"Hey, buddy, have you eaten yet?" Jian Yang held up a big, oily chicken leg in front of the beggar.
The beggar was fast asleep when he suddenly smelled a rich aroma of meat. He opened his eyes with a snap and instinctively opened his mouth to bite into a chicken leg.
"Wait a minute." Jian Yang held the chicken leg high and said with a smile, "If you want to eat meat, you have to do something for me."
The beggar's mouth was practically watering. He'd be willing to do anything, even climb the city wall and jump down!
"What do you want me to do, young lady? Just tell me!" the beggar said obsequiously.
Jian Yang lowered his voice and said, "You will guard this south gate for the time being and see if anyone is looking for a girl. If so, report to me. I will treat you to roast chicken every day and give you an extra five taels of silver."
The beggar's eyes lit up immediately, and he nodded hurriedly, shouting, "Yes, yes, I'm willing!"
But then he became worried: "Girl, the area you're talking about is too broad. There are so many people looking for people at the city gate every day. What if I'm wrong?"
Jian Yang laughed and said, "These people are basically all carrying weapons and wearing black clothes and boots. They look like they are not to be trifled with."
This conclusion was drawn from the attire of the group that assassinated her last time.
The beggar nodded and then asked, "What are the characteristics of that girl?"
Jian Yang thought for a moment and described her height and body features to him. As for her appearance, she changed her appearance every few days, and even her own father couldn't recognize her.
Having understood the general situation, the beggar asked one last question: "Young lady, if I encounter those people, how can I contact you?"
Jian Yang pointed to the Yue Lai Inn not far away, "When the time comes, just tell the innkeeper that you're looking for a girl with the surname Yang, and he will lead me to see you."
She made up a surname on the spot.
The beggar said with great enthusiasm, "Alright! Now that I've accepted the task from you, young lady, I will definitely handle it properly and live up to your expectations!"
Jian Yang: There's no need for that.
After handing out the chicken leg, Jian Yang then took out a five-tael silver ingot and handed it to him. The beggar was almost moved to tears, saying that he had met a living bodhisattva.
After leaving the city wall, Jian Yang went to the pharmacy and bought a large amount of medicinal herbs to take back to the inn.
She wanted to take advantage of this time to rush out a batch of poison powder and other drugs with different effects.
Two days later, the innkeeper knocked on Jian Yang's door.
"Miss Yang, there's a beggar looking for you downstairs at the entrance."
Jian Yang quickly closed the door and went downstairs with the innkeeper.
Sure enough, the beggar stood at the door, craning his neck and anxiously peering into the house.
Upon seeing Jian Yang, he immediately exclaimed excitedly, "Miss Yang, I've found the people you were talking about!"
The guests and diners in the inn all turned to look.
Jian Yang quickly led him outside the inn, generously handing him ten taels of silver before asking, "Where are those people?"
The beggar pointed to the south gate and said, "Look, it's over there!"
Jian Yang hadn't held out much hope for this needle-in-a-haystack search, but when she looked in the direction the beggar pointed, her eyes lit up with surprise.
They were four burly men, dressed the same as the group that killed her at the inn outside the city last time.
The four men are holding a portrait and comparing it back and forth with pedestrians entering and leaving the city.
It's obvious they're looking for someone.
Because of the great distance, Jian Yang couldn't see who was depicted in their portraits, but she was strangely confident that the person in the portrait was herself.
As for the face, it's probably the same face as last time.
Those people probably never dreamed that she had changed several masks before, and even if she walked past them now, they wouldn't recognize her.
However, the next moment, one of the men seemed to sense Jian Yang's gaze and suddenly looked up at her.
Those eyes gleamed with a sharp, bloodthirsty light, like those of a hawk, and Jian Yang's heart skipped a beat.
Why did she feel like she had been recognized?
She quickly calmed herself down and reassured herself not to panic.
She was wearing a human skin mask, and those people didn't have X-ray vision, so they definitely wouldn't recognize her.
Don't panic, it's not a big problem!
However, she was proven wrong the very next moment.
The man said something to his companions, and the four of them turned around and walked toward her.
What the heck?
The beggar reacted very quickly; as soon as he saw the four men walking towards them, he immediately made a run for it.
Jian Yang stood there alone, completely panicked.
Just as she was about to turn around and hide in the inn, a hand suddenly reached out from the alley next to the inn and pulled her into the alley.
Jian Yang was shocked and was about to cry out when she sensed a familiar presence.
"Hold my waist tighter," the emperor whispered in her ear.
Jian Yang quickly complied.
The next moment, the emperor embraced her and leaped over the high wall beside him.
Just then, the four men walked briskly to the alley entrance.
"Where did they go? How could they disappear in the blink of an eye?" one of the men said.
"She doesn't know martial arts, so she must have hidden in an alley. Let's split up and search for her!"
The four of them soon dispersed.
Jian Yang, who had been holding her breath, finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then she looked up at the masked emperor and asked, "Your Majesty, what are you doing here?"
Could it be that he's been watching over her all this time?
The emperor looked down at her and said, "The guards said there was some unusual activity at the south gate, so I came to investigate."
Actually, he came to investigate as a side trip; his main purpose was to see her.
Jian Yang responded with an "Oh," but it was impossible to tell whether she was disappointed or not.
The two looked at each other in silence.
"Won't someone suddenly come out here?" Jian Yang looked around the unfamiliar courtyard, afraid that someone might suddenly come out and mistake them for thieves.
The emperor said gently, "It shouldn't be."
“Should?” Jian Yang looked at him in surprise.
The emperor laughed and said, "Don't be afraid. If someone discovers us, I will take you away."
Jian Yang thought about it and agreed that it made sense. He knew light-footed kung fu and could easily climb over walls. Even if he was discovered, he wouldn't be caught.
The two remained silent, looking at each other.
“Ayang,” the emperor said quietly as he looked at her, “I understand you more and more now.”
"Huh?" Jian Yang was puzzled.
The emperor said, "Being with me means you're destined to live a life of constant anxiety, which is really unfair to you."
Jian Yang's eyes widened, wondering if this person was going to try to appeal to her emotions again and persuade her to return to the palace.
She made it clear today that no matter what he said, she would never go back with him!
The emperor continued, "Your choice to leave is the right one. Only by leaving this place completely can you escape the disturbances and live a normal life."
Jian Yang: "?"
How did this person suddenly become so enlightened?
That made it impossible for her to continue.
After thinking for a moment, she said politely, "Your Majesty need not be so self-deprecating. There are advantages to living in the palace."
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