Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Night Exploration
Lu Chen's Adam's apple suddenly rolled, and his eyes were as sharp as knives as he stared at Nan Heng. "Is the news reliable? Has anyone else been alerted?"
Nan Heng's expression grew serious, and he replied softly, "Don't worry, my lord. The information is absolutely accurate, and the people we've sent out are acting in a very secretive manner. However, we still have to wait for the peregrine falcon to go back and forth, so the journey will inevitably take some time. Please wait a moment."
His knuckles began to tremble uncontrollably. Lu Chen clenched the red brush in his hand tightly, pressed the tip of his tongue against his teeth, and forced himself to suppress the burning anxiety.
Well, whatever. Xu Chong's defeat was now certain, and he was being held in the Dali Temple's eunuch cell. The evidence in the Lianghuai Salt Transport case had been collected, and the three courts had already conducted the joint trial. He only needed to use the next two days to sort out the files, write a closing memorial, and submit it to the Yintaisi for the government's decision.
As for how the government would deal with it in the end, he no longer cared much about it.
The past half year had been a torment, a torture that felt like being tortured every day. Now, he would go and find her himself.
妱妱.
Don't even think about leaving him.
He would never allow it.
The case of Xu Chong progressed very smoothly. After all, it involved the royal family, and the emperor had some intention of protecting him. Even if Li Zhen did not win the emperor's favor and acted out of line, he was still closer to the emperor than an outsider.
When the wall falls, everyone pushes it. Some people in the court had seen through the emperor's intentions and pushed many of the crimes onto Xu Chong's head. The Censorate also submitted several memorials of impeachment, striving for severe punishment.
Three days later, without waiting for the imperial decree to convict him, Lu Chen took sick leave and immediately led his men out of the capital and headed south.
He only brought a few of his most capable personal guards, a small group of cavalry, and rode almost non-stop, following the peregrine falcon's trail for seven days and nights, and finally arrived at Yanziwu outside Pingjiang Prefecture.
It was already the end of the Xu hour, the night was thick, and the wind and snow outside were getting stronger. The cold air seeped in through the cracks between the window frames. Zhe Rou gathered her clothes, stood up, and added two more pieces of charcoal to the brazier. She gently poked them with the tongs, and the charcoal fire crackled.
Just as he was about to put the tongs back, he heard someone knocking on the door.
At this hour, no one would come looking for her except Xie Yunzhou.
Zhe Rou didn't think much about it. She put down the tongs, brushed off the fine dust on her hands, and walked over to open the door.
As soon as he opened the door, he came face to face with Xie Yunzhou.
"Jiu Niang." Seeing her come out, Xie Yunzhou leaned against the door frame, raised his eyebrows and smiled, and handed over the coarse porcelain bowl in his hand.
The bowl was steaming hot, and his fingertips were slightly red from being burned, but he still held the bottom of the bowl steadily. "It's snowing cold tonight, so I got a bowl of ginger soup. Drink it before you go to sleep."
Zhe Rou felt warm in her heart, and she reached out to take the porcelain bowl, then smiled at him, "We still have to travel tomorrow, so you should rest early."
Xie Yunzhou raised his lips and said yes.
The ginger soup was boiling hot, with white steam rising continuously. Zhe Rou held the coarse porcelain bowl and sat back near the charcoal basin, sipping it slowly in small sips. Gradually, a thin layer of sweat formed on her body as she warmed up.
After finishing a bowl of ginger soup, Zhe Rou put down the empty bowl, blew out the candle, listened to the howling wind outside the window and the snowflakes hitting the window frame, she wrapped herself tightly in the quilt, curled up into a ball, closed her eyes and fell asleep peacefully.
There was a sound of hurried horse hooves at the entrance of the alley. Lu Chen, feeling cold and snowy, jumped off his horse swiftly. His long boots rolled over the thin snow on the stone steps. Without stopping for a moment, he walked straight forward and raised his hand to push the door open.
The gate was not locked and opened immediately.
The courtyard was completely silent. All the lights in the house were out and there were no lanterns hanging under the eaves. It was pitch black everywhere.
Lu Chen took two steps at a time up the stone steps and raised his hand to push the door, but suddenly stopped before touching the door panel.
His Adam's apple rolled violently, and when he opened his mouth, his voice couldn't help but tremble with tension, "妱妱."
No one answered.
With a burning feeling in his heart, Lu Chen pushed the door open and walked in.
The furnishings in the house are simple and plain, and you can see everything at a glance. As far as the eye can see, it is empty.
She lifted the partition curtain and saw that the curtains in front of the couch in the bedroom were rolled up to both sides, the bedding was neatly folded, and there was still a faint fragrance on the pillow, but there was no sign of her.
Beside her pillow lay a well-read copy of the Taiping Shenghui Fang, marked with folded rice paper, unfolded—her usual reading habit. On the small table by the window sat a box of hand cream, also her usual scent.
This is her residence, there is no mistake.
But, what about people?
Lu Chen's back tensed, he stood up suddenly, turned around and rushed out of the house. The guards accompanying him had already lit candles, illuminating the courtyard as bright as day, making the courtyard seem even more empty and deserted.
Lu Chen's head was buzzing, as if countless sharp needles were stabbing him fiercely. He suppressed the violence churning in his chest, his knuckles clenched until they turned blue and white, and he wanted to turn over every inch of the ground in the yard to look for her, but he still couldn't find any trace of her.
Not even a piece of her clothes or a strand of her hair was left in front of or behind the house.
She is not here.
It is obvious that the bricks and tiles, clothes and bedding are full of the scent of her life, and the pillow and quilt still linger with the faint fragrance of apricot blossoms from her body.
But unfortunately, she is not here.
My stomach seemed to be violently churned by something, and a sharp pain suddenly surged up and swept through my whole body in an instant.
Lu Chen suddenly raised his hand and pressed it against his chest. His pale and thin jaw was tightly clenched, but the pain in his chest became more and more intense. It hurt so much that he could hardly breathe, and his vision went black.
It felt as if his lungs were being violently torn into a ball. Lu Chen had no choice but to hunch his back and cough violently. A large amount of bright red blood seeped out from between his slender fingers.
Nan Heng cried out in shock, "My dear!"
Lu Chen closed his eyes and forced himself to swallow the blood in his throat. When he looked up again, the corners of his eyes were already red. "Go, bring the owner of this house... to me!"
Nan Heng responded quickly, turned around and walked out quickly. Soon, he brought Mrs. Wu, who lived at the entrance of the alley, into the yard.
It was getting late, and Mrs. Wu had already gone to bed when she was suddenly ordered to get up. She was about to explode and curse, but when she opened the door, she saw several men in tight clothes standing in front of the door with stern faces.
The group of people all wore black robes and black boots, with long swords on their waists. They were obviously warriors of great background. How could she dare to provoke them? She could only throw on a padded jacket and follow them trembling with fear.
Now that she saw Lu Chen, she felt even more anxious. She stepped forward and nervously called out, "Master."
Hearing the noise, Lu Chen leaned against the door frame and slowly turned around. His eyes were like knives, slicing through the woman's frightened face inch by inch. "Are you the owner of this house?"
Mrs. Wu was so frightened by that look that her knees went weak and she responded in a trembling voice.
Lu Chen's Adam's apple rolled, and his voice was hoarse, each word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth. "Where is the person in this room? Where did he go? When did he leave?"
Seeing his violent look, it seemed that he was most likely Jiu Niang's enemy, looking for someone to settle the score with.
Madam Wu hesitated and struggled for a moment, but in the end, she dared not be vague any longer. She made up her mind and confessed everything she knew: "They have been gone for about seven or eight days. I heard they were going to Qiantang to visit friends..."
them.
She left with Xie Yunzhou.
Judging from the date, he must have packed up and set off shortly after receiving the news that the eldest princess had an accident.
Will you accompany him back to Beijing?
As soon as this thought came to his mind, Lu Chen's knuckles suddenly turned white, and his heart felt like it was bitten by a poisonous snake, the pain was so severe that his breathing suddenly stopped.
After a long while, Lu Chen raised his hand and signaled the guards to take Madam Wu out.
The courtyard was empty again. He slowly turned to look at Nan Heng, his eyes as cold as ice. "I remember that the Imperial City Bureau seems to have been searching for Xie Yunzhou's whereabouts?"
Nan Heng nodded and said, "For the past few months, the Imperial City Division has been constantly dispatching personnel to search for the young prince, but there is still no trace of him, alive or dead. Envoy Feng has been severely criticized by the government for this. If this continues, I'm afraid he will lose his position."
Lu Chen raised his head slightly, gazing at the inky black night in the distance. He twitched the corner of his lips in a silent and disdainful manner, and said word by word, "Send a message to the capital immediately. Find an opportunity to reveal the past events of the imperial palace outside the capital to Feng Qi. Also, tell him to keep a close eye on Duke Xu's mansion for the next two days. A huge reward is just around the corner."
Nan Heng's expression was solemn, and he immediately accepted the order and agreed.
Not long after, in the vast night, a peregrine falcon flapped its wings and flew over the persimmon tree in the yard. It circled in the sky for a moment and then flew away towards the northwest.
**
Going to Beijing, banned.
In the Funing Hall, smoke curled up in a hushed silence. In the four corners, hot basins of red charcoal burned brightly, with only the occasional crackling of the flames.
The official was wrapped in a thick fox fur coat, leaning back in an armchair with a weary look on his face. The Ru porcelain medicine cup beside him had lost its heat.
Ever since the young prince's accident, the emperor had become increasingly haggard day by day. Huaizhong saw this and felt deeply distressed. He could only do his best to comfort him: "Your Majesty, please take care of yourself... Wait for the young prince to return..."
After a long moment of silence, the official sighed deeply, "Tell me, is he still alive?"
Huaizhong was immediately startled and said hurriedly: "Of course! The young prince is a blessed man..."
The official stopped talking, just lowered his eyebrows, and it was unclear what he was thinking, and he looked lifeless.
Huaizhong was about to persuade him again when he heard a eunuch outside the palace come in with a message saying that Feng Qi, the commander of the Imperial City Division, wanted to see him.
The official paused and raised his hand to signal for an audience.
Soon, Feng Qi hurried in and was led by the eunuchs to the imperial court. He bowed and, despite trying hard to suppress his emotion, a hint of excitement still escaped his voice. "Your Majesty, there is news about the young prince."
The hall suddenly became so quiet that you could almost hear a pin drop.
The emperor slowly raised his eyes and stared at Feng Qi intently. His pale knuckles unconsciously clasped the imperial desk. After a long pause, he finally said in a hoarse voice, "...Speak."
Feng Qi took a half step forward and whispered, "This matter is not related to anything else. Please ask the emperor to dismiss the attendants."
After a pause, the emperor slightly raised his fingertips, and the palace servants standing in the hall immediately lowered their heads and filed out quietly and silently.
Huaizhong stayed behind, tiptoeing out of the hall. He didn't dare go far, but stood quietly in the corridor, waiting. About half an incense stick of time passed, and he had just accepted a cup of warm tea from the eunuch on duty when he heard a loud "bang" in the hall. Something heavy was thrown to the ground, followed by several more loud bangs, as if all the documents and memorials had been swept away and scattered all over the floor.
Huaizhong trembled all over and almost knocked over the teacup in his hand. The eunuchs outside the palace gate looked at each other in dismay, not daring to breathe and sweating profusely.
**
After the wind and snow, Zhe Rou had a good night's sleep.
That day, she suddenly heard that something had happened to the eldest princess, and she couldn't explain the reason. She was always uneasy in her heart, and she had a vague intuition that it was related to Lu Chen, so she simply packed up some luggage and headed north with Xie Yunzhou.
It's the end of the twelfth lunar month, so I can go back to visit my parents' graves and take care of each other along the way.
They first took a boat to Chuzhou, but because the Beiyun River was frozen, they took the land route. It took them more than ten days to travel, and when they arrived outside Shangjing City, it was almost New Year's Day.
This place was still dozens of miles away from Shangjing City, and it happened to be snowing heavily. Zhe Rouyuan had no intention of entering the city, so he just found an inn to stay.
When the sky brightened, Zhe Rou stood up, closed the curtains, and went to bed to wash up.
The charcoal fire had been burning in the room all night, and the air was stuffy and stagnant. She walked forward and pushed the window open a little. The north wind suddenly rushed in with fine snow, and the cold air entered her lungs, bringing a slight stinging sensation.
Although several months have passed, the thought of Shangjing City and the person in Shangjing City still makes her feel uncontrollable palpitations, and she vaguely wants to leave as soon as possible.
Xie Yunzhou came upstairs to deliver the mutton soup noodles. He saw her staring out the window at the official road in a daze. Guessing that she was in a hurry to return home, he called out to Jiu Niang from behind, "You can't be impatient in this weather."
Zhe Rou turned around when she heard the voice.
Xie Yunzhou leaned against the door with a smile on his face, holding a bowl of noodles in one bony hand. He tilted his chin toward the window and said, "Look at those rocks over there. Once they've been touched by rain or snow, they become as slippery as if greased. One step on them and they'd roll two miles. You should rest in the inn for a while and wait until the wind and snow die down before setting off again."
Zhe Rou followed his gaze and saw only the gray snow and jagged rocks, but she couldn't make out the details. "Are you familiar with the terrain in this area?"
Xie Yunzhou put down his bowl, stretched his muscles lazily, and smiled. "When I was eight years old, I had a quarrel with my family. I sneaked out of the city alone, running around everywhere, and finally ran into the woods here. I happened to be caught in a heavy rain and a landslide, and I almost lost my life."
"Eight years old?" Zhe Rou was slightly surprised, but couldn't help laughing, "You were not very old back then, but you had a strong temper and courage. No wonder you were a bully in Shangjing since you were young."
After a moment of silence, Xie Yunzhou didn't know what he was thinking about. He laughed self-deprecatingly, "I was born with a weak constitution. They were afraid that I would die if I wasn't careful, so they rarely disciplined me."
Xie Yunzhou still had that lazy smile on his lips, but Zhe Rou clearly saw a flash of gloom in his eyes, as if he was in embarrassment, but it was not clear.
He has always been flamboyant and lively, as if he doesn't know the sorrows of the world. Zhe Rou rarely sees him like this, and doesn't know what is bothering him.
But the more he tried to hold on, the more pitiful he looked, like a little animal hiding in the dark, stubbornly licking its wounds.
Zhe Rou's heart softened inexplicably, and she wanted to speak to comfort him, but she didn't know where to start. Xie Yunzhou, on the other hand, smiled, stirred his noodles nonchalantly, and changed the subject lightly, "No more, the noodles are getting cold."
After they had breakfast, Xie Yunzhou told Zhe Rou about his plan to enter the city.
The day before yesterday, Zhou Xiao sent a letter saying that his mother's injuries were no longer serious and she had regained consciousness, but she was still suffering from blood deficiency. Now she was resting in peace at home, closing the door to visitors.
When he was in Huai'an, he was forced by the situation and had no time to consider the pros and cons. He just wanted to take the opportunity to sever his blood ties with the official family. The plan was hasty, and success or failure depended on a single thought, so he had no time to hesitate.
In the past few months since then, he has not dared to think too deeply about how his parents would react when they learned the news.
Although they were not his biological parents, they treated him better than their own flesh and blood.
Now that things have come to this, no matter what, he has to take the risk and sneak back to see his parents again, otherwise he will never have peace in his life.
Zhe Rou nodded when she heard this, "Be careful."
Xie Yunzhou raised his eyebrows and smiled, collected his dishes and stood up. When he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and looked back at her.
"Jiu Niang, wait for me to come back. I'll take you back to your hometown, and then... I can also burn some incense at your parents' graves."
Zhe Rou was stunned for a moment, then she smiled with her lips curved, her brows and eyes relaxed, "Okay, I'll wait for you."
As the New Year approached, the capital city was bustling with activity, with crowds of people thronging everywhere. The long streets were paved with incense and decorated with lanterns. Xie Yunzhou lowered his hat, walked to the opposite side of the street from Xu Guogong's Mansion, and found an inconspicuous teahouse to sit down.
They waited until the evening drums sounded on the Imperial Street, the sky outside the house gradually darkened, the night fell, and the guards in the mansion had completed their patrol and were preparing to change shifts.
Xie Yunzhou calculated the time precisely and went straight to the wall of the courtyard on the back street of Xu Guogong's mansion. He tapped his toes lightly and jumped over the wall.
He bent down and took a look. There was no one in the yard. He felt relieved for a moment and landed in the yard as lightly as a cat. He concealed his figure in the night. After a while, he walked around to the main house in the main courtyard where his parents lived with ease.
The wind lantern in the corridor swayed gently, and the candlelight in the house shone through the thick peach blossom paper, casting a warm yellow light and shadow on the window.
Using the thick pillars to hide his body, Xie Yunzhou quietly approached the window frame, poked the window paper lightly with his fingertips, held his breath, and looked inside the house.
Through the gap in half of the gilt-and-gold brocade screen with flowers and birds, the eldest princess was seen leaning on the Arhat couch. She was only wearing a long-sleeved Yanju dress, without any pearl hairpins or jewelry, and her hair was wrapped with several circles of fine cloth. She was holding a bowl of medicine and sipping it slowly.
"Are you still feeling dizzy today?" Duke Xu took off his jade belt, changed into a casual robe, walked to the couch and sat down, then reached out and stroked her forehead.
Seeing him coming, the eldest princess put down the medicine bowl and hummed lazily.
Upon hearing this, Duke Xu's tone suddenly turned hostile. "Tell the Medical Bureau to send someone else tomorrow. You've been taking this bitter medicine for days now, but it's no use! If it doesn't work, I'm going to ask that Yu if he still wants to be the judge."
The princess frowned slightly, sighed, and said sadly, "It has nothing to do with them. You know I'm worried. It's almost the New Year..."
The second half of the sentence was not spoken out loud, but the couple both knew the hidden pain in their hearts. Ever since hearing the news, they have deliberately avoided each other for the past few months and dared not mention it easily.
Duke Xu's expression froze for a long while. Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly narrowed his eyes, tilted his head calmly, and glanced out the window with the corner of his eye.
Seeing the strange look on his face, the princess was stunned for a moment. Just as she was about to ask, Duke Xu suddenly grabbed her wrist and signaled her to be silent with his eyes. Then he stood up as if nothing had happened and said gently, "I'll go get you some tea. Rinse your mouth."
Xie Yunzhou watched quietly outside the window for a while. When he saw his father stand up and walk towards him, he had a hunch that something was wrong. Just as he was about to pull back, the window was suddenly broken open with a "crack". A cold light flashed amidst the flying wood, and a sharp dagger pierced out from his side.
Xie Yunzhou's eyes tightened.
In order to avoid being seen, he did not bring any weapons with him when he returned home. It was difficult for him to block the attack at this moment, and he could only dodge with difficulty. However, before he could stand firm, Duke Xu had already leaned out of the window, and his men did not hesitate at all, and attacked him directly at the throat with fast and fierce force. Xie Yunzhou quickly took half a step back and dodged hastily.
If he continued to fight back, it would inevitably alert the guards in the mansion, which would cause an even louder noise and make it even more difficult to resolve the situation with so many people watching.
Xie Yunzhou could only withdraw his hands and let his father find an opportunity to grab his wrists and twist them behind his back.
He suddenly felt a sharp pain on his wrist and gasped. Before Xu Guogong could shout, he gritted his teeth and called out in a low, urgent voice, "Daddy, it's me. Don't say anything."
Duke Xu was startled when he heard the voice.
He looked over with almost disbelief, and under the dim and flickering lights of the corridor, Duke Xu saw the appearance of the person who came, and his tiger eyes suddenly shrank.
"Mingqi..." He instinctively loosened his restraints, but he still felt as if he were in a dream. He couldn't quite believe it, so he barely controlled himself and exclaimed in a trembling voice, "Mingqi?! You're back?"
The strength in his hands was released, Xie Yunzhou frowned, and subconsciously wanted to turn around and leave.
The princess looked up suddenly when she heard the sound, but before she could stand up, she saw Xie Yunzhou standing outside the lattice window. His profile was slightly tense, and his figure was tall and handsome, just like before.
Her heart trembled violently for a moment, and she almost blurted out, "Mingqi!"
Xie Yunzhou paused suddenly.
The eldest princess stared at him without blinking, her chest heaving rapidly. She tried her best to keep her voice steady: "Mingqi... turn around and come to my side. Let me see you."
Xie Yunzhou's body stiffened slightly, and his hands hanging by his sides clenched into fists in an instant.
It was fine if his father and mother didn't know about his fake death, but if they did, they would inevitably be charged with deceiving the emperor. Even if the emperor didn't take it seriously, his mother would suffer if they took their anger out on her.
He shouldn't have come back, and shouldn't have met them at this moment. He originally wanted to come and take a look and then leave after feeling relieved, but he didn't expect his father to be so alert. Now there is no way to avoid it. In this case, he might as well talk it out and give them an explanation.
Xie Yunzhou gritted his teeth, made up his mind, and followed his father into the house.
Before he could walk to the couch and stand still, the eldest princess had already hurriedly grabbed his wrist, her fingertips trembling slightly, and looked him up and down inch by inch, until she was sure that he was safe and sound, and there was no harm on his body. Only then did her tense shoulders relax slightly, but she still held him tightly, and a slight sob came out of her throat.
Xie Yunzhou also felt very uncomfortable, his Adam's apple rolled slightly, and he stood still obediently, allowing her to look at him repeatedly.
The candlelight in the room was bright, and his eyes unconsciously fell on his parents. With just a glance, his heart suddenly tightened.
But after not seeing each other for just a few months, Duke Xu's temples were already graying, and his brows were full of fatigue. The eldest princess, who used to be plump and plump, had now become haggard and thinner.
"Dad, Mom..." Xie Yunzhou's throat choked, his heart filled with guilt. He knelt straight down, kowtowed deeply and admitted his fault, whispering, "I'm sorry, it's all my fault for being unfilial."
When the princess heard the word "mother", her eyes instantly turned red and she became incoherent for a moment. She was about to pull him up quickly when a cold and gloomy voice suddenly came from the corridor.
"You still know you're being unfilial?"
Before he could finish his words, that thunderous and angry gaze pierced towards him from behind, as cold as if it had been soaked in ice water.
Xie Yunzhou suddenly stiffened, his back suddenly tensed.
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