Chapter 167 End (Part 2) Wandering the World...
Meanwhile, Youjun led several dozen shop assistants back to the rice shop. She had Manager Xue take them to the accounting office to distribute the annual allowances. She, along with her mother, led Zhou Yu, Bai Qingque, and others to a side room in the backyard. Upon entering, they saw seven men dressed in casual fur robes gathered inside. The men quickly stepped forward and knelt before Zhou Yu.
It turned out to be Tao Wen and six other trusted bodyguards of Zhou Yu. He stepped forward and said, "Get up. I told you to meet me outside the city, so why are you in the city?"
Tao Wen stood up, cupped his hands, and reported, "Today's events were extremely dangerous. Miss Guan has never dealt with the Imperial Guards before. We were worried that something might happen and Miss Guan would not be able to handle it. We were really worried, so we took the liberty of staying in the city to provide support. We beg Your Highness to punish us!"
Zhou Yu walked down the wall, turned around and sat down in a chair. "It's a temporary measure. I forgive you all." He then looked at Guan Youjun.
Youjun hurriedly stepped forward and knelt down, "This commoner, Guan Youjun, greets Your Highness!"
Zhou Yu's eyes hovered over her head, and he smiled slightly. "No need for formalities. I've long heard of Miss Guan's reputation; she truly is a heroine. Whether we can escape this predicament today depends on Miss Guan's skillful maneuvering."
Youjun lifted her skirt and looked at Xubai. Xubai stepped forward and reported, "There are three cargo ships waiting at the dock outside the South City. They were prepared by Miss Guan and the Ding brothers who run ships. There are many grains, cloth and other goods on board. We need Your Highness to pretend to be a crew member on the ship. Mr. Yu said that Zhao Liang will most likely send someone to meet us on the way and change our route to Guizhou."
Zhou Yu raised an eyebrow. "Zhao Liang? Is he in time?"
"Your Highness, Mr. Yu said that he had previously written to Zhao Liang. Lord Zhao is a smart man and will surely be able to understand Your Highness's intentions from the letter, and will definitely come to meet you by water."
After listening, Zhou Yu paused for a moment, then smiled meaningfully, "Mr. Yu is truly a man of brilliant foresight; he knew all along that I would leave the capital—"
Youjun's heart skipped a beat, and she stepped forward to change the subject, "Your Highness, I'm afraid it won't be long before the Imperial Guards of the Prince's Mansion discover that you are no longer in the manor. If the troops come after you, it will be troublesome. It would be better to set sail as soon as possible."
Everyone said so, but Xu Bai thought for a moment and said to everyone, "I don't think it's good for us to go together. First, there are too many people and too many eyes, and second, if we are caught up, I'm afraid we will be wiped out. It would be better to split into two groups."
Zhou Yu looked up. "Which way do you think we should go?"
Xu Bai thought it over and his eyes were resolute. "Your Highness should still board the cargo ship of Miss Guan as usual. I will take two brothers on horseback and ride from the west of the city. If something happens, my height is similar to Your Highness's, so I may be able to impersonate Your Highness and lead the pursuers further away, allowing Your Highness to escape."
If they were caught by those soldiers, wouldn't their chances of survival be slim? The young lord couldn't help but glance at him sideways. He had previously thought of him as a weak scholar, greedy for fame and officialdom, but he never expected that he truly had a loyal heart.
Seeing Zhou Yu's hesitation, she said, "In my opinion, Second Master Qi's method is feasible. Your Highness, we should not delay."
Zhou Yu stood up, glanced at Xu Bai, and nodded slightly. "Take care!"
So they split into two groups. Xu Bai changed into a fine silk dress and rode west of the city with two guards. You Jun, on the other hand, took her mother's makeup and a group of servants, went out through the back gate, got into a carriage, and headed south of the city.
Near the city gate, Zhou Yuqingque alighted from the carriage, disguised himself as a servant, and slowly approached the gate. Since fewer people were coming and going, the checks were more thorough. Youjun, however, remained calm and had her maid lift the curtain.
The gatekeeper recognized Guan Youjun. As soon as he saw the curtain being lifted, he smiled and came to the carriage. "Oh, it's Miss Guan! You're leaving the city at this perfect time?"
Youjun smiled and nodded, handing over the travel permit. "I've collected some goods and need to escort them to Nanjing, but something came up this morning and I was delayed. The ship is still waiting at the dock."
The man took the travel permit, looked at it, and handed it back. "What, not spending the New Year in the capital?"
"We traders don't care about celebrating the New Year. We call the world our home and go wherever there's money to be made."
As she spoke, she gave Niangzhuang a wink, and Niangzhuang quickly handed over a heavy bag of silver from inside the carriage. "It's almost New Year's, this is just a token of our appreciation. You brothers have been working so hard all year round, braving wind and rain. We merchants often trouble you, so if we don't show consideration now, who else should we rely on? Our superiors?"
The soldiers on the city gate burst into laughter. The gatekeeper weighed the silver in his hand, smiled contentedly, glanced casually at his servants, and then ordered his men to make way, "Let the young lady pass! May the young lady have a smooth and peaceful journey!"
When the group arrived at the dock, it was almost dinnertime. They saw three large ships belonging to the Ding family moored on the dock, with only a few other cargo ships docked nearby. The dock was sparsely populated, much quieter than usual. The Ding brothers, the ship owners, had already come to the pier to greet Zhou Yu and his group, and helped them board the three ships.
After boarding their respective ships, the Ding brothers hurriedly knelt before Zhou Yu, whereupon Princess Xiangyuan and her husband Chu Minzhong, both dressed as servants, also knelt in obeisance.
Xiang Yuan threw herself onto Zhou Yu's lap, crying and laughing at the same time, "Brother, we finally escaped!"
Zhou Yu quickly lifted her face and looked at her carefully, "When did you board the ship?"
Xiangyuan wiped away her tears and glanced at the Ding brothers. "Before dawn today, Manager Ding sent someone to pick us up and wait for you here, brother."
As the brother and sister were talking to each other, Youjun walked up to the Ding brothers and asked, "Where are Mr. Yu and Xiaoyuer?"
The Ding brothers looked completely bewildered. "We don't know. The young lady instructed us to wait here this morning while loading the goods, but we haven't seen Mr. Yu and Miss Jiuli yet. What, they weren't with you?"
Youjun's face stiffened. "Originally, Mr. Yu had planned that Xiaoyuer would move away from the shadow guards around him and come to the dock. Mr. Yu was supposed to mingle with the workers with Second Master Qi and go to the Prince's mansion to meet the Prince. But today it seems that we only saw Second Master Qi and not Mr. Yu."
Qingque quickly stepped forward, "They won't be in any trouble, will they?!"
Minzhong said, "I think I heard this morning that Mr. Yu went missing in the Qianlong Mountain area south of the city."
Just then, they heard an inspection officer leading a group of people to conduct an inspection on the boardwalk. Ding's younger brother stepped out of the deck to take a look and hurriedly returned, saying, "It's just a routine inspection of passing ships, nothing to worry about." After saying that, he led Zhou Yu and two guards out through the right rear door and into the lower cabin.
Niangzhuang took one of her own clothes and asked Qingque to change into it, telling her to dress up as Youjun's servant. The two of them followed Youjun to the deck with Ding Dacheng.
The officer led four men up, knives at his waist, and bowed to Youjun from afar, saying, "Oh! Miss Guan is also going by boat? I didn't hear Manager Ding mention it this morning."
Youjun chuckled, "I'm worried about having too much cargo. Let's go together and see if we can make it back to have a reunion dinner with my mother on the Lantern Festival. The festival is tomorrow, are you still busy? You should take a break after a year's work."
As they chatted and laughed, Qingque stretched out her right hand and handed over a bag of silver, which she then gave to the constable, saying, "Buy some wine and meat for the brothers."
The officer hurriedly declined, "No, no, Manager Ding already spent so much money this morning, how could I dare to ask for another girl?"
"Manager Ding is Manager Ding, and I am me. If you continue to refuse, is it because there's something wrong with the goods I'm escorting, and you're going to enforce the law impartially?"
The officer had no choice but to accept it with a smile. At this moment, the younger brother of the Ding family led the crew from the lower cabin up and made them all stand in a row to wait for the travel permit to be checked.
The officer took the travel permit and said with a smile, "I have no worries about Manager Ding's men or Miss's goods. It's just that a wanted notice was issued yesterday, and they are arresting a murderer. I'm afraid he might sneak onto the ship and hurt Miss and Manager Ding."
He walked up to the group of workers, calling out to each one and scrutinizing them closely. When he saw Zhou Yu, he couldn't help but stare. Although Zhou Yu's clothes and appearance were the same as the others, his features and demeanor were still quite different. The official was puzzled and examined the travel permit more closely. "Route Three—"
Zhou Yu cupped his hands and smiled, saying, "That's me."
The officer still stared at him suspiciously, while two guards stood to the side, their hearts pounding, their daggers already clutched in their sleeves.
At this moment, Youjun walked up to the officer with a smile and gently gestured with her chin towards Zhou Yu, "Sir, what do you think of him? How does his appearance and demeanor compare to those princes and noblemen in the capital?"
The officer turned and saw the ambiguous smile on Youjun's face. He suddenly realized that this was Guan Youjun's lover; no wonder he looked like that! The officer laughed and handed the travel permit back to Zhou Yu, pointing at Youjun, "As expected of Miss Guan!"
After speaking, he called all the officers to disembark, and even the people on the two adjacent boats were called to disembark as well.
Shopkeeper Ding moved closer to Youjun and asked, "Young Miss, should we continue waiting for Mr. Yu and Miss Jiuli?"
Youjun looked at Zhou Yu, and seeing that Zhou Yu's face was expressionless and he did not express anything, she shook her head and said, "Let's not wait any longer. If we wait any longer, the pursuers may come. You are familiar with the docks. Tell the boatmen to be on the lookout."
The three ships set sail as ordered, and a dozen or so constables went up the pier to the shore, bought a lot of food and wine, and returned to their quarters on the west bank to eat and drink. Just after dinner, as they were preparing to leave the three on duty to go home, they suddenly heard a whooshing sound of iron hooves. When they went out to look, they saw a pair of imperial guards running from the mountain road.
The officers rushed to greet them, and the leader, mounted on horseback, glanced at the river and asked, "Has any boat just left?"
"Yes, about half an hour ago, three large cargo ships set sail for Nanjing."
The leader's eyes sharpened. "Is he surnamed Guan?"
"It's the ship the Guan family used to ship their goods."
"Is there anything unusual on the ship?!"
Why are the Imperial Guards suddenly checking the ships? Has something happened? The officer, who was used to receiving favors from the Guan family and was also afraid of being blamed, said, "There's nothing wrong. We've checked every item of cargo and questioned every person. Don't worry, General."
"No strangers?"
"No, they're always around the docks, they're all familiar faces."
The leader sized up the officer, still uneasy. He was about to order a boat to catch up and re-inspect when he suddenly saw someone riding a horse up the mountain road. The soldier quickly dismounted and approached to report, "Sir, the gatekeeper of the west city reported that about two hours ago, three people rode out of the city. He recognized one of them as a guard from the Prince's palace, and the leader was dressed in fine clothes and looked like the Prince."
Leaving Xicheng, we can take the route through Baoding and travel overland to Guizhou. The leader frowned, immediately turning his horse around. "Let's go, to Xicheng!"
Horses hooves flew like snow, and a group of men set off again. At this moment, the sound of hooves resounded throughout the city. The Military Command and the Nine Gates Commander had received the news and were pursuing Zhou Yu to the west. All the city gates intensified their investigations, and the people, like frightened birds, rushed home in panic.
Jiang Xu rode swiftly to the gate of Emerald Garden, scrambling and stumbling as he went inside. He reached the courtyard, where Chen Jia hurriedly greeted him, asking, "How did it go?"
"I reported to Eunuch Shen that now that Prince Zhao has left, all the Imperial Guards of the Prince's Palace have been ordered to be beheaded. An edict has been issued to strengthen the inspection and capture of Prince Zhao at key checkpoints in all provinces. Lü Hechun has also been urgently dispatched to set off for Sichuan immediately."
"Has anyone reported back about Miss Jiuli being here?"
Jiang Xu swallowed and nodded, "Understood. Eunuch Shen said that the Emperor is currently furious and cannot attend to the young lady for the time being. Since the young lady is here, please take good care of her, Second Master. The Emperor will inquire about it later."
Chen Jia paused for a moment, then smiled. "Is it 'caretaker' or 'guardian'?"
Jiang Xu couldn't answer and shook his head. "Also, Young Master Lü Jing accompanied his father to the palace. He heard me mention that Miss Jiu Li was in our Emerald Garden, so he came with me and is now in the small hall outside."
"How could I possibly have time to entertain him?"
"Did the junior tell him to go back first?"
Chen Jia paused for a moment, then turned around and slowly waved his hand, "Let's have some tea and fruit first. Alright, you can go now."
As he spoke, he turned and walked to the corridor, where melodious music from the sheng and pipa filled the air. Jiu Li and his concubines were chatting and laughing happily. No wonder she suddenly had the interest to come to his Jade Garden today; it turned out she was trying to lure him away so that Qi Xubai and the others could help Prince Zhao escape. Even her daily visits to the palace to accompany the Emperor a few days ago seemed like a deliberate attempt to mislead others.
He couldn't understand why someone would give up being a princess of noble birth to side with outsiders and turn against their own father.
Thinking of this, she smiled coldly and lifted the curtain to go inside. She walked around a screen and entered the spacious warm pavilion on the right. She instructed her concubines, "Light the lamps, and you all go out."
Several concubines stopped playing the zither and flute. Seeing that his expression was not right, they hurriedly lit lamps everywhere and then carefully withdrew.
The sudden silence made Jiu Li feel a little uneasy. She straightened her skirt, leaned back behind the small table, and glanced out the window. It was dark; those who were supposed to leave had probably all gone. Only she remained here. She wondered if Yu Qi had gone with them? Or had he already been murdered?
She dared not think any further and could only turn her face to a smile, "Why didn't you let them sing? I was enjoying listening to them."
Chen Jia walked towards the table with his hands behind his back. "Miss, you seem pleased to hear this. But do you know that chaos has broken out outside?"
"What's all the commotion about?"
“Prince Zhao has fled from the palace, and the Imperial Guards are currently searching for him everywhere. Second Master Qi has also run away, and Mr. Yu’s whereabouts are unknown. If I’m not mistaken, when I met you at noon, you were preparing to leave the city and the capital, weren’t you?”
Jiuli's expression changed slightly before she raised her chin and smiled, secretly holding a dagger for peeling fruit in her sleeve.
Seeing that he didn't answer, he raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Do you know what the crime of treason is? It's amazing that you, a young woman, are so calm. Do you really think that just because you are the emperor's bloodline, the emperor won't punish you? Do you know that since ancient times, even if a son commits treason, the emperor will not show any mercy?"
She slowly emerged from behind the table. “You sent those dancers to the Prince’s mansion. They didn’t do what the Emperor ordered, and instead helped the Prince escape. How can you explain this to the Emperor? But you’re just as calm right now. You, a mere eunuch, are still better than me, a mere woman. After all, you were once a man.”
The word "eunuch" made the veins on his forehead bulge. After a moment of silence, he smiled sinisterly, a murderous glint in his eyes. "I have captured you, the mastermind and a major criminal, which can offset my crimes. Besides, if Prince Zhao really escapes to Guizhou and raises an army, the court will be in dire need of manpower at this time. The Emperor will not punish the Chen family at this time."
Jiuli moved closer to him, smiling face to face, "How do you know you can definitely handle me?"
As she spoke, a dagger suddenly moved from her sleeve and plunged into Chen Jia's abdomen. Chen Jia's face contorted in shock. Looking down at her stomach, she saw Chen Jia trying to pull out the dagger and quickly grabbed her hand.
As Jiuli struggled to break free, gripping the hilt of his knife, he said viciously, "Whether I can escape or not, I have to kill you first to avenge Du Zhong!"
She struggled fiercely, pulled out the dagger, and seeing Chen Jia collapsed on the ground, she grabbed the dagger again and pounced on him, shouting, "You eunuch! I'm going to send you to the underworld to kowtow and beg for forgiveness from Du Zhong!"
Unexpectedly, Chen Jia kicked her hard, sending her sprawling backward. A maid outside, having already heard the commotion, pushed the door open and rushed in. Upon seeing the scene, she cried out. Immediately, several people rushed in and, with great effort, subdued Jiu Li, but ultimately failed to subdue her.
Chen Jia ordered Jiu Li to be tied to the large, wide meditation chair next to him, and then bandaged him on the couch, glancing at Jiu Li with a sidelong glance. After glancing at him for a while, he suddenly laughed in a sinister tone, his voice soft but like a noose around someone's neck, "Go and invite Young Master Lü here, I have something good to offer you."
A short while later, Lü Jing followed Jiang Xu in. Upon seeing the mess inside and the ropes binding Jiu Li, his face immediately turned pale. He hurriedly went to Chen Jia's chair and questioned, "How dare you, Chen Jia, tie up Miss Jiu Li!"
Chen Jiajie rose with a smile as cold as ice, strolled towards Jiu Li, and glanced at him. "Young Master Lü is truly chivalrous, but she is currently the ringleader of a treason. If we don't bind her, who are we to bind? Hmph, only you truly treat her like a princess. The Emperor hasn't announced it to the world, which shows that she doesn't even have the Emperor's respect. Today she has committed such a crime that would implicate nine generations of her family. Even if the Emperor had never raised her, or even if she had grown up under his care, she would still be subjected to the punishment of slow slicing one day."
Lu Jing's heart sank. Everyone knew the Emperor was cold and heartless, and what he said made sense. It was just a real pity that such a beautiful girl was supposed to be his bride. He couldn't help but sigh deeply.
Chen Jia overheard this, turned around and smiled at him, "If he really is executed in a few days, you, Young Master Lü, will never have the chance to meet such a beauty again. I truly feel sorry for you."
What do you mean by that?
Chen Jia turned back and smiled at Jiu Li, "How about I do Young Master Lü a favor?"
After speaking, he called everyone out, closed the door behind him, and dismissed the crowd. He then clutched his stomach and went to the side room, pacing back and forth against the wall, feeling unbearably itchy. Finally, he couldn't resist pressing his ear against the wall.
There was no movement from the next room for the time being. At first, Lü Jing dared not act. His heart was in turmoil. On one hand, he was worried that Jiu Li was the emperor's daughter after all, and he was afraid that the emperor would take into consideration the blood ties and not only not kill Jiu Li, but would also settle scores with him. On the other hand, he was also afraid that the emperor would indeed order her to be killed, and he would miss a chance to indulge in his desires.
He hesitated in front of Zizai, and Jiuli, seeing his ever-changing expression, became somewhat afraid. She then spoke up and scolded him, "Lu Jing! How dare you defy your superior?! Think about it carefully. Even if I commit treason and the Emperor wants to execute me, I am still his daughter. If you bully me, you are offending the Emperor's majesty and will die in the future!"
Lu Jing scoffed at her and retorted, "The Emperor was going to betroth you to me anyway. He told me last time that he would issue the decree after the Lantern Festival. Even if he doesn't kill you, I don't think he'll blame me too much. Besides, my father has just set off for Sichuan. He'll be working for the Emperor in the future."
This explanation convinced him as well. He gently tugged at the charcoal gray collar of her coat, revealing a smooth, fair neck and shoulders, with a tea-colored bra covering her chest. He swallowed hard as he looked at her chest, then at her face. "Alright, I'm sorry."
After speaking, he buried his face in her neck and kissed her wildly. Jiu Li struggled but could not break free and could only cry out for help. Chen Jia, who was next door, heard this and laughed wickedly.
But then a loud "bang" was heard, and the door was kicked open from the outside. A gust of wind extinguished the two lamps inside, leaving only the two lamps behind Jiu Li flickering erratically. Lü Jing suddenly straightened up and turned around. The screen behind him was suddenly split in two with a whooshing sound and lightning, revealing a person. He couldn't discern the color of the person's robes, but he could see that the face was as pale as a ghost, the eyes were fierce like a demon, and there seemed to be a bloodstain on the right cheek. He held a sharp knife in his hand, and blood dripped from the tip of the knife, slowly approaching, drop by drop.
Lu Jing's legs went weak with fear. "Mr. Yu—"
Jiuli tilted her head and looked, tears welling up instantly, but she seemed to lose her voice and couldn't utter a sound.
Without a word, Yu Qi placed one hand on Lü Jing's face, raised his knife, and lightly slit his neck. Lü Jing let out a whimper and collapsed to the ground, convulsing uncontrollably. Yu Qi stepped over him, cut the ropes binding Jiu Li, and looked around as if searching for something.
Unable to find her immediately, he reached out his hand to her, "Fish, come with me."
Jiuli was still somewhat stunned when Chen Jia came over from the next room. Upon seeing the scene inside, he was so frightened that he retreated repeatedly. Turning around under the corridor, he saw Zhang Da approaching from the courtyard with a bloodstained waist knife. "Don't shout, it's no use shouting. All twelve people in your garden have been killed by us. Right now, no one will answer you except ghosts."
Chen Jia was terrified and turned around to see Yu Qi coming out with Jiu Li in his arms, holding a knife and pointing it directly at him. "From yesterday to today, I have killed more than a dozen people. I was planning to escape, but I came back specifically to avenge my Zhong'er. I didn't expect you to leave Yu'er here. I really came for the right reason."
Seeing knives pointed at him from both sides, Chen Jia had no choice but to run down the corridor. He had only run three or five steps when Yu Qi threw the knife horizontally at him, piercing him from behind and into his heart.
The crescent moon had just risen, and the sound of horses' hooves could still be heard all around. The three of them came out of the Emerald Garden, dodging the Imperial Guards all the way, and stopped in front of a house in a small alley.
When Jiuli saw Zhang Da knocking on the door, he turned to Yu Qi and asked, "Whose house is this?"
The door opened at that moment, and the person who opened it held up an oil lamp. Looking up in the light, Jiu Li saw a thin, bony man in his forties. "Aren't you Boss Jin from the opera troupe?!"
Yu Qi pulled her into the courtyard, and looking into the main room, they saw the six people who had performed at the Qi residence these past few days, packing up their equipment and trunks. There were men, women, and children among them. However, everyone looked fearful, their eyes hesitantly glancing at Yu Qi and Zhang Da. Jiu Li could tell from this that they must have been taken hostage by Yu Qi and Zhang Da.
As expected, Yu Qi cut the kang (a heated brick bed) with his knife, sat down, and gave the group a cold look. “After we leave the city tomorrow, we will all be given whips. If any of you leak the news, you will all be buried with the three of us.”
Upon seeing the blood-stained knife on the box, the men dared not utter a sound. Boss Jin, however, smiled obsequiously and placed the oil lamp on the kang table. "Sir," he said, "don't worry," he added, "as long as you don't harm us, we won't dare utter a single word. We have no grudge against you, and we received many tips from the young lady the other day. Why would we harm you? We only want to save our lives."
Zhang Da, wiping his knife, said, "That's good. We've already killed twenty or thirty people, so a few more won't make a difference. Anyway, once we're caught, we're all going to die."
Jiuli glanced at Yu Qi; his face was like that of a living Yama. Although he was usually stern and unapproachable, she had never seen him so menacing. Her legs went weak with fear, and she slowly approached the kang (heated brick bed). "Uncle, what exactly happened? How did you get in touch with Boss Jin and his men?"
Yu Qi looked up at her and then remembered to check if she was injured. He pulled her arm and spun her around in front of him. Fortunately, there were no superficial wounds. The blood on her body was from him.
What are you doing at Emerald Garden?
Seeing that his expression softened slightly, everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Someone stepped forward and said, "Let me fetch a basin of water for you to wash up, sir."
Yu Qi gave Zhang Da a wink, and Zhang Da followed him out. The rest of the men still dared not make a move. Jiu Li glanced at them, sat down next to Yu Qi, and quietly recounted what had happened during the day. After finishing, her eyes welled up with tears, and she cried out, "I thought you had died on Qianlong Mountain!"
He glanced at him sideways. "If you're afraid I'll die, why don't you come looking for me?"
She sniffled and said, "I think we should prioritize the bigger picture."
He was unsure whether to laugh or cry. He had always hoped she would be sensible, but now that she was, he felt a pang of disappointment.
He watched her cry for a while, then raised his hand to wipe her tears. Seeing the blood on his own hands, he could only pull up her skirt to wipe them for her. "Do you think I die so easily?"
A tear welled up in her eyes, but she smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck with childlike excitement, "I knew you wouldn't die! I knew you would find me!"
Yu Qi couldn't help but chuckle, then his eyes swept over the people in the corner, a fierce glint appearing in them.
The three, still shaken from their ordeal, huddled together on the kang (a heated brick bed). Jiuli, fully clothed, slept haphazardly on the kang, while Yuqi, with only one leg draped over it, sat against the headboard and recounted the events of the previous day.
It turned out that since yesterday afternoon, Yu Qi and Zhang Da had killed more than a dozen shadow guards in Qianlong Mountain. They were afraid that there were still pursuers, so they buried the bodies on the spot. Fortunately, the weather was good and the snow kept falling, which covered the bloodstains and temporarily delayed the imperial guards who went to search Qianlong Mountain this morning.
The two hid in the countryside for a night, originally planning to meet up with the others at the dock in the south of the city as previously agreed. However, Yu Qi was worried that Jiu Li would stay in the city looking for him, and he also thought that he might never see Chen Jia again, and he could not leave Du Zhong's revenge unpunished. So he decided to sneak away and kill Chen Jia before leaving.
Unexpectedly, they encountered this opera troupe on the road. Upon questioning them, they learned that King Zhao's escape from the capital had been discovered, and the Qi residence had been guarded by the imperial guards, who had driven everyone inside away. They had no choice but to return to this rented house.
Zhang Da chimed in, "So Mr. Yu came up with an idea. Since the incident has happened, the city gates will definitely be more heavily guarded, making it difficult for us to leave the city. So he kidnapped the opera troupe and asked them to sneak us out of the city tomorrow. We'll use their equipment to disguise ourselves, and we should be able to get away with it."
Yu Qi glanced down at Jiu Li and said, "If I don't avenge Zhong'er today, I won't be able to save you. It seems that Zhong'er is leading the way for me."
Jiuli flipped over and gripped his hand tightly. "He will also bless us so that we can leave the capital safely tomorrow."
Zhang Da chuckled on the other end of the line, "At worst, we'll fight our way out! In all my years as a constable, I haven't killed as many people as I have in the last two days. It's been a really satisfying killing spree!"
The next day, before dawn, they got up, ordered the entire opera troupe to dress up, prepared carriages, and headed straight for the south city. They encountered two imperial guard patrols along the way, but managed to slip past them both times. When they arrived at the city gate, they saw one or two hundred imperial guards inside and out, led by the commander of the imperial guards and the gatekeeper. There were tables set up beside the city gate, with official documents on them, and even the area under the city wall was covered with pictures and images.
Jiuli peered into the car and saw Zhou Yu's, Xu Bai's, Yu Qi's, Zhang Da's, hers, Zhang Shun's, and a bunch of other strangers, but no one from the Guan family. Feeling a little scared, she slipped her hand into Yu Qi's and whispered, "Why isn't Aunt Guan wanted?"
Yu Qi glanced at his hand, clenched it, and smiled. "Who is Guan Youjun? The court has no evidence to prove that she took away Prince Zhao. The people checking these checkpoints usually take advantage of her, so they will definitely speak in her favor."
As they were talking, they heard the guards outside the carriage discussing, "The person went west, they must have gone south from Baoding Prefecture to Guizhou. Our tight search here is a waste of time, they didn't even take the waterway."
"I heard that three people ran westward. It must be Prince Zhao, Qi Xubai, and the prince's personal bodyguard, Tao Wen."
"Tao Wenwu is highly skilled in martial arts. I wonder how the people who chased after him are doing."
"No matter how strong he is, he can't defeat dozens or even hundreds of imperial guards. It's those ministers in the court who are usually close to King Zhao who are really unlucky!"
"We're unlucky too. During the Lunar New Year, we were assigned to be on duty again, standing guard in the freezing cold!"
After the two farmers who had left the city had finished their inspections, it was Yu Qi's turn. Boss Jin got off the mule cart first, and several people in disguise jumped off after him. Boss Jin introduced himself, then went to the back of the carriage and called Yu Qi, Jiu Li, and two other opera singers down to gather them together at the front.
The gatekeeper first checked the travel permit, then scanned the crowd, "Caixia Troupe—it's New Year's Day today, why aren't you at home having New Year's Eve dinner? Where are you rushing off to?"
Boss Jin smiled cautiously, “I would like to stay home for New Year’s Eve dinner, but it’s not possible. Every household wants to watch opera, and the schedule is full! I just finished performing at Vice Minister Bai’s residence yesterday, and this morning I rushed to perform at Eunuch Liu’s residence in Dong’an County. I was afraid I wouldn’t have enough time, so I dressed up first and went on stage as soon as I arrived. I didn’t dare to delay for a moment! Do you two recognize Eunuch Liu? He’s an old eunuch who served the late Emperor. He’s over ninety years old! Even the current Emperor has to give him some face.”
Even if the two didn't know him personally, they had heard of him. He was an old monster, the most troublesome person, and no one dared to provoke him unless they had something to do.
However, the situation was far more serious than this, and they needed to investigate further. The gatekeeper carefully examined each person in the group; some were singing the role of Zhong Kui, some were dressed as Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, and some were singing the role of Yang Guifei. A thought suddenly struck the gatekeeper, and he ordered, "Let each of them sing a couple of lines for us."
Yu Qi glanced at Jiu Li. Luckily, he had foreseen this the night before and had all three of them learn a section. They started with Jiu Li, singing a few lines about Yang Guifei. Yu Qi, holding his long beard, joined in singing about Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. Each of them sang a few lines, and after they finished, neither the gatekeeper nor the commander of the imperial guards noticed anything amiss. Boss Jin secretly slipped some silver as a New Year's greeting before waving his hand and ordering them to pass.
The three of them hadn't gone far from the city when they bid farewell to Boss Jin's opera troupe and flew to the dock. They saw several boats moored along the piers, but there were very few people around. Occasionally, a few boatmen would appear, but none of them would leave.
Just as Jiu Li was worrying, a man suddenly emerged from a cargo ship and asked, "Are you all surnamed Yu?"
Yu Qi glanced at him; he didn't seem to be in disguise. He nodded slightly. The boatman hurriedly beckoned them aboard, "Manager Ding instructed me to wait for you here. I didn't expect you to arrive so late! Hurry up, or the government troops might come to check on you."
The boat wasn't large, and it had five or six crew members. The manager quickly ordered the mooring lines to be untied and the boat to set sail. Far away, outside the watchtower on the west bank, someone noticed the boat moving and wanted to investigate.
The officer inside called out, "Hey, those are the same few ships. We've checked them countless times since yesterday. Don't bother, just let them go."
"I just vaguely saw a few people boarding the ship."
The official ate his fried soybeans, glanced at the door, and pulled himself closer to the chair. He thought that the boat also belonged to the Ding family, and they usually paid him more than the imperial salary. Why should he offend them over something as trivial as the affairs of the imperial court? In any case, whoever rebelled or became emperor was none of their business.
He casually said, "If they're going to board the ship, then they'll board it. I heard that the second master of the Chen family, the imperial uncle's family, was killed in the Emerald Garden last night. More than a dozen lives lost in one night. These are desperate criminals. Can you afford to take that risk?"
Upon hearing this, the people outside hesitated for a moment, then all squeezed inside.
Only after the boat left the shore did Jiuli's heart finally settle back into her stomach. For the first time, she felt so at ease while on a boat. She breathed a sigh of relief, and when she saw Yu Qi and Zhang Da, one was "Emperor Ming of Tang" and the other was "Zhong Kui," she couldn't help but burst out laughing.
This laughter gradually calmed their startled nerves. The boatman ordered hot water to be brought, and the three men washed the oil paintings off their faces, took off their costumes, and came to the deck, where they threw them all into a copper basin and burned them.
Zhang Da looked around at the mountains on both sides, then suddenly burst into loud laughter, "I, Zhang Da, have spent half my life as a constable, arresting thieves and bandits, but I never imagined I would become a traitorous bandit!"
Jiuli laughed, "I failed to become a princess and instead became a wanted criminal." As she spoke, she turned around and leaned against the railing, resting her elbows on it and looking up at Yu Qi.
His knife wound had scabbed over, looking gruesome against his pale face, but his gaze returned her with the same gentle tenderness as always. She reached out to touch the scab on his face, took a deep breath, and said, "So what if he's a fugitive? I'm not afraid."
Yu Qi took her hand, looked down at the flames rising in the basin in front of him, and smiled calmly, "This time we'll probably be on the run for our lives, aren't you afraid?"
Zhang Da suddenly felt snow in the wind. Looking up, he saw that the green mountains on both sides of the river were already shrouded in a gray snow. But he raised his arm and shouted, "What's there to be afraid of! A desperate betrayal might just lead to great achievements and a place in history!"
Yu Qi tied his hands behind his back and said, "Once you arrive in Nanjing, before the arrest warrant is issued to the provinces, you should quickly take your wife and children to Guizhou to seek refuge with Prince Zhao. In the future, you might even be able to be ennobled and appointed as a prime minister. This is your chance."
Zhang Da turned around, looking surprised. "And what about you?"
Yu Qi smiled and shook his head. "I have no interest in fame or fortune; I only practice medicine. I plan to go straight back to Suzhou, pick up the old lady, and take Jiu Li with me to become itinerant doctors." As he spoke, he looked directly at Jiu Li. "Aren't you afraid of being homeless and wandering the world?"
Looking into his eyes, Jiuli felt as if she had returned to the year when she was young and wandering with him. What did she know about promises and vows back then? He never spoke of them either. The only thing he ever said was, "Close your eyes and sleep. When you wake up, I'll have prepared a good meal for you."
His eyes don't lie; they only deceived her, promising to rid her of this burden. Yet he never did, not even in the face of death.
-----------------------
Author's note: Thank you for reading. I'll take a few days off and then update the extra chapters.
My next book, "The Phoenix's Mistake," is available for your collection!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
