Chapter 114: The sun sets and we meet again, the sea water...
That night, in the courtyard of Jiangyang Prefecture.
The sparse stars hang high in the thick sky, and the light falls from the eaves at the four corners, creating a hazy moonlight.
Seeing Song Linsheng's figure disappear behind the door, with no trace of his clothes left, Wen Yu frowned and turned around to ask, "Why don't you let me go with him?"
The view shifted, and the man standing before Wen Yu smiled faintly and said nothing. His robe, the color of Canglang, made him look even more handsome. The ribbons flying in his hair were like the dawn in the east.
It was Mu's experience that I hadn't seen for half a day.
Seeing that he didn't answer, Wen Yu couldn't help but turn her head and look back. The direction Song Linsheng had just left was exactly the Tongzhiyuan of Lord Jia.
She didn't want Song Linsheng to go meet Lord Jia alone. Lord Jia said that she was sharp-tongued, and in her opinion, Lord Jia was probably no less sharp-tongued.
And what would she do if she couldn't win the debate against Song Linsheng, a refined and elegant scholar like him? She didn't want Song Linsheng to be at a disadvantage.
"Don't blame me, Madam Wen." Mu Tong's voice sounded behind her ear.
Wen Yu turned her head and saw him speaking to her politely with his hands clasped together.
"I rashly stopped Madam Wen because I had something important to discuss with her."
Mu Tong's tone was indifferent, just like the feeling he gave Wen Yu. He was like a tree hidden in the mountains and forests, or water flowing into hundreds of rivers. He seemed to be visible, but he always felt foggy and unpredictable.
"oh?"
Wen Yu clasped her hands behind her back, hesitating whether to use a third of her spiritual power to follow Song Linsheng, and her answer was a little absent-minded.
"I wonder what Master Mu is talking about?"
Why didn't he ask Song Linsheng, the prefect, about anything? Why did he ask her, the "know-nothing" victim?
Wen Yu was suddenly startled and stared at Mu Tong with her eyes wide open, not daring to move even a little.
Oh no! Song Linsheng had said before that Xiyan and Lord Mu went up the mountain together to capture the remaining men of Cheng Lian, but she was the one who tied them up. Song Linsheng had not asked any further questions, but that did not mean Lord Mu would not have discovered it.
God knows, what kind of life has she been living these days since she was arrested? Could it be that Lord Mu wants to catch her and interrogate her?
Wen Yu's throat moved slightly, and an unignorable tension rose in her heart as she saw Lord Mu approaching her without saying a word.
He walked steadily, his expression unchanged, only the hairband behind him fluttered in the night breeze, stirring Wen Yu's mind.
"Master Mu, Master Mu, I..." Wen Yu felt even more guilty, and her feet felt as if they were weighed a thousand pounds, as if they were filled with lead and she couldn't move a step. Looking at Master Mu's smiling face, she always felt that he had some ill intentions.
The sound of the wind in her ears was silent, but Wen Yu's heart was beating like a drum. She seemed unable to bear the pressure from Lord Mu, and she leaned back uncontrollably.
"Master Mu, if you have anything to say, just tell me directly, just tell me directly..."
As Wen Yu's voice fell, Mu Tong's steps finally stopped. He was much taller than Wen Yu. At this moment, he looked down at Wen Yu condescendingly, but did not say a word, with an indescribable meaning.
Wen Yu felt increasingly uneasy. She curled her hands behind her back, not knowing what to do.
Can I use a magic trick to knock Lord Mu unconscious? Is this feasible?
"Madam Wen," Mu Tong finally spoke just as Wen Yu was getting anxious. "Mr. Shen has been completely silent since returning from the riverbank, not to mention eating or drinking. I'm afraid this isn't a good sign."
Master Shen, Master Shen, Wen Yu silently repeated what Mu Tong said in his heart, and nodded in agreement unconsciously.
"Wait, you mean Mr. Shen?" Could it be Shen Sheng that she brought back?
Mu Tong nodded, confirming Wen Yu's statement, "If it were just an ordinary person or thing, it would be fine. There's no need to disturb Madam Wen."
"But Master Shen is an important witness. If we continue to refuse to eat or drink, I'm afraid we won't be able to see the truth come out."
Mu Tong was muttering something, but Wen Yu could no longer hear clearly. She only knew that he was not suspicious of her, so she could put her mind at ease.
Wen Yu let out a long sigh, and straightened his body a little. He then shook off the wrinkled sleeves on both sides, and in a blink of an eye, there was no trace of embarrassment.
"So Lord Mu is looking for me about Shen Sheng's matter?"
Mu Tong raised his eyebrows slightly, as if he was surprised by Wen Yu's words, "Of course, otherwise, Madam Wen, what do you think I am here for?"
Wen Yu choked. The doubt in Lord Mu's eyes did not seem fake. Instead, it made her feel like she was shooting herself in the foot. She hurriedly walked past Lord Mu and went back the way he came.
"Nothing, nothing, how could there be anything else." Wen Yu took the lead and walked in front. "I mean, Shen Sheng's matter is a big deal and can't be delayed."
"Master Mu, hurry up and follow!"
Watching the figure in front of him walking further and further away, with its hurried steps and the corners of its clothes swaying from side to side, Mu Tong couldn't help but smile, but he quickly stopped smiling, like the wind leaving no shadow, the swallow passing by without a trace, and Wen Yu, who had already stepped out of the door, had no idea.
…
A side courtyard and a corridor in the government office.
Shen Sheng had already changed out of his soaked robes from the daytime. He was now dressed in a dark suit that almost blended into the night and the corridor columns.
If it weren't for the faint moonlight, Wen Yu would have almost lost track of where Shen Sheng was.
She looked from afar and saw Shen Sheng sitting in the corridor, staring blankly at the sky. Beside him was the food that had long gone cold, lying quietly in the food box.
The scene of the daytime appeared in front of Wen Yu's eyes. Since Cheng Lian had captured Shen Sheng as a shield, he naturally didn't think about his life or death. It seemed that Shen Sheng was frightened by the momentum.
But Shen Sheng was a mortal, how could he go without food and water? If he continued like this, he would probably die of starvation if not frightened to death.
Wen Yu sighed, then gathered her thoughts and deliberately called out loudly, "Auntie!"
Shen Sheng was startled by the shout and finally turned his gaze towards the source of the sound. Wen Yu's jumping figure appeared in front of him.
"Wen... Madam Wen..." He did not bother with Wen Yu about the title, but stood up to greet her.
"I heard you haven't had a drop of water since daybreak, so I came to see you." Wen Yu stepped over the railing and sat down next to Shen Sheng. "What's going on?"
Compared to Wen Yu's casualness, Shen Sheng was much more restrained, completely lacking the leisure he had when he leaned against the bicycle frame with Wen Yu before.
He tucked his hands into his sleeves, his body stretched as straight as a pen, and stood awkwardly to the side.
"I, I know that Zhao... Brother Cheng's situation is definitely not as simple as it seems." Shen Sheng's throat slipped, and it was very difficult to say this. "The brothers who accompanied the team were all controlled by the government. I, I was able to stay in a courtyard thanks to Madam Wen..."
"What are you talking about?" Wen Yu interrupted Shen Sheng. If she let him continue like that, she would probably become the Bodhisattva Guanyin who saves people from suffering.
"We all saw Cheng Lian trying to use you as a human shield during the day. Besides, you and he are not on the same side to begin with, so you should be treated well."
Wen Yu paused, knowing what Shen Sheng was thinking, and then continued to comfort him, "As for the others, don't worry, Lord Song will not judge right from wrong and will execute them all."
"Once the matter is fully investigated, they will naturally find their own place to go. You don't need to worry about not having enough food to eat."
Shen Sheng shook his head and looked into the distance, not knowing what he was looking at.
"I was just wondering, are Brother Zhao, who I've known for many years and who took me in until now, and Cheng... Brother Cheng who was on the boat today, really the same person?"
The shock he felt when he suddenly heard this news was self-evident, even more difficult for him to accept than Cheng Lian dragging him down with him.
Over the years, caravans have been coming and going, visiting countless places and traveling immeasurable distances. These brothers are together day and night and are inseparable, but he had no idea that Brother Zhao had so many secrets.
Who is he?
Is it Zhao Kuo or Cheng Lian?
Thinking of this, Shen Sheng let out a heavy sigh, and his head, which had been raised, also drooped.
But the person is gone, what's the point of worrying about these things?
"Whether it is right or not depends entirely on the human heart." Wen Yu said softly.
"Human heart?" Shen Sheng's question floated in the night.
"Yes, human nature." Wen Yu raised her eyes and met Shen Sheng's gaze. "It was Zhao Kuo who gave you a way out and took you in, and it was Cheng Lian who gave you a way out and dragged you down with him. Whether it's true or not, it all depends on how you think."
"What should I think..." Shen Sheng murmured. In the past, he naturally regarded him as Brother Zhao wholeheartedly, but when he was caught and blocked in front of that man today, he really didn't know who to regard him as.
Is this Brother Zhao? No.
But is this Cheng Lian? He didn't want to believe it.
He has followed Brother Zhao for many years, but he never expected to be treated like this in the end. Could it be that Brother Zhao had anticipated this day when he hired him as an accountant many years ago?
"If you're obsessed with yesterday, you won't be able to free up your hands to live today." Wen Yu's voice was like the gurgling sound of a mountain spring. "Whether he's Zhao Kuo or Cheng Lian, for you, taking you in is true, and letting you die is also true."
"But you can't keep wallowing in this world of truth and falsehood, refusing to drink water or eat." Wen Yu reached out and tapped the edge of the food box twice. "Could it be that you really intend to miss yesterday and waste today, with no tomorrow?"
Mortal life is but a few decades long. How can we live it so carelessly? The sun sets in the west, but we will meet again. The sea flows east, and it is impossible to turn back. When time has passed, it is probably too late to regret.
"I……"
"It's normal for you to feel a little sad. Anyone would find it hard to accept such a sudden change like you."
Wen Yu changed the subject and continued, "But people can look back, but they can't go back. You have to think about the road ahead."
"What path do I have? I used to just follow Brother Zhao to make a living. Now that something like this has happened, I'd better go back to my hometown..."
Shen Sheng didn't say the rest of the words. It seemed that these things happened in a hurry and he probably hadn't thought about what would happen next.
Wen Yu saw that he looked so distraught and felt sorry for him. "I have a solution!"
"You're well-educated and well-read. You were just temporarily working with the caravan." Wen Yu recalled what he had discussed with Song Linsheng at Hou Tu Temple. Suddenly, an idea struck him. "Why not take this opportunity to stop being an accountant?"
"Lord Song and I are planning to build a school so that my brothers and sisters can learn to read and write. Since you are a learned person, why don't you become a teacher?"
Shen Sheng's eyes lit up gradually, and he stared at Wen Yu intently and said, "Teacher?"
"Yes! But don't worry. I know you want to pass the imperial examinations and serve your country. If you go to the capital in the future, Lord Song and I will prepare money for your trip."
Wen Yu was talking to herself, not paying attention to the implications of her words. She had already tied her and Song Linsheng together, and she didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
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