Although Xue Poye vaguely understood something, the matter was so important that he naturally did not dare to say it easily. He was just slightly startled, and immediately broke the stiffness with a smiling face and asked: "Senior, did you go to see Ye Qingyao later?"

The flute player pondered for a long time, then sighed and said slowly: "I'm tired, that's all I have to say today."

Xue Poye was stunned. It was like having a fish bone stuffed into his mouth. He was extremely uncomfortable. Halfway through the flute player's words, the most exciting part came to an abrupt end.

The flute player stood up and walked slowly to the portrait, staring at it in deep contemplation without moving.

Xue Poye could only stand up and say: "Excuse me, farewell!"

"Xue Poye!" The flute player said in a calm voice: "If you do what you are doing now, at least... you can protect the people around you."

Xue Poye was stunned and frowned, but did not speak.

"That child...!" The flute player whispered, "Is he okay?"

Xue Poye was shocked. He was not a fool. Of course he knew who the so-called "child" was. If his guess was correct, of course it was Xiao Shitou, his little apprentice.

If you remember correctly, the flute player also mentioned the small stones in Wazunuma last time. At that time, he didn't take it seriously, thinking it was just a random mention by the flute player.

But today the flute player talked about the little stone again, and there was a hint of concern in his voice. Xue Poye's shrewdness had already guessed that there must be some disputes, but a servant of Prince Qian's Mansion could compete with this flute player.

What does the flute person have to do with it?

The room was very quiet for a while, and the biting cold wind outside was whistling. Although he was not in the cold wind, Xue Poye still felt the chill.

"He's fine!" After a long while, Xue Poye replied calmly.

The flute player sighed, waved his hand, and said softly: "You go." After a pause, he said calmly: "It won't take long before you know the story behind it."

Xue Poye smiled faintly and said slowly: "I'm waiting for the time to listen."

After walking out of the small room, Xue Poye walked back quickly without stopping. After walking for a long time, he was getting farther and farther away from the "Acacia Palace". Xue Poye stopped, turned around slowly, and stared at

The "Acacia Palace" in the distance.

There was no one around the Acacia Palace, and the lantern hanging outside the courtyard was the so-called "will-o'-the-wisp" that Xue Poye had seen before.

Xue Poye's clenched fists were finally released. At this moment, he realized that his hands were covered with cold sweat. In this cold winter night, his whole body seemed to have entered an ice cellar.

"Who is he?" Xue Poye stared at Xiangsi Palace and murmured: "Is it... no, how is it possible? Zi Qing? Is it Lao Tan? What is all this going on?"

Xue Poye is really confused!

He tried his best to sort out the intricate relationships, but he couldn't figure it out anyway. Instead, he felt his head was swollen. When he was shocked by the cold air and came back to his senses, he realized that a thin film had floated in the sky at some point.

snowflakes.

The winter snow finally fell.

Xue Poye stretched out his hand, caught a snowflake, and held it cold. He watched the snowflake gradually melt in his palm, smiled bitterly, shook his head, and said to himself: "It's been a year, old friend, I see you again!"

On a winter night a year ago, snowflakes were falling and catkins were flying. In that cold night, Xue Poye traveled to Dachu.

Just when he was about to die, he was rescued by the Xiao brothers and sisters. Until now, Xue Poye has become the deputy chief guard of His Majesty the Emperor's Imperial Guard, and has become an important general who is attracted by others.

Everything was like a dream. This year passed by in a blink of an eye. In this short year, many things happened and I met many people.

This is not the paradise on earth that we dreamed of, it is still full of good and evil in human nature, and we still have to live in the worldly rules of friends, relatives, and enemies.

"I wonder if it's snowing in Hangzhou?" Xue Poye turned around and walked back, whispering to himself.

There are my dearest people in the world there, but I became the deputy chief guard in Kyoto in a daze, and it is impossible to leave for a while.

People always want to climb up, and it is impossible for Xue Poye to throw away this hard-won opportunity. What's more, Xue Poye is a smart man. Even if he wants to leave this official position and leave, I am afraid that he will not leave Kyoto.

He was taken to prison and then killed by those with ulterior motives.

For example Liu Tuo!

When you are in the court, you can't help yourself!

"Sir!" A cheer came over. It was a cheer, but the sound was not loud. It was just a group of Yulin guards shouting excitedly in front.

Xue Poye raised his head and saw six or seven Yulin guards in front of him holding Yulin sabers in their hands. All of them were extremely excited and said in low voices: "My lord is back, my lord is back, God bless you!"

When Xue Poye saw these subordinates, most of the chill in his heart immediately disappeared. He quickly stepped forward and said with a smile: "Why are you here?"

But I saw a person coming up from behind, it was Ximen Lei Zang. He also had a smile on his face and saluted: "My lord is fine, this is great."

Xue Poye saw that everyone's expressions were full of admiration, which was very different from the past. He couldn't help but feel strange. He was not in a hurry to ask, but raised his hand and said: "Don't worry, everyone, I'm just taking a look around, and everyone will come back."

respective positions."

Immediately, a group of people walked back and vaguely heard the Yu Linwei behind them praising Xue Poye for his incomparable martial prowess and fear of ghosts and gods. Xue Poye was even more surprised. He pulled Ximen Lei Zang closer and asked: "What's going on? Look,

Me, it’s like I’ve come back from hell.”

"Sir, you probably don't know yet, but you just came back from the gate of hell." Ximen Lei Zang sighed: "Didn't you see, my lord, that we didn't dare to come forward to greet you? That's because of that tree!"

"Tree?"

"That cypress tree!"

Xue Poye thought for a while, and there seemed to be that tree in his mind. He said "Oh" and asked curiously: "Are you afraid of trees?"

Ximen Lei Zang said with a bitter smile: "My lord, you don't know. That tree is like a boundary sign and cannot be entered. Past the big tree is the boundary of Acacia Palace. His Majesty the Emperor made a decree many years ago that no one is allowed to enter."

Half a step beyond the border of Xiangsi Palace, anyone who violates it will be killed." He paused and shook his head: "Once there was a warrior who was transferred from the underground state capital and entered our Yulin camp. The Yulin guard only talked about kung fu.

Yu Linying is also a first-class master. During that night patrol, we forgot to tell him this rule, and he entered the boundary of Xiangsi Palace in a daze. After we slept, we could only wait behind the cypress tree.

One night and the next morning, his... oh... only one of his heads was thrown over... After so many years, we don't know how he died, but his expression before death was twisted and terrifying. Obviously

I was greatly frightened, and many people said that there was a ghost in Xiangsi Palace...!"

Xue Poye couldn't help but shuddered, and couldn't help but look back. It was a bottomless night, with only the cold and fluffy snow flakes floating gently.

"When that Yulin guard died, the cypress trees were only as tall as me. Now... hehe... eight years have passed...!" Ximen Raizo said thoughtfully.

Xue Poye was stunned: "Eight years?"

Ximen Raizo nodded.

The snow was still falling, and it looked like it was going to get heavier and heavier. Xue Poye and his party returned to the guard room of the Yulin Guards in the palace.

The guard room was intended to be a resting place for Yu Lin's soldiers, and it was also considered a humanized aspect of Da Chu. Although it was provided for Yu Lin's soldiers to rest, the only people who really rested here were the officials of Yu Lin's guards.

"Do you know how long it took to build this Acacia Palace?" Xue Poye returned to the guard room, immediately pulled Ximen Lei Zang aside and asked in a low voice.

Ximen Raizo thought for a while and said thoughtfully: "I'm afraid it has been more than ten years. I have worked in Yulin Camp for eleven years. This Acacia Palace existed before I came."

"More than ten years?" Xue Poye frowned and pondered for a long time before asking again: "Then do you know who lived in Xiangsi Palace before?"

A strange look flashed across Ximen Lei Zang's face, and he shook his head hurriedly: "I don't know, I don't know!"

Of course Xue Poye saw the strange look on Ximen Lei Zang's face, but since the other party didn't want to say anything, he couldn't be embarrassed and just nodded with a smile.

"That's why we were so frightened when your Excellency entered the Acacia Palace. It would be a great blessing for you to come back." Ximen Lei Zang approached Xue Poye and whispered: "Don't worry, Your Excellency, I have already explained it to all the brothers.

However, this matter will not be leaked, so you don’t have to worry."

Xue Poye smiled faintly and said in his heart: "Of course you don't know that there is a person in Xiangsi Palace. Even if you hide it, what's the use." With a smile on his face, he said: "Thank you very much." I don't know why.

Yes, a heavy sleepiness came over him. Xue Poye stretched out and yawned. Ximen Lei Zang hurriedly ordered his men to add firewood to the stove. It was quite warm inside the guard room. Xue Poye Xie

He leaned on the chair and fell asleep in a trance not long after.

The next day, Kyoto seemed to be covered with a layer of pure white silver gauze, wrapped in pure silver, which was particularly enchanting.

There is snow everywhere in Kyoto. The streets were cleared of snow early in the morning, revealing smooth bluestone roads. The snow had melted and everyone was wearing very bulky clothes.

The nobles were naturally wearing furs and brocades, and the common people were wearing cotton clothes and actively resisting the cold. People coming and going were more or less talking about the snow, saying that this year's heavy snow seemed to be heavier than in previous years.

A little early.

Walking on the snow, the sound of "crunching" is extremely clear.

Xue Poye was riding in the carriage. This time he did not go back to Xueyuan directly, but headed towards Beicheng. Eight fully armed Yulin guards followed closely on both sides, fully alert.

Heading westward, the snow becomes thicker. This is no longer the main city, so many places have not been cleaned. The carriage grinds on the snow, accompanied by the "crunching" sound of Habayashi Wei's cowhide boots on the snow.

, it’s really a bit mighty.

There are not many houses in this area, and there are only a few scattered houses, which really look a bit depressed.

Xue Poye sat in the car, frowning. This time he was going to see if there was any progress in the gunpowder test between Xiao Su Guan and Sergio Gattuso. In more than a month, Xue Poye went there three times.

Each time, I came back disappointed. I spent nearly a thousand taels of silver and made no progress in the gunpowder experiment.

However, Xue Poye knew that this kind of experiment was unusual. Even if it failed a hundred times, as long as it worked once, the general formula would be successful.

However, these two guys have now found a rich man, and they spend money like water. They eat well and drink spicy food. Even many materials are transported by truckload. If it were not for the purpose of testing gunpowder, they would not live in this remote place.

Xue Poye felt it was necessary to remind them that after all, his economic base was in Hangzhou, and most of the thousands of taels of silver he had brought with him had been spent at this time. If he continued to go through this, he couldn't send someone back to Hangzhou to collect the silver at this time?

The carriage trudged forward on the snow, but the Yulin Guards were as if they were made of ice and snow, not afraid of the cold weather.

"Bang!"

A loud noise like the earth was shattering came from the front, like the earth suddenly shaking.

"Protect your lord!" There was a deep shout from outside the carriage, and then there was a loud "clang" sound. The eight feather forest guards drew their sabers one after another, with stern expressions, and their eyes swept around. The loud sound of the earth shattering made all the feather forest guards frightened.

, the first reaction was that someone wanted to assassinate the Deputy Chief Guard.
To be continued...