Chapter 16 Cannon Fodder Bai Yueguang 15 Ants Shaking Trees
A horse-drawn carriage was galloping on the mountain road leading down the mountain from Puji Temple.
The morning mist was thick and the road was smooth. The cool mountain breeze blew the silver bells hanging on the four corners of the car, making them crisp and melodious, which was particularly pleasant. However, people inside and outside the car had no intention of paying attention.
He Zhiyan had a cold look on his face. He drove the carriage with one hand, but his whole attention was on Ali in the carriage.
But there was no sound in the carriage behind him. If he hadn't heard Ali's shallow breathing occasionally, he would almost think that there was no one in the carriage.
Early this morning, Xu Lingjia found him and told him what Ali said.
She wanted to go down the mountain and go home.
"She hasn't fully recovered yet." He Zhiyan lowered his eyes and listened, and only said this sentence.
Xu Lingjia raised an eyebrow, with an expression that said, "As expected," "A-Li said she knew you would say that, but this is what she meant."
He Zhiyan looked at her with deep eyes.
Xu Lingjia sighed deeply and said seriously, "I shouldn't be saying this, but it's hard for both of you to be stuck in this stalemate. Why bother?"
"Ali, is it more than just her illness?"
He Zhiyan's pupils constricted and he didn't answer.
After Xu Lingjia finished speaking, without even looking at He Zhiyan's expression, she turned around and strode away, thinking about another thing that Ali had told her.
Ali in the carriage was playing with a jade pendant. Before they went down the mountain, Yan Jing had woken up and was taken back to Puji Temple. Before leaving, she asked someone to bring a bundle to her.
This is the bag that the young man left in Yan Jing's room. It contains some ordinary clothes. The jade pendant in Ali's hand is the only valuable thing in the bag.
She held the jade pendant up to the light and looked at it carefully for a long time, and finally found a small word engraved on the inner wall of the jade pendant: Sui.
Ali thought hard for a long time, but he couldn't figure out whether he or his father had ever had a grudge with anyone with the surname Sui.
Now that I think about it, even the fact that the young man fainted on the mountain road and was rescued by Yan Jing was probably not a coincidence.
Ali's gaze returned to the bundle and she found a few hair ties for girls inside, which made her even more confused.
An hour later, the carriage stopped in front of the He family's door.
As soon as the car stopped, a man rushed over from the alley. He Zhiyan raised his hand to protect Ali, who got out of the car, behind him, and his eyes turned cold instantly.
Ali was stunned for a moment, lowered his eyes to hide the gloom in his eyes, dodged his arm, and said to the newcomer: "Brother Shi, why are you here?"
He Zhiyan slowly withdrew his hand, and panic appeared in his bloodshot eyes for the first time.
Shi Changan finally ran up to the two of them, his hands supporting his knees and panting heavily: "You are finally back, He, Uncle He is in trouble!"
These words were like a thunderbolt, striking Ali's heart.
She was horrified and asked quickly, "What happened to my father?"
Shi Chang'an's legs were shaking, and he was panting like an ox. He simply fell to the ground and said, "The Empress Dowager's illness has been getting worse for half a month. The Medical Officers have been researching for a long time and have come up with a new prescription. The Empress Dowager has indeed improved after taking it. The palace has released all the masters of the Medical Officers and only the four masters who are responsible for the Empress Dowager's health on a daily basis are still here."
It was at this time that He's father left the palace. He simply washed up, packed his luggage and prepared to hire a car to go to Puji Temple.
"But for some reason, the Empress Dowager suddenly collapsed after taking medicine yesterday and is no longer breathing," Shi Chang'an recalled the discussions he heard at the market, his face anxious. "The Emperor was furious and sent the Imperial Guards to detain all the officials in the Medical Officers' Court."
"If the Empress Dowager doesn't wake up, I'm afraid the entire Medical Officers' Institute will be buried with her!"
Upon hearing the news, Shi Changan even gave up his vegetable stall, asked his uncles next door to help look after it for a while, and then hurried back to the He family.
But the He brothers and sisters were not at home at the moment, and he didn't know how to contact them, so he could only squat at the entrance of the alley and wait for them to come back. Fortunately, he saw the He family's carriage soon.
Ali turned around in shock and anxiety and looked at the gate. The door was ajar. It was obvious that He's father was suddenly taken away when he was about to go out.
She seemed unable to bear the blow and took a few steps back. He Zhiyan had been paying attention to Ali's every move since then and hurriedly supported her.
Shi Changan stood up anxiously and took a few steps towards Ali. "I heard that except for the head of the hospital and a few other officials, most of the officials in the medical academy have been imprisoned. The court said they will be executed in seven days. Miss He, what do you think we should do?!"
He was beheaded seven days later.
Ali only felt a buzzing in his head, and his fingertips sank deeply into his palms.
*
Behind the third bluestone archway on Zhuque Street, stone-carved xiezhi crouched on both sides of the seven-meter-wide stone steps. The copper-nailed gate with coiled dragon patterns was immersed in the setting sun, making the three words "Prime Minister's Mansion" written by the emperor above it lose some of its luster.
The situation in the Prime Minister's Mansion recently is completely different from the banquet that day.
The second young master was injured, and the prime minister had a gloomy face all day long, without a trace of smile. Naturally, the servants didn't even dare to breathe, for fear that they would accidentally bring bad luck to their master.
A Tian was a servant who had just joined the mansion last month. Through connections, he was assigned to serve in the second young master's Lianyunxuan.
The Second Young Master had a gentle temperament and never made things difficult for his servants. He was also the future master of the mansion, so this was a perfect job. However, who would have thought that after only a few days of serving, the Second Young Master injured his leg and had to recuperate in the courtyard.
The sick second young master seemed like a different person. His temper became gloomy and unstable, and he would beat and scold them at will. When Ah Tian saw him, he was so scared that his legs could not stand.
Today it was his turn to go to the kitchen to get the second young master's daily medicine. A Tian walked around Lianyunxuan with the things in his hand, hesitating and not daring to go in.
When he turned around, he saw Mingxing, the second young master's personal servant, coming towards him.
Ah Tian hurried over and said with an apologetic smile, "Good brother, why are you here at this time?"
Ming Xing glanced at the thing in his hand and frowned, "Why don't you send it in? If you delay the young master from taking his medicine, you will be in trouble."
A Tian shrank his neck and chuckled.
Ming Xing immediately understood what he meant: "Are you so timid? The Second Young Master won't eat you."
Ah Tian made a bitter face and muttered softly, "The Second Young Master wouldn't have done that before, but... it's all that damned thief's fault. He caused the Second Young Master to be like this!"
Mingxing glared at him and he immediately shut up.
"Watch your mouth. Say what you should and shouldn't say," Ming Xing took the things from Ah Tian's hand and said angrily, "Go away, go and be lazy!"
Ah Tian ran away as if he had been pardoned: "I'll treat you to a drink some other day!"
Mingxing rolled his eyes, stepped over the threshold with the medicine in his hand, and unconsciously slowed down his steps.
Pei Miao's injury took several days to heal, and he was not lying in bed at this moment. He was sitting beside the chessboard, holding white in one hand and black in the other, playing against himself.
If you ignore his awkward legs and the gloomy expression on his face, it is truly a pleasing sight.
Seeing Ming Xing coming in, he glanced at him with a gloomy expression: "Have you heard any news from Liang Zizhuo?"
"It just arrived. As soon as I saw it, I rushed to deliver it to you, young master." Mingxing put down the medicine, took out a very thin bamboo tube from his arms, and handed it over with both hands.
Pei Miao took it, unscrewed the bamboo tube, and took out the note inside.
Mingxing stood respectfully aside, his eyes unconsciously falling on Pei Miao's legs. Thinking of what the imperial physician and the adults had said privately the day before, he was afraid that the second young master's leg would not be healed.
Just as I was thinking about it, someone outside the door announced that the master had arrived.
Pei Miao put the bamboo tube and the note into his sleeve and returned his gaze to the chessboard.
As soon as Pei Xiuyuan entered, he asked him, "Why are all the people from the Medical Officers' Court imprisoned? There are quite a few of our people among them."
Pei Miao looked at his injured leg expressionlessly: "Father has been planning this for a long time. If it weren't for the last resort, I wouldn't have changed the plan at the last minute. Those people will be fine."
Pei Xiuyuan remained silent and frowned.
Now that the Empress Dowager has fallen ill, the issue of the Emperor personally ruling the country was brought up again in the court today, demanding that the three regent ministers return power. Then local officials reported that epidemics had broken out in many places, requesting the court to send people to provide disaster relief. Border troubles had also arisen in the northwest, and the civil and military officials kept arguing.
Pei Xiuyuan stood at the front, ignoring the quarrels in the back. It was like an ant trying to shake a tree, overestimating his own abilities.
He just looked at the throne at the top, caught a glimpse of the young emperor trembling, and sneered in his heart, wondering how such a person could rule the world.
Pushing him to the throne was a good move.
Pei Xiuyuan's eyes flashed with pride. He took a sip of tea and frowned, "Is that the medical officer named He the one who hurt you?"
He knew that his son had been paying special attention to the He family, a small official family, and had been investigating them.
Pei Miao shook his head with disdain: "Of course not, how could they have such great ability?"
What happened that day was really strange. He and Liang Zizhuo had suddenly decided to go hunting on the outskirts of the city, but when they were riding their horses across a small hill, the horses suddenly accelerated and ran away.
This is the horse farm he often goes to, so there is no way there is anything wrong with the horse he chooses.
Pei Miao was greatly shocked and quickly grabbed the reins in his hands and clamped his legs around the horse's belly, but the horse seemed to have gone mad, kicking and shaking its head wildly, carrying Pei Miao towards the deep forest not far away. He tried to control the horse, but was eventually thrown off due to exhaustion, and hit the tree trunk beside him hard, losing consciousness.
Afterwards, Pei Miao's men checked and found that there was nothing wrong with the horse. Its food, drink, stable, and saddle were all in good condition. They tortured the people at the stable but got nothing.
Pei Xiuyuan put down the teacup and said calmly, "Now is a critical moment. There is chaos inside and outside the palace. I can't take care of you for the time being. But the person who hurt you that day, your father will never let him go easily."
It is unheard of for an official of the time to murder the son of a wealthy and noble family. This is a provocation to the Pei family.
Pei Miao didn't even raise his eyelids as he picked up a white piece and said, "Thank you, father."
Pei Xiuyuan didn't care about his attitude. He paused, thought of something, and said to the door, "Bring it all in."
As soon as he finished speaking, servants brought in several boxes.
Pei Xiuyuan pointed casually and said, "After you were injured, your mother was very concerned and went everywhere to seek medical treatment and medicine. These were all sent by your mother's Zhou family."
Hearing this, Pei Miao's expression turned even colder: "Really?"
Pei Xiuyuan's expression remained calm. He turned around and picked up the black piece: "You and I, father and son, want to play a game of hand-to-hand?"
With a "click", the white jade chess piece fell in the middle of the chessboard, making a crisp sound.
Pei Miao lowered his fingers and looked directly into Pei Xiuyuan's eyes: "I'm tired, father."
"What's more, my son's chess skills are not very good. My brother's chess skills are more suitable for playing against my father."
Pei Xiuyuan narrowed his eyes and looked at his grown-up son. His face was 80% similar to his own, decisive and ruthless, unlike Xiao'er, who looked like his mother and had the same indecisive temperament as his mother.
After a long while, Pei Xiuyuan finally spoke, throwing the chess pieces back into the chess basket: "Since you're tired, let's play another day."
Just as he was about to step out of the room, Pei Miao spoke again: "Did brother also give way to father's interests in this way back then? He even forgot the death of his own flesh and blood?"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in Lian Yunxuan knelt on the ground.
Pei Xiuyuan turned around, his face gloomy: "Who told you all this?"
Pei Miao stood up, holding onto the table. His eyes were filled with pain that could no longer be suppressed. "My brother died back then, and you, father, just shed a few hypocritical tears! The men you sent out to search for the murderer came up empty-handed, and you're just giving up so easily?!"
"What do you know, you little brat?!" Pei Xiuyuan suddenly flew into a rage, his eyes sharp as a knife. "You've contradicted me many times today, but do you still remember your filial duties?"
"What about father? Has he fulfilled his responsibilities as a father?!" Pei Miao suddenly swept the chessboard off the table, the anger and disappointment in his eyes seemed to be tangible.
"you!"
Just as the atmosphere between the father and son was becoming tense, someone from the doorman came to report that there was a young lady who called herself He at the door, visiting the second young master.
Pei Xiuyuan suddenly suppressed his emotions, snorted coldly, and walked away.
Pei Miao's eyes became even gloomier. After a long time, he turned to look at the painting hanging in the study.
He watched helplessly as his beloved brother, whom he had respected since childhood, died in a tragic accident while the murderer escaped. He only hated himself for being incompetent.
For so many years, he has always remembered the murderer's figure and dared not forget it for a moment.
Pei Miao suddenly smiled.
"Please ask Miss He to come in."
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