Abao looked at the invitation in his hand and said, "Sir, do we... still want to reject them?"
Shen Lian's eyes flickered.
He took the invitation and said, "It was okay if I didn't know Wang Wenru's situation before. Now that I know it, there is no reason to let him go."
"Perhaps from Wang Wenru, we can find other clues about the Beidou Society or Beichen, not to mention... He will trick me again. If I don't come back with revenge, then it will not be my temperament, Shen Lian, nor us. The style of conduct of the Prince of Chu."
Shen Lian said: "Ah Bao, go and reply to them and tell them that I will attend the banquet on time tonight."
Abao said worriedly: "Sir, aren't you afraid that he has ill intentions?"
"Abao, be confident and get rid of any doubts. That old guy Wang Wenru must have some bad intentions."
Shen Lian said lightly: "But what if he has bad intentions? I just have good intentions? If he behaves tonight, that's it. If he doesn't behave well, I won't mind tricking them again."
"But you are right, I have to prepare some."
Shen Lian waved to Ali and whispered something in Sishe's ear.
After hearing this, Ali looked at Shen Lian and said, "Sir, can this... be such a big gain?"
Shen Lian laughed: "It depends on whether Wang Wenru and the others take me seriously. If they think this is a good opportunity, they may have such a harvest."
"Anyway, go ahead and prepare. There is no harm in being more prepared."
"Yes!" Ali nodded and left immediately.
Shen Lian stretched and looked out of the window.
It’s good weather again!
Really looking forward to what happens tonight.
"Wang Wenru... it's interesting. He took the initiative to send you to your door. You think I can find you anyway, so you just stopped pretending and showed your cards?"
Shen Lian's eyes flickered: "Then tonight, I, Jin Yiwei, will accompany you to have fun."
Time passed quickly, and soon it was evening.
As the sun sets in the west, the fiery red light shines down, as if the entire earth has been dyed red.
As far as the eye can see, everything is red.
Dali Temple Yamen.
Abao knocked on Shen Lian's door and walked into the office.
Seeing Shen Lian who was correcting the files, he raised his hands and said, "Sir, it's almost time, we should set off."
After hearing this, Shen Lian raised his head and glanced at the sky outside. He had been dealing with official duties, but he didn't expect that it would be this time without even realizing it.
Shen Lian put down his cinnabar pen and closed a file.
He stretched slightly and said, "We can't delay any longer. If this continues, I'll be exhausted or exhausted. I have to find a suitable time to investigate Li Wencheng thoroughly, and then return the power to Dali Temple and the others." That’s all.”
Now there are files about Li Wencheng in Dali Temple. Shen Lian is the only one to review those files. This is equivalent to him doing the work of several departments by himself. It is really tiring.
Shen Lian sighed and suddenly said: "Ah Bao, by the way, have you found the people His Highness asked you to find?"
Abao said hurriedly: "Xue Rengui is currently at the Hedong Military Camp. He is just an ordinary Huotou Army. We have not yet contacted him."
"As for Chu Suiliang, he resigned from office and lived in seclusion last year. Now we only know roughly which mountain he lives in seclusion, but we haven't found his specific whereabouts yet. It will take some time."
Seclusion?
Shen Lian remembered that His Royal Highness the King of Chu had mentioned Chu Suiliang's affairs. Recalling those events, why didn't he remember that Chu Suiliang had resigned from office and lived in seclusion?
But after thinking about it, the history of the Tang Dynasty has already been changed a lot because of the existence of His Highness, so some things that have never happened have happened, but it doesn't matter.
As long as those people are still those people and they still have the skills recorded in history books, then that's fine.
As for living in seclusion or not... Shen Lian is not worried.
According to historical records, Chu Suiliang was a prime minister.
After all, Chu Suiliang was the person who would become prime minister in the future. He did not believe that this guy would really be able to live up to his inner ambition and live in seclusion.
However, Chu Suiliang resigned and went into seclusion. Presumably, it was because his official career was not smooth or he encountered some setbacks, otherwise he would not have been so discouraged and quit officialdom.
And the more this time comes, the easier it is for someone to take advantage of you.
Shen Lian narrowed his eyes and said: "Your Highness attaches great importance to this matter, so Chu Suiliang needs to continue to send people to investigate, and at the same time, let the Intelligence Department investigate why Chu Suiliang resigned and went into seclusion. .”
"If we do this seriously, if nothing happens, he will be our reliable partner."
Abao heard that Shen Lian and His Highness both paid so much attention to that Chu Suiliang, and he immediately became concerned about it.
Although he didn't know what Chu Suiliang's abilities were, he believed that he must have some abilities to be so valued by His Highness.
After all, Your Highness has never misjudged anyone.
He nodded directly: "Sir, please don't worry, I will keep an eye on this matter."
"And Xue Rengui..."
Shen Lian thought for a while and heard His Highness say that Xue Rengui joined the army because his family was poor and could no longer afford to support his wife, so he was short of money.
Since we are short of money...
Shen Lian said: "Send someone to contact Xue Rengui and tell him that our Prince of Chu's palace lacks a commander of three thousand soldiers. His salary is more than fifty times higher than his current salary. Ask him if he is willing to come."
Abao was shocked, not because of the three thousand troops, but because Shen Lian actually gave Xue Rengui such great authority, and said: "Sir, this... this Xue Rengui is a fire-headed soldier and a cook. Sir, if you just ask him to be the commander, can he do this...?"
It’s no wonder Abao doesn’t believe Xue Rengui.
In fact, Xue Rengui is at the darkest moment of his life.
He has no place to display his talents.
However, Abao didn't know Xue Rengui's abilities, and Shen Lian and the King of Chu knew better.
As the future military pillar of the Tang Dynasty, how could Xue Rengui not be able to do this?
He smiled and said: "This is also His Highness's arrangement. Don't worry, Xue Rengui is a piece of jade and will surprise us in the future."
"Ouch."
Abao thought for a while and finally nodded. He still didn't believe the fire-headed soldier, but he did believe Shen Lian and His Highness.
If they say Xue Rengui can do it, then it can be done.
Everything that needed to be explained was done, and Shen Lian stopped delaying and stood up directly, saying: "Let's go, it's getting late, it's time to go to the banquet."
The two left the Yamen of Dali Temple and walked straight to the palace.
Arriving in front of the palace, Shen Lian winked at Ah Bao and said, "Call the door."
Abao nodded quickly, walked quickly to the door, raised his hand, and knocked on the door.
Not long after, the door was opened.
A man in his forties who looked like a housekeeper opened the door. After seeing Ah Bao, his eyes didn't stop at all and looked at Shen Lian behind Xu Gou.
"Is it Commander Shen who leads Shen Lian?"
The steward asked.
Shen Lian nodded slightly, took out the invitation and said, "I am Shen, coming to the banquet."
The butler took the invitation, took a look at it, and then said hurriedly: "Commander Shen, please come in quickly, my master is waiting for Commander Shen."
Shen Lian nodded slightly, and then he and Ah Bao entered the palace directly.
The area of the palace is not large, and the courtyard with two entrances and exits is at a medium level among the gentry.
Walk through the front garden and arrive at the backyard.
Shen Lian looked around and suddenly said: "Butler, why don't you see the servants in your house? Why are you so quiet?"
The housekeeper hurriedly said: "Coming back to Commander Shen, there are not many servants in our mansion. The master likes peace and quiet, so everyone is very quiet."
Shen Lian narrowed his eyes and nodded suddenly.
At this time, the butler stopped in front of the door of the hall. He looked at Shen Lian and said respectfully: "Commander Shen, please wait a moment. I will go and report to the master."
Shen Lian nodded slightly: "Please."
The housekeeper opened the door and quickly walked in.
Abao stood in front of the door, looking around. He suddenly touched his arm and said: "Sir, why do I feel that the quietness in this mansion is a bit strange? Even in Xijing, there is not a single sound. no?"
"And it's not a banquet? There should be servants to serve it, right?"
Shen Lian narrowed his eyes slightly and said calmly: "If it's not weird, it's normal. We already knew that Wang Wenru didn't hold in his fart well. He's normal, but this is something wrong."
"Anyway, be careful and don't get caught."
Abao nodded quickly, "The housekeeper has been gone for so long, why hasn't he come back yet? Could it be that they are deliberately trying to intimidate us?"
"ah!"
At this moment, Abao hadn't finished speaking.
Suddenly, a shrill scream suddenly came from the room in front of them.
He directly interrupted Abao.
Abao was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously looked at Shen Lian: "Sir, this..."
Shen Lian also looked a little strange, and he said: "Wang Wenru, you are more ruthless than I thought..."
After saying that, he directly raised his foot and kicked open the closed door in front of him.
As soon as the door was kicked open, the situation inside came into view.
Shen Lian raised his eyebrows.
Abao simply shrank his pupils and was stunned for a moment.
"Sir, this...this..."
When Ah Bao saw the scene in front of him, he subconsciously screamed in surprise. His eyes widened and his face was filled with shock.
He subconsciously looked at Shen Lian and saw that Shen Lian still looked calm and composed, and felt a little calmer in his heart.
Abao couldn't help but said: "Sir, Wang Wenru...that, that person, is Wang Wenru?"
Shen Lian narrowed his eyes and looked at the hall behind the door.
I saw that in the hall at this time, tables and chairs were tilted here and there. Next to an overturned chair, a person was lying there.
At this time, there was a dagger stuck behind this man.
The blood flowed to the ground, which looked shocking.
And in the hall, the butler who just came in to report could not be seen half a figure.
Hearing A Bao's words, he just said lightly: "You'll know if you go in and take a look."
After saying that, Shen Lian stepped directly into the hall.
Seeing this, Abao quickly followed in.
Shen Lian was observing the situation in the room while approaching the person who was stabbed with a dagger.
The tables and chairs were tilted here and there, and there were some scratch marks on the ground. It seemed like a fight had occurred here.
But he and Abao were outside, but they didn't hear any sound of fighting inside.
So...these traces of struggle existed before?
While he was thinking, he came to this person's side.
Crouching down and taking a look, he saw that the dagger had penetrated the person's back of the heart. There was nothing around the person that could be used to control the dagger, so he must have been killed.
Regarding this matter, Abao also finished checking the person's condition. He looked at Shen Lian and said, "Sir, he is dead. It is indeed Wang Wenru."
As he spoke, he touched the blood on Wang Wenru's wound again, his eyes suddenly widened, and said: "It's still warm. He died not long ago... The scream we just heard seems... it really came from him." of!"
"But...but this is wrong! Who can kill him? We didn't see anyone suspicious at all?"
"And where is the butler? Didn't he come in to deliver a message? Why is he missing?"
Abao's mind is now full of doubts and confusion.
He couldn't figure out what was going on.
As for Shen Lian, his eyes narrowed slightly, and the light in his eyes flickered, as if he understood something.
"Several officials, my master is inside."
"Huh? Why is the door open?"
At this moment, Shen Lian and Abao suddenly heard some sounds coming from outside.
The sounds came from far to near, and there were also some footsteps.
And the next moment.
"What!?"
"You...who are you? What did you do to me!?"
An exclamation suddenly sounded.
Then they saw a figure rushing towards them.
Shen Lian turned around and easily dodged the figure without letting the figure pounce on him. Ah Bao also frowned and looked at it.
At this moment, he discovered that the person who rushed in was actually the housekeeper who had just disappeared.
When did the butler run outside?
Abao was very puzzled.
Just as he was about to ask, he heard a shrill voice: "Master, master, master, wake up! Master, wake up!"
The butler shook Wang Wenru for a long time. Seeing that Wang Wenru made no movement, he suddenly raised his head and looked at Shen Lian and Abao, his eyes were red: "It's you...it's you who killed the master! It must be you who killed our master!" "
"Who are you? My master is such a good man, why do you want to kill him?"
"Someone is coming! Someone is coming quickly!"
The housekeeper suddenly started yelling.
Abao frowned and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Who did we kill? This person was not killed by us at all!"
"It's you instead. You just brought us here to see Wang Wenru, but you asked us to wait outside while you came in by yourself." Jiucheng
"And as soon as you came in, we heard Wang Wenru's screams. After we rushed in, Wang Wenru was killed! But you disappeared!"
"So when it comes to murder, you should be the most suspect!"
When the housekeeper heard Ah Bao's words, he cried out of anger as if he had been wronged.