Harue Kagetsu

In the dungeon of the Taicheng Tingwei Department, even in the sunny day, it was dark and damp, and the sun was not visible.

Murong has been detained here for nearly two months.

The old emperor died and the new one ascended the throne. The Dayu court, which had maintained a balance for nearly twenty years, changed as the court changed its owners.

Jiankang outside the cell is experiencing undercurrents and changing circumstances.

But all this has nothing to do with him.

Hundreds of secrets. The Xu family, who was already winning, fell short of success because of the eldest princess' intervention and retreated with hatred.

When the tide receded, he also became an abandoned pawn, seemingly forgotten in this prison, leaving him to fend for himself.

In other words, waiting for someone to finally remember him and mark him with an end symbol.

Tingwei knew that he was a repeat offender, so naturally he would not reveal any information related to the outside world to the prisoner.

The people locked in this dungeon are no different from the deaf and blind.

But these days, this Xianbei person seems to have noticed something. He made several requests to see Xu Mi again.

He didn't wait for Xu Mi to come back to the dungeon to meet.

What they waited for was an order for Fa-rectification on the spot.

Order from the Shangshu Desk. It was signed by Gao Qiao.

Tingwei went down to the dungeon, ordered someone to open the door, and announced to the death row prisoner that he had just received the order.

The Xianbei people's reaction, called Tingwei, was also somewhat admired.

After so many years as Tingwei, specializing in criminal cases, he has seen too many people look ugly before they die.

No matter how tough people are, when it comes to this moment, they will all change color.

But the man in front of him didn't seem to have any reaction.

His body should have been very weak, but he still sat cross-legged on the ground, motionless. He only slowly raised his black and purple pupils and stared at him.

The moment he met those indifferent eyes, there was a chill in Tingwei's heart.

This Xianbei man didn't seem to regard his own life as an important thing at all.

Such a person will not have any superfluous feelings for others.

He ordered the executioner to do it and backed out by himself, standing outside the cell door to watch, so as not to wait for the blood to splatter and stain his clothes.

The executioner enters.

He is already very experienced.

In order to reduce the trouble of cleaning up afterwards, he threw a foul-smelling felt mat that was stained with blood stains over the years, and motioned Murong to kneel on his behalf.

Murong closed his eyes.

The executioner got angry, scolded him, went up, and forced him to the mat.

At this time, the head of the prison hurried down, and Daoxu Situ came.

Tingwei frowned.

He didn't know much about this Xianbei man. But being able to make Gao Qiao and Xu Mi go to prison in person before, and even have a conflict over this person, should not have been an insignificant little person, but for some reason, they became abandoned soldiers later.

Xu Mi, who had been protecting him, did not respond to his previous request.

Tingwei thought that Xu Mi had let go, but he did not expect that today Gao Qiao ordered the murder, and he suddenly appeared again.

Tingwei ordered the executioner to suspend the execution, and went to meet him in a hurry.

Xu Mi went to the prison alone without any entourage.

He seems to be hunched over before, and his voice is hoarse. It sounds different from normal.

Tingwei knew that the Xu family had been very frustrated recently. Guess Xu Mi's life will not be easy.

But in such a short period of time, people can't help but feel a little emotional.

People get power, why isn't power playing people?

Tingwei went up and greeted him.

Xu Mi said coldly: "Go and bring Murong, I want to take it away."

Tingwei was stunned for a moment, hesitated, and said after deliberation: "Xu Situ, forgive me. It's not that I don't obey Xu Situ's order. But this morning, we received an order from Shang Shutai, ordering me to commit crimes on the spot. Xu If Situ wants someone, it's okay. But can you introduce the official?"

Xu Mi was furious.

"You dare not obey me?"

"Could it be that you dare to despise my Xu family when the new emperor ascends the throne and Gao Qiao is in power?"

He sneered.

"I Xu Mi loses power again, and Jingzhou Bafu is still here. It's more than enough to deal with you as a court officer!"

He pulled out the sword from his waist, pointed at Tingwei, and shouted, "Will you hurry up and bring me out?"

Facing Xu Mi's anger, Tingwei had no choice but to order someone to bring Murong out.

After a while, Murong was led out by the jailer and stood in front of Xu Mi, looking at Xu Mi.

The two looked at each other.

Xu Mi turned to Tingwei: "Send him in chains!"

Tingwei could only send someone to Murong Ti's hand and foot shackles, wait for Xu Mi to take someone out of the prison, board a carriage parked outside, and immediately call someone to inform Gao Qiao after he walked away.

…

The driver drove the carriage towards the nearest city gate and galloped away.

Xu Mi and Murong were in the same car. The wheels of the wagon ran over a bumpy road, and the body jerked violently. Murong Ting's face was snow-white, his body swayed, he fell over, was supported by Xu Mi, took out a handkerchief, raised his hand to wipe the blood stains on his face, his eyes showed sympathy, and said, "Brother, how are you? Can you survive it? Our people are waiting at the ferry. Just hold on, wait until you get out of the city and when you get to the ferry, you will be on your way!"

The hand was smooth and white, not a man's hand at all. The voice returned to its original tone, and it sounded like a young woman.

Murong Tei opened his eyes and looked at his younger sister Murong Zhe, who looked like Xu Mi, and said hoarsely, "I'm fine. You came in time. Otherwise, I would have been killed."

He remembered the scene just now, and a stern look flashed across his eyes.

Murong Zhe said: "Brother, it's my fault that I came late and made you almost die inside. It's not that I didn't want to come early, it's that I'm not familiar with Xu Mi, and I'm afraid that I'll change my face, if I'm recognized, it's a bad thing. I don't care if I die. , I can't implicate my brother. These days, Xu Mi has been living in a secluded place. It took me a lot of effort to infiltrate Xu's house. I looked at him a few times from a distance, and it was reluctant to look like this. Fortunately, I finally deceived Tingwei, rescued you."

"It's all my fault. Things didn't go well. Not only did all the previous achievements go to waste, but I almost cost my brother my life..."

Murong shook his head: "You've done a good job. If it doesn't work, it's just God's will. Don't blame yourself too much."

Murong Zhe's beautiful eyes showed a look of resentment and puzzlement: "Brother, I don't understand, Xu Mi has a reason to be pinched by us, why does he dare to abandon you? Even if the prince can't become the emperor of the Southern Dynasty, but Isn't he still a minister of the Southern Dynasty? He is not afraid that Gao Qiao will take my decree and kill him?"

Murong said on his behalf: "Gao Qiao's purpose is to prevent the crown prince from ascending the throne, and to prevent the Xu family from succeeding in controlling the court, rather than taking the opportunity to completely remove the Xu family. It's not that he doesn't want to, but that he can't. He is afraid of the strength of the Xu family, afraid of being forced Too urgent, the Xu family rebelled, and the Southern Dynasty was in chaos. He sought stability in his work, and looked forward to the future. Now he has achieved his goal. Even if you handed over the false edict to him, don’t say that you can’t hide it from him, it is the real edict, and he also He will never tear his face and openly attack at this time. Xu Mi is an old fox, how can he not guess Gao Qiao's scruples? The two of them seem to be enemies, but in fact they know each other's thoughts, and it seems that they have reached a compromise secretly. One step, this matter has been revealed, and everything will be fine for the time being."

Murong Zhe was stunned. He gritted his teeth and said, "There really isn't any of the men in the Southern Dynasties bloody. All of them are useless! This Gao Qiao has an empty name, but in fact it is extremely useless, and it almost killed you, brother!"

Murong Wei looked very calm and looked at Murong Zhe.

"I was in prison, as if I was blind and deaf, but I also expected that things would change. I asked to see Xu Mi several times, which was a temptation. He didn't show up for a long time, and I knew that the situation was over, and I was ready to go. I am ready to die. Fortunately, I was rescued by you today, and I am not dead."

"A-mei, you sacrificed a lot for the restoration of the country, and today you saved me again. Brother, on behalf of Dayan, thank you."

Murong Zhe sighed: "Brother doesn't have to be like this! Brother is Dayan's hope of recovering the country! Only by keeping Brother A, can I have hope for Dayan. As the daughter of the Murong family, as long as it is useful to me, Even if I am torn to pieces, I will never shirk.”

Murong nodded.

"Brother, this is the end. After we escape, where do we go?"

"When I was sent to the Southern Dynasty by my uncle, it was originally to borrow troops. Now that things fail, I can only go back to my uncle and find another way out."

"I heard that my uncle is in Longcheng, and he has gathered many old tribes and clansmen. However, even if we can escape from the Southern Dynasty this time, most of the northern part is still the territory of Xia Jie. They hate you to the core, and you are still hunting them down. Lie. Injured again and has difficulty moving. How can I safely cross the Central Plains and return to my hometown in Longcheng?"

Murong pondered for a moment, then slowly said: "Gu Hui's clan is now seeking Chang'an. Xia Jie is trying to protect Longxi and is deploying troops to deal with it. The so-called fishing in troubled waters, the more chaotic the place, the better the chance. If you can escape today, you might as well. Take the long way, go north around Xiangyang, and take the west line. Although that area is far away, it is relatively safe. After passing through, we will take advantage of the chaos to cross Chang’an, go through Xiaoguan, and finally return to Longcheng.”

"Everything is up to my brother's arrangement."

Murong nodded and closed his eyes.

The carriage continued to gallop forward, gradually approaching the city gate.

When the guard saw a carriage coming out of the city, he stepped forward to stop it, and was about to inquire, when he saw a face sticking out of the car window, hoarsely, and said coldly: "Get out of the way! This official has something to go out of the city, and the court affairs are delayed. , can you afford it?"

The guard recognized Xu Mi, and when he saw his face, why would he be suspicious? He hurriedly backed away, and was about to ask someone to let him go, when he suddenly heard a roar behind him: "Xu Situ in the carriage is a fake! Stop it! Take down the criminal!"

The doorman turned his head and saw that Chen Tuan, the commander of the city guard, led a large group of men and horses, rushing towards this side, reacted, shouted, and called people to set up a truck in front of him.

The coachman was the dead soldier of the Murong family.

The horse was in pain, dragged the carriage, forcibly broke the card, rushed out, and ran away along the gallop.

Murong Zhe couldn't help turning his head, seeing that the group of chasing soldiers behind him was getting closer and closer, and he could faintly see a little black shadow, and his face turned pale.

Murong said suddenly: "Put me down, you guys continue to move forward."

Murong Zhe was stunned for a moment and then understood.

The speed of the carriage was no match for a single horse. If it goes on like this, they can only be captured together.

"Brother! You are injured, I will walk with you! Let the carriage lead them away!"

"No! The goal of the two is obvious, and it is not easy to escape. You go down by yourself before you! Don't worry, I can't die!"

"Brother-"

"Hurry up! As long as I lure away the pursuers, I can get out and go to Longcheng by myself. You also think of a way to meet in Longcheng! Don't you want to die together today at the hands of the people of the Southern Dynasty?"

Murong shouted sharply.

Murong Zhe froze.

She knew that in the eyes of her brother, restoring the country and proclaiming the emperor was the only important thing. The rest, even his own and his life, can be completely ignored when necessary.

Nodding his head, he immediately ordered the driver to slow down the speed of the car, and hurriedly handed a bag that was prepared in the carriage to Murong Ti, and let him go down as he said.

Murong Ting silently hid in a ditch with dense weeds beside the road, watching the large group of people whizzing past in front of him, after a long while, when the surroundings were completely quiet, he got up from the ground, turned around, and looked for the northwest. direction, towards the riverside, staggering away.

…

When it was dark, Gao Qiao got the latest return.

Said that there were more than a dozen Xianbei people who were hiding near the ferry port. It should be Murong's casual behavior before. All of them were arrested, and none of them slipped through the net.

The carriage followed. But Murong was nowhere to be seen. The man who pretended to be Xu Mi also fled early, leaving only the driver.

Murong plans to cross the river north to escape. Chen Tuan has sent people to search the riverside overnight. If there is any news, they will report back.

Gao Qiao was very worried, and returned to the mansion from Taicheng to find Xiao Yongjia and told the news that Murong had escaped.

He sighed: "At that time, I told him to get away, and I knew that it was impossible to catch him again. This man was scheming and forbearance, like a tiger returning to the mountain. It's just that I didn't insist and let him go. There's no such thing as that..."

He regretted it a lot, and kept talking about it in his mouth. Seeing how Xiao Yongjia had just taken off his makeup and showered, he was casually wrapped in clothes, sitting in front of the mirror, with his long hair uncombed, his hands resting on his forehead, as if he was thinking about something in a trance and didn't listen to what he said at all.

Thinking of these days, the first is the national mourning, then the King of Dongyang ascends the throne, the niece Gao Yongrong is the later, and the six palaces also have a lot of complicated etiquette. She frequently invited Xiao Yongjia to the palace to preside over. However, Xiao Yongjia lacked interest and seemed to do it reluctantly.

So he changed his words: "A Ling, the matter of the niece is almost over now. I see that you are tired too, you should rest."

Xiao Yongjia still didn't answer, just glanced at him lightly.

Gao Qiao suddenly felt a little nervous.

Although Xiao Yongjia has been living at home recently, the two still sleep separately.

This is her house.

Previously, things in the imperial court were so chaotic, he didn't even think about it.

The new emperor has recently been enthroned, and the imperial court has gradually stabilized. He remembered that he had kissed her uncontrollably before. At the time she seemed very soft. So in the past few nights, I have been wondering if I can stay and sleep in the same room with her.

Just this sentence, I tried to speak several times, but it was stuck in my throat, and I couldn't say it.

Gao Qiao wondered if she had guessed what he was thinking, but she didn't mean it, so she didn't take the initiative.

Can not help but a little embarrassed.

Seeing that she picked up the comb and started combing her hair, she hesitated, whether she was looking for an excuse to stay for a while, or to go out, there were people outside, and Queen Dao was here.

During the day, Gao Yongrong feasted Jiankang and his daughters in the palace, and Xiao Yongjia was in the upper position. A few hours after returning from the palace, the niece came again.

She and her husband glanced at each other quickly, then summoned a maid to comb their hair and dress, and after a little tidying up, the two came to the front hall.

However, he saw that Gao Yongrong was not wearing a queen's dress, but was dressed in ordinary clothes. Standing in the hall, he was looking up slightly, looking around, with a look of emotion on his face. Hearing the footsteps of his couple, he turned his head and saw the two of them. Come, smile and call "Uncle, Aunt".

Gao Qiao and Xiao Yongjia were about to bow down to her, but Gao Yongrong hurriedly came to stop me: "Uncle and aunt don't break me. Before outsiders, I had no choice but to be greeted by two adults. This is my own home. How can the two adults see things like this? After I came back with His Majesty, I always wanted to go back home as the daughter of the Gao family, and I finally made the trip tonight. Your lord is so polite, is it because you don’t welcome your niece?”

Gao Qiao glanced at Xiao Yongjia. Seeing that she didn't speak, he quickly smiled and said, "How could it be? It's rare for you to be so thoughtful. It's too late for your aunt and I to be happy."

Gao Yongrong smiled, looked around again, and said, "Fangcai niece came all the way, and everything you see is from the old times. After being married for so many years, although I miss it all the time, but I can't go home, even if I come back, it's like a passerby. Thinking that from now on, I will live next door to my uncle and aunt, and if I miss home, I can go back at any time, and I can't help feeling a lot in my heart."

"The niece has always respected the two adults like her parents. It was the same in the past, and it is the same now. I just don't know if the two adults still treat the niece as if they were their own daughters as before?"

she laughed.

Gao Qiao was stunned for a moment, then nodded: "That's natural, that's natural. Speaking of which, you and sister Ami are deeply in love. In the years after you got married, she often mentioned you to me and your aunt."

After he finished speaking, he looked at his wife again. Seeing that she was still speechless, she just looked at her niece with a half-smile, and she couldn't help but wonder.

Speaking of Luoshen, Gao Yongrong's eyes also brightened, and he sighed with a smile: "When I came back this time, I learned that Amei actually went to Yicheng. I also thought that I would be able to meet and walk with her often in the future. It was a pity. , but think about it again, my brother-in-law is a hero among people, Amei follows her husband, and the two husband and wife sing and follow, and expand the territory for me in the Great Yu. Why should I wait for such a heroic heroic thing, why should I regret it. Therefore, some time ago, I sent a reminiscence letter to Amei, and I thought that Yicheng was a desolate and miserable land, and it was difficult for Amei, so I could only send some food and clothing with the letter to express my feelings."

Xiao Yongjia finally spoke up and said, "It's hard for you, I'm too busy with everyday things, I still remember Ami. I thank you on behalf of Ami."

Gao Yongrong smiled and said, "Why is my aunt so polite? I have regarded Ami as my sister since I was a child. I just hope that my brother-in-law will make great contributions to my Dayu as soon as possible, and His Majesty will not hesitate to give him a generous seal. At that time, his couple will return to the court with honors, and I will be with Ami again. The sisters rejoice. Thinking of that day, I am very happy."

"Yes, yes..." Gao Qiao agreed.

"It's just that now, the King of Dongyang has become the emperor in a daze, and I have become an empress. In front of outsiders, I dare not say anything. But to my uncle and aunt, I am not afraid of your jokes, so I will say it directly. Your Majesty And me, both of them are still hanging on to their hearts now..."

The smile on her face slowly disappeared.

"His Majesty originally just wanted to be his King of Dongyang, and I will be my princess. It is the greatest blessing to be in the past. I didn't expect to be taken over to Jiankang and become such a situation."

"Your Majesty is young, how do you know how to handle state affairs? I don't even know anything. From now on, I can only be cheeky and rely on the support of family members like uncles, aunts and brother-in-laws..."

Gao Qiao's face also became solemn, and he sighed: "It is my duty to wait for the ministers of the court to share the king's worries. Don't worry. If my uncle still has some spare power, he will definitely use it. Do your best."

Gao Yongrong showed joy again and bowed to Gao Qiao. He was helped by Gao Qiao.

Gao Yongrong straightened up, glanced at Xiao Yongjia, who never spoke much, and said, "Uncle, aunt, I have another matter, and I would like to ask the two adults for your understanding. Can you allow me to go into the inner room and talk about it?"

Xiao Yongjia stared at her, his eyes moved slightly.

Gao Qiao had a confused look on his face, and then nodded: "Come to my study."

…

The three entered the study and closed the door. Gao Qiao took the top seat, and Xiao Yongjia sat beside him. Gao Yongrong came to the two of them and bowed solemnly.

Gao Qiao was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly said: "Why are you giving such a big gift? No! Get up quickly!"

However, Gao Yongrong did not stand up and said, "Uncle, do you still remember that when my brother-in-law asked to marry Amei, he was plotted against him, which was almost a bad thing?"

Gao Qiao quickly glanced at Xiao Yongjia who was beside him, and his eyes were puzzled.

"My niece doesn't dare to hide it anymore. This was done by my niece in the past!"

Gao Qiao was surprised.

"My niece never dared to mention it in front of her uncle, because she was afraid of causing her uncle Thunder's wrath. Now, the reason why she seeks uncle to be frank is because of guilt in her heart, so that she can't sleep at night and dare not hide it."

There were tears in Gao Yongrong's eyes.

"The reason why my niece was confused for a while and did such a thing was when she suddenly learned that her brother-in-law had forced her to marry Amei. Not only her uncle and aunt, but the whole family was in great pain, but because of her lifelong involvement with Amei, her niece was furious, and even more Out of the sincerity of protecting the Gao family and Amei, I was momentarily confused and made up my own mind, and actually did such a wrong thing."

"After the anger, I regretted it and decided to withdraw the arrangement, but everyone went out, and I couldn't stop it for a while. Fortunately, God had an eye, the matter was not completed, and my brother-in-law was safe. At the time, I was regretful and afraid, so I went to find my aunt. My aunt didn't know anything about it beforehand. When he asked me, my uncle happened to be looking for him. I was afraid that my uncle would know the truth and would be angry with me.

"The fault was originally mine. After the incident, instead of repenting, I made more mistakes and made my aunt wronged for me. I still think of this matter, and it is often uneasy. Today, I finally tried to be punished by two adults. To blame, I have to come here and confess my fault to the adults."

"I beg my lord, since my niece was in the mood to protect the Gao family and Amei, she was confused for a while, don't care about me..."

Two tears flowed down her, choked up, kowtowed to Gao Qiao and Xiao Yongjia, and knelt down.

It was very quiet in the library. Only Gao Yongrong let out a soft sob.

Gao Qiao slowly looked at Xiao Yongjia, staring at her with a strange expression.

Xiao Yongjia lowered his eyes and said nothing.

Gao Qiao finally turned his face and looked at Gao Yongrong.

"you…"

He didn't know what to say for a moment, so he stopped.

Gao Yongrong said: "At that time, the whole family blamed my brother-in-law, and even more so for me. Now I know that my brother-in-law is the great weapon of the country, and my marriage with Amei is a marriage made in the past life. I regret it very much. , I hope my aunt will understand. In the future, your majesty will govern the country, although I am mediocre and incompetent, but I will do my best to manage the six palaces, sericulture, share the worries for your majesty, and pray for the well-being of the people of the world."

"I beg your uncle to help your majesty with all your heart, and also beg your aunt to teach me a lot in the future. Your majesty and I are very grateful."

Gao Qiao's face was solemn, and finally, he let out a long sigh.

"Forget it, you weren't the only one who opposed it at the beginning. It's just that your method was too extreme, and it was a big mistake. Fortunately, your brother-in-law is auspicious, and you are also repentant and have the courage to admit your mistake. That's it. In the future, I will myself I will do my best to assist Your Majesty."

Gao Yongrong wept again, and kowtowed again to apologize.

Xiao Yongjia has been staring at his niece, his eyes are a little complicated. Finally, he also said a few words of comfort.

Gao Yongrong smiled with tears in his eyes. Accompanying her, we talked for a while, but because it was getting late, I re-balanced my face, and said goodbye and returned to the palace.

The couple escorted her outside the hall, Gao Yongrong repeatedly asked them to stay, but the two stopped.

As soon as his niece left, Gao Qiao immediately said to his wife, "Follow me back to the house!" His tone was a little heavy. After speaking, he raised his feet and left.

Xiao Yongjia stared at his back and followed him unhurriedly.

As soon as he entered, Gao Qiao closed the door, walked back and forth in front of Xiao Yongjia with his hands behind his back, suddenly stopped, turned his face and said angrily, "Since that matter has nothing to do with you, I asked you at the time, why did you not get along? I tell the truth?"

Xiao Yongjia said lightly: "As soon as you came in, you scolded me right away, believing it was my order. If I said no, would you believe it? I'm afraid you will insist that it is my sophistry."

Gao Qiao choked.

"I was too angry at the time. You can tell me later! You never told me! If it wasn't for your niece to ask today, would you always treat me as an outsider?"

Xiao Yongjia's eyes were a little hot, looking at her husband.

Gao Qiao and her looked at each other for a moment, then finally remembered, and patted his forehead heavily.

"I remember it! Just last time, I went to the county owner's house to look for you. You mentioned to me that the person who robbed Shao Yuniang was not arranged by you. You didn't know about the assassination of your son-in-law."

"At that time, before the words were finished, news came that your brother was sick..."

He kept tapping his fingers on his forehead, frowning, and his tone was very apologetic.

"A-ling, it's all my fault. Later, when things got messy, I forgot and never asked you again..."

Xiao Yongjia forced back the enthusiasm in his eyes: "I remember that you asked back then, it wasn't you, who was that?"

She smiled.

"My niece came to recognize her tonight. You know one thing. Another thing, I can also tell you, I really hated that Shao Yuniang back then, and I hated that I even raised my sword to kill her, but I still didn't do it. You suspect that someone arranged the robbery and forced Shao Yuniang to death. You have a good idea. But that person is not me, but Zhu Jiyue!"

"That night, I accidentally learned from her mouth that it was her arrangement that year, and only accidentally killed her when provoked."

"Gao Qiao, I have a bad temper, and I have made you suffer a lot of grievances, and your heart is not good, not what you like, and as for a good internal assistant, it is even farther away from me. I have delayed you for so many years, and I don't dare to do it again. Blame you for what's wrong."

"That's it. I'm really tired these days. I want to go back to the island to clean up. I'm leaving."

After she finished speaking, she turned and walked towards the door.

Gao Qiao looked at her back and suddenly said, "Stop!"

Xiao Yongjia continued to walk.

"A-ling, stop!"

Xiao Yongjia has already walked to the door.

"Xiao Yongjia, stop for me!"

Gao Qiao suddenly called her by her name in a rare way and roared.