Chapter 62 The Pavilion Lost in the Mist, the Moon Lost in the River (Part Six) Caught in a Situation Where Friend or Foe is Indistinguishable…
Pei Hongjia sent men to escort Ye Yixiang into the temple through a side gate.
Bypassing the noisy front hall, we arrived at the relatively quiet back courtyard.
To make things easier for worshippers, the temple has set up an open pavilion with specially made gold paper, bamboo strips, paste, and other materials available for them to use to make river lanterns. They only need to add a small amount of incense money as they wish.
Ye Yixiang washed her hands, found a quiet spot in a corner of the open pavilion, and took out several sheets of sturdy gold paper and thin bamboo strips.
Urozhu silently helped tidy up from the side.
She had learned to fold river lanterns from her mother when she was young. Her technique was a little rusty, but relying on her memory, her fingers flew across the paper, and a delicate lotus lantern gradually took shape. She worked with great concentration, as if she had carefully folded all her unfulfilled thoughts and prayers into this lantern.
After folding the two river lanterns and finishing her vegetarian meal, the sun was already beginning to set. She carefully put the lanterns into the brocade bag she had brought with her, donated some incense oil to the temple, and then prepared to leave.
Exiting the back gate of Da Ci'en Temple, you'll find a relatively secluded mountain path leading to another trail down the mountain, which is much less crowded than the main gate.
Pei Hong was about to lead Ye Yixiang towards the parking lot when a chill silently spread from the surrounding mountains and forests.
"Your Majesty, be careful!" Pei Hong, with his extensive experience, immediately sensed something was wrong and warned her in a low voice while stepping in front of Ye Yixiang to block her.
Almost simultaneously, a dozen or so dark figures suddenly appeared from among the dense branches and leaves of the trees along the road! Those people moved with the speed of ghosts, and without saying a word, they threw several cloth bags at the heads of the crowd.
The cloth bag burst open in mid-air, instantly releasing a large cloud of grayish-white fragrant mist, carrying a strange, cloyingly sweet aroma. Visibility was instantly obscured, and it was impossible to see anyone more than three feet away.
"Hold your breath! Protect your mouth and nose!" Pei Hong shouted, waving his sleeve to try to dispel the thick fog. At the same time, his longsword was already drawn, deflecting a hidden arrow aimed at Ye Yixiang.
Uluzhu reacted quickly, immediately covering Ye Yixiang's mouth and nose with her handkerchief, and tightly gripping her wrist with her other hand, her voice urgent: "Your Highness, follow me, hurry!"
When Ye Yixiang was overwhelmed by the sweet fragrance, she initially felt her vision blur and her head spin, followed by a tightness in her chest.
Behind them came a dense clang of metal, angry shouts and muffled groans from the guards, clearly indicating that Pei Hong and his men had already engaged the attackers.
Knowing she couldn't be a burden at this moment, she endured her discomfort and let Wuluozhu pull her along, staggering towards the direction where the smoke thinned down the mountain.
The mountain path was uneven, and her vision was obstructed, so she stumbled and nearly fell several times. But Uluzhu's small body suddenly burst forth with considerable strength, half-supporting and half-dragging her, nimbly weaving through the trees and rocks.
After running for an unknown amount of time, the sounds of fighting behind her gradually faded into the distance, but the sweet, cloying mist seemed to still linger. Ye Yixiang felt her vision blurring more and more, and suddenly her foot was tripped hard by a protruding tree root, causing her to fall forward uncontrollably.
"Your Majesty!" Wuluozhu exclaimed, pulling her back with all her might, but she herself stumbled from the force.
Ye Yixiang lay on the ground, panting, her vision blurred by a hazy gray light. Besides her own rapid heartbeat and heavy breathing, she could faintly hear the gentle murmur of flowing water.
“This won’t do…” Wuluozhu’s voice rang out above her head, decisive. “I’ll carry you down the mountain and find a house or the main road, then we’ll be safe.” Without another word, she pulled her onto her back.
Ye Yixiang felt weak and dizzy, lying on Wuluozhu's thin but firm back. She could feel the girl's rapid breathing and slightly trembling legs, and felt both grateful and worried.
“Urozhu…” she asked softly, her voice weak, “This fog… is strange. Can you see the way?”
The person carrying her seemed to pause almost imperceptibly for a moment before a muffled reply came: "Yes... I'm fine, Your Majesty, please don't worry."
These words sounded normal, but a strange doubt crept into Ye Yixiang's heart. The incense mist was so thick just now that even someone as skilled as Pei Hong was affected, so how could Wuluozhu be completely unharmed?
Before she could think it through, Uroju carried her for a while longer, and the sound of water became clearer. Soon, they seemed to have reached a body of water, and Uroju stopped and gently put her down.
Ye Yixiang barely managed to stand on her feet, straining to open her eyes wide, but all she could see was a blurry expanse of shimmering water and a few indistinct dark figures on the shore.
"Master." She heard Uroju beside her bow in a distant tone she had never heard before, facing the dark figure on the shore, "The person has been brought."
From the shadows, a figure slowly emerged, tall and straight. He seemed to glance at them, then let out a satisfied "hmm."
Ye Yixiang's blood seemed to freeze in that instant. She turned sharply towards the direction where Wuluozhu was standing. Although she couldn't see anything clearly, she could still feel the aura emanating from that once-familiar figure.
"Who are you?" she asked sharply, her fingers stealthily reaching for the silver wrist guards hidden in her sleeve, the edges of which were polished quite sharp.
“Miss, there’s no need to panic.” The deep male voice from before rang out, its tone steady and even reassuring. “Your guards have only been drugged with aphrodisiacs; their lives are not in danger.”
That voice… Ye Yixiang listened intently, her heart sinking. There was no mistake; although she had only heard it a few times, she remembered—it was Yun Yi from Qiankun Workshop!
“If others could heal your eyes in the past, then my Qiankun Workshop can certainly do the same,” Yun Yi continued, her voice seemingly tinged with helplessness. “It’s just that the workshop master has recently… suffered some injuries and is worried about you, but he won’t say it outright. Today’s events were all my own doing, and I hope you will forgive me.”
Ye Yixiang was filled with suspicion and sneered, "Just how powerful is Qiankunfang that they dare to commit such a robbery in the pure Buddhist sanctuary right under the emperor's nose! Are you really not afraid of making an enemy of the court and the emperor?"
Yun Yi did not answer her question directly, but said calmly, "Please be at ease, young lady. This is not a place to stay for long. Please move to the boat to talk." After saying that, she gestured to her attendants.
Immediately, someone stepped forward and "invited" Ye Yixiang to move aside without any room for argument.
Knowing that resistance would be futile and that the other party's mention of Zhe Yu's injury had indeed raised her suspicions, Ye Yixiang held back for the time being and allowed them to lead her onto an inconspicuous awning boat moored on the shore.
On the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival, boats came and went on the Qujiang River and its connecting waterways. In order to prevent trouble, the government conducted more thorough checks than usual.
Ye Yixiang was placed in a separate cabin inside the ship's hold. The cabin door was not locked, but there were obviously guards outside. She listened carefully and could clearly hear the creaking sound of the oars cutting through the water.
Conversations and shouts could be faintly heard from other merchant ships and passenger ships on the waterway.
She silently observed the direction of the water flow and the gradually changing sounds of the marketplace on both banks.
The boat appears to be traveling along the main channel of Qujiang, heading towards the waterway leading to Mingtang City.
She felt somewhat relieved. Since they were traveling by water, and there were numerous checkpoints along the way, it wouldn't be easy for Qiankun Workshop to transport her out of Chang'an undetected. She only needed to find a way to leave some marks…
Just as I was pondering this, a light but familiar footstep approached, and the hatch was pushed open.
“Your Majesty…” Wuluozhu’s voice rang out softly, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor. She entered carrying a tray with a pot of tea and two plates of snacks on it. “Please have some tea and snacks. The ship will be traveling on water for a while. You were frightened just now, so have some hot tea to calm your nerves.”
Ye Yixiang faced the direction of the sound, remaining silent. The instant Wuluozhu placed the tray on the table, making a slight clinking sound, she suddenly raised her hand and swept the entire tray to the ground with all her might!
"Crash—" The sound of the porcelain plate and teapot shattering rang out, and hot tea splashed onto the ground and the hems of the two people's skirts.
“I never imagined,” Ye Yixiang’s voice was as cold as ice, filled with the pain and anger of betrayal, “that the one who betrayed me would be you, Wuluozhu.”
"Your Majesty, I'm so sorry..." Wuluozhu's voice immediately choked with sobs, and she knelt down with a thud among the broken porcelain shards.
"I'm sorry?" Ye Yixiang retorted sharply. Even though her vision was blurry, she could imagine the girl's tear-streaked face. "Or perhaps, you stayed by my side from the very beginning with ulterior motives! No wonder you didn't bring Wuleci today. All that talk of loyalty was just an act for me!"
"No! That's not it!" Urozhu hurriedly denied, her sobs suppressed and broken. "This servant's loyalty to Your Majesty is true, but... but..."
"Urozhu!" Yun Yi's deep and impatient voice came from outside the door, cutting off her unfinished words. "Come out."
Urozhu's sobs abruptly ceased, as if choked by an invisible force. Ye Yixiang heard her bow very lightly in her direction, then rise, her dress brushing against the broken porcelain shards with a soft rustling sound, and silently retreat.
The hatch closed again. A moment later, Yun Yi pushed the hatch open and entered, her steady footsteps approaching.
"I'm sorry to have startled you, young lady. It was my fault for not managing my subordinates properly." His voice sounded calm and even. "I will apologize to the brothel owner when I see him."
Ye Yixiang steadied herself and said coldly, "Since it is the owner of Qiankun Workshop who wants to see me, and I have some connections with your owner, I might have come if I had just informed him. Why does Lord Yunyi need to go to such lengths, setting up such a grand display, and taking such a risky move right under the emperor's nose?"
Yun Yi seemed to be silent for a moment, avoiding her questioning, and only said, "The wind is strong on the river, Miss, you should rest for a while. The boat... will be docking soon."
Knowing that further questioning would be pointless, Ye Yixiang remained silent. She silently calculated the time and the speed of the water flow. The Qujiang River flowed downstream to Mingtang, and the waterway was indeed much faster than the land route. But judging from Yun Yi's words, the point of arrival was probably still far from Mingtang City.
Silence returned to the cabin, broken only by the sound of flowing water and oars. Six years ago, she had been blind for a period of time due to an accident. Now, plunged into darkness again, she was not as panicked as she had been in her youth, but she found herself in a dangerous situation where it was difficult to distinguish friend from foe.
She has to rely on herself.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com