Chapter 58 Meeting
Yu Wanyin's departure this time was completely clean.
She didn't tell anyone where she was going, not even Qing Song, who was usually closest to her.
She left most of her things in the bedroom, but didn't take much from the makeup box.
However, she did take away that magnolia hairpin.
Rong Si didn't know whether to say she had a conscience or not.
Last time, in that empty mansion, he managed to find someone on the swing in the side courtyard after searching for a while.
I told him that I had packed my things and was waiting for him to set off, but this time I couldn't find him anywhere.
The little snow lion that Yu Wanyin used to love to place on the windowsill has long since melted away.
It was exposed to the sun and there wasn't a single trace left.
Just like her.
Rong Si sat in the empty courtyard. One by one, the guards from the city gate to the courtyard came forward and told him about the unusual things that happened before and after Yu Wanyin left.
But they are all very similar.
Rong Si wouldn't listen to a single word.
In short, she left; she had been planning her departure for some time now.
He disappeared into his territory without anyone being on guard.
When did it start?
Rong Si couldn't figure it out, after all, she had never shown him that she wanted to leave.
The only unusual thing happened at the very beginning.
She sent a letter to the Prefect of Long'an County.
Since then, he has never doubted her again.
In retrospect, that little fox probably started plotting back then.
This completely dispelled his suspicions after arousing them.
He thought she genuinely wanted to live a good life with him.
He let go of everything, allowing her to meticulously orchestrate a scheme to leave him.
Rong Si slowly clenched the porcelain bottle in his hand.
No wonder she stopped refusing his advances later on.
He thought she liked him.
I never imagined it was all fake.
With her health condition, she still dared to take contraceptives.
She didn't know that he had been using medication to suppress his addiction, and the effects of that medication meant she didn't need to use contraception at all.
Whether you want his things or not.
They wouldn't tell him.
I dislike his things so much, I hate him so much, I don't want to have anything to do with him.
He had gone to great lengths to raise her health until now, and she was willing to harm her own body to eat this, pretending to be on the surface of harmony with him so that he would lower his guard and she could run away.
In this world, Shang'an City was occupied by the Northern Chi long ago, so where could she go?
Aren't they afraid of being captured by the Northern Chi people and forced to share wives?
What should I do if I encounter danger?
What should you do if you are bullied by bad people?
Did she ever truly consider him her husband?
She probably wasn't thinking that by offering him advice and giving him the initiative and leverage in this chaotic world, the benefits would be so great that he wouldn't care if she ran away.
That's fucking naive.
Rong Si's face was grim, making everyone tremble with fear, not daring to breathe loudly.
Su Fang asked Qing Song, "You and the Queen often stay together, do you know if she has any other places to go?"
This stumped Qing Song.
"The Queen has nowhere else to go but Shang'an."
"Right now, we definitely can't go to Shang'an either."
Yu Wanyin's family members are now missing, and Qing Song knows about their relationship, so it's even less likely that she would seek refuge with Yu's relatives.
Rong Si suddenly spoke up, "Then let's fight first, let's fight our way to Shang'an."
Everyone around was stunned.
Su Fang thought he had misheard, "My lord, that place is now the Northern Chi..."
Rong Si's eyes were somber. "Even if it's the Heavenly King himself, we'll fight him."
Rong Si's restless temper and endless worries, mixed with his long-suppressed desires fueled by drugs, quickly plunged into an abyss.
He glanced at the contraceptive in his hand.
I don't want anything to do with him, and I don't want his things.
When he finds her, he'll definitely fill her up!
*
In late winter and early spring, the snow in the mountains melts.
Occasionally, along the way, you can see the frozen streams slowly cracking, melting into square pieces of ice, which flow down the mountain with the continuous stream of water.
The ice cubes made a tinkling sound as they collided.
It sounds really good.
Yu Wanyin and her companions did not travel fast, as safety was the priority for the two women traveling together.
Currently, the Central Plains are engulfed in war, and Qin Yuan has chosen territories that are not yet ravaged by war.
They also deliberately avoided the areas occupied by the Northern Chi.
Therefore, it took a very long detour.
It is inevitable that we will have to pass through many mountains and forests.
However, Qin Yuan usually doesn't stop in the mountains, as there are too many unknowns there.
The unruly people in remote and impoverished areas, or the wild beasts out foraging for food—neither of them is easy to deal with.
Qin Yuan would usually drive all night, going straight into the city before resting.
Yu Wanyin woke up to find it was already broad daylight. Seeing Qin Yuan still on her way, she asked, "Would you like to come in and rest for a while?"
Qin Yuan yawned and looked around at the mountain path. "It will be easier to walk after this section. Let's wait until noon."
Yu Wanyin gave a simple reply and sat in the carriage, looking around.
Then they first prepared a spot for Qin Yuan.
Around noon, they stopped the carriage in a secluded, dense forest.
I ate something simple.
Qin Yuan looked eastward and said, "If you keep going straight down this road, you'll reach Luyang."
"Luyang is now within the territory of Yanzhou, and it is still considered peaceful."
Yu Wanyin followed her gaze and saw that there were still some thin snowflakes on the mountainside, melting slowly in the sunlight.
She vaguely remembered that just a few months ago, Luyang was not part of Yanzhou. "Yanzhou has expanded so quickly?"
"Many surrendered."
At this critical juncture of foreign invasion, many places were still afraid of war.
If surrendering can save them from disaster, most people will choose to surrender.
Yu Wanyin understood, and after finishing what she was eating, she asked, "Who is in charge of Yanzhou now?"
Qin Yuan pondered for a moment, "I heard it's not the same group of people as before."
"Before the uprising in Yanzhou, there was some internal turmoil, but the details are unclear."
"But later, this new marquis seems to be surnamed Chu."
Yu Wanyin washed her hands as she listened, "His surname is Chu."
She didn't take it seriously when she heard it.
I was just thinking that Yanzhou used to be under the jurisdiction of the Marquis of Xiao Zhou.
It seems that the ownership has indeed changed hands.
However, in this era of rapidly changing political situations, such a thing is not surprising.
Yu Wanyin finished tidying up, just as Qin Yuan finished eating.
Yu Wanyin lifted her skirt and sat on the edge of the bed inside the carriage, patting the spot next to her towards Qin Yuan.
"You're here, I'm here."
Qin Yuan rarely sleeps with others, and she seemed very uncomfortable at this moment.
She hesitated for a moment, then said, "How about I just go straight to the next city and we rest there?"
Before she could say anything else, Yu Wanyin pulled her to sit on the edge of the bed. "You haven't slept all night, and there are still a few hours left."
Qin Yuan was forcibly pulled over and sat down next to her, looking even more puzzled. "Um..."
"Rest first." Yu Wanyin didn't respond and pulled her down.
The bed was divided into two parts by Yu Wanyin. Even though Qin Yuan slept in the other half, she could still smell the faint fragrance of lily of the valley.
This is a girl's soft and fragrant bed.
Qin Yuan secretly wondered what kind of good life that bandit had lived in the past.
Qin Yuan fell asleep while thinking about it.
When the time came, Yu Wanyin got up, but seeing that she was still asleep, she couldn't bear to wake her.
After all, Qin Yuan hadn't slept all night, so it would be good for her to get some rest now.
As for driving a carriage, Yu Wanyin thought it was probably not much different from riding a horse.
She tiptoed to the front and sat down, removed the reins from the horse, and tentatively flicked the whip lightly across the horse's back.
The horses in front were used to Qin Yuan's heavy blows, and were a little unaccustomed to being hit so lightly.
It moved a few steps, but only moved more vigorously when Yu Wanyin lashed out with her whip.
The rest of the road is mostly flat, and there is no danger involved.
Yu Wanyin moved lightly, and the horse walked very slowly.
But they weren't in a hurry at the moment anyway.
This was the first time Yu Wanyin had ever sat here and looked at the scenery outside.
The surrounding area is mostly winter fields, and it's not yet time to start planting. New shoots of grass are sprouting and covering the snow.
The air is filled with the fresh scent of snow-soaked earth.
The cool breeze felt very comfortable on my face.
Qin Yuan slept even more soundly amidst the swaying and gentle, slow pace of the journey.
Suddenly, with a loud "bang," Qin Yuan was jolted awake from her sleep!
She stepped forward and lifted the curtain, just as she uttered the words "Queen".
Then she saw Yu Wanyin sitting by the carriage, looking at her with some embarrassment, as if she had done something wrong. "It seems that I led our carriage into a puddle."
Qin Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, "As long as you didn't fall in."
She got up and got out of the car without hesitation, checked the axle, and found that it was fine.
It's just that the snow has melted in this area, making the road muddy and difficult to walk on. You could easily slip and fall into a puddle.
This is commonly seen on the routes of镖师 (bodyguards/escorts).
Qin Yuan placed a stone behind the wheel, took Yu Wanyin's place, and let her go back to rest. "Why didn't you wake me up?"
As Qin Yuan spoke, she lashed the horse's back with a whip.
The horse, which had just gotten used to Yu Wanyin's light touch, was suddenly whipped hard, shuddered, and kicked off and ran away.
In the blink of an eye, they were out of the mud pit.
The carriage was out of trouble with just a slight jolt.
Yu Wanyin lifted the curtain and watched their carriage leave the puddle. She was still embarrassed. "I saw you were asleep, so I thought I wouldn't wake you."
Upon hearing this, Qin Yuan chuckled softly without a sound.
She is indeed a rather charming young lady.
Her tender and gentle thoughts make one want to hold her in their arms and caress her.
Come to think of it, Qin Yuan couldn't believe Yu Wanyin's claim that once she left, the bandit king would let it go.
However, no matter how unwilling they were to give up, they had already reached the territory of Yanzhou.
The leader here is surnamed Chu.
As a lord, Rong Si is now restricted from freely entering and leaving the territories of other countries.
If they come looking for him, they'll have to fight that guy surnamed Chu first.
They arrived in Luyang safely before dark.
I rested for one night in Luyang.
As usual, they went shopping the next day to prepare what they needed for the next leg of their journey, rested for a night, and set off on the third day.
If war breaks out, stop for a few more days and check the wind direction.
Luyang did indeed avoid much of the ravages of war because it surrendered quickly.
The city was not much different from usual, except that news of war-torn areas would occasionally come in.
Yu Wanyin went out, wearing a black outfit that she didn't usually wear, and a black veiled hat.
Anyone who knows her well knows that she prefers white and dislikes wearing black.
This also reduces the risk of being recognized.
Yu Wanyin and Qin Yuan bought some simple food and supplies, and saw a group of people gathered in front of the notice, talking amongst themselves.
They leaned closer and the first thing they saw was a newly drawn map.
This map has undergone many changes compared to the one Yu Wanyin saw in the previous city.
Shang'an was completely captured!
Shang'an, which had originally belonged to the Northern Chi tribe, was re-marked.
It was marked with the character "陇".
Rong Si actually managed to reclaim the territory of Shang'an from the Northern Chi people.
Yu Wanyin stared in stunned silence for a long time.
It felt like a lifetime ago.
Qin Yuan also said, "He actually managed to take back Shang'an."
Yu Wanyin pursed her lips, "See, I told you, when he has important things to do, he doesn't think about contacting me anymore."
Qin Yuan nodded; the logic seemed to make sense.
But something still feels off.
On the entire map, the small states and counties that were previously independent either surrendered or were defeated and annexed.
The three companies gradually expanded, gradually encroaching on each other's territory.
The blueprints gradually filled the area.
Each family's territory gradually expanded.
The world gradually took on a three-way division.
The northern part is Yanzhou, the western part is Beichi, and the southern part is represented by the character "Long".
Rong Si seized control of the entire Yingzhou and marched north with unstoppable force, his advance overwhelming.
The people around were talking about Nanlong.
"They're fighting fast in the south, taking over Yingzhou so quickly. Of the nine provinces in the Central Plains, they now control three."
"When did Yingzhou produce such a brave and valiant man who blocked Daizhou and even reclaimed his own territory? If it had been earlier, perhaps the Northern Chi would not have been able to invade."
"With such a powerful attack, will he launch a counterattack?"
"It's hard to say. The momentum looks strong, and it's not something an ordinary person can stop."
"Once we attack, we'll have to compete with our Lord Chu."
“Our Marquis is no weakling either. In terms of territory, he has more than Marquis, so he has some advantage.”
Yu Wanyin listened to their discussion.
One moment she's the Marquis of Chu, the next she's the warlord of Nanlong. She's caught in the middle between these two titles.
I don't know why, but I feel a bit upset.
Perhaps one of them was her ex-husband.
She saw that the map above, with the character "燕" (swallow), also possessed great power.
However, these two are actually at a disadvantage compared to the maps of the Northern Chi tribe.
There are still some scattered areas on the map that do not belong to these three families.
This includes Gan Ning, where she is going.
The area where Gan Ning is located is now in a state of disarray, with the local officials having fled and no one in charge.
It is somewhat similar to Long'an, which was besieged by a large army and then abandoned by Yingzhou.
It doesn't matter who's in charge.
But nobody wanted to care.
Judging from Gan Ning's current location, he is still closer to Yanzhou.
More and more people gathered from all directions. Yu Wanyin asked the postman for a current map and then left with Qin Yuan.
They packed their things and continued their journey.
Yu Wanyin sat in the carriage, looking through the current map and situation.
Mark the "Ganning" she was going to.
Then, following the route through Gan Ning and the distant Shanshan, he traced the path.
However, Shanshan is now completely separated from the Central Plains by the Northern Chi.
They didn't even mark it on the map.
In other words, Yu Wanyin marked Shanshan based on her previous memory of its location.
I wonder if my elder sister and aunt's trip went smoothly.
Looking at the current situation in the Central Plains, things are unlikely to go too smoothly.
Perhaps because they were all on the road during this time, with their whereabouts uncertain, Yu Wanyin basically did not receive any more letters from her elder sister and aunt.
Yu Wanyin thought that Shanshan and Beichi had actually been in contact for a long time.
In their last reply, since they had already entered the Central Plains, they must have had experience passing through the Northern Chi tribes.
It should be possible to arrive smoothly.
Yu Wanyin remembered and asked Qin Yuan, "What was it like when you saw them last time?"
"I went to the post station to file my documents before leaving the pass, and I happened to run into them before I went to Shanshan." Qin Yuan recalled, "The post station manager said that a young lady had also filed her documents there not long ago. The letter she wanted to send was to Shang'an, but Shang'an had already been captured by the Northern Chi. So she left a file at the post station, and it just so happened to have the same name as the person I was going to send it to."
"The innkeeper made a connection and found them."
"The letter that young lady received revealed the location of your home in Shanshan, as well as the names of your family members. She could answer any question you asked."
Yu Wanyin inquired about her sister's height and appearance in detail. After asking, she realized that she had not seen her sister for a long time.
Even if you ask, you might not know if it's true.
Fortunately, she still remembered the Chang Le Qu from Shanshan.
Yu Wanyin leaned against the carriage window, idly flipping through the jade whistle in her hand.
She was thinking about many things, including the scene of her meeting her aunt and elder sister in Ganning.
That would be so much fun.
*
New grass sprouts along the road, the barren mountains are covered with a layer of tender yellow and green, spring branches break at dawn, and flowers bloom everywhere.
Yu Wanyin arrived in Ganning as scheduled in early February.
Unfortunately, it happened the day before she entered the city.
The Yanzhou army then pressed on to the outskirts of Ganning City.
On her way down the mountain, Yu Wanyin lifted the carriage curtain and took a peek from afar.
Then they saw a densely packed and neatly arranged army, stationed ten miles east of Gan Ning.
The dark mass was like a passing storm cloud, and just one glance was enough to send chills down one's spine.
The soldiers stationed on the tall and majestic city wall stood in neat rows, holding long spears, solemn and ready for battle.
At the gates of Ganning City, the people who were preparing to enter the city were all filled with anxiety, hesitating outside the city, unsure whether they should go in now.
Qin Yuan went to investigate.
He returned and told Yu Wanyin, "The Marquis of Chu in Yanzhou has his army at the city gates. He has come to discuss matters with the Prefect of Ganning County."
"But we don't know how the negotiations are going." Judging from this situation, it's possible that they might even break in.
Looking at the scenery outside, Qin Yuan asked, "Shall we go into the city?"
Yu Wanyin took a deep breath. "If it's a negotiation, they probably don't intend to attack easily."
"If the Prefect of Ganning wants to surrender, then it shouldn't have come to the point of war."
Yanzhou is powerful, and the governor of Ganning must be incredibly foolish to want to fight them.
Yu Wanyin sat in the car for a long time, pondering, "Let's go into the city."
Regardless, she promised her aunt and the others that she would wait there.
Qin Yuan responded softly and spurred her horse toward the city gate.
The soldiers on duty at the gate of Ganning City intercepted and inspected the vehicles and horses entering the city.
The soldiers guarding the city moved about frequently, their armor and weapons trembling and clashing as they walked.
It emitted a sharp, piercing sound.
Yu Wanyin sat in the carriage, listening to the commotion outside, unconsciously tightening her grip on the jade whistle at her waist.
As they reached the city gate, shouts of soldiers came from in front of the carriage: "Get out of the carriage! Check the carriage!"
Qin Yuan dismounted, turned and walked to the carriage, lifting the curtain, "Madam."
Yu Wanyin, holding her arm, leaned out of the car wearing a black veil.
The soldiers guarding the city questioned their names and origins, asking, "What are you doing in the city? When are you leaving?"
Yu Wanyin answered in detail.
Long An had done similar screenings before, so she knew that they weren't really investigating her background and identity at this time, and they couldn't find out anyway.
It was simply to confirm that she posed no threat to Gan Ning.
The soldiers who boarded the vehicle checked it and found nothing unusual, then dismounted and allowed them to pass.
Yu Wanyin passed through smoothly, breathed a sigh of relief, and stepped into the city gate.
Qin Yuan led the carriage and followed behind.
Unexpectedly, Yu Wanyin hadn't even taken two steps.
Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from the long street, accompanied by a loud shout, "Officials are on official business, bystanders please make way!"
The galloping horse was blocked by the procession leaving the city. The man bypassed the procession, and by the time he saw Yu Wanyin, the horse had already rushed up to her!
The man was startled, but it was too late to rein in his horse.
Qin Yuan reacted quickly, stepping forward and pushing Yu Wanyin aside without saying a word.
Almost simultaneously, a hidden dart flew from behind and struck the horse beneath the man!
Startled, the horse reared up, avoiding Yu Wanyin and Qin Yuan, and fell heavily to the ground, horse and rider alike.
At the street corner, people and horses tumbled over, dust billowed, and screams filled the air.
Next to them, a carriage was parked at the gate leading out of the city.
It was in the same direction as the dart that came from.
The curtain inside the carriage was lifted, and a cold, magnetic voice rang out, "Are you officials from Ganning so reckless when you go out?"
Just as Yu Wanyin took Qin Yuan's hand to get up, she heard this voice and her hair stood on end!
This is……
Chu Yu's voice?!
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