Liu Buwang's body had just been brought back, and he hadn't had time to discuss the burial. Someone came to inform Xiao Jue: The person sent by Her Royal Highness the Queen has found Chai Anxi.
Xiao Jue and Lin Shuanghe immediately rushed to the palace.
When they arrived at the palace hall of the palace, Mu Hongjin was talking to his subordinates. When he saw Xiao Jue and the two of them, he shook his head slightly and said, "He's dying."
When the two entered the house, they saw a person lying on the collapsed inside the house. There was an arrow in the man's heart, and he was bleeding non-stop, and a doctor-like man was pressing the wound for him. Lin Shuanghe let the man out, sat on the side of the collapse, felt his pulse, and shook his head at Xiao Jue: "It's no help."
He is just a doctor in the end, and fighting for his life with the King of Hell also depends on a little luck. Injured like this, it is impossible to save life. Lin Shuanghe took out a medicine bottle from his arms, poured a pill from it, and fed it into Chai Anxi's mouth.
After a short while, the collapsed man struggled to open his eyes.
Lin Shuanghe got up, "There's not much time, if you have anything to ask, ask as soon as possible, you can only breathe." He patted Xiao Jue on the shoulder and went out by himself.
Chai Anxi raised his head in a daze, and when he saw Xiao Jue's face, the already dim eyes suddenly burst into a little light, and he took a breath: "...Second Young Master?"
Xiao Jue stared at him indifferently.
"...Second son," Chai Anxi was a little excited, but as soon as he spoke, he spat out a large mouthful of blood and asked, "Why are you here?"
"I'm here to find you." Xiao Jue sat down on the chair before the collapse, his voice calm, "It's been five years, now I should be able to know what happened in the Mingshui battle."
Chai Anxi was stunned for a while, but did not speak for a while.
In fact, when Xiao Jue was young, he often saw Chai Anxi. Chai Anxi was Xiao Zhongwu's deputy. He wasn't the best in skill, but his temperament was the most honest and honest. He was like a black bear, and his figure was similar to Shen Han. When he was young, Chai Anxi occasionally worked for Xiao Zhongwu in the house. When he saw Xiao Jue, he always smiled honestly and called him: "Second Young Master!"
But now Chai Anxi, who was lying on the collapsed, was completely different from the Xiao Jue in his memory. Chai Anxi is about the same age as Xiao Zhongwu, and he is in his prime now, but he looks like an old man. His hair was white, and there was a burn mark on his face. I don't know if his figure is shriveled or what, it has become extremely small, just like a child who has not grown up. And the eyes he looked at Xiao Jue, there was no love from the past, and regret, guilty conscience, pain or something else.
Shockingly complex.
He smiled bitterly: "Second Young Master, in fact, you all know it."
Xiao Jue did not speak.
"The general was killed by someone, and this person... including me."
Xiao Jue raised his eyes suddenly, the fingers in his sleeves suddenly clenched into fists.
"You know," Chai Anxi said very hard, "the general has always been dissatisfied with Xu Xiang's excessive private power, but His Majesty has always trusted Xu Xiang. The general reminded His Majesty to be more wary of Xu Xiang's misfortune, and Xu Xiang has long been secretive to the general. Hate is added."
"Today's crown prince is tyrannical and cowardly, and he is in the same league as Xu Xiang. They have long disliked the general, and the two of them are afraid of the military power in the general's hands. Join forces and secretly plan the Mingshui battle with the southern barbarians. During the Mingshui battle, there were traitors in the Nanfu soldiers, and the general was attacked by the enemy on both sides.
Xiao Jue looked at him, her eyes like autumn water sneering, "Is the traitor referring to you?"
Chai Anxi's expression became painful: "I'm sorry, Second Young Master... I'm sorry, they threatened me with my mother, my mother is seventy years old, I... I promised them and gave them a copy of the general's defense plan... I wasn't the only one. At that time, among the soldiers of Nanfu, and among the general's cronies, there were others who betrayed. They forced their wives, children, and children.
"Why did you go to Jiyang later?"
"Xu Xiang... How can Xu Xiang allow people who know the truth to live in the world? Several of the rebels at that time were later silenced in the battle of Mingshui. I was lucky to escape. I wanted to go back and escape with my mother. Knowing that when I got home, my mother had passed away... Xu Xiang's people were searching for my whereabouts. I heard the general say that Jiyang City is easy to get out, hard to enter, and the easiest to hide, so I used some methods to hide my name and hide in Jiyang."
"Second son... In fact, I have always wanted to stand up and explain what happened in those years. But even if I was in Jiyang, I could hear the news that Xu Xiang's power was getting stronger and stronger. Everyone is dead, there is no evidence, no one will believe it. I want to go to find you, but as soon as I leave Jiyang City, my news will spread, and Xu Xiang will not let me live to see you. So I can only wait , I know that if Second Young Master is still alive, one day he will find me."
Tears gradually leaked from the corners of his eyes, "You're here, it's great... Second Young Master, you've grown up. If the general is still here, it will be very gratifying to see you now."
Xiao Jue looked at his tears without any emotion on his face, only said, "Who killed you?"
"...I don't know." Chai Anxi said blankly, "As early as 20 days ago, when I was in Cuiwei Pavilion, someone wanted to kill me, and a fire was set at night, and I escaped. The injury was left at that time. Later, I hid it until... Until the Uto people came to Jiyang, I knew the news of the second son and wanted to come to you, but I was chased and killed on the way... "
He is no longer the warrior under Xiao Zhongwu back then. For so many years, his age and skills are not comparable to those of the past, and because of that fire, he was injured and was easily ambushed and killed. All he could do was to hold his breath, to be able to see Xiao Jue alive, to see how the boy grew up back then, and to express the guilt and remorse in his heart one by one.
"I... I don't have anything I can do to help the second son, and I'm just asking for peace of mind. I owe the general, the wife, the eldest son, the second son, and the brothers. ." He seemed to be crying and also seemed to be laughing, "When I get to the ground, I will personally kowtow to the general to apologize..." His voice stopped abruptly, his eyes were still open, but there was no light.
he died.
Xiao Jue sat quietly, lowered her eyes and said nothing. After a while, she stood up and walked out of the door.
Chai Anxi is dead, and the last insider in the Battle of Mingshui is gone. He couldn't bring a dead person back to Shuojing as a witness, and Chai Anxi didn't leave anything that could be used as evidence.
This visit was nothing but confirmation of some of the things he had guessed at the beginning.
Mu Hongjin and Lin Shuanghe were waiting for him outside, and when they saw Xiao Jue come out, Mu Hongjin said, "When the Utuo people came, the situation was complicated, and I couldn't send someone to find him. After the incident, someone found out the whereabouts of Chai Anxi. , When my men found him, he was being hunted and killed, and when he was rescued, he was already seriously injured. I asked the doctor in the city to temporarily stop the bleeding... " Mu Hongjin looked at Xiao Jue's expression, slightly Frowning: "Is he dead?"
Xiao Jue: "Dead."
She sighed and said nothing.
After searching for so long, it was a pity that someone was finally found, but died.
Lin Shuanghe asked, "Huai Jin, what are your plans for the future?"
Xiao Jue was silent for a while before saying, "Chai Anxi is dead, and the military situation in Jiyang has been levelled. We will leave for Liangzhou in a few days."
"Are you leaving?" Mu Hongjin was a little reluctant. "You didn't stay here for long. Why don't you wait until the small building comes back?"
Xiao Jue said, "There are other things to do."
In this way, Mu Hongjin is not easy to keep. He said with a smile: "Anyway, Jiyang City can be saved this time, thanks to Governor Xiao. This hall will write a memorial and listen to it, and Your Majesty will definitely reward it."
"No need." Xiao Jue turned around and walked forward. He didn't seem to be interested in these things, so he was a little impatient. Lin Shuanghe scratched his head and explained, "Huaijin is in a bad mood at the moment, so please don't have the same knowledge as him, Your Highness."
Mu Hongjin shook his head. As a hero of Jiyang City, she is grateful no matter what.
"By the way," as if thinking of something, Xiao Jue paused for a while, without looking back, his voice was a little deep, "Your Highness knows that Mr. Liu is gone."
Mu Hongjin's expression froze.
…
In the Cui Mansion, in the house, Chu Zhao was cooking tea in a small stove.
With a calm expression and patient movements, Ying Xiang handed him the handkerchief. He held the handle of the pot and put the teapot on the table.
"Chai Anxi should be dead." Ying Xiang said softly.
"It took five years to find a place like Jiyang, and Chai Anxi is considered a talent." Chu Zhao smiled slightly.
"But Fourth Young Master," Ying Xiang was puzzled, "why didn't you kill him directly, but kept him on purpose, let him see Dudu Xiao and tell the truth, wouldn't it expose the Xiangye?"
"Even if he didn't say it, Xiao Huaijin would have already guessed who was behind the scenes." Chu Zhao smiled indifferently, "Speaking it out is just to make him feel more at ease. If Chai Anxi loses his temper in front of him, he will also I hate Xiangye even more. The more threats Xiao Huaijin poses to Xiangye, the more Xiangye will value me. After all, no one knows better than Xiangye what checks and balances are."
"Besides, this is Jiyang. Since no one is around, what we do is our own business." He said lightly: "It is up to us to reduce or increase the fire."
Yingxiang nodded: "I understand. The fourth son, now that Chai Anxi is dead, and the matter that Xiangye explained to us has been done, are we going to go back to Shuojing?"
"No," Chu Zhao said, "I was curious about one thing, so I decided to go to Liangzhou Wei first."
"Liangzhou Guard?" Ying Xiang was surprised, "That's the territory of Governor Xiao." Chu Zhao and Xiao Jue have never dealt with each other, and in Liangzhou Guard, Chu Zhao will never get any favors.
"So it would be interesting to grab people on Xiao Huaijin's territory."
The tea leaves in the teacup floated up and down, he watched and laughed slowly.
…
The time to go back was set in two days. After Liu Buwang was buried, He Yan and Xiao Jue set off back to Liangzhou Wei.
When I came to Jiyang this time, there were many happy places and many sad pains. The most regrettable thing is that I have just reunited with my old friend, and I will say goodbye forever.
He Yan became uncharacteristically silent, and slowly packed his luggage in the room. In fact, there were only a few pieces of luggage, and He Yan couldn't bring back the women's clothes that Lin Shuanghe paid for her at Xiuluofang in Jiyang. She is a "big man" and carries women's clothes with her, so she will probably be looked at with strange eyes.
Therefore, He Yan kept all the clothes and shoes with jewelry and gave them to Cui Yuezhi's four concubines. It's just that when I pack up and pack up, I look at it and feel a little reluctant to give up. It's probably because I've been a woman for a long time, and I feel a little uncomfortable when I become a man at first.
There was a face man under the pillow. The dough is not as bright as it was when it was first made, and it is a little dull, and the dough is gradually drying out, and there are even signs of cracking. He Yan picked it up and looked at it carefully before his eyes.
It was the Water God Festival, Xiao Jue and her took the firefly boat to Luoyingquan on the way, they saw a hawker with a noodle maker on the water, and pinched one according to her appearance. Her long hair is braided on her forehead and hangs down the back of her head. She wears a red skirt, black boots, and smiles Yanyan. She looks unfamiliar and like her.
I knew early on that if I bought this thing, I could not bring it back to Liangzhou Wei. But He Yan really wanted to stay here, and He Yan was reluctant. It seems that the place where the face person exists is the place where the memory exists. If you leave it here, you will abandon Jiyang's memory.
But she was unwilling to let go of these sad or happy memories.
"Don't want to take it back?" Xiao Jue sat at the table and glanced at her.
He Yan sighed, "Take it back for fear of being discovered by the people of Liangzhou Wei, and it will be bad if you show your feet."
Xiao Jue twitched the corner of his mouth: "You're not very good at deceiving people, why can't you even find an excuse?"
He Yan thought to himself, nothing else, but when it comes to concealing her identity, from her past life to this life, she has really been cautious. After all, the embankment of a thousand miles was destroyed in the ant's nest, and the whole game was lost in one accident. Still be careful.
"Careful to sail the ten thousand year ship." She said, but she firmly squeezed Mianren's wooden stick in her hand and was reluctant to let it go.
Xiao Jue sneered: "You can say, buy it back and give it to your fiancee."
He Yan was startled and looked at him: "Is this okay?"
"You are not Yujie Bingqing, you are like a jade for your fiancée, so infatuated, you naturally think about it wherever you go. Why not buy a souvenir face person to send back?"
This statement reminded He Yan. Also, she seemed to be someone who had a "fiancee". For a while, she felt that Xiao Jue's reason was very reasonable. He picked up the noodle man, put them into the bag together, and praised Xiao Jue: "Captain, I now realize that you are the real master when it comes to deceiving people."
Xiao Jue put down the military book in his hand, looked at her, and raised his eyebrows slightly.
"I said it casually, don't take it to heart." He Yan sighed, "It's just that after staying in Jiyang for a long time, I still feel a little reluctant to return to Liangzhou Wei."
Such a gentle water town and simple people will naturally give birth to nostalgia when they come. I don't know if there is a chance to come again in this life, but even if I come here again, I don't know how many years later.
"Do you want to stay?" Xiao Jue asked.
He Yan nodded, then shook his head again: "No. I like it here, but there are more important things to do."
If she didn't have the grievances and grievances in her previous life, and simply used the identity of "He Yan", if she could live here for a long time, she would not be able to get it. But she still has unbroken grievances, no matter how beautiful the scenery is, she can't stop, she has to keep moving forward.
"You mean making meritorious deeds?" His voice was slightly mocking.
He Yan smiled and said, "That's right. But the Governor, you promised me before that as long as you come to Jiyang City to do business, you will let me join the army in Nanfu, but it's still a matter of words."
Xiao Jue: "Count."
He Yan was happy, at least she was a little closer to the goal she wanted.
Xiao Jue lowered her eyes to hide the deep meaning in her eyes, and when she raised her head again, her expression had returned to calm. Just as he was about to speak, someone knocked on the door, and it was Cuijiao's voice, "Madam."
"Come in."
Cuijiao walked in, holding a neatly folded piece of clothing in her hand. She glanced at Xiao Jue first, looking a little embarrassed.
"What's wrong?" He Yan asked.
"The fourth son of Chu next door... Let the servants return this piece of clothing to you, saying that thanks to the protection of the lady's dress, I can get out of my body. I am very grateful."
He Yan remembered that when Chu Zhao gave her Mu Hongjin's clothes, He Yan once gave him the "invulnerable, invulnerable, water and fire" silk silk skirt, and asked him to put it on as armor. If he hadn't asked Cuijiao to return it, He Yan would have almost forgotten.
He Yan thought about it, put it on the table, and returned to Liangzhou Wei. She is also a daughter, and this dress is no longer needed, so she will leave it to Cui Yuezhi's concubines. .
As soon as it was put away, Xiao Jue's slightly cold eyes met.
The young man looked at her sideways and said calmly, "You gave the clothes I bought to Chu Zilan?"
"You didn't buy it," He Yan said honestly, "Isn't this what Brother Lin paid for?"
Xiao Jue looked indifferent.
He Yan realized that this person was angry, and when he thought about it, he and Chu Zilan were mortal enemies, but he gave Chu Zilan what he had chosen, so he would naturally feel unhappy.
She thought about it for a while, and took the initiative to explain, "At that time, I asked Cuijiao to give me the clothes of Her Royal Highness. Brother Chu was afraid that a little girl in Cuijiao would have an accident, so he came to give it to him. I saw that he was a big man without the power to restrain the chicken. On the edge of the canal, if you encounter a Uto man, you can hack to death with two knives. Didn't the guy at Xiuluofang say that this skirt is invulnerable to fire and water, and I am not afraid of armor, so I use this skirt as armor sent to him."
At that time, the situation was so chaotic that He Yan even forgot that the clothes were women's clothes, and she gave them to Chu Zilan. I was afraid that Chu Zilan would not wear them either.
"Brother Chu?" Xiao Jue asked slowly.
He Yan took a step back, knowing that he was wrong again, "The fourth son of Chu, the fourth son of Chu."
He sneered: "I see you and Chu Zilan are very familiar."
"No, it's not too familiar." He Yan said sternly: "It's just a chance encounter, and I won't see you again in the future."
"Let me remind you again," the young man was slightly impatient and his voice was cold, "You can like anyone, but if you like Chu Zilan, you just don't know how to live or die."