Linque

The atmosphere in the posthouse was extremely stagnant.

No one drew their swords, but everyone's hand was an inch closer to the scabbard.

Ling Qi still stood at the same spot, turned slightly, nodded calmly, and said to Fang Hongzhen: "Wu Zun, it's a pleasure to meet you, are you going back to Cangwu City?"

Fang Hongzhen didn't answer, his eyes swept Ling Qi's face back and forth without avoiding the slightest bit, and he said after a while: "I didn't expect to meet Commander Ling here, I have admired his name for a long time."

His tone was contemptuous, revealing that the visitor was not kind, Ling Qi still looked unmoved, and said flatly: "I don't dare to do it. I'm out on business, and I'm staying here to rest. I don't know what the Martial Venerable can do?"

"It's not expensive to work." Fang Hongzhen said, "It's a piece of idle business."

He twirled two Taiji balls in his hand, and said slowly, "I have heard that the leader of the Shadow Guard of the Son of Heaven has reached the realm of perfection, and he is invincible. I haven't been able to meet Spring Hunting, but fortunately, it's not too late to meet by chance today, I'd like to ask Commander Ling for advice to see if it's really as tall as I imagined."

The words are very polite, but the meaning is not at all.

The emperor's shadow guard, the shadow of the emperor, guards the emperor according to the emperor's will, and when he leaves Beijing, he will patrol and shepherd on behalf of the sky.Not to mention that Ling Qi didn't show up in front of people on the day of the spring hunt, even if he was standing on the reviewing platform, no one in the aristocratic family would be arrogant enough to let the emperor's shadow guard end. This has an allusion in the history of Dayin Kingdom.

Fang Hongzhen's move not only showed no respect for Ling Qi, but also challenged the authority of the emperor.

Behind the window on the second floor, as soon as Fang Hongzhen finished speaking, Chu Heng's expression darkened instantly.

He turned around and went to get Dongjun's mask from the bag.

Ling Ye asked, "What are you going to do?"

Chu Heng lifted his chin out of the window, and said with a cold face: "Didn't the surname Fang want to be beaten up? It seems that I was too polite during the spring hunt. Since I met him by chance today, I will fulfill him. After cleaning up, I will be honest."

As he said that he was about to put on the mask, Ling Ye pressed his hand sideways, and said in a low voice, "Are you all right?"

Chu Heng snorted coldly: "It doesn't matter whether you beat him or not."

Ling Ye clasped his wrist instead, "Don't mess around."

"Can……"

Ling Ye interrupted his argument, walked back to the window sill, and said in a low voice: "This is in the territory of Zhongzhou, King Jing is not yet fully prepared for a showdown and rebellion. If Ling Qi does not take the lead, Fang Hongzhen will not dare to draw his sword first, no matter how arrogant he is. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have said such high-sounding nonsense. He moved his shadow head in Zhongzhou Pass today, and tomorrow all the main branches of the Cangwu Fang clan in the imperial capital will be imprisoned. Rebellion is punishable by everyone in the world. Fang Hongzhen did not dare to take the risk before the time came. What's more..." Ling Ye glanced at Chu Heng, and the corners of his lips slightly curled up, without further words.

The swords were on the verge downstairs, and as soon as Fang Hongzhen finished speaking, the shadow guards all around took a step forward, and the warriors accompanying Fang's entourage also stepped forward immediately.

Ling Qi waved his hand and signaled the shadow guard to back down. He looked at Fang Hongzhen without changing his face, and said indifferently: "Since there is nothing important, I will not entertain you any more. Wu Zun, please do your own thing." He turned around and directed the shadow guard Wei continued to install the horses and prepared to go upstairs.

"Wait a minute." Fang Hongzhen said in a deep voice, staring at Ling Qi's back with mocking eyes, and said with a sneer, "I still think how good an expert is by His Majesty's side, so it's nothing more than asking for advice, Commander Ling doesn't dare? The Shadow Guard of the Son of Heaven is so unbearable, I am really worried about His Majesty's safety."

Ling Qi stopped walking, turned around when he heard the words, and looked at Fang Hongzhen who was full of ridicule. The two people's eyes met in mid-air for a moment. Ling Qi suddenly twitched the corners of his mouth, and said calmly: "I thought Wu Zun was the one above On the day of Lin Yuan's spring hunting, I have already asked for advice."

Fang Hongzhen paused while turning the Tai Chi ball.

Ling Qi continued slowly: "I haven't asked Wu Zun yet, how about Dongjun's sword?"

The blue veins on Fang Hongzhen's forehead twitched twice, and the scabbed sword mark on the palm of his right hand seemed to feel a slight tingling pain. He squeezed his fingers to suppress the turmoil in his heart, sneered, and was about to speak when he suddenly felt Ling Qi behind him. There is a kind of mahayana breath that seems to be absent, but it only lasts for a moment, and soon disappears.

Fang Hongzhen's complexion changed slightly, and he glanced sharply towards the second floor, but he couldn't find that breath.But in front of him was Ling Qi who had been calm and composed from the beginning to the end, and he still had a faint doubt in his heart.

The sky outside is getting more cloudy, and there seems to be thunder coming from the clouds.

Fang Hongzhen's sneer broke the stalemate silence in the hall, he turned around and waved to his followers, and strode out of the hall.

The sound of horseshoes gradually drifted away, Chu Heng closed the window, and said with a cold snort: "Run faster, this old thief is better off."

Ling Ye glanced at him and said nothing.

Chu Heng stood in front of the window and ground his teeth for a while, unwilling to resign himself: "Next time, if Fang Hongzhen hits my hand again, he must be killed..."

Hearing what Ling Ye said, he stretched out his hand and pinched his waist, "What scripture are you reciting?" He squinted at him, "Don't you think this time is not hurt enough? Do you want to have a second time?"

Chu Heng grunted, turned around and explained: "This time it was an accident. Yan Zhefei used my little uncle as an ambush. Only this time, she will not be so lucky in the future. Fang Hongzhen and her are on the same level Yes, Shanglinyuan Spring Hunting tried the depth that day, facing him head-on, I have the certainty of forcibly killing him."

"That's not okay." Ling Ye vetoed without hesitation, "Fang Hongzhen is in the Mahayana realm after all, and his strength is not as good as yours, but he should not be underestimated. If you kill him by force, you will be injured, and you are absolutely not allowed to risk yourself. Have you arrived yet?"

"……Oh."

Chu Heng should be, sat back beside Ling Ye, reluctantly endured it for a while, but still beat the table unwillingly, the more he thought about it, the more angry he became, "Fang Hongzhen's disobedience is all on his face! He is disrespectful to the commander-in-chief. You still despise Tianwei! The old thief is presumptuous! You can't kill him! I have to..."

He was half-speaking, but suddenly met Ling Ye's cool gaze, swallowed the words when he came to his lips, leaned over to hug Ling Ye, and buried his head in his shoulder.

Ling Ye didn't push him away but didn't hug him back either. He looked at him and said in a deep voice: "The 'dare not' that Dongjun told me a few days ago, don't count until he arrives in the imperial capital? What I said, You answered the first moment, and then threw it behind your head and sang the opposite, huh?"

When Chu Heng hugged Ling Ye's neck and faltered, he couldn't think of a way to fool him. In the end, he closed his eyes and denied it, saying: "No, Your Majesty misheard, Dong Jun is very good..."

Ling Ye snorted and said leisurely: "In my opinion, Dongjun is more presumptuous than Fang Hongzhen. He didn't say hello when he was in the Mahayana realm, and he didn't say anything when the emperor came. , really presumptuous..."

Listening to the front, Chu Heng thought he was going to settle an old score, and was guilty, but suddenly heard something unscrupulous, his face turned red, he couldn't help but curled his lips, raised his eyes and smiled: "That's different."

He looked at Ling Ye: "I'm here to meet His Majesty, to be with Ling Ye."

Ling Ye's eyebrows stretched, and he touched his lips, but still did not forget what he said, and said seriously: "When the matter of respecting the king is over, I have a good idea of ​​how Cangwu City will be restrained in the future. I can tolerate Fang Hongzhen, but I can't Tolerate the second time you risk your life and get injured, what happened in the Lushui Cemetery can only happen once. Do you remember, Chu Heng and Ji Wuyue?"

Chu Heng was slightly stunned, seeing Ling Ye's extraordinarily solemn expression, and nodded in response after a while.

"The rest of the accounts will be settled at home," Ling Ye said.

Someone approached outside, Chu Heng let go of Ling Ye's neck and sat up straight.

After getting permission, Ling Qi walked in, bowed and saluted, and said to the emperor: "Your Majesty, Fang Hongzhen has indeed left, and he should go to the next post house twenty miles away."

The emperor let out a "hmm" and said, "This is the intersection of the three prefectures of Zhongchang and Wan. Fang Hongzhen appeared here, where is he planning to go?"

Yunzhou is located in the southernmost part of Kyushu. The shortest way from the imperial capital to Cangwu City is through Wanzhou.Although Changzhou can also lead to Yunzhou, it is inconvenient because of the long detour.Changzhou is the gathering place of many aristocratic families, how many of them have been moved by King Jing's coercion and lure, it is not yet known.If Fang Hongzhen went to Wanzhou, it would be fine, and he would go back to his Cangwu City smoothly.But if you go in the direction of Changzhou, it must not be as simple as going home. What you do is likely to be linked to treason.

Ling Qi replied: "I have sent someone to investigate secretly, I think there will be news soon."

The emperor nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

……

Stepping into the border of Zhongzhou, returning to the imperial capital naturally went smoothly, and in the evening four days later, they arrived at Jiuchongque.

Returning to Mingcheng Palace again, Chu Heng felt infinitely relaxed and comfortable.Ling Ye already knew that he was Ji Wuyue, one of which is not to lie against his will in the future.The most important thing is that although Ling Ye was angry at first, but along the way, Chu Heng felt that he was coaxing people very well. Ling Ye would not ignore him again, let alone refuse his kisses and hugs, and would respond to him. His hair was smoothed out, and his anger and anger disappeared.

So Chu Heng was in a relaxed mood. As soon as the carriage stopped in front of the gate of Mingcheng Palace, he jumped down first, strode into the gate of the palace, and did not forget to say to the bandit Gao who was kneeling to greet him: "Eunuch Gao, ask someone to prepare water. , I want to take a bath."

Bandit Gao answered yes with a smile.

Ling Ye took a few steps behind, glanced at Chu Heng's back, raised his lips slightly, and waved his hand to signal the maids and servants to stand up.Gao Bandit went to prepare water according to the queen's order, and Zhu Geng stayed by his side to report to the emperor what happened inside and outside the palace during his absence.

Ling Ye claimed that he was ill, and before leaving Lushui, he appointed important ministers such as Duke of Zhen Guo Han and Duke of Ying Su Que to preside over the court meeting.Ling Ye went to the study first, and looked through the unresolved state affairs memorials on the court case.

Looking at it, it took more than half an hour, when Chu Heng returned to the dormitory, he had already finished bathing, and was lying on the beauty couch with his eyes squinted, his wet hair spread out on the smoker cage, waiting to be steamed dry.

There was a plate of Xingong grapes on the long table half a zhang away. He was too lazy to ask someone to serve him, so he sucked the grapes one by one into his palm with his fingertips and put them into his mouth slowly. He was so comfortable that he couldn't find them. north.

Ling Ye looked at it for a moment and didn't know whether to be angry or to laugh. To be honest, ordinary masters really can't do the thing of picking grapes from the air with internal force. Dong Jun's internal force is so pure that there is no use for it. Say "absurd".

Ling Ye walked to the side of the couch. Chu Heng opened his eyes and saw him coming. He stretched out another finger, raised it slightly, and grabbed two grapes. While handing them out to Ling Ye, he commented: "These grapes are very sweet."

Ling Ye took it over and tasted it, then said slowly, "Dong Jun feels comfortable?"

Chu Heng frowned and opened his hands: "Your Majesty will feel comfortable when I kiss you."

Ling Ye turned his eyes away and ignored him, went to the long table and brought the whole fruit plate, "Dear Putao, don't eat too much, it's time to eat later."

He announced that the imperial hospital envoy came to ask Chu Heng for a pulse, and was about to call the servant to see if the old doctor Cheng had arrived, when he was pulled suddenly, his body turned around, and his lips felt soft in an instant.

After Chu Heng picked up the incense, he smacked his lips and lay back on the couch contentedly, bending his eyes and saying, "It's comfortable."

Seeing his smug look, Ling Ye raised his eyebrows, but didn't speak.

Just as old doctor Cheng came over and waited outside the door, Ling Ye ordered to announce.After checking the pulse, fortunately Chu Heng was fine, old doctor Cheng prescribed medicine for three days, drew up a prescription for nourishing food and then resigned.

Although Chu Heng was not very happy to take medicine, Ling Ye let him do everything except this matter.After several days of feeding with such good soup and water, Chu Heng had completely forgotten about the deer water.

In the twinkling of an eye, it is the tenth day of April, and today there is a grand court meeting in the Xuanzheng Hall.At the dawn of dawn, Ling Ye got up early, had breakfast, and the maids in the palace waited for him to change into court clothes.

Chu Heng was still lying on the bed, and he heard low voices in the room while he was sleepy. He turned over while hugging the quilt, muttered twice and did not open his eyes.

During this period of time, he lived so comfortably that he didn't even help His Majesty tie his belt in the morning.Just as he was dreaming a sweet dream with peace of mind, he suddenly heard the sound of a lock buckle being closed, followed by a little coolness from his right ankle, Chu Heng was jolted suddenly, and opened his eyes instantly.

Sitting up and lifting his feet, he saw that the gold-plated shackles engraved with patterns of dragons and phoenixes were not loosely fastened to his right ankle. The size was very suitable, and a finger could be inserted into the free space of the shackles. It looked like it was specially prepared for him.

Looking along the shackles, the slender gilt chains are interlocked, and the ends are tied to the bedposts, and the long ones are piled up at the foot of the bed.Chu Heng stretched out his hand and tugged, the clanging sound of the chains colliding with each other reverberated in the inner room, and a slight movement of his feet brought about a burst of clarity.The weight of the gold chain is not heavy, but it is very long, allowing him to walk around the inner hall of Ming Cheng Hall.

Chu Heng tugged at the chain for a while, thinking blankly, I'm locked up.He raised his head in confusion, and then he spoke in a voice full of resentment and grievance: "Your Majesty?"

Ling Ye met his gaze and said calmly, "Prison."

Chu Heng froze, and suddenly remembered what Ling Ye said when he admitted his mistake in Lushui - "I will be imprisoned after returning to the imperial capital", isn't it an unforgiving phrase?Why are you serious?

Ling Ye finished locking him, and got up to wear the crown. Chu Heng fiddled with the gold-plated shackles on his feet twice. He was a little anxious. Just about to lift the quilt and get up, he suddenly remembered something, and quickly withdrew his hand and looked at the mirror. Ling Ye lowered his voice in embarrassment and annoyance: "I...have this handcuffed on my feet, how can I get dressed?"

Even if you are a prisoner, you can't take him into custody without knowing anything, right?

But what the prison of Dayin Kyushu should be like, His Majesty has to say.Ling Ye put on the twelve crowns in a slow manner, turned around and looked at the prisoner, and said goldenly, "No."