Who is it?
It's like a pair of eyes in the dark, silently peeping at you, making the back of your head feel cold and your spine tense.
Not only were these eyes terrifying, but they also brought extremely serious problems. It wasn't just Su Ci's problem today, but even Yang Yanzong stopped all actions.
The night is as cool as water, and the lamp is as dim as a bean.
Yang Yanzong slowly spread out a piece of paper and wrote down on it the names of all the people who knew about the incident beforehand.
Yang Yanzong quickly eliminated Li Shengen and more than a dozen of his trusted subordinates, including Achuan, Akang, Azhao and Feng Tiexiong.
——They know a lot of secrets, the most crucial of which is about the deployment in the southwest and northwest, as well as the tight arrangements in the army in recent days. They were all handled by them personally. If they leak the secrets, they might as well just say it directly.
In addition, there are personal soldiers.
Each of the personal soldiers in charge of escorting Su Ci was selected by Yang Yanzong after careful consideration. All of them had followed him through life and death for more than ten years, and more than one of them had blocked a knife for him.
Moreover, these people knew a lot of secrets, and most of them had participated in the secret transportation of silver to the southwest and northwest, as well as the sending of messages back and forth there.
They have a lot of top secrets that they can leak. If the spy was one of them, Ji Yuanhao would definitely have a more serious reaction than what he has now.
——Ji Yuanhao’s reaction made Yang Yanzong conclude that the other party was not aware of his plan at the moment.
Yang Yanzong thought for a moment and crossed out the maids in Su Ci's courtyard. After he and Su Ci talked about leaving alone, he did not inform the servants around him. They all left on a whim. The time was too tight. It was extremely difficult to send a letter to the outside of the mansion from the main courtyard at the core of the mansion where the personal soldiers took turns guarding.
Thinking about the location where Su Ci was intercepted and the arrangements made by Ji Yuanhao, it didn't seem like he was chasing after her in a hurry at the last minute.
"Go, go call Su Yan over."
Ah Zhao held his breath and waited outside the door. The atmosphere in the entire outer study courtyard was heavy. He did not dare to go in. After waiting for a long time, he heard the hoarse voice of the master inside giving orders. He quickly responded and hurried away.
Soon, Su Yan and Yang Yanzhen arrived together.
Yang Yanzong stared at Su Yan with sharp eyes: "Have you and your mother ever accidentally leaked the news that your sister left the capital?"
Was it a maid, an old woman, a concubine, or some good friend who accidentally let the secret slip?
Su Yan's heart sank. The news that Su Ci was intercepted was only known to a small group of people. Su Yan had just heard about it. She was horrified and anxious. She almost jumped up immediately after hearing the news. "How is this possible?!"
"We are not stupid, how could we possibly leak a word to anyone?!"
Su Ci was pregnant, and Chen came to see her almost every other day. The three members of the Su family also knew about it in advance. Yang Yanzong's first suspicion was that the information was leaked accidentally by the Su family, but how was it possible! They are not stupid, okay? Su Yan asserted: "Even if a knife is placed on my mother's neck, she will never say a word!"
It's impossible for her and her father!
They are not three-year-old children! !
"Are you sure?"
"Very sure!"
Su Yan asked anxiously: "What should we do now? Where is my sister? What happened to her?"
Yang Yanzong glanced at her and said coldly: "She is in the palace, nothing is wrong."
"I'll get her out."
Yang Yanzong said nothing more about this topic and only told Su Yan: "Go back immediately and ask your mother."
Su Yan gritted her teeth and rushed out like a gust of wind.
Yang Yanzhen looked back, he was also very anxious, but his brother had lowered his eyes again and fixed his gaze on the big piece of paper.
He thought about it and hurriedly followed Su Yan to the Su family.
Yang Yanzong lowered his eyes and thought, and copied the names of the personal soldiers who had not been involved in the transportation of silver and the communication in the northwest and southwest, but who might have leaked the secrets, on another piece of paper. In addition, he finally wrote down the names of the maids in the main courtyard as well.
He called Ah Chuan over and said, "Investigate immediately. Anyone who might have leaked the information must be punished before being let off!"
He said coldly, his brows grim.
"yes!"
Achuan immediately took the order and left.
Because there were not many names on the paper, the survey results came out quickly.
The results showed nothing wrong.
Because except for the seven or eight people in the lead, the others were not notified until the day before Su Ci left that they were selected to escort the lady away.
It was a busy day. The first thing they did was to hold a meeting to discuss the planned route, who would be in charge of the outpost, who would be in charge of the rear guard, who would be in charge of protecting the sedan chair, what kind of emergency situations they would encounter, what kind of response measures they would use, various advance simulations and arrangements, and finally, to inform the secret codes and hand gestures that would be used in this operation.
After that, we have to try on clothes and makeup, familiarize ourselves with disguises, unify our stories, and so on. Anyway, after a whole day of hard work, everyone stays together and there is no time or space to be alone.
At that time, they had quietly moved to the house on the edge of the inner city. Yang Yanzong had never used this secret passage before, so it was the first time for everyone to come into contact with it, basically cutting off the possibility of communicating via the old method or route.
After the meeting, everyone, with their faces covered in sticky makeup, rushed to take a shower in a large bathhouse, where they slept on large bunk beds. Achuan personally checked one by one, and found that no one on the list was left alone, including those who did not survive.
As for the maids and old women, they all consciously served the "Madam" in the main room. They felt a little guilty and didn't even step out. The guards in the courtyard also paid close attention, as they were very sure of this.
The investigation continued all night, and at dawn, Achuan presented the results.
He is also a veteran. The result he presented basically means that 99 percent of the people on the list are fine.
Yang Yanzong sat there all night.
The sky gradually brightened, and the morning light filtered in through the thin window screens and fell onto the large desk in front of him.
After Yang Yanzong looked at the results presented by Achuan, his gaze paused for several breaths. Finally, his eyes slowly moved back to the long list at the beginning.
Using the process of elimination, we screened the people and found no problems.
This led Yang Yanzong's thinking in a direction he had never thought of.
A most untrustworthy person, even though he actually met the initial conditions, Yang Yanzong never doubted him at the beginning.
Yang Yanzong's gaze moved to the large paper, from the name that was crossed out at the top all the way down to the end.
Everyone’s name was at the bottom, even Yang Yanzong’s, he just wrote it casually without even including his surname.
"...Yeonshin, Yeonjeong."
Yang Chongying was very concerned about Su Ci's pregnancy and asked about her at least once a day. Now that Su Ci was leaving, Yang Yanzong informed Yang Chongying. At that time, Yang Yanxin and Yang Yanzhen also came to see their father. Akang and Azhao saw that there were two of them and did not stop them.
They just happened to hear the end of it.
Yang Yanzong didn't take this matter to heart at all at that time. This was his own brother, but now, for a moment, he became suspicious.
His eyes slowly settled on the first name.
…
Su Rong has been a little nervous in recent days.
"Mother, mother——"
"Hey, don't make noise, be good and listen to me."
Su Rong patted the child absentmindedly. For some reason, she always felt frightened.
The reason for this emotion was that she brought her child to pay her respects to Yang Chongying this morning. She proposed to take the child back to her parents' home to live for two days, but was flatly rejected by Yang Chongying.
——Since Yan was not at home, Su Rong's life had become much easier. Yang Chongying would never make things difficult for his daughter-in-law, and he loved her son very much. She was worried about her biological mother and younger brother, so she carefully suggested for the first time that she wanted to take the child back to her mother's house to live for two days, and Yang Chongying nodded in agreement.
He was very tolerant, and whenever Su Rong wanted to come back, he never refused.
This is the first time!
Yang Chongying didn't say why, he just told her, "Stay at home peacefully for the next few days, don't run around."
Su Rong's heart skipped a beat at that moment, for she had experienced going through a secret passage to seek refuge on the farm. Only afterwards did she learn that Yang Yanzong had forced the emperor to abdicate and killed him!
Su Rong didn't dare to ask any more questions, and immediately went back to her room, quietly putting several large banknotes and the land deed into the crevice of her underwear.
She kept her mouth shut and waited nervously, but after waiting for several days, she still didn't see the evacuation.
On the contrary, the atmosphere in the mansion changed.
It became extremely tense, and the entire Yangguo Mansion had a feeling of subtle oppression and looseness on the outside but tightness on the inside.
This unusual change made Su Rong, who had vaguely guessed a little bit of the inside story, shudder with fear - she was indeed right, it turned out that Yang Yanzong really planned to send Su Ci away first, and then his father and Su Rong and her son.
Su Rong also vaguely guessed that if they left, Su Ci would definitely not be left behind, and it would not be surprising even if the other party left one step earlier than them.
Anyway, as Yang Yanzong's beloved wife, she would never be without him, and she was pregnant.
A day later, the news gradually spread. Empress Xu was pregnant, and she issued an imperial decree, inviting their wives to the palace to accompany her.
In the palace? ? ?
Even a fool knows who owns the palace now!
Su Rong's heart was pounding. Could it be that something went wrong when Su Ci left and she was caught?
At this time, the maid returned to the room with the food box and complained as she set the table: "I don't know what they are checking. I went out of the yard to get food and had to put the plate on it three or five times. Isn't it just a lost silver?..."
——Yesterday, the government used the fire caused by theft as an excuse to strictly control the movement of people in the government.
The maid was muttering something, but the listener took it to heart. The word "check" made Su Rong's heart beat wildly.
As someone who knows half of the situation, could it be a traitor or a spy?
Otherwise, considering how much importance Yang Yanzong attached to Su Ci, how could this be possible!
Well, how deep of an investigation would one have to go to get access to such secrets?
In an instant, this thought suddenly came to my mind, and at the same time, some of Yang Yanxin's unnatural little movements and micro-expressions in the past few days also came to my mind.
——She shouldn't have thought about it so deeply, but in an instant, a slightly nervous expression of Yang Yanxin a few days ago flashed through her mind, and this thought suddenly popped up.
There were footsteps outside, Yang Yanxin came home. Su Rong was nervous and held the child a little tight. The child twisted his body and screamed "Ah--" and reached out to Yang Yanxin.
Yang Yanxin usually didn't refuse to hold the child, but he was obviously not in the mood these days. He glanced at Su Rong and said, "Hold the child."
He said this absentmindedly, sat down, ate a few mouthfuls of food in a hurry, and then went to the study.
Su Rong lowered her head to pick up some food and feed the child. When Yang Yanxin stood up, she quickly looked up at him.
The latter didn't pay any attention and just turned and walked away.
…
Yang Yanxin was indeed quite nervous.
He tried to remain calm so that no one could tell from the outside, but as soon as he closed the study door, he let out a long sigh.
Thinking of the panic in the mansion and the tense and solemn atmosphere in the study outside, for some reason, he felt a vague sense of relief in his heart.
Once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back!
If he had to say regret, Yang Yanxin was more nervous, fearing that he would be exposed.
But after a few days, he gradually stabilized.
As for the reason why he did this, it was basically out of resentment.
——His elder brother was granted the title of Duke and promoted to the rank of Grand Tutor, a higher-ranking official. He was in charge of military and political affairs, had power over the court and the country, and was second only to the emperor.
And as his brother, Yang Yanxin is now just a small military officer of the fifth rank. Can you believe it?
It was not obvious in the past, but in the past few years since Yang Yanzong's rapid rise to power, he saw one after another, people of the same level, and even subordinates, taking on other tasks and climbing up, while he and Yanzhen only had the title of fifth rank. A sign falling from the Yangdu territory could kill several of them. Can you believe it?
This deep-seated resentment turned out to be just resentment. No matter how stupid Yang Yanxin was, he knew very well that as Yang Yanzong's brother, they might not all prosper together, but would all suffer together.
It is impossible for him to do such a thing.
But Yang Yanxin had another opportunity.
When Su Ci and Ren disappeared, he immediately led his men to Yongji Bridge for reinforcement upon hearing the news. Unexpectedly, he rescued Miss Ji Er, whose convoy was dispersed and she was left with only a maid and was being molested by a scoundrel.
The daughter of Ji Yuanhao, and the eldest daughter of the current Concubine De, the emperor's second princess.
He hurriedly pulled the second princess onto the horse and shouted at the hooligans to leave.
It was nothing at the time. The girl blushed and quickly dismounted to thank him. Yang Yanxin didn't care about her and ordered someone to send her home before turning around in a hurry.
But the two of them were very destined to meet, and they met privately several times afterwards, and Yang Yanxin saved her again.
The two of them developed feelings for each other and later even had physical contact.
It was this physical intimacy that truly gave Yang Yanxin confidence. Nowadays, a woman who lost her virginity, even if she was a princess, would never have a good ending.
Ji Yuanhao seduced Yang Yanxin step by step, promised him an official position and his beloved daughter, and finally succeeded in winning him over as his most important hidden chess piece.
Yang Yanxin hesitated again and again, but greed and resentment finally prevailed and he finally did it!
If you don't do it, you'll have to go all out!
Yang Yanxin was nervous for a few days, but when he found himself safe, his panic subsided and his imagination gradually took over.
He took out the private letter between him and the second princess, read it carefully several times, then carefully pried up a floor tile and put it back in place.
Gather together and go back to your room to rest.
…
Yang Yanxin was worried for a few days and finally had a good sleep.
But Su Rong couldn't sleep all night.
She listened to the snoring of the man beside her and her heart was in turmoil.
Some things cannot be thought about too much. Su Rong actually noticed some clues.
Yang Yanxin had been trying hard to maintain his nervousness and slight panic these days, but when he was in front of his wife and children who relied on him and loved him, and who were stronger than him and weaker than him, it would always show up to some extent.
He is not a person with great acting talent, nor is he a person with extraordinary intelligence.
Micro-expressions, small movements, sudden starts, and an overly nervous and impatient attitude.
Su Rong recalled it carefully and became more and more frightened.
——What's more, as Yang Yanxin's bedmate, she had heard him complain many times, complaining that someone went up and he didn't, and he was unhappy, and his words sometimes even revealed his dissatisfaction with his brother.
And every time I went to Zhuangzi to visit Yan, I felt even more resentful.
Yes, it is indignant!
Something like not even taking care of your brothers.
Su Rong recalled all these clues one by one, and they could actually be connected together.
She couldn't help but grit her teeth. The man next to her was mediocre, arrogant, and conceited. His brother was so capable that he, who had risen up with the tide, had an over-estimated level of his own ability.
Su Rong was actually quite annoyed by this fact of his. She couldn't help but be very disappointed after she recognized this man, but generally speaking, it was okay for her. She also went with the flow and lived the life of the second lady of a mansion. This was something she had never dared to imagine before.
So she was also willing to support Yang Yanxin, agree with him, and comfort him.
But today, it’s no longer possible!
Memories gradually connect together, and a possibility is about to emerge!
What if... No, no, absolutely not. She and her mother must not be dragged to death by this idiot!
Su Rong didn’t know what method Ji Yuanhao used, but if it was true, she and her son would be finished!
Having been married into the Yang family for so many years, she knew too well the methods and character of Yang Yanzong, a man who was swift and decisive, ruthless and merciless, and had shed countless blood!
If it were true, she and her son would definitely be dragged to death!
No, she has to save herself!
Su Rong's mind raced. She had the experience of reporting the news once before, and she knew that even if it turned out to be untrue, Yang Yanzong would most likely not expose her.
But if it is true, this is the only way out for her and her son!
If Yang Yanxin were to die, she would never accompany him even if he died.
Su Rong made up her mind, and the next day, she took her son to Hongrui Hall to pay her respects early. When she was almost there, she turned towards the study room.
"I, I want to see the eldest master!"
…
Su Rong told the secret, telling everything she had seen and heard in the past few days, as well as the clues she recalled last night, without any personal feelings.
Finally, he took his son and kowtowed deeply to Yang Yanzong who was standing behind the big desk.
After she left, there was a dead silence in the study.
No one spoke, only the sound of heavy breathing could be heard.
Azhao and Achuan didn't dare to look up, but they saw from the corner of their eyes that Yang Yanzong's hands, which were placed on the edge of the large desk, were trembling slightly. After a moment, he clenched the corner of the table, and his veins bulged.
This moment was unbelievable, and the rage that exploded at this moment lasted for a long time. The leader said hatefully: "Yang Yanxin!!!"
"Hello, you are so nice!!!"
Yang Yanzong was filled with hatred at this moment, wishing he could cut Yang Yanxin into pieces with his own hands. His face turned blue and ashen. Very good, good, great, this was his own brother whom he had raised.
This is his own brother who he supported and protected from the bloodbath on the battlefield!
He thought about everyone watching at first, but he didn't think about himself!
He sneered hoarsely: "Ha, ha, that's it, I was thinking about promising him a lifetime of wealth and glory after I got there!"
My dear brother, this is his dear brother!
Yang Yanzong was filled with hatred and slammed his hand hard. Everything on the heavy nanmu desk jumped and fell to the ground!
Yang Yanzhen couldn't believe it: "...No, it's impossible, impossible!"
How could this happen? How could this happen?
His vision suddenly became blurred and tears welled up in his eyes. He couldn't believe it and stood there in a daze for a moment before rushing out.
"Stop! Come back here."
Yang Yanzong shouted loudly.
His brows were cold and icy, and he ordered coldly: "Achuan, go check it out. Do as Su Rong said, be careful."
"yes!"
…
As Achuan personally went to investigate, Yang Yanxin was uneasy and his true colors were soon exposed.
Even the letters hidden under the floor tiles that were kept as evidence were found and replaced.
After Yang Yanzong was extremely angry, his heart turned cold.
He looked up at his second brother who was pretending to be fine, and said calmly: "There has been unrest at home these days, so you better pay attention to the camp."
Yang Yanxin hurriedly said: "Don't worry, brother, I will."
He asked with concern, "How is my sister-in-law?" He was worried, "She is pregnant."
Speaking of this, his heart sank. It must be said that this was also one of the reasons that prompted him to finally take this step.
Yang Yanzong and Su Ci had not been pregnant for many years, which made him secretly have a secret thought: if his elder brother had no heir, and he had a son, then...
But this delusion was ruthlessly shattered not long ago.
Yang Yanzong raised his eyes and looked at him, smiling faintly: "She is still okay, Ji Yuanhao will not touch her for the time being."
"Okay, go ahead and visit your father more often."
"I understand, brother."
Yang Yanxin responded respectfully and left politely.
He was completely relieved, but the moment he turned around, Yang Yanzong's smile disappeared and his brows turned as cold as ice.
Afterwards, Yang Yanzong said to Li Shengen and others: "I will give you an explanation."
The traitor was found out, and Li Shengen and others also knew about it. "Yes, Master."
"Keep him for now, he's still useful."
Of course they knew about Li Shengen. If they identified the spy, it would play a big role in the future, so it was impossible to deal with him now.
They all understood, but they all couldn't help but sigh.
Yang Yanzong's back was as straight as a sword drawn from its sheath. Everyone stood there in silence for a while. Finally, Li Shengen stepped forward and said, "...Master, what should we do now?"
The mole has been found.
So, what should we do next?
Currently, there are two paths.
First, Ji Yuanhao had no idea about their plan, and they could actually act according to the original plan.
Since the other party is keeping an eye on the army, it is not impossible for them to adjust their early plans and find an excuse here.
——Even if you know you are disloyal, you still need an excuse to mutiny and evacuate.
Therefore, the original plan can actually continue to be implemented.
But he would have to abandon his wife who is deeply trapped in the palace.
However, this first option was rejected without hesitation by Yang Yanzong!
He turned around suddenly and said word by word: "I will never trade my achievements for women and children!"
Yang Yanzong killed countless people in his life. He considered himself not a good man, but he would never trade his career and success for his wife and children!
"You don't need to exchange it."
Unless the situation is irreversible, he will never resort to the trick of sacrificing a small number of people to achieve great things.
Li Shengen and the others were still hesitating whether they should persuade him for the sake of the overall situation. When they heard this, they felt warm in their hearts and said, "Yes!"
"Master is wise!"
With blood boiling in their veins, they all knelt on one knee, saying with a loud “thump”: “We are willing to die for our master, and we will go through fire and water, regardless of life or death!!”
The sound was so loud that it instantly broke through the high eaves and heavy tiles of the huge study.
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