The small courtyard where the Luchuan envoy lived was already empty, and Meng Shilang's eyes widened in surprise.

"They said they were going to leave for China today," Meng Xiang said, "The official came to pick them up from the city, why are they all gone?" ”

Ning Zuer ignored him and carefully searched for clues in the room.

"My lord," Mo Buyan hurriedly came over and said to Ning Zu'er: "The entire Feihongju Restaurant, from the steward to the running hall, has all been infected with this strange disease, and none of them have been spared. ”

"Hmm......" Ning Zuer nodded, not giving a look.

"Also," Mo Buyan continued, "the diners who often come to Fei Hongju have also fallen ill. ”

"And how many people are suffering from this strange disease in other places?" Ning Zuer asked.

"Not much," Mo Buyan said: "The patients are mainly concentrated in the west of the city where the Feihongju Restaurant is located, and the number of patients in Fucaifang and Dashi Yongfang is the largest, not less than 1,000 people, followed by Xiaoyongfang, there are also more than 800, and most of these sick people have been to Feihongju Restaurant." In the rest of the places, there are much fewer people, and there are more than 300 people in Xianyifang and Anfufang each......"

"What about the east of the city? How many people are sick? Ning Zuer asked again.

"The east of the city was investigated by Lord Zhu," Mo Buyan said after a moment of silence: "My subordinates just asked the brothers who came over from Lord Zhu's side, and said that there are only a hundred ...... in total" After a pause, he said: "However, this epidemic is extremely contagious, and some guys in the medical hall and pharmacy were infected when they were treating patients, and some people were seriously ill and died in the place where they were treated." Lai Baihu just sent someone to ask how to deal with the body, whether to bury it on the spot or ......"

"Take the car to a remote place outside the city and burn," Ning Zuer said with a solemn face, "Let the brothers be careful, do not have close contact with those who are sick, and also, you must cover your mouth and nose, and do not talk to others naked......

"Yes!"

"Also," Ning Zu'er confessed to him again, "Hurry up and tell the commander, ask him to send someone to inform the military department and the Governor's Mansion of the Five Armies as soon as possible, and see if he can mobilize some soldiers and horses into the city to assist the people in the city to maintain order, especially to strengthen the control of the various squares in the west of the city." ”

"I see, my lord," he said, "and my subordinates will go." ”

Ning Zu'er bowed slightly, and said to the person next to him: "You go to the Xicheng Soldiers and Horses Division quickly, and then please send a team of soldiers and horses to surround this place, no one is allowed to approach, and no one inside is allowed to go out." ”

"Yes!"

Meng Shilang's face changed, "Can't this official leave here?" ”

"Lord Meng," Ning Zuer smiled and said, "It's very extraordinary, I have to have the right and wronged you, don't blame it!" ”

"How can this be reasonable," Meng Shilang said abruptly: "I am a member of the third rank of the imperial court, without the driving sticker of the criminal department and the emperor's will, you Jinyi Wei will detain people casually......

Seeing him furious, Ning Zuer only smiled and said nothing.

Meng Shilang sent a fire and was about to take someone away, but when he saw Jinyi Weiming's dangling blade pointing at him, the muscles on his face trembled, and he had to retreat obediently.

"Young Master Ning," Yang Muyun stepped forward and asked, "Do you suspect that the epidemic spread from this Feihongju Restaurant?" ”

"This is very likely," Ning Zuer glanced at him and said, "Look, this restaurant."

All the people in the city have contracted this disease, and the number of infected people in the surrounding workshops is the largest, and most of them are diners who have come here, but this is not the case in other parts of the capital. ”

"This Feihongju is an old shop in the capital for quite a long time," Yang Muyun frowned and said: "The steward and the guys are all from this capital, and even the diners are frequent customers in the vicinity, how could such an epidemic suddenly arise?" ”

"If the locals can't come out, then they must come from outside," Ning Zu'er said: "Maybe the ingredients that came in from the outside are not very clean, and there is another situation......" Glancing at Meng Shilang, "Are the Luchuan envoys out of the city now?" ”

"How does this official know?" Meng Shilang turned his face away angrily, "This official is here to pick up the Luchuan envoy and his party out of the city, who knows that they didn't see it, but they were detained here by your Jinyi guards." ”

Ning Zuer smiled, not angry.

"Ning Gongzi is suspicious of that group of Luchuan envoys?" Yang Muyun raised his eyebrows.

"Before the matter has a definite result, everyone will be suspicious," Ning Zu'er said lightly: "The top priority is to find out whether the Luchuan envoy and his party have left the city, and where they are now, and whether any of them have also contracted the epidemic." ”

"But Lord Meng said that they are scheduled to leave for China today," Yang Muyun said, "but they have not been found here." ”

"This is the key," Ning Zu'er's face became solemn, "The Luchuan envoy came here to make peace with the imperial court, but he did not negotiate with the imperial court on some issues, and the Luchuan envoy saw that there was no hope of peace, so he had the heart to return to the country as soon as possible...... Judging from the signs in the room, they should not have left this morning. ”

"They left in advance suddenly and silently," Yang Muyun suddenly remembered that when she was the shopkeeper here a few months ago, the princess of Luchuan wanted to plot against herself late at night, and her heart moved, "Could it be that this is their delaying tactic?" Wanting to delay the imperial court from using troops against Luchuan, seeing that the imperial court was resolute, he secretly used Feihongju, a place where people came and went, to spread this epidemic......" Just thinking about it, I saw a Jinyi guard captain come in, whispering a few words in Ning Zuer's ear, and Ning Zuer's face became solemn.

"Brother Yang and Lord Meng, please stay here for a while, I'll come when I go." Ning Zuer clasped her hands and smiled.

"Do you already know the whereabouts of the Luchuan envoy and his party?" Yang Muyun blurted out.

Ning Zuer was stunned and did not speak.

"I still know a few superficial kung fu," Yang Muyun said: "If Gongzi Ning doesn't give up, I'm willing to help you......" The voice paused slightly, and added, "Don't worry, I won't compete with you." ”

"What did Brother Yang say," Ning Zu'er smiled and said, "From the southern capital all the way to the capital, isn't it you who I trust the most?" ”

"Thank you!" Yang Muyun bowed his hand slightly, and walked out of the house with him one after the other.

"Hey-" Meng Shilang couldn't help but stand up and rushed up and said, "Did you just leave this official here......" Before he could rush to the door, two blades flashing with cold light were set up in front of him.

The squire who had read poetry and books had a shocked face, and pointed to the two sword-wielding brocade captains who stopped in front of him and said, "You ...... Can you Jinyi Wei not talk about the king's law? ”

The two brocade-clothed lieutenants looked at each other coldly.

"Adult ......" is a follower

He tugged at his sleeve and said, "You can bear with it for the time being, and it's not too late to talk to them when you get out." ”

Meng Shilang snorted and sat back angrily.

————————————

A pair of fast horses left the Xuanwu Gate and galloped southwest.

"According to some eyeliner reports, a group of unknown people left Xuanwumen at Yinshi." This is the news that someone reported to Ning Zuer when he was in Feihongju Restaurant.

"Aren't the gates closed at night? How could they just let them out? ”

"But what they took out was a release document issued by the emperor himself."

Ning Zuer was silent, only envoys from foreign countries could get this kind of document. No one could have imagined that the foreign envoys would leave the city late at night when they received the papers, which further proves that the outbreak of the epidemic in the capital was most likely the work of this group of people.

"Chase-" Ning Zuer issued an order to his subordinates, and at the same time sent someone to ride a fast horse to take the first step, and notified the government in front to send someone to intercept this group of people. From the capital to Luchuan, it was almost thousands of miles away, and he didn't believe that this group of people from Luchuan would be able to break through the many checkpoints and return to Luchuan safely.

After crossing the Lugou Bridge to the south, there is an endless plain.

"If they scatter, it's not easy to catch them." Ning Zuer's forehead was furrowed, there were too few people he brought out, less than a hundred people in total, and it was not enough to scatter them to chase people.

"Ning Gongzi," Yang Muyun seemed to see through his thoughts, and comforted on the side: "From now on, all the way to the south, it is the realm of my Ming Dynasty, if they want to escape without knowing it, it is impossible, we just have to chase it, I believe it will not be long before there will be news of them." ”

"Well," Ning Zu'er tapped her chin, "It seems that we can only chase them down in the direction first, and inquire about their news while chasing." ”

"They really have a good plan," Yang Muyun said: "Pretending to come to Beijing to make peace with the imperial court, in a vain attempt to delay the imperial court to use troops against them, seeing that the imperial court is not fooled, they will make these three indiscriminate means to mess up the capital, which will disrupt the layout of the imperial court." ”

"They won't succeed," Ning Zu'er's eyes narrowed, "Those who are enemies of my Ming Dynasty will definitely pay a heavy price." ”

......

The group chased south for a while, and suddenly someone in front came over and said to Ning Zu'er: "My lord, I caught a spy in front." ”

Ning Zuer grabbed the reins of the horse, raised her eyebrows and said, "Bring him here." ”

Escorted over was a thin man with a dark complexion, and his face was unruly.

"Who are you?" Ning Zuer asked.

The man didn't say a word.

"My lord," a brocade-clothed lieutenant held a short knife in both hands and handed it to Ning Zu'er, "his subordinates found this on him. ”

Ning Zuer took the short knife and looked at it, there was a peacock inlaid with blue-green gemstones on the scabbard, "Chok-" pulled out the short knife, and the cold air came to his face.

"Good knife," Ning Zu'er praised and looked at the man, "This knife is yours?" ”

The man pursed his lips, but still didn't speak.

"The style of this knife can be seen at a glance that it is not my Central Plains," Ning Zu'er's eyes stared at him, "Can you hide your identity without saying it?" ”