Chapter 20 Hai Fugui (Recommended "Hello Horror, I Was Killed by God (No...
While Yan Siqing was lost in thought and hesitation, she smelled something else with her sense of smell which was much more sensitive than that of an ordinary person. She was worried that Jiang Hui and his men had arranged something in the house after taking over the ship. After a careful check, she found a few small sachets in the wardrobe where the maid had sorted out her clothes.
drug?
But she didn't feel weak or drowsy, but...
I pinched the fabric on my body with my fingers, then sniffed the sachet and smelled a very faint fragrance.
Ginger and orange peel.
No wonder I always felt that the clothes prepared by the other party had a little fragrance. I thought that the fabric store where the other party bought the clothes had this kind of fragrance, which lasted for a long time.
It is very light because it has been dried and left for a long time. It is carefully made and is generally used by nobles to treat seasickness.
This time, it was also placed in the closet to fumigate clothes, so that the wearer would have a long-lasting effect...
It was a bit unnecessary. She had been in charge of shipping for many years, and he actually thought she would get seasick?
Yan Siqing was silent for a while and put everything back.
The sachets were returned to their proper places, as were the medicine bottles.
Her weaknesses are not only Zhao Zhao and her grandmother, but also her mother who is in the hands of her father.
So there was no choice but to weigh the pros and cons and bet that Jiang Hui was at least better than the other party, so she would be the best choice.
————
Ruoqin saw the prince's gesture and entered the dining room.
Jiang Hui drank milk tea, which was completely different from his taste since childhood. He thought his stomach would be upset, but when he glanced at the clean and tidy dishes on Yan Siqing's table, he thought that her appetite seemed to be okay this morning.
Despite such a situation, he was still so calm and composed.
She is indeed a person who can take care of herself and does not act listless or desperate.
Such people are rare, regardless of gender. He admires his very few elders and also admires his eldest sister, but they are all family members.
I never thought that there would be someone like you.
In the past twenty years, there has only been one Yan Siqing.
"Your Highness."
Ruoqin was waiting for an assignment, but he found that his prince was staring at the position of other people's tables and chairs and was distracted.
He was stunned for a moment and asked hesitantly: "Your Highness, are you not full?"
Why are you staring at someone cutting the remaining half of the pancake?
Jiang Hui came back to his senses, gave him a blunt look, and his posture became much more lazy and arrogant. He leaned back in his chair and asked someone to check the details of the transaction reached between Boss Hai, the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Dayu Food Country, and Yan Siqing.
He accepted the result, but also wanted to confirm whether it was true or not.
What if she's just bluffing?
The Prince Yan's Palace did not infiltrate the affairs of the wealthy workers, farmers and merchants in Jiangnan Province, because that was the backbone of the empire and one of the monarch's reverse scales, and anyone who touched it would die.
Ruoqin was no stranger to this person. In fact, he was a well-known figure in the empire.
"The Great Food Kingdom is our country's second vassal state. All nations come to pay tribute every year. Compared to the first vassal state, the Great Black Kingdom, which has made some small moves in recent years, the Great Food Kingdom is extremely loyal. I seem to have heard that the richest man in the kingdom, the president of the Chamber of Commerce, proposed to the ruler and nobles of the Great Food Kingdom that their businessmen pay tribute in exchange for national peace and avoid harassment from the outside world and the Western Regions..."
"However, the Great Domain Food Kingdom isn't a spice-producing country, but it's a necessary transit point for goods between our dynasty and the Western Regions. Its Haishi Trading Company has offices in various locations. Since the young lady is so skilled in maritime transport, it's not surprising that she knows them. After all, the Shen family's assets are not insignificant, and they enjoy a great reputation in Jiangnan."
“I just didn’t expect the transaction to be completed so quickly…”
Ruoqin almost said as a matter of course that the two of them must have known each other for many years and had a close relationship, otherwise such a large transaction could not have been completed so quickly, and it must have required extreme trust between them.
He wasn't as perceptive as Zhao, and was more straightforward. However, he noticed his young master's unhappy expression, so he immediately stopped talking and carefully changed his tone. "But it could also be that the price was too low, and the other party was afraid that the young lady would change her mind, so they accelerated the transaction. This Boss Hai has always been elusive, and few people have seen him in person. He's not in Yancheng. If it was a very cautious transaction, he wouldn't be so anxious."
It is impossible to sell your property and run away in such a hurry without losing your interests.
It only means that Yan Siqing was so decisive that Jiang Hui was caught off guard.
At this moment, when Ruoqin said this, Jiang Hui's face turned pale and he said, "Check it out."
"We'll start investigating from when they first met, how many transactions they've conducted... and what their current personal relationship is like. We'll delve into it, but we'll keep it secret and don't let anyone know."
Ruozhao came back at this time with a bad expression and was worried. Ruoqin could see it, let alone Jiang Hui. He didn't ask, but just stared.
Ruozhao did not dare to hide anything, so he bowed and apologized, saying that he might have delayed Yunyun's work, and then explained everything he had said to Yan Siqing before.
Jiang Hui's expression was cold and calm for a moment, but he also knew Ruozhao's little thoughts. He glanced at him lightly, and Ruozhao lowered his head even more.
"What did she say?"
Ruozhao retold it tremblingly, word for word.
Ruoqin was so frightened that he dared not say a word, but knelt down together.
Jiang Hui immediately sat up straight and stood up.
His first thought: It's over, she's angry.
Okay, I have annoyed her many times, but I have also given in many times because I was afraid that she would be angry. Ruozhao, this kid, kept talking too much and made her say something harsh?
He paced back and forth two or three times, then finally raised his hand and nodded at Ruozhao, saying calmly, "You're asking for more advice? My father is worried that I won't be married or have children, and therefore can't inherit the palace. He even has to warn you, but how can I, Jiang Hui, covet someone else's wife?"
Who are the father and son of the Yan Palace? Don't they have any shame?
"Wait and receive your punishment."
"Send someone to protect her business and her connections. Tell her that I'm the one protecting her. Anyway, it's already like this. There's no way the Emperor would think I have nothing to do with her. Don't let someone so blind as to take away the market she worked so hard to secure."
"Then President Hai's name is Hai Fugui?"
Ruoqin: "Yes, Your Highness."
Jiang Hui: "What Hai Fugui, taking advantage of her misfortune, bullying her uprightness, must be using a very low market price to swallow up her new blood, vile!"
"Send a message to him. How can we allow all of our empire's coastal economic industries to be taken over by foreigners? And take advantage of them at such low prices."
The Great Yu Shi Kingdom, he was still a young man five years ago, and he had followed the monarch to attack the country. It was at that time that he defeated the enemy and made them surrender completely.
At that time, he had also heard of Hai Fugui. He had already become famous and was highly respected by many nobles. Even if they chose him as their own leader, it would be beneficial to their empire. However, Jiang Hui's concerns were not wrong.
The coastal economy, especially the maritime transport network, cannot be taken over by foreigners, even if they are seemingly loyal vassals.
The more loyal you are, the more deadly the backlash will be.
The two of them went down and sent a pigeon to send a message and arrange for people to do the work. It was also four or five days later...
The returning carrier pigeon brought the news.
The main reason was that they had just left the Yancheng waters and had not gone far. They contacted the spies who were still in Yancheng to handle the final work diligently, quickly gathered intelligence, and sent a reply letter.
Jiang Hui opened the secret letter and read it three times.
Burned.
Ruo Zhao: "Your Highness?"
Jiang Hui smiled slightly.
"Put some salt in her milk tea for breakfast tomorrow."
Ruo Zhao: “!”
Your Highness, you are so vicious and capricious. How has the young lady offended you?
——————
The next day, the morning light was even better, and when the boat passed by, one could see the neat landscape changing from the lush greenery of the Jiangnan plains to the mountains, forests, and dense streams.
It’s still the same dining room.
Yan Siqing's expression changed as soon as he drank the milk tea and he put down the bowl.
"Why, doesn't it taste good?"
It's like you're silent.
Jiang Hui: "Young Madam, I think you are satisfied with the price Hai Fugui offered?"
Yan Siqing raised his eyes, "What does Your Highness want to say?"
Jiang Hui: "Three times the market price! Chairman Hai of the Great Domain Food Nation is so generous. Is he coveting our coastal economic network, or is he willing to help out in an emergency because he has a close relationship with my wife?"
This is more than just an emergency.
It is a huge business in itself. At three times the market price, it can buy three cities!
The Shen family was not escaping for their lives, they were actually going there to live a good life with their huge wealth.
He thought she had suffered a great loss, so he jumped up and down to help her, but what was the result?
There are many people willing to protect her, I am really being too sentimental.
Yan Siqing knew that the other party was cautious and would definitely verify the transaction she mentioned, but why did he react so strongly?
"President Yu Hai is indeed an old acquaintance, but there is no personal relationship between us. Such a high price may be due to the loyalty of a business ally, but it is probably more because he is Han Chinese."
Jiang Hui was stunned when he heard this. Han people?
"Have you seen his true face?"
He saw Yan Siqing seemed to be reminiscing about the past. "I have seen him before. He is indeed Han Chinese in appearance. His parents fled abroad during the war in their early years. It was difficult for them to return home, so they had to settle down in the Great Yu Shi Kingdom. He was born and raised there, but under the influence of his parents, he once had a very good impression of our Han people and admired the Central Plains culture."
Jiang Hui: "I heard that he once wore a mask. Can you see it?"
Yan Siqing: "Yes, he was wearing a mask, but when he took it off, he could see it."
Jiang Hui: "He took off his mask as soon as he saw you?"
Yan Siqing: "Your Highness, is this important?"
Jiang Hui: "I have to assess his intentions. It has nothing to do with you... So you saw it, but did anyone else see it?"
Yan Siqing's expression was subtle. "Your Highness, we are discussing a large transaction, so we are in a private room and will not allow outsiders to come. However, this transaction also involves purchasing jewelry and other items from them to meet the needs of the powerful. Perhaps the items you used in your daily life were also one of the treasures in this transaction."
Jiang Hui's face turned grim, and he smiled slightly, a very old-fashioned smile.
"That's true."
"Then tell me, was this jade pendant given to me by you, or by President Hai, or by both of you old friends?"
He has a very poisonous mouth.
Yan Siqing's eyelids twitched slightly, "Whatever Your Highness wishes, that is what it is."
Jiang Hui: "That's what you gave me."
"From now on, it can only be you who gives it to me."
This statement has profound meaning.
Yan Siqing paused and stared at him.
Jiang Hui: "Whether this business is yours or not, it can't be his. But now that it's his, it wouldn't make sense to just take it back. If you were to take over the management again, he should be able to accept it."
Yan Siqing frowned, "He offered a high price, I'm afraid..."
Jiang Hui: "The royal family and nobles of the Great Yu Shi Kingdom are greedy for his ability to boost the local economy and make up for the country's impoverished foundation. However, since he is not from the same clan, they will not be sincere. They will also be suspicious and skeptical. In this world, how can sincerity be more deterrent than real external intervention?"
"For some things, the other party is worried that he has them. Rather than proving that he doesn't have them, it's better to actually have them."
Yan Siqing understood.
"Your Highness, just do what you want, but will the monarch approve it?"
It is extremely inappropriate for the royal prince to rashly collude with the masters of foreign countries.
Jiang Hui raised his eyebrows, "Of course."
"This prince never takes risks."
Yan Siqing: "Then I will contact him later..."
Jiang Hui: "If Your Majesty agrees, someone will be assigned to relay messages between you. Direct contact between you will not be allowed. This is also for your own good."
Yan Siqing twitched the corners of his mouth and agreed indifferently.
But in my heart I was thinking: Does he mean that he wants to spare my life after everything is settled, and does he really intend to let me work for Princess Huiyuan?
If this is the case, it would be a very good outcome for me.
Jiang Hui seemed satisfied and started eating breakfast. He casually asked, "Is the milk tea salty? I was afraid they didn't make it salty enough, so I added two spoonfuls myself..."
Yan Siqing: "Since Your Highness added it personally, I must drink it."
In return, she wanted to pick up the bowl again and drink it no matter what was added to it.
As a result, Jiang Hui stood up, came over, and moved the bowl of milk tea away first.
"I suddenly remembered that salt is expensive. You'd better not drink it."
"Let's eat."
"After we finish eating, we'll get off the boat, cousin."
What?
Only then did Yan Siqing notice the boat shaking slightly, and realized that they had reached the shore.
But doesn’t it take at least half a month to leave from Yancheng to Chang’an?
In fact, this was because Jiang Hui was a royal relative and had special documents that allowed him to pass directly.
To pass through key nodes such as dikes and sluices, one needs to wait for documents. If it is commercial transportation, two or three months is common, not to mention others who take the water route.
It's such a long distance, so it will take a very long time.
But even with special documents, it is impossible to enter Chang'an now.
Then, Jiang Hui must take another route back to Chang'an - to avoid assassination from Chang'an.
——————
The horses moved very skillfully, and it took only half a day from the time they got off the boat to the time they took the land route into the official road of the Licheng Mountains. Then they saw smoke rising from a village in the valley.
After handing the map over, Jiang Hui whispered to the man in blue silk robes riding a nearby horse, "Cousin, we've arrived at Baimao Village in Yunqu County, Licheng. We're staying here tonight. Do you have any objections?"
He determined the name of the place without even looking at the map, which was for the other party to see.
Yan Siqing, dressed in simple clothes, is actually wearing men's clothes, but not for the purpose of disguising herself as a woman. It is just because this kind of clothes is convenient. There are also women's casual clothes in this dynasty, which look neat and smart and are convenient for travel and work.
However, clothes make the man, and the same is true in reverse.
Anyone can tell that she is a girl, but at first glance, she is an incredibly beautiful person, a noble lady who has never had to do any housework.
It doesn't matter whether you are a man or a woman, it's really a beautiful color.
Yan Siqing didn't care much about what others thought of her, as she was used to it over the years. She just avoided the man's burning gaze, lowered her head to look at the map carefully, and casually agreed, "That's great, the prince has made thoughtful arrangements for Yunyun."
He was very obedient all the way, never perfunctory or rebellious.
Jiang Hui took the map and asked, "What did you call me?"
Yan Siqing tightened his grip on the reins, spoke softly and in a calm tone.
"My cousin has made all the arrangements, everything is fine."
——————
Before Jiang Huilin entered the village, he divided his men and horses, half of them entered the village and the other half hid in the mountains.
The group of people who entered the mountains and forests were hermits who were good at marching and fighting in the mountains and forests for many years. They did this just to keep a backup plan.
He, Yan Siqing and the others went into the woods. When they came out, they saw the old stone bridge covered with moss outside the village.
It was already dusk, the forest path was a little narrow, and the bamboo forest was dense. When the cool breeze blew, the fur stood on end.
The horse's hooves slowly stepped on the muddy ground. Yan Siqing was not a timid person. He knew that the old village in the deep mountain valley would no longer be as bustling and lively as the city once the sun set.
but.....
"careful!"
Everything was fine, but suddenly a sharp whistle was heard from deep in the bamboo forest ahead, followed by several white shadows that flew up and flashed by in the dark and yellow bamboo forest, like a huge white fox ghost, accompanied by terrifying wisps of white mist and strange sparks. Not only were everyone startled, but even the horses were startled.
The fox demon appears?
The horses were running wildly. Everyone was an experienced rider and hurried to control the horses, but Yan Siqing was not an expert at this. She had only accompanied her uncle through mountains and rivers to handle cases when she was young, so she knew some riding skills. After getting married, she was mainly engaged in sea transportation, and most of the time she went in and out by carriage. She was a little rusty at it. She was startled and failed to react. The horse left the team and rushed into the gap in the bamboo forest on the left. In a blink of an eye, it was swallowed up by the secret shadow of the bamboo forest.
——————
Yan Siqing was jolted on the horse, his heart beating extremely fast. He tried hard to hold the reins tightly to steady himself from being thrown off the horse. He didn't care that the narrow passage was so narrow that the branches and bamboo tips of the trees brushed against his body and clothes, nor did he care about the road ahead or the surroundings. The only sounds in his ears were the urgent sound of the wind and the cold current in the forest.
His whole body seemed to be bewitched by the strange and cold ghost power like a horse, and he just kept swallowing it up into the gloomy dark world... The top of his head was full of overlapping and intertwined trees and bamboo leaves, and there was no end in sight.
Yan Siqing tried to remain calm in the face of danger. After struggling to control his body and soothe the horse from galloping faster, he was worried that his head and throat would be pierced by the bamboo spikes and died. He crouched down slightly, since he couldn't see ahead anyway...
The horse finally calmed down a bit, and Yan Siqing was about to breathe a sigh of relief.
Suddenly, a patch of skylight appeared above the dense forest. A ray of orange light appeared at dusk, like a candle flame hanging upside down in the sky. It faded away to reveal an open space in front of the scene. But in the middle of the open space, there was a giant adult banyan tree. Its branches were twisted, dense, and withered, and were covered with dense white flags. White smoke was rising from the bottom, like a fox demon's lair... Yan Siqing opened his eyes and saw the light, and also saw the sharp branches that were facing each other.
The horse was about to gallop out of control and stab her head directly into its sharp point.
Yan Siqing had no other choice but to jump...
“Don’t jump!”
The sound of horses came closely behind her, and the clattering sound covered the sound of the wind, so that she could only hear Jiang Hui's voice. Her heart suddenly became quiet, and she thought of Lin Chenguang who also rode out from the dark alley and shot away with a gun, who had made her feel powerless in her early years.
The exhilaration she felt at that moment, and the feeling of supreme power, might explain her inexplicable trust at the moment, and she really gave up on vaulting.
Then a figure fell from the sky, jumped off the horse of Wangcai who was chasing her from behind, and jumped behind her.
Previously, because his body was too light, he was like a swaying willow branch under the horse's frantic gallop. But now, it was like a sailboat in a stormy ocean being directly ballasted by a heavy anchor, and his center of gravity was stabilized at once.
Jiang Hui and she were on the same horse, kicking their legs, pulling the mane and reins, and shouting to control the horse...
Then, the out-of-control horses changed their pace and turned their heads... following the agile and intelligent Wangcai to turn to the left... all avoiding the hideous and thick branches of the white-flagged old banyan tree.
Only some small branches brushed past... because they were already quite dry, they broke, crunched, and broke into pieces, but it still hurt when they touched my skin...
The unity of man and horse is a realm of riding skill. She had only heard of it, but she also knew that stopping a horse to save someone in danger, two people on one horse, was not just a matter of riding skills, but also a kind of ruthlessness and courage.
The horse turned its head and bent its front legs slightly. Even in the dim light, the person on the horse could see the ferocious and sharp branches like ghost claws stabbing at the vulnerable parts of the human body.
Her black hair was flying and her breath was choking.
Yan Siqing only felt a large, slender hand pressing on the back of her head, and a clear and gentle young voice behind her ear, "Lower your head..."
She had always been rational, and decisively lowered her head along the other person's palm. The right side of her cheek was blocked by the other person's arm, and she could hear the sound of the branch brushing against the cloth...
Very sharp, tearing silk like this?
The branches broke, the clothes were torn, the horses' hooves neighed violently, and both the people and the horses were trying to save themselves.
One breath, two breaths, the beating of the heart is more important than anything else, and the only thing left in the world is the calmness between the trampling of horses and the beating of hearts.
Da da da.
The two horses ran back and forth a few steps toward the clearing on the edge of the woods, and finally slowly stopped.
Everything is settled.
Neither of the men on horseback said a word, but the horses were grunting, and their hindquarters were stepping on the fallen leaves and dirt on the ground, making rough sounds. The horses were breathing heavily, while the two men were breathing lightly and with some restraint. However, Yan Siqing could feel the heat pressing against his back.
Heartbeat, very fast.
I don’t know if it’s hers or his.
Originally, the front and back were chaotic and inconsistent, but later they overlapped, became consistent, heavy and rapid.
The inhalation and exhalation vary in strength, but they are all consistent.
It seemed as if in just a short time, their lives had reached an agreement that had not been negotiated.
She was a little confused for a moment, but the strong breath from the man behind her quickly made her regain her senses. She subconsciously leaned forward to avoid the hot and intimate touch on her back, but she smelled a faint scent.
Jiang Hui's right arm, which was originally on the side guard, had been moved away, and there was a sound of pulling on the fabric.
Yan Siqing also moved at the same time, tilting his body and moving a little further away, and seemed to be eager to get off the horse.
When two people ride a horse together, the one in front must let the one behind get off first, otherwise it will be inconvenient to get off the horse.
Although she was not good at riding horses, she did not look like a novice, otherwise she would have been thrown off the horse and seriously injured or even died.
He was stunned, the corners of his mouth turned down, his hands stopped moving slightly, and his tone was a little cold and fierce.
"Why, are you afraid of what I might do to you? I'm not crazy?!"
He was really crazy for rushing to save her without thinking.
He couldn't understand why he was so reckless now.
This went against the heir education he had received since childhood - he was self-aware and had ambitions upwards, so why would he take risks downwards? It was truly foolish.
She still doubts herself!
"Your Highness, what happened to your hand?"
The two spoke at the same time and were stunned at the same time. The latter got the answer and knew that he had misunderstood her. He thought that she wanted to stay away from him because she suspected him of having bad intentions. Inexplicably, he was no longer angry, as if he had drunk honey water when he was extremely thirsty.
The former had already turned sideways to look back at his arm. Through the warm evening light in the clearing in the forest, he could see blood seeping through the snow-white lining under the torn clothes on his left arm, and vaguely saw the bloody wound left by the sharp branches that scratched his skin.
"Can you get off the horse first?" Yan Siqing pretended not to hear what Jiang Hui had just said.
"Wait a minute." Jiang Hui had already heard the sound of horses' hooves from his subordinates chasing after him outside. Instead of letting them dismount, he used the strength of his wrist to tear off the soft white cloth of his inner garment from the sleeve that was torn by his wrist... Because it was an inner garment and not an outer garment, others could not tell.
He tore off a piece of the sleeve into long strips and quickly tied them around her shoulders a few times.
Only then did Yan Siqing realize that there were some tears on the left shoulder of her clothes, revealing the silver-white underwear under her shoulder and a bit of skin on her collarbone.
The thin strap inside was also broken.
I think it was first carried away by the horses and galloped along the forest path, and was torn by the wild branches.
At that time, she was only concerned with lowering her head to protect her vital organs and brain, and didn't care about anything else.
No wonder I felt a little cold afterwards.
If we don't do something, the things inside might fall loose, which would be very embarrassing.
You can't let your subordinates avoid it all the time.
Her face suddenly turned uncomfortable, but she didn't move. She couldn't handle this place by herself, so she could only ask Jiang Hui for help before her subordinates came and took in everything...
In an emergency, take temporary measures.
She did not turn her head to look at his injured arm or her own shoulder and arm, but stepped forward, lowered her head, grabbed a piece of the reins with both hands, and let him do it, quietly.
Jiang Hui also knew that she was dignified and polite, and even had a traditional and old-fashioned personality because she lost her parents and power at a young age and had to live under someone else's roof for a long time. He didn't want to expose such things and offend her, so he kept silent and acted quickly.
Yan Siqing had witnessed the other party's strength and arrogance in wielding a bow and shooting a gun, his unparalleled martial arts skills, and the explosive power in the slender and fair fingers of the young man.
She had originally thought that such a person would be cunning and unruly, but it turned out that he was quite agile and quick in tying up his coat with a long strip of tattered cloth.
He didn't even let his fingers touch the little bit of her exposed skin.
It means not breathing for a long time.
It was as if he was holding his breath and enduring it.
I heard that holding your breath is to allow your consciousness to focus extremely on one thing and not be distracted by other things.
When wild animals hunt, this is almost instinctive and is also the time when they are most aggressive.
On the verge of breaking out.
Yan Siqing just waited like that.
Finally, Jiang Hui wiped the blood off his arm and smeared it on the clothes on her shoulder.
"They'll think you're injured, nothing more."
Yan Siqing's eyebrows moved slightly, but he didn't say anything.
"alright."
After Jiang Hui finished speaking, he saw that there was nothing wrong with her body. There was a moment of silence, as if he had been staring at her, and he didn't even breathe. It was just so quiet.
She heard his heartbeat getting faster and faster.
His eyes were always on himself.
The distance on horseback was still too close.
All changes are like touching the skin, whether it is warm or cold, hot or cold, they are extremely obvious.
She was grateful to him, but also afraid of him.
But he had no way to resist the innate first-class power, so he could only remain silent. When he lowered his head, he saw the man in front of him go around his waist, and his fingers holding the reins kept rubbing the surface of the rope up and down.
As he spoke, his lips moved slightly and his fingers curled up.
After a while, he moved and loosened the reins.
He whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry for misunderstanding you just now."
Yan Siqing felt relieved and said politely, "Your Highness saved my life in this critical moment. This is a great favor. I will definitely repay you in the future."
Jiang Hui got off the horse, stood beside it and stroked its head, then looked up at her. His eyebrows and eyes were handsome, but there was some contradiction in his eyes.
A light, soft voice, like a complaint or a temper tantrum.
"You really won't give me what I want."
Yan Siqing: “….”
Since she didn't hear it, she naturally wouldn't respond.
Just at this moment, Ruo Zhao and others arrived and saw that their own prince was taking medicine from the bag hanging from Wangcai's body, and did not pay much attention to Yan Siqing on the other horse. The latter got off the horse by himself. There seemed to be a wound on his shoulder with bloodstains. He was simply treated and was not seriously injured.
"Madam, your shoulder may be bleeding. Fortunately, the injury has been treated. You can't ride alone later."
Maybe my own prince is more seriously injured.
There were lacerations on the arms.
Ruo Zhao and others would not think too much, and there was nothing to make up. The scene just now was too dangerous, and it was a great luck that they were not seriously hurt.
Two female secret agents went over to take care of Yan Siqing. Jiang Hui had already applied some simple medicine to the wound himself and only asked his subordinates to help bandage it. He and Yan Siqing just glanced over what had just happened and didn't mention anything else.
Quietly.
Jiang Hui was indifferent and didn't even glance at Yan Siqing.
Yan Siqing knew it very well: the prince had been unruly and famous in the empire since he was a child, very arrogant, and rarely got close to women. If he had some thoughts about her, she was just a widow from a merchant family, which was completely contrary to his noble birth, so he was inevitably angry.
He didn't make things difficult for her, but made himself angry.
The subordinates thought that he was angry because he almost let the target they had worked so hard to achieve die on the road. To put it bluntly, it was their responsibility. They were angry along with Madam Yan, and they were all a little nervous.
But at this time, they all paid attention to this old banyan tree.
White flags fluttered densely, the dusk light faded, and darkness fell over the sky.
"Your Highness, these white banners are eerie. Could they be offerings to demons and ghosts? This old banyan tree might be hollow inside. Could it be the lair of a white fox?"
They all remembered the terrifying scene of the white fox ghost. No matter how powerful they were, they were still mortals and could not resist such a sneaky thing. They were inevitably a little nervous and timid.
Jiang Hui took a look at the white banner and raised his eyebrows. With his sharp eyesight, he had already seen the crooked pictures and texts on the white banner.
"What white fox den? That white fox's shadow seems to be floating off the ground. I'm afraid it's because it's wearing black shoes. In the dark of the forest, it looks pitch black, like a ghost. But when a ghost flies past, it can't make the sound of leaves being trampled."
The prince's hearing and eyesight are naturally extraordinary, and he is a gifted person. This is also well known in the court. After all, he went to the battlefield at a young age and had remarkable achievements. It is impossible for him not to have some kind of God-given supernatural power.
Ruo Zhao and the others nodded, feeling more at ease. But they were also curious. If it wasn't a ghost, could it be the locals? Pretending to be a ghost to scare people? And there was white smoke behind... and these white banners...
They still had doubts, which was natural. Jiang Hui didn't have that much patience with his subordinates. He was about to scold them for being timid, but he didn't say anything.
"The white smoke is from burning incense to worship ancestors. There are residual ashes on the ground over there. The strange characters and patterns on the white banners are from the few locals who know how to write. They don't know many characters, so the writing is unclear and not very good. It's not some kind of ghostly talisman or mysterious text used to worship demons and ghosts."
"In the territory of Licheng, most of the various tribes live in seclusion in the mountains. They are not assimilated to Han culture and are very superstitious. Whenever there is a death or a birth of an ancestor, they use longevity trees to offer sacrifices to their ancestors and pray for blessings to suppress unknown events."
"It's normal to wear white when worshiping ancestors. They ran into the woods we were passing. Something must have happened in their village, and they were in a hurry, so we encountered them... The white smoke was from the incense they were burning."
Yan Siqing explained in a soft voice, and everyone looked again and found that it was indeed true.
"The ashes on the ground are still warm, and there are still paper money here."
"This handwriting is really ugly."
Madam Yan is a dignified and elegant person. She doesn't talk about other people's gossip and her choice of words is relatively decent. In fact, her handwriting is just ugly.
Everyone now understood completely, as long as it wasn't a demon or ghost.
Yan Siqing's injuries were minor, and the flesh couldn't be treated openly. The two female assassins knew this, so they simply applied ointment. After she got up, she walked under the lush old banyan tree to examine it carefully for a moment, her fingers even wanting to pick up the white flag to check...
But the scabbard picked up the white flag first and brought it to her.
"These mountain people use these offerings to worship their ancestors. It's their superstition. If you don't believe in it, there's no need to be so unconcerned. Aren't you afraid it might be dirty?"
Jiang Hui spoke in a cold tone, without even looking at her, because he couldn't stand her being so careless.
Yan Siqing noticed the indifference of this man since he was dismissed from his post, and did not try to find out the inside story. This man had always been erratic and capricious.
"Your Highness is right. I will pay attention next time."
“But there might be a murder here. Should we still go to the village?”
When Yan Siqing said this, everyone looked at him sideways.
——————
The white flag was still held up by the scabbard. Jiang Hui stepped forward and took a look, thinking to himself: What ugly words there are, and they are scribbles that even a ghost can't understand.
"Can you understand these words?"
He remembered that this man had very good handwriting, which showed that he had been carefully educated since childhood and was also well-educated.
"I don't understand it, actually." Yan Siqing could tell he was teasing himself. "However, these white banners are newer, but the handwriting is very pale. There's a shortage of supplies in the mountains, let alone pens and ink. Moreover, all of these white banners were written by the same person, who must be the only person here who can read. He doesn't have a good brush, and he didn't actually use ink. It's a local ink made from the juice of some herbs and mixed with charcoal ash. It's pale and bitter, and it's dissolving. It's very crudely made, and there are so many of them all at once."
"In the same period, such a hasty burial and ancestral worship can only be due to an unnatural death."
"They were scared." So if there was any accident, they would be so scared that they ran away like that, and even those who happened to pass by were scared.
Yan Siqing's reasoning was met with widespread approval. Jiang Hui, knowing her youth and experience and trusting her abilities, also agreed. After some thought, he said, "Are you worried about some kind of plague over there?"
Plague is also a kind of murder. Many people died at once. The locals did not understand the situation and could only offer sacrifices to their ancestors and pray for peace.
If someone commits murder or something strange, that is actually a small matter.
Yan Siqing nodded, "But it's night time now, and this place is remote. There might be wild beasts. It would be best if we could stay in the village. If not, we can only avoid the most dangerous places."
Plague is the most difficult to fight. Even though she is a good doctor, she dare not take the risk of dealing with the plague with unknown origin in the mountains.
Jiang Hui was decisive, even brutal, and said, "Catch someone and ask them."
In fact, Yan Siqing did not wait for Jiang Hui to send other people out to capture the local villagers. Not long after, other subordinates came back, carrying a pale, short-legged boy.
After throwing it on the ground, the subordinates in charge of the arrest immediately took the medicine - Ruozhao and the others had it, and the spiritual barrier pills allocated by the Imperial Hospital were naturally not lacking in the palace. Jiang Hui had also prepared for this trip early and was fully prepared.
The abandoned little white fox has been surrounded. Its shoes are indeed black. The local black cloth shoes now look very black. It is actually eighteen years old. Because it is a mountain person, it does not have enough food and drink and is short.
Ruoqin pressed the issue first, deliberately asking, "What was your intention in pretending to be a ghost and scaring people earlier? Could it be that your village is a place where people are murdered for money?"
The little white fox, named Wang Doudou, opened his eyes wide when he heard that and denied it. "What do you mean by pretending to be a ghost? I didn't! Who are you? Why did you come to our village... Don't, don't kill me, I'll tell you, I'll tell you..."
"We are worshipping our ancestors. It's that tree, our village's sacred tree, which is over 300 years old. Yesterday, my uncle died, and our family has to wear white clothes to worship our ancestors..."
Ruoqin looked first at Jiang Hui, then at Yan Siqing. Both of them glanced at him, so he continued, "It's normal for villages deep in the mountains to have funeral customs, but he just died, why are you in such a hurry? And you have such a large family, so many mourning clothes at once? Are we all from the same clan?"
"No, no, no, that's not the case. We have many families here, and it's considered a large village, each with its own surname and clan. In fact, it's not just our family that has lost someone... Old Li's youngest son, Zhang San's eldest grandson, and the village chief's youngest grandson. Including ours, there are four families in total who have all lost their lives in the past two weeks. The first ones have already been buried, and when it came to my uncle's, the villagers were so scared that they came together to pay homage to their ancestors and ask for their souls."
So many people died in just half a month? And they must not be very old, so early death must be abnormal.
"How old is your uncle? Is he sick?"
"Nothing...it's just...I fell into the water...and drowned..."
He hesitated, and everyone's scalps shuddered, thinking that a strange disease was spreading in the area. The man didn't dare to speak, but Yan Siqing suddenly stepped forward and pulled the boy's collar...
Wang Doudou was still stunned and stared at her blankly... until her slender jade fingers pinched out a chicken feather from under her collar.
Jiang Hui was about to stop her from approaching Wang Doudou, who he didn't know if was infected with the plague, but when he saw what she was holding, he stopped moving and asked coldly, "Do you think these people died because of water ghosts, so you used poultry as sacrifices?"
Wang Doudou was still in a daze just now, not knowing where these people came from. They were very powerful, especially this woman, whose eyes seemed to be able to see through everything.
He didn't dare lie anymore and nodded. "Yes, my uncle and the others all died in the water, especially Li Duogu. He was just missing at first, but later he floated up from the pond outside the village. His skin and flesh were all eaten away. It was terrifying."
"At the time, we just thought it was eaten by wild animals."
"Later, Zhang Wu also died, and his body looked terrifying... We began to suspect a water ghost had devoured him."
"later...."
Talking about other people's families is scary, but when talking about his own relatives, his eyes suddenly turned red, and he sat on the ground dejectedly, without saying a word.
If that’s the case, then it’s definitely not a plague.
Water ghosts? Wild beasts eating people? Or is it a man-made disaster?
Everyone can actually accept it.
Yan Siqing's expression relaxed slightly, and the chicken feathers that were pinched between his fingers were loosened. The wind blew them away and they fell to the ground.
She said nothing.
Jiang Hui didn't even look at her, he had already made a decision: to enter the village.
Wang Doudou was surprised, but afraid that they were harmed by the water ghost, so he said a few words, young people are mostly simple and kind-hearted and don't want to harm anyone.
Jiang Hui asked the female secret agent to ride with Yan Siqing. When he saw that the other party had mounted the horse without any problem, he quickly looked away, but found that Wang Doudou was still looking at Yan Siqing with a blushing face.
After getting on the horse, he pulled the reins and said to Wang Doudou.
"A water ghost?"
"The flesh and skin of us foreigners shouldn't suit the local taste. Only a young and energetic boy like you is tasty."
Wang Doudou's face turned pale all of a sudden, as if the sky was falling.
Yan Siqing saw everything clearly, but said nothing. She just lowered her eyes and tidied up the bamboo leaf debris stuck to her sleeve, but found that it had stuck to her skin texture through the slightly damaged gap in the fabric.
When her fingertips were scratched, she felt a slight pain. She remembered that the man used his arm to block the branches, and his clothes were torn. The flesh was not just cut. When Ruo Zhao applied ointment to stop the bleeding, the man turned his back and said nothing.
You know whether it hurts or not.
Yan Siqing lowered her hand and silently rubbed her waist. The female guest behind her noticed it and asked in a low voice, "Madam, is your waist uncomfortable?"
Why are all this man's subordinates like this?
Yan Siqing pursed her lips, calmly denied it, and loosened her hand.
But they had already left the dark forest and were outside. They found that the sky was not yet completely dark, and there was a bright halo. She saw the handsome man walking slowly in front of them with his back to them, and her ears turned red.
He heard it.
Jiang Hui was indeed uneasy. He stretched out the five fingers of his right hand holding the reins again to relieve the touch that had lingered for a long time and he kept recalling it.
When he jumped onto her horse, he put his big hands around her slender waist to steady her.
Used strength.
The delicate young lady, is she in pain?
——————
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The author has something to say: I recommend "Hello Horror, I've Been Killed by God (Infinite Slow Travel)", a new book by Jinri Zhige that has been pre-collected. It is a new universe, cultivation, hot-blooded, funny, infinite slow travel literature. The heroine is a cool and handsome samurai, engaged in career, and has no CP, but is mainly ambiguous.
Introduction: After the terror came, villains such as Chi You, Jiang Chen, Zhenzi, Wei Zhongxian, Qiu Long, Taotie, Daji, Bai Gu Jing, Huoyun Evil God, Rong Mama, Lin Xiaoniang, Aobai, An Jiahe, and the monkeys of Mount Emei crawled out from the depths of human fear.
Fortunately, the gods have revived and suppressed the terror in the "Ancient" fast-travel game. Humans have entered the era of cosmic cultivation and can obtain extraordinary combat power through cards or even magical powers bestowed by the gods, and fight against terror in the game.
But first, you have to be admitted by the immortal sect.
Although the college entrance examination was cancelled, a certain first place winner was still rigged.
The examiner of the first preliminary examination for the Guiyuan test qualification in Haichuan City chose the most vicious plan.
——"The Pretender", with the dormitory as a small unit, one of the four people is infected, and the condition for breaking the game is to pit others, and the main target is internal injuries.
Zang Xiaodao, who had returned from rebirth, looked at his ID card:
【Name: Hidden Knife
Identity: Identity: Haichuan 2023 Provincial Top Scorer in the College Entrance Examination / 2023 Police Academy Freshman / 2024 Police Academy Dismissal Student / Participant in a Secret Operation / Reborn / Enslaved General / Slain by the Gods / Infected in Dormitory Unit 612 of the Initial Selection for the Keita Test.
Okay, okay, as long as she gets a blood test in the dormitory to prove her innocence, it will be proven that although she is infected, she is still a descendant of the zombie ancestor who was enslaved. ^_^
Either he was killed by the cool campus beauty in the dormitory, or he was killed by the immortal sect.
How to break this game?
After "really" getting the qualification, Keida took the test: the triangular talents of sense, interception and release correspond to the three major schools - the heirs, the white butlers and the black warriors.
Everyone thought that Cang Xiaodao was the chosen one of the Black Warrior Sect.
Zang Xiaodao: Boss, I can fight with you all day long!
result.....
The first fast-travel world:
Clang clang clang!!!
Zang Xiaodao worked hard in the blacksmith shop all day long. The cold-blooded Oboi stared at her with an iron-backed dragon-claw whip, ready to whip her at any time.
Hai Dafu was privately reporting to his master: Oboi had the intention of rebellion and had arranged for a peerless beauty to disguise herself as a man and pretend to be a eunuch to seduce His Majesty into the East Palace.
The spy secretly reported to the fake Queen Mother: Your Majesty, Hai Dafu is arranging a fake eunuch with an uncommon appearance to approach you and seduce you!
The spy secretly reported to the young emperor: Your Majesty, the Queen Mother is arranging for someone to disguise himself as a woman and then as a man to become your brother as a eunuch!
In private, Hidden Knife: Wait until I endure the humiliation and secretly learn the peerless martial arts, astonish everyone, draw my sword and mount my horse, break ten skills with one force, counterattack the villain, and be the chief pioneer!
The Second Fastest World:...
——————
Hiding the knife has always been a legend for many people, even though she was persuaded to drop out of the police academy.
They all remembered that it was a windy and snowy night. A luxury car stopped on the side of the road. After the driver opened the door, the eldest son of a Tibetan family who was involved in many cases in the judicial world walked out of the darkness, walked under the street light, extinguished the cigarette in his hand, and looked at them.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you, but something has happened at home, and I need all my children to return home to take over the family business."
That night, Zang Xiaodao picked up a rotten watermelon from the roadside and smashed it on the face of the eldest son of the Zang family, who had a scholarly temperament but was cold and cunning.
He didn't hide.
Later, her legend appeared in the world of quick travel - the legendary Lord Xiaodao.
The bad news is that several of the Tibetan family’s brothers and sisters have joined the camp of terrifying villains, who are more terrifying than the Bull Demon King, and the boss Jiang Chen is still alive.
PS: This is a slow-travel story in an infinite world. It follows the route of the advent of terrifying existences from the depths of human memory, such as movies, TV dramas, and myths, plus the summoning of gods. The heroine is the strongest, and the plot line is mainly funny and passionate. She is a heartthrob and an extremely handsome savior. There is almost no logic line. It is written casually, and inspiration comes from a few copies.
PS: There is no pure love line, there is a one-way love story in the style of Aquaman, and ambiguity is the mainstream, but the main line is the copy plot, and there is indeed no CP.
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