Refuse to trample on the pride of heaven

Chapter 426 Nursery Rhymes

The dusk was as dark as ink, making the bluestone pavement of Xiangsheng City shine.

A string of children's songs followed the damp wind and drilled into the eardrums -

"Red tiles and golden scales hide monsters, outsiders bring flood disasters, harmless skins hide plots, let the evil omen bring waves; small drums are beaten, gongs are ringing, every household locks doors and windows, hand in hand, search the streets together, don't let the monster bury the disaster; the moonlight shines, the stone slabs are cool, suspicious shadows have nowhere to hide; tied chains, sunk to the bottom of the river, the river water smiles."

Lu Wensheng lifted the curtain of the carriage. On the bluestone road in the twilight, several children with pigtails were jumping and singing ballads. Their faces were rosy and they were holding small boats made of reeds in their hands. Their innocent look formed a strange contrast with the gloomy words in the ballad.

Not far away, an old man selling sugar paintings was busy packing up his stall, his cloudy eyes full of panic; a woman carrying a basket of vegetables was walking hurriedly, looking back as she walked...

Is it because it's going to rain? Or something else?

The carefreeness of the children makes the adults look pale and worried.

Often, these nursery rhymes always symbolize something. Lu Wensheng will not be blinded by the temporary tranquility of Xiangsheng City. The people who spread the nursery rhymes behind the scenes definitely have bad intentions towards them...

Behind the seemingly childish nursery rhyme is a murderous intent to kill people.

Could it be Zheng Xiu? I don't think so. Although he has repeatedly obstructed it, he would not do such a thing considering his concern for Mr. Xike Lin Zhuxuan...

What about Xie Qingwu? The man's innocent smile and occasional ignorant expression appeared in his mind. Lu Wensheng shook his head gently and excluded him.

Wu Feipeng tapped his knees with his fingertips: "This poem is very appropriate, comparing us to 'evil people', and hoping that we will 'sink to the bottom of the river'."

His tone was calm, but a cold light flashed across his eyes, "It's as if someone has prepared a script in advance - Brother, this is coming for us."

Wu Feipeng sat opposite, leaning against the window and listening for a long time. He was keenly aware of the malice in the ballad, and there was a hint of vigilance in his tone.

"Whoever benefits from this is the mastermind. Even if they are not the mastermind, there is still a connection."

"The demons and the four core members of the formation?" Wu Feipeng repeated thoughtfully, his eyes meeting Lu Wensheng's.

Lu Wensheng looked outside the car. Dark clouds were rolling in the sky like the sharp teeth of a giant beast. From time to time, lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the frightened faces of the people on the streets.

"Tell me, who in this Xiangsheng City has so much power that he can easily arrange people to spread nursery rhymes? Who is addicted to extravagance and pleasure, and can't bear to give up this life of luxury? Who is closely related to the formation and does everything he can to prevent us from breaking it? We are keeping a close eye on them, but who has the ability to sit back and do nothing? What's more, I am now the princess's consort, who has the ability to confront me head-on?"

Wu Feipeng's expression was stern, and he said decisively: "Emperor."

Lu Wensheng pulled the curtain and closed his eyes.

"Not bad."

The conspiracy behind this is probably far more complicated than they imagined. Perhaps there is a dark hand hiding in the dark, manipulating everything behind the scenes.

Duan Jiashu frowned: "Didn't the emperor just grant marriage to Senior Brother and Senior Brother Liu? Are you going to do it right away? After all, she is his princess."

Lu Wensheng looked at a silly child and said, "They are not relatives. They are just acting. Don't really believe them. What's more, this is a matter involving his own interests. It touches his lifeblood."

The four people who are the eyes of the formation are, after all, part of the order of the formation. As outsiders, they have to abide by the rules of Xiangsheng City, but these four people don't really follow them - don't even look around, among these four, is there anyone with a lower position?

When it really comes to that, they are the craziest, the most indifferent and the most unscrupulous.

The carriage sped through the rain, its wheels rolling over the puddles, splashing water.

When Lu Wensheng returned to the princess's mansion, the sky was already as black as ink. Raindrops as big as beans poured down, hitting the bluestone slabs, making crackling sounds.

The black clouds above were like a huge swallowing mouth, covering the entire Xiangsheng City. The oppressive feeling made people breathless. The streets were empty. Occasionally, one or two servants hurried by with umbrellas in hand, all of them with frowns and solemn expressions.

"Alas, the date is approaching, I'm afraid the wedding will have to be postponed."

"It's a pity that the princess has been waiting for so long..."

A few whispers reached Lu Wensheng's ears, and he felt something in his heart and quickened his pace to walk into the mansion.

Lu Wensheng walked around the nine-turn corridor.

A gust of wind made the red silk hanging under the corridor flutter.

The silks that should have been festive were now soaked by the rain and hung heavily like countless nooses.

After passing through the three courtyards, Lu Wensheng stopped outside the warm room.

A lonely figure was reflected on the window paper, with silver-gray hair scattered on the shoulders. The candlelight cast a soft halo on it, but it could not hide the desolation revealed from the back.

With a creaky sound, he pushed open the carved lattice fan, and the scent of agarwood mixed with damp rain in the warm room blew in his face.

There were no lights on in the hall, only daylight filtering in through the lattice windows, casting Liu Jiqian's figure on the blue bricks like an ink painting wet by rain.

The candlelight in the room flickered, and the light and shadow flickered on Liu Jiqian's body, making his face hazy.

He sat quietly in the main hall, his white clothes as white as snow, but stained with a layer of gloom by the dim sky, and he seemed to be integrated into the depressing atmosphere.

Lu Wensheng keenly noticed that the other party seemed to be in a bad mood and there was a depressing atmosphere in the air.

Thinking about the servants' discussions, Lu Wensheng guessed some of the reasons.

The strong wind outside was whistling and hitting the doors and windows, making bursts of sobs. Liu Jiqian's voice became erratic, as if it would be swept away by the wind at any time: "The wedding may have to be postponed. It will rain during this period. It is said that the Xiangsheng River will have a high tide..."

There sounds nothing wrong with this, but when it comes to Xiangsheng River, Lu Wensheng can't help but think more about it.

"Is it always raining? Is there a high tide at this time of year?"

"Yes, but we sent officials there these days, and the reports they came back with were not very good."

Liu Jiqian's voice had been indifferent the whole time. When he came to this point, he raised his head. Lu Wensheng was standing there, and his eyes met those golden-red eyes. There were emotions in those eyes that he could not understand.

"Perhaps we should prepare a sacrifice to He Bo?"

The taut string in Lu Wensheng's heart suddenly shook! All the clues were instantly connected - the strange nursery rhyme that was spread, the possible actions of the person behind it, this sudden "natural disaster", and this clear-cut sacrificial proposal!

This was not just an ordinary prayer, it was clearly a carefully planned conspiracy! And these "evil people" were the most "suitable" sacrifices for this sacrifice!

"A Sheng..." Liu Jiqian suddenly spoke, his voice trembling, perhaps because of the wind and rain outside the window, "If...if we really want to offer sacrifices to He Bo..."

Before he could finish his words, another loud thunder exploded overhead. The candlelight in the warm room swayed violently, casting the two people's shadows on the window paper, shaking them into a distorted shape.

Liu Jiqian's words were drowned out by the deafening thunder. His lips moved slightly, but he didn't say anything else.

Lu Wensheng looked at him as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. He slowly reached out his hand and gently held the other's cold fingertips. In the gaps between thunder, he could clearly hear his own heart beating like a drum.

The two of them exchanged glances, seemingly saying nothing, but also seemingly saying something.