*

Feng Hu seemed to think of something, quickly approached Helan Chu, bowed his waist and said in a low voice: "Two days ago, when they were plotting this matter in Sima Mansion, they once received a secret letter from Ziyang from the middle book supervisor Su Bo, saying that in the area of Pingzhou, there was a Six Dust Cult that instigated the victims to revolt, and it had captured several cities and approached Ziyang City, where His Majesty was fortunate. However, at this time, the state government's emergency report had not yet arrived in the capital, so the lower officials thought, we don't have to pay attention to it too early. ”

"Really?" Helan Chu's eyebrows condensed slightly. Why hasn't Xu Hong, who is also by the empress's side, reported any important news in secret recently?

"Absolutely." Feng Hu's eyes revealed a hint of sinisterness, "The lower officials are foolish, even if they fail to send troops in time because of the delay of these few days, resulting in the fall of Ziyang City, the Taishi does not have any fault, but ...... It's good for us. Before the arrival of the state capital's emergency report, the Taishi had enough time to watch the verdict of the crimes of those sinners, behead Yu City, and there was no danger of resurgence, so he was able to prepare for the dispatch of troops. ”

Helan Chu did not answer. He pondered for a moment, raised his head, and said loudly to the door: "Someone is coming, the pillar country that quickly passed on Li, Tuoba, and Dugu Sanwei will come here to see this seat immediately." ”

"Yes!" A few people outside were ordered to go their separate ways. It made Feng Hu show a puzzled look.

*

At night that day, Chunhong, the maidservant girl in the Taishou Mansion of Ziyang City, was lying on her bed tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Whenever something was going to happen outside the window, she always felt that someone was going to sneak in the door.

Ever since the death of the woman she cared for from outside the city, she had always felt uneasy and wanted to confide. But I don't know who to talk to or where to start. She had also thought about forgetting about it and not taking it to heart anymore. But the incident that had happened this morning sent chills to her, and made her think that it might have something to do with the woman's death.

This morning she was alone at the well to draw water, as she forcefully lifted the bucket full of water to the well. She suddenly felt her body being hugged from behind, and suddenly her feet lifted off the ground and her weight leaned forward. Head rush towards the wellhead!

She screamed, and her mouth was held down. She hurriedly grabbed the hemp rope that tied the bucket and the derrick that hung on the well, and fought against the force that held her to the mouth of the well. But the person behind her had too much strength after all, and she lost her strength after struggling for a while, her hands slipped, she couldn't grasp the derrick, and was thrown into the wellhead.

Thankfully, her dress was hanging from the edge of the derrick. At this time, someone happened to pass by and saw her, and hurriedly pulled her up who was struggling to grasp the edge of the well.

When she climbed up to the mouth of the well, crying and panting in fear, she seemed to hear an exclamation from the courtyard across the wall, "Why is General Xu in such a hurry? ”

Because she was frightened, she was in a trance for a day. Until lying in bed at night, I was still startled and couldn't sleep. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that something was wrong, and the more she felt that if she didn't seek protection, sooner or later she would die at someone's hands for no apparent reason.

She sat up from the bed, hurriedly dressed, and walked out the door in despair.

*

Under the orange light in the study of the Taishou Mansion, Zuo Ying was reading the battle reports from all over the country inside.

She looked at the latest letters from all over the world. Look at the map and figure out the current situation. Many of the state capitals near Ziyang City have fallen, and Ziyang City is about to become an isolated city. If it weren't for the military strength of the Sanyong military camp and the main force of the thieves, the situation might have been even worse. After the disaster relief, the state capitals were empty of money and food, and now they are struggling to protect themselves, and there is no strength to respond to other jurisdictions to rescue each other.

She put down a battle report in her hand. Looking up at the distance, he estimated in his heart that the war situation should have arrived in Luoyang for a day or two at this time. As long as it lasts for another ten days and eight days, reinforcements will arrive. For them, there is no need to personally repel the thieves, as long as they hold out until that time, it is a victory.

Under the efforts of Su Bo and Song Guantu, the grain and grass in the city are now enough to support more than a month, but the biggest problem in front of them is the lack of troops, and it is not easy to ensure everything and delay the war until the reinforcements arrive.

The enemy army must also know very well that only by taking Ziyang City, a city in the central area, before the arrival of the main force of the imperial court, and connecting all the occupied state capitals to contend with the imperial army, will they have a chance of victory. If they can capture Ziyang City, they can even capture Zuo Ying and use it as a bargaining chip to negotiate the division of land, so that they can rely on more resources. So in the past few days, the general surnamed Xu who knows how to do witchcraft has been leading the army to attack the city, and he has also used the blinding method as a cover, injuring many people. Ziyang City's forces were becoming more and more overstretched.

Just then, there was a commotion outside the door.

Scarlet Feather, who had been kneeling beside Zuo Ying, stood up, held down her saber and stared vigilantly in the direction of the door.

"What's the matter?" Zuo Ying asked loudly.

A doorman agreed to push the door in, and said tremblingly: "Back to Your Majesty, there is a servant girl who wants to see Your Majesty, saying that she has important information to tell. We were ordered not to let the idlers get close to Your Majesty, so there was a dispute. ”

Zuo Ying frowned strangely, "Let her in." I'll hear what she has to say. ”

The maidservant girl who made trouble outside the door was Chunhong. The doorman was soon ordered to take her into the study and kneel down to obey the order.

As soon as Chunhong saw Zuo Ying, she kowtowed excitedly and said, "Your Majesty, someone wants to kill slaves and maids, please ask Your Majesty to save your life!" ”

Zuo Ying saw that the maid's demeanor seemed to be a little abnormal, and she couldn't help but suspect that she was mentally ill to break in.

"Who wants to kill you, and why should you kill you? You elaborate. ”

"Your Majesty," Chunhong tried to calm her emotions, "the slave's name is Chunhong, and she once assisted Dr. Lin in taking care of the woman who was rescued from the castle tower a few days ago. On that day, the woman suddenly showed signs of awakening, and muttered that she wanted to see His Majesty, that she had important things to report, and that she was ...... What is the lady of Pingzhou Taishou. ”

Hearing the words "Mrs. Pingzhou Taishou", Zuo Ying and Scarlet Feather couldn't help but wake up.

The slave didn't listen carefully at the time, but was anxious to find Dr. Lin to see if the woman's condition had changed. It happened that General Xu Hongxu was also there, and he took the initiative to help take care of the woman temporarily, and the slave maid ran to ask for Dr. Lin. But when the slave and maid came back with Dr. Lin, the woman had already died. Speaking of this, Chunhong sighed lowly, looking a little self-reproachful, "Originally, the slave maid didn't know the woman, but because she took care of her for a few days and felt destined for her, she felt sorry for her death, so she asked Dr. Lin about her condition in private, and only then did she learn from Dr. Lin that the woman did not die because of the fever she was suffering from, but because she died of suffocation!" Dr. Lin didn't say it at the time because he was worried about causing trouble. ”

"As a result, yesterday ......" Chunhong's emotions became excited again, and she looked very frightened, "Yesterday, the slave maid learned the news that Dr. Lin accidentally fell from the upper floor and died...... At that time, the slave maid only thought it was a coincidence, and to this day, the slave and maid themselves were attacked...... When the slave and maid were fetching water at the well this morning, they were forcibly picked up from behind and almost thrown into the well, but fortunately they were rescued by passers-by so that they did not fall into the well and die......"

"Your Majesty! Please save your majesty and save the slaves! Someone must be trying to kill us and destroy the evidence of our crimes! Please save your majesty, slave and maid......" Chunhong became more and more excited the more she spoke, and she couldn't help crying bitterly.

Now is the time of war, there are inevitably casualties every day, everyone, including Zuo Ying, is focused on the war, and no one will notice the abnormality that is happening here. Now listening to this maidservant, Zuo Ying does feel a little strange. If that woman is really the wife of Pingzhou Taishou Shi Guoliang, then what kind of information did she have to report to Zuo Ying after escaping from Pingzhou City, which had been occupied by thieves, and rushed to Ziyang City with great difficulty? If this servant girl was not delusional, who was the one who killed the woman and the other people present, and what did he want to cover up?

"Have you ever seen who tried to throw you into a well?" Zuo Ying asked.

Chunhong wiped her tears, shook her head and said, "The slave didn't see it." But...... The slave suspects that it is...... It's General Xu...... Because, at that time, someone saw him running out of the patio in a hurry. And...... And he was the only one present when the woman died. He also prevented the slave from reporting the matter to His Majesty...... But...... This is all just the slave's speculation. There really is no evidence of who did these things...... The slave and maid only know that they are in danger, so they must report the matter to Your Majesty and beg Your Majesty for protection......"

"Come on, let Xu Hong come to see me immediately." Zuo Ying beckoned outside. Outside, an attendant left in response.

After a while, someone pushed the door and came in. But it wasn't Xu Hong who came in, but the doorman who went to find Xu Hong just now.

"Tell Your Majesty that General Xu is not at the residence. The people who served him said that he had just gone out, and he did not tell where he had gone, but he was not in the Taishou Mansion now. The doorman knelt down and said.

"Out?" Zuo Ying's eyebrows condensed slightly.

She suddenly recalled what Ashina said on the day of the day that he despised Xu Hong and said that he did not look like a battle-hardened general, and remembered that the army sent to Pingzhou was completely wiped out, and he was the only one who fled back, and the injuries on his body were not serious. At that time, the war situation was urgent, and I had no time to think about it, and now I can't help but feel a little strange when I compare all kinds of things. Is it possible that Xu Hong defected to the enemy after being captured by the enemy? Although I don't believe that a person like Xu Hong, who has been an official for generations, would do such a thing, the situation in front of him is very suspicious.

"Swing." Zuo Ying stood up and strode towards the door.

If this man really has a problem, and is going to have a plan for the war, he is most likely to be in one place right now.

*

*(To be continued.) If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation and monthly passes, and your support is my biggest motivation. )