"Twenty sticks and then death?" Zhu Qizhen raised his eyebrows, two sharp lights shot out of his eyes, and he instructed Xiao Lingzi, "Go, call Guo Cong." ”

......

"Weichen knocks on the emperor, long live the emperor, long live, long live!" Guo Cong didn't know why Zhu Qizhen called him to come, he was worried, and as soon as he entered the palace, he couldn't stand on the ground.

"Guo Cong, I ask you," Zhu Qizhen's face seemed to be covered with a layer of frost, "After Ai Wenjia was dragged out by you and Yang Muyun yesterday, how did the people outside carry out the execution?" ”

"How was the execution carried out?" Guo Cong was stunned, a little confused, it seemed that he didn't know that Ai Wenjia was dead, "Didn't the emperor order to beat him with twenty sticks?" According to the order, the guards outside were beaten according to the number, not too many sticks, but a lot of sticks! Seeing that the emperor's face was not good, he honestly told the situation of the day 1510.

"I didn't ask you this," Zhu Qizhen said in a deep voice, "What was the situation of the execution that day?" Whether they are overly heavy. ”

"They...... They all hit with their usual strength! Guo Cong stammered, and glanced at Yang Muyun as he spoke.

"Usual strength?" Zhu Qizhen sneered, "Since I ascended the throne, there has been more than one official who has been sceptered, why was he killed?" ”

"Evengar is dead?" Guo Cong was taken aback and hurriedly said, "This ...... This...... Your Majesty, although there was blood leaking out of Lord Ai's lower strands that day, it was only a flesh wound, far from hurting the muscles and bones...... When the minister helped him out of the noon gate, he was still able to limp and walk, how could he ...... How did you die? ”

Zhu Qizhen stared at him coldly and did not speak.

"If the emperor doesn't believe it, Yang Janissary was also present at the time, and he can also testify!" Guo Cong said and cast a look of help to Yang Muyun, hoping that he would be able to open his mouth to defend himself.

"Yang Muyun has just entered the palace as a guard on duty, how does he know about your tricks?" Zhu Qizhen snorted coldly and said.

Yang Muyun's lips moved, and he just wanted to speak, but he couldn't help but say nothing.

"Your Majesty, the minister is wronged, the minister is really wronged!" Guo Cong screamed and hit the sky, his forehead touched the ground, and there was a bang.

Zhu Qizhen stiffened his face, and when he moved slowly, he said word by word: "Ai Wenjia was taken out by you for execution, and then he died, you say, who should be responsible for this matter?" Let me? ”

"The minister doesn't dare, the minister ......" Guo Conggang just wanted to say that he would bear it all his might, but he could see that the emperor's face was not good, even if he admitted it happily, if the emperor took advantage of the situation to let himself resist with his life, it would be terrible, so he fell to the ground and was silent, trembling like chaff.

"Although what Ai Wenjia said is disobedient, but the sin is not to death," Zhu Qizhen said slowly: "But you don't care about the severity, let people beat him to death, there is a loss of benevolence, you say, what should I do with you?" ”

Guo Cong's scalp tightened, and his heart almost jumped to his throat.

"If a person can't be resurrected after death, even if he pays for your life, it will be useless," Zhu Qizhen's tone softened a little, "You are not well supervised, it is against my will, I will punish you with twenty sticks, and I will take five hundred taels of silver out to compensate Ai Wenjia's family on my behalf." ”

"Emperor Xie ......" Guo Cong was relieved, and a big stone in his heart finally fell to the ground.

"Yang Muyun," Zhu Qizhen turned to Yang Muyun and said, "You lead him down to be executed, and then accompany him to Ai's house." ”

"Obey the order!" Yang Muyun bowed in response.

......

“...... Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty! Yang Muyun watched the palace guards finish beating the twenty sticks, breathed a sigh of relief, and stepped forward to help Guo Cong up, "Brother Guo, offended, the emperor ordered to beat you, you must not hold a grudge against the little brother!" ”

"Where did the virtuous brother come from, is my brother such a cautious person?" Guo Cong touched the place where he was beaten on his buttocks, and bared his teeth, "This civil official just didn't get beaten, and he died in just a few moments, I knew that my brother had suffered for him at that time, and he wouldn't be ...... by the emperor" He gasped, although he was in good shape, but these twenty sticks still hurt a little bit.

"Brother Guo, why don't you find a doctor to take a look, and then go back to the house to rest and take a break before going to Ai's house." Yang Muyun saw that he had just taken a step, and he stumbled

I almost fell, but I hurriedly held on to persuade him.

"If it doesn't work, it can't be done," Guo Cong's head shook like a rattle, "The emperor's will in person, I can't slack off anything!" Even if it was to be carried by someone, I would have to ask someone to carry it to Ai's house. ”

"Brother Guo is loyal, and the younger brother is very impressed!" Yang Muyun saw that there was no trace of resentment on his face, and he couldn't help but say: "Ai Yushi's death is not Brother Guo's fault, and the emperor's punishment for you is too much." ”

"Brother Xian, don't say that!" Guo Cong hurriedly waved his hand, glanced around, and said softly: "We are courtiers, and it is incumbent on us to share the emperor's worries." In any case, it is also true that Ai Yushi was executed by me, and he died after the execution. If I don't bear this sin, will I let the emperor make an edict against himself? ”

The two of them talked and went out of the noon gate.

......

Guo Cong was born in a princely family, and his family was wealthy, so it was not difficult to get five hundred taels of silver. He returned to the mansion and asked people to treat his wounds a little, then changed his clothes, brought silver, and walked towards the Ai family with Yang Muyun.

He had a stick wound on his buttocks, he couldn't ride a horse, he couldn't sit in a sedan chair, and he didn't want to lie on a stretcher for people to carry, so he had to walk. Fortunately, walking two steps is nothing to him as a martial arts practitioner, but after his butt is injured, he twists and twists when he walks, which is too unsightly.

Ai Yushi's residence is in Chunshu Hutong in Mingshifang, not far from Chongwenmen Street, which is not too difficult to find. When I was about to arrive at his house, I saw a crowd of people gathered around it from a distance, some of them wearing official uniforms, and they were maintaining order.

Yang Muyun couldn't help frowning when he saw it, "How can there be people in the public gate there, could it be that the Ai family reported the case to Shuntian Mansion?" ”

Guo Cong didn't care, he just wanted to see the people of the Ai family, casually comforted a few words, threw down the silver and left.

"Stand farther away, squeeze in again, and be careful to lock you up in jail." A big man in a black official uniform with a figure like a mountain shook the chains in his hands and shouted.

"It's Jinyiwei, not the yacha of Shuntianfu," Guo Cong recognized the clothes on the big man's body, and couldn't help muttering in his heart, "What is Jinyiwei doing here?" The feet did not stop, and Yang Muyun squeezed through the crowd together.

"Didn't you hear what Lao Tzu said? How dare you come over? Dahan's eyes looked at Guo Yang and the others who walked separately from the crowd, his thick eyebrows twisted, and he shouted loudly.

Guo Cong and Yang Muyun did not wear the guard clothes of the big red unicorn, but in civilian clothes, so the brocade-clothed guard man scolded the two loudly when he saw them.

Yang Muyun raised his eyebrows, his eyes showed surprise and surprise, and he looked at the big man in a daze.

"You're deaf, aren't you?" Dahan shook the iron chain, strode forward, and stopped in front of the two like a wall, "If you don't go back, Lao Tzu will really take people." ”

"Silence, is that you?" Yang Muyun stared at the big man with his eyes and said.

The big man's huge body shook slightly, looked at Yang Muyun blankly, and then stretched out a pair of big hands to grab his shoulders in ecstasy, and kept shaking and said: "My lord, it's really you, I am thinking about how to find you!" ”

Yang Muyun was dizzy by him, patted the back of his hand with a wry smile and said, "Let go of your hand, okay?" If I continue to shake it, I will almost be shaken apart by you. ”

Mo Buyu smiled awkwardly and withdrew his big hands.

Yang Muyun saw that he was wearing a brand-new black lieutenant uniform, and couldn't help but smile and said, "Have you joined Jinyiwei?" Who are you doing with now? ”

"Lord Hui," Mo Bu replied respectfully, "Now that my eldest brother and I are already Jinyi Captains, we are all following Ning Gongzi now." ”

"If you can follow him, I will be relieved." Yang Muyun nodded, and said in his heart that Ning Zu'er had just come to Jingshi, and he was alone in the Jinyi Guard, and he happened to introduce the Mo brothers to him as his help.

"Don't speak, the adults told you to maintain order outside, and don't teach idle people to come in, how can you talk to people?" A thin black-clothed lieutenant walked out of the gate of Ai's house, and walked towards Mo Buyu, Yang Muyun saw it clearly, and the person who came was silent.

"Big brother, who do you think this is?" Mo Buyu pointed at Yang Muyun excitedly.

"Your Excellency?" Mo Buyan's face moved, and he stepped forward and bowed to Yang Muyun, "Captain Jinyi has seen adults. ”

"You and I are not outsiders, why are you so polite?

Yang Muyun said with a smile.

"My lord, how did you get here?" Mo asked Yang Muyun after the ceremony.

"Well...... Yang Muyun squinted at Guo Cong beside him, "I came with this Lord Guo, he has old friends with the owner of this family, and I heard that the master passed away, so I came to pay respects." ”

"Oh," Mo Buyan pondered for a moment, and then said to Guo Cong: "Then please wait a moment for this Lord Guo, our Lord Ning is questioning inside, and it won't be too late for you to go in after he finishes asking!" ”

"Why did Ning Zu'er come here?" Yang Muyun smiled and asked, "Could it be that the owner of this family did something illegal before his death?" Even so, it should be asked by the Shuntian Mansion, and the dignified brocade guards come forward, it's too big and useless, right? ”

"My lord," Mo Buyan glanced at Guo Cong, and whispered in Yang Muyun's ear: "It's not a secret, the owner of this family is surnamed Ai, who is the supervisor of the imperial history in the Imperial Procuratorate, and died last night without knowing it, and Lord Ning came to investigate the cause of this Ai Yushi's death on the order of the commander." ”

Yang Muyun's heart shook slightly, "Where is this under the order of the commander?" It is clearly what the emperor meant, it seems that although the emperor blames Guo Cong on the surface, he secretly still suspects the cause of Ai Wenjia's death, so he sent Jinyiwei to investigate. He smiled and said, "I have friends with Ning Gongzi and even friends, it shouldn't be okay to go in and see him, right?" As he spoke, he explained to them: "This Lord Guo is on an errand in the palace, and he has to return to the palace as soon as possible after worshipping Ai Yushi, and please make it convenient for your brothers!" ”

"Where did the adults say," Mo Buyu said, "The adults are kind to our brothers and reconstruction, and they are trivial things, do you still want to stop them?" ”

"Exactly," Mo Buyan also smiled and turned to the side and said, "My lord, and this Lord Guo, please come with the little one." Then he said to Mo Buyu: "Bu Si, you stay here, and I will lead the two adults in alone." ”

......

Ai Wenjia lives in a small courtyard house, the place is not big, one main room, two side rooms. White silk had been hung all over the courtyard, and a dark coffin was parked in the hall of the main house, the top of the coffin had not yet been sealed, and a woman of about thirty years old led a boy of eleven or twelve years old and a little girl of seven or eight years old knelt in front of the coffin and wept, thinking that it was Ai Yushi's wife and a pair of children. Ning Zuer stood in front of the coffin and looked at Ai Yushi who was lying quietly inside, as if he was thoughtful. He couldn't help but look sideways when he heard the footsteps, and when he saw that it was Yang Muyun, a strange color flashed in his eyes, and he turned around to greet him.

"Ning Gongzi," Yang Muyun hugged his fists at him, and then introduced: "This is Lord Guo who is on duty in the palace, and he is here to pay tribute to Ai Yushi." ”

"Oh, Lord Guo." Ning Zuer gave Guo Cong a fist salute. Guo Cong returned the salute, and after a few polite words, he entered the hall to greet Ai Yushi's family.

Yang Muyun pulled Ning Zu'er aside, looked into the hall and asked, "Young Master Ning, have you ever found out what is special about Ai Yushi's cause of death?" ”

Ning Zu'er shook her head, glanced at him and said, "Did the emperor ask you to ask me this?" ”

"Of course not," Yang Muyun glanced at the hall, and saw that Guo Cong and the woman were saluting each other, and were whispering something, the woman's eyes were red, and she looked heartbroken. turned to Ning Zu'er and said, "I'm just curious, what is the reason for being able to alarm you Jinyi Wei to come here?" ”

"You brocade guards?" Ning Zuer glanced at him, and quipped: "It's different when you enter the palace and accompany the emperor, you and mine are all starting to have points, don't forget, your title as a brocade guard is still hanging in the command envoy!" ”

"Are you jealous?" Yang Muyun met his gaze, and the corners of his mouth hooked, "Do you want me to tell the emperor and transfer you to the palace too?" ”

"Don't," Ning Zuer waved her hand again and again, pursed her lips and said: "As the saying goes, a companion is like a tiger, just look at the one lying inside." I'm still at ease here in Jinyiwei, trembling with the emperor, maybe I can even get sick. The emperor is happy, but if he is not happy, he clicks, and he doesn't even know how the guy who eats falls off. ”

"Sometimes it's not necessarily the head that falls off with a click," Yang Muyun smiled evilly, seeing Ning Zu'er staring at a pair of big eyes for unknown reasons, and continued: "You are so handsome, the emperor must be reluctant to kill you, at most he will click you to be a eunuch when he is unhappy." ”