Chapter 140: Setting off for the Northern Desert
After leaving Yangcheng and arriving at the next town, Jiang Lan wanted to replace the carriage with a horse so that she could get back faster.
When she told Ji Quan about this idea, he first asked, "Do you have money to buy a horse?"
Jiang Lan raised her hand and touched her head. She first touched the orchid jade hairpin on her head. The previous orchid hairpin was broken, and the one she was wearing on her head was given to her by Qi Wuhan later. He also engraved the word "Orchid" on the hairpin with his own hands. She touched the orchid hairpin and was reluctant to give it to others. She then touched a pearl hairpin and decided to use it to buy a horse.
When she took off the pearl hairpin, Ji Quan reached out and took it. He weighed it and asked her to wait while he went to buy a horse.
When he bought the horse, Jiang Lan mounted it swiftly and looked very skilled. Ji Quan was a little surprised, as if he didn't expect that she could really ride a horse and was not just showing off.
In fact, she didn't know how to ride a horse. After getting married, she said she wanted to learn how to ride a horse, so Qi Wuhan taught her step by step.
The two men, each riding a horse, traveled in the morning and slept at night, and after three days they arrived at the capital.
Along the way, Jiang Lan never complained about being tired or suffering, which made Ji Quan look at her with a new perspective. He always thought she was a little spoiled before, but now he admires her hard-working spirit.
At the city gate, soldiers from the Imperial City Administration were checking people entering and leaving the city.
Ji Quan asked Jiang Lan to wait there while he went over to check out the situation.
Jiang Lan waited with the horse for about a cup of tea. When she saw Ji Quan waving at her, she led the horse over.
After entering the city, Ji Quan told her that the emperor had ordered the imperial guards to surround the mansion, but the people in the mansion were fine, they just couldn't go out at will.
"What about my elder brother?" she asked anxiously.
"Your elder brother is in the palace." Ji Quan replied.
Jiang Lan immediately mounted her horse and rushed towards the palace. Ji Quan rode past her and led the way for her.
…..
A cough was heard in the Imperial Study. Mr. Bai and Mr. Mo were waiting inside. The Emperor took a sip of his teacup and then asked, "How much longer do I have?"
The two old doctors looked at each other, neither daring to speak rashly.
"One year, or even less than a year?" asked the emperor.
Mr. Bai replied, "Your Majesty, please be at ease. As long as you rest in peace, I can guarantee that I will be safe for the next two years."
Mr. Mo nodded, agreeing with Mr. Bai's opinion.
At this time, Eunuch Liu hurried in to report: "Your Majesty, Commander Li requests an audience."
The emperor waved his hand, and the two old doctors took their leave. Then Eunuch Liu brought in Commander Li of the Imperial Guards.
"Your Majesty, the wife of Marquis Jin'an has returned and is now at the palace gate." Commander Li reported.
The emperor's face darkened, with a hint of anger accumulating between his brows. "Bring the person here."
The emperor waited in the imperial study for about a quarter of an hour, and then Commander Li hurriedly brought people in, including Jiang Lan and Ji Quan.
After His Majesty dismissed his attendants, he first asked Ji Quan, "Where are the people?"
Ji Quan replied, "The Marquis has been taken away."
"Who is it?" The emperor narrowed his eyes and his expression darkened.
Ji Quan replied, "They were members of the Black Lotus Sect, led by Qinglong, the head of the four elders. I wanted to rescue them, but I fell into their trap and was trapped in an underground palace. When I found a way out, I could no longer find any trace of them."
The emperor's gaze darkened, and he asked gloomily, "Besides the Black Lotus Sect, is there anyone else?"
Ji Quan replied, "There is another person with two followers. I have never seen him before and I don't know his identity."
The emperor asked, "How old is that person? Is he a boy or a girl?"
Ji Quan replied, "It's a man, around thirty years old."
The emperor's expression darkened, his eyes becoming increasingly gloomy. He turned his gaze and landed on Jiang Lan. He asked Ji Quan to step aside first, and then asked her, "What do you want to say?"
"Your Majesty, please be advised that the Marquis has absolutely not collaborated with the enemy or committed treason. I am willing to guarantee with my life that there is another hidden story behind this matter." Jiang Lan knelt straight with a resolute look on her face as she recounted the entire cause and effect of the incident.
"Are you saying that the housekeeper in the mansion is Qinglong?" The emperor smiled as if he had heard a joke.
Jiang Lan replied, "The most dangerous place is also the safest place. He has been lurking beside the Marquis as a steward, secretly monitoring his every move. I'm afraid no one would have thought that he is one of the four elders of the Black Lotus Sect."
"Since he has been hiding in the Marquis' Mansion under a false name, why would he reveal his identity and kidnap you now?" asked the emperor.
Jiang Lan replied, "The Marquis had previously suspected that the Black Lotus Cult was colluding with the Northern Desert and secretly helping the Third Prince succeed. Now that the conspiracy has been exposed, he has decided to take action against the Marquis."
The emperor smiled and said, "You are quite eloquent. Since you trust him so much and are willing to guarantee it with your life, then I will see if he will come back for you." The emperor called for someone to come and take Jiang Lan away. Jiang Lan asked excitedly, "Your Majesty, why don't you trust him?"
When Commander Li came in and saw the emperor's furious face, he didn't dare to go forward and just waited on the side.
"Take the man away and keep a close eye on him. If he escapes, I will hold you responsible." The emperor said with a cold and horrified look.
"Yes!" Commander Li replied loudly.
"His Majesty,"
"Drag him away!"
Commander Li immediately dragged Jiang Lan away. After they emerged, he whispered to her, "Madam, please don't provoke His Majesty any further. Your brother is still in the palace, and his life and death hang in the balance of your majesty's judgment." Jiang Lan hurriedly asked, "Is my eldest brother okay?" Commander Li replied in a low voice, "Your brother's life is not in danger for now, but if the Marquis doesn't return, your safety and your brother's will be in jeopardy."
Jiang Lan was locked in a small room. Before leaving, Commander Li reminded her not to do anything stupid, as he was afraid that she would become depressed and commit suicide.
After the door of the room was closed, Jiang Lan slowly walked over and sat down against the wall. She felt completely exhausted. The aftereffects of rushing all the way back appeared at this time. She relied on one strength to get from the palace gate to the imperial study, and now this strength was almost exhausted. She didn't even have the strength to stand.
She buried her head in her knees, wondering what to do next...
When she looked up, she realized it was getting dark.
The room gradually became dark, and no one came in to light a lamp.
When the room became completely dark, Jiang Lan hugged her knees tighter.
She was afraid of the dark, and had been afraid of it since she was a child. Bi'er always scared her by saying that ghosts loved to eat children who were afraid of the dark. She was even more afraid of the dark. Since she married Qi Wuhan, she was held in his arms every night, which gave her enough sense of security, so she was no longer afraid of the dark.
But now she was alone again, and her fear of the darkness came back. Subconsciously, she always felt that something terrible was hiding in the darkness. She seemed to hear rustling sounds, like hallucinations, but also like she really heard them. Her first thought was snakes. Fear was like a dense swarm of ants drilling into her pores. She also seemed to hear the sound of a snake spitting out its core, as if it was right next to her...
The door suddenly opened and Jiang Lan rushed out in panic. The two guards guarding the door did not react at first, but when they saw someone running out, they immediately rushed over to stop him.
"Snake, there is a snake inside..." She was so scared that her voice was shaking.
The two guards were skeptical, and then one of them went in with a lantern to take a look. There was nothing in the room, and after coming out he shook his head at the other guard.
Jiang Lan didn't believe it, so the guard gave her a lantern and asked her to see for herself. She stood at the door and put the lantern into the house to shine it, then pointed at the straw mat, thinking that the snake must be hiding under it.
The guard went into the room again and checked the straw mat, but there was nothing underneath.
Jiang Lancai entered the house carrying a lantern. After the door was closed, she sat against the door, placed the lantern in front of her, and kept her eyes on her surroundings.
The next morning, Commander Li came to inquire about the situation. The two guards reported that Jiang Lan had mentioned a snake last night. Commander Li went over and knocked on the door. He felt something against the door. He looked nervous, fearing that Jiang Lan had done something stupid, so he pushed the door open immediately. He saw Jiang Lan fall against the door, and then he realized that the thing against the door was her.
When he saw Jiang Lan's face, Commander Li was shocked again. Her face was pale and her eyes were dark, as if she had not slept all night.
Commander Li asked someone to prepare some food. Seeing that Jiang Lan was having difficulty standing up, he asked someone to prepare more food.
At night, an oil lamp was lit in the room, and a quilt was added to the straw mat.
Jiang Lan still didn't dare to sleep, but she knew that she couldn't go on like this. She still had to go find him and her body couldn't collapse. She checked the room back and forth several times, checked the quilt and straw mat back and forth no less than ten times before she dared to lie down. Staring at the light of the oil lamp, she gradually felt sleepy and finally closed her eyes and fell asleep.
When Commander Li came the next day, Jiang Lan asked him for a favor as she wanted to see the emperor.
When Commander Li came back, he told her that the emperor was gone.
Two days later, the emperor asked Commander Li to bring her to the imperial study.
"I don't think he will come back. What do you think I should do with you?" The emperor placed a black piece on the chessboard, then picked up a white piece from the chess pot and played chess with himself.
Jiang Lan said with a resolute look, "I will find him back."
The emperor glanced at her, smiled, and said, "Do you think I will let you go?"
"If I had tried to run away, I wouldn't have come back," Jiang Lan knelt down and pleaded, "Please grant me your permission, Your Majesty. I will definitely find him."
"Why should I trust you?" asked the emperor.
Jiang Lan pleaded, "My brother has nothing to do with this matter. Your Majesty, please forgive me."
"You are quite clever," the emperor smiled. "Then I ask you, where are you going to find him?"
Jiang Lan replied with two words in a firm voice: "Beimo."
The emperor paused for a moment, slowly placing a piece on the board. He did not speak for a long time, as if he was weighing the pros and cons.
After another child was born, the emperor said, "I will give you three months. If you don't bring the child back after three months, I will not show mercy to your father and brother."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Jiang Lan kowtowed solemnly.
"I want to see my father!"
Jiang Lan heard Changle's voice, and the emperor waved his hand to let her leave first. When Jiang Lan came out, Changle was surprised to see her at first, and then ran to her anxiously and asked, "Where is Brother Wuhan? Didn't he come back with you?"
Jiang Lan didn't reveal anything, bowed and left.
Changle stamped her feet anxiously and hurriedly followed Eunuch Liu in.
"Father, has Brother Wu Han returned?" Chang Le asked expectantly, "I just saw Sister Jiang. If Sister Jiang is back, is Brother Wu Han back too?"
"You are already married, but instead of caring about your husband, you come to the palace every few days to ask about other people's affairs. Aren't you afraid of being gossiped about?" The emperor said slowly, his tone not harsh.
Changle explained aggrievedly, "Brother Wuhan took good care of me when I was little. I am thinking of our childhood friendship. I don't believe he is that kind of person. There must be some misunderstanding."
The Saint played chess without saying a word.
An invisible pressure spread all around.
Changle admitted his mistake and said, "It was my fault. I hope your Majesty will not blame me."
"Okay, go see your mother. Your mother was talking to me about you a few days ago." The emperor said in a gentle tone.
"Yes, I'll take my leave." Changle bowed and left.
After leaving, Changle went to the East Palace and told her brother, the prince, the news of Jiang Lan's return.
The prince reminded her not to interfere in the matter and just pretend she knew nothing about it.
Afterwards, Changle went to see the queen, stayed to have lunch with her, talked for a while, and left the palace in the afternoon.
After returning to the general's mansion, Cui Yan's expression was a little gloomy when he came to see her. He knew who she was in the palace for every time these days, but he didn't dare to ask her. When he saw her, there was a smile on his face.
Changle told him something quietly, saying that she met Jiang Lan when she entered the palace today.
Cui Yan was also somewhat surprised after hearing this. He hesitated for a moment and asked cautiously, "Then Marquis Jin'an is back too?"
Changle shook his head.
Cui Yan's mood was a bit complicated. Privately, he hoped that the other party would not come back, but rationally, he despised himself for being so petty.
"I hope Brother Wu Han can come back soon." Changle said hopefully.
Cui Yan's eyes dimmed for a moment, and he changed the subject, "Have you eaten?"
"I've eaten with my mother." Changle took his arm and said with a smile, "Let's go to Yipintang in the evening. I want to eat the braised pork elbow there~" Cui Yan smiled and agreed, and asked someone to go to Yipintang to reserve a private room first.
After arriving at Yipintang in the evening, the boss personally welcomed the two upstairs. Changle found Qiutong guarding outside the door of a private room. After she pointed it out to Cui Yan, the two came over to say hello.
However, when Qiu Tong saw the two people coming, she was frightened and quickly spoke out to remind the people in the room.
Cui Yan probably guessed what was going on. His face suddenly darkened and he pushed open the door with a bang, which scared Cui Jingshu. She hurriedly walked out from behind the curtain in a panic. Cui Yan glanced behind the curtain and saw a figure vaguely hidden behind the screen.
"Brother, why are you here?" Cui Jingshu greeted with a smile, pretending nothing had happened.
"We came here to eat. What a coincidence! Second sister is here too?" Changle looked behind her curiously. "Second sister was so flustered just now. Did something happen?"
"It's okay, it's okay." Cui Jingshu said evasively while blocking her view.
Cui Yan snorted coldly and walked away with Changle.
Cui Jingshu stared at Changle's back, her teeth almost breaking with anger, and then she left the restaurant in a hurry.
After dinner, Cui Yan asked Changle to go back first as he had some things to deal with. Then he went to Prince Fu's Mansion and asked someone to call Cui Jingshu out. He scolded her severely and made her cry. After returning home, she cried in the house for a long time and took out her anger on Qiu Tong, blaming Qiu Tong for not informing her earlier, otherwise she would not have been caught in the act.
The next day, Cui Jingshu's eyes were still a little swollen. Prince Fu asked her if she had been beaten in a fight outside. Cui Jingshu got angry at him, and Prince Fu slipped away.
As Prince Fu was strolling on the street, a carriage passed by him heading out of the city.
Jiang Lan pulled aside the car curtain and looked out, and happened to see Prince Fu, but he didn't see her.
The person driving the car was Ji Quan, who was ordered by the emperor to go to Beimo with Jiang Lan to bring the person back.
Before leaving, Jiang Lan went to a place, Huajian Cottage, and asked the waiter there to deliver a letter to the boss, hoping that the boss could do her a favor. During the three months she was away, if her elder brother was in trouble, she hoped that the boss could help her elder brother out of danger.
Qi Wuhan had told her before that the boss owed him a favor, and if he encountered any trouble in the future, he could seek help from the other party. Now she was doing this favor for her eldest brother, and he probably wouldn't blame her when he found out in the future.
After the carriage left the city, she pulled aside the curtain and looked forward. Her expression gradually became firm, like a rock.
"I'm coming to see you, wait for me."
.......
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