Who among the gangsters wants to fall in love?

Chapter 195: One Person in the Jianghu, Ten Years of Night Rain
The Lantern Festival is the last day of the holiday and the first full-moon night of the first lunar month.

No matter in the past or present life, the night of the full moon and the time of reunion are engraved in the bones of the people in the Central Plains... Even if they cannot go home during the New Year due to the long journey, they will always rush back to have a reunion dinner on the Lantern Festival. This has been a custom in the Central Plains for thousands of years. Even in the previous dynasties ruled by the Rong people, there was no forced change, which can be regarded as a certain degree of "Sinicization".

The Empress Dowager knew that Zhao Wumian would definitely take her out of the palace to play today, so she got up at dawn, had breakfast, and waited for a long time but found nothing to do, so she took a sedan chair to Qingze Palace to take a bath, but found that there were many palace maids waiting outside Qingze Palace.

The empress dowager stopped and blinked her eyes. Lian Xue went forward to inquire and found out that Luo Chaoyan was also taking a bath in Qingze Palace.

"The morning court session will begin in less than half an hour, and His Majesty comes to take a bath at this time... Is Your Majesty going to move somewhere else?" Lian Xue was a little surprised and asked in a low voice.

The Queen Mother shook her head slightly, "It's okay to take a bath together."

When Empress Chuyi passed away, Luo Chaoyan could not stand the shock and left Beijing to study medicine in Guixuan Valley. A few months later, the empress dowager entered the palace as empress. Now, it has been ten years since they last saw each other... When Luo Chaoyan was a child, the empress dowager often saw him and they had a good relationship, but now their feelings are naturally distant. Now she should communicate more with him.

However, when I came to the corridor in front of the hall, I could still faintly hear the conversation of two people coming from inside.

"It's hard for me to tell what he is thinking. He comes to my hall in the middle of the night and does nothing but sit there."

The voice was ethereal and soft, but a little unfamiliar. However, there were only a few of them living in the harem, so the empress dowager naturally recognized him. He was the current emperor's teacher.

Upon hearing this, the Queen Mother's heart was immediately startled. Needless to say, this 'he' must be Zhao Wumian.

Good boy, you are running into the Imperial Master's Palace in the middle of the night? What do you want to do? Do you want to "share a husband with your master and disciple"?
Bastard, how can you be so polite and lawful in your actions? Now the Imperial Master wants to report you to His Majesty, let's see if you can handle it... You might as well come to me. I am not as innocent as the Imperial Master. I am not afraid of any tricks you have. On the contrary, I will find them interesting, and I will not report you...

The Queen Mother inexplicably felt a sense of 'being favored and feeling confident', but the person favored was the Imperial Teacher, not her.

Zhao Wumian has the time to accompany the Imperial Master, but he doesn’t have the time to chat with her to relieve her boredom?

But she just thought about it in her heart. If Zhao Wumian really came to see the empress dowager whenever he had something to do, the empress dowager herself would not be happy... After all, she and Zhao Wumian had no relationship. If this really went on for a long time, her reputation would definitely be ruined.

The Queen Mother's mind was turning again and again, but she saw Luo Chaoyan's voice coming at this moment. Although he was the emperor, his tone was still gentle.
"He certainly has a deep meaning for doing this. I've known him for so long, and I know he's not some idle ruffian... And if he really had bad intentions towards Master, why would he just sit there and do nothing? I guess he's really trying to comprehend the Red Thread of Naraku."

Zi Yi was silent, but in her heart she was thinking, could it be that Zhao Wumian had seen something? Guessed that she didn't have much time left? So he used this method to accompany her?
If this is true, then Zhao Wumian’s action is... Zi Yi felt a slight palpitation in her heart.

But she had kept this matter deep in her heart, and had not even told Luo Chaoyan, so she naturally would not say much at this moment... Now that she was making an accusation, she was just explaining for herself that she and Zhao Wumian were innocent, in order to prevent Luo Chaoyan from thinking too much.

While he was thinking, he saw the Queen Mother walk into Qingze Palace. The master and the disciple were stunned for a moment, and the Queen Mother asked with a smile: "May I bathe with you?"

Luo Chaoyan came back to her senses and smiled as she instructed the maidservant standing by her side, "Help mother change her clothes."

It is early spring now and the chill has not completely dissipated. The Qingze Palace is shrouded in mist and filled with warmth. Taking a hot bath in such weather is so comfortable that one can't help but want to take a nap.

Luo Chaoyan leaned on the edge of the bathtub, her beautiful figure submerged in the water. Her hair was tied up at the moment, revealing her slender and soft neck.

Zi Yi did not take a bath with Luo Chaoyan, but leaned on a lounge chair beside the bathtub. Next to her was a small table with some fruits and snacks. She was wearing only a goose yellow bellyband and nothing on the lower body. Her long and plump legs were crossed together. At this moment, she was lying on her back, and her overly soft white skin was overflowing from the edge of the bellyband.

Zi Yi really wanted to take a bath with Luo Chaoyan, but his whole body was poisonous, even his body fluids were no exception. So he leaned on a recliner alone as if he was sunbathing. It seemed that he was clearly separated from Luo Chaoyan, but in fact, there was nothing he could do.

In the past, he always took a bath alone, but now he came to Qingze Palace mainly to talk to his apprentice.

Seeing the Queen Mother coming, Luo Chaoyan stood up from the bathing pool and simply bowed to the Queen Mother out of etiquette, and asked curiously: "Why did the Queen Mother come to Qingze Palace at this time?"

As Luo Chaoyan stood up, water droplets fell down, and the empress dowager raised her eyebrows slightly.

Luo Chaoyan not only has an exquisite appearance, but also an attractive figure. She has a slender waist that can be held in one hand, long and straight legs, skin as white as ice, without even a mole, and every inch of her curves seems flawless. The only flaw may be... that she is not very plump.

This figure is actually quite suitable for traveling around the world, and Guan Yunshu is quite envious.

The Queen Mother smiled slightly, "I just have nothing to do. Your Majesty, don't worry too much about etiquette. In the future, if Your Majesty doesn't look for a queen, then the three of us will live together. It would be inappropriate to pay too much attention to etiquette."

The three people the Queen Mother mentioned were her, Luo Chaoyan and the Imperial Teacher.

As they were talking, the empress dowager's phoenix skirt slipped down, revealing the dark red bellyband and snow-white thin pants underneath. When she untied the bellyband's ties, Luo Chaoyan and Zi Yi couldn't help but look at her.

Unlike Luo Chaoyan, the empress dowager has a truly mature figure. It is broad on top, narrow in the middle and wide at the bottom, with obvious contrasting lines. Her hips are wider than her shoulders, and she looks a bit fleshy, but in fact, she is fat where it should be fat, and thin where it should be thin. There is a huge contrast. Even Luo Chaoyan and Ziyi couldn't help but subconsciously wonder what it would be like to hold this figure in their arms.
But what man in the world would be so lucky? This was the Queen Mother of the current dynasty. It was impossible for her to remarry, and no man dared to marry her...

The Queen Mother first stretched out one of her snow-white feet to test the water temperature, and then stepped into the bath with one foot, along with her entire body.

She rolled up her long hair and looked at Luo Chaoyan, "Your Majesty is bathing now, but is there anything on your mind?"

Luo Chaoyan also sat in the bathtub, scooped warm water with one hand and poured it on her arm, sighing softly, "I'm not worried, I'm just too tired from the morning court, so I came to take a bath to relax for a while."

The Queen Mother understood and said softly, "There are many emperors in ancient and modern times who have become ill due to overwork. Even if I say something extremely treasonous, Emperor Taizu Gao was born in Jianghu and was a master of the bridge between heaven and earth. He was only thirty years old when he ascended the throne, in the prime of his life, but he was only sixty-five when he died.

Considering his martial arts skills, his death at this age could be considered as death from illness. In the final analysis, he had too many things in his mind and worried about everything. Even with the Qingying Jade Clothes, the Nine Bells could only heal wounds, but it was powerless to prevent normal birth, aging, sickness and death.

Your Majesty has just ascended the throne and it is normal for him to not adapt for a while, but you should remember to put your health first and don’t take anything to heart. If you are really upset, I or the Imperial Master will listen to you. "

Ziyi glanced at the Queen Mother and thought, why are you interrupting me? However, she was going to leave the capital in a few days, so it would be great for the Queen Mother to stay in the capital with Luo Chaoyan, so she added:
"Don't just disappear into the study room every day. If you really have to, practice martial arts. You don't need to become a master, but at least you can strengthen your body... Are you still practicing the internal skills I taught you?"

Because most of the martial arts that Zi Yi knows are vicious and cruel, and not suitable for royal children, Luo Chaoyan has not learned them for ten years. However, these are all "external skills" and "external skills" cannot be learned. Internal skills can still be learned, but if you only have internal strength without techniques, you will not be able to exert any combat power.

"I haven't practiced for some time..." Luo Chaoyan felt a little guilty.

"Just pick it up again. Internal skills are not like external skills. It's okay if you don't practice for a month or two..." Zi Yi picked up a winter date and put it between his lips. After thinking for a while, he said, "But you can practice external skills now. Zhao Wumian is good at martial arts. You can ask him to teach you."

The Queen Mother had been listening silently, and her expression changed slightly when she heard the words.

Zhao Wumian taught Luo Chaoyan martial arts? The two of them had a very good relationship. Zhao Wumian must have some feelings for Luo Chaoyan. If this continued, wouldn't Luo Chaoyan fall into Zhao Wumian's palm obediently?
This won't do. If Zhao Wumian becomes Queen Zhao, and this identity is a barrier, then what role will Shen Xiangge have?

With Zhao Wumian's personality, if he had been with Shen Xiangge before he got together with Luo Chaoyan, he would not have forgotten this affection even if he became Queen Zhao in the future.

Deep down, she was not opposed to Zhao Wumian becoming Queen Zhao, but the prerequisite was that her niece had to take the throne first... Otherwise, Shen Xiangge would be lonely and helpless for the rest of her life and become a laughing stock in the capital.

But is Shen Xiangge really willing to be with Zhao Wumian? To be honest, the Queen Mother hasn't really asked Shen Xiangge for his opinion yet.

So she hesitated, not knowing whether she should speak up to stop it.

Then he heard Luo Chaoyan tilt his head and ask: "If I let him teach me martial arts, then I should call him Master... Doesn't that make him the same generation as Master?"

The Queen Mother blinked her eyes. Why did this sound a bit suspicious? It was probably that once Zhao Wumian became Luo Chaoyan's master, then due to ethics, she would not be able to have anything with Zhao Wumian. But on the contrary, the Imperial Master could...

Zi Yi didn't think too much about it. She spat the pit into the small plate beside her and waved her hand gently.

"If the apprenticeship ceremony is not possible, there is no need to be so particular about seniority... Miss Su also taught Zhao Wumian the Moonlight Sword before. Does Zhao Wumian have to call her 'Master Su'? With your status, not everyone who teaches you martial arts can become the 'Emperor's Teacher'."

But what they didn't know was that Zhao Wumian actually did call Su Qingqi "Master"...but he usually only called her that when they were on the couch.

Luo Chaoyan withdrew his gaze, secretly thinking that it was true, and then cast his gaze on the Queen Mother again, thinking for a while and then whispered:

"Although I am under great pressure, I am still free. My mother has lived in the palace for a long time. She is only 28 years old now. Her best years are wasted in the palace. If you have someone you like, please tell me. I can help the queen mother think of a way to not lose face and honor for the royal family, but also let my mother be with the man she likes."

These words were spoken sincerely. Luo Chaoyan really felt that the empress dowager was miserable and lonely in the deep palace all day long. If she really had someone she liked, she would not be the narrow-minded emperor who broke up the couple.

The Queen Mother smiled slightly, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty, but this is how I will live my life. How can I marry at such an old age?"

"Wouldn't it be better to pretend to be dead and leave the palace secretly?" Zi Yi suggested.

The Queen Mother found it funny. Although this was indeed a method, what kind of man could she like? So saying this at this moment made her look like an unsatisfied woman, so she shook her head and said, "No need to do this."

Luo Chaoyan had no choice but to give up. Since the empress dowager herself was unwilling to do so, it would be tantamount to meddling for her to say anything more.

In the future, when the empress dowager is miserable, she will just spend more time with her. As the empress dowager said, in the future, Zi Yi will leave Beijing and Zhao Wumian will go to the rivers and lakes, and there will be only two women to keep her company in this huge palace.

"Where did Marquis Wei Ming go?" The Queen Mother didn't want to talk more about her love affairs, so she changed the subject and asked curiously.

"Chou Manjiang was captured and has been tortured recently, but he is very stubborn and would rather die than surrender. However, a few days have passed and the Detective Department has to gnaw on even the toughest bones... So he went to the Detective Department early in the morning, hoping to find something."

The Queen Mother frowned. Now that she had gained something, Zhao Wumian would obviously be busy with the affairs of Huanzhen Pavilion next. Would he still have time to take her out to play in the evening?
Today is the Lantern Festival, as the two had agreed... But Zhao Wumian was also here to handle official business, and more importantly, to save her nephew Shen Cekai. As the queen mother and aunt, how could she object?

So he could only nod absentmindedly and whispered, "I hope that the trip of Wei Ming Hou will be smooth."

Zhao Wumian had obviously told Luo Chaoyan in advance that he was going to take the Queen Mother out to play during the Lantern Festival, so Luo Chaoyan knew what the Queen Mother was thinking, so she said, "I don't have any official duties during the Lantern Festival, why don't you and I go out of the palace in plain clothes and have fun with the people?"

If Zhao Wumian is not free, then Luo Chaoyan can accompany her, so the Queen Mother nodded slightly with a gentle smile on her face, "Very good."

Luo Chaoyan also smiled and looked at Zi Yi, "Master is going too?"

Zi Yi didn't say anything, but just nodded slightly, and then stuffed a winter date into her lips, looking at the curling white mist in the air, not knowing what she was thinking, and seemed absent-minded. With the help of Naraku Hongsi, the foundation of poisonous insects and poisonous plants in Ziqing Palace has been laid, and in the future, we can ask some experienced poison masters to help take care of it. There is nothing to do if we continue to stay... It's time to leave Beijing.

She told herself in her heart... Zhao Wumian must have guessed that she was going to leave Beijing, so he came to accompany her every midnight.

Instead of guessing that she was dying.

Tap tap tap————

Zhao Wumian was wearing a white robe, with a sword on his waist, riding on the Zhaoye Jade Lion. Now that he was approaching the Detective Department, he slowed down and the sound of his horse's hooves making a light "thump thump" sound on the bluestone floor tiles.

"Zhao Wumian, did you hear what I said?"

A clear and pleasant voice coming from his ear brought Zhao Wumian back to his senses. He tilted his head and saw Guan Yunshu also riding on a horse, walking with him. She looked at him with her delicate and charming face slightly tilted.

After a few days of recuperation, Guan Yunshu's injuries had almost recovered, so there was naturally no need for him to stay in Fu Mo Palace any longer.

Zhao Wumian smiled and repeated what Guan Yunshu had just said, "If I meet Ning Zhongxia again, I won't take action and let you kill him... If you kill him, it will be considered as settling a cause and effect. Although I don't know much about Buddhism, I still understand the cause and effect of this grudge."

"You've been a little absent-minded in recent days." At this moment, Su Qingqi's voice came from the side.

Su Qingqi rode on White Lady, her eyes worried, "Are you worried about Huanzhen Pavilion?"

Zhao Wumian shook his head, "I have some guesses in my heart, but I'm not sure what they want yet...Brother-in-law has been investigating the Crimson Jade recently, has he found anything?"

Su Qingqi blushed at the word 'brother-in-law' and whispered, "The documents in the case room basically cover all the Jianghu events that have occurred in Dali for more than 50 years since the founding of the country. There is no direct record of the Crimson Jade, so my brother is still checking them one by one, trying to find out something through clues."

"This is a huge project." Zhao Wumian had also been to the filing room in the past few days, and he got a headache when he thought of the mountains of files inside.

Guan Yunshu frowned slightly, "If there is no record, then there is no record... Isn't this really a waste of effort?"

Su Qingqi also felt that it was a waste of time, and said, "That being said, if the Crimson Bauhinia Jade was really in Wudamu's hands, he couldn't have failed to collect the other four Glazed Jades over the years. If he had done something, he would definitely have left clues... In any case, it's obviously abnormal that there has been no news about the Crimson Bauhinia Jade for more than fifty years. My eldest brother has already speculated whether the news about the Crimson Bauhinia Jade was erased artificially."

"The Detective Department is not omnipotent, so it is normal that some things are not recorded."

While they were chatting, they had already arrived at the Detective Department.

Ji Jianming was wrapped in white cloth and had a wooden board on his right arm. He stood at the door of the Detective Department, looking very dedicated. When he saw the three people, his eyes lit up and he raised his hand quickly. "Oh, Lord Marquis, you are finally here. I have been waiting for you for a long time. Chou Manjiang has confessed, he has confessed!"

After the three men dismounted, an officer from the Detective Department hurried forward to lead the horses. Ji Jianming led the three men into the Detective Department, and said with great joy, "My Lord, you don't know how tough this guy Chou Manjiang is. We've tried branding, water immersion, and needle pricks, but he just won't give in. I'm considering whether to find a few lechers on the street..."

Zhao Wumian glanced at Su Qingqi and Guan Yunshu, then quickly raised his hand, "To make a long story short, what did he say?"

"He confessed quite a lot." Ji Jianming brought three people to Zhaoyu. Seeing that there were only prisoners and jailers around, and no other idle people, Ji Jianming lowered his voice and said:

"Young Master Shen and Young Master Tian have been secretly escorted out of the capital and have gone to a place called Longji Town, fifty miles south of the capital. There is an inn called Hongshi, which is a branch of Huanzhen Pavilion. The two young masters are now there."

The footsteps of four people echoed in the dim Zhaoyu Prison. The prisoners in the prison raised their lifeless eyes and looked at the people in the corridor.

The jailers along the way stood up and saluted when they saw the four people...mainly saluted for Zhao Wumian.

Su Qingqi frowned, "News is about timeliness. Now a few days have passed. Even if those two people were there before, they must have been secretly transferred away... If we go there again, we will only find nothing."

"Yes." Ji Jianming nodded slightly, "I also know this, so Chief Constable Su guessed that this group of thieves from Huanzhen Pavilion actually had other intentions. They kidnapped the two young masters in order to lure the tiger away from the mountain. Their purpose is probably to get the Qingying Jade Clothes."

Guan Yun raised her eyebrows frivolously, "Did Chou Manjiang say this?"

"No, this is Chief Constable Su's guess. What Chou Manjiang said at this moment may all be words to lure us into a trap. We can only believe half of it." Ji Jianming recalled what Chief Constable Su said, then raised his head and said:
"Thanks to the Marquis, we were able to find out the identities of the thieves. One of them is Li Jingnan. Most people in the martial arts world don't know him, but who is he in our detective department? We knew that he had been injured in the battle with the former Sword Master more than 20 years ago. His strength is not as good as before. If he wants to recover, he can only rely on the Qingying Jade Cloth."

Su Qingqi murmured to herself, "If they really succeed, Huanzhen Pavilion will have another martial arts master, and the martial arts world will definitely change."

"This is also one of the bases for Chief Constable Su's speculation."

As they spoke, the four of them walked down a few stone steps and arrived at the third level of Zhaoyu.

Zhao Wumian looked at the increasingly dark and gloomy corridor and spoke for the first time, "How many floors does Zhaoyu have?"

"Fourth floor." Ji Jianming pointed to a number of empty cells nearby. "Those who are locked up on the third floor are already extremely vicious death row prisoners. They are all big names in the underworld. If the news gets out, it would scare even a kid to tears. Chou Manjiang is naturally locked up on the third floor."

"What about the fourth floor?"

"The fourth floor was built for one person..." Ji Jianming frowned, thought about it, and said:
"But at that time, I had not yet entered the Detective Department, so I did not know much about the details. I only knew that the man inside was a serious criminal during the reign of Emperor Taizu Gao, but Emperor Taizu Gao ordered that he should not be executed, so he was imprisoned for so many years. Even the Jingnan Campaign did not affect him. Now the man inside must be over 70 years old, right?"

Zhao Wumian was slightly stunned, and tilted his head to look, "Political prisoner? Or a gangster?"

"Anyone who has anything to do with politics is imprisoned in the Imperial Palace, just like Erig and Wuerji, whom the Marquis captured last time. So the man imprisoned on the fourth floor is definitely a quack. It is said that he once assassinated Emperor Taizu Gao, but for some reason, Emperor Taizu Gao was unwilling to kill him. I guess there is a story behind this."

"He is over seventy years old... He can be said to be a page of Jianghu. He must have seen all kinds of Jianghu events, big and small." Zhao Wumian whispered.

Ji Jianming laughed and flattered him, "Your Majesty is indeed a scholar who wrote "Nan Ge Zi". You are different from rough people like me."

The corner of Zhao Wumian's eye twitched... Actually, the Queen Mother saw him being mocked for being uncultured by a group of literati that night, so she spread the news of "Nan Ge Zi" the next day, saying that it was the masterpiece of Wei Ming Hou. This was considered a not-so-small and interesting event in the capital recently, but it also made Zhao Wumian famous among the ladies and girls in the capital.

After all, it is a poem of boudoir complaints, so naturally the ladies and young ladies would feel empathy.

Su Qingqi glanced at Zhao Wumian, but didn't say anything jealous due to the occasion.

When she arrived in front of Chou Manjiang, she saw that he was covered with wounds, no longer as high-spirited as when they first met.

Chou Manjiang leaned against the wall with disheveled hair. When he saw Zhao Wumian, his eyes flickered and his voice was hoarse, "You got the news, but you didn't save people. Are you here to laugh at me?"

"After all, it's possible that this is your strategy to lure the tiger away from the mountain, so you won't leave Beijing in a hurry." Zhao Wumian looked at Chou Manjiang, was silent for a moment, and then said: "For the sake of the plan, you deliberately let me capture you alive, just to give false information... Is Huanzhen Pavilion worth it for you?"

Chou Manjiang smiled coldly, "Don't test me. I have already told you everything I know. You won't get anything out of testing me. Whether you believe it or not is up to you."

Guan Yunshu nodded slightly, "Now that we have the information, we must go and investigate... If we ask him now, we really won't get anything out of him."

At this moment, a captain came hurriedly, holding a knife on his waist, "My Lord, Tong Congdao is suspected to have entered the capital."

When these words were spoken, the four people present were stunned.

Zhao Wumian frowned, "Really?"

The captain scratched his head, knowing that there must be something fishy about Tong Congdao entering the capital at this time, so he said: "Because the two young masters are missing, colleagues have been silently monitoring at the city gate. They found out and tried to track them down, but found nothing. With such skills, even if it is not Tong Congdao, he must be a martial arts master."

"So you mean you're not sure at all?" Su Qingqi asked.

"……Yes."

Chou Manjiang smiled in prison, "According to the plan, Hall Master Tong should indeed come to the capital..."

Several people glanced at him. They had no idea what Chou Manjiang was saying, so they could only believe half of it. However, since Tong Congdao was suspected of entering Beijing, they couldn't just pretend nothing had happened.

The four of them ignored Chou Manjiang and left Zhaoyu in a hurry.

Chou Manjiang sat alone in the prison. After the four men left, he seemed to have lost all his strength and leaned against the wall beside him.

After a long time, a self-deprecating sound was heard.

"Is it worth it? Haha..."

In the hall of the Detective Department, Chief Inspector Su had apparently also received the news and had already formulated a plan.

"Tong Congdao may have come to the capital to plot against the Qingying Jade Clothes. From now on, I and Governor Xu will stay in the palace and guard it strictly at all times. How about you lead the team to rescue people at the Red Stone Inn?"

Su Qingqi and Guan Yunshu pondered for a moment and nodded.

Because of Luo Shuzhi, the court's current martial arts champion is seriously lacking in combat power, and Chief Constable Su and Xu Ran obviously cannot leave the capital at will. Even if the legitimate sons of the Tian and Shen families are captured, this reason is not enough.

Chief Constable Su looked at Zhao Wumian again, "What do you think, Lord?"

Zhao Wumian frowned slightly, remained silent for a moment, and then shook his head, "Change the details of the plan. Use my plan."

(End of this chapter)