incomprehensible

April in the southern region is always rainy, and the clouds start to cover early in the morning. The dark sky is so heavy that it seems to collapse to the ground, making people breathless.

Just like the atmosphere in Wuzhou City at this time, the wind is rumbling and the rain is about to come.

Needless to say, the people in the city stayed behind closed doors for fear of getting into trouble; the local officials were even more terrified. Even the Governor of Southwest China was detained, which shows how big the Third Prince was.

In just half a night, the news spread rapidly in Shangtai County. I don't know if he had prepared it and spread it deliberately.Those with ghosts in their hearts became ants on the hot pot, and those who were upright became monkeys waiting to watch and kill chickens. It can be said that everyone is in danger.Reminiscent of the assassination two months ago, the third prince's indifferent attitude and innocence in dealing with it, it was only then that he recalled that this ruthless master really held back his strength and wanted to save it for the last to settle the score together .

That residential area has long been under Ye Xuehuan's control, although there was a lot of commotion, the civilians were not involved, and our own personnel were only slightly injured.As far as the result is concerned, it was another overwhelming victory, which was very in line with the style of the third prince; but only those around him knew how dissatisfied he was with the result of the hunt last night.

The scene was basically cleaned up, and the Habayashi Army was still patrolling the city to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the chaos to cause trouble. Chu Changyue and Wei Yan came back to report the situation first.After a busy night, the Habayashi Army has already handed over their shifts, and they also need to rest.

When the two returned, Ye Xuehuan had temporarily taken over the Wuzhou mansion, and all the officials of Wuzhou, big and small, were gathered in the backyard of the mansion, under the surveillance of the Habayashi Army, under semi-house arrest.He himself was sitting in the study, flipping through all kinds of documents in his hand slowly, and there were several people kneeling tremblingly below him. At a glance, almost all of them were officials who accompanied the southern tour, and their grades were not too low. It's from the Liu family.They probably heard that Zhao Ying was arrested in a surprise attack in the middle of the night, and they all came to ask for an explanation, trying to put pressure on him to release him, but they were all detained instead.

Chu Changyue saw that his expression was normal, with a smile on his lips, and exchanged glances with Tong Xuan behind him, knowing that Lan Qi should be fine, he couldn't help but secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

Ye Xuehuan smiled and said, "He was detained by General Chu. Don't you adults want to ask for an explanation? Now you can ask for it."

Chu Changyue was speechless, it seemed that he had been severely suppressed by him, and he had no arrogance at all, so what else could he ask for.Immediately, he replied blankly: "Zhao Ying is suspected of cross-border smuggling of human beings, and the stolen goods were captured. This is an unforgivable crime."

Several officials were dumbfounded when they heard that, Ye Xuehuan sighed, with a very sad look on his face, "Governor Zhao smuggled more than [-] young children to Yiguo in five years. It is not an exaggeration to say that the biggest case since the establishment of the Yang Dynasty is enough to last forever. It is a pity that Jiang Yushi went back early, otherwise this book must be written by him, and it must be shocking and weeping."

One of the officials kneeling at the bottom had the guts to say tremblingly, "Master Zhao has always been dedicated to his duties, how, how could he do such an outrageous thing..."

"Didn't you hear what General Chu said? You got the stolen goods." Ye Xuehuan chuckled lightly, and his tone was his usual calm, "Zhao Ying may have a conscience, but his concubine may not be. You adults should also take it for granted. Quiet, don't ever stumble in Ruanrouxiang again."

Several officials looked at each other with complex expressions beyond words.Ye Xuehuan knew at a glance that none of these people were the core figures of the Liu family. He didn't know about some inside information, and he didn't make too much trouble. His tone was very gentle, "Zhao Ying's case has indeed been stolen. All the criminal evidence will be submitted to Dali Temple together, and then the Ministry of Criminal Justice will decide. If you have any doubts, you should wait until the Ministry of Criminal Justice has finalized the case and made it public."

Everyone knew that the third prince's soft-spoken words often meant an ultimatum, and no one dared to talk to him anymore, so he retreated obediently.

Ye Xuehuan asked Tong Xuan to bring Zhao Ying and Hong Ling for interrogation, while asking Wei Yan to report the situation in the city.

It can't be said that Wuzhou is in chaos now, but after all, it's explosives and an army, which disturbed the people after all.But there is no need to worry too much about these. After reporting to the imperial court, the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Industry will take over the follow-up compensation matters.

Xuanfeng cleared out a group of thorny corpses from the ruins, a total of more than [-] people; this number greatly exceeded Lan Qi's initial estimate, which was enough to see that Yunque was also very eager to capture Yu Wushuang.

It can only be said that Yu Wushuang is worthy of being the one who taught Lan Qi. With such a deliberate and thoughtful arrangement, even Hong Ling was hooked, but she still has no trace, and I don't know if she is still alive.

According to Ye Xuehuan's judgment, Yu Wushuang is most likely inseparable from the mechanism key of Xingzu Huangling, so Yunque is eager to arrest her, and Ye Xuexun is undoubtedly waiting for this key.The first target of his entrapment this time is actually Yu Wushuang, but it is up to people to make things happen, and the result cannot be as expected, nor can it be forced.

After Wei Yan clarified the general situation, he hesitated for a while and asked, "That little girl... how to deal with it?"

He was talking about Yujiu.Although it was brought by the enemy, Lan Qi wanted to protect her, and Xuan Feng didn't dare to deal with it casually, so she brought her back together.It's just that this little girl has no reaction to everything outside, she is ignorant, she can't even blink her eyes, she is like an exquisite doll, looking straight at people.

Ye Xuehuan shook his head and said: "Lan'er said that she is no longer alive, and there is Gu in her body, so she can't enter the ground. Burn it, and it will be a relief for her."

Hearing this, Wei Yan felt quite uncomfortable.The more Chu Zhang knew more inside information than him, the more he felt a chill down his spine.

Whether it's Yujiu, the assassin in Youling, or even Lan Qi himself, it seems that these hidden characters are all the same slender and pale, like a group of lonely ghosts who don't see the sun all year round.Judging from Lan Qi's situation, these hidden real ages are not as young as they appear. It is very likely that drugs or training have inhibited physical development, and the two concealing skills that the eye department is proud of are undoubtedly only Can be used to the extreme on such a slender and flexible body.

Since the appearance of Lan Qi, the mysterious organization of Skylark has gradually revealed the tip of the iceberg, but the exposed part is really dark. Needless to say, tricks and ambitions, what kind of puppet heart Gu, green phosphorus spider, everything is deadly Poisonous insects and evil Gu.Yujiu, a sweet and lovely girl, is now a walking corpse, and she doesn't know how inhumanely she has been treated.

——According to Lan Qi, the opportunity for the rebellion in the eye area was Yu Jiu. King Yi defiled her, used her to destroy the entire eye area, and then abandoned it like a scrap of paper, and sent it to Hong Ling, who was tortured so badly Human ghosts are not ghosts.

The image of Yu Jiu appeared in Chu Changyue's mind, the delicate face was in stark contrast to the sluggish expression, the more he thought about it, the more he felt disgusted, and he said with disgust: "After all, it is a small country in the southwest, and it is not possible to get on the stage, and the methods are so disgusting. "

Ye Xuehuan shook his head and said: "You are blaming Yiguo wrongly. The Skylark is inextricably linked with the former Feng family. The awakening ancestor of the Feng family was good at refining medicine and making Gu. He was obsessed with the art of longevity. Death is still inevitable, but a lot of things have been worked out. My Ye Xueshi’s secret medicine, Shemian, is said to be improved based on a certain prescription of Xingzu’s back then. Most of these so-called immortal medicines have this effect, and will eventually Become a half-human, not a ghost, a walking corpse, and if you don’t die, you can still be regarded as immortal, but you can’t talk about longevity.”

Wei Yan sighed: "Birth, old age, sickness and death, human nature is the way of heaven. Even an emperor like Xingzu through the ages, how can he go against the sky and go against common sense?"

Ye Xuehuan also sighed, and seemed quite touched: "Lan'er is invulnerable to all poisons, and I'm afraid it has something to do with these strange medicines of Skylark. Although he saved his life this time, it is contrary to common sense after all. I don’t know if there is any way to relieve him.”

Chu Changyue opened his mouth to speak, but was pinched secretly by Wei Yan, so he shut his mouth tactfully.It just so happened that Tong Xuan also came back, followed by several Xuanfeng guards, who brought Zhao Ying and Hong Ling up.

No matter how heinous and unforgivable Zhao Ying was, he was an official ordered by the court. Before he was convicted, he still had to show some dignity. At this time, he had changed into clean clothes and was restrained by handcuffs and shackles.Although his face was pale, the man had already calmed down, kneeling obediently under the hall, his eyes fixed on the ground, and he kept silent, apparently not intending to cooperate.

In contrast, Hongling was much more miserable, her hands and feet were tightly bound, and the veil that had wiped her own bodily fluids was still stuffed in her mouth; in case there were other poisonous insects on her body, she was killed after she was caught. After soaking in the concentrated salt water for half the night, the whole body was soaked, and the clothes clinging to the body outlined a proud curve, but unfortunately, no one present was interested in admiring it.Xuanfeng naturally didn't have any sympathy for her. After bringing it up, she casually threw it on the ground and pulled the veil out of her mouth.

The veil was deliberately stuffed deep by Lan Qi, which made her throat dry and numb, and she was nauseated for most of the night. At this time, her mouth suddenly loosened, and she immediately vomited two mouthfuls of yellow water.

Those scratches on her body that were not serious at first were filled with dried salt stains, and they were soaked so that the flesh turned out, swollen and turned white, and she seemed to feel no pain at all, with an ambiguous and bewitching smile on her face , dragged his sticky tone and said: "Why, Your Highness is going to torture to extract a confession? Didn't that little bastard, Lan Qi, tell you that torture doesn't work on my Skylark?"

Ye Xuehuan smiled nonchalantly: "The idea of ​​punishment is too ugly, I don't like it. What's more, what you said is really good. I can't believe a word of your confession. Even if you go to the street and shout Shouting that Liu Ting is the culprit, I can only accuse you of slandering the right prime minister. To be honest, it is useless to keep you."

Hong Ling smiled and said: "Then why does Your Highness bother? Just seal my Guixin Building."

Ye Xuehuan also smiled and said, "Then how can I catch the dozens of dogs you brought into Chongyang?"

"Yes, I admit that it fell into the hands of this little bastard, Lan Qi." Hongling raised the corner of her mouth, looking extremely arrogant, "But so what? Do you think he really has no second thoughts about you?"

Ye Xuehuan raised his eyebrows, seeing that she was still trying to sow discord, looked at her with great interest for a while, and then said leisurely: "Hearing your tone, the key to the imperial mausoleum is indeed in Yu Wushuang's hands."

Hongling's face changed suddenly, her lips turned white, her eyes were full of hatred, she gritted her teeth and said, "Okay, as expected of you, Third Highness, even Lan Qi was deceived by you to give up, and the key to the imperial mausoleum will be found for you! "

"Cheating is also an ugly word, and I don't like it either." Ye Xuehuan propped his chin with one hand, and his tone became more and more gentle, "I want Lan'er, and I want the key to the imperial tomb. What's the contradiction?"

Hongling was stunned for a while, then suddenly burst out laughing, out of breath, and sarcastically said, "You're just using Lan Qi as a bait to catch Yu Wushuang! Like him? Can you protect him?" ? If it wasn’t for that little bastard, he would have died by now! How many people in this world are looking forward to your death, he follows you, and one day he will die with you!”

These words poked Ye Xuehuan's sore spot firmly, and the atmosphere in the whole study suddenly turned cold.

"Of course I know how many people want me to die." Ye Xuehuan still had a smile on his face, and said unhurriedly. home, destroying the country of Yi..."

"...I will do the same, take my time."

"..."

Hongling looked at him, and couldn't laugh for a moment.Ye Xuehuan has been immersed in the battlefield for many years, and his murderous nature has already penetrated into the marrow of his bones.Just such a murderous look in his eyes seems to condense the bloody smell that is too thick to dissolve, and every word he utters weighs more than a thousand catties. To, no doubt.

"As for you..." He looked condescendingly at Hong Ling, who had finally become honest, and narrowed his sharp phoenix eyes, "Since you said that you will never commit suicide easily, I also want to see if your life is as good as yours. mouth is hard."

He looked at Wei Yan and asked intentionally, "How many troops from the Habayashi Army have come for this southern tour?"

Wei Yan was taken aback, guessing what he was going to do, but he had no mercy for Hong Ling, and replied: "The Yulin Army has come this time with a total of 360 troops, and they are all camping outside Wuzhou City to wait for orders."

Ye Xuehuan said coldly: "It is said that the Yingmei of your Yubu are all beautiful and charming, and you, Yushou, must be the best among them. I hope you don't disappoint the brothers of the Yulin Army."

Hongling held her head up and smiled and said, "Do you want me to submit to just 360 people? I'm afraid that these stunned youths in your central army will not survive under my command for a while!"

Several people present cast disgusted and contemptuous glances at the same time, and even Zhao Ying twitched the corners of her mouth, thinking that this woman really does not shed tears when she sees the coffin.

Ye Xuehuan looked at her, and said calmly, "360 people... besides people, there are also horses."

"..."

The impact of one sentence was too great, and when Hongling was dragged down, she still had an expression of disbelief on her face.Chu Zhang was so shocked that he couldn't speak, Wei Yan asked with a complicated expression: "Do you really want... a horse?"

Ye Xuehuan gave him a disdainful look, "Unless you have 360 ​​members of the Habayashi Army, you can't deal with her alone."

Wei Yan rolled his eyes, and said helplessly, "You're using the imperial guards to do this kind of thing... I don't even know how to explain it to my brothers in the army."

Ye Xuehuan ignored him, and looked at Zhao Ying again, "Governor Zhao..."

How could Zhao Ying not know that what she said just now was purely to scare the chickens to scare the monkeys. Although her face was forced to be calm, she couldn't help shivering when her name was called.

"……do not be afraid."

Seeing his reaction, Ye Xuehuan laughed softly, "Anyway, I'm an official ordered by the court, and I have no right to lynch you. Your case of smuggling human beings is too big, so it will naturally be handed over to the Ministry of Punishment. Presumably after a while Today, Liu Xiang will send someone to escort you back to Danlu pending trial, and I will only take care of you for a while."

He deliberately emphasized the word "Liu Xiang", and the implication was very obvious.Zhao Ying turned a deaf ear and remained silent.Ye Xuehuan didn't expect him to speak easily, not to mention that even if he really confessed to the Liu family, it would be very difficult to drag the Liu family into trouble without substantial evidence.The witness testimony is not as convincing as the physical evidence, and it will not take a day to get rid of the Liu family, so he is not in a hurry.Frighten Zhao Ying first, and then let him hang out for a few days to completely cool his heart, and it will not be too late to ask questions at that time.

After pushing Zhao Ying down, Ye Xuehuan breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed the aching brows.His body is not made of iron, he has been on high alert for the past few days, and he stayed up all night last night, so he is really sleepy.Chu Changyue and Wei Yan also looked tired, and after a while, they went back to rest.

It was almost noon at this time, and a rain finally fell in a patter, and it was getting bigger and bigger, without any intention of stopping.

Ye Xuehuan went back to the room and called Lan Qi up to eat and take medicine. Seeing that although he was mentally weak, he acted as usual, he was finally relieved. After dinner, he hugged him and lay back on the bed, ready to take a nap.

The monotonous and boring sound of the rain was very lulling to sleep. Ye Xuehuan closed his eyes, hugged Lan Qi from behind, told him the general situation, and asked him if his treatment of Yu Jiu was appropriate.Lan Qi was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly, "That's the only way."

"If..." He hesitated for a moment, his voice was almost inaudible, "If I become like that in the future... How will His Highness deal with it?"

Ye Xuehuan's heart tightened, feeling that there was something in his words, and it didn't seem to be out of pure emotion. He stretched out his arms to hug him tightly, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Will you become like that?"

Lan Qi shook his head, "...I don't know."

Ye Xuehuan recalled that it was not the first time he had said that such heart-wrenching pain, and he didn't know how many times he had wandered on the edge of life and death, and how many times he could survive like this without any danger, so he felt his throat a little sore, He bit the tip of his ear lightly, and said in a low voice: "Hey, don't be afraid. You won't be allowed to take risks in the future. If you stay by my side obediently, nothing will happen."

He caressed Lan Qi's heart, "Does it still hurt?"

Lan Qi didn't answer, turned over and shrank into his arms, breathing a little fast, rubbing his cheek against his neck, with a bit of embarrassment in his movements, he said in a muffled voice: "Hold me...it won't hurt."

Ye Xuehuan laughed, the little cat really could sense his thoughts better than anyone else, it seemed to be acting like a baby to him, but in fact it was trying to comfort him and tell him that he was safe.He tightened his arms and whispered in his ear: "Good boy. Kiss you again, okay?"

Without waiting for anyone to answer, she held the back of his neck and kissed those soft lips.

"Lan'er..."

During the kiss, Lan Qi heard his deep voice, with some inexplicable determination, "You won't leave me, will you?"

Hongling's words hurt him, no matter how strong and resolute he was, it was an indisputable fact that he failed to protect Lan Qi.Fortunately, Hong Ling used poison, and Lan Qi had a special physique, so it didn't cause a catastrophe.However, if there is another time, can we still be so lucky?

No matter how powerful a prince is, there will always be moments of wavering and uneasiness.Hongling touched his nilin, so naturally he must bear the guilt he deserves; but the nilin that is touched will always hurt, and will unconsciously be afraid of being touched again, no matter how punished, this kind of pain cannot be easily eliminate.

"……Um."

The lower lip was sucked from time to time, so Lan Qi's voice was a little vague, soft but firm, "Your Highness will not let me go, will you?"

"……Um."

The continuous sound of rain made the square inch between the beds more peaceful, and the kisses under the quilt seemed more affectionate.It has nothing to do with flesh and blood, it's just comforting each other's anxiety and confirming each other's existence.

Vows or promises are always fragile and vulnerable to all kinds of realities; only the tenderness of embracing and sleeping in the sound of rain at this moment is the reality within reach.

…………

After all, Wuzhou was just a small border town, and it was inconvenient to upload and distribute, so the next day they packed up and returned to Pingxu City, the prefecture of Shangtai County.

With such a big case, the Southern Tour must be suspended. Ye Xuehuan brought his cronies and most of the Habayashi Army to go first, and the rest of the accompanying officials went slowly.Without those pampered and dawdling civil servants, he travels lightly, and the speed is much faster. It is estimated that he will be able to return to Pingxu City within five days.

Along the way, Ye Xuehuan has been consolidating the evidence collected over the past two months, preparing documents to be submitted to the court.Although Chongyang's government system is not complicated and detailed, there are still procedures to follow. Even if he is a prince, he can't go beyond the system.However, the relationship between North Korea and China is complicated. How to manage it to achieve the most desired effect is the most difficult part.

Lan Qi wasn't interested in these things at first, but after watching them a lot, he managed to figure out some ways.He was originally intelligent, knew everything, comprehended by analogy, and had an amazing memory. After Ye Xuehuan sorted out all kinds of connections in the court for him, he could often give some sharp insights.Moreover, he and Ye Xuehuan looked at problems from different angles, and sometimes he could see some small problems that Ye Xuehuan had overlooked. Before arriving at Pingxu City, many things had already been resolved.

Ye Xuehuan liked Lan Qi more and more, but after all, he felt sorry for him recovering from a serious injury, and couldn't bear to make him overthink. Most of the time, he just held him in his arms to rest, and occasionally took him out for a ride, wishing he could hug him all the time. hand.

After watching it for so long, Wei Yan finally understood Chu Changyue's difficulties. Their Third Highness is really strong by nature, and he will never let go if he likes it.

The highest official residence in Pingxu City is the Governor's Mansion in Shangtai, and he lived there before when he was inspecting, so he is quite familiar with it at this time.

The governor of Shangtai County is upright, and he can be regarded as one of the few clean streams in the southwest, otherwise he would not have been squeezed out in the border area of ​​Shangtai County.Although promoted all the way to the top of a county, Shangtai County is the last of the four southwest counties in every aspect, and has no future at all.Hearing that Zhao Ying was suspected of smuggling people, and most of them were from Shangtai County, the governor of Shangtai County was furious. He said that he would do his best to assist in the investigation, and he would bring all the conscientious human traffickers to justice.

Ye Xuehuan remained calm, while resting in Pingxu City, waiting for the court's reply, while arresting relevant personnel along the line of Guixinlou, it would be best if he could reach the Yiguo court.Even if it doesn't reach the point of going to war, this small country that doesn't know how to live or die will have to pay a heavy price.

Lan Qi rested for a few days and basically recovered, so he asked Ye Xuehuan for permission to meet Hongling for a while.Ye Xuehuan counted the time and felt that this woman must have suffered enough, so she asked Tong Xuan to accompany him.

Hongling was detained in the Yulin Army camp. Although Lan Qi didn't know the specific treatment of Ye Xuehuan, she could roughly guess it.

At present, it is still uncertain how long they will stay in Pingxu, but they have to submit documents, wait for the court's judgment, and then send someone to report. Syrian garrison camp.

Hong Ling was a repeat offender, and she was taken care of by Ye Xuehuan again, and was detained alone in an underground cell.

Although it was built according to the regulations, Shangtai County is not rich, and the conditions of the Pingxu resident are naturally not good.In addition, the southwest has now entered the rainy season, and it has been raining for days, the dungeon is extremely damp, mice are running around everywhere, and the strong musty smell is mixed with a fishy smell, which is very disgusting.

Lan Qi asked Tong Xuan to wait outside the door, and walked to the depths alone.He has always been silent, until the cell door opened, Hongling realized that someone was coming, and let out a sneer: "I came so late today, I thought you Habayashi Army would be dead."

His voice was hoarse and dry, obviously at the end of his strength, but his mouth was still fierce.

Lan Qi remained silent and lit the candlestick in the cell, only then could he vaguely see the tragic situation in the cell.

Hong Ling was tied to the execution platform lying flat, naked, her hands and feet were spread wide, her body was covered with bruises, and her buttocks were horrific. The white dirt was everywhere, dripping down.Seeing that there was no movement from the person coming, she looked up with difficulty, and said with a sneer: "I said why don't you come, so it's you, a bastard. You have never fucked a woman, so you don't know how to do it? Do you want me to teach you?" teach you?"

Lan Qi said nothing, and looked at a piece of white cloth hanging on the wall behind her. It was densely covered with counting symbols, and the rough calculation was close to three hundred. She wanted to know how she was treated these days.

He took the only small candlestick and walked around to her face.

Her face was also full of filth, the corners of her mouth were cracked, her face was ferocious, but she still smiled arrogantly, squinting at Lan Qi above, trying to find some signs of shaking on his face.

There was a dark silver incense ball with intricate carvings hanging on his waist, and if there was any faint fragrance wafting out, it was mixed with all kinds of peculiar smells in the cell, which seemed particularly out of place.

"Why, so scared that you can't speak?" Hongling sniffed the scent and giggled, "Du Heng, Baizhi, Gansong, Lingling... Your Highness really treats you as a baby, but it's a pity Still ruthless. One day you get tired of playing with you, or you accidentally offend him...you will only end up in a normal way."

Lan Qi's expression was always indifferent, without showing any tolerance or pity, he said lightly: "Didn't you treat the captives in the eyes like this?"

Hongling said disdainfully: "You don't have to pretend to be a rabbit dead and a fox sad. You have betrayed so thoroughly, you still care about the life and death of the people in the eyes?"

"No...you can't say that." She raised her eyes suddenly, staring at Lan Qi with ulterior motives. Never served Skylark, did you?"

She said weakly and intermittently: "I have been thinking for the past few days, what kind of thing are you, why are you invulnerable to all poisons? How many medicines in this world have such effects?"

"I've also heard the rumors about you before... It is said that Yu Wushuang loves you so much that she will let you rest on the fifth day of every month, and you will definitely stay behind closed doors, which is more punctual than a woman's menstruation."

"And I heard that after you detoxified that day, your heart and mouth ached, didn't you?"

"After thinking about it, there's probably only 'that', isn't it?"

She turned her head, her slack eyes suddenly became sharp and bright, and she laughed loudly: "It's Deed Gu...isn't it?"

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Traffickers must die!