At the inconspicuous haggis stall on the corner of the street, the fire gradually dimmed. There was a layer of white grease on the originally boiling mutton soup. The owner of the haggis seller had also refilled three pots of tobacco leaves.
Wu Gen ate ten bowls of haggis in a row and had a cordial and friendly exchange with this middle-aged man, Zhao Ye, the current emperor of Zhao State. Both parties were very candid.
For a person in a high position like Zhao Ye, he doesn't have so many scruples, and many secrets are told casually as if they are commonplace. If it weren't for the fact that it couldn't be spread, the story of this "Haggis Pair" might have left a few lines in the history books.
What surprised Wu Gen was that the so-called herring case was so simple yet so complicated. It was just that the emperor was ill, and the eldest prince, as a sign of filial piety, personally caught a herring and cooked it before serving it.
It was originally a story about a loving father and a filial son. Unexpectedly, the cat that was always inseparable from the Queen Mother, whether it was naughty or greedy, suddenly jumped out, ate the fish, and died inexplicably not long after.
"Is the fish poisonous?" Wu Gen asked curiously.
"Waiter Zhang Chang knows best whether the fish is poisonous or not." Zhao Ye had a half-smile on his face.
Zhang Changshi quickly responded, "Every time Mr. Zhao has a meal, he always tests the poison first." Then he shut his mouth and refused to say another word.
Wu Gen's eyes suddenly widened, "That cat was poisoned to death."
"Yes, Zhang Changshi inspected the cat's body afterwards and found that it was indeed poisoned to death." Zhao Ye had a smile on his lips.
"Who in the palace can poison a cat." Wu Gen pondered for a moment, and suddenly his pupils shrank. This cat usually circles around the Queen Mother, who could poison it, "Could it be the Queen Mother..." For a moment In the meantime, no matter how brave Wu Gen was, he did not dare to say any more.
Zhao Ye nodded slightly and let out a long sigh, "The Queen Mother dotes on this third child the most and intends to help him rise to the throne. And the third child also pretends to be very well-behaved on weekdays and never takes the initiative to rush to the front. He spends the whole day reciting poems with a group of literati Painting is completely leisurely with no desire or pursuit.
The second child is a reckless man who usually competes for position, so it is reasonable for some people to suspect that he framed the boss. "
"Since Mr. Zhao already knows the reason, why is he still imprisoned in the house? Isn't it true that he is the most unjust and suffered this misfortune for nothing." Wu Gen couldn't help but feel a little confused.
"Boss, his character is not bad, but he is cowardly and narrow-minded. If such a person takes charge of a country, wouldn't it destroy the Zhao family?" Zhao Ye waved his hands in disgust and said disapprovingly.
"The royal family is heartless and cruel. The most undesirable thing is compassion. Since he is incompetent, he must give up his position. It is impossible for me, a father, to be a safe prince and still save his life. The only thing we can do for him.”
"Then the other two." As soon as the words left his mouth, Wu Gen stopped abruptly, and his whole body suddenly broke out in cold sweat. It is taboo to discuss the matter of establishing a heir apparent. Besides, Zhao Ye revealed such a secret to himself today, could it be...
"My lord, you want to kill me." Wu Gen raised his head and looked at Zhao Ye coldly.
Zhao Ye laughed loudly, "Kill you, why do you have to say so much? You think too highly of yourself. I am also a human being. I keep these things in my heart, and there is no one in front of me to talk about. It just so happens that you, an outsider, are here, Complaining is also a good way to relieve depression.
The other is to reassure Zhu Buzhan, Jian Xing and others that they actually understand the situation of the Qingyu case, but they just don't want to say it out. In such a big country, someone still needs to do things, so let them do it with peace of mind.
Wu Gen, let me ask you, did you really see the Taichu Stone in Dayizhou? I heard Li Yuantong and others report it, and it seems that they have deduced a very remarkable existence. "
Wu Gen knew that the emperor finally revealed his purpose today. The herring case and the third son's seizure of the legitimate son were all foreshadowing this. If he didn't say something, he would chop himself into pieces as soon as he opened the stall.
After thinking about it for a moment, Wu Gen let out a long sigh and said, "Master Zhao, we did not see any Taichu Stone, but we did see the so-called God, sleeping in a coffin."
"God?" It was Zhao Ye's turn to be surprised. He almost stood up from his seat, "There really is a god. It seems that the ancient books are accurate." He grabbed Wu Gen's hand with an excited expression, "You guys Now that I have met God and obtained the divine object, can I live forever?"
Wu Gen frowned slightly. The emperor was too strong, so he obviously had some cultivation. I secretly laughed in my heart, if the gods are dead, how can there be anything immortal. No matter how smart a person is, he will become confused when he encounters the thing he longs for day and night.
But when he saw the other party's scorching gaze, he had no choice but to say nonsense: "Sir, how can God be so close to us? After just a glance from a distance, he passed out. I just heard in the dark that all of us in the outside world are sinners." , should be washed with light."
Zhao Ye looked surprised and looked at Zhang Changshi, "What you said is consistent with the teachings of the divine religion. By the way, the divine religion will send an envoy here in a few days. You might as well get close to him then."
After saying that, he stood up and stretched, seemingly about to leave.
Wu Gen quickly stood up, not wanting to let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip away, "Sir, I see that you are determined to revitalize the government. I have a list of cronies in the DPRK and China, so why not submit it to your Excellency?"
Zhao Ye didn't care at all, "Aren't they just those people won over by the second and third sons? Tingwei is responsible for this matter, just leave it to him." After saying that, he led Zhang Changshi out of the alley.
"Sir, I still have an unanswered question. Who was responsible for my mistress Jia Wenyun's death?" Wu Gen asked anxiously.
Zhao Ye turned around with a strange look on his face, "Wu Gen, Jia Wenyun is a member of the divine religion. How did he die? The matter involves the divine religion, and Zhao Guo doesn't want to get involved. By the way, it's best to stay out of the matter." After saying that, he walked away.
Wu Gen stood there in shock, as if he was struck by five thunders. His wife, Zhu Qianhua's mother, turned out to be a member of the divine sect.
Returning to the palace in a daze, Wu Gen immediately said goodbye to Zhao Yuzheng and told him not to go out at will in the recent days. There will soon be a storm in the capital, and if you continue to live in the palace, it will inevitably bring disaster to others.
After finding Zhu Buzhan, Wu Gen told him about his meeting with Zhao Ye, but hid some things. Zhao Ye asked himself to leave Fuli City, obviously still a little wary of his own methods, so he said goodbye to Zhu Buzhan and prepared to return to Shenwu Academy.
Zhu Buzhan did not expect that the emperor would personally approach Wu Gen. Having lived in the officialdom for a long time, he naturally knew that there would be some turmoil in the capital, so he did not hold back anymore. He took off the armband from his hand and said, "Take this thing." go."
"Sir, why don't you come back to Shenwu Academy with me for a while." Wu Gen did not take it, but instead begged Zhu Buzhan to leave together.
"There are pines in the pavilion and the rustling wind in the valley. Even if the wind blows, you can hold your own and stand still, so there is nothing to be afraid of." Zhu Buzhan walked to the window, but refused to leave.
Wu Gen sighed helplessly and had no choice but to leave the armband behind. "Sir, please be careful. It is better to leave this thing with you. If something happens, you may as well go find Master Jianxing."
At Wu Gen's insistence, Zhu Buzhan still kept his arms on his body.
Wu Gen swaggered and walked all the way back to Shenwu Academy. This time, the journey was calm and without any disturbance.
When he returned to Shenwuyuan, everything was as before.
The mountain wind blows in from the mouth of the valley and blows along the curved valley like flowing water, making a sigh-like sound. The sun shines down from the top of the valley, the shadows of the trees are dancing, and the light and darkness alternately cover each other. Everything looks like a dream.
Wu Gen stood in the valley, looking at the familiar scene in front of him. Suddenly he felt tired and irritable, and his whole body seemed to be exhausted. Taking a step back, he retreated into the shadow of the valley wall. Only in the darkness can the restless heart calm down a little.
What on earth is going on? Wu Gen stood there stunned. Unknowingly, his whole body swayed with the waves like a reflection in water, slowly blending into the shadows.
An unknown black bird landed in front of Wu Gen, hopping briskly and looking for insects in the soil, but seemed not to be aware of his presence and gradually came closer.
Suddenly, the black bird suddenly turned its head, screamed shrilly, turned around and flew out of the valley.
"Master Wu, you are back." Yang Zheng's voice came, with a crimson flower on his temple, like a libertine with a hairpin.
Wu Gen was startled, regained his composure, and walked out of the shadows, "Everyone is fine."
"Okay." Yang Zheng took the flower off his head with some embarrassment and put it into his sleeve, "I'm just a little worried about you. He was so seriously injured when he left last time. Baoxiang wanted to sneak out secretly. I was looking for you, but I was stopped by Dean Luo."
Wu Gen stood on tiptoes and circled around Yang Zheng, put his head on the back of Yang Zheng's neck, blew in a breath and chuckled, "You fat black man, you have a different taste when you wear flowers."
Yang Zheng felt goosebumps all over his body and moved farther away from Wu Gen, "Young Master, you."
Wu Gen laughed loudly, "I'm joking with you, I'm getting a little less courageous." As he said that, he walked towards the room where he lived. There were only a few houses in the valley, and soon other people heard the news and came to visit.
Sitting in the room, he looked at the situation of several people one by one. Baoxiang was concerned, Feng'er and Qihe were a little anxious, and Qiaoban still looked like it didn't matter.
"The canonization matter will be settled soon. Don't worry, just wait here." Wu Gen leaned on the back of his chair with a lazy look on his face.
"But what's the twist?" Feng'er was the first to ask, "Is it possible that Li Yi revealed my identity."
Wu Gen glanced at her and suddenly felt more tired. Putting his arm on the table, leaning on his chin with one hand, he said feebly, "I have already killed Li Yi, and there is no evidence to prove his death. As for your identity as the leader of the Tiandao Sect, just grit your teeth and refuse to admit it. To be honest, no one will pay much attention to Tiandao now. The door is open, and there will be a cleanup in Chaozhong soon.
After the canonization is completed, you are no longer suitable to live here. You might as well go to Shaoyang Academy to become a teacher, or you can clear your identity. "
Feng'er breathed a sigh of relief and said nothing after all the doubts in her heart were resolved.
Baoxiang stared at Wu Gen for a long time before hesitatingly said: "Wu Gen, are you okay? I always feel that something is not right with you. Is it because the injury last time has not fully healed?"
Wu Gen quickly straightened up and stretched, "It's okay, I'm just a little tired these days, and I'll recover after a while. Come on, I'll catch up on some sleep first."
When everyone saw that Wu Gen was indeed not in good spirits, they dispersed one after another. Wu Gen fell on the bed, staring at the roof, but he was not tired at all.
Late at night, Wu Gen quietly got up and groped deeper into the valley.
