While sleeping, Nangong Yuan suddenly seemed to hear the sound of an eagle's hoof. His heart sank, and he abruptly opened his eyes. He knew that perhaps it was time for him to leave. He put on his clothes, pushed open the door, and leaped towards the back mountain.
This eagle, named Chuanyun, was raised by Nangong Yuan since it was a cub. It was very intelligent and almost inseparable from Nangong Yuan. However, when they encountered an assassination attempt last time, Nangong Yuan was worried that it would be shot by the Dongli people, so he let it leave first.
When it finally found Nangong Yuan, Nangong Yuan didn't remember it at all. So it stayed in the back mountain until Ye Yi and Ye Er found Nangong Yuan.
Because Nangong Yuan needed to know news from Kyoto, he had it follow Ye Yi and Ye Er back to Kyoto. Now that it has arrived, it must be because there is news from Kyoto.
Nangong Yuan took the bamboo tube off Chuanyun's leg, took out the letter waiting inside, and when he saw the name written on it, his eyes suddenly turned fierce.
The letter stated that, apart from the news of Nangong Yuan's death circulating in Kyoto, there was nothing unusual about whether or not a new commander should be sent to Yanlang City.
However, a woman named Sifei has appeared by the emperor's side. It is very strange that she has not only gained the emperor's favor and been promoted to the rank of concubine in a short period of time, but has also been allowed to freely enter and leave the imperial study.
When Nangong Yuan saw the name Sifei, his eyes suddenly turned fierce. He was now certain that the urgent edict summoning him back to the capital was related to this woman named Sifei.
Because he knew that this Sifei was a fake, since the real one had long since died, and this one was very likely a spy sent by Dongli.
However, he did not intend to return to the capital to expose her. The reason was that he knew Sifei was the emperor's obsession, and it would be useless for him to go there and expose her now.
If his guess is correct, this person is indeed a spy from Dongli, and that imperial decree is related to her. Now that news of her death has spread, Dongli will surely launch a war against Yanlang City soon.
With the fall of Yanlang City, and the thought of the tens of thousands of people within, Nangong Yuan's eyes grew even colder. He raised his hand to stroke Chuanyun's head, then used the charcoal pencil in his pocket to write on a piece of paper, "Kill if you can," and "Gather provisions," before putting it back into the bamboo tube.
He retied the bamboo tube to Chuanyun's leg, gently patted its head, and then spoke.
"Go..." Nangong Yuan turned and went back to the courtyard, watching the figure pierce through the clouds and soar into the sky.
After quickly packing his things, Nangong Yuan prepared to leave. However, his steps seemed to be held back by something, and he couldn't take another step. He hesitated for a moment, but finally turned around and went into Han Yiyi's room.
A faint fragrance filled the room. Han Yiyi lay quietly on the bed, a slight smile playing on her lips, as if she were having a sweet dream.
Nangong Yuan stood there quietly, looking at Han Yiyi's face, a complex emotion welling up in his heart. It was as if he had only just realized that this woman had somehow entered his heart and taken deep root there.
Perhaps he should thank God for allowing him to meet such a vibrant and beautiful woman and to have this ordinary yet unforgettable period of time.
He slowly raised his hand and gently stroked Han Yiyi's face.
At that moment, he wished time could stand still forever, so that he could stay by this little woman's side forever.
However, he knew this was just wishful thinking. He had his own path to walk, and it was too dangerous for anyone to accompany him. She, on the other hand, needed a man who could give her an ordinary life.
He placed the note he had written on Han Yiyi's pillow, then turned and left without looking back.
The next morning, Han Yiyi thought about the dream she had the night before, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly. But when she turned her head and saw the note on her pillow, the smile on her lips froze.
Nangong Yuan didn't write much, just a few words.
"Nangong Yuan thanks you for taking care of me during this time. I am now awake and have to leave. I will certainly keep my promise to pay you the reward I promised you..."
Looking at the powerful and vigorous characters above, Han Yiyi suddenly started cursing.
"You heartless ingrate! You've been eating and drinking for free for so long, and you just leave like that..." she muttered angrily, but a strange sense of loss lingered in her heart.
Shopkeeper Wang looked at the tightly closed door and turned to ask.
"Have you found out that the woman lives here?"
"Reporting to Master, I have inquired thoroughly. There are only two brick and tile houses in this village. The larger one belongs to that woman. I have checked carefully, and this is indeed..."
Looking at the house in front of him, Manager Wang was surprised. He hadn't expected that there would be such a beautiful house in this remote mountain village. However, when he thought about the barbecue seasoning and chili peppers that it produced, he felt that it made sense.
He gave a wink to a servant, signaling him to go and knock on the door.
When Han Yi heard the knocking, she thought it was Aunt Zhang calling her to go to the Huang family to see the excitement again, so she quickly went up with a smile and said something.
"Auntie's here, but the Huang family is fighting again..."
It's no wonder Han Yiyi thought that way. These past few days, the conflict between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the Huang family has become increasingly intense. It's said that not only was Old Lady Huang's hair almost completely pulled out, but her face was also scratched by that Gui Lan. Today it's cold, and there's nothing to do, so having some excitement to watch can help pass the time.
As soon as Han Yiyi opened the door, she saw two strangers. The one in front was dressed as a servant, looking to be in his twenties, while the one behind him looked like a wealthy man, appearing to be in his forties or fifties.
Upon seeing the two, Han Yiyi composed herself and asked.
"Who are you looking for...?"
When Manager Wang opened the door and saw Han Yiyi, he was stunned for a moment. He did not expect this woman to look like this. She looked no different from a young girl of sixteen or seventeen. Worried that he had made a mistake, he asked her.
"I wonder if your surname is Han..."
Upon hearing Manager Wang's question, Han Yi's eyes flickered, and she thought to herself, "Could it be that ungrateful wretch sent someone to deliver the reward to me?" So she replied.
"Yes, who are you, and what do you want with me?"
Upon hearing Han Yiyi's affirmative answer, Manager Wang's eyes lit up, and he decided to change his previous plan.
He originally planned to buy chili peppers directly from Han Yiyi, but he knew that he couldn't compete with the Yun family in terms of wealth. Later, he planned to cooperate with Han Yiyi to open a restaurant together, because he believed that Yun Lai would never lower his standards to cooperate with a peasant woman, which would give him a chance. But now that he saw Han Yiyi in person, he changed his mind. If the woman became his concubine, he would have everything he wanted.
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