Half an hour had passed since Zifang Yiai and his son left. Seeing that there was no movement in the direction of the imperial city, and Fang Yiai's people outside the city gate were very peaceful, Guan Yan rubbed his nose and looked at it, which was still dark.
Looking at the horizon, he told his men a few words that he planned to go back and rest for a while.
Guan Yan had just taken off his armor and lay down in his clothes. Before he could close his eyes, he heard the rapid sound of horse hooves.
The sound of horse hooves came from the direction of the Imperial City!
Could it be that as Fang Yiai said, something big happened?
Guan Yan whispered, quickly put on his armor and stepped onto the city wall again.
"According to the emperor's order, Zhao Yi, the commander of the Royal Forest Army, went out of the city to do business, and asked General Guan to open the city gate." Zhao Yi, who was leading the way, held the token in his hand and shouted towards Guan Yan on the city wall.
Guan Yan led a few people down the city wall, checked the pass token in Zhao Yi's hand, and without any nonsense, asked his men to quickly open the Chunming Gate.
Hearing the movement inside the city wall, Fangzaki Qian Zheng and others stood up. Shen Wencan and his men stood behind Fang Yiai's guards and watched the Chunming Gate slowly open.
Zhao Yi nodded towards Guan Yan, led the horse out of the city gate, looked at Fang Qi and others who were standing neatly, and shouted, "Fang Qi."
"Commander Zhao." Fuasaki stepped forward and greeted.
"The emperor ordered you to send Mrs. Hou's family back to the Hou Mansion and hand them over to the custody of General Su Dingfang of the Jinwu Guard. The rest of them will all be sent to Jingzhaoyi." Zhao Yi sat on the horse and said to Fusaki.
"The villain obeys the order." Fuasaki saluted in the direction of the imperial city and said.
"Which one is Qian Zheng?" Zhao Yi nodded, looked past Fang Qi, looked at Fang Yiai's guards, and asked.
"I'm just a villain. I don't know what your orders are." Qian Zheng was stunned for a moment, took a step forward, and said kindly, his spine straight, neither humble nor arrogant.
A strange look flashed in Zhao Yi's eyes. He nodded secretly in appreciation and said, "Follow me to Guanyun Temple."
Qian Zheng responded, exchanged glances with Fuasaki, got on his horse, and followed Zhao Yi.
When Zhao Yi passed the message just now, Guan Yan listened from beginning to end and naturally let Fusaki and his party go smoothly.
Not far after entering the city from Chunming Gate, they met Su Dingfang and others who were ordered to guard the gate of the Hou Mansion. Fusaki politely handed over the carriage that Mrs. Hou and her family of four were riding in to Su Dingfang.
After sending people back to Fangfu to report the news, Fuasaki only took a few people with him and headed to Jingzhao Mansion with the tied-up survivors. The rest were all sent back to Fangfu.
Because it was still dark, and in order not to cause trouble, Shen Wencan took his men and followed him back to Fang Yiai's mansion.
When the people sent by Fuasaki to report the news to Fang's house rushed to Fang's house, they happened to catch up with the young eunuch who had sent a message from the palace to summon Fang Xuanling and knocked on the door of Fang's house.
Knowing that Fang Yiai took the guards out of the city the night before, Fang Shen did not sleep well at night. When the concierge called, Fang Shen quickly packed up and left.
After placing the young eunuch in the living room, Fang Shen took the person who had returned to the house to report the news to the main room.
Fang Xuanling stood up quickly. After packing up, she walked out of the room and asked, "Is Yiai calling for the city gate to be opened? Is Jinqi Jinlin okay?"
"The second young master brought the two young masters into the palace. They said they encountered rebels at Guanyun Temple outside Dongcheng. The other party was from Hou Junji." Fang Shen replied succinctly. "Fortunately, the second young master went there.
In time, the two young masters were not seriously injured."
"Rebels? Hou Junji's people?" Fang Xuanling paused and looked at Fang Shen in surprise. Yesterday morning, Hou Junji left Beijing with 10,000 horses!
"The person who came to report the news is outside the hospital, and there are still blood stains on his body. You can ask me again. I think someone from the palace summoned you. It is probably because of this." Fang Shen nodded and said.
Fang Xuanling didn't say anything, and with a serious look on his face, he quickly walked out of the courtyard, stopped the person who reported the news from saluting, and directly asked about the affairs of Guanyun Temple.
Fang Yiai's bodyguard who came to report the news did not disappear, and told Fang Xuanling everything that happened in Guanyun Temple.
Knowing that Fang Xuanling was short on time, there was a young eunuch from the palace waiting in front. The guard spoke clearly and without breath, and finished the matter quickly. From the main courtyard to the front hall, Fang Xuan wasted no time.
Half a minute of age.
Fang Xuanling generally felt confident, so she stepped into the front hall and handed over the guards to Fang Shen.
Fang Xuanling followed the young eunuch and walked quickly. When he arrived at the palace gate, he met Qin Qiong, who had just arrived, and Li Jing, who had been recuperating at home.
After entering the Taiji Hall, I found that Li Chengqian, Chu Suiliang, Changsun Wuji, Du Ruhui and Liu Hongyu, the Minister of Punishment, were already on the list.
After Fang Xuanling and the others saluted Li Shimin, greeted their colleagues, and took their seats one after another, not long after, the other three ministers and Kong Yingda also came to the Li Zheng Hall according to the order.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Li Shimin had people call Fang Yiai, his father and his son, who were waiting in the side hall, and discussed the matter again.
After that, the two children were sent to the side hall, and the group discussed the matter.
At dawn, the governor of Jingzhao swiftly delivered a letter summarizing the interrogation of the survivors brought back to Jingtong City by Fang Yiai and others.
Before the morning court began, Li Shimin sent someone to rush after Hou Junji and his entourage with a secret edict to summon Hou Junji to return to the capital.
At noon, Qian Zheng returned with the people Fang Yiai had left in Guanyun Temple.
At the same time, Zhao Yi also sent people back to Beijing to report that a few corpses were found in the stone ditch behind Guanyun Temple. They should be the maids and servants of the Hou Mansion. The rest did not find any suspicious people.
Activities near Guanyun Temple.
As for the thieves disguised as traveling merchants, I heard from nearby people that they may be traveling outside the customs. This time they returned from the customs after completing their goods.
This range is huge. From Chang'an to the Western Regions, you have to pass through so many state capitals. There are even four or five princes in the royal family. How can you tell who it is just by guessing?
At noon, the medicine on Mrs. Hou's body had worn off. After she woke up, she rubbed her head, which was still a little dazed and uncomfortable, and called her personal maid.
As a result, I heard that it was another maid who came in, and she was the maid who I didn’t bring to burn incense!
"Jin Yan? Why are you here? But something happened at home?" Mrs. Hou shook her confused head, frowned slightly, and asked in a stern and impatient voice.
"Madam." The maid called Jin Yan had a look of shock and panic on her face. She hesitated to speak and looked at Madam Hou, weighing Madam Hou's current state and whether she could withstand the blow.
"Speak directly if you have something to say? Where is Jin Xin?" Mrs. Hou urged impatiently, and at the same time asked about the whereabouts of her always considerate personal maid.
"Madam, you are at home." Jin Yan took a deep breath, stepped forward to help Mrs. Hou who wanted to get out of bed, and said softly.
"What nonsense are you talking about..." Mrs. Hou scolded, but she stopped mid-sentence.
She still remembered the smell of her room. This familiar feeling was that it was her own room, not the smelly temple guest room last night.
"This...this...what is going on? I clearly remember that I rested in the guest room of Guanyun Temple yesterday? How could...this...this...what on earth happened?" Mrs. Hou looked at it.
After clearing the surrounding furnishings, he grabbed Jin Yan's hand in surprise and asked in a low voice, "Where is the young lady? Where is the young master? Where is the young master? How are they?"
Jin Yan's hand hurt and he groaned, but did not dare to let go of the panicked Madam Hou.
"Young Madam, Young Master and Young Master Fanbiao are all fine. I just heard that there was a thief in Guanyun Temple. When the Prince Consort went to rescue their two young masters, he happened to save Madam, Young Madam, and even Madam Ye Jing, you
I brought him back to Jingtong City," Jin Yan said.
Mrs. Hou breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that her family was all right.
"Sister Jinxin, Linglong beside the young lady, the servants serving the two young masters, and the guards and stewards who followed from the mansion, all..." Jin Yan said with some fear, but also some luck, and said
I was also trembling with fear.
Fortunately, the person who went to burn incense and pray for blessings with his wife yesterday was not me. Otherwise, the person who disappeared now might have been me.
"What?!" Although Jin Yan didn't finish what he said, Mrs. Hou naturally understood the hidden meaning behind it and exclaimed immediately.
"The people from the Jinwu Guards followed the emperor's order and were guarding outside the mansion. They said they were responsible for the safety of the mansion before the master returned to Beijing." Jin Yan nodded and reported.
For some reason, Mrs. Hou felt a little worried. As for what Jin Yan said about Jinwu Guards and not Jinwu Guards, she didn't hear the slightest bit.
Mrs. Hou had some thoughts that she didn't belong to, so she asked Jin Yan to take care of her. Then she heard from a servant that the young lady was here.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had not said a few words when they heard from a servant that someone was coming from the palace and they wanted to summon Madam Hou and Madam Hou to come into the palace.
Mrs. Hou was somewhat grateful to have survived the disaster, but she was confused about not understanding the situation, but in Mrs. Hou's eyes, there was a deep uneasiness.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that before Hou Junji left, he had specified his purpose of letting her take his daughter-in-law and grandchildren to Guanyun Temple. He was probably doing something ulterior.
At that moment, Mrs. Hou did not even dare to mention that going to Guanyun Temple to offer incense and pray for blessings was because of Hou Junji's instructions.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, both of whom had high-ranking orders, took some time to change their clothes, and then rushed to the palace with the little eunuch who had sent the message.
When she left the Hou's house, she saw Su Dingfang stationed at the door of Hou's house. Mrs. Hou's pupils shrank and her heart tightened for no reason.
Jin Yan didn't know much, but her daughter-in-law didn't say a few words and asked Jin Yan to call the housekeeper, but she was told that the housekeeper was not in the house. After she left the house and went to Guanyun Temple, the housekeeper left the house to take care of things.
Went and haven't returned yet.
Where did the butler go? Mrs. Hou thought about it, but she couldn't figure it out. She just felt more and more that something was really wrong. [To be continued.
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