She straightened her clothes and jumped out of bed.
"I'm leaving."
The monk remained silent.
Qi Su: "I regret it. Saving you once will cost me my life for a month. This deal isn't worth it, I need to pay more."
Dao Ci: "Alright."
Qi Su: "Forget about the usual money. Aren't you the Prince of Qishan? After returning to the capital and retiring from secular life, you will naturally have a princely residence. Although the princess has passed away, the princess's courtyard must still be provided. Clothes and jewelry for all four seasons must be complete."
Dao Ci remained silent.
Gan Jing... it seems like a journey of two thousand miles home, fraught with wind and snow. But he may not be able to return.
Qi Su: "Seriously? You can't even bear to part with this?"
A sound came from outside the window.
"Yes! Here, take it all! Madam Qi, hurry up, the person is coming."
Qi Su jumped out of the window.
Just as the person disappeared, their head popped out again.
He said with a grin:
"Master, I ate chicken and then kissed you. Does that count as breaking the precept?"
…
After she left, Dao Ci noticed a peach wood hairpin lying on the carpet by the bedside.
The hairpin looks very rough, as if it was polished by oneself.
His eyes darkened slightly as he picked up the peach wood hairpin and looked it over.
There was nowhere to hide.
In the end, he tucked it into his sleeve.
.
Qi Su sat in the warm guest room drinking wine.
She clicked her tongue in amazement, while Hei Xiao Er, standing to the side, gave her a sideways glance.
"What's so strange about having a drink?"
"Drinking is nothing unusual, but drinking with the guards is quite unusual. To be honest, I always thought you all lived in trees and didn't need to eat, drink, or relieve yourselves."
Blackie...
"Alright, Yan Thirty-One. You are currently being evaluated, and I hope you can perform well."
Yan Thirty-One is her current code name.
Apart from this code name and the few Black people she had met, she was completely disconnected from this so-called Black Bird organization.
Qi Su is someone who loves what she does.
"Brother Er, I don't know how I should behave?"
Hei Xiao Er: "That princess of Beiting is skilled in Gu magic and knows Master's secret. Master has almost been exposed several times when he encountered her. The most urgent task is to resolve this crisis."
Qi Su touched her chin.
"Although it's freezing cold and there are no insect species or materials available, it doesn't matter; difficulties can be overcome."
Hei Xiao Er was moved by her attitude.
He encouraged him, saying, "I'm sure you'll pass the test soon. Do this well, and the boss will have nothing to say."
Qi Su asked, "What kind of benefits and perks will I receive after I become a full-time employee?"
Hei Xiao Er: "What is a foxtail ribbonfish?"
Qi Su...
"Benefits, what are the benefits of becoming a full-fledged employee!"
Hei Xiao Er's eyes widened.
"What more could you ask for? To join the Black Bird Guard is an immense honor! Do you understand? We brothers were chosen from among the best. To serve our master and protect our homeland is what a true man should do!"
Qi Su... understands.
One in a thousand, sold himself to Dao Ci. He had no money, powered entirely by passion.
It's better not to turn this one around.
Even a memorial tablet for the Prince of Qishan would be better than this.
Hei Xiao Er took out a small notebook from his pocket and started making marks.
He was muttering to himself.
"His attitude is good, but his character remains to be seen."
Qi Su: ...
.
Night had fallen, and the weather was freezing cold.
The guest room windows were still open.
A cold wind howled in from outside the window. It was winter, and the flowers and trees outside were bare, with ice and snow covering a few rocks.
The scenery was really not that great.
Chief Secretary Song sized up the young man opposite him.
After twenty years, he was no longer the timid child he once was in the Ganlu Palace in Ganjing.
He was slender and tall, much taller than him.
Her face showed traces of the late emperor, but even more so of her mother, Lady Zhuhua's, beauty.
"Your Highness, you don't look too well. Is it because you're not used to the food and lodging, or has that eunuch made things difficult for you again?"
Dao Ci shook his head, unwilling to say more.
He gestured for him to sit down opposite him.
Just as Chief Secretary Song sat down, he seemed to smell something greasy.
However, the smell dissipated as soon as the wind blew through the window.
You must have smelled something wrong. Although His Highness was forced to return to secular life, he strictly observes the precepts and would never eat meat.
The monk opposite him had already extended his hand.
"Military defense map." The voice was flat.
But his eyes were cold and dark, making him appear aloof and unapproachable.
Chief Secretary Song hurriedly spread out the military defense map that he had been hiding under his arm under the lamp.
…
Today is November 10th.
The snow fell intermittently for four or five days, blocking out much of the news.
Including the Shahu tribes, several thousand troops, taking advantage of the heavy snow, bypassed Panxia Pass and invaded Yongzhou.
The four border towns of Pingmo, Yaoxia, Changming, and Anhong have all fallen.
The Prince of Ying, who was in charge of the Pingxi Military Governor's Office, was furious upon hearing the news.
Most of the troops under the command of the Governor-General's Office have been dispatched to quell the rebellion.
King Ying, Wei Ming, was no more than forty years old and was the half-brother of Wei Zhao, the new emperor of the Yan Dynasty.
Since the great victory at Panxia Pass seven years ago, in which ten border towns were reclaimed, the King of England has become increasingly arrogant after receiving commendation from the court.
The initial victory was entirely the result of the bloody battles fought by former generals of the Zhou Dynasty.
He reaped the rewards, but instead used them to suppress and divide the former Zhou soldiers and generals.
After the great victory at Panxia Pass, the King of England underestimated the enemy and was bewitched by the treasures and beauties of the Western Rong and other Hu tribes, becoming complacent and careless.
Because he ignored his subordinates' advice and failed to plan ahead, Yongzhou suffered this calamity.
It's pitiful that the snow and winds are so heavy this winter; I wonder how many more people have perished in the war.
Fortunately, His Highness is still here.
Wei Ming cannot win over the people, but Your Highness is a descendant of the late Emperor of the Zhou Dynasty and is protected by the Xuan Niao Guard. He will surely be able to suppress the restless armies in the Northwest and quell the rebellion smoothly.
…
As the young monk intently examined the military defense map.
Chief Clerk Song had been standing quietly to the side until the young man asked:
Where are the Western Rong troops now?
The harassment of the border by the four Shahu tribes is merely a ploy to lure the enemy away from their stronghold.
The real main force of the Western Rong, however, bypassed the border towns and quietly headed towards the heart of Yongzhou, hidden by the wind and snow.
Song Changshi pointed to "Qingchuan City".
"Based on the estimated distance, it's only about two hundred li from Qingchuan."
Qingchuan is only a three- or four-day walk from Jincheng.
If Qingchuan falls, Jincheng will also be in danger.
Dao Ci's gaze fell on Renjia City, the seat of the Pingxi Governor's Office.
The majority of the troops from Yong, Liang, and Qin prefectures were stationed in the Renjia military headquarters and could not be dispatched to provide reinforcements in time.
His gaze fell on Danning County, which was not far from Qingchuan and Jincheng.
"Has the news that the Western Rong troops are approaching been conveyed to Qingchuan?"
Chief Secretary Song: "When we received the news yesterday, we sent a falcon to deliver the message."
There are two thousand guards in Qingchuan. If they are prepared, they should be able to hold out for a few days.
His cold, phoenix-like eyes narrowed slightly as the monk's long, slender fingers traced the defense map.
He said coldly, "Leak the information to the Embroidered-Robe Envoy of Jincheng."
.
In the middle of the night, the east courtyard where the Qin merchants lived was suddenly brightly lit.
People were constantly coming and going.
It started snowing again. The path, which had already been cleared, was soon covered with a layer of loose snow.
But nobody cared; the pedestrians coming and going trampled the fresh snow into mud.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com