Chapter 112
Jiang was struck by lightning when she heard this, her head was buzzing. She had just been promoted to the mother of the Prime Minister, and before she had the chance to enjoy the glory, she was going to be sent away?
No, she didn't want to go back to Qingzhou. Qingzhou could never compare to the prosperity of the capital.
"Shuhuai!" She was so angry that her chest felt stuffy and she wanted to pull his sleeve.
Wang Shuhuai stepped back, bowed to her, and went to the backyard to pick up the child.
As long as his mother is in the capital, the turmoil of remarriage will not stop. These days, the court is clearing out the remnants of the eldest princess and Prince Xin. Many people try to follow his father's path and ask for amnesty, so as to prevent his parents from taking advantage of his power to do more outrageous things. It is almost urgent to send the two elders back to Qingzhou.
After they left, the backyard became quiet, and Yun Chu's lie about "recuperating" would not be discovered.
In Ninghe Hall, the other in-laws had already been frightened and scattered. Liu was carried back. Although she was not dead, she became crazy and could not cause any trouble again. Not to mention letting Wang Shuhuai remarry, she didn't even dare to interfere in her son's affairs. She was like a frightened bird at the word "remarry".
Seeing that Wang Shuhuai was determined, Jiang hurried to find her husband.
Wang Shuhuai came to the backyard of Ninghe Hall. The two children were playing with Yue and Xuan. Yue was sitting on a small stool listlessly. Ke covered her face and cried. She pointed at Xuan and scolded,
"You're talking nonsense. My mother is fine. She just went to my grandmother's house and will be back soon."
Xuan Ge'er argued, "They lied to you. How about I take you to your grandparents' house to have a look?"
Just as Sister Ke was about to agree, Brother Yue came running over, stood in front of Sister Ke and glared at Brother Xuan.
"Brother, have you forgotten what grandma told you? Whatever the elders say is true, why are you making a fuss here?" He turned around and tried to comfort Sister Ke.
"Don't listen to what my second brother said. My mother also told me that my aunt went to the Xie family and will be back in a few days."
Ke Jie'er felt relieved. As she wiped her tears, she saw a figure slowly squatting in front of her. Although she hadn't seen him for half a year and his eyes were covered with white gauze, Ke Jie'er still recognized her father at a glance. She rushed towards Wang Shuhuai like a bird flying into the forest.
"Daddy, where have you been?" The cry was mixed with complaints, dependence, and joy.
The boy beside him also followed his sister and slowly got into Wang Shuhuai's arms, "Daddy..."
Wang Shuhuai held the two children in his arms and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm sorry, Daddy is back late... I'm sorry..."
Holding one in each hand, he slowly returned to Chunjing Hall.
The two children lay on Wang Shuhuai's shoulders and hugged their father tightly.
The appearance of Wang Shuhuai brought great comfort to the child.
Sister Ke touched the white veil on Wang Shuhuai's face with tears in her eyes.
"Dad, is your eye injured?"
"No, some sand was blown in."
Er Ge'er scratched his head and said in a childish voice, "Daddy, let's go to grandma's house to bring mom back."
Wang Shuhuai paused. This excuse would not last long. He said carefully, "Your grandfather is seriously ill. Your mother and uncle went to the mountains to look for elixirs. The Bodhisattva saw that your mother was kind and kept her in the forest to collect herbs."
Sister Ke had heard many mythological stories from Xie Yunchu since she was a child, and she was skeptical.
In this respect, Er Ge'er was like Wang Shuhuai, not believing in demons and ghosts. He frowned and said heroically, "But we must find mother back."
Wang Shuhuai turned to the direction of Er Ge'er and said in a slow and calm voice, "Don't worry, I will definitely find your mother."
Daddy is a great hero, his words are as good as gold, and both Kejie'er and Weige'er believe him.
When they returned to Chunjing Hall, Xia An and the others saw the young master crying with excitement, and they hurried over to hold the child.
Wang Shuhuai sat down in the corridor of Chunjing Hall, and the two children started playing in the yard again.
A quarter of an hour later, the news that Jiang and others were going back to Qingzhou spread. The third master Wang Shukuang and the fourth master Wang Shuyi came to look for Wang Shuhuai. Minggui led them in. They were stunned when they saw that Wang Shuhuai's eyes were covered with white gauze.
Wang Shuhuai guessed the purpose of the two men's visit, and before they could plead for Jiang, he spoke first.
"Shutong passed the autumn exam, but failed the spring exam. What are your plans for the future? Do you want to continue taking the exam?"
Wang Shutong was stumped by his brother's question, and his fair and handsome face flushed, "I... haven't thought about it yet."
Wang Shuhuai turned his face towards the two of them and said in a hoarse voice, "If you haven't made up your mind yet, then you don't want to take the exam again. That's fine. You can be an official even if you are not a Jinshi. You are a descendant of the Wang family. The family can protect you, but they also need you to bring honor to the family. Spending time at home doing nothing will only ruin your ambition and make you useless. I plan to find you a county magistrate. How about you slowly accumulate political achievements and earn a future for your wife and children?"
Wang Shutong was stunned. He was a little panicked when he was suddenly asked to leave the protection of the Wang family. However, his brother's words were like pearls. He had no power to refute. He also realized that he could not waste his time. After a moment of silence, he gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, I'll leave everything to you. By the way, my wife's family is next to Xichu. Why don't you assign me a job closer to Xichu?"
Western Chu had just been settled, and there was a real need to send officials to take over. It was just right for Wang Shutong to go and gain some experience.
Wang Shuhuai agreed, and then turned his blurred eyes to Wang Shukuang. Wang Shukuang had come in with a lot of anger, and after hearing Wang Shuhuai scolding Wang Shutong, he also looked a little uncomfortable, "Second brother is also going to assign me a task?"
Wang Shuhuai ordered in a cold voice,
"Father and mother act without rules. You should go back to Qingzhou with them. I will find you a job in Qingzhou. You should serve them and watch over them and advise them to behave themselves."
Wang Shukuang was disappointed. The capital city was so prosperous and glamorous, and who would be willing to go back to that remote place in Qingzhou? But Wang Shuhuai always kept his word. Wang Shukuang knew he had no room for argument, so he just said yes with sobs.
Jiang went to look for the second master, and it happened that the second master was welcoming the Duke back to the mansion. When the Duke heard about this, he rubbed his forehead tiredly, and then warned his eldest son and daughter-in-law,
"You are the descendants of the clan. It is natural for you to return to Qingzhou to take care of the old house, serve your ancestors every day, make friends with your neighbors, and manage clan affairs. Go ahead."
Jiang and the second master knelt in front of the Duke and cried inconsolably.
The Duke thought that with Wang Shuhuai as a towering tree, the Wang family had nothing to worry about. In another year or two, he would probably go back.
Wang Shuhuai announced to the public that Xie Yunchu had been found, and many grateful female relatives came to visit. The Wang family refused outside visitors, but the female relatives insisted on leaving generous gifts. In just half a day, the flower hall in front of Chunjing Hall was filled with brocade boxes.
When Shen Yi, Wang Yining and others heard the news, they sent their husbands to inquire about it in the evening. After learning the truth, they felt even more sad.
This is good. First, the child still has something to think about. Second, it can also put an end to the restless hearts of officials in the capital. When someone finds Shen Yi and asks about Xie Yunchu's recent situation, Shen Yi confirms the news that Xie Yunchu has returned home, and the original rumors in the capital gradually dissipate.
In order not to let Xie Yunchu's efforts go to waste, the sisters returned to the academy one after another and continued teaching.
Everything seemed to be back on track.
After nightfall, Wang Shuhuai could no longer see clearly, but he still coaxed the two children to sleep himself. With the company of their father, the children smiled and slept much more soundly. After coaxing the children, Wang Shuhuai took a bath, changed his clothes, and returned to the inner room, sitting alone on the edge of the bed.
The room was extremely quiet, without a single sound. It was clearly just a very small inner room, but he felt as if he were in some vast wasteland. The endless evening wind was sweeping him along, and he didn't know where he came from, nor where he was going.
Whenever he left Beijing in the past, his steps were extremely firm. He was full of energy when he left and in high spirits when he returned. He didn't feel anything at the time, but now he understands that it was because she was at home. She waved goodbye when he turned around and cooked soup for him when he came back.
She is the root of his heart. Without her, he would be like the dead grass in the wilderness, a rootless duckweed.
I don't know how long I sat there, and when I was extremely tired, I slowly lay down.
The pillowcase still had her pear blossom scent on it. He turned around and held her pillow in his arms.
When he closed his eyes, the pair of clean and pure eyes appeared in his mind. There was always an eternal light burning there, illuminating the way for him and his child to return home.
That is Xie Yunchu who cannot be replaced by anyone.
Lengshan spent two days delivering all the official reports and documents related to Prince Xin to the attic that belonged to the Prime Minister at the rear of the cabinet.
Wang Shuhuai did not intend to abandon the children, so he brought Ke Jie'er and Er Ge'er to the cabinet. The emperor came to the Wenhua Hall where the cabinet was located to hold court at noon every day. Wang Shuhuai went to pay his respects. When the emperor saw that Wang Shuhuai's eyes were covered, he sighed and comforted him.
Wang Shuhuai had not attended court in the past few days. All the key departments were his confidants, and the entire government office was operating as usual. Only when there was important news every day would they come to ask for his instructions. Wang Shuhuai sat alone behind the desk, listening to the servant reading the documents and reports, while thinking about the possible whereabouts of Prince Xin.
Ke Jie'er was dressed as a young master and picking flowers in the yard, while Er Ge'er was learning to read and study in the main hall with a young teacher from the Hanlin Academy, and Dong Ning was also wearing a servant's clothes and accompanying Minggui.
One day, Ke Jieer accidentally ran to the main hall in front, and Er Geer followed her silently. The emperor was discussing matters with several ministers. When he saw two delicate little faces sticking out of the door, he was very surprised and asked, "Why are there children in the cabinet?"
The palace maid glanced at Sister Ke'er and her brother, and replied softly, "Your Majesty, these are the children of Lord Wang."
The emperor understood immediately, sighed softly, and waved to Sister Ke.
Sister Ke jumped in happily and knelt down to pay her respects to the emperor first. Brother Er also bowed in an identical manner. Xie Yunchu taught them how to behave politely when meeting elders, and the siblings kept it in mind.
Seeing that the emperor looked kind, Sister Ke asked curiously, "Who are you? Why haven't I seen you before?"
The palace maid was surprised and was about to reprimand him, but the emperor waved him away. He leaned over and smiled gently,
"I am the emperor."
"What is an emperor?"
"The emperor is the master of the world."
Sister Ke rolled her eyes for a moment and said, "Since you are the ruler of the world, can you help me find my mother?"
The emperor's eyes were bitter, and he was speechless with a distressed look. After a long silence, he said, "Uncle will definitely do his best."
In the next few days, Wang Shuhuai checked documents in the cabinet during the day and took his two children back home in the evening. With their father's company, the children were much calmer than before. During this time, Wang Shuhuai heard that Xie Hui was critically ill, so he went to Xie's house in person, sat in front of Xie Hui's bed, looked at his unconscious father-in-law and promised,
"Chu'er and You'er are not dead. They were kidnapped by Prince Xin. If you believe me, I will definitely find them back."
Seeing Wang Shuhuai's particularly firm tone, Madam Ming's hope was rekindled.
"Have you found any evidence?"
Wang Shuhuai was silent for a moment, "Soon."
Afterwards, Mrs. Ming repeated Wang Shuhuai's words over and over again in front of Xie Hui's bed, hoping that Xie Hui would wake up soon.
On the twentieth day after Xie Yunchu left, Wang Shuhuai took a few doses of medicine and his eyesight improved, but he still could not see the documents clearly. Every day, a vast amount of documents were spread out and taken away one by one.
Every three days, counties and prefectures across the Jin Dynasty would send reports to the capital, describing the latest news and events in various places. Wang Shuhuai used to have the habit of reading the reports.
He was so meticulous that he reviewed all the reports from June 28th onwards to prevent himself from missing any important clues.
Hard work pays off. Finally, one afternoon, when Wang Shuhuai was resting his eyes and resting his head, he suddenly heard the book boy chanting,
"On June 29th, at the end of the Mao hour, an unidentified flying object appeared in the sky above Baoding Prefecture, resembling a Kongming lantern..."
When Wang Shuhuai heard this, his thoughts suddenly stopped, "Wait!"
"Say it again?" He held his breath, feeling as if he had found a clue somewhere.
The boy then read it again, and Wang Shuhuai felt a flash of lightning in his mind.
June 29th, isn't that the day Chu Er had the accident? The end of the Mao hour, that also makes sense.
The scream came from mid-air above the water...
A UFO resembling a Kongming lantern flew over the sky...
I just felt that the fog that was shrouding me in front of me showed signs of dissipating.
Wang Shuhuai's heart skipped a beat and he quickly ordered,
"Go find Mr. Cheng Xuan's color eyes."
A few days ago, he went through the information of all the trusted generals under King Xin, and remembered that there was a record in Mr. Cheng Xuan that he was good at mechanical formations.
The servant boy quickly found Cheng Xuan's resume and read it again. Wang Shuhuai listened with his eyes narrowed.
Could it be that Cheng Xuan did something ingenious to allow Prince Xin to leave the capital quietly?
Wang Shuhuai, who had found the clue, was very excited and immediately called Lengshan, "Go to the Xinwang Mansion tonight and bring back all of Mr. Chengxuan's old things."
Lengshan did not disappoint him. He found some discarded Kongming lantern drawings in the secret compartment of Mr. Chengxuan's room. Wang Shuhuai could not see them clearly, so Lengshan described them to him.
"There is a huge lantern-like curtain above, and a square lamp stand is suspended by ropes below the curtain. It can accommodate four or five people..."
I see.
Wang Shuhuai buried his thin handsome face deeply in his palms. The huge stone in his heart was removed, and he slowly let out a sigh of relief.
Finally figured out how Prince Xin left the capital.
No wonder he did it without anyone noticing, it turns out he can really fly with wings.
At this moment, he was angry, but more importantly, he was grateful that Yun Chu was still alive.
On July 25th, someone finally found a body in the downstream Tongzhou River section. The clothes of the body were the same as those of the man in black who appeared from Xiangshan Temple. It was obvious that this was the fourth of the Eighteen Arhats mentioned by Chunqi, which also meant that there was a third party present, and this person was undoubtedly Prince Xin.
It had been announced to the public that Xie Yunchu was recuperating at home. Wang Shuhuai did not dare to make a big move. He only quietly ordered people to investigate along the route from Beijing to Baoding to find out the direction in which the Kongming lantern was traveling.
Lengshan and Qi Wei led the secret guards to conduct two rounds of investigations, and finally on the first day of August, they found themselves near a mountain range in Nanyang.
Farmers who witnessed the incident claimed that the Kongming lantern was flying very low at the time, which meant that the Kongming lantern had landed nearby. In order to avoid alerting the enemy, Lengshan left Qi Wei to keep an eye on the situation and returned to the capital.
On the third day of August, the early autumn night was already somewhat chilly.
Sister Ke was wearing a silk satin gown and fell asleep obediently on the bed. Brother Er nestled in Wang Shuhuai's arms and took a nap in a comfortable position. His long black eyelashes drooped, as if he was half asleep.
Wang Shuhuai sat in the armchair with his eyes squinted, hugging the child on his elbow to help him sleep more soundly. The little boy pouted his little mouth high, his little face huddled in his father's elbow, and gradually fell asleep.
Wang Shuhuai's eyesight had not yet fully recovered. He could vaguely see the outline of a fir tree, but could not make out anything finer.
Fir sat on the brocade stool at his feet and whispered,
"That place is called Wolongpo. It was once the former residence of Mr. Kong Ming. Later, it was bought by Cheng Xuan. He has a disciple named Kong Wei, who inherited Cheng Xuan's teachings. This person is honest and straightforward, very focused, and his attainments in mechanical devices and formations are even better than Cheng Xuan. People often look for him to buy weapons and hidden weapons. He is known as 'Guiguzi'. There is water in front of Wolongpo and mountains behind it. It is full of strange gates and escape armor. If you attack rashly, you may suffer heavy casualties."
Wang Shuhuai's pupils were still bloodshot, reflecting the suppressed aura of war in his eyes.
"Let Gao Zhan go to the palace to ask for permission. In the name of suppressing bandits, lead troops to quietly besiege Wolongpo overnight."
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