Wuhua Mountain is not very far from the military camp in the west of the town, but it is also more than a hundred miles away. The terrain here is rugged, with rolling mountain peaks and dense forests. If there are no locals to lead the way, it is easy to get lost or even die in distress.

The King of Chu and his entourage disguised themselves as traders and successfully infiltrated the Yunshui Mansion at the foot of Wuhua Mountain.

Yunshui Mansion is the only state capital in Wuhua Mountain, but because it is not far from the military camp in the west of the town, the inspection of outsiders here is relatively strict. However, the King of Chu and his party had been prepared for a long time, and their arrival did not attract much attention.

At this time, the King of Chu and his entourage were living in the only guest house in Yunshui Mansion.

The king of Chu stood by the window, looking at Wuhua Mountain in the distance. At night, Wuhua Mountain is shrouded in a thick fog, and only its outline can be seen.

At this time, there were several knocks on the door. Then, Wei Mian's voice appeared outside the door. However, Wei Mian's voice is a little different from usual. His voice was a little low and hoarse now, not as sharp as usual.

"Sir, it's me."

King Chu didn't look back and said, "Come in." ”

Wei Mian walked in and respectfully said to the King of Chu: "Your Highness, the slave maid and others went out to inquire, but they did not find any useful news. ”

The King of Chu turned around and sat down at the table.

"As expected." The King of Chu had long expected that they would not easily find useful clues.

Wei Mian picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for the King of Chu.

"Your Highness, we have been to Wuhua Mountain for several days, but we have not found any clues, how can this be good?" Wei Mian frowned worriedly and said, "We can't spend too much time in Wuhua Mountain, otherwise the crown prince will find out that we have left Pengcheng." ”

The king of Chu was not in a hurry. He picked up the teacup, lowered his head and drank it slowly.

"You won't go unnoticed."

When Wei Mian heard King Chu say this, his eyes lit up, and there was a look of expectation on his face.

"Your Highness, do you have a way?"

King Chu put down the teacup in his hand and said softly, "Lin Geng should come back with some clues." "Lin Geng is the most powerful guard by the side of King Chu.

When Wei Mian heard this, he was not in a hurry.

"Then wait for good news from Lord Lin."

After drinking tea, the king of Chu spread out the geographical map of Wuhua Mountain on the table.

Wei Mian was worried that King Chu would not be able to see clearly, so he hurriedly picked up the lamp on the table to make it brighter.

"Your Highness, this Wuhua Mountain is composed of five mountains, each of which is covered with dense forests, and this dense forest is very dangerous, even the locals dare not enter it easily. The slave maid felt that the copper lost in Pengcheng was hidden in these five mountains, but the slave and maid did not know which mountain it was hidden in. ”

King Chu had a guess in his heart, but whether it was or not, he had to wait for the news that Lin Geng brought back.

A moment later, Lin Geng came back from listening to the news outside.

"Your Highness, my subordinates have heard that there is something strange about Osmanthus Village, which is fifty miles away from Yunshui Mansion."

The king of Chu opened his mouth and asked, "What is unusual?" ”

"A few years ago, there was a sudden plague in Osmanthus Village, and the whole village died." Lin Geng frowned slightly and said, "No one survived." ”

When the King of Chu heard this, he immediately furrowed his brows, and asked with a somewhat solemn face: "Plague? When did it happen? ”

"I don't know what the plague is, but I know that the plague killed the people of the entire Osmanthus Village." Lin Geng said, "It happened in the autumn four years ago. ”

"Only Osmanthus Village has a plague, is there a plague elsewhere?" The king of Chu had a bad conjecture in his heart.

"Only Osmanthus Village has the plague, and there are no other places."

The King of Chu asked again, "Are there any other villages near Osmanthus Village?" ”

"No, Osmanthus Village is located near the fifth mountain of Wuhua Mountain, and there are no other villages there."

Hearing this, the King of Chu lowered his head and carefully looked at the geographical map on the table, then pointed to the fifth mountain and asked Lin Geng, "You mean here?" ”

Lin Geng stepped forward, glanced at it and said, "It should be here." ”

Wei Mian also looked over and found that there was no village marked near the fifth mountain of King Chu's finger. He looked puzzled and said, "There is no osmanthus village on this map." ”

The King of Chu looked at Lin Geng and said, "You go on." ”

Lin Geng continued his previous words and continued: "After the plague broke out in Osmanthus Village, no one dared to live in Osmanthus Village. It is also said that Osmanthus Village is haunted, and no one dares to go there, even the fifth mountain. ”

"Haunted, liar." Wei Mian didn't believe that there were ghosts in this world.

"Your Highness, my subordinates guess that the prince should have hidden the stolen copper here."

The King of Chu bowed his head slightly and said, "It is very likely to be in Osmanthus Village." ”

Wei Mian asked: "Your Highness, the plague in Osmanthus Village was done by the prince's people, in order to drive away the villagers of Osmanthus Village?" ”

The king of Chu put away the geographical map on the table, and said with a cold face: "For them, in order to hide the copper well, what is it to kill people from a village. ”

"The lives of a village." Wei Mianyi said in disbelief, "The villagers are all innocent, the prince's people can drive them away directly, there is no need to kill them." ”

"A dead man can never open his mouth." King Chu's face sank like a waterway, "In the eyes of the prince, what is the fate of a village." ”

"Your Highness, about the matter of Osmanthus Village, the people here are very evasive." Lin Geng is very good at finding out the news, "Anyone who mentions Osmanthus Village will disappear." ”

After Wei Mian heard this, he said with a frightened face: "Kill people and kill people." After he finished speaking, he looked at Lin Geng curiously, "Lord Lin, how did you find out the news of Osmanthus Village?" ”

"I heard from the beggar that he said that he had relatives living in Osmanthus Village."

Wei Mian looked at Lin Geng with admiration: "It is worthy of Lord Lin." ”

"Your Royal Highness, with the means of the crown prince, we should have laid out a net in Osmanthus Village, and it is not easy for us to get close to Osmanthus Village." Lin Geng guessed that the vicinity of Osmanthus Village had long been strictly guarded by the prince's people, and no one was allowed to approach at all.

"Tomorrow night, let's test the situation first, and then make detailed plans." Now that they have found out where the stolen copper is, they cannot go home empty-handed.

"Your Highness, tomorrow night, my subordinates will bring someone over to investigate the situation." Lin Geng felt that it would be dangerous for them to venture to Osmanthus Village. It's okay if something happens to them, but if something happens to His Highness, it's not a good thing. "Wait for your subordinates to find out the news, and then you can make plans."

"Tomorrow night, I'll have to check it out for myself so I know how to do it."

"Your Highness...... "Wei Mian and Lin Geng did not approve of the King of Chu personally venturing to Osmanthus Village.

The king of Chu interrupted them: "You go and prepare. ”

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Lin Geng, if you go and inquire about the situation in Osmanthus Village, it is best to know the situation in Osmanthus Village."

"My subordinates will go right away."

After Wei Mian arranged tomorrow's affairs, he came back to serve the king of Chu. Seeing King Chu's gloomy face, he asked with concern, "Your Highness, what's wrong with you?" ”

"Just to hide the stolen copper and kill the villagers of a village, I don't dare to think how many people he killed."

Wei Mian knew that the "he" in the mouth of the King of Chu referred to the crown prince.

"Those who helped him steal copper, those who helped him forge weapons...... King Chu didn't dare to think about it, "Since I was a child, I have always thought that he is a gentle and kind person, and I think that he will be a benevolent monarch in the future, so I have never thought of competing for the crown prince." This is the reason why the king of Chu immediately left the capital and went to the fiefdom of Liangzhou after becoming an adult.

"My father sent me to recover Shu, I know my father's intentions, but I don't want to participate. After recovering Shudi, my father summoned me back to Beijing, and I told my father that I didn't want to stay in the capital, I wanted to go back to Liangzhou, but my father didn't agree. ”

"Your Highness, it's not up to you to decide whether to return to the capital or not."

"At that time, I still thought he was the best prince, but I couldn't disobey my father's will, so I could only stay in the capital." When King Chu said this, a sarcastic smile appeared on his face, "Now I know that my father is right, he is not worthy of being the crown prince." His father once said to him, "The prince is not the prince of the Great Zhou, but the prince of the Xie family", and what the Great Zhou needs is the prince who has the world in his heart, not the prince of the Xie family.

"Your Royal Highness, how wise the emperor is, the emperor asked you to investigate the theft of copper, I guess you know that the prince is behind this." Wei Mian comforted King Chu and said, "Your Highness, in order to prevent the crown prince from continuing to do evil, let's quickly investigate the truth of the copper theft, and then report to the emperor, when the time comes, the emperor will definitely not spare the prince." ”

The king of Chu remembered that the Zhenxi military camp was not far from Wuhua Mountain, and he remembered Xie Shi from the Zhenxi military camp. He had a sense of foreboding in his heart.

Wei Mian saw that King Chu's face was becoming more and more solemn, and his heart couldn't help but tighten, and he cautiously asked, "Your Highness, did the slave say something wrong?" ”

The king of Chu instructed: "Immediately write a letter back to Beijing, send Lin Xu to the Zhenxi military camp, and ask him to inquire about whether there is anything abnormal in the Zhenxi military camp." ”

When Wei Mian heard this order from the King of Chu, he showed a frightened look on his face: "Your Highness, do you suspect that the Zhenxi military camp ......"