The dead were Yuan Shangshu and his wife.

Lin Qingbai stood there blankly, feeling cold hands and feet, as if soaked in ice water.

A quarter of an hour ago, Yuan Shangshu was still talking and laughing happily with him, and he was smiling gently with his wife and children.

The three of them walked together to the riverside where the lights were shining brightly in the distance and the sky lanterns were slowly rising.

Now Yuan Shangshu's throat was slashed with a knife, and he was lying on the dirty muddy ground, his face and body were covered with footprints from the passers-by who fled in a hurry, and he couldn't even tell his original face.

The deep cut cut Yuan Shangshu's neck almost completely. The head and body formed a strange angle. The blood spurted out along the neck and onto the leaves of the big tree a few meters away, staining the river red.beach.

However, Yuan Shangshu's wife was stabbed in the abdomen with a knife. When she died, her eyes were still wide open, the eyeballs burst out, and she died with regret.

The child of the two of them was being held in the arms of a guard at this moment, struggling to get off the ground, crying heartbreakingly, the little finger pointed at the dead bodies of his parents, and kept shouting: "Father..."Auntie..."

He was still too young, and couldn't say anything else besides these two words for a while.

Admiral Qin on the side was asking a vendor.

The man was tall and strong. He witnessed the whole process, but he was so frightened that he trembled and needed the support of the guards on the side to stand firm.

He said in a trembling voice: "I am a lamp seller...just now this gentleman brought his wife and children to my place to buy lamps, but he forgot to take the change after the purchase, so I went up to look for two steps, the surrounding area is too crowded, before I even stepped forward, I saw a person bumping into the old man head-on in the distance, the man raised his hand and drew a line in the air, and then...then the old man covered itneck, fell down....... The lady next to him screamed and grabbed the man's arm, and the man stabbed the lady's stomach fiercely with a knife, and the lady was released after stabbing several times.Open your hands..."

"What about others now?"

"I don't know....he walks so fast and disappears in the blink of an eye...."

"Did you see his face?"

"...He is wearing a bamboo hat, that bamboo hat is very big, his martial arts is very high, my lord...I saw him kill people...will I dieah......."

Afterwards, the street vendor was terrified and grabbed Admiral Qin's arm tightly.

Seeing that he couldn't ask anything, Admiral Qin looked exhausted, waved his hand and ordered someone to take the vendor down.

Then Admiral Qin sighed and walked up to Lin Qingbai.

Lin Qingbai asked first, "Did you see Xi An?"

Admiral Qin paused and said, "Your Majesty, I didn't see General Xi, did General Xi come too?"

Lin Qingbai clenched his fingers into fists. He didn't care about answering Admiral Qin's question, but said: "You order a group of people to follow me to find General Xi."

What the vendor said just now sent chills down Lin Qingbai's back.

The murderer sealed his throat with a knife, and his martial arts were extremely high. It can basically be concluded that he is a member of the Cangmen.

What was different this time was that this person had obviously come straight to Yuan Shangshu. He did not kill Yuan Shangshu for money, nor was he in a remote mountain, but just to kill people and cause chaos.

It can basically be concluded that the Cangmen has other plans, and they are becoming more and more rampant, and now they have no scruples.

As an important minister in the court, Xi An was missing in this chaos, which made Lin Qingbai not worried.

When Xi An was with him in the past, he never left him half a step.

Lin Qingbai's heart was beating wildly, he led a team of people, he couldn't care about anything, he turned around and was about to take people to find Xi'an.

At this moment, he suddenly heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Master."

Lin Qingbai paused and turned around abruptly.

He saw Xi'an's tall figure, standing not far away, figures shuttled back and forth around him, the lively lanterns were still bright and dazzling, and those light spots were not as bright as his little apprentice's eyes when he was looking at him.

Xi An was holding two yellow paper bags in his hand

He walked towards Lin Qingbai, looked around and said, "Master, what happened here? I just heard someone say that here..."

The rest of the voice stopped abruptly.

Before Lin Qingbai waited for him to finish speaking, he strode forward and hugged him.

Suddenly the wind blew, Lin Qingbai's strand of black hair caressed Xi'an's cheek, and the light fragrance approached Xi'an's nostrils irresistibly.

Lin Qingbai is different from Xi An, he has always been emotionally restrained and has never taken the initiative to get close to anyone.

Xi An's body froze, he froze, and stayed motionless, even the guards behind him were dumbfounded.

Now Xi'an is much taller than Lin Qingbai, and Lin Qingbai even needs to tiptoe when holding him.

After a while, Xi An came back to his senses and asked softly, "...what's the matter, master?"

Lin Qingbai hugged him tightly, and said in a hoarse voice: "It's very dangerous outside now, don't run around alone."

The light in Xi An's eyes flickered, he rested his chin lightly on Lin Qingbai's shoulder, and said with a smile: "Master, I am eighteen years old and I am a general."

"...."

"It's my job to protect Master."

Only then did Lin Qingbai realize belatedly——Xi An is really already a general.

He can lead the army for four years in the shadow of swords and swords. If he can't protect himself, then no one in this huge capital can protect him.

Lin Qingbai felt that he had lost his composure.

He sniffed, let go of the hands holding Xi'an, and lightly reprimanded him: "Where did you run to just now? Why did it take so long?"

Xi An also let go of his hand. He raised the pastry in his hand and said with some grievances: "I just asked Master if he wanted fruit cakes, and I bought them only after Master agreed. Master read too seriously and forgot.gone."

Lin Qingbai knew he was wrong, so he kept silent.

But Xi An still didn't know how to ask: "Master, are you worried about me?"

Lin Qingbai flicked his sleeves and turned to leave, but Xi An grabbed his wrist.

He reached into the skirt of his clothes and touched for a while, then took out a milky white jade pendant, and held the jade pendant for Lin Qingbai to look at.

"Master, look, do you still remember it?"

Lin Qingbai lowered his eyes and looked at the jade pendant, only to see the exquisitely carved Buddha statues on it.

This piece of jade Peilin Qingbai once held it in his hands and chanted scriptures every day in the Buddhist temple, so how could he not remember it.

"That day when I went to Qianzhou, Master asked Aunt Lian to give me this jade pendant, and I wore it every day. Even if I was on the battlefield with swords and swords, I was safe and sound, so with it, Master doesn't have to worry about it.I, I will stay with Master well."

Lin Qingbai stared at the jade pendant for a long while, and his heart was numb again because of Xi An's coaxing, he pushed Xi An's hand away, and said: "You can talk nonsense."

The Minister of the Ministry of Officials was killed at the intersection of the capital on the Shangyuan Festival. This incident became a household name, and it also caused an uproar in the Fu Dynasty.

The emperor was furious in the court, and immediately condemned Admiral Qin as a guard, and dismissed Admiral Qin from his post.

Overnight, the official positions and the patrol battalion, the heads of the two power organizations were suspended, and the court and the central government began to secretly discuss who could win the two big meat buns.

The emperor was not in a hurry to decide on these two candidates, but first ordered people to investigate the events of the day. In order to appease the people, he declared that it was a vendetta and the murderer only targeted Yuan Shangshu, so he reluctantly suppressed the crowd.

And the emperor did all this just because the envoys from the Western Regions were going to Beijing.

The Western Regions have lived in harmony with the Fu Dynasty for many years. Before that, the Western Regions were remote and their military strength was not strong.

In recent years, the weather has been good, the pastures in the Western Regions are abundant, and the soldiers and horses have become stronger and stronger, gradually catching up with the Fu Dynasty.

After all, they are Gentiles, no matter how harmonious they are, it is just an appearance.

There are only win-win interests between the two countries, and there are weak meat and strong food...

The Fu Dynasty quelled the chaos of the Red Sea, and now the reserve of troops is insufficient, and we must beware of any changes in the Western Regions, precisely because of this emperor

Cai paid special attention to this interview, for fear that people from the Western Regions would see the shortcomings of the capital and take a sharp bite.

On the 19th day of the first month, envoys from the Western Regions entered Beijing.

On the court, the two sides presented precious treasures and special products to each other.

The envoys of the Western Regions also publicly stated that the Western Regions will follow the lead of the Fu Dynasty in the future, and they will have no different intentions.

When everyone was overjoyed, the envoy stood on the court hall, knelt down and cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, our King of Western Chu attaches great importance to the friendship with Fuchao. In the previous dynasty, Princess Linyue was our princess."Concubine, we are deeply honored. Now our young king has reached the age of marrying a wife. He is brave and good at fighting, with excellent literary talent and appearance.Continue for a hundred years."

As soon as these words came out, there was complete silence in the court, and no one dared to say a word.

The emperor's complexion instantly became ugly.

He sat in the court hall for a while, and then said with a smile: "The envoy's proposal is indeed good, but most of the princesses in my court are spoiled and spoiled, and they are all young and arrogant, not as good as the former Princess Linyue.I am afraid that if I am not worthy of the young king, I will be disappointed with the king of Xichu and the young king."

But the envoy continued: "Your Majesty, I heard that you have a Princess Qing. This princess has a high-class literary talent and appearance, and is also about the same age as our young king. I wonder if Your Majesty will be willing?"

There was another silence, and the emperor responded with a laugh: "Naturally, it is willing to be willing, but Princess Qing has grown up, and as a father, I can't understand her thoughts.young king."

At this time, all the ministers in the court couldn't help looking at Yue Hui, but Yue Hui's eyes remained the same, as if he didn't feel anything.

The envoy had no intention of retreating at all: "If Princess Qing has someone she likes, our young king will definitely not hinder her marriage, but we are marrying His Majesty with 120% sincerity, and I hope His Majesty can do it."be honest and open."

The emperor smiled and said, "That's natural."

The discussion between the two sides seemed to be a calm atmosphere on the surface, but in fact it was a hidden needle. After the court retreated, there were even more discussions among the ministers.

Then in the court hall, the envoys casually mentioned the matter of marriage several times, but the emperor didn't give a clear answer, and delayed again and again.

This day, Lin Qingbai went down to court and came out a bit late, when he heard the two ministers in front of him discussing in a low voice.

"I think now...I'm afraid that General Yue's momentum will surpass General Xi's soon."

"Li Shangshu, what do you say?"

"Do you know why the emperor has not let go of the marriage until now?"

"Perhaps it is because His Majesty is reluctant to let Princess Qing marry far away from the Western Regions."

"Well, that's not all, Commander Lin. No one in the court knows who Princess Qing's favorite person is. Now General Yue is in the court. If you marry the princess to him, you can just win over his power.His Majesty should be thinking about this matter."

Commander Lin thought for a while and said, "That's true. If General Yue marries Princess Qing, then he will be a son-in-law. This power is far beyond what General Xi can match... Alas, it seems that thisThe direction of the imperial court is about to change again."

Li Shangshu also sighed and said: "No, don't forget the official department and patrol battalion that are still vacant. If Yue Hui becomes a son-in-law, at least one of these two can be included in his pocket..”

Lin Qingbai heard these remarks, turned around and looked at Xi An, who was walking on the other side of the stairs, keeping a close distance from Lin Qingbai.

I don't know if he heard the discussion here, but he just looked at Lin Qingbai, and then smiled at Lin Qingbai.

Sure enough, within a few days, the emperor officially mentioned the matter of marriage in the early court.

"Presumably everyone knows that the envoys of the Western Regions proposed a marriage proposal to our court. Among my daughters, only Princess Qing is the most suitable for her age and status. She is the most suitable princess for this time. Although the princess's marriage is only for marriageIt is a matter, but it is related to the diplomatic relations between our country and the Western Regions, I would like to know if you have any opinions on this?"

As soon as the emperor's words came out, everyone looked at Yuehui.

As the emperor said, the matter of getting married is related to the diplomatic relations between the two countries, who dares to express their opinions, and the emperor today

What he said was just to test whether Yue Hui had such intentions in marrying Princess Qing.

But Yue Hui stood at the head of the courtiers' team, wearing a black robe.

Unlike the surrounding ministers who were discussing or sizing up, he still had the same cold look as before, staring ahead as if he hadn't heard what the emperor said just now.

The emperor leaned over, put his hands on the table, looked at Yue Hui, and asked again: "I wonder if anyone objected?"

Yue Hui remained motionless.

At this time, a minister wanted to please the emperor, and took the opportunity to stand up and said: "Your Majesty, I have a proposal, but I don't know whether it is acceptable or not?"

"What proposal?"

"I think that Princess Qing has a noble status. If she marries into the Western Regions, the Emperor and Empress will be very reluctant to part with her. The envoys from the Western Regions also said that day that if the Princess has someone she likes, they will definitely not break up the princess' good marriage.I think that there are many good men in our court, such as General Yue!"

"General Yue and Princess Qing grew up together, and now they are also the pillars of the country. He and Princess Qing are just like bamboo horses and green plums."

These words spoke to the emperor's heart, the emperor nodded and shouted: "Yuehui."

Yue Hui immediately walked to the middle of the hall, knelt on one knee on the ground, bowed his hands and saluted: "Your Majesty, I'm here."

"You heard what Han Shilang said just now. The envoys of the Western Regions did tell me that as long as the princess is married, this marriage can be discussed again. I wonder if General Yue has any opinions on this marriage?"

The emperor had already asked so clearly that even the little eunuch standing at the gate of the hall understood what the emperor meant.

But Yue Hui knelt upright in the hall, and said sternly: "Marriage is a major event for one country, it involves two countries, and Yue dare not object."

For a moment, the ministers around couldn't hold back any longer, and there was a lot of surprise and discussion.

And the emperor's face also turned cold, and he looked at Yuehui with heavy eyes.

What Yue Hui said is even more clear.

Even if the emperor had sent his pampered eldest princess to Yuehui, he didn't want it.

These words slapped the princess in the face, and even the emperor and even the whole royal family.

The emperor closed his eyes, pressed his hand on the case table and clenched it into a fist, but said with a smile on his face: "General Yue really has righteousness in his heart. Naturally, peace is the most important thing in the relationship between the two countries.The matter will be discussed here today, and we will retreat."

After finishing speaking, the emperor stood up and walked down the hall amidst the eunuch's shouts.

As soon as the emperor left, the surrounding discussions became louder, and they even talked loudly without hiding Yue Hui's presence.

"The emperor is angry..."

"That's natural. I would be angry if something happened today, but it's Princess Qing! The princess who was raised in the palm of the emperor's hands since childhood, in terms of appearance and family, what point is she not as brilliant as him?"

"Hey, no one in Fu Dynasty wants to marry Princess Qing. Princess Qing has a deep affection for General Yue. I really don't know what General Yue thinks."

"If you refute His Majesty's face like this, I'm afraid there will be no good fruit in the future..."

"General Yue is capable. Even if His Majesty is dissatisfied, he doesn't dare to do anything to him. Dong Daying is still tightly held by him. It's just pity for Princess Qing. Now it's probably going to the Western Regions to reconcile with relatives.gone."

"Maybe General Yue already has a sweetheart."

"Then it's not allowed to be included in the Yue Mansion as a concubine for Yue Hui! Your Majesty has never said that after marrying Princess Qing, concubines are not allowed."

The voices of the discussion became louder and louder, only Yuehui seemed to be an outsider, turning a deaf ear to the surrounding voices, turned around and walked out of the hall step by step.

After a few more days, the emperor asked Yue Hui and Xi An to stay and discuss the issue of Qianzhou's defense.

After the discussion, Xi An and Yue Hui walked out of the Imperial Study Room together.

Two rows of eunuchs led the way, Xi An and Yue Hui walked on both sides of the road.

The distance between the two was very far, and they didn't say a word along the way, just like two strangers who didn't know each other.

Just as he was about to pass through the garden in front of the imperial study, a figure suddenly rushed over from the garden.

"Yuehui!"

I saw that Princess Qing was wearing a pink and white dress, the skirt was spread out at the tail of her body, and her little face was more delicate than the flowers in the courtyard.

She seemed to be very excited, and ran to Yue Hui regardless of the obstruction from the maid behind her, her eyes were red with anxiety.

The servant girl quickly grabbed her arm and said in a low voice: "Princess! Princess! There are many people here, so I can talk about it later."

"In the future? Where is there any future?!"

Princess Qing pushed away the servant girl's arm, she raised her head, her cheeks were tense, and she stared at Yuehui persistently with teary eyes.

Yue Hui took two steps back, and respectfully saluted Princess Qing: "Princess."

Princess Qing's chest heaved violently, but when her gaze met Yue Yuehui's calm gaze, the excitement and anger just now seemed to be poured out by a basin of cold water.

She looked at Yue Hui and didn't know what to say.

Her throat slipped, her eyes became more and more red, and finally she just asked Yuehui with a trembling voice: "Yuehui, why...why..."

Yue Hui still had that expressionless look, lowering his eyes and said: "I don't know what the princess means."

Tears rolled in Princess Qing's eyes, and she said in a trembling voice: "In the hall that day, what did General Yue mean? Why did you ask me to marry? Is it the same as others said, General Yue already has a sweetheart in his heart?"

Yue Hui didn't speak.

Princess Qing was extremely wronged, she bit her lower lip tightly, trying to restrain the surging tears in her eyes, but tears still flowed all over her face in the blink of an eye.

She simply couldn't bear it anymore, and said to Yue Hui with a sob: "Twelve years... Twelve years ago, General Yue saved my life in the temple, and I will keep it in my heart every day.Forget half a minute...."

"When I was young, I kept you by my side as a bodyguard. I helped you get promoted step by step, and I helped you get promoted to a noble. Later, when you really became a general, I wrote to you every day when you went out to fight. I thoughtYou can see my friendship...you can feel it, but why..."

"Yuehui, you know that I don't want to get married, even if... even if you don't like me... then you can see that I am a princess... I am a princess,It can bring you power and status, so you are not even willing to help me? Yuehui, are you not willing to help me like this?"

Princess Qing's voice echoed between the city walls, listening to the heartbreaking sadness, no one around dared to speak, and for a long time only Princess Qing's panting with tears could be heard.

After a while, what seemed like a long time, Yue Hui's calm voice came out.

He said: "The minister only treats the princess as a younger sister, and has never thought of disobedience."

Princess Qing was taken aback, her tear-filled eyes looked at Yue Hui in disbelief.

After a while, she suddenly laughed out loud, and the tears of laughter fell drop by drop. She nodded and said, "It's a good one who has never thought of disobedience...General Yue is indeed the one who has achieved great things. TodayIt's Qing'er who overstepped the distance abruptly."

After finishing speaking, Princess Qing touched her tears, turned around and left.

The pale pink skirt hangs behind her, like a butterfly with its wings folded, no longer dancing lightly and nimbly as when it came.

Until Princess Qing walked out of the courtyard, no one dared to make a sound.

Suddenly there was a harsh clapping sound.

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!

Yue Hui looked back and saw Xi An standing under a big tree not far away, clapping his hands leisurely as if watching a good show.

Yue Hui frowned, looking at him coldly and vigilantly.

Only then did Xi An put his hands in his wide sleeves, walked out gracefully from under the tree, and said softly with a smile: "Princess Qing is both talented and beautiful, and she is the emperor's most beloved daughter-in-law.out of reach."

Yue Hui still didn't speak.

Xi An continued to smile and said: "If General Yue marries Princess Qing, he will be a high-ranking son-in-law, and he will definitely receive more

Power, maybe the patrol battalion and the official department can be in their hands. What a good deal, I am jealous. I didn't expect General Yue to be so hard-hearted and refused. I really don't know what General Yue is thinking?"

Yue Hui turned around and looked directly at Xi An, he was standing upright in the sun, his dark brown official uniform made his figure straight, his face handsome, tall and straight like a snow-capped pine.

He said calmly: "The princess has a great responsibility, Yue does not dare to climb high, General Xi has said it before."

After speaking, Yuehui bypassed Xi'an and was about to leave.

However, when he passed by Xi'an, Xi'an suddenly said in a leisurely voice: "If I am more similar in age to Princess Qing than in age, if I petition His Majesty at this time and want toI want to marry Princess Qing, I wonder if His Majesty agrees?"

Yue Hui stopped abruptly, and looked at Xi An like a sharp sword.

Xi An lowered his eyes, stepping on the fallen leaves on the ground.

He raised the corners of his mouth, and slowly raised his eyes to look at Yue Hui, with an incomprehensible coldness hidden in his eyes, but he still smiled and said: "What do you think, General Yue?"