The assassination campaign did not end immediately.
Except for the three months after Song Zhiyi raised the flag of rebellion in June of the Ji Chou year, Guangzhuo Mansion has never been so chaotic in these years.
The Tang County magistrate was so anxious that he sent seven people from his company to find Liu Magistrate. The master's staff and junior officials gathered together, and Qiu County Magistrate was running around with officers and soldiers and a group of newly established inspection department personnel.
Whose young master is dead here, and whose master is dead over there. Some people are careless and just drag the body to the county government office covered with white cloth, while others make a big show of it, especially the usually aloof Houmen family, who have to send someone
Come and ask Magistrate Tang to come over in person.
Guangzhuo has always been a stronghold for the army. As soon as this incident was alerted, several groups of troops entered the city. In addition to the garrison, inspection department and government officials, the people hiding in their homes also saw a large number of bright armors and swords.
Within two hours, the entire eight city gates of Guangzhuo Prefecture were under martial law, several waterways were blocked, officers and soldiers searched people from house to house, and the entire city was inspected.
People who don't know what happened are trembling. Yesterday they were drunk and dreaming of death, but now they feel that life and death are hanging by a thread, and the sky above them is turning at every turn.
A group of soldiers and horses quickly ran out of the city and dismounted in front of a village in the suburbs.
Ji Xiahe was stunned when he heard this. He put on the silver armor they brought with them with trembling hands and feet, but saw that they had no intention of leaving and were still waiting at the door.
Ji Xiahe received the mount reins from his entourage and said, "Why aren't you leaving yet?"
"The young cousin of the Guo family hasn't come yet," the leading guard said.
"Shen Lie?" Ji Xiahe raised his eyebrows, "Why are you letting him go to the city? Doesn't my second uncle think his status is inconvenient?"
"The second master personally told me that he wanted the young cousin to come to the city with him, saying that he has good skills."
"What?" Ji Xiahe frowned, "No, what kind of thing is this? Shen Lie's identity is on display, and you want the young master of the Guo family to be a bodyguard for our Ji family?"
Regardless of the Guo family, Shen Lie is still the eldest son of the Shen family in Yunliang. No matter how much Shen Shuangcheng dislikes Shen Lie, Mr. Shen is still there. How rich is the Shen family in Yunliang? Half of Yunliang belongs to the Shen family.
In Yunliang, there has always been a saying among the people that the reason why the Shen family is so good-looking is because their ancestors have married top beauties generation after generation, and they have been rich for who knows how many generations.
When the Ji family escaped from Guangzhui, they asked Shen Lie to personally help escort them. This was just a matter of family friendship, but it was unreasonable for Ji Xiahe to have someone act as a close guard.
The leading guard did not answer. He turned around and saw that Shen Lie had arrived with Dai Yu.
The two of them had already put on the armor of Qiu Yuying. Both of them were tall and straight. Shen Lie was slightly thinner and had the handsomeness of a boy. Dai Yu was tall and strong. When he took out his fist, Ji Xiahe felt that he could beat the seven-year-old
The following child's head exploded like a watermelon.
Seeing them approaching, Ji Xiahe felt embarrassed with a sarcastic look on his face, but since people were already here, it just couldn't be justified to drive them back, and if those at home found out about him after returning to the city, he would inevitably be beaten several times.
Reluctantly and unhappy, Ji Xiahe stepped forward to greet them, and everyone got on their horses and left.
After entering the city, there was no chaos in the city as imagined. There was no curfew in Guangzhuo, but now except for the officers and soldiers searching people, there was no one wandering around on the street.
They went straight to Ji's Mansion. Ji's Mansion was filled with howls. The servants and maids in the mansion were all wearing mourning belts. Although they rarely prepared mourning clothes, many of them had changed into plain white clothes.
Magistrate Tang County came here in person, and not long after he left, he left several staff and officials here to help, as a sign of concern and attention to the Ji Mansion.
The mourning hall is still being set up, and white curtains have been hung around it. Several domestic servants are replacing white paper lanterns. There are bursts of crying in the hall, coming from Ji Lingde's wife, concubines, and children.
Mrs. Zeng cried several times, fainted several times, and now she was completely carried down.
But Ji Lingde's body has not yet been placed in the hall. It is being cleaned in the inner hall and put on new and unworn embroidered clothes.
Ji Xiahe was stopped before entering the inner hall and asked to take off his armor. He was dressed in military uniform so that he could not get close to the bodies of his relatives.
Shen Lie and Dai Yu were standing outside the courtyard. There were many people outside the courtyard. All the guests of Ji's Mansion were here, and there were also friends who were good friends with Ji's Mansion who came to visit.
Everyone was talking in low voices, all frightened by what happened to Guang Zhuo tonight.
"Master, tell me who did it." Dai Yu said very softly.
Shen Lie shook his head.
There are so many people who want to do this, and so many people who can do it. The scope is so wide that it’s hard to guess.
Someone else's voice came from the side talking: "Once this person is found, it will not only be offended by Emperor Tianding, but also these aristocratic families. This will form a blood feud from the very beginning, and more importantly, this person will be offended. But if Guang Zhuo makes a move, Emperor Tian Ding will never give up easily."
Someone else said: "But now there is no one around. Those crossbow arrows have all been taken away by the government officials. I wonder if anything can be found out."
Dai Yu looked away from them and said in a low voice: "Young Master, the only peace is on the ship. Nowadays, everywhere is full of bloodshed."
Shen Lie looked at the plain curtain outside the mourning hall in front and said, "It seems that we will have to wait a long time before we can leave."
There was noise outside at this time. Someone said that several generals from the Qiu Yu Camp had arrived.
The first one to come in was Lieutenant Lin from Qiuyu Camp. Shen Lie and Dai Yu were both familiar with him. This man was the general who came back with them from Zuoxing.
He led people straight inside. He paused as he passed by, glanced in the direction of Shen Lie and Dai Yu, and left expressionlessly.
The other party could pretend not to recognize unknown soldiers like them. Shen Lie and Dai Yu were still wearing other people's armor, so they had to show off, so they saluted respectfully and called Lieutenant.
A long time after they left, Dai Yu suddenly realized a problem: "Is the second master of the Ji family really treating us as bodyguards and leaving us alone here?"
Shen Lie looked calm and did not answer.
After standing for about half an hour, Shen Lie said, "Let's go and take a walk."
He turned around and walked out.
There were figures all around. They left the courtyard and walked around the screen wall. The main door was half open, and there was a chaos of people coming and going.
Because they were wearing armor, it was easier to get out. As they walked along the spacious street, the lights gradually dimmed.
Dai Yu felt angry in his heart. The more he thought about it, the angrier he felt. He couldn't help but say it several times.
Seeing that the young master beside him was walking quietly, Dai Yu took a deep breath and said in a low voice: "It's obviously almost the end, and we will be delayed again. I don't know how long we will stay in Guangzhuo this time."
When they walked to a river, the lights of several restaurants on the other side were still bright, shining brightly on the water. The cold night wind blew and hit the outside of their armor.
Several corpses wearing the same silver armor as them lay on the bamboo raft, slowly floating along the water from the upstream corner, and the blood dyed the river red.
