Chapter 65 Fast Enough
call out!
Zhou Jin's men launched the first attack, with a crossbow bolt stopping the female assassin from getting closer.
The female assassin knew something was wrong as soon as she noticed Zhou Jin's gaze.
He dodged an arrow.
He raised his hand and pointed it in Li Qu's direction.
The distance was a bit far, but we had no choice but to attack.
She hadn't expected that her target would be protected by crossbowmen.
She didn't get a chance to get any closer.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
One arrow was shot at Li Qu, while another was cut in half by the crossbow bolt that was attacking Li Qu.
An arrow struck near the feet of a woman, who screamed in terror, "An assassin!"
In an instant, chaos erupted.
"Auntie, there's an assassin! Please come this way!"
Suddenly, an inconspicuous maidservant grabbed Li Qu's arm and protected her as she fled outside.
Li Qu turned around.
They saw that the female assassin's path had been blocked.
She glanced around.
Granny Xu, Hongguo, and Cuiguo are all there.
Aunt Hu and Aunt Zhao, they also had quite a few people around them.
"Ah!" The women were thrown into chaos.
Li Qu lifted her skirt: "Be careful, everyone."
Then he grabbed the maidservant's hand and asked, "Who are you?"
“This servant, Huaixia, has been by your side since the Mid-Autumn Festival, responsible for protecting your safety.”
"This noon, the master sent three more people over."
"Don't worry, Auntie."
Upon hearing this, Li Qu's already heavy mood, which had just been filled with the weight of the jujubes, grew even heavier.
"How come I didn't notice your presence?"
"I was only there when you went out, so it's normal that you didn't notice me because I was far away."
"Why are you only there when I leave the house?"
“The mansion is well-guarded, and thieves cannot cause trouble in the inner courtyard.”
Li Qu swallowed involuntarily.
"Wasn't this always there when I went out?"
“They’ve been here ever since they came to my aunt’s side.”
"Did you eavesdrop on my conversations with my family?"
"This servant is responsible for the safety of the concubine. When I go out, I mainly patrol and guard, while the servants in the inner courtyard are responsible for taking care of her. I cannot hear what the concubine is saying to others."
"Did you eavesdrop?"
“Your Excellency has not given any instructions to inquire about the conversations between the concubine and her family, so this servant dares not overstep my bounds.”
Li Qu breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"Were the three people who came to my side at noon today also keeping their distance from me, just like you?"
"They are male guards, and they are on the outermost perimeter."
Li Qu breathed a sigh of relief.
"Are you a maidservant?"
"yes."
What are you good at?
"Dual swords."
What did you do before?
"Protect the lord's safety."
"Now that you're here with me, what about him?"
"Don't worry, Auntie, someone else will take your place."
How could Li Qu be at ease!
Zhou Jin was so meticulous that he had planted someone next to her.
Although it is meant for protection, it also has the ability to monitor.
Her heart was pounding.
I am extremely grateful that I have never acted rashly.
At the same time, her obsession with leaving grew stronger.
She felt suffocated.
There was also a deep, lingering fear that I dared not delve into.
As they retreated, guards rushed into the horse farm.
The Wei family's emergency security measures were very effective; the assassins were surrounded before they could even capture a hostage.
After Li Qu left the horse farm, someone else approached him and asked if he wanted to rest in the warm pavilion or return to his residence.
Li Qu chose to return home.
She needs some quiet time to sort out her thoughts.
She didn't want to deal with Zhou Jin until she had a clear idea of what was going on.
Wei immediately arranged for a mounted guard to surround Li Qu and his entourage's carriage, escorting Li Qu back to the Zhou residence.
She lifted the curtain and saw that the young woman, who was so frightened that her legs went weak and her head spun, was being led to a safe place to rest by the maids and guards arranged by Madam Wei.
She lowered the curtain and leaned heavily against the carriage wall.
Without a doubt.
Xiao Cong has arrived.
More than half a year has passed, and he is still looking for her.
Was it because the letter she left for him wasn't clear enough?
"That scared me to death! How could an assassin have infiltrated the horse farm?"
Aunt Hu and Li Qu rode in the same carriage.
"My dad's horse won't be easy to sell in the future."
Li Qu did not respond.
Aunt Hu assumed that Li Qu was just frightened and said some comforting words.
When the carriage arrived at the Zhou residence, Li Qu was still thinking about how to explain the jujube matter to Zhou Jin.
Aunt Hu got out of the car first, and she followed closely behind.
As soon as she stepped off the carriage, Qingguo, who had been waiting at the door, stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Auntie, the fourth young lady from Wanxian has arrived and is waiting in Fanghua Garden."
*
"who?"
Li Qu stepped forward and grabbed Qingguo's hand.
"It's the Fourth Sister."
"After the inspection was completed and found to be correct, someone from Qinyuan reported the news. The gatekeeper then informed the Second Madam, who had someone welcome her into Fanghua Garden."
The series of news messages left Li Qu somewhat disoriented.
She nearly tripped and fell while going up the stairs because she tripped on her skirt.
Qingguo helped her up and whispered in Li Qu's ear, "Aunt Xun sent someone to tell you that the eldest aunt cried in the old lady's room all afternoon, so you should be prepared."
"Go and block them on the road. If you see people from Shou'an Hall coming to Fanghua Garden, be sure to delay them for a while."
Li Qu lifted her skirt and ran into the mansion.
The proud old woman, who had been waiting, was about to press down on the sedan chair when she saw Li Qu rush past.
Speed is the only concern; image is secondary.
While running, she tossed aside the hairpins and jewelry that were in the way.
"Aunt, you must not be so disrespectful!"
Granny Xu followed behind, running and bending down to pick up things.
"Cuiguo, hurry and catch up, in case Auntie falls!"
The green fruit rushed past her like a whirlwind, whipping her clothes around.
Hongguo, being more delicate, trotted along behind Xu Mama, helping her pick up priceless jewelry.
*
The distance from the mansion gate to the inner courtyard and then to Fanghua Garden is quite long.
Li Qu has excellent physical fitness, which is related to her regular exercise habits.
With Cuiguo, who was familiar with the routes within the mansion, leading the way, the journey to Fanghua Garden was more than three times faster by sedan chair.
She rushed into Fanghua Garden, went up the steps, and ran into the room. There she saw a six-year-old girl sitting in the living room, squinting her eyes and sweetly eating the pastries in her hand.
"This is delicious!"
"That doesn't taste good, it's too sweet."
"My older sister doesn't let me eat anything too sweet, saying it will rot my teeth."
Lan Guo served him with a smile.
The little girl saw Li Qu, put down her pastries, jumped off her chair, and rushed towards Li Qu with a smile: "Third Sister!"
Li Qu's heavy breathing couldn't hide her excitement.
She even had tears welling up in her eyes.
Holding Li Han tightly, he tried his best to calm himself down: "Everyone, go down. Cuiguo, guard the gate. If anyone comes, delay them for a moment."
Cui Guo didn't know why Li Qu was delaying things, but she agreed and covered her head to do as she was told.
After everyone had left, Li Qu, panting, squatted down and asked, "Fourth Sister, where are the things Eldest Sister asked you to bring?"
Li Han patted her chest: "It's hidden inside my undergarments."
Li Qu, disregarding any reminiscing, quickly unbuttoned Li Han's clothes, pulled out the letter from the inner lining of her garment, and hurriedly walked to the desk.
He read the letter while grinding ink.
The panting from the long run caused her hands to tremble uncontrollably.
Li Han stepped forward and pressed down on Li Qu's left hand as she ground ink: "Third sister, let me help you."
"Okay." Li Qu released her hand, took a deep breath, and exhaled, trying to calm her body.
After quickly glancing at the letter, she smoothed the paper with a paperweight, picked up her pen, sat down, dipped it in ink, and got straight to the point.
"First, keep an eye on the Yanbei household register investigation. Once the Yanbei household registration investigation is completed, have my brother-in-law speak to Lord Tang Xian, the Provincial Governor of Zhuzhou."
'The measures related to the household registration investigation were originally presented to the Prince of Yan by my brother-in-law…'
Second, the story of how Zhao Lianqing's sister-in-law was deeply favored by the Third Master Zhou was spread throughout Wanxian County.
Third, inform Lord Tang that Third Master Zhou intends to give Zhao Lianqing an important position.
Fourth, there was a rift between the royal family and the Zhou family… so they created a false impression of being pro-Zhou.
'Fifth, if successful, the whole family goes to the capital; if unsuccessful…'
Li Qu took a deep breath.
Lan Guo's voice came from outside: "Auntie, Rong Mama is here. Sister Cui Guo stopped her outside the courtyard, but she won't be able to hold her off for long!"
Li Qu put pen to paper.
He then resigned from his official post and went to the capital, where he lived in seclusion under an assumed name.
"A copper hairpin and seal can fetch a million taels of silver, ensuring a worry-free life for the rest of one's days."
As for…
Lan Guo's voice came from outside again: "Auntie, Granny Rong has started sending people to break down the door."
Li Qu didn't have time to write the rest. She put down her pen, hurriedly went to the dressing table, put the copper hairpin and the letter into an envelope, and placed it back into the lining of Li Han's inner garment before helping Li Han put on her clothes.
"Be very careful not to get hurt."
Li Han obediently agreed: "Okay."
"Has your eldest sister made any arrangements after receiving the letter?"
Li Han nodded: "It's arranged."
"The eldest sister asked Brother Huang Mao to come with us."
He arrived two days earlier than us.
"My older sister said if there's a letter, we should give it to him secretly."
Li Qu smiled: "How can I give it to you secretly?"
He will contact his second sister.
"Good Han'er, remember not to be discovered."
Li Han smiled, revealing her chipped front tooth: "Third Sister, don't worry, Han'er is the smartest."
Li Qu smiled and gently pinched her upturned nose: "My dear Han'er, when your third sister has some free time, I'll take you out to play again."
"good!"
Li Qu carried Li Han back to their original seat to eat pastries.
They called Blueberry, who was keeping watch on the porch, into the room.
Choose a dress in a simple, plain color.
She sat down in front of the dressing table, removed the two remaining hair ornaments from her head, opened the lids of the various rouge boxes, and looked at the bronze mirror.
Only then did I realize that strands of hair on my forehead were sticking to my skin, and fine sweat had soaked through my inner shirt without me noticing.
She took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her face and began to change her makeup.
When Granny Rong, frowning, led her people into Fanghua Garden, she had just finished changing her clothes.
As Rong Mama walked solemnly up the steps to the main room, Li Qu happened to come out to greet her.
The woman had no hair ornaments, wore a plain dress, her eyes were bloodshot, her expression was dazed, and she looked listless, as if she had been crying.
Li Qu was the first to bow: "I was terrified after being assassinated. Now that I hear my family has come from afar, I am afraid that my mixed feelings of joy and fear will cause me to lose my composure and be impolite, and I will not be able to receive guests."
"So she instructed the maids to stop whoever came to the door."
"Please forgive my rudeness, Madam."
Granny Rong remained calm: "They are indeed a group of loyal and good maids."
"One of them lied and said he saw his concubine in the garden, which led the old servant to waste time in the garden. In the end, he did not find his concubine and said that he had seen the wrong person."
"One of the gatekeepers blocked the gate, saying that the bolt was broken and the gate couldn't be opened."
"Fortunately, it was this old servant who came today. If it had been the master, the concubine would have been very rude."
Li Qu readily admitted her mistake, saying, "It was my fault."
"It was only yesterday that Aunt Qing was moved to the manor for her rudeness. Aunt Qing should take this as a warning."
Li Qu replied, "Thank you for your guidance, Granny."
"I know that my behavior today was improper and disgraced the Zhou family. I was just about to go to the old lady to apologize and reflect on my actions."
"Now that you've come, does the old lady have some instructions?"
Granny Rong: "The old lady already knows the whole story of the Wei family's pepper powder incident today."
"After this incident that has damaged the Zhou family's reputation, regardless of right or wrong, punishment is inevitable."
"The old lady is not a biased person who only listens to one-sided opinions from others."
"I would like to ask that you accompany me to Shou'an Hall to personally plead my case."
"Whether she receives fifty or a hundred blows depends entirely on what the aunt says in her defense."
"Please, Auntie."
Li Qu took out a handkerchief and dabbed at the corner of her eye, then turned to instruct Xu Mama and the others who had arrived later.
"Give Han'er some good food and send her back to Qin Garden."
The little girl's legs dangled under the chair, her mouth still stuffed with pastries, and she mumbled, "Why did Third Sister defend herself? Why isn't Third Sister's husband speaking up for her?"
“In my eldest sister’s family, she never needs to defend herself; her husband always sides with her.”
Xu Mama and the others, who were initially worried, suddenly felt a sense of direction upon hearing this.
She arranged for Hongguo to go to Shou'an Hall with Li Qu, and told Cuiguo to find her brother to look for Third Master.
Finally, he gave Li Han a lot of delicious food: "What a clever little thing."
"It's inconvenient for Aunt to entertain guests today. It's getting late, so this old servant will have someone escort Fourth Miss back. We'll invite Fourth Miss to come and play another day."
"But I haven't even said more than a few words to my third sister yet!"
Li Han's fair and delicate face scrunched up, as if she were puzzled: "Can't I stay here overnight?"
Of course not. With so many things happening today, Third Master must come.
Xu Mama finally managed to coax Li Han into leaving.
Li Han was reluctant to leave, and before she did, she looked at Granny Xu and said, "I heard that I used to sleep with my third sister when I was little!"
Granny Xu: ?
...Do you still want to stay in your aunt's bed?
Go on your way.
She ruthlessly kicked Li Han out of the house.
Li Han left the Zhou residence, skipping and hopping with a smile, happily heading to find her second sister.
The eldest sister said that the desired result should be given to you by others so that it is natural and leaves no room for doubt.
What a stupid old woman.
*
After seeing Li Han off, Xu Ben, having inquired about the matters concerning Qingguo and Languo, urged them hastily, "You two shouldn't be idle either. If you have connections to find Third Master, go and spread the message quickly!"
At this time, Zhou Jin had just arrived at Hezhou Prison.
He dismounted, his face frosty, and walked straight inside.
Zhou Fengying came out cautiously: "He keeps saying that he is the man of Prince Xiao Cong of Yan, and torture has no effect."
Where?
"In the torture chamber."
Zhou Jin kept walking.
Huai Yan, carrying a half-dead person, followed closely behind Zhou Jin.
By the time they caught the person, the pigeon coop was already empty.
Xiao Cong's men from Yanbei arrived quickly!
What he hated most was not that Xiao Cong's people had come looking for her, but that someone actually dared to take her life!
He simply couldn't imagine what it would be like if that body lost its warmth and smile.
The moment he discovered the killer, his desire to kill was as strong as his hatred for not having wings.
He kicked open the torture chamber door and casually drew the curved sword from the waist of the prison warden who was guarding the door.
With a whoosh, the figure didn't even stop.
Upon reaching the female assassin on the execution rack, he unhesitatingly thrust his curved blade into her thigh.
He was extremely close to the female assassin.
His face, covered in frost, held eyes that seemed indifferent to life.
The female assassin's forehead veins bulged with pain, but as she was awestruck by the absolute power of life and death emanating from those eyes, she slowly smiled.
She knew that her master no longer needed to worry that the Third Miss would return to Yan and steal the Crown Prince away.
The Third Sister... she can't go back.
With an awe-inspiring presence, he declared, "You have one last chance!"
The female assassin smiled as she looked at the divinely bestowed face before her: "Xiao Cong, the heir apparent of the Prince of Yan, is my mistress!"
Zhou Jin delivered another blow, then withdrew his sword, stepped back, and dropped the blade: "Don't let her die too easily."
He turned and walked to Huaiyan's side, looking down at the half-dead man Huaiyan had thrown on the ground: "Is she Xiao Cong's maid?"
The half-dead man had his hands tied behind his back, his body hunched over, resembling a shrimp.
"The young master does not employ female servants."
How many accomplices do you have?
"One person per line."
How many lines are there?
"have no idea."
What orders do you receive?
"We must find the prince's lost concubine, alive or dead."
"How could you recognize her?"
"There are portraits."
Huaiyan crouched down, pressing one hand against the half-dead man's face while searching his chest with the other.
He found a piece of paper, opened it, confirmed that the portrait was intact, and presented it to Zhou Jin with both hands.
Zhou Jin accepted it.
It is a colored portrait.
The woman in the painting smiles gently, with a gold hairpin adorned with a magpie perched on a branch and tassels.
The painting captured three-tenths of her spirit.
He tucked the portrait into his sleeve and strode outside: "Give him a quick death."
Huaiyan grabbed the man and snapped his neck in an instant, then followed Zhou Jin.
Only after Zhou Jin had dispelled the lingering chill that had enveloped them did Zhou Feng and the prison warden dare to breathe heavily.
Zhou Feng: "Who the hell is so blind as to dare to mess with me!"
The prison warden stepped forward and reported, "That female assassin..."
He was still in shock when he was startled.
Realizing what was happening, he kicked the prison warden: "Haven't you heard not to let her die too quickly?"
He turned and walked outside.
They have no interest in the process of dying.
After Zhou Feng left, the prison officials exchanged glances and chuckled knowingly.
As soon as Zhou Jin was released from prison, A Quan, who had been waiting nearby, stepped forward and bowed, saying, "A message came from the inner courtyard that the old lady has invited Aunt Wei to Shou'an Hall because of the matter of Wei viewing the plum blossom sea."
Without stopping, Zhou Jin mounted his horse, took the reins, and headed towards the Zhou residence.
He went to keep his promise.
He will keep his promise.
“A-Qu…”
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