Chapter 79 So Green
The boat belongs to Aunt Zheng, my older sister.
Li Qu bought it for one hundred taels of silver and had her hang a pair of white lanterns on the boat.
There was a bundle on the boat that she had asked the older woman to take out of the mansion.
The old woman received her money, the gifts she gave her, and her death warning, and complied with all her requests.
Li Qu dared not delay.
He got up as soon as he had recovered a little.
Drag the bundle out from the spot the older woman had indicated.
Open it, check the items to make sure they haven't been touched, quickly change clothes, dry your hair, and put on makeup to cover your face.
After expending a lot of energy, the heart rate increases.
Li Qu's arm was trembling slightly.
Looking in the mirror, she repeatedly applied too much pressure when drawing her eyebrows, which made her so angry that she slapped her own hand a few times.
After finally finishing her makeup to conceal her face, she immediately found a coarse cloth headscarf and wrapped her hair in it.
After it was all done, she went from a beautiful young woman to a sallow-skinned, mole-covered, and ugly woman in coarse clothes.
After packing her things and carrying her bundle, she prepared to leave the awning boat.
Just as his fingers were about to touch the curtain of the awning boat, a series of footsteps and shouts suddenly rang out from outside.
"Have you seen anyone fall into the water?!"
"Everyone's sleeping in broad daylight, who the hell would open their eyes to look at a water ghost!"
"Watch your mouths! What are you sleeping for? Get up, all of you! The officers are inspecting us!"
"Oh my, it's an official! You've left me with such enchanting pleasure!"
The wind stirred the curtains, and a drop of moisture touched Li Qu's fingertips.
Li Qu recoiled abruptly as if electrocuted.
She didn't expect the authorities to act so quickly.
"Get up, all of you! Look at the bow and stern, search the gaps!"
The officials suddenly became very angry.
The commotion outside spread quickly, and Li Qu noticed the water stains she had made when she boarded the boat.
"We can't miss any nook or cranny. If they rush over here and we don't find them, and the higher-ups investigate, we'll be crippled even if we don't die!"
"Look carefully!"
A white lantern hanging on the boat signifies that the flower girl is ill and cannot accept guests, but can still accept them.
If you get sick in this line of work, your colleagues will avoid you like the plague.
Li Qu now has two awnings hanging on his boat, which several officials find objectionable.
Finally, the lead officer stepped forward and lifted the curtain.
Li Qu withdrew her hand from wiping the last water stain, looked up in alarm at the newcomer, and immediately lowered her head and knelt on the ground.
The head constable glanced at the ugly woman kneeling on the ground, then looked around the cramped, one-way cabin before pulling down the curtain and leaving.
Li Qu swallowed hard.
The officials searched the area thoroughly but found no trace of the person who had fallen into the water.
He shouted, "If anyone sees a woman who has fallen into the water, report it immediately! A reward of a thousand taels of silver will be given!"
"If you conceal the truth and someone dies, you will all be implicated and executed!"
"Those who harbor ill intentions shall be punished by slow slicing along with their relatives!"
The flower girls responded, "Yes, yes!"
"Please take care, sir!"
"Sir, are you free to come over tonight?"
The heavy footsteps of the officials gradually faded into the distance, while the chatter of the courtesans began.
Li Qu stretched out her finger and slightly lifted the curtain.
His gaze swept over the officials searching along the shore before turning back to the lake.
Small boats shuttle back and forth on the lake.
The search for Lianxin Lake has also begun.
Li Qu picked up her bundle, lifted the curtain and stepped out of the cabin, quickly making her way to the shore by stepping on the prows of the connected awning boats.
A bewildered voice came from behind: "Who is she?"
"Don't you recognize me?"
Have you seen it before?
No?
"Hey, why are there two white lanterns hanging on this boat?"
Ignoring the whispers of those behind her, Li Qu quickly left the dangerous place.
*
Today, Hezhou is destined to be anything but peaceful.
The Hezhou Prison was stormed.
Lin Xiaocong was taken away.
Zhou Feng licked his lips and rubbed his face: "How can we neglect the seventh young master of the Marquis of Weiwu's family who is visiting Hezhou!"
We welcome you when you arrive, and we see you off when you leave!
"Prepare some wine, let's go to the city gate to see him off!"
*
At this moment, in an inconspicuous alley in Hezhou, Lin Xiaocong stood there with a gentle and elegant demeanor, making his companions appear extremely furtive.
"Has the Fourteenth Princess gotten married yet?"
Cao Guangli, the assistant commander of the Northern Garrison, was looking out over the street: "We just got out of prison, why are there so many guards patrolling the streets?"
Are you that important?
The Cao family were also nobles, and they were acquaintances in the same circle.
Cao Guangli's elder brother, Cao Jian, worked at the National Medical Administration and received guidance on acupuncture from the director of the National Medical Administration. When he met Lin Xiaocong, they politely addressed each other as fellow disciples.
Lin Xiaocong smiled good-naturedly: "Is the Fourteenth Princess still unmarried?"
"Something's not right. Could it be that something happened to Lord Zheng?"
Lin Xiaocong's smile faded slightly: "So, the Fourteenth Princess is not married yet."
"Hey, they're here! They're over there!" Cao Guangli turned his head and glanced at Lin Xiaocong.
"We're leaving Hezhou today."
Lin Xiaocong persisted with his question: "Where is the Fourteenth Princess?"
"Don't worry, Young Master Lin, the Fourteenth Princess is waiting for you to return to the palace."
Lin Xiaocong turned around: "I think the Hezhou Prison is excellent."
"No way." Cao Guangli grabbed Lin Xiaocong's arm. "It's your good fortune that the princess has taken a liking to you. You can run away now, but you can't escape this fate!"
"That playboy still likes you, so why did you run away to the palace to become a guard!"
Cao Guangli wanted to kill someone: "That Hua Yang is a man! How could I, a grown man, get involved with him on a homosexual level!"
"Then go and marry Princess Shang."
"I'm not worthy!" Cao Guangli advised. "Anyway, you won't enter officialdom; you'll just be a doctor."
"Princess Shang has no effect on you."
Lin Xiaocong smiled politely: "Your elder brother doesn't enter officialdom either, so let him marry a princess."
"That won't do, the princess doesn't think much of my elder brother."
Cao Guangli took a moment to make a hand gesture to his subordinate opposite him.
The man carrying Imperial Censor Zheng on his back nodded, then turned and entered the alley.
"I'm not going back." Lin Xiaocong easily shook off Cao Guangli's hand.
"We have no choice but to leave; we can't stay in Hezhou."
Lin Xiaocong looked at Cao Guangli: "What happened?"
Cao Guangli knew that Lin Xiaocong was skilled in martial arts and that he couldn't force him to leave.
I won't hide it.
"The Tang family, taking advantage of the marriage alliance with the Zhou family, wanted to trap the Zhou family lineage like turtles in a jar."
"The date is set for today, but things are probably getting chaotic in Zhuzhou now."
Lin Xiaocong's expression turned serious: "The Zhou-Tang marriage alliance is either successful or it's a matter of life and death. Zhou Jin is no fool who doesn't know how to guard against such things!"
"Who in the entire court can't see such a simple truth!"
"Not to mention the Zhou family has been operating in the south for three hundred years!"
Cao Guangli said helplessly, "Whether we succeed or fail, the South is bound to be in chaos."
"My mission is to rescue you and Lord Zheng and bring them back to the capital."
Lin Xiaocong's expression was unusually serious: "Why did the Emperor suddenly take action against the Zhou family?"
Cao Guangli: "His health has deteriorated even more after this winter."
"I had not attended court for ten days before I arrived."
"The Zhou family is like a festering sore on the Xiao family's body; how can the Emperor accept this..."
"No one advised against it?"
"The Crown Prince tried to stop it, but was reprimanded by the Emperor, who called him unambitious and incompetent, and almost deposed him on the spot."
Lin Xiaocong thought the Emperor had gone mad: "In the north there is Yan, and in the south there is the Zhou family. The Emperor is in poor health. How can he have the mind to shake the foundation of the country?"
"It's all because of the slanderous words of the Gui faction that they only know how to flatter the emperor and follow his wishes."
"The fourth prince, backed by the Gui Party, is ambitious."
"It's perfect time for you to go back now. Sacrifice your beauty and seduce the Fourteenth Princess, the Fourth Prince's own sister."
"Infiltrate the Guangxi Party and clear the way for the Crown Prince."
Lin Xiaocong kicked Cao Guangli, but Cao Guangli dodged it.
Seeing that Lin Xiaocong remained unmoved, Cao Guangli unleashed his trump card: "Hurry up, or the Fourteenth Princess will find out about your little darling in Chuntang Garden!"
Lin Xiaocong followed up: "How do you know about this?"
"The entire Imperial Medical Academy knows, but it's unclear how long they can keep it from the Fourteenth Princess."
"How come the entire Imperial Medical Academy knows about this?"
Cao Guangli glanced at Lin Xiaocong, then looked up at the top of Lin Xiaocong's head.
I vaguely sensed a green light flashing.
"Did you ask Qi Nian to take care of your little darling?"
Qi Nian, courtesy name Qingbai.
"yes."
Cao Guangli: So green, so exciting!
"How did you come up with the idea of having Qi Nian take care of your little darling?"
"Junior Brother Qingbai comes from a humble background, has few friends, and is quite idle. Moreover, he is mild-mannered and easy to get along with."
“Your little darling is very kind-hearted. Qi Nian is frail, and she takes good care of him.”
Cao Guangli felt that his implication was quite obvious.
Lin Xiaocong, however, did not understand at all and said, "Rongrong is an extremely kind person."
Cao Guangli: "..."
"The grass on the river island seems greener than in the capital."
"Really? I think so."
Cao Guangli: "..."
Lin Xiaocong: "What kind of look is that?"
"Cough, it's nothing, I just really want to eat some leafy greens."
"Breakfast wasn't to my liking, and I'm a little hungry too. Shall we eat together?"
Cao Guangli gave up on giving hints.
*
The two successfully left the city.
Cao Guangli's subordinate, Hu Jiu, waited anxiously outside the city.
The cicadas are feeding the horses.
The cicadas in autumn are melancholy.
Why are you going back to Beijing so soon?
What should we do if the young master and the second young lady meet?
No one understood his melancholy.
As soon as Cao Guangli and Lin Xiaocong appeared, Hu Jiu stepped forward and bowed to Cao Guangli: "Sir, I have discovered that someone is trying to assassinate Madam Zhou."
Lin Xiaocong's ears twitched.
Isn't Madam Zhou the third sister of Rongrong?
Cao Guangli: "No wonder the city is heavily guarded."
"in spite of."
"Let's get out of here first."
Hu Jiu carried the just-recovering Imperial Censor Zheng onto his horse: "I'm sorry to trouble you, Lord Zheng, but someone will meet you a hundred miles away. You can take a carriage back to the capital then."
Imperial Censor Zheng: "Are you really not sent by my wife?"
"How can my old bones withstand such a bumpy ride?"
Hu Jiu: "..."
Cao Guangli also mounted his horse.
Lin Xiaocong was left, and he went to Qiu Chan.
"They won't harm a little slave like you. Go and find out about Madam Zhou's situation."
"You may return to the capital once Madam Zhou is safe."
Qiu Chan swallowed hard: "Young master, this servant actually..."
"You've had a hard time. When we get back, I'll arrange for Qiu Hui to be your wife."
"No, this servant actually has something to say..."
"Do you like chrysanthemums?"
"Then let's go with Miss Qiu Hui, if she's willing."
"Go ahead, I'll return to the capital first. Be careful."
"Young master, there is something I would like to tell you."
"explain."
"that is……"
Just as the cicada was about to utter its true words, the sound of drums suddenly came from the city gate of Hezhou.
When the drumbeats stopped, the soldiers shouted in unison at the city gate.
"A light toast to bid farewell to Young Master Lin and to Lord Zheng!"
"You two will always be honored guests of the Zhou family of Hezhou!"
He repeated it over and over again, shouting it three times.
The sound was loud and clear, echoing across the wilderness.
Imperial Censor Zheng sat in Hu Jiu's lap and cursed, "How dare this traitor Zhou use such a divisive tactic!"
"We returned empty-handed, which is already a dereliction of duty."
"Now that we've been tricked, how can the Emperor not suspect that we've betrayed the Zhou family!"
On the city gate, Zhou Feng raised the wine jar high, tilted his head back and took a swig, then grinned at Lin Xiaocong while holding the jar.
"Welcome back to Hezhou, Young Master Lin."
Although the distance was a bit far, Lin Xiaocong had excellent eyesight and could clearly see the lip movements.
Zhou Jinyin hid in the residence of Marquis Wu of Wei!
Lin Xiaocong's face was grim. He mounted his horse and looked at Qiu Chan: "What were you trying to say just now?"
Seeing her young master's pale face, Qiu Chan subconsciously shook her head: "It's nothing."
"Then you stay here and gather information, and then return to the capital once you have some news."
"Yes, this servant will escort you, young master."
Lin Xiaocong and his men rode away.
During their trip, the people of the South treated them with great courtesy, allowing them to pass through customs without any obstacles, providing them with food and water, and taking meticulous care of them.
Qiu Chan stared at her young master's departing figure, her mouth full of bitterness.
“Young master, I want to say that all those words and things that the second young lady said about her feelings for you were made up by me.”
Lin Xiaocong didn't hear it; he was rushing towards the capital at breakneck speed.
A man who falls in love online feels as if his heart is wrapped in honey, looking forward to meeting in person, yet also afraid of meeting in person.
Sweet, exciting, and nervous.
*
Li Qu was equally nervous.
She had just brought the jujubes out of the place where they were being fostered when martial law was declared in Hezhou City.
Only entry is permitted; exit is not allowed.
Dazao was very happy to see Li Qu and nuzzled her shoulder with her head.
The external injuries it sustained during the previous attempt to tame it have healed.
Its fur is smooth and glossy, extremely beautiful.
Li Qu patted its head: "When we get out of the city, run as fast as you can."
"Hee hee~"
It moved its hooves, poised to pounce.
The streets were under martial law, and government officials patrolled the area.
She suddenly heard the sound of drums coming from the city gate.
In an instant, Li Qu's heart stopped, he froze, and gripped the reins tightly.
Then came the soldiers' loud shouts.
This was a farewell party for Young Master Lin and Lord Zheng.
In an instant, she came back to life.
I understand the meaning of "seeing enemies everywhere".
She wiped the sweat from her forehead and continued toward her destination.
On her way from Lianxin Lake to pick up the jujubes, she changed her clothes again and became an ugly servant.
The foster father did not suspect the ugly servant who led the fine horse back to its master.
Upon reaching the north gate, she took out the jade token Zhou Jin had given her earlier and lowered her voice, saying, "Please make way."
My heart was racing; I was afraid of being exposed.
The guard stepped forward and took the jade tablet, which was carved with the Zhou family totem and contained the character "令" (command).
The reverse side is the character 缙.
In the southern region, everyone in the officialdom knew his representative, Zhou Jin.
But now that the old lady Zhou has personally ordered a citywide curfew, the guards dare not let them pass and bowed, saying, "There is an official at the city gate, please wait a moment."
Li Qu's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he was filled with anxiety.
Just then, Qiu Chan, looking utterly dejected, led her horse into the city.
He was listless and absent-minded, and walked past Li Qu.
When the guard returned, he handed the jade token back to Li Qu with both hands, and respectfully extended both hands.
"Please show your residence permit and household registration."
Li Qu's heart pounded like thunder.
He pulled out his residence permit and household registration book from his pocket.
This was given to her by Xiao Cong.
The two pieces of paper hidden in the gold-inlaid mahogany box.
She didn't know if it would work.
But right now, there's no other option but to take a gamble.
The deafening roar of my heartbeat was deafening.
The guards carefully examined the objects.
Li Qu was tormented by inner turmoil.
The household registration shows a woman in her mid-thirties, which matches her current attire, and there are no discrepancies.
Just as Li Qu was about to ask if there was anything wrong, the other party returned the document and household registration with both hands and waved behind him: "Let him through!"
The guards behind made way for them.
Li Qu suppressed his emotions and led his horse out of the city.
Once outside the city, he immediately mounted his horse and, without looking back, shouted, "Da Zao, run!"
The horses neighed and galloped away.
She finally breathed a sigh of relief.
With a smile on their face, they headed north.
Thus, she completed the second stage of her escape and left the river island.
The destination of this trip is the capital city.
The journey is long.
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