The scholar in the blue robe introduced himself in a plain manner, but it was like a stone thrown into a stagnant pond, stirring up a thousand waves in Li Ru's heart!
Jia Xu, Jia Wenhe!
Li Ru had heard of this name when he was in Luoyang.
It is said that this person possesses extraordinary talent, yet he is aloof and unpredictable, like a deep pool whose depths are unfathomable.
Some have even hinted that it may be related to an extremely secretive agency around the emperor—the "Investigation Bureau," which is His Majesty's eyes and claws for discerning the world and controlling the undercurrents!
He... he's actually His Majesty's man! His Majesty actually sent him personally to save him!
Suppressing his shock, Li Ruqiang looked intently into Jia Xu's unfathomable eyes through the wooden bars of the prison cart: "Mr. Jia... I will never forget your life-saving grace! But Your Majesty..."
"Your Majesty is well."
Jia Xu seemed to know what he was going to ask, and his voice remained calm and even: "It's just that Your Majesty has walked too fast on some roads, and there are always some demons and monsters who are unwilling to leave the stage, always wanting to jump out and block the way, or... take a bite out of those who are alone."
His few words, though seemingly casual, vividly depicted the undercurrents in the Luoyang court, the counterattack of powerful figures, and the jealousy and resentment that Li Ru incurred as the "sharp blade" in His Majesty's hands!
Jia Xu's gaze swept over the wrecked corpses and the still-shaken constables, finally settling on an older constable: "Officers, you've worked hard. This place is not safe to stay any longer. Although the bandits have retreated, there's no guarantee they won't make a comeback."
"Take your men and leave immediately. Return to the Court of Justice by the same route and report back... that the exiled criminal Li Ru was ambushed and killed by fierce bandits in Black Wind Valley, and his body was never found!"
"No trace of the body?!"
The surviving constables were stunned, staring incredulously at Jia Xu, then at Li Ru, who was alive and well in the prison cart.
"Yes, no remains were found."
Jia Xu's tone left no room for doubt: "This is the best outcome. It's good for you, for His Majesty, and even for the entire Han Dynasty."
Otherwise, do you really think you can safely deliver this prison cart to Youzhou alive?
The constables shuddered!
Looking at the corpses of their comrades scattered on the ground and the cold bodies of the black-clad assassins, a chill instantly ran from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads, and they understood immediately.
This mission was perhaps a dead end from the very beginning. As long as Li Ru lived, they would be buried with him sooner or later. Only when Li Ru "died" could they live!
"I...I understand! Thank you for your guidance, sir!"
The lead constable knelt down with a thud, cold sweat pouring from his forehead, and shouted, "Brothers, quick! Carry...carry all these corpses down that steep slope..."
The few remaining constables hurriedly dragged the black-clad assassin and the corpses of the dead constables to a steep slope in the canyon, and deliberately messed up the scene to create the illusion of a fierce battle and the corpses rolling into the deep valley.
Li Ru watched all of this silently, without uttering a single word.
He knew that Jia Xu would never speak without reason.
What puzzled him was whether this was the emperor's will or Jia Xu's own initiative.
"Let's go."
Jia Xu's voice pulled Li Ru back to reality. Two men dressed in ordinary clothes silently approached the prison cart and quickly unlocked Li Ru's shackles and leg irons with a special key.
The heavy iron object landed with a dull thud. Li Ru stretched his stiff and numb hands and feet, took a deep breath of the blood-tinged air of freedom, and glanced one last time at the constables who were "setting up" the scene, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
Li Ru, the magistrate of Heyang County, the criminal official Li Ru who was exiled to Youzhou, has "died" in the rocky valley of Heifengyu.
Then, without hesitation, he followed Jia Xu and the two silent guards, quickly leaving this battlefield and disappearing into a secluded, thorny path beside the canyon.
Darkness completely enveloped the earth.
The group of people traveled like ghosts through the rugged and difficult mountains.
Jia Xu's steps seemed slow, but they were exceptionally steady, always finding the most concealed path. Two guards followed behind, constantly keeping an eye on the surrounding movements.
It wasn't until late at night, when they were certain they had completely shaken off any possible pursuers, that they stopped in a sheltered mountain hollow.
A bonfire was lit, dispelling the chill and darkness of the late autumn mountains, and the leaping flames illuminated Jia Xu's ordinary yet unfathomable face.
Jia Xu took out a flat oil paper package from his pocket and handed it to Li Ru: "Eat something first."
Li Ru accepted the oil paper package without ceremony. Inside were several hard but filling pieces of dried meat and coarse flour cakes.
He ate silently, but his gaze never left Jia Xu.
Jia Xu didn't even look at him, but instead poked at the campfire with a dry twig, causing sparks to crackle.
After a long silence, he slowly spoke: "Magistrate Li, no, I should call you Li Wenyou now."
Jia Xu raised his eyelids, his eyes, as deep as an ancient well, staring directly at Li Ru. "After the Black Wind Valley calamity, you should understand that some people don't want you to make it to Youzhou alive. Even if you are lucky enough to get there, in that bitterly cold border region, there are plenty of ways to quietly kill an exiled official."
Li Ru nodded silently; he had understood this long ago.
"You must be aware of His Majesty's protectiveness towards you..."
Jia Xu paused for a moment, then changed the subject, "But Your Majesty also has your own difficulties. There are many obstacles in the court; and undercurrents are surging throughout the land."
The likes of the Feng family are nothing but a minor ailment; the true threat to Your Majesty and our Great Han lies beyond the borders, on the grasslands!
"grassland?"
Li Ru paused slightly, looked up at Jia Xu with a hint of curiosity and inquiry in his eyes.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
