In Xiangyang in November, the houses on both sides of the street were covered with a layer of dead leaves, Ma Hong's feet were on the green bricks, and his head was a little dizzy. Ma Hong didn't expect Liu Biao's way of dealing with things to be so simple, simple and crisp, but he solved everything straightforwardly.

On the third day of the assassination of Kuai Yue and Liu Qi, Liu Biao was anxious about the ministers of Jingzhou and announced that the murderer behind the scenes had been captured. This speed was unexpected by Ma Hong, who, as the real mastermind behind the scenes, also wanted to know who had become his scapegoat. Of course, Ma Hong soon got the news of a scapegoat from Liu Qi's mouth, a businessman. This businessman also has another identity, six years ago Liu Biao set up a Hongmen banquet to kill a lot of local heroes, one of them is the businessman's father, the businessman's family was killed, only he was doing business in other places, so he was spared. After that, the merchant did not return to Jingzhou, but has been doing business in Xuchang. Half a month ago, this businessman returned to Xiangyang, for some reason, now he was arrested by Liu Biao, and he confessed that he designed to assassinate Cai Mao and Kuai Yue.

Why did this businessman admit to a trumped-up crime, it is not difficult for Ma Hong to imagine that when the businessman returned to Xiangyang, he took his wife and children with him, perhaps Liu Biao gave him some kind of guarantee that his family would not die and coerced him to bear the responsibility for this crime. It stands to reason that this businessman's father and brother both died at the hands of Liu Biao, and he must have hated the people who planned the Hongmen banquet, so he naturally had the motive to plot to assassinate Cai Mao Yue and Liu Qi. Then he also became a victim of this political struggle, the businessman was already very unlucky, his father and brother were all killed by Liu Biao, but he didn't expect that now he himself would die under Liu Biao's butcher's knife.

Ma Hong thought of this, his steps were a little weak, he couldn't help but touch his heart, and secretly said in his heart: I am doing something that is not right or wrong, let innocent people die, is this really good? No, I'm absolutely right, in this flesh-and-blood world, these sacrifices are necessary if I want to reach the pinnacle of power. Isn't there such a poem? Will one become famous and ten thousand dry bones? I don't care how bloody or cruel the process is, I just need to pick flowers at the peak of my power, and I will chop off all the hands that want to pick flowers.

In the center of Xiangyang City, at the crossroads, the merchant knelt on the ground, Ma Hong couldn't call his name, although Liu Qi said his name when he talked to him, but Ma Hong deliberately didn't remember this name, remembering this name, Ma Hong's remorse would be deeper. Those who follow this path must not have remorse.

Ma Hong looked at the merchant's eyes, how desperate it was, the merchant's eyes searched the surrounding crowd of onlookers over and over again, and finally his eyes locked on the young man standing not far from Ma Hong's side, and then a glimmer of light flashed in the businessman's desperate eyes. That boy was a promise given to him by Liu Biao, promising not to kill this boy.

The knife was raised, and the next moment, the merchant's head rolled to the ground, accompanied by the cheers of the onlookers. Ma Hong looked at the young man, the young man secretly touched his tears, but before he could wipe away his tears, his hand was grabbed by the big man standing behind him, and then the big man covered his mouth and hit him in the head, and the young man passed out. Ma Hong quietly watched the young man being carried away by the big man, his palms slowly clenched into fists, and slowly released, his palms were full of sweat, and his heart hurt again.

Xiangyang, Kuaifu.

Kuai Yue was half lying on the bed, forcing his eyes, his feet were stretched into a steaming wooden barrel, and a delicate-looking maid was washing Kuai Yue's feet. When he heard the news of his son's brought, he frowned, stretched his feet out of the barrel and stood on the ground, and after letting the maid and his sons go out, he closed the door and walked barefoot up and down in the house. At the beginning, the steps were very large, and then the steps slowly became smaller, although the wounds on Kuaiyue's body are very painful with every step he takes, but Kuaiyue still wants to walk, this is a habit of his.

Because, when he was young, his brother Kuai Liang once said to Kuai Yue, and his brother once said: "When you are confused, you should walk more, it is better to be lost than to be confused." ”

Now, Kuai Liang passed away last year, Kuai Yue has become the pillar of the Kuai family, sometimes when he encounters uncertain things, his ears will always ring the words that his brother said, and he will always be unable to help but walk more. The cold sensation on the floor told Kuai Yue that the crisis had not passed, and perhaps it had just arrived. Kuai Yue has worked very hard not to get involved in the dispute between Liu Biao's heirs, but he didn't expect to be assassinated, is what happened a few days ago just a matter of revenge? Kuai Yue didn't think so, Kuai Yue only found out about the Bronze Bell incident today, but he didn't let Cai Mao know. Although Liu Biao closed the news, he deliberately leaked the news to Kuai Yue, who understood what it meant.

Kuai Yue didn't think that the businessman could come up with such a method of framing, if it was a pure businessman's frame, then why wasn't his Kuai Yue's name written on the bronze bell. Six years ago, he helped Liu Biao plan the Hongmen banquet, and his brother Kuai Liang was still against it at that time. The bronze bell framed Cai Mao, which means that his initial thoughts were wrong, and Liu Biao also told him that his thoughts were wrong. It's not that Liu Biao wants to kill him, but the person who stands on the opposite side of Cai Mao doesn't want him to live, and there is an important person standing on the opposite side of Cai Mao is Liu Qi, because Cai Mao supports Liu Cong.

Kuai Yue walked and finally stopped, sat on the bed, sighed and said, "Liu Qi, did I underestimate you too much before?" Are you forcing me to make a choice? I can't choose Liu Cong now, if I choose Liu Cong, the two strongest families in Jingzhou have chosen Liu Cong. What did the Lord Guild think at that time? He must think that the balance has been lost, and the lord has been bent on balancing the major families in Jingzhou over the years, and if I destroy the balance, it will be against the lord's will. But if I stand in your ranks, I will definitely be an enemy of Cai Mao, and this is not a wise move. If I don't take sides, you won't let me go. What exactly should I do? ”

After Kuai Yue talked to himself, he put his feet on the bed, wiped his feet with the sheets, put his feet into the quilt, lay on the bed, and pulled the quilt to cover his head. After a long time, Kuai Yue stuck his head out of the quilt, and said to himself: "Brother, before you died, you said that Cai Mao is a powerful person, don't become his opponent, you are afraid that I will not be against him." But now I think that Liu Qi is even more powerful, he disguises himself as a kind and stupid person, but secretly he is so unscrupulous, if I keep going like this, is it really good? Brother, what should I do? ”

"No, could it be that the lord deliberately leaked the news of the bronze bell to me, to remind me and let me support Liu Qi against Cai Mao?"

"Does the lord want to make Liu Qi the prince? But the lord obviously prefers Liu Cong. ”

"Do I want to support Liu Qi? What should I do if I understand the wrong meaning of the lord? Shall I try it? ”

"Now that this bronze bell incident has happened, whether it is true or not, I can't have too much contact with Cai Mao anymore."

"Alas, I'm really not as good as my brother, if my brother is still alive, he must know how to do it, and he won't be so entangled."

In the darkness, Kuai Yue said a word from time to time, and by the time he said the last word, it was already dawn.

There are still people who haven't slept all night, Cai Mao hasn't slept for four days in a row, after he beheaded the merchant at Liu Biao, he thought about it all night, and finally made a decision at dawn, he wanted to sleep well, and when he woke up, he would investigate the person who wanted to kill him, and see if it was the businessman.

Ma Hong didn't sleep all night, how much Liu Biao did, he didn't know, he only knew that there was no movement in the Kuai family now, the day before yesterday he heard the wind, Kuai Yue tried to transfer troops, Cai Mao has been calm there. Now Kuai Yue is also quiet, which shows that his plan is not very successful, although it has played some role, but it is not as high as he expected.

"I'm still not mature, and I need to be patient to fight with those political masters. Let's put these things aside for now and go back to Mirror Villa! I can't let those cunning foxes catch my tail. ”

Ma Hong said secretly in his heart, and then covered his face with the quilt and fell asleep.