Chapter 23 Saving the Convoy
Zhu Wenqin and Qi Feng knew clearly that if they left the mansion secretly to chase Jing Siye, they would definitely be stopped and sent back if they were discovered by the prince along the way.
Therefore, they did not even dare to stay at the post stations along the way, and could only quietly find an inconspicuous inn after nightfall.
After entering the inn, the two ordered some food and after quickly filling their stomachs, they climbed onto the bed tiredly. After a while, the sound of even breathing could be heard in the room.
At this time, on the roof of the inn, An Yi and An Er were lying quietly on the roof.
An Yi sighed softly and broke the silence: "How do you think the prince will punish us this time? We agreed to protect Imperial Guard Zhu and the others."
An Er seemed much calmer and replied softly, "Aren't we protecting them? We haven't failed in our duty. We have been following them secretly to ensure that nothing will happen to them, and the prince won't be able to find fault with us."
An Yi scratched his head and continued, "That's right. The prince thinks too highly of Guard Zhu. If we can escort him safely to the prince smoothly, we might be able to make up for our crime and avoid the punishment for the five of us."
From the moment Zhu Wenqin and Qi Feng stepped out of the palace gate, these secret guards followed them quietly.
When they learned that the two were going to find Jing Siye, they did not try to stop them.
Normally, when Jing Si went on a long journey at night, the thirteen secret guards would follow him, while the other secret guards would stay in the mansion.
Since they brought so few people this time, the people who stayed in the palace were worried.
The secret guards are all orphans who were adopted and trained personally by Jing Siye. They are all loyal to their master.
Zhu Wenqin and Qi Feng had been traveling for three days and were exhausted.
When passing by a hill called "Shuangshuya", the sound of fierce sword clashes came from afar.
The two were startled, looked at each other, quickly jumped out of the car, hid behind a thick tree, and looked cautiously in the direction of the sound.
What came into view was a chaotic scene where a group of mysterious masked men were fighting fiercely with a group of officers and soldiers.
Not far away, several carriages were parked quietly.
The moment they saw the carriage clearly, they couldn't help but exclaimed at the same time: "It's the prince's motorcade!"
Zhu Wenqin turned to look at Qi Feng anxiously and said:
"Qi Feng, what should I do? Why can't I see the prince?"
Qi Feng calmly observed his surroundings and answered while thinking:
"The prince and Xue Nian were riding fast on horseback, so they must be in the front. The convoy was carrying medicinal herbs and was moving slowly, so they fell behind."
Zhu Wenqin's face was full of confusion, and his eyes were full of puzzlement: "They actually dared to rob the imperial court's convoy. They look like desperate criminals who don't care about their lives, right? But the question is, what's the point of robbing the medicinal materials? Do they want to sell them for money? It's a bit unbelievable."
Qi Feng looked solemn and shook his head slightly: "This matter is definitely not that simple."
Zhu Wenqin became more and more anxious: "So what should we do now?"
As he spoke, he leaned forward, looking eager to try, but he was powerless and would only cause more trouble if he went forward rashly.
Qi Feng patted Zhu Wenqin on the shoulder and comforted her:
"Hide here and don't make any noise. I'll go alone."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Wenqin quickly grabbed Qi Feng's arm and said, "That won't work! You see there are so many masked men. It's too dangerous for you to go alone. What if you get hurt?"
Qi Feng was full of confidence: "Don't worry, just hide well."
After saying that, he tapped the ground with his toes, shot out like an arrow, and instantly joined the battle.
The battle entered a white-hot stage, with both sides fighting back and forth and neither side giving in.
Just when the situation was at a stalemate, three masked men in black appeared out of nowhere.
Qi Feng caught a glimpse of them from the corner of his eye, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, and he thought to himself:
I knew you wouldn't stand idly by.
These three secret guards were indeed very skilled. They moved freely among the crowd like ghosts and their attacks were fierce and swift.
However, within a short moment, most of the masked men were killed or injured, and the remaining few were also seriously injured. Seeing that the situation was not good, they fled in a panic.
After dealing with the enemy, the three secret guards flashed and took off into the air again. After a few rises and falls, they disappeared from everyone's sight.
Zhu Wenqin then ran out from behind the big tree and rushed straight to Qi Feng. She stopped him and looked him up and down, then asked anxiously:
"Guard Qi, are you okay?"
Qi Feng smiled and waved his hands, saying in a relaxed tone: "It's okay."
At this time, the leading official recognized Qi Feng, hurried over, bowed respectfully and said:
"Guard Qi, thanks to your help today, otherwise we would be in trouble. I am so grateful!"
Qi Feng responded modestly: "You're welcome. I just happened to be here. It's all thanks to the prince's secret guards who arrived in time."
Zhu Wenqin was amazed and couldn't help but say, "So those guys are the secret guards. Their martial arts are so amazing! They are just like divine soldiers descended from the sky."
Qi Feng looked proud, nodded and said: "Of course, they are all elites trained by the prince himself, each of them has unique skills and strong martial arts."
Zhu Wenqin seemed to be thinking about something, and murmured, "So, isn't the prince's martial arts even more powerful?"
Qi Feng nodded vigorously, his tone full of admiration: "Of course! The prince's martial arts are unfathomable. These secret guards have such skills under the prince's teachings."
Hearing this, Zhu Wenqin felt an indescribable emotion in her heart, a mixture of admiration for the prince and a hint of anticipation.
He calmed himself down, looked at Qi Feng and asked, "Qi Feng, can we follow this convoy next?"
Qi Feng thought for a moment and nodded, "Okay, we've already gone most of the way, even if the prince knew, he probably wouldn't send us back."
——
Led by Zhai Qing, Jing Siye and his group came to another village.
The whole village was deserted. Occasionally, a few figures could be seen hurrying by. They were hunched over and their steps were unsteady.
The only pharmacy in the village was in a mess. The door was smashed into pieces, medicinal materials were scattered all over the ground, and the owner of the pharmacy was nowhere to be seen, leaving only an empty shop.
Jing Siye looked at everything in front of him with a serious face, then looked at Zhai Qing.
Zhai Qing was so frightened by this gaze that his legs went weak and he stammered:
"Your Highness, there is a serious shortage of medicine in the pharmacy these days. Those...those unruly people rushed into the store to grab the medicine because they couldn't buy it."
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