Shen Shiyun used Chu Menglin as bait in an attempt to lure the snake out of its hole. Sure enough, Jiang Liechen was right. The Hierarch regarded the theft of the Afterimage Sword as a great shame and humiliation, so he kept it a secret. There was no such rumor in Jianghu, so naturally Shen Shiyun did not know about it either.
This matter could be traced back to the day when Zheng Ying first presented the blueprint. At that time, Shen Shiyun pretended to be indifferent, but after Zheng Ying left, he studied the blueprint over and over again in private, but he could not figure out the mystery behind it. Many of the Wulin seniors received Li Yijie's messenger pigeons, and they all set out to meet him. Li Yijie then went to meet him.
Shen Shiyun only used his identity as the 'Wulin Alliance Leader' as a signboard, but she did not have any hope for his eloquence. She thought, "Li Qingjia is honest, considerate, and considerate. His point of view is very easy to change, so he is not suitable to be a lobbyist. In the future, I will have to personally persuade him to surrender. Presumably, the elders' temperament is not as extreme as the young people's, they are easy to obey. Relying on their status and reputation, every person I can draw to my side is one more person I can rely on. Relying on this, why should I worry about not accomplishing big things? "
On the other hand, Hu Wei was sent to reward De Sheng's birthday gift, and since then she had lost contact with him. Even with Shen Shiyun's network in the Palace, she still could not find any information about him. After her initial anger subsided, she gradually became worried. Most of her secrets had been told to Hu Wei. Every time she had a task, she only needed to give him a few simple instructions. There was a kind of tacit understanding between master and servant. When he was here, she did not feel anything. Now that he was missing, it would be inconvenient to find someone else to do the task. It would take a long time to train a new trusted aide.
Although Luo Jin was also not a trusted aide, her identity outside was a palace maid. Many plans could only be discussed together, but she could not be sent to do it. For example, going to the distant Dongjing Mausoleum to track and investigate. She could not explain in detail to others, so she could not find anyone. A few days later, while chatting with Fulin, she accidentally learned that Deshou was killed in his mansion, and his face was also cruelly skinned. Fulin said indignantly, "How dare you kill someone in front of the Emperor! You're treating me like nothing! Zhen has already ordered the investigation to be carried out. We must get to the bottom of this! Punish the murderer severely and comfort Deshou's soul in heaven. "
Shen Shiyun was probing carefully on the side, asking if there were any clues left at the scene. Fulin said, "No, the murderer is very cunning, he didn't leave any clues. Apart from Deshou's corpse, we didn't find any trace of a second person in the mansion. "
Shen Shiyun was half happy and half worried; he mused, "Peeling people's faces, that sounds like something Hu Weihui would do. But why did he want to kill Deshou? Could it be that the old man changed his mind at the last moment and was not satisfied with the reward, so Hu Wei acted on his own initiative and killed him to silence him? Or are you afraid of being exposed and running away? " But although she was intelligent and meticulous, she did not know about the dispute between Dodo and Deshou, and did not suspect him either. It was not easy to send someone to investigate in secret, in case that person's mouth was not tight enough and the matter was publicized, it would appear that she was too enthusiastic about this matter. Even if it was to curry favor with the Emperor, it would certainly arouse suspicion. Moreover, Hu Wei's disappearance, whether he was alive or dead, his corpse was nowhere to be found; it was a sore point in her heart, which only multiplied her anxiety.
After several days of anxiety, suddenly an unfamiliar eunuch came to see her. As soon as he entered the Hall, he asked the servants to leave, hinting that he had an important matter to report. Shen Shiyun waved her hand to signal the servants to leave. After the servants left, the eunuch looked around again, and then lowered his voice and said, "Thanks to Niangniang and Hu Daren's great fortune, your servant and a soldier Dage have recently captured a wanted criminal. We don't know how to deal with him, so we came to ask Niangniang's instruction." Shen Shiyun was surprised, "Dealing with criminals has always been handled by the Ministry of Justice, what does it have to do with me?"
The eunuch mysteriously said, "But, Niangniang specifically asked for a wanted criminal. If you don't care, your servant will have to report this matter to the higher-ups. "While saying that, he cupped his fist toward the sky. Shen Shiyun muttered to herself, "Ben Gong personally appointed a wanted criminal …" In that instant she thought of someone, even her breathing quickened. She anxiously said, "This wanted criminal … where is he now?"
The eunuch said, "He is being held in the woodshed where Lord Li used to live." Shen Shiyun quickly stood up and said, "Very well, you take Ben Gong there immediately." There was a slight tremble in her voice. "Yes," the eunuch replied. He went out of the Hall to inspect the surroundings, and after confirming that there was no ambush nearby, he turned around and led Shen Shiyun all the way to the woodshed stealthily. He gently pushed the door open and saw a young girl dressed in purple was kneeling on the ground, her hands were tied behind her back with thick rope. Her hair was disheveled, her face was dirty, and there was a ball of hemp stuffed in her mouth. The eunuch reported in a low voice, "Niangniang, it is her. She is the daughter of the Devil Cult's Hierarch."
Shen Shiyun felt a strong sense of disappointment in her heart, but it was only after a while that she felt relieved. She said in her heart, "I really don't use my brain. If Jiang Liechen was really that useless, he would have been easily dealt with by my useless subordinates. How could he be worthy of being Ben Gong's lifelong enemy?" While laughing at her own stupidity, she stared at the young girl and said in her heart, "That day she was also involved in the murder and burning of my manor. She is also an enemy who cannot live under the same sky with me. Since I can't catch Jiang Liechen, I'll use her as an example to establish my prestige. It's also a good thing." She turned to the eunuch and said, "You leave first. Ben Gong wants to talk to her alone." When he reached the door, she said again, "This time you have rendered a great service. Ben Gong will not forget your benefits. When the time comes, whatever reward you want, feel free to mention it."
The eunuch said, "Many thanks for Niangniang's grace." He bowed and left, not forgetting to close the door behind him.
Shen Shiyun began to circle around the young girl. She coldly said, "Chu Menglin, you didn't expect that you would have such a day, did you? You can't blame Ben Gong for not considering our friendship. That day you entered the palace to assassinate me, did you consider our old friendship? " She took a deep breath and said, "That's not right. You and I have been enemies for a long time. Even if you didn't take the initiative to make trouble for me, I still wouldn't let you off. You delivered yourself to Ben Gong's door, which is exactly what Ben Gong wants. " She took out a dagger from her sleeve and pressed it against the young girl's throat. She said, "Today I will use your blood to wash away my family's resentment!"
The young girl's eyes were filled with grief. Strings of tears continuously dripped from the corners of her eyes. Her eyes were filled with grief. She made muffled noises with her mouth. Her body twisted with all her might, as if she had thousands of words to say. Looking at her cowardly appearance, Shen Shiyun was even more pleased with her vengeance. She sneered and said, "Very well, let's hear your last words." She flicked the dagger and removed the lump of hemp in her mouth. The young girl immediately cried out in grief, "I'm not some Chu Menglin! Let me go! You've got the wrong person! "
Shen Shiyun disdainfully said, "Turns out you're just a coward who's greedy for life and afraid of death. If you want to beg for mercy, you should find a more decent excuse. Fabricating this kind of ridiculous excuse isn't that ridiculous. "
The young girl cried and said, "I'm really not the person you're looking for. I've never seen you before. Father's upbringing is extremely strict. I usually don't go out of the house, I don't take a step out of the house. I stay at home and behave myself. How could I incur your hatred for no reason?" Shen Shiyun only sneered. The young girl continued, "I … I'm called Chen Xiangxiang. I'm the daughter of the richest man in the city, Chen Weishang. As long as you send someone to deliver a message, my father will definitely pay the ransom, not a single coin less. I beg you, please don't hurt me. My family lives at … "
"What a joke," Shen Shiyun said, "You think we're bandits who kidnap and extort money? Bengong is a dignified imperial concubine. I can take as much money as I want from the national treasury. You dare to flaunt your wealth in front of me? Do you think I care about your family's bits and pieces? " But if she answered like that, it would seem like she really believed she was the daughter of the richest man. With a cold laugh she corrected herself and said, "Enough, don't use flowery speech in front of me. Bengong has long engraved your appearance in my mind. Even if you're burned to ashes, I'll still recognize you. How could I be mistaken? "
Chen Xiangxiang cried and said, "You … you're talking about my appearance? You people are too overbearing. Earlier you forced a man to shave his head. Now you even want to interfere with a woman's appearance? "A light flashed in her mind, as if she had seen a glimmer of hope in the darkness. She hastily said," That's right, voice! Different people's voices are always different. Don't tell me you can't tell from my voice whether it's real or fake? "
Shen Shiyun was ashamed inwardly, "I was so eager to take revenge that I overlooked such an obvious feature!" Actually, when she saw that the young girl only knew how to weep endlessly, her temperament was completely that of a pretty girl from a humble family. She really didn't look like Chu Menglin at all. She already had her suspicions. But since she wanted to save her face, she put on a straight face and said, "Do you think you're the only smart person in the world, and everyone else is a fool? Bengong can't tell the difference between voices? But the two of you look exactly the same. If you're twin sisters, then the 'Miss of the Demonic Cult' is not wrong to label you. "
Chen Xiangxiang cried and said, "This … this is not Bengong's original appearance. A young master … helped me … helped me dress up …" Although she was in a dangerous situation, as soon as she mentioned her sweetheart, her face and ears still blushed, and her eyes were shy.
Shen Shiyun said in her heart, "Helped you change your appearance? He … humph, he wouldn't be that senseless. Could it be that Chu Menglin came up with this rotten idea himself? "She pursued," What kind of young master? His appearance … his appearance is very similar to your current appearance? " Chen Xiangxiang said, "Bengong has never seen my face after the makeup, but at that time I had a female companion who was traveling with me. She said it was very good …"
Shen Shiyun took out the bronze mirror she always carried with her and impatiently held it in front of her. Chen Xiangxiang took a glance, her face showed a bewildered expression. She cried out involuntarily, "This … I … I've seen this face before!" Saying this kind of thing in front of a mirror was actually very funny, but Shen Shiyun's face was cold from beginning to end, without the slightest trace of a smile. She asked, "Did you see it clearly? Is it really him?"
Chen Xiangxiang cried out, "No, it doesn't look like him! But … he also helped my female companion dress up. This face … it's exactly the same as hers! How could it be like this? How could it be like this … "She was still puzzled, but Shen Shiyun had already figured out the crux of the matter," It turns out that Chu Menglin created a large number of doppelgangers in the capital while she disguised herself as a man to confuse the officials' line of sight and evade capture. She played this trick quite well. " Hearing that Chen Xiangxiang was still muttering to herself, she coldly interrupted, "Let me tell you, your so-called young master lied to you. He helped you dress up in order to disguise you as someone else, so that you can be his scapegoat. If bengong's guess is correct, there must be a lot of innocent women in the city who have met with misfortune. "
Chen Xiangxiang cried out, "No, young master wouldn't lie to me! He said that he only likes me and will treat me well wholeheartedly! " Shen Shiyun sneered, "Alright, bengong will let you see what kind of plaything the young master you've been longing for is!" She took out the square wanted notice from her bosom, opened it, and threw it in front of her. She shouted, "Have you studied before? Do you know how to read? "
Chen Xiangxiang didn't answer and shrunk her head to take a look. Shen Shiyun gloated from the side and explained, "Your young master is a wanted criminal of the imperial court, and he was originally a woman. He not only deceived your love, but also deceived you into giving up your life for him. At this moment, if you can repent and cooperate with bengong to put on a show to capture this thief, both sides will benefit. If you continue to be stubborn, only death will await you! "Chen Xiangxiang wept and said," No, I will never betray young master. " At this moment, her heart was as disheartened as death. She said that she "believed in young master" because she wanted to preserve her last bit of dignity.
Seeing her resolute attitude, Shen Shiyun knew that her plan would fail. She angrily said, "Then you can wait for your death! Bengong will present a memorial to the Emperor today to put you in a prisoner carriage and parade you through the streets. It will be best if you can lure the Devil Cult's traitor into a trap. Then, you will be considered loyal to the country and die honorably! I will let you go to the Yellow Springs in the name of Chu Menglin. Your infatuation won't be in vain! "
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