When Qi Fang returned to Hongzhou City, it was already evening that day.

Along the way, encountered many people in a panic, most of the people at the beginning heard that King Pingkang was going to rebel, and now heard that His Royal Highness the Prince's 100,000 troops and horses will not arrive soon, it seems that a war is inevitable, and if you don't flee in time, I am afraid that it will become a pond fish that will be affected in the war, so the family fled with their belongings.

Seeing the people who dragged their families away, Qi Fang was very uncomfortable.

After returning to the Mingyue Inn, he told the third prince what he had seen along the way.

After the third prince was silent for a moment, he said to him: "Qi Fang, you accompany me to a place." ”

"Where?"

"Chenzhou."

"Why did you go to Chenzhou?" Qi Fang was puzzled.

Lu Shikang said: "This war began with a misunderstanding, and if the misunderstanding can be resolved, perhaps a war can be avoided. ”

"What, Third Prince, do you want to go to Chenzhou to persuade Zhou Peng?"

"I want to take a look, the so-called physical evidence that made Zhou Peng listen to Zheng Hangsu's words, this physical evidence must be false evidence."

Qi Fang said: "However, this move is too risky, if only the two of us go, if Zhou Peng doesn't listen to you, this misunderstanding will not only not be solved, but will anger him, and we may not be able to come back alive." ”

As he spoke, he looked at the third prince, but his third prince seemed to have made up his mind, and there was no hesitation on his face, so he said, "Then can you let His Royal Highness the Crown Prince send some people to go with us." ”

"I can't." Lu Shikang said.

Let His Royal Highness the Crown Prince send someone to go with him, Zhou Peng will think that he is His Royal Highness the Prince's person, and he will not easily trust what he says.

Not only can't you bring His Royal Highness the Prince's people there, but even if you bring a few more people, it will inevitably arouse Zhou Peng's suspicions.

I can only go there as a civilian who knows the truth, trying to dissuade a war.

Qi Fang knew that he couldn't persuade the third son, so he fell silent.

Lu Shikang walked to the table at this time, picked up the paper and pen on the table, wrote a note, and put it in his sleeve.

When Wang Lu put the strip on his cuff, he asked, "The third son, should I go with me?" ”

Lu Shikang said: "No need. ”

He decided to ride his horse and go with Qi Fang.

If Wang Lu also goes, there are only two horses, but there are three people, so he can only add the sedan chair behind, and after adding the sedan chair, the speed of the journey will be much slower, and the speed will be slow when he goes, and if he encounters an unexpected situation when he returns, it is not conducive to escaping in time.

Qi Fang then said to Wang Lu: "Wang Lu, you wait here first, waiting for me and the third prince to come back." ”

Lu Shikang and Qi Fang went to the stables in the backyard of the inn downstairs, and Qi Fang led out the two horses that they rode from Lu Mansion.

The two of them each rode a horse and went to Chenzhou.

Hongzhou is about 100 miles away from Chenzhou, and the two of them traveled all the way, and when they arrived in Chenzhou, it was already half of the afternoon.

When they arrived, most of the people in Chenzhou City had already left, and most of the people still in the city were planning to leave soon.

Because the people in the city have already heard that His Royal Highness the Prince's military horses are about to arrive.

Although I didn't see their situation on the way to escape the disaster, it is conceivable that it will not take too long to see it, and it will be full of mourning.

Lack of food, sleeping in the open air, and the approaching winter and the coming cold will all put the lives of people who have left their homes at risk.

These scenes do not need to be seen, just imagination is already heavy in people's hearts.

When Lu Shikang and Qi Fang arrived at the gate of the courtyard of the army station in the east of the city, Lu Shikang took out the note he had written before from his cuff and handed it to one of the soldiers standing on the outermost side of the door.

The soldier guarding the door glanced at the note and immediately went to the Pingkang Palace, where he hurriedly reported.

Soon, the soldier returned and said to Lu Shikang: "This son, please inside." ”

When Lu Shikang was invited to the reception room where Zhou Peng, the king of Pingkang, was located, he saluted when he saw Zhou Peng, and then he said: "Xiaosheng greets King Pingkang." ”

Zhou Peng held his slip in his hand, glanced at him, and said solemnly: "You said that you are the person who knows about the fire in Zheng Zhai?" ”

Lu Shikang said: "Exactly. ”

His note read: Those who know about the fire in Zheng's house ask to see King Pingkang.

Zhou Peng said: "Who are you?" ”

Lu Shikang said: "My surname is Lu Shikang, the son of Lu Hezhou. ”

"Your father is the prefect of Jiangbei?"

"Yes."

"Tell me everything you know."

Lu Shikang told Zhou Peng what Fu Zhou and Hu San and Hu Si saw outside Zheng's house on the day the Zheng house was burned.

After Zhou Peng heard this, he said: "You mean, Zheng Hangsu burned his house, his parents and others?" ”

Lu Shikang said: "Exactly. ”

Zhou Peng didn't believe him at all, because it was too ridiculous, he glanced at Lu Shikang coldly, and asked, "Why did you send someone to spy outside Zheng's house?" ”

Lu Shikang said: "Because of a misunderstanding, I was mistaken by the people of Zheng Mansion for knowing some secrets in their house. So I was chased and killed by Zheng Gong, and I made Ji find out who wanted to hunt me down, and they went to Zheng's house. And in the process, I discovered the true secret of Zheng Zhai. ”

Zhou Peng said: "You say Zheng Jin has a secret? What secret? ”

Lu Shikang said: "I will tell you this secret later, and now Xiaosheng just wants to explain to King Pingkang that the physical evidence you got must be false evidence." ”

Zhou Peng said: "How can you say it? ”

"Can Xiao Sheng take a look at the physical evidence?"

Zhou Peng thought again and again, and said, "You wait a while." ”

So saying, he went out and went to Madame's room. After she had seen the physical evidence that day, she put it in her room.

After taking the snow fungus and the mouse cage, he put the mouse cage on the ground and handed the wooden box containing the snow fungus to Lu Shikang for seeing.

He didn't believe that such obvious physical evidence could still be said to Lu Shikang to be false evidence.

Unless he has to say it's false.

Now the rats in the cage have been lost, and only a few snow fungus are still on the bottom plank of the cage.

Lu Shikang held the wooden box containing the snow fungus in his hand, looked at the snow fungus in the rat cage on the ground, and said, "You mean that a mouse died after eating the snow fungus given to Zheng Gong by His Royal Highness the Prince?" ”

Zhou Peng said: "Yes, do you want to catch another mouse for you to try?" ”

Although this is a lot of work, if necessary, it still has to be done.

Lu Shikang said: "No need. ”

He first looked carefully at the box of snow fungus, and the words on the box were enough to prove that it was indeed a gift from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to Zheng Jin. There are indeed traces of fire on the surface of the box. Although the traces are not very regular.

After carefully inspecting the appearance of the box, he opened the box and saw the snow-white snow fungus in the box.

He only glanced at the snow fungus, and then said, "King Pingkang, you have been deceived. ”