auspicious time has come

Chapter 167 Xiaohou is too helpful
Under the watchful eyes of his family, Heng Yu said slowly: "We and Xiaohou are facing the same enemy."

"The same enemy?" Yu Shi asked in a low voice: "Xiao Yu'er, haven't you already found out who was responsible for Ah Weng's matter?"

The letter that came back earlier only mentioned the progress of the tattoo pattern clue, and made a list of suspicious people back, but it has not yet been determined who it is.

"Although it is not very certain, but there is indeed someone who doubts, and that person will be at the top of the list." Heng Yu said.

Ji Nanxian's complexion changed slightly: "You mean... the Jiang family?"

Mrs. Meng looked at her granddaughter and asked sternly, "But what did you find out later?"

The Jiang family did meet the conditions for employing those killers who came from the Dark Moon Building, but since Ah Heng now lists them as suspects, there must be another basis.

"This matter has to start with the menacing assassination that Xiao Hou suffered before New Year's Eve..."

After explaining the assassination process roughly, Heng Yu said: "The time when those assassins appeared in the city happened to be the birthday of Pei Ding, the governor of Yingzhou. Afterwards, Xiao Hou's subordinates found evidence that the Pei family was secretly driven by Jiang Zhengfu for a long time—"

"That can only show that the assassination aimed at Marquis Dingbei was planned by Mr. Jiang, how could it be related to A Weng's matter?" Ning Yu asked puzzled.

Heng Yu: "Afterwards, I found the same tattoo pattern in the corpses of those assassins—it was exactly the same pattern and the same position as the tattoos on the wrists of those who killed A Weng back then."

The eyes of Ning Yu and the others changed drastically.

Before, Xiao Yuer only found out the whereabouts of the tattooed pattern, but now she has actually confirmed that those people are still active in the dark, and most likely they are used by the current Zhongshu Ling Jiang Zhengfu!
"In addition to the possibility involved in this assassination, there is another matter. Xiao Hou and we can also be said to have the same position." Heng Yu continued: "Xiao Hou deduced that the misfortune that Ah Weng suffered, or It was related to the case of the Shi family."

"Shijia..." Ji Nanxian was slightly startled, and his thoughts were pulled back to nine years ago.

He still remembers the unease and fear that pervaded the people in the capital that year.

Shu Guogong colluded with the enemy and killed everyone - the shock that this incident brought to the hearts of the people back then could not be compared to the subsequent rebellion of the King of Jin.

And because Shu Guogong was too famous, and the Shi family was respected and admired by the people for generations, it is inevitable that there will be some voices complaining about him.After Shi’s family was ransacked, in the first seven nights, in the streets and alleys of the city, many people secretly went out to burn paper money. If you look down from a height, you can see the continuous fire in the city, and there are also people who hang lights in front of their doors all night. , just to lead a way home for those loyal souls whose heads had been beheaded.

After that, the imperial court tried its best to suppress these "unpredictable" voices and actions.

After the Shi family, the court's sword was bloody again.

It was also because the imperial court was so repressive at that time that even today, the old case of the Shi family is still kept secret in Beijing.

It was also that year that Ah Weng had an accident, Ah Heng disappeared, and then his parents died of illness one after another. Huge blows came one after another...

"The timing of your Aunt and the Shi family's misfortune did coincide. It was not without speculation before, but it was all guesswork, and there was no way to verify it..." Mrs. Meng asked: "This Xiaojie envoy's background Beidi is young, so he probably doesn't know much about what happened to the capital back then, so where did the clues come from?"

Heng Yu said "Sure enough" in her heart.

Before this information, grandmother was still the most calm and sensitive, and did not believe it rashly.

Fortunately, she had already prepared a response: "Xiao Hou's family has an old friend who is not known to the Shi family. It was a friendship formed when Duke Shu Guo was fighting in the North. Over the years, he has been secretly investigating the time. family affairs, so I have grasped a lot of clues and keys that others don't know."

Mrs. Meng nodded thoughtfully: "It turns out there are such intersections..."

Only then did Heng Yu continue: "Last year, Xiaohou captured Xuanpu, the leader of Khitan's Siwandan tribe alive. Afterwards, under secret interrogation, this person confessed to the fact that he conspired with others to frame Shu Guogong."

"Sure enough..." Ji Nanxian looked solemn and sighed a little: "Duke Shu Guo was framed."

"Then this Khitan man Xuanpu...isn't he a witness?" Ning Yu said, "Can his confession clear the name of Shu Guogong?"

Ji Nanxian shook his head and sighed: "How can it be so simple... This matter is very involved. Under the premise that the court has no intention of overturning the case for Duke Shu, the so-called confession of a mere Khitan man can't make any waves at all. And that Xuanpu... If I If I remember correctly, he is already dead."

Speaking of this, I realized later: "Earlier, when the imperial decree was passed to the North, and the Marquis of Dingbei sent someone to take this person to the capital for trial, I felt that it was a bit of a fuss. It turned out that this person was related to Shu Guogong's old case... "

"But... is he really dead?" Ji Nanxian looked at his sister.

I didn't know the relationship between Dingbeihou and the Shi family before, but now that I know it, thinking about it in depth, the so-called Xuanpu's death may not be Dingbeihou's excuse to protect this witness from the court?

Hengyu shook her head slightly.

She has confirmed this to Xiao Mu.

Some witnesses are useless at this time, but if they are placed at the right time and place one day, they may not be ineffective.

Taking a step back, he needs someone who can personally prove his father's innocence—even if he can't reverse the case, at least someone can prove it.

For him, this will always make sense.

What she said tonight was all agreed upon with Xiao Mu.

It's just that Xiao Mu's real identity is not suitable to tell anyone yet.This is his biggest secret, he told her, but it doesn't mean she can dispose of it at will.

Ji Nanxian breathed a sigh of relief inexplicably.

As long as the witnesses are still there.

Mrs. Meng also nodded slightly, and said: "From this point of view, this Xiaohou is a rare kind and righteous person who is willing to take this risk for the old affairs of the Shi family, so busy and dedicated..."

And at this point, she had roughly guessed what her granddaughter was going to say next.

"Since someone conspired with the Khitan people to frame the Shi family, counting the time, when the two sides conspired, it was about the time when you Aunt took Xiao Yu'er to travel in the north." Mrs. Meng closed her eyes and said: "No wonder... no wonder he is so anxious to come back to Beijing... Among his four students, the boy from the Shi family is the one he likes the most in his heart."

The boy of the Shi family in the old population is Shu Guogong who has made great military exploits in the eyes of the world.

"Grandmother means that Ah Weng found evidence in the North that someone was plotting to frame Duke Shu?" Ning Yu's complexion changed again and again.

Hengyu nodded: "Ah Weng was in Liucheng at that time, which is the border with Khitan, so it is very likely that A Weng sensed that someone was going to conspire with the Khitan people to frame Shu Guogong, so he hurriedly I sent a letter back to Beijing... but I don't know who it was sent to, and the person who sent the letter was later silenced."

"So..." Yu's back felt a chill, and his lips trembled.

Could it be that A Weng's letter happened to fall into...or even be delivered to the murderer?
That's why the murder happened? !

"You Aunt, I'm afraid you believe in the wrong person..." Mrs. Meng slightly clenched the crutch in her hand: "He probably never imagined that the person who framed his student would be another student of his."

If you ask who is most likely to fall into the hands of a person, it must be the one who does not defend himself.

"Who is Ah Weng going to send the letter back then? Is it really Jiang Zhengfu..." Ji Nanxian thought to himself, and then looked at Hengyu: "That Xuanpu, it has never been revealed who conspired with him to frame him." Time family?"

If the murderer who killed A Weng was really related to the disaster of the Shi family, then the real culprit after the old case of the Shi family is found out, and the enemies of the Ji family will be revealed.

"It's not that Xuanpu doesn't want to recruit, it's just that he doesn't know." Heng Yu said: "The man is extremely cautious and has never revealed his identity. However, judging from the many clues at the moment, it is indeed Jiang Zhengfu who is the most suspected."

"Aheng——" Ji Nanxuan asked seriously: "You have always said that Jiang Linggong is the most suspected, and you only say that he is the most likely, and the rest is uncertain, except that no more definite evidence has been found. , do you have any other concerns?"

Heng Yu nodded lightly.

"Brother, you must know about the late Jiang family's gentleman, Jiang Yunchao, right?"

Ji Nanxian never thought that the topic would suddenly turn to this place, but he also nodded in thought: "I know that this gentleman of the Jiang family died in order to persuade King Jin to surrender... It's a pity. His Royal Highness occasionally mentions it, and he will also do it for him." sad."

"Back then, the King Jin's rebels claimed that they killed Mr. Jiang's family because Xiao Mu refused to retreat. In fact, it was not the case—Mr. Jiang's family went to the Jin army camp to persuade him to surrender. The King of Jin was already wavering, but at the critical moment At the same time, Mr. Jiang's family was poisoned and killed by someone." Heng Yu explained the matter clearly.

"There is such a thing?" Ji Nanxian was slightly startled: "Being poisoned by someone... do you know who did it?"

Heng Yu shook his head: "The king of Jin also failed to find out back then, but he had to fight, so he could only push the responsibility for this matter to Xiao Hou, so as to stimulate the morale of his own army, and also to provoke Jiang Zhengfu, the head of civil servants, to fight against the previous officials. Xiao Mu is the relationship between the first-rank generals."

"So... there is still a big hand in the dark who is afraid that the world will not be chaotic." Ji Nanxian said with some chills in his heart: "If you can poison people like Mr. Jiang Jialang in the Jin army camp without leaving traces, it must not be Ordinary people wait."

At this point, he also understood the concerns of the second sister.

Although the person who poisoned Mr. Jiang's family may not have any connection with what happened to Ah Weng and his family back then, such mysterious and unpredictable people should pay more attention to them.

Apart from his family feud, as an official, he inevitably felt uneasy: "Although the king of Jin has been punished for a long time, but the people who provoked the troubled times have not surfaced for a day, and Dasheng may not find real peace for a day." .”

Hengyu hesitated again and again, but did not say Yan Ming's name.

Xiao Mu has carefully analyzed that although Yan Ming participated in instigating King Jin's rebellion back then, there must be someone else who poisoned Young Master Jiang.

Compared to Yan Ming who wanted to rehabilitate the Shi family and put his ambitions on the bright side, that person in the dark was the most worthy existence to be wary of.

"These people who hide in the dark and stir up troubles, I'm afraid they won't miss the good time when the sage is seriously ill. If something happens again..." Ji Nanxian thought: "Whether you want to tell His Royal Highness about this matter? Take precautions early?"

Mrs. Meng sighed lightly: "I'm afraid it's not right."

Heng Yu also said: "Brother, I understand your worries, but must the prince be trusted?"

It was extremely quiet all around, and the girl's voice was very low, but it seemed as if a thunder had exploded in Ji Nanxian's mind.

"When King Jin rebelled, it was cold-blooded, and the crown prince was the one who benefited in the end." Heng Yu said.

King Jin is also born by the queen himself, and is the most likely candidate for the throne.

The prince's actions over the years seem to be quite benevolent, but after such benevolence, no one can guarantee whether there will be an unknown side, and people's hearts will change——Xiao Mu, before returning to Beijing this time, Junjun Yan also reminded him about the prince.

"That's right... I was careless for a while." Ji Nanxian came back to his senses, and his tone was extremely complicated.

Although he now occupies the position of the crown prince's servant and often accompanies His Highness the crown prince, he thinks that his words and deeds are considered prudent, but just now he was still a little negligent and impulsive.

Fortunately, Grandma and Ah Heng are sober.

This is also the reason why their family agreed not to hide things from each other. A person's perspective on things is always easy to be limited.

"If it's really a matter of the world, no one can be alone. Although our Ji family is weak, we can't do nothing. It's just that the more critical it is, the more cautious we must act, otherwise I'm afraid it will be self-defeating..." Meng The old lady said: "Don't be blind in this matter, let's wait and see the situation first."

The Hengyu brothers and sisters all nodded.

"Xiao Yu'er, speaking of which, how did Marquis Dingbei know the truth about the death of Mr. Jiang's family?" Ji Nanxian asked instead.

"He caught the confidant who escaped by King Jin back then, and this person confessed to it himself, and got confirmation from some old clues." In order to conceal the secret of Xiao Mu's identity, Heng Yu said half-truth.

Ji Nanxian nodded.

After a while, after a moment of deliberation, he asked in a low voice: "In your opinion, this man, Dingbeihou...does he have the heart to rebel?"

"It didn't happen in the past, it doesn't exist now." Heng Yu's tone was firm: "Unless I have to rebel in the future—"

Ji Nanxian was silent for a moment, sighed and nodded: "I understand."

Then, he looked at his younger sister and asked, "Aheng, you should be aware of the situation of the Marquis of Dingbei... You chose to form an alliance with him, but have you ever prepared for the worst? Are you sure you want to do this? "

"Speaking of which, when I proposed forming an alliance, he also asked a similar question, asking if I was afraid of his troubles—"

Ji Nanxian: "Then how did you answer?"

Hengyu replied: "I said, I'm afraid our troubles are not less than his. It's just that his troubles are in the open, and our troubles are in the dark."

Ji Nanxian smiled wryly: "This is actually the truth."

Although those crises hidden in the dark have been dormant for many years, as long as they are not identified and resolved for a day, they must never lie to their ears and pretend that they do not exist.

"I know that forming an alliance with it will certainly be risky. But the one who killed Ah Weng, whether it was Jiang Zhengfu or someone else, is not something we can fight against alone—" The girl's voice was calm and rational: "Even if there is a so-called way to outwit, but in the face of a huge gap in strength, especially when the enemy is in the dark and we are in the light, no matter how much wisdom you have, you will be crushed into powder."

"It's exactly the reason to drop ten sessions with one force." Ning Yu said with slightly raised brows.

"No matter what the situation is, the fact is that Xiaohou has a large army in his hands. He has a reputation in the north, he has a way out, and he has the strength to compete with anyone. He can give us shelter." Hengyu said: "And the so-called alliance is only private It is agreed that on the bright side, there will not be too much involvement for the time being, so as not to startle the snake."

"Then... what does he need us to do?" Ji Nanxuan asked tentatively.

This sentence stopped Heng Yu from asking.

Seeing that his sister stopped talking suddenly, Ji Nanxian inevitably had some bad premonitions—could it be an extremely difficult condition?
"He didn't say..." Heng Yu said.

Ji Nanxian was taken aback: "That is... sent by him at any time?"

Just like puppet chess pieces?
Although it is true that according to the current strength of their Ji family, they cannot form an equal alliance with the other party, but if they are puppets of others, this matter must not be followed!
Mrs. Meng and the others also looked at Hengyu.

"No, no." Heng Yu hurriedly said: "Don't worry, he has no such intentions. The so-called alliance is only for information exchange, mutual support and mutual advancement, and there is absolutely no possibility of dispatching."

Ji Nanxian couldn't believe it: "Really, there are no conditions?"

"How could I lie to brother and grandmother about such things?"

"Then this Lord Xiaohou..." Ji Nanxian paused for a while before saying, "It's too much to help others."

Heng Yu said earnestly: "That can't be said like that. Elder brother shouldn't underestimate himself. I think I have helped him a little. I can only say that Xiao Hou has a long-term vision and has seen my resourcefulness."

Mrs. Yu looked at her sister-in-law quietly - did Xiao Hou just see resourcefulness?
"Xiao Yu'er, what about the third reason?" Ning Yu asked.

At first, my sister said that there were three reasons why she decided to form an alliance with the Marquis of Dingbei, and she only said two of them, and she can count them.

(End of this chapter)