Chapter 11: The thief cries "stop thief" and there is no point in saying more.
Li Zixi and others entered Dancheng disguised as a delivery team and settled at Huiyun Inn, which was three streets away from Fuzhi Inn.
They had been on the road since noon yesterday and arrived in Dancheng early. Originally, the silver should have been secretly delivered to the city lord's mansion bit by bit, and then escorted to Kyoto by people from the city lord's mansion and the Langjiang people.
But today, Li Zixi received a note tied to the leg of a carrier pigeon that flew from Yanmen. After reading the note, he kept the silver in his hand.
The contact person in the City Lord's Mansion thought that something had happened and Li Zixi did not dare to act rashly, and as a result, they themselves did not dare to make any move.
After all, it is 100,000 taels of silver, a huge amount. If something happens, no one knows whether the thing around his neck can be kept.
The subordinates didn't understand what was going on, but they didn't ask any questions and just waited quietly for orders.
Seeing this situation, the guests from Baijialou who were hiding in the team did not act rashly.
His mission was to follow these people to find out the route and leave traces for the people chasing them. He shouldn't do the rest. Too much trouble would lead to changes, which would be detrimental to the mission.
Li Zixi sat by the window, the sun setting outside the window, and his heart was as calm as a shallow puddle.
Only he knew that the reason he didn't leave was that he was waiting for someone.
Waiting for someone who can "save" the general.
Shang Yuwan changed into a plain blue and white dress and wore a white veil hat on her head, with Lu Heying following closely behind her.
Ever since the two of them stepped into Huiyun Inn, the eyes of some people in the inn have never left them.
Lu Heying took a closer look. If he was not mistaken, those people who were staring at him without looking away were probably Li Zixi's men.
Shang Yuwan ignored all this, walked step by step to the superior guest room where Li Zixi was staying, and knocked gently with his hand.
The guards inside the door had heard the footsteps long ago, and they pulled out the long swords at their waists slightly, revealing a cold light.
"Sir, do you want it?"
Li Zixi's heart was in turmoil the moment Shang Yuwan knocked on the door. He turned his head and said, "Don't be rude. Please come in, young lady."
"......yes."
The long sword was put back into the sheath, and the guard obediently opened the door to let Shang Yuwan and Lu Heying in.
"Everyone, step back."
The two guards at the door responded and went out.
Li Zixi spread her hands and said, "Miss, please sit down."
His eyebrows were half white, his eyelids were half drooping, his skin was close to his bones, and there was a little light blue stubble above his lips.
She remembered that Li Zixi was originally a somewhat clumsy but hardworking soldier in the Zhenxi Army camp, and he always looked energetic.
It has changed, everything has changed.
She hadn't been back to Yanmen for more than ten years, and many people were no longer the same as they were before.
Shang Yuwan looked at the face that was somewhat similar to but also quite different from the one in his memory. He turned his head to signal Lu Heying to go out, then walked forward and sat opposite Li Zixi.
Lu Heying saw that Shang Yuwan had something to say to Li Zixi alone, so he tactfully withdrew.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting, sir."
Shang Yuwan put the token on the table.
Li Zixi didn't say much, accepted the token, and without asking why the two of them came so quickly and accurately, he directly pushed the wooden box on the table to Shang Yuwan, "This is what the girl wants."
Shang Yuwan opened it and found a box full of booklets.
"......" Shang Yuwan picked up a book and opened it to take a look.
"I've been carrying all of this with me," Li Zixi explained to Shang Yuwan. "Inside are details of the transactions between the general, the crown prince, the prime minister, and the people of Langjiang, secretly transporting goods. There are also details of transactions between the prime minister and the people of Langjiang that the general discovered, and there are also details of the prime minister secretly extorting money from the people under the pretext of borrowing money and paying interest..."
"Isn't there anything you wanted to tell me?"
It went surprisingly smoothly. Zhang Jiuquan had indeed seen through it, but for some reason he didn't expose it? Instead, he handed these things over.
Shang Yuwan put the things in his hand back into the wooden box and looked directly at Li Zixi.
Li Zixi laughed. It was a bitter, painful, and tiring laugh.
"No."
"Really?"
After hearing this, Li Zixi really thought about it carefully.
"If one day the young lady wants to kill me and the general, can you hang me and the general closer?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere suddenly became tense.
There is a rule in the Zhenxi Army that the body of a traitor must be hung at the city gate for three days after death to serve as a warning to others.
After three breaths, Shang Yuwan said calmly, "You can't recognize who I am."
"I really don't know who you are." Li Zixi still smiled, "But if the general believes in you, I believe in you too."
Shang Yuwan asked him, "Will General Shang's body be hung in the city for three days?"
"The ancestors of the Shang family have made great contributions in protecting Yu. The emperor has pardoned them and granted them a special burial."
Shang Yuwan's grip gradually tightened, and his voice grew colder: "I'm asking about you, not the imperial edict."
Li Zixi looked at the white gauze of the veil, feeling mixed emotions. He replied, "No."
The clenched hand suddenly loosened, and then endless hatred surged in.
Shang Yuwan tried his best to calm himself and said word by word: "He did not commit treason."
Li Zixi was silent for a moment, then lowered his head slightly, "I don't know."
"——Master Li."
Li Zixi raised his head slightly and raised his eyes.
"You said you don't know who I am, so I'll tell you." Shang Yuwan touched the veil on her head, "I am Wan'er."
Li Zixi's eyes froze.
The veil was taken off, and a completely unfamiliar face was reflected in his slightly cloudy eyes, bringing him a hint of clarity.
"My full name is Shang Yuwan."
"......You......" Li Zixi was speechless for a long time, "......You......"
It really looks like it.
Li Zixi thought.
The young lady didn't have that red mole when she was young, nor did she have peach blossom eyes, but a pair of beautiful amber eyes... Although their faces look completely different, this look in her eyes makes it seem as if she is the young lady when she grows up.
Li Zixi suddenly chuckled. The momentary loss of composure seemed to be just an illusion. "Princess Qi is dead. I wonder how much criticism and slander you will face if you bear her name."
"So what?" Shang Yuwan suppressed the surging emotions in his heart and kept repeating to himself to stay calm.
"The Shang family has done me a favor, and I must repay it."
"The girl is kind and righteous, I admire her."
"Then I wonder if Master Li would be willing to act out a play with me?"
Li Zixi asked with a smile, "Oh? What play?"
Shang Yuwan reached out and tapped the wooden box, her peach blossom eyes flashing with a cunning light.
"The thief cries thief."
"You mean, we're going to rob the silver tonight?"
After dinner, Shang Yuwan stayed with Xiao Qingxu to read the letter and the box of books that Li Zixi had handed to them.
She was watching intently, constantly thinking about what to do next. When she heard Xiao Qingxu's words, she only replied with a "hmm".
Besides Zhang Jiuquan's involvement in the trade and transportation, the prime minister was the biggest silver thief, with the crown prince only getting a small share? The Langjiang people didn't profit much either. What exactly were they planning...
When Shang Yuwan saw the three words "Zhang Jiuquan", his thoughts suddenly went back to the last time he spoke with Li Zixi.
"Master Li, do you think the general would like to say something to me?"
Li Zixi only answered with eight words.
"It's come to this point, there's no point in saying more."
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