Chapter 474: Searching for Secrets
It turned out that the secret passage of Tongshitai led to a place deep in the mountains and forests, surrounded by desolate and remote areas, and no one knew where it was.
In the deep forest, there is a house with smoke rising from the chimney, as if someone is living there.
Ning Yunxi and Yan Yu went in search, quietly hiding themselves, and sneaked into the house. When they passed a room, they heard some movement inside, so they both stopped and listened quietly.
Unexpectedly, Gu Mengzhen's voice was heard from the room.
"We are all trapped here as men. What's the point of you dressing up handsomely all day? How can women admire you?"
The voice was exactly the same, but the tone was bold and unlike Gu Mengzhen's at all. Ning Yunxi and Yan Yu were both confused.
After he finished speaking, Gu Mengzhen's voice was heard again, sounding like he was talking to himself, or like two people were having a conversation.
"In life, appearance and demeanor are of utmost importance. A pleasing appearance makes the heart happy. Don't you understand such a simple truth?"
Then there was a burst of sneers.
"Oh, you always have so many twisted ideas."
"Brother Zixi has always been a good speaker. Please comment on this. Is what Brother Xinheng said wrong?"
Ning Yunxi was secretly shocked and had a vague premonition.
Brother Zixi?
Could it be that Fourth Brother is still alive?
Zhou Zixi responded calmly.
"Forgive me for my ignorance and inability to answer."
Jiang Luo laughed heartily.
"Brother Zixi may sound modest, but he actually offends no one. He is a man of high learning and talent, and his reputation is well-deserved. He is truly enviable."
Zhou Zixi is polite.
"My foolish and frank words make people laugh. Thank you, Brother Jiang, for not disliking it."
Cao Xinheng was enthusiastic and took the initiative to invite.
"It's boring to talk with Brother Jiang. Brother Zhou, come here and help me see if this jade crown matches my clothes today."
Yan Yu was still confused, and Ning Yunxi had already knocked on the door.
Yan Yu was suddenly shocked because she didn't expect the little sister to do something that would alert the enemy.
Zhou Zixi heard the knock on the door, but did not become suspicious and proposed respectfully.
"I think so. There are other brothers who got up early and came. You two brothers, please sit down. I will go open the door."
The footsteps were getting closer. Zhou Zixi opened the door, looked at the person who came, and his smile turned into a solemn expression.
The man was unfamiliar with the woman, he had never seen her before; but the woman's beauty was just like his master's, and he remembered it in his heart and has never forgotten it.
He had been separated from his master for decades and had no chance to see him again. Unexpectedly, he would be able to see his old friend again today. He was so overwhelmed with emotion that he could hardly contain himself.
"you……"
Ning Yunxi felt regretful for acting rashly and without thinking, and felt helpless and at a loss, so she hurriedly introduced herself.
"Fourth Senior Brother may not know me, I am..."
Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Zhou Zixi.
"Are you Xi'er?"
Yan Yu was puzzled and Ning Yunxi was extremely shocked.
"what?"
She was not yet born when he disappeared. How did Fourth Senior Brother know her nickname?
Zhou Zixi added explanation and asked seriously.
"You are the third lady of the Ningguo Mansion, Ning Yunxi, right?"
Ning Yunxi's eyes remained filled with astonishment as ever, as she asked out of curiosity.
"Fourth Senior Brother, how do you know that?"
"You guys, why are you here?"
Zhou Zixi's eyes showed a hint of caution, and he looked around carefully.
"No need to explain why."
"Why are you here? Your Majesty, Lord An, are you following us? You must not put yourself in danger and give the enemy an advantage."
Ning Yunxi returned to her normal expression and responded gently.
"Please be at ease, Fourth Brother. I will be safe on this trip."
Zhou Zixi trusted him without a doubt and looked away.
"That's good."
Listening to the conversation, Cao Xinheng felt something was wrong and asked cautiously.
"Brother Zhou, what happened?"
Zhou Zixi turned around and answered.
"Don't worry, my two brothers, everything is fine."
After answering, he smiled and nodded at Yan Yu, then gestured for her to come in.
"Please come in and talk."
Yan Yu smiled back.
Ning Yunxi responded respectfully.
"Okay, thank you, Fourth Brother."
Seeing that they were two unfamiliar faces, Cao Xinheng and Jiang Luo stood up together and politely took a quick look at them.
Zhou Zixi pursed her lips and smiled, then formally introduced the guest first.
"This is Brother Cao, Cao Xinheng; this is Brother Jiang, Jiang Luo. You two good brothers have lived here with me for many years and we have a deep friendship."
Then, he formally introduced the guest to Brother Xian.
"This is my junior sister, Ning Yunxi."
Before the introduction was finished, Jiang Luo smiled and continued the conversation.
"So, she is the junior sister you always mention. She is really stunning. She has the demeanor of a general, as well as the aura of a scholar and the demeanor of a wise man."
Ning Yunxi accurately captured the word "general's family" and felt flustered. She turned her head and glanced at her brother quietly. Sure enough, she saw a hint of doubt in his eyes.
She looked calm and tried to inform Fourth Senior Brother with her eyes.
Zhou Zixi immediately understood and responded with his eyes.
He acted as if nothing had happened and tried to cover up for his junior sister.
"Brother Jiang remembered it wrong again. The general's daughter I mentioned is not my junior sister."
Jiang Luo also understood what he meant and responded.
"Yes, yes, yes, the honorific Junior Sister has is the leader of the Nianren League, Bai, right?"
"Alas, you have so many brothers and sisters, how can I remember them all?"
At this point, Zhou Zixi had already guessed Yan Yu's identity, but he did not reveal it, and pretended not to know when he continued to introduce her.
"Excuse me, Junior Sister, who is this noble person?"
Yan Yu didn't quite understand the etiquette of the other world, so he was unfamiliar with the techniques, so he clasped his fists like the ancients and tried to introduce himself.
Before he could open his mouth, Ning Yunxi took the lead.
"This is Emperor Yan's descendant, Prince Dijin, Yan Yu."
Upon hearing this, the three of them all changed color, knelt down respectfully, and saluted in unison.
"I, your humble servant, respectfully wish King Dijin the best of health."
Anticipating that they would salute, Yan Yu had already made preparations and reached out to help them in time.
"No need to stand up, you three can just sit down, don't worry about your status or title."
Following his words, several people sat down together. Zhou Zixi picked up the teapot on the table and poured tea for them slowly.
Ning Yunxi couldn't wait to ask questions.
"Fourth Senior Brother has lived here for a long time, how do you know about the outside world?"
After pouring the tea, Zhou Zixi slowly put the teapot away and sighed with melancholy.
"Ah, the past is a long story."
"In short, because we see the Emperor and Lord An from time to time, we know a little about foreign affairs."
Jiang Luo was a straightforward man who spoke quickly and honestly.
"You don't know that the Emperor and Lord An concealed everything and would rather not reveal a single word. We are fools and have no way to deal with them. Thanks to Brother Zixi, you are wise and eloquent, so you can get them to tell you something and let us know everything about the outside world."
Zhou Zixi looked ashamed.
"Brother Jiang, you are too kind."
He opened the lunch box, took out several plates of snacks, and placed them neatly on the table.
"All the men in the house were placed here by the emperor. Some have been here for a few years, some for more than ten years, or even for several decades. Some look like the emperor, some have voices similar to the emperor, and some have body shapes similar to the emperor."
"Although we have no worries about food and clothing, we are under control and it is difficult to escape. First, our family members, young and old, are all in the hands of the emperor; second, we are surrounded by ambushes from all sides, and most of them are from Tongshitai. If anyone tries to escape, the whole family will be killed, so we can only surrender."
Ning Yunxi frowned and shuddered when she heard this.
"What does the emperor want to do by looking for you?"