There was silence in the main hall. Zhao Chang, his son and his daughter were sitting there, and the atmosphere was gloomy and scary. The guards and maids were all very cautious, for fear of getting into trouble by accident.
The steward who came back to report the news was already in jail. Gao Cheng came to the hall and stood behind Zhao Chang without saying a word.
"Did the people escape?" Zhao Chang's voice suddenly sounded, like thunder in the silent hall.
Gao Cheng lowered his head and said: "We have already gone out and divided into two routes. All the way south to Dingyuan City, we are searching back and forth between Guanyi and Guanxi City."
"What about other directions?" Zhao Chang sounded irritated.
"Wang Ye, after the search between Guanyi and Guanxi City is completed, we will split up and follow in all directions." Gao Cheng answered carefully.
"It's too late, send people now." Zhao Changhan said. Without waiting for Gao Cheng to agree, he turned to look at Zhao Ling, "Isn't Li Zhong back yet?"
Zhao Ling stood up and said, "Father, with the speed of Li Zhong's feet, he should be very fast."
"It's all the trouble you caused." Zhao Qian's voice rang out, pointing at Zhao Ling and saying angrily: "You brought back such a trouble, and you put the lives of my father and son in the hands of others. You have been hooking up with others all day long. , you attract bees and butterflies, and the reputation of the palace will be ruined by you."
"Presumptuous." Zhao Chang stood up suddenly and slapped Zhao Qian on the face, "Your sister didn't make such a sacrifice for the palace. It's okay for others to say this. You are her brother.
Zhao Chang emphasized his tone and said in a cold voice, "Remember, even if brothers are fighting against each other, they must also fight against their troubles. At this juncture, we must not start any more disputes. If there are more hands and feet, I don't care if I lose another child."
Zhao Qian had never seen his father say such harsh words before. His face turned pale with fear, he sweated profusely, and fell to his knees on the ground, trembling all over.
Looking at Zhao Qian with contempt, Zhao Ling knelt down on the ground and said, "Father, this time my daughter did make a mistake of falsely observing people. Please punish me."
"Alas." Zhao Chang sighed, waved his hands, and sat back on the chair feebly, "Everyone, get up. At this moment, it is not the time to investigate the fault. The two of you must work together to eliminate this disaster."
Zhao Qian stood up and said tentatively: "Father, I don't think you need to be so worried. How can you tell that these three hairs belong to us and three other people? It is impossible for that kid to deceive us. Besides, since he has escaped, why not let Chu Ji's status as a nobleman has been abolished, and they are left to fetch water in a bamboo basket."
"Alas." Both Zhao Chang and Zhao Ling sighed heavily. Zhao Chang pointed at Zhao Ling and motioned for him to explain to his stupid son.
"Brother, don't think about it. That little girl Chu Ji has been working very hard at my father's house and my house for a while. I originally thought she was here to show her kindness, but I never expected that she was here to take me away. Two people’s hair.”
Seeing that Zhao Qian was about to speak, Zhao Ling continued: "As for yours, it's easier to say. Now think about it, the disappearance of Wang Rong, the steward of your house, is probably related to Wu Gen. Since he can touch you As a steward, it’s not hard to get a hair.”
"Ah." Zhao Qian's face froze and he sat slumped on the chair.
"As for abolishing the status of nobles, it is even more impossible. The nobles of Chu Ji are newly canonized by the current emperor. Is it possible that there will be another abolition memorial in the palace? Isn't this making fun of the king and letting everyone in the government and the public think about his father?" Zhao Ling continued. .
At this moment, a person hurriedly walked in outside the door, "Your Majesty, Li Chong is back."
"How?" All three people in the room stood up.
"Huang Li escaped and is missing."
"Wu Gen, you are looking for death." Zhao Ling said with a stern look on his face and gritted his teeth. Now that Huang Li has escaped, Zhang Qing's death is inseparable from Wu Gen.
Zhao Chang turned around and paced back and forth a few times, "Gao Cheng, all the secret guards are sent out to capture Wu Gen. Remember, be careful when taking action and never let him have time to activate his gu. You must bring back everything he has on him. , must not be left outside.”
Gao Cheng thought for a moment, "What about Lord Chuji?"
"It's best if you can bring him back. If things are not harmonious, just kill him." Zhao Chang's voice was cold to the bone.
Not to mention Zhao Chang and others, Wu Gen had already arrived at Chuyi at this time. This was Zhao Guozhong
A big city in the country. While in the city, Wu Gen found a caravan that was about to go to the capital. After showing Chu Ji's noble jade plate, the caravan was so frightened that the caravan quickly fell to its knees.
Wu Gen handed the other party a tightly sealed box and asked him to take it to the capital. He arrived soon after and agreed on a way to meet.
The caravan is all right, but I wonder why this noble man didn't go through the official route, but entrusted them with a group of merchants.
After arranging all this, Wu Gen took two horses and ran eastward with all his strength. When he was at the dock by the river, he deliberately revealed that he wanted to go to Dingyuan City, which should be able to attract some of his pursuers.
With another feint this time, if someone is chasing after him, he can divide his troops in the direction of the capital, so that he can escape to the Zhujuan Kingdom with all his strength.
Along the way, Wu Gen switched between two horses, and even ate on the horse with some dry food. When encountering a city, he stayed far away and chose wild roads and small roads. Fortunately, Chu Ji grew up in Huangling and was able to endure hardships since he was a child. He endured hardships all the way and kept silent.
On this day, we finally arrived at the Yao River. Going downstream along the river, we would soon reach the border between Zhao and Zhujuan.
This river flows continuously all year round and never freezes. Even in such cold weather, there are still many ships sailing on the river.
At this time, Chu Ji had taken off her noble clothes and dressed up a little, but she looked just like an ordinary girl.
When he reached a ferry, Wu Gen sold his horse hastily and found a ship that was about to sail. The boss of the ship was in a hurry to deliver food. After stuffing two taels of silver, Wu Gen and Chu Ji boarded the ship. The space on the ship was small, so they had to stay in the warehouse.
It was Chu Ji's first time to travel on a big boat, and he looked at the scenery on both sides of the river with great interest, regardless of the strong wind on the river.
Wu Gen wrapped a thick coat around her body and looked at her nose which was slightly red from the cold, feeling secretly guilty. Following him all the way, the little girl really suffered.
On the Yao River, a light boat rows across the water. The cliffs on both sides of the river are high and dangerous, and the wind is strong and the sky is high. The mountains in Baishou rise and fall one after another, and endless rivers roll in, creating a scene of vast mountains and vast waters.
Seeing this scene, Wu Gen's tense heartstrings relaxed, and the depression he had accumulated for many days was swept away.
After three days of sailing down the river, the boat anchored at a ferry. The boatman needed to buy some daily necessities, so Wu Gen and Chu Ji walked ashore to soak up some local energy and replenish supplies.
The ferry is located at the foot of a green mountain. There is only a small open space, but there are a lot of goods placed in it. This is a must-stop place for ships to stop. It is bustling with people coming and going, making it quite lively.
After walking through the crowd, a tea shop appeared in front, with many people already sitting inside. They were all businessmen, asking each other about the prices of goods from various places, exchanging information with each other. Some of them reached an agreement and directly put their hands into each other's sleeves and talked about the price with each other.
Wu Gen sat down with Chu Ji, and the little guy watched with interest as the people in the tea shop chatted. Growing up in Huangling, the only people I could see were my grandfather and Muji, so I liked going to crowded places.
"Brother, why do they talk with their hands in their sleeves? Why is this not the case when we sell white jade bean sprouts?" Chu Ji asked curiously.
Wu Gen's smile faltered, and he quickly put his finger on Chu Ji's mouth, "Drinking tea, drinking tea, this is the original way of doing business."
The two ordered a pot of black tea and began to taste it slowly. In winter, this thing is the most heart-warming. After drinking a pot of tea, Wu Gen took Chu Ji on board the boat, picked up his luggage, and walked behind the mountain. The boat is going to stay here for a day, so it is better to take the opportunity to go out and enjoy the scenery.
After the two of them left, two people in the tea shop also stood up in a hurry.
After crossing the crossing, there is a narrow canyon ahead, leading directly to the back of the mountain. The rock walls of the canyon were covered with moss, and some small trees with strong vitality squeezed through the rock walls and came out, intertwining in the air, making the valley much darker.
Wu Gen pulled Chu Ji and walked through the canyon talking and laughing, occasionally cutting down the long hanging vines with his knife. As soon as he passed the mouth of the canyon, Wu Gen's expression suddenly changed. He quickly pulled Chu Ji over and hid behind a stone at the exit, and pointed to the road leading to the distance.
Chu Ji blinked and immediately understood what his brother meant. He laughed loudly and walked forward.
It took less than a cup of tea
, two people appeared at the exit. One is fat and the other is thin, dressed in black and white linen clothes, looking like a merchant. It's just the bulging temples that indicate their extraordinary skills.
The two walked out of the canyon and looked around for the source of Chu Ji's voice. Just after walking a few steps, there was a sound of breaking through the air behind him. A broken knife fell from the sky and struck the thin man with one strike. The man was killed on the spot without even making a sound.
The fat man was very nimble. He sensed that something was wrong, so he rolled forward without even looking behind him. When he stood up, he already had a money sword in his hand, and he stared fiercely at Wu Gen, who was standing with the sword.
The fat businessman looked grim, "You must be Wu Gen, haha, if it weren't for that white jade bean, it would be hard to confirm."
Wu Gen looked calm, but his heart was filled with waves, "I didn't expect that the mansion would catch up so quickly. How many of you are there?"
"How many people? Do you know that the prince has sent out all the secret guards, including many retainers and guards? Boy, do you think you can escape?
Those who know better can leave the noble man behind, tie him up, and follow me to see the prince. There is no way he can survive. Otherwise, where can you, a little sparrow, escape under the dragnet of heaven and earth and only suffer some physical pain? "The fat man sneered and pointed the tip of his sword at Wu Gen.
"Do you believe this?" Wu Gen sneered, "For such a big battle, if it falls into the hands of Chief Zhao, it will only lead to death. It's better to see the truth behind it."
"That's right, go to hell." Before the fat man could finish his words, he shot towards Wu Gen like an arrow. Compared with his bloated figure, his movements were not slow at all.
With a clang, the swords clashed. Wu Gen Tianluo struck out three slashes instantly to block the opponent's attack, followed by the fourth and fifth slashes.
The first move is to use all your strength. At this time, there are still many pursuers. It is unwise to fight with the opponent.
The fat man looked surprised. The information from the government said that this person was only good at archery, but he didn't expect his sword skills to be so sharp.
Waves of huge force came from his arm, like waves crashing on the shore, thunder rolling, and the shock making his bones hurt. Before he could react, a greater force came, and the sword made of money made a heart-breaking creaking sound. It could no longer withstand the huge force. Then another huge wave hit, and the money sword finally fell apart with a crash.
The fat man was shocked. Sure enough, there was a secret inside. No wonder he became his companion with just one blow. His body retreated sharply, he stretched out his hands, and the scattered money suddenly rose into the air, hanging in the air at random.
At this time, Wu Gen could not let the opponent slow down his cheek, so he advanced quickly with the knife, just under the money.
"Fall." As the fat man stopped shouting, dozens of thunders fell from the formation formed by the money. The money was refined little by little by the fat man, and contained thunderous energy. Wu Gen was caught off guard and fell to the ground.
During the flash of lightning, I tried to get up several times, but was suppressed by the thunder. Soon, his body was in tatters and the broken knife flew away far away.
"Looking for death, my Yang Lei is specialized in destroying warriors. Even if I don't die, I will be seriously injured." The fat man said coldly as he looked at Wu Gen who fell on the ground.
