Chapter 11 Chapter 11 He and she were trapped alone in the den of thieves...
Xue Yuanyin didn't answer, but stared at him.
Zhang Jingxuan turned his eyes away and asked everyone else to get off the carriage. In a blink of an eye, they were the only two left in the carriage.
He finally looked up at her, silent for a moment. His slender jade-like knuckles unconsciously tapped on his knees. After a while, he asked directly:
"His Royal Highness Prince Yu asked you to come to me to inquire about information? What do you want to know?"
Xue Yuanyin immediately knew that he had done the right thing and raised his eyebrows.
"It depends on what you know."
She spent a day and a night thinking it through – Zhang Jingxuan was too clever. If she wanted to find out something, it would be impossible to hide it from him. How much she could know depended solely on how much he wanted to reveal.
She didn't know how to be calculating and analyze his intentions bit by bit, so she just asked directly. Their positions were naturally opposite, so there was nothing wrong with her doing so.
When all his free time is taken away by her, he will naturally be unable to bear it any longer and will show signs of resentment.
Xue Yuanyin sat down next to him openly, took a bite of the loquat from his plate like a bandit leader, and handed it to him without changing his expression:
"Master Zhang, you must be very busy every day. Rest your head and have some fruit."
Zhang Jingxuan's finger bones were still tapping unconsciously. Without any precaution, he took it and tasted it. It's no exaggeration to say that he almost fainted from the sourness.
He frowned deeply on his face, which usually remained calm. He wiped his hands vigorously and threw the loquat away with a hint of disgust.
Xue Yuan was overwhelmed by the music and admired his expression in a very good mood and said, "So you are still afraid of acid."
The words sounded familiar, and it seemed as if they were back in their youth when there was no grudge between them. Zhang Jingxuan was slightly startled, but did not deny it. Instead, he said coldly:
"My carriage is too small for you."
Xue Yuanyin looked at the spacious, elegant and understated carriage, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She knew he was clearly looking for trouble.
She smiled wryly: "What else?"
Zhang Jingxuan pointed to a thin blanket beside him and said calmly, "I need to take a nap. There's no extra blanket. It can't accommodate two people."
Xue Yuanyin forced her lips to pull, and was as close to him as if they were a family: "I don't care, I don't cover it."
Zhang Jingxuan remained calm and said, "You've gained weight. It's too hot for me to sit next to you."
Xue Yuanyin finally felt a little angry, but she still said with a smile: "Okay, you are thin, you are the thinnest, I can go out and drive a carriage."
Xue Yuanyin was already certain that he just wanted to get rid of her, or to make her angry and leave!
Zhang Jingxuan finally sighed softly, not intending to give in, but feeling helpless: "Xue Yuanyin, logically speaking, I shouldn't tell you what His Royal Highness the Crown Prince ordered."
Xue Yuanyin raised her eyebrows slightly and said, "Then what if it doesn't follow the rules?"
The imperial convoy stopped again to rest.
This is a hillside in the neighboring Jingzhou. There is no post station, so the servants built a crude toilet together to provide a place for the officials in the caravan to go to the toilet.
Zhang Jingxuan didn't answer. Instead, he heard a knock on the window frame, lifted the curtain and stepped out of the carriage. His attitude returned to its usual unfamiliarity. He said, "I'm going to the guest room. You can go back."
He stood up and left the carriage. Xue Yuanyin stared at his back, her teeth itching with hatred.
Zhang Zimo and Shen Lu came together to talk to Zhang Jingxuan, so they waited together.
Xue Yuanyin left first on the pretext of returning to the carriage. When he was out of sight, he turned and walked straight towards the toilet that was leaking air on all sides.
Coughing at the door, she rushed in quickly and was slightly stunned - the toilet was empty and Zhang Jingxuan was not there at all.
Xue Yuanyin suddenly came back to her senses and chased in the direction he left.
Zhang Jingxuan actually ran away right under her nose!!!
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Zhang Jingxuan and the guard leader Qin Fang left the imperial convoy and were exploring the other side of the hillside. The area was covered with bushes, making it difficult to move forward. They also had to conceal their movements, so they were not moving very fast.
"On the other side of this hill is Quanyang County. There are several towns in the county, but I don't know which one has the problem..."
Qin Fang paused, listening to the noise behind him, and said to Zhang Jingxuan beside him, "There are three following us."
"Three?" Zhang Jingxuan glanced sideways. "Who else?"
Qin Fang listened for a while and said, "The one following us in front is Xue Ling, and the one following behind is your cousin and classmate."
Zhang Jingxuan pressed his forehead hard.
He expected Xue Yuanyin to follow, but why did Zhang Zimo get involved? Although he had to use him to accompany Chen Su, Zhang Jingxuan had no intention of letting others follow him into danger.
Qin Fang asked, "Are you going to take care of these three people?"
Zhang Jingxuan shook his head: "We must not retreat now. If they can catch up, then let them follow."
He couldn't help but feel regretful for a moment. Why didn't Su Mian, Guan Bai and Gao Songlin catch up? There was a high probability that the three of them would fail and trip up Xue Yuanyin.
Soon the three of them caught up, tacitly keeping silent. Zhang Jingxuan stopped and stood in front of a rugged path on the side of the cliff, frowning:
"I've never seen this road on any map or in any book."
Just as he finished speaking, a loud shout came from the side: "Who's there?!"
Several people dressed as guards in narrow sleeves rushed out. Both sides thought the other was a commoner, but when they met, they found something wrong.
It is impossible for an ordinary town patrol guard to carry such a sharp knife and conceal the fact that it exceeds regulations.
The wealthy gentry nearby could not afford the demeanor and bearing of Zhang Jingxuan and others, so they guessed that it was a secret investigation by the imperial court.
The leading guard's expression turned cold, and he blocked the way out, drawing his sword and shouting, "Catch them!"
Qin Fang's face changed. They were too deep in the hinterland, and there were too few of them to defeat them. He immediately grabbed Zhang Zimo and Shen Suo one by one and said sternly:
"You can't turn back, run to the woods!"
Zhang Jingxuan reacted very quickly. They had alerted the enemy this time, and it was unknown when they would catch him again. So they decided to go all out.
He gave up the idea of going back and walked forward alone, jumping lightly down the path leading to Quanyang County.
Xue Yuanyin had followed Qin Fang for a while, but when he saw nearly half of the patrolling guards turning back and running towards the path, his face changed. He subconsciously jumped off the path before the guards and chased after Zhang Jingxuan.
While escaping, he did not forget to distract himself and recall the scene just now. A thought flashed through his mind: When did Zhang Jingxuan become so skilled? Is it an illusion?
…
The guards were incredibly skilled. Not only were Xue Yuanyin, Qin Fang and the others separated, but they also couldn't get rid of them even with all their strength, and were almost captured alive.
In a critical moment, Zhang Jingxuan, who was hiding on the steep slope, pulled them up, and the two of them fell and rolled down the slope.
…
This time I got rid of it completely.
Xue Yuanyin stopped rolling, took his hands off his forehead, and took a long time to get up from the ground.
I moved my arms and legs and felt sore all over, but luckily no bones were broken.
This place is surrounded by mountains on all sides, with steep terrain. There is a wasteland all around, which seems to have been abandoned. There is smoke from cooking in the distance down the slope in front, and it looks like the size of a town.
Not seeing Zhang Jingxuan around, Xue Yuanyin's heart tightened and she called out, "Zhang Jingxuan?"
There was no response for a long while, and everything was silent.
Xue Yuanyin thought about all the bad consequences and for a moment she no longer felt that he was hateful. She even wondered if she should add some paper money to his funeral if he fell to his death due to his weak body.
“…Not dead.”
A familiar figure walked out from behind the tree, kicked up dust, and coughed a few times while covering his nose.
Xue Yuanyin breathed a sigh of relief, but when she saw him standing there perfectly still, she couldn't help but get angry, her tone becoming aggressive: "Why didn't you respond just now?"
She was worried about him just now!
Zhang Jingxuan didn't answer, but handed over two wooden plaques: "I just picked up a pair of waist plaques."
Xue Yuanyin took it and looked at it. It was engraved with words such as name and address, as well as a government seal. It looked like a local identity pass.
Zhang Jingxuan gave her a wooden plaque and took one for himself before saying, "This is a waist plaque for a couple who accidentally fell off a cliff. It's still within the time limit. Let's keep it. Maybe it will be useful."
Xue Yuanyin accepted the woman's identity card and then remembered something. He looked him up and down: "How come you didn't get hurt after falling down the cliff?"
She knew full well that she hadn't been hurt because she had secretly used Qinggong. Halfway through the roll, they were forced to separate, and she had no idea where Zhang Jingxuan had fallen.
Zhang Jingxuan put away the wooden sign and said succinctly: "The slope is gentle, and I fell into the soft grass."
Xue Yuanyin automatically understood that he was luckier than her and said "oh".
She paused, and even though she was reluctant, she asked him, "What should we do next?"
Zhang Jingxuan looked up at the town in the distance and said, "Since we're here, we naturally have to go and take a look."
Xue Yuanyin asked worriedly, "What about the escort?"
"Your Majesty knows that Qin Fang and I will be coming over midway. As for you..." Zhang Jingxuan paused, then continued, "Three of the six accompanying the emperor were accidentally lost. Your Majesty should have known about the incident. However, this mission is of great importance and we can't stop just because of an accident. Therefore, your departure will probably be kept secret from Your Majesty."
Xue Yuanyin was never confused about matters concerning the state. Now was not the time to help His Royal Highness Prince Yu compete for the throne, nor was it appropriate to debate with Zhang Jingxuan, so he nodded.
The clothes worn by the two of them accompanying the emperor were both low-key plain clothes. Even after rolling in the dust, they were still made of gold-embroidered satin, which was extremely luxurious and out of tune with the folk customs of the town.
He took some time to pick off all the gold thread on the clothes, and only felt relieved when he saw that they were tattered.
Xue Yuanyin looked at the jade pendant on his waist and said, "Put your jade pendant away."
Zhang Jingxuan took off the jade pendant. It was a translucent green jade, and as it passed by, one could vaguely see the pattern of a small turtle, which looked very cute. Before Xue Yuanyin could get a clear look, he tucked it into his sleeve.
The two men packed up and walked down the mountain towards the place where smoke was coming from. Gradually, donkey-drawn carts and a few people appeared on the dirt road, queuing to enter the town.
Only then did Xue Yuanyin see the words engraved on the big stone next to him: Qingxi Town.
The two men lined up and showed their badges. The clerk at the door, dressed in government uniform, looked them over and asked why they were fleeing in such a hurry.
Zhang Jingxuan remained calm and said, "I'm a scholar, but my family is struggling. I tried to learn hunting from a hunter in the forest, but I accidentally fell into a pit."
This way he was not suspected and entered the town smoothly.
The two followed the directions on the wooden sign to find the residence of the deceased couple and talked to the locals. However, they found that they spoke a dialect that they could not understand at all.
Fortunately, the town was not very big, and I found a place to stay by guessing.
The yard was locked, so one couldn't see what was inside. But from the outside, it looked very dilapidated and old. The gate and the walls were covered in mottled mud and were crumbling. It was poorer than where the local townspeople lived, and Xue Yuanyin was shocked just by looking at it.
It seems that the badge they picked up did not represent a wealthy couple.
Xue Yuanyin and Zhang Jingxuan stood at the door in silence. Before they could figure out how to find out what was going on inside, a pair of patrolling guards approached from a distance.
"There are bandits infiltrating the nearby town, and the government is here to search your house. Please keep your gates open! Do you understand? Any resistance will be dealt with severely!"
Their family was the only one living far away from home, with only one neighbor next door. When the guards saw the two men standing at the door, their brows furrowed.
"What are you doing? Is there someone hiding in your yard? Open it up and take a look!"
Under normal circumstances, Xue Yuanyin would have definitely argued with such a person. But now the patrol team was suddenly looking for someone, either the two of them or the separated Qin Fang and his companions.
They had to hide and not arouse the suspicion of the officials.
Zhang Jingxuan showed his badge to lower the other party's guard and smiled gently at the leading guard: "Brother Guard, my wife and I were in a hurry to go out and forgot to bring our keys."
Upon hearing this, the leading guard knocked off the lock with a bang, kicked the door open and took a look. There was no one else there, and the door was very broken, so there was nothing suspicious.
He hummed, his attitude becoming more friendly. He said to the two, "You seem to be living in poverty, and you don't look like the kind of people who would harbor foreign invaders. The higher-ups just issued a curfew at the town entrance. You're not allowed to leave easily. If you need to leave the city urgently, you'll need to take your household deed to the government office to get a travel permit. Don't wander around unless necessary."
After saying this, he left with several guards.
Xue Yuanyin breathed a sigh of relief, but she saw Zhang Jingxuan's expression gradually turned colder. She asked, "What's wrong?"
Zhang Jingxuan said in a slightly cold tone, "His behavior and words just now revealed two messages. One is that Qin Fang and the others haven't been caught and are safe for the time being. Those guards went back to tip off the government, so the government office has urgently imposed martial law and conducted a search."
"As for the second one..."
Zhang Jingxuan paused, raised his eyes to look at her, and slowly said, "Your Majesty suspects that this place involves a large number of people and wants to investigate secretly. It was originally agreed that Your Majesty would find an opportunity to send people in secretly to assist, but now martial law has suddenly been imposed... They can't get in for a while, and I'm afraid we can't get out either."
There are many suspicious points in Quanyang County, and he and she seem to be trapped alone in a den of thieves.
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Click to watch the rich young man and his daughter forced to participate in the metamorphosis:-D
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