After retreating, Xi Yan took off his court clothes and sat alone in the study. His arms rested on the armrests of his seat, and the sleeves of his shirt slid down to his elbows, revealing a piece of skin that had been white from the lack of sunlight, and he rested his head on the back of his hand with a slight depression, but Xi Yun pushed the door at this time.

After several days of running around and tiring, Xi Yun looked a little thinner.

"Coming back?" Xi Yan didn't raise his head, his voice was slower than usual, and he looked tired, "A lot has happened these days. ”

Xi Yun went straight to Xi Yan's case, and his words were a little urgent, "Childe, another incident happened this morning, do you know it?" As he spoke, he spread out the notice with An Ruofei's portrait on the table.

Xi Yan raised his head, only glanced at it, and then came to a conclusion: "There is no need to worry about this matter, there are many such groundless things among the people, and they can't come up with any evidence except for spreading rumors." She doesn't need to come forward to explain, as long as she doesn't mess up, the rumors will be self-defeating in a few days. But now she's lost, alas...... As soon as she disappeared, it was tantamount to admitting the crime, and once the crime was confirmed, it was the sea fishing of the Criminal Department, and even the pervasive search of the internal guards. ”

"I'm afraid...... I won't fool the past so easily," Xi Yun didn't think as much as Xi Yan, and his tone was full of worry, "When I came back today, I heard a little news. Even if you find Lord An now, I'm afraid it won't help. ”

"What's going on?" Hearing his worried tone, Xi Yan suddenly became nervous again.

"Early this morning, the streets were plastered with this poster. But in addition to these notices, this morning Dali Temple, Jingzhao Yin Mansion outside each was put a burden, the burden at the entrance of Dali Temple seems to be some letters, Jing Zhao Yin Mansion outside the jade pendant. ”

"Jade pendant?" Xi Yan's tone was a little eager, and he hurriedly asked, "Do you know what jade pendant it is?" ”

Xi Yun shook his head and said, "I can't listen to this, but it won't be ...... That's it, right? ”

"Absolutely not," Xi Yan vetoed very simply, "I have always kept that Fang Xuanji safely, and no one else knows where it is except me." ”

"But you only have one." Xi Yun thought about it boldly, he knew that Xi Yan would never lose An Ruofei's Xuanji, but Xie's Xuanji was more than one.

"What do you mean......" Xi Yan frowned and thought about it carefully, and found that it was indeed very possible, "There are a total of nine pieces of Xuanji of the Xie family, I really don't know how much was searched out when the Xie family raided the house, but I know that Ruofei's background, still holding Xuanji, and still alive, there are no more...... Isn't it that the people we went to Gusu last time didn't find out? ”

"I don't think so," Xi Yun knew the reliability of the secret guard, "We have even found out the news that Situ Yizheng didn't dig up, and there is no reason why other old people will suddenly appear." ”

"The deceased?"

Just when Xi Yun said this, Xi Yan suddenly recalled the sentence that Gu Zhiyuan said to himself before he died, 'Death and life will never see each other again'. Thinking of this, he suddenly understood that Gu Zhiyuan actually meant this, not that he would kill An Ruofei.

"I see," the coldness in Xi Yan's eyes suddenly surged up, "It turned out to be Gu Zhiyuan's handwriting." ”

"What?" Xi Yun was obviously taken aback by this sentence, "You mean, that Mr. Gu next to the fourth son?" ”

"That's right," Xi Yan was about to continue, but a little servant came to report, "Childe, the coffin of the fourth prince is back, and the head of the family invites you to go to the study to discuss matters." ”

Xi Yan sneered: "The coffin is back, what are you going to do in the study." ”

The little guy was speechless for a while, and Xi Yan ordered: "I'll go immediately, you go down." ”

Xi Yun looked at Xi Yan with a somewhat worried expression: "Childe, at this juncture, the head of the family wants to see you alone, will it be ......?"

"What could it be?" Xi Yan's face was cold, but he still said calmly, "What is done is what is done, even if he knows that I did it, what else can I do now?" ”

"Yes," Xi Yun lowered his head, he was really a little worried, Xi Yan and Xi Yuanshan were already a little discordant, and now something like this has happened, I'm afraid ...... Just as he was thinking about this, he heard Xi Yan say again, "By the way, you go check on Gu Zhiyuan...... Well, check all his experiences over the years, how did he know Ruofei's background? There will even be Xie's Xuanji. In addition, all his relatives and friends have to be checked, and I always feel that there is something wrong with what he said that day. ”

"What's wrong?" Xi Yun had just asked, but Xi Yan had already pushed the door out.

In the study of the head of the family, Xi Yuanshan stood with his back to the door, he looked lifeless at this time, the pain of losing a son was not the first time for him, when the second son of the Xi family died young, he experienced it firsthand. But this time, Xi Yuanshan felt even more sad than dead. He had never felt so depressed and powerless, and the day he received the news of Xi Qing's death, he stayed awake all night. By daybreak, many gray hairs had grown on his head.

From afar, he heard the sound of Xi Yan stepping across the courtyard gate, Xi Yuanshan closed his eyes, he always had a complicated emotion for this son. There is no doubt that he is excellent...... But thinking of his mother, thinking of the kind of rebellion he had when he contradicted himself, Xi Yuanshan would have a strange feeling in his heart.

"Father." Xi Yan's tone was very calm, and he couldn't hear a trace of emotional fluctuations.

Xi Yuanshan still had his back to him, but after a while, he said abruptly: "Do you think I'm old and think I'm not worthy of being the head of this family anymore?" ”

Xi Yan's eyes narrowed, and he said, "My son doesn't dare." ”

Xi Yuanshan sneered a few times, then turned to face Xi Yan, "You don't dare, but what did you do?" If you want to stay in Chongdu, I have no objection, you cultivate manpower and fight for power, I can also pretend to turn a blind eye. But do you want to be blind when you attack your own brother? ”

Xi Yan paused and lightly denied: "I didn't." ”

Xi Yuanshan slowly approached in front of Xi Yan, and his tone was as cold as the cold wind in a winter night, "When someone came to tell me, I didn't believe it. But now I want you to admit it yourself, do you have it! ”

Xi Yan looked directly at his father, who was already blind, his eyes drooped, and he confessed: "Since my father already knows, why do you still come to ask me." ”

"Rebel!" Xi Yuanshan had a faint answer in his heart, but when he heard Xi Yan admit it himself, he ...... for a moment Xi Yuanshan felt a tearing pain in his heart, and the scene in front of him was also very trance-like. Before the anger could start, two lines of turbid tears poured out.

"Rebel! Unfilial son! The head of the Xi family, who had never been happy and angry, had lost his temper at this time, and his eyes that had always been calm and deep were slightly swayed.

Xi Yuanshan didn't know how many times he scolded "rebel", and finally raised his right hand high, and his hand was raised in the air, but Xi Yuanshan looked straight at Xi Yan's calm gaze, and he felt a pain in his heart, and he pumped it his cheek.

Seeing that his father, who had always been self-controlled, was like this today, Xi Yan felt bitter in his heart, and at the same time, his face couldn't help but be moved, and he shouted softly: "Father." ”

Xi Yuanshan was a little powerless, so he could only lament: "The father is not the father, the son is not the son, it is really appropriate to describe the Xi family at this moment." ”

Seeing his father like this, Xi Yan could only kneel down and admit: "The child is wrong." ”

Xi Yuanshan shed two lines of turbid tears in his eyes, and his expression was extremely sad: "You are not wrong, it is me who is wrong." He's your own brother, you're such a killer...... You can do it! ”

"Doesn't my father know what he's done?" Xi Yan smiled bitterly, and there was a wisp of sorrow in his eyes, "Greedy for ink, smuggling salt and iron, and even hooking up and outreach!" If the Xi family is in his hands...... There is no doubt that the Xie family is the Xi family, which is a lesson from the past! But his father favored him everywhere! When I was a child, my father taught me that you can't wait for someone else to give me what you want...... You have to fight for it yourself. Now I've won it, but father, what do you think? ”

"Shut up!" Xi Yuanshan couldn't hold back his anger anymore, raised his hand and slapped Xi Yan hard, the tears on his face had long since dried up, and his trembling voice was still full of anger, "Xie family? Do you still have the face to mention the Xie family!? Today, above the court, His Majesty has already compared the Xi family with the Xie family! Breaking the embankment, this is what you have done! ”

Although there was a hot feeling on his face, Xi Yan exhaled heavily and sighed, "My son can't live up to those people who have been affected by the disaster, but I have no choice." ”

"People?" Xi Yuanshan asked angrily, "Are you still thinking about those people?" As ants, they can only be overwhelmed by power! What you are really sorry for is your brother who died unjustly! ”

Hearing this, Xi Yan even wanted to laugh, it was a mockery of himself, he asked his father: "Wronged? Father, do you know how many people I was with me when I set off from Lingjiang? One hundred and twenty-nine. How many people have returned to Chongdu? Eleven! Five batches of killers, all of them are killer moves, don't you know all of these? ”

But in exchange, it was Xi Yuanshan's silence.

A hint of gloom crossed Xi Yan's eyes, and he said in a low voice: "Everything is a foregone conclusion, father." But the Xi family still has to move forward after all. Son's hand...... And much more. ”

Xi Yuanshan didn't respond, and after a long time, he let out a long sigh: "You are so self-conscious, no matter what you are doing, as a father, I believe that you are for the Xi family...... After the Xi family, it is destined to be handed over to you. ”

It was past noon, and Xi Yuanshan ordered Xi Yan: "Go to the ancestral hall and kneel for three hours, and ask yourself if you can be worthy of the ancestors of the Xi family." ”

Before Xi Yan left, he looked at Xi Yuanshan without saying anything. Xi Yuanshan saw through that he still had something to say, and asked with a cold face, "What else do you want to say?" ”

"The child wants to ask...... The father who told all this. ”

Xi Yuanshan didn't respond immediately, the father and son froze like this, until Xi Yan turned around and wanted to leave, Xi Yuanshan's deep voice came from behind him, "It doesn't matter who said it, no matter who he is, he is no longer alive now." The lintel of the Xi family for a hundred years...... There is no room for others to put their beaks at will. ”

Xi Yan understood what his father meant, and in this struggle of the Xi family, he won...... Or it seems to have won.

More than 100 high candles in the ancestral hall of the Xi family are bright day and night, and more than a dozen dusty tablets are placed on the south-facing offering case, and each name on the tablet represents the glory of the Xi family's generation.

The house where the ancestral hall is located is very tall...... Perhaps because of the lack of furnishings, the ancestral hall always seems extraordinarily empty, and the faint smell of incense that has been permeating for many years highlights a long-term and long-term loneliness.

Xi Yan stepped on the ink-colored marble bricks that could reflect the human figure and came to the futon, and naturally knelt down in his robe, his eyes did not fall on those tablets, nor on any place, as if he was free, only the dancing candle flame was reflected in his ink-colored eyes.

For three hours, Xi Yan knelt there motionless like a statue, and there was never a moment from beginning to end that seemed to be shaky.

It was getting late, and a crescent moon was like a moth eyebrow, and the time on the leak finally reached three hours. Xi Yun, who had been waiting outside, hurriedly ran to Xi Yan to help, but was pushed away by Xi Yan. Xi Yan struggled to get up, and only ordered: "Go back to Begonia Courtyard." ”

Xi Yan didn't know that he knelt in the ancestral hall for three hours, his father Xi Yuanshan knelt in the study for three hours, and his eldest brother Xi Luan, who had been living in seclusion, had been watching him from a short distance, until Xi Yan got up, he left the Xi family ancestral hall.