Huo Jingsha listened, not caring about passes or official seals, but only grasping one key point.
"A young couple in the car? How old are they? What do they look like? Are they thin or fat? What style and color of clothes are they wearing? How do they look?"
Little did Feng Laosi know that it was too dark at the time, and he didn't even look. But he dared not say anything. Before he knew it, he was thrown into the Zhaoyu prison, but he went in with his skin on and came out as just bones.
"Reporting to Your Excellency, the man had a refined appearance and was quite handsome. He wore a light blue robe, his hair was styled in a bun, and he wore a jade crown. His wife, on the other hand, was very ordinary-looking, with a dark complexion. She was slumped against the man, looking weak and sickly. The man said that he had brought his wife out of the city to see a doctor for her."
Huo Jingsha smiled after hearing this. "Oh? Is Madam ill?"
"Yes, yes, sir, that man held her protectively in his arms, treating her like a precious treasure. The couple seemed to have a very good relationship and were very affectionate!"
Feng Laosi thought to himself, "The adults want to arrest a young and beautiful woman. They've already received word from above." Although he hadn't seen the woman's face clearly at all, he deliberately said she looked ordinary and had a dark complexion, hoping to use this to clear his name.
Besides, those two are a married couple, so they're definitely not related to the people the authorities are looking for. If the authorities deem them insignificant, they can release them without consequence. At most, I'll be dragged out and given a few lashes; I won't lose my life. As for the gold ingot, I can simply hand it over to the authorities. Money is just an external thing; as the saying goes, "Where there's life, there's hope."
Sure enough, when he said that, the governor grinned.
"Oh... so they are a couple who are in a hurry to leave the city to deliver medicine and treat patients. They also have a pass stamped with the official seal of the government office. It seems there will be no problem."
Feng Laosi was overjoyed and smiled along with him, secretly relieved that his life was safe.
Huo Jingsha suddenly stopped smiling, his change of expression so swift it was astonishing. "It was still dark, and the people in the carriage hadn't gotten off yet. How could you have seen their faces clearly? How could you tell the man had a refined appearance and the woman was ordinary-looking? A medicine merchant? Eight people were only surrounding one carriage. Where was the medicine stored? Did you check it? In my opinion, he lied about being a medicine merchant to cover up the smell of medicine on the woman! As for the pass issued by the yamen, don't think I don't know. You can buy one for a thousand taels of silver. Do you think you can fool me with a few lies? Guards, take him to the imperial prison. His crime is that he's an accomplice of the assassin. Beat him to death!"
Upon hearing this, Feng Laosi collapsed to the ground, his eyes glazed over, unable to even utter a word of begging for mercy.
After the two guards took the man away, Huo Jingsha immediately led a large number of men to give chase.
After being assassinated twice, his life was repeatedly threatened. The emperor wanted him to leave the center of danger temporarily, so he specially sent the Vice Minister of War to deliver a message, asking the Ministry of War to take over the investigation of the assassination case and assign him to focus on investigating Prince Jing's recent unusual activities. Moreover, the situation was very urgent.
Recently, a group of official ships were robbed on the canal, losing tens of thousands of catties of refined salt and rice. However, what angered the emperor was not the renewable rice and salt on the ship, but a group of skilled craftsmen who came to the capital with the official ships.
Those craftsmen were all exceptionally talented, each possessing unique skills and superb craftsmanship. Among them were two prodigies specializing in weaponry. The Emperor, desiring to improve military weaponry and strengthen the army's defenses, secretly searched and investigated among the people, eventually gathering these skilled individuals. These two craftsmen were highly valued by the Emperor, yet they were robbed. This robbery was very likely secretly orchestrated by Prince Jing.
Even if it weren't Prince Jing, these two would be like tigers with wings in the hands of any other vassal king. If they were forced to develop weapons with extraordinary destructive power, the consequences would be unimaginable and would undoubtedly become a major concern for the emperor. In the long run, they would pose a great potential danger to the entire court and the country.
Therefore, this matter should not be underestimated. Huo Jingsha guessed that this group of people might also have some connection with Prince Jing. If they could capture them and unravel the mystery, they might be able to find some clues. Then, by following the clues, wouldn't it be easy to overthrow the entire Prince Jing's power?
Although Feng Laosi's words were mostly lies, they did reveal some useful information. Eight guards were protecting a carriage, and the man inside was likely their leader. As for the sickly and weak woman…
Huo Jingsha's dark eyes narrowed into a ruthless glint. That woman had better not be Shu Yao; if she really was…
What did Feng Laosi say just now? That man held his wife in his arms, treating her like a precious treasure. The couple seemed to have a very good relationship and were very loving.
"Hmph!" Huo Jingsha sneered coldly. Pretending to be husband and wife to deceive others? At this moment, he wished he could tear that man to pieces and then gnaw on his blood. Daring to scheme against him, no matter who the other party was, he would make them pay a terrible price; otherwise, he would be unworthy of his position as the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!
*** ***
You Shuyao, who was far away, suddenly felt a chill. She looked back at the road she had come from and thought that she had been away from the capital for six days and was getting further and further away from Huo Jingsha. No matter how powerful he was, he couldn't possibly catch up with her now.
Turning back, she was taken aback. Qi Xiu's tall figure stood at the entrance of the inn, his imposing phoenix eyes fixed on her, as if waiting for her to come over.
After a slight hesitation, Shu Yao lowered her eyes and walked towards him. She was wearing a veil, which the contract had prepared before they entered the city; it was enough to cover her face.
Only when she reached him did Qi turn and step into the inn, and she followed him in.
This inn was located in a county town below the capital, a vital transportation hub connecting the north and south. Merchants and travelers constantly passed through, and most merchants and ordinary people on their way to the capital would stop here to rest or stay overnight. Therefore, disguising themselves as medicine merchants and blending in with other merchants was the safest option. Qi's disguise was simple, and her veiled hat provided double protection.
Upon entering the inn, You Shuyao did not remove her veil; instead, through the veil, her beautiful eyes scanned the surroundings.
It was the busiest time of day in the inn, and one of Qi's men was talking to the innkeeper. Soon after, the waiter led them to a private room upstairs.
It seems I'll be spending the night at this inn.
With so many merchants and travelers coming and going, there were still empty rooms, which showed that Qi had made arrangements in advance. She was secretly delighted. After five days of bumpy travel in the carriage, she would finally not have to sleep in the carriage tonight, nor would she be under the watchful eyes of these people.
Since leaving the city, she outwardly obeyed and followed, but her mind was constantly plotting her escape. With Huo Jingsha's threat gone, now that she could break free from Qi's control, she could go wherever she wanted, no matter how vast the world was.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
