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Liquid poolside. Pen Fun Pavilion www.biquge.info Yao Biao took the clothes and the kettle back, but Shen Ruoyu's shadow was gone. He looked around strangely. Xiao'er still has injuries on her body, and it is impossible to go far. There was no one around. He widened his range and walked around until he reached the edge of the Imperial Garden, but there was still no one to be seen.

That's not right. Did you go back by yourself? Can he go that far alone?

Yao Biao shook his head, turned around and headed south, crossed the Taiye Bridge, and walked all the way back to the Shizi Palace, but he didn't see Shen Ruoxiao's shadow. He returned to the palace of the prince of the world and secretly prayed that Shen Ruoliao was already in the hall. He only saw Shizi, Dao Yan and Yuan Hui.

"Where's Xiao'er?" Yao Biao opened his mouth and asked.

The three of them looked at each other. Zhu Gaochi shook his head.

"I didn't see it."

Yuan Jue asked, "Isn't it with you?" ”

Yao Biao's heart sank suddenly.

****

Stone bridge on the north side of Taiye Pond. Zhu Gaosui got out from under the bridge and looked around. No one. Secretly smugly, he crouched down at the water's edge to wash the blood off his hands, bracers, and riding boots.

****

In the palace of the prince, Yuan Hui and Dao Yan couldn't hold Yao Biao anymore.

"Shude, I have already sent people to look for it everywhere, you wait patiently for a while, and there will be news soon."

Yao Biao said anxiously: "The Imperial Garden and Xingsheng Palace have been reported, we have searched for them around the Shizi Palace, and I have also looked for them myself near the Taiye Pool, but there is nothing." ”

"He's definitely not going to enter the inner palace." Dao Yan said.

Zhu Gaochi rushed into the hall at this time, sweating profusely and with a solemn face.

"I searched near Chengtianmen, but I didn't see anyone. The guards at the city gates on all sides had never seen Shen Ruoyu go out of the city. ”

Yuan Hui asked, "Will it be on the central island of Taiye Pool?" ”

Zhu Gaochi said: "I'll look for it again." He turned and rushed out again.

****

It's pitch black. I can't see my fingers. The darkness was opaque, cold and damp, and the occasional sound of water seepage could be heard, falling from above out of nowhere.

The tunnel is very large and dense, all over the entire palace underground, the main hall, the main hall, the inner palace, the imperial garden, the Taiye pool, the Xingsheng Palace, the Shizi Palace, the Longfu Palace all have entrances, intertwined, extend to the outside of the palace city, and the farthest exit extends to the outside of Beiping City. All just in case, the people in the palace can escape smoothly, not only from the palace, but even from Beiping. All in order to hide people's eyes and ears, and to smuggle in illegal soldiers and horses from outside, especially from outside the city of Beiping.

Shen Ruoyu didn't know where he was now, in the palace, or out of the palace, or even out of Beiping. He felt nothing but cold, cold moisture cutting through the wounds everywhere like sharp knives, drilling through the joints of his body. Everything seems to have gone back to six years ago, he was covered in bruises, and was thrown into a dark room in the ice and snow by He Yu, waiting in horror and despair for tomorrow's execution; Everything seemed to go back to childhood, he made a mistake, was whipped by his father, locked up in that horrible darkroom, hungry, cold, scared, lonely.

Pain, pain from tearing up and down all over the body. Feiri slashed down one sword after another, and he had no intention of hiding or resisting, because it was the King of Yan, because he insisted on seeking death; The fists and feet fell one after another, and he was powerless to dodge and resist, because it was Zhu Gaosui, because he was destined to have this retribution. Everything was more painful than it was then, more terrifying and desperate than it had been. No one can hear, and no one will ever know, that he is here. After the prince raised his army, this tunnel was no longer used, and it was empty at the moment, and the mold was everywhere. He could only be locked up in this tunnel, dark and lightless underground, and who knew how far away it was from hell, until he slowly died, reduced to a pile of rotting bones.

The pain continued to rage, and Shen Ruoyu only heard his desperate gasps and moans, echoing back and forth in the tunnel until he died. Gradually, he stopped speaking and his consciousness became blurred; In a trance, a distant voice came faintly, and suddenly the door of the darkroom was opened, and his father walked in with a lamp, and the light was as piercing as always, but he could still see the snow outside the door......

When his father walked up to him, he wiped a handful of snow on his face, it was so cold that he couldn't breathe, and the snow ran down his cheeks and into his collar, and his whole body trembled. He gasped and raised his hand to block out the glare of the light. The ice water on his face was still flowing, he was trembling all over, his teeth were fighting up and down, and he couldn't catch a breath for a long time.

Am I dead? I went to hell and to hell? Dad, I'm dead, why do you punish me like this......

Zhu Gaosui threw down the bucket, lifted Shen Ruoyu with both hands, dragged a few steps, suddenly stopped, thought about it, and threw him down.

"If I get you back to where you are, I won't be able to bear the question, and maybe people will see you—I might as well throw you here, and I'll make excuses." If you die, you're lucky. It also saves me from being disgusted to see you. ”

With that, he left without looking back. Shen Ruoyu was groggy; He heard himself mutter:

"Dad, he's going to destroy the real water village."

He didn't say anything. He was unconscious again.

****

"There is no one on the central island either," Zhu Gaochi also began to panic.

"The princess has arrived—" came the eunuch shouting. Princess Xu walked into the palace of the prince.

"Chi'er, you made people come to me in a hurry, what happened?"

"Shen Ruoxiao is missing," Zhu Gaochi said anxiously, "Lord Yao took him to take a walk by the Taiye Pool, and left for a while, and then he disappeared when he went back, and we searched the entire palace but couldn't find it, and the guard at the door said that he had never been seen out of the palace." ”

Yuan Jue said: "His injuries are not healed yet, but I am afraid that something will happen." ”

Yao Biao said gloomily: "I shouldn't go." I should be at his side. ”

Concubine Xu was slightly surprised and pondered for a moment.

"Have you ever asked Sui'er?"

Yao Biao hesitated. "The Third Prince? Never. ”

Concubine Xu said: "Come on, go and find the third prince for me." ”

"Third brother? Mother-" Zhu Gaochi looked at his mother in surprise.

Concubine Xu said quietly: "I just came back from Chang Ning. Chang Ning told me that she was swinging by the Taiye Pool, ran into Ruoxiao, and chatted with him for a while, and then Sui'er came, and she came back to me, leaving Sui'er to accompany Ruoliao. Let's ask him what he might know. ”

Zhu Gaosui was a little nervous. He settled down, walked into the palace of the prince, saw the people, and saluted:

"Mother, big brother."

Concubine Xu looked at him solemnly, stared at him without saying a word for a moment, and saw Zhu Gaosui covered in hair. She suddenly asked:

"Gao Sui, what did you do to Shen Ruoxiao?"

Zhu Gaosui was stunned. "Why did the mother say this? What happened to Shen Ruoliao? ”

Concubine Xu said: "You are the last person to see Shen Ruoyu by the Taiye Pool." Your father has a clear order that no one shall harm Shen Ruoxiao's life. He is still seriously injured now, and he can't stand the slightest wind and grass. If you do wrong to him and destroy his life, how can your father and the king know about it? ”

Zhu Gaosui panicked: "Why did the mother concubine wronged the child? The child did see Shen Ruoyu by the Taiye Pool, but he couldn't go with him, so the child left. If he wasn't at the pool, the child really didn't know where he could be, and I didn't do anything, I didn't even touch him. ”

Concubine Xu said: "The guards at the gate reported that they had never seen Shen Ruoyu leave the palace. He was wounded, and he must not go over the wall. Although the palace is large, you can find him sooner or later, and if you find it, there is only a pile of bones left, Sui'er, in any case, you are the last person to see him, and you will be covered with mouth, and it will be difficult to tell. Think about it again, are there any details that you missed? Are there any signs of where he might have gone? ”

Zhu Gaosui shrugged and said, "The child really can't think of anything; The boy didn't say a few words to him, and then went first. ”

Concubine Xu said: "Your fifth sister told Wei Niang that you spoke ill of Shen Ruoxiao in front of her. She didn't feel at ease when she left, and you promised her that you wouldn't bully Ruo Xiao anymore and would accompany him until Lord Yao came back. And now you say, "You went first?" ”

Zhu Gaosui said: "The child and Shen Ruoyu didn't say a word, so they quarreled; He is a villain, he is not inferior first, and the child did not simply slap him because he remembered his father's clear order; But I really couldn't stand it, so I couldn't wait for Master Yao to come back, so I left first. ”

Concubine Xu said coldly: "I don't believe it." Shen Ruoxiao came back this time, it was very different from before, to me and your eldest brother, and everyone else, he was always respectful, polite, cautious and cautious, and didn't even make a joke, I don't believe he would be inferior. ”

Zhu Gaosui was helpless, so he had to shout: "The mother concubine is so not partial!" Not believing your own son's words, but going to protect a treacherous traitor? ”

After all, Concubine Xu had no evidence, and she didn't have a score in her heart, seeing that Zhu Gaosui had said this, she had nothing to say, so she had to wave her hand and let Zhu Gaosui leave.

After Zhu Gaosui left, Concubine Xu said:

"What about now?"

Zhu Gaochi hesitated for a moment and said softly:

"Mother, I suspect that the third brother must know something, but he is just hiding it."

Concubine Xu sighed and said, "I also doubt it." But what can we do if he denies it so much, and we don't have any evidence? ”

Dao Yan opened his mouth and said, "The old man has an idea. ”

Yao Biao said: "If the master has any ideas, please tell me quickly." Xiao'er thought that it was more than lucky, and he couldn't afford to delay time. ”

Dao Yan said: "Niangniang, Your Highness, Lord Yao, have you ever thought of the palace tunnel?" ”

Everyone was taken aback: "Authentic?!" ”

Dao Yan nodded: "We have searched the ground of the palace, but we have not seen anyone. We haven't looked for an authentic tunnel yet. ”

Zhu Gaochi hesitated: "However, the tunnel has not been used since my father raised the army. ”

Dao Yan's eyes were deep, and he bowed slightly: "That's why." ”

Zhu Gaochi suddenly realized: "What the master said is very true. It's just that this tunnel is extremely complicated and extends far away, where should we start? ”

Yao Biao said decisively: "There is an entrance in the north of Taiye Pond, which is the closest to the place where Ruoxiao disappeared, and at the same time the most remote, away from attention; Just start there and slowly expand the range. ”

Zhu Gaochi jumped up: "Mother, then I'll go!" ”

"Wait, I'll go with Your Highness." Yao Biao also jumped up.

Yuan Heng hurriedly stopped: "It's better for Lord Yao to wait here." ”

Yao Biao said firmly: "If you are really in the tunnel, you must need first aid." Yao had to go. ”

Yuan Heng hurriedly got up and caught up: "Even so, the tunnel is complicated, two people are not as good as three people, and I will go with me." ”

Zhu Gaochi said: "I will take another team of personal soldiers, and after entering the tunnel, I will look for them separately." ”

Dao Yan said: "The prince's ban must be reiterated, so that they will not retaliate." ”

Zhu Gaochi nodded, hesitated, and said softly: "It is estimated that no one can be as bold as the third brother." ”

In the end, when they found Shen Ruoyu in the tunnel, it had been two hours since he first reported his disappearance. Yao Biao saw that he passed out in the stagnant water in the tunnel, his body was covered with drag wounds, and all the sword wounds were bursting and bleeding. Lord Yao never said a word again.

After Zhu Gaochi returned to the palace, he told Princess Yan the details. Concubine Xu found Zhu Gaosui to reprimand him in person; Zhu Gaosui denied it again. Concubine Xu said angrily, evil deeds are not counted, even more lying, dare to do it but dare not be, how can the Zhu and Xu families have such a worthless descendant as you. With that, he brushed his sleeves and left. Zhu Gaosui turned around, but saw the county lord of Changning come forward, without saying a word, he gave him a slap in the face, and then walked away. Zhu Gaochi watched coldly from the sidelines, and seemed quite happy to see that after his sister beat the third brother, she patted her ass and left.

Zhu Gaosui covered his face, so he was not ashamed.