When Luo Shuangyi rushed to the bloodstained Qingliu Town Mansion, Shen Zhou sat under the eaves with a sleeping girl in his arms. The white cat rested beside the sinking boat and shrunk into a snow ball.

The county magistrate wearing an official uniform was nailed to the hall with an arrow, and the four words "Mirror Hanging" on the plaque fell to the ground and were smashed apart. The ground was covered with blood, a pale color from the early spring drizzle, like cinnabar in water.

There are no living people left in the entire government.

Shen Zhou coerced the last official to open the door to his cell, let go of the imprisoned townspeople, and killed him as well. The townspeople sensed what was going on in the official mansion, but they didn't dare to look at it and ask more, so they crawled back home.

"You've done a lot of superfluous things," Luo Shuangyi paused for a moment and asked again, "What are you holding in your arms?" ”

"Kid." Shen Zhou said without any ups and downs.

The little girl's father, the first to rebel against the government's bullying and unscrupulousness, was tortured to death on the first day of his imprisonment. When Shen Zhou told the little girl about this fact, she cried and fell asleep.

"I know it's a kid." Luo Shuangyi stepped forward and wanted to touch the little girl's limbs and bones, but was deflected to the side by the sinking boat and dodged.

Luo Shuangyi looked at him in confusion: "Aren't you going to take her back to the Nine Shadows to raise?" Children with too poor qualifications can't even survive the first level in the Nine Shadows. ”

"I'm not going to carry her back to the Nine Shadows." Shen Zhou said expressionlessly.

"Then are you going to take this child with you to kill someone?" Luo Shuangyi asked rhetorically.

"What does it have to do with you?" Shen Zhou pushed back unceremoniously, "Are you very good at raising children, or are you very good at raising children?" ”

Luo Shuangyi frowned and looked at him: "You don't want the Chu family to raise this child, right?" ”

Shen Zhou was silent.

"You can see clearly, you killed the officials of the court. Miss Chu is the daughter of a big family, she is an official, and you are a bandit. Are you still looking forward to going back? Luo Shuangyi sharply pierced Shen Zhou's luck, "Maybe one day, the head of the family will let you kill her." ”

"Shut up." Shen Zhou said coldly.

——

The little girl's surname is Mo, and her single name is the word "Yuan", so Shen Zhou called her Yuanniang. Yuanniang is well-behaved and silent, eats obediently every day, and never cries. On the night when the sinking boat went out to kill, she quietly and peacefully hugged the white cat and slept soundly in the inn.

Luo Shuangyi didn't mention the matter of sending Yuan Niang to Jiuyou Si to raise her, Yuan Niang's roots were not good, and she didn't want to have a senseless dispute with Shen Zhou. Shen Zhou took Yuan Niang to wander in the small towns in the south of the Yangtze River, uprooting the power of the mountain ghost clan one by one.

More and more people were killed, and he became more and more anxious. The blood of those assassins was like hot molten iron on his hands, which could not be washed away no matter what. The sinking boat was indulged in the killing day after day, and Yuan Niang occasionally looked at him, and she would tremble with fright.

Shen Zhou also began to be afraid.

He was afraid that when he returned to the imperial capital in the future, Chu Shixia would refuse to recognize him.

Auspicious charm five years, July.

Business in the tavern was bleak, with a few tables of people sitting here and there. On each table is a plate of salted peanuts, a pot of rice wine, and a plate of pickles. Although Xiao Er was dissatisfied with the guests' constraints, he only greeted him with a smile.

"Did you hear that? In June, the eldest son of the Guangling Jiang clan was killed in the imperial capital! ”

"The Jiang family's spirit flag is going to be hung on the beach, how can you not hear about it? It is said that he owed a large amount of money to the children of the official family in the imperial capital and fled back to Guangling in embarrassment. Dropping a brick in the imperial capital can kill three princes, how can anyone be willing, won't this send someone to kill him unknowingly? ”

"How did I hear that it was the gentleman who put the eldest son of the Jiang family together to get an IOU that could make the Guangling Jiang family feel painful?"

"Don't hear about it, the Jiang family wants God to sue the royal court! Mrs. Jiang can't stand the loss of her husband first and then her son, and she wants to go to the imperial capital to fight with others! ”

"What a big industry the Jiang family has, it has also returned in the imperial capital, it seems that we and other grass people can't go, otherwise we will lose our lives in vain!"

The people in a tavern chatted lively, and the scribbled saltwater peanuts became delicious.

"Hey, little brother, why don't you speak?" Someone laughed and pushed the boy sitting by the window.

Shen Zhou raised the eaves of the hat slightly, and most of his face was tightly covered. He was suddenly pushed, and said without warmth: "Thinking about where to take my sister to beg for a living next." ”

In fact, Shen Zhou was wondering if the girl named Jiang Qiao who played the flute in the Jade Fang had anything to do with the Jiang family. If you were someone else, you would naturally not associate the famous singers in the fireworks field with the giants, but Shen Zhou felt that Jiang Qiao was incompatible with the Jade Fang, and it was a little strange.

Shen Zhou was silent, rarely talking to these merchants from all over the world, and occasionally popped out a word or two, and someone picked it up.

"Now I'm afraid it's very chaotic, as soon as this new deal comes out, the people are not happy, and Pei Cifu in the imperial capital is all eaten. I'm afraid I'll have to wait for a while, and when His Majesty changes his mind, this day will be better. ”

Someone spat on the ground hatefully and scolded: "These officials and old men, not to mention riding on our heads every day, but also sucking our blood and eating our flesh in different ways, dog officials will not die well!" ”

Shen Zhou was a little distracted, and he didn't sit for long, so he went upstairs from the kitchen with today's meal.

Yuan Niang sat on a stool and combed the white cat, clumsy and serious. Shen Zhou can't comb her hair, Yuan Niang's hair is combed by herself, either too tight or too loose, but she can barely have a look.

Yuan Niang raised her head and looked at the sinking boat with round eyes. The white cat also looked at him with round, crystal blue eyes. Shen Zhou was looked at by two pairs of round eyes, and he was a little nervous for no reason.

"Come to dinner." Shen Zhou said.

Yuan Niang sat at the table obediently, pinching chopsticks to eat. The implementation of the new policy not only did not return the land to the people who deserved it, but instead reduced the original land of the peasant households, and they had to bear heavier taxes. Nowadays, rice is expensive, and only simple gruel and vegetable packets are available in the inn.

But for Yuanniang, it's good to have food.

"Brother," Yuan Niang whispered, "Did my father and mother die because of the words put forward by the senior official?" ”

Yuan Niang was too thin, and although Shen Zhou didn't let her leave a meal, she didn't grow much meat. Her emaciated cheeks made her eyes bigger and brighter, like a mirror, reflecting the silent sinking boat.

Shen Zhou did not perfunctory her, but after thinking seriously, he said to her: "No." ”

Yuan Niang's tears flowed quietly, "But the official said that the emperor listened to the words of the officials, and they listened to the words of the officials, so they arrested my father." ”

Shen Zhou didn't know what to say, he wiped Yuanniang's tears, he wanted to defend Chu Zhixia, he wanted to say that the original intention of the new deal was not like this, it was intrigue and lust at the bottom...... They were only injured by mistake, a corner swept away by a roaring storm. A hundred years later, in the history books, it will not be crushed by the "Ten Concerts of Military and Political Affairs", and the lives of Aoyagi Town will be buried in vain.

A light sentence of accidental injury is loess and white bones, and bloody human life.

Shen Zhou couldn't speak.

"In this world, seeing is believing, and hearing is false." Shen Zhou said, "If you want to know who killed your parents, think for yourself and see for yourself." Someday, you'll get the answer you want. ”

——

Five years of auspicious charm, Mid-Autumn Festival.

Palace feast.

Since the spring festival, the emperor proposed to order the fourth prince Bai Ziche to go out of the palace to build a mansion, this matter has been constantly obstructed. At one time, it was said that the four princes were not young, and it was appropriate to go to the fief; For a while, it was said that the third prince had not yet left the palace to build a mansion, and the fourth prince was a younger brother, how could he catch up with his elder brother. The many forces of the previous DPRK quarreled with each other, and the matter dragged on again and again, and finally the dust settled today.

"The fourth prince, Bai Ziche, is over seventeen years old. Self-denial and courtesy, deference and gentleness, now special Cier out of the palace to build a mansion, participate in the court's politics, and serve the country. The fourth prince, Bai Ziche, was named the 'King of Qi', eating thousands of gold, and having 10,000 households. Chin this. ”

In front of everyone's eyes, Bai Ziche raised his hands above his head and accepted the holy decree.

"Jin, Qin, Qi, and Chu" are the four most honorable titles among the one-word kings. After the crown prince Bai Huan was deposed, he reverted to his original title "Qin", and the emperor not only withstood the pressure of Chen's henchmen to let Bai Ziche leave the palace to build a mansion and stay in the imperial capital, but also won him the honorable title of "King of Qi".

After being crowned king, Bai Ziche's honor guard was the same as Bai Huan, second only to the emperor, and the courtiers had to perform the monarch's courtesy.

Since then, Bai Ziche is no longer a little prince who is soft-spoken and cares if he dies.

The empress sitting next to the emperor had a faint expression, as if all this had nothing to do with her. The third prince gritted his teeth with hatred, and looked at Bai Ziche with eyes as if he was going to eat him alive. Bai Huan's smiling face hung tightly, and he raised his glass to congratulate Bai Ziche.

Chu Zhixia shouted "congratulations" in the crowd, and smiled at the corners of Bai Ziche's slightly curved eyes from a distance.

The palace banquet gradually dispersed, and the emperor took Concubine Rong's hand back to Weiyang Palace, leaving the queen alone at the palace banquet. Chu Zhixia sat silently in his seat and watched for a while, and walked out with half a pot of fruit wine.

The palace cornices and arches, red pillars and green paint, and the auspicious clouds of the beast depicted by gold powder seem to come to life, showing their teeth and dancing claws in the moonlit Mid-Autumn Festival.

Chu Zhixia sat alone on the railing, drinking wine and looking at the moon.

"It's so round." Chu Zhixia said softly.

I don't know if the person who didn't go home ate mooncakes?

"Chu Zhixia."

A sudden voice interrupted Chu Zhixia's contemplation.

"His Royal Highness King Qin." Chu Zhixia turned around and greeted Bai Huan.

"Aren't you going to celebrate with the Fourth Emperor Brother?" Bai Huan tried his best to suppress his angry expression, but he still couldn't help the corners of his mouth twitch.

Chu Zhixia leaned lazily against the pillar, his cloud-like sideburns were slightly scattered, and the makeup at the corners of his eyes faded slightly, "Is this worth celebrating?" ”

She didn't say this politely, but also because there was no need to pretend again. Bai Huan is not a fool, the matter has come to this point, it is impossible not to see the alliance between the two.

"You're proud, aren't you? Hiding from the world, he quietly toyed with everyone between applause, and supported a creature who cowered and didn't even dare to lift his head into what he is today. King of Qi, King of Qi...... What a King of Qi, my father pinned his hopes on him?! Bai Huan smashed the wine glass in his hand with a "snap", his chest rose and fell violently, and he raised his head and stared at Chu Shixia viciously.

The residual liquid splashed from the wine glass wet Chu Zhixia's skirt, but Chu Zhixia was unmoved.

Chu Zhixia suddenly laughed, and Bai Huan's laughter made Bai Huan puzzled, and his anger was even greater.

"What are you laughing at?"

"I laugh at the stupidity of the world for mistaking the trick of fame and fame for the truth. His Royal Highness the King of Qin, when the people praised you for your good nature and purifying all sentient beings, did you ever think that you would take the life of Bai Ziche, who was the same age as the third prince, as a thing? ”

Chu Zhixia took a step closer to him, "Back then, he was no threat to you, he was a pitiful little who had to be cautious even if he lived." What do you think of him? The toys of the three highnesses, the pigs and dogs that are inferior to the lowly...... Or is it an insignificant speck of dust in the multitude? ”

Bai Huan gritted his teeth, "At least I never wanted to hurt you!" I helped you, didn't I? And you, Chu Zhixia, you actually joined forces with Huo Wenqing ......"

"Don't mention Huo Wenqing." Chu Zhixia's voice suddenly cooled, and he looked at Bai Huan indifferently and said, "His Royal Highness the Prince...... No, His Royal Highness King Qin, you are a person, your words and deeds will kill many people. ”

"You're not unaware of it, and you're even enjoying it. This is the difference between you and the Four Highnesses. ”