Chapter 55: The Plan - We Left Beijing Overnight
Mingying went to find the abbot, and under the pretext of the passing of an old friend and being plagued by nightmares, she followed him and recited the Zen sutra for calming the mind several times.
After calming down, I offered a few sticks of incense with reverence.
Wisps of smoke curled upwards, and the chanting of Buddhist hymns echoed far and wide.
She placed the incense sticks in the incense burner, clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and silently prayed, "May you have peace and happiness year after year."
It's all in the past now. She hopes for a family reunion and that life will get better and better from now on.
Then, as if remembering something, he added, "May she grow up safely and without worries."
After offering incense, she boarded the carriage and returned the way she came.
Even though so much time has passed since that battle, the capital is still far from peaceful. Every day, cavalry gallop through the streets, searching everywhere for Pei Xiaoyun's remaining followers.
With the imperial court arresting his former subordinates on such a large scale, even those who managed to survive would likely face the same fate.
I just don't know where Doctor He is. He was only forced to prepare medicine for Pei Xiaoyun under duress. He has always been doing medical work to save lives. I hope he won't be implicated.
As she sat in the carriage, she lifted the curtain to look at the street scene, but always felt a persistent gaze following her from behind.
She twisted her fingers, her heart leaping into her throat.
As the car turned to the alley entrance, she quickly glanced behind her and saw the spies with swords who were slow to dodge.
"Young lady, it seems like someone is following us." The experienced coachman also noticed that they were being followed.
"Don't panic, just follow the normal route back to the manor," Mingying calmly instructed the driver.
Pei Xiaoyun is dead, and she hasn't offended anyone else.
The government officials who followed her must know about her past relationship with Pei Xiaoyun, and they assumed she knew the whereabouts of the child and wanted to use her to find the child.
Even if we take a step back and assume the worst, she doesn't know where Pei Xiaoyun sent the person.
She understood that the more panicked and dodging she became, the more they would believe she really knew something.
Let them follow if they want; she moves with ease and behaves as usual. After searching for a few days without success, they will naturally leave.
Upon returning to her residence, Mingying didn't bother to have anyone watch out for any followers outside, and went straight inside to rest.
My brother is still in the palace reporting on his duties in the Northwest. Once he returns, they will be able to leave the capital.
She had two carriages prepared, along with provisions for the journey, and any necessary luggage. Everything was ready for them to set off.
After tidying up the car frame, I stood in the yard for a short while in the sun and suddenly felt dizzy and nauseous.
The maid noticed something was wrong with her and stepped forward to ask, "Are you alright, Miss? Are you tired? We'll take care of your things."
Mingying shook her head: "Perhaps it's because I haven't been back to the capital for three years, and I'm having some trouble adjusting to the new environment."
She sat in the house for a while, ate a few bites of side dishes for lunch, and then lay down for an afternoon nap.
—
The sun was scorching, and after a long journey from the south to the north, traveling by both land and water, they soon arrived in the capital.
"Halt! You're acting suspiciously. We suspect you're a remnant of the traitors. Come with us."
As Xingwei saw the officials pass by, he deliberately lowered his straw hat.
The burly young man, captured by the officers, cried out for mercy: "Officers, officers, please have mercy! I'm just an ordinary citizen, not a remnant of the rebels!"
Because orders came down from above to thoroughly investigate any remaining criminals, it was better to kill a hundred innocent people than let one guilty person go free.
Therefore, the officers took the strong man who was behaving suspiciously back to the yamen for questioning.
Xingwei watched as the young man was taken away by the officials, his fists clenched tightly, and his face darkened.
They've gone too far.
She arrived at the old hideout where she used to work for Pei Xiaoyun, a teahouse called Xiangmingzhai, and said in the same old way: "Give me a pot of Junshan Silver Needle tea, with less tea leaves, and brew it until it's half-boiled."
This is the secret code that our master used to give us.
Xiangmingzhai is still open, so it's likely that the authorities haven't discovered it yet. If there's any news, we can definitely find out here.
A moment later, the waiter brought up a teapot, with something tucked under the saucer.
When Xingwei took the tea tray, he touched the rough, uncomfortable paper. His expression immediately changed. After taking it, he didn't say a word. He waited for the waiter to close the door before opening the letter.
The more he looked, the more his chest heaved and his face became solemn.
turn out to be……
She immediately got up and went to the place mentioned in the letter.
—
Large raindrops pounded against the windowsill, scattering the flowers and leaves on the windowsill.
Mingying was awakened by the rain; when she woke up, dusk had fallen.
I forgot to close the window, and the wind and rain soaked the curtains.
As she got up to close the window, she saw Shen Mingshu returning, wearing a straw raincoat, through the window.
Raindrops still clinging to his brow, Shen Mingshu put down his umbrella and said, "Aying, my people say they have news of the child."
Mingying was just putting away his umbrella when she heard this. She immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and the raindrops on the umbrella soaked her shoes.
"Where is she?" she asked, her voice trembling.
She only saw the child once when she was born, and didn't even get a clear look at her features before she was forcibly taken away.
She was relieved when she heard that Pei Xiaoyun had a backup plan and had taken the child away.
Having a location doesn't necessarily mean it's good news.
She really wanted to ask him why he didn't do things completely and why he didn't keep people hidden.
If they have news, the imperial court may also have news.
Shen Mingshu also knew this, and a hint of impatience flashed across his face: "At Cuikong Manor outside the city, we did hear a girl crying inside. The court has not yet made a move, perhaps they have not yet received the news."
Being near the water gives you an advantage.
He had arranged for his men outside the city to gather this information first.
He had already finished reporting on his duties and was planning to leave the capital the next day.
The news about the child was like throwing a rock into a calm lake.
Mingying made a decision: "Then we'll go pick them up and leave the capital overnight."
The court officials would not let the child go; she could not bear to watch her innocent child be harmed.
Besides, this is her daughter.
She didn't want to stay in the capital anymore; she felt uneasy all the time and wanted to leave sooner rather than later.
Thunder roared, and lightning cleaved the night sky, casting a white rainbow across the heavens.
A horse-drawn carriage sped along the official road and left the city gate under cover of night.
—
Xiao Hou, the head of the Xiao family, did not receive any news about Cuikong Manor directly.
There were spies who found out Xingwei's whereabouts, and based on her movements, they discovered that Pei Xiaoyun's daughter was hidden in Cuikong Manor.
Xiao Hou was overjoyed.
Even though Pei Xiaoyun is dead, as long as there are remnants of his followers and soldiers, the capital and the court will not be at peace.
I heard that the female bodyguard named Xingwei is Pei Xiaoyun's capable subordinate and knows a lot about him. If we capture her, we can probably extract more information about the whereabouts of the remaining traitors from her.
He felt a little more at ease with these people, except for one.
The scout reported again: "Sir, another cartload of men left the city an hour ago under cover of night, and it seems they are also heading in the direction of Cuikong Manor."
Xiao Hou's eyes narrowed, and he naturally assumed that the person in the car was Pei Xiaoyun's former subordinate.
He was defeated and killed, but his loyal dogs risked their lives to save his daughter.
"This is truly a stroke of luck!" He clapped his hands and nodded. "Men, send two detachments of soldiers. I will personally go and wipe out the remaining rebels."
Only by eradicating the root of the problem and preventing future troubles can one get a good night's sleep.
Nestled against the mountains and beside the water, surrounded by bamboo groves, Cuikong Villa is a secluded and quiet place.
In the past, this place was inhabited by several hermits from humble backgrounds, so no one would suspect that a wanted criminal was hiding here.
The carriage stopped in front of the villa, the torrential rain showing no signs of abating.
In the desolate wilderness, the sound of rain is mocking, and the cries of lone geese and crows send a chill down one's spine.
Mingying had no time to be afraid. When she saw the light shining through the crack in the tightly closed courtyard gate, her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly got off the carriage.
The closer they got, the louder they could hear the girl crying and the servants coaxing her.
The girl's cries were loud and clear, interspersed with a few indistinct words.
She felt a strange sensation throughout her body; her hands and feet began to feel weak and powerless. It was something she was born with, connected to her bones and blood, guided by her bloodline.
Even if she had only heard her child cry for a moment when the baby was born, even if three years had passed, she could still recognize that it was her daughter crying.
Pei Xiaoyun actually hid someone here!
Based on his martial arts instincts, Shen Mingshu became alert and stayed close to Mingying, pushing open the door and accompanying her inside.
Apart from the obstruction of a door, the crying grew louder and louder.
When Mingying saw the small, delicate figure of a little girl through the window screen, tears suddenly streamed down her face.
She felt as if she were walking on cotton, moving slowly, and was even a little afraid of how to face her.
How can I tell her that I am her mother?
If she could do it all over again, facing a life-or-death situation like that, she would still choose to leave the child in the Duke's mansion and leave on her own.
Now, she only feels a bit of the normal guilt that a mother feels after abandoning her child.
Just as she was about to knock on the door, a patch of orange-red light and shadow suddenly appeared behind her.
The brother and sister turned around and saw a group of soldiers carrying torches rushing in and instantly surrounding the courtyard.
Xiao Hou walked in unhurriedly. When he saw the two of them, a momentary look of surprise flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly suppressed by his sinister expression.
"What is Lord Xiao doing?" Shen Mingshu protected Mingying as they retreated, glancing at the surrounding soldiers before tentatively asking.
Xiao Hou sneered: "You and your sister already knew where that wretched child was, didn't you?"
He even sent people to follow the brother and sister, but the scouts reported nothing unusual, so he assumed that the brother and sister were genuinely unaware.
Unexpectedly, they had deceived us. They knew the child's whereabouts and might very well be remnants of the gang!
"Men, seize him!"
"Wait!" Shen Mingshu shouted.
Xiao Hou has a large and powerful force; if they were to confront him head-on, their chances of winning would be slim.
Mingying seemed to know what her brother wanted to say, and said, "Lord Xiao, my brother and I have long been sworn enemies with Pei Xiaoyun. He deserved to die, but the child is innocent. I only want to take this child away. We will go somewhere else and never return to the capital in this lifetime. I hope you will be merciful and spare our lives."
The sound pierced through the heavy rain, clear and powerful, reaching everyone's ears.
Not just everyone inside the compound, but also everyone else outside.
Xiao Hou was not a reasonable person.
He originally valued Shen Mingshu's abilities and offered him a high-ranking position, but Shen refused and instead opposed him to protect Pei Xiaoyun's daughter.
Refusing a toast only leads to a penalty drink; overestimating one's abilities.
"Take him down." His killing intent remained unwavering.
At a command, the soldiers with swords flashed with malice and raised their swords to strike.
Shen Mingshu protected Mingying, kicked one of the men in the stomach, twisted the man's wrist, easily disarmed him, and then swung the knife, injuring three people in succession. His moves were effortless and skillful.
To avoid distracting her brother, Mingying hid behind a haystack next to the stone pillar.
The night was dark, the fighting was chaotic, and the torches that had been lit were extinguished by the sudden rain. No one noticed her whereabouts.
Xiao Hou was determined to eliminate the threat completely. Taking advantage of Shen Mingshu being entangled with others, he went alone to the door and tried to kick it open.
Without a second thought, almost instinctively, Mingying picked up a short blade lying nearby and stabbed Xiao Hou in the back, blood splattering out instantly.
"Ah—" Xiao Hou's face contorted in agony as he wailed incessantly, enraged, and struck Ming Ying with a palm strike.
Mingying couldn't withstand the weight of the man; her slender body crashed onto the haystack. Her head was throbbing, her vision blurred, and her bones felt like they were falling apart, throbbing with intense pain.
When she regained her composure, she tried to get up to stop them, but it was too late.
Xiao Hou's hand had already touched the door, and he shook it forcefully a few times.
The door was locked from the inside and remained completely still.
In an instant, the candlelight in the room went out, and the child's crying stopped.
The surroundings were shrouded in darkness, filled only with deathly silence.
This startled everyone, and they realized something was wrong.
After holding their breath for a few moments, suddenly, the blazing firelight obscured the darkness, illuminating the entire courtyard, and the drumbeats of war made their hearts ache.
Everyone looked up and saw a row of bows and arrows neatly set up on the wall, the sharp arrows aimed at them, ready to be fired.
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Author's Note: These chapters can't be combined; it would disrupt the pacing. There will be a long chapter tomorrow~ [kiss]
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