The group of four came out of the secret passage and found themselves in an inconspicuous courtyard.
A simple courtyard with a huge locust tree planted in the yard.
The tree canopy blocks out the sun, and the shade it leaves benefits almost the entire courtyard.
It is the season when locust flowers are in full bloom, and the air is filled with sweet fragrance.
Yun Xie was the first to step out of the room, and the fan at his waist opened with a "snap". He asked, "Brother, did you smell it?"
They had agreed in the secret passage that the four of them would disguise themselves as siblings: Feng Yan was the elder sister; and Yun Xie, Bai Su and Duan Changchuan were the three younger brothers respectively.
Duan Changchuan, the youngest, became the youngest. So, after Yun Xie came out, he called him "brother".
At this time, the young man had just helped Bai Su out and was untying the silk cloth on her eyes.
Hearing Yun Xie's question, he immediately adapted to his new identity and replied in a light tone: "What did you smell?"
Yun Xie strode out and said, "That's the smell outside the high wall."
After saying that, he sniffed a few more times exaggeratedly: "Do you feel that your breathing is much smoother?"
Duan Changchuan carefully folded the silk cloth and placed it on the table: "No, they are all the same. Feng Ju She has many locust trees, and the taste is exactly the same as here."
Looking back, he saw Bai Su blinking because she was not used to the sudden light, and said, "It's sunny outside. Sit in the house for a while. We'll go out after your eyes recover."
Bai Su nodded and said, "Okay, thank you...brother."
Because of the stinging in her eyes, she used a slight nasal tone, and because she wanted to dress like a man, she deliberately made her voice neutral.
It rings in my ears and sounds too good.
The moment the boy heard it, he immediately jumped up from his chair.
"Should...should. I...uh, I'm going to go outside first. When you're ready, come out too."
After saying that, he pushed the door open and ran away like a rabbit.
Bai Su looked at the child who had jumped out, and her own hand that had been raised to shake nothing...
Reluctantly he took it back and put it to his lips.
I couldn't help laughing.
Isn't it just calling "brother"? What's the point of this...
Why do you look so shy
-
The group of four took advantage of the time before noon and arrived at Yu Jin Tower, which Yun Xie had been longing for for the past few days.
Because of the student assembly today, the building is particularly lively.
Yun Xie was obviously a frequent customer here. The waiter came up to greet him as soon as he saw him. "Boss Yun, you're here? Are you talking business again? I wish you good luck in opening an order and making lots of money! What do you think of the arrangements for today? Or the private room by the window on the second floor?"
The young man readily responded, "Sure. My youngest brother is in poor health and can't stand the noise, but he heard there was a gathering in the building today and insisted that I come. He also reserved a place for us to have tea in the second floor lobby."
The waiter immediately bowed and invited them in, straightened his body and shouted upstairs: "Okay! Boss Yun's private room on the second floor, four distinguished guests, please take a seat!"
The stairs are narrow and make a creaking sound when you step on them.
Duan Changchuan was a little uncomfortable and took every step very carefully.
He is not very old and looks delicate and handsome.
He took off the complicated and heavy dragon robe and put on a light brocade spring dress, and his noble youthfulness was fully revealed.
With every step she took, the bracelets on her waist made a jingling sound.
Everyone who passes by would say: Whose noble family is this from
The proprietress who was serving food on the second floor glanced down and was overwhelmed with maternal love.
"Don't be afraid, young master. Even ten of our bosses can walk up these stairs. They are very sturdy. Let my husband perform a somersault for you on the stairs later!"
The boy, who was taking cautious steps, paused.
"I don't… "
Before he could finish his sentence, a burly man rushed out from the first floor. Just looking at his width, he was three times as big as Duan Changchuan.
He asked in full vigor, "Madam, which guest wants to see somersaults?"
He held a kitchen knife in his hand: "I'll come over after I finish cutting this dragon bone!"
After saying that, he hurried back to the kitchen.
Duan Changchuan looked confused.
When he looked up again, he saw Bai Su, who was two steps taller than him, turning around and looking at him.
As the two looked at each other, a slender and beautiful hand stretched out towards him.
The young man shook his head and said, "Thank you, brother... I can do it myself."
He took two or three steps back and caught up.
-
At noon, students came in groups of three or four.
He was wearing a valuable satin robe, and it was obvious that he was from a relatively well-off family among the students. He came to this building to eat first and then attend the assembly in the afternoon.
It was not until the afternoon when most of the guests who had come to eat had left that the first scholar in coarse cloth stepped through the high door lintel of the building. Only then did the lively gathering finally begin.
"The top 20 candidates are invited to this gathering. It is organized by a scholar named Guangsui, who is a disciple of the prime minister and won third place in this examination. You will sit at the second table on the first floor." Yun Xie went out to take a look and came back to introduce them to Duan Changchuan.
Then he emphasized: "Lin Qing, the champion of this spring exam, is also here, sitting at the third table in the middle."
Duan Changchuan nodded, and at Yun Xie's signal, secretly glanced in the direction of Bai Su.
Just then, I saw the other person pause in pouring tea.
He calmly withdrew his gaze and said, "I know this Guangsui. I have read the essays of the top 20 candidates in this examination. They all have their own merits and are all the pillars of the country in the future. The Prime Minister asked Guangsui to organize a gathering, probably to make friends with a few potential candidates, so that he can recruit them for his own use after the examination is over."
Yun Xie rolled his eyes. "That's why he is called an old fox. No wonder the King of the City wants to win him over. If we really talk about connections in the court, half of the civil officials must be his disciples. Oh... it would be great if we could instigate a fight between the fox and the tiger. Then they will both lose, and we will benefit. Isn't that wonderful?"
Speaking of this, the eyes of the young man sitting in the innermost part couldn't help but darken.
"Father... He actually arranged everything before he left. If they were to get married, Bai Xiang would naturally fight with the City King."
In this way, the power of Bai Xiang's family in the court can be weakened, his followers can be frustrated, the King of the City can be hit, and the delicate balance in the court can be maintained at the same time.
It can be said to kill two birds with one stone.
During the intervals between the two men's fight, Duan Changchuan would also have a break. Duan Changchuan could freely place his own people in the fight with the disciples they left behind.
Instead of being so difficult like now...
The young man's long eyelashes drooped as he stared quietly at the teacup in front of him.
He didn't say what was hidden in his heart, but everyone present understood...
He is blaming himself.
Feeling deeply guilty.
He blamed himself for not doing a good job and letting all the hard work of the late emperor before his death go to waste.
Yun Xie closed the fan in his hand and poured him a glass of wine. "What are you thinking about? You can't control what the old fox does. Such a selfish and bad person will have to be eradicated sooner or later. It will save me from finding excuses to mess with him later if he is tied up with Cheng Wang. Come and drink. There is nothing that can't be solved with a glass of wine."
Duan Changchuan looked at the wine cup pushed in front of him, his mood still not improving, he said faintly: "Doctor Fang... said I can't drink now."
Yun Xie: …
It got stuck directly.
He is usually carefree and the type who is "all drunk".
When I am happy, it is all in the wine; when I am sad, it is also in the wine.
In Yun Xie's heart, five words are enough to deal with all emotions, that is: a drink can relieve all worries.
But Duan Changchuan said he couldn't drink...
I was completely dumbfounded.
For a moment, the mood in the room, which was already low, became even lower.
The boy also realized that he seemed to have embarrassed his friend, and stared at the calm wine cup in front of him for a long time...
Finally, I picked it up.
"You're right, there's nothing a glass of wine can't solve." He said, "As for the rest... leave it to Doctor Fang to solve."
Then he faced the wine cup and prepared to drink it all.
However, before my lips even touched the rim of the cup, a hand grabbed my wrist.
Turning his head, his gaze fell into a pair of eyes as deep as the sea.
"It's just a profit-seeking thing. It's not worth it."
Bai Su said.
Then she took the wine cup from his hand and replaced it with a cup of warm tea.
"So what if he has great means? Isn't he standing on the side that is against the people?"
Duan Changchuan touched the teacup in his hand...
The curl of mist floated onto the eyelashes, and everything in front of my eyes became blurry.
He couldn't help but sniffed softly and said, "It was me who didn't let him stand on the side of the people."
A helpless sigh sounded in my ears.
Then, the woman's voice, which was deliberately lowered to disguise her gender, was heard saying:
"Then let me ask you a few questions. If a genius with great medical skills ends up using his lifelong knowledge to kill the people of a city, is the master who taught him medical skills wrong?"
A genius with great medical skills and his master...
Duan Changchuan immediately brought in Fang Moyan and Senior Huang.
He immediately replied: "Master taught him medical skills so that he could save people, not harm them. Master is certainly not wrong."
"Then are his senior brothers and sisters wrong?"
The young man was puzzled: "He became a bad boy. Does it have anything to do with his senior brothers and sisters?"
Bai Su nodded: "Okay, his master, senior brothers, senior sisters, and his entire school are not wrong, right? Then, let's make another assumption. Now this man with great medical skills is in Datong. He killed the people of a city. As the ruler of this country, what do you think should be done?"
Duan Changchuan: "Of course, issue a maximum wanted order and bring him to justice. Grant him slow slicing and hang his body on the city wall to comfort the souls of the people in heaven."
The boy's voice was crisp, yet powerful.
The noble aura on his body cannot be hidden.
The woman turned her head and let out a low laugh.
"Isn't that a good answer? I thought you were going to say: It was all the master's fault for not teaching him well; it was all the senior brothers and sisters' fault for not guiding him in time; as the one in power, you should make good use of his medical skills to seek benefits for the people."
Duan Changchuan looked at her suspiciously, with an expression that said "what nonsense are you talking about?"
He quickly retorted: "I'm not a fool!"
He even forgot to change his self-proclaimed name.
After saying this, he froze again.
The one who killed an entire city... Isn't that the huge corpse burial pit in Huainan
They are very capable, but they have done evil things that deserve death... Aren't they Bai Yanyuan and Duan Jingan
And he, Duan Changchuan, is now the one in power.
The questions seemed nonsensical, but every word was enlightening him...
For a moment, when they looked at each other, there were mixed feelings.
"you… "
He spoke softly, as if he had a lot to say, but also as if nothing needed to be said.
The other party raised his lips and said calmly: "It seems that you have figured it out."
Then she raised her hand, bent her knuckles, and tapped him lightly on the forehead.
"First of all, you didn't teach this person. Why he did bad things instead of good things has nothing to do with you. There is no need to blame yourself. Secondly, this person did something wrong and has committed a heinous crime. In the face of these crimes, his usefulness is equal to nothing."
"You are on the right side. There is no need to blame yourself just because others are on the wrong side. You are a king, not a bodhisattva. What? Do you want to become a Buddha right now?"
The first half of the speech was very serious, but as time went on it turned into a joke.
Duan Changchuan was listening attentively, but when he heard the words "become a Buddha instantly", he subconsciously wanted to answer, "No."
The words were about to burst out of my throat before I realized something was wrong.
He quickly swallowed his words.
"We were talking fine, but you... why are you suddenly talking nonsense again!"
Angry face...
My heart was pounding.