auspicious time has come

As the tea mist faded, the young man opened his mouth.

"Uncle Jiang Shi—"

Jiang Zhengfu's face trembled slightly, and he responded kindly: "Hey."

In the eyes of the world, he is cold and indifferent, not easy to get close to, and has never been a gentle and loving person.

And it is true——

He only married one wife in his life, never took concubines, never married, only had one son and one daughter.

And Jingzhi, the son of a close friend, grew up in front of his eyes. He taught him the first line of poetry when he was three years old, and he taught him the first time he tried to hold a pen with his small hands...

In his eyes, that child who is outstanding in every way is no different from his parent and child.

But now, the high-spirited youth in memory has grown into a calm and introverted youth, the youngest envoy of the town since the founding of Dasheng.

Jiang Zhengfu was somewhat happy and rejoiced, but when he spoke, he was only ashamed: "Uncle Shi only recognized you now... because of the matter of Yun Chao, he listened to many rumors and has always held many prejudices against you. It is really unbearable for you to be an elder."

"Now that everything is clear, I know that Uncle Shi's so-called targeting in the past few years is nothing more than making Mrs. Pei spy on me in order to find out where I am really wrong, but he has never secretly framed me. "Xiao Mu said: "Jingzhi used to know that Uncle Shi is a human being, he should know that Uncle Shi has a bottom line in his actions, and he disdains to engage in selfish means—"

When the young man said this, after a short pause, he said truthfully: "It's just that since the incident nine years ago, when I treated Uncle Shi, I also developed deep prejudice, misunderstanding and suspicion."

As a result, he could no longer believe in his previous cognition.

"But you have never tried to deal with me because of this suspicion in these years." Jiang Zhengfu looked at him and asked: "Jingzhi, you have held a lot of power all these years, did you really never think about..."

There is no need to say the rest.

"It would be too hypocritical to say that I have never had such a thought." Xiao Mu said frankly: "I have thought about it, and more than once."

The young man lowered his eyes slightly, and looked at the gauze lantern embroidered with black bamboo pictures on the small table: "It's just that every night when I climb up and look at the lights around, and remember the oath I made in front of my father when I was a child, I am shaken again. Repeatedly like this Under repeated circumstances, I often don’t know what is right and what is wrong.”

"Until later, I met a person." At this point, the eyes of the young man's eyebrows became calm and clear in an instant: "Seeing what she did, listening to what she said, the answer gradually became clear, and I was no longer trapped. It's inside."

Jiang Zhengfu's eyes became redder when he heard it, but his eyes were full of relief: "Uncle Shi guessed that you may still be alive, and you are often worried that you will be blinded by hatred and lose your heart. There is nothing wrong with revenge, and you will do nothing for it." Wrong, but since you were young, you have a firm heart and a heart of righteousness, and these original hearts cannot be completely wiped out. Under the torment of the two phases, I am afraid that you will be ground..."

Jiang Zhengfu's voice was already slightly hoarse: "Uncle Shi really feels very lucky that you can keep your heart and find a way of balance here. This is the luck of you and me, and it is also the great luck of the world."

He looked at the upright and upright young man in front of him, with a smile on his face, but the corners of his eyes were already wet with tears: "Ruo Yunchao knows that you are back... I don't know how happy I will be."

"Yun Chao was killed in vain, I will definitely seek justice for him—"

"No." Jiang Zhengfu said slowly, "I, the father, should do this."

He looked at Xiao Mu: "There is also the matter of the eldest brother back then...Jing Zhi, do you now know who the real culprit is?"

Xiao Mu pursed his lips slightly: "Yes, the past has become clear."

After a moment of silence, Jiang Zhengfu asked in a hoarse voice: "Although I didn't know what happened back then, it is true that I stood by and watched... respectfully, can you blame me?"

"I hated it before, and it was strange." Xiao Mu said frankly like an ordinary junior: "I used to think that even if I just stood by and watched, I would be an accomplice. But all the way to today, now I understand that Uncle Shi can't help himself. ——And what happened back then, the king's heart has been decided, and no one can change it."

"The king's heart is set..." Jiang Zhengfu's eyes were a little far away: "Your father also said these four words to me in the sky prison back then."

"On that day, I went to Duke Shu's mansion to pick someone up, and I recommended myself." He recalled the emperor's furious look that day, and said, "It happened suddenly, and I didn't get the slightest word about it before. There is no way to change your attitude... So I recommended myself to investigate the matter, and when I left the palace, I ordered someone to send a letter to Yun Chao, asking him to hold you back... in exchange for some chance of survival."

When Xiao Mu heard this, he couldn't help but think of the scene that day in the restaurant built near the water, when his friend pulled him to throw the pot, and refused to let him go home no matter what—

It turns out...that's what happened.

"I thought at the time that it would be better for me to handle this matter than to leave it to someone else or an enemy of the current family." Jiang Zhengfu said everything in the past: "And the sage also has a 'test' heart for me because of this. He kept a close eye on my every move. That night I met Brother Shi for the last time in the sky prison, and he persuaded me not to interfere in this matter..."

Recalling this point, Jiang Zhengfu showed a bitter smile: "I knew then that what my brother said was to make my conscience feel better."

He forcibly suppressed the tears, and looked at Xiao Mu: "Do you think that Uncle Shi is trying to excuse himself by telling you these hard-to-discern words at this time?"

"No." Xiao Mu said, "I believe in father—"

That's what a father would do, say.

He looked at Patriarch Jiang with pale temples, bruises and blood stains on his face, guilt written all over his eyes, and said, "Now I believe in Uncle Shi."

The young man stood up and raised his hand to salute Jiang Zhengfu: "Thank you very much for your kindness in protecting each other in secret back then."

"..." Jiang Zhengfu stood up slowly, stretched out his trembling hands to support, the tears in his eyes finally fell down.

Some words, just one sentence, is a great redemption.

He doesn't need this thank you, but he needs this heartfelt understanding for self-salvation.

Xiao Mu helped him to sit back slowly.

After a long time, Jiang Zhengfu was able to calm down and said: "...I should have thought it was Li Wei. She has a fierce temperament since she was a child. She is not the thing in the caged bird pond who is willing to live in a deep house. She has been like this for all these years. I should have noticed something different."

"It's just that she lost her son-in-law first, and then your family was in trouble. The news of the teacher's death suddenly spread to Beijing, and the blows came one after another. She just couldn't get sick, and she acted very well... I was completely deceived by her. "Jiang Zhengfu inhaled slowly, calming his breath: "Now that I look back and think about it, I feel terrible."

"In these years, I have never doubted her." Xiao Mu's eyes were half-downcast: "Even recently when I wake up in the morning, I often feel in a trance for a moment, and I only feel that I am in a dream. Those with bloody hands merge into one."

He thought that he had already developed the ability to distinguish and accept the changing reality of the human heart, but this matter still made him unable to accept it for a long time.

Because of this, the more you can see how meticulously the other party has hidden all these years, and how deeply rooted in the hearts of the other party is his gentle appearance.

He is still like this...

What state of mind should Ah Heng be in?

This is the most brutal massacre in the world.

"Could it be that you and Li Wei have been in contact all these years?" Jiang Zhengfu heard the key point.

"Yes, when I left Beijing..."

The candles in the gauze lantern danced lightly.

Xiao Mu explained all the causes and consequences, including Yan Ming's experience at this time.

Jiang Zhengfu felt chills down his spine when he heard this: "One is the envoy of the town who holds Lu Longjun in his hand, and the other is the Patriarch of the No. [-] Dasheng Company that she secretly supported. Easy as pie."

He looked at the young man in front of him, and he was so shocked that he felt lucky: "Fortunately, you are sober enough to persevere, and you have not been mistaken by her. If not, the world will be in such a dilapidated state at this time."

Then he calmed down and thought deeply: "Looking at it now, it's impossible for her to just place her bargaining chip on you two..."

Xiao Mu said: "Emperor Daxing died because he was poisoned by others."

Jiang Zhengfu raised his eyes suddenly: "...the saint was also killed by her?!"

But if you ask, you will feel redundant.

"So beside Emperor Daxing, in the East Palace, there are her eyeliner insiders everywhere." Xiao Mu said: "Over the years, she has never stopped planning. Ever since Emperor Daxing passed away, it was the end of her appearance It's day."

"In this way, there must be her people in the court, cough cough cough..." Jiang Zhengfu's eyes were dark, and he coughed for a while, and he was able to continue after a while: "I think it won't be long. , the handling of funeral ceremonies will naturally become a matter of state!"

"So Uncle Shi needs to take care of himself. She is eager to kill this person tonight, which just shows how important Uncle Shi is." Xiao Mu looked at the weak man, and said, "The Dasheng Chaotang now needs Uncle Shi to guard it."

"Dasheng needs you more." After coughing for a while, Jiang Zhengfu's tone became weaker: "Her conspiracy has surfaced now, and she will probably kill you in order to clear the way. You must pay more attention. Take care of yourself..."

"Uncle Shi, don't worry, Jingzhi understands."

"One more thing..." Jiang Zhengfu looked at the young man in front of him and said weakly.

Xiao Mu treated him seriously: "Uncle Shi, please tell me—"

"Just now you mentioned... that you have to meet someone so that you will no longer be trapped and tormented. Is that person a man or a woman?"

Xiao Mu: "?"

But seeing the look of anticipation in that uncle's eyes, he replied: "I am a woman."

"I guess so." Jiang Zhengfu smiled reassuringly: "So you have a sweetheart?"

Xiao Mu also rarely showed a smile: "Yes."

"Which family is the girl from Beidi?" Jiang Zhengfu asked with a smile.

"It's a girl from the capital." The young man's eyebrows and tone were extremely gentle: "The second lady of the Ji family, her name is Hengyu."

"...is actually the second wife of the Ji family in the teacher's family?" Jiang Zhengfu was slightly taken aback, and then smiled even more heartily: "Okay, good...very good."

Seeing the smile in the eyes of the young man in front of him, Jiang Zhengfu also had a look of hope in his old and dark eyes: "After everything is settled, I will be a matchmaker with you to make this marriage a perfect one for you. "

He has no children, and the "lost and found" child in front of him is his child.

Xiao Mu nodded with a smile: "Uncle Shi has to take care of himself even more. Not long ago, his nephew offended her. I'm afraid I won't live up to it. After a year or two, I won't be able to coax her to let go and marry."

"You are so polite, why offend a little lady?" Jiang Zhengfu said with a smile: "It's okay, in the future, Uncle Shi will go to Ji's house with you to apologize, or for the sake of my old face, the future The in-laws can soften your heart and reduce your sentence for a year or a half."

Xiao Mu thanked him first: "Then there will be Uncle Lao Shi."

The two laughed and talked, and the lights were amiable.

……

The next day, the news that Jiang Zhengfu was assassinated and nearly died spread in the court, causing panic among the people.

But at this time, another military report spread to Beijing——

"The Turks are moving, and they are massing their troops!"

"This... I said at the time that Najiaque could not be killed! However, the envoy Xiao had no fear, and went into the palace to kill him personally! How can a barbarian like Turkic bear such a tone?"

"The southern border has not been leveled, and now Turkic has changed again, what should we do now?"

"Ling Gong was seriously ill and was assassinated again... Who can decide this matter?"

"Why don't you... ask His Royal Highness the Eldest Princess? The Eldest Princess has fought against the Turks several times in her early years, so she must have some insights on this!"

Faced with this proposal, some officials showed hesitation.

"It is said that the eldest princess has lived in the Ganlu Palace. Is this true or false?"

"There is such a thing... It is said that it is for the convenience of discussing with the officials of the Ministry of Rites."

"But this is inconsistent with the system! Ganlu Palace is the emperor's residence! No, I'm going to Yushitai to explain this matter!"

Some officials went to Yushitai, and several officials still went to Ganlu Hall to ask Princess Yongyang about the Turkic army.

There were also some officials who talked in private, and went out of the palace to visit Xiao Mu in Dingbeihou's mansion in secret.

In the Ganlu Hall, Princess Yongyang listened to the movements everywhere, while bending over to trim a pine tree.

"The list of officials who are going to Yushitai is here." Liu Qian handed over the folded list.

"Put it there." Princess Yongyang said casually: "Let them go first, there must be such noisy words, there will be more in the future, and there will be no less."

"Yes, Your Highness has a lot."

"Let's step back first. Later, I will discuss with you adults how to deal with the Turkic enemy."

Liu Qian then retreated in response.

"Jingzhi, that child..." Princess Yongyang cut off a section of pine branch, sighed, "I kill people, but he saves people... It's really a headache."

Qizhen lowered her eyes and listened quietly.

The eldest princess put down the scissors wrapped around the red string, straightened up, and said casually: "According to the days, the first seven days are over, and it's time to give an account of Chang'er."

……

The next day.

A group of guards broke into King Xiang's mansion.

"What are you going to do?"

"The King of Xiang's assassination of the Crown Prince has been proved conclusively! Someone, take him down and take him to the prison in Dali Temple!"

"What evidence is conclusive? I didn't kill brother!" King Xiang was terrified: "I want to see Aunt Yongyang!"

The leader held up the imperial edict in his hand: "This edict was drawn up by Her Royal Highness Princess Yongyang and all the lords. The eldest princess has something to say. The king of Xiang murdered her brother, which is against the rules and regulations. It really chills her heart, so I hand it over to you." The third division will deal with it in accordance with the law, and will no longer intervene in this matter."