It was just dawn that day when Shen heard a slight noise coming from the yard outside, followed by a hurried knock on the door.
Xie Shiguan was awakened by the rapid noise, and subconsciously pushed the person sleeping on the inside down: "Go to sleep."
Then he turned over impatiently, not bothering to pick up the outer garment that was at the end of the couch. His Highness simply stood up and answered the door wearing only a piece of silk fabric next to his body.
He only opened the door halfway, staring down at Shen Xiangzhi outside the door: “What’s the matter?”
Although his good dream was disturbed, Xie Shiguan was not in a good mood, but he knew that Shen Xiangzhi was not a brainless person. If it was not an urgent matter, he would not come to report so early in the morning.
Shen Xiangzhi seemed a little uneasy, and first asked in a low voice: "Is Shen Que in there?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the mute brought over an outer garment and quietly put it on Xie Shiguan.
Seeing that he was fine, Shen Xiangzhi felt relieved, and then reported: "This morning, the personal guard Fan Xi got up early and went out of the house. When he walked to the courtyard, he found two bodies on the ground. He immediately shouted and called out the other personal guards in the Chongtai courtyard. After turning the people over, he found that the two people should be personal guards. They were both injured by the dagger and died with one blow."
Shen looked at him in panic. Shen Xiangzhi caught a glimpse of his eyes and knew what he wanted to ask, so he said first: "It's Ge Zheng and Tian Yue."
Xie Shiguan frowned: "Are there any signs of outsiders breaking into the courtyard? Apart from these two guards, are there any other casualties?"
Recently, all the guards and servants in both the inner and outer palaces have been ordered to strengthen patrols. This person was able to break into the palace quietly and quickly eliminate two guards, so why was he unwilling to go in further?
After this incident, the patrol and security of the palace will inevitably become more strict in the future. After spending so much effort, he only killed two insignificant guards. Why did he do that?
Shen Xiangzhi shook his head: "The guards immediately searched around Chongtai Courtyard and found no suspicious traces. However, apart from those two guards, there are two more guards in the courtyard who are missing..."
"Who?" Xie Shiguan asked.
"Eleven and Shen Luo."
Hearing these two names, Shen Que's heart suddenly sank. Xie Shiguan quickly reached out and squeezed his shoulders and neck soothingly, then narrowed his eyes slightly, motioning Shen Xiangzhi to continue.
"The furnishings in the two people's houses are a little messy, and there seem to be signs of a fight, but based on these clues alone, it is currently impossible to infer the cause of this incident."
Without even giving it too much thought, Xie Shiguan made a decision immediately: "Collect the bodies of the two guards, bury them with honor, and then close the gates of the mansion. Don't worry about anything else."
Shen Xiangzhi's expression froze for a moment, but he returned to normal in an instant: "Yes."
When the door was closed, Shen Que finally couldn't help it. He was anxious and gestured to His Highness hurriedly, "What should Senior Brother and Eleven do?"
Xie Shiguan replied calmly: "No need to rush."
But the mute's face was already full of worry and sadness, and he was so anxious that he was about to run out of the house to look for the two people.
Therefore, His Highness could only sigh and explain to him softly: "Can't you hear it? There are so many patrols in the inner and outer palaces day and night. Chen Luo and Eleven are both very skilled. If an outsider really breaks in, there will be noise during the fight. Even if it's just a little noise, it will always attract the attention of other guards in the courtyard."
"Who could sneak into the palace smoothly and take these two people away without making a sound?
"Since there is no trace of outsiders breaking into the palace, there is only one possibility - these two people left on their own."
Shen Que knew that this matter was strange, and he also understood that what His Highness said was actually true, but the missing person was Shen Luo, so he couldn't examine it so calmly and indifferently.
The kung fu skills of the personal guards are mostly evenly matched. Ge Zheng and Tian Yue are not stupid. They will definitely resist if they are attacked. If there are no signs of a struggle, there will be no big noise.
Then it is very likely that the attacker was someone they knew, and precisely because he was their acquaintance, they had no time to resist and were instead killed with a single knife.
That man was so cruel... The three children in Ge Zheng's family all depended on him for their survival. He didn't want to suspect anyone, but the facts were right in front of him and he couldn't pretend to be blind.
"Brother, you wouldn't do that," the mute slowly raised his hand, "Eleven also grew up in this mansion since childhood, you shouldn't, you shouldn't..."
In the eyes of His Highness, there is no such thing as right or wrong. Human hearts are always the most unpredictable. When he was planning his layout, the last way out he left for himself was to assume that all his confidants in this game had betrayed him, and then make plans.
"It could be fame or fortune, or anything else he cherishes. Once you find the right thing, you can easily control him," Xie Shiguan said lightly, "Or maybe he has been servile in front of you for twenty years, respecting you on the surface, but in his heart he hates you so much. Only those self-righteous fools think that people will never change."
That being said, in order to appease the mute, His Highness still took his arm and coaxed him onto the couch: "Okay, I'll ask that little slave to pass on an order and ask Shen Xiangzhi to send some people out to search around."
"It's not even dawn yet, why don't you sleep a little longer?"
Just kidnapping two personal guards would not pose any threat to Prince Yan. He left all those personal guards alone but chose to target these two people. Your Highness knew without thinking that they were either coming for Shen Xiangzhi or Shen Que.
But Shen couldn't sleep any more, he shook his head worriedly, and then raised his hand: "I'll go with you."
Xie Shiguan held down his hand, and this time he said in a tone that did not allow for negotiation: "No, there are only two of you. We can just send some of our personal guards to look for them. One more or one less won't make a difference. Why are you joining in the fun?"
Shen Que wanted to argue again, but heard His Highness say again: "There is no room for negotiation. Before the seventh day of February, you can only follow this king."
Shen was worried to death, but Xie Shiguan had almost tied him up and kept him by his side these days, and he couldn't bear to be away from him for a moment.
Even if he wanted to run away from the mansion, he couldn't find any opportunity to do so.
That morning, Yuanzhi went to the alley as usual and bought two sugar cakes. After he stuffed the sugar cakes into Chen Que's hands, he said in a low voice: "I just saw Master Eleven at the alley."
Shen was stunned for a moment, then asked, "Eleven?"
"Hush," Yuan Zhi raised his index finger in front of his lips and whispered, "Master Eleven told me not to make any noise, and gave me a small note, asking me to quietly hand it to you."
After saying that, he took out a small roll of notes from his sleeve. There was only a small line of words on it, and it clearly stated that he was asked to go to a place alone, otherwise the sunken body would appear at the gate of the palace tomorrow.
And on the back of the note was the address.
Chen Que hurriedly put the note into his sleeve. The prince in the inner room was still asleep, and since he couldn't hold him for a while, he began to lazily call his name again: "A Que, what are you doing?"
The mute was in a panic, so he raised his hand and told Yuan Zhi: "Don't tell anyone else about this."
Yuanzhi nodded quickly.
Shen Que then entered the house. If His Highness knew about this, he would never allow him to go. Since they dared to let Eleven come directly, they must have placed spies outside the mansion to monitor the palace from time to time.
As long as he saw that he was not the only one leaving the mansion, Chen Luo would be in danger. His senior brother was even willing to take such risks for him. How could he remain indifferent when he knew that his senior brother was in danger?
Fortunately, around noon, someone suddenly came from outside to report that the saint had arrived in person and had been invited to the front hall.
Xie Shiguan originally wanted to ask someone to perfunctorily boil a cup of tea and then send the person away casually, but the matter of the personal guards in the mansion must be related to Xie Yizi. If anything happened to Chen Luo, the mute would be so sad.
Therefore, after a little thought, His Highness decided to meet the visitor.
I originally wanted to take the mute with me, but at this moment the kid in the house started making a fuss again. When he heard the crying, the mute couldn't get away.
Besides, Xie Yizi has always disliked Chen. If he takes this mute with him, he will inevitably be ridiculed by him. His Highness himself will not take the nonsense of the "dying man" to heart, but the mute takes other people's bad words seriously.
"Forget it," Xie Shiguan said, "You go and coax him, I'll be back soon."
Shen, however, looked obedient and nodded.
After watching the mute enter the side room, His Highness finally turned around and walked out of the courtyard.
In the front hall.
Xie Yizhi was dressed in casual clothes, looking out anxiously, and from time to time he asked An Fengde beside him: "Is he here?"
When the emperor comes to a minister's residence in person, the minister, no matter his or her rank, should go out with his or her family to greet him. Only Xie Shiguan is so unruly, and only he dares to ignore the emperor like this.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty," An Fengde whispered to comfort him, "Your Highness usually sleeps until noon when he is not in court. I'm afraid it has become a habit after these days of rest."
Xie Yizi had no choice but to continue waiting until he saw a familiar figure outside the hall door. His heart skipped a beat at first, and then he felt a mixture of sadness.
He immediately stood up and walked towards him quickly.
"Uncle..." Xie Yizi's voice was so low that it was almost inaudible. "I was confused in the court that day, but you shouldn't have humiliated me like that in front of all the officials..."
Xie Shiguan looked at him with a half-smile: "Your Majesty, did you also ask someone to pour lacquer into your mouth? What are you mumbling about? I can't hear a word of it."
Xie Yizhi's eyes immediately turned red: "You are still angry with me."
"These days, I have figured it out. It's all because of my willfulness and ignorance. Without my uncle and teacher, I would not be able to handle the twists and turns in the court."
The more he spoke, the more aggrieved he felt. Tears gathered in his eyes. He carefully reached out his hand, wanting to touch Xie Shiguan's hand: "Leng Ye has been cold to me for so long. I have also been punished and know that I was wrong. Can you forgive me this time, please?"
Xie Shiguan didn't respond to him, but just smiled.
Xie Yizi felt creepy when he was stared at by his smiling eyes, but he refused to believe that this imperial uncle who had been following him since he could remember, the person he admired and loved the most in his life, would look at him with such cold eyes.
After a long while, Xie Yizhi finally heard him say, "But I have never blamed you, Your Majesty."
It was not because of resentment that I deliberately ignored him, but because I had never had any true love for him, so in fact I was always cold to him. I was the only one who was being sentimental.
That hypocritical tenderness was just a trick he used because he still wanted to consolidate the power and status of the Regent at that time. Now that he didn't want it anymore, naturally he wouldn't even tell a lie.
Xie Yizi was stunned.
He originally wanted to ask his uncle to take him away with him to the elite troops left by Marquis Wu'an stationed outside the city, but after hearing the order from the fish token in Xie Shiguan's hand, his mother told him that Xie Ling always had a plan in mind and must have left a way out for himself.
So he thought that as long as he came, humbled himself and admitted his mistakes, he would be willing to take him away from Kyoto. As long as the emperor's uncle was willing to help him, it would not be difficult to rebuild the imperial capital in Nanjing.
But now, he didn't even have to open his mouth, because he knew that Xie Shiguan would not give him an answer, and might even humiliate him in return, so why should he bother himself?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com