What are you looking at
The minister was alert but also a little curious.
The eunuch's belly was surprisingly large, like a pregnant woman. When he bent over and half-knelt, his belly almost touched the ground. The eunuch frowned, worried that the man's waist would be broken by the weight in his belly. He asked, "Are you pregnant?"
Could it be that this eunuch is a woman
The eunuch smiled bitterly and said, "Sir, please don't tease me. Although I have been stabbed and lost my male sex, I have not given birth to female sex. How can I get pregnant? Please wait for a while. This thing is tightly tied and it is not easy to untie it."
After saying that, he kept half-kneeling and bent over, and struggled to untie the three layers of straps inside and outside. Finally, he held his heavy belly with one hand and threw the last section of straps aside with the other hand. He panted lightly and carefully lifted the things to the ground with both hands.
The attendant heard a slight sound of something falling to the ground.
Looking closely, it turned out to be a pottery jar.
He wondered, “What is this?”
The eunuch replied in a low voice: "It is the remains of Lord Yan."
The minister did not remember who the "Yan Gong" was for a moment. After all, everyone in the court knew that Yan An's body had been chopped up and fed to dogs. It was not until he stared at the eunuch for a few breaths, under the latter's expectant eyes, that a bold idea came to the minister's mind. It was like an electric current passing through his body. He suddenly opened his eyes wide, pointed at the pottery jar, and whispered in disbelief: "Is it, is it Yan Xingning?"
The eunuch nodded: "It is Lord Yan."
The attendant was so frightened that he looked up and looked around, and hurriedly closed the door and bolted it. Then he turned back and grabbed the eunuch's arm and asked hurriedly: "Hasn't Xingning's body been taken away to feed... those little beasts? Why is he here?"
The eunuch explained timidly, "I was on duty in the cat and dog room, and I couldn't bear to see Lord Yan's body being treated like this, and I couldn't bear to see it being eaten by the little beasts in the cat and dog room. After discussing with others, I said that the little beasts were picky eaters and didn't like human flesh, so I decided to throw Lord Yan's body into the furnace and burn it... Although this action won't leave a complete body, if the tyrant pursues it, I can use animal bones to replace it later..."
It's better to leave a complete body and ashes than feed them to cats and dogs.
The eunuch looked at the minister nervously, not sure whether the latter was happy or angry, fearing that the latter would suddenly attack and kill him. He swallowed his saliva, and continued with a sense of courage: "Lord Yan was kind to me. If it weren't for Lord Yan's persistence, I don't know how many people would have died in the snow disasters in the past two years. I would not have had the opportunity to enter the palace to make a living..."
Although he was a eunuch, he knew how to repay kindness.
The temporary palace did not keep a close eye on eunuchs like them, and when he accidentally learned that the Minister of the Interior had been released, he bravely came out.
The attendant murmured, "How daring you are!"
Preserve Yan An's body under Zheng Qiao's nose.
It was something he didn't even dare to think about.
"Aren't you afraid of death?"
Yan An assassinated Zheng Qiao when his anger was at its highest. If Zheng Qiao knew what these eunuchs had done, all the maggots in the ancestral grave would be caught out and smashed upright.
The eunuch whispered, "It's just a worthless life, so I'll just die."
"Well, there's no need to be so self-deprecating. Who isn't born with two arms, two legs and a head? Once you're cornered, you'll be killed with one blow." Although the Shizhong was born into a noble family, the situation in the northwest continent was in chaos. The so-called noble families could be destroyed at any time. As a result, he lost the arrogance that was born into a noble family.
The character and integrity of this eunuch in front of me is also worthy of admiration.
Upon hearing this, the eunuch burst into tears of gratitude and bowed: "Please trouble your Excellency to find a quiet place with good feng shui for Lord Yan to rest in peace. This will also comfort Lord Yan's spirit in heaven."
"I'm afraid I can't do what you ask..." The eunuch's face turned pale when he heard this, and then he heard the waiter say, "Because Xingning still has blood relatives alive, don't worry, I will personally hand over his remains to his descendants."
The eunuch's mood was so mixed that he was almost frightened to death.
But he was overjoyed to hear that Yan An's relative was still alive.
She bowed deeply again: "Very good, very good, I am relieved now. I bow to the Minister of the Court on behalf of Lord Yan!"
After saying that, he prepared to go back under the cover of night.
The minister hurriedly stopped him: "Why are you going back?"
It would be better to follow them and leave this place of trouble. Shouldn't such a gracious eunuch deserve to be alive more than Zheng Qiao
The eunuch politely declined the invitation from the Minister, and whispered: "I was able to come out thanks to the help of several colleagues. If I don't go back at the appointed time, I'm afraid it will implicate them. Minister, don't worry about me. Right and wrong, good and bad, are all determined by fate..."
Looking at this young eunuch, the attendant was speechless for a moment.
The eunuch stopped at the door, turned around and bowed sincerely to the minister, saying: "I wish you a long and prosperous literary career."
The attendant looked at the young eunuch and returned the greeting.
The young eunuch came quietly and left quietly.
After a long while, the wife who had been hiding came out. She looked at the pottery jar brought by the eunuch and asked her husband with questioning eyes.
The minister looked as if he had survived a disaster.
Said: "It was a close call, let's continue cleaning up."
Finally, before daybreak, the family drove through the morning mist away from this troubled place that was about to be engulfed by war.
To go to Longwu County, you must first cross the river, and then go to Yanzhou to Liguan. Yanzhou is now in the hands of the Dragon Slaying Bureau coalition, and most of the coalition forces are warlords with their own troops, and a few are also ruthless people who have climbed up from the bottom. The Minister of the Court is an official in the court, and he knows the nature of these people too well. He doesn't want to escape from Zheng Qiao's tiger's den and fall into the wolf's den of these ruthless people.
The wife of the Shizhong suggested that they could take a detour to her parents' home to avoid disaster, and then make plans after Zheng Qiao and the others had decided the outcome of the war.
She personally didn't want to go to Longwu County.
Firstly, it is remote and barbaric, with foreigners rampant, so it is not a good place to go; secondly, the whole family cannot withstand the long journey. From here to Longwu, they don’t know how many troubles they will face along the way, such as banditry, war, and fierce beasts. How can they bear it
As for the Broken Sword and Yan An's Corpse...
It’s not too late to send it when everything is calm.
But she is not the one who makes the decision.
The minister thought for a moment and ordered the driver to turn towards Cunshan. He planned to arrive before Zheng Qiao sent out his troops.
Upon hearing this, the lady of the imperial court was horrified and asked, "Didn't the young master just say that the people in the Dragon Slaughter Bureau were a den of wolves? If they were a den of wolves, they should have been avoided as soon as possible. Why did the young master fall into their trap?"
Didn’t the master say that Cunshan was cheated away
Madam lived in the inner courtyard, so she naturally didn't know the situation outside. The attendant patiently explained to her: "Madam, you don't know that the mastermind behind the scheme to deceive Cunshan was the governor of Longwu County, Shen Youli. Shen Youli has a counselor, Kang Jishou, who is a close friend of Xingning. Therefore, Ning Yan's going to Longwu County should be Xingning's intention."
Madam nodded thoughtfully: "Master, what do you mean, we can find this County Magistrate Shen, entrust Xingning's ashes and Zheng Qiao's broken sword to Kang Jishou, and have him pass them on to Tunan?"
Save the trouble of making a personal trip to Longwu County
The attendant said, "Madam only guessed half right."
The lady asked him, "What is the other half?"
The Minister lowered his eyes to hide the shrewd calculations that surged in his eyes, and said: "Once Zheng Qiao is defeated and killed, various forces will inevitably fight for Qianzhou, Yanzhou, Lingzhou and other places, and start a war again. If you don't seek refuge with one side, it will be difficult."
The lady said with a sad face, "Is it not possible to live in seclusion?"
The minister forced a smile and said, "How can it be so easy?"
The word "recluse" sounds pleasant and comfortable, but if there is no family support, life will be miserable. You have to do everything yourself. How can a noble lady who has never done hard work get used to it? If there is family support, it is better, but in this world, wealth should not be exposed. Soldiers are like combs, and bandits are like combs. You can't guarantee that one day you will be killed and the whole family will be affected.
Or find a stable place.
Or find a reliable backer.
At present, the most important thing is to find a place to stand on.
The Minister chose to go to Cunshan, but he actually had two thoughts in mind. If Chen Tang was strong enough, he could take the risk of returning Yan An's body to establish a relationship with Kang Jishou, gain a firm foothold, and then slowly make plans. If Chen Tang was not strong enough, he would return Yan An's body and then go somewhere else. With Kang Jishou's escort, the Minister's family could also safely pass through Cunshan...
The Dragon Slaying Bureau coalition will not take action against him either.
The minister kept all these thoughts to himself.
As long as they have not entered the sphere of influence of Cunshan, the Shizhong family dare not relax. Zheng Qiao is a madman, and it is normal for a madman to go back on his word. Fortunately, although there were some accidents along the way, they all passed without any danger. After several days, the Shizhong finally saw a shadow standing behind the morning mist, like a quiet giant beast lying on the ground to take a rest.
"Stop, who's ahead?"
Before the group arrived at the foot of Cunshan City, they were intercepted by a patrol led by a young leader with a very feminine appearance. The two sides were separated by thirty or forty feet, looking at each other from a distance. The attendant comforted his wife and children, lifted the curtain of the carriage, and bent down to come out.
"I am Kang Shi, an old friend of Kang Jishou. I came here specially for refuge because my family was in trouble." The attendant bowed and explained his background.
The minister did not mention Ning Yan's name.
In his opinion, Ning Yan was a "friend of Kang Shi" who defected to him. How could the soldiers under Chen Tang know the interpersonal relationships of his own military advisor? So he directly mentioned Kang Shi's name.
The patrol leader really knew Kang Shi. Upon hearing this, his alertness faded a little: "Are you an old friend of Advisor Kang?"
The minister said, "That's right."
For some reason, the young team leader had a strange look on his face.
As the saying goes, "Birds of a feather flock together." The old friend who came to seek refuge with Military Advisor Kang... might be as bad as Military Advisor Kang. This was verified by Qi Zhubu's circle of friends. She muttered in her heart, but she couldn't neglect the other party in her actions.
"In that case, please follow me, sir."
The minister was very sensible and ordered the servants and guards to surrender their weapons.
The main point is sincerity!
Seeing this, Zhao Wei nodded with satisfaction.
The Shizhong asked Zhao Wei about Kang Shi's whereabouts. He thought Kang Shi was also in Cunshan City, but was told that Kang Shi was still in the base camp.
This result was beyond the Minister's expectations, and he looked a little embarrassed.
He asked: "Why didn't Kang Jishou join the army?"
Chen Tang's team was sloppy and its members were complicated, but the Minister expected that someone with Kang Jishou's background and talent would not be likely to be ignored.
But he regretted his quick mouth after asking the question, because the serious question was to spy on military intelligence. Fortunately, Zhao Wei did not care, because the scholar in front of him came with his family, and if he dared to have any bad intentions, he would be wiped out.
"Military Advisor Kang... is a little inconvenient..."
Zhao Wei's answer was ambiguous.
Since he was an old friend of Military Advisor Kang, there was no reason for him not to know the other party's ways of a scholar. She gave a few hints, and those who understood would understand.
But the minister really didn’t understand.
But this did not prevent him from making the logic self-consistent through his imagination.
Soon, the group arrived at the foot of Cunshan City.
The Minister looked up at the towering city wall that seemed to block out the sky and the sun, and thought about the effort Zheng Qiao had put into the defense of the city. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, and he felt a bit gloating.
Zheng Qiao, it’s your fault!
"Open the gates!"
Zhao Wei finished communicating with the guards on the city wall, and the city gate creaked and opened a gap large enough for a carriage to pass through.
After entering the city, the minister's anxious heart finally settled down, which meant that their family was truly free from the threat of Zheng Qiao.
Zhao Wei arranged a temporary place for them to stay.
"Sir, would you like to meet my master?"
Although this person claimed to be seeking refuge with his old friend Kang Shi, Military Advisor Kang was not here at the moment, so it was hard to tell whether this was true or not. Zhao Wei could not allow someone whose identity had not been verified to walk around the city at will, so it was necessary to take him to see the lord to clear the way.
The attendant said gratefully, "I couldn't ask for more."
Zhao Wei told them to stay in the courtyard and wait for the call.
He went to report to Chen Tang.
Upon hearing that Kang Shi's friend had come to seek refuge, Shen Tang shuddered subconsciously: "Did Dawei find out about his ways as a scholar?"
Zhao Wei was almost speechless.
"The bidder did not ask..."
Not every scholar has the way of a scholar.
Chen Tang rubbed his temple with a headache and said, "Alas, it's a blessing, not a disaster. It's a disaster that can't be avoided... Just let him come."
I hope Ji Shou’s circle of friends is more reliable than Yuan Liang’s.
Chen Tang sent someone to invite the minister, who took a deep breath, straightened his clothes and appearance, and strode out of the courtyard. But before he was halfway there, he accidentally saw a very familiar profile, and his right ankle almost stumbled and sprained.
He managed to keep his balance so as not to embarrass himself.
But the action still attracted the attention of others.
Among them are Ning Yan and Ning Tunan.
Ning Yan looked at him, he looked at Ning Yan, and they were speechless.
The waiter spoke after a long while: "You, you are Tunan?"
Ning Yan frowned and asked, "Why are you here?"
It is a good thing to meet an old friend in a foreign place, but if this old friend is working for your enemy, the joy will be reduced.
Ning Yan's interactions with the Minister were mainly concentrated in the period of her youth when she was studying. After she got married, she had little contact with him. The occasional meeting was just a favor between the two families. Ning Yan didn't know much about the Minister.
But in Xingning's words, it can still be considered decent.
Well, that's the case compared to Zheng Qiao.
Unexpectedly, the attendant stared at the Wen Xin seal hanging on Ning Yan's waist and the literary aura emanating from her body. After a while, he pointed at Ning Yan with trembling fingers and said shockingly: "Ning, Ning Tunan... you, you, you are actually a man!"
Ning Yan: “…”
The attendant looked at her belly again.
He clearly remembered that Ning Yan was pregnant.
"How can a man get pregnant?"
What on earth did his two classmates do behind his back
Ning Yan put her finger on the sword guard, unsheathed her sword a little, and said calmly: "Mr. Xie, don't be so outrageous!"