The night slowly descended.
The mountain wasn't like Prince Jing's estate. As soon as the sky darkened, lanterns would be lit everywhere, illuminating the surroundings. As soon as the sky darkened, the surroundings also darkened. The sounds of insects could be heard in the grass, and stars filled the sky.
However, the sound of horse hooves could also be heard in the forest.
Jiang Suzhou naturally didn't have as good hearing as Huo Wujiu. He only felt that the surroundings were quiet. The only sounds that could be heard were the gurgling of water and the sounds of insects in the grass.
He chatted with Huo Wujiu casually. It was all unimportant gossip, but it made the corners of Jiang Suzhou's lips curl up involuntarily. It was as if this kind of boring wait was interesting to him.
He thought to himself that it was probably because this was something he never dared to think about.
As a student of history, how could he dare to imagine that one day he would be able to talk face to face with a person from a thousand years ago? That great hero, whose name was recorded in the annals of history, was now sitting next to him, talking about things like how his father, Marquis Huo, relied heavily on the knowledgeable military counselor next to him, but he himself couldn't recognize all the words, and would doze off after reading a few books.
Jiang Suzhou slowly raised his eyes.
In the soft night wind, the stars in the sky were reflected in his eyes.
It was very beautiful.
He wanted to turn his head to look at Huo Wujiu, but for some reason, he suddenly felt a sense of fear. He had clearly seen this person so many times that he had long been imprinted in his mind, but now he didn't dare to look directly at him.
It was as if if he looked at him too much, he would say something that he shouldn't say or do something irrational.
He raised his eyes and quietly looked at the stars in the sky, listening to Huo Wujiu's lazy voice next to him.
However, at this moment, Huo Wujiu slowly stopped talking and didn't say anything.
Jiang Suizhou turned his head around belatedly and saw Huo Wujiu's side profile that was gradually turning cold in the night.
Jiang Suizhou hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?"
Huo Wujiu stood up and said in a low voice, "Someone's here."
As he spoke, he looked around to make sure there was no trace of a second person. Then, he whispered to Jiang Suizhou, "Just follow what I told you today. You won't be exposed."
Jiang Suzhou hurriedly responded.
Huo Wujiu raised his head and looked over. Sure enough, in the far distance, sparks of light gradually lit up. It should be the Imperial Bodyguards who had come to search for someone.
"They have a lot of people and they're in public. They won't do anything to you," he said.
Jiang Suizhou said, "Then you …"
"I'll go back and wait for you," Huo Wujiu said in a low voice.
Jiang Suzhou looked at him nervously and nodded.
Huo Wujiu picked up his sword from the ground and handed it to him, saying, "Put this away. I'm leaving."
Jiang Suzhou grunted in acknowledgment. He held the sword in his hand but didn't move. His eyes seemed to want to look away but didn't succeed. He only raised his head and looked at him. For a moment, he seemed to be a little impatient.
Huo Wujiu's legs, which were used to using qinggong, seemed to be a little heavy.
He paused and bent down. He put his hand on the back of Jiang Suzhou's neck and gently squeezed it.
"Don't be afraid," he said.
Then, without waiting for Jiang Suzhou to nod, he raised his head and looked into the forest. With a tap of his foot, he turned into a black shadow and disappeared in another direction.
Jiang Suzhou looked in that direction for a moment before coming back to his senses.
Huo Wujiu had always been efficient and careful in his work. At this moment, there wasn't a single trace of him around. No one would believe that there was another person here.
If it weren't for the warmth of Huo Wujiu's hand on the back of his neck, even Jiang Suzhou would have this illusion.
He didn't know why he felt a sense of loss in his heart. It was inexplicable. It was clear that the two of them would meet again soon.
But …
He raised his head and looked at the stars in the sky.
There was no moon tonight, so the stars were especially bright.
But they were just stars. They were the same for a thousand or two thousand years. There wasn't much to see.
Jiang Suzhou looked away with disinterest. He raised his head and looked at the approaching flames and shouts in the forest.
— —
Ji Hongcheng admitted that he hated Imperial Prince Jing very much.
He followed General Lou and often went to Yang Pass with General Lou. It could be said that he had a very deep friendship with the old Marquis Huo. The old Marquis was a righteous and straightforward person. His only son, Huo Wujiu, was a genius. It couldn't be said that he didn't have deep feelings for the Huo family.
However, he and General Lou were the same. They were just outsiders to the Huo family's rebellion. In terms of feelings, they were close friends with the Huo family. However, the grudges with the imperial court were the Huo family's internal affairs. Logically speaking, they were officials of the Jing dynasty. As officials, especially generals, being disloyal to the emperor was the biggest taboo.
Therefore, he and General Lou didn't participate in the Huo family's rebellion. However, they felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Especially in recent years, the imperial court had become increasingly muddle-headed, especially in the years when Pang Shao was in power. Anyone with a discerning eye could see this. Beiliang's momentum was as awe-inspiring as the rising sun, while Nanjing's imperial court was rotten to the core.
And this was all that Ji Hongcheng could tolerate.
However, the only son left behind by the old Marquis Huo was defeated and captured. The emperor was absurd. He didn't kill him or imprison him. Instead, he married him to that vicious and perverted Imperial Prince Jing as a concubine.
It was absurd and humiliating. It made Ji Hongcheng feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.
It was also because of this that he hated Imperial Prince Jing. He especially hated his smug face when he humiliated Huo Wujiu. Therefore, a few months ago, he had brazenly sent a letter to Imperial Prince Jing's estate. The letter didn't have many important words, but it was all cursing Imperial Prince Jing.
However …
He didn't hate Imperial Prince Jing that much.
Perhaps it was because Huo Wujiu had the opportunity to reply to him at the palace banquet that day. This made him realize that the letter had actually been sent to Huo Wujiu. This made him feel less disgusted with Imperial Prince Jing.
Naturally, he didn't want Imperial Prince Jing to die.
However, after hearing about the cause and effect of Imperial Prince Jing's disappearance, Ji Hongcheng felt uncertain.
Imperial Prince Jing's skin was so thin that it could be blown away by a gust of wind. He was carried into the forest by a crazy horse and didn't come out for an entire day. It would be lucky if his corpse was left intact.
Ji Hongcheng's mood was somewhat heavy. However, since the order was given to him, he naturally wanted to see Imperial Prince Jing if he was alive or dead. Even if Imperial Prince Jing was dead, he had to find his corpse.
However, he didn't expect that …
This Imperial Prince Jing was actually so lucky.
He led his men to search from dusk until late at night. Finally, they found Imperial Prince Jing by a stream in the forest.
Imperial Prince Jing had sprained his ankle and was sitting there unable to move. When he saw them, his face darkened and he asked them why they were so late.
Ji Hongcheng, on the other hand, was only surprised.
This Imperial Prince Jing … only suffered some minor injuries?
He looked at Prince Jing from head to toe and then stood there stupidly on his horse, staring straight at him.
Jiang Suizhou was somewhat speechless.
He had been somewhat nervous earlier, but he only relaxed when he saw Ji Hongcheng.
This person wasn't a member of the Pang Faction. Even if he hated him to the core, he definitely wouldn't kill him on the spot and throw his corpse into the wilderness.
It was obvious that his successor and Pang Shao had already determined that he would die here today.
However, although Ji Hongcheng was a good person, he was a bit too simple-minded. He stared blankly at Jiang Suizhou, almost unable to maintain his crafty appearance.
The man was dumbfounded. "How are you still alive?" was written all over his dark and ugly face that resembled Zhong Kui's portrait.
Jiang Suizhou sighed inwardly.
"Lord Ji." He looked coldly at Ji Hongcheng and reminded him. "Are you disappointed that this prince didn't die?"
Ji Hongcheng finally regained his composure.
He didn't admit it, but he didn't deny it either. After all, although he didn't want Jiang Suizhou to die, he didn't really like him that much.
"Imperial Prince Jing must be joking." He cupped his hands slightly on the horse, his expression extremely arrogant. "This subject is under imperial orders to invite Your Highness back to the camp. Servants, why aren't you helping His Highness onto the horse? "
It was only then that Jiang Suizhou was helped onto the horse by the surrounding imperial bodyguards, and was slowly carried back the entire way.
At this moment, the palace garden in the mountains was filled with a joyous atmosphere.
The inconsiderate Ji Hongcheng was sent to collect Imperial Prince Jing's corpse, so the winner was still the emperor. No one mentioned Ji Hongcheng, as if he didn't exist. At this time, the banquet was filled with delicacies, and everyone was toasting each other to celebrate the emperor's harvest today.
The Lord and Pang Shao, as well as those who were in the know, knew that there was another meaning behind this joy.
The thorn in the emperor's side had finally been removed.
His Highness was happy, and Pang Shao was also happy, so he couldn't help but drink a few more cups. After eating and drinking to his heart's content, his Highness leaned into the arms of a beautiful woman and looked at the night sky outside the hall with drunken eyes. A smile appeared on his face.
The imperial exam liked that enchantress so much, so he sent her to accompany him in the afterlife. Their family couldn't not be reunited, so today he sent their favorite child to accompany him in the afterlife.
His Highness smiled and drank another cup in drunkenness.
But at this time, he saw the crowd gradually appear in the night sky.
Gradually, the lively hall quieted down.
Everyone looked outside the door.
They saw Imperial Prince Jing limping up the long stairs with the help of a servant beside him. Ji Hongcheng followed behind him, and his extremely dark face was full of joy, as if he was waiting for a reward.
Everyone watched as Imperial Prince Jing walked in. His clothes were torn and covered in dust, and he looked extremely disheveled, but he was full of energy.
He stopped in the middle of the hall and bowed to his Highness.
"I'm late. Please forgive me, Imperial Brother," he said.
Pang Shao's expression changed greatly, and the golden cup in his Highness' hand fell to the ground with a clang.
— —
Pang Shao didn't care about anything else. He said to change his clothes, got up, and left the hall.
Outside the hall, his servant stood in the shadows, trembling with fear, waiting for him to ask questions.
"How could this be?!" Pang Shao lowered his voice and asked sternly with his eyes wide open.
That servant hurriedly said, "Master, this servant doesn't know either! Imperial Prince Jing did go in that direction. This servant sent a few more people just in case, including Tang Gui! But … "
"But what?" Pang Shao gritted his teeth. "But Imperial Prince Jing came back unscathed?"
That servant said in a trembling voice, "And … the people we sent, including Tang Gui … didn't come back."
There was a moment of terrifying silence.
"Tang Gui didn't come back either?" Pang Shao's voice gradually calmed down, but it made one's hair stand on end.
That servant didn't dare to speak.
These years, his Highness had to eliminate dissidents, and there were some things that couldn't be done openly. His Highness had spent so much effort and money to train these assassins.
Among them, Tang Gui was the most outstanding one, and his Highness was the most capable one.
But now, even Tang Gui …
"Good." He heard Pang Shao gnashing his teeth.
That servant hurriedly looked up and saw his Highness standing in the shadows outside the hall, his face so dark that it looked like it could drip water.
"It's Jiang Suizhou who has the ability," Pang Shao said.
"Send people quickly, immediately. Send one group to the forest to find traces and corpses. The other group … "
Pang Shao raised his eyes and looked into the hall.
He saw that the lights were bright and warm, and it was splendid, like a celestial palace. Imperial Prince Jing was standing there, his back slender. Although his clothes were messy, his aura was like that of a celestial being.
Pang Shao sneered.
"While he's here, immediately send someone to follow me to his courtyard. Today, I must find out the reason from him."
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