Su Ci was stunned for a moment, but she soon realized something, her heart tightened, and she couldn't help holding her breath.
Qiu Yuanming's face changed instantly, from pale to iron blue. Although he tried his best to remain calm, Su Ci, who immediately stared at him, still found that his hands under his black sleeves had involuntarily clenched into fists.
This moment is really breathtaking, it was just a little bit, really just a little bit!
The scene was dead silent, and everyone could sense that something was wrong. In the silence, Yang Yanzong suddenly sneered. He pulled out the letter, lowered his eyes and glanced through it. It was a cold sneer that was like freezing one to the bone under a hundred feet of ice. It was not loud, but it broke the calm in an instant.
Eunuch Liang cried out "Ah!" and rushed into Duobao Pavilion with two trusted eunuchs. He really never expected that such a mistake would happen! The three of them instantly broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly dug out the things in the secret compartment, looking through each one carefully again.
The only sounds heard at the scene were the rustling of boxes and envelopes, and Qiu Yuanming's increasingly heavy breathing.
Yang Yanzong slowly walked out from behind the Duobao Pavilion. The eyes that had once contained a hint of smile on their faces were now as gloomy as an eagle's. His fierce and sharp eyes shot towards Qiu Yuanming like cold arrows.
There was a "boom" in his mind, and the last bit of luck was broken in an instant. Qiu Yuanming let out a short and rough cry, he took a step back, and was tripped by the horseshoe-footed high chair. With a "ping bang", the high chair threw the flowerpot backwards and smashed it to pieces, and he fell on the Arhat couch and the footstool.
Yang Yanzong approached step by step. He leaned over, put two fingers into Qiu Yuanming's arms, and took out a letter that was newly made to look old from under his ribs. This was the secret letter that Qiu Yuanming had just written and the eunuch had used to make it look old, signed by the Six Princes.
Yang Yanzong's eyes were icy, and one corner of his lips was raised, but there was no trace of smile. It was the coldest and most sarcastic arc.
Qiu Yuanming struggled and screamed, "No, no, A Zong, I didn't mean it. No, no, I had no choice!" Tears flowed down his face, "I'm sorry, but, but Yinniang and the children didn't go back to their hometown."
Qiu Yuanming was speechless with grief, he didn't want to do it, really, he really didn't want to do it. He and Yang Yanzong were childhood friends and they were life-long friends, but, if he didn't do it, his wife and children would die!
Just now, the three of them were chatting and mentioned Qiu Yuanming's wife and children. Qiu Yuanming said that there have been many ups and downs in the past few years, so he sent them back to his hometown. This is normal and no one took it to heart.
But this is not the case. The Sixth Prince has achieved what he has today, and he is not really an overly mediocre person. Ever since he began to feel uneasy about Yang Yanzong, he began to doubt whether there were any spies of the other party around him.
After a long period of analysis and questioning, he felt that it was very likely true, so he finally planned an elaborate move to lure the snake out of its hole, and he finally succeeded in arresting Qiu Yuanming!
At this last moment, the Sixth Prince, this trusted aide whom he once trusted very much, sneered and said, "Okay, okay." So he took advantage of the situation and on the one hand, he kept confusing Yang Yanzong's sight, and on the other hand, he carefully set up a substitution plan to kill two birds with one stone.
It was almost, Yang Yanzong was almost trapped.
Yang Yanzong nodded and smiled: "That's right, wife and children are always more important than friends and brothers." As for family, no matter how much more valuable the friendship is, it can't compare to it, that's right.
Qiu Yuanming closed his eyes tightly, his face full of pain.
"What a pity, what a pity, you failed at the last moment."
In a short period of time, although Yang Yanzong's tone was extremely cold, his expression had returned to calm. His eyes seemed to be poisoned. He glanced at the other party for a moment, then leaned over and tapped Qiu Yuanming's left cheek with the envelope.
After stating the facts, he looked down at Qiu Yuanming, smiled coldly, and said something that made Qiu Yuanming's blood freeze: "Are your parents still in your hometown?"
Qiu Yuanming's breathing stopped for a moment, and he suddenly looked up at Yang Yanzong with wide eyes.
Yang Yanzong sneered, leaned over, and whispered in his ear: "Go back and stabilize the Sixth Prince. You should know what to do."
His sneer was filled with a knife-like viciousness that chilled people to the bone: "If you can't keep it stable, not only your parents will be in danger, do you think your wife and children will be safe?"
After experiencing the extreme blow of betrayal, Yang Yanzong's thinking did not stagnate because of extreme anger. He was furious but also very clear-headed. His heart was chilled, but he said coldly something that made Qiu Yuanming even more chilled.
Taking advantage of the situation, turning disadvantages into advantages, using counter-espionage tactics again and again, is there any better strategy than using Qiu Yuanming to stabilize and counterattack the Six Kings?
Isn’t Qiu Yuanming concerned about his wife and children? Oh, Yang Yanzong stood up straight: "Who does Liang Jianshi belong to? You should know clearly, right?"
In the last sentence, Yang Yanzong raised his voice.
Eunuch Liang stopped, yes, this plan must not be known to the Sixth Prince in advance. He sneered sinisterly, neither too loud nor too low, just enough for everyone present to hear clearly.
Qiu Yuanming stared at Yang Yanzong. He couldn't control himself. His whole body was cold and trembling. He always knew that Yang Yanzong was ruthless, but he never thought that one day, such cruelty would be directed at him.
Qiu Yuanming's teeth were chattering. Yang Yanzong smiled faintly and stroked the collar of the man he had just wrinkled. "Calm down. Don't show your weakness."
The lives of your entire family, young and old, are in your hands.
Yang Yanzong ordered calmly: "Yanzhen, get some clothes and take him to get everything ready."
…
Yang Yanzhen responded, calmed himself down, and asked a few companions of similar build to gather together and drag Qiu Yuanming to the compartment.
There was a sound of water coming from the compartment, but the study was still cold and silent. This episode was so subversive and shocking that many people had not recovered.
Su Ci also calmed down. Seeing Yang Yanzong handing the letter that he had found in Qiu Yuanming's arms to Eunuch Liang, she quickly took out a fire starter.
Yang Yanzong flicked the trigger and expressionlessly burned the secret letter signed by him into ashes and threw it into the ash tray. Su Ci mixed it casually.
Eunuch Liang had checked everything once more, and this time he was very sure that everything was correct. He opened the secret compartment, put it back, and then closed it.
"Okay, let's go, no one is allowed to stay here."
At this time, Qiu Yuanming had finished packing. He took stiff steps and followed everyone out of the study. The group jumped over the wall and left.
Eunuch Liang walked at the end, supervising the cleanup and leaving last.
The private residence was quiet and returned to its former tranquility. This group of uninvited guests did not alarm anyone in the mansion.
…
At this time, it was almost dawn.
The fire at Huang Zhengmao's headquarters had been almost extinguished, and the investigation into the cause of the incident began overnight. Although there were many reckless men in the army, there were always some who were meticulous. There were also many who were prudent and quick-witted and could climb to this position.
Huang Zhengmao was fine, but suddenly he caught fire. Don't doubt this fact. Who else could bury so many explosives in his own residence except himself?
According to gossip, the military investigation team sent by the emperor has already tracked down the traitor who collaborated with the enemy. This person just happened to be the one who caused the malaria disaster in Gaobian, and the clues have already revealed his whereabouts.
Speaking of this traitor, everyone in the entire Northern Frontier Army knows about him! Two years ago, because of this person's collusion with the enemy, our side suffered a defeat and the central army was in chaos. Even the Emperor fell off his horse and was seriously injured. The cause of the problem has not been discovered until now. Now that the war has started again, it is a critical time when everyone is afraid of this person.
As soon as this incident happened, almost everyone immediately thought of this incident, and someone immediately asked Xiyang’s commander Chen Qun to investigate Huang Zhengmao.
After a period of silence, Chen Qun issued an order: Seal Huang Zhengmao's headquarters and all his private residences temporarily, and ask General Xu from Gaobian to send people and the Supervisory Office's military supervisor to investigate.
The investigation team gathered that day and checked the headquarters and private residences one by one.
After watching the three investigation teams pour into Huang Zhengmao's private residence, Tong Jie'en, who had already bandaged his wounds, smiled with satisfaction. He said to the people behind him, "Okay, now the mission is done. All that's left is the aftermath. You can all go back now."
Finally, he gave Qiu Yuanming a sharp look.
Qiu Yuanming tried hard to keep calm and stepped on the stirrups twice before he managed to climb onto the horse. He silently followed Yang Yanzong back to Gaobian Camp.
Afterwards, they parted ways.
…
Su Ci and Yang Yanzong stood on their horses side by side, and they witnessed Qiu Yuanming's back disappear.
Su Ci rubbed her face, it really felt like a dream.
She felt that she was more suited to research and conspiracy, which were too thrilling and brain-burning, and too likely to put her life in danger.
Yang Yanzong said calmly: "There is also a golden order in the Sixth Prince's Palace."
This golden order, which is almost similar to a red-lettered iron certificate, was bestowed by the former Emperor Xuanzong. Now, there is only this one left in the entire Daqing Dynasty.
The Sixth Prince's Palace has been able to hold out for so long in the battle for the throne and has survived so many storms. The most fundamental and important point is that it benefits from its profound foundation and strong strength. The most important reason is that it comes from the profound influence of its legacy.
The first three generations of the Prince He Palace (Six Princes Palace), Prince He was the cousin of Emperor Xuanzong and a close minister. Later, Prince He made immortal contributions in the battles to quell the Zhangnan Rebellion and the Rebellion of the Five Princes. This great achievement directly prevented the Daqing Dynasty from falling apart. Prince He also blocked an arrow for Emperor Xuanzong, was seriously injured and eventually died.
Xuanzong was heartbroken. Finally, in order to commend Prince He's great contribution, he followed the precedent of Emperor Taizong and granted a golden decree to his descendants, with a red seal to pardon all crimes except treason. If there was any suspicion of treason, the main culprit and his followers would be executed and their titles would be demoted to honor their unprecedented contributions.
Yang Yanzong said calmly: "It has been hard to gather the power of the Six Kings for many years. It would be a pity if it were to fall apart like this."
It would be better to let someone capable take over.
He said this calmly, watching Qiu Yuanming's back gradually going away. He knew that Qiu Yuanming would die, but he just curled his lips in sneer.
A day passed, and Yang Yanzong seemed to have regained his composure, but only Su Ci, who was close to him, could notice that his jaw was still taut, as if it had never been relaxed since he discovered Qiu Yuanming's betrayal.
Su Ci touched his shoulder from behind, and sure enough, his muscles were still as tense as rocks.
He was not as calm as he appeared.
The betrayal of his only childhood friend was a huge blow to him.
Yang Yanzong noticed her touch and looked back at her. Su Ci smiled and said softly, "There's still some time. Why don't you go horse racing with me?"
She said coquettishly: "It's been so long, and you haven't accompanied me to go horse racing."
"good."
Yang Yanzong wanted to smile at her, but when he pulled the corners of his lips, he found that they were very stiff.
Yes, after more than 20 years of friendship, they had been through thick and thin together, and had risked each other's lives. He was not as nonchalant as he appeared to be.
Yang Yanzong gave an order, and Azhao and others followed slowly behind. The two of them rode their horses and galloped fast on the hillside covered with lush weeds and trees.
Yang Yanzong ran faster and faster. At first he was still concerned about Su Ci, but gradually he found that she was riding very steadily and could keep up. He whipped the horse faster and faster, and the big brown horse's four hooves were almost straight off the ground as it galloped away.
Riding against the wind, with the sound of the grass whirring, the two men ran all the way to the top of the mountain, until there were more and more weeds and vines, and the horses gradually became unable to move forward. After jumping to the top of the hill, the fat horse stopped.
The view in front of you is open, and you can glimpse the endless grassland on the back of the mountain. As the sun sets, the grass waves roll in the wind.
The two of them sat down, shoulder to shoulder on the grass. Yang Yanzong's breathing was heavy, and it took a long time before he gradually calmed down.
On the top of the mountain, the trees were lush and green, hiding many things. He no longer needed to hold back his emotions in front of others. After galloping wildly on his horse and waiting for his breathing to gradually calm down, Su Ci heard him say calmly for a long time: "He is not the first betrayer, and he will not be the last."
"No matter who it is, I can be ruthless." So don't worry.
He said softly.
But even though he said this, he couldn't hide the chill that spread across his heart. Twenty-three years, a full twenty-three years of friendship, from childhood friends, walking the cat and playing with the dog together to taking the blame for each other, and then he betrayed her, taking advantage of his trust to put him to death. Yang Yanzong didn't know how to describe the feelings in his heart. After the extreme resentment, he couldn't help but feel sad.
"I won't make that mistake again," he said.
Somehow, after hearing these words, Su Ci felt particularly uncomfortable and a little uncomfortable.
"How is it wrong?"
It’s not entirely right to say it’s wrong, she said softly: “Don’t say that, I think you’re great!”
Really, she had never seen anyone more tenacious than him.
Yang Yanzong tilted his head and she smiled at him. Su Ci reached out and patted his shoulder gently.
If you are sad and don’t want to cry, you can lean on someone.
Su Ci turned her head to look back, adjusted her position, and reached out to pull him.
Yang Yanzong was slightly startled.
His eyelashes trembled, but it seemed to be a natural process. He turned sideways and adjusted his position, resting his head on her shoulder.
For the first time, he gave the other person the weight of his body without any scruples.
After relaxing like this, my heart seemed to loosen up a little, and it didn't feel so tight anymore. Some words could be said slowly.
"I have known him since I was very young, really very early," Yang Yanzong said softly after a moment. How early is early? As early as when he was only two or three years old, the small town was full of footprints of the two running.
They went to school together, talked back to their teachers together, learned martial arts together, and sweated together, but Qiu Yuanming was not good at it. Later, he learned criminal law from a Dali Temple supervisor who had resigned and returned to his hometown. At that time, he had gone to the southwest with his father. The places where they studied were hundreds of miles apart, but they often exchanged letters and ran hundreds of miles to visit each other from time to time.
Later, as his abilities grew, he was drawn into the struggles among the kings. They had many interactions with each other, but they both stabbed each other in the back.
Over the years, Yang Yanzong's heart has become increasingly cold and hard. The only two soft places in his heart are his family and Qiu Yuanming.
Qiu Yuanming was the only friend he acknowledged over the years, and they were so close that he was very happy when he wanted to introduce him to his wife.
But in the end, it was all shattered, and he was so ruthless that he didn't hesitate to shatter it even more!
But after all this was over, he felt sad, melancholy, and then deeply tired.
The orange afterglow dyed half the sky red, but such sunlight inexplicably made Yang Yanzong feel a little dazzling, so he put up his hands to cover his eyes.
He turned around, hugged her tightly, closed his eyes, and felt her warm body temperature.
Su Ci sighed softly and patted his back: "Take a rest if you are tired. It's still early anyway."
Yang Yanzong's Adam's apple rolled. At this moment, deep fatigue surged into his heart. He wanted to take a rest both physically and mentally.
She and he were so compatible that her words touched his heart.
He finally let go of everything, relaxed everything, hugged her quietly, leaned on her, closed his eyes and said nothing.
All I could hear was his heavy breathing.
Su Ci put Yang Yanzong on her thighs as a pillow. He opened his eyes, looked at her, and then turned sideways to hug her waist.
She smiled and reached out to hug him.
Yang Yanzong felt much better. He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
He quickly lost consciousness and didn't even know when it got dark. When he woke up, he could only hear a familiar voice above his head humming a weird and unknown ballad, as if it was singing about the stars. She was amusing herself and reaching out to drive away mosquitoes for him from time to time so that he could continue to sleep. The night wind was a little chilly, but he was not cold because he was still wearing her thin cloak.
He opened his eyes and found that it was very late at night. The starry sky reflected the Milky Way. She looked up at him, and the smile on her lips was happy and warm.
She was so happy watching it that he also stared quietly at the constellation called "Lyra" for a while.
He woke up, but he was reluctant to make any noise.
On this quiet summer night, his best friend betrayed him for his wife and children, but when he was exhausted and sad, someone understood him, comforted him, patted him, and allowed him to rest.
There's nothing shameful about taking a break.
Taking a break is for taking a better path.
No matter how strong a person is, he still needs rest!
The strange but seemingly reasonable arguments she had said emerged in his mind, so at this moment, he finally followed his heart, leaned against her, thought nothing, said nothing, let himself go, immersed in it, and gained a moment of peace and tranquility.
The stars were shining brightly, the night wind was blowing, and the two of them, one sitting and the other lying, spent the second half of the night quietly.
Until the sky gradually brightened, a red sun slowly broke away from the horizon, and the moment it jumped up, the golden red morning sun spread all over the earth.
The grass and trees seemed greener after being covered with dew. A stream was gurgling at the foot of the slope, and the sound of the water seemed even clearer and more crisp.
Su Ci finally found that Yang Yanzong was awake. She noticed when he moved. She smiled and said, "Are you awake?" She moved, bared her teeth, and complained in a coquettish way, "You made my legs numb from pillowing them!"
Su Ci rubbed her legs, but found that Yang Yanzong was staring at her. Last night, she took off his hair crown so that he could sleep more comfortably. His black hair was loose, and his dark eyes seemed to be deeper than before when he stared at her.
"Let me rub it for you."
He vigorously massaged her blood and energy, but held her tightly with his left hand. After a night's rest, he was fully revived, and some things became more attentive.
The desire to become one with her came so fiercely, like a huge tide, and it was unstoppable. This was not a military camp, so he traveled in casual clothes without any worries. The two of them slept on the ground under the sky. Su Ci's exclamations gradually turned into short breaths. She was a little worried about A Zhao and the others, so she pushed them twice and muttered a few words.
Yang Yanzong hugged her, and the two of them rolled over the dew-covered flowers and weeds, into the flowers, and then rolled down to the stream at the bottom of the slope.
Under the fluttering evening cherry blossoms in the mountains, in the gurgling stream dyed with golden red sunlight, Yang Yanzong pinched her chin tightly and swallowed her moans into his mouth.
The rushing water ruffled and disturbed the surface of the water, frightening the little fishes and scattering them in a hurry, but the ripples on the surface of the water lingered for a long time.
Only the wind blows, bringing a unique sweet scent.
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