Chapter 249 This is treason
Wei Xun's words faded into the rain.
No one responded to him.
The masked man remained silent, his moves ruthless, each strike aimed at Wei Xun's vital points.
Wei Xun dared not be careless in the slightest, his long sword moving like a dragon, barely managing to block the two men's attacks.
Rainwater, muddy water, and blood water mixed together instantly.
The sounds of clashing swords and the rain mingled together, making the scene even more thrilling.
Another masked man, however, found an opening at that moment.
A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and his figure moved like a ghost as he pounced straight at the carriage!
Wei Xun was completely entangled by the two men and had no chance to spare!
"Protect the young lady!"
The driver was terrified. His legs trembled as he fell off the cart shaft and was kicked into the mud by the masked man.
The long sword swept horizontally, flashing a cold light.
The carriage curtain was split in two.
The cold wind, carrying rain, drifted in.
Meng Shilan's heart jumped into her throat in an instant.
She instinctively held Fu'er and Xiao Pangxi tightly in her arms.
A cold, long sword was raised high.
At the critical moment.
Two figures suddenly emerged from the depths of the rain!
A tall, slender figure leaped from the horse's back, his long whip whipping up a shower of raindrops, and with a "snap," lashed the masked man's wrist!
The masked man screamed as his long knife flew out of his hand, spinning and embedding itself in the mud.
The other figure was more direct, his long sword flashing like lightning as he silently approached the two assassins who were fighting Wei Xun from behind.
A flash of sword light, and blood splattered.
The two assassins didn't even have time to see who it was before they were stabbed in the back and collapsed with a muffled groan.
The last remaining masked man, whose wrist was injured, saw that things were not going well. He clutched his wrist and, without hesitation, turned to flee into the rainforest.
They disappeared in a few breaths.
He Ran wanted to chase after him, but Wei Xun stopped him, saying, "Be careful of a diversionary tactic."
Inside the carriage, Meng Shilan held two children, her body still trembling slightly.
It wasn't because of the cold, but because of the lingering fear.
The gleaming blade had been just inches away from her head.
If He Ran and the others had arrived even a moment later...
She dared not think any further.
She tightened her arms, holding Fu'er and Xiao Pangxi even closer, as if she wanted to meld them into her very bones.
She pursed her lips, her gaze passing through the rain-soaked carriage curtain to the corpse lying in the mud outside.
Who exactly are these assassins after?
The carriage curtain was lifted by a clean, slender hand.
He Ran took off his soaking wet raincoat and threw it to Guo Fan outside, then nimbly crawled inside.
She carried the dampness of rain and a faint smell of blood.
But her appearance instantly brought a sense of calm to this small and oppressive space.
"Shi Lan, are you and the children alright?"
Her voice still carried a hint of rapid breathing, indicating that she had traveled a long way.
Meng Shilan shook her head, her voice regaining some of its composure.
"We're alright, thanks to you and Guo Fan arriving in time."
Shuang'er, holding Xiao Pangxi, was already pale with fright. When she saw He Ran, tears streamed down her face.
"Miss He, what... what exactly is going on?"
Her voice was trembling uncontrollably.
"Who are those people? How dare they... how dare they kill someone in broad daylight, right on the main road?"
This is the outskirts of Beijing!
Under the very nose of the Emperor, who dares to be so arrogant!
He Ran reached out and handed her a clean handkerchief, then sat down next to Meng Shilan.
She glanced at the two bodies that had been dragged to the roadside and shook her head.
"I can't say for sure either."
Her expression was somewhat solemn.
"These people don't seem like ordinary江湖草莽 (jianghu caomang, meaning rough and unruly people), but rather like... well-trained assassins."
"But strangely enough..."
He Ran paused for a moment, then said, "I always felt that they didn't intend to kill."
Upon hearing this, not only Shuang'er was stunned, but even Meng Shilan raised his eyes, looking puzzled.
"No murderous intent?"
Meng Shilan: "That knife was aimed at my head just now."
That's not what I meant.
He Ran explained, "What I mean is, their real purpose doesn't seem to be taking your life."
"It seems... like they're trying to steal something."
Meng Shilan's brows furrowed even deeper.
snatch?
What is she trying to steal? What does she have that's worth taking?
Buddhist prayer beads?
It's not some rare treasure; is it really worth sending assassins for a string of Buddhist prayer beads?
Then she looked at He Ran and asked, "Why are you leaving the city in such a hurry? Is something wrong?"
He Ran lowered his voice, "Shi Lan, it's not just a coincidence that I'm in such a hurry to find you."
"I...I found out some things."
Her tone was more serious than ever before.
“I have discovered that the Chen family seems to be colluding with the Court of Imperial Stud.”
Taipu Temple?
Meng Shilan's pupils suddenly contracted.
The Imperial Stud is in charge of the nation's horse administration. With the war in the southwest becoming increasingly urgent, Zhou Congxian is personally overseeing military supplies, and warhorses are the most crucial component of this effort!
Her heart sank.
He immediately made a decision and shouted out towards the outside of the car.
"Wei Xun, Guo Fan, clean up, we're heading back to the manor immediately!"
"yes!"
Two calm responses came from outside the car.
The horses were quickly harnessed again, and under the control of Guo Fan and Wei Xun, the carriage rolled through the mud and began to move smoothly again.
Inside the carriage, the atmosphere was even more somber than before.
He Ran's face was filled with undisguised anger and contempt.
She grew up on the frontier; her father was a great general who guarded the region.
She understood better than any pampered noblewoman in the capital what a good warhorse meant to a soldier and to a war.
"I really didn't expect... that they would dare!"
He Ran clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white from the force.
"My uncle rose to the position of Minister of State Ceremonies, but there was no further advancement. He repeatedly wrote to my father to ask for a transfer to the Ministry of Revenue."
“My father lives far away in a border state and never interferes in matters in the capital. He also detests this kind of scheming based on personal connections, so he refused.”
Meng Shilan listened quietly, already having some guesses in her mind.
He Ran sneered, his laughter filled with contempt.
"He held a grudge over this very thing."
"Now that the country is in peril and the war in the southwest is urgent, instead of thinking about how to share the burden for the country, he actually... actually colluded with officials of the Imperial Stud to sabotage the purchase of warhorses in order to vent his personal grievances!"
"This is not revenge; this is clearly a matter of life and death for tens of thousands of soldiers! It is a matter of the fate of my Great Zhou Dynasty!"
"This is treason!"
He Ran became increasingly angry as he spoke, his chest heaving violently.
Meng Shilan's brows furrowed tightly.
"Can……"
She paused, then asked, "What role did Song Jiyun play in all of this?"
"Is the Chen family seeking revenge, or is there some other collusion involved?"
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