"What child?" Xiao Shao was slightly startled and immediately asked.
"So you still don't know?" Yuan Chuan pretended to be surprised as he looked at Xiao Shao. Then, as if he had just remembered, he said slowly, "No wonder you don't know, because I also just found out not long ago. Wangfei hid the fact that she was pregnant very well. At that time, no one knew. She even raised a dog and used the name of raising a dog to snatch food from the dog's mouth. This was an unthinkable thing. It was probably for the seed in her belly. But in the end, one corpse and two lives were lost. Tsk tsk, the little heir of your Jinying Wangfu died in his mother's belly before he was born. "
Yuan Chuan's voice had not yet faded when he felt his shoulder blade suddenly dislocate. Xiao Shao did not kill him, but he also did not tolerate him so easily. He was originally a martial artist, and this time, he did not show any mercy. Naturally, he dislocated Yuan Chuan's shoulder blade. Yuan Chuan could not help but scream.
"Third brother …" Mo Cong was somewhat dazed. Yuan Chuan even said this kind of thing. He was very afraid that Xiao Shao would lose his sense of propriety. But Xiao Shao only said coldly, "You are lying."
Yuan Chuan endured the pain and said with a smile, "Xiao Wangye, why deceive yourself? You must not say that wangfei did not die just because you cannot bear the news. My life was finally exchanged for Jiang Ruan and the little heir of Jinying Wangfu. If you want to kill me, do as you please. "
"You want to borrow my hand to commit suicide, but I will not do as you wish." Xiao Shao's gaze was very cold, and his tone was so cold that it could freeze. "You are loyal to Dan Zhen. When Dan Zhen died, you only had revenge left. If you said that your great enmity was avenged, why did you not die? You still had to struggle at death's door to avoid Xuan Li's pursuit. It can be seen that Ah Ruan is still alive, and you are looking for her whereabouts! "
Xiao Shao's words made Yuan Chuan's heart involuntarily jump. Indeed, that day, he had watched Jiang Ruan fall off the cliff. It was a foolproof life, but when he sent people down the mountain to look for the body, they could not find the whereabouts of the body. Then, Xuan Li's people discovered some clues. Qi Man had probably thought that he had succeeded and had betrayed him quickly. Since Xuan Li knew that Jiang Ruan had died in Yuan Chuan's hands, he naturally wanted to kill Yuan Chuan to pay for it with his life. Originally, Yuan Chuan had planned to follow Dan Zhen after killing Jiang Ruan, but now, as long as Jiang Ruan's body was not found, he would not be able to rest easy. He felt that Jiang Ruan still had some tricks up her sleeves. Since he could not confirm Jiang Ruan's death, he could not die so easily at Xuan Li's hands. Thus, he could only evade Xuan Li's pursuit like a stray dog while inquiring about Jiang Ruan's whereabouts.
He didn't expect that Xiao Shao would notice this. Before Xuan Li's men could catch him, Xiao Shao had already caught him. Now that he had been caught by Xiao Shao, there was no chance for him to escape. The only thing he could do now was to disgust Xiao Shao and tell him that Jiang Ruan was already dead. He knew that in the end, Jiang Ruan was pregnant. If Xiao Shao found out that Jiang Ruan was pregnant and had died a violent death, he would probably never be able to let it go in this lifetime. Dan Zhen had followed Xiao Shao for a lifetime, and everything he had done was to imprison Xiao Shao by his side. But in the end, because of this, he had lost his life and was buried in the unfamiliar land of the Great Jin dynasty. Since Yuan Chuan could not confirm whether Jiang Ruan was alive or dead, letting Xiao Shao live in pain, living a lifetime of guilt and self-blame, was also helping Dan Zhen vent his resentment.
His thoughts were not wrong, but he didn't expect that his intentions would be seen through by Xiao Shao. Yuan Chuan raised his head and met Xiao Shao's eyes, which were like cold stars. He only felt that those eyes were very sharp, almost as if they could see through his heart. His heart shook, but he raised his lips and said, "How should I explain this to you clearly? Xiao Wangye seems to understand me very well. But I am still alive not because of Jiang Ruan. There is more than one enemy who killed the Holy Maiden. Jiang Ruan was only the most ruthless one, so naturally, I want to kill her. Since you don't believe me, why don't you ask Her Royal Highness the Princess? That's right, it's the same for Xuan Li. That day, the fire burned down the entire house, and she was burned to death inside. Not even her ashes were left. Isn't this the reason why Xuan Li wants to kill me? Otherwise, as long as Jiang Ruan is still alive, at this moment, why do you think Xuan Li hasn't handed her over to you to make a deal? "
Xiao Shao did not speak, but Yuan Chuan felt the dagger against his throat tremble slightly. Even if it was just a smile, Yuan Chuan could still feel that Xiao Shao was nervous.
This person, Xiao Shao, was rumored to be cold-hearted and cold-hearted, but once such a person had something to worry about, it would be for a lifetime. Dan Zhen liked Xiao Shao, so Yuan Chuan had naturally inquired about Xiao Shao's news. He knew that Xiao Shao had deep feelings for Jiang Ruan. No matter how rational and calm a man was, when faced with the possibility of losing his loved one forever, he would not be indifferent. At the end of the day, Xiao Shao was only an ordinary person. He was not a god, and he also had seven emotions and six desires. Presumably, at this moment, Yuan Chuan's words had caused him to feel apprehensive.
That day, when the fire started, Xuan Li's people had been knocked out by Yuan Chuan's drug, leaving behind only his own people. Qi Man had already cleaned up those people, so when Xuan Li's people woke up, they would only know that Jiang Ruan had died a violent death in the fire. Moreover, the remains that were left behind in the fire were indeed justifiable. In order to avoid Xuan Li's anger, those bodyguards would naturally unanimously separate themselves from the matter. Since Qi Man had said that it was Yuan Chuan who had set the fire, it was equivalent to having a scapegoat. Naturally, they would unanimously point all the blame at Yuan Chuan. Moreover, even if Yuan Chuan died, he would not reveal the fact that Jiang Ruan might still be alive. As long as Xuan Li knew that there was a slight possibility that Jiang Ruan might still be alive, he would think of every possible way to rescue Jiang Ruan.
So until now, all Xuan Li knew was that Yuan Chuan had burned down Jiang Ruan's house and also burned Jiang Ruan to death.
This was exactly what Yuan Chuan wanted to achieve. Confirming Jiang Ruan's death, on one hand, he could make Xiao Shao suffer for a lifetime, and on the other hand, he could completely cut off the possibility of Xuan Li obtaining Dan Zhen from Xiao Shao. Jiang Ruan's words were not wrong. If it was Jiang Ruan who had schemed to let Dan Zhen burn the imperial edict and finally die a violent death, then Xuan Li was the direct murderer who had killed Dan Zhen. Yuan Chuan had no way to confront Xuan Li directly, but he would never let Xuan Li have an advantage. As long as Jiang Ruan died, Xiao Shao and Xuan Li were bound to be irreconcilable enemies. For the rest of his life, Xiao Shao would think of ways to take revenge. Wouldn't it be fun to watch enemies kill each other?
"Lao San," Qi Feng quickly stepped forward and glanced at Yuan Chuan. Naturally, his heart was also affected by Yuan Chuan's words, but he still had some rationality. Xiao Shao looked at Jiang Ruan from the perspective of a husband looking at his wife, so naturally, he thought that Jiang Ruan must have had a very hard time. But in Qi Feng's eyes, Jiang Ruan was not such a weak person. If she could die so easily, it would definitely not be her. If she was pregnant, she would do her best to survive. Therefore, he looked at Xiao Shao and said, "I'm afraid this person's words are deceptive. Third Sister-in-law is not someone who can be killed so easily. If she is pregnant, she will only be stronger. As for this person, we still need to investigate further. As for now … "
"Take him away." Xiao Shao suddenly withdrew his dagger and looked down at Yuan Chuan. Yuan Chuan looked at Xiao Shao with some pride, but at this moment, under Xiao Shao's gaze, he actually felt a kind of fear from the bottom of his heart. Subconsciously, he had an impulse to run away. It was a kind of coldness that completely abandoned human emotions, as if he was looking at a dead body, or something that was even worse than a dead body. What did he want to do?
Xiao Shao said lightly, "The Brocade Guards interrogate a criminal. Whatever means you have, use them all. Don't let him die. "After saying this, he turned around and mounted his horse. Disregarding the people behind him, he spurred the horse away.
"Hey …" Mo Cong wanted to chase after him, but was pulled back by Qi Feng. He looked at Xiao Shao's receding figure with some complexity and said, "Let him be alone."
"Then what about him?" Mo Cong looked at Yuan Chuan on the ground and asked.
A strange smile floated on Qi Feng's face. He was born handsome and usually had a graceful and courteous appearance, but when this smile appeared on his face, it seemed to make his face suddenly carry a trace of murderous intent. It was similar to Xiao Shao's for a moment. He slowly said, "Did you not hear what Master said? Bring him back to the Brocade Guards and serve him with great torture."
This time, even Jin One and Jin Two, who were at the side, showed a strange expression.
The Brocade Guards were a group of killers. They would never say that they were good people. Their methods of interrogating criminals were also endless, and there was no benefit to be gained. It was just that Xiao Shao had always been accustomed to the autumn wind sweeping away the fallen leaves to kill with a single blade. He rarely used the punishments set by the old Jinying King. Now that he was specially taken care of, naturally, Yuan Chuan would suffer.
A few of the Brocade Guards stepped forward and crippled Yuan Chuan's martial arts. They broke his limbs to prevent him from committing suicide. Then, they carefully searched his body for any hidden poisons. They threw him almost naked onto the back of a horse. Only then did they go back together.
….
That night, Xiao Shao did not come back until the third watch. After coming back, he did not say anything. He locked himself in the study and no one was allowed to come in. Housekeeper Lin stood at the door and sighed. Qi Feng came over and looked at the light in the study absent-mindedly.
After catching Yuan Chuan, Xiao Shao immediately took the Brocade Guards to investigate the temple that Yuan Chuan mentioned. The temple was dozens of miles away from the capital. It was a long journey, but Xiao Shao did not care and went there. That place was a place where leprosy patients lived. There was a broken temple where the monks were also leprosy patients. The people of Nanjiang killed the local patients and then disguised themselves as patients and monks. Naturally, they were able to deceive the patrolling guards. After all, no one thought that there would be someone hiding there. If they were not careful and were infected with leprosy, they would be ruined.
By the time Xiao Shao and the Brocade Guards rushed there without stopping, the people of Nanjiang had already left. The building was empty, leaving only the bodies of the patients that had been hastily buried in the ground. There was a part of the temple that was scorched black, and it looked like it was almost destroyed into ashes.
When Xiao Shao saw the ruins, he was shocked. He personally went inside to check it out. The Embroidered Uniform Guards also went in with him. The house had been burnt beyond recognition. However, the deep scratches left by the deceased could still be vaguely seen on the walls. They were the fingerprints of a woman. The bed curtains and the like had been burned clean, but the layout of the house showed that it was a woman's residence. Moreover, there was an iron chain used to tie a dog.
Yuan Chuan had said that in order to conceal the fact that she was pregnant, she raised a dog and even used the dog's mouth as a cover. The iron chain used to tie the dog undoubtedly proved something.
Ye Feng, who had gone to search for other things, finally found some medicine to help with miscarriage in a servant's room.
All the signs indicated that Jiang Ruan's current situation was not very optimistic. Perhaps, it pointed to disaster. The Brocade Guards present all knew this, but no one dared to say it. In the end, Ye Feng could not help but feel sad. He walked to Xiao Shao's side and said, "Master …"
Everything had been burned to ashes. Even the ashes had been mixed in. How could they be buried? Could it be a cenotaph? In any case, Xiao Shao must have endured a great deal of grief. However, Xiao Shao looked at the ruins indifferently and said, "Wangfei is not here, continue to search."
If Jiang Ruan was not here, where else could she be? Xuan Li did not send anyone to search for Jiang Ruan's whereabouts. There were only two possibilities: either Jiang Ruan was in Xuan Li's hands, or Jiang Ruan was already dead. But if Jiang Ruan was still in Xuan Li's hands, Xuan Li would not hide it from others. Everything in front of them seemed to indicate that Yuan Chuan was not lying. There was only one thought in the hearts of all the Brocade Guards, and that was that Xiao Shao was deceiving himself.
This man, who had always been calm and rational, who was strong enough to face any situation with all kinds of calm, was now very afraid to face the truth. Therefore, he was avoiding the truth, but no one had the heart to expose this fact. They did not want to cruelly expose Xiao Shao.
Then let's assume that Jiang Ruan was still alive. Princess Jinying was still alive. After all, the body had not been found, right? If the body was not found, then it was probably still alive. Everyone could only deceive themselves like this.
"Master Qi," Housekeeper Lin said, "You …. It's better to persuade Young Master. "
"Housekeeper Lin, don't kill me, I can't persuade him." Qi Feng smiled bitterly, "I regret it now." I can't even persuade myself, he said silently in his heart. Jiang Ruan's plan had been discussed with him at the beginning, and he had also agreed to it. When the news of the Brocade Guards reached his ears, Qi Feng only felt that time had stopped at that moment. The resolute look in Jiang Ruan's eyes that day appeared in his mind. He could not stop it. In the end, he thought that it was a good idea, so he did not stop it at all. So in the end, he could only watch Jiang Ruan walk on the road to the netherworld.
Xiao Shao could not forgive himself, and he could not forgive himself either. Especially when he learned that Jiang Ruan was still pregnant, he not only felt sorry for Jiang Ruan, but also for the child in Jiang Ruan's belly and Xiao Shao. The living had to bear ten thousand times more pain than the dead. Qi Feng knew this better than anyone else.
When Jinying Wang and his wife died, Xiao Shao had already suffered such pain. He had completely sealed himself away. When he had met Jiang Ruan, it had not been easy for him to walk out of it. But now, he had to suffer such a blow once again. For Xiao Shao, this perhaps meant that the last trace of tenderness in his life had been obliterated. From now on, this person could no longer be considered a 'person'.
How could Jiang Ruan bear it? Qi Feng closed his eyes. He felt that the spring wind was particularly cold, and the light in the study was also very dim, as if it would go out in the next moment.
Housekeeper Lin no longer spoke. After a moment, he said, "This old man is muddle-headed. He and his father are both affectionate. At first …" Housekeeper Lin did not continue. At that time, Crown Prince Hong Xi no longer had the will to live because of Xiang Xiaoyuan. In the end, he used such a tragic way to follow Xiang Xiaoyuan. The Xiao family, no, it should be the Xuan family, was affectionate. Their son and father were the same. Crown Prince Hong Xi was as gentle as a lotus, while Xiao Shao was as cold as water. He looked colder and harder than Crown Prince Hong Xi, but in fact, his heart was softer than anyone else. Now, even the last trace of softness was going to be taken away? Housekeeper Lin looked at the sky and said in his heart, "Crown Prince, open your eyes. If your spirit is in heaven, don't let your only son suffer like this."
In the room, Xiao Shao sat in front of the table. His body was still draped in a black gold robe, stained with cold dew. He was not in the mood to change his clothes. He just sat in front of the table in a daze.
The pen on the table was touched by her, the paper was used by her, the quilt was drunk by her, and the chair was sat on by her. Every corner of the room seemed to be filled with her smile and beauty. She was always here with a lamp, waiting for him to return at night. Every time, he would scold her for going to bed early. Now, there was no such scene anymore.
Xiao Shao looked at her in a daze. Thinking of Yuan Chuan saying that Jiang Ruan was still pregnant with their child, his heart suddenly ached. He suddenly felt that he seemed to have never really fulfilled the responsibilities of a husband. She appeared to be very strong, and he thought that she was very strong, but he forgot that she was also just an ordinary woman.
Jiang Ruan's previous life was miserable. He was determined to protect her in this life, but was this how he protected her?
Xiao Shao suddenly reached out to cover his face. The wind in this room was very cold. This small study suddenly became big and empty, and he felt very lonely.
He slowly let go of his hand, took a piece of paper on the table, took out a pen from the pen holder, ground the ink, moistened the pen, and began to write.
He wrote, "My wife, Ah Ruan …"
He wrote seriously and carefully. The light reflected his eyelashes, making them straight and slender. His side profile was heroic and handsome, but he looked very sad.
After he finished writing word by word, he put away the large piece of paper. He folded it into an envelope, rolled it into a small iron tube, and blew a whistle. A snow pigeon flew in. Xiao Shao tied the small iron tube to the pigeon's leg, and stretched out his fingers to touch the pigeon's head. Then, with a wave of his hand, the snow pigeon flew out of the window.
He looked at the window, lost in thought.
Outside the room, Qi Feng and Steward Lin looked at the same time at the snow pigeon that flew out of the room and disappeared into the night. They both sighed softly.
Where would this snow pigeon send the letter from the person in the room? Could it still be delivered?
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