Chapter 107 Li Lang is imprisoned. There are at least three... lying in ambush near Miaoxiang Tea House...
Watching people come and go by the door, Li Yang propped her head up on the counter in a daze. After Chen Junbo delivered the letter, he turned around and saw her tapping on the table with one hand.
He took a few steps forward and stood in front of Li Yang. "What are you thinking about?"
During these days, Chen Junbo and I stayed together from morning till night in the capital. Chen Junbo only went out to visit a few officials in the capital when he first arrived. After that, he spent his time in the teahouse, dealing with the letters sent by Bi Fang.
Li Yang: Aren't you going back?
"Are you willing to go back?" Chen Junbo asked.
Li Yang: "What I mean is, are you alright after being away from Songshan Town for so long?"
Chen Junbo: "So, Zhaozhao, when will you come back to Songshan Town with me?"
Li Yang: "Have you heard anything about my dad?"
Chen Junbo: "..."
-
Stone chamber.
The lights were dim, and the moisture gathered into water droplets that slid down the stone wall, leaving a trail of water. High up, there was a narrow, long horizontal vent that let in a few faint rays of light.
Even the most skilled climber would not be able to climb up that window with his bare hands.
Even if you climb up, the window is only big enough for a cat to pass through.
Inside the house is a stone pillar, as thick as a tree trunk, requiring two people to encircle it.
The pillar was rough, and the dark iron chains on it were swinging back and forth with a clanging sound.
"Why bother?" a ghostly voice rang out.
"Brother Lang, you've followed him for so many years, has your master ever come to save you? It's been three years, and your master hasn't even set foot in my mansion. Why are you risking your life for him?"
Li Zhao wore a black cloak that covered his entire body, leaving only his face partially illuminated by the lamplight.
The man, known as Lang Ge, was chained to a stone pillar, his upper body bare, and the marks of his past hard work were visible on his arms.
His coarse, stiff hair fell loosely across his forehead, and his eyes, though grayish-white, shone with a sharp glint. His eyes, like jewels, were set in a thin, pale face, which was covered in grime and blood.
The man spat out a mouthful of blood and glared fiercely at the person sitting in front of him.
Li Zhao laughed disdainfully.
“Li Lang, don’t refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Your wife and your daughter are now in the capital. That little girl you had with Sister Shutong runs a teahouse in the capital. She’s really beautiful, with skin as white as porcelain, and those eyes are exactly like yours, so annoying…”
Li Lang struggled violently, shouting, "Li Zhao! If you dare touch her, I'll haunt you even as a ghost!"
Li Zhao: "Brother Lang, now you can't even leave this room, how are you going to keep me here? Hahahaha, become a ghost? You can talk about ghosts when you become a ghost."
"But Brother Lang, we've known each other for so many years, how could I bear to leave you alone on your journey to the afterlife? Don't worry, if you become a ghost, I'll send Sister Shutong and that little girl down to reunite with you."
With fire burning in his eyes, Li Lang broke free of the iron chains and frantically struck the stone pillar, determined to fight to the death.
That day, he went hunting in the back mountains as usual, but unexpectedly fell into a trap set by Li Zhao. Outnumbered, he was kidnapped and taken to the capital.
He only felt slightly relieved after arriving in the capital and not seeing Shu Tong and Zhao Zhao, nor hearing Li Zhaoyong threaten him.
After Li Zhao arrested him, he locked him in this room.
At first, they treated him with courtesy and deceived him.
He had already betrayed the Second Prince by eloping with the Zhuang family's daughter. The Second Prince had never sent anyone to arrest him all these years. There was no need for further words between the master and servant.
Now that he has been captured by Li Zhao, he has made up his mind to die and will never betray the Second Prince.
Seeing that this man was a tough nut to crack, Li Zhao was furious. He initially thought that Li Lang and the others must have fallen out with his second brother after fleeing the capital, so as long as he captured them, he would definitely be able to obtain important information to keep the second prince in check.
Seeing that Li Lang remained silent, Li Zhao lost his patience.
Zhuang Shutong ordered the Zhuang family to protect him in the mansion, but he was helpless. Just when he was feeling troubled, Li Lang's daughter, the little girl named Li Yang, appeared.
The scout in Songshan Town must have made some mistake; it was only after all these years that he learned the two had a daughter, causing him to waste so much time.
Just as he was pondering how to push the man in front of him further, he heard him say fiercely, "Li Zhao, don't even think about getting the slightest bit of information from me that is detrimental to the Second Prince. The Second Prince is benevolent, compassionate, and cares for all people; you can never compare to him in your entire life!"
"Really?" Li Zhao smiled, his expression unreadable. "Brother Lang, you really have no taste."
As he spoke, he picked out a branding iron from the fire. The red mole at the corner of his eye was alluring. He glanced at the constable beside him, put the branding iron back in the fire, and left the house.
A shrill scream came from behind him, making the red mole at the corner of his eye appear even more vivid.
-
Miaoxiang Tea House welcomed a young man in fine clothes. He was slender, with a pale face that carried an air of arrogance. A small mole at the corner of his eye added a touch of allure to his face.
Dressed in green, with a black cloak and white boots, and carrying a faint scent of sandalwood, she swept past the counter and stopped.
The servant beside him shouted loudly, "Waiter, we need the best private room here."
The waiter, all smiles, led the people up to the second floor.
What a grand display! It caught Li Yang's eye a few more times. But when the young master went upstairs, he turned around and caught Li Yang's gaze. With a slight smile playing on his lips as he looked up, he smiled.
Li Yang's eyes widened, and he unconsciously took a step back.
"What's wrong?" Chen Junbo shielded her back.
"That person is so strange." Li Yang shrank back, then turned around and changed the subject, "What did Bi Fang say in his letter?"
Chen Junbo: "He has already informed Lord Lin about Lord Zhang's matter, and the donation from the Southern Frontier has been delivered. There's nothing much going on these days."
Li Yang smiled. Because Chen Junbai had been staying in the capital for a long time, he had been communicating with Bi Fang about family matters through letters. Now that there was nothing to do at home, she felt less pressure.
"Let's go back to Songshan Town after July."
Chen Junbo stared at her for a while, then smiled warmly, "I will obey your orders, Madam."
-
"Master, the Fourth Prince took some people to Miaoxiang Tea House today." Xuan Ying rushed over, slightly out of breath as she spoke.
Fei was taken aback. "He knows?"
"Master, Lang Ge is regularly staying at the Fourth Prince's residence. Now he has also found Xiao Liyang, so we..."
The master and servant were at an impasse when Xuanmo walked in. "Master, a messenger has sent word that there is a severe drought in several areas outside the capital."
Fei Ye took the secret letter, frowned slightly, and said, "Come with me to the Zhuang residence."
-
There were at least three groups of people lying in ambush near Miaoxiang Tea House, but the owner was completely unaware and was busy all day long.
“Sister Ziyan, Feng wrote that he has entered the Jiangbei section and will reach Tongzhou Ferry after passing through the sluice gate. He should arrive in the capital in less than half a month.”
Li Yang received the news early in the morning, and as she spoke, she gave Chen Junbai a strange look: "She said that she received a lot of help from Butler Bi this time."
Chen Junbo chuckled, "Bi Fang is quite sensible."
"Hmph." She threw the letter aside. "Sister Ziyan, the amount of tea we recycled is 30% more than last year. Last year, our two shops earned a total of 1,300 taels. This year... maybe with some effort we can reach 2,000 taels."
The two were overjoyed.
“Sister…” Upon hearing this, Ziyan frowned, greeted the others, and walked to the door to look at the boy.
The boy stammered, "Sister, I want to learn the piano."
Ziyan stared at him for a long time, then sighed and said, "Come with me."
Chen Junbo glanced at him sideways for a while, then turned around, and Li Yang leaned close to him. "What are you looking at?"
"Purple Smoke and this Little White?"
Her eyes narrowed. "What's wrong? Are you going to tip off Mr. Zheng?"
"Hehe, no, no, I haven't even taken care of my own affairs yet, I can't meddle in other people's business." Chen Junbai raised his hands. "Mr. Zheng isn't the kind of person to hold grudges, but isn't Xiaobai seven or eight years younger than Ziyan?"
"What, aren't you much older than me?"
Chen Junbo remained silent.
"What are you doing sitting here? If you have nothing better to do, go upstairs and pack your things." Li Yang paused, then said fiercely, "Stop asking about Sister Ziyan."
Chen Junbo was expelled from the first floor.
Zhuang Shutong seemed to want to make up for all the time she had missed with her daughter over the past two years. Ever since the Zhuang family banquet, she has been sending gold and silver jewelry to the teahouse as if it were free.
This caused Li Yang to gasp in surprise, "Mother, does Grandfather receive such a large monthly allowance? Grandfather, could he be a corrupt official?"
These silly words made Zhuang Shutong and Zhuang Ziyang laugh out loud. "Silly boy, this is your grandmother's dowry. Before she passed away, she decided that this dowry would be divided among your mother. Now that your mother only has you, it is all yours." Zhuang Ziyang explained patiently.
Although the Zhuang family matriarch was from an official family in the capital, all the women in her clan were skilled at managing the household. The matriarch had used her dowry to buy several estates, and now, with a large family and livestock, the Zhuang family patriarch had no interest in the tribute money offered by others.
Upon hearing this, Chen Junbo sighed inwardly, "No wonder Li Yang is so good at calculations; it turns out it's an ancestral skill."
For several days in a row, Zhuang Shutong led Li Yang on a shopping spree in various shops in the capital, returning home laden with purchases every day.
Li Yang was taken around by his mother during the day and stayed up late at night reviewing accounts by lamplight. The summer heat was unbearable, and he fell ill a few days ago.
She wasn't seriously ill; she just started coughing because she was sweating and then caught a breeze. But she was so exhausted that she stayed in bed for quite a few days because of the cough.
Chen Junbai had already consulted the doctor and, seeing that she was simply tired, went with her. However, Zhuang Shutong, upon learning that her daughter had fallen ill after only accompanying her for a few days, couldn't help but sigh deeply. How could her daughter's body be so weak, so unlike her energetic self in her youth?
During his convalescence, although Li Yang was in bed, he still made Chen Junbo do a lot of work.
"Put all of these things in that pear wood box, yes, put them all in."
"Those are all cosmetics and face powder. You have to put them in a box with a soft cloth in between, otherwise they will all spill by the time you get to town."
"Oh dear, that's not right, the cloth needs to be folded properly."
After a few days of being nitpicky and critical, she discovered that Chen Junbo was incredibly patient. Sometimes, even when she was deliberately being difficult, the man would just smile and do it again as she asked.
"Chen Junbo, aren't you angry?"
Chen Junbo turned his head and saw her lying on the bed, her head propped up by her arms, a thin blanket barely draped over her lower back, her small feet swinging back and forth. She looked much better than before.
Chen Junbo lowered his eyelashes, put one arm around her head, and patted her waist lightly twice with the other. He looked down and said, "I'm angry, so how are you going to coax me?"
Li Yang chuckled and then traced his Adam's apple with her finger. "I don't know how to coax you. If you're angry, then be angry."
Thinking of this, Chen Junbo snapped out of his reverie and chuckled softly, his steps becoming a little lighter as he went upstairs.
Suddenly, Xiao Lu's voice came from downstairs, "Young Master, Young Madam, Miss Zhuang invites you both to have dinner at her residence. She says that Young Master Zhuang has also returned."
Currently, Li Yang's mother is waiting to be married in the capital, so the family's way of addressing each other is quite chaotic.
Li Yang quickly replied, "Okay."
She then looked up at Chen Junbai while holding onto the armrest and said, "I heard from my mother that my aunt's brother is General Ling. You mentioned last time that you sent donations to the southern border. Is General Ling the one fighting there?"
Chen Junbo said solemnly, "There are not many military generals in our dynasty. The western frontier has just won a great battle, and most of the generals in the western frontier are too old. I suppose the only one leading the troops in the southern frontier now is my aunt's brother."
Li Yang: "Then you're definitely not losing out by donating this money."
Chen Junbo was speechless; so that's what she was thinking about.
I don't want to dwell on this topic. "Let's get ready quickly, or it might be too late."
After washing up, the two left the teahouse and took a carriage together to the Zhuang residence.
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