In the prison, Xu Jingfu sat quietly.
When he first entered, the jailers were very respectful to him and did not dare to slight him. Although he was shocked by Xiao Huaijin's swift and decisive methods, he was not anxious. Chu Zhao was outside, and Emperor Wenxuan was gentle. Even if he could not escape unscathed, he could at least slowly turn the tables.
However, recently, the jailers' attitude towards him had gradually changed.
Xu Jingfu was a person who had been in the imperial court for so many years. Sometimes, he could tell a person's situation had changed just by looking at their eyes. These days, no one came to visit him, so he had no way of knowing the situation outside. Xu Jingfu did not care about himself, but he did not know how Xu Pingting and Madam Xu were doing. Xu Pingting had been spoiled since birth and had not experienced much hardship. He did not know how Emperor Wenxuan was dealing with them.
Xu Jingfu did not show it on his face, but he was already anxious.
The Crown Prince of the Guang Yan was not very useful, and because of the Uto incident, he was estranged from him. He probably did not dare to say anything now. When he thought of this, Xu Jingfu was secretly disdainful. If it were not for the fact that there was no one in the imperial court, he would not support this idiot Guang Yan. However, it had been so long. Could it be that Chu Zhao still had not thought of a way? Or could it be that Chu Zhao was also in trouble now?
Xu Jingfu was getting a little irritated. The longer he stayed in prison, the worse it was for him. He did not know what Xiao Jue had done, and Emperor Wenxuan … no matter how benevolent he was, he was still an emperor. When he was not around, the other officials would teach the emperor what to do.
There would always be people who wanted to drag him down. He had to think of another way. However, the most important thing now was to see his people first.
Xu Jingfu was thinking when his vision blurred. He seemed to see someone flash past the dark corner of the prison cell. When he looked again, there was nothing.
It was snowing outside, and the jailers were squatting at the door of the cell drinking. The alcohol temporarily dispelled the cold, and the chatter and laughter gradually died down. The torches burning on the wall quietly emitted a faint light. There seemed to be a small crackling sound in the fire, like the sound of burning things. Gradually, the sound became indistinct. After a long time, a scream pierced through the night sky.
"It's on fire! There was a fire! There's a fire in the prison! "
"Quick, put out the fire!"
The smoke made people's throats itch, and the raging fire burned in an instant. Everyone was talking at once, and there were sounds of people splashing water to put out the fire. There were also people's voices, accompanied by the sounds of swords clashing, "Help! Someone is trying to break out of prison! "
"Prime Minister Xu has been kidnapped!"
The carriage stopped at some point, and Xu Jingfu was pushed into a courtyard. It looked like a farm in the wilderness, and there were no other houses around. As soon as he entered, Xu Jingfu coughed.
He was old and couldn't withstand such torment. Half of his beard was burned off by the fire, and his clothes were blackened by the fire. He looked particularly miserable. There was no one else in the room. There was tea and food on the table, and it looked quite exquisite. He didn't touch it.
At any time, it was always good to be cautious.
When he came, he had already asked the people around him who had rescued him from prison, but no one answered his question. Xu Jingfu was also uneasy. After sitting for a while, there was a sound by the door, and someone came in.
Xu Jingfu looked up. The person who came in was wearing a light green robe, and was as gentle as an orchid. When he saw him, he called softly, "Teacher."
"Zilan?" Xu Jingfu was happy at first, but then he frowned. "What's going on?"
Chu Zilan closed the door.
"Teacher, you don't know, but Xiao Huaijin has found the witness for the Mingshui case."
Xu Jingfu's heart skipped a beat, but he wasn't too surprised. His people had been looking for the whereabouts of the Luo brothers. They clearly had clues, but they suddenly disappeared from the face of the earth. At that time, Xu Jingfu had already begun to suspect that Xiao Jue was behind it. However, Xiao Jue did things secretly, and he hadn't been able to find any evidence against him. Now that he was in prison because of He Rufei, Xiao Huaijin would definitely not let go of this opportunity. Xiao Jue had never forgotten about the Mingshui case. Sooner or later, it would be brought out for a retrial.
"Just the witness is not enough to convict him."
Chu Zilan sighed. "There are many courtiers who add insult to injury."
Xu Jingfu could only sneer.
After being in this position for so many years, he certainly knew that sometimes victory or defeat could be decided in an instant. In the past, when he suppressed the old subordinates left behind by Xiao Zhongwu, he took advantage of the Mingshui case. Every dog has its day. Now that he was in trouble, his opponent certainly wouldn't be merciful.
"You mean, you think that the Xu family can't make a comeback?" Xu Jingfu looked at Chu Zhao, and there was a hint of displeasure in his tone. "When I was in prison, this is the method you came up with? Taking advantage of the situation? " At this point, Xu Jingfu was a little angry. "Do you know that if you do this, the Emperor will only be more biased towards Xiao Huaijin? You're not helping at all."
"Teacher," Chu Zilan stood beside him and shook his head. "This student has no other way."
Xu Jingfu took a deep breath. "You've always been smart. Why did you choose such a stupid method this time? Why did you rescue me from prison? Was it to save my life? My life is saved, but the Xu family can't be saved. There's also Pingting and Madam … You … "
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. But now he couldn't go back by himself. But if he stayed here, people would only say that Xu Jingfu fled for fear of punishment.
"Teacher," Chu Zilan said warmly, "Even if you don't rescue the prison, the Xu family can't be saved. Xiao Huaijin won't give the Xu family a chance to make a comeback. The Fourth Prince has already made his move. "
"But you've made a bad move! You can protect me for a while, but can you protect me for a lifetime? " Xu Jingfu stared at the young man in front of him in exasperation. "You've always been reliable. I've never been at ease with you. Why is it that this time …" His words suddenly stopped.
The person in front of him was his prospective son-in-law, his student, and someone he had watched grow up. He had always been by his side, studying and becoming an official. He was smart, gentle, and well-mannered. He was a truly talented person. In Xu Jingfu's heart, he admired him very much. He didn't have a son of his own, so he groomed Chu Zhao as his successor.
The room was silent for a moment.
"You did it on purpose?" Xu Jingfu asked slowly. His gaze was as vicious as a snake's.
Chu Zhao smiled slightly. "Teacher, we've already reached this point. This is the best way to do it. "
Xu Jingfu's hands trembled slightly.
"I know that you're unwilling to give up and still want to make a comeback. But you're in prison and don't know that the situation outside has already changed." Chu Zhao's voice was still gentle. He continued unhurriedly, "This student greets His Highness the Crown Prince. This is also His Highness the Crown Prince's intention."
"That idiot Guang Yan," Xu Jingfu sneered. "How could he think of abandoning the rook to save the king? I think it was you." He stared at Chu Zhao's face. "You were the one who suggested it, right? Wow, Chu Zilan, you've been by my side for so long, but I didn't realize that I've raised a poisonous snake by my side."
"Didn't I learn this from you?" Chu Zhao was not angry. He said calmly, "It's because you taught me well."
Xu Jingfu had been in the officialdom for many years. This was the first time he experienced the feeling of being angered to the point of vomiting blood. Back then, when he was at daggers drawn with Xiao Zhongwu, he was not as angry as he was now.
Xu Jingfu understood Chu Zhao's intention. He was afraid that the prison break was fake. He wanted to make it seem as if he had secretly colluded with others to escape punishment. Then, his student would make a move and put justice before family. This would not only show that Chu Zhao was loyal to the emperor and patriotism, but also wash away the possibility of him colluding with him. He would also get rid of himself, a big problem. Xu Jingfu still had a lot of evidence left by Chu Zhao that was enough to destroy him.
More importantly, with Xu Jingfu's death, the original Chu Zhao's clique would seek protection. If Chu Zhao could get out of this case, all the connections he had left behind would belong to Chu Zhao.
He did not have a son. He liked Chu Zhao's temperament and talent and wanted to cultivate him as one of his own. He did not expect Chu Zhao to hide so deeply. It was as if … he was going to die?
Xu Jingfu suddenly felt a wave of nausea.
"Chu Zilan," Xu Jingfu called Chu Zhao by his name, "I feel that I have treated you well. If I did not save you back then, you would have died in some courtyard in Count Shi Jin's residence. For so many years, I protected you, helped you enter the officialdom, and arranged everything for you. You actually repay kindness with ingratitude. You … forget your roots and betray justice. You are a villain who repaid kindness with evil! "
"Forget my roots and betray justice? Repaid kindness with evil? " Chu Zhao smiled. He looked at Xu Jingfu and said gently, "Teacher does treat students very well. However, in this kindness, how much sincerity does it contain, and how much is being used, Teacher knows in his heart. There is no need to be too sincere. Otherwise, after a long time, I am afraid that even I will believe it. "
That year at the Xu residence, Xu Jingfu gave him a pair of boots and saved Chu Zhao from Madam Chu's hands. After that, at least on the surface, his three brothers and Madam Chu did not dare to be too presumptuous, and he was able to keep his life. For a period of time, Chu Zhao was really grateful to Xu Jingfu.
Later on, when he gradually grew up, Xu Jingfu arranged for him to become an official. This seemed to be a good thing. A teacher would do his best to make arrangements for a student's future. In this world, not many people could do it.
However, from the first day he became an official, he became Xu Jingfu's chess piece.
Xu Jingfu's students were all over Da Wei. Every student who became an official was his chess piece. Chu Zhao was no different from the other chess pieces. He killed people for Xu Jingfu, unjustly accused, and won over people's hearts … he did everything. With Xu Jingfu behind him, he was in front of others. He was a target in front of others, and he was always attacked in the dark.
Once, he accidentally heard Xu Jingfu talking to a servant.
"Fourth Young Master Chu is going to attend the banquet. I am afraid it will be dangerous. Sir, why don't you … "
"Young people have to grow up in danger." His teacher smiled and said, "If he is not even willing to sacrifice his life, what is the point of raising him for so long?"
Chu Zhao later understood that he was Xu Jingfu's dog. He would bite whoever Xu Jingfu wanted him to bite. The person who was bitten hated the dog, not the person who raised the dog.
Did Xu Jingfu not know that going to Jiyang would be dangerous? Of course, he knew. When he was in the Rundu, Xu Jingfu was still wary of him. When Xu Pingting fell in love with him, Xu Jingfu could arrange his marriage on his own. Chu Zhao knew that if Xu Pingting did not like him one day, or even hated him, Xu Jingfu would abandon him without hesitation.
"You played the role of a teacher, and I played the role of a student. After playing the role for so long, I have forgotten why I was chosen as a student."
Xu Jingfu stared at him and said angrily, "… It was because I pitied you!"
"Is that so?" The young man smiled. "Didn't you take me in because you saw that I had nothing and was easy to control?"
He was a pitiful person who was bullied at home by his official mother and brother. He did not know when he would lose his life. He had nothing and had nothing to rely on. Once he received a favor, he would repay it a hundredfold. Once he had the chance, he would do everything he could to climb up.
He was too suitable to be a chess piece.
He was too suitable to be used by others because he had no other choice.
That kind and gentle teacher was just a facade he put on. His calculations and plans were hidden in those soft boots, and he was just waiting for time to slowly pass. Nails would slowly emerge from the boots, and unknowingly, they would stab people until they bled.
But at that time, did he not plan?
He knew that he was going to attend the banquet at Prime Minister Xu's residence. He knew that the clothes Madam Chu made for him were as thin as paper. But he still wore those clothes.
Chu Linfeng brought him to attend the banquet. Did he really not find any time to change out of the boots or at least pull out the nails?
The Xu residence was so big. Why did he have to meet Xu Jingfu?
He was a child who grew up in a brothel. He had seen women use all kinds of tricks to win the favor of men. It was an instinct of all strong people to pity the weak. Using people's sympathy and pity was a skill he learned to protect himself in those years.
Every opportunity did not come easily. Every opportunity must be grasped tightly.
He grasped it and finally changed his fate. Although the path back to his destiny was not very bright, it at least allowed him to live on for so many years.
Xu Jingfu used him, and he used Xu Jingfu. In the end, he and Xu Jingfu were the same kind of people from the beginning.
It was just a pity that he had lost that pair of boots, he thought regretfully. They had really warmed him for many years.
The light in the room swayed slowly. The wind outside was very strong. The windows blocked the wind, and it sounded like the howling of ghosts. The warm candlelight seemed to only make the room colder.
Xu Jingfu looked at him. He looked and looked, and suddenly laughed in a low voice. He said, "Chu Zilan … Wow … You're really good …"
"Teacher." Chu Zilan looked at him, his eyes still gentle. "Like you, it's true that you sympathize with me. It's also true that you want to use me. It's also true that I'm grateful to you. It's also true that I want to kill you." He took a step back, and the outline of his face became clear under the light. It was clearly a gentle, handsome, and otherworldly face, but it also seemed like he had tasted all the sins of the mortal world, and there was a kind of cold pity. "This student's schemes were all learned from teacher. It's just that … the student has surpassed the master. "
"What a good 'student has surpassed the master'." Xu Jingfu laughed, but his laughter was especially miserable. He asked, "Those outside are all your people … When do you plan to kill me?"
Chu Zhao did not say anything.
"Such decisiveness and heartlessness. You're indeed Xu Jingfu's student!" He suddenly said. "What about Pingting? What are you going to do with her? "
This old official, who had been fierce in the officialdom all his life, finally showed the weakness of an old man at this moment. He looked at Chu Zhao, his eyes even seemed to be pleading. "She really likes you … If you still have half a conscience, don't hurt her!"
"I won't hurt her." After a long time, Chu Zhao said, "As long as she's obedient."
The lights in the room were brightly lit. Someone's voice came from outside. "Fourth Young Master! The pursuers are almost here! "
Chu Zhao looked at Xu Jingfu.
Xu Jingfu looked back at him quietly. His eyes were filled with unwillingness, anger, and resentment. In the end, they sank into a sense of powerlessness.
He was already old. When he dealt with Xiao Zhongwu at the Battle of Mingshui, he should have expected this day to come.
Chu Zhao faced Xu Jingfu, slowly kneeled down, and bowed to Xu Jingfu.
"The Student Union will inherit Teacher's legacy. Teacher, rest in peace."
He stood up and left without looking back. A few people who looked like guards rushed in. The sound of tables and chairs falling over could be heard in the room, accompanied by a low scream.
Chu Zhao stood quietly. The wind blew at the corner of his robe, making his figure look especially thin. It was as if he would fly away with the wind in the next moment. In an instant, he thought back to many years ago. When he was about eleven or twelve years old, he went to Xu Jingfu's residence to celebrate his birthday. Xu Jingfu's students were all older than him. Many of them were already officials, and the gifts they gave were all gold, jade, and jewelry. He was the only one who hesitated for a long time. In the end, he took out a painting from behind his back.
It was a painting of a pine tree. He had stayed up for many days and nights, and the painting was especially serious. He didn't have much money, and he didn't want to ask Chu Linfeng for money. After pondering for a long time, this was the only thing he could take out.
The bones of a crane, the tendons of a pine tree, and the green cypress. At that moment, he really did think so.
However, that was a long, long time ago.
Not long after, two guards came out. One of them had a knife at his waist that had long been dyed red with blood. The blood dripped down to the snow at his feet like blooming plum blossoms.
Chu Zhao took the knife from his hand. The knife was heavy. The man felt it was difficult to carry it. He didn't know how the thin and short girl could wield it so smoothly.
He looked at the saber, grabbed the hilt with a backhand grip, and suddenly stabbed it towards his chest.
"Pfft —"
The tip of the knife sank into his flesh. There was a clear pain, and it seemed to wake him up from his daze. The guard beside him was shocked. "Fourth Young Master!"
He waved his hand with difficulty, pulled the knife out again, and threw it to the ground. He covered his wound with one hand. Blood instantly stained his palm and dyed his robe red.
In the next moment, the sound of soldiers and horses came from outside. He took two steps forward. Finally, his strength gave out and he fell to his knees.
"Fourth Young Master! Fourth Young Master! "
The last thing he saw were bright torches and a large number of soldiers and horses.
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