Two days later, Xiao Yu led his troops to Suzhou.
Su Ling leaned against the edge of the carriage window, raised her thin white arm and lifted the veil, and looked up at the scenery outside. The official road they were taking was heading south. It was already a winter moon, the snowy leaves were red and smoked. Lin Cui decreased, there were no wild geese in the clouds, and Qionglou Yuyu was gradually replaced by mountains and rivers.
I don't know how long it took, she slowly put down the mansa, raised her hand and rubbed the lower shoulder.
The shoulders were sore, not because the scenery outside was too charming, but because the man beside her actually drove Fuying to the accompanying carriage and sat in by herself.
What's more embarrassing is that the car is so spacious, but he wants to sit next to her.
They soon came to the foot of Zhangshan Mountain, crossed it, and reached Zhuo County, where they could cross the Henan.
With the sound of horse hooves, Fan Cheng tightened the reins, got off his horse, walked to the side of the chariot, and said, "His Royal Highness, it's time for you, it's getting dark soon, and the foot of Zhang Mountain is the most chaotic, and there may be bandits going forward. I thought it would be better to stop and rest, and then hurry up tomorrow."
Xiao Yu thought for a moment.
These men don't really care, but this time with many female dependents, there is really no need to try to stir up trouble.
Xiao Yu asked, "Where is Zeng Hu?"
Zeng Hu, who was originally an eighth-rank treasured banknote promotion secretary in the Ministry of Households, but because he was upright and did not know how to behave smoothly, he became an official sent by the court to implement the reform of the land and return to the school.
Leaving the capital and being transferred to the realm controlled by the local chieftain is a typical case of rising and falling.
Fan Chengdao: "Master Zeng is okay, but Mrs. Zeng has been crying and muttering. Suzhou is an ominous place."
Everyone knows why Mrs. Zeng said Suzhou is an ominous place.
In fact, before the reform of the land and the return to the current state, the imperial court would also send some officials to assist the chieftains in these areas, but they were only responsible for supervision and had no real power.
Unlike those bizarre bloody cases caused by Yinjiang County, Suzhou officials can always die after their term of office expires.
Either he died of illness on the way back to Beijing, he was murdered by an enemy family, or he contracted an epidemic. The last courtier was said to have colluded with bandits and was caught in the act. It is now unknown whether he is dead or alive.
In short, each of these officials had their own way of dying, and they all seemed reasonable.
But more and more people died, no matter how reasonable it was, it became unreasonable.
There must be something wrong with this Suzhou.
Xiao Yu whispered: "Tell Zeng Hu to come over, this king has something to tell him."
Fan Cheng said: "Yes."
The sky gradually darkened.
Xiao Yu came back from the discussion and leaned on the carriage to rest.
The wind blew through the treetops, and the night closed, Su Ling's breathing gradually became short and fast, leaning on the wall of the carriage, looking back and forth, the jewel cloud above her head swayed and followed.
"What are you looking for?" Xiao Yu squinted at her.
Su Ling said: "My concubine wants to find Fuying to bring two candles."
Xiao Yu raised his brows slightly, and said in a low voice, "Princess is so afraid of the dark?"
Thinking back to a few months ago, he also asked her this question, but at that time they couldn't speak calmly.
Of course she wouldn't answer him.
Su Ling nodded slightly, and said "um".
Xiao Yu turned to look at her. Not looking, but staring.
Su Ling blushed at his teasing gaze.
He hurriedly said, "Don't look at me like this, I, I'm not born timid."
At this time, Xiao Yu didn't take it seriously.
He just thought it was a good face for a little girl, so he nodded along with her, and made a perfunctory "uh".
It was this casual attitude that fell into Su Ling's eyes, but it had the effect of refusing and welcoming.
Su Ling took a deep breath and was about to open her mouth to explain when Xiao Yu moved towards her again.
The two shoulders immediately pressed together.
He said again: "Fan Cheng, come here with some torches."
The light of the fire shone through the manga, and the carriage was instantly as bright as day.
He held her cold fingertips and said, "Is it okay this time?"
Su Ling met his burning gaze.
She thought that the person in front of her was her husband after all, and life was always going on. After thinking about it for a while, she opened her mouth.
"There is a reason why both ministers and concubines are black."
With a smile in the corner of Xiao Yu's eyes, he put the cloak on her, looked at her and said, "Let's talk about it, Princess."
Su Ling nodded, silent for a while, and said, "It was probably eight years ago... When I was nine years old."
Xiao Yu rubbed his eyebrows. In fact, he was not curious about his daughter's thoughts, but it was rare for his princess to say something, so he could only listen carefully.
Su Ling looked out at the torches swaying in the wind, as if she was really looking back.
"It was a rainy day, and the thunder kept going. My father went to train and didn't come back, so I went to my mother's Shulan Hall to sleep. My mother slept very early that day, and I didn't think anything was wrong, so I stayed by her side. I lay down, put my arms around her and fell asleep, not caring at all why her arms were harder and cooler than usual."
Hearing this, Xiao Yu's eyes tightened.
He wanted to marry the daughter of the Su family, so he naturally investigated the Su family well.
Eight years ago, that wasn't exactly...
She whispered: "After dawn, no matter how I called my mother, she would not answer me, until I smelled a strange smell, I vaguely felt that something was wrong..."
Xiao Yu had already guessed what happened next.
Su Ling closed her eyes as if she couldn't bear to look directly, and said, "Later Zuo came for an autopsy. He said that my mother had a sudden heart attack, and she left long before I passed."
In other words, nine-year-old Su Ling slept all night beside her late mother.
No wonder she is so afraid of the dark.
Su Ling continued: "I still remember the way my father looked when he returned to the mansion, he knelt beside my mother for several nights, and now, he is also looking at my mother's hanging paintings all day and muttering to himself. I'm asking why."
"I've often wondered, if I had been smarter that day and called the doctor earlier, would I be fine."
Xiao Yu held her hand tightly.
"There is no sign of a sudden heart attack. The princess doesn't have to blame herself too much, and at that time, how old were you."
Xiao Yu had never coaxed the girl before, and now seeing her drooping brows and eyes, he couldn't help thinking of when his mother died, Xu Yu, he stretched out his hand to wrap her shoulders and rubbed it twice.
His hand strength was still a little big, and pinching her slightly hurt.
But Su Ling knew that this person was coaxing herself.
"Eight years have passed, and I've been fine for a long time." When she thought of getting along with him day and night in the future, she said directly: "It's just that I've been sleeping with the lights on all these years, I'm used to it."
Xiao Yu said slowly, "Well, I see."
The moon was bright, and the wind was cold.
Xiao Yu's palm didn't leave her shoulder all night, she leaned against him and didn't hide.
This year, she was seventeen and he was twenty.
It is not known where the heart is.
—
Early the next morning, they started their journey again, and the speed was very fast. Before noon, they arrived near the Caohe River.
The troops were divided into two groups, and Xiao Yu took the lead in getting on the boat with fifty guards and female relatives.
Zeng Hu took his wife to board the ship. After Madam Zeng stood firm, she turned around and threw packages of different sizes behind her onto the deck.
Madam Zeng looked back frequently.
The Zeng family was different from the others. They went to Suzhou this time, and they couldn't come back in a few years.
The guard walked over and said, "Master Zeng, let me help you."
Zeng Hu nodded and said, "Thank you."
After half an hour, the boat slowly left the shore.
They traveled through dozens of lakes, day and night, and it took them half a month to finally arrive in Suzhou.
The night dew was heavy, Xiao Yu tilted his head and said to the pale Su Ling: "It's almost there, go to the deck to breathe."
Su Ling was originally not seasick, but due to the unfavorable weather, the wind was blowing, and the waves were surging and turbulent, and several guards who were seven feet tall couldn't bear it, let alone the eldest girl from the Zhenguo Gongfu who had never suffered.
Su Ling pressed her eyes with both hands and didn't look at him, her whole body was dizzy, and she stopped staring.
Xiao Yu couldn't help but glanced at her, and immediately took her to the deck.
He surrounded her from behind and said, "I can open my eyes."
As soon as the wind blew, Su Ling's whole body lifted a little as if being poured into blood.
She swayed slightly, and her warm palms landed precisely on her crotch.
She leaned her back against his chest and slowly opened her eyes.
The fog lost the building, and the moon was lost in Jindu. Looking from a distance, I could still see a faint halo.
She raised her chin, looked up at him, and asked softly, "Can you be there in half an hour?"
He lowered his head and smiled, "Yes."
Xiao Yu could feel that she had let go of her guard.
Seeing this scene, the chins of several guards who were sitting in the corner drinking and drinking were about to drop.
The more rugged bodyguard armor, raised his thick eyebrows, and couldn't believe: "The one who is smiling is our Highness?"
Guard B said, "Are you hitting me, or am I hitting you?"
"Crack, snap." Two slaps sounded at the same time.
After a long silence, the rough man whispered: "So His Highness can laugh."
Guard B shoved his head hard and said, "Hurry up, hurry up, if you wink, if you hear it, just wait to die."
After half an hour, the boat gradually came to shore.
Su Ling was like a dying fish getting water again, her pupils lit up a bit.
But as soon as his feet landed, he stumbled.
Xiao Yu supported her with one hand and couldn't help but smile: "Slow down."
Immediately afterwards, there was a rustling footstep behind them.
Looking at the prestige, the official with the righteous and awe-inspiring at the head is the governor of Suzhou - Jin Guang.
Jin Guang and a group of people behind him all turned to Xiao Yu and wrote: "Xiaguan has seen His Royal Highness King Jin."
Xiao Yu frowned and said, "Don't be too polite."
Suzhou is thousands of miles away from the capital. It is said that His Majesty sent him to deal with Suzhou affairs, and this local governor should not know about it.
It seems that the news is still good.
Jin Guang got up and said, "Although Xiaguan knows that His Highness has important tasks, it is late tonight and the yamen is locked, so Xiaguan made a place for you to rest on his own initiative."
This man speaks very well.
Xiao Yu glanced at him and said, "Let's lead the way."
Although the toast looked upright and honest and reliable, no one dared to relax their vigilance.
After all, if Jin Guang is really what he looks like, there won't be so many low-ranking officials dying in Suzhou.
Xiao Yu was already prepared to deal with this person, but the next day before dawn, Jin Guang was downstairs in the hotel.
Dress neatly and have a very humble attitude.
Jin Guang walked into the house with two boxes, and said unhurriedly: "The boxes contain the expense account books of Suzhou, the yellow books of the common people, and the files of the former, county magistrates, and principals. This is all a stupid brain can think of."
The county magistrate and the chief minister refer to the deceased officials.
Jin Guang's move can be said to stretch his neck under the sword of King Jin.
Xiao Yu nodded and flipped through the case file, and said, "This king has heard that the last county magistrate, Han Yue, colluded with the bandits to divide the spoils, what about the others?"
Jin Guang said: "According to our Great Zhou Law..."
Xiao Yu said coldly: "This king only asks you, what about others."
Jin Guang sighed and said, "Fearing the crime, I committed suicide."
This is another dead one.