Chapter 203: 203 guilty conscience

Chapter 203: 203 guilty conscience

Chapter 203 203 Guilty Conscience

Yuan Bao truthfully conveyed Qin Yao's words to Chu Lingxiao at the gate of the camp, and also added some jealousy in his expression and tone.

"Master Hou, I won't send you off to Master Hou."

Finally, he added something sinister, and with a flick of his sleeves, he left Chu Lingxiao and turned around.

Only Chu Lingxiao, who was riding a white horse, was left standing alone at the gate of the camp. His face was green, white, and purple, and the colors changed wonderfully. He has never been so slighted in his life!

As Yuan Bao walked forward with his head held high, he casually told a young general beside him: "The prince is busy with military affairs. From now on, please don't disturb the prince with such trivial matters."

"..." When Chu Lingxiao heard this, his face became even darker with anger.

He subconsciously drove his horse forward and took a step forward. The next moment, he saw two Northwest Army soldiers guarding the entrance of the camp blocking his way with their spears crossed.

One of the soldiers said coldly: "The military camp is an important place, and those who trespass will die!"

His voice was so cold that it almost fell out of the ice. Chu Lingxiao had no doubt that if he continued to move forward, the spear in the opponent's hand would stab him fiercely.

Chu Lingxiao took another step back with a stiff expression, his eyes uncertain.

He has been in Northwest China for nearly half a month.

He came under the emperor's order and was an imperial envoy. I originally thought that Nanyang Prince Qin Yao would not dare to neglect him, so he would coax him and support him no matter what, hoping that he would say a few nice words in front of the emperor so that he could successfully succeed. The title of King Nanyang.

As a result, when he came to Nanyang, he was slapped in the face by Qin Yao.

This Qin Yao was so arrogant that he didn't accept the order at all and ignored him. He just left him in the inn. This time, Qin Yao actually stopped him outside the military camp again!

It seems that Qin Yao is really guilty!

In the past half month, he had investigated Qin Yao's reputation in the northwest, and also tried to contact some soldiers of the northwest army. All of them were hesitant and obviously had something to say.

Chu Lingxiao was already 80 to 90% sure that it was Yao who killed his father and his brother, so Qin Yao didn't dare to see him, for fear that he would investigate, find out the truth, and expose his true face.

Not only that, he was not allowed to see Princess Nanyang.

It is said that after Qin Xuan's death, Princess Nanyang never left the Nanyang Palace again. I am afraid she was put under house arrest by Qin Yao.

The accompanying boy looked at Chu Lingxiao's ugly face and said cautiously: "Master Hou..."

Chu Lingxiao's reaction was to pull the horse's rope, unwillingly change the direction, and drop one word: "Let's go!"

At this time, there was a sound of uniform steps from behind, and the northwest soldiers from four shifts came, and the two sides exchanged slogans for the shift.

The four words "Thunder and Thunder" drifted into the ears of Chu Lingxiao in front of him.

Chu Lingxiao had an idea in his mind and his eyes lit up.

Chu Lingxiao put his horse under his belly and rode along a road in front of the military camp gate. However, he did not leave. Instead, he got a set of armor from the Northwest Army. However, he went around to the back door of the camp and leaned against it in a swaggering manner. The person who took over the shift command entered the military camp.

Afraid of being noticed that there was something wrong with his legs and feet, he didn't dare to get off the horse until there was no one around, and hid the horse first.

It was dawn, and the camp was now empty. The thunderous shouts and drills of the soldiers could be faintly heard from the direction of the school grounds.

Chu Lingxiao knew that this was the time for the Northwest Army to practice, and most of the soldiers should be practicing at the school grounds. This was the time when the guards in the camp were weakest, so it was convenient for him to take a risk.

Chu Lingxiao looked around at the deserted camps around him, and his eyes fell on the central camp ahead.

He didn't know where Qin Yao was now, but the most likely place was the Central Camp or the school field.

He gritted his teeth, decided to take a gamble, and walked towards the central camp. But just after he rounded a tent, he saw a patrol team of seven or eight people walking towards him. The sound was only two or three feet away from each other.

Chu Lingxiao was so frightened that he broke into a cold sweat and hurriedly hid in a nearby tent. There was no one in the tent.

He held his breath and waited until the patrol outside was gone, then he breathed a sigh of relief.

Chu Lingxiao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeves, and told himself calmly that he was an imperial envoy sent by the emperor. Even if he was discovered by the Northwest Army, it would not be a big deal. Unless Qin Yao had the courage to rebel, otherwise I don't dare to do anything to him.

But if he can find something in the northwest, it will be enough for him to make a great contribution.

Humph, he wanted to see what kind of military affairs Qin Yao was busy with!

Chu Lingxiao adjusted his robes, walked out of the tent, and walked towards the central camp. His left leg was lame and weak. Even if he tried his best, his steps were still not like ordinary people. He staggered slightly, but fortunately he didn't encounter any patrols along the way.

After walking for a while, Chu Lingxiao broke out in sweat and tiptoed to the back of the central camp.

At this time, Yuan Bao came out of the tent and casually dismissed a guard guarding the door of the tent: "Let the kitchen cook a bowl of shredded chicken and three mushroom noodles for the distinguished guest."

The guard hurried away.

On the one hand, Chu Lingxiao secretly sighed that he was lucky, but on the other hand, a question arose in his heart: Who is the distinguished guest?

Chu Lingxiao put his ear against the tent and tried to eavesdrop, but he couldn't hear it at all. He could only move closer to the door curtain, and then a little closer...

When he moved less than three feet away from the door curtain, he finally heard some sounds floating vaguely from behind the curtain.

"...In my opinion, we don't necessarily have to take Feng Miguo. How about we just start with Bingzhou Guards?"

The young male voice spoke casually, as if he was not talking about fighting, but just talking about where he was going to visit.

Bang bang!

Chu Lingxiao's heartbeat suddenly accelerated and he thought to himself: Who is this voice? What did he mean by starting from Bingzhou? Did Qin Yao really want to rebel? !

This is a major event related to the safety of the entire Daqi!

Chu Lingxiao's eyes widened and his palms were wet with sweat.

Another cold male voice sounded immediately: "The Bingzhou Guard Chief will return to Beijing to report on his duties soon. He has been in Bingzhou for six years, and it should be time to find a place."

Chu Lingxiao clenched his fists.

The Prince of Nanyang has guarded the northwest for generations, which is a special case of the Qi Dynasty. The general term of the general soldiers who guard the states in other states is three years, and the maximum stay is six years. The emperor is also afraid that the military generals will be proud of themselves, so they usually give the general soldiers three or six years. Let's change places.

Could it be that Qin Yao wanted to take advantage of the fact that the new Bingzhou Commander-in-Chief had not yet secured his position to launch a surprise attack on Bingzhou?

etc!

Chu Lingxiao frowned and felt that the second male voice sounded familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere.

The first frivolous male voice said again: "Bingzhou is a good place. As long as you hold Bingzhou in the palm of your hand, you can connect the northwest and north from this direction. By then, you can advance, attack, retreat, and defend, even if you become a king by yourself." Not a problem.”

"Brother Ninth, just listen to me and choose Bingzhou."

Ninth brother? ! These two words struck Chu Lingxiao's heart like a hammer.

Suddenly, he understood why the second voice sounded familiar to him.

He once heard a second voice in the capital, this was King Chen Gu Jue.

Why is Gu Jue here? !

Shouldn't Gu Jue be in the capital? Da Qi's ancestral clan is not allowed to leave the capital without an order. This is a capital crime!

Bang bang bang!

Chu Lingxiao's heart beat faster, like a drum.

When the news of Qin Yao's father-killing reached the capital, Gu Jue defended Qin Yao several times, saying that the case had not yet been clarified. At that time, Chu Lingxiao also guessed that the friendship between the two people was unusual. Now he heard that Qin Yao Yao kept calling Brother Ninth, which showed that they had been colluding for a long time and were planning to conspire to rebel!

This is adding crime upon crime!

Chu Lingxiao was frightened just thinking about it, feeling as if he was trapped in a dragon's pond and a tiger's den.

Before he came to the northwest, he only thought that Qin Yao would kill his father and brother at most, but he didn't expect that he would dare to collude with Gu Jue to rebel.

Chu Lingxiao held his breath and silently took one step back, then another.

"Caka."

He stepped on a piece of dead wood and made a slight sound.

The people in the tent immediately shouted: "Who?!"

Chu Lingxiao was so frightened that he broke into a cold sweat. He quickly took a few steps back and hid behind the tent. His heart suddenly rose to his throat and he secretly thought something was wrong.

The door curtain was quickly opened, and a purple figure quickly walked out from inside.

Chu Lingxiao became even more nervous. Just when he thought he was about to be discovered, he saw a yellow cat leaping past the other side with light steps, running very fast.

The young man in purple was relieved. He smiled and said to a moon-white figure who walked out of the tent: "Brother Ninth, it's just a cat raised in the kitchen. Do you want to go to the school grounds and have a look!"

Chu Lingxiao stared at the moon-white figure and gritted his teeth.

It was indeed Gu Jue!

Then there is no need to say the identity of the other person.

Gu Jue said "Okay" and the two of them walked towards the school grounds.

Chu Lingxiao looked at the two people's retreating figures and finally felt relieved, but his temples were already wet, as if they had been fished out of the water.

He must get out of here as soon as possible.

After a cup of tea, Chu Lingxiao rode out the back door of the camp again, his heart still beating wildly.

"Let's go back to the inn first."

After Chu Lingxiao met the boy guarding outside the camp, the two rode their horses and left the northwest camp as quickly as possible.

He planned to go back to the inn first, take the people with him, and rush back to the capital immediately.

Chu Lingxiao galloped all the way and raised his hand to touch his chest. Up to now, his heartbeat was still unusually fast. He was a little excited and a little uneasy.

He must return to Beijing quickly.

Once he reports his discoveries in the northwest to the emperor, he will surely achieve great success.

Not only was it not a problem to be promoted to an official position, but he could also use this to distance himself from Prince Chen's palace.

Although he was nominally the father-in-law of King Chen, his heart was wholeheartedly devoted to the emperor and the court.

"drive!"

The whip in Chu Lingxiao's hand hit the horse's **** heavily, one after another, impatiently.

Even though he was hurrying up, when he arrived outside the inn, he still felt a chill in his heart.

Outside the post station, they were surrounded by soldiers of the Northwest Army. They were piled on top of each other, and all of them had long swords on their waists. One of the bearded soldiers was still shouting in a rough voice to the people below: "Search!"

"Even if I dig three feet into the ground, I will still find him!"

"Also, have people block all four city gates."

The officers and soldiers of the Northwest Army hurriedly agreed and their voices were loud.

On the street, many ordinary people gathered to watch, and they did not dare to approach the inn. They all watched from a distance, pointing in the direction of the inn, and discussing who they were looking for.

Chu Lingxiao's heart sank, and his whole body felt like it had fallen into an ice cellar.

Who else could they be looking for? !

Only him!

He knew that he would definitely be discovered, but he didn't expect it to be so soon. They probably took a shortcut to catch up with him.

Once they find him, he will not be able to leave Nanyang alive.

Of course, Chu Lingxiao would not be stupid enough to go back to the inn. He ordered the boy: "Let's go through the south gate."

The fastest way back to Beijing is through the East City Gate. It is conceivable that the area around the East City Gate is definitely the most strictly inspected now.

The boy agreed, and the master and servant rode through the alleys in the city, and stole the robes that a certain family in the alley had hung out to dry. Chu Lingxiao endured the discomfort and put on those patched coarse cloth clothes.

However, when he arrived near the South City Gate, his heart felt cold.

A dozen Northwest Army officers had already arrived at the South City Gate before him. At this moment, they were carefully checking all the people leaving the city. Everyone on the carriage must get off the carriage, especially those men over thirty years old. Question them repeatedly and even ask them to make jumping movements to check if there is anything wrong with their legs and feet.

It’s over!

Chu Lingxiao's heart sank to the bottom. Even if he dressed himself as a beggar or an old man, he could not hide the injury on his left leg.

The boy was very uneasy, his face turned pale, his whole body was trembling, and he asked anxiously: "Master Marquis, what should we do?"

Although the boy didn't know what Chu Lingxiao had heard in the military camp, since Qin Yao, the crown prince of Nanyang, mobilized troops to search for their whereabouts in the city, it was a big deal.

They shouldn't commit their lives to this northwest, right? !

Chu Lingxiao was distraught. A moment ago, he felt that he had made a great contribution this time and his future would be limitless. Now, he felt like he was on the edge of a cliff. If he took one more step forward, he would die without a burial place.

If he is caught by Qin Yao's people, he will never be spared.

Not to mention Qin Yao, Gu Jue couldn't let him go.

Chu Lingxiao felt cold to the bone all over his body. "Wait a little longer!" Chu Lingxiao gritted his teeth and told himself that there was no end to his fate and he would definitely find a way out.

As the sun rises, more and more people are entering and leaving the city, but the officers and soldiers who are interrogating show no signs of relaxing at all.

The northwest in August is like a hot melting pot, baking everything.

This hot weather is extremely unbearable, as if time has been slowed down.

In the central tent of the northwest camp, the temperature was just right, as comfortable as spring.

Qin Yao happily drank ice-cold wine, and Yuan Bao reported: "Your Majesty, Marquis Yongding did not choose a hearse, and ended up hiding in a dung cart when he left the city. After leaving the city, he vomited so much that he almost vomited jaundice."

"What a pity." Qin Yao smiled and played with the luminous cup in his hand. There was still half of the dark red wine in the cup, "Such a good wine."

His "pity" seems to be a pun.

The candlelight passed through the dark red wine liquid and cast a strange light and shadow on Qin Yao's face.

Yuan Bao silently shed tears of sympathy for Chu Lingxiao, who could have offended these two ancestors!

"Sister-in-law Ninth said, Brother Ninth, you can't drink now, you have to listen to Sister-in-law Ninth." Qin Yao said jokingly.

Gu Jue played with a small luminous cup casually. He felt that this small transparent cup was exquisite, and the little girl would probably like it.

"The days are long." Gu Jue smiled slightly.

Qin Yao was stunned for a moment, and suddenly remembered what Gu Jue said to him when he left Northwest last time: "I don't have much time left."

At that time, Gu Jue still looked like he had no fear of life or death. In just over a month, he had undergone earth-shaking changes. He had gained a sense of vitality and was no longer like a pool of stagnant water before.

His ninth sister-in-law is indeed extraordinary!

Qin Yao couldn't help but smile with a happy smile. He raised his head and drank the wine in the luminous cup. He also said meaningfully: "Yes, the days are long."

It's just the beginning now.

Their chess game with the emperor has just begun!

Qin Yao raised the corners of his lips even higher and asked, "Brother Ninth, when do you plan to leave?"

"I'll leave in the afternoon." Gu Jue said.

Qin Yao: "..."

Qin Yao felt that his heart was starting to bubble with sourness.

As expected, Ninth Brother came here for Ninth Sister-in-law.

Damn it, he thought half of them were here to see him!

Gu Jue said again: "Hurry up and capture Feng Mi Country."

"Don't worry!" Qin Yao patted his chest confidently, "I'll do the work, Ninth Brother, just don't worry."

Of course Qin Yao knew the importance of this matter.

Today, Gu Lang is suspicious and incompetent. The Nanyang Palace has been in charge of the military power in the northwest for several generations, and it has long been planning to reduce the vassal status.

This time, Jin Shang was reluctant to let him succeed to the title of King of Nanyang. He had this idea in mind and wanted to exploit his mistakes.

He needs more bargaining chips so that Jinshang will not dare to touch the northwest or the Nanyang Palace.

At this time, there was a burst of rapid footsteps outside, accompanied by the sound of armor clashing while walking.

Then came the voice of the guard at the door saluting: "See Vice General Wang."

Gu Jue stood up and temporarily hid behind the screen. The guards came in first to report. Then, a middle-aged soldier with a beard strode into the tent in a hurry.

Yuan Bao dutifully added wine to Qin Yao's glass.

"Your Majesty," Vice General Wang said with clasped fists, "the imperial envoy sent by the imperial court, the Marquis of Yongding, left without saying goodbye."

Qin Yao swung the wine glass, the wine was rippling in the glass, and the aroma of the wine was overflowing.

Qin Yao raised his eyebrows, "Why did you leave without saying goodbye? Didn't he come to investigate the cause of father's death on behalf of the emperor?"

Vice General Wang frowned, his face majestic, "I don't even know," he said.

"The general received news that spies from the Fengmi Kingdom appeared in the area of ​​the post station. I led troops to investigate, but not only did they not find the spies, but they also found that Marquis Yongding was missing."

Qin Yao played with the wine glass thoughtfully, "The errands were not finished, and Marquis Yongding left without saying goodbye... Could it be that this is not the purpose of his coming to the northwest?"

Vice General Wang's heart skipped a beat and he said to himself: Yes. The cause of the prince's death had been thoroughly investigated long ago, and the officers and soldiers of the Northwest Army jointly submitted a letter to the emperor to vouch for the crown prince Qin Yao. However, the emperor still sent a so-called imperial envoy on a special trip.

So what is the emperor's real purpose? !

A guess naturally emerged in Vice General Wang's mind.

Qin Yao spoke for him: "Is the emperor planning to cut down the vassal vassal?"

"..." Vice General Wang's face became more solemn, and he thought so too.

The emperor's fear of the Nanyang Palace was no longer a matter of a day or two. The prince had already grown up. Originally, the emperor should have let the prince return to the northwest and agreed that the second son Qin Xuan would be the new hostage.

If the emperor had followed the old rules, how could King Nanyang die at the hands of the second young master!

There was only a slight chance that their Northwest Army would be charged with the heinous crime of colluding with the enemy!

Thinking about these things, Lieutenant General Wang still felt chills in his heart, and a cold sweat broke out on the back of his neck.

Yuan Bao lowered his eyes and secretly applauded his prince's acting skills. A "Feng Miguo spy" who had never even shown his face misled both Chu Lingxiao and Vice General Wang. This trick of "killing two birds with one stone" was really beautiful.

Qin Yao said again: "I invite old generals Mu and Li to come and see me, saying that we have important matters to discuss."

Vice General Wang immediately responded and retreated first.

Qin Yao said to Gu Jue behind the screen: "Brother Ninth, I'll be back as soon as I go. Don't run away by yourself."

Qin Yao and Yuan Bao also went out and went to the tent next door to discuss matters, leaving Gu Jue alone in the tent.

He walked out from behind the screen and walked to the big table. He also poured some wine into the luminous cup in his hand, placed it beside the candlelight and played with it casually. He didn't know whether he was appreciating the wine or admiring the cup.

He curled his lips and smiled. It was a rare trip and he had to bring some gifts back to the little girl.

Qin Yao is right, this is indeed good wine, not strong wine, and it is suitable for a girl's family to drink.

In late August, the cicadas no longer chirped outside, and the tent was extremely quiet.

Occasionally, a cat meows from outside the tent.

It’s the end of August, the transition from summer to autumn, but the weather is still hot, and autumn tigers are very powerful.

The cat has adjusted its schedule. During the day, you can often see a little black cat with white paws wandering around in Prince Chen's Mansion, meowing lively.

"Meow!"

"Meow!"

"Meow!"

No matter how much the little black cat stalked him, Chu Qianchen remained motionless.

The little black cat was also a stubborn man. He pestered Chu Qianchen for seven or eight days, but he still came to cause trouble every day.

Early in the morning, it came again and meowed several times.

Chu Qianchen lowered his eyes and looked at the pieces of catgut placed on the white gauze.

In the past seven or eight days, she had repeatedly tried using sheep intestines many times, and the pieces of sheep intestine in front of her were not made from the original five pieces of sheep intestine.

For the time being, catgut made by tanning and drying thin casings is the most decent.

Chu Qianchen picked up one of the catgut strings and pulled it gently.

The surface of catgut is smooth, the thread body is soft, the pulling force is obviously stronger than that of mulberry thread and silk thread, and the thickness is uniform.

Chu Qianchen felt that it had some advantages needed for sutures.

However, she had never seen catgut in a medical book, and no one had used it before. She didn't know whether it could be used.

I have to find a chance to try it.

While Chu Qianchen was thinking, he put the tanned catgut in a box and then left the pharmacy.

The little black cat was still following her skirt, meowing softly and sweetly, cute and clingy.

Chu Qianchen had no choice but to lean over, pick it up, and walk to Dongji Room.

Amber walked in briskly and said: "Princess, the herbal tea and ice have been distributed."

Chu Qianchen responded and sat down on the Arhat bed with the little black cat in his arms.

These days, although she is busy studying catgut, she still spends several hours every day learning about middle feed.

When she didn't know what to do, she would think back to what Shen would do in the summer and autumn when she was in the Chu family.

Prince Chen's Mansion has been empty for many years, and there is not enough ice stored in the ice cellar. Chu Qianchen simply asked the Sui Dynasty manager to allocate more money to buy some ice, and also bought some medicinal materials to make herbal tea and distribute them together. .

The autumn clothes customized at Zhuxiufang last time are basically ready.

Today, Hu Hua and the little maids following her all wore new autumn clothes, with ribbons strung with round beads around their waists. This ribbon is owned by every maid, but it is only matched by maids of different ranks. The straps are also slightly different.

Amber is the maid, and the ribbon she wears is strung with coral beads.

Of course the little girls loved the new clothes and jewelry, they were all so happy, they all walked with wind and looked radiant.

Chu Qianchen could naturally feel the atmosphere in the yard, and silently reflected on it, feeling that he had indeed neglected it before, but fortunately his mother reminded him.

Chu Qianchen was quite satisfied with Zhu Xiufang's craftsmanship, and said: "Hu Hu, next time when ordering winter clothes, let Zhu Xiufang draw pictures of the clothes for the four seasons and unify the styles and colors."

Amber responded quickly.

Zhu Xiufang is also making inquiries, wanting to know whether the princess is satisfied or not. Now the landlady should be relieved. She can ask Zhu Xiufang to start drawing the pattern earlier, so as not to be in a hurry next month. Counting all the people in the house, the number of clothes in the Four Seasons is quite large.

Amber thought for a while and then asked: "Then Prince..."

There are rules for Gu Jue's clothes in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but Gu Jue doesn't like those complicated clothes. He likes to wear loose and simple robes on weekdays. Whenever Amber thinks that even the prince's clothes are ready-made clothes bought from outside, it feels hard to explain. .

Chu Qianchen looked at the lazy black cat on his knees. The prince would definitely not like strangers to measure him. She'd better measure him and give the measurements to Zhu Xiufang...

When the words came to her lips, she changed her mind: "I'll do it."

amber:"…"

Amber looked at Chu Qianchen, not sure what she meant by "I'll do it". Does the princess want to tailor the clothes for the prince, or make clothes for the prince herself?

Thinking about the dozens of "nine" letters written by the princess these days, Amber suddenly had an answer in her heart: the princess wanted to make clothes for the prince herself.

Chu Qianchen curled the corners of her lips, and the sunlight fell on her long eyelashes, as if light spots were dancing.

Well, the prince is not here now, so she just needs to practice her skills first.

While Chu Qianchen was thinking about it, Jiang Yuan walked in silently and said, "Princess, the eldest son of Chu is here."

The surgeries, incisions and sutures of traditional Chinese medicine were actually at the forefront of the world at that time.

During the Sui Dynasty, doctors performed intestinal resections and were very successful. Records can be found. Ancient Chinese medicine also had a scalpel. The shape of the scalpel was very complete and not as crude as modern Western medicine. Even harelips could be repaired through traditional Chinese medicine surgery in ancient times. Anyone who is interested can check it out.

In addition, this is a novel. I tried my best to research some knowledge about traditional Chinese medicine and try to be consistent with history. However, I did not intend to write it as a textbook. It will definitely be exaggerated and processed according to the plot. Please don't do too much research.

Love you.

(End of chapter)