Synopsis: Completed! Please pre-collect my next novel, thank you! Because his father, the King, was impeached by the censor for having once abducted a beautiful wife and taking her for his own, des...
Chapter 15 Let Go "Yan Siqing, you are so brave, you are not afraid...
——————
Late at night, the wind is cold and lonely.
It was the coldest before dawn, because it had rained and the deck of the ship was wet.
The carriages stopped at the dock one after another, but they were not conspicuous. They gradually left the back house of the Shen Mansion after a period of time, taking different routes until they gathered at the Shen family's private dock.
People got off the carriage, their cloak brims were pulled back, revealing various appearances underneath.
Old, young, and young.
The naive little girl who was in a daze and sleepy was held by Madam Qin. Zhou was shielded by the maids from the wind on the dock, but she reached out and held Zhaozhao's fat wrist with one hand, while with the other hand she held Yan Siqing who was making arrangements in an orderly manner.
"Like you."
It seems like you are looking back.
Whether it was Lin Ye or Yan Siqing who made the plan to abandon his home and career, they obeyed. Zhou was not sad and did not resist.
She knew that the Shen family, such a big piece of fat, had been coveted by all parties over the years.
The accumulation of rot and old silt will sooner or later harm your body.
You have to know that her husband, who won the third place in the imperial examination but only served as an official for a few years, had some political enemies who are still in office today.
"Grandma?" Yan Siqing thought she was uncomfortable or disagreed with something, or had some instructions, so she asked softly.
Zhou took a deep breath. "When the master passed away, those political enemies were planning to take action, and it was only a moment away from wiping out the whole family. I had no choice but to go to the Xu family and ask your grandmother, based on our old friendship, to arrange a marriage between you and Zang Yu. I would use your mother's official position to support my family and stabilize their survival. But I was taking advantage of your situation at the time, and I was wrong at first. Later, I felt that Zang Yu was reliable and you and he were getting along well. I also gave in to people's bad nature and felt that this marriage was not a bad one. I didn't treat you too harshly, but..."
"Looking back now, I was totally wrong."
"If you hadn't come to the Shen family, there wouldn't be so many disasters."
In fact, Zhou had said such heart-to-heart talks to Yan Siqing when Shen Zangyu insisted on joining the army in the frontier and suddenly died in battle.
This elder was actually very sensible and treated her very well, and he was indeed ashamed of himself.
Be consistent in what you say and what you do.
Yan Siqing was moved and sad, but she managed to calm down and said seriously, "Grandma actually said it the other way around. My situation back then wasn't just about my maternal grandparents. It was also because of me. The Shen family was my best choice, and it was a choice I made willingly. I had no objections."
"I've been very happy these years."
"And now this incident is actually my family's business. I really have no other way to deal with it. In order to protect my most important relatives, such as Zhao Zhao, I have to make a decisive move."
She didn't ask the Shen family to forgive her or anything like that.
After so many years together, so much sincerity and so much pretense, was it because of the benefits she brought? To maintain the Shen family's dignity? Or was it because she helped them through every difficult time?
Is it because of the value she brings?
She doesn't care.
Or once a disaster strikes, and he realizes that she is no longer as capable as before and can no longer help the Shen family move to a higher level, he will become resentful towards her and reveal his mean side.
They even began to fabricate rumors about Jiang Hui's appearance.
She doesn't care.
If the city walls are about to collapse, what is the use of the walls of your home?
Therefore, Yan Siqing was much more resolute and indifferent than before, but Zhou understood her determination and felt a chill in her heart for some reason. She had a bad premonition - she felt that Yan Siqing would not leave on her own.
"Now that everything has been arranged, let's get on board. Zhao Zhao, go to your mother and we'll get on board together."
Just as Zhou finished saying this, she saw Yan Siqing open a small bottle cap from under her sleeve. A faint fragrance came out of the bottle mouth. She removed the cork with one hand and put the bottle mouth under Zhao Zhao's nose. The child was not affected by the drug and fell asleep on Qin Madam's shoulder in a few seconds.
Yan Siqing slowly put the lid back on the small medicine bottle with his fingers, placed it in Zhou's hand, and also pulled away the other person's grip on his wrist.
"Grandmother, when my family encountered difficulties, my parents acted decisively in the face of danger. They treated me as their most precious treasure and hid me in a box inside the carriage."
“That’s how I escaped with my life.”
"But I think what my father regretted most before his death was that he was a step too late in making a decision. He misjudged the other party's malice and didn't plan carefully. He couldn't cut off his tail and save his life as soon as possible, so the other party had already arranged everything and caught him in the trap."
“So time cannot wait.”
“This was the last teaching he gave me.”
"Let's go."
The maids and the servants were already escorting the grandfather and grandson, as well as several other older young boys and girls, onto the boat.
Because Zhou trusted Yan Siqing and gave him all the power, he had actually not been in charge of things for a long time. As time went on, these people naturally listened to Yan Siqing.
Therefore, Zhou had no room to resist and could only watch it happen...
She also had concerns, and there was someone she wanted to protect just like Yan Siqing—Chen Wanzhao.
——————
When we got on the deck, it had been drizzling and the wet floor had been mopped clean. But because we were women, we used umbrellas to block the wind. When we got on, the umbrellas were slightly raised and the hem of our skirts dragged a little.
"Ma'am, you're a little slower than I expected."
There came a sudden sound from the upper deck, colder than the night wind.
The person under the umbrella who had just come up suddenly stopped, and the umbrella was lifted back completely, revealing a beauty as beautiful as snow and frost.
His eyes were clear and he just stared at the young man in brocade clothes who was already on the deck.
This time, she was from the bottom up, and he was on top...waiting for her in the clear night and rain.
——————
Jiang Hui rested one hand on the famous sword at his waist and the other hand on his belt, leaning lazily against the deck railing, looking at her with a half-smile.
The prince came to Yancheng for one person. There was no fixed plan whether to kill or capture him, but it could be changed at any time.
She is not stupid, she can be used, and she has weaknesses that can be controlled.
Jiang Hui didn't feel embarrassed at all.
But the lone man in front of me was holding an umbrella. His wrist was thin and his knuckles were white, but because they were long, he was holding a large part of the umbrella handle.
Her lips were pursed up and down, and her face was delicate and pink.
Jiang Hui's gaze paused for a moment, then moved away. He removed his hand from the tiger-head buckle on his belt and walked over.
"I was a little worried when I left your house just now."
"If we don't leave tomorrow and delay for a few more days, what if Madam Yan, under the guise of arranging a ship for this prince, is secretly packing up the luggage and manpower... For example, if the Shen family you care about most, especially your daughter and grandmother, flee overseas overnight, where can I catch you then?"
"Now it seems that my worries are not unnecessary."
"You really want to run away."
He was at his ease, like a lone wolf waiting for food.
Yan Siqing's expression froze and turned a little pale.
The original boatman and captain on the ship had changed their appearance, and it was obvious that they had been replaced long ago.
These are all Jiang Hui's people.
He approached step by step, and Yan Siqing was forced to retreat step by step again.
This man had a tall waist and long legs, and even when he was not on a horse, he was born with a condescending posture. As he walked towards her, he stared at her coldly, changing his gentle and persuasive tone just now, and once again revealed the cruel and murderous intent of a lone wolf or tiger.
"You have to know that there is nothing to discuss about this matter. It does not require the consent of anyone in the Shen family, including yours."
"The reason why this prince said so much."
“I just want to see how far you can struggle if I don’t give you the Shen family’s most powerful shipping retreat?”
"Is it like before, in order to maintain good relations with the government, that even though you knew He Zhihong was a hypocrite and not a good person or official, you were still willing to chat and laugh with him?"
"I don't want to follow this path of mine."
Yan Siqing's fingers tightened around the umbrella until the knuckles turned white.
"Your Highness, you're joking. I'm only here to check on the boats to make arrangements for your return to Chang'an. After all, if the boats are designed by bad guys and something goes wrong, it wouldn't take any assassination to put you in danger. We can't afford to be careless."
Jiang Hui: "Really? That's really my petty mind. I thought you were investigating the lost ship as a tenant case a while ago, and you were already preparing to escape when you saw me. All these arrangements were actually mostly to transfer the Shen family's assets and prepare to transfer the Shen family members."
"Such a large and cautious operation, they even allocated three ships, filled with supplies. I'm sure they've already made arrangements for their escape."
"Where do you want to go? The Western Regions? Or beyond the Great Wall?"
She was really smart. Even if he hadn't come and found out the hidden dangers that connected these cases, she would have made a retreat plan in advance out of her careful risk premonition. When she mentioned the inventory before, he had a vague guess about her character.
Those who plan for the overall situation do not mind taking a step back.
Yan Siqing: "Family? Your Highness has misunderstood again. My family is not here."
What?
Jiang Hui, who was originally confident, suddenly realized something. He quickly looked behind her and found that she really came alone tonight.
Even the trusted maid Liu'er didn't follow him.
Really?!
He suddenly took a step forward, forcing her into an even narrower gap, and a cold and fierce aura came towards her, "Your family has two private docks?!"
It is impossible to escape by land, as it is easy to be caught up. The only way for wealthy coastal merchants like the Shen family to fight against the powerful and escape in advance to protect their homes is to travel by water.
Before Jiang Hui came, he thought he had already figured out the Shen family's business situation and background, and he also had some understanding of Yan Siqing. He was even amazed by his abilities step by step. But this time, he didn't expect that the other party still had a backup plan.
——She did want to escape through the dock, but the Shen family also had a private dock, which she probably secretly acquired as a second-hand retreat arrangement.
Then, the rest of the Shen family must have left from the second pier.
She came to the first dock, which was also the dock currently controlled by Jiang Hui.
This is equivalent to using herself to cover the rear.
He pierced Lin Chenguang with his spear.
Now, he was also fooled by her feint.
This day is really interesting...
"Yan Siqing, you are really brave. Aren't you afraid of death?"
He suddenly pinched the last bit of distance, it was too close, Yan Siqing took another step back.
This step...
Because she came up alone, there was no one behind her, and no maids or servants to serve her. Just behind her... was the gangway.
Ruo Zhao and others below had already come from the outside of the dock. When they saw the danger, it was too late.
"Mrs. Yan!"
but!
Jiang Hui became even more anxious. He stretched out his long arm, grabbed her waist, pulled her forward and away from the ladder.
His anxiety was all over his face, he couldn't hide it, and the powerful and vicious intent he had just revealed faded, leaving only the tension and heat in his waist.
The subordinates on and off the boat were shocked when they saw this, and they all lowered their heads and turned their backs to avoid this scene.
Prince Yan had a reputation for being cold and cunning when he was young on the frontier. Even the monarch had to talk and jokingly advise him to be more docile.
Chang'an's arrogant and noble appearance is the result of restraint.
No matter how his brothers and sisters behaved in front of him, he would punish them harshly without blinking an eye and never suffered any loss.
But just now...
The cool breeze that hit her face made Yan Siqing's soft waist feel uncomfortable. The other person was tall and it felt oppressive.
And although she looks healthy and fit, she actually has broad shoulders and a strong body, which makes her look even more delicate the closer you get.
As he held her in his arms with one hand, she was completely imprisoned.
There seemed to be no room for escape.
She instinctively pushed the other person's chest and tried to pull the other person's arm across his waist with one hand, but her fingers felt the other person's strong and powerful texture through the precious brocade fabric.
Hard.
She is not an unmarried girl, she has already been a wife and mother, so she knows all these things.
The umbrellas all fell to the ground.
It felt like she was touching hot coals under her fingers. She bent her fingers immediately, lowered her head and spoke softly.
"open."
He didn't even bother with the honorifics, his voice trembling slightly.
He was weak and mute, and reserved, as if afraid of being heard.
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