253, Perverted Factory Owner 4

"My queen, I have found some clues about what you asked me to investigate. I didn't expect that Emperor Chengqing would let me preside over Li Jinzhong's case. It's obvious that he has regarded me as his confidant. It will be more convenient for him to investigate General Yan's old case in the future."

In the Bibo Pavilion, a masked man in black nightgown said to a woman who was also dressed mysteriously.

"It's just that Xiao Chu seems to be very interested in Li Jinzhong. There are still many eunuchs in the cell where Li Jinzhong is imprisoned. Should I think of a way to get all those eunuchs out? Otherwise, if Xiao Chu knows about the original case, I'm afraid he will take the opportunity to make trouble in this matter."

"No need."

The woman's voice was a little cold, and it was more thorough in the silent night.

Everyone could use the old case of that year, but he couldn't.

"When trying Li Jinzhong, there is no need to avoid people from Governor Xiao's side." Wanqi Lan said softly.

Zhang Fan was somewhat surprised by his master's decision, but since his master had ordered him, he just did it.

It turned out that the masked man in black was Zhang Fan, the confidant of Emperor Cheng Qing. Before, Emperor Cheng Qing was worried that Xiao Chu knew too many things that he shouldn't know, so he let Zhang Fan take over. It can be imagined that he trusted Zhang Fan.

Zhang Fan was the illegitimate son of Zhang Hu, who was the same age as him in the Left Wing Vanguard Battalion. He was disliked by his mother since birth and suffered a lot. If it weren't for his natural supernatural power, he would have passed the exam to become the top martial arts champion without telling his elders at home. I don't know what kind of life he would live now.

He was considered the most promising son of the Zhang family, but unfortunately his mother couldn't tolerate him and didn't like him to overshadow his brothers and sisters. When he was still a seventh-rank military officer, he was separated from the mansion, and his aunt and biological mother were also separated from the Zhang family's direct line.

I don't know if Zhang Hu regretted listening to his wife and treating this promising illegitimate son so harshly now that he has climbed so high. It's a pity that even if he regretted it, it would be useless. The situation was so tense at the beginning that there was absolutely no chance for the two governments to negotiate peace.

Emperor Chengqing would treat him as a confidant, probably because of this reason. He was so suspicious that only lonely ministers like Xiao Chu and Zhang Fan could be in his eyes.

However, no one knew that Zhang Fan's biological mother was actually a member of the Wanqi clan. She was also one of the secret agents that the Wanqi clan buried in the capital in the early years to protect themselves after experiencing the Yan family's massacre. The children she raised were naturally loyal to the Wanqi clan.

After Wanqi Lan entered the harem and became the concubine of Emperor Chengqing, these secret agents originally buried in the capital were naturally transferred to her hands. Zhang Fan was one of them.

After some conspiracy, Zhang Fan quietly left the Bibo Pavilion. After all, he was still an outsider. The Bibo Pavilion was located in the harem. If he was found here, it would cause an uproar.

Similarly, Wanqi Lan had to return to her Yanyunxuan as soon as possible. Even if she was a concubine, if she was found here in the middle of the night, it would also arouse suspicion from others.

But just as she was about to leave, a figure suddenly appeared behind the laurel tree in the Bibo Pavilion that required three people to hug. No one knew when that person had been there.

Wanqi Lan and the old nanny behind her were shocked, especially Wanqi Lan. She was covered by her wide sleeves, and a sharp dagger slipped down along the mechanism of her elbow. She held it tightly in her palm, ready to take action before the man questioned her.

But when she saw the person clearly, she paused holding the dagger, and with a clang, the silver dagger fell on the stone steps, making a crisp sound.

"It's you..."

Wanqi Lan's voice trembled a little, and her eyes couldn't help but turn red.

How many years have passed, she can't remember how many years, they haven't seen each other so closely.

In this harem, she is the emperor's concubine, and he is the emperor's most favored eunuch chief. The two of them always have so many taboos. Similarly, Wanqi Lan also knows that they are hiding from each other.

She watched him transform in this deep palace, transforming into a strange appearance to her, listening to more and more people in the harem of the previous dynasty begin to hate him and fear him. I don't know since when, the cheerful, straightforward, and righteous brother Yan in her memory was just a beautiful dream she had.

Wanqi Lan blinked heavily, as if there was sand in her eyes. She didn't dare to let herself cry. Those tears had been shed day and night more than 20 years ago.

Brother Yan once said that she was the princess of the forest, and he was the general who protected the princess. He would make her happy every day without shedding a tear. That was his promise to her. Perhaps he had long forgotten the promise he made when he was young, but Wanqi Lan still remembered it, so she didn't want to cry in front of this man.

"You shouldn't have gotten involved."

Under the silent night sky, a man in dark red brocade spoke.

Yan Chu looked at the woman with a black veil covering her face not far away, with complex emotions in his eyes, like a thick fog that could not be dissolved in the dark night.

Pale skin, dark eyes, red lips, the most tempting and fatal colors in the world, were strangely unified on this man.

Bang, bang, bang, Wanqi Lan exclaimed, no matter when, no matter what the other person looked like, her heart would only beat so violently when facing him.

"But I've gotten involved?"

Wanqi Lan looked at the charming and dazzling man in front of her. Has she ever regretted it in the past ten years? Maybe she has. If she knew he was still alive, if she knew he was born in this deep palace, she might...

Wanqi Lan's mouth was bitter. She would still choose to enter the palace, because in this deep palace where countless girls were buried, there was him. If she was given another chance to start over, she would never appear in front of him as the woman of Emperor Chengqing, as a concubine.

It was as if fate had played a joke on her. She thought she was on the right path, but in the end she found out that she was wrong from the beginning.

Wanqi Lan felt a fog in front of her eyes. She blinked and felt a few drops of wet liquid flowing down her eyes. She raised her hand to wipe away her tears and smiled gently and sweetly, just like when they first met.

At that time, he was the eldest son of the general who guarded the country, and she was the little princess of the Wanqi clan. Before Emperor Chengqing ascended the throne, the Yan family was stationed at Dingfeng Pass in the northwest of Dashang, and the Wanqi clan’s residence was only more than 20 miles away from Dingfeng Pass.

No one knew that Yan Zhaonan had saved the life of the patriarch of the Wanqi clan, and the two families had jokingly said that they wanted to marry their children, but Yan Chu and Wanqi Lan were still young at the time, and the elders of both sides planned to let them cultivate their feelings from an early age, and when they grew up, if they still had the will, they would make a decision to marry.

Before Emperor Chengqing summoned Yan Zhaonan and his family to Beijing on the grounds of birthday celebration, Yan Chu also promised Wanqi Lan that he would bring her the most fashionable gadgets in Beijing.

They grew up together, and in Wanqi Lan’s heart, Yan Chu had long been her future husband.

But with countless expectations, what she waited for was only the news that the entire Yan family was massacred, and then there was Yan Zhaonan's treason and conspiracy.

During that period, everyone in the northwest was in danger, and many of Yan Zhaonan's former subordinates were implicated. The friendship between the Wanqi clan and Yan Zhaonan was carried out in private, and the special status of the Wanqi clan helped them to get out of this matter.

At that time, Wanqi Lan, who was only ten years old, did not believe that Uncle Yan would commit treason and treason. Similarly, she also wanted to investigate the Yan family massacre, but the northwest was too far away from the capital. Even as a little princess of the Wanqi clan, she was limited in what she could do. In the end, she made up her mind and simply entered the palace as a marriage. Only by going to the capital and to the side of Emperor Chengqing could she find out more information.

When she was fifteen years old, she entered the palace. When she left the northwest, she built a tomb for Yan Chu as a widow, and buried in it were all the gifts Yan Chu had given her.

At that time, Wanqi Lan, who was determined to overturn the case for the Yan family, never thought that Yan Chu, whom she had been thinking about, was not dead, and he would appear in front of her again in such a completely different appearance.

Although Yan Chu was only ten years old when she parted with her, he was tall and strong because of the long-term exercise of the men of the Yan family. His skin was healthy wheat-colored, heroic, and his eyebrows were full of righteousness.

Yan Chu, who appeared in front of her again, was thin, white as snow, and had a morbid beauty. His eyes were sinister, like a snake and scorpion. In addition, he preferred red and dark purple, such rich and colorful clothes, which were decadent, seductive, and also frightening.

Such a Yan Chu made it impossible for her to connect him with the boy she once was. I'm afraid that no one except her could recognize that the notorious Governor Xiao, Xiao Changgong, was actually the eldest son of the general who guarded the country.

Wanqi Lan remembered that Xiao was the surname of Yan Chu's mother's family. The other party changed his surname and hid in this deep palace. What was the purpose? It was clear without thinking.

When she first found the other party, Wanqi Lan wanted to recognize Yan Chu, but soon she became timid.

With what identity did she recognize him, as the concubine of Emperor Chengqing, as a woman who was very likely the culprit of the Yan family's massacre? She also gave birth to a son for his enemy. With such a woman, what qualifications did she have to walk in front of him again and tell him that she missed him so much every day and night.

What's more, she knew his pride better than anyone else. The former General Yan was now a eunuch despised by everyone. Would he really hope that she would recognize him?

Maybe Yan Chu thought so too. They were so close, but they had no contact in the past few years. Even if they met in the palace, they didn't say hello and kept away from each other.

Wanqi Lan watched silently. She watched the man lose himself in hatred. He became more and more powerful. Everyone was afraid of him. He was stained with more and more blood. There were those who deserved it and those who were innocent.

Such Yan Chu made her feel strange.

Coming to this deep palace, what supported Wanqi Lan was the childhood friendship and the feelings that were brewed and accumulated by time. However, facing such a strange Yan Chu and her son who was gradually growing up, Wanqi Lan's balance began to waver.

She didn't like Emperor Chengqing, but Wanqi Lan couldn't give up Zong Zheng Qingqi, the child she gave birth to after ten months of pregnancy.

At the beginning, her plan was to support her son to ascend the throne, and then have her son rehabilitate the Yan family. Until now, this idea has not changed. The only variable is Yan Chu. Wanqi Lan doesn't know what Yan Chu wants to do, but needless to say, the other party must hate the Zong Zheng royal family. He will not let Emperor Cheng Qing go, and may not let go of Emperor Cheng Qing's descendants.

Wan Qilan could not stop Yan Chu from taking revenge, and would even help him speed up his revenge. But she was really panicking. If one day, her son and Yan Chu were on the opposite side, who should she help?

"Stop it, I will decide the fate of Emperor Cheng Qing. For the sake of our young friendship, don't worry, the position of the Queen Mother belongs to you, and the position of the Emperor will also belong to your son, ahem."

Yan Chu coughed twice, and the already pale skin added a bit of death, just like a flower in full bloom. The more beautiful it is, the more rotten it smells.

"Do you think that what I am doing now is just for the position of Queen Mother?"

Wan Qilan was a little sad, but when she heard the other party's cough, she still couldn't help but want to step forward.

She knew that Emperor Cheng Qing favored him, and there were rumors in the palace that Emperor Cheng Qing would often reward Yan Chu with the elixirs refined by the Taoists in the alchemy room and share them with him.

As smart as Wan Qilan, he still doesn't know what those things are. Just looking at Emperor Cheng Qing's current body, he knows that it is something that can hollow people out, so Emperor Cheng Qing thinks it is a good thing.

And if Yan Chu wanted to win the trust of Emperor Cheng Qing, he could not deduce the reward from Emperor Cheng Qing. It is conceivable that the body of a man who had been seriously injured would deteriorate after constantly taking these life-threatening elixirs. What does it look like?

Wan Qilan secretly found two cooks who were good at making medicinal meals, and used her connections to arrange them in Lanqin Palace, so that they could help recuperate Yan Chu's body.

On the one hand, he was anxious, but on the other hand, he felt a little cold because the other party was too distant, and even the words Wan Qilan blurted out were a bit stiff.

The old grandma is acting as a support in the background, but she feels anxious for her princess in her heart. She has been thinking about this man in her heart, so how come she actually got a chance to be alone, but she still made trouble with you?

In the eyes of the old mama, Emperor Cheng Qing was not worthy of his princess, and her princess had no intention of being favored by him. Otherwise, based on the princess's appearance and mind, how could there be anything like the enchanting Concubine Jiang in the harem? Son.

I also blame the old emperor. If he hadn't been so troubled, the Yan family would have been fine. The princess and General Yan must have been a couple of gods.

Unlike now, General Yan has changed, and the little princess is also tied to the fourth prince. No matter what happens to the two of them, they will never be able to go back to their past.

The old nanny felt pity for her little princess, and made a few hard notes to the dying old emperor in her heart. She decided that when she returned to Yanyunxuan, she would go to the small Buddhist hall to pay homage and wish the dim old emperor a speedy recovery. Ascend to heaven.

"The two of us only have a little friendship from childhood. Do you want me to believe that everything you do now is for me? Hahaha, cough, Lan Bin, Lan Niangniang, it's really ridiculous."

Yan Chu coughed as he spoke. He was so excited that he almost coughed up his lungs. However, because of this, while holding his breath, his face became a little more rosy.

"My previous engagement with you was just a joke made by my elders. The engagement will be invalidated from the day I choose to enter the palace. You will be your concubine and wait peacefully for the old emperor to die, and then you will be yours." Queen Mother, that's all, don't do those unnecessary things anymore, I won't be grateful to you, this heart died as early as twenty-three years ago. "

Yan Chu took Wan Qilan's hand and placed it on his chest.

"That stupid Yan Chu is dead. The one who lives now is Xiao Chu, Xiao Chu who climbed up from hell."

He moved closer to Wan Qilan. The two of them were so close that they could feel the warmth of each other's breath.

Wan Qilan could smell the faint smell of blood on the other party's body, a smell of decay that could not be removed even after bathing and changing clothes.

The pale skin, the shadow cast by the facial features in the night, and the dark eyes reflected the red color of the clothes, which was so weird and terrifying that Wan Qilan couldn't help but take a step back.

"laugh--"

Yan Chu's laughter dissipated in the air with a breeze, as if the laughter was just her illusion.

"You're afraid of me, you're actually afraid of me."

Yan Chu smiled freely. He let go of Wan Qilan's hand. After a long time, he stopped smiling, and the expression on his face returned to condensation.

"So, don't try to get close to me again."

After speaking, Yan Chu left without looking back.

"It's not like that, it's not like that..."

After he left, Wan Qilan knelt down directly on the cold stone floor. She kept shaking her head, but she still looked cold as before.

How could she be afraid of him? She obviously, she obviously...

Could it be that time has really changed them beyond all recognition, and they will never be able to find their former appearance again?

Wan Qilan doesn’t believe it!

*****

There was darkness in the Lanqin Palace. Everyone who served here knew that Xiao Jiuqiansui couldn't bear to be disturbed when he was alone. Therefore, there were very few people around him to serve him, and he rarely entered the dormitory to serve.

Therefore, as soon as the lights in the palace were turned off, the servants went back to their rooms to rest. Except for a few servants who kept vigil at night, the palace was not popular at all.

At this time, in the bedroom of Lanqin Palace, Yan Chu walked to a hidden compartment, took out a large wooden box, and took out the contents one by one according to his past habits.

There are small steps that are not expensive but are exquisite, there are small clay figurines that have cracked over time, and there is also a faded small hydrangea. Each of these gadgets has been carefully cleaned and placed as they were. Went back.

These little things, no more, no less, exactly twenty-three pieces, are twenty-three gifts he owes a little girl.

Yan Chu covered his heart, the dull pain has not stopped since he said those heartless words in Bi Bo Ting. He doesn't know whether these feelings are from the original body or from himself who survives in this world instead of him.

Even Yan Chu himself can't tell what the feelings of youth were like. After all, he only has memories of that relationship. It's just because of the tragedy that happened later that the remaining feelings are too precious. Whenever he is desperate, it's only these little past beauties that support him. The more he misses them, the more sublimated this emotion is, until it snowballs. Every time he looks at it, he feels sad, and every time he thinks about it, he feels heartache.

"This time, it will be a different ending."

Yan Chu covered his chest and said softly.

They shouldn't have to endure the pain. He wanted to see if they would have a different future in this life if the original body had tried to believe a little and let go a little.

*****

"Nine thousand years old, those who are disloyal have been dealt with."

In the busy imperial garden, a man wearing a white mink-rimmed cape sat on a grand master's chair. A pot of clear tea next to him was still steaming, which seemed a bit tempting in the late autumn when the temperature had dropped and it was slightly damp and cold.

His skin was as white as jade, and he was wearing a moon-white dragon robe and brocade clothes. He could almost be in a painting. Of course, first of all, he had to get rid of the tragic and bloody scene not far in front of him.

More than a dozen palace servants were tied to a bench, and next to them were strong eunuchs holding a red scepter.

"Bang-bang-bang-bang-" With every board, the tragic screams of the palace servants tied to the bench could be heard. The blood seeping out of the thin clothes could be seen with the naked eye. After a few sticks, the clothes were torn, and the skin and flesh under the clothes were torn, and the white bones could almost be seen.

Another gust of wind blew over, and the strong smell of blood could be smelled from a long distance away.

You know, this imperial garden is where the concubines usually go to have fun. They originally wanted to relax, but they didn't expect to see such a scene that could be called hell on earth. How could the concubines feel good?

Jiang Fengjiao covered her nose. She used to be a maid, and she knew how cruel the masters were to punish the palace maids who made mistakes, but she had never seen more than a dozen lives disappear in front of her.

Looking at the man with a calm face not far away, Jiang Fengjiao felt a little scared. Could she really seduce such a cold-blooded demon?