46 Chapter 046
◎Prepare to enter the mountains◎
As noon approached, the clouds grew thicker and thicker, covering the sky with such darkness that it was hard to breathe.
Xie Mingzhuo sat at the table in the main room, leisurely brewing tea. She didn't know how to make tea, but she was just bored and wanted to find something to do.
The two little beggars who had just been taken in were cleaning diligently.
Ah Qing was walking around the room with a rag in his hand. When he passed by her, he saw her casually pouring tea leaves into the water and seemed to want to say something but stopped himself.
Xie Mingzhuo pretended not to see it.
The tea was half-boiled when she heard familiar footsteps outside the courtyard wall.
"Ah Qing, go open the gate."
The sound was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for the two people outside to hear.
Yang Yunkai and Lin Fan had no choice but to give up climbing over the wall and headed to the courtyard gate. The gate opened, and a beggar-looking girl looked at them.
There was a little beggar following behind him.
The little beggar blinked his big eyes and looked at them curiously, as if they were guests from afar.
The two of them felt puzzled and walked into the yard.
The gate closed behind him.
Xie Mingzhuo poured two cups of tea and placed them on both sides of the table. The two were flattered. After thanking him, they sat down according to the position of the teacups and took a sip.
Lin Fanxian asked, "Who are they?"
"A beggar passing by," Xie Mingzhuo said succinctly, "drugs and steals vegetables, then works to pay off his debts."
"Drug?" Lin Fan's face suddenly changed. "What drug?"
He looked at Xie Mingzhuo, and seeing that he looked healthy, he felt a little relieved and turned to examine the brother and sister.
After running around outside for a day and a night, he looked a little disheveled, with some blue stubble on his chin, a few bloodshot eyes, and his eyebrows were weathered, which made him look even more fierce.
Ah Qing froze completely, as if he saw again the yamen runners searching for them, their hands clenched tightly around the rag.
"Sister!" Ah Qing ran in from the yard, stood in front of Ah Qing, spread her arms, and said angrily, "Don't bully my sister!"
Lin Fan: “…”
He shifted his gaze back to Xie Mingzhuo, and seeing the teasing smile on her face, he couldn't help but laugh too.
"The medicine powder is here." Jiang Qing handed over a tray at the right time. On the tray were two medicine bags that were searched from Ah Qing.
Lin Fan picked up the smaller one, opened it, sniffed it, and said, "This medicine can paralyze people."
Then he picked up a larger amount and said, "This medicine can make people sleepy."
He looked at the two of them again: "Did you use them all?"
"Use this." Jiang Qing pointed to the drug bag still in his hand.
"Fortunately, this medicine has no harmful effects on the body." Lin Fan asked the siblings, "Where did it come from?"
You can't get away with stealing using such unconventional means.
The two of them kept silent, only their trembling eyelashes revealed their uneasiness.
Compared to their sister who asked no questions and just made them work to pay off their debts, the man in front of them looked very much like the domineering police officer who was once frightening and disgusting.
Xie Mingzhuo noticed their fear and kindly reminded them, "The vegetables you stole were grown by him, the steamed buns you ate were provided by him, and even this house is his."
They both said, “…”
Ah Qing's courage, which had just been gathered up, suddenly vanished. He glanced at the serious-looking Lin Fan, then at Xie Mingzhuo who was "watching the fun," and replied carefully, "Then... thank him?"
Everyone: “…”
Ah Qing was angry and amused. He grabbed his wrist and pulled him behind him, saying, "I did it myself."
“Why do this?”
"Self-defense."
"Where are you two from?"
The two fell silent again.
"Team Leader Lin, why don't you sit down first?" Xie Mingzhuo said with a smile. "Let's talk about Bishan first. We can ask their questions later."
Lin Fan froze, then immediately sat down as he was told. He said with an apologetic and embarrassed look on his face, "Sorry, I'm used to it."
Xie Mingzhuo nodded to show his understanding, saying it was an occupational disease and very normal.
"Team leader?" Ah Qing pulled her sister back, stopping only when her heels touched the threshold. She asked in surprise and doubt, "Are you the squad leader?"
Why did the squad leader hide from those yamen runners?
Ah Qing held his wrist tightly, also as if facing a formidable enemy.
"Aqing, take them to the yard first." Xie Mingzhuo ordered.
Jiang Qing responded, carried them out one in each hand, and did not forget to close the door.
The two men obediently let her carry them to the corner, and they didn't run away after their feet touched the ground. Although they had been together for less than half a day, they could tell that these people were not bad people.
Besides, they still owed thirty cents, so even if they wanted to run away, they had to pay off the debt first.
"My wife is kind-hearted and saved you from the yamen runners. Don't be ungrateful," Jiang Qing said, lowering her voice and threatening with her fist, "or I won't let you go."
Ah Qing couldn't help but ask, "Is the squad leader afraid of the yamen runners?"
"Well, who said I was afraid? I just don't want to bother with them for now." Jiang Qing crossed her arms. "You two have so many little secrets, I'm worried, why don't you just tell them all at once?"
The two of them became saw-mouthed gourds again.
"Aqing, what are you doing?" Feng Caiyu came out of the kitchen and saw three people whispering in the corner. She walked over and asked.
"Interrogation."
"How to judge?"
Jiang Qing thought for a moment and said, "Where are you from and where are you going?"
"I came from Raozhou Prefecture in Jiangxi," Feng Caiyu said. "As for what I did, it must be that something happened at home and I fled here."
Ah Qing's eyes widened and he blurted out, "How did you know?!"
"Although you speak Mandarin, you still have the accent of Raozhou Prefecture."
She had learned slangs from various places, and especially after learning that His Highness would have to take a detour to Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, she worked even harder to learn the Jiangxi dialect.
Jiang Qing suddenly realized and looked at the brother and sister. She said, "Raozhou Prefecture is not close to Anlu. You are so young, it must not be easy for you to escape all the way here."
Those medicinal powders must have played a key role.
but--
"If you want to steal vegetables, just steal them. Why do you have to drug them?"
When these two people came, they didn't know that their ears were sensitive. They could just steal some food in the dead of night. Drugging them would be unnecessary.
Ah Qing lowered his head in shame and said, "My sister and I were once stealing vegetables. We were chased two miles away and beaten. I fell ill and was bedridden for several days. Since then, my sister has said that she drugged the vegetables before stealing them so that no one could catch her."
“…”
It sounds pathetic, but stealing vegetables is definitely wrong.
inside the house.
Lin Fan used brush and ink to outline the layout of the green mountain peaks, and then dotted cinnabar on several peaks.
"Bishan has a total of thirty-nine peaks. The Liang Wang Mausoleum is located in the northeastern peaks, only five peaks away from Hulu Peak. We have not found any traces of palace soldiers near Hulu Peak or the peak where the mausoleum is located."
As he spoke, he dipped the tip of his pen in cinnabar and pointed it at the central peaks.
"Yesterday, when the funeral procession arrived at Bishan, it was almost dusk, so we had to rest there for the night. Brother Yang and I secretly infiltrated the central peaks at night and discovered traces of multiple people."
They had no time to explore further west, and they also thought it unlikely that King Liang had hidden his troops there.
The western part of Bishan is close to the neighboring county, which is not only out of reach but also easy to be discovered by hunters from the neighboring county.
Xie Mingzhuo pointed at the central peaks and said, "So you think the King of Liang's troops are hiding in this area."
"That's right." Lin Fan moved his fingertips across the map. "From the county town to Bishan, there are patrol inspections on the official road, and there are also guards on the mountain road after entering the mountain. It's not easy to sneak into where the troops are."
He was being subtle about it, but the truth was that it was simply impossible to sneak into Bishan from the western suburbs.
After rescuing the abducted woman last time, the security of Bishan has only become stricter. It is estimated that new defenses have been set up under the rock wall of Hulu Peak.
Xie Mingzhuo had no experience in military affairs, so since Yang Yunkai and Lin Fan agreed, she would not question it.
"How many troops can be stationed on a hill like this?"
Although Yang Yunkai was the commander of the Jinyiwei, the Jinyiwei did not usually train in the mountains and forests, so he was a little unsure.
"Fifteen hundred people is not a problem," Lin Fan said decisively, "If there are soldiers hidden on all ten hilltops, there must be at least fifteen thousand."
Fifteen thousand people is already a very large armed force. If they are equipped with firearms such as hand cannons, it will not be a problem to fight from Huguang to Kaifeng, Henan.
Xie Mingzhuo didn't ask how he knew about the mountain forest army. After a moment's thought, he said, "Fifteen thousand men, the daily food and fodder consumption is not a small amount. Even if there is a transport convoy for the construction of the mausoleum as a cover, it is impossible to transport so much food and fodder to the mountains without making a sound."
"Miss Meng, that's a good point, but I've never seen a large number of grain trucks on the official roads in the western suburbs." Lin Fan rested the tip of his pen against his chin, thinking, "If it's not by land, could it be transported by canal?"
There is a Fuhe River in Anlu County, which runs from west to east. It originates from Dahong Mountain, flows through Sui County, and then to Anlu.
The river surrounds the green mountain peaks between Anlu and Suixian, making water transport between the two counties more convenient than land transport.
Transporting food and fodder by water not only has the advantage in quantity, but also does not attract attention. On the busy Fuhe River, countless ships travel back and forth every day, so it is not uncommon to transport bulk goods.
However, river transportation is managed by the government, and there are relevant officials at each dock. Food for 15,000 people may not be conspicuous when loaded on a cargo ship, but it is impossible for it to be transported out without any noise.
Either they set up a private dock near the Bishan River, or they were in collusion with the government.
Either way, the problem of food transportation can be solved.
However, it is impossible for Anlu and Suixian alone to produce so much food to continuously feed 15,000 people.
Where does food come from?
Xie Mingzhuo thought of Zong Zhen’s report in the memorial.
When raising food and fodder, he often faced the situation of no food in the prefectures and counties, and behind these lack of food was the figure of Datong Horse Racing Company.
Datong Carriage and Horse Trading Company, what a great camouflage tool.
Henan is a major grain-producing province. Taking food rations from Henan for 15,000 people is like pumping water from a river for irrigation. It is difficult to tell with the naked eye whether the water level has dropped.
The Datong Horse-drawn Carriage Company could use the excuse of cooperating with grain merchants to transport grain to Huguang, and then use the north-south tributary of the Fuhe River to transport it from Yingshan County to Bishan by water.
The Datong Carriage and Horse Trading Company was also connected with the Henan Governor's Office and the Provincial Administration Commissioner's Office. From Henan to Huguang, the government offices along the way would naturally open the door to convenience, so that food and fodder could easily enter Bishan.
Firearms cannot be exposed to moisture, so they were disguised as "stone carts" and "wood carts" and sent to King Liang's Bishan base camp.
Xie Mingzhuo said, "River docks are usually set up where people gather. Transporting food and fodder to Sui County and then into the mountains is unnecessary. I prefer that King Liang privately set up a dock near Fuhe River in Bishan."
"Lin thinks so too." Lin Fan put down his pen, drew a winding river on the paper, and then lightly tapped it, "If it were me, I would set up a dock here."
Xie Mingzhuo nodded and said, "If we can find a privately-owned dock, perhaps we can use it to venture into Bishan."
As soon as Prince Liang died, the Crown Prince, as the heir to the title, would naturally report the news to the capital as soon as possible. According to normal procedures, after verifying that Prince Liang had passed away, the Emperor would dispatch officials from the Ministry of Rites and messengers from the Ministry of Travel, carrying the imperial edict to Prince Liang's mansion to conduct the ceremony of succession to the title.
Once the ceremony is completed, Xie Yi will be the prince for sure.
It is impossible that Xie Yu, who went to Henan, did not think of this.
The Ministry of Rites was inefficient, and the round trip would take at least two months, by which time Xie Yu would have already returned to Prince Liang's Mansion.
He had calculated the time and he must decide the outcome with Xie Yi before the imperial edict was issued.
But with only the hostages in his hands and the mines in Henan that he imagined he could control, his bargaining chips were still not enough compared to the prince.
As the jackal in the "Death of Prince Liang" incident, he was so confident of victory, did he really have no other backup plan?
When Xie Yu planned to go to Henan, she asked Yang Yunkai to send people to keep a close eye on his movements. After the Hongmen Banquet, they indeed discovered his hidden secret.
To be able to hide under the noses of Prince Liang and the Crown Prince for so many years, he must have had powerful helpers. If she guessed correctly, these helpers were in Bishan.
Yang Yunkai said, "Prince Liang has hidden his troops for many years, so there shouldn't be a shortage of food and fodder in the mountains anytime soon. Bishan is easy to defend but difficult to attack, so it won't be easy to capture these over ten thousand men."
"Old Yang is right," Xie Mingzhuo replied. "If we can divide them up and conquer them, that would be the best. Having Gao Quan mobilize the troops is the last resort."
Lin Fan: "Miss Meng still wants to go into the mountains?"
"I have to go in."
"Right now, the county is covered with arrest warrants inside and outside. If you and I show up, we will be surrounded by arrestees."
"There's a certain type of person that the government doesn't dare to question." Xie Mingzhuo looked at Yang Yunkai and said with a smile, "Old Yang, you go and handle this."
Yang Yunkai: "Yes, Second Madam."
Lin Fan suddenly realized that he wanted to use the identity of Jinyiwei to appear in front of people in a swaggering manner.
It was useless before because Luo Qi was injured and needed to rest.
"Miss Meng, there are many mosquitoes, snakes and ants in the mountains and forests. I want to make some medicine powder just in case. It will take two days."
Xie Mingzhuo: "Team Leader Lin has thought it through. Let's set off in two days."
Although Huang Ding has already brought people to check here, there is no guarantee that the officials from the government office will continue searching.
Tuberculosis may work once or twice to scare off the officials, but it may not work three or four times.
This is not a place to stay for long.
The next morning, Lin Fan returned covered in morning dew, carrying a bundle filled with herbs used to make anthelmintic medicine.
Luo Qi was curious: "The whole city is under martial law now. Our portraits are posted everywhere. Officials and gangs are searching for us. Where did you get these?"
"I know a herbalist, and I bought it from him." Lin Fan replied, moving tools out of the utility room.
These medicinal materials have been processed and can be used after being ground into powder.
Luo Qi didn't know anything about medicine. After watching for a while, he felt it was boring and went back to practice his martial arts.
In the second room of the main house, Xie Mingzhuo sat by the window.
It rained again last night, but the dark clouds did not disperse and still gathered in the sky, planning to descend upon the earth again.
It was dark and she could only read by the light from the window.
Li Jiuyue knocked on the door and came in, asking softly, "Second Madam, we're leaving the day after tomorrow. What will happen to Ah Qing and Ah Qing?"
"They'll come back after they leave," Xie Mingzhuo understood her meaning. "It's up to them to choose what to do."
"That's right. It's just a few meals. If they run away, they'll run away." Li Jiuyue paused and advised, "Second Madam, do you really want to go into the mountains yourself?"
Xie Mingzhuo nodded: "Some things cannot be avoided just because they are dangerous."
She could certainly let Yang Yunkai and Lin Fan handle it while she hid in a safe place and wait for news, but this matter involved the royal family after all, and she came out for experience. If she was worried about the risks, she might as well stay in the capital. Why bother going on this trip?
She also needs to learn how to walk in the mountains and forests and how to avoid dangers in the forests.
It is always good to have many skills. Jokingly speaking, if the country really "falls" one day, she can still take her family and escape to the mountains to live.
The noise in the yard came into his ears on the wind, and Xie Mingzhuo turned his head to look.
Ah Qing dragged a large broom and swept the yard in circles. As he swept, he gradually approached Lin Fan who was making medicine.
She took a few secret glances, said nothing, and continued to sweep the floor with her head down. After a while, she moved closer and took a few more glances, as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself.
After several attempts, until the ground was almost completely swept, she finally stood next to the herbs and said, "What a waste of natural resources."
Lin Fan: “…”
I knew she had something to say, but I didn't expect it to start with criticism.
He didn't feel offended and said good-temperedly, "Tell me about it."
After receiving permission, Ah Qing's face suddenly showed some excitement. She squatted down next to the medicinal materials, picked out a few herbs, threw them aside, and said, "These were not prepared well and have lost their medicinal effect."
Lin Fan raised his eyebrows.
"Also, the medicine you made can only ward off ordinary insects and ants. There are some special insects and beasts in the forest that these medicines are ineffective against."
Lin Fan humbly asked, "Miss Qing, please give me some pointers."
"A few medicines are missing."
"You tell me, I'll go find it."
Ah Qing named the herbs, sat down and started making medicine.
Seeing that she was indeed skilled and knew more about pharmacology than himself, Lin Fan "stepped down and made way for the wise one", leaving the medicine-making work to her and going out to look for herbs himself.
Ah Qing watched from the corner for a long time. After Lin Fan left, he clutched the rag and approached his sister, whispering, "Sister, can I borrow some money from them to buy you some throat medicine?"
Last night, the two of them washed off the dust, changed into clean clothes, and ate a few full meals. They felt that all the hardships of the past few months had been swept away.
They were sincerely grateful to Xie Mingzhuo and others, and were willing to stay and do temporary work.
One should not push for more than one step, but it will be too late if my sister's throat is not treated.
He can continue to pay off his debts with his body!
This idea had been turning over in A Qing's mind all night, but he couldn't help but say it out loud.
Ah Qing shook his head: "I'm fine, don't bother me."
She didn't know what these people were plotting, but she could see that they were on guard against the officials.
The herbs for anthelmintics are easy to find, as they are available in the mountains outside, but medicine for sore throats can only be bought at pharmacies in the city.
Even if Sister Meng agreed, she couldn't put them in an unfair position.
The two spoke so softly that others could not hear, but Xie Mingzhuo could hear it clearly.
Two days later, the sky became gloomy and it was about to rain.
Xie Mingzhuo changed into the "skin" of the Embroidered Uniform Guards. Her badge had the words "Century" written on it. She was accompanied by two captains, Yang Yunkai and Jiang Qing, and the rest were strongmen.
The faces of the seven people were all disguised.
Before leaving, Ah Qing handed over a package filled with medicine powder. The purpose of each medicine package was clearly written on it. The medicine powders for repelling mosquitoes, insects, snakes and animals were classified and neatly arranged.
Jiang Qing took it and tried to touch her head with a smile, but she turned her head away.
"Sister Aqing, when will you come back?" Aqing didn't think too much and asked directly.
"I'll be back when I'm done." Jiang Qing reached out to touch his head, but he didn't dodge. She couldn't help but smile with satisfaction, "If you encounter the police, be smart and don't let them catch you."
"I understand." Ah Qing looked reluctant.
Although we have only been together for three days, except for Sister Meng and Uncle Yang who are difficult to approach, everyone else is gentle and friendly.
It’s not that Sister Meng and Uncle Yang were not in a good mood. Sister Meng had never scolded them, never lost her temper, and occasionally joked with others. But he didn’t know why, he was a little afraid of her.
Uncle Yang is tall and strong. He speaks very little and rarely smiles. Especially when he is killing fish, he is inexplicably scary.
"Oh, by the way, Second Lady was worried that you would have no money while hiding from the officials, so she asked me to leave some for you. Put it in Ah Qing's room. Don't forget it."
After Jiang Qing finished speaking, without giving the siblings a chance to react, she caught up with the team that had already reached the door and jumped on her horse.
A group of seven people rode away on horseback.
They were dressed in the uniforms of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so ordinary people didn't dare to look at them directly, and patrolling officials didn't dare to stop them. In addition, they wore big hats and disguised their faces, so they made a smooth journey from the southern suburbs to the ferry in the north of the city.
There was a boat parked at the ferry. Seven people dismounted and boarded the boat. The horses were handed over to the care of the Jinyiwei strongmen who had been waiting at the ferry.
Yang Yunkai, Luo Qi and Lin Fan all know how to row a boat, which eliminates the risk of hiring a strange boatman.
The boat first sailed eastward, changed clothes in a deserted place, then boarded another empty boat that had been prepared, and then returned westward.
The autumn rain fell on the river surface, creating ripples.
Yang Yunkai put on a straw hat and raincoat and sat outside the cabin, rowing the boat. Luo Qi sat at the stern, observing the riverbank, looking for a possible private ferry.
Half an hour later, Lin Fan replaced Yang Yunkai and Jiang Qing replaced Luo Qi.
After taking turns like this, around noon, they finally saw the target of this trip.
On the south bank of Fuhe River, on the flat ground near the northern peak of Bishan Mountain, an isolated pier is hidden among the lush trees.
In the small town in the southern suburbs, Ah Qing locked the gate of the courtyard, and Ah Qing ran out of her room, holding a few pieces of silver in her hands, her face full of excitement and joy.
"Sister, there are at least a dozen taels here, enough for us to buy medicine!"
Ah Qing was startled, with a complicated look in his eyes, and said, "Thirty wen is enough for a month of temporary work, how long will it take more than ten taels? Do the math."
"..." Ah Qing opened his eyes wide, "At worst, I'll bet my whole life on this."
Ah Qing couldn't help laughing, pinched his face and said, "I'm just kidding, I will make money to pay off my debts."
"Sister, I think Sister Meng and the others are good people."
"Um."
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