Liu Boxuan ran out from the ruins and looked around.
The street in front of the ruins of the restaurant is the main east-west road in the square. It is already spacious. At this time, there are many more people on the roadside. In the night, some of them cannot be seen clearly, but there are all kinds of indescribable noises. The sound filled his ears.
Suddenly he noticed that a group of people had gathered on the street not far from him to the west. They were standing there loosely, and there seemed to be a few figures lying on the ground.
Farther west, the sounds of metal collisions and shouts of men and women seemed to be vaguely audible.
Liu Boxuan immediately understood that they must have gone west.
So he picked up his spear and ran to the west.
When he ran close to the crowd that was still gathered together, someone suddenly screamed.
"There is another person here, and his weapon is still stained with blood!"
The originally loosely gathered crowd dispersed in all directions.
Liu Boxuan ignored these people. The sky was already dark. Although some people traveling at night also carried lanterns, who could be so sharp and see their own weapons stained with blood?
When he ran closer to the fallen people, he instinctively slowed down and glanced at who was lying on the ground.
Sure enough, it was four of the six people dressed as Hu Shang.
They lay there motionless, the silver moonlight falling on the ground, giving the pool of blood under them a strange silver color.
At this moment, he suddenly heard someone coughing on the ground, and a hand suddenly left the ground and reached into the air.
Someone exclaimed: "Look, there's still someone alive!"
Everyone started talking.
Liu Boxuan also stopped at this time and looked at the barbarian.
But he saw the barbarian coughing and turning over hard, and his intestines seemed to flow out of his abdomen. However, he remained unmoved and crawled towards Liu Boxuan with difficulty.
Liu Boxuan was a little moved. He changed his route and walked towards the Hu people.
The barbarian grabbed his hand and used almost all his strength on his arm.
Liu Boxuan couldn't help but frowned. He couldn't see the face clearly in the night, but he could feel a pair of expectant eyes looking at him.
"Do you have something to say?" Liu Boxuan asked.
The man nodded, coughed twice more, and blood seemed to spurt out of his mouth and splashed on Liu Boxuan's body.
Liu Boxuan's heart sank. He no longer asked for the information he wanted to know, but said:
"If you have something to tell me, just say it."
Two difficult laughs came out of the other party's mouth. The mouth opened and closed, and he spoke poor Chinese with difficulty.
"Blessed by the eternal God... She Quli... my son... is still imprisoned... and the clan members... want to save them... those people... they don't keep their faith... they are not good people, you ...You are a hero...God bless you forever..."
Liu Boxuan felt that the hand holding him tightly began to loosen, and the half of the man's body that was originally raised fell to the ground weakly.
Liu Boxuan couldn't see his face clearly, and didn't know what his expression was now.
At this moment, Liu Boxuan suddenly felt something in his hand. It was a wood-carved wolf head, and the surface had been smoothed by groping.
That was the legacy he left to his son.
I could only hear him repeating a few words in his angry mouth.
"She Quli...She Quli...Agan is useless...Agan can't save you..."
"She Quli..." Liu Boxuan silently remembered that name in his heart.
He wanted to lower his head and ask other questions, but the barbarian had made no movement.
He is dead.
Liu Boxuan stood up and sighed.
God has a good life, and they should not have died here. Perhaps they would prefer to be buried in their hometown, among the grasslands of the sky.
He originally wanted to say something to the people watching, such as giving them a good burial.
But most of the onlookers just wanted to watch the excitement for a while. No one really cared about these "Hu businessmen" who died in a foreign country, and their words were just some comments that were neither serious nor serious.
"Why do you think those bandits killed these Hu businessmen?"
"You must have exposed your wealth, didn't something similar happen a few days ago?"
"Hey, it's a pity to be dead. Let's wait until dawn for the Tingwei Office to come and collect the body!" Everyone said this again and again, but no one intervened, and the crowd gradually dispersed.
Some people stood there and looked at Liu Boxuan curiously, as if they wanted to know what the barbarian said to him in the end, preferably where the gold and silver was hidden.
Liu Boxuan felt a little sad after being entrusted by someone on his deathbed. He suddenly felt heavy in his heart. He didn't like the Hu people, and he killed the Hu people on the battlefield, but he couldn't hate the Hu people. Just its owner.
But he must take matters of loyalty to heart.
He raised his head and looked to the west. The sound of fighting there had become sporadic. Maybe the two barbarians had been killed, or maybe they had escaped.
Liu Boxuan picked up the spear and continued running towards West Street, his figure gradually dimmed in the night.
…
It's night in Taicheng.
An inconspicuous four-wheeled carriage, surrounded by more than twenty followers, slowly drove through the dark door of Xuanyang Gate and walked on the empty imperial street.
When the sergeants of the Fifth Guards Army patrolling the road saw this convoy, they all gave way and stood on the side of the street to salute respectfully.
The person sitting in the car was none other than Zhu Yi, who was an official's servant, the right servant of Shangshu, a general who led the army, and whose authority was equivalent to that of a prime minister.
There were no lights on in the car, and Zhu Yi wrapped his entire body in darkness.
No one knew that his eyes were cold and sinister at this time. In the darkness, he opened his eyes as wide as bells and stared nervously into the dark abyss, as if he wanted to spy something in the darkness.
The carriage walked forward for about a stick of incense and suddenly stopped at a street intersection.
There was no sound inside the carriage, and the retinue outside the carriage also remained silent, standing there like sculptures.
The carriage waited here for a short time when a black figure was seen running over from the long street on the east side of the street entrance.
It looked like he was running very fast and was out of breath.
"Alang, the old slave is back!"
The side window of the carriage suddenly opened, and Zhu Yi's frosty face was exposed to the moonlight.
He looked at the visitor coldly and saw that the man's slightly fat body was heaving violently, breathing heavily and about to bow down.
Zhu Yi waved his hand impatiently: "Don't say goodbye, let's talk about it after we get in the car."
A dim candlelight lit up in the carriage, and two figures sat facing each other under the candlelight.
The man who ran over was Cao Chen, the steward of Zhu Yi's house.
When Zhu Yi saw him, he immediately asked, "Have you found them?"
"Alang, we found them. As expected, they hid in the fighting arena. Even the slaves in their new residence have also found them and arranged for people to keep an eye on them. Please rest assured, Alang, they will be able to eradicate them in just a moment."
"Can you really get rid of the weeds?" Zhu Yi's expression was a little joking.
"Don't worry, Alang."
At this time, Zhu Yi had a complicated expression on his face, he seemed a little nervous and a little embarrassed.
"You said the same thing last night, but you still alerted the snakes and made them run away early! If these people are biting randomly outside, you know the consequences."
"Please rest assured, Alang. What happened last night actually didn't reveal anything. It was just that the barbarian leader was suspicious and moved out of his original residence without permission. They don't know yet that they have become abandoned. And tonight the Right Guards are dispatched, in name only. When there is a rumor that barbarians are gathering to cause trouble, we actually eradicate them. Even to their death, they will never imagine that this matter has anything to do with us. I guarantee that everything will be done cleanly tonight, and Alang will not be implicated in the slightest."
Zhu Yi snorted coldly: "What are we? What does this have to do with the truth? It was your act of confusion and you were casually dragged into the truth."
"Exactly, exactly." Cao Chen said flatteringly.
Zhu Yi glanced at Cao Chen with dissatisfaction: "This is all your fault. You are trying to be smart and try to figure out the truth. In the end, you have to ask me to clean up this mess for you. You must know that if something happens, I will If we don’t protect each other, you can’t expect a good ending!”
"Yes, yes...it's all the old slave's fault."
"Cao Chen, I have told you more than once, what does I dislike most?"
Cao Chen's eyes flashed, and he said with a flattering smile: "Old slave knows in his heart that this matter is over, and he will just make no mistakes in the future."
"Hmph!" Zhu Yi looked coldly and nodded while stroking his beard, "Be sure to deal with me tonight. If the details, even if the rumors are spread to the court, a lot of people will lose their heads. Today's court is no longer what it used to be. To survive in this court, one can only keep one's tail between one's legs and be careful. Recently, His Majesty's eyes have been looking at me in a strange way. I am really afraid that if I lose power, I will be completely embarrassed. Although he is a good official, he is also very leisurely and leisurely. It would be difficult to deal with it if he ends up wandering three thousand miles like the former minister Wang Huan did."
Cao Chen rolled his eyes, as if he was trying to pry into the true meaning of Zhu Yi's words, but when he saw Zhu Yi's cold and oppressive eyes staring at him, he suppressed all his thoughts.
"It's so boring in this car, come with me and get out of the car and take a walk." Zhu Yi said.
"Here."
After a while, both the master and the servant got out of the carriage. They left the carriage and walked some distance to the south of Royal Street.
Cao Chen lowered his hands in front of him and bowed slightly, with a flattering smile on his face, but his eyes never left Zhu Yi, who was spinning around in circles.
Zhu Yi walked around twice, then suddenly stood still and looked back at Cao Chen.
"Cao Chen, have you checked the boat that Cui Wu mentioned?"
Cao Chen rolled his eyes: "I have sent people to check, but nothing has been found yet."
Zhu Yi's face suddenly showed an incredible look.
"What? Nothing was found? It's been a day and nothing has been found. Is it so difficult to search a brothel and a boat? What are the people under you for?"
Cao Chen's heart trembled and he hurriedly handed over his hands.
"Alang calm down, it's not because the old slave is unwilling to pay attention, but it is indeed not found. The old slave's informants are indeed all over the capital, and there are many in the brothels and Chu houses in Qinhuai, which are ten miles away. They are also actively inquiring, but they searched all over the Qinhuai River I never saw that boat again."
Zhu Yi frowned.
"Could it be that the boat doesn't exist at all, and that Cui Wu neglected his duty and made it up to deceive me?"
"I know my mistake. Cui Wu certainly wouldn't dare, but someone did see a boat like that a few days ago. They just thought it was a newly opened brothel. It wasn't very popular at the time, so no one paid attention to it."
"We must investigate, we must investigate, where did that boat come from!"
Zhu Yi took a deep breath. He tried to calm down his mood, but the many days of hard work still made him a little exhausted physically and mentally, and he became anxious and irritable. And all this was not without reason.
Not long ago, he received a summons from the emperor in Taicheng. For some unknown reason, he was scolded by the emperor for no reason and was almost beaten.
After leaving the palace wall, he kept thinking about whether someone had spoken in the emperor's ears and slandered him. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.
Just recently, the emperor promoted several young and handsome men from low-ranking and humble families, and worshiped them as Zhongshu Sheren. They often stayed by his side, but deliberately kept away from him.
And those children from poor families seem to have some relationship with Princess Yongning, and I wonder if they have something to do with Xiao Yuwan.
Although he hated the eldest princess who was deeply favored by Long, there was nothing he could do about it. She was the emperor's sister and the most trusted person.
He didn't plan the situation well before, but now it's too late to hug Xiao Yuwan's thigh.
He vaguely felt that he was about to lose power, and the recent assassination incident was related to his drunken nonsense.
But he had forgotten whether he really said anything after drinking, but the hatred for Xiao Yuwan in his heart was real.
In the past, he sometimes really thought about how great it would be if Xiao Yuwan really died in an assassination.
He prides himself on being good at reading minds. Although the emperor is cruel and absurd, he is confident that he can control him with his power.
But the meaning of Xiao Yuwan's existence is completely different.
If she were a man, she would be either a wise ruler or a talented advisor. Anyone with a discerning eye would know that many government orders were actually done by Xiao Yuwan.
Because most of those decrees were beneficial to the national economy and people's livelihood, and were beneficial to the country, the loyal and upright ministers in the court turned a blind eye, and some ministers also directly turned to Xiao Yuwan, which formed a force that should not be underestimated in the court. With his strength, he privately called him the "Wan Dang".
What Xiao Yuwan did was beneficial to the country, but it would inevitably harm the interests of some conservative forces, and these conservative forces mainly came from noble families, military and political bosses, and local powerful factions.
The emperor also intentionally or unintentionally wanted to support another mountainous force. Although Zhu Yi did not come from a high-ranking family, he was well-rounded and good at maneuvering, and eventually became one of the spokespersons of this force.
If it is in phase, it will turn the clouds and rain, covering the sky with one hand; but this relationship is extremely fragile. Unlike the powerful prime ministers like Huo Guang and Wang Dao, it is the emperor who actually holds the power in the court.
If he no longer wants to use himself, it would be easier for him to discard himself than to throw away a doll.
Thinking of this, Zhu Yi suddenly had a sinister look in his eyes: "Once I have the power, no one can let me go..."
He was suddenly startled and lowered his head suddenly, seeing Cao Chen looking at him blankly.
He said sternly: "What did you hear me say just now!"
Cao Chen quickly lowered his head: "Alang, Alang didn't say anything!"
Zhu Yi sneered.
"It's best if you don't hear it!"
At this moment, there was a sudden rush of horse hooves from the east side of the intersection.
The two of them immediately returned to the carriage, and saw a general wearing Mingguang armor reining in his horse in front of the carriage, turning over and dismounting to bow.
The sinister look on Zhu Yi's face was gone, but it was a bit more friendly.
"Leading general, as ordered, the right guard has completed its defense and surrounded the four gates in the arena, but..." The general hesitated here.
"As soon as midnight passes, immediately break into the four gates and conduct door-to-door inspections. Anyone who looks like a foreigner or has a green wolf tattoo on his body will be killed without mercy!"
The general was about to take the order.
But I saw another fast horse turning out of the south branch, and its destination was also this carriage.
A school captain turned over and dismounted, knelt down and said: "General, the spies reported that a restaurant suddenly collapsed in the arena! More than ten people were killed and injured, and a group of masked men chased and killed six people near the collapsed restaurant. The men dressed as Hu Shang have already killed four of them, and the remaining two escaped and met our Ximen officers and soldiers, who were fighting when I was young."
Zhu Yi blinked and looked at Cao Chen with confusion on his face: "Manager Cao, what do you mean by this? What are you doing without my permission?"
"Old slave...Old slave didn't do anything..." Cao Chen said with an innocent look.
Zhu Yi's eyes showed a fierce look: "No matter who they are, any thieves who cause trouble in our capital will be killed by the Right Guards together... without mercy! No one will be left alive..."
…
Liu Boxuan chased westward along the street where the fight was littered.
Seeing the locked archway in the arena right in front of them, several dark figures had already jumped over the low wooden fence between the inner squares and ran outside. ,
Liu Boxuan took two steps after him, but he vaguely heard shouts of killing outside the gatehouse. It seemed that an army had been ambushing there.
The red torches were lit one after another at that time, and soon half of the sky was lit up red.
Liu Boxuan couldn't help but slow down his pace. He listened and walked slowly towards the archway.
The shout of killing soon disappeared, and was replaced by a moment of silence.
At this moment, there was a loud noise from under the archway door, one and two.
The archway trembled, and the gate was smashed into pieces by someone from the outside.
A group of soldiers swarmed in, held torches and started knocking on the door.
At this time, someone discovered Liu Boxuan, and several soldiers surrounded him.
"Who are you?" a soldier asked.
Liu Boxuan asked, "What happened here?"
"The barbarians gathered together to plot rebellion and were ordered to come to suppress them."
As the soldier spoke, several torches came to Liu Boxuan.
I saw that this man was in a state of desolation, with blood stains on his clothes. The key was that he still had a bloody spear in his hand.
How could such a suspicious person be let go?
A soldier shouted: "There is a thief here! Catch him quickly!"
When the nearby soldiers heard the news, twenty or thirty soldiers surrounded Liu Boxuan.
Without any explanation, a spear stabbed at him first.
Liu Boxuan blocked at will and pushed the soldier's weapon away.
He asked casually: "What happened to those barbarians and assassins!"
The other party snorted coldly: "Your accomplices were all killed by our right guard, why didn't you just capture them without restraint!"
Liu Boxuan was horrified after hearing this. He frowned and shot the soldier in front of him flying away.
Another spear was thrust at him, and he flew the soldier who was stabbing him away.
After several blows, four or five soldiers lay on the ground struggling.
Liu Boxuan ran and fought all the way. His marksmanship was so superb that he felt like he was in a deserted place among the right guards.
Soon he reached under the door number in the arena and looked around.
Behind the stone bridge, the Right Guards soldiers had already begun to collect the corpses.
He only saw two bodies, it was the two barbarians.
Under the firelight, I saw that the leader-looking barbarian had his eyes wide open until he died, and his twisted face seemed to be filled with unwillingness. He was unwilling to die in peace.
And until he died, he still held something tightly in his hand.
The iron plaque made of black iron shone with a cold light in the night.
