single husband's heart

In the summer of [-] BC, Qin State, Xianyang.

Xianyang is not actually a city.

With the rise of great powers, talents are recruited, and ambitious scholars come here one after another.A densely populated place is naturally also a place where businessmen come and go frequently.Over the years, outsiders settled down one after another around King Qin's palace. As Qin became stronger and stronger, this circle gradually spread like thick ink meeting water.And at the very end of this circle, there is no city wall that restricts people's access.

The heart of the state of Qin is actually only relying on Hangu Pass and Wuguan Pass. At first glance, they are easy to attack and difficult to defend, and are in danger.

But for a hundred years, no king has allowed other countries to threaten the heart of Qin.

Just after Maozheng, the gong was sounded to open the market.Shops on both sides of the street opened their doors to welcome customers, and small merchants and hawkers also set up their stalls to yell.Xianyang, who had been sleeping all night, began to wake up slowly.

Today is Xia Wu's routine rest.As soon as the sky was light, he got up early to wash and wash, and had breakfast.Suppressing his desire to wait for the palace door to open, he sat by the desk for half an hour with his medical skills in hand, and then walked out the side door pretending to have a good night's sleep and wanted to go out of the palace for entertainment.

When Xia Wuqie walked to the market, there were gradually more people, bustling and bustling, and it was prosperous as far as the eye could see.Today, he changed out of the blue official uniform of a medical officer, put on the clothes of a commoner, and walked in the market, feeling in a daze that he was also a drop in the ocean of this powerful country, although small, he was honored.

Xia Wuqi looked east and west, turned slowly into the alley, and finally stopped in front of a pharmacy.The owner of the pharmacy was yawning as he removed the door panel.

"Why is the opening time getting later and later? Brother Six, are you really serious about business?"

"I didn't do business seriously. How can there be customers in such a remote place?" Gongsun Jigong glanced at the serious junior, and said casually, "Anyway, someone pays the salary. I'm not greedy, unlike you, and I'm not greedy. Take double."

Xia Wu and laughed.

The two entered the room and sat down facing each other in the back room.There is only a layer of bamboo curtains separating this place from the outside, so guests can be heard in time if they come in.

"You have no conscience, you haven't come to see me for a long time." Gongsun Jigong poured water for Xia Wuqie, his tone full of complaints. "I'm the only one in this damn place, it's so boring."

"Why don't you find two children." Xia Wuqiu half-jokingly said. "It can not only relieve your boredom, but also pass on the master's medical skills."

"This kind of pharmacy where few people come to the door every year, who will send the child? Besides, I don't feel at ease when outsiders are here."

"Uh..." Xia Wuqi smiled coquettishly, and lowered his head to drink water.After a long while, he said: "Today... I came to see my senior brother specially, so I can pass along a little news..."

"What!?" Gongsun Jigong wailed. "I still think you're just here to see me!"

"It's really time to see senior brother, but there just happened to be some situations recently." Xia Wuqiu couldn't bear to see senior brother's aggrieved expression, even though he knew it was an act.

Gongsun Jigong complained a few more words, wiped his face, wiped away the two lines of tears that did not exist, and finally said seriously: "It's been calm for so many years, what will happen?"

"My identity seems... to have been exposed." Xia Wuqie sighed.

Gongsun Jigong stared at him in astonishment.

"How come? You are so low-key." Gongsun Jigong frowned and struggled. "You didn't expose those things a few years ago, why are you suddenly..."

"It's not my problem. Who knows that my colleagues will suddenly recommend me to the king..."

"Hey! It's because your medical skills are so good that you can't keep a low profile!" Gongsun Ji Gong smashed down the table with resentment, looked at Xia Wuqie with a look of hatred.

...is this a compliment or a criticism?

"Your Majesty just recognized me. It's uncertain whether I've noticed my current identity. However, it will be a matter of time before I'm found out." Xia Wu comforted guiltily. "Actually, it doesn't matter. Let me discard this point. Today's Qin Palace is much stricter than it was a few years ago. It will take some time to install another person, but it is not difficult."

"I'm afraid I don't have time." Gongsun Jigong tugged at his hair in distress.

"What?" The astonished person was replaced by Xia Wuqiu.

"A month ago, I received a letter from the prince." Gongsun Jigong dug out a letter written on silk from under the desk case, which seemed to have only a few lines. "The prince intends to send someone over..."

Gongsun Jigong raised his knife and slashed across his neck.

Xia Wuqiu took the secret letter, read it carefully, and smiled wryly: "Now Qin is all over the world, Yan is in danger, and the prince is anxious day and night. Such a decision is also reasonable. But why at this time, I Happily..."

"Hey, it's useless to say any more. I will explain your situation to the prince." Gongsun Jigong waved his hands and bowed his head in silence.

The two were relatively silent.A cup of tea was about to bottom out, Xia Wuqie spoke again:

"Who is the prince planning to send...?"

"It's Jing Qing."

Seeing Xia Wu's confused expression, Gongsun Jigong said in shock: "You have been staying in Qin Palace, and it is normal that you are not familiar with the current situation of Yan Kingdom. Is this Jing Qing recommended by a hermit named Tian Guang?" "Is this Tian Guang recommended by Ju Wu, the prince's teacher? Why did he recommend this person? It was because the prince took in Fan Yuqi, the fugitive general of the Qin State. Ju Wu was worried about angering Qin, so he advised the prince... ..."

Gongsun Jigong said a lot, but Xia Wuqiu became more and more confused.Seeing the time passing by little by little, he had no choice but to interrupt: "What about Jing Qing?"

"Don't worry, it's over." Gongsun Jigong refilled his cup with water to moisten his throat. "The prince has been thinking about it for a long time. It was the intention to keep Jing Qing. I heard that Tian Guang killed himself in exchange for the prince's trust. The prince is a soft-hearted person. Because of guilt, since then From now on, I will treat Jing Qing with extra courtesy. For such a long time, the chariot and horse beauty has been asked by Jing Qing, but Jing Qing has never mentioned the assassination..."

"Last year, the King of Qin destroyed Zhao and threatened the Three Jins. The country of Yan is weak, and it is already at a critical juncture. The crown prince may not be able to sit still..."

Xia Wu and lowered his head in thought.

"The Jing Qing you're talking about is named Ke?"

"Huh!?" Gongsun Jigong sprayed water. "How do you know?"

Xia Wuqi smiled helplessly: "He traveled in Zhao country more than ten years ago."

"I said it!" Gongsun Jigong wiped off the water stains on his clothes, and smiled. "The prince has always been cautious, how could he entrust such an important task to an unknown pawn who doesn't know his background, but he turned out to be an old friend."

"It's not an old friend, but the character can be guaranteed." Xia Wuqie said. "Besides, Jing Qing is not an unknown person. He has traveled all over the world, and he likes to make friends with chivalrous men. Zhao Guo's Gou Tu and Gao Jianli are both his close friends."

The two gossiped and talked about their friendship for many years, and before they knew it, it was already noon.Gongsun Jigong was not yet enjoying himself, so he insisted on going to the restaurant to invite Xia Wuqie to eat.The two had been friends since childhood, even Xia Wuqiu, an introverted person, was not polite to him.Gongsun Jigong installed the door panel of the medicine store with a grunt, as if a thief really cared about him, and left with Xia Wuqie.

The figures of the two disappeared at the end of the alley.

A figure slowly walked out from the corner.This small alley is remote and cramped, and there are a lot of debris piled up at the corner, making it even darker.Xia Wuqie has repeatedly confirmed that no one is following him, this person should have been lurking here long ago.

He was dressed in gray clothes, at first glance he looked like a commoner, but his figure was extraordinarily tall and straight, he was clearly a martial arts practitioner.

In King Qin's side hall, the doors and windows were closed, and it was clearly daylight but candles were lit.The dark wind came in through the crack of the door, pulling the candle flame to sway left and right, adding a sense of solemnity.

"Useless." Ying Zheng frowned coldly. "Xia Wuqi is just a doctor with no power to restrain a chicken. As Qin's top experts, how can you not keep up with him?"

"Your Majesty," the guard who was kneeling on the ground could not lift his head in shame, explained in a low voice. "Dr. Xia has been circling left and right when he first left the palace gate, seemingly aimlessly, and often turns back for a certain distance, whether intentionally or not. We dare not follow too closely..."

"Then what about Gongsun Jigong's clinic, didn't you go check it out?"

"This subordinate... went to check after I lost it. The door of the medical clinic was open and it was still open. The subordinate only took a look, but there was no one outside. Whether Doctor Xia is in the inner room, the subordinate should not rush in to check The subordinate waited for a long time but did not see Doctor Xia coming out, so he must not be here, so he came back first."

Ying Zheng stared at the guards on the ground, without saying a word for a long time.

In the end, he waved his hand in frustration: "Go down and receive the punishment yourself."

"No." The guard withdrew as if relieved.

Ying Zheng was left alone in the house.

He sighed softly, his straight back slowly bent down.Rest your elbows on the table and support your forehead with your hands.Loose sleeves fell down, hiding his expression.

"Do you have to do this..."

I don't know the so-called soft murmur sounded in the hall.

Suddenly, there was a slight but clear knock on the door outside.

"Who?"

"Father, it's Fusu."

"... Fusu?"

Ying Zheng raised his head, let out a long sigh of relief, and suppressed the fragility that shouldn't belong to him.

"Come in."

A 13-year-old boy pushed the door open and entered.His outline is still immature, but his demeanor is serious and steady, just like a young Ying Zheng.But he seemed a little excited at the moment.

"What's the matter?" Faced with his excellent eldest son, Ying Zheng couldn't help softening.

"Father is worried about Dr. Xia's matter?" Fu Su saluted, and then he couldn't wait to speak.

"How did you know?" Ying Zheng was surprised at first, and then slightly dissatisfied. "Meng Jia revealed it?"

"Father, please don't blame the concubine, because my son wanted to share his worries with the concubine."

"Let's not talk about it for now. What do you want to say here?"

"Father," Fusu said with an expression like a child eager to ask for credit from an adult. "Medical officer Xia has always been a low-key person, and his life is uneventful. The only suspicious thing is his senior brother Gongsun Jigong's medical clinic..."

"Huh?" Ying Zheng looked at the eldest son seriously. "how do I say this?"

"My son has been ambushing near the medical center since half a month ago. After a period of time, I found something strange. Gongsun Jigong himself is extremely lazy. He only opened the door to welcome guests at three o'clock in the sun. He is not well-known in Xianyang, so the medical center is empty. This matter is quite suspicious. First, Gongsun Jigong, as a fellow doctor of Xia’s doctor, should have good medical skills. If he practiced medicine seriously, how could his business be so sluggish? Second, the income of this medical center is meager, but Gongsun Jigong did not see him. Embarrassment, obviously another income..."

Fusu took a careful look at Yingzheng, and saw that his face was expressionless, so he mustered up his courage and continued:

"Yesterday, the spies said that they saw Dr. Xia entering the clinic before noon and would not come out until sunset..."

Ying Zheng's left index finger moved slightly.

"...According to this, it can be inferred that Gongsun Jigong's medical center is probably just a cover. The hidden secrets inside need to be further explored." Fusu looked at his father anxiously and expectantly, wanting to be praised.

Ugh……

Ying Zheng sighed secretly.

This time, I can't even turn a blind eye.

The author has something to say: the author will disappear for seven days~ but I will write well~