Just as Yan Ning was struggling to kill herself by banging her head against the wall again, there was a rapid knock on the door. "Chief, You Yuanzhi has arrived."
Upon hearing the name You Yuanzhi, Senggesang stopped what he was doing, straightened his clothes, and followed the official.
"Senggesang, you bastard, how dare you betray me!" You Yuanzhi roared angrily, pointing his sword at Senggesang's throat. Senggesang's face turned pale with fright, and with a wave of his hand, his men drew their swords and raised them at You Yuanzhi.
The official bowed and scraped beside You Yuanzhi and said, "Even the chieftain didn't expect this to be a trap. It's all because Fukang'an was too cunning. We also suffered a defeat and our losses were much greater than yours, Master You."
“Fukang’an is indeed a military genius. This move was extremely risky. He took advantage of our falling out to wipe us out in one fell swoop. No wonder my men and I escaped so easily yesterday.” You Yuanzhi sheathed his sword.
“But I, You Yuanzhi, am not a fool. Fukang’an can no longer sit still. Now we must join forces to deal with the Qing army.”
“Yes, yes,” Senggesang immediately replied obsequiously. He knew the power of the White Lotus Sect well. If he could bring You Yuanzhi to his side as an ally, he would have a better chance of dealing with the Qing army.
Although he was thinking about Yan Ning in the room, in order to win over You Yuanzhi, Senggesang still set up a banquet in the hall to entertain the White Lotus Sect members.
Fukang'an broke through the window and entered. Looking at Yan Ning, whose clothes were disheveled and whose mind was confused, he clenched his fists. If he had previously had the intention of recruiting Senggesang, now he was determined to kill him.
Fukang'an took out a small medicine bottle he always carried, opened it, and held it to Yan Ning's nose. Yan Ning, who was drowsy, suddenly smelled an incredibly foul odor, and her mind cleared considerably. Opening her eyes, Yan Ning saw Fukang'an's worried face and hugged him tightly, saying, "Take me away, get away from here."
Fukang'an embraced the trembling Yan Ning, gently wiping the blood from her face and tearing off a piece of his own clothing to bandage the wound on her head. This was the first time Yan Ning had completely exposed her vulnerability to him, and Fukang'an blamed it all on Senggesang.
Because he was carrying Yan Ning, Fukang'an's movements were not as agile as when he was alone, and fearing that he might hurt her, he took Yan Ning and went out through the door. Senggesang was hosting a banquet for the White Lotus Sect members in the front hall, and most of the servants were called to serve him, so the guards were much more relaxed than before.
Using his familiarity with the area, Fukang'an led Yan Ning in a series of evasive maneuvers, quickly reaching the backyard of the official residence. His men were waiting to meet him fifty li away.
Already hungry and exhausted, Yan Ning was further frightened, and her body was already weak and exhausted. She lost her balance and fell to the ground. Although Fukang'an caught her in his arms, the slight noise was still noticed by the patrolling soldiers.
Who is it?
The backyard was nestled against the mountain, and the guards weren't as strict as in the front. However, since the White Lotus Sect members were still there, Fukang'an didn't dare risk taking Yan Ning with him. So, he led her back the way they came to Senggesang's room. Yan Ning looked at Fukang'an in fear. "Trust me!" Fukang'an said gently but firmly.
Yan Ning nodded and followed Fu Kang'an into the room that terrified her. Fu Kang'an walked to the bedside, turned the bedpost, and two sections of the floor next to the bed immediately dented. Fu Kang'an pulled Yan Ning inside.
This was originally a two-story stilted building, with people living on the second floor and the first floor used for storing miscellaneous items. Yan Ning looked at this secret room in surprise. How could an extra floor have appeared out of nowhere?
“Although this stilted house looks no different from the others, if you look closely, you will find that the roof of the second floor is much lower than the others. However, from the outside, it looks no different from other stilted houses, so there must be a secret room. When I rescued you just now, I found that three of the four bed poles were intact, and one had wear marks. That must be where the mechanism is.”
Fukang'an's words surprised Yan Ning even more than the secret room itself. "But how do you know the layout of this official residence so well, even where the guards are? That can't be done with just observation skills, can it?" Yan Ning asked, voicing her doubts.
As Fukang'an helped Yan Ning fix her hair, he explained to her, "I come here often."
Yan Ning thought to herself: No wonder I rarely see him in the military camp. Even when I do see him, he either looks exhausted or has bloodshot eyes.
"So that's why you're invincible?" Yan Ning finally understood that he deserved the Emperor's reward.
"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated." Fukang'an hugged Yan Ning tightly. "Now Senggesang and the White Lotus Sect must be looking for us everywhere. I instructed Zhao Xing that if we cannot get out before dark, he will lead his men to attack the stronghold. The outpost is built by the water, and the lowest level is connected to the river. We can take advantage of the chaos to get out from there."
"Mmm." Yan Ning leaned against Fu Kang'an's chest, thinking to herself: Here, I am no longer alone and helpless; he will be my best support.
Upon hearing the news that someone had broken into the official residence, Senggesang's first reaction was to go back and check if the beautiful woman he had captured was still there. When Senggesang returned to the room, he found only the rope binding Yan Ning on the bed, but Yan Ning was nowhere to be seen. He roared, "Search for her! Turn these stilted houses upside down and find her!"
Looking at the furious Senggesang, You Yuanzhi knew that he must be hiding something from him. He used his sword to knock off Senggesang's Tibetan robe. "Tell me, what are you hiding?"
"How could I dare to hide anything from you, Master You? It's just that one of my concubines has gone missing. I'm afraid she's run off with another man." Senggesang was afraid that You Yuanzhi would take a fancy to his beautiful concubine. If You Yuanzhi asked for her, he would definitely not be willing to give her to him, but he couldn't refuse.
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