Chapter 188 Chapter 188 is the only genuine version...
Just after noon, the sun was shining brightly.
Xiangyang bent down, crying out "Ouch, ouch", and glanced in the direction of Zhuangzi out of the corner of his eye.
The martial arts manager he had met before was staring at this side intently, his back tense and body leaning forward, a look of scrutiny and vigilance.
The mute servants dispersed in twos and threes, seemingly scattered but each on guard.
"Ouch." Xiangyang climbed to his feet and yelled, "Your Highness, Third Prince, Your Highness, please calm down... I was driving unsteadily and frightened the horse."
His Royal Highness the Third Prince?
The steward narrowed his eyes. As a trusted steward, he knew that his prince was now following the Third Prince. But why was the Third Prince here?
"Get lost."
Xie Jing didn't even look at him.
He suppressed his disgust, patted Ji Nanke on the back, and asked, "Are you okay?"
Ji Nanke's mouth was filled with bitterness, and she said uncomfortably, "I don't need your help. You're going to marry the princess soon... No matter how unbearable I am, I will not share a husband with anyone else. Let's break up now and go our separate ways."
Ji Nanke shook him off and stood up shakily. She was almost broken apart by the shaking and felt pain all over her body.
"Ke'er!"
Xie Jing was also annoyed. He hadn't expected that after abandoning his job and rushing back like that, he would end up like this. He said angrily, "Are you being reasonable?"
"How can I marry you as my principal wife, an orphan who was expelled from the Ji family and has no family or relatives?"
"Do you want me to give up everything and elope with you?"
Xie Jing was completely dejected. He had been sleepless on the whole journey, waited for her at the tea stall for a whole night, and chased her for nearly an hour. He was really tired.
He sighed, "If you really don't want me to marry someone else, I promise you."
"I don't want to be a prince anymore, and I won't fight for the throne. Let's elope."
Xie Jing looked up at her, his eyes filled with deep fatigue: "What do you think?"
He was not retreating to advance, but really thought so.
Every time when he wanted to fight for her, she would make a fuss about various things. Since she wanted him to stay with her forever, then he would stay with her forever.
Of course not! Ji Nanke moved her lips and said with a sad face: "You don't have to pay so much for me."
After she said that, she turned around and was about to leave.
"Ke'er, if you leave, I won't look for you again." Xie Jing said calmly, "Think it through."
He didn't even raise his head, using all his rationality to desperately suppress the voice in his heart that told him to "hug her tightly and promise her that he would be with her forever."
He spoke word by word, "Think it over carefully."
Ji Nanke bit her lower lip and stood there with her back to him, waiting for Xie Jing to come and pull her back. But there was no movement behind her.
Neither of them spoke anymore and they just stood there in a stalemate.
The steward was stunned.
He lowered his hands from his waist, and his vigilance faded a little.
The steward was no stranger to court affairs, and he also knew that the Third Prince Xie Jing had a sweetheart, so, was he just passing by here, playing and flirting with his sweetheart?
The manager was mostly focused on these two people and didn't notice that someone was approaching quietly from behind Zhuangzi.
The Double Ninth Festival was last night, and I hid nearby while it was still dark.
However, Zhuangzi was extremely vigilant. Chongjiu tried once and confirmed that he could not get close, so he quietly hid in the reeds in the pond behind.
The more people there are, the easier it is to be exposed, so only he and Xiangyang are involved in the operation, one in the open and one in secret.
Chongjiu was born as a secret guard and has extremely agile movements.
In the brief moment when the steward's attention was diverted by Xie Jing and Ji Nanke, Chongjiu quietly entered the manor.
He lay in the shadow of the courtyard wall, his eyes sweeping over the surrounding kerosene and the houses with closed doors and windows, quietly waiting for his opportunity.
Chongjiu bent his fingers and placed the bird flute to his lips, emitting long and short melodious chirps that blended in with the birdsong in the woods.
The shadows of the trees are swaying.
Xiangyang moved his ears and looked at the two people who were still in a stalemate.
He flipped his fingers and two small stones appeared in his palm.
The overturned carriage blocked his movement, and a small stone hit Ji Nanke's calf. She suddenly felt her calf become sore and weak, and fell to the ground.
And a sharp stone on the ground "coincidentally" pierced her ankle.
Ji Nanke cried out in pain.
“Oh no!”
Xiangyang lowered his voice and shouted nervously: "Miss Ji, your foot seems to be injured. What should I do?"
He was wearing the clothes of a servant in the Cheng'en Mansion and had his face painted sallow, looking like an ordinary groom.
He was so anxious that he was at a loss as to what to do.
Injuried?
Xie Jing, who had his back to her, was stunned for a moment and turned back hesitantly.
Ji Nanke's ankle was bleeding, the blood stained the hem of her skirt and stung Xie Jing's eyes.
Ji Nanke raised her hand to cover her eyes, tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, and she looked at Xie Jing aggrievedly.
Finally, the voice in his heart that "she is the most important person to me" overwhelmed everything, and Xie Jing hugged her in his arms.
"Ke'er..."
Xie Jing knew that his life was over.
"I don't want you to be embarrassed. I don't want you to have to rely on others for my sake all your life. I can't help you, so..."
Ji Nanke sobbed and threw herself into his arms, and the two hugged each other.
"Ouch." Xiangyang shouted exaggeratedly, "Blood, blood... the blood is flowing more and more."
Xie Jing's arm froze for a moment, and he nervously leaned over to look at her ankle, wanting to check if the bones were broken. As soon as his hand touched it, Ji Nan Ke groaned in pain.
Xiang Yang shouted at the perfect moment: "Will it break?"
He lowered his voice, sounding as vicissitudes of life as a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties, and babbled incoherently.
Xie Jing was dizzy from being spun around by him, and without thinking too much, he picked up Ji Nan Ke by the waist and ran quickly towards the manor.
At a glance, there is no one around except this farm, let alone houses. Where else can I go if not here?
Manager: “…”
After watching this scene, the steward saw them hugging each other and thought they were finally leaving.
Who would have thought that he would rush straight here.
Xie Jing shouted anxiously, "Uncle, my fiancée is injured. Can you lend us the manor house so we can rest for a while? I'm bothering you to find a doctor for us."
Xiangyang followed behind with a hunched back and a limp.
If he hadn't recognized the Third Prince, the steward would have almost thought they had ulterior motives.
The manager had just observed that there were only three people in their group.
He smiled nonchalantly and said, "Our village is remote and there's no doctor. Why don't you go south for half an hour? There's a small town with a doctor. Whenever anyone here gets sick, we go there to see a doctor."
Xie Jing looked at the carriage lying on the ground: "Go and see if it can still be moved."
“Yes, yes.”
Xiangyang agreed repeatedly, limped over, and shouted from a distance: "Master, the frame of the bicycle is broken and it won't move."
Upon hearing this, Xie Jing bowed repeatedly to the steward and pleaded, "Uncle, you can see that we can't go to the town."
"Don't you still have horses?"
What the manager meant was that even if the cart was broken, the horse could still run.
This manor is of vital importance and no one is allowed to trespass, not even the third prince.
Ji Nanke rested her head on Xie Jing's shoulder, her eyes moving slightly.
She knew very well that the marriage between Xie Jing and Princess Xiliang could not be changed, but if she accepted it calmly, she would no longer have a place in Xie Jing's heart.
Until now, Ji Nanke finally understood how difficult it is for a woman without family background, relatives, or clan to live a good life.
Only by making Xie Jing worry about her, care about her, and keep her in his heart, can she gain a foothold among the noble ladies in the capital as before.
"it hurts."
Ji Nanke's eyes were red, with crystal tears hanging on her eyelashes. She said weakly, "I'm afraid I can't ride a horse."
The delicate body in his arms trembled like a willow branch. Xie Jing said anxiously, "Uncle, I can give you some money. Let's take a break."
The steward still shook his head: "Young Master, why don't you take a rest outside? I'll have someone bring some tea over. Please..."
Seeing Xie Jing hesitate, Xiang Yang immediately acted dumbfounded and rushed forward, saying, "This is His Royal Highness the Third Prince. It's a blessing for you to borrow your land to rest. If anything happens to His Royal Highness the Third Prince, can you bear the consequences?!"
He deliberately bumped into the steward, then nodded and said, "Your Highness, please."
The steward noticed that his footing was weak and he didn't look like a martial artist, so he was careless and stumbled. Xie Jing rushed in holding Ji Nanke.
"Stop them."
The manager shouted and hurried to stop them.
These mute servants were not born mute, they could all hear. Upon hearing the sound, they swarmed over and blocked the Third Prince's way.
This time, the third prince was also annoyed.
"presumptuous!"
"If you don't get out of the way, don't blame me for being rude."
The manager clenched his fists and hesitated.
The order left by the prince was that if anyone rushed into the dark room, or if the dark room was likely to be discovered, it must be burned down immediately.
The third prince obviously just happened to be here and didn't know about the secret room.
The things in the secret room were of great importance and could not be set on fire rashly. But if the Third Prince were to barge in like this... His Majesty would not allow any outsiders to enter.
If he wasn't the Third Prince, he would have been killed, just any passerby. In recent years, there have been several people buried in the reeds behind him, but he had to be the Third Prince!
Prince Conglong is the third prince.
If he killed the third prince, the prince would probably kill him.
The steward gritted his teeth and insisted, "Come on, get them out!"
The mute servants drove them around, pushing and shoving them.
Xie Jing was still holding Ji Nan Ke in his arms, and with the push and pull, he staggered and almost fell.
He had lived a life of wealth and honor, and no one except Gu Zhizhuo had ever made him suffer such a great loss. He was so angry that he kicked the steward.
Xiang Yang yelled, "Stop it now! How dare you hurt the Third Prince? Do you want to die?"
Chaos arises.
Xiangyang pushed the steward to "rescue the emperor", and the mute servants surrounded Xie Jing and pushed them out. For the first time in more than ten years, the orderly Zhuangzi was in chaos.
Even the mute servant who had been guarding the main house took two steps forward hesitantly.
The opportunity has come.
Chongjiu, who was hiding in the shadow of the corner, seized this brief opportunity and slipped into the house.
He used a knife to pry open the window and jumped in. When opening and closing the window, there were inevitably some small noises.
"Your Highness, Your Highness!"
Xiangyang cried out loudly, his voice piercing the sky.
"The blood is flowing more, Your Highness, Miss Ji will not be lame!"
"Your Highness, my leg was broken when I fell off the carriage that year. I will never be able to walk properly again."
Xie Jing was annoyed by his yelling.
Chongjiu closed the window.
He bent down and walked past quietly and quickly.
The layout of the main house is quite simple, with side rooms on both sides, a front hall in the middle, an inner room to the right from the front hall, a study to the left, and a tea room next to the study.
Chongjiu first looked for the study and tea room, and after confirming that there were no dark rooms or secret passages, he went around to the inner room.
Time is running out.
Although he sneaked in, how to get out is still a problem, and he certainly can't stay there for too long.
Chongjiu knocked lightly on all four walls in turn, putting his ear against the wall to listen.
No.
That leaves only the underground.
Chongjiu once again prostrated himself on the ground, tapping gently inch by inch...
Boom. Boom. Boom.
He suddenly paused, and the corners of his mouth curved up in an imperceptible arc.
“Found it!”
The darkroom is right down here!
Once the dark room is confirmed, finding the mechanism is easy - the mechanism must be in a position that can control the gears.
soon.
With a slight "click" sound of gears, the floor tiles moved, and a pair of stone steps leading down appeared.
Chongjiu dodged and jumped in.
He did not touch the oil lamps and candles in the room, but took out a night pearl from his arms.
A faint musty smell rushed into his nose. In the bright light of the night pearl, Chongjiu saw three bookshelves against the wall and the eight-treasure grid that occupied the entire wall.
Then he walked down the last stone step.
When you are underground, no sound from outside can come in.
Of course, the sound inside cannot be heard outside.
Xiangyang estimated the time and still hadn't heard the bird flute sound, which meant that Chongjiu had found the secret room.
Okay.
Xiangyang pressed the corners of his mouth, and his yellow-painted face did not show a trace of joy or strangeness.
A quarter of an hour.
This was the time they agreed on. Regardless of whether he found anything or not, Chongjiu would come out in a quarter of an hour.
We also need to give Chongjiu a chance to leave.
Xiangyang looked at Xie Jing.
Ji Nan Ke in his arms was dizzy and had not yet recovered from the long bumpy ride in the carriage. Now she was tossed around in Xie Jing's arms, and she was sweating profusely from the discomfort.
"Your Highness!" Xiang Yang suddenly cried out, "Miss Ji...she's dead!"
Ji Nanke:?
No, I'm not dead, I just don't want to move.
She felt Xie Jing's arms suddenly tighten, and with a sudden thought, she simply closed her eyes and leaned against him, her dying breath.
Xie Jing looked at Ji Nanke, who was lying motionless in his arms, and called out in panic, "Ke'er! Ke'er!"
“Get out of the way!”
Xie Jing roared on the verge of rage.
Ke'er was still breathing, so she was definitely not dead, but she had already passed out, so there was no telling what would happen to her. And her legs, perhaps they were injured when she fell from the carriage, so were the bones broken as well?
The noisy driver kept shouting "broken leg", "bleeding", "dead, dead" in his ears, and the string in Xie Jing's heart broke with a "snap".
"I'll say it one last time, get out of the way!"
He angrily said, "If you don't let me, I will send people to seal off this manor when I return to the palace. I want to see what shameful things are hidden here!"
Manager: “…”
No, if the Third Prince really sends someone to investigate, the matter will become a big deal.
Again, why did the Third Prince come? If it were anyone else, they would have just beaten him, killed him, and buried him.
He hesitated again and again, and finally said, "Sir, you can't go into the main house. This is where my wife lives to observe her chastity. You are not allowed to enter without permission."
Seeing him compromise, Xie Jing also gave in: "Okay."
"please."
The steward finally led them in.
There was a small bamboo shed in front of the main house. Xie Jing put Ji Nan Ke on a bamboo couch underneath. Seeing her slowly "wake up", he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"How are you?" he asked, then turned to the steward, "Uncle, can you give us a bowl of water and help us find a doctor in town?"
His order was so matter-of-fact that even the steward was stunned.
Do these nobles know what it means to force someone to do something?
"Your Highness, it's my fault."
This was the first time Ji Nanke bowed her head to him. Seeing her pale face, Xie Jing sighed and said, "Forget it. I didn't keep your promise. It's my fault. Let's not quarrel anymore, okay?"
Xiangyang lowered his head and calculated the time silently in his heart.
Chongjiu was also calculating the time. He first took a quick look at the bookshelf and found that it was filled with books recording private matters. Then he shifted his gaze to the eight-treasure grid on the other side.
There are at least a hundred objects of various sizes on the Eight Treasures Grid. Some are laid out directly, and some are placed in boxes. It is too late to look at them all.
Miss Gu had her fortune told, and it said that in a high place...
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