Zhou Ying and his entourage walked out of the courtyard gate, and there were flames behind them. They hid in a small alley, and saw someone open the door on the side of the road, and someone opened the window to watch, and the flames and black smoke grew worse and worse, and finally someone understood, and screamed, "The water is gone......

The fire quickly ignited and spread to the courtyard next door, and more and more people were alarmed, some carried water to fight the fire, some asked the officials who patrolled the street to report the crime, and some stood on the street to watch the excitement...... There were more and more people crowded on the street, and after a while, the bell rang to open the door, and the fire master of the yamen rushed over with a carriage pulling the pipe.

Lin Ze led the way in front, Zhou Ying led Zhou Jue, and Yuxiang followed closely behind, and they all walked out of the alley and blended into the flow of people on the street.

In fact, without Lin Ze leading the way, Zhou Ying can guess where the door is open. Because many people were frightened by the fire along the way, they rolled up their beds, carried their burdens, and dragged their families to run out of the square.

The four of them didn't talk and hurried away with their heads covered, but fortunately, there were not a few people who were scared by the fire and ran around, and Zhou Ying and the others did not attract attention.

Zhou Ying didn't breathe a sigh of relief until she stood under the archway of the fangmen, looked up, and couldn't help laughing, "It's called Mingde Fang." ”

Lin Ze sneered, "It's really ridiculous." ”

The two were talking, when they suddenly heard someone next to them whisper: "Your Royal Highness Princess? ”

Zhou Ying's body trembled violently and looked up.

I saw a baby-faced young man standing a few steps away, wearing an ordinary cyan robe, wearing a scarf, and a smile at the corner of his eyes, but he was not weak at all, but had an inexplicable deterrent power, which made people dare not underestimate it.

Zhou Ying faintly felt familiar, but she didn't dare to recognize each other rashly, so she tightened Zhou Jue, took a step back, and looked at the person who came vigilantly.

The baby-faced young man saw that Zhou Ying was on guard, and apologized: "It's the minister who is abrupt, please forgive the princess." The minister is Ding Tang, the commander of the right guard of the Imperial Forest Army, and secretly visited the two highnesses on the orders of His Majesty. ”

Zhou Ying suddenly remembered that she had a relationship with this Commander Ding a few years ago.

But falling into such a situation, Zhou Ying can't help but pay more attention, "I don't know if it's convenient for Commander Ding, let me take a look at the waist card." ”

Ding Tang smiled and took out the waist card and handed it to Zhou Ying, "It's the minister's lack of consideration, and he should have taken it out for the princess to see at the beginning." ”

Zhou Ying took the waist card and saw that it was a pitch-black oval jade card, with a seal engraved on the front, decorated with complex cloud patterns around it, and Ding Tang's name, official position, official rank, and health office on the back.

This waist card is real.

It was only at this time that Zhou Ying turned out the appearance of Commander Ding from the corner of his memory. Comparing the two, Zhou Ying couldn't help laughing, six years have passed, she has grown from a little hairy child to a half-grown girl, but Commander Ding has not changed at all, and she is still an iconic baby face.

Since he was convinced that the person in front of him was the right commander of the Royal Forest Army, Zhou Ying was relieved.

The Imperial Forest Army is the last line of defense to protect the emperor's safety, and has always been held tightly in the hands of successive emperors, with a transcendent status, and will never intervene in the party struggle for succession. If the Guards can't be trusted, then she really doesn't know who to trust.

Zhou Ying handed back the waist card, "There is Laoding in charge." ”

Ding Tang took it and made a gesture of please, "It's noisy here, it's not very convenient, please come with me." ”

Zhou Ying responded and was about to ask the others to follow, but when she turned around, she looked at Lin Ze and Yuxiang in disbelief. Zhou Ying said in her heart that she had forgotten about this stubble, and was silent for a moment, "This place is not safe, if you don't dislike it, it's better to leave with me first." ”

Lin Ze was silent, hugged his fists and said, "I'm tired." ”

Yuxiang looked left and right and said hello.

Ding Tang had been waiting in front with great restraint, and it was not until the three of them decided to come down that they took the lead to move forward. It wasn't until he began to walk forward that Zhou Ying found that there were a few people behind him, all wearing casual clothes, with a cold and hard temperament, obviously from the military. This kind of temperament is different from ordinary people, she didn't even notice it just now, and she doesn't know if she is too nervous, or these people are too good at hiding.

After a short time, Ding Tang stopped in front of the two carriages, "In a hurry, the preparation is not thorough, please forgive the princess." ”

Zhou Ying naturally said that it was okay, and watched Lin Ze and Yuxiang get on the latter car before getting into the carriage. With Zhou Jue by his side, there was no need to avoid suspicion, Zhou Ying lifted the curtain and said to Ding Tang: "Please lead Ding to come in for a while." ”

Ding Tang should be, and also got into the carriage. Although the carriage was not useful in Ding Tang's mouth, it was also wide and bright, enough to sit five or six people comfortably, and there were seats on both sides. Ding Tang knocked on the inner wall of the carriage, and the driver waved his whip, and the car slowly ran away.

Zhou Ying got straight to the point and said, "I don't know how Commander Ding knew that I was in Mingdefang?" ”

Ding Tang replied: "On the day when the two highnesses disappeared, someone sent a ransom letter. His Majesty ordered the ministers to investigate the matter secretly, and the clues found the slum of this generation in the west, so the dragons and snakes in the land were mixed, shielding each other, and the clues were broken. The minister had no choice but to look for a needle in a haystack. All the unusual things that happened in this generation, from homicide cases to petty thefts that lost three melons and two dates, were ordered to be carefully investigated one by one. ”

Zhou Ying calculated the area of this generation of slums, and knew that this project was huge, and this Ding commander was very generous.

Ding Tang said again: "And today there is a fire in Mingdefang...... Recently, there has been plenty of rain, and it is by no means a time when the weather is dry and the fires are frequent. This fire incident was obviously unusual, so the minister personally brought people to inspect it, and finally met the two highnesses. ”

Although Zhou Ying escaped by himself, it was a trouble to return to the palace, and Zhou Ying also admitted his feelings, "I have worked hard in the past few days." ”

Ding Tang didn't dare to say again, "It turned out that the princess escaped wittily, and the minister was incompetent, so she didn't help anything." ”

Zhou Ying smiled and asked, "Since my father ordered a secret investigation, that is to say, outsiders don't know about the disappearance of me and my imperial brother?" ”

"The two highnesses said they were sick and didn't see outsiders." Ding Tang nodded.

"It seems that it is not easy for me and the imperial brother to go back openly." Zhou Ying's heart is right, the person behind this kidnapping must have eyes and ears in the southern patrol team, and she is about to avoid it. As for the details here, it was not easy to tell Ding Tang, who had only met twice, so he said, "In that case, please also ask Commander Ding to find a quiet place, put us down, and then send someone to invite my father, emperor and mother." ”

Ding Tang heard the sound of the strings and knew the elegance, and replied: "There is a garden in Qushui Pond, and the place has only been dedicated for a short time. His Majesty was busy with official business, and he was not lucky enough to be idle. The inside and outside of the garden have been cleaned up, and the princess will never be disturbed, but the princess will live without harm. ”

Zhou Ying knew that the latter sentence was the point, and the cleaning mentioned here would never be sprinkled and cleaned, but implied that there would be no eyes and ears.

This Ding Tang commander is a really smart person, no wonder he can be the commander of the right guard in the royal forest army at such a young age. You must know that the twelve guards of the Royal Forest Army are said to be at the same level, and there are also upper and lower levels. And the left and right guards, because of the personal guard of the emperor, are faintly regarded as the head of the twelve guards. Therefore, Ding Tang, the commander of the right guard of the Royal Forest Army, has a lot of gold content.

Of course, if you go up further, it's not a quick chance with a little cleverness.

The commander and deputy commander of the Imperial Forest Army are both hardcore imperial henchmen, personally selected by the first emperor, and grew up with the emperor since childhood. Unless these two people are dying, or they can't think of rebellion, it will be difficult for the next to climb up.

Since the other party has the intention to show goodwill, Zhou Ying of course continued, "Commander Ding must have arranged it properly, and he has a heart." ”

Ding Tang smiled and said that he didn't dare, and when he saw that Zhou Ying had no more instructions, he said goodbye and left.

Before leaving, Zhou Ying suddenly thought of something and asked, "How is the Royal Forest Army that guarded me and my imperial brother before?" ”

Ding Tang's hand lifted the curtain couldn't help but pause, he lowered his head sideways, his long and curly eyelashes hung down, covering the corners of his eyes that had always been smiling, making it difficult for people to see the clues, his tone was calm, "Huang Ting's affairs are not good, and he is now detained pending trial, and the rest have been executed." ”

Zhou Ying couldn't help but be silent, although she lost her sister and brother by dereliction of duty, she was not guilty of death. But the emperor was angry for her sister and brother, so Zhou Ying had no position to say this, so she could only change the topic, "Dare to ask them ...... with Commander Ding"

"Don't dare to hide it from the princess, this small group of royal forest soldiers is under the command of the minister's right guard." Ding Tang lifted the feet of his robe, and knelt down on one knee with a long body, "The incompetence of the ministers has caused the two highnesses to suffer this misfortune, please ask the princess to condemn." ”

"I see." Zhou Ying leaned back in the chair, and her heart was sure enough.

No wonder Ding Tang was able to cross the left guard of the Imperial Forest Army and take over the case of the abduction of her sister and brother, which turned out to be a meritorious service.

Thinking about it this way, Ding Tang spread out such a big battle, invested so much manpower and material resources, and even took the initiative to show favor to her, a powerless and powerless princess, there is an explanation. Sure enough, there is no such thing as kindness for no reason.

As for whether Ding Tang wants to show his skills and gain the emperor's trust, or whether he will make a mistake and rescue his subordinates, what does it have to do with her?

If she heard that the Imperial Forest Army had died very little at the beginning, she felt guilty that "I didn't kill Beren, but Beren died because of me", but after Ding Tang, a close minister of the Son of Heaven, knelt down to her and pleaded guilty and put her on the platform, there was not much guilt left of her.

Ding Tang was respectfully pleaded guilty, but what could she Zhou Ying do to him?

She is a princess who has not yet reached the age of the princess, how can she treat the dignified son of heaven and the ministers? The only one who could really punish him or pardon him was the emperor. Ding Tang made this gesture of pleading, if she didn't forgive, would she really kill him?

If she dares to do it today, she will be able to participate in the imperial mausoleum tomorrow.

What's more, since the emperor is still willing to use Ding Tang, it means that the emperor is still useful for him, and he will never let her kill Ding Tang.

Therefore, even if Zhou Ying seriously surrendered his crime, he would be a little angry at most, and he would not be able to let Ding Tang break his muscles and bones, but he would make a big enemy for nothing.

To sum up, Zhou Ying's wisest thing to do is to not blame the past and forgive him for not being guilty. That's why Zhou Ying is not happy, it is true that she does not blame those royal forest soldiers, but she doesn't care, there is still an essential difference between being calculated to this point.

But Zhou Ying has been in the palace for so many years, and has seen so many ups and downs, and the most useful thing she has learned is to know the current affairs.

Therefore, Zhou Ying could only smile gracefully and magnanimously, and even personally helped Ding Tang up, "It's all the fault of those thieves, what does it have to do with Commander Ding?" ”