Muffled thunder sounded over the city, the rain suddenly became heavier, and a cross wind blew.
Near Dyefang Street, Ye Jingtang held an oil-paper umbrella with one hand to block the wind, held Sister Ning'er in his arms, and used his body to block the raindrops flying sideways. He couldn't help but say a few words:
"This rain is the same as yours the night before...hiss--"
Luo Ning huddled under Ye Jingtang's arm. The little thief took the initiative to protect her from the wind and rain, and she was quite touched. When these words came out, her cold face suddenly turned into shame and anger, and she pinched Ye Jingtang's waist hard:
"Little thief, do you dare to mention this again? I didn't mean it... I even bought new sheets to compensate you!"
Ye Jingtang smiled and apologized, shielding himself from the wind and rain with his sleeves, pretending that nothing had happened.
Because he was about to arrive home, Ye Jingtang quickened his pace and wanted to rush directly into Dyefang Street.
But Nuxia Luo in her arms seemed to be offended by those unbridled words and was about to turn around:
"I'll go to the Wang Family Medical Center and prepare some medicine for you later."
"It's raining so hard, let's go tomorrow."
"No! You little thief is getting more and more outrageous. I'm no one like you. You don't want to repay your kindness, but you still have to push your limits..."
"Hush, there's a carriage ahead."
Ye Jingtang walked forward quickly. Because the rain was too heavy, he heard the horses snorting when he reached the intersection of Ranfang Street. He raised his umbrella and looked around. He saw a luxurious chariot parked on the street to take shelter from the rain.
There were guards outside the carriage, the windows were open, and the lights were on inside.
The handsome and handsome Queen was sitting in the carriage, looking at him from the window with a strange look in her eyes.
The bird huddled on Ye Jingtang's shoulder to hide from the rain quickly raised its wings and said hello:
"Chiji~"
When Luo Ning saw the noble woman in the carriage, her face changed slightly. She bowed like a shy little daughter-in-law, then took the umbrella and ran quickly into Dyefang Street.
Wow…
The heavy rain covered the head and face, making the birds shiver.
It was difficult to talk in the heavy rain at Ye Jingtang Station, so I quickly walked out of the carriage:
"Your Highness, why are you here?"
Dongfang Liren focused his eyes on the girl Ning'er who was running away with her head lowered, and said calmly:
"I just came to see you for something. Miss Ning'er's little maid said that you had gone out, so she took shelter here from the rain. Come up."
Ye Jingtang jumped onto the carriage, lowered his head and entered the door. The sound of rain outside became quieter, leaving only the soft patter of rain hitting the roof of the car.
Dongfang Liren, dressed in a fat-headed dragon python suit, was sitting on the couch, his eyes still on the street:
"What did you say to Miss Ning'er just now? She seems to be angry and hitting you."
Ye Jingtang sat down by the car window. It was hard to say the allusion of Luo Nuxia wetting the sheets, so he just said casually:
"It was just a joke."
Dongfang Liren took a white sweat towel from the side of the couch and handed it to Ye Jingtang, whose face was covered with rain:
"You said naughty things to tease Miss Ning'er?"
Ye Jingtang took the towel and wiped his face:
"It's just a joke, how can you call it teasing."
"snort……"
Dongfang Liren estimated that Ye Jingtang was talking about something like "Ning'er moves on her own", so she didn't go into details and instead said:
"Minglongtan is good for your practice. I want you to do something, and I need you to improve your strength as soon as possible, so I have a few words with the Holy Lord. You can go to Minglongtan at any time with the token..."
Ye Jingtang was stunned, recalling what Miss Yuhu said yesterday, he was very surprised and asked:
"Cheng'an Palace is the Holy Emperor's palace. Did His Highness himself speak about this matter?"
Dongfang Liren wanted to nod and let Ye Jingtang remember her as a favor, but the actual situation was that she had never thought of letting Ye Jingtang spend the night in Minglongtan. Last night when her sister was sleeping, she said, "Do you want Ye Jingtang to stay overnight?"
If Jingtang goes to Minglongtan to practice martial arts, there is no need to be secretive, just give him a sign that allows him to enter and exit the palace freely."
Dongfang Liren has always been outspoken. He didn't want to do something like pretending to be a military leader, so he responded:
"The Holy One heard that you risked your life to investigate the case, and thought that you were loyal, capable, and worthy of training, so he allowed you to practice martial arts in Minglongtan. But remember, those who have received this honor in the past are all diehard loyalists of the imperial court.
Sir, wherever you go, you must fulfill this responsibility."
Ye Jingtang asked in confusion: "Your Highness said that Minglongtan cannot be entered except by the one who is destined to be the emperor. Who else has gone in?"
"There are quite a few, Eunuch Cao from this dynasty, Eunuch Xue from the previous dynasty, Eunuch Wei..."
In the night hall, I heard a group of father-in-laws, and there was a slight chill somewhere, and they secretly said: If you want to practice this skill, you must first commit suicide in the palace, so that’s what it means...
"Only eunuchs can spend the night there? Actually, I think it's okay to practice slowly outside."
"As long as you know the rules and don't listen or look at the old martial arts master, I won't cleanse you. Come here tomorrow, I will take you into the palace and teach you the rules first."
Ye Jingtang thought for a moment: "I'm afraid I won't be able to enter the palace tomorrow."
"Is something wrong?"
"There have been some personal matters these past two days. Baoyuanmen in Yunzhou has taken away part of Honghualou's property, so I have to help Honghualou settle the matter; and Tiefuling wants to beat me today, so I have to intimidate him.
, I have to go out for three to five days."
Dongfang Liren obviously has some objections to such trivial matters:
"Why do you need to go there personally for this kind of thing? I will give an order and let She Longshang go away..."
"No need. Asking Your Highness to deal with such a trivial matter is making a fuss out of a molehill. I have learned the martial arts of Honghualou, so I should go there for a trip."
When Dongfang Liren saw this, he didn't say much: "Then go back quickly, pay attention to safety outside, and remember to teach me the Overlord Spear when you come back. Do you want me to arrange some guards for you?"
"No need, I have always acted steadily..."
"You walk all the way and kill all the way, and say you are stable?!"
Ye Jingtang smiled: "I have my own sense of discretion, Your Highness, don't worry."
Dongfang Liren didn't say much when he saw this.
Ye Jingtang thought for a while and then remembered the topic just now - judging from Benben's words, it was not Benben's attention that allowed him to stay in Minglong Pond to practice martial arts. It was probably Queen Yuhu who really gave the empress a pillow...
…
Girl Yuhu doesn't look like Lily, but as a palace servant, she has no choice, so she is forced to polish the mirror with the empress, and her hair turns gray...
But I don’t know whether this is true or not.
Ye Jingtang thought for a moment and asked:
"Your Highness, are you familiar with the palace maid?"
Dongfang Liren was stunned for a moment, and the Night Terror Hall finally realized that he was ready to hire a few beautiful palace ladies as maids, and asked:
"You are more outstanding in the familiarity part, but you have fallen in love with a certain palace maid or palace maid? I will give it to you..."
Ye Jingtang shook his head: "No, I just met a palace maid recently. She doesn't seem to like life in the palace, and she worries all day long..."
Dongfang Liren was a little confused and thought to himself: This is a girl who feels sorry for the palace maid and is not favored, and wants to be a hero to save the beauty? She asked:
"What is your name?"
Ye Jingtang sat a little closer and whispered:
"My name is Yuhu. Do you recognize him, Your Highness?"
"..."
There was a crackle outside the carriage and a dead silence fell inside the carriage.
Dongfang Liren's eyes widened a bit, and the fat-headed dragon was visibly swollen. He didn't know what he was thinking, but his eyes were getting more and more fierce. Finally, he raised his hand and grabbed Ye Jingtang's collar and pressed it on him.
On the backrest, their eyes faced each other, filled with murderous intent:
"What do you mean? Do you want me to help you?"
Ye Jingtang expected that Benben might misunderstand him if he talked about palace maids.
But I didn’t expect that Benben would suddenly become jealous and have such a big reaction!
This alone makes me look for maids in the palace...
It is indeed a test...
Ye Jingtang was pressed on the carriage, but he didn't resist and explained seriously:
"I have nothing to do with Yuhu, and I don't want her to go back and fill in the house. I'm just curious..."
Dongfang Liren stared at Ye Jingtang's eyes carefully to make sure that Ye Jingtang was not confessing his relationship with his sister. Only then did the unknown fire in his heart subside slightly, but his eyebrows were still raised:
"Do you know who she is?"
Ye Jingtang looked at the bright cheeks that were so close and said in a low voice: "She said she is the beloved concubine of the Holy One and often sleeps with the Holy One. Is this true?"
??
Waiting for bed?
It’s the Queen Mother who often sleeps with her sister, right?
What is this mess?
Dongfang Liren tilted his head slightly, and after thinking for a moment, he understood the meaning - it must be his sister who was talking nonsense again and deceived Ye Jingtang, who was full of chivalry...
Dongfang Liren originally wanted to explain that his sister is not a womanizer, but then he thought about it - it seems that it is not a bad thing for Ye Jingtang to misunderstand that his sister likes women...
Dongfang Liren blinked his eyes: "Yuhu is the true love of His Majesty. He is blessed every day. You'd better not make wrong decisions."
Ye Jingtang was just curious and asked, seeing this he sighed:
"This kind of thing is actually normal, and I don't mean it at all... After all, Your Highness is the Holy Emperor's sister..."
??
Dongfang Liren took a breath and said nothing.
Ye Jingtang raised his hand slightly: "I am worrying too much. Your Highness obviously likes men..."
!
This question made Dongfang Liren nod and shake his head, so he could only press it hard and ask in a deep voice:
"Where did you see that?"
Ye Jingtang thought for a while: "Intuition."
"..."
Dongfang Liren felt that this topic was a bit strange, so he loosened his collar and sat upright. The Queen was full of energy:
"Your talent should be used in investigating crimes. What does it mean to think that women like it? I won't do it next time."
Ye Jingtang adjusted his clothes and said with a smile:
"Understood. It's getting late. I'll take His Highness back to the palace."
Dongfang Liren went back in a carriage. If Ye Jingtang really saw her off, he would have to send someone back, so he waved his hand and said:
"Go back and come back as soon as you're done. Pay attention to your safety."
…
A moment later, in the alley.
"Gujigujiguji..."
The fluffy bird huddled under the creaking nest of the Night Terror Hall and kept urging.
Ye Jingtang used his sleeves and robes to shield himself from the birds, rushed through the dark alleyway in the rain, and breathed a sigh of relief when he ran to the porch.
It was pitch dark in the yard. Only the windows of the main room were lit, and the voices of warblers and swallows could be heard coming from the house:
"I went to Minglong Tower today to look around. Qiu Daxia seems to live in the small street next to Hei Yamen, living with the people from Hei Yamen. I dare not go there."
"Who told you to run over there?"
"I'm just strolling around, I've finished copying all the books..."
"I'm going to go to Yuanmen with your cousin Jing. You just stay at home these days..."
"Oh~ Mistress used to take me with her wherever she went, but now that I have cousin Jing, I like the new and hate the old...ah! I was wrong..."
…
Ye Jingtang did not run into the main room to join in the fun, and started to wash up and put on clean clothes. After finishing cleaning up, Ye Jingtang stood at the door of the side room, hesitated for a moment, and felt that it was really inappropriate to knock Xiao Yunli unconscious again.
We could chat on the road, so he said:
"I'm probably going to be on the road tomorrow. Luo Nuxia should go to bed early and I'll go to bed too."
"You can just sleep. I was already asleep, and I still woke people up..."
"Master's wife obviously didn't sleep, ugh..."
Ye Jingtang raised a smile on his lips, suppressed some distracting thoughts in his mind, closed the door, sat down on the bed, and began to practice the Jade Bone Dragon and Elephant Diagram...
————
A night of silence.
The next day.
Boom--boom--
The morning bell rang, and after the strong wind and rain last night, the streets and alleys of the capital became brand new.
The store in Tianshuiqiao had just opened, and the escorts from the escort agency were sitting at the wonton stall outside the door eating breakfast.
Not far away, in the Pei's alley, there was a fat horse parked. On the horse's side were weapons hooked with long soldiers wrapped in yellow cloth.
Among the white walls and blue tiles, Ye Jingtang is wearing a black military uniform, with a Chilong ring-shaped sword wrapped in black cloth and hanging on his waist, standing in front of the window and talking:
"Sanniang, for such a trivial matter, I can do it alone. If I deal with a Baoyuan sect, I will also do it with the host and the young master. If the people in the world know about it, it will be a joke..."
Inside the window was Sanniang's boudoir. You could hear the rustling of clothes being put on, and the voice of a woman who was naturally endearingly feminine sounded from inside:
"The Zhou family is very dark-hearted. Old Mrs. Zhou has not taken any trouble for a long time. Who knows if they will 'wait and wait' secretly. I will go with you, so you can rest assured."
Ye Jingtang didn't mind Sanniang coming along, but Luo Nuxia also followed. The last time the two of them had a quarrel, they almost cut him into pieces. If they quarreled again on the road, he might not be able to reach Baoyuanmen alive.
"Ning'er come with me..."
"What's the use of having her together? She's just the leader's wife, in charge of internal affairs. Her biggest reputation in the world is her good looks."
"Ning'er's martial arts skills are quite impressive..."
"No matter how powerful she is, can she be as powerful as me? You are the young master of the Honghua Building. You know that this trip is risky, but I leave my safety in the hands of the Pingtian Sect without any care. How can you be the master of the building?"
While talking, the door opened.
Pei Xiangjun walked out of the house in a purple dress, dressed like a smart and capable merchant's daughter-in-law:
"Just let her go back. This is Honghualou's business. If she goes with her, I won't be able to pay her for her work."
Ye Jingtang shook his head: "We have already agreed that everyone is waiting outside. I will ask Ning'er to go back. I'm afraid she will have to go back to Nanxiao Mountain directly."
"..."
Pei Xiangjun saw Ye Jingtang's dilemma and felt helpless.
It is indeed risky for Jingtang to go out to do things for Honghualou this time. As the female head, she can't just leave it alone; if she leaves even this to the leader's wife, what else can she do?
Even if Jingtang wants to take the leader's wife with him, she can't possibly drive her away...
The leader's wife is considered a master after all. If three people go out together, they are much safer than two people...
But she and the leader's wife walked together, and she took medicine before she dared to restrain them one by one. Without taking medicine, she would have been autistic on the spot...
Pei Xiangjun thought about it for a while and felt that she was going to guard against accidents in the hall, and she was not trying to steal a man. There was no need to go together openly, she could just follow in secret...
Thinking of this, Pei Xiangjun said: "That's all, I'm just worried about your safety. Since you are sure, go back early and don't let me worry about it."
Ye Jingtang breathed a sigh of relief, comforted Sanniang for a few words, and then left the house.
After a while, the horses came to the streets of Tianshuiqiao.
Luo Ning, dressed in Tsing Yi and a curtain hat, was waiting on the street, while Niao Niao was squatting at her feet, looking straight at the breakfast stall in the distance.
Seeing Ye Jingtang coming out, Luo Ning came to him:
"we have a deal?"
Ye Jingtang nodded and stretched out his hand:
"Let's go, go back quickly."
Luo Ning looked around and saw that no one was paying attention, so she jumped up and sat behind the Night Terror Hall.
Ye Jingtang was afraid that Luo Ning would fall, so he wanted to hold her hand and put it on her waist. Naturally, she was dodged, so he had to give up and turned around and said:
"Let's go."
"grumble……"
Cry, cry...
Soon, a horse carrying two people and a bird left Tianshui Bridge.
Not long after the two people left the city gate, a black horse also trotted out of the city gate.
Immediately there was a woman dressed in black clothes, wearing a black gauze curtain hat, and a long soldier wrapped in black cloth hung on the side of the horse. She looked heroic and chivalrous. After taking a look at the end of the official road, she drove away.
The horse chased towards the northwest...
——
On the other side, on the border between Yunze and Yunzhou, is an unknown town.
The scorching sun after the heavy rain turned the earth into a steamer, and the burning heat distorted the light. There was not a single person on the streets of the old town. There was only an old dog, sticking out its tongue in the shade, looking at the people in the window of the wine shop.
Meat and wine.
Inside the window of the wine shop, there was the sound of people feasting, mixed with trivial chatter:
"This job is not easy to do. In my opinion, I can just leave as soon as I get the deposit and go to Beiliang..."
"Jianghu people, let's talk about the rules. Once your reputation is ruined, you won't be able to find a job in Beiliang."
"well……"
…
The wine shop is not big, with a total of four tables. The old shopkeeper works as a cook in the backyard, and there are two people sitting in the wine shop.
The two of them, one tall and one short, were both wearing gray-white robes. Their sleeves were rolled up and their arms were bare. They were eating wine and meat. There were several weapons leaning against the wall next to them.
A slightly taller man with sword-shaped eyebrows and tiger-like eyes, a rather mature and steady appearance, his name is Wang Chengjing, nicknamed "Bengshanhu" by Jianghu people. He is a ranger from Yanland and is well-known in Yanzhou. However, due to the feud between Jianghu and Jianghu in the past two years, he was a tall man.
He offended Jieyun Palace and was unable to establish himself in Yanzhou, so he kept wandering around the world.
Sitting opposite Wang Chengjing is his younger brother, who is generally called "Wang Er" by Jianghu people. He is slightly shorter but extremely strong. He is eating and drinking with wine and meat.
The two brothers of the Wang family, in terms of personal martial arts, are not the best in the world; but just like the 'Six Evils', the two of them join forces to attack each other, complementing each other's strengths and weaknesses, cooperating seamlessly, and being both offensive and defensive. It is not that the gap in hard power is so large that it will not be possible at all.
There's nothing you can do.
Wang Er ate big mouthfuls of wine and meat. Seeing his brother hesitate, he said again:
"This is a lot of money, but none of the people to be killed are good people. Needless to say, the people in Heiya will have to flee to Beiliang if they are killed. Ye Silang is the lifeblood of Honghua House. If he kills
If the news leaks out, even if Honghua Tower has no manpower and only relies on financial resources, it can still create ten grand masters to surround and suppress the two heroes of our Wang family..."
"Death is like a lamp going out. As long as it succeeds, Honghualou will only think about how to deal with the current situation, instead of going bankrupt to avenge blood..."
Wang Chengjing picked up the wine bowl and looked around. Seeing that no one was listening, he continued:
"For example, the young master of the Zhou family had the revenge of killing his father in front of him. After finding us, his first thought was to solve the trouble in Honghua House. After killing Hei Ya's Ye Jingtang, Zhou Ying could only take revenge.
There is no benefit; and by killing Ye Silang and forcing him to death in Honghualou, Zhou Ying can rely on this achievement to regain his position as the young head of the family. In the face of such a big business, a dead father is nothing..."
Wang Er put down the wine bowl and wiped his mouth: "You can't say that. Zhou Ying is a filial son. Let us kill whoever we have the opportunity to kill, and we will get double money for killing them all. The capital is relatively close, let's try it at night first.
Jingtang is so stubborn..."
Wang Chengjing shook his head: "The people from the Hei Yamen were killed. Yunzhou must be searching for the murderer with a dragnet. The risk is too high. First go to Baoyuanmen and squat Ye Silang. The Zhou family said that Ye Silang will most likely pass by in the near future. If he misses it, he will die in the future.
It’s hard to find.”
Wang Er nodded, wiped the sweat from his head, and said thoughtfully:
"With such a good seedling, it is impossible for Honghualou not to be on guard at all, and the risks are high when it comes to this matter. Can we use the strategy of driving away tigers and devouring wolves, and kill people with borrowed knives?"
"oh?"
"That's it, let's send the news that Ye Silang may have gone to the Yuanmen to the Night Terror Hall of the Black Yamen, and let these two people kill each other..."
Wang Chengjing was speechless: "Honghualou is doing serious business for the boat gang, and the black yamen are eager to help with the matter, so they asked Honghualou for a fee. Do you think that the Red God of Wealth is hiding his name because he is afraid of being caught by the government? He is afraid of being cheated by the government.