A deafening bell rang from the top floor of the Wenhe Building of Lianfeng Academy, echoing throughout Hengxiang, waking up the day.
Shen Shuangcheng had the habit of getting up early. After two sets of boxing in the backyard of the inn, he was sweating all over. He picked up a handkerchief from the tray held by the attendant to wipe the sweat.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw three men coming back from outside. Shen Shuangcheng stopped and waited for them to speak.
After the subordinates said hello, they said: "Zhiyu Shuixie sent a large number of people to Qingyue Pavilion, Ning'an Tower and other places yesterday, saying that they were delivering supper, which was Kyoto's ten-flavored pork ribs."
"When I stayed near Zhiyu Waterside Pavilion last night, I discovered that there were soldiers and horses patrolling the area. They were Yan's troops."
"Some say the eldest young master is in the Yamen, some say he is in Qu's Mansion, and some say he is in Ning'an Building."
"However, we managed to contact Zou Zhan, the secret guard next to the eldest young master. He has not been taken away and will be here at noon."
"According to the investigation, the eldest young master's master, Qingzhou Shenglao, has disappeared."
"It's difficult to manage the Yamen area. We don't dare to move the Xia family's army. The original Yamen guards and minor officials don't want to cause trouble. No amount of money can move it."
…
After Shen Shuangcheng listened quietly, he threw the kerchief back on the tray and walked into the house: "Then wait for Zou Zhan to come over."
The inn they are currently in is located at the shortest center point among the three distances between Zhiyu Water Pavilion, Qingyue Pavilion and Yamen.
Since the Zhiyu Waterside Pavilion and the Wenhe Building of Lianfeng Academy look across the water, from the window of the side hall where Shen Shuangcheng had breakfast, he could see the vibrant vitality in front of the Wenhe Building.
On the big stone bridge along the lake, groups of students and literati, neatly dressed and enjoying the morning breeze, were walking.
More people gathered by the lake, playing the piano, playing chess, or reciting poems, and from time to time they heard loud laughter.
Suddenly, a series of loud shouts sounded from the southwest. It was too noisy to hear clearly, but the tone was extremely rough.
"Sir, let me go and take a look." One of his men said, walking towards the window.
Shen Shuangcheng frowned and stood up.
The literati below also turned their heads and looked over there.
Two men holding long swords ran from the southwest, followed by more than twenty tall and burly soldiers.
The two men were already covered in blood and bruises. The soldiers chasing behind shouted at the crowd in front: "Get out of the way! Don't block them, the injured will bear the consequences!!"
The literati approaching the long street immediately ran away.
The two men wielded long swords and went wherever there were more people. In the chaos, several people were still injured.
"Get the sword!" Shen Shuangcheng shouted immediately.
The attendant at the table immediately offered his sword.
Shen Shuangcheng climbed out of the window sill and landed quickly with the help of the building. The moment he landed, he rushed directly towards the two men.
All the attention of the two men was behind them. The sudden killing of the man in front made them frightened. They hurriedly tried to parry, and secretly said that something was wrong because the sword was moving too fast and with too fierce power. In the flash of lightning, all they could think about was There is only one thought left in my mind: I will definitely die.
Unexpectedly, the sword move that reached their faces was suddenly stopped by the opponent. The next moment, the opponent's sharp blade hit their long sword, as if they had blocked him.
The two men didn't know why, but before they could think about it, the opponent's sword came at them again, and they had to raise their hands to block it.
Shen Shuangcheng's men ran out from the back door of the inn and surrounded them in a big circle.
When the soldiers chased after him, Shen Shuangcheng shouted: "Wait for me for a moment!"
Soldiers, you looked at me and I looked at you. They expected that these two men would have trouble escaping, so they did not step forward.
As expected, Shen Shuangcheng ended quickly, and the battle ended with him knocking the swords out of the hands of the two men in an instant.
The two men were helpless throughout the whole process. After the sword was picked up, they held their bleeding palms and looked up angrily at Shen Shuangcheng. This man was just teasing them!
The soldiers rushed over, took control of them, and tied them up with thick ropes.
"Your surname is Fang?" Shen Shuangcheng looked at them and said.
The two men said nothing and stared at him angrily.
"Oh? How did this knight know that their surname was Fang?" A soldier stepped forward and said.
After finishing speaking, I was stunned. I was too confused just now to see his specific face. I just thought he was handsome. Looking at him now, I saw that he was more than handsome. He was a rare and beautiful man. Moreover, his facial features and eyebrows were quite familiar.
"Sure enough, the surname is Fang," Shen Shuangcheng said, "Fang Xiyu and Fang Ziqian, are these two still alive?"
The two men were startled and looked at him.
The soldiers looked at Shen Shuangcheng harshly. If he was an accomplice, no matter how good his skills were, they would fight to the death to capture him.
"Who are you?" a man asked.
"Your enemies," Shen Shuangcheng said, "are they still alive? If they are alive, are they still in Hengxiang?"
"Since we are enemies, why do you ask so many questions? You all should die!" another man shouted.
"It's you who deserve to die!" One of Shen Shuangcheng's men stepped forward and angrily shouted.
The soldier who just spoke raised his hand to Shen Shuangcheng and said, "May I ask what your surname is?"
Shen Shuangcheng frowned slightly, paused, and said truthfully: "Shen."
The soldier didn't think much about it: "Master Shen, it seems that you have some history with them, so please come with us to the Yamen."
"What if I don't go?" Shen Shuangcheng said.
Soldier Su Rong: "Maybe, it's not up to you."
"How dare you arrest people in broad daylight?" Shen Shuangcheng's men stepped forward.
"We are not arresting innocent civilians, you are suspected accomplices!"
Shen Shuangcheng raised his hand lightly to stop his men. He looked at the soldiers with a pair of cold black eyes: "My Shen comes from the Shen family in Yunliang."
The soldier was stunned for a moment, then finally came to his senses and opened his eyes wide.
The other soldiers were also shocked, and their eyes were all fixed on Shen Shuangcheng's face.
No wonder it looks familiar!
But according to his age, he must be at least in his forties, but his face only looks like he is in his early thirties, far younger than his peers. What's even more annoying is that he is more handsome than those who are more than ten years younger than him.
The soldier who had spoken just now looked guilty and said, "It turns out he is General Shen's biological father! I'm a humble person, so I'm rude!"
"I'm sorry!" the other soldiers said in unison.
"Are you Xia Jiajun?" Shen Shuangcheng said.
"Yes," said the soldier who just spoke, "our Xia Jiajun and Yan Jun are close friends. I offended you just now. I hope you can forgive me, Master Shen!"
Shen Shuangcheng raised his hand and said solemnly: "The Dingguo Duke is a hero, and the Xia family's army is a hero. Since you have the prisoner by your side, go back and pay your respects first."
"Well, I'll take my leave first!"
The soldiers left with the two Fang family swordsmen, and the weapons on the ground were also picked up.
The men came over: "Master."
Shen Shuangcheng put his hands behind his hands and looked at the two Fang family swordsmen who were leaving.
"Send someone out to inquire," Shen Shuangcheng said. "Looking at their posture, these two people are definitely not the only ones who have been arrested."
"yes!"
Shen Shuangcheng paused for a moment, then looked at the injured scholar on the roadside and said, "Yunri."
Shen Shuangcheng's entourage came over: "Master."
"Give a few people to take the injured to the hospital. Apart from the medical expenses, we will also give them some silver to buy supplements."
