The sun was tilted, and a ray of sunlight fell just on Zhao Pingyang's head. He faced up and bathed in the sunshine, as if the haze weighing on his weathered face was exposed and evaporated bit by bit.
Zhao Pingyang raised one hand and took one last look at the two of them. His eyes were reflected in the light, as if shining through the endless night to a glimmer of dawn in the world.
Then with a fierce force, he slapped the stone wall.
At the same time, Qi Shang, who secretly managed to break through the acupuncture point, jumped up.
He reached forward with his hand and was about to grab Zhao Pingyang's arm. Something hit him and he subconsciously caught it. When he tried to move again, the stone door was already closed.
Qi Shang laid the Lord of Rongan County flat on the ground. When he saw this, his face became solemn.
There was a big gaping hole in his neck, and blood flowed out.
Yunqi looked at Lu Anran, "How is it?"
Lu Anran knelt down to explore, shook his head and said, "I can't save him."
At this time, Zhao Pingyang's cold voice came from behind the falling stone door: "I would like to advise everyone, after ten blasts, this place will be blown into ruins."
As early as when the accident happened, Guanyue and the others had already flown over, and now they were looking at each other.
"Your Majesty, what should I do?"
"Lord Captain."
Zhao Pingyang started counting down, "...Seven, six, why don't you leave?"
Yun Qi had a feeling, "He is not joking."
"Take the rest of the people and retreat!" Qi Shang did not forget to carry the Lord of Rongan County on his back.
Guan Yue dragged the two people up and picked up the two commoners who were still unable to move, "Mo Yan, protect the prince and Miss Lu."
Fortunately, Qi Shang brought a lot of people with him and dragged the remaining ones on the ground and ran towards the crossing as hard as they could.
Halfway along the road, there was a loud sound behind him, and the earth shook.
Lu Anran was pulled and fell to the ground. He quickly turned his head and looked back, ignoring the dust on the ground.
The flying mud and dust were like curtains falling from the sky, splitting the entire world on both sides. Amidst the deafening roar, the towering tomb collapsed, leaving only the roar of thick smoke, sending out the final unwillingness.
The world before her eyes was muddy with dust, and suddenly became clearer as obstacles were removed.
The green mountains are still there, and the world is still vast, but there are no mausoleums for thousands of people to worship.
—
Beside the road, Captain Qi and Miss Lu, who were all neatly dressed before, as well as Mr. Yunshang, who was well-dressed, were all dusty now, as if they had just rolled in the mud.
Qi Shang said: "I will report the truth to the court."
Yun Qi's clothes were stained with dust, but it didn't affect his casual and elegant style. He turned the jade bone fan in his hand, raised his eyebrows and said, "For the case handled by the Criminal Division, Lieutenant Qi also wants to take the credit?"
Qi Shang frowned: "This matter is complicated. If the Holy One is to blame..."
The emperor Jinkou Yuyan gave Gu Chengfeng a posthumous title, and also personally issued an order to praise Xu Zhongshou and others. Now this memorial is intended to slap the emperor in the face. This is not taking credit, but offending.
Yunqi raised his jade bone fan and said lazily: "Captain Qi, why don't you escort the Lord of Rongan County for a while? I hate to see a beautiful lady sinking into the jade."
Lu Anran stared blankly into the distance. He once stood on a high ground, and it was so majestic and majestic. Now it has returned to level ground, except for a pile of broken tiles and ruins on the ground, as witnesses of its former grandeur.
"He is patient and strong, but unfortunately he has gone astray." Qi Shang gave Zhao Pingyang the final conclusion.
Yun Qi said in an unpredictable tone: "You can be considered brave and resourceful."
First, he bombed the grave to attract countless onlookers, and then found a few people who could express the news to come and hear the whole story. Even if Yun Qi and Qi Shang wanted to suppress it, he had to pass on the news.
"The ten people were selected according to his requirements: actors, storytellers, farmers, students, squires, and horsemen. They have a common advantage: they have many contacts and can spread messages quickly."
Qi Shang put his hands behind his back. This case weighed heavily on him. "He is not afraid of killing people and destroying traces."
Yun Qi looked at him, with a slight curve at the corner of his mouth, "It can block you for a while, but you can't block everyone's mouth."
Simply spread it out in front of everyone, everyone is talking about it, and it becomes more and more impossible to hide it.
Under the sky, Lu Anran's eyes were distant and deep, and he said in a cold voice: "From the time he took on the first case, he never wanted to leave the royal capital alive."
He is a villain, but also a hero in some people's hearts.
—
After the case was solved, Lu Anran returned to his original life, occasionally listening to Mo Yan talk about the affairs of the court.
After Mo Yan came to the conclusion that the prince valued him, he suddenly became less repelled by the position of carriage driver. Of course, he would not admit it. The most important thing was that the snacks made by the little girl Chun Miao became more and more delicious, which made him develop this kind of The illusion that life is not bad.
What Lu Anran didn't expect was that the current emperor was very aggressive. Not only did he issue an imperial edict to strip Gu Chengfeng of his title, punish local officials for embezzlement of funeral expenses, but he also handed Xu Zhongshou to the Prime Minister's Office for investigation.
Finally, the emperor personally issued an edict to comfort the thousands of dead on the battlefield.
After this incident, some people originally thought that the emperor was deceived and could not distinguish between loyal and traitorous people, but they were convinced by this magnanimity.
The one who felt the most ashamed was Old General Sun. After hearing the cause and effect, the old man with gray hair and beard burst into tears at the Jihai station. He said that his old eyesight was dim and he was ashamed of his heroic spirit. He wanted to plead guilty and resign.
After finally appeasing the old general, the Prince of the East Palace asked the emperor to go to Linde Hall and give him a scolding.
Lu Anran didn't know the specific matter, but this admonition came from the mouths of the ministers, and it was undoubtedly true.
It was heard that an official under the prince was involved in the funeral of Yinliang and was corrupted by Mo. The emperor asked him to reflect behind closed doors.
A few days later, it was said that the prince invited the emperor to go to Diqiu.
Diqiu is located in the southern part of Daning Dynasty. The hilly landform is not only complex, but also a gathering place for various tribes. It is relatively closed and especially exclusive to foreigners.
Also because there are many hills, thieves and bandits are often stationed there. The prince needs achievements to improve his reputation in the emperor's heart, so Emperor Hill is undoubtedly the first choice.
These ups and downs came to Lu Anran's ears, but he didn't take them to heart.
When Yun Qi found Lu Anran, she happened to place the last bone at the finger position of the corpse. She raised her head and saw Yun Qi leaning under the tree.
As the weather gets warmer after spring, Yunqi takes off his fox fur and wears a light and thin Qingyun embroidered elegant bamboo robe with snow-white piping. He bundles his hair with a mutton-fat jade crown. He is a handsome young man, clear and elegant.
"Let's go, I'll take you into the palace." Yun Qi raised his peach blossom eyes slightly and waved to Lu Anran.
The two of them left the Yibian Sect, and Lu Anran asked in confusion: "Why did you enter the palace?"
Yun Qi played with the turning fan and chuckled: "The Emperor heard that you had a share of the credit for this case and wants to reward you."
Lu Anran: "For the case solved by the Criminal Division, the reward should also fall on you."
"Wrong!" Yun Qi waved his hand in a serious manner: "Su Ji is busy, Qi Shang is rescuing people, you can help me, I don't ask for merit, but for nothing."
The carriage ran all the way towards the palace. Yun Qiqiu said a little casually: "The emperor rewards you, you have to bear it, and you have to control it yourself."
Lu Anran nodded solemnly: "I don't dare to entrust you with your master's orders."
Yun Qi raised the corner of his mouth slightly and snapped his fingers, "Smart."
As early as when he first met Qi Shang, Yun Qi deliberately put Lu Anran's position as respecting his master and ordering him to go down the mountain for training. Now he just pushed everything to Lei Weng and just let it take its course.
When they arrived in front of the palace gate, Yun Qi did not follow Lu Anran in, but watched as a young eunuch led her in.
Guan Yue hesitated to speak for a long time, and finally couldn't help but said: "Your Majesty, don't worry, Miss Lu is a widower and it is her duty to do autopsies. The Emperor will not be suspicious because of this."
Since the heyday when the dynasty unified the world, the territory of Mengzhou was placed under the imperial court, but it retained a relatively independent system. Until the previous dynasty, the former emperor's brother Xiao Zhan intended to conquer the nomadic people outside Mongolia, the Mulan people, at the same time. Taking the seven counties of Mengzhou actually became the trigger for the collapse of the previous dynasty.
In the following sixteen years, Mengzhou and the Daning Dynasty were temporarily in balance.
But everyone knows that this invisible and subtle truce line may break at any time.
The imperial court wanted him to surrender completely, and the seven counties of Mengzhou each had their own thoughts.
"Is this prince worried?" Yunqi retracted his arm into a half-bend, and placed the folding fan on the tip of his nose.
After hearing this sentence, Mo Yan twitched his lips and said: "A dead girl is not afraid of touching dead people's bones every day, but she can be afraid of a living person like the emperor."
Yun Qi looked at Guanyue with a childish look on his face, "Mo Yan is right."
Watch the moon and become silent - OK, what you said is right.
—
Lu Anran followed along. Although he had only entered the palace once and did not know much about the layout of the palace, he could still distinguish the difference between the front palace and the back palace.
Confused in my heart, I didn't show it on my face. When I arrived at the place, I saw that it was not the Linhua Palace, the emperor's study room, but the Guanju Palace.
"Just wait." The eunuch flicked his fly whisk, whispered something to the maid guarding the door, and entered the inner hall.
The warm sun is blowing, the wind is gentle and gentle, and the glazed tiles on the Guanju Palace are dazzling.
Lu Anran watched his eyes, nose and heart, and stood quietly for a while while burning incense, but did not receive any summons.
Two palace maids were sweeping around and whispering in low voices.
"Who is she and why is she meeting our mother-in-law?"
"It's like the case outside. The emperor originally wanted to reward him, but it was a critical moment for Dongyue's fortune-telling, so he asked our empress to summon him on his behalf."
"Hey, where can I find my time? The little princess is not cured yet?"
A young woman walked out of the door, dressed in palace attire, and looked dazzling. As soon as she came out, she scolded: "You are not doing anything but chewing. Have you forgotten the rules of Guanju Palace? Ten of each, and next time, I will send you away." Staring room.”
"Pa, pa, pa -" was heard constantly, and Lu Anran didn't even move his eyes.
The eldest palace maid's eyes were shrewd, and she glanced around Lu Anran unceremoniously. The corners of her mouth curled up, but there was no smile in her eyes. "Miss Lu, I don't have time to ask my slave to run around. This is a favor given to you by my empress." reward."
The eldest maid opened the brocade box with her hands and placed it in front of Lu Anran. There was a jade bracelet lying inside. It was emerald green and natural. It was a good jade.
Lu Anran took it calmly, lowered his eyes and saluted, "Thank you, empress, for the reward."
He neither expressed dissatisfaction nor showed any arrogance.
The eldest palace maid is the confidant of Concubine Shu. When they heard how the legitimate daughter of the Lu family in Mengdu helped Ti Xing Si solve the case, the master and servant didn't take it seriously. Just as they all knew that Ti Xing Si's nominal boss was Yunqi, but everyone knew what the real deal was. There is also a person named Su Ji in charge of internal affairs.
Later, when he found out that Lu Anran had just relayed what Lei Weng had told him earlier, this sneer turned into contempt.
Therefore, when Lu Anran entered the palace, not only did he not see the emperor, but he was not summoned by Concubine Shu. The only gain was to get back a jade bracelet.
After coming out of the palace gate, Lu Anran and Yun Qi looked at each other, both of them a little surprised.
"So fast?"
"You didn't leave?"
Yun Qi smiled and hooked his fingers at Lu Anran, "Come up here and take you to a place."
The wheels started rolling again, and the horses' hooves clattered through the streets. From time to time, a few words of conversation came from inside.
"That's all you get?"
"Um."
"It seems that neither the Emperor nor Concubine Shu take you to heart."
"That's fine."
"It's not bad."
…
Lifting the carriage curtain, there was an empty space ahead, with undulating mountains and rushing rivers in the distance.
However, the original general's tomb standing alone has completely disappeared, and has been replaced by a new tomb. Instead of a tombstone, a huge stone tablet has been erected beside it.
It's called 'Hero's Tomb'.
The wilderness is lonely, the sky is blue, and the stone monument stands there. The three big blood-red characters are like the blood shed by the soldiers, desolate and tragic.
"There is nothing in the tomb, but the names of all the fallen soldiers are engraved on the back of the stone tablet." Yun Qi said aside.
Lu Anran recited in a low voice: "Since ancient times, no one has collected the bones, and the sky is cloudy, rainy and wet with a chirping sound."
The wind stirs the sky, and the white flags hunt, just like the waves of the sea that day, and the mourning fills the field.
On this land, thousands of heroic souls——
May you rest in peace.
Second Case·End
