Chapter 52: Autumn Wind Mistake (1) Madam sent a letter to Daliang...

"Where's the body?"

Si Wen: "Wu Yue buried the body and then committed suicide. Because Wu Si's body was so strange and terrifying, I didn't allow the soldiers to approach easily. I only sent people to guard the body."

Yan Huinan instructed Han Zhen to take good care of Xie Yun while he personally led his men to examine the body. It took them two days and two nights to reach the body by horseback.

In just half a month, they had run fast enough. They had fled all the way from the capital to Tianjin. A little further on was the port. If everything went well, the two of them could take a boat out to sea and escape completely. By then, it would be difficult to find them.

Yan Huinan ordered people to dig out the body and asked the coroner to perform an autopsy.

Tianjin is close to the sea, and the sea breeze brings moist and salty air. Under the sun are corpses that have been rotted beyond recognition. The soldiers stand far away. These people, who are used to seeing corpses, can't help feeling sick when they see this scene.

I really don't know who would treat a young boy who looks like he is not even twenty years old in such a cruel and inhumane way.

Yan Huinan remained calm and waited quietly for the results of the autopsy.

In reality, when facing anyone other than Xie Yun, Yan Huinan was cold-blooded and horribly cruel. He showed no mercy to any of his enemies. Ever since the tragic deaths of his parents, he had become a complete demon. He was a demon from hell. Even more so, now he was facing someone who had threatened Xie Yun's life twice.

He couldn't feel the slightest bit of sympathy for Wu Si and Wu Yue.

After repeated discussions between the coroner and the military doctor, the cause of death was finally determined. Finally, the coroner reported, "General, this man has suffered numerous whip wounds and branding burns, leaving virtually no intact flesh. These wounds show signs of treatment, suggesting he must have purchased some medicine along the way. However, the injuries were so severe that he must have already died. Furthermore, the sores and tumors on his body are also a form of poison, extracted from plague victims."

When these words were spoken, everyone who could hear them couldn't help but vomit.

Yan Huinan had never imagined that someone would develop something so sinister. He asked, "Is it extracted from plague patients?"

The coroner said, "Yes, judging by his current condition, he must have been ill recently. Someone inflicted this poison on him as a form of punishment. This type of poison has never been used before, so it must have been used for experiments."

Yan Huinan's brow furrowed deeply. Since the founding of the Great Zhou, there had been only a handful of widespread plague outbreaks. His recollection was that when he was eleven, a flood struck Jiangnan, followed by a widespread plague that took a full year to eradicate. Two years later, the Jiangnan economy rebounded, and the late emperor personally traveled there incognito to inspect the region's recovery. That year, Yan Huinan was fourteen, and Xie Yun was twelve, so they had made the trip together.

The coroner continued, "I just checked Wu Yue's body and didn't find the same toxin. Therefore, it can be inferred that this toxin must be ingested or enter the bloodstream through a wound in order to become contagious."

After finding out the cause of death, Yan Huinan, fearing that the unidentified poison in Wu Si's body would endanger the safety of the local people, had the bodies of both men burned together.

On the way back, Si Wen informed Yan Huinan of the news brought back by the people who had gone to the Miao village to search for the female Gu: "This Wu Si is the son of the high priest in the Bai Miao village, and he and Wu Yue are twins. The high priest is in charge of the village's rituals and religious affairs, diplomatic affairs, rewards and punishments, and can be said to be a specialist in gathering intelligence. If twins are born in a family, they must learn Gu techniques. One of the special Gu techniques is the male and female Gu. The younger brother raises the male Gu, and the older brother raises the female Gu. They use it to punish traitors or those who seriously violate the rules in the village.

"Once the twins are ten years old, they will be sent to various countries to gather intelligence. Wu Siben was sent to Daliang, and Wu Yue was sent to Da Zhou. This allows the village to keep abreast of world affairs and, when the time is right, stir up trouble or, like a wise bird choosing a tree to roost in, choose to ally with a more powerful country. Wu Demao's decision to defect to Daliang was due to Wu Yue's interference. His biological daughter was seriously ill, difficult to cure with ordinary remedies, but Wu Yue told him that there was a famous doctor in Daliang who could save his daughter's life, so he believed her. The gold and silver were used to deceive others and remove Wu Yue. And the reason he came to the capital must be because he knew his brother was in trouble."

What a deep brotherly love. So, the reason Wu Yue chose to die with Wu Si was probably because Wu Si's assassination mission failed, and he learned that his brother had been captured. To ensure their safety, he took advantage of the chaos to enter the palace, risking kidnapping Xie Yun and revealing clues to the female Gu to her. But once he did this, it would be equivalent to a complete failure of the mission, including the intelligence he had obtained.

According to the two people's mission, the Miao village should think that Daliang is the tree to live on.

Daliang would certainly not let the failure of their mission go unnoticed. They had essentially put the village in danger. If they betrayed the village, they would have no chance of survival.

The person who wants to assassinate Yan Huinan is Wu Si's master?

Is he from Daliang? Or is he colluding with Daliang?

There are countless people in Daliang who want to kill Yan Huinan, and Lou Cheng should be the first one to bear the brunt.

Currently, within the Daliang court, the old emperor is gravely ill, and Crown Prince Liang and Lou Cheng are locked in a feud. Whichever of them ascends the throne will likely face a difficult time. Crown Prince Liang is cunning and ambitious, intent on encroaching on the territory of the Great Zhou. Lou Cheng, on the other hand, is sullen, having lain dormant for years and harboring deep grudges. Yan Huinan, who also harbors a grudge for stealing his wife, will not let him off easily.

But these two people are now fighting endlessly and fiercely. If they want to extend their hands to the Great Zhou, they will not be able to do so.

Therefore, Yan Huinan was more inclined to believe that someone in the court was colluding with Daliang, otherwise why would Wu Si suddenly come to Da Zhou?

This person probably wanted to follow Xie Qingyun's example and create a future for himself.

Back then, Xie Qingyun was just a servile dog under his father. He looked like an honest scholar who was elegant, obedient and loyal to his duties, but in fact he had evil intentions.

Who would it be now?

-

Half a month later.

The cut on Xie Yun's hand has healed, and her homemade ointment is very effective in removing scars.

What made Xie Yun happiest was that Fei Jing was back.

What she didn't expect the most was that Fei Jing appeared in front of her openly.

Since his last departure, Fei Jing had followed Xie Yun's instructions and traveled to Jiangnan. He spent considerable time locating the tomb where Madam Yu had been casually buried. He then purchased a house in Baixia City, originally owned by a wealthy Jiangnan merchant from the previous dynasty, and a large cemetery plot, where he relocated Madam Yu's tomb.

The house was enormous, requiring the combined savings of Xie Yun and Xie Run to purchase it. Fei Jing and Wei Hong then commissioned a simple renovation. The remaining decorations and arrangements would have to wait until Xie Yun and Xie Run arrived. The tombstone would remain for now, pending the siblings' return.

Even though Fei Jing was in Jiangnan, he still hadn't given up on rescuing Xie Yun. Overseeing the renovation of the mansion was assigned to Wei Hong, who returned to the capital to hide after moving the tomb.

Until Xie Yun and Yan Huinan returned from Fenggao.

In fact, Yan Huinan discovered the flying mirror on the first day he returned from Fenggao, but he thought that the flying mirror could not do anything, so he put it aside and ignored it.

Later, when Xie Yun was kidnapped in the palace, Yan Huinan sent someone to call Fei Jing back.

Fei Jing was loyal and devoted, and Xie Yun trusted him. Yan Huinan was also worried that something might happen to Xie Yun again, so he had no choice but to trust him. It would be better to let him stay by Xie Yun's side and be a qualified secret guard.

Fei Jing told Xie Yun everything. She would never have thought that Yan Huinan would make such a concession.

She couldn't help but wonder, if she told Yan Huinan that she wanted to go to Jiangnan, would he let her go? Maybe she could plan it slowly later.

Thinking of this, Xie Yun couldn't hide her joy as she picked up Meiqiu and fed it dry food. The little black dog had grown into a sturdy wolfhound, looking majestic. When she threw a stick, Meiqiu would catch it firmly before it hit the ground!

Fei Jing, dressed in black, stood by, clutching a sword. On this sword was a bronze plaque with the Chinese character "Yan" inscribed on it. He hated this plaque.

When he was a bodyguard, the word "Du" was always written on his sword!

That's his family.

But later on, he was sought after by his enemies and his family was killed. He was poisoned and mute and nearly died while fleeing, but was saved by Xie Yun and her brother.

He is a wild and untamable black bear, and now he is asked to be the bear of Yan Huinan's family, which is really disgusting.

But for the sake of his benefactor Xie Yun, he had to agree even if he was unwilling.

At least this time, after seeing Xie Yun again, Fei Jing unexpectedly found that she was smiling more than before. Even more than when she was in Xie's house.

Fei Jing could sense that something was quietly changing, unnoticed. But Fei Jing also knew that things would eventually come to light, and there would always be a conclusion. He stayed with Xie Yun to ensure that he could help Xie Yun avoid any bad things.

-

At court today, Daliang sent an envoy to convey to Dazhou that the Daliang emperor wanted to seek peace.

The two countries have been at war for many years, which has cost the people a lot of money and is harmful rather than beneficial to both countries.

"The old Liang Emperor is old and in poor health, and he wants to secure his throne for the rest of his life. He's choosing a capable successor to the throne, simply to avoid conflict for the time being. Once the Daliang Dynasty stabilizes and the new Liang Emperor ascends the throne, trouble will inevitably arise again," Li Wei analyzed. "These envoys are staying during this autumn hunt because they want to test our dynasty's military capabilities. Most importantly, they probably want to see if you're truly injured and how serious your injury is."

Since there were Daliang soldiers among the assassins, Yan Huinan's injury could not be completely concealed. In the end, the news leaked out.

How could he not know what these people were thinking?

"Ziyou, if you find an excuse not to go, they won't be able to find out anything even if they want to investigate." Li Wei said worriedly.

Yan Huinan shook his head. "If I don't go, they'll definitely think I'm seriously injured and can't recover. Even if I'm not seriously injured and can't even go for a small autumn hunt, if their messengers report it back, wouldn't that just be used to boost others' morale?"

Li Wei has always trusted Yan Huinan. Among the three of them since childhood, Yan Huinan has been the one who makes the most decisions. He has never been a person who acts recklessly. "It's good that you know what's going on."

Before reaching Li Wei's residence, a misty autumn rain began to fall on the road.

From a distance, a carriage with a lantern from Li's house hanging on it was seen approaching. When it arrived, the curtain was lifted and a beautiful woman leaned out of the carriage and called Li Wei to get in.

It was Li Wei's wife, now seven months pregnant with their second child. She was due to give birth soon, so Li Wei nervously dismounted and went to meet her.

Just as he was about to board the carriage, he remembered Yan Huinan, who was still drenched in the rain. He turned around and asked with a smile, "Do you want to go to my house for dinner and come back after the rain stops?"

Yan Huinan didn't bother to pay attention to him. He smiled and took out a jade pendant from his arms and threw it into Li Wei's arms, as if it was a gift for his unborn child. "Uncle is in a good mood today, so I gave it to you as a welcome gift. Let's go."

After saying that, he turned around and left.

Li Wei put it away with a smile and got into the carriage.

Yue Rong took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped the rain off Li Wei, asking, "General Yan, does this mean Miss Xie has given in?"

Yue Rong was once Li Wei's personal maid. She had sold herself outside the Li Mansion to bury her father. Li Wei, who was disfavored and had little savings of his own, sold one of his mother's jewelry to bury her father. Since then, Yue Rong has stayed by Li Wei's side, taking care of him.

Li Wei had always been frail, and whenever he'd run around with Yan Huinan and Yu Xian and gotten dirty or injured or sick, Yue Rong would take care of him. So, she'd met Xie Yun before, and knew about their relationship. She also had a good relationship with Lu Song. But then Xie Yun left, and Lu Song disappeared.

Unlike Xie Yun, Yue Rong was born into a humble family, her status even lower. However, she was loyal and honest, like a strong grass under a strong wind, able to survive in any environment. She was often punished because of Li Wei, but Li Wei was kind and devoted to her. He married Yue Rong despite his father's objections, even at the cost of splitting up his family. Li Wei was the first of the three to marry.

Today, Li Wei can become the director of the Imperial College, all thanks to his hard work and passing the imperial examination. Now the lives of both of them are getting better and better.

Li Wei smiled and said, "I don't know him, but he doesn't look as miserable as before, as if everyone owed him a life. Should he be getting better?"

Xie Yun was the only noblewoman who didn't treat Yue Rong as a lowly inferior. Therefore, Yue Rong had a very good impression of Xie Yun. She sighed, "Miss Xie is a very kind person, and General Yan is also a good man. If the two of them could really get together, it would be the fulfillment of General Yan's long-cherished wish."

As a woman, even though she knew Yan Huinan was a good person, Yue Rong still hoped from the bottom of her heart that Xie Yun would be free and get what she really wanted.

They all knew in their hearts how difficult it would be to do so, but as bystanders, they were powerless to do anything.

-

Yan Huinan didn't ride back directly. Instead, after seeing Yue Rong, he suddenly remembered something. Passing behind Zhuque Street, there was a century-old shop by the lake. It was just opening time, and the cakes sold there were Xie Yun's favorites.

He planned to buy some to take back.

"Oh! A distinguished guest has come to visit us. General Yan hasn't been to my shop for many years!" The boss was still the same one Yan Huinan had seen when he was a child. His hair had turned gray, but Yan Huinan used to love buying snacks from his shop, so he remembered it very clearly.

Si Wen was leading the horse behind him.

Yan Huinan took a pack each of Yunnan ham flavor, salty cheese flavor, sweet cheese flavor, and red date flavor according to his memory.

"Come back after you finish eating, General." The boss specially brought a bamboo box to put the pastries so that they would not be exposed to the rain.

Yan Huinan smiled, "Yeah."

The weeping willows by the river swayed in the breeze and drizzle. Yan Huinan and Si Wen soon arrived home on horseback.

After the servant led the horse to the stable, a secret guard came out and said to Yan Huinan, "Someone from the post station reported that the madam had sent a letter to Daliang."

The faint smile on Yan Huinan's face froze a little, but he remained calm and asked, "Who is it for?"

"It's for Master Xie Run. Madam used her special wax seal. I was worried that Master Xie Run would notice it after opening it, so I didn't open it to read the contents." The secret guards did not intercept the letter because Yan Huinan had instructed them not long ago that if Xie Yun sent a letter to the outside, there was no need to intercept it.

Yan Huinan: "I understand, let's go down."

It's just a letter from home, he said to himself.

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The author has something to say: There should be another update later in the evening, no need to wait, I will post it as soon as I finish writing it