Chapter 181
Xiao Qing did not give Zhao Ziyuan any further chance to speculate or investigate.
Finally, under his guidance, she visited many military fortifications, asked Zhao Ziyuan for a detailed list, and discussed several issues with Zhao Ziyuan before leaving Fengqi Gorge with Mr. Wu.
Zhao Ziyuan wanted to send troops to protect her, but Xiao Qing simply shook her head.
She was accompanied by a gentleman and bodyguards.
“Governor Zhao, although what you say makes sense, misappropriating state taxes is inappropriate. I hope Governor Zhao will handle this matter properly and not make things too difficult for the prefect.”
Zhao Ziyuan agreed and politely saw them off.
Then, he slowly returned to his tent, turned off the lights, and quietly dismissed the people in the tent. He then lay down on the bed, staring straight up.
He said a lot tonight. He said everything he should and shouldn't have said, he said it all in one go.
He feared that if he didn't speak up today, he might never have such an opportunity again.
He slowly closed his eyes, and for the first time in two years he slept so peacefully.
Next, he will begin preparations for his trip to Nanhua to report to the emperor.
Xiao Qing and Mr. Ma were traveling at a fast pace, leaving Yingzhou and planning to enter Dingzhou to return to Nanhua City.
Human potential is indeed limitless.
When Fu Mingyi was around, she hardly had to think about anything too complicated, and Fu Mingyi would arrange everything for her next step.
But with Fu Mingyi gone, she had to be cautious and use her brain more.
She had almost forgotten how she dealt with so many complicated things when Fu Mingyi left Nanhua. But now, that feeling was gradually returning.
"Mr. Wu, did you see anyone unusual there just now?"
Mr. Wu was silent for a moment, then said, "There are special people, but they are not special enough."
"What if we hand these people over to Mr. Wu for training?"
Mr. Wu glanced at her and said indifferently, "I am a retainer of the Fu family."
Xiao Qing had known this fact for a long time, but this was the first time she had heard him say it himself.
"So, you mean if Fu Mingyi agrees, there won't be any problems at all, right?"
Mr. Wu remained silent, and the two continued on their way.
They set off for Nanhua later than Fu Mingyi, but their journey was much smoother.
Although they were acting separately, Fu Mingyi was always cautious and prudent, and even when doing risky things, he was more careful than others.
So although he returned to Nanhua first, he also brought along a boy who was about the same age and looked similar to Xiao Qing. He took meticulous care of the boy the whole way, treating him like the apple of his eye.
He figured those men in black wouldn't let it go so easily. And because of Li Qinghe, Fu Mingyi carefully reviewed the itinerary and made several adjustments.
Even so, Fu Mingyi was still unable to escape those men in black.
That night, Fu Mingyi led the boy at full speed, but when they passed through a dense forest, they were tripped by a horse rope and fell hard.
The horses were startled and only wanted to run away, but the dense forest was full of trees and traps everywhere, so how could they escape?
Fu Mingyi leaped up with the boy in his arms and quickly stood on a tree branch that was neither too tall nor too short.
The horse under the tree had completely overturned, but the surroundings were quiet, and no one appeared for a long time.
Fu Mingyi was indeed patient. Even under these circumstances, he stood motionless, merely maintaining his mental defenses, his soft sword already in his hand.
"Come out, stop playing tricks!" Fu Mingyi said calmly.
But the surroundings remained quiet, without a sound.
The boy wanted to go down to the tree to take a look, but Fu Mingyi stopped him.
He told the boy to stand guard on the branch, then jumped down himself.
"Who are you? If you have something to discuss, please come out and meet me."
As soon as he finished speaking, countless long-feathered arrows shot towards them.
Fu Mingyi knew something was wrong. He leaped up, and his soft sword danced like a nimble snake in front of him, instantly deflecting many flying arrows.
He shielded the boy and continued, "You attacked without saying a word. Aren't you afraid of accidentally hurting innocent people?"
A laugh came from the woods.
"I never knew that the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty would be so long-winded on his deathbed."
Fu Mingyi did not deny it.
"Who are you? Do you have any personal grudge against me? Why are you so determined to take my life?"
The other person laughed again.
"Does it have to be a personal grudge? People die for money, birds die for food. If someone wants your life, and we take their money to solve their problem, isn't that normal?"
"Li Qinghe?"
The other party was silent for a moment.
"You know quite a lot."
He seemed to be speaking with sarcasm.
"How about this, you put that person down, and we can discuss the rest."
"So, does that mean they bought two lives?"
The man sneered, "Those who know too much don't live long. But you've offended too many people; you're not the only one who's come to us to buy your life."
"It's your fault for using such harsh methods over the years, which has offended a lot of people."
"Since you've spoken up, you must have more to do than just kill. Why don't we talk?" Fu Mingyi's breathing was steady, his tone calm, as if he were completely detached from the rain of arrows, quite at ease.
The other person snorted, "People are killed, but the price varies. Compared to the others, the one next to you is actually more expensive."
Fu Mingyi knew that the person who bought their lives knew their identities.
This person may not be in Nanhua.
Otherwise, Zhao Youchen would have sent him a message long ago.
If Nanhua is not in Nanhua, Nanhua will not be in chaos.
However, this only deepened the hidden dangers of the Great Depression.
For both Xiao Qing and him, there was someone lurking in the shadows who knew their identities, knew their whereabouts, and wanted them dead...
Perhaps what he did wasn't just this one, but also three years ago...
"Li Qinghe's reputation is nothing special," Fu Mingyi said calmly.
Suddenly, the dense forest fell into a deathly silence.
All the arrows were stuck crookedly in the ground, and they stood in the tree. Although they had resisted for a while, they were completely unharmed.
A very soft humming sound came from the darkness.
"Alright, let's talk then."
The other person emerged from the darkness.
However, he was completely covered in black, with a large hat covering his head, so no one could see what he looked like.
The sound was awful, like a knife cutting into stone.
Fu Mingyi breathed a sigh of relief.
“Three years ago, Li Qinghe benefited from you. This time, I will show leniency and repay the debt. You don’t need to look for Li Qinghe anymore.”
Fu Mingyi glanced at him. "Your behavior is illogical."
"How so?"
"At Phoenix Perch Gorge, you suddenly broke your promise, putting the two of us in danger. But later, when we fell into the abyss, even though you had already reached the bottom of the valley, you did not make a move to kill us."
Fu Mingyi pulled the boy aside: "Now that you've been exposed, you say you're showing mercy and want to settle all past grievances."
"May I ask, where is Li Qinghe, who made the alliance with me? Why did you suddenly break the agreement and then pretend to kill someone here? What is your intention?"
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