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  In the outskirts of Yanjing, five miles away, there was a small village. The village originally had only about 100 households, all of whom were what the Liao State called "farmers", that is, people who were brought from afar to cultivate the land when Emperor Xingzong of Liao implemented new policies.

  The new law was not implemented smoothly, and most of the land that these people were supposed to cultivate had been annexed by some officials and nobles. Now they can only rely on working for those officials and nobles or going to Yanjing to do hard labor to make a living, so many are very poor.

  It was just the day before yesterday, when someone suddenly came and bought the two brick houses that looked relatively good in the village, and slightly renovated them, making the house look a bit like a crane standing out from the flock.

  Chen Yuan's carriage stopped in front of this house.

  Two wind lamps hung high at the gate, Xiao Cong Qiu looked at Chen Yuan and asked in confusion: "Brother Chen, is this a residence?"

  Chen Yuan smiled and slightly waved his hand: "It's mine now, but it won't be later. Xiao brother, knock on the door."

  Xiao Cong Qiu was puzzled: "Why do you want me to knock on the door?"

  Chen Yuan didn't answer, he just pursed his lips, indicating that he should hurry up and knock.

  Xiao Huanqiu gently tapped the door ring, and soon after, the sound of pulling the door bolt came from inside. Chen Yuan clasped his fists and said: "Brother Xiao, I bid you farewell."

  Xiao Huanqiu was even more shocked: "Brother Chen, how could you leave? What's going on?"

  Chen Yuan had already turned around, seemingly not having heard Xiao Huang Qiu's question, and walked towards the carriage without looking back. Just as Xiao Huang Qiu was about to chase after him, the door slowly opened, revealing a familiar figure that left him utterly astonished: "Yi Cui!"

  The woman at the door was none other than Yī Cuì, who had been feeling unwell for the past few days. Compared to her heavily made-up appearance in the brothel, today's Yī Cuì wore only a light green outer robe and had applied only a touch of powder to her face, looking quite different from how she looked in the brothel, with an air of a delicate young woman about her.

  Her eyes, once bright and flirtatious, had changed. The former coquettishness was gone, replaced by a soft smile on her face as she gazed at Xiao Yunqiu standing in the doorway, with a gentle affection in her eyes.

  Xiao Congqiu was stunned and stood there blankly, staring at Yi Cui, unsure of what to do next.

  Before Xiao Huangqiu hesitated at the gate of the memory hall, she always directly pulled up his arm: "Hey, Master is here again!"

  But today, Yī Cuì didn't do that. She just stood in the doorway smiling. Seeing Xiāo Huáng Qiū hadn't reacted yet, she took a step forward: "Come inside."

  These three words gave Xiao Yunqiu a sense of home, and he nodded busily: "Sigh."

  Chen Yuan's face on the horse carriage had a faint smile, he knew that Xiao Ling's first thing to do tomorrow when entering the city would definitely be to find himself.

  Can't let him find out, hang him for two days first.

  I'll go to the palace myself tomorrow, it's been a long time since I went there. Yelü Hongji helped me out, no matter whether he caused trouble for me or not, after all, it was kind of him, and I should go thank him.

  The most important thing is how much effect these rumors have had within the palace recently, and I need to go investigate for myself.

  What's most important is that Li Yuanhao will soon be proposing, and Yelü Lüjing might leave for Western Xia soon. If I don't go see her now, I might really not have the chance to secretly meet with her in the palace again!

  In short, tomorrow whether for official or private business, I must find a reason to go to the imperial palace, let's just say it's to visit Yelü Hongji.

  He went straight to the house where Pang Xi lived, which was the most secluded one in the deepest part of the courtyard. No matter what kind of sound came from here, it couldn't be heard on the street.

  With three light knocks on the door, Pang Xi opened it.

  Zhang Hai and Guo Moshan were also there. The five-flower-tied Xiao Congqiu was being watched by the three of them at the foot of the wall.

  Zhang Hai and Guo Moshan saw Chen Yuanjin coming in, stood up and greeted: "Manager Chen."

  Chen Yuan Chong cupped his fists: "Thank you both."

  Zhang Hai and Guo Moshan smiled: "Boss is being polite, even if you let us do it a few more times, we won't say no."

  Xiao Yunqiu obviously knew that the newcomer was the leader of these people, and immediately rushed towards Chen Yuan with wide eyes, making a strange cry in his mouth.

  Chen Yuan ordered with a wave of his hand: "Remove the cloth from his mouth."

  Pang Xi stepped forward, pulling out a cloth strip that had already emitted a very foul odor. Xiao Cong Qiu's first sentence asked two questions: "Where is my son? Who are you people?"

  Chen Yuan looked at Pang Xi: "What? Hasn't General Xiao seen his son yet?"

  Pang Xi shook his head: "No, isn't this what it means to not speak?"

  Chen Yuan thought for a moment: "How about this, General Xiao? If you appear in front of your son like this now, it will scare him. I think it's better to let Madam Ba see what she can do."

  Xiao Yunqiu really wanted to see his son, but then he thought that what Chen Yuan said was also right. In his current state, seeing his son would not only scare him, but also damage his image in his son's eyes.

  "Has anything happened to my son?"

  Chen Yuan nodded: "Temporarily, not yet."

  Xiao Congqiu naturally knew what this was about for now, and immediately said: "Alright, let me see my old eighth."

  His eighth concubine is twenty-six this year, and in this era, she has already entered the ranks of middle-aged women. However, due to her relatively comfortable life, in order to keep Xiao Congqiu for a few more days, she still takes good care of herself.

  The fright of the past two days had already caused this woman to lose her usual radiant complexion, and her whole face was pale. Brought into this room by Yang Wenguang, as soon as she saw Xiao Congqiu, she rushed up: "Master! Master, you're back!"

  Xiao Yunqiu's heart ached at the moment. He was tied up and injured, watching his wife and children fall into the hands of these strong men, yet he had no way to help.

  This helplessness was something that a man like Xiao Yuanqiu couldn't accept, and his tears almost fell.

  Even though he looks like this now, when the woman saw him, it was as if she had found her backbone and burst into loud sobs, venting the fear and panic of the past few days.

  Xiao Qiang suppressed his own sorrow, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down a few times before he asked, "Are you and the child all right?"

  The woman nodded: "They didn't tie up the child."

  Xiao Congqiu let out a long sigh and then looked at Chen Yuan: "What kind of people are you? What do you want to do?"

  Chen Yuan smiled slightly: "Nothing much, it's just that we need General Xiao to help me with a small favor in order to deal with Yelü Rennan. For example, can General Xiao tell us some things that Yelü Rennan is afraid of others knowing?"

  Xiao Huanqiu looked at Chen Yuan: "Is he a man of Yelu Zhongyuan?"

  Chen Yuan blinked his eyes: "Guess half right, but this question is not important, because I can't help the general survive. Nor can I help Lord Gongzi survive. The only one who can help is the general himself! Does the general understand my meaning?"

  Xiao Huanqiu burst out laughing: "You've got the wrong person! And you've miscalculated too! Although I treasure my son like my life, for the sake of the Northern Palace's Great King, I can give up anything! Including my own son! Hahaha!"

  Chen Yuan sighed: "Since it's like this, there's nothing more to say."

  Xiao Huanqiu's face was stern and just: "If you want to kill, then kill! Just give me a quick death!"

  Chen Yuan slowly walked up to him: "General Xiao, let's make a bet, shall we?"

  Xiao Huang Qiu sneered: "Bet? Do you think I'm still afraid of betting now?"

  Chen Yuan nodded: "Yes, General's loyalty is admirable. Let's make a bet, if I'm locked up for a month, will Yelü Renshi think of ways to rescue me or do something else?"

  Other things, Chen Yuan did not say explicitly, but Xiao Huanqiu understood what he meant. Xiao Huanqiu was unwilling to believe that Yelü Renshi would do such a thing, but in his heart, he knew that Yelü Renshi was a decisive person, and if his own disappearance had indeed caused trouble for him, then he might really make the trouble disappear completely.

  "He won't give up, the king will definitely find a way to get me back, he definitely will!" Xiao Congqiu said this with a somewhat suppressed tone and some anxiety. Everyone in the room could hear it, but in fact, Xiao Congqiu himself didn't believe this at all.

  Chen Yuan crouched down and whispered in his ear, "If that's the case, I'll let you go a month later. But I dare to guarantee that within a month, everyone in the house will die an unnatural death! The house, the army, everything related to it will cease to exist! I'm making this bet with you!"

  After finishing speaking, he stood up and said to Pang Xi: "Take good care of General Xiao. In a month's time, either we will send him out the door or send him home."

  Pang Xi smiled slyly and stuffed the smelly cloth back into Xiao Yunqiu's mouth. Yang Wenguang also dragged the woman back, who was still trying to cry out, but Yang Wenguang pressed a short knife against her neck.

  Xiao Yunqiu's eyes had already gone dull.

  Chen Yuan felt his mood was extremely tense, because he knew that even if he planned so carefully, the development of things would absolutely not go according to his own expectations. He was a human being, not a god.

  He can only plan his own steps here, but cannot arrange for others to follow in his footsteps. When the other party becomes aware of it, that's when variables he may not have thought of himself appear.

  Can't hide for much longer, in a few days at most, maybe even tomorrow, or perhaps Ye Rujin has already sensed that something is off.

  He won't just sit and wait to die, he is the Bei Yuan Da Wang of Liao State, with countless claws in Yanjing, his counterattack will be extremely fierce.

  Chen Yuan's heart was really afraid, he felt that his whole body seemed to be shaking before it would feel comfortable. This fear made him unwilling to sleep alone tonight, looking at the room next door with Hu Jing still lit, Chen Yuan walked over and knocked on the door.

  Xiao Zili didn't want to sleep alone either, but she had been sleeping alone for a long time. In a year, there were only a few days when she could fall asleep in Liao Xingzong's arms. A few days ago, Hongji went on an expedition, and Liao Xingzong came to accompany her for a few days. The memory of that time still lingered in her mind.

  The dim light shone on her still proud curves, gently closing her eyes, hugging the quilt in her arms to dispel the loneliness. The corners of her eyes were slightly moistened.

  She often thought that if she and Emperor Xingzong of Liao were just an ordinary couple, it would also be a very happy thing. At least she could have her own husband. But all this was only if, the actual situation was that her husband was the emperor of Liao, and there were countless women around him, as long as he wanted, he could have more.

  He had never paid attention to her thoughts and didn't understand that he was being low-key all along just to better protect himself, to protect his son.

  He said he was virtuous and gentle, with no disputes in the world. However, he didn't know that if he really had no disputes in the world, he would have been done away with by others long ago!

  Xiao Xiao couldn't fall asleep, her mind was preoccupied with too many things.

  Recently, rumors about Yelü Renshi have been flying everywhere. Xiao Sulan knew that someone in the imperial court had already set their sights on Yelü Renshi, and a storm of unprecedented proportions was brewing.

  She knew that Yelü Renshi was innocent, because the one who had informed the Jurchen people was not Yelü Renshi, but her own brother Xiao Tuli. However, she would never go out to explain. Since the storm was coming, let it come, Xiao Tuli had already made preparations and was ready to reap enough benefits from this storm.

  The door suddenly rang out with a knock, and Xiao Tongli quickly crawled out of the quilt. At this time, only Liao Xingzong and that Liang Zongguan could come to knock on the door, no one else was left. She hoped it was Liao Xingzong, but the sharp voice at the door was Liang Zongguan's: "Your Majesty, have you gone to sleep?"

  Xiao Xiao Li opened the door with a hint of disappointment and let in Manager Liang: "Is there something?"

  Li said in a low voice: "Just now, Zhang Gong and Guo Shu Ye both came to tell me something. I think it's very important, so I dare to disturb your rest."

  Xiao Tangli got up and looked outside the door, and after making sure no one was around, she asked: "Is there any news from them?"

  Liāng said: "Director Zhang said that General Xiao's entire family has gone missing."

  Xiao Xiao's eyes lit up instantly, and Liang Zongguan didn't wait for her to ask before continuing, "I don't know who did it."

  Xiao Xiao fell into deep thought and after a brief moment of contemplation asked her second question: "What did Guo Shu say?"

  Liáng Zǒngguǎn replied: "Guó Jiù said that Chen Shìměi bought two houses in the suburbs, and they were given to Xiāo Yuǎnfēng."

  Xiao Zuanli slowly smiled: "Interesting, alright, go down."

  Liāng looked at Xiāo Suī with a glance and said in a low voice: "Yes, the old slave will retire."

  Xiao Xiangli stopped him again: "Wait, Old Liang, go to Guo Shu's place and let him find an excuse for Chen Shimin to come into the palace tomorrow. It's time to talk to this Song person."

  This is also the reason why Director Liang is willing to risk his life for this woman. Others call him "Director Liang" or "Lord Liang", but only this woman calls him "Old Liang" when they are alone, a very ordinary name, but it touches Director Liang who has physical disabilities.

  Chen Yuan did not expect that when he was about to enter the palace, Xiao Suli would come to take him into the palace, and even more unexpected was that it was the Empress of Liao who wanted to see him.

  "What? The empress wants to see me?" Chen Yuan was greatly surprised.

  Xiao Su Li nodded: "Mm, hurry up and pack, we'll go together."

  Chen Yuan had never noticed the Liao empress, Xiao Purity, because she was known for not interfering in state affairs. Not only did she herself not interfere, but also let Xiao Su not participate too much in the struggles of the imperial court, which although earned her a good reputation, also made more people ignore her existence.

  Including Yelü Renshi, Yelü Zongyuan, also including Chen Yuan.

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