39 Chapter 039

◎Rescue Sanniang◎

"Asshole!"

King Liang waved his sleeve and smashed the teacup, furious.

This Chen Shi was really a tough nut to crack. It was not that he had not thought about recruiting him, but Chen was used to playing dumb and never gave a direct response to the people he sent.

Because of the existence of the plaque, even the prefect Tang Song had to deal with him carefully.

"Father, please calm down." Xie Yi poured another cup of tea and handed it over. "When I finish my job, I will be like a sinking stone or a floating forest. In front of you, I will be nothing more than an ant that can be easily crushed."

Prince Liang slowly calmed down, took a sip of tea, and said, "Sanniang...how is it?"

"I've already changed into my wedding attire. I'll send her to Henan at daybreak." Xie Yi observed her expression and offered solace. "When our father ascends the throne, Sanniang will understand your painstaking efforts."

Prince Liang sighed, "After all, she looks most like me, but it's a pity that she's a girl."

Xie Yu lowered his eyes, and the veins on his hand that was gripping the fan handle bulged.

He excused himself and returned to his residence. He sat for a while, then called a confidant and instructed, "Sanniang is getting married tomorrow morning. I can't bear to see her and her daughter separated without even saying goodbye. Go and quietly tell Yao Shi so she can see her off in person tomorrow morning."

The confidant agreed.

"Sanniang will rarely see her mother in the future. When the time comes, you can remove the drug from her body so that she can have a good look at her mother."

"yes."

"Also, tomorrow, have someone ask Fan Biqing what the scenery at Bishan is like."

The confidant took the order and left.

The next morning, Yao Sanniang woke up when she was being carried into a carriage in her wedding dress.

Her mouth was tightly blocked and her whole body was tied up with ropes. Although she was conscious, her body was limp and she had no way to break free.

The entire carriage was covered with vermilion silk cloth. The interior was beautifully decorated, but it was far from the standard for a prince's daughter's wedding.

The wedding dress she wore was just an ordinary style.

However, the bride sitting in the carriage was not her at all. She was tied up with ropes in a small and cramped dark room. Her whole body was tied up so tightly that she couldn't even hit the wall of the carriage with the back of her head.

"Be gentle, the prince said not to hurt the Third Lady."

After hearing this, Yao Sanniang felt extremely cold in her heart.

How hypocritical of her to be so eager to marry her daughter to an old widower while pretending to warn him not to get hurt.

She leaned against the wall of the car, unable to think of a way out for a while.

Even if she arrived in Henan and was able to move freely, she could not do anything.

Her mother is still in the palace, under the control of her father and the prince.

Xie Ni, Xie Ni, you are so ridiculous.

Various kinds of "dowries" were constantly carried out from the side door and placed on the convoy at the back.

The time has come and the wedding procession sets off.

Yao Sanniang closed her eyes and gave a bitter smile. If her fate was destined to be to marry far away, she would accept it.

But in Henan, it is still unknown who has the final say on matters at the mine.

Wang Xin does have a weakness that can be exploited...

"Wait!" A panicked voice suddenly came.

Yao Sanniang suddenly opened her eyes. Why was her mother here?

Although she wanted to say goodbye in person, she didn't want her mother to see her in such a miserable state.

She would rather her mother knew nothing.

Yao Sanniang tried hard to make a "hmm" sound, but because the blockage was too tight, she couldn't make any sound at all.

"Sanniang!" Yao ran out of the side door in a hurry, wanting to get closer to the most luxurious carriage in the middle, but was stopped by someone.

"Sanniang! I want to see you!" Yao, her hair disheveled, desperately pushed the guards, "Where are you sending her? Sanniang! Sanniang, say something!"

The carriage did not move for a long time.

Yao accidentally learned the news early in the morning. She rushed over without even having time to comb her hair. When she saw this scene, how could she not understand?

Her mother-in-law was going to be sold quietly.

"Sanniang, Sanniang, don't be afraid, mother is here to save you!" Yao kicked and beat the guard madly.

The security guard was unmoved and became annoyed, so he reached out and pushed her to the ground.

Yao Sanniang in the carriage was extremely anxious.

She couldn't see what was happening outside, but she could hear the noise. Her mother was pushed to the ground by the security guard, which made her shocked and angry.

Mom, don’t think about saving her, take care of yourself!

Yao Shi could not hear the cries in her heart. Seeing the carriage going farther and farther away, she suddenly took out a pair of scissors from her sleeve and rushed towards the guard who was blocking her way.

The guard was attacked and used all his strength in panic.

"Bang."

Yao's frail body fell on the steps, and the back of her head hit the hard corner hard, causing blood to flow out immediately. The scissors in her hand suddenly loosened and fell to the ground.

"What should I do? It's bleeding!"

"Go and report to the prince!"

"Go get a doctor!"

"No, I'm out of breath."

The carriage had gone a little further away, and Yao Sanniang could no longer hear the noise outside the side door. She could only vaguely catch words like "doctor" and "no breath".

Who was dead? Where was her mother? Why didn't her mother call her name anymore?

Mother...

My heart suddenly felt a sharp pain, and a bloody smell rose in my throat. Fear and grief rolled out of my throat, and could only turn into a series of hoarse "woohoo" sounds.

Anlu County Government Office.

Fan Biqing smiled and sent the visitor from the eastern suburbs away, then turned and entered the second hall and called Lin Fan to question him.

"You knew it was the prince's private land, so why did you keep it secret and mislead me into sending people to disturb it?"

Lin Fan said sincerely, "Prince Liang is kind and generous, but he was deceived by a villain. The suspect who abducted the woman has been arrested, and Prince Liang has promised to punish him severely. Why is the county magistrate dissatisfied?"

“…”

Fan Biqing took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Lin Fan, you concealed important information from the case and did not report it. I have decided to dismiss you from your post. You can go home!"

The magistrate had the power to promote or dismiss officials in the county government. No matter how famous the head of the express team was, it was just a low-ranking position. It was easy for Fan Biqing to dismiss him.

It’s just that there was no reason before, and dismissal without reason would make people unstable.

Lin Fan wasn't surprised. Not being taken to jail was the best outcome after Fan Biqing weighed the pros and cons.

After all, he had just solved the case and had made a contribution, so he couldn't go too far.

He took off his official uniform, changed into dark brown casual clothes, and slowly left the county government office.

"Brother Fan," Zhang Zhide hurried over, "what are your plans for the future?"

"Go home and sleep."

Zhang Zhide looked worried. "How can you still sleep? Do you know how many people you've offended? Now that the magistrate has dismissed you, you're no longer a squad leader. Even a bald head could give you trouble."

"When the enemy comes, we will fight them; when the water comes, we will block it with earth." Lin Fan said with a carefree smile.

"Can you stop them?" Zhang Zhide frowned. "I'm afraid the people in the eastern suburbs will hold a grudge against you. You...you should pay more attention to it in your daily life."

Lin Fan said seriously, "Brother Zhang, I will take this to heart."

"Alas." Zhang Zhide sighed, "It's not easy for you either. Now you've lost your job and your marriage is also ruined."

Lin Fan: “…”

"Oh, by the way, I was busy yesterday and didn't have time to inform Aunt Jin." Zhang Zhide muttered, "But I'm sure if she knew the news, she wouldn't introduce you to Aunt Meng again."

Lin Fan: “…”

Zhuangyuan Lane.

Aunt Jin came to the house, carrying a basket of old clothes. She sat on a round stool in the yard and patched the clothes skillfully, not forgetting to chat with Li Jiuyue and others.

"Nineth Lady, how about I find a suitable husband for Second Lady?"

Li Jiuyue asked, "Did they reject it?"

"I didn't refuse," Aunt Jin shook her head, "but it's not appropriate now. I can't push Second Mother into this fire pit."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing much, I just lost my job at the government office."

Li Jiuyue nodded: "Forget it then, I still want to keep Er Niang by my side, so I won't look for in-laws for the time being."

"Okay."

Xie Mingzhuo walked out of the inner room and approached Aunt Jin. He chatted with her for a few words before asking, "Auntie, were you talking about Lin Bantou just now?"

"Yes, but he is not the squad leader now." Aunt Jin did not dare to say that he had offended Dongjiao, fearing that he would be in trouble in the future.

"Didn't he solve the case and save those women?" Xie Mingzhuo feigned confusion. "Why was he dismissed?"

Aunt Jin lowered her head, biting off the thread and saying, "Things are very complicated inside, and I can't explain them clearly at once. You should stop asking questions and stay away from him."

Everyone fell silent.

They had lived here for a while and had heard of Lin Fan's reputation. The neighbors all praised him highly.

But now, knowing that he had offended Dongjiao, no one dared to speak up for him.

Jiang Qing thought about it for a while, but couldn't help but said, "But what he did was obviously a good thing, Auntie. You told us about his heroic deeds in punishing evildoers before."

"Oh, Miss Aqing, how can I not remember the kindness of Captain Lin, but we are just ordinary people, how dare we go against them?" Aunt Jin pointed to the east.

It must be said that in the past few years when Lin Fan was the squad leader, the county town had changed its former turbid atmosphere. With squad leader Lin keeping an eye on things, those hooligans and rogues in the fighting business dared not show up at all, and the people's lives became more and more stable.

Now the county magistrate has dismissed him from his post and asked Huang Ding, that kid, to take charge of both shifts. I'm afraid his days will be difficult in the future.

Aunt Jin was also unsure.

Xie Mingzhuo followed her words and said, "Even so, he has been kind to us many times before, and we can't forget it. Auntie, could you please help pass on a message and tell him that my aunt and I want to thank him in person."

"Do you really want to see him at this point?" Aunt Jin's face showed disapproval.

"There's been some disagreement between Team Leader Huang and the grocery store. We're worried about the store's future, so we're planning to go to Yingshan County next door to take a look. I'm afraid we won't be back often and won't have the chance to thank Team Leader Lin again, so we want to settle the matter before we leave. Otherwise, it'll be hard on us if we keep weighing it down."

Her words made sense, and Aunt Jin said a few words to persuade them to stay. Seeing that they still wanted to go to Yingshan County, she said, "It would be better to start over there. It would save you from being bothered by others all the time."

"The night is long and dreams are many. Maybe after today, Huang Bantou will come to cause trouble." Xie Mingzhuo said earnestly, "Please help pass on a message, Auntie, saying that we will meet at Wuli Pavilion outside the north gate at 1:15 pm today."

Aunt Jin was stunned. "Why are you leaving in such a hurry? Have you packed all your belongings?"

"I'm just going to take a look and stay out of the spotlight for a while." Xie Mingzhuo didn't say anything final. "Maybe Yingshan County won't be able to survive, so I'll be back in a few days."

Aunt Jin: "...That's fine."

This girl is really running around left and right, and she never feels tired.

She did not waste any time and packed her needlework and clothes and went home, then went to find Zhang Zhide to deliver the message.

Zhang Zhide also found it strange, but he felt a little more favorable towards Xie Mingzhuo and the other six.

He found an excuse, sneaked to Lin Fan's residence, and told him about it.

"I didn't expect that in the end, the two young ladies would still remember your kindness." Zhang Zhide was filled with emotion and advised, "Brother Fan, why don't you also go to Yingshan County to avoid the limelight?"

Others didn't know the inside story, but Lin Fan had some guesses.

I'm afraid the thanks were fake, but asking him about the Longxing Cloth Shop fire was real.

He took a bowl of sour plum soup from the kitchen and said with a smile, "I made it for fun when I was bored. I'd appreciate it, Brother Zhang, to help me taste it."

After walking around, Zhang Zhide felt really hot and thirsty, so he took the bowl and drank in big gulps, then gave a thumbs up.

"Your craftsmanship is impeccable."

“Will it be too sweet?”

"I think it's just right."

Lin Fan felt relieved and took out several bamboo water containers from the well, which were filled with sour plum soup.

Several pots of sour plum soup were placed in a net bag and covered with a cloth.

"Where are you going?" Zhang Zhide was confused.

Lin Fan was surprised: "Didn't you say we'd meet at Wuliting at the North Gate?"

"Then how did you prepare it in advance?"

"It wasn't prepared in advance, I just happened to have a few pots of it frozen in the well."

Zhang Zhide: “…”

Liar! How could this be such a coincidence?!

At noon, two carriages stopped at Wuli Pavilion outside the north gate.

Li Jiuyue was still confused. What Her Royal Highness the Princess had just said to Aunt Jin had not been explained to her before.

"Jiu Niang, the incident happened suddenly. I just acted on impulse and didn't have time to inform you." Xie Mingzhuo explained in a gentle voice.

Li Jiuyue hurriedly said, "Your Highness must have his own reasons for doing this. I will just follow Your Highness."

Xie Mingzhuo had just received intelligence this morning that a "bride escort" team was setting out from outside the East City and heading towards Yingshan County.

The time has come.

She told Li Jiuyue and others about Yao Sanniang's identity and her future plans.

"Prince Liang's daughter?" Li Jiuyue was surprised for a moment, then calmed down. "No wonder I always felt that her conversation was not like that of an ordinary girl."

Jiang Qing said angrily, "This King Liang is too cruel. He actually gave his daughter away like this."

"Your Highness wants to use the Embroidered Uniform Guard to intercept the convoy, and then let Captain Lin come forward to 'rescue' Prince Liang's daughter. This will also solve Captain Lin's dilemma?" Feng Caiyu guessed slowly.

Xie Mingzhuo was surprised and relieved.

"How did Ayu come up with this?"

Feng Caiyu was a little nervous at the sudden question, but she still mustered the courage to speculate: "Your Highness would not do anything meaningless. He couldn't miss the opportunity to rescue Sanniang, but he waited for Lin Bantou at Wuliting. There must be a connection."

"Well, go on."

"Prince Liang quietly sent Sanniang away, surely unwilling to let anyone know. Sanniang didn't volunteer, and if she did, she'd surely harbor resentment. Captain Lin accidentally rescued the 'kidnapped' daughter. If he returns to Anlu with fanfare, even Prince Liang will be speechless and will have to accept Captain Lin's favor."

"That's right!" Jiang Qing suddenly realized, "After what happened, Sanniang must have revealed her identity. After all, the only result of returning secretly is that she will be married off again. King Liang can't possibly disown his own daughter."

"Here they come." Yang Yunkai reminded while sitting outside the car.

A man dressed in sky-blue cloth rode a maroon horse. On the left side of the saddle hung a net bag covered with white linen.

When he got closer, he immediately dismounted, clasped his fists and said with a smile, "Brother Yang, Brother Luo."

Xie Mingzhuo lifted the car curtain, no longer shy and reserved as before, his eyes calm and gentle.

"Mr. Lin, would you like to go with me to Yingshan?"

Lin Fan smiled and replied, "I'm unemployed and bored at home. Miss Meng helped me relieve my boredom. Thank you in advance."

"polite."

Lin Fan took off the net bag and handed it to Yang Yunkai: "I made some sour plum soup in my spare time. It's fresh from the well. It will help you cool down."

There are a total of seven bamboo tubes in the net bag, each of which is filled with reddish-brown soup. When you pull out the cork, the sweet and slightly sour aroma lingers around your nose, instantly refreshing your body.

Jiang Qing asked curiously, "Did you make it yourself?"

"Hmm." Lin Fan left a pot and climbed onto his horse. "If you think it's too sweet or sour, you can tell me the truth and I will improve it in the future."

Xie Mingzhuo prefers a sweet and sour taste. He took a sip and found it a bit sweet, so he put it aside.

"Everyone has different tastes and everyone evaluates according to their own preferences. Who do you want to listen to?" Li Jiuyue likes sweet food and thinks it is a bit sour.

The carriages and horses moved quickly on the official road, raising clouds of dust.

The curtains of the carriage swayed, and in the gap, a bamboo tube was placed on the small table inside the carriage, but the owner did not taste it.

Lin Fan retracted his gaze and replied, "Then each of us will do our own thing. Miss Meng, do you think it's sweet?"

"Yeah." Seeing that he looked energetic, Xie Mingzhuo couldn't help but ask, "How is your injury?"

I heard from Yang Yunkai that his shoulder injury was serious. He followed Chen Shi to the mountain to capture people yesterday, but today he didn't look injured at all.

"It's fine now." Lin Fan used his hand to hold down the hem of his clothes that had been blown by the wind. "I wonder why Miss Meng went to Yingshan County?"

"Save people."

"Save who?"

"A friend."

Lin Fan thought for a moment: "Yao Sanniang?"

"Um."

Lin Fan didn't ask any further questions, only saying, "I thought you wanted to ask me about the details of the Longxing Cloth Shop case."

"Lin Xiaolang, it's not too late to ask after you save the person." Li Jiuyue replied.

Lin Fan shook his head and said, "It's too late. I'm afraid I won't be able to ask."

"Mr. Lin, are you worried that Dongjiao will blame you and kill you secretly?" Xie Mingzhuo lifted the curtain again.

Lin Fan said honestly, "I'm indeed worried. I don't want to die in obscurity."

"Why not cooperate with us?"

"Miss Meng wants to cooperate with a dying man?"

Lin Fan often faces the unknown.

Unknown cases and unknown murderers have always been the norm in his life.

The person in front of me is also unknown.

He was looking forward to solving the mystery, but he hesitated for fear of offending the other party. He could only hint at it, hoping that the other party would be willing to share the secret with him.

Xie Mingzhuo admired his free and easy temperament, but also noticed his cautious temptation.

He is a smart man and a sensible person.

She was too lazy to play dumb and told Lin Fan directly.

"Going to Yingshan County is not only to save Yao Sanniang, but also to save you."

【Author’s words】

Send red envelopes immediately~