"That letter disappeared when the rebels attacked the imperial city."

Pei Yuanfeng's eyes sterned and he stared at me: "Who took it away?"

I said, "I want to know too, but when the rebels entered the imperial city, it was a turmoil in the world, and people's lives could not be saved. I could not care about one or two things. This was only discovered after the rebels retreated. At that time, if we were to investigate again, we would not find out anything."

He frowned: "Did the rebels take it away?"

"yes."

"How many rebels are there?"

"Yunzhong Lin clan, Yuan clan of Runan, Gongsun Qi, son of Gongsun Shu, the Marquis of Jin, and of course - Nangong Jinhong."

When I said this, I paused, and Pei Yuanfeng also looked up at me. Although I had told him once before, how Nangong Jinhong pressed me and Chang Qing, as well as the prince during Pei Yuanhao's serious illness and coma, and also talked about his defection afterwards, I never looked for an opportunity to tell him the real reason, and I also knew that he was not without doubt.

After all, he grew up with those brothers, and he must know more about Pei Yuanhao and Nangong Lizhu when they were young than me.

So, I said, "About Nangong Jinhong and your second brother, I have something to tell you."

He blinked.

I talked about this very quickly because I didn't want to stay in the past for too long, but I knew that although it had been a few decades, its power was enough to stir up storms in the hearts of some people, and Pei Yuanfeng's face gradually turned pale.

When I finished speaking, after a long time, he still didn't have any reflection.

I didn't immediately urge him to understand and accept everything I said, just sit opposite him and look at him calmly. It took me a long time before he spoke in a hoarse voice: "So—my second brother, he, he is not—"

"Yes, he is not."

"Then my mother... she replaced her daughter with my second brother and him?"

"yes."

“…”

"Nangong Lizhu is her daughter, that is, your sister."

Pei Yuanfeng gasped again.

But this time, he did not remain silent or be confused. Instead, he looked up at me, with a trace of almost cruel awakening in his eyes: "Does Father know?"

I said, "I think he should have noticed it, so the edict issued before he fell seriously ill and fell into a coma... The edict did not contain the name of the prince. Moreover, his illness was also-"

Speaking of this, I glanced at him and hurriedly shut up.

Sometimes, although the other person looks calm, the internal holes are not visible to the naked eye. I should understand this best, and at this time, I should not say too much.

As for the death of Empress Zhao Lie, the coffin, and Pei Yuanhao's identity, the Supreme Emperor seemed to be deliberately concealing it, so I didn't plan to tell him directly. After all, the matter that was related to him now, one of his mother and the other of his second brother, suddenly became unrecognizable. It took too much effort to accept it.

I can't make trouble anymore.

I said softly: "Yuanfeng, it is better for the Supreme Emperor or any other person related to it to tell you about this matter. I tell you now that there is no other meaning, I just think you should know."

He looked up at me, his eyes calmed down, but the hand placed on the table was clenched into a fist, and his knuckles were slightly white.

He said, "I understand."

“…”

"If you explain it to me clearly, it's okay. If you are confused, you will easily make mistakes."

“…”

"Thank you, light."

“…”

After hearing what he said, I felt really sad. For a moment, I felt stuffy in my chest, as if an invisible black hand was pinching my heart to prevent it from beating. I was breathing slightly, but I heard his clear and calm voice ringing in my ears again: "So Nangong Jinhong, he is the second brother--" When he said this, he was a little hesitant, but he did not change his words immediately, and only ignored the past: "People?"

"yes."

"For so many years, he has been hiding dormant and is doing his second brother."

"I think so."

He sighed lightly and said, "No wonder, you were in the Jima River Valley to clean up Shen Gong, and he could establish his own power in Jiangnan so accurately, and he knew so clearly that there were so many things."

He seemed to be very sober. Although what I said just now gave him a temporary emotional ups and downs, he quickly got rid of that emotion. Now he was not happy or sad, nor was there any obvious anger or sorrow. But even such calmness makes people feel indescribable sadness.

I looked at him and said softly: "Yuanfeng..."

He looked up at me and met my overwhelmed look. He said calmly: "I know what you are worried about, but what we have to face now is not the past, but the things in front of us."

“…”

"First solve the things in front of you, and then talk about the things in the past."

“…”

Sure enough, he was a man who fought on the battlefield.

Such people are not affected by some emotions, but they can get out of such emotions as quickly as possible and figure out what they should face and what they should do the most.

In contrast, as a woman, I am indeed a bit too "sad" in spring and autumn.

So I nodded: "Okay."

Then he said, "Continue to tell what you just said. Your letter is gone. As you guess, who took the letter?"

"If you just guess this, any person is likely, and it may even be any concubine or any palace maid or eunuch in the palace. But if you read the matter backwards, the answer may be clearer."

"you say."

This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content behind! "When I took that letter, I knew that I would leave the capital in a short period of time, and I also knew that my destination must be Xichuan, so that I could set up an ambush along the way."

Pei Yuanfeng said slowly: "Nangong Jinhong."

I nodded.

He continued, "He took that letter and knew that you would go back to Xichuan, so he set up an ambush along the way, so he must know that after you return to Xichuan, you will participate in this mine bidding."

"But I think he didn't have that courage to follow me all the way into Sichuan. Besides, there were Qinghan, Qingchen, and people sent by Xishan Academy there. If he had really followed me all the way, they would have discovered it long ago, and it would have been impossible for him to come here."

Pei Yuanfeng was silent for a while and said, "What if it wasn't him?"

“…”

"He got the letter, learned the news in it, and told others."

The word "other" he slightly exaggerated, which made my heart sank suddenly. When he looked up at him, his eyes became more and more serious: "Then, this matter may have nothing to do with him, but other people are following you, or-"

"But, how could that happen?"

He was silent for a moment and said, "Every spring and summer, the Sanjiang Dam will open the gate to discharge floods."

"I know this."

"During that period, the ships passing by the river would be very messy, and there was no way to check as strictly as usual."

“…”

"If you really want to get in, it's possible."

“…”

"What do you think?"

“…”

"Will it be - him?"

At this moment, my breathing and heartbeat were a little messy: "I don't know..."

Pei Yuanfeng looked at me for a while and stood up without saying a word. I raised my head and looked at him as if he was turning around and leaving, and asked, "Where are you going?"

He had already taken a step, turned his back to me, and did not look back, but said in a muffled voice: "I'll send someone around to check it out."

“…”

"If someone really sneaks in, see if you can find any clues."

“…”

"I'll go first."

After saying that, he didn't say anything and walked out of this small courtyard in a few steps.

I sat under the tree and watched his back disappear at the gate of the yard. I felt a little uncomfortable and even more depressed. Pei Yuanfeng's guess did not confirm my guess, because before that, there seemed to be such a shadow in my heart, but what I don't know, will this shadow become real, a specific person.

Really, is it him?

What I dare not think even more is, what if it was him, what should I do?

Pei Yuanfeng is going out to check now. If his men really find that person nearby, how should he face this "second brother"? How should I face him?

I can't think about it, nor can I think about it.

Many things have passed, if you don’t think about them, maybe everything can be as if they haven’t happened and just let them be covered in dust; but if you mention them, you may not even be at peace with yourself.

Su Su stood by and kept accompanying us quietly. At this time, she came over and said softly: "Miss, I don't understand anything else you said, but it's time for you to eat."

“…”

"Otherwise, your stomach will hurt."
To be continued...