After waiting anxiously for a whole day, in the evening, Xie Ming and Yuanmai came back, bringing back news that made everyone even more worried-the men of Huanwei and Yuqinwei encountered the full confrontation of the Deity Sect and suffered heavy losses. "Yizhongren" was shot by a poisoned arrow and died on the way back to the capital.
However, the Deity Sect didn't get much benefit. If Sima Xian died, it would mean that there would be no leader. Even if Sima Xian's son is now the messenger of the deity, his prestige is not enough. It can be said that both the imperial court and the Deity Sect suffered in this battle.
Hu Anwei and Yuqinwei have been looking for the assassin who killed Sima Xian. It is said that the Empress Dowager takes this matter very seriously. They met the Imperial Guards in the town today, which is located in the remote southwest. The fact that the Imperial Guards found this place also showed that this assassin was very important to them.
Xie Ming's face turned pale and said, "We heard that the assassin was seriously injured by the people around Sima Xian."
"Your Excellency is seriously injured?!" Xiaoqin's body swayed, "The one who assassinated Sima Xian is Your Lord!"
Yuan Mai's face turned pale and said, "Listen to what the people in the teahouse are talking about."
Yuande looked at everyone and said, "This must be the reason why the adults have not returned. If the adults are injured, they have to find a place to recuperate. We are far away and there is no good medicine. , I think he must have found the lord. No news is good news, the lord must still be alive!" He looked at Yuan Mai, "Did the imperial guards notice you?"
Yuanmai shook his head: "No. They didn't even look at me, they just questioned me in the medicine hall and the inn."
"That's good." Yuande thought for a while, and said, "The lord hasn't come back, we can't be in a mess, everyone is ready to come back at any time. The lord said, we will leave here as soon as he comes back."
Everyone nodded, their faces heavy and worried. In the room, two children under one year old slept soundly, unaware of the dangers of this world.
※※※
The two horses entered the "Lianshan City" slowly, and the two on the horses were unremarkable. It was already bright, people had already woken up, and the streets were full of liveliness after getting up in the morning.
Lianshan City is a small town on the southwestern border of the Southern Chu Kingdom. It is backed by several continuous mountains, hence the name. Because of the remote location, the forces of Huanwei and Yuqinwei hardly penetrated here, and the war like fire like tea at this time has no effect on this place.
The people of the small town live a simple life of working at sunrise and resting at sunset, but recently, some unfamiliar imperial guards have disturbed the tranquility of these people. Although the people here are simple, they also know what Yuqinwei and Huanwei represent. Fortunately, this group of people stayed here for two days and left, and the people were all relieved.
The two found a place to have breakfast first. They spoke the local dialect and wore local clothes, which did not attract the attention of others. There are many small villages in the rolling mountains, and the conversation between the two seems to come from there.
The two looked around quietly, and after finding that there was no suspicious person, they rode their horses and went through Lianshan City to the deep mountains.
※※※
In the small village, because of the news of a certain adult's delayed return and serious injury, there is a strong atmosphere of worry. The first thing everyone does after getting up every day is to look at the entrance of the village, but everyone returns disappointed.
Yuan Mai came out of the yard for the fifth time and looked around. He has very complicated feelings for that lord, but like everyone else, he doesn't like that lord's accident, and even very much hopes that lord will come back sooner.
Because he wasn't tall enough, Yuan Mai climbed up a big tree by the door vigorously, so he could see further.
In the past, he would never do such unruly things, but now, after going through great changes, he has learned many things that he once despised: climbing trees, farming, fetching water, folding bedding by himself, and so on. He walked out in a coarse cloth, and no one would believe that he was the prince of Yue.
After looking at it for a long time, there was still no one, Yuan Mai sat on the tree trunk in disappointment.
At this time, two vague black spots appeared at the mountain pass of the village. Yuanmai was stunned for a moment, then jumped up from the tree trunk and almost fell to the ground.
With his heart pounding, Yuan Mai rubbed his eyes and tried to keep them open. People in the village will never go out unless necessary, and if anyone wants to go out, they will definitely tell everyone. Yuanmai didn't hear anyone going out, so it must not be from the village!
"Uncle! Someone is coming! Someone is coming!" Yuanmai shouted at the top of his voice.
I saw Yuan De rushing out of the house, Aunt Yuan, Xiao Qin... people from all households came out of the house.
"Who is it?!" Yuan De ran out.
"I can't see clearly, it's two people!"
"Two people?!"
Yuan De tried his best to open his somewhat presbyopic eyes. When he saw the two waving at them, his eyes instantly became wet, and he waved excitedly and shouted: "The lord is back! The lord is back!"
"My lord is back!"
As soon as everyone heard it, they all rushed in the direction of the two. Yuan Mai jumped off the tree and rushed over.
That man is back!
As they approached, everyone could see it clearly, and there were tears of excitement in everyone's eyes.
The two people immediately came down, Xiaoqin squeezed through the crowd and threw herself into the arms of one person: "Sir!"
The man hugged Xiaoqin with one hand and smiled lightly at the excited crowd: "I made you worry. I'm back."
The last four words were said with a sense of relief and emotion.
Yuande wiped his eyes and said, "Xiaoqin, don't hold the adults, it's so cold, let the adults in!"
Xiaoqin was shocked, and quickly let go of the adults, crying and laughing: "Look at me, I'm ignorant. The adults come in quickly, are you hungry?"
"Huaiqiu and I ate outside." The adults let go of Xiaoqin and noticed Yuanmai who had been watching him.
Yuan Mai pursed his lips, stepped forward, and bowed to the adults: "Thank you for saving your life."
"Your son is very polite." The lord helped Yuanmai, still indifferent, "I didn't expect your mother and Erniang to commit suicide."
Tears flashed in Yuanmai's eyes: "I know. The adults can save my brother and me, and my father. This kindness will never be forgotten by Yuanmai."
"That's not necessary, I just saved you from my heart." Not wanting to say more, the lord smiled at the crowd again: "Let's go, it's really cold outside."
"Get in the house, get in the house!"
A group of people surrounded the adults and entered Yuande's yard.
Looking at the corn hanging on the wall, the adult took a deep breath and was surrounded by everyone and entered the room.
※※※
The small village is very lively today. When the adults came back, everyone's hearts were at ease, and everyone was crowded in Yuande's room, waiting for the adults to arrange.
Yuan De spoke first and asked, "I heard that you were seriously injured. Where is the injury? Are you okay?"
Everyone looked at the old man's pale face with concern.
The lord didn't answer, but the man who was sitting next to him who came back with him replied: "I almost lost my life. Yuqinwei, Hu'anwei and people from the Deity Sect were all looking for him. Hiding in Yunyang City. The more dangerous the place is, the safer it is. Everyone thought he had escaped, and they never thought we were under their noses."
"Is your injury healed?" Xiaoqin's eyes were red.
"All right."
The simple two words hide the danger and pain in it, but everyone here has climbed out of the palace of the king of hell, how can they not hear it
As if this injury was not worth mentioning, the lord went on to talk about the business: "Yi Zhongren is dead, I am Lin Ruhai now."
This lord is none other than Yi Zhong who was sought by all parties.
"Lin?!" Yuan De's face changed, staring at Yi Zhongren in astonishment, "You are, from the Lin family..."
Most of the people in the room changed their faces.
Yuanmai looked at the uncle suspiciously, the Lin family
A cold light flashed in Yi Zhongren's eyes: "I am the only surviving member of the Lin family."
"Huh!" He gasped, and even Huaiqiu looked like he couldn't believe it.
Yuan De's lips trembled, he grabbed Yi Zhongren's hand, now Lin Ruhai: "Lin Xiangye is yours..."
"grandfather."
"Oh!" Yuan De's eyes filled with tears instantly, "You are, you are the grandson of Mr. Lin... Chongren, no, like the sea, fifteen years, fifteen years... You... you... "
Everyone who knew about the Lin family couldn't help crying.
Xie Ming's father, Xie Dan, with tears in his eyes, explained to a few young people who didn't know why: "Fifteen years ago, when the late emperor was still alive, the Lin family was involved in an unjust case, and the whole family was beheaded."
"Lin He Unjust Prison?" Huaiqiu was shocked, he remembered it!
Xie Dan nodded: "The late emperor was suspicious by nature. Although the Lin family was a senior official of the three dynasties, the late emperor served as Huanwei and Yuqinwei to slander Lin Xiangye and He Shangshu. At that time, the blood of the two murdered people stained the capital. , blizzard in June."
Yuan Mai couldn't help but gasped.
And Yi Zhongren was still indifferent, as if it had nothing to do with himself, and only said: "The Lin family has long since died, and the reason why I have restored my surname is because I am too lazy to change my name. After more than ten years, not many people will remember Lin anymore. Home. It is hidden in the city, we are going to Yucheng Pass this time."
"Yuchengguan?!" Everyone was shocked, and Yuanmai was the most surprised.
Yi Zhongren nodded: "Yuecheng Pass is an important place guarded by the King of Yue, and there will be no imperial guards and Hu'an guards, nor will there be any followers of the Deity Sect. It is the safest. If the King of Yue is defeated, we will withdraw again. Just come."
"Father will not be defeated!" Yuan Mai's eyes burned with hatred.
Yi Zhongren looked over and said, "Then take the good words of the prince. But the prince, you can only be Yuanmai now. Even if you reach Wangchengguan, you have to remain anonymous. You and your younger brother are both the weak points of your father and the king, and you must not Let people know where you are."
Yuan Mai nodded heavily: "I know, I won't go to the father!" He held back tears when he said this. After all, he is a child who is not yet eleven years old, and it is not easy to endure not seeing his father.
A glimmer of admiration flashed in Yi Zhongren's eyes: "I will teach you martial arts in person after arriving at Yucheng Pass. In order not to drag your father's back, you must make yourself stronger."
"The great kindness of your lord, Yunkai will keep it in his heart, and he will never forget it in his life." Yuanmai, the Prince of Yue, Huo Yunkai, knelt down and kowtowed three times to Yi Zhongren.
Yi Zhongren didn't hide, he bent over to support Huo Yunkai, and said, "For me, the Lin family's great revenge has been avenged, and His Royal Highness will call me Uncle Lin from now on. Small request."
"Uncle Lin, please speak."
Yi Zhongren hugged a thin child from an old lady's hand. He pulled up the child's left hand and opened his sleeve. There was an obvious scar on the child's wrist.
Huo Yunkai was no stranger to this scar, and there was some kind of guilt in his eyes.
"The prince should already know. Jiabao is the child of my replacement for your brother. He suffered blood loss for your brother, and I am afraid that his body will be affected in the future. I want the prince to promise me that no matter when, he will protect Jiabao. comprehensive."
"Jiabao is also my younger brother, and I will love him like a bean."
"beans?"
Huo Yunkai's precocious face had a tender smile that should be expected at his age: "It's Yuandou. I call him Douzi, and Jiabao is Baozi."
"Douzi, Baozi..." Yi Zhongren also had a smile on his pale face, "It looks like a pair of brothers."
"Douzi and Baozi are both my younger brothers." Huo Yunkai said it again seriously.
Looking at Huo Yunkai's eyes that looked like Huo Feng, Yi Zhongren handed the child over to the aunt, his expression suddenly firm: "Give everyone a day's preparation time, and leave tonight at midnight."
No one will ask unnecessary questions, everyone should go home and clean up. Yuande didn't move, Yi Zhongren knew that he had something to say to himself, and asked Huaiqiu to take Huo Yunkai away.
"grown ups."
"Old brother." Yi Zhongren obviously didn't want to hear the other party calling him that again.
Yuan De smiled, his smile full of gratitude.
"I always thought you were the nails in the palace, but I didn't expect..." Taking a deep breath, he said solemnly, "I've been thinking lately, maybe, it's time for us old bones to come out."
Yi Zhongren took Yuande's hand: "Brother, think about it clearly."
Yuande patted Yi Zhongren's hand and smiled: "Brother believes in your vision. You chose the King of Yue to take over the world, and I believe that he will not be a foolish ruler. In recent years, what I have learned the most is, That's what you said to me: 'When the emperor no longer pity his people and let the tigers and wolves rule, we should choose those who can live there.' "If it weren't for you, we would have died tragically in the hands of Zhang Zhong and Sun Jiyu. In his hands, not only could he not have any clear names, but he could not even get a trace of guilt from the emperor. Our loyalty and our righteousness will only lead to more difficult days for the people. The old brother promises you that if King Yue is also a faint-hearted monarch who cannot be helped, the old brother will immediately withdraw without hesitation. "
Yi Zhongren let out a low laugh: "Brother, just go if you want. If I can get my brother out of Zhang Zhong and Sun Jiyu's hands, what are the others afraid of?"
Yuande laughed: "Brother, I decided to go out because of you."
"Go."
※※※
That night, all the people in this small village disappeared overnight without knowing where to go. No one will pay attention to this small village deep in the mountains, and no one will pay attention to these villagers who rarely leave the village.
In mid-April, a dog family with the surname Lin came to Yuchengguan and bought the largest courtyard in Yuchengguan. The family alone had forty or fifty people.
Many people are quite curious, why would someone move their family to Yuchengguan in a chaotic world? But it didn't take long for them to figure out that the South Chu country was in chaos now, and Yucheng Pass was the back defense of the King of Yue, but it was the safest place.
Many people speculated that the Lin family had migrated from the capital, because many of them had a capital accent.
At the beginning, everyone was very curious about the Lin family, but over time, gradually, everyone's attention shifted to the war.
Mrs. Yizhong is gone, or rather dead. Yizhong's death is no longer a secret, but to some. They can't accept that the real Yizhong is dead.
Empress Dowager Ru was furious in the palace for several months, and then she burst into tears.
But there is one person who always thinks that Yi Zhongren is still alive. Because Yizhong people can't die, absolutely can't die.
After reading the secret letter he had just received, Huo Feng's face was gloomy, but also a bit heavy. Yi Zhongren disappeared, no one knew where he was, he seemed to be really dead.
- "You are a coward."
- "I have always looked down on you, and now even more."
- "It seems to be fifteen today. I wonder if the moon tonight will be as round as it was that night?"
- "My lord, go all the way."
Huo Feng's fists slammed heavily on the table.
How could that person with such deep scheming die! He must be hiding! What that person wants from the beginning to the end is not power, but to turn the world into a puddle of muddy water, and even himself is likely to be that person's pawn.
Huo Feng didn't know Yi Zhongren at all, but with Ji Di's various investigations on Yi Zhongren's past in the capital, and as Huo Feng thought about it, he became more and more sure of his guess.
People of Yizhong, people of Yizhong, don't ask this king to find you... You owe this king, too much explanation!
"My lord, someone is outside asking to see you."
Huo Feng quickly put away his thoughts. He had just defeated the reinforcements from the Kun Kingdom the day before yesterday, and now the reinforcements from the Kun Kingdom have retreated to the city again. He also ordered the army to rest in place and think about countermeasures.
"who is it?"
"They wouldn't say it, they just said they wanted to see the prince in person."
Huo Feng's eyebrows tightened. He frowns frequently now, and there are three more folds between his brows.
"Let them in."
After burning Jidi's secret letter, Huo Feng took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He was already the calm King of Yue.
The curtain was lifted, and there were about a dozen people, old and young, coming in from outside. As soon as he saw the old man at the head, Huo Feng stood up abruptly, his body shaking violently.
The old man saluted Huo Feng Shi Shiran, and said, "Zhang Deyuan, the grassman, and his son Zhang Huaiqiu, come to join the prince."
"The grassman Xie Dan, with his son Xie Ming, came to defect to the prince."
"Lin Xiang, Caominzong, come to join the prince."
"Grass people..."
Not to mention Huo Feng, even the soldiers stationed outside were stunned when they heard the sound coming from inside. Zhang Deyuan? Well, isn't that the former prime minister who died under the traitorous Yi Chongren!
Huo Feng only felt his head explode, and a pair of eyes appeared in his mind.
"My lord, go all the way."