There was no response from the tomb for a long time. The spring breeze blew across this vast land, and only the lonely echo sang a little mournful.
The cave door is dark and cold, with no sunlight coming in, and the fishy smell of yellow soil and stale smell wafts out, giving people a chilling feeling of horror.
"Damn it, why is it so cold?" someone yelled.
No one responded, but everyone tacitly understood that it was not the cold weather, but the ghostly energy coming from the tomb that made people panic.
When Qi Shang was about to speak again, a rough and indifferent voice sounded inside: "The third and seventh people from the left exit, and replace them with two more people. Don't try to play tricks."
Guanyue and Qi Shang's personal guards looked at each other. The two asked themselves how they could be seen at a glance when there was no trace of their disguises.
The people inside sneered: "You can tell whether you have killed someone by smelling it or not by looking."
"Hiss--" The other eight people rubbed their arms and were about to cry. Who are these people? They talk about killing people at every turn, do they think they are killing pigs?
Guanyue looked at Yunqi, who nodded slightly to him.
While waiting, Yun Qi winked at Lu Anran. She took a step forward and said, "County Master Rongan won't last long. I'll give her two injections."
Getting an acupuncture is the second priority, the main thing is to find out the details of the murderer.
"Oh, you will die sooner or later, why bother with this." The murderer said coldly, unmoved.
Qi Shang frowned and lowered his voice: "Your Majesty, we can only act according to the situation later."
Yun Qi tapped the palm of his hand with the jade bone fan, but still said in a nonchalant manner: "Qi Duwei is very skilled in martial arts, I rely on you."
Qi Shang lowered his dark eyes and did not shirk the blame. He seemed to be considering countermeasures.
Yun Qi had never met an honest person like Qi Shang, but he was a little embarrassed to bully him any more and touched the tip of his nose boredly.
Guanyue worked very quickly, and it didn't take long for him to find two more people. One had a dozen or so hoops tied to his arm and looked like he was performing acrobatics, and the other was an auntie with a basket on her shoulder and a dancing look on her face.
"We've found someone. You can say whatever you want. I don't have the hobby of stepping on other people's graves and chatting for fun." Yun Qi played with the jade bone fan and mocked.
The person inside spoke, but not to Yun Qi, "Little girl, use a silver needle to prick their dumb door points."
Qi Shang and Yun Qi had never thought of this move, which was too passive.
"What? Are you afraid that I, a cripple, will escape from your heavy encirclement?" The voice sounded like it was rubbing against rough gravel. It was hoarse and hoarse, and there was a strong sarcasm in his tone. "I don't want to say what I'm going to say next. If you are disturbed, all you need are your ears.”
Captain Qi acted decisively and sat cross-legged on the open ground, "Miss Lu, please."
Lu Anran and Yun Qi looked at each other, pulled out the slender silver needle and nodded at Qi Shang, "I'm sorry."
When everyone was done and only Yunqi was left, he looked at the dirt floor and said with a cheeky smile: "I'd better go back to the crowd, I'll leave this place to Captain Qi."
The person inside laughed and said with unclear meaning: "Your Majesty has a delicate body, so there is no need for this injection."
The implication was that Yun Qi was completely ignored.
Yun Qi didn't seem to understand the meaning at all, and said happily: "You have some discernment."
The dark shadow at the entrance of the hole flashed, and the skylight painted the outline of a man, thin and black, with a hood on his head that pressed a few wrinkles on his forehead, making his face more resolute, and his eyes were like steel thorns, with a cold light that was frightening.
When Lu Anran saw him, he realized that what the little maid said was cold was not his words and deeds, but the evil spirit on his body that was too heavy and bloody.
"Miss Qianjin, I told you earlier that Jingzhao Mansion can't solve my problem." He said with indifferent eyes.
Lu Anran's heart slowly sank like a weight.
Sure enough it was him.
Yunqi rolled his eyes slightly, and shook his head slightly when he saw clearly that the man was holding a rope in his right hand.
Guan Yue in the dark lowered her body again and asked Mo Yan next to her to nudge her elbow, "Why are you being so cowardly? Just rush."
"Your Majesty asked us to wait a moment, we should find something." Guanyue said.
Mo Yan curled his lips: "Let me tell you, the prince has been hanging out with women named Lu for a long time, and he has become more and more suspicious. Now that this person has been exposed, if you don't pounce on him and restrain him, what are you waiting for?"
Guanyue tilted her head, "Do you have a strong opinion of Miss Lu?"
"Hey, you go and try to be her coachman."
Guanyue: "Then you have to come. Who can make you more respected by the prince?"
Mo Yan's eyes lit up, "You think so too."
Guan Yuekou nodded mischievously and slapped Mo Yan hard on the shoulder, "Don't betray the prince's trust."
In front of the general's grave, the man suddenly pulled the rope in his hand with his right hand. There was a slight, almost indistinguishable sound of a sharp weapon cutting through the skin. "I know you are ambushing someone secretly. You can try to see if I can pull the rope before I die." .”
There was a faint smell of blood in the air, and the man chuckled with an indifferent expression, "There is a steel knife at the other end of the rope. I just need to pull it a little harder, and a big gash will open in the neck of the Rongan County Lord. Are you imitating this?" Doctor, can you tell me if I can still be saved?"
Lu Anran shook his head, "I'm a liar."
The man's dead eyes moved slightly, showing a little surprise.
"But I definitely won't survive." Lu Anran said again.
Yun Qi twitched the corner of his mouth slightly. The words of these two people were really "cold". He raised his hands and said, "Don't be impulsive. Beauty is not guilty."
The man turned his gaze over, stared at it indifferently for a long time, then sat directly on the ground, looked forward, and said: "General Zhongwu, the general's grave." A sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth, and his eyes were filled with hostility like a black storm, "Everyone in the world We all come to admire such a hero, but who can remember that there are so many corpses on the battlefield?"
Yun Qi lowered his eyes slightly, his teasing and teasing retracted from the ends of his eyes, and asked, "Who are you?"
The man sat at the entrance of the cave, raised his head and looked at the sky, his eyes empty, hiding a trace of sadness and indignation, "My name is Zhao Pingyang, and I have been in the army for eight years."
The imperial court conscripted troops every year, and those with similar wealth and physical strength were selected from the registered households. Those with equal physical strength were selected from those who were wealthy. Those with equal wealth and physical strength were selected from those with many children in the family. They were used for military campaigns, garrison or military campaigns.
Zhao Pingyang has neither parents. He grew up eating a lot of food from hundreds of families. He is of average height and quite thin. Logically speaking, it would not be his turn. However, he thought that instead of facing the earth with his back turned to the sky all his life, he might as well join the army and fight for a share of the family fortune. Even if he dies unfortunately, it can still be considered as sacrificing his life for the country, which is not a loss.
"Six years, it took me six years to go from an unknown soldier to a centurion." Zhao Pingyang stretched out a hand in the sun, "You want to know how many bandits I killed in six years and how many I picked. Mazhai?"
He didn't need anyone else to answer, and said with a sneer: "I can't count myself. What's funny is that those heads ended up falling on people I've never heard of, or who have never even appeared before."
"Isn't it fair?" Zhao Pingyang turned his head and looked at the people outside, "This is just the beginning."
Lu Anran thought of Du Wenzhi, who joined the army one year later than Zhao Pingyang, but was promoted two years earlier.
"Two years ago, pirates were rampant in Juhai. The imperial court ordered a crackdown. I was transferred to Gu Chengfeng and went to Juhai." Zhao Pingyang's voice was hoarse in the penetrating wind, with a hint of vicissitudes. "You all know the final result. The pirates were destroyed, and everyone in Gu Chengfeng's group died in the battle. General Sun asked for a pickaxe, and Gu Chengfeng became General Zhongwu, and the others were also rewarded one by one, but..."
He let out a gentle breath and dispersed silently in the wind.
"What about the thousands of unknown warriors? They also sacrificed their lives for this, but what did they gain?"
Yun Qi tapped his palms with a folding fan and said, "I remember that the imperial court should distribute a burial silver coin to the families of every soldier who died in battle."
Zhao Pingyang glanced at Yun Qi and said nothing, but his expression was very disapproving.
Lu Anran paid attention to another place, "You followed Gu Chengfeng's men, but Gu Chengfeng's men all died in the naval battle."
Compared to Yun Qi, Zhao Pingyang had a much better attitude towards Lu Anran. He nodded and said, "Yes, I am the only one who survived."
He climbed up among the dead. Fortunately he survived, but he was seriously injured and was bedridden for three months.
"After I was able to move, I first went to the Jihai Station. At that time, everyone believed that we all died in the naval battle. I revealed my identity, but they regarded me as a liar." Zhao Pingyang said helplessly: "Everyone who knows me If you die, I can’t explain it with just my mouth. I want to go back to my hometown first and then make plans.”
Yun Qi and Lu Anran did not speak and listened to Zhao Pingyang's narration alone.
He first sneered and said: "Speaking of silver for burial, one hundred and fifty taels of silver is just a meal in a flower house for high-ranking officials like you, but for the poor, it has to be exchanged for one life."
Prince Yun, who was named, held his forehead and regretted again why he didn't let Su Ji come in his place.
Over there, Zhao Pingyang suddenly became excited. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, saying viciously: "But even so, their family members didn't get it."
As his emotions agitated, Lu Anran could smell the smell of blood stronger than before.
"I went back to my hometown to visit a brother's home, only to find out that the government only sent someone to inform him and never saw any funeral expenses." The anger turned to sadness, "So I didn't go home for a while, and went to a few more places. It’s all the same.”
At first, Zhao Pingyang didn't know the reason, so he took several brothers and relatives who had not received the comfort money to go to the government to inquire. As a result, the government officials kicked them out indiscriminately.
After a few times, their family members sighed and said forget it. The official word was spoken in two different ways, so how could the common people make sense?
But Zhao Pingyang was able to rush to the military camp without hesitation in order to earn a future, and now he will not back down easily when faced with this situation.
Originally, he thought simply. He made it clear to the government and asked them to reissue the silver so that he could comfort his brothers in heaven.
It wasn't until he was severely beaten that he discovered that the local officials were all in cahoots with each other.
"They were greedy for all the money, and used what they called 'dead man's money' to live and drink like crazy." Zhao Pingyang's eyes were red, and he roared suppressedly: "The money they used out, every copper plate was engraved with the same inscriptions about my life and death, and my future." The blood of our brothers who died for their country!”
