Eight oil lamps were neatly placed on the table, but the one facing the bedside was empty.
Shen Qingqing sighed, "It seems we are a step too late, someone has already taken the things away."
"It's not too late." Meng Yuan finished his sentence, suddenly jumped up to the second floor, and found the path hidden behind the screen.
Xiaodao was timid and told the story of Chen Bitian breaking out of the coffin a few days ago without waiting for the two to press him. He then added:
"My ancestor's health didn't seem to be very good. He vomited blood four times in a row that day when he woke up. He was so pale that he vomited blood. After that, except for eating, he spent most of his time lying in bed to recuperate. Until today, the prince brought people here
Before the Chen family was searched, he suddenly left holding a lantern."
"I had the courage to ask him why he wanted to leave. He said that the Chen family was in danger and that if he didn't leave, he would be dead."
Shen Qingqing asked casually: "Then why don't you leave?"
"I, I don't know where to go." Xiaodao said in a low voice with a sad face: "I was sent to the Chen family by my parents when I was six years old. Later, because I was too stupid and couldn't learn Taoism, I was assigned by the elders to guard the attic."
"I only know how to watch the door, but I don't know how to do anything else. If I escape, I will starve to death. No matter what, I will die. I might as well die in Chen's house."
Shen Qingqing was silent for a moment, and suddenly thought of those children who were tortured by poison and turned into human beings, and her heart suddenly hurt.
Compared with those who were arrested to test the medicine, the trail in front of them was undoubtedly lucky, but for those who were also stuck in the mud and algae, he was pitiful.
Facing such a person, Shen Qingqing felt more sympathy in her heart.
"You can go, go home, or beg for food, but don't stay here anymore."
Shen Qingqing took out a piece of silver from her purse and handed it to him.
Xiaodao looked at the silver in her hand, wanting to take it but not daring to reach out, "You guys, aren't you here to kill me?"
Why give him money and let him leave?
"What we want to kill are those beasts who regard human life as trivial, not the innocent people implicated."
Shen Qingqing put the silver into his hand and pulled him up. The twelve or thirteen year old boy was as thin as a fallen leaf.
"The restrictions on the mountain have been lifted. You can find a way to go. After you come down from the mountain, you will do many good things. If you do good things, your luck will also improve."
"Really?" the young man asked her with great pride.
"certainly."
"I remember this sentence, live well and be a good person."
The young man wiped away his tears, waved to her and asked, "Auntie, will we meet again?"
Shen Qingqing smiled softly, "I think so."
The young man grinned with a lively smile, "I will definitely become a very good person by then, just like my aunt."
Watching the boy disappear into the dense oak forest, Shen Qingqing looked back, touched her face, and smiled to herself, "I feel a little uncomfortable being called aunt by such an old boy all of a sudden."
Meng Yuan kissed the corner of her mouth and said, "It doesn't matter. Next time we meet, we will punish him by calling him sister a hundred times."
Shen Qingqing poked his cheek, "We will go back to Ningyang County in a while. How can we have a chance to meet next time? How about... call me sister twice?"
"Really want to hear it?" Meng Yuan had a slight smile on his face.
Shen Qingqing nodded, "Yeah."
Meng Yuan put his arms around her shoulders and whispered in her ear: "If you want to hear it, I will call you slowly tonight."
Shen Qingqing immediately understood the meaning of his words, and her face turned red, "Your head is still tied to the waistband of your pants, do you still have the heart to think about that kind of thing?"
Meng Yuan looked at the two delicate red clouds on her face, the smile between his brows and eyes became even stronger, and he confidently uttered five words: "I have a dirty mind."
Shen Qingqing: "..." If you are shameless, you are indeed invincible.
The two of them walked hand in hand down the white jade steps from the attic to the gate of Chen's inner courtyard, without meeting anyone else along the way.
Shen Qingqing wondered, "They left so soon?"
And with Qi Sheng's insidious and vicious character, would he let them go so easily?
"No." Meng Yuan raised his head and looked at the archway standing in the distance, "Listen, there is a sound."
There was indeed a sound coming from the front, and it was crying, more than one person crying.
Her voice was not loud, she was whimpering, and she cried with great restraint.
"What kind of trick is the Chen family doing again?" Shen Qingqing secretly guessed, lifting up her skirt and speeding up her pace.
The sound got louder and louder as they moved forward, not only the crying, but also the mixed voices of people talking.
As soon as you walk onto the stone road in front of the archway, you will see dark heads.
Qi Sheng lazily sat under the plaque and played with the glass string in his hand. In front of him, there were two rows of Chen family members kneeling in green robes. Behind him, the steps and streets were filled with people watching.
One of the Chen family members cried and said something, and then was roughly dragged aside by Qi Sheng's guards. A sword penetrated his heart, blood spurted out, and he immediately lost his breath.
Without blinking an eye, the guard threw the Taoist priest's body into the corner, and then dragged out another Chen family member.
This man did not cry, and answered as required throughout the process, but in the end he was dragged aside by the guards and struck with a sword again, so casually that it seemed as if he had just crushed an ant to death.
Dozens of corpses were piled up in front of the steps full of apricot flowers. The originally pure white petals had been dyed red with blood, which was shocking to see.
The Chen family, which was peaceful just now, has turned into a Shura field.
Those who were disobedient were killed, those who were guilty were killed, those who were displeased were killed... Even the seven or eight-year-old Taoist boy was not spared.
The people in Xiangcheng stared blankly at the bloody corpses. There was no joy or joy in fulfilling their wishes, but endless confusion, pain, and fear on their faces.
They don't understand why their slogan is "Eliminate the Chen family and support justice", but in the end it turns into a cruel killing game?
Compared with the cruel and unscrupulous Chen family, the smiling man sitting in the sun seemed bloodier and more terrifying.
It was so terrifying that it made them feel cold all over!
Finally, someone couldn't stand the bloody and cruel torture, and knelt down and begged Qi Sheng: "Don't kill me, my lord, don't kill me! Although the Chen family has committed an unforgivable crime, not everyone deserves to die. Please, please."
The prince imprisoned them and sentenced them according to the laws of Daqi!"
"Please, Your Majesty, imprison them and judge them according to the laws of Daqi!"
Voices pleading for mercy for Chen's family could be heard from the crowd.
Qi Sheng leaned back in his chair, and the glass beads collided with each other, making a tinkling sound.
He laughed amid the melodious jingle, "Expel the Chen family and support justice. Isn't this the slogan you have shouted thousands of times?"
"Now that the Chen family is dead, shouldn't you be happy?"
"How exciting it is that evildoers are punished and justice is served."
"That's not the case. The justice we want is not like this!"
The people shook their heads and retorted loudly.
Responding to violence with violence and taking human life lightly, in doing so, what is the difference between them and the Chen family? This chapter has been completed!