When the book-traveling little detective meets the two-faced prince

Qi Xi heard the last four words that Chang Feizhang said.

I thought my heart would never jump again. It had long been empty and numb. Every step I took felt like it was being bitten by millions of ants, and it felt like my heart was being torn by a knife.

why?

why! !

Obviously, two people who should have stayed out of it lost their lives in front of him one after another, but he became the one who stayed out of it.

Even if they are seriously ill and are about to die, this should not be the outcome.

It shouldn't have ended like this.

Qi Xi was not the only one who felt dissatisfaction and doubt. Everyone present had the same question in their hearts.

sky……

Is it really bright?

He could have chosen to continue playing dumb and start over as his grandfather and County Magistrate Chang had said. After all, he had not killed anyone and there was still room for everything to turn around.

Can……

Even if you didn't do it yourself.

They also literally died because of themselves.

If he ignores their sacrifice, pretends nothing happened, and walks away with it, then what is the difference between him and a thief?

and……

After pretending to be a fool for eleven years, he was tired and didn't want to pretend anymore.

The moment he told the whole truth, he felt extremely relieved. He was not afraid of any consequences, because they were what he should bear.

He doesn't want to regret it in the future.

Hong Mingxu looked at Qi Xi with doubt in his eyes and thought for a moment, feeling that Qi Xi was still hiding something.

Suddenly, his eyes darkened and he asked, "The treasures in the tomb were stolen by that gang of thieves. Where did you get the gold, silver and jewelry from? Moreover, without the order from the general and Chang Feizhang, you would need money to rent a boat from fishermen. Where did you get it?"

He stared at every inch of Qi Xi's expression, as if trying to catch a hint of something unusual from it, but apart from calmness, there was no other emotional change on Qi Xi's face.

After Hong Mingxu mentioned it, the others couldn't help but become curious about where the treasure came from.

Qi Xi did not hide Hong Mingxu's suspicion. He said calmly, "When the treasure in the tomb was stolen, I had nothing to lure the thieves except the small piece of sheepskin map. But just when I was desperate, I found another passage behind the wall through the mouse in the puppet hole. I broke the wall and dug the soil, and found another world under the sand. There was a treasure chest buried behind the wall, and it happened to lead to the river under the well. Although there are not many treasure chests, they are enough for me to use."

"Those boxes in the doll cave?"

Qi Xi nodded and said, "I thought that no one else would discover the underground tunnel except me, so I put the treasure chest in the tunnel and move it to the puppet cave when needed."

Qi Xi was obviously shaken as he spoke, his eyes full of self-blame and loneliness, his voice trembling uncontrollably as he said, "It was me who didn't think it through. If I could have hidden the treasure chest somewhere secret, perhaps... County Magistrate Chang and Grandpa wouldn't have been involved in this dispute, and they wouldn't have lost their lives."

Hong Mingxu obviously still had doubts about Qi Xi's explanation.

At this time, Lin Lezhi asked thoughtfully, "Could it be that... the tomb on the lake island is the tomb of a royal family member?"

"Which royal family would choose to build here? Not to mention the burial objects, the scale is so small, how can it have the royal style?" Hong Mingxu disagreed.

"Although this tomb is small in scale, it is surrounded by mountains on the south, north and west, and by lakes. From a distance, it looks like a throne surrounded by three mountains, symbolizing power and nobility. There are no mountains on the east side, so you can feel the east wind, which can store wind and absorb air, which means purple air coming from the east. There is also a hidden river underground, which looks like a water dragon, and means wealth. From the perspective of feng shui, it is an excellent feng shui treasure land. Judging from the shape and pattern of the tomb, this tomb should not be a tomb of the Northern Qi Dynasty, but perhaps a tomb of a declining royal family."

Hong Mingxu became interested, raised one eye corner slightly, and asked with more suspicion: "You also know Feng Shui?"

Lin Lezhi smiled and said, "I've read a lot of books, so I only know a little bit about it, but it's not worth mentioning. The reason why I think this is a royal tomb is not the Feng Shui theory, but the underground tunnel."

"Cave passage?"

"Throughout history, most imperial mausoleums would seal the craftsmen involved in confidential matters in the tomb chamber, or secretly execute or imprison them. This was done to prevent the mechanism from being leaked and the tomb from being robbed. This was inhumane, and the craftsmen naturally did not want to die like this. The entrance to the tomb chamber was naturally heavily guarded, and it was impossible to get out. Therefore, some craftsmen built a secret escape passage for themselves when building the imperial mausoleum. After the tomb was completely sealed, they escaped through the secret passage and lived in anonymity from then on. The underground tunnel is most likely the escape passage."

"You mean, what we thought was the tomb's exit was actually the tomb's entrance?" Hong Mingxu found it funny and said, "If they had escaped, why did they leave the treasure chest in the cave?"

"This..." Lin Lezhi was also unsure, and guessed a little unconfidently: "I have only read some books, and I am not proficient in Feng Shui. I am just guessing based on what I have read. After all, I don't know which dynasty the tomb was built in, and it is difficult to comment on the events of the year. Perhaps they were afraid of being discovered if they smuggled it out, so they hid in the cave for the time being. However, they never thought that the emperor was ruthless and secretly set snake-attracting powder in the treasure. Although they got out of the tomb, they died here."

Hong Mingxu frowned and said, "You were talking about the tomb chamber, why did you bring it up with the three of them? I think you just can't explain it, and you are deliberately talking nonsense here."

Lin Lezhi paused, then continued, "Just like Guo Yong, Xu Tian, and Lu Xingpeng, although they came for money, it was not because the emperor was ruthless, but they also gave their lives here. In this long river of history, people's hearts are unpredictable, and there are so many grievances. I'm afraid their bodies have long since turned to dust, and it's hard to judge."

Lin Lezhi shrugged slightly, with a helpless look on his face, and said sadly: "Since we are not from the authorities, who can explain the intricacies of the matter to us outsiders?"

After hearing what Lin Lezhi said, Hong Mingxu frowned even more tightly. Lin Lezhi's unreasonable remarks made him look frustrated and annoyed.

There was no time to say anything else. The soldiers and civilians around were moved by Lin Lezhi's words and sighed helplessly.

Feng Yuan sighed, "Yes, Huaifeng Village has been relocated for more than 200 years, and the Northern Qi Dynasty was established for more than 400 years, but the Lantern Festival is even older than the Northern Qi Dynasty. Before Huaifeng Village moved to this island, the lantern boats returned from the lake with lanterns lit on them. As Qi Xi said, the lantern boats cannot be lit all night, so who lit the lanterns on the lantern boats before Huaifeng Village moved to the island?" He shook his head and sighed, his eyes complicated, "It's hard to explain, hard to explain..."

The lantern festival has a long history to this day.

Before Qi Xi told the truth, perhaps someone had thought about it. The lanterns on the lantern boats would not be lit all night, but people would still give out a lantern at the lantern festival.

Carried in it.

done.

It's not just a wish, it's also a love.

Who doesn't hope that their wishes can be granted by God?

Who doesn’t hope that their loved ones are safe and sound and have a good life?

Who wouldn't hope that the person they miss and have passed away could receive their thoughts and thoughts on the other side of the River Styx through the lanterns they sent.

As we talked, dusk was approaching.

Cheng Su glanced at the sky, his brows and eyes rekindled the urgency, and he settled the case: "Okay, since Guo, Xu, and Lu all died in Shekou, they deserved the punishment, so there is no murderer in this case."

He looked at Deng Yang and arranged: "Deng Yang, take all the people back. When the fog clears tomorrow, sail to the island again. Don't make any mistakes!"

Deng Yang has been determined to do his part for the Lantern Festival since he was a child. He gets nervous at every Lantern Festival, worried about any mistakes he might make.

Moreover, no soldiers were going back with him this time. He was left alone. He was nervous, afraid of failing to live up to the trust placed in him. But at the same time, he also tried to muster up his courage and responded without hesitation: "Yes, General, I will definitely send the people back safely. When the fog clears tomorrow, I will sail to the island to pick you and the soldiers up."

Cheng Su nodded with satisfaction.

"General, I will stay here on my own accord."

The satisfaction in his eyes had not yet disappeared, but a hint of coldness immediately crept up on him. He turned to look at the person who said this.

"What did you say?"

Lin Lezhi smiled, but said seriously: "I took the general's money, so I should serve the general until the end. Please agree to let me accompany the general and take the soldiers back together."

They could have left at this point, but when Xiao Yihuo, who was not far away, heard Lin Lezhi say this, his eyes darkened, and Qingchuan's eyes also flashed with a hint of confusion and surprise.

"you…"

Cheng Su looked at Lin Lezhi with a look of speculation and probing.

"General, I want to stay too." Without waiting for Cheng Su to react to Lin Lezhi's words, Qi Xi picked up the lantern again. He knelt on the ground, his eyes determined and said, "This matter was caused by me. Grandpa and County Magistrate Chang died because of me. How can I leave without caring about their bodies at this moment? Please help me, General."

"..."

"General, if they want to stay, let them stay. The casualties are severe and many soldiers are still injured. We do need manpower."

After Hong Mingxu's persuasion, and since no one else asked to stay, Cheng Su reluctantly agreed.

Crouching by the river and watching the boats go away, Lin Lezhi fiddled with the lanterns floating by the lake, then stood up, his eyes calm, and asked calmly, "Why do you want to stay?"

"I..." Qi Xi tightened the lantern in her arms. The dusk reflected in Qi Xi's eyes, like a candle burning in the wind. "I heard that lanterns can not only convey thoughts, but also guide the deceased to find their way home. I want to take Grandpa and County Magistrate Chang home."

Lin Lezhi did not comment on what Qi Xi said. He looked at the lantern in Qi Xi's hand. Maybe it was because of the dusk, but Lin Lezhi's eyes looked deep and there was a hint of fluctuation in them.

As his eyes flickered, the distant ship turned the corner and disappeared.

At the same time, Cheng Su's low voice sounded behind him, asking the same questions as he asked Qi Xi.

"Jiang Lian'an, why do you want to stay?"