However, Mu Da has been in the Han family for more than ten years. If he really wants to harm the Han family, it can be said that he can easily do it anytime and anywhere. But he has never harmed the Han family in all these years.
For no other reason than to thank Mu Da for not killing him for so many years, Han Du wanted to let him go, so he gave him half an hour.
Half an hour... It's just getting dark now, and the curfew won't start for another hour or so. Give Muda half an hour, enough time for him to leave the city. As long as he leaves the capital, it will not be easy for anyone to find him.
"I would like to thank the Marquis for the last time." Muda bowed and said to Han Du. He stretched out his hand and made a stop gesture. Then he turned around and left here without looking back.
Han Du sat on the chair and watched Mu Da walk out of the house step by step, and then his back melted into the night. He raised his hand that had been hanging under the table and released the revolver. His palms were wet with sweat. A sore feeling came from the palm of my hand. This was because I had gripped the handle too hard just now when I was nervous.
The reason why Han Du let Muda go just now was not only because he had not harmed the Han family, but also because they were so close to each other that Han Du was not absolutely sure.
Sitting quietly on the chair, Han Du didn't eat a bite of food until more than half an hour passed. Then he stood up and headed towards the East Palace before the curfew.
When Zhu Biao heard that Han Du asked to see him so late, the expression on his face was extremely surprised.
"What is he doing now?"
"I don't know. I asked, but Marquis Zhenhai refused to tell me." Wang Yue quickly leaned over and replied. As he spoke, he raised his eyes and glanced at Zhu Biao's face, and said reassuringly: "But I saw that Marquis Zhenhai didn't look good. , I guess it’s something important.”
Nothing is trivial that can make Han Du feel important... With this thought, after suddenly coming to his senses, Zhu Biao quickly ordered: "Let him come in."
Zhu Biao sat motionless at the front seat and saw Han Du coming in following Wang Yue. He smiled immediately and seemed very happy to see Han Du.
"I heard that you have something important and you insist on seeing me. What is it?"
After Wang Yue brought Han Du in, he consciously stood behind Zhu Biao.
Han Du glanced at Wang Yue and did not let Zhu Biaoping step back. After the ceremony, he said directly: "I have to come here to find out the clues about those who secretly printed treasure banknotes."
"What? Did you find them?" Zhu Biao was startled and stood up suddenly. At the same time, he suddenly realized that those people had been driven to the continent by Han Du a long time ago. Now Han Du should not be talking about these people, but the people hidden in the Ming Dynasty.
"You mean, you found clues about those people hiding in Ming Dynasty?"
Wang Yue on the side heard this, and his heart suddenly stirred up a storm. How dare someone secretly print treasure banknotes? Who on earth could have such courage? Why had he never heard of it before? However, he did not have the slightest doubt about the news told by Han Du. Judging from the prince's behavior, His Highness must know about this. The reason why he didn't know it himself was just because he was not qualified to know before.
Thinking of this, he was deeply grateful that Han Du did not deliberately avoid him when reporting such secrets to the prince. All trust in this world starts from mutual understanding. Understanding each other's affairs, especially those hidden secrets, can best deepen mutual trust.
Isn't it said that there are four irons in life? In fact, whether it is classmates, carrying guns, going to jail, or engaging in prostitution, these are secrets in everyone's heart that they are unwilling to reveal to others. Some people may think that classmates are not a secret, haha, then please think back to yourself, how many things you did when you were studying that can make you dig out three rooms and one living room with your toes now.
"It's a clue." Han Du nodded lowly and said.
"Tell me what's going on." Zhu Biao couldn't wait to come down and pulled Han Du aside to sit down opposite each other.
Wang Yue was so excited that he personally poured tea for the prince and Han Du regardless of his status as the eunuch in charge of the East Palace. Seeing that the prince had no intention of letting him leave, Wang Yue became even more excited. His Highness showed great trust in him. In order to prevent anyone from coming in and sharing His Highness the Crown Prince's trust with him, he even ordered people to go down and not disturb him.
"Didn't I just go to Xi'an? It was a coincidence that when I got there, I found..." Han Du looked at Zhu Biao and saw that Zhu Biao lowered his head and listened attentively, so he was not in a hurry and was patient. Tell him exactly what happened.
After Zhu Biao heard this, he did not order to arrest Muda at the first moment. Instead, he looked at Han Du and admired him extremely.
"Just after taking a sip of wine, you noticed something was wrong. You even tested out this Muda based on just such a little guess. It's really not easy."
There was no smile on Han Du's face, but he asked with a serious expression: "Your Highness, what should we do about this matter?"
"I'm afraid I have to ask my father to make a decision on this matter." Zhu Biao replied subconsciously, and suddenly felt a little strange why Han Du didn't report to his father, but came to tell him instead?
After thinking for a moment, Zhu Biao had a guess in his mind and asked: "What? You don't want my father to know?"
This... Han Du was stunned when he heard this. He didn't expect that Zhu Biao would see through his thoughts.
Hiding a smile, Han Du shook his head and sighed and said: "How is this possible? It's just that the emperor is busy with everything, so he may not have time to see you. I have just come back, and I am very tired from the journey. I want to go back and have a rest after reporting to His Highness. Here’s the fan.”
Han Du's reason was very far-fetched. Although his father was indeed very busy, he was not so busy that he didn't even have time to see Han Du. Zhu Biao knew very well his father's attitude towards Han Du. As long as Han Du really asked to see him, his father would never leave.
But since Han Du said this, Zhu Biao couldn't say anything else.
"Then why didn't you capture him on the spot?" Zhu Biao was very angry when he heard Han Du mention that Muda had escaped, thinking that Han Du should not let him escape.
Han Du gave a bitter smile, raised his head and said to Zhu Biao: "Your Highness knows that I have no power to tie a chicken, how can I keep him here? Moreover, the guards in the mansion are all about protecting the outside but not the inside. When he and the minister Being so close, even if I call you, it will be of no use."
Zhu Biao nodded, agreeing with Han Du's statement. Then he asked: "Then you and Gu are going to see your father?"
"No." Han Du quickly waved his hand and refused.
Seeing the strange color on Zhu Biao's face, Han Du quickly explained, "What I mean is that I am really tired, and this matter has something to do with it."
His Highness informed the Emperor that there is no need for me to go with him, so I should go home first. An Qing didn't even know that something like this had happened, and Chen was really worried about her. And I also want to go back to prevent those people from killing me. "
After Han Du finished speaking, he stood up to leave. Zhu Biao did not leave him behind, but just nodded in silence.
After sending Han Du away, Zhu Biao came to Kunning Palace to find his father without any delay.
As soon as Zhu Biao entered the door, he saw his father and mother sitting next to each other behind the table.
Seeing Zhu Biao come in, Lao Zhu suddenly laughed, raised his head and said, "Biao'er has been busy all day. I'm afraid he hasn't eaten yet. Come sit next to me and eat together. Bring the prince a pair of bowls and chopsticks." The last sentence, He said this to the old eunuch beside him.
The old eunuch waved his hand quickly and asked someone to prepare bowls and chopsticks for the prince.
After Zhu Biao came forward to greet him, he did not sit down. He bowed and said, "My son, I am here to report something."
While eating, Lao Zhu raised his eyes and looked at Zhu Biao strangely, and asked rather strangely: "Why do we have to talk about it now? Can't we talk about it after dinner?"
Zhu Biao stood neither talking nor sitting down.
When the old eunuch saw this, he immediately waved his hands to tell the palace maids and eunuchs on the left and right to retreat.
Lao Zhu put down his bowl and chopsticks, wiped them with silk handkerchief and said, after drinking ginseng tea, he sat and looked up at Zhu Biao and said, "Tell me what happened."
Zhu Biao nodded and told his father that Han Du had found clues and pointed at Muda and another person in the Zhenhai Hou Mansion.
After hearing this, Lao Zhu looked extremely ugly. He slammed the tea cup on the table and cursed angrily: "Han Du, you bastard!"
Queen Ma's expression also changed. Looking at Lao Zhu's angry face, she wanted to make a difference for Han Du, but she didn't know what to say at this moment.
Zhu Biao was still a little confused. He didn't know why his father was angry even though it was Han Du who reported merit.
After thinking about all the words and details of his meeting with Han Du, Zhu Biao immediately discovered something unusual. Some people were not sure and asked their father, "Did he do this on purpose?"
Lao Zhu looked very unhappy and cursed dissatisfiedly: "Although Han Du is good at everything, he will become confused once he meets someone close to him..."
After scolding Han Du, Lao Zhu had no time to scold Han Du. He quickly waved his hands, suppressed the anger in his stomach, and sighed: "Now is not the time to talk about this. I don't know whether those two people escaped." How long will it take? The top priority is to capture them."
"Mao Xiang!"
"I'm here." Mao Xiang walked in from the door and knelt at the emperor's feet with a surge of heart. Since he was close just now, he also heard some of the conversation between the prince and the emperor. For him who is eager to make meritorious deeds, this is a rare opportunity.
"Immediately send people to chase them. I want to see these two people alive, and I want to see their corpses dead."
"According to the decree~"
Mao Xiang bowed and turned around without hesitation. Mao Xiang had fought against those people in the air several times, and many times he had little effect, and could even be said to be a complete defeat. This time, Mao Xiang was ready to take action himself.
Mao Xiang immediately ordered the city gates to be sealed, prohibiting entry and exit. The curfew was supposed to be coming soon, so it didn't cause any sensation. People thought it was just that the curfew was brought forward.
Then they divided their troops into two groups, all the way to the Zhenhai Hou Mansion, and then went straight to the Zhenhai Hou Mansion's brewing workshop in the capital.
...
Han Du left the East Palace, and after returning home, he went directly to his father's study.
Hande was reading by candlelight, but after all, he was old and knew that there was no benefit in reading like this, so he was ready to take a rest after reading for a while.
At this moment, three "dong dong dong" sounds were heard outside the door, and Hande's voice came from outside the door: "Dad, are you asleep?"
"Not yet, what, is there something wrong?" Hande tilted his head, glanced at the door, and replied casually.
"My son has something I want to talk to my father about." Han Du's voice came from outside the door again.
Hande thought for a moment and then said: "Come in, the door is open."
With a creak, Han Du pushed the door open and saw his father still sitting on the chair. As he closed the door behind him, he put a smile on his face and said, "Dad, haven't you rested yet?"
Hande put down the book in his hand helplessly, shook his head and responded to Hande, then asked: "What's the matter with coming so late?"
Han Du walked to his father and sat down. He smiled and took out the letter left by Mu Da and placed it in front of his father. He said in a helpless tone: "This is when my son came back. When he met Uncle Mu, he gave me Mine said it was an emergency and I didn’t have time to say goodbye to my father, so I asked my son to bring you the letter.”
Han Du did not say that Muda left at night, but moved the time forward to daytime. Leaving during the day is much more believable than leaving at night. After all, even if you encounter something urgent at night, you can't rush at night anyway, so why not just for a while, right?
Hande's brows furrowed into three deep vertical lines on his forehead. Looking at the writing on the envelope, it was indeed written by Muda himself. However, Han De did not reach out to take it. Instead, he looked up at Han Du and asked in a deep voice: "What happened? How could Muda leave in such a hurry without saying goodbye?"
Based on Hande's understanding of Muda and the friendship between the two, it was simply impossible for Muda to leave without saying goodbye. Now even if Han Du said that Muda left without saying goodbye, Han De still didn't believe it.
Han Du did not open Muda's envelope out of curiosity, so he did not know what reason Muda wrote in the envelope. Faced with his father's question, Han Du had no way to answer. He could only sigh and said, "Dad, you better watch it yourself."
Han De glanced at Han Du, then reached out to pick up the envelope and tore it open.
As Han De read word by word, he didn't say anything more after he finished reading. He didn't even raise his eyelids, but his lips that had been pursed suddenly moved a few times, and he said: "I know."
Seeing his father's unusual calmness, Han Du knew that Muda must have used some unknown method to convince his father.
Now that the matter was over, Han Du felt relieved and stood up and said, "Then my son will go back."
Hande nodded slightly.
Han Du stopped lingering and turned around and took a few steps towards the door.
Just when Han Du was about to step out, Hande's voice suddenly sounded behind Han Du: "Muda said in the letter that he will never come back again. Is it true?"
Han Du was silent for a few breaths
, without looking back, just sighed faintly: "Probably so."
Hande suddenly opened his eyes and glanced at Handu's back. In the end, he just opened his mouth and asked, "Can he still spend his old age peacefully as he said in his letter?"
"It should be possible. At least, he is still alive now." Han Du answered quickly this time, perhaps because he had guessed what his father might have guessed.
"That's good, you can go back." Hande did not continue to ask.
"Son, please retire." At this moment, Han Du turned around and saluted his father.
Han De nodded calmly and waved towards Han Du.
After Han Du left, the letter in Han De's hand fell quietly, and a few wet water spots soaked the ink on the paper.
Han Du had just left his father's study when he heard the guards coming to tell him that Yi Luan Si had brought someone.
Han Du followed the guard out of the gate and saw a large group of people holding torches, lighting up the street at the gate.
When Mao Xiang saw Han Du coming out, he quickly stepped forward and saluted with his fists in his hands, and said, "I have met the Marquis at last."
Han Du nodded slightly and said calmly: "General, you're welcome."
Then he glanced at the people in front of him and sighed in his heart, he was worthy of being one of Lao Zhu's bodyguards. Every move of these people demonstrates profound military discipline. When he walked out just now, these people didn't even look at him. Even when Mao Xiang came up to greet him, these people didn't move at all.
"The general came here late at night, what do you want to say?" Han Du's tone was calm, not close, but with a touch of distance.
Han Du didn't like Mao Xiang very much. My former colleagues just did it out of necessity. Didn’t you see that Han Du never interacted with him once the incident was over?
This Mao Xiang was a figure in Lao Zhu's entourage, and Han Du was also afraid that getting in touch with him would cause Lao Zhu's misunderstanding, and the gain would outweigh the loss.
Mao Xiang was accustomed to Han Du's alienation, and he didn't even feel anything about it. What he wants now is a title, and as long as he can get it, he doesn't care about other people's attitudes at all.
Therefore, even with Han Du's attitude, Mao Xiang still smiled and talked to him: "Master Marquis, I would like to know where Muda, the steward of the Zhenhai Marquis Mansion, has gone now?"
After hearing Mao Xiang's words, Han Du suddenly narrowed his eyes, piercing his eyes like needles. Mao Xiang had a smile on his face and looked at Han Du with the same aggressive eyes.
After a while, Han Du said in a deep voice: "What does the general mean by this? Do you suspect that I am harboring him? If I want to harbor him, will I report this matter to His Highness the Crown Prince?"
Han Du saw that Mao Xiang's expression did not change at all, and was still staring at him with burning eyes. Han Du simply let the door open, stood sideways, made an invitation gesture to Mao Xiang, and said: "Since the general suspects me and I have nothing to say, please invite the general to come in and investigate for yourself."
The Zhenhai Hou Mansion not only houses Han Du's parents, but also An Qing. If Mao Xiang dares to come in tonight, Han Du will ask An Qing to cry in front of Lao Zhu when he returns. A general led his troops into the princess's residence in the middle of the night. Even if Mao Xiang had ten heads, it was not enough to chop him off.
Mao Xiang might be able to use the imperial power to ignore ordinary princes, but he was still too young to offend Han Du.
Mao Xiang also quickly realized that there was Princess Anqing living in this mansion. The thought he had just given up was immediately dismissed. He laughed loudly at Han Du and said apologetically: "What are you doing, Lord Marquis? I have never thought about entering your mansion. Even if you want to enter, you must hold a greeting card." It's just a visit.
After all, Muda slipped away from the Marquis's house. In the future, I just want to find out, which direction did Muda go to? "
Seeing that Mao Xiang didn't dare to enter, Han Du stood up again and blocked the door. As for Mao Xiang's request for a visit, Han Du declined. There is absolutely no need to think about seeing each other. It is best to stay away from each other until death.
Facing Mao Xiang's questioning, Han Du replied nonchalantly: "I don't even know when he left, so how can I know which direction he went? General, please hire someone else."
Mao Xiang bit the roots of his teeth itchingly for a few times. When he finally faced Han Du, all his dissatisfaction and indignation turned into a smile on his face. He cupped his hands in thanks and said, "Then I won't disturb Mr. Marquis anymore, and I'll take my leave." "
"I won't send it."
Mao Xiang was startled, his expression stiffened, and then he quickly recovered his smile, nodded and turned to leave. A group of guards holding torches followed him and left with him.
"Sir, what should we do now?" Someone walked a few steps quickly, approached Mao Xiang, and asked.
Mao Xiang stopped immediately, gritted his teeth to hold back his anger, and said word by word through his teeth: "Go and knock on the doors of all the people around the Zhenhai Hou Mansion, and ask them one by one. I I don't believe it. I don't know how many people know the housekeeper of Zhenhaihou Mansion. He is a living person and can sneak out under everyone's noses.
"Yes." The visitor immediately replied and turned around to make arrangements.
Mao Xiang continued to move forward and asked loudly: "Where are the people who went to the workshop? Have they come back?"
While Mao Xiang was asking, a fast horse came running over. One person tightened the reins, turned over and dismounted, and regardless of the cold hardness of the stone slabs on the ground, he knelt down on one knee, clasped his fists and said to Mao Xiang: "Report, General. We are in the brewery. The suspect was found and he has been captured."
"What? Caught? Very good, take me with you." Mao Xiang was overjoyed. He didn't even bother to look for Muda's traces. He quickly got on his horse, picked up the reins, and headed towards the brewery. Originally, he thought that Han Du would deliberately let the two people go, but he never expected that Han Du would let him catch one person negligently.
This is not Han Du's negligence, but that this person has nothing to do with Han Du at all. In fact, it was this person who leaked the skills of distilling liquor. Handu wished that he would die.
And Muda had no friendship with this person. Originally, he came to Han Mansion through Muda's identity. This was a mission. He found Muda, and Muda found a way to insert him into the Han Mansion. That was all. Naturally, he would not care about his life or death.
I don’t know if Mu Da did it on purpose. Anyway, when he left, he had no intention of sending this person a message. This resulted in the man being kept in the dark. Before he realized what was going on, the guards of Yiluan Division rushed in and caught him.
Not being able to catch Muda, being able to catch this person also gave Mao Xiang some comfort. Without delay, the man was tortured overnight to extract a confession.
