Chapter 14 An incredible news
The fiery clouds on the horizon seemed to have set the entire sky on fire.
Holding the small note stuffed into their palms, Xie Ci and Gu Guan looked at each other, feeling nervous.
Gu Guan was worried that the harsh words would corrupt the children, while Xie Ci was worried about nonsense such as "a girl who is one year older than you will get a golden rooster" and "a sister who is the same age will have everything going for her".
The two of them hurriedly opened it and saw that they were both serious.
"Xiao Si is a stubborn child who loves to dwell on trivial matters. Yuanniang, you should comfort him and give him more advice. No matter how much hatred there is, no one is more important than you."
"Don't force yourself in life. Just do your best and have a clear conscience."
Unlike Xie Ersao's usual decisiveness, this delicate hairpin-shaped calligraphy is graceful and gentle like a trickle of water.
It was as if he was giving careful instructions under a dim light.
Both of them breathed a sigh of relief.
Xie Ci picked up the bamboo pole and moved towards the embankment. The small boat, neither too big nor too small, swayed along the current and headed towards the center of the river. He glanced at Gu Wan and explained carefully: "My second sister-in-law just likes to make fun of me. Don't pay any attention to her."
The autumn sun had taken on a slight chill, the river breeze rustled across the water, and Xie Ci's clothes fluttered in the wind. It might be hard to believe, but to him, Gu Wan was a bit like a pillar.
In times of despair, a ray of light.
Xie Ci will never be able to forget the hands that shook him in the prison fever, which opened a crack in his feverish and chaotic mind.
He stumbled and escaped death with her support.
He almost gave up several times in the howling snow, but he finally gritted his teeth and persevered because there was someone beside him.
He didn't know whether to blame his second sister-in-law. Ever since she said those words, his interactions with her weren't as natural as before, and he felt a little lost. Occasionally, a thought flashed through his mind: if he had gotten to know her well before, taken her out to play, and not said those nonsense on their wedding night, then, then would...
Xie Ci is ignorant of true love, but he is not a fool. Even if he has never eaten pork, he has seen pigs run. He actually understands what Xie Ersao means.
But there are no ifs.
She doesn't like him.
Making such a joke would make him feel that he had tarnished their relationship.
"sorry."
Gu Wan stood on the bow of the boat, looking up at her slightly. The golden-red sunset cast a halo around her.
In fact, Xie Ci was hesitant on this trip. He was not afraid of death. He was just afraid that he would die after exhausting all his strength but still be unable to achieve his long-cherished wish of redressing the injustice and taking revenge.
But with Gu Guan by his side, he suddenly became much calmer.
He whispered, "Don't pay attention to your second sister-in-law's nonsense."
Fortunately, Gu Wan didn't care. She was surprised: "Why are you apologizing? What's the big deal?"
The wind brought her voice. She smiled and used one hand to lift up her hair that was blown into a mess by the wind. Her voice was loud and clear.
Xie Ci's heart couldn't help but feel lighter, and he said, "Yeah!"
Xie Ci rowed for a while, then suddenly remembered something: "Once this matter is settled, I'll go get your mother and your brother. No, I'd better write a letter to my second sister-in-law. When things are settled at home and I can free up, I'll hire an escort agency to go back to Zhongdu."
As he said this, he felt that it had been too long and his future was uncertain, so it would be safer to write a trust to his second sister-in-law.
Gu Wan: “…”
Damn, if Xie Ci hadn’t mentioned it, she would have almost forgotten about it.
The original owner had few relatives, but her mother was still alive, and she had a half-brother. After taking refuge in the mansion of the Duke of Loyalty and Bravery, she ran into her first love, dated him for a while, and then decided to remarry. The original owner refused to follow him, remaining in the Xie family.
As for why she didn't come to take care of the original owner when he was in prison, it was because the original owner's stepfather was also a scumbag. As soon as something happened in the Duke of Zhongyong's Mansion, he divorced his wife and drove the mother and daughter out.
She encountered two scumbags in a row. Mrs. Xun had inquired about the second one and advised her not to marry him, but she was still determined to marry him.
Gu Wan didn't know what to say, anyway, he heard this Chen Shimei story when he was inquiring about the Xie family. The mother and son are currently living in a small village in the suburbs. Their life has fallen on hard times, but at least they have food and shelter.
She scratched her head. "Okay, then you write it. But there's no rush. Please remind my second sister-in-law that three to five years won't be too late. If it's nothing serious, just wait until I get back and deal with it. Safety is paramount anyway."
Speaking of this love-brained mother, Gu Guan was speechless, but it would not be appropriate to ignore it, so he finally thought about it and said.
He wrote down all the thanks one by one, and finally said to Gu Wan seriously: "I will take good care of them. Just like my sister-in-law Daming and the others."
Gu Wan sighed: "Okay, thank you."
Xie Ci pursed his lips and shook his head. “No thanks.”
Compared to what you have done for me and the Xie family, it is not worth mentioning at all.
…
The wind from the river was so fierce that it blew the small boat towards the passenger ship parked in the middle of the river.
A hook was thrown down from the passenger ship, and with a "click" it caught the bow of the small boat, and then the rope ladder was lowered.
Gu Wanxie Ci was the last one to board. As soon as he got on board, he heard the captain shout, "Prepare to sail!"
The bamboo rafts were tied together and swayed towards the shore, with the anchors in the water and the sails raised.
The crimson of the sunset glow intertwined with the darkness of dusk, and the side of the boat glided across the rippling water, heading south.
Xie Ci and Gu Guan took the evening boat, which will sail south along the current until tomorrow afternoon, when it will change course to the west. After a few days, they will switch from water to land and head straight to the northwest.
The sky had already darkened, and the figures on the dock by the river soon turned into small black dots, lost in the gloom. Only the sound of the wind blowing the willow leaves on both sides and the gurgling water could be heard.
As the boat moved, the noise and warmth of the farewell just now were also stripped away. The river breeze made their bodies feel cold. Xie Ci and Gu Wan looked into the distance, but the small pier was soon out of sight.
The people on the deck left in twos and threes. The main cabin of the passenger ship was bustling and noisy, but the rear deck was very quiet. Xie Ci still held the small note in his hand.
All of Xie Ersao's earnest advice was about him.
Only a little bit of red remained in the sky, reflected on the bridges of their noses and cheekbones. Xie Ci looked at it over and over again. Finally, he said, "But I'm going to disappoint my second sister-in-law and mother."
His vocal cords were injured, and his voice was a little hoarse, especially at this moment, as if the bow of a cello was being drawn across it.
A sad song with a hint of sorrow.
"I am going to clear the name of my father and brother and avenge them."
Xie Ci's tall and thin figure was dark against the light.
——In the blink of an eye, it was late autumn again. He had grown a lot taller and was almost seventeen years old.
His sleeves were tied tightly, and a long, sharp knife with a slender blade was placed at his waist. When he said this, the tenderness between his brows faded away, and finally revealed a bone-chilling hatred!
Except for Gu Wan, no one knew his plan.
The voices and smiles of my father and brother are still vivid in my mind, but in the end they ended up with their heads and bodies separated and being cursed by the people.
"I want to find out."
"I hope to overturn the verdict for my father and brother."
"If not, I'll kill them all!"
If someone framed him, he would kill them; if there were treacherous and corrupt officials in power, he would kill them, whether they were in the army or in the court.
The revenge for my father and brother has destroyed the entire family and we cannot reconcile!
Xie Ci turned around, the evening breeze ruffling his long hair as he spoke word for word, "I want them to pay with blood!!"
When he was at home, he kept half of it a secret, otherwise, neither his mother nor his sister-in-law would agree to let him go out.
But he would rather die than live in humiliation!
Gu Wan understood him. He had already told her privately before leaving, so she was not surprised. "You can do it!"
"One person's plan is short, but two people's plan is long. If we work together, we may be able to get to the bottom of this soon."
"Um."
Gu Wan's tone slowed down and became lighter, with a hint of lightness, as if this was not a very difficult thing. The taut string in Xie Ci's heart couldn't help but relax. He looked down at the small note in his hand, folded it up and put it in his inner pocket with great care.
The two men turned around and walked quickly up the narrow gangway to the cabin on the second floor.
The boat ticket included a meal, which was brought up by a boy and distributed to each room. Although the two had already eaten, they had experienced the days of hunger before, so no one wanted to waste food. They sat down to have another meal of simple tea and rice.
The hatch closed, and Gu Wan pushed the window open. After checking that there was nothing wrong, he asked Xie Ci, "If we're going west, where exactly are we going?"
Go west, go west, there is always a specific location.
In other words, from which place and location does Xie Ci want to start the investigation? Does he have any targets or clues?
Speaking of this, he thanked her for a moment, put down his chopsticks, and after a while, he said, "Suzhou."
The afterglow finally faded, the dark crimson vanishing. His eyes were as deep and bottomless as the twilight. He spoke slowly, "Back then, twelve great generals simultaneously accused my father and brother of collaborating with the enemy. Six of them were my father's trusted generals."
His voice was hoarse.
Otherwise, there wouldn’t be “conclusive evidence” so quickly.
Therefore, even the skeptics among the people suddenly became convinced. The Xie family was suddenly nailed to the pillar of shame. The more their reputation for generations of loyal heroes grew, the more they were cursed and spitted at.
However, Xie Ci knew clearly that his father and brother would never collaborate with the enemy!!
With a "crack", the wooden chopsticks in his hand were finally broken into two pieces.
Even though Gu Wan was mentally prepared, it was still shocking to hear just twenty or so words.
She was silent for a while, then said, "Okay, then we'll go to Suzhou."
…
Among these twelve generals and six confidants, one was Xie Ci’s uncle, Xun Qingbi, the governor of Suzhou.
Xie Ci didn't even tell Madam Xun about this matter, so as not to upset her.
He took it all on his own.
Xie Ci touched the small note in his inner pocket. He took it out and read it over and over again before he felt a little better.
The two men rested that night. At dawn the next day, the passenger ship had arrived in Bingzhou and turned northwest. After arriving in Qinzhou, the two men changed from water route to land route and headed straight for Suzhou.
It is worth mentioning that the two met Li Yi.
At the Qinzhou Wharf, the other party was waiting for him specifically.
Xie Ci was the first to notice this person, and frowned. The other person came down from the second floor of the tavern, whip in hand. "Xie Ci, you and I are in the same boat. How about I help you?"
When I saw Li Yi again, he was no longer traveling in secret. The two guards brought the post horses that were transferred at the post station, but Yu Manzhen was not there.
Li Yi really appreciated Xie Ci, not for anything else, but just for this person, and his desire to bring him under his command was unprecedentedly strong.
So he let his substitute lead the team on the road first, and he waited at this necessary road for more than half a month.
Gu Guan glanced at Li Yi, then looked up, and sure enough, he met a pair of gloomy eyes in the window on the second floor.
She snorted inwardly.
Xie Ci looked Li Yi up and down, wary and defensive, and coldly refused: "No need."
After saying that, he pulled Gu Guan onto the horse, and the two of them whipped their horses and quickly left Qinzhou Wharf.
The sound of hoofbeats faded away quickly. "Master?"
Li Yi raised his hand to stop him, "Let's go."
There's no use being anxious.
He smiled and said, "Sooner or later he will find out that he needs me."
Yu Manzhen rushed down quickly. She stared at Gu Wan's receding back. When Li Yi looked over, she immediately looked back and retracted her gaze.
"Get on the horse."
The wind blew across his face. Li Yi straightened his sleeves, turned over and jumped onto his horse. He was not disappointed. This tall and deep-minded young man looked straight ahead.
Next, he focused on the task at hand.
…
Gu Wan looked back and saw the horses' hooves kicking up dust as the four riders headed west.
Xie Ci then slowly pulled the reins.
"Let's go that way."
Although the other party did not seem to have any intention of informing on others, and he himself had obviously had a pigtail when he secretly left the capital to rescue prisoners, Li Yi probably guessed Xie Ci's resentment. He knew that the two children would definitely go to the northwest soon after they recovered from their injuries, so he waited for people on the necessary transit road.
But his appearance still made Xie Ci wary. He said coldly, "These people appeared out of nowhere and are targeting the Xie family. They have ulterior motives."
Gu Wan had no objection, so the two of them made a long detour and went to Mingzhou first. After staying there for a few days, they headed to Suzhou again.
After repeatedly confirming that no one was following him, Xie Ci's frown finally relaxed a little.
By the time the two arrived in Suzhou, it was already late autumn.
It was noon, the autumn sun was blazing, but the wind had already taken on a chill. The vast yellow grass and the boundless wilderness were connected together, extending all the way to the end of the sky.
The scenery in the northwest is rugged, and the post roads seem a bit rough. The two followed the back of the escort team and finally saw Suzhou City in the distance.
The brown and yellow city walls were beside the ground, arrow towers stood majestically, and the important border town was heavily guarded. From a distance, the first checkpoint with barricades began to be set up for inspection. The escort leader of the escort agency was familiar with the route and pulled the team over and stood at the end of the team.
Xie Ci rode on his horse, while Gu Wan sat at the back of the cart. Xie Ci said slowly, "I recognize the man who took the white silk that day. He was one of the guards of my second cousin Xun Xun."
It was talking about the murder of the sick prisoner in Tiekan Temple at the beginning.
He was a very inconspicuous person. The general's guards numbered at least dozens. Xie Ci and Xun Xun were not actually familiar with each other, let alone the personal guards. However, one year during the Chinese New Year, the other party accompanied his brother back to the capital to report on his work on behalf of his father and came to pay a visit to the Duke of Loyalty and Bravery's mansion. He had met this person.
It might be hard to believe this supporting role that only appeared briefly, but Xie Ci just remembered him.
It was noon, the autumn sun was blazing, and Xie Ci was wearing a bamboo hat, his face shrouded in its shadow. From Gu Guan's angle, he could faintly see Xie Ci's eyes, with a circle of patterns around his inky pupils, vaguely resembling the shadow of double pupils.
It is very beautiful, with a sense of roses blooming at night.
Gu Wan knew that this was true. Xie Ci had extraordinary talents, including a sense of smell. In the book, he was extremely powerful. Even though his eyes were injured, he remembered the smell of the person lying on his back just by relying on his sense of smell. Later, with the help of this clue, he was able to restore the truth many years later.
This Xun Xun was one of the main villains. He was a high-ranking official, but was later killed by Xie Ci with a single sword strike.
Xie Ci protected the dynasty and saved the people, but he was definitely not a good man or a believer.
The unforgettable hatred and grudge, the collapse of the country, should be the beginning of revenge.
Gu Guan whispered, "We have to be careful. Suzhou is the territory of the Xun family."
Xie Ci's dark glass eyes reflected the red tassel on the hilt of the long sword in his arms. The edge of his pupils was a little dark red. His voice was a little hoarse: "I know."
…
The escort leader in front waved, and Xie Ci and several escorts beside him rode their horses to the front to help.
The dry cold wind blew gently, ruffling the hair on his temples. Gu Guan leaned against the fence of the cart, placed his long sword upright at the rear, and gently turned its hilt.
This is the one given to her by Xie Ersao.
She liked this sword, which was polished to a spotless finish, with its hilt and scabbard polished to a shine, reflecting the azure sky and the golden sun. She looked up, the sun was a little dazzling, but the unpolluted sky seemed exceptionally vast and boundless, and she could clearly see the line connecting heaven and earth.
Although there were dangers this time, she was not afraid. Instead, she was eager to try and felt that it was very meaningful. Even without Yu Manzhen.
Does this count as supporting loyal and good people?
What a damn sense of justice!
She laughed at herself, and suddenly remembered someone once said to her: "You, you, your body may have left, but your heart is still there."
Thinking of that smiling person, Gu Guan's smile faded.
After being melancholy for a while, she breathed a sigh of relief, picked up the long sword and put it back at her waist, jumped out of the car, and quickly followed Xie Ci to the front.
They worked together to untie the hemp ropes of the escort cart one by one, opened the boxes, and had them checked one by one by the soldiers behind the barricades. After that, they were allowed to pass.
Xie Ci and Gu Guan are now temporary bodyguards. They are not short of money, but they need to cover up.
After stopping three times and taking three truck rides, the two finally entered Suzhou City.
Gu Wan had previously warned Xie Ci to be careful - judging from Xun Xun, the three Xuns were not simple characters.
Especially Xie Ci's uncle Xun Rongbi. It is still unknown how powerful he is, but the fact that he instructed his son to kill Xie Ci shows that he is definitely a cruel and ruthless person.
Now the enemy is strong and we are weak, so we must be careful.
But who would have thought that as soon as the two entered Suzhou City, they soon heard incredible news.
Xie Ci was stunned. "You said, Governor Xun Rongbi has been seriously ill since June last year? Young Master Xun is dead?!"
The waiter piled up the dishes and chopsticks while saying, "Yes, we only have one Governor-General Xun in Suzhou. Ever since the eldest son Xun passed away last June, Governor-General Xun accidentally fell off his horse and was injured. He was deeply saddened and became seriously ill. It is said that he is not in good condition and has been recuperating. The military and political affairs of Suzhou have been in the hands of the second son!"
Gu Wan groaned, and the pickle jar he was holding dropped. "Is this true?"
The waiter was not happy. "Why would I lie to you? This is such a big deal. Governor Xun fell off his horse on the way back to the Governor's Mansion from the main camp. Many people witnessed it. And whether it was Young Master Xun's funeral or burial, there were also many people who saw it. You can easily find someone who witnessed it."
Gu Guan quickly read the thank you letter.
The breeze in the hall blew the dark blue curtains, and a wisp of Xie Ci's hair hung down from his bamboo hat, swaying slightly in the wind.
He slowly raised his head, and his cold black pupils reflected Gu Wan's incredible look.
Xie Ci's brows, which had been tense since he approached Suzhou City, furrowed in an instant.
The author has something to say:
Uncle Xun was one of the key figures who testified against the Xie family for collaborating with the enemy. Suddenly, it was discovered that he had been in trouble two months before the incident, and my eldest cousin had even died. (Rumor has it, unconfirmed)
The border chapter has begun. In Suzhou, the first place where the treason case broke out, let’s take a look at the love story together!
A Xiu remembered that someone said that the Xie family was too annoying and hoped that Xie Ci would not turn evil.
The Xie family actually really piques Ah Xiu's interest! Fang Xin will grow, change, and seek revenge, regaining power and becoming a powerful figure in the world of dragons and tigers, but Xie Ci will always be the loyal son of the Xie family whose bones are buried in the green mountains.
Heart to heart launch! See you tomorrow, babies~ (/≧▽≦)/
Finally, I would like to thank "Wenjiujiujiu" for throwing the mine, muujuu!
.
And the big babies who watered Wenwen, haha~
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