Duanmu Yi looked at Duanmu Chen coldly, which made his heart skip a beat.
Because Duanmu Chen knew very well that he was just subconsciously defending Su Liang, and he didn't really disbelieve this letter from an unknown source.
Except for the fact that "Ning Jing" was Gu Ling, Duanmu Chen had never thought about it before. He had already realized other things. Even when he saw the letter saying that "Ning Jing", the number one scholar in Wen Dynasty, was actually Gu Ling pretending to be
One sentence made some of Duanmu Chen's doubts suddenly clear up!
In other words, Duanmu Chen knew that a lot of what was said in this letter was true.
It's not that Su Liang and Gu Ling showed any clear flaws, but judging from the results, there were too many coincidences.
And compared with what they saw Su Liang and Gu Ling doing on the surface, the "story" told in this letter was more in line with the nature of those two people! This is the most fatal thing!
Duanmu Chen regretted that he had impulsively spoken out to defend Su Liang. He still believed that he should defend Su Liang, but saying such words so quickly might make Duanmu Yi suspect that he had known about it for a long time and was an accomplice. After all, he
He became the crown prince, but one of the original crown prince, the second prince and the fifth prince who would have hindered him died, and the other was under house arrest and half crazy...
Judging from the results, it is very reasonable to say that Duanmu Chen colluded with Su Liang and Gu Ling. He climbed up in order to clear the obstacles, and they reached a secret cooperation relationship in order to revenge.
In fact, Duanmu Chen really had a cooperative relationship with Su Liang, but Su Liang did not discuss many things that happened later with him, and the purpose was not to help him, but the results were all beneficial to him.
Duanmu Chen thought that Duanmu Yi would definitely reprimand him, and he was already thinking about what to say next.
However, Duanmu Yi just looked at Duanmu Chen with deep eyes and said nothing, which made Duanmu Chen even more uneasy.
Just when Duanmu Chen had straightened his thoughts and was about to explain, he heard Duanmu Yi say, "You are right, this letter must have something to do with Situ Xie. He wants to sow discord and make me suspect Su Liang and Gu Ling.
My hand will destroy them."
Duanmu Chen felt relieved, "My son also thinks that this is Situ Xie's handiwork. Relying on his relationship with Gu Ling, he made up some specious things to confuse us."
"Stand back." Duanmu Yi finished his words, and before Duanmu Chen could say anything else, he stood up and left the imperial study.
Duanmu Chen then walked out of the imperial study room and looked at the hazy sky outside. The morning mist felt a bit cold on his face. Thinking of Duanmu Yi's eyes when he looked at him, his heart sank again.
Duanmu Chen knew that Duanmu Yi believed what was said in the letter. Perhaps regardless of whether he defended Su Liang or not, Duanmu Yi would conclude that he was also an accomplice in killing his brother.
In fact, if Su Liang had really approached Duanmu Chen to conspire to get rid of Duanmu Sheng and Duanmu Ao, Duanmu Chen would not have refused...
…
Chang'an was waiting outside the palace and was a little surprised to see Duanmu Chen come out so quickly.
Duanmuchen got into the car without saying a word, and Chang An drove back home.
Halfway through the carriage, Duanmu Chen's voice suddenly came from the carriage, "Chang'an, do you think Su Liang will harm me?"
Chang'an was stunned for a moment, frowned and thought, and then answered after a moment, "I believe that as long as the master doesn't do anything he shouldn't do, Miss Su will never harm the master."
Duanmu Chen nodded silently, this is what he has been reminding himself since he met Su Liang.
At the moment, Su Liang is not here, maybe she is still controlled by someone, or maybe she has escaped, but no matter what, Duanmu Chen has no doubt that she will solve the trouble and come back safely.
What Duanmu Chen cares about is not that Su Liang lied to him, because they have never been close friends.
More importantly, Duanmu Chen has benefited greatly from Su Liang, and he firmly believes that they can still "cooperate" in the future. In fact, he feels that without the help of Su Liang and Gu Ling, he is likely to stop being the crown prince of Qian Kingdom. position, cannot go up one level further.
Because of his experiences in the past two years, Duanmu Chen clearly understands his shortcomings. Sometimes, you can get what you want without having status or resourcefulness.
What he faced was a treacherous and cruel war without gunpowder. There were endless enemies, some more resourceful than him, and many more powerful and capable than him.
Duanmu Chen often felt uneasy after Su Liang's accident, and he realized more and more that luck played a big part in getting him to where he is today. And his luck came from Su Liang.
Chang'an heard Duanmu Chen's sigh and couldn't help but ask, "Master, what happened?"
Duanmu Chen took a while before replying, "It's okay."
He was worried about his situation, but thinking about the current situation of the royal family of Qian Kingdom, if Duanmu Yi had not lost his mind, he should know that he was the only suitable candidate for the crown prince.
Duanmu Yi may choose to continue to use Su Liang and Gu Ling, or he may turn against them.
Duanmu Chen didn't just know about it today, but he was more convinced at this moment that Duanmu Yi would get rid of Su Liang and Gu Ling sooner or later. The original plan was to "hide the bird and hide it", but now he may continue, or he may start in advance.
When Duanmu Chen subconsciously defended Su Liang in the imperial study room, he had already made his choice. His interests and those of Duanmu Yi were not consistent, or even conflicting, because he wanted Duanmu Yi's position, and Duanmu Yi Yi may not give it to him.
However, past experiences have taught Duanmu Chen that although his and Su Liang's interests are fundamentally different, they can achieve the same result, and he is the beneficiary.
Now that things have come to this, Duanmu Chen, despite being uneasy, is a little clearer about the future.
After returning to the Prince's Mansion, Duanmu Chen did everything as usual and did not go out again.
In the middle of the night, Lin Shuzhi suddenly woke up, sat up and saw a letter lying on his quilt.
There was no one else in the room, and the doors and windows were closed. He stared, picked up the letter and opened it, his expression suddenly changed!
The letter was sent by Duanmu Chen, and there was only one thing written in it: Duanmu Yi knew that the previous "Ting Jing" was Gu Ling pretending to be.
And this matter is also a hidden worry in Lin Shuzhi's heart.
Duanmu Chen guessed correctly that the Lin family father and son were insiders. One of his purposes for sending this letter was to use Lin Shuzhi to pass the news to Su Liang. Maybe Lin Shuzhi didn't know where Su Liang was at the moment, but if Su Liang escaped, Duanmu Chen felt that the Lin family would get the news earlier than him; secondly, Duanmu Chen took the risk to reveal his identity and also made his position clear, that he was on Su Liang's side.
Lin Shuzhi pressed the letter under his pillow, closed his eyes, and sighed deeply.
The next day, before Lin Boyan went to court, he talked with Lin Shuzhi for a quarter of an hour in the study.
Lin Xueqing, who was pregnant, often stayed at her parents' house, and she did so that day. In the afternoon, she said she wanted to go shopping, and Xing Yusheng accompanied her. When she went to Yan's embroidery shop to buy cloth for her nephew, she ran into Yan Yu. Near noon, Then we went to Wanjia Restaurant for dinner together.
They each left the restaurant in the afternoon, and Yan Yu returned to the Su Mansion. She had moved there before and had been living there for some time.
Xing Yusheng took Lin Xueqing back to Zhongxinhou Mansion to visit Mrs. Xing. Mrs. Xing said she would send someone to Xuanbei City to deliver some seasonal fruits to Xing Ji.
Xing Yuyan, who was originally going to marry to Liang Kingdom, has been secretly sent to the capital. Also sent along was Situ Xie's eldest grandson Situ Jing.
That night, Lonicera saw Duanmu Yi again.
"Is there any news about Su Liang?" Duanmu Yi asked coldly.
Liandong shook his head, "To tell you what the emperor is saying, General Nian just sent a letter to Mrs. Nian the day before yesterday to report that she is safe, but there is still no news about Imperial Physician Su."
"Okay, step back. Report any news immediately," Duanmu Yi said.
Lonicera bowed and left, turning around to leave without seeing Duanmu Yi's cold eyes.
When Lonicera returned to the Su Mansion, Yan Yu was still awake.
She went back to her room directly without going to talk to Yan Yu. The important news informed by Duan Muchen had been passed on to Yan Yu and Liao Dong by the Lin Mansion. Next, Yan Yu would inform Nian Jincheng as soon as possible, and Xing Yusheng had also sent someone
Secretly go to Xuanbeicheng to inform Xing Ji and make plans in advance.
The dark shadow secretly followed Lonicera and stayed in the Su Mansion for another hour, but found nothing before leaving to return to life.
At the same time, in the Prince's Mansion, Duanmu Chen, who had just fallen asleep, suddenly sat up and frowned!
He thought that the letter was written by Situ Xie, but Situ Xie had previously arranged for his grandson to kidnap Su Liang. If Su Liang was in Situ Xie's hands, Situ Xie would not have sent such a letter, because Su Liang would be very powerful.
It may lose its value as a threat to the royal family of Qian Kingdom!
Duanmu Chen finally realized that he had overlooked something. If the letter was really from Situ Xie, it meant that Su Liang was out of trouble!
But if so, the letter has been sent from Liang Kingdom to Qian Kingdom. It has been so long, but Su Liang has not come back yet, and there is no news...
Duanmu Chen looked ugly. If Duanmu Yi thought of this, he would only become more suspicious of Su Liang and the missing Gu Ling!
"Chang'an!"
Chang'an came in quickly and saw Duanmu Chen coming out of the inner room, rubbing his forehead and saying, "Is there anything going on in the palace?"
Chang'an shook his head, "There is nothing unusual. Master, is it a nightmare?"
Duanmu Chen sighed, "If someone doesn't come back, I will really have nightmares."
Chang'an was stunned for a moment, "Master, are you worried about Miss Su? I feel that she is a lucky person and will definitely return safely!"
Duanmu Chen: ...Yes, Su Liang is suspected to have escaped, but there is no news. But if she really comes back, Duanmu Yi doesn't know what to do.
For a moment, Duanmu Chen suspected that Su Liang deliberately avoided coming back. But this would be considered "disloyal". In addition, she also married the son of a rebel...
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy Duanmu Chen felt.
"Master, are you okay?" Chang'an noticed that Duanmu Chen looked very strange.
Duanmu Chen sat down, clenching and loosening his fists, "Has there been any movement in Duanmu Che recently?"
Chang'an shook his head, "There has been no news from His Highness the Fifth Prince for a long time."
Duanmu Chen took a deep breath to calm down, "It's okay, you can go and rest."
…
Xuanbei City.
After dinner that day, Xing Ji suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his heart, coming and going intermittently. Qi Jiang, who was eating with him, also had the same symptoms.
The military doctor was experienced in treating trauma, but did not know much about poisons. He judged that they had been poisoned, but could not tell what kind of poison they were. He tested the remaining food with a silver needle and found that it did not turn black.
Until an hour later, someone sent a letter.
The letter directly stated that Xing Jizi was required to go outside the city in person and exchange Situ Jing for the antidote, otherwise he would definitely die before dawn tomorrow!
"You must not go! It must be a trap!" Qi Jiang looked ugly.
Xing Ji was relatively calm, "Situ Xie's purpose was to save his grandson, not to kill me." However, it could not be ruled out that someone might kill Xing Ji after rescuing Situ Jing.
"But Situ Jing is not here." Qi Jiang frowned.
After receiving news earlier that Situ Xie had captured Su Liang, Duanmu Yi ordered that Situ Jing be secretly transferred to the capital.
Xing Ji summoned the generals of Xuanbei City to explain who would be in charge of the overall situation if something happened to him.
Although this kind of thing was not expected, Xing Ji had already been mentally prepared. He was in a very risky position, so it was strange that the enemy did not want to get rid of him.
If you don't go, you will be poisoned to death. If you go, there may be a chance of improvement. Situ Jing is not in Xuanbei City, so he can delay the negotiation of terms.
Qi Jiang wanted to go with him, but Xing Ji asked him to stay. Xing Ji wrote a letter to his family, a "suicide note" to be precise, just in case.
Near midnight, Xing Ji led a team of people and appeared at the agreed place.
There were three people coming, and the woman headed by them was Yuan Ying, who was arranged by Situ Xie to rescue Situ Jing.
"Where is Mr. Jing?" Yuan Ying asked coldly.
Xing Ji looked calm, "He is ill, very ill. He was sent back to the capital for treatment earlier and is not in Xuanbei City."
A man behind Yuan Ying said, "Don't play tricks! If you don't hand over Mr. Jing, you will die!"
Xing Ji sighed, "I'm not playing tricks. Your people should have searched Xuanbei City long ago. He really isn't here."
The two men looked at each other, and the other one said, "Then please ask General Xing to come with us!"
Yuan Ying narrowed her eyes slightly and lowered her voice, "What are you going to do?"
"Miss Yuan, this is what the prince wants." The man said in a strong tone.
Yuan Ying was silent after hearing this, and placed her hand on the long sword at her waist.
Xing Ji was not surprised, but he had no intention of letting himself fall into the hands of the Liang people.
"Why don't you give me the antidote first and set a time. If Situ Jing is not sent here, you can poison me again. I believe you can do it." Xing Ji discussed with them, "I won't follow
You go. If I am poisoned to death, your Master Jing will only die a worse death."
"Master Jing is not in the hands of General Xing. If General Xing dies, I believe Emperor Qian will not do anything to Master Jing. After all, he still wants to give our prince face!" The man sneered.
Xing Ji's heart sank slightly. The visitor reacted quickly and was so tough. He must not be an ordinary subordinate.
Xing Ji knew that he would be worthless if he died. Duanmu Yi might use Situ Jing to exchange other interests with Situ Xie, but he might not kill Situ Jing to avenge him.
"Hand over the antidote, or you three will stay." Xing Ji gave the order, and the soldiers he brought surrounded Yuan Ying and the three of them.
"I kindly remind General Xing that the poison you have been poisoned will only make you die faster if you use force! I haven't seen Mr. Jing, so the antidote will naturally be delivered by sending a message. How could it be brought to us?" The man didn't care at all.
He was afraid and said with a sneer, "I advise General Xing to follow us if he wants to survive! Otherwise, you will definitely regret it!"
In fact, the antidote lies with Yuan Ying. If she was really from Situ Xie's side, she would think that the two people following her have very good brains.
But, she is not.
And she knew that Xing Ji could not be captured without hesitation. He was the commander-in-chief of the Qian Kingdom, and the consequences of his capture would be serious.
The atmosphere became tense, and Xing Ji suddenly spoke and ordered the soldiers to withdraw.
"I can go with you. But my friend has also been poisoned. I need an antidote to save him." Xing Ji said.
The man said, "It's easy! As long as General Xing follows us, someone will send the antidote to the General's Mansion in Xuanbei City for your friend! It's impossible for us to come up with the antidote now, so there's no need to talk nonsense!"
"General, you must not do this!" Someone behind him stopped him.
Xing Ji did not look back and walked towards Yuan Ying and the others.
The two men looked at each other and walked sideways together, preparing to "receive" Xing Ji.
At this moment, Xing Ji saw Yuan Ying suddenly turn around, pull out two swords from his sleeves, and stab the two people in the back!
Everything happened very quickly, and Xing Ji had no idea that the three people would actually kill each other. He was ready to go and kill, but he didn't have the chance to take action yet.
The two men fell forward, quickly stood up, and drew their swords to kill Yuan Ying, but in an instant they were bleeding from their orifices and died suddenly.
Yuan Ying plays with poison and wants to kill people, so of course the sword is smeared with poison. As for the long sword hanging on her body, most of the time it is used as a decoration to confuse the enemy.
"I am Su Liang's friend." Yuan Ying did not look back at Xing Ji, but lowered her voice and said, "Take me back."
Xing Ji looked shocked, stepped forward, and started fighting Yuan Ying.
Not long after, Yuan Ying fell into the hands of Xing Ji.
In the eyes of those soldiers, the three enemies suddenly started fighting among themselves for some unknown reason, and Xing Ji took the opportunity to capture the only survivor.
Xing Ji ordered people to tie Yuan Ying up. He searched the two corpses and found nothing, so he ordered them all to be taken back.
…
Qi Jiang waited impatiently, and was greatly relieved when he saw that Xing Ji had arrested someone and came back.
Xing Jiping retired the others, leaving only Qi Jiang. He untied Yuan Ying.
"Young lady is Xiaoliang's friend? I don't know how to call her?" Xing Ji was very polite.
Yuan Ying's expression was not good-looking, "My surname is Yuan. I gave you the poison, but it's not fatal. No antidote is needed. You'll be fine in two days. I was controlled by Situ Xie and had no choice but to do it. Please forgive me. I I planned to take Situ Jing back for business, but I didn’t expect that he wasn’t here.”
Yuan Ying's younger brother Yuanye was controlled by their grandmother, Mrs. Yue, so Yuan Ying had to listen to Mrs. Yue. Knowing that Su Liang was fine, letting Situ Jing go would have little impact on Su Liang and Xing Ji. She had planned to Without hurting anyone, rescue Situ Jing and go on a mission to avoid angering Mrs. Yue.
But the plan could not keep up with the changes. Situ Jing was not here. Situ Xie's two subordinates were determined to take Xing Ji back, forcing Yuan Ying to kill them to protect Su Liang's adoptive father.
She asked to be captured just to confuse Mrs. Yue and Situ Xie. Failure in the mission is better than betrayal.
"Thank you Miss Yuan for your help."
"If you want to report it, just say that I confessed that I killed those two people because they insulted me." Yuan Ying frowned and said, "Don't let people know that I am Su Liang's friend. This will not be good for her."
According to the original plan, they should have arrived long ago, but something else happened on the way. One of them insisted on turning back to report to Situ Xie, which was delayed again.
Xing Ji understood what Yuan Ying meant. Letting Duanmu Yi know that Su Liang had a friend who knew poison magic and was from Situ Xie's side would only make the situation more complicated.
"Then Miss Yuan, please leave tonight. I'll tell you that you have to take out the antidote in exchange for freedom." Xing Ji said.
"Okay." Yuan Ying had this intention. She planned to use Mrs. Yue's opportunity in Liang Kingdom to find her brother.
"Su Liang is not in Situ Xie's hands." Yuan Ying said to Xing Ji.
Xing Ji already knew about this, he was told by Qi Jun when he passed by here on his way to Liang Kingdom.
Qi Jiang couldn't help but ask about his son. He was very worried about Qi Jun's safety.
When Yuan Ying heard Qi Jiang say that her son went to Liang Kingdom to report to Su Liang's master, she knew that it was the young man who shouted in the birch forest outside Yaocheng that night.
"He's fine. Situ Xie didn't catch any of your men." Yuan Ying briefly stated what she knew about the situation.
Qi Jiang's heart dropped and he thanked Yuan Ying again.
Yuan Ying gave the antidote she carried to Xing Ji, and asked him to tell Su Liang that her master, Mrs. Yue, was a crazy poisonous woman who was now working for Situ Xie, so be careful if you encounter her.
"If Xiao Liang wants to find Miss Yuan, where should he go?" Xing Ji asked.
Yuan Ying frowned. She was going to break into Mrs. Yue's lair. It was very dangerous there and she didn't want to involve Su Liang.
But thinking that it would be difficult for Su Liang to avoid fighting with Madam Yue in the future, if anything happened, it might be helpful to know where Madam Yue's lair is.
Thinking of this, Yuan Ying mentioned a place for Xing Ji to tell Su Liang after seeing her.
"If the original girl is of any use to Xing in the future, just ask." Xing Ji solemnly thanked him again.
Yuan Ying smiled and waved her hands, "I want to blame Su Liang and let her and Gu Ling's doll recognize me as their godmother! Farewell!"