Chapter 106: Chase

The cold moon was like a hook, the silver frost was condensed into cold, and a crossbow arrow came towards Ming Huazhang's vital point. Fortunately, Ming Huazhang was alert and withdrew in advance, but even so, his arm was deeply pierced by the crossbow arrow.

Ming Huazhang groaned, broke the arrow without hesitation, and drew his sword to fight back. Several men in black broke out of the window, their blades gleaming cold arcs in the moonlight, and their blades went straight to the vital points, showing that they had bad intentions.

Ming Huazhang held the knife in one hand, and the blade was as impenetrable as snow. In the blink of an eye, he had exchanged several moves with the man in black. His movements were so fast that they were difficult to distinguish, and only the short and clanging sounds of metal hitting each other could be heard.

Ming Huazhang blocked a black-clad man's slash. This posture required the arm to exert strength, and the crossbow arrow penetrated deeper into the muscle and had already touched the bone. Blood gushed out, quickly staining the clothes red.

The man in black realized this and pressed down harder with his sword, wanting to kill Ming Huazhang while he was injured. Ming Huazhang held the sword with one hand and blocked it steadily. Even though the man in black pressed down with all his strength, his arm did not move.

His eyebrows were clear, his eyes were cold and bright, and they seemed to reflect all the dirt. Ming Huazhang stared at the men in black and asked, "Who are you?"

The man in black laughed coldly and exerted his strength: "Kill your people."

Almost at the same time, Ming Huazhang also moved. He withdrew his sword without warning and used his strength to throw the man in black to the other side. This action required strong control and balance, but Ming Huazhang seemed to have no inertia, and immediately stabilized his body, waved his hand and sprinkled a cloud of white powder.

The men in black thought it was poison and quickly covered their mouths and noses. When the smoke cleared, they found that Ming Huazhang had disappeared. The leader said angrily: "We fell into a trap. He has injuries and can't run far. Chase him."

The abbot of Pudu Temple returned to his meditation room and knelt down to chant. He didn't know what was wrong with him today, his eyelids kept twitching, and he couldn't continue chanting. He was about to go downstairs to check on the altar, when suddenly there was a huge fire outside. A group of people pushed open the door mercilessly and shouted, "There are thieves hiding in your temple. Call everyone out, we are going to search."

The abbot was frightened when he saw this group of soldiers dressed in black and obviously with bad intentions: "My benefactor, this is a pure Buddhist place, you cannot wield swords and guns. Pudu Temple has been locked up, no thieves will enter. Even if there are thieves, I will send them to the authorities after a thorough investigation. I hope you will leave and do not offend the Buddha..."

The man in black looked at the abbot, laughed coldly, and suddenly drew his sword: "Those nobles worship you, but I won't. I don't believe in the afterlife, and I'm not afraid of retribution. If you keep talking nonsense, I will send you to see the Buddha now."

The abbot's expression was very solemn. The Buddhists have a transcendent status because of the offerings from believers. If someone does not believe in Buddhism, then there is no difference between monks and ordinary people.

The abbot was confident that he had connections in Beijing, and that Buddhist temples did not even have to abide by government regulations, so why should he be afraid of a group of soldiers? The abbot remained motionless and said, "Amitabha, donor, there are many nobles offering incense oil in Pudu Temple. If you are disrespectful to the Buddha like this, the pilgrims will question you in the future, and it will be difficult to end up like this."

The man in black curled his lips in disdain, pulled out the token, and said, "Something was lost in the Prince of Wei's mansion. I want to see which family would have an objection to the Prince of Wei's search for someone?"

When the abbot heard that the visitor was from the Prince of Wei's palace, he clasped his hands together and was completely silent. The man in black saw the abbot's expression, sneered, turned around and said brazenly: "Surround the temple and search it for me. Don't let even an ant go."

The men in black guarded all the exits of the Pudu Temple and searched the temple madly, even turning over the beds. They searched through the boxes and cabinets inside, and all the monks stood shivering in the cold wind. However, the men in black searched everywhere, but still could not find the "thief" they were talking about.

The subordinate came over and asked, "Boss, we've looked everywhere, but can't find him. Could he have escaped?"

"Impossible." The black-clad leader said decisively, "The exit has been watched for a long time. We have our people outside. He can't fly out even if he has wings. How could he disappear out of thin air?"

Seeing the look on their leader's face, the subordinates dared not say anything. However, the fact was that Ming Huazhang disappeared from the Pudu Temple out of thin air, as if he had evaporated from the human world.

After the leader finished scolding, he knew that the matter had to be resolved. He had signed a military warrant with the King of Wei this time, and if he still couldn't catch the two jades, his head would fall off.

The leader took a deep breath, and the cold air was like a blade, cutting his throat. The cold quickly calmed him down, and the leader said ruthlessly: "He is injured. It's a dead end to escape to the mountains in such a cold weather. He will definitely enter Chang'an City. Send a signal to inform the people in the city. If any injured man appears, capture him alive regardless of his identity."

·

A flying pigeon flew into the Prince of Wei's palace. After reading the letter, the Prince of Wei slowly walked to the candlestick and watched the flames lick the paper and drown the words on it.

"We have found the two jades in the Pudu Temple. The right arm was injured and the blood disappeared near Chang'an. I hope the prince will give instructions."

The King of Wei recalled that a few days ago, Canxing had sent new news, saying that the Jingzhao case had been solved, but Shuangbi had not submitted the task, indicating that they were still investigating privately. As long as the King of Wei kept a close eye on the crime scenes, he would be able to catch Shuangbi and trap him.

When the King of Wei heard the verdict, he was relieved and sent more people to Pudu Temple to keep an eye on Huang Caiwei's courtyard. After so long without any movement, he thought his plan to die with honor would fail, but he didn't expect to receive a surprise today.

Shuangbi showed up, with his arm cut, so it was confirmed that he was in Chang'an. The King of Wei looked at the description of Shuangbi on the paper and thought of Ming Huazhang.

Shuangbi had not submitted the task, which meant that whoever continued to investigate the case after the case was decided was likely Shuangbi. In addition, they had not waited for Shuangbi to show up for some time...

Could it be that the two jades are in Jingzhao Prefecture?

The King of Wei narrowed his eyes slowly. How could he have made such a big mistake and forgotten that it was dark under the lamp? The person he was looking for might be the one who had the most legitimate contact with the case.

Shao Yin of Jingzhao Prefecture, Ming Huazhang.

"Come here, prepare the car." King Wei said coldly, "Go to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion."

Chang'an was under curfew, but for the King of Wei, all rules and regulations were nothing. When the people in the Duke of Zhenguo heard that the King of Wei was coming, they were so shocked that they were thrown to the ground. The Duke of Zhenguo hurried out to greet him and asked, "King of Wei, you are coming here so late at night, what are you doing?"

The King of Wei ignored the Duke of Zhenguo and walked inside with great momentum: "I heard that your son is very knowledgeable. I have some doubts and want to ask Ming Erlang."

He actually came for Ming Huazhang? Duke Zhenguo's heart skipped a beat, but he still tried to maintain a smile: "Your Highness, Erlang has already fallen asleep, so I dare not trouble you to drive. If you have anything to say, you can tell me, and I will take him to the Prince of Wei's mansion to meet you tomorrow."

The King of Wei stared at the Duke of Zhenguo, sneered, and said, "I heard that the Second Young Master of the Ming Family is the most self-disciplined. Is he asleep at this hour?"

Duke Zhenguo smiled and said, "Of course, no matter how much one loves learning, one cannot live without sleep."

The King of Wei smiled, then suddenly withdrew his smile and asked coldly, "Is he asleep, or is he not at home and cannot be seen by others?"

The Duke of Zhen looked puzzled: "My Lord, what are you talking about?"

The King of Wei sneered in his heart as he watched the Duke of Zhenguo's poor performance. Their performance confirmed the King of Wei's suspicions. He pushed the Duke of Zhenguo away without hesitation and rushed to Ming Huazhang's yard.

"I have a question in my mind that has troubled me for a long time. Today, I want to ask Ming Huazhang for clarification."

The Duke of Zhenguo was shocked when he saw the King of Wei's actions, and hurriedly chased after him: "Your Highness, you can't do that. That's the inner house, you can't enter without permission..."

The Duke of Zhenguo followed the King of Wei all the way. At first, he tried to persuade him humbly. Seeing that the King of Wei was going too far and kept breaking into the yard, the Duke of Zhenguo could no longer bear it and threatened him, "Your Highness, this is the Ming family's backyard. It concerns the reputation of the women in the Duke's Mansion. Even if you are His Majesty's nephew, you cannot be so presumptuous. Tomorrow, I will write a letter to His Majesty, asking the Historian to give you justice..."

If he broke into the house of a minister without permission and caused trouble, the King of Wei would be condemned, and the women of the Ming family would not be able to get away with it. The Duke of Zhenguo even came up with such a trick of hurting the enemy by 1,000 and hurting himself by 800, which made the King of Wei more certain that there was something fishy going on. If Ming Huazhang did not come back or was injured, then he would be confirmed as a double-jewel.

The King of Wei ignored the threat from the Duke of Zhen and suddenly opened the door. The light at the door was blown out by the wind, and the room was half dark. The person behind the screen turned back in surprise. Ming Huashang stood up in surprise, holding the pen: "Father, King of Wei?"

When the Duke of Zhenguo saw Ming Huashang, he frowned and asked, "It's so late, why are you here?"

Ming Huashang gestured to the brush in her hand, her almond-shaped eyes innocently saying, "I came to learn painting from you, brother."

The Duke of Zhenguo frowned, his expression was very ugly. But even uglier was the King of Wei, who stared at the upright figure behind the screen and walked through it in disbelief.

The young man was wearing a dark blue round-necked robe. Under the light, his face was like jade and his posture was elegant. He ground the ink unhurriedly and raised his eyes. The figure of the King of Wei was reflected in his dark pupils coldly: "Your Highness, King of Wei, you broke into my house late at night. I wonder what you are doing?"

The King of Wei looked up and down several times, as if trying to find any signs of impersonation. Ming Huazhang sat calmly and let him look. The King of Wei frowned deeply, unable to understand what was going on. He still did not give up and asked, "I heard that Ming Shaoyin is very concerned about the case. How come he has the leisure time to teach his sister how to paint today?"

Normally, the King of Wei is the monarch and Ming Huazhang is the minister, but Ming Huazhang sat behind the desk, not even trying to stand up to greet him. He calmly arranged the papers and said, "The case has been solved, and the Jingzhao Yin is writing the final verdict. If the King of Wei has anything to ask, he can just ask the Jingzhao Yin. Now that I am not on duty and have no official duties, is it wrong for me to go home and teach my sister to paint?"

It was not wrong to teach his sister to paint, but how could this person be Ming Huazhang? The King of Wei asked suspiciously, "Are you really painting? Who knows what you were doing before I came in?"

Duke Zhenguo was the first to be unable to bear this and sneered, "Your Highness, Prince Wei, please be careful with your words."

King Wei was not convinced and asked, "When did he come back?"

The servants around him crossed their arms and said awkwardly, "Reporting to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wei, the Second Young Master came back at 12:00 p.m. and has been teaching the Second Young Lady how to paint in the room ever since. We have seen it with our own eyes and can prove it."

Returned at the hour of Xu? How is that possible! The King of Wei became more suspicious: "You are servants of the Ming family, so you will naturally lie for your master. Do you know what crime you will be punished for deceiving the prince?"

The servants looked at each other in bewilderment, "But, Erlangjun clearly came back at the hour of Xu, the gatekeeper and the servants along the way saw it. If you don't believe me, you can go outside and ask the passers-by. We dare not lie."

Everyone spoke in unison, and their expressions were so calm that the King of Wei could not help but waver in his originally firm thoughts. Could it be that he had guessed wrong? Was the twin jades not Ming Huazhang?

But if it wasn't him, how do we explain the incident at Pudu Temple?

The King of Wei looked at the half-finished sketch on the table. Such a detailed painting would take at least an hour or two to complete. He suddenly said, "I heard that Ming Erlang is a master of both civil and military skills, poetry and painting, and is known as the two most outstanding people in the capital along with Master Xie. Master Xie is particularly good at ink painting, and I have already seen his talent. I wonder if I can see the other outstanding person today?"

The lights in the house burst into flames, making a crackling sound. Ming Huazhang calmly held his long sleeves and nodded casually: "The King of Wei is interested, and I dare not refuse. But it takes a long time to paint a picture, thank you for your patience."

Ming Huazhang said as he removed the paper and continued to paint on the scroll below with his brush. His style and strokes were like a spring. Ming Huachang quickly turned on the oil lamp and lay beside him to watch carefully, asking a question from time to time. The King of Wei stood in front of the table and scanned Ming Huazhang's right arm with scrutiny. He saw that he was wielding a brush and splashing ink, his wrist hanging in the air, without any sign of stagnation, and he did not look injured at all.

Could it be that he really made a mistake? Ming Huazhang returned home early to teach his sister how to paint, so is there someone else who is the twin sister?

The King of Wei naturally didn't really want to see Ming Huazhang paint. He waited patiently for a while, but seeing that Ming Huazhang was always free and unrestrained, he turned around and left. The Duke of Zhenguo glared at Ming Huachang, but he had to see the King of Wei off, so he could only take the time to scold him: "Nonsense, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? Go back quickly."

Ming Huachang retorted unconvincedly: "I was being nice to you and you accused me of being lazy. I was studying hard and you accused me of being a troublemaker. Are you done yet?"

"You!" Duke Zhenguo glared at the unfilial daughter, and finally gave her a vicious look and said, "Wait for me to come back and settle the score with you."

The Duke of Zhenguo went to see the King of Wei off, and the remaining attendants knew the second prince's habit, so they closed the door and left. After closing the door, Ming Huashang's arrogance fell off, and immediately turned into a look of worry: "Second brother, how are you?"

Ming Huazhang held his arm, his face as white as snow, his eyebrows tightly knitted, and shook his head and said, "It's okay."

Ming Huashang was extremely anxious: "Your clothes are all covered in blood, how can you be okay? I will find something to take out the arrow for you."

If the King of Wei had looked more carefully, he would have discovered that under Ming Huazhang's long-sleeved round-collared robe was a suit of fine clothes with blood stains on it. Ming Huazhang was distracted when Ming Huachang came back with the box and raised his hand to unbutton Ming Huazhang's clothes. Ming Huazhang was startled and instinctively dodged: "No."

"Don't move!" Ming Huashang held his hand and glared at him angrily, "The wound is so deep, and you still dare to move?"

Ming Huazhang moved his thin lips, as if he wanted to say something, but finally pursed his lips in tacit agreement.

Ming Huashang carefully undressed him, exposing the right half of Ming Huazhang's upper body to the air, with the wound clearly visible. Ming Huashang took a deep breath after seeing the details.

The arrow head was completely embedded in his flesh, and the hook was almost invisible. Ming Huashang took out the rope, hooked it on the iron groove, and slowly pulled it out, even his breathing became lighter.

Ming Huazhang looked at her eyelashes so close to him that he completely forgot about the pain. Ming Huachang was already sweating from exhaustion after such a short distance. She changed her angle and asked nervously, "Does it hurt?"

Ming Huazhang came back to his senses from his trance and answered casually, not knowing what he was saying. Ming Huazhang suddenly felt hot. Ever since Ming Huachang came, he had been burning charcoal in his room all day. The charcoal fire seemed too strong, and these two layers of clothes seemed too thick.

Especially when Ming Huachang leaned against his shoulder and stared at the wound carefully, her hair brushed against his skin, and the itching spread throughout his body. It was the first time that Ming Huazhang felt it was so unbearable to sit still.

Ming Huazhang had to find some topic to divert attention and asked, "How did you know that the King of Wei would come?"

"I don't know, I guessed." Ming Huashang finally pulled out the arrow. She breathed a sigh of relief, hurriedly fetched a white cloth, and pressed it hard on his wound. She bit open the stopper of the golden sore medicine bottle with her mouth, carefully applied the medicine to him, and her breath gently caressed his wound: "You didn't come back very late, I was worried that you were in danger, so I asked someone to wear your clothes and pretend to be you to walk in through the door. Fortunately, they were all easy to deceive, and fortunately, you came back safely."

After being attacked at Pudu Temple, Ming Huazhang used a trick to shake off the pursuers and entered the secret passage of Pudu Temple. His guess was correct, the other end of the secret passage led to the outside of the temple. Ming Huazhang returned to Chang'an with injuries and narrowly entered the city before the gates were closed, but he encountered a more serious problem.

Chang'an was under curfew, and there were no pedestrians on the streets, but there were obviously more patrol teams than usual. He was still injured, and it was difficult for him to avoid being checked.

When Ming Huazhang was thinking about what to do, Ren Yao and Jiang Ling came. They were definitely not just passing by by chance, but received news from Ming Huachang.

After the serial murders, the Queen ordered the Imperial Guards to patrol the city, and Ren Yao and Jiang Ling were among them. Jiang Ling was not good at anything else, but he had a lot of face, so he went to the street corner to make trouble and entangled the people of the King of Wei. Ren Yao took the opportunity to take Ming Huazhang, who was disguised as a patrol soldier, away and escorted him back to the Duke of Zhen's Mansion.

Ming Huashang had someone pretend to be Ming Huazhang and fabricate evidence that he had returned home very early. She also had someone notify Jiangling and Ren Yao to pick him up in time. She was even so careful that she painted half a picture in the house to prove that he had been staying in the house, and narrowly deceived the King of Wei.

It can be said that Ming Huazhang can sit here alive thanks to Ming Huashang.

Ming Huazhang's eyes fell on her clear almond-shaped eyes, and he could not look away. His Adam's apple moved, and he whispered, "Thank you."