There is a forest fifty miles north of Yangzhou City. Because big insects are infested, few people dare to enter this forest.
However, at this moment, the most dangerous creature in this forest is by no means a giant insect.
Chen Shuozhen galloped through the forest at an alarming speed.
The band on her head has been lost, and her long black and silky hair is scattered behind her head. There are many scratches and holes on her robe. All her men have been killed, leaving her alone.
The animals in the forest all have keen hearing. When Chen Shuozhen passed by them, they all ran back to their caves in fright because the sound of her walking was so fast and unfamiliar.
Animals are always full of fear towards strange things.
Suddenly, these animals all poked their heads out of their caves and looked around, because they found that the sound suddenly disappeared.
In an open space in the forest, Chen Shuozhen panted slightly and looked coldly at the man in black mask standing in front of him.
Even though death was approaching, her expression remained calm.
"When Situ Hong and I helped you besiege Ouyang Chong, he said that maybe one day we will be the ones being besieged and killed by you bad people. I didn't expect that he really hit the mark."
Yang Xuan remained silent.
"Since you don't want to talk, why don't you take action?" Chen Shuozhen said coldly.
Yang Xuan said: "I have something to ask you."
"If you want to ask me why I serve the King of Yue, then there is no need to ask, I won't tell you."
"That's not what I want to ask." Yang Xuan said lightly, "Because I know the reason."
Chen Shuozhen's expression changed slightly, he stared at Yang Xuan for a while, and then said with a forced smile: "Then I'd like to hear it."
Yang Xuan said lightly: "Because you are not Chen Shuozhen at all."
"You, what are you talking about?" Chen Shuozhen suddenly changed his color.
"The real Chen Shuozhen was killed when the rebellion failed, but the King of Yue discovered that the Fire Phoenix Society had resurrected in recent years without a leader."
"It happened that he accidentally obtained the "Ling Bao Sutra", the treasure of the Huo Feng Society, and asked you to learn the martial arts in the Ling Bao Sutra. Then, as Chen Shuozhen, he summoned the followers of the Huo Feng Society to fight for
For your own use.”
Chen Shuozhen's face turned pale and he said nothing.
Yang Xuan said lightly: "You look very similar to Chen Shuo, and so many years have passed, and your martial arts are exactly the same as hers. It is easy for those believers to believe you. The most difficult thing to deal with is the high-level believers who controlled the Fire Phoenix Society at that time, but you
With the support of the King of Yue, it will not be difficult to win over these senior officials."
"Did King Han tell you?" Chen Shuozhen gritted his teeth and said.
Yang Xuan said: "You don't need to know, now I just want you to answer my other question."
Chen Shuozhen took a deep breath, regained his composure, and said, "Let me just listen."
Yang Xuan's eyes instantly became extremely sharp and he said: "I know that someone in Chang'an City has been bribing the King of Yue to support the Liaodong War. Who is the briber?"
Chen Shuozhen sneered: "You don't need to know either."
Yang Xuan said: "I would not be surprised if any general bribed His Royal Highness the King of Yue, but what surprises me is that a businessman dared to interfere in the court's decision-making."
Chen Shuo was really surprised and said, "You know?"
Yang Xuan's eyes lit up. The reason why he said he was a businessman was because someone had bribed King Han. He had seen that person from a distance. According to his judgment, that person was a famous businessman.
From Chen Shuozhen's reaction, the person who bribed the King of Yue should also be the businessman.
"Who is that person?" Yang Xuan asked.
Chen Shuozhen frowned and said nothing.
Yang Xuan was silent for a while and said: "It's useless for you to keep this secret now. Why not tell it and I can give you a good time."
Chen Shuozhen smiled and said: "It's meaningful, at least it can make you unhappy."
Yang Xuan didn't say any more. He raised his hands, and there was a silver short spear in both hands. Chen Shuozhen's whole body tensed up instantly.
Suddenly, a gust of autumn wind blew up the fallen leaves, and the two figures were instantly intertwined. Chen Shuozhen's sword skills were fierce and his movements were strange.
However, facing a master with Yang Xuan's speed and top-level strength, he could no longer suppress the opponent like he faced Gao Junhui.
Before fifty moves, the two were evenly matched, but once the fifty moves passed, Yang Xuan kept getting closer to Chen Shuozhen. For short weapons, the shorter the distance, the stronger the power.
Suddenly, Chen Shuozhen was unable to stop his attack in time, and the long sword was stuck by the mechanism on the short gun. Yang Xuan gave a strong shake, and the long sword flew away into the air.
At the critical moment, Chen Shuozhen leaned back, almost touching the ground. At the same time, a ribbon flew out of her sleeve and wrapped around a tree.
When Yang Xuan stabbed her with his short spear, she pulled hard and narrowly escaped the attack.
At this time, she knew that she was no match for Yang Xuan. In order to prevent Yang Xuan from interrogating him for the information after being caught, she did not hesitate to wipe her neck after receiving the fallen sword.
At this moment, Yang Xuan said: "Wait a minute."
While Yang Xuan was shouting, his footsteps stopped and he stood motionless. Chen Shuozhen stopped and looked at him.
Yang Xuan said in a deep voice: "I have a proposal."
Chen Shuozhen said nothing, waiting for his next words.
"I will ask one of my men to duel with you. If you win, I will let you go. If you lose, I will still let you go, but you have to tell me the identity of the businessman."
Chen Shuozhen frowned and said: "The king of Yue has fallen, and the Liaodong War is over. Why are you so persistent with that businessman?"
Yang Xuan said: "You don't need to know."
Chen Shuozhen said coldly: "If you don't tell me the reason, I won't agree to your proposal."
Yang Xuan stared at her quietly for a long time and said slowly: "I can tell you, but if you find out, I won't be able to let you go. You can think about it yourself."
Chen Shuozhen was silent for a while and said, "Let your men come out."
Although she can't beat Yang Xuan, she doesn't believe she can't beat an ordinary bad guy. And this news is actually not that important. If there is a chance to save her own life, it is worth a try.
Yang Xuan blew a strange whistle, and a figure swayed, and a tall man with a fox face mask appeared in front of Chen Shuozhen.
Judging from the bulging shape of the opponent's chest and slender figure, it was clear that there was a woman behind the mask. Although her eyes were cold to the bone, she was not as devoid of human emotions as Yang Xuan.
The woman was wearing a dark purple short skirt, and her sleeves were so wide and long that Chen Shuozhen couldn't see what kind of weapon she was using.
"Feng Wu, you deal with her."
"Dead or alive?" the woman in purple asked.
Although her voice is cold, it is clear and sweet, and you can tell that she is still very young.
Chen Shuozhen did not dare to be careless at all. Yang Xuan knew her martial arts very well. There must be his reasons for letting this woman fight under such circumstances.
"Live."
As soon as Yang Xuan's voice fell, the woman in purple floated back like a big butterfly, like flying clouds. She moved her right sleeve, and a few rays of cold light flashed through the sleeve.
Chen Shuozhen listened to the voice and made a sweeping sweep with his sword. After a few subtle sounds, three long thin needles appeared on a locust tree beside her.
Chen Shuozhen shouted softly, pointed his toes, and pushed towards Feng Wu. Feng Wu pulled her left hand to the side, and the long needle originally inserted in the tree changed direction and attacked Chen Shuozhen from the side.
"There must be a transparent thread attached to the needle!"
While Chen Shuozhen was thinking, he turned over in the air and avoided the long needle. At this moment, Feng Wu's right sleeve shook, and a black snake whip flew out of the sleeve and wrapped around Chen Shuozhen.
The long sword struck the whip, but it did not cut off the whip. The front end of the snake whip that was hit used the remaining force to wrap around Chen Shuozhen's neck.
Chen Shuozhen twisted his body strangely to the side and avoided the whip.
Feng Wu controlled the silver needle wrapped with silk with one hand and the snake whip with the other. With the help of the strange weapons, she suppressed Chen Shuozhen for a long time.
It wasn't until after a stick of incense that Chen Shuozhen gradually adapted to the opponent's weapon, gradually regained his disadvantage, and began to try to distance himself from Feng Wu.
At this moment, Feng Wu suddenly withdrew the long whip and silver needle, and suddenly there were two short thorns in his hand. Chen Shuozhen didn't have time to react, and was bullied to within three feet by Feng Wu.
Chen Shuozhen fought back hard, trying to regain the distance, but Feng Wu followed him like a shadow.
Close combat is the most dangerous. Faced with the opponent's attack, both of them have very short reaction time.
Not long after, both of them had a wound on their bodies. Chen Shuozhen gradually felt that his strength was exhausted, but Feng Wu became stronger and more fierce the more they fought.
After another stick of incense, Chen Shuozhen has been completely suppressed by Feng Wu, and her clothes are soaked with sweat. Her current situation is very similar to the death duel between her and Gao Jun.
It's just that she was the one who had the upper hand at the beginning, and this time it was her turn to experience the feeling of being precarious.
Chen Shuozhen was not as lucky as Gao Jun. No one came to save her. With a snap, the long sword was released from her hand, and a short thorn was pressed against her throat.
"you lose."
There was a bit of excitement in Feng Wu's voice. Being able to meet such a well-matched opponent and finally defeat him is a happy thing for every martial arts practitioner.
Chen Shuozhen gritted his teeth, looked at Yang Xuan and said, "If I hadn't fought with you first, I might not have lost to her!"
Yang Xuan nodded and said, "Yes."
Chen Shuozhen sighed, lowered his head and said, "If you want to know anything, just ask."
Feng Wu retracted her short thorn and stepped aside.
Yang Xuan immediately asked: "Who is that businessman?"
"Have you heard of the name Cai Yang?" Chen Shuozhen asked.
Yang Xuan shook his head.
Chen Shuozhen said: "There are so many wealthy businessmen in Chang'an. It's normal if you haven't heard of him. However, he is not well-known, but he has very strong financial resources."
Yang Xuan listened silently. He usually only listened but did not speak about things he did not understand well.
Chen Shuozhen continued: "This person is not only an imperial merchant, but also controls many gangs in the south of the city."
Yang Xuan said: "Is there anyone behind him?"
Chen Shuozhen shook his head and said, "Then I don't know. Someone sent by Cai Yang sent a letter to His Highness the King of Yue. His Highness the King of Yue burned it after reading it. That's all I know about him."
"So, you don't know why Cai Yang bribed the King of Yue to support the Liaodong war?"
"I really don't know."
Yang Xuan nodded and said, "You can go."
Chen Shuozhen looked at him for a while, then glanced at Feng Wu, then turned to leave.
"Wait a minute." Yang Xuan spoke again.
Chen Shuozhen turned around and stared at Yang Xuan.
"You can't just leave like this." Yang Xuan's voice remained calm.
Chen Shuozhen took a deep breath and did not accuse Yang Xuan of not keeping his promise. He only said coldly: "If you have any idea, just write it down."
Yang Xuan said: "The order I received was to wipe out the Fire Phoenix Society. The reason why I let you go is because you are not Chen Shuozhen. If you want to leave, you must restore your original identity."
Chen Shuozhen said: "I will restore my real name in the future."
Yang Xuan added: "You learned your martial arts from the Lingbao Sutra."
Chen Shuozhen gritted his teeth, suddenly took out a dagger, cut off the meridians in his right hand, then sat on the ground and cut off the meridians in both feet.
Finally, he bit the dagger with his teeth, cut off the meridians of his left hand, lay on the ground, and stared at Yang Xuan.
Yang Xuan carefully looked at the wounds on her limbs and ordered: "Feng Wu, take her to an inn and help her find a doctor."
Feng Wu responded, hugged Chen Shuozhen and left quickly.
Yang Xuan stood motionless.
After a long time, I suddenly heard footsteps coming from behind. I turned around and saw Han Cheng, Gao Junhui's masters and apprentices coming over with a group of soldiers.
Han Cheng looked around and asked, "Where is Chen Shuozhen?"
"There is no such person as Chen Shuozhen in this world." Yang Xuan said lightly, and then slowly left in the other direction of the forest.
Han Cheng looked at his back and frowned: "I always feel that this person cannot be trusted."
Gao Junhui silently looked at Yang Xuan's back without answering.
Han Cheng looked up at the sky and said, "Anyway, the Fire Phoenix Society has been completely wiped out. Brother Gao, let's go back."
Gao Jun said: "I'm leaving."
Han Cheng was surprised and said: "Where are you going?"
Gao Junhui was silent for a while and said, "I haven't thought about it right now."
Han Cheng advised: "In that case, why not join the army and fight on the battlefield with me and His Highness? With Your Highness's high regard for you, at least he will make you a general."
Gao Junhui shook his head and said: "I prefer the unrestrained life of Xianyun Yehe. You can tell His Highness for me that I will go to Changye Island once a year. If he has any instructions, just send someone to Changye Island."
As soon as he finished speaking, he left in the direction he came from.
Gongsun Xiaoniang smiled and waved to Han Cheng, then hugged the long sword that was taller than herself and chased Gao Junhui.
…
Ten days after leaving the palace, after traveling all the way, Xu Yuanju's carriage with four people finally arrived back at Yangzhou.
When they arrived outside the city, they saw people crowding the city gate to welcome Xu Yuanju.
Yang Wulian smiled and said: "Junior Brother Xu, it seems that Yangzhou officials and people welcome you as the governor."
Xu Yuanju snorted coldly: "The news of the Taishan Palace has spread all over the world. Most of the people who welcome me are people who are close to the King of Yue and the King of Han."
Yang Wulian immediately understood the meaning of his words.
These people were not welcoming Xu Yuanju, but were waiting for King Wu Chengsi of Zhou and were eager to clear up their relationship with the King of Yue and the King of Han in front of Wu Chengsi.
Sure enough, when the heads of the major families and officials outside the city gate discovered that Wu Chengsi had not returned, they all showed disappointment.
However, the king of Han and the king of Yue have fallen, Xu Yuanju, the governor, has become the boss of Yangzhou, and everyone is fawning over him.
When Xu Yuanju finished dealing with these people and returned to the governor's mansion, it was already dusk.
As soon as they entered the governor's house, Han Cheng walked over to them. After looking around, he asked doubtfully: "Xu Governor, where is my highness?"
Xu Yuanju said: "His Royal Highness the King of Zhou has followed His Majesty back to Chang'an and will not return to Yangzhou again."
Han Cheng asked anxiously: "Then, has His Highness told me when to return to Chang'an?"
Xu Yuanju nodded: "His Royal Highness has an order for you to lead the Qianniu Guards back to Chang'an immediately. General Wang Fangyi is appointed as the Navy Commander, and General Hei Te Changzhi is appointed as the Deputy Governor."
Han Cheng was slightly startled, nodded and said: "I understand, I will tell them His Highness's order." After saying that, he quickly walked towards the door.
After walking a few steps, he suddenly remembered something and turned around and said, "By the way, Yang Sijian stabbed his own throat with chopsticks in prison and committed suicide." After saying this, he left without looking back.
Xu Yuanju didn't pay too much attention to Yang Sijian's suicide, because he saw his daughter walking slowly along the corridor with the support of the maid.
"Your Highness, Dad, are you back?" Xu Wenqing shouted from a distance.
In the back hall of the Governor's Mansion, the father and daughter of the Xu family were in charge, while Zhang Qiming, his son, and Yang Wulian were sitting in the guest seats. The five of them had different expressions and none of them spoke.
After Yang Wulian saw Xu Wenqing, he felt so guilty that he didn't even dare to raise his head.
Xu Yuanju looked at his daughter with concern. Ever since he told her that Wu Chengsi had returned to Chang'an, Xu Wenqing had remained silent.
Zhang Qiming glanced at Zhang Gou from time to time. Zhang Gou, who was sitting next to him, kept looking in the direction of the door, looking distracted and distracted.
After leaving the palace, Zhang Qiming noticed something strange about his son. When he asked him about it, he refused to say anything.
At this moment, Xu Wenqing suddenly stood up and said, "Dad, I'm going down to rest."
Seeing his daughter's ugly face, Xu Yuanju hurriedly comforted him: "Daughter, His Highness said he would send someone to pick you up, so you don't have to worry too much!"
Xu Wenqing bit his lip and said: "This is just an excuse. I know that the reason why he doesn't go back to Yangzhou is because he doesn't want to see me!"
Xu Yuanju was surprised and said: "Daughter, why do you think so? This is His Majesty's will, and His Highness has nothing to do. Besides, why doesn't he want to see you?"
"Because...because I'm blind, he must think I'm a burden!" Xu Wenqing cried.
When a person is blind, it is inevitable that he will have random thoughts and always like to think about things in the worst direction.
Although Xu Yuanju was an expert in politics, it was difficult for him to understand a woman's sensitive heart. He smiled and said, "Don't talk nonsense, Your Highness will not think so."
Xu Wenqing stamped her feet and ran towards the corner door. However, she was not looking in the right direction and almost hit the wall. Fortunately, Lu Wei had quick eyes and quick hands to catch her.
Seeing Lu Wei helping Xu Wenqing leave, Zhang Gou suddenly stood up and said: "Uncle Xu, I'm going to see my junior sister."
Xu Yuanju nodded and said, "That's fine. You two are about the same age and are easier to talk to."
The small building where Xu Wenqing lived was not gorgeous, but it was the most beautiful and quiet place in the backyard of the Governor's Mansion.
When Zhang Gou came to the door, Xu Wenqing's sobs could be heard from inside.
Pushing the door open and entering, Xu Wenqing immediately stopped his voice and asked, "Who is it?"
"It's me, Junior Sister Xu, are you okay?" Zhang Gou walked through the outer hall and entered the main room.
Xu Wenqing wiped the corners of his eyes, lowered his head and said, "I'm fine."
Zhang Gou looked at Xu Wenqing quietly and suddenly said: "Junior sister Xu, sometimes you have to fight for your destiny by yourself. Do you think this is right?"
Xu Wenqing was taken aback and said, "Senior Brother Zhang, what do you mean by this?"
"What I mean is that instead of waiting here uneasily for Prince Zhou to pick you up, you might as well take the initiative to go to Chang'an City to find him."
Xu Wenqing was startled and said: "I, will it make him unhappy if I go to find him?"
Zhang Gou said slowly: "If he really wants to take you to Chang'an, he will never be unhappy. If he is not sincere, you can also ask him clearly."
Xu Wenqing was silent for a while and said firmly: "You are right, I have decided to go to Chang'an City to find him!"
Lu Wei on the side couldn't help but said: "Miss, I won't let you go there by yourself."
Zhang Gou immediately said: "Then we won't tell him, and I will escort you to Chang'an!"
"This... this is too dangerous, miss, don't agree!" Lu Wei said anxiously.
Xu Wenqing hummed: "If you are afraid of danger, then just stay at home."
Lu Wei said anxiously: "No, no, I'll go with you, don't be angry."
Early the next morning, Xu Wenqing only said that he and Zhang Gou would go out to listen to the opera. Xu Yuanju thought that Zhang Gou's persuasion was successful, so he naturally agreed.
Unexpectedly, Xu Wenqing did not come back at night. A servant found a letter in Xu Wenqing's room. Only then did Xu Yuanju know that his daughter had gone to Chang'an.