Chapter 55 The night wind is howling, and danger is everywhere
Magistrate Yang walked out of the government prison and hurried to the backyard without looking back. When he reached the hall he had set up in the government office for rest, he immediately dismissed the runners and blew out the dim candlelight.
He stood in the room and looked around, and found that there was still moonlight leaking in, so he walked to the window and clasped his hands together.
There was absolutely no light at all.
After doing all this, he breathed a sigh of relief, and just as he turned around, a strong and sharp wind blew on his face.
“Bang!”
Magistrate Yang was suddenly slapped and fell. His facial muscles twitched and he felt pain. He immediately knelt on the ground, staring at the floor, not daring to look up.
Soon, he saw a pair of noble brocade boots with an eagle with wings spread out embroidered on the boot surface. The eagle had fierce eyes and sharp claws, and it seemed to be flying towards its prey, which was very lifelike.
Yang Zhifu lowered his head an inch further and said respectfully, "Master."
"idiot."
The voice is dull, and no joy, anger, sorrow or happiness can be heard.
Yang Zhifu said: "I know my crime, please punish me, my master."
"You can avoid the death penalty, but you can't escape the punishment of living. But now is not the time."
The person who spoke was wearing a cloak, and the hood almost concealed his entire face, revealing only a pair of eyes as sharp as an eagle's.
"Yes," Prefect Yang continued to report with his back hunched, "Xiao Zhinian fell into the trap set by the master. He was lucky to escape, but he was seriously injured and will not live long."
"That guy is quite skilled, are you sure you can catch him?"
"Luocheng is full of our men, and the net is tight. Xiao Zhinian can't escape. Besides, Shen Zhejiang is in our hands. As long as the news spreads, Xiao Zhinian will definitely fall into the net."
The man sneered and said, "It's better this way. Anyone who obstructs the great plan must die. You don't want to repeat your nephew's mistakes, do you?"
Prefect Yang trembled all over: "...I understand."
"If you're alive, I'll have you. If you're dead, I'll have you dead. When the grand plan is completed, I'll certainly not treat you unfairly."
As soon as he finished speaking, he disappeared without a trace.
"Farewell, Master."
-
Shen Zhejiang was thrown into the deepest cell in the prison and separated from Xiao Zhinian.
It was already late at night, and the cold and bleak moonlight shone through the only iron window on the wall, illuminating it silently.
The night is unstoppably cold.
Shen Zhejiang lay dejectedly and silently on the tattered straw mat, his thin prison uniform sticking to his skin which was covered with whip marks.
It was autumn in Luocheng, and the nights were getting colder. The coldness gradually crept in from all directions and wrapped around his body.
The pain did not subside at all.
"Xiao Nian, why don't you say a word to me..."
When no one is around, vulnerability breaks out of the shell.
My heavy eyelids drooped and everything was dark.
For some reason the cell was unusually quiet tonight. Even the subtle footsteps of the patrolling jailers in the distance could be heard clearly. Soon, all the rustling sounds stopped and everything returned to silence.
When all the senses calm down, the thoughts in the mind will become particularly clear, especially the emotions of sadness and even despair, as if they are taken out and washed over and over again until they are clear.
He first thought of Xiao Zhinian.
He was covered in wounds and couldn't move.
My heart ached again.
"Little New Year..."
The bloody scene became clearer and clearer.
The surging and heart-wrenching pain tortured him and he could hardly breathe. But when the sorrow receded like a tide, he finally struggled to grasp a trace of rationality, a life-saving straw, like a dying man.
Shen Zhejiang forced himself to calm down.
calm!
These two words echoed in my mind——
He suddenly opened his eyes.
impossible!
No matter how similar the clothes and body shapes are, even if the faces are exactly the same, there are always some things that cannot be changed, such as unnoticed accessories and long-lasting scars.
There was a scratch on Xiao Zhinian's index finger.
He recalled that the person who was pushed in had his head covered so his face could not be seen, and his legs were broken. What about his hands?
As long as there is nothing in his hand, he can be sure that it is definitely not Xiao Zhinian.
"It's not him, how can I admit my mistake..."
Almost crying with joy.
Shen Zhejiang turned his head, curled up into a ball, hugged his arms, and tears slid down his face uncontrollably and sank into the straw mat.
"It's okay, it's not a small year... As long as it's not a small year..."
He covered his heart and murmured.
The night wind is howling and danger is lurking everywhere.
I feel relieved to know that you are out of danger.
-
In the dimly lit cellar, there are dozens of round wine jars, the mouths of which are sealed with red paper, but the aroma of the wine cannot be concealed.
If you smell it carefully, you can definitely smell a hint of blood mixed with the rich and fragrant smell of wine.
"Uh...Ugh!"
A muffled sound of pain that was tried hard to be suppressed flowed from the corner of the wine cellar.
Xiao Zhinian sat against the wall, panting. His face was as pale as a piece of paper. His palm was spread out on the ground weakly, with a sharp arrow with a bloody tip in it.
Was calculated.
He took the yamen runners with Zhao Xiaosi's portrait to search for someone in Luocheng. He got a clue that someone had seen Zhao Xiaosi outside the city. He followed the lead to investigate, but he was unexpectedly assassinated by a rain of arrows halfway.
Being hit by three arrows is not a big deal, the key is that the yamen runners actually turned against us. Yang Shihui and the men in black are actually in the same group!
He was so foolish that he believed what they said. He didn't expect Yang Shihui to be so bold!
Xiao Zhinian paused for a while, pulled out the last arrow in his belly, sprinkled medicine powder on it, tore off his clothes, and bandaged it to stop the bleeding.
Fortunately, Shen Zhejiang asked him to take the medicine bottle with him before he went out, otherwise he would have had to drink another pot of medicine.
"Shen Zhejiang..."
How is he now?
Xiao Zhinian had just thought of this when he heard a long and heavy "creaky" sound of a door being pushed open.
He quickly lowered his body, hiding in the shadow behind the wine jar, holding his breath, waiting for his opportunity to move.
Two servants came in, each holding a lantern and a wine jug.
"The master usually uses daughter's red wine when entertaining Prefect Yang, and this time is no exception. Hurry up and fill two pots over. The master is waiting."
"Why are you rushing me? Am I not looking for it?"
Even if they were injured, it was a piece of cake for Xiao Zhinian to deal with these two powerless people without making a fuss.
But obviously, for now, we should try not to take action if possible. If it has to come to that point...
The bright light from the lanterns passed through the red paper labels attached to the side walls of rows of wine jars and shone into Xiao Zhinian's eyes, gradually enlarging from a small dot as his footsteps got closer.
Xiao Zhinian stroked the sharp arrowhead expressionlessly, narrowed his eyes slightly, and silently recited in his heart that he would kill the servant with one blow if he came three steps closer.
Two steps.
one......
"Hey! You have a pig brain! Why are you going over there? That's all the drinks that the master left for himself. Come here! It's right here!"
"Look at my memory! Hey, Brother Zhou has a great memory. No wonder the master values you so much and entrusted the entire wine cellar to you!"
The bright light dimmed.
Xiao Zhinian relaxed his tense back imperceptibly.
The servant called "Brother Zhou" scolded: "You flatter me all the time, but I don't know what you get out of it. Fortunately, you are with me, so you will get some benefits. Come, have a taste, the daughter's red wine is so fragrant!"
The servant scooped up the wine and took a sip, saying happily, "It's really good wine! Speaking of which, the house was burned down a while ago, and a lot of property was burned. The young master also disappeared. Didn't the master have a sad face every day? Why is he so happy now to set up a banquet and invite Yang Zhifu to be his guest?"
The two men chatted while filling their glasses with wine.
Brother Zhou asked, "Who told you?"
Another said, "How could I not know what's going on in our house?"
"Your information is not reliable." Although he knew there was no one around, Brother Zhou still covered his mouth and lowered his voice. "I'll tell you in secret, the house where the fire started is empty. There's nothing inside, and the young master is not missing."
"What?!"
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