Rushing to Daming at night

Chapter Quote:

The old palace maid appeared and revealed the secret, and Yan Xiaoyi left Liangshan at night.

Wu Yong realized that his plan was in vain, so he rode away to Daming.

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The autumn night was deep, and Liangshan Lake was shrouded in silence. Yan Qing sat alone by the window, playing with a warm jade pendant in his hand. It was a token of trust that came with Lu Junyi's letter, and it was said that he had obtained it from the old palace maid.

"Qinghui Pavilion... Yan Wan..." He whispered these two unforgettable names. The news Dai Zong had brought him during the day still echoed in his ears: the old palace maid surnamed Su, who had narrowly escaped, had been relocated by Lu Junyi to a secret estate outside Daming Prefecture. More importantly, she still possessed some evidence from the Qinghui Pavilion.

"Captain Yan," Dai Zong hesitated before leaving, "this matter is of great importance. The official has specifically instructed that you must come in person to see him."

The flickering candlelight illuminated his deep eyes. This sudden turn of events could be either the long-awaited truth or a carefully laid trap. Wu Yong's recent silence only made him more vigilant.

"Brother Xiaoyi, haven't you rested yet?" Hu Sanniang's voice came from outside the window. She was standing in the yard, holding a lunch box, with a concerned look on her face.

Yan Qing opened the door to greet her and saw Xu Ning, Le He and others following her.

"I heard that Brother Dai Zong came to see you today, but what's the important matter?" Xu Ning asked directly.

Yan Qing paused for a moment, then briefly recounted the incident. Everyone's expressions grew solemn upon hearing this.

"This is a great opportunity!" Le He high-fived. "If we can find out the truth, those rumors will naturally fall apart."

"But it could also be a trap," Xu Ning pondered. "On the way to Daming Prefecture, we have to pass through many dangerous areas. If someone is plotting against us..."

Hu Sanniang immediately said, "I'll go with you! One more person will help."

Yan Qing shook his head. "If Sanniang goes with us, we'll be too conspicuous. Besides, someone in the stronghold needs to keep an eye on Wu Xuejiu's movements."

After a long discussion, everyone finally came up with a detailed plan.

The next morning, Yan Qing went to the training ground as usual to train his soldiers. He specially demonstrated a set of newly created grappling techniques in front of everyone, which drew cheers from the onlookers.

"Brother Xiaoyi, your moves are very exquisite," Lu Zhishen was very excited. "Come on, come on, let's exchange a few moves!"

Yan Qing accepted the challenge with a smile, and the two of them exchanged blows on the training ground, attracting a large crowd of onlookers. This competition not only demonstrated his composure, but also secretly observed the reactions of Wu Yong and his followers.

In the afternoon, Yan Qing went to the camp in the back mountain on the pretext of visiting a sick soldier. There, he secretly met with Yan Shun, a trusted guard sent by Lu Junyi.

"Master has made all the arrangements," Yan Shun whispered. "Three rendezvous points have been set up along the way, with horses and rations readily available. However... there seem to be a few unidentified individuals around Daming Prefecture lately."

"Can you find out who this force is?"

"He looks like a government official, but he doesn't act like one." Yan Shun frowned. "He looks more like... a military officer."

Yan Qing's heart skipped a beat. This reminded him of the strange visit from the Jeju Prefecture envoy a while ago. If someone from the military was involved, things would be even more complicated.

That night, Yan Qing visited Zhu Wu and Gongsun Sheng respectively.

In Zhuwu Court, he laid out his plan in full: "...We'll be back in five days at the fastest, seven at the slowest. If anyone asks about this during the journey, please ask the military advisor to help."

Zhu Wu fanned himself and pondered, "Five days is neither long nor short. I have my own ways to contain Wu Xuejiu. But you must remember to return within seven days, or I will be unable to explain myself."

At Gongsun Sheng's place, Yan Qing asked for advice on astrology under the pretext of testing his opinion on recent events.

"I observed the celestial phenomena at night," Gongsun Sheng said, stroking his beard, "and saw dark clouds surrounding the Purple Star. This indicates changes in the imperial court. The General Star has shifted to the northeast. I'm afraid Xiao Yi's journey will not be peaceful."

"Can the Taoist priest possibly calculate the specific danger?"

Gongsun Sheng took out three copper coins, cast a divination, and stared at the hexagram for a long time before slowly saying, "Kan represents water, and danger lies ahead. Xiaoyi, be especially careful around water."

After bidding farewell to the two, Yan Qing returned to his residence and began his final preparations. He reviewed each important letter and document, destroying what needed to be destroyed and hiding what needed to be hidden. He also made several special self-defense items and hid them close to his body.

Everything was ready at midnight.

Just as he was about to take a break, three partridge calls suddenly came from outside the window - this was the secret signal he and Yan Shun agreed upon, indicating that there was an emergency.

Yan Qing quietly went out and saw Yan Shun waiting in the dark with a nervous look on his face.

"I just received a letter via carrier pigeon," Yan Shun lowered his voice, "that the old palace maid has suddenly become seriously ill, and the official told us to arrive within three days!"

Yan Qing's heart sank. This illness was too coincidental. Was it poisoned, or was it a natural illness? If it was the former, their whereabouts had been exposed.

"The plan is advanced," Yan Qing made a quick decision, "Let's set off immediately!"

"Now? But the village gate is already..."

"Take the path back up the mountain."

Under the hazy moonlight, two dark figures silently moved across the forest path. Yan Qing, familiar with the terrain of Liangshan, led Yan Shun, avoiding all checkpoints, to a secluded ferry crossing. A small boat had already been prepared there.

"Go downstream and you'll reach the first rendezvous point by dawn," Yan Shun whispered.

Just as the two were about to board the ship, hurried footsteps suddenly came from the distance.

"Quick! Split up and search! We must find Yan Qing!"

It’s Dai Zong’s voice!

Yan Qing and Yan Shun exchanged a glance and quickly hid in the reeds. Seeing the bright torches, Dai Zong and more than ten people hurried to the ferry and looked around.

"Strange, someone clearly saw him coming in this direction..." Dai Zong frowned.

One of the minions asked, "Leader, do you want to chase him downstream along the river bank?"

Dai Zong pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "No need. Since we can't find the person, he must have gone far away. Let's go back and report."

After Dai Zong and others had gone far away, Yan Qing and the other two came out from their hiding place.

"That was a close call..." Yan Shun wiped the sweat off his forehead, "It seems that Master Wu has already noticed."

Yan Qing's eyes were deep. "If he really wanted to capture me, he wouldn't have sent Dai Zong with such a small group of people. This is clearly a warning to scare the tiger, to test my reaction."

Without hesitation, the two quickly boarded the boat, and the boat slid silently into the river in the night.

Not long after they left, Wu Yong arrived at the ferry himself. He stared at the ripples on the river that had not yet subsided, a sneer on his face.

"Sure enough, they left..." He turned and instructed the person in the shadows, "Follow the second plan. Remember, you have to be alive."

"yes!"

At dawn, Yan Qing and the other man had already changed to fast horses and were galloping on the official road leading to Daming Prefecture.

"We're just ahead of us," Yan Shun reminded him. "This area has been quite uneasy lately. I heard there are tigers roaming around."

Yan Qing reined in his horse and carefully observed the mountain road ahead. Suddenly, his eyes fixed on something reflecting light in the grass beside the road.

"careful!"

Before he finished speaking, several crossbow arrows came flying through the air!

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Chapter 57 End