The people in the General's Mansion were very efficient in their work. They sent the martial artist over within two days, but the person who sent him was called Feng Hongluan.
It's none other than Wu Ming.
Over the years, Wuming and Wuming have rarely interacted, but Feng Hongluan will never forget what happened that day when Wuming came to look for paintings on an excuse.
She always had a strange feeling towards Wuming. Although Wuming tried his best to help her father these years, she always felt that Wuming was not trustworthy.
She had privately hinted that her father was wary of certain people close to him. The main point of this statement was to refer to Wuming. However, her father was a big boss. He responded with a few words, and probably would not have thought of Wuming.
.
Now that her father has sent Wuming here, Feng Hongluan always feels a little uneasy in her heart.
But she couldn't show it clearly, maybe she was overly concerned, like the thing about Wuhen.
Wuming came wearing a mask. The silver plum blossom embroidered mask aroused curiosity among the children. They gathered around Wuming, trying to touch his mask.
Wuming, who usually seemed stoic, became friendly when he saw the children, chatting and laughing with a sense of humor, which made the children laugh out loud at him.
He also played two tricks on the children on the spot. He was so majestic that the children liked him even more. They even looked at him with admiration in their eyes.
Now Feng Hongluan could no longer find any reason to reject Wuming.
Thinking about it, she must have been too worried. If something really happened, Wuming could be so close to her father all these years, and it would be easy to murder him.
In the afternoon, the children took a nap, and they agreed that Wuming would teach the children how to practice swords the next day. Feng Hongluan invited Wuming to drink tea in the courtyard. The sun was very warm, spreading light all over the courtyard.
After cooking a pot of fragrant tea, she asked Xiaofu to pour a cup for Wuming. She raised her hand in a gesture of invitation: "Drink, this is the fragrant tea given by the emperor. I also asked grandma to add some dried flowers to it. The taste is great."
It’s very good. Drinking it in autumn can also relieve dryness.”
Wuming picked up the water glass, took a sip, and closed his eyes slightly, as if he was enjoying himself.
This act of tasting tea...
Deja vu.
For some reason, Wuming always felt strangely familiar to Feng Hongluan.
This feeling of familiarity, if you think about it carefully, seems to be the habit of Ling Che in the past.
Ling Che turned around to look at the person's expressions and movements.
When Ling Che sips tea, he likes to close his eyes with an expression of enjoyment.
But Ling Che is already dead.
She thought that she might have a grudge against Wu Ming. It might be that his actions were so similar to Ling Che's that she couldn't help but think of the person she hated so much.
No more thinking about the person who was already buried would only make her upset.
She had seen with her own eyes that he was burned beyond recognition, and she had also seen with her own eyes the remaining half of Wuming's face. They were not the same person at all.
Relieved, she smiled and asked: "How does it taste?"
Wuming smiled slightly and opened his eyes: "The tea has a clear and mellow aroma, with a hint of sweetness, a rich floral aroma, and is delicious."
"I asked someone to add a little honey to the water to remove the heat."
"Well, thank you Princess for treating me to such a good tea."
"You're welcome, Wuming. I haven't seen you for a long time. Will asking you to come to my home to teach two children how to practice kung fu? Will it delay your business?"
"In today's peaceful and prosperous times, there is no need for me. I am just an idler. I might as well find something to do so as not to be rusty at home."
"After all, you are also a general, so you don't need to do anything in court?"
Wuming smiled again: "He's just a leisurely general. Last morning, I only did about half of the day's work. From now on, I will go home and change my clothes and come here next morning. But Master Wuhen has to do his morning homework."
But it still can’t be left behind, so I will send someone over in the morning to supervise Master Wuhen’s morning homework. If the basic skills of Zama are not solid, learning Kung Fu will be in vain.”
Feng Hongluan thought of how when she was a child, how could she have the patience to walk for half an hour, always giving up halfway, or simply colluding with Liuxiang to lure Uncle Xiao away, and then sneaking out to play, that's it, so she
That's why my martial arts skills are so poor. When I want to start learning properly, I have to start from the basic skills.
She then said: "Wuhen is a child with perseverance and endurance. Even if there is no one to supervise him, he will not fall behind in his early achievements."
"Well, when I look at that child's face, he doesn't like to laugh and looks serious."
"Although he doesn't like to smile, he is a thoughtful and intelligent child. Please worry about it later."
Wuming hurriedly said: "As for the princess, whenever Wuming is useful in the princess's house in the future, just give her orders."
Feng Hongluan smiled slightly, took a sip of fragrant tea, and said politely: "You too, if you need help, just ask. By the way, have you finally found that painting of yours?"
When she asked, her eyes casually fell on Wuming's eyes. In those eyes, a trace of unnoticeable panic flashed, but she soon returned to calmness and said: "That painting, I still couldn't find it in the end. Everyone said that the painting has
Spirituality, maybe it’s because I have no connection with this painting, so I can only cherish the memory of my old friend in my heart.”
"Oh, I seem to remember that the Qinglian layman your old friend called was the Qinglian hermit..."
Wuming was slightly startled, looking at Feng Hongluan trying to remember, he quickly said: "It's a hermit."
Feng Hongluan then acted as if she suddenly realized something: "No, I can't remember. Haha, if you need it, I'll help you find out."
"He is just an unknown painter. It is probably difficult to find him. I won't bother the princess."
A smile appeared at the corner of Feng Hongluan's mouth, but there was a faint chill in her heart.
Sure enough, the purpose of Wuming Shangfu that day was not pure. She just made a casual lie, and Wuming fell into the trap. That day Wuming came to ask for a painting, and did not say the name of the painter at all. The so-called Qinglian layman, Qinglian hermit, was just her
Random nonsense.
Thinking about it this way, it's probably not that she thinks too much about Wuming, but that there's something really wrong with her.
That day, Wuming went to the mansion. If he really had a purpose, it was probably to find someone.
At that time, there were two people in the house, one was Lu Ying and the other was Han Jia.
If you think about it carefully, if you are looking for Lu Ying, it is very likely that she followed her father's order. Lu Ying disappeared out of thin air, and his father will definitely suspect her because she is at odds with Lu Ying.
And if it's the Han Jia family, then Wuming and Han Huiqing are colluding together.
When I get home someday, I will ask Fengcheng whether Fengcheng asked Wuming to come to the house to search for Lu Ying.
If so, then she admits that she is over-minded and will never think about it again.
if not……
Looking up at Wuming, she felt an inexplicable resemblance to Ling Che and couldn't help but be on guard.
As soon as Wuming left, Feng Hongluan ordered her grandma that whenever Wuming and Wuhen spend time together, grandma, wet nurse and maid must stay close to serve Wuhen in the yard.
He even ordered Xiao Tang Yuan’s nanny not to disturb Wu Hen while he was practicing.
The knot she had a few years ago, if she didn't get rid of it, she couldn't let go of Wuming anymore.
Regarding Wuming's excused visit a few years ago, she personally returned to Feng Mansion three days later and asked Feng Cheng about it in private. The result she got only made her uneasy.
It turned out that it was not Fengcheng who suspected that she was hiding Lu Ying and asked Wuhen to come find her with an excuse.
That……
At the moment, there are only two explanations. Lu Ying was arranged by Wuhen to be with her father. This person disappeared, and Wuhen was afraid that this person would expose him, so he was looking for her in a hurry.
In addition, Wuhen did have contacts with Han Huiqing, and entered the Jin Palace to find traces of Han Jia's family.
After all, in those days, Han Huiqing sent countless people to secretly investigate the Han Jia family, but found nothing. Han Huiqing thought of Wuming's method, which was also possible.
But even if Han Huiqing had a good relationship with their Feng family back then, the fact that Wuming, who had absolutely no relationship with Han Huiqing, would help Han Huiqing do this could only mean that the two of them were colluding.
She had no hatred for this person, so she was completely wary of him. She quietly observed Wuming secretly for several days in the past two days. Because of her uneasiness, she began to secretly investigate Wuming's ins and outs.
*
Hongchao, Chuzhou, Changhou County.
Autumn came late in the south, but after a burst of autumn rain, the weather became cooler.
In an ordinary tile-roofed house in the north of the city, a man's cough could be heard from time to time.
Occasionally I think of a woman's sad sobs.
When a pair of black deerskin boots stepped into the courtyard, a commoner boy of fifteen or sixteen years old in the courtyard hurriedly knocked on the door of a room in the northeast corner.
"Madam, madam, we have guests."
There was obvious excitement in his tone, probably because the owner's house was too lonely and rarely visited by people, so it was so strange and exciting.
Murong An'er wiped away her tears, covered the haggard man sleeping on the bed with the quilt, opened the door and came out.
I thought it was someone sent by the imperial court. Over the past few years, the emperor has sent someone here once every March or May, probably to see how well they were doing.
She felt sad in her heart, thinking that if someone came to the capital, she would have someone bring a message, asking the emperor to take Hongzhi back to the capital and receive the best treatment, otherwise Hongzhi's body might not be able to hold on anymore.
.
There are no precious medicinal materials in this remote place, and the doctors are just barefoot doctors. They have few real skills. Hongzhi's body can't even get out of bed. They only prescribe useless medicines, which makes Hongzhi miserable.
He frowned, but there was no effect at all.
As soon as she went out, the visitor at the door shocked Murong An'er for a while. After a long time, she shed tears: "You are really not dead. He said you won't die."
Under the light rain, a man wearing a bamboo hat and a blue-gray robe showed a warm smile on his handsome face.
"Fourth sister-in-law, I haven't seen you for a long time. How are you?"
"Hui Hui, go buy some vegetables and ask Mrs. Wang next door to come over and help with the cooking. I will give her the wages. Go ahead!"
I gave an order to the young man in the yard who was listening to the conversation between the two with great interest. The young man responded happily and ran out.
Entering the courtyard, although it is clean and tidy, it is still too run-down. The wooden door has been in disrepair for a long time, and there are traces of moths gnawing on it. There is only one orange tree planted in the small courtyard, but now there are several.
Orange, but nowhere can it compare to the beautiful flowers and greenery that could be seen everywhere in Prince Huai’s Mansion.
Murong An'er is still beautiful, but her appearance is a little sallow due to the pressure of life. She is dressed like a village girl, without any makeup or accessories. Who would have thought that the pretty woman in front of her is the unparalleled Princess Hui.
In the room, there were occasional coughs. Murong An'er's face tightened and she covered her heart with one hand, as if she was in pain.
"He is looking forward to you day and night, saying that you will come, so hurry in and see him!"
Hong Yan frowned: "What's wrong with Fourth Brother?"
As soon as she asked, Murong An'er burst into tears. She tried her best to bite her back to prevent herself from making any sound. She could only say with difficulty: "Go in and stay with him. He will definitely be happy when he wakes up and sees you."
.”
Hong Yan strode forward in a hurry. As soon as he entered the room, he was hit by a strong smell of bitter medicine.
The house is very simple and simple. Although it is clean and tidy, apart from a wardrobe, a dining table and a few chairs, there is only a bed. There are not even the four treasures of the study?
Over the years, the imperial brother has treated his fourth brother so harshly.
That day, he just thought that by letting his fourth brother leave the capital, the sky would be high and the emperor would be far away, and he could live the life he wanted from now on. Little did he expect that he would find such a desolate scene.
When he walked to the bed, he saw the man with a pale and haggard face, his eyes closed, and his breath was unstable, which really hurt Hong Yan's heart.
Is this still the handsome, gentle King Huai Hongzhi?
Those skinny cheeks, deep-set blue and black eyes, pale and weak lips, there is not even half of the charm of the past.
Hongyan's eyes were slightly moist, and he had mixed feelings in his heart.
Murong An'er seemed to have calmed down her emotions. She came in from outside, took them with her, and said softly: "He just took medicine and fell asleep. He couldn't wake up for about an hour and a half. Recently, he has become more and more sleepy, and he spends most of the day sleeping."
time to fall asleep.”
She looked at Hongzhi's face, and her eyes contained tears, but they were tender and tender.
How could Hong Yan not be moved by this feeling?
"Fourth sister-in-law, this is a bottle of life-sustaining pills. You let fourth brother take it. Wait for me for a while, and I will definitely invite the best doctor for fourth brother."
Murong An'er was overjoyed and took the medicine bottle over. Holding the medicine bottle in her hand, she looked at Hong Zhi on the bed, as if she was holding hope, her eyes twinkling.
Hong Yan sat down on the low stool next to the bed. Murong An'er saw that his shoes were stained with water, so she asked him to go to the kitchen to get him a basin of charcoal fire to roast his feet.
The charcoal fire was brought in, and occasionally made a crisp sound. The servant and the hired help were busy in the kitchen. This afternoon, the farmhouse courtyard ushered in a rare bustle, but the male owner of the courtyard slept for a long time.
Even at night, I didn't see him wake up.
After the dinner had cooled down, Hong Yan insisted on waiting for Hong Zhi to wake up. Murong An'er couldn't persuade him, so she waited with him.
It was a deep night, and the man who was sleeping on the bed finally moved his eyelids. After a few muddy coughs, he slowly opened his eyes.
"Fourth brother!"
Hong Yan called softly.
The person who woke up was stunned for a moment with his deep-set black eyes. Immediately, there was an overwhelming cough, and those who heard him thought he was going to die from the cough.
After finally stopping his coughing, Hong Zhi grabbed Hong Yan and said in disbelief: "It's really you, Xiao Yan."
A small sound of inflammation seemed like a lifetime ago.
A few years ago, the brothers were in high spirits and drank and talked happily.
A few years later, in the dilapidated tile-roofed house, he looked haggard, and he had long since changed.
"It's me, fourth brother."
Hongzhi and Hongyan felt guilty because of what happened to the prince.
This time, he came here to ask for Murong An'er's help, but also to ask for Hong Zhi's forgiveness.
Hongzhi looked at the person in front of him sincerely, a labored smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, and he spoke hoarsely.
"I knew that before you died, I knew that you would come. I have something to tell you."
As he struggled to get up, Hong Yan quickly hugged him and helped him to get up.
He was as skinny as a stick, with not even a bit of flesh on his body, and he looked so light that he seemed about to fall down at any time.
"Fourth brother, I also have a lot to tell you."
"Don't say it, don't say anything." He hurriedly stopped him. The pain and darkness in his eyes shocked Hong Yan.
He wouldn't be wrong. Fourth brother actually knew he would come a long time ago, just like he already knew what he had done to him.
Full of guilt, he knelt down beside the bed. He had no choice. He didn't mean to, but they pushed him to a dead end step by step. Every step of the emperor's strategy was indispensable for the fourth brother's advice. He calculated the fate of the fourth brother.
I don't want to kill him like my brother, but it is undeniable that the fourth brother was also involved in the plans to destroy him step by step.
He didn't want brothers to kill each other, so the only way he could think of was to drive a wedge between the fourth brother and the emperor brother through the death of the prince.
Did he already know this?
But why not expose it?
"Get up, Xiaoyan."
"Fourth brother!"
"Haha, if you feel guilty for me, then you don't have to. I would like to thank you for letting me escape from that kind of life. It was not my intention to kill each other. But if I continue to follow the emperor, I can only kill each other one by one.
You are all sent to a dead end, and the last one whose turn is mine is me. Rather than bear the lives of all my brothers and then die, I would rather give up the title of emperor and live in peace in this rural place for the rest of my life."
Hongzhi's words made Hongyan feel a sharp pain in his heart.
Brother Royal, how cruel!
The fourth brother knows the emperor brother best. Yes, after the second brother, who will be him? Is it the mediocre third brother, Hong Yuan, or even the still young Hong Zong? No, this is not the case.
Choice, this is all, these people will not be spared. In the end, it is the fourth brother.
How could Hong Yan not hate a person who would not even let go of his biological mother? How could he not hate her?
"Xiaoyan, get up. I'm very lucky that you used the prince's incident to allow me to seek peace for the rest of my life. There were many flaws in the prince's incident, so he didn't dare to convict me of death. My brothers tried their best to plead for mercy, so he sentenced me to death.
I was assigned to this place. The third brother said the day before I came that you asked him to do everything. You asked him to ask the emperor brother to give me a way out and let me talk for the rest of my life. Speaking of which, you don't owe me anything.
Because you allowed me to escape from that whirlpool, I have lived a very happy life these years, with unprecedented peace and happiness. No matter how good the medicine is, it cannot cure an unclean heart. I am glad that in my heart
I can pull it out before it completely sinks into filth."
Hong Yan raised his head, his eyes slightly red: "Fourth brother, I won't let you die."
"Haha, get up, I have something to tell you."
Murong An'er helped Hongyan stand up, and Hongyan sat back on the bed again.
Seeing Hong Zhi wink at Murong An'er, Murong An'er understood, nodded to Hong Yan, and went out.
As soon as Murong An'er left, Hong Zhi held Hong Yan's hand and almost begged: "Fourth brother, I have something to ask of you."
"Fourth brother, it doesn't matter if you say so."
"One day, when I am gone, you must help me take good care of An'er. She has been with me all her life and suffered all her life. I can't give her anything. The only thing I can give is hurt."
"Fourth brother..."
"promise me!"
Hongzhi's eyes were sincere and eager.
Hong Yan pondered for a moment and nodded vigorously: "No matter what, I will protect my fourth sister-in-law."
"Xiaoyan, come here."
Hongzhi's breath was a little weak, as if he had said too much, and he no longer had the strength to speak out, so he only asked Hongyan to come closer.
Hong Yan leaned close to him and heard Hong Zhi's weak breath as he spoke word by word: "Li Yuanwai's Mansion in Sanli Town, Jingzhou, is a secret force cultivated by the emperor's brother. Do you still remember that a girl disappeared in the capital?"
Hong Yan was shocked.
Nod.
Listening to Hongzhi gasping slightly, he continued: "Those girls were all poisoned and became warriors secretly trained by the emperor. They were taught martial arts by others. They were a team of secret guards for the emperor. Although the number was not large, each of them was
They are all masters, so you have to deal with them carefully. Me, cough cough cough. I know, you also have, cough cough cough, cough cough..."
"Fourth brother!" Hong Zhi said, feeling extremely tired and coughing non-stop. His already pale face turned pale.
Hong Yan tried his best to follow Hong Zhi's breath and stopped him from speaking: "Let's talk tomorrow, fourth brother, please stop talking."
"I'm afraid I won't be able to wait."
"Fourth brother, stop talking. Just rest. Fourth sister-in-law, fourth sister-in-law, take the medicine."
Shouting at the door, Murong An'er had not left yet. When he hurried in, Hong Zhi, who was wearing the clothes, had already held back his breath and fainted.
Murong An'er's tears fell instantly, her eyes filled with sadness.