Chapter 5 Chapter 5: Prince Liancheng

Young Master Shu Ye let out a sigh of relief and didn't say any more.He brushed off the snow fox fur on his shoulders, turned his head and followed Meiji into the hall.Gold cups and jade cups were already displayed there, as well as delicious delicacies, but the young Dunhuang City Lord sat in front of the grand banquet and tasted the breakfast comparable to Ouchi, but frowned. Huo Qinglei carefully sat down beside him, the atmosphere of silence was unpalatable.It turns out that the young master hates Mingjiao so much because of this - because he has experienced such a life in the Asura field, so he no longer wants to let Mingjiao continue to expand and go to the Central Plains to torture more people, right?He doesn't want more teenagers to be killers like him?

The wrong golden knife was cutting the lamb leg, and suddenly Huo Qinglei heard a rustling sound flying in through the heavy curtain. Before he could raise his head, a golden light flashed in front of his eyes, and the young master Shu Ye threw the mutton in his hand without raising his head. The golden knife slashed at the pigeon's right leg.The thin rope broke accurately, and the white jade tube fell into the young master's left hand impartially. On the flawless white jade, the word "ink" is impressively engraved. Huo Qinglei immediately recognized that this was the secret report from the same person that the son had often received over the years.In the past ten years, at the end of every month, the pigeons from the east would bring secret news, fly directly into the top-secret warbler's nest, and fall into the hands of the young master.

It should be the young master's life-and-death friend: Mo Xiang, have you been in close contact with the young master for many years, right? However, even if he has won the young master's trust like him, he has never heard the young master mention Mo Xiang. Kunlun is a companion who has been born and died together. It's not easy for someone like Young Master...to be able to treat someone as a "friend", isn't it? Seeing Young Master Shu Ye unpacking to read the secret letter, he immediately wanted to avoid the table and leave, but Young Master raised his palm to indicate that he didn't need it.After unfolding the letter paper and looking at it for a long time, Young Master Shu Ye's expression was cloudy and uncertain.Suddenly he pushed the seat up and asked the attendants, "Has Lu Ji ever come back?"

One of the beauties immediately lowered her head and reported back: "To the city lord, Lu Ji has returned." "When did she return?" Young Master Shu Ye continued to ask with a blank expression. "At the third watch last night." Meiji changed her expression a little, and replied timidly, "The concubine has already reprimanded her." When Huo Qinglei heard that he mentioned Lu Ji, he was also a little apprehensive. "It's really interesting...you dare to come back?" Young Master Shu Ye suddenly laughed lowly, with evil eyes, and suddenly pulled Huo Qinglei, "Do you miss her? Come, let's go and see her together."

Huo Qinglei only thought that the young master was angry and was about to plead for mercy, but was pulled up impatiently by the young master Shu Ye: "Let's go! Why don't you be awkward? Come with me and see what tricks she is going to play again!" Meiji next to her was used to seeing the young master's moody expression, and at this moment they all retreated to the side silently in horror. Wandering in twists and turns, from Yingchao to the entrance of the rockery, it seems that you have traveled through thousands of mountains and rivers, dark and dark.Huo Qinglei only felt that the young master was very different these few days, but he couldn't tell what was different.He has been a retainer of the Gao family since he was a child, and since he was sensible, he has followed the eldest son Shu Ye, loyal and loyal, and dare not ask any unnecessary words.

Walking to the entrance of the cave, young master Shu Ye stopped unexpectedly, staring at a certain place for a long time, his expression changing. "Young Master?" Huo Qinglei couldn't help reminding in a low voice, followed the young master's gaze to look outside, and suddenly gasped - on the square!In the center of Dunhuang City, on the square where the stall ceremony was held just yesterday, twenty coffins were neatly parked!The corpses of those Mingjiao believers who were killed yesterday have disappeared, and they have obviously been buried. Who is so bold?How dare you disobey the wishes of the city lord!

There were many common people and businessmen watching from a distance, talking about it, but there was only one boy in Geshan in the square in the center. "Old Lei..." Suddenly, Huo Qinglei heard the young master sigh, and suddenly there was something in his hand, a small silver key, "This, you keep it for me—if one day I Don't go back to Dunhuang again, you must remember to hand this thing over to the new city lord." "What?" Huo Qinglei was taken aback, and looked up at the young master Shu Ye who suddenly said something astonishing. "Don't ask too many questions, just remember what I said." The young man in white suddenly turned his head and smiled at his loyal subordinate, "You will have a new lord——Dunhuang, and maybe it will be different."

Before his subordinates came back to their senses, Young Master Shu Ye walked away hurriedly along the stone path. Yaohua Building is still dark and dilapidated.Dark curtains hang, woven with cobwebs, and winter is coming, and the wind blows through the broken paper windows, making a sound like weeping. In Dunhuang's mansion, this was originally the most beautiful building. In order to please his new wife, Yaohua, the old city lord specially used giant sandalwood from the South China Sea and white jade from Lantian to build this small building.However, since Mrs. Yaohua's sudden death, this building has been vacant, and only one woman was imprisoned in it: Mrs. Yaohua's personal maid Lu Ji.

Young master Shu Ye led Huo Qinglei, and saw the woman after passing through eighteen layers of curtains. After being imprisoned for ten years, the originally beautiful girl turned into a woman over 30 years old in an instant. Although nothing has changed in Yaohua Building, the dense fine lines on her forehead and the faint white hair between her temples quietly show her The relentless passing of the years.Seeing the city lord coming in, the woman in green didn't even look up, she was still fiddling with the thing in her hand intently, and suddenly sprinkled it on the ground. Huo Qinglei suddenly recognized that what Lu Ji was holding was a handful of yarrow used for divination.

"Hahahaha!" Staring closely at the yarrow scattered on the ground, Lu Ji burst out laughing suddenly, looked up at Young Master Shu Ye, and said word by word, "Damn you. You should die...you have finally reached the time to die." !" "Green Princess!" Huo Qinglei quickly stopped the woman's rude words, for fear that the young master would get angry. However, the young master Shu Ye stood there unmoved, looking coldly at the scattered branches of yarrow on the ground, and sneered at the witch's sneer. He just randomly kicked those yarrows, and then stepped on his toes, Grind it lightly and turn it into powder in an instant.

"The so-called life is like nothing, that's about it." In the dim building, young master Shu Ye suddenly smiled, "Lu Ji, I know that since Mrs. Yaohua has treated you with great kindness, you hated me to the bone after she died—— But unfortunately, my fate is up to me.” The contemptuous sneer caused the woman to stop laughing nervously. Lu Ji stared at the young master Shu Ye bitterly, and suddenly said in a loud voice: "Liancheng is back." The woman's laughter was sharp and ecstatic, startling a group of cold birds. rustle.Huo Qinglei suddenly felt strange - he hadn't seen Lu Ji for ten years... Is this resentful and vicious woman in front of him really that Linghui little maid back then? "Did you come back to the mansion just to tell me these things?" Young Master Shu Ye remained calm, "Liancheng has already collected the corpses in the square, and he is almost at the gate, so why don't you go out to pick up your benefactor's son?" Is it?" Such a non-shocking Qingchen's tone once again made Lu Ji stunned. "You really let me down..." Young Master Shu Ye suddenly sighed and shook his head, "I thought you must have a deep meaning when you return to the mansion, but unexpectedly you just want to vent your viciousness." He turned his head and looked at Huo Qinglei, who was stunned, shook his head: "Did you see it? Old Lei? Your little girl has already become such a woman... So I have advised you many times to give up as soon as possible, but you only want to marry her. Really A fool." He walked away, leaving the darkness on the first floor to those two people. Hearing Young Master Shu Ye's last words, Lu Ji's eyes flickered for a moment, and she raised her eyes to look at the general in uniform standing at the door, then she suddenly lowered her head as if she didn't dare to look directly. Xiao Huo, Xiao Huo, how can you forget?When she was first bought in, the helpless female slave was taken care of by a tiger-headed and tiger-brained boy.He is the child of a disciple and a retainer of the Gao family in Dunhuang.They grew up side by side.Retainers and maids, cattail sandals and straw sandals, match each other.At that time, even though she was humble, life was bright and hopeful. Mrs. Yaohua kept saying that if she was eighteen years old, she would ask the old city lord to approve her marriage and marry her to Huo Qinglei like a daughter. However, at the age of eighteen, the vortex of conspiracy engulfed her.Madame is dead.Her situation also plummeted, and she lived with repressed hatred ever since. "Lu'er, you've really...become a lot." Huo Qinglei rubbed his hands, not knowing what to say, looking at the face of the old woman in front of him, he felt heartbroken, "Why bother? Although Ma'am treats you well, but she doesn't know what to say." I've been dead for ten years. You still hate the young master so much?" "What do you know! What do you know!" Lu Ji screamed suddenly, and threw the remaining yarrow in his face, "I don't have a mother, only my wife treats me well, she is my mother! Gao Shuye That bastard actually encouraged the old city lord to hang his wife to death, and sent Mr. Liancheng as a hostage——I will never close my eyes until I watch him die!" Huo Qinglei was silent.Ten years ago, when the young master returned to Dunhuang, his methods were indeed a bit vicious, which is undeniable. "However, it's better now...hehe," Lu Ji lowered her voice, and sneered, "I knew that Mr. Liancheng was blessed and destined, and that in a place like the imperial capital, there would be noble people to help him. Now he brings the imperial capital's The decree has come back—to succeed Gao Shuye as the new city lord!" Huo Qinglei suddenly changed color - the new city lord?The will of the imperial capital? "Xiao Huo, if Mr. Liancheng is back, you should be happy." Lu Ji's face was hidden in the shadows, but her eyes were bright, as if hiding a night monster, "Liancheng has promised us, As long as you bring the Shenwu Army..." "Shut up!" Huo Qinglei yelled suddenly, causing the dust in the building to fall. The general's eyes were full of anger, and he stared at Lu Ji fiercely, "You want me to betray the city lord? You want me to kill you for you?" Shu Ye? Dreaming! I, Huo Qinglei, am this kind of person? You will not betray Mrs. Yaohua, nor will I betray son Shu Ye!" Lu Ji's eyes suddenly brightened, and she said coldly, "But Liancheng has the emperor's will and will soon become the new city lord! How do you treat it?" Huo Qinglei was stunned, and after a while, the straight-hearted man said: "I don't know, anyway, I only obey the orders of the city lord." "What kind of person is Gao Shuye? He has been running Dunhuang for many years, and he will never give up his power easily." Gritting her teeth, Lu Ji murmured in a low voice, staring up at Huo Qinglei, "Xiao Huo, if he asks you to kill Liancheng, You must go and kill him, even though Liancheng is also the blood of the old city lord—isn't he?" Huo Qinglei gritted his teeth, the two muscles around his mouth bulged, his face looked hideous and terrifying.However, after a moment of hesitation, he nodded slowly. "Call me stupid and loyal, don't you too?" Lu Ji sneered, "That's good, that's good... Let each one be his master!" The city of Dunhuang is filled with the cold wind that is about to come in winter, and the yellow sand hits the window paper and walls, rustling.A person's face will feel piercing pain when exposed to the wind for a moment, so many pedestrians pass by in a hurry on the street.However, the sparse flow of people involuntarily stagnated when passing through the loess rammed square in the center of the city, and gradually gathered together. Twenty coffins of Populus euphratica were lined up on the square, glowing coldly in the chilling sand wind. All the spectators retreated far away, covered their mouths and discussed quietly, shocked that someone dared to disobey the mayor's wishes and collect the corpses for Ming Cultists.The boy in the Ge shirt seemed to have just come from a long way, and Youzi's face was full of wind and sand, but as soon as he entered the city, he saw the beheaded and headless corpse lying in the square, so he went to buy twenty coffins immediately without saying a word. Regardless of the ban, he went forward to collect these corpses. The soldiers of the Shenwu Army shouted orders to dissuade them, but the boy in Geshan showed something, and the army immediately retreated.The leader changed his expression and hurried to the city lord's mansion, but ran into the young master Shu Ye on the way. "City Lord!" Running with a breath, the Shenwu Military Colonel knelt on one knee with a tense expression, "Report to the City Lord, Second Young Master...Second Young Master Liancheng...return to Dunhuang!" "Oh." But young master Shu Ye just responded lightly, not surprised. He walked to the edge of the square and silently looked at the boy Geshan whom he hadn't seen in ten years - his only brother. Although he was isolated by everyone, the young man who had returned from a thousand miles away had a healthy and bright aura, and although there was anger and compassion in his eyes, there was not even a trace of darkness.The corners of his mouth were tightly pursed, his face was serious, and he held the knife at his waist in his hand, tapping the nails with the handle of the knife to nail the last coffin in place. This is Liancheng?He was in a trance for a moment, and a sudden disappointment hit him. It was completely different from what he had imagined... completely different!It was an eleven-year-old child who went there, and a twenty-one-year-old youth returned.How did the ten years when the imperial capital was a proton come about?In the center of the vortex of power conspiracy, trying to survive.But after going through such ten years, how could the returned Liancheng be like this?The boy in front of him was completely different from what he had imagined. "Second brother!" Unable to bear it any longer, young master Shu Ye blurted out in a gaffe. The young man suddenly turned his head and saw the noble young man in light fur and wearing a black panther and purple gold crown, his expression changed.He just put his hands down from the coffin indifferently, and said coldly: "Gao Shuye. I'm back." Then, he looked around and looked at the gathered people and merchants. He put his other hand into his bosom, and when he pulled it out, he was already holding a roll of dark yellow silk. He unfolded it and held it up high: "The emperor has Purpose--" All the common people and merchants immediately prostrated themselves subconsciously when they saw the color representing supremacy.However, the young man in white at the other end of the square did not move at all. "Gao Shi Shu Ye, the Lord of Dunhuang City, is extravagant, tyrannical and cruel. Immediately remove him from the position of Lord of Dunhuang City and General of Anxi." Reading the sentence in the imperial edict, Liancheng looked at the calm son Shu Ye, and his voice was extremely slow , fearing that the other party would attack suddenly, his hand was only half a foot away from the sword at his waist, "My younger brother Liancheng succeeded as the Lord of Dunhuang City, and took over all the titles of the Gao family. I respect you." However, when he finished reading, the young man in white at the other end of the square still didn't move at all, neither knelt down to receive the order, nor gave an order to be captured by the Shenwu army—just looked at his returning brother with an unpredictable smile on the corner of his mouth. The emperor's decree was announced, but the people and merchants crawling all over the ground did not dare to reply a word. For the past ten years, the son Shu Ye has ruled Dunhuang with an iron fist. Although Dunhuang has surrendered to the imperial capital, the power of a mere imperial decree in this place far away from the emperor is by no means equal to the city lord's 100,000 miraculous army.So when young master Shu Ye remained silent, no one dared to speak out. In the silence, only the wind whistled in the city, bringing the coldness of the snowy mountains in the north, and the twenty coffins reflected the cold light. "Do you sympathize with these demon cultists?" Young Master Shu Ye finally spoke, but the question was irrelevant. "You don't hate Mingjiao? After ten years in Chang'an, you don't hate Mingjiao?" Liancheng was startled, and sneered: "Why should I hate Mingjiao? I'm not a demon king like you, who kills even women, children, and children!" Young Master Shu Ye seemed even more surprised, and asked: "In Chang'an for ten years, no one taught you to hate Mingjiao?" "No. I hate nothing, I don't need to be taught." Liancheng proudly, his eyes bright and open, "I am not a Mingjiao believer, nor a decent person in the martial arts, but I can't stand the burning and killing of unarmed Christians like this! How cruel you are !" Young Master Shu Ye suddenly seemed to be a little distracted, and he didn't say a word. "Gao Shuye, are you going to accept this imperial decree?!" Lian Cheng was impatient, sternly, and raised the imperial decree in his hand. Young Master Shu Ye looked up at his younger brother and the yellow silk in his hand, and suddenly burst out laughing, his voice shaking the ancient city. "What are you laughing at? Are you rebellious and want to flout the will of the imperial capital?" Lian Cheng was furious, and put his hand on the hilt of his sword - he had already thought that Gao Shuye would not give in easily, as long as he would use force. "Liancheng, Liancheng, why are you still so naive..." Young Master Shu Ye laughed coldly, his voice was like gold and jade, and his brows were full of complicated emotions, "You think that one person and one sword came back alone, holding a scroll with the so-called ' Can you take the hundred thousand warriors and this black panther purple gold crown from my hand?" Laughing, the Lord of Dunhuang slowly raised a hand and made a gesture. In an instant, countless soldiers appeared at the top of the city, and thousands of crossbows aimed at the young man in the field, while the infantrymen of the Shenwu Army surrounded him tightly with their swords out of their sheaths.Looking at these well-equipped and murderous fighters, Liancheng turned pale.He didn't expect that ten years later, Shu Ye would train the weak and exhausted garrison into such an excellent army! "Liancheng, my second brother, you know how disappointed I am..." Young Master Shu Ye smiled wryly, that kind of smile seemed to come from the heart, without the slightest trace of sarcasm, "I never thought that ten years later you would still be so underdeveloped , Mao Maoran took a roll of yellow silk and rushed back to Dunhuang, where there is a lot of soldiers and horses—the imperial capital’s ten-year proton ordeal, didn’t you learn it?” "Learn what?" Liancheng asked with a tense face, holding the saber in his hand. "Machinery! Thinking! Skills! - the ability to balance the political situation, military force, favors, and public opinion!" Young Master Shu Ye looked at his second younger brother who had returned, almost gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "What are you? I don’t even understand! It’s exactly the same as that child ten years ago! I’ve been waiting for you for ten years, waiting for you to come back and use various means to take everything away from me—” Hearing those words, the tense young man couldn't help but startled, and looked at his brother: "What method?" "You want me to teach you?" Young Master Shu Ye seemed to be very angry and smiled back, "Shouldn't you be married to the rich and powerful of the imperial capital, and then borrow troops to return to the city? Shouldn't you sneak in and meet Lu Ji first? Then she poisons you , you assassinate; or bribe my left and right soldiers, put me to death quietly. Then take out the imperial decree and announce the succession of Dunhuang city lord! You and Lu Ji really let me down... One is an idiot who is purely fighting, The other is a woman who is empty and full of grievances, and she can't handle any big things!" This string of words almost spit out from Young Master Shu Ye's mouth without even thinking about it, but Liancheng was in a daze, and when he heard the last expression of disdain and anger on his face, he sneered: "Why? I have the imperial capital's will, It’s fair and aboveboard—why do you sneak around? If you don’t obey the decree, I can use the Shangfang sword in my hand to kill you by the sword, why use these insidious methods?” Young Master Shu Ye seemed to be stunned again, looking at his younger brother's upright and disdainful face, he suddenly smiled wryly: "What's the matter...you can say such a thing. How did he teach you? Are you that bitch Yaohua? Son of life?" As soon as his mother was mentioned, Liancheng's face suddenly changed, he drew out his sword with a roar, and stabbed straight at him: "Gao Shuye, I will kill you!" However, as soon as he moved, the surrounding Shenwu soldiers had already mobilized suddenly. Seeing that Ge shirt sink into the layers of armor and blades, the sound of weapons clashing rang out, but young master Shu Ye just didn't move.After a long while, he closed his eyes slightly, let out a sigh of relief, stopped looking at his brother who was besieged, and turned around with his hands behind his back.He met Huo Qinglei who had rushed over after hearing the sound, and confessed in a low voice: "Don't really kill him." So he walked away without stopping. Huo Qinglei was a little dazed, and then had mixed feelings—after all, he was a blood brother. Although the second son immediately seized power and made trouble when he returned, the city lord didn't want to really put him to death, right?