"snort."
Su Ye lay on his side on the stone bed in the cell. The stone was cold and biting. He blew out a breath from his nose and stared at the dusty corner to pass the time.
He never thought there was anything wrong with him ending up here.
"Su Changming and the others are no better off than me now." Su Ye said to himself: "Be patient, Su Ye." He closed his eyes, and the scenes in the past were as clear as a mirror, unfolding one scene after another.
years ago.
After returning from Zigong Mountain, Su Ye followed the clues given by Dorner and secretly investigated the side branch's actions. The most powerful branch among the side branches was led by the deputy patriarch Su Yi, who was in charge of the agricultural affairs and household registration in the four areas of Yichuan. As the patriarch's health deteriorated, Su Yi took on more and more responsibilities. However, this person handled things properly. He has never made any mistakes and is quite popular among the clan.
Su Ye couldn't find out what was in the accounts himself, so he sent his trusted subordinates to assist in the investigation. Only then did he see something amiss in the household register. Following the clues, he found out that people in Su Yi's lineage had been involved in human trafficking many times. Everyone is a common people suffering in Su Ze.
Since the year of Tianmao, the world has been peaceful, the weather has been smooth, and the people have been peaceful. This is the overall situation. However, small disasters often occur. Those ordinary people who were in trouble originally sought refuge from the powerful family that protects the world, but unexpectedly they fell into the tiger's mouth, turned from refugees to slaves, and from humans to animals. Under the leadership of the deputy patriarch It is extremely ironic that a member of the family has done such a despicable thing without telling the family, and has committed many sins, and yet still walks under the "benevolence" and "propriety" on the door plaque every day.
After finding out the facts, Su Ye's blood surged, and he immediately took the evidence and made a speech to his father, the head of the sect, in public.
It was an important court meeting in the Su family. Facing the sudden intrusion of Su Ye, not only Su Min, but also several elders, deputy envoys and governors present looked puzzled. What Su Ye said next made them puzzled. It turned into shock, until it turned into disbelief, and they looked at each other.
Su Yi, who stood in front of the hall and was accused by him, looked livid, but stood straight with his back, calling the accusation ridiculous! Seeing that the situation was getting out of control, Su Min stopped his son and wanted to personally intervene after the court meeting was over. Su Ye interpreted this as acquiescence and connivance. He looked at his father angrily and disappointedly for a long time and left angrily.
When Su Min saw Su Ye leaving, he did not stop him and ended the meeting hastily. On the spot, he and the elders began to interrogate the deputy sect leader Su Yifang whether what Su Ye said was true.
Su Yi denied it and insisted that there was no such thing. However, after the investigation, it was found that Su Ye was not lying that day. He even found multiple dens in which Su Changming and Su Chi, who had not recovered from serious injuries, and a large amount of property were hidden. Refugees who had not been traded out were also found at the stronghold, and there was even a well-preserved corpse of a foreigner. After Yan Xing's interrogation, he found out that the female corpse was intended to be traded with Gui Chong. Because the conditions were not met and the transaction failed, he had to resell it to a family whose male family member died young as a bride.
All kinds of unsightly things were exposed, which were simply atrocious and unscrupulous.
In order to protect the family's reputation, Su Min immediately blocked all news and ordered the exile of Su Changming and Su Chi. Su Yi held an agreement with several chambers of commerce and used this as a threat to force Su Min not to exile his son. After weighing the pros and cons, Su Min gave in and only expelled the two of them to "Daze" for training. At this point, the farce ended.
Su Ye was extremely dissatisfied with this result. Su Yi's family had a lot of money, and they were eager for power. All three sons he taught had ulterior motives. When meeting Su Yi every day at court, Su Ye used his family's motto to be benevolent and sarcastic. Su Yi sneered and said that there was an order of seniority and hierarchy, and that he should just take care of himself. Even his father, the head of the clan, couldn't bear with him.
Su Ye couldn't bear this kind of hypocrisy. He couldn't bear the fact that it was already rotten under the skin and yet it had to be disguised as a shiny hypocrisy. How can paper cover fire? The family rules and disciplines he spoke of turned into a mask of filth. He wanted to tear this mask to pieces so that unreasonable people could see the rotten minced meat on the beast's face.
Whatever he wants to do, he will always do it.
He asked his father, what does the family motto mean? Has Su really achieved the "blessing and benefiting the people" taught by his ancestors?
"Morality, benevolence and righteousness are not allowed to be inappropriate! Master taught me that benevolence and righteousness are not kindness, they are not empty, and they are not in name. What I see now is that the Su family, which flaunts benevolence and righteousness, acquiesces in the occurrence of such evil things. Dad, it is really ridiculous. !”
"If you really want to follow the instructions of your ancestors and give an explanation to those dead and innocent people, stop Su Yi, kill Su Changming, exile Su Chi, detain and teach Su Hong, and hold all the side branches related to this matter fully accountable!" Su Ye said! At that time, he was furious.
Su Min replied: "Removing Su Yi? Will you be responsible for the affairs he took over?"
"These are two different things!"
"But that's a hot shot."
Su Ye was so angry that he raised his hand and yelled: "My Su family lacks a useful person! If my mother were still alive, she would definitely chop off his head on the spot!"
He never expected that Su Ye would mention his mother in front of him. Su Min's eyelids trembled violently and he couldn't help shouting: "I have my own arrangements. If I mention your mother again, get out of here!"
Su Ye argued with his father for a long time, but neither could be persuaded. Until the next day, Su Min heard Su Ye say in front of many disciples that "benevolence, justice and etiquette are of no use", "In the end, he is just a hypocrite with a human face and an animal heart!"
Su Min was furious. He tried his best to deal with the side clan, not only to stabilize the clan without any gap, but also to improve the reputation of the ancient Su clan. He ordered Su Ye to go back to the ancestral hall to kneel as punishment and reflect on his disrespectful words. Su Ye refused to plead guilty and the matter became more and more serious. In order to prevent the side story from being exposed and damaging the reputation of the family, Su Ye was placed in solitary confinement for a period of time. One year.
Not long after Su Ye was imprisoned, the Jiangbei Chamber of Commerce threw olive branches at the Su family. Su Min suppressed Su Yi and sent another clan member to attend the meeting. Su Yi tried every means to win him over. He didn't want it to be a Hongmen banquet, and he never came back. Su Changming and Su Chi were not sent to "Daze", but were imprisoned. On the day Su Yi went north, they were exiled to southern Xinjiang. After settling everything, Su Min handed over the matters previously handled by the deputy sect master to his eldest daughter Su Liming, and took on more responsibilities. He pretended to investigate the cause of Su Yi's death and then went to the Chamber of Commerce to attend an appointment. He was worried that Su Yi's remnants of the party would still take action. , specially invite the surviving old master to come out and take charge.
Su Ye, who was locked in the house, didn't know anything about this. He lifted the roof several times to escape, and was finally detained in the dungeon before he had to settle down.
*
Sheng Xuanyuan listened to Su Liming's general explanation and understood what exactly happened.
"My father is not allowed to mention this matter to outsiders. I don't take small grievances as an outsider...but you must never tell anyone again." Su Liming frowned and said, "If this matter spreads, It’s really… unimaginable.”
"Xiao Ye is too impatient. I can't help him when he's in the current situation. However, thanks to him being aware of it, he won't let the side branch do anything harmful to nature again."
"The liquidation of Su Yi's group has brought a lot of busy work. Dad really didn't know that you were under house arrest. I apologize to you on his behalf. You should also clean up and go back to Qingfeng to learn."
After Su Liming finished speaking, Sheng Xuanyuan was silent for a moment: "Miss Su, you know that's not what I want to hear."
"……Feel sorry."
Su Yi's lineage was liquidated, and most of the disciples inside and outside the sect didn't know it. Sect Master Su's methods were indeed sophisticated. From this point of view, Su Changming would not survive, Sheng Xuan said resentfully, it would save me from seeking revenge.
If Su Ye were more tactful and patient, not only would he not be punished at all, but he could also be credited with merit. But if he were to be like this, it wouldn't be him. Sheng Xuanyuan sighed secretly, thinking about what else could be done to change Sect Leader Su's mind.
"Sect Leader Su, you are an old friend of my father, right?" He looked in the direction Su Min left and asked. Su Liming was startled: "Yes... but aren't my father and Uncle Sheng already..."
Sheng Xuanyuan was thinking secretly, and she said: "If you really don't give up, go find him. My father has the habit of listening to the wind in the courtyard, so he went along the road and bypassed a bamboo garden. He should be in the small courtyard with two plum trees."
"Thank you." After writing down Su Liming's words, Sheng Xuanyuan walked in the direction she indicated. He heard the people behind him murmuring in a low voice: "If you want to thank me, why not coax Brother Axi to meet me..." Pretending Sheng Xuanyuan didn't hear anything and walked away quickly.
After passing through the buildings one after another and bypassing the brand new bamboo garden, Sheng Xuanyuan saw a very thin figure standing between two plum trees.
"You're here." He turned around and said.
Sheng Xuanyuan stepped forward: "Did you know I would come?"
Su Min pursed his lips, "If someone comes, I'll guess it's you." He looked up and down at Sheng Xuanyuan. The last time he remembered looking at this child so carefully was in Yangcheng more than ten years ago. He was a young boy jumping up and down, but he didn't want to glance at him. He has grown up just as his old friend recalled him.
Sheng Xuanyuan saw Su Min looking at him, but it was more like looking at someone through himself: "Sect Master Su."
"I'll beg for mercy to that boy Yiyang and I'll be exempted from it."
"...Then I have nothing to say." Sheng Xuan said resentfully, "Sect Leader Su, I know how to rob a prison."
"Oh?" Su Min raised his eyebrows, "Okay, when?"
"Tomorrow night."
"good."
After a while of silence, Sheng Xuanyuan said, "Don't you want to ask me something?"
"Then I'll say hello." Su Min smiled disdainfully and clenched his fists: "Is that Sheng Shangpei doing well this year?"
Sheng Xuanyuan hesitated and thought in shock that Sect Master Su and his father had heard rumors that they were old friends. How could they ask this question? Could it be that they had formed a grudge. He replied: "Yes."
Su Min sneered: "As soon as Yi Yang met you, I told him not to associate with the Sheng family. I was also very dissatisfied with Xiao'er being with your brother. Their fate has ended, but you have always been in love with Yi Yang. Profound. That child is very much like his mother-in-law, who values friendship, but isn't it the Sheng family that cares most about friendship?"
"You and my father..."
"Sheng Xuanyuan, have you seen these two plum trees? One was planted by my wife, a friend of Sheng Shangpei, and the other one was planted by me."
He could have saved anyone, but he couldn't save anyone.
"It's just 'betrayal'."
Su Min looked at Sheng Xuanyuan and suddenly felt a chill running down his spine.
"I won't live long, thanks to him."
Sheng Xuanyuan looked into Su Min's eyes. There was no light on the other side, but a dry and dead wilderness. He asked intermittently: "Did...my father do it? What did he do?..."
"Just go back and ask him." Su Min held his forehead, "It's an old story. I should advise myself to stay out of the younger generation's affairs, but I always have a grudge against your Bai Feng clan. I heard about Ming Fu and Qing. Back then... My friendship with Sheng Shangpei was as good as any good friend, but what's the use." He laughed at himself, "I have too many memories tonight, I want to live for a few more months, and I have nothing to comment on. . You can save Yi Yang, but you will only harm him."
"I am short-sighted and cannot see the long term like you." Sheng Xuanyuan said. "But your promise is enough."
