Yongrenfang, Kyoto, the back residence of Shen Mansion.

On the southeast corner, there is a mountain and a pond, bamboos and trees, and a wind pavilion and water pavilion.

Shen Danmo sat leaning on the railing, wearing a palace satin plain snow silk skirt, with an exquisite jasper hairpin in her hair.

Her left hand rested on the railing, and her right hand held a thin piece of letter paper. The envelope was placed casually on the stone table next to it.

"... Regarding the case in the second year of Jianping, the court has long made a conclusion, and all those involved will be punished. More than thirty years have passed since the incident, and I don't understand why you suddenly brought it up. As for my opinion, you are not allowed to say that it is inexplicable. Then I can only remain silent. It is better not to talk about these things in the future. I prefer to listen to you tell some interesting anecdotes. After all, you also said that I have limited knowledge and lack of experience, so I have to find some ways to make up for it."

Shen Danmo looked at the obviously improved handwriting on the paper. He felt a little proud and couldn't help but smile: "You are a stingy and cunning guy!"

"I have been busy with physical exercise these days and have no time to study ancient books, so there is nothing new for the time being. As for the bandits you mentioned, thank you for reminding me. In fact, I also have some ideas. Please refer to them for details. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that near Kyoto The bandits must be hiding something secret. Although I don’t know how many bandits have gathered in the Hengduan Mountains, but they have been able to persist from spring to now, and there are obviously people who are secretly supporting them. I don’t know much about the court, but if I think about it carefully, the backers behind the bandits There must be some generals in the army, and perhaps some noble families are involved."

"Let me tell you an interesting story. The eldest young master of the Marquis of Fengcheng Mansion, who is also my aunt's nephew, followed someone's instigation and brought a group of men to the village to cause trouble. After some action on my part, With the persuasion of Qing Xiaozhi and reason, Mr. Li suddenly came to his senses. Not only did he decide to change his past, he also sent someone a sum of money, saying it was to appease the frightened bankers. I didn't want to accept it at first, but he I was going to fall out if I refused, so I had no choice but to reluctantly accept the money. From this, it can be seen that there are still many good people in the city, and there are only a few bad people after all, but they are just hidden deeper. Do you think that is right?"

"...I admire Master Shen very much. If it is convenient for you, please send my regards to your father for me."

When he saw Pei Yue talking about Li Zijun, Shen Danmo couldn't help but laugh. He felt that this young man was merciless when he was sarcastic.

But when she read the letter again and noticed a few words in it, she frowned and thought thoughtfully. After a moment, she suddenly realized, and then she sighed softly: "You are too cautious, but you have been born since childhood." In such an environment, it would be difficult for you to persevere until now otherwise."

She stood up and put the letter away, then left the waterside pavilion and walked slowly to the outer study.

Silent Cloud did not go to Tai Pavilion today. He was looking through some old documents in the study. There were thick stacks piled on the table in front of him.

Shen Danmo came to the table and saluted: "Dad."

Silent Cloud did not raise his head, only nodded and said with a smile: "Why is Mo'er here?"

The girl glanced at the papers on the table and asked, "What is daddy looking for?"

Silent Cloud covered the scroll he was reading, pointed to the side and said: "You sit down first."

Then he asked calmly: "What did Pei Yue say in his letter to you?"

Shen Danmo replied obediently: "He asked his daughter to say hello to his father on his behalf, and also expressed some opinions about the bandits."

"Oh? Tell me."

"He told his daughter that there must be secret support from the generals in the army behind the bandits, and it is very likely that they are members of General Wu Xun's family. Although what he said was very vague, his daughter could tell that what he wanted to say was that Uncle Dingyuan also had Suspicion."

"Pei Rong...he has a surly temperament and a weak ambition. It is not unusual for him to do such a thing."

"Daddy is saying that Uncle Dingyuan is really in cahoots with bandits?"

"The children of Taige investigated for a long time and found no direct evidence that could convict him, but through some clues, they speculated that Pei Rong's hands and feet were indeed dirty."

Silent Cloud's very calm words, if leaked out, would immediately set off huge waves in the court.

Even Shen Danmo was shocked to the point of being speechless.

No matter what Pei Rong's temperament is and how unsatisfactory he is, he is still Pei Zhen's eldest son and the head of the Dingguo Palace. As long as he is still in this position, not to mention the military, it is also the Tian family. We need to show some dignity. Such a person actually got mixed up with a group of bandits. Who would believe it if he told it?

Silent Cloud made this judgment. Once the news is made public, it will most likely cause great turmoil among the Tianjia, Taishitai Pavilion, civil servants and nobles.

"Dad, if there is no conclusive evidence, this matter must not be reported to the emperor." Shen Danmo said hurriedly.

Seeing her concerned face, Mo Shenyun was very relieved and said with a smile: "My father naturally understands this truth. The situation in the court is dangerous, and one wrong step will lead to being shattered to pieces. But my father has never cared about those storms over the years. Does Mo'er know why?" ?”

Shen Danmo said without hesitation: "Because the emperor trusts me."

Silent Cloud nodded and said: "You are right, but there is another very important reason, that is, no matter when and where, you must have your own judgment. Looking at the history books, in the past dynasties, government offices like Taige were not It is rare that if a person in power just acts as a yes man, he will not end well, but if he is used to making his own decisions, it will be equally difficult for him to end well."

The girl asked in confusion: "Dad, when should you obey orders and when should you make your own decisions?"

Silent Cloud said softly: "When the road is smooth, obey orders, but when the building is about to collapse, make your own decisions."

The girl was a little surprised and confused.

Silent Cloud smiled slightly and said: "My father just hopes that you can have the ability to make decisions when the situation changes. This is also the reason why I usually let you read some unimportant information in the pavilion. Mo'er, my father is old, and your uncle's family It's just the appearance of a middle-aged man. In the future, after my father dies, I always hope that you will at least have the ability to protect yourself. Having been in charge of the Taiwan Pavilion for more than ten years, there are countless enemies. They dare not act rashly when my father is around, but if the situation changes, On that day, if your father is gone, you have to keep this family."

What he said made Shen Danmo extremely frightened.

Seeing this, Silent Cloud said with relief: "Don't worry, being a father is just to prepare for a rainy day."

He sighed in his heart, if his eldest son was still alive, how could he put this pressure on his daughter's shoulders.

Shen Danmo's heart was in turmoil. Although her father's tone was calm, she felt that these words were really ominous. However, when she thought about it, given the emperor's trust in her father and the importance of Taishitai Pavilion, no one could easily shake this pillar. He, perhaps as his father said, was only cultivating himself for future considerations.

Silent Cloud picked up the scroll in front of him and said in a deep voice: "Although Pei Rong has no talent or virtue, he is the eldest son of Xian Dingguo after all. He has been influenced by the country since he was a child, so he knows how to protect himself wisely. The people under my command only found these few Months ago, he met with a mysterious man who was highly skilled in martial arts. The specific content of the conversation is unknown. However, through the tracking of the mysterious man, it can be confirmed that this man has a close relationship with the bandits in the Hengduan Mountains."

Hearing this, Shen Danmo asked in confusion: "Why didn't dad give the order to capture this man alive?"

Silent Cloud smiled strangely, shook his head and said: "That's what's interesting. That man appeared late at night. After meeting Pei Rong, he climbed over the city wall under the cover of night. The experts in the pavilion can follow him, but if he gets too close, , they will be killed by them. After leaving the city, there are knights to greet them. These people are one person and three horses, but they deliberately slow down their speed and let our people stay far behind until they enter the Hengduan Mountains."

Shen Danmo frowned and said, "This man actually took the initiative to expose Uncle Dingyuan to father's eyes."

There was no trace of anger on Silent Cloud's face, and he said calmly: "As a result, my father is even more curious about such a group of bandits who act strangely and boldly. Who are they? What do they want to do?"

Shen Danmo looked at the piles of papers on the table and smiled in admiration: "I guess dad already has the answer."

Silent Cloud slowly said: "The existence of these bandits seems absurd, but there must be an ulterior purpose behind them. When their whereabouts are exposed, they will have no impact on the current situation of the court and the safety of the country. I think It is even more impossible to harm Kyoto. Although it is still unclear who they are, my father can probably guess why they appeared."

Shen Danmo looked at him seriously.

Silent Cloud continued: "It seems funny to spend countless money and resources to set up such a large battle, but it has no impact on the overall situation. But my father also told you before that these bandits are by no means ordinary people. Behind the scenes. The leader has such strength but still makes seemingly ridiculous decisions. It is obviously not nonsense. The reason that prompted him to do this is probably the hatred in his heart. Not to stir up the storm, but only to have personal hatred. This way Can you explain the strange and abnormal behavior of these bandits?"

"If the person behind the scenes wants to take revenge, the target must be an important figure in the court. Otherwise, judging from the strength he possesses, if the enemy is an ordinary official, he only needs to send a master to assassinate him."

"Since the assassination method is not feasible, it means that the target of revenge behind the scenes is either a martial arts master with extremely high level of cultivation, or the bodyguard around him is extremely powerful and cannot be approached by people in the world."

"There is only one extremely powerful person, and that is Dingguo Gong Pei Yuan, the leader of the Nine Founding Dukes. Since then, there has been no such master in the world. In this way, the targets of these people's revenge can only be the most powerful people in the Liang Army. Your honor."

Listening to her father's eloquent talk, Shen Danmo was extremely shocked. She had also read some information about the bandits, and after thinking about it for a long time, she felt that this matter was very absurd.

Silent Cloud handed over the document in his hand and sighed: "My father checked all the files of these powerful people in the army and found this old case from the pile of old papers. Although it is not detailed, it is shocking to read."

Shen Danmo stood up and took it with a solemn expression, and saw on the cover: Volume A, Number 6, Year A of the First Year of Yongning.

When she opened it, she only glanced at it a few times before her expression changed drastically, and she said in disbelief: "Dad, why can this file be kept until now?"

An indescribable sadness appeared on Silent Cloud's face as he said, "Yeah, even my father can't understand that this file that should have been completely destroyed fourteen years ago has actually been kept intact in Taige's library. "

The middle-aged man seemed a little tired. He leaned back on the chair, crossed his hands on his chest, and showed a trace of struggle in his eyes.

At this moment, he very much hoped that all his inferences were wrong.

After a long time, Silent Cloud sighed softly: "I hope these bandits have nothing to do with this old case."

However, Shen Danmo could tell from his father's tone that things in this world are often unsatisfactory, which is the same as what others say.

She suddenly remembered what Pei Yue said in the letter. Maybe it was the right choice not to mention some things after they happened.
Chapter completed!