Placid Chang'an

Before getting off the carriage, Li Shidao asked someone to come and pick him up. Su Cen looked at the sky, and it was already past the time to leave the office. If he was faster, he should be able to go back before the curfew. He nodded in response.

After entering the temple, Su Cen plunged headlong into the apse, rummaging through the mountain of books.He remembered that person said that day, three or four of Feng Yiming's brochures were on the same page. Then what he wants to say may be hidden in these notes.

Including the one under a stack of books in his study, Su Cen found four in total, and took the light to study word by word. Every book was similar, and there was nothing useful in the end , I couldn't understand it horizontally or vertically, and finally put down the fold. If this was really a guessing game, then he would be willing to bow down.

But if even he can't understand, who can understand?

In other words, if this is a lock that can only be opened with a matching key, who has that key?

Su Cen had a flash of inspiration, picked up the booklet and wanted to leave, just as he left the study door, he only heard three knocks from the clapper in Chang'an City, he never thought that it was already this hour.

Li Shi said that someone would come to pick him up, but he didn't know if he was still there at this hour, so he walked out of the gate suspiciously, only to see a small sedan chair was still waiting.

After waiting in the cold wind for most of the night, Su Cen couldn't bear it, and gave some extra rewards to express his shame, and then got on the sedan chair and rushed back.

After working hard all day, Su Cen fell into a drowsy sleep with the bumping of the sedan chair, and when he opened his eyes again, he was already at the gate of Xingqing Palace.

As soon as he got off the sedan chair, Su Cen woke up as soon as the cool breeze blew. At this time, Li Shi must have fallen asleep, and he might not get the result tonight.Su Cen stopped at the door for a moment, hesitating for a while between going home or spending the night in Xingqing Palace, and decisively chose the latter.It's not a good idea to go home in the dark in the middle of the night. Lai can still hitch a ride here tomorrow morning.

It's just that I can only bother Princess Ning again.

Su Cen carried a lantern and walked into the apse of Xingqing Palace. He passed by Prince Ning's bedroom and glanced at it.

After thinking about it, Li Shi didn't have the habit of sleeping with a light on, so he couldn't help but climb up the stairs, lying quietly outside the door to listen to the movement inside.

He thought he acted lightly, but as soon as he put his head on the door, he heard the human voice inside: "Come in."

Su Cen stood up resentfully, handed the lantern to the servant on duty outside the door, and pushed the door in by herself.

Facing the pair of ink-like eyes.

Li Shi was leaning on the couch with a book in his hand, his knees were slightly bent, and his black hair was tilted. Even though he was dressed for bed, Su Cen was slightly taken aback by that fierce look.

He doesn't think he's the kind of person who judges people by appearance, but when one glances at the past, appearance is above everything else, it's hard not to pay attention.

Not to mention anything else, this old fox is unrivaled in Su Cen's half-life in terms of appearance alone.

Li Shi put down the book and leaned back on the couch, looking at him with those deep eyes, as if with a slight smile.

Su Cen took a deep breath, leaned over to the couch, and asked with a smile, "How did the lord know that I'm here?"

Li Shi said: "I heard it."

Su Cen rolled up his sleeves and smelled it. He didn't use incense today, so he shouldn't smell bad. How did Li Shi smell him?Thinking about it again, where did he smell it? I'm afraid Li Shi would have known it as soon as he entered the gate of Xingqing Palace.

Teasing him again, Su Cen gave him a serious look, lowered his sleeves, and asked, "Why isn't your lord still asleep?"

Li Shi smiled, took Su Cen's hand and gently kneaded it: "Waiting for you."

These words are too false, but it was heartwarming to hear, Su Cen couldn't help laughing and said: "Your lord is not afraid that I will come back and go home directly?"

"You have a case in your heart, can you go back to sleep?"

Li Shi knew him well, so Su Cen didn't hide it anymore, took out a few notebooks, and said to Li Shi: "These are all notebooks written by Feng Yiming, I read them for a long time and didn't see anything interesting."

"Let me take a look." Li Shi copied one casually, straightened up and read it.

Although there are not many useful things in Feng Yiming's notebooks, they are all long-winded essays. Li Shi frowned and rubbed the center of his brows when he saw the second one.

Su Cen immediately regretted it.

Now Li Shi has the final say on all affairs in the court, and he is still up at this hour, probably because he has just finished dealing with political affairs, and he came here at this hour to disturb him, and even asked people to read the papers in the middle of the night. These papers are so heavy It's been many days, and this night is not bad, why can't we wait until tomorrow.

When someone wanted to get the third letter, Su Cen hurriedly withheld it, "Forget it, let's talk about it tomorrow."

Li Shi smiled, "It's okay."

Su Cen didn't let go, "Well then, I'll read it to you, just close your eyes and listen."

Li Shi raised his eyebrows in the face of Su Cen's stubborn gaze, but he still let go, leaned back on the couch, closed his eyes and said, "Read it."

Su Cen already knew the content by heart, and read in an orderly manner, with a calm tone, neither too rigid nor too lively. After reading the third book, he read the fourth book, and finally added his own conclusion: "The content of the few books is similar. It only mentions that the case happened on the post road, but there is no specific location, nor the detailed information of the victim, so it can easily be understood as a case that has been brought up many times, so I didn’t pay attention to it before.”

"Not one case." Li Shi opened his eyes and shook his head, "This is four cases."

"Four piles?" Su Cen frowned. It's not like he didn't have this idea before, but what kind of murders would happen four times in a row. If it was really a serial murder, why didn't Beijing hear anything about it.

Li Shi continued: "The reason why there are no names of people and places is because if he had written it, this letter would not have been delivered to you. He used so much nonsense to cover it up, just to get the news out."

Su Cen asked, "What news?"

Li Shidao: "Someone died in Yangzhou."

Su Cen frowned, needless to say, isn't it obvious?

"He wants to attract people to investigate."

Su Cen suddenly realized, no wonder there was no trial process, and the final conclusion was too hasty, this Feng Yiming is a little clever, he just wanted to use this method to lure people over, he couldn't investigate by himself, so he let the court send People go down to check for him.

Li Shi rubbed his eyebrows, "If I'm not wrong, those who died should be private salt dealers."

Su Cen was taken aback for a moment, and then a chill came from behind.He knew how fierce the fight between officials and privates was, but he never expected that it would kill people, and not just one, but four!

What's even more frightening is that the salt merchants swaggered to kill people on the post road. Not only did the government ignore them, but they even helped to block the news. There will be more than that.

The government and business colluded, and the court ordered the officials to clear the way for the murderer. What kind of monsters and ghosts are hidden in the superficially beautiful city of Yangzhou?

Su Cen thought for a while, and finally asked, "Is this Feng Yiming yours?"

Today in the court hall, Li Shi's attitude of wanting to protect Feng Yiming was obvious, and anyone with a discerning eye could see that Li Qiong also intentionally used Feng Yiming to embarrass Li Shi, and the place where Feng Yiming was located happened to be Yangzhou, which was the most popular. He didn't believe that so many coincidences happened to be concentrated on one person.

"Feng Yiming is smart and reliable in his work. I sent him to help me secretly supervise the abolition of the salt order." Li Shi closed his eyes and sighed, "It's hard for him."

Sure enough.

Su Cen frowned. What's so difficult about eating the king's reward and sharing the king's worries?Even if Feng Yiming doesn't go, there will be Li Yiming and Wang Yiming going, so they won't be embarrassed?

As soon as this idea came out, Su Cen scorned himself severely. He was really promising. He was jealous of a person who was far away, just because Li Shi praised him as "smart".

While contemptuous, he couldn't help thinking, what if it was him?If it was him in Yangzhou, would Li Shi protect him like Feng Yiming did?

Li Shi suddenly grabbed Su Cen's hand and used some strength to pull him over to sit on the couch. He squeezed his chin, "Don't think too much about it."

"What are you thinking about?" Facing those night-like eyes, Su Cen felt his heart beat involuntarily.

"Think about what you need to think about," Li Shi rested one hand on his face, followed his gaze, rubbed his fingertips on his lips with tenderness, then moved on his cheeks, and brushed slightly on the stern browbones. He stopped, and finally stopped behind his ear, gently rubbing one earlobe; the other hand was completely different, he took off his outer robe drastically and pulled off the belt.

You have come and gone many times, Li Shi is more familiar with this body than he is, and he knows how to arouse his interest, how to divide his mind, and how to make him completely sink and turn into a puddle of water.

"Then what should I think?" Su Cen was already distracted, she raised her eyebrows and murmured, her eyes were blatantly seductive.

"Missing me," Li Shi kissed his slightly parted lips, "or..." He stepped forward and said, "Missing it."

Su Cen took a short breath, which seemed to be in pain, but also filled with a bit of satisfaction.

Li Shi lifted him up with his waist, "It's small here, let's go back to bed."

But he still had him in his mouth, and every step he took, it got deeper and deeper.However, Li Shi intentionally hugged it loosely, but in desperation, he could only clamp|tighten it.

The person being hugged in just a few steps was covered in sweat, Su Cen gasped slightly, and gave him a resentful look, but Li Shi smiled, "Zi Xu doesn't want to be on the bed, so let's go back to the couch."

Su Cen: "..."

After a storm, it was about to dawn, Su Cen lay in Li Shi's arms, not wanting to move a finger.

Li Shi pulled the silk quilt to cover Su Cen's legs, and gently ran it on his back: "I'll give you half a day off tomorrow, go to sleep."

Su Cen nodded, closed her eyes obediently, her heartbeat slowly recovered, and those thoughts that didn't make any sense slowly emerged.

I don't know how long it was silent, and then quietly opened my eyes.

"Let me go." Su Cen said for no reason.

"Have you figured it out?" Li Shi still had his eyes closed, but he could hear that he was not asleep either.

Su Cen confirmed it again in her heart, and nodded seriously.

"Be careful," Li Shi patted the person on the back, "Let Qi Lin follow you."