Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Will Come
... ...Du Lingjing was extremely grateful to the Marquis for his help.
... ...I dare not bother the Marquis with our own affairs anymore.
... ...If you are in danger on the way and cannot return, the land deeds for the central and western routes of Du Mansion in Chengqingfang are all in the Marquis' Mansion. I hope the Marquis will accept them.
At a glance, Lu Shenru laughed inexplicably.
It turned out that he was just an outsider who helped her.
Even if you have worshipped heaven and earth with her, shared the same bed with her, and had skin-to-skin contact with her in bed, you are still just an outsider.
An outsider who needs to be kept in touch at all times.
The cold wind blowing down from the palace gate froze people's feet without even touching a drop of water.
No wonder she didn't call him husband, and even didn't want the servants of the Du family in Chengqingfang to call him brother-in-law.
The man was silent.
Chong'an saw that although the Marquis's smile seemed gentle, there was an indescribable bitterness that was faintly visible in the corners of his eyes and between his brows.
Chong'an didn't dare to speak until he heard the Marquis's voice, which had been hoarse due to injury, speak in a low and hoarse voice.
"Are there any guards accompanying you?"
The Marquis asked, and before Chong'an could answer, he saw that the Marquis seemed to have thought of something.
"Madam, you didn't even bring the guards from the Marquis' Mansion?"
Chong'an was so embarrassed that he could hardly speak.
"Yes, Madam has kept the four guards sent by the Marquis."
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the man laugh even more.
"good."
When Chong'an heard this, he thought the Marquis was going to be angry, but after the Marquis finished speaking, he just closed his eyes.
Chong'an didn't know what the Marquis meant. The wind was whistling inside the palace walls. He saw the Marquis close his eyes for a while and then spoke.
"I'm going to ask for leave from the Emperor. I also want your brother to not come back for the time being."
Before he finished speaking, the man suddenly opened his eyes, and there was a bright light in his heavy eyes.
"I will go to Baoding in person to count the troops."
*
In the mountains on the border between Baoding and Zhending.
Du Lingjing and his party went south to "recruit soldiers and horses". When they arrived in the mountains, they saw a large gathering of people. The government was alarmed and had to send out more soldiers. The mountains and plains were full of people looking for them.
But the missing people never showed up. Some said they were still hiding, while others said they had died in the mountains and dense forests. Of course, there were also rumors that the people had actually been found and taken away, but for some reason, they were secretly hidden.
As for who took him away, it could be Shao, the government’s Jinyiwei, or Marquis of Yongding Lu Shenru.
However, Du Lingjing felt that the people must still be hiding in the mountains. She asked Jiang Fengchuan to lead the way and went to the old place where everyone had hidden before.
This place is now exposed and has been turned over eight hundred times. If Chongping had found the knot left by Hu Tingjun before, there is nothing left here now.
Fortunately, there were no signs of struggling or dragging, so he should not have been captured by the men of the brothers Shao Boju and Shao Wuxing. Du Lingjing also discovered that their men were still searching for him. As long as he did not fall into the hands of the Shao brothers, there would be a good chance of survival.
Looking more closely, he heard from the people who had searched earlier that there were a lot of food and daily necessities left here, and it looked like they had left in a hurry.
If this is the case, the Fu party members first sent Liu Lang to the capital to report the news, and then left in a hurry for some reason and changed places. They should have left a secret code or mark for them.
Jiang Fengchuan also thought of this, "At least Uncle Hui will definitely leave a mark for me, so we won't be completely disappointed."
Du Lingjing thought that the Hu brothers and sisters might also do it, so she ordered people to search the area carefully.
But this place had been searched many times before, so it was not so easy to find the hidden traces. When the sun was setting, only some specious things were found.
But once it gets dark, fog tends to form in the mountains, and most people dare not search anymore for fear of something going wrong.
Jiang Fengchuan also advised Du Lingjing to go down the mountain first, "Even if there is no fog, snakes, insects, tigers and wolves are no joke."
Du Lingjing knew the severity of the situation, but she didn't expect that when she came down, she happened to meet two people who were searching. They were hit by a wild boar that suddenly jumped out, and fell down the hillside. The people who were traveling with them quickly carried the two people to the town at the foot of the mountain to seek medical treatment.
Du Lingjing couldn't help but look at the two injured people a few more times, frowned, turned around and gave Changpu a few instructions.
... ...
In town.
The broken branch also cut a bloody wound on the back of Chongping's hand.
He hurriedly wrapped his hands around it and went to see the two guards who had just been carried down from the mountain.
Compared to the casualties of other search teams, the Marquis's secret guards had not encountered any accidents in the past few days. Unexpectedly, the two men had such bad luck today. They were on high alert, but unexpectedly, a wild boar suddenly jumped out from behind and knocked them down the mountain. Fortunately, they did not lose their lives, but only suffered multiple bruises and bleeding all over their bodies.
Chongping asked, "Did you bring enough medicine?"
The person below replied that it was enough, but before he could finish his words, a guard came to report that someone had sent two large bags of medicine, both for stopping bleeding and healing wounds.
Chongping thought to himself that perhaps other people who were searching, such as students from the academy, would help each other.
He went out in person, ready to say thank you, but saw that the person who delivered the medicine had already left.
It was dark, and the only lights on the roadside in the town were coming from the houses on both sides.
He looked at the person who delivered the medicine and he actually looked at Changpu, the servant who looked like his wife.
But when he looked further away, he saw someone sitting in the window of a carriage at the intersection. When he saw him looking at him, he nodded to him.
Then the carriage turned to the other side and the figure disappeared under the curtain.
Chongping thought he was seeing things.
Why is it Madam?
He couldn't believe it, but he still sent people to chase after him immediately. However, he was one step too late and failed to catch up. The people in the carriage also had no intention of stopping to talk with him in detail.
But how could Chongping dare to neglect it? No one knew better than him how important the lady was to the Marquis.
He quickly sent someone to inquire again.
Just thinking about it, I vaguely guessed something.
The people who were sent out had not returned yet, so Chongping went to the courtyard where they stayed and checked the injuries of the two people. Although they needed a lot of medicine, the medicine sent by his wife was also suitable for their symptoms.
The people below asked him whether he wanted to use this medicine. Chongping did not respond for a moment and thought about it for a while.
Unexpectedly, at this moment, a guard at the gate came running to report, "The Marquis is here!"
Chongping was surprised when he saw the lady first in the dark. But when he heard that the Marquis had also come and that he and the lady had split up, he was not surprised.
But he didn't dare to ask about this, so he could only walk quickly to the Marquis.
As soon as he went over, he saw his younger brother Chong'an winking at him rapidly, and then he saw that the Marquis had a calm look in his eyes, so he asked him how the situation was.
Chongping has not found the person yet, but is sure that he is currently in the mountains.
It was just that Yu's staff had sent a letter earlier, mentioning the matter of the Rongchang Marquis' Mansion, saying that Shao Zun and the Marquis' Mansion all thought that the person had already fallen into the hands of the Marquis. In this case, Chongping also spread some confusing news, making those who were interested believe that the people of the Fu party were indeed in the hands of the Marquis.
Chongping told everything truthfully, and Lu Shenru nodded.
Rongchang Bofu and Shao Zun probably thought that he came here specially to take away the members of the Fu party and the evidence. It would not be a problem to stabilize the two parties for the time being.
But Lu Shenru thought of another person.
What about her?
It seemed that she had no suspicion that he had deceived her, but she had paid for help and drove here in person, just to make things clear with him.
The man lowered his eyes.
If she believed what Jiang Liu said and suspected that he was deceiving her and exchanging her for the Shao family to save the Rongchang Marquis's Mansion, then he...
He didn't want to think too much, so he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, then called Chongping.
"Tell people to keep an eye on the lady's whereabouts. If you see her, especially in the mountains, bring her back no matter what."
The deep mountains are not a marquis's mansion.
Unexpectedly, after he finished speaking, Chongping said, "My Lord, I saw the Madam half an hour ago."
Lu Shenru was slightly surprised.
He thought that she would not have any interaction with the guards of the Marquis' Mansion during this visit.
"What did she say?"
Chongping shook his head, "Madam didn't say anything to me, she just nodded to me from a distance and left."
Nodding from afar...
The man didn't say anything for a moment, but saw Chongping ask someone to bring the two packets of medicine that Du Lingjing had just sent.
"Madam probably saw that a guard from the Marquis' Mansion was injured, so she asked Chang Pu to bring medicine over."
After Chongping finished speaking, Chongan hurried forward and took the medicine and brought it to him.
"My Lord, the medicines my Lady sent are all of the best quality."
He thought that the medicine was not cheap, and even if the lady came to look for someone on her own, she still cared about the Marquis, so didn't she send the medicine?
My Lord, please don't be angry. All the way south, he just galloped on his horse, his face as cold as ice.
Chong'an said a few words with good intentions, but before he finished speaking, his brother gave him a look that told him to shut up.
Chong'an was puzzled. Could he be wrong?
The man looked at the top-quality medicines and snorted.
"Is there no medicine left in the Marquis' Mansion? Do you need Madam to buy some?"
She just wanted to clear things up with him again.
After the man said those two sentences, he turned and walked out.
Chong'an then realized that he had really said the wrong thing and wanted to follow the Marquis, but was pulled back by Chongping.
Chongping had no choice but to follow him, "Sir, the Madam..."
But before he could finish his words, the man spoke again. He didn't turn around, but just said.
"No one in the Marquis's mansion is allowed to use Madam's things, not even a blade of grass."
She couldn't clear herself from him.
*
Before dawn the next day, Du Lingjing got up and went to the mountains.
There was a thin layer of mist floating in the mountains, so she asked her men to be careful and not to fall down the hillside and get injured like the guards in the Marquis' Mansion.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but wonder how the two guards were doing now. If the medicine she sent was appropriate, it should help them get better as soon as possible.
She and Liu Lang split into two groups, each searching for the marks left by the Fu party members.
After searching in the mountains until the afternoon, Ai Ye suddenly called her, "Madam, look, there are traces of branches and leaves that have been woven here!"
Du Lingjing went over to check and saw that a leaf had been stripped of its leaves, with the remaining veins woven into a knot. The knot looked very similar to the one Chongping had found.
Is it the mark that Tingjun left for her?
She quickly ordered people to search around according to the pattern of the meridian knots on the leaf.
She also looked around carefully.
But the mountains were so messy that after she looked carefully for a while, she felt her eyes getting tired and hot.
She subconsciously reached out to press the acupoints around her eyes, her fingertips pressed on Qingming's acupoints, and she paused for some reason.
She thought of that man, who had often pressed the acupuncture points around her eyes since they got married. Whenever she read for a long time, he would take the book away...
Has he seen the letter by now?
She didn't know what his decision was regarding the Rongchang Marquis's Mansion, but she guessed that after she left on her own initiative, he must be relieved that he was not tied up by her.
Her thoughts flashed through her mind, and her gaze casually shifted across the mountains.
Unexpectedly, as my eyes passed over the road on the other side of the mountainside in front of me, I suddenly met two pairs of gazes.
On the side of the road on the mountainside, Lu Shenru also paused.
The howling mountain breeze failed to blow away the two people's unexpected gazes, and the surroundings became inexplicably quiet.
Du Lingjing couldn't help but widen her eyes.
Why did he come here in person?
Was it Shao Zun who pressed for a replacement, and the Rongchang Earl's Mansion couldn't wait any longer, so he came here in person?
She couldn't help but feel a little nervous and clenched her hands.
"My Lord."
She did not shout loudly, as she did that day in Guilin Tower.
He was upstairs and she was downstairs, and she also called him "Marquis" at that time.
Although they were far apart, they spoke as usual, their voices could not be heard, but they could understand each other's lip reading.
At this moment, he responded to him just like he did that day.
But unlike last time, he said "Come up" with a gentle look.
She only saw that his brows were furrowed and his eyes were fixed on her.
"come over."
The sound seemed extremely deep, and there was no way it could have come through a deep mountain stream, but she felt as if she heard it.
But Du Lingjing was more and more surprised.
Is he... unhappy?
Du Lingjing didn't understand why he was angry with her, so she shook her head at him.
Her purpose of finding someone might be different from his, and meeting and talking in detail now would only increase the awkwardness.
The most important thing now is that she can find the person first and get him out safely.
She whispered, "I have something else to do. Please go ahead, my Lord."
The swirling mountain wind could not carry her voice, but the man could hear clearly every word that came out of her lips.
She didn't come, and even if she saw him, she would not talk to him in detail, even for a few words.
Did she also want to do as she did when she met Chongping, just nod to him from a distance and leave?
His eyes became increasingly gloomy.
"Then I'll go over."
He spoke each word with emphasis.
Du Lingjing's heart suddenly jumped twice for no apparent reason.
He's coming over?
She vaguely felt that he might not have come for the Rongchang Marquis's Mansion, but for... ...something else?
She couldn't help but stop for a moment.
Unexpectedly, at this moment, Ai Ye, who was searching ahead, suddenly screamed, and then the sound of sliding down the hillside was heard.
Du Lingjing didn't care about anything else. She turned around and asked someone to run over quickly.
In just a moment, her figure disappeared over the mountainside.
The man was also surprised, "Quanquan!"
But she had completely disappeared.
The mountain wind whistled across the road on the mountainside, and the man pursed his lips tightly.
... ...
Before Ai Ye could completely slide down the mountain, she was stopped by a thick tree root. Chang Pu rushed over and hurriedly pulled her sister up.
Du Lingjing hurriedly asked her if she was hurt, but Ai Ye just shook her head, rubbed her waist, and then stretched out her hand to Du Lingjing's face.
She spread out her dirty fingers, and Du Lingjing looked inside and saw a knot made of leaf veins.
She pointed down the slope and said, "I found it on the slope. It seems to be pointing to the dense forest below!"
Du Lingjing called for help and quickly reached the dense forest. Sure enough, they found two more knots outside the forest.
Not long after they stood there, Jiang Fengchuan came over. When he saw Du Lingjing, he said, "Sister-in-law, the mark Uncle Hui left for me points to here."
After the words fell, Du Ling calmed down.
“It should be here.”
She quickly asked people to disperse. There were too many powerful forces in the mountains at the moment, and they were a mixed bag, so they had to avoid attracting attention.
But this dense forest has thick trees. Even in autumn and winter, there are still a lot of green and yellow leaves blocking out the sun. It is also connected to rocky cliffs, and the situation is very complicated.
Jiang Fengchuan and his men tried to enter twice, but failed to find a way in. They retreated for fear of getting stuck.
Du Lingjing also walked around the shallow edge of the forest herself, but saw fallen leaves and weeds all over the ground, and couldn't find a way to get deeper.
She looked at the dense forest in silent thought, but Jiang Fengchuan said something.
"This forest is so impenetrable, or maybe it's been set up for defense."
As soon as he said this, Du Lingjing couldn't help but nodded.
This forest was not completely grown naturally. If you look closely, you can vaguely see signs that someone has moved around in it.
But Jiang Fengchuan was not well versed in formation.
The martial arts master that his third brother had hired for him was a Taoist priest in the temple. He learned the art of divination from his master, but the five elements formation that the Taoist master was good at was not something that a scholar like him could learn by just studying casually.
He said he couldn't solve it, "If it was set up by Mr. Fudang, I'm afraid it's not simple either."
After the members of the Fu Party gradually withdrew from the court, some taught to make a living, while others returned to their hometowns to farm. They had more free time and studied astronomy, mathematics, mountain and river geology, and ancient battle formations.
If they can't get in, how can they tell the people inside that they have found it?
Everyone was at a loss, and Ruan Gong simply said, "It's getting late now, Madam, why don't you go down the mountain first? There is a Taoist temple in the town, maybe you can ask the Taoist priest to come and give you some advice tomorrow."
Everyone nodded when they heard this and looked at Du Lingjing.
Among the crowd, only Mr. Jiang Liu knew a thing or two about Taoism, but he was still unable to break the formation. What could others do?
They looked at her, waiting for her to speak, and said that they would go back today and come back tomorrow.
I didn't want her to stare into the depths of the dense forest.
"Wait one more night, and you will have a long dream."
As soon as she finished speaking, she walked inside.
"I might try again."
She had never worshipped a Taoist master, but she remembered that two years ago, she had studied an ancient book.
This book is not a Song Dynasty edition, but was written by a strange man during the reign of Emperor Taizu. The magic and five elements recorded in the book have been lost. His descendants could not understand what was written in the book, so they simply sold the ancestral book to Mianlou.
When Du Lingjing received it, she found that the book was damaged, but the contents were novel and she had never seen them before.
By chance, a wandering Taoist priest passed by and saw the book and said to her, "If you can obtain this book, you will surely have a good relationship."
She was not asking for any good fortune, but it was a pity that what was recorded in the book was lost, and no one would know about it after a few years.
For a book collector and editor, isn't it his life's work to try his best to save the precious books in his collection?
She said she was willing to repair the book. When the two wandering Taoists heard this, they bowed to her and expressed their willingness to help her in every way they could.
So, it took them half a year to revise the book. When it was finished, she thought it was not easy and wanted to let Manager Zhao of the printing house take it and print and distribute some of it even if she didn't make any money.
Unexpectedly, quite a few were sold.
Later, the two Taoist priests continued their travels and never met again. She also hadn't seen the book for a long time.
But at this moment, Du Lingjing walked into the dense forest, stepping on layers of dead leaves. Every page and every picture of the ancient Taoist book that she had studied in the past seemed to be awakened.
From the deepest part of her memory, it slowly emerged before her eyes.
Ruan Gong and Liu Lang immediately assigned people, some to stay outside to deal with the situation, while the other followed her footsteps and walked inside step by step.
At first, Du Lingjing couldn't tell whether this was the formation in the book, but as she groped her way forward, the messy forest gradually became clear in her eyes.
There were still dead branches and leaves on the ground, but she pulled away a piece of thorns and removed a broken branch, and the chaotic road became clearer and clearer in front of her.
It seemed to be the formation drawn on the first page of that book.
She kept moving forward, trying to recall what was written in the book, trying to figure out the direction of the road ahead. The people behind her also followed her and turned left and right.
Everyone didn't know what she meant and was puzzled, but unexpectedly, at this moment, she determined the direction, suddenly took a few steps forward, and touched a cliff.
She felt along the side of the mountain wall, and whispered, "We can pass through here."
The mountain wall is right in front of us, except for a low passage underneath it.
Ordinary people would never walk on such a low road that looks like an animal cave.
But Du Lingjing bent down.
Jiang Fengchuan called her, "Do you want me to scout the way ahead?"
If it is an unknown cave, it might be dangerous.
Du Lingjing shook her head.
"No need, I can do it myself."
She leaned over and walked straight over.
They walked for more than ten steps, and when they were even a little unsure, the mountain wall in front of them suddenly disappeared.
She stood up straight, and in front of her was a patch of branches that were still evergreen at this time of year.
She took a deep breath, pushed aside the branches and walked over.
In an instant, the scene before my eyes became clear.
In an open cave, a few rays of sunlight made everyone inside clearly visible.
"Brother Hu, Mr. Liao, Lord Hong, Brother Feng..."
Everyone looked at her. They all looked a little weak, but they all had the gentlest smile on their faces.
They all looked at her and nodded to her, and someone said something.
"I said, Jingniang revised and published the book herself, so she must remember it herself."
Before Du Lingjing could see who was talking, someone suddenly pounced in front of her.
She stretched out her arms and pulled her into a hug.
"Jingniang, I knew you would come! You would come to rescue us!"
It’s Tingjun.
Her best friend.
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