Chapter 249 Simplicity
Seeing that Lüshui was agitated and looked distraught, Meng Lingge and Qiu Lan quickly reached out and pulled her back.
"The white jade gourd? Is that the one you wear on your wrist every day? It might have accidentally fallen somewhere else. We'll go with you to look for it."
Meng Lingge still had some impression of the white jade gourd of Green Water, because she had seen the same one in Zheng Qingshan's hands before. That thing looked like a little toy that parents buy for their children. The Sixth Prince probably wouldn't be interested in such a thing.
Although the Sixth Prince may have only wanted to take a token from Lushu, and Lushu only had this one piece of jewelry, there were so many people present at the time, and the Sixth Prince was not a master thief, so it was unlikely that he could have stolen it silently while being tied up.
"No, it must be him. He asked me yesterday if this gourd had any special meaning. I ignored him then, but he must have been planning this all along. Just then, I went to return his jade pendant, and he held a grudge, so he stole my gourd. It's the only token that allows me to reunite with my elder brother... Miss, could you give me a horse? I need to find it..."
Green Water was extremely annoyed. Had she known this would happen, she would have preferred to throw the jade pendant into the river or into the fire rather than return it herself, which resulted in her only keepsake being stolen by a villain.
"But can you ride a horse?" Meng Lingge helped Lushui up and said calmly, "Even if you can, you probably still can't catch up with them."
Given her status, getting a few horses from the military camp wouldn't be a problem, but she had never seen Lu Shui riding a horse, and Wen Zhiming and the others had already left for a while, so it would be difficult for them to catch up.
"I can't," Green Water said, her voice trembling with anxiety. "But I have to get it back; it's my most precious thing."
“I understand.” Meng Lingge helped Lushui sit down. “I’ll make the arrangements. I’ll have the military guards ride fast horses to catch up with you and do their best to get the gourd back for you.”
After saying that, Meng Lingge told Qiu Lan to take good care of Lu Shui, and went straight out to find Ren Yang, who was staying at the military camp.
Wen Zhiming, Cao Ran, and General Liu have all gone to the trading place today. The highest-ranking official in the military camp is Commander Ren, who is standing in front of us.
After listening to Meng Lingge's explanation, Ren Yang said, "A few soldiers and horses are a small matter. However, before the Prince set off today, he specifically instructed me that 70% of our troops have already gone to the trading place. To ensure safety, the soldiers left in the camp cannot be moved at will. If I move people, I will be violating military orders."
Meng Lingge knew that what he said was true, but there were still tens of thousands of soldiers left behind in the military camp. She only needed a few people to chase after them, which would not have any impact at all. Ren Yang refused with these words only because he felt that it was not worth the trouble for a girl and a worthless thing.
In Ren Yang's eyes, Lu Shui was insignificant, and Lu Shui's cheap white jade gourd was even less worth mentioning. However, Meng Lingge had recently gotten along well with Lu Shui and they were like sisters.
She would never abandon Lushui because of trouble or military orders.
After a moment's thought, she said softly.
“Since it was the prince’s order, I can’t make things difficult for the commander. But the prince only said that the soldiers left behind should not leave without permission, and did not mention horses. I would like to trouble Commander Ren to prepare two fast horses for me. This is not a violation of military discipline, is it?”
“That doesn’t really count.” Ren Yang frowned. “But you want horses, do you intend to chase after them yourself?”
He is now in charge of all affairs in the military camp, including Meng Lingge's safety.
Wen Zhiming's high regard for Meng Lingge was evident to all. If anything were to happen to Meng Lingge, Wen Zhiming would certainly not let it go.
Thinking of this, Ren Yang believed that Meng Lingge was using a feigned retreat to force him to send someone to retrieve the white jade gourd by threatening his own safety.
But Meng Lingge said, "No, I brought two people with me when I came. They did not enter the military camp, but only obeyed my orders."
Although she could ride a horse, she was far slower than Chen Luo and Chen Ling, and she was also physically weak and pregnant, so it was not advisable for her to go to the battlefield.
Ren Yang sensed the dissatisfaction in Meng Lingge's words and knew that it would be unreasonable to refuse again. Since he wasn't required to provide personnel and Meng Lingge's safety wasn't involved, he decided to let her do whatever she wanted.
After receiving two fast horses from Ren Yang and handing them over to Chen Luo and Chen Ling, Meng Lingge gave them some instructions and watched them leave before returning to Lu Shui and Qiu Lan's residence.
Lu Shui looked dazed, but when she saw Meng Lingge, she quickly got up to greet her.
"Miss."
Meng Lingge nodded and took her hand to comfort her.
"Green Water, I have sent Chen Luo and Chen Ling to pursue it, but the battlefield is fraught with danger. I have told Chen Luo and Chen Ling to prioritize their safety and not to guarantee that they can bring the token back to you. If you can find it, that would be best; if you can't, don't be too sad."
The token of Green Water is important, but it shouldn't cost others their lives in the search for it.
“Miss, I’m sorry to have troubled you.” Green Water lowered her head and said with shame, “It’s already a great favor that you sent someone to help me look for it. Whether or not we can find it, I am grateful to you.”
Lu Shui obeyed Du Yuanhua's orders to take good care of Meng Lingge. Now, she felt deeply guilty for causing Meng Lingge to run around for her.
Everything else was fine, but this token was far more important to her.
"What's there to be grateful for?" Meng Lingge said helplessly. "Thanks to you for taking care of me all this way. It's too tiring to keep thanking you. If you hadn't come to the military camp with me, this wouldn't have happened."
“Miss, you’ve been running around for so long, and Green Water has been heartbroken for so long. Have a drink of water first. If we can find it, that would be wonderful. If we can’t, it might not be bad news. Sometimes, when something important is lost, it might mean that its mission has been accomplished. Green Water, didn’t you want to use the white jade gourd to find your brother? That might mean you’ll see your brother soon.”
Qiu Lan came over and poured a glass of warm water for Meng Lingge and Lu Shui. They had been here for some time and didn't have much tea left, so they had gotten used to drinking warm water.
Upon hearing this, Meng Lingge casually remarked, "Qiu Lan is right. You said the white jade gourd is a token that helped you find your family. Do you have it alone, or does your brother have it too? Do you still remember what your brother looks like? If you saw him on the street, would you recognize him?"
“My brother has one too, and they’re all engraved with his name. My brother’s name is Qingshan, and the white jade gourd has the two characters Qingshan on it.” Green Water paused for a moment, then continued, “I have a general impression of my brother’s appearance, and I sometimes dream about him. If I met him on the street, I might not recognize him, but if he stood in front of me and I looked at him carefully, I should be able to recognize him.”
A faint smile appeared on Green Water's face. "But my brother is a kind person, a rare kind of warm-hearted person in the world. When we were struggling to make ends meet, he would still try his best to help others. He is a very simple and kind person, he never argues with anyone, and he never says anything unpleasant, so he is also easily bullied."
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