Chapter 160 Farewell
Li Jifeng turned around, only to see Xie Tingzhou standing not far behind him. He didn't know when Xie Tingzhou had appeared, and he didn't know whether he had heard what he had just said.
Xie Tingzhou stood with his back to the light, his face hidden in the gloom. Li Jifeng felt as if those eyes had seen through him.
"When did you come?"
"Just arrived." Xie Tingzhou said: "It's getting late, I'm going home too."
Perhaps because of the little episode just now, Li Jifeng did not keep him. He watched the carriage disappear at the end of the long street before returning to Zuiyun Tower.
On this side, Xie Tingzhou returned to the palace.
Xi Feng lingered at the door for a moment, then followed, "The gatekeeper at the East Gate said that someone named Sanfu came to look for Shi Yu. After waiting at the East Gate for a while, he said he would go to the main gate to wait, but the gatekeeper said he didn't see anyone."
"Go look for it." Xie Tingzhou said.
Xi Feng said, "I have sent people to check along the road, but there is no one. Maybe the guy is too lazy to wait and went back. I will send people to the inn and his home to ask."
Soon, the person sent had run back and forth. Sanfu's family said that he had not returned home since he left in the morning, and they thought he was still in the inn.
The innkeeper said he left before dark, and they thought he went home, but neither side saw him.
Sanfu must have come to see Shi Yu for important matters, and the important matters he could come into contact with were nothing more than those ghosts from Qi Changlai who had stayed in the inn before.
The next morning, Xifeng returned home covered in frost and dew.
He took people out to search for Sanfu all night last night but couldn't find him. It was not until this morning that he received any news.
"Have you found the person?" Xie Tingzhou drank a little wine last night and got up a little late today.
"Found it." Xifeng said solemnly, "Dead."
Xie Tingzhou waved his hand, and the two maids who were helping with changing clothes retreated.
Xi Feng said, "The boatman on the pleasure boat on the Taiyi River got up this morning and fished out a body. He reported it to the authorities. Si Xi has already gone to identify the body. It is San Fu, and the cause of death is drowning."
"The Taiyi River is so far from the palace, why would Sanfu go all the way to jump into the river?" Xie Tingzhou smiled, "It seems someone has set their sights on the palace, and we have been dragged out of the dark and into the light."
"What should we do then?"
Xie Tingzhou said calmly: "Si Xi's family is no longer safe. Send someone to take them to another village."
The wind responds, and it changes to the past
In such matters, His Highness would definitely not care about their lives or deaths. The old prince once said that the prince was good in every way except that he was a little cold-hearted.
"Shi Yu is a soft-hearted person." Xi Feng said.
Xie Tingzhou raised the corners of his lips, with a hint of pride, "She has seen the vicissitudes of life, but she just can't stand the suffering of the world."
He changed the subject and said, "In three days, she should be back."
Xi Feng knew who it was, and asked, "Your Highness, are you going to pick someone up?"
"No." Xie Tingzhou walked around the screen. "She is escorting an important criminal back to Beijing this time. The Ministry of Justice will contact her and send someone out of the city to pick up the prisoner."
As if trying to convince himself, he added, "It's inconvenient for me to go."
…
Chen Yu was escorting a total of 14 wanted criminals back to Beijing, all of whom were bandits in Hezi Mountain who were involved in transporting grain for corrupt officials.
The night is as dark as ink. We are still sixty miles away from the capital. Tomorrow, people from the Ministry of Justice will meet us at the first post station thirty miles outside Shengjing.
"It's the last night, so cheer up!"
Xiao Chuan arranged the night shift and sat down next to the fire, but backed away because he felt too hot.
It's May and the nights aren't cold.
"I didn't expect this trip to be so smooth." said Xiao Chuan.
The firelight made Shen Yu's pupils turn red. The journey was too smooth, so smooth that she actually felt there was something wrong.
"Don't you think it's going a little too smoothly?"
Xiao Chuan said: "Isn't this your credit? If we pretend to surrender, they will think we are on their side and naturally let down their guard."
"Something's wrong." Chen Yu shook her head and said, "It's tonight, let's see if they will take action tonight."
Shen Yu got up from the fire, walked to the prisoner's carriage, and said to Qi Shan, "You will go to Beijing tomorrow. You will leave early tomorrow morning."
Qi Shan was guarding Gui Xiong's prison car. He left home early in his life and was not involved in the grain transportation case, so he did not need to accompany him to Beijing.
But he couldn't let go of his old father. This case was too big and this meeting might be their last.
"I want to stay in Beijing for a few more days," said Qi Shan.
"You can't do anything by staying in the capital." Chen Yu knew what Qi Shan wanted to do. He just wanted to wait and see how the verdict would be.
"Let's go." Gui Xiong suddenly said, "It's better to leave tonight. Don't wait for me.
It's an eyesore in front of me. When I was a teenager, I just left. Why are you pretending to be so hypocritical now?"
Qi Shan leaned against the prison van with red eyes, "Dad, don't provoke me. I know you are afraid that I will be implicated. Your son is unfilial. He left home early and was not around to show filial piety. You can show filial piety on the way with me."
"Nonsense!" Gui Xiong scolded, "I didn't expect that you would still do whatever you want after living for more than thirty years. What will happen to your big girl and tiger boy if you die?"
Qi Shan was stunned. His eyes moved a few times, and he suddenly smiled as if relieved. "Every year you don't accept the things I send you, nor the letters I send you. You are afraid of getting me into trouble, right?"
Gui Xiong said: "I just don't like it."
Qi Shan choked up and said, "Then how do you know the nicknames of Big Girl and Tiger Boy?"
Guixiong didn't respond and turned his face away.
"During the New Year two years ago, the girl said that she met a grandfather outside the yard. The grandfather asked her if her family was okay, talked to her for a long time, and gave her some candy. Was it you?"
"I should have guessed it earlier." Qi Shan said to himself with tears streaming down his face, "What are you doing outside during the New Year? Who will accompany you to have the New Year's Eve dinner?"
Shen Yu thought of Shen Zhongan, and her eyes became sore.
She stepped back silently, leaving time for the father and son.
Gui Xiong finally spoke: "I'm just passing by to transport food, isn't that ok?"
"Dad!" Qi Shan turned around and knelt on the ground, holding the prisoner car tightly with both hands, "My son... my son is unfilial."
Gui Xiong stared at Qi Shan, as if he wanted to memorize his son's appearance in his heart, but as he looked, his eyes became blurred.
He raised his head and looked up at the night sky, choking with sobs, "Shan'er, it's good that you left. If you hadn't left, our family would have been extinct. Tiger boy is three years old now, right? When he's older, you can teach him the Three Unique Legs."
Qi Shan stretched out his hand, wanting to hold his old father's hand, but he couldn't reach it.
The hands stretched out stubbornly, and finally, the shackles clanged and Guixiong held his hands.
"Don't mention me as your grandfather to Big Girl and Tiger Boy. You took the wrong path and can't go back. The rest of the way is for me to take."
The night was peaceful, the morning breeze swept across the hills, and the army continued on its way.
Qi Shan watched the team go away. He could not even tell where the prison van was, but he seemed to be able to see his father's eyes, looking at him from afar, reluctant to look away, as if he wanted to see his appearance clearly.
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