Chapter 202 The ransom can be paid, but the person must be brought back safely!
Jiang Ling remained silent.
She said those words out of the blue just now only to test Fang Shijie.
Fang Shijie spoke of Dayu Dynasty in the same tone as he spoke of Dayu Dynasty, with a sense of detachment.
Or perhaps she, like herself, is not a person of this era.
Either he's not from the Great Yu Dynasty.
But for now, escaping is the priority. She doesn't intend to expose them at this moment.
Jiang Ling looked at the sky; it was going to be a clear night.
The moon hung high in the sky, and by its light, one could vaguely see the road ahead.
"It's getting late, Young Master Fang. How are you feeling? Are you still able to walk?"
She wasn't sure if the bandits behind them would catch up, so she decided not to linger there too long.
Fang Shijie looked weak: "I'm alright... I should be able to hold on. I'm just a burden to you, young lady."
Jiang Ling reached out and helped him up.
After this accident, Fang Shijie clearly felt that the distance between the two had shortened a lot.
When we meet again, we will no longer be just casual acquaintances.
In the darkness, Fang Shijie secretly observed Jiang Ling's expression. The bright moonlight shone on her, as if she were gilded with a layer of radiance.
This friendship is more precious than any source of goods.
After all, you are the "Goddess of the River" of the Great Yu Dynasty!
The one secretly protecting you is not the heir of the Cheng family, but the crown prince of the Dayu Dynasty!
In the darkness, the leader of Black Wind Stronghold, along with two of his men, hid under a banyan tree, silently watching this scene.
One of his men asked, "Chief, what should we do now? Should we continue the pursuit?"
"No need. Young Master has achieved his goal, and we have completed our mission. Have you sent the letter to the Cheng residence?"
To complete the charade and clear Fang Shijie of suspicion, the bandits of Black Wind Village sent extortion letters to both the Cheng and Fang families.
Another subordinate replied, "They just set off and should be arriving soon."
"Alright, pack your things and take our brothers with you to leave. The thirty-odd refugees we just took in a few days ago will be enough to stay in the village."
One of the underlings complained, "Chief, is it really worth risking the entire Black Wind Stronghold for such a charade?"
The chieftain coldly shouted, "What do you know! Our village has been under the government's watchful eye for a long time! We should take this opportunity to leave! Anyway, those who remain are all subjects of the Great Yu Dynasty, so it's none of our business if they all die!"
It's good that they're all dead!
After lying in wait for more than a decade, all the necessary information has been gathered.
They should go back to their own country.
If we don't leave now, I'm afraid I'll really be buried in a foreign land!
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As the setting sun dipped below the edge of the palace walls, the candlelight in the East Palace was already burning brightly.
The Crown Prince was reviewing memorials on disaster relief with a vermilion brush, and the paper on his desk was still stained with ink.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from outside the hall, accompanied by the crisp sound of armor clashing.
"Your Highness! Something terrible has happened!"
Cheng Fang had just returned from the disaster relief site, covered in dust and filled with resentment.
"Miss Jiang has been kidnapped! Zhao Jingxing sent someone to report that it was the bandits from Black Wind Stronghold who have caught up with her to the foot of West Mountain. They request Your Highness to send troops to assist!"
"What!"
Crown Prince Qin Zhao suddenly stood up, the hem of his dragon-patterned robe sweeping across the table, causing the teacup to tip over and tea to drip down the edge of the table.
Even Jiang Yi, who was standing nearby, was shocked.
"Black Wind Stronghold? Didn't the Prefect of the Capital just wipe out the surrounding bandit strongholds a few days ago? How dare they be so audacious as to kidnap people in broad daylight on the outskirts of the capital?"
Speaking of this, Cheng Fangmeng's eyes reddened, and his tone was full of self-blame.
"It is my dereliction of duty! Black Wind Stronghold is full of suspicious points. I originally intended to keep them around for a few days to observe them, perhaps we could catch the person behind them, but this accident happened! If anything happens to Miss Jiang, I..."
He suspected that Black Wind Stronghold was colluding with the Great Sheng Dynasty and was already collecting evidence. He originally thought he could wipe out all the Great Sheng Dynasty's spies in the capital, but he didn't expect to get Jiang Ling involved.
"This is no time for self-blame!" Qin Zhao interrupted him, quickly walked into the hall, and glanced at the map of the capital region on the wall.
"Black Wind Stronghold has occupied West Mountain for many years. The mountain is steep and easy to defend, and it has connections with the surrounding gentry, so they are very well-informed. Miss Jiang has made great contributions to the country, and we must not let anything happen to her! What are they planning?"
Cheng Fang handed over the extortion letter that Black Wind Village had just sent.
Before Jiang Yi could present it, Qin Zhao stepped forward and snatched it away himself.
He quickly scanned the contents of the letter and breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"Fortunately, it's just about making money."
This at least indicates that Jiang Ling's life is not in immediate danger.
"Jiang Yi, convey my decree: order the Ministry of Revenue to immediately allocate 50,000 taels of ransom and deliver it to the palace gates within a quarter of an hour!"
"Yes!" Jiang Yi immediately agreed and rushed out to deliver the order.
He turned to look at Cheng Fang, his tone suddenly becoming sharp:
"Cheng Fang, you will immediately lead three hundred elite light cavalry of the Crown Prince's Guard to Xishan to meet with Zhao Jingxing. Remember, do not attack the stronghold rashly. The bandits are holding hostages, and if we push them too far, we may harm Miss Jiang. First, surround the gate of the stronghold and cut off their water and food supplies, and wait for news from the secret scouts."
He paused, his eyes sharp: "The ransom can be paid, but the person must be brought back safely!"
"I obey the decree!"
Just as Cheng Fang was about to get up, Qin Zhao added:
"I will send someone to summon the commander of the Imperial Guards and instruct him to deploy two hundred archers to stand by. If the bandits make any unusual moves, they are to encircle them from the back of the mountain. In addition, I will have the Prefect of the Capital block all official roads around the Western Hills to prevent the bandits from moving the hostages."
"Your Highness, rest assured, I will bring Miss Jiang back safely!"
Cheng Fang bowed respectfully, then turned and strode out of the East Palace.
After giving all the instructions, Qin Zhao returned to his desk, picked up the fallen vermilion brush, but hesitated to put it down.
He gazed at the deep night outside the window, his brow furrowed.
Jiang Ling is not only a "goddess" who has contributed to the country, but also possesses a "miracle medicine" that can save lives, as well as a lot of food and cloth.
The secret of her shop is even more crucial to the future of the Great Yu Dynasty.
If she falls into the hands of bandits or is exploited by those with ulterior motives, the consequences will be unimaginable.
"Guards!" the Crown Prince said in a deep voice.
A black-clad secret agent silently emerged from behind a pillar and knelt on one knee: "Your subordinate is here."
"Immediately investigate the background of the Black Wind Stronghold leader and who he has been associating with recently. Also, find out the details of Miss Jiang's attack today. Zhao Jingxing said there were two groups of assassins; the first group harassed people, and the second group kidnapped Jiang Ling. Is there anything fishy going on here? Could someone be using the bandits to deliberately target Miss Jiang?"
"Yes, sir!" The spy stood up and disappeared silently into the night.
As night deepened, the faint sound of horses' hooves could be heard from the direction of the western mountains; it was Cheng Fang's light cavalry rushing to the rescue.
Meanwhile, torches blazed like dragons along the official road at the foot of the mountain.
Cheng Fang and Zhao Jingxing walked side by side with stern expressions.
"General, Black Wind Stronghold is just ahead in the mountains!" a scout reported as he galloped in.
Zhao Jingxing gripped the reins tightly, his eyes flashing with a cold light: "All troops, listen to my command! Encircle Black Wind Stronghold and rescue the hostages at all costs!"
The thunderous sound of hooves shattered the silence of the mountain night as they hurtled towards Black Wind Village.
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