Chapter 70 Which Bird Do You Want to Be?
Xiao Beiheng stood in front of a carriage that was used to transport his birds. It was midday, and the weather was hot, so the birds were no longer singing.
He put the silk handkerchief in his right hand to his mouth and coughed violently a few times, then threw the handkerchief to the ground.
The maid standing next to him quickly picked up the blood-stained handkerchief, and took out a new white handkerchief from her bag and handed it to Xiao Beiheng.
Xiao Beiheng didn't answer.
"Bring out Jinxiu and Xuehua." He ordered lightly.
Jinxiu was his favorite budgie, worth a hundred gold coins, with a loud and sweet voice, and she especially loved to sit on his shoulder and play. Xuehua was the most disobedient canary, always thinking about running away.
Jinxiu was very well-behaved and stood on his shoulders as soon as she came out.
The maid pulled the cloth covering the cage away. Snowflake, the canary, grabbed the cage door with her claws and twisted the bars with her mouth, looking determined to escape.
She does look a bit like Shen Yuexi.
"Your Highness, Commander Wu has arrived." A guard reported from behind.
Xiao Beiheng, holding the birdcage, turned to look at the newcomer, a hint of a smile on his lips. This was the kind of smile he used to show to the poor creatures who were both loved by their masters and had violated their taboos.
So there should be a certain amount of regret and a bit of pity in the smile.
"Commander Wu, long time no see."
Wu Mingzi also bowed to Xiao Beiheng and replied with a forced smile, "Your Highness, I have long admired you."
He had heard of the Prince of Qi in the court, but had never paid much attention to him. After all, he was a close minister to the emperor, and Xiao Beiheng had little to do with him. If it weren't for his father's relationship, he wouldn't have wanted to come.
In this desolate wilderness, I didn't expect that the prince was still in the mood to play with birds. Not only was there a bird standing on his shoulder, but he was also holding a cage in his hand.
He looked completely decadent, like a dandy young man.
What made him even more upset was that this dandy boy actually looked at him with a sympathetic expression.
With the King of Qi's knowledge, the prince should have known why he came to Liang Province. Was he here specifically to mock him?
He had made a wrong calculation. Wu Mingzi was not someone who could be manipulated by others.
"Commander Wu, you are a favorite of His Majesty. There is no need for formalities between us. Please come this way."
After Xiao Beiheng finished speaking, he carried the birdcage and walked towards a high slope.
Wu Mingzi followed.
Having served in the imperial court for many years, he knew exactly what the other party's actions meant. Xiao Beiheng obviously had something private to discuss with him.
Could it be related to Xiao Zhuo?
"Commander Wu, you've messed up in Liangzhou," Xiao Beiheng said, standing at the top of the slope, raising his hand to play with the budgie on his shoulder. "You can't keep searching aimlessly like this. It's probably dangerous if you keep going like this."
Wu Mingzi showed a hint of displeasure: "Your Highness, you are worrying too much. I have my own ideas."
How dare you say I'm stupid.
He couldn't let the other party feel that he was an ordinary minister who was not favored. He was a close minister of His Majesty. Although his rank was not high, even the leaders of the party had to be polite to him. It was not Xiao Beiheng's turn to teach him a lesson.
"Oh?" Xiao Beiheng turned around and gently scratched the budgie's back feathers with his fingers. "For the past few days, Commander Wu has been searching extensively at the border between Liangzhou and Shengzhou. What else can he do but be foolish?"
This Xiao Beiheng not only slandered him, but also provided evidence to prove that he was indeed brainless.
Wu Mingzi was furious, and without considering the implication of Xiao Beiheng's words, he snorted heavily, "I am here to search for the criminal under orders, so there is no need for you, Your Highness."
Although he spoke toughly, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
He didn't understand what Governor Liu Yi said about Xiao Zhuo and Shen Yuexi flying away on a strange object, but based on common sense, he thought the two were at most at the border of Shengzhou.
But after searching for several days, nothing was found. The half-month deadline set by Emperor Yongde was getting closer and closer. Now he was the only one who was in a state of panic.
Xiao Beiheng didn't seem to care about his tone at all and still kept smiling:
"Then this prince doesn't understand. After such an important matter was messed up, why is Commander Wu still standing here?"
It can be heard that Xiao Beiheng did not know about Emperor Yongde's deadline of fifteen days.
Wu Mingzi retorted, "We are still searching... Even if we can't find him, Your Majesty will forgive me. I have served Your Majesty for many years..."
His hope now came from two sources: one was to find the two men before the fifteen-day deadline, and the other was that Emperor Yongde would pardon his death penalty in consideration of his years of service. The former seemed hopeless.
Xiao Beiheng nodded, held the budgie on his shoulder with his hand, and stretched it in front of Wu Mingzi.
"Please look, sir."
He spread out his palm, and the budgie immediately moved its claws, stood obediently on his index finger, and began to comb its feathers with its mouth.
Wu Mingzi was puzzled as to why Xiao Beiheng suddenly showed him this parrot?
Xiao Beiheng looked at the budgie with a doting expression, "Its name is Jinxiu, and it's my favorite bird. It's very well-behaved and won't fly away even if it's released from its cage. It's been with me for several years."
Wu Mingzi was confused and looked up at Xiao Beiheng.
Xiao Beiheng said nothing, then suddenly bent his five fingers and held the parrot.
The feathers on the petite parrot's neck suddenly exploded. But Xiao Beiheng's hands continued to clench.
Wu Mingzi was shocked. Xiao Beiheng was actually going to crush the bird to death.
It was a cute colorful parrot just now, but in an instant it turned into a ball of flesh and blood covered with feathers in Xiao Beiheng's hands.
"This bird, even though it was pampered in every way," Xiao Beiheng said as if nothing had happened. He extended his palm in front of Wu Mingzi again and slowly spread it out, "Once it died, its owner didn't care at all."
Wu Mingzi looked at the horrific flesh and blood in front of him and couldn't help but take a step back.
He was not afraid of a dead bird; he saw himself in the dead bird.
The parrot thought it was loved by its owner and would not fly away even if given complete freedom. But it died suddenly, and its owner did not even shed a tear.
He was the same, thinking that he had received the emperor's favor, but Emperor Yongde probably treated him like Xiao Beiheng treated his bird.
"Commander Wu is indeed very quick-witted and has understood." Xiao Beiheng smiled and threw the dead bird aside. He blew on the feathers on his palm, picked up the cage and opened the door.
As soon as the cage door opened, the canary Snowflake rushed out and flew into the air with its wings spread.
"This is another ending," Xiao Beiheng looked at the canary flying in the sky. "Commander Wu, you should have already decided whether to be the one on the ground or the one in the sky."
Wu Mingzi looked at the dead bird on the ground. He became more and more frightened. His legs began to tremble involuntarily until he knelt on the ground.
"Please... please give me some pointers, my lord."
When the only thing one relies on is destroyed in an instant, a person cannot stand.
Xiao Beiheng chuckled softly and helped Wu Mingzi up with one hand: "Commander Wu, there is no need to do this. Come sit in the carriage. This prince is not talented, but I have a plan to save you, but..."
Before he finished speaking, Wu Mingzi was already overwhelmed with joy and delight, and almost knelt down again: "If you can save my life, I am willing to serve you, Your Highness."
Xiao Beiheng endured the pain in his chest and made a gesture of invitation to Wu Mingzi: "Let's talk in the car."
Wu Mingzi let down his guard. Now it was easy to get him on board.
For many years, the Prince of Qi had been unable to place spies around Emperor Yongde. Now, his son had almost succeeded.
It's not without cost, but since ancient times, if you want to achieve great things, you have to pay a price.
It depends on which bird a person wants to be.
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