Chapter 21 Chapter 21 The meaning is unclear.

Lin Zhen did not respond to him for a long time. Ji Sui looked at her calm face and suddenly felt that maybe he was overthinking it. Lin Zhen didn't want to escape at all.

But he still warned: "Lin Zhen, you should know that Lin Yue is still in my hands."

Hearing the name Lin Yue, Lin Zhen came back to his senses and his eyes focused on Ji Bai's handsome face.

He was staring at her with a frown on his face, his dark eyes gloomy. Lin Zhen felt an inexplicable feeling well up in her heart. She slowly withdrew her gaze, put her veil back on her head, and walked towards the horse behind him.

Ji Sui paused for a moment and followed.

Lin Zhen skillfully climbed onto the horse from the left side and moved his body slightly forward. Soon, he felt a strong chest pressing against him from behind, and Ji Bai followed suit and got on the horse.

Even though the two of them were very close, they were not completely touching. Lin Zhen always kept her back straight, as she always did.

The servants also lit the agarwood that Ji Bai usually used in the room where Lin Zhen lived in the palace. She was stained with the smell of agarwood, and as she swayed slightly on the horse's back, the faint fragrance lingered at Ji Bai's nose.

The restlessness in his heart dissipated a lot, and he said nonchalantly: "Hongye has come to Yandang Mountain and is in your room."

Lin Zhen tightened his grip on the reins and hummed softly.

"What? This general didn't hear clearly." The horse was moving very slowly, which did not affect the conversation between the two. However, Ji Sui still chuckled maliciously, leaned close to Lin Zhen's ear, looked at her profile through the gauze curtain and asked.

Lin Zhen did not answer him, but suddenly clamped his feet on the horse's belly and drove the horse forward quickly.

Ji Wei was shaken by her and nearly fell off his horse. He gritted out two words through his teeth: "Lin Zhen!"

After he finished speaking, he reached out to Lin Zhen's waist and grabbed the reins in front of her. He didn't pull them tight immediately, but just held the reins in his hand and let Lin Zhen ride the horse.

“Ouch—”

Ji Sui hurriedly tightened the reins when he ran into a group of cavalrymen. He originally thought that these people were here to report Lin Zhen's whereabouts to him, but he soon found that their expressions were not right. He asked seriously, "What's wrong?"

The well-trained soldiers quickly dismounted, and the leader knelt on one knee, clasped his fists, and replied, "General, the Prime Minister has been assassinated on the road to the hunting grounds!"

Hearing this, Ji Sui's face tensed and he asked, "How are the others?"

Ji Sui looked a little nervous. Now he and Meng Liangyu were still in the same boat, and now was not the time for Meng Liangyu to die.

However, even if Meng Liangyu really died, he would always find other ways to get what he wanted. However, the protection of the Autumn Festival this time was provided by his Shenwu Battalion, and he did not want to get himself into trouble due to such an accident.

The kneeling soldier replied, "The Prime Minister only suffered a minor injury and is fine for now."

"Got it." Ji Sui's frown relaxed slightly. After saying that, he leaned over and whispered in Lin Zhen's ear, "Hold the reins tightly."

Lin Zhen only had a little understanding of Meng Liangyu.

This man was in a high position and had many disciples. Many of his officials relied on Meng Liangyu's status to abuse their power for personal gain and commit corruption and abuse the power.

Among the files that my father brought home from the Dali Temple to process, eight out of ten were committed by his disciples.

There is almost no evidence of Meng Liangyu's direct involvement in these cases, but even so, it is impossible to say that he was completely unaware and never interfered.

It was this man who, five years ago, jointly convicted Prince Chen of treason with his father...

The two men rode their horses at a rapid speed and soon arrived at Qingxin Hall where Meng Liangyu lived in the temporary palace.

Ji Sui stood outside the courtyard and said to Lin Zhen, "Wait for me here."

When he said this, he didn't really expect Lin Zhen to obey. After saying this, he glanced at the two guards behind her. The two immediately understood: "We will definitely protect the madam." After saying this, they locked their eyes on Lin Zhen.

*

In the main room, Meng Liangyu had changed into his pajamas and was lying on the bed with his eyes closed. On the rosewood clothes hanger beside the bed was a brocade robe with a puncture on the chest and a protective fish-scale armor with a dent.

Because he was going hunting, and to be on the safe side, he put on the fish scale armor under his clothes after the steward's strong persuasion. Unexpectedly, it actually saved his life.

Meng Liangyu leaned on the pillow, his face a little pale. Although he was not seriously injured, it was enough to make him terrified.

He was stabbed twice, one on the heart and the other on the neck. If the patrolling guards had not arrived in time and stabbed deeper, he would have died.

"Sir, General Ji is here." The steward's low voice brought Meng Liangyu back from his lingering fear. He slowly opened his eyes, his face solemn, and glanced outward with a heavy gaze. He said lightly, "Let him in."

After saying that, Meng Liangyu closed his eyes again.

"I'm here to apologize to my adoptive father." Ji Sui strode in and knelt on one knee in front of the couch.

Meng Liangyu didn't open his eyes, but just asked in a low voice: "What crime have you committed?"

"The guards of the Shenwu Camp are not good enough. If anything happens to my adoptive father today, I will be blamed for it." Ji Bai supported himself on the ground with one hand, lowered his head deeply, and looked full of guilt.

Meng Liangyu sighed slightly and slowly opened his eyes. "I'm fine, please get up."

Ji Sui paused on the ground for a long time before slowly getting up. Seeing the steward coming in with medicine, he stepped forward and said, "Let me do it."

The steward glanced at Meng Liangyu without saying a word, and when he saw the latter nod slightly, he handed the tray in his hand to Ji Sui.

Ji Sui half-knelt in front of the bed, helping Meng Liangyu take the medicine.

Meng Liangyu drank the medicine in the bowl, took the handkerchief handed to him by Ji Sui and wiped the corner of his mouth. As he handed the handkerchief back, he asked him casually, "You weren't in the camp just now?"

Ji Sui's hand holding the handkerchief paused slightly, and he seemed to have difficulty speaking, "...Yes, to be honest with you, my godfather, my new concubine has been in a bad mood these past two days." As he spoke, he raised his head and glanced at Meng Liangyu, his eyes filled with the guilt of a man full of vigor and youth.

"It's true that I don't know how to take care of my wife." He lowered his head.

A light laugh came from above. Meng Liangyu pressed his hand on his neck and said to Ji Sui with a smile, "Women, when it's time to go along, they'll go along."

Meng Liangyu seemed to have forgotten that he was a man approaching forty and still unmarried. He had already spoken when he realized he had said too much. Just then, someone came in and reported, "The Imperial Concubine heard that the Master had been assassinated and has sent the Imperial Physician to examine him."

Meng Liangyu said, "Please invite him in." Then he looked at Ji Sui and said, "I'm fine anyway. You can leave now."

Ji Sui put the tray aside, and upon hearing this, he knelt down again and said, "Foster father, rest assured and recover from your injuries. I will personally investigate this matter thoroughly."

Meng Liangyu nodded slightly and waved at him.

Meng Liangyu's injuries were not serious, so the imperial physician prescribed some external medicines and some tranquilizers, then left.

The steward sent the imperial physician away and returned to the room. He stood respectfully beside Meng Liangyu and listened to him ask, "Is what he just said true?"

"Your Excellency, someone did see the young lady walking out of the general's tent this morning in a rage. I also heard that the young lady and the general have been at odds since the day of the sacrifice, and everyone in the camp knows about it."

Meng Liangyu got off the bed and walked to the incense burner. He used an incense spoon to stir the ashes in the burner and said nothing for a long time.

Ji Sui was at the age of full vigor and it was normal for him to be in love with his wife. Perhaps what he said was true.

Besides, the assassin today was a short man, not a good match for Ji Rui's size. Naturally, if Ji Rui really wanted to kill him, he didn't have to do it himself.

Although that kid has big ambitions, it is far from the time for them to turn against him.

After a long silence, Meng Liangyu finally spoke slowly: "Just send someone to keep an eye on him."

*

When Ji Sui left the yard, Shi Zhu was already waiting at the door.

"Where is the assassin?" Ji Sui asked coldly.

"He has now been taken to the Dali Temple Prison." Shizhu replied.

Ji Sui nodded slightly and said, "Let's go to the Dali Temple." After that, he glanced at Lin Zhen who was standing beside him and said, "You go too."

After Lin Zhen disappeared inexplicably, Ji Sui was obviously worried about leaving her alone.

Shi Zhu glanced at the woman beside him. Even through the veil, he knew it was Lin Zhen. When he heard that his master wanted to take her to the Dali Temple, his face turned grim, but he still lowered his head and replied, "Yes."

*

When the three of them arrived at the Dali Temple, the Dali Temple's Junior Official Kong Jinghe was already waiting outside the palace. Upon seeing Ji Sui get off the carriage, he hurried forward and bowed, saying, "This humble official greets the General."

Ji Sui walked straight past him and entered the Dali Temple with a sullen face.

Kong Jinghe took a deep breath, stood up awkwardly, turned around and quickly followed.

In the duty room, Ji Sui sat in the seat of honor, slowly tapping the nanmu desk with his hands while listening to Kong Jinghe's report from the hall.

"When the assassin was brought here, he had been slashed in the leg by a guard and shot in the waist and abdomen by an arrow. He was already seriously injured. I tortured him a little and he confessed everything."

"Where are his accomplices?" Ji Sui asked.

It is impossible that someone could have dared to assassinate an imperial official during the autumn sacrifice with all the officials present, just one person.

"I have just found out that this man worked as an eighth-rank Taizhu in the Taichang Temple three years ago. Because his brother's wife was... raped by the Prime Minister's servant and was beaten to death after attempts to rescue him failed, he bore a grudge and thus came up with this plan." Kong Jinghe reported the case truthfully one by one.

The Autumn Sacrifice ceremony is under the responsibility of the Taichang Temple. If someone in the Taichang Temple succeeds, they will not need accomplices.

Ji Sui paused his fingertips and continued to ask him, "How did he bring the dagger in?"

Hearing this, Kong Jinghe nodded to the temple secretary beside him, and soon the man went to get a tray and brought it in. Kong Jinghe picked up the rusty chisel from the tray and handed it to the desk.

"The general's Shenwu Battalion is under very strict inspection, so he naturally wouldn't dare carry a dagger with him. This is the assassination weapon I found on the alley."

Ji Sui frowned slightly and took the chisel in his hand to examine it for a moment, then put it back on the table. He stood up and said, "Take me to have a look."

When Kong Jinghe heard that Ji Rui was going to the blood-stained interrogation room, he wanted to stop him, but then he thought, how could this general who had fought on the battlefield be afraid of seeing blood?

Kong Jinghe responded in a low voice. Shi Zhu had already left the duty room of the Shaoqing of Dali Temple. Kong Jinghe followed Ji Bai closely, but saw him suddenly stop.

"Just wait here."

Ji Wei said something to Lin Zhen who was standing not far away, then turned around and walked out the door.

The guard room was an important place and should not be allowed to be kept by outsiders, but Kong Jinghe also knew that this was the general's new concubine. It was said that she was very favored and would be taken with her wherever she went, so he naturally did not dare to object.

Since the female members of the family were inside, it would be inconvenient to let the guards guard inside. He dismissed the servants, closed the door and followed Ji Bai out.

*

Night falls and a bright moon hangs in the sky.

A woman in a cloak, led by a maid holding a palace lantern, entered the courtyard where Meng Liangyu was through the corner gate.

"I only suffered some minor skin injuries. How dare I trouble the Imperial Concubine to come and see me in person?" After the woman entered the room, Meng Liangyu hurriedly got off the bed and bowed.

The imperial concubine took off the hood of her cloak, took a few steps forward and held Meng Liangyu's hand.

Seeing this, several trusted servants in the room quickly left.

The respectful look on Meng Liangyu's face faded, and his tone was filled with blame: "Didn't we send the imperial physician here during the day? Why did you come here in person?"

*

In the duty room of the Dali Temple, Lin Zhen stood in front of a pinewood cabinet with glossy grids. His white fingertips rested on the shelf engraved with the year Shunhe II, trembling slightly.

A quarter of an hour ago, two subordinates came to the duty room to discuss matters with Kong Jinghe. In order to avoid causing unnecessary trouble, Lin Zhen took refuge in the inner room nearby.

But I never thought that this was where the duty room stored the files.

In the second year of Shunhe…

It was the year that my father and Meng Liangyu jointly convicted Prince Chen of treason, and it was also the year that the Ji family was destroyed.

It was nearly three quarters past midnight, and the room was even dark as no one had lit a candle, with only a faint light coming in from the window.

Lin Zhen reached out and carefully took the file off the shelf. Her fingertips rubbed the yellowed paper, but she failed to open the file several times. Finally, she actually found several testimonies about Prince Chen's treason case.

There were only a few words at the beginning, and Lin Zhen, who was well-read in poetry and literature, could not read a single word for a long time. All the words seemed to float in the air. She only felt her heart pounding, her whole heart was completely out of control, and her head was buzzing.

There was a sound of footsteps outside the door, and Lin Zhen's mind suddenly became clear. She swallowed and closed the file in her hand.

At the same time, the door creaked open from the outside.