sight of Hu Di being able to gallop a horse, and some of the remaining people may not know the joy of riding a horse on the grassland at all. "

"It's getting late now, shouldn't it be time to go back and change clothes to enter the palace?" He Xuyun still felt depressed.

"Not urgent."

Fu Chen walked a few steps to the right and disappeared into the crowd. After a while, he strode back to the woman and passed the things in his hand.

When He Xuyun first arrived in the Imperial Capital, he had never known such a prosperous place, and when he saw the young man suddenly disappearing, he felt a little panic in his heart.Suddenly seeing someone come back again, holding a bunch of shiny red things in her hands, she took them subconsciously and asked, "What is this?"

"This is candied haws," Fu Chen explained calmly, "It's made of hawthorn, first to satisfy hunger."

"Hawthorn?" He Xuyu had seen hawthorn in the mountains, and he only thought it was a medicinal fruit, but he didn't know that it could be eaten directly, "Isn't it very sour?"

"Sweet," Fu Chen lowered his eyebrows, his hoarse voice seemed light and light in the downtown, "it's sugar-coated."

Huxun opened his mouth and bit it, only to realize that the glistening oil on it was sweet, which just neutralized the sourness of the hawthorn, sour, sweet and sticky, with an indescribable taste.

Fu Chen said again: "The princess will enter the palace later, and there will be silver chopsticks and silver needles on the eating and drinking table. You must try it before you eat it. Although they dare not act blatantly in the palace, the princess still has to be careful when doing things. superior."

"No need," He Xuyun's originally amused face turned cold again, he swallowed the hawthorn in his mouth, and said, "After eating this 'gourd', I won't have a feast tonight."

Fu Chen didn't say any more, and followed the flow of people onto the small bridge.

The sweet and sour taste spread throughout the mouth. He Xuyun glanced at the person on the left from time to time. From this angle, he just couldn't see the big scar under the young man's left eye. He could only see the unstained and even slightly pale face under the moon shadow and in the fireworks. The side cheeks and the nasal bone are a sharp and straight line, and there is a more unforgiving and stern feeling than when they are facing each other.

She suddenly thought of the unruly aura exuded by the young man when he first entered Hudi, which seemed to be different from what she felt at this time, and said inexplicably: "When you first came to Hu Qiang, you said that you came here for revenge, and with your ability, you killed That person will be able to make a final decision immediately, why bother to come here and do these unpleasant things... At least you were a general in Yan State before?"

"The person involved here is not alone at all... Besides, the technique of raising the knife and dropping it," the young man's voice grew colder, "it's too cheap."

He Xujun didn't ask any further questions, he tightly held the wooden stick in his hand, turned to look at him and said, "We will win."

Fu Chen greeted the woman's young and persistent expression, the intimacy that rushed towards his face, his mind moved slightly, and he slightly hooked the corner of his lower lip, and said: "The princess has a firm mind, she is not an ordinary woman, Jia also believes that you will not lose .”

Picking up the flattering words, Huxun grasped the inconsistency in his words, and said again: "What about you? Aren't you with us?"

"Here we are." Fu Chen looked ahead, the Banjing Post House was located on the side of the Jingdao, and the imperial palace specially approved guards to guard at the entrance of the gate, which was much deserted compared to the merchant forest area.

Fu Chen whispered to the side and said: "There are people from the palace at the door, if they are not all there are people from the former Gyeonggi Army who know me, Jia will climb in from the side wall later, and the princess will just go in and go upstairs to change clothes."

"Okay." Huxun replied.

Fu Chen also instructed: "When the princess enters the palace, just do what Jia said earlier, and don't have to show off your martial arts rashly."

"clear."

Fu Chen turned his head and turned into the road, but he couldn't see anyone for a moment.

Year after year, Yan Guo's court banquet continued as usual.Occasionally, there are some new things, so we have to choose some interesting programs prepared in advance by those eunuchs and courtiers who come to do things, for everyone's joy.

It's just that this year is different, the emperor is sick and the border is in a hurry, no matter how much joy and celebration is in his heart, he needs to restrain himself a little bit during the palace feast.

Concubine Ni wore a phoenix robe and stepped into the hall. Everyone was shocked. Except for the dragon chair hanging in the middle, from the noble concubine to the prince, the prime minister and his family members, Jiang Hualian and the privy envoy who had already expressed their favor to the prime minister And the six relatives, the core of the imperial court seems to be the world of one family.The officials below who were not of high rank but still wanted to cling to him naturally saw it clearly, and they had already started planning all kinds of means to please them by giving gifts in private.

During the banquet, singing and dancing continued.

"The envoys of Hu and Qiang have an audience—"

The eyes of the people in the hall gathered towards the entrance of the hall, and saw a tall and slender woman with colorful feathers and silver hoops on her head, standing in the center, followed by four barbarians carrying a mahogany box. It made everyone present feel an invisible sense of oppression.

When Huxun entered the hall, he glanced at the officials from the upper steps of the palace to the ministers, and immediately bowed to the center and said: "Huxue is referring to His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of Yan Kingdom, the imperial concubine. Today, the rituals of carrying the animal cloak and mane teeth are for you. Dedicated, I wish my mother good luck and good luck, and the great Yan Guozuo is safe and healthy."

"Ping body." Concubine Ni sat in the seat next to the dragon chair, her black phoenix pattern was luxurious and luxurious.

He Xuyun stood up, still raised his gaze, and had a panoramic view of the expressions of the servants in the palace.

At this moment, the banquet is about to end, although the reason has not been made public, but some people have already noticed that the time of the envoy's meeting is much later than in previous years, and the princess of Hu Qiang has behaved impolitely, the few courtiers who are sitting next can see clearly, naturally He also waited for someone to pick a word, and then he spoke up, playing with power and prestige.

Concubine Ni laughed and said: "When the canonization ceremony was held that day, the princess was still a baby, but now that so many years have passed, the princess is also a beautiful lady who can stand on her own."

He Xuyun didn't know how to answer the words, let alone any flattering words, so he just said: "Yes."

The controversy below intensified, and a voice came from the banquet, but it was a young and gentle voice: "The princess has traveled all over the world, and she came from a long way, and she came here before the end of the banquet. Your Majesty, please give me a seat first?"

"...That's right, I just had a drink, and I'm confused," Ni Guifei laughed, "Princess please invite me to the banquet."

Huxun looked at the person who spoke, according to what Jia Sheng said to him earlier, the woman who spoke from above was the noble concubine who temporarily took charge of the harem, the one who was silent on the side was the crown prince, and the first among the ministers was the prime minister surnamed Ni, and the one who spoke He is not very old, and he is at the same table as Cheng, so he must be one of his trusted descendants.

It's just that these words seem to be intimate, but they are obviously hinting to her ears.

She looked at the man without hesitation, and the few courtiers who were just about to make a move saw Ni Chengzhi, the concubine's nephew, start, and then sent out the fear of being harassed by Hu Man for the past few days, and one of them said: "... ...It's just that Her Royal Highness the Princess knew that she was going to come to the Yan Committee for questioning today, but she came late at this time, and the Highness didn't perform the Yan ceremony, so I don't know what it means?"

Huxun sneered in his heart, waiting for his words.

Everyone saw her standing up quickly, cupping her hands upwards and saying, "My Lady, there is one matter that He Xuyu hesitated for a long time, and I didn't want to point it out, but just now the lord mentioned that I and the others were late, considering Hu Qiang's sincerity in coming here. Huxun thought it would be better to tell the truth."

"Just tell me." Ni Guifei said.

He Xujun raised his eyes and glanced across the area where a group of Yan officials were sitting, and saw that the prime minister and the young man who spoke just now were looking at him calmly, but the Yan officials who provoked the trouble later were surprised, and they didn't know her. What to say.

"When I was on my way the day before yesterday, I met a group of assassins who came prepared on the northern boundary of Yan Kingdom. They killed seven of the accompanying clansmen on the way, and the remaining four were also injured. I don't want to delay the trip. , but unfortunately he was seriously injured, so he went to the hospital to recuperate overnight, which delayed the time to enter the palace." He Xuyu replied in a low voice according to the words he was told before entering the palace, the more calm and calm, the more irritating pity.

Hearing this, the expressions of all the people present were different, but seeing that there were only four lonely people accompanying them when they first entered the palace, thinking that Princess Hu Qiang was young and had no intention of lying, so she guessed who did it secretly.

"There is such a thing?" Concubine Ni covered her lips in shock, killing a life for a crime, she closed her house to pray for Buddha for a long time, she never expected to encounter such bloody incidents one after another as soon as she left the palace, her heart was heavy, "Is the princess injured?"

"No," He Xuyun said calmly, "so I don't think it's a big deal, and I didn't report it at the beginning. But if someone doubts Hu Qiang's sincerity, he must explain clearly here."

His eyes swept over everyone calmly, and he paused for a moment in the prime minister's place.

No, her pause happened to be caught by Ni Congwen, who said, "May I ask the princess, do you know where the gang of assassins came from? Yanbei is mountainous and dangerous, and management is neglected, not to mention that most of them are harassed by the Hu-barbarian coalition forces now. If the barbarians assassinate , Maybe bandits in the mountains along the way intercepted the road, I don’t know.”

"What this lord said is true," Huxun said, "I don't know why that crowd of horses came from."

"Your Majesty, Your Highness," Ni Congwen continued to get up, and said, "I think that Princess Minyu is a distinguished guest of our country of Yan, and her safety should be guaranteed. Earlier, the princess was frightened on the way. It was because I didn't think carefully, so the princess stayed in Beijing. These days, we should strengthen our vigilance."

"That's right," Concubine Ni continued, "In this case, I believe that the princess came from afar and is a relative of Hu and Qiang's leader. Yes, it’s not safe to live in a post house. Why don’t you stay in the inner palace temporarily, and if the princess has something to discuss with me, how about it?”

Singing and singing together, it was like a good agreement, and she was tied under the eyes of others to monitor.

He Xuyun looked at the woman's seemingly gentle eyes, and said, "Thanks for your concubine."

Afterwards, the waiter greeted Princess Jun and took her seat. After taking her seat, He Xujun didn't eat or drink, but just looked around at the most honorable people in Yan Kingdom.

I saw that the fragrant silks used by the noble ladies Hua Chen to wipe their teeth were all offered by the petite Yannv.But his expression is a kind of noble indifference that she has never seen before, as if he is used to the precious delicacy in front of him, the joy of talking and laughing cannot be seen, it seems to be a casual etiquette, even if he can't hear what he is talking about , its content is known to be trivial and boring.

Hu Xujun had never seen such a scene before, all the Hu'er in her clan showed their pride, drinking heavily, and eating meat, there was no need to care about eating etiquette, and there was no distinction between men and women.Until later when Qiu Ri came to Hu, she ate at the same table with him several times, but she didn't see any pickiness and affectation in etiquette.

Huxun sat stiffly in the corner of the golden hall, looking coldly at the place she was about to step into.

Any sunny day will often have a beautiful night sky full of stars.

No matter how noisy the imperial capital is, once you go outside, you will be able to experience a rare tranquility and gentleness.

The two horses galloped into the outer city from the alleyway outside Beijing. The speed was not fast, but they never stopped.

The sky is still dark, but the closer the forest is, the less people and lights are seen, and it is a quiet scene.

"I shouldn't be able to reach the place tonight." Fu Chen narrowed his eyes and reined in his horse, and saw that there was another tall forest in front of him. They almost didn't take the right path along the way, and they took the shortest path.

Zong Zhengxi also stopped, and the horse's hooves swayed in place a few times, then turned to the left and walked slowly without making a sound.

Fu Chen followed him.

The sound of horseshoes slowed down, and Zong Zhengxi suddenly stopped again, and said suddenly in front of him: "...Did you smell it?"

Fu Chen didn't understand, so he paused for a while, before guessing what the man was going to say, he frowned and said, "What?"

Zong Zhengxi continued to drive the horse forward, and a river appeared outside the forest.

Fu Chen felt that his sense of smell, which was no longer sensitive enough, was gradually awakening. He was too familiar with the rancid smell in the air. He subconsciously looked at the back of the man in front of him, but he couldn't see the expression on the front. There was only one who remained silent. The dark shadow of the horse sat on the horse.

It was difficult for him to figure out what Zong Zhengxi was thinking at this time, maybe the man had always given him the impression of being decisive, even if he did something extremely difficult to rebel, it was rare for him to hesitate and struggle in his words and deeds.

Fu Chen raised his head, and the moon was like a jade hook. He said clumsily: "...this is the last moonlight of this year. Although...it's a bit fainter, it's better than nothing at all, right?"

The young man's voice was hoarse and soft, Zong Zhengxi didn't seem to hear it, the horse under his seat was restless, hesitating a few steps forward.After a long time, the man said: "The water goes up to the border of Jingzhou... If you trace the source along the coast, you can still—"

Fu Chen quickly stepped forward to block his way, and when he hesitated just now, his suppressed mood broke out. While looking directly into his eyes, he retorted: "What are you going to do? Collect the corpses for them? Jingzhou is already the territory of the Hulan tribe, and now In the past, when it was already dawn, what could you do when the soldiers were guarding you?"

"His Royal Highness Yu, do you want to go to camp alone?" The young man's sarcastic voice was full of cruelty, "I'm afraid His Highness has misremembered the time again... At this time, you have no subordinates to accompany you, and the person you want to save will not be able to save you." They were slaughtered long ago.”

Fu Chen's Adam's apple moved, and his voice was rough: "...you are more..."

With blinking eyes looking down, a puddle of blood was pulled out of the palm of his hand behind him.He abandoned the rein with his right hand behind his back, not wanting the person opposite to see his trembling hand behind him.

Jingzhou was the last prefecture town he worked so hard to protect before he was trapped to death. As much hatred as the Podo Luo family had back then, he has as much now.But this is different from Zong Zhengxi's.

The man's stern complexion was like a knife and arrow at this time, with scarlet bloodshot eyes rarely seen, he stared at him and said word by word: "You want to stop me?"

The accent is not on "block" but on "you".

Fu Chen's heart stabbed sharply in his deep and low voice, and he quickly hid his left hand behind his back. He thought that if the horse suddenly lost control at this time and threw him to the ground, it might be a well-deserved pleasure.

"Your Highness," Fu Chen lowered his eyes to avoid his scorching gaze, and grinned his lower lip, seeming to have an unknown smile.

Zong Zhengxi stared at him closely, his eyes were rare and frightening.

If it was really on the battlefield, if he showed his face for a while, he would scare away many unknown people, Fu Chen thought.

"I'm not Jia Yun," the young man said, straightening himself up, "and it's not you."

Zong Zhengxi said nothing.

"From the beginning to the end, you have what you want, and I have what I want," Fu Chen said, "I thought I already had such a tacit understanding with His Highness, so I don't need to explain... Your Highness is someone who can go to the end on this road."

Sadness flashed across the man's raised eyebrows, he immediately turned the horse's head, and ran to the edge of the black water a few steps, just when Fu Chen thought he was going to ride the horse to wade into the water, he saw black shadows flying around the horse, as if there was something wrong with him. The standing posture was revealed for a moment, but immediately fell on the stone ground by the river.

Fu Chen dismounted, took off the cloth bag tied to the horse's head, and walked behind the man.

Zong Zhengxi bent down and bowed his head, facing the flowing liquid that was surging by the black water.In the dark night, the river was also dyed black, and even his own reflection was swallowed up in it, and there was no trace of it... But this is not a bad thing, at least there is no need to see the dark blood flowing in it.

He was thinking like this in his heart, but he heard the voice of the young man behind him: "When the water is black, no matter how red the blood is, you can't recognize it...Seeing is believing, what people can't see, doesn't exist."

In the middle of the water was a not-so-bright bright moon, Fu Chen glanced at it, but made no sound.

Zong Zhengxi's expression returned to his usual calm, and he said after a while, "Do you want to know what I have been wishing for all this time?"

Fu Chen paused for a moment, then said slowly: "...should be an excellent answer."

Just like he himself had imagined.

"I know that the world can't get the best of both worlds, so I'm willing to pay the price for the result." Zong Zhengxi stretched out his hand and dipped into the water, and submerged for a while, without any tactile sensation through a layer of black leather gloves.

Fu Chen subconsciously took another step forward, staring at his movements, for fear that he would lose his balance and fall in again.

"It's because I forgot one thing," Zongzheng Xi's eyes turned hazy emotions, "It's my own wishful thinking to barter things. It's a bit stronger than I imagined... What you said a lot back then is not unreasonable."

Hearing this, Fu Chen's mind immediately flashed the inscription in the mist on the Wuming Mountain, and immediately snorted in a low voice: "Fart..."

"So what?" Fu Chen raised his voice, "The inaccessible places you mentioned are just the result of the secret intertwining of more unseen human forces."

"I haven't taken out the wine yet, why did you get drunk today?" Fu Chen turned from behind the man and sat down on his left, opened the cloth bag in his hand, took out two wine cans from it, and said, "I'm in the tavern in the imperial capital Buy wine and drink with me?"

Zong Zhengxi stretched out his hand.

"I don't have a bowl, let's just make do with it, just like I was in the army... Just drink it from the can..." Fu Chen carefully handed the slightly heavy can to his hand.

But Zong Zhengxi turned his hand and put the wine jar on the ground, and ordered: "Hand over here."

"Huh?" When Fu Chen was stunned, Zong Zhengxi forcefully pulled his hand over. He had just washed his hand in the river water, and now he dried it with internal force, and the entire leather on the glove was warm and dry.

Fu Chen pursed his lips and looked at the blurred blood stains on his palms. He didn't feel it just now. Now that he was rubbing and wiping them dry, he gradually felt a fine pain and cold, so he could only bite his lips and endure it.After persevering for a while, I felt it was funny again, I had never been hurt by a sword before, but now I was hurt by a bit of blood from my hand.

"...Wolf cub." Zong Zhengxi gently rolled over the bloody cuts, and murmured in a low voice.

The man's voice was low, Fu Chen couldn't hear what he said, and asked, "What did you say?"

"Other people say that the sword is the weapon of the warrior, but it is not true. Every part of the warrior's body can be a deadly weapon," Zong Zhengxi said coldly, "I have been in the army for more than 20 years, and I have never seen a soldier who naturally loves self-destructing weapons."

The plain white complexion seems to glow with silver light at night, and the red spots turn black at night. The long bones of the fingers are thin, and they are naturally suitable for holding swords and swords.

Fu Chen was stunned, subconsciously looked at Zong Zhengxi's lower body, hesitantly said: "If it is destroyed... so what?"

Zong Zhengxi didn't know that Fu Chen was thinking about it at this moment, but he was still focused on binding the wound, and said casually: "Since you have joined the army as a soldier, naturally there is no reason to give up, you must continue to hold on to enter the game."

Fu Chen stopped talking.

After tying it up, Zong Zhengxi looked at the glaring red spots, and felt blocked again, and suddenly said in a low voice: "...You want to learn my tricks, but you learned them too clumsily."

Fu Chen was inexplicable, smacking at the meaning of his words, and after a while, he suddenly raised his head and stared, "You just... you... didn't you do it on purpose?"

The meaning in Zongzheng Xi's eyes was unclear, his Adam's apple moved slightly, he looked at him lightly, and said: "I didn't think of you as Jia Yun, you don't resemble him at all."

Fu Chen pursed his lips, not knowing whether this was a compliment or a derogation.

"I don't see you as the same person as me." Zong Zhengxi closed his eyes and said, "Sometimes you... are much clearer than me."

Fu Chen was surprised, and laughed at himself: "I have fallen to such a point, my future is uncertain... I just said something on purpose, how dare I compare with Your Highness."

Speaking of this, all kinds of past events reappeared before his eyes in this dark night, like countless midnight nightmares, his sense of smell was keen to catch the surging blood in the river, he said in a cold voice: "Your Highness, step by step If you plan properly, act disciplinedly, you can protect yourself even if there are occasional accidents... Naturally, you don't know the result of being repeatedly mocked by destiny."

Zong Zhengxi stared at him, and heard the young man say again: "His Royal Highness has concerns in his actions, but it is also more secure... Even if you are alone in danger, you still have room for escape. How can you be like me..."

Zong Zhengxi saw the young man's eyes alternate, even though he was laughing at himself, there was still a hint of provocation, a clear and unruly little beast, he knew this was his real side.

"Two years ago in Mengshan Karst Cave, there was an answer that I didn't tell you the truth," Zong Zhengxi said frankly, "It's just because I was wary of you at that time, and thought you were a secret agent sent by the Jiang thief."

"Is that the answer that you risked yourself to find out back then?" Fu Chen recalled, "You told me a few months ago that the inner ghost was not Jiao Shiling...Then, who is it?"

Zongzheng looked at him: "Can't guess?"

Fu Chen frowned, since the man survived the defeat but still refused to return to the army, could it be that the ghost is still in the army?

"Liao Hui?" He tentatively asked.

Zong Zhengxi breathed out lightly, obviously something was wrong.

"...Tang Lan is acquainted with me and lives with me. I still don't know what kind of person he is. Now, how can I find out the truth that you deliberately took the risk by yourself..."

After thinking about it, he also became suspicious, most of the veterans in the army who were close to Zong Zhengxi have now withered, could it be that he doesn't know him?

The man's eyelashes droop.

Obviously, it has not been two years since the incident, but it seems like a dream from a previous life in my heart.When recalling carefully, a pair of frightened and malicious eyes in the raging fire of that day reappeared in front of his eyes again, and the dancing flames, like ghosts in colorful clothes, surrounded him back and forth until they invaded him...

Fu Chen noticed that the man's expression was different, and hurriedly said: "Since it's been a long time, I don't really care—"

"Lin Ping."

Zong Zhengxi faintly spoke out a name.

Lin Ping?

Fu Chen was taken aback for a moment, suddenly hearing it was still a little strange, and after careful reflection, he searched for the lieutenant general who he met occasionally in the Red Armored Army, and what immediately emerged was a docile and even delicate white face. He is not outstanding in the middle, and he is often the peacemaker among Liao Hui's violent lieutenants.

He is also the eunuch who joins the army with Jia Yun...

No... Fu Chen suddenly thought that when the news of King Yu's death reached Beijing, Lin Ping had been notified that he would also burn to death in Tongcheng. They went to Tongcheng together to quell the rebellion, and news of his death came again... Fu Chen said in a daze, "You knew before that that Lin Ping was the ghost in the army?"

"I know." The matter has come to this point, Zong Zhengxi will not hide it from him.

Fu Chen turned his head and asked, "Then what happened afterwards? Did you deliberately set up a defeat so that he died in the battle?"

"If I had a choice, I would not let the soldiers and common people accompany me in the danger," Zong Zhengxi closed his eyes for a long time, Fu Chen didn't let go of the pain in his eyes, and waited for him in silence, "...Tongcheng was defeated that day, it was me The battle situation was wrongly predicted in advance, and the soldiers of the same army were not saved. He was connected to the southern barbarians. When the barbarians learned that the incident had been exposed, they thought he was an abandoned son, and they had the heart to burn everything... The plan to burn the boat was originally my word , miss him