Chapter 734: Before the Storm (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

What are you looking at?

While the attendant was wary, he also felt a touch of curiosity.

The eunuch's belly was alarmingly large, like that of a full-term pregnant woman. When he bent over and half-knelt, his belly almost touched the ground. The attendant frowned, worried that the heavy belly might break his back. He asked, "Are you pregnant?"

Could this eunuch be a woman?

The eunuch smiled bitterly and said, "Your Excellency, please don't tease me. Although I have been stabbed and lost my manhood, I have not given birth to a woman's body. How could I be pregnant? Please wait a while. This thing is tightly wrapped and not easy to untangle."

Having said that, he remained in a half-kneeling, bent-over position, laboriously untying the layers upon layers of bindings. Finally, supporting his heavy belly with one hand, he tossed the last binding aside with the other. He breathed heavily, carefully lifting the object to the ground with both hands.

The attendant heard a soft thud as something fell to the ground.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a ceramic jar.

He asked in confusion, "What is this?"

The eunuch answered in a low voice, "It is the remains of Lord Yan."

The Chamberlain couldn't immediately recall who "Lord Yan" was, since everyone in the court knew that Yan An's remains had long been chopped up and fed to the dogs. It wasn't until he and the eunuch exchanged a few glances, under the latter's expectant gaze, that a bold idea flashed through the Chamberlain's mind. Like an electric current, he suddenly widened his eyes, pointed at the pottery jar, and whispered in disbelief, "Is...is it Yan Xingning?"

The eunuch nodded: "It is indeed Lord Yan."

The attendant was startled and looked around. He hurriedly closed the gate, bolted it, and then rushed back, grabbing the eunuch's arm and asking urgently, "Wasn't Xingning's corpse already taken to feed...those little beasts? Why is it here?"

The eunuch timidly explained, "I was on duty in the cat and dog kennel and couldn't bear to see Lord Yan's remains treated like this, nor could I bear to see him being devoured by the little beasts there. After discussing it with others, I made the excuse that the little beasts had become picky eaters and didn't like human flesh, and decided to throw Lord Yan's remains into the furnace to be burned... Although this will not leave a complete corpse, if the tyrannical master pursues the matter, we can use animal bones as a substitute later..."

It's better to leave a complete body and ashes than to feed them to cats and dogs.

The eunuch looked nervously at the palace attendant, unsure whether the latter was pleased or angry, fearing that the latter might suddenly strike and kill him. He swallowed hard, and encouraged by a surge of courage, continued, "Lord Yan has been kind to me. If it weren't for Lord Yan's insistence back then, countless people would have died in those two years of snow disaster. I wouldn't have had the chance to cut off my roots and enter the palace to make a living..."

Although he was a eunuch, he knew how to repay kindness.

The temporary palace didn't keep a close watch on these eunuchs. When he accidentally learned that the Chamberlain had been released, he boldly went out.

The attendant muttered, "You are truly audacious!"

They preserved Yan An's remains right under Zheng Qiao's nose.

It was something he didn't even dare to think about.

"Aren't you—aren't you afraid of dying?"

When Yan An assassinated Zheng Qiao, he was at the height of his anger. If Zheng Qiao found out what these eunuchs had done, he would probably drag out the maggots from their ancestral graves and chop them up.

The eunuch whispered, "It's just a worthless life; if it dies, it dies."

"Alas, there's no need to be so self-deprecating. Who isn't born with two arms, two legs, and one head? Once you're cornered, you can just offer your neck for execution, it's all the same." Although the Chamberlain came from a noble family, the situation in the Northwest Continent was chaotic, and so-called noble families could be destroyed at any time. Over time, he lost the arrogance that was innate in the sons of noble families.

The integrity and moral character of this eunuch are also worthy of respect.

Upon hearing this, the eunuch was moved to tears and bowed, saying, "I would be grateful if you could find a quiet place with good feng shui for Lord Yan to be buried in peace, so that we may comfort his spirit in heaven."

"I'm afraid I can't fulfill your request..." Upon hearing this, the eunuch's face turned completely pale. Then the attendant said, "Because Xingning still has blood relatives alive, rest assured, I will personally deliver his remains to his widow."

The eunuch's mood fluctuated wildly, and he was almost scared to death.

But upon hearing that Yan An's blood relatives were still alive, he was overjoyed.

She bowed deeply again: "Very well, very well, then this servant is relieved. This servant is unworthy to convey Lord Yan's gratitude to the Attendant!"

After saying that, he prepared to go back under the cover of night.

The courtier hurriedly stopped him, asking, "What are you going back for?"

It would be better to leave this place of trouble with them. Such a kind and righteous eunuch, shouldn't he be more deserving of life than Zheng Qiao?

The eunuch politely declined the Chamberlain's invitation, saying in a low voice, "I was able to come out thanks to the help of several colleagues who covered for me. If I hadn't returned by the appointed time, I might have implicated them. Chamberlain, you needn't worry about me; fortune and misfortune are all determined by fate..."

Upon seeing the young eunuch, the attendant was momentarily speechless.

The eunuch stopped at the door, turned around and bowed sincerely to the Chamberlain, saying, "May your journey be filled with literary success."

The attendant looked at the young eunuch and returned the greeting.

The young eunuch came and went quietly.

After a while, the wife who had been hiding came out, looked at the pottery jar brought by the eunuch, and questioned her husband with her eyes.

The attendant looked as if he had survived a calamity.

He said, "It was a close call, let's continue cleaning up."

Finally, before dawn, the family drove away from this place of turmoil, which was about to be swallowed by war, through the morning mist.

To reach Longwu County, one must first cross the river and then pass through Chaoli Pass in Yanzhou. Yanzhou is currently in the hands of the Dragon-Slaying Bureau's allied forces, whose members are mostly powerful warlords from various regions, with a few being ruthless individuals who have risen from the bottom. The Attendant-in-Ordinary, serving in the court, knows these people's nature all too well. He doesn't want to have just escaped Zheng Qiao's den only to fall into the wolf's lair of these ruthless individuals.

The lady of the Chamberlain suggested that they could first detour to her parents' home to avoid trouble, and then make further plans after Zheng Qiao and his men had settled their score in the war.

She didn't really want to go to Longwu County.

Firstly, it is a remote and barbaric place, with foreign tribes running rampant, so it is not a good place to go; secondly, the whole family cannot withstand the long journey. From here to Longwu, they will face countless troubles along the way, such as bandits, war, and wild beasts. How can they endure it?

As for the broken sword and Yan An's remains...

It's not too late to send it after everything has calmed down.

Unfortunately, she wasn't the one making the decisions.

After a moment's thought, the Chamberlain ordered the coachman to change course towards Cunshan, intending to arrive before Zheng Qiao dispatched his troops.

Lady Shizhong turned pale upon hearing this and said, "Didn't you just say that the Dragon Slaying Bureau is a den of wolves? If it is a den of wolves, then you should naturally avoid it as soon as possible. Why did you walk into their trap?"

Didn't the Lord say that Cunshan was tricked away?

Lady Ning, secluded in the inner courtyard, was naturally unaware of the situation outside. The Attendant patiently explained to her, "Lady Ning is unaware that the mastermind behind the scheme to deceive Cunshan is Shen Youli, the Prefect of Longwu County. Shen Youli has a strategist under his command, Kang Jishou, who is also a close friend of Xingning. Therefore, Ning Yan's trip to Longwu County should be Xingning's idea."

The lady nodded thoughtfully: "Does the young master mean that we can find this Prefect Shen and entrust Xingning's ashes and Zheng Qiao's broken sword to Kang Jishou, who will then pass them on to Tu Nan?"

This saves me the trouble of making a trip to Longwu County myself.

The Chamberlain said, "The lady has only guessed half of it correctly."

The lady asked him, "What is the other half?"

The Chamberlain lowered his eyes to conceal the shrewd calculations surging within them, and said, "Once Zheng Qiao is defeated and killed, various forces will inevitably fight over Ganzhou, Yanzhou, Lingzhou and other places, reigniting the war. If we don't seek refuge with one side, it will be difficult to survive."

The lady looked distressed and said, "Can't we just live in seclusion?"

The Chamberlain forced a smile: "It's not that easy."

The word "seclusion" sounds pleasant and comfortable, but without family support, life would be unbearable. One would have to do everything personally, which is hardly something a noblewoman who has never done hard labor could get used to. If one has family support, it would be better, but in this world, people believe in keeping wealth hidden and not flaunting it. Soldiers are like combs, and bandits are like hairpins. One never knows when one might bring about a fatal disaster that would bring misfortune upon the whole family.

Either find a stable place.

Either find a reliable backer.

Right now, the most important thing is to find a place to stand.

The Chamberlain's decision to go to Cunshan was actually driven by two motives. If Shen Tang was capable, he could use the pretext of risking his life to return Yan An's remains to cultivate a relationship with Kang Jishou, establish a foothold, and then gradually plot his next move. If Shen Tang was not capable enough, he could return Yan An's remains and then use the route to go elsewhere. With Kang Jishou protecting him, the Chamberlain's family could also safely pass through Cunshan…

The Dragon Slayer Alliance will not attack him.

The Attendant kept all these thoughts to himself.

As long as they hadn't entered Cunshan's territory, the Chamberlain's family dared not let their guard down. Zheng Qiao was a madman, and it was perfectly normal for a madman to go back on his word. Fortunately, although there were unexpected events along the way, they all passed without serious harm. After several days, the Chamberlain finally saw a shadow standing behind the morning mist, like a quiet giant beast lying on the ground taking a nap.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

Before the group even reached the walls of Cunshan City, they were intercepted by a patrol of soldiers, led by a young captain with strikingly feminine features. The two sides stood facing each other, thirty or forty paces apart. The Chamberlain reassured his wife and children, lifted the carriage curtain, and stepped out.

"I am an old friend of Kang Shi and Kang Jishou. I have come to seek refuge here because my family has suffered misfortune," the Attendant said, bowing.

The Chamberlain did not mention Ning Yan's name.

In his view, Ning Yan was a "widow of a close friend" who had sought refuge with Kang Shi. How could Shen Tang's troops know about their strategist's social connections? So he directly mentioned Kang Shi's name.

The patrol leader indeed recognized Kang Shi. Upon hearing this, his wariness lessened somewhat: "Are you an old friend of Military Advisor Kang?"

The attendant replied, "That's right."

For some reason, the young team leader had a strange expression on his face.

As the saying goes, "birds of a feather flock together," and those old friends who come to seek refuge with Military Advisor Kang... might just be just as treacherous as Military Advisor Kang, betraying their lord. This was already proven by the social circle of Registrar Qi. She muttered to herself, but she couldn't afford to neglect them in her actions.

"In that case, please follow me, sir."

The Chamberlain was quick to understand and ordered his servants to surrender their weapons.

Our main focus is sincerity!

Zhao Wei nodded in satisfaction upon seeing this.

The Chamberlain inquired with Zhao Wei about Kang Shi's whereabouts, assuming that Kang Shi was also in Cunshan City, but was told that Kang Shi was still at the main camp.

This outcome was beyond the Chamberlain's expectations, and he looked slightly troubled.

He asked, "Why didn't Kang Jishou accompany the army?"

Shen Tang's team was hastily assembled and comprised a diverse group. The Chamberlain reasoned that someone of Kang Jishou's background and talent was unlikely to be overlooked.

But he immediately regretted his quick tongue; the question, if taken seriously, could be considered spying. Fortunately, Zhao Wei didn't hold it against him, because this scholar had brought his family with him. If he had any ill intentions, wouldn't they all be wiped out?

"Military Advisor Kang... is having some issues..."

Zhao Wei's answer was vague.

Since she was an old friend of Strategist Kang, there was no reason why she wouldn't know about his ways as a scholar. She gave him a few hints, and those who knew, knew.

Unfortunately, the Chamberlain truly didn't understand.

But this doesn't prevent him from making his logic self-consistent by filling in the gaps in his mind.

Before long, the group arrived at the foot of Cunshan City.

The Chamberlain looked up at the towering city wall that seemed to blot out the sky, and then thought about the effort Zheng Qiao had put into this city defense. His lips twitched almost imperceptibly, and he felt a bit of schadenfreude.

Zheng Qiao, you deserve it!

"Open the city gates!"

After Zhao Wei finished negotiating with the guards on the city wall, the city gate creaked open, revealing a gap large enough for a carriage to pass through.

Upon entering the city, the attendant's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down, meaning that his family was truly free from Zheng Qiao's threat.

Zhao Wei arranged temporary accommodation for them.

"Would you like to see my master, sir?"

Although this man claimed to be seeking refuge with his old friend Kang Shi, the strategist Kang was not present at the moment, making it impossible to verify the truth of his words. Zhao Wei also couldn't allow someone whose identity hadn't been verified to move freely within the city; it was necessary to take him to see the lord and give him official confirmation.

The attendant said gratefully, "I couldn't have asked for this more than I could have."

Zhao Wei instructed them to wait in the courtyard until they were informed.

He then went to report to Shen Tang.

Upon hearing that Kang Shi's friend had come to seek refuge, Shen Tang instinctively shuddered: "Has Dawei inquired about his ways as a scholar?"

Zhao Wei was almost speechless.

"No questions were asked below the bid..."

Not every scholar possesses the way of the scholar.

Shen Tang rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on, and said, "Sigh, what's meant to be will be... Let him come."

Hopefully, Ji Shou's circle of friends is more reliable than Yuan Liang's.

Shen Tang sent someone to invite the Attendant-in-Ordinary. The Attendant-in-Ordinary took a deep breath, straightened his clothes and appearance, and strode out of the courtyard. But before he had gone halfway, he happened to see a very familiar profile, and his right ankle almost twisted.

He managed to steady himself, thus avoiding embarrassment.

But the action still attracted the attention of others.

Among them were Ning Yan and Ning Tunan.

Ning Yan looked at him, and he looked at Ning Yan; they remained silent.

After a long pause, the attendant finally spoke: "You...you are Tu Nan?"

Ning Yan frowned and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Meeting an old friend in a foreign land is a good thing, but if that old friend works for an enemy, the joy is diminished.

Ning Yan's interactions with the Chamberlain were mainly during their school years. After their marriage, they had little contact, and their occasional meetings were mostly for social obligations between their families. Ning Yan didn't know much about the Chamberlain.

But according to Xingning, he was barely considered decent.

Yes, that's true compared to Zheng Qiao.

To everyone's surprise, the Chamberlain stared blankly at the Wenxin Huaban hanging from Ning Yan's waist and the literary aura emanating from the other party. After a long while, he pointed at Ning Yan with trembling fingers and exclaimed in shock: "Ning... Ning Tunan... you... you... you are actually a man!"

Ning Yan: "..."

The attendant then looked at her belly.

He clearly remembered that Ning Yan had been pregnant.

"How can a man get pregnant?"

What exactly did his two classmates do behind his back?

Ning Yan rested her fingers on the hilt of her sword, which was slightly drawn from its sheath, and said calmly, "Hey Xie, don't talk so outrageously!"

(ω)

(End of this chapter)