Ye Chen discussed with the old Duke the defense of Kyoto after he left, then knelt down and kowtowed to the old Duke and Madam Xiao. "Grandfather and grandmother, this time I will completely resolve the internal troubles of Great Yin, and from then on, our family will stay together."
"Don't worry, just go. We two old people are here to take care of you. You don't have to worry." Madam Xiao looked at her grandson whom she had raised without shedding a tear. She had suffered too much in her life, and now she finally tasted sweetness. She should smile, so she didn't cry.
Chen Qiu also came over at this time and moved An An's things here. "Madam Hua, I have to trouble you again. You and the child will live here with the grandparents, just like the last time we went to the northwest."
"Grandfather, my master and Senior Yan will stay in the mansion. You can discuss anything with my master." Chen Qiu held An An in her arms. He was only eight months old, and this was the second time she had abandoned him. She was really an unqualified mother.
Chen Qiu hung a purse containing her and Ye Chen's hair around An An's neck and said, "An An, be good. Mom and Dad will be back soon. You are at home with grandpa and grandma, and your two younger brothers Tuantuan and Yuanyuan. Mom will bring you some fun things when she comes back, okay?" Chen Qiu didn't even notice that tears were streaming down her face as she spoke.
"Qiu'er, let's go early and come back early. After this time, we don't have to be separated from An'an anymore. I have arranged everything at home. Don't worry, nothing will happen." Ye Chen patted Chen Qiu's back. Chen Qiu knew that she was being a little hypocritical. She reached out and wiped the tears from her face, and smiled at Ye Chen, "Well, I know, I just can't bear to leave!"
Then Chen Qiu knelt down before the old Duke and Madam Xiao and kowtowed, "Grandfather, grandmother, and granddaughter-in-law are unfilial. I ask you two elders to help me look after the house."
"What nonsense are you talking about? We are a family, get up quickly!" Madam Xiao said as she got down from the couch, helped Shen Qiu up and patted her hand, "Don't worry, I know what you are worried about. We will definitely protect the children and ourselves. Those people will never have a chance to enter the Ye Mansion again."
At the beginning of the hour of Wei, Ye Chen asked Mu Qing to deliver a copy of the charter jointly drafted by him and the old prince to the emperor, and then Ye Chen and his party set off for Binzhou.
Wuzhou is under the jurisdiction of Lu Chenyuan. Ye Chen only brought ten Black Cloud Guards with him when he went to Wuzhou this time. The Black Cloud Guards were all dressed as ordinary guards.
There were two carriages on the road, one for Ye Chen and Shen Qiu, and one for Jing Xin alone. Xiao Mu and the guards rode horses. They didn't bring any maids with them when they were away, so they had to do everything themselves.
"Senior Xiao, how about we take the water route to Binzhou? That way it will be faster." When they stopped to rest and eat, Ye Chen talked to Xiao Mu about the route to Binzhou.
"Yes, it can. The Han River runs from west to east across Binzhou. From here, if we go south for another day, we will reach the border of Meizhou. From Meizhou, we can take a boat and sail along the river. It will take us a day and a half to reach Binzhou, which saves us seven or eight days compared to traveling by land." Xiao Mu took the bowl of soup from Chen Qiusheng and took a sip. "Hmm, not bad. Is this mushroom soup?"
Chen Qiu was about to serve soup to Ye Chen when he heard Xiao Mu's praise. He turned around and agreed, "Yes, fresh mushrooms can be dried and preserved for a long time. I brought some with me when I came out to eat on the road. When I cook them, they are just as good as fresh mushrooms."
"Well, how do you make it? When you live in seclusion with your master in the future, we will make some. Drinking a mouthful of hot soup in such a cold day can make you feel refreshed both physically and mentally." Xiao Mu handed the bowl of soup to Chen Qiu, and Chen Qiu filled it up for him again.
"This was made by the cook in the mansion. I don't know the details, but when we come back I'll ask the cook to teach you." Chen Qiu added a little more water to the hanging pot. It was so cold today, so everyone would feel less cold if they drank a little soup.
The group continued walking south for a day and arrived at Meizhou, which Xiao Mu had mentioned. People here make their living by water. It is located in the upper reaches of the Han River. Many people rely on boats to do business, some transporting goods and some transporting people.
The Cao Gang in the underworld has a branch here. Xiao Mu and the leader of this branch of the Cao Gang are old friends, but they haven't seen each other for many years.
"Xiao Mu? You're still alive?" The leader of the Cao Gang branch couldn't believe it when he saw someone who had been missing for more than ten years appear in front of him.
"Hey, Brother Li, of course I'm alive. Don't you want me to be alive?" Xiao Mu joked with Li Feng.
"No, there have been rumors in the martial arts world for a long time that Xiao Mu is dead, otherwise he wouldn't have been missing for more than ten years. No one has ever seen him alive, and no one has even seen his body. Of course, the rumor came out." Li Feng spread his hands, indicating that he did not have such thoughts, and it was not his fault that he believed the rumor. It had been going on for several years, and no one had come out to clarify. There was no news about Xiao Mu himself, so people naturally believed it after a while.
"Okay, I'm not kidding you. The reason I showed up this time is to rent a boat from you, a boat that can accommodate more than ten people, to go to Binzhou." After the initial greetings, Xiao Mu directly stated his purpose.
"Yes, what is the Cao Gang if it doesn't have a ship? When do you want one?" Li Feng agreed readily.
"I need it now, but I want to leave in an hour. Is that a problem?"
"It's not difficult. The ship and sailors are ready. I'll arrange them right away." Li Feng said as he was about to go out.
"Hey, Brother Li, this is the fee paid by the employer for renting a boat and sailors." Xiao Mu placed a gold ingot on the small table next to him.
"What's this for? I can still charge you for exporting it? Take it back."
"Hey, this boat is not for me. I'm renting it for someone else. This gold is not mine. You'd better follow your rules." Xiao Mu's words were unquestionable. Li Feng did not refuse anymore. He asked someone to collect the gold and took Xiao Mu to the dock.
"This is Mr. Ye and his wife who hired your boat." Xiao Mu introduced Ye Chen to Li Feng, but concealed Ye Chen's identity.
"Sorry to bother you, Captain Li." Ye Chen raised his hand and gave Li Feng a martial arts salute, but he still looked noble.
"This is the kind of business we do. You provide the money and I provide the manpower. Don't be polite." Li Feng saw that Ye Chen was not an ordinary person, and did not ask about Ye Chen's identity. In their line of work, keeping their mouths shut is an important means of survival.
"Yes, I wonder if we can leave in an hour?"
"We can set off at any time. We will set off in an hour and arrive in Binzhou early tomorrow morning." Li Feng said it with certainty. If so, it can really shorten a lot of time. The matter in Wuzhou can't be delayed any longer!
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