Chapter 96: Plum blossoms 6: Nerd, it’s me
"Master Xiao Song? Master Xiao Song? We are here to take you back."
The four men were searching and shouting, and Song Yanze's heart was pounding, but of course he was not stupid enough to believe them.
After the Ministry of Revenue interrogated the case on the first day, they deliberately released a group of officials from the Ministry of Revenue and allowed them to spread the story of what happened in the court that day.
Song Yanze had thought that there might be someone who couldn't sit still and wanted to end it all, but he never thought that it would be someone on Jiang Tingyuan's side.
Song Yanze shrank back into the bushes, his hands and feet weak. The men drew their knives and hacked at the bushes, searching in all directions. It wouldn't take long for them to find him.
what to do?
There was a forest behind him. It was almost dusk. He didn't know if there would be any wild animals when he went up the mountain at night. He didn't even have a water bag, only a small dagger hidden in his sleeve.
Song Yanze hesitated for only a moment.
Going forward would mean immediate death, but going backwards would give him a glimmer of hope, so he decisively slid down the slope slowly.
The branches and weeds were overgrown and messy, and Song Yanze's hair and clothes were messy.
The slope was covered with rocks and soil, and Song Yanze stumbled and bumped, leaving bruises all over his body. The exposed skin and cheeks were rubbed dusty and scratched.
Song Yanze got up with the help, looked around and chose a dangerous path that had been trampled out, and then ran away. He forced his legs forward and ran until his legs became weak, but he did not dare to stop.
The imperial envoys are all experts in tracking and assassination, so it won't be difficult to find his whereabouts.
But at least he still had time to escape.
Song Yanze just ran with his head down, running towards any place that looked deserted or remote. Fortunately, he had a good sense of direction and always knew the direction.
Can he hold on until someone comes to rescue him?
No, or is there anyone coming to rescue him?
Song Yanze's heart sank, and he forced himself to calm down and think about a way out.
Jiang Tingyuan didn't consider it for now.
Perhaps the only one who doesn't want him to die is the Emperor?
The people on the prince's side probably want him dead even more, so it's a good opportunity to send their own people to investigate the Ministry of Revenue.
He will have to go to the palace to meet the emperor and report the next day. According to the current situation, maybe someone will come to rescue him if he can hold on until tomorrow.
Song Yanze kept climbing up the mountain to hide, secretly calculating in his mind.
The sun was setting in the sky and time was running out. If he hadn't found a place to hide by nightfall, it would be a problem how he would get through the night.
Song Yanze then stopped, bent over, held onto the tree trunk, and gasped for breath, his vision going dark.
"Here."
Song Yanze stood up suddenly. The subdued and subtle sound couldn't be his illusion.
It's so fast. Should I say that the people under you, Jiang Tingyuan, are really powerful?
Song Yanze looked around and found that he was on a mountain path, a small path that spiraled upward.
Ahead is the top of the forest mountain. There is no point in running down like this. On the left is a steep cliff that is almost vertical. The height makes one's legs weak.
"Master Xiao Song, we are also following orders, so let's not make things difficult for each other."
As they talked, several people drew out their swords. The patterns on the Xiuchun Sword were also the standard of the Imperial Court, not fake.
Song Yanze didn't move, but rested by leaning against the tree trunk.
"I'm almost dead, so you might as well let me be clear-headed. Tell me, who sent you here?"
"Lord Xiao Song, you are very smart. You should know that no one in the court wants you to return alive."
Song Yanze sneered and slowly stepped aside.
"It is my honor to be a source of worry to you all before I die."
After saying that, he jumped to the side without hesitation. Several people's faces changed and they quickly ran up and looked down, but they could no longer see the figure.
"It's so high, even with the slope as a buffer, I think I'll break my limbs and won't be able to run far."
"We can't chase them over there anymore. It's getting dark. There are wolves and leopards in the nearby woods."
"He won't survive tonight. Let's go back to Okura now and report back to the Imperial Court tomorrow morning."
"Jiang Tingyuan won't be back until tomorrow evening, so we won't alarm him if we report back tomorrow morning."
At the foot of the cliff, Song Yanze was lying under a rock with his head covered, with warm and slippery blood between his fingers.
He had observed carefully before they came. As long as he didn't fall unconscious, he would have time to lie down and hide in the gap under the rock, so that from above he would have disappeared.
It was getting late, and they would not chase me anymore. But now half of my arm and my left leg were paralyzed, and I didn't know where I hit my head, and it was bleeding, and I was dizzy.
Song Yanze gritted his teeth to keep himself awake, but he couldn't hold it back and passed out.
*
"Commander Jiang, all the prisoners brought from various provinces have been taken to the imperial prison."
Jiang Tingyuan dismounted, the red knife tassel on his waist swaying slightly, and ordered in a deep voice: "Interrogate them overnight. Interrogate those who were arrested in the same place together, and just use torture."
Jiang Tingyuan has been on a business trip these two days, and Song Yanze is also busy, so I haven't seen him for several days.
It was just a wall between them, and Jiang Tingyuan always hesitated whether to climb over the wall to take a look, but he was afraid that it would make him sleep poorly.
I came back early this time, so I should be able to see him.
Jiang Tingyuan threw the horse reins to his subordinate beside him, wrapped his fingers around the red tassel, squeezing it lightly and heavily, and after giving instructions on all matters, he turned around and left.
He loves Chunfangzhai’s cakes and pastries, but only the salty ones. For sweets, he only eats milk cakes.
Jiang Tingyuan knocked on the door carrying something. It was already this late, and Lord Xiao Song should have come back no matter where he had gone.
"Sir! You finally...ah, Lord Jiang."
Jiang Tingyuan frowned and handed everything in his hand to Lianxin.
"He hasn't come back yet?"
Lian Xin took the warm cakes and looked at him in surprise. All the cakes were bought according to his son's taste. Did this familiar Mr. Jiang know his son so well?
"Yes, Master said he would be back at twilight hour. Now it is already midnight, and the city gates are almost locked."
Jiang Tingyuan's eyelids twitched, he thought for a while, turned around, pulled a horse from the gatehouse, and rode away without saying a word.
He rode all the way to the Imperial Court and called out in a deep voice, "Xuanqing, has the person who was responsible for escorting Lord Xiao Song this morning returned to report?"
Ogura wasn't close to begin with, so it was normal to stay overnight if something delayed him. Xuan Qing asked around and replied, "He hasn't come back to report yet, but I haven't received any news of any unusual movements, so I think everything is fine."
"impossible."
Jiang Tingyuan frowned, his heart pounding inexplicably, and his palms, which were holding Hongsui, were already sweating.
If Song Yanze could return before the city gate was locked, he would definitely not delay until the next day because he was used to his own bed.
No matter what happened in Okura, it should not be unresolved until now, and there is no news yet.
More likely, something went wrong.
Jiang Tingyuan turned around and called for his men, then mounted his horse and rode out of the city before the city gate was locked.
As soon as the Imperial Court Office set out, someone came jogging to a large mansion in the capital and went all the way to the study.
"Master, Jiang Tingyuan has taken his men out of the city."
Hu Zhong was so shocked that he turned over and sat up on the couch, then he let out a breath and waved his hand for someone to leave.
The Minister of Personnel Liu Yi, who was sitting opposite him, was tapping chess pieces and laughing at him.
"Master Hu, you can't sit still? What are you afraid of? Jiang Tingyuan can only go to the warehouse to find someone first. Those oily guys are enough for him to deal with. When he rushes over, he can only collect the body of this little Master Song."
"Take a step further. Even if Jiang Tingyuan finds the person, will Song Yanze dare to go with him? Will he dare to trust Jiang Tingyuan now?"
After hearing what he said, Hu Zhong felt relieved.
The officialdom has been in turmoil these days, but he, who is at the center of it, is unusually free.
The emperor did not immediately dismiss him from his post and put him in jail, as if the Ministry of Revenue’s crisis had nothing to do with him as the Minister. Jiang Tingyuan did not even come to cause trouble for him.
But the more this happened, the more restless he became.
"The teacher is old and soft-hearted, but he doesn't think about the fact that this is a matter of life and death."
Hu Zhong couldn't help but blame Li Heng. If the teacher had helped him and worked together to plan a solution, the little Song Yanze would have died several times already.
Liu Yi snorted and laughed, without saying a word. He was not soft-hearted, he had already seen through it, and the knife could not stab him.
*
The candlelight was dim, and Jiang Tingyuan stood beside the desk. The half-bright light cast a shadow on his high brow, and his half-lowered eyelashes made it impossible to see what he meant.
His right hand was tightly holding the red tassel, and his other hand was casually flipping through the account books and documents on the table. In front of him knelt two rows of managers from the warehouse.
"Master Xiao Song left alone after noon, leading a horse. Who of us dared to ask about the adults' affairs?"
"How would we know which direction Master Xiao Song went? We didn't even see him when he left."
The managers were not easy to deal with. No matter how much I asked, they insisted that they didn't know. I didn't see or notice anything unusual, and I didn't know where the people who accompanied me went.
"Your Excellency is innocent! Heaven and earth can bear witness that we have not lied in the least!"
"Sir, the imperial envoy has been brought here."
Jiang Tingyuan asked them to bring it up in a deep voice, closed the account book casually, and slammed it on the table with a bang. The crying voices suddenly stopped.
Everyone was glancing at his face. Jiang Tingyuan looked as calm as usual, without a smile on his face. His neck was tense and the veins on his right palm were taut.
"Where is he?"
Jiang Tingyuan asked directly, his eyes were calm and cold, and his voice was deep and cold.
"I don't know either."
Swish!
The metallic friction sound of a sword being unsheathed made one's teeth ache. As soon as the sound landed, there was the muffled sound of someone falling heavily to the ground.
Before anyone could react, the cheeks and necks of the people kneeling beside him were splashed with warm blood.
Tick-tock…
As blood dripped, a strong smell of blood made several managers who had just shouted loudly cover their mouths and retch.
The goose-feather knife in Jiang Tingyuan's hand was short and thin, with only half of the blade opened. It had just cut someone's throat, but it was still snow-white, cold, and clean as new.
"Where is he?"
He had just killed someone, but his face was still calm, there was no murderous intent in his eyes, and his voice was calm and non-threatening, as if he was simply asking a question.
The fallen corpse had its eyes open and blood was still flowing out from under its body. Several managers who were nearby were so scared that they shrank to the side and dared not make a sound.
The remaining three all lowered their heads and knelt on the ground, pursing their lips.
As soon as they opened their eyes, they could see their dead colleagues looking at them with their eyes open.
"Of you, I will only keep one for interrogation."
Jiang Tingyuan held the goose feather and looked down at them.
Light and shadow intertwined, the snow-white blade cut through the light, and a cold light flashed across his brows, revealing his frightening desire to kill, as well as his indifference after being accustomed to killing.
After he finished speaking, he turned to look at the few people huddled together, and turned his hand and swung the blade outward.
"Same to you. Who's going first?"
Jiang Tingyuan raised his hand and pointed at one at random, and Xuan Qing on the side immediately picked one up.
"Sir! Sir! We have the ninth-rank official belt of the Ministry of Personnel! We are also the imperial court..."
Jiang Tingyuan raised his hand, and a white light flashed from the goose feather. The man immediately shouted in surprise: "North! North!"
Jiang Tingyuan still swung his knife, and the sound of it breaking through the air paralyzed him. However, the blade stopped steadily at his neck, leaving a line of blood.
"Master Xiao Song went north, where there are farmlands and towns!"
Jiang Tingyuan glanced at the three people on the side and said calmly: "What about you?"
*
Cold, tired...
Song Yanze suddenly opened his eyes. The severe pain in various parts of his body suddenly pierced his dull consciousness. The strong smell of blood made him shiver.
Then, the continuous howling of wolves was heard from afar. Song Yanze blinked, but the sticky blood blurred his eyelashes and he could not see anything.
He forced himself to raise one hand and touch the stone, trying to get out.
It's not safe here. The strong smell of blood attracts wolves. The small space cannot resist the wolves and he has no room to hide.
After moving out, he touched the dagger in his hand. The biggest use of this small dagger was probably suicide, so that he could leave without so much pain.
When he was at his wit's end, Song Yanze couldn't help but laugh.
He was the top scorer in the previous exam. At that time, he was admitted to the imperial examination. He wore a red robe and a flower in his hair. He rode a horse and traveled freely all over Kyoto. The red flowers were trampled by the horse's hooves. He looked so full of vigor and vitality.
I just feel that there is nothing difficult in this world, and any difficulty is only man-made.
However, he had been in the Hanlin Academy for nearly two years, compiling documents and classics. Most of his colleagues in the first rank had already held official positions, but he had remained in the Hanlin Academy.
He thought that it was because he was not good at making friends and building relationships, or that he was not good at climbing up the social ladder.
It wasn't until his "father" visited him, the "father" whom he only saw a few times during the New Year, that he told him.
"The Song family doesn't need an eye-catching top scholar."
In fact, he doesn't need a top scholar who is out of his control and has no father-son relationship with him.
Song Yanze clenched the dagger in his hand, and the pattern on it hurt his palm. All the bad emotions disappeared, and only another person was left.
Brother Xiaoyan
On the day he became the top scorer in high school, his arms were filled with flowers, and he was just thinking.
You see, I said I would be the top scholar. What about you? When will you become a general and come back to see me?
The wolf howls were getting closer and closer, and he could not even take a few steps while dragging one leg. Blood dripped down his forehead and chin and fell to the ground.
Song Yanze stopped, turned around and saw the faint green eyes. He actually felt a sense of relief, but he still did not give up and held the dagger in his hand tightly.
Sadly, it looked like he would never see him again.
If I had known this earlier, I would have asked Jiang Tingyuan directly, since we are both in Yanzhou, have you ever seen him before...
bass!
Arrows flew through the air and torches shone brightly in the distance.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
A few more arrows were fired, each of which nailed the wolf to death, and the terrifying wolf howl echoed.
Song Yanze struggled to see someone drawing a knife, hacking at the wolf that still had strength left, and ran towards him with all his might.
In the burning firelight, Song Yanze was about to fall down, and he clenched the dagger and raised it towards the person who came.
"Stop!" He used all his strength and said it several times before he could make a decent sound.
"Who is it?"
The man was dressed in black and a red shirt, holding a sharp short knife in his hand, with red tassels hanging by his fingers, and a pair of black eyes stared at him closely.
"Jiang Tingyuan."
Jiang Tingyuan held up a torch and saw the knife in his hand. It was dark and he couldn't see clearly, but he could smell the blood. Jiang Tingyuan was filled with murderous anger and wanted to kill all those people.
"Go away!"
Song Yanze's consciousness was blurred. Under normal circumstances, he should have been calm and thought carefully, but now he was only relying on instinct.
Jiang Tingyuan paused, the fire was blazing, and the people behind him came over one after another. Jiang Tingyuan raised his hand, asked them to retreat first, and took a deep breath.
"Nerd, it's me."
Song Yanze suddenly realized something, his hands loosened, his mind relaxed, and he fell straight to the ground while holding onto the stone wall.
Jiang Tingyuan strode forward, threw the goose-feather knife in his hand to the ground, and hugged him.
"who?"
Jiang Tingyuan saw that his eyelids were heavy and he fainted, then he whispered in his ear.
"It's me, Brother Xiaoyan is here to see you."
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