The carriage moved forward in a sparkling way, and the entire team of people slowly blurred into the mist in the mountains.
At this time, only Xiao Yu and Liu Boxuan were left on the roadside. Behind them were the burning corpses piled up.
With no one else around, Xiao Yu could finally breathe a long sigh of relief, and his body felt indescribably relaxed.
He turned his head and glanced at the pile of burning corpses behind him. The corpses were charred black, and the flesh was split and twisted, making people sigh.
Xiao Tong and his entourage have gone far away, so there is no need to worry about speaking here.
"Uncle Liu Shi, who do you think they are?"
"Definitely not an ordinary robber. There is something I have always wanted to take out." Liu Boxuan took out a black rectangular iron plate from his arms and handed it to Xiao Yu's hand.
"What is this?" Xiao Yu asked in surprise.
"This was dropped from the thief when I was chasing him. Mr. Xiao Tong was here earlier, so I didn't take it out for fear of causing trouble."
Xiao Yu took the iron plate and weighed it in his hand. The iron plate was heavy and seemed to be made of wrought iron.
There are patterns decorated with auspicious clouds on the edge of the iron plate, but in the middle of the auspicious clouds is a ferocious wolf head, with two different lines of text under the wolf head.
A kind of Chinese character, which seems to be written in the Wei stele, is clearly engraved with the words "waiting for the official in the inner palace".
Xiao Yu has never seen another font.
"Marquis of the Inner Palace..." Xiao Yu raised his eyes and looked at Liu Boxuan, "What is the Marquis of the Inner Palace? What are the words below."
"That should be Xianbei Wen. As for the houguan..." Liu Boxuan stroked his long beard and said thoughtfully, "I suspect that they are the houguan Cao of the Northern Wei Dynasty."
"Guan Cao?"
"Your Majesty, I don't know. The Marquis Cao is a secret organization in the Northern Wei State. Its internal members are called Marquis or Egrets. They are all served by Xianbei Hu people. They are a special kind of existence in the Northern Dynasty. They belong directly to the inner court. They are not Subject to foreign control.
"People who are waiting for an official behave mysteriously and sneakily. These people usually hide their identities as waiting for an official and use various public identities as a cover. They are either court officials or traffickers and pawns, and they penetrate the whole country.
"It is said that they can enter and leave any place in the Northern Dynasty without restriction, from the royal court to the government offices and private houses, and they can freely spy on anyone's privacy. If they have something to gain, they can arrest anyone from the prince to the common people. Torture is not restricted by the court.
"At the same time, they are also responsible for spying on other countries' intelligence, poisoning and assassinating, and inciting rebellion against military and political officials. That is to say, all the things that the Northern Wei court could not do openly were shouldered by the waiting officials.
"It was only later that the power of the candidate continued to expand, posing a threat to the imperial power, and was constantly used by different forces in the DPRK and China, and also created several unjust, false and wrong cases with great impact.
"After Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty moved south to Luoyang, he replaced the waiting officials with Taige. Those barbarian waiting officials have disappeared and disappeared, as if they never existed. What puzzles me is that after so many years, I actually picked up those thieves. Got the waiting badge?"
"Uncle Liu Shi, do you mean that the person who is chasing me is the Marquis of the Northern Wei Dynasty?"
Liu Boxuan shook his head: "It's hard to draw such a conclusion until we find definite evidence. It's hard to say whether Hou Guan Cao still exists. With this token, we can only say that the thief has some kind of connection with Hou Guan Cao. It's a pity that We didn’t catch him, but if we do, we will know after the first trial.”
Xiao Yu nodded: "I think they are indeed Hu people, but when I collected the bodies, I checked them carefully. Although these people were wearing Han clothes, holding Han weapons, and trying their best to pretend to be Han people, But their partially shaved hair and tattoos cannot hide their identity as Husbands, but those people don’t have tokens like this on their bodies.”
"That's not surprising. The number of people who truly have the status of candidate is extremely limited. There should be no more than a thousand people. They also have a special review system. Once the candidate dies, there will only be one person to replace him. And the majority of people who work for the candidate are Most people do not have the status of waiting for an official, they are just peripheral servants and the like." Liu Boxuan's eyes changed when he said this, and he suddenly grabbed Xiao Yu's shoulder: "Your Majesty, tell Uncle Shi, how did you get into this kind of situation? figure?"
Xiao Yu saw Liu Boxuan's anxious expression and knew that he was worried about him, so he could only find a way to comfort him.
"Uncle Shi, don't be nervous. It was purely an accident that I fell into this muddy water. It's not me they want to deal with."
Thinking about it, Liu Boxuan was not around when he talked to Xiao Tong before, so Xiao Yu told the previous story again.
But this time, he didn't hold back as much as he said to Xiao Tong.
Liu Boxuan was shocked after hearing this.
"Suo Lu wanted to kill that witch Xiao Yuwan with such great fanfare! This is really puzzling. If that's true, then killing her would be considered as breaking an arm of the Dog Emperor, and it would also be considered as eradicating a large number of people for Da Qi Sheji. Disaster."
Liu Boxuan gritted his teeth when he spoke, which made Xiao Yu feel very uncomfortable.
He has always had a good impression of Princess Xiao Yuwan of Yongning. His ability to live in peace and wealth until now largely depends on Xiao Yuwan's protection.
But he didn't understand why his Uncle Liu Shi was so hostile to Xiao Yuwan.
"Okay, I don't want to hear you say this anymore." Xiao Yu said impatiently to Liu Boxuan, and also returned the waiting token to him.
So the topic of waiting for an officer came to an abrupt end.
It's just that Xiao Yu's sudden displeasure made Liu Boxuan a little confused. He didn't know what words had offended the prince, so he was cautious and stopped talking.
So the two sat on a stone not far from the burning corpse and remained silent for a moment.
Xiao Yu raised his eyes and looked at Liu Boxuan who was silent, and suddenly wanted to laugh in his heart. This Liu Shishu couldn't be a glass-hearted man, so he could be so tight-lipped by his wrong tone.
So he calmed down his voice and broke the previous silence.
"Uncle Liu Shi, just talking about my assassination, how are you doing these days?"
"Hey, it's okay, it's okay." Liu Boxuan's face was broad and kind, like a weather-beaten old father, but what flashed most in his eyes was desolation.
Xiao Yu saw that his temples were much grayer than before, and since he hadn't contacted him for so long, he guessed that his trip to Jingxiang was not going well.
But how could he not be moved by his loyalty to his father and son?
Xiao Yu smiled gently: "Uncle Liu Shi, you have really suffered during this time! You have been running for our father and son. I am fine now. Xiao Yuheng has released me from the ruined temple where I was detained by the Tingwei Department. I have With my new palace, I won’t be hungry or cold.”
Liu Boxuan's eyes seemed to sparkle with crystal liquid, and he seemed to be talkative again.
"Haha, I have heard about this. The famous young prince in Jiankang City, the dignitaries who came to visit him lined up for two streets, and none of the princes were seen. In the end, he played with them in the backyard of the prince's palace. They all said that The young prince can't tell the difference between cold and heat in the four seasons, and he knows nothing about the world, haha... but I don't think so."
"Oh, things change as they spread. I have never teased anyone. There are just too many people coming to the door. I am afraid of affecting the neighbors, so I make an exception and let them come in and let them see my daily life. Okay. Let them give up. To be honest, I am a homebody and don't like to interact with people, especially those who come with a purpose. Being with them will be very tiring. With Uncle Shi and Qingxue here, it would be great to lie down without any restraints. "Xiao Yu thought for a moment, "It's a pity that Manager Zhao has worked hard for me for half his life, but in the end I couldn't let him live a long life."
Liu Boxuan half-understood what Xiao Yu said. He had never heard of such things as "staying at home" and "lying down", but he felt relieved as long as the young prince was happy.
"Manager Zhao should understand that the prince cannot help himself, and he will not blame the prince. Although the prince is in the palace now, he has only changed the wooden cage into a gold cage. He is not as free and happy as before."
"Uncle Shi, I'm quite happy."
Liu Boxuan smiled dryly.
"By the way, Your Majesty, is there any news about the prince recently?"
"Not yet, but I know he should be safe now. I am waiting for an opportunity. If the timing is right, I believe I will be able to see him soon." Xiao Yu replied firmly.
He poked the charred corpse with a wooden stick from a distance, and the night wind carried a handful of smoke and dust into the air, turning into stars in the sky.
…
After dealing with the corpses, the two of them plunged into the dense forest.
Different from when he ran away in a hurry, Xiao Yu walked much more calmly along the way.
The difference is that last time it was dark, this time there was an extra torch for lighting.
Xiao Yu walked in front, and the firelight illuminated part of the area in front of him.
He didn't walk very fast, observing his surroundings as he walked, as if he was looking for the path he came from.
Liu Boxuan held a torch and followed Xiao Yu to illuminate him.
After walking for a while, they came to an area where a fight had taken place before. Traces of knife and ax cuts could be seen everywhere among the overgrown weeds.
It's just that in this area, Xiao Yu walked slower than before, and his hands occasionally passed over the chopped places on the tree trunks.
Suddenly, Xiao Yu stopped in front of a thick tree. The entire arrowhead of an arrow in front of him did not penetrate into the trunk of the tree, leaving only the tail feathers of the arrow shaft.
Xiao Yu tried to pull it out, but the feather arrow didn't move at all.
Xiao Yu increased his strength again, and then the entire arrow cluster was pulled out with some sawdust.
When Liu Boxuan saw this, he explained: "This must be an arrow shot by a barbarian with his back on his back. We Han people can usually shoot an arrow with a ten-stone bow at a maximum distance of 150 steps. This is not the case with a barbarian's back-up bow. Six stones can shoot an arrow." One hundred and fifty steps. It’s just that the manufacturing technology of the reverse-back bow is very different from our birch bow and mulberry bow. Their manufacturing process is more complicated and cumbersome, and it is not as simple as my birch bow.”
Xiao Yu didn't make any comments about the bow. He just held the arrow cluster in his hand and looked at it carefully. After a while, he handed the arrow cluster to Liu Boxuan's hand.
"Uncle Shi has been in battle for a long time. What do you think is special about this arrow cluster?"
Liu Boxuan frowned slightly. He raised his arrow clusters and compared them in front of the torch.
At first glance, there seems to be nothing special about this feathered arrow. No matter the length, material, or tail feathers, they are very ordinary, and there are no special marks on the arrow shaft.
But when he saw the arrow, Liu Boxuan said "uh".
He looked at Xiao Yu, then lowered his head to look at the arrow again.
I saw that the arrow's spine was black and shiny, and the sharp points around it shone with silver. The slightest touch of a fingernail immediately made a "buzzing" sound.
"What kind of material is this?"
Liu Boxuan fumbled for the metal of the arrowhead, but he couldn't tell what the metal was made of or how it was forged. It seemed to be different from the pig iron forging process common in Southern Qi.
"Uncle Shi followed my father and fought against the Northern Wei Dynasty!"
"Hand it in."
"I wonder how the Northern Dynasty's weapons are like?"
Liu Boxuan thought: "The weapons used by soldiers in the Northern Dynasties were uneven, and there were many excellent ones. Both countries have made breakthroughs in smelting technology over the years. If they fight on the battlefield, they should be...evenly matched."
"Are the arrow clusters used by our army or the Northern Wei army similar to this arrow cluster?"
"It would be a waste to use such good steel on arrow clusters, and I have never seen such a metallic texture."
"Uncle Shi, where do you think this arrow came from?"
"Could it be Mobei?"
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Xiao Yu's mouth.
Liu Boxuan heard that far away in Rouran, Mobei, between the Hanhai and the Jinshan Mountains, there was a tribe called the Turks. They were good at smelting and could make a metal called fine steel.
That kind of metal has excellent toughness and hardness, and the sword made of it is extremely sharp and can cut through pig iron without stopping.
As for armor made into armor, it is light and thin and can block bows and crossbows.
Did this arrow really come from there?
He looked at Xiao Yu, and it seemed that the young man in front of him knew this very well, and just deliberately led his thinking in that direction.
"Uncle Shi, Mobei borders the Northern Wei Dynasty. What will happen if this forging technology is learned by the Xianbei people and used on a large scale for farming and mulberry warfare?"
"Then the Northern Dynasty's national power will definitely increase greatly. Moreover, the situation of the North being strong and the South weak has been formed. If this is true... our Qi Dynasty is in danger!"
After Liu Boxuan said this, he felt a wave of excitement in his heart.
At this moment, he saw something different from ordinary people in this young man. It was not just calmness and meticulousness that transcended his age.
The prince of Jiangxia should be happy to have such insight!
…
The eastern sky turned fish belly white.
Xiao Yu searched for the traces left before and finally found the depression where he separated from Qingxue and Pan Duo.
It was quiet all around, and the mist seemed to be looming in the forest.
Xiao Yu turned around and looked at Liu Boxuan standing behind him.
"Uncle Liu Shi is leaving now? You and I have just met."
A knowing smile appeared on Liu Boxuan's tired face: "Your Majesty is safe, and it's time for Boxuan to go back and report to Young Master Xiao."
"Don't go back. Uncle Shi will stay with me, just like I did when I was a child. Be a retainer in my house. I'm not good at shooting, but I still need Uncle Shi to teach me!"
"One moment, another moment." Liu Boxuan sighed, "Now that Boxuan is not tolerated by the court, the hawks and dogs in the court are asking for Boxuan's whereabouts in many ways, and they want to get rid of him quickly. If I stay with the prince, I may be detrimental to the prince and the prince. Today I see that the prince's spirit and views are all unparalleled, and Bo Xuan will be able to smile even if he dies."
After saying that, Liu Boxuan knelt down and worshiped, with tears streaming down his face.
Xiao Yu was reluctant to give up, but he no longer forced it. He stopped looking at Liu Boxuan and strode towards Qingxue Pan Duo's hiding place.
As I walked closer, I suddenly heard a gentle snore coming from knee-deep in the weeds.
The corners of Xiao Yu's mouth curled up slightly, a smile blooming on his face.
He called softly: "Qingxue!"
The weeds immediately responded: "Little prince!"
An arm as bright and white as a lotus root stretched out from the grass.
Xiao Yu took his hand and pulled it up.
Qingxue's delicate face was displayed in front of Xiao Yu's eyes. There was only dirt on her cheeks, but it did not hinder her beauty and cuteness.
The slender waist jumped upward lightly, and the girl threw herself into Xiao Yu's arms.
Her eyes were filled with tears. She had been frightened all night, but now she had the return of the one she loved.
At that moment, the little prince was her world.
