Gu Yuzhi looked at Xiaobai, whose eyes were already closed, smiled awkwardly, and gently stroked Xiaobai's head, saying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
He grinned and poked Xiaobai's forehead: "Xiaobai, Xiaobai, do you even know how to deliver a message?"
Xiao Bai stared at him with her golden eyes without blinking, then turned her head to the side, her face full of arrogance.
Gu Yuzhi thought for a moment, then whispered enticingly, "Xiao Bai, if you help me get the news about Prince Qi out, I'll have Mr. Huo grill meat for you!"
As soon as the words "barbecue" were uttered, Xiao Bai turned its head instantly, its excited tail curling up and tightly wrapping around Gu Yuzhi's wrist.
Gu Yuzhi continued to coax, "I can give you a whole fat rabbit to eat!"
He tilted his head and thought for a moment. Although Huizhou had been besieged for who knows how many days, it was a prosperous place and there should still be fat rabbits there!
Little White's little mind was completely occupied by the fat rabbit. It nudged Gu Yuzhi's wrist with its head, making it clear that it could deliver the message and guaranteed that it would definitely bring back that letter from that Prince Qi.
Gu Yuzhi understood as soon as he saw it, and quickly took out the map: "Xiaobai, remember this place, this is the prefectural government office. This is the place you need to find after you go in."
Little White's entire head seemed to be pressed against the map. After a while, it raised its head again, hissing and flicking its tongue.
Seeing this, Gu Yuzhi called over Guard Zhang: "Guard Zhang, quickly tell Xiaobai what Prince Qi looks like."
Xiao Bai is very clever; he can remember the location of the prefectural government office, so he will definitely be able to find Prince Qi.
Guard Zhang was somewhat suspicious. Was this little snake really so intelligent?
But now all four city gates are guarded by the navy, and they have no other choice.
Guard Zhang thought for a moment and said, "Little Bai, do you still remember Guard Qi? Prince Qi and Guard Qi look very similar, only the Prince is more refined, a little shorter, and thinner..."
Zhang Shiwei was worried that Xiaobai wouldn't be able to find Prince Qi, so he kept nagging. But Xiaobai turned around, biting the letter that Xie Changshi had already written, and with a twist of its body, quickly swam away.
Guard Zhang let out two soft sighs, and then Xiao Bai's figure disappeared from everyone's sight.
Jiang Kangming and the others followed Gu Yuzhi from Jinzhou to Huizhou. They were all in a hurry along the way, and they had never actually seen Xiaobai.
Just as Xiao Bai was revealed, Jiang Kangming was startled and almost tried to snatch it away, but then he saw the little prince holding the little white snake, looking like he was discussing it with him.
Jiang Kangming originally thought this was already quite surprising, but little did he expect that something even more astonishing would happen next.
They actually sent that little white snake to deliver the message!
Jiang Kangming's blank expression finally revealed a hint of something different.
Fortunately, it was already quite dark, so no one could see his slight change.
After Xiaobai's figure completely disappeared, Gu Yuzhi said softly, "Mr. Huo, Guard Jiang, arrange for the guards to set up camp in different locations."
He rubbed his rumbling stomach and said, "Let's pick some wild fruits nearby to fill our stomachs and make do with this last meal. We'll be fine once we get to Huizhou City."
Gu Yuzhi pursed his lips.
He didn't know if things would get better once he entered Huizhou City, but in any case, it wouldn't be worse than it was now.
The guards scattered in small groups, but no matter how they dispersed, Gu Yuzhi remained within their protective circle.
No matter which direction the enemy attacks from, they can detect it immediately and protect Prince Wen in the first instance.
Gu Yuzhi ate two fruits and then found a tree branch to lie down and fall asleep.
Even before they reached Jiangnan, the mountain roads were rugged and narrow, so they had long since abandoned the carriages and traveled light. Gu Yuzhi rested like this every night along the way.
At first, it was really hard to get used to; I would fall off the tree if I fell into a deep sleep, but I don't do that anymore.
He followed Mr. Huo's example, even when he was asleep, he would try to keep a nerve open to stay awake.
Before dawn, the whole world was plunged into darkness. As if sensing something, the moon hid behind the clouds. A strong wind blew, and the campfires on the official road had been extinguished at some point.
Little White swam over, twisting its body, searching for Gu Yuzhi's figure. After a while, it swam onto Gu Yuzhi's body, climbed onto his face with practiced ease, and patted Gu Yuzhi's face with its tail.
Gu Yuzhi waved his hand knowingly and muttered, "Xiaobai, stop messing around."
As soon as the words "Xiao Bai" were uttered, Gu Yuzhi's closed eyes twitched, then he suddenly opened them and sat up, gripping the tree trunk.
He said softly, "Little White?"
The moment he stood up, Little White fell from his face onto his lap. Still a little dizzy, it heard his voice and quickly climbed back up, coiling around his shoulder and hissing as it flicked its tongue.
"Xiao Bai, have you seen Prince Qi? Have you delivered the letter?"
As he spoke, he grabbed Little White's body in the dark, touched it, and then found a rope tied around his head.
Gu Yuzhi untied the rope and was about to go find Mr. Huo and the others when he heard Mr. Huo's voice from under the tree: "Young Master, has Xiaobai returned?"
The wind howled, and Mr. Huo's voice was mixed in with it, becoming thin and fragmented, with a slightly eerie quality.
Gu Yuzhi subconsciously rubbed his arm, then jumped down suddenly, only to be caught firmly by Mr. Huo.
He waved the note in his hand: "A reply from Prince Qi."
Gu Yuzhi looked up at the sky, puffed out his cheeks, and said, "It's so dark, we can't see anything."
Even if there were no naval forces on the official road, they would not dare to start a fire on such a windy day. If a wildfire were to start, not only would this mountain range suffer, but the people outside the city would also be displaced.
Mr. Huo once said that the most brutal battle he fought against the Northern Barbarians was when they used wildfires to invade Quanzhou.
Chief Secretary Xie also came over and beckoned several guards to surround Gu Yuzhi in several circles. After confirming that the wind couldn't blow in and the sparks from the tinder couldn't spread out, he carefully blew on the tinder.
By the dim light, Xie Changshi struggled to decipher the message on the note: "At the end of the Yin hour, when Anning Gate is open, take action."
Chief Secretary Xie quickly put away the tinder: "Young Master, the handwriting on this note is indeed that of Prince Qi."
When the emperor was still the crown prince, the two were both advisors, so they naturally knew exactly what Qi Shizi's handwriting looked like.
Originally, it was just a last resort, but no one expected that Xiao Bai would actually find Prince Qi and bring back a reply.
As Xie Changshi finished speaking, everyone looked up at the sky. Dark clouds loomed over the city, and not a single star could be seen. It was the end of the Yin hour. How much longer?
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