Qin Mubai stood on the deck of the ship, blowing the river breeze with a slight smell of aquatic plants, quite indescribably comfortable.

It turns out that there are some things that I don't feel very much when I accompany you all day long, but once you lose them, you will feel its wonderfulness.

Like, freedom!

Qin Mubai, who had regained his freedom, now had an instinctive impulse to see the people he cared about. parents, brothers and sisters, as well as Wu Meiniang and Princess Gaoyang, as well as those soldiers who get along day and night.

Li Ke entered the cabin and did not come out for more than an hour, the sacrifice of Emperor Yang's tomb was over, and the prince and the king of Jiangxia walked out of the sacrificial field surrounded by all the guards, and were walking towards the riverbank, preparing to board the ship and return.

Qin Mubai stood on the boat and saw it, so he got off the boat to greet him.

Li Chengqian's face was full of red light, and he talked and laughed with the left and right ministers, and seemed to be in a good mood. Seeing Qin Mubai coming towards him, he laughed from afar: "Not bad, Mu Bai!" The sacrifice was arranged very well, and Lone was very satisfied! Look at the reaction of the people of Xiangyang, they are so enthusiastic! By the way, what have you been busy with in the past two days, Lone has been trying to play chess with you, but he can't meet your people? ”

Qin Mubai arched his hand with a smile and said: "His Royal Highness the Prince, please forgive me, Weichen has been busy dealing with all kinds of military affairs and arranging sacrifices and defenses in the past two days, so he has been neglectful of His Highness." Please ask the prince to stay in Xiangyang for more time and give Weichen a chance to make up for it. ”

"Well said, well said." Li Chengqian smiled, "There is a fifteen-day schedule before and after the sacrifice, and Gu will not go back this early." Xiangyang is a good place, and Lone is particularly interested in all kinds of fish soup here - if General Qin has time, he will come to Lone's line in the evening to have dinner and taste the delicious fish soup, right? ”

"It's better to be respectful than to obey your fate!" Qin Mubai smiled and promised.

"Oh, Uncle Huang, you must come too!" Li Chengqian turned back to Li Daozong and said.

"The old minister must be there in person." Li Daozong also agreed very happily.

"By the way, what about the third brother? Why don't you see the third brother King Wu? Li Chengqian asked.

"Oh, His Royal Highness King Qi suffered some wind and cold and rested earlier, and His Royal Highness King Wu came to offer condolences, and he stayed on the boat for a while and never came down. If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has a summoning appointment, how about waiting for Weichen to invite King Wu? Qin Mubai said.

"No need, just let the third brother stay with the fifth brother to take care of it!" Li Chengqian said, "You only need to send a message to him, and just say that he and his brothers will be invited to the banquet together in the evening." ”

"Yes." Qin Mubai agreed and glanced at Li Daozong in a blink of an eye. The little old man nodded with an unfathomable smile on his face.

After saying this, Li Chengqian prepared to board the ship and return to Xiangyang. With Pang Fei leading a hundred cavalry to guard from the side, Qin Mubai could rest assured, so he did not board the ship with him on the pretext that there were still military affairs to be rectified.

After getting on the Shenyu spaceship and entering the cabin, Li Chengqian couldn't wait to summon the left and right attendants to change their clothes and robes. After a short time, he invited Li Daozong to the cabin, pointed to a golden silk robe on the table and said, "Uncle Huang, it seems that you are always worrying, and this golden silk soft armor has not come in handy at all. It was thick and heavy on the body, and it was a little sweaty, which was uncomfortable. Now the original thing is returned to the imperial uncle. ”

Li Daozong smiled and said, "If it doesn't come in handy, it's the biggest use." Xiangyang has just calmed down the trouble of water ghosts, and those bandits are somewhat related to the remnants of the former Sui. There may be fish that slip through the net, so it's always worth being careful. ”

"That's right. Thank you Uncle Huang for your careful care. Li Chengqian took a breath and sat down, twisted his brows, and said, "Uncle Huang, how do I feel, Qin Mubai and Li Ke, as well as Li Ke, are a little mysterious?" ”

"Is there one?" Li Daozong was stunned, "Why didn't I see it?" ”

"Really?" Li Chengqian blinked in confusion, "Since Uncle Huang didn't see anything unusual, then I must be overconcerned." By the way, the fifth brother has a cold, and I happen to have some good medicine in the palace here, and I will send someone to send some later. ”

"It's fine." Li Daozong didn't say much, folded the gold silk soft armor and wrapped it carefully, and changed the topic: "This soft armor was found by your father in Wang Shichong's private treasure house after Wang Shichong was pacified, and then given to me. Don't underestimate this soft armor, it has saved my life at least twice, and it means a lot! ”

The prince's boat had already sailed away, and Qin Mubai returned to the ship again, and saw that Li Ke had already left the cabin, standing by the railing, watching and contemplating from a distance.

"How?" Qin Mubai walked up to him and asked.

Li Ke's brows twisted slightly, and he shook his head.

"Hey!" Qin Mubai sighed and said, "What should I do now?" ”

Li Ke was silent for a long time and said, "Secretly send people to arrest Yin Hongzhi with all their might. Blocked the news and put King Qi under house arrest. ”

"House arrest?" Qin Mubai said, "He is the governor of Dengzhou, and the military affairs of a state are waiting for him to deal with, how long are you going to put him under house arrest?" ”

"At least we have to wait, the prince will leave Xiangzhou." Li Ke said.

"That's troublesome." Qin Mubai said, "Just now, the crown prince also said that you and King Qi are invited to his line for a banquet. ”

Li Ke also showed a hint of embarrassment and said, "When I go back to the house later, I will go to Quan Wanji for help." He has a knack for imitating the handwriting of others. I asked him to imitate Li You's handwriting and write a letter of resignation, saying that he was in poor health and hurried back to Dengzhou for treatment, and asked His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to forgive him. Anyway, the prince and the king of Qi have never been very right, there are not many of him, and the prince will not care. ”

"It's fine. It seems that this is the only way to go. Qin Mubai sighed and said, "I just don't know, what if Princess Gaoyang asks after she goes back?" Her uncle, her brother, suddenly all of them said goodbye overnight. ”

"That's your job." Li Ke said, "Isn't it your usual forte to deceive women?" Tell a lie and get past it. In short, she can't be allowed to know the truth. Otherwise, if this troublesome girl has a seizure, it will be difficult for anyone to deal with it. ”

"Huh? I...... When did you have such a good show, this is clearly your specialty! Qin Mubai exclaimed with grievances.

"Don't be funny, it's clear that you brought me badly. At least, I wouldn't have peeked at women taking a bath when I was twelve. Li Ke was serious and said very seriously.

The corners of Qin Mubai's mouth twitched, and he was speechless, so he had to smile bitterly.

Later, the big ship also lifted anchor and headed for Xiangyang. Qin Mubai and Li Ke had been standing on the deck of the ship and had not returned to the cabin. It wasn't until the big ship was about to dock that Li Ke called Qin Mubai and arranged for two people to go and forcibly change Li You's robes and change them into the uniforms of ordinary sergeants, and then escorted him ashore together and stuffed him into Li Ke's carriage.

In the process, Li You was very quiet and did not make any out-of-the-ordinary moves. It's just that he is unusually silent, and his eyes are also a dead gray look, with a look of despair and indifference.

Qin Mubai followed Li Ke to the Assassin's Mansion and took Li You to Li Ke's room. At this time, the three of them got together.

"Third brother, what are you going to do with me?" Li You finally spoke, "Among so many brothers, you are the only one I admire, and I don't want you to be embarrassed." Just say the right thing, and I'll do it. ”

"I just want you to stay in my house quietly until the prince leaves Xiangzhou." Li Ke said.

Li You nodded: "Okay." I understand your hard work, thank you. However, I have done something myself, do not regret it. I will not betray my uncle and put all the blame on him alone. Please understand this. ”

"I know." Li Ke nodded helplessly, "During these days, you can stay here and recuperate with peace of mind, don't think about anything!" ”

Li You fell silent for a long time, and then he said, "You are still ...... Escort me to Chang'an earlier and hand it over to my father! ”

Li Ke frowned: "Why should I do this?" ”

"If you don't do this, you're shielding and conniving at me. When the time comes, you will also be implicated. One person does one thing and one person does it, I don't want to implicate you. Li You turned around and said with his back to Li Ke.

"You're thinking too much, Fifth Brother." Li Ke sighed, walked behind him, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Even if the foolish brother is implicated a little, he will be scolded at most, and at most he will be dismissed from the official position." On the other hand, if I hand you over to Chang'an, it will ruin everything you have. ”

"The law of the country is strict, and the law and discipline are ruthless. Third brother, for me, you don't deserve to be objective. Li You said.

"The rules of the world are nothing more than 'the law of reason', isn't this still before reason and law?" Li Ke said softly, "How can people be ruthless if they are not grass and trees?" It's not just because you're alone, but also the second half of your mother's concubine and Gao Yang's life, as well as your concubine's children. How can I bear it? ”

Li Ke's body trembled slightly, his eyelids suddenly moistened, he forced his composure, and said lightly: "I'm tired and want to rest." Third brother, let's go! ”

"Have a good rest......" Li Ke shook his head, beckoned Qin Mubai to join him, and left the room.

Outside the door, there are twelve Li Ke's henchmen of the palace guards, and next to it is the palace soldiers' camp, which can rest assured.

After going out, Li Ke sighed and said: "The fifth brother is a human being, but he is really not bad. It's like he's lost in his mind, and he can't figure it out for a while. I really hope that during this time, he can reflect and repent. Otherwise...... Even if I wanted to help him, I couldn't do anything. ”

"Yes! When a doctor saves people, the patient must also have the desire to survive. Qin Mubai said, "Maybe he has left many shadows in his heart since he was a child, coupled with Yin Hongzhi's instigation and indoctrination for so many years, his heart has been lost." This time, he attempted to assassinate him, and the matter could be big or small. Fortunately, it was you who met him, and it would be a dead end for anyone else. By the way, how did you see something unusual and send Su Lianqing to rescue me? ”

Li Ke smiled mysteriously: "Recently, I have learned some divination techniques from some strangers in the rivers and lakes. Big and small things, as long as I pinch my fingers, I can guess eight or nine. How's that, magical, right? ”

"Cut! You just blow it! Qin Mubai pursed his lips in disdain.

"Haha!" Li Ke laughed proudly and said, "That's because I know you too well." On such a critical day, no matter how busy you are, you will definitely take time out of your busy schedule to walk around my house and talk to me about the rituals. It's strange to me that you didn't show up for two days. I sent someone to inquire, and the prince and the king of Jiangxia didn't see your people there, so it would be even more abnormal. So I became suspicious, and sent someone to the barracks to look for you, but there was no news. Then you still have to guess, it must be a fork! So I sent out a great number of men to seek out you secretly. Su Lianqing is just one of them. It's just that this woman is very smart and magical, and her luck is also very good. She first guessed that you hid in Wu Meiniang's house to enjoy the fun and forgot about business...... Then, I found you step by step. ”

"I ...... Damn, I'm that kind of person? Qin Mubai shouted and hit the sky.

"Of course not." Li Ke blinked his eyes and said seriously, "But it's strange, that's how Su Lianqing found you." ”

"......" Qin Mubai was speechless.

"Actually, this is also a blessing fruit that you planted for yourself." Li Ke said with a smile, "Dragons walk in the clouds, rats and ants burrow, all kinds of different people have their own specialties and methods. Su Lianqing, the spirit demon girl who roamed the rivers and lakes back then, really surprised me with her methods. She actually drives snakes and bees - you say, is this considered talent? ”

Qin Mubai pursed his lips: "It seems that Li You has always liked to make friends with this kind of talent." ”

Li Ke's embarrassed face changed, he coughed dryly, cut his hand behind his back, and said: "The princess has passed away, and it is not appropriate for her, the maid, to stay in my mansion." So, go back to where she came from! ”

"What do you mean?" Qin Mubai asked confusedly.

Li Ke looked back at him, with a "natural" expression, and said, "Of course, I will hand the person back to you!" What big family doesn't do that? If the master dies, all the servants and maidservants who serve him are sent home or resold separately. At the beginning, you handed over Su Lianqing to me, and now, of course, I can only return her! Could it be that you let me keep such a demon girl and take her as a concubine? ”

The corners of Qin Mubai's eyes twitched a few times, and he smiled dryly: "That's ...... It's not a must! ”

"Hmph, I'm not Li You!" Li Ke turned his face awe-inspiring and strode away.

Qin Mubai suddenly cried and laughed, and said secretly: Li Ke, this guy, is now more and more good at acting! It was obvious that Su Lianqing took the initiative to ask to switch to Wu Meiniang, but he bluffed and took the initiative to give someone to me. Haha, it seems that I am afraid of losing face in front of me!

After staying in Li Ke's mansion for a period of time and having a meal with him, Qin Mubai said goodbye and left, and went directly to the king of Jiangxia.

This major event, coming like a sudden wind, going like the ebb tide of the river and sea, can be said to be thrilling, or it can be said that there is no danger.

In this storm, Qin Mubai is certainly standing on the cusp of the storm, which is extremely dangerous. But the one who is really at the helm is none other than Li Daozong, the king of Jiangxia who is old and strong.

If it weren't for this old man sitting here, it would be difficult for Li Ke to be so calm and calm. If it weren't for him helping to stabilize the prince, the situation would not be as peaceful as it is now.

Therefore, Qin Mubai felt that it was necessary to meet Li Daozong now. First, it is necessary to express gratitude to him; Second, it is better to probe his tone and ask if it is appropriate to deal with Li You in this way.

When he came to Jiangxia Wang Xingyuan, Li Daozong had just returned from the prince's Xingyuan, and sat in the main hall drinking tea alone, as if he was still waiting for Qin Mubai.

"Here we go!" When Li Daozong saw Qin Mubai, he smiled and beckoned to him, "Come, sit down, and drink tea with me." ”

"Okay." Qin Mubai smiled, and was not polite, and walked over to sit down with him.

"Try this king's craftsmanship, how is it better than Li Ke?" Li Daozong smiled and handed him a cup of tea.

Qin Mubai took it respectfully, tasted it seriously, and said with a sigh: "The prince's tea art is unique and brilliant. ”

"Oh, how do you say?" Li Daozong asked with a smile.

Qin Mubai took another sip, as if he had a good aftertaste, and said seriously: "This tea can also brew the spicy taste of old ginger, it's really unheard of!" ”

"Haha, you stinky boy!" Li Daozong immediately burst out laughing.

Qin Mubai put down the teacup and waved his hand at Li Daozong: "Thank you for saving me!" Great kindness, there will be rewards in the future! ”

"Forget it, what great favor do I have to offer you?" Li Daozong smiled, "It's the lucky star in your life that protects you." ”

"Oh, what did the prince say about this?" Qin Mubai asked curiously.

Li Daozong smiled, and made Princess Gaoyang jealous and angry, which aroused his suspicions, and then he went to Li Ke's mansion, and finally the two of them conspired together to tell Qin Mubai the whole rescue and defense plan.

Qin Mubai was suddenly quite surprised: "Could it be that just because of Princess Gaoyang's inadvertent words, the prince felt the crisis, so he made so many arrangements?" ”

"Actually, I'm not as amazing as you think. Many things were arranged by Li Ke in advance. He's smarter than I am, and he's smarter than I am. As early as a day or two ago, Li Ke was aware of it, and he had already taken action. Otherwise, how could I get you out so quickly? He had even sent people to secretly control the inn rented by Li You, but unfortunately, he still let that Yin Hongzhi escape. Li Daozong said.

Qin Mubai nodded, and said secretly in his heart: The lucky star of my life, Ling'er...... But this time, although she "blessed" me, she indirectly caused his brother to fall into trouble. What would she do if she knew the truth?