Ghost market
Gui Yao casually opened the curtain on the side of the carriage. The carriage slowly passed by the group of people who were slowly standing up from the ground. She could vaguely hear some of their discussions.
Citizen A: This is... General Ren Beixi, who returned victorious from the Ren family. You just heard Lord Lu say that the person next to him is the granddaughter of Imperial Physician Gui.
Citizen B: Seeing is believing. It must be carefully selected by our ancestors. It is a perfect match.
Citizen C: I thought I could get some food, but now a car of a wealthy family is passing through our Wuhua City. I came here to queue up at the hour of Mao, but it seems that I can't get a queue today.
Citizen D: Just say less, this could lead to death.
Gui Yao narrowed her eyes and saw a stall passing by outside the carriage. There were indeed several strong men distributing wheat and food. However, it was just as described in the book: Wuhua City has a superior location and is famous for being surrounded by eight rivers.
It's really not right that the line to collect food is so long.
The carriage curtain fell, and Guiyao rested her elbows on her legs, holding her face in her hands, thinking seriously.
It is now known that:
Lu Qingshan's identity is questionable and closely related to the side quest. In addition, the emperor, whom she has never met, is critically ill, which may be related to her subsequent mission to the capital, so she needs to investigate from multiple angles.
She tilted her head and looked at Ren Beixi.
"Where are we staying tonight?"
"City West Inn."
Gui Yao thought about it for half the night. If she stayed in an inn, she might leave traces when she went out at night in the middle of the night, and it would be inconvenient when she came back.
However, it was really night.
Ren Beixi put his arm around Gui Yao's waist and jumped down from the window sill of the upper room on the third floor of the inn, landing steadily on the ground.
Guiyao: ...
Ahh ...
But now I'm here.
The two of them intended to go around from the inn to Wuhua Mansion. Gui Yao followed behind Ren Beixi, being vigilant all the way and sneaking around to explore.
But going out still brings many inconveniences.
Gui Yao grabbed Ren Beixi's hand and repeatedly asked him not to tell anyone else that she had just been scared by a group of rats, and it would be better for him to forget about it.
"Actually, there are cute mice, such as squirrels, guinea pigs that look like potatoes, and the most basic hamsters, but it's still too scary when a big black rat suddenly jumps out." Gui Yao whispered in the man's ear.
Ren Beixi responded with a "hmm".
"Don't be afraid, I'm here."
The man held her hand and ran in the night. The moonlight was bright, and the black satin cloak he tied around his beloved was visible when he lowered his eyes.
As if he held her tightly.
The bridge returns to the bridge, the road returns to the road, it is midnight.
wrong.
After turning the last high wall, Gui Yao looked at the front in a daze. The Wuhua City, which was quite desolate during the day, was brightly lit at night like the Lantern Festival.
It’s not too late for a thousand gold coins to smile.
The ruts left by the carriages have now been trampled by the footsteps of the people. People are crowded together, shoulder to shoulder. Those crossing the street are either holding sugar paintings or holding little rabbit lanterns.
Gui Yao saw ghost masks being sold in the small shop in front, and was about to go over when the man next to her called out her name in a low voice.
He said simply.
"Here."
Gui Yao stared at the familiar mask in her hand: "The one from when I went to look for Jiuchong before?"
Very simple style.
She put it on her face, and her long eyelashes trembled slightly.
"Why don't you wear it?" Gui Yao blinked.
Ren Beixi said in a deep voice: "Why try to cover your ears and steal the bell?"
Gui Yao touched the flesh of her cheek. Never mind. Unlike Ren Beixi, she didn't have the self-defense skills. This was her first time in another area, so she wouldn't be easily recognized. Better to avoid trouble than to worry. Eh? Was it really okay to walk into the neighborhood so openly?
Gilded fireworks splashed from the ground.
It's iron flower making.
The girl stepped into the mortal world so lightly, but suddenly stopped. The people on the street in front of her were all wearing ghost masks sold at the intersection. The eerie lights fell on the street that should have been dark, and Guiyao felt a chill on the back of her neck.
She had a bad feeling: "Let's go, this place is too weird, we shouldn't be here, Ren, Ren Beixi..."
Suddenly looking back, he found that he had walked a long step away without knowing when. A fire dragon spit out from the wooden stick held by the person next to him, and when the flame burned out, Ren Beixi, who was separated from him, had disappeared.
Gui Yao subconsciously covered her face with her sleeves, turned her back, and saw a stall selling ghost masks in front of her.
She handed the copper coins on her body to the boss, who shook his head. She took out some small change, but the boss still shook his head.
"My lady, our business has nothing to do with money."
The boss handed the ghost mask to Gui Yao, his voice as dead as water: "But I can give it to my wife."
Gui Yao didn't dare to answer: "Boss, can you tell me how to do this business?"
A gust of wind blew past her side, and she turned around, suddenly realizing that the street inside was getting wider and wider, but the people walking on this street were very different from those on the bridge just now. Most of them were dressed in gorgeous clothes.
"The City Lord invites you to the Wuhua Banquet in Wuhua City."
Gui Yao tightened the cloak behind her, lowered her eyes slightly, and did not take the ghost mask to replace her own mask.
The boss slowly put on the ghost mask.
Holding the lamp next to the store, he led her on the road.
It's so weird.
I have never heard of any city lord in Wuhua City.
However, Gui Yao could obviously guess that all the current events must be closely related to the prefect Lu Qingshan, whom she had met only once in the daytime.
only……
Where is Ren Beixi now?
Gui Yao followed her boss intently. They walked very fast, frequently passing by those leisurely onlookers. After walking for half an incense stick of time, she was indeed taken to the Wuhua Mansion.
Looking up, she saw that the lanterns hanging at the entrance of Wuhua Mansion were quite luxurious. When she walked up the stairs, she found a long red carpet inside the gate, which shocked her.
Who could tell her what kind of creature was the voice screaming in her head right now?
"Nip nibble nibble nibble nibble nibble"
"Nip, nibble, nibble"
"Nip, nibble, nibble, nibble"
"Nip, nibble, nibble"
"Nip, nibble, nibble, nibble"
"bite"
It really gives me goosebumps.
Gui Yao bit her lip, but refused to listen. She knew clearly that if she could hear useful information at this time, she could save her life.
The paths in Wuhua Mansion were complicated and winding. She memorized the route carefully and finally walked around a white window and arrived at a luxurious door.
To be honest, Guiyao didn't want to go in.
The further she went inside, the louder the strange animal's voice became. Although she was cautious, she couldn't help but feel panic instinctively.
The system in my mind meowed and appeared:
"Don't be afraid, you won't die."
"The previous system said I would die."
The system spoke with a hint of pride: "We didn't communicate well with them before. They mainly rely on KPIs. The previous system didn't get many points from you. Moreover, it is artificial intelligence, and the AI settings are very rigid."
"Although she likes you very much, the programming cannot be changed. When I handed it over to her, she said that she wanted you to complete the mission in this world happily."
"It's a bit forced, but if you can still contact her, tell her that I miss her too."
Guiyao said seriously in her heart.
The system was a little depressed: "Go in."
Suddenly, the door was pushed open from the inside.
Gui Yao looked up with her hands in her pockets and suddenly saw a pair of silent eyes.
She opened her lips slightly, and after the man retreated to the left and right, she saw that there were actually five people sitting in the room. According to the "covering one's ears to steal the bell" she had learned not long ago, she could determine from their stature and movements that she had never seen these five people with ghost masks before.
The five people saw that she was not wearing a ghost mask.
The hands that were drinking tea stopped.
Gui Yao raised her eyebrows slightly, supported her pale lips with one hand and coughed for a long time, then sat down.
There were no windows in the room, but she listened carefully and heard the birds on the roof calling "late at night", and the coldness gradually swept through the room. Gui Yao covered her chest, frowned and leaned to the side. She looked up and saw the masked man who opened the door for her standing in the corner of the room, holding an unfamiliar knife in his hand, similar to the other secret guard in front of her.
With a creaking sound.
The person in the main seat came out from behind the scenes.
The face of a Confucian scholar, with lifeless eyes.
Lu Qingshan, the prefect of Wuhua Prefecture.
The candle went out for a moment.
"Greetings, distinguished guests. I'm sure you all know the unusual news in the capital. Your Majesty is in trouble and is currently in critical condition."
"A month ago, I was entrusted by the Imperial Master to send out ten superstitious letters from Wuhua City. Now, it seems that everyone present here is someone I, Lu, can trust, and even more so someone His Majesty can trust. First of all, I, Lu, would like to thank you all on behalf of His Majesty."
I can give you ten secret letters, how could anyone not come?
And why is there a role for that guy Jiuchong again?
Putting aside her complaints, Gui Yao stood up with the help of her chair and saluted Lu Qingshan with everyone else.
After he finished speaking, the five people gathered together and started chatting, talking about the current dynasty, the previous emperor, and the previous dynasty. Gui Yao listened silently and felt her neck itchy as if it was about to be chopped off. However, she knew the identities of these five people very well:
All of them are wealthy businessmen.
This made Gui Yao, the only politician present, seem a little out of place.
However, it was soon discovered that what they could talk about was only about business and goods, and had little to do with saving the country.
"The General's wife has been sitting here for a long time and has not yet paid you a visit."
"No need to be so polite... It's just that I'm not feeling well to begin with, and the wind is strong tonight, so I want to go back to the inn early to find my husband."
Guiyao's almond-shaped eyes drooped slightly.
Everyone was wondering, are they leaving?
Gui Yao said in a weak voice, "My dear righteous men, let's get to the point. How can we save His Majesty?"
After she finished speaking, she raised her eyes and looked at Lu Qingshan. Seeing that he looked calm, she was not too surprised and just sighed softly.
So who exactly is Lu Qingshan?
A small booklet was handed to her. At a glance, it said silver, gold, and many treasures, and at the end, half a name was left.
Lu Qingshan asked, "Madam, do you know that General Ren also left the inn tonight and went to the city wall alone, where he met a woman in red?"
Guiyao held the teacup in her left hand and placed the tea half an inch in front of her lips without wetting them.
His voice was light: "I don't know."
The five people's eyes were all on her, which made her feel quite uncomfortable. She just frowned and wrote down as much as she could in the booklet in her hand.
"Then Madam, please get some information from me."
"I think Madam is new to Wuhua City. Our ghost town transactions in Wuhua City don't involve money."
"It's intelligence."
Lu Qingshan casually threw the scroll beside him down and spread it out. Written in black and white were a lot of "information" about Ren Beixi, from the fact that his brother was born with a disability and could not walk, to the fact that his mother had been a Buddhist for many years and was afraid of Ren Beixi.
In the end, it was just written as a character setting.
Ren Beixi, male, native place of Xianyucheng, 26 years old.
No more?
Guiyao tilted her head helplessly.
Perhaps her affection for Ren Beixi was hidden in their time together, and in the eyes of others they were just in-laws.
I don’t know what to think.
Lu Qingshan obviously noticed her hesitation.
His voice was low and hoarse. "When did General Ren meet the woman in red tonight? When did they leave? What did they talk about in between? If Madam wants to trade with us, I will sort it out and send it to Madam."
Gui Yao spoke with a firm and resolute voice!
"make a deal!!!"
Lu Qingshan tapped his knuckles lightly with a smile.
It is true that the sun and the moon are the highest and the closest, and husband and wife are the closest and the most distant.
Suspicion is the most popular sentiment.
……Yeah?
Gui Yao casually dropped the teacup and broke it into pieces. She could not bear to look up as she squatted down to pick up the tiles.
Their eyes met.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
