It's Su Liang's Fault
Duanmu Yi looked at Duanmu Chen coldly, which made his heart hang in the air. Google search reading
Because Duanmu Chen knew very well that he was just subconsciously defending Su Liang, and he didn't really disbelieve this letter of unknown origin.
Except that "Ning Jing" was Gu Ling, Duanmu Chen had never thought of it before. He had already realized other things. In fact, when he saw the sentence in the letter saying that the top scholar "Ning Jing" was actually Gu Ling pretending to be him, some of Duanmu Chen's doubts were suddenly cleared up!
In other words, Duanmu Chen knew that a lot of what was said in this letter was true.
It's not that Su Liang and Gu Ling had revealed any clear flaws, but from the results, there were too many coincidences.
And the "story" told in this letter, compared with what they saw Su Liang and Gu Ling did on the surface, the former is more in line with the nature of the two people! This is the most fatal point!
Duanmu Chen regretted a little that he had just impulsively defended Su Liang. He still thought that Su Liang should be protected, but if he said that so quickly, Duanmu Yi would probably suspect that he had known about it for a long time and was an accomplice. After all, he became the crown prince, while the original crown prince and the second and fifth princes who would hinder him, one died, and the other was under house arrest and half crazy...
From the results, if it is said that Duanmu Chen colluded with Su Liang and Gu Ling, he wanted to clear the obstacles to climb up, and they reached a secret cooperation relationship for revenge, which is also very reasonable.
In fact, Duanmu Chen really had a cooperative relationship with Su Liang, but many things that happened later, Su Liang did not discuss with him, and the purpose was not to help him, but the results were all in his favor.
Duanmu Chen thought that Duanmu Yi would definitely reprimand him, and he was already thinking about what to say next.
However, Duanmu Yi just looked at Duanmu Chen with deep eyes and did not speak, which made Duanmu Chen even more uneasy.
Just as Duanmu Chen was thinking clearly and preparing to explain, he heard Duanmu Yi say, "You are right, this letter must be related to Situ Xie. He wants to sow discord, make me suspect Su Liang and Gu Ling, and use me to get rid of them."
Duanmu Chen felt relieved, "I also think this is the work of Situ Xie. He relied on his relationship with Gu Ling to fabricate some specious things to confuse us."
"Go away." Duanmu Yi said, and without waiting for Duanmu Chen to say anything else, he stood up and left the imperial study.
Duanmu Chen then walked out of the imperial study, looking at the hazy sky outside. The morning mist felt a little cold on his face. Thinking of the look in Duanmu Yi's eyes, his heart sank again.
Duanmu Chen knew that Duanmu Yi believed what was said in the letter. Perhaps no matter whether he spoke to defend Su Liang or not, Duanmu Yi would believe that he was also an accomplice in the murder of his brother.
In fact, if Su Liang had really conspired with Duanmu Chen to get rid of Duanmu Sheng and Duanmu Ao, Duanmu Chen would not have refused...
...
Chang'an was waiting outside the palace, and was a little surprised to see Duanmu Chen come out so quickly.
Duanmu Chen got on the carriage without saying a word, and Chang'an drove back to the mansion.
Halfway through the journey, Duanmu Chen's voice suddenly came from the carriage, "Chang'an, do you think Su Liang will harm me?"
Chang'an was stunned for a moment, frowned and thought, and replied after a moment, "I think that as long as the master does not do something he should not do, Miss Su will never harm the master."
Duanmu Chen nodded silently, which was also what he had been reminding himself since he met Su Liang.
And now, Su Liang is not here, maybe she is still controlled by someone, or maybe she has escaped, but no matter what, Duanmu Chen has no doubt that she will solve the trouble and come back safely.
Duanmu Chen doesn't care about what Su Liang has deceived him, because they have never been close friends.
More importantly, Duanmu Chen has gained a lot of benefits from Su Liang, and he firmly believes that they can still "cooperate" in the future. He even felt that without the help of Su Liang and Gu Ling, he would probably stop at the position of the crown prince of Ganguo and would not be able to move up.
Because of the experience of the past two years, Duanmu Chen clearly realized his shortcomings. Sometimes, you can't get what you want just by having status and wisdom.
He is facing a war without gunpowder but treacherous and cruel. Enemies emerge in endlessly. There are those who are more wise than him, and there are many who are more powerful and have more means than him.
Duanmu Chen often feels uneasy after Su Liang's accident this time, and he realizes more and more that luck plays a big role in his journey to where he is today. And his luck comes from Su Liang.
Chang'an heard Duanmu Chen sighing and couldn't help asking, "Master, what happened?"
Duanmu Chen replied after a while, "Nothing."
He was worried about his situation, but thinking about the current situation of the royal family of Ganguo, if Duanmu Yi hadn't lost his mind, he should know that he is the only suitable candidate for the crown prince.
Duanmu Yi may choose to continue to use Su Liang and Gu Ling, or he may turn against them.
Duanmu Chen did not know this today, but he is now more convinced that Duanmu Yi will get rid of Su Liang and Gu Ling sooner or later. The original plan of "the bow is hidden after the bird is dead" may continue now, or he may start in advance.
When Duanmu Chen subconsciously spoke to defend Su Liang in the imperial study, he had already made his choice. His interests are not consistent with Duanmu Yi's, and they are even in conflict, because he wants Duanmu Yi's current position, and Duanmu Yi may not give it to him.
However, past experience has made Duanmu Chen know that although his interests and Su Liang's are essentially different, they can achieve the same results, and he is the beneficiary.
At this point, Duanmu Chen is uneasy, but he is more clear about the future.
After returning to the Prince's Mansion, Duanmu Chen was as usual and did not go out again.
In the middle of the night, Lin Shuzhi suddenly woke up, sat up, and saw a letter on his quilt.
There was no one else in the room, and the doors and windows were all closed. He stared, picked up the letter and opened it, his face suddenly changed!
The letter was sent by someone arranged by Duanmu Chen, and it only wrote one thing: Duanmu Yi knew that the previous "Ning Jing" was pretended by Gu Ling.
And this matter was also a hidden worry in Lin Shuzhi's heart.
Duanmu Chen guessed right, the father and son of the Lin family were insiders. And the purpose of sending this letter was, first, to use Lin Shuzhi to pass the news to Su Liang. Maybe Lin Shuzhi didn't know where Su Liang was at the moment, but if Su Liang got away, Duanmu Chen felt that the Lin family would get the news earlier than him; second, Duanmu Chen took the risk to show his identity, and also to show his position, he stood on Su Liang's side.
Lin Shuzhi pressed the letter under the pillow, closed his eyes, and sighed deeply.
The next day, Lin Boyan talked with Lin Shuzhi in the study for a quarter of an hour before going to court.
Lin Xueqing, who was pregnant, often stayed at her mother's house, and she was there that day. In the afternoon, she said she wanted to go shopping, and Xing Yusheng accompanied her. When she went to the Yan family's embroidery shop to buy cloth for her nephew, she ran into Yan Yu. Near noon, they went to Wanjia Restaurant for dinner together.
They left the restaurant in the afternoon, and Yan Yu returned to Su Mansion. She had moved there before and had lived there for a while.
Xing Yusheng took Lin Xueqing back to Zhongxin Marquis Mansion to visit Old Lady Xing, who said she would send someone to Xuanbei City to send some seasonal fruits to Xing Ji.
Xing Yuyan, who was originally going to marry to Liangguo, had been secretly sent to the capital. Situ Jing, the eldest grandson of Situ Xie, was also sent there.
That night, Rendong met Duanmu Yi again.
"Is there any news about Su Liang?" Duanmu Yi asked coldly.
Ren Dong shook her head, "To reply to the emperor, General Nian sent someone to send a letter to Madam Nian the day before yesterday to report that he was safe, but there is still no news about Doctor Su."
"Okay, leave. Report immediately if there is any news." Duanmu Yi said.
Ren Dong bowed and left, turning around and leaving without seeing Duanmu Yi's cold eyes.
Ren Dong returned to the Su Mansion, and Yan Yu was still asleep.
She went straight back to her room and did not go to talk to Yan Yu. The important news that Duanmu Chen told had been passed on to Yan Yu and Ren Dong by the Lin Mansion. Next, Yan Yu will notify Nian Jincheng as soon as possible, and Xing Yusheng has also sent someone to Xuanbei City to inform Xing Ji in secret, so as to make plans early.
The shadow that secretly followed Ren Dong stayed in the Su Mansion for another hour, and left to report without finding anything.
At the same time, in the Prince's Mansion, Duanmu Chen, who had just fallen asleep, suddenly sat up with a frown!
He thought that the letter was written by Situ Xie, but Situ Xie had previously arranged for his grandson to be a spy and captured Su Liang. If Su Liang was in Situ Xie's hands, Situ Xie would not have sent such a letter, because in this case, Su Liang would most likely lose the value of threatening the royal family of Gan Kingdom!
Duanmu Chen finally realized what he had overlooked. If the letter was really from Situ Xie, it would mean that Su Liang had escaped!
But if so, the letter had been sent from Liang Kingdom to Gan Kingdom, and it had been so long, but Su Liang had not returned, and there was no news...
Duanmu Chen's face looked ugly. If Duanmu Yi thought of this, he would only be more suspicious of Su Liang and the missing Gu Ling!
"Chang'an!"
Chang'an came in quickly and saw Duanmu Chen coming out of the inner room, rubbing his forehead and saying, "Is there any movement in the palace?"
Chang'an shook his head, "Nothing unusual. Did the master have a nightmare?"
Duanmu Chen sighed, "If someone doesn't come back, I will really have a nightmare."
Chang'an was stunned for a moment, "Master, are you worried about Miss Su? I think she is lucky and will definitely return safely!"
Duanmu Chen: ...Yes, Su Liang is suspected to have escaped, but there is no news. But if she really comes back, Duanmu Yi doesn't know what to do.
For a while, Duanmu Chen suspected that Su Liang was hiding and not coming back on purpose. But this would confirm her "infidelity". In addition, she married the son of a traitor...
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy Duanmu Chen felt.
"Master, are you okay?" Chang'an found that Duanmu Chen looked very wrong.
Duanmu Chen sat down, clenched and unclenched his fists, "Has Duanmu Che made any moves recently?"
Chang'an shook his head, "There has been no news from His Royal Highness the Fifth Prince for a long time."
Duanmu Chen took a deep breath and calmed himself down, "It's okay, go and rest."
...
Xuanbei City.
After dinner that day, Xing Ji suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest, intermittently. Qi Jiang, who was having dinner with him, also had the same symptoms.
The military doctor was very experienced in treating trauma, but didn't know much about poisons. He judged that they were poisoned, but couldn't tell what the poison was. The remaining food was tested with a silver needle, and it didn't turn black.
Until an hour later, someone sent a letter.
The letter directly stated that Xing Ji was required to go outside the city in person at midnight to exchange Situ Jing for the antidote, otherwise he would die before dawn tomorrow!
"Don't go! It must be a trap!" Qi Jiang looked grim.
Xing Ji was still calm, "Situ Xie's goal is to save his grandson, not to kill me." But he could not rule out the possibility that the person who came would kill Xing Ji after rescuing Situ Jing.
"But Situ Jing is not here." Qi Jiang frowned.
Earlier, he received news that Situ Xie had captured Su Liang, and Duanmu Yi ordered Situ Jing to be secretly transferred to the capital.
Xing Ji summoned the military generals of Xuanbei City and told them who would take charge of the situation if something happened to him.
Although it was unexpected to encounter such a thing, Xing Ji was mentally prepared. He was in a very risky position, and it would be strange if the enemy didn't want to get rid of him.
If he didn't go, he would be poisoned. If he went, there might be a chance. Situ Jing was not in Xuanbei City, which was just enough to delay time to negotiate conditions.
Qi Jiang wanted to go together, but was asked by Xing Ji to stay. Xing Ji wrote a letter to his family, or more accurately, a "suicide note" just in case.
Near midnight, Xing Ji appeared at the agreed place with a team of people.
There were three people coming, and the woman in the lead was Yuan Ying, who was arranged by Situ Xie to rescue Situ Jing.
"Where is Master Jing?" Yuan Ying asked coldly.
Xing Ji's face was calm, "He is sick, very sick, and was sent back to the capital for treatment. He is not in Xuanbei City."
A man behind Yuan Ying said, "Don't play tricks! If you don't hand over Master Jing, you will die!"
Xing Ji sighed, "I am not playing tricks. Your people should have searched Xuanbei City a long time ago. He is really not here."
The two men looked at each other, and the other one said, "Then please ask General Xing to come with us!"
Yuan Ying narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice, "What are you going to do?"
"Miss Yuan, this is what the prince wants." The man said in a tough tone.
Yuan Ying was silent after hearing this, and her hand was on the long sword at her waist.
Xing Ji was not surprised, but he did not intend to let himself fall into the hands of the Liang people.
"Why don't you give me the antidote first and set a time. If Situ Jing is not sent here, you can poison me. I believe you can do it." Xing Ji negotiated with them, "I won't go with you. If I am poisoned to death, your Master Jing will only die more miserably."
"Master Jing is not in General Xing's hands. If General Xing dies, I believe Emperor Gan will not do anything to Master Jing. After all, he has to give face to our prince!" The man sneered.
Xing Ji's heart sank slightly. The person who came reacted quickly and was so tough. He must not be an ordinary subordinate.
Xing Ji knew that he would be worthless if he died. Duanmu Yi might use Situ Jing to exchange other interests with Situ Xie, and might not kill Situ Jing to avenge him.
"Hand over the antidote, otherwise the three of you will stay." Xing Ji gave an order, and the soldiers he brought surrounded Yuan Ying and the other two in the middle.
"I'm kindly reminding General Xing that you've been poisoned. If you resort to violence, you'll only die faster! If you haven't seen Master Jing, the antidote will naturally be sent by a message, so how could it be on us?" The man was not afraid at all, and sneered, "I advise General Xing to follow us if he wants to live! Otherwise, you will definitely regret it!"
In fact, the antidote is on Yuan Ying. If she is really on Situ Xie's side, she will think that the two people following her are very smart.
But, she is not.
And she knows that Xing Ji will not surrender. He is the chief general of the Gan Kingdom, and the consequences of his capture are very serious.
The atmosphere became tense, and Xing Ji suddenly spoke up and ordered the soldiers to withdraw.
"I can go with you. But my friend is also poisoned, and I need the antidote to save him." Xing Ji said.
The man said, "No problem! As long as General Xing goes with us, someone will send the antidote to your friend at the General's Mansion in Xuanbei City! It's impossible for us to take out the antidote now, so there's no need to talk nonsense!"
"General, absolutely not!" Someone behind him stopped him.
Xing Ji did not look back, but walked towards Yuan Ying and the other two.
The two men looked at each other and walked to the side together, ready to "greet" Xing Ji.
At this moment, Xing Ji saw Yuan Ying suddenly turn around, and the two knives in his sleeves came out and stabbed the two men in the back!
Everything happened very quickly, and Xing Ji had never expected that the three people would kill each other. He was ready to go over and kill, but he had no chance to do it.
The two men fell forward, and quickly stood up, drawing their swords to kill Yuan Ying, but they bled to death in an instant.
Yuan Ying was a poisoner, and if she wanted to kill someone, of course she would smear poison on her knife. As for the long sword she hung on her body, most of the time it was used as a decoration to confuse the enemy.
"I am Su Liang's friend." Yuan Ying did not look back at Xing Ji, and said in a low voice, "Take me back."
Xing Ji was shocked, stepped forward, and started fighting with Yuan Ying.
Not long after, Yuan Ying fell into Xing Ji's hands.
In the eyes of those soldiers, the three enemies suddenly quarreled for some reason, and Xing Ji took the opportunity to capture the only survivor.
Xing Ji ordered people to tie up Yuan Ying. He searched the two bodies, but found nothing, and ordered them to take them all back.
...
Qi Jiang waited anxiously, and was relieved when Xing Ji caught the people.
Xing Ji dismissed the others and left only Qi Jiang. He untied Yuan Ying.
"Miss, are you Xiao Liang's friend? What's your name?" Xing Ji was very polite.
Yuan Ying's face was not good, "My last name is Yuan. I poisoned you, but it's not fatal. You don't need an antidote. You will be fine in two days. I am controlled by Situ Xie, so I have to do it. Please forgive me. I planned to take Situ Jing back to report, but I didn't expect him to be here."
Yuan Ying's younger brother Yuan Ye was controlled by their grandmother, Madam Yue, so Yuan Ying had to listen to Madam Yue. Knowing that Su Liang was fine, releasing Situ Jing would not have much impact on Su Liang and Xing Ji. She had originally planned to rescue Situ Jing without hurting anyone, so as to avoid angering Madam Yue.
But the plan could not keep up with the changes. Situ Jing was not here, and Situ Xie's two subordinates were determined to capture Xing Ji, forcing Yuan Ying to kill them to protect Su Liang's adoptive father.
She asked to be caught just to confuse Madam Yue and Situ Xie. It is better to fail the mission than to betray.
"Thank you for your help, Miss Yuan." Xing Ji bowed. If Yuan Ying had not shown mercy because of Su Liang, it would be difficult for him to deal with this situation.
"If you want to report it, just say that I confessed that I killed those two people because they insulted me." Yuan Ying frowned and said, "Don't let people know that I am Su Liang's friend. It's not good for her."
According to the original plan, they should have arrived earlier, but they encountered other things on the way. One of them insisted on turning back to report to Situ Xie, which delayed the time.
Xing Ji understood what Yuan Ying meant. Letting Duanmu Yi know that Su Liang has a friend who knows poison and is from Situ Xie's side will only make the situation more complicated.
"Then Miss Yuan, leave tonight. I will say that you took out the antidote in exchange for freedom." Xing Ji said.
"Okay." Yuan Ying had this in mind. She planned to take advantage of Madam Yue's opportunity in Liangguo to find her brother.
"Su Liang is not in Situ Xie's hands." Yuan Ying said to Xing Ji.
Xing Ji already knew about this, and Qi Jun told him when he passed by here on his way to Liangguo.
Qi Jiang couldn't help asking about his son, he was very worried about Qi Jun's safety.
When Yuan Ying heard Qi Jiang say that his son went to Liangguo to find Su Liang's master to report the news, she knew that it was the young man who shouted in the birch forest outside Yaocheng that night.
"He's fine. Situ Xie didn't catch your people." Yuan Ying briefly told her what she knew.
Qi Jiang felt relieved and thanked Yuan Ying again.
Yuan Ying gave the antidote she brought with her to Xing Ji, and asked him to tell Su Liang that her master, Madam Yue, was a crazy poisonous woman, and now she was working for Situ Xie, so she must be careful if she met her.
"If Xiao Liang wants to find Miss Yuan, where should she go?" Xing Ji asked.
Yuan Ying frowned, she was going to break into Madam Yue's lair, which was very dangerous, and she didn't want to involve Su Liang.
But thinking that it would be difficult for Su Liang to avoid fighting with Madam Yue in the future, if something happened, knowing where Madam Yue's lair was might be helpful.
Thinking of this, Yuan Ying said a place and asked Xing Ji to tell her after seeing Su Liang.
"Miss Yuan, if you need Xing in the future, just ask." Xing Ji thanked her again solemnly.
Yuan Ying smiled and waved her hand, "I will count it on Su Liang, and let her and Gu Ling's baby recognize me as their godmother! Goodbye!"
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