Broken Iron Clothes

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"Xuguo, let's go."

After Jiang Yu left, Jiang Shiqing called out to Xu Guo who was dozing on the roof.

With sharp ears, Xu Guo got up and jumped down in a jerk, and followed Jiang Shiqing out of Huimei Courtyard.

After Jiang Shiqing bought the Jiangzhai, he bought a secluded small courtyard near the outskirts of the city. Everyone in the city knew that Jiangzhai was full of guests, but they didn't know that there was also a Huimei Courtyard here. .

In order to avoid people's eyes and ears, the two did not ride a horse or drive, but walked.At this moment, in time for the curfew, the city is closed, the market is closed, the lights are all extinguished, the streets are deserted, and the night wind is mixed with moisture, and the only thing that blows into the sleeves is the cold.

Jiang Shiqing didn't speak, and the journey was even more quiet.When they got to Jinlu Street, the two happened to bump into Yuan Mucheng and He Xiao who had just come out from Lu Tianrui's place and were returning home at this time.

Yuan Mucheng recognized Jiang Shiqing at a glance, and walked forward with a half-sulphur in his stomach.

"Isn't this Mr. Jiang? What a coincidence."

Jiang Shiqing understood the meaning of the words, Yuan Mucheng had grudges in his heart.But he didn't mention the matter of returning the piano, he just saluted and replied: "I didn't know the identity of the general before, so I was rude in the string song workshop."

Yuan Mucheng's anger was stoked by the calmness in the night, he smirked and said, "We've already had fatal friendships, so what's the point of being rude."

"Since there is a deadly friendship, how can the general pay for it?" Jiang Shiqing said.

The two stood facing each other, Yuan Mucheng was half a head taller, Jiang Shiqing had no choice but to look up, seemingly docile, but his eyes were full of darkness.

Yuan Mucheng said hypocritically: "There is no need to say polite words, the ceremony still has to be compensated, it's just..."

"How about the fourth day of next month?" Before Yuan Mucheng could finish speaking, Jiang Shiqing answered.

Yuan Mucheng readily agreed: "Okay, Yuan will go to the appointment on the same day."

Night Breeze swayed between the two of them, Jiang Shiqing held back his cough and said, "Then I will take my leave first."

Yuan Mucheng moved away, but after Jiang Shiqing passed by his shoulder, he pretended to say casually: "Yuehei kills the night, Mr. Xuguo, please protect your master."

Xu Guo's footsteps paused, but Jiang Shiqing didn't turn his head, and replied without hesitation: "The accumulation of anger has become a disease, Vice General He wants to remind your general to take care of his body."

Yuan Mucheng stood where he was, looking at the front playfully.

The two beasts who know each other well are dressed in leather, and they don't know who to play for.

-

At night, Jiang Shiqing transcribed a list of the cabinet and the six ministries, and put down the pen after drawing people out of several camps. Then he held the paper and moved to the candlelight.

Gu Nanxing, who stepped through the door, saw the paper in his hand ignited, and opened his mouth to tease: "I'm still playing with fire in the house at night, aren't you afraid of getting up at night?"

Jiang Shiqing shook the almost burnt paper, and lightly threw it into the iron pan at hand, saying: "I was born boring, just such a hobby, I like burning paper for fun."

Gu Nanxing casually lifted the hem of his clothes, sat down and poured himself a glass of water, and said, "I've checked, there are a few of them mixed in, it looks like I'm going to do it that day."

Jiang Shiqing chuckled, "They're all tame beasts that have been starving for a long time. They just stretched out a pole and climbed up."

Gu Nanxing raised his head to drink the water, and asked, "How did your talk with Yuan Mucheng go?"

A few drops of water from the pot fell on the table, Jiang Shiqing picked up the handkerchief and wiped it lightly while replying: "It's not that good, it's very fierce."

"That's right, that's not what Xu Guo said," Gu Nanxing leaned loosely on the edge of the table, with a bit of anger in his sparse brows, he turned his head and smirked, "But the welcome between you big men Come and send, it’s normal for children not to understand.”

Jiang Shiqing said: "Beasts on chains can still bite people, so Xu Guo should be kept out of the way."

"Didn't you want to join forces with Yuan Mucheng, just keep people out of the door, and say that the dignified general is a beast on a chain, and I will believe that he is your enemy."

Jiang Shiqing withdrew his hand, straightened his sleeves and replied: "Whoever made this general get used to following others, if he wanted to gain his trust, he would have to spend more effort. Those who take the initiative to show favor will lower their worth too low. I'm afraid it won't catch his eyes, so it's better to set the shelf higher from the beginning, so that he won't feel like he's condescending."

"Vice owner Jiang is really out of touch, what are you talking about with me?" Gu Nanxing put the empty cup on the table, turned the cup once and for all, and said, "You have repeatedly rejected people Outside the door, it is clear that they don't want to cause trouble for Prince Jingping's mansion. After all, Yemen Village is not under the control of the government, and there are many murders and arson. Therefore, in the eyes of outsiders, the more unfamiliar Yuan Mucheng and you are, the better. However, yes You recruited people outside the door first, no matter how you ignore it, it would be heartless."

"If you don't recruit people, the next good show may not be able to start," Jiang Shiqing said with a smile, "Vice-owner Gu is too lazy to talk clichés, so it's better to save this time and drink two more jars of good wine."

"Isn't this just waiting for you to invite me to drink?" Gu Nanxing also smiled, "I heard that the emperor will hold a celebration banquet tomorrow, and your flying general is expected to be promoted to a noble."

"If it's really a promotion, then Yuan Mucheng will really get into big trouble." Jiang Shiqing stared quietly at the dancing candlelight, his expression darkening, "This reward can fall on anyone, but he can't."

-

In the West Palace, Empress Dowager Yan was leaning on the reclining chair with her forehead closed, her brows unmoving.Yan Youqian was comforting the Empress Dowager in the palace with the excuse of the celebration banquet and visit.

"Your Majesty went to the Ministry of Officials to find out. Your Majesty probably has no plans to confer titles," Yan Youqian said.

The Empress Dowager Yan glanced at Yan Youqian who was standing below, her worries did not diminish by half, she just sighed, and said: "Yu'er is so unpredictable, the Ai family is worried that he can't help himself at the celebration banquet." The first emperor made an exception and conferred the title of prince with a different surname. Yuan Mujie injured his leg during the battle, so he won the title of Marquis of Jingfang. Now the military power of the Xuanhe army is in Yuan's hands. Lord Hou, isn't this Da Li going to change his surname!"

Yan Youqian was nearly fifty years old, and because of his status as the queen mother's brother, he was also granted the title of Duke of You. Now he is in power in the cabinet, so he has a more stable temperament. He said: "The queen mother must not be angry, your majesty is still young Light, I still think of Yuan Mucheng, an old friend, who is easy to act emotionally, but it may not be a good thing for Yuan Mucheng to be a Marquis."

Hearing this, the Empress Dowager raised her hand to dismiss the palace maid who was rubbing her shoulders, sat up and asked, "How do you say?"

Yan Youqian eased his tone, and continued: "When the late emperor passed away, there were only two princes left, His Majesty and King Yin. The courtiers who supported the former prince either changed their positions, or ignored political affairs like Wen Yao. After Shi died of illness, he relied on the power of Feng Han and Feng Ruoping to stand in the court and the opposition. Now Feng Han leads the Weiming Army stationed in the Shengzhou Camp, and only King Jingping can compete with him in terms of military power. What's more, the Yuan family already has a king and a marquis. If there is another marquis, they will definitely be criticized. King Jingping is in charge of the Xuanhe army alone, and he will not join the army of King Yin. When the two tigers of Feng and Yuan fight, one will be injured. Yuan Mucheng Fenghou has brought the flames of war from the court to Shengyu and Shengyu, and this is a good opportunity to contain King Yin and King Jingping."

The sad expression on the back of Mrs. Yan has faded a lot, the steps on her bun are swaying with flowing colors, and the overflowing light makes people dazzled.

-

At the celebration banquet, the music stopped, and the dancer stepped back, the steps in her hair were mixed with the bright light of the palace lantern, not much inferior to the Queen Mother Yan's jewels.

Singing and dancing are beautiful, but Yuan Mucheng just fiddled with the dishes on his table, but he didn't dare to relax a little bit, and there were many eyes staring at him all around.

The Dali Emperor's mind is variable, whether Yuan Shi will be pushed to the cusp of power again today is all in Liu Zhaoyu's thoughts.

But after the whole banquet, this mediocre gentleman only mentioned the reward of food and salary, but he didn't even give half of the reward for the title, and finally got himself drunk under the speculation of everyone, in an absurd but still intoxicating manner. The banquet ended hastily in the expected way.

After leaving the palace gate, Yuan Mucheng changed his expression of regret, took the rein from He Xiao's hand, and galloped into the blackness with a dull expression.

He originally wanted to find a place to seek peace, but he found that there was not even a place to vent in the huge city of Yan. When he entered, it was Prince Jingping's mansion, and when he left, there were countless eyes waiting to watch the show.

The song is flattering, and he is in a dilemma, even the wine in his belly is not happy.

It's so fucking annoying.

-

The two met on the street. It was the end of the month in Japan, and within a few days it was the fourth day. Yuan Mucheng came to the door again, and Jiang Shiqing was indeed waiting for him in the house as he said that day.At this moment, the two are playing charades in the courtyard where they first met.

Jiang Shiqing stroked the strings with his fingertips, and said softly: "General, you are lucky, it was a false alarm."

Yuan Mucheng stood and looked down at him, his eyes were as fierce as if he wanted to peel off the other's hypocrisy, but he couldn't pick out any flaws in that person's appearance. When he was worried, he caught a glimpse of a sudden scar on Jiang Shiqing's right neck .

"Young Master Jiang, this is it," Yuan Mucheng stared at the scar and said, "Disappointed?"

Jiang Shiqing raised his head, and seeing the tall body that seemed to be enveloped by the light against the light, his eyes were instantly dazzled, and his brows furrowed unconsciously.He stood up and said, "How come, I am grateful for the general's life-saving grace, but I am very concerned about the general's safety."

"Really? Why didn't Mr. Jiang say something about worrying?" Yuan Mucheng stretched out his hand to reach the neck.

Jiang Shiqing dodged sharply, raised his hand to cover Yuan Mucheng's palm with the back of his hand, and said with a smile, "I've never heard of the general having such a hobby."

"Oh? There's something that Mr. Jiang doesn't know?" Yuan Mucheng felt displeased when he failed, he closed his palm and grabbed Jiang Shiqing's blocking hand, and pulled it towards his chest.Jiang Shiqing didn't expect Yuan Mucheng's move, and couldn't resist the man's strength, so he bumped into him with unsteady feet.

From a short distance away, he could clearly see the scar, which looked like a knife wound, but it seemed to be an old wound, at least five years old, and the wound was very deep, and it probably missed the meridian by a little bit.

"Cough..." Over there, He Xiao, who was guarding the corridor, glanced at Xu Guo beside him, and coughed lightly.

Xu Guo turned his head and asked, "Deputy General He is not feeling well?"

"No..." He Xiao felt that Xu Guo was too young, and wanted to divert his attention from the two people who were close to him, so he hesitated, "Then what, Mr. Xu Guo has grown taller again."

Xu Guo hurriedly returned a smiling face. In the awkward atmosphere, he had no choice but to look at He Xiao carefully, and replied, "...Vice General He is too."

On the other side, Jiang Shiqing took advantage of Yuan Mucheng's dazzle and whispered in his ear: "The general doesn't have to get so close if he wants to see it."

Yuan Mucheng was used to it, and immediately recovered from the speculation just now, and said, "How can you see clearly if it's not close?"

"I'm not hiding it. Didn't General Ren read it?"

Only then did Yuan Mucheng let go, and Jiang Shiqing rubbed his sore wrist, took a step back, and said nonchalantly, "Tomorrow is the emperor's birthday banquet, the general should be more careful."

Yuan Mucheng said solemnly: "What do you mean, my lord?"

Jiang Shiqing said: "With the general's skills, it's probably not a problem to deal with a few assassins who are not on the stage."

Yuan Mucheng's face sank instantly, and when he was about to turn around and leave, Jiang Shiqing said calmly: "Let's wait until tomorrow to distinguish the truth from the falsehood. What the general did alone will implicate Prince Jingping's residence and Xuanhe army. If It’s fake, it’s nothing but fearless, if it’s true, it’s a thank you gift to the general.”

One sentence dispelled Yuan Mucheng's impulsiveness in an instant. If he went to find the assassin at this time, what reason did he use when he sent people to search, who the assassin was, and how to distinguish it. If they can't find out, they will be labeled as deliberately disrupting the birthday banquet. If there are still assassins the next day, they may be charged as the mastermind behind the scenes.

Now his words and deeds in Yancheng do not represent Yuan Mucheng, but Jingping Palace and Xuanhe Army. There are only a lot of people in the court who are looking forward to his accident. He can't make rash advances, he can only seek stability.

However, Jiang Shiqing chose to inform Liu Zhaoyu of the news a few days before his birthday banquet, so he only gave him two options, either continue to be a loyal minister and good general to protect the emperor, or take the opportunity to kill the emperor by the hands of others.But he would not choose the second path. In this way, Jiang Shiqing gave him a chance - a chance to show his loyalty to Da Li, and Jingping Palace and Xuanhe Army needed such a chance.

But even if Jiang Shiqing didn't tell him the news today, he would definitely choose to protect Liu Zhaoyu at that time. Now that Jiang Shiqing sold him a favor that he had to accept, what was his purpose?

People who have no position are unpredictable variables, the most terrifying.

Yuan Mucheng gritted his teeth lightly, and met Jiang Shiqing's amused eyes. The sun was shining between the two of them, but it couldn't shine on the warm wind.

Looking at each other, Yuan Mucheng smiled lightly, and his tone was cold.

"Huai Chuan, you are really disturbing."

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"Moon Black Murder Night" comes from Yuan Huai's "拊 Palm Record" "Moon Black Murder Night, the wind is high and the sky is set on fire."

"Accumulated anger becomes a disease" comes from Xie Huilian's "Xiling meets the wind and presents happiness" "Accumulated anger becomes a disease, what will happen to Wuxuan"

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The curfew in this article refers to closing the city and closing the city every day until [-]:[-] pm ([-]:[-] p.m. At that time, all the lights on the street were turned off, and the people generally stayed at home.

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New characters in this chapter:

Yan Youqian: Duke Yu, uncle of Emperor Liu Zhaoyu, elder brother of the Empress Dowager;

Yan Yixin: Empress Dowager, Liu Zhaoyu's biological mother.