Under the sky

Chapter 171 Volume [-] "Knowing People" The few people are sick
On the way back, Zhuge Ran received the news that the king of Hongguo came to express his condolences. He urged the cavalry to speed up.As soon as he returned to Kunming, Zhuge Changzhan came to greet him.

"Did your brother stir up trouble?" This was Zhuge Ran's first question when he saw Zhuge Changzhan.

"The master has been receiving King Mangxiang these past few days. My eldest aunt is also back." Zhuge Changzhan replied: "Everything is fine. I heard that my second uncle is in great shape. I am very happy."

"Li Xuanxuan didn't hand over the alliance leader, so it can't be considered a victory." Zhuge Ran asked: "Have you examined your father's body?"

Zhuge Changzhan hesitated for a while and said: "Mom said it was disrespectful and scolded me for being unfilial and unwilling to leave my father's whole body."

Zhuge Ran understood that this nephew must have received a good scolding.So he said: "Call Chen Jinda."

Zhuge Yan stopped his coffin in the Divine Emperor's Palace, right in front of the emerald nine-dragon chair.Mrs. Zhen and a group of relatives and friends were dressed in mourning clothes and sat on the left and right.Zhuge Ran felt disgusted when he saw the white cloth strips stretched inside and outside the God Emperor's Palace.As soon as he entered the palace, he asked: "Why did you place the former head here? Who had the idea?"

"The leader said that the former leader liked this hall the most. He wanted him to stay here longer." Third Uncle Zhuge Yiyun said.

Zhuge Ran stepped forward, twisted incense in front of the mourning hall, and prayed silently in his heart: "Brother, it was my brother who harmed you." Then he knelt down, held up the incense, and prayed silently: "You have a spirit in heaven to protect Dian Cang Hegemony. Dacheng, I will do my best to assist Ting Guan. You don’t have to worry about this waste. I will open the coffin for an autopsy later. If you are killed for no reason, please show me the way."

After the prayers were finished, Zhuge Ran got up and took incense.Shouted: "Doctor Chen, come in."

Chen Jinda was the imperial doctor of Diancang. He lowered his head and walked quickly into the Palace of the God Emperor.

"Why did you ask him to come in?" Zhen asked as she stood up.

"Autopsy." Zhuge Ran leaned on crutches and motioned for Chen Jinda to step forward.

"Your brother is dead, why don't you give him a better life?" Zhen stood up and cursed: "Do you know what he looks like now?"

"You haven't opened it yet, how do I know?" Zhuge Ran said: "Sister-in-law, it's not who has the final say as to how the eldest brother died. Only by making things clear can the eldest brother rest in peace."

"It was the barbarians who killed him! If you don't believe it, go ask your good brother." Zhen stepped forward and said, "I said no testing is allowed."

"I'm listening." Zhuge Ran took a breath and thought in his heart: "Just cry, the more stupid people take care of things." But he said: "Sister-in-law, you don't need to worry about this matter."

Third uncle Zhuge Yiyun also stepped forward and said: "Of course, the former headmaster died. The body has been left for so long, and third uncle also saw it. It doesn't look good, so let's forget it."

Zhuge Ran thought to himself: "Am I still doing the autopsy just to look good?" After all, he is an elder. Zhuge Ran said impatiently: "Master? Where is the master?"

Zhen Chengxue, the father of the Zhen family, said: "The master is accompanying King Mang Xiang for a walk in Kunming."

"So sensible?" Zhuge Ran said: "He can't speak Hong clan's language well, how can he talk to Mang Xiang King, chicken and duck?" He shouted again: "Sister, you are here, you have to speak up too."

One person walked out of the linen draping team. She was Zhuge Ran's eldest sister, Zhuge Yixian, who was two years older than Zhuge Yan. She had her hair in a bun and wore light makeup as she wore mourning.Although it's not obscene, it's still a bit unseemly.She just said: "Listen to your second brother, he has ideas."

Zhen Chengxue frowned and said, "The eldest lady is a married girl. This is a matter for the Zhuge family..."

"What's the point of getting married? If your surname is not Zhuge? You won't be able to get incest and worship your ancestors?" Zhugeran hit the ground heavily with his cane: "Fuck! People who are not surnamed Zhuge can speak, but those whose surname is Zhuge can't, right?"

Everyone knew that he took advantage of the topic and used it to his advantage.Dare not make a sound.At this moment, Zhuge Tingguan led the two of them in. When he saw Zhuge Ran, his face turned pale and he hurriedly said: "Second uncle..."

Zhuge Ran looked around and saw two people behind Zhuge Tingguan. One of them was about fifty years old. He was wide and fat. He had a round face like a bun and a thick beard. He looked like a sesame bun with leaky stuffing. They were covered in gold and jade. , all ten fingers are covered with jade rings. She is none other than King Mangxiang, another girl from the world. She is wearing gorgeous makeup and clothes. She is about [-] years old, with fair skin, crescent eyebrows and starry eyes. She is a beauty.

King Mangxiang asked in Hong language: "Why are you so angry?"

The woman next to him said, "The king asked why you got so angry." Although she had an accent, this girl spoke Chinese very fluently.

Zhuge Ran waved his hand and said: "No need to translate, I can understand." Then he replied in Hong language: "It's a little family matter, I want to do an autopsy for my eldest brother. Please wait a moment, our brothers haven't caught up with each other for a long time." Then he glanced at it again. Zhuge Tingguan glanced at him and said, "I want an autopsy, will the master agree?"

Not long after Zhuge Tingguan took over, he still had lingering fear for his second uncle, so he hurriedly said: "The deputy commander said that he needs to be tested, so let's do it."

Zhuge Ran glanced around the hall and said coldly: "Open the coffin! Autopsy! Avoid irrelevant people!" The relatives all left knowingly.Zhuge Ran saw that his in-law Zhen Chengxue seemed to have no intention of leaving, so he asked: "Headmaster Zhen, did you kill my brother?"

Zhen Chengxue's expression changed and she said, "What did the deputy commander say?"

"Since it's not relevant, then why does Master Zhen stay here?" Zhuge Ran said: "Didn't I say that irrelevant people should be avoided?"

Mrs. Zhen's face turned pale with anger and said, "Tingguan! Come with me."

Zhuge was helpless and said to King Mangxiang: "I will wait patiently and leave for a while."

The girl said this to King Mangxiang. King Mangxiang nodded and said a few words. The girl said: "The king said that the leader can do whatever he wants."

Zhuge Tingguan smiled and left. His wife Yuniang quickly followed. Zhuge Tingguan ignored her. Mrs. Zhen also led her father away. The hall suddenly became empty.

When the coffin was opened, a strong smell that could not be covered by the fragrance of flowers wafted out. Seeing that Zhuge Yan's corpse had changed color, Zhuge Ran felt compassion and reached out to touch his elder brother's cheek. Doctor Chen Jinda hurriedly said: "Deputy commander, be careful of the corpse gas."

Zhuge Ran said: "Do your job and shut up!"

Zhuge Ran watched for a long time, sighed, his eyes turned red, and said: "I hurt you." Then he picked up his energy and said: "Check carefully."

Chen Jinda nodded hurriedly.Zhuge Ran said to King Mangxiang: "Your Majesty, come to my study for a chat."

■

Zhuge Ran made tea and ordered some snacks that King Mangxiang liked to eat. "Is this your new concubine?" Zhuge Ran asked in Hong language.

"She is my king's jade concubine." King Mangxiang said with a smile: "Mayusa, this is the smartest dwarf in the world that I told you."

Mayusa saluted with a dignified manner. Zhuge Ran frowned and said: "Forget about being smart. What a dwarf. You have found such a good treasure. You are very lucky."

Hongguo and Diancang are both rich in jade. The title of Jade Concubine is second only to the queen and noble concubine in Hongguo. This girl was given the title of Yufei at a young age, which shows that King Mangxiang loves her. Indeed, she is proficient in Chinese and Hong Kong at a young age. Clan language is so beautiful, it is not an exaggeration to say it is a treasure.

King Mangxiang said to Mayusa: "You go down. You are not needed here. The deputy commander and I have a lot to talk about."

Mayusa said dissatisfied: "The king is chatting with his good friends, but where can I go alone?"

King Mangxiang said: "You are going around to play, but I am not looking for you today. The deputy commander is very proficient in everything. I don't need you when I am with him."

Mayusa said happily: "Then I'll find someone to play with me."

King Mangxiang nodded and waved: "Go!"

Mayusa took a bunch of grapes from the table and went out happily.

"What a pity for your brother. You are so young. I wanted to come to see you last year, but I didn't expect this delay..." King Mangxiang regretted: "I feel sorry for him. The Buddha will take him to the Western Paradise. "

Zhuge Ran said: "If you keep talking, stop drinking tea and drink a bar."

"I want to drink wine at night. It's still early." King Mangxiang asked, "I heard that you are fighting with Hengshan?"

Zhuge Ran nodded. "At that time, I told your brother that when your brother becomes the leader of the alliance and Dian Cang becomes the king, both of us will be kings. It will be really majestic. You guys really wonder why a woman can be the leader of the alliance? We in Hong country have a saying, hen Crying during the day is a sign of disaster coming from heaven.”

"The position of the alliance leader has not been decided yet." Zhuge Ran said: "It still depends on how this battle goes."

"We are a country of brothers. I can help you in the war at Dian Cang." King Mang Xiang said.

"Oh?" Zhuge Ran was surprised. Although Dian Cang was rich because of his gold and jade, his military expenses were huge. It would be a good thing if he had some support.

"Hongguo had a good harvest last year, and there is a lot of food that can be sold to you. And it is sold very cheaply." King Mangxiang said: "We still have five thousand slaves who can help you transport food. I can ensure that the soldiers in Diancang are well fed."

"I will waive the customs duty again. In this way, the price of food can be lowered." King Mangxiang said: "There are still [-] warriors for you to drive. There are also [-] horses. If you need anything else in the future, I will The king will sell it to you as cheaply as possible."

Zhuge Ran smiled and said: "The king is so kind, doesn't he want to get some benefits from Dian Cang?"

King Mangxiang smiled and said: "Dian Cang gave my father the White Elephant Emperor's throne. Every time I sit on it, my father will say that this is Dian Cang's friendship and I have to pay it back in the future." He added: "When my father was still here, I followed him. He went everywhere to attack the nearby barbarians. Although he expanded his territory and fought for many years, the people were tired. It took these 20 years to take a breather. He relied on Dian Cang to help him with farming, building dams, opening jade markets, and opening trade routes, especially his brothers. If it weren't for the sake of your brother's face, I would have kidnapped you back to Hongguo and left you to take care of the country's affairs, while I am responsible for enjoying myself."

This is true. After the death of King Mengwa, Zhuge Ran suggested to King Mangxiang to suspend the conquest, saying that it would be easy to conquer the world, but difficult to govern the world, and it would be difficult to maintain peace for a long time. King Mangxiang then began to revise his internal affairs. If he encountered difficulties during this process, he would Ask Dian Cang for help.Dian Cang sent talents to assist.The friendship between the two countries is indeed profound.

Zhuge Ran smiled and said, "Well, we agreed to cut a stone and swear to be friends forever."

"It's not just about your brother this time." King Mangxiang said: "There have been many major issues in the government that are difficult to resolve in the past few years. I heard that there are reasons for this and there are reasons for that. I couldn't figure it out for a while, so I could only Put it aside, you are the smartest person I have ever met. I want to discuss it with you so that I can make a decision when I return to the court."

After he finished speaking, he sighed again: "It's a pity that I won't be able to see your brother sitting on the Jade Dragon Seat and giving orders in the future."

Zhuge Yan has a straightforward personality. As the head of the clan, he is overly boastful and overjoyed in his achievements. He relies entirely on his younger brother for political affairs. However, as a friend, he is always open to the public and tells his heart. Unlike the second master, he is rough on the outside but delicate on the inside. He is bold on the surface but deep down in his heart. He has a lot of calculations, but unlike the third master, he has to ask the right and wrong of everything.Whenever something happens to his friend, no matter how justified it is, he always stands up for his brother, and even if he is wrong, he must say he is right.If a brother is in trouble, he will carry it on his shoulders.

That is to say, this kind of character, whether it is the Second Master or the Mangxiang King, maybe everyone thinks he is reckless and stupid, but they all like him as a friend.

Zhuge Ran thought of his eldest brother and sighed: "Don't mention these. Let's talk about the pair of white elephants you raised."

The two chatted for a while. After a long time, a servant came and whispered a few words to Zhuge Ran. Zhuge Ran nodded and said to King Mangxiang: "Please stay with me for a while. King Dian Cang is very familiar with you. You can do it yourself. Let's have a family dinner tonight." Brother, have a nice drink."

■

Zhuge Ran quickly arrived at the God Emperor's Palace. When Chen Jinda saw him arriving, he hurried forward.

"Have you found any clues?" Zhuge Ran asked.

Chen Jinda said: "The leader has a total of 21 wounds from swords and swords, six from arrows, and fifteen from falls, but none of them are fatal."

"That's it?" Zhuge Ran said, "You can talk about unimportant things. I'm very patient."

"The fatal injury was an arrow wound." Chen Jinda hurriedly said: "Enter from the back and came out through the chest."

That's how the eldest brother is, he must have been reckless to be plotted against.Zhuge Ran gritted his teeth.

"But there's something strange." Chen Jinda said.

"So you are still trying to sell things off." Zhuge Ran sneered: "Would you like to shake off some more baggage and say a few words about the funeral? Let's break it down next time?"

Chen Jinda's face turned pale and he said hurriedly: "The wound was a laceration on the back. It was an injury caused by a sharp arrow embedded in the flesh. But the arrow penetrated the chest."

"Oh?" Zhuge Ran frowned, lost in thought, and asked, "What do you think is going on?"

Chen Jinda said: "I don't know... To be honest, the master's body has been left for too long... so... it is difficult to check, and it may be a minor misjudgment. However, it is certain that the master does not have palm injuries from the internal masters. "

Zhuge Ran nodded and asked Chen Jinda to step back.

He recalled what Li Jingfeng told him. Li Jingfeng and Yang Yan went to kill Yan Feixi. The eldest brother left with Juekong, Li Xuanxuan, and a young man whose name was unknown. When they passed by again, the eldest brother was already dead.Juekong was seriously injured at that time and could not walk easily.Is that Li Xuanxuan and his eldest brother fighting the enemy together?
He vaguely felt that there was something fishy about this matter, but there was no evidence. What kind of person was Li Xuanxuan? If she really killed her eldest brother, she would not easily leave evidence.The wounds on his back alone can't prove anything.

Perhaps only Li Xuanxuan will always know the truth.

That's all, so what if you know?The deep hatred with Hengshan was forged as early as the day the troops were launched.Fortunately, he has enough allies to support him.

Zhuge Ran pondered.Calculating the time, it’s time for Li Xuanxuan to return to Hengshan.He walked out of the Divine Emperor's Palace and was about to return to his room when he saw Zhuge Tingguan talking to Zhuge Changzhan on the way. He saw Zhuge Tingguan pulling Zhuge Tingguan. Zhuge Tingguan fluttered his sleeves and threw them away, but he grabbed Zhuge Changzhan again. The two of them didn't know what to say, but when Zhuge Ran was about to approach, they noticed and hurriedly stopped saying hello.Zhuge Tingguan found an excuse to leave, and gave Zhuge Changzhan a hard look before leaving.

"Did he bully you again?" Zhuge Ran asked, "What did he say?"

"It's okay. The boss wants me to work diligently." Zhuge Changzhan lowered his head and did not dare to say more.

Zhuge Tingguan was not friendly towards his younger brother. Zhuge Ran expected that Zhuge Tingguan was getting angry with him and looking for things to make things difficult for his younger brother, so he patted Zhuge Changzhan on the shoulder and said: "There is a war ahead, and Kunming still needs to rely on you. When the big deal is finalized, I will transfer you to Guangxi, so you don’t have to meet your brother in the future."

Zhuge Changzhan was stunned and said hurriedly: "There is no need to rush this matter."

Zhuge Ran smiled and said: "You are weird. You were eager to run away before, but now I say let you go, but you want to stay?"

Zhuge Changzhan said: "I still want to learn more from my second uncle. Besides, after the battle at Hengshan, there may be other battles to be fought in the future. I can help my second uncle more."

Zhuge Ran shrugged: "Okay, it's up to you."

■

King Mangxiang wanted to wait for Zhuge Yan to be buried, but the July [-]th period had passed early, so he chose another auspicious day for burial. For several days, Zhuge Ran and King Mangxiang stayed behind closed doors to discuss the state affairs of the country.Although he was concerned about the war on the front line, King Mangxiang gave him so much support that he could not ignore other people's problems.So he also called Zhuge Changzhan to take the exam and study at the same time.Sometimes they chatted until late at night and drank wine. King Mangxiang would sleep in Zhugeran's room, and Zhugeran would find another room to sleep.

That night, King Mangxiang got excited about chatting and got very drunk. He couldn't bear to leave. He drank until he vomited all over the floor and fell asleep on a chair. He was fat and the king of the country, so he couldn't wake up. , and it was difficult to move, so Zhuge Ran asked people to make the mattress and arrange it for rest.He himself drank a few more drinks, then sat on the Taishi chair and fell asleep.

At midnight, King Mangxiang woke up and asked for tea. Zhuge Ran also got up. King Mangxiang was stained with filth and smelled sour, so he asked, "Do you have any clothes for me to change?"

Zhuge Ran smiled and said: "Yes, but you have to sew three pieces into one."

King Mangxiang laughed loudly: "I will go back to my room and sleep."

Zhuge Ran was afraid that something might happen to him when he was drunk, so he said, "I'll take you back."

The two took a sedan chair back to the courtyard where King Mangxiang lived. Just after passing the front yard, they suddenly heard a loud "click" sound like something falling from the house. Zhuge Ran opened the sedan curtain and saw that there were lights and no guards in the courtyard. , the lights were on in the room, and I couldn't help but be stunned.King Mangxiang was also surprised and hurriedly ordered the sedan to stop. Zhuge Ran secretly realized that something was wrong and hurriedly followed him.Just as he entered the house, the window of the room inside suddenly opened, and a figure rushed out of the window. King Mangxiang was worried about his beloved concubine and hurriedly entered the room.

Before Zhuge Ran could give the order to take it down, the disciples carrying the sedan rushed forward to stop the figure.The man grabbed his clothes and shouted in a low voice: "Are you seeking death? Get out of the way!"

It was getting dark, he said these few meaningless words and lowered his voice. How could he stop anyone?Several disciples swarmed up and grabbed him. It turned out that it was Zhuge Tingguan who was naked and holding on to his clothes.Everyone grabbed the leader and was shocked. Zhuge Tingguan shouted: "I am the leader, I won't let go!"

The disciples didn't dare to catch him again. They saw the naked body running outside the courtyard, like the moon turned into a shooting star, disappearing in the night.

Zhuge Ran's expression changed drastically, and he turned around to see King Mang Xiang standing at the window of the house, glaring angrily.Zhuge Ran didn't even care about his lameness, and limped quickly into the room. The lights were on, and Mayusa was holding the quilt to cover her body, huddled by the bed and trembling.

Zhuge Ran almost fainted.No, damn he wanted to pass out.

(End of this chapter)