The man stared at the small letter under the candlelight, habitually tapping his finger on his knee. After a long while, he finally exhaled a breath of stale air. "Ye Yu, do you think Xiao Jinhan has already made contact with the Prince Gong's Mansion?"
"I cannot be sure about that," Ye Yu said, clasping his hands in a fist salute. "However, during my two days of guarding the Qin residence, I have heard some other rumors."
They originally thought Wei Jianjia had been captured by the Qin family.
It wasn't until spies from various prefectures sent word that they learned the man hadn't been captured by the Qin family, but rather had been taken by Xiao Jinhan's men to bandit dens in different prefectures.
Moreover, every time someone was brought in, they would beat drums and gongs to suppress the bandits and rescue the person.
Now, all five prefectures north of Wuxi Prefecture to the capital know that the second young lady of the Wei family has been in and out of bandit dens ten times.
Judging by the days, we'll probably be entering the capital tomorrow.
Xiao Jinhan's men were not only ruthless and merciless, but their martial arts skills were also far superior to those of ordinary bodyguards. When they tried to rescue Wei Jianjia, they were at a disadvantage.
Jun Yan paused in his work. "What rumors have you heard? Tell me about them."
Ye Yu nodded. "I overheard two yamen runners from Qingshui County mentioning in casual conversation that not long ago, they opened the city gate for General Xiao, the young general of Zhennan Camp, and that they haven't washed their hands since the gate was opened more than half a month ago."
Jun Yan was a very clever and shrewd person.
In just a moment, he understood the key point, and then his peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly. "No wonder, no wonder Xiao Jinhan dared to lash out at Liu Lin in public and dared to humiliate the daughter of the Prime Minister's family like this."
It turned out to be the powerful General Zhennan.
A sixteen-year-old second-rank general—even Xiao Hongyu back then couldn't compare.
The man's astonishment turned into a cold laugh. "Who would have thought that the youngest General of Zhennan would end up in a remote mountain valley?"
That old Prince Gong is truly a cunning old fox.
Such a huge matter, yet it was kept hidden for so many years, and a whole nest of cunning monks were taught not to utter a single word.
Ye Yu lowered his eyes, not daring to speak rashly.
For years, the southern border had been guarded by Prince Gong's men. After the old Prince Gong retired, his eldest son, the new Prince Gong, Yu Changqing, took over.
With a face that bears a striking resemblance to Xiao Hongyu, Xiao Jinhan would surely arouse suspicion upon first meeting Yu Changqing, unless Yu Changqing is blind.
Therefore, Prince Gong's Mansion has probably already recognized Xiao Jinhan.
Only the War King, who was guarding the Western Rong, remained in the dark.
The atmosphere suddenly became somber.
All that remained was a pile of candle wicks, with strings of them falling towards the candlestick with a soft, hissing sound.
Ye Yu moved his slightly numb legs, looked up at the candle flame that was about to burn out, and finally couldn't help but cough lightly, "Master, would you like to make another reservation at Su's Restaurant tomorrow?"
That was said in a somewhat veiled way.
If the deal is made to continue trying to win over Su Hua, then it's to abandon the previous plan.
Jun Yan's thin lips curled up, and a soft snort escaped from his nose, "Why not make a reservation?"
Who wouldn't want something good!
Until everything is settled, everything remains unknown.
So what if the Prince Gong's mansion is on the side of the Crown Prince?
The crown prince was sickly, and it was uncertain whether he would live to see his father abdicate. Before that, everyone would naturally use their own methods.
This trip south has allowed him to encounter a fledgling money-making opportunity that is still in its early stages. It's as if God is helping him, so how could he so easily give it up to someone else?
"Yes." Ye Yu's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly replied.
The night wind blew, causing the moon's shadow to slip into the clouds, and stirred the mist to rise from the earth, shrouding the mountains and rivers in a veil. The sky gradually brightened, and half of the rising sun slowly emerged from the eastern side of the mountains, its golden rays scattering across the world.
And in the most prosperous and luxurious place in the world, the Right Prime Minister's Residence—
At this moment, it was like a drop of water being fried in a pot of oil, creating a commotion that seemed poised to send the eaves of the Prime Minister's residence soaring into the sky.
People passing by looked curiously toward the main entrance of the Prime Minister's residence.
"Oh dear, whose daughter is this? Why is she lying on the floor of the Prime Minister's residence so disheveled so early in the morning?"
“Look at the two of them, not only are their clothes disheveled, but their wrists and calves are also covered in bruises. They must have been badly hurt. They probably encountered some kind of womanizer.”
"I don't think so. These two girls look to be no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, which is the age when they care the most about their reputation. If they really encountered something like this, they would probably have already tied a rope to a tree and hung themselves there. How could they still have the face to stand in front of the Right Prime Minister's residence?"
"Hey, this person... come and take a look... this person looks like the famous talented woman in our capital, the second young lady of the Wei family?"
"You know what, it really does look seven or eight parts like her. I saw Miss Wei Er once at Tianyi Workshop before, and her face, nose and mouth are just like hers. It's just that she seems too thin, so thin that she looks unrecognizable."
"The Right Chancellor is a man of the highest moral character. If she were truly the second young lady of the Wei family, why would the servants of the Wei family stand motionless at the gate like two stone lions, completely ignoring her..."
Upon hearing this, the crowd paused in their chatter and all turned to look up at the steps of the Prime Minister's residence.
Before the two vermilion gates stood two stone lions, one male and one female, each with an embroidered ball under their paws. Just looking at them, one could feel their imposing and solemn presence.
On the twin lions, two servants were dozing off with their eyes half-closed, seemingly oblivious to the murmurs of the crowd.
It's even hard to tell whether there are two or four stone lions at the entrance.
Just then, someone called out, "Make way! The Right Chancellor is back!"
Upon hearing the voice, the previously crowded people immediately parted in the center, and a man in his forties strolled over.
He was tall and slender, wearing a purple robe with cranes and bright red arrow sleeves, and matching silk shoes. He had a square face and a pair of narrow eyes that swept across the crowd.
Then, they stopped on the two figures on the ground.
The man's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly for a moment, but the smile on his lips remained unchanged. "What are you all doing gathered here so early in the morning? And who is this person on the ground?"
Upon hearing this, everyone lowered their heads and pretended to be quails, with not a single person responding.
Until there was a sizzling sound.
A small pebble fell from the sky and hit one of the women.
Wei Hui subconsciously looked in the direction from which the stones had been thrown, but only saw the leaves of the big tree move, and did not see anyone.
And then a familiar soft moaning sound reached her ears.
"father!"
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