Haofengyuan was the residence of Duke Zheng and his wife.
After dinner, Duke Zheng Wei Qin went for a stroll in the garden. After entering February, his petals began to bloom one after another. Recently, except for eating and sleeping, he spent the rest of his time in the garden.
So when Wei Shuyi arrived at Haofengyuan, only his mother Duan was sitting in the hall.
Upon hearing that his brother had returned home, Wei Miaoqing followed closely.
"...How is it? Is there any new news from Suining? Did Xu Zhengye really attack Luoyang?"
Duan asked hurriedly, "I heard from my second uncle that at the morning court today, those officials were talking about Sui Ning's manifesto? Bah, these people have their own ulterior motives! Since the mention of conferring Sui Ning as a general, they have been finding fault everywhere! In my opinion, it is really unfair for them to stay in the capital. They should really be sent to Luoyang. After all, they have their mouths to stop the swords of the rebels from slashing down! In other words, you let them take the opportunity to make up stories about Sui Ning and General Chang? You tear it apart... Did you shut their stinky mouths?"
"..." Before Wei Shuyi could answer this series of questions, he heard the back wave following closely -
"Speaking of Madam Chang's manifesto, there are so many sarcastic comments!" Wei Miaoqing said indignantly, "The other day, the eldest son of the Wu family said in public in Dengtai Tower that Madam Chang's manifesto was not orthodox enough. Every word and sentence was just wild talk. It was called a manifesto, but it was clearly to enhance her reputation. But everyone praised it and circulated it. It shows that the current literary atmosphere is really worrying. He was extremely disappointed..."
He added, "He did write one, and it was orthodox, so orthodox that one could not even read it with one's nose pinched. Once the letter was opened, the sour smell could spread all over the capital! If it was crumpled up and thrown into a chicken coop, the chickens would be so smoked that they would cry and would never lay eggs again!"
Wei Shuyi went to bring the teacup: "This Mr. Wu is at least the eldest brother of the Wu family girl. If your vicious words get to the ears of the Wu family girl, be careful that she will not be willing to take you with her in the future."
"These are the words that Sister Wu said herself!"
Wei Shuyi: "..."
"After the eldest son of the Wu family had spoken nonsense in Dengtai Tower, he drank two taels of wine and went crazy again. He even ran to Sister Wu's study, searched out the book of Madam Chang's deeds, and tore it into pieces in front of the servants!" Wei Miaoqing gritted her teeth when she said this.
Wei Shuyi hissed softly, "This is considered a violation of the Heavenly Law."
"Sister Wu returned home and, while he was drunk and unconscious, had someone dig out all his sour poems and paintings, set fire to his yard, and burned them all to ashes!"
"When he sobered up, he rushed out, cried in anger, and fainted. Old Master Wu had someone pinch his Ren Zhong point, and after he woke up, he was thrown into the ancestral hall and forced to kneel down as punishment."
Looking at the album of poems and paintings that had turned to ashes, Old Master Wu turned around and praised his granddaughter Wu Chunbai - it was burned well, and he had wanted to burn it for a long time.
Wei Shuyi put down his teacup and sighed, "Mr. Wu is a man of high moral character."
Mrs. Duan frowned at her son's inattentiveness and slapped the table twice: "Why are you talking about this now? Where is the question I asked you just now? Answer it!"
Wei Shuyi had a headache, but he answered all the questions out of filial piety - it was only him. If someone else was his mother's son, it would be difficult for him to remember what she asked.
Finally, he said: "I just hope that Bianzhou can hold out for a little longer and delay Xu Zhengye's army. When Xuan Ce's army arrives, Luoyang City will not be lost."
"If Luoyang City is saved, Madam Chang and General Chang will not be convicted, right?" Wei Miaoqing asked the question that concerned him most.
"I can only say that if Luoyang City is safe, no serious crime will be imposed." Wei Shuyi said, "But if Xuan Ce's army saves Luoyang, the credit will belong to the court. Then, the charge of 'failure to defend the city, causing Luoyang to fall into the hands of the rebels' will be difficult to escape."
Not only will the court hold her accountable, but those in the world who regard her as the reincarnation of a great general will also use that article to "hold her accountable."
Wei Miaoqing became anxious: "Then how can we clear ourselves of the blame?"
"There is only one possibility." Wei Shuyi said, "Unless she can kill Xu Zhengye with her own hands as she said in the manifesto."
"Once Xu Zhengye dies, the rebellious army will surely be defeated. By then, not only will she be innocent, but she will have made contributions. Naturally, there will be no more voices in the court asking for her punishment."
When big words come true, they are no longer big words, but great achievements.
Wei Miaoqing frowned tightly: "...In your opinion, brother, is it possible for Madam Chang to kill Xu Zhengye?"
"Based on the current known situation..." Wei Shuyi shook his head: "This is not possible."
Xu Zhengye had already passed Xuzhou, and she was still chasing him from behind. It was difficult to catch up with him, let alone cross thousands of troops to kill Xu Zhengye? Xu Zhengye would not give her this opportunity.
Xu Jun didn't even need to capture Luoyang, he only needed to capture Bianzhou... Bianzhou would be defended to the death according to the order, and once there were tragic casualties, her guilt would be determined.
"...How could this child be so careless? Why did she insist on being a hero and writing such an article, giving others a chance to write an article for nothing!" Duan was very worried: "It is said that Xu Zhengye was provoked to Luoyang by her article. In this case, it is her fault if it is not her fault!"
Wei Shuyi thought for a moment but didn't say anything. Did she really have no idea of the current situation? "What should we do?" Wei Miaoqing was so anxious that she started to talk nonsense: "... We should send down a fire from the sky to stop Xu Zhengye and the others, so that Madam Chang can catch up and kill him with a sword!"
Wei Shuyi looked at her worriedly: "...why don't you go and ask the Buddha for help?"
Wei Miaoqing's expression brightened, and he stood up immediately: "Yes... I'll go burn incense now!"
Seeing his sister leave so solemnly, Wei Shuyi rubbed his temples.
If one day his sister really became the Crown Princess, or even the mother of a country, he really couldn't believe what a wonderful scene that would be.
If faced with the competition for favor among the concubines, she would probably choose to be cunning over being cunning. Between framing someone and being framed, she would choose to be shameful.
Faced with such a daughter, Duan was silent for a rare moment.
Wei Shuyi signaled Changji to close the door of the hall.
Duan subconsciously looked at her son who had suddenly become cautious. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Wei Shuyi speak in front of her: "It is not impossible that Madam Chang killed Xu Zhengye."
"Just as no one believed before, she could actually kill Ge Zong and Li Yi with her own hands." Wei Shuyi said: "Things that seem impossible to others, she always manages to do..."
"Mother, have you ever thought about why this is happening?"
Duan looked at him puzzledly for a moment: "Everyone says that he is born with the talent of a general and has extraordinary talents?"
"But in my son's opinion, the real talent that can astonish the world should be visible in childhood, and will not suddenly appear one day sixteen years later." Wei Shuyi said.
Duan was startled.
Wei Shuyi said slowly: "I guess the source of Madam Chang's 'talent' may be that she has experienced things that ordinary people cannot imagine."
Duan was confused: "What could that be?"
Wei Shuyi shook his head: "Ordinary people can't imagine it. Although my son is not an ordinary person, he couldn't come up with an answer for a while."
"..." Duan frowned and thought for a moment: "Or... as the manifesto said, the savior immortal gave guidance?"
This sounded absurd, but at this moment Wei Shuyi narrowed his eyes slightly... An immortal?
"Mother was once the study partner of Princess Chongyue, so she has a good understanding of the late Crown Prince... In mother's opinion, is Madam Chang more like the Princess or the late Crown Prince?"
This question was very sudden, and Duan's eyes trembled: "Why do you ask this suddenly?"
Wei Shuyi noticed her reaction and said, "I once heard General Adian say that Madam Chang looks a lot like the late Crown Prince. Very much like him."
Duan's breathing stopped for a moment, and many chaotic images began to emerge in his mind.
All those things that she had automatically marveled at and attributed to "fate" in the past suddenly changed direction at this moment and rushed towards another exit.
"Did mother think of something?"
"I..." Duan wanted to speak, but she couldn't explain too much. After all, she couldn't expose His Highness's secret, so she omitted all the clues and only said one extremely mysterious sentence: "Then according to this statement... Could it be that he was possessed by His Highness the late Crown Prince?"
No wonder she guessed this way, after all, she was a complete theist! This absurd guess, which had once lingered in Wei Shuyi's mind, made him hold his breath for a moment.
Outsiders only thought that he had nothing in common with his mother, but there was one thing that he was exactly like his mother since childhood, and that was fear of ghosts.
The prerequisite for fear is faith.
Believe that it is possible for such things to exist in this world.
Minister Wei, who had always remained calm even in the face of a great crisis, tried to remain calm and asked, "Mother, can you tell me the basis for your speculation?"
He just saw clearly that his mother, who seldom used her brain, showed a look of rapid activity.
Duan's expression was a little flustered: "Mother knows a little about the old habits of the late Crown Prince... When I thought about it just now, I felt that it was very fitting!"
For example, was the box she dug up really just a dream from His Highness... or was His Highness right in front of her?! This speculation almost made Duan faint.
Wei Shuyi still wanted to verify: "What old habits are they? Mother, can you tell me in detail?"
Duan said firmly: "No!"
She was already in a mess, and she had to keep the secret for His Highness. But her annoying son kept asking questions. Her mind was on fire! Facing her son's confusion, after all, they were family members, she simply said, "Anyway, I say it fits, just listen to me, don't ask anything else! There are some things I can't tell you, because it involves the private affairs of an old friend, and I swore not to disclose it!"
He said rudely, "If you don't want your mother to be struck to death by lightning, you should stay at home tomorrow to mourn for her and don't ask any more questions!"
"......?" Wei Shuyi rarely showed an expression as if he was being tortured.
Duan no longer cared about his life or death, and began to walk around the hall holding a handkerchief, "How could this be possible? Could it be that the soul really can be resurrected by borrowing a corpse... those storybooks... are they true?"
Hearing the words "resurrecting the dead", Wei Shuyi couldn't help but think of what he heard when he interrogated the kidnapper couple in Hezhou.
——"It seemed like he was dead...but he suddenly came back to life!"
——"It's a monster! It must be a monster!"
“…”
Those words that he didn't take seriously at that time suddenly made him feel completely different and sweat coldly.
Wei Shuyi swallowed very slowly, raised his sleeve, and slowly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
After an unknown amount of time, the door of the hall was pushed open with a creaky sound. Both mother and son looked towards the door in horror, their faces pale as they looked like frightened birds.
Duke Zheng walked in humming a little tune and was startled when he saw this: "...What's going on?"
Duan: "You... why are you pushing the door open for no reason?"
Duke Zheng looked innocent. This was his yard! He did not refute, but chose to accept it. He only asked anxiously: "But what happened?"
Why did his wife and his usually calm and composed son look as if they had seen a ghost? "Nothing...nothing." Wei Shuyi stood up and forced himself to greet his father: "Father and mother, please go to bed early. I'll take my leave now."
"this……"
Duke Zheng watched his son walk away with unsteady steps, his heart in his throat. Even Zi Gu was in such a state, and he still said "nothing happened"? "Madam..." Although he was also shaking, he still supported the trembling Duan and helped her to the inner room, and asked in a low and trembling voice: "Madam, tell me the truth, did Zi Gu... commit a crime of confiscating the family and exterminating the clan?"
Although he is an elegant man who only knows how to appreciate flowers...Okay, he admits that he is a loser, but losers also have the right to know, right?
Duan, who had so much on her mind that she had no words to express, pushed him away, staggered to the bed, buried her head in the pillow, and burst into tears.
Duke Zheng froze in place, with only two words remaining in his mind - it's over.
…
Wei Shuyi, who was regarded by his father as having "committed the heinous crime of confiscating property and exterminating the clan", felt a chilling chill from time to time behind him when he left Haofeng Courtyard.
"You..." He looked at Changji beside him: "Walk behind me and help me keep an eye on things."
Changji subconsciously looked behind him. What did his husband want him to look at? He was about to ask, but he heard his husband warily say, "Don't ask anything."
Changji: “…Yes.”
Wei Shuyi walked a few steps and suddenly stopped when he passed a fork in the road.
After a moment, he changed his route.
"...Brother?" Wei Miaoqing, who was kneeling devoutly in front of the Buddha statue in the temple, was quite surprised to see the newcomer: "Brother, are you also here to ask the Buddha to send down the fire from the sky?"
"...No." Wei Shuyi tried his best to remain calm and said, "I just suddenly wanted to burn some incense."
Wei Miaoqing understood, blinked at him, and asked in a low voice: "Brother, are you here to pray for Madam Chang's safety?"
Hearing those three words, Wei Shuyi was startled and almost dropped the incense in his hand.
Wei Miaoqing looked at him teasingly and said that she didn't like Madam Chang. It was obvious that she was more nervous than anyone else.
With this in mind, Wei Miaoqing looked at her brother with a look that said, "Let's see how long you can keep being stubborn."
For the first time, Wei Shuyi didn't bother to sense the eyes of the people around him.
After burning incense and leaving the Buddhist hall, Wei Shuyi's mood calmed down a little.
Burning incense is really useful...
He comforted himself in this way.
So, he looked like he was doing the same thing as usual. He went back to his residence to take a bath and change his clothes, and then dealt with official business for another half an hour. Only then did he return to his bedroom and lie down to rest in his clothes.
He just told the servant: "Don't turn off the lights, I'm still useful..."
He added: "Have people take turns guarding outside and not leave."
The servant did not dare to ask the reason, but he became alert in his heart. Could it be that the young master had a premonition that there would be an assassin at night?
The servant did not dare to be careless, and immediately went down to arrange the matter, and specially found the strongest guard to guard the house.
Wei Shuyi lay on the bed, tossing and turning until late at night. He finally closed his eyes, but suddenly opened them and sat up.
No...! If she was resurrected by the late Crown Prince, then...
Of course, the possibility of such a strange thing happening is very rare. A man does not talk about strange things. He just said, what if, what if it is...
If it is true, then she... "she" actually contains a man's soul? !
man!
He actually did that to a man...? Wei Shuyi sat there for a long time, his expression changing as if he had been struck by lightning.
Immediately, he felt that he should not be the only one to bear such a cruel and helpless feeling, so he pulled another person out - this matter... Cui Lingan, did he know about it? He even wanted to write a letter to Cui Lingan immediately, the kind that would be rushed eight hundred miles away! ...
The Spring Examination is divided into three sessions, each lasting three days, for a total of nine days.
Before the end of the Spring Examination, Cui Ling'an, who was far away in Anbei Protectorate, did receive an urgent secret letter from the capital, which was sent eight hundred miles away.
To be precise, it is a secret decree.
…
On that day, Cui Jing secretly left the northern border, led light cavalry, rushed to Hedong Road, and headed south.
"By the way...how did Commander Cui know in advance that there would be a secret order for him to leave the northern border?" After Cui Jing left, Protector Qin asked the secretary beside Cui Jing in confusion.
General Cui left very suddenly without saying anything.
But the secretary of General Cui soon came over, and Protector Qin realized that General Cui had already made arrangements for him in detail after leaving the northern border, and had only asked the secretary to convey the arrangements.
The secretary also shook his head.
Yes, how did the Grand Commander predict the future?
Was he able to predict the will of the Holy Spirit even though he was thousands of miles away? Or... had he already made preparations to help the girl from the Chang family? ...
However, just five days after Cui Jing left, one of his trusted light cavalrymen who was accompanying him was injured and had to return. After struggling to get back to the outside of Anbei Protectorate, he fell off his horse.
Upon hearing the news, Protector Qin rushed over and saw the light cavalryman being helped into the palace in the front yard.
When Protector Qin saw this, his face tightened and he hurried forward to support the light cavalryman.
"Protector Qin..." The cavalryman was seriously injured. Seeing Protector Qin, he finally spoke with difficulty, "We... encountered an ambush."
Qin Duhu's expression changed drastically: "How could it be...then Grand Commander Cui is..."
"Grand Commander, something happened..."
After the cavalryman said this, he fainted completely.
Qin Duhu's face turned pale and his body was stiff for a moment.
This is going to be a big deal! ...
A chapter of 5,000 words, I will update it again with sincerity. Please vote for me at the end of the month, my darlings. Good night!
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