After another moment, the four assassins began to patrol, each chose a path, and walked past the case.
The palace examination time was nearly a day, and it was hot near noon. The maids put wooden cups in each case, filled them with tea, and took out snacks from the tray and placed them beside the case. Duan Ling was very thirsty, but did not dare to drink. The martial arts stopped beside him, bowed down, put down a glass of water, and took away the original water. Duan Ling looked up along the man's legs, saw that it was Wu Du, and drank the water.
Wu Du poured another glass. Duan Ling didn't dare to drink too much for fear of holding back his urine. He picked up the pen and continued to write. The memorials piled up like a mountain in the study, the people fleeing... all came to me.
As soon as the pen was written, a stroke turned, Duan Ling's tears fell, dripping on the paper, blurring the ink color of the last word at the end of the volume.
He raised his sleeves, wiped his tears, put down his pen, and let out a sigh of relief. This palace exam paper seemed to have exhausted his life's strength.
At that moment, his heart was extremely quiet, and he just sat silently. When the climax of the sun slanted westward, a golden-red light was thrown into the hall, the bell was rang for the fourth time, and the cabinet scholar came to wrap up the scroll. Duan Ling was relieved, raised his head, and suddenly saw Cai Yan. Cai Yan was sitting high in the hall and didn't know when he came.
Facing each other, Cai Yan was staring at him, Duan Ling's initial shock passed, he regained his composure, and smiled at Cai Yan. Cai Yan also smiled at him, with an inexplicable taste in his smile.
"Everyone has worked hard." Cai Yan said.
The candidates went to see the prince again, and they bowed down. Duan Ling stood among the candidates in the hall and looked at Cai Yan. After a few breaths, Duan Ling put on a long robe, knelt down before Cai Yan without any obstacles, and fell on the ground.
"Flat body." Cai Yan replied, then turned and left.
"Everyone," the eunuch said, "please have dinner in the side hall before leaving."
After Cai Yan left, the candidates in the hall were completely relieved, and Duan Ling went directly to Zheng Yan and said, "Zheng Yan, I have something to ask Your Majesty."
"Wu Du has already said it." Zheng Yan said, "You will come to the imperial study later, and I will take you in."
Duan Ling swept the hall, and saw that Lang Junxia had not left yet, and was talking to the cabinet scholar, and said, "Sir Wuluohou, I have something to talk about. I was born late in the corridor, please."
Lang Junxia seemed a little surprised. After Duan Ling finished speaking, he left Yinghe Hall and entered the corridor at the back of the hall. Wu Du was sitting in front of the railing drinking water, waiting for Duanling.
"Go for something to eat?" Wu Du asked.
"Wait a minute." Duan Ling replied and sat down side by side with Wu Du.
"How was the test?" Wu Du saw that Duan Ling's face was not very good, and thought he had failed the test. However, Duan Ling was still immersed in his past memories and had not yet come out. When he heard this, he regained his senses and said to Wu Du, "You said, you are going to take me to many places. I want to go to Yecheng."
"Go." Wu Du replied, "I'm going to pack my things."
Wu Du didn't ask why, as if Duan Ling decided, he would accept it unconditionally.
"Don't you ask me why I got this idea?" Duan Ling asked a little uneasy.
Wu Du replied, "If you can defend Tongguan, you will naturally be able to defend Yecheng."
Duan Ling knew that it wasn't that simple. The last time he just went to kill people, he was relying on luck to protect Tongguan. Although he was familiar with the art of war, it was another matter to actually lead troops to the battlefield. He was still a little hesitant. Du Bi didn't speak, just looked at him quietly, waiting for him to make a decision.
At this time, Lang Junxia came out. He walked along the corridor, Wu Du turned his head and saw Lang Junxia.
"He's here." Wu Du said.
Duan Ling raised his head from his thoughts and looked at Lang Junxia as well.
He is still the same, as if there has never been any change, Feng Shen is handsome, the jade tree is in the wind, like a piece of beautiful jade, the person Duan Ling remembers.
Duan Ling stood up in the corridor and walked towards him.
"What's the matter?" Lang Junxia said.
"I have something to tell you." Duan Ling said solemnly, and he walked slowly to Lang Junxia.
The time between the two seemed to freeze, and they looked at each other in silence.
Lang Junxia moved his lips, as if he wanted to say something.
However, Duan Ling raised his hand and gave Lang Junxia a heavy slap in the face. The sound of "pop" was clear and loud, and the voice reverberated in the quiet night.
Lang Junxia was beaten to the side, his left face flushed.
"Your clan." Duan Ling whispered, "An old woman was taken to Xichuan and then to Jiangzhou. She doesn't speak Chinese, and she probably doesn't talk to her neighbors. She is alone and without support. The only thing you can rely on is you, but you ignore her, just give her some money, and don't ask anyone to take care of her, let someone talk to her, do you know how I figured it out?"
Wu Du stood behind Duan Ling to prevent Lang Junxia from making a move, but Lang Junxia didn't react, just stood quietly.
"When there was a flood, everyone who lived around evacuated." Duan Ling whispered, "No one took her away, why? Everyone knows that she is your family member and doesn't want to cause trouble, so Don't care about her, right?"
"No one to take care of her, no friends, no family, no human affection." Duan Ling said, "The reason is very simple, you don't want her to talk to anyone, and everything should be as tight-lipped as possible, right?"
"That's the reason for the slap, you remember it."
"I know you don't want people to talk to her, so as not to be asked what the details are." When Duan Ling was parting, he finally said to Lang Junxia, "But I put the words here, you'd better treat her kindly, or treat me as a court. Officer, the first thing is to read your book, you are unfaithful and unfilial, unkind and unjust, and you are a servant of others, not to mention the people you put in place, even if you become the emperor yourself, you will be criticized by the world."
The moon rose, but Lang Junxia was still standing in the corridor.
Turning around the Imperial Garden, Duan Ling had beaten Lang Junxia, and his hands were shaking, but Wu Du said, "Damn, you are so bold, the master was frightened by you, what's the matter with the slap?"
"I'm... really angry," Duan Ling replied, "Especially when I saw Fei Lian sitting alone on the terrace..."
Wu Du knows this truth, and Changliu Jun also knows it, but everyone doesn't want to say it, and everyone doesn't like Lang Junxia, that's why.
"He has always been unsympathetic and unscrupulous. It's so bad..." Wu Du thought about it, turned his head, and asked, "Are you hungry? There is no food for Zheng Yan today. Muqing asked me to take you to eat at the queen's place. Let's go. Bar."
Duan Ling's hand trembled slightly, but Wu Du took his hand, Duan Ling's heart slowly calmed down, thinking of the half-sentence behind Wu Du - Lang Junxia was unsympathetic and unreasonable, so he was led by him The big Duan Ling is also ruthless.
But isn't that what assassins are supposed to be like? On the other hand, Wu Ducai is not like an assassin. Duan Ling has never seen Zheng Yan kill someone, so he doesn't give a good evaluation. Maybe Zheng Yan is also a ruthless person, and Changliu-jun started his attack without any ambiguity.
But is Lang Junxia really unsympathetic? Duan Ling couldn't help recalling when he was a child, when Lang Junxia was lying on the couch on a snowy night in Beijing and was seriously injured. Countless pieces are intertwined, making him feel that Lang Junxia has feelings.
When his father came, the day Lang Junxia left, he still held him and didn't want him to go.
It's been these years in a flash, and the slap just now seemed to dispel the anger that Duan Ling had accumulated for a long time. Now that I think about it, my heart is empty.
If I get everything that belongs to me in the future, will I kill him and give him death
Duan Ling had never thought about this issue, but he couldn't help thinking about it that night. He didn't have to do it himself, Lang Junxia would have to die, and even if he pardoned him, the courtier would never let him go—but he didn't want to. Seeing Lang Junxia die in front of him.
Even if someone kills him silently, and then tells himself that Lang Junxia has disappeared, escaped, and went to the end of the world, his heart will be better, as if he doesn't see him die in front of his eyes, his memories will be gone. They are still there. After leaving Xunyang, the short-lived happiness and new world no longer seem like a joke.
Inside the hall:
"You are Wang Shan." Mu Jinzhi said leisurely, "Qing'er misses you every day, so my ears get calluses."
Duan Ling was busy bowing to the queen, and Mu Jinzhi said: "The people of the Mu family don't need to be too polite in front of me, go and eat dinner. After the exam, Qing'er screamed that he had a headache, and he just let him sleep, he let you Come and call him."
"You don't need to call him." Duan Ling replied, "Let him sleep more."
"That's what I said." Mu Jinzhi smiled sweetly, and said to Chao Wu: "You also go to eat."
Wu Du nodded, but didn't leave. He was watching Duan Ling to eat. Mu Jinzhi didn't force him to sit on the couch, watching the palace maid draw a small revolving lantern with pen and ink.
"How is the house?" Mu Jinzhi asked again, "Is it flooded?"
Duan Ling replied: "If you return to the Queen, everything will be fine."
Mu Jinzhi said: "Empty persuade your master to eat according to the order for three meals. Changpin is not by his side, and no one reminds him."
Duan Ling answered yes, glanced at Wu Du, raised his eyebrows, did you hear it? Mu Jinzhi was talking about Mu Kuangda, but Duan Ling often joked with Wu Du and shouted loudly, and now he is taking this to drive him to dinner.
Wu Du then retreated to the side hall to have dinner, and while eating, he still pricked up his ears to listen to the movement next door.
Duan Ling glanced at Mu Jinzhi's belly, but couldn't see the clue. Mu Jinzhi asked again, "Are you married?"
Duan Ling knew that as long as it was a person, he would definitely want to match a young talent like him.
Mu Jinzhi said, "I can't see it."
Mu Jinzhi looked at Duan Ling, suddenly burst out laughing, pushed the maid with the fan in his hand, and said, "Look at Wang Shan, who do I think he looks like?"
The palace maid also glanced at it, thought for a while, and said softly: "The corner of the mouth is a bit like the fifth princess."
Duan Ling groaned in his heart, with such sharp eyes, there shouldn't be any problem, so he had to make a dry laugh. Fortunately, Zheng Yan finally came, and he must have gotten the news and took Duan Ling away.
Duan Ling suddenly remembered that Changpin was not with Mu Kuangda? It does seem that he has not been seen for several days. Where did he go? At such an important time, where can Mu Kuangda send his long-term employees
The lamp was still lit in the imperial study room, and after a few coughs, Duan Ling began to worry about Li Yanqiu's body again. He was already frail and sickly, and he was busy with government affairs for many days. Look, don't be poisoned by Mu Kuangda or Cai Yan.
Just when someone brought medicine in, Duan Ling had an idea and stretched out his foot to trip the palace maid. The palace maid exclaimed, and the whole person threw herself on Duan Ling, and the medicine soup was sprinkled all over him.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Duan Ling said hurriedly.
The palace maid was busy, she cleaned up the broken porcelain, and went back to decoct the medicine. Duan Ling smelled the medicine on her body, but couldn't smell it. She looked up at Wu Du, who nodded in understanding.
"Who's outside?" Li Yanqiu asked.
"Report to Your Majesty." Zheng Yan replied, "It was Wang Shan and Wu Du who asked to see him."
"come in."
Duan Ling and Wu Du exchanged glances and pushed the door in.
"I haven't entered the dynasty yet." Li Yanqiu looked at Duan Ling and said, "It's more diligent than the Prime Minister."
Duan Ling replied, "The inferior has not dared to forget his concern for the country."
"I have read your paper." Li Yanqiu said slowly, "Over the years, Da Chen has been the only one who has made me feel sad for a while, and I can't help myself."
When Duan Ling looked up at Li Yanqiu, he saw that his eyes were red, and it seemed that he was indeed touched.