Chapter 18: Reward After this incident, the Kingdom of Li is not far from becoming a vassal and paying tribute...
The setting sun is blood-red.
After Shu Yao escaped from Lu Bo's house, she stumbled to the market on the outskirts of the city.
He was completely unaware of the hustle and bustle around him. He just walked forward blankly with his eyes red and swollen.
She has never been so confused. Lu Bo's grandson died tragically, Chun Tao's life and death are unknown. She escaped at all costs just to break free from the shackles of power. Is it really worth it?
Just as he was startled, he suddenly heard a woman's clear voice shouting, "Is everything ready?"
Shu Yao raised her head and saw a woman in red standing in front of the caravan.
The woman had a tall and straight figure, and her brows were filled with the shrewdness of a seasoned veteran.
Shu Yao took a deep breath, suppressed the sorrow in her heart, and warned herself: Now that I have escaped, I should not regret what has already happened.
Shu Yao stepped forward quickly and stopped in front of the horse: "Madam, please stay!"
The woman in red reined in her horse and glanced up and down at Shu Yao, who looked dusty but still elegant. "Young lady, why are you blocking my way?"
Shu Yao met the red-dressed woman's gaze, her tone urgent yet calm. "I have urgent business and need to leave the city immediately. I'd appreciate your carriage and horses accompanying me. If you'd be so kind... I'd definitely reward you handsomely."
"A generous reward?" The woman in red frowned slightly, her words revealing the caution typical of a merchant. "Look at the girl, she doesn't look like someone with any money. The world is unstable these days, and the government is conducting strict investigations everywhere. We're a small business, and we can't afford to be involved in this."
Shu Yao knew that she had concerns, so she thought quickly and decided to play to her heart's desire: "Sister, you have good judgment. I saw that you were in charge of the caravan alone, and you managed it calmly. I think you must be an extremely independent and self-reliant person, not willing to rely on men like ordinary women and live at the mercy of others..."
The red-dressed woman's eyes flickered slightly, still with a look of scrutiny, but her back straightened a little: "Self-reliance and self-improvement? Ha... What does it have to do with you, young lady?"
Shu Yao was already deeply distressed by Lu Bo's incident, and tears welled up in her eyes. She sobbed half-heartedly, "That's why I dared to ask you for help, sister! My husband is a gambling addict and has long since squandered our fortune. Now he's so mad he wants to...sell me to a brothel to pay off his debts!" Her tears fell at just the right moment, filled with both genuine humiliation and calculated fear. "Last night, I took advantage of him being drunk and risked my life to escape. He has my travel permit and all my identity documents in his hands! If I don't leave today, he'll be throwing me into the fire tomorrow! Sister, as a fellow woman, you'll understand my desperation at this moment! I'm truly desperate, so I've resorted to this desperate measure. Please save my life, sister!"
"You've suffered such a fate... It's truly pitiful." The red-clothed woman listened with sympathy, her tone still carrying the merchant's caution. "But how can I expect a generous reward in your current state? Our caravan is heading to Yumen Pass, where the situation is very chaotic. We simply can't afford the risk of taking you in. Young lady, you should find another way."
Shu Yao hadn't expected the caravan to go to Yumen, so she quickly said, "I don't dare ask you to take me in, sister. I just ask you to take me out of the city..."
As he spoke, he took out a cloth bag from his bosom, opened a corner, and revealed an inkstone as smooth as jade.
Even in the dim twilight, it is difficult to conceal its luxurious demeanor.
This inkstone must be priceless.
Shu Yao's eyes were filled with tears as she presented the inkstone with both hands. "This is a Yongning Duan inkstone, very valuable. I only had time to hide this when I escaped. As long as you can get me out of the city safely, this inkstone will be a thank you gift!"
When the woman in red saw the magnificent carvings on the inkstone and the clouds and dragons that seemed to soar into the sky, she knew that this was definitely not something that an ordinary wealthy person could possess.
Although she was not well versed in cultural relics, she knew that such a person must be from a royal family.
He couldn't help but gasp, "Where did you get this inkstone? It looks like it belongs in the palace."
Shu Yao wiped away her tears, her demeanor suddenly changing, completely different from her previous weak self: "Don't worry, sister, this item has a clean origin. My mother was on duty in the palace in the past, and she was blessed to receive this inkstone as my dowry. Since you want to go to Yumen, where the sky is high and the emperor is far away, I think if you pawn this item, no one will be able to trace it back to you. Please save me!"
The woman in red has been in charge of the caravan for many years and knows that wealth and honor can only be achieved through risk.
Although the woman in front of her was suspicious in every way, her courage in not relying on men to live inexplicably made her feel a little admiration.
She took a deep breath and answered firmly, "Okay! I'll take this deal! But let me be frank: if you cause any trouble, I will abandon you immediately. No mercy!"
After she finished speaking, she waved her hand quickly, signaling the servants behind her: "Empty the box underneath and let her hide in it. And get a cloak! Quick!"
The huge stone in Shu Yao's heart fell, and she felt a mixture of sadness and joy: "Thank you so much for saving my life, sister!"
With the false clue of the inkstone, Xiao Chengjing would definitely think that she had found a way to return to Li State.
By the time he realized what was happening, she had already disappeared into obscurity...
With this in mind, she quickly climbed onto the designated truck.
The carriage started slowly and drove towards the city gate.
A few days later.
A simple post station outside Jinhai County.
It was almost evening, and the cold wind blew up dust, causing the lanterns under the eaves to sway.
There were three or five travelers sitting around a few greasy wooden tables, resting their feet.
Shu Yao was wrapped in a coarse cloth cloak, looking dusty and huddled alone on a bench in the corner.
She held a bowl of plain noodles with almost no oil in it, swallowed it in small sips, while her ears were alertly listening to the noise around her.
A brown-clad merchant with a northern accent raised his rough bowl, took a sip of inferior wine, and smacked his lips. "Hey, have you heard? Something big's happened in Jindu again!"
A merchant in blue clothes with a hint of a southern accent unloaded his bag and slowly dusted off his clothes. He raised an eyebrow at the words, "Brother, are you from the north? Didn't Jin County change its name to Yanjing County a long time ago? With the Liang army in charge, what big things can happen? Could it be that some of the old clans are still restless?"
"This isn't just a minor incident..." The brown-clad merchant lowered his voice, his tone tinged with mystery, "It's the former Princess Jingning, Yuwen Zhao!"
The blue-clothed merchant leaned forward, showing a hint of interest. "The Yuwen family's jeweled daughter? Hasn't she always been supported by Liang Di'en? What happened?"
"Enyang?" The brown-robed merchant shook his head with a sigh. "He fell ill suddenly two days ago—he's gone! The news from the palace said he was gone instantly. Alas, it's pitiful. His country was destroyed and his family was ruined. I'm afraid he's never recovered from this."
"Sudden illness?...At this moment?" The blue-clad merchant seemed lost in thought, tapping his fingers on the table. "A while ago, there was a song circulating in the city about a canary, delicate in a cage, with the people of Jin shedding tears, tossed into the ditch...Now that she's gone, won't the people of Jin shed even more tears? No explanation from Liangdu."
The brown-robed merchant waved his hand and said, "What can we say? Emperor Liang was kind and allowed her to be buried with the rites of a princess. As for those gossipers..." He raised his hand to his neck and said, "It is a foregone conclusion that she died of illness!"
Shu Yao's hand holding the bowl trembled almost imperceptibly, and some noodle soup spilled out.
She quickly steady herself, lowered her head even lower, and pretended to blow on the soup.
A bitter smile escaped his lips, and the grief in his heart was hard to suppress.
If she stayed there, she might end up like this one day...
The blue-clad merchant pondered for a moment, then changed the subject: "If you want to talk about big things, the Yumen Pass in the west is where the action is!"
The brown-clad merchant was immediately led there. "Yumen? That old thief Yuwenbo? He's still alive? Wasn't he trapped by the Liang army long ago, and all the medicine and food supplies are gone?"
"Death? He'd like to die quickly!" The blue-clad merchant's voice rose slightly, a hint of pride in his retelling: "Guess what? He actually sent someone to sneak back to the old capital and kidnap the woman who was a guest of Emperor Liang!"
The brown-clothed merchant's eyes widened, and he nearly spit out his wine. "What?! Kidnapping the Princess of Li?! Is he crazy? What's the point of kidnapping her? Isn't this courting death?!"
The blue-clothed merchant nodded. "That's right! I heard Yuwenbo wanted to use her as a talisman to blackmail the Li Kingdom in hopes of restoring his kingdom! When the news got back, Emperor Liang was furious and immediately ordered General Zhao to advance his troops at full speed. He ordered him to flatten Yumen Gate and rescue the hostage within ten days!"
Shu Yao grabbed the edge of the coarse pottery bowl with her fingers, her knuckles turning pale, and she felt a sense of absurdity as if ice water had been poured on her face.
She actually became Xiao Chengjing's excuse to send troops to suppress the enemy? !
After thinking about it, I breathed a sigh of relief.
Does Xiao Chengjing's dispatch of troops to Yumen mean that the false clues she left behind worked?
On the other side, the brown-clad merchant was listening intently. He slapped his thigh and shouted, "Good fellow! He's really courting death! General Zhao is on the move, and what good are his few thousand remaining soldiers? What happened next? Did they rescue the hostage? Is the hostage safe?"
The blue-clothed merchant shook his head and sighed, "Rescue? How could it be so easy! Yumen Pass is easy to defend but difficult to attack, and Yuwenbo was determined to fight to the death. The battle was brutal! But General Zhao, worthy of being a fierce general under Emperor Liang, broke through the pass on the tenth day! Yuwenbo was killed on the spot, and his head has been hung on Yumen Pass for public display. As for the hostage..." He lowered his voice, "She's still alive in the chaos! Emperor Liang has issued a notice, and all prefectures and counties should post notices, offering a large reward for the return of this noblewoman from the Li Kingdom!"
The brown-clad merchant smacked his lips in astonishment. "Three hundred taels of gold?! This princess's life is truly precious, yet so unfortunate... She's just escaped a wolf's den, only to find herself back in the clutches of a tiger. We don't know whether she's dead or alive. Emperor Liang has lost face this time. She was taken from under his nose. If we can't find her, how will we explain this to the Li Kingdom?"
The blue-clad merchant leaned forward, his eyes revealing a knowing glance. His voice dropped even lower. "An explanation? Hey, the Liang Emperor just conquered the Jin Kingdom, and his military might is at its peak. How dare the Li Kingdom say anything? Yuwen Bo kidnapped someone, and the Liang Emperor sent a large army to suppress the bandits, even offering a reward for their capture. He's being completely charitable, and the Li Kingdom can't express his gratitude enough! If I were to ask you, after this incident, the Li Kingdom wouldn't be far from becoming a vassal and paying tribute. As for that princess..." He shook his head. "I'm afraid she's in great danger."
Shu Yao silently put down the bowl, dropped a few copper coins on the table, and stood up to leave.
The shopkeeper took a few steps closer, squinting his eyes and examining it: "But this noodle is not to my lady's liking? My lady didn't even touch it!"
As he spoke, he stretched his neck to look, as if trying to get a glimpse of the face beneath the cloak.
Shu Yao lowered the brim of her hat, ran to the horse's tether, pulled the reins loose, jumped on the horse and galloped away.
The shopkeeper cursed from behind: "This woman! She's running so fast, has she encountered a ghost?!"
The author has something to say:
----------------------
【Small Theater】
Xiao Chengjing: She is the princess of Li State, she must have escaped to Li State!
Jiang Shuyao: Hug me, I traveled through time and space [Sunglasses]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com