Wuzhou

  A thousand miles away from Chang'an, the largest commercial town in the central region of the north and south. People of different ethnicities, such as Persians and Hu merchants, come and go everywhere in the city, with a thick trading atmosphere.

  The carriage door was kicked open from inside by Zong Huo, his eyes gleaming with greed.

  He has finally arrived at his ancestral home's territory.

  This Wuzhou, as a must-pass route for the north and south, generates rich income every year. As a royal relative, how could the Wei family let go of this place?

  And this is where his father had placed him in the most ideal location.

  "Hahaha..."

  Zong Huo burst out laughing, and this road of suffering and hardship, fear and panic, got the strongest backlash reaction.

  Zong Huo has gone mad!

  "This young master wants to drink the strongest wine and sleep with the most beautiful woman here. All of you go find them for this young master! Find them immediately!"

  All twenty-eight bodyguards who guarded Zong Huo looked around cautiously as soon as they entered the city, still subconsciously on high alert after traveling thousands of miles and being on edge every moment until now.

  However, there was nothing unusual on the crowded streets of Wuzhou.

  "Looks like there's no problem, boss." a dead soldier said cautiously.

  The leader's eyes were already filled with bloodshot, looking a bit scary. These days, Zong and Huo had been indulging in feasts and wine, but they had never closed their eyes once.

  Even a dead man would show a hint of fatigue, saying: "Everything should be going according to the plan of the Grand Secretary."

  So Wuzhou should be safe.

  Several dead men nodded to each other and exchanged glances. At this time, Zong Huo had already become impatient, "Didn't you hear what I said? My old man bought a mansion for me in Wuzhou, take me there now!"

  Zong Chuke doted on his only son, chose Wuzhou as the hiding place for Zong Huo, and had already prepared a beautiful mansion with servants and maids.

  So Zong Huo thought of these things, his eyes turned green.

  Thinking of what kind of days he had been through on this road, he smiled wryly.

  The leader of the dead warriors had a gloomy face and a hint of bloodthirst in his eyes, then he stiffly turned around: "Go to the mansion."

  Zong Huo burst out laughing again, without any regard for the shocked eyes of the crowd on the street, he really felt that he was completely safe now.

  At this time, two people in the crowd cautiously followed the carriage, keeping a safe distance.

  They were a group of Pei family dark guards who followed Zong Huo all the way, and if you said that Zong Huo's dead warriors were exhausted from worrying, they would only be even more tired.

  "Don't mess up Young Master's plan at the last minute," one of the guards said. "Investigate Zong Huo's residence and send a letter to Young Master immediately."

  Just as they were following cautiously, a man suddenly appeared in front of them, dressed in barbarian attire with a cold expression.

  When he saw the face of the newcomer, An Wei's eyes were extremely shocked.

  There were three people in total, all wearing bamboo hats that covered half of their faces. The person who had just stopped them was also taking off the bamboo hat on his head while speaking.

  "The young master has ordered us to follow him."

  An Wei was taken aback, watching as Zong Huo's carriage turned around the corner and disappeared: "But!"

  Someone made a "zipper" gesture, "Don't say anything else, this Wuzhou city is full of eyes and ears everywhere."

  The two dark guards struggled for a moment, seeing that the carriage could no longer catch up, nodded and followed the three people with bamboo hats to disappear into the crowd.

  When he arrived at the mansion, Zong Huo's eyes turned green: "As expected of my old man..."

  This mansion is resplendent with gold and jade, only more luxurious than Chang'an, if this were to be the place of residence for the second half of one's life, it would truly be a soul-stealing nest.

  Zong Huo didn't even wait for the carriage to stop before jumping down and rushing to the entrance of the mansion, pushing open the door.

  A row of slaves stood with their heads bowed and said in unison: "Welcome, young master Huo."

  Zong Huo's eyes lit up brighter as he stared at the servants and the courtyard behind them, it turned out that his father hadn't lied to him, everything here had been prepared long ago.

  Several dead men exchanged glances and all let out a sigh of relief.

  "Master, these servants and maids were all personally selected by the old master for you. Each one of them has a clean background and will not pose any harm to you." Zong Chuke had gone to great lengths for his only son, even the maids did not dare to be randomly purchased from outside, but were strictly screened, ensuring that they were problem-free before being placed in advance in this mansion, waiting for Zong Huo.

  Zong Huo burst into laughter and walked in. He had been indulging in food and drink all day, reveling without restraint.

  The dead men brought several accompanying Muslim merchants to the courtyard, looking at them coldly: "Tomorrow you will take the goods to the street and dispose of them. Don't come back again."

  All the way to replace Zong Huo's identity, the real Hu Shang in the team played a role in deceiving heaven and earth. The goods on the car were also purchased by Zong Chuke with his own money, telling them that after arriving in Wuzhou, they would dispose of the goods at will, and the gold and silver obtained would naturally belong to themselves.

  Several Muslim merchants nodded and wiped away cold sweat. They had been worried and frightened all along the way, but finally made it to the day of liberation.

  But just as they turned around, a cruel glint flashed in the eyes of the dead soldiers.

  Zong Chuke didn't trust his servants, so how could he trust the foreign merchants who had followed them all the way here? Now that they were in Wuzhou, to put it simply, these people were no longer of any use.

  But the goods still have to be handled by them. After tomorrow, Wuzhou suburbs will just have a few more nameless corpses.

  ——

  At the same time in Chang'an.

  A clever staff officer appeared like a ghost: "In the past two days, our scouts have been walking around the city with portraits. A vendor said that he had seen the woman in the portrait on the street once."

  Zong Chuke suddenly opened his eyes from the taishi chair: "Do you know where that cheap person is hidden by Pei Tan?"

  The attendants said in a low voice: "Not yet, but at least it shows that the girl you are looking for has indeed appeared on Chang'an Street."

  Zong Chuke stared at his attendants: "I'm not asking to know these things, what I want you to investigate is where that palace maid was hidden in Chang'an and the evidence of her collusion with that traitor."

  "Enough," a staff member said with downcast eyes, "we already have a lead. Since this woman dares to walk openly on the streets, it's enough to say..."

  Ming Pei said: "This person is extremely arrogant and thinks that no one knows about the frame-up of Prince Chang Le."

  This is their advantage and also Pei Tan's weakness.

  Zong Chuke's expression turned cold and gloomy. A slave who had escaped from the palace without permission, not only showed no worry, but also displayed a carefree attitude. This fell into Zong Chuke's eyes and became another meaning, that Pei Tan this kid completely did not put his Shangshu Fu in his eyes, openly and aboveboard took away the "corpse" palace maid from the imperial palace, and without covering up, allowed this woman to go out on the street. Zong Chuke's face grew colder and colder.

  "It also means that this slave's situation is not dangerous, and she may be hiding in another identity."

  The staff's gaze shifted: "The more dangerous, the safer. If we weren't investigating with the portrait, even if someone had caught a glimpse of him on the street, no one would have suspected..."

  At this moment, both of them paused for a moment.

  "Pei Tan is indeed a clever fellow." Zong Chuke's eyes flashed with a hint of something.

  Thinking that disguising palace maids as ordinary people would make no one pay attention is really too naive.

  "Besides, there's something else. I've noticed that for the past two days, Pei Tan has suddenly stopped going out in the Temple of Great Rites, which is completely different from his previous behavior. I'm wondering if he's secretly plotting something again."

  Zong Chuke's eyes were gloomy, and after a long while, he spoke again: "I don't care about his schemes, you quickly find that wretched servant girl. As long as she is there, Pei Tan's death date is set."

  The staff's eyes flickered slightly, and a sly smile curled up at the corner of his mouth.

  However, on the second evening, a nondescript horse carriage stopped in front of the gate of the Dali Temple. When Xing Zuoxu, the chief clerk of the Dali Temple, came out, his eyes flickered slightly.

  Then he continued to pretend nothing was wrong and got on the carriage, being taken to the back door of the Shangshu Mansion.

  "What instructions does the master have?" Xing Zhubu was somewhat uneasy.

  Zong Chuke looked at him with an expressionless face, as if he had no emotions; "About the unusual movements of Pei Tan in the past two days, why didn't you report to this official?"

  Xing Zhubu was taken aback and felt a little short of breath: "Sir, why did you say that? Lord Pei...he didn't seem to have anything unusual about him?"

  Zong Chuke sneered: "You're quite bold, daring to deceive me. I'll ask you, why did Pei Tan suddenly retreat to the Dalisi Temple and refuse to come out? Isn't this unusual?"

  He used to be out and about in Chang'an, indulging in feasts and wine, but now he suddenly doesn't go out, who knows what this guy is secretly planning.

  Zong Chuke's expression became increasingly gloomy as he thought about it.

  Xing Zhu Bo seemed frightened, he stiffened for a long time, and suddenly said: "Your subordinate understands your thoughts."

  Zong Chuke's eyes moved slightly, and he continued to gaze at Xing Zhubu with a profound and solemn expression.

  Xing Zhubu swallowed hard, his footsteps suddenly moving forward one step. "Pei Tan's personal bodyguard... that steward of the Pei family named Pei Xian, has been missing since a few days ago. After the incident with Huo Gongzi, the Pei family was well aware that a grudge had formed between them and the Shangshu. That's why Pei Xian had been protecting Pei Tan so closely before, but these past two days... not only has this bodyguard failed to appear, even Pei Tan himself has begun acting suspiciously."

  Thinking carefully, it seems that Pei Tan's abnormal behavior, whether indulging in Chang'an City or hiding in the Great Li Temple and not coming out, all started from the day this guard mysteriously disappeared.

  Zong Chuke's expression changed immediately, his eyes dimmed: "Where is Pei Tan's guard?"

  Xing Zhubu stiffened his body: "That's right, I didn't notice it before either. It wasn't until you reminded me, sir, that I suddenly remembered this matter."

  Zong Chuke's expression was dim and gloomy, he slowly began to pace back and forth in the room. The guard had disappeared, Pei Tan's words didn't add up, what was the connection between them? He couldn't think of it for the time being.

  But one thing is certain, all of this must be related to that servant girl.

  Xing Zhubu's eyes sparkled: "Your Excellency, is there anything else that requires my humble service?"

  Zong Chuke glanced at him faintly: "Go back to the Dalisi Temple, continue to stare at that kid. Things like this time knowing but not reporting, this official does not want a second time."

  Xing Zhubu's face changed color and he lowered his head.