Daughter of Jianghu (Part 2)
Bian Hongqiu's black hair, which was always neatly and fluffy, was all wet and stuck to his head. Strands of hair on his forehead were dripping with water. He raised his arms and looked around himself, and smelled a very bad smell, the smell of sea water and blood, a mixture of new and old layers, which was very disgusting.
He forced himself to remain motionless, pushing back his sleeves that clung to his arms. His smooth, white arms were now covered in red spots. Even his cheeks were itching uncommonly, almost numbly. He touched them with his fingertips, and his face seemed evenly swollen.
Bian Hongqiu suppressed the fear in his heart and slowly got up, looking around at the boundless Xiliuhai Sea, as if he himself could not see the road ahead.
He shook twice, then fell back down along the bumpy path of the boat. Looking at his delicate arms, he felt that even if he survived the disaster, only torture would be waiting for him.
At this time, the old man who was sitting cross-legged in meditation at the stern turned around quietly and looked at him for a long time.
Bian Hongqiu suppressed the sadness and despair on his face, smiled at everyone he met, and said, "Thank you for saving my life."
The old man had a thick head of gray hair, as if he had both lived a troubled and carefree life in the first half of his life. His brows were slightly furrowed, only now revealing their full shape from his temples. His eyes were bright and sharp, showing no sign of having been awake for two days. From the eyes down, his face revealed the vicissitudes and charm of age, and a unique sense of majesty and handsomeness.
Bian Hongqiu's attention was on his upright sitting posture.
This reminded him of his previous savior, whose walking posture was so upright that it was weird, but there were actually some similarities between the two.
Bian Hongqiu knew that the other party had no intention of harming him, otherwise he would not have rescued him and asked, "May I ask your name?"
The old man looked at him for a moment before speaking: "My surname is Ju, which means residence."
Bian Hongqiu imitated him, crossed his legs, and gave a half-bow: "Mr. Ju."
Lao Ju casually waved his hand, picked up the knife beside his leg and thrust it into the Xiliu Sea, making the drifting boat move quickly.
The clouds in the sky grew thicker and thicker, and Bian Hongqiu could hardly see how many ships were traveling with him on the Xiliu Sea. "Have we entered Ming Hunzhou?"
Lao Ju glanced at him with a flicker of doubt in his eyes, but he still replied, "We are going back to Daohai City."
He thought about it and decided to confirm: "You were originally from that ship, right?"
For some reason, Bian Hongqiu actually didn't want to admit it.
He even felt a little embarrassed, even though the stranger in front of him didn't know he had been "abandoned" off the ship. Underneath his weakness, there was still a bit of self-esteem that went against his will and clung deep in his bones, although it was useless and only made him more depressed.
But Bian Hongqiu had never lied, and no one had ever forced him to answer something he didn't want to. Now, facing the old man who had saved his life, he nodded gently, "Yes."
Then he saw Mr. Ju slowly relax and his shoulders gradually open up.
Lao Ju got straight to the point: "Is your ship going to Minghunzhou? Or is it going somewhere else that requires passing through Minghunzhou?"
Bian Hongqiu didn't understand why he asked this, so he told the truth: "I'm going to the capital, taking the water route through Ming Hunzhou."
Lao Ju nodded and was silent for a moment. "I rescued you from the Xiliu Sea on the 15th day of July and you've been drifting on the sea for another two days. The gates of Hunzhou City show no sign of opening. Now, I have no choice but to return to Daohai City. Since you know how you got lost, you can return when Hunzhou City opens. You can get off the boat soon."
Bian Hongqiu keenly understood the implication of his words. He wouldn't risk his life on the sea for two days just to send a child he'd only met once home. Clearly, there were other concerns on the other side of the city gate. In that instant, a myriad of thoughts raced through his mind, a chaotic mess. He saw the anticipation and worry buried in Lao Ju's eyes, hesitated for a moment, and then, based on his own speculation, said, "I'm afraid the gates of Ming Hunzhou won't be open anytime soon."
Lao Ju's shoulders lifted up again after he said this.
He didn't say anything, but looked into Bian Hongqiu's eyes quietly.
Bian Hongqiu's voice gradually faded. "The man entering the city is the general who formerly guarded the western border. He wants to recapture Ming Hunzhou. The people of Ming Hunzhou are in a complex situation, and so are its relationships with the surrounding states. The life of an imperial envoy is precious, so he will definitely have to wait until the general has suppressed all the rebels in the city and received news of victory before he can take up his post. The court is far away in the capital, so restoring the city's various government offices after taking office will also take time, and he will also have to appease the grievances of the people in the surrounding states..."
"If the imperial court had acted more slowly, it wouldn't have been impossible for Ming Hunzhou to remain sealed for another year."
Lao Ju's brows, which rarely showed signs of deep thought, furrowed even tighter.
He thought about it and knew that Meng Shizhuang would not sit still and wait for death, or do nothing for a year. "Will your family's boat wait in Minghunzhou?"
Even though the child looked disheveled, he exuded an unusually pampered demeanor, his clothing and hair accessories exuding extravagance. Many disciples on Sujian Mountain had joined the sect out of desperation; those who were too poor to make ends meet and those who had lost out due to immense wealth, all met the same fate. He had heard of many disputes among the wealthy, hence his question.
If it were in the past, Bian Hongqiu would have said without hesitation, "Of course."
Now the words that had nearly come out of his mouth circled and were blown away by the wind that blew towards the sea.
Lao Ju noticed his absent-mindedness, thought for a moment, and felt his question was unnecessary. He half reminded and half comforted him, "I was confused. Since the state government has sealed off the city, you definitely can't get in or out."
"No!"
Bian Hongqiu interrupted.
He didn't often ponder the connections and connections between various events. When he was younger, although he felt sorry for Song Jingyan's daily worries, he was also puzzled - especially disdainful. He didn't understand why honest words and deeds had to be carefully wrapped in a layer of icing to coax people into swallowing, with countless sharp words and sharp words exchanged, and then each side had to take a few steps back to maintain peace.
He found it complicated and tiring.
This idea disappeared after he took over the affairs of the palace.
Because he faced a lot of resistance and even meaningless difficulties.
Some things and words seem to be able to be achieved only through roundabout ways.
But after that, Bian Hongqiu hid behind Song Jingyan.
He hadn't thought for a long time, and now that he was using his brain, his mind was confused and dizzy, and he could only say whatever came to his mind without any logic: "They can get out, they won't wait for a moment."
It's so easy to get out of town.
Ming Hunzhou must be under the control of General Xi at the moment. He heard Qiuhe and Qinhe talk about his sister's visit to Xi Zhongting that day. Since the other party had no intention of making things difficult for them, and Song Jingyan had the imperial edict summoning everyone from Prince Liang's Mansion back to the capital, Xi Zhongting certainly had no reason to keep them. At most, he would strictly check whether there were any smuggled items on the ships leaving the city.
As for waiting for Ming Hunzhou to open the city gates...
Bian Hongqiu thought about how Song Jingyan always seemed to be at ease, and he had a thought in his mind: his sister would never give up on him.
In this case, unless Song Jingyan is crazy, she will never stay in Minghunzhou and wait for the city gate that will open at an unknown time.
The manpower from the Prince of Liang's Mansion that came to the capital was no match for Xi Zhongting's men, and the deadline clearly written on the imperial edict seemed like a death sentence.
As Bian Hongqiu thought about it, he lowered his head and covered it with his hands.
He clearly realized that he wanted to start running away again - if Song Jingyan couldn't come, she would definitely rush to the capital without delay. He couldn't imagine how she would fill the missing "Princess of Liang Wang". But to return to his sister, he could only rely on himself.
Bian Hongqiu felt more miserable than ever before.
On the opposite side of him, Lao Ju was startled by his action. He picked up another knife and pierced through Bian Hongqiu's arms that were hugging his head. He flipped his wrist and swung the knife in a circle, pinning Bian Hongqiu's arms behind his back and forcing him to hold his chest and head high. He looked him up and down carefully and found that this child was so delicate that he was pulled out of the sea before he had even swum once, and his face was as swollen as a pig's head.
Lao Ju thought of Meng Shizhuang's horrific wounds all over his body, and how he looked like he had a very tough life, and sighed silently.
Even if Meng Shizhuang boarded that ship, would she stay in Minghunzhou and wait for the city gates to open, or would she slip out and find some other way to find him? Lao Ju had no way of knowing. But close people have a certain uncanny connection with each other, and Lao Ju couldn't help but feel that Meng Shizhuang was drifting further and further away from him. He had a premonition that Meng Shizhuang would leave Minghunzhou along with that ship.
He reached out and pinched Bian Hongqiu's face, pulling at her eyelids and looking at her - his makeup was very rough, but he still understood what he should understand. Ah Shi was sick more often when he was young, but less so when he grew up, and instead took better care of himself.
Bian Hongqiu was restrained by a knife, gasping for breath with his head tilted back. Lao Ju moved his body a few times, and he only felt coldness on his cheeks, and everything else was numb.
Lao Ju didn't look at him for too long, and immediately let him go, saying, "The sea water is too dirty, just wash it off after you get ashore."
Bian Hongqiu leaned against the edge of the boat, feeling dazed. "Don't you need to call a doctor? My family's doctor said that any illness shouldn't be taken lightly."
Hearing this, Lao Ju's heart moved.
He instantly confirmed his previous thoughts, thinking that Meng Shizhuang would be lured to follow the boat by certain conditions, and perhaps would wait until news of the city opening before returning to find him.
Lao Ju exchanged his two arms, which were already heavy and painful, and stared at Bian Hongqiu: "Your ship is going to the capital. Will you leave after it arrives?"
Bian Hongqiu's heart skipped a beat when he stared at her. Her mind was wavering, and she almost wanted to jump into the sea. She stammered, "Yes...yes, I should stay for a few months and then leave."
Lao Ju pondered for a moment and felt that it should be enough time to get to the capital. He asked him, "Do you want to go back? Do you want to go to the capital with me?"
Bian Hongqiu suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, a burning sensation spreading from behind his ears throughout his body. Was he really going to the capital to find his sister? How would he get there, and how would he keep it a secret? If he continued to hide behind his sister, would he be abandoned one day?
Just thinking about it made Bian Hongqiu feel full of resistance.
But if he doesn't go back to Prince Liang's Mansion, where else in this world should he wander to?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
