A jar of wine was half empty in the blink of an eye.
His stomach was burning like fire was burning, Chu Yuan poured another bowl, gritted his teeth and drank it, but staggered forward a few steps, put his hands on the window sill, and looked aimlessly ahead.
Duan Baiyue beckoned to his cronies and whispered a few words in his ear.
The scene in front of him was a little blurry, and Chu Yuan remembered the first time the two met when he was six years old. The King of Southwest brought his young son to the king's city, and his father wanted to host a banquet the next day. This was not a rare event, and he didn't take it to heart. He still got up early to practice martial arts, and then went to the teacher to learn his homework. It was only when the sun fell and Si Xi reminded him in a low voice from outside that he raised his head and realized that it was time to hold the lantern.
After sending Tao Rende away, Eunuch Sixi hurriedly called the servant Chuanshan, but when he turned around, he saw the little prince, and was taken aback immediately.
In the imperial garden, Chu Yuan wandered aimlessly while thinking about the things of the day. Unknowingly, he walked into the depths of the woodland, and the surroundings were pitch-dark, not to mention the palace maids and eunuchs, who didn't even have a lantern, so he frowned, turned around and wanted to go back, but there were voices coming from the forest next to him.
"His Royal Highness, it's time to go back to the East Palace." A shrill voice came, and Chu Yuan patted his forehead, feeling a little unlucky. Just when I was thinking about whether to change the way, someone was already teasing: "Tsk tsk, isn't this my second brother, why come here alone?"
Chu Yuan stopped and turned to look at him.
Prince Chu Xun held a mace in his hand, followed by four or five burly Mongolian warriors, his faces provocative.
Chu Yuan never had a single liking for this brother who was three years older than him, so after saluting carelessly, he turned around and thought of a dense forest, but was blocked by Chu Xun.
"What are you going to do?" Chu Yuan asked.
"Competition." Chu Xun replied.
"Another day, it's time for me to go back." Chu Yuan swept away the mace in front of him and hurried out.
"Come back to me!" Chu Xun scolded.
Chu Yuan just pretended not to hear it.
"Stop him!" Chu Xun ordered.
"Yes!" The Mongolian warriors strode forward and surrounded Chu Yuan.
"What are you running?" Chu Xun stepped forward slowly, "Father and emperor praised you for your good kung fu. Big brother wants to ask for advice on two tricks.
Chu Yuan clenched his hands and looked at him vigilantly.
Chu Xun pinched his chin with an arrogant expression.
The ministers in the court were all muttering at that time that the prince was cruel and stubborn, but the second prince was talented and intelligent. two years.
Father doesn't love mother or mother, plus there are rumors and rumors constantly coming out of his ears, Chu Xun naturally hates this younger brother so much that it is hard to see that there is no one around him to protect him, and other thoughts inevitably arise in his heart.
Chu Yuan held the small dagger around his waist in his left hand.
Chu Xun sneered and pushed him defiantly.
"Master Shizi, go back." On the other side of the woodland, a young man in white was persuading in a low voice, "It's the princes of Chu who are competing in martial arts. Before this time, the prince said that you should not cause trouble."
"Watching the fun is nothing to cause trouble." Duan Baiyue squatted on the ground, holding her cheeks and said, "Which one is the prince?"
The boy said, "The one with the most people."
"Straw bag." Duan Baiyue pouted.
The young man said with a bitter face: "It's not easy to talk nonsense."
"Do you want to compete with me?" Chu Yuan continued to ask. He knew that he would definitely not be able to deal with this group of Mongolian warriors, so he could only delay as much time as possible, so that Sixi could bring people here as soon as possible.
"I'm more than you, and I can't beat you." Chu Xun took two steps back and said, "They're fighting you."
Duan Baiyue twitched the corners of her mouth: "Are you sure he is the prince?"
The boy said, "Ah, sure."
Duan Baiyue asked again, "Isn't the Emperor Chu afraid of subjugating the country?"
The young man was startled, and then cried, "Master Shizi, can I beg you to shut up?" After all, everyone is under ten years old this year, and there should be many years to live, so it is not worthwhile to be beheaded.
Although the emperor of Chu often praised Chu Yuan for his high martial arts skills, a six-year-old baby, no matter how strong, would not be an opponent for an adult, let alone a Mongolian warrior known for his sturdiness. So when Duan Baiyue looked over again, Chu Yuan had already been pushed to the ground.
The eighteenth boy in white said bitterly, "Go back."
Chu Yuan stood up and asked, "Can I go?"
Chu Xun patted his face: "I'm very arrogant on weekdays, why are you afraid?"
Those Mongolian warriors twisted Chu Yuan's hands behind their backs, stumbled on their feet, and carried them to Chu Xun.
"I can't stand you for a long time." Chu Xun's eyes were fierce.
"I have always admired Big Brother." Chu Yuan's voice was calm, as if he had no emotions.
Duan Baiyue laughed out loud.
The young man quickly covered his mouth, but it didn't work.
Chu Xun kicked his lower abdomen fiercely, Chu Yuan coughed twice, but still did not speak.
The boy opened his mouth nineteenth time, this time before he had time to speak, Duan Baiyue had already stood up and went straight out of the woodland.
"Master Shizi!" This time it was not only the teenager, but even the other teenagers beside him were startled and hurried out.
Hearing the movement, the Mongolian warriors immediately let go of them, and their faces were no longer the fierce expressions they had before.
"Who are you?" Chu Xun was also surprised at first, thinking that it was the father or the queen who was looking for him, but when he saw that it was a group of teenagers about the same age as himself, he regained the arrogance of the Prince of Chu.
Chu Yuan rubbed his sore arm, looked up, and hid behind Duan Baiyue.
The boy in white said enthusiastically: "We just passed by unintentionally, let's go."
Duan Baiyue glanced at the people around her, bright yellow brocade clothes, black and soft hair, neatly tied together by jade belts. He kept his head down, only to see his long eyelashes fluttering slightly.
There seemed to be faint footsteps outside the jungle, Duan Baiyue took his arm and asked, "Are you alright?"
Chu Yuan finally looked up and looked at him. Taller than himself, he should be older than himself, with a good-looking nose and bright eyes.
Looking at his fair cheeks, star-like eyes, and rosy mouth, Duan Baiyue smiled, and his tone softened a bit: "Does your arm hurt?"
Chu Yuan just wanted to say it's okay, but felt a sharp pain in the elbow he was holding, so he groaned, and a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes.
"It seems to be dislocated." Duan Baiyue raised her head and looked at Chu Xun and the Mongolian warriors.
"Impossible!" Chu Xun's face turned pale. He just wanted to humiliate Chu Yuan and express his ill-will, and at most reward him with a few slaps, but he also knew that he couldn't be ruthless. If he couldn't see the trauma, then even if he complained and cried later, as long as he didn't admit it, his father couldn't help it. It is even possible to pour the sewage back, saying that it was framed by false accusation. But if it is really dislocated... Thinking of this, Chu Xun panicked, turned around and said angrily, "What have you all done?!"
The few Mongolian warriors bowed their heads and remained silent.
Cold sweat broke out on Chu Yuan's forehead, and his eyes were black, and he was almost unsteady.
Duan Baiyue held him in his arms and whispered in his ear: "Don't be afraid, someone is coming."
Chu Yuan looked into his eyes.
Duan Baiyue smiled and touched his forehead lightly, which should be comforted.
The boy in white was stunned, what the heck is the prince doing
"Yuan'er! Oh dear!" The Empress hurried over, with torches lingering behind her, "What's the matter?"
"See the queen." Duan Baiyue saluted and returned Chu Yuan to Sixi, "The prince seems to be dislocated."
"Dislocated?" Chu Huanglai, who was following behind, heard this sentence, and when he looked at Chu Yuan, whose face was pale, he suddenly became furious, "What's going on?"
"Father father, mother queen." Chu Xun knelt down and said anxiously, "I..."
"Come over here!" The queen didn't care about etiquette, she sat on the ground with Chu Yuan in her arms, and let him lean against her arms, "What's wrong? Where is the dislocation, can you still stand?"
The boy in white knelt down on one knee. He originally lowered his head, but he couldn't help but raise his eyelids to look at it - shouldn't he, dislocating his arm will make him unstable? Looking at this little prince doesn't seem to be weak.
"Who exactly did it!" Chu Huang asked angrily.
Chu Yuan leaned in his mother's arms, glanced at Duan Baiyue, then lowered his eyes, and said in a low voice, "Brother Fang Cai led someone to stop Erchen and said that he would let Erchen compete with these Mongolian warriors. After a few tricks."
"What?" Looking at those strong men like iron towers, the queen almost fainted, and suddenly felt that her son was probably dislocated all over his body, and he didn't know if he would recover in the future. .
Chu Yuan couldn't see it: "Mother, my son is fine."
"Hurry up and stop talking." The Queen covered his mouth, "Sleep well."
"Yeah." Duan Baiyue was also concerned, "I was kicked in the stomach so much, I don't know if there is anything wrong with my internal organs, it's better not to move."
"Is it kicked?" The queen is getting more and more thunderous, and she is afraid that there is not only an external injury, but also an internal injury.
Chu Yuan glared at Duan Baiyue.
The little prince of the Southwest Mansion stuck his tongue out and looked like a rogue - if you don't want to act, why pretend to be weak and sick, I'm helping you.
Chu Yuan closed his eyes and ignored the man.
Duan Baiyue turned worried and stared straight ahead.
Chu Huang was puzzled at first, and when he followed his line of sight, he saw that there was a mace behind the tree.
Blocking his younger brother in the jungle and bringing this kind of weapon, how could it be done by a nine-year-old boy. Looking at Chu Yuan, who seemed to be in a coma, Emperor Chu was almost furious, and ordered the guards to throw those Mongolian warriors into death row. As for Chu Xun, he was confined to think about it and failed to step out of the East Palace for three months.
In the fourth month, the East Palace really changed hands, and the old prince was sent to Longzhou to continue thinking. Accompanied by Si Xi, Chu Yuan walked around the new residence, then sat on the table and said, "Will the people from the Southwest House still come?"
"People from the Southwest Mansion?" Sixi said, "It's hard to say, I'm afraid you have to ask the sage."
"Forget it, I just asked casually." Chu Yuan moved his elbow, "Is love coming?"
Four Xi added: "Although people didn't come, things are always delivered every year."
Coincidentally, as soon as he finished speaking, a guard outside reported that one of the specialties of the Southwest House's tribute this time was specially presented to the prince, and it had been checked and asked when it would be delivered.
Chu Yuan jumped off the table and went to the treasury himself. It was a bright red box with red satin tied on top.
The queen happened to be there, and she joked after looking at it: "I don't know, I thought that the dowry sent by the princess was going to marry Yuan'er."
Chu Yuan paused when he was unraveling the red silk and satin, who wants to marry him!
The things in the box are very miscellaneous, and they are all gadgets produced in the southwest. There are daggers inlaid with gems, jade paperweights, jade pendants, a white tiger skin, and a set of Miaojiang clothes.
The queen smiled and said: "If the King of Southwest sent these little things, it would be a little rude, as if he was deliberately despising Da Chu. But if it was replaced by the young prince of the Southwest mansion, it would be painful. Although it was only a one-sided relationship, it was considered a Have a heart."
Chu Yuan took out the small dagger and weighed it in his hand.
To be honest, it's not good-looking, it's bells and whistles, red, green, and heavy.
But no matter how bad it looks, it will be around for more than ten years.
Chu Yuan reached out and touched his waist, but wanted to smile bitterly.
Why have some people's temperaments never changed since we met until now. From breaking his arm to hiding and refusing to show his face, he always made the best choice for himself without asking a question—but is that really the best
The turbid wine became more and more bitter, Chu Yuan simply picked up the wine jar and poured it directly.
Ye Jin kicked the door open, and before he had time to speak, he was stunned when he saw this scene.
Chu Yuan looked back at him blankly.
"Damn it." Ye Jin sucked in a breath of cold air and stepped forward, "Which bastard makes you so angry?"
Chu Yuan was extremely calm: "Why are you here?"
Shen Qianfeng wisely closed the door outside.
"Is it that bastard Duan Baiyue?" Ye Jin looked around him, "I knew nothing was wrong when I received a letter from Master Tao, did I get hurt?"
Chu Yuan replied, "No."
"No shit, I can't smell the medicine I prescribe myself." Ye Jin said, "Take off your clothes!"
Chu Yuan took a step back.
"Lame?" Ye Jin became more and more frightened.
Chu Yuan: "..."
Ye Jin couldn't help but press him to the side of the bed and sat down, rolling up his trouser legs.
Chu Yuan explained in time: "I met an assassin."
Ye Jin asked while removing the bandage: "Duan Baiyue is not too timid to send someone to stab you?"
Chu Yuan choked for a moment and said, "It's a Nanyang native."
"It's really against the sky." Ye Jin took out the wound medicine from his arms and blew the wound on Chu Yuan's behalf, "Thinking that we found a few Nanyang people, we can't guess who is the mastermind behind him?" Really naive!
Chu Yuan was exhausted: "It has nothing to do with the Southwest Mansion."
Ye Jin sprinkled a bottle of medicinal powder on his leg.
Chu Yuan took a deep breath and almost fainted in pain.
Ye Jin swiped twice to wrap the bandage again, and then reprimanded: "You still drink when you are injured!" Do you have any self-consciousness!
Chu Yuan said: "My heart is distressed."
Ye Jin sat beside him and said angrily, "Duan Baiyue dares to treat you like this!"
Chu Yuan thought for a while, then nodded: "Well."
"Don't be afraid." Ye Jin continued to comfort, "I'll kill him!"
Chu Yuan agreed: "Okay."
Ye Jin clenched his fist: "Be castrated before killing him!"
Chu Yuan paused, then changed the subject: "Is Qian Feng outside the door?"
"Well." Ye Jin wiped his cold sweat for him, "I was worried that something would happen, so I came together. Fortunately, nothing major happened."
Chu Yuan smiled: "Thank you."
"Let's lie down first." Ye Jin said, "I'll make some medicine for you, and then I'll tell you why you came to the southwest alone."
Chu Yuan agreed, closed his eyes, and devoted himself to making up reasons.
"My lord." On the other end, Duan's close associates reported, "The emperor should be fine there. Alliance Lord Shen and Lord Ye Gu have already arrived, and they have brought a lot of people with them."
Duan Baiyue smiled: "That's good."
"Then the prince wants to go back?" The cronies continued to ask.
Duan Baiyue nodded and glanced at the inn again - the window was already closed.
With Shen Qianfeng and Ye Jin around, there would be no problem in the future. Duan Baiyue jumped off the roof and planned to interrogate the assassins first.
The temporary place to stay is an empty house, very remote, and no one will find it on weekdays. What's more important is that there are many storage cellars underground, no matter how loud people scream inside, it will not spread to the ground.
After one night, the assassins were already bloody, and all of them were left with only one breath.
"My lord." The cronies were worried, "I'm afraid it's not an option to continue to torture like this."
"Why?" Duan Baiyue asked.
"These people can't even speak a word of Chinese. Even if they want to confess, they can't open their mouths." The cronies reminded.
"Impossible." Duan Baiyue shook his head, "Nanyang is a long way from Dachuhai, and after entering the country, so many people have to eat and live, at least one person will be responsible for communicating with the outside world, otherwise such a group of people will only rely on gestures all the way. If you go north and don’t do business, I am afraid that you will be watched by the government long ago.”
The confidant suddenly said, "Your Highness is right."
"As long as you don't die, you don't have to be soft." Duan Baiyue said, "Let them know as soon as possible that their lives are not worth much."
"Yes." The cronies nodded, rolled up their sleeves and led them back into the cellar. In the evening, I really came to report that there was one person who finally couldn't make it, and admitted that he could understand Chinese.
"Bring it here." Duan Baiyue put down the teacup in his hand.
After a while, a man with blood and flesh was dragged up, looking at the dying breath, but because he was given medicine, he was still able to speak.
Duan Baiyue said: "Tell me, where did you come from, and why did you want to assassinate Emperor Chu?"
"We are the killers of the White Elephant Kingdom." The man coughed out a mouthful of blood and said after a while, "The White Elephant Kingdom advocates martial arts, so there are many martial arts gyms and many killers. A year ago, someone came to the door and offered a big price. , to buy the life of Emperor Chu."
Duan Baiyue sneered: "The king of a country who assassinated Da Chu, you are not too brave."
"In the beginning, we also said that this matter was a fool's dream, and we didn't want to accept it." The man said, "But then the client turned over the commission thirty times, and said that we didn't have to enter the palace, not even the royal city, just secretly. Sneak into the state of Chu, and when the emperor of Chu is out on tour, they will send a message so that they can take the opportunity to act."
"Who came to you?" Duan Baiyue asked again.
"I don't know." The man said, "I only know that he is not a native of Baixiang Country. One of them looks like a rich kid from the Great Chu who looks at his clothes and dresses, listens and speaks. He just keeps covering his face and can only see his eyes."
Duan Baiyue leaned on the back of the chair, and after a moment of contemplation, got up and took a piece of paper the size of a palm from the next door, covering it up and down, and then said, "But these eyes?"
The man struggled to glance at it, then nodded: "Exactly."
"Are you sure?" Duan Baiyue asked again.
"It's true, these eyes are very beautiful." The man said, "I won't admit my mistake."
Duan Baiyue stood up and sat back at the table again.
On that piece of paper is a portrait of Chu Yuan, who has eyes similar to his in this world, lives in Nanyang, and has such a deep hatred of people, you don't need to think to know who it is.
King Gao Chu Xiang was originally named Chu Xiang. Later, the fortune-teller said that this son was born with water, so he changed his name. He was also the most beloved prince of the former emperor of the Chu family, but he was never able to take away the crown prince. After Chu Yuan ascended the throne, he was demoted to the common people along with Liu Jinde, the eldest son of Liu's house at that time, and distributed to Hainan, and he decreed that he would never step into the great Chu for life.
There has been no news for so many years, and the Liu Mansion has fallen and scattered, and everyone in the court thinks that the two are more murderous. If it weren't for this assassination, even Duan Baiyue would not think about it again.
Being sent into exile, and being able to toss out tricks, is also considered a bit of skill. Duan Baiyue shook his head and ordered someone to drag the assassin down.
"My lord." Someone outside reported, "Duan Nian is back."
Duan Baiyue stood up and stepped forward to open the door in person.
"..." Duan Nian was about to laugh, but when he saw a mask, he was stunned.
Duan Baiyue said: "Huh?"
"My lord." Duan Nian returned to his senses.
"Yaoer didn't tell you?" Duan Baiyue asked.
"I said it." Duan Nian said honestly, "But when I saw it suddenly... I ask your lord to forgive me."
Duan Baiyue smiled: "You have worked hard for the past three years."
"It's not too hard." Duan Nian said, "Emperor Chu treats his subordinates very well, and the adults in the court are also kind to his subordinates." Some people even said matchmaking.
Duan Baiyue said: "I heard that you were injured, are you okay?"
"It's just a skin injury." Duan Nian said, "The subordinates are not doing well, and the Emperor Chu was also stabbed. Those assassins—"
"Don't say it." Duan Baiyue patted him on the shoulder, "You're fine, everything else has been handled properly."
Duan Nian breathed a sigh of relief.
"Take a two-day break, then come back to the Southwest Mansion with me." Duan Baiyue said.
"...Yes." Duan Nian was puzzled, thought for a while and asked again, "Why didn't you go to Wangcheng? After all, Emperor Chu was alone, and this group of assassins was captured, so there is no guarantee that there will be no next group."
"President Shen and Lord Ye Gu have already come to Hongmu City, and there will be no accident on the next journey." Duan Baiyue said, "You are right, this group of assassins was captured, and there is no guarantee that there will be no next group. At least the people behind the scenes must be thoroughly uncovered, and then there will be no future troubles forever."
Duan Nian probed: "Then what does the prince mean?"
Duan Baiyue said: "Go back to the Southwest House to transfer an army, and I will go to Nanyang in person."