There was no sound at all in the house.
Hong Ling pricked up her ears and tried hard to listen, but she didn't hear anything. The strange silence made her shudder. Although this dog man is clean and elegant, he has an extremely cold expression in his eyebrows and eyes, and he also has a cold and chilling aura about him.
What if he does something bad to Mingzhu in anger
Hong Ling was about to rush into the room regardless, but the guards held her shoulders, punched and kicked her, and they restrained her feet.
Hong Ling had to shout at the top of her lungs again, "You shameless thing, you still want to eat swan meat? You don't even look in the mirror to see what kind of virtue you are."
"Are you great? Get out of here quickly and don't hurt our future prince husband. Otherwise, you will be left with nothing to eat in the future."
Hongling cursed and felt happy, but the men couldn't hold her down.
After a while, a cold voice came from the room, "Lock her to the woodshed and gag her!"
Hongling covered her mouth and threw her into the woodshed. Her feet were tied up with hemp rope.
Outside the window, the sunlight just penetrates through the window lattice and shines into the house. The sunlight is gentle and bright.
Zhao Shi's breath gradually subsided, and his delicate face showed a cold and distant look. He pinched his fingers and asked slowly: "Where did you pick up this girl?"
Mingzhu crossed his body, holding the child to release Hongling.
Zhao Shi's bones were clear and he pressed his thumb on her shoulder. With some strength on his shoulder, he said calmly: "They won't hurt her."
Mingzhu held her daughter in her arms. The little girl had fallen asleep in her mother's arms. She didn't dare to make any big movements, lest she wake her daughter up.
She said with a cold face: "Let her out."
Zhao Shi frowned, "She is too noisy."
Mingzhu said: "She doesn't like you. If you leave here, she won't be able to disturb you."
Zhao Shi was quiet for a while.
Mingzhu first put her sleeping daughter on the bed, then went to the woodshed and opened the door.
Hong Ling almost jumped up when she saw her. Mingzhu first took out the cloth from her mouth, and then untied the hemp rope from her feet.
Hong Ling got the excuse and wanted to continue yelling. She looked at the man behind Mingzhu. In order to prevent herself from being thrown further away, she was very smart and learned to shut up. .
Zhao Shi didn't press hard and left the courtyard in silence without saying a word.
He went to the temple outside the mountain. In the main hall, there was a bright lamp for the children. Since they were all still alive, there was no need for this lamp to exist.
Zhao Shi removed the bright light and never believed in Buddhism, but only by burning incense and worshiping Buddha could he concentrate and meditate.
Zhao Shi thought about it for a few days, but could not think of a good way to make Mingzhu return to him willingly.
There was a fragrance of apricot flowers in the mountains, and new green leaves sprouted from the branches and fell on his shoulders. Zhao Shi didn't pay attention and walked slowly on the path, his expression a little cold.
In the evening, when the sky was getting dark, Zhao Shicai came out of the temple and took the distinguished guest from the capital to the gate of the mountain. "It's a good thing that the donor is over his obsession."
Zhao Shi clasped his palms together and returned a slight salute, then used a fan to open the fringed curtain and got into the carriage.
After going down the mountain and returning to the city, I was already waiting for him in the study. He was polite and respectful and said, "Wei Chiyu still refuses to confess."
Zhao Shi just sat down and poured himself a cup of tea, "Let it go."
"Your Highness, do you want to be tortured?"
"No need." Zhao Shi lifted the lid of his cup a little, and with a faint breath of heat, he said, "Wei Chi's bones are actually stronger than I thought."
His heart is not as gentle as usual. Those who are brave, resourceful and ruthless can accomplish great things.
Now that he has some integrity, Zhao Shi respects him a little more.
"But Your Highness, Zhang Qu is not a good person even after he is dead. He deceived his superiors and deceived his subordinates, took bribes and bought and sold his official position. Even if he is dead, it will be easier for him."
Zhao Shi spoke lazily and hummed.
"I can't ask questions, and I can't produce evidence. Sooner or later, the government will release him." They were also in a dilemma. His Highness made it clear that he didn't want Wei Chi to come out for a while, but he couldn't keep him there without evidence. he.
Zhao Shi closed his eyes and said, "Wait a few more days."
"yes."
"How is his illness?"
"It's not very good, but you can't die either." The man carefully observed His Highness the Crown Prince's expression and carefully asked, "Do you want to see a doctor?"
Zhao Shileng said: "No need, just let it dry."
He took a sip of tea and added: "If the news gets out again, it will be said that he is seriously ill and is about to die. No visits are allowed during this period."
"Does this also include Miss Pearl?"
"Well, don't let her see Wei Chiyu."
"My subordinate understands."
A few days ago, Mingzhu was able to bribe the guards and arrest her head so easily. It was Zhao Shi who specifically mentioned it and didn't let them stop her.
He regretted a little. A few days ago, he shouldn't have relented and said that Wei Chiyu didn't need to threaten her just because he felt distressed. Although this was shameless, it had an immediate effect. When she was brought back to the capital, things would happen in the future. That’s easy to say.
The subordinates had a clear mind and immediately knew His Highness the Crown Prince's intention to release false news that Wei Chiyu was about to die of illness, in order to force Miss Mingzhu to come to him for help.
If Miss Mingzhu opens her mouth, His Highness the Prince will be able to put forward the conditions naturally.
Mingzhu had never heard anything outside the window before, but these days she had to listen to Wei Chi's case everywhere. The government office was very tight-lipped this time, and she couldn't ask anything about the murder case.
Hongling said: "Zhuzhu, has David Wei offended you?"
Mingzhu paused, and the embroidery needle in her waist almost pricked her fingertips. She was a little confused, but that seemed to be the fact.
Song Huaiqing had just arrived in Yangzhou when he heard that Zhao Shi had found the woman in the portrait. He was really surprised. He didn't expect that the woman who looked weak and coward could be such a big deal.
"Now that we have found him, is it difficult to take him back to the capital directly?" Song Huaiqing poured him a glass of wine, his tone a little confused.
Zhao Shi raised his glass and drank it without saying a word.
Song Huaiqing raised his eyebrows, "If you can't be cruel, I can help you."
Zhao Shi said coldly, "Don't worry about it, cousin."
Song Huaiqing took a deep look at him and felt that he, the prince's cousin, had shot himself in the foot and fell into a trap.
He smiled and said, "Okay, so when do you plan to return to the capital?"
Zhao Shi said: "Soon."
He couldn't wait long.
Song Huaiqing deliberately poured a lot of wine for Zhao Shi that night, and Zhao Shi drank less than half of the bottle without knowing it. Her daughter was red, her cheeks were white, but not discolored, and her ears and neck were already red.
When he is drunk, he is not much different from how he is on ordinary days. He is quiet and does not act drunkenly.
Song Huaiqing regretted that he did not see His Royal Highness lose his temper and left his room without feeling satisfied.
Zhao Shi felt very uncomfortable in his stomach. He vomited twice and drank a few glasses of warm water to rinse his mouth before he felt better.
His head was a little dizzy, and he leaned against the bedpost with his eyes closed to rest. The back of his head hurt, and his breath was thick with the smell of alcohol.
It wasn't too bright, the candlelight shone on his face, and he seemed to be sleeping quietly.
It was actually still early, and it was just getting dark.
Zhao Shi couldn't bear the drowsiness that came over him, and slowly fell asleep.
After drinking, I fell asleep more soundly.
I didn’t wake up again and again, tortured by fragments of dreams that I couldn’t distinguish between true and false.
He hadn't slept so well in a long time. In the dream, he had seen his whole life, from the age of sixteen or seventeen to the age of thirty, watching the beautiful scenery.
Zhao Shi finally connected the story. Many familiar faces came and went, but Mingzhu was the first one to leave him.
Five springs, summers, autumns and winters passed in the dream.
She died in the winter of the fifth year.
Before he died, he was still struggling desperately, and the tears from his clean and transparent eyes seemed to be red. She cried so hard that her voice became hoarse, as if she didn't believe he would do such a cruel thing.
She didn't run away, she didn't want to burn herself to death and leave him. She was so well-behaved and stayed with him for five years.
In the end, he was indeed poisoned to death by a glass of wine.
Zhao Shi had seen the scene of her dying in front of him so many times that his heart had long been numb, but it had never been as painful as it was now.
He heard her crying and asking over and over again, why did he kill me? Didn't he say he likes me? I want to see him, please let me see him.
Zhao Shi's heart clenched tightly, and he rolled off the bed, hitting his forehead heavily on the corner of the bed.
He staggered up from the bed, opened the door and ran out.
He seemed to have remembered a lot of things.
The night wind was biting and biting, and the man got on the horse with an expressionless face, swung his whip hard on the horse's back, and rushed out.
The drunkenness had not completely dissipated. Zhao Shi's body swayed twice when he dismounted. He held on to the horse's back and barely stood still. He took a deep breath, and his face was paler than paper.
Mingzhu had just bathed and changed clothes, and was about to turn on the light and rest when the door of the room suddenly burst open from the outside. There was a bit of noise. She raised her head, heard the sound and saw Zhao Shi walking toward her with unsteady steps.
Zhao Shi's hair was tied up and his jade crown was gone. His dark-colored hair was spread on his back, and his clothes were a little messy. There was still wet blood on his forehead. He didn't know how he ended up like this. .
His eyes were beautiful, as bright as the moon, but there seemed to be a thin layer of mist in his eyes. He moved slowly, and when he was about to reach her, he kicked her hard and knelt on one knee in front of the bed, looking very embarrassed and not like him at all.
Mingzhu didn't even have time to put on her socks, so she hid her feet in her pants, hugged her knees and subconsciously hid in the bed.
Zhao Shi knelt in front of her and stretched out his hand to reach her cheek. His fingers were cold and icy, mixed with the refreshing fragrance of pear wood.
The man carefully touched her eyebrows with his fingertips, and asked with difficulty every word: "Zhuzhu, did I kill you?"
He was so angry that his eyes were filled with blood.
The words almost trembled into silence.
Under the dim candlelight, a drop of transparent tear slowly slid down his jade-like face.