Mikago

On the seventh day after Tang Ruilang left the Imperial College, Princess Duan Tang Manxiang went to the funeral in Lingzhou City.

However, since King Duan has not yet built a mausoleum, the coffin of the princess will be housed in the largest temple in Lingzhou City after leaving the palace.

On the day of the funeral, it was overcast and rainy.

At [-]:[-] a.m., melodious music came from the deserted avenue in the city.A group of kabuki music, dressed in plain white gauze, came from a distance.They danced lightly wearing the jewelry distributed in the private treasury of the palace, where the dust was swept away and precious pearls were everywhere.

Afterwards, two rows of waiters holding veiled lanterns came along the left and right walls of the square, with guards of honor holding feathers and banners in the middle.After the guard of honor, a bronze bell rang, and nine horse-drawn carriages slowly drove in with piles of funerary objects.On the tenth stand stood a singer invited from the capital, singing the song "Xielu".His voice was like weeping and complaining, and everyone who heard it burst into tears.

Behind the carriage came the hands carrying the coffin, with gold railings and jade skirts, and silver silk hanging down; behind the coffin, followed by a female crown and a hundred bhikkhunis, chanting scriptures and praying for blessings.

Such a ostentation, let alone in Lingzhou City, is probably rare even in the capital.

While everyone was talking about the jewels hidden in the ashes of the sacrifice, some winds were also changing—the glory and luxury on the way to the funeral, and the calm silence of the Tang family all seemed to indicate that the princess His death has nothing to do with Duan Wang Zhao Qing.

As for the real cause of the princess' death—some said it was puerperal fever, others said it was hemorrhage.Some people also said that the doctors of the good medical institute in Duanwang's mansion have been arrested in the past few days, and there are also officials searching and arresting in Lingzhou City, maybe there is another mystery.

Ye Zuolan had heard the news more or less, but never seriously thought about it.Because apart from his studies and worrying about Tang Ruilang, he suddenly had one more thing to distract him right now.

In the past few days, a strange figure began to appear beside him.

It is not always true that he is a complete stranger—Ye Zuolan suffered from his father's [-]-stick family method a while ago, and the internal injury could not be healed only by external application of ointment.Therefore, Tang Ruilang accompanied him to the sickroom of Guozijian, and asked the doctor there to prescribe some decoction for oral administration.

There was a medical worker in the ward named Zhang Cheng, who was in his early twenties, and had a relationship with Ye Zuolan at that time.Who would have expected that after many days, this person would come to the door on his own initiative.At first, it was just a simple greeting, and then he took the initiative to care about Ye Zuolan's injury and health, and two days later, a tonic was actually delivered...

As the saying goes, "If you don't have anything to show your courtesy, you can either rape or steal."Ye Zuolan also insinuated and wanted to know the other party's intentions.However, this Zhang Cheng kept his mouth shut all the time, which made Ye Zuolan feel several pimples in his heart.

Fortunately, with the return of Tang Ruilang, the answer to all this was found.

On the third day after the princess's funeral, Tang Ruilang returned to the Imperial College.He looked extremely haggard, and there were still thick bruises under his eyes, obviously he hadn't fully recovered from the grief.

Of course Ye Zuolan wanted to comfort his friend, but after thinking about it, he searched through the scriptures in his head but couldn't find a suitable word, so he could only quietly accompany Tang Ruilang.

After lunch, the sun began to rain.In order to avoid the flattery of others, Tang Ruilang led Ye Zuolan to hide in the Jingyi Pavilion.

"Why didn't you see your guard?"Ye Zuolan asked.

"They are in Lingzhou City now." Tang Ruilang replied, "I asked them to stay in Duanwang's Mansion to investigate something."

"That's your personal bodyguard. If you want to investigate the case, don't you need those two people in the huge Prince's Mansion?"

"That's different." Tang Ruilang's voice sank: "Only they are my people, and they only obey me."

Ye Zuolan raised her eyebrows, as if she had realized something.But at this moment, a drenched man suddenly emerged from the ancient and quiet locust forest.

"..." Ye Zuolan's body froze immediately after seeing the visitor clearly.

"Who?"

Tang Ruilang stepped forward to protect Ye Zuolan behind him, while asking in a low voice.

The man bowed his body and said respectfully: "The little one is called Zhang Cheng. Yes, he is a friend of Mr. Ye."

When did this guy become my friend?Ye Zuolan couldn't help widening her eyes, and after a while, she reluctantly explained: "He is a medical worker in the ward."

"I remember you." Tang Ruilang nodded at Zhang Cheng: "What's the matter with you?"

Zhang Cheng took another two steps forward, and suddenly knelt down in front of Tang Ruilang with a "plop".

"Young Master Tang, this villain is the younger brother of Zheng Zhang Quan, who was treated by the good doctor of Prince Duan's Mansion. My elder brother has nothing to do with the princess's affairs. The villain is so bold, please, Mr. Tang, look into it!"

A man in his 20s knelt down in front of a 12-year-old boy—Ye Zuolan felt embarrassed just looking at such a scene, but Tang Ruilang was calm and composed, looking down on the man who wanted something from him.

"I remember Zhang Quan. Since he confessed his innocence, why did he escape from Prince Duan's Mansion?"

"He's afraid of being someone else's scapegoat!"

Zhang Cheng defended loudly: "Little bold, I heard some conversations you had with Ye Gongzi just now, aren't you also suspicious of King Duan? It was him... It was King Duan who killed the princess, and he wanted to frame her as a victim." People from the Liangyi Clinic! Mr. Tang, if the people from the palace arrest my elder brother and beat him to death... In this way, our family’s suffering will be small, but the queen’s revenge will be big!"

His words were so earnest that Ye Zuolan almost softened his heart, but Tang Ruilang sat down with a blank expression.

"You want me to believe you, and you want me to help clear your brother's name?"

"Exactly!" Zhang Cheng nodded repeatedly.

Tang Ruilang asked again: "Didn't you ever think that the consequences of hastily accusing a member of the clan are more serious than sitting down?"

Zhang Cheng was obviously taken aback, but immediately nodded again and again.

"The little one only knows that 'the prince breaks the law and should be guilty of the same crime as the common people', and the little one believes that Mr. Tang will definitely be the master of the little family!"

What he said was too flattering, but it made people shudder all over.

Tang Ruilang sneered: "Then you must tell me clearly whether you and your brother have anything to do with my second sister's death?!"

"The little one can swear to the sky, I really didn't—"

Zhang Cheng was about to swear, but Tang Ruilang interrupted him by raising his hand.

"You and I both understand that such things as swearing and swearing are worthless. Don't deceive me when I am young and ignorant. From now on, be careful with every word and sentence you say. Because, as long as what you say is consistent with me If there is even the slightest error in what you have grasped, what awaits you... will definitely be a torture that is more terrifying than death."

Tang Ruilang, who said these words, completely abandoned the childishness and innocence of the boy.There was only a sharp cold light left in his eyes.

Ye Zuolan suddenly felt that he didn't know Tang Ruilang like this, but he had seen such a look.

A lofty, non-angry but prestige gaze.

Zhang Cheng's face turned pale, and he said hesitatingly: "The day the king and princess had an accident, Zhang Quan was not on duty in the palace. Therefore... it has nothing to do with this matter."

"Never mind?"

Tang Ruilang asked him back: "You are also a medical worker after all. You should have heard of such things as Shengsheng Pills, right? The medicines that the princess took during pregnancy, including the Shengsheng Pills, were all prepared by good doctors. It has been stamped with the medical seal. Why don't you ask your elder brother, who did he find and what kind of poison he tried, but he couldn't even test aconite!"

Aconitum?

Ye Zuolan gasped.Even he knew that aconitum was a gut-piercing poison.If someone really tried the medicine, it is absolutely impossible not to taste it.

Zhang Cheng, who was eloquent just now, suddenly fell silent. Although his mouth was still wide open, he couldn't utter a single word.

As if he had expected this a long time ago, Tang Ruilang suddenly leaned over and approached Zhang Cheng.

"It's true that if you don't go to heaven, there is no way to go to hell. You want to intercede for your bastard brother, but you don't know that he kept you in the dark. If you let him know, you ran here rashly to beg for death. I'm afraid he packed up his things and ran away!"

"No, no, it's not like this..." Zhang Cheng had already slumped on the ground, shaking his head repeatedly.

But he couldn't escape Tang Ruilang's questioning.

"Where is Zhang Quan hiding now! Tell me, maybe I can make people punish you lightly!"

"I don't know, I really don't know!"

Zhang Cheng turned around, and hugged Ye Zuolan's thigh even rolling and crawling: "Young Master Ye, Young Master Ye, I beg you, please intercede for me!"

Ye Zuolan really felt like crying.If he had known that Zhang Cheng approached him for this purpose, he would definitely be grateful.However, at this moment, he felt a little cruel to reject someone who seemed to be desperate.

And Tang Ruilang, if he chooses to defend Zhang Cheng this time, he will really anger him.

Under the balance between the two, Ye Zuolan put one hand on Zhang Cheng's shoulder, and said seriously: "It's better to report to the official! As the saying goes, 'the state owns the state law, and the family has family rules.' If your brothers really did nothing, they will naturally return your innocence. But if Zhang Quan really killed the princess...then you can't help but confuse right and wrong here!"

Knowing that pleading is fruitless, it is not suitable to stay here for a long time.Zhang Cheng immediately let go of the arm holding Ye Zuolan's thigh, got up and ran outside Jing Yiting.How could Tang Ruilang let him go, shouted "Come here!", and then remembered that the two guards were left in Lingzhou City by him.

At this time, Ye Zuolan had already rushed over, jumped up and grabbed Zhang Cheng's back.Zhang Cheng was taken aback and turned around to resist.The two immediately twisted into a ball.

However, Ye Zuolan is only an 11-year-old boy after all.Although the agility is more than enough, it is a pity that the strength is not enough.Between three punches and two kicks, Zhang Quan had already grabbed the skirt of his clothes and fell backwards.

This fall caused big trouble.

Ye Zuolan fell on his back in front of the Jingyi Pavilion, his temple just hit the sharp corner of the step, and his eyes immediately went dark.

And the last thing he heard was Tang Ruilang's urgent call.