On the way back.
Shen always felt that something was wrong around him. Although he had been aphasic since childhood, his hearing and eyesight were sharper than ordinary people.
He could sense the presence of another person in the woods, the sound of another footstep hidden in the darkness and the sound of falling snow, and the slight sound of clothes accidentally brushing against branches.
And the voice kept following him.
Who is it?
Just as he was wondering, he saw a gray figure suddenly jumped out of the snowy forest, and at the same time, a dagger with a cold glow stabbed straight at him.
However, Shen immediately turned his head and dodged the attack.
With the help of moonlight, Shen could clearly see the dagger he was holding. The blade was black with a crescent moon engraved on it, named "Crescent Moon". This was obviously the work of the Miao family.
Queen Mother Miao has always been at odds with the prince of his family, and he is someone close to the prince, so the Miao family must want to get rid of him as soon as possible.
But didn’t they send many experts to capture him a few years ago? Why was there only this one today?
While Shen was thinking, he drew the scimitar from his waist and fought the newcomer head-on.
This man was wearing a strange mask and his true face could not be seen clearly, but Shen always felt that he seemed to have seen him somewhere.
After a few rounds of fighting, Shen Que knew that this man was no match for him. The grey-clothed man used a variety of skills, but if he thought about it carefully, Shen Que could actually taste a familiar flavor in his moves.
That was clearly his master's swordsmanship.
Shen Que kicked the man into the snow, and when the man in gray stood up, Shen Que was already behind him.
Immediately, he cut the tie on the back of the gray-clothed man's head with a knife, and the mask slipped off -
The man quickly covered his face with his hands.
Unfortunately, his speed was not as fast as Shen Que's. With just a glance, Shen Que had already seen the outline of the face. He could hardly believe it.
The face hidden under the mask is Shen Luo.
A colleague whom he regarded as a brother.
"Ah Que..."
Shen heard him sigh.
It is impossible for Chen Luo to come and kill him for no reason, so there is only one possibility, the person who wants his life is Xie Shiguan.
"Your Highness..." Shen looked at Shen Luo blankly, and then signed, "Don't you want me anymore?"
Chen Luo did not answer immediately. After a while, he said, "I have never been as good as you in martial arts since I was a child. Your Highness sent me here, probably intending to spare your life. You only need to injure me, and then flee to the south and hide in a secluded village..."
Before he could speak, Shen shook his head.
Xie Shiguan was of course aware of the strength of the two of them, but he sent Chen Luo alone, not with the intention of letting him escape. He just wanted to use this matter to test Shen Luo's loyalty because he saw that the two of them were on good terms.
He didn't know how depressed others were, but he had served Xie Shiguan for thirteen years. If he couldn't even understand the prince's thoughts, he would have rotted into a skeleton in the ground long ago.
If Chen Luo fails to bring back his body this time, the person who will die will probably be Chen Luo.
Chen Luo had treated him like this over the years, there was absolutely no way he would harm him like this.
"If Your Highness had not used a few taels of silver to buy me back to the palace that day, I would never be where I am today," Chen Que raised his hand and said, "Now that Your Highness wants my life, it is just to take it back. I..."
Before he could finish his gestures, Shen Luo, who was only half an arm's length away from him, suddenly slashed at the side of his neck with a knife. The blow was so strong that Shen did not even have time to struggle. His eyes rolled back and he passed out.
Shen Luo held him with his other hand to prevent him from falling into the snow.
In fact, he had planned everything for Shen Que in his mind long before leaving the house. He had planted several secret agents in the suburbs and had just released secret information.
After an incense stick of time, someone will secretly send Chen Que to the port and let him go south along the canal with a batch of goods. When he wakes up again, he will surely open his eyes to see the vast rivers.
When Shen Luo first learned about this, he was also horrified, but he never thought that the prince would have the intention to kill him. He just thought that Shen Que would be punished.
Although the prince had such a fickle temper, Shen had hardly made any mistakes in the ten years he had served him.
This time, he was harmed by such a little maid and even lost his life.
Just as he was in a daze, he suddenly heard a few owl calls from not far away. The calls were short, as if urging Shen Luo to fall.
Upon hearing the sound, Chen Luo looked deep into the jungle and saw several figures hiding in the forest. They would come forward and take Chen Que away as soon as Chen Luo gave the order.
But at the same time, the branches and leaves in the jungle shook slightly, and Chen Luo heard the sound of horse hooves hitting the ground again. Then, he saw another figure riding a horse towards him.
There was another horse following behind the horse, and then both horses stopped in front of him. The man immediately said, "His Highness has ordered you to bring Shen Que back to the palace..."
"What's wrong with him?"
"I was knocked unconscious by my disciple just now," Shen Luo paused, turned sideways, and covered Shen Que behind him, and then asked, "Your Highness's decree... is it to see a living person or a dead person?"
Shen Xiangzhi sat on the horse, looking down at Shen Luo, and answered after a moment: "Of course it's alive."
Shen Luo breathed a sigh of relief.
Shen Xiangzhi jumped off the horse, and together with Shen Luo, he lifted Shen Que onto the horse. Shen Luo was still worried, so he tied him up with a rope.
"Grandpa," Shen Luo suddenly grabbed Shen Xiangzhi's reins before getting on the horse, "Tell me the truth, His Highness, do you want to kill him or keep him?"
"How can you and I guess what His Highness is thinking?" Shen Xiangzhi said coldly, "Also, no matter in front of others or behind others, you call me 'Master' just like them."
Shen Luo did not withdraw his hand because of his indifference, and still stared into Shen Xiangzhi's eyes: "Master, Ah Que was raised by you, and we are as close as brothers. Can you really be so cruel as to watch him die?"
There was silence for a long while.
After a while, Shen Luo heard Shen Xiangzhi finally speak: "Since Shen Que was not here, I asked Eleven to take his place. This kid is very clever. He deliberately acted clumsily to upset His Highness. His Highness must have remembered Shen Que's kindness."
After Shen Luo heard this, he was completely relieved.
He jumped on the horse and was about to take Shen Que forward, but he heard Shen Xiangzhi suddenly say, "Wait."
Shen Xiangzhi turned his horse around and looked up to meet the eyes of an owl in the snowy forest. The night owl was completely snow-white and was staring at Shen Xiangzhi with its head tilted.
"Your people?" he asked Shen Luo.
In this increasingly cold winter night, Chen Luo was frightened and broke out in a cold sweat. All of them were brought up by Shen Xiangzhi, so these little actions would definitely not be hidden from his eyes.
Therefore, Shen Luo thought about it and could only admit: "Yes."
Shen Xiangzhi didn't say anything else. He turned his horse around, led in front of Shen Luo, and whispered, "Don't make His Highness wait anxiously."
Shen Luo didn't dare to disobey and followed him all the way.
The palace is very quiet tonight.
The inner palace was brightly lit with candles, but the servants all held their breath and lowered their heads, without even a yawn.
"Why isn't anyone here yet?" Xie Shiguan put down his teacup and turned his head to ask Eleven.
Eleven leaned forward and retreated to the door, tiptoed to take a look into the distance, then stepped back and said respectfully, "There's a light on in the tower on the left. I think Master and the others are heading to the inner palace."
"So slow." Xie Shiguan slowly stood up, picked up a pair of scissors beside the candlestick and fiddled with the candle wick.
His movements were quite leisurely, and Eleven could not see any impatience in him.
But past experience told him that those who made the prince wait for a long time never had a good ending.
Not long after, they heard a burst of hurried footsteps approaching from afar, and then they saw Shen Xiangzhi leading two people. Shen Luo, who was one step behind him, was carrying Shen Que on his back and did not dare to raise his head.
"I am late in reporting, Your Highness..."
Before Shen Luo could finish, Xie Shiguan sat down again. He smiled faintly when he heard the voice, and only uttered a few words: "Throw it on the ground and wake him up."
He did not ask how Shen Luo fainted, which made all the plans Shen Luo had made along the way go to waste.
Xie Shiguan suddenly said this, and no one dared to move for a while, so he was heard to say: "Why, you all are reluctant to give up?"
Naturally, the prince could only offend the prince's personal eunuch. If he asked others to take action at this time, and Shen Queruo regained favor in front of Xie Shiguan in the future, I am afraid that this fickle prince would blame him again.
They didn't dare to take action, and Xie Shiguan didn't get angry. He picked up a pot of cold tea in his hand, bent down slightly, and raised the teapot, so that the lukewarm tea went straight into Shen Que's nasal cavity.
When the cup of tea was almost finished, Chen, who was lying on the ground, seemed to be choked and started coughing violently.
He opened his eyes while coughing, and was immediately met with Xie Shiguan's upside-down face.
"Awake?" Xie Shiguan raised the corner of his lips, and pulled out a silk handkerchief from his sleeve, wiping his face with an action that could almost be considered gentle. "You made a mistake, and you dared to sleep so soundly in front of me. Who gave you the courage?"
Shen was stunned. He was clearly on his way back just a moment ago, but when he opened his eyes, he saw Xie Shiguan.
The carved beams and pillars above his head looked just like the main hall in the inner palace. Standing around him were his colleagues, all of whom had stern expressions and were silent as a cicada.
Shen Que got up from the ground, raised his hand and was about to speak, but he heard Shen Luo standing beside him suddenly say: "Your Highness, Shen Que was struggling with a subordinate just now, and was knocked unconscious by a subordinate."
Shen Xiangzhi, who was standing next to him, immediately gave him a look that said "Why are you talking too much?" and then said, "Your Highness is asking about Shen Que, so why are you allowed to butt in?"
Xie Shiguan didn't even raise his head, but threw the handkerchief that he had used to wipe Chen Que's face on the ground.
"Ten boards," Xie Shiguan glanced at Shen Luo indifferently, "a small punishment and a big warning."
"Yes." Shen Luo and Shen Que looked at each other briefly, and then were pulled out by two other guards.
However, Shen lowered his head and knelt on the ground. He didn't quite understand what crime he had committed. Even Shen Luo, who had spoken up for him, was taken out on him.
Xie Shiguan returned to the hall and stared at him condescendingly for a long while. Suddenly, he raised his hand and threw all the letters on the table in front of Shen Que.
Although Shen Que was illiterate, he could recognize that there were several letters between the prince and officials on good terms. All of them were handled by him, and most of them did not have private seals on them, so he thought they were forged by someone.
This person must have sneaked into the prince's study and checked these letters.
Who could it be?
These were just daily letters, so there was no need to burn them after reading. They were usually kept in Xie Shiguan’s study and destroyed once a season.
But even though it is not a secret, if someone with ulterior motives steals it and makes a fuss about it in front of the emperor, the prince will have no way to defend himself.
"Do you know who these things were found from?"
Shen was stunned for a moment, and an answer gradually emerged in his mind, but he didn't dare to answer it, nor did he dare to think too much.
"Oh, I forgot you can't read," the prince called someone casually, "Eleven, read it to him."
Upon hearing this, Eleven picked up the short note from the ground. There were usually only one or two sentences on the note, but each word was like a sword, piercing Chen Que's heart without any shielding or avoiding.
"Yesterday I went to the posthouse to look for the man who won the imperial examination last year."
"The friendship between Xie and Meng is not superficial, as evidenced by the letter."
"But this person has an opportunity to take advantage of it. Let's test him with the sachet."
…………
There were at least 10 to 20 such letters. It turned out that since June last year, His Highness had already discovered Xier's identity as a spy, but he remained silent and continued to allow him to get closer and closer to Xier.
He was probably testing whether he would rebel.
It turns out that Xi'er's approach was just for ulterior motives, and it turns out that what he thought was a mutual sympathy was just wishful thinking, it turns out...
After thirteen years and more than four thousand days and nights, His Highness still did not believe him.
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