Chapter 73
Three days later, they arrived at their destination safely. Zhou Li watched them perform a play and took the people into the mansion. Soon, two fast horses left from the back door of the mansion. Tang Jing took Zhou Li to Guanshi County by land.
The two of them rode at full speed and reached Guanshi County from the northern government territory in one day. After entering Guanshi County, someone came to pick them up.
After getting on the carriage, Zhou Li was covered in dust and was really tired. She leaned against the carriage with a listless look on her face. Tang Jing, on the other hand, was with her. He still had his back straight and looked very energetic, with a pair of eyes as bright as cold stars.
She poured some water from the water bag onto a handkerchief and wiped Zhou Li's face, wiping off a layer of dirt.
He turned over without any disgust and wiped himself.
Zhou Li was puzzled. She practiced martial arts regularly, but her physical strength was not as good as Tang Jing's. Seeing Tang Jing still at ease, Zhou Li felt jealous.
Tang Jing tidied himself up, glanced at Zhou Li, took her legs and put them on his legs and said, "You don't ride horses often, do your legs feel sore?"
Zhou Li nodded.
Tang Jing pressed a few acupoints on her and then rubbed her muscles. Zhou Li felt a burst of relief and her tense muscles felt much relieved.
It would take a while before they could enter the city. Tang Jing put Zhou Li's legs down, patted the seat beside him and said, "Come sit over here. I'll help loosen up your shoulders."
After Master Tang's kneading just now, Zhou Li was very confident in Master Tang's craftsmanship. She sat over and Tang Jing helped her loosen up her stiff shoulders and arms.
She felt comfortable both above and below, but her waist and buttocks rubbing against the saddle felt particularly uncomfortable. Zhou Li didn't feel comfortable letting Tang Jing work any more, so she stood up and prepared to sit over to prevent Tang Jing from getting tired again. She hunched her waist and just stood up when her buttocks were slapped with a "slap", and a strange sound leaked out from her lips unexpectedly.
Zhou Li turned to look at Tang Jing in horror. Tang Jing had a calm expression, even looking a little upright. She said, "Your butt looks good to be patted."
Listen, is this human language?
Zhou Li sat down angrily, crossed his arms, and glared at Tang Jing.
Tang Jing looked innocent and even asked back, "Are you angry? How about I let you fight back?"
Zhou Li couldn't help laughing and his defenses were broken.
"What? Can this thing be traded?" Zhou Li hummed.
Tang Jing had a faint smile on his face, and he looked at Zhou Li with a gentle expression. His whole body was as gentle as the moon in the sky. Zhou Li was stunned for a moment, and then heard Tang Jing ask, "Are you still nervous?"
Zhou Li opened her eyes wide when she heard that. How did Tang Jing know that she was nervous?
For some reason, Zhou Li's muscles have been tense since he set foot in Guanshi County, and he feels an indescribable tension.
This was not her first time to carry out a system task, but it was the first time she felt so nervous.
Zhou Li couldn't find the reason, but Tang Jing saw through it.
After she made such a fuss, Zhou Li was indeed no longer nervous.
Tang Jing twitched his lips slightly, but what he said was not heartwarming: "An ugly daughter-in-law has to meet her parents-in-law. Don't be nervous. My adoptive father is relatively easy to talk to."
Zhou Li glared at Tang Jing angrily: "Who is ugly?"
Tang Jing was stunned for a moment, then laughed out loud at the sight of Zhou Li. Zhou Li did not deny meeting her in-laws, but was instead wondering whether she was ugly or not. It seemed like he thought the same thing as her.
Tang Jing couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth, "I'm ugly."
Looking at Zhou Li's confused look, Tang Jing was certain in her heart that Zhou Li had her in his heart, and maybe he liked her a little bit. Thinking of this, Tang Jing's heart was filled with joy.
She reached out and grabbed Zhou Li's hand.
"What?" Zhou Li shook her hand, but was held by Tang Jing. She did not answer, but just looked at her quietly with a smile. Zhou Li met her eyes and calmed down involuntarily.
Tang Jing leaned over and rested his head on Zhou Li's shoulder, "I'm tired."
Zhou Li turned his head but did not refuse.
The two of them listened quietly to the rumbling sound of the wheel tracks rolling over the bluestone slabs.
There was still some distance to go before entering the city, and both of them were tired. Zhou Li leaned against the bike, swaying, and closed his eyes involuntarily. His head gradually slid down and bumped into Tang Jing's head. He had been riding a horse all day today, and he was physically and mentally exhausted to the limit. Zhou Li had never rushed like this before, and his throat was full of rust from running.
Tang Jing opened her eyes and saw that Zhou Li had fallen asleep. She moved her body and laid her head against Tang Jing's. Her hand was still tightly holding her hand. Their shoulders were touching, heads to heads. It was not a very comfortable position, but Zhou Li slept very comfortably. She didn't even notice that Tang Jing had taken a nap and put her head on his lap.
The carriage was shaking, and Tang Jing looked down at Zhou Li's face.
She had a beautiful face, very different from Tang Jing's ordinary appearance after he restrained his aura. Zhou Li's appearance was the kind of outstanding that could be spotted at a glance in a crowd. Tang Jing never thought that one day she would be involved with such a person, because she had always been taught not to attract attention.
But fate is so unreasonable that it arbitrarily draws the line of cause and effect between the two people.
Tang Jing hugged Zhou Li and leaned against the car wall, then began to think about his adoptive father. He hoped that Zhou Li would not be frightened when he saw his adoptive father.
The carriage continued its journey for a long time before finally entering the city. The city was heavily guarded. It was already early morning, and the sound of night watchmen could be heard from afar. The road inside the city became much easier to walk on, and the carriage was less shaky. Zhou Li was awakened by Tang Jing's gentle voice: "We're here."
Zhou Li squinted his eyes and sat up. He lifted the curtain of the car and saw a city that was still majestic and majestic in its sleep. A patrol team just passed by on the road. They all carried long guns with black muzzles, which looked scary.
Zhou Li shifted his gaze to the end of the road. The tall city wall blocked the view from the outside, but one could still see a majestic corner of the bricks and tiles exposed inside the wall.
Lowering the curtain, Zhou Li asked, "Where are we going?"
"To see my adoptive father."
"Your adoptive father lives here?" Zhou Li began to doubt. The world inside the city walls is comparable to the imperial palace in the capital. Those who can live here are no small fish or shrimp.
Hearing the inspection outside the carriage, Tang Jing simply shook Zhou Li's hand firmly, and then took Zhou Li out of the carriage. She showed her badge, and everyone who saw it immediately lowered their heads and called out, "Miss, you're back."
Hmm??? Miss???
This reversal caught Zhou Li off guard. He was puzzled. The system did not mention what kind of young lady she was when introducing the heroine's background. Wasn't she an intelligence officer? How could another young lady appear?
Tang Jing pulled Zhou Li's hand and said, "I'll explain it to you later."
There was still a long way to go inside, so the two got on the carriage again.
The capital of Guanshi County was rebuilt from the original city lord's mansion. Zhang Mei didn't want to waste money and manpower, so every brick and wood here remained the same without any changes. It still looks like the old site, but the people walking inside are wearing uniform gowns and have short hair, like aliens who have traveled through time to this era.
Zhou Li did not find it strange. Zhang Mei was a radical, and one of the things he enforced very strictly was changing the hair and clothes. After several years of breaking old habits, Zhang Mei's rule was finally stable, and everyone got used to not wearing old clothes and not following old customs.
Zhou Li's brows had been furrowed since the beginning. Tang Jing sat up straight and said to Zhou Li, "The adoptive father I've always mentioned to you is my second adoptive father. I met my current adoptive father when I joined the army with him when I was a child. At that time, his family sent him to a grassroots military camp to train him. Although they sent people to protect him, he was still in danger. Fortunately, my adoptive father intervened and saved his life. We have a life-and-death friendship and are brothers. We became sworn brothers and he acknowledged me as my adoptive father."
"Later, my adoptive father got into trouble, so my adoptive father took me away and adopted me as his own child."
"That's when I found out he was the future heir of the Zhang family, Zhang Mei."
Tang Jing's voice was not loud, but Zhou Li's eyes widened. Although she had always had some guesses in her mind, she had never said them out loud.
"Then why are you doing this?" Zhou Li didn't understand.
Tang Jing smiled faintly, and as Zhou Li followed her, the smile on her face became more and more.
"I'm just an adopted daughter. After all, I'm not a member of the Zhang family."
The Zhang family needs a hidden blade, and Tang Jing is the blade they have been cultivating for many years.
Placing her in the enemy camp is also in the hope that when needed, her blade can be revealed and eliminate the trouble forever.
As for her life or death.
As a weapon, no one cares.
The road eventually comes to an end. Tang Jing asked Zhou Li to wait in the car while she went to see her adoptive father first. Zhou Li didn't expect that she would be able to meet the target of the mission so smoothly. According to the system, Zhang Mei should be seriously poisoned, but Tang Jing was not in a hurry. When they arrived at Guanshi County, the atmosphere in the county was also very peaceful, which made Zhou Li a little unsure, but the system should be correct.
Tang Jing took off the weapons on his body and threw them aside. Zhou Li was secretly amazed. She had no idea that Tang Jing had so many weapons hidden on him. After she got out of the car, she was checked by the guards outside the room before she entered the room.
The lights in the room were on, and Zhang Mei hadn't gone to bed yet even at this late hour.
Zhou Li sat in the car waiting for Tang Jing. After a long time, when Zhou Li was almost asleep, Tang Jing came back. She shook her head at Zhou Li and said, "Godfather said he is tired today and won't see you for the time being."
Zhou Li was a little disappointed. He thought he would be able to meet the target of the mission today, but he didn't expect that he still didn't meet him.
The carriage took them to Tang Jing's residence here. After seeing Zhang Mei coming back, Tang Jing was a little absent-minded. He was not as active as he was on the road and returned to silence.
Zhou Li couldn't help but ask, "Is your adoptive father in bad condition?"
Tang Jing suddenly turned around and stared at Zhou Li with a pair of sharp eyes like an eagle. After looking at her, she was stunned for a moment. This was not the way to deal with spies and enemies. Rubbing her brows, Tang Jing whispered, "Where did you hear the news? My adoptive father is fine."
Zhou Li was not scared. She had experienced a lot and was not someone who would be scared by a single look.
She also lowered her voice and said, "I heard from people in the capital that someone poisoned him."
"Don't make up stories." Tang Jing answered firmly.
"It's just that it's late tonight, and my godfather is tired. Besides, this is a family matter between us, so it's not good to talk about it publicly."
Tang Jing held Zhou Li's hand and smiled gently.
This is weird.
Zhou Li had a hunch that she was hiding something again, but he didn't dare to ask any more questions.
Zhou Li saw the blood color spreading from Tang Jing's smile.
When they arrived at the residence, Zhou Li and Tang Jing did not live together. She felt a little uneasy, so she lay down and went to look for Tang Jing again.
Their rooms were very close, and Tang Jing didn't like to hire servants, so the yard was very quiet. Zhou Li knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered. She pushed the door open, but there was no one in the room. Even the bed was neatly folded, and it didn't look like anyone had slept in it.
Zhou Li bit her lower lip. She seemed to know what Tang Jing was going to do.
In the early morning, the sky turned pale and the roosters crowed. Zhou Li sat at the stone table outside the yard all night. When the sun rose, he finally saw Tang Jing.
She was dressed in black and her body was stained with blood. She pushed open the door and closed it quietly. Just as she was about to take a step, she reflexively pulled out a knife from her hand and was about to throw it at Zhou Li. Fortunately, Tang Jing reacted. She held the knife and looked at Zhou Li. The blood on her cheek was extremely conspicuous in the rising sun.
Tang Jing was stunned for a moment, "When did you wake up?"
Zhou Li stood up and walked towards Tang Jing. Tang Jing put away the blade in his hand, worried about hurting Zhou Li. Zhou Li pinched his sleeve to wipe Tang Jing's face, but found that the blood had dried and could not be wiped clean.
Zhou Li rubbed it hard a few times, and Tang Jing let her wipe it. Her skin was rubbed red by Zhou Li, and then she said, "It can't be wiped off. Use hot water."
Tang Jing grabbed Zhou Li's wrist. Her eyes were dark. Zhou Li only realized now that the color in her eyes was not the night color, but the color of blood that was so deep that it looked black.
"Why would he do this to you?" Zhou Li didn't understand.
Tang Jing traveled thousands of miles, but the first thing he did when he came back was to kill someone for Zhang Mei.
Tang Jing licked his lips. "Is there any water? I'm thirsty."
Zhou Li became even angrier when he knew Tang Jing didn't want to talk.
"This is your house, how would I know if there is water?"
Zhou Li tried to shake off her hands, but couldn't shake off Tang Jing's hand that was tightly holding her wrist.
"Don't be angry with me." Tang Jing grabbed Zhou Li's hand and pulled her over. He pressed his other hand on the back of Zhou Li's head and put his forehead against hers.
"I'm fine, it's just a small matter."
Tang Jing wanted to kiss Zhou Li, but was pushed away by Zhou Li.
Before she could feel disappointed, she heard Zhou Li angrily say, "It stinks. Wash it first."
Tang Jing felt relieved for a moment. She curled her lips towards Zhou Li and said, "Foster father said he would meet us this afternoon."
Zhou Li's heart skipped a beat. Could this be the deal Tang Jing and Zhang Mei had agreed on yesterday? It was too late to ask now, so Zhou Li went to boil some water for Tang Jing.
She is obviously a young lady, but she has to do everything by herself.
There was a small kitchen in Tang Jing's yard. Zhou Li lit the firewood, scooped water from the jar and heated it for Tang Jing, who watched by the side.
Zhou Li asked unhappily, "Were you like this before? Your adoptive father has a rich family and great wealth, so why didn't he find you some suitable people?"
Tang Jing squatted at Zhou Li's feet, looking up with a smile like a winter jasmine: "There were some in the past, but I'm often away from home, and it wouldn't be good if too many people knew about it, so I fired them. I usually hire people, but it's not convenient for me to meet people in my current state."
Zhou Li snorted coldly, threw the ladle into the water tank, and said to Tang Jing unhappily: "Yes, yes, what the young lady said is reasonable, it's me who is inhumane!"
When Tang Jing heard Zhou Li say this, she laughed even more happily. She held Zhou Li's hanging hand and clung to the back of Zhou Li's hand like a puppy, "Having you is enough for me."
Zhou Li's heart suddenly beat faster, his throat felt dry, and he suddenly didn't have the energy to shake Tang Jing off, leaving her to rub against him like a mangy dog for a long time.
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