Liu Buwang's body had just been brought back, and they hadn't had time to discuss the burial yet. Someone came to inform Xiao Jue that the people sent by Her Highness had found Chai Anxi.
Xiao Jue immediately rushed to the mansion with Lin Shuanghe.
When they arrived at the hall of the mansion, Mu Hongjin was talking to her subordinates. When she saw Xiao Jue, she shook her head slightly and said, "He's dying."
When the two entered the room, they saw a person lying on the couch. This person had been shot in the heart by an arrow, and blood kept flowing out. A person who looked like a doctor was pressing the wound for him. Lin Shuanghe asked the person to leave. He sat on the edge of the couch, felt his pulse, and shook his head at Xiao Jue. "There's no hope."
He was just a doctor after all. Fighting for his life with the King of Hell also depended on luck. It was impossible to save him with such injuries. Lin Shuanghe took out a medicine bottle from his bosom, poured out a pill from it, and fed it to Chai Anxi.
Not long after, the person on the couch struggled to open his eyes.
Lin Shuanghe got up. "There's not much time. If you have any questions, ask them as soon as possible." He patted Xiao Jue's shoulder and went out.
Chai Anxi raised his head in a daze. When he saw Xiao Jue's face, his dim eyes suddenly lit up. He gasped. "… Second Young Master?"
Xiao Jue stared at him indifferently.
"… Second Young Master." Chai Anxi was a little excited, but as soon as he spoke, he spat out a big mouthful of blood. He asked, "Why are you here?"
"I'm here to find you." Xiao Jue sat down on the chair in front of the couch and said calmly, "It's been five years. Now I should know what happened in the Battle of Mingshui."
Chai Anxi was stunned and didn't speak for a long time.
Xiao Jue actually often saw Chai Anxi when he was young. Chai Anxi was Xiao Zhongwu's assistant soldier. His martial arts skills were not the best, but his temperament was the most loyal and honest. He was like a black bear, and his build was similar to Shen Han's. When he was young, Chai Anxi would occasionally work for Xiao Zhongwu in the fu. When he saw Xiao Jue, he would always smile and call him, "Second Young Master!"
However, the Chai Anxi lying on the bed right now was completely different from the Xiao Jue in his memory. Chai Anxi was about the same age as Xiao Zhongwu and was in the prime of his life, but he looked like an old man. His hair had turned white, and there was a burn mark on his face. He didn't know if his body had shriveled or something, but he had become extremely small, like a child who hadn't grown up yet. The way he looked at Xiao Jue was no longer filled with love. Instead, it was filled with regret, guilt, pain, or something else.
It was so complicated that it was frightening.
He smiled bitterly and said, "Second Young Master, you already know, right?"
Xiao Jue did not say anything.
"General was killed by someone, and that person … included me."
Xiao Jue suddenly looked up, his fingers clenched into fists under his sleeves.
"You also know," Chai Anxi spoke with difficulty, "General was always unhappy that Prime Minister Xu had too much power, but His Majesty always trusted Prime Minister Xu. General reminded His Majesty to be wary of Prime Minister Xu, and Prime Minister Xu had long hated General. "
"The current Crown Prince was tyrannical and cowardly. He and Prime Minister Xu were jackals of the same tribe. They didn't like General for a long time, and the two of them were afraid of General's military power. They wanted to frame General, but General's life was clean and they couldn't find any loopholes. Crown Prince and Prime Minister Xu worked together and secretly planned the Battle of Mingshui with the Southern Barbarians. During the Battle of Mingshui, there was a traitor in the Southern Fu Army. General was attacked from both sides, and … died. "
Xiao Jue looked at him, mockery flashing through her limpid eyes, "Are you the traitor?"
Chai Anxi's expression became pained, "I'm sorry, Second Young Master … I'm sorry. They used my mother to threaten me. My mother was already 70 years old. I … I promised them and gave them a copy of General's deployment map … I wasn't the only one. At that time, there were other people in General's Southern Fu Army who betrayed him. They used my wife and children to threaten me. At that time … I was blinded and I agreed. "
"Why did you go to Jiyang later?"
"Prime Minister Xu … how could Prime Minister Xu allow someone who knew the truth to live in this world? At that time, the few who betrayed him were later killed in the Battle of Mingshui. I was lucky enough to escape. I wanted to go back and take my mother with me, but when I got home, my mother had already died of illness … Prime Minister Xu's people were looking for me everywhere. I once heard from General that Jiyang City was easy to get out but hard to get in. It was the easiest place to hide, so I used some methods to conceal my identity and hid in Jiyang. "
"Second Young Master … all these years, I've always wanted to stand up and explain what happened back then. However, even though I was in Jiyang, the news I heard was that Prime Minister Xu's power was getting stronger and stronger. Even if I stood up and said something, the people at that time were all dead. Without evidence, no one would believe me. I wanted to go and find you, but as soon as I left Jiyang City, news of me would spread. Prime Minister Xu wouldn't let me live to see you. So I could only wait. I knew that if Second Young Master was still alive, you would find me one day. "
Tears gradually seeped out from the corners of his eyes, "You found me, that's great … Second Young Master, you've grown up. If General was still here, he would be very happy to see you like this."
Looking at his tears, Xiao Jue's expression did not change in the slightest. She only asked, "Who killed you?"
"I … I don't know." Chai Anxi said blankly, "As early as 20 days ago, when I was in Cuiwei Pavilion, someone wanted to kill me. They set a big fire at night, but I escaped. The wound on my face was left at that time. After that, I hid until … until Uto came to Jiyang. I heard about Second Young Master's news and wanted to find you, but I was chased halfway … "
He was no longer the strong man under Xiao Zhongwu. After so many years, his age and skills could not be compared to back then. Because of that big fire, he was easily ambushed and killed because of his old injuries. He was still alive. If he could live to see Xiao Jue, he could see how the young man looked like when he grew up, and he could tell her the guilt and regret in his heart.
"I … I don't have anything to help you with, Second Young Master. I'm just saying this for peace of mind. I owe the General, Madam, First Young Master, Second Young Master, and my brothers. I can't repay them all in this lifetime. " He seemed to be crying and laughing at the same time, "When I go to hell, I will personally kowtow to the General and apologize …" His voice stopped abruptly. His eyes were still open, but there was no light in them anymore.
He was dead.
Xiao Jue sat quietly with her eyes lowered. After a while, she stood up and walked out of the room.
Chai Anxi was dead. The last person who knew about the Battle of Mingshui was gone. He could not bring a dead person back to Shuo Jing as a witness, and Chai Anxi did not leave behind anything that could be used as evidence.
Coming here was just to confirm some of the things that he had guessed from the beginning.
Mu Hongjin and Lin Shuanghe were waiting for him outside. When they saw Xiao Jue come out, Mu Hongjin said, "When Uto came, the situation was complicated. I could not send people to find him. After the incident, someone found Chai Anxi's whereabouts. When my men found him, he was being chased. When he was rescued, he was already seriously injured. I asked the doctor in the city to stop the bleeding temporarily … "Mu Hongjin looked at Xiao Jue's expression and frowned slightly," Is he dead? "
Xiao Jue, "He's dead."
She sighed and did not say anything.
After searching for so long, they finally found him, but he was dead. It was such a pity that he was so close.
Lin Shuanghe asked, "Huaijin, what do you plan to do after this?"
Xiao Jue was silent for a while, then said, "Chai Anxi is dead. The war in Jiyang is over. We will leave for Liangzhou in a few days. "
"Are you leaving?" Mu Hongjin was a little reluctant, "You didn't stay here for long. Why don't you wait for Xiao Lou to come back? "
Xiao Jue said, "I have other things to do."
Mu Hongjin did not ask him to stay. She smiled and said, "No matter what, Jiyang City was saved because of Military Governor Xiao. I will write a memorial to the emperor. His Majesty will definitely reward you. "
"No need." Xiao Jue turned and walked away. He seemed to be uninterested in these things and was a little impatient. Lin Shuanghe scratched his head and explained, "Huaijin is in a bad mood now. Your Highness, please don't lower yourself to his level."
Mu Hongjin shook her head. Since he was the hero of Jiyang City, she was grateful no matter what.
"Oh, right." Xiao Jue seemed to have thought of something and stopped walking. He did not turn around and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, do you know that Mister Liu is no longer here?"
Mu Hongjin's expression froze.
In the Cui Residence, Chu Zhao was boiling tea in a small stove.
His expression was calm and his movements were patient. Ying Xiang handed him a handkerchief. He held the teapot by the handle and placed it on the table.
"Chai Anxi is probably not going to make it," Ying Xiang said softly.
"Chai Anxi can be considered a talent to be able to find a place like Jiyang and only die after five years." Chu Zhao smiled.
"But Fourth Young Master," Ying Xiang did not understand, "why didn't you just kill him? Why did you deliberately keep him alive and let him see Military Governor Xiao and tell him the truth? Wouldn't that expose the Prime Minister?"
"Even if he didn't say it, Xiao Huaijin would have already guessed who the mastermind was." Chu Zhao smiled carelessly, "Telling him the truth would only make him feel more at ease. Chai Anxi was defeated in front of him, so he would hate the Prime Minister even more. The greater the threat Xiao Huaijin poses to the Prime Minister, the more the Prime Minister will value me. After all, no one knows better than the Prime Minister about checks and balances. "
"Besides, this is Jiyang. Since there is no one around, what we do is our own business." He said calmly, "Whether we add fuel to the fire or reduce it, it's all up to us."
Ying Xiang nodded, "This servant understands. Then, Fourth Young Master, now that Chai Anxi is dead and we have done what the Prime Minister asked us to do, are we going back to the Shuo capital? "
"No," Chu Zhao said, "There is one thing that I am very curious about, so I have decided to go to the Liangzhou Guard first."
"The Liangzhou Guard?" Ying Xiang was surprised, "That is Military Governor Xiao's territory." Chu Zhao and Xiao Jue had never been on good terms. In the Liangzhou Guard, Chu Zhao would definitely not be able to gain any advantage.
"So, it will be very interesting to snatch someone from Xiao Huaijin's territory."
The tea leaves in the teacup floated up and down. As he looked at them, he slowly chuckled.
The return time was set for two days later. After Liu Buwang was buried, He Yan, Xiao Jue, and the others set off to return to the Liangzhou Guard.
Coming to Jiyang this time, there were many happy things, but there were also many sad things. The most regretful thing was that they had to part forever after reuniting with an old friend.
He Yan became unusually silent and slowly packed her luggage in the room. Actually, He Yan didn't have many clothes to begin with. Lin Shuanghe had paid for the women's clothes at the embroidery workshop in Jiyang for her, so he couldn't bring them back. As a "man," if she carried women's clothes with her, she would probably be looked at strangely by others.
Therefore, He Yan kept all the clothes, jewelry, and shoes and gave them to Cui Yuezhi's four concubines. It was just that when she was packing, she looked at them and felt a little reluctant. It was probably because she had been a woman for too long, so she was really not used to being a man again.
There was also a dough figurine under her pillow. The dough figurine was not as colorful as when it was first made. It was a little dim, and the dough was gradually drying up. There were even traces of drying and cracking. He Yan picked it up and looked at it carefully in front of his eyes.
During the Water God Festival, Xiao Jue and she were on the Firefly Boat on the way to the Falling Firefly Spring. They saw a peddler who made dough figurines on the water and made one that looked like her. Her long hair was tied into a small braid in front of her forehead and hung down behind her head. She was wearing a red dress and black boots. Yan Yan smiled and looked like a stranger, but it also looked like her.
She knew from the beginning that she couldn't bring this thing back to the Liangzhou Guards after buying it. However, He Yan couldn't bear to leave it here. It was as if wherever the dough figurine existed was where her memories existed. If she left it here, she would be abandoning her memories of Jiyang.
However, she wasn't willing to give up the sad or happy memories.
"You don't want to bring it back?" Xiao Jue sat in front of the table and glanced at her.
He Yan sighed. "I'm afraid that the Liangzhou Guards will find out if I bring it back. It won't be good if the cat is out of the bag."
Xiao Jue's mouth twitched. "Aren't you very good at lying? Why can't you even find an excuse?"
He Yan thought that everything else was fine, but when it came to hiding her identity, from her previous life to this life, she had been very careful. After all, an ant's nest could destroy a thousand-mile dike. One careless move and the whole game would be lost. It was better to be careful.
"It's better to be safe than sorry." As she spoke, she gripped the dough figurine's wooden stick tightly in her hand, unwilling to let go.
Xiao Jue sneered. "You can say that you're buying it for your fiancée."
He Yan was stunned and looked at him. "Is that okay?"
"You're not a pure and innocent person. You're so infatuated with your fiancée. Naturally, you'll think of her wherever you go. What's wrong with buying a commemorative dough figurine as a gift? "
His words reminded He Yan that she was right. She seemed to be someone who had a "fiancée". For a moment, he felt that Xiao Jue's reason made a lot of sense. She picked up the dough figurine and put it into her bag. Then, she praised Xiao Jue. "Commander in chief, I just realized that you're a real expert at lying."
Xiao Jue put down the military book in her hand and looked at her with raised eyebrows.
"I was just saying. Don't take it to heart." He Yan sighed. "It's just that I've been in Jiyang for too long. I'm a little reluctant to go back to the Liangzhou Garrison."
It was natural for the simple and honest people to feel sentimental when they came to such a gentle water town. She didn't know if she would have the chance to come here again in this lifetime. Even if she did, she didn't know how many years it would be.
"Do you want to stay?" Xiao Jue asked.
He Yan nodded, then shook her head. "No. I like it here, but there are more important things to do."
If she didn't have the grudges from her previous life and simply used the identity of "He Yan", she would naturally be more than happy to be able to stay here for a long time. However, she still had grudges to settle. No matter how beautiful the scenery was, she couldn't stay here. She had to keep moving forward.
"Are you talking about making contributions?" His voice carried a hint of mockery.
He Yan smiled. "You can say that. However, Commander in chief, you promised me that as long as I follow you to Jiyang City, you'll let me join the Southern Prefecture Army. You still keep your promise. "
Xiao Jue said, "I keep my promise."
He Yan was happy. At least she was a little closer to her goal.
Xiao Jue lowered her eyes to hide the deep meaning in her eyes. When she raised her head again, her expression had returned to normal. Just as she was about to speak, someone knocked on the door. It was Cui Jiao's voice. "Madam."
"Come in."
Cui Jiao walked in with a neatly folded set of clothes in her hands. She first glanced at Xiao Jue with a troubled expression.
"What's wrong?" He Yan asked.
"Fourth Young Master Chu from next door … asked me to return this set of clothes to you. He said that it was thanks to Madam's clothes that he was able to escape unscathed. He is very grateful."
He Yan remembered that when Chu Zhao had returned Mu Hongjin's clothes for her, He Yan had given him the mermaid dress that was "invulnerable to swords and spears and impervious to fire and water". He had asked him to wear it as armor. If he hadn't asked Cui Jiao to return it, He Yan would have forgotten about it.
He Yan took the mermaid dress and thought for a moment before putting it on the table. She was also a girl when she returned to the Liangzhou Guards. She had no use for this dress. It would be better to leave it for Cui Yuezhi's concubines.
As soon as he put it down, he met Xiao Jue's cold eyes.
The young man tilted his head to look at her and calmly said, "You gave the clothes I bought to Chu Zilan?"
"You didn't buy it," He Yan said honestly. "Didn't Brother Lin pay for it?"
Xiao Jue's expression was indifferent.
He Yan realized that this person was angry. Thinking about it, he and Chu Zilan were sworn enemies. Yet, she had given Chu Zilan something that he had chosen. Naturally, he would be unhappy.
She thought for a moment and took the initiative to explain, "At that time, I asked Cui Jiao to give me the clothes for Her Highness. Brother Chu was afraid that something would happen to Cui Jiao, a young girl, so he came to give it to her himself. I saw that he was a big man who didn't even have the strength to truss a chicken. If he met a Uto by the side of the canal, he would be killed in two slashes. Didn't the shop assistant at the embroidery workshop say that this dress is invulnerable to swords and spears and impervious to fire and water? I have armor, so I gave this dress to him as armor. "
He Yan had forgotten that this dress was for women. If she gave it to Chu Zilan, Chu Zilan probably wouldn't wear it.
"Brother Chu?" Xiao Jue slowly asked.
He Yan took a step back. He knew that he had said something wrong again. "Fourth Young Master Chu, Fourth Young Master Chu."
He sneered. "I see that you and Chu Zilan are very close."
"No, we're not very close." He Yan said seriously. "We just met by chance. We won't see each other again in the future."
"Let me remind you again." The young man's eyebrows were slightly impatient. His voice was cold. "You can like anyone, but if you like Chu Zilan, you're courting death."
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